#billy gibby | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

maxxphoenixv1 · 2 years ago

Text

The Northridge Angels Pitch Bible

Hello, all 3 people reading this. I’m Maxx, and this is my pitch for a special NSU legacy show. I’ve been thinking on this for a while and I finally got it! Have you ever heard of Kaizoku sentai gokaiger? Or Kamen Rider Decade? My pitch is gonna be like that. Here is my pitch for “The Northridge Angels”

Setting

Welcome to Northridge High School, the legendary institution of learning we've always heard about but never seen. Nestled in the Nickelodeon Sitcom Universe, it's the perfect stage for an extraordinary legacy show.

Premise

Meet KASEY CARSON, a seemingly ordinary high school girl. Since a mysterious incident years ago, she's been merely surviving rather than truly living. But when she crosses paths with four extraordinary humanoid ALIENS – REIKA, FURA, TERRYO, and ZAIRO – her world turns on its head. From navigating comedic high school antics to encountering iconic characters and locations from the Nickelodeon Sitcom Universe, this group of friends will experience a roller coaster ride of epic proportions.

CHARACTERS

Kasey Carson (She/Her)

Northridge's antihero, Kasey Carson carries the mantle of the Nickelodeon Sitcom Universe’s first VILLAIN PROTAGONIST. Despite a hardened exterior resulting from past trauma, Kasey learns to open up with the help of her alien friends. Though her methods may occasionally court chaos, they serve her ultimate ambition. Imagine the cunning of Alex Russo paired with the unyielding determination of Billy Butcher.

Reika (They/Them)

Reika, a mermaid from Planet Syrenia, is a quirky chaos-enthusiast who leads the school's swim team. Reika's treasure-hunting skills and passion for theater add an extra layer of adventure to Kasey's life.

Fura (She/Her)

Fura, a fire fairy from Planet Lafahx, is the group's voice of reason. As captain of the debate team, she possesses a fiery spirit and an uncanny ability to drive the story forward through her persuasive arguments and unyielding commitment.

Terryo (He/Him)

Terryo is a laid-back earth elf from Planet Minera, with a modern hippie vibe. Despite his seemingly relaxed persona, he harbors a genius-level intellect, particularly in chemical science, making him an invaluable ally to Kasey and the gang.

Zairo (He/Him)

Zairo, a Nepele from Planet Aerophant, is the artistic soul of the group. As a sculptor and painter, his adventures often revolve around defending his art or seeking inspiration, constantly shaping the direction of the group's journey.

OTHERS

Principal Agogo(She/Her)

A true menace to society, Principal Agogo is a quintessential CHAOTIC NEUTRAL. She has a rather twisted view on reality. Basically, she’ll either help or hinder the group depending on how much chaos it would cause, because in her view, chaos is beautiful! At least to her it is.

Gibby (He/Him)

Gibby is the manager of the BIXBY, a rec center the group hangs out at outside. He often imparts sage advice from his own experience.

Storyline

Pilot: 1- “Northridge Bound”

The California night sky is lit by the blazing trail of four shooting stars. Their crashing arrival sets off a chain of rumors, with whispers of extraterrestrial activity. Six months later, a transfer student, Kasey, sets foot in Northridge High, oblivious to the cosmic spectacle that preceded her arrival.

Kasey’s first encounter at Northridge is a dramatic one. She steps in to aid Fura, who is being cornered by the notorious Northridge Girls. Despite Fura’s spirited resistance and insistence on using her debating skills to defuse the situation, Kasey's timely intervention turns the tide. The two form an unlikely friendship amidst the chaos.

In art class, Kasey and Fura are grouped with Zairo, an artist who finds his inspiration in the zaniest antics and seemingly nonsensical ramblings about 'listening to the wind.' Their adventures continue in an agriculture class, where they meet Terryo, a laid-back genius showing off his latest creation: a mutant plant.

Despite Fura's dire warning, referencing a parody of "Little Shop of Horrors," Terryo assures them this isn't a movie. Until the plant abruptly bites him. Kasey steps in, annihilating the plant to save Terryo. After the plant's explosive demise showers them with plant debris, Kasey suggests that Terryo could potentially match Quinn Pensky's genius, if he only planned more thoughtfully.

Cleaned up and back on their feet, they cross paths with Reika, the enigmatic swim team captain who invites them to the evening's swim meet. As Reika glides effortlessly through the water, Kasey spots something unusual about their technique. It's too fluid, too precise - almost inhuman. Reika's victory is resounding, yet something about it nags at Kasey.

A couple of hours later, Kasey finds herself back in the school, having forgotten her phone charger. As she retrieves it, she stumbles upon an unbelievable sight. Terryo, Zairo, and Fura, all reveal their true forms. And sitting in the pool is Reika, no longer sporting legs but a shimmering fishtail. Kasey is stunned, exclaiming in disbelief, "Reika's a mermaid?! Mermaids are real?!"

Caught red-handed, the group decides there's no point in hiding. They reveal their true identities fully. Kasey, while shocked, accepts the reality in front of her, promising to keep their secret. She senses that her new, extraordinary friends could provide unexpected benefits. Thus, an extraordinary friendship blossoms amidst the everyday chaos of high school life.

Episode 2: "Good Burger, Bad Intention" (Kenan and Kel Tribute Episode)

Kasey, realizing she needs a job, inspires her friends to consider the same. During their conversation, Principal Agogo (played by Lorraine Toussaint) casually mentions the grand opening of a new Good Burger in the local mall, featuring an appearance from Kenan Thompson and Kel Mitchel who will be served a special meal. This news sparks a wicked plan in Kasey's mind.

She pitches an audacious scheme to her friends: they'll poison Kenan and Kel's special burgers. Kasey tasks Terryo with concocting a non-lethal but effective poison and a trace-removing spray. Reika, capable of shifting appearances, is to impersonate Kasey, providing a solid alibi. Zairo is assigned distraction duties. To Fura's curious question about the purpose of such an extreme plan, Kasey vaguely promises an explanation when the time is right. The only remaining piece of the puzzle: a trumpet.

The night falls, and the Northridge Angels stealthily infiltrate the mall and Good Burger. Kasey proceeds with her plan, contaminating the special burgers. The following day, as Kenan devours his burger, he is immediately struck by an intense stomachache and rushes off to the bathroom. There, Kasey, in disguise, blasts a trumpet in his face, switches off the lights, and delivers a violent surprise attack, triumphantly declaring, "Check snaps fingers mate!"

After the day's events, Principal Agogo leaves behind five job applications. Terryo secures a position as a security guard at BOTZ; Zairo finds work as a mall painter; Reika cleverly uses their abilities to land a gig as a professional mermaid; Fura gets hired at the mall's Pear Store as a Sales Associate, a position she finds ironic given her exclusive use of Cyborg technology. Kasey, on the other hand, scores a job at BIXBY.

Upon accepting the position, Kasey confidently assures her new employer, "Sir, you've just made the best decision of your life by hiring me." The manager responds with a bemused, "Gibby!"

Episode 3: "Party On The Brink" (UNFABULOUS Tribute Episode)

Kasey starts to find her stride at Bixby, earning praise from Gibby for her diligence. An unexpected challenge arises when Gibby entrusts her with the task of managing a children's birthday party during his absence. The birthday child in question is none other than the progeny of Addie Singer!

Tasked with ensuring the smooth execution of the party, Kasey hustles through the chaos single-handedly. Despite her determined efforts, she struggles to maintain control, leading to an escalation of her stress levels. Concerned, Reika, Terryo, Fura, and Zairo watch from the sidelines, wondering if they should intervene.

Addie, ever perceptive, eventually takes notice of Kasey's struggle. She gently pulls Kasey aside and offers a piece of motherly advice: "It's clear you're pushing yourself to the brink, and it's causing worry among your friends and colleagues. No task is too insignificant to ask for help. It's okay to reach out."

Moved by Addie's words, Kasey decides to share her burdens. With the assistance of her friends, she manages to transform the chaos into a memorable and joyous celebration. By the end of the day, Addie's child is beaming with happiness, having experienced the best birthday party ever.

Episode 4: "BOTZ After Dark"

A nod to the infamous game 'Five Nights at Freddy's', Terryo embarks on his new role as a night security guard at BOTZ. All is quiet until the once-friendly robots contract a malevolent virus, transforming them into unpredictable and aggressive automatons.

Night after night, the situation escalates, and the bots' hostility grows. Realizing the severity of the situation, Kasey and the rest of the Northridge Angels step in. With Kasey's black belt in karate and her friends' unique abilities, they battle the rogue robots, buying Terryo precious time to concoct an antivirus.

In the aftermath of the chaotic battle, Terryo successfully repairs the bots and injects the antivirus, restoring them back to their friendly selves. Despite the victory, Kasey is left wondering about the mysterious origins of the virus that nearly led to their undoing.

Episode 5: "Treehouse Remix"

In a hilarious homage to the award-winning 'Drake and Josh' episode, "Treehouse", Reika and Fura rush to the hospital, where they find Kasey, Zairo, and Terryo injured. The trio had been commissioned to build and decorate a treehouse but ended up trapping themselves inside. In a futile attempt to escape, they inadvertently cause the treehouse to collapse, leaving them bruised and battered.

Now, with the family's return only days away, they must find a way to replace and paint a new treehouse. As if in response to their dilemma, they come across a flyer advertising a tournament at the Gorilla Club. The prize? A prebuilt treehouse!

Realizing the solution to their problem, they enter the competition, only to discover it's a blend of intense debate battles interspersed with physical challenges. The competition is grueling, but with a combined effort, they clinch the victory and secure the prebuilt treehouse.

With a race against the clock, they manage to install and paint the treehouse just before the family arrives. However, in a twist of irony, the new treehouse collapses on the unsuspecting child. They shrug, figuring that the collapsed treehouse isn't their problem anymore.

Episode 6: "IMakeASplash" (First iCarly Tribute)

Reika receives an exciting challenge - to design special mermaid tails for an upcoming mermaid show. Recognizing Zairo's artistic prowess, they request his assistance. As they brainstorm and create, they unexpectedly attract the attention of Spencer Shay, the eccentric artist and brother of Carly Shay.

As Reika and Zairo navigate the creative process under Spencer's guidance, Reika wrestles with maintaining their secret identity, considering their true mermaid nature. The design process is filled with comical mishaps and unexpected solutions, perfectly befitting the quirky style of Spencer.

Intrigued by Spencer's connection to Carly Shay, Kasey decides to tag along. She shadows the team, observing and gathering intel, all while trying to avoid drawing attention to herself. This episode is a humorous and intriguing nod to the iconic show, 'iCarly'.

Episode 7: "#KarmaOnWheels" (Sam and Cat Tribute)

In a serendipitous encounter, Kasey bumps into a familiar face from the iCarly universe, one of the kids from the infamous "iSellPennyTees" episode. The kid, now older, discloses that the notorious duo, Sam Puckett and Cat Valentine, have been entrusted with babysitting his younger sister.

He shares a disturbing tale of the past, painting a picture of a manipulative Sam exploiting him and several other children to labor under harsh conditions for a minimal wage. While Sam's temperament has mellowed over the years, transitioning her into a reliable babysitter (a reference to the premise of Sam and Cat), her prickly demeanor remains, and her past misdeeds have never truly caught up with her.

This revelation reignites Kasey's simmering disdain for Sam, inspiring her to intervene. She rallies Terryo, Reika, Fura, and Zairo for a calculated operation aimed at distracting Cat, allowing Kasey to infiltrate Sam's personal space.

The opportunity arises with the imminent "Killer Tuna Jump" event, where Sam plans to stun the audience with a daring bike jump. Unbeknownst to her, Kasey has meticulously tampered with the bike's mechanics. As Sam executes her jump, the bike disassembles mid-air, leading to a horrific accident that sends Sam straight to the emergency room.

Kasey, assuming the role of a doctor, subtly indicates to Sam that her accident was not a mere stroke of bad luck - she's on a hit list. To top it all off, Kasey finally confronts Sam about her past actions, promising a taste of her own medicine. The episode concludes on an enticing note, leaving the audience anticipating the next move in this cat-and-mouse game.

Episode 8: "Echos of Northridge" (The Haunted Hathaways Tribute)

Northridge, a name synonymous with high school, holds a history that is less familiar to the students and faculty. Kasey stumbles upon a chilling secret, revealing that Northridge was once the final destination for those shunned by society. The souls of these marginalized individuals have not moved on, instead, their spectral remnants pervade the corridors of Northridge High, hidden in plain sight.

Unfazed by this haunting revelation, Kasey is determined to bring tranquility to these unrested spirits. In this quest, she is not alone. Frankie Hathaway, a seasoned mediator between the human world and the spectral realm, joins her. Accompanying Frankie is her ghostly companion, Miles Preston. Together, they unite to soothe the ghosts of Northridge, seeking to restore harmony in their community.

Their collective effort comprises intricate ghost communication sessions, peaceful resolutions to unresolved issues, and in some intense scenarios, careful exorcisms. They navigate the tricky maze of ghost-human relations, tackling fear, prejudice, and disbelief head-on.

Episode 9: "Dune Buggy Remix”

Starting with a burst of excitement, Terryo and Kasey find themselves with an exciting new possession - a battered yet endearing dune buggy from a second-hand sale in San Diego (From the Drake and Josh episode)With its history of zooming through sun-kissed sand dunes, the dune buggy comes with a spirit of adventure that sparks a thrilling idea in Kasey's mind. They are further incentivized when a boisterous group of local thrill-seekers challenges them to a dune buggy race, wagering both pride and an exquisite trophy.

Their challenger is a snide, experienced racer, known locally for his ruthless tactics and relentless hunger for victory. Known to favor speed over safety, his reckless abandon makes him a formidable and unpredictable adversary.

In preparation for the big race, Kasey and Terryo embark on a crash course of upgrading their dune buggy, enlisting the assistance of their friends. Zairo applies his creative touch, painting an eye-catching design on the buggy, while Fura uses her debating skills to negotiate for parts from local vendors. Reika, with their unique aquatic perspective, suggests hydrodynamic enhancements to reduce drag. Meanwhile, Terryo works on boosting the engine's performance and enhancing the vehicle's stability.

On the day of the race, under the sweltering sun and amidst the swirling sand, their refurbished dune buggy shines like a beacon. They take off, expertly navigating the treacherous dunes and outmaneuvering their competition. The dune buggy, with its upgraded enhancements, proves to be a resilient force against the harsh terrain.

The climax of the episode arrives with a heart-stopping moment when they edge past their rival at the finish line, securing their victory. Their moment of triumph is cut short as they lose control of the buggy in their excitement and crash into a conveniently placed mound of soft sand.

Episode 10: "Deep Sea Salvage" (Gone Fishin')

The episode kicks off with Reika feeling inspired to contribute more significantly to their dynamic group. The mermaid decides to exploit her unique abilities to their benefit and goes for a deep-sea dive, scavenging the ocean floor for potential treasures that could come in handy for the group's various exploits.

The sea, in all its vastness, holds an abundance of treasures. Reika discovers items from shipwrecks, lost artifacts, and valuable resources, all while enjoying the natural beauty of the underwater world. This adventure makes Reika feel useful and helps solidify her place within the team.

However, their little aquatic escapade takes a turn for the worse when a curious onlooker spots Reika in her mermaid form. The stunned observer captures a quick picture of Reika's shimmering fishtail as she dives back into the water. This situation threatens to expose their secret and put Reika's identity at risk.

Enter Kasey, the team's resourceful problem solver. She devises a plan to break into the witness's house to erase the picture from his device, hoping to avert the crisis discreetly. Her attempts to gaslight the unsuspecting person are met with resistance, leading to an unexpected complication.

In a shocking twist, Kasey resorts to drastic measures to protect Reika's secret. She finds herself pushing the onlooker into oncoming traffic to get his camera and smash it. After the incident, Kasey manages to delete the photo, thereby securing Reika's secret.

Despite the gravity of the situation, this episode concludes with the gang choosing to move past the incident, never addressing it again.

Episode 11: "Midnight Mall Madness" (Extra Credit Challenge)

Principal Agogo approaches our main characters with a unique proposition in this episode. To the surprise of Kasey, Terryo, Fura, Zairo, and Reika, she presents them with a peculiar challenge: camp out in the mall overnight. Should they accept and accomplish this task, they will receive a massive boost to their test grades - an offer they can't resist.

Although initially excited, the group quickly realizes that spending a night in a mall is no walk in the park. The mall, so lively during the day, takes on an eerie quiet after hours, and shadows seem to dance in every corner. Various antics unfold as the group explores the mall, plays games, and shares stories to pass the time. From Terryo trying to domesticate a raccoon using his plant powers to Zairo getting lost in a maze of mannequins, the night is filled with hilarious escapades.

Reika uses her water powers to create a makeshift fountain in the central plaza, which becomes their camping spot, while Fura uses her abilities to create the perfect tent out of store displays. The group comes together, using their individual talents in fun and creative ways, to make the most of their peculiar camping experience.

As dawn approaches, Kasey, curious and slightly annoyed, confronts Agogo, questioning why she initiated this peculiar challenge. Agogo, maintaining her whimsical persona, responds that "Chaos is Beautiful" and insists she doesn't need a reason other than that.

This strange ordeal leaves the group with an unforgettable experience, a massive grade boost, and a renewed understanding of the unpredictability of their principal. While they might be mystified by Agogo's philosophy, they agree that, in a way, chaos does have its beauty, especially when it brings them closer together.

Episode 12: "Eco-Escape" (Green Day)

The twelfth episode features Terryo taking center stage. Principal Agogo, in her usual unpredictable style, assigns him the task of making Northridge High more environmentally friendly. Terryo, with his love for nature and his plant-based abilities, takes the task head-on but soon finds it a challenge of Herculean proportions.

From attempting to replace plastic utensils in the cafeteria with reusable ones, only for the students to lose or break them, to planting trees that end up attracting a swarm of bees, Terryo's efforts continually backfire. Even his attempts to create an organic compost heap for the school's garden end up causing an unpleasant stench that pervades the entire school, earning him the ire of students and faculty alike.

In the midst of his eco-friendly endeavors, Terryo crosses paths with the school's jaded janitor. The janitor, having grown weary of dealing with the messes left by students and faculty, threatens to call his union representative if he's forced to clean up after another one of Terryo's environmental fiascos. Terryo, not wanting to add more work to the janitor's plate, tries to reason with him.

Coincidentally, they both find themselves dealing with a group of misbehaving Northridge girls. Terryo, using his abilities, and the janitor, using his years of experience handling unruly students, manage to defuse the situation. This shared struggle helps the two find common ground, and they agree to work together to make the school greener.

Episode 13: "The Fire of Debate"

In episode thirteen, we turn the spotlight to Fura. The school's debate team is gearing up for their most critical match of the year, a head-to-head with their arch-rivals from Bellview High. The opposing team is led by none other than Sonya Crenshaw Nichols, the highly articulate and fiercely competitive daughter of Josh Nichols and Mindy Crenshaw, a couple renowned for their intellectual prowess.

The pressure on Fura is immense. Not only does she have to marshal her thoughts and articulate them persuasively, but she must also do so against the intimidating presence of Sonya. The initial rounds of the debate are brutal, with Sonya and her team strategically disarming Fura's arguments and meticulously presenting their own. Fura, though tenacious, finds herself on the back foot, her team trailing in points.

But adversity, it turns out, brings out the best in Fura. One night, while practicing for the final round, she discovers an unexpected application of her fire powers. By concentrating, she's able to transmute the physical energy of her fire into an intense emotional and intellectual energy, enhancing her debate skills to incredible levels.

Using this newfound ability, Fura stages a remarkable comeback in the final round of the debate. Her arguments are fiery, incisive, and compelling, leaving Sonya and her team astounded. Fura's performance sways the judges, earning Northridge High the victory they had thought was out of reach.

The experience earns Fura a new level of respect among her peers and even from Sonya, who acknowledges Fura's prowess with a nod of approval. More importantly, Fura learns that her fire powers are not just a tool for physical conflict; they can also fuel her intellect and emotions, broadening the ways in which she can use her abilities.

Episode 14: "Spherical Successor”

In episode fourteen, Northridge High receives a surprise visit from the respected Josh Nichols, now a lead designer for GameSphere Corporation. He comes with an exciting proposition: he wants the five friends—Kasey, Terryo, Fura, Reika, and Zairo—to be the beta testers for their newest invention, the Neo-GameSphere. The Neo-GameSphere is an advanced gaming system that promises an even more spherical, immersive gaming experience. As Josh enthusiastically exclaims, "It's SPHERICAL!"

Eager to accept the challenge, Terryo and Fura put their heads together and design an interface device that plugs their minds directly into the Neo-GameSphere. They're not just playing a game—they're literally inside it.

As they traverse the myriad challenges of the gameverse, each one gets a chance to demonstrate their unique abilities. Terryo's analytical mind helps them solve complex puzzles, while Fura's fiery spirit pushes them through difficult combat scenarios. Zairo's artistic imagination helps them navigate the ever-changing gameverse landscapes, while Reika's adaptability allows her to find creative solutions to seemingly impossible problems.

But it's Kasey who truly shines in the Neo-GameSphere. Her martial arts skills, honed from years of practice, make her a formidable force in the gameverse's combat scenarios. Meanwhile, her sharp intellect and quick thinking help them tackle intricate puzzles and navigate complex storylines. She proves to be the missing piece in their team, leading them to the game's thrilling climax.

The beta test proves to be a resounding success, and Josh is thrilled with the feedback. As they unplug from the Neo-GameSphere, Kasey and the gang reflect on their virtual adventure, eager to see what challenges the real world has in store for them next.

Also, Drake Parker got arrested in Mexico for grooming a minor…

Episode 15: "Toys of Terror: Bixby Brawl"

At the end of a long day, Kasey and her boss Gibby are preparing to close up the Bixby store. Suddenly, their mundane routine is shattered when a horde of animated toys come to life and begin to wreak havoc in the store! The ordinarily harmless toys have transformed into threatening invaders, sparking chaos and fear.

Drawing on her martial arts skills, Kasey leaps into action, engaging the menacing toys in a frenzied battle. Gibby, initially paralyzed by shock, manages to overcome his fear and help Kasey using the store's many gadgets. It's a hectic, wild fight, with Kasey and Gibby using their wits and every available tool to combat the toy onslaught.

Once they manage to subdue the toys, they're left standing in a store that looks like a battlefield. Puzzled and breathless, they start investigating the bizarre incident. They discover that all the animated toys share a common factor—they were all products of a toy company known as "Technotronics," notorious for its cutting-edge, experimental technology.

Digging further, Kasey uncovers a suspicious link: Technotronics is a subsidiary of a company named "CyberScape Enterprises” owned by CEO Megan Parker She recognizes the name from somewhere but can't quite place it. Nonetheless, she decides to investigate further, suspecting that this may not have been a random occurrence, but rather a calculated attack.

As Kasey begins to uncover the truth, she realizes she's heading into dangerous territory, setting the stage for more excitement and challenges to come.

Episode 16: "Mermaid Madness"

In episode sixteen, tensions rise as Northridge High prepares to face off against their arch-rivals, Hollywood Arts, in a highly anticipated mermaid show contest. However, beneath the surface of Kasey's determination lies a deep-seated spite fueled by the fact that Tori Vega, her personal nemesis, attended Hollywood Arts.

Kasey's desire for victory takes on an added layer of motivation as she yearns to prove that Northridge is superior to Hollywood Arts, ultimately surpassing Tori Vega's legacy. Her petty rivalry with Tori becomes the driving force behind her relentless pursuit of success.

With Reika disqualified due to their mermaid status, Kasey takes on the role of the team's leader and chief strategist. She pushes her teammates harder than ever, using her sharp wit and strategic mind to devise captivating routines that showcase their talents while also surpassing the skill level of Hollywood Arts.

During the intense training sessions, Kasey's spiteful determination becomes apparent, as she pushes herself to the brink of exhaustion. Their routines become a testament to Kasey's desire to outshine Tori Vega and prove the superiority of Northridge.

As the day of the competition arrives, Kasey's spite reaches its peak. Every move, every step, and every note is executed with a burning desire to overshadow Hollywood Arts and leave Tori Vega in the dust.

In a spectacular performance, the Northridge team captures the audience's attention with their mesmerizing routines, dazzling costumes, and flawless execution. Their mermaid show becomes a breathtaking display of talent, leaving no doubt in anyone's mind that Northridge has emerged as the victor.

While Kasey revels in her triumph, the taste of success begins to slowly chip away at her spiteful façade. The journey, the camaraderie, and the realization that their victory was not solely driven by petty rivalry start to soften her hardened heart.

Episode 17: "Ranking Rivalry: Flipside"

In episode seventeen, Kasey's desire to make Bixby shine takes an unexpected turn when she comes up with an idea to create a mobile app that tracks the rankings of students. With the help of Terryo's technical genius, they develop the app and launch it to great popularity among the student body.

At first, the app seems like a harmless way to celebrate achievements and foster healthy competition. However, as the rankings become more prominent, Kasey realizes the potential power she holds to manipulate and promote Bixby's rankings.

Driven by her competitive nature and desire to elevate Bixby's status, Kasey uses her powers to influence the rankings, subtly pushing her friends and classmates up the ladder. As the rankings shift, tensions rise, and the pursuit of being on top becomes increasingly fierce.

The intense competition starts to take a toll as rivalries intensify and students become consumed by the desire to climb the ranks. In their relentless pursuit, injuries occur, friendships are strained, and the once-harmonious environment at Bixby becomes filled with conflict.

Kasey's plan takes a dangerous turn when a fire nearly breaks out at Bixby. She realizes that her actions, driven by a desire for recognition and superiority, have resulted in unintended consequences that put everyone at risk.

Haunted by the near disaster and the negative impact of her app, Kasey finally comes to her senses. Realizing the destructive nature of her actions, she makes the difficult decision to delete the app, removing the rankings altogether.

With the app gone, the focus shifts back to genuine connections, personal growth, and fostering a positive environment at Bixby.

Episode 18: "All In" ALL THAT Tribute

In episode 18, titled "All In - A Tribute to All That," the current cast of All That visits Northridge High, accompanied by the original cast members. They bring with them a special challenge for the students: to transform All That into a sensational musical production. The air is filled with excitement and anticipation as the students eagerly embrace the opportunity.

While most of the students joyfully engage with the new cast members, Kasey's curiosity takes her on a different path. Driven by a desire to uncover valuable information, she seeks to learn from the wisdom and experiences of the original cast members. As she tries to gather insights, Reika, Fura, Terryo, and Zairo notice Kasey's actions and become concerned about her recent behavior.

The team confronts Kasey, expressing their worries and urging her to share what's troubling her. Kasey finally relents and breaks down, revealing a deep secret. She discloses that she is Kasey Carson, the younger sister of Steven Carson, who was involved in hurtful actions towards Carly Shay and Tori Vega. Kasey acknowledges that while her brother was in the wrong, she believes he did not deserve the severe consequences that followed, including his tragic fate.

Driven by a strong desire for justice, Kasey vows to bring the individuals responsible for her brother's downfall to justice. Kenan Thompson, who played a role in the events, becomes her initial target. Touched by Kasey's pain and determination, the team promises to support her in any way they can, pledging to assist her in seeking justice while upholding their values.

As preparations for the musical production continue, the energy and enthusiasm of the entire cast intensify. With the guidance and expertise of both the current and original cast members of All That, the students flawlessly translate the show's greatest hits into sensational musical numbers. The performance becomes a captivating tribute to the beloved sketches and characters of All That.

The show proves to be a resounding success, leaving the audience in awe of the students' talent and dedication. The musical production serves as a powerful reminder of the joy and impact that All That has had on the lives of countless fans.

As the episode concludes, the team's focus shifts back to Kasey's pursuit of justice. United and determined, they promise to stand by her side as they navigate the challenges ahead.

Episode 19: "Premiere Omen - A Tribute to Drake and Josh/Victorious"

In episode 19, titled "Premiere Omen - A Tribute to Drake and Josh/Victorious," Kasey gathers her group and shares the footage of the offending video. Emotionally affected by the incident, she receives comfort and support from her friends, who assure her that they will assist her in any way they can.

Seeking answers and a plan of action, Kasey discovers that Trina Vega, sister of Tori Vega, will be performing at the Premiere in San Diego that night. Determined to find information about Tori, the group embarks on a journey to San Diego in their repaired and street-legal dune buggy.

When they arrive at the Premiere, they find Trina in a much better place. Away from toxic influences, she has undergone personal growth and transformation. Kasey, despite her initial intentions, genuinely feels happy for Trina's progress and decides to approach her for information about Tori.

Trina shares that Tori and her friends have formed a supergroup called VICTORIOUS and are currently on tour. Realizing that Tori won't be back in town for a while, Kasey understands the need to use this time to strategize and plan her next moves.

Back in Northridge, Kasey and her friends gather to brainstorm and devise a comprehensive plan to confront Tori and her group when they return. They analyze their strengths, resources, and potential approaches to ensure that justice is served and the truth is revealed.

During this planning phase, Kasey learns the importance of patience and careful execution. She recognizes that rushing into action without a well-thought-out strategy may hinder their chances of obtaining the justice they seek. The group supports Kasey, reminding her to stay focused and determined.

As the episode concludes, Kasey and her friends set their sights on the future. They are determined to uncover the truth and bring justice to those who have wronged them. With a solid plan in place, they prepare for the eventual return of Tori and the VICTORIOUS supergroup, ready to take action and seek resolution for the incidents that have impacted their lives.

Episode 20: "Amanda Pretty Please - A Three-Part Special - The Amanda Show Tribute"

Part 1:

In the first part of the three-part special episode titled "Amanda Pretty Please - A Tribute to The Amanda Show," Penelope, now a successful blogger, creates a schoolwide ARG (Alternate Reality Game). Principal Agogo agrees to this unique challenge to test the abilities of the main five. The group enthusiastically dives into solving the ARG, showcasing their intelligence, problem-solving skills, and teamwork. As they progress, they realize that the ARG leads them to meet Penelope at a Chuck E. Cheese's restaurant.

Part 2:

Upon meeting Penelope, she reveals shocking news: Amanda, the beloved star of The Amanda Show, has been absent from the public eye for years. Penelope explains that she has been tirelessly searching for Amanda and has recently discovered that Amanda voluntarily checked herself into a secluded retreat due to personal struggles and the pressure of fame.

Determined to help their childhood idol, the group resolves to track down Amanda at the retreat. They navigate a series of challenges and obstacles, finally reaching the retreat where Amanda has sought solace.

Part 3:

In the final part of the special episode, the group confronts Amanda at the retreat, expressing their genuine concern and admiration for her talent and impact on their lives. They share their own experiences, highlighting the positive influence Amanda had on them during their formative years.

With compassion and understanding, they offer their support and friendship to Amanda, assuring her that she is not alone in her struggles. Slowly, Amanda begins to open up, realizing that she has a strong network of people who care about her well-being.

Inspired by their bond, Amanda makes the courageous decision to leave the retreat and re-embrace her love for comedy and entertainment. The group, filled with joy and gratitude, decides to organize a special event: a one-night-only return of The Amanda Show. They collaborate with Amanda to create a memorable performance that showcases her talent and brings back the nostalgic charm of the beloved sketch comedy series.

The special event becomes a celebration of Amanda's journey, resilience, and the enduring impact of The Amanda Show. It serves as a reminder that seeking help, leaning on friends, and embracing one's passions can lead to personal growth and fulfillment.

THIS CONCLUDES SEASON 1

#nickelodeon #schneiderverse #quinton reviews

2 notes · View notes

twixedships · 1 month ago

Text

F/O list!!!

MAIN F/O'S

Lord Boxman (OK KO) (romantic): 📦💕 Nicole Demara (ZZZ) (Romantic): 🐰🖥️

Romantic

Kafka (HSR) Lord Gibby (Hylics)

Familial

Boxbots (OK KO)

Platonic

Anby (ZZZ) Billy (ZZZ)

#📦💕#🐰🖥️

0 notes

manilafm · 1 year ago

Note

most wanted characters by the members/admins, please?

Everyone who is a member/admin. of this RPG would love to see Rose Granger-Weasley, Pansy Parkinson, Draco Malfoy, Ron Weasley, the rest of Ginny Weasley's brothers ( Percy Weasley, Fred Weasley, George Weasley, and Bill Weasley ), Cho Chang, Cedric Diggory, Mr. Remus Lupin, Katie Bell, Neville Longbottom, Mrs. Molly Weasley, Mr. Arthur Weasley, Mr. James Potter, Mrs. Lily Evans-Potter, Emma Vanity, Romilda Vane, Penelope Clearwater, Hugo Granger-Weasley, Professor Severus Snape, Professor Minerva McGonagall, Marlene McKinnon, Headmaster Albus Dumbledore, Sirius Black, and Oliver Wood from Harry Potter ; Gerald Johanssen, Arnold Shortman, Patricia ‘Big Patty’ Smith, Nadine, Sheena, Lila Sawyer, and Sid from Hey, Arnold! ; Payton Saunders, Autumn Brooks, Sakura Watanabe, Max Warren, Kara Sinclair, Ezra, Hope Castillo, Julian Castillo, Katherine, Koh Sunya, Derek, Nick, Shane, Wes Porter, Nishan Khandaar, Chelsea, Owen Harris, Brigette, Lacey, Kimi Chen, Quinn, Asher Rollins, Chase Cunningham, and Fibikemi ‘Phoebe’ Ayotunde from High School Story ; Sam Puckett, Freddie Benson, Carly Shay, Spencer Shay, and Gibby Gibson from iCarly ; Elena Gilbert, Hope Mikaelson, Joesette 'Josie’ Saltzman, and everyone else from The Vampire Diaries / The Originals / Legacies ( excluding Damon Salvatore, though ) ; Youngmee Song, Mrs. Eliza Biskit, Mr. Fisher Biskit, Mrs. Lauren ‘Betty’ Smith, Sue Patterson, Joshua 'Josh’ Sharp, and Mr. Roger Biskit from Littlest Pet Shop ; Adrien Agreste, Alya Césaire, Nino Lahiffe, Jessica ‘Jess’ Keynes, Alix Kubdel, Luka Couffaine, Nathalie Sancoeur, Kagami Tsurugi, Mrs. Emilie Agreste (neé Graham De Vanily), Mr. Gabriel Agreste, Lila Rossi, Mrs. Sabine Cheng, Mr. Tom Dupain, Master Wang Fu, Félix Graham De Vanily, Lê Chiến Kim, Max Kanté, Mylène Haprèle, Ivan Bruel, Nathaniel Kurtzberg, Marc Anciel, Ms. Caline Bustier, Principal Damocles, Ms. Mendeleiev, Fred Haprèle, Armand D'Argencourt, Mr. André Bourgeois, Jagged Stone, Nadja Chamack, Mr. Roger Raincomprix, Mr. Alim Kubdel, Jalil Kubdel, Xavier Ramier, Mr. Otis Césaire, Mrs. Marlena Césaire, Nora Césaire, Wayhem, Ms. Anarka Couffaine, Ondine, Mrs. Amélie Graham De Vanilly, Grand Master Su-Han, Ms. Tomoe Tsurugi, Aurore Beauréal, and Mrs. Audrey Bourgeois from Miraculous: Tales Of Ladybug & Cat Noir ; and lastly, we would also absolutely love to see Peter Parker, Loki Laufeyson, America Chavez, Carol Danvers, Pepper Potts, Mary Jane Watson, Michelle ‘M.J.’ Jones, Cindy Moon, May Parker, Kamala Khan, Wade Wilson, Steve Rogers, Tony Stark, Thor Odinson, Emma Frost, Billy Kaplan, Tommy Shepherd, Clint Barton, Bucky Barnes, Sam Wilson, Wanda Maximoff, and Jean Grey from Marvel !! However, if you have any specific fandoms in mind to bring into this RPG, please send us another ask with the FULL name of the fandom !!

#multifandom rp #fandom rp #appless rp #harry potter rp #appless RPG #manila:M.W.#manila:F.A.Q.S.#answered #anonymous #manila:admin.#manila:admin.isabella.

1 note · View note

mechanicalinertia · 2 years ago

Text

Reblogging this to build on it slightly. No tags, just a sub-rant over the old rant: I think I don't like Cyberpunk 2077 / Edgerunners' lore anymore. I found CP2020's lore amusing to peruse while pirating the old RPG splatbooks, but I think in the end I'm somewhat Not Feeling It in terms of its continuation.

Why? Because it embodies this highly static preconception of cyberpunk that I at once enjoy and want to break free of in my own writing. The main villain, Arasaka, is the most generic Evil Japanese megacorp one could ask for, run by the kind of guy who would unironically say things like "Pearl Harbor didn't work, so we got you with tape decks", and despite fifty years having passed from the old books to this new game, he's still around. In fact, that's the weirdest goddamn thing about 2077: Everyone is still around, barely aged at all. Technology hasn't changed much, the Time of the Red changed next to nothing, you'd hardly know it was fifty years in the alternative future. And that... doesn't feel cyberpunk?

No, well, maybe it does, maybe it is cyberpunk of a kind. Walter Jon Williams' Hardwired is an old novel that is supposedly a foundational work of the subgenre, less so than Neuromancer but foundational all the same, and in it it's pretty clear that one can't beat the Orbital Megacorporations from down on the ground. And, y'know, Williams helped playtest CP2013 for Pondsmith back in the day, so... is that what said work is drawing from?

Meanwhile, The Sprawl and The Bridge trilogies of Billy Gibby actually seem to portray a much more unstable universe, one where the fortunes of megacorporations can be destabilized by black-swan events and new technology ripped away from their corpselike grip on the future, where liminal spaces still exist and exit from the nightmare is still possible. (I just finished rereading Virtual Light less than a month ago and, for all that it feels like a book written in the nineties, it does a great job of selling the reader on its weird impossible future.)

There's no such optimism, or rather dynamism, in CP2077. And I'm not sure if that's intentional or what. I could get over that in Edgerunners because that anime had such a strong tragic arc, but beyond that the lore of CP2077 feels like this mishmash of every old idea under the sun into a sun-baked end-of-history brick.

I bring this up now because I just read an Edgerunners fanfiction that I liked right up until the clear villainess of the piece went on one too many rants about how inevitable megacorporate power is in a sadistic tone, and how annoying the author didn't seem to realize she was being, and how David and Lucy working for this miserable human being for various promises and plots was a Clearly Bad Choice that both characters really should have known better than to get involved in. Why did that fanfiction feel like the last straw? I don't know, honestly. Maybe just because it makes me realize how flat of an environment Night City is for fiction, with every path and possibility in the city mapped out with machinelike precision. Some people enjoy that, discovering every lost piece of lore and creating a muck-mat of discarded ideas to make their own cohesive whole. So you get a lot of good fanfics that all share this common character, all go different places with the characters, but then it kind of... wears thin to a degree? There are just points, like with this one fanfic, where the feeling of 'oh, I've seen that before' kind of just makes me want to drop the whole thing flat.

It makes you think, though, doesn't it? Once I finish Anatomy of a Lovedoll - and I will fucking do that I swear - what's next? I still don't know, but one thing's for certain: If it's an Edgerunners-related fic I'll have to really make a decision about how much lore I want to subjugate to my own worldbuilding whims. Because I'm not writing it straight, that's for sure.

...You know what I need to do? Read more Cory Doctorow. He's famous for cyberpunk where there's a way out of dystopia. I read his blog incessantly. He's great, and I need to read more of his novels.

Against the Inevitable in Bubblegum Crisis: An STMPD-branded Screed Against Certain Concepts in Fanon That Might or Might Not Exist Anymore

Those of you who follow my reviews of Bubblegum Crisis fanfiction might have noted that I keep grappling with how to review Dartz's Yours Truly 2032, because I can't decide if I like it or not. It has so many highs, and so many lows, that it's impossible to just call it 'okay' - things like that don't cancel each other out. In between being a real college student who functions in the world, and writing my own fanfiction, I keep coming back to how to review this fanfic without sounding like I hate Dartz's work on some sort of personal level, or sounding like I love it unquestionably. I like it, but there's a problem.

Anyway, reading something the guy wrote on the old alt.fan.bgcrisis Google Group several years ago finally solidified what annoys me about this fanfic. And about Meat / Metal Jacket, and about Grand Mal, and about Neo No Armor Against Fate, and about Illusions, and about Tokyo Babylon, and various other fanfics I've reviewed or have struggled to review properly. I know that's that a lot of fanon (and one quasi-canon work), but dammit, I have an opinion here. And there is one sentiment that, in my opinion, is terrible.

It is, in a phrase, the words: The Knight Sabers Can Never Win.

Now, what do I mean by that? Well, this is the core of the argument, paraphrased:

"GENOM cannot be destroyed by the Knight Sabers. For one, the corporation is simply too big. Even a surgical strike against Quincy wouldn't cripple the corporation, they'd just get a new guy and keep going. For another, GENOM is too economically vital to be destroyed. Blowing it up would essentially crash the global economy. Therefore, the most the Knight Sabers can do is keep GENOM's worst excesses in check for a few years before they're unceremoniously wiped out, and the cyberpunk world grinds ever onward to the end of history."

You can read what Dartz wrote back in alt.fan at the link above the cut, but the essence of it is that destroying GENOM would ignite a financial crisis that would hollow out industry and ruin the world for a good long while. It feels cynical, not just cynical but proud of that cynicism, as though Dartz was glad that he figured out the terrible, inevitable truth of the universe.

Most of this argument, I suppose, comes from Sylia's monologue with Lisa in the middle of Scoop Chase, where she argues that yes, GENOM does good things and bad things in approximately equal measures, is essential to the functioning of the world. And the R. Tal RPG largely sticks to this theory, stating that GENOM could likely never be properly destroyed by the Sabers, and that's not Sylia's intent anyway.

This is what most people take away from the Vanette exchange, and it's interesting that they do. Sylia is... well, she's distant, but she's never cold per se in the original series, so maybe she isn't manipulating anyone, but hold on just for a second. What if she is playing Lisa, just a little? I mean, she knows this girl could very well expose the Sabers, but she doesn't want to kill the girl, otherwise questions will be asked courtesy of her ADP Chief uncle. She has to nudge the girl away from hunting the Sabers down, subtly, quietly. And she has to play to Lisa's preconcieved notions of the Sabers and GENOM. So, well, why not lie about what she believes? Why not, indeed. The point is that this particular scene isn't as much of a sure thing as people think it is, and so without it a lot of what ends up being written without the explicit support of the text is mostly the viewer's opinion, what they want out of the cyberpunk genre, and, well, probably their politics as well.

So. Opinion time. I am sick to death of immovable megacorporations in cyberpunk, of the status quo being an endless reach of chrome, neon, and LED's, of this being all there is, of the end of history.

Yeah. Remember that? Francis Fukuyama's theory that Free Market Liberal Democracy is as good a form of government as anyone can get? That after the defeat of the Soviet Union and the long nineties, things probably couldn't get any better? It's a very neoliberal idea, that as long as democracy doesn't interfere with the value creation of the 'free market' things will get better, better, best. It's an idea that cyberpunk's founding works never pushed back overmuch beyond making megacorporations the Big Bads in their stories, but also necessary for the continuing function of cyber-industrial society. It's why accusations of retrofuturism levelled against the subgenre as a whole feel weird to me: Cyberpunk came into being in the neoliberal era, as surely as Reagan and Thatcher inaugurated it, and cyberpunk will feel powerful as long as our current moment is neoliberal.

But here's the thing. It's one thing to describe a cyberpunk dystopia as 'all there is', as utterly inevitable and unstoppable. Maybe it's even properly neo-noir as surely as something like Chinatown is. But fuck it. I'm still sick of it.

Why? Well, because we've been living with the megacorps for forty years and we've all seen the world not just stumble away from the gauranteed future of the nineties but slouch into what feels like near apocalypse. Healthcare and rent are unaffordable; monarchism disguised as populist fascism seems to be the new default form of government, with all the sleazy corruption that inevitably leads to; we're in a Cold War with one tsarist hermit with too many nukes and a newfound superpower whose leader would like nothing more than to commit some ethnic cleansing against its neighbors (you really think the Taiwanese won't be rounded up and punished for dissidence against the motherland? Puh-leaze); and to top it all off those same megacorporate elites can't get off of fossil fuels fast enough to not fuck the rest of us over. In other words, 2022 is an age of perpetual, overlapping crises, not eternal megacorporate-guaranteed stability...

Hold up. Crisis? An inflection point where the old order breaks down? Where either something better or something more monstrous arises? Now where have we heard that word before, hm? It's almost as though the Sabers live in a moment of Crisis as well, where even the most indomitable megacorporations are vulnerable and could be destroyed!

Well, okay, fine, if the megacorporate order and the fascism it uses to advance its goals of zero taxes and zero regulation are to be defeated, it won't just be because superheroes came out of the night and brought us Peter Thiel's head on a pike. I don't know what it's gonna take, but the point is that it's not just doable, but it really ought to be done, otherwise we're going to look pretty Canticle For Leibowitz-y in a few decades.

And that's why the idea of GENOM being a necessary evil, or at least an invincible one, pisses me off so much, because, uh, GENOM's business model, while not seen in the anime, is probably replacing humanity with Boomers, right? Hey, even Lisa said it, the cities would be wall-to-wall Boomers if GENOM were to take over the world, and there'd be no place for humans. (So the idea of GENOM's destruction causing a loss of jobs makes no sense; how many humans does GENOM actually employ, anyway?) The stakes are literally saving humanity from being replaced, and Fred Herriot, Shawn Hagen, Dartz, they all operate under the principle that this just ain't the case. (Admittedly, Mark Latus seems to acknowledge this, but he never finished his Tokyo Babylon Trilogy, so we never got to see any sort of comeuppance for the omnipotent Super Cool GENOM Dude he created, and I get the sense Latus liked him too much to bother. And Meat Jacket is... well, it wants to marinate in the darkest parts of the genre ad infinitum. It is a piece which I don't think cares as much about the politics of this shit the way I do, which I may have to just acknowledge reluctantly.) Don't even get me started on Adam Warren.

And this, in turn, is why Hakluyt's Most of the Way to the Moon was so refreshing, because the Sabers got a concrete win against GENOM, a win against evil not unlike that of Jeffie Epstein and his ilk. It felt nice to see, at least in fiction, justice being served for oligarchic pedophilia. And I know that then people will say that these more nihilistic fics are more 'realistic' because they more accurately reflect our political moment, its failures of imagination and change, and they might even be right.

But do you want to see that inevitability reflected everywhere you look? Do you want to have to wake up in the morning convinced that extinction is a few generations off? Does that feel empowering to you, dear reader? If so...

...Well, you and I have very different Internet Opinions. And I, for one, happen to disagree.

And, uh, that's why my opinion on Yours Truly 2032 has soured a great deal. Because I can't stand that stance. Because I think it poisons what I want Crisis to be so, so badly.

18 notes · View notes

iangallagherz · 5 years ago

Text

billy 🤝 heather

being gay and forced into a bullshit illusion that stinks of repressed homosexuality and forced 80's traditional american family brand heterosexuality

#hm #gibby didnt like that #im gibby #heather stranger things #billy hargrove #stranger things #stranger things spoilers

56 notes · View notes

jamespmarchapologist · 2 years ago

Note

this ask is just to interact a little with you, because I think you're cool, so, if you had to choose just one scene from your favorite movie to watch for the rest of your life, which scene would it be? what song best defines your life? what was the first book character you hated?

thank you baby !!

if i could watch just one scene out of Scream, it would be when Stu and Randy are talking about Billy and Randy asks “do you think Sid would go out with me” and Stu is like “aha!.. no i don’t, at all”. Matthew Lillard in the 90s is my fucking WEAKNESS. after austin, of course.

really any song by Motionless in White explains my life, a bit all over the place but still hanging on. some days can just be one big scream yk.

I haven’t gotten around to reading much recently, I don’t hate much works but I think probably ‘the haunting of hill house’ because it’s based on a real story and i got the hibby gibbies

2 notes · View notes

hickeys-dickey · 3 years ago

Note

Pls share your thoughts about the gays in THAT scene… I would love to read them!

Ahh you are too kind, I am but a little swiss cheese brain but I'll try my best to sum up my thoughts, I have too many! I wanted a chance to grab some screenshots too! I'm going to put a read more because this is a long one buckle up lads.

So obviously the whole punishment for Hickey is designed to humiliate him (I would imagine this is one of the reasons his punishment isn't explained to him, because if Hickey truly was a naval petty officer he would know, and I think it's another way for Crozier to essentially say "I see you" and not in a good way). The fact we're not shown the other whippings shows the importance lies in the scene with Hickey.

I've seen a bit of discussion about his charge of "dirtiness", which isn't listed initially when we see him being questioned by the Captains, and whether or not it alludes to homosexuality but on a quick cursory search it does seem to have been used as a euphemism where an outright accusation of sodomy would mean a death sentence. The way Crozier throws it out there, no doubt to heap the humiliation onto Hickey and add crimes to the list to cover the fact he added lashes on to the punishment essentially for a bruised ego (but that's another matter), suggests a whole lot of venom to the accusation. Hickey's pointed look at Irving and Irving's quick shift of his gaze down suggests they both know exactly why Crozier has listed this among Hickey's list of crimes, and Hickey looks furious for it.

But I think this is also ultimately where the panic begins to set in. Again, there are far greater minds than me who have made excellent posts about queer coded characters in the terror, and I think it's no surprise that most of them are the faces that are focused on in this scence. It is clear long before this moment that Crozier's leadership is lacking, and people have already begun to voice concerns fairly loudly. Tozer for one is livid in the wake of Heather being injured, and the marines have clearly started distancing themselves from both the officers and the men. I feel like this scene, for a lot of characters is a point of major shift in either allegiences or character.

Tozer and the Captains are the first faces that are panned to in this scene and I think the expressions speak for themselves.

Tozer is visibly upset/concerned after the first lash. I do think guilt probably has a part to play, in that is was him whole told Hickey where Silna was, and presumably approved enough of the plan to not rat him out to anyone. Again, very probably part of Tozer's anger at Heather being injured due to what he sees is Crozier's poor management. Fitzjames is stoney faced, but is also the only one looking. As a man who many have noted pushes himself to pick emotional scabs, I think it would make sense for someone who is also notably queer coded and stuggles with trauma to make himself look directly at someone being whipped for a crime he himself might commit. Crozier isn't even looking, whether out of suddenly doubting his harshness or simply triggering something in his own memory it's not clear. I think the end of this shot also speaks for itself.

(Fig 1. Three Concerned (very likely not straight) men contemplate)

The lads at the back behind Mr. Johnson are all looking Directly At the whipping as it is taking place. Interestingly none of the men at the front near the table are looking. This is the stewards, officers, and marines. Whether out of respect or also Concern at their own skins (I think every one of these characters has been addressed as being queer coded at some point, minus the marines who are all, except Tozer, fairly nameless characters).

I'm not a gifmaker which is unfortunate for this section, though this is what is gifed in the beautiful gifset by sashneeka I reblogged (x). Tommy is also visibly upset, whether because he knows Tozer was involved in the plot to kidnap Silna and is concerned for him and any of the rest of the crew who had assisted in someway or voiced support. Billy interestingly does look briefly, and sets his jaw after in a way that suggests he's trying to fight the guilt of being the one to tell Irving about the whole affair with Hickey to paint himself in a better light. It could just as easily be Billy there on that table being lashed, but he somehow rationalises it in his head (probably because Hickey is a little bastard) that he was right in what he did. He does look down fairly guiltily after this, so maybe he hasn't quite settled on an opinion. Jopson also looks incredibly concerned/unsettled, and interestingly looks at Hickey right up until the whip hits where he flinches, and not for the only time in this scene. From what we know about Jopson's past, though not at this point, it may well be he is remembering similar punishment/mistreatment and like Fitzjames looks enough to pick the scab open and flinch from his own trauma.

The closeup of Hickey shows the full extent of his rage and humiliation building, and as I think Adam himself said, they whipped something out of Hickey that day and let him reach this potential that lay inside him (to become an even bigger bastard). He's fully severed all ties and feelings of loyalty after this and it becomes full on train to manipulation station from this point. I have a lot of Thoughts about Hickey also (which I am sure you are all aware of) but I think there was some semblance of Hickey attempting to start afresh on this journey, or at the very least keep his head down and go unnoticed. The trouble is, he notices Crozier as a flawed man, and one not from the upper classes like himself, and his ego can't help but think we're not so different, that could be me with the right connections. Well surprise lads, its murder time now and he's gonna make this old man pay for not recognising initiative but punishing it. I do wonder if Crozier wasn't booze sick and rattled from losing even more men under his command, would he not have come down so harshly for someone clearly defying the Articles to do what he thinks is right and save the men (a la Crozier and his fuck you I'm directly contradicting an order and leading this rescue party myself).

Tozer gets another wee closeup here and again looks like he has resolved something in his head too. Most likely that he thinks Crozier an unfit leader, and admiring Hickey for having the balls to do what he did (Hickey also never reveals anyone else who came with him, and when he talks about Hartnell and Mason's part in taking Silna it highlights their skill and bravery and (he thinks) commends them to the Captain. It's probably the only time we see him building up and applauding others). He looks dead ahead here and seems to have a very steely gaze, like yep fuck it looks like I'm going it alone now. It is interesting that Tozer goes from this to notably disliking Hickey (both at the start and when they are packing up - "you've just given me an excuse to give a big shove". This might be anger at Hickey having caused all the issues with Silna after the fact when Heather gets killed at Carnivale), but still follows him in the end. Hickey has the ability to kill, manipulate, steal, basically do whatever needed for their group to get ahead, which means Tozer can be part of the group and not have to dirty his own hands. I think Tozer probably has a complicated relationship with Hickey, but he does fall for the charm hook, line, and sinker, and the fact he seems concerned for him here suggests how easily he is sympathetic to those he sees as being wronged.

Gibby getting Hickey's blood on his hand (ayy) seems to visibly make him blanch, and I do find it interesting that the shot then pans to Tommy as though they are looking at each other when they are stood side by side. The similarities between them maybe? (I've seen and reblogged a lot of discourse about Tommy loving Tozer, maybe another nod to no one being so different to the man on the table?) Irving doesn't get much of a close up in the rest of this scene but bless him he looks equal parts terrified and guilty (another man who has been noted as having a list of many things to distract from the Gay Thoughts like why do you need to distract from Gay Thoughts Irving?). He also has the Far Off Look of trauma about him, probably because he too could just as easily be on that table.

I have many many thoughts about the way Hickey turns to look (and fucking smile???) at Crozier next, which is when Crozier is looking directly at him and Fitzjames looks at him. Like if I were Crozier I think my fucking blood would chill, look at this man. Being humiliated and lashed still hasn't broken him, if anything he has just become fully unhinged and looks at Crozier as though to say "did you really think this would work?". I would also say, this man has fairly quite for someone who is at this stage something like 22 lashes in? Like what the actual fuck Hickey?? I fully belive Hickey to be a psycopath, and most of what he does in the beginning of the series is an attempt to stay hidden until they get to Hawaii and he can ditch the crew, but I think it is fairly safe to say he isn't hiding it any more.

And he knows this is going to make the men doubt Crozier - I can't do a proper search because I am using my work laptop atm, but I seem to remember reading that a punishment greater than 12 lashes required a court martial (probably why Little steps in to say so when Crozier orders his punishment as well as them technically being lost at sea), which would be another strike against him as a Captain. Not only that, but Crozier does seem to grant him some mercy in letting him only be lashed I think 23 or so times? Probably because the tension is fucking palpable in this whole scene and Crozier can either choose to claw back some sense of control on the matter, or deal with the consequences of many people admiring Hickey for what he has done for the crew and start a mutiny. I think this is the first time Fitzjames sees the damage Crozier is doing to himself with his choices as Captain, and is probably just as concerned at the look Hickey is giving him. He knows this has unleashed something in this tiny rat bastard too, and that he will become the physical manifestation of Crozier's self-destructive tendancies. Crozier perpetually comes to everything just a fraction too late to change anything - he never saves any of the men, only comforts them as they die, and a lot of this has to do with his own ego and bad decision making, and I think this is the first example here of the fact his actions are having an effect on others to the point it will be his downfall.

Anyway, to round it off, I think this scene really epitomises the notion that Hickey is a mirror to the rest of the men, and they see their flaws in him. Those who have questioned Crozier's captaincy look concernced knowing they too could be being lashed. They too would have tried to get Silna to stop the Tuunbaq hunting them. Those who are queer or queer coded know they too could be being lashed for it. Crozier himself sees his unwillingness to follow the Articles in him, sees his own insubordination, and feels what Sir John meant when he said his position afforded him deference. Hickey may as well be a metaphor for all the men being lashed, theres not one among them who haven't voiced wanting to do what he has done. Let them without sin and all that. This is make or break for who holds loyalty to the Captain, and the turning point for who is going where. I think everyone except Jopson, Irving and Fitzjames ends up in the mutineers camp, and Irving ends up killed and mutilated by Hickey and Fitzjames is scavanged by them. Theres not one of them that isn't haunted by what happened in this scene, and Hickey would end up being the death of every single one of them. The only one who remains loyal after this is Jopson, who thinks his care and duty to the Captain can outweigh his other sins. Fitzjames and Crozier have a stronger relationship once he recovers from his withdrawal, yes, but Fitzjames also keeps him in check now (I'm thinking of Edward Little being threatened with flogging again because of course I am), and it is another step too late for Crozier's self-destruction. I've seen a Hickey/Fitzjames Christ analogy on here before too, so I hope you'll forgive me in comparing them, but Hickey in this scene really does get punished for everyone else's crimes in this scene, and becomes a sort of Christ-like figure, reborn as a complete version of the worst of himself from the pain of being lashed. They whipped something out of him!! Anyway, that about sums it up!

#long post #thank you for asking I could talk about the nuances of the terror for days #hickey thoughts

37 notes · View notes