#birds of prey and the fabulous emancipation of one harley quinn

[copdog1234]

Birds of Prey: the Fabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn walked so that The Suicide Squad could run.

[chorusgirls]

𝚈𝙾𝚄 𝙺𝙽𝙾𝚆 𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝙳𝙴𝚅𝙸𝙻, 𝙷𝙴 𝙶𝙰𝚅𝙴 𝙼𝙴 𝙰 𝙲𝙷𝙾𝙸𝙲𝙴. 𝙰 𝙶𝙾𝙻𝙳𝙴𝙽 𝙷𝙴𝙰𝚁𝚃, 𝙾𝚁 𝙰 𝙶𝙾𝙻𝙳𝙴𝙽 𝚅𝙾𝙸𝙲𝙴.

…  STAGE NAME   …  dove moreno.

…  NICKNAMES   …  dovie. legs. slim. gin or ginny to select few.

…  BIRTH NAME   …  ginevra grace marín.

…  AGE   …  thirty-three.

…  GENDER  …  cis woman.

…  SEXUALITY  …  bisexual. kinsey scale 2.

…  CIVILIAN OCCUPATION   …  headliner of old world casino, celebrity.

…  CRIMINAL ASSOCIATION   …  associate to burning gods: spy, informant, emissary, honeypot. in short, their errand bitch.

…  NOTABLE ATTRIBUTES   …  transatlantic accent. white hair, roots meticulously bleached. physical proportions aided by the latest technology: temptation down to a science. never caught undone; hair, makeup, and outfit are always carefully curated.

 …  CHARACTER INSPIRATIONS   …  grace faraday ( gangster squad ).  satine ( moulin rouge ).  roxie hart ( chicago ).  qi’ra ( solo ).  joi  ( bladerunner 2049 ).  gilda  ( gilda ).  jennifer north  &  neely o’hara  (  valley of the dolls by jacqueline susann  ).  chenault  (  the rum diary  ).  dinah lance (  birds of prey & the fabulous emancipation of one harley quinn  ). mae (  reminiscence  ).  marilyn monroe.  the gun moll, misunderstood femme fatale, noir heroine, & golden age starlet archetypes.

( + ) alluring, brave, confident, adaptable, astute, composed, clever, protective, loyal.

( - ) guarded, opportunistic, materialistic, manipulative, delusive, cynical, distrustful.

𝚂𝙿𝙰𝚁𝙺𝙽𝙾𝚃𝙴𝚂. * trigger warnings: brief mention of alcoholism and domestic abuse.

A BRIGHT SPOT IN A DIM PLACE IS JUST CALLED A STAIN. that much dove learns early, before she’s sloughed off an old name and bleached a new one in. her life is simple, the walls of the family’s aching apartment kept up as much with sheer force of will as they were plaster. most of what the marín family possesses fits in the palm of a hand: a crumpled cheque from a poorly-paying job, a slip from the bookies on what is owed, the neck of a bottle of jack, and the quickly bruising arm of your daughter. it’s a trite story. she prefers not to think of it.

 the way young ginny marín looks at the world has less to do with greed and more to do with dissatisfaction, a concept wider and more open-mouthed than avarice. her desires as a girl are not always outlandish, but her tastes all bare the name of more: more than they have, more than they can afford, more than can fit in the flat of a provincial life. she hears you don’t need it as often as the familiar bray of her name.

for all that she desires the girl is no thief, though she’s learned the proper feint and step to slip out of a drunk father’s grip before he can do harm, slipping out the window onto the fire escape as if an intruder. it’s there that she finds her first real escape, fifteen and pretty and wrapped in a threadbare robe, watching as the sun slips its shoulder coyly down over the brooklyn bridge. that’s how i’ll escape, she thinks, not looking a moment at the overpass that could take her past the city lines. bright eyes fix on the orange sky instead, watching how it burns. bright and beautiful enough that even the men in the street below stop to watch it wink.

the importance of a lacquered shell is that shines without offering transparency, glittering without lending clue as to either what sits beneath or the strength of the external sheath itself. there is a surprising solidness to ginny, despite the way she shimmers in even dim lighting; she works after school, stores the money, keeps her head down in a neighbourhood that glimmers with silver blades imploring you to look up. largely she avoids the pitfall of handsome crocodiles with pale teeth, but the night is alive with them. some nights it’s unavoidable to have her back pressed to their scaled chests, particularly when daddy has debts he can’t repay.

the truth is that a girl can only climb so far on her own. at a certain height her limbs can’t stand the pressure, aren’t made to go any further without the aid of something dropped down from the sky. auditioning from the time she’s eighteen, and five years later she’s still only barely beyond the dim cabaret bars and off-off-broadway productions she began with: a lauded burlesque performer, an actress with talent but only bit parts to show for it. so she watches. listens. waits. there’s plenty of gangs in this city, and any number of them could sweep her off her feet with a shot from what lays in their holster. but the real power isn’t in mortal men and their bullets. to get her where she wants to go, she needs a god. and when she finally finds one she lays across his lap, pink feather fan fluttering with the same impact as her eyes, stirring everything in the room. the kittenish act drops when they stand alone in a private room. my name is dove. i need you. and you need me.

the ascent is a careful meteor, plausible while still monumental. acting does not have enough to be gained from it, she’s told, but they can make her like that smouldering sunset from memory: too big, too beautiful to be ignored. she is always expected to bring worth both to the table and stage, and they cannot make a star out of tin on a string: but oh does she know how to shine. they love her. they see her. finally, she’s safe.

five years she’s headlined the biggest entertainment complex in the entirety of the city, and paradise begins to curl in on itself, apple trees bending at the waist and dropping rotten fruit to the ground below. five years she’s headlined, seven she’s been indebted to the burning gods, thirty-three she’s been possessed by something other than herself: poverty, cruelty, men playing god. the sum, when added together, equates to too much. no matter what she accumulates and hands over, the scale of the gods come up uneven: more, it says. you’ll give us more.  but they’ll learn same as you did all those years ago, sitting on a cold grate staring at the sky: the sun is not meant to be owned. 

𝙷𝙴𝙰𝙳𝙲𝙰𝙽𝙾𝙽𝚂.

her act at old world is very much a full cabaret/vaudeville show, with dance numbers, singing, and burlesque elements (dita von teese’s notorious giant coupe routine, feather fan tease, etc) with a massive cast and budget. there was initially more burlesque/stripping elements, which she’s fought to remove over time as she wants to be taken seriously.

the most used image in personal/commercial holograms and motion billboards in the city, though the bulk are in the entertainment district. most are advertisement for old world, supplemented by product ads, and is the currently #1 downloaded avatar (akin to joi from bladerunner 2049).

despite her visual presence in the city, is known as something of an enigmatic figure. she talks little about her life in interviews (though it has been heavily implied she came from money)  ⸺ though her romantic escapades are often discussed and guessed upon ⸺ and only attends the events she chooses.

has a blue-eyed ragdoll cat named nana that’s her whole world. yes nana has a pearl collar, what of it?

despite their influence and lifestyle, the burning god’s command over technology is one of the major reasons she approached them for partnership – who else could scrub the world of her old self?

clothing / style is (as you can predict) very 40s-50s. owns more fur coats and stoles than you care to know.

𝙲𝙾𝙽𝙽𝙴𝙲𝚃𝙸𝙾𝙽𝚂.

OF ALL THE GIN JOINTS, you walk into mine. exes with a particularly lengthy and torrid past. no matter the time that’s passed since they’ve called it quits, tension diffuses in the air when they share the same room.

YOUR NAME IS A GOLDEN BELL HUNG IN MY HEART, I would break my body to pieces to call you once by your name. those that knew dove when she was just ginny, a pretty girl from the bronx with either the desperation or the fortitude to make it big. ex-best friends, romantic partners. slanted more towards angst and hurt.

SEE YA LATER ALLIGATOR, in a while crocodile. white crocodile members. similar to the above, but oriented for antagonism. does not necessarily have to be someone who knew her personally (though could be! there’s likely few crocodiles around that still recognize dove as ginny marín, but it’s not impossible! ex-best friends and romantic partners still welcome), but should have some kind of information on who she was before she became untouchable. a nefarious carrot on a stick, as it were. cheshire cat and alice. always taunting, always out of reach.  

THE JAWS THAT BITE, the claws that catch. a boogeyman, a jabberwocky, a ticking crocodile coming after captain cook. an individual who gets their kicks attempting to terrify dove. make it plain ol’ masochism for the fun of it or give it an obsessive slant.

YOU BELONG TO ME, do you understand? the burning gods higher-up (consigliere, underboss, boss) responsible for bringing her into the fold, and subsequently the reason she’s risen to the heights that she has. preferably the person she reports to directly. would love to have this mixed with a romantic/sexual angle for the complication and toxicity of it all.

I COULD KEEP YOU SAFE, they’re all afraid of me. quite simply, her protector - one not hired or forced into the role through professional means, but forged by personal bond. they might want to see her leave the burning gods entirely, or have simply decided to keep her safe regardless. 

WHAT WE HAVE, they cannot bleed from us. substitute family. should have grown up in the bronx around the same time as dove, or been of a similar life path that could have seen them meeting early on. the blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb, and they’ve never let go of each other.

EVERY STEP I HAVE TAKEN, has been to take me closer to you. her first infatuation, and one that she’s carried with her unspoken for years. they met before she was a name and face, and on every step of her ascension into fame she’s wondered if this - this new girl, updated, perfected - could be the one they’ll love. very sayuri/the chairman from memoirs of a geisha inspired. likely someone with money, success, or both, but not absolutely necessary. can be discussed!

BECAUSE MY MAGIC IS AS STRONG AS MY ARM, and i am never denied. must be in power in a gang or with significant political power. preference for a woman, but not necessary. the inverse of the prior dynamic, with dove as the mentee here - a longstanding relationship that began when she was introduced to life among the burning gods, and has counselled her on it ever since. over the past decade has become a close personal relationship.

YOU’RE A NICE KID, now get out of here before i ruin it. someone with a hapless crush on or longstanding pursuit of dove who makes their intentions known, and she continually shuts them down. potentially because she thinks they’re too good to get wrapped up in the web she’s caught in, conversely thinks they’re no good, or is done with gangsters. usually gives them a consolatory pat on the cheek when they leave.

NOBODY PUTS BABY IN A CORNER, unless i’m there with her. must be female. her greatest ally – not for their physical strength or political power, but for the depth of their bond and what they would do for each other. gotham city sirens energy. the power of gworls amirite !!! 

IT SAYS I BELONG HERE, and you will not deny me. should be female and preferably younger, bonus points for someone in the entertainment industry or heavily involved in the performance of femininity. a mentor/mentee relationship with a potential twist of nigh-sisterly love.

COME HERE BABY, put your lips around the barrel of my gun. must be gang member. longstanding friends-with-benefits. despite the fact that dove swears she’s done with gangsters, she can’t seem to quit them. the danger they carry with them makes things more exciting. the good shit like them showing her the gun in their bedside table and letting her hold it

CLOSE YOUR EYES, it’ll all be alright. someone she aided the burning gods in manipulating/conning/getting payback on, which ended with physical assault. she either witnessed the damage being dealt or found them after the fact, making her best attempt at patching up the wounds. to this day she still feels a mix of care and guilt.

YOU’RE ABOUT AS WEAK AS THIS MATCH,��but under the right conditions you could burn a house down, couldn’t you? must be affiliated with a non-BG gang. they know dove is aligned with the burning gods, but what they also know is they could do better by her. or more specifically, she could do more for them, and they intend to persuade her to defect. a courtship for a deal with the devil, as it were.

WHAT’S A DAME LIKE YOU, doing in a city like this? should likely be aligned with the fbi or a detective, though with the right slant could also work for a gang member. somebody using (or attempting to) dove in an effort to get information on the burning gods.

SWEETS, you couldn’t ignore me if you tried. will-they-won’t-they hateship/flirtationship with massive sexual tension. i’m too lazy to write any more on this but y’all get it.

MISC CONNECTIONS INSPO: here. here. here. here. here. here. here.

[greenvengeance]

forgot i did this last night, but i did it for SAM and LUNA so i figured why not rebel turgle

names and blank under cut

square one: mukuro ikusaba ( danganronpa franchise -- games only, i just picked a pic from the anime bc its my fave picture of her, ) susan murphy / ginormica ( monsters vs aliens, 2009, ) rose quartz ( steven universe, ) applejack ( my little pony: friendship is magic )

square two: maggie rhee ( the walking dead, 2010 ) harley quinn ( birds of prey and the fabulous emancipation of one harley quinn ) fiona ( shrek, specifically forever after, ) henry jekyll ( jekyll and hyde musical, 1990 )

square three: marceline abadeer ( adventure time, ) carol peletier ( the walking dead, 2010 ) skipper ( the penguins of madagascar, 2009 ) ellis ( left 4 dead 2 )

square four: sam puckett ( icarly, ) william overbeck ( left 4 dead, ) rick grimes ( the walking dead, 2010,) sonya blade ( mortal kombat )

square five: jessie ( toy story 2, ) clarice ( silence of the lambs, 1991, ) kitana ( mortal kombat, ) chili ( bluey )

square six: mulan ( mulan, 1998, ) tiana ( princess and the frog, ) luisa ( encanto, ) napoleon ( the aristocats )

blank:

[whelmedchaos]

thanks for the tag <33

Rules: answer the questions and tag 9 people

favorite color: any shades of green and blue <3

last song I listened to: Fenominominon by Chappelle Roan (the rise of a midwest princess is so cunty /pos)

last movie I watched: rewatching birds of prey and the fabulous emancipation of harley quinn!! ( one of my faves!!)

currently watching: Undone was the last one I finished and OMG it was amazinggg, genuinely such a cool show, the art style? the plotline /stories?? gonna start Dead Boy Detectives next :3

currently reading: do comics count? cause if so then batgirls 2021 otherwise in terms of novels, the thursday murder colour - the bullet that missed by Richard Osman

sweet/savory/spicy?: SWEET TOOTH ALL THE WAY BABYYY!!

currently craving: red thai curry and coconut sticky rice

coffee or tea?: secret third option, hot chocolate <3

relationship status: chill and having fun :3

current obsession: learning how to draw people!! @centimetersstuff @taxi-cab-to-slowtown @derpiest-unicorn @on-lock-down @makilade @magicsuga @everythingis---redacted @klarion-the-witch-boy @another-heartless-rogue (no pressure of course <3 :3)

Tag Game!

kisses to @this-was-a-terrible-idea and @becausereasons7 for tagging me!

Rules: answer the questions and tag 9 people

favorite color: bright red! not to sound like an edgy teenager, but that really vivid fresh blood red color 👌👌👌

last song I listened to: Villain by K/DA

last movie I watched: Pulp Fiction (1994). I have this movie bucketlist that I'm working my way through and that was on it. it was. okay.

currently watching: I just finished Better Call Saul and am now working my way through Batman: The Animated Series.

currently reading: Frankenstein by Mary Shelley! I just watched a biopic about Mary Shelley on Kanopy recently and decided to finish it.

sweet/savory/spicy?: YES. I want Maximum flavor on everything. I crave sweets the most, but i'm also that person who puts salt on a dish before even trying it

currently craving: i need some shit deep fried to fuck rn. i want something that immediately clogs my arteries.

coffee or tea?: I've very recently acquired a taste for coffee and am slowly working my way through the menu of my local coffee shop. tbh whenever i have tea, i end up adding so much honey and lemon that it's basically an arnold palmer. remember when i said i like maximum flavor on everything? yeah. there is no room for subtlety in this house.

relationship status: no bitches.

current obsession: tbh i've been so slammed recently with finishing my bachelors, preparing to move, and fighting my demons off with a stick that fun time activities have really taken a backseat. I started reading through all of the comics in Tim Drake's Robin run a few months ago, and I've acquired an old playstation that I've been collecting games for, so I look forward to diving head first into those once I catch a break <3

i don't even KNOW 9 people smh, tumblr seriously needs a function where you can see who all of your mutuals are

no pressure tagging since half of you have probably already been tagged lol @whelmedchaos @waffleinator-inator @chipmunkery @envysparkler @yasmindifference @lovetimdrake @lovecinnatwist @batsnacks @miles2g0

[thatsnotahoodjason]

i just really believe that the birds of prey film with ella jay basco's 'cass' role should have been stephanie brown istead of cassandra cain

[arrowsjusticeleague]

Some of my favorite moments in Birds of Prey (2020):

Where Harley jumps out of the truck that blows up the factory where her and Joker met and the music is "Jokes on You"

Where Dinah sings in Roman's club and the glass shatters

Helena giving Cassandra the toy car and telling her she shouldn't have to see this

Renee flipping that one police officers papers in his face as she walks out like a badass

Grievance: 🚫🍆

That scene where they're all going to the amusement park and everything is coming together

Their not so subtle attack on capitalism when that guy sells Harley out for money

Harley getting high and beating up those cops

Helena and Dinah starting a underground fighting club together

Dinah beating up those guys to stop Harley getting kidnapped

The Canary Cry

The scene where Cassandra steals something from the store and Harley's like "I saw that" and Cassandra's like "why do u shop at such a fucking expensive store anyway" and Harley's like "lesson 2: we're stealing from this store"

Helena rehearsing her entrance line in the mirror

Victor constantly getting petty and jealous of dinah and dinah is just like "seriously??" and gives him an exhausted judgmental look

Dinah lance I love her so much ok

Helena throwing Harley the rope and her driving the bike while Harley is skating behind her

Harley's roller derby scene

"Hair tie?"

"When did she have time to change her shoes?"

The scene where they're spinning on that thing in the amusement park and everyone just grabbing Cassandra and pulling her out of the way and then helping each other

"It's not a bow and arrow I'm not fucking 12!!" (lmao get wrecked ollie queen) "you have rage issues"

"You killed his BFF, you betrayed him, and you're dumb enough to try and build a case against him"

"Hey you're that singer nobody listens to" "hey you're that girl nobody likes"

"I'M NOT THE CROSSBOW KILLER"

Harley stealing Dinah's car and Helena just dying of laughter

Basically everything about this perfect movie

[cenestpasaudrey]

Introduce yourself.

[graphicpolicy]

Birds of Prey Debuts While Joker Continues to Roll in Cash

Birds of Prey Debuts While Joker Continues to Roll in Cash #movies #BoP #BirdsofPrey #Joker #HarleyQuinn

It was a tale of two R-rated films based on DC properties at the weekend box office. Despite positive reviews, Birds of Prey fell short with an estimated $33.3 million opening weekend. This was far below the studio’s expected $45 million.

This is despite good reviews, even from critics. The film received an 81% on RottenTomatoes and a 60 on Metacritic. Opening day audiences gave it a “B+”…

[mrsmarymorstan]

Okay but hear me out for a second.

Firstly, Shazam confirmed two things 1) That Batman exists in this Universe  and 2) That Sidekicks exist. We also have evidence in Batman Vs. Superman that there has, at some point, been a Robin, since there was a suit on display.

Secondly, we currently live in a world where we have a Robin represented in nearly every other DC Franchise!  

Dick Grayson in Lego Batman

Jason Todd in Titans

Tim Drake in Young Justice

Damian Wayne in the DC Universe Original Movies

You know who is missing from that group? You know who trained with the Birds of Prey? Who is best friends with Cassandra Cain and would therefore be a perfect fit for the upcoming film? Who is objectively the coolest Robin? Stephanie Brown.

Now I’m not saying that Stephanie Brown HAS to be Robin in Birds of Prey. Or that she HAS to be in the DCEU, but COME ON. Who DOESN’T wanna see this shot in live action?!

(Batgirl #53 2004)

[cinebration]

So when The Suicide Squad trailer premiered way back and we saw Harley in the dress and in the ponytails and whatnot, I was terrified she had been regressed from Birds of Prey and we were getting the male gaze/devaluation again. But I saw the movie last night and I’m SUPER glad that she was nothing but ICONIC in this movie. She was endlessly relatable and honestly, we stan.

ALSO OMFG IF HER IN THE DRESS AND THE COMBAT BOOTS AND TWO ASSAULT RIFLES WASN’T THE MOST BADASS SEXIEST THING EVER.

I still miss her short hair in Birds of Prey, though.

[toxic-fucking-waste]

Just watched Birds Of Prey for the first time and here’s all I have to say. FUCK every single guy that I told how excited I was to watch it and they told me some bullshit like “Oh Idk I just don’t think it’s gonna be as interesting”, “I’m not that excited but I can’t wait for the Spiderman/Thor movie” or “honestly I don’t like Harley Quinn she’s just too much for me” because that movie was fuckin MILES above any captain America, iron man, Batman whatever the fuck movie I’ve ever seen. Those guys are just misogynistic assholes with fragile egos who feel threatened that a woman that has been BRANDED as the Joker’s sidepiece for years is finally getting her own solo movie

[chairmanxmeow]

OH MY GOD THE TATTOO ON HARLEY’S LEG THAT SAID ‘PUDDIN’ HAS A FREAKING LINE THROUGH IT YOU GUYS I’M SO HAPPY I’M IN TEARS. 

[chorusgirls]

𝙸 𝚆𝙰𝚂𝙽'𝚃 𝙽𝙰𝙺𝙴𝙳, 𝙸 𝚆𝙰𝚂 𝙲𝙾𝙼𝙿𝙻𝙴𝚃𝙴𝙻𝚈 𝙲𝙾𝚅𝙴𝚁𝙴𝙳 𝙱𝚈 𝙰 𝙱𝙻𝚄𝙴 𝚂𝙿𝙾𝚃𝙻𝙸𝙶𝙷𝚃.

…  STAGE NAME   …  dove moreno.

…  NICKNAMES   …  dovie. legs. slim. gin or ginny to select few.

…  BIRTH NAME   …  ginevra grace marín.

…  AGE   …  thirty-three.

…  GENDER  …  cis woman.

…  SEXUALITY  …  bisexual. kinsey scale 2.

…  CIVILIAN OCCUPATION   …  headliner of old world casino, celebrity.

…  CRIMINAL ASSOCIATION   …  associate to burning gods: spy, informant, emissary, honeypot. in short, their errand bitch.

…  NOTABLE ATTRIBUTES   …  transatlantic accent. white hair, roots meticulously bleached. physical proportions aided by the latest technology: temptation down to a science. never caught undone; hair, makeup, and outfit are always carefully curated.

…  CHARACTER INSPIRATIONS   …  grace faraday ( gangster squad ).  satine ( moulin rouge ).  roxie hart ( chicago ).  qi’ra ( solo ).  joi  ( bladerunner 2049 ).  gilda  ( gilda ).  jennifer north  &  neely o’hara  (  valley of the dolls by jacqueline susann  ).  chenault  (  the rum diary  ).  dinah lance (  birds of prey & the fabulous emancipation of one harley quinn  ). mae (  reminiscence  ).  marilyn monroe.  the gun moll, misunderstood femme fatale, noir heroine, & golden age starlet archetypes.

( + ) alluring, brave, confident, adaptable, astute, composed, clever, protective, loyal.

( - ) guarded, opportunistic, materialistic, manipulative, delusive, cynical, distrustful.

𝚂𝙿𝙰𝚁𝙺𝙽𝙾𝚃𝙴𝚂. * trigger warnings: brief mention of alcoholism and domestic abuse.

A BRIGHT SPOT IN A DIM PLACE IS JUST CALLED A STAIN. that much dove learns early, before she’s sloughed off an old name and bleached a new one in. her life is simple, the walls of the family’s aching apartment kept up as much with sheer force of will as they were plaster. most of what the marín family possesses fits in the palm of a hand: a crumpled cheque from a poorly-paying job, a slip from the bookies on what is owed, the neck of a bottle of jack, and the quickly bruising arm of your daughter. it’s a trite story. she prefers not to think of it.

the way young ginny marín looks at the world has less to do with greed and more to do with dissatisfaction, a concept wider and more open-mouthed than avarice. her desires as a girl are not always outlandish, but her tastes all bare the name of more: more than they have, more than they can afford, more than can fit in the flat of a provincial life. she hears you don’t need it as often as the familiar bray of her name.

for all that she desires the girl is no thief, though she’s learned the proper feint and step to slip out of a drunk father’s grip before he can do harm, slipping out the window onto the fire escape as if an intruder. it’s there that she finds her first real escape, fifteen and pretty and wrapped in a threadbare robe, watching as the sun slips its shoulder coyly down over the brooklyn bridge. that’s how i’ll escape, she thinks, not looking a moment at the overpass that could take her past the city lines. bright eyes fix on the orange sky instead, watching how it burns. bright and beautiful enough that even the men in the street below stop to watch it wink.

the importance of a lacquered shell is that shines without offering transparency, glittering without lending clue as to either what sits beneath or the strength of the external sheath itself. there is a surprising solidness to ginny, despite the way she shimmers in even dim lighting; she works after school, stores the money, keeps her head down in a neighbourhood that glimmers with silver blades imploring you to look up. largely she avoids the pitfall of handsome crocodiles with pale teeth, but the night is alive with them. some nights it’s unavoidable to have her back pressed to their scaled chests, particularly when daddy has debts he can’t repay.

the truth is that a girl can only climb so far on her own. at a certain height her limbs can’t stand the pressure, aren’t made to go any further without the aid of something dropped down from the sky. auditioning from the time she’s eighteen, and five years later she’s still only barely beyond the dim cabaret bars and off-off-broadway productions she began with: a lauded burlesque performer, an actress with talent but only bit parts to show for it. so she watches. listens. waits. there’s plenty of gangs in this city, and any number of them could sweep her off her feet with a shot from what lays in their holster. but the real power isn’t in mortal men and their bullets. to get her where she wants to go, she needs a god. and when she finally finds one she lays across his lap, pink feather fan fluttering with the same impact as her eyes, stirring everything in the room. the kittenish act drops when they stand alone in a private room. my name is dove. i need you. and you need me.

the ascent is a careful meteor, plausible while still monumental. acting does not have enough to be gained from it, she’s told, but they can make her like that smouldering sunset from memory: too big, too beautiful to be ignored. she is always expected to bring worth both to the table and stage, and they cannot make a star out of tin on a string: but oh does she know how to shine. they love her. they see her. finally, she’s safe.

five years she’s headlined the biggest entertainment complex in the entirety of the city, and paradise begins to curl in on itself, apple trees bending at the waist and dropping rotten fruit to the ground below. five years she’s headlined, seven she’s been indebted to the burning gods, thirty-three she’s been possessed by something other than herself: poverty, cruelty, men playing god. the sum, when added together, equates to too much. no matter what she accumulates and hands over, the scale of the gods come up uneven: more, it says. you’ll give us more.  but they’ll learn same as you did all those years ago, sitting on a cold grate staring at the sky: the sun is not meant to be owned. 

𝙷𝙴𝙰𝙳𝙲𝙰𝙽𝙾𝙽𝚂.

her act at old world is very much a full cabaret/vaudeville show, with dance numbers, singing, and burlesque elements (dita von teese’s notorious giant coupe routine, feather fan tease, etc) with a massive cast and budget. there was initially more burlesque/stripping elements, which she’s fought to remove over time as she wants to be taken seriously.

the most used image in personal/commercial holograms and motion billboards in the city, though the bulk are in the entertainment district. most are advertisement for old world, supplemented by product ads, and is the currently #1 downloaded avatar (akin to joi from bladerunner 2049).

despite her visual presence in the city, is known as something of an enigmatic figure. she talks little about her life in interviews (though it has been heavily implied she came from money)  ⸺ though her romantic escapades are often discussed and guessed upon ⸺ and only attends the events she chooses.

has a blue-eyed ragdoll cat named nana that’s her whole world. yes nana has a pearl collar, what of it?

despite their influence and lifestyle, the burning god’s command over technology is one of the major reasons she approached them for partnership – who else could scrub the world of her old self?

clothing / style is (as you can predict) very 40s-50s. owns more fur coats and stoles than you care to know.

𝙲𝙾𝙽𝙽𝙴𝙲𝚃𝙸𝙾𝙽𝚂.

OF ALL THE GIN JOINTS, you walk into mine. exes with a particularly lengthy and torrid past. no matter the time that’s passed since they’ve called it quits, tension diffuses in the air when they share the same room.

YOUR NAME IS A GOLDEN BELL HUNG IN MY HEART, I would break my body to pieces to call you once by your name. those that knew dove when she was just ginny, a pretty girl from the bronx with either the desperation or the fortitude to make it big. ex-best friends, romantic partners. slanted more towards angst and hurt.

SEE YA LATER ALLIGATOR, in a while crocodile. white crocodile members. similar to the above, but oriented for antagonism. does not necessarily have to be someone who knew her personally (though could be! there’s likely few crocodiles around that still recognize dove as ginny marín, but it’s not impossible! ex-best friends and romantic partners still welcome), but should have some kind of information on who she was before she became untouchable. a nefarious carrot on a stick, as it were. cheshire cat and alice. always taunting, always out of reach.  

THE JAWS THAT BITE, the claws that catch. a boogeyman, a jabberwocky, a ticking crocodile coming after captain cook. an individual who gets their kicks attempting to terrify dove. make it plain ol’ masochism for the fun of it or give it an obsessive slant.

YOU BELONG TO ME, do you understand? the burning gods higher-up (consigliere, underboss, boss) responsible for bringing her into the fold, and subsequently the reason she’s risen to the heights that she has. preferably the person she reports to directly. would love to have this mixed with a romantic/sexual angle for the complication and toxicity of it all.

I COULD KEEP YOU SAFE, they’re all afraid of me. quite simply, her protector - one not hired or forced into the role through professional means, but forged by personal bond. they might want to see her leave the burning gods entirely, or have simply decided to keep her safe regardless. 

WHAT WE HAVE, they cannot bleed from us. substitute family. should have grown up in the bronx around the same time as dove, or been of a similar life path that could have seen them meeting early on. the blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb, and they’ve never let go of each other.

EVERY STEP I HAVE TAKEN, has been to take me closer to you. her first infatuation, and one that she’s carried with her unspoken for years. they met before she was a name and face, and on every step of her ascension into fame she’s wondered if this - this new girl, updated, perfected - could be the one they’ll love. very sayuri/the chairman from memoirs of a geisha inspired. likely someone with money, success, or both, but not absolutely necessary. can be discussed!

BECAUSE MY MAGIC IS AS STRONG AS MY ARM, and i am never denied. must be in power in a gang or with significant political power. preference for a woman, but not necessary. the inverse of the prior dynamic, with dove as the mentee here - a longstanding relationship that began when she was introduced to life among the burning gods, and has counselled her on it ever since. over the past decade has become a close personal relationship.

YOU’RE A NICE KID, now get out of here before i ruin it. someone with a hapless crush on or longstanding pursuit of dove who makes their intentions known, and she continually shuts them down. potentially because she thinks they’re too good to get wrapped up in the web she’s caught in, conversely thinks they’re no good, or is done with gangsters. usually gives them a consolatory pat on the cheek when they leave.

NOBODY PUTS BABY IN A CORNER, unless i’m there with her. must be female. her greatest ally – not for their physical strength or political power, but for the depth of their bond and what they would do for each other. gotham city sirens energy. the power of gworls amirite !!! 

IT SAYS I BELONG HERE, and you will not deny me. should be female and preferably younger, bonus points for someone in the entertainment industry or heavily involved in the performance of femininity. a mentor/mentee relationship with a potential twist of nigh-sisterly love.

COME HERE BABY, put your lips around the barrel of my gun. must be gang member. longstanding friends-with-benefits. despite the fact that dove swears she’s done with gangsters, she can’t seem to quit them. the danger they carry with them makes things more exciting. the good shit like them showing her the gun in their bedside table and letting her hold it

CLOSE YOUR EYES, it’ll all be alright. someone she aided the burning gods in manipulating/conning/getting payback on, which ended with physical assault. she either witnessed the damage being dealt or found them after the fact, making her best attempt at patching up the wounds. to this day she still feels a mix of care and guilt.

YOU’RE ABOUT AS WEAK AS THIS MATCH, but under the right conditions you could burn a house down, couldn’t you? must be affiliated with a non-BG gang. they know dove is aligned with the burning gods, but what they also know is they could do better by her. or more specifically, she could do more for them, and they intend to persuade her to defect. a courtship for a deal with the devil, as it were.

WHAT’S A DAME LIKE YOU, doing in a city like this? should likely be aligned with the fbi or a detective, though with the right slant could also work for a gang member. somebody using (or attempting to) dove in an effort to get information on the burning gods.

SWEETS, you couldn’t ignore me if you tried. will-they-won’t-they hateship/flirtationship with massive sexual tension. i’m too lazy to write any more on this but y’all get it.

MISC CONNECTIONS INSPO: here. here. here. here. here. here. here.

[protectbatson]

Birds Of Prey trailer 2 icons

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Credits to @rxvenroth on twitter

[captainlances]

Woman by Kesha playing at the end of Birds of Prey? Poetic cinematography.

[sunsoaked-living-blog]

Birds of Prey knocked my fluffy fuzzy socks off

Alright so I THOROUGHLY enjoyed Birds of Prey. Like WAYYYYYY more than I thought I was going to. Obviously they took a some liberties on the characters, but overall it was a fun movie to watch. My one grievance was that Cassandra wasn’t really anything like the Cassandra Cain is comic fans know, but she was fun addition to the movie. I just think they could’ve made her someone else (hell they could’ve made her Steph and it would’ve fit just as fine). But omg was Black Mask an amazing villain. WHAT A CHARACTER! And Margot.. you’re Harley had me in tears. HUNTRESS! I WAS NOT EXPECTING TO LIKE YOU AS MUCH AS I DID!! Canary and Montoya, love you gals too. Overall that movie: *chef kiss*