#but i genuinely have a hard time actually READING books from the 90's in a formatting sense
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pinnacle 90's style from jubilation lee of the x-men, absolutely 0 notes
#generation x (1994)#x-men#jubilee#jubilation lee#finally going through some jubilee books!!!#been meaning to see more of her#normally i add my thoughts to these posts but ive only read like three issues and my current opinion is 'eh'#neat and emma trying to be a good teacher is always a good story hook#but i genuinely have a hard time actually READING books from the 90's in a formatting sense
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Okay⌠so I started reading @annzy-bananzys-corner âs âSnettlesâ as I was scrolling through Snufmin fanfics to read on AO3 back in early December, and⌠holy cow is it good!!!
Not only did the art cover from one of my favorite artists drew me in, but the writing was just đ⨠GORGEOUS!!
All the characters written had such good chemistry towards each other, and Snorkmaiden ended up being the funniest to me. I couldnât stop laughing so hard at her trying to be the voice of reason to the two lovable idiots that are Moomin and Snufkin in the early chapters.
So as typical fashion, I felt a great need to draw it. Cuz honestly, long-haired Snufkin was not something I thought was going to make me go feral but hot damn does he look so pretty in long hair!
Okay soâŚ
SPOILERS TO THE FIC!!!
Itâs pretty blurry but 1. I donât have the best camera quality, and 2. Itâs a bit faded since it took me a whole month to do this. (Update: I got a clearer picture. Sorry, I was rushing to get this out for a whole month)
But anyway, I had absolute gender envy every time I drew Snufkin with long hair. And there was definitely a lot more I wanted to draw, and felt bad I didnât draw Little My especially.
Iâm actually glad for the cover art too, it acted as a perfect reference to use but unfortunately Iâm not very good at drawing Moomin and Iâm envious at how @hanekdrawsmoomins draws them! Theyâre so fluffy and pretty!!
I definitely had to draw Snorkmaiden calling Snufkin a twink. I couldnât resist. What I didnât intend was for it to be right next to Snufkin having a breakdown over the overpowering song in his ears đ
I also decided in order to differentiate Moomin and Snorkmaiden, I gave Snorkmaiden more rounder and fluffier features like her tail and ears. Itâs subtle but I was pretty happy with it.
I get giddy every time I drew Moomin and Snufkin, but Snorkmaiden and Alicia needed some love too. I wanted to try some perspective which⌠Iâll admit Iâm not very good at, but I did my best. I normally donât draw backgrounds but I wanted to give the scenes more character and it was pretty fun, even if itâs not perfect.
I also thought to myself âmaybe the reason Moomin didnât recognize Snufkin was because heâs never seen Snufkinâs hair deflate in the waterâ so I drew the comparison to Snufkin and âSnettlesâ for that one scene where Moomin realized how similar they were. I also imagined his hair gets longer in mermaid form.. hehe! :3
I was also very excited to do my interpretation of the Lady of the Sea but Iâll be honest⌠I did procrastinate on it for a while which is why it took so long. I know the description said âseaweed green hairâ and not the fact itâs actual seaweed but⌠I hope you donât mind but I gave her seaweed hair. Made of different types of seaweed too :3 I actually want to colour it at some point but if thereâs any changes I should do to her design, you can let me know. Iâve loved to get an accurate idea on her :3 I also used the mermaids from the 90âs as reference to give her fins on her head, although Snufkin doesnât have any but Iâd argue itâs cuz heâs only half mermaid.
Itâs a very scattered looking comic kind of page but man! There was so many moments that were genuinely so good I felt tempted to even draw a full comic book on this!!
But no⌠unfortunately I am very easy to lose motivation and Iâve been and will be pretty busy for the majority of my current life cuz of college and stuff so Iâm afraid I canât draw often.
Good thing Iâm on break at the moment :3
But anyway, it was super duper fun drawing these!! Iâm actually super duper proud of them :3
ActuallyâŚ. You wanna know how much I loved my sketch of Moomin and Snufkin on their midnight swim?
I COLOURED IT!! GONE BACK TO MY DIGITAL ART ROOTS FOR THIS!!!
Honestly I donât think I did that great but I did this on iBisPaint, and there was a version where he had brown hair⌠until I read a section saying he has red hair so I quickly changed it to how it looks currently.
I also realized too late that the scales on his cheeks werenât actually scales but freckles⌠whichâŚ. You know what? Fuck it. His freckles turn to fish scales. And theyâre shiny :3
I also decided to make his scales glow but then remembered that doesnât happen till Chapter 13. But hey, I think it gave it a calm feeling with how warm it must feel to be snuggled up like that on the water. Heck even my sister agreed.
Overall, Moomin fanfics have really helped with my art block.
And sorry for the really long yapping session. I like talking about my thought process on these things, and I genuinely canât wait for the next chapter whenever or if it ever comes. I understand youâre busy so I donât blame you but⌠damn you really left it on a cliffhanger huh? Still love it though! :3
Also Iâm not sure why the link for the fic isnât working properly cuz normally it would be automatic but⌠Iâll see if I can fix it at some point (update, I fixed it!)
#snufmin#moomin#snufkin#moomintroll#mermaid au#snorkmaiden#alicia moomin#hehe⌠Snuffles :3 theyâre so corny I love them
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With that said I do believe there have been instances in which I and my friends have engaged in some rather ugly fandom. My online persona first arose in the late 90s/early 00's during the heyday of Television Without Pity, an now mostly extinct fanfiction sub-genre called MSTings, and the writings of the late Chris Hyatte For those who don't remember him I consider Hyatt one of the internetâs great cautionary tales. During the waning days of the wrestling boom fans call âThe Monday Night Warâ Hyatte was a genuine rock star of what we called The Internet Wrestling Community. (Now we just call them wrestling fans.) His fly by the seat of his pants style was truly hilarious and paved the way for a generation of wrestling writers. Alas Hyatt proved to be his own worst enemy as the guy had no off switch. His tendency at lashing out at wrestling personalities (most notably former WCW and current AEW commentator Tony Shiavone)Â and other fans like fellow Scott Keith resulted in him flaming out quickly. He was granted chance after chance burning bridges every time. At the time of his death in 2020 he had about 440 followers on Twitter which is two less than I have now. I was one of the last people to follow him in any capacity.
In that environment started writing comic reviews for Comics Nexus and Spider-Fan. I attained a great bit of a following for my reviews of Daniel Way's Venom, a book that I still consider one of the all-time hilariously bad comics of the era. Years later I met Daniel Way at a comic convention after he had largely redeemed his reputation with a successful run on Deadpool. As a young writer Way was in a position by Marvel management where almost ANY writer was doomed to fail. Basically Marvel signed him to write a new Venom comic only to be informed he couldn't use Eddie Brock. Way set out to write a horror comic inspired by The Thing only to be informed that it was going to be part of a PG-rated comics line aimed at Manga readers. When the series became the highest selling book in the fledgling Tsunami line by sheer virtue of being the first solo Venom comic released in several years Marvel asked him to shoehorn Wolverine (and subsequent guest stars) into the story at which point Way was like âsure why not.â Â
Flash forward a decade later. Once again âangry reviewersâ are in vogue as The Nostalgia Critic is at peak popularity as is Red Letter Media's Mr. Plinkett character. Even CinemaSins hadn't devolved into the complete clickbait that it is today. Marvel comics debuts a book called Avengers Arena which teenage heroes from several previous books: Avengers Academy, Sentinel, and Runaways were first to duel to the death by Arcade who very abruptly went from Marvel's most fun villains to least fun villains. It was a shameless Hunger Games cash-in that was one of the most thoroughly unpleasant comics I've ever read. I started blogging on Tumblr as a way of venting and it brought me a bit of catharsis.
However with a decade of hindsight I realize that I was probably too hard on writer Dennis Hopeless. Remember Hopelessâ original pitch for the book was a new version of Excalibur consisting of teenagers mentored by Captain Britain. It simply wasn't the book he had wanted to write but the book Marvel editorial wanted. He was in a lose/lose situation. It was only a run on Spider-Woman that was generally well regarded and a WWE tie-in Comic that was much better than the actual WWE television product that I really appreciated how talented he was. Like Way before him he was just a guy doing a job in a lose-lose situation.
I stopped doing my âWorst Comics of the 2010s'' series around the time that Marvel's Secret Empire event came out. The story was largely the victim of terrible and I mean TERRIBLE timing. The people involved didnât predict the rise of Donald Trump and just how quickly everything would go to shit. In 2015 âdude what if Captain America was like the absolute worstâ villain must have seemed like a can't miss idea. In 2016 it was a heart-breaking reminder of the country's wounded psyche and in its promotion of the event Marvel basically left writer Nick Spencer to be hung out to dry. While I find Spencer's body of work to be staggeringly uneven, he was ultimately just another work for hire talent in over his head. With the benefit of hindsight I would have handled things a lot differently.Â
With years of hindsight I probably would have voiced my views differently. It's tempting to blame the current abysmal state of comics discussion on the endless cycle of corporate reboots and gimmicks or reprehensible movements like âComics Gateâ but the roots are much deeper. In fact in some ways it might have been worse. Over on his blog Mark Evanier talked about how Mark Robbins became one of the most controversial Batman artists of his day simply because he didn't draw like Neal Adams. As hard as it might be to believe there was a generation of comics fans who called Jack Kirby âJack the Hackâ because they didn't like his later works like Machine Man and The Eternals. Then you have the whole sad backlash to Ron Marz and the H.E.A.T fan movement.Â
It is too tempting to write creators off without looking at their whole body of work. Steve Englehart is simultaneously one of the most important comic creators of his era AND the writer of the hilariously clueless New Guardians. I dislike many of the comics Brian Michael Bendis has written but I respect the importance of Ultimate Spider-Man and still look back fondly on his Daredevil run. Howard Mackie who became fandom's shorthand for âHackâ because of his Spider-Man runs recently made a comeback of sorts for Marvel on a Danny Ketch: Ghost Rider-Mini series and having read the first two issues it's a lot of fun! I'm rooting for him.
I want people to know that I am monitoring the situation closely. I understand the concern but I also do not want to cut anyone off unless I absolutely have to. I am content to focus on my own conduct before pointing at others. For now I simply ask fans to treat comic creators like human beings and wish to lead by example. I'm not against a little well placed anger or even a tiny bit mean-spirited humor but I'm just going to be more careful in how I wield it. I haven't written much about comics as of late due to my work/life schedule BUT when I get around to it I'm going to try to be a lot more respectful in my own writing. I simply ask others to do the same.
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totally biased and unhinged wlw book recomendations list
Happy Pride! I have over 80 books in my âsapphicâ goodreads list and these are my personal favsâŚI donât have the energy to type actual descriptions but here are the first things that came to my mind with some of them. enjoy. or donât. to be clear most of these are NOT romances. thatâs a different genre and I feel like sometimes ppl get annoyed that the queer sci fi book had more sci fi than romanceâŚbut itâs just how it is. ** **
Literature/miscÂ
Stone Butch Blues - Leslie Feinberg
REQUIRED READING FOR ALL
fictionalized history of a working class jewish queer person and their experiences with lesbian bars, transitioning, unions, and more!
extremely heart breaking but I learned a lot of history I didnât realize I didnât know* **Last Night at the Telegraph Club-Malinda Lo **
main character is a chinese-american lesbian coming of age in the 1950â˛s in san francisco
she forms a sort of relationship with a girl in class and they go to a lesbian bar secretly
canât recommend enough! Â
Her Body and Other Parties - Carmen Maria Machado
Carmen Maria Machado is the GOAT. Her writing is just incredible and some of these stories are haunting.
single handedly made me like short stories.
both Lucy Dacus and Phoebe Bridgers listed it as one of their favs. I Know the End is based on a story from this book.
contains a Law and Order: SVU fanfic which HAUNTS me*Â
In The Dream House - Carmen Maria Machado
a genuinely heartbreaking book about abuse in queer relationships
semi autobiographical/looking at histories of abuse
Everyone in this room will someday be dead - Emily Austin
if you struggle with anxiety or/and depression and a fixation on death and/or illness, boy do I have the book for you.
Painfully relatable but also very funny. in a laugh at your own pain kinda way. and the main character is a lesbian in a relationship. I truly love this book and highly recommend.
I had it on my tbr for a year and when I finally started I finished it in one sitting.Â
No One Belongs Here More Than You - Miranda July
definitely an acquired taste but one of my favorite books of all time.
a bunch of short stories focusing on loneliness
many queer characters in the stories
The First Bad Man - Miranda July
a dowdy, depressed, anxious woman is asked to house her bossâ aggressive, sexual, and comparatively young daughter (20â˛s)
they start beating each other up
that leads to other activities
I cried so hard reading this book. That might just be a personal thing though.
It is gay and it is amazing but also it broke my heart. Itâs also completely unhinged. canât recommend more.Â
Disobedience - Naomi Alderman
I did not expect to like this as much as I did. I hated the authorâs other book. But I really liked about 90% of Disobedience. Really interesting look at religion and conformity.Â
The Rehearsal - Eleanor Catton
another unhinged classic. A lot of my literary recs are a bit unhinged.
def not a romance.
A book about the weird relationship teachers have with their students, specifically in music and theatre. Touches on themes of consent and abuse, as well as sexuality and power dynamics.Â
My Education - Susan Choi
Book about a woman who falls in love with her professorâs wife but the woman wonât commit to her. thatâs kinda the whole story.
9/10 would recommend but thatâs just me
end made me angry ngl
The Miseducation of Cameron Post - emily m. danforth
from the movie trailers I thought this book was about cameron at a conversion camp, but itâs about way more than that. and only maybe 1/5 of the book takes place at the camp.
Liked it way more than I thought I would!Â
My Brilliant Friend - Elena Ferrante
sooooo this book isnât explicitly queer but ok actually it is and I will fight anyone on this. my favorite book series ever so it must be on the list.
this book has everything: explorations of class dynamics, italian language discourse, academic rivalry, shoe drama, explorations of gender dynamics, dolls, kinda mean main character, obsession, very internal main characters
The Lying Life of Adults - Elena Ferrante
this book IS explicitly queer and literally when the fuck is the sequel coming out?
has many of the same themes as MBF. I am a whore for Elena Ferrante so had to put it on the list but I wouldnât say either of the books are like SCREAMING explicitly wlw content. but it does inform many of the actions of the characters*
Thriller/Horror/dark
They Never Learn - Layne Fargo
when I say this book changed my life
sometimes a hot bi lit professor ruthlessly murdering rapists on campus is the catharsis one needs
the inverse of bury your gays
this book made me so happy
Plain Bad Heroines - emily m. danforth
polyamory, horror, so many footnotes, every character in this book is gay and there are so many characters
the moral of the story is polyamory? I think
The Luminous Dead - Caitlin Starling
this is a really claustrophobia-inducing book about a woman who goes into a cave lead only by this asshole woman who really doesnât care for her well beingâŚthey sort of trauma bond? I loved it.
you will NOT catch me cave diving
 Women in Gray - K.D. Rye
very dark book about a woman whoâs girlfriend is an evil scientist who has created a technology that can control her and how she escapes
Sci-Fi:
One Last Stop - Casey Mcquiston
look this book isnât for everyone and theres a lot of discourse but hereâs why I loved it: time travel, public transportation, wlw, Lost referencesÂ
 A Memory Called Empire - Arkady Martine
an incredible book about assimilation in an empire
very funny and great worldbuilding/culture building
has really interesting themes and the sequel is even better imo
the main relationship is between two women and it is very connected to the themes of assimilation and personhood but also a cute relationshipÂ
The Space Between Worlds - Micaiah Johnson
what if the multiverse was discovered but to travel to a parallel universe you can only do it if youâre dead in that universe. otherwise you will instantly die
so who do they chose to do multiversal travel? the disenfranchised because they are more likely to be dead in other universes
book very much delves into themes of class and race.
Iâm obsessed with the budding relationship between the mc and her âhandlerâ.
misunderstanding taken to a whole new level
Gideon The Ninth - Tamsyn Muir
what if necromancers were in space and they were all kinda catholic but also queerÂ
donât make the mistake I did and not read it because it has a manâs name as the title. Gideon is a lesbian
Fantasy:Â
When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain - Nghi Vo
what if there was a sexy tiger lady
lots of important themesÂ
The Witches Heart - Genevieve Gornichec
like Circe or the Penelopiad but for Norse Myths and the mc has a girlfriend
Black Sun - Rebecca Roanhorse
great fantasy book that is based not on eurocentric standards
lots of different queer characters
I kinda forgot the plot but I remember there was a bi mermaid and some priests and i liked it a lot
The Broken Earth Trilogy - NK Jemisin
not actually sapphic (except a very side character) but it is very queer and also one of the best fantasy books EVER so it goes on the list
what if the oppressed really were dangerous? would it be ethical to oppress them? (the answer is no)
the oppressed in this case are earth benders
very dark when you connect the story to real world atrocities
The Traitor Baru Cormorant - Seth Dickinson
the first in a so-far-great series about the horrors of colionalism/imperialism and one very fucked up girlâs journey to avenge/save her island
one of my favs and very gay but also will make you cry
the series as a whole has a LOT of great queer women in it
will make u so depressed about historical and current atrocities
She Who Became the Sun - Shelley Parker Chan
china in 1300s and a girl takes the place of her brother and claims his destiny
mc is actually more of nonbinary
great writing. highly reccomend
The Unbroken-C.L. Clark
another book about colonialism
mc is a soldier who ends up working for the rulerâs niece who is trying to stop a rebellion
lots of ethical questions about loyalty and such. lots of drama. donât get me wrong it has a lot of queer stuff tooÂ
The Jasmine Throne - Tasha Suri
the world is based on histories of IndiaÂ
a magical woman and an ambitious princess form a shaky allianceÂ
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I posted 9,129 times in 2022
118 posts created (1%)
9,011 posts reblogged (99%)
Blogs I reblogged the most:
@nach0-reblogs
@furashuban
@aroacesonics
@discoursed-dracula
@sailor-arashi
I tagged 658 of my posts in 2022
#ask pika - 90 posts
#friends - 73 posts
#fanfiction - 20 posts
#<;33 - 15 posts
#hilda the series - 12 posts
#oh - 11 posts
#bon bon <;33 - 10 posts
#yes - 10 posts
#toh - 9 posts
#hilda netflix - 9 posts
Longest Tag: 131 characters
#me when a song about a girl pushing a man down a ladder is the theme song of a character whos most famous appearance is as a corpse
My Top Posts in 2022:
#5
tag mutuals you wanna get to know better!
I was tagged by @wallywestfest - honestly the fact youâd even consider me for this makes me really happy thank you so much!! <3
favourite time of year: hmmmm... prolly either early summer or around the winter holidays :))
comfort food: spaghetti bolognese, but specifically the M&S ready meal version Iâm sorry I have 0 shame and itâs good XD
favourite dessert: toffee!! Is guud
things you collect: kidsâ books! Picture books, graphic novels, and illustrated middle-grade stuff mostly. I also have a pretty sizeable collection of figures (Funko Pop & Nendoroids included) and I collect model trains (mostly OO9 for those who know what that is!!)
favourite drink: milk; just, a lot of milk XD
favourite musical artist: The Oh Hellos 90% of the time, but also Stan & Nathan Rogers, and Grace Petrie :))
last song listened to: Fogartyâs Cove, Stan Rogers
last movie watched: oh this is hard just because I donât watch movies much XD I think the last one I actually went to see was Spirit: Untamed (what can I say, I liked Riding Free XD)
last series watched: either Hilda or Harriet the Spy depending on what counts (because Iâm just using bits of Hilda for fic reference rn)
current obsession: Hilda, as always; also Infinity Train, Harriet, and The Owl House a bit.
dream place to visit: hhhhh thereâs so many but probably Newfoundland :))
place you wanna go back to: Tromso, Norway; itâs genuinely magical in winter
something you want: well thereâs a certain art commission Iâm really excited to see finished motivation to write more and more money for commissions :))
currently working on: another Wildflowers Fic (Hilda S2 fix-it hurt/comfort) - Hilda writes a letter in this one!
I tag @pikawarrior @nach0 @starlit-lion @discoursed-dracula @dallasurr @strawcherrydeercake @furashuban @sarasplenda @stargazer-sappho (no pressure) and anyone else who wants to! :))
31 notes - Posted September 6, 2022
#4
Iâm having so many feelings about Little My right now.
From the outside, sheâs just another one of the Mymbleâs many kids; the smallest member of a huge family, whoâs never had her own space, shuffled from place to place and raised by an absent guardian who really doesnât seem to care much about her at all. Of course sheâs turned out loud and abrasive; she had to be, to make herself big and take up space and force people to pay attention, because otherwise sheâd get lost in the shuffle.
And then she comes to Moominvalley, and meets Moomin and his parents, and she forms a real friendship and chooses to stay and ends up adopted. And sure, sheâs still loud and abrasive and a troublemaker, but sheâs a neglected child (her mum didnât even realise sheâd stayed behind) and for the first time she has a real family and friends in the bargain and itâs just really getting to me right now.
I havenât seen the whole show yet (I donât mind spoilers) or read the books (I know sheâs not the same in those I donât think she has this side of her), but do you think she ever worries about her place in the home? Do you think sheâs afraid on some level, deep down, that theyâll want to get rid of her, just like how they wanted to get rid of the rest of her old family? Do you think she pushes the boundaries sometimes, just to make sure sheâs really loved?
IDK, I just have a lot of feelings.
33 notes - Posted November 2, 2022
#3
I love the new starters!
See the full post
35 notes - Posted February 27, 2022
#2
Asking about fixing S2 of Hilda! :D
(I watched it, but my brain is very much like a sponge, so there may or may not be some holes in my memories of it. But I'd love to hear your opinions on that!)
Okie, so, I've talked about my problems with Season 2 before, but I'm going to go over them in the most detail I can here, before I explain how I'd fix them. Sorry in advance, but this is going to be long.
My Problems:
Fundamentally, Hilda is still my favourite show, and more of my favourite episodes are in S2 than in S1, but there's one big thing that ruined the season for me, and that's what it did to the relationship between Hilda and Johanna. Season 2 wanted to have an arc where Hilda makes mistakes and needs to learn not to lie to her mum, but instead, in the narrative presented, Johanna is the one in the wrong to me.
It's absolutely a cycle. Hilda lying about her adventures makes Johanna worry, which makes her more protective, so Hilda needs to lie even more. But The Troll Circle establishes pretty plainly that this cycle started with Johanna; when Hilda runs outside the wall by accident, her immediate reaction is "Mum would kill me if she knew."
And the way Johanna acts when Hilda comes home proves that she's right; Johanna has become more restrictive and isn't letting Hilda do the things she used to. She wants Hilda to be safe, I accept, but this is after a whole season where Johanna repeatedly says that she loves Hilda for who she is, and explicitly includes her adventures in that (see The Bird Parade and The Troll Rock especially).
Because it is a part of who Hilda is; "such is the life of an adventurer" is her mantra, and even Season 2 itself establishes that she's been allowed to roam freely on her own in the wilderness since she was about 6 years old, the same wilderness that Johanna wants to keep her from in The Troll Circle.
Hilda's choices aren't "lie to her mum" or "be good", they're "lie to her mum" or "give up being who she is". Johanna's the one who changed, and it's not even properly acknowledged; they try and retcon the troll from S1, and just claim that things have always been this way between Hilda and Johanna when that's just not true (I'd argue The Troll Rock implied Johanna knew about it anyway).
The show does try and show Johanna's side, especially in The Fifty-Year Night, but that's one of the reasons it's my least favourite episode. I know she finds it hard, being so harsh on Hilda, but she doesn't have to; she should have been more understanding at the end of The Beast of Cauldron Island, it's her fault things got to that point, and nobody's forcing her to be more protective. She needs to realise she's being unfair and that she hasn't handled this well, and as a result it feels like the narrative is guilt-tripping Hilda for her mum's mistakes.
The Stone Forest hits into the same issues; I'm not going to deny that what Hilda says to her mum in that argument is genuinely hurtful, and that she shouldn't have said it, but she's an upset child. The resolution of that episode is that Hilda needs to stop hiding things, but the conflict was caused by Johanna being restrictive and honestly, more than a little selfish; I'm not trying to bash her, I know why she wants Hilda to stay home and spend time with her, but she should have let her go.
I'm glad that things seem to be back on track in The Mountain King, but when Hilda has to promise not to hide things at the end of The Stone Forest, it doesn't quite work as a resolution for me, because while I do genuinely appreciate Johanna telling Hilda she loves her for who she is, she doesn't promise to let Hilda be herself or make any apologies of her own. It's "you have to talk to me" not "you can talk to me", and for me that's the distinction that really ruined the season.
And all of this comes from one, single place:
Everything I've just mentioned, including all three of Johanna's worst scenes (the dinner in The Troll Rock, Hilda's first grounding, and the argument over Dungeon Crops in The Stone Forest) and the resolution that I didn't think went far enough, are lifted directly (including a lot of dialogue - although some of it, especially in that final resolution, is said less kindly in the graphic novel) from the graphic novel Hilda and the Stone Forest. And this is the fundamental problem; Season 2 of the show has to adapt this story, which is a problem, because Season 1 of the show made substantial changes from the graphic novels, that honestly made me think that maybe there wasn't a way to do the Stone Forest arc well in the show.
In the graphic novels, Johanna is not a good parent. She's not as bad as the tie-in novels, where she genuinely reads as abusive in all but one, but she starts out as a generic "overprotective parent" stock archetype, and only really breaks out of that a couple of times (she's actually very good in Hilda and the Bird Parade, but in a completely different way from the show version of that plotline). Hilda in turn is a little more selfish and rebellious, so their whole dynamic is different.
And The Stone Forest, in both versions, has Johanna at her absolute worst. It's actually my least favourite graphic novel, specifically because of how awful Johanna gets in the beginning, which is basically just an extended falling-out combining all of her worst moments from Season 2 and making them even worse. And that's where the problem crept in, because in order for the Stone Forest arc to happen, Hilda has to try and sneak out via Nowhere Space, and Johanna has to try and stop her, and the whole thing needs to be precipitated by a mother-daughter falling out.
So the solution the show's crew took was to try making Johanna more like her comic counterpart, and to space the arguments that start The Stone Forest out across the whole season so it doesn't feel abrupt. But the two versions of Johanna are fundamentally different characters, and Comic Johanna is already a bad parent who's flaws aren't acknowledged in this arc, while in the show she's a realistically flawed but genuinely amazing parent and those flaws are addressed in Season 1.
And the result was just making Johanna almost as unsympathetic as her comic counterpart in Season 2. I don't even think that it really cured the abruptness, because it's still an awkward retcon in the first episode, and there are still episodes in S2 where Johanna is firing on all cylinders (The Deerfox and The Yule Lads - which actually handles a mother/daughter dispute caused by Hilda really well), so to me it feels less like a relationship that's having ups and downs, and more like a relationship that's fundamentally changed but only sometimes.
(There are other problems with adapting Hilda and the Stone Forest, namely David and Frida, but I think the show actually handled them well).
So, How Would I Have Done It?
I'm going to rule for this that we have to keep the fundamental plot of The Stone Forest; Hilda gets in trouble with her mum, gets caught when she tries to escape, and has to learn a lesson about being open after she and her mum get out of the Stone Forest. For a while, I genuinely wasn't sure how to make that work within the show in a way I'd be happy with, but in the end, thanks partially to the tie-in novels of all things, I do have a solution: we're actually going to build up the relationship shift, and it's going to have an acknowledged shared responsibility.
The Troll Rock happens almost as it does in canon, but there is no moment where Hilda thinks her mum will 'kill' her for going outside the wall. She still gets home late, and there's still a little awkwardness in the conversation, but Hilda gingerly admits the truth:
"Well, I was going to go to David's... but then I saw this elf getting kidnapped by a dirt clod with legs, and me and Twig kind-of had to go outside the wall to save him."
And Johanna just gives a patient sigh; there is a bit of tension in her voice, she's clearly not 100% happy with this, but she also accepts that this is her daughter:
"That was a good thing to do, sweetheart, but please be careful outside the wall. You know I worry about you."
From there the episode goes on as normal; barring one thing. I'm torn between cutting the "you never told me about that" exchange entirely, and changing the tone of it. In the latter version, instead of suspicion, Johanna is genuinely just surprised, and Hilda's response is something like "Wait, I didn't?", but either way, things go on normally from there; we've established that there's going to be friction between Hilda and her mum, without making things bad immediately.
The next big change is that The Eternal Warriors doesn't happen. It will, eventually, but I'm taking a leaf from the tie-in book Hilda and the White Woff, and saving it for later use. Every other episode gets shunted up by one space, but is otherwise unchanged until we hit The Beast of Cauldron Island, where I'm going to make a major change.
Instead of Hilda just lying, we're going to build on The Old Bells of Trolberg; when Hilda reaches the flat, she's reluctant to cancel their picnic, but she is prepared to explain things and possibly even ask for Johanna's help. But when she gets inside, Johanna is apologetic, and before Hilda can explain, she does:
"I'm really sorry, Hilda, but we can't have our picnic today after all."
"Why not?"
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LOVE LIKE THE MOVIES // BUCKY BARNES // 7
SEVEN - SERENDIPITY
Trigger warning: Alcohol, food
Masterlist
Summary: This is a story of boy meets girl. The boy, Bucky Barnes, finds himself thrown into a world that seems so different from everything heâs ever known. The girl, (Y/N) knows entirely too much about rom-coms and is quite particular about the way she eats her popcorn. Bucky meets (Y/N) a few months after returning to NYC. He knows almost immediately that becoming her friend is inevitable. This is a story of boy meets girl. This is a story about love. (Bucky Barnes x female!Reader // a few spoilers for TFATWS)
âOkay, thatâs ridiculous!â Bucky mumbles around a spoonful of fruit loops.
âWhat is?â
âThis,â he responds and points his now empty spoon accusingly at John Cusack. âThis whole fate thing. The book, sure, might happen. But the dollar bill? Never!â
(Y/N) puts her empty bowl on the couch table, turning her body towards Bucky and sitting in a criss-cross style. âYou telling me you donât believe in fate and soulmates and that some people are destined to be together.â
âNo,â Bucky retorts in a tone that implies it was a silly question to even ask him. âI am 106 years old. If those things were true you'd think I would've found my destined partner by now."
"Maybe you have" (Y/N) shrugs. "Maybe it's Leah. Have you called her anyway?"
Bucky looks down sheepishly into the colorful milk swirling through his bowl. "No."
â What? Why not? â
âBecause it hasnât â oh I don't know. It just hasnât felt right.â
Heâd been debating on giving her a call many times, never actually going through with it. At first, it was for a fear of failure, rejection. Now though, Leah doesnât cross his mind as much as before. His thoughts, he noticed recently, are occupied by another person. And it wouldn't be fair to Leah or himself to try and build something on shaky ground at best.
â Dude, Iâm educating you on romance and you are too afraid to call this girl? â
â Educating me? You are forcing me to watch rom coms. â
â Forcing you? â (Y/N) gasps and dramatically slaps her hand to her chest right above where her heart is. â Are you saying youâre not having fun? â
Thereâs a smirk on her face, tiny and barely there but he notices it anyway. Heâs started noticing the small things. Like how her nose scrunches up when she smiles and how she twiddles with her fingers when sheâs nervous.
â If I didnât have fun I wouldnât be here. â Bucky replies and bumps his leg against her knee. Truth be told, heâd be here anyway. Even if sheâd make him watch the most boring movie in the entire world heâd stay right there with her. Sometimes the world doesn't seem so rough and ruthless when sheâs there beside him. Sometimes he feels like he could genuinely be happy.
â Good, â (Y/N) responds and places a quick kiss on his cheek that very nearly gives him a heart attack. Soft touches are something she grants him every so often and while he is getting used to it, itâs still foreign. Itâs something he enjoys quite a lot though.
âAnyway, soulmates finding their way back to each other despite all odds is such a rom-com stable. Like the kiss in the rain or the airport chase or the top-of-the-stairs-moment.â
â The what ? â
(Y/N) scoffs at him as if sheâs never been asked a more ridiculous question in her life.
â The moment when the girl gets a makeover or she dresses up in some ballgown and her love interest waits at the bottom of the stairs for her and when he sees her heâs so enamored and enchanted by her and ideally thereâs some cheesy 90s love song playing in the background. And she meets him at the bottom, walking in slow motion obviously, and they donât kiss or anything but the looks they share are enough to let the audience know what they feel for one another.â
Her words are heavy with passion and longing and magic and for a second Bucky wishes, he could be the one to give her that moment.
â But okay, grumpy. You go on not believing in soulmates. Iâll change your mind one day, trust me.â
He doesnât doubt it for a second.
They sink back into their blissful calm as John Cusak and Kate Beckinsale reconnect on the ice rink in front of Rockefeller Center as an ocean of Christmas lights twinkles in the background.
â Iâve never been ice skating there. Been living here for so many years now and thatâs still something Iâve never done. â (Y/N) pipes up, a longing swinging alone with her words. â Have you? â
â Mmmh. Used to take a lot of girls on dates there. â
â Oh sorry, I forgot you were a big charmer back in the day. â
â Saw the first-ever Christmas tree getting set up in 1933. '' he continues to say. Sometimes talking about the past makes him sad. Itâs a time he will never be able to go back to. A man he will never be again.
But sometimes, like today, heâs able to recall little snippets of memories and remember how he felt in that exact moment. And those are worth all the pain that thinking about the future might bring.
â That â is weird flex but actually really cool. â
Bucky doesnât think of himself as cool. Heâs a grumpy 106-year-old who is completely disillusioned with the world around him. If (Y/N) thinks so though, heâs not gonna try to change her mind.
She snuggles back into him, body leaning against the smooth vibranium arm. A part of him he never felt really belonged to himself. Something he had been given to kill, to defend, to fight. If something so dangerous can be a place of comfort to her, Maybe, he thinks, itâs not so bad after all. Maybe sometimes you just have to let go of the part and change your perspective of things.
For a while, they get lost in the movie, in the fictional love of two strangers. He remembers the romance novels his mothers used to read. The way she would get lost in them. Maybe to escape her own life for just a second and follow along with the stories and the people that seemed so much grander than her own existence as a housewife stuck in a life that seems too small to contain her in all her wonderful glory. His mother, Bucky always knew even at a young age, deserved more than she had been given. She was smart and funny and she loved her kids as much as a heart could love another. But her days were dull and her marriage was one of convenience more than anything. She had ideas, beautiful stories swirled around her head, and sheâd tell them to him and his sister before sheâd tuck them into bed. And yet that is where they stayed, in her mind and in her children's memories. She was never resentful though. She took things as they came and she made them beautiful.
He wonders sometimes, what wouldâve come from her ideas if she had been given the chance to tell them to a bigger audience. She couldâve put those rom-coms to shame.
A knock on the front door startles (Y/N), making her get up from the couch and follow LAdy towards the entrance. Thereâs a definite lack of warmth where she used to be and Bucky feels himself missing her already.
â Itâs probably Robin, she left her favorite jacket here the other â mom? â
The air fills with a chaotic mix of several voices one speaking over the other while the charm on Ladyâs collar underlines it all with a jingling sound like that of a small bell.
Before he can even think about how to react, (Y/N) steps back into the living room followed by two more people. A woman who looks like an older version of her and a man. They seem lost in conversation still, talking about their travel to NYC and the fact that the man, who Bucky assumes is (Y/N)âs father, refused to ask for directions.
Thatâs until their eyes fall on Bucky. The woman regards him with a gentle smile on her face, polite and warm as mothers usually are. The man though. Thereâs something in his eyes, in his demeanor, that changed once he set sight on Bucky and it doesnât feel good. Bucky knows what itâs like to be recognized. People see him and then they see all the bodies left in his wake, all the blood on his hands, all the pain and the suffering and the â
â Sergeant Barnes. â
They used to call him that in Wakanda, as a sign of respect, he believes. To make him realize that they do not see him as the thread he used to be but the man he once was. Other than that itâs been a long time since people referred to him as Sergeant Barnes. Itâs a title he takes pride in, something he worked hard for. It also belongs to a man he isnât anymore. Bucky isnât sure he still earns it. Still owns it.
â Uh â hello. â
âDad, â (Y/N) says and pushes past her parents to stand next to Bucky. Her hand rests on his arm as a sign of comfort and reassurance. He appreciates it very much. â Mom. This is Bucky. â
â I canât believe it. â her father exclaims, still not taking his eyes off of Bucky.
â Dad. â
â I can not believe it. I canât believe you! â
There it is. Although Bucky has always been very aware that he wasnât nearly worth (Y/N)âs time, having it thrown in his face hurts more than he likes to admit.
â Dad ⌠â
â You know James Barnes, and you tell me nothing about it? (Y/N) Iâve â Iâve spent so much time researching this man revising all the information people before me have gathered and making sure his legacy and his place in Steve Rogers' life get acknowledged and now Iâd have the chance to ask him personally and you â you keep it a secret from me? â
Wait ⌠what ?
â Bucky, â (Y/N) says and looks up at him with her gorgeous eyes that never seem to fail at calming him down. âThese are my parents and as you can tell, my dadâs a big fan of yours. â
The next few minutes are a chaos of handshakes and nice-to-meet-yous and hugs. Her mother hugs Bucky real tightly, the way mothers do when they know someone needs a hug. And she doesnât flinch when she feels the metal arm. She just hugs him a little tighter.
â Why are you guys here? â (Y/N) asks as her father throws an arm around her shoulder
â Well, you asked us to look after Lady while youâre gone. â her mother replies as if itâs the obvious answer.
â Yeah, but we donât leave until Friday afternoon. Itâs Thursday. â
â That is truuuue. But dad and I thought weâd surprise you and take you out for a nice dinner since we wonât be spending Christmas together, we thought we could at least try to make up for it. â
(Y/N) shakes her head at her motherâs words. â I told you guys, itâs not a big deal. You go enjoy your cruise. â
â And we will but youâre our girl and we want to take you out for dinner. Give your old parents that much, will youâ her father jokes and ruffles her hair as if she was just a little girl and maybe she is in that moment, wrapped in his arms.
â I uh â Bucky and I had plans. â
â What plans? â her mother asks, eyebrows raised.
â Watching movies. â
â Oh, those arenât plans. Go get dressed! â
â And James will obviously come with us, â her dad adds â I am not done asking him questions. â
Itâs not December yet but the restaurant is already decked out in Christmas lights and tastefully placed sparkly ornaments. The soft lull of Christmas carols being played on a piano flows through the room and Bucky is thankful to discover that while so much has changed, many of those songs have stayed the same. Maybe things arenât all different right now. Maybe the fundamental things have stayed the same. Like the feeling of being with your family sitting by the tree, singing songs that have been passed down from your parents to you.
(Y/N) sits next to him, lips painted the exact same shade of red as her slouchy knit sweater. She looks so cozy and comfortable and soft and if heâs being really honest with himself, all he wants to do is hold her tight and get lost in her warmth. But this is good, as good as it can ever get, really. Sitting next to her, across from her parents who have been nothing but kind to him. Theyâre eating good food, drinking delicious drinks and her parents are sharing funny and slightly embarrassing stories about (Y/N). This is the first time heâs meeting anyoneâs parents as the man he is now. And even back in the 40s things werenât this calm and easy. If you went to meet a womanâs parents you better came prepared. This feels nice. Like he gets to be part of a family for just a teeny tiny moment.
â So, how long have you guys been together? â her mother asks around a fork of tiramisu. While Bucky only looks at her with wide eyes, (Y/N) almost chokes on her wine.
â Mom, weâre â not. Weâre friends. â
â Oh,â her mother replies, looking unconvinced as her eyes move back and forth between (Y/N) and Bucky â I guess I mustâve read that wrong. Shame, you would make adorable babies. â
â Mom!â
Buckyâs sure his cheeks are the same color as her sweater and her lips and her fingernails. A beautiful bright red. Like a Santaâs hat.
â I know, babe. Youâre an independent woman who makes her own decisions and if you decide not to have babies thatâs alright with us. As long as you are happy, so are we. Lady makes for a wonderful substitute grandchild. Just sayinâ if you were to have babies with Bucky they would turn out really cute. â
â Okay, how about we stop talking about my imaginary potential future children, huh? You go tell me more about work, dad. How about that? â
As her dad starts talking about some history classes he teaches and the students, Bucky notices the change in (Y/N)âs demeanor. Her laid-back ease is gone. She keeps fidgeting with her hair and the rings on her hand. Without really thinking about it, like his body is working on autopilot, Bucky reaches out and grabs her hand under the table. Itâs still weird, touching soft skin with his metal hand without the intention of inflicting pain. Itâs nice though. Itâs wonderful.
She doesnât let go for a long time.
Restrooms in restaurants are places where time is slightly altered. Youâre sheltered from the noises of the main room but theyâre still faintly audible through the door. The clinking of glasses and cutlery, the laughter, and the voices as they flow together like waves in an ocean.
It feels like you get a break from the real world for just a moment. To catch yourself. To take a breath. To look at yourself in the mirror and decide your next steps as the music sounds from the overhead speakers in a duller version as if someone wrapped the lyrics in thick cotton padding.
(Y/N) washes her hands while looking at her reflection. Todayâs a good day. Itâs not going the way she has expected it but itâs a good day nonetheless. Bucky and her parents get along like a house on fire. Itâs a nice feeling but it also makes her so acutely aware of all the what-ifs floating around her head and her heart. Would it feel like this if she and Bucky were more than friends? Would it feel this â right?
Before her mind can come up with an answer to her own question, the door to the restrooms swings open letting in a sliver of the noise outside. Her mother steps in and looks at her with that signature mom smile. Like she knows you better than you know yourself. And maybe that isnât entirely wrong.
â Your dad and I are going to take a cab to the hotel. Weâll come over to yours tomorrow before you leave. Is that okay? Bucky said heâd walk you home.â
Of course, heâd say that. Heâs a gentleman. Heâs Bucky.
â Sure thatâs fine. Iâm glad you guys came a day early. I missed you. â
â We missed you too, baby,â she responds and pulls (Y/N) into a hug.
â Now tell me something,â she says and takes (Y/N)âs face in between her hands. â You and Bucky. Thereâs something there. â
(Y/N) shakes free from her mother's touch and faces the mirror, leaning both hands against the marble sink. â Mom, can you leave it. â
â I see the way you guys look at each other. I â you havenât been this happy in so long. He makes you happy. â
As she lifts her head and looks into her own eyes in the mirror, (Y/N) feels a flood of emotions wash over her. Emotions sheâs tried so hard to suppress and others she wasnât even aware were there in the first place. And itâs all comes crashing down pulling her under and spitting her back out.
â So what if he makes me happy. Weâre not gonna happen. I can not lose a friend and he canât either. It would kill us both. â
â Oh honey, â she goes to pull (Y/N) into another hug but she just shakes her head in response.
â No. No, mom. Itâs okay. Iâm okay with it being the way it is. â
â Are you sure? â
Is she? (Y/N) looks back at herself. You think you know yourself and what you want and how you feel and then someone asks you, truthfully asks you if youâre sure. And you can only stare and wonder. Well, are you?
And sometimes itâs way easier to lie, to both the other person and yourself, than to really face your fears and your feelings and everything you do or donât understand about yourself.
â Yeah. I am sure. â
Itâs true. New York City never seems to fully go to sleep. Thereâs always a light on somewhere, guiding you through the dark, guiding you home.
It doesnât fully go to sleep but it slows down. The air gets heavier, the noise gets quieter.
(Y/N) and Bucky slowly make their way through the familiar streets of their neighborhood as the city lights and the stars fight over who gets to shine more brightly upon them.
Itâs a chilly evening, winter is truly just around the corner, and the air feels pregnant with the promise of snow and yet (Y/N) feels a warmth course through her that is unlike any other. A warmth that can only be brought on by being with your loved ones.
â Itâs a lovely night,â she says as her heels create a clip-clap sound against the pavement.
Bucky has his hands stuffed deep into the pockets of his jacket and his ever-present scowl decorates his face and yet, even Bucky canât deny that it is a lovely night. One with so much potential. For â for lovers.
â It really is.â
â If life was a movie, â (Y/N) says â this would be when we realized that we're in love"
Bucky only raises his eyebrow at her, pushing her to elaborate. And maybe itâs a bit selfish. Maybe he just wants to hear her entertain the thought of them two as something more for just a little bit longer. Even if itâs just pretend.
â Weâd get a montage of some quirky dates that we didnât realize were dates. Then the camera would pan down on us tonight, walking underneath the stars, the city lights glowing around us. Thereâd be some piano music in the background to set the mood. Weâd have a deep talk about our fears or messed up childhoods or the meaning of life. And then youâd make me laugh and Iâd accidentally hold your hand. Youâd drop me off at my door, think about kissing my lips but then end up kissing my forehead. Once you leave Iâd lean against my door, sink down to my floor, and grin like a fool because thatâs the moment I realize I am in love with you and the audience would sigh in relief because they knew all along. â
â That sounds nice,â Bucky replies, eyes staring into the distance as he tries to picture it all, safe it as a mental snapshot to go back to in quiet moments.
â Yeah, well what a shame life is not a movie and weâre not in love. What a waste of a lovely night. â
â Guess itâs perfect for a couple, huh? â Bucky has to agree with her.
â Mmmh. Or at least someone not in heels, â (Y/N) jokes looking down at her shoes.
â You want me to find a couple? Gift our night to them ? â Bucky asks as they continue their journey down the Brooklyn streets.
â Absolutely not, sir! â (Y/N) responds and links her arm with his as she pulls him along. â I like our night. I want to keep it for ourselves. â
And so they continue their walk home. Words that want to be said, that need to be said, hang heavy in the air, and yet they both decide to stay quiet and just enjoy the silence and comfort of their lovely little night.
The door feels like mocking her as it comes into view, cutting their moment short, putting an end to this blissful night.
She doesnât want it to end. Doesnât want to go inside and quite literally close the door to all the possibilities this night seems to hold out to her. If she was just brave enough to reach out and grab them.
(Y/N) unlock the door and turns back around to face Bucky. Something seems to hang in the air right between them and that feeling only gets stronger as their eyes lock. For a moment all there is, is silence and an abundance of unspoken words. And a fear that comes with speaking them. Of messing something up. Of being vulnerable.
Bucky smiles at her then. She loves his smile. Itâs so rare but itâs so beautiful to look at. It gives you the feeling of having done something right.
â Thanks for today, â he says as if thereâs anything to thank her for.
â For what? â
â Letting me be a part of your family. Thought maybe you didnât want your parents to know about me. Thanks for â not being ashamed of me or anything. â
â Oh Bucky, â she says and grabs his hand, â You are my friend and I love you. Iâd never be ashamed of you. If anything Iâm a little embarrassed by the way my dad kept pestering you with questions. Uh â why are you looking at me like that. â
â You love me? â his voice comes out but a mere whisper and his eyes are wide in shock.
â Yes. Youâre my friend, I love you. Bucky when â when was the last time someone told you they love you? â (Y/N) asks as her hand softly strokes the side of his face.
â 1942 â
â Well, guess Iâll have to keep reminding you then, make up for lost time. I love you, Bucky Barnes. â
She canât even blink before sheâs wrapped up in his arms. Despite what one would think, Bucky is always warm. Even the vibranium arm. Everything radiates warmth and comfort. She could stay here forever.
Slowly he pulls away, looks deep into her eyes, lowers his head, and places his lips against her forehead. â I love you too. â
He smiles at her once more then leaves. And while she won't admit it to anyone, ever, (Y/N) goes inside, leans against her door, sinks to the floor, and doesn't even try to suppress the foolish smile spreading on her lips.
Robinâs laughter fills the halls of the beautiful Inn where just tomorrow sheâll say I do.
â This was your doing! You scheming little shit.â (Y/N) grumbles from the corner of her mouth as she slides up to Robin.
â It wasnât, â the red-haired girl laughs â but I wish it was. Itâs hilarious.â
Redstone Lodge is a beautiful Inn located in upstate New York. It looks out onto a lake and is surrounded by lots and lots of Christmas trees all year round. Itâs made of bricks and big wooden panels. Very rustic and yet cozy and elegant. In the yard, thereâs a huge tent with a wooden floor and a see-through roof. Thatâs where the reception will be held tomorrow.
Redstone Lodge has 35 rooms all of which have been distributed to the various guests. Theyâre beautiful rooms with nice decor and comfortable beds. Well â a bed. One. Singular.
â This is like some fanfiction trope, Robin. There is only one bed? â
â Look," Robin says and pulls (Y/N) closer â if you want to switch, find someone to switch with. Iâm sure someone is willing to. But Iâm just saying that if you two are friends, shouldnât you be able to sleep in a bed together and not make it weird? â
She has a point and she knows it and she also knows that (Y/N) knows it.
Huffing a breath of annoyance (Y/N) grumbles an âokay fineâ before letting Robin be taken hostage by yet another overly excited aunt and returns to Buckyâs side as he stands on the front steps looking out into the vast area. It really is a beautiful place to get married.
â Hey so uh â bad news is that this is the only room they have so weâll have to share a bed. Good news is they got some movies to take up to the room and I found some really dope rom-coms. â
âIt's okay, don't worry. I promise I won't hog the blanket,â Bucky says and nods his head into the direction of the lake â wanna take a walk? â
â Sure. Yeah, why not. â
In all honesty (Y/N) isnât the biggest fan of walking around the woods with no particular destination in mind and yet she canât help but feel a sense of happiness fill her as she links her arm with Buckyâs once again.
She realized a while ago that she tends to gravitate towards his left side. It isnât a conscious decision but maybe itâs a good one nonetheless.
Maybe itâll show him that every part of him is worth loving, even the ones he doesnât love himself.
â When was the last time you did something crazy? â
He doesnât like the way those words sound tumbling from her lips. He does, however, like very much how her eyes sparkle in the light of the setting sun. Their walk had turned into a bit of a hike and by the time theyâve finally made it back to the lake, the sun is about to set. Everyone seems to have retreated back into the lodge, maybe to sit by the big cozy fireplace or up to their room with their several beds. More than one. plural.
Bucky doesnât want to let go of their time together though. Not yet. Just a little bit longer. And if that means agreeing to one of her weird ideas, so be it.
"Uh well, I fought aliens a few months ago."
"Huh ⌠well see that's not an answer I was prepared for I mean more like, when did you last do something stupid but fun?"
âLike dancing in the middle of a street or having a cake fight in a parking lot?â
âYeah âŚ. like that.â
She looks at him again with that mischief and that softness. Like a mix of all things that make you feel alive shine back at him from her eyes.
âWanna go swimming?â (Y/N) asks and smirks at him.
âNow? Itâs freezing.â
â I know,â she replies and shrugs her shoulders â and I know itâs silly and dumb and weâll probably get sick but I kinda wanna do it anyway. Wait ⌠can you get sick?â
âHuh?â
âBecause of the serum.â
âYou know, they didnât exactly give me a manual when they injected it so â guess weâll have to find out.â
âSo youâre in?â
Bucky only nods his head in agreement. She doesnât need to know that heâd agree to anything she suggests. Any little thing.
The woods around them are dark and thick and where they probably should be scary they are comforting now. Theyâre a shelter from the eyes of onlookers. A safe roof and walls to keep their little bubble safe and hold their moment tight and safe.
âHoly shit, itâs freezing!â (Y/N) hisses through clenched teeth as the water reaches up to her shoulders, the straps of her yellow bra the only colors shining through the dark night.
Donât think about it. He has to tell himself. Donât think about the fact that sheâs only in her underwear. Donât think about her soft skin and her smile and what her body feels like against yours. Donât!
He doesnât have to scold himself for too long before a cold splash of water hits him right in the face.
âOh, you made a mistakeâ Bucky calls out to a laughing (Y/N) who tries her best to tread water and get as far away from him as possible but fails to do so, being wrapped up in his arms only seconds later.
For the next few minutes, they splash around like children at the neighborhood pool.
The cold of the night and the lake rattle their bones but neither of them seems to care as a familiar warmth wraps itself around their hearts.
Itâs really fascinating how the little moments can become so meaningful. How one person can mean so much so quickly. How drastically your life can change just because of one single person and their kindness and their love.
âOh-oh!â (Y/N) exclaims excitedly and lays little enthusiastic slaps on Buckyâs shoulder âletâs do the dirty dancing lift. You can lift me, right?â
âI have a vibranium armâŚâ
âRight. Yeah. Right.â
Bucky places his hands on her waist and pulls her a little closer, trying to ignore the incessant thumping of his heart that feels like it wants to break out of his chest. âOkay on 3.â
âOneâ
Her eyes look deep into his as if trying to search for something in them. Secrets. Hidden feelings. The truth.
âTwoâ
And when she smiles, almost shy, it seems for a second that sheâs found whatever sheâs been looking for. He hopes she likes the secret she uncovers. He hopes it doesnât scare her off from loving him.
âThreeâ
In a swift motion, he lifts her up above his head, holding her strong and steady as drops of water, cold as ice, rain down on him while (Y/N) laughs and stretches out her arms.
âWe did it! Iâm flying, Jack!â
âWhat?â
âNevermind.â She retorts and lets out another laugh. Yeah, maybe heâs freezing his ass off but to hear her laugh like that, makes it all worth it.
He doesnât let her fall over like they do in the movie, instead, he grips her waist tighter, slowly and gently lowers her back into the water. And when sheâs back right in front of him, chest against his, he should be letting go of her, but he doesnât.
While his head keeps screaming at him to just let go, his heart tells him otherwise, makes him stay right there.
(Y/N)âs arms move across his chest and gently wrap themselves around his neck before her fingers start to delicately play with his hair.
He wonders if any person has ever felt the way he does in that moment. He wonders if maybe a poet or a writer or a musician has and if maybe they wrote a poem or a book or a song about it. Maybe that would help him understand. Maybe he could read it or listen to it and keep this moment captured in that piece of art forever. Because he fears that no memory can ever do justice to the way he feels when she moves closer.
When her hand cups his face when her nose nuzzles against his so gently as if sheâs afraid heâll pull away any second.
Itâs just them and their wildly beating hearts and the woods providing them shelter and the water setting the scene and the stars shining down upon them.
Itâs just them â until it isnât.
â(Y/N), Bucky? You guys out there?â Robin's voice calls out into the night as her silhouette appears against the light coming from the porch of the Inn.
âYes, itâs us. Weâll be right in.â (Y/N) calls back, having moved away slightly. The spell is broken and Bucky lifts his hand off of her, immediately missing the contact.
âItâs freezing, we should probably go inside.â She says and grants him a smile, though it doesnât entirely reach her eyes and he can faintly see her shivering.
âYeah letâs go. Get you warmed up.â
They donât talk about their moment as they head inside and get swallowed by the group of people all hyped up with excitement for the coming day.
Bucky is sure though that as long as there are stars in the sky, he will not forget this moment however fleeting and insignificant it might seem.
TAGLIST FORM (fill this out to be added)
Taglist // if you want to be added or taken off just message me :) //:
@zaynyierulez - @je-like-you - @dracoxxyoflam - @jackiehollanderr - @majo240820 - @kay-gilles - @booksb4looksstuff - @jckie94 - @charmed-asylum - @shawnie--jo - @yllwtaxi - @tailsoflightning - @giuliarogers - @mangoogirl - @gerim-1995 - @elen-alambil - @threeminutesoflife - @writeroutoftime - @buckybarn3s - @rosaline-black - @kenziekugler22 - @vghz82 - @frnkensteingrl - @lovefreylove - @cherryofdeath - @bluemoon-icecream - @mariusprincess-blog -
#bucky barnes x female reader#bucky barnes x reader#bucky barnes x f!reader#bucky barnes x freader#james barnes x f!reader#james barnes x reader#James Barnes x female reader#avengers imagine#avengers imagines#marvel fanfiction#marvel imagines#marvel imagine#bucky barnes fanfic#bucky barnes imagine#bucky barnes fanfiction
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let's talk about severus snape. he's one of the most controversial characters the internet has to offer, with several blogs, channels and pages dedicated specifically to hating him, despite him having one of the mostâif not the mostâintriguing character arcs the series has to offer. so, as a result of me coming across far too many of said blogs, channels or pages, here's an extremely detailed explanation of why i like him and think he's easily one of my favourite characters :)
1. he's not that bad of a teacher.
just so you know, i'm a teenage girl fresh out of high school. so, my experience with teachers? still keeps me up at night :)
my family is pretty strict about religion. you can guess what that means. anything that was magic-adjacent, especially something that, god forbid, had an entire school dedicated to witchcraft and wizardry was a hard no if i wanted to have any sort of freedom over the media i paid attention to, and any opportunity to go about my life without being monitored to make sure i wasn't suddenly possessed or something. thanks to this, i ended up secretly reading the philosopher's stone in my last year of primary school. i would've been 11 at the time, just about to turn 12, so a little bit older than harry and co. going on what i'd heard from those who had already read the series, i went in expecting to absolutely despise this man. i went in expecting to read a demon. i finished the book and came out thinking... that really wasn't that bad.
my mom found out, so i didn't get to read the rest of the series until i ended up on the executive committee for my school's book club and my friends were appalled that i'd only read the first book. at this point, i'm still expecting him to get worse and... he just doesn't. when i was in primary school, i had multiple teachers break wooden meter-long rulers across my classmates' backs. the first time it happened, i was in infant year 2 (about 6/7 years old). i had teachers who would insult us, based on anything from hygiene to behaviour to intelligence if you looked at them wrong. my sister (who was three years ahead of me) had a teacher who kept her in hours after school was over because the teacher had a written a note in her workbook upside down, and when my sister corrected her, the teacher made her rewrite it, turning the book each time the note was written so it would never be done the correct way.
in secondary school, i had teachers who would actively humiliate us in front of the class if we didn't do as well as they wanted. i had teachers who would throw markers and whiteboard erasers at us if we did something they didn't like during class. i had a teacher who looked for a friend of mine who was petrified of attention and then mercilessly picked on her until she went to the bathrooms to cry. these are the kinds of teachers that i was used to. so, when i read harry potter and read snape, who would have probably been one of the nicer teachers i met in my lifetime, i thought to myself, he's really not that bad. he's just... strict.
antis claim that he traumatised every kid that ever went through his class, that he straight up abused them and... no. he didn't. all of them are comfortable talking back, they talk during his class, no one trembles when he walks past, except for neville, who usually bore the brunt of snape's anger because he was consistently messing up in a potentially lethal class.
after school, i hated the thought of formal education, so now i'm working until i feel ready to do university. coincidentally, one of my jobs is teaching maths and english to kids writing the end of primary and secondary school exams. given the sheer amount of annoyance i feel sometimes, i actually respect him for not being more harsh with them, especially when they're all running off into danger or exploding cauldrons.
he really isn't that bad of a teacher, and we know this, since his classes' owl results are said to be consistently good.
plus, he was written in the 90's when all this was okay behaviour for teachers. hell, compared to some of the teachers in text, given that he goes out of his way to make sure the students are always protected, he's a lot better than most people give him credit for.
2. i relate to him.
come on, the man grew up to be a dramatic, queer-coded, petty bitch who wears all black all the time and likely has at least one mental disorder. i'm a petty, emo bisexual with (actually diagnosed, don't worry) depression and anxiety and I'm in a theatre group. what did you really expect from me?
on a serious note, both of the schools i went to were considered "prestigious". i got into my primary school because of a teacher's recommendation (she was a family friend). the second school i got into was because i scored ridiculously high on the placement test that would determine which school i went to. in primary school, i was the poor, really awkward, really smart kid who got left out of everything, and my best friend was the only kid who was worse off than me.
in secondary school, i was just as smart as everyone else... but i was still poorer, and still more awkward and still got left out of everything.
i got that isolated feeling, that feeling of not being good enough, that feeling where life always seems to have it out for you and that's even though i still got dealt a better hand than snape ever did. so, i get it. i'm never ever going to have it as bad as he did, but i acknowledge what he went through and i sympathise, because i have a chance, but it only ever got worse for him.
3. i genuinely enjoy his character.
this dude went through absolute hell for basically his entire life. the best years he had were probably when he was neck-deep in the group of people who hated witches and wizards like him, but somehow managed to treat him better than the good guys.
all of that, and he still manages to be one of the most entertaining motherfuckers in the whole series, with one of the most interesting character arcs ever. it's the witty lines, the sheer dynamic of his character, the change from the twitchy, hypervigilant kid from the slums to the adult that managed to spy on the Dark Lord himself and save the wizarding world in the process, while still being a hot mess of a person. it's the managing to get shit done while everybody hated him and everything was going to hell. it's the everything, and i haven't even talked about how badass he is.
come on, potions prodigy turned master, exemplary duellist (cough, cough, winning 4-on-1 vs McGonagall, Flitwick, Sprout and Slughorn, and leaving a scratch on nobody, while managing to not take a single hit himself, cough, cough), spellcrafter, spy and one of the only wizards to ever figure out unaided flight. dark arts master, proficient at healing (dumbledore would've been dead a lot sooner, if it weren't for him, most likely). he's one of the most powerful wizards of his time. i've said that any universe where he's actually a bad guyâor just legitimately loyal to the death eatersâis a universe where voldemort wins and this is why. if he was motivated by literally anything other than lily, the wizarding world was more than likely fucked.
the point is, i just think he's neat.
4. spite.
every time i appreciate snape, a snater feels like someone is walking over their grave. every time i appreciate snape, a snater turns blue out of sheer rage. every time i appreciate snape, a snater loses their mind looking for their non-existent reading comprehension.
the spite in my veins is tempered only by the broth of instant ramen and ungodly amounts of sugar, and i'm going to use them all in my mission to cause antis pain when they refuse to acknowledge their lack of critical thinking and analysis skills.
so, yeah. why do i actually like snape?
tl;dr: he's not that bad. for a teacher written in the 90's and compared to teachers i've had within the decade, the guy's just strict. sure, he's a dick (who i personally think is hilarious), but he always makes sure the students are safe and he didn't leave any lasting effect on any of the students. he's really not that bad of a teacher. and hell, he's not even that bad of a person. i fully admit that he was an asshole and i entirely believe he was prone to self-destructive behaviour, but he still tried to atone for his mistakes and he did, is the thing, even though the odds were stacked more or less completely against him. i like him because he entertains me, and because i relate to him, as a teen who went through some shit and probably would have joined up with some bad people if it weren't for my friends and family, and as a teacher who really can't stand my students sometimes. i also like him because it irritates people who don't like him :)
also, istg if any of you respond to this with "bUt hE was ObseSsED with LiLY and just WAnTEd to FUCK hEr," i'm crawling into your bedroom window with the most unrealistic, mangled interpretations of your favourite characters and making sure they haunt you in your dreams. meet me in the fuckin' pit, babe. reread the series, actually think about it and come with receipts that aren't Voldemort, because i don't think you want to have the same opinion as the character who canonically doesn't understand love, now, do you, sweetheart? when you do that, then, and only then, will i consider entertaining your bullshit :)
that's about it from me, thanks for reading!
#severus snape#pro snape#why do people like snape?#i can't speak for anybody else but here's me#i probably left something out since i haven't written a good essay since my literature exam#but it's fine#let me like my chaotic bastard son in peace please#snape#snapedom
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With that Sonic anniversary comic they just put out, the second story I feel they way overdid it with cramming references into every inch of every page and the third story had none of that but I felt was a funnier story overall. Does Sonic stuff overdo it with references these days?
I mean, to some degree, yes, Sonic has been overbearing with nostalgia for a long time now, but I also think that recent Sonic stuff is getting better at nostalgia, too. Starting with Sonic Mania, weâve been seeing a greater outpouring of real, genuine love for Classic Sonic that doesnât feel cloying like it did in, say, Sonic 4.
But I also think the second story in the 30th Anniversary book has other problems. I didnât really mind it at first, but the more I roll it over in my head, the more it starts to sour a little bit. If you didnât know, itâs written by Justin and Travis McElroy (and their dad, Clint, too). They do a series of podcasts and other things that have made them so mega-popular that the weight of that popularity is threatening to crush their business.Â
I am indifferent to that. I listened to a lot of MBMBAM back in the day, and I always intended to try listening to The Adventure Zone (one of their other podcasts), but I ran out of time and places to listen to any podcasts. I liked MBMBAM a lot and I thankfully missed out on all the anguish and drama that would come to hound The Adventure Zone. I would not classify myself as a lover or a hater of the McElroy âbrandâ at this junction.
But if you told me that Justin and Travis set up a microphone, recorded themselves doing improv, and then transcribed that recording to text, Iâd 100% believe thatâs how this script got written. Because, like, Iâve listened to a fair amount of MBMBAM in my time, and thatâs all this is. This is Justin and Travis riffing off of each other -- nothing more, nothing less.
It is so specifically their voices that I can tell you that Justin is Sonic and Travis is the driving instructor. And, like, let's be fair: this is what these guys do. The fact they probably wrote this in the way that was comfortable for them is fine. I'm not going to say they need to change anything about the process. But when I read this story, I don't hear Sonic characters. I hear Travis and Justin doing a MBMBAM bit, and then it's like somebody drew Sonic the Hedgehog artwork over the top of that, like it was one of those Youtube animatics people sometimes make of their podcast goofs. Sandwiched between two extremely loving, extremely nostalgic stories, this "Sonic Learns How to Drive" detour sticks out like a sore thumb. It doesn't line up with the vibe in the rest of the book. Seasons of Chaos? Absolutely gorgeous to look at, and it's a pitch-perfect example of how you use Classic Sonic to tell a story. There's a hard-to-describe tone to this, like somebody reached back in time to 1994 and pulled out the perfect adaptation of the Genesis games that never actually existed. Against all odds, they took the example set by Ian Flynn and Tyson Hesse's "Sonic: Megadrive" miniseries at Archie and actually made it better. Every page and every panel is like official 90â˛s Sega artwork come to life. At 50 or 60 pages long, it has a chance to stretch out and tell a longer contiguous story with more characters than the Megadrive mini could muster. It may not be deep or dramatic, but it doesn't need to be. It's fun, and that's what is important.
And then the book ends with "Dr. Eggman's Birthday," a sweet, endearing story where the badniks are just trying to show appreciation for their creator, who is predictably grumpy about celebrating his birthday. It's short and simple but it just made me feel good. In the middle of these two high points is a story where Sonic acts in a way that's deeply out of character, and 75% of most pages are taken up by word balloons and 30 different angles of a minivan interior. It doesn't fit. The book is a celebration of what we love about Sonic, but the McElroys don't strike me as particularly connected to the Sonic franchise and that comes through in the tone of the writing. It feels more like stunt casting. Which is where all these references come from, I think. The art is essentially trying to do all the heavy lifting. So you'll get a page that references the original announcement poster for Sonic 1, concept art for "Dr. Badvibes," the strange girl poster from Sonic Adventure, Sonic's Schoolhouse, the SegaSonic Popcorn Shop, G-Sonic, the glider from the Sonic Spinball intro, the prototype version of the Tornado from the Saturn version of Sonic Adventure, the flickies from Sonic 3D Blast, etc. All on one page. Heck, everything I mentioned is just in one panel of one page, and I didn't even cover everything. That's just the stuff I could personally identify. Basically, since the story itself wasn't going to do it, the artist went hog wild cramming in as much referential material as possible. And it's impressive, because there are cuts so deep even I didnât know where they came from. But it doesn't really make the writing fit in any more with the rest of the book. Thatâs what bothers me, and the more I think about it, the less I like it. It feels down right random.
#questions#jackelzxa#sonic the hedgehog#sega#idw sonic#the mcelroys#justin mcelroy#travis mcelroy#mbmbam
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Why YOU should give Rush a chance
Okay, so right off the bat, this is not going to be like my other posts on my blog. This is not a post about some show that has captivated my interest or anything at all related to animation. If that's not your cup of Dot rambling coffee, than I would highly recommend you take your L right now and come back for your regularly scheduled programming in a few days.
Are they gone? Okay cool! For those of you that stuck around past my forewarning let me tell you about my newest special interest to join my now growing music love affair with 80's and 90's Rock n Roll. For those of you that don't know, I'm guessing that most of you do not know what Rush even is. If you are not somehow on the autism spectrum or know a lot about music in general than this band will be entirely unknown to you. Rush is a three man progressive rock band born in Canada made up of three incredibly amazing men Gary "Geddy" Lee, his best friend since he was 11 years old Alex Lifeson, and last but most certainly not least, the amazingness that was Rush's drummer and songwriter Neil Peart. Together, the three of them changed the world of progressive rock through Geddy's unique vocal qualities, Alex's incredibly underrated shredding guitar skills, and Neil's immaculate drums and lyrics. I am here to tell you, yes YOU reading this length rambling message in three sections to keep this fair. Each member will get their own sections and I will try my hardest to keep personal bias out of this. I also just watched Rush: Beyond The Lighted Stage yesterday with my mom so I will mention some things that we talked about during it to try and sell people.
Geddy Lee:
* Geddy has one of the most unique voices in all of rock music. This will most likely be the thing that turns off the people that do listen to me and wind up listening to a couple of songs. He has had a lot of critics for his higher pitched voice usually yelling lyrics. However, I love his singing voice. It is filled with energy and power to it. His voice has a weight to it that not a whole lot of other people can really nail if they really want to.
* You want to talk about sheer talent? How many of you all know lead singers that are a one and done kind of singer? They can play one instrument and they're done? Well shove them aside because Geddy can play not only bass guitar but a double neck bass, synthesizer, and piano. Yeah I think all you haters can stand aside because this man will always be amazing technically.
* So many of lead singers in my opinion, think that they own the band. Because they get to sing the songs right? That means that they get to make all the important decisions and they can't ever do anything wrong. Well for those of you that know Rush, you will remember the synthesizer era. The era of new wave Rush where Geddy shelved his bass guitars for his synthesizer. This caused a small rift between Lee, Lifeson, and Peart who were not at all fans of the way that the synthesizer was going. While Geddy was having a fun time with it, he shelved the synthesizer almost for good and went back to his roots. I don't know many other lead singers that would put up something that they were legitimately having a good time with just for his bandmates.
* Geddy's just general goofball personality is something that continues to make me chuckle. Since he and Alex have known each other for practically ever (they met when they were 11) and have been there for each other for most of their lives they have very similar energy's.
Alex Lifeson:
* Alex Lifeson is an underrated guitarist. There I said it. I feel like of the three of them (Geddy, Alex, and Neil) Alex gets talked about the least due to the fact that Geddy also plays guitar. While it might be a different brand of guitar some people forget just how genuinely face melting his solos are. I could listen to his riff in Tom Sawyer all day long I swear. I'm still working my way through every Rush album in chronological order (I'm just now finishing A Farewell To Kings an absolutely beautiful album.) But his skills are not one to be downsized and I think he is an amazing, amazing guitar player.
* You want to talk about the group goofball? If Geddy is goofy, you look in the dictionary this man is the pure definition of a hilarious and quirky character. When Rush was FINALLY indicted into the Rock N'Roll hall of fame in 2013, after Neil and Geddy's beautiful and moving speech's about how important this means to them, Alex gets up there and his entire speech is spoken in very animated BLAHs. But what's really funny is that if you watch carefully he is actually trying to tell you a story. It's a story about how they all got there past the critics that tried to stop them along the way.
* I love the relationship between Alex and Geddy especially. They're just both such unique kinds of people but they have similar quirks and traits that are evidence of decades upon decades of friendship. I get massive big bro vibes from watching the three of them play together and it's really touching that they never let the fame go to their heads.
* While watching the documentary, I found myself in awe of just his general personality. He was a jokester and the life of the party, and even if sometimes Neil was exhausted by his presence it was obvious that he loved his bros.
Neil Peart:
* If you are asking me, the heart and soul of Rush, was their drummer Neil Peart. Neil wasn't just their drummer though, he also wrote all of Rush's songs after their first album together. Neil grew up probably the biggest bookworm to ever bookworm. He was a socially awkward kid it seemed since he was always reading as his parents explained in the documentary (more on this laster). This resulted in lyrics that are absolutely gorgeous in any context and sound like literature themselves. One of my favorite Rush songs is their song Rivendale themed to Lord Of The Rings.
* Peart was one of the most technically amazing drummers of all time. I don't think I'm saying new information when I say that. He has been praised for not only his technical prowess but the intensity of how he played as well. He was a force of nature when you put him in front of a drum kit. The drum solos in Rush are not easy. They are technically extremely difficult and always leave me to collect my jaw from the floor.
* Lyrically speaking, his lyrics were so intelligent and beautifully worded that it's hard to focus on them sometimes. I've listened to Fly By Night I can't tell you how many times just within the last few months. They are so unique, so beautiful, just so Rush. I can't think of any other word to describe them other than Rush. Nobody else could have written lyrics like these other than Neil himself. Even though he's gone now (Rest In Power you absolute Mad Lad.) I still feel like his music will resonate with millions of future generations to come. It could be the year 3000 for all I care and people will still be jamming to Tom Swayer, just you watch.
* Lastly about Neil himself, this is of the opinion of my mom and I, and you heard it here first, I think that Neil was aspie. He was the quietest of the three of them, he hated getting spotted by fans while the other two seem to tolerate it, he was constantly stimming with his drumsticks on and off the stage by spinning them around his fingers, he was totally nerdy and antisocial, he loved literature more than anything else growing up and would rather have a book in his hands than go out to a public place with his classmates, and he grieved in a different way than most people do. When his wife and daughter passed away, he hit the road with his motorcycle and most often Geddy and Alex wouldn't hear from him for months at a time. They had cute little nicknames for each other that Neil would always sign the postcards with. It was a different one every single time.
Thanks for listening to me ramble on this day guys! I really appreciate it, I know that this hasn't been your regularly schedule Dot programming but I really appreciate you sticking around! Give Rush a listen to if I've piqued your interest you will not regret it.
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Lore Book Review
Lore Book Review by Alexandra BrackenÂ
Lore by Alexandra Bracken was one of 2021âs most anticipated YA novels and it's easy to see why. The plot summary itself is enough to pull you in with the intriguing concoction of calling it the combination of The Hunger Games and the Percy Jackson series.Â
Whatâs not to love when you fuse the illicit danger of Katniss Everdeen with the mythological enchantment of Rick Riordanâs masterpiece?
Turns out, quite a lot unfortunately.Â
Before I get into why this book didnât live up to the insurmountable hype it built up, Iâll attempt to give a basic summary. The key word being attempt as a good portion of this novelâs plot was a mind boggling and convoluted mess.Â
The book takes place in modern day New York which Bracken likes to remind you every other paragraph with small snippets about how the city that never sleeps smells like sewage and is yet still the best place on earth apparently.Â
Donât get me wrong, I love New York as much as the next person, but the pandering to the Big Apple got annoying after awhile.Â
Within the cantankerous city lives a girl named Lore which we are introduced to by means of her kicking ass in an underground Chinese restaurantâs fighting ring.Â
Pretty strong start.Â
Loreâs world (and the readerâs frankly) is tipped upside down when Loreâs long lost childhood friend, Castor, reappears to warn her that he is looking for her. Terrified, Lore is then at first unwillingly thrust back into the world in which she was born-a world dominated by violence, bloodlines, and the Greek gods who are very much alive and out for vengeful retribution.Â
In a very exposition-dump heavy conversation, we learn that Lore is the last of Perseousâ line with the rest of her family having been horrifically murdered, that a week long event called the Agon occurs every seven years in which the original nine Greek gods or their reincarnated selves become mortal for seven days, and that a series of killing often happen because if you kill a Greek god you then become that Greek god as well as inhabit their powers, abilities, and immortality.Â
Well, until the next Agon that is.Â
The currently reincarnated God by the name of Wrath is attempting to end the Agon by killing all the other Gods, but in order to do it he needs to wield a special weapon called the Aegis.Â
Unfortunately, only the Perseides can wield this shield (for some reason) and thus, Wrath is out to get his hold on Lore as the last of her line so that he can bring this eons old competition to an end with himself as the sole victor and only remaining God.Â
Confused?
Iâd be surprised if you werenât.Â
Now, I love Greek mythology. Iâve read the classics and would say Iâm fairly up to date on the stories, the legends, the gods, and the stories they represent. Iâm not an expert, but I would say Iâm knowledgeable on who the major figures are and what they stood for.Â
I genuinely think this book would have been miserable for anyone that didnât know anything about Greek mythology.
 Bracken does a terrible job of explaining what the hell is happening at any given point, and she often throws out allusions and references to Greek mythology without bothering to explain a single shred of information about it.Â
In addition, after this laughably and poorly explained world and plot at the beginning, it is almost never explained again. Itâs brought up, as are names and titles and weapons and relationships, but itâs never explained in a way thatâs feasibly understandable.Â
At the beginning of the novel Bracken lists who all the important characters are, their bloodlines, and their titles.
 I soon figured out why, as every other sentence a name like Wrath or Reveler or Tidebringer or whoever was brought up, and it was impossible to keep track of so I didnât even bother.Â
Even Lore brings up that the names are ridiculous, which I appreciate, but the meta moment of clarity doesn't make it any better.Â
Also, what Lore and her friends get up to over 90% of the novel is a muddled mass of bewilderment.Â
Why do Lore and Castor and the others need to find Artemis? I donât know, but sure, whatever, sounds good. Why was Lore the last of her line again? Oh yeah, right, okay, I guess. Wait, Castor died? Oh, he didnât? Why not? Oh, weâre not going to explain it. Sure, sure.Â
Throughout this entire novel, what the characters are doing and what is happening is almost impossible to follow with the way it's presented and the way Bracken developed her world. I think this was a really cool idea that had very poor execution.Â
Points for the originality and the inclusion of Greek mythology, but all of the positives were taken away when that originality was flushed down the drain with a lack of explanation and logic.Â
Lore very much reminded me of a shoot-em up, bang-em up action movie. Almost every other chapter was some sort of super intense, super climactic fight scene, chase, theft, break-in, etc.Â
Now. I do think action scenes are hard to write and I think Bracken actually did an incredible job of writing action in a way that was entertaining and thrilling.Â
However, when the action takes place every ten pages it gets really old, really quick. Towards the end, I downright started skimming the fight scenes, because they lacked so little depth and stakes and we had read so much action at the end point that it had lost all vigor and vitality.Â
Continuing with the action movie metaphor, most action movies focus solely on the bright explosions and the crazy fight scenes as their selling point of the whole movie, often to the detriment of the characters, plot, and development.Â
Now, some people like this. I am not these people.Â
I find action movies boring as most of my enjoyment from consuming media comes from the characters and the developments they undergo.Â
My biggest criticism with Lore, other than the astonishing storytelling, is by far the characters. I just...didnât care. About any of them.Â
Bracken tried to make Lore come across as a strong, opinionated, fierce, angry female character and while sometimes she succeeded, more often than not I found Lore temperamental, aggravating, impulsive, selfish, and shallow.Â
Bracken very much invoked the tell-not-show strategy that makes any book hard to get through. While there were some decent moments of showing instead of just stating, more often than not, Bracken would tell us that Lore was strong by having other people say it or others calling her weak.Â
I appreciated Brackenâs feminist agenda and how strongly Lore felt about gender inequality, even if it was a bit heavy-handed at times. Still, I did appreciate this inclusion of civil rights on this front, even if some of the circumstances to incite it were ridiculous or over the top.Â
In addition, I hated that there was all this backstory that we were just told but not shown. Like in my last review of Wilder Girls, Lore suffers from an intrinsic failure of getting me onboard with these characters and their relationships by telling me how I should feel about them instead of exposing them through action.Â
I was told:
Lore and Castor haven't seen each other for seven years, but my gosh, Castor is just the best and is so beautiful. Ensue obligatory YA romance.Â
Lore has a best friend! Yeah. Her name is Iro. Here she is! Um. Okay. Why was this necessary?
Miles is just the coolest best friend ever. Like, look how cool and chill he is. How funny is it that he has no idea whatâs happening? Really not funny at all. He was a useless character used to build empty stakes.Â
 The list goes on and on, but Bracken will throw out some sort of fact or relationship and just expect the reader to go âOkay!â Which. I didnât. On any of those occurrences.Â
Often Bracken would do this in the use of flashbacks at the most inopportune times (during a fight scene, after someone was injured, right before a huge revelation, etc). These flashbacks were the worst. I do not care for adolescent Lore and child Lore was somehow even worse.Â
The romance in this book, much like an action movie, is off to the side and really only there to fulfill the trope of having a romance.Â
Lore and Castor are boring. I donât know what else to say. Castor is too perfect to be likable and Lore is the opposite. Nothing about their romance was unique or well-crafted.Â
The kiss between Van and Miles I also saw coming a hundred miles away. I also thought it was pointless as Van and Miles had known each for six days and had had maybe two conversations. So. No. I didnât care at all about the romances.Â
It actually made me laugh and scoff simultaneously at the end when Lore is looking at Van, Castor, Iro and Miles and smiles because she realizes that these people are her family.Â
Ummm. Sorry?
Castor disappeared for seven years and youâve been reunited for seven days. Youâve hated Van your whole life until this week. You also havenât seen Iro in seven years and she tried to kill you at least twice in this book. Miles is...fine, but again useless. I donât even know why Bracken included him except to make Lore worry about him which she only did about half of the time.Â
Phew.Â
I know this review has come across largely negative, so this might be surprising, but I didnât hate it. It lacks substance and depth, but it was entertaining.Â
Just like an action movie.
 If you want some hyped fights and a plot that really doesn't matter and characters that wonât stick with you, but a fast-paced narrative that keeps you on your toes nonetheless, then you would probably enjoy this.Â
Itâs like the equivalent of watching a James Bond movie or one of the millions of the Fast and Furious. Bracken tries to develop the characters, but at the end of the day, most of the story is made up of cool fights, magic, and weapons. If thatâs your speed then you would probably really love Lore.Â
Recommendation: Action, action, action. If you want some high intensity, get-your-blood-pumping enterprise then this is your novel. The writing is fluid, the adrenaline-inducing scenes are non-stop, and everything else falls to the backdrop of external fights and villainous monologues. If action is not your preferred genre, then your best left to get your Greek mythology needs from Percy Jackson or the Song of Achilles instead. Â
Score: 6/10
#lore#alexandra bracken#6/10#ya fiction#YA Books#YA literature#book blog#book review#top books#teen books#Teen Romance#teen fiction#Book Recommendations#YA Book Review#ya book rec#popular fiction#popular books#greek mythology
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Again, been reading a lot recently, and here's some recent reads and my thoughts. (All very spoiler-free)
Johannes Cabal: The Necromancer by Jonathan L. Howard
I'd heard about this series for a while, but had always kept putting off reading it, and finally I was in the mood for some comedic (yet dark) shenanigans--and a villain protagonist as charming as Johannes Cabal really hit me just right. I really enjoyed the first of this series and the introduction to this 1920's-ish universe similar-yet-different to our own that Howard's created. His writing is crisp and clever--and Johannes is a villain protagonist worth cheering for. He's duplicitous, arrogant, and cold, yet sharp-witted and competent enough to be engaging, and even though he's amoral (driven predominately with an "ends do justify the means" mentality) there are glimmers of a conscious buried in there.
The basic gist of the first book is that Johannes Cabal is a necromancer dead-set (ba-dum-sh) on thwarting the biggest plague affecting mankind: Death. As such, he's willing to go to extreme lengths to hone and perfect his necromantic abilities. In the pursuit of this knowledge, Cabal sold his soul to Satan, but he comes to realize he actually needs his soul for his necromancy to work more properly (apparently without a soul it gets very unpredictable). In order to win his soul back, he strikes a wager with Satan: he will accumulate 100 souls for Satan in return for his own. Satan, ever the fair player (not), gifts Cabal with an infernal carnival to help Cabal reach his goal within the year. Shenanigans ensue.
While I read some books in-between this one and the next in the series, I'll write about the other here--
Johannes Cabal: The Detective by Jonathan L. Howard
So clearly I enjoyed the first installment enough to keep going, and I am glad, because I enjoyed the second one even more than the first. It feels like Howard got more comfortable with the characters and world than before, and in this one he expands his universe with some made-up countries that are similar-to-yet-different than countries on our Earth. In this one, Cabal does less fantastic tricks, as he dons the role of investigator (there's been a murder--on an airship!), but the plot was very fun. I will say this is one of the first books in a long while to genuinely make my world-weary ass laugh out loud in public. Howard truly does know how to turn a phrase and comes off with some great witticisms.
Guns of the Dawn by Adrian Tchaikovsky
Tchaikovsky has been on my radar for a while because I have had Children of Time on my reading list for what feels like an age (and I still haven't gotten around to reading it, but I will soon). To prime myself, I looked up other works by Tchaikovsky. This was around the time I was look for good "stand-alone" Adult Fantasy novels as well, so the two linked up and I had this on my TBR for a while and got around to finally cracking it open.
I really loved this book. If I could describe it in any way, it would be sort of like Pride & Prejudice if Elizabeth Bennet got drafted into a war. Seriously. That's how it reads--and Tchaikovsky made the allusions to Austen's work very clear. The setting is very English-inspired, and the time period mimics Napoleonic times. Definitely the first "Flintlock Fantasy" I've had the pleasure of reading.
The themes of the book are about the caustic nature of nationalism, the blurring of truth during war, and what is true patriotism in the face of falsehood and horror. Definitely my kind of questions--and I love watching characters thrown into completely unfamiliar environments. A genteel woman (Emily Marshwic) being tossed headfirst into grisly, mosquito-infested swamps armed with a musket? It's a fascinating journey she undergoes.
Plus the novel featured a romantic subplot that hits my enemies-to-lovers buttons hard. (It's not at all like one of those tired YA enemies-to-lovers stories, but something more grown-up and messy, which I approve of, because I love drama.) But this is more of a personal note. It's definitely not going to be for everyone.
Retribution Falls (Tales of the Ketty Jay #1) by Chris Wooding
After Johannes Cabal, I got into the mood for some steampunk, and I hadn't actually read much in the way of steampunk, so I looked up some recs and the Tales of the Ketty Jay series seemed to appear on a lot of lists for this kinda thing. The basic gist of this one is... imagine steampunk Firefly. That kinda gives you the whole vibe and feel. It's about a crew of disparate and colorful characters all running from something who meet on the ship the Ketty Jay and have to learn to work together to survive.
Overall, it was a fast-paced read (I read this 400 page sucker in a single day--while doing other stuff) and Wooding knows how to write action and interesting character interactions. The world had some glimmers of brilliance (the wizard analogs in their world--daemonist--were the most intriguing part), but otherwise it was very typical steampunk. I had no real quibbles with any of that (aside from the fact some of it read as very cliche and Wooding's inspirations seemed a little obvious--Fullmetal Alchemist and Firefly being the two big ones that kept hammering me over the head), but my main complaint was with the writing and treatment of female characters. First, there is only one main female character in the Ketty Jay's crew--Jez. I had no real issues with Jez's character or writing (in fact she's refreshing in some ways), but she's completely isolated from any other female characters (and is also the only crew member who isn't really allowed to be a complete screw up--she's somewhat sanitized, which, I guess the heroic women characters aren't allowed to be fuck ups like the men?). Second, the other predominate female characters, of whom there are only three, are mute/dehumanized (Bess), characterized as stupid and unhinged (Amalicia), and have rape-as-a-backstory-written-TERRIBLY (Trinica). All that said, as much as it was cringe, this was written in 2009, and I am sure Wooding has had some growth as a writer since then.
I liked this one enough to decide to check out the next in the series (even knowing the writing for the female characters leaves much to be desired).
Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse
A Fantasy taking place in an Americas-inspired world? Absolutely refreshing (and more please). The main gist of this one is that a cult sets out to resurrect a dead god (seriously that's the main plot crux) while political machinations are going on in the central city of this country where the resurrection is going to take place. As the novel progresses, it's like a countdown clock to game time. There's four POV characters we follow: Xiala (a Teek sea captain who is kind of an outcast from her native people and has a love for beautiful people), Serapio (the man who has been groomed since birth to be the vessel for the resurrected god, part of this process has included blinding him), Naranpa (the Sun Priest of the capital city who is trying to garner back control the priesthood has lost), and Okoa (who really doesn't even appear until way later into the book; he's been separated from his family to train to be a warrior). For the most part, I was primarily engaged (re: 90% engaged) with Xiala and Serapio's story. They were the most interesting characters, and the journey of them on the sea trying to get to the city before the ceremony was exciting and emotional. The political dealings in Naranpa's segments kind of bogged down the action--and I didn't feel anything for that. Overall though, definitely a thrilling read with a beautifully constructed world. If I had one big criticism, it's that it ended incredibly abruptly without any resolution. I knew going in this was a part of a greater whole, but I still felt the ends could've been knotted a little tighter. I'm left dangling! But I'll be sure to pick up the next one (if anything just to find out what happens to Xiala and Serapio).
Vicious by V.E. Schwab
As an unapologetic villainfucker, I had to read this one, right? It's about not just one, but two villains! How could I lose? And they're in an intense rivalry? Revenge? Betrayal? Superpowers? Gah! Be still my heart!
I'll say I enjoyed this book (fun characters, solid writing), but I didn't love it as much as I thought I would (I wish I could love yooouuuu!). Definitely worth a recommendation to anyone who loves villains and fast-paced narratives, but... there were a few things that tarnished what could've been sparkling. The biggest for me was the jumping around in the first half. For a length of time, the novel leaps between three different points of time, sometimes 2-3 pages at a time, and it was jarring (not confusing, mind you, but it was a jolt each time). I get it was done to create an air of mystique and intrigue, but it felt like I was getting dragged around by the ear. Along with this, the plot just seemed... very convenient? As various moments kept happening, it all felt too tidy and paint-by-numbers. The characters were certainly messy and fun (and I love messy and fun), but the action itself seemed to glide on well-oiled rails with no hiccups. This did lead to the magnetic pacing of the book (which I also read in a day), but it didn't do the drama any favors. Never once did it feel like the characters were caught with their pants down--and I think that's part of the point, but it kind of dampened the tension.
I liked it enough I am definitely going to check out the sequel Vengeful though. If anything I am reading for Sydney, Mitch, and Victor. I gotta know what happens to them!
--
Right now I am reading some fluffy fluff to cleanse my palette because I've been reading so much moodiness. I'm mid-way through the light and breezy Half a Soul by Olivia Atwater (and it's super cute so far) and then I am finally going to crack open Andy Weir's The Martian (because I have put off reading it for far too long).
#recent reads#book review#just jotting my thoughts down somewhere#seriously though i am itching to read the next johannes cabal but i gotta pace myself#i don't want to burn through those like i did murderbot lol
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Âť somewhere in the crowd, thereâs you âŞÂ julie/luke [ juke ]
If they werenât already dead Julie swore she would kill them. Luke especially.
Actually no, that wasnât fair. This time she couldnât completely blame them for what was admittedly a dumb decision on her own part. But see it from her perspective - the boys hadnât seen the Mamma Mia movies. They didnât even know of their existence. That had to be remedied.
TL;DR - The boys are introduced to the Mamma Mia Cinematic Universe. Alex spectates, Julie sings ABBA, Luke falls further in love, and Reggie ends up reliving the horror of high school math class. Also BROT4 couch cuddles.
link to read on AO3: [x]
taglist: @wokealex @blueruby31
If they werenât already dead Julie swore she would kill them. Luke especially.
Actually, no, that wasnât fair. This time she couldnât completely blame them for what was admittedly a dumb decision on her own part.
But see it from her perspective - the boys hadnât seen the Mamma Mia movies. Didnât even know of their existence. They had just been finishing up a group jam session when sheâd made some off-hand joke about them hitting the big-time and having their music turned into a movie-musical series âlike ABBAâ. Reggieâs face had lit up and he immediately jumped on it, âWait, they made a movie out of ABBA music?â
âMultiple movies?!â Alex had cut in, looking disbelieving but nonetheless delightfully intrigued.
Luke snorted with laughter, throwing his hands up as he turned to look at Julie. âThatâs it - I know what weâre doing tonightâ he exclaimed, and pointed at her âDo you have them on ta-â
He catches himself before he can finish the word âtapeâ, but Julieâs eyes still narrow, her own smile now challenging. The boys really werenât that bad at picking up the basics of modern technology, but slip-of-the-tongues still happened and Julie loved to tease them about it. Luke most of all just because he always dogged the other two the most about it when they did it. Also, perhaps a little bit, because he was kind of cute when he got all defensive.
âOn what, now?â
Luke floundered for a second, and Alex and Reggie traded a look between them. Suddenly though, a lightbulb dinged above his head and his expression turned smug.
âDVD! Do you have them on DVDâ
Julie laughed, making what was meant to be a loud âbuzzerâ sound. âWrong answer! Not the most up-to-date form of media storage, but nonetheless thank-you for playingâ. Her expression softened though when she heard Alex and Reggie hound him a little behind her, âHowever, we do have them on DVD because my dad likes having physical copies of stuffâ.
She was about to leave to go grab them from the house, only the time on her phone caught her attention and her heart sank.
âHey guys, I can go get them for you but I donât think I can stay the whole way through both. Iâve got school tomorrow.â
All three boys erupted in protestations, Lukeâs notably the loudest of all, though on Alexâs suggestion she conceded to stay for at least the first one, then theyâd pick up the second one tomorrow or something.Â
Honestly, it hadnât taken nearly as much convincing as it should have.Â
She just really needed to physically be there to witness the three of them watching Meryl Streep jump off a pier to the tune of âDancing Queenâ and Pierce Brosnan absolutely butcher âThe Winner Takes it Allâ for the very first time. Also, talking to them about the movies had made her realise it had been way too long since sheâd last watched them herself, and they always made her feel so light and happy. As silly as it may sound, the care-free, sunshiney tone but with genuine moments in them had helped carry her through some really dark days. Since then, theyâd always been comforting to return to.
So thatâs how she ended up squished on the beat-up old studio couch with three ghost boys from the 90âs, having the absolute pleasure of seeing them react to âMamma Miaâ for the very first time. It was a bit of a tight squeeze, and required Reggie to be sitting with one leg straddled over the arm of the couch and the rest of him pretty much glued to Lukeâs side, but they made it work.
Although just as she was getting herself comfy in her spot between Alex and Luke, something niggled at the back of her mind. Something she forgot to do? Maybe? She wracked her brain for a couple of minutes, but her attention quickly and all-too-easily drifted to the screen as the opening chords of âHoney, Honeyâ sounded, like some sort of siren call, and she couldnât help but mouth along to the words. She knew them pretty much by heart.
What certainly didnât help with her cognitive functioning however, is when during âMoney, Money, MoneyâŚâ she felt Luke shift where he was pretty much flush against her side and his arm stretch out behind her neck. His hand settled somewhere near her shoulder; teasingly close but not quite touching it. Her heart rate kicked up a notch, but she was determined to keep her eyes on the screen in front of her, daring not to look his way or even let on that she noticed.
The boys were touchy-feely and generally very physically affectionate with each other, she knew that just from generally being around them these past couple of months. Julie had always found it really sweet and endearing, how unashamedly tactile they were with each other, but at the same time couldnât help but feel left out as her own friendships with all of them got deeper and she grew closer to them all. Now that they were corporeal, at least to her, suddenly sheâd become privy to all that as well.
Now she couldnât imagine not being able to do stuff like hold their hands during band circles, or not knowing the utter warmth of Alexâs hugs (it was undisputed that he gives the best ones) when he noticed sheâd had a tough day at school, or even what it felt like to not have Reggie gleefully grab her hands, or arm, or shoulders when he got super excited about something.
Sheâd already been falling hard for Luke before when she couldnât physically feel him under her fingertips. For all intents and purposes wasnât fully there there, but now? When sheâd felt the brush of his body behind her when heâd lean over her shoulder to look at sheet music, or his thigh press up against her leg as they shared a piano stool during their little lyric brainstorming sessions? When they could high-five, lean into each otherâs side, playfully shove each other when one thinks the other is being annoying, grab each otherâs hands and dance around the room in celebration when they manage to book another gig? All those little moments they could have now added layers to what she already felt.
However, even if she felt something between them, that spark, and her gut told her Luke possibly felt so too, Julie also couldnât deny that that kind of affection wasnât any different to the kind he showed towards Alex and Reggie too. Plus, she didnât really know how ghosts felt about having relationships, especially with the living, or if Luke would even want to go there. So she tried not to read too much into what kind of felt like Luke pulling that old âarm around shoulder whilst distracted by the movieâ move.
So although she never really could forget how close he was, Julie let herself become immersed back in the movie. Her life was generally good, labels and certainty or not, she was happy. The happiness of the movie fed into that. The boys seemed to be having a hoot with it as well, if how much Alex especially was grooving in his seat was any indication.
Julieâs not quite sure what possessed her to say it in the moment, or what she expected to transpire when she did, but when they got to the âSuper Trouperâ scene coming straight off of the, uh, heaviness of âLay All Your Love on Meâ (during which Luke went weirdly quiet for some reason, prompting Alex and Reggie to share a fleeting look over the top of both his and Julieâs heads) and the opening chords sounded she blurted outÂ
âOh, this used to be my karaoke song when I was a kidâ.Â
Lukeâs eyes immediately went wide and she knew she was in trouble. He quickly urged Reggie to grab the remote and pause the movie, ignoring Alexâs soft âHey, I was watching that!â, before turning his attention fully towards her.
âWell now you have to do the routine; get on up there and show us what youâre made of!â
Julieâs jaw hung open a little and she wasnât sure whether she could really be annoyed at anyone but herself for practically handing this to him on a silver platter.
âNo! I really donâtâŚâ she tried to argue, though his mischievous smile was infectious and damn her lips threatened to twitch into a smile too. âItâs been years! And anyway, I only bust it out for audiences that are deserving of itâ.
Luke met her with a challenging gaze. âBet itâs cause you donât know the wordsâ he said, turning to Reggie, his tone dripping in antagonism. âHey, did you hear that the great Julie Molina wonât perform because she doesnât know all of the words to Super Trouper by ABBA?â. Reggieâs eyebrows shot up and he immediately played along. âYâknow what? I actually did hear that somewhere. HuhâŚâ.
Julie shot a withering look at Alex, a wordless âCan you do anything?â shining in her eyes, but he has the nerve to just shrug (!) with a silent, smiling âIâll allow itâ.
She couldâve got them to drop it if she really had wanted them to, she knew that. Maybe Julie from three months ago would have. Actually, no, that version of herself definitely would have made them drop it; the darkness shrouding her life day-in, day-out smothering any semblance of silly, carefree happiness and convincing her that simply having fun just wasnât for her.
But she didnât feel like that anymore.
Julie pulled herself to her feet, eyes fixed with new determination. She crossed the room to the open space, taking a stance mirroring that of the one theyâd paused Meryl Streep in and fixed Luke with a playful glare, even though she was addressing Reggie.
âUnpause the movieâ.
The performance was one for the history books, if she did say so herself. The boys watched on in amazement as she remembered every word, near enough every step and dance move (the big sleeve shimmy was an interesting one though with sweater sleeves nowhere near dramatic enough to match Donnaâs) and personally she thought she sold it.
About halfway through Alex snuck a glance at Luke by his side, and realised karma must be having a slow night given how fast it was paying the other boy back, because he was undeniably staring at Julie with what was clearly pure, open adoration.
ââCause somewhere in the crowd, thereâs yooooouâ she finished with a flourish, heart thumping, and lowered her arm to point at all three of them in turn, but finishing ultimately on Luke even though he was sat in the middle. His face scrunched up with a cheesy smile and he let out a loud whoop of appreciation, kicking off the round of applause before the other boys joined in, Reggie coming in clutch with the standing ovation and everything.
Julie felt breathless but joyful as she flung herself back into her seat, and Luke leaned forward to grab her soda, handing it to her with what looked like contrition.
âI guess I stand corrected, huh?â he said, defeated, but not entirely sorry to be so.
She shrugged, taking a sip of the drink. âI guess you are. Itâs a good look on youâ.
Luke snorted with laughter and they laughed together for a brief second, an apparent blush rising to sit on his cheeks (Could ghosts blush? How did that even work?).
Before the situation could get weird or questionable though, he turned back towards the movie, but slowly. Like he wasnât quite ready to leave this moment just yet; like he wanted to stay looking at her just a bit longer. Julie just nudged him and settled back in, trying to go about it in such a way that would implore him to put his arm back around her like he had before.
It didnât come until the scene where Bill confesses to Sophie that he thinks heâs her father, but eventually that now familiar weight settled behind her head again, setting off a whole herd of butterflies in her stomach.
The first movie came to an end, and things wouldnât have been awful if sheâd just called it a night there and gone to bed. But she was having so much fun and they were all so comfy, and the boys seemed very excited for the prospect of a half-prequel-half-sequel.
âSurely theyâve already used all the good ABBA songs in the first one though, right?â Reggie argued, causing Alex to swing round to look at him, scandalised.
âAre you insinuating that thereâs a bad ABBA song?â
While they hashed it out in the background, Luke backing Reggie up just to get a rise out of Alex, Julie acted on impulse and jumped up, running towards the garage window. All the lights in the house were out, meaning her dad was already in bed and everything. As long as she was super quiet sneaking back in and remembered to bypass that squeaky floorboard on the stairs, he never had to know.
âAlright; Here We Go Again - letâs do thisâ.
Turns out Julie had kind of underestimated how late it was and how long the day had been. She could feel herself getting tired around the âWaterlooâ mark, eyelids growing heavier and heavier as she gradually sunk lower and relaxed deeper into the couch. By the time young Donna makes it to the Kalokairi her head had come to rest in the crook Lukeâs neck, his flannel soft under her cheek as his cheek leans against the top of her head. Maybe it was a testament to how sleepy she was, but she couldnât bring herself to move away. The posture felt natural.
She was so comfortable, surrounded by warmth and the soothing hum of the old second-hand TV theyâd bought at a garage sale and moved into the garage, she was right on the verge of dozing off⌠when a realisation crashed into her mind, seemingly out of nowhere.
Julie shot up poker-straight, suddenly very awake. âOh, crap!â
The three boys startled, most of all Luke when her movement meant he almost fell face-first into the couch cushion.
âWhat is it?!â
She groaned and fell forward into her hands. âI have a math test tomorrow. And I was going to study for it before bed tonight.â
So thatâs how she ends up with Reggie hanging uselessly over her shoulder in the middle of math class, the exchange that came after the realisation still ringing in her ears.
âHey, hey! Itâs fine. Take Reggie - believe it or not, he was good at mathâ Luke offered up hurriedly.
Reggie himself looked a little stricken. âYeah, 25 years ago, dude!â.
âDo the rules of math go out-of-date, orâŚ?â Alex teased, though still placed a comforting hand on Julieâs back.
âNo, Alex, they donât - so relax, youâll be fine, man! You canât make the situation any worse by tryingâ
âDonât give him that challenge, Lukeâ.
Though admittedly she loved him just for actually turning up and trying, he was staring down at the test with as much confusion as she was. Apparently math had changed over the course of 25 years. They exchange a mutually panicked look. Clearly, neither of them knew shit. Instead, Reggie just runs up to the front of the room and peeps on Mrs Fordâs answer sheet, Julieâs hopeful eyes following him as he dodges around desks and backpacks lying on the floor.
âAre you sure?â she mumbles to him under her breath when he gets back. Apparently not quite low enough though, when the guy next to her turns to give her a funny look, and she has to make a show of furrowing her eyebrows and counting on her fingers, muttering appropriately as she goes.
Julie can feel Flynnâs discerning gaze from across the room and she knows she knows thereâs some ghost-like foolery happening. Itâs a mess. Sheâs a mess.
Eventually the bell sounds and signals an end to the ordeal, and Julie takes out her (locked) phone to genuinely thank Reggie for his help all the same.
âEhhh Iâm not sure how much help I was, but youâre welcomeâ he says, laughter coloured with self-deprecation.
Julie smiles genuinely, and she wouldâve nudged him if she wouldnât have been nudging thin air in public. âHey, I think we got about three quarters of those answers down and thatâs 75% more than I wouldâve gotten without youâ.
Reggie looks pleased, and stands up a little straighter as he walks alongside her. âDo you mind if I hang out here for a while, by the way?â
Julieâs a little taken aback. âI mean, sure, but why would you want to? Itâs just schoolâ.
Reggie shrugs, and thereâs something unreadable in his eyes. Itâs weird for him; heâs generally such an open book. âI donât know. I never graduated, we were still going when we⌠yâknowâŚâ he trails off, eyes scanning the halls and the throngs of students laughing and chatting together at their lockers, going about their normal day. âKind of miss itâ.
âWell, you obviously have free reign to look around wherever you want. If you want me to show you anywhere in particular, just let me know. Iâm meeting Flynn for lunch now though, so that might not be as fun for you...â
The way he says it makes something ache in Julieâs chest, and she wishes she could give him a hug. With the boys so real now, and so immersed and predominant in her life, it was getting easier and easier to somewhat forget that they were actually dead and had both led and left lives behind. Being reminded of that was starting to hit her that little bit harder.
Reggie nods sincerely, mirroring her slight chuckle. âThanks, Julieâ.
Approaching the cafeteria, Julie sees Flynn in the distance, and is about to put her phone away when she suddenly stops in her tracks, and keeps it held to her face.
âBy the wayâŚâ she smirks. âIf Alex or Luke ask, I scored a 95 and it was all down to youâ.
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INTERESTING POINTS TO PONDER FROM INTERVIEWS 1
Interviews might not remain forever available or not be easy to find so Iâve decided to link them and transcribe the points I find of some interest so as to preserve them should the interview had to end up removed.
Itâs not complete transcriptions, just the bits I think can be relevant but I wholeheartedly recommend reading the whole thing.
And of course I also comment all this because God forbid Iâll keep silent... :P
Title: Tom Hiddleston On Set Interview THOR; Talks About Playing Loki, How He Got Cast, and a Lot More
Author: Steve Weintraub
Published: Dec 10, 2010
BEST BITS FROM THE INTERVIEW
ON LOKI
So could you talk about in the film how itâs being played?
Hiddleston: Yeah. Well weâre starting at the beginning; I think itâs safe to say. I start in the film as Thorâs younger brother and I think in the manner of all younger brothers I have a greater sense of freedom. Iâm not the oldest therefore the parental expectations arenât as heavy, so itâs like a lot of younger children in sibling groups; I think Loki has a bit more freedom. Heâs not going to be King. He knows that. And so heâs freer toâŚhe has less responsibility on his shoulders so heâs freer to have a bit more fun. And I think like everybody at Marvel has been very clear and brilliant about coming into this that Loki just hasâŚtheyâre both enormously gifted. Thor and Loki are a 2-man team and theyâre both going to run Asgard when Oden steps down, and Thor has an ability and a physicality and a presenceâa physical presence that isâŚheâs the type of man you follow. You just do. In the same way they used to talk about all the leaders and the captains and the generals that came out of both World Wars that those captains and generals werenât necessarily elected just in battles. There were certain men who were followed. You know, leaders were born and Thor is that guy. And Lokiâs gifts are different in that he is sharper, heâs cleverer, heâs more interested in tactics and strategy. Heâs capable of thinking ahead and he enjoys chaos. So he enjoys reacting to chaos and that affects how given that heâs the God of mischief. Mischief is essentially chaos. He likes stoking the fire of chaos and seeing what happens as a result. And so I think thatâs where we start in that heâs just physically not as strong, but he hasâŚheâs quicker and sharper and I guess thatâs fair to sayâŚ
PUBLICIST Iâm listening, donât worry.
Hiddleston: Yeah, quicker, sharper, more playful and then I think over the course of the story and I canât say the full story, but there is a kind ofâŚ.a couple of major shocks about Loki and his history and who he is and why he is come to him. Heâs made aware of for the very first time in the films. There are certain things that fans of the comics will already know, but hopefully you see Loki learn certain things about himself for the first time. So itâs a journey of self-awareness. He doesnât, at the beginning of the film, know his own power and I think through the course of the film he comes to learn his true nature and the extent of his power. But with a propensity for mischief I think as soon as he knows how powerful it is thatâs when it becomes dangerous.
We got to play with some of those fantastic weapons, how have you learned to wield them?
Hiddleston: Itâs been fascinating actually. And one of the first things I did when I came on board was that we started with stunt training. And we thought like what isâŚitâll be boring if Thor was a tank. Itâd be boring if Loki was another tank and they were just running into each other. So we thought if Thor is thunder and power and muscle and brawn and heâs got his hammer, Loki should be likeâŚhe should be so quick heâs like the wind. So if Thor is heavy, Loki is light. We thought what would be the weapon that Loki would be fighting with? So we thought throwing knivesâŚ.because I think Loki doesnât like to get his hands dirty in a fight. He likes to be quick, efficient and lethal. Itâs like one blowâslam. So we thought it would be throwing knives. And I thought if there was a wayâŚif Loki could fight in a way that was as impressive as Thorâs, but was completely different so in a way Loki is too quick and Thor canât catch him, you know? I kind of conceived of Loki as a kind martial artist with these throwing knives. Someone whoâs like a dancer. He dances his way out of combat and these knives are his way of keeping his foes at arm's length but itâs lethal. When you get one of those knives in, youâre gone. I had a great time actually, we were shooting on another set shooting a bit battle sequence. And the set was made of this stuff. It looked hard but it was soft. It was foam. And my stunt knives were rubber so they didnât like take out the grip or the camera operator. But we found likeâŚIâd always throw them and Russell Bobbit, the props master, would always go and retrieve them for me for the next take. And he couldnât find one of the daggers and we were like looking all over the set for this dagger. And Iâm like where the hell did it go? And like about half an hour later weâd thought we lost it somewhere in the green screen. And he said, Tom, and he pointed up and this rubber knife was stuck clean into the set, so I knew I was throwing them with some kind of velocity.
Does it affect your thoughts at all that maybe you could do this performance a 2nd, 3rd, 4th time? Did you bring any bread crumbs or anything like that?
Hiddleston: Yeah, I feel that way certainly. I havenât startedâŚI can tell you this for free. I donât start the film with him like immediately gone to the dark side. I think itâs good to see that Loki is genuinely Thorâs brother and there is a complicated relationship there. So that it isnât just likeâŚhe isnât just an out and out villain. He isnât all black. He isnât someone who the audience can immediately say âheâs the bad guyâ because I think itâs more interesting if⌠because no character in real life or in comic books or any play or film or anything, nobody thinks theyâre a villain. You always think thereâs a complete logic to what youâre doing and you know whatâs best and you know whatâs right. And I think itâs really interesting to see Lokiâs actions from his perspective and heâs just someone who becomes more and more damaged by, I think, a sense of isolation from his family and a sense ofâŚitâs kind of a deep loneliness. I think when the world makes you feel rejected, you bite back. And I think over the course of the film thatâs what you see in Loki. He feels continually cast out by different sets of people and his brother particularly and at a certain point heâs pushed too far and he comes back with a vengeance.
A lot of the actors have been talking about working with Ken, Shakespeare is definitely a touch stone, is that something thatâs come up working with Ken? Of any characters youâre sort ofâŚ
Hiddleston: Iâve talked to him very much about subtlety because I donât want to do any eyebrow twitching or moustache twiddling. I donât want to do sort of like a caricatured villain. Iâve tried very much to make Loki psychologically plausible. Someone whoâs damaged and very, very intelligent and is able to sow the seeds of deceit. Like heâs the Oscar winning liar, you know? Heâd stand up there and you buy it. Youâd buy anything from him. Heâs the perfect salesman. Because my background is Shakespeare as well, Iâve done a lot of Shakespeare in London and Iago is kind of a touch stone for me. Edmund in King Lear, if you know that story. But I draw my inspiration from all over the place. Iâve been listening to lots of the Prodigy. Like there was an album they released in the â90âs called Music for the Jilted Generation, which has a real rage in it. It has a real kind of like donât piss me off because Iâll bark at you. And I find myself listening to that sometimes. And there are some great performances. Ken talked a lot about some of Peter OâTooleâs greatest performances and how in âLawrence of Arabiaâ or âThe Lion in Winterâ he is on the edge of darkness. Heâs on the edge of sanity. You can see it in his eyes that heâs been pushed to the brink and youâre not sure if you can trust him because thereâs a madness in there, you know? A greatness, too and a charisma and a power that you want to get close to and you want to see inside, but itâs a little bit dangerous. And so Iâve been trying to kind of⌠I drive to work every morning and I try and light some kind of bonfire under myself which is adrenalized and hot and alone. Itâs a strange feeling when youâre playing a character that feels so alone.
Are there certain like iconic gestures or poses from the comic book that youâre trying to use, because when I think of Loki I always think of him kind of slouched in the throne and kind of brooding.
Hiddleston: Yeah, thatâs definitely likeâŚI recall that Ken talks about the racing mind. He said I want to seeâŚhe said every time I put the camera on your face, I want to see your brain going at the speed of light. But I donât want anyone else in the scene to see it. So this is a very private thing of like someone whoâs just thinking 10 steps ahead of the game every time, but not making it so obvious that itâd be like guys, somebody look at Loki because heâs cooking up something. Bad ass, you know? But I do feel like heâs a sort of person who never sleeps. His brain never stops working. And heâs always cooking up something. Youâre never quite sure if you can trust him andâŚ.what was the question again?
Well, like were there certainâŚ
Hiddleston: Yeah, facial expressions. Certainly thereâs this fantastic shot of me on the throne where itâs like straight out of that sort of iconic image where heâs got the staff and heâs slouching in it. Heâs like, got a problem with that? You know? But yeah, I guess as an actor I start from the inside out. Like the costume is enormously helpful but I always think like what makes him tick? What is human about this character? I donât want to play a cipher. I look at someone who is damaged, broken, alone, isolated from his family, doesnât feel like he belongs, someone whoâs been lost, abandoned. And there are physiological tropes for those things, you know? And you see the lost and damaged and abandoned children of our world. Itâs no accident that they grow up to be⌠to fill our prisons, you know? And thatâs kind of who Loki is. Heâs just really clever, you know? So heâs good at hiding his own intents I think. So I think the process of living through those emotions or feeling so angry with people because they donât trust him. And feeling angry with Thor because he gets everything. Heâs the favourite son. I think just the process of living inside that anger, that rage, that hurt every day creates an intensity on my face which Iâm not aware of. So itâs not like Iâm creating expressions but absolutely thereâs a kind of a raw intensity that Ken said from the word go he said I want to see you every day with a layer of skin peeled away. I want to see that ticker tape machine inside your head like working at 1,000 miles per minute. Yeah, itâs great man!
MY TWO CENTS
I love to read Tom Hiddlestonâs interviews because theyâre always filled with extra information, which are often based on bits that didnât make into the final cut but are still part of the canon or give an insight on the charactersâ minds.
Like how he says âThor and Loki are a 2-man team and theyâre both going to run Asgard when Odin steps downâ because in the old script it was implied that, although Thor would be king, Loki would be his right hand man, giving him consueling.
On the differences between Thor and Lokiâs fighting styles and how Loki is still dangerous. People might not get it from the movie, assuming Thor is the one with the fighting ability but here it turns out Loki too has his strenght, although it lays in different things, like speed.
Or how he remarks about Lokiâs loneliness and sense of isolation, who feels rejected and thatâs why he bites back, someone whoâs really smart.
Itâs all things that I love to hear about a character and that show a good care in creating him.
Of course through the interview he also say things that are more technical, related to how he got hired or how he found difficult to wear Loki's horns and so on and this too is very intriguing but what always win me are informations about the characters, their mind, their world. And he always share some of them in all his interviews.
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If you said Destiny, I wouldnât believe you
Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Reader
Words: 1100
Warnings: Fluff, emotions, softness, hinting at sadness and pain from the past, happy hopeful ending
A/N: This is my contribution for @the-ss-horniest-book-clubâ Romcom Drabbles challenge! I wrote this inspired by a scene in the French movie Amelie, if you havenât seen it I highly recommend, itâs a beautiful, lovely story and always gives me lots of feels⤠You can watch the scene I was inspired by here, this happens after Amelie finds the box in her apartment and is determined to find the owner. In the movie she delivers it anonymously, but I wanted an event that brings Bucky and the reader together. Also, donât at me about Buckyâs age, I just thought it worked as written and kept it that way :) *Bottom right image of the moodboard is from the movie! Thank you so much for reading, enjoy!â¤
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The knock at the door pulled Buckyâs attention away from the game and he turned the volume down on the tv as he stood. The game - baseball - was so different from what he remembered, they hit harder, ran faster, threw further. It was exciting to watch, but sports in the future was weird to him. Athletes seemed superhuman these days. Maybe they were; maybe he and Steve werenât the only super soldiers. Maybe there were also super athletes.
His attention was still on the tv as he unlocked and pulled the door open, but when he turned his gaze to the person at the door the world faded away. A woman, young, pretty, with bright eyes and a bright smile. She looked sweet and hopeful and Bucky found himself smiling back at her even though he had no idea who she was.
âHi! Um, is this the Barnes residence?â She sounded a bit nervous, and Buckyâs smile faltered slightly, a bit unnerved that a complete stranger had tracked down his home - and him - by name, but she seemed honest and genuine, so he gave her the benefit of the doubt.
âUh, yeah,â he answered slowly, cautiously, keeping a calm expression but with a hint of a frown now resting between his brows.
âOh yay! Is, um,â the woman tried to peek around him. âIs there a Mr. Banes here? Barnes Senior?â Buckyâs mouth twitched back into a smile, cocking his head at her question.Â
âAs in, my father?â
âUm, maybe?â she shifted on her feet, blushing slightly. This was odd, but she was adorable.
âNope, itâs just me.â Bucky relaxed slightly, holding back a chuckle but burning to know what the woman was after. She frowned slightly and looked down at a parcel in her hands, which Bucky hadnât noticed her holding until now.
âHmm, ok, thatâs⌠odd. Would you by chance be James Barnes then?â Now Buckyâs smile faded and he mirrored the womanâs frown, defenses rising again.
âYeah, thatâs me⌠why?â
âWell, um. This doesnât make any sense but⌠I suppose this belongs to you then!â She held out the parcel, a small box wrapped in brown paper. Bucky took it cautiously, looking it over and giving it a slight shake. He peered down the hall before stepping back into his apartment and motioning the woman to join him. She nibbled her lip and hesitantly agreed, stepping through the door and closing it as Bucky headed back over to the couch. He gently unwrapped the paper, revealing a weathered tin box. His eyes widened and the paper fell from his grasp and he slowly sat down, opening the tin gingerly. The woman watched as emotion covered his face, fingers gently sifting through the contents.Â
In a flash, memories came flooding back to Bucky as he saw photos, newspaper clippings and small cracker jack toys inside. Memories of a childhood so long ago, it seemed like another lifetime, another reality. So much had happened that his former life seemed like a distant fantasy. A story of someone elseâs life that he only knew and remembered from reading about it.Â
Bucky loved baseball as a kid. He remembered when the Yankees won the World Series in â32, then the Giants, and then a few years later, the Yankees won four back to back titles. What a time that had been. He and his friends would run around the neighbourhood, theyâd try and play ball whenever they could, and play catch when they couldnât. He remembered trying to call their shots, and running like hell when the ball went where it wasnât supposed to.
It was a simpler time then. They all ended up going their own ways, and Bucky had started chasing other interests, eventually joining the army, but seeing these items that heâd collected as a boy made his past life actually seem real.
âWhere did you find this?â he looked up at her, his voice quiet, emotion heavy in his eyes. She looked back at him, almost looking like she might cry, a small smile on her lips.
âI actually found it in my apartment. It took a while to track down the history of who had lived there, but eventually I found out about the Barnes family, in the 30âs.â They held each otherâs gaze for a moment, before Bucky just breathed âwowâ and looked back down at the contents of the box again.
âI remember that place now,â he said with a sigh. âBut Iâd forgotten all about this.â A few moments passed before the woman shifted and cleared her throat nervously.
âOne thing I donât understand, if I may. You⌠you donât look like...â her voice trailed off and Bucky chuckled, finishing her thought.
âLike a 90 year old man?â She smiled and nodded shyly. Bucky closed the tin and set it on the table, leaning back on the couch and smiling softly at her. âYou wanna hear a crazy story?â
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Youâd fallen in love with Bucky that day. Conversation flowed easily and before you knew it you were meeting for coffee, having lunch together in small cafes, spending nights together. Youâd go for rides on his motorcycle through old neighbourhoods of the city while Bucky pointed out landmarks that he now remembered from his childhood. He made you happy, and seeing him happy and at peace, after hearing about his life, warmed your heart in a way that you thought was impossible.
One day, the two of you sat by the river in comfortable silence, while you skipped rocks across the surface, when heâd suddenly asked you:
âHow can you love someone like me?â He looked at you with sadness in his eyes, and it broke your heart. âBucky Barnes. I never used to believe in destiny, or miracles, or fairy tales. But the day I found that little tin box in my apartment, my life changed. I set out to find the owner, to bring happiness to those around me, and I found you.â You laced your fingers together with his, feeling a sense of calm after so long of feeling alone, holding onto your fairy tale dreams of true love, wondering if theyâd ever happen.
âThe world has been hard for you, but you have a kind heart and you deserve someone who loves you, and reminds you of that.â You smiled softly. âI love you Bucky.â
Bucky smiled and squeezed your hand, leaning in to give you a gentle kiss. âI love you too darlinâ, and you definitely show me that everyday. Thank you.â
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1960â˛s Bond films ranked
,1960â˛s was the era of Bond mania ,and it was the decade with the most movies ,with 7 movies(Second to it is the 80â˛s with 6 movies ,then the 70â˛s with 5 ,90â˛s and 2000â˛s both only had 3 each ,and 2010â˛s only had 2 ) ,and since the 60â˛s is the most classic era of Bond ,I decided to rank the 60â˛s Bond filmsÂ
7.Casino Royale(1967)
Yup I am counting the unofficial movies too and this is the only film on the list I would say is baaaaaaaaaaaaaaad.This is a crappy movie,pure insanity with no clear vision and it commits the biggest sin of a comedy :ITS NOT FUNNY .....Woody Allan as a Bond Villain is a funny joke thoughÂ
6.Thunderball(1965)
Only Bond film in which I have read the book.Itâs an OK book ,love some of the characters but it was just fine .....But I like it better then the movie .This is a boring movie to me ,Largo is only remembered fondly cause he has an eyepatch as he is a lame villain ,Domino is a lot less interesting then her book counterpart ,there is a cringeworthy scene with Bond blackmailing a physiotherapist into sleeping with him ,there is a random character who is important to the plot but the film doesnt treat him this way ,the Q scene feels less playful and more meanspirited and underwater battles sound cool in theory ,but are dull in practice .That said I do like aspects ,Connery is good ,I like the SPECTRE scene (Love Shadowy Blofeld ) ,the pre title action scene is great (Complete with ACTUAL WORKING REAL JETPACK ),The theme song performed by Tom Jones is AMAZING ,and I do love the films main henchwoman Fiona Volpe ,she is such an awesome baddie I wish she was the MAIN villain .I know itâs considered a classic but I just cant get into itÂ
5.You Only Live Twice (1967)
THis one I am .....Mixed about . I think itâs directed well ,there are some cool camera movements,the Little Nellie gyrocoptor is awesome ,the fight scene against the driver (Played by Peter Maiva ,the grandfather of Dwayne âThe Rock â Johnson ,which is awesome ) is pretty badass , The Volcano Lair is SPECTACULAR (PRobabbly the best villain lair in the series ) ,Tiger Tanaka is a likable ally ,Aki is a great Bond Girl,Nancy Sinatras theme song is good ,itâs cool seeing a snapshot of 1960â˛s Japan ,the final battle is epic ,and Donald Pleasence is FANTASTIC as Blofeld ,bringing such a creepiness to a character who has been built up for 5 movies .....But what holds it back for me is Connery looks so damn bored throughout the entire movie ,the plot I dont really care about ,Helga is just a rehash of Fiona and not even in a interesting way ,KArl is such a boring henchman ,Aki is killed off just to be replaced by Kissy who is less interesting and I dont know why they didnt just have one Bond girl ,DOnald Pleasence is barely in the movie ,and then you have Bond going undercover as a Japanese man......Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaah.This is just such a mixed bag of a movie for meÂ
4.Dr No (1962)
Now lets get to the good ones.This is a lowkey Bond adventure(As they couldnt afford to do one of the bigger stories ) ,and I imagine that can be jarring for someused to the high octane globe trotting adventures of the other films,and I have seen some calll it Vanilla .....And I kind of like the simpler vibe of this film .Connery comes out the gate swinging ,he is suave and with moments of brutality.Both the Bond girl and villain arent in the film long but Ursula Andress is memorable as Honey Ryder and Joseph Wiseman as Dr No while only getting really one scene to show off has a cold detached delivery to his lines that makes him extremely eerie (Wouldâve preferred a Chinese actor and am distressed none were even considered but thats the 60â˛s for you ) .Anthony Dawson makes for a good secondary villain as Professor Dent ,Jack Lord is a cool Felix Leiter ,John Kitzmiller is great as Bonds ally Quarrel ,the film sets up Bonds dynamics with both Bernard Leeâs M and Lois Maxwellâs Miss Moneypenny ,both making strong first impressions ,the film is brutal with itâs action ,and overalll itâs a good introduction to the world of Bond Â
3.Goldfinger(1964)
The iconic Bond film .This film is fun ,plain and simple. It has flaws (Mainly there being a whole section of the plot involving gangsters that makes absolutely no sense and how Pussy Galore turns good is REALLLY cringeworthy) but I feel like the rest of the film is awesome .The villain Auric Goldfinger is one of the best (Easilly my second favorite in the series )ruthless and greedy but with an odd sense of charm ,I just love watching him .The films main henchman Oddjob  is also awesome ,a super strong silent loyal thug who kills people with a toss of his killer bowler hat .Honor Blackman as Pussy Galore is fantastic ,easily one of the best Bond girls,and while I dont like how her arc is handled,I do like that she starts off as a baddie .The film is full of classic moments from Goldfinger and Bonds golf game ,the laser scene (And the classic exchange âYou expect me to talkâ*Chuckles*âNo mr Bond ,I expect you to DIE!!â),the fight between Bond and Oddjob in Fort Knox (Which is a gorgeous set by Ken Adam ) and of course the iconic image of the dead woman painted gold .I also have just a personal fondness for this film as when I was a kid we had a whole bunch of Bond films on VHS (From Dr No to Live and Let Die ) and this was the one I watched the mostÂ
2.From Russia With Love (1963)
I flip flop on whether I like Goldfinger or From Russia With Love more ,and I think I prefer From Russia With Love ,for one simple reason :Goldfinger is a fun action romp .....From Russia With Love is a genuinely intriguing spy movie .Itâs also cool cause it is a direct sequel to Dr No which is an anomaly in the classic Bond films. There isnt one villain in this film ,itâs an organization ,SPECTRE ,meaning we get a whole ensamble of villains (Including creepy evil genius Kronsteen and SPECTRES head thug Morzeny),but the stand outs are Red Grant played by Robert Shaw of Jaws fame, a sadistic assassin who is sort of Bonds dark mirror and Lotte Lenya as Rosa Klebb ,a former SMERSH agent now working for SPECTRE ,who is commanding in every scene .....EXCEPT fore when she is around the films true villain Blofeld,in those scenes she is TERRIFIED ,and thats a detail I love cause it adds to Blofeld mystique,that if he can scare KLEBB he is a force to be reckoned with .I also love that we dont actuallly SEE Blofeld beyond his hands stroking his cat ,and yet personality wise we get everything we need to know (That and his deep commanding voice which I LOVE ) .We also get Kerim Bey who is hands down the BEST Bond sidekick ,he is so lovable and charming,itâs hard not to like him.Connery is excellent as usual ,all the action is awesome including Bond evading a helicopter ,a climatic boat chase,an encounter with a deadly piece of footwear,and a absolutely brutal fight between Grant and Bond on the Orient Express .If I have one complaint I am not that fond of how the Bond Girl Tatiana is written but Daniela Bianchi does a good job .Overall this is a great movie Â
1.On Her Majestyâs Secret Service (1969)
This is my favorite Bond movie .It is at itâs core a love story and a damn good one .Diana Rigg steals this entire movie as Tracy ,she is the best Bond girl .Telly Savals is charming ,intelligent ,but also tough as hell as Blofeld ,he is my third favorite Bond villain and hands down my favorite Blofeld .I think the film contains one of the best evil plans (And surprisingly relevent over 50 years later ),Irma Bunt is a terrific henchwoman ,Gabriele Ferzetti is entertaining as Tracyâs criminal father Draco ,Louis Armstrongs We Have All The Time In The World is a terrific love song ,I love the setting of the Swiss Alps ,the film somehow makes a BOBSLED chase badass ,and the ending is unforgettable .Now the one common complaint people have is George Lazenby ,and while I agree he isnt great ......He is a good Bond ,and he hits the dramtic notes when he needs to .I adore this movie and reccomend it to non Bond fans even
#James Bond#007#1960's#casino royale#thunderball#you only live twice#on her majesty's secret service#from russia with love#goldfinger#dr no
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Best Serial Killer Movies of the â90s Ranked
https://ift.tt/3tcsgCf
Someone must have left the freezer door in the morgue open, because grisly reminders of the past are thawing before our eyes. You can see it this weekend with the release of John Lee Hancockâs The Little Things, a throwback to the days when movie stars hung out at crime scenes instead of in spandex, and itâll be more apparent next month with the launch of Clarice, a television spinoff of 1991âs The Silence of the Lambs. All the evidence points to only one conclusion: the serial killer thrillers of the â90s are back!
Not that weâre complaining. For a macabre minute or two, every Hollywood name appeared eager to play either the detective or the killerâthe hunter or the obsessed, which often proved interchangeable for both characters. Granted that means there can be something formulaic about many of these movies. Yet they can also be bleak, hard-edged, and ambiguous. From our modern gaze, where the dominant studio conventions prefer reassuring morality tales and sunny lighting, these moviesâ preference for shadows and discomfort in the mainstream is kind of startling.
So grab your magnifying glass and fortify your stomach, because weâre about to revisit some of the best (and worst) of â90s serial killer thrillers. (Also this list is strictly for the decade when the genre was at its height and it excludes slasher movies like Scream, which may feature serial killers but were not exactly adult-oriented thrillers.)
12. Eye of the Beholder (1999)
Eye of the Beholder is a tonal oddity that only passingly flirts with the conventions of â90s serial killer thrillers, all while it tries to pay homage to (read: rip-off) Alfred Hitchcock. But any credit it deserves for deviationâincluding making Ashley Juddâs central femme fatale the killerâit loses in execution. As a muddied, impenetrable tale about an intelligence officer (Ewan McGregor) who spies on and falls in love with a serial killer, Eye of the Beholder is a scattershot of bad ideas that run the gamut from ludicrous to misogynistic.
Beauty may be in the eye of the beholder, but this movie will close the lids over your pupils inside of 30 minutes.
11. Nightwatch (1997)
It feels a little mean to rag on Ewan McGregor back-to-back, but maybe serial killer movies just arenât his genre? That could be at least one takeaway from an ill-advised double feature of Eye of the Beholder and Nightwatch, the latter of which is a remake of a 1994 Danish film that Iâve not seen⌠and probably wonât since both the original film and American remake are directed by the same man.
McGregor plays medical student Martin here, a kid who gets an after school job by becoming the night watch security at the local morgue. But as a series of grisly prostitute murders pile up, Martin realizes he needs to figure out who the killer isâthat or continue to be framed by the necrophiliac fiend who keeps coming by the morgue for one last liaison. Itâs exactly as skeevy as it sounds. Do yourself a favor and go your whole life without hearing Nick Nolte sing âThis Old Manâ while climbing onto a corpse.
10. Natural Born Killers (1994)
The movie that Quentin Tarantino disowned, Natural Born Killers is a seedy mess based on a Tarantino script that was heavily rewritten by Oliver Stone, David Veloz, and Richard Rutowski. The concept itself is a seemingly inevitable escalation of the âbad romance outlawsâ archetype thatâs been floating around Hollywood since at least 1950âs Gun Crazy, and which was then made iconic by Bonnie & Clyde (1967).
But whereas those films relied on bank robbers living fast, Natural Born Killers descends into a seeming final form with Mickey and Mallory (Woody Harrelson and Juliette Lewis) as giddy serial killers who are eventually out for maximum carnage. Technically the pair are supposed to be presented as victims of traumatic child abuseâand who are then wrongfully glorified by the media. But Stoneâs sloppy and tanked vision lacks the discipline to achieve anything beyond its maliciousness. Early sequences imagining Malloryâs abusive childhood like itâs a television sitcom, and later psychedelic visions of Robert Downey Jr.âs opportunistic news reporter as the Devil, do little to divorce the film from its shallow self-satisfaction in close-ups of heads being shot.
The movie came under controversy in the years after its release for inspiring alleged copycat killers as well as school shooters. It feels irresponsible to blame media for actual violence, but itâs still quite an indictment that Stoneâs attempt to criticize media glorification became a favorite for many a disturbed individual with a gun.
9. Kiss the Girls (1997)
When studying competent, middle of the road Hollywood thrillers, Kiss the Girls is a solid place to start. As a decently made bit of studio convention, the movie is anchored by strong elements like Morgan Freeman as James Patersonâs literary hero, Alex Cross, and Ashley Judd as Kate, the victim who survives a masked killerâs attempt to abduct her into his harem.
Moments like Kateâs escape sequence through the North Carolina wilderness are effectively filled with adrenaline, and Judd particularly gives the salacious piece conviction. However, it is salacious to a fault. Even if the movie toned down the source novelâs even more lurid misogyny, the film studies Kate and the other victims with a lascivious male gaze, blurring sex with violence, real world horror with leering entertainment. Right down to its title, the film can be rightly criticized as Hollywood glamourizing another story about violence against women. Whether that damns the whole movie depends on the viewer, but it certainly keeps it low on our list.
8. The Bone Collector (1999)
Marketed with a hell of a tagline about there being thousands of taxi cabs in New York City thatâll get you homeâand one that wonâtâThe Bone Collector is almost comically slavish to the clichĂŠs of â90s moviemaking. The wrinkle here is that after a faux cab driver begins abducting his victims off the street, the crime psychologist who must stop him is entirely stuck by his bedside. Due to a tragic accident, Denzel Washingtonâs Lincoln Rhyme is paralyzed from the neck down. Yet he is still able to catch serial killers by communicating in the earpiece of police officer Amelia Donaghy (an entirely unconvincing Angelina Jolie).
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Together the pair stay one step behind the mystery killerâs tracks as he executes a series of increasingly gruesome and ridiculous murders. Itâs preposterous, and in some ways a forerunner for Saw with the satisfaction it takes in absurd death traps, but Washington is effortlessly compelling, even when he never leaves his apartment. As a bit of absurd Hollywood fluff, right down to the ultimately lackluster unmasking of the killer, it can be entertaining, even if youâll deny it afterward.
7. Copycat (1995)
More potent than I remembered, Copycat is a genuinely well-crafted Hollywood thriller that may not reinvent the wheel but takes it out for a damn good spin. In the driverâs seat is Sigourney Weaver as Dr. Helen Hudson, a criminal psychologist who is an expert on serial killers until one follows her into the bathroom after a guest lecture. He nearly hangs her from the ceiling. Following that white-knuckled opening, the film jumps years ahead and Helen has become agoraphobic and afraid to leave her home.
Yet when a local series of murders reveal the pattern of a predator imitating the methods of his favorite âcelebritiesââone crime scene is like the Boston Strangler and another emulates the horrors of Jeffrey DahmerâHelen is pulled out of retirement by a no-nonsense detective (Holly Hunter). The winning chemistry between Weaver and Hunterâwho are refreshingly free from the studio-mandated romantic subplots in some of the other movies on this listâand the blunt force power of their performances aid this sincerely disquieting flick. A needlessly convoluted third act aside, the movie still works as a warning about the danger of fanboys a generation early.
6. Fallen (1998)
Denzel Washington appears again thanks to this clever supernatural spin on the serial killer genre. At the beginning of Fallen, Washingtonâs John Hobbes appears on top of the world. The serial killer he chased for years (Elias Koteas) is about to breathe deeply in the gas chamber. Yet after the lever is pulled, and with Koteas singing the Rolling Stonesâ âTime is On My Sideâ until his last breath, a funny thing happens: the murders continue.
In fact, more than just the killings, strangers in the street sing âTime is On My Sideâ in Hobbesâ ear, and he soon realizes that he faces a devil of a killer whose been operating since the beginningâquite literally since the villain is a demon who was once an angel that fell with Lucifer. Itâs a bizarre premise given strutting confidence thanks to Washingtonâs performance, as well as good supporting work by John Goodman and Donald Sutherland. Twenty years later and its ending still sticks with me.
5. The Exorcist III (1990)
If you havenât seen The Exorcist III, we know what youâre thinking: âReally?!â Yes. In fact, this isnât even an exorcist movie; it shouldâve been titled Legion like the 1983 novel itâs based on. Alas writer-director William Peter Blatty was forced to use the title and do reshoots that added an exorcism in the climax. Still, this supernatural thriller which involves a serial killer back from the dead is far better than it has any right to be.
Following the character of Lt. Kinderman from the 1973 masterpiece, the middle-aged gumshoe is now played by George C. Scott instead of the late Lee J. Cobb, and he possesses Scottâs usual love for contrasts between the restrained whisper and a bombastic howl. He also makes a sympathetic, secular detective forced to face the horrors of Hell when a series of murders committed against Catholic priests appear to be the work of the Gemini Killer (Brad Dourif), a serial killer whom Kinderman sent to the chair more than 10 years ago.
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Somehow the fiendâplus Kindermanâs long dead pal Father Damien Karras (Jason Miller)âappear to now be living in the same body of a John Doe kept in a mental asylum. With an unrelenting atmosphere of dread, palpable tension, and more of Blattyâs intellectual struggle with concepts of faith and evil, the film is more high-minded than its hacky title suggests. It also features one of the best jump scares in movie history.
4. Summer of Sam (1999)
The only movie on this list directly based on an actual serial killerâs crimes, Spike Leeâs Summer of Sam is a serious-minded joint. However, itâs only partially about the murders perpetrated by David Berkowitz, aka the â.44 Caliber Killer,â aka the Son of Sam. Rather the film focuses on the effects a serial killer has on the culture of New York City during the sweltering summer of 1977, and how it affects young lives trying to make it in the big city.
Influenced by Lee and his co-writers Michael Imperioli and Victor Colicchioâs memories of growing up in 1970s New York, the pic is a love letter to a grim moment in history when the city was about to explode with murders, blackouts, crime, and disco. All of this is digested from the vantages of Vinny (John Leguizamo), a philandering hairdresser guilt-ridden for cheating on his wife (Mira Sorvino), and his childhood pal Ritchie (Adrien Brody), whoâs left the old neighborhood behind to join the fledgling punk rock scene.
With a greater interest in how a serial killer affects the culture and institutions of a city on edge than being a traditional crime drama, Summer of Sam is a bit of a forerunner to David Fincherâs far more polished Zodiac from a few years later. With heavy-handed dialogue and a plot too big for Lee to fully get his arms around, even at 142 minutes, Summer of Sam can be uneven and messy. But it has the sweaty incorrigibility of a long night out, and of revelries half remembered like from a fever dream.
3. The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999)
The rare serial killer movie told entirely from the perspective of the killer, Anthony Minghellaâs The Talented Mr. Ripley is disarmingly creepy. Despite its glossy awards bait sheen, there is a cold-blooded streak that runs deep to the heart of the piece, likely due to Patricia Highsmithâs source 1955 novel. Starring Matt Damon fresh off his Good Will Hunting golden boy sheen, the film uses its casting to disorient and ultimately disturb.
Like Highsmithâs book, the film is not structured like a traditional thriller. It instead favors a detached ambivalence about its seemingly nebbish hero as he agrees to become an errand boy for the rich by traveling to 1950s Italy in order to retrieve a silver spoon cad (Jude Law) for his father. But the more time Tom Ripley (Damon) spends with Lawâs Dickie Greenleaf, the more he grows envious of Dickieâs lifestyle, his wealth and confidence, and maybe even his affection for socialite Marge (Gwyneth Paltrow). There is a subtleâtoo subtle due to â90s Hollywood conventionsâhomoerotic undercurrent throughout the film as Ripley slowly works up the courage to take his first life. It wonât be his last.
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Highsmith wound up publishing four subsequent sequels to The Talented Mr. Ripley, but unfortunately no more were made with Damon. Perhaps because this was too unsettling for an ongoing franchise.
2. Seven (1995)
While watching David Fincherâs masterful Seven, the thing that immediately stands out is the oppressive nihilism that permeates throughout. There were decades of neo noir before this detective yarn about the hunt for a serial killer, but none demonstrated such an overbearing sense of despair before the opening credits were even concluded. And perhaps what makes it unshakable is how welcoming the film is toward bleakness; it succumbs long before the gut-punch finale.
Telling the story of an old cop days from retirement (Morgan Freeman) and a hotheaded rookie detective (Brad Pitt), Andrew Kevin Walkerâs script has an economy of pace that still impresses despite its cynicism. Very quickly one murder becomes two, then three, and soon four. Yet none of the atrocities are reveled in by Fincherâs blocking; theyâre off-screen mutilations which leave psychic damage on his two leads and, eventually, us. The deaths also quickly establish a pattern that their serial killer is targeting seven souls, each intended to embody one of the seven deadly sins.
The movie is a classic now for its climax where the killer âJohn Doeâ (a reptilian Kevin Spacey) turns himself in and leads the cops into the darkest pit, but itâs the entire package that makes this one linger more than 25 years later. At the end of the film, Somerset quotes Hemingway by saying, ââThe world is a fine place and worth fighting for.â I agree with the second part.â Iâm not convinced his film does.
1. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
As the film that kick-started the idea that serial killers could create their own film genre, The Silence of the Lambs still remains the best of its kind. Blessedly unaware that it was creating conventions for countless copycats, the film tells its psychological drama with simplicity and clarity. Whereas other films on this list bask in their bleakness, there is a dogged optimism and even perverse warmth to this Jonathan Demme adaptation of Thomas Harrisâ Silence of the Lambs novel. And thatâs of course largely attributable to the casting of Anthony Hopkins and Jodie Foster.
As Dr. Hannibal Lecter, Hopkins is of course monumental. Itâs a performance that turned a quinquagenarian into an overnight movie star, and became Hopkinsâ calling card as he returned to the not-so-good doctorâs well one too many times. Still, heâs undeniably enthralling as Hannibal, a cannibal psychologist with superhuman powers of observation and mental menace. Even so, Foster is often overlooked by critics for her own contributions as the FBI trainee whoâs proverbially fed to the incarcerated Lecterâa pretty face to get the serial killer to consult pro bono on the crimes of another mass murderer. Itâs just one more example of casual sexism faced by Clarice that gives Foster as much to play as Hopkins.
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Surrounded by the slights and prejudices of menâbe they in law enforcement or straight jacketsâClarice is constantly underestimated. She finds an intellectual rapport with Hannibal, but she pulls herself out of the darkest night, and the screaming of the lambs, without assistance. Her perseverance matched by Hannibalâs darkly seductive qualities is the juxtaposition that makes Silence of the Lambs one of the finest films of its decade.
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