#he was a huge james bond fanboy

[thegirlwhowrites642]

Hi, please free to ignore( huge fan of your metas btw)

What are your thoughts on Peter pettigrew? In swm we saw him fanboying over james to being responsible for his death. Just because he was afraid or he never really loved his friends. Many people say James and Sirius treated him shitty thats why he betrayed. Some even say he was just a tag along. Please share your thoughts.

First of all, thank you!

(also, unless they are rude, I don't ignore any questions, it might just take me two years to answer)

Peter Pettigrew

My very controversial opinion on Peter is that I love him (as a character).

To me, Peter is one of those characters who represent how Rowling's clear lack of self-awareness as a person translates in her work into her being unable to recognize her strengths as a writer. The majority of the most interesting things she comes up with are not the ones she focuses on.

And that's the case for Peter Pettigrew, who might be the Marauder with the most interesting story.

It's way too easy to reduce him to a coward as the author seems to want you to believe. And even claiming he didn't love his friends is a flattening of his character.

You can have a tendency to be influenced by peer pressure all you want but you don't become an unregistered animagus to help someone if you don't love the friend you are doing that for and you don't have a bit of courage (especially considering how long the whole thing was and that he wasn't particularly talented). He risked extremely severe consequences on his body due to the possibility of the process going wrong and he risked Azkaban for being unregistered.

That's fundamentally the opposite behavior of the one he later has with the Potters.

I also think it's important to point out how Remus is not a close relative (father, son, brother) and how the help Peter provides is not essential to Remus' survival, it's emotional comfort. The lack of necessity of the animagus matter and the easily cancellable bond with Remus increase the braveness and love of Peter's act (in contrast for example with something like what Narcissa does with her son by lying to Voldemort).

I think Peter's story is the one of someone who lost his courage, not the one of a person who never had it.

Doesn't this also make it so much more delicious how his downfall is caused by the return of a glimpse of honor?

I do agree with the fact that in SWM, James and Sirius don't treat him particularly well, especially Sirius, but I don't think they are that aware of it, especially James. They are a bit crude, and they are arrogant. They are two bright posh 16yo guys in a boarding school in the 70s. I don't expect from them a particularly high level of sensitivity in how they talk to people, especially to someone they take for granted knows to be their friend. Sirius is probably more aware of it, but I believe James to be quite unaware of himself at this point in the timeline. This is before his maturation really kicks in, his whole interaction with Lily shows a lack of self-awareness in how he talks to people (we know Lily turns him into a bit of an idiot, the problem is that he doesn't seem to be aware of it). Sirius on the other hand seems a lot more self-aware than James. A lot of people are not going to like what I'm about to say but: James is canonically a better person than Sirius.

And yet, it is abundantly clear that both James and Sirius love Peter.

James gives into Peter's hands his own life and the ones of his wife and son. Sirius gives in Peter's hands the lives of the family he chose.

In the Shrieking Shack, under all the pain Sirius has for the death of James and Lily, it is evident that there's also the pain that comes from the betrayal of a friend.

"THEN YOU SHOULD HAVE DIED!" roared Black. "DIED RATHER THAN BETRAY YOUR FRIENDS, AS WE WOULD HAVE DONE FOR YOU!" - Chapter 19, Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban

Lily herself is very attached to Peter, in her letter to Sirius, she calls him Wormy (how cute is that?). And, let's remember that she too puts her life and the ones of her husband and son in Peter's hands.

It's too easy to say Peter was just a tagalong, that they didn't love him. It incredibly diminishes the pain of his act.

I also would like to point out that Peter isn't stupid. He was a double agent, he managed to frame Sirius by using in his favor people’s low opinion of his skills (and Remus and Sirius' rocky relationship). James, Sirius, and Remus might have thought of themselves as smarter than Peter but I don't think they actually believed him to be stupid. Considering who the Marauders are, their knowing how good of a liar, and how cunning Peter could be, would be a perfect explanation of why they became friends in the first place.

Does this mean they all loved Peter but Peter only loved Remus out of his friends?

We can't really be sure of his feelings for Sirius, but the admiration he shows for James and the sense of guilt we know he has for his double agent activities don't really align with that image.

I think Peter's fear for his own life ended up winning over the love for his friends.

But why at this point? Why not at Hogwarts?

Something quite interesting is how Peter's father is the only parent of the Marauders who is never mentioned, not in the books, not in any additional material. Doesn't that align just so well with Peter always putting himself at the service of the most important male figure around? First James, and then after school, with the war going on, Voldemort.

Isn't it such a fitting image, Peter growing up without a father, with a too-cuddling mother whom he ends up resenting, faulting her for the absence of the father? It's so natural to paint him as a young man crushed by a sense of inadequacy towards an image of masculinity he idealizes but can't fulfill, supported by a society filled with a very toxic sense of masculinity and an absent father he can sew on any fantasy he wants.

When Peter was at Hogwarts, being friends with James, and being part of the Marauders, gave Peter a sense of security that allowed him to be brave enough to prioritize his love for his friends over himself.

Out in the real world, though, Voldemort is the dominant man and being positioned against the Dark Lord takes away the sense of security he had as a student. Both times Peter goes to Voldemort, he does it because he doesn't feel safe.

It's also abundantly clear how Peter's siding with Voldemort doesn't come from ideology. He becomes an animagus for Remus, he's a dear friend of Lily.

Peter dies because Voldemort doesn't trust him, and he is right in not trusting him. Somewhere in Peter, there's still the boy who risked his life for a friend.

Try to tell me this is not an interesting character.

He's still a coward overall, but a complex one.

Also, Peter Pettigrew is a clear victim of pretty privilege when it comes to the fandom. I'm ready to bet whatever you want that if he had been described as handsome the most popular ship with Sirius would be Sirus/Peter.

Actually, he didn't even have to be described as handsome, he just needed to not be described as ugly. Draco is described as having a pointy face and people have been lying to themselves claiming he's incredibly handsome for the last twenty-five years.

[mysticfoxdesigns]

Do you have any more Burns family headcanons? I saw your trans Kade post and wanted to know if any other Burns family members are also LGBTQ!

Yes! I do have more headcanons for the Burns family! So might as well just list them all out here.

Burns family headcanons

Charlie

Him and Woodrow are half brothers. Charlie's father is out of the picture, and his mom remarried and had Woodrow

Him, Ezra, and William Fowler were all friends throughout school

All three of them were born and raised on Griffin Rock

The three of them also created go karts one summer that they rode constantly around town. This was the start of Rolling Thunder

Woodrow and him would hike up to Griffin's Crest and camp every weekend. During the summers they would stay for longer on the trips

Him and his wife knew each other as kids but never interacted

He was in the Military during the 80s

He reunited with his wife in the military where she had become a scientist

The military also is where they met and worked with Optimus Prime

They both left the forces when she became pregnant with Kade

After leaving the forces he became a police officer and they all lived on the mainland for awhile

When he became a chief police officer the family moved back to Griffin Rock.

He tries to do at one on one dad time with his kids each month. The activities are typically based on which kid he is with

He has a guilty pleasure for watching old 70s and 80s sci fi movies and shows

Was a mess for a while after his wife died. While nothing major happened that he regretted, it still put a slight strain on his and Kade's relationship

He's just glad that the younger 3 were oblivious to everything that happened after their mother died

He was always the cook of the family. He learned when he was a kid and only continued to improve as he grew older

Chase and him both enjoy riding out to Blossom Vale to watch the stars

Only has become more protective of Cody as the years have gone one, especially with how constantly he is in danger with the tech around town

Always wins at Mario Party

Kade

Main headcanon of course is him being trans, but I also see him as being bisexual

He came out when he was 9 and the family just moved to Griffin Rock. He started socially transitioning and besides for close family friends, no one on the island knows he is trans.

While he is an asshole at times, he cares deeply for his family and would lay his life down for them

He had a close relationship with his mother. She was his biggest supporter when he first came out

His mother dying in a fire was his main inspiration for becoming a firefighter

Has always been protective of Cody since he was born, but that protective nature only grew after their mother s death. He would constantly take time to make sure Cody was cared for when Charlie would work late nights

Never got to properly grieve his mothers death due to him being Dani and Graham's support system. But he would never let them know that

Blockbuster movies are his favorites, the Godzilla franchise being his number one followed by the James Bond movies (basically canon, but I see him as being a huge fanboy outside of what we see in canon)

Dani and Graham both used grimlins as a way to scare him. This led to several sleepless nights for him as a young teen.

In turn that meant he would take over comms for the night or stay in Cody's room watching over him

Was a trouble maker in late elementary and early middle school. Lead to a legacy with all of his siblings

Joined the sports teams in high school. Rugby and soccer were his best ones

Started doing firefighter training at 17 with the NVFC

Had several girlfriends and one or two secret boyfriends during highschool

Got into fights whenever someone was picking on Dani or Graham

Started working in highschool to help Charlie pay bills on their house

The family only moved into the firehouse once Kade had become a firefighter

Him and Charlie would get into arguments a lot of times after the other had gone to sleep. These arguments died down over time as Charlie started to move on past his wife's death

Their relationship is mostly repaired now, but if tensions grow there is the possibility of them getting into arguments again

Most of his ego is played up to fit a fearless persona he created

Past that ego, he is very well accomplished. He has several trophies from his time in sports, and he has progressed through his career a tremendous amount

Him and Heatwave both accidentally discovered that Cybertronian stomachs can handle human food in small amounts. So Kade sometimes will introduce Heatwave to different human foods to see his reaction. So far ghost peppers have had the funniest response

Always wins at Uno and is tied with Cody for Cards Against Humanity

Dani

Growing up with all brothers meant she became a lot more tomboyish as a kid and young teen

Would paint Kade's nails as a kid and still does to this day when its a slow night at the base

Was a fan of the first TopGun movie as a kid. This was her inspiration for becoming a pilot some day

Her and Kade constantly butted heads as kids, but it was always playful and there were never any hard feelings between the pair

Had a hoard of stuffed animals in her room. It was piled in a corner and one wrong move could bury you in them

I see her as bisexual with a preference for fem presenting people

And I feel like she would go by she/they pronouns

She owns dresses but wears them on the very rare occasion

She has an OG Tumblr account like the millennial she is

Speaking of Tumblr, she taught Blades how to use it

Her guilty pleasure shows and movies are romance vampire series. Kade and Graham tease her relentlessly for it

Mrs. Neededlander used to babysit her and TRIED to teach her how to cook. It never worked

She sent an application off to the real life TOPGUN academy. She's never gotten a response though so she has mostly forgotten about it

She wanted to become an EMT after Graham had fallen out of a tree as a kid and broke his arm. Watching the crew work is what sparked her curiosity about it

That inspiration was only amplified by her mother's death

Is always the one to win at Monopoly

Graham

Was picked on being the youngest up until Cody was born

Was diagnosed at a young age with autism

Both Kade and Dani were protective of him once he got into school. They both made sure that he would be safe from bullying

Watching what his mother and Doc Greene and wife did in the lab is what inspired him to pursue a STEM career

He narrowed it down to engineering after joining the robotics program in Griffin Rock's schools

Initially didn't think he would go into the first responder field, but after doing research into the different job opportunities, and seeing Kade and Dani go into the field, he decided to join them

He is also bisexual, but is demi aroace as well

Will completely forget to take care of basic bodily needs if he is wrapped up in a project

Boulder and him constantly stay up late tinkering in the garage

Almost flunked out of college because he couldn't handle being in person for classes. Once he switched to more online classes though, his grades sky rocketed and he graduated top of his class

Several times has fallen asleep at his desk in the garage, but always wakes up with a blanket around his shoulders or having been moved to somewhere more comfortable

Despite what his body type shows, he does have a fair amount of muscle from his work with heavy equipment

Always wins at Mario Kart and Scrabble

Cody

At some point in life he has looked up to each of his siblings

Kade, was when he was younger and constantly being babysat by him. His oldest brother was the 1st one he would see when he would wake up and the last person he would see before going to sleep. Due to this he was the first person Cody would come to when he was a child

Dani, he has almost always looked up to and has never really stopped. Her dare devil attitude helped to push him out of his shell as a kid, allowing him to be the extroverted person he is today. She is the first to propose something fun and crazy to him, which they then most likely see through with the plan

Graham, he looked up to during his time with Pioneer Scouts. Kade and Dani never really joined any scouting activities, but Graham nearly finished the entire scout program. While Graham doesn't really like it anymore, he is always up to talking with Cody about what he was doing in his troop

Of course though, being siblings, they all annoy the fuck out of each other

Prank wars are typically started by Cody

When he was younger there were times when Dani and Kade couldn't hug him when they got home. He was confused at the time, but growing up he realized why when he started to witness the rescues more

Completed all badges in the Pioneer Scouting program

AroAce but him and Frankie joke about being platonically dating due to people at school

Speaking of Frankie she is basically another sister to him. Its to the point where his older siblings will refer to her as their younger sister

Hopes for his own bot one day. However as time passes and they learn more about Cybertronian on Earth, that hope starts to fade

Honestly has no idea what he wants to do in life. Is conflicted on if he even wants to go into any first responder field

Starts out at college as a gen student, but soon switches over to animal based studies

After watching some Game Wardens in action while fishing with friends during college, he was inspired to pursue that job

Kept the fact he was training to be a Game Warden a secret from his family. Finally told them when he showed up to the firehouse in uniform

Him and the bots constantly sneak out of the firehouse to star gaze

He asks them about Cybertron, and what it was like before they left. This has actually helped the bots with homesickness

Blades is always up for teaching him about Cybertronian anatomy

Boulder and Heatwave both tell him about their cultural region's music, even being able to find human equivalents for him to listen to

Chase tells him about different Cybertronian stories and mythology

Quickshadow, High Tide, and Heatwave all use their holoforms to teach him self defense

He wins at Cards Against Humanity constantly, even when he was a kid

General headcanons

There is a separate washer and dryer in the garage for work clothes specifically

The bunker has been expanded upon greatly since the bots arrived. There are actually bedrooms for the bots to stay in, and keep their personal belongings in

Whenever they have to drop grocery shopping or eating at restaurants to respond to an emergency, they can always go back afterwards and pick up where they were. The grocery store worker would hold onto their groceries, and restaurant workers will have their food in to-go boxes or have it remade free of charge

Optimus and his team were at Mrs. Burn's funeral in holoform

And there are most of my headcanons! I didn't include the bots a whole lot, purely cause it would make this even longer. I can definitely share my headcanons of them though if people want!

[sewerfight]

A lot of people would describe James Bond as this consistent character, pretty much steadfast with his love of women and his drinks taken shaken and not stirred. But the thing is: in the books he's wildly fucking out of character depending on what the author wants for the plot. Sometimes he's nearly hysterical. In Dr No, he's what I would call absolutely feral. Unable to tolerate conversation, desperate for violence. In Moonraker, he's a weird fanboy who for some reason idolizes the villain and believes he can do no wrong for a huge portion of the book. Sometimes Ian Fleming says he's scared of spiders. Sometimes Ian Fleming says he's not scared of spiders, he's actually scared of snakes. Sometimes he finds seashells fascinating, other times he thinks they are very boring and anyone who collects anything is foolish.

[inkykeiji]

I'd never pressure you to write something, I'm just thankful you liked the poker idea to begin with! I work at a casino and people are winning all the time when I'm near so I like to think of myself as a lucky charm (despite how terribly unlucky I tend to be lol)

Anyway! No pressure, I can be plenty patient and if you decide to not write it I also understand. (I'm so worried I come off as expecting you to do this even though you already do so much for us and I dont want to be rude)

-♠️

omg i love it so much!!!!!! for some reason it gives me like, james bond casino royale circa 2006 vibes????

fun extremely random and unrelated fact: i used to hate james bond with an extreme passion and for the most part still do, but my favourite prof begged me to take his bond seminar in my last year of uni and i did because i love him, and ended up kiiiiinda falling in love with daniel craig’s bond. my prof used to always talk about everyone having ‘their bond’ (since there are so many actors who played him!!!!) and when i told him about daniel he was like ‘omg!!!!! we found ur bond!!! FINALLY!!!!’

i don’t feel pressure from you (or anyone else!!) AT ALL my luv don’t even worry, i just wanted to give u a lil update on it that’s all!! <33

[quazartranslates]

Welcome to the Nightmare Game II - CH30

**This is an edited machine translation. For more information, please [click here]**

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Chapter 30: Star Death Reality Show (XIII)

"This place between the back of the head and the neck is very dangerous, it's easy for you to cause a brain hernia and kill the person. I’m telling you, the correct way is to hold her carotid artery—the place on the side of the neck, and she’ll pass in a few seconds, safe and harmless," Dr. Lu, who had committed several occupational malpractices, prattled on.

Qi Leren tried to breathe: "She’s not dead, I controlled my strength."

Dr. Lu raised his head: "When did you learn this? How did you suddenly change your style and go straight to James Bond?"

Qi Leren looked helpless: "It was all forced out."

"Qianbei is very fierce, almost too much! So handsome!" Du Yue, the fanboy, wore the awestruck expression of a hopeless fan and looked at Qi Leren with stars in his eyes. "Can qianbei teach me? I also want to learn!"

"Well, let’s wait... let’s wait until the show is over," Qi Leren said. "Hurry up and find out if there’s anything important in this basement. Hurry up, Mark may come back soon."

The three men were busy again, especially Dr. Lu, who, like a hamster whose hidden melon seeds had been lost after the sawdust was changed, searched anxiously. He plunked his ass on the ground and looked into the gap under the bookcase, and pulled Du Yue to help when he was met with heavy objects that couldn’t be moved.

Qi Leren looked around the basement. It wasn’t like a private laboratory, but rather a utility room, with cabinets and bookcases everywhere and some metal barrels and strewn about tools in the corner. Qi Leren even saw homemade explosives… This former owner was good at playing around.

Since there were explosives, it wasn’t strange that there had been an explosion here, and the scope of the explosion wasn’t small, which had left the basement a mess, with huge blocks of stones around the collapsed passageway. Although it could be seen that someone had cleaned this passage that led to an unknown location, they still can't do anything about the heavy stones.

Had anyone entered this passage? Had He Yi entered the passage, or were He Yi and Mark both in it?

Considering that the audience voted to prove that Mark had knocked out Xue Jiahui, it seemed that Mark probably hadn’t entered it. With such a thought, the situation at that time was that Mark had tried to go against He Yi. He Yi discovered the passage in the attic, entered the basement, and discovered the explosives. He wanted to kill Mark with these, and accidentally discovered that there was a secret passage here, which he used to escape?

"Oh, come and look at this! Is this the legendary ID card?" With a loud shout, Dr. Lu held up a plastic card to show it to the others.

When Qi Leren took the card, he still couldn't understand the words on it, but the metal identification strip embedded in it made it distinct. The plastic casing was also tied with a rope, which seemed to be hung around his neck to prevent it from being lost.

"You can give it a try. Come on, let's go back to Jing Siyu’s house" Qi Leren was also excited.

The three people left Annie knocked out, quickly left the building, and headed for the temporarily unoccupied house of Jing Siyu.

In the basement of Jing Siyu's house, with a "di-" sound, the heavy metal door opened upwards, revealing the dark metal passage inside. The emergency lights along the bottom of the passage’s walls were on, and the miserable green light source made this corridor look like a ghostly hell.

Sure enough, there was electricity inside. But intelligent life on this planet had gone extinct, yet there was still a power supply in this underground place? It was incredible.

Qi Leren stuffed the ID card into his pocket: "Turn off the cameras."

He was worried that there would be some accidents that would make him have to use his skill cards. Although doing so would arouse the suspicion of the audience, it was better than direct exposure.

"I'll go in first and see. Wait here. I'll call you when I get to the other end," Qi Leren said cautiously.

"Be careful, if you’re injured, come back quickly. I’ll curse you to death if you don’t!" Dr. Lu said.

"Qianbei, you can do it! You’re the best!" Du Yue clenched his fists.

Qi Leren felt a little tired. Why were all his little friends so funny? Couldn’t he get better ones?

In the deep and otherworldly green light, Qi Leren took the first step. His footsteps were as light as a prowling cat, and he didn't make a sound. This disturbing color touched his nerves and made him feel that he was in constant danger.

One step, two steps... Qi Leren moved forward, and the uncertainty of stepping on a censor haunted Qi Leren at every moment, making him more alert. He believed in his intuition. He knew he could even accurately sense the threat of flying knives when he was blindfolded, as Chen Baiqi had already confirmed.

And this passage was not safe.

Just when he was thinking about it, his hunch came true!

[Rain-Day Laundry: At present, the remaining sensing times are 2/3.]

Dididididididi— The shrill alarm sounded! Even if the ID card had been used to open the door, Qi Leren, an illegal intruder, was still caught! The metal door behind him slammed shut, cutting off his escape route! Dr. Lu and Du Yue shouted at the door in alarm, and at the end of the metal corridor, dazzling laser beams were generated!

Qi Leren's pupils suddenly contracted. The knee-high red laser beam quickly rushed toward him from the end of the corridor! Qi Leren couldn’t think about it, he could only jump! The timing and height were just right, avoiding this laser beam perfectly. But this was not the end. More laser beams were coming from the end of the corridor!

Calm down, calm down, calm down... I can't fucking calm down! Qi Leren was extremely nervous. He made a save with the Save/Load Data, but he knew that S/L wasn’t a good solution for this situation! After he saved, he would be cut into pieces of meat by the laser beam. After his resurrection, he would still be standing in place, waiting for the next laser beam to cut him again!

Shit, it was a dead end! This C-rank task was poisonous!

Qi Leren, whose brain had gone blank, recalled watching the movie "Resident Evil" with his father when he was a child. The laser corridor that cut a group of special forces into meat had left a deep shadow on his childhood. He remembered that there was an escape hatch above the laser corridor in the movie.

Qi Leren suddenly looked up, and under the green lights, he saw a neat metal ceiling without any cracks.

All those movies are so deceptive... Qi Leren scolded mentally as the four laser beams scattered in front of him approached within five meters, and the alerts from his "Rain-Day Laundry" skill sounded one after another, directly entering the cooldown period. Qi Leren, who was under high tension, broke out again. He got up and ran towards the laser beam—Jump! Over the first laser beam! Roll forward on the spot! Second beam!

The height of the last two laser beams were very tricky, and there was no way to dodge! They were too low to lie flat, and it was too late to jump. Qi Leren, who had already rolled on the ground, couldn't avoid the oncoming pitfalls. Even at this critical juncture, he used the strength of his arms to prop up his body and did a backflip, with his waist folded into a perfect arc.

The two high and low red beams reflected their dazzling deadly light on the metal wall, and the scorching temperature seemed to cut his arm and lower back, leaving burn marks on his skin. But when Qi Leren landed, he discovered that the laser beams were gone, and he had escaped them!

In these five or six seconds, Qi Leren had made a 180 between life and death. If Chen Baiqi was here, she would be shocked. Qi Leren’s blank mind suddenly flashed such a sentence.

The exit was seven or eight meters ahead, and the door there was open. It seemed that the personnel who had set up this trap didn't think anyone could pass through it alive. But before Qi Leren could breathe a sigh of relief, the laser beam at the end of the corridor lit up again. At first, it was the first one, then the second one and the third one... They were woven over the same position, forming a laser net comparable to a fishing net! It was finer than the laser wall placed by the producers outside this village!

No wonder this laser corridor didn't need to have a closed door! Qi Leren couldn't help but admit defeat and decided to run away—Nonsense, his save point was behind him. If he didn't retreat, he would be barbecued by the laser net once in his present position, then resurrected at the save point behind him, and then be chopped up again!

This round was a disaster. He hoped the laser net would disappear after one use. S/L could only restore his body to the position and state where it was saved, but the material world around him wouldn’t be turned back to the state where it had been. Otherwise, it would be too fatalistic... But it was meaningless to complain about this at this time.

Qi Leren sighed, closed his eyes, and forced himself not to think about the pain of dying. The countdown for the save was eleven seconds, ten seconds, nine seconds...

The scorching temperature kissed him on the cheek, and before he could taste the pain carefully, he was resurrected at the save point, and the laser net that destroyed any living creatures in the corridor disappeared.

This time, Qi Leren started to rush forward without hesitation. Hurry up. He didn't know whether there would be a second group of laser nets at the end of the corridor. If there was one, he had to hurry before the laser nets formed, otherwise he would be trapped and would die here, and would die completely after the S/L skill’s three resurrections were consumed!

As he ran to the end of the corridor, less than two meters away from the exit, the first ray of the second laser net appeared, just at the height of his neck. The next moment, the second one, at the position of his knees, and then the next moment...

It was too late. Engaged in a 100-meter sprint, Qi Leren couldn't adjust his body posture and could only run into the laser beams—his head was separated.

The file was read for the second time.

This time, Qi Leren's reaction is faster than the last time. He must run faster than the last time, otherwise, when the beams at the end of the corridor appeared, he would definitely hit them head-on and make a clean break!

Faster, faster... Qi Leren's feet ran like they didn't touch the ground. Under this extreme test of life and death, he ran faster than he had in any training! Because this wasn’t training, it was a test of life and death.

Here we are, we'll be ready soon...

The red laser beams lit up amidst the continuous shrill alarm sound, and the running Qi Leren closed his eyes in despair. The moment before his death was short, but it was long. The laser cut his body, but his brain was still running. He tried his best to think about how to break this stand-off. Every ten seconds, a laser net would appear at the end of the laser corridor and move forward. This laser net didn’t appear only once, otherwise, he could easily use the S/L Data to escape.

Unless he could "break the shell", as Chen Baiqi had said, and break the limits of his body and enter another state, he was destined to draw the line on the end of his life here.

He could only see the glimmer of hope if he tried his best and gave it a go.

He didn't want to die here, no matter what. He still had too many words to say to Ning Zhou, to tell him of the love he had never dared to express and to let the words hidden in his heart overflow. Even if he died, he couldn't close his eyes peacefully.

He couldn’t let Ning Zhou be sad.

The file was read for the third time and final time.

Qi Leren cleared his brain and drove away all his distractions. His body forgot its exhaustion and weakness in the moment that he finished reading the file. His eyes looked directly at the gate leading to heaven ahead, and he rushed there like lightning.

He didn't think about whether it could be done or the consequences of failure. There was a firm belief that made his soul burn at this moment. Willpower poured energy beyond his limits into his limbs. He was as fast as a meteor. In this dark tunnel, the wind sprinted and rushed to the exit!

The first laser beam lit up, and in the next second, more laser lines would be woven into an impassable net at this position, and anyone who tried to cross this barrier would be cut into pieces. The second laser line lit up, but Qi Leren had already rushed to it, jumped up in this extreme sprint, and jumped between the two laser beams. The world was as silent as when he jumped from the boat and his head became submerged beneath the water.

In the moment when he fell heavily to the ground, the alarm came to an abrupt end. Qi Leren didn't realize that he had passed through the corridor. He pushed up from the ground, rolling and crawling, and looked behind him in a panic. The newly formed laser grid sensed that there was no intruder in the corridor and was automatically dissipated and he, who had already pulled off his seat belt, had escaped this nearly inescapable danger.

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[joi-in-the-tardis]

I am so not the person to give fast and accurate run-downs of celebrity q&as.  I think taking notes would be the only way to relay what was said and, tbh, that would stress me out.  I’m already a bit stressed at cons (even though they’re fun and worth it!).

But, I will say my favorite things from Christopher Eccleston’s q&a were:

Talking about how the way to deal with depression and anxiety is to remove the shame and start talking about it.  That when he started talking about it he discovered so many people in his life had looked him in the face every day and had no idea how he was struggling.  And it was hard to talk about it because the culture he lives in says not to, but that was the only way to start working through it.

That his son heard a fan say that his dad was “their doctor” and then asked him if that meant he made people feel better (the warm fuzzy feeling in the whole room was phenomenal, guys).

His absolute adoration (fanboying!) over Anthony Hopkins.  I think he talked about him half a dozen times over the course of the q&a.

He was asked what kind of car he liked best while filming Gone in 60 seconds and related the story of an American reporter who asked him the same thing.  When Eccleston told him that he didn’t actually drive the reporter nearly left the interview.  “It was like I farted.”

A wee little boy asked him how he managed to fall down so well when driving the TARDIS and he said that that was his absolute favorite question he’d ever been asked because when he was young he admired the way Sean Connery as James Bond would fall over and, really, he was trying to be Sean Connery.  So the compliment was huge (and so was his smile).

He was asked if he could go back and refilm his episodes of Doctor Who, would he?  And he said he absolutely would because he’s hugely self-critical.  That he would’ve made his Doctor less slap-stick funny.  The whole room rioted at the idea.  “Oookay, I wouldn’t change a thing!”

[bohacowa]

SO SEASON 7 HM?

MFE I know everyone’s sounding off about ships but GOSH we got so much this season:

-Artist Keith! he’s trying his best

-HUNK’S ARC WAS AMAZING 10/10 BEST BOY SWEET SUNSHINE CHILD

-hot fucking damn Acxa with that bisexual bob cut hmmmm?? 

-KOSMO! He’s a good boy!

-The mice straight up murder people A+ would stan

-Pidge getting stuck with everyone in the cockpit rip

-Allura fixing Shiro’s arm?? That girl is a q u e e n

-VERONICA HOLY SHIT

-AND ON THAT TOPIC CAN WE TALK ABOUT THAT HUG WITH LANCE AND HIS FAMILY??? THAT IS THE QUALITY CONTENT I SIGNED UP FOR

- “I love you too, mum,” ;_;

-My man James out their looking like a snack 100% Dairylea lunchable top notch glow up

-MATT WINS GLOW UP CONTEST

-I can’t believe Shiro levelled up an entire fucking ship through the power of raw Big Dick Energy™ lmao you’re doing amazing sweetie!!

-👏GROUP👏BONDING👏

-Did you see how excited Shiro was about the Paladins? he said “PALADINS” so many times what a fucking fanboy

-lesbian warlords fuck yeah step on me

-Iverson is a big fucking softie and I love it just one huge marshmallow mushy giant friend

-The return of Bi Boh Bi you fucking player you

-Sam the real fucking hero of Earth god bless you sir

-Some seriously realistic representation of how an Earth invasion would actually go down???? Well thought out and well executed. Great stuff.

-SHAY COMING TO EARTH WAS A GODDAMN BLESSING MY CROPS ARE WATERED

-Lance calling Keith the future omfg hold me

-Shiro’s new arm was... ugly... I’m sorry baby but you can never flex with that arm again RIP Shiro’s right guns

-MFE pilots let’s gO B SQUAD

-generally everyone was pretty fucking cool

-stunning animation. Just. Wow. I can’t believe they managed to pull that off in such a short space of time. Bravo, seriously.

-Veronica teasing Lance was good sibling content that’s what I’m here for

In conclusion, this season was solid.

[beautiful-dirty-rick]

Different Kisses from Different Ricks

Rock Star (Flesh Curtains) Rick: Although essentially the same Rick as C-137, his behavior may differ. He would see you in the audience, lean over the front of the stage and, beckoning you over with a finger and a “come-hither, baby” toss of his hair, he would pull you with a hand on the back of your head and plant a serious, deep one on you.

Evil Rick:  Among the unexpected ones. Due to his being evil, the kiss he gives you may be a goodbye kiss before he offs you. Seeing as it would possibly be a forceful, long, passionate one...what a way to go.

Healthy (Non-Toxic) Rick: Possibly the least emotional one. His emotions reside with Toxic Rick, so a kiss from him would be pleasant... but not substantial.

Novelist Rick: Sweet, slow and lingering. He’d recite poetry (his own or classics) into your ear in a low, soft voice as his lips move to your neck.

The Scientist Known as Rick: Would serenade you first with a song on a guitar that looks to be the child of Prince and science, then lock lips while dancing sensuously with you. He’d then take you to his lab, decorated all in purple, because he Wants to Be Ur Lovr.

Bubblegum Rick: Sweetest kiss of all, by way of sugar. His kisses are permanently flavored with bubblegum, which isn’t a bad thing at all. Be warned: he may attempt to pass his gum from his mouth to yours, so if you think you’d be into that...

Doofus Rick: The shyest. After a certain amount of romantic tension, he would come forward and softly say: “I don’t want to make you uncomfortable or anything, but... can I...can I kiss you?” And when he does, he’s so tender and nervous about it- but it only makes the experience more exciting.

Guard Rick: The daring one. He would pull you to him with one arm and hold a gun in the other, so as not to be completely off-duty while he lays a protective, authoritative kiss on you.

Dandy Rick: The poetic and the beautiful. He is pretty and he knows it (a bit like Scientist Known as Rick). The closest to a gentleman that a Rick can be, he would kneel before you, take your hand delicately in his and kiss your knuckles, then lead his kisses up your arm in the old-fashioned, “dandy” way... and then press his lips to yours with all the dignity of a man wearing powder on his face.

Karate Rick: You’re his trophy girl when he wins yet another battle, dipping you low and kissing you with victory. That or he Spidermans it by dropping upside down from something and giving you a ninja-like, sneaky upside-down, passionate kiss.

Zero Rick: His pessimism doesn’t lessen his sense of romance a bit when he feels it enough to want to kiss you. The most introverted of all Rick kisses, and possibly most insecure; he would pull your clasped hands up to under his chin to keep you near because he just knows you’ll leave him eventually and wants to keep you his for now.

Miami Rick: Doubtless, a tight embrace and kiss by the ocean, at sunset, glowing with the sun’s colors and your blush.

Tiny Rick: A teenage Rick means teenage hormones and awkwardness. Very high school, when even though his more mature mind knows better, the teenager side does not; his kisses may be clumsy at first but he would learn to hold you and his palms would stop sweating fast enough.

Pickle Rick: Make sure you are not adverse to the taste of salt brine. Unfortunately, he lacks in arms to embrace you, but if you hold him up to your face, he can still give you a kiss. Cheek kiss recommended.

Simple Rick: Admittedly the most conventional of kisses. A Rick before his deep-set emotional complications set in, his kisses would be sweet, appropriate, pleasant... none of the raw energy or lust tainted with pain and need that Rick is to develop later on.

Cop Rick: In a world full of dying Ricks and dangerous Mortys, he would keep you by his side at all times, an arm around your shoulders-- and protective, somewhat timid kisses whenever off-duty or alone in police cruiser. Responsible sweetheart.

Vaporwave Rick: He wants you to be feeling the beats like he does. He sits next to you, sets down his boombox and has it play a nice slow jam for you two, and locks you into kisses with an even slower rhythm.

Super Morty Fan Rick: Congratulations-- you got him to forget about fanboying over Mortys! In his distraction from kissing you (possibly plied with Morty merchandise he doesn’t have, like a cute keychain, etc.), his Morty hat falls off and he doesn’t notice, even when you start running your fingers through his hair.

Detective (or Deepthroat) Rick: Think of this Rick as a “film noir” Rick, and you’re his femme fatale. Think Bogart and Bacall. He kisses you rebelliously, deeply, in the most dangerous of moments, and you reel from the excitement of his sudden shows of affection and the possibility of the two of you getting caught.

Surgeon Rick: The cleanest (hygenic) kiss you’ll receive. He may offer to heal you (instead of your Mortys) with a massage, and just keep you in a hospital room so he can be affectionate with you. There is a chance he will playfully kiss you with a surgical mask on, ‘til you pull it down and savor a Rick kiss, obstacle-free.

Teacher Rick: Whether you’re a student of his or “just a friend/colleague,” he won’t just kiss you at any time, anywhere. He will, however, find an excuse to clear all Mortys out of the classroom so it’s just you and him, and a ruler held playfully between your faces-- in a rare instance when he isn’t serious. Do you bring this out in him? A kiss that makes you stand firm in place.

Toxic Rick: One of the most emotionally-charged kisses, Toxic Rick may be almost inhuman in his meanness, but when his emotions grow tender, he may melt like the slime he is under your touches. He would hold you almost suffocatingly tight (his neediness is concentrated in this form), bend you at the waist, fully lay his craving for love onto you in staggering, deep, very, very needy kisses, though his words may push you away. An “I love you” may fall from his lips if you’ve rendered him weak enough with kisses of your own.

Morty Day Care Rick: This guy is among the hardest-working Ricks. When on breaks in between looking after little Mortys, he would kiss you while he’s walking by you-- or, when he finally gets a sit-down and rest, he’ll acknowledge you are there behind him by craning his head back and pulling your head down for a lazy, but sweet, kiss.

Salesman Rick: Pleasant and useful. Upon buying an item from him, drop a chaste kiss on his lips. He’ll return it not just politely, but eagerly, then slowly slide his hands from your shoulders and mutter, “No charge.”

Robot Rick: Recommended if you find kissing chrome and steel palatable.

Mysterious Rick: Dramatic--as with everything else he does. You’re his partner in crime, his girl Friday, his kisses are always with a huge arm sweep around you, clutching you close and dragging on a long movie kiss. And you don’t mind this one bit.

Lab Rick (Morty Labs): Innovative one. With the daring quality that most Ricks seem to have in common, he will be in the middle of a Morty modification, don the protective eyewear and say: “Stand back!” Before the flash of light or flame passes, he will pull you in for a mid-work kiss, precise and methodical.

Guilty Rick: The most vulnerable. Whatever he’s done, you forgive him, and show him that with a kiss. The skull will fall from his hands as he falls into you (extra effect if you are short; remember Rick is quite tall) and emotionally caves in from the intimacy. He presses trembling, grateful kisses to you as his hands and shoulders shake. With meek sobs in between kisses, he melts into you (for a change); his arbitrary whispers of “I’m sorry... I--I’m sorry” turn into “I love you... I love you...”.

Secret Agent (Run The Jewels music video) Rick: A level-up from Deepthroat Rick, into James Bond action movie territory. Similar to Guard Rick, he would keep hold of a gun in one hand to gun down anyone or any thing that threatens his lady, the Bonnie to his Clyde, his partner in crime--you. With the other, he is more assertive than Guard in the way he will tilt your head back and plant a wild kiss onto your lips. Bonus if he takes a moment to wipe the drool off his mouth first.

(Normal) C-137 Rick: cannot be described as simply as all the others, as this is the 100% complete Rick with all these qualities rolled into one Rick. This Rick is the most unpredictable and has the sweetest kisses of all--why, you may be wondering? Due to his shutting emotions out, any show of affection from Rick is a statement that speaks volumes of what you may mean to him. With each time he lets you into his lab in the garage, has a drink with you or tells you an anecdote about his life (however small or filthy), he is telling you he trusts you. A kiss from this Rick is the manifestation of this incredibly rare trust, and confirmation that you matter so little that he loves you-- or that he admits, through this kiss, that he loves you a little because you matter so much (to him). A kiss-- likely deep, possessive so this hard-ass doesn’t get his soft heart broken again; draping his arms around you lightly like he doesn’t give a s#!t about you when he actually gives quite a few-- from this Rick is one you should, and will, cherish for all time, like you do him.

[geneshaven]

A Bit Out Of Character (Thoughts on 617)

Ouch. Tough episode. I thought it might have been a little fun to watch Oliver and Diggle physically fight each other. If the reasons that they did were not so completely unexplainable, even with the wtf explanation why John is so disgruntled---the fight would have and could have been epic. But as I watched Oliver and John pounding on each other, I could only think of how much those two have gone through together and how all of that came unraveled because of some noble idea from John on what he thinks good leadership should be.

Oliver has made some bad choices over the years. Yes, people were hurt and killed because of them. But instead of letting him drifting off into the reality of not coming back from those sins, John has always been that moral compass that Oliver could steer himself with, away from losing his grip and falling into the abyss his darkness inside created. Like Oliver told Felicity in episode 210, he relied on her and John, to pull him back from the edge whenever things got dire. It was unquestionable.  It wasn’t only about having his back in a fight, it was about two brothers looking out for one another, with love and admiration and the willingness to sacrifice their own safety to keep each other alive. It was (and I guess still is) the foundation of their partnership. The thought of either one of them turning away from that was not even a consideration.

When John told Oliver that after all those years, after all they had done to build and strengthen their relationship, that he had been harboring misgivings on Oliver’s hero agenda---I could only shake my head at this surreal reveal. John apparently has not approved of Oliver’s decision making abilities. He thinks Oliver has empowered himself and not the city. He thinks Oliver has spread himself too thin and lost track of the main reason he put on the Hood in the first place.  When Oliver passed the Green Arrow leadership onto John back at the beginning of the season, he told John that the GA was not just a man in a mask; it was an idea, a symbol of heroism and purpose. He trusted John with it. This is really incredible character growth on Oliver’s part. Oliver’s trust issues throughout the series have been spotty at best, but through the guidance from John and Felicity, he has found the right path to redemption. John’s anger and disillusionment with Oliver just did not feel like the character I’ve come to love and have grown with these past six years. I guess I was surprised that the writers saw fit to dismantle John DIggle. I also guess this story arc for him is one way to go. But driving into a wall at 60mph seems not very self-serving. Maybe the resiliency of Diggle’s past character traits will act as a sort of airbag for him to survive such a wreck.

I was however impressed by the acting skills of Mr. Ramsey and Mr. Amell. They went toe to toe with their individual gripes. John confessed his mounting doubts over Oliver’s crusade and Oliver stayed grounded and made the argument that Diggle was always right there beside him when the excrement hit the rotary oscillator. At times some of that mess got on them, but it was only temporary and easily washed away. But when they removed the safety devices in their relationship and began to drop the dead bodies of their victims at each other’s feet---I started to back away from rationale and could only shake my head at their immature needs to hurt each other.  It was a shitty catalyst to propel them into a physical altercation. I didn’t want either of them to win.

When they started to trade blows, I got a sense that both of them seemed to be holding back.  They are both dangerous weapons when they are out fighting evil enemies and are capable of some major hurt.  So despite their grievances within the heat of the moment as their fight began, there were still those parts of them that really did not wish any serious harm on the other. I don’t care what the writers are trying to do---Oliver and Diggle and their bond cannot be dismissed. The history is too strong.  They are both survivors.

Yet, there is one thing the writers did get right in this episode. Felicity Smoak. She has always been the dreamcatcher for Oliver and John. She is the middle link in their chain, the one that keeps them together, as partners and heroes and friends. She has no hesitancy in putting herself between them and reminding them that the air is fresher when their heads aren’t up their asses. She is the glue they need when things break apart. Unfortunately, it was written for this episode that that glue is not enough to hold everything together, not this time. John has fallen and he can’t get back up. At least not for a few more episodes, after he goes off in search of realizations and an attitude adjustment. Felicity was visibly hurt when John made the decision to turn away from his family and go off to lick his character wounds, but I guess a man has got to do what a  man has got to do.

The one real Olicity moment in 617 was obviously Felicity assuring Oliver that she is his always. She is not going anywhere. Oliver has put her through so many difficult paces in their past, but she was always with him no matter what contrived drama was heaped on them.  She understands more than anybody (and maybe even more than Oliver himself) what John’s leaving has done to her husband. It’s that history I keep talking about, the one OTA is incarnate from. Her comfort and the tenderness in which she offered to Oliver was so perfectly illuminated in the light coming in through the window. The light was like the strength of the love they have for each other. It is safe and warm and without question. There was no need for a kiss in that moment. Watching them so centered when they are next to one another is more powerful than any physical display of affection. Oliver may currently feel as if he is alone now that the Team has fractured, but he has embraced the one constant in his life that has always been his saving grace---Felicity Meagan Smoak.  She is peace against his turmoil. She is acceptance against his doubts and self-incrimination. She is sanity against his fears and disbelief.

She is love and Oliver’s only true safe port in the life they have chosen.

Will all this out of character dysfunction be resolved? Will John find new answers to his old problems? Is the rest of the Team going to matter anymore?  Will the bad guys make more sense when they are defeated? Will Oliver take another huge evolutionary character change and survive coming out to the world as the Green Arrow? Will Felicity come to regret her apparent upcoming decision to bury the hatchet with Curtis and run headlong into Helix Dynamics?

And what in the hell is going on with Quentin Lance? How has he fallen so far down the insanity hole to think that he can inspire evil Laurel to mimic real Laruel’s life achievements as a lawyer?Where is Mama Smoak? Wouldn’t it make more sense to have her there for Lance instead of him losing him mind in the fantasy of having his dead daughter back.  And speaking of evil Laurel.  Her kissing Diaz was like watching paint dry---at least to me. I don’t give two legs shakes about whatever scheme the writers have plotted for them.  Bring them together romantically, don’t bring them together.  I would rather see Oliver and Felicity go on their honeymoon, which apparently isn’t going to happen over these last six episodes. I can’t possibly imagine who are what are going to be threatening the city in Season 7, but  at this point  I would be more challenged by someone like Susan Williams coming back as the head of an evil Witch Reporter’s Coven than the changing of the guard between Cayden James and Ricardo Diaz. And Black Siren just seems so inconsequential. Perhaps she is only still around in the vain hope that the show can draw back some of those disgruntled fanboys who have been off on the sidelines since Season 1 lamenting the loss of their comic book fodder.  I am still befuddled that most of those fanboys are still around complaining about how awful the show has become since Olicity made it better. Could any of them still be thinking that Oliver would ever get rid of Felicity and run back to Laurel, evil or not?

I am holding out hope that all of this is going to make sense by 623.  They have left too many questions unanswered this season. And putting Oliver through the hate mill again, making him suffer through what I thought he had conquered after Season 5---it just seems that they missed out on some great storytelling.  Except for Olicity and the endgame they have become, the show seems up in the air right now. But it has seemed that way before and has somehow managed to come back from cray-cray land and surprise us all.

I am staying on this Ship.  Yeah, there will be some strange and unfamiliar sights up ahead, but that’s the thing about taking such a journey---sometimes the unknown can bring me to a place that will change my perspective and make life a little more interesting---at least where Arrow is concerned.

@it-was-a-red-heeler @memcjo @almondblossomme @dmichellewrites @hope-for-olicity @nalla-madness @tdgal1 @ruwithmeguys @cruzrogue @1106angel @bandanab310 @gabriellamarie97 @flowerandsunshine

[captainweatherly]

Timeless Week

Day One // Favorite Episode: Party at Castle Varlar

For me, a huge bookworm nerd, I loved getting to see Ian Fleming ('James Bond') as a character. Even better was the fact that a new Bond movie came out of the adventure. I would love to be in that universe!

Obviously, I also loved all of the jealous Wyatt we got to see and the fanboy side of him as well. We also got to see him being 'the smart one' while he speaks fluent German, which is always a treat.

Can yall tell I love Wyatt?

[dccomicsnews]

[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]

Writers: James Tynion IV (plot) and Ryan Ferrier (Dialogue)

Art: Freddie Williams II

  Summary

With Bane, Bebop, Rocksteady and the entire Foot Clan pumped up on Venom, the odds are severely stacked against Batman and the Turtles. All looks lost until Master Splinter steps in—only to fall victim to the treacherous Bane! The heroes on the half-shell live to fight another day, but at what cost? Donnie thinks he has a plan for victory, but Batman warns against it.

Positives

As both a lifelong fan of both Batman and TMNT, this series hits the right balance. The combined might of Heroes in a Halfshell and The Dynamic Duo works in the sense that they don’t get along all the time and there are differences in methods and opinions. To counter that, we have the combined might of both The Turtles’ most consistent nemesis and Batman’s single most dangerous adversary solely for what he achieved in his first outing thirty years ago. Knightfall saw Bane wear Batman down through a massive breakout from Arkham Asylum, then broke into Wayne Manor and literally broke him. This was an antagonist that was both a physical threat as well as a strategist the near equal of Batman himself. Having Bane in the place of The Shredder from the last season as the main antagonist is a worthy substitute. Freddie’s design of Bane works in the sense that this is more than just a ‘roided out criminal. Bane looks and feels like an unconquerable monster; you can see why he overpowered the most skilled ninja army in Manhattan and their mutant minions. From the moment he waltzed in from issue 1, he steamrolled over The Foot, took them over, enhanced them with Venom, and now is in a brawl-for-all with the Turtles and The Dark Knight and son. Fanboys get a huge kick out of seeing the Turtles’ resident dog of war, Raphael, test his mettle against Bane. Where Raph fails in brute strength, we see Splinter’s wisdom and mastery easily overpower the villain through his evasiveness and open weak points – the Venom delivery hose – for the most part.

Freddie’s art suits this book perfectly; I’ve watched him on the Youtube Channel VSG put out inkwashes with the same quality as these pages and they are just as top notch as colored. His take on the Rebirth costumes on Batman and Robin is excellent, and he gets the proportions of the Turtles perfectly. The Fu Manchu mustache on Splinter works because it evokes a sense of authority in the group before you see him make a move. The equilibrium of agility and strength on the side of the protagonists versus the brutality and monstrous proportions of Bane and his mutant army makes for an awesome fight. The David-vs.-Goliath match between Bane and Raphael is easily conveyed with their first panel together long before you see Bane preparing to dish out his trademark backbreaker on him. The image is enhanced by both Splinter’s legitimate fear for his son and Bruce’s intimate knowledge of feeling his spine snapped by that monster. Further, on Batman’s side, for fans of the first series, you can also see the emotional bond he formed with Raph the first time they met. The figures’ build and weight are conveyed through pulse-pounding battle sequences that are worthy of the classic Eastman-Laird TMNT issues from the 80s. The coloring makes it feel very organic and rich. To convey that claustrophobic feel of that small space with so many combatants, Williams keeps the sequentials equally tight but still easy to follow.

In the case of writing, the combined efforts of Tynion IV and Ferrier do a good job by keeping the dialogue deep when it has to be and short and to the point in others. A good example is the handling of Donatello’s subplot. To feel important, he inadvertently unleashed this nightmare on both his city and his family and he is inconsolable. His father’s coma at the hands of the very monster he brought over from the DC-verse obviously makes it worse. Donatello has always been my favorite Turtle, and to see a character whose faith is in his brilliant mental acumen lose that faith and see brutality as a solution is unfathomable. It’s a breaking point that you’ve never seen Donnie hit before. Throughout the book thus far, his dilemma has been a very significant subplot and now it has manifested at the cliffhanger into a relevant problem for the group. Seeing Don give in to despair and embrace the very drug responsible for this evil is disheartening. The red eyes as he “Venoms” up gives off a good “Damn it, Donnie!” reaction. The chemistry between the combined teams perfectly contrasts the disorder and tyrannical rule within the Bane-Foot alliance. Batman seems to gel perfectly with two-thirds of the group – mainly Donnie, Leo, and Splinter – while Robin’s arrogant attitude clashes perfectly with the likes of Raph, Casey, and Mikey. Tynion IV and Ferrier as a writing duo hit it out of the ball park as much as Freddie imagined their vision.

Negatives

What I dislike about crossovers most of the time are potential plot holes left behind, like the Batman/Spawn crossover event where Batman leaves a massive batarang in Spawn’s face and in the regular issue the wound is there but he’s barely mentioned. As to how that pertains to this issue, Baxter Stockman was mutated in the previous issue into his Baxter Fly form. What I’m left wondering is if the writing team will leave Baxter in this state or will there be a surprise reversal like the Arkham-mutated villains from the previous arc? What makes that different is that the mutagen was not native to DC-verse, whereas on TMNT it is and may have a permanent effect. That would leave a massive hole in the plot in the regular TMNT book. Also, the cover gives away too much of the cliffhanger. The last page should have been a big reveal, but it spoiled for shock value. A shot of Splinter’s being at the mercy of Bane or even Donatello holding the flask of Venom would have been just as engaging then the collage, no matter how awesome it looked.

Verdict

There is little I can say that is bad about the writing and artwork, but the plothole and ending giveaway are instant points taken off. Overall I’m really enjoying this series and can’t wait to see the resolution to this story and what Donatello will do and how in control he can keep himself while on Venom.

  Review: Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II #4 Writers: James Tynion IV (plot) and Ryan Ferrier (Dialogue) Art: Freddie Williams II Summary With Bane, Bebop, Rocksteady and the entire Foot Clan pumped up on Venom, the odds are severely stacked against Batman and the Turtles.

[clive-owen-and-the-knick]

A parlor game to try at your next dinner party: Mention the name Clive Owen in the company of otherwise sophisticated, polite, culture-loving adults and watch as the heat in the room starts rising.

I casually noted to a group of friends over drinks that I would be interviewing the English actor, most recently seen opposite Will Smith in the sci-fi action movie Gemini Man and best known for films such as Mike Nichols’ Closer (Owen received an Academy Award nomination for that 2004 romance drama), and Alfonso Cuarón’s political thriller Children of Men. The response required everything in my arsenal to stop blushing.

“Oooh, I’ve been in lust with that hot man since those BMW commercials,” one woman (OK, it was my own wife) said, referring to an early 2000s series of ads in which Owen smoldered magnetically at the wheel of a Z4 roadster. Owen was the face of Lancôme men’s products, too, for a while.

“We need him to be James Bond,” my friend Lennon said, as if the future of the polar caps depended on it. To be fair, Owen has spent 20 years saying he’s not interested in being 007 (“For me, Sean Connery is the real James Bond,” he likes to say).

“Ask Clive-y”—Clive-y?!—“what it’s like being the sexiest man in the world,” Lennon’s sister chimed in, and she was 100% not kidding. That prompted a brilliant new request from Lennon:

“Ask him to take off his freaking shirt!”

One might think that at 55 Owen would be at ease with such fuss. In an early aughts review of Croupier, the noir-ish casino drama that first brought the actor to attention in the United States, The New York Times praised the “sharp, cynical intelligence that rolls off the screen in waves whenever [Owen] widens his glittering blue eyes.” (For the record, Owen’s eyes are mostly green, but still. The same review likened him to Michael Caine in his prime.) And that was tame. Another critic once dubbed Owen a “super tiger sex commando” and “brusquely gentle British love ninja.” Then there was the moment in New York a couple of years ago when a public figure accustomed to far greater hysteria broke protocol to out himself as an Owen fanboy.

“I was at an event with Barack Obama and when I walked over to shake his hand, he pulled out his phone and took a selfie with me, even though there was a no-selfie rule,” Owen says, still stunned even now. Apparently, the former president is a huge admirer of The Knick, the Cinemax series set in gas lamp-era Manhattan in which Owen plays an opium-addled surgeon. Owen has a selfie somewhere on his phone, too, but he’s not happy with it. “My family wanted to kill me because Obama’s selfie looked great, and mine looks insane. The whole thing felt insane.”

Which is to say that Owen cannot quite comprehend how a working-class kid from the British Midlands ended up doing head tilts with the ex-leader of the free world. Even without a gigantic standout blockbuster or a scandal dogging his name (he’s lived quietly in London with his wife, Sarah-Jane Fenton, since his early 20s, and they have two grown daughters; the family’s big indulgence: watching tennis), Owen has a way of charging the atmosphere wherever he pops up. He recently wrapped his first big onstage role in 18 years on London’s West End in the Tennessee Williams play The Night of the Iguana, which sold out practically every night. Variety called it “quietly devastating.” Owen saw the gig as “another surreal experience” in a career he’d never anticipated would go so well.

Suit, Giorgio Armani; shirt, Tom Ford; Reverso Classic Large Duoface watch, Jaeger- LeCoultre.

He grew up the fourth of five boys in England’s Coventry area. His father was a country and western singer who left the family when Owen was 3. His mother remarried a railway clerk, and money was never an issue because there was never very much of it. “I came from a tough upbringing, but I wouldn’t say I was a tough kid,” Owen says. He always liked sports; he is a lifelong Liverpool Football Club superfan. But makeup and costumes are what did him in. “I think it was one school play at age 13, and from then on, acting is all I wanted to do.”

For a long time, Owen was British TV famous. After graduating from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (“Ralph Fiennes was a year ahead of me and definitely got all the attention,” he says), he did Shakespeare at the Young Vic before landing his first big break playing a stylish, overconfident con in the title role of Chancer. That early 1990s TV crime series made him a national heartthrob, though it would be another decade before U.S. audiences paid much attention.

“I was never the sort of actor who plotted my next move and thought, ‘Oh, here’s where I want to be in five years,’” he says. Owen is serious, and even a little dour (“I’m probably more of an introvert, yes,” he admits). He speaks quickly in short matter-of-fact sentences. If he wasn’t an actor, you might think you were talking to an athlete in the locker room after a difficult game. “I work and that’s most of it. A lot of actors will say, ‘I hate not knowing what’s coming,’ even people who’ve been successful for years. In a weird way, I love the hovering potential of whatever’s on the horizon. You keep waiting for the next challenge, the next script. It keeps you excited and alive.”

In 2004’s Closer, Owen’s ferocious but tender performance as a deviant dermatologist in a movie about sex and strippers (with costars Julia Roberts and Natalie Portman) earned him an Oscar nod and a Golden Globe win for his supporting role. He was officially every thinking moviegoer’s English stud muffin; an impressive run of big-budget popcorn releases followed: King Arthur (the title role), Sin City, The Pink Panther (he played Agent 006 in a kind of self-parody) and Inside Man. The 2006 dystopian sci-fi thriller Children of Men, about oppressive immigration laws that keep immigrants out of the United Kingdom, all but predicted the current migrant crisis in Europe and the U.S.

Jacket and shirt, both by Giorgio Armani.

In Gemini Man, Owen is on the cutting edge again. He plays a brutal boss in a space epic in which Smith’s character is being hunted by a younger, faster cloned version of himself. Owen says director Ang Lee is “leading things forward with everything that’s possible technically in a huge big-budget film, yet at the same time he’s so particular about character and details that the bigness of the movie melts away and, as an actor, you’re focusing on the tension and the intensity.”

Speaking of tension, I decided to tell Owen about the tsunami of libidinousness I unleashed simply by uttering his name in mixed company over cocktails. A sex symbol! Five years shy of 60! “Doesn’t that warm your heart a little when you look in the mirror in the morning?” I asked, and I could tell I’d broken protocol myself the moment I said it.

“Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no, no,” Owen says. “If I ever said, ‘Hey, wow, look, there’s a sex symbol in the mirror,’ you’d just have to shoot me. I might be an OK actor, but that’s not a performance I could fake.”

[nyxelestia]

It's been too long since I asked you question right ? So I have question for you :) first: BIG HUG, My question is: We don't know much about Scott's family, like his grandparents or where his family come from really so do you have any headcanons for his family ? ( and are you going to develop it in frost bite ? ) BIG HUG.

Years and years ago, my mother sat my ass down and made me watch some weird romantic dramedy about a hotel maid in Manhattan, creatively titled Maid in Manhattan. Among other things, there was a requisite Cute Kid who drove most of the plot, who was the son of the titular maid. Who was this kid you might ask?

BABY TYLER POSEY!

Bb!Tyler’s character, named Ty, often hung out in the hotel while his mom worked. This made it easy for him to run into a Senatorial candidate, who he wanted to interview for a school project. He tracked down his mom to ask for permission to help the guy walk his dog and interview him for the project - except due to a series of shenanigans, she gets mistaken for a rich socialite instead, and she and the politician hit it off. Of course, the truth eventually comes out, weird drama happens in the middle, and in the end, bb!Tyler eventually reunites her with the candidate.

Among other things, there was a subplot in which Ty actually dreads having to give the presentation for his school project, because he’s got a fear of public speaking. Turns out the candidate also hates public speaking, and the way he copes with his career being centered around it involves always holding a paperclip when he’s giving speeches, because he imagines it’s a channel by which all his speaking anxiety leaves him. The way bb!Tyler reunites the two characters involves crashing a press conference and very cutely asking some questions that makes the grown-ups realize their true feelings.

Of course, he was only able to do so because he was holding a paperclip - and it turns out he’s not the only one.

Incidentally, though, that candidate’s played Ralph Fiennes - aka M from some James Bond movies…and Voldemort from the Harry Potter movies. >:) He also played secret agent John Steed in the 1998 movie The Avengers, which was an adaptation of the British TV series of the same name, with absolutely no connection to the superhero team, or Marvel in general. ;)

Now, another fun fact: I’m a huge West Wing fan. Imagine my shock when I was watching Teen Wolf and President Santos’ assistant and campaign staffer, Bram Howard, showed up in Teen Wolf. Who is Bram Howard? Glad you didn’t ask!

Bram Howard was played by Matthew Del Negro, the guy who plays Agent McCall in Teen Wolf. In The West Wing, he was a campaign staffer for Congressman Santos, the guy who ultimately became the new President of the United States in the finale of the show - making Bram Howard a White House staffer.

But how would this work with Rafael’s current job with the FBI? Well, I’m glad you didn’t ask that, either, because guess who was in the West Wing before the first Iron Man movie even came out, pre-dating the entire MCU?

Years before anyone came up with an ascended fanboy SHIELD agent in the MCU, Clark Gregg was playing an FBI agent in The West Wing. So clearly, there’s some precedent for FBI operations in politics (and/or SHIELD going undercover with the FBI somehow).

Now, Melissa Ponzio - the actress for Melissa McCall - also has a pretty interesting filmography. The Teen Wolf writers really passed up a great opportunity by making Melissa basically a damsel in distress for Season 6A. Given the Ponzio already has some experience playing a BAMF as Karen in The Walking Dead, they could’ve done SO FUCKING MUCH with a Hunter/badass Melissa in Teen Wolf.

However, this is more recent (in fact, I believe this happened after Ponzio started playing Melissa McCall). And, more importantly, if Melissa were able to handle a gun that well, would she really have ever worked as a maid? Probably not. But, let’s say that there was a period of time in her life where she really needed money. What might a young Melissa might’ve done, that she would’ve hated doing and absolutely been willing to leave to become a maid? Well, maybe she played the kind of character Ponzio played in Life as We Know It: a stripper.

As for Teen Wolf itself:

While I suspect this is mostly down to really shitty writing and lack of production communication, the fact is that we never really see any family photos or indications of an extended family in the McCall home. We never really saw any in the Stilinski family home, either - and we now know that at least from the Sheriff’s side, this is because of severe daddy issues leading to the Sheriff trying to keep his own father away from his family as much as possible. What if he’s not the only one?

Also, I can tell you from personal experience that - while not all of them - a lot of women will often stay with really shitty husbands because that’s the sort of thing they grew up with. Their fathers were shitty husbands to their mothers (ranging from philandering to drinking to abuse, all of which we’ve seen at least hints of with Agent McCall), and so many don’t leave their own husbands because they think it’s normal (or they know it’s not, but it is what they’re used to - and better the devil you know than the devil you don’t).

Also, I won’t speak for everyone, but I do know that divorce is often a process, and there can be periods of time where your parents are separated but not divorced, and that when one of your parents finally leaves the other, it’s often long, long overdue.

So here’s my headcanon for the McCall family background in general (at least until it’s jossed in 6B):

Melissa’s family was really, really shitty, and she left as soon as she could. She worked part-time as a hotel maid in San Francisco, and moonlighted as a stripper, because she’s hot af.

This was when and how she met a young, up-and-coming FBI agent named Rafael McCall, when he was working undercover as a campaign staffer for a shady politician who was spending some time in the hotel she cleaned up for (and who once threw a party involving strippers, including herself).

After the guy was busted for whatever the FBI was investigating him for, Melissa and Rafael hooked up, Rafael got her pregnant, and they got married. They moved out to a small town nearby, which was small enough to support their suburban family ‘happily ever after’ dreams (though also had enough crime that Rafael could find plenty of investigative work in town - dude, this is Beacon Hills).

However, Rafael was neither an ideal husband (the philandering we hear about from Grandpa Stilinski in 6A) nor an ideal father (the drinking stated outright by Melissa in 3B, and the multiple vague implications of abusive behavior). Melissa starts nursing school in large part to get out of the house and away from Rafael (and with the vague hope that once she’s a nurse, she will be able to support herself and her son, and can leave Rafael if needs be).

The Staircase Incident happens, and she finally kicks Rafael out of the house. He leaves quietly, because the reality is that if Melissa wanted to, she could at best end his career and at worse get him imprisoned for hurting and nearly killing his own child.

(I also like to headcanon that the Staircase Incident is actually why Scott’s jaw is off-center. Rafael doesn’t know because Scott was too concussed at the time to express pain, and by the time Scott and Melissa realized his jaw was broken, Rafael was gone and Melissa had no desire to reach out to him over this.)

Since Melissa was only just finishing up nursing school/just starting out as a nurse at this point, she got her old job at the hotel back for a little while to help support herself and Scott, now that they didn’t have Rafael anymore to rely on.

Of course, that politician whose campaign was how she and Rafael met swings by, and now he’s running for Senate. He initially hits it off with Scott and Melissa both, even letting bb!Scott interview him for a school project and giving him some public speaking pointers. Unfortunately, he quickly revealed himself to be a racist (benevolent racist, maybe, but still racist), which is why Stiles called him Voldemort from then on. :P

For Winter Wolves in particular:

The politician in question was actually under HYDRA’s thumb, which is why even with an FBI agent undercover in his staff, no one was ever able to find anything on him.

Rafael McCall and Phil Coulson had crossed paths a few times in the past during Phil’s undercover stint with the FBI.

[taemins-dolphin]

Fanboy (With Kai)

genre: fluff 1609 words

summary: very short what if kim jongin was your fanboy?

- Thursday, 9:53pm

Jongin is on his phone, browsing on tumblr for new kpop idols to fanboy over. It's late and he has to finish an essay due Monday but obviously, that's not what's on his mind at the moment. What he's thinking of is studying the new girl group he's found and he needs to know all of their names asap. He needs to study their faces and know everything about them. He needs to pick his favourite so he could show his other kpop friends how diversified he is in the kpop world. While he studies them, there's one girl that completely stands out of the rest. He doesn't know what it is, all he knows is that she's his new bias. There's no doubt.

- Friday, 1:13am

He knows all their names and faces. He's proud. But that's not the only thing. He also somehow fell in love with his new bias. He feels bubbly and happy everytime the camera does a closeup to her face. He uses the word 'love' lightly and his sisters always make fun of him for being so clueless in the subject of love. He imagines it feeling like rainbows and candywaterfalls. That's exactly how he feels right now. He'll make sure to tell his sisters about his new found love.

- Friday 7:47pm

"Noona! Look, isn't she pretty?" One of Jongin's sisters passes by his brother's apartment with chinese take out, enough for him and his roommate. She stops and takes Jongin's phone from his hands to examinate the girl's looks. She smiles.

"Wow, good job Jongin. You finally found a girl worth obsessing over." She ruffles his hair and starts to set everything on the table. Jongin hates it when she does that but she finds it amusing; he will always be her little brother. "Call Suho out, I'll be heading out. Don't stay up too late watching miss Kpop there!" She heads out and closes the door behind her.

She grins; she might be able to get her brother a great birthday present this year.

- Sunday, 10:32am

Jongin's sister has three tickets for a fanmeeting (I know it's not usually in January but pls bear with me lol); one for her, one for her sister and one for Jongin. After learning about Jongin's new love, she knew this would be the perfect opportunity to give him the best birthday ever; it was his 21st birthday after all. Some guys usually want to drink til the sun comes up but Jongin has had it before at his 19th birthday party and he dislikes the taste. Jongin would rather spend time with his family. He rarely ever sees them anymore after he moved into his apartment. He misses them.

She calls him over the phone, telling him they were going to bring him to this new Korean restaurant across the street. She mentions that it's extremely fancy so he needs to dress up. Honestly, she just wants to see him being all cute with his hair gelled up and also because she wants him to leave a good impression on the girl.

- Sunday, 12:23pm

Jongin finally makes it at his sister's house and finds it extremely weird that they're going somewhere fancy at such an early time. But he guesses it's fine as long as he's spending time with family. His hair is indeed gelled up like his sister expected. He's wearing his black tuxedo; the one he wore at his sister's wedding and his sisters can't help but squeeze his cheeks at how cute he is.

He has no clue where they're going anymore. They said the restaurant was just across the street and it's been more than thiry minutes. He can't see where they are either with the blindfold they put on him. All he hears now is the sound of the new girl group he likes. At least they let him pick the songs.

The song in the car is suddenly being over inaudible by the even louder song outside. It sounds like his bias' voice and he can't help but feel extemely excited. If his sisters brought him to the fanmeeting he was sad about a few weeks back because he couldn't go, he would owe them his life. His excitement was currently overpowering his body and he kept jumping up and down his seat like one of his dogs.

"Jonginnie, you could look now." His sister says after pulling him out of the car.

Jongin has a huge grin on his face as he takes off the blindfold. There, in front of him, is a huge crowd of fans holding up banners to his favourite girl group. He's so happy, he could cry, instead he rushes to his sisters and hugs them tightly, muttering his thank yous.

He doesn't let go until they tell him they still have to find their seats. He lets go and pulls them as fast as he could, his sister almost forgets to lock the car.

-Sunday, 1pm

"Hi everybody! We're so glad you could make it!" The leader greets, and Jongin is honestly feeling so attacked by how sweet her voice sounds in real life. Everyone makes a short introduction and there's only one left, and that's his bias.

"Hey guys! How are you all today?" She puts a hand to her ear and waits for everyone's answer. Jongin waves his hand vigorously and yells out how well he's doing and practically confesses his love her within two seconds. "Haha, I see we have a very energetic crowd today! I hope you all enjoy today's meet and greet."

The leader counts to three and the whole group does their greeting. Jongin feels like fainting.

-Sunday, 2pm

It's almost his turn to meet his bias, she's the last and he's waiting for the fan to finish his turn. The bodyguard tells the fan to move on and let the line advance, the fan nods and bows one last time at the idol.

Jongin's heart is beating incessantly. He's next, he feels like he's been waiting for this moment forever.

"Wow, I like your suit. It reminds me of James Bond; I like James Bond." She's smiling right at him; he doesn't know what to say. Exactly, no clue. He's been rehearsing this moment in the shower countless of times but he never imagined her to be so beautiful in real life.

"T-thank you. I'm Jongin." He hands her their first album, back when not many people knew about them and Jongin was still getting to know all the members.

“Don’t be shy Jongin. We have to make this moment memorable for you! High five!” She lifts up her hand for him, waiting for Jongin to high five her. However, he only stares and watches her hand slowly go down as she realizes that maybe she made him even more uncomfortable.

“NEXT!” The host yells out for him to move on so that other people can meet her too.

She only smiles and awkwardly waves goodbye at Jongin. He bows respectfully and immediately goes to the side where his sisters are waiting for him. His face grows red at the embarrassment he had just encountered. Why on earth didn’t he high five her?! She probably hates him by now. Oh, Jongin, why?!

The one time he gets to meet his bias and he flat out ignores her because his stupid brain cannot function properly.

His sisters only chuckle and try to comfort their little brother, hugging him as he regrets every bit of that moment.

“Hey, at least the others don’t hate you as much.”

Jongin groans for the rest of their walk back to their seats.

-Saturday, 5pm (two weeks after the meet and greet)

“What is the most memorable experience you’ve ever had with a fan?” The interviewer asks Jongin’s bias. She looks exceptionally pretty today, Jongin thinks. The hair extensions suit her a lot.

“All of them are!” She exclaims, giving out the perfect idol answer which makes the whole set laugh at how enthusiastic she is.

“Ya, we’re on a variety show. We need some topic to talk about!” The host laughs out loud, poking fun at how idol-like she is for giving out a typical idol answer.

“Haha, I’ll just tell you the most recent one. It was on Sunday and we had a meet and greet.” She gives in to the host and begins to tell her story, much to Jongin’s liking.

“Oh no.” Jongin’s eyes widen at the introduction of her story. This could be him. But it can’t be right? It’s normal to be star struck. This isn’t something that should be remembered. It should be buried and never to be spoken of again.

“And, one fan was dressed up to the nines. His hair was well-coiffed, he had on a suit, and he was very handsome overall.” She starts to explain, moving her hands around to describe him. Her eyes widen at every detail she describes, emphasizing his features.

She thought he was handsome?

“He seemed uncomfortable so I reached out for a high five but he totally ignored me! I felt like my crush had just rejected me! It was amazing. I haven’t felt rejected in so long!” The whole set began to laugh again as she exclaims her disappointments. Everybody is in awe at how well she expressed herself.

Kim Jongin doesn’t even listen to the rest of her speech. He’s too embarrassed. He feels like his life has just ended. She thinks he’s handsome and he knows he’ll never see her again.

He hates being a fan.

[arman038]

Ready Player One

Ernest Cline’s “Ready Player One” is a book filled with references to video games, virtual reality, ’80s pop-culture trivia, geek heroes like E. Gary Gygax, and funny-sounding cult items like Frobozz and Raaka-Tu. Yet it works for people who like books without pictures too. Mr. Cline is photographed on the jacket standing in front of an open-flapped DeLorean, like the one in “Back to the Future.” He looks a bit like the filmmaker Kevin Smith, one of the few people on the planet who may be capable of catching all of Mr. Cline’s geekoid references. (Mr. Cline himself wrote the screenplay for the 2009 film “Fanboys,” about unusually fanatical “Star Wars” devotees.) Another is the science-fiction writer John Scalzi, who has aptly referred to “Ready Player One” as a “nerdgasm.” There can be no better one-word description of this ardent fantasy artifact about fantasy culture. With its Pac-Man-style cover graphics and vintage Atari mind-set “Ready Player One” certainly looks like a genre item. But Mr. Cline is able to incorporate his favorite toys and games into a perfectly accessible narrative. He sets it in 2044, when there aren’t many original Duran Duran fans still afoot, and most students of 1980s trivia are zealous kids. They are interested in that time period because a billionaire inventor, James Halliday, died and left behind a mischievous legacy. Whoever first cracks Halliday’s series of ’80s-related riddles, clues and puzzles that are included in a film called “Anorak’s Invitation” will inherit his fortune. Halliday was “the video-game designer responsible for creating the Oasis, a massively multiplayer online game that had gradually evolved into the globally networked virtual reality most of humanity now used on a daily basis,” Mr. Cline writes. Part of what has made Oasis so attractive is that real life on an impoverished, resource-depleted Earth has grown increasingly grim. So the characters in “Ready Player One” spend their time as avatars bewitched by online role playing. They live as shut-ins and don’t know one another in the flesh. Art3mis, the hot-looking blogger and warrior who becomes the novel’s heroine, may actually be an overweight middle-aged guy named Chuck. Read novel online - The book’s narrator is a school kid named Wade Watts, whose parents at least had the foresight to give him the alliterative name of a superhero. But Wade’s real circumstances are not exciting. He lives in a tall block of stacked mobile homes and escapes to an abandoned van to adopt his online persona. He goes to school because he has to; his video console and virtual-reality visor will be taken away if he flunks out. But his school avatar is often seen slumped at its desk, sleeping. That’s because Wade is busy being an alter ego called Parzival. Like Art3mis he spells his name funny because the other spellings are already taken. Wade is obsessed with “Anorak’s Invitation,” not least because there’s something fishy about it: the extras seen with Halliday have been digitally borrowed from old John Hughes films. There’s no knowing what actually happened to Halliday. But Halliday’s knowledge of 1980s trivia was so thorough that Wade is determined to match it. (As a full-time gamer he is competitive by nature. And what else has he got to do?) So he knows everything about every episode of “Family Ties” and every coin-operated arcade game. “Ready Player One” takes its title, sentimentally, from the phrase that signaled the start of games from that era. In “Anorak’s Invitation” Halliday mentions one of his sentimental favorites, the Atari game Adventure, and the Easter egg that its creator, Warren Robinett, incorporated into it. And now it’s time to start looking things up, if you are hooked by Mr. Cline’s premise but unfamiliar with his huge frame of reference. An Easter egg is a secret sign or clue or whatnot that may be embedded in a game, and Halliday has deliberately created an occasion for egg hunting. A great many egg hunters, known as “gunters” for short, do nothing but try to find Halliday’s eggs. Reader, ask yourself: Would you be interested in Wade’s story if you weren’t sure he was smarter than all the other guys? SEE SAMPLE PRIVACY POLICY OPT OUT OR CONTACT US ANYTIME Because Wade needs at least a few friends, he bonds with Art3mis and three other avatars. They become known as the High Five when they start racking up high numbers on the cosmic scoreboard. Mr. Cline describes their progress with a winking appreciation of the culture clash that ensues when Wade, a humble schoolboy, reaches the Tomb of Horrors to lock antlers with Acererack the Demi-Lich from Dungeons & Dragons. But “Ready Player One” crosses a line here, when its virtual-reality fetish leads it into Dungeons & Dragons for real. The book gets off to a witty start, with Wade and his cronies slinging insults about one another’s knowledge of fantasy films and using ’80s-vintage movie quips like “Don’t call me Shirley.” (From “Airplane!” of course.) And if they are capable of arguing endlessly about “Star Wars” trivia, they’re also living in a 27-sector virtual-reality world arranged like a Rubik’s Cube and where the “Star Wars” and “Star Trek” realms are right next door to each other. (See “nerdgasm,” above.) So the breadth and cleverness of Mr. Cline’s imagination gets this daydream pretty far. But there comes a point when it’s clear that Wade lacks at least one dimension, and that gaming has overwhelmed everything else about this book. Still it will be interesting to see how “Ready Player One” becomes (as is planned) a movie based on a book about songs, TV shows, games and movies. And when lines like “Continue your quest by taking the test” are said out loud and don't forget reading novel online for free

[blogarina4545]

Ready Player One

Ernest Cline’s “Ready Player One” is a book filled with references to video games, virtual reality, ’80s pop-culture trivia, geek heroes like E. Gary Gygax, and funny-sounding cult items like Frobozz and Raaka-Tu. Yet it works for people who like books without pictures too. Mr. Cline is photographed on the jacket standing in front of an open-flapped DeLorean, like the one in “Back to the Future.” He looks a bit like the filmmaker Kevin Smith, one of the few people on the planet who may be capable of catching all of Mr. Cline’s geekoid references. (Mr. Cline himself wrote the screenplay for the 2009 film “Fanboys,” about unusually fanatical “Star Wars” devotees.) Another is the science-fiction writer John Scalzi, who has aptly referred to “Ready Player One” as a “nerdgasm.” There can be no better one-word description of this ardent fantasy artifact about fantasy culture. With its Pac-Man-style cover graphics and vintage Atari mind-set “Ready Player One” certainly looks like a genre item. But Mr. Cline is able to incorporate his favorite toys and games into a perfectly accessible narrative. He sets it in 2044, when there aren’t many original Duran Duran fans still afoot, and most students of 1980s trivia are zealous kids. They are interested in that time period because a billionaire inventor, James Halliday, died and left behind a mischievous legacy. Whoever first cracks Halliday’s series of ’80s-related riddles, clues and puzzles that are included in a film called “Anorak’s Invitation” will inherit his fortune. Halliday was “the video-game designer responsible for creating the Oasis, a massively multiplayer online game that had gradually evolved into the globally networked virtual reality most of humanity now used on a daily basis,” Mr. Cline writes. Part of what has made Oasis so attractive is that real life on an impoverished, resource-depleted Earth has grown increasingly grim. So the characters in “Ready Player One” spend their time as avatars bewitched by online role playing. They live as shut-ins and don’t know one another in the flesh. Art3mis, the hot-looking blogger and warrior who becomes the novel’s heroine, may actually be an overweight middle-aged guy named Chuck. Read novel online - The book’s narrator is a school kid named Wade Watts, whose parents at least had the foresight to give him the alliterative name of a superhero. But Wade’s real circumstances are not exciting. He lives in a tall block of stacked mobile homes and escapes to an abandoned van to adopt his online persona. He goes to school because he has to; his video console and virtual-reality visor will be taken away if he flunks out. But his school avatar is often seen slumped at its desk, sleeping. That’s because Wade is busy being an alter ego called Parzival. Like Art3mis he spells his name funny because the other spellings are already taken. Wade is obsessed with “Anorak’s Invitation,” not least because there’s something fishy about it: the extras seen with Halliday have been digitally borrowed from old John Hughes films. There’s no knowing what actually happened to Halliday. But Halliday’s knowledge of 1980s trivia was so thorough that Wade is determined to match it. (As a full-time gamer he is competitive by nature. And what else has he got to do?) So he knows everything about every episode of “Family Ties” and every coin-operated arcade game. “Ready Player One” takes its title, sentimentally, from the phrase that signaled the start of games from that era. In “Anorak’s Invitation” Halliday mentions one of his sentimental favorites, the Atari game Adventure, and the Easter egg that its creator, Warren Robinett, incorporated into it. And now it’s time to start looking things up, if you are hooked by Mr. Cline’s premise but unfamiliar with his huge frame of reference. An Easter egg is a secret sign or clue or whatnot that may be embedded in a game, and Halliday has deliberately created an occasion for egg hunting. A great many egg hunters, known as “gunters” for short, do nothing but try to find Halliday’s eggs. Reader, ask yourself: Would you be interested in Wade’s story if you weren’t sure he was smarter than all the other guys? SEE SAMPLE PRIVACY POLICY OPT OUT OR CONTACT US ANYTIME Because Wade needs at least a few friends, he bonds with Art3mis and three other avatars. They become known as the High Five when they start racking up high numbers on the cosmic scoreboard. Mr. Cline describes their progress with a winking appreciation of the culture clash that ensues when Wade, a humble schoolboy, reaches the Tomb of Horrors to lock antlers with Acererack the Demi-Lich from Dungeons & Dragons. But “Ready Player One” crosses a line here, when its virtual-reality fetish leads it into Dungeons & Dragons for real. The book gets off to a witty start, with Wade and his cronies slinging insults about one another’s knowledge of fantasy films and using ’80s-vintage movie quips like “Don’t call me Shirley.” (From “Airplane!” of course.) And if they are capable of arguing endlessly about “Star Wars” trivia, they’re also living in a 27-sector virtual-reality world arranged like a Rubik’s Cube and where the “Star Wars” and “Star Trek” realms are right next door to each other. (See “nerdgasm,” above.) So the breadth and cleverness of Mr. Cline’s imagination gets this daydream pretty far. But there comes a point when it’s clear that Wade lacks at least one dimension, and that gaming has overwhelmed everything else about this book. Still it will be interesting to see how “Ready Player One” becomes (as is planned) a movie based on a book about songs, TV shows, games and movies. And when lines like “Continue your quest by taking the test” are said out loud and don't forget reading novel online for free