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hello-that-happened · 3 years ago

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How She-Ra, Wrong Hordak, and I Deconverted in Six Steps

Alright y'all, it's time for my fourth essay exploring how She-Ra and the Princess of Power (SPOP) used Christian themes and parallels to provide a humanist message.

My first post named 9 major messages of SPOP that contradict Christian fundamentalism.

My second gave the historical context of how our generation and Noelle's are growing up to overthrow Christian fundamentalism after it became such a powerful enemy in the U.S.

My third discussed the parallel between Horde Prime’s rage at Hordak’s self-naming and the Christian idea that everyone is an instrument of God’s will.

Now I want to discuss how Adora's and Wrong Hordak's journeys defections from the Horde parallel my story, and potentially others', of leaving Christianity. Adora and Wrong Hordak experience many of the same stages in his journey out of the Horde as many ex-Christians experience leaving Christianity.

My own experience leaving Christianity was a journey into atheism, so I will interpret Adora's and Wrong Hordak's stories through that lens. Plenty of people who left toxic/conservative Christianity behind still believe in God, in heaven, and/or in the value of Christian communities. I do not want to minimize or dismiss their experiences, and I welcome progressive Christians as allies in the fight for LGBT+ rights and social justice generally. But when I watched Adora and Wrong Hordak leave their belief in The Horde behind, I saw myself leaving Christianity behind. I want to tell my story through/alongside theirs. I hope some of you can relate, but it is okay if you cannot, regardless of your religious beliefs or lack thereof.

Deconversion in Fast-Forward

Adora, Wrong Hordak, and I escaped from the organizations that raised us and its worldview in six somewhat-distinct stages:

Multiple major characters' arcs in She-Ra begin with rethinking their loyalty to The Horde. Wrong Hordak and Adora both lose their faith in The Horde after a lifetime of indoctrination into its ideals and goals. Their journey away from The Horde mirrors many young Americans' away from Christianity, with at least one notable exception: time. Deconversion takes multiple years for most ex-Christians, but only takes a few days for Adora and Wrong Hordak. Their de-conversion basically represents a speed run of most ex-Christians'.

Full Breakdown of Each Stage

(tw: mention of depression and suicidal ideation)

Adora takes delight in pretending to beat up an imaginary princess in the show's first scene, and later calls princesses "violent instigators who don't even know how to control their powers." She believes in the ideals of The Horde, and feels excited to rise through the ranks to become Force Captain. Obedience to Horde authorities comes fairly naturally to her, and she even chides Catra for being "disrespectful."

Wrong Hordak consistently repeats his loyalty to Horde Prime throughout his first episode and beyond. Even while being attacked by his fellow clones, Wrong Hordak affirms that "We serve Horde Prime's will." Unprompted in the next episode he happily announces, "I believe in Horde Prime!"

I felt proud, as a kid in Sunday School, that I could answer more questions about the Bible than any of the other kids. My church's youth group was the most enjoyable part of my middle school years especially because I got to hang out with the guy I only recently realized I'd had a huge gay crush on. I started viewing "feeling happy" and "feeling the presence of God" as identical. I wrote in my 2011 "Faith Statement" for my church's Confirmation that "I fell in love with God," and that "I thank God that I was born into a good Christian family and was raised to honor God."

Adora is kidnapped by the Horde's enemies and taken away from her home, separated from all of the voices reassuring her that The Horde is a good organization with a just mission. Shadow Weaver is not around to give her orders or map out her future anymore, leaving her alone with her enemies and her thoughts.

Wrong Hordak's connection to the hive-mind he knew for all of his life is severed. "I am…alone?" he asks in shock, then breaks down and cries, "I am alone!" For someone who grew up living in the same mind as his entire communal "family," suddenly losing that connection to everyone he knew would be traumatizingly shocking. The best equivalent I can think of in human experience is being suddenly ripped away from your family and community and then never seeing them again.

I kept conflating happiness with my faith in God for years, even after my crush moving away drove me into suicidal ideation for a couple weeks in 2011. My mental health recovered for a year before settling into a long-term depression in 2012. Because I conflated happiness with the presence of God, my depression felt like something had taken away the presence of God.

Adora defends the organization that raised her by quoting her highest authority: "Hordak says we're doing what's best for Etheria. We're trying to make things better. More orderly." Glimmer argues against Adora's worldview by showing her (1) that princesses are just people instead of dangerous violent monsters, and (2) what The Horde has done: first the ruins of a village destroyed by The Horde, and then that the village of Thaymor which she was told to attack was peaceful, innocent, and happy.

Wrong Hordak grabs Entrapta by the hair for the crime of "trespassing," and enjoys saying, "Prime shall hear of this, and his punishment shall be merciless." But once Bow’s arrow disconnects him from the Horde’s hivemind, he is simultaneously stranded away from the people who constantly reinforced his belief in Horde Prime’s goodness and stuck with a group of people opposing Prime. For a long time, Wrong Hordak simply pretends that the Best Friend Squad™ serve Horde Prime just like everyone else he ever knew. Every line of his dialogue in “Taking Control” is a quick, snappy motto he took from Horde propaganda, like “I believe…in Horde Prime” and “True nourishment comes from the favor of Horde Prime.” [see footnote 1]

I was well aware, growing up in a progressive suburb, that plenty of my high school friends were nonreligious. After my depression sunk in, I found myself arguing about religion with a brilliant but very smug British friend who consistently refuted my arguments in ways I could not dispute. Searching for arguments to support my pre-existing beliefs, I started reading Christian apologetics, but found nothing my friends could not easily refute. [see footnote 2]

Adora sees the ruins of the site of a Horde attack while with Glimmer and Bow, and at first rejects what Glimmer tells her about what she sees to preserve her worldview: "This doesn't make any sense. The Horde would never do something like this…You don't know them like I do." But when she sees The Horde attack Thaymor, the belief system painstakingly constructed by The Horde and drilled into her over 15 (or so) years comes crashing down. At first she can rationalize away her experiences to preserve her beliefs, but when the evidence of her own senses becomes overwhelming she cannot resolve the cognitive dissonance between her belief in The Horde's goodness and her direct experience of The Horde attacking the innocent town of Thaymor. Her worldview cannot explain what she experienced.

Wrong Hordak keeps his belief in Horde Prime's all-powerful nature for a long time after joining the Best Friend Squad. However, when until the Best Friend Squad catches him in a contradiction. He tells them what he was told: that Krytis does not exist. As soon as they start questioning the contradiction he was fed, he becomes extremely uncomfortable. He maintains his denial of Krytis' existence even after they land on the planet, until he can no longer deny the evidence that Horde Prime is not all-powerful.

I grew up, like many of you, on the Internet. My depression began during the heyday of the online atheist movement—and by “heyday,” I mean “seemingly inescapable presence,” especially on YouTube where I hung out. I kept running into comments asking questions that I could not answer: Why does Christianity seem to promote belief based on internal feelings instead of observable evidence? Why would an all-loving god send anyone to hell forever? Why did I believe claims from Christian doctrine and doubt claims from every other religion? Why has Christianity seemed to cling to the past instead of embracing a progressive future? The questions overwhelmed me. I found myself terrified of my own growing doubts. Eventually, my belief was based entirely on two emotions: nostalgia for past happy experiences I associated with Christianity, and a fear of losing the vague hope those experiences gave me.

The first time that Bow and Glimmer met Adora, they immediately labeled her “Horde soldier!,” and the label stuck through the first three episodes. Adora has always identified herself primarily as a soldier serving The Horde, echoing the messages she has heard for her whole life: “Shadow Weaver said it didn't matter who I was before, that—that I was nothing before Hordak took me in.” The language of “I was nothing” reflects cult dynamics where a group tries to retain someone permanently by making them think of themself as nothing more than their worshipful loyalty to the group. Similarly, it is a common Christian belief that “without Jesus we are nothing.”

After realizing that Horde Prime fes him lies, Wrong Hordak collapsed into a sobbing mess. “Who am I if not an exalted brother of Prime?,” he bawled, still thinking that the only legitimate kind of identity is one based on fully devoted worship of an all-powerful authority. Per Entrapta, “It seem[ed] that Wrong Hordak has begun to question the meaning of life.” She later described Wrong Hordak’s breakdown as an “existential crisis,” which happens “when individuals question whether their lives have meaning, purpose, or value, and are negatively impacted by the contemplation.” Without an all-powerful father figure to value him, Wrong Hordak thought, who would?

I identified myself fundamentally as a Christian for my entire childhood and teen years. I found joy, purpose, and a sense of self in my religion. Leaving my religion behind felt like burning the bridge to who I was behind me. When I de-converted from Christianity, I felt like I was standing at the brink of a void. I thought that without finding goodness in God, I might find no goodness at all. [see footnote 3]

When Wrong Hordak finishes (digitally, but also emotionally) processing the Krytis data logs of Horde Prime leaving in defeat, he explicitly renounces his old loyalties and declares his opposition to the organization and beliefs that he used to believe in with all his heart: "Brothers! Horde Prime lied to us. He is a false ruler. We must rise up against him, and free the universe from his unjust reign!"

After Adora betrays the Horde at the Battle of Thaymor, she pledges her loyalty to Bright Moon in her battle against the Horde: "I’ve seen for myself the atrocities the Horde has committed against the people of Etheria, and I’m ready to fight to stop them. If you give me the chance, I know I can help the Rebellion turn the tide of the war."

I didn't have an explicit declaration statement like Wrong Hordak or Adora. However, on 5/5/15 I arranged a meeting with my very friendly and understanding youth pastor as a last-ditch effort to save my faith. I hoped that he would crush my worrying doubts. Instead, actually encouraged me to become agnostic and to look into non-Christian beliefs on the subject of religion. Rather than feeling terrified of what I might find and wishing that someone could indoctrinate me into my old belief system, I started on a path to discover the truth wherever it might lead me.

Footnotes for Context

Christian fundamentalists’ similarly simplistic snappy phrases have been labeled by ex-Christians as “thought-terminating clichés… brief, highly reductive, definitive-sounding phrases” where “Simple labels are attached to something you like or dislike, and they are the start and finish of all thought on the subject.” Such black-and-white “totalistic” thinking is common in Christian fundamentalism, especially how it labels complex political topics as somehow being merely a cover for “spiritual warfare” between the totally good/Godly side and the totally evil/demonic side.

Specifically, I started reading an “Intelligent Design” propaganda apologetics book by Lee Strobel called The Case For A Creator. A self-proclaimed former atheist, Strobel wrote his The Case For series using my same research strategy: Only do research using sources that already agree with you. Whereas Strobel exclusively talked to other Christian apologists, though, I at least tried talking to atheists. Anyway, I walked into school one day with a confident smile and a copy of Strobel’s book and sat down with some friends. One of them, another brilliant atheist but with a far subtler and humbler personality, noticed it and his face immediately sunk into the expression of someone exhausted by the topic as he braced himself for my bullshit. When I confidently asserted a creationist talking point trying to dismiss the findings of some old experiment, he not only knew the experiment but immediately dismantled my talking point. I had no reply. What struck me most was not just his swift rebuttal, but his weary tone: My arguments were not only bad, but so bad that he was genuinely tired of them.

Around the same time, I became obsessed with the character of Kefka from Final Fantasy 6. To me, Kefka represented what I feared most about leaving Christianity behind — that I would lose any sense of meaning, purpose, or morality in my life. ("Life… Dreams… Hope…Where do they come from? And where are they headed? Such meaningless things!") Edgy, I know, but in my mind that kind of absurdism seemed to be an inevitable result of abandoning my religious beliefs. Fortunately, I came to understand that there is plenty of meaning, purpose, beauty, and goodness outside of the particular religion that I happened to be born into.

#she-ra #spop #she-ra spoilers #spop spoilers #religion #christianity #long post #...#about me #religious meta

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bbcghostsconfessions · 4 years ago

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Cap and the ghosts get a Cinderella esque night as living beings. Cap meets Adam at a gay bar. Headcanons for how the night goes?

This is such a good idea! Wow ok I hope I did this justice, I love Cap so much he deserves he world!

Ok so in this concept I’m gonna go with the Moonah allows them to become “human” for one night every decade. Robin’s actually been doing it for centuries but just never told the others before, and they all just assume he’s off causing trouble and never assume the reality.

Of course since Alison arrives at the house she sees their antics more often than the others, and on the night of the Cinderella Moonah, she catches Robin preparing. Of course after very little interrogation she figured it out, but was nervous to tell the others in case they get upset over the idea, or in the case of Julian and Thomas, get in more trouble than usual.

However, since she follows Alison around everywhere, Kitty hears the conversation, and due to her hyperactive joy at even the littlest things, she runs off to tell the others.

A few of them are, let’s say apprehensions of the whole act, while a certain someone (Fanny) says it’s a disgrace to act so undignified. At this point she only knows that Robin is causing trouble, and not the other possibilities of the night.

Coincidentally, Mike and Alison had planned to head out for a few drinks to have a break from the hotel work (and the ghosts), and after Alison explains to him the situation, Mike suggests they take some of them out with them for a taste of the real world, or a breath of fresh air.

Some of the ghosts jumped at the idea, Pat, Kitty, and Thomas for a couple. However surprisingly enough, the Captain also showed some interest, claiming it was to “make sure no one caused any trouble.” Honestly he was desperate for a taste of the outside, and after the wedding, he was curious of how the world had changed since his day.

Upon hearing this, Allison takes Mike aside and they agree it would be great to go to a gay bar instead of the pub. Mikes secretly been routing for Cap all this time, since he asks Allison about the ghosts all the time and she has no issue with giving the gossip.

Julian was banned from going out for obvious reasons, but he was allowed access to any trousers he wanted to put on for the evening.

Once they were all humanised, Mike and Allison shared some of their clothes with the group to blend in. (Thomas got his double demin from both Mike and Allison’s wardrobes, he’s still a little miffed he’s got no aviators.)

Cap was nervous to say the least in the taxi over, he hadnt known society properly when he was alive due to his commitment to the army, and the idea of meeting people in the modern era made him have a spike of anxiety.

The bar was fairly busy when they all arrived, patrons dancing and mingling around, drinks in hand and smiles on faces. While Mike went to get some drinks for the group, Allison gave them a debrief.

“Right, all of you, this is weird for all of us, and I get you’ve missed a lot of, well, not the house. Just try and mingle, and don’t get into trouble. Got that?”

More or less this worked out, Pat got a bit too friendly with some people but got into the swing of it, Kitty actually blended in quite well into any group of girls, and Thomas spent his time dancing. But Cap was for the most part stood at the side of the room, feeling slightly uneasy in the blue polo shirt he borrowed from Mike and a pair of Allison’s old jeans. That was until his gaze met a figure at the bar, nursing what looking like a glass of water.

Adam hadn’t changed since the film shoot, still smartly dressed with a watchful eye over the room quite like he was on set. He seemed disinterested with anything else. “Good lord,” Cap mutters to himself.

“Everything alright Captain?” Allison asks, noticing his perked up attitude as well as what caused it. The Captin shakes out of his staring session, eyes darting between her and Adam. “What? No, don’t trouble yourself Allison, I’m fine.” He’s not the best liar.

“Ooh yeah he’s that director from that period drama.”

“Adam, and a first Assistant Director actually, not a director.” Allison smiles at his ever present detail.

“Go say hello, you seemed pretty interested back then.”

“Interested? I’m not interested in him, don’t be so ridiculous.” The Captain replies sharply.

“I never mentioned him specifically Captain.” She smirks at him knowingly. “Go on, say hello, you never know.” Before he can say anything else in defence, Allison disappears into the crowd to find Mike, and maybe another beer.

Cap takes a second to straiten his shirt, messing with the collar in any attempt to put off walking over. He checked his shoes, slightly stuffed and unbearably dirty, and the jeans weren’t even ironed, honestly do the others so any actual maintenance on themselves this is ridiculous...

“Uh...hi.” Cap looks up from his shoes, to see someone he didn’t expect to be right in front. Adam for some unknown reason, was stood there looking at him.

“Ah, ehem, hello.” He had no idea what to do, what to say, did he need something, was he in the way? “Can I help you at all?” Adam chuckles, and Cap loves it.

“Well actually I caught you looking my way, and I was wondering if I can help You.” good lord Good Lord GOOD LORD!! Cap almost combusts on the spot. ‘Come on man,’ he thinks to himself. ‘You’ve got this one chance, make it count!’

“Well perhaps you can. You seemed to be a, uhh, charming fellow, is all.” He says looks down at Adams drink. “Water I see? A tad different for a place like this I understand.”

“Yeah a little, I’m designated driver for a few friends, still have to have a sharp mind for them. They can be quite idiotic when they feel like it.” Adam beans up at Cap.

“Well yes I should think so, very good,” Adam falls silent, curiously staring at Cap. “Everything quite alright,” Cap asks.

Adam pauses for a second. “Have we met before?” He asks, stunning Cap. “It’s just that you seem so familiar to me for some reason, as if we met recently.” Cap smiles softly at him.

“I’m sure I’d never forget you.”

“Yeah,” Adam replies, gently as ever, “I don’t think I would either.”

#bbc ghosts #ben willbond #horrible histories #jim howick #martha howe douglas #simon farnaby #larry rickard #lolly adefope #yonderland #matt baynton

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aardvark-123 · 3 years ago

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Shrine Maiden’s Mission

Sent from the heavens, wielding rainbows and lightning in the name of peace and justice, Hoshiro Nijinazuma is Gensokyo’s greatest warrior. Her decision-making skills, however, leave a lot to be desired. When mysterious goddesses set up shop beside the mountain lake, Hoshiro and her companions face an unusual challenge. Can Reimu last against the daughter of gods? And what is the true definition of heroism? Tonight, two women in blue get used as blunt weapons...

~The Legend of Hoshiro Part 6: Shrine Maiden’s Mission~

"Don't worry about it, Reimu! It was just some weirdo talking about weirdo stuff."

"I know, but... What if she was right? My shrine's been doing terribly these past few months. I might have to get a side hustle..." With a woeful look, Reimu slumped sideways and squashed her cheek against Marisa's shoulder. "I was going to clean the shrine today, but now I can't face it."

Marisa sighed. "Moping all day isn't gonna get you anywhere," she declared, stroking Reimu's hair. "Why don't we go and dig for wild rakkyu? They're delicious when you pick them yourself! Come on, you clearly need an adventure."

Reimu looked up at her, suddenly interested. "Maybe we should take a look around Youkai Mountain. She said there was-"

"Good morning, fellow Incident-Resolvers!"

Reimu and Marisa looked up in alarm as Hoshiro thumped down in front of the shrine. Cirno and Kaguya alighted rather more gently on the flagstones.

"Um," said Reimu.

"Oh, hi!" said Marisa.

"Guess what? I resolve Incidents now!" declared Kaguya, her eyes shining. "It's brilliant! I needed something to get me out of the mansion, and then I met these two."

Hoshiro gave Kaguya a hug. "We're glad to have you, aren't we, Cirno?"

"Enough of this gay banter," said Cirno gravely. "Reports have been coming in of a frog with an elder youkai's power, and such a thing could see the balance of power be seriously un-power-balanced."

"Are you joking? A frog?" scoffed Reimu.

"Quiet, you! Marisa, you must've heard something," said Cirno. "Did you?"

"Uh, no!" Marisa laughed nervously, laying a hand on Reimu's shoulder. "Actually, we were just off to Youkai Mountain for unrelated reasons. Guess you won't be cleaning the shrine today, huh?"

"...No," said a slightly mollified Reimu. "Some other day. So Hoshiro, you and your friends going somewhere that isn't Youkai Mountain for the usual half-baked reasons, right?"

"Not definitely!" said Hoshiro, puffing out her cheeks in annoyance.

"I do hope not," said Kaguya.

"Well, have fun. Unless you want to stay and clean the shrine!" Reimu broke out in giggles at the absurd thought. "All right, Marisa, I'm ready. To Youkai Mountain!"

"For love, freedom and free love!" agreed Marisa.

Watching them disappear over the horizon, Hoshiro was nonplussed. "Wow... Those two never slow down!"

"Crazy kids like them have more energy than they know what to do with," observed Cirno. "What're we doing now, anyway?"

Hoshiro gasped delightedly. "Let's clean the shrine! She said we could, and it'll be a nice surprise when they get back!"

Kaguya blinked. "I have always wanted to sponge down a torii, but do we have time for a sidequest?"

"You've got to be joking! I let you two in my team to have fun, not do chores!" agreed Cirno, folding her arms. "Even if cleaning was fun, that frog could still be out there!"

"Yes, good point. We've been looking for it since this morning!" said Kaguya. "Should we really abandon the pursuit for cleaning?!"

"Well..." Hoshiro bit her lip. "It'd be something! Instead of hunting, we could use our strength for a shrine maiden who can't take care of herself!"

Kaguya looked at Cirno. Cirno stuck out her tongue.

"You... Paid more attention to Eiki than you let on, didn't you?" said Kaguya carefully.

"Who's Eik-"

"The one with green hair you met in the Bamboo Forest! She's the highest judge of the dead in Gensokyo!"

"Oh." Hoshiro's eyes widened. "A yama?! I didn't know! But- but yes, I remember. 'Listen, think, and work out what you do need to do, something something change the world.'," she recited. "I think cleaning the shrine is what we need to do."

"Er, well..."

"Heroism means helping those who can't help themselves, however that is, and together we are a hundred maids!" Hoshiro insisted. "We'd make Reimu so happy! Isn't that worth it?"

"Forget it," pouted Cirno, looking deeply uncomfortable.

Kaguya gave Cirno a look. "You really are the Toph to her Katara, aren't you? Well, I'm convinced! Whatever challenges come our way, I won't rest until the shrine is spotless!"

"Kaguya, you're the best!" Hoshiro spun around, punched the air and launched into her speech. "Forever Champion, Hoshiro Nijinazuma! Princess of the Cosmos, Kaguya Houraisan! Cryogenic Sorceress, Cirno I don't know your surname! Together we clean for hygiene, tidiness and friendship! Draw your duster alongside my bucket of soapy water, and by our glowing hearts let the shrine be made pure!"

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"What a crazy day. I had no idea there were so many kami for so many things!"

"It's not your fault! Religion isn't the kind of thing shrine maidens know about."

Reimu gave Marisa a withering look. Marisa burst out laughing, and together they carried on up the stairs to the Hakurei Shrine.

"At least we made some new friends," Marisa continued, kicking a discarded bar of soap off the path.

"I'm amazed," said Reimu, "that Sanae managed to arrange a sleepover tonight without me ever actually inviting her. That girl's something else!"

"She's way-" Marisa noticed something and furrowed her brow. "...Cool? Reimu, is that a mop and bucket up there?!"

They ran up the last few stairs to find three impromptu cleaning ladies asleep on the patio. Kaguya and Hoshiro were snuggled up together with Cirno curled up on top of them, a bucket wedged tightly over her head.

"I didn't think it was that late," said Marisa worriedly. "I ain't tired at all! Did someone slip us a barrel of coffee?"

"It's just an afternoon nap, Marisa! Although I don't know what they're playing at sleeping here." Reimu approached Hoshiro and tapped her on the head. "Hello? Hello?! Forever champion?!"

Hoshiro groaned softly and blinked herself awake. "Oh, hi again! We did some cleaning up," she said drowsily. "Like you asked."

"Clea... Cleaning?" Reimu's eyes widened. "You cleaned the shrine?!"

"I talked Kaguya and Cirno into it," Hoshiro informed her.

Realising her name was being worn out, Kaguya yawned loudly and sat up. "You were, um... Youkai Mountain! What happened there?" she asked while Cirno tried to get comfy again.

"We found a shifty goddess who'd just set up shop on the mountain! Her name's Kanako, and she has a shrine with loads of rope and things, and a green and blue shrine maiden for a daughter!" declared Marisa.

"And it turns out the villagers just love the shiny new Moriya Shrine," said Reimu wearily, "so I haven't been getting any business lately."

"Oh, that's a shame," said Hoshiro, ignoring a tide of swear words as Cirno tried to pull the bucket off her head. "But look on the bright side. With another shrine maiden working for an actual goddess, the village'll be twice as safe!"

Reimu's jaw dropped. "Actual goddess?! TWICE AS SAFE?! I'll show you twice as safe!" In a towering rage, she called the yin-yang orbs and leapt into the air. "Spirit Sign: Fantasy Seal!"

Cirno had just managed to pull the bucket off with a pop. "A fight! Yippee!" she squeaked before falling under a hail of amulets.

Hoshiro and Kaguya pulled back and let the amulets breeze past them. Reimu was in full force, still at 3.86 power from her fight with Kanako, and her bullets came thick and fast.

"This is unbelievable!" cried Hoshiro, ducking under a persuasion needle. "Rewarding us for cleaning your shrine with a spell-card duel?! You're so thoughtful, Reimu! I've looked forward to facing you again for years!"

"Hoshiro, she... She's attacking us!" shouted Kaguya incredulously.

"I know! That's an integral part of danmaku!" breezed Hoshiro. "All right, time for our counterattack! Nijinazuma: Seven-Coloured Strike!"

"Eek!"

"Yipe!"

Marisa and Reimu dove for cover as seven bolts of lightning flashed exploded across the courtyard, lighting up the shrine and the flagstones in seven bright colours.

"She's strong!" Marisa cried. "I wasn't gonna try the extra stage until tomorrow!"

"Come to think of it, this is a strange choice for an extra stage. It's pretty much unconnected from Kanako, the Moriya Shrine and everything else," Reimu said thoughtfully.

"I don't understand," said Hoshiro. "Why are we sparring if it's...? Um, what's happening?"

Reimu groaned. "How is she so stupid? Do you ever listen to anyone, Hoshiro?!"

"Of- of course I do! Why, what's wrong?" said Hoshiro dolefully. "Didn't we clean up enough? We tried our best, and honestly, we aren't experts! You should've hired a cleaner if you wanted perfection."

Reimu closed her eyes and took a few steadying breaths. "Listen," she growled, "it's perfectly simple. I'm taking my anger out on you because you think Sanae's better than me. Do you understand?"

"So you're...?" Hoshiro scowled. "But that's so childish, and after we cleaned your shrine! I DON'T think Sanae's better than you!"

"She might be," said Kaguya.

"She was a bit nicer," said Marisa.

Reimu gave Marisa a look. "Unlike her, I can't waste time being nice when all of Gensokyo's depending on me!"

"Isn't wasting time your biggest hobby? I see you doing it every day!" said Marisa, smiling impishly.

Reimu screamed. "Right, get over there with those three! I'll take you all on!"

Marisa giggled, whipping out her hakkero. "Must be the phantasm stage if you're that upset. All right, let's go!"

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"So?" With wide, curious eyes, Sanae looked between the battered Reimu and the amulet-weary Hoshiro. "Who won?"

"I did. A decisive victory," smiled Reimu, her arms folded and her nose held high.

"It was down to the last spell-card! She got me with a duplex barrier when I looked away! Reimu's so good," gushed Hoshiro, patting Reimu on the back. "It took Cirno and Marisa's combination to beat her!"

Reimu's smile vanished, she slapped Hoshiro's hand away. "D-don't tell her about that!"

"So you can be beaten! That's good to know," said Sanae sweetly. "How did you manage it, Marisa?"

"I'll see if your friends are back with that beer!" yelled Reimu, storming out of the shrine. "Kaguya, Cirn- Wait, who's this?" Her voice echoed back inside, growing fainter and eventually falling silent.

Marisa grinned mischievously. "Well, Sanae, you know how people use planks to flatten out soil when they're building?"

"No," said Sanae.

"Cirno was the plank," explained Marisa. "Reimu's bloomers were the building site. Ker-slamuel!"

"Cirno was frozen, so it didn't hurt her," Hoshiro cut in.

"And as for Reimu-"

"Vengeance will be mine!"

Reimu's shout cut through the merriment. Marisa looked up in alarm and saw Reimu standing in the doorway, a flailing kappa raised triumphantly over her head.

Marisa gulped. "Er, Reimu, let's be reasonable!"

"No. BANZAI!!!"

The kappa squeezed her eyes shut. Reimu hurled her acros the room. Marisa dove for cover, but it was too late, and Nitori slammed into her like a raincoated missile. They fell in a pile of black dress and blue waterproofs behind the kotatsu.

"Er," said Hoshiro, "who was that?"

"She followed me home," said Reimu sweetly. "I saw a little opportunity, and I made use of it it."

"Nice to feel wanted," groaned Nitori. "But I wish you'd tell me what you were planning first! Ow..."

"I'm going to love it here!" giggled Sanae.

#Touhou #Reimu Hakurei #Marisa Kirisame #Hoshiro Nijinazuma (OC)#Sanae Kochiya #Cirno #Kaguya Houraisan #Nitori Kawashiro #writing #my writing #Hoshiro Adventures

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grigori77 · 3 years ago

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Summer 2021′s Movies - My Top Ten Favourite Films (Part 2)

The Top Ten:

10. WEREWOLVES WITHIN – definitely one of the year’s biggest cinematic surprises so far, this darkly comic supernatural murder mystery from indie horror director Josh Ruben (Scare Me) is based on a video game, but you’d never know it – this bears so little resemblance to the original Ubisoft title that it’s a wonder anyone even bothered to make the connection, but even so, this is now notable for officially being the highest rated video game adaptation in Rotten Tomatoes history, with a Certified Fresh rating of 86%. Certainly it deserves that distinction, but there’s so much more to the film – this is an absolute blood-splattered joy, the title telling you everything you need to know about the story but belying the film’s pure, quirky genius. Veep’s Sam Richardson is forest ranger Finn Wheeler, a gentle and socially awkward soul who arrives at his new post in the remote small town of Beaverton to discover the few, uniformly weird residents are divided over the oil pipeline proposition of forceful and abrasive businessman Sam Parker (The Hunt’s Wayne Duvall). As he tries to fit in and find his feet, investigating the disappearance of a local dog while bonding with local mail carrier Cecily Moore (Other Space and This Is Us’ Milana Vayntrub), the discovery of a horribly mutilated human body leads to a standoff between the townsfolk and an enforced lockdown in the town’s ramshackle hotel as they try to work out who amongst them is the “werewolf” they suspect is responsible. This is frequently hilarious, the offbeat script from appropriately named Mishna Wolff (I’m Down) dropping some absolutely zingers and crafting some enjoyably weird encounters and unexpected twists, while the uniformly excellent cast do much of the heavy-lifting to bring their rich, thoroughly oddball characters to vivid life – Richardson is thoroughly cuddly throughout, while Duvall is pleasingly loathsome, Casual’s Michaela Watkins is pleasingly grating as Trisha, flaky housewife to unrepentant local horn-dog Pete Anderton (Orange is the New Black’s Michael Chernus), and Cheyenne Jackson (American Horror Story) and Harry Guillen (best known, OF COURSE, as Guillermo in the TV version of What We Do In the Shadows) make an enjoyably spiky double-act as liberal gay couple Devon and Joaquim Wolfson; in the end, though, the film is roundly stolen by Vayntrub, who invests Cecily with a bubbly sweetness and snarky sass that makes it absolutely impossible to not fall completely in love with her (gods know I did). This is a deeply funny film, packed with proper belly-laughs from start to finish, but like all the best horror comedies it takes its horror elements seriously, delivering some enjoyably effective scares and juicy gore, while the werewolf itself, when finally revealed, is realised through some top-notch prosthetics. Altogether this was a most welcome under-the-radar surprise for the summer, and SO MUCH MORE than just an unusually great video game adaptation …

9. THE TOMORROW WAR – although cinemas finally reopened in the UK in early summer, the bite of the COVID lockdown backlog was still very much in effect this blockbuster season, with several studios preferring to hedge their bets and wait for later release dates. Others turned to streaming services, including Paramount, who happily lined up a few heavyweight titles to open on major platforms in lieu of the big screen. One of the biggest was this intended sci-fi action horror tentpole, meant to give Chris Pratt another potential franchise on top of Guardians of the Galaxy and Jurassic World, which instead dropped in early July on Amazon Prime. So, was it worth staying in on a Saturday night instead of heading out for something on the BIG screen? Mostly yes, although it’s mainly a trashy, guilty pleasure big budget B-picture charm that makes this such a worthwhile experience – the film’s biggest influences are clearly Independence Day and Starship Troopers, two admirably clunky blockbusters that DEFINED prioritising big spectacle and overblown theatrics over intelligent writing and realistic storytelling. It doesn’t help that the premise is pure bunk – in 2022, a wormhole opens from thirty years in the future, and a plea for help is sent back with a bunch of very young future soldiers. Seems Earth will become overrun by an unstoppable swarm of nasty alien critters called Whitespikes in 25 years, and the desperate human counteroffensive have no choice but to bring soldiers from our present into the future to help them fight back and save the humanity from imminent extinction. Less than a year later, the world’s standing armies have been decimated and a worldwide draft has been implemented, with normal everyday adults being sent through for a seven day tour from which very few return. Pratt plays biology teacher and former Green Beret Dan Forrester, one of the latest batch of draftees to be sent into the future along with a selection of chefs, soccer moms and other average joes – his own training and experience serves him better than most when the shit hits the fan, but it soon becomes clear that he’s just as out of his depth as everyone else as the sheer enormity of the threat is revealed. But when he becomes entangled with a desperate research outfit led by Muri (Chuck’s Yvonne Strahovski) who seem to be on the verge of a potential world-changing scientific breakthrough, Dan realises there just might be a slender hope for humanity after all … this is every bit as over-the-top gung-ho bonkers as it sounds, and just as much fun. Director Chris McKay may still be pretty fresh (with only The Lego Batman Movie under his belt to date), but he shows a lot of talent and potential for big budget blockbuster filmmaking here, delivering with guts and bravado on some major action sequences (a fraught ticking-clock SAR operation through a war-torn Miami is the film’s undeniable highlight, but a desperate battle to escape a blazing oil rig also really impresses), as well as handling some impressively complex visual effects work and wrangling some quality performances from his cast (altogether it bodes well for his future, which includes Nightwing and Johnny Quest as future projects). Chris Pratt can do this kind of stuff in his sleep – Dan is his classic fallible and self-deprecating but ultimately solid and kind-hearted action hero fare, effortlessly likeable and easy to root for – and his supporting cast are equally solid, Strahovsky going toe-to-toe with him in the action sequences while also creating a rewardingly complex smart-woman/badass combo in Muri, while the other real standouts include Sam Richardson (Veep, Werewolves Within) and Edwin Hodge (The Purge movies) as fellow draftees Charlie and Dorian, the former a scared-out-of-his-mind tech geek while the latter is a seriously hardcore veteran serving his THIRD TOUR, and the ever brilliant J.K. Simmonds as Dan’s emotionally scarred estranged Vietnam-vet father, Jim. Sure, it’s derivative as hell and thoroughly predictable (with more than one big twist you can see coming a mile away), but the pace is brisk, the atmosphere pregnant with a palpable doomed urgency, and the creatures themselves are a genuinely convincing world-ending threat, the design team and visual effects wizards creating genuine nightmare fuel in the feral and unrelenting Whitespikes. Altogether this WAS an ideal way to spend a comfy Saturday night in, but I think it could have been JUST AS GOOD for a Saturday night OUT at the Pictures …

8. ARMY OF THE DEAD – another high profile release that went straight to streaming was this genuine monster hit for Netflix from one of this century’s undeniable heavyweight action cinema masters, the indomitable Zack Snyder, who kicked off his career with an audience-dividing (but, as far as I’m concerned, ultimately MASSIVELY successful) remake of George Romero’s immortal Dawn of the Dead, and has finally returned to zombie horror after close to two decades away. The end result is, undeniably, the biggest cinematic guilty pleasure of the entire summer, a bona fide outbreak horror EPIC in spite of its tightly focused story – Dave Bautista plays mercenary Scott Ward, leader a badass squad of soldiers of fortune who were among the few to escape a deadly outbreak of a zombie virus in the city of Las Vegas, enlisted to break into the vault of one of the Strip’s casinos by owner Bly Tanaka (a fantastically game turn from Hiroyuki Sanada) and rescue $200 million still locked away inside. So what’s the catch? Vegas remains ground zero for the outbreak, walled off from the outside world but still heavily infested within, and in less than three days the US military intends to sterilise the site with a tactical nuke. Simple premise, down and dirty, trashy flick, right? Wrong – Snyder has never believed in doing things small, having brought us unapologetically BIG cinema with the likes of 300, Watchmen, Man of Steel and, most notably, his version of Justice League, so this is another MASSIVE undertaking, every scene shot for maximum thrills or emotional impact, each set-piece executed with his characteristic militaristic precision and explosive predilection (a harrowing fight for survival against a freshly-awakened zombie horde in tightly packed casino corridors is the film’s undeniable highlight), and the gauzy, dreamlike cinematography gives even simple scenes an intriguing and evocative edge that really does make you feel like you’re watching something BIG. The characters all feel larger-than-life too – Bautista can seem somewhat cartoonish at times, and this role definitely plays that as a strength, making Scott a rock-hard alpha male in the classic Hollywood mould, but he’s such a great actor that of course he’s able to invest the character with real rewarding complexity beneath the surface; Ana de la Reguera (Eastbound & Down) and Nora Arnezeder (Zoo, Mozart in the Jungle), meanwhile, both bring a healthy dose of oestrogen-fuelled badassery to proceedings as, respectively, Scott’s regular second-in-command, Maria Cruz, and Lilly the Coyote, Power’s Omari Hardwick and Matthias Schweighofer (You Are Wanted) make for a fun odd-couple double act as circular-saw-wielding merc Vanderohe and Dieter, the nervous, nerdy German safecracker brought in to crack the vault, and Fear the Walking Dead’s Garrett Dillahunt channels spectacular scumbag energy as Tanaka’s sleazy former casino boss Martin, while latecomer Tig Notaro (Star Trek Discovery) effortlessly rises above her last-minute-casting controversy to deliver brilliantly as sassy and acerbic chopper pilot Peters. I think it goes without saying that Snyder can do this in his sleep, but he definitely wasn’t napping here – he pulled out all the stops on this one, delivering a thrilling, darkly comic and endearingly CRACKERS zombie flick that not only compares favourably to his own Dawn but is, undeniably, his best film for AGES. Netflix certainly seem to be pleased with the results – a spinoff prequel, Army of Thieves, starring Dieter in another heist thriller, is set to drop in October, with an animated series following in the Spring, and there’s already rumours of a sequel in development. I’m certainly up for more …

7. BLACK WIDOW – no major blockbuster property was hit harder by COVID than the MCU, which saw its ENTIRE SLATE for 2020 delayed for over a year in the face of Marvel Studios bowing to the inevitability of the Pandemic and unwilling to sacrifice those all-important box-office receipts by just sending their films straight to streaming. The most frustrating part for hardcore fans of the series was the delay of a standalone film that was already criminally overdue – the solo headlining vehicle of founding Avenger and bona fide female superhero ICON Natasha Romanoff, aka the Black Widow. Equally frustratingly, then, this film seems set to be overshadowed by real life controversy as star and producer Scarlett Johansson goes head-to-head with Disney in civil court over their breach-of-contract after they hedged their bets by releasing the film simultaneously in cinemas and on their own streaming platform, which has led to poor box office as many of the film’s potential audience chose to watch it at home instead of risk movie theatres with the virus still very much remaining a threat (and Disney have clearly reacted AGAIN, now backtracking on their release policy by instigating a new 45-day cinematic exclusivity window on all their big releases for the immediate future). But what of the film itself? Well Black Widow is an interesting piece of work, director Cate Shortland (Berlin Syndrome) and screenwriter Eric Pearson (Thor: Ragnarok) delivering a decidedly stripped-back, lean and intellectual beast that bears greater resemblance to the more cerebral work of the Russo Brothers on their Captain America films than the more classically bombastic likes of Iron Man, Thor or the Avengers flicks, concentrating on story and characters over action and spectacle as we wind back the clock to before the events of Infinity War and Endgame, when Romanoff was on the run after Civil War, hunted by the government-appointed forces of US Secretary of State “Thunderbolt” Ross (William Hurt) after violating the Sokovia Accords. Then a mysterious delivery throws her back into the fray as she finds herself targeted by a mysterious assassin, forcing her to team up with her estranged “sister” Yelena Belova (Midsommar’s Florence Pugh), another Black Widow who’s just gone rogue from the same Red Room Natasha escaped years ago, armed with a McGuffin capable of foiling a dastardly plot for world domination. The reluctant duo need help in this endeavour though, enlisting the aid of their former “parents”, veteran Widow and scientist Melina Vostokoff (Rachel Weisz) and Alexie Shostakov (Stranger Things’ David Harbour), aka the Red Guardian, a Russian super-soldier intended to be their counterpart to Captain America, who’s been languishing in a Siberian gulag for the last twenty years. After the Earth-shaking, universe-changing events of recent MCU events, this film certainly feels like a much more self-contained, modest affair, playing for much smaller stakes, but that doesn’t mean it’s any less worthy of our attention – this is as precision-crafted as anything we’ve seen from Marvel so far, but it also feels like a refreshing change of pace after all those enormous cosmic shenanigans, while the script is as tight as a drum, propelling a taut, suspense-filled thriller that certainly doesn’t scrimp on the action front. Sure, the set-pieces are very much in service of the story here, but they’re still the pre-requisite MCU rollercoaster rides, a selection of breathless chases and bone-crunching fights that really do play to the strengths of one of our favourite Avengers, but this is definitely one of those films where the real fireworks come when the film focuses on the characters – Johansson is so comfortable with her character she’s basically BECOME Natasha Romanoff, kickass and ruthless and complex and sassy and still just desperate for a family (though she hides it well throughout the film), while Weisz delivers one of her best performances in years as a peerless professional who keeps her emotions tightly reigned in but slowly comes to realise that she was never more happy than when she was pretending to be a simple mother, and Ray Winstone does a genuinely fantastic job of taking a character who could have been one of the MCU’s most disappointingly bland villains, General Dreykov, master of the Red Room, and investing him with enough oily charisma and intense presence to craft something truly memorable (frustratingly, the same cannot be said for the film’s supposed main physical threat, Taskmaster, who performs well in their frustratingly brief appearances but ultimately gets Darth Maul levels of short service). The true scene-stealers in the film, however, are Alexie and Yelena – Harbour’s clearly having the time of his life hamming it up as a self-important, puffed-up peacock of a superhero who never got his shot and is clearly (rightly) decidedly bitter about it, preferring to relive the life he SHOULD have had instead of remembering the good in the one he got; Pugh, meanwhile, is THE BEST THING IN THE WHOLE MOVIE, easily matching Johanssen scene-for-scene in the action stakes but frequently out-performing her when it comes to acting, investing Yelena with a sweet naivety and innocence and a certain amount of quirky geekiness that makes for one of the year’s most endearing female protagonists (certainly one who, if the character goes the way I think she will, is thoroughly capable of carrying the torch for the foreseeable future). In the end this is definitely one of the LEAST typical, by-the-numbers MCU films to date, and by delivering something a little different I think they’ve given us just the kind of leftfield swerve the series needs right now. It’s certainly one of their most fascinating and rewarding films so far, and since it seems to be Johansson’s final tour of duty as the Black Widow, it’s also a most fitting farewell indeed.

6. WRATH OF MAN – Guy Ritchie’s latest (regarded by many as a triumphant return to form, which I consider unfair since I don’t think he ever went away, especially after 2020’s spectacular The Gentlemen) is BY FAR his darkest film – let’s get this clear from the start. Anyone who knows his work knows that Ritchie consistently maintains a near flawless balance and humour and seriousness in his films that gives them a welcome quirkiness that is one of his most distinctive trademarks, so for him to suddenly deliver a film which takes itself SO SERIOUSLY is one hell of a departure. This is a film which almost REVELS in its darkness – Ritchie’s always loved bathing in man’s baser instincts, but Wrath of Man almost makes a kind of twisted VIRTUE out of wallowing in the genuine evils that men are capable of inflicting on each other. The film certainly kicks off as it means to go on – In a tour-de-force single-shot opening, we watch a daring armoured car robbery on the streets of Los Angeles that goes horrifically wrong, an event which will have devastating consequences in the future. Five months later, Fortico Security hires taciturn Brit Patrick Hill (Jason Statham) to work as a guard in one of their trucks, and on his first run he single-handedly foils another attempted robbery with genuinely uncanny combat skills. The company is thrilled, amazed by the sheer ability of their new hire, but Hill’s new colleagues are more concerned, wondering exactly what they’ve let themselves in for. After a second foiled robbery, it becomes clear that Hill’s reputation has grown, but fellow guard Haiden (Holt McCallany), aka “Bullet”, begins to suspect there might be something darker going on … Ritchie is firing on all cylinders here, delivering a PERFECT slow-burn suspense thriller which plays its cards close to its chest and cranks up its piano wire tension with artful skill as it builds to a devastating, knuckle-whitening explosive heist that acts as a cathartic release for everything that’s built up over the past hour and a half. In typical Ritchie style the narrative is non-linear, the story unfolding in four distinct parts told from clearly differentiated points of view, allowing the clues to be revealed at a trickle that effortlessly draws the viewer in as they fall deeper down the rabbit hole, leading to a harrowing but strangely poignant denouement which is perfectly in tune with everything that’s come before. It’s an immense pleasure finally getting to see Statham working with Ritchie again, and I don’t think he’s ever been better than he is here – he's always been a brilliantly understated actor, but there’s SO MUCH going on under Hill’s supposedly impenetrable calm that every little peek beneath the armour is a REVELATION; McCallany, meanwhile, has landed his best role since his short but VERY sweet supporting turn in Fight Club, seemingly likeable and fallible as the kind of easy-going co-worker anyone in the service industry would be THRILLED to have, but giving Bullet far more going on under the surface, while there are uniformly excellent performances from a top-shelf ensemble supporting cast which includes Josh Hartnett, Jeffrey Donovan (Burn Notice, Sicario), Andy Garcia, Laz Alonso (The Boys), Eddie Marsan, Niamh Algar (Raised By Wolves) and Darrell D’Silva (Informer, Domina), and a particularly edgy and intense turn from Scott Eastwood. This is one of THE BEST thrillers of the year, by far, a masterpiece of mood, pace and plot that ensnares the viewer from its gripping opening and hooks them right up to the close, a triumph of the genre and EASILY Guy Ritchie’s best film since Snatch. Regardless of whether or not it’s a RETURN to form, we can only hope he continues to deliver fare THIS GOOD in the future …

5. FEAR STREET (PARTS 1-3) – Netflix have gotten increasingly ambitious with their original filmmaking over the years, and some of this years’ offerings have reached new heights of epic intention. Their most exciting release of the summer was this adaptation of popular children’s horror author R.L. Stine’s popular book series, a truly gargantuan undertaking as the filmmakers set out to create an entire TRILOGY of films which were then released over three consecutive weekends. Interestingly, these films are most definitely NOT for kids – this is proper, no-holds-barred supernatural slasher horror, delivering highly calibrated shocks and precision jump scares, a pervading atmosphere of insidious dread and a series of inventively gruesome kills. The story revolves around two neighbouring small towns which have had vastly different fortunes over more than three centuries of existence – while the residents of Sunnyvale are unusually successful, living idyllic lives in peace and prosperity, luck has always been against the people of Shadyside, who languish in impoverishment, crime and misfortune, while the town has become known as the Murder Capital of the USA due to frequent spree killings. Some attribute this to the supposed curse of a local urban legend, Sarah Fier, who became known as the Fier Witch after her execution for witchcraft in 1668, but others dismiss this as simple superstition. Part 1 is set in 1994, as the latest outbreak of serial mayhem begins in Shadyside, dragging a small group of local teens – Deena Johnson (She Never Died’s Kiana Madeira) and Samantha Fraser (Olivia Scott Welch), a young lesbian couple going through a difficult breakup, Deena’s little brother Josh (The Haunted Hathaways’ Benjamin Flores Jr.), a nerdy history geek who spends most of his time playing video games or frequenting violent crime-buff online chatrooms, and their delinquent friends Simon (Eight Grade’s Fred Hechinger) and Kate (Julia Rehwald) – into the age-old ghostly conspiracy as they find themselves besieged by indestructible undead serial killers from the town’s past, reasoning that the only way they can escape with their lives is to solve the mystery and bring the Fier Witch some much needed closure. Part 2, meanwhile, flashes back to a previous outbreak in 1977, in which local sisters Ziggy (Stranger Things’ Sadie Sink) and Cindy Berman (Emily Rudd), together with future Sunnyvale sheriff Nick Goode (Ted Sutherland) were among the kids hunted by said killers during a summer camp “colour war”. As for Part 3, that goes all the way back to 1668 to tell the story of what REALLY happened to Sarah Fier, before wrapping up events in 1994, culminating in a terrifying, adrenaline-fuelled showdown in the Shadyside Mall. Throughout, the youthful cast are EXCEPTIONAL, Madeira, Welch, Flores Jr., Sink and Rudd particularly impressing, while there are equally strong turns from Ashley Zuckerman (The Code, Designated Survivor) and Community’s Gillian Jacobs as the grown-up versions of two key ’77 kids, and a fun cameo from Maya Hawke in Part 1. This is most definitely retro horror in the Stranger Things mould, perfectly executed period detail bringing fun nostalgic flavour to all three of the timelines while the peerless direction from Leigh Janiak (Honeymoon) and wire-tight, sharp-witted screenplays from Janiak, Kyle Killen (Lone Star, The Beaver), Phil Graziadel, Zak Olkewicz and Kate Trefry strike a perfect balance between knowing dark humour and knife-edged terror, as well as weaving an intriguingly complex narrative web that pulls the viewer in but never loses them to overcomplication. The design, meanwhile, is evocative, the cinematography (from Stanger Things’ Caleb Heymann) is daring and magnificently moody, and the killers and other supernatural elements of the film are handled with skill through largely physical effects. This is definitely not a standard, by-the-numbers slasher property, paying strong homage to the sub-genre’s rules but frequently subverting them with expert skill, and it’s as much fun as it is frightening. Give us some more like this please, Netflix!

4. THE SPARKS BROTHERS – those who’ve been following my reviews for a while will known that while I do sometimes shout about documentary films, they tend to show up in my runners-up lists – it’s a great rarity for one to land in one of my top tens. This lovingly crafted deep-dive homage to cult band Sparks, from self-confessed rabid fanboy Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, Scott Pilgrim), is something VERY SPECIAL INDEED, then … there’s a vague possibility some of you may have heard the name before, and many of you will know at least one or two of their biggest hits without knowing it was them (their greatest hit of all time, This Town Ain’t Big Enough for the Both of Us, immediately springs to mind), but unless you’re REALLY serious about music it’s quite likely you have no idea who they are, namely two brothers from California, Russell and Ronald Mael, who formed a very sophisticated pop-rock band in the late 60s and then never really went away, having moments of fame but mostly working away in the background and influencing some of the greatest bands and musical artists that followed them, even if many never even knew where that influence originally came from. Wright’s film is an engrossing joy from start to finish (despite clocking in at two hours and twenty minutes), following their eclectic career from obscure inception as Halfnelson, through their first real big break with third album Kimono My Place, subsequent success and then fall from popularity in the mid-70s, through several subsequent revitalisations, all the way up to the present day with their long-awaited cinematic breakthrough, revolutionary musical feature Annette – throughout Wright keeps the tone light and the pace breezy, allowing a strong and endearing sense of irreverence to rule the day as fans, friends and the brothers themselves offer up fun anecdotes and wax lyrical about what is frequently a larger-than-life tragicomic soap opera, utilising fun, crappy animation and idiosyncratic stock footage inserts alongside talking-head interviews that were made with a decidedly tongue-in-cheek style – Mike Myers good-naturedly rants about how we can see his “damned mole” while 80s New Romantic icons Nick Rhodes and John Taylor, while shot together, are each individually labelled as “Duran”. Ron and Russ themselves, meanwhile, are clearly having huge fun, gently ribbing each other and dropping some fun deadpan zingers throughout proceedings, easily playing to the band’s strong, idiosyncratic sense of hyper-intelligent humour, while the aforementioned celebrity talking-heads are just three amongst a whole wealth of famous faces that may surprise you – there’s even an appearance by Neil Gaiman, guys! Altogether this is 2+ hours of bright and breezy fun chock full of great music and fascinating information, and even hardcore Sparks fans are likely to learn more than a little over the course of the film, while for those who have never heard of Sparks before it’s a FANTASTIC introduction to one of the greatest ever bands that you’ve never heard of. With luck there might even be more than a few new fans before the year is out …

3. GUNPOWDER MILKSHAKE – Netflix’ BEST offering of the summer was this surprise hit from Israeli writer-director Navot Papushado (Rabies, Big Bad Wolves), a heavily stylised black comedy action thriller that passes the Bechdel Test with FLYING COLOURS. Playing like a female-centric John Wick, it follows ice-cold, on-top-of-her-game assassin Sam (Karen Gillan) as her latest assignment has some unfortunate side effects, leading her to take on a reparation job to retrieve some missing cash for the local branch of the Irish Mob. The only catch is that a group of thugs have kidnapped the original thief’s little girl, 12 year-old Emily (My Spy’s Chloe Coleman), and Sam, in an uncharacteristic moment of sympathy, decides to intervene, only for the money to be accidentally destroyed in the process. Now she’s got the Mob and her own employers coming after her, and she not only has to save her own skin but also Emily’s, leading her to seek help from the one person she thought she might never see again – her mother, Scarlet (Lena Headey), a master assassin in her own right who’s been hiding from the Mob herself for years. The plot may be simple but at times also a little over-the-top, but the film is never anything less than a pure, unadulterated pleasure, populated with fascinating, living and breathing characters of real complexity and nuance, while the script (co-written by relative newcomer Ehud Lavski) is tightly-reined and bursting with zingers. Most importantly, though, Papushado really delivers on the action front – these are some of the best set-pieces I’ve seen this year, Gillan, her co-stars and the various stunt-performers acquitting themselves admirably in a series of spectacular fights, gun battles and a particularly imaginative car chase that would be the envy of many larger, more expensive productions. Gillan and Coleman have a sweet, awkward chemistry, the MCU star particularly impressing in a subtly nuanced performance that also plays beautifully against Headey’s own tightly controlled turn, while there is awesome support from Angela Bassett, Michelle Yeoh and Carla Gugino as Sam’s adoptive aunts Anna May, Florence and Madeleine, a trio of “librarians” who run a fine side-line in illicit weaponry and are capable of unleashing some spectacular violence of their own; the film’s antagonists, on the other hand, are exclusively masculine – the mighty Ralph Inneson is quietly ruthless as Irish boss Jim McAlester, while The Terror’s Adam Nagaitis is considerably more mercurial as his mad dog nephew Virgil, and Paul Giamatti is the stately calm at the centre of the storm as Sam’s employer Nathan, the closest thing she has to a father. There’s so much to enjoy in this movie, not just the wonderful characters and amazing action but also the singularly engrossing and idiosyncratic style, deeply affecting themes of the bonds of found family and the healing power of forgiveness, and a rewarding through-line of strong women triumphing against the brutalities of toxic masculinity. I love this film, and I invite you to try it out, cuz I’m sure you will too.

2. THE SUICIDE SQUAD – the most fun I’ve had at the cinema so far this year is the long-awaited (thanks a bunch, COVID) redress of another frustrating imbalance from the decidedly hit and miss DCEU superhero franchise, in which Guardians of the Galaxy writer-director James Gunn has finally delivered a PROPER Suicide Squad movie after David Ayer’s painfully compromised first stab at the property back in 2016. That movie was enjoyable enough and had some great moments, but ultimately it was a clunky mess, and while some of the characters were done (quite) well, others were painfully botched, even ruined entirely. Thankfully Warner Bros. clearly learned their lesson, giving Gunn free reign to do whatever he wanted, and the end result is about as close to perfect as the DCEU has come to date. Once again the peerless Viola Davis plays US government official Amanda Waller, head of ARGUS and the undisputable most evil bitch in all the DC Universe, who presides over the metahuman prisoners of the notorious supermax Belle Reve Prison, cherry-picking inmates for her pet project Taskforce X, the titular Suicide Squad sent out to handle the kind of jobs nobody else wants, in exchange for years off their sentences but controlled by explosive implants injected into the base of their skulls. Their latest mission sees another motley crew of D-bags dispatched to the fictional South African island nation of Corto Maltese to infiltrate Jotunheim, a former Nazi facility in which a dangerous extra-terrestrial entity that’s being developed into a fearful bioweapon, with orders to destroy the project in order to keep it out of the hands of a hostile anti-American regime which has taken control of the island through a violent coup. Where the first Squad felt like a clumsily-arranged selection of stereotypes with a few genuinely promising characters unsuccessfully moulded into a decidedly forced found family, this new batch are convincingly organic – they may be dysfunctional and they’re all almost universally definitely BAD GUYS, but they WORK, the relationship dynamics that form between them feeling genuinely earned. Gunn has already proven himself a master of putting a bunch of A-holes together and forging them into band of “heroes”, and he’s certainly pulled the job off again here, dredging the bottom of the DC Rogues Gallery for its most ridiculous Z-listers and somehow managing to make them compelling. Sure, returning Squad-member Harley Quinn (the incomparable Margot Robbie, magnificent as ever) has already become a fully-realised character thanks to Birds of Prey, so there wasn’t much heavy-lifting to be done here, but Gunn genuinely seems to GET the character, so our favourite pixie-esque Agent of Chaos is an unbridled and thoroughly unpredictable joy here, while fellow veteran Colonel Rick Flagg (a particularly muscular and thoroughly game Joel Kinnaman) has this time received a much needed makeover, Gunn promoting him from being the first film’s sketchily-drawn “Captain Exposition” and turning him into a fully-ledged, well-thought-out human being with all the requisite baggage, including a newfound sense of humour; the newcomers, meanwhile, are a thoroughly fascinating bunch – reluctant “leader” Bloodsport/Robert DuBois (a typically robust and playful Idris Elba), unapologetic douchebag Peacemaker/Christopher Smith (probably the best performance I’ve EVER seen John Cena deliver), and socially awkward and seriously hard-done-by nerd (and by far the most idiotic DC villain of all time) the Polka-Dot Man/Abner Krill (a genuinely heart-breaking hangdog performance from Ant-Man’s David Dastmalchian); meanwhile there’s a fine trio of villainous turns from the film’s resident Big Bads, with Juan Diego Botta (Good Behaviour) and Joaquin Cosio (Quantum of Solace, Narcos: Mexico) making strong impressions as newly-installed dictator Silvio Luna and his corrupt right hand-man General Suarez, although both are EASILY eclipsed by the typically brilliant Peter Capaldi as louche and quietly deranged supervillain The Thinker/Gaius Greives (although the film’s ULTIMATE threat turns out to be something a whole lot bigger and more exotic). The film is ROUNDLY STOLEN, however, by a truly adorable double act (or TRIPLE act, if you want to get technical) – Daniella Melchior makes her breakthrough here in fine style as sweet, principled and kind-hearted narcoleptic second-generation supervillain Ratcatcher II/Cleo Cazo, who has the weird ability to control rats (and who has a pet rat named Sebastian who frequently steals scenes all on his own), while a particular fan-favourite B-lister makes his big screen debut here in the form of King Shark/Nanaue, a barely sentient anthropomorphic Great White “shark god” with an insatiable appetite for flesh and a naturally quizzical nature who was brilliantly mo-capped by Steve Agee (The Sarah Silverman Project, who also plays Waller’s hyperactive assistant John Economos) but then artfully completed with an ingenious vocal turn from Sylvester Stallone. James Gunn has crafted an absolute MASTERPIECE here, EASILY the best film he’s made to date, a riotous cavalcade of exquisitely observed and perfectly delivered dark humour and expertly wrangled narrative chaos that has great fun playing with the narrative flow, injects countless spot-on in-jokes and irreverent but utterly essential throwaway sight-gags, and totally endears us to this glorious gang of utter morons right from the start (in which Gunn delivers what has to be one of the most skilful deep-fakes in cinematic history). Sure, there’s also plenty of action, and it’s executed with the kind of consummate skill we’ve now come to expect from Gunn (the absolute highlight is a wonderfully bonkers sequence in which Harley expertly rescues herself from captivity), but like everything else it’s predominantly played for laughs, and there’s no getting away from the fact that this film is an absolute RIOT. By far the funniest thing I’ve seen so far this year, and if I’m honest this is the best of the DCEU offerings to date, too (for me, only the exceptional Birds of Prey can compare) – if Warner Bros. have any sense they’ll give Gunn more to do VERY SOON …

1. A QUIET PLACE, PART II – while UK cinemas finally reopened in early May, I was determined that my first trip back to the Big Screen for 2021 was gonna be something SPECIAL, and indeed I already knew what that was going to be. Thankfully I was not disappointed by my choice – 2018’s A Quiet Place was MY VERY FAVOURITE horror movie of the 2010s, an undeniable masterclass in suspense and sustained screen terror wrapped around a refreshingly original killer concept, and I was among the many fans hoping we’d see more in the future, especially after the film’s teasingly open ending. Against the odds (or perhaps not), writer-director/co-star John Krasinski has pulled off the seemingly impossible task of not only following up that high-wire act, but genuinely EQUALLING it in levels of quality – picking up RIGHT where the first film left off (at least after an AMAZING scene-setting opening in which we’re treated to the events of Day 1 of the downfall of humanity), rejoining the remnants of the Abbott family as they’re forced by circumstances to up-sticks from their idyllic farmhouse home and strike out into the outside world once more, painfully aware at all times that they must maintain perfect silence to avoid the ravenous attentions of the lethal blind alien beasties that now sit at the top of the food chain. Circumstances quickly become dire, however, and embattled mother Evelyn (Emily Blunt) is forced to ally herself with estranged family friend Emmett (Cillian Murphy), now a haunted, desperate vagrant eking out a perilous existence in an abandoned factory, in order to safeguard the future of her children Regan (Millicent Simmonds), Marcus (Noah Jupe) and their newborn baby brother. Regan, however, discovers evidence of more survivors, and with her newfound weapon against the aliens she recklessly decides to set off on her own in the hopes of aiding them before it’s too late … it may only be his second major blockbuster as a director, but Krasinski has once again proven he’s a true heavyweight talent, effortlessly carving out fresh ground in this already magnificently well-realised dystopian universe while also playing magnificently to the established strengths of what came before, delivering another peerless thrill-ride of unbearable tension and knuckle-whitening terror. The central principle of utilising sound at a very strict premium is once again strictly adhered to here, available sources of dialogue once again exploited with consummate skill while sound design and score (another moody triumph from Marco Beltrami) again become THE MOST IMPORTANT aspects of the whole production. The ruined world is once again realised beautifully throughout, most notably in the nightmarish environment of a wrecked commuter train, and Krasinski cranks up the tension before unleashing it in merciless explosions in a selection of harrowing encounters which guaranteed to leave viewers in a puddle of sweat. The director mostly stays behind the camera this time round, but he does (obviously) put in an appearance in the opening flashback as the late Lee Abbott, making a potent impression which leaves a haunting absence that’s keenly felt throughout the remainder of the film, while Blunt continues to display mother lion ferocity as she fights to keep her children safe and Jupe plays crippling fear magnificently but is now starting to show a hidden spine of steel as Marcus finally starts to find his courage; the film once again belongs, however, to Simmonds, the young deaf actress once and for all proving she’s a genuine star in the making as she invests Regan with fierce wilfulness and stubborn determination that remains unshakeable even in the face of unspeakable horrors, and the relationship she develops with Emmett, reluctant as it may be, provides a strong new emotional focus for the story, Murphy bringing an attractive wounded humanity to his role as a man who’s lost anything and is being forced to learn to care for something again. This is another triumph of the genre AND the artform in general, a masterpiece of atmosphere, performance and storytelling which builds magnificently on the skilful foundations laid by the first film, as well as setting things up perfectly for a third instalment which is all but certain to follow. I definitely can’t wait.

#movies 2021 #werewolves within #werewolves within movie #the tomorrow war #army of the dead #Black Widow #black widow movie #black widow mcu #wrath of man #fear street #fear street trilogy #fear street movies #The Sparks Brothers #gunpowder milkshake #the suicide squad #a quiet place part ii #a quiet place part 2 #awesome sauce

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eventual-ghoste · 3 years ago

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TOG rambling

Hello! This post has to do with Andy and some revelations at the end of Force Multiplied. Spoilers I give aren’t super specific but they’re there, and I can’t promise they won’t bite.

This is also in response to a TOG discord question I couldn’t stop thinking about, regarding Andy’s history as compared to Nicky’s, as posited by Em | salzundhonig:

But Nicky's past as a crusader and his growth from his past was well received, surely that'll be the same with Andy right?

I apologize if these ramblings sound like a rant but I swear my intentions are in the spirit of debate/discourse, and they are not an attack on any individuals.

The TL;DR is: Andy has work to do. Hopefully Hollywood and Rucka don’t fuck that up.

Feel free to check/correct/call me out if I’ve misspoke anywhere here (I realize I still have a lot to learn) but IMHO, I don’t think a semblance of Andy’s growth will be well received. Or, at least, I’m not so certain it should be because, in the comics, I genuinely don’t think Andy has grown. At the end of Force Multiplied, she still defends her actions with the “this is how I grew up” argument, and says it was “a long time ago,” and as much as I love love LOVE Andromache the Scythian for her badassery and how she’s a vision of female empowerment, I can’t help but think about how I hear those words all the time from people defending themselves against racist and/or sexist comments from so-called bygone eras.

Wanna know a sad difference between those people and our beloved Andy? They apologize for what they’ve done, or who they were. As hollow as the words will sound, however unforgivable their actions, however self-serving the apology will be— Those Asshats apologize. Comic!Andy never does, not even when confronted by Nile, an African American woman who likely descends from slaves, and has undoubtedly experienced racism and discrimination on a regular basis. It’s been thousands of years and Andy doesn’t even know how to say sorry (if she ever does, kudos to whoever finds a timestamp/panel, and let me know!). Instead, Andy buries the truth of her actions with a load of justifications to the point that she becomes self-deprecating, calling herself “vermin,” concluding she’s no better than the apathetic, selfish, evil POS they hunt. She may have spent the past millennia with TOG, trying to make things right but then—

But then she gives up. She’s tired. She resigns because she doesn’t have it in her anymore to fight the injustice she once willingly and self-servingly participated in. So, on top of being incapable of apology, Andy also doesn’t vow to do better. She doesn’t accede to change.

If there is one reason for why “The Old Guard” is a fucking absolutely shitty title, is that it refers to people who refuse to accept new ideas and progress. We are in a fandom that has four canonically queer characters, three people of color, and two female leads! Maybe the irony is intentional but damn, why is it that Andy, PROTAGONIST #1, hasn’t completely caught up with the program?

And that brings me to why I think Andy’s reckoning will not be on the same level as Nicky’s. Because as popular as Kaysanova is, neither Nicky or Joe are the main protagonists of TOG.

We don’t follow Nicky or Joe (or Booker) into scenes. The men are strictly back-at-the-ranch, supporting characters. We follow Andy or Nile (who also have the most screen time, I believe, but fact-check me). Filmically speaking, we ought to value them with a measure of precedence. Their words and actions matter the most, especially Andy’s by nature of how everyone looks to her for guidance.

So, with all that in mind: How does one reconcile a beloved protagonist with a despicable past in slavery, of all things? In the wake of an international racial reckoning, how is a celebrated, white South African actress going to fulfill that role? How is production going to balance fantasy with reality? How are Rucka and other involved writers (Theron, Prince-Bythewood?) going to alter the original IP, while retaining the nuance of this moral quandry?

Forgive me for the overkill but: How is it going to happen?

I’m well aware that my thoughts are going down a rabbit hole, and I am definitely overthinking this, but as somebody who’s genuinely curious about whether Victoria Mahoney and the rest of the TOG crew will have the guts to confront the issue head-on, or if they’ll take the easy way out. Excise the bits that no one wants to talk about, much less watch in a feel-good film that TOG has become for many fans.

Whatever production ends up doing, I hope that 2O2G doesn’t end on a cliffhanging “pity Andromache” note because, damn, I’m gonna feel real uncomfortable scrolling through fandom posts, reading people defending slavery and giving the same “the past is a foreign country; they do things differently there” spiel, in order to protect a fictional character played by a conventionally-attractive cis heterosexual white woman.

(Also: If the past is so different from the present, why are there still calls for social justice? Why do ALL industries still lack diverse and equitable representation?)

Now, this is where I’ll go back to the original question and say: While I think Nicky functions well as an example for change/growth/redemption, I don’t think his change serves as a good comparison to Andy’s. I say this, even while I’m aware of double standards in gender, and even between the reception of gay characters vs lesbian characters vs etc. (re: I’m open to critique).

My line of thought stems from the fact that, canonically, Nicky always had Joe. The two have seemingly been inseparable from the moment they first killed each other. It’s likely that Joe would check Nicky whenever he said or did something wrong and offensive, and perhaps this symbiosis was mutual.

(I also have a feeling that many people easily disregarded the Christian/Muslim conflict because A) lack of knowledge in BOTH religions and B) the onscreen couple appear very much in love, especially when one is giving a beautiful monologue on the nature of their relationship. When we meet Joe and Nicky, we meet them at their best. Shout-out to interfaith couples who know more about this than my single (and secular) ass does, and might have more to say about this.)

On the other hand: Andy never had someone who was like how Joe was for Nicky. No one ever calls out Andy because A) she’s the oldest, B) she’s the lead, and C) her business card says ANDROMACHE OF SCYTHIA, WAR GOD. Yeah, she had Quynh/Noriko but— at the risk of yelling at Rucka for vilifying a queer woman of color (or praising him for not leaning on the stereotype of Asian passivity? idk, anyone got thoughts on this?)— Noriko is clearly not encouraging good behavior. Neither will Quynh if Netflix lets 2O2G be as faithful to the comics as TOG1 was.

Which means the Law 282 conversation might be…unavoidable? Somewhere along the line, we still end up in the hotel room with Andy, on the floor, pleading for her crew to not abandon her, even though she is the one who abandoned their cause.

This sets up a circumstance in which Fade Away might be spent trying to redeem Andy/Charlize Theron, bring her back to the “good side,” teaching her to be better— thereby highlighting her experience and “salvation,” rather than making a point of her past, and the reality of her actions. In other words, a “pity the white woman” fest.

(Because I’m crossing my fingers that TOG production/Netflix know better) In an effort to prevent that from happening, I wonder if Rucka will combine Force Multiplied with Fade Away for the 2O2G script. Given the series’ track record, I think it is feasible that FA’s release coincides with 2O2G’s, and that it finally resolves Andy. Whether by revitalizing her energy as a do-some-gooder, or finalizing her vulnerability by putting her 6,000 years to rest, thus handing off the reigns to Nile and a new generation of leadership.

The last thing I want to leave off with is: I don’t hate Andy. It’s a credit to Rucka and fellow writers (from film and fandom) that I don’t.

I might not love her character as enthusiastically as I used to, but that doesn’t mean I’m not amazed by her creation. She’s a female lead whose sexuality is not exploited by the male gaze; whose emotional vulnerability is not considered a hindrance to, nor an explanation for, her battle prowess; and whose unabashed queerness is not reinforced by cookie cutter stereotypes. Andromache the Scythian is AMAZING.

That doesn’t mean I’m going to excuse or ignore her most glaring and contemptible flaw. More than anything, I’d love to sweep her past under the carpet so that 2O2G can be problem-free. Like many people, I just want to enjoy a movie without getting triggered.

I want to see Quynh and Andy kiss and make up. I want to see Joe rocking Those Shorts, and a cheeky shot of Nicky appreciating his ass. I want to see Nile welcoming Booker back to the family again. Some form of group therapy would be chef’s kiss.

But something about glossing over/removing slavery from Andy’s narrative reeks of dishonesty, and reminds me that the (Hollywood) movie industry is full of people who do not want to be tainted with negative perceptions. Understandably, appearances are their livelihood— but that particular truth is something they still have to reckon with.

#the old guard #tog #vi rambles

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neroushalvaus · 4 years ago

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Top 10 favourite characters from any fandom

I was tagged by @limalepakko , thank you! Since I have recently listed male characters here (or you know, in August, but we all know time hasn't been a thing for many moons), I took the liberty to list characters in general this time. I also went with which characters feel right at the moment, so does not show all my favourites. I also try to keep these short. (edit: okay so these are not remotely short, I will post a list first and have the explanations be under the cut, read if you want to hear my ramblings c': )

1. Fantine, Les Misérables 2. Javert / Jean Valjean, Les Misérables (yes i am cheating) 3. Carrie "Big Boo" Black, Orange Is the New Black 4. Jane Marple, Agatha Christie's Marple 5. Aunt Lydia, The Handmaid's Tale 6. Bridget Jones, Bridget Jones books & movies 7. Rock Lee, Naruto 8. Sarah O'Brien, Downton Abbey 9. Marilla Cuthbert, Anne of Green Gables / Anne with an E 10. Sister Monica Joan, Call the Midwife

1. Fantine, Les Misérables

I love Fantine with all my heart. I remember reading Les Mis for the first time and her story sending chills down my spine. Her character development makes me so sad, from a girl who falls hard and fast and won't deny anything from her lover, to a woman who is so beaten down by society that she can't do anything but laugh at her fate. But I love how she doesn't lose her pride or her fighting spirit and how she still has the guts to spit in Valjean's face when she sees him after being arrested. And I love how all she does is for her daughter and how despite selling "the gold on her head and the pearls in her mouth" she is content, because all that matters to her is that Cosette will live.

2. Javert & Jean Valjean, Les Misérables

I was really trying to limit this list to one character per fandom, but alas, I am but a weak little person. Thus, I am cheating already. The thing is that when it comes to Les Mis characters, Fantine, Javert and Valjean are the eternal top 3 for me, but I'm never quite able to say who I love the most. Last time I picked Javert for the male character meme because I love the symbolism and critique of society his character embodies, but let it be known that Jean Valjean is the best character in all of literature and I will fight you on this. The original soft on crime icon (aside from Jesus Christ but they're the same and you know it). Valjean's character journey is such a complicated one from an ordinary man (no worse than any man) to a person, who had been shaped by society and criminal justice system to be a very dangerous man, to someone you could compare to a saint if you wanted to... To an ordinary man, who would do anything for his daughter. He has so many character-defining moments, the biggest ones being in my opinion the trial of Champmathieu and letting Javert go instead of killing him. I just love Jean Valjean so much and could speak about him for hours.

3. Carrie "Big Boo" Black, Orange Is the New Black

Hopping away from the Les Mis hole and into a OITNB hole. I was debating on whether I'd put Boo or Pennsatucky on this list since I love them both so much, but I've been feeling so much love for my angry butch king that it had to be her. First of all, I'm just so happy to see butch lesbian representation where the butch identity is not just a joke. I know OITNB sometimes uses Boo questionably, but in general she is a nuanced character and one of the most interesting ones in the series in my opinion. I'm so sad they forgot all about her on the last seasons. I love everything about her, how she has trouble with feelings besides anger and often deflects serious stuff through humor, how fiercely protective she is of those she loves (boosatucky otp forever fucking fight me), how proud she is of her butch identity ("i refuse to be invisible")... Also, not to express attraction, but... Mama I'm in love with a criminal. And not to be a slut for how characters view religion/spirituality/God, but the relieved smile she has in one of her flashbacks when she says "there's no God... there's nothing", like you can't just do stuff like that and expect me not to love the character to bits.

4. Jane Marple, Agatha Christie's Marple

Last time I listed Poirot and was a bit frustrated I couldn't list Marple, but now it's time to right that wrong! I love this little old lady so much. I love Agatha Christie so much for just going "you know who is the person who knows everything that's going on in a community, and thus would make the perfect detective for a detective story? the nosy old woman". As she is introduced in The Murder at the Vicarage: "Miss Marple is a white-haired old lady with a gentle, appealing manner — Miss Weatherby is a mixture of vinegar and gush. Of the two Miss Marple is much more dangerous." She is so likable and witty, you can't help but love her. My favourite portrayal of her is by Geraldine McEwan, she looks so gentle but has such a sharp gaze. I would spill all my secrets to her any day. I also am compelled to tell you that when I was a child we had a costume party at my school and I dressed up as Marple and learned some old lady things in English (it was before third grade so I didn't know much English back then) just for the occasion (such as "thank you, my dear", "what a lovely necklace you are wearing" or "there has been a murder"). Teacher might have thought me rather morbid but I remember that day being quite good.

5. Aunt Lydia, The Handmaid's Tale

The Handmaid's Tale is such a great series and a book and Aunt Lydia is such a great character. The way she's capable of being absolutely cruel and vicious, but how she is also protective and caring in her own way. One of my favourite scenes in this series is when Serena Joy (my other favourite, can you tell) tells Lydia to "remove the damaged ones" from a line of handmaids and Lydia tries to argue with her. Sure, she is responsible for some of the punishments these women are now "damaged" by, but she truly believes those punishments were for a greater good and now the handmaids deserve their place with the others as much as anyone else. It is chilling and the character is such a dark shade of morally gray, but I can't get enough of it. The actress who plays her, Ann Dowd, has so interesting thoughts about her, like here. I just love this character so much I could scream.

6. Bridget Jones, Bridget Jones books & movies

I'm mostly talking about the movies here because Renée Zellweger's performance is iconic. Plus the movies are what made me love this character first. But I'll give it to the books, they're one of the few books I've laughed out loud while reading. Anyway, how do you even begin explaining the love I have for Bridget Jones... I love how she is a character so many people can relate but who would be a comic relief side character in some other story. Yes, yes, it is really bad that she is constantly described as fat when she really is not, but when I was growing up she gave me hope that people who are viewed as fat and/or unattractive by other people can be admired and appreciated, and they don't have to be super talented at everything and highly intelligent and some kind of a super smooth social butterfly to "make up" for what they "lack". And also that they can have standards (i once dodged a bullet by rejecting someone by pretty much subconsciously quoting Bridget Jones so..). I also love how the comedic tone of everything does not dismiss Bridget's feelings. For example in some other movie we maybe would concentrate on how "stupid" Bridget was to trust that Daniel was in love with her, but in Bridget Jones we concentrate on how Bridget was hurt by Daniel cheating on her, how he is the one who did wrong. Idk I just love Bridget Jones so very much can you tell.

7. Rock Lee, Naruto

Aka the boy who would have kicked Madara in the balls if Kishimoto had any sense of drama and good storytelling. I think I robbed Lee by not putting him on the fav male characters list. You know that post that goes like "gays be like 'these are my comfort characters', 1 literal ray of sunshine, 2 war criminal" etc? This child is the sunshine. I've been reading and watching Naruto again ( @hapanmaitogai is my sideblog for that nonsense) and I'm so ready to adopt Lee and/or Gai. Rock Lee is just such an earnest character, he has a goal he will give anything to achieve and he's the one true underdog in this manga. I love how he's so kind and polite (it's not so clear in English but in the Finnish translation he speaks as formally as he does in Japanese, he uses singular polite "you", calls Sakura "Sakura-neiti" = "Miss Sakura" etc... i love one polite boy). Also, he has the best fights in the series. Like Lee vs Gaara is a Classic, but we simply can't forget that time Lee absolutely crushed Sasuke in just a few minutes, or that time he politely asked Kimimaro not to kill him while he drinks his medicine. The best boy. I love that boy so much.

8. Sarah O'Brien, Downton Abbey

Last time it was Thomas' turn, so now I must talk about the snakiest snake, the queen of weaponized handmaidenry, Miss O'Brien. She is such a great character especially in the first two seasons (I obviously love her on season three as well but Julian Fellowes really tried to make it hard by not explaining her actions at all, didn't he. Well, luckily I am ready to stuff the gaps with my headcanons). She has some of the best comebacks in the series and brings some needed realism in some conversations. I also love how she uses her position as a lady's maid for her advantage and how she is proud of her profession despite being highly aware of the power structures in the Abbey. And then there is the soap. That is such a good character moment, because for a character who always plans ahead, who is ruthless and cunning and intelligent... I don't think O'Brien thought about the soap thing at all before she left the room ("Sarah O'Brien, this is not who you are" hit me like a train). Just once she did something with nothing but anger motivating her and that became one of the defining moments of her character. And one of the defining things of the future relationship between her and Cora. That's why I find the Sarah/Cora ship so interesting, because there will always be the undercurrent of bitter regret. Also Sarah O'Brien and Thomas Barrow are the greatest brotp and Fellowes was a coward for driving the smoking scheming gay best friends apart, and

9. Marilla Cuthbert, Anne of Green Gables / Anne with an E

I'm not saying L.M. Montgomery is entirely responsible for me having a fondness for strict, older women who first act unkind but have a heart of gold, but she most certainly did not help. Between characters like Marilla Cuthbert and Elizabeth Murray, how can you not fall in love with the type? It's been a while since I read the Anne series, but I really love how Marilla's character has been adapted into the Anne with an E tv series. Geraldine James looks like she was born to play her, she has me in tears so often. She has the ability to portray someone like Marilla, who is a very hard and stern person but feels deeply for her loved ones. I was watching the episode that dealt with Matthew's heart attack and Marilla berating her brother while hugging herself like she was trying so hard to hold herself together absolutely destroyed my heart.

10. Sister Monica Joan, Call the Midwife

It was a tough choice between her and Sister Evangelina. I just love these nuns very much. Sister Monica Joan is such a lovable and wise character. She is so knowledgeable of many subjects, from the Bible to astrology, and I feel like her unspecified memory problems and confusion are handled very tastefully. I also love how she's such an important part of her community despite not working as a midwife anymore. She is such a kind woman and gets visibly upset when others are treated poorly. And how could I not mention her saying "I do not believe in weeds. A weed is simply a flower that someone decides is in the wrong place", like... I love her so so much.

I won't tag anyone, but if you read this and you want to do this, consider yourself tagged and you're no allowed to mark me as the one who tagged you!

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maki-matsurra · 4 years ago

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Hi! I saw your post about writing requests, so could you write something for Chloe x Elena (as romantic ship) from Uncharted videogames please. Thank you! Have a nice weekend!

Hello! Thank you so much for the request Sweet! I’ve actually never heard of this ship before until now, so this is gonna get interesting!

I’ve decided to use a scene from The Lost Legacy, but instead of Nadine being there, it’s Elena, also, Elena and Nate ARE NOT married in this one-shot, so she can be all Chloes! ^^

I hope I did you justice! Enjoy!

Downtown Halebidu

Summary: After a big climb, Chloe and Elena share a heartfelt moment.

Genre: Angst, but most fluffy fluff

Warnings: Small mentions of homophobia

Word Count: 1120

Want to send in a request? Start here!

Two ladies began to clear their path through the woodland's passage, gaping at the old stone structure standing proud and tall in the distance. It was nobody other than Elena Fisher, and Chloe Frazer.

"Welcome to downtown Halebidu," Chloe said to Elena with a smile before continuing. "The last known resting place of the Tusk of Ganesh."

"Wow..." Was all that the blonde could murmur out, putting her hands on her hips as Chloe rested her arms behind her head, breathing out. She before long positioned her head to the side in confusion as she kept on gazing at the structure. She soon hummed and ventured into her pocket for the ancient disk.

"What?" Elena questioned as she turned to look at the Australian. Chloe held the disk up to the structure. "Doesn't it look like there's a dam or something between the two Ganesh statues?"

The reporter leaned in closer, her chocolate brown colored eyes not leaving the disk as she looked between the two. Chloe took the time to look at Elena's face, she couldn't resist the opportunity to acknowledge how beautiful she was. Even back when they initially met in Nepal. Just the way strands of golden blonde hair stuck to her face were simply ravishing, and her aroma of sweet roses made the raven-haired lady's heart skip a beat.

"Must've been eroded by the falls." Elena conjectured, making Chloe jump back into reality as she thought back to the structure. "So how do we get in?" Chloe questioned.

"Hang on." Elena looked at the statues more closely, bringing in her binoculars. She smiled. "Yeah, look at the crown." She said, handing the binoculars to the raven-haired woman, who gladly accepted them and peered through them. "It's not wear and tear."

Getting a good look at it herself, the Australian agreed. "You're right. Maybe it was a watchtower?" She asked as she handed the binoculars back to the reporter.

"Bet that's how the Persians got in."

Chloe took a gander at the structure for a couple of more seconds before dismissing it to go get a spot to plunk down. "I have heard about this place for sooo long." She sat down on a close-by rock as she took out the Ganesh figure, gazing at it with a little grin. She let out a chuckle. "I can't believe I'm actually looking at it."

"You should take a picture. Send it to your dad." Elena took a look at Chloe with her own grin as she kept on glancing around. Chloe faltered, her grin falling, she marginally shook her head. "Great Idea."

"What, he one of those dads who can't work a computer?" The blonde-haired girl chuckled, still smiling. "Just take a picture, show it to him in person, then."

Chloe winced once again as she peered down this time, her voice shockingly tranquil. "No, it's a-- just a few decades too late for that." Chloe streaked a little smile as she set the figure back in her pocket. Elena looked at her confused for a couple of seconds before a look of horror flashed all over as she marginally covered her mouth.

"I'm so-"

"Oh. Oh god, please no. It's fine." Chloe hindered as she got back on her feet, chuckling. The exact opposite thing she needed was any grievances on this journey, particularly with Elena. The raven-haired lady took a full breath prior to motioning towards the structure. "Shall we, uh, head over to Halebidu?"

Elena took a look at the Australian. She knew what a forced smile looked like, and Chloe had one on her face right now. Usually, the girl was so peppy, continually having some sort of quips. It was one of the reasons why Nate loved her. She peered down at her brown climbing boots as she pondered educating her concerning her dad, however she ruled against it, she gazed upward, met with Chloe's crystal blue eyes, and dealt with a calm; "Yeah."

Against all odds and after about an hour and thirty minutes of walking and climbing, somehow the two make it up to the sculpture, remaining on an edge. The two watched out at the lovely mountain landscape, not believing their eyes. Before long a little breeze began to push them back, the two clutched each other for help, they took a gander at one another and chuckled.

"Worth it?" Chloe cocked an eyebrow as she looked at the reporter with a smile. Elena nodded. "Definitely. It's beautiful."

Chloe looked at her, before looking out into the mountains again. "Yeah."

The two remained silent, soaking in the scenery, stealing glances at each other when they were not looking. Elena took a silent breath and soon closed her eyes, turning towards Chloe.

"My dad," Elena hesitates but got Chloe's attention as she looked at the blonde-haired reporter. "My dad...didn't like me too much because I was gay."

Chloe took a look at her with wide eyes, not accepting what she was hearing. Elena was gay? She generally thought she had a thing with Nate, or even that camera fellow she took a chance with her life to save in Nepal. Chloe referenced quickly before that she was Bisexual, however, Elena has never talked about her sexuality or her father as of recently.

"He never approved of my beliefs as mom did, so he would always shut me out. So I-... I know what it's like to not have a dad." Elena finished. Chloe took a gander at her, incapable to state anything as she was excessively stunned, not just at the news Elena dropped on her, yet just as her beauty in the daylight, this made the reporter shake her head at her. "Now, this doesn't mean I know what it's like to have a dead family member but I-"

"Shut up," Chloe said as she delicately held her cheek and kissed her. Stunning the poor girl as she tensed up. Elena consistently thought Chloe had a thing for Nate, not her. She didn't generally consider the reality of her being a love interest to her. Nonetheless, with how delicate and warm her lips were, and how they fit perfectly against hers, it didn't matter. It all made sense to her.

They separated after a couple of seconds, having a quiet discussion between them. Just them. They grinned at each other as at long last, Elena acknowledged where they actually were. "Now," She looked down, re-adjusting herself as she looked back up at Chloe with a smile. "How do we get off this thing?"

Chloe smiled back and turned as well. "Follow me. Oh, and we're continuing this."

"Oh, we're definitely continuing this."

#uncharted #uncharted the lost legacy #one shot #fluff #angst #chloe frazer #elena fisher #Chloe x Elena #One shot request #request

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calachuu · 4 years ago

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Pemberton Case

Good day! Today, my groupmates and I thought of sharing our opinion about Pemberton’s case and how he was pardoned despite committing a grueling crime. First of all, I would like to introduce myself, I’m Catherine and I will be sharing my opinion about this case.

If you were going to ask me what I feel about this, I am NOT happy about it. In fact, i’m very much infuriated with this case. I’m honestly trying my best not to let a single curse word slip out of my lips right now. I read articles about this case, and watched a particular video about this (specifically the president’s speech about jennifer laude’s case). I wasn’t happy about his decision. I personally think he should NOT have pardoned the american and let the family get the justice they very much deserve. The fact that he doesn’t favor any sides, the way he implied that he’s neutral with all of this made my blood boil. It was YOUR kind that died in the hands of a man that didn’t belong here in this country in the first place, but no- you chose to pardon him rather than siding with the family. I can’t even imagine what the family felt. How twisted can you be to release this case than helping your own kind get justice? not to mention she’s a filipino woman. A TRANSGENDER FILIPINO WOMAN. I don’t know, but I can personally sense the internalized transphobia. When will filipino’s realize that the LGBTQ+ community is very much valid regardless of sexuality? Is it your beliefs that’s stopping you from validating and accepting us? or are you really just a **** homophobe?

Anyway, enough about my opinion. I asked my groupmates about their thoughts, and here are their answers.

Maxine: “This is a serious topic to talk about and i think they should think about it more because pemberton did something to our fellow filipino that included rape and killing just because he heard that the victim is transgender.”

Justin: “My opinion in his case is that it is a disgrace to the Marine Corps and he is dragging himself down instead of doing or being good to others.”

Xairwen: “Killing one self is a sin. Every people deserves to be happy, deserve to love, and deserve to live in this world. We dont have a right to deprive others of their happiness and dignity, because it is only God who gave us these priveleges therefore he is also the only one who can take it. I hope this kind of situation wont happen again because every one is deserving to live in this world.”

Christine: “All of us has different kinds of perspective when it comes to people. In that case, Pemberton is homophobic/transphobic. i think he has so much hate for transgenders or gays, but it doesnt mean that you have to kill a person. if you have a problem with their sexuality, you have no right to do that. You can be angry or anything that you want feel because you are a human being but YOU CANT KILL SOMEBODY just because you have a reason or even if you dont have you have no right to do that. We have legal actions, we have our law for that case you shouldnt do any actions to your enemy or somebody thats deceiving you instead do some legal actions for that. Because in that case Pemberton said that he's expecting that Jennifer Laude is a woman, so when he found out that jennifer is lying he killed her and he told the news that it was all a self defense. But then again you have no right to kill somebody even if that person is provoking you.”

I really hope that filipino’s should hold pemberton accountable for his actions and help the family get justice instead of being transphobic and agreeing with the president’s pardon. we’re much more better than that.

leader: caladiao, catherine julia

members: gupo, xairwen

fineza, maxine joie

chua, justin leander

penasbo, christine frances

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keanuquotes · 4 years ago

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Joe Bidens speech November 7, 2020

My fellow Americans, the people of this nation have spoken. They have delivered us a clear victory. A convincing victory. A victory for “We the People.” We have won with the most votes ever cast for a presidential ticket in the history of this nation -- 74 million. I am humbled by the trust and confidence you have placed in me. I pledge to be a President who seeks not to divide, but to unify. Who doesn’t see Red and Blue states, but a United States. And who will work with all my heart to win the confidence of the whole people. For that is what America is about: The people. And that is what our Administration will be about. I sought this office to restore the soul of America. To rebuild the backbone of the nation -- the middle class. To make America respected around the world again and to unite us here at home. It is the honor of my lifetime that so many millions of Americans have voted for this vision. And now the work of making this vision real is the task of our time. As I said many times before, I’m Jill’s husband. I would not be here without the love and tireless support of my wife, Jill, Hunter, Ashley, all of our grandchildren and their spouses, and all our family. They are my heart. Jill’s a mom -- a military mom -- and an educator. She has dedicated her life to education, but teaching isn’t just what she does -- it’s who she is. For America’s educators, this is a great day: You’re going to have one of your own in the White House, and Jill is going to make a great First Lady. And I will be honored to be serving with a fantastic vice president -- Kamala Harris -- who will make history as the first woman, first Black woman, first woman of South Asian descent, and first daughter of immigrants ever elected to national office in this country. It’s long overdue, and we’re reminded tonight of all those who fought so hard for so many years to make this happen. But once again, America has bent the arc of the moral universe towards justice. Kamala, Doug -- like it or not -- you’re family. You’ve become honorary Bidens. To all those who volunteered, worked the polls, local election officials -- you deserve a special thanks from this nation. To my campaign team, to all the volunteers, to all those who gave so much of themselves to make this moment possible, I thank you for everything. And to all those who supported us: I am proud of the campaign we built and ran. I am proud of the coalition we built, the broadest and most diverse in history. Democrats and Republicans and Independents. Progressives, moderates and conservatives. Young and old. Urban, suburban and rural. Gay, straight, transgender. White. Latino. Asian. Native American. And especially for those moments when this campaign was at its lowest -- the African American community. I said from the outset I wanted a campaign that represented America, and I think we did that. And to those who voted for President Trump, I understand your disappointment tonight. I’ve lost a couple of elections myself. But now, let’s give each other a chance. It’s time to put away the harsh rhetoric. To lower the temperature. To see each other again. To listen to each other again. To make progress, we must stop treating our opponents as our enemy. We are not enemies. We are Americans. The Bible tells us that to everything there is a season -- a time to build, a time to reap, a time to sow. And a time to heal. This is that time for America. A time to heal. Now that the campaign is over -- what is the people’s will? What is our mandate? I believe it is this: Americans have called on us to marshal the forces of decency and the forces of fairness. To marshal the forces of science and the forces of hope in the great battles of our time. The battle to control the virus. The battle to build prosperity. The battle to secure your family’s health care. The battle to achieve racial justice and root out systemic racism in this country. The battle to save the climate. The battle to restore decency, defend democracy, and give everybody in this country a fair shot. Our work begins with getting COVID under control. We cannot repair our economy, restore our vitality, or relish life’s most precious moments -- hugging a grandchild, birthdays, weddings, graduations, all the moments that matter most to us -- until we get this virus under control. On Monday, I will name a group of leading scientists and experts as Transition Advisors to help take the Biden-Harris COVID plan and convert it into an action blueprint that starts on January 20th, 2021. That plan will be built on a bedrock of science. It will be constructed out of compassion, empathy, and concern. I will spare no effort -- or commitment -- to turn this pandemic around. I ran as a proud Democrat. I will now be an American president. I will work as hard for those who didn’t vote for me -- as I will for those who did. Let this grim era of demonization in America begin to end -- here and now. The refusal of Democrats and Republicans to cooperate with one another is not due to some mysterious force beyond our control. It’s a decision. It’s a choice we make. And if we can decide not to cooperate, then we can decide to cooperate. And I believe that is part of the mandate from the American people. They want us to cooperate. That’s the choice I’ll make. And I call on the Congress -- Democrats and Republicans alike -- to make that choice with me. America’s story is about the slow, yet steady widening of opportunity. Make no mistake: Too many dreams have been deferred for too long. We must make the promise of the country real for everybody -- no matter their race, their identity, their ethnicity, their faith. America has always been shaped by inflection points -- by moments in time where we’ve made hard decisions about who we are and what we want to be. Lincoln in 1860 -- coming to save the Union. FDR in 1932 -- promising a beleaguered country a New Deal. JFK in 1960 -- pledging a New Frontier. And twelve years ago -- when Barack Obama made history -- and told us, “Yes, we can.” We stand again at an inflection point. We have the opportunity to defeat despair and to build a nation of prosperity and purpose. We can do it. I know we can. I’ve long talked about the battle for the soul of America. Now we must restore the soul of America. Our nation is shaped by the constant battle between our better angels and our darkest impulses. It is time for our better angels to prevail. Tonight, the whole world is watching. I believe at our best America is a beacon for the globe. And we lead not by the example of our power, but by the power of our example. I’ve always believed we can define America in one word: Possibilities. That in America everyone should be given the opportunity to go as far as their dreams and God-given ability will take them. You see, I believe in the possibility of this country. We’re always looking ahead. Ahead to an America that’s freer and more just. Ahead to an America that creates jobs with dignity and respect. Ahead to an America that cures disease -- like cancer and Alzheimers. Ahead to an America that never leaves anyone behind. Ahead to an America that never gives up. This is a great nation. And we are a good people. This is the United States of America. And there has never been anything we haven’t been able to do when we’ve done it together. In the last days of the campaign, I’ve been thinking about a hymn that means a lot to me and to my family. It captures the faith that sustains me and which I believe sustains America. And I hope it can provide some comfort and solace to the more than 230,000 families who have lost a loved one to this terrible virus this year. My heart goes out to each and every one of you. “And He will raise you up on eagle's wings, Bear you on the breath of dawn, Make you to shine like the sun, And hold you in the palm of His Hand.” And now, together -- on eagle’s wings -- we embark on the work that God and history have called upon us to do. With full hearts and steady hands, with faith in America and in each other, with a love of country -- and a thirst for justice -- let us be the nation that we know we can be. A nation united. A nation strengthened. A nation healed. God bless you. And may God protect our troops. Joe Biden

#USA #Joe Biden #November 7 2020

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am-imagines · 5 years ago

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1...2...3...Love. - Alex Morgan Imagine.

This was requested!!: hiii can i have an imagine where alex and r have a small squabble before a match but it’s mostly like alex’s fault and she feels so bad bc they didn’t do their ritual (handshake, hug, etc) before the match so she scores every goal for r and points at r every time and r is just like oh stop it u on the field? I hope I did this justice, anon!

Frustration and anger are clear on your face when you sit on the bench.

You’re not even of the substitutes, but you can’t exactly book it back home while on the victory tour. Not like you would even if that was a possibility. So, you sit down next to Ash and Kelley. They’re pretty much in the same position you are.

Being a substitute or a reserve doesn’t bother you per se. Every member of this team is very talented and rotation is a common thing on the sport; moreso with so many talented players around. There are days when you get to play the entire match, and some when you don’t play at all. That’s fair; part of the game, but you don’t like when your playing time gets decided by someone other than Jill.

“You’ll get to play next game,” Ash says.

You smile despite yourself because Harris has taken you under her wing since day one. Ali doing the same no long after; so you became the Krashlyn kid even when you’re in your mid twenties. It feels good to be cared for.

“Yeah.”

That doesn’t make the frustration go away completely, but the anger is no longer present. You watch as the initial eleven makes it to the field and your gaze falls on one Alex Morgan.

The huff escaping your lips doesn’t go unnoticed by your fellow bench mates.

“She just cares about you,” Kelley says although it’s clear she doesn’t agree with Alex.

“I know.”

That’s part of your dilemma; you love Alex with all your heart but she can be too overprotective at times. It’s understandable; she doesn’t want to see you hurt, but she’s also one of the team captains. Your personal relationship shouldn’t get in the way of rationality, it shouldn’t obscure her objectivity, but it does.

Last match wasn’t your best; you admit as much, and at some point you suffered a nasty fall that left an even nastier bruise on your right shoulder. Jill subbed you out to ensure your safety, but the medics cleared you out that very same afternoon.

It hadn’t been more than a hard hit without any lasting consequences.

You were excited about this game. Maybe getting a few minutes in the second half and do what you love the most.

Honestly, everyone wanted to see you on the field because you truly enjoyed it. Dunn and Sonnet had made comments about your energy being a game changer. It was infectious, and if you powered through, the entire team would follow.

Then, Alex had made a pointed comment here and there for Jill to “casually” hear. Within minutes, your name had been removed from the substitute list. It wasn’t a subtle move by any means, but you wouldn’t go against your coach’s words.

For the look on Alex’s face, you knew this was as deliberate as it could be. Her plan had worked and it infuriated you.

Okay. You were Krashlyn’s surrogate kid, but you weren’t a baby.

You knew how to follow instructions and would never jeopardize your health for the sake of a few minutes of play. The team knows it. Alex knows it, and yet, she’s stubborn as all hell.

It frustrates you to no end because you’re not really angry.

Alex cares about you and it’s clear missing one match isn’t too bad if you get to play the next five. But you wish she could take a deep breath, let go of her fear and trust the entire medical team getting care of you in ways she can’t.

You didn’t start a shouting contest in the locker room because that’s not who you are. Your blood was boiling, but whenever you have a problem with each other, it’s something discussed in the privacy of your room. It gives you both a chance to cool off, to think things over instead of going at it hot heated and ready to hurt.

Still, the whole team could see you fuming and in your annoyance, you totally forgot about the handshake.

It’s a stupid ritual that started thanks to Kelley and Sonnett. Who else?

They came to you one day, babbling something about building team chemistry and how cool it is to have a secret handshake. Mind you, the only one to get it right every time was Tobin, and it can’t really be a secret when twenty-three women knew it.

That didn’t stop you from joking about Heath being the only cool member of the USWNT.

A wave of ridiculous and over-complicated handshakes among your teammates; including Alex and you. But while everyone gradually stopped, you two continued. It became just perfect when you added a kiss at the very end; for extra luck.

So far, it had worked like a charm.

Not this time though. You’re on the bench looking as the match unfolds.

All your annoyance is forgotten when Alex gets fouled. You shout at the ref much to Ash’s amusement, but hey! You’re still somewhat mad at your girlfriend, but that doesn’t mean you want to see her hurt.

Thankfully, Alex is okay. She goes back to her feet, fights for the ball, hustles to the last inch and wins. After all, she’s Alex Morgan.

It doesn’t take long for her to score and she’s smiling at you as she celebrates.

The sight is enough to make you blush, but sitting next to Ashlyn and O’Hara, you try your best to act cool. They see right through you facade. The blush is still present and comes back full force when they start teasing you.

It doesn’t help that Alex scores again ten minutes later.

This time smiling your way doesn’t seem enough for her. She makes sure the whole bench, team, and probably stadium knows she’s scoring for you. To do that, she points your way before blowing you a kiss.

“Charming,” Kelley comments.

Meanwhile, you’re trying to hide on Ash’s arms because Alex is stupidly cute and you should be mad at her, damn it! But you aren’t. Not anymore. Instead, you’re a blushing mess, squirming in the goalkeeper’s arms.

“Is this a moment of gay panic?” She asks; amusement clear in her voice.

You wonder if Ashlyn Harris knows what gay panic is. She’s absolutely smooth when Ali is around, and you can only aspire to be like her one day.

“Yes,” you finally answer.

“Y/n, Y/n, you’re too gay for this, aren’t you?”

“Have you seen my girlfriend? Of course I’m too gay for this! Tell her to stop.”

“Tell her yourself. It’s almost halftime.”

Kelley is right, a couple of minutes later you’re in the locker room while Jill goes over the plan for the second half. The team has done great so far and it’s mostly about keeping the pressure up. When she’s done, there are five minutes left of the halftime break.

“I’m sorry,” Alex whispers against your neck as she hugs you from behind.

“You should be.”

Despite your words, you lean into her; enjoying her embrace for those precious seconds. Any trace of tension fades from your shoulders when she nuzzles you lovingly. After another minute, you turn in her arms to have a very much needed conversation with your girlfriend.

It isn’t exactly private, but the team leaves you alone in a corner.

“I know why you did it,” you start, “but don’t overprotect me. I’m not made of glass, and will not break because of a bruise here and there. I’m not going to protest if Jill benches me, but I want to know that’s her decision, and not one she made because of you.”

“I know, and I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.”

She looks remorseful. Honesty shines in her eyes and you nod; leaving her off the hook.

You’re already halfway to the bench when she calls you.

“Hey! What about our handshake?”

“You do better when I don’t kiss you,” you reply with a smile.

“That’s not fair.”

The pout is clear in her voice but you don’t turn to see it; leaving her behind to join the rest of the team.

The second half has a quicker pace, and before you know it the score is 4-0. Goals from Lavelle and Press. You cheer them on from the bench and every girl around you joins in whatever silly chant you’re creating.

Even the crowd seems louder this time around, but when Alex scores for the third time, it’s total madness.

That’s a hat-trick for your girlfriend and instead of acting like the world champion she is, Alex is making the heart sign with her hands and blowing you another kiss.

That sends you into gay panic overdrive.

“So, what are the odds of our relationship still being a secret?”

“Was it ever?” Kelley asks. “You two were never subtle.”

She has a point and when the match is over you run towards Alex; jump on her arms and kiss her.

Alex can be a tad stubborn, overprotective like a bear, and offensively attractive. Not like it offends you in a personal way because you reap the perks of those really strong muscles. Still, she’s going to kill you one day; one way or another.

And the truth is, you couldn’t love her more than you already do; with all your heart.

#alex morgan imagine #alex morgan imagines #alex morgan x reader #uswnt imagine #requested #fulfilled prompt

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skamamoroma · 5 years ago

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Meg, always kinda wanted to ask....what’s your opinion on the actress who plays Sana in SkamIt not being Muslim?

This is the only post I’ll make on the issue ❤️

Skam is all about providing hope regardless of the issue or story. It is about giving the viewer an experience, giving them a close insight into a person person so that they can understand their story and provide hope.

Representation matters. A lot. It gives people a sense of belonging, of being seen and valued and appreciated and, above all, gives them a role model. It also teaches people who are not from that “minority” (for want of a better word) a new viewpoint and it can educate. It’s wonderful.

I am not a Muslim. I am not a POC. I have no religion at all. I will never understand what it is to be either. I have friends who are one or both so I have some knowledge of some issues my friends face from a closer perspective but I am absolutely never going to know what it is to experience life as a religious (and obviously religious) person or a person of colour.

My opinion matters here as much as anyone’s who is a non-Muslim non POC, aka only so far. The same way as I identify with the LGBT+ storylines, if someone none LGBT+ were to weigh in and say something about stuff they have no personal experience or knowledge of them that’s not at all helpful but if they have general comments about the storyline or the character or the behaviours then awesome! That’s a viewer 😊 that’s what you’re meant to do. But I am not going to devalue or overpower the opinion of someone who is a Muslim POC because their voice on these things deserves to be heard.

Having a Muslim person play a Muslim role is undoubtedly going to be a wonderful thing. Iman brought so much to her role. She gave understanding and depth and I believe even offered Julie tips and info. That’s special. That’s a community being represented by someone who gets it. She received a LOT of backlash for playing Sana from her own community and the guts that took. I imagine she realised the good a character like Sana could and was doing. Do you need to be a Muslim to play a Muslim role? The same way you don’t need to be gay to play the role of a gay teenager or you don’t have to have a mental illness to play someone with bipolar etc etc etc. There’s no requirement there but sometimes things more nuanced than that. Sometimes the need to further a cause is perhaps a bigger one and I absolutely see the value in a real, young Muslim girl playing that role and I can see how the impact can be felt as I’ve been in this fandom a long time.

Italy as a country needs Skam. Many countries need it but Italy’s political landscape is tricky and I have listened to Italian friends and lovely Italian folks on here who have expressed how needed an Italian s3 (Marti) and s4 (Bea) is. I have had Italian Muslims message me to tell me they’re thrilled Sana’s season is even a thing in their country. They have told me that they see that things are different there than in other countries who have Skam. They have commented that they themselves are a white Muslim and feel like Sana looks like they do in their country as they are hijab wearers too. This too can not be discounted. Political landscapes DO impact media and fiction because perhaps sometimes there is even more nuance at play. Perhaps sometimes there is stuff that people in other countries do not have to think about and perhaps to have a tv season shown and understood and accepted some things have to be a little different. These are things I have been told by Italian Muslims.

I am not a fan of how the issue has been handled. Besse is a tricky dude. He’s not subtle and he’s not someone who easily handles criticism even if it is constructive. He does handle it but he also makes snap reactions and it ain’t helpful. But he also cares a great deal. Julie Andem has said he’s the main producer to contact her and discuss, he has taken months to get to know and to understand Muslim youth in Italy, he cares about the show and characters on an immeasurable level, even going so far as to single handedly try to do the social media for s3 himself because they were having so many issues with Timvision. This is a man who gives a shit. He isn’t always right and sometimes goes about stuff in an less than ideal way but he gives a shit and I have respect for anyone who does.

This whole “no other Muslims came to casting”. I don’t know how true or untrue that is. I am sure there are many young talented Muslim or POC actresses in Italy but how am I to comment if that statement is true or not. I wasn’t there. Perhaps a little more insistence could have been had to find someone else?

Beatrice got the role. She’s a young actress, young lady and this is a huge acting gig. She is also perhaps lacking in education a little. Should she be ridiculed, put on the spot, forced to answer complex questions at the drop of a hat and expected to be a walking Wikipedia of social matters? Should she be ganged up on or singled out and made to feel less worthy? Should she be treated poorly and with contempt? Absolutely fucking not. She’s a human. She’s a young female in a complex industry that doesn’t tend to treat women all that well. She has emotions and feelings and a heart and is a person. Education and kindness and explanations are the way to handle stuff like this not sarcasm and vitriol and chastising. I get that anger is a thing people who are marginalised feel because I have felt it myself, I understand that those in the Muslim community understand a level of marginalisation that nobody who is outside if that community can possibly understand and I would never try to speak for the anger they should and shouldn’t be allowed to feel but I’m talking about a fellow human and a show that advocates hope and kindness and comfort and acceptance. Treating her like shit isn’t ok, it isn’t what Skam is about and it isn’t nice on a very basic human level.

The season is going ahead. Besse has done a lot of research and committed himself to making this season happen. He has spoken about how much he loves and respects the season’s issues and has made it clear how much he fought for it to be a thing in the first place. This isn’t a show runner who doesn’t care but it doesn’t mean he can’t be criticised still.

My view is that this would be a wonderful chance for a young Muslim POC to play a role that represents her. To embody a character that other young POC Muslims (or even not POC because white Muslims do exist) can look up to, to be a role model, to represent her community. That can only ever be a truly special thing and Iman did a magical job as have other actresses playing Sana. I wish that the casting directors and show runner had insisted on this.

But I do not want to discount the immense good that a Sana season could do in modern day Italy. I don’t want to suggest that I understand the decisions behind the scenes. I don’t want to speak for white Muslims living in Italy. I don’t want to speak against Muslim Italians who have commented how much Sana’s season will mean to them in their political landscape.

I love Skam Italia. I think it’s a wonderful show. I cherish so much of it. No show is perfect. No remake of Skam is perfect. No actor or actress is an immediate social justice warrior with all of the complex sensitive knowledge at their finger tips to spout forth in a speech to end social issues. I care about people giving a shit and I care about kindness and this cast do as do many of the other Skam casts. This show is precious and useful and unique and it also is made and shown in countries with their own political, social, historic landscapes that people from outside those countries do not understand and that should always be remembered too.

This is not an easy topic and I think anyone who is POC and or Muslim has a right to express opinion and those opinions should be listened to but the way with all of this is with kindness not hatred. I don’t tolerate poor treatment of people. We live in a modern time where being wrong is apparently nowadays a cause of bloody abuse and that’s insanity. Debate is important as is talking to understand. Sometimes there is a place for anger and righteousness and yes I’d absolutely agree that it can be used in a valuable way and especially minorities have no requirement to educate or spend their time being kind to people who are racist or homophobic or prejudice in any way... but where there is misunderstanding or perhaps debate to be had and where stuff concerns well meaning people who maybe need to understand another viewpoint etc etc etc, I’d advocate for kindness and education over anything.

So these are my feelings on the issue. I will watch Sana’s season and I’ll be absolutely willing to be constructively critical, as always. I will also listen to those who are Muslim and Italian about how they feel about the season. I am also watching significantly for other characters too. I love a lot of the general s4 storyline and loved Sana a great deal. By me watching the season, it does not mean I am not critical of some of the decisions made. I choose, in the circumstances we are in, to give it a chance and to appreciate the good it can still do.

I don’t want to have a mass debate on this topic. There are people better places to have that debate and I’m not one of them. Please be kind and respectful and listen, that would be my advice ❤️

#skam italia #thoughts etc #SORRY I CANT GET THE READ MORE TO WORK #long post #skam italia season 4 #i wont answer any more asks on this as i dont think its helpful

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