#it's good for what it is. and what it is is (unfortunately) a marvel movie...despite a clear attempt to be more than that | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

stayevildarling · 11 months ago

Note

Hi. I saw you are running low on inspiration for some Delia, Mina, & Billie fics. I was shifting through and found some fun prompts that could be fun to use with them!

“Where are you? Tell me where you are.”

“You left me alone.”

“Don’t cry please.”

“Oh my gosh, you’re bleeding.”

“Don’t yell at me!”

“What did you do?”

No pressure whatsoever, inspiration comes naturally so it’s okay if you don’t have it currently. I have been loving the Marvel fics too but I do miss our girls Delia, Mina, and Billie! Thankkk youu. Take care!

Cordelia Goode x Billie Dean Howard x Wilhemina Venable x Reader - Basement Blues

A/N: Thank you very much for sending these prompts. I got a request that instantly reminded me of this and so I combined it🫶🏼.

initial request:

Hiii as per usual I’m watching a horror movie and I was wondering .. could you write a fiction where r decides to join Billie during the inspection of a presumed ‘haunted house’ and her coworkers, while Billie is checking upstairs, pull a prank on r deciding to leave her behind in the basement. Little did they know that a ghost lurked there, anything but kind, leaving r absolutely terrified. Maybe she hurt herself trying to push the door open. When Billie finds out what happened, she is both outraged and deeply sorry for r, who won’t speak but only cry and shake in fear. It could be a hurt comfort fic w multiple characters too, I was thinking Cordelia and Mina maybe? (You choose) When Billie comes back home with r, Mina and Delia will surely ask her questions, noticing r’s state. The three of them trying to pick up the pieces. Thanksss <<3

tw: mention of ghosts, mention of haunted house, mention of cursing, mention of smoking, mention of blood

word count: 6k

taglist:

@lunaticwhittaker , @billiebeanhoward , @lanawinters-ily , @kenzbro , @minaslittleone , @httpfiftyshadesofgay , @whitelotus00 , @ninaahs , @paulsonsratched , @vintagepaulson , @isle-of-earle , @grilledcheeseandguavajelly , @lucyintheskywithxanax , @fanfics4world , @mymiraclewitch , @hazard-to-myself , @awritersometime , @wastdtime , @p1pecleanerwitheyes , @queen2234 , @ihartnat , @lifebyinez , @ahsatanizgay , @stepintomyworld

The academy had been quiet today, the soft sound of rainfall shuddering against the windows overlooking the gardens and greenhouse of the coven, your home. As your partners go on about their usual days, Billie Dean filming her show- getting ready to film the last bits for her newest season, Cordelia working in the academy, guiding a group of witches in improving their magical abilities and Wilhemina equally at work, you find yourself feeling a little bored.

Now it certainly didn't happen often, as you had a career of your own, but unfortunately you are off from work for a week, which usually you would enjoy, if it meant their schedules lined up with your own. However, as it was a little short notice, neither of them could take any time off, leaving you almost like a lost puppy wandering the academy. Often you had wished you could also be a witch, get taught by Cordelia and spend your afternoons or days off working on spells, witchcraft and potions. But you couldn't and so the only thing you had been doing today was some reading, getting started on some dinner preparations and checking in on the supreme from time to time. Despite not being a student at the academy, you wanted to make yourself useful and so you had spent your morning in the greenhouse, tidying up the potion shelves, organising the various ingredients and labelling some jars. Afterwards, you watered the plants, ensuring they receive the proper care, despite the supreme caring and tending to them regularly but you knew she had been busy lately.

However, as the day goes on, you find yourself growing increasingly bored, sighing to yourself, you lean on the kitchen counter, overlooking the gardens and how it was by now pouring down with rain, the sky filled with dark clouds and making the aura almost a little gloomy. Your thoughts are interrupted when the sound of the front door opening and closing startles you a little, causing you to instantly turn around, your features beaming. A small smirk makes it's way onto your features, as you watch your girlfriend Billie Dean walk inside, abandoning her umbrella nearby before kicking off her heels. Almost with graze, she abandons her handbag and blazer in the hallway before sighing heavily at the rain and knowing she would need an extensive hair care routine tonight, as otherwise she would be overwhelmed with her hair going frizzy and wavy. You peek your head around the doorframe, watching her in quiet adoration and giggling a little at her antics.

,,Hi'' you beam a little, your genuine smile instantly lighting up the room as you didn't expect the medium to be home just yet. ,,Hi babydoll'' she greets you warmly, her features equally lighting up before opening her arms. ,,Come here'' she offers and you comply, letting her steady arms wrap around you as you nuzzle yourself further into her neck, taking in her scent of expensive Chanel perfume and vanilla. ,,How's my baby girl?'' she asks gently before you mutter out a quiet ,,I'm k Billie, how about you?''. As the two of you pull away, you follow her into the kitchen where she takes a seat, lighting a cigarette before filling you in about her day. ,,How was filming?'' you ask excitedly as you watch her light the cigarette with again such grace. ,,It was good darling, we have one more house to film at tomorrow and then we should be mostly done'' she announces, brushing her fingertips through her slightly soaked curls.

,,Where are you filming tomorrow then?'' you ask curiously before she fills you in a little further, the two of you getting lost a little in conversation and Billie filling you in on all the details about her day. She watches curiously as you listen intently to her every word and as she abandons her cigarette in a nearby ashtray, before turning the coffee machine on, she can't help but notice how spotless the place is, not just the kitchen but the academy as a whole. ,,What did you get up to today darling? other than cleaning?'' she chuckles, knowing you to be a bit of a neat freak. When your gaze averts hers, the blonde can tell that something was on your mind, in fact she had noticed it as soon as she greeted you as you normally aren't that clingy or cuddly straight away. Her features tense a little as she tilts her head to the side to get a look at you ,,What's the matter?'' she asks, her tone soft but a little stern at the same time. ,,Nothing Billie'' you assure, quickly smiling at her to make the statement more believable.

Her eyebrows furrow as she sits back down again, her gentle hand finding yours on the table and holding it in place. ,,What is it?'' she tries again, her eyes piercing right through you as you meet her brown ones. Sighing heavily you avert her gaze again before speaking ,,I've just been bored today, I have done everything that I could think of but I always feel a little useless when I'm not working or when I'm not around either of you'' you admit. The statement causes for her to frown a little before she begins thinking ,,You're off for the rest of the week right?'' she asks, causing you to nod at her question. ,,I'm sorry darling but I promise I'll take you somewhere nice this weekend hm?'' she tries, causing you to simply nod sadly, excited at her offer but knowing you would still have to wait a whole week for that to happen. Billie watches as an idea quite literally ripples through you, causing your eyebrows to shoot upwards, a smirk on your features ,,What's going on in that pretty little head of yours?'' she smirks before you fill her in ,,Can I pwease go to work with you tomorrow?'' you ask excitedly, your features beaming once again.

The medium scratches her head before beginning to play with her rings, thinking about it for a moment. You had often asked Billie as you are a big fan of her show and she had taken you for some promo bits a few times. Her crew loved you anyway as you always made yourself useful and got everyone coffee so she simply smiles at you before nodding. ,,Sure babydoll, I'd love to take you'' she reassures before you beam a little, kicking your feet up and down in excitement and she chuckles then at your adorableness, before pressing a kiss to the hand that she is still holding. Glancing at the time, you notice you should carry on finishing dinner preparations and so you do just that, walking back over the fridge and setting the ingredients down. You smile warmly as you feel Billie's arms wrap around you from behind, her chin resting on your shoulder ,,What are we having tonight babydoll?'' she whispers. ,,Tacos'' you announce before she presses a kiss to your cheek. ,,Oh, you truly are an angel'' she smiles before walking away, swaying her hips a little more than necessary. ,,I'll just be in the shower darling'' she announces before leaving you.

A while later, you finish setting the table and continue to prepare dinner, chopping some vegetables, overlooking the gardens once more, noticing how the atmosphere seemed a little lighter, even a rainbow in the distance somewhere before you see a presence lingering by the doorway from the corner of your eyes. ,,Hi Delia'' you greet her as she watches you in quiet adoration. ,,Hello sweetheart'' she smiles warmly before taking slow and gentle steps towards you ,,Guess what?'' you beam a little and doing some type of excited dance that she can't help but giggle at. ,,What darling?'' she asks, her heart fluttering at seeing you so happy. ,,I'm going to work with Billie tomorrow'' you announce proudly, almost a little smug. ,,You're what?'' she asks, acting as if she didn't hear you properly, her eyebrows raised ever so slightly. ,,I-am-going-to-work-with-Billie-tomorrow-'' you slow down the words in a joking manner causing her to smirk a little.

,,Oh yeah? who says that sweetheart?'' she asks, the concern already laced on her beautiful features. ,,Me'' Billie Dean announces as she walks in, towel wrapped around her head from just finishing in the shower. The medium presses a kiss to your cheek before stealing a vegetable from the chopping board and putting it in her mouth ,,And why is that?'' Cordelia asks, her eyebrows still raised as she tries to keep her worry hidden and at bay. ,,She told me she's bored and I would love to take her'' the medium shrugs before leaning agains the kitchen island. ,,I'm not sure that's a good idea'' Cordelia protests, remembering the dangers that Billie's career brought, often finding the medium shivering and shaking at night after an especially rough few episodes. ,,Why not? I'll look after her'' the medium announces, giving you a little wink before speaking again ,,Besides, you have been here all day'' she argues causing for Cordelia's eyebrows to raise again.

,,Yes teaching witches all day'' Cordelia argues back, you watching the scene unfold quietly, knowing it's still light and mostly a joke. ,,Come on Dee, it's not like she's going to work with Wilhemina'' Billie jokes, before walking away to light a cigarette. ,,Who's not going to work with me?'' the redheads voice rings through the quiet kitchen as she returned moments ago. You beam a little seeing your Mina, having missed her today ,,Darling Billie here has decided to take Y/N to work tomorrow'' Cordelia announces, her eyes pleading with the redhead hoping she was going to agree with the supreme and share her concern. Wilhemina watches Billie's devilish grin before retreating for a smoke, your puppy eyes as if asking for permission, despite not needing it and Cordelia's eyes piercing through the redhead. Wilhemina remains quiet, not necessarily liking the idea of you being near ghosts and spirits but trusting Billie and her white light spirit that she talks about daily enough to let you go, knowing you must have been bored and feeling bad that she didn't manage to take any time off to spend with you this week.

As you serve the food, Billie returns before Wilhemina's eyes pierce through the medium ,,You better look after her Howard'' she warns before the blonde chuckles ,,Always''. Cordelia watches, her eyes meeting Wilhemina's surprised that she agreed before reminding herself that you are an adult after all and can make your own decisions. The tense atmosphere is quickly replaced by a comfortable one as the four of you talk about your days over dinner, the three of them thanking and praising you for you cooking and you making fun of Billie for almost dropping the entire content of her tacos on the table while trying to take a bite. The remainder of the evening is spent in the comfortable embrace of each other, the almost all too familiar image of Wilhemina sitting in her armchair by the fireplace knitting, Billie and you snuggled in Cordelia's arms on the sofa while watching some of her show.

The next day begins with a gentle warmth filtering through the windows of the academy. As the first light of morning creeps in, Wilhemina's alarm clock ripples through the quiet air, causing her and Cordelia to stir from their slumber, arms and legs still entangled in each other and their comforting embraces. Slowly, Billie Dean stirs as well, before opening her eyes, catching a glimpse of Wilhemina already on her way to the bathroom, Cordelia's eyes meeting hers. ,,Where's Y/N'' Billie asks confused, her voice still sounding hoarse from sleep. Cordelia glances towards the bathroom door, finding Wilhemina disappear inside, at first assuming you had been in there before her eyebrows furrow. The two of them briefly make their way downstairs, only to find you already having set the table for your girlfriends for breakfast, Wilhemina's lunchbox for work already prepared as you go on about your task while dancing along to a song playing in the background, swaying your hips as your excitement gets ahold of you.

,,Sweetheart?'' the supreme tries softly, however you are so lost in your buzzing mood that you can't hear her. Billie chuckles before walking over to you, startling you. ,,Morning babydoll'' she greets you with a chuckle and gentle kiss as your cheeks are coated in a slight red shade, not expecting them downstairs yet. Cordelia watches in quiet adoration, leaning against the doorframe and she can't help the fluttering of her heart or the genuine smile spreading across her features, seeing you this happy and content. It hadn't always been like this, the last two years having been anything but kind to you and she had often worried if you would move past it, make it to the other side but seeing you this genuinely happy, causes her both relief and joy. The supreme is startled when she hears the sound of Wilhemina's cane softly approach from behind, causing her to snap out of her thoughts and join the three of you for breakfast.

,,Alright I'm off, have fun little one'' the redhead speaks softly as she collects her things including the lunchbox you had made for her. ,,Thanks Mina'' you smile at her before she turns to the medium ,,Look after her'' she warns again before leaving, her cane echoing through the academy as she makes her way towards the driveway. The remainder of the morning you cannot await your departure with Billie, she made sure to make it special for you, helping you with the perfect outfit and even some makeup as she offered to maybe give you a little scene in her show after all if it wasn't too dangerous. After saying goodbye to the supreme, who's worried glance follows you until you are both out the door, Billie drives you to her usual coffee spot, picking up her pre work coffee and getting you a little something as well. ,,Thanks Billie'' you beam, loving when she spoiled you like this.

The ride to the location takes about half an hour and the two of you simply enjoy each other's company, the sound of the music quietly in the background. Billie truly was stunning and you have a hard time not stealing glances at her or to stare too much as she takes you inside to her crew, the mini skirt complementing her body in the perfect way. ,,Good morning Miss Howard'' her crew greets her and you watch in awe seeing her crew again and all the film equipment already prepared. ,,Morning everyone'' she greets with her usual cheerfulness until her colleagues take a look at you. ,,We've got a guest today?'' her assistant remarks excitedly and Billie nods, before introducing you to two male crew members that you hadn't met before, being familiar with the rest.

While they look over the last few details of this house's history and the spirit meant to be residing here and haunting the people living here, you inspect the camera equipment a little further, staying in the background as you didn't want to bother Billie or anyone. ,,Alright, start upstairs and then make our way down?'' her assistant suggests and Billie nods before checking herself in the mirror one last time, doing some sort of expression that you can't help but silently chuckle at in adoration. ,,I want you to stay down here with the crew babydoll k? I'll get you once I know it's not too dangerous and then I'll see if I find a little scene for you alright?'' she asks, bopping your nose with her finger and you nod and smile before she presses a kiss to your lips.

The house becomes quiet as they ascend the stairs, the only noises to be heard Billie as she takes the camera through the house, talking about the history of this home, what the owners had been going through and what they had researched about the spirit. Some of her crew members remain downstairs and you watch the two guys as they mutter something to themselves. There is some artwork on the walls and you inspect them a little closer as you see old family photos and you wonder who the people may be as the family living here was young and these photos looked a couple of centuries old. ,,Hey, your Y/N right?'' one of them asks and as you are awful with names you decide to call them ,,the blonde one'' and the ,,the ginger one'' in your head. ,,Yes I am'' you announce friendly, not particularly liking the company of men but wanting to be nice nevertheless considering they work for Billie.

,,We left some equipment down there, do you think you could fetch it for us while we do this?'' the ginger one asks and you nod as he gestures towards the computers where you see Billie inspecting upstairs and so far not having any luck as she works her magic in contacting the spirit. ,,Sure'' you shrug friendly, usually helping out her crew whenever you joined the medium the couple of times you had been to her office. ,,It's just a small laptop'' the blonde one says and opens the door for you. The entire basement is dark and as one of them turns the light on, a wooden staircase is exposed and you make your way down. As soon as you reach the bottom of the stairs and look around, the door suddenly bangs shut and you quickly go upstairs, still thinking this was an innocent mistake. When you hear both of them giggling and notice they had locked the door, you simply roll your eyes before muttering ,,Not very funny''.

In the end you sit on the stairs for a while, realising you have no service or connection to contact Billie. The door was thick and you assumed if you screamed she may not hear you and you simply will embarrass yourself more. In the end, you walk back down the stairs, checking out some more frames on the walls and countless storage boxes. It's when the light suddenly begins flickering and turning off altogether that your breath hitches a little. In a desperate attempt, you use your torch from your phone, despite it only providing a small source of light in the big basement. At first you assumed it was those same idiots that had locked you in here to begin with but you quickly realise it was more serious than that when countless of the boxes begin tumbling down the shelves, no presence of anyone visible.

,,Hello?'' you call out but instantly scold yourself as you had always mentioned how stupid it was to call out said word whenever watching a horror movie. Carefully, you walk around some of the boxes, shining your torch in the direction the noises came from when you see a shadow. It causes you to shriek a little before backing away. Now, due to the darkness you aren't sure but you could swear you had seen that face on one of the photos from earlier, a man assuming in his twenties with dark hair, dressed in some clothes that match the century vibes from the pictures. His expression looked angry, making you feel scared and uneasy. In a desperate attempt to flee the situation you begin screaming and banging against the door but you can't hear anything other than the giggling idiots on the other end.

,,This is my house, you have no business here'' a dark voice suddenly calls out before a torch comes flying your way, hitting the door and causing the glass to split everywhere, including your direction. ,,Please I just want to get out of here'' you plead, your rational side not able to believe that you are actually talking to a ghost and at the same time admiring how Billie could do this on a daily basis as this terrified you in a way nothing had ever scared you. It's when you hear heavy footsteps at the bottom of the staircase that you begin banging against the door, screaming for Billie and eventually using all of your strength to try and open the lock, hitting your shoulder and pushing all your weight against it in the hopes of opening the door.

,,Where is Y/N?'' Billie's voice calls out as she makes it downstairs again, seeing her two crew members but no sign of you. They both shrug and Billie is confused before looking around the house. ,,Y/N?'' she calls out before she hears you crying out her name. ,,Where are you? Tell me where you are'' she calls out in a desperate attempt, hearing your distress. She suddenly hears banging from the basement door and stares at the two idiots before rushing over, the camera still following her. The medium unlocks the door instantly, finding you shivering and shaking with fear as you practically fall into her arms, the spirit near seconds from you and she is quick to grab you, spin you both around so she faces the spirit before chanting some latin words and making him disappear.

,,What the hell happened?'' she asks as she takes your cheeks into her hands, tears continuing to stain them. ,,You left me alone'' you choke on a sob, feeling the fear still rippling through your body as you had never experienced something like this before. ,,Don't cry please'' she whispers as she holds you protectively. ,,Why were you in there?'' she asks confused before you meet her eyes and your guilty eyes meet the two idiots standing in the corner, their expression suddenly very serious. ,,Turn this shit off'' Billie curses as she stares at the camera, leaving you for a moment. ,,Are you serious?'' she screams, not being able to hold her composure. ,,Locking someone in a basement of a haunted house, congratulations, you didn't only scare her for dear life, the spirit is also gone'' she screams in frustration, her whole camera crew and assistant silent as they had never seen the medium like this before.

,,Get out of here, you are both fired'' she curses before turning to her assistant. ,,We are done here, I'll see you in the office on monday'' she announces and the woman simply nods as Billie reaches for her handbag. As you follow her, her assistant gives you a compassionate and sorry look. Billie takes your hand, guiding you towards her car before opening the door for you. She closes it gently before getting into the drivers seat, banging the door in frustration before lighting a cigarette. The two of you remain there for a little bit until Billie finishes, without a word she begins driving, the music still playing quietly in the background.

,,I'm so sorry'' she eventually whispers and as you turn towards her, you notice a tear running down her cheek and you are quick to catch it with your thumb. ,,It's okay Billie, it's not your fault'' you assure but the medium knows you are wrong. She should have looked after you, stayed with you and looked after you better. This is exactly what your other two girlfriends had been implying and that makes her feel even worse. ,,It is'' she mutters quietly and Billie was so lost in her daze that she never noticed your state, how pale you are, that your whole body is still shaking, the pain on your shoulder unbearable and your hands covered in blood from the glass and trying to open the door frantically. ,,I promise Billie it's okay, we can just forget about it'' you encourage her but she remains silent, struggling with the guilt of what had happened.

By the time you both make it home, you both notice Wilhemina's car in the driveway, unaware how long this whole thing actually took and how long you had been gone. Billie looks at your face, still so lost in her feelings that she doesn't notice your physical state. ,,We don't have to mention it promise'' you encourage and she simply nods as the two of you walk inside the academy. Now, the shock had momentarily made you forget about the pain and the state your body is in and so it's no surprise as the two of you walk inside, when both Wilhemina and Cordelia's face drop seeing your state. Cordelia's eyebrows furrow as they both walk over to you, Billie following behind.

,,Oh my gosh, you're bleeding'' Cordelia shrieks, quickly taking your bloody hands into her own, the blood staining her and some pieces of glass still stuck in your hands. Wilhemina takes one look at your painful face, quickly noticing the signs of shock as your knees and hands are shaking. You remain silent before looking into Cordelia's eyes, trying your hardest to force a smile. ,,I'm fine I promise'' you reassure but they are having none of it. ,,I just fell that's all'' you try to lie, not wanting to have Billie getting the blame but again they can see right through you. ,,Sit down'' Cordelia orders as she takes you in the kitchen, Wilhemina and Billie following, as the medium leans against a counter, lighting a cigarette in frustration.

,,What the hell did you do?'' Wilhemina's yelling ripples through the air, causing you to shake in Cordelia's arms as she checks and begins treating your injuries with her magic. Billie pretends that the raising of her girlfriends voice doesn't affect her, simply shrugging as she takes another long drag. ,,Don't yell at me'' she warns, not in the mood for Wilhemina's usual antics and anger. ,,You need to tell me what happened Howard because when Y/N left this morning she was the happiest and now she is shaking, bleeding and it looks like she is going to pass out'' the redhead warns, controlling her voice after seeing Cordelia's warning expression.

,,It wasn't Billie's fault'' you somehow mutter out, fighting through the pain of your shoulder injury. All three heads snap towards you and you begin speaking again ,,Her coworkers played a dumb prank but Billie fired them as soon as she found out, it really wasn't Billie's fault'' you defend her and Billie's heart swells with pride, her eyes filling with tears as she knows she deserved every bit of this but appreciating nevertheless that you are trying to defend her. ,,What sort of prank sweetheart?'' Cordelia asks seriously before you glance at Billie and fill them in. ,,They asked me to get something from the basement and then locked me in there'' you admit and Wilhemina scoffs at hearing your statement.

,,But then where did this come from?'' Cordelia asks confused as she points out the cuts on your hand and the leftover glass she had pulled from it. ,,There was a spirit but Billie didn't know and got rid of it'' you admit And Wilhemina can't help but lose her temper again. ,,Really you left her alone? with a fucking spirit in the basement?'' Billie is in no state to deal with this and so all she does is collect her cigarettes before placing her hand on your shoulder in a comforting manner before walking past you. ,,I'm sorry babydoll'' she apologies again before disappearing outside, needing some air.

Wilhemina can't help but notice your flinching and pained expression when Billie had touched your shoulder and she tilts her head to the side a little before stepping closer to you. ,,Are you in pain little one?'' she asks and you shake your head but when your two girlfriends glance at each other, they know you are still trying to downplay the situation. ,,If you are in pain, you need to tell us sweetie'' Cordelia encourages and you hesitantly fill them in. ,,I tried to break the door open'' you admit and they both look at you seriously before Cordelia points towards your shoulder. You nod in confirmation and with gentle hands, she lifts your sleeve down, exposing your beaten and bruised shoulder. ,,God'' Wilhemina mutters, seeing the state you are in and feeling like she wants to kill those idiots that did this.

,,That spirit should be grateful it's dead because otherwise'' Wilhemina mutters and you can't help but break out in laughter, startling the two of them. ,,Sorry'' you mumble and Wilhemina smirks ever so slightly, Cordelia happy to at least see you smiling again. As she inspects your shoulder a little closer, she realises the extend of your injury and glances at Wilhemina who knows exactly what this means. ,,Sweetheart, your bone seems injured, I can fix it but magic like this can be tricky'' she explains and you listen intently to her words. ,,Can't you just fix it?'' you ask and she bites her lip before sighing. ,,I can but the way this magic works is the bone will heal itself, it's very quick I promise but can be very painful'' the supreme explains and you glance at Wilhemina who looks at you with so much concern.

While Cordelia prepares herself for the spell, Wilhemina passes you some water and encourages you to drink the whole thing. ,,Ready?'' the supreme asks and Wilhemina reaches her hand out to you which you take. ,,Ready'' you mumble, feeling a little nervous before her hand hovers over your shoulder before she begins chanting some latin words. At first the pain feels tingling, the initial pain even leaving before the excruciating pain ripples through your body. Your eyes begin swelling up and you can't help but let out the most painful scream, that causes both their hearts to ache. ,,Done'' Cordelia whispers, her own eyes filled with tears at knowing how much that must have hurt. ,,I'm so sorry sweetie'' she whispers as she cups your cheeks. Your eyes remain closed but as you open them again, you notice the absence of any pain, her magic working wonders as if none of this ever happened in the first place.

,,Better?'' Wilhemina asks, her expression almost unreadable and you nod before Billie comes rushing inside. ,,What happened?'' she asks, hearing your scream from outside and never having heard you like this before. ,,Cordelia fixed the bone that broke'' Wilhemina mutters without the slightest bit of emotion in her voice, Billie's eyes widening in realisation. ,,Sweetie are you okay? you look awfully pale'' Cordelia acknowledges as the colour quite literally drained from your face. ,,Yes.. I think I'm going to have a shower'' you say before standing up, not wanting to be anywhere around for the confrontation that was about to unfold between your girlfriends. They all watch as you walk away, their worried eyes following you and Cordelia can sense with her magic that a wave of dizziness was going to wash over you any moment. With quick steps she aids to your side as you hold onto the nearest wall. ,,It's okay, I'll help you darling'' she offers and she takes your hand, gently guiding you upstairs, knowing what this type of magic and the shock from before can have an impact on your body.

Cordelia‘s movements are gentle as she helps you upstairs, sitting you down on the bed before retrieving some clothes for you. She knows about your desire to shower after today but she also knows your body is in no condition to do so after the shock and her magic. She washes your face for you, gently dresses you in some pj‘s before tugging you into bed. As she watches you get comfortable, she feels conflicted, knowing you both needed her and the desire of not leaving you alone but she also knew her other two lovers needed her in order for the argument that was bound to happen not to escalate. „It really wasn‘t Billie‘s fault Delia“ you mumble, already feeling the tiredness from the day wash over you. „I know sweet girl“ she smiles before walking over and pressing a gentle kiss to your forehead.

„It‘s okay you can go“ you mumble, being able to tell how conflicted the blonde is feeling. And it almost brings tears to her eyes how well you know them, how kind and considerate you are. Now before the witch gets the chance to leave, the door opens and both of your heads snap in the direction, surprised when you see both of your girlfriends walking in together. You can tell by their expressions that Billie still feels guilty, that Wilhemina still feels angry but it‘s the way they walk in together, side by side, no distance between them that you and Cordelia can tell they had settled this among themselves. Billie remains silent, walking over to you as Cordelia checks in with Wilhemina, the redhead nodding as if to signal that all is well. „I‘m so sorry my sweet girl“ she apologizes again and knowing Billie you knew she would be sorry for a lifetime. „It‘s okay really Bills“ you encourage and she smiles contently before pressing a kiss to your cheeks.

„Now babydoll, me and Mina had a talk, considering the day you‘ve had, how about we order your favorite? you can have a little rest until it gets here and then we‘ll watch your favorite movie?“ your eyes sparkle at her statement and you glance at both Delia and Wilhemina who simply smile and encourage you to agree. „Yes please“ you beam, before sitting up excitedly, the tiredness suddenly gone. And so, the four of you find yourself in front of the TV a little while later, your favorite takeaway in your lap and your favorite movie playing in the background. You could tell there was maybe a conversation to come but by Wilhemina and Billie‘s causal bickering and joking you could tell everything was back to normal. After finishing your meal, Cordelia begins the dishes as Billie steals away for a smoke and you finally find yourself in the arms of your redhead lover.

„I‘m glad you‘re okay little one“ she whispers as her fingers trace patterns on your back. You smile as you nuzzle into her further, seeking her warmth and she wraps you closer, being able to tell. „Sooo“ you begin and by your tone of voice she can tell whatever you are about to say will make her smirk in that all too familiar way. „Does this mean I can come to work with you next?“ you smile cheekily and she simply raises an eyebrow before chuckling lowly. „Definitely not little one, if you think Howard‘s work is dangerous, you definitely don‘t want to meet my bosses“ and the two of you chuckle, Cordelia smiling from the kitchen having heard the interaction before melting into your girlfriend further.

#sarah paulson #cordelia goode #wilhemina venable #ahs #asks #american horror story #billie dean howard #sarah paulson x reader #cordelia goode x reader #anon #billie dean howard x reader #wilhemina venable x reader #ahs coven #ahs murder house #ahs apocalypse

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jujutsukgojo · 11 months ago

Text

Disobedience

Summary: Unfortunately, Zenin completely slipped your mind. He was never on it to begin with. How were you supposed to know that your interaction meant something? Or that he would remember you, someone who he met once several years ago?

an: this is inspired by Stalking Laura (1993) which is a movie based on a true story. So, there are notable similarities that this has with the movie. tw: gun violence, stalking, assault, sexual harassment, criticizing makeup and weight (implied?), misogyny

All it took was one meeting. One look for you to immediately come to the conclusion that Naoya Zenin is repulsive. He’s nothing but an insecure joke. For someone who claims he’s strong, he sure as hell is worried about it. Hiding behind a macho facade that is practically leaking out a fragile and overinflated ego; shoving his ideals about women and not giving a damn about humanity or humility.

It began when your parents went over to the Zenin household when you were about ten or so years old. Even at that young of an age you marveled at the Zenin’s house. Truly, it’s a beauty. Elegant and traditional without it being outdated. As you were admiring the house and walking in the garden, a boy with blond hair with dark ends appeared behind an elephant statue.

You ignored him and walked past him. He didn’t like that at all. Immediately, he yanked you backwards and pushed you against the statue. “Women should walk three steps behind a man.”

You gasped at his sudden action and opinion. Feeling petty, you look around. "Where's a man?" He looked aghast, shocked by your quip. What did he expect? He just pushed you into a statue and believes that women should walk behind him. Did he think you’d take that easily?

His lip curls and eyes fill with rage. His face changed to red. “You bi-”

You quickly cut him off before he can finish. “If you’re talking about yourself, then I’ll remind you that you weren’t even walking.”

Just like that, he stopped. What you thought would be this random boy going off on you ended up with him giving a scowl. You took the opportunity to run away. He called out for you only to find silence.

Throughout the visit, the boy stared at you intently. Following his eyes, his father, Naobito, introduced him as Naoya. Even when his father spotted Naoya's attention on you, Naoya still insisted on studying your every move, making you too nervous to enjoy your meal. Your mother noticed how tense you became, and in a whisper, she asked, "Are you okay?"

Everyone turned to look at you. Despite wanting to out his staring, you shake your head yes. It's not that looking at someone is cause to get him in trouble, it's the way he's doing it. Like he wants to hurt you.

So busy looking at your hands, you don't notice that the adult to your left had switched seats at the boy's request. The adult cooed and awed, complying to his request. It isn't until a plate of cake is put in front of you that you notice the change. "You're going to eat this with me."

His father laughs at it and...cheers? The newly greying man slurs his question, reeking of alcohol. "Growing up to be a man so soon?"

The adults laugh with him, praising how well he's developing into "someone to take charge" and is a shining hope for a family. In the corner of your eye, you see him smirk with a twinkle of pride in his amber eyes.

It all goes over your head but doesn't sit right with you. You look at the plate in front of you. Although you love a good dessert, you don't touch it. The evening continued on without you picking up on his growing curiosity, rage, and infatuation.

Of course, you parents talked about the prospect of the two of you together. Apparently, they noticed him eyeing you from across the table and how "smitten" he was. You simply answered, ‘no’.

That was the last time you talked to or about him or any of the Zenins. As the years went on, your parents worried about your future and marriage. You brushed them off time and time again, much to their irritation. It got to the point where they were even threatening to cut off your college fund for it. Needless to say, you left. No one gets to decide shit for you.

With the help of some friends and a caring teacher that you remained close to, you were able to have a temporary shelter until you could get on your feet. It took months of saving and odd jobs but in the end, you were able to get assistance for college.

It was all liberating. Working hard and thinking for yourself. Being free without being proper or worrying about a stain or two. The blood, sweat, and tears were all worth it. Years later, you graduated at the top, opening hundreds of windows of opportunities.

Unfortunately, Zenin completely slipped your mind. He was never on it to begin with. How were you supposed to know that your interaction meant something? Or that he would remember you, someone who he met once several years ago?

You woke up in a good mood, having dreamt of memories, strangely. You remember how excited and nervous you were when you got hired at your job. Leo, your boss, is a boisterous and kind man who's larger than life. Despite this, he is stern in his rules and direction. It makes you chuckle on how your first day went exactly one year ago. After only a few minutes after meeting you, he decided to 'manifest’ that you'd get a higher position. Now, a higher position is open, and you are one of the people who are thought to be considered for it. Of course, you aren't banking on it. You've only been there for a short time and there are plenty of people who have more experience and do an overall better job than you.

It's nice to be thought of for the job even if you aren't really up for it. Not officially, at least. However, you have worked hard for a better position.

It's only been a year when you got hired and met all of your friends. At work, you clicked with Yuki, a woman with a gorgeous smile and has goddess braids that she herself put in (she made sure you knew that). When you first met her on your first day at work, she took an immediate liking to you. She talked animatedly about her dress for her sister’s wedding. As it turns out, Yuki does not like pink taffeta.

“It’s like she’s trying to make me ugly! Look at this. This is what I’m supposed to wear.” Her slim fingers scroll through her phone for you to see a bubblegum pink taffeta dress with one sleeve on the shoulder and lavender lace on the waist. The dress is form fitting until the bottom fluffs out in magenta tulle.

“Oh my God.” Lord, help her this is ugly. “Exactly! I’m not wearing that, screw it.” You pop a french fry in your mouth. “So, what're you going to do?”

Yuki stops for a second then puts a wicked smirk on her glossy lips. Her mocha skin glows in the sun from the window behind her. Her eyes gleam mischievously. “Wear a wedding dress.”

You nearly choke on your food. “Yuki!”

“She’s doing this on purpose. Look at the other bridesmaids.” She shows you four silk, Grecian like, gowns with subtle and elegant designs. “See? And I get stuck with that.”

You chew on your burger. “Could it be a joke?”

“No. Not unless my mom’s in on it which wouldn’t surprise me. She’s always been like that with us.” Yuki sips on her pop.

“This may be bad advice but go for it. Be the belle of the ball.” She laughs. “Yes, yes, yes! I knew there was a reason I liked you.”

Now that you think about it, yesterday was her sister's wedding if you remember right. You wonder if she went through with it.

You stretch and get ready for work, looking forward to the possible talk you'll have with Leo about the promotion. Not only will you be accomplishing a goal, but you'd also get higher pay which would make Em, your roommate, happy.

"Morning, Em." She gives a light wave, clearly not fully awake yet. Confused, you look at the clock. "Shouldn't you be at work? It's seven."

"Hired a morning worker, remember? So, I shouldn't be working at four in the morning everyday thank God."

"Amen." You say and start making coffee. Although she is the owner of an excellent cafe, you usually make the coffee in the morning. It's your way of giving her a break from it even if only for a moment. You start to lightly chuckle as you notice the green jar.

"Don't you even think about it. I'm serious!" Em warns. You shake it a little. "You don't want decaf?"

She puts her hands on her hips. "It's seven in the morning. I need the hard stuff." You put the decaf down and grab the regular. "I wanted the hard stuff, too, remember?"

Em looks at you questioningly. "When I applied for the apartment? You served me decaf."

"Ha! That's the same jar too."

The house was of a decent size and clean. The outside didn’t look like much but the inside was decorated nicely if not a little quirky. In front of the entrance is a rug that looks like the carpet in The Shining. A clock on the wall in the shape of an apple, throw pillows of different designs and some look homemade. The paint on the walls is different in each room. Could she not decide on which color?

“Alright, where are you from?” The woman who is about your age with long hair asks. Her eyes are warm, and she has a few freckles. They’re cute, you note.

“I wasn’t born here, if that’s what you mean. I was raised in Kyoto though.”

She nodded, taking in the information and understanding your wording. You don’t want to talk about that. Lucky for you, she’s easy going and aware. “Okay, I get it. I don’t like thinking of that shit either.”

You look around the kitchen, secretly looking at the corners and the trim, wondering if you’ll see anything. So far, there isn’t a big hitch. “What’s the catch?”

She hums and looks up at you. “It’s a little too good to be true. I mean, sharing a house for this price?”

She scratches her face. “No catch. My old job helped me keep up the place, then I got fired and was able to finally get my cafe together.” She takes a breath. “I make enough now to not rely on my savings so much but not enough to pay for and take care of a house.”

You nod. “I get it. Y’know, getting started late.” You truly understand. After high school, it took you a hot minute to get to college and get hired for jobs.

“Exactly. Everything is overwhelming so I decided to risk my life and take my chance on a potential serial killer. Anything to save a buck.”

“If it helps, I’m not one. I’m quite normal,” You shrug. “Terribly, boringly, normal.”

She pats the counter in an upbeat rhythm. “How unfortunate. Coffee?”

She holds a pot. “Sure. Thank you.” As she finishes pouring you a mug, she looks up at you. “It’s decaf by the way.”

You stop mid sip. “Why would you do that?” You make her laugh to herself.

“By your reaction, I already like you. You’re quiet but a go-getter. Don’t sell yourself short.” You don’t touch your decaf again.

Em scratches her head. "That shit's got to be expired, toss it." She stops scratching and studies you. "What made you so nostalgic this morning?" That's a good question, honestly. "There's something in the air, I guess."

"Well don't bring that shit over here. It's way too early to think about my past, hell. I need something a little stronger than coffee if that's what we're doing." You roll your eyes at her. "No, Em, that's not what's happening."

You pour her a cup and place the cream and sugar before her. "It's possible that I get that promotion, y'know? I'm not fully qualified but it's possible. I'll be making more money..."

"That reminds me, your half of the rent is due."

"Em! I'm serious." She nods. "I understand what you're saying," Em looks at the clock. "Can we table this? We both have to get ready."

As you exit your car and walk into the building, you notice a familiar looking vehicle. For the life of you, you can’t place it. So, you ignore it and continue on. “Good morning, Rue.”

You wave at the receptionist who has the phone against her ear. She gives you a quick wave before exasperatingly answers whatever was asked over the phone.

“Ah, (L/n). This is the new hire, Naoya Zenin.” The name sounded so familiar to you. His hair is distinct, and eyes are very catlike. You can’t pin it, but you know him from somewhere. The little tick in your mind is pushed back. If you can’t recognize him then it doesn’t matter.

The man pats Leo on his back. “Transfer. Nice to meet you.” He shakes your hand with a firm grip. “So, I was about to give him the tour, want to join?”

“Leo, I already know my way around.” Your boss looks at you incredulously. “I distinctly remember you having to ask for directions to the bathroom.”

“Fine.” You scoff, a little embarrassed that he knew that. Leo leads the tour. Naoya asks questions about the departments and officials. Leo answers with ease then adds, “Then again, you aren't in this department."

"You misunderstand, I am not in a department. I am the future CEO." Your eyebrows raise. Leo copies your expression sticks and his hand out. "Oh, well, nice to meet you!"

"Did you not know this, Leo?" You whisper to him. "No, one of the higher ups asked me to. I didn't think anything of it."

The transfer pays no mind to you. You didn’t get the vibe that it was intentional though. You break off and head to your cubicle. From the corner of your eye, he studies you as he and Leo walk away, with Leo explaining the company in his usual light tone.

“I did it!” Yuki runs up to your cubicle. “What?”

She pulls out her phone to show her selfie she did in a stark white wedding dress in a bathroom. The dress was studded and had a mermaid silhouette and a sweetheart neckline. In usual Yuki fashion, her makeup was elegant and had a dramatic lip stain to her full lips.

“I can’t believe you went through with it…” She slides through the photos. She had the gall to take a picture of her throwing peace signs as her sister cries in the background.

“Hey, you told me to!”

“Oh come on. You were planning this before I…well, encouraged it.”

“Uh-huh! See!” You roll your eyes at her flamboyant demeanor. “Anyway, I didn’t stay long or was dramatic about it or anything.”

You side eye her and raise a brow. “Really?”

“I wasn’t! I felt too much like a lady. Look at me with my opera gloves.” She points to one of her pictures in her gown.

“Since you weren’t dramatic, do you think your family will take that into consideration?”

“Nope. My mother sided with her through it all and my dad then walked me out.” Yuki and her father are close. So, to have him escort her out must’ve hurt a little. “He said I looked pretty then he shut my car door.”

“Are you okay?” You whisper, noticing that her gaze went a little far. She blinks multiple times and lightly slaps her cheeks. “Yep! Oh, here’s Junie the other day!”

You respect her wishes to drop the subject and go on to coo at the image of her daughter, who shares her name. Rather than calling her Yuki as well, it was decided to just nickname her Junior.

---------

At lunch, you, Yuki, and a few others decided to go to a small mom and pop pizzeria. It’s small and dingy but by the Lord in heaven, they make excellent pizza. Per usual, you argue about the toppings. No one can make up their mind or compromise. You groan at the thought of ground beef being on your pizza with no cheese.

“Rue, I swear to God-”

“What? I’m lactose intolerant!”

The chair next to yours scrapes, causing you to look up at the transfer, Zenin. “We’re getting separate pizzas. It’s the easiest way, don’t you agree.”

His tone and words rub you the wrong way. Getting separate personal pizzas is an easy route, but how he worded it sounds wrong. Like he’s telling you. Rue raises her brows in a welcomed shock. She elbows Yuki, who is still looking at the menu for her toppings. Your friends might see this as a turn on, but it’s off putting.

Leo joins the group and explains that he and Zenin were at lunch when they were told that you and your friends went to the pizzeria. The waitress looks at you. “Crap…” You look over the menu, having forgotten what you wanted. Unexpectedly, Zenin pipes up once again and orders for you.

“We’ll share. It’s on me.” Zenin tells you. “Thank you. You didn’t have to do that. Seriously.”

“Hear that? It’s on Zenin!”

“Should’ve got extra toppings…” Rue whines.

Thirty minutes after random conversation, the pizza is out. Zenin puts a slim slice on your plate.

You’re in mid bite when he talks to you. “It's a fitting size for you." What the hell?

"Meaning?" You talk to him lowly, not drawing attention from the rest of the table. He shrugs and answers, "Meaning, it's the right size."

That didn't clear up shit.

-------

Since Em has decided to hire new staff and use some of her extra time with music classes, you hang out at her cafe alone. As you sip on your drink and read a book, someone takes a seat in front of you. You perk up and look up at the person. You end up meeting Zenin's cat like eyes. You are still unhappy and uncomfortable with how he acted at lunch a few days ago.

"What're you reading?"

"A book." You cross your legs. He sighs like he's dealing with a child rather than an adult who just wants to be left alone. "Did you not like the pizza?"

"Barely remember it since it was basically bite sized." He scratches his ear. "I only did that because Rue said you were insecure and watching your portions. I was just trying to support you."

That never occurred to you. It's not like you hate yourself or think low. You're just trying to watch it. "I'd appreciate it more if you didn't do that."

He freezes for a second. "Me doing and saying that must've come out wrong. Let me buy your coffee." You shake your head no, denying his request. "It's fine. I already paid."

“No, no. I’ll get your money back and pay for you. My treat.”

You stare at him blankly. Honestly, you have no idea what the fuck is going on. “I already paid. I don’t want you to.”

“It’s the proper thing to do.” He lightly grabs your arm, rubbing circles on it.

You scoff. “I don’t want you to pay. Think of it as a thank you for covering the pizza.” You get up and leave. There is something deep that’s making you flinch as you walk away from him. This dread and anticipation from a predator.

“Stop, don’t be dramatic.” You whisper to yourself, shaking away the feeling. There’s nothing to be weary of. This is a colleague, for crying out loud! Not some man in a white van.

You don’t tell Em what happened at her cafe since it was nothing to worry about. At least that’s what you tell yourself. Through the night the encounter ran through your mind. For some reason, it’s not leaving.

-------

Nevertheless, you head on and go to work the next day.

You enter your office thirty minutes before your time. You flick on the lights and see Naoya sitting in your chair with a coffee in his hand. He gets up and gives you the warm drink. You notice that it’s warm, not hot.

“What are you doing here?” Figuring that it may not be best to come off as accusatory or aggressive, you ask him with a smooth voice. “Well, with that report coming up, I guessed that you’d show up early,”

He spots something on you, staring intently at it. Naoya isn’t the most imposing man physically. What he lacks there is replaced in his demeanor and behavior. Naoya touches your face.

“Women shouldn’t wear so much makeup. It’s unbecoming.”

“What I do is none of your business, Naoya.” His eyes darken ever so slightly then clear up.

“Just be careful. People might get the wrong impression.” He touches your chin slightly. His eyes move to your lips and wipes them with his thumb. You stop breathing. You want to jerk your head away and fight but God…

“Enjoy the coffee.”

You can’t stop shaking.

-------

At lunch, you tell your friends what happened. “What?”

“Yeah. The coffee was warm, too.” You tap your foot.

Rue smacks her lips. “So what? He thought you liked warm coffee.” She takes another bite of her sub. You rub your temples. “No, I mean he was there for a while. It wasn’t warm like hot but lukewarm. He was there, in my office, in the dark, without my permission. He was waiting for me.”

The two of them stop eating. Speak of the devil and he’ll appear, the man walks in with a group of his colleagues. You couldn’t help but glare and make an annoyed face. Yuki points it out first.

“Honey, if you keep staring at him like that he won’t pay for your coffee anymore.” She says teasingly.

“I say take advantage of it, personally.” You roll your eyes at Rue and turn to Yuki. “That’s what I’m hoping for.”

Leo comes up to your table. “What are you three clucking about?” You scoff at the man who seems to never get rid of his smile. “Rude. But to answer your question, (Y/n) over here has some news.”

Rue, you discover cannot hold water to save her life. Suddenly, he gets serious after she spills.

“You can take this up with HR. They can take care of this.” You sigh. “Don’t worry, I can handle him.”

After work, you head home. Nothing’s different or out of place in the routine. The neighbors still wave at you and the dogs still bark. Em isn’t at home, like normal at this time. Everything seems fine.

You get out of the car and lock it. Before you can even take the first step, another car pulls up. It’s sleek and black, clearly expensive and well taken care of. Out of the car is Naoya. You can’t hide the shock from your face.

He followed you home. You didn’t even see him.

He comes stomping towards you with a cup in hand. “I assume you didn’t drink the first, right? Here. Since you’ve acted like a brat all day and need coffee to behave.”

“This is seriously inappropriate! What are you doing here?” You don’t take the coffee from his hand. “If you don’t take it, I’m not leaving, I swear to God.”

You take it hesitantly. It’s iced and is slowly melting. “Since you don’t know how to act, I’ll have to teach you. Lucky for you, I’m a forgiving and patient man.”

He pulls out a folded piece of paper. “Read it. And drink.” He turns around and leaves you and slams his car door.

Dear,

When I provide, let me. It is not an option to deny a protector his darling and for you, my Summer sweet, to reject what I give. This letter is for you to know that the innate primal instinct is forever in your name even though you disrespected me.

Nevertheless, I will be here. Let me show you what a man’s supposed to do a few times. Denying an advance of a beautiful relationship speaks volumes of your pain that I wish to heal. One date at a time, one night at a time. All that is needed is your obedience.

“This letter…baby this is a threat. It’s…what’s the word? Crazy? Obsessive? You have to do something about this.”

“Rue said something about his position that worries me. His superior is his father. He’s got me over a barrel.”

“Yeah, he seems like a spoiled ass. What's this about your obedience? A night at a time? The guy’s a pig.” She tosses it on the counter. “This man can’t be reasoned with. He followed you home, broke into your office, followed you to my cafe-this is serious!”

You know that. You know that this guy is growing scarier. “I can handle it. I’ll tell him to leave me alone.”

“Baby, he asked you out in a threatening letter. Love? Being a provider and protector? This is insane. You have to tell your boss. Go to HR, something.”

“Leo knows of how he’s acting. But he’s out of the loop about Zenin following me home,” You walk through the kitchen for a mug. “Besides, HR is going to think we were together! They won’t believe me. Not when he’s sitting in a fancy chair that daddy gave him. I’ll handle this.”

"Why would HR think you're together?" She puts her hands on her hips. "Because it's a romantic poem-"

"There is not a damn thing romantic in this trash. At all." She rubs her face. “What’re going to do? All you did was not drink a coffee and he followed you home and wrote a threatening letter. This is serious!”

You pour a cup of coffee, not even wishing for the one Zenin gave you. “I can do this. Trust me.”

--------

At lunch, you tell your friends what happened. “What?”

“Yeah. The coffee was warm, too.” You tap your foot.

The two of them stop eating. Speak of the devil and he’ll appear, the man walks in with a group of his colleagues. You couldn’t help but glare and make an annoyed face. Yuki points it out first.

“Honey, if you keep staring at him like that he won’t pay for your coffee anymore.” She says teasingly.

“I say take advantage of it, personally.” You roll your eyes at Rue and turn to Yuki. “That’s what I’m hoping for.”

Rue, you discover cannot hold water to save her life. Suddenly, he gets serious after she spills.

“You can take this up with HR. They can take care of this.” You sigh. “Don’t worry, I can handle him.”

He followed you home. You didn’t even see him.

He comes stomping towards you with a cup in hand. “I assume you didn’t drink the first, right? Here. Since you’ve acted like a brat all day and need coffee to behave.”

“This is seriously inappropriate! What are you doing here?” You don’t take the coffee from his hand. “If you don’t take it, I’m not leaving, I swear to God.”

You take it hesitantly. It’s iced and is slowly melting. “Since you don’t know how to act, I’ll have to teach you. Lucky for you, I’m a forgiving and patient man.”

He pulls out a folded piece of paper. “Read it. And drink.” He turns around and leaves you and slams his car door.

Dear,

“This letter…baby this is a threat. It’s…what’s the word? Crazy? Obsessive? You have to do something about this.”

“Rue said something about his position that worries me. His superior is his father. He’s got me over a barrel.”

You know that. You know that this guy is growing scarier. “I can handle it. I’ll tell him to leave me alone.”

“Baby, he asked you out in a threatening letter. Love? Being a provider and protector? This is insane. You have to tell your boss. Go to HR, something.”

"Why would HR think you're together?" She puts her hands on her hips. "Because it's a romantic poem-"

You pour a cup of coffee, not even wishing for the one Zenin gave you. “I can do this. Trust me.”

--------

At work, you avoid him like the plague. You even go as far as to change your schedule, much to your friends' dismay. Anytime he was conveniently on your floor for some fake ass reason, you leave. This behavior is becoming suspicious to your friends. They know of how he acted towards you but not to the extent that it has gotten.

Hopefully, he’ll stop coming towards you. He’ll stop breaking into your office and leaving coffees. If this continues on, you will go to HR.

You park your car and head inside the shabby little building. The lights flicker outside, fighting the dark. Its bold red print on the sign is fading and the parking lot only has a few cars. It is a writer’s class that you found with an excellent and self published writer for a teacher. All of your peers eagerly wait for her to come in.

“Hey! Did you get something down?” You ask Ren. His thick hair gets in his face before he moves it. His dark eyes trail to find yours and have a sparkle of excitement in them.

“A chapter! Like, a whole chapter. I couldn’t believe it.” You gasp and pat him on the back. “Getting out of your slump! I can’t wait to read it.”

Suddenly, the door opens and reveals a devil. Naoya Zenin waltz’s through in his casual clothing. The teacher introduces him to the class. You are the only one that doesn’t welcome him, earning a curious look from Ren. The teacher goes on and asks for anyone to present. Zenin stands up with his catlike eyes gleaming and a smirk on his face. This can’t be good.

He clears his throat. “My dearest dream weaver, my heart’s sake divine. I’ve wondered about these streets for years, hoping for a moment of clarity from you. Alas, there isn't a thing to make you go away. Did you know this when you saw me, you with a beautiful face?

You, my nightmare who keeps me up, a ghost of a heavenly past. I gave you words of my declaration yet you turn away from me. The turn of your face and hidden eyes aren’t what’s terrible in my mind. It is the question of what’ll happen after.”

The class is silent until the teacher praises his poem. He stares into your soul, a cold wash scaring you. After class, you get up and practically run outside. “Hey, let me drive you home!”

“No!” You shout at Zenin. You need to get out of here. To run into your home and hide. “Don’t be difficult!”

You drop your keys on the pavement right as you try to put them into the slot. Your hands shake. “Shit, fuck!”

“I just want to talk!”

You hear a car and see bright lights. No one drives a fancy car like that except for him.

“Please, please…” You get inside and lock the doors. Wasting no time that God has given you, you drive like a bat out of hell.

“I need to go…” You come to the decision.

--------

You tap your foot, nervous about this meeting.

“What are you talking about? Naoya Zenin is the son of Naobito Zenin. It is said that out of his brothers, he'll be the one to inherit,” HR is an older woman with pristine white hair in a bun. Her lipstick is a bit dry but otherwise impeccable. Her voice is so proper it makes you want to take classes to clean yours up. "This is not some run of the mill employee. What happened?"

“He’s followed me home twice that I know of, to my writer’s class, given me coffee and letters. He even read one in the class.”

“Perhaps you misunderstood the writer’s class letter. It could’ve been his genuine assignment.” She sits in her chair and gestures for you to follow. You sigh as you sit down. “No, it was his first time. He couldn’t have known about any assignments. Ma’am, please. He stares at me while I’m working and hovers through the entire floor until he finds me. I’ve even had to change my schedule to avoid him.”

She brings out a paper, a form for her to fill out. You begin to smile when you see that. “Did you have a prior relationship?”

“No, no. I don’t know him.”

“Spend time outside of work at any point?”

“His first day, I think?” She writes in perfect writing. “But everyone went. Actually, Rue and Yuki were with me at the time. We were already there when he and Leo showed up. He paid for the meal, but that’s it.”

Her eyes don’t look right to you. You smile anyway. Once she moves her eyes from the paper to you, a perfectly trimmed eyebrow raises up. “Do you always smile like that?”

Your face drops at the question and your heart aches when she writes it down.

You cry in the bathroom. Seeing your makeup smudging, you desperately try to save it at the same time.

“(Y/n)? What’s wrong?” Yuki comes in. Looking at her concerned face, tears start to shed again, relentlessly trailing down your face. Without hesitation, you spill everything. You don’t have the letters with you at the moment, but you insist on the legitimacy.

“I believe you.” You throw your arms around her neck and hug her. Her vanilla scent has always been fragrant and sweet. Yet never has it been sweeter and more welcomed than now.

“Come on, let’s go out to lunch. How about your friend’s cafe? She makes excellent muffins.” You chuckle and wipe your tears. “How can you think of food at a time like this?”

“Easy,” She looks you over, inspecting your state. “Oh honey, you’re a mess. No way am I going there with you.”

“The hell?” You look into the bathroom mirror and see what she means. Your mascara is running, foundation is suffering and various other things. You laugh as you side eye her.

“Come on, let’s fix you up.”

You bring out the only touch up makeup you have in your purse and do the best you can.

At the cafe, you see Em and wave. She hurries to you and Yuki. “Is everything okay? Is it the creep again?” She rubs your back gently.

“We’re just hungry and here for a ‘pick me up’.” Yuki smiles. Em pats her chest. “I was about to say. That creep is a menace. Do you know?”

“Yeah, she told us that he was in her office. I just now found out about the legit stalking when I found her in the bathroom. I knew he was being weird, but this is crazy.”

Em nods and turns to a barista with bright blue eyeshadow and full lips. “I need muffins, coffee, chamomile tea, cookies-”

“That’s not necessary, Em.” You touch her hand to get her to stop since she is still going. After she’s finished, she sits down and asks you, “So what happened? Why were you crying?”

Yuki nods and thanks the barista who sees your red, puffy eyes and gives you a sympathetic smile. You take a sip of your coffee and then clear your throat. The thought of the meeting that you just had makes your lip wobble.

“Apparently, I smile too much.”

---

The next day you attend work, the elevator door opens to a bouncing Leo. “You’ll never believe the news I have for you.”

You step out and walk alongside him, passing your colleagues and unattended Dahlia plant on a random desk. The receptionist on the floor scrambles to his phone and answers it with a professional, yet tired, tone. It matches Rue’s perfectly.

“What’s the news?”

“You’re up for the promotion.” You halt and gasp. “Me? Are you serious?”

“Dead. Come with me.” You follow him earnestly with questions on your tongue. “Why? There are people who’ve been here a lot longer. Surely, there are people who are better.”

You knew that you were talked about, but for you to be put in front of the line is crazy. He opens the door for you to enter his office. “Enough with the questions. Listen, this is a prime opportunity and you are way better than you give yourself credit for.”

You sit down on one of his chairs. “Leo, I’m serious. There must be a mistake.”

“Nope!” He sits behind his desk. And turns his pencil holder twice.

“Who would take that risk? Yes, I work hard. Yes, I am driven. But I’m not experienced enough. I knew it was possible for me and I’m excited! But for me to be actually getting it?” You bounce your stocking covered leg. “Something’s wrong. What is it?”

Leo turns his pencil holder again. “It’s a promotion with numerous benefits. Higher pay, a better office-”

You interrupt. “Who’s taking that risk, Leo.” Your suspicion is growing. Not just because of the proposition, but the way he turns his clay pencil holder with his daughter’s sunflower painting on it. The way he avoids the answer and has a wide smile on his face that is now looking forced.

“A promotion is a promotion…right?” He sounds so unsure, almost as if he’s asking you for the answer and permission. The answer to this riddle is right there. A name and a face deep in your gut. “Zenin?”

Leo and the whole office knows about him now. It was Yuki’s form of being petty. No one has said anything to him or the higher ups, though. “Yes.”

“Leo! No, no I won’t accept something he has to offer. If I get promoted it will be fair and square.”

“I know it’s not ideal, but the rest agreed on you. Even though he brought you up, it was unanimous.”

You shake your head, now completely disgusted. “Leo, I won’t. I’ll never owe him a damn thing.”

Leo stands up. “I’m with you then, kid.”

------

You go to H.R. again. “Ma’am, look into it again. He’s now getting in the way of my job.”

She scoffs and takes a deep breath. “This promotion-”

“Isn’t right. I take pride in my work, absolutely so. What Zenin is doing isn’t fair to anyone. If I get a promotion, it’ll be on my terms. I won’t win unfairly. I won’t let him bypass all the others that deserve a chance at getting this position.”

She studies you and your conviction. “I will never owe him a thing. Here are his letters,” You slam them down on her desk. The thick wad of paper slaps against it, showing just how bad it has gotten. “And these aren’t even the ones he’s written in my class.”

She licks her lips. “I know this is odd. But men in his position are a bit eccentric anyway as far as I can-”

You interrupt her. “I also wrote down all of the witnesses including those on my floor. He walks through it and stares at me, following me. Tries to make conversation even when I say no. He’ll touch me in harmless ways that have more meaning than they look. He’ll break into my office! Lord only knows what sensitive information he’s touched."

You put your hands on her desk. "Ma’am, I’m unrelenting on this. He’s still following me home. You have to do something.”

She nods subtly. “I can suggest counseling to the higher ups and show how this has become. I cannot guarantee what’ll happen.”

It’s better than nothing. “What if they say he has to go and he doesn’t? He has a high position, also.”

“Yes, he does. But a unanimous decision trumps him anyway. May I keep these?” You say yes and push the letters to her. “And if there are any photos, emails, phone calls, anything, give them to me.”

---

When coming home, you decided not to go to your writer’s class. You haven’t dropped out, though. Breaks are good. They’re exceptional even. Perfect for mental health. This is the lightest you’ve felt in a while. Things were being taken seriously and the ball is rolling. You exit the car and are met with a furious Zenin, who comes from behind your home.

“How dare you. How dare you!” He stomps over to you. His hair is still in place and his suit is still pressed. “I hand you the answer to your prayers and you bite.”

“I’m not taking that promotion, Zenin. I want to get it fairly, without help.”

“Naoya. Call me Naoya.” There's a lilt in his voice. He stands perfectly straight and unbothered. He takes a deep breath. “Perhaps you didn’t understand me to begin with. (Y/n),” His voice is back to a serious tone. Zenin clasps your hands gently and stares into your eyes with sincerity. “Our relationship is simple. You are my woman; all I require is your obedience.”

He caresses your cheek. You can’t breathe.

“No.” Is all you can muster. You run inside to find the door unlocked and Em sitting in the living room. Quickly, you lock it securely. “Is the back door unlocked?”

“What?” She props herself up. “Is it unlocked?!”

“Don’t yell at me!” She drops her magazine on the coffee table. Your breath is ragged, too scared to work properly. Em makes her way to you and is gentle. “Everything’s locked up. Why? What’s wrong?”

“He’s out there. He thinks we’re together. It’s not a crush. He genuinely believes we’re in love.”

Em peeks out the window and sees him in his car, clenching his cellphone. The home phone that Em insists on keeping, rings. She answers it, not bothering to look at the ID. Suddenly, a wicked voice speaks through.

“Put her on the fucking phone now!”

“How the fuck did you get this number?” Em is way calmer than you. Way, way, calmer. “Put her on-”

“No!” She hangs up. The black corded phone rings again and again. “I can’t stay here, Em.”

“I’m going with you. No arguments.”

The two of you quickly found a new apartment with new numbers. Even the cafe’s number changed. The apartment isn’t the best. It’s a cheap one with bad neighbors and a shady landlord. All of it is temporary and honestly, you feel safer here. What you feel bad about is Em’s house. She still owns it and is trying to find new renters or if it comes down to it, buyers.

-----

It has been days, weeks, since you have had to be subjected by Naoya’s presence. Although the first day was refreshing, you can’t help but wonder if this growing anxiety is from his absence or from impending doom.

“Okay, you guys. I’m going to the bathroom. Be right back.”

Your friends, Em, Rue, and Yuki sit at a little round table waiting for the loaded nachos appetizer. You head to the bathroom and dodge the plenty of people in the popular bar. The smell of cigarette smoke and cold beer is slight. The dim lights still work and help you find your way.

Finally in the bathroom, you touch up your makeup. Not just for yourself but for a man at a table who has been eyeing you since you came in. Strange thick white hair, sparkling blue eyes, and perfectly sized lips. His long fingers gripped the beer glass, completely wrapped around it. How his round eyes peered over the glass just to look at you made your face incredibly warm.

It has been a while.

You finish swiping your lipstick when a loud bang shocks you. A furious Zenin charges towards you. His eyes are bolder and eyebrows so furrowed that you could swear they’d stay there. He is growing redder by the second and his hands twitch with anticipation.

“What did you do? How could you?”

“I need to go-” You try to brush past him.

“Don’t take another fucking step, I swear to God.” He comes a little closer. “How could you? Lie about me to the office and my colleagues? Force me into counseling to talk to a quack about our relationship? After all I’ve done to show my love, this is how you act. You embarrass me?”

“I never wanted to embarrass you. I just want you to leave me alo-” He smashes the mirror with his bare hands and yet has no scratches. You shriek when the impact occurs, your instincts realizing that you may die here. That he really is a man on the edge.

“Is everything okay?” A woman with dull red hair and bright green eyes enters. She looks at the two of you curiously and gasps at the mirror.

“Get out!” He screams at her. She screams and takes off. “Help me, please!” You yell before the door closes. You pray she heard you in time. To get some kind of help or to at least come back to save you.

“How far do I have to go? For you to remember our love? To accept it and how much of a man I am? Why do I even have to prove it?!”

“You don’t have to prove anything! We are not in love!” He backs away slowly. “Don’t make me lose my temper. Do not push me there. Take the promotion, work with me. I have to keep you on a leash since you won't behave on your own. Your rightful place is by my side, (Y/n). As your fiancé, I demand it.”

“I’ll go to the police, Zenin. I swear I will.” Tears stream down your face. You slowly back away. He opens the door. “If you do, I’ll show you what I’m capable of, God have mercy on you and me.”

When the door closes quietly, you faint, hitting the pink tile.

You walk to HR with the red haired woman’s number and statement in your hand. Along with it is the manager’s, and multiple people who heard your cry and saw you being carried out unconscious by the white haired man.

“Here. You wanted evidence. All of these people are witnesses on how far he will go. He trapped me in the bathroom, threatened me, broke property and-and-” Air is being slowly taken from you as you try to talk. A clenching feeling in your chest threatens to burst.

“This. I’ve had to move, change my number, I can’t go back to my writer’s class without him being there, convincing everyone that the letters are from his love rather than his psychosis.”

Her eyes become wider by the second as she reads everything. “I encourage you to get a personal restraining order. I’ll bring this to the higher ups but I cannot guarantee a company one. He has already been told to stay away from you unless necessary.”

You shake your head as tears fall. “I can’t. He’s threatened-”

“That matter is up to you. I will go by company protocol. This alone will not be enough, (Y/n).”

---

“What are you saying? Do you know who I am?” Zenin bounces his leg slightly, determined to not show that this is getting to him. The bright room with several elders at the rectangular table stare at him. Not a single thing in this is comforting.

“You do understand how serious this is, don’t you? Phone calls, stalking-”

“We’re in a relationship. We have been since we were kids. Our parents arranged our betrothal. I’m merely acting as a man should with his future wife.”

“No, no that’s not how it goes, Naoya.” A woman sits straighter, observing his behavior, catching every little thing. Naoya taps his fingers on the wooden table. “That’s the proper way a married couple acts. This isn’t stalking, this is making sure she stays in line.”

“She isn’t some fiance of yours. She’s an employee. Our employee.” A man with greying hair gestures between the higher ups. Naoya sits straighter. “Am I not a part of that?”

“Depends.” The woman states. He can’t help but glare at the woman. “As a shareholder, a man of the future position of CEO,”

“This will halt that, Naoya. That’s what we’re telling you.”

The world stops. He can only hear the faint buzzing noise. “Are you taking this company, my inheritance, away from me?” He’s burning hot.

“We want you to stay, Naoya. But this behavior has to stop. This is serious.”

Naoya stiffens then with the calmest tone says, “I have weapons like you wouldn’t believe. If I lose my job, my heritance, because of my woman’s dramatization, I’ll end it. Not just me but everyone.”

“Are you saying, if you lost your job, you’ll kill us?” The woman stiffens. “Everyone. I am Naoya Zenin, a man who will not be rejected.” The air is sucked out of the room.

----

“Naoya Zenin has been fired.” HR comes to you personally. “I want you to take a couple of days away. Not just to your home, but elsewhere. Just for a few days.”

“What’s happening?” Leo asks. He stands next to you, curious and cautious.

“It’s been handled. (Y/n), this is not our problem anymore. The ball is in your court.”

You stand up, smoothing your pencil skirt. “Thank you.”

“For your safety, I suggest a restraining order immediately.” She leaves. Leo looks at you with a frown on his face. "What the fuck happened?" You shrug, not wanting to know the answer.

“Mother?” She’s the first thing you see when the door opens with a suitcase in your hand and a forced smile on your face. “What’re doing here, child?”

“I just need to sleep here for a few days. Is that okay?” You didn't want to bring Em, Rue, and Yuki into this. You thought it was best to leave the apartment for a bit, so it didn't disturb anything.

“No. Not after all of this,” She closes the door and steps onto the porch. “Why now? After your independence.”

She crosses her arms and looks at you condescendingly. You want to scream. “A man at my job is stalking me. He just got fired because of it and they suggested I hide.”

“What?” She uncrosses her arms and gently touches your arm. “It was one of my bosses. He’s completely delusional.”

“W-well, who is he?”

“Naoya Zenin? You probably never heard of him. He was a big shot at the company but he assaulted me-”

“Child, who did you say?” You repeat his name that tasted foul on your tongue. “Why would you do this? He was almost-”

“What? You know him?”

“You do too. Then again, it has been a long time. Back then, he was smitten with you and we tried to set the two of you up. Never did I think he’d go this far. Especially when it was denied. Both of you went your separate ways.”

Your mouth falls as you process her information. “Mom…this can’t be. I don’t remember him at all. Did he know of your plans?”

“Yes, he did. His father was joking about it. Nothing was to come of it.”

You drop your suitcase. Is this why? He deluded himself or possibly love you in a psychotic yet childish way? “What do I do now?” You whisper, totally flabbergasted that he remembered you and held onto this. Something that was to never be. “Ha, actually, you’re the one who rejected him-”

“Mom! What do I do?” Her lips go to a thin line, contemplating your problem. She looks up at you with an intense stare. “Get a restraining order. It was a bad idea to do all of this but now you have no choice.”

The way she put it stings but the answer to the problem is a restraining order. It’s exactly what you did. Called a lawyer and got a temporary restraining order until trial.

It goes downhill from there.

The trial is set for this week, which you prayed that the day would come soon. Only for it to be met with gunshots. The first floor is the first to meet him. You hear them clearly while in your office. The window looks great to jump out of right about now. Before you can think anymore, Naoya bursts the door open with a bang. You stand up, terrified of not only the gun but how blank his expression is. Like this isn’t fazing him in the slightest.

There's no air in the room just pressure. Time is frozen as the two of you have a stare off. A buzzing noise comes from the broken lights in the hallway, the metallic scent of blood is too much. There are red splotches on his clothes and on the large gun. He carries more on him, more disgusting violence and stupidity.

“Naoya, no!” You grip the edge of your desk, hurting your finger. Perhaps the pain from it will wake you up from this nightmare.

“As my wife you should’ve known better. A restraining order? Against your husband!”

“I didn’t remember-”

He curses at you and fires a shot. Your body topples back from the impact. He stares at your unconscious figure, then goes to leave. "I know you're not dead yet. You better live because I'm not through with you."

When you awake, the shots are still firing. Screams are still heard, and the nightmare continues. “No, no, God, please…”

Your upper arm was hit, the bullet clean through. The blood is all over your shirt and even on your bottoms. You take your jacket off and press it onto your wound. Shakily, you stand up and slowly walk out. Reo, the receptionist on your floor, is the first you see. Slumped over his desk with a phone in his hand. The red dahlia plant is shattered.

Next, are two colleagues who worked at the other side of the floor, shot in the back. You quickly walk away, doing it as quietly as you can.

With every popping sound you flinch harder and harder. The phone on someone’s desk is untouched with blood or a dead hand. You pick it up and call for the police, somebody, anybody. “My name is-”

A smooth and stern voice interrupts. “This line is for-”

“Please, please save us. I’ve been shot.” You whimper. His tone changes to one of complete sympathy. “We can’t storm in right now. Just sit tight and hide. Where are you? What’s your name?”

You tell him what he wants to know. “He’s on the third floor I think? I can still hear him.”

“Thank you so much. Now, (Y/n), you have to hide. Put pressure on the wound and hide.”

“I’m doing that already. Please get me out of here-” You hear another shot that is closer. You duck behind a barrier, hearing the devil enter. The phone rings and Zenin answers with annoyance in his voice. “Before you say anything, you need to know that this is all because of her. My wife.”

“Who?”

“(Y/n) Zenin. Had she just listened, accepted me as her husband and a man, we wouldn’t be here. It’d never have come to this. This is all her fault.”

You silently cry at the truth. It is true right? Maybe if you just caved and went to him, accepted his love and left everyone out of this, they’d be alive today. “I will blow this building to hell if you don’t back off.”

Not bearing to hear it anymore, you crawl out the best you can. Worried for your friends, for everyone. "She's missing. I think she's walking around or escaped. If you see her, tell her I'm coming for her."

You hit the stairs as quietly as you can. He’s still ranting about you to the policeman. Hopefully the love of his own voice overpowers the sound of your footsteps. You see the sign for the lobby and push the doors open to it. Glass is everywhere in the lobby and blood coats the walls. To your right is Rue, laying on the floor with her eyes open in horror. Her red lipstick matches the blood on her chest. You touch her face with an apology on your tongue.

“Forgive me, forgive me…” You leave her and exit this hell you created. You pray that everyone else escapes it. You pray that time rewinds and you alone are punished with this. For Rue, for everyone.

The ambulance hauls you in. The corner of your eye Yuki stands with an officer, desperately hanging onto him, crying. You’re on the bus before you can apologize.

It takes hours of surgery to fix your arm. You’re ordered to stay for a little while. The small white room smells of bleach and cleaner. You can't close your eyes, or you will see Zenin, standing at the door waiting for you. It changes every time you blink. He'll have a gun and another he'll be completely unarmed and leaning on the door frame, smirking. You can't get rid of his image.

In the room comes Em and surprisingly, Yuki. Right as you see them, you beg for forgiveness and your apologies fill the room. You look Yuki in the eyes and are reminded of Rue’s death. Her bloodied corpse and horrified face will stick with you forever.

“Enough!” Yuki yells. She sports a cut on her eyebrow but otherwise looks alright if you don't count the slight shaking. “It’s over. All done.”

“He’s not out there anymore. He can’t hurt you.” Em says sweetly. She comes to your side and holds your trembling hand. Her warmth tries to bring you a comfort that you reject. “It’s all my fault. All of it. Every single-”

“No! This is on him and him alone. You have the right to say no. You did what you had to. It’s no one’s fault but his.”

“Yuki…” You can’t finish your sentence, choking up. Yuki’s eyes are watering. “We’ll survive this. He won’t win.”

“Ever.” Em affirms. Yuki grabs your hand, too. The guilt will always be there. But his hold will fade away one day at a time, and every time you will spit on his grave.

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wonderfulworldofmichaelford · 2 months ago

Text

Psycho Analysis: Taskmaster

(WARNING! This analysis contains SPOILERS!)!

Taskmaster is one of the most beloved Marvel villains for many reasons: He has a cool skull mask, he has a cool ability to mimic other people’s moves, he has a fun personality, etcetera. He’s essentially Marvel’s answer to Deathstroke, just with a cooler costume and a lack of pedophilia allegations. So imagine the excitement of fans when it came out he would be debuting in the MCU in the long-overdue Black Widow! The hype was real! Unfortunately, it seems everyone forgot one thing:

This was a post-Endgame MCU film.

What we got was to Taskmaster what Zilla is to Godzilla: A gender-swapped mishmash of really cool concepts that would be better suited to any character other than the one the film is insisting they are. Antonia here is even worse, though, because while Zilla had her name slowly redeemed thanks to spin-offs and other parts of the franchise, she got nothing her whole movie and then got plastered all over the Thunderbolts* marketing despite her absence from a lot of footage, leading people to think she got the Slipknot treatment. Which, uh, she did.

But is that really all there is to her? Are there no redeeming qualities? Is there truly that little to MCU’s take on Tasky? Let’s take a look.

Motivation/Goals: When it comes to brainwashed characters like this, you can’t really give motivations or goals because strictly speaking they don’t have any. They are merely a force utilized by the real villains to enact their own evil schemes by proxy. Now, if they showcase some sort of personality beforehand I could talk about that, maybe point out how they were taken advantage of and what good qualities were warped and to what degree, but there’s a little issue with that when it comes to Antonia here.

Performance: Olga Kurylenko is given perhaps the most miserable task the MCU has ever seen: Play a famously chatty and snarky character as a mindless drone with no personality. She gets no lines, no quips, and nothing for audiences to latch onto. She is little more than a mook granted importance by the narrative. Literally anyone could play this role. They coud’ve given it to some stunt double or a cameraman or the guy who fetches David Harbour doughnuts and it would make no difference. The MCU is no stranger to wasting great actors—they’ve done it with Christopher Eccleston, Mads Mikkelsen, Christian Bale, Russel Crowe, and many more—but this time just feels more painful than ever before.

Final Fate: Antonia manages to survive the events of Black Widow and,now free of the brainwashing that made her into a mindless attack dog, can go about her life and do whatever she pleases. While her lack of character was an issue, this opens up a whole new realm of directions to take her character! She could be played for tragedy, she could be made to be closer to Tony Masters, she could—

Oh, she gets her brains blown out five minutes into Thunderbolts*. Okay. Never mind.

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Evilness: I mean, she was brainwashed. It’s not really fair to give her more than a 1/5 here, is it? In cases where the evil actions are entirely due to brainwashing and the character shows no ill intent otherwise, they get a 1. Bucky Barnes AKA The Winter Soldier would also get a 1 if I ever decided to review him.

Antonia is an interesting case, however, because once her brainwashing is broken we never actually get to see her have any character at all. She gets one line of dialogue in Thunderbolts* and it doesn’t really point one way or another. She’s just an utter blank slate.

Best Scene: Every single fight scene she gets into over the course of her two appearances rules. Say what you will, they managed to be pretty fun with her powers and utilized her well for action setpieces. The issue is of course she’s a glorified mook which makes every scene like what would happen if that one Stormtrooper who called Finn a traitor in The Force Awakens was a reoccuring character who would sully their charm by having a half dozen fight scenes, but let’s take what we can get here.

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Final Thoughts & Score: This one just makes me sad. I think Taskmaster is one of those characters who is just emblematic of the post-Endgame fumbling while at the same time barely being anyone I can really say I have strong feelings for.

Like, I figured I’d be able to muster up more hatred for a character I have long derided as one of the worst adaptations of a villain I’ve ever seen, but this isn’t the same to me as Barakapool or Galactus the fart cloud or the two previous theatrical attempts at Doom. For one, they got the basic framework of the character right: She’s a professional killer, and she copies other people’s moves, and her mask kinda looks like a skull. This is all a good start! But it seems in making sure they had the looks and the profession, they forgot to make sure she had a discernible personality. She’s a big, bland, nothing of a character which ultimately means… What can I get mad at beyond the absence of what I know should be there? She doesn’t give me anything to latch onto. She’s worthless.

But ok, maybe Black Widow just had a lot that got screwed up due to executive meddling, development hell, and the pandemic. Surely things could be fixed with another appearance, one that builds her into something more than this glorified mook! Thunderbolts* had a big chance to win back audiences by turning Antonia into something more in line with her comic counterpart, and post-release it was revealed she had a bunch of intriguing plotlines planned… that were ultimately scrapped to scale back on the glut of Black Widow characters getting focus. So she is unceremoniously killed right near the start, Slipknot style. Yes, it raises the stakes and is narratively important considering Yelena reflects on it, which builds off her own feelings of depression. And yes, in the moment it’s very satisfying seeing the MCU dump its trash character like nothing. But it’s hard not to feel a little bitter that they didn’t even fucking try to salvage her and give her a chance to shine. Literally all they needed to do was give her a personality! That’s it! Let her say things and do more than action scenes!

And I’m not even really too mad at the character on a conceptual level. A child turned into the world’s deadliest assassin via brainwashing, being used by her own parent as a puppet in his murderous games only to finally break free is a great concept for a character. The thing is, that’s not what Taskmaster is. Taskmaster isn’t a flagrantly offensive of amalgamation of Asian stereotypes like Mandarin or a tastelessly named animal-themed gimmick character like M’Baku, there’s nothing about him that warrants a massive overhaul in his story. Which begs the question: Why slap a beloved character’s name on an OC who has nothing in common with him? It’s not like this never works—James Gunn does this a lot with D-list characters like Taserface—but more often than not you’re left with something like the abysmal adaptation of Cassandra Cain in Birds of Prey, which this definitely falls into.

I don’t think I can really justify giving her more than a 2/10. This may seem weirdly high considering she’s a horrible adaptation of Taskmaster, but rating her lower would be extremely disingenuous because setting aside the fact she is not Taskmaster in anything but name and powerset, she is a character who had a lot of intrigue and provided some cool fight scenes. But since they refused to let her be a character and develop her, she is eternally stuck as a villain who is all style and no substance, and it’s a damn shame. She deserved so much better.

#psycho analysis #Taskmaster #olga kurylenko #Marvel #MCU #Thunderbolts*#Black Widow #Youtube

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majaloveschris · 1 year ago

Note

Hi Maja.

First of all, your blog is one of the only ones I’ve always felt was sincere, on point, respectful, and not toxic. I’ve always had a good feeling about you and how you are kind despite all the toxicity on here.

That feeling has never wavered and there is a big part of me that wants you to be right and win against these ridiculous anons that seem to want to put you down.

An opinion (which I don’t claim to be fact, just some thoughts here): I see a lot of takes on here popping up from blogs that claim they have PR knowledge and claim to be experts and read and follow along the gossip, but I think nobody really knows and they can only hypothesize on what they think is the truth.

I think CE being married (by public knowledge and Wikipedia) was the main goal here. I’ve always sort of felt this, which is why I ultimately was not surprised after he did his SMA spread that he went public with Fish girl and then later on “got married.”

The reason I say this is because HW and society is very judgmental and superficial. Being single or unmarried at a certain age always raises questions whether or not it is valid to do so. I disagree with this sentiment but unfortunately the world is how it is. It happens to regular people, so why wouldn’t it apply to celebs? Especially the ones who have basically become a pop culture icon of being an eligible bachelor/desirable.

Let’s think about this. After 2019, CE was no longer under the marvel umbrella. He had to start defining his post marvel career, and then Covid hit. So many things derailed. He randomly got an IG in 2020 but people found out it had existed as an account since 2019. Perhaps it was always the plan or it was a plan hatched by his PR team to keep him in the public eye. He became relatable internet BF with a Prince Charming storyline of when will he find the one? It was almost overkill from 2020-2022.

Now it’s 2024 and he’s supposedly been with this woman since 2021. It shows longevity and then eventual commitment. He now wears a ring in public so they see him as “settled down.” That’s the image he is now portraying for the public who doesn’t dig or care to deeper in his life.

I don’t think it’s about rebranding to attract a younger audience - if so, his pr team would have realized that gen Z actually does not fare well to age gaps and the subject of grooming and etc always comes up for this hypersensitive on PC/wokeness generation. Then add on the racism and weird ass crap from her/her friends. Definitely not boding well for a generation that lives on the internet and knows how to deep dive. His PR team would have looked at how the public reacted to other relationships like this and I feel, if it was simply he was in love with her and it was real real, would have told him to keep it on the DL DL until it was absolutely certain they had walked down the aisle. At that point, there would be no turning back.

But they marketed this before that happened. They wanted to portray her as the one similar to how in movies, they want to portray a main character and love interest as meant to be even if the audience may or may not receive it that way. How many times do we hear “this movie tanked because the leads had no chemistry and the relationship they wanted us to believe was not believable?”

But ultimately, the endgoal of if CE and his wife are a good couple or not doesn’t really matter. They have achieved their goal of he is now settled down and no longer on the market. If you choose to continue to follow him, stay for his career and not his personal life. Meanwhile, her - well, they’ll keep trying to make her happen because her end of the deal was getting more visibility and breaking into the American market. That much has been clear.

But you can lead a horse to water, you can’t make it drink.

What she chooses to do with the opportunities given to her are left to be seen. Also, how the public and CE/her fanbases chooses to receive them are also left to be seen.

Will this marriage last forever? I have doubts. But I do think they considered many options and this is what they came up with. I also don’t believe CE’s actions show he is very happy with the arrangement, even less so than fish is. Because even from the subtle clues from photos and “videos” - body language does not lie.

To be fair to fish, I doubt she’s in love with him either. I think she’s getting more benefits from this because most of the negativity is being directed towards him, not her. His fans hating and harassing her are just a pinnacle of what he’s receiving from his own fanbase. Some people will disagree with me but he’s the one getting the P and G and disgusting comments and being called the worst person on earth because he married her. His own fans are turning on him and her fans can also blame him but victimize her. The general public doesn’t care too much but will say how he looks because he got with her. She remains “innocent” of any blame because at the end, she is young and he is older so he should know better. Do you see what I mean?

Meanwhile, her fans are just happy she’s getting attention and somebody to fund her poor attempts at becoming a fashion icon. She lacks in talent and work ethic but it’s an easy way for her to get engagement by being attached to him.

The day this ends and she no longer has his name will be interesting and that’s what I think his fans (remaining) are hoping for. They don’t want to reward laziness and clout chasing opportunist and I too support this. They want HIM to be better and find success and love himself more so he doesn’t continue to end up in these shitty situations. But again, he has to want that for himself. He has to want to deserve better so he can work on actually deserving of better.

I hope I didn’t offend anyone with this opinion. Just my thoughts and I support YOU. I hope things work out in the end in your favor because you are a great person and I selfishly want you to be right (haha). ❤️

I completely agree with everything that you wrote down.

I remember seeing people criticize him for saying he wants to get married and have a family, yet he is still single and childless. As you said, it's stupid that people are being bullied and judged because they haven't already settled down, even if they wanted to. Finding a partner is hard, and finding a partner in his shoes is even harder. I obviously don't know whether he actually wants all of that, but saying he must not want all of that because he didn't do so is not right. A lot of people struggle with finding a good partner.

I never agreed with people calling him by the P and G words. I guess these people either don't know what those words mean or are simply that mad as Chris that they feel the need to spread lies. He is not those things and never was. Yeah, 16 years is a lot, but she was a grownup when they allegedly met, and I think people exaggerate when they say she looks like a child.

I think the reason most people are hateful towards him is because they are disappointed in him. I think most people had an idea about the person he is based on the information we had, and him being married to someone like her or even dating someone like her doesn't really fit into that. People aren't disappointed in her because most didn't even know who she was before Chris. We were just presented with her actual self, and we didn't have any expectations from her. But we had for him.

I doubt either of them is in love with each other. Alba doesn't seem that happy or comfortable around him either. I think this is just business for both of them.

I still think he is a good man who made a terrible mistake. I just hope the best for him, to be honest, which I know is an unpopular opinion now because it seems like wanting the worst for him is what is trendy nowadays. Maybe I'm naive; maybe I'm just holding onto an image, but I don't think the last 20+ years were a lie. I hope he will prove me right.

Thanks for writing this down and for being there. ♥

#majaloveschris #chris and alba pr #cevans-love

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thesublemon · 1 year ago

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best picture

For the first time in a long time, I watched all of the movies nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars this year. Partly on a whim, partly for a piece I’ve been working on for a while about what is going wrong in contemporary artmarking. I cannot say that the experience made me feel any better or worse about contemporary movies than I already felt, which was pretty bad. But sometimes to write about a hot stove, you gotta put your hand on one. So. The nominees for coldest stove are:

Poor Things. Did not like enough to finish. I always want to like something that is making an effort at originality, strangeness, or style. Unfortunately, the execution of those things in this movie felt somehow dull and thin. Hard to explain how. Maybe the movie’s motif of things mashed together (baby-woman, duck-dog, etc) is representative. People have been mashing things together since griffins, medleys, Avatar the Last Airbender’s animals, Nickelodeon’s Catdog, etc. Thing + thing is elementary-level weird. And while there’s nothing wrong with a simple, or well-worn premise, there is a greater burden on an artist to do something interesting with it, if they go that route. And Poor Things does not. Its themes are obvious and belabored (the difficulty of self-actualization in a world that violently infantilizes you) and do not elevate the premise. There’s a fine line between the archetypal and the hackish, and this movie falls on the wrong side of it. It made me miss Crimes of the Future (2022), a recent Cronenberg that was authentically original and strange, with the execution to match.

Anatomy of a Fall. Solid, but not stunning. The baseline level of what a ‘good’ movie should be. It was written coherently and economically, despite its length. It told a story that drew you along. I wanted to know what happened, which is the least you can ask from storytelling. It had some compelling scenes that required a command of character and drama to write—particularly the big argument scene. The cinematography was not interesting, but it was not annoying either. It did its job. This was not, however, a transcendent movie.

Oppenheimer. Did not like enough to finish. But later forced myself to, just so no one could accuse me of not knowing what I was talking about when I said I disliked it. I felt like I was being pranked. The Marvel idea of what a prestige biopic should be. Like Poor Things, it telegraphed its artsiness and themes and has raked in accolades for its trouble. But obviousness is not the same as goodness and this movie is not good. The imagery is painfully literal. A character mentions something? Cut to a shot of it! No irony or nuance added by such images—just the artistry of a book report. The dialogue pathologically tells instead of shows. It constantly, cutely references things you might have heard of, the kind of desperate audience fellation you see in soulless franchise movies. Which is a particularly jarring choice given the movie’s subject matter. ‘Why didn’t you get Einstein for the Manhattan project’ Strauss asks, as if he’s saying ‘Why didn’t you get Superman for the Avengers?’ If any of this referentiality was an attempt to say something about mythologization, it failed—badly. The movie is stuffed with famous and talented actors, but it might as well not have been, given how fake every word out of their mouths sounded. Every scene felt like it had been written to sound good in a trailer, rather than to tell a damn story. All climax and no cattle.

Barbie. Did not like enough to finish. It had slightly more solidity in its execution than I was afraid it would have, so I will give it that. If people want this to be their entertainment I will let them have it. But if they want this to be their high cinema I will have to kill myself. Barbie being on this list reminds me of the midcentury decades of annual movie musical nominations for Best Picture. Sometimes deservingly. Other times, less so. The Music Man is great, but it’s not better than 8 1/2 or The Great Escape, neither of which were nominated in 1963. Musicals tend to appeal to more popular emotions, which ticket-buyers and award-givers tend to like, and critics tend to dislike. I remember how much Pauline Kael and Joan Didion hated The Sound of Music (which won in 1966), and have to ask myself if in twenty years I’ll think of my reaction to Barbie the same way that I think of those reviews: justified, but perhaps beside the point of other merits. Thing is. Say what you want about musicals, but that genre was alive back then. It was vital. Bursting with creativity. For all Kael’s bile, even she acknowledged that The Sound of Music was “well done for what it is.” [1] Contemporary cinema lacks such vitality, and Barbie is laden with symptoms of the malaise. It repeatedly falls back on references to past aesthetic successes (2001: A Space Odyssey, Singin’ in the Rain, etc) in order to have aesthetic heft. It has a car commercial in the middle. It’s about a toy from 60 years ago and politics from 10 years ago. It tries to wring some energy and meaning from all of that but not enough to cover the stench of death. I’d prefer an old musical any day.

American Fiction. Was okay. It tried to be clever about politics, but ended up being clomping about politics. At the end of the day, it just wasn’t any more interesting than any other ‘intellectual has a mid-life crisis’ story, even with the ‘twist’ of it being from a black American perspective. Even with it being somewhat self-aware of this. But it could have been a worse mid-life crisis story. The cinematography was terrible. It was shot like a sitcom. Much of the dialogue was sitcom-y too. I liked the soundtrack, what I could hear of it. The attempts at style and meta (the characters coming to life, the multiple endings) felt underdeveloped. Mostly because they were only used a couple times. In all, it felt like a first draft of a potentially more interesting movie.

The Zone of Interest.Wanted to like it more than I did. Unfortunately, you get the point within about five minutes. If you’ve seen the promotional image of the people in the garden, backgrounded by the walls of Auschwitz, then you’ve already seen the movie. Which means that all the rest of the movie ends up feeling like pretentious excess instead of moving elaboration. It seemed very aware of itself as an Important Movie and rested on those laurels, cinematically speaking, in a frustrating way. It reminded me of video art. I felt like I had stepped through a black velvet drape into the side room of a gallery, wondering at what point the video started over. And video art has its place, but it is a different medium. Moreover video art at its best, like a movie at its best, takes only the time it needs to say what it needs to say.

Past Lives. I’m a human being, and I respond to romance. I appreciate the pathos of sweet yearning and missed chances. And I understand how the romance in this movie is a synecdoche for ambivalent feelings about many kinds of life choices, particularly the choice to be an immigrant and choose one culture over another. The immigrant experience framing literalizes the way any choice can make one foreign to a past version of oneself, or the people one used to know, even if in another sense one is still the same person. So, I appreciate the emotional core of what (I believe) this movie was going for, and do think it succeeded in some respects. And yet…I was very irritated by most of its artistic choices. I found the three principal characters bland and therefore difficult to care about, sketched with only basic traits besides things like Striving and Being In Love. Why care who they’d be in another life if they have no personalities in this one? It’s fine to make characters symbols instead of humans if the symbolic tapestry of a movie is interesting and rich, but the symbolic tapestry of this movie was quite simple and straightforward. Not that that last sentence even matters much, since the movie clearly wanted you to feel for the characters as human beings, not just symbols. Visually, the cinematography was dull and diffuse, with composition that was either boring or as subtle as a hammer to the head.

Maestro. Did not like enough to finish. Something strange and wrong about this movie. It attempts to perform aesthetic mimicry with impressive precision—age makeup, accents, period cinematography—but this does not make the movie a better movie. At most it creates spectacle, at worst it creates uncanny valleys. It puts one on the lookout for irregularities, instead of allowing one to disappear into whatever the movie is doing. Something amateurishly pretentious in the execution. And not in the fun, respectable way, like a good student film. (My go-to example for a movie that has an art-school vibe in a pleasant way is The Reflecting Skin). There’s something desperate about it instead. It has the same disease as Oppenheimer, of attempting to do a biopic in a ‘stylish’ way without working on the basics first. Fat Man and Little Boy is a less overtly stylish rendition of the same subject as Oppenheimer, but far more cinematically successful to me, because it understands those basics. I would prefer to see the Fat Man and Little Boy of Leonard Bernstein’s life unless a filmmaker proves that they can do something with style beyond mimicry and flash.

The Holdovers. Did not like enough to finish. It tries to be vintage, but outside of a few moments, it does not succeed either at capturing what was good about the aesthetic it references, or at using the aesthetic in some other interesting way. The cinematography apes the tropes of movies and TV from the story’s time period, but doesn't have interesting composition in its own right. It lacks the solidity that comes from original seeing. (Contrast with something like Planet Terror, in which joyous pastiche complements the original elements.) The acting is badly directed. Too much actorliness is permitted. Much fakeness in general between the acting, writing, and visual language. If a movie with this same premise was made in the UK in the 60’s or 70's it would probably be good. As-is the movie just serves to make me sad that the ability to make such movies is apparently lost and can only be hollowly gestured at. That said, the woman who won best supporting actress did a good job. She was the only one who seemed to be actually acting.

Killers of the Flower Moon. The only possible winner. It is not my favorite of Scorsese’s movies, but compared to the rest of the lineup it wins simply by virtue of being a movie at all. How to define ‘being a movie’? Lots of things I could say that Killers of the Flower Moon has and does would also be superficially true of other movies in this cohort. Things like: it tells a story, with developed characters who drive that story. Or: it uses its medium (visuals, sound) to support its story and its themes. The difference comes down to richness, specificity, control, and a je ne sais quois that is beyond me to describe at the moment. Compare the way Killers of the Flower Moon uses a bygone cinematic style (the silent movie) to the way that Maestro and The Holdovers do. Killers of the Flower Moon uses a newsreel in its opening briefly and specifically. The sequence sets the scene historically, and gives you the necessary background with the added panache of confident cuts and music. It’s useful to the story and it’s satisfying to watch. Basics. But the movie doesn’t limit itself to that, because it’s a good movie. The sequence also sets up ideas that will be continuously developed over the course of the movie.* And here’s the kicker—the movie doesn’t linger on this sequence. You get the idea, and it moves on to even more ideas. Also compare this kind of ideating to American Fiction’s. When I said that American Fiction’s moments of style felt underdeveloped, I was thinking of movies like Killers of the Flower Moon, which weave and evolve their stylistic ideas throughout the entire runtime.

*(Visually, it places the Osage within a historical medium that the audience probably does not associate with Native Americans, or the Osage in particular. Which has a couple of different effects. First, it acts as a continuation of the gushing oil from the previous scene. It’s an interruption. A false promise. Seeming belonging and power, but framed all the while by a foreign culture. Meanwhile potentially from the perspective of that culture, it’s an intrusion on ‘their’ medium. And of course, this promise quickly decays into tragedy and death. The energy of the sequence isn’t just for its own sake—it sets up a contrast. But on a second, meta level it establishes the movie’s complicated relationship to media and storytelling. Newsreels, photos, myths, histories, police interviews, and a radio play all occur over the course of the movie. And there’s the movie Killers of the Flower Moon itself. Other people’s frames are contrasted with Mollie’s narration. There’s a repeated tension between communication as a method of knowing others and a method of controlling them—or the narrative of them—which plays out in both history and personal relationships.)

Or here’s another example: When Mollie and Ernest meet and he drives her home for the first time, we see their conversation via the car’s rearview mirrors. This is a bit of cinematic language that has its origins in mystery and paranoia. You see it in things like Hitchcock or The X-Files or film noir. By framing the scene with this convention, the movie turns what is superficially a romantic meet-cute (to quote a friend) into something bubbling with uneasiness and dread. This is not nostalgia—this is just using visuals to create effects. It doesn’t matter if you’ve seen anything that uses the convention before, although knowing the pedigree might add to your enjoyment. The watchfulness suggested by the mirrors and Ernest’s cut-off face will still add an ominous effect. It works for the same reason it works in those other things. Like the newsreel, it is a specific and concise stylistic choice, and it results in a scene that is doing more than just one thing.

In general, the common thread I noticed as I watched these nominees, was the tendency to have the ‘idea’ of theme or style, and then stop there. It’s not that the movies had nothing in them. There were ideas, there was use of the medium, there was meaning to extract. There were lots of individually good moments. But they tended to feel singular, or repetitive, or tacked on. Meanwhile contemporary viewers are apparently so impressed by the mere existence of theme or style, that being able to identify it in a movie is enough to convince many that the movie is also good at those things. The problem with this tendency—in both artists and audiences—is that theme and style are not actually some extra, remarkable, inherently rarifying property of art. Theme emerges naturally from a story with any kind of coherence or perspective. And style emerges naturally from any kind of artistic attitude. They are as native as script, or narrative, or character. A movie’s theme and style might not be interesting, just like its story or dialogue might not be interesting, but if the movie is at all decent, they should exist. What makes a movie good or bad, then, is how it executes its component parts—including theme and style—in service of the whole. When theme is well-executed it is well-developed. Contemporary movies, unfortunately, seem to have confused ‘well-developed’ with ‘screamingly obvious.’ A theme does not become well-developed by repetition. It becomes well-developed by iterationand integration. Theme is like a melody. Simply repeating a single melody over and over does not result in the song becoming more interesting or entertaining. It becomes tedious. However, if you modify the melody each time you play it, or diverge from the melody and then return to it, that can get exciting. It results in different angles on the same idea, such that the idea becomes more complex over time, instead of simply louder.

Oppenheimer wasprobably the worst offender in this regard. Just repeat your water drops, crescendoing noise, or a line about ‘destroying the world’, and that’s the same as nuance, right? Split scenes into color and black and white and that’s the same as structure, right? That’s the same as actually conveying a difference between objectivity and interiority (or another dichotomy) via the drama or visual composition contained in the scenes, right? When I watched many of these movies, I kept thinking of a behind-the-scenes story from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The story goes that Joss Whedon was directing Sarah Michelle Gellar in some scene, and when the take was over he told her how great she was, and that he could see right where the music would come in. And Gellar replied that if he was thinking about the music, he clearly wasn’t getting enough from her acting alone. This conversation then supposedly informed Whedon’s approach to “The Body,” a depiction of the immediate aftermath of death that is considered one of the best episodes of television ever made, and which has no non-diegetic music whatsoever. Not to imply that music is necessarily a crutch, or to pretend that “The Body” is lacking in other forms of stylization (it is a very style-ish episode). But more to illustrate the way that it is easy to forget to make the most of all aspects of a medium, particularly the most fundamental ones, once one has gotten used to what a final product is supposed to feel like.

And that’s why most of these movies don’t feel like movies. They create the gestalt of a movie or a ‘cinematic’ moment—often literally through direct vintage imitation—without a sense of the first principles. Or demonstrating a sense of them, anyway. Who needs AI when the supposedly highest level of human filmmakers are already cannibalistically cargo-culting the medium just fine.

[1] “The Sound of Money (The Sound of Music and The Singing Nun).” The Pauline Kael Reader. (This book contains the full text of the original review, rather than the abbreviated review that I linked earlier.)

#posts: art #movies #am rusty at blogging and don't have all the virtuous nuance i would like in this but we will go with it

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foursthemagicknumber · 9 months ago

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Essay on erasure under cut

@roze-realm @kis5ki5skai

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has a very big problem: the erasure of minorities in their characters. They continuously change parts of characters in order to appeal to a larger demographic of audiences. When in reality- the Marvel comics were never about that. In comics we have characters that aren’t even subtle about being minorities. There’s even an entire franchise based around the idea of superpowers creating a minority that faces major discrimination. All whilst telling a cohesive story. In the movies however, the characters that are portrayed as a minority like in comics don’t get a good story.

This is most present in a certain family. The Maximoff’s are a jewish-romani family. However in age of ultron where the scarlet witch and her brother were introduced they are cast as white. As well as had them work with literal nazis. Not only that but the movie immediately killed off one half of the twins. Peitro despite at least keeping his name unlike his X-Movies counterpart, was somehow shot to death by bullet’s he is meant to be faster than.

In the new show Agatha all along they cast Joe Locke as Billy Kaplan. Many may argue that Agatha all along is playing the representation game well, having a mainly female cast with a black and asian characters and the only male on board being established gay and jewish. However this view fails to point out the fact that we only ever see William Kaplan as portrayed as jewish. Any associations to religion with Billy Maximoff, who appears to be a completely different character, are to witchcraft adjacent religions such as wiccan and paganism. This paired with the fact that by extension of his mother’s erased romani identity, his was erased as well, it’s not looking good for him. Fortunately there’s still hope for his brother.

Now as much as a good example as the Maimoff family is, there are many others. Such as, America Chavez. Now my knowledge on the comic book character is limited due to the fact that simply haven’t gotten there yet, however I know quite a bit about her appearance in Marvel Rising, a series of short films focusing on new jersey hero’s such as Ms. Marvel or Inferno. And in such she was displayed as a dark skinned Spanish aligned queer woman working a job that was barely paying for her schooling. And in multiverse of madness, she’s practically the definition of white washing. Not to mention the down play of her character’s strengths and sass. Everything that makes America, America is taken away. It’s one thing to play down what makes a character a minority but that alongside with the down play of her characterization makes her into a weak link in the very weak chain that is multiverse of madness.

Now another great instance would be Loki, who in comics is gender-fluid and pansexual. In the movies however is treated solely as male and straight. In an attempt to give him a love interest the writers posed the question, “What if Loki was a woman?” However if they were simply comic accurate, there would be no alternative female version of Loki, because sometimes he is she. Loki is the epitome of a shapeshifter who’s gender-fluid. In fact they are the first that comes to mind when asked to think of the trope- simply because it’s done so well. Loki is meant to be a character who simply is, and is unapologetic for who they are good or bad, male or female, unfortunately the MCU gave us a bratty theater kid and called it a day.

After this point tw: Child abuse

Now all of this is well and good- but the final straw would be the Hulk. In comics the Hulk, or Bruce Banner has an incredibly tragic backstory. He is a demonstration of how at times the greatest danger to a child, is the one in their own home. Bruce was abused by his father as a child which eventually led to him forming dissociative identity disorder. The alter to Bruce being Hulk an angry and out of control monster, whom is eventually given its own form different from Banner in a very Jekyll and Hyde fashion. The movies however completely ignore this idea even to such an extent that a character tells him roughly“I control my anger infinitely more than you do” almost as though it were a competition as to who has suffered more. Bruce Banner’s trauma was downplayed so parents would take their children to see his movies.

To me this is a very personal essay. I want to love the MCU as blindly as I did as a child. But I have found that the more source material I read. That harder that becomes. A character in Daredevil once said roughly ‘To love something is to forget what you don’t like about it.’ If that be true then I no longer hold this same love. I fortunately believe in a different idea, that love is something that people love to think is inherently blind. But in reality, the most complex loves are the wary ones. I love the Marvel Cinematic Universe, however I grow more and more wary of the cinematic universe as I grow more and more in love with the comics.

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covenantofthedeep · 2 years ago

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small talk; you are in love ☆

feat. | childe, thoma! summary | gradually getting more comfy w them a/n | plsplspls rb :] i hope this was close to what you wanted anon!! pls enjoy!

childe |

childe's used to stunning people into silence, but you've been nothing but silence since you met. one of your common friends had suggested that you two would be really good friends--maybe even more? you had agreed to meet with childe, solely because you figured, what could go wrong?

your first date (or... meet, perhaps) is perfect, except for the fact that you say about twenty words to him in total. he frets about it later; was he really so awful?

the second date, at a coffee shop, is marginally better, where you had tried to force yourself out of your shyness and ended up word vomiting about your feelings on straight black coffee. and then you realized he was holding a cup of black coffee, and you had wished for a giant sinkhole to swallow you up.

the third date, you're absolutely determined to make it enjoyable for both you and him. you ask him if he wants to see a movie you really like, and he agrees, wondering if you'll open up to him this time. (he's completely smitten with you, as much as he's embarrassed to admit.)

after the movie, stepping out into the blinding bright lights, you immediately start chattering. "oh, did you like the music? i swear i got goosebumps! i love movie theater popcorn so much, what about you? what's your favorite candy? honestly, i'm a little hungry, do you want to grab dinner or something? what did you think about the scene where...." you trail off, embarrassed, when childe laughs.

"that's most you've ever said to me," he marvels, winking at you.

and so you continue, dropping your thoughts about anything and everything, and, for once, childe is completely silent, and he honestly wouldn't have it any other way.

thoma |

you've had feelings for thoma since you first saw him at the kamisato estate. you were really close with ayaka at the time, and had seen him nearly every day. unfortunately, you always froze up when he approached, going completely silent.

ayaka had noticed this, and tried to push you two together, despite your protests that haven't you noticed that i can't say anything around him?

and so you wind up having a picnic together, and you have never been more nervous.

unbeknownst to you, thoma had been fascinated with you too--he liked the way that you laughed completely freely with ayaka behind her door, and how you snorted when you laughed. his aim for your picnic-date was to make you laugh like that, although, it appeared, it would be a little difficult.

it's a perfect day, with a spread of foods that would usually have you digging in, but today, you're so incredibly on edge that you've managed to spill the entire pot of tea and upend the tray of katsu sandwiches. quietly cursing under your breath and dabbing in vain at the stain of tea, you wonder why you had gone along with ayaka.

and then he beams at you, and you remember.

"here," he says, ever the gentleman, "leave that alone. it's fine, we can just cover it up with the sangayaki." he shifts the sangayaki onto the stain. "see? it's perfectly fine."

you shake your head at him and smile, reaching for an egg roll, when suddenly, the ridiculousness of it all shocks you, and you drop the egg roll and laugh. then you start wheezing, and snorting, and thoma looks so utterly befuddled that it gets you going again. a minute later, he joins in, holding onto his taiyaki with one hand.

he drops it into his lap, the chocolate spilling out onto his pant leg, and you realize, laughing at him, perhaps all you needed with him was a little push in the right direction.

#pspspsp do u get the song do u get it do u get it #thoma x reader #thoma genshin impact #childe x reader #childe genshin impact #tartaglia x reader #tartaglia #genshin fluff #genshin impact fluff #genshin imagines #thoma fluff #childe fluff #also sorry i think both of those were ooc. but um #i need to write more #this was totally honestly ass

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ghostwanderer · 4 months ago

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My Review of The Electric State

I was half excited when this movie got announced with a trailer, and half devastated when the movie looked like something that came out of a marvel movie. Ironic considering who the two numbskulls were picked to direct the damn thing. The Electric State is a sci-fi, Spielberg styled adventure film about a girl reunited with her brother inhabiting a robot, where they go on a journey to find his real body and reunite. That is essentially the plot of the book the film is based on, written by Simon Stallenhag, who accompanies the story with beautiful drawings of unique landscapes and odd sites to behold. However, It isn’t a classic blockbuster movie without extra characters that almost add nothing to the plot, flashy fight scenes, and by the number plot beats. All of this would spell disaster for this movie, which has been reviewed very harshly by professional critics who know what high art is. Unfortunately for them, I am a person with mediocre standards, so the overall movie for me was alright. I can’t say the fanboy in me can say the same, which says that this is the most bastardized adaptation that there ever is, and it somehow is better than I. Robot.

To put into words, this movie feels like it suffers the same problem as I. Robot’s production had gone through. In which the movie feels like it was supposed to be another original production, that just got slapped with a branded name and now has to compensate by adding in references and plot beats from the source material. I. Robot is atrocious in this regard as it abandoned its story and kept its themes, even though the actual movie has nothing to do with the themes of the book it’s “SUGGESTED” by (by the way, this is how they addressed the source material in the movie, it’s the stupidest thing I have ever witnessed). The Electric State also does this by adding in references and plot beats from the graphic novel into the movie. It unfortunately doesn’t work well as the movie fails to touch upon their themes of humanity and its relationship with technology and corporatism. It is instead about ONE evil corporate entity that has DUBIOUS plans on how human civilization should be operated. It’s a generic conflict that has been seen in every other movie, and it hurts here because the book really didn’t have a villain, it only had the grim implications of the degradation of society due to an over dependence on techno-escapism. This problem extends to the rest of the film and its various plot beats.

The most jarring thing from the movie is the weird editing, as it just jumps from moment to moment with no sense of continuity. These jumps work best during action scenes, but that isn’t even used as most of the fight scenes often get dragged out. The acting of the movie is also weird, for the human characters are often stilted and don’t express more personality other than the one trait they exhibit, but the robots at least show more personality somehow. Ke Huy Quan is this movie as both a human character and as a robot, his human character dies midway the movie, but the robot lives, and the robot is somehow more endearing than when Key played his human counterpart. I. Robot suffers the same problem to a greater degree, where none of the human characters are interesting, but the robot is. The only problem being that there is only ONE good robot, so you have to wait for the singular robot character to show up again to enjoy the movie again.

Despite everything that makes this bad, there are some things I like. The robots themselves are varied in design and functionality, so there are a lot of robots to pick out. My favorite is this stage show robot with a showman personality that makes it really enjoyable, only for the movie to kill him off unceremoniously. Despite that, I did latched on to other robots like (somehow) Mr. Peanut, Popfly (an older robot model voiced pretty well by Brian Cox), and the robot Ke Huy Quan also voiced. Kid Cosmo somehow remains the only robot I didn’t latch on to probably because he’s kinda a frozen character, whose' role is more of a mcguffin rather than an active character. The Visual Effects are also a highlight, as the robots seem to blend in very well, probably due to their more cartoony art direction rather than a realistic one.

Overall, I didn’t like the movie, but I also didn’t hate it. It’s a movie that could've worked better as an original idea that could have expanded upon the ideas it wanted to explore. It’s just unfortunate that it’s based on a book that already has unique ideas, none of which are used in this wannabe Spielberg movie. If you like trashy movies with some charm here or there, this movie is for you. If you’re looking for a good adaptation, look somewhere else

Fanboy review: 1/10

Casual review: 6/10

#movie review #the electric state #simon stalenhag #netflix #book adaptation #robots #I will get around to finishing that art piece

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ordinaryschmuck · 2 years ago

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What I Quickly Thought about What If...? Season Two

For those who don’t know, I’m one of the few people who actually enjoyed What If…? Season One for what it was. Did it take advantage of telling interesting tales with the MCU, giving us intense glimpses of these universes that showed us what COULD HAVE been? Not all the time. Was it still good dumb fun? To me it was. And that’s pretty much what What If…?, as a concept, was, even in the comics. Yeah, you got interesting stuff like “What if Spider-Man never became a crime fighter?” or “What if Daredevil was raised by The Kingpin?” but it also had stuff like “What if the Original Marvel Bullpen Became the Fantastic Four?” or “What if Sargent Fury Fought World War Two in Outer Space?” The comics were less about high-concepts and more about writers doing whatever the hell they wanted with the Marvel Universe and being able to have fun with it because, well, none of it was canon. The same applied to the MCU’s What If…?, as it was a chance for the writers to do a murder mystery with the Avengers or make T’Challa fix the universe as Star-Lord. They can kill characters, make dumb(er) jokes, and play around with the heroes and villains in the MCU like they were action figures. And I’m into that. Don’t get me wrong, I would love more episodes like “What if…Doctor Strange lost his heart instead of his hands?” or “What if…Ultron won?” as they DO have a lot of great moments and show off what these characters are capable of than what the movies/shows proved. But at the same time, I didn’t mind watching the big buff lady that is Captain Carter kill Nazis or watch Spider-Man and a band of heroes try to survive a zombie apocalypse. It’s a show where everyone is meant to just sit back, turn their brain off, and have some fun while occasionally getting something interesting. Again, just like the comics.

So when Season Two got announced, I was genuinely excited. I like Season One and I wanted more of it. Then when the trailer came out with an episode list, I thought, “Okay, this could be the show embracing comic book wackiness.” Now, not a lot of people were into that…In fact, the majority said that a lot of these concepts weren’t even interesting and were, instead, kind of lame. I don’t get it, maybe because I’m in the exact mindset the MCU wants me to have with this series, but I was still looking forward to Season Two. The question is, was it worth it? Well, let’s quickly go over each episode to find out.

Spoilers Ahead

What If…Nebula Joined the Nova Corps?: Ooooooooh, what a great start. Watching Nebula act as a cop/detective, but with her cold, deadpan badassery still intact was a ton of fun in this dark, gritty setting made for this new version of her. I loved watching this new version of Nebula make her way through a darkened Xandar, with her never straying from this oath and acting as it should be intended, all while teaming up with Howard the Duck of all characters. Like, I kind of enjoy seeing Howard turn out to be this sleazy casino owner who treats Nebula as a true friend despite them working on opposite ends of the law. The concept itself is funny and execution is endearing with Seth Green giving much needed charm to the character. It’s part of the fun of What If…?: Showing characters who couldn’t interact in the movies or didn’t have much screen time and allowing them another chance to shine…Unfortunately, that’s not always a good thing. Because while I love seeing a character like Howard make a surprisingly good comeback, watching Yon-Rog, one of the more boring MCU villains, show up and lack any intrigue or fun is just…no. And then there’s Nova Prime who decided to betray the entire Corp by taking down the force field…Something that was HER idea to do and, given the pull she had, could have done at any point. Why string Nebula along when Nova Prime could have just made the ruling herself that the force field needed to be taken down? A friend of mine tried explaining how it could make sense, but I don’t know. It doesn’t change this weird got while watching. But while flawed, it was pretty cool to see this new setting in the MCU, carried by Nebula as the Super Nova (Love that name, by the way. It’s perfect). The plot has a big ol’ hole, not every character return works, but it gave me a half-hour of fun so I’m not complaining (Get used to that thought process, by the way).

What If…Peter Quill Attacked Earth’s Mightiest Heroes?: And this one’s a little rough around the edges. It’s fun to see this alternate version of the Avengers form to fight a Peter Quill who has Ego’s powers, but it feels like the entire episode is on fast-forward, almost like this is what would happen if the first Avengers movie needed to be made thirty-minutes long. It’s sort of the downside of What If having a half-hour runtime, where it has to both tell a story and introduce us to this new universe in under thirty minutes. It’s the same with the comics that had less than thirty pages to do the exact same thing, only to feel longer because comic writers in the seventies and eighties don’t know how to shut the hell up. The end result is a story that’s fine ENOUGH, but it would have benefited with more time to slow down and let us appreciate this new team of old heroes. I mean, we have the original Captain Mar-Vel, T’Challa’s father, and even Goliath, which would have been AWESOME to see them play a big role. But instead, the episode focuses on Hank Pym, Bucky, and THOR, somehow, making these other heroes valued members but also a bit of an afterthought. Also, despite this being a different version of the Avengers, they somehow make MORE quips than the original team, with few of it feeling like it’s in character. It has the same problem as Age of Ultron where everyone is cracking jokes at every second as much as they can, and it HIGHLY depends on your willingness to stomach that kind of thing if you’re willing to watch this episode. That and if you’re willing to forgive a character doing this STUPID AND RISKY thing that worked out for the better but doesn’t change how stupid and risky it is. Overall, this whole episode is a very interesting idea mixed with some very FLAWED execution that spoils the fun to be had.

What If…Happy Hogan Saved Christmas?: Now this? All kinds of fun to be had with this one. The return of Justin Hammer of all villains isn’t something I thought I needed, but I heavily enjoyed watching what’s basically the anti-Tony Stark show up and be his most despicably charming self. It was a blast to watch this scrawny little twink TRY and act intimidating as he dances all over the place. It makes him feel more and more like a cartoon villain, which is appropriate for yuletide fun. You don’t NEED a menacing presence for Christmas, you need a GOOF. And Hammer’s the goofiest with his lame catchphrases and very STUPID dancing, I couldn’t get enough of it. But the real star is Happy, who gets juiced up for an adaptation I NEVER would have expected from the MCU. The Freak is one of the sides to Happy that not many fans would know about unless they’ve immersed themselves with Iron Man lore (Or read a shit load of comics for the past two years like me), but it really is cool to see that side of him brought to life. The way Happy looks and moves like more of a manic Hulk on crack does great at setting him apart from the Jolly Green Monster we know and love, but also makes The Freak feel more unique from how he was in the comics. It was a blast of a holiday special with the only downside is that Darcy’s OCCASIONALLY annoying. Not much other than that, though, as this is the best Christmas present I could ask from Marvel.

What If…Iron Man Crashed Into the Grandmaster?: Fun fact, this was originally meant to be in Season One but was cut due to time constraints. Yeah, remember how weird it was that the Watcher plucked a version of Gamora we didn’t know? Well, now we finally know…through a story that’s primarily about Tony Stark that makes me wonder why the hell The Watcher didn’t take him.

But facts and jokes aside, I loved the shit out of this episode. There are probably going to be some cynics out there saying that the cars and the race is an excuse to sell toys or LEGO sets or some shit, but I don’t care because everything about it was AWESOME!. Not to mention that it lit up a special place in my heart and brain to watch Tony Stark be a hero again, not hesitating to save lives, putting everything on the line, and helping bring Gamora into the light, all while still being his snarky, Starky self. And huge props to Mick Wingert voicing him, who doesn’t sound like Robert Downy Jr at ALL, but still nails the energy and mannerisms. I can picture RDJ saying all of these lines and it helps make this feel like one last Iron Man story for the fans. Seeing the Grandmaster again was ALSO a plus, as he was his same goofy-self. As for the real hook of this episode, Gamora, she’s…fine. I don’t love that it’s Tony that helped her redemption arc since I always preferred how turning against Thanos was something Gamora decided for herself instead of this thing that someone brought out. It’s not a BAD idea, but it’s something that might have worked better with NEBULA, a character that could actually USE convincing, instead of Gamora, a character who would likely go to Stark to help kill Thanos. Still, I don’t HATE it, nor do I hate the episode. It was an adrenaline thrill-ride that gave us a return of Tony where he DOESN’T die in the end. I couldn’t have asked for more if I heard this episode’s title, and I’m glad it’s what we’ve got.

What If…Captain Carter Fought the Hydra Stomper?: I…KIND OF understand the reception towards Captain Carter. I don’t get why Marvel keeps pushing her more than their actual Captain America replacement, Sam Wilson. I mean, Captain Carter showed up in three projects (two seasons of television and a movie), where Sam made his official appearance as Captain America once…and hasn’t even cameoed in any other movie or show. Now, don’t get me wrong, I like the big buff lady and it’s awesome seeing her fight the giant robot. It’s cool, I love it. I also heavily enjoyed this episode, getting into the drama, action, and seeing Peggy make a surprisingly believable friendship with Black Widow. Heck, I’d go so far as to say that this is a better Black Widow story than her actual movie gave us. So I like it, I like seeing Captain Carter and some of her adventures. I especially like that this story isn’t a direct rehash of Winter Soldier like how the first episode is a rehash of First Avenger. The writers actually set out to make something more unique and it makes me like Captain Carter a little more. I just wish we could get that same love and appreciation towards Sam Wilson, whose movie got pushed back to 2025 and will count as the only time this character has been relevant since his mini-series. If this is our new leader of the Avengers and the man who will fight to save the multiverse, we’re probably going to need more than one appearance from the guy. I don’t think people would complain about more Captain Carter if Sam Wilson’s Captain America wasn’t so blatantly shoved too far to the side.

What If…Kahhori Reshaped the World?: One of the few rare times the MCU made an ORIGINAL superhero. There is no previous comic, movie, or show that Kahhori is based on. She’s a completely original character made up for this franchise, much like Miles Morales in the Ultimate universe or X-23 in X-Men Evolution (Check that show out, by the way. It’s pretty damn good). And just like those two, I REALLY hope Kahhori manages to become such a hit with audiences that she spawns more content, because Kahhori and her world is something I would love to revisit. Her personality is fun, her motivation is inspiring, and her powers are unique enough to make her stand out more to the other heroes in the MCU. As for her story, it’s your bare-bones origin story. The whole episode is about explaining her powers, the world she lives in, and the people she loves and fights for. It does all this while proving her heroics through fighting a supervillain set out to do some damage. Only, instead of some generic supervillain that matches her powers it’s this Spanish Conquistador who…honestly still looks like a supervillain, which is kind of funny. And it works for Kahhori, proving that while she’s currently the most powerful person in the world, she’s willing to fight against oppression and the monarchy, advocating for peace instead of a continuous war for who gains the most control. Like I said, that’s inspiring and it’s why I want to see more of this character and how far she can go when fighting bigger, more evil threats than the Queen of Spain. Whether it’s a spin-off TV show/movie, a comic mini-series, or even introducing Kahhori into the 616 comics (somehow), I wouldn’t mind seeing this new, wonderful hero more in the future.

What If…Hela Found the Ten Rings?: I…did not expect to like this one as much as I did. I wasn’t the BIGGEST fan of Hela, because aside from seeing her actress having a blast to go full ham, there wasn’t much to her. Yeah, she was this conqueror alongside Odin, which is an interesting backstory for HIM, but for Hela, it’s not enough. Instead of telling me WHO she is, Thor: Ragnarok kept telling me WHAT she was. Then here comes an episode of What If…? that not only gives me that answer, but a lot more. Sure, the first half is a bit wonky, but when we get to the second, we finally get an idea of who Hela is. Simply put, Hela doesn’t know who she is beyond a conqueror, and that’s because Odin never trained nor raised her to be anything more. This episode forces Hela to face that and discover answers she never knew she was seeking, having a surprisingly decent redemption, becoming a goddess of life instead of death. I…love that. I love that WAY MORE than I could have expected to love it. It makes me appreciate Hela a lot more and maybe see that there’s a tragedy to her in Thor: Ragnarok. Hela could have changed for the better if she met someone that could bring her good side out, but because she was banished into isolation by Odin, it caused Hela to be both spiteful and vengeful, making her refuse any alternative beyond being a conqueror or a goddess of death, with her final acts of life being someone who destroyed her home because destruction was all she knew. This episode has a better, more unique story to tell than Hela and Wenwu fighting over the Ten Rings to see who can cause more destruction. Speaking of, if there’s one thing to complain about the episode, it’s how underutilized Wenwu is to the story. He’s actually one of MY favorite MCU villains and it feels weird that he’s just…kind of there? Most of the meat to the story goes to Hela, and I do appreciate it, but Wenwu could have done more than wanting to bone Hela or assisting her in fighting Odin. But aside from that, I’d still say that this is a fantastic episode that surpassed my expectations.

What If…The Avengers Assembled in 1602?: Of all the episodes, this is the one I was looking forward to the most. I’m a sucker for seeing characters in a different setting. They’re very much the same in terms of personality but their differences vary from positions in life or the skills they’re capable of. It’s no different here, as so much of this feels like a period piece fanfic where the writers seemed to have so much fun making the Avengers be in 1602. And I don’t give a shit if people hate her, I LOVE that Captain Carter refuses to leave this world until she saves it from complete collapse. It would have been the same if it was Steve Rogers, I get that, but how do you expect me to hate a hero who’s willing to fight with her last breath to save the world? Those are my favorite kind of superheroes! You want me to give up what I love most about superheroes just because you don’t like that the big buff lady fights King Thor and his vibranium thunder sword? F**k you.

Also, this comes with the added benefit of watching big buff Steve and big buff Peggy constantly being on the VERGE of wanting to rip their clothes off and f**k each other whenever they’re on screen together. And, honestly, I can't blame them. They’re both gorgeous. LET THEM F**K!

Overall, I had fun, even if there are problems. Sure, the reveal that Steve is indirectly the cause of this universe’s collapse is way too predictable, no thanks in large part to the trailers SPOILING IT! And it’s pretty weird that Scott can still shrink and grow. Like…How can he do that in this setting? Also, this universe has a merry band of misfits that’s similar to Robin Hood, and there’s not even a SINGLE Hawkeye in it? Not even Kate Bishop? COME ON NOW! Come on now…

But, yeah, this episode is the perfect epitome of what makes What If…? enjoyable to me. It can offer you a fun concept of having the Avengers be in 1602 and just ask you to sit back, relax, and enjoy the show. Not everyone’s going to be into that, but I am and I could take ten more seasons of this if I could.

What If…Strange Supreme Intervened?: You want me to hate the big buff lady and new MCU character Kahhori fighting Strange Supreme and a whole gaggle of universe killers just because *checks notes* Captain Carter is a Mary Sue? F**k you. I don’t care if you feel like Captain Carter is forced upon you, she punched a demonic Doctor Strange in the face with the power of INFINITY. That is awesome no matter WHO the character is and if you can’t appreciate it, then I guess this show really isn’t for you. As for the finale, the whole thing is awesome as this big fireworks show to close out the season, added with Strange Supreme going back to the dark side for the sake of reviving his universe. I’ll admit that Strange Supreme had a bit of a forced redemption last season, so it is great for this finale to prove that he is, in fact, still twisted inside while allowing him to earn a more true redemption in making up for his actions. It makes his tragedy STILL feel like a tragedy, giving everyone but him a happy ending. And, again, he got punched in the face with the power of infinity. F**k all you haters, this show’s great.

Season Two is a definite improvement to Season One. Sure, the pacing is wonky, the jokes are trying too hard, and animation can look gorgeous at times but ugly at others. But the writing’s stronger, the concepts are bigger, the fun’s funner, and I got to see a woman punch a demon in the face with the power of infinity–I keep bringing that up because it is so damn awesome. And it’s the same with this show! It just fuels that part of my brain that wants to see cool, comic book shit happening. It’s not for everyone, I know that. It’s neither good nor bad, it’s just…subjectively fun. It’ll either light up your world or leave you wanting more substance than dumb fun. I enjoyed the hell out of this season, but others won’t for their own reasons (some of them being that they just hate Captain Carter). They can feel that way all they want. Still won’t change how I enjoyed the hell out of this season and look forward to more.

#marvel cinematic universe #mcu #mcu reviews #captain carter #nova nebula #marvel what if #what if season 2 #kahhori #mcu the freak #happy hogan #mcu hela #hela #justin hammer #strange supreme #tony stark #iron man

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the-haunted-star · 5 months ago

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My Humble Thoughts On Captain America: Brave New World:

(Minor Spoilers)

A solid, entertaining and action packed solo outing for Sam Wilson’s Captain America! I thoroughly enjoyed it! For whatever reason this film received a lot of bad press during its production cycle concerning various issues ranging from story rewrites, filming reshoots, to rumored poor test screenings. Even now after its release the critics have not been kind either. I’m not sure why there was so much ill will toward this movie or why a certain section of the fandom seems to want Marvel to fail but despite whatever difficulties the film may have gone through, I think much of the perceived issues were unwarranted and some of the harsh criticism unfair.

Is this a perfect film? No of course not but I’m not sure what people want from these movies anymore. They can’t all be “Infinity War” levels of stakes, action and epic scope. For me if these movies provide an interesting story simple or complex that keeps me engaged, has good character dynamics with emotional development mixed with the right amount of humor and thrilling superhero style action I usually walk out of the theater happy.

Brave New World may not have the best script and it can be a bit exposition heavy at times but I thought it had an interesting plot with a mix of elements including mystery, conspiracy, espionage

and even some “Manchurian Candidate” type machinations. I would compare the feel of this film to that of CA: The Winter Soldier. I’m not saying this is as good as that film was but its grounded-ness and serious tone definitely reminded me of CA:TWS which I very much liked and

appreciated. The cast involved were all on point and each brought their “A” games. Anthony Mackie and Harrison Ford especially deliver standout emotional performances. While in smaller roles Giancarlo Esposito and Tim Blake Nelson both shined in menacing fashion as the film’s villains.

The action meanwhile was very high caliber. The fights were fast, hard hitting and easy to follow. An aspect of the fights I’m glad they included is that they showed that Sam could and often did get injured reiterating the fact that Sam is a hero with no super powers or super soldier type serums. He’s human and can be hurt. The set pieces were equally as thrilling with the highlight coming of course when the Incredible (Red) Hulk finally emerges causing all sorts of brutal carnage and destruction. If you watched every piece of preview footage before seeing the film, I feel sorry that you probably had most of Red Hulk’s awesomeness spoiled for you beforehand.

If I had any complaints it would simply be with The Leader’s (Tim Blake Nelson’s character) physical appearance/design. Early reports, leaked promo art and even the Funko Pop figure depicted a much more comic accurate looking design with the elongated head and goatee beard. For whatever reason this was changed to a different look, with him now having more of a mutated exposed brain instead of the giant, elongated head. He still looked pretty cool however and perhaps the redesign did fit in a bit better with the film’s grounded aesthetic. (Edit: Upon browsing through some older comic book material, the redesign is actually a bit more evocative of how The Leader appeared in Peter David's early Hulk run specifically Incredible Hulk #342 where Leader's head was more bulbous and brain textured than the (up to that point) classic elongated forehead look. Whether the final movie design was intentionally referencing that alternative comic book appearance or not is anyone's guess, I just had completely forgotten about it.)

Lastly, the film’s other shortcoming would have to be its music score. Unfortunately nothing of it really stood out for me. It was more of an atmospheric, moody type score. No memorable themes that I can recall and I don’t think Sam got a theme of his own. If he did I just didn’t notice it. No reprise of the original Cap theme either (which would have fit well in a couple scenes) unless I missed it. To be fair I also thought CA:TWS score was kind of lackluster the first time I saw that movie too but I gained a better appreciation for it after repeat viewings. Perhaps I will with BNW’s as well hopefully. So all in all I was very happy with this movie! Once again, don’t let the negative press and critic’s reviews get you down. Go see it and just have a fun time at the movies! ⭐⭐⭐½

#captain america brave new world #captain america #marvel cinematic universe #marvel #anthony mackie #harrison ford #giancarlo esposito #sam wilson #red hulk #the leader #marvel mcu #movie review

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brandwhorestarscream · 6 months ago

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What makes it annoying (also) is that the writers try to give too much active participation to the humans.

Charlie is one of the few likable civilian humans in the franchise and she doesn't do much beyond providing sanctuary/a resting place for an injured Bumblebee and being a friendly presence.

Fowler, despite everything, and Dot are military who know that their role in the situation is limited and only got involved in specific reasons.

Exactly. It's unfortunately something that a lot of media with non-human characters gets wrong. If the namesake of the movie/show/comics/whatever isn't humans and then you insist on making humans the star of the show... it kinda defeats the purpose. Great example is the 2014 Godzilla film. In a two hour movie, Godzilla is on screen for less than 20 minutes. As a result, it's a miserable, boring slog. If I'm going to a movie about godzilla and the movie is less than 20% godzilla, it is not a good movie. The live action ninja turtles movie sucked for the same reason: the first 40 minutes is nothing but April O'Neil. That's nearly a third of the run time where the main characters--or rather, who is supposed to be the main characters--aren't even on screen. A lot of transformers media does the same damn thing, and it's aggravating. Like I DO NOT care. I don't care about the stupid humans and their bullshit, I never have cared, I never will care! Gtfo with that, give me cybertronians! If my transformers show is less than 90% transformers, then something is WRONG. You wouldn't watch a baking show that's 50% actually about the chefs playing chess. You wouldn't watch a sports match where 80% is actually the players knitting tea cozies. You wouldn't watch a marvel movie if it was less than 20% marvel characters. That's not what you signed up for, correct?

The best human characters in transformers are the ones that don't exist, the second best humans are the ones that stay in the background, form meaningful relationships with the protagonists, and don't ever overshadow them. Charlie and Dot are excellent examples of that, I love both of them. Their chemistry with their cybertronian friends is great, but they never steal the show, the show is never about them. That's the way it should be and I will die on this hill

#brandwhore speaks #maccadam #like i am sooo tired of human bs in my transformers media. nobody fucking cares what the stupid humans are doing

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ozma914 · 11 months ago

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Movie Review: Deadpool and Wolverine

One danger of watching "Deadpool and Wolverine" in the theaters is that you never know what was spilled on that floor you're rolling around on.

And I don't mean you'll be making out with someone because the movie's boring, either. No, "Deadpool and Wolverine" is exactly what it's advertised to be: Profane, fast-paced, irreverent, hilarious, and ... oh, yeah. Emotional.

That's the trick Ryan Reynolds and company manage to pull off. Deadpool speaks directly to the audience, talks about being in a movie, makes fun of Marvel and Disney, and just generally breaks all the rules. Then he grabs you by the feels and pulls you in until you actually care about this guy, despite the fact that you both know he's only a character.

Wade Wilson has left his super anti-hero days behind him and sells cars, badly, after a failed attempt to join the Avengers. But he's pulled back into his old life when he discovers his entire universe is going to end because of the loss of its anchor hero, Wolverine, who died during the events of "Logan". (Hey, it been out way too long for that to be a spoiler.)

That sends Wade on a multiverse-spanning search for another Logan to bring back, an attempt that treats us to several different Wolverines until Wade finds one that may work. Unfortunately, it's the worst Wolverine in all the universes. Together they set out on a blood splattered journey across timelines, encountering familiar help and villains along the way.

Yes, it has a plot. But just putting Reynolds and Hugh Jackman in a room together would generate plenty of fun for two hours, all by itself. They're clearly having a blast here, and yet, as mentioned earlier, they also generate plenty of pathos and suspense. After all, there are millions of universes, and Deadpool's isn't even the main Marvel one. There's nothing to say it will survive the fight.

I'm not sure there's any way to communicate just how much fun "Deadpool and Wolverine" is. It helps to know something of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (especially the TV series Loki). It also helps to be a fan of the comics, although its not necessary. Most of the main points we hit along the way are familiar to even those with only a passing knowledge of the MCU, for the same reason someone who's never seen Star Wars can spout off a dozen catchphrases and the basic plot.

Just the same, the sheer number of cameos, references, and background clues will bring squeals of glee from comic fans, even as non-comic fans enjoy the fast pace and no holds barred banter. Oh, and the stabbing. Lots and lots of stabbing. Did I mentioned the movie's rated R? Do NOT take your kids to see it.

But take yourself to see it. If you have half as much fun as Reynolds and Jackman clearly did, it'll be a good day. Where to find our books or just have some fun:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B0058CL6OO

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/"Mark R Hunter"

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survivorsblood · 2 months ago

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( courtney eaton , demi woman , she / they ) did you see them ?! that was septima ' seven ' silversmith , the winner of the seventy eighth hunger games. they’re back for the 92nd games as a tribute , and you know they’re one of my favourites ! the twenty four year old brought such honour to district two when they won their games with stealth attacks and a scalpel chain . they’re known all over panem for being so charismatic despite being so eccentric . they remind me of at least holding the handle of a weapon before you held a hand, looking down at the blood on your hands and wondering how it got there, kind eyes with the vacancy behind them , and when i think of them , i think of let down by radiohead .

𝑨𝑩𝑶𝑼𝑻 𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑴𝑼𝑵 .

hiiii my name is pepper < 3 i am your local taurus sun , libra moon , libra rising who likes to ramble way too much ( i have a gemini venus ) and works really weird hours which is why this intro is so late that's my b . i wanna preface my yappage below by giving the quick disclaimer that i'm a movie only hunger games enjoyer ... *the crowd boos * i know , i know ... i did read the first book YEARS ago but i fell off after that i fear . however , this concept struck me when i saw the rp and it would not leave me alone bc the lack of controlled religion in this world is so interesting to me so here we are < 3 anyways if i get anything wrong pls feel free to fact check me that's my b fr ,,, other than that i look forward to plotting w you all real bad ok mwah .

𝑩𝑨𝑺𝑰𝑪𝑺 .

birth name : septima junia silversmith . pronunciation : sehp - tee - muh , sihl - vuhr -sm - ih - th . nicknames : seven ( most used , unfortunately ) , sev ( preferred to seven at least , used by more familiar acquaintances ) , junia ( preferred , used by close friends ) , june ( preferred , used by close friends ) , junie ( preferred , used by close friends ) . date of birth , age : february twenty - ninth , twenty four . place of birth : district two . gender , pronouns : demi woman , she / her , they / them . orientation : queer . status : victor , tribute .

𝑨𝑷𝑷𝑬𝑨𝑹𝑨𝑵𝑪𝑬 .

height : five foot ten inches - 177.8 cm . build : willowy , lithe limbed , above average muscle mass . hair : dark brown , almost black and falls down her back in waves and until her waist . eye colour : a dark brown . notable features : almond shaped eyes , button nose , sharp canines , dimples . faceclaim : courtney eaton .

𝑷𝑬𝑹𝑺𝑶𝑵𝑨𝑳𝑰𝑻𝒀 .

natal chart : pisces sun , libra moon , libra rising . moral alignment : neutral good . mbti : infp , the mediator . positive traits : empathetic , loyal , open-minded , resourceful , patient , kind , determined , clever , charming , charismatic , earnest , intuitive , well - intentioned . negative traits : absentminded , manipulative , submissive , eccentric , obsessive , indecisive , avoidant , sensitive , dependent , absentminded , mercurial , awkward . character inspirations : viktor hargreeves ( the umbrella academy ) , ben hargreeves ( the umbrella academy ) , lottie matthews ( yellowjackets ) , ymir ( attack on titan ) , annie leonhart ( attack on titan ) , yelena belova ( marvel ) , bob ( the thunderbolts ) , nell crain ( the haunting of hill house ) , jinx ( arcane ) , shoto todoroki ( my hero academia ) .

𝑻𝑳𝑫𝑹 .

tw religious psychosis , tw parental neglect , tw canon typical death , tw blood !

the silversmiths were well bred . everyone in district two knew it . they were wealthy and influential and powerful . they were beautiful and well proportioned . they were athletic . they were deadly . they were champions . they were victors .

if only their track record reflected that .

they tried , of course . scilla and manius silversmith craved recognition . sure , they perhaps had stature in district two , but what of the rest of the districts ? what of the capital ? they wanted honour . they wanted fame . and what other way was their to gain honour for their family than to become champions on the world's stage ? at the hunger games ?

they craved it . they bred their children for it . a labour of love .

their first child , prima , was their daughter . their precious first . it was a pain to lose her .

it got easier after that .

they tried eight more times .

after all , there was only so much one could do . they trained them from the moment they were old enough . they had them learn their discipline from the very best , had them spar against each other , their classmates , their trainers . they forged them themselves . forged them into something more . something better . every child entered as many times as they were able from the ages of twelve to eighteen , every child told , explicitly to volunteer . every child born for the games , for glory .

and yet they were disappointed so many times . humiliated so many times . the honour of being chosen didn't compare to the honour of raising a victor . of laying claim to one . of making history .

by the time that they had gotten to septima the well of parental love had gone dry , if it was there at all . after so many disappointments could you blame them ? what could they do with another failure ? it would be shameful at this point . there was no reason to get attached . so septima became seven . a number rather than a child . the detachment would lessen the humiliation they thought . at least they could simply move on to the next in line . they told seven as much when they volunteered as told . do not bring shame to the family . win or die .

in truth they had little expectations . the child was hopeless . sure , she was skilled , but she was too soft in a way no amount of discipline could seem to cure her of . and she was young . just twelve when she somehow came out on top of the heap and was able to become a tribute . they were truly expecting to have to bury their shame in the backyard again .

they were pleasantly surprised by how well the world seemed to take to their seventh . seven was charming after all . and beautiful , with the family genes . they adored her for it . like a sweet little lamb readied for slaughter . at the very least there was that . they'd be remembered by the capitol fondly when the child went

and yet the child did not go .

perhaps no one was more startled than scilla and manius , although they would never admit such a thing . but it was true . one moment they were watching their child , their seven . and the next it was as if something had come over the child . murmuring to themself , and anointing themself in blood , and speaking to nothing and such . that in itself would be humiliating if not for the fact that somehow the nonsense seemed to be working . despite all the muttering over the dead and the frustrating lack of focus behind the child's eyes , the training they'd burnt into the girl didn't seem to falter . the scalpel chain always was one of weapons that she was most proficient at . they'd almost be proud if only the brat would stop crying .

and then she won . and quickly all embarrassment was forgotten .

the capital called her a miracle child . one of the youngest to win the games , and in to do so with such strange methods was the twist that the public craved . the prayer , the meditation , the strange ritual of it all labelled their seven as the games' very own saint . and she was the silversmith's very first victor .

their seven was in hot demand after that . the whole world wanted a piece of her , as expected . the capital longed for her to kiss their babies and bless their unions and heal their ailments . after all , who would not want to come face to face with a miracle ? scilla and manius have their child over willingly . after all , this was what they always wanted . finally , they had their trophy .

they did not mind if all the districts wished to chip away at it .

𝑴𝑰𝑺𝑪 .

i did not expect the whole bio to be from seven's parents pov when i sat down to write it but damn ok ig ... shoutout to those assholes altho fuck them truly . i suppose i'll give a rundown of seven's pov here , but religious psychosis is a bitch although it did save their life so !! we're grateful for that ig . absolutely disassociated during the whole of their games are you kidding me , they were NOT there , but they'd literally been training since basically the womb so it was all fucking muscle memory ( i imagine their parents had them crawl to their first weapon like babies crawl to rattles yk ... again , fuck them but ya ) bc yk they were a child . i tried to play with how completely unrealistic and ??? therefore absurd it would be for a child that young to win the games and i hope i did a decent job bc lbr ,,, bonkers . and if i didn't , well . this is my formal apology sdkjs anyways , seven has absolutely blacked that out for the most part at least < / 3 . they always felt like some of their elder siblings who had passed were with them and so i think that feeling of being like watched over really just got twisted in their head and went full religious visions-y yk . anyways , again the concept of controlled religion in this universe is fascinating to me bc it would be Controlled Religion so i know that since those games snow has probably been using seven as a mouthpiece for all who believe in what they followed out there during the games or whatever 'saved' them out their during the games , like he's basically has had her preaching propaganda because again the dangers of hope and the power in controlling that hope . seven knows they're a fraud for it like they have a full understanding of that but they were very young when snow kind of got a hold of them and with their parents they didn't really have another choice ? i also imagine they have twin younger siblings ( eight and nine names incoming as soon as my brain cooperates ) who were of course likely threatened . even with that seven is deeply ashamed of the part they've played in any of this , like they used to believe in the dead and the after life because of some of their elder siblings and for a bit their they did believe in religion ( i know it was religious psychosis but seven does not know that yk ... some part of them wonders if prima helped them from beyond the gave or if something else did or if there really is something out there like they have Questions and Doubts ) but now they're like 'well if there is something Good out there i did not deserve to survive to do this' because initially they thought that after all the pain they caused they could at least try to help people but with snow they're causing more harm than good ... tries to plead insanity when she can because that's how they saw her in the games yk and so because the capital thinks she's kind of strange and woo woo and snow does too she can kind of get away with a bit but not too much . anyways she's for the rebellion because after all this harm she does actually want to do some good , she wants to actually help , so !! outside of being a child religious figure seven is just a strange girl fr < 3 kind of odd , a bit cryptic , and tends to at least try to keep to herself because She Was Not Socialized Properly . turns on the charm when the cameras are around but can be a little unsettling and sad outside of that but means well yk ? deeply kind but knows too many ways to kill people with too many weapons unfortunately . does not really understand who they are but considering how they grew up can we blame them . Hates the name seven so if you're even slightly close she'll probably insist you call her junia . probably is the most comfortable around other victors which is so funny to me in this context cause girl they could kill you ?? but she Does Not fear death anymore , like self preservation is at zero so . i suppose there's that . and finally Gay and should be at the club truly and yet < / 3 rip . anyways .

𝑾𝑨𝑵𝑻𝑬𝑫 𝑪𝑶𝑵𝑵𝑬𝑪𝑻𝑰𝑶𝑵𝑺 . just something to spring off of for plotting things .

someone who hates their ass , bc in fairness , real . a total vocal non-believer would be interesting bc why would you , so ya people who think they're full of shit which ??? she actually isn't even sure so . someone who she can drop a bit of the loony act around , like a confidante or a safe space kind of vibe . perhaps someone she was able to really bond with after her games . childhood friends if there's anyone from district two . someone who's sibling or friend died in her games and maybe there's resentment there idk ? perhaps someone who felt protective over her when she was younger for the older crowd that'd be nice ,,, or a sibling like dynamic even . i love familial dynamics if you can't tell . a secret relationship could also be interesting or like a past secret relationship like it was on the down low and it did Not work out . i love drama unfortunately . and anything else < 3

#mj.intro #s . silversmith / bio .

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