#it's one of the things that is so wild about him saying to peggy in ca:tws:

[forcebookish]

god it says so much about steve's character that he fought tooth and nail and didn't hold back AT ALL fighting bucky when the lives of millions (billions? idr) were on the line, was willing to sacrifice them both to his cause and didn't let himself be distracted at all before the mission was complete - but the moment the day was saved, the moment he knew he had done his duty, he was willing to stand down and die for bucky. he knew that bucky was in there somewhere, but he knew the risk for backing down and he did it anyway, after all that fighting. he even dropped his shield, he stopped being captain america so he could be steve again. steve facing bucky, not the winter soldier.

like, yes that shit is love. but the way he's able to compartmentalize it first, and genuinely doesn't let it distract him from saving all those lives, is SUCH an interesting character trait. so much more interesting than whatever the fuck they were doing with him in the avengers movies. because in the end, steve is always about doing what's right FIRST. it's one of the few things that works in ca:cw, because he's not sacrificing anything for bucky. he fundamentally knows that the sokovia accords are Bad and the incarceration of bucky is unethical, and his conviction is so strong that he doesn't hold back - even against a teenager!!! even against his friends and comrades!! what a fascinating character!!!!!!

[r4inyclouds]

You can take Steve Rogers out of the fight, but you can't take the fight out of Steve Rogers.

I heavily recommend putting ya glasses on for this ride of a rant. A... practically an essay on how Steve was out of character in Endgame:

Look, I still wholeheartedly believe that Sam deserves the title of Captain America, but even before that Steve dropped that shield, that title in the Civil War movie, for Bucky, in respect for Tony. Captain America wasn't even his label for years after that. Surprising how many didn't realise Steve in the endgame movie was Nomad, not Captain America.

But, he still fought, didn't he?

So people who say "Steve will always be THE Captain America!!" can go cry about it for all I care. Sam is the hero that he deserves to be. Yet, I suppose we're all entitled to our own opinions.

I don't even think the producers at the time even read the comics they were basing their large franchise on. That Steve in Infinity War wasn't Steve.

He was born a stubborn fighter, he was meant to end as that stubborn fighter we knew from 'The First Avenger'. It's in his nature how he was meant to be articulated as a person. It's in the comics, that hell- I haven't even exactly read most nor possess many of them! It's a joke, a jest; it's funny but not funny 'haha hilarious', but funny, odd, peculiar and perplexing. But from what I've seen from the fans on this side of the debate who have read the comics thoroughly, they all explicitly state that Steve would never do this or abandon anyone. I could, respectively, not care that the MCU was never, and never will be, canon to the comics, but they couldn't even keep one thing, an aspect that's similar or alike in any particular way to the comics, and that's the whole nature and personality of one of their most main focused characters, diverging from the whole point, centre, heart of Steve.

Steve never needed a label that told him he was a hero even when he was some twink before the serum, his whole arch, his whole goal was to become someone who helped, it wasn't from the start to settle down with a woman he was at a high school situation ship with, maybe, just maybe it could've worked if they attempted to even build and develop their relationship for it to make that little sense. Steven Grant Rogers admitted to being that stubborn little thing, and in a sense, he was like that, someone who determined to not be a coward and went against his non-spoken word.

And no, this has nothing to do with the fact I'm a HUGE Stucky shipper, I exclusively tried to avoid talking about Bucky in this half of the rant for a reason. I love Peggy, she's in my top 5, and I love domestic Steggy. It's just it was never right for Steve.

Steve will never, ever be able to run away from what he is. He is THE fight, with or without a useless hero label.

Now since I'm a bucky glazer, and he's my favourite character (I'm putting him in a jar once I get my first-ever Funko pop) I will go on to talk about Steve and Bucky, now, I'd understand if someone would not want to read this part because I'm 'just a wild Stucky shipper!' Who's own priority is trying to keep the ship afloat (I'm also occasionally a Sam x Steve x Bucky shipper but that's besides the point) But in this segment, I will be talking about them in an otherwise platonic sense; it doesn't even need to be romantic for me to say this. And, honestly, if the character of Bucky never existed in this universe, I would've still had this rant on my Tumblr about why Steve leaving is just... odd.

Okay, Steve spent THREE, THREE, I REPEAT THREE, HIS WHOLE DAMN TRILOGY, having at least one huge plot point just purely based on Bucky in each of his movies.

1. He went against whole military orders to get Bucky back, had a whole depression episode thinking he was dead, and then had another depression episode when he died, and then kind of just offed himself after that (Now, am I saying he offed himself for no reason for other than his friend?... yeah, so, there's a deleted scene where Rhodey asks Steve about how he practically died, and why he didn't just jump out into the water before he crashed, I'm tellin' you if you search it up it's there, now, people suspected that the reason it's a deleted scene is that it, well, opens a plot hole, and it just kind of seems like... he killed himself because bucky's dead? Like, ya know, there's no other reason to why he did this. But I might just be reaching there) God. So that point just says a lot about how the producers didn't even think for one second about him going back in time.

2. Nearly got killed by him, but when he figured out it was Bucky he went a berserk kind of insanity and risked his life as he put his trust in a man who was about to knock the shit out of him. Then, like- went for months on end to get Bucky back just because he left him on the side of the beach to not let him drown. Yeah, okay, sir. Also, does everyone just... Like, all silently agree not to talk about how they casually just drop platonic wedding vows to each other in every movie? Like, what do you exactly mean by "I'm with you 'till the end of the line", every time I hear that quote I go "WRITE THIS DOWN, WRITE THIS DOWN!" (not like I'll be getting married though)

3. How am I meant to summarise this with detail without just saying the few words in my mind that would just tell you the whole plot? [Squints eyes, checks notes]... Guess I gotta. 'Bro split Avenger for bro, Avenger no longer, Captain America? No longer for bro, bro picks bro up, bro says wedding vow, bro sad Wakanda.'

Then, now, I apologise sincerely for using this analogy, but he kinda, just, ya know, abruptly left to get the milk. He dropped everything once he got the chance to go back and left poor Bucky wide-eyed like some traumatised puppy with attachment issues they newly developed after shown that much devotion and affection from an owner who'd treat them right, and then was suddenly dropped into a random field of an environment, unfamiliar, they don't recognise it, as they then watch the rustic car they were once rescued from becoming a blur, speeding off into a distance he couldn't possibly ever trace back to. What in the holy fuck was that waste of three movies then.

(DEEP FUCKING BREATHS, RAIN, HOLY SHIT DEEP FUCKING BREATHS)

I hope people can't tell I'm a fanfic writer; this is the shittiest thing I've ever written, I swear my fanfics are more descriptive and crap, but I'm foaming from the mouth right now; I think I permanently disrupted my breathing pattern, well done me.

Sigh, okay, well.

He's a defender for his friends; his bonds double-tied with the strength that could be held within the core of the earth, yet that somehow immediately loosened, cracking the surface, crevice by crevice of that earth with one scene, one moment. His mantle of the goal, his word that he once held dear to his child heart, became not even an earth-shattering break.

Now, here we are.

So, I shall, if you don't mind, end this with my small conclusion of how it's was out of character for Steve to leave.

You can take Steve Rogers out of the fight, but you can't take the fight out of Steve Rogers.

[mash4077confessions]

BJ hunnicutt for the ask game

Here you go anon! I got all your B.J. answers right here :)

1. Why do you like or dislike this character?

I LOVE B.J. Hunnicutt because he is funny, he is kind, he is unhinged, he is witty, he is passionate, he is a hot mess express. He is so full of love and these heavy emotions that plague and he has no idea what to do with this intensity and it comes out in all of these wild ways, and even he doesn't understand half of his own actions.

2. Favorite canon thing about this character?

B.J.'s absolute devotion to those he loves and cares for, and the absolute madness that comes from the need to have them feel the intensity behind his words.

3. Least favorite canon thing about this character?

He can be kind of overly cruel towards Hawkeye. I understand why and it does add a layer to his character, but sometimes, I just want to slap him and say, "Dude, you love him, stop being a dick and just say how you feel."

4. If you could put this character in any other media, be it a book, a movie, anything, what would you put them in?

I feel like B.J. would fit in very nicely with the cast of Psych or possibly as a guest character in an episode of Scrubs.

5. What's the first song that comes to mind when you think about them?

Chasing Cars by Snow Patrol (Hunnihawk from B.J.'s perspective)

Gunshot Lullabies by Citizen Solider (to illustrate how B.J. evolves during the course of the show/war)

6. What's something you have in common with this character?

-We both love his mustache

-We both love a good pun/dad joke

-We both love Peggy Jane and Hawkeye

-We both love little kids and I would love to talk to him about Erin

Possibly more things as well, but that's what comes to mind at the moment.

7. What's something the fandom does when it comes to this character that you like?

I appreciate it when others see his love for Peg AND Hawkeye and acknowledge that both relationships are absolutely vital to B.J.

8. What's something the fandom does when it comes to this character that you despise?

I don't despise it, but I do find it interesting that he is considered to be such a divisive character. People who don't like him tend to think of him as either pure evil or they think he's really boring...and I don't understand either of those views. The boring part, especially. B.J. is a great many things...boring is definitely not one of them.

9. Could you be roommates with this character?

Possibly. I think we could live together in the swamp. He would definitely prank me a lot...and I would have no way of messing with him back on an equal playing field. But we are both messy and I could definitely use a drink. I'd happily talk to him about Erin and the kids I've worked with over the years. That might be nice.

10. Could you be best friends with this character?

The best friend title has already been taken by Hawkeye, so no. But I think we could be friendly enough.

11. Would you date this character?

I would date him, B.J. would never date me. I'm not his type.

12. What's a headcanon you have for this character?

B.J. was raised with the idea that if he behaved a certain way (his father's way) that life would go well for him. You do what's expected, and then good things come back to you. His father really pushed that into him. So, B.J. did all his father as his father commanded (be kind to your sister, become a doctor, get married, have a baby, etc).

He thought this would lead to his father loving him...respecting him, and it never did. He thought this would make him happy and it didn't. Instead, he learned to repress his rage, his sorrow, his wants, and his needs...and then they'd explode. The explosion just got louder during the war, and he began to hurt the people he loved, when all he was trying to do was hurt himself.

I have a lot of thoughts about B.J's childhood and early adolescence.

13. What's an emoji, an emoticon and/or any symbol that reminds you of this character or you think the character would use a lot?

👨🍸👨‍👩‍👧🏍🏨🃏🧶🧦

14. Assign a fashion aesthetic to this character.

this....just all of this. Tight jeans, unbuttoned shirts, chucks, etc.

15. What's your favorite ship for this character? (Doesn't matter if it's canon or not.)

Punnihawk is end game. B.J. needs and loves both Peggy and Hawkeye and wouldn't be the same without them.

16. What's your least favorite ship for this character?

I don't see him getting shipped with people other than Peggy, Hawkeye, and occasionally Trapper. Hmm...idk I guess shipping him with Frank would be pretty weird. Uh Potter would be another strange one.

17. What's a ship for this character you don't hate but it's not your favorite that you're fine with?

I once started writing a B.J/Margaret fanfic and while it's not a great ship, I do still find their dynamic interesting.

18. How about a relationship they have in canon with another character that you admire?

His relationship with Hawkeye, whether you see it as romantic or platonic, is a thing of beauty.

19. How about a relationship they have in canon that you don't like?

Uh I guess his little one night stand with Carrie Donovan? But even then I'm not really bothered by that storyline.

20. Which other character is the ideal best friend for this character, the amount of screentime they share doesn't matter?

Other than Hawkeye? I think that if Margaret hadn't still been with Frank, she and B.J. could have developed a much closer friendship and much sooner.

21. If you're a fic writer and have written for this character, what's your favorite thing to do when you're writing for this character? What's something you don't like?

I enjoy writing for B.J. but sometimes I struggle to write something appropriately funny for him to say. That's my own problem, though.

22. If you're a fic reader, what's something you like in fics when it comes to ths character? Something you don't like?

I don't like it when people write fics where they say B.J. never really loved Peg. Were we watching the same show?

23. Favorite picture of this character?

24. What other character from another fandom of yours that reminds you of them?

B.J. Hunnicutt is the live action Maes Hughes from FMA

25. What was your first impression of this character? How about now?

B.J. was what really hooked me into watching Mash as regularly as I ended up doing so. It was the summer of 2020 and the relationship between B.J. and Hawkeye was the best going on at the time. He was the hyperfixation I needed when everything was falling apart.

Now, he is still my fave Mash character, but not my hyperfixation anymore. He has been usurped by Mulcahy.

[raccoonfallsharder]

Do you consider Rocket to be the most psychologically/emotionally complex character in the MCU? Maybe even a bit outside the MCU? 'Cause like, I do love Nebula and Loki, but seeing some people say that they had the best arcs and not mention Rocket at all is a bit saddening. Nebula had a significant part of her development basically skipped (the five years) and Loki practically speedran his organic character growth by watching a youtube clip of his death (I know there's more to it than that, but it still doesn't feel very satisfying).

Would love to hear your thoughts on this though!

baby raindrop, little chickadee, you perfect sprinkle ~

this is a complex question and i'm going to give you a complex answer. sorry you knew exactly what you were getting when you came to my asks (and i love it, thank you ♡ thank you ♡). this is messy and ill-thought-out, just a complete vomit of thoughts into my phone right now

so i'm going to (try to) answer two things here. the first is your actual question: is rocket the most psychologically/emotionally complex character in the mcu + maybe beyond? then i am going to share why i think he gets overlooked, which wasn't really your question but i can never shut the fuck up ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ

so. is rocket the most psychologically/emotionally complex character in the mcu + maybe beyond?

i think this depends on whether you believe a character is only what a writer puts on paper (or on the screen).

rocket has the most psychologically and emotionally developed narrative in the mcu, for sure (imo). but that's not quite the same as being the most complex.

let's take captain america, for example. arguably the most boring character in the mcu. but this guy does have complexity - complexity that was never realized on screen. there was so much opportunity for the mcu to do something with him beyond a brief mention of peggy dying, or a joke about him recognizing a wizard-of-oz reference. like, that's fucking sad?? the whole world has changed? he's lost everyone he ever loved? but we're gonna boil it down to a list of movies he's trying to watch to get caught up on pop culture, and maybe a particularly devastating blow to a punching bag.

i think the complexity is there for almost every character in the mcu pantheon, but it is consistently ignored in favor of putting explosions on the screen. i would argue that rocket is the mcu character whose story has been told the most personally and the most lovingly, with the most attention to his experience and how it makes him move through the world, and that is why it seems the most complex.

want better characters? hire writers who are personally invested in those characters. i will say it a million times. i will scream it from the rooftops. disney, hire me (jk jk).

i do have a lot of loki thoughts but i don't want to derail from rocket here. but i'll share separately if you want!

now. why does everyone overlook rocket? honestly, because gunn did too good of a job lol. i'm kidding. mostly.

look, part of rocket's whole thing (his trauma, his characterization, his history) is that he is overlooked and underestimated, since day one, by almost everyone that ever came in contact with him except batch 89, groot senior, and maybe groot junior and nebula. oh and maybe thor.

we can blame that on his appearance, his social class, his general scrappiness, the stereotype of a lack of hygiene (raccoons are actually naturally pretty hygienic, grooming themselves like cats and digging latrines), or his bad attitude, but it's such a baked-in part of his character that like. of course the audience does it too. people dismiss this guy all the time (fellow characters as well as audiences) because he's fucken raccoon scrounging for units. (similarly, i think this relates to why people read tony's "tech-genius" moments more clearly than rocket's: because classism.)

this, combined with the fact that i think gotg has more niche appeal than the wider mcu (wild to me), means people just don't think of rocket the way they should when it comes to weighing out character development and progression.

rocket raccoon will always, always be overlooked and underestimated. but i think if we can take anything from the movies, it's this: it doesn't fucking matter.

he's still learned how to be happy, regardless of what other people think.

[theanimeview]

[Analysis] Black Butler & Aestheticism

Source: Chapter 138

By: Peggy Sue Wood | @pswediting

To be honest, after completing my Master’s thesis on Oscar Wilde and aestheticism, I never thought I’d revisit the concept of aestheticism again in my life. Yet, here I am—drawn back into it and overlapping it (much to my dismay) with the world of Black Butler, a series I’ve loved since middle school. With another arc now adapted into an anime this season, I’m excited to discuss the latest installment of this gothic tale, this time with a bit on aestheticism, the gothic, and academia.

Black Butler: Public School Edition is a distinctive arc. While each arc in the series has its unique qualities, this one is perhaps the most interesting to me because it is the first time we really get to see Ciel work independently and prove himself apart from Sebastian for a prolonged period. Sure, Sebastian is there and working too, but Ciel is powering through this particular arc solo more than we’ve seen before and since. So while the series has always told us Ciel is smart, this time we actually get to see him in action. 

Moreover, in this arc we get to see the role of aestheticism and gothic literary form wrapped in a dark academia theme—a match made in my dark academia aesthetic soul. 

Of course, Black Butler fans have probably noticed how the series consistently embraces various aspects of the gothic aesthetic, but what is aestheticism and how is that different?

Aestheticism is a cultural and artistic movement that emerged in the late 19th century, with Oscar Wilde being a known proponent of the movement, the setting in particular being in the second half of the Victorian era. It emphasizes the importance of beauty and the pursuit of refined sensory experiences as the highest ideals in life and is often associated with a rejection of the notion that art and beauty should be valued for its moral or political utilization rather than for its own sake. To quote, badly I might add, my own thesis: 

“the literature on the subject of Aestheticism highlights four consistent tenets of the movement (and the art within said movement),… These four principles are the pursuit of beauty for the sake of beauty, the elevation of art or the pursuit of beauty alone, the celebration of individualism, and the idea that art is separate from life, meaning that while art should not have limits, life should” (Wood, pages 4-5 I think). 

Meaning:

The pursuit of beauty for the sake of beauty = We should like things simply because we like them and appreciate that sometimes things are just beautiful without meaning behind it.

The elevation of art or the pursuit of beauty alone = We should champion the autonomy of artistic expression, rejecting external moral or utilitarian purposes in expression.

The celebration of individualism = An encouragement of individuals to seek and appreciate beauty in all aspects of life.

The idea that art is separate from life = While we should pursue a beautiful life and not always try to apply morals or ethics or utility to art, we should not confuse that with reality. Reality has rules and should, but art can and should be free for expression of any and all forms. This rule extends to several things. For example, a morally and ethically horrible story about doctors killing patients might be a well-written thriller that people love, but that doesn’t mean the reader likes murderers. If they like the book, it doesn’t mean that they should become a murderer either. It means that life does and should have moral and ethical limitations, but art should be free of those and that we can like art while being free of those same moral and ethical limitations.

On the other hand, an “aesthetic” is a broader term that refers to the appreciation and study of beauty, whether in nature or art. It encompasses a wide range of styles, tastes, and artistic preferences, without necessarily subscribing to the specific principles of the Aesthetic movement. 

With that said, I always viewed Black Butler as a largely aesthetic piece, not applying aestheticism. The aesthetic of the work is gothicism, and you can see this in every arc, which contains some aesthetic focus within the realm of the gothic. We see it in a wide range of themes from the circus to J-pop imagery, but with different forms of the gothic theme based on the setting/frame. These aesthetics also fit within the realm of the gothic novel. Paraphrasing here, ”The gothic novel is defined by its emphasis on mystery, horror, and the supernatural. It frequently features elements such as haunted castles, concealed passageways, spectral visions, and various artifacts that contribute to the overall atmosphere of terror within the narrative (NTC’s Dictionary of Literary Terms by Kathleen Morner and Ralph Rausch).

When we think of the gothic, we often think of the architecture or clothing styles, but there is a lot more variation to this aesthetic than you might think and we see how the creator is applying these variations of the aesthetic throughout the series as we trace some pivotal parts of late-Victorian era history.

So, broken down, we have the Black Butler Arc & Red Butler Arc, which present a basic gothic tale. We have the Indian Butler Arc, which focuses less on the gothic, but more broadly sets us in late Victorian England to match the Red Butler Arc’s Jack the Ripper narrative, based on the socio-political context. 

Then we have the Circus Arc, which presents a new, dark meaning to the freak shows of England’s history and returns us to the gothic novel themes. We have the Phantomhive Manor Murders Arc, which I’ve discussed already as being true to the gothic form for the inclusion of the sublime. Next is the The Luxury Liner Arc, which coincides with the Titanic that sank just as the Victorian era was coming to an end. The Public School Arc, which we’re discussing here, followed by Emerald Witch Arc and the Blue Arc(s) that I will not discuss at the moment, but probably will in a later post. 

Now, all of these arcs are–in some way–gothic. They all feature the supernatural, they all include a bit of horror, and they all contain some mystery that the Queen’s watchdog must solve. In the Public School arc, the story unfolds within the chaotic halls of academia, weaving a prolonged and intricate narrative involving demon contracts, soul reapers, and other unearthly mysteries. The aesthetic is still gothic, this time as a dark academia vibe, and though I started to notice this turn to the aesthetic during the circus arc, really all of BB has spent a significant amount of time overlapping history, image, and the gothic to build us up to the aesthetic notion. 

However—when thinking of the latest arc to be animated, something clicked. In this arc it really started to click for me that, actually, this work is both a gothic novel and a follower of aestheticism, much like Dorian Gray or Wuthering Heights.

In Chapter 138, Sebastian makes references to following the aesthetic–and that does not seem unintentional. He could have said it was against a code, or policy, or moral or ethic–but he doesn’t. He says it’s against his “aesthetic” and all throughout the series Sebastian has a very hard time letting go of beautiful things. The mansion must be clean, the staff must be well dressed (so too should their lord), the cats are “beautiful” creatures, he doesn’t do “dirty” things to the best of his ability and will give up on what is natural in appearance or progress for a human with his human image to maintain his aesthetics. 

So too does our story. 

Ciel is rejecting external morals by maintaining his contract with Sebastian. We’re told in the anime and the manga that he doesn’t care what is “right” and he’s not getting revenge for anyone else but himself–others be damned. 

What I pull from this is that Sebastian is representative of the art for art’s sake and Ciel is the elevation of art, and their approach is that of celebration of individualism. As Sebastian encourages Ciel’s individuals to seek and appreciate “beauty” in all aspects of life on the road to hell because, as mentioned, art is separate from life. The consequences of following the aesthetic, in this case revenge, are there and Ciel is actively moving towards them because his “art” is not separated from his life.  

If I am right about this, then it adds some new meaning to the work as a whole. The gothic novel element still stands, but it adds additional meaning to the end and makes the use of Hamlet in the “His Butler, Performer” so much more reflective of the tale. Ciel is chasing revenge for revenge’s sake, for his own sake and it is a costly journey. One that, like Dorian Gray, will capture Ciel’s soul not because of the revenge itself, but because of the inability to separate life from art.

To me, it is an absolutely fascinating idea! I look forward to seeing how aestheticism works its way further into the work. What about you all? Do you agree or disagree with this idea?

Copyedited by: Krow Smith | @coffeewithkrow

[deke-rivers-1957]

Least favourite elvis characters

Good question anon.

Since I haven't fully analyzed all of his movies yet, I'm just gonna the characters from favorite to least favorite for movies I did review.

1: Jodie Tatum

I'm sure some of you are as shocked as I am that this almost universally panned film gave me the best Elvis character so far. Jodie when you really look at his character is the perfect main character to have in an Elvis movie. As much as I typically despise the cocky, womanizing jock type character, Jodie managed to have all of those character traits and not be annoying. Just by looking at his scenes alone you can write a completely new movie where he's the main character and you would have a significantly better movie. Everything you need to write a movie about a young man learning to become humble and set aside his differences with someone he doesn't stand for the purpose of achieving a common goal of uniting two worlds through marriage is right there. Saying that a side character genuinely deserves their own movie more than the actual main character is the ultimate compliment.

2: Deke Rivers

It was so hard to pick between my number 1 and number 2. As much as I love Deke as a character, unless you want to write about him before the events of the movie or expand on what happened during the movie, Deke doesn't have that much potential for a story. His character arc is complete and he went through the most change out of any Elvis character. There just isn't really that much left to his story where you go "I want to see a sequel and see what happens next."

3: Scott Heyward

This is the best character writing out of all of the cheap to make era Elvis films so far. Scott has actual depth by not wanting to use nepotism to get everything he wants in life. Scott acknowledges that he's in fact privileged but doesn't use that as an excuse to lord over the lower classes. As much as he admittedly doesn't understand having to make a dollar stretch and wanting to have a comfortable lifestyle, he doesn't shame Dianne for doing what she does. The only thing keeping him from being #1 is that it seems out of character for him to want to be with Dianne on a romantic level since she's actively doing the one thing he wanted to get away from. Unless we have a character arc explaining what changed, it just doesn't make sense.

4: Walter Gulick

I admit that Walter doesn't have much of a character arc. But that doesn't matter to me, because the appeal of his character is his relationships with others. He's in the cynical world of boxing, but still has a wholesome outlook on life. Watching him interact with the done with life New Yorkers is incredible. Even though he knows they look at him strangely, he still has a high level of respect for not only the men but also women. It's honestly incredible that Walter isn't once tempted to be with anyone but Rose. Just a wholesome character with a good moral code and shows that not every character needs to have a significant flaw to be interesting.

5: Vince Everett

As much as I find him unlikeable, I think his character has a lot of fanfic potential. Seeing this otherwise everyday man's fall from grace, become one of the hottest artists in America then suffer a possibly career ending, life-threatening injury is such a wild ride. You can easily write introspective stories on why he became a jerk, how he felt when he though he lost everything, and see if his relationship with Peggy will work out.

6: Rusty Wells

Definitely a dark horse of an Elvis character. I wasn't expecting to like him as much as I did. In the first half I thought he was just going to be somewhat of a Tulsa. But once he got in a bar fight with drunken frat boys just to keep Valerie out of trouble, he immediately became way more interesting. The face he makes when one of his band mates ask him about Valerie is so telling. He genuinely cares about Valerie's well-being. And watching the process of seeing this flirtatious man genuinely fall in love and want to stay in a committed relationship is a pretty good character arc for a cheap to make beach film.

7: Clint Reno

I would've been perfectly fine with his character but the last 20 minutes of the movie or so has him go completely off the rails. Him losing his mind about Cathy potentially cheating on him can work as long as it's written well. Given his perceived age there's plenty of ways you can write this concept that shows a different side of Clint without making him completely switch to the "villains" side.

8: Charlie Rogers

Had all the potential of being a great character yet the writers completely dog on him. As much as he has flaws, I genuinely couldn't care because everyone else in his movie were much, much worse. Him wanting to go back to the carnival makes no sense because of how terrible he was treated. I think if done well he can be an interesting character.

9: Glenn Tyler

As much as I like the backstory and think he has the potential of being an amazing character, I don't think his story was handled well. Some of the decisions that he made don't feel like they fit with his character. He doesn't really love a lot of room to write introspective stories since we already have a full idea of why he's the way he is.

10: Mike Edwards

I really like his dynamic with Sue-Lin. It adds a level of depth that makes an otherwise generic nice guy interesting. Even though he doesn't have a character arc, the conflict that he's put in is so engaging. This conflict doesn't end with him learning a lesson, but it allows him to show a different skillset that otherwise wouldn't exist. I still believe that his romance plot with Nurse Warren wasn't necessary but at least it still shows how not everyone who goes through an unexpected conflict end up having a complete transformation.

11: Tulsa McLean

Tulsa is just a generic main character. He does have some comedic moments where he's sassy with his superior officer and "Tiger". Him being of Native American descent and having a lot of experience with women doesn't really add anything to his character. At least he does have a specific goal and the romance he has with Lili gives him an interesting conflict.

12: Rick Richards

I just don't think he's a memorable character. The conflict he faces is a result of his own actions but it really doesn't matter because he doesn't learn anything. His romance is so much of an afterthought that they don't even kiss until the very end. We get more of a focus on the people he used to be with than focusing on him overcoming that past. You get more invested in the Hawaiian background and the Polynesian Culture Center than you do with him.

13: Josh Morgan

The most boring Elvis character. His only goal isn't even his own: it's the Air Force who wanted him to go to the mountain. We don't learn anything about him outside of his distant relation to the Tatum family. His romance with Azalea doesn't give us any interesting dynamics and just feels pointless. He is a completely nothing character to the point where he shouldn't even be a main character.

[nerdy-stilinski]

tagged by @rosieposiepuddingnpie <3 (down bad with Covid rn so hence the quick turnaround bc this is the PERFECT distraction)

Last movie: Terrified (a wild Argentine horror movie)

Last show: Percy Jackson (have I cried every episode bc of pure nostalgia? maybe.)

Last song: ALICE by Peggy

Song stuck in my head: Work Song by Hozier

Favorite color: green, but especially deep, foresty greens, or emeralds

Currently reading: Iron Gold by Pierce Brown (a reread!)

Currently watching: Project Runway, bc there’s nothing like reality tv when you’re violently ill

Next on your watchlist: Dog Soldiers, maybe? I’ve been eyeing this one on Shudder for a good minute and I love a good werewolf horror

Currently consuming: water and vitamin c in increasing quantities. also saltines

Currently craving: god Ben n Jerry’s half-baked. I would probably throw it up but I want it

Sweet/spicy/savory: savory usually!

Relationship status: single but might be moving towards dating? been on a few dates is what I’m trying to say

Current obsession: teen wolf. it’s always teen wolf. nobody ask me anything about what i feel about stiles stilinski rn bc i have been chewing him between my metaphorical teeth

Three favorite foods: fried chicken, mashed potatoes, pasta

Last thing you googled: “darcy kuemper Stanley cup” because I was talking to Eli and trying to illustrate that Washington is where goalies go to die post-2018

Dream trip: I want to go travel Europe with my best friend after I graduate - we’re both saving up for it actually :))

Anything you want right now: for my pounding headache to go away tbh

no-pressure tags: @elisela @faiataka @missanniewhimsy @stilinskiderek @dear-massacre @outtoshatter @halevetica @raisesomehale

[socially-awkward-skeleton]

OC Interview: Kit Cross

Tagged by @incognito-insomniac​ to put these together for the babes. I'm doing them all separately because it's quite long.

Tagging: @direwombat @noetikat @roofgeese @confidentandgood @natesofrellis @funkypoacher @strangefable @perhapsrampancy @adelaidedrubman @sstewyhosseini @strafethesesinners @derelictheretic @marivenah @lethal-justice @purplehairsecretlair and anyone else who wants to give this a go (no pressure as always)

Wheaty pushed the microphone in front of her face. “Go on Dep, your audience awaits."

Kit stared at him with an ever deepening scowl. “Do we really have to do this? I got Peggies to deal with.”

“It’s a morale boost. People wanna know about the hero of Hope County.”

“Fine. But don’t ever call me that again.”

Name?

“Kit.”

“Full name?”

“Well damn, if anyone’s heard the radio calls with John they already know my real name.”

“Just -”

“Kathleen Cross. I prefer Kit though.”

Are you single?

She sighed, the answer was complicated...”Yeah.”

Are you happy?

“We’re fighting a doomsday cult. What do you think?”

Are you angry?

She cocked an eyebrow. Was this even worth her time at this point?

“Seriously?”

Wheaty placed his hand over the microphone. “Come on, work with me.”

“Well I have WRATH carved into my chest for all to see, so yeah, I guess so."

Are your parents still married?

“Yep.”

Birth place?

“Fort Benning, Georgia.”

“Wait, why don’t you have an accent?”

“We moved when I was six months old.”

Hair color?

“Red.”

Eye color?

“Blue.”

Birthday?

“November 14, 1986.”

Mood?

“Annoyed.”

“Generally or just right now?”

[Dead Air]

Gender?

“Female.”

Summer or winter?

“Summer. At least then I can go camping comfortably.”

Morning or afternoon?

“Morning. Got the whole day ahead of me then.”

=EIGHT THINGS ABOUT YOUR LOVE LIFE=

Are you in love?

“No.”

Do you believe in love at first sight?

“About as much as I believe in guardian angels.”

Who ended your last relationship?

“Me.”

“Why?”

[Dead Air]

Have you ever broken someone’s heart?

“Absolutely.” Her eyes fell to the floor, she wasn’t going to add any further detail.

Are you afraid of commitments?

“No. If I was, I wouldn’t be putting my neck on the line every day, now would I?”

Have you hugged someone within the last week?

“No.”

Have you ever had a secret admirer?

“Lord help them if I did.”

“What about John?”

She scoffed, “He was hardly secretive about it. Wouldn’t call it admiration either, more like obsession.”

Have you ever broken your own heart?

“More often than I care to think about.” She dragged her cross pendant across her chain back and forth.

=SIX CHOICES=

Love or lust?

“Love.”

Lemonade or iced tea?

“Iced tea.”

Cats or dogs?

“Cats.” A small grin tugged at her lips.

A few best friends or many regular friends?

“A few best friends. To be honest, the less social interaction the better.”

Wild night out or romantic night in?

“Night in. Not necessarily romantic though. I’m not one for partying.”

Day or night?

“Night. The stars and the moon have always been my preference.”

=FOUR HAVE YOU EVERS=

Been caught sneaking out?

“Nope.”

Fallen down/up the stairs?

“Nope.”

Wanted something/someone so badly it hurt?

“Every goddamn day.”

Wanted to disappear?

“That’s why I moved here. Guess that blew up in my face.”

=FOUR PREFERENCES=

Smile or eyes?

”Eyes.”

Shorter or taller?

She paused, biting her lower lip. “Taller.”

Intelligence or attraction?

“Need to have both to make it work.”

Hook-up or relationship?

“Relationship.”

=FAMILY=

Do you and your family get along?

She clenched her jaw, and cracked her neck. “Next question.”

“Oh come on.”

“Next question.”

Would you say you have a “messed up life”?

“Do I have to bring up the WRATH on my chest again?”

Have you ever run away from home?

“Was tempted to once. Never went through with it though.”

Have you ever gotten kicked out?

“In a way.”

=FRIENDS=

Do you secretly hate one of your friends?

“I’m not close enough with anyone to call them friends or to hate them.”

Do you consider all of your friends good friends?

“What did I just say?”

“Sorry.”

Who is your best friend?

“Don’t have one. I mean I guess if I had to say the closest thing to a friend I have is in Joey.”

Who knows everything about you?

“No one. I’d prefer to keep it that way.”

[piratesandexplorers]

Well, some time last year I said I was going to watch the not-so-new-anymore Swallows and Amazons film on Netflix, but apparently it's taken a dose of Covid to lay me up in bed and actually get me to do it.

I have lots of thoughts, as I promised I would...

(Spoilers ahead I guess, but nothing big that's not fairly obvious from trailers etc., I don't think.)

There were a lot of little nitpicky things that annoyed me, but I could probably have got past those (actually, no I couldn't, but never mind) if the whole thing had been good enough to carry me through. I'm obviously biased, and it did have its good points, probably fun enough as a kids' film, but I genuinely just think it was poor storytelling, which is extra disappointing as it was based on such a good story. Some of the bigger things that I had problems with:

The Spy Plot. I don't really have that much to say on this one because it's obvious that the second they decided to go with this idea, it stopped being Swallows and Amazons. The modern thing is to believe everything needs Super High Stakes and Lots Of Action or kids will be bored. I think they're wrong, but there we go. (Sorry, Andrew Scott, I'd watch you in anything, but you didn't belong here.) But even accepting that for what it is, I just don't think they did what they were trying to do particularly well, so on that note...

Character development and relationships. So much went wrong here, I don't know where to start. Obviously they butchered both John and Susan (presumably because they lazily read them as boring and, rather than read any deeper, just changed them entirely), as well as Mrs Walker and her relationship with the children. Genuinely, what's wrong with writing families who like and trust each other? Captain Flint was already ruined by the spy plot, but his eventual switch to being the nice fun uncle didn't work well even in the context they gave him - it felt like they just went "and actually he turned out to be nice, which you should just accept and not question because it's just a kids' story so it's not that deep". Which does such an injustice to the original writing. Then there are the Blacketts, who need a third point all to themselves:

The Blacketts. I was so disappointed with Nancy and Peggy. I feel bad criticising children, but I didn't think the actors playing them were good at all (compared to the Walkers, who could all act). But the real issue I had with them was their lack of screentime?? They barely appeared, we had no time to get to know them, to care about them, or to see any sign of genuine friendship between them and the Swallows. There was no spark to them at all, no sign of Nancy's charisma, or sense of them as the wild rule-breakers. Mrs Blackett was a non-character too, which is forgivable as she was sort of a non-character in the first book, but given that they did give her extra screentime, they could at least have given her some characterisation?

The Pacing. I feel like this point wraps the previous ones together, because the cause is the spy plot and the result (or one of them) is the bad/non-existent character-dev. There's no time for the characters to unfold, no time for them to sit and talk to each other, no time for extra scenes that show relationships, no time for fireworks on the cabin roof or parleys around the campfire or Vicky/Bridget's birthday or fishing trips or Octopus Lagoons or Nancy bullying policemen on John's behalf. Even the Black Spot gets delivered in a moment at the dining table, with no explanation of what it means. And it's mainly because most of the time is taken up by the Big Plot, but it's not only that - those small but important scenes are also replaced by things like losing the food hamper, and John shouting at Roger, and Roger falling in the lake. Things they obviously decided were more Dramatic and Exciting, but actually do nothing meaningful at all. It all just feels completely rushed, which is the opposite of Ransome's vibes. And not only that, but the piling on of difficulties, and problems, and fights, and things going wrong, just makes the whole island camping expedition seem entirely depressing, rather than a taste of joyful freedom.

The Aesthetic. Related to the last point, but I did think that the one thing we would get from this film, since they filmed on location, would be the feel of the Lakelands and the scenery and rural Northern England in the 20s. I got almost none of that. Again, probably because the only things they cared about were spies with guns and ramping up the sense of danger and difficulty at every turn.

It sounds like I hated the film, and I didn't hate it. It was fun to watch, I thought the kids playing Tatty (whose name change I do get) and Roger were particularly good, and I liked the Billies (although less so the fact that Susan and Roger didn't even meet them, and Tatty screaming the place down over the adder).

I just didn't think it was particularly good as a film, let alone an adaptation of Swallows and Amazons. Which, as a Swallows and Amazons fan, is just really sad.

What's funny to me is that the Netflix synopsis says: "When four siblings camp on an island in the middle of a lake during their vacation, they fall into a whimsical turf war with two boisterous rivals." Which is... far more of a description of the original plot than of the plot of the film.

[kandisheek]

FIC REC WEEK 3 – STUCKY FAVORITES

SERIES: Not Easily Conquered by dropdeaddream, WhatAreFears

Pairing: Steve/Bucky, Steve/Peggy Rating: M Words: 117,692 Tags: Epistolary, Historical Characters and Events, Bisexual Steve

Reasons why I love it: I can't even describe how reading this series made me feel. It's a wild ride of emotions, and the writing is some of the best I've ever read, not just in fandom, but in general. If you haven't read this yet, PLEASE do, I promise you, you'll enjoy every moment of it.

This series consists of:

A Long Winter

Pairing: Steve/Bucky, Steve/Peggy Rating: M Words: 35,754 Tags: Marriage, Cold War, 9/11

Summary: In 1945, Steve Rogers jumps from a nosediving plane and swims through miles of Arctic Ocean to a frozen shore. In 1947, Steve Rogers marries Peggy Carter. In 1966, the New York Times finds the lost letters of Sergeant James Buchanan Barnes.

Reasons why I love it: Fucking hell, take my heart and shred it into a million pieces, why don't you. This fic is so crazily well-written. Peggy and Steve's relationship is so believable, all of the ups and downs, the uncertainties and certainties. And oh my god, Bucky's letters. Everything about this fic is incredible. My eyes were glued to the screen the first time I read it, I couldn't even stop to make dinner in between. And the ending is so hopeful and melancholy and – fuck, I just really love it, okay? Please go and read it if you haven't, I promise you'll love it.

The Thirteen Letters

Pairing: Steve/Bucky, Steve/Peggy, Bucky/Others Rating: M Words: 35,471 Tags: World War II, Howling Commandos, Pining

Summary: Womb to tomb, sweetheart.

Reasons why I love it: Just when I thought I couldn't feel anything about Bucky Barnes that I haven't felt before, this fic comes along and makes me feel like I'm seeing a whole new side of him. It feels like the best kind of character study, and holy shit, the creativity when it comes to how this story is told – in comments, TED talks, fucking BUZZFEED ARTICLES – is so incredible that it leaves me speechless. I adored every second of this, I couldn't tear my eyes away from the screen.

Not Easily Conquered

Pairing: Steve/Bucky, Steve/Peggy, Clint/Natasha Rating: M Words: 46,467 Tags: Penance, SHIELD is HYDRA, Justice

Summary: “Ladies and gentlemen of the jury,” Peggy says, “These are the times that try men’s souls.”

Reasons why I love it: This fic took me on one of the best journeys I've ever had while reading anything. I laughed, I cried, I quietly despaired and I got so hopeful that my whole chest felt tight. The ending choked me up so hard I sat sitting into space for at least a minute afterwards. It's beautiful, it's amazing, and it's a sensation that I want you to share, so if you haven't read this series, please do. It's one of the best things on AO3 that I've found in a long time.

[nkatr84]

Happy New Year! 2023

Once again it’s New Years Eve and my yearly tradition of wrapping up the year by reviewing things that have come out but I haven’t had time to write about. Here we go!

Doctor WHO: Wild Blue Yonder and the Giggle

Wild Blue Yonder was just the perfect amount of creepy, mysterious and suspenseful with pure nightmare fuel. And Neil Patrick Harris was perfection as the Doctor’s old foe the Celestial Toymaker. Plus a great regeneration scene to introduce Ncuti Gatwa’s Doctor without having to say goodbye to David Tennant’s 14th.

The Marvels

I liked Captain Marvel and Ms Marvel so I knew I’d like this one. Is it a perfect movie? No. But it is fun. But you do have to watch Ms Marvel and Wandavision to know who everyone or it’s hard to follow along. As my parents found out. They still liked it enough but you have to be a super fan to really enjoy it.

Doctor Who: The Church on Ruby Road

I am so hyped for Ncuti Gatwa’s fifteenth doctor! This was a fun episode and a great introduction to a new companion with a great mystery set up and I can’t wait to see what is next!

Migration

This was cute. Not amazing or super funny but cute. The little duckling Gwen is the best part. That’s it.

The Color Purple (2023 Musical)

It’s well performed and all the musical numbers are great, but if you saw the original you know it’s better. I do like how Sug and Celiy have a stronger friendship and I even like how Celiy forgives Albert in the end here. And the explanation of how she inherits her mother’s house and gets her business is better handled.

Wonka

I loved this. It’s so fun and whimsical with just enough of a dark edge to tie back to the original book and moreover Gene Wilder’s sarcastic chocolate maker in the 71 version. It’s not a direct prequel but it definitely feels like this story could lead to that one. Plus Timothee Charlamet surprised me by how good of a singer he was! And he’s very charming and ties the whole movie together. Plus it’s written by Simon Farnaby of the BBCs Ghosts so it’s got that clever writing in it.

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom

I don’t know why but I like this movie more than the first one. Maybe because I can feel how much fun Jason Mamoa had making it. Maybe because I’m a sucker for a reformed villain that helps his older brother defeat the ancient evil threatening their family (which is weird that’s it’s happened twice) but I do like the story and the action and that it’s got a happy ending.

What If Season 2

Here we go…the big one…one Episode at a time…

What if Nebula Joined the Nova Corps?

This was a fun neon noir mystery with one of my favorite new characters. And it really proves that one way or another Nebula was meant to become a hero.

What if Peter Quill attacked Earths Mightiest Heroes?

Or what if the Avengers assembled in the 1980’s? Basically Peter Quill is taken to his father Ego as a child. But once Peter realizes what his Dad is making him do, he returns to Earth because he’s still a good kid. He’s still a kid so he uses his new powers to make Coney Island his own playground so Hank Pym Antman, Goliath, Bucky Barnes Winter Solider, the Black Panther (Tchallas Dad) and Wendy Larson Mar Vel and Thor come in to take him in. It’s a fun team up. Especially when you add Peggy Carter and Howard Stark.

What if Happy Hogan Saved Christmas?

I’ve never seen Die Hard, but I’ll be happy to watch this every Christmas! This was fun seeing Happy be the hero for once. With a great return for a villain that we haven’t seen much of.

What if Iron Man crashed into the Grandmaster?

I loved this one! It was great seeing Tony taken out of his comfort zone on Sakarr. The Grandmaster does have that affect on people…lol. It was face paced and clever with jokes and story. Just great.

What if Captain Carter Fought the Hydra Stomper?

This whole episode was a sequel to Captain Carter’s story in season one. Basically it was her version of Captain America:The Winter Soldier but with the Red Room instead of Hydra. Captain Carter is always great and seeing her lose Steve again was sad but then the season plot comes a calling and she gets pulled into it.

What if Kahori Reshaped the World?

This was a great story and it features a new character! Basically Asgard gets destroyed before Odin can hide the Tesseract but it ends up in North America where a Mohawk Indian woman named Kahori winds up getting powers from it. And she’s a great character who I’m sure fulfilled a power fantasy for native Americans and gets to see a superhero like them at last.

What if Hela Found the Ten Rings?

I liked this one too. This basically has Odin banish Hela to Earth instead of locking her away. And while she starts off her usual villain self, we see her change into the hero she could have been. Plus Odin is back to being the worst parent in the MCU since we learn Hela just wanted to rule to gain her freedom since her Dad made her a weapon against her will.

What if the Avengers Assembled in 1602?

Okay I loved this one too. It was fun seeing an Elizabethan version of the Avengers with Captain Carter pulled from her universe to save there’s. And after she meets Steve Rogers, our hearts get broken all over again when they don’t get together again. Basically I really hope they’re building up to having Captain Carter finding a happily ever after with another Steve Rogers that lost his Peggy.

What if Strange Supreme Intervened?

Which brings us to the finale. So this season’s storylines aren’t quite as intertwined as last seasons, but when Strange Supreme showed up in Kahori’s story and then at the end of the 1602 story I knew something was up. And sure enough he tricks Peggy into finding Kahori for him after she escapes him. Turns out he’s been collecting villains and heroes to power a spell to restore his universe. He just couldn’t escape his grief. It’s got a bittersweet ending and Captain Carter has more adventures in store…speaking of which…

Hey Peggy? See that big tree there? There’s a really cute God of Stories in there that needs to be rescued. Just drop him off on Earth 1218 and I’ll take care of him. Thanks Doll.

Happy New Year!

[the-truest-sentence-i-know]

Fandom: Agent Carter

Pairing: Peggy Carter & Michael Carter

Rating: G

Summary: Before his death, Michael wrote Peggy a letter. After his death, Peggy writes in response.

Word Count: 1.2k

ao3

written for @peggycarterbingo

prompt: Writing Format: Letters/Journals

October 13th, 1940 – Lampeter, Ceredigion, Wales

Dear Margaret,

You do not know me, but I believe the attached letter is for you. It was sent to me amongst my late husband, Reggie’s, things. He was Lieutenant Reginald Reese, a friend of your brother, Michael.

I hope this letter brings you some comfort.

                Cordially,

                                Alys Reese

May 27th, 1940

Dear Peggy,

I don’t like the way we left things, so I’m writing to clarify what I meant.

You can obviously do whatever you want. Lord knows wild horses couldn’t stop you.

This is why I have always expected you to defy any and all who want you to conform to what they want. But I suppose that includes me as well.

But you have an opportunity to do something– I will not say ‘more,’ as marriage and motherhood are as honourable a pursuit as any other; I will simply say ‘different.’ If anything good is to come out of this war, it is that it gives you a chance to do something different. Something you would not have been able to do otherwise.

You are one of the strongest, most determined, and most clever people I know. Whatever you set your mind to, you will work at doggedly until you inevitably succeed. I just ask you to choose that goal carefully. Make sure it is truly what you want.

Whatever you choose, I’m sure I will be proud.

                Your loving brother,

                                                Michael

P.S. I am sorry about what I said about Fred. If you truly love him, then he is perfect for you. I suppose as an older brother no man will ever be good enough for you in my mind. But if he is who you want, then I won’t say anything more about it.

October 14th, 1940 – Woodstock, Oxfordshire, England

Dear Michael,

It feels a bit foolish to write a letter that I cannot send anywhere. But it also did not feel right to leave your letter unanswered.

I broke it off with Fred and joined the S.O.E. Not because of your letter, but because you went off and got yourself killed, and made me tear up my whole life at the roots. Probably for the better, but it’s still your fault. Mother is not pleased either, but I suppose that was inevitable.

Training is difficult but in a satisfying sort of way. The moves you taught me have come in handy. I’ve been sore in muscles I didn’t even know existed, but the other girls here are lovely. In regards to the men, it very much depends.

I suppose I should thank you for recommending me, but since I’m the one doing all the work to become a spy (a spy, that still sounds so absurd and fanciful), you’ll forgive me if I don’t.

They say the survival rate is 50% in the field, but for some reason that doesn’t worry me all that much. It almost feels right, to be finally putting myself on the line after you, after so many of our boys, have been doing so for so long already. I will not discount the work we did as codebreakers, because that was just as important, but you know me, I like to get my hands dirty.

And with any luck, I will soon. I suppose I don’t have to censor any details since I’ll never send this. There’s a German scientist held captive by the Nazis, a Dr Abraham Erskine. Our commanding officers are currently coming up with a plan to extract him. They haven’t yet told us who will be going, but I’m hopeful. At any rate, I’ll have an opportunity soon enough.

I almost don’t want to end this letter. This last communication with you. Which is a bit daft, I suppose.

I just wanted to tell you that I’m now doing something that I feel I was meant to do. It feels right. I hope I’ll make you proud.

                Love,

                                Peggy

April 10th, 1945 – Woodstock, Oxfordshire, England

Dear Michael,

I had intended that to be my last letter to you, but something has happened and I found that the only person I wanted to talk about it with was you.

Everyone keeps asking me to talk about it, that it will make me feel better. They just want me to cry and be the grieving girl who lost her man on the front. And I don’t want to be that.

Steve and I weren’t sweethearts. We both were more and less than that. I wasn’t waiting at home for his letters, I fought at his side. He centred me.

We never told each other ‘I love you,’ and that seems like a foolish thing to focus on, but it seems important. Because I know that if we did exchange letters, he would write it in every one. He would write the most earnest letters and I would read and reread them constantly like a lovesick schoolgirl.

The war is almost won now and neither he nor you will see it. And without you, I never would have met him. Without your death, I never would have met him. And I hate you for that a bit because I didn’t need this. I didn’t need to fall in love during a bloody war. I was content and fulfilled with my work. I didn’t need someone coming into my life, leaving a torn gaping hole when he died – an American no less.

So I work. They’ve finally let me in the field again, thank God. I work and I plan and I shoot up Nazis, and so long as I keep moving, I don’t have to think about all of this.

I know Howard worries (Oh, yes, I didn’t mention that I have become something like best friends with Howard Stark now. Yes, he is insufferable, but he means well). He thinks I’m not taking care of myself, which is rich coming from him.

I can worry about myself when the war is done. Maybe I’ll write to you again when it is.

                Love,

                                Peggy

May 9th, 1945 – London, England

Dear Michael,

The war has been won. At least all of this wasn’t for nothing.

                Love,

                                Peggy

March 17th, 1946 – New York City

Dear Michael,

I suppose I owe you one last letter to tell you that I am doing okay.

I live in New York now. Steve was not the reason I came here, but I think he is part of the reason I’ve stayed. I can see why he loved this city. It’s beginning to feel like home.

I work for the Strategic Scientific Reserve, and I enjoy it. I have coworkers who I have made respect me, and I have friends I care about.

Mother still worries about me. I haven’t told her exactly what I do, but I think she suspects. She spotted the scar on my shoulder last summer. She didn’t ask about it. I think she would rather not know the details.

I miss you. I wish I could show you the city and have you meet my friends. I think you’d like them.

This is the last time I will write to you, so, goodbye Michael.

                Your loving sister,

                                                Peggy

[flanneryculp]

hello!! i made a tb8 pinterest board if you’d like to check it out :) https://pin.it/2dGNdT9

THIS IS SO GOOD AND DETAILED, OH MY GOD?? going through your boards was an experience because sometimes you'd collect just the right quotes and pictures that would make me feel shrimp emotions and then you'd post a funny but very fitting meme in the same board and the whiplash is so real (in the best way. truly keeping up with the tonal style of tb8 lmao) i have Thoughts on every single section

halloween

so pretty! i especially like the picture that says one hundred thousand visceral human emotions, it reminds me of flan's monologue about adam losing his humanity and becoming just meat as she slaughtered him.

kate & adam

this isn't a dynamic i think about too often but this is so good!! rip kate, between garth and adam she's really had the worst luck with relationships hahah. honestly this made me think about how much he screwed her over, too, how upset kate was. i think it's really interesting how she acted at the end of the book, post-halloween. i've always wondered what she, in particular, thought about adam's death since he also broke her heart

flan & gabriel

awhh noo this hurt. the sweet handwritten messages, especially. also, i like the detail on how most of the pictures in the board, the guy was the one initiating and the girl was more passive. v fitting.

flan & adam

THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE SECTIONS!! the way the blood and screenshots about obsession and kissing comes together is just perfect. the "i don't deserve to die" picture is SO them, i read it in their voices.

flan & kate

i was really glad to see a section for them here, because imo they are one of the most underrated dynamics in the book!! 😭😭 THE "ME AND THE BESTIE" one is SO accurate i've never even thought about that before. and the one where they're looking out at the mountain. also, kate with red hair is so real!! honestly the pictures in her boards were really fitting to how i pictured her in the books

flan and natasha

I THOUGHT I WAS THE ONLY ONE WHO SAW FLAN/NATASHA AND JENNIFER/NEEDY PARALLELS!! i was watching jennifer's body for the first time around the same time i was reading tb8 for the first time and megan fox jennifer check permanently influenced how natasha looks in my mind.

THE LANA DEL REY LYRICS <3 <3 <3

in all of these pictures the theme i see really strongly is intimacy, the way they hold each other, laughing together. really accurate

the ones where they look out at the water hurt :( and the ones about mirror images

"i took care of that thing for you" and the shovel!!!!!!!

the devotion, the foreboding, the "anything you want, natasha"/"do something" energy from this board is fantastic.

flora habstat

she's so cute holding that pot!! i'd invite her to my dinner parties any day. also i do like the camera imagery associated with her. i'd never thought of that before, but it really fits considering she took The Picture, took pictures at the halloween party, and also was the one who got to be on tv.

adam state

the "peggy--satanic ritual victim" has all the right vibes--perfectly captured that late 90s tv energy. the bloodshot eyes, the bloodied shirt! perfect, perfect, perfect.

douglas wilde

loveeee all the black and white pictures here, really gets that film noir energy that douglas exudes. i love the "sorry girls, i'm gay" shirt--with that suit and vintage font! i would love to own that shirt irl lol. and the one with that guy entering the room, the one that's sort of blurry? so him. i can imagine him offering absinthe, for sure.

gabriel gallon

he is so sweet. THE PASTA TUMBLR SCREENSHOT is so real. and the flowers, awh :( i want to give him a hug

v___

the lucifer's daughter picture, yes!!! i adore the style you gave her, the vintage jewelry box and hotel room especially. so elegant

lily chandly

really love this interpretation of her, and the picture of crying :( also her hair looks so soft and neat here.

jennifer rose milton

she's so perfect!! i love how light and graceful everything is, definitely matches up with how i imagined her in the books. her perfect grades, the french crossword, so chic! i think jenn should get to throw rocks at people, as a treat.

kate gordon

surprised and delighted to see all the theater kid references in this! kate truly was born to play a starring role. love the touches of blue, and her freckles!!! <3 <3 the "you know what's wrong with me?" post just encapsulates her too.

natasha hyatt

the water/liquor bottle made me exhale aloud. and seeing marlene dietrich, all the books, yess! i also really like the bath one. the femme fatale of all time <3

flannery culp

flan's style is hard for me to get a clear mental picture of but this encapsulated it perfectly. I WANT HIM SO BADLY (I MIGHT BE LESBIAN) is possibly the most flan thing of all time. and the picture of "structure structure structure" with the static over it--!!!! how do you find these things? all the themes of anger and desperation. she is the most regular girl of all time <3

honestly this is one of my fave fanworks for tb8! thank you so much for sending this to me, i can't even imagine how long this must have taken. you seriously have an eye for this stuff. if you ever do more, tag me or send them to me! i love this so much <3

[lucidapricity]

I hear ur making this an ask blog so I wanna know, simple scenario:

Y/N asks, "May I have this dance" to each of the angels individually. What do they each say?

ooo this is interesting, imma imagine that a slow romantic song is playing in this scenario and that the reader developed slight stockholm syndrome after getting kidnapped. might as well have some kind of other fun in the hellhole the reader is trapped in.

namjoon would gladly take your hand to dance, he’s not very good at human movement so expect being constantly stepped-on and stumbling around. but once he gets into the swing and rhythm of the song, it’s pretty sweet scene to experience. imagine the peggy and steve scene in endgame (don't come for me about this spoiler, the movie has been out for a while now >:C ). he apologizes quite a bit for being a slight klutz after and offers to wrap up your feet if they still hurt.

jin would be hesitant since he is not at all good at dancing, he never participated in such things like that so it’s basically a wild mess. his pride would get the better of him and he’d blame you for messing up and would be constantly telling you off to stop laughing at him or else he’d have your head (which of course is an empty threat). it’s cut short anyways but the next day, he’d be telling you to get up and dance again so he can show you that he's actually really good at dancing (he's not but he can't take the L).

yoongi refuses your offer but if you pull him away anyways to dance, he would at first scold you for making him do this and then dance. he’s pretty decent at it and doesn’t say much, only quietly asking you if he’s doing it correctly and carefully avoiding stepping on you. it’s moments like these that make you see him a different light and it's a pretty tender moment between the two of you. he's the one that asks about doing it again one day when he gets better and he's all shy about it too.

hoseok immediately takes your hand and the two of you dance the night away. he jokingly scolds you if you make one wrong move but he's taking this shit seriously like you two entered a dance competition. he’s good at it, pulling you around the room and exaggerating every move with precision, the two of you ending up laughing and collapsing on the floor afterwards completely out of breath. it’s a fun experience and he’d ask you to do this again another day.

jimin takes any chance for your bodies to touch one another so of course he’s taking your hand. like hoseok, he’s good at dancing but it’s more sensual and graceful kind of dance than the others. but he's actually having fun and not really insinuating anything, twirling you around and doing dramatic dips here and there. it's electrifying really with how smooth he moves the two of you around, he puts you to shame with any dancing skill you have. the thing is he dances until the both of you drop and we all know that fallen has a lot of stamina.

taehyung needs some guidance with dancing, but he's good at it as well. it's a slower dance though as he doesn't want to step on you like namjoon but he also surprises you by picking up the pace once he starts getting the hang of it. it's almost like he was pretending to be a stranger to it but you didn't mind teaching him the styles of today's world. the way he makes eye contact with you every time the song reaches its peak makes your heart swoon and he ends the dance with a small kiss is pretty charming right?

jungkook is no stranger to dancing and he gladly takes your hand to dance. he watched hoseok and jimin dance in private (in both the heaven realm and down in the earth realm) and practiced by himself. the two of you laugh it off when each of you make a mistake and he utters little compliments occasionally. if you didn't know it, you would've thought that he was an expert at this. he's very handsy though and you have to constantly drag his hands down to your hips but dancing with him is pretty comforting in all.

[gleefullypolin]

Oh my, the fighting in the OUAT fandom was wild. I stepped in the tags once and saw the most ridiculous fights. Captain Swan was canon at the time and I saw them consistently attacked by other Emma ships and I was like, welp, I'm always down for a non-canon ship but I also have the critical thinking skills to understand what canon means, haha.

That pirate might have been the time I realized I have a very specific type. 😤

I always love a good underdog so I immediately loved Pen, she had my whole heart because she was trying so hard and just kept struggling. I don't think enough people pay attention to just how much some of the things she's done to protect people, even if the methods are maybe not the best, affects her. She's carrying such an immense burden but in a time where women aren't allowed to have the accomplishments she does, she's also got this thing that's hers and hers alone, she's successful because she made it that way, no one else.

They could make me very invested in Eloise's season but I agree, it will probably depend on how this season and next (if Benedict's) goes. It feels like they gave Eloise Colin's jealousy about LW from the books which I think makes more sense for the show, Penelope was doing all of the things Eloise had talked about doing. If Eloise had paid Penelope any real attention in s2 she would have figured it out much more quickly.

Which makes me hope Colin's reaction is more of the protective anger we saw in the books, that man was incensed and scared to death. With how protective Colin already is of her in general, I feel like it wouldn't be out of the realm of possibility.

Oh yes, I am not usually one for period stuff but the Polin of it all took me down. I enjoyed s1 as it was. I think s2 was more interesting overall for me but I wasn't really watching for more than Polin and Eloise.

Book Colin was absolutely insane over Penelope physically and I think that would be something that would be a good addition, and having him say what he does about being with others vs her in the books is something that should be included, whether he says it or it's woven throughout the brothel/polin scenes. There needs to be a marked difference in the way he is in them and I think we'll see that. It was obvious with Anthony (I don't remember the s1 scenes tbh ha) so I think that's part of their narrative for the male leads. The way Colin is with her is definitely why we love them, if they could kiss already that would be great.

I get fanon vs canon. I mean I ship Black Widow with Captain America so I totally feel the sting of shipping something you will never see on screen. I live in fan fiction for that. But I would never go after the Peggy Carter/Steve Rogers fans over it. Like it wouldn’t even occur to me to start a fight over it.

The OUAT stuff, well there were so many ships that were canon and fanon that were going after Captain Swan, and I was like…nope I’ll just enjoy the show because damn they were already angsty enough as it was on the show without the outside influence. They didn’t need anyone else saying “What if they don’t end up together” because damn I had no idea if they were going to leave him dead or not towards the end of that and it was painful enough having that last season without Emma around…

But YES, I love the underdog. And back to our beloved ship at hand, Pen that poor girl. I must say that I could give her an award for her brilliant eye rolls and looks of disgust she gives that no one pays attention to. Gotta love her true disgust with society. People truly do discount her, so one can’t blame her for wanting to go after that. I think many people forget how young she is and do not allow the mistakes she has made for her age. To think of the mistakes I had made by age 19. Damn! If no one had forgiven me for those, where would I be.

I feel like Eloise hasn’t paid nearly enough attention to her friend to have not figured out LW sooner OR to have figured out that she’s head over goo goo gaga for her brother. To think that she was writing Colin just to hear about his travels…sure girl.

I will give my right arm to see protective angry Colin. That whole taking her hand into the room and smashing the necklace thing last season leading right into a dance….yeah give me puffed out chest, this is my Pen, Colin, and no one is going to hurt her, terrified that the Queen is going to cut off her head, Colin.

I saw Nic’s comments today about how they didn’t hear them yell cut in the carriage scene, and they kept filming and I’m thinking holy hell when we get to that scene in June I may melt down for how much that scene will kill everyone and no one is going to even remember there were ever other suitors or women that even existed. I think the moment they kiss in episode 2 the entire Polin fandom will be too numb to argue about anything! And if they aren’t I don’t think either of us could help them anyway!

[littlecourseofhorrors]

Fear in the Treasury: Fox Theatre Hamilton (live, 2024)

This is, obviously, not a horror film breakdown. But I want some place to memorialize this…so 🗣️

I was graced by the live presence of the recent touring cast of the Hamilton production…..here is my professional analysis. Or just some nonsense ramblings about my slight ten year hyper-fixation. Either one.

This is the second (2) time I have seen this show (live), and this experience was so much more enjoyable than the first. Not to say my first viewing of Hamilton was anything to sneeze at, but I hadn’t been all that impressed by the performances of Eliza and Washington. This time around, Eliza had been better for me- especially in the second act when we got around to Burn. I held out hope that the overly youthful cheery glow from the first act would dissipate. Not because it wasnt a thrill to see Eliza happy, but i hoped it wasn’t the only way she’d be represented while depicting the transition of time. And baby girl did her thing! The actress was great at presenting a young girl falling in love only to evolve into a woman with a family and issues that truly impact generations to come. She ate that: 7/10

Amazing Angelica!!!! From the very beginning, this actress came up and showed out with her vocals. A big part of this performance-the show as a whole- is that not a single person wasted time trying to recreate whats been done before. Every moment felt like a story was being told, not just sung. And even if there is something that cannot be outdone by the original Broadway cast- these babies (grown folk) did exactly what they had to do. Ate that up: 11/10

Would have loved to fuck Burr’s voice?? Like seriously, the man could sing and improvise like hell. Would have liked to see more emotion given in the room where it happens, but on a whole, he wasn’t anything short of stellar. Ate that up: 8/10 (yeah yeah the rating is literally less than stellar)

Lafayette is actually funny- funny as hell. As in, i know a performer and former church choir kid when i see one. I wasn’t the biggest fan of his voice at first, but as Lafayette in Guns and Ships? Now that singular song should get album of the year. In the second act, he really got to play around with his role as Jefferson, and i loved every second of it. Something about the hehe/haha energy he had with it ….does glorious things to me. Ate that up: 9/10

George Washington was played by the same actor as last time…which i held out hope that after 3 years since the last time I saw him, I would have some good notes on him. And he did do a lot better! Right up until one last time, where he started off well, lost me with his version of emotional singing, and brought it back in the end. Ate that up: 7.3/10

King George was questionable for a minute there, but he was funny as hell and really played the part in a way that i hope King George III would fucking hate💕 He was very animated, and upheld the title of one of the best spots in the show, even if i wasn’t the biggest fan of his singing every time he was on stage. Ate that up: 9/10

It’s utterly hilarious to me that i have no notes on the main man of the show himself…but i assume I gotta add him and say a little somethin’ about him. The actor was fantastic! Bald man in a wig will always win. His voice and tone was very on spot for the manic, mad scientist energy that Hamilton starts to exude. Definitely made hamilton a bit more relatable…a bit. Ate that up: 9.5/10

Mariah/ Peggy was pretty good, although i was quite confused as to why there was an understudy performing unannounced. Would have loved to see the full main cast. But making out with HamMan during say no to this? Wild. Ate that up: 8/10

Philip!!! 🥰 really dont have a lot of notes on this role. the actor was featured in the program with a full expose about how he came into this part for Philip/laurens. Was a pretty good performance! I loved him more as philip, especially when he ran off stage as a 9 year old definitely would. But his death as laurens was also quite moving…all in all, he did that! Ate that up: 8.7/10

Last remarks on this show…cant wait to see this again. The spoken word was such a different approach for me! Given that this show is a full musical- which many were not a fan of when it first dropped- i still appreciated how the actors delivered the lines to tell a story through more than just song every once in a while. Costumes were still fantastic, i fucking loved the lighting direction (this may just be due to the fact that i had balcony seating this time and could see more of the show), and the ensemble really came through- as always. Final, overall ate that up: 9.3/10