#javier is a theater kid

[vivistown]

something about Pedro Pascal on stage.

[heavenlymorals]

I feel like a lot of people forget that the Van Dir Linde gang was actually famous in their universe- Dutch Van Dir Linde was as famous as the real life Butch Cassidy. The gang had as much infamy as the Wild Bunch or the Dalton gang. Arthur Morgan, John Marston, Bill Williamson, Javier Esculla, Lenny Summers, Charles Smith, Sean McGuire and more were probably as famous as the real life Doc Holliday, Jesse James, Black Bart, Rufus Buck, Ike Clanton, the Sundance Kid, Wild Bill Hickock, and more.

Sadie Adler would've been just as famous. She was a gunslinger like the real life Calamity Jane and Anne Oakley and she was an outlaw at one point like Laura Bullion, Pearl Hart, Belle Star, The Cassidy Sisters, and more.

The other women of the camp would've probably been less popular but still very intriguing figures to people in the future.

In the newspapers, we see that there are songs about Dutch's boys and books too. Trelawny mentions them being on dime novels. In the future, the pieced together story of the Van Dir Linde gang might've gotten adapted into a movie, similar to "Butch Cassidy and the Sun Dance Kid" or "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford". They could've gotten biopics, documentaries, and more.

Historians and fans of the wild West era would dig up records, find pictures, and maybe even track down people who were apart of the gang, accomplices to the gang, or victims of the gang. They would try to piece together stories to figure out the mystery of what actually happened to the gang.

People would argue over things that happened in the gang and have their evidence to back it up. Letters written by gang members would become so valuable. If they ever someone come across Arthur's journal, it would probably be considered one of the most valuable pieces of documentation to ever exist for that time period.

The guns of the gang would probably be kept in museums if found. Albert Mason's portrait of Arthur Morgan would be found in history books, same as other pictures.

Dutch would probably be a very controversial figure in history- some would hail him as a failed hero and others would condemn his violence no matter the reason- they wouldn't know what the people in the gang knew- especially in the end. Same with the rest of the gang members.

They'd probably all get romanticized. Hosea and Dutch's friendship, the raising of the boys, Dutch and Annabelle and his fued with Colm, Mary and Arthur, John and his family, Javier being a revolutionary- no one would know the full story.

And then there is Jack- he may live to see the 1960s and 70s and 80s. He may have grandchildren who'd pull him into a theater to watch a retelling of the gang that he was a part of at one point. He'd be amused. He'd think that the actor playing his father was too clean looking, too pretty. He'd think that the movie Arthur was too skinny. He'd think that the man playing Dutch had a funny voice as he tried to mimic the accent. He'd laugh and make notes in his head of the historical accuracy. He'd feel sorrowful at the deaths of the characters- he knew them at some point. And no one at the theater would know that the old man with the rowdy bright eyed boys who brought him there was Jack Marston, the last of the Van Dir Linde gang.

Jack might talk about it to the public. He might do interviews. He might even write a book about his father, the infamous John Marston. Those would be priceless. Even Beecher's Hope might be kept around and visited as a historical site for history goers.

And honestly? It is such a bittersweet thing.

[garfieldblunt]

Modern Jobs I think the VDL Gang would have

Dutch - Drug Lord Prolly - but as a real answer I feel like he would Definitely be the leader of a shitty MEGA church

Hosea - I imagine him either as a therapist or a preschool/elementary teacher - Or even better, Number one Bingo Player in the retirement home

Arthur - Funny enough, I can't see him being more than a ranch hand

John - He's a good ranch owner - He, Arthur, Abi, Jack, n a few others live on a big ranch and live happily ever after

Mary-Beth - She's a librarian, author, and frequent AO3 visitor - can't convince me other wise, She has one of the best fanfictions on WattPad I just know it

Abigail - My heart and soul tells me that Abi would be an illustrator for children's books - or a stay at home mom

Kieran - My little Princess Pupcup is getting his degree in Equine science and becoming a veterinarian for horsies

Micah - Hitman or Dishwasher no in between

Bill - Gas Station clerk - Or I can also imagine him working with Kieran with the horses

Javier - Performer, duh - He does a lot of side gigs and plays at cafes on the reg - I can also imagine him being a Spanish tutor for kids

Susan - Let's be honest, she's the principal of a high school or middle school - any other answer is wrong (/j)

Lenny - He's also a writer, but he's not a fanfiction writer like Mary-Beth - I can also imagine him visiting Mary-Beth's library and reading to the kids on Sundays <3

Sean - Youtuber/ Twitch Streamer - need I say more???

Swanson - AA leader - He's also probably trying to get people to stop joining Dutch's MEGA church

Pearson - He's a chef for the Retirement Home that Hosea is bound to - He also works for the local soup kitchen

Karen - I can see her being a dance performer - not like a stripper, but more like ballet or even musical theater

Charles - State trooper at a National Park - No further questions

Tilly - I just imagine her as such a good lawyer like her husband - She's defiantly someone who can talk her client out of the death penalty if needed

Uncle - His job is to park his ass in a rocking chair and Bother John til the day he dies

[cryptidcr3ature]

Assigning rdr characters zodiacs since they didn’t give us birthdays to do it ourselves

Dutch- I know he’s a Leo, but I feel July Leo. Dramatic ass man.

Hosea- Libra. Theater kid, con man, self confident. I know what’s up.

Arthur- Taurus. He’s suchhhh a Taurus. Hard worker, stubborn, and typically a follower but will stand up for himself. I feel it. May Taurus

Abigail- ARIES WOMAN!!! I love Aries, my best friend is an Aries and they take no shit, especially from romantic partners. Driven, but so caring.

Micah-Sagittarius. I know I said Virgo in my initial post but that’s just my personal beef against Virgo men. He’s nearly as dramatic as Dutch but no where near as suave. He adds to Dutch’s flame till it’s out of control.

John-Cancer. “What choice did I have?” Never taking blame and takes a smack in the face to correct behavior. June cancer energy (I’m a cancer too so I’m calling myself out)

Sean-Scorpio, 100%. Sex driven, emotionally charged, quick to act out, cried after trying to kill Dutch and Hosea. Typical Scorpio energy.

Lenny-Capricorn. Lenny leads with his head over his heart. However, when he follows his heart, dear god get away.

Javier-Virgo. Virgos are always 5 steps ahead of you. I’ve also been burned by more Virgos than any other sign. Still if you got something you need done, a Virgo has a plan.

Bill- Sagittarius. The toxic masculinity and the bluntness of bill williamson makes me lean towards Sagittarius. I feel like maybe he’s a November Sagittarius though.

Trelawney- GEMINIIII!!! I personally love Gemini but everything is a performance with them. Different to the Leo main character syndrome, Gemini try to preform who they think you want them to be.

Charles-Scorpio. This one took a while and a lot of flip flopping but then I realized that Charles is an October Scorpio. Compared to the more open November Scorpio, Charles has a more introverted, bottled up personality. He’s emotionally reserved but once you get to know him, you can tell exactly how he’s feeling and what he’s up to.

Kieran- Pisces. Sweet boy, water sign energy. Slightly pathetic. Definitely March Pisces. 

Sadie- Pisces. February Pisces woman. She will stab you for someone she loves, and won’t hesitate to do it again.

Mary-Beth- Cancer. July in particular and demonstrates the more hopeless romantic and creative nature of Cancers. Also I know she’s got that intuition.

Tilly- Aquarius. She’s reserved but will kill you without warning. Don’t cross an Aquarius.

Karen-Capricorn. Capricorn burnout is so real and Karen is a prime example of what happens when you don’t keep your Capricorn on the straight and narrow.

Molly-Leo. Her last scene, that’s all.

I’ve been working on this for 40 minutes now and the melatonin is kicking in. Enjoy.

[thegirlfromblackwater]

If the Van der Linde Gang went to the Movies (Modern Au)

Modern RDR 2 headcanons because they make me laugh, so I'll write one.

Arthur:

Definitely ends up driving everyone to the movie theater.

Also, the designated member who buys everyone's snacks and drinks (except Pearson).

He gets cranky when this happens, but stubbornly does it.

He would like action movies and Western films for he understands the cowboy world.

If Arthur had TB in the modern world, he would annoy everyone with his coughing but not give a damn.

Pearson:

He's obsessed with Popcorn.

One of those people who munches and slurps too loudly.

He probably sits alone.

I imagine he would get an extra-large popcorn but don't even think about him sharing.

He would also get a large soda.

Maybe some candy on the side.

He would unconsciously eat and gets really sucked into what's going on in the film, drowning out all the noise around him.

Mary Beth:

One of those girls who's super into Romance films with a twist of Historical fiction.

She would definitely be one of those people that cry in the theatre.

She would probably like something like "The Notebook"

Likes to go with Tilly & Ms. Grimshaw

Dislikes Horror and Sci-Fi Films that the boys always go to

Always asks Arthur for a small popcorn

Karen

Always sneaks a bottle of alcohol into the theatre under her coat.

Likes to sit with Sean. The two of them have a ball

Karen always ends up getting drunk. Will start talking nonsense with her words slurred. Sean thinks this fucking funny.

She will yell at the screen

Sean

Never stops talking during the movie

Gets a little too intimate with Karen sometimes

Usually shares the bottle of Alcohol with her too

Tries to sit next to Arthur sometimes

John

Likes to be with Arthur, Charles & Javier

Abigail tells him he needs to take Jack to a movie that's PG.

Gets annoyed at this and ends up watching something like "Despicable Me" or "Inside Out"

He once left Jack in the theatre all alone and sneaked to the other movie

Probably would enjoy a horror film every once and a while

Abigail

Usually goes with Jack to watch a kid's movie for John is incapable.

Sometimes she goes with the other female gang members.

Almost skinned John alive for taking Jack to a horror film that gave the child nightmares for weeks

Trelawny

Finds a way to upgrade himself to a recliner seat

likes foreign films

Likes popcorn with no butter

Probably has a home theatre in his house

Uncle

Doesn't know which movie he's ever going to

ends up taking a nap on the bench in the hallway

In the theatre he is the one who falls asleep and snores loudly

Says the seats aren't good for his lumbago

Strauss

Stays home and doesn't have enough time to go to the movies

Bill

Probably would enjoy a Sci-fi movie

Likes to wear 3D Glasses

Sits way too close to the screen in the very front row

Never understands fully what's going on

Always ends up spilling the popcorn on the floor

Sadie

Likes action/Adventure movies.

Will scream at the screen

Enjoys gore

Likes mystery

Grimshaw

Always regulating everyone's snack intake

Tells Pearson he eats too much

Likes to control Tilly & Marybeth in their choices

Hates sitting too close. The back or middle of the theatre is the best

Javier

For sure a popcorn stealer

Likes western films also

Gets excited when people speak Spanish in the movie

Reverend Swanson

Usually walks out halfway through the film

Makes weird noises during the film

falls asleep

Kieran

Likes calm movies especially those about animals

Likes to go with Mary Beth & the girls

Gets excited when there is a horse in one of the scenes

Is happy to go with Jack to see an animated kids' movie

Dutch

Probably would go to something like a documentary

likes to only be with Hosea

Has molly tailgating him sometimes

Hosea

Tries to con the person who sells the popcorn & Food

Will go to see whatever Dutch sees

only drinks water

Jack

Likes funny kids' movies

Probably likes Pixar

Charles

The only normal person at the movie theatre

Never cries

sits with Arthur

goes with the flow

just watches what everyone else watches

Micah

Annoying

sits alone

probably likes the worst rated movies

laughs during sad scenes

Arthur refuses to get him food

Tilly

Likes what Mary Beth likes

Probably a historical fiction type of gal

Always commenting about the movie to Mary Beth

Always giggling

Molly

Likes to follow Dutch to whatever he goes to see

Gets bored

complains about Dutch's choices

tries to separate him from Hosea

Brings her makeup

Think's Dutch's movie preferences are terrible

Lenny:

likes movies that are based on books

doesn't make a lot of noise

likes sno-caps and gummies

Any of your own ideas are welcome...

[creedslove]

Bringing Pedro boys to meet your family for the first time. My heart is just melting thinking about those confirmed men being nervous and whispering to you in searching for some comfort and reassurance.

Featuring: Javier Peña, Joel Miller, Agent Whiskey, Javi Gutierrez, Dave York x f!reader

A/N: this is soooo cute I love it 💓❤️

Javier Peña: Javi would be nervous and praying that no one from your family has heard about his reputation or something like that. Of course once he's there, he's not gonna show it, throwing charming smiles here and there, he is able to make your mom giggle and even if he claims he is not good with kids, for some reason your little cousins are obsessed with him

Joel Miller: he's every girl's dream husband and every mother-in-law's dream son-in-law and yet he still manages to feel anxious? As if your family was crazy and wouldn't like him. Truth is: he is afraid of not being good enough, so he's worried you'd find someone better or your family thinking you could do better, but of course that would never happen because you love Joel more than anything in the world and your family knows that, and above all, they recognize how hard-working he is and how lucky you are for getting a man like himself. Also, he's very skilled at making barbecue and he also offers himself to help repairing a few things here and there. Oh, and the little kids from your family can see right through his grumpy face and beg him to bring Sarah over next time so they can play

Agent Whiskey: Jack used to be loved by his first wife's family, so meeting the parents, relatives etc wasn't much a big deal as he felt comfortable and at home with them, so he was very relaxed to meet your family too; he knows some people might like you and some might not and it's okay, no problems at all. When he gets there: driving the Bronco, cowboy boots, hats and aviators, everyone finds him kinda funny, but he is able to win them over as soon as he opens his mouth. He charms the ladies - in a respectful way, of course - impresses the gentleman with his polite and smart conversations and of course entertains the kids with his lasso tricks, he also brings your mom a bunch of fresh, sweet fruits he picked up from his own ranch and a bottle of the Statesman's finest for your dad

Javi Gutierrez: Javi G doesn't go to meet your family, he flies your family to meet him. He doesn't want to be pretentious he just wants to be nice and give your family some spoiling, because he knows they deserve it as much as you do. He would prepare the best accommodations for them, the best menus his employees could ever prepare and also yeah, he would rent an actual movie theater so you all could watch your favorite movies together

Dave York: sure, your boyfriend is an assassin and that might be a deal breaker for some people, so that's why you decide your family doesn't actually have to know that, instead, you just tell them your good, handsome government agent boyfriend is coming over on the weekend to meet them. Dave can be nervous, but he is definitely not showing it to you or anyone. He knows how to keep his shit together, so he will put on some good clothes, get his face smooth and well-shaven, and display one if his big and beautiful smiles and face the challenge. Your family likes Dave, he's very clever and nice and they are happy you found each other

____

[grogusmum]

Class of 1974 Taking Chances Part 3: All In

Javier Peña X F!Reader

RATED: EXPLICIT 18+

WORD COUNT: 1800ish

WARNINGS: oral sex (f receiving) some swearing, As always, see something? Say something. Pop into my DMs and let me know so I can add anything I overlooked.

SERIES SUMMARY: Javier graduated from high school in 74', it's 1989. On a sort of whim he decides to go to his class reunion and sees his old flame, you.

CHAPTER SUMMARY: Javi arrives in Vermont and is ready to take the plunge.

Part 2

Javier turns onto a dirt road, passing three large mailboxes, the faded red one has your last name and a little handprint in sky blue on it. A rippling hayfield and what has to be an ancient beech tree complete with a tire swing are to his left and an old stone wall with raspberry canes growing through it on his right. Javier can’t help but think he's entered a Norman Rockwell painting, and wonders if he's up for that, if he can fit into that. A DEA agent, who bent the rules into pretzels "to get the bad guy".

He has to take this chance; he knows he will regret it if he gets cold feet. Like last time with you and then with Loreena.

Driving past the tree, the road bends to the left and a farmhouse with an attached barn, common in New England, comes into view. A kid in overalls is in the dooryard with a black dog. He turns and calls into the house.

Then there you are, t-shirt, jeans, and tall Wellington boots, a pair of work gloves in your hand, and all trepidation washes away. Javier gets fully out of his fastback and swings the door closed. His hands settled on his belt. He looks down at his shoes and then tilts his head up a tick, his eyes raised to meet yours, eyebrows up in question.

Is this okay?

"Javi?" You ask, astonished, a smile nevertheless spreading across your face. Then you break into a run, gloves forgotten in the grass as you all but crash into him. His arms immediately wrap tightly around you; your feet leave the ground for a moment.

"You're here," you confirm, "you're h- I - wait, is everything okay?"

Your last conversations have been hard ones, Vermont and Texas are just so far, it feels more than just distance when it's not temporary. You feel it’s unfair to ask him to come to Vermont, to give up on his work and be so far from his father, and Javier knows you have a whole life here, making a living as a farmer, no easy feat these days, not to mention with a kid to raise.

"I thought we agreed long distance wasn't cutting it."

"It wasn't," Javier cups your cheek, his eyes roving your features with adoration.

"But I thought we- we decided... what's changed?"

"Me," Javier looks you full in the face, his chestnut eyes trained softly on yours. "I've changed, and I want you, wherever you are."

The corners of your eyes prickle, and you shake your head slowly in awe. Taking his face in your hands, his beautiful face, and slot your lips to his. You're glad he's got a good hold on you because your legs may never work properly again. When you finally come up for air, Javier takes his aviators off and looks at you, his eyes glassy too.

“Come on inside, let's have some lunch,” you take one of his fingers and give it a gentle tug as you lead him in the house. You give him a lopsided smile over your shoulder, and he huffs a laugh, again and again he wonders how he ever let go of you.

On the porch, you give your son, Benjamin a nod to come into the house he and Murphy the Dog, comply together.

Javier first smells the savory soup that must be on the stove. There's music playing from a radio. He takes in the house, from the outside it’s a picture of Americana, inside it's far more eclectic. The plaster walls above the wood wainscoting are painted in colors, rooms of sky blue, barn red, sage green… the floors are hodgepodge some are stained a warm honey color, while others have been painted, old folk art hook area rugs warming them up. Your love of theater, music, movies, and books is evident, from the marquee posters, floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, and instruments, not just an upright piano that looks like it came from a school but a guitar, ukelele, some instruments he doesnt recognize, and some kind of brightly colored hand drum beside a basket of equally colorful small percussion instruments. Then Javier remembers you saying in the winter you run a sort of music playgroup for little kids to help pay the bills.

Your kitchen is sunny yellow, large with a high tin ceiling with fans hanging down. It feels like the center of the house, it’s heart. Not only a large round scrubbed wood table with plentiful mismatched chairs, but an overstuffed armchair by a pillow covered window seat that looks like an adult could sleep on. The music is coming from a radio/turntable console that has to be from the 40’s or 50’s.

It's all exactly you, and he can’t believe this is the first time he is seeing it. Part of the reason things weren’t working probably; the plan was to save on travel by “meeting in the middle” when you could get together. Then the rest was letters and phone calls, but that at 38¢ a minute... they were not long. He needed to see your life, and you needed to see his. But he didn’t want to show you that. Sure, he gave you the broad strokes, not really wanting to get into details. Another reason… what’s that, strike two? He can't mess up the next pitch.

“You look like you see a ball and chain in the corner,” you murmur, trying to disguise anxiety with sass.

“Nope, just realizing I should have come here months ago, babydoll.”

You smile, relief in your eyes.

“This is Benji,” you say pulling your son to a side hug. Murphy starts smelling Javier, closely. “And 'nosy Joe' here is Murphy.”

“Hi Benji. Your mom’s told me a lot about you, I’m Javi.” Javier pulls back his hips protectively and gives the Labrador a hand to smell. Chuckling, he murmers, “Murphy, huh?”

“Ben,” you say, with a nod at Murphy.

“Yeah sorry, come on Murph get out of there,” your son pulls Murphy away, “Sorry.”

After grilled cheese with soup and chatting with Benji about school (it’s okay) and baseball (I can’t believe we came in third! My favorite is Boggs), Benji asks if Javi brought his gun. (Earning a stern Benjamin Oliver! from you and a wink and a nod from Javi), and you encourage Benji to show Javier the farm while you clean up.

"Sure!" The boy bounds through the house, "come on!"

Javier kisses your forehead and follows.

"You work on a ranch?"

"Mmhm, it's my father's, it's big"

"Ours is small, just a few goats, sheep, chickens... we have two horses. Mom told me you have a cattle farm"

"Yep, cows and horses to wrangle them."

"Knock, knock."

Javier is quite for a beat from the abrupt switch, then smiles-

"Who's there?"

"Impatient cow."

"Impatient cow wh-"

"MOOOOO" Benji cuts across, and Javier gives him a satisfying burst of surprised laughter. He ruffles the boy's head-

"That's a good one, Ben. I needed a good knock knock joke."

Javi brings his overnight bag upstairs. Your room is a soft coral. The bed is tall, with a whitewash spindle headboard and a crazy quilt spread, complete with a calico cat at the end of it, who looks at Javi nonplussed.

“There is a bathroom off of my room, right through the closet- yeah, old houses,” you shrug.

After putting his bag on the cedar chest at the end of the bed, Javi reels you in for a kiss.

“So did I hear Benji go outside?”

You laugh, kissing him.

“Yeah, he went over to the neighbors, I told him we needed to talk about some stuff.”

“Talking’s good. But mmm, I can think of other ways to-“

Javi's hand cradles the back of your neck as he comes in for another deeper kiss. You hum a little at the taste of his lips and his mustache's rasp. You bring your pelvis in to meet his, which is taken as a green light. With the smooth grace of someone practiced, Javi brings your shirt over your head with hardly a break in his feast on your mouth, jaw, and neck. You unbutton his shirt hastily, and not as smoothly – it's been a while, and you aren't nearly as skilled. But you are gifted a soft groaning, ‘fuck’ when you dip your head to his now bare chest, and let your teeth graze one of his nipples. Javier backs you toward the bed. When you're spread out, legs dangling off the edge, he unbuttons your jeans, peeling them off you like a present he is looking to savor, as you watch on your elbows. Your bra and underpants remain. You sit up and pull at his buckle. Javier watches you, your eyes sparkling with mischief as you work his buckle open and off, then unbuttoning his jeans. He remembers his shoes and toes them off quickly, not wanting to lose momentum. Looking at you mostly bare, soft curves, silver stretch marks from carrying Benji, just gorgeous. His head shakes almost imperceptibly, thinking about the first time you “met part way” when you weren’t in a dark cramped car, when he could see you properly for the first time in fifteen years-

“Bonita, babydoll, you’re so beautiful… the years I missed-“

“We’ve got plenty of time, Javi, plenty.”

“I wish-“

“Me too. But we are here now.”

“We’re here now.”

You tug his pants down and pull him onto you, bringing him back to the present.

Javier tucks his narrow hips between your thighs, his elbows holding his torso over you, he searches your face-

“I never stopped loving you.”

“Me neither,” your hand goes into his hair, giving a soft tug at the curls on the nape of his neck, Javier gives a growl and kisses you hard on the lips, its teeth and tongue, nips and licks. When you give an involuntary buck, his smirk is dangerous. He licks his bottom lip and his eyes track down your body, his eyebrows quirk like he’s deciding something. Suddenly he’s off you.

“Jav, what are y-" your confused query becomes a gasp.

Javier puts his mouth on your clothed mound.

“Shit,” you breathe.

Javier’s nose nudges at your clit, making your legs quiver, then he takes the elastic of your undies in his teeth and he draws them down slowly, his fingers looping the sides to help them along.

Your chest rises and falls quickly with anticipation, as you look at the ceiling. His breath fanning over your center tells you right where he is, and then the flat of his tongue draws a stripe from your entrance to your clit.

“Nectar of the gods, babydoll,” Javier moans and makes a meal of you.

Your head is heavy on his chest as you doze, which is no longer tight, and your quiet snores are like music, a comforting song. The afternoon sunshine streams in the open window. He watches the curtains flutter and dust motes dance in the disturbed air, as he hears birds, he doesn’t know. He is in uncharted territory and he has no plans to fuck it up. You are his compass, and years of what not to do is his map.

Before falling to sleep, he showed you his skeletons, you know what he’s done.

You will talk more. About about him, and his work. About what life might look like up here for him, like a warning. You'll stumble over the term 'stepdad', not wanting to presume… but you need to know for Benji, if he really wants this. And he does want it-

All of it.

THANK YOU FOR READING 💚

You can find more of my work here and if you would care to be tagged for this or any of my writing fill out my taglist form

[ilovetomdaya]

🚨This is going to be my spoiler Dune Part Two review. It's going to be long so please bare with me. I loved Dune Part two and I would definitely watch it again.🚨

So let's start off with Chani. She's a total bada** and Zendaya did an amazing job playing her. She really seems to understand Chani and who Chani is. Her performance of Chani really blew me away. Chani is obviously a very strong believer in Fremen. She doesn't believe in what the other Fremen do. I love that she makes that very clear and she never let's anyone change her mind. Then she falls in love with Paul. He makes her all of these promises and says all of these things about fighting for Fremen. Chani is definitely a strong independent woman who gets sh** done, fights for her people but also seems to love hard. She has conflict with herself because she loves Paul but disagrees with him on some things. Over all Zendaya knocked it out of the park with Chani. I feel so bad for Chani because she sacrificed so much for Paul and got other Fremen to believe in him and treat him like family only for him to stab her in the back. Asking Irulan to marry him right in front of her. Just mere minutes after telling Chani "i will love you as long as I breathe." I'm glad she walked away from him but my heart hurts for her. She deserves better. I wonder what she'll do next? I'm so proud of Zendaya. Timmy did a great job playing Paul. He really dug into the deep dark part of Paul and brought that out. Paul felt and seemed so much more darker this movie and was power hungry. He became a character that I don't like. I'm glad that Chani slapped him. He deserved it. His hunger for power definitely came out when he went to the South for sure. He had a little bit more of a softer side in the North side. He doesn't truly love Chani the way he's suppose to. He wants power and will do anything to get it. Even if it means hurting Chani and people that he supposedly loves. Over all Timmy did a great job playing Paul. Okay so let's talk about Paulchani. One of the problems I had with this movie is how fast paced Paul and Chanis relationship was. They go from just meeting to all of the sudden telling each other I love you and being in love. It makes no sense. I also personally think that Zendaya and Timmy don't have the best on screen chemistry with each other. They obviously have okay onscreen chemistry but it's not the best. I found myself struggling to connect to their relationship/ love story. Their relationship just didn't make me feel anything really. I honestly think that's due to how fast paced it is/ was though. Another issue with the movie that I had (like others did) is the pacing. It started out slow but then it got really fast and it seemed like they were trying to fit in a lot of material in a short amount of time. Austin absolutely blew me away with his acting. Couldn't even tell it was Austin. All I saw and heard was Feyd. He portrayed the physcotic person Feyd is/ was amazingly. There were times where Feyd genuinely had me scared. Like other people have stated the accent he did for Feyd was cringy but the acting was great. Rebecca straight up bodied the role of Lady Jessica. She was terrifying. She had me scared asf sometimes. Especially when she became a Reverend Mother. The fact that she betrayed her own kid... has me saying "damn." That woman is ruthless and a bada**. You couldn't tell it was Rebecca. All you could see was Lady Jessica. Javier did an amazing job too. I loved that you could see how strongly Stillgar believed in what he did. Zendaya, Rebecca, Austin, and Timmy were the stand outs for me though. I definitely want to watch the movie again. So glad I got to experience it in theaters.

[fastlikealambo]

So I went to see The Little Mermaid today and I loved it. Here’s a dissertation no one asked for 

The cinematography was absolutely gorgeous, I saw people were complaining prior to the movie’s release that the lighting was too dark, it was perfect, a lot of films and tv do not know how to light people of color correctly and they hit it out of the park every single shot.

The singing was ON POINT.  The live action films have tended to not cast real singers but every single song was on point, they were SANGIN

People have been absolutely disgusting towards Halle Bailey and they are about to cry harder because when I say she is The Ariel, I mean that. Not only was her singing like a crystal champagne flute, her acting was phenomenal. She was so ANIMATED, and got every single emotion and attribute of Ariel that was in the 1989 version and elevated it. She is elevation, hope, and curiosity and you can’t help but fall in love with her every time she was on screen. While I do love the actresses in other disney live actions, you can tell with their acting that they are acting like they put on the  smile and the costume and go to set.  Halle is Ariel, it would have been so easy for her to do a cutesy imitation for 2 hours and collect a check ( and I wouldn’t mind it one bit if she had did that get that bag sis) but Halle was in complete control of the character instead of drowning in it.  There is no one else who could have played Ariel and she will go down in history for this performance. 

I have to admit that the disney princes for the most part in the animated films with very few exceptions are the most milquetoast aspect of the story so I was fully expecting to kinda put Jonah to the side when the film started but he made me eat my words.  He was excellent, he was such a breath of fresh air and gave Prince Eric such depth, he had me swooning and I was not prepared to swoon over Eric today.

I too had my doubts about Melissa McCarthy but just how good her singing was surprised me. She was so damn good and hit all the beats for Ursula with charm and humor. I’d like to see Melissa play more villains, she has the range.

I think the weakest part of the film was Javier Bardem. His acting was kinda all over the place, in some scenes he was perfect but in others he was phoning it in. That end scene though was his best scene and I did start crying and hugged my own father who I dragged to the movie with me.

The way twitter overhyped Vanessa is very telling. Jessica Alexander is gorgeous and had some great facial expressions but for the majority of her role she literally just a mouthpiece for Melissa McCarthy and Halle Bailey. I’m not sorry to say this but while stanning the villian is normal we all do it and she is great in her 2 and half minutes of screen time, but a lot of this is an attempt to decentralize the black lead in this film and that is rooted in racism. The fact that the actress has had to block multiple people who keep posting about her not to truly compliment her but to harm Halle says a lot about how  even when the focus of a piece of media is a black woman there are always people willing to dismiss her in favor of championing whiteness.  Jessica deserves her flowers but this behavior I see right now is not praise, it is erasure and neither Jessica nor Halle deserve that.  

finally thoughts ( prepare for me to get sappy)

I saw this in a theater primarily filled with kids and parents and it was fun to hear kids’ reactions to certain scenes but there was one moment I need to talk about. While kids were laughing and screaming the whole time having fun, I looked over at one point and I saw a little black girl in the row across from mine just twirling to the music.

So often as black girls we are told to we are too fast, we need to be quiet, I remember seeing a post about  Cardi B. and Offset’s children posing at the premiere of the little mermaid and how those two little girls needed to “ lose the attitude” when they were two little black girls in pretty gowns getting their picture taken.

To see a little black girl dance with abandon without having to humble herself or lose an attitude because she sees herself on screen, taking up space in this moment because she is safe to be herself made my prehistoric ass want to cry.  You see this film wasn’t just a cash grab, or “ forced diversity”,  this movie was for her, for all the little and not so little ones to unleash the wonder that is so often ripped from us before we have a chance to shape it. 

Go see it and get a little bit of wonder for yourself. 

[hyperfixation-polls]

Okay so I’m not going to lie, I am a huge theater nerd, and one of my favorite things to do is imagine different sets of characters I like being theater nerds and performing in musicals! (Like Charles Xavier and Erik Leshnerr totally would kill it as Jean Val Jean and Javier! Like they just make sense in a production of Les mis.)

Currently in MXTX’s works I have two musicals that I feel like I fit certain groups, though not all the main characters are performers in the show, some may be audience members, or like the anonymous donor who sends outrageous flowers each night to the lead (*cough cough* hua Cheng).

So for TGCF, i personally feel like one of my favorite musicals, Jesus Christ Superstar just makes sense. Now like me start this with I’m not a particularly religious, I personally just really like the music! It’s so fricken good and it’s a super cool way to tell the whole story, you know?? And I feel like Jesus would most certainly be played by Xie Lian. (Just listen to gethsemane, like I just feel like it’s all a Xie Lian Vibe!) Now with a possibly controversial move, mu qing and Judas. But wait, people say that in the musical there are like gay undertones these two, so shouldn’t he be played by hua Cheng??

No. Judas spends like half the show arguing with Jesus and then betrays him, like hua Cheng couldn’t handle that, even if it’s acting he would just fall apart. No this role has to be Mu Qing. Mu Qing will argue with Xie Lian and calls him out, and did leave him eventually, which to many is a betrayal. So like yeah, those two just have the right energy. Now don’t worry I haven’t forgotten Feng Xin. He is Peter. The one who follows Jesus but when he is condemned to death, denies knowing him three times, and then sings a reprise of I don’t know how to love him (literally a song about not knowing how to love Jesus/Xie Lian). Like it’s just give Feng Xin. Now i feel like Shi Qingxuan would make a great mary Magdalene! Kind hearted and a good friend to Xie Lian, I vibe with this (if Hua Cheng was not the mysterious donor guy but was in the production, this is just about the only role I could see him playing! Let me know if you agree in the comments!)

Now Lang Qing Qui is totally pilot, ends up killing jesus/xie lian, but doesn’t want to, and is like I’ll be haunted by this forever.. I don’t think I need to say anything else. Now pei Ming is totally one of the other main high priest with Shi Wudu! (Don’t worry I’m not forgetting ling wen. Let’s all be honest, she isn’t an actor, she is totally the assistant director or stage manager, over worked, under paid, under appreciated, and yet completely irreplaceable. ) Now of course Qi Rong has to be here, and of course he would play King Herod, who sings a full flashy song making fun of Jesus/Xie Lian. And Jun Wu is the director who pushes Xie Lian and seems to be just a little too interested in Xie Lian.

Now my other musical idea is the lightening thief musical and mdzs! Wei wuxian would be Percy (if you don’t get why listen to good kid) wen Ning would be Grover (kind hearted and soft yet the protecter of percy/wwx, it’s perfect) and Wen Qing would be Annabeth (sassy, super smart, and sarcastic. It just fits!) Yanli would be Percy’s mom, Nie mingjue would be ares, Jiang Cheng is totally playing Luke ( you can’t argue you know I’m right), and Lan Xichen is the main director and Lan Wanji is the music director/Assistant director! Sorry that’s all I have on this one so far!

[weirdthoughtsandideas]

Alright, @watercolorsinmyheart inspired me, and now I'll pitch my own DCLA characters.

Isadora is a recently turned 17 year old who loves theater and is in a local theater group for teenagers. She also likes to swim, but more does so in her free time. Theater is her main interest. During the year, she experiences things she didn't expect and learns a bit more about herself.

Carmen is Isadora's older twin sister and is very into swimming and competes in a swim team. She also likes to sing on her free time. Carmen and Isadora were closer as kids, but recently they've grown apart. Will the sisters get closer again or will they only grow more apart?

Juni is the little brother of Isadora and Carmen. He is 11 and hates how his sisters treat him like he's half his age. They don't seem to accept that he's growing up. But, he also likes to mess with them and often gets what he wants by using his "cute little brother" charm on them.

Carolina is 16 at the start (but turns 17 in just a month or two) and is Isadora's best friend. She's into stage tech and is kind of unpredictable. You never know what she's gonna do. People who does not know her thinks she's very weird and kind of annoying, but when you get to know her, she's got this depth you don't see at first. She also dyes her hair like every month just because.

David is an 18 year old boy who has a great singing voice and often wants the theater group to put up a musical. Even when they do drama or plays, he tries to get some music in there. He may be in love with Isadora or Carmen, but they aren't sure who. It's not like he can't tell them apart, as they aren't identical twins, but he seems to just... have a thing for both of them.

Carlos is a 17 year old swimmer boy who's just this fun guy. He and David often sing together at karaoke nights, and are thinking of starting a band together. They just need the perfect third member...

Jessica is an 18 year old girl who seems to be everywhere. At school, at the theater, at the pool, in the swimming center changing rooms, at the karaoke bar, EVERYWHERE. She always gets on Isadora's nerves and Isadora doesn't want anything to do with her. Why is she here? What does she want? What is going on?!

Daria is a quirky girl who always talks about her horses. Always "sorry I was late, I was out riding", "I gotta go, I need to get to the stable", "So this this reminds me when I was out with my horse..." If she is a theater girl or in the swim team, or just exist, I have yet to come up with. But she is the local horse girl because that is very much needed.

Javier is 19, just graduated high school and wants to be an influencer. He tries to record everything in hopes of getting popular. He records play rehearsals, swimming competitions, heck he'll even record people in the changing rooms having private conversations (he got in huge trouble for that...)

Petra is 16 and is on Carmen's swim team. She is very competitive and has something against Isadora. She just always tells Carmen to ditch her or tell her that Isadora is bad for her and she should just stop associating with her, and Carmen is like "she's my sister, we live in the same house-". Petra also very anti-boys. Just hates them for breathing basically.

Camilo is 17 and is described as "an artistic soul". He speaks in a theater monologue voice. He also looks like he's stoned all the time.

Julia has just turned 16, and is a very shy girl. She mostly does stage tech, but she writes the most awesome scripts, so awesome they put up one of her scripts as a play. She is good friends with Daria.

And that's all I could came up with, there's probably more characters (especially like, swim coaches and some adult/s leading the theater club), many of these just came out of the blue, as I've both pitched a swimming dcla show and a theater kid dcla show.

[lokischocolatefountain]

Imagine being this man. He’s lost so many people in the battle against Escobar. We saw how the thing with Helena affected him and she was just one of the many. They were all told that the war against drugs is the big noble cause and they’d come out of it having saved so many lives.

He sold his soul to the devil, stuck it out even though he knew this job was changing him for the worse beyond a point of return. And then Stechner has the fucking audacity to say that the Escobar thing wasn’t a war but only a battle and it didn’t matter. That this new one he’s signed up for— to redeem himself, to do things right and cause less harm— doesn’t matter. When he resigns, the DEA tells him they’ll “make this bullshit resignation go away” because there’s an upcoming battle and this is the one that really matters actually because “what’s a man like you going to do?” And all the while he’s this man because of the things he’s done. He’s had no stable personal life, he hasn’t been helping out his aging father, all his friends are people he knows through the drug world. Steve did his time and he’s back in Miami. He has a partner and a daughter. A life outside work.

Don Berna compares his life to Javi’s. Says he’s a family man but Javi’s still living out of a suitcase. And sure Berna is full of shit, but it does make me feel for Javi. This is the price he’s paying by being so deep in what’s supposed to be good, essential work to make the world a better place.

But for the men on top, the one pulling the strings, this is fucking fundraising. As he goes from agent to boss of the agents, he gets a closer look at the bureaucracy of it all. The theater that Stechner puts up to convince senators to give more funding. While he and his agents and all the other good men and women risk their fucking lives to get the job done, all that matters to the powerful few orchestrating this is money and optics.

He’ll leave and the next agent will be drafted in, told they’re fighting the most important war. They’ll get chewed up and spat out both by the government they work for and the forces they fight against. Javier will stand in his backyard and have a clear view of the drug trade continuing. More kids doing the work because there aren’t any better economic opportunities.

It’ll never be over.

[mercysimming]

where they are now, 5 / 6

and now to the relatively normal side of the Banks family.

transcript & author's note below the cut.

transcript :

The Banks Home. Prescott Square, Copperdale. Moodlet: Happy +5. Good In-Laws. From spending time with Jacklyn. Candy never expected to wind up with such a good mother-in-law! Spending time with her makes Candy feel lucky to have married into such a loving family... despite their quirks. Spend time with Grandma. Nightmare! Avery had a bleak nightmare about achieving everything she ever wanted in life. Good thing that'll never happen! Internet searches: "fuck fuck f," "should i go to uni," "gpa needed for britechester," "how to form a band," and "poison ivy x reader."

author's note : this update has been separated into 2 parts, but is mostly focused on the kids rather than mikhail and candy, as we'll be immediately catching up with them in the first scene of chapter 2.

obviously there's a strong bias in focusing on avery here, as one of the two overarching plots of chapter 2 will be focused on her. however, let's discuss all the kids.

julien is now the captain of the football team and at the top of the senior class at copperdale high. while he and avery used to be bound at the hips, they aren't exactly getting along anymore. he is still dating javier, one of his classmates, and they are very happy together. overall, julien is popular, sporty, smart, and under way too much pressure to maintain it all.

avery herself is a straight-A student—one who is now desperately struggling to maintain those grades. focusing on her work is difficult, and she's feeling the stress of her impending future. she is a member of the school theater and excels there. she only has a couple of friends at school and struggles to fit in.

cameron (not shown in this post), the youngest of the bunch, is still in elementary school with middle school coming up fast. he has a smart mouth, but he's a fun-loving kid who idolizes avery much in the same way avery idolized (idolizes?) julien. right now, all he cares about is having a good time.

grandmother jacklyn, of course, materializes onto any family lot i play every single time shows up frequently and is very involved in her family. she and caleb regularly helped out with the grandkids when they were young, so the family is very tight-knit. if you're new to this story and are confused as to why she looks so young for a grandmother:

[oc-musings]

carlos isn’t one i have heard abt what’s his DEAL

OKAY SO

Carlos is in the Uncharted universe I have with my friend @hanalwayssolo. And I'm tagging her because I created Carlos to actually be the younger brother of her oc Javier. He's not actually a treasure hunter, neither of the Bernal boys are. They're in a cartel LOL

But he's Leti's best friend/childhood sweetheart/first love/soulmate LMAO

Carlos's and Javi's dad was a cartel kingpin and Javi took over the business and Carlos ended following his lead.

Their mom was into theater, and Carlos was always with mom when she was around so he developed an interest inncostume design. This is important! BECAUSE!

He designed Leti's prom dress and flew all the way to the US from the UK to surprise her with it and also to be her prom date.

Basically everyone who knows both Leti and Carlos and had the opportunity to watch them meet when they were kids and then watch them grow together knew Leti and Carlos were in love long before they ever realized the other loved them.

Carlos being created literally torpedoed my Rafe and Leti ship LOL

[denimbex1986]

'The box office domination of both Barbie and Oppenheimer set up the future success for one highly-anticipated blockbuster. The cultural phenomenon that was Barbenheimer took the summer box office by storm after the pair of celebrated movies both released on the same day, July 21, 2023. The impact of Barbenheimer was even felt outside of the box office success alone, inspiring hundreds of internet memes and costume choices that had many people excited to go back to the movies for the first time in years. With Barbenheimer, going to the movies became a priority for millions in a day and age that has gotten incredibly used to the convenience of streaming platforms and video-on-demand services...

The 2023 box office at large was full of underwhelming movie premieres for most of the spring into the summer despite an abundance of returns for major franchises such as Fast & Furious and Indiana Jones. Both Barbie and Oppenheimer changed that, becoming the first and third highest-grossing movies of the year, respectively, laying an inspired foundation for another forthcoming blockbuster.

Barbenheimer's Success Was Great For Dune 2

Dune: Part Two is arguably the next big cinematic movie event release even though it was pushed back from its original release date...

In a way, the prolonged wait for Dune: Part Two enhances its appeal and allows for time to separate it from the Barbenheimer phenomenon and give it an opportunity to similarly become a year-defining movie event. The incredible dual success of Barbie and Oppenheimer, which have combined for more than $2.3 billion at the global box office, provides an excellent foundation from which Dune 2 can easily build on with its magnanimous status, celebrated story, and IMAX appeal. Most crucially, Barbie and Oppenheimer proved that going to the movies was not an act of the past and demonstrated that the theatrical experience is still very much a part of the modern entertainment zeitgeist.

Dune 2 Is The Perfect Middle Ground Between Barbie & Oppenheimer

Dune: Part Two offers similar merits to both Barbie and Oppenheimer in various ways. While Dune 2 is not expected to be nearly as kid-friendly as Barbie, nor as niche and severe as Oppenheimer, it will likely be able to find common ground and accessibility between both of those established audiences. Much like Barbie, Dune: Part Two has a lot to offer in its outstanding and versatile ensemble cast of Timotheé Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Javier Bardem, Austin Butler, Florence Pugh, Stellan Skarsgård, Josh Brolin, Christopher Walken, and Zendaya. In the same vein as Oppenheimer, Dune: Part Two will be likely full of intense drama and excellent storytelling with similar themes and dark undertones.

Oppenheimer's IMAX Run Is Also Encouraging For Dune 2

Oppenheimer had an accomplished run in IMAX theaters which still continues in select theaters to this day. Because of the massive scale of Dune: Part Two, which will inevitably feature powerful war and action sequences, the film will also be a great spectacle to witness on the largest screen available in most major theaters...

The film will likely still get IMAX exclusivity despite being delayed several months, particularly because it has been filmed especially for that format. Oppenheimer's extended IMAX run, as well as Barbie's recent IMAX stint, are both great indications for the IMAX success of Dune: Part Two. With all this in mind, Barbenheimer effectively paved the way for Dune: Part Two to become its own cultural phenomenon in 2024, especially considering the breadth of talent behind the project headed by Denis Villeneuve.'

[baileye]

By day, ES is an airy shop that caters to the evolving community of southeastern Crown Heights. It's stocked with ice pops located above rows of organic frozen meals, shelves of canned ravioli and Mrs. Meyer’s cleaning products. There are all the expected New York fixings: a deli counter, an ATM, a friendly resident cat named Benito. It’s no supermarket in California, but it is eerily well-equipped for Joan of Arc. The second aisle is wide enough to accommodate two rows of folding chairs, and there’s a security camera—an object referenced multiple times in the play—smack in the middle of its ceiling.

Mader found the location this spring. A resident of Park Slope, she decided to go for a run one day and ask every grocery store she came across if they would accommodate her and her minuscule budget. ES was her eleventh stop, and the manager, Javier Rodriguez, happens to be an eager ally to local artists.

Rodriguez has been at ES since the store opened nine years ago, and he makes a point to support people in the neighborhood. His father, a hard-working immigrant from the Dominican Republic, liked to remind his seven kids that they should remember where they came from and never hesitate to give back. He runs a summer program to help train local children for the workforce and donates products to schools.

“Anything to do with the community, I like to help out,” Rodriguez tells Time Out. In addition to Joan of Arc, the space has hosted film projects and music videos.

“He is such a beam of light,” Mader says of Rodriguez. “I love him. I got him a mug that says ‘World’s Best Producer.’”