#percys mens circuit

[ohshy]

The challengers for my womens circuit and mens circuit respectively !!! Meet Cassidy Cornfield, the cornfield crusher under Little Mac’s training and Poppy Ollie, the Kaiser’s academy graduate !!!

More info ab them below the cut;

Name: Cassidy Cornfield Real name: Cassidy ‘“Cassie’’ C. Campbell Pronouns: She/They Age: 18 Ethnicity: Irish/Cherokee Weight: 90 lbs Height: 5’2 ft Rank: Depends on how well you play >:) Record: Refer to ‘’Rank’’ From: Farley, Iowa, USA

Bio: A huge conspiracy nut that believes she was put on this planet by the aliens to box. Or maybe they just had a very vivid dream when gauging down one too many corn cobs! Speaking of corn, she WILL talk your ear off about all the supposed ‘’proof’’ she has of alien existence, like the crop circles that show up frequently around her hometown. That being said, she IS determined to prove herself for her alien overlords, so prepare for a challenge!

Trivia: Unlike Little Mac, she had to wait a year to get her boxing license for her 18th birthday. She simply doesn't look old for her age 😔 Speaking of Mac, he is her trainer as well! Many years into the future, he adopted her, and when she showed a knack for boxing, decided to take her under her wing as his protégé. In a hypothetical Punch-out!! game, she takes on the role of challenger.

Gimmick: When charged with enough punching power, she can unleash a painful series of punches known as the ‘’Glass corn combo’’

_

Name: Poppy Ollie Real name: Oliver Blumenthal Pronouns: He/him Age: 18 Ethnicity: British/German Weight: 120 lbs Height: 5’5 Rank: Depends on how well you play >:) Record: Refer to “Rank” From: Manchester, England

Bio: this 18 year old graduate from Kaiser ‘s academy is ready for battle ! Naming himself after poppy flowers to honor his trainer Von Kaiser, he’s sure he will crush the competition in the men's circuit ! Despite the hardships he's faced and the long hard road of becoming the boxing champ, he is a bubbly young man with a lot of confidence in himself, in no part thank to his dad's n Kaiser's tremendous support. Prepare for a challenge !

Trivia:

Aside from boxing, likes soccer (manchester united supporter).

Does soccer chants before starting a match.

Speaks both English and German.

Like Cassidy, takes on the role of challenger.

More lore: He was born in Manchester, England to a British mom and a German dad. Unfortunately, his mom died suddenly when he was just 8 years old. As a result, his dad moved back to his native Berlin, Germany. Because of her death, Ollie, once a bubbly young child, becomes reclusive and insecure. His dad, vowing to boost his confidence, sends him to a boxing school, so he can keep his mind occupied, as well as “become a real man”. He ends up rly liking it, as well as having a true knack for boxing. Kaiser takes pity on the kid, for they both lost their moms at a young age. Additionally, he doesn’t like playing favorites, but he has to admit that Ollie is a bit of a favorite of his due to his dedication to the craft. This eventually leads to him becoming Ollie’s trainer.

Gimmick: Like Kaiser, he has a powerful signature move, which Ollie called the "Poppy Punch". When he's charged up enough, it can take down an opponent in one hit. But watch out, as in Title Defense the opponents can counter it, and take HIM down in one hit instead !

[lycaon-guerrero]

Oh my God it's finally happening! War is over!

I beg you pardon

[rei-ismyname]

New X-FORCE #1 is FIRE 🔥🔥🔥

Keeping it spoiler free for now, but if the book stays good I'll write on it regularly. Issue one was excellent! Really really cool. Forge and Sage were two of my favourite characters from the Krakoan era - they got a lot of page time and solid development but they were always supporting players. That dynamic is flipped here, as well as the attitude to war crimes and the mission statement, it seems. Percy's X-FORCE this is not. As Forge is the leader (assumption based on his narrative prominence and driving the plot) expect wondrous machines and ingenious upgrades to current tech. It looks like the solicited character of Tank is named quite literally - not a mutant at all but the non-biological equivalent of calling in heavy support. That's the impression I get from #1, though they could be a person in a suit or who knows? That's the beauty of having Forge around his limits are undefined and there's hints of his gift getting a serious level up at a cost. He did jack shit in Heir of Apocalypse except get a confusing compliment from Big Blue, it's nice to put that travesty behind us and see what the man can do.

When I think about Sage and Forge's mutant gifts and what they're capable of, especially when working together, I can't help but get excited for a book where the promise is exploring that potential in service of saving the world. Add Askani to that and it feels like miracles are in the future, or at least some Krakoa-style mutant circuits with Technopathy, Computer Brain, Chronokinesis, Chronoskimming, Telekinesis, Telepathy, and whatever machines Forge has on hand. Marvel's new(ish) power couple of Rachel and Betsy are the big guns, but everyone goes into the field. I love both characters and enjoy them even more as a couple but I get the feeling they're coming out of a long honeymoon phase. It'll be exciting to see what drama is born of their different values, experiences and motivations.

The other From The Ashes teams have been in Krakoa's long shadow, and the shadow of X-FORCE is longer than most. I'm not sure if they're trying to redeem the name or what, because the name of the brand isn't good for much except perhaps intimidating people. It's spent the last few years in-universe as Krakoa's CIA, complete with a LOT of assassinations, toppling regimes, a cheeky genocide, torture, mind controlling people, running a black site prison where people were held without charge or even having done anything wrong (by Krakoa - a foreign nation to all of them,) surveiling their own people, and so much more. Before that it was more decentralised black ops - preemptive strikes, often lethal, on enemies of mutantkind. It is discussed in the issue, but very briefly and not explained. It doesn't seem to be Forge's primary motivation, but he built a lot of the weaponry and gadgets X-FORCE used so he may be seeking some personal redemption as well. Any degree of complicity in War Crimes is too much for most, especially someone who's as altruistic as Forge. He has his own military history, having been drafted for Vietnam at a young age and working as a military contractor until fairly recently. The 'worst thing he ever made' was a gun that depowers mutants. It was originally built to take down Rogue but ended up hitting Storm instead (see Lifedeath 1 & 2 from Uncanny X-Men.) She's clearly on his mind at the start of the issue so it's a valid read IMO. More recently it's been reproduced by an old coworker with a photographic memory - enslaved by a mutant hate group and then memory wiped once freed. He willingly gave/traded it to Emma Frost in Inferno, who then gave it to Mystique and Destiny to depower Moira. Whether it's all of that or none of it, Forge is certainly the loss of Krakoa like everyone else.

Betsy Braddock has the most X-FORCE experience of anyone on the team, though her membership has generally coincided with times of self loathing and unhealthy codependent relationships. New Betsy, new body, new title - I'm hoping she can keep it together and be happy. It's certainly a healthier team to be on at first glance, but it feels like she only joined bc Rachel did. Less/no murder should help, but we can hope this isn't another phase like that. Bets has had a tough few decades and she deserves some happiness. It definitely feels like her participation is highly conditional, though all the characters have been the conscience of a team before - so if there's moral decay we can expect a very good reason for it. I don't think it's That Kind of Book, though.

A good first issue is often a mission statement and a taste of things to come, and X-FORCE #1 knocks it out of the park, answering every question you could want from the solicits while posing many new ones and hooking the reader. It hits the ground running and doesn't stop until the last page, expertly showing us where everyone is mentally and establishing a team dynamic with promise. I predict internal compromise and growth while they're running from problem to problem. The central mystery especially is fascinating, and something is going on with Forge. We're given hints, but it's been content to show not tell and take its time with information.

It's very clear that the fall of Krakoa affected everyone and made the world a far more dangerous place for mutants. A certain disrespect for borders and governments is necessary, an asset, and a lurking danger - even for a team whose goals are above all that. I heavily recommend it!

Also Forge has a holodeck! It's no danger room but it's super cool that he built it himself. See what I mean that something is going on with him?

[monsieuroverlord]

January Solicits are posted!

source here

We're seeing the launch of the next phase of Krakoa/X-Men Era, including the Resurrection of Magneto, Rise of the Powers of X, Fall of the House of X, Dead X-Men (featuring the elected X-Men Team from the last Hellfire Gala) and Wolverine's Sabretooth War!

Also, Marvel Meow is making its print debut!

Wolverine #41 written by Ben Percy and Victor LaValle, art by Cory Smith and Geoff Shaw, main cover by Leinil Francis Yu.

Get ready for the showdown to end all showdowns – WOLVERINE VS. SABRETOOTH!

"It’s been years since these heavy hitters have crossed paths in the Marvel Universe, but as Krakoa falls, so rises SABRETOOTH – and he’s out for revenge! They threw VICTOR CREED in the PIT, but he’s free and, wielding an army of Sabretooths, will prove once and for all why he is LOGAN’s ultimate nemesis. Co-written by literary powerhouses Benjamin Percy (WOLVERINE, GHOST RIDER) and Victor LaValle (The Changeling, SABRETOOTH) and drawn by artistic dynamos Cory Smith (CONAN, GHOST RIDER) and Geoff Shaw (WEAPONS OF VENGEANCE, WOLVERINE: PATCH), don’t miss the inaugural issue in this multi-shipping saga leading up to the landmark issue #50!"

Marvel Meow #1

Writing and art by Nao Fuji, Variant cover by Chrissie Zullo

"MARVEL MEOW MAKES ITS PAWESOME PRINT DEBUT!

Marvel’s most fearsome – and furriest – heroes are here to save the day and beg for treats in the process! Follow Chewie, Liho, Alpine and the rest of the Avengers’ feline friends as they cause a few cat-tastrophes…and maybe vanquish some villains in the process! Whether it’s crashing Captain Marvel’s apartment or defeating Doc Ock, you can always count on these cats for some cute chaos! Collecting the hit Infinity Comic series from Marvel Unlimited and featuring a brand-new cover and exclusive new story!"

Resurrection of Magneto

written by Al Ewing, art by Luciano Vecchio, main cover by Stefano Caselli

"On Krakoa, resurrection from the dead was as easy as completing a circuit – but Krakoa fell. The time of easy miracles is over, and only the hard roads are left. Now it falls to Storm – as the epic conclusion to the Krakoan age looms – to bring their oldest enemy home to fight against the FALL OF THE HOUSE OF X…but after all he did, and all that was done to him, can Magneto bear to return?"

Dead X-Men

Written by Steve Foxe, art by Vincenzo Carratu, Bernard Chang, and Jonas Scharf, main cover by Pepe Perez

"DEATH WAS ONLY THE BEGINNING!

When the world turned against Krakoa, these five mutants lost their lives…but their mission as X-Men is just getting started. To preserve Xavier’s dream, they must accomplish the impossible – or die again trying! Spinning out from RISE OF THE POWERS OF X, discover…who are the DEAD X-MEN?!"

Rise of the Powers of X

Written by Kieron Gillen, art and main cover by R. B. Silva

"THE FIGHT FOR KRAKOA HAS BEEN LOST!

Ten years ago, the mutants returned from their exile to try and reclaim the Earth from the forces of Orchis. They failed.  Now, within the victorious Orchis with their gauntlet choking the world, Nimrod and Omega Sentinel put their plan within a plan into action. They are to summon their binary god to consume everything in their accession. All that stands between them is the X-Men. What can they do? They’re the X-Men. They’ll find a way. That’s their power. So begins a story beyond time and space, with the rise of powers beyond our petty human intelligence. From writer Kieron Gillen (IMMORTAL X-MEN, UNCANNY X-MEN) and artist R.B. Silva (POWERS OF X, CAPTAIN AMERICA: SYMBOL OF TRUTH) comes half of the story that will bring the Krakoa Age to its conclusion!"

Fall of the House of X

Written by Gerry Duggan, art by Lucas Werneck, main cover by Pepe Larraz

"KRAKOA HAS JUST BEGUN TO FIGHT!

Mutantkind has never had a greater fall. From the highs of Krakoa – their own glorious nation, a place where they were safe and happy – to the lowest of lows. Outlawed, hunted, killed, most of their kind missing or dead, and now, one their greatest leaders, Cyclops, is on trial facing a death penalty. Ready or not, the time has come for the X-Men to make their final stand against the forces that have struck them low. The day is now. The place is here. The tale of the house Xavier built will long be told…and few will forget this darkest chapter. From writer Gerry Duggan (X-MEN, MARAUDERS, UNCANNY AVENGERS) and artist Lucas Werneck (IMMORTAL X-MEN, TRIAL OF MAGNETO) comes half of the story that will bring the Krakoa Age to its conclusion!"

[lboogie1906]

Jewell Jackson McCabe (August 2, 1945) is a feminist, business executive, and social and political activist. She was a leader of and spokesperson for the National Coalition of 100 Black Women’s movement in the early 1970s in New York City and throughout the US, as the founder of the organization which grew out of her New York City stewardship. She became the first woman in 84 years to be in serious contention for the presidency of the civil rights organization NAACP. NYTimes Opinion Page “Riders on the Storm” Published: October 15, 1995, NYTimes.com excerpt from NYTimes OpEd “The coalition of Black feminists led by Angela Davis and Jewell Jackson McCabe emphasized one of the many dangers inherent in this Million Man March. They labeled the march’s message that it is “time for men to step forward and women to step back” as an insult to 400 years of burden-sharing by Black men and women.”

She was born in DC. to Harold “Hal” B. Jackson and Julia [nee Hawkins] Jackson. Hal Jackson [broadcast pioneer] and his partner Percy E. Sutton [politician] started Inner City Broadcasting. Her older brother, Hal B. Jackson, Jr. was appointed a Milwaukee Circuit Court Judge in 1972, making him the first African American Judge in the state of Wisconsin.

President Bill Clinton appointed Her to the Holocaust Museum where she served as a member of the congressionally mandated Committee on Conscience. She was appointed by Governor Mario Cuomo to the New York State Council on Fiscal and Economic Priorities. Under Governor Cuomo, she served as chair of the NY State Jobs Training Partnership Council with an annual budget of over $250 million for training. She married Frederick E. Ward (1964-75). She married Eugene L. McCabe (1975-84). #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence #alphakappaalpha

[luna-writes-stuff]

how would Percy react if his S/O was saving him while themselves putting in danger ? Please ?

Don’t do it again, Percy Jackson

Headcanons, gender neutral pronouns

Tw: blood, injuries, being held under knife point, night robbery, small angst, big fluff, descriptions of knife violence, Percy being panicked, Percy freaking out, one use of Y/N, I’m sorry.

- Everything had started out simple: you were sent to retrieve a simple godly relic that shouldn’t even attract that much attention. And everything had gone according to plan; you and Percy gotten the stupid dagger and were ready to return to camp.

- And that is when you figured out that wandering the streets of New York at night was not a smart idea. A man suddenly jumped up from behind a container, holding his pocket knife in Percy’s direction.

- And then panic settled in. You had fought monsters. Hell, you even fought a god, yet men never once failed to scare you. Percy knew as well as you that fighting back wouldn’t be an option.

- But the difference between you and Percy was that Percy just wanted you to be safe and was willing to cooperate with the man. You weren’t.

- So as Percy dug into his pockets to get his phone Leo had so kindly made for him, you shoved him to the side, holding out your own dagger. Perhaps it wouldn’t work on normal people, but you were willing to test that theory.

- “Y/N, don’t.” Percy tried, but you ignored him, glaring daggers at the man.

- “Drop the knife.” You threatened. Instead, the man just smiled at you, twisting his knife in his hands.

- “Little kid, you should listen to your boyfriend.” Your only response was a frown towards him, your hands following his movements.

- “Not the knife.” Percy tried again, yet this time, you did comment, but not in a verbal way. You dropped the knife and the man chuckled in victory.

- Victory that was short-lived. You quickly grabbed the arm of the man, twisting it behind his back, causing him to groan out in pain and drop his own weapon. Your knee quickly located with his crotch, letting him drop to the floor.

- When he remained laying there for a few seconds, you turned back to Percy, nudging your head towards the exit of the alley in a questioning manner.

- But in Percy’s head all there was, was panic. The man had risen from behind you but he couldn’t find the words to alarm you. His head just short-circuited, only being able to point to him.

- Your head snapped around, but the man had already started advancing, his knife back in his hand. You tried to take a step back, but he was quicker, causing his knife to impact on your arm. Not in a stabbing way, but more of a slice. Yet, it was enough to make your focus fade.

- Before you could even prepare yourself for the next hit, Percy had pushed himself between you and your attacker, delivering a sharp blow to his head before he finally collapsed.

- After checking if he was truly out this time, Percy turned back to you.

- “Are you okay?” He asked, gently holding your arm, lifting the fabric of your sleeves to see the damage. Upon noticing it hadn’t been a deep cut, he let out a sharp sigh of relief.

- “Don’t you ever do that again, you hear me?” He questioned, lifting the sleeve back down and kissing your hand quickly, ensuring you he wasn’t angry.

- “Once we get back to camp we’re getting that checked out.” He informed you, picking up your knife and stuffing it in his bag.

- “It’s not that bad.” You reassured. Percy showed a tiny smile in response and grabbed your hand, leading the way around the streets.

- “I know,” he answered truthfully, “but we don’t want it to get infected or let you walk around in that shirt until the blood has dried. Besides, I’m sure Will wouldn’t mind.”

- And, true to his word, when arriving back at camp, he first focused on bandaging up your arm before even bothering to retrieve the godly dagger. You had been a bit more important than selfish celestials.

- Even though it had only been a cut, not even needing stitches, Percy remained by your side the entire time, as if you hadn’t gotten injured many times before. He couldn’t care less.

- In a way, he had been flattered that you would sacrifice your own life in order to save his, yet he did not want to see you do it a second time.

- All he ever wanted was for you to be okay, but knowing you were willing to risk your soul for his made him antsy. It was a thought that would keep him awake for weeks, but he knew it was done out of love.

- He would still tell you off, though, but it’s done out of his best interest for you, so it’s okay.

[pxmun]

It was a face off, Diesel 10 against the Trainyard Trio and their engines.  “You’ve been nothing but a bully Diesel 10, it’s about high time that someone put you in a time out.” Darius said sternly. “If you are so unwilling to get over your hatred of steamies, then maybe you don’t belong on the North Western Railway.” Romeo added. “No matter how far technology advances the railway, engines from any period in time will always find a home on Sodor”! Cleo stated. With that the siblings blew into their whistles in unison, with a big huff and a mighty puff, steam flew out of each of the three steam engines funnels and gathered together into a huge steam cloud. It roared above Diesel 10 who feared of being struck by lightning and his mechanical parts short circuiting. Instead, though it began to rain. Immediately Diesel 10 noticed that the whatever was falling from the magical cloud wasn’t water. It smelt sweet and felt sticky as it rained down on him. “Syrup”? Diesel 10 asked in confusion. “Indeed, the syrup should prevent you and Pinchy there from causing any more trouble.” Scotsman said. “You’ll be stuck to the track until Sir Topham Hatt can figure out what to do with you.” Gordon added. “And that will be quiet the sticky situation.” Thomas finished. Diesel 10 was enraged. “You steamies and your brats might’ve won the battle, but you haven’t won the war yet scrap piles! I’ll be back”! Diesel 10 threatened. The group however just ignored the diesel and left to check in on their friends. When they returned, the group was greeted with happy whistles and toots from the other engines. To the team’s surprise Lady was among the crowd, she approached them. “I think I can speak for all of us when I say we can’t begin to thank all of you for saving us from Diesel 10.” Lady said. “Think nothing of it Lady. We couldn’t just sit by and allow Diesel 10 to harm our friends.” Romeo said. “Three cheers for our friends”! Shouted Percy. All the engines applauded the group of heroes. Soon they were in the midst of a party, Romeo and Cleo were having a wonderful time. Cleo was playing a game with Thomas, Dowager Hatt, Percy, and Edward while Romeo, Patty, and Victor were working together to fix Gordon’s damaged tender. Darius was just chilling out against the wall, watching Scotsman tell Spencer and a few other Mainland engines about his adventure. Lady had rolled up on the track closest to the young adult. “You’re not joining the party”? She asked. “Nah, I’m not much of a party goer.” Darius responded. The two watched as the Earl joined in on the game Cleo and the others were playing. From what Darius could see the game was pin the tail on the donkey, the humans would blind fold themselves and take instructions from whichever engine’s turn it was. The Earl was going on behalf of Percy, the little green engine was being cheeky by having the Earl go the wrong way and he ended up placing the tail on the back of Sir Topham Hatt’s hat.  Both men were surprised by what had just happened but ended up laughing over Percy’s prank.  Darius couldn’t help but smile as he watched his little sister play and talk with others, back home Cleo would usually keep to herself and would hardly ever interact with her classmates at school. Darius soon turned to Lady. “Why did you bring us to Sodor”? He asked. Lady knew that this question would’ve been asked sooner or later, yet she still felt unprepared. “I thought you and your siblings came to Shining Time Station to help Sodor.  At first, I thought Mr. Conductor had summoned me to pick you three up and bring all of you to our realm, but later I discovered that he is no longer at Shining Time.” Lady tried to explain. “So, let me get this straight, this Mr. Conductor or whoever is supposed to find people who can help Sodor, and have you come over into our world to bring those helpers to Sodor, but it turns out that this Mr. Conductor is no longer at Shining Time Station.” Darius repeated. “Yes.” Lady replied. Darius had a worried look. “If it wasn’t Mr. Conductor who called you over to our world to take us, then who was it”? Darius asked.

[donttouchtheneednoggle]

My interpretation of the relationships in canon

Inspired by this spectacular post from the queen of meta herself @camelotsheart 💕💕💕

Warning this is incoherent and I got very carried away

Okie dokie so

Pre canon

Gwen’s only ever liked girls at this point and has gone through several crushes (which Elyan used to tease her about a lot and in return she teased him about the pretty boys and Leon stood there like. Wut) including the Lady Morgana (you know how Gwen’s 'type’ is someone who resembles Merlin? Yeah) but she’s never gonna say anything because Morgana’s still a Pendragon and therefore a mess and Gwen would never get involved with that crazy familyhdshhjfjfkbgjgbjgn

Ahem

Merlin’s never liked anyone like that (he’s aspec)

Arthur’s decided he likes girls because that’s what princes do

Morgana is obviously a lesbian and also has it bad for Gwen (one of the only plausible explanations as to why she ends up hating her so much)

Season 1

Gwen sees this feral gremlin fight the prince and is like I Must Befriend Him and so she meets him and then is like wait he’s pretty and lovely and funny hnnnggnhh what is this

Merlin meets Gwen and is like wait she’s pretty and lovely and funny hnnnggnhh what is this

Gwen gets very emotional in 1x04 and kisses him spontaneously and both their brains short circuit like what the FUCK just happened so they just. Never mention it because Merlin’s very confused and Gwen can’t work out if she likes men too or not. It’s a bit of a grey area (ofc Merlin’s not actually a man which might be why)

Then she meets Lancelot and is like OK SO I LIKE GUYS TOO

Merlin proper falls for Lance and is like huh this is a thing and they end up drunkenly making out and he doesn’t freak out quite as much this time

Arthur gets sent into full bisexual crisis mode OH MY GOD I LIKE MEN which goes on for literal years until he learns his wife is the same and its ok

Lance is so gone for all three of them

Merlin and Gwen literally never have a single conversation about their feelings because they’re awkward dumbasses

(I think it would’ve been different had Lancelot stayed I'm not saying read my fic but read my fic)

Merlin realises his feelings

(When I say feelings I don’t think they’re traditionally romantic like he actually wants to be with him he just cares very very much for him and it might have something to do with him beginning to base his whole worth on him but I digress)

for Arthur in 1x09 crap is it 1x09? I mean Excalibur with the help of Gwen and her knowing looks. This is also when Gwen gives up on crushing on Merlin don't ask me I’m aroace is that how that works because he's never gonna look at her like that

Like a week later she starts crushing on Arthur and is incredibly put out by the fact that Gwen 'who'd want to marry Arthur' Smith and Merlin 'not me' Emrys are so gone for this asshole

Arthur becomes aware of Gwen in 1x10 when she starts calling him out (funny that) and starts thinking hm

Season 2

Gwen continues to be pissed off at her feelings until halfway through 2x02 when she realises this Arthur bloke isn’t completely terrible (which he set about proving)

Arthur meanwhile is like OK SO I LIKE GIRLS TOO

And the rest, as they say, is canon

2x04 is kind of a ‘you get captured and your bi awakening who you thought you’d never see again rescues you and he likes you and you like him and he’s about to die for you so what do you do but kiss him’ type situation for Gwen

(Her feelings do fade over the intervening years. Sometimes you say stuff you don’t mean idk)

Merlin immediately feels very strongly for Freya and decides to run away with her basically immediately because he’s never met anyone like him before and it’s an incredibly powerful moment and he’s literally willing to give up everything to be with her

And then... well yeah

Season 3

Percy and Lance meet and it’s like hot guy! Shared trauma! All the other has! You know where this is going- except no because Percy quickly learns sweet holy fuck this is the angstiest guy in Albion he's not even the one whose family died two months ago and he NEVER shuts the fuck up about the same three people who he hasn't seen for like two years he really shouldn't be this gone on them also he exchanges letters with one of them and NEVER stops smiling when he’s reading them- so they remain friends and all cuddling sessions (and there are a lot) are strictly platonic

Gwaine shows up in Camelot and crushes on Gwen and FALLS for Merlin

Merlin feels the same because Gwaine’s so easy to be around and talk to but doesn’t make a move because in his experience everyone he cares about like that leaves at best and also Gwaine doesn’t know who he really is and it might not be safe for him to know

Then Gwaine leaves for myriad stupid reasons

And leaves again

Then when Merlin goes to find him he has to leave again and this time he even confesses his love! In a way and Merlin feels he can’t properly confess back because of myriad stupid reasons

In 3x12 Elyan and Gwaine become friends in about two seconds flat. When they're going to check out the dungeons Gwaine makes Elyan jump to try and cheer him up cos he seems kinda bummed and Elyan deadass nearly kills him and they’re inseparable from that point on

Everyone hiding in the cave with these little bastards hate them because they get into frequent brawls and talk loudly about all their (illegal) adventures to pretend they don’t feel left out of things

3x13 basically goes like this

The little bastards take one look at Percy and are like hot guy who everyone is ignoring! You’re in our gang now and Percy’s like all right guess this is my life now I'm not saying go read my fic but-

Basically Merlin gets the one person who actually knows him back and a promise that he's never going to leave again (ouch) and that's that, no one else is ever going to come close to that

Season 4

Merlin and Lancelot got together pretty quickly as their correspondence had been going that way anyway and they live together that whole wonderful year and would've been very happy forever except...

Well yeah

(Lancelot never got over Gwen or Arthur either. I don’t actually think he knows how to do that??)

Percy and Elyan get together after 4x10 near death experiences are conducive to romance have you seen Sword in the Stone they are SO dating so now poor Gwaine is pining AND third wheeling

Merlin and Gwaine hook up night of Arthur and Gwen’s wedding for completely unrelated reasons and kind of get together except Merlin’s in kind of a really bad place after losing Lancelot and between them they’re pining for like four people so they end up ending it because it’s just kind of terrible (which GODDAMNIT IT SHOULD’VE BEEN THEM!!!!!! But alas this is canon not should’ve been-on)

After whatever’s a suitable length of time to get over someone but not actually Gwaine starts dating Percy and Elyan and it actually works

And for a long time everything’s great and balanced and it’s the closest thing to the golden age as they ever get except as usual that balance relies on Merlin sacrificing everything he is and losing himself in the process

Season 5

Elyan’s death of course wrecks everything and things are really difficult between Gwaine and Percival, and Gwaine having lost one of his best friends becomes gradually disillusioned with the whole knight thing and also self worth thing and ends up returning to the whole reason he ever came here – Merlin – and is like right guess I’m living for that now

Cue even more pining

Eventually Gwaine can’t stand the grief and longing and distance and apparently unrequited but not actually unrequited love (it’s not that Merlin doesn’t love him it’s just that he can’t afford to) anymore and gets himself assigned to that garrison away from Percy and Merlin because god forbid he learns to communicate properly

Where he gets together with Eira who’s really easy to be with and makes him feel better, which of course was the whole idea he just walked right into Morgana’s trap

And after that whole debacle Percy’s still there for him, because god forbid Percy be anything but unflinchingly loyal and caring

And then… well yeah

Arthur comes to terms with the approximation of feelings he has for Merlin

(I’m saying approximation because I just can’t see Arthur seeing Merlin as an actual separate person past mid s1, he’s more a punch bag and unlimited emotional labour do-er and I don’t think you can truly be in love with someone who you just see as an extension of yourself, but I digress)

Sometime between ‘where have you been’ and that scene where they’re sitting on the log you know the one? You know the one

And yes he’s still just as in love with Gwen as ever until his dying breath and beyond. This doesn’t change that.

Post canon

Gwen platonically marries her beloved aroace oldest friend Leon who is very happy with the situation so she can get the council off her back and grieve properly and eventually starts a thing with Mithian now I’m not saying ot3 with Merlin but I’m saying ot3 with Merlin

I’m not a fan of ‘everyone who can be paired up should be’, but if you want I think Percy and Elena would get along great. She wouldn’t treat him like a tragedy

And they all live happily ever after

Until Gwen and Percy die and Merlin and Leon are left to spend eternity with each other-

UNTIL the round table clamber out that goddamn lake in modern times and finally TALK and form the goddamn polycule like this

 that would’ve solved all this mess in the first place

THEN they live happily ever after for an appropriate amount of time that doesn’t leave anyone immortal and miserable

[noonmutter]

Mun Dash Game

Rules: Name your top 10 favorite characters from 10 different fandoms and then tag 10 people.

Editor’s note: These are in no ranked order or anything like that, they’re just ten favorites as I could think of them.

Bismuth - Steven Universe. You may notice a theme here; I like my characters complex, their motivations valid, their decisions misguided, and their actions questioned by everyone, often including themselves. I loved Bismuth’s entire concept and I’m sad that she hasn’t had more time front and center to develop beyond her introduction as both a plot device and as a catalyst for Steven’s advancement. Same story with Jasper, though she got a few more appearances. I want to see these people grow and for the people they hurt to grow with them, damn it. Even if that growth is downward into an even worse state, I want to see it because positive or negative, emotional fallout is awesome.

Demona - Gargoyles. There was going to be a Gargoyles character here and I am basically legally obligated to pick either Demona or Thailog because I am a sucker for great voices and tragic villains. Demona’s story wins out by a decent margin because her suffering was entirely borne of her own poor decisions, many of which she felt were right at the time. She just refused to accept that she was wrong or that she could try to make things better at any time, and I was fascinated by that from the first time I saw it. This shit was in a kids’ show that predates Steven Universe by 19 years.

Baby Doll - Batman: TAS. She only showed up once (in the original animation style, anyway) but good god damn did it count. She was angry, hurt, belittled, and so unbearably lonely that when everything fell apart and the dust settled and she couldn’t kill all her problems away, she just broke down. “Why couldn’t you just let me make believe?!” is still crystallized in my head, and it still gives me little pangs when I think of it. And at the end of it all, she sobbed “I didn’t mean to” as she hugged Batman’s leg. And he comforted her. Also in a kids’ show that predates Steven Universe by 21 years.

Scanlan Shorthalt - Critical Role, Campaign 1. I bet you thought after those first three it’d probably be Vax or Percy, but... Look, the character was fantastic and the player made him that way and frankly made that campaign. He’s my go-to for when I need a good cry, and he’s why I learned to build a bard. The same man who started the campaign by asking his bestie what the worst race/class combo was and saying “Okay I’ll play that,” at the end of the campaign made the word “Nine” hit his fellow players and viewers in the chest like a sledgehammer, and nobody has topped that since. His second campaign character, Nott, has also got one of the most poignant backstories I’ve heard in a while, and man will it twist yer gut. Meanwhile both of those characters provide some of the best goddamn comic relief you’re liable to find. Emmy Winner Sam Riegel, ladies and gentlemen.

Francis - Left 4 Dead. I love this grumpy asshole biker. I love that Steam took his “I hate everything” (except vests) schtick and ran with it. I love that the trailers for the second game included him and Rochelle meeting up and commiserating on their hatred of everything, up until Rochelle says she hates his vest and he short-circuits. I miss Francis and I miss playing Left 4 Dead all the time and I yearn for a remaster or rerelease that works better with current setups cuz the original one has uh... not aged well, technologically. Francis and Zoey made life worth livin’ in that game.

Jogurt - Shining Force. This is probably the most obscure one on my list but that’s because Shining Force is an old-ass Genesis game/franchise that is, I admit, pretty generic as far as the plot goes. I love it to pieces regardless because it had some fun with it, and the character designs were wierd and some of the interactions were downright silly. Jogurt was the easter egg secret character in this game, and he’s a little hamster thing with a football helmet on. At the time you get him, most of your fighters have stats in the 20s or potentially 30s and their level is 9, 10, or they’ve been promoted to a new class; every single one of his stats is one and he had not been promoted. If you are able to keep him alive long enough to get him the XP necessary to level up just once, which takes some doing since an enemy can be unarmed and as long as they don’t miss, they kill him, you’ll get a ring called the Yogurt Ring.

When worn, it makes a character look like Jogurt. In the remake for Game Boy Advance, the image for the character shows that it’s a costume with a huge visible zipper up the back. That’s all it does. That’s the joke. And I adore it.

Freddy Krueger - A Nightmare on Elm Street series. I have a love-hate relationship with Freddy. On the one hand, creativity in horror movies--especially in the kills--is something to be embraced, and no matter what else you think of them the Elm Street movies got real fuckin’ creative most of the time. On the other...there have been nine (official) movies with Krueger in them, and only the first three were good. The remake in 2010 was disappointing because it tried to both play to nostalgia and ignore it at the same time and also made Freddy darker, which made him less fun to watch.

Still, I enjoyed the hell outta Freddy’s concept, for much the same reason that I love Chucky the Good Guy Doll so much: they’re both snarky monsters who really enjoy the horrors they’re inflicting and they have incredible presence because of the actors who brought them to life. (Mark Hammill worked with what they gave him for Chucky but uh...what they gave him sucked).

Lorewalker Cho/Margeaux - World of Warcraft. The first, because he’s voiced by Jim Cummings and he’s a knowledge-hungry panda who Blizzard has not been stupid enough to kill off thus far. In the middle of an attack by what is basically Cthulhu, he wants to you bring him research notes on Cthulhu’s fishmen. I love him and I would commit war crimes for him.

The second, because she was a bit character that had me fully invested in her and her story within ten minutes. And then Blizzard ripped my fucking heart out. And I yelled at Questifer about it. Aaaaaaaa.

Granny Weatherwax/Sam Vimes - Discworld. They’re both staggering badasses who have neither time nor tolerance for the bullshit trappings of men, while at the same time harboring a deep and abiding love for their fellow beings. They also approach that from completely different ends. They are also both unquestionably the most noble characters I’ve ever read. They are the sum of their principles and their refusal to budge. Steve Rogers could learn from them. In D&D, they’d be paladins to their core, and they’d absolutely hate that.

Spawn - Image Comics. I have, admittedly, read exactly one Spawn comic book, and mostly love him because of his design, his backstory, and the fact that he’s voiced by Keith David in all animated iterations including video game appearances (and only the animated ones were ever good--the 90s movie was fucking horrible). I am hoping the rumored new movie will make things a bit better for the live-action version, but until that actually comes out, I’m not holding my breath.

Tagged by: @safrona-shadowsun and @ourcollectivefantasy

Tagging: Have you done it? Then you’re it.

[ohshy]

The one and only CLOG CRUSHER is finally here !!! He’s the minor circuit champion !!!

Watch out, he kicks :]

Transcript:

Matt Clog

Matthijs van Dijk

He/him

26 years old

7’0 ft

200 lbs

20-10 (20 KO)

Volendam, The Netherlands

Personality

Sociable, clumsy, sensitive, blunt, youthful, short-tempered, playful, loyal, eccentric stubborn, needy

Bio

Once a clog dancer, but he got kicked out for being too clumsy and constantly stepping on his partner’s feet. He took up boxing to let out his frustration, and ended up having a real knack for it. Don’t you insult his footwear, or you might be in for a harsher fight than you bargained for !

[maggotmouth]

          neon glare, cherries and peaches, comic book themetunes on a constant circuit. time never seems to pass in the stretch along the pier that houses arcades, casinos and karaoke bars. it reminds bridget of that scene in percy jackson -- the lair of the lotus eaters -- where fringe-jacket clad men from the sixties remain locked in a timeloop, eyes glued to a slot machine. “did you ever win on one of those things?” she asks, idling by the claw machine as she routes through a striped bag of pick n’ mix candy in search of a stray cola bottles. she’d picked them out first, left now with sherbert saucers, liquorice and gobstoppers. “i always think of the aliens in toy story when i see one. heard they’re rigged so that you can never actually win, they just take money in and give nothing back. like capitalism.” her on-brand political activism is perhaps ironic at this stage, and even bridget finds herself cracking a toothy grin as she passes the bag towards teddy. “would you waste fifty-cents trying to win me something? please. i want the ugliest toy you can find. then we can do the car chase game but not put any money in... just pretend we’re driving.” the way she says it is almost dreamy, a childlike nostalgia lighting up her eyes as she chomps on a sugar mouse. “i used to do that all the time as a kid. we never had money for the arcade so i’d just pretend to be playing by like, smashing buttons or whatever. kinda fucked up that i spent so much time in casinos, actually.” bridget notes, idly sucking on the straw of her irish coffee, half tipsy with the taste of it. “my mom loved them. she was addicted, i think.” @teddylawrence

[itsnotgray]

welcome to my list of all the men i’ve ever fangirled over, ever

- finnick odair

- sam claflin

- logan lerman

- percy jackson

- sebastian stan

- bucky barnes

- andrew garfield

- andrew garfield as spider-man

- andrew garfield fancasted as remus lupin

- dallas winston

- dylan o’brien

- stiles stilinski

- dylan o’brien as thomas in the maze runner

- thomas brodie sangster as newt in the maze runner

- cillian murphy

- thomas shelby

- marcus lopez

- benjamin wadsworth

- the entire harry potter cast.

- ben barnes as prince caspian

- ben barnes

- ben barnes fancasted as sirius black

- enzo st.john

- kai parker

- kol mikealson

- derek hale

- tyler (derek hales actor with a last name idk how to spell)

- all bull riders on the pbr circuit(that’s the texas in me)

- nathan adrian from the us swim team

- jughead jones

- cole sprouse

- fp jones

- sweet pea

- fezco

- jay halstead

- ben wheeler

to be continued…

[sbknews]

Triumph Motorcycles Factory Visitor Experience Reopens With New Landspeed Exhibition

Triumph Motorcycles Factory Visitor Experience reopens with new landspeed exhibition, free entry announcements and a star-studded weekend. On Thursday 20th May the Triumph Motorcycles Factory Visitor Experience welcomed back customers, hosted Dynavolt Triumph’s factory rider Kyle Smith and launched a sizeable new Land Speed Exhibition. The Factory Visitor Experience also supported The Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride and entertained guests with an impressive start up and ride of two immaculately restored 1962 race featured Thruxton Bonneville’s on the weekend following the reopening. An impressive brand-new Land Speed Exhibition is now on display and showcases the Triumph Infor Land Speed Rocket Streamliner, which was built to challenge the Motorcycle Land Speed Record with Guy Martin in the hot seat, back in 2016 at the Bonneville Salt Flats. Publicly revealed for the first time ever, this Land Speed motorcycle is powered by two turbocharged 1,485cc inline triple engines, sourced from the world leading Triumph Rocket III, and can deliver more than 1,000 horsepower (750 kW). Visitors can now get up close to view this truly iconic, performance-based legend at the Hinckley Headquarters.

Kyle Smith, newly appointed rider for the Dynavolt Triumph team, that will compete in the Quattro Group British Supersport Championship, also attended the re-opening celebrations and spent time browsing the Exhibition alongside customers and colleagues from Triumph Motorcycles. The festivities continued into the weekend, with the Triumph Factory Visitor Experience being the meeting point for the Leicester leg of The Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride on Sunday 23rd May. Around 60 classic motorcycles, and their dapper-styled riders, rode to raise funds for cutting-edge research into prostate cancer, mental health and suicide prevention programs. The Factory Visitor Experience also specially displayed the stunning one-off custom Thruxton 1200 RS which is to be the prize for the Gentlefolk Competition. For the occasion the Triumph Factory Visitor Experience also hosted former Triumph Works Rider, multiple race winner and former TT rider John Cooper. To commemorate his achievements John Cooper has his very own celebratory plaque marking the way in the ‘Avenue of Legends’ on the lead up to the Factory Visitor Experience. Specially restored and ridden for the event, two 1962 Thruxton Bonneville’s, both of which were raced at the 1962 Thruxton 500 Mile Production Race by John Cooper himself and friend Percy Tait, were started up and ridden down The Avenue of Legends in front of the dapper ladies and gentlemen. This was a shared moment in history, as it was the first time John Cooper had seen and ridden this race-tuned classic motorcycle since he last rode it in 1962 at Thruxton Circuit. John Cooper said, ‘This is great fun. It’s a lovely atmosphere and just fantastic to see so many men and women out riding for a good cause. It’s been a pleasure to be a part of it all.’ John Slatcher, organiser of The Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride Leicester said, ‘We’ve managed to raise over £10,000 for Men’s Health which is much more than we expected! The support has been overwhelming and we’re already looking forward to next year!’ This fuel-filled weekend coincided with the welcomed announcement that the Exhibition, 1902 Café and Factory Shop will continue to offer free entry tickets, with pre-booking advised to guarantee access while government guidance on social distancing is still in place. For more information on the Triumph Factory Visitor Experience and The Distinguished Gentleman’s Rode click here: https://www.triumphmotorcycles.co.uk/visitor-experience Checkout our dedicated Triumph Motorcycles News page Triumph Motorcycles News/ or head to the official Triumph Motorcycles website triumphmotorcycles.co.uk

If you would like to receive our headlines daily to your email inbox then sign up to our newsletter: Here Subscribe to our news channels: Here

Read the full article

[lboogie1906]

Jewell Jackson McCabe (born August 2, 1945) is a feminist, business executive, and social and political activist. She was a leader of and spokesperson for, the National Coalition of 100 Black Women’s movement in the early 1970s in New York City and throughout the US, as the founder of the organization which grew out of her New York City stewardship. She became the first woman in 84 years to be in serious contention for the presidency of the civil rights organization NAACP. NYTimes Opinion Page “Riders on the Storm” Published: October 15, 1995, NYTimes.com excerpt from NYTimes OpEd “The coalition of Black feminists led by Angela Davis and Jewell Jackson McCabe emphasized one of the many dangers inherent in this Million Man March. They labeled the march’s message that it is “time for men to step forward and women to step back” as an insult to 400 years of burden-sharing by Black men and women.”

She was born in DC. to Harold “Hal” B. Jackson and Julia [nee Hawkins] Jackson. Hal Jackson [broadcast pioneer] and his partner Percy E. Sutton [politician] started Inner City Broadcasting. Her older brother, Hal B. Jackson, Jr. was appointed a Milwaukee Circuit Court Judge in 1972, making him the first African American Judge in the state of Wisconsin.

President Bill Clinton appointed Her to the Holocaust Museum where she served as a member of the congressionally mandated Committee on Conscience. She was appointed by Governor Mario Cuomo to the New York State Council on Fiscal and Economic Priorities. Under Governor Cuomo, she served as chair of the NY State Jobs Training Partnership Council with an annual budget of over $250 million for training. She married Frederick E. Ward (1964-75). She married (​Eugene L. McCabe (1975-84). #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence #alphakappaalpha

[thephantomprojectionist]

[1600 Word Essay] Women’s & Minority Representation in DTV Martial Arts Movies

It’s long interested (and, recently, concerned) me how movies represent women and minorities (ethnic and cultural). As of late, I’ve turned this scrutiny on my particular film niche – direct-to-video American martial arts movies. Specifically, I wanted to measure which demographic was most likely to produce stars within the subgenre. I already had an idea, but the results were still a little surprising.

I’ve collected the data as to who’s been a leading star in these sorts of movies since 1985. All of the performers listed below have starred in or co-led at least three US-based DTV/limited release action/martial arts productions. Where applicable, I’ve substituted a starring role in a TV production in lieu of a third film lead.

White Men (not Latin): Loren Avedon, Dolph Lundgren, Chuck Norris,* Richard Norton, Jeff Speakman, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Jeff Wincott, Michael Worth, Scott Adkins, David Bradley, Bryan Genesse, Michael Bernardo, Paul Logan, Sasha Mitchell, Michael Dudikoff, Ted Jan Roberts, Ron Marchini, Chad McQueen, Scott Shaw, Eric Jacobus, Matt Mullins, Gary Daniels, Olivier Gruner, Jerry Trimble, Dale Cook, Antonio Sabato, Jr., Gary Wasniewski, Steven Seagal** White Women (not Latin): Cynthia Rothrock, Mimi Lesseos, Zoe Bell Asian Men: Philip Rhee, Ho-Sung Pak, Leo Fong, Johnny Yong Bosch, Jon Foo, Julian Lee, Jun Chong, Jino Kang, Cung Le, Don Wilson, Ernie Reyes, Jr. Asian Women: N/A Black Men: Billy Blanks, Wesley Snipes, Michael Jai White, Fred Williamson, Ron Hall Black Women: N/A Latin Men: Fabian Carillo, Hector Echavarria, Lorenzo Lamas Latin Women: N/A Arab Men: Jalal Merhi Arab Women: N/A Multiracial Men: Mark Dacascos Multiracial Women: N/A *Norris describes himself as being of mixed ethnicity, but his claims have been disputed. [SOURCE] **Ditto. [SOURCE]

[ERRATUM 8/4/18: I may have mis-attributed the ethnicity of Mimi Lesseos, whose Wikipedia article claims she’s actually Latinx and Greek.]

The obvious implications of this data are that (1) white men enjoy far greater representation than all other groups, and (2) women of color are completely unrepresented. Additionally, no other ethnicities or cultural identities than the ones listed here are represented at all, and this includes Asians who don’t fall under the eastern or southeastern headings.

So... What’s the problem here? What’s the issue, especially since we’re talking about such a very specific subgenre? Well, to everybody outside of this niche, there isn’t a problem beyond the degree to which DTV action flicks mirror the larger filmmaking scene. However, representation matters here as much as for any genre because it helps determine the future of this kind of movie. If these films are viewed by customers and filmmakers as primarily a gilding hall for white male leads, the number of women and minorities vying for anything beyond stuntwork or supporting parts isn’t encouraged to grow...and that’s likely to deprive us all of potentially great talent. Women, people of color, and other minorities help comprise the cream of the martial arts crop, and the thought of losing out on the next potential Cynthia Rothrock or Michael Jai White is galling. These movies don’t necessarily thrive on technical or dramatic innovation, but rather the physical innovation of its performers. Given this, it’s within everybody’s interest that anybody with the potential to thrill martial enthusiasts be duly considered.

“Objection: As this data only represents the DTV realm, it’s not an accurate portrayal of representation in American filmmaking or even the action/martial arts genre as a whole.”

The fact that DTV films don’t encompass the entirety of a genre doesn’t negate the significance of their own sector, the same way that one avenue of occupation needn’t encompass the entire job market to have unique implications for those involved. Though often viewed as a derivative of Hollywood, the DTV realm is very much its own place with unique hierarchies and politics. Entire careers are played out within it. What’s more, the DTV circuit isn’t so small as to be insignificant: even if the U.S. blockbuster scene became a beacon of representation, poor practices in the DTV scene could still be enough to unsettle the landscape. When you consider that less than 100 films are given a widespread theatrical release in the U.S. each year, it’s easy to imagine how quickly the smaller, quickly-produced releases can overtake them in quantity. Add to that the popularity of online video streaming services and their equalizing nature, and you can see that DTV flicks are a significant part the national film market.

“Objection: A quantitative measurement doesn’t properly convey how well a group is represented. For example, Wesley Snipes is more prolific and successful than almost every white male star listed here.”

Aside from the fact that too many demographics are still entirely unrepresented, the problem with pointing to a Wesley Snipes or a Lorenzo Lamas as adequate representation for an entire group is that it closes off the chances for anyone else who might fall within that demographic. If you take one prominent star and say there’s no need for additional representation, then what reason is there for someone else from that group to be taken on? Again, the result is the DTV circuit potentially depriving itself of the next great showstopper.

“Objection: The sample is too limiting. There’d be more women and minority entrants if you counted those with fewer than three starring roles and/or counted supporting ones (e.g. lead villains).”

I opted for no less than three starring roles because this indicates an established career within the DTV realm, which indicates a willingness of studios/distributors to repeatedly invest in a performer – this is, to some degree, the mark of a star. I’ve limited the credits to lead roles because such parts convey prestige and social esteem, and this is important. Yes, fans can definitely find favorites among lifetime supporting players, but supporting role or even those of the lead villain typically don’t convey the positive qualities that usually define protagonists. Aside from being promoted the most, lead characters are most likely the ones the audience is encouraged to identify with. By comparison, other roles don’t measure up.

“Objection: Maybe there aren’t more women/minorities in lead roles because there are no viable contenders.”

Here’s but a small sample of viable contenders – women and men with the necessary physical talent to lead a fight flick.

Marissa Labog & Peipei Yuan – Fight Scene Chris Balualua – Showreel Lauren Mary Kim & Amy Johnston – Fight Scene Percy “Spitfire” Brown – Showreel Robert Parham – Showreel Fernando Chien – Showreel Tamiko Brownlee & Natalie Padilla – Fight Scene Anna Ranoso – Fight Scene Emmanuel Manzanares – Showreel Zara Phytian – Fight Scene Jawed El Berni – Short Film, The List Andy Leung & Ray Carbonel – Fight Scene, Contour Cheryl Lewis – Fight Scene Gui DaSilva – Fight Scene Nilo Ghajar-Williams Vs. Ieisha Auyeung – Fight Scene Natascha Hopkins – Fight Scene Gichi Gamba – Film Highlights, PowerRangers Michelle Jubilee Gonzalez – Fight Scene w/Peipei Yuan Shawn Bernal – Short Film, Flower Thieves Kristina Hess – Showreel John Lewis & Alex Meraz – Short Film, The Reward Cecily Fay – Film Highlights Rayna Vallandingham – Showreel Ed Kahana – Fight Scene, Relic Hunt Eve Torres – Fight Scene, The Scorpion King 4 Marie Mouroum – Showreel Krystal Vee & Selina Lo – Fight Scene, The Scorpion King 3 Juan Bofill – Fight Scene

“Do you have any good news?”

The good news is that the trend of white guys dominating this subgenre does seem to be abating as we move further into the 21st century. Of the 52 names in the sample, thirteen (13) are individuals who’ve begun starring in these movies within the past 16 years; of these, only 5 are white men – about 38 percent of the total.

White Men: Scott Adkins, Eric Jacobus, Matt Mullins, Gary Wasniewski, Steven Seagal White Women: Zoe Bell Asian Men: Johnny Yong Bosch, Jon Foo, Jino Kang, Cung Le Black Men: Wesley Snipes, Michael Jai White Latin Men: Hector Echavarria

Though white male performers still enjoy the greatest amount of representation, they don’t completely dominate the pipeline of new stars.

Also, I get the impression that big-budget Hollywood is making an effort to diversify the selection of people it has leading its movies. I’ve said before that the DTV arena isn’t merely derivative of Big Studio World, but obviously the latter plays a huge role in shaping popular trends. If Hollywood capitalizes on diversity among stars as an asset, then low-budget filmmakers may be inclined to follow.

“How do we change this? How do we get new, diverse performers to helm these movies?”

The first step is to find out who’s actually out there. The list of links I provided is pretty short, given the sheer amount of performers making their reels publicly available. Become a fan of lesser-known kickers. Once you’ve found someone whose work consistently impresses you and who you’d like to see lead a production, you can get started. Short of stepping down from a theatrical career, there are generally two ways that new performers acquire starring roles in the DTV scene: (1) they work their way up from smaller parts and/or stuntwork, or (2) they finance or co-finance their own productions. In either case, what you need to do is support them. Help finance indie projects they’re developing via crowd-funding. Feature them and their work on your social media. If they’ve had parts in studio work, review these movies publicly and point out that their involvement is the reason you looked at the picture in the first place. And if a movie they’ve starred in gets released, buy it directly – don’t download or buy it from a third party seller, and for goodness sake don’t post the whole thing online for free.

It’s up to the performer(s) in question to prove that they’d rock a starring role, but it’s up us to make their effort worth it.

[hexiewrites]

you can’t take the sky from me: ch 2 - captive

a/n: me: “i’m not going to post more of this story till it’s basically done”. me, two days later: “FUCK IT I'M JUST GONNA POST LETS DO THIS.” anyways. thank you all for the love & support from the first chapter!!! I so so so appreciate it. no guarantees on a regular posting schedule, but I’m going to aim to do one or two a week, depending on how all this goes for me. <3 hope you enjoy!! tagging: @nymphadoraholtzmann (my beautiful beta!), and: @flintwoodandco @provocative-envy @olivieblake @blood-and-death-will-fall @newt-scxmander @kyonomiko @ff-sunset-oasis @habababa @scremereel [let me know if you want to be tagged in future updates!!]

(you can also read & subscribe on ao3!)

They were, it seemed, the last people to reach the deck of Wood’s ship. Which made sense, because Pansy had purposefully walked slowly and Weasley hadn’t seemed to wanted to push her much - she’d caught him eyeing the heels she had chosen that day more than once. Clearly, he seemed to think he’d captured a girl, soft and weak and in shoes she couldn’t run away in. One knife that she didn’t know how to use, and a permanent pout on her soft full lips.

For the moment, she decided to let him think that. Until she knew more, of course.

“Aye, was starting to worry about you for a minute,” came a familiar voice. This, of course, must be Wood. He wasn’t anything extraordinary, for a Captain. Didn’t have Draco’s pale grace or Theo’s broad shouldered confidence. Hell, he didn’t even have the imposing air of her father and the few other men she’d happened to meet who had their own ships. He was simply…  a man. Not the tallest she’d met or the shortest. Muscular, but more lean than anything. Sandy beige hair and brown eyes. Completely forgettable, minus the strange brogue in his accent.

“You worry entirely too much,” said Weasley behind her.

Only.

Pansy was looking at two people who looked so similar to the man who had found her that now she wasn’t entirely sure if Weasley was the best way to refer to him. Two of the crew gathered in front of her must have been related to the man behind. The had the same blue eyes, sharp and bright. And the same bright red hair - the other man’s was longer than her captor’s, and he too was differently shaped. Shorter and less muscular, looked like he had enough to eat. That one was wearing a pair of coveralls with a streak of grease down the side and Pansy nearly winced - how stereotypical did one have to be?

The other, well. That was new. The third Weasley was female, with her red hair tied back into a tight plait that fell down her back. She was in an outfit that looked almost like armour, thick and yet malleable. Pansy could count three guns from what she could see, and she had a small feeling that it would be an insult to this girl - this woman - to assume she didn’t have far more weapons hidden than the ones in view.

And then, another voice.

That was odd. This ship, from the little Pansy had seen of it, didn’t seem that much larger than her own. And yet she had now met as many crew as her own had. Of course, her ship had empty bedrooms, yes. But they didn’t have a need for more people.

Curious.

(you can keep reading on ao3! or follow the read-more below :D)

This voice was also female, and that struck another odd chord in Pansy as well. If she hadn’t been entirely sure that they were obviously in different lines of business, she would be now. It was exceedingly rare to come across another scavenger ship with one other female on it, let alone two.

“Percy,” the voice admonished softly. It was a high and lilting voice and Pansy turned her head to catch a swirl of long blonde hair and a swoop of deep blue skirts. “Why have you got her cuffed?”

Pansy opened her mouth, wondering how easy it would be to get this woman to believe whatever it was she wanted. Play up the ‘sisterhood’ thing. And then she focused and realized that the look in the eyes across from her wasn’t one of pity or worry, but curiosity.

Percy, the Weasley behind her, moved in a way that felt to Pansy like a cross between a shrug and a wave. “She pulled a knife on me,” he explained, and across from them, the girl-Weasley laughed.

“I figured growing up with me you wouldn’t underestimate a woman like that, hmm big-brother?” she teased.

The blonde laughed as well, her entire body turning towards the redhead - a sunflower to a dying light. And then she refocused on Pansy, and Wood stepped forward, clearing his throat.

“‘Lo. Welcome to my ship, The R.S.S. Phoenix. I’m Captain Oliver Wood. See you’ve already met my first mate Percy. What’s your name, sweetheart?”

Pansy thought this over, wondered if she was safer to play the helpless card or to keep her mouth closed until she knew what they wanted. R.S.S. They were commissioned, then, paid by the Ministry. Research ship. Though, she didn’t know many research ships that went on scavenging missions, and the contradiction was enough to keep her mouth closed.

“Hmm,” Oliver mused, looking around at the crew. “Right, nothing to see here everyone. Let’s prep for departure. Perce, take ’er down to the medbay, we’ll see if she’s coded. Luna,” he prompted, and the blonde glanced away from the redhead and in his direction. “She may have been on there quite some time - don’t s’pose you have any extra food you could whip up for our guest? Ron,” second-male-Weasley turned now, but before Pansy could hear the next line of orders, Percy was pulling her in the other direction.

Pansy wondered what it would be like, as they walked, to be on a ship with a medbay. On her ship, you went to Theo if you thought you needed stitches - his hands were the steadiest. Marcus for resetting breaks and dislocations, he was the firmest and most likely to get it over with. Draco had some knack for minor injuries, though he was often too frustrated that someone had managed to get themselves hurt to be much use. Pansy was at the bottom of the chain, because her preferred method of problem solving was hitting things with a wrench, and the boys had very quickly learned that often was not exactly the skill you wanted when you were injured.

She made sure to scan the layout of the ship as they travelled. It was much more straightforward than hers, linear from what she could tell. They passed more than one research bay and she couldn’t help but try and see through the frosted glass, catching what looked like a circuit board on one table. And then, the medbay. It was smaller than she had pictured, but still. Clean and bright, with an operating table stretched out down the middle. And another person, a tiny one with what seemed to be a lot of hair.

Another girl.

Something about this entire operation was starting to seem off. She had never heard of a Ministry authorized ship with three women on it, especially with two of them having jobs. Luna was clearly just the cook - probably one of the men’s wives, though perhaps not a very dedicated one.

Percy knocked lightly on the door and the woman inside spun to face them. She wasn’t wearing the classic Doctor’s outfit that Pansy remembered from back when she lived on a colony, just some rather drab getup that anyone could have scooped up on a border moon.

“Percy,” the woman greeted fondly, and then her eyes narrowed as she spotted Pansy. “So this was the commotion I heard on the comms.”

“Yes,” Percy confirmed, nudging Pansy forward a little bit. “Can’t get much out of her, though she did try and stab me, so I’d be careful.”

The woman smiled, and it fell somewhere between friendly and menacing, and Pansy decided if she were going to pull another knife on anyone, it probably wouldn’t be the bushy-haired Doctor.

“Right. Not going to tell us your name then?” The woman asked, raising a brow at Pansy. “That would really be the easiest option, you know.”

Pansy huffed, this was getting frustrating, pretending to be absolutely stupid. “You’re going to scan me either way, aren’t you? Might as well get it over with.”

The woman’s smile turned sharper, and she nodded. “Well, not entirely brain damaged, then. Percy, I’ll need her arm.”

Percy complied, but not before glancing down at Pansy with a stern look in his eyes. “She might look small, but Dr. Granger is no stranger to the use of a sharp blade herself. Don’t try anything.”

Pansy managed her own small, and hopefully placating, smile, and then held her arm out to the woman in front of her.

Pansy had had her code for as long as she could remember - dark black lines drawn in an imperceptible pattern on the inside of her arm. It had shifted as she grew, though had been relatively stable since she had settled into her role on her ship. But the boys hadn’t scanned it when she first joined, and so she hadn’t had it checked in years. For most people, on the colonies or who worked on ships regularly, scanning was such a common practice it was nothing.

This felt vulnerable, strange, and naked and Pansy wanted to run. But Percy was behind her, holding her still, and Dr. Granger had her wrist tightly in a small dark hand. Pansy shut her eyes as she felt the familiar burn of the scanner and listened for the usual beep. It didn’t come. Instead, three warning tones sounded and her heart lurched even further than it had already done that day.

“Pansy Parkinson,” the doctor read off the screen, and Pansy frowned at the sound of her name, so clinical, like it wasn’t one of the most important secrets she kept. They would all know, now. “SD.22343, month older than Ron if you can believe it. Says here she’s been missing some four years, disappeared off London-XW. Looks like her father has a pretty hefty prize out for her return.”

Pansy had to force herself to breathe as panic started to rise in her chest.

“Wait,” she whispered, hoping to god that Percy and Granger would listen to her. “It’s… look, it wasn’t…”

“Kidnapping?” Percy mused, and Pansy had a feeling he wasn’t speaking to her. “Seems odd to keep her for so long - galleons can’t be going up that much after this much time. Runaway?” he suggested, and Dr. Granger shook her head.

“Stowaway, I should think, by the looks of her. Must have been so hard, living on a fully formed planet, plenty to eat and nothing to worry about. Little rich girl wanted a taste of adventure and ended up stuck in the black with a group of pirates.” The doctor nearly spat out the words and Pansy frowned.

“That’s not-” she tried again, but the Doctor was speaking once more.

“Those galleons would go a long way to the project, Percy,” she suggested, and Percy hummed over the thought himself.

“Wouldn’t look bad on my record to return a missing person,” he returned, and Pansy shook her head fiercely.

“Wait, you have to listen! I can’t go back there, I-”

The doctor huffed and turned away, hitting buttons on her scanner, clearly sending the information to the rest of the crew. “We gave you a chance to explain yourself, Parkinson.”

Pansy bit down on her lip. Fuck. Fuck. She wished she had Marcus, wished she had Draco or Theo, wished she had someone to run this all over with. What do I do? She wanted to scream. She knew the plan, knew the rules. But this was over her head. She didn’t know this game, the not-quite-heroes she was now stuck with. If they wanted money and Ministry favour…

“Right,” Percy decided, slipping her hand back into the cuff while she was distracted. “I’ll put her down in the cells until we have a plan of action. Thanks, Hermione.”

The woman was already back at her work station, and Pansy took the name and filed it away, though she was becoming increasingly more worried that she didn’t know the game anymore, and names were clearly not the valuable currency she was used to.

“Knives,” Percy demanded, as they stepped through a shimmering wall into one of the ships so-called ‘cells’. They weren’t really, as she had a bed and a separate bathroom. There was even a small bookcase in this one with a handful of older tomes, nearly relics by the state of them. It had a comm connection and a small porthole, but it also had a clear wall, nowhere to really hide. Pansy figured they were down by the cargo bay - secluded, but not private. She was not a guest here, not really, and Percy raised an eyebrow at her, extending a hand.

Pansy huffed and tugged one out from each of her boots, passing them over to him handle first. She slid one off the outside of her left leg and one from it’s space secure against her forearm.

“Be careful with those,” she snapped at the redhead in front of her. “They mean a great deal to me.”

“I know that’s not all of them,” he responded, and Pansy huffed.

“It is,” she insisted, finally starting to feel tired and bratty after everything she’d been through.

Percy gave her another moment and then he put the knives he had already collected into a small box in the wall that promptly disappeared, and then stepped up towards her. Pansy clenched her fists as he patted her down, running his hands over her legs and smoothing down her flowing trousers to feel against her skin. Pansy couldn’t help but shiver as his hands skimmed over her hips and up her sides, though the moment was short lived when he pressed against the edge of another knife and raised a knowing brow at her.

“Fine,” Pansy huffed, freeing it from her body and dropping it into his hand. “Are you happy now?”

“No,” Percy retorted, and his chest grazed the front of her body as he stepped closer. Pansy had to swallow this time - it had been too long since she was so close to a strange man. Even Marcus - that had been months ago. And despite this one’s obvious downside of capturing her, and his strange clipped tone, there was something about him, as well. He smelled musky, not like her boys did when they couldn’t get fresh water in time for all of them to shower as much as they wished. Clean, but masculine. He was clearly muscular under his own clothes, more so than she had realized earlier. He was taller than her by enough that even in her heels she felt small up against him, and his breath was hot as it ghosted over the side of her face. His hands skimmed up her back and she fought the urge to press her body against his - pure animal instinct, she chided herself - and for just a minute she thought he might have missed it.

“This would all be much easier if you told the truth, Miss. Parkinson,” he mumbled, pressing against the last blade that sat nestled between her shoulderblades.

Pansy inhaled one last time as she pulled it out and away from her body, almost tossing it in his direction. “Fuck you,” she spat, crossing her arms neatly across her chest.

Percy raised a brow, questioning. If she didn’t know any better, she might have thought he was laughing, the way his lips twitched.

And then he turned and left, slipping effortlessly through the wall of glass the shimmered in his wake.

As soon as he was gone, Pansy screamed and lunged herself at the barrier. Predictably, she smashed into the wall and groaned at the impact on her shoulder. “Fuck!” she shouted, lifting a hand to pound at the glass. “Motherfucker!” she added for emphasis, kicking at it with one of her heels. “Just you fucking wait for my boys to find me! They’ll light this fucking ship on fire!”

Finally, after she had kicked and screamed and gotten out most of the anger and pain and hurt that had been building, Pansy sunk down to the ground, back against the glass, and let herself do the only thing she never did.