#posting this for an audience of two (andy and i) <3< /div> Explore tagged Tumblr posts

[thekidsarentalright]

we're goin' low, low, low, low

[the kintsugi kid / fall out boy + house md season 1 episodes 1 + 2, season 8 episode 19]

[racetrackmybeloved]

Did Tommy Boy, Sniper and Kid Blink Scab?

To clarify, the question is whether the characters themselves scabbed, or whether the actors played multiple characters, one being their regular newsie character (Tommy Boy, Sniper, Kid Blink), and the other being an unnamed ‘scab’ character.

Most of the posts I’ve seen on here about these characters assume that the characters themselves scabbed, but I disagree:

(Note: this is all based on the 2017 proshot, I know there may be some differences with the original Broadway production and the UK production, but I have not seen those so cannot form an opinion on them.)

David says "Who are they?" when the scabs show up.

All three of them were at the circulation gate on the first day.

Tommy Boy and Sniper were at the circulation gate the next day. Tommy Boy questions Jack ("You got an idea?").

Tommy Boy was at Jacobi's. He was mentioned by name, and given an assignment by Jack ("Tommy Boy, take the east side").

To be fair on him, David did meet a lot of people on those days, and was under a lot of stress. However, even if he didn't know them by name, he should at the very least recognise Tommy Boy well enough to not ask who he was.

2. Finch says "They think they can just waltz in here and take our jobs?"

The implication of "take our jobs" is that the scabs are aiming to replace the existing newsies, and were not newsies themselves at that point.

3. Jack does not appeal to them as individuals.

When Jack is giving his speech to convince the three scabs to throw down their papers, at no point does he name them, or say anything personal. We know for a fact that he knows Tommy Boy well enough to trust him with an assignment. Why did he never appeal to him as a friend? Counter-argument: Jack is a dumbass.

4. IMDB and end credits.

Each of the actors' IMDB pages list them as playing two characters, one being their named newsie, and the other being 'scab'. This is done in the same way as Jack Sippel's IMDB, which lists him as playing both Darcy ("My father owns The Trib") and Kenny (his newsie character). This indicates that Tommy Boy, Sniper and Kid Blink did not scab, and their actors just swap between characters.

However, the official credits at the end of the film on Disney+ tell a different story. Michael Dameski is credited for playing both Tommy Boy and 'Scab', while Andy Richardson and Daniel Switzer are only credited for their respective named newsie characters.

From this, I would argue that it is uncontentious that Tommy Boy and 'Scab' are intended to be separate characters. I don't know where IMDB gets their information on character names, and whether it is common for them to be incorrect.

I will mention that there are other instances of characters not being mentioned in the credits. For example, Andrew Wilson plays three characters: a man in the audience at Medda's theatre, one of Wiesel's goons, and a Brooklyn newsie. He is credited as playing 'Willie' and 'Bart'. ‘Bart’ is presumably Andrew Wilson’s Brooklyn newsie character, as that is his last appearance, but which character is Willie? (It is also pretty clear that these are three separate characters, as theatre Andrew has a moustache, and I highly doubt a Brooklyn newsie would be working with Wiesel to beat up Manhattan newsies). None of these characters have any lines so it does not matter, but I just wanted to bring up that the credits may gloss over non-speaking characters. As such, it is possible that Andy Richardson and Daniel Switzer should have been credited as ‘Scab’ as well as their named characters.

Side note: the Newsies Wiki also says that Tommy Boy was a scab, but I do not consider this to be a reliable source.

In my opinion, it is quite clear that at the very least, Tommy Boy did not scab. Whether Kid Blink and Sniper scabbed is up to interpretation, but I believe that all of them were playing alternative 'scab' characters.

Note: Daniel Switzer (Sniper) speaks one line when he is not playing a scab ("So's the Bronx!" - Brooklyn's Here), while Andy Richardson (Kid Blink) does not have any independent lines outside of when he plays a scab. However, even Daniel Switzer's line is not done as Sniper - this is presumably another instance of an actor playing a different character, in this case being a Bronx newsie.

I do question the director's choice of having Michael Dameski play both a scab and a newsie who is involved in the strike.

Michael Dameski has 2 lines as Tommy Boy:

"It's gettin' bad out there" - Carrying the Banner

"You got an idea?"

He can also be heard (at least) 2 more times, but I would consider those instances to be background shouts rather than scripted lines. In addition, these lines are said in the minutes after he throws down his papers, so it is unclear whether he is saying them as Tommy Boy or as 'Scab'.

"That's right!" - Seize the Day

"Hey!" - Seize the Day

As mentioned earlier, his character is also directly named, and given an assignment by Jack. If the scabs were intended to be anonymous unnamed characters who were not previously newsies, it makes sense that Andy Richardson (Kid Blink) and Daniel Switzer (Sniper) were selected. I assume that their choices were limited to ensemble actors who would be in the Seize the Day number, so Andrew Wilson, JP Ferreri and Stephen Hernandez (Brooklyn newsies) were not options. Julian De Guzman (Smalls), David Guzman (Ike), and Jacob Guzman (Mike) do not have any speaking lines in the musical, nor are they mentioned by name. To avoid raising additional issues of one twin scabbing while the other did not (which would be a GREAT plot line in my opinion, but would not be realistic due to time constraints and as it would have detracted focus), the logical choice for an actor to play a scab alongside their newsie character would have been Julian De Guzman (Smalls).

Tommy Boy however, is a character that we recognise. We know he is extremely literal (his confusion when Jack says "would you keep your shirt on?"), and is likely more of a realist than an optimist ("it's gettin' bad out there" in Carrying the Banner). He, along with Specs and Finch are newsies that Jack specifically singled out to bring the news of the strike to the other boroughs. We can infer that he is someone who Jack trusts, is older, and has likely been a newsie for a long time. Him being selected to go the extra mile (literally) to tell other newsies about the strike would make it heartbreaking if they had chosen the narrative of the scabs being existing newsies. It brings up questions that make the plot more complex: what happened in that 24 hour period that caused him to lose faith? What made him betray his friends? However, I don't think that was what they were going for, as the credits explicitly make a distinction between Tommy Boy and the scab.

If we ignore literally everything I have said up until this point, and assume that the intended plot line was that three existing newsies had scabbed, then it was not executed very well. It would have been much more effective if they had selected newsies who we had more prior connection to, such as Romeo, Finch, or Albert. We have zero emotional attachment to Sniper and Kid Blink, as we do not know their names, and do not hear them speak. Even though Tommy Boy is an established character, he still barely speaks, and we have little to no emotional connection with him. The personality traits mentioned earlier would not even be picked up on by the casual watcher. (If he is anyone's favourite prior to that moment, it is 100% due to Michael Dameski's dancing, and not the character itself).

Further, if the characters themselves scabbed, we should have seen some kind of development that made sense. Focusing in on Tommy Boy, with the narrative of him being a scab, he says "I'm with ya!", and then joins in with the other newsies to intimidate the other two scabs into joining them. (He also yells "That's right!" in the background). Where is the reaction from the other newsies? Jojo puts an arm around him, but I do not read much into this, as he also has his arm around Henry. Give me emotion, give me 'my friend/probably housemate just stabbed me in the back, and then realised the error of his ways', give me SOMETHING. He is one of the three newsies that Jack trusted enough to give an assignment to, and one of two newsies who agreed - he is clearly an important part of this family.

Kid Blink and Sniper get even less reaction from the other newsies. The newsies are visibly happy when they throw down their papers, but I do not see their reactions as distinct from how they would have reacted if they had been random unnamed scabs. If the intended narrative was that the characters themselves had betrayed their friends, we should have seen a more personal, emotionally charged reaction. However, we simply do not know enough about these characters to draw a conclusion.

Overall, I think it is uncontentious that Tommy Boy did not scab, due to a combination of factors including the official credits, David's apparent terrible memory, and my (possibly misplaced) faith that if his character had scabbed, it would have been handled better. Whether Sniper and Kid Blink scabbed is more difficult to say, due to conflicting credits, and a lack of information about the characters themselves. In my opinion, it makes more sense to say that all three of the actors played two characters: Tommy Boy, Sniper and Kid Blink, and three unnamed scabs.

PS:

Michael Dameski (Tommy Boy)'s scab going from scabbing with Daniel Switzer (Sniper)'s scab to glaring at him and staring him down in the space of thirty seconds is objectively hilarious, whether you think he was still the 'scab' character at that point, or if he had turned into Tommy Boy in that time frame. Top tier, truly elite.

Would love to hear your opinions!

[coff-in]

BUNNY ANON'S GENIUS ASK GAVE ME T H O U G H T S god all the big-brainers are coalescing at coff-in's huh. Love it. As Devious Little Sis's brain-mother, I must chime in :D Brocon reader is SO up devious little sis reader's ally! Devious little sis who is so attached to Andrew (honestly though I think deep down she still loves Ashley and represses *hard* after her death), she just happens to love Andrew way more because Andy's the one who's been holding her hand since she's been toddling around, the one who coddles her to sleep and buys her snacks and makes her food. There's also the possibility that Devious little sis had a kind of rivalry with Ashley back in the day that was eventually resolved because devious little sis is, well, devious, and coddles up to Ashley enough to the point where Ashley stops seeing her as a leech for Andrew's attention (but reader still kinda holds a grudge against Ashley). I think the emotional aspect of it is so interesting too because something I can see devious little sis doing post-Decay is if Andrew seems a little too fixated on Ashley, devious little sis starts her social butterfly ways again. It's toxic, but Andrew realizes that he still has one more little sister to lose, right? She wants him to get even more possessive, even more territorial, more and more jealous each time she talks to another man or woman, because if he's worried about losing her then he won't have time to think about Ashley. She's smart enough to keep it controlled enough so Andrew doesn't also start having murderous thoughts about her ("If I can't have you, then no one should") but she just wants her older brother to realize that he should focus on what he has and he shouldn't take it for granted. Andrew has such a shitty time emotionally in this version. First he kills his sister, who he still loves. His pain is temporarily given a balm when reader soothes him, loves him, being the only good thing left in his life. But then reader starts up on her mind games and now he has to worry about losing her too and his only source of love is threatened and aggggh. In conclusion, I love you coff-in! Mwah mwah.

-Devious Anon <3

notes from coff-in: AAAAHHH I LOVE YOU TOO DEVIOUS ANON!!! I LOVE ALL OF YOU GUYS-- every ask, message, request, and note you guys send mean so much to me :3 i also don't know if i can add anything else to this dish, you seasoned it perfectly!

devious little sister [reader]

i really wanna into the thought process of devious little sis because it's just so neat to me. the way these thoughts and feelings developed and how they reflect and impact their relationship and codependency with ashley and andrew. it should be like a three strand braid, you need all three for it to work and stand. without on of the strands it just wouldn't work or be the same, it'd be something different.

i kinda wanted to lean into that with the request. ashley impacted both [reader] and andrew so even after her death she still sort of dictates their actions, you know?

devious little sis playing her silly tricks and games to keep andrew's eyes on her is just AUGH so so true of her. i personally see devious little sis being a theatre/acting kid, treating every social interaction as a play on stage; she's just playing a role and speaking her lines, she doesn't care about them or what they have to say. she cares about the audience, andrew and ashley. she wants their eyes on her... they're the only people she doesn't have to act for.

poor andrew. it must be such a struggle dealing with his uncomfortably. unreasonably big and need endowments two manipulative sisters. do you think he'd try to push the responsibilities of his action onto [reader] too? like he did ashley? when he looks at [reader], does he see ashley? a reflection of her that he helped raise when she was still alive? it's hard on [reader] too, i think. trying her best to fulfill that vacant role that ashley left in andrew's life and her's too. she can't stop performing though, because it keeps andrew's eyes on her doesn't it?

ahhh i'm losing track of my thoughts now. but it's honestly such a cool idea to think about. if i was better at analysis and had a better reading comprehension i would cook up so much, i bet. i love devious little sister so much, thank you for birthing her on my blog devious anon <3

----

coff-in

[captainnait]

Go ahead, infodump about Bob from Headrush. No one is stopping you

3:11 pm, 5/20/2024

You will not believe how big of a smile I got when I first saw this ask 😭😭 Like I'm genuinely so happy to talk about him, thank you,,,

Anyway, you don't need to ask me twice 💥

(Yeah, a lot of rambling under the cut, hehe)

— One of my favorite canon facts about Bob is that he REALLY hates emoticons. He mentions it two times: one time in a question, where he refuses to read out loud the category name, that is just an emoticon, and instead just calls it "that. . . thing" or smth, and the other time is in the "Don't be afraid to express your emoticons" Headrush category, where he just straight up tells players to be cautious of people who use emoticons 😭

Either he had a terrible experience with someone who used emoticons. . . Or his old man brain just doesn't understand them. Or both idk.

— I don't know if it's just an Andy Poland thing or not (it's probably is, but still—), but I just really like the way he can change up his voices so quickly. My man can literally go from "uwu im so silly" type of voice to LITERALLY the most brutal and manliest voice imaginable in just a span of a few seconds, and I think that's INCREDIBLE.

If we talk about Bob specifically though, I really like how silly his voice sounds at the end of the round, when he says "bye-bye" or other similar to that lines. It just makes me giggle, okay,,

— I don't remember the full context behind this image and the question it is from, but. Yeah. Huh.

[For some reason Tumblr just doesn't let me put this image in, but it just a screenshot of the game with red words written on the screen, saying "Bob has a "thing" for Barney"]

It's also pretty funny, since a few rounds later I got another Barney question ("Even Purple Dinosaurs Have to Die... Someday"), and Bob didn't sound really amused by it lol

— There are a lot of lines in the game, where Bob jokes/admits that he feels pretty lonely and/or isolated, which is very interesting, considering that he doesn't seem as a very introverted person or someone who doesn't go outside much.

I don't have any specific speculations on why he is like that, but I think (headcanon, I guess) that it's something that he grow up feeling like and, perhaps, still haven't grown out of it.

— In "None of the Smoke & All of the Cancer", Bob says that he finds smoking to be "sexy". It isn't very clear whether if he meant it as a joke or not, so. Eh.

— A lot of people said it way before me, but. . . This man has major dog vibes. Like, I can't pin down specific things that make me think like that. It's— It's just the overall vibe I get from him lol

— I'm pretty sure I've seen someone already make a post about it (I'm not sure though), buuuut it's pretty fascinating to me how little sexual interest Bob shows in women (compare to other hosts in the series, at least) and how little he cares for "mushy" stuff in general, valuing friendship/platonic bonds a lot more.

This probably could stem from what type of game Headrush is, since it's aimed for a younger audience - teens, who probably don't really care about love in that young age. But yeah, just an interesting thing to thinking about while in a shower.

— His relationship with Old Man is pretty weird, because he both shows extreme violence and, yet, somehow, some type of respect towards him? Like, there are moments were he shouts, yells and doesn't mind kicking Old Man for his annoying shenanigans, maybe even having a way easier time with it than other hosts. But then there are a few rare moments, where he actually doesn't mind Old Man at all and would even listen to his stories with a genuine interest.

Of course it's not something completely new to the series, but it is also makes me fairly curious, since I feel like this is the game where we get to see a lot of Old Man's personality and how he influences those around him (in the case of this game (99% of it) - Bob lol)

. . . That's it, ig. For now, i feel satisfied)

I also would really like ranting about Milan and his weirdly homoerotic relationship with Bob, buuut I need to get all the TTwM clips first, so. Yeah. That'll have to wait 💥

[azurillturtle]

someone had the bad taste to praise the martian where i could see it, and no one actually pays attention to me here and i'm free to be as unhinged as i want, so HERE WE GO: the no-holds-barred explanation of why i hate andy weir with a burning passion and why he's representative of greater problems in the scifi industry.

full disclosure, my only experience with him was reading 1/3 of artemis, which was more than enough for me to declare i'm never touching his works again. it was more than a year ago now, though, so i can't remember everything that upset me.

disliking andy weir is not an unpopular opinion! as far as writing craft goes, you'll generally hear people say that he's not a very good writer. this is partially about that and partially about other stuff specific to me that i didn't like.

as far as i can know, the martian was about a guy stranded on mars having to survive on his own. first person, snarky narrator. very popular. the narrator, whose name escapes me, was very well liked. because it was his first real story, and because there was really only one character on his own, i think a lot of the problems in his writing weren't immediately obvious.

unfortunately for me, the one we tried to read was artemis, widely regarded as the weakest of his books, probably because it shows off exactly how bad he is. and from artemis, this is what i concluded:

andy weir is a scifi writer for people who don't read much and want to feel like they're smart.

there, i said it.

unfortunately i am very much not that target audience. i read enough scifi/fantasy to have a good idea of what goes into a book that i like or dislike; i read enough to drop books that i think are terrible because i've developed standards. i'm also a science major who doesn't usually read hard scifi because i know enough to spot inaccuracies that drive me out of my mind, or at the very least, break immersion. ("that does not work that way.")

weir, for all his "experience," has enough inaccuracies in his writing to earn sideways looks from me. so that's part of it: his "problem solving" isn't realistic enough to be engaging. if it's enjoyable, that may be because you don't immediately spot the flaws in his reasoning.

weir is also a terrible writer. the first thing i said to my coworkers about artemis after i gave it up was that i don't think he's ever spoken to a woman in his life. this is a common criticism. i hear there are only two women in project hail mary, and only for like two seconds, presumably because someone pointed this out to him. they have the same problem.

quite unfortunately, artemis is told from the perspective of a woman. a... twenty-seven year old woman. who i legitimately thought was sixteen based on her maturity and behavior. this is part of a larger problem, which is (from what i've heard), that weir can only write one character voice, which is the protagonist of the martian, which is weir himself. so all the characters cracking snarky sex jokes in artemis were the same person. like, no wonder i was creeped out by the dude making sex jokes to artemis's protagonist in front of his legitimately teenage daughter.

yeah, so, okay--the protagonist of artemis is Mark Anthony or whatever his name was cosplaying as a twenty-something woman. along with not knowing what a woman is, weir's attempts at characterization are atrocious. jazz is always going on about how smart she is, and everyone's always calling her smart, as if we're supposed to believe their words over her own actions. i'm sorry, no. you can have everyone praise your character for being "smart," but if the entire book is a series of her poor life choices, then she's not reading as "smart" to me.

the third point i'd like to make about his writing is that his plot, at least for artemis, is paper-thin. i'm going to spoil the plot, since i sincerely hope no one is going to read it after this post. as part of a get rich quick scheme, said Skeevy Rich Dude hires jazz to sabotage some idk machines mining the moon's surface??, because then the owners will have no choice but to turn to him and he can become rich.

because, you know, if all of your equipment explodes, surely no suspicion will fall on the person who stands to benefit the most from this.

surely.

but no one ever questions the wisdom of this. it's never brought up. i feel like an actual sixteen-year-old could have pointed out the problem here. alas, in this book, major plot points and the reality of how people will act aren't even thought out.

another part of why artemis is generally regarded as weak--and this is extremely hilarious to me--is that weir doesn't know how to write dialogue. at all. every conversation was stilted and full of sex jokes, like that was the fallback when nothing else could be said. this is something that was not immediately evident in the martian, probably because mark anthony (...watney?) was alone and had no one to show off weir's absolutely horrid dialogue writing.

as an example of why there's also like... quite a bit that just read as weird or gross? partly again that weir has never seen a woman in his life, partly that he doesn't know what a real person is. anyway, jazz is a Strong Independent Woman, which in weir's world means she has a lot of sex. this leads to as scene where she asks a Weird Guy Acquaintance for a favor and he says, sure, but in return, can you test something for me? i'm working on a reusable condom, so i want you to try it the next time you sleep with someone.

because you know. this is a conversation that is Totally Normal to have with someone.

what the hell, weir.

unfortunately i did not stop reading there.

i quit when andy weir made it clear he does not know how and why laws should exist, and (by wider extension) the underpinnings of a functional society and how to worldbuild.

this will lead into my last point, but to briefly summarize what infuriated me so much: jazz says offhandedly that there are no statutory rape laws in their moon society. the age of majority is different for every culture, you see, so rather than come to a consensus, they decided it was easiest to go without. if anyone does anything creepy to a girl, weir says, that girl's brothers and father will come beat up the guy, and the problem solves itself.

that was the time i threw the (digital) book in the (metaphorical) trash can, because this is one of those passages that speaks volumes about the author himself.

i shouldn't have to say this, not when there's so much recent discussion about age of consent and child marriage laws, but oh my god no that's not how it works. set aside the vigilantism for a second here, that's not what i'm focused on. laws like that exist to protect the vulnerable. not everyone will have family they trust to come to their defense. not everyone can tell such things to their family. by having no laws, you are saying that it doesn't matter what happens to them, because "it's too hard to come to an agreement between different cultures."

laws are not about convenience. laws are about guarding the safety of the population.

on the one hand, it's another example of weir not thinking through the repercussions of his plot and worldbuilding. on the other, it read so much like something written by a privileged white man, not the Muslim woman protagonist, that to me it says something about andy weir himself.

and that leads into my last point, which is disliking andy weir not because of whom he is, but because of an underlying problem in the writing and publishing industry. it's a known fact that white men have a distinct advantage in publishing, especially in SFF. heinlein held strong for a long time. GRRM waxed poetic about the good ol days at a fairly recent disastrous WorldCon. it was still fairly recent that the Hugos started to see a more diverse group of nominated authors.

and then there's andy weir, who had publishing deals based on the strength of his first novel. andy weir, whose second and third books were optioned for movies iirc before they even came out. andy weir, who is not good at plotting, and not good at worldbuilding, and not good at inventing more than one character, and not good at writing women, and not even always accurate about the science.

why does andy weir of all people get those movie deals?

and would he, if his name was something other than andy weir?

[bylerism-bible]

Category 5 Autism Event

(sorta long post)

Oops! I slipped and now I'm outlining a byler-centric Hunger Games AU

BUT it's super tragic and fucked up and I'm gonna hurt so bad writing it help me out and tell me if this is anything y'all

Key Alterations to setting:

no boy/girl pair gender restrictions on tribute selection

Some ages will be wonky compared to ST bc I need certain characters like Henry to be tribute age range, which will be set at 12-18

self contained plot not conducive to the original HG narrative but inspired heavily by it

set in a canon divergent Panem but not lore or history heavy

ST cast names are less whimsical and too traditional for what is lore-friendly in canonical Panem so I'll be ignoring the wild naming conventions of OG Panem for any BG OCs I need to bullshit on the fly

No spanning rebellion arc like in OG Hunger Games, but still a brutal hopepunk tragedy with themes of grief, finding something to fight for in hopelessness, community, love, and compassion (and also kicking ass when applicable)

Narrative parallels to original Hunger Games:

Katniss/Gale/Peeta | Mike/El/Will [not 1-1, slightly skewed or subverted in ways by El being a tribute, and by emphasis on Mike (Katniss) and Will (Peeta) being childhood best friends while El (Gale) and Mike (Katniss) meet spontaneously, which opposes the HG love triangle setup. Otherwise this parallel remains closely aligned due to Will's pining for Mike and his emphatic Peeta Coding among other things. Though I don't want them to be flat cut and paste to one another, they'll have their own characteristics that suit them in this setting). El and Mike will also fake a romance for appeal, which is adjacent but skewed from the original love triangle.]

District 11's emphasis on racialized classism and slavery parallels must remain intact

Other real world oppression parallels must remain intact

Premise/synopsis:

Mike is selected at the reaping, but Will immediately volunteers. Sensing that the two have a bond despite not appearing to be family, the authorities ask about their relationship and learn they're childhood friends.

Said authorities decide to send Mike and Will together for ✨ drama ✨ rather than to allow Will to replace Mike and take his place with another tribute– to their shared horror.

No matter how long they ally to one another, they'll be eventually expected to face one another to the death as well, if they live that long (They will). If they reach this point, what will happen if they refuse?

Will and Mike are immediately separated at the cornucopia but come back together later. While they're apart Mike allies with El, they play up a romance to accrue sponsor interest, but Mike secretly actually loves Will, and the the Capitol audience may just realize this eventually.

Tribute Pairs (by District):

1 - Henry (career*) (18) and Kali (18)

2 - Heather (17) and Billy (career) (18)

3 - Jason (career) (17) and Chrissy (17)

4 - Troy (career) (15) and James (career) (15)

5 - El (14) and Max (14)

6 - Eddie (19) and Robin (17)

7 - Steve (18) and Dustin (14)

8 - Tommy (18) and Carol (17)

9 - Andy (15) and Fred (17)

10 - Barb (17) and Vicky (17)

11 - Patrick (15) and Lucas (volunteer)(14)

12 - Will (volunteer)(14) and Mike (14)

*as a refresher for those who don't know or recall, Career in Hunger Games context refers to people who train their whole lives with the intent of winning the games by any brutality necessary, they also usually have been vetted a bit on how to be presentable for the Capitol. Careers are usually from districts 1, 2, 3, and 4 for regional class reasons, but can technically be from any of the districts under the right conditions. Technically training is against rules and in policy disqualifies tribute, but this is ignored constantly because in such a brutal system it's near impossible to find kids who don't have some survival skills and because it adds to drama.

Arena biomes: Forest, lake, ravine, cave systems

Mentees/Mentors:

Will and Mike - Murray Bauman

El and Max - Jim Hopper

Non tribute familial character POVs featured:

Joyce Byers

Nancy Wheeler

Erica Sinclair

With heartbreaking bangers such as:

Jonathan died in a previous Hunger Games

Lonnie forced both of his sons through some preparation for potential reaping, in abusive and cruel ways such as being forced to hunt when they were very young

While the family did need more food and it doubled as subtle "training" prep; it was traumatic and forced because Lonnie taught a cruel and abusive dog-eat-dog philosophy with it

Before Jonathan died as a tribute, Lonnie had left them spontaneously a few years prior, and this left only Joyce and Will to mourn his death

Once Jonathan died Joyce grew erratic and Will became isolated and hyper independent as a result, their relationship is loving but deeply disconnected without Jonathan

Mike's family is slightly more well-off than Will's in class for their district, as a result Mike takes food to Will's family on a regular basis and this is part of how they got so close

Mike and Will met in the woods as kids

Will not only has a decent chunk of combat, hunting, and survivalism prep because of Lonnie's abuse regime, but also has artistic prowess that assists him in camouflage (Peeta insp), AND he's a self taught science geek (esp mycology and botany aka identifying mushrooms and plants)

Mike trained himself in combat to a degree secretly from a young age, but he's not exactly gifted considering he never had a sparring partner, he's mildly proficient with wielding a machete or knife and he's somewhat versed in survivalist skills that he self taught or learned secondhand from Will (though Will is far ahead of him in bushcraft survival, Mike is a natural tactician and is good at building traps), AND he's a self taught science geek (esp physics and chemistry), has theatrical and dramatic masking skills that work to his benefit on TV

Lucas volunteered to save Erica and was allowed to replace her. For the integrity of the narrative concerning racism and associated oppression, Lucas and Erica's perspective will be occasionally shown as she watches Lucas progress and processes his journey, even if this story is byler centric. They deserve that, and it's in faith to the Hunger Games concerning such systems.

Mike and Will's reaping occurs as Nancy can only watch in horror. She'd volunteer herself, only it's too late and the authorities have settled on the story they want. Peacekeepers drag her away and she can only watch. Nancy was close to Jonathan before his death and was in love with him.

Once he has taken a life, Will struggles with the fact that in some ways Lonnie's cruel survival ideology makes sense, only to realize that it collapses upon further inspection, he then doubles down on his compassion and aversion to unnecessary violence while understanding that violence can still become necessary.

Know that this will be a brutal tragedy and most of the characters will die. I do however want to end on a note similar to the books themselves. Just don't set expectations for many to survive.

I will probably break your heart with this a lot, but I'll do my best to make it powerful and meaningful.

The story will touch on things like generational abuse, trauma, violence, fascism, classism, racism, other general forms of oppression, anti-capitalism, and more. It will not be pleasant; but if I write it, I promise I will make it move you and I will remain in good faith to the spirit of the Hunger Games. I don't want to risk it becoming tone deaf to the point of the Hunger Games Premise.

👉Lmk what y'all think of these notes (this isn't even all of them) bc I'm legitimately curious about who would be interested in reading it👈

It would probably become an insane amount of work so I need indication of interest for ✨motivation✨

[kylesvariouslistsandstuff]

Even More About TOY STORY 5

Usually, these kinds of announcements make me think and rethink and sometimes overthink the nature of animated movie sequels made in the West, but also just the way some sequels are done...

Some people on twitter did ask aloud... Why the hype for a fifth SHREK, but not a fifth TOY STORY movie? A lot of the answers were, reasonably, to the tune of "TOY STORY had *two* definitive endings"...

That's a great explanation.

There's a real finality to both TOY STORY 3 and TOY STORY 4, unusual for animated family movie sequels made to two already blockbuster, beloved, popular animated movies in a capitalist American landscape. Especially ones coming from a conglomerate as massive as Disney... And if there's one thing we should've realized over the past 5-10 years, it's that it is never over until they pass away... Almost like one's life. Someone I know on Twitter put it that way in the wake of the TOY STORY 5 announcement. Not that Woody or Buzz or any of the gang died, but the endings were like goodbyes... TOY STORY 3 was the gang's goodbye to a young adult Andy, and TOY STORY 4 was Woody's goodbye to his long-time family. I mean, how do you go on from there? A new story for just Woody? A new story for Buzz and the Bonnie's room gang? Do Woody and Bo go traveling and pay a brief visit to Bonnie's room to check in on Buzz and the gang? I think retconning the ending of TOY STORY 4, no matter how divisive it may have been, would be kind of cowardly. Director Josh Cooley and the writer made their storytelling choices, no matter how they'd be received... The next filmmaker to take on these characters and world ought to make their own mark, just like Cooley did with his film.

Maybe it could be, as I stated in an earlier post on here... A story that starts fresh with a whole new gang of toys? After all, the title *is* TOY STORY... Not WOODY AND BUZZ. Close one door, open another to a new room? Would the filmmakers at Pixar even consider doing that? A franchise as old and as massive as STAR WARS can't even get away from the Skywalkers or the familiar eras of its universe for a minute, so I doubt that TOY STORY would do that. People are there for those movies because of the characters to begin with, I reckon. That's likely why LIGHTYEAR had a hard time at the box office this past summer; it features Buzz Lightyear, yes... But it wasn't the comical and dutiful toy Buzz voiced by Tim Allen who was pals with the Woody doll. Nor was it the funny space ranger Buzz as seen in the TV series BUZZ LIGHTYEAR OF STAR COMMAND. I think that was partially a turn-off for audiences, it deviated too much from the character everyone is familiar with. Audiences must've looked at those trailers and thought it was supposed to be like a cynical, gritty reboot of something associated with a family franchise. Almost like an animated equivalent of one of those recent remakes of a Disney animated feature.

I reckon TOY STORY 5 will at least star someone from the originals.

Who is to say it can't be a midquel? If the ending of TOY STORY 4 is such a concern, there could be a story set at Andy's house, or Bonnie's house between the events of TOY STORY 3 and TOY STORY 4. TOY STORY 4 notes that about two years had passed since the ending of TOY STORY 3, and the two TV specials - TOY STORY OF TERROR! and TOY STORY THAT TIME FORGOT - took place between the two... They just can't call it TOY STORY 5, then... But no matter. Pixar already made a prequel with MONSTERS UNIVERSITY some 10 years ago. Several other recent Disney releases across all their outlets have gotten prequels and midquels and such. For me personally, maybe a midquel is the best route they can go. They can still have Tom Hanks and Tim Allen as Woody and Buzz together, though the existence of the movie *could* still somewhat feel weird... Didn't TOY STORY 4 *just* happen? Didn't that just *end*? But it's either that, a new adventure set after TOY STORY 4, or possibly a full-blown prequel that details Woody's life when he was Andy's father's toy in the '50s/'60s.

I also thought about something else... Actually, this is something I always have stored in my file-cabinet brain...

Pixar, and by extension, Western animation's weird history with sequels... Which I did an article on not too, too long ago.

When The Walt Disney Company acquired Pixar in early 2006, it put an end to the strict original contract that Pixar signed back in 1991. The three-film deal that added a five-film deal on top of it. The veru contract that *didn't allow them to make sequels*, which absolutely played into the rift between the two parties that TOY STORY 2's existence created in the early 2000s. TOY STORY 2 happened because it was supposed to be a direct-to-video sequel produced by a B-team at a different studio altogether. Keep in mind that Disney was likely scared off of doing theatrical animated sequels after years of flop sequels and one of their own - THE RESCUERS DOWN UNDER - coming up short at the box office. No truly successful Western animated movie sequel existed until TOY STORY 2 came out.

Pixar then took over this DTV affair, were able to get it bumped to theatrical status, but Disney did not count it as part of the contract and initially agreed to *not* put worth any more sequels without Pixar's permission... Which meant that no sequel was in the cards, period, for a long while... Imagine, if the rules hadn't been so strict, how many sequels we would've gotten between 1999 and 2010. We would've at least had a TOY STORY 3 by 2005, and possibly an A BUG'S LIFE sequel too, being one of the looser and breezier Pixars that arguably could've gotten a followup back then.

Now, things got heated in 2004, when Pixar was looking to split from Disney after their original contract was up following the pending completion and release of CARS (back then aiming for a fall 2005 debut, almost exactly a calendar year after THE INCREDIBLES). Disney had first rights to those movies and characters made up until that point, and while there was a gentleman's agreement between them and Pixar that promised no Pixar-less sequels made without Pixar's blessing, Disney went back on it. They played dirty, they played hardball. They readied Pixar-less sequels - TOY STORY 3, MONSTERS, INC. 2: LOST IN SCARADISE, and FINDING NEMO 2 - at a newly-minted studio called Circle 7 Animation... By 2005, it wasn't looking good, and it put fans at an interesting fork in the road...

Of course, the story ended with then-CEO Michael Eisner stepping down from Disney in September 2005, his replacement Bob Iger initiating the $7b purchase of Pixar in early 2006, and Pixar operating free of contract and able to make the movies - including sequels - that they wanted to make. It's no surprise that the first new movie they announced that was in development, post-acquisition, was *their* TOY STORY 3 and not the Circle 7 movie with Buzz Lightyear being recalled to Taiwan. Though not announced till 2010, MONSTERS UNIVERSITY went into active development right around that time, too.

But let's pretend it's mid-2005 again... What if Pixar did leave? It would mean that they wouldn't have made the sequels to their pre-RATATOUILLE movies. Post-RATATOUILLE movies, wherever they would've been made, would've absolutely gotten sequels. Disney/Circle 7 would've cranked out their TOY STORY/MONSTERS/FINDING/INCREDIBLES/CARS movies, and possibly an A BUG'S LIFE sequel for good measure... This would've been a wildly different timeline, to say the least. The original filmmakers were around, but not able to make the sequel to *their* first few films made for Disney... But they also wouldn't have had to have made sequels to appease Disney shareholders... It's almost like a weird red pill-blue pill situation. Either path opened or would've opened a Pandora's Box...

For me personally... At least the Pixar sequels are being made at Pixar, with as much of the original creators involved as possible. I know most folks on the Internet made it official that the likes of MONSTERS UNIVERSITY and FINDING DORY and INCREDIBLES 2 and TOY STORY 4 were factually subpar movies, but they were at least made by a lot of their originators. I also happened to quite like, and in some cases even love those films. INCREDIBLES 2 is one of my favorite animated movie sequels, actually, but most people in the internet film and animation circles seem to really not like it much. Though, you could argue that the Circle 7 movies would've been made by fresh blood bringing their own unique take to the material? I don't know if that would've happened in a theoretical scenario where Pixar and Disney Co. *did* split in 2005: Disney in those final years under Eisner was not a pretty landscape on the animation end of things... Disney Feature Animation's morale was at a terrible low under execs like David Stainton, and they released a string of box office disappointments (many of which also got mixed to poor critical reception) tempered by one lone hit. Many animation fans found the direct-to-video Disney sequels to be of poor quality, too... So, would the Circle 7 movies had been any better under those circumstances?

That's the weird thing about that biz. You gain one thing, lose another, vice-versa. There's never a perfect scenario going forward, as there is always a sacrifice. Maybe there is potential in an alternate timeline where sequels to TOY STORY/MONSTERS/NEMO/INCREDIBLES/CARS are so-so under Disney/Circle 7 while Pixar thrives with their post-RATATOUILLE originals and sequels to those movies. Maybe not.

This brings me back to the question... Why the hesitance to see Woody and Buzz again, but not other animated movie sequels?

The thing is, like I said earlier... Things don't end. There will be, for instance, STAR WARS and Marvel and DC and probably even FAST & FURIOUS movies til the end of movies. Animated movies are no exception, money absolutely drives these decisions, as do audiences' love for the characters. Look at how PUSS IN BOOTS: THE LAST WISH is doing. Look at how MINIONS: THE RISE OF GRU did. If there can be more, there will be more... The only $1b-grossing movie that can't feasibly get a sequel is TITANIC, everything else in this world is fair game under the more-more-more capitalism of Hollywood. Everything is rebooted or brought back. Remakes of animated movies, previous iterations of superheroes appearing in new films (i.e. Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield's respective goes at Peter Parker showing up in SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME, Michael Keaton and Ben Affleck's BATMAN showing up in THE FLASH this summer), legacy sequels like TOP GUN: MAVERICK, etc. etc. It's just the way the tides have been flowing, and animated features made into boffo box office hits by large swaths of families are no exception... No matter how the filmmakers choose to end the individual chapters.

Heck, why do those live-action and all-CG tech demo Disney remakes exist? Partially because the originals were 2D animated movies, direct-to-video sequels were made to them already, 2D is barely used for features like that at the big studios these days, most of those movies are way older and had completely different crews working on them under completely different circumstances... Like, there's a reason Jon Favreau's LION KING and the upcoming MUFASA prequel exist, but *not* a proper LION KING sequel made at Walt Disney Animation Studios in 2D or in a PAPERMAN-esque CG style that's being used for their upcoming WISH. The majority of these remakes made a lot of money, they are the brand extensions of the original animated classics if actual canon made-in-house sequels are not or can not be. As such, tech-demo LION KING has a prequel, a live-action ALADDIN sequel was lined up a while back, ditto a tech-demo (with one live actor) JUNGLE BOOK follow-up.

Some tend to be more open-ended than others, though. TOY STORY 3 and TOY STORY 4 are supposedly definitive ends, but billion dollar grosses talked... SHREK FOREVER AFTER may have closed the book on SHREK, but a $700m+ worldwide gross sure as hell talked, so it was never going to be the true ending anyways. DreamWorks may have planned to just make PUSS IN BOOTS movies from there on out, but shit happened, DreamWorks had financial troubles up until Comcast bought them (who no doubt want lots of new sequels from them, see BOSS BABY 2/3, TROLLS 3 and KUNG FU PANDA 4 happening), so... SHREK 5 is a definite, and it *was* on the boards well before Comcast bought them, too. They were talking about making one as far back as 2014, only four years after SHREK FOREVER AFTER - billed as "The Final Chapter" in the ads - was released... Hell, do you remember when... In 2004... The plan was... Four SHREK movies, a SHREK prequel, *and* PUSS IN BOOTS as a direct-to-DVD movie? Again. Never over. TOY STORY 4 is just the end of that particular story, as was SHREK FOREVER AFTER. There is no "final chapter", unless everyone gets killed off... Then a reboot happens, new timeline, new universe-whatever... But that's not happening in one of these movies.

It only ends when the grosses don't come in... Pixar likely won't make a CARS 4 because the third movie barely broke even, if at all, and toy sales for it were underwhelming as well. CARS ON THE ROAD, the Disney+ series that debuted this past September, could've evolved from the canceled fourth feature film from a director (Steve Purcell) who helmed many of the show's episodes. It kind of felt like a condensed road trip, a silly throwaway fun movie that leans into - arguably - the franchise's strengths. I wouldn't be surprised if CARS ON THE ROAD is a reworked version of the unmade CARS 4. On the DreamWorks end of things, there would likely never be a sequel to PENGUINS OF MADAGASCAR, which was a "flop" to their estimation. A fourth MADAGASCAR movie proper, though? Yeah, likely. I'm surprised it hasn't been hinted at or announced recently, that's one of the original DreamWorks franchises, the 2nd movie of theirs to get a sequel (not counting PRINCE OF EGYPT's direct-to-video spin-off JOSEPH: KING OF DREAMS) after SHREK. Sony Animation may say that HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA: TRANSFORMANIA was the end, but I kind of doubt that. Netflix movies may not collect blockbuster grosses, but that doesn't stop sequels from coming: See... Ahem, THE SEA BEAST 2. Universal still plans on making a LEGO MOVIE 3 despite how poorly Warner's LEGO MOVIE 2 and NINJAGO did at the box office. Outside of those heavies... Don't expect, say, a NUT JOB 3 to ever happen. Again, a gross says all, and not the way the thing ends...

And I totally get being upset about that. There's something nice about a story that closes the book and wraps things up. All good things come to an end, right? Well, that end takes forever in Hollywood and in the Western feature animation industry, for sure. There's also the option of departing the train if you don't feel like staying onboard anymore. Maybe some of these franchises should make like comics and just reboot. Start over. All new storyline, all new timeline, things happen differently... Leaves the story you like untouched and with a definitive ending, but continues the franchise. What if TOY STORY 5 was just that? Not at all a continuation of TOY STORY 4, or at all set in that world that the filmmakers created and played with for so many years?

At this point, to me, it really *is* like comics... 50, 60, 70, 80+ years later, there are still stories featuring iconic characters like Batman and Spider-Man. Reinventions, so many iterations of different characters... I think that's what it's all becoming, but in big budget movie form. Look at manga and anime, for example. How many POKEMON, DRAGON BALL, SHIN-CHAN, DETECTIVE CONAN and DORAEMON movies are there, again? They'll only stop if people stop going to see them. If one of these stories ends like, say, a bleak drama, then they won't get sequels... So little by little, I start to fall off of the "it's the definitive ending" thing. Maybe for you personally, it is. I might have a cut-off myself, depending on what TOY STORY 5 is about. I've kind of fallen off the STAR WARS train, as far as live-action goes...

It's a very sequel-heavy world, and TOY STORY 5 is just further proof of that, but it's interesting how a fifth movie in one franchise is perceived vs. how the other one is...

[filmnoirfoundation]

ASK EDDIE - January 5 2022

In case you missed last night’s episode....

FNF prez Eddie Muller responds to film noir fan questions fielded by the Foundation's Director of Communications Anne Hockens. In this episode, we discuss bar hopping in Oakland for NOIR CITY 20 attendees, “Crossfire” supporting actor Paul Kelly’s real life noir story, our favorite non-verbal acting moments in noir and more. We wind things up with answering questions about how we met, if we played sports in high school and if we eat snacks at the cinema. On the cat front, Emily’s dark secret is revealed.

Want your question answered in a future episode? We solicit questions from our email subscribers in our monthly newsletters. Sign up for free at https://www.filmnoirfoundation.org/signup.html

Everyone who signs up on our email list and contributes $20 or more to the Film Noir Foundation receives the digital version of NOIR CITY Magazine for a year. Donate here.

Note: Eddie will not be able to answer questions posted during the livestream nor ones left on our social media accounts

This week’s questions:   

1. Do you have any recommendations for bar hopping in Oakland during Noir City 20?  — Dave and Fiona   

2. Being high risk can’t do indoor events sadly. Will you ever do Streaming Film Noir Festival? — Cindy  

3. Why isn’t “Force of Evil” more readily available in the United States?? — Rob 

4. I was visiting Italy recently and happened to catch “Black Tuesday�� at the Cinema Ritrovato film festival along with a few more films directed by the neglected director Hugo Fregonese. What are the chances of a Blu-ray release please? — Joseph   

5. I know it’s a great, prescient movie, but is “A Face in the Crowd” considered noir? Follow up: Andy Griffith, like Fred McMurray in “Double Indemnity” and Raymond Burr (in almost any noir he appeared in), packs a special punch due to roles they’d perform in LATER in their career.  Are there other more obscure performances you relish because they were “playing against type” versus later roles that you enjoy? — Stevemc   

6. Would love to hear what you can tell us about the male character in “Crossfire” whose scenes all take place in Ginny’s (Gloria Grahame) apartment.  His dialogue was so amusingly bizarre.  I believe the actor was Paul Kelly. — Margaret, Clifton VA   

7. What are some of your favorite or most memorable nonverbal moments in noir? For me, Gene Tierney's performance as Ellen in “Leave Her to Heaven” stands out. — Christy, Grants Pass, OR. 

8. Did contemporary 'Film Noir' audiences have a clear demographic in terms of age, location, income and so forth? — Mark, United Kingdom.     

9. I am eager to learn more about the "B" world and wonder if you have any recommendations for books or other resources on the Poverty Row studios and the people behind them? — Anna   

10. I heard about “Please Murder Me” featuring two of my favs, Angela Lansbury and Raymond Burr. Could you please show it soon? — Mary   

11. What do you consider the FIRST TRUE NOIR FILM? I thought "Stranger on the third floor" OR "Rebecca" OR "they drive at night", or WHAT FILM??? — Spencer   

12. I find there is a strong distinction between noir films made in the 1940s, compared to those from the 1950s. Films in the 1950s seem more realistic and are often shot on location. The male actors are frequently unshaven, wear cheap clothes and never have any money. The female characters are more vulnerable and far less glamorous compared to woman in films from the prior decade. In 40s films, everybody is cleanly scrubbed and well-dressed. I assume the ending of The Production Code contributed to this more realistic noir look in the 1950s. Eddie, your thoughts. — Loren from Chicago   

13. Where did Eddie and Anne first meet? Was there any athletic sport you two played in high school? I like to watch a movie in a theater without eating/drinking.  How about you two, is popcorn a must have? Soft drinks etc.???? — Alan Rossi, San Anselmo, CA

[clarasteam]

I posted 1,072 times in 2022

15 posts created (1%)

1,057 posts reblogged (99%)

says it all, really - this is what happens when I'm not writing fic...

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@amarguerite

@tirlaeyn

@philosopherking1887

@thesandscholar

@johannestevans

I tagged 920 of my posts in 2022

Only 14% of my posts had no tags

#ds9 - 163 posts

#garak x bashir - 80 posts

#ofmd - 44 posts

#garak - 29 posts

#julian bashir - 27 posts

#well this is timely - 17 posts

#writing with a stick - 16 posts

#andy robinson - 16 posts

#poetry - 16 posts

#fandom friends are best friends - 15 posts

Longest Tag: 95 characters

#now thinking about aj hall's post on the great nutrax row (the mother of all office kerfuffles)

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Slings & Arrows Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Darren Nichols/Geoffrey Tennant Characters: Geoffrey Tennant, Darren Nichols, Ellen Fanshaw, Original Characters Additional Tags: Pre-Canon Series: Part 2 of A Tale of Two Islands Summary:

“It’s a judgement on you, Geoffrey,” Darren said. “You keep saying you want realism. Now you’ve got it.”

  Epidaurus, 1981. Geoffrey Tennant’s artistic career gets a little help from the local marine life.

5 notes - Posted January 28, 2022

#4

made some fic progress for the first time since September 2021

gif by @almaviva90​, used with permission

6 notes - Posted January 22, 2022

#3

8 notes - Posted July 7, 2022

#2

from backstage.com [for some reason this won't let me post a working link]

15 notes - Posted April 6, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

@idlesuperstar reminded me how much I love Murder Must Advertise, and also the wonderful and much missed AJ Hall's post about The Great Nutrax Row (The Mother of All Office Kerfuffles).

GNU legionseagle.

40 notes - Posted December 7, 2022

I'm glad this is the top post, as it should be. GNU legionseagle.

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[tellthemeerkatsitsfine]

Spent my work commutes today going back and forth between Danielle Ward's 2007 musical Psister Psycho, and the RRR Graveyard radio episode with Daniel Kitson and Steve Hall from October 2007. Obviously did not plan it that way, to have two things vaguely related to each other, that just happened to be the two things I ran into this week. I started this blog, four years ago (almost exactly, actually, four years and about a week), because I wanted to share thoughts about quite popular panel shows. Then I got increasingly obscure and now sometimes I just spend a day going between an ex-couple from 2007 who both definitely did not mean for those bits of their work to last so long. Sometimes life goes that way.

Anyway, I'm making this post because I got to one bit of the radio episode and excitedly went - oh I've seen that! I know the thing they're referencing!

I usually only post the same one or two videos, when I do my posts about the old CMG-era Late 'n' Live clips that I'm mildly obsessed with, but there are actually a bunch more of them, so there's a fun excuse to post a different one.

This will be familiar to anyone who's watched a lot of The Last Leg, as every once in a while Adam Hills will self-deprecatingly admit to a bit of stand-up he used to do in which he'd pretend to be a terminator and leave his leg behind while walking like the robot falling apart. He generally references it to laugh at himself for how bad this bit of comedy was. I was delighted when I first found this video a couple of years ago, and got to actually see the bit he was talking about. And based on seeing it... I mean, I've seen better comedy, but I've definitely also seen worse comedy than that. As far as humour you can do with a prosthetic leg goes, that's not bad. Adam Hills doesn't mention on The Last Leg the part where a Perrier winner runs in and steals it and it turns into a nature documentary, though. Pretty sure that didn't happen every time.

That actually made me realize that I think part of the appeal of Steve Hall in those old Kitson radio episodes is similar to what Nish Kumar sometimes does on The Bugle. It's fun when Andy Zaltzman starts being really classic Zaltzman, or will re-approriate some of his old material, will say something reminiscent of earlier in his career, and if Nish Kumar's not there, probably no one will point that out. But Nish will always stop to make whatever reference is available, to whatever bit of Andy Zaltzman's career can be referenced, as he knows the long-time fans will be thinking it. And Nish, as a long-time fan himself, can always catch those.

Steve Hall does a sort of amusingly scaled-down version of that in those Kitson things, scaled down because they're not playing to a large body of fans whom they expect to get the references, so he's pretty much just doing it to amuse himself and Kitson. In fact, Kitson once told him off for doing a joke that you can only get if you know the titles of every show Daniel Kitson had ever done (until 2007), to an audience of a Melbourne community radio station at 3 AM. Steve is also the only guest on those radio shows whom I've heard reference things that happened in previous episodes of those shows that he wasn't on, which means either he was either staying up all night listening to them during a festival where he was performing, or he was downloading the recordings online. Either way, that is the level of being a fucking nerd that it takes to be able to act as an audience stand-in. (Or I guess someone could have just told him what happened, which is what I assumed until one time when his reference to the previous show was to complain about the guest talking over Kitson, and accusation with which Kitson himself disagreed, so Steve Hall could only have formed that opinion by actually hearing it. I also found that an hilariously petty thing to complain about. I so enjoy listening to Steve Hall be pointlessly mean about stuff in the middle of the night 17 years ago.)

Anyway, that episode also reminded me of this, and I am about 96% kidding when I say I am considering turning this audio clip into the alarm that wakes me up for work in the morning:

I love the escapism of a radio show from 2007. Steve Hall at one point asked him which he'd prefer, if he absolutely had to use one of the two social media platforms in the world - Facebook or MySpace? Kitson at one point explained: "Scrabulous is online Scrabble, and Facebook is online defeat for the human soul." And called Gavin Osborn a dick for using MySpace. What a simpler time, when that seemed like a real problem.

[rovermcfly]

16 years ago, High School Musical couldn't say Ryan or Kelsie were gay and had to make them each other's boyfriend/girlfriend

8 years ago Good Luck Charlie featured two moms of a child in one episode and faced so much backlash that even the child actors got death threats

3 years ago a character said "I'm gay" for the first time in a Disney production on Andi Mack

(skipping over some things here but these are the most relevant to the post)

So it blows my mind that today on High School Musical: The Musical: The Series since S1 there is a character with two moms, two characters who are gay and dating and S3 introduces a new lesbian/sapphic character and her (ex?) girlfriend and is giving at least one of the regular characters a bisexual-realisation arc. But what blows my mind more is that only very few people in the target audience see this as remarkable enough to talk about it.

It looks like the kids are alright. But also the kids gotta understand that things were very different not that long ago and it's honestly amazing that things have changed enough in the world that a company like Disney doesn't consider it a potentially devastating threat to their popularity if they lose homophobic viewers anymore.

That just is remarkable.

Whatever you think about Disney as a company aside, when HSM came out and I was the target audience, noone dared include queer characters in the mainstream media that was targeted to me. I also didn't realise I was queer until I was well into my teens. Today, kids who are that age and the target audience of HSMTMTS see multiple queer characters and the number is only increasing. That is progress. And I choose to celebrate it. I hope kids understand how much this progress truly means.

[midnightswithdearkatytspb]

VelvetCardiganBucky’s Recommendations 2021: Week 12 & 13 | March 14th – March 27th

Welcome to weeks 12 & 13 of my recommendations, if you would like to be featured on a future list, I follow the hashtag #VelvetCardiganBucky, message me, tag me in your future works, or reblog this post and link to your story, one-shot, Masterlist, writing challenge, etc.

Be aware some if not most stories and writers on this list are meant to be consumed by an audience of those 18+. My blog is also an 18+ blog.

✨Page breaks are made @firefly-graphics✨

«Last Week

Week 14»

My Masterlist

My Fic Rec List of Mafia/Mob Bucky/Sebastian & Steve/Chris/Andy

Stuff I Posted This Week:

Steve + Bey = 4Ever » Steve Rogers and Bey carved places in each other’s hearts, that no one else could ever replace.

I Hear A Symphony » Bucky Barnes x Mutant!Reader — Reader plays an important song to her for Bucky.

—Formerly The Winter Soldier » “I’m no longer the winter soldier, my name is James Bucky Barnes & you're part of my effort to make amends.”

Lee Bodecker

(Mini) Series:

*Give In by @not-a-great-writer » soft!dark!Lee Bodecker x shy!Reader — She didn’t think she was anything special. So when the intimidating Sheriff takes an interest in her, she can’t help but feel a little unsettled. Her boring life is about to get a little interesting. | This story has to be one of my all time series I’ve ever read, and I know I will weep when it’s over. The chapters are decently sized, you have angst, fluff and smut. I couldn’t ask for more, it’s simply a masterpiece.

Deadbeat Pt. 9 by @the-witty-pen-name » Lee Bodecker x F!Reader — You work at the bar at the edge of town, the Sheriff is going through a divorce and needs to rent a room. | Cole thank you for feeding my current Lee Bodecker obsession after I watched The Devil All The Time, for the time. This story is good and I love soft!Lee, and one where no one dies. At least I hope no one dies...

SamBucky

One-Shots:

Loving You Is Cherry Pie by @river-soul » Sam Wilson x Reader x Bucky Barnes — When Sam Wilson, one of your regulars at the cafe finally asks you out, you’re ecstatic until he tells you he wants his friend to join. When you meet Bucky, you decide it might be worth your while after all. [Allusions to stalking, exhibitionism and explicit sex, 18+] | There is just not enough SamBuck stories out there and we have @river-soul to thank for feeding our love for the boys and giving us some good smut, especially to tide us over till Friday.

Nothing Good Happens After 2 AM by @callmeluna » Sam Wilson x Reader x Bucky Barnes — You are admittedly a handful when you’ve had a few drinks in you. Luckily, your partners Sam and Bucky are more than up for the challenge… maybe. | If you are looking for something to make you laugh, might I suggest reading this? The whole time as I read this I couldn’t get the huge smile off my face, it was that good.

Bucky Barnes

Drabbles:

Matching by @heli0s-writes » Bucky Barnes x Reader — Reader and Bucky are “matchy matchy,” with their belly button rings. | This is adorable as well as very funny.

One-Shots:

Smooth Criminal by @bestofbucky » Bucky Barnes x Reader — Based on a dream @velvetcardiganbucky had. You’re parents told you to never give rides to strangers, but when you notice Bucky Barnes trying to break into your car, you know some strangers aren’t so bad. | Jenny did my dream justice! I honestly couldn’t have asked for anything better.

Don’t Over Do It by @whisperlullaby » Bucky Barnes x Reader — Your boyfriend is an asshole. Bucky reminds you that you are perfect the way you are. | I can’t describe this anyway other than perfect, that I wish I had a Bucky like this there for me. Trust me you’ll love the ending.

Coming Home to You by @angrythingstarlight » Biker!Bucky Barnes x Reader — Your Biker boyfriend is finally home and he’s going to show you how much he missed you. With every inch he has. And you’re going to remember how much he loves you. | It’s not very often you read something that has an alternate ending and when you do you find yourself loving both endings. Both endings are hot, the smut is great, again who couldn’t love Biker!Bucky?

Won’t Let You Go by @kind-of-crazy-butthatsokay » Mob!Bucky Barnes x OFC!Kori — Kori met Bucky in one of his clubs, out to get shit-faced with a couple of friends to forget about her worries and maybe take home a guy to further rid herself of her numerous frustrations. Little did she know that the one-night stand with Bucky would turn into so much more than that. | Thank you so much for entering my writing challenge, it means so much. This one-shot is so good, it hit me right the feels and left me falling in love with Kori and Bucky.

Show Me How To Ride by @angrythingstarlight » Beefy Biker!Bucky Barnes x Reader — You’ve been keeping a secret from your biker boyfriend. He is going to get the information out of you one way or the other. | It’s hot and it makes you realize just how much you realize just how much you love Biker!Bucky.

Bubble Baths by @floatingpetals » Bucky Barnes x Reader (Modern AU) — Even your boyfriend Bucky, needs to wind down at the end of a stressful with a bubble bath, but he doesn’t want to do it alone. | Okay, so my summary of this sucks but let me just say this is fluffy and smutty all at once. I wish I had Bucky to take a bubbly bath with.

Bad Boy!Bucky Barnes x Shy!Reader by @gagmebucky — in which there’s nowhere to sit and bucky offers his lap—then, subsequently, his cock. (bad boy!bucky x shy!reader, dirty talk, exhibitionism and voyeurism, cockwarming, unprotected sex.) | *chugs water* yeah is it a little hot in here? I probably would have failed class if Bucky had been in my class along with Steve, I wouldn’t have known who to stare at, forget learning the material.

**Greater Good by @fuel-joy » Bucky Barnes x Reader — There is a cure for the zombie outbreak but is it worth the cost. | Grab your tissues, because you are going to need them. Thanks darling for entering my writing challenge and making me feel so many feels with this one.

(Mini) Series:

A Tender Heart ♥️ Pt. 2 by @river-soul » Alpha!Bucky Barnes x Omega!Reader — You’ve been sweet on Bucky since you started working at the compound six months ago. Normally quiet and mild mannered, an unexpired fight with a coworker brings Bucky into your orbit. [A/B/O dynamics, brief mention of bullying and fluff] | If anyone can pull at your heartstrings it’s @river-soul making the beginning of this series look so promising and I can’t wait to see where it goes.

Run To You 🪙 Pt. 10 🪙 Pt. 11 🪙 Pt. 12 by @bestofbucky » Mob!Bucky Barnes x Bodyguard!Reader — Mob boss Bucky Barnes hires you to be his bodyguard. | Jenny left me at the edge of my seat, making this such an amazing story, I always look forward to her updates, and so sad that there is only 1 chapter left.

Better than Working sequel to This by @angrythingstarlight » Beefy Biker!Bucky Barnes x Reader — Beefy Biker Bucky shows you all the benefits of working from home. In fact what he has for you is so much better than work. | Sometimes you just need to read something hot to lift your spirits, let this do that.

Stucky

One-Shots:

*Tell Me What You Want by @angrythingstarlight » Mafia!Steve Rogers x Reader; Mafia!Bucky Barnes x Reader — Your mob boyfriend, is none other than Steve Rogers and he is willing to get you whatever you wanted, all you have to do is ask. And be careful what you ask for because he’s going to give it to you over and over again. | This is so hot that I highly recommend not reading this anywhere out in public. The smut in this is just *chefs kiss*

(Mini) Series:

Miracle Pt. 2 🥀 Pt. 1 by @heavenhatesme » Soft!Dark!Bucky Barnes x Reader; Soft!Dark!Steve Rogers x Reader — When infertility threatens mankind with extinction and there hasn’t been a baby for almost 18 years, what happens when two certain super soldiers fall for the same woman and accidentally impregnate her? | It’s not tagged as dark, sorry to the writer I tagged it that please forgive me? But I just want to tell everyone heed the tags. I do look forward to reading what happens next. The smut in this is great!

Invisible Ink by @navybrat817 » Bucky Barnes x Reader, Steve Rogers x Reader; Bucky Barnes x Reader x Steve Rogers — The owners of the Howling Commandos Tattoo Parlor want to make you their best girl. | I love the idea of tattoo’d Bucky and Steve, but that's because I have a weakness for tattoo’s. So this series is just right up my alley, and the start of it is so good that I know it’s good to be a great one!

Steve Rogers

Drabbles:

Chocolate Milk & Dino Nuggets by @nony-bear » Steve Rogers x Reader — Daddy Steve helps make his little girl feel better after a long week. DDLG THEMES | Had me wishing I had a Steve to make me Dino nuggets after a long day at work. It’s precious folks.

Prompt 4K Drabble Challenge by @sweeterthanthis » Steve Rogers x Reader — “Show me how deep you can take it.” | You’re going to need an ice cold bath after this one.

One-Shots:

A Cruel Tide by @writerwrites » Nomad!Steve Rogers x Reader — A lost hero thinks she needs saving, but this divorcée’s needs were different, fleeting, and then full of attachment. Can they overcome the burdens on their shoulders and keep their word? | Sometimes you want to wrap the reader and Steve in a blanket and protect them while enjoying the smut. This gave me that and more.

Untitled Request by @navybrat817 » Steve Rogers x Reader — Sending Steve a naughty photo while he’s in a meeting leads to punishment that will remind you to never do it again, right? | Hi, I’m just going to drench myself in ice cold water. ✌🏻

(Mini) Series:

*Control Pt. 3 🔐 Pt. 1 🔐 Pt. 2 by @river-soul » dark!Steve Rogers x Reader — When a probationary agent asks you out on a date you learn Steve’s intentions for you have evolved. He doesn’t take kindly to someone touching what’s his. [Noncon, physical violence (biting), grooming behavior and explicit sex, 18+] | Definitely one of my favorite series to read on Tumblr so far, you know it’s dark, and the smut is great. I always look forward to the updates on this one.

*Lipstick and Crayons 🖍 Ch. 4 by @oneoftheprettynerds » Dark Mob!Steve Rogers x Reader — Steve can’t ever repay you for what you did. After meeting you, Steve believes his broken family is the missing piece in the puzzle of your own wrecked one. Indebting the crime lord to you has been the biggest mistake of your life, cause now you can’t get rid of him, no matter what. Loyalty and favours go a long way in the mob. | This story always gets my heart a racing and leaves you with questions as to what is going to happen next. I truly love it and Soft!Dad while being Angry!Mob boss Steve all at the same time, this story just has it all for me.

This Is My Unbecoming by @river-soul » Werewolf!Steve Rogers x Witch!Reader — When the Hydra pack graduates from turning humans to swell their ranks to kidnapping and murdering witches to consolidate power, Steve knows he needs to strike. He makes a deal with a powerful coven leader for a witch of his own in exchange for destroying the rogue pack. [Magical realism, biting, blood, slightly dubious consent and explicit sex, 18+] | Okay this is so good and I would like to thank the teenage mind of @river-soul for creating this! Like seriously thank you. I look forward to reading more!

It’s been a long, long time ☕️ Ch.1 by @mostly-marvel-musings » Steve Rogers x Reader — Steve Rogers – a man who has lost too much finds himself blending into the crowd in attempts to forget his past but revisits familiar places and spends days sketching his heart out. A rainy evening leads him to find shelter in your coffee shop. Is having meaningful conversations over endless cups of coffee with a stranger the key to unlocking a heart that’s lost the will to love? | The prologue tore my heart out, it truly did but the first chapter just puts the pieces back together. I really love this and I’m honestly looking forward to reading what happens next. I can’t thank you enough for entering my writing challenge!

*Not A Team Part: 1 by @shedobewritingalittle » Steve Rogers x Reader — The Reader tries to live a normal life, but her memories won’t leave her alone. Rhodey comes to visit the reader with a proposition. | There aren't a lot of stories out there that have walk on parts with Rhodey in it and I didn’t know how much I missed out on having him in stories till I read this. This was just so well written and the characterization of Rhodey was perfect, how Peyton got the emotions written across, it’s perfect. Read this and have some tissues on hand. I will always love it.

Andy Barber

One-Shots:

Closing Arguments by @river-soul » Andy Barber x Reader — Andy and you are going out for the first time since your daughter’s birth. Anxious about leaving her behind Andy does his best to make you feel better. [Fluff with explicit sex (f recieving), 18+] | So fluffy and sweet!

Keep the Heat by @ozarkthedog » Andy Barber x Reader — Andy fucks you in the coat. | Semi-Short and the smut is oh so good.

(Mini) Series:

Homebound 🏡 Ch. 1 by @fuel-joy » Dark!Andy Barber x Reader — You witness your neighbor kill his wife. You try to gather evidence all from the comfort of your home. | Prepare to be at the edge of your seat with this one, it’s just that good.

One Night by @darkficsyouneveraskedfor » Dark!Andy Barber x Reader — One night changes your entire life. | This is dark and exciting, with tons of angst in it. I love a real good dark!Andy fic and this is it.

Chris Evans

One-Shots:

Mirrors by @cherrychris » Chris Evans x Reader — “wanna know what i see? me owning you and this sweet little pussy” | Sometimes you read things that just blow your mind and this was one of those things.

*Work Party by @harrylovex » Chris Evans x Reader — you get drunk at a work party and chris looks after you… | This is really adorable and probably one of my favorite fluffy Chris Evans one-shots I’ve ever read.

Misc.

One-Shots:

An Act of Kindness by @stargazingfangirl18 » Jake Jensen x Female!Reader — A simple act of kindness seals your fate. | I would like to simply start of by saying that this was my first Jake Jensen fanfiction in years, or maybe my first one, and all I could was where have I been hiding from him? So good and glad I read this and so will you!

*Come Back Safe by @celestialbarnes » Sam Wilson x Reader — based on tfatws, you find out sam’s leaving for a mission, afraid to lose the man you love, you confront him, and he promises you to come back. | So fluffy you’ll want to cuddle it under a blanket fort and wish under a thousand starry night skies for it to come true.

(Mini) Series:

Fiery Friends Pt. 3 🔥 Pt. 4 by @wanderinglunarnights » Johnny Storm x OFC!Sophia Jones — Johnny invites his best friend Sophia to stay with him in his penthouse during quarantine. | I really like this story, because I find myself mentally rooting for Sophia and Johnny, also going you go girl. Looking forward to what is next for this duo.

Ensnared Pt. 2 🔗 Pt. 1 by @stargazingfangirl18 » Ransom Drysdale x Female!Reader; minor Robert Pronge (Mr. Freezy) x Reader — Robert preps you for the handoff to the smooth talking stranger who bought you, but before he lets you go, he wants to have a little fun first. | So good and hot. Honestly I look forward to hopefully finding out what happens between the reader and Ransom.

Made With Love by @ayybtch » Wanda Maximoff x f!Reader + Friends to Lovers — Wanda is an excellent cook but a terrible baker. A rough day leads her to the bakery in the Avengers compound where she meets you, the lead baker. After a dismal attempt at making chocolate chip cookies, you volunteer to help Wanda learn how to bake. Your friendship grows stronger with each successful recipe until the two of you stumble into something even sweeter than baked goods. | This story will constantly have you smiling, sure it’s only 3 chapters so far, but I started off reading it in a bad mood but by the 3rd chapter I was just so sappy and happy. I can’t wait for more!

Without Me by CuttingMyFingersOff » Legolas x OFC!Braigeth — Braigeth was an elf who has nothing but memories of Legolas to help her survive being imprisoned in the walls of Orthanc. That is, until she is able to escape and reunite with him. | I’ve been invested in this since my friend came forward to me with the idea for this story and now that it’s being written, I couldn’t be more excited to read it. I need more Lord of the Rings in my life if I’m being honest.

Forever and Ever More by @syntheticavenger » Dark Alpha!Ransom Drysdale x Omega!Reader — Ransom Drysdale may be Boston’s most eligible Alpha but he has his eyes set on you. With his inheritance hanging in the balance, he won’t take no for an answer, whether you like him or not. | Prepared to go on a Hawaiian EMOTIONAL roller coaster with this story, there are so many times in this story you find yourself picking your jaw up off the floor. I’ve linked you to chapter 9, which has all the previous chapters, listed.

Is A Shout Out To My...

@bluemusickid in celebration of 700 followers is hosting a Holi Celebration Writing Challenge, that is due April 30th, but extension can be given. Any Marvel or MCU characters can be used in addition to Chris Evans and his characters. The theme is Holi and its colors, for better explanation visit the link provided.

@whisperlullaby in celebration of 700 followers is hosting a 700 Followers Challenge, your entries will be due May 5th. The theme is kinks, no RPF, DDLG/MMLG, bathroom related , incest, or under age kinks. This is MCU characters, Sebastian Stan, and Chris Evans characters x OFC or Reader. For more information visit the link provided. Congrats Becca on the 700 followers you deserve it hun!

@stargazingfangirl18 in celebration of 5K followers is hosting a Soft Dark Writing Challenge, which is due May 31st. Don’t let the name fool you, your writing can be soft, dark, or soft!dark, or headcanons about any Chris character. 500 word minimum with no max, but new or be read as a stand alone piece. For more information visit the link provided and be sure to congratulate Siri on her 5K milestone!

@cloudystevie in celebration of 4K followers is hosting a Mob!AU Writing Challenge, that is due on May 30th. You can use Chris Evans and any of his characters he’s played before, as well as make it NSFW or SFW. To learn more about it please visit the link below. Also congratulations Jasmeen on the 4K followers! 💗

[mythoughtsxxblog]

I just finished Dawson's Creek again and....

I'm still feeling the same way about the ending that I did the first time I watched it. I didn't like it and honestly it should've ended with episode 22. Bare with me, this is a long one....

I already made a post addressing my feelings towards the Pacey and Joey relationship from season 4 (on reddit) and I'm sorry but I still can't get behind them being endgame. I will admit, I found them more appealing this time around than I did the previous times I watched the show (season 3 was perfect and I'll admit the Castaways episode was very endearing), but I still for the life of me don't understand the logic behind them being endgame other that it being fan service.

It felt rushed and as though the ending wasn't meant to be this way but the writers threw it together last minute and called it a day. Does this mean I want her with Dawson? Hell no. I liked them as close friends, nothing more especially after the constant back and forth fighting throughout the series. I also noticed a few things while watching, Joey is quite possibly my least favorite character by the end of the series. I didn't feel this way during my previous watches. This time around, I found her quite unbearable by the last 2 seasons and felt as though she should've ended up single at the end or at least with Eddie. Her and Eddie seemed a lot more compatible. And my annoyance with her character made me feel as though Pacey deserved better than Joey. Pacey wasn't flawless, but I just feel like he deserved better than a reignited relationship he had in high school. It also always felt like he loved Joey more than she loved him.

That leads me to this....I've said this before, and I'll say it again, Pacey's best relationship was with Andie. I'm biased and still believe they should've been together by the end but the writers thought it'd be best to destroy her character and practically laugh in Meredith Monroe's face (cutting her amazing scenes in the last episode?! Why????). Andie went to Harvard. Which is in Boston, aka where the other characters were. There was so much more potential with the character, and its quite sad they got rid of her so soon and only used her as a stepping stone for a love triangle. Her and Pacey, in my eyes, were a well-balanced and beautiful relationship. They both knew what they wanted and never gave up on one another. They helped each other in ways others couldn't.

Somebody made a great point in another post and said Pacey and Joey only ever worked out when they were isolated from everyone else (the summer boat trip, moving to NY). And it's true. Around the others it never worked and maybe it's because they weren't meant to be. I know people will disagree with me, but it's just how I feel after watching it again.

Also I'm still so damn angry about Jen. Killing off her character for the pure shock factor will forever be the biggest mistake. I don't see why else they decided to kill her off other than to shock an audience and boost ratings (was that even accomplished?). I'm so happy Michelle Williams still had the best career going forward despite suffering awful writing for 3 seasons of this show. Also Jen and Jack were soulmates and watching their beautiful friendship will forever be my favorite part of this show.

All in all, there's so much I do love about this show. It gave us two of the best fictional TV show characters in Pacey Witter and Jen Lindley. There's also so much wrong with this show, but I won't continue harping on that. I will say, I can see myself rewatching this show again in the future.

[non-un-topo]

The wonderful @happensweet​ requested the immortals with flowers that remind me of them! I think I had way too much fun with this so thank you for the request! Here we go <3

For Nile, protea. It’s a very unique flower that symbolizes change/transformation and courage. It is also very sturdy and strong and often used as a centrepiece in bouquets, which I thought was appropriate for Nile’s place in the team, as the newest member and audience surrogate.

For Andy, I chose aster. Asters symbolize wisdom, faith, and valour, which I thought was very fitting for our eldest immortal/leader. The name also comes from the Greek word for star.

For Quynh, datura. I thought they were a good match for Quynh because they bloom at night, and her name means “night blooming flower”. They are also extremely poisonous but very beautiful, which I thought could be a sort of tragic metaphor for her ruthlessness and madness post-iron maiden.

For Joe, I actually chose two! Tiger lilies and sunflowers. The bright orange colour of the tiger lilies made me think of his warmth and passion and they also have freckles like he does! Lilies are usually a symbol of love (and tiger lilies happen to be my favourite flower). Sunflowers represent happiness and longevity, a good fit for the oldest and most joyful man in the world.

For Nicky, gentian. Gentians are upright and sturdy, and they represent victory. Nicky’s birthname translates to “victory of the people”, so I thought it was fitting. They’re also a very deep and vibrant blue, which I thought worked well with his calm and cool demeanour.

Finally, I chose chrysanthemums for Booker. In France, yellow chrysanthemums represent death and mourning, which I thought was appropriate for Booker’s tragic fixation with dying and the death of his family. They’re also considered a symbol of loyalty, so there’s an extra stab in the gut. Additionally, and kind of contradictory to the death symbol, they can also represent immortality.

[secretly-of-course]

Andi Mack Miraculous AU 🐞 Andi as Ladybug 🐞 Power of Creation

Hey everybody! I’ve been in a major creative slump lately but this was this first piece I’ve been inspired to draw in quite a while :) This au has a target audience of approximately 3 people (myself included) but I’m super excited about it! I haven’t decided yet whether I’m going to post each character individually or post the whole batch at once so we’ll just have to wait and see how it goes 😅

The ladybug miraculous’ power is based on creativity—making it perfect for Andi ✨

[image ID: a drawing of Andi Mack as a ladybug themed super hero. She is standing with her feet spread apart, and her body is angled slightly to the viewer’s left, with her left leg and arm coming forward. Both her hands are in fists, and she is swinging around her yo-yo weapon. She is wearing a fitted jumpsuit with color blocked sections of red with black polka dots and solid black, with a large zipper toggle vaguely resembling a ladybug, and epaulettes on the shoulders in the shape of ladybug wings. A red spotted mask covers the upper half of her face. She is also wearing red spotted boots, gloves, and earrings, plus two red antennas sit on top of her head. The background is a green scribble over solid white.]

[with-my-murder-flute]

Differences between Quỳnh and Noriko

AKA Why I Am Hopeful About TOG 2. They changed WAY more than the character’s name. Now in one handy “I Read The Comics So You Don’t Have To” post.

Tl;dr: I hate Noriko’s storyline in the comics, but it already looks like Quỳnh is headed in a very different direction (yay!). 

(BIG SPOILERS for the comics)

How she and Andy met

Comics: The first immortal Andy met was Lykon, in the 3rd century BCE. She decided to go find Noriko later because of the dreams, and it took a century to find her. In the 7th century CE Andy came to Alexandria with an invading army, and when peace was made, she found Noriko, who was riding around as a successful warrior.

Movie/history featurette: The first immortal Andy met was Quỳnh, who she found in 1000 BCE after a century of searching. Quỳnh had “given up” out of loneliness and despair, and was lying in the desert, unprotected and unarmored.

How she was lost

Comics: Andy, Joe, Nicky, and Noriko were sailing on a ship around Cape Horn roughly 1600-1700 CE. During a storm, Noriko was washed overboard. Andy says, “All of us knew that was it for her” implying they thought she was dead, but is vague on how they reached that conclusion.

Movie: Andy and Quỳnh were sentenced to death for witchcraft (official timeline says 1750, movie dialogue says “500 years ago”, probably somewhere in between). While Andy and the boys were helpless to stop it, Quỳnh was locked into a metal coffin, put on a ship, and dropped into the ocean in an unknown part of the world.

How she’s remembered

Comics: There is very little mention of if the group searched for Noriko, if they stayed in South America to see if she would surface, or anything else. Booker seems never to have heard of her. Nile and Booker do not dream of her. Nile, who’s been with the Old Guard for several months, learns about her existence for the first time ever when Noriko comes back and the team have to explain who that person was.

Movie: Nile and Booker dream about Quỳnh. Her loss is one of the first stories Nile hears. The Old Guard speak warmly about her and Andy still wears her necklace. It is obvious that the group searched fruitlessly for her against impossible odds, but that Andy still feels guilty for not finding her.

When she came back

Comics: Noriko drowned for a century or two, but returned to land long enough ago for Copley to be able to trace her influence through decades, possibly centuries, of history. (Sidenote: Copley’s research doesn’t come up in the comics until late in the second volume.)

Movie: It seems pretty likely her return was between the main plot of the movie (when Nile dreams her still drowning)  and her return in the “6 months later” epilogue.

What she does next

Comics: Noriko demands that Booker tell her where the rest of the Old Guard is, and he nobly refuses, so she has her thugs restrain him and bring him to her private boat, puts a metal slave collar around his neck and says “I own you now”, then continues to try to torture him for information about the Old Guard by having her thugs repeatedly drown him to death. Copley summarizes his research about her by saying, “She's not like you guys. You help people. She hurts them... drugs, weapons trafficking... ties to criminal organizations around the globe...”  (She’s also involved in human trafficking!)

Movie: nOT THAT HOPEFULLY???

One tiny ray of plot hope

Right now 2 of 3 volumes of The Old Guard comics have come out. Volume 2 ends on a cliffhanger. Noriko has succesfully sown division within the Old Guard and Andy, who hasn’t seen Copley’s research, feels very discouraged and haunted by her past as someone who’s perpetrated murder, genocide, and slavery. Nile, Booker, Joe, and Nicky abandon Andy. Noriko finds her when she’s alone, and offers her hand to pick Andy up off the floor and promises to take her “to meet the others”

In the comics, it’s possible “the others” mean other immortals, maybe immortals older than Andy, since Booker concludes that because he’s never dreamed about Noriko she must be “very old”. That might explain why there are rumours about Netflix wanting to bring Gal Godot on for the sequel--instead of following the comics faithfully, which they aready haven’t done, they might be jumping straight to a different story arc.

To Sum Up:

The movie has done a lot to 

Humanize Quỳnh and set her up ahead of time as someone who was loved, missed, and mourned

Make Andy, Nicky, and Joe a lot more blameless for not having found her again

Let the audience empathize with how horrific Quỳnh’s separation from the group is and let people speculate on how that’s made her feel

Foreground the moral conversations about what the Old Guard’s immortality is for and begin Andy’s character arc of going from cynicism to hope

Reduce the amount of time between her getting out of the ocean and making contact with Booker, and therefore, presumably her involvement in the criminal underworld