#that's literally the only thing I do outside of geek about music

[cinamun]

The reason I never saw the tags in the favorite simblr thread is because the OP has me blocked. Everyone has their reasons I guess.

Anyway, that's why I never got the tags until someone tagged me outside of reblogging the longer thread.

Thanks to everyone who tagged me, I appreciate you, I love you and I hope you stay healthy, happy and hydrated. I hope you smell lilacs somewhere today and I hope your pillow is extra cool tonight. 🫶🏾

[athena-xox]

Hi! I've been wanting to send asks for a while but couldn't think of a good question until recently.

I have three questions (or perhaps I should say headers).

One: How's your rewrite progressing? At what stages is cannon altered? Are there going to be concepts/characters ignored entirely?

Two: I've seen your (humorous) plea for long/multi chapter eah fics what are some of the favorite's you've read already? Any chance you have an idea of your own outside the rewrite? long or short (chances are yes, for literally anyone in this fandom but it bears asking).

Three: What fairytale(s) would you

A: Like to repeat

B: Could functionally thwart if you had to live through it.

C: Die in, or flee the land to avoid at all cost's.

Omg love the questions. I will admit I’m a bit to brain dead to fully comprehend all the questions so if I answer I different question that what you intended feel free to correct me.

With that being said, the first chapter of my rewrite is done and basically fully edited I believe it’s around 6000/7000 words. Chapter two hadn’t been edited but it’s kinda a weird one so it doesn’t really need to be edited and it’s only around 2000 words.

Chapter 3 I’ve written a bit of it and it’s also a short and I have a layout for it. And chapter 4 is going to be on the longer side probably 6000-10000 words. But after those are done and edited hopefully I’ll publish the fic!!

So that’s the progress, for what parts of canon are being altered, I think a lot of characterization. Bunny, Alistair, Crystal, Milton Grimm, Snow White & EQ are all characters who were either portrayed as good or morally grey that I’m going to make evil (whoops spoilers) and then also kitty isn’t really going to have a redemption arc like she did in spring unsprung, she’s just going to continue to chaotically be herself.

And then just every plotline / character will just be slightly more mature and in depth. And it depends on how you see canon because the rewrite is going to be a mix the tv series + the books which vary a bit on canon. And then obviously a lot more queer representation.

I wouldn’t necessarily say that the epic winter arc is being disgraced but it’s going througu many changes. I’ll probably get ride of the whole through the woods concept because it doesn’t really add anything to the plot (although I am adding a musical that doesn’t really do anything for the plot except allow be to geek (theatre kid) out and give us some cute dizzie moments).

I really want to include her but I don’t think there’s going to be any room for Bella sister. Other things from canon that I’m not including is darise, Meeshell being a horrible singer, DARABELLA, Maddie having visions, the snow king, cupids crush on dexter, the revealer rays, probably lots more but I can’t think of them.

Onto the next question I definitely have some fic recs. I’ll probably make a separate post for it but my top 2 are rewrite ignite restart and a legacy of brambles and thorns.

I think the reason why I’m actually commuting to the rewrite is because it’s really the only eah fic I want to write since I plan to hopefully cover all the characters and ships I like. In my past fandoms I’ve had like 20 different fics I wanted to write but I never got a around to all or them.

Oh wait actually I guess I have one idea but I doubt I’ll ever write it since I want to focus on the rewrite. But during my transition stage from the mlb fandom to the eah I was thinking about an au. Either the eah characters with miraculous’s in the real world or mlb characters at ever after. 

Okay and for the last questions im assuming you’re asking which fairytales I’d like to 1. Be a part of 2. Don’t want to be a part of and I could stop it 3. Would have to run away from ?

1. When I was little I had the yearbook thing that had you create your own eah character and I always wanted to be a princess so I made myself goose girl

2. Definitely wouldn’t want to be like Jack in the beanstalk so I just wouldn’t take the beans

3. Sleeping beauty was my fav when I was younger so I definitely wouldn’t want to have Faybelles destiny. Or be an ugly sister, that would kill my self esteem (no wonder Bella and Brutta ran away)

For the last 3 questions I wasn’t sure if you were asking all abt me or if any were for my rewrite.

Anyways tysm for the ask !!

[not-poignant]

Awwwwwwww Haley!!!!! What a gem, I am loving her presence in this story and in Alex's life. It's so interesting how Sebastian, Sam, and Abigail kind of have a chip on their shoulders of "us against the town" that sort of allows them to ignore how Alex and Haley felt growing up in Pelican Town. As if those three were the only teenagers who encountered feelings of isolation or discontent with life in the valley. I think you've talked about this before, hopefully I'm not just repeating what you've previously said word for word hahaaaa

Oh no, you've summarised it up really well! I'm sure I've said something similar to this but took like 1000 words to say it :D

And yeah that's how I feel about them in the story very much. I think when you identify as a geek etc. or when you feel you're better than a place, you might combine 'I'm being looked down on because I'm a geek' with 'I don't belong here because I'm better than this place' and end up with 'it's us against the town' mentality.

I always found it interesting that like, Sebastian, Abigail and Sam are nearly *always* together at every event / festival, and Alex and Haley are *often* together but not always (Alex is sometimes with his grandparents, which is sweet). Sebastian is never actively bullied by anyone except his stepfather in the story (nor is Alex, but Alex does mention a canonically mean / abusive father). Sam is never actively bullied. Abigail isn't either. So from the outside looking in, this is a tight friendship group.

Not only that, but in all of your cut scenes with Alex, he is completely alone. And in fact, in one of them, you eavesdrop on him telling his dog Rusty 'you're the only one I can talk to' - indicating how lonely he is. And then in another cut scene, he has his mother's music box with him while he's upset on the beach, and basically you find out he's been crying, on his own, at the beach. When Alex asks you not to tell anyone that he was emotional/crying about his dead mom, you literally laugh at him and then walk away while he panics. That literally happens in the best case scenario. I hate that scene so much. Playing that up for comedic value is like 'haha lightening the mood I guess' - but from a character meta standpoint, it's like shit, that's brutal.

In fact, in most of his cut scenes or dialogue exchanges, you have the option to laugh, mock, belittle, or abuse him, you can even say 'yeah, your father was right about you.'

On the other hand, Sebastian gets one lengthy cut scene with friends playing tabletop gaming together where it's clear they do this regularly. In his first cut scene, his mother comes in to say Abigail wants to come over. Sebastian's introduced as someone who is social from the beginning, not just with one person, but multiple people, to the point where his cut scenes involve multiple friends.

I find that contrast super interesting. Like, the game indicates one thing about Sebastian in his appearance and behaviour (i.e. loner introvert goth) but then says something completely different in his actual interactions in the town. The game indicates one thing about Alex (i.e. egotistical sporty popular guy) and then says something completely different in their actual interactions in the town.

From a story perspective, I love that - like what if they believe about each other what the game wants us to think before we dig deeper? Except that in this case, Alex realised pretty quickly that Sebastian isn't a loner at all, in fact he's extremely social, and even hosts gatherings at his own place (something no one else does except for Caroline and her exercise group, and Sam with his band - that Sebastian is a member of).

Anyway, enjoying blowing up each one of Sebastian's assumptions! It's incredibly satisfying, lol

[roleplay-today]

hey guys! i'm sylvie, she/her, and i'm just on the cusp of being 21.

i come looking for a fellow advanced literate - novella writer to indulge my crazy ass in a story or two.

what's included in the package?

: at least one reply a day, sometimes a little more & sometimes a little less! : ooc communication, plotting, Geeking completely out if you will : characters of all orientations. female mun, but i'm just as eager (if not more so tbh) to write male characters. i do lean ever so slighty towards queer pairings, but i don't discriminate! : canon/canon or oc/oc. will double once a fortnight. : plotting!!i love character driven stuff too!! all i ask is that you work with me and don't be passive! : so so willing to write casts, bg chars & mumu (essentially where we write multiple ships whose stories may or may not be entwined).

what/who do i write??

harry potter : james potter, remus lupin, barty crouch jr., george weasley, xenophilius lovegood, lily evans, m!halfvamp!oc. have & will write many others. we'd be here all day. my hero academia : sir nighteye, midnight, fuyumi, f&m!ocs. itching and scratching to write against a shiggy. stranger things : only steve for canons, but i do love this verse & would be so down to do something og / au in it!

originals:

i'm not crazy about high fantasy ! i tend to opt for more supernatural, light sci-fi, dramatic sol, etc. i fuck with historical big time. i mean i will love you forever. whether it be old hollywood, war, medieval, victorian, cheesy 80s horror, ghost hunters, the outsiders-inspired, music scenes, wild west, holy shit. anything.

word bank:

enemies / rivals to lovers, reconciliation, reluctant partners in crime, lovers to enemies, co-dependency, found family, opposites attract, moral greyness, spies, double agents, forced proximity, time travel, anything that will ruin my life.

if this interests you, feel free to drop a like and i will get right to you <3

[greensparty]

TV reviews - Geddy Lee Asks: Are Bassists Human Too? / John Lennon: Murder Without a Trial

This week I got to review two unscripted mini-series that both dropped recently on streamers.

Geddy Lee Asks: Are Bassists Human Too?

As the singer and bassist for Rush, Geddy Lee has amassed quite a cult following. They were a thinking man's rock trio where you literally felt smarter just for listening to them. I went through a serious Rush phase as a teen. I had heard their hits, but began buying their 70s CDs one by one. I even learned some of their songs when I was taking guitar lessons. 2112, their epic rock opera, is my personal fave of their discography. In 1996, I saw the band live at the Meadowlands in NJ. Fantastic live band too. Now, Lee is getting his own limited unscripted series Geddy Lee Asks: Are Bassists Human Too? which premiered on Paramount+ last week.

TV poster

Produced by Banger Films and directed by Sam Dunn (who directed the Rush doc Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage as well as Super Duper Alice Cooper, and ZZ Top: That Little Ol' Band from Texas, this is sort of like Geddy Lee's version of a travel show, where a host visits a different location each episode, talks to a local (or many), and takes in the local food and culture. The four episodes that have been released are Lee speaking with Les Claypool of Primus and The Claypool Lennon Delirium, Robert Trujillo of Metallica, Melissa Auf der Maur of Hole and Smashing Pumpkins, and Krist Novoselic of Nirvana and 3rd Secret. Lee goes to their home, does activities with them and eventually talks and plays music with them. It is very much insider-baseball for musicians.

Lee is an engaging figure and a great host. All of these subjects so far have been bassists who came along after Rush and in some cases there was overlap between their band and Rush, but I think it might be interesting if the next season was bassists who pre-dated Rush. As a huge fan of Novoselic and Auf der Maur, and very familiar with Claypool and Trujillo, I of course was fully engaged in their rapport and conversation. Novoselic showing Lee his grange and flying with him on his plane is something I could watch all day! In some instances, it's Lee discovering things he hasn't done before like surfing with Trujillo. This is a cool show for music geeks, but beyond Paul McCartney the average person can't name too many bassists, so it's nice to see bassists talking shop and then some!

For info on Geddy Lee Asks: Are Bassists Human Too?

4 out of 5 stars

John Lennon: Murder Without a Trial

The December 8, 1980 murder of John Lennon outside his NYC apartment building at the hands of deranged "fan" Mark David Chapman is one of the great tragedies in that he was such a tremendous talent taken from us at age 40 way before his time. I was only about 4 when it happened, so I don't have any "where were you when Lennon was shot" memories (although I was into the Yellow Submarine movie). In later years as I got into The Beatles and Lennon's solo work, I saw many documentaries and specials about that tragedy. Not only was Lennon in a good place and happy with wife Yoko Ono and raising his 5 year-old son Sean, but he had just released a new album Double Fantasy, his first in five years and you got the sense it was the start of a big comeback. I've visited the Lennon memorial Strawberry Fields in Central Park many times. But I digress. The tragic murder is now a 3-part documentary mini-series John Lennon: Murder Without a Trial, which just premiered on Apple TV+.

TV poster

Narrated by Kiefer Sutherland, this is a deep dive into the day of the murder (what Lennon was doing leading up to the assassination, what Chapman was doing), the investigation, the trial and outcome.

Anyone who reads this blog, knows I am a lifelong Beatle and Lennon fanatic. Just recently, I got to review the documentary The Lost Weekend: A Love Story about May Pang’s relationship with Lennon and I also got to review the re-release of The Beatles’ Red and Blue albums. So I went into this very familiar with the subject. The thing that impressed me most was the depth of interview subjects, i.e. cab drivers that night, police and law enforcement that night, Dakota employees and residents, hospital staff and more. Hearing their recollections and some of the archival footage are quite impressive. But the thing that Lennon fans needs to understand going into this is that this is more of a true crime doc than a music or celebrity doc. I say this because there are very few Lennon musical collaborators other than producer Jack Douglas, and Yoko and Sean are shown in archival footage. There have been some fantastic Lennon docs in the past, notably Imagine: John Lennon (possibly the best Lennon doc there's been), The U.S. vs. John Lennon, and LennoNYC. This one is very much looking into the crime itself, the legal ramifications and the outcome. Do not expect to learn much about Lennon himself here if you're a fan, but you might learn quite a bit about Chapman (not that you necessarily want to know more about that monster). As a documentarian I can appreciate this doc series, but as Lennon fan I wanted a little more about Lennon, his family and the recording he was doing at that time, and it only scratched that surface.

For info on John Lennon: Murder Without a Trial

3 out of 5 stars

[intrstellarhearts]

✰ summer term at welton headcanons

i had this whole cascade of thoughts the other day about what it would be like if welton had a "summer term". basically what it would be like if some of the students stayed over summer break.

i believe that all of our lovely poets would stay for this period, for differing reasons.

they'd have a few classes, but they're a lot less rigorous than normal. you take classes from a topic you're interested in.t

he regular people who run the dorms have gone home, so some of the teachers will be in charge of each floor.

omg and guess who is in charge of the poet's floor?

i'll give you a hint....

his name starts with john and ends with keating :D

not only is he in charge of the floor, he's also in charge of what they learn.

that means they spend hours on end reading & dissecting the poetry they love.

mr. keating gives them "homework", which just relates to what he knows goes on when they go to the cave.

oh yeah, and they're allowed to go to the cave :)

keating literally invented going to the cave (that king) & so ofc they're allowed to go.

i think that aside from classes, they spend a lot of time outside.

soccer or football are played often, but they'll also look at the clouds.

well, todd & neil will.

(COUGH gay COUGH)

omg who said that bro

ANYWAYS

when it gets really hot, they all tumble back into the dorms for a cold shower.

sometimes they cook their own meals, but let's be honest. charlie would burn everything smh.

no actually, charlie would burn his food intentionally. todd would accidentally burn his.

anyways they eat & then gather in their little common room around the radio.

they do listen to music, but i feel like they would all love those old radio stories.

pitts & meeks geeking out over what happened on the story the week before.

neil wanting to act it out.

charlie rolling his eyes but secretly liking it.

cameron telling everyone to hush so he can actually hear the damn thing.

and our sweet sweet todd, just happy that he's finally found those he belongs with.

[be-gay-do-heists]

hello yall :) the holy month of elul started last night, which is typically a time for contemplation, so since it is impossible for me to stop thinking about leverage, i decided to write an essay. hope anyone interested in reading it enjoys, and that it makes at least a little sense!! spoilers for leverage redemption

-----

Leverage, Judaism, and “Doing the Work”: An Essay for Elul

When it comes to Elul and the approaching High Holidays, Leverage might seem like an odd topic to meditate on.

The TNT crime drama that ran from 2008-2012, and which released a new season this summer following its renewal, centers on a group of found-family thieves who help the victims of corporations and oligarchs (sometimes based on real-world examples), using wacky heists and cons to bring down the rich and powerful. In one episode, the team’s clients want to reclaim their father’s prized Glimt piece that had been stolen in the Shoah and never returned, but aside from this and the throwaway lines and jokes standard for most mainstream television, there’s not a ton textually Jewish about Leverage. However, despite this, I have found that the show has strong resonance among Jewish fans, and lots of potential for analysis along Jewish themes. This tends to focus on one character in particular: the group’s brilliant, pop culture-savvy, and personable hacker, Alec Hardison, played by the phenomenally talented Aldis Hodge.

I can’t remember when or where I first encountered a reading of Hardison as Jewish, but not only is this a somewhat popular interpretation, it doesn’t feel like that much of a leap. In the show itself, Hardison has a couple of the aforementioned throwaway lines that potentially point to him being Jewish, even if they’re only in service of that moment’s grift. It’s hard to point to what exactly makes reading Hardison as Jewish feel so natural. My first guess is the easy way Hardison fits into the traditional paradigms of Jewish masculinity explored by scholars such as Daniel Boyarin (2). Most of the time, the hacker is not portrayed as athletic or physical; he is usually the foil to the team’s more physically-adept characters like fighter Eliot, or thief Parker. Indeed, Hardison’s strength is mental, expressed not only through his computer wizardry but his passions for science, technology, music, popular media, as well as his studious research into whatever scenario the group might come up against. In spite of his self-identification as a “geek,” Hardison is nevertheless confident, emotionally sensitive, and secure in his masculinity. I would argue he is representative of the traditional Jewish masculine ideal, originating in the rabbinic period and solidified in medieval Europe, of the dedicated and thoughtful scholar (3). Another reason for popular readings of Hardison as Jewish may be the desire for more representation of Jews of color. Although mainstream American Jewish institutions are beginning to recognize the incredible diversity of Jews in the United States (4), and popular figures such as Tiffany Haddish are amplifying the experiences of non-white Jews, it is still difficult to find Jews of color represented in popular media. For those eager to see this kind of representation, then, interpreting Hardison, a black man who places himself tangential to Jewishness, in this way is a tempting avenue.

Regardless, all of the above remains fan interpretation, and there was little in the text of the show that seriously tied Judaism into Hardison’s identity. At least, until we got this beautiful speech from Hardison in the very first episode of the renewed show, directed at the character of Harry Wilson, a former corporate lawyer looking to atone for the injustice he was partner to throughout his career:

“In the Jewish faith, repentance, redemption, is a process. You can’t make restitution and then promise to change. You have to change first. Do the work, Harry. Then and only then can you begin to ask for forgiveness. [...] So this… this isn’t the win. It’s the start, Harry.”

I was floored to hear this speech, and thrilled that it explained the reboot’s title, Leverage: Redemption. Although not mentioned by its Hebrew name, teshuvah forms the whole basis for the new season. Teshuvah is the concept of repentance or atonement for the sins one has committed. Stemming from the root shuv/shuva, it carries the literal sense of “return.” In a spiritual context, this usually means a return to G-d, of finding one’s way back to holiness and by extension good favor in the eyes of the Divine. But equally important is restoring one’s relationships with fellow humans by repairing any hurt one has caused over the past year. This is of special significance in the holy month of Elul, leading into Rosh haShanah, the Yamim Noraim, and Yom Kippur, but one can undertake a journey of redemption at any point in time. That teshuvah is a journey is a vital message for Harry to hear; one job, one reparative act isn’t enough to overturn years of being on the wrong side of justice, to his chagrin. As the season progresses, we get to watch his path of teshuvah unfold, with all its frustrations and consequences. Harry grows into his role as a fixer, not only someone who can find jobs and marks for the team, but fixes what he has broken or harmed.

So why was Hardison the one to make this speech?

I do maintain that it does provide a stronger textual basis for reading Hardison as Jewish by implication (though the brief on-screen explanation for why he knows about teshuvah, that his foster-parent Nana raised a multi-faith household, is important in its own merit, and meshes well with his character traits of empathy and understanding for diverse experiences). However, beyond this, Hardison isn’t exactly an archetypical model for teshuvah. In the original series, he was the youngest character of the main ensemble, a hacking prodigy in the start of his adult career, with few mistakes or slights against others under his belt. In one flashback we see that his possibly first crime was stealing from the Bank of Iceland to pay off his Nana’s medical bills, and that his other early hacking exploits were in the service of fulfilling personal desires, with only those who could afford to pay the bill as targets. Indeed, in the middle of his speech, Hardison points to Eliot, the character with the most violent and gritty past who views his work with the Leverage team as atonement, for a prime example of ongoing teshuvah. So while no one is perfect and everyone has a reason for doing teshuvah, this question of why Hardison is the one to give this series-defining speech inspired me to look at his character choices and behavior, and see how they resonate with a different but interrelated Jewish principle, that of tikkun olam. 

Tikkun olam is literally translated as “repairing the world,” and can take many different forms, such as protecting the rights of vulnerable people in society, or giving tzedakah (5). In modern times, tikkun olam is often the rallying cry for Jewish social activists, particularly among environmentalists for whom literally restoring the health of the natural world is the key goal. Teshuvah and tikkun olam are intertwined (the former is the latter performed at an interpersonal level) and both hold a sense of fixing or repairing, but tikkun olam really revolves around a person feeling called to address an injustice that they may have not had a personal hand in creating. Hardison’s sense of a universal scale of justice which he has the power to help right on a global level and his newfound drive to do humanitarian work, picked up sometime after the end of the original series, make tikkun olam a central value for his character. This is why we get this nice bit of dialogue from Eliot to Hardison in the second episode of the reboot, when the latter’s outside efforts to organize international aid start distracting him from his work with the team: “Is [humanitarian work] a side gig? In our line of work, you’re one of the best. But in that line of work… you’re the only one, man.” The character who most exemplifies teshuvah reminds Hardison of his amazing ability to effect change for the better on a huge stage, to do some effective tikkun olam. It’s this acknowledgement of where Hardison can do the most good that prompts the character’s absence for the remainder of the episodes released thus far, turning his side gig into his main gig.

With this in mind, it will be interesting to see where Hardison’s arc for this season goes. Separated from the rest of the team, the hacker still has remarkable power to change the world, because it is, after all, the “age of the geek.” However, he is still one person. For all that both teshuvah and tikkun olam are individual responsibilities and require individual decision-making and effort, the latter especially relies on collective work to actually make things happen. Hardison leaving is better than trying to do humanitarian work and Leverage at the same time, but there’s only so long he can be the “only one” in the field before burning out. I’m reminded of one of the most famous (for good reason) maxims in Judaism:

It is not your duty to finish the work, but neither are you free to neglect it. (6)

Elul is traditionally a time for introspection and heeding the calls to repentance. After a year where it’s never been easier to feel powerless and drained by everything going on around us, I think it’s worth taking the time to examine what kind of work we are capable of in our own lives. Maybe it’s fixing the very recent and tangible hurts we’ve left behind, like Harry. Maybe it’s the little changes for the better that we make every day, motivated by our sense of responsibility, like Eliot. And maybe it’s the grueling challenge of major social change, like Hardison. And if any of this work gets too much, who can we fall back on for support and healing? Determining what needs repair, working on our own scale and where our efforts are most helpful, and thereby contributing to justice in realistic ways means that we can start the new year fresh, having contemplated in holiday fashion how we can be better agents in the world.

Shana tovah u’metukah and ketivah tovah to all (7), and may the work we do in the coming year be for good!

------

(1) Disclaimer: everybody’s fandom experiences are different, and this is just what I’ve picked up on in my short time watching and enjoying this show with others.

(2) See, for example, the introduction and first chapter of Boyarin’s book Unheroic Conduct: The Rise of Heterosexuality and the Invention of the Jewish Man (I especially recommend at least this portion if you are interested in queer theory and Judaic studies). There he explores the development of Jewish masculinity in direct opposition to Christian masculine standards.

(3) I might even go so far as to place Hardison well within the Jewish masculine ideal of Edelkayt, gentle and studious nobility (although I would hesitate to call him timid, another trait associated with Edelkayt). Boyarin explains that this scholarly, non-athletic model of man did not carry negative associations in the historical Jewish mindset, but was rather the height of attractiveness (Boyarin, 2, 51).

(4) Jews of color make up 20% of American Jews, according to statistics from Be’chol Lashon, and this number is projected to increase as American demographics continue to change: https://globaljews.org/about/mission/. 

(5) Tzedakah is commonly known as righteous charity. According to traditional authority Maimonides, it should be given anonymously and without embarrassment to the person in need, generous, and designed to help the recipient become self-sufficient.

(6) Rabbi Tarfon, Pirkei Avot, 2:16

(7) “A good and sweet year” and “a good inscription [in the Book of Life]”

[gogglor]

Cap-Ironman RecWeek: What-If Wednesday

Time for another installment of @cap-ironman rec week! Today’s theme: AU’s.

I know AU’s in different settings are half the reason most people read fanfics, but they’re not really my thing on the whole. AU’s where different choices are made, or different events transpire? Absolutely. Coffee shops? Not my cup of... you know.

So, here’s my AU recommendations for mostly “turn left” scenarios. This time with an under-the-cut break so I don’t take over everyone’s timelines (sorry about that last post). Also with some summaries truncated for length.

Alone Like This

Author: GotTheSilver

Word Count: 7,452

Summary: Steve, post waking up, runs away from SHIELD, and Tony's the one who tracks him down.

Why You Should Read It:

First off, GotTheSilver’s been consistently and regularly putting out solid Stony since 2012 and not only are they not stopping, they’re only getting better. This writer doesn’t get nearly the fanfare I’d expect in Stony circles for someone who puts out this much good stuff, and here’s hoping this post can be a part of changing that.

While I am always a sucker for enemies-to-friends-to-lovers, there’s something to be said for stories where Steve and Tony hit it off right away. And watching these two very different people look at each other and see the same sense of being lost, then finding each other again is... excuse me, there’s something in my eye, ignore me.

Second Chance Lives

Author: raeldaza

Word Count: 43,872

Summary: Tony's gonna die of palladium poisoning anyway, why not join a pointless expedition to recover Captain America’s body? And after, well, why not dedicate his last few months to making sure an American hero settles into his new life? What else is he going to do, get drunk at parties?

Why You Should Read It:

This writer doesn’t write a lot for the MCU but when they do, dang.

“Tony is the one helping Steve acclimate to the new century before Avengers 2012″ is a whole genre of Stony fanfics that scratch an itch I didn’t even know I had before I started reading fanfiction, and this is one of the best ones out there. It’s got it all - Steve poorly coping with his PTSD, Tony poorly coping with his immanent mortality, some breathtakingly poor communication between the two most emotionally stunted men in the MCU, and a cat named Roomba. What’s not to love?

Should You Choose to Accept It

Author: elwenyere (look, you’re gonna be seeing a lot of them this week, sorry-not-sorry)

Word Count: 27,106

Summary: After a terrorist attack and a field operation gone wrong, the Avengers realize that Nick Fury's secrets are just the start of a much bigger mystery. Steve and Tony try to keep some things from each other as well, but that can't possibly affect the mission — right? Mission Fic + Getting Together (or Mission: Getting Together) that mashes up elements from Iron Man 3, CA: Winter Soldier, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. season one, and Mission Impossible 3.

Why You Should Read It:

You can see my post yesterday for singing El’s praises, but what I really liked about this fic was how how damn creative it is. The CAWS/IM3/AOS mashup is everything I wished the actual MCU gave us and more, with well-developed characters and an exciting story to put them in. And because it’s El, you know the banter’s gonna be on point, the way the characters care for each other is gonna be emotionally constipated but touching, and the pacing’s gonna be exciting enough to draw you in and keep you there. Also, this fic doesn’t have nearly enough kudos so please go read it and fix that or I’m gonna have to try to hack AO3 and that’ll just be embarrassing for all parties involved.

What Happens In Vegas

Author: sabremc

Word Count: 161,951

Summary: “What the hell, Tony?” Rhodey demanded brusquely.  Tony winced and drew the phone away from his ear.  “You’ve got cops and Feds all over the hotel.  I’m watching you perp walk out of the police station on repeat on CNN.  They’re saying you tried to bribe Stern?  Fox News has you selling weapons on the black market, and God that picture they’re using is the one from Bali in ’09.   You look like shit.  They wheeled Stern out and put him in an ambulance, by the way.  Got some paparazzi swearing you decked the guy.  Now they’ve got ‘copters following it like he’s OJ.”

“Yeah, don’t worry, Sourpatch, I’ve got it covered.   Uh, though, I should probably tell you that, purely in the interests of national security and the greater good, I kind of had to fake marry that stripper-gram  you sent.  Thanks for that, by the way,” Tony added quickly.

Why You Should Read It:

If you’re deep enough into Stony to see posts like this on Tumblr, you probably know sabre’s what we in the business call a “big name author.” They’re prolific, they’re popular, and most importantly, they write words good (technical term). Seriously, sabre just keeps cranking out high quality stuff over and over again, raising the bar for the rest of us like a jerk (not really. I’m not bitter they write stuff so good I wish I’d thought of it first. Not at all.)

I never read stripper!Steve or stripper!Tony as a rule, but this came so widely recommended that I broke that rule and boy am I glad that I did. This is also the only fic on this list that’s a true-AU, with Steve being a non-powered vet from Afghanistan who left his army career to help Bucky and is stripping in Vegas to raise money for a prosthetic arm. He’s booked to do a private show for Tony, shenanigans ensue, and now they’re fake-married. This fic’s got some top-of-the-line banter and character development, but I particularly love it for its rich setting. Sabre paints a Vegas not just with strip clubs and blackjack tables, but KISS-themed minigolf, romantic dinners on the Eiffel tower, gaudy hotel lobbies, and making out on giant ferris wheels. It’s such a richly developed playground for the characters to play on, and through it, Steve manages to find a life for himself he’d given up on, and Tony finds multiple ways to show his kindness and depth of feeling for Steve. I know the word count’s long for this one but trust me, you’ve gotta read this fic.

Wait & Sea

Author: Lenalena

Word Count: 53,244

Summary: In which Tony and Steve get sent on an undercover mission aboard a cruise ship to make contact with Hydra. In this AU the military has kept the discovery and defrosting of Captain America a secret, so Steve and Tony have never met before. Yet they are to pose as newlyweds....

Why You Should Read It:

This one’s old and popular enough to be considered one of the “classic” Stony fics, and for good reason. Lenalena doesn’t write too often and not as much as they used to, but the fics they have up there are an absolute delight.

This is another fic that I skipped a bunch of times for being outside my comfort zone, but when I finally read it I saw why everyone’s so wild about it. In this story, Steve’s defrosted a bit earlier and not revealed as Captain America. He and Tony are sent undercover to sniff out Hydra shenanigans on a cruise and, because it’s fanfiction, they’ve got to pretend to be a married couple while onboard. There’s tons to love about this fic, but the things that bring me back to reading it over and over is first, Tony’s kindness and the way he’s attuned to Steve’s feelings, which... God, just inject “kind, observant Tony” straight into my veins, please and thank you. This is also another really rich setting for a story, and Lena knows how to fold the the hokeyness of the cruise into the seriousness of the mission and the depth of feelings Steve and Tony are finding for each other in a really beautiful, layered way. It’s funny, it’s heartfelt, it’s steamy, it’s gripping... why are you still reading this here? Go check it out for yourself!

Ashes to Ashes

Author: dirigibleplumbing

Word Count: 51,582

Summary: After regrouping following some surprise time travel, the world's heroes and sorcerers come up with a plan to protect the Mind and Time Stones by taking them into space in opposite directions. The result involves a lot more time loops than Steve would like, but at least they're getting a second chance to stop Thanos. (As well as a third, and a fourth...) And if Steve takes the opportunity to try to reconcile with Tony, too—well, they have the time, and Steve's going to make the most of it.

Why You Should Read It:

Dirigibleplumbing’s another name in Stony fanfics that does not get nearly as much fanfare as they deserve. They’re consistently a really creative voice in Stony fanfics and I always look forward to their stories showing me something new. Go read all their fics, I need more people to geek out with me over them.

I tend to limit myself on Steve-and-Tony-mend-things-after-Civil-War fics not because they’re not good, but because they’re so heavy, and also the Sokovia Accords have five hundred layers of crap in them that no good fic could possibly hash out well. This one, though? When you add in the Infinity War/End Game fixit? Poetry. Art. Music to my ears. DP wrote a really engaging, twisty story where it’s hard to predict what’s coming next, in spite of it literally being a pseudo-Groundhog day scenario. The characterizations are great, the story is engaging, and the feelings are big and sad and eventually happy. Go read it, you’ll love it.

I have tons of other recs for this category but this seems like a good place to stop for today. Tomorrow’s Alternative Media Thursday, and I’ve got some real gems I’ve been saving for that day (aaaaand possibly a self-rec or two ;)

[kimnjss]

I’m curious, and I’d love to know what your thoughts are as well ~

If BTS weren’t major international Kpop fucking sensations and were just regular students or workers, what do you think their personalities would be like? What kind of crowd would they hang in and what their types would be 🤔

oooh, i love this one! so i went with like if they were stars in a teen movie type vibes... in like a high school that’s super cliquey and yuup!

NAMJOON - because he just has the energy of the leader, he definitely would be the head of the eco club. he wouldn’t organize any meetings, though, that would be someone else’s job. he’d be the face of it, though and the reason why a lot of people join...

his type would most likely be someone who’s really into the being outside. someone that cares a lot about nature and they might even be vegetarian. they’d be really into environmental politics too, so he’d find himself at a bunch of protests. 

JIN - he would be the drama student, literally the face of the drama club. all of the leads would sort of just fall into his lap, but he worked really hard to perfect every performance so it’s deserved. jin would be really popular, but would keep a small circle of people with his same drive.

his type would be someone that could keep a healthy competition up with. because he’d be outstanding in many aspects of drama, he’d want someone that could challenge him in like a sexy way.

YOONGI - okay, so he’d one hundred percent be a band kid. and like he’s not just in band because he needed an extracurricular activity on his transcript, he’s like into it. he’d play the keyboard and would be really involved in the pieces that the group would work on. often times trying to get them to try more modern sounds.

he’d find himself with someone smart and a little quiet. he really wouldn’t be around the popular crowd much (although, they all knew who he was because pure talent). but he’d like someone that he can debate with about whatever he can think of.

HOSEOK - he’s literally the most popular kid in school. like everyone knows who he is and he knows everyone. hoseok would definitely be in every club/organization, but would only show up to some regularly (dance, eco club, tennis). because he’s all over the place, he’d know everyone’s business, but the only person that would know his would be his s/o.

he’d end up dating someone that could match his energy. he’s talkative and likes to have fun, but there are time where he’d want to just chill - so someone he can comfortably do both with would be ideal. also, the trust would have to be through the roof, so he could be himself around them.

JIMIN - jimin would be head of student council, class president, the school’s sweetheart all wrapped in one. he’d be best friends with all the cheerleaders and is literally invited to everything. he’d walk around with a ‘no-nonsense’ attitude and would always have a sassy remark ready, which just adds to his charm.

his type is simple and complicated at the same time. honestly, he could find himself with anyone that catches his eye (from athletes to film geeks to head cheerleader) cliques didn’t really matter much to him. as long as you had a cute face and could keep a conversation, he’d be down.

TAEHYUNG - for the most part, taehyung would keep to himself in larger crowds around the school. everyone would sort of know his name because he’s always being recognized for his art, but that was pretty much it. he’d probably be in the photography club, but no matter how often they ask for him to run it he would refuse. oh! and his weekends would be spent outside finding things to sketch or take pictures of.

his type would be someone like extremely gorgeous, but in an unconventional way (idk if that makes sense, but go with it). he’d really like taking pictures of them and probably would have a small folder dedicated to them on his blog. they’d also have to be down to wake up early on saturdays to get pictures of the sunrise.

JUNGKOOK - he’d be a jock. but like, not an annoying one that thinks they run the school (he doesn’t have to think it because he already knows). literally the entire student body would be in the palm of his hand, including the teachers. definitely would be a track star, but would try out for everything.. and make it.

jungkook would get along with everyone, because he’s actually freaking nice despite popular belief. he’d hang around the band kids a lot because music really motivated him and they would always be practicing before track meets. and that’s where he found find his s/o. someone musical and extra points if they can sing.

[red-becca]

And so, we hit 20 followers early, lol. Woo! If you have any critiques on my headcanons or want to add more, let me know!

Also, some of these probably don't make sense, so allow me to put in some context. I see Red as a secret hopeless romantic and that even when she's older, she enjoys reading about fairy tales and all that. And secretly loves watching Disney films. This is due to me loving Disney too much and getting ideas from them, lol.

But yeah, that's about it for some context that I can think I can explain right now. If you wanna ask anything about my headcanons, that's allowed too.

---

(These are headcanons for aged up Revin, just a warning/ saying. Just to be sure you guys know that. And also, these are subject to change at any point in time because I just love making hcs/ changing up my hcs for fun)

-Before they got together, they were always sad and watching from afar whenever the other was with someone. Now that they are together, they get jealous every now and again instead.

-But Kevin is the one who gets jealous more due to Red being one of the popular girls and is generally seen as a really pretty girl by most guys at their school.

-They both really frickin' love each other. Like if they had to give up their favorite thing just to be with the other, they would not hesitate to do so.

-Both of them are also huge dorky geeks and you can't tell me otherwise. Though Kevin is clearly more of a geek than Red.

-They have specific nicknames for each other. Kevin's nickname for Red is "My Goddess" or "My Alien Queen" and Red's nickname for him is "My Sweet Prince".

- But also, Red rarely calls him by his full name. Always calling him "Kev" unless she's mad at him.

- In the genderbent world/ universe, only Robbie has a nickname for Kassie so far. He calls her "My Sweet Star".

- They have specific ringtones for each other. Kevin has "Just The Way You Are" by Bruno Mars for Red. And Red has "Love On Top" by Beyoncé for Kevin.

- Kevin got her a black rose necklace for one of her birthdays. The same black rose necklace she would constantly stare at whenever they had dates at the mall. She would tell him that he didn't need to buy it for her and yet he did, anyway. Meanwhile in a genderbent world, Robbie would have gotten Kassie a Star Trek necklace.

- Then what Red got Kevin that he treasures so much is a custom Stormtrooper motorcycle helmet that he wears whenever they go on rides on Red's motorcycle.

- Kevin always gets her a bouquet of red roses whenever he can afford it and Red does her best to lengthen the lives of the roses. While Robbie gives Kassie a bouquet of forget me nots.

-Their first kiss wasn't as romantic as Kevin hoped it would be, he ended up headbutting her out of pure nervousness. And despite getting better at kissing, Red regularly brings up the incident to him and her friends.

-Most of their dates consists of just watching Sci-Fi movies at Red's place with some snuggling in between.

-But their favorite kind of date is strolling around with ice cream in their hands. Well, it's mostly Kevin's favorite as he enjoys watching Red messily eat ice cream and happily cleaning her face.

-Though if their date is to somewhere outside and it gets cancelled because of rain, they will simply slow dance to old music with the rain softly being heard in the background.

-They always celebrate Chinese New Year together and even wear the traditional clothes for it. And once they get married and have a family of their own, they get their kids to wear traditional clothing too.

- And speaking of getting married... When they do get married, their first dance will be based on the first dance from the live-action Cinderella movie. (The only good live action adaptation, imo-)

- Because they loved practicing and performing that dance, they can't help but recreate it whenever they have nothing to do at home.

-They rarely go to Kevin's house to hang out because Kevin's mom will literally not leave the two alone despite Kevin's countless protests.

-Kevin's mom absolutely adores the red head Kevin is dating. Which Kevin appreciates but sometimes, she can be a bit too much.

- Red's parents, on the other hand, while they tease Red on how overwhelming sweet she is to Kevin, they respect them enough to leave them alone together. (That or they are too busy with each other, lol-)

-They love wearing matching outfits/ shirts whenever they go out for dates. (Yo, I don't know about you guys but this shit is legit the most cutest thing a couple can do) (Also, lowkey want to see them with like Mickey and Minnie Mouse ears but I can't draw, so yeah. :/)

-Because he's an adorable little gentleman, he always waits on Red after his basketball practice to take her home. Whether it be a long cheerleading or volleyball practice, he will always wait for her. Granted, because of how long they take, he ends up falling asleep each time but Red always appreciates the gesture and/or thought.

-Part of the headcanon above is Kevin learning first aid just to tend for Red whenever she gets injured during these practices.

- And then when it's Kevin who's busy with his practice for basketball, Red returns the favor by waiting for him and then taking him home on her motorcycle.

- During their respective events, the other will do their absolute best to cheer for the other.

-Kevin always takes stolen pictures of Red and posts them on Instagram with the caption "Just my red head goddess looking beautiful as always" or anything cheesy and sweet like that.

- Red does the same, sometimes. She captions them with the sweetest thing she could ever type or pretty much just describes what's happening in the picture.

-Kevin tries his best to be more suave and less dorky around Red by like trying to flirt and using tips from Kenny and Clyde but whenever he uses them on Red, he quickly becomes a blushing mess which Red always finds to be hella cute.

-Red just absolutely loves grabbing Kevin's face and giving him Eskimo kisses. To which, no one's surprise, Kevin absolutely loves, too.

-As much as other people dislike it, Red loves (or maybe gets even turned on, heh) whenever Kevin speaks all geeky and stuff like that. Meanwhile, Kevin really loves it whenever the girl speaks Klingon.

-No matter what Red does, Kevin will always find what she does to be the absolute most coolest shit he's ever seen. He always loves to gush about how cool his red head goddess is.

-Even though it's a struggle for her, Red's doing her best to give up her smoking addiction just for Kevin to stop worrying about her health.

-When they start living together, Kevin adopts an adorable Siberian Husky puppy for her to keep her company while he's at work and then that's their baby until they get married.

- But before that happens, he will be the one who buys her little black kitten, Serendipity, for one of her birthdays.

-Speaking of living together, the jobs they'll be having are the following: Kevin is a streamer who streams pretty much anything that he wants to stream and Red is a model. They keep their dating life private for the most time. Mostly due to Red not wanting to steal attention from Kevin in any streams.

(They didn't look like a lot from where I originally posted them but, I guess, I shouldn't be so surprised, lol. I am Revin trash, after all.)

[turning-dreams-into-chaos]

Regret

(Peter Parker)

~Master~

A/N: Hoping this wasn’t as bad as I thought it was as I edited lmfao. 

High school parties weren’t a place you’d normally find Peter Parker on a Saturday night. If you asked him, and he wasn’t on patrol, he’d rather spend his time with Ned building more LEGO masterpieces or geeking out about being Spider-Man or with his girlfriend MJ, trying to impress her despite knowing he didn’t have to.

High school parties? Never in million years.

Yet as Ned’s mom pulled up to the huge mansion like house and he and his friend climbed out of the car, his desire to go back home had skyrocketed. “What if we-“ He began before MJ put her hand on his shoulder and shrugged at the house.

“It’s a party, what’s the worst that could happen?” She made her way up the front stairs, glancing back to the two boys she rode with. Peter watched his girlfriend before Ned followed her and Peter took his first step a little after, jogging to catch up. It wasn’t that he was nervous to go to this party, it was that he knew you would be there, it was your best friends party. You, who he broke up with only weeks ago for MJ.

The closer Peter neared the house, the more he wished he could turn back and go home. The faint music he heard from the street was now booming in his ears as MJ walked inside first, paused abruptly and looking around. “Okay we’re here, can we go now?” Peter nervously chuckled as he wiped his palms on his jeans, looking about the crowd students. He recognized a lot of them but not enough to make him comfortable, he didn’t even know if you knew who these people were.

MJ threw her arm in the air, a subtle wave to Betty before leaving her boyfriend and Ned to gawk at the partygoers. Ned, who’s sole purpose of coming to the party revolved around talking himself up to Betty, had his eyes locked on the blonde girl MJ was currently standing next to, saying nothing as the eccentric personality of Betty ran free.

“How do I talk to her?” Ned said as he turned to face Peter only to see him not paying attention to Ned’s troubles. “Peter!” he yelled, grabbing Peter by the shoulder and scaring him as he was shaken.

“What?” Peter yelled back with eyes wide to his best friend.

“What do I say?”

“To Betty? Ned, just be yourself, man.” He offered advice but Ned wasn’t taking it. Peter furrowed his brows as Ned stared right over his shoulder, eyes locked on something that made Peter’s worry escalate before he turned around.

When he did, he regretted it immediately. There you were, a can of cheep beer in your hand as you threw your head back in a laugh, letting it rest on Brad’s chest. Brad’s hands were gripping your hips, his thumbs threaded through your belt loops to keep you pressed against him. Peter continued to stare across the room at you and an equally drunk Brad with your surrounding friends. He knew he shouldn’t have a say in the matter, but he hated the way you and Brad molded against each other, Brad’s mouth slowly coming down to press kisses against your neck and Peter watched your eyes flutter close and his hands move up your body. He couldn’t take it anymore.

Your breathing deepened as you heard Brad whisper in your ear, talking about how beautiful you looked and you smiled haughtily wanting to say something back but before you could, you felt a grip around your wrist, pulling you quickly from Brads grasp. Brad, unaware of what happened stood there, still dazed by the beer, grabbed another can and drank it fast, lazily dancing along to the music. As for you, the music started to disappear from your ears as you were led outside, feeling the stiff cold air against your shivering skin and you tightened your grip on your can. When you finally looked at who dragged you away the first thing you saw was the chocolate colored hair and the dark brown eyes to match.

“Really, Parker?” you muttered out before sighing, taking a sip of your can before turning around with plans to go back into the house. You stopped yourself. “Why are you here?”

Peter gulped, unsure what to say. “I-I was invited.”

Turning around, you looked into those eyes you once did everyday before you forced yourself to look down. “Okay. So, you were invited, the whole school was. But why are you here? With me?” Since the breakup, Peter and you hadn’t spoke and now suddenly he was dragging you away in the middle of a party. “Are you going to say anything?” you asked after a few minutes of silence before scoffing, letting your head fall into your hand as you lazily rub your face, smearing your eyeliner a little but you didn’t care. Taking another drink gave you the little more courage you needed. “You know, we dated Peter for what, 8 months? And you broke up with me for MJ? MJ, who you never even paid attention to before. Should I go get her? I’m sure she’s around here somewhere.” You turned to the door, yelling out MJ’s name before the door was even open. Peter, not wanting you to start anything with MJ grabbed your hand and pulled you out of view of the door, pressing you against the house with his hand over your mouth.

“No, Y/N please.” He begged, glancing back at the door to see no one coming before you pushed him off.

“Let go of me!” you grunted, feeling Peter move away as quick as he had you pinned. Damn his Spider-man reflexes. You huffed, fixing yourself as little as you cared. “I was having fun Parker.” Peter flinched at your use of his last name, a new thing of yours since the breakup. He didn’t want to admit how much hearing it coming so stoic from your mouth hurt him. “I was having fun with Brad and my friends and you pulled me out here for what? To-to talk?”

“I wanted to apologize.” Peter blurted out, making the speech up on the spot. “I shouldn’t have broken up with you like that.”

“You sent me a text, Parker. 8 months in a relationship and you sent me a fucking text.” You were laughing now, obviously letting yourself get lost in the feeling of the alcohol as you took another sip, using the can to point at him when you were done. “You know, you always wanna play the good guy. Either as Peter Parker or Spiderman or whoever the fuck you want to be, but I’m not playing that game. You… broke up with me… in a text. Guess you weren’t good guy enough to do it in person.” Peter didn’t know you were about to cry until he saw the glistening tear move down your face, leaving a trail in its wake as you sloppily wiped it away. That’s when Peter felt his own tears start down his face.

“I’m sorry.” He croaked out and you let out a strangled laugh, your tongue poking through your lips as you tried not to cry.

“Aren’t we all? I mean, I don’t know about you, but I’m really sorry. I’m really sorry I dated you.” Peter knew you didn’t mean it, your heart was broken and you were drunk, but it didn’t mean it didn’t hurt. You took a deep breath, closing your eyes and finishing the beer in the can before finally meeting Peter’s now wet brown eyes. “I need more beer.”

You started towards the door again. “Y/N wait!” he yelled out, holding himself back from grabbing your arm again.

“I’m not waiting.” You snapped at him. “I’m done waiting. But Brad’s waiting, and I’m going to go dance with him and enjoy my night with him. You can go find MJ, I’m sure she’s waiting for you.” You were about to enter the house, the backdoor open for you as Peter spoke up again.

“I’m sorry it ended this way.” He said and you paused, looking over your shoulder shortly before leaving Peter alone outside to listen to the fading music. His tears were staining his cheeks now and he didn’t care as he watched you through the sliding glass door. You walked up to Brad, tapping on his shoulder as Brad turned around and Peter had to watch both of you smile brightly before Brad handed you another can, throwing an arm around your shoulder before it not so sneakily pushed you in front of him, letting him wrap his arms around your waist. Peter didn’t want to watch anymore but he knew he couldn’t go back inside.

He pulled his phone out of his pocket, shooting a quick text to MJ not telling her why he had to go before texting Ned, who didn’t need an explanation after seeing you grind against Brad.

Peter left the party, sneaking out the back gate to avoid beginning seen. Tears continued to fall off his cheeks, leaving cold traces as he tried to wipe them clean but he wasn’t fast enough to catch them all. He made his way back to his apartment alone. If he could go back in time and change how he broke up with you he would; he would in a heartbeat. God how much he regretted it.

Tags are open! Please send an ask if you want to be added a Taglist! Sorry if I forgot someone, my tags are a little messy.

Permanent: @literal-fand0m-trash @nathaliabakes @colored-confetti @wiseeggspickleslime @btsiguess-kpop @galacticstxrdust @independentgirl @hollymac79 @emcchi @rauwz @chewymoustachio @smilexcaptainx @faith-quake @clarkesplaylist @johnmurphyisbisexual @kettnerjanea @teenagereadersciencenerd @ladykxxx08 @summer-writes @annasofiaearlobe

Marvel: @hahaboop @laic2299 @angelinathebook @saturn-aka-six @whyamihere-bro @andreasworlsboring101

Peter Parker: @danielabetancourth @darktwistydiamond @pastelsweaters-and-bubble-t @missmulti @sovereignparker @eridanuswave

[sassyduckqueen]

Miraculous: Rise of Anatis 47

So I may have fallen in love with the whole Luka playing violin thing so I'm working it into this. I've always had the intention of him playing more then just guitar so it was kind of a natural progression in this story. Also I got to work in some dad!jagged into this :D And this chapter officially marks the beginning of Alya's Redemption. Anyway, I hope you like this chapter. The next two chapters will be linked chapters so that should be fun to do :D

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter Forty-Seven: Reflekdoll

"Miraculous Ladybugs!" Anatis shouted as he threw the shoe up into the air. It burst into the cure and swept across the city, fixing all the problems that this akuma had caused including restoring the Eiffel Tower. Anatis let out a small sigh as he watched it. It seemed like a lot of the akumas had it in for the tower. He frowned and shook the thought from his head before jumping up and landing on one of the rooftops with Lady Noir following him.

 "Hey, you ok?" She asked, making him look at her before he gave her a smile.

 "I'm ok," He replied, making her raise an eyebrow. "I was just on my way to something really important when the akuma attacked but I'm fine so sorry for worrying you,"

 "Hmm... if you say so," She grinned before giving him a serious look. "But you know you can talk to me if you need to right?"

 "Hmm, it's not like you to be so serious, Kitten," He teased, making her pout a little. He chuckled at her expression before giving her a soft smile. "Don't worry about me,"

 "Hey, I'm allowed to worry about you," She gasped, making him smile before she glanced to the side. "Been Anatis isn't the same as been Lady Noir. You're the one who has to capture the akuma and restore things while I get to be the cunning, ultra charming Lady Noir. I have it easy,"

 She glanced down as she spoke, causing Anatis to frown a little before he placed his hand on her hair and gently ruffled her hair again, making her look up. He smiled down at her with a gentle look in his eye.

 "I like the cunning, ultra charming Lady Noir," He smiled, making her blush a little. "She keeps me going and helps me have fun. Without her, Anatis wouldn't be here,"

 "Annie," She gasped before hugging him. He chuckled and hugged back. "I like Anatis too. He might have to be the responsible one but I think he has quite the sense of humor,"

 "Thank you," He muttered as she rests her head against his chest, purring a little. He smiled and gently rested his head on top of hers but then both of their miraculous beeped, causing them to jump back from each other. "Ah, I gotta get going! See you next time, Kitten,"

 "Y-Yeah! Right! Bye!" She gasped, blushing before using her baton to launch herself off the rooftop as Anatis waved to her and then threw his yoyo and jumped swung down to the alley where he left his bike. He landed on the ground, just as his transformation dropped. He caught Tikki in his hands as she let out a little sigh before placing her in the basket of the bike where a bag of cookies were. She dived into them and began to eat one as he put on his helmet and got back on his bike. He pushed off the wall and began to cycle. He rode out of the alleyway and headed to the Grand Paris hotel as fast as he could. He pulled up at the bike area outside the hotel and locked up his bike before taking off his helmet and placing it in the basket. He took a breathe before opening his hoodie, allowing Tikki to fly into his pocket. 

 "You ok?" She asked in a quiet voice.

 "Just nervous," He mumbled, smoothing his hoodie a little. "Well, it's time to face the music... literally. Wish me luck,"

 "You can do this," Tikki grinned, giving him a thumbs up. He smiled and gently stroked her head with his finger before taking a breathe and heading into the hotel. He walked up to the desk, causing the woman to look up with a bored expression. "Um hi... I'm here to see Jagged Stone..."

 "Right," She mumbled, looking back at her computer. Luka sighed a little.

 "Uh he's expecting me and told me that his agent Penny would inform the desk that I'd becoming by," He continued, making her look at him with his belief. "Um if you don't believe me, just phone his room and ask him. Tell him Luka is here to see him,"

 "Fine," She replied, rolling her eyes and picking up a phone, dialing a number. Luka tapped his fingers as she spoke on the phone before going bright red and stammering out an apology. She hung up and looked up at him. "Uh sorry about that. Gotta be careful right? Anyway, Ms Rolling has confirmed that you are telling the truth. They're in Suite 36 on the 4th Floor,"

 "Thank you," He smiled before walking over to the lift and press the recall button. The doors opened and he stepped in before pressing the floor he needed. He leaned against the wall as he rode it up before it came to a stop. It pinged and he stepped out before heading to the suite. He stopped outside, frowning a little as he heard some shouting before he took a deep breathe and knocked. A few seconds later, Penny opened the door, allowing the shouting to become louder. She also was talking to someone on the phone and holding a clipboard. He really hoped she wasn't too stressed out. "Um,"

 "Ah, Luka, there you are," She smiled, ushering him and closing the door before walking towards where the shouting was coming from. "Uh huh, that would be great,"

 "Is this a bad time?" Luka asked as he followed her into deeper into the room. He stopped and rose an eyebrow as he saw Jagged on the bed, throwing footballs at a man he recognized as Bob Roth, owner of Roth Records. 

 "Listen, Jagged-" Bob started but Jagged threw another ball at him as Fang hissed.

"No, you listen! I will not sell out and change my look!" Jagged gasped. "I'm a genuine rocker and- Luka!"

 He jumped down from the bed and pushed by Bob, making the man frown as he looked at Luka with a raised eyebrow. Jagged ignored him and lead Luka away from him, asking him how Anarka was doing and what he had been up to. Luka explained that he was working on a new song with Rose. 

 "Jagged, we ar- ah!" Bob gasped as Fang growled at him.

 "Penny, show Mr Roth out will ya?" Jagged ordered, getting a nod of Penny who gestured to the door. Bob glared at her but moved when Fang growled at him. Luka frowned a little and looked back at Jagged. "Oh, don't worry about him. He's just grumpy that I won't work with that rapper, XY,"

 "Oh," Luka nodded, frowning a little. He had heard XY's music and wasn't impressed. There was no feeling or soul to it. "I'm not too keen on XY,"

 "Me neither," Jagged grinned, grabbing his guitar and flopping on the sofa, strumming at it a little. "How's Marinette doing?"

 "She's good," Luka smiled, playing with his hands. He looked down and gestured to the jacket he was wearing. It was the one she had given him on the music festival. "She made this jacket for me,"

 "I thought so," Jagged grinned, making Luka smile a little before he gestured to his guitar. "Want to jam?"

 "S-Sure," Luka nodded, a little nervous. Jagged put his guitar down and jumped up, walking over to a door and opening it. He gestured to Luka to join him, causing him to move over.

 "One of the reasons why I go for this room is because it has a walk in wardrobe," He explained, turning on the light and revealing the wardrobe but it was like an extra room. It was roughly the size of a medium bathroom and had a number of Jagged's stage outfits but it also had a huge amount of guitars and other stringed instruments. "Perfect place for my collection if you ask me,"

 "Whoa," Luka muttered as he walked in. He had only ever seen this many instruments in a shop. "You owe all of these?"

 "Yup. Got a few special additions too," He replied, gesturing to a Fender Stratocaster. "This belonged to Jimi Hendrix,"

 "Seriously?" Luka gasped, glancing at it. He could practically feel the soul of the guitarist in it. Jagged grinned and nodded. "So cool,"

 "Right?" Jagged grinned, grabbing another guitar and plugging it into an amp. "I figured we could jam together if you want,"

 "Ye-yeah, I'd like that..." Luka asked as Jagged began to play and nodded. "Thanks,"

 "No need to thank me, Kid. If anything I should be thanking you for giving me a chance," He grinned, moving his fingers against the board before he stopped. "I know I wasn't around for most of your life and I know it hasn't been easy for you but I want to make up for that and get to know you,"

 "That... means a lot," Luka muttered, glancing to the side a little. He felt Tikki press her paw against his chest to remind him that he wasn't alone before he took a deep breathe. "I want to get to know you as well,"

 "I'm glad," Jagged smiled as Luka glanced over before he noticed a violin. He walked over to it and picked it up. "The violin huh? Can you play?"

 "It's been a while..." Luka admitted, looking down a little. It was one of the few things he didn't like to share about himself but he didn't just learn to play guitar when he was younger. He actually took up violin as well but it was one of the reasons why a number of kids disliked him. He remembered feeling happy when he played it because the lessons were after school so it meant he didn't have to go home straight away and he was good at it. Sure, he hated school but at that point, he hated Issac more so it made sense to stay at school more. The school he attended didn't offer guitar lessons but that's why he took up violin. He would play guitar at home, mostly when Issac wasn't in but would play violin at school twice a week. However, a lot of kids laughed at him for it and called him a geek and other mean words. He didn't think it was geeky but it was just another reason for a number of the kids to bully him. After a while, he stopped mentioning that he played it but still attended the lessons. Of course, things changed when Issac left. For one thing, they moved and Luka didn't want to go back to school, especially since he hated it and Issac was gone. He also stopped attending the violin lessons after that and never mentioned it to anyone but he played for a good number of years. He traced his fingers over the strings, wondering if he could still play. He always found that playing an instrument was like riding a bike. He never truly forgot how to play. He picked it up and tucked it under his chin before grabbing the bow. He took a deep breathe and began to play. It didn't sound great at first and his movements were stiff but soon he began to feel more relax as he remembered how to play and the music followed suit. It smoothed out and the notes turned from weak and distorted to crisp and clear as he moved his fingers against the board. He came to a stop and smiled a little before jumping as Jagged clapped. He forgot he was there.

 "Not bad, kid," He grinned, walking over. "You can keep that one if you like,"

 "Really?" Luka asked, looking at him with surprise. Jagged grinned and ruffled his hair as he nodded. "Thanks!"

 "No problem, Kid," Jagged grinned. "Hey, why do you play that while I play the guitar?"

 "Sure,"

 ~Later that Night~

 "So how did it go with Jagged?" Marinette asked as Luka sat in front of his computer. He promised that he would tell her all about it. He glanced up and smiled a little. "Ooh, you look happy,"

 "I am," He admitted, smiling. "We played some songs together and caught up. He even gave me a violin,"

 "A violin?" She questioned before her eyes went wide. "Wait, you play?"

 "O-oh yeah..." He mumbled, going a little pink as he rubbed the back of his neck. "I do,"

 "And you never told me?!" She gasped, pretending to feel betrayed as she threw her hand against her forehead but it made him smile a little. "But seriously? That is amazing! You'll have to play for me at some point... I mean if you want to that is..."

 "Y-Yeah, if you want to listen," He mumbled, blushing as much as she was. "Um... Oh, Jagged told me to tell you to get a website..."

 "Urg... again?" She groaned, making him raise an eyebrow. "Oh, Jagged's been trying to get me to set up a website so he can commission more work and share it with his friends,"

 "But that's great," Luka gasped, making her smile before she sighed. "Isn't it?"

 "It would be... if I had models! If I set up a website, I need to show case my work and I can't just take photos of it without a model. My work is meant to be wore, Luka but I can't afford a model! I could ask Adrien but then his father will hunt me down! He'll blacklist me and I'll never get to be a fashion designer!" She groaned, throwing her head in her arms as he chuckled a little. She looked up a little and gave him a playful glare. "Don't giggle at me, Mister,"

 "I'm sorry," He smirked a little before making a thoughtful look. "Why don't you get some of your other friends to model? Like Alya or Rose... Or you could go for Juleka? She's always wanted to be a model,"

 "You think she would do it?" She asked, making him nod. "Really?"

 "Sure, I'll encourage her to," He smiled, making her grin. "If you want, I can about it to her soon,"

 "Yes!" She gasped, making him smile. "Juleka is so pretty. She'd be perfect,"

 "I'm glad you think so," He replied before yawning. Marinette giggled a little. "Sorry, I'm just tired,"

 "Well, you spend a whole half a day with Jagged," She grinned. "I'm honestly surprised you're still awake given how energetic he is and how much attention he likes,"

 "Yeah, he's very energetic," He admitted before yawning again. "Sorry, Melody, I think I'm gonna go to bed,"

 "No worries," She smiled before blowing him a kiss, causing him to blush. "Sleep well, Lu,"

 "N-night, Melody," He mumbled, still blushing. Even as she sighed off. He got up and changed into his PJs before crawling into his bed as Tikki settled on his pillow. "She blew a kiss at me..."

 "Yeah," Tikki smiled, yawning. "Night, Luka,"

 "Oh... night, Tikki,"

 ~A Few Days Later~

 Luka hummed as he played his guitar. Juleka had asked him to sit in with her so he could tell her what he thought about her hairstyle. She wanted to change it up but she wasn't sure how or if she had the confidence to pull it off. He glanced up and noticed her, lifting her fringe up and down. Without realizing, he began to play, matching the tempo to her action. When she lifted her fringe and smiled, he played a high note and when she let go of it and frowned, he played a low note. Finally, she frowned and look down, causing him to stop playing and look up at her.

 "Don't you want to be a model anymore?" He asked, glancing at her. 

 "Y-Yeah..." She mumbled, looking down at her hands. "But no one's ever gonna pick me,"

 He strummed his guitar as his mind flicked back to the talk he had with Marinette about Juleka modelling for her website. He knew Juleka wanted to suggest it to Marinette and Marinette wanted to ask Juleka but neither of them had done so yet. He smiled a little as it appeared to the perfect chance to bring them together. 

 "Have you tried to talking to Marinette about your idea?" He asked, making her frown a look down a little. "She wants you to model for her website you know,"

 "I don't want to bother her with that..." She mumbled, glancing down. "Besides, why would she want me?"

 "You're really pretty, Jewel," He replied, using his nickname for her before he got up and walked over to her. "I know Marinette would love to have you as her model,"

 He smiled as he pulled back her fringe, revealing her eyes.

 "You've gotta follow your dreams in life. Don't let them pass you by," He explained as he picked up her hairclip and fixed it into her fringe, causing her to look up as he did. "You were made for this,"

 He gently pressed a kiss onto her hair, causing her to smile before pulling away and putting his guitar away. He grabbed his bag and put it on before opening his hoodie for Tikki to fly into. Once she was settled, he left his room and poked his head into Juleka's. She was just grabbing her back as well.

 "Ready?" He asked, making her look at him.

 "Yeah," She mumbled, holding onto her bag's strap. Luka gather her a soft smile before the two of them left the boat and headed to school. They didn't talk on the walk there but it wasn't uncomfortable either. As soon as they came to the school, Juleka took a deep breathe and the two of them walked in with the other students that were returning from lunch. They still had a bit of time before lessons officially started again but as soon as they walked in, Aurora rushed over to Luka. 

 "Hey," She smiled, making him smile back before looking at Juleka. "Oh wow, Juleka. You look so pretty with your hair like that,"

 "T-Thanks,"

 "No worries," She smiled before turning back to Luka. "Anyway, I thought I should let you know that Mrs Mendeleiev called in sick so we have a free afternoon,"

 "Wicked. Thanks for letting em know," He smiled before turning to Juleka. "That means your last lesson will be free right?"

 "Y-Yeah," She nodded, glancing over at Marinette and the rest of them. She took another deep breathe, causing Luka to give her a grin and a thumbs up before the two of them walked over to Marinette and the rest of their friends.

 "Since Mrs Mendeleiev isn't in today, what should we do? We'll be out an hour early," Marinette asked with the other girls nodding and think. Alya pushed her glasses up and grinned.

 "We should use the extra time to make those videos and photos for Marinette's so to be website!" Alya suggested, getting the girls to agree with her. "Remember I ask you guys to think about modelling some of Marinette's designs?"

 Juleka took a deep breathe and glanced back at Luka, who gave her an encouraging smile and a thumbs up. She smiled back at him before walking forwards, getting the rest of the girls' attentions.

 "Um... I-I'd like to do it..." She mumbled, making the girls gasp. She blushed as they stared at her before agreeing that she should be the model and looked very pretty with her hair clipped back. She glanced back at Luka, who gave her another thumbs up and smiled before he headed to the art room.

 "Ok! Let's get that lesson done then we can head back to mine," Marinette grinned before pulling a thinking face. Alya rose an eyebrow as Rose continued to shower Juleka with compliments. "We're gonna need a technical direction who has experience with modeling,"

 "Oh?" Alya asked as Marinette walked over to Adrien and asked him. He explained that he would probably have to go home straight away until Marinette pointed out that he would in fact be ok to do so as his father wouldn't actually know any different since that's not when school is actually suppose to finish. With that in mind, he agreed before heading to the lesson. Marinette walked over to Alya, who rose an eyebrow. "Girl, since when were you able to talk to Adrien normally?"

 "Since I decided to move on," She replied, shocking her friend. "Adrien is great but he's just my friend and he's with Kagami,"

 "And you're ok with that?" She asked as they walked to the art room for their lesson. Marinette smiled and nodded as they walked inside. She smiled as soon as she saw Luka sat in the back, doing his own thing. Of course, he would be in here since he had a free afternoon since Mrs Mendeleiev was his main teacher. He knew the art teacher wouldn't mind him just working in the back as long as he didn't disturb any of the other students. He was sat with his headphones on, reading something. Marinette smiled softly as she noticed it was a book on playing violin. Alya, however, noticed her line of sight. "Hey, why don't we have both of the Couffaines in on the shoot? Luka could help with the music or something,"

 "Huh?" She asked before glancing at Luka and back at Alya. Her eyes widen at her friend's expression, which was the one she always got when she was about to make a plan. "Don't even think about it! It's one thing hanging out with him but if he's in my room, I won't be able to concentrate and-"

 "No, you won't. You'll be in your element," She grinned, placing her hand on her shoulder. "It's the perfect chance for you to get closer to him,"

 Before Marinette could even argue, Alya turned on her heel and began to walk towards Luka, who was humming a little as he read.

 "Alya! No!" Marinette gasped, getting up to follow her but she could, Rose grabbed her and pulled her out to discuss what they should do as Lila send a glare in her direction. Not that anyone else noticed. Marinette bit her lip and looked back as Alya reached him and tapped his arm. Luka jumped a little and took out his earphones. 

 "Oh, hey Alya," He smiled, surprised that she was talking to him. "Am I disturbing you with my humming?"

 "Oh, no," Alya grinned, resting her hand on her hip. "I was wondering if you could help us with Marinette's fashion shoot,"

 "Me? Um I don't actually know anything about photo shoots" He mumbled, going a bit pink. "B-Besides, I don't want to overstep anyone-"

 "Well, I was thinking you could provide a little music to set an atmosphere and help Juleka relax," She pointed out, making him think a little. She had a point. If Juleka had a panic attack, he would be able to calm her down and make sure she was ok. "And Marinette would love it if you were there too,"

 "Well... I don't have anything else going on..." He mumbled, getting a grin of Alya but before he could say anything, she rushed back over to Marinette and the other girls, telling them that he would help them with the music side of it. Juleka glanced over at him and gave him a small but grateful smile before returning back to the rest of the girls.

 (***)

 Marinette let out a deep breathe as she opened her jewel box and took out a couple of rings out as Adrien directed Alix to get some more light on Juleka. Luka was sat by her computer and was in charge of the music. Of course, he felt as awkward as Marinette did but naturally, Alya didn't seem to pick up on that. Instead, she began filming and moved over to Marinette.

 "Psss," She hissed, getting her attention. Marinette looked over at her. "This is totally your chance to ask him to the movies,"

 "Alya, I want to focus on the shoot," She hissed back, causing Alya to roll her eyes and focus on filming the rest of the group. Juleka was dressed in a stripped top that was navy blue and white with a red beret and blue jeans. She had a green orb necklace on with matching bracelets. Alya smiled as she looked at her before moving around the room to Luka. He waved at the camera a little, causing Marinette to laugh a little when she saw him do that. He grinned back at her. Alya smiled at the two of them. She really hoped an opportunity turned up to allow her to get the two of them alone. They would make such a cute couple after all, especially since she decided to move on from Adrien. Speaking of him, he was talking to Marinette about the jewelry. It was weird to see Marinette not freak out and stumble over her words. "So these are the rings I've got?"

 "This one," Adrien replied, plucking one of them out of her hand. "It will compliment the outfit really well,"

 "That's what I was thinking," She smiled as Alya filmed them before she turned back to film Juleka.

 "How about a little smile for the camera, Juleka?" She asked, making the girl jump like a deer caught in headlights. She looked down and began to mumble to herself, causing Marinette to frown and Alya to pause the camera. Luka instantly jumped up and moved over to her, getting her to sit down and take a few deep breathes. Marinette carefully walked over.

 "Is something wrong?" She asked, wanting to help her. "You know it's really cool for you to agree to be my model but you don't have to if you're not comfortable with it,"

 "Decide fast," Alya snapped, looking at her phone and ignoring the glare that both Luka and Adrien sent her. "We have less then an hour before Adrien has to leave,"

 "That's ok, Alya," Adrien smiled, trying to defuse the situation. "Um... Luka could take over as technical director when I have to go and we can also arrange another shoot when I'm next free. Right, Luka?"

 "I don't mind doing that," He replied, gently rubbing Juleka's back to try and help her calm down. She was still panicking and breathing heavily. Luka frowned a little as he knew she wouldn't calm down any time soon. "We might have to do it another day though,"

 "That's ok," Marinette smiled. "I can stand in for her for now and when she feels better, we can try again. Does that sound ok, Juleka?"

 "I w-want to-" She mumbled, trying not to cry. She felt so bad that she was feeling panicked. Luka gently rubbed her arm again, giving her a smile. Marinette gently knelt down in front of her.

 "It's ok, Juleka," She smiled, gently taking the girl's hand. "We'll do a couple of photos with me in the outfit and then we can switch back to you. That gives you a chance to relax ok? Besides, I should model them myself for a couple of photos with them been my designs,"

 Juleka nodded, feeling a bit reassured as having a second model would take a lot of pressure on her plus Marinette was right. They were her designs so she should definitely get a chance to model them. Alya smiled in agreement before eyeing up Marinette and Luka as an idea came into her mind. This was too good of an opportunity to pass by.

 "Of course!" Alya suddenly shouted, surprising everyone before she jumped over and held up her hands like a frame, focusing on both Marinette and Luka. "The coolest thing about your designs is that they work with both guys and girls,"

 "Alya," Marinette gasped in a warning voice. 

 "A guy," She declared, moving her hands over to Luka a little bit before moving them back to Marinette. "A girl... same suit! What do you think, Luka? You in?"

 "Um... I'm not much of a model, Alya and this is meant to be Juleka's thing, not mine," He pointed out but naturally, Alya completely ignored him.

 "It will be fine! We'll do a duel shoot and then do a single suit with Juleka!" She grinned before grabbing the hat off Juleka's head and shoving it in Marinette's hand, ignoring her as she went to protest. "Juleka, give Marinette your suit,"

 Juleka let out a sigh but got up and moved behind the changing curtain. She got changed back into her normal outfit and handed the suit to Marinette as the rest of the girls set up another changing curtain. Alya shoved another outfit and accessories into Luka's arms and pushed him behind the curtain before he could argue as Marinette took the suit.

 "Are you ok with this?" She asked, frowning as Juleka nodded. "Really?"

 "It's fine, Marinette," She mumbled, playing her hands. "It will only be for a couple of photos right? Besides, it's better this way,"

 "Well... ok but we'll switch back as soon as you feel ready ok?" Marinette smiled, making Juleka give her a soft smile before she sat down with Rose. Marinette glanced back at her, still feeling a bit uneasy with the whole thing but before she could say anything again, Alya rushed over to her and began to push her towards the changing curtain.

 "Just brought you some extra time to ask him out," She gasped quietly, causing Marinette to go bright red as Alya pushed her behind it. Marinette went to say something again but Alya smirked. "You're welcome. Now get changed,"

 She moved away, causing Marinette to gasp before she sighed and took off her bag. It was only for a few photos and until Juleka felt better. It would be fine. Or at least she hoped it would be. She began to get changed into the outfit and put on the accessories. She put on the earrings before picking up the rings. She slipped them on her fingers until she came to the last one. It was meant for her ring finger on her right hand but her miraculous was on there. She bit her lip and glanced at the ring, moving to take it off.

 "I hope you're kidding," Plagg suddenly gasped, poking out of her purse. She silently hushed him as she took her miraculous off and slid the other ring on.

 "It won't be for long, Plagg," She whispered, passing him the miraculous. "Besides, you'll be near by,"

 Plagg gave her a look of disbelief before sighing and going back into the bag. Meanwhile behind the other changing curtain, Luka was facing a similar situation. He had changed fully into the outfit and put on the rest of the jewelry but then he noticed the earrings. He picked them up and frowned as he touched his miraculous with his other hand. Tikki poked her head as he took out his earrings.

 "Don't do that, Luka," She whispered, causing him to look over at her.

 "It won't be for long, Tikki. Just for a couple of photos," He replied quietly, putting them in and gently passing the earrings to Tikki. "Besides, you can keep them safe for me,"

 She frowned but took them anyway. Luka gave her a soft smile before gently petting her head as Alya called for them to come out. He took a deep breathe and stepped out, smiling awkwardly as he did. Marinette stepped out at the same time and gasped a little as she saw him. He looked great but a little shy, making her want to fangirl over how adorable he was. He pushed his hair to the side and looked around nervously. 

 "D-Do I look alright?" He asked, making most of the girls coo as Adrien walked over and smiled.

 "It looks great, Luka but let me just..." He muttered, adjust his beret a little before stepping back and looking at him before he grinned. "Perfect. He looks great, doesn't he Marinette?"

 "Yeah..." She muttered, dreamily before shaking her head. "Ok! Let's do a couple of photos then we can change back and it can be Juleka's go. Sounds good?"

 "Y-Yeah," Luka muttered, nodding but neither of them noticed Alya's scheming expression. If the two them only did a couple of shoots then Marinette won't get a chance to ask Luka to the movies and she couldn't let that happen. As Marinette's self proclaimed best friend, it was her duty to get Marinette with the boy of her dreams. Sure, she thought it would be Adrien but he clearly thought she wasn't good enough for him and settled for Kagami but Luka is still in the picture and while she didn't like the idea of pushing Juleka out of the way, she considered it a necessary evil. She also believed that Juleka would understand when she saw how happy her brother was when he landed a date with Marinette. She grinned as Adrien ordered more light around the two of them. Luka was looking a little bit redder then usual.

 "Hey, Luka, are you ok?" She asked, making him blink and look over at her.

 "Oh yeah," He nodded, gulping a little. "Uh... just a bit warm I guess..."

 "I have a fan somewhere," Marinette suggested but Alya interrupted again.

 "Ok!" She declared, hitting her palm with her hand before turning to the other girls. "Change of plan! We're gonna take the shoot outside!"

 "What?!" Both Marinette and Luka gasped as the other girls cheered but before they could argue, Mylene and Alix grabbed Luka and dragged him downstairs as Adrien followed. Marinette frowned deeply.

 "Alya, what the hell?" She gasped, crossing her arms as Alya grinned at her. "I said we would only do a couple of photos and then switch with Juleka. How are we suppose to do that now?"

 "Girl, it's just so Luka can cool down," She grinned, moving over to her. "Besides, you haven't asked him yet and Juleka will be fine with it. We'll find a place for her to change and do her shoot outside too! Besides, we've only got 30 minutes let before Adrien has to go!!"

 "Alya, you ca- whoa!" Marinette gasped as Alya grabbed her hand and dragged her downstairs, pulling her outside. She rushed over to the Gorilla's car and pushed Marinette inside before telling her that she was gonna grab some things for the shoot. The other girls helped put the equipment in the boot, including Luka's hoodie and Marinette's purse, that they would be using in the car as well then pilled in, unintentionally stopping both Luka and Marinette from getting out. Alya got in last and closed the door, making both of them frown. "Alya, where's Juleka?"

 "She decided to stay back," She replied, making both Luka and Marinette frown. Rose glanced over at them with a confused look.

 "I should check on her," Luka mumbled, trying to move but Alya shook her head.

 "She'll be fine," She replied, making him frown. "We do these shoots and come right back! Now to the Eiffel Tower!"

 "What?! Alya, that's too far!" Marinette gasped but once again, Alya ignored her and leaned in.

 "The Eiffel Tower is super romantic as are the Tuileries Gardens," She whispered, ignoring how uncomfortable they both looked. "You can ask him on a break,"

 "But Juleka-" Marinette gasped as the car began to drive but Alya grinned.

 "She'll be fine and will totally understand when she sees how happy Luka will be," She grinned before giving her a thumbs up. Marinette frowned, feeling very uneasy about the whole thing but right now, she couldn't get out of the car. She glanced over at Luka and saw he looked just as unhappy, making her frown even more. This was not how she wanted this to go at all. Sure, she would love to spend time with Luka but not at the expensive of his sister and not in such a pressured environment. She decided as soon as the car stopped, she would go and get the metro back to the bakery. Luka glanced over at her and she tilted her head to the window, hoping he would get what she meant. He rose an eyebrow before nodding as the car came to a stop. As soon as it did, everyone piled out and began to head to the gardens, apart from Luka and Marinette. The two of them both walked towards the boot of the car, to grab his hoodie and her purse but before they could, Alya suddenly appeared and grabbed Marinette around the arm as Mylene grabbed Luka.

 "No escaping you two!" She grinned, pulling them away from it. "I get that you're nervous but you'll be fine!"

 "I'm not nervous," Marinette gasped, trying to pull away from Alya but the girl had a surprising amount of strength. As did Mylene, causing Luka frowned as he tried to pull away from her.

 "We just want to check on Juleka," He protested, making Mylene frown and loosen her grip a little but Alya shook her head.

 "She'll be fine!" She grinned, making him frown. "Besides, she was freaking out and she'll understand! Now stand there! Adrien, pose them! I'll take the photo!"

 "Alya!" Marinette gasped as Adrien walked over. He frowned a little.

 "Is everything alright?" He asked, frowning.

 "We want to go check on Juleka but Alya won't- What is that?" Marinette asked as they felt the ground shake. Luka glanced up before gasping. He instantly moved his arm in front of Marinette in and protective manner as they saw a giant doll like creature that resembled Reflekta. Alya and the other girls gasped and ran off, causing the doll to look in the direction. 

 "Don't leave, my friends!" The unmistakable voice of Juleka echoed, making Luka gasp but it sounded harsh and angry. "You're the very people I've been looking for! I have something very special for your video!"

 A beam of light suddenly shot out of the doll's mouth, causing Luka, Marinette and Adrien to dive out of the way. Luka rushed to hide behind a wall before swiping his ears.

 "Tikki! Spots on!" He declared, expecting to change but gasped when nothing happened. He had taken off the miraculous. "Damn it,"

 He glanced over to the car from behind the wall and frowned a little. He would have get past Reflekta and her Reflekdoll but it did seem to be more focused on finding Alya. He frowned as he saw Rose step out.

 "Juleka! I'm sorry!" She gasped, getting the doll's attention on her. "I should have stayed with you!!"

 "Juleka is no more! I am Reflekta!" She declared, making him frown. "Everyone forgets about Juleka anyway!"

 She went to fire a beam at Rose but Luka ran off his spot and pushed out of the way before picking her up and running to another wall. He placed Rose behind it and ducked down himself.

 "Stay down, Rose," He gasped as he looked over the wall. Once again, Reflekta had gone back to attacking people, turning anyone she saw into clones of herself. Seeing his chance, he jumped up and ran as fast as he could towards the car as Reflekdoll attacked everyone. He slid behind it, gasping as he saw Marinette behind it. "Marinette, hide in the car,"

 "What about you?" She asked before glancing as a shadow formed over them. She gulped as Reflekdoll stared down at them.

 "Marinette," She growled, making the girl gulp. "You stole my limelight! I was suppose to the star of the film!"

 "Juleka, I'm sorry! I didn't realize Alya would do that and me and Luka were trying to head back to the bakery to check on you!" She gasped as the doll stilled. "I really only intended to do a couple of photos while you calmed down! I swear!"

 "It doesn't change that you didn't let me explain!" She growled before firing a beam at Marinette as Luka tried to get into the boot. "Perhaps you'll understand me better now that you're in my shoes!"

 The doll turned to Luka and grabbed the car.

 "And my rockstar brother! I thought you understood and cared about me!" She growled, throwing the car. "You're suppose to be my older brother but you stole my limelight too!"

 "Juleka, I'm sorry," He gasped, backing away from her. "I should have been more firm and said no to Alya,"

 "Oh, don't worry, Brother of mine. I have something very special for Alya but first, I think you need to know what it's like to be me!" She growled, firing a beam at him. He covered his arms over his face as it hit him but it did no good. Reflekta laughed a little. "That should teach you too but now to deal with the real villain of the day! Alya!! Where are you?!"

 She turned and jumped away to look for Alya. Luka let out a sigh and got up but almost fell as he lost balance. Marinette jumped and helped him.

 "Are you ok?" She asked, making him nod.

 "I should have know this would happen," He sighed, shaking his head.

 "At least, we only got transformed," She mumbled, making him frown. "I'm concerned about the special thing she has for Alya,"

 "Me too but my phone is in the car. If I can get it, I can contact Anatis," He replied, making her nod as other people ran off, scared out of their minds. He went to take a step forward but wobbled, making Marinette frown but she saw a chance.

 "You wait here," She gasped, making him frown. "I'll go grab your phone and get it to you,"

 "Alright," He nodded, figuring he could keep an eye out for Tikki if she did. Marinette nodded and rushed off, making him raise an eyebrow. "How do girls walk in heels?"

 ~Meanwhile~

 Tikki and Plagg screamed as they felt the car spin around before feeling it bounce, causing the boot to break open and everything to spill out. They let out a little sigh before flying up to see what was going on. Tikki gasped as she saw the sentimonster attacking people.

 "Oh no! This is terrible, Plagg!" She gasped, glancing at him as he looked the carnage. "How are we gonna be able to find our owners? Everyone looks the exactly same,"

 "We have to find the miraculouses first!" He declared, making her look at him before he dived down to the rest of the stuff. Tikki followed and began to look for the earrings as he looked for the ring. He flew under a yellow scarf and glanced around as Tikki gasped.

 "Paris is doomed without Anatis and Lady Noir!" She gasped, clearly panicked as he noticed the ring. 

 "Got it!" He gasped, grabbing it before holding it up and glancing at her. He floated over to her. "Stay focused, Sugarcube. Everything will be alright!"

 He gave her a quick smile before flying off to find Lady Noir. He flew towards the Eiffel Tower as Reflekdoll waddled farther into the gardens. He frowned as he saw and came to a stop at a statue of a horse. Plenty of people were running away from here so he hoped that Lady Noir would be among them.

 "Lady Noir! Lady Noir!" He called out, frowning. "Lady Noir!"

 A clone sat on a nearby bench frowned and got up, looking up at him. Plagg smiled a little and floated over, hoping that it was Marinette as they looked at him in confusion.

 "Plagg?" Luka asked, causing Plagg to gasp. 

 "You're not-" He burped green bubbles, making Luka frown. It wasn't who he was looking for but he guessed Luka must be waiting for Tikki. "Why didn't you go to the car?"

 "I can't walk in these heels," Luka admitted, frowning before he looked at him. "Anyway, what are you doing here? Has Lady Noir lost her miraculous? Is Tikki near by?"

 "It's a long story, Luka," He gasped, making Luka frown as he glanced to where the car was and then over to Reflekdoll. He frowned before grabbing the ring of him. "What are you doing?"

 "Using your miraculous," He replied, putting it on. It turned into silver and a little larger then Marinette's version. "We haven't got time to find Tikki or Lady Noir. We need to deal with them now,"

 "Are you sure?" Plagg asked, making Luka nod before he held out his fist.

 "Plagg! Claws out!" He declared, causing Plagg to get sucked into the ring. He put his hand in the air as it charged up with energy before crossing his hands together, creating his mask as they passed each other. He then swiped his hands over his hair, creating cat ears before throwing out his arm as the green energy created his new suit. He spun round as a fake tail manifested. He gripped the energy as he spun back round and did a shake movement with his hands, creating a cropped leather jacket out of it and completing his new transformation. He glanced over his hands, taking in the claws that were on them before looking up and blowing his fringe a little. It had grown longer then his usual length and he could see green on it instead of his usual blue or red. He glanced down, looking at his suit as well. It was a simple suit and black in color but like Lady Noir, he had green detail on it. Most around the edge of his gloves, boots and jacket. Unlike her, he had a simple black belt around his hips that also doubled up as a tail. He also had a little paw print zipper on his collar. Satisfied with his new form, he took out of his baton and pressed the button, opening it up before reading over the user manual. He had a rough idea on how to use it but he wanted to be certain. Happy that he knew what he was doing, he glanced over to where Reflekdoll was. Narrowing his eyes, he ran towards it, taking out the baton and extending it before he slammed it into the sentimonster, making it stumble into the Eiffel tower before he jumped down and ran towards Rose and Alya. Alya naturally looked excited and was filming but Rose looked upset as if she was about to cry. Knowing Rose, she probably was. "You two need to get to safety,"

 "Are you a new hero?" Alya asked, trying to shove the camera in his face. "Has Lady Noir been retired? Does Anatis know?"

 "No, she hasn't been retired, Alya," He growled before spinning around and using his baton to block Reflekdoll's beam. "Get out of here! Reflekta's target is you!"

 "Me?!" Alya gasped, surprised. "What did I do?!"

 "Oh, I don't know!" He growled, annoyed. "How about push her out of the film you were doing and ignoring her when she was clearly upset?! Kwami, it's one thing to ignore your friends' clear un-comfortableness but you completely blanked Juleka but why am I surprised?! You always tend to ignore things when they don't work the way you want them to!"

 "Hey! What's that suppose to mean, new boy?!" Alya gasped, making him growl as he blocked another attack.

 "I'm not new! I just usually wear spots and you know exactly what I'm talking about, Miss Cesaire!" He growled before charging at Reflekdoll, causing the beam to follow him as Rose and Alya blinked in surprise before they clicked to what he meant.

 "He's Anatis!" Rose gasped, making Alya blink and look at him. "But why is he the cat today?"

 "No idea but is Juleka really after me?" Alya asked, frowning. She was so sure Juleka wouldn't mind but if she didn't, why did she turn back to Reflekta? And now she thought about it, Marinette and Luka did look uncomfortable and wanted to check on her but she didn't let them. She frowned deeply as she thought. She was just trying to get them together. What was wrong with that?

 ~Back at the Car~

 "Yes!" Tikki gasped as she found the earrings. She picked them up, smiling as they recharged but she hid as one of the Reflekta clones came over. They knelt down, looking around as Tikki hid behind the wheel.

 "Plagg!" The clone gasped, looking around. "Plagg!"

 Tikki realized that it was Marinette, clearly looking for her kwami but she decided to go looking for Luka instead. They would definitely need a lucky charm and hopefully she'll bump back into Plagg on her way there. She could then tell him where Marinette was. She floated over the Eiffel tower but stopped when she saw Reflekdoll attacking something. She stopped and looked over before noticing a new hero or at least she thought it was a new hero for a second but then she realized it was a black cat hero but male. Her eyes widen in surprise as she watched him block Reflekdoll's attack with the baton.

 "Luka!" She gasped before turning back around. He would need help and she knew exactly who to go to. She flew back over to the car and saw Marinette was still there.

 "Plagg!" She called out, now standing up and looking around. Tikki took a deep breathe and flew over."Plagg!!"

 "You are Lady Noir, correct?" She asked, causing Marinette to look to before she nodded.

 "Y-Yeah," She nodded, looking worried. "I've lost Plagg! What if he's hurt?! Oh god! I'm a terrible hero! Wait... why aren't you with Annie?! Is he ok?!"

 "Anatis is fine, Lady Noir," She reassured, making Marinette let out a little sigh. "But there's been a little mix up with the miraculous,"

 "Mix up?" Marinette asked as Tikki turned around and nodded towards the Eiffel Tower. Though Marinette couldn't see exactly what was going on, it was clear there was a battle, meaning Anatis must already be on the scene but if Tikki was here then... Her eyes widen as it clicked. "Plagg is with Anatis?!"

 "Yes, I think he must have come across him first," Tikki admitted, noticing Marinette let out another sigh of relief.

 "He's safe... they're both safe..." She gasped, holding her hand over her heart before she looked over at the cute little bug. "You must be Tikki then,"

 "Yep. Pleased to meet you," She smiled, making Marinette coo a little at how adorable she was before she gently took the earrings from her and fixed them into her own ears. They turned in simple black stuns. "Do you know the transformation words?"

 "Of course and your special ability is the lucky charm which is used to defeat the villain and cast the cure. Ready?" She asked, making Tikki nod before she swiped the earrings. "Tikki! Spots on!! Ah!!"

 Tikki got sucked into the earrings, charging them up as Marinette threw up her head. She brought her hands up and swiped them over her eyes, creating her mask and removing the Reflekta look before throwing out her left arm as the magical energy traveled across her arm, creating her new suit. She span around as it spreaded across her body, creating the rest of her suit. The yoyo manifested next before the pink energy spreaded across her hips, creating a belt and finishing off the transformation. She glanced at her hands and moved them to her hair. She was use to having a super long plait but it didn't appear in this form. She gasped a little as she touched her hair. It seemed that she had a longer version of her pigtails. She glanced down at her suit, taking it in. It was kind of similar to Anatis' own outfit but yet different. She had black thigh high boots with a red strip on the top of them and a red spot on the top of her foot. Her rib cage and part of her legs were covered in black as were most of her arms but she had gloves that hooked onto her middle finger on her lower arms. Like the rest of her suit, they were red with black spots. On her shoulders were two shoulder guards. Like her boots, they were black with a red dot and a red strip. Her belt was very different from Anatis. Where his was plain black, hers had the ladybug print that framed with black. She also had a belt buckle that was the ladybug symbol. The yoyo was hooked onto the belt. She took it off the belt and opened it up, going straight to the user manual. She read through it before nodding to herself. 

 "Alright, time to help Annie," She mumbled to herself before throwing the yoyo and pulling herself up. She let out a scream as she did. It was one thing to be in Anatis' arms while he did this but she was not use to actually using the yoyo herself. She landed on the ground and let out a sigh before noticing Anatis running and dodging Reflekdoll's beam. She ran and jumped into the battle, landing next to Anatis. Reflekdoll fired a beam at her but she used the yoyo as a shield and blocked.

 "I see you found Tikki," He stated as they jumped back.

 "And I see you found Plagg," She replied, throwing the yoyo and using it to make Reflekdoll stumble. "So you get to play the easy part today,"

 "Hmm, I'm not so sure it will be easy," He replied, slamming his baton in the doll before jumping out of the way again. "We're taking two opponents with each other's powers. Stay focus, Ladybug. This isn't going to be easy,"

 "Don't worry, Mr Whiskers, I got this," She grinned as the two of them jumped onto a wall. Reflekta suddenly said yes to Hawkmoth before firing a beam at them. Anatis blocked it with his baton as Ladybug glanced at it. "Hmm two opponents... well, we know one is a normal akuma but that doll has gotta be an amok. Right, kitty?"

 "Good eye, bug girl," He replied as they jumped back down. "Feel free to call me Chat Malice by the way,"

 "Chat Malice? I like it," She asked as they ran towards the doll and ran up her. Chat took out the baton and slammed it into the side as Ladybug kicked it into the head at the same time, causing the doll to stumble back. They landed back on the ground as Reflekdoll got back up. "So we need to find where the amok and the akuma is hiding and break it,"

 "Can you manage or do you want to turn back?" Chat asked as he deflected a beam from the doll. 

 "I can manage," Ladybug confirmed before frowning a little. "But we need a plan,"

 "Head to the tower," He ordered, getting a nod of her before they both ran towards it. "Her akuma might be in the same place as the last time we fought her but we'll have to check it to be sure,"

 "But we can't get near her as long as she's got that doll," Ladybug replied, jumping up and climbing to the top of the tower. Chat followed her, easily scaling the building. They both jumped and flipped, landing on the tower. Reflekta tried to aim Reflekdoll's beam at them but they were shielded from it. Chat walked over to her and frowned as he leaned down glancing down. She leaned down next to him. "So we need a plan..."

 "We need to get rid of the doll," He muttered, frowning. "As long as she's inside it, she has the advantage,"

 "But if we take the advantage away from her, we can defeat her," Ladybug replied, getting a nod of him. "Ok so last time we used a camera..."

 "True but she's a lot more powerful this time and a flash won't blind her," He muttered, making Ladybug frown before he glanced over to her. "I think now would be a good time for a charm,"

 "Huh?" She asked before realizing what he meant. He smirked at her reaction as she took out the yoyo and threw up in the air. "Lucky charm!"

 A round mirror appeared out of thin air and fell down, causing her to catch it. 

 "Huh? What am I meant to do with this?" She asked, confused as he held back a laugh.

 "Welcome to my world," He smirked as she looked around. "Anything?"

 "I'm not seeing anything," She gasped as the tower shook. The two of them looked over and saw Reflekdoll climbing up the tower. Reflekta looked out of it's eyes and tried to fire her own beam at them. Ladybug used the mirror to send a beam back, annoying Reflekta and causing her to fire at them with Reflekdoll. The two of them jumped back as Chat frowned. "Ok, we need a better plan then this,"

 "Agreed," He replied as Reflekdoll climbed up. He blocked the beam as he turned to Ladybug. "Get to safety then try and look around for a solution while I distract them,"

 "Alright," She nodded, jumping away as he ran to the other side, calling for Reflekta to follow him. Ladybug frowned as she glanced around. Nothing was lighting up but at least, Reflekdoll was focused on Chat.

 "Missed me!" He shouted, diving out of the way of a beam. Reflekdoll fired another beam at him but he blocked it with his baton before grinning at the doll. "Missed me again!"

 "Stay still, you mangy cat!" Reflekta growled, firing another beam at him. He blocked it again with his baton while making a witty remark. Ladybug smirked at it but Reflekta didn't find it very funny. "Shut up! You're not funny!"

 "Oh but I am!" He grinned, jumping down and holding out his baton in a battle pose. "I'm the cunning and ultra funny Chat Malice! Watch and learn!"

 He threw up his hand.

 "Cataclysm!" He shouted, summoning the dark energy before running at Reflekdoll, dodging her beam as he did. He jumped up and slammed his hand on her, causing a number of cracks to go through it as it fell from the tower. Ladybug jumped down and landed next to him but it started to shake and it's eyes began to rapidly open and close.

 "What's happening?" Reflekta gasped from inside as Ladybug frowned.

 "Is that normal?" She asked, looking at him. "I've never cataclysmed a sentimonster before,"

 "I don't think it is," Chat replied. "But Reflekta no longer has her advantage- whoa!"

 He jumped with Ladybug as the sentimonster jumped up and began to fire it's beam everywhere and anywhere.

 "It's like a bee string on a bull," Ladybug gasped, glancing at him as he frowned. "It riled it up without actually wounding it,"

 The two of them jumped out of the way and landed on top of a wall again as Reflekdoll moved around. Chat frowned as he glanced over.

 "We need to clear this up quickly,"

 "And we still don't know where the amok is," Ladybug pointed out, making him nod.

 "No, Reflekdoll! Stop!" Reflekta cried out, making him frown deeply and reminding him that his sister was trapped inside. "She-bug! Cat boy! Help me!!"

 He took a deep breathe, knowing that loosing his cool would not help anyone and took out his baton, turning to Ladybug.

 "Let's focus on getting Reflekta out of there first then we'll deal with Reflekdoll," He suggested, getting a nod of her. He shot her a smile before the two of them jumped and towards the Sentimonster. He threw his baton, trapping in one of it's eyes and keeping it open. The two of them landed on the edge and grabbed onto his baton. Ladybug threw her yoyo and wrapped it around Reflekta's wrist, pulling her over to them. Ladybug grabbed her and jumped on top of Reflekdoll's head as Chat grabbed his baton and joined them. He picked up Reflekta and jumped down, causing her to hold onto his shoulders as Ladybug followed, using her yoyo. The three of them hid behind a wall as Reflekdoll went on a rampage. Reflekta slipped out of Chat's arms and stepped back.

 "These costumes look ridiculous on you," She gasped, smirking at them before pointing her hand at them. "I'm gonna redo your wardrobe!"

 "You could be at least a little bit grateful!" Ladybug gasped, throwing her yoyo. It smashed into the bracelet, breaking it and causing Reflekta to fall down as the akuma escaped. "Besides, I think we look pretty good,"

 "Don't forget the akuma," Chat grinned, pointing to it. 

 "I've always wanted to do this," Ladybug gasped as she took out the yoyo. She slid her finger down the middle of her yoyo, causing it to open. "No more evil doing for you, little akuma,"

 She span the yoyo around and threw it towards the butterfly. 

 "Time to de-evilize!" She declared, catching the butterfly in the yoyo and pulling it back to herself, catching it. "Got ya!"

 She grinned before pressing down on the yoyo and opening it, allowing a pure white butterfly to escape.

 "Bye, bye, little butterfly," She smiled, watching the butterfly flying off as Reflekta turned back into Juleka but Chat suddenly pulled her out of the way, causing a beam to go pass them and turn Juleka back into her akuma self. "Um... we'll be able to fix that right?"

 "Yeah but let's defeat Reflekdoll first," Chat replied as Reflekdoll randomly fired her beam. He took out his baton and charged at her as Ladybug looked around. Still, nothing was lighting up like it should. She glanced at the mirror and let out a sigh.

 " It's not easy been a super ladybug," She muttered as Chat dodged Reflekdoll's beam. "How do you do it, Kitty? This is a lot tougher then it looks!"

 "I just do what I've always done and work with what I have!" He yelled back, dodging Reflekdoll's hand as she tried to squash him. He landed on her arm and ran up it before going across her torso and over her shoulder. "But I have to admit! I like wearing your suit! It's a lot lighter on the shoulders!"

 He jumped off and extended his baton, whacking it into the back of Reflekdoll's head, causing her to clench her fists and getting angrier before firing her beam, even more. Chat jumped out of the way and grabbed Ladybug before diving behind a chimney as Reflekdoll fired a beam at everything and anything. Ladybug sighed as she glanced at the mirror.

 "I... I can't do this..." She gasped, making him look at her. "I have no idea what to do,"

 "Hey, you've got this, bug girl," He reassured, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Let's review what we know,"

 "Reflekdoll is on a rampage," She pointed out, making him nod.

 "But Reflekta was able to control her before," He muttered, thinking before Ladybug clicked her fingers.

 "You're right! She was controlling her from inside her eye! We need to get inside there to find the object containing the amok," She gasped, causing him to smile before she looked over the chimney. Chat glanced over as well as Ladybug glanced at Reflekdoll in her luck vision. Reflekdoll was firing her beam at everything, causing her to turn around. Ladybug gasped as her luck vision highlighted a panel on the back of her head. She glanced down at the mirror in her hand and was surprised when it lit up, followed by Chat as well. "I have a plan,"

 "Let's hear it," He replied, making her nod.

 "See that panel on the back of her head?" She asked as he nodded. "That's how we get in. I'm gonna use the mirror as a coin to open it. Think you can trip her up?"

 "Leave it to me, mi'lady," He grinned, jumping up and heading down to the street level. He extended his baton and placed it in Reflekdoll's path, causing her to trip up. Ladybug wrapped her yoyo around her, keeping her trapped before the two of them jumped over and landed on her head. Ladybug placed the coin into the slot on the panel and turned it around, unscrewing it. Chat grabbed it and pulled it aside before the two of them looked inside. "Look! The stick shift is a hairclip!"

 "I bet that's where the amok is!" Ladybug gasped as he extended his baton and used it to break it, freeing the feather. Ladybug took out her yoyo and caught the feather in it before releasing the now white feather. They jumped down as the sentimonster disappeared before Chat handed her the mirror, making her smile as she took it and tossed it up in the air. "Miraculous Ladybug!"

 It burst into the magic swamp, fixing all the damage that had been done. Ladybug gasped as she looked up in the air, watching it go. She jumped a little as Chat walked over to her and gently nudged her arm as he grinned at her. She grinned back, enjoying the moment but the day wasn't over yet. A now restored Juleka moved over to them, looking down which alarmed the two heroes.

 "Juleka," Chat muttered in a soft voice as he walked over to her. She looked up at him but gave him a confused look as she glanced over at Ladybug. "Oh... there was a mix up..."

 "Anatis?" She asked, making him chuckle as he rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm so sorry... I just... oh god! What if I hurt Luka and Marinette?!"

 "I'm sure your friends and brother are fine," Ladybug replied, walking over to her. Juleka nodded, looking reassured but then Alya jumped out of her hiding place, along with Rose. Rose rushed over to Juleka and fused over, repeatedly saying sorry but Alya didn't even look at her. Instead, she rushed over to the heroes with her phone. "Why am I not surprised to see you here, Miss Cesaire?"

 "Hmm, well she was Reflekta's main target," Chat hissed, glaring at her and making Ladybug frown. "Isn't that right, Alya?"

 "Well, um... I mean she was after Marinette and Luka as well! Besides, they stole her limelight!" Alya gasped, making both heroes frown. Ladybug went to say something but to both of their surprises, Juleka spoke up.

 "Because you didn't listen to them or me," She growled, causing Alya to look at her in surprise. "I may be quiet but I'm not dumb. Luka didn't originally even want to pose and Marinette was only going to do a couple of photos while I calmed down but you... you just had to butt your nose in again! It was your idea to pressure my brother to pose with Marinette, knowing that he wouldn't say no because he wanted to help her! It was your idea to go outside! You even told me that Marinette didn't want me to pose!"

 "I was-"

 "You say what?!" Chat growled, surprising Alya as Ladybug glared at her. He pinched his nose and shook his head as Juleka frowned.

 "That's what caused me to be akumatized..." She mumbled, looking down. "She told me that Marinette only invited me so Luka would come by and model for her. She said that Marinette didn't think I should be a model but... that wasn't true, was it Alya?"

 "I.. well... Ok so she did want you to model but it would have gone against my plan ok?!" She gasped, crossing her arms. "I thought you'd understand but clearly you don't care about your brother or Marinette's happiness,"

 "I do!" Juleka growled, stepping forward but Chat placed his hand on her shoulder, getting a look of her before she nodded and stepped back as he stepped forward.

 "Miss Cesaire, you don't get to decide that or push people out of the picture just because they don't work with your ideas," He stated, shaking his head. "Your actions-"

 "I was just trying to-"

 "I am not done talking!" He shouted suddenly, making her jump. She forgot how scary he could be but he looked much more scarier in the black cat suit then as Anatis. In fact, his eyes were glowing and she could see fangs in his mouth. "And I don't care what you were trying to do! I don't care if you claim to be a good friend and were trying to make your friends happy!"

 "I am a good friend!" Alya argued, crossing her arms.

 "No! You're not!" He shouted, shocking her. "In fact, you're an awful friend and quite frankly an awful person! What kind of 'friend' pushes someone out and tells them a bunch of lies?! What kind of person posts something that they know the subjects don't want posted?! You pressure your friend to confess her feelings, not caring if she actually wants to and then call her a coward for freaking out and not been able to! You are nothing more then a two faced gossip who has a warped sense of justice and is willing to do anything for the 'views' even if that means posting lies or making up stories! Not to mention you're a hypocrite! Yes, I know full well that you bitch about certain people behind their backs! You don't respect anyone including me or Lady Noir! I had to shout at you, just to get you to back off my identity! And this isn't the first akuma you've caused or did you hope that I would forget about Reverser and Puppeteer?!"

 "They weren't my fault..."

 "Weren't your fault?!" He gasped, sliding his hand through his hair. "For Kwami's sake, Alya, what is wrong with you?! You tore up Mr Anciel's story and called him a liar and a fake! And you refused to listen to your friend then abandoned the girl she was looking after! Anything could have happened so how do you not see what you've done?!"

 "All I've done is try and help people! The world deserves to know who you are and-"

 "You don't get to decide that!" He growled, making her gulp. "But I can see I won't get through to you so you know what? I give up! I am done trying to show you the error of your ways! You won't listen to me because you're too bullheaded to even realize that you are a problem! I mean what kind of person on purpose makes someone think that their friend doesn't care about them in a city that has a super-villain who feeds of negative emotion and turns people in villains?! And it's not like this is something that is new! Oh, no, I know you didn't believe your friend when she was framed, I know you didn't bother sticking up for your friends when they were been bullied and on top of all of this, you still think that a liar is a good person! A liar who has possibly willing taken an akuma and who has made people's life a living hell but hey, she can't be that bad because she claims to know me and Lady Noir. Well, here's a scope for you, Miss Tabloid! I don't know her and never have! Oh and while I'm here, I love cats, I don't go round meeting random civilians, I came up with the name Anatis, I'm not dating Lady Noir, if I'm gonna tell anyone my identity, it certainly won't be to you and my best friend is Lady Noir, not Miss Rossi or Miss Bourgeois! Speaking of her, you helped her almost become an akuma!"

 "Chloe isn't a nice person!"

 "Well, she's doing a lot better then you are!" He growled back, making her blink as tears filled up her eyes. He pinched his nose as he let out a sigh before looking up at her. "Do you think I want to talk to you like this? Cause I don't! I don't want to have to shout anyone like this but you won't listen otherwise so I'm doing the same thing I did with Chloe. You need to take a good look at yourself and do something about your bad habits because you are creating akumas and hurting people who you should care about! You need to work on what’s right from what’s wrong and have a real good look at your life! Because if you don't, your future is going to be a dark and lonely one! Your friends will walk away from you and leave you! Do you understand what is at risk here?! Your blog, your friendships and your reputation! Everything! All of it is at risk because you keep making the wrong choices and people aren't always gonna give you a second chance! They won't even think you're worthy of one!"

 For the first time, Alya didn't argue but look down as tears filled up her eyes. Chat sighed and touched his ears when his ring beeped. Ladybug looked at him and nodded before he turned back to Alya.

 "You need to change before it's too late," He replied before turning on his heel and running off with Ladybug, leaving Alya with a lot of food for thought. The two of them jumped onto the rooftops and ran as fast as they could across them. Ladybug turned to Chat as they did.

 "You really ripped into her," She mumbled, making him frown.

 "I'm sorry," He replied as they jumped to another roof. "I just couldn't hold it back anymore,"

 "It's ok," She nodded, making him nod. "I think she needed to hear it,"

 "So I wasn't too much?" He asked, looking at her. Ladybug smiled and shook his head before the two of them went their separate ways. He jumped down and ran into a nearby alleyway as the ring beeped rapidly. He stopped and leaned against the wall. "Claws in,"

 His transformation dropped and he caught Plagg before he took out a cookie and allowed him to bite into it. Plagg floated up as Luka took off the ring and handed it to him.

 "Bye, Plagg," He smiled as the kwami took the ring. He was still reeling from the whole thing but it's not like it was Plagg's fault. "That was really awesome,"

 "You made a great cat, Luka," Plagg grinned, making him smile shyly. "See ya,"

 With that, he flew off. Meanwhile, Ladybug was doing the same thing. She found an alleyway and leaned against the wall.

 "Spots off," She whispered, turning into Marinette. She caught her and took out a chuck of cheese. Tikki took a bite and floated up as Marinette took off the earrings and handed them to her. "It was really nice to finally meet you, Tikki,"

 "You too, Marinette," She grinned, taking the earrings. "You did a wonderful job as Ladybug,"

 "Thank you," She smiled shyly. "See you soon, Tikki,"

 "Goodbye, Marinette," She smiled, flying off. Marinette smiled a little before she noticed something small and black flying towards her. She gasped as she realized it was Plagg and opened her arms for him. He flew towards her and smiled as she hugged him before she took the ring and put it back on her finger, restoring to it's usual look. She hugged him again and gave him a chuck of cheese.

 "I promise I've never take off my miraculous again," She smiled as he swallowed it whole. "I may have made a good ladybug but I never realized just how tough Anatis has it,"

 "Kid has it real tough but he does good," Plagg grinned. "Let's head back to the others,"

 "Right," She nodded, running off to find her friends.

 ~Back to Luka~

 After Plagg flew away, Luka let out a sigh before noticing something flying towards him. As it got closer, he saw it was Tikki. He opened his arms hugged her when she flew close enough before he cupped her in his hands.

 "I thought I had lost you, Tikki," He gasped as she hugged his cheek, making him laugh before he took the earrings and put them back in. "I'm so glad to have you back. I've never take my miraculous off again, I swear,"

 "I'm glad to be back, Luka," She grinned as he took out a cookie and gave it to her. "Lady Noir made a good ladybug though,"

 "She did, didn't she?" He smiled before frowning a little. She nodded and hid in his pocket before he ran off and headed to where everyone should be. He got there and walked over to the group of girls and Adrien. Juleka was refusing to look at Alya.

 "Look, I'm sorry ok!" She gasped as Juleka frowned deeply and shook her head. "I really thought you'd understand..."

 "You just don't get it, do you?" Juleka asked, looking at her with a sad expression. "You lied to me and made me think my friends and brother didn't care about me!"

 "I was just trying to help Marinette!" Alya gasped, making Luka frown but before he could stay anything, Marinette ran over.

 "Girls!" She gasped, waving at them before turning to Juleka. "I'm so sorry, Juleka. I should have realized how important this shoot was to you. Do you want to give it another try?"

 "Sure but Marinette... I owe you an apology too," She mumbled, playing with her hands. "I thought you didn't want me to model because... Alya... she told me you only invited me so Luka could come and that you wanted him to model... not me... and I stupidly believed her..."

 "Oh, Juleka," Marinette gasped, hugging her. "That's not true at all. I want you to model and if Luka wants to model, I don't mind working something in for him but I would never push you out of the way. You're beautiful and amazing and I honestly can't think of anyone else who would be able to pull off my designs the way you do,"

 "Thank you, Marinette," Juleka mumbled, seeing Luka. She gave him a smile as Marinette look behind her and smiled shyly. "You know I'd love to model with my brother... if you want to, Luka..."

 "I'm good with that if you are, Juleka," He smiled softly before walking over to her. Marinette let out a sigh and turned to Alya, who looked sour. 

 "Alya... I don't understand why you would tell that to Juleka..." She mumbled, frowning.

 "Because that way she wouldn't infer with the plan!" She gasped, pointing towards the siblings before moving closer to Marinette. "Since you decided to move on from Adrien, I thought you'd decided to go with Luka and well, I figured you could get closer to him and ask him to the movies. I did it for you,"

 "Well, I never asked you too," She gasped, surprising Alya. "In fact, I told you not to interfere but once again, you didn't listen to me,"

 "You would never con-"

 "So what?!" Marinette gasped, surprising Alya before she walked up to her and poked her in the chest. "I'll do it in my own time when I'm ready! Not when you are or when someone else tells me too but when I am ready!"

 "But-"

 "No buts, Alya!" She gasped, pinching her nose before shaking her head. Alya had a certain look on her face. She was going to make another excuse and Marinette just couldn't do it anymore. "I can't do this,"

 "Can't do what?" Alya asked, confused.

 "This!" She gasped, gesturing between them. "I'm done, Alya! I can't be friends with someone who doesn't realize what they have done is wrong. I've given you chance after chance to change and be a better person but you aren't even trying and I'm sorry, Alya but I won't be friends with someone who thinks it ok to hurt others. I'll be willing to give you a second chance but you have to show me that you want to be better and want to change but if you don't then our friendship is over,"

 "Marinette, aren't you been a little bit dramatic?" Alya asked, frowning before glancing around. "Girls, you see-"

 "Marinette is right," Adrien stated, surprising her. "Hurting people isn't cool, Alya and I won't be friends with someone like that either,"

 "Same here," Juleka piped as the other girls nodded. Alya blinked, tears filling her eyes as she looked them. All of them had disappointed expressions and looked hurt or betrayed. She stepped back and blinked at them as Chat Malice's words echoed in her mind.

 Change before it's too late...

 Could she? Or was it already too late?

-----------------------------------------------------

Next Chapter: Here

[oasisspringstownie]

FAME: A Legacy Challenge

Sul sul simmers!

Like many of you, one of my favorite things to do in The Sims is play Legacy Challenges. They lead you to explore new aspects of gameplay, give you new imaginative ideas, and facilitate storytelling. So, a couple of nights ago I got the idea to create a new kind of legacy challenge revolving around different aspects of fame.

The goal isn’t exactly to become the most famous using said career/ skill, but to play around with different elements of the fame system in the game. You by no means need all the packs to play through this legacy. While the experience would be more complete and you will be missing careers and skills and stuff you can obviously adapt it to your need. Also, you are more than welcomed to use mods to enrich your gameplay. I myself can’t play without mods and look forward to see what kind of chaos mods can add to this challenge.

So without further a do below are the 10 generations I concocted like a fever dream at 2 am on a Saturday evening:

Gen 1: A Shaky Foundation

Traits: Cheerful, Ambitious, Self-Absorbed

Career: Acting, Style Influencer (Trendsetter Branch)

You move to a new city full of hopes and dreams. You initially pursue your dream of becoming an actor. However, your career is cut short by the unexpected arrival of your first child. You retreat from the spotlight in order to raise your baby and put all of your energy into making sure they have the best future possible. The rest of the time you spend either working or trying to unwind from your demanding life. What will fate bring you and your descendants?

Goals:

Move into an empty lot with 1600 simoleons for the bare minimum.

Start in the Acting Career, but abandon it for the Style Influencer career once your first child is born. Remain in the Style Influencer Career and eventually choose the Trendsetter Branch.

Max out the Style Influencer Career.

Reach level 10 of the Parenting and Wellness Skills.

Be close friends with all of your children and make sure they each age up with at least 2 positive character attributes.

Gen 2: Get Your Head in the Game

Traits: Active, Music Lover, Outgoing

Career: Athlete, Entertainment (Musician Branch)

Your parent might have seemed very overbearing at the time, but they instilled a work ethic in you like no other. Your entire life you were split between your two passions: basketball and singing. Okay, fine, you're Troy Bolton. After succeeding in the sports world you still find yourself feeling somewhat unfulfilled. You enter the entertainment career later on in life to live out your dreams. Will this be the start of something new?

Goals:

Max out the Athlete Career and then switch to the Entertainment Career (Musician Branch).

Max out the Fitness and Singing Skills.

Be in the drama club in high school.

Gen 3: Going for the Stars

Traits: Clumsy, Loner, Genius

Career: Astronaut

Your parent always told you to shoot for the stars, you just took it a bit too seriously. This world was always a bit too pedestrian for you and you yearn to finally lay your eyes on the astronomical craters of Sixam. There's just one problem: you're terrible at it. It's not your fault, you're just a bit clumsy; but will your two left feet keep you from reaching your dreams?

Goals:

Work in the Astronaut Career your entire life. Get demoted and fired at least once in your lifetime.

Destroy and repair a rocket 3 times.

Live in a tiny home for your young adulthood and adulthood.

Have at least one set of twins. *You can cheat for this!*

Gen 4: The Finer Things in Life

Traits: Materialistic, Hates Children, Lazy

Career: None

You've seen all the generations before you work their little pixelated butts off for every simoleon, but you're not about that life. You were destined for the finer things in life.

Goals

Reach level 10 of the Charisma and Mixology Skills.

Marry and survive 5 spouses. Take that wording however you want. Divorce is not allowed. You must be the last once standing. After all, spouses are like infinity stones. Meaningless.

Never have a job. Only make money from spouses, family, or children. If you get desperate enough you can ask a friend for a loan or steal, but no working of any kind.

Each child you decide to have with one of your rich spouses comes with a 20k trust fund. If they get taken away or die before coming of age, all the money has to be returned to the evil capitalist overlords. You can't get rid of them that easily.

Own at least 1 restaurant/ retail/ business with one of your spouses. Decorate it, assign the uniform, and hire everyone, but you never run it. Why would you go through the trouble?

Gen 5: My Precious

Traits: Art Lover, Kleptomaniac, Self-Assured

Career: Criminal

Your childhood was pretty hectic and you felt like you barely knew your parents. Who needs them? You've never needed anyone else anyway. On your 18th birthday, you receive your inheritance and use it to buy yourself an unfurnished apartment in the nicest building you can find and that's when your money runs out... literally. However, will a new job as a tough guy be the first of many great ideas or will it only be the beginning of the end for this famed family?

Goals

Once you become a young adult give yourself enough money to buy one of the apartments in the Uptown Neighborhood in San Myshuno. It must be unfurnished. After moving in set your money to 0 simoleons.

Complete the Criminal Career.

Reach level 10 of the Mischief and Dancing Skills.

Gain an atrocious reputation and spend the rest of your life trying to cover it up.

Steal 10 paintings from a museum and exhibit them proudly in your home. You are never allowed to sell them. As an adult, hide them in a secret attic nobody else has access to or knows about. They are your precious.

Gen 6: The Muses

Traits: Creative, Family Oriented, Insider

Career: Painter

You could have anything you wanted in the world thanks to your family's empire so you pursued your passion: painting. While you were never close to your other family members you were always very close to your art teacher. This led you to have very close ties to your friends, co-workers, and eventual children. Will your legacy remain for longer in the memory of strangers or your loved ones?

Goals

Complete the Painter Career

Reach level 10 of the Painting, Cooking and Baking Skills

Have a better relationship with your art teacher than anyone else in your family until you're a teen.

Move to a new world once you become a young adult and cut ties with your family.

Be the leader of one club for all your young adulthood and adulthood.

Be close friends with 3 co-workers and all of your children.

Prepare a meal at least once a week with the help of your children. *I know we don't have this in the game yet technically, but I'm hoping to have Cottage Living by the time I play with this generation*

Hang 5 paintings in a museum.

Retire from Painting Career to help care for your grandchildren.

Gen 7: Mole

Traits: Good, Perfectionist, Paranoid

Career: None

You always had a good relationship with your parents. You told each other everything... well, almost everything. You never understood why but one of your parents never talked about the rest of your family members. They explained that they simply never had a good relationship and would rather not talk about it. You respect this until their death when you return to their seemingly abandoned childhood home. While exploring the house you find a not-so-subtle bookcase door and a long forgotten attic filled with paintings. You take them in hopes of returning them but unbeknownst to you, you are being watched.

After an unfortunately unavailable nail-biting car chase, you shake off your attackers. You can't just lead them home to the rest of your family and what would the police do? They don't even arrest Vlad when he's trying to bite all of your sims!

Sorry, different rant.

So you do the only logical thing: you sell the paintings you just stole for some cash to buy an empty lot and skip town. A new life awaits you... just a bit underground.

Goals

Reach level 10 of the Writing, Logic, and Handiness Skills.

Complete the Best Selling Author Aspiration.

After your parent dies, you visit Gen 5's main home and retrieve the paintings hidden in the attic generations ago. Sell them and use the money to buy an empty lot in a completely different world.

Use your remaining money to build a small underground bunker. You can now never leave your bunker or risk immediate death.

You make your income by writing books under your new name. Oh, didn't I mention that? You changed your name to avoid detection. Your children may carry this new fake last name or your partner's.

Gen 8: Part of Your World

Traits: Loves Outdoors, Outgoing, Geek

Career: Social Media

All you knew was the bunker and it's not that you hated it, you just wanted a bit more. You're basically the little mermaid, except you don't get to be a mermaid. You just get a bunker you can never leave and a desperate yearning to explore the outside world.

Your outlet is the internet. From a young age you loved using it to play video games and make friends. As a teen you began to make videos and fostered a community online. Will you finally take your place in the world or remain hidden underground?

Goals

Reach level 10 of the Media Production and Video Gaming Skills

Complete the Social Media Career.

You're never allowed to leave the underground bunker until you're a teen.

You aren't allowed to go to school. Instead you play video games and use your computer for outside interaction.

As a teen you start developing your online presence by posting on social media and making videos on the video station.

You are only allowed to move out of the household once your parent dies and you have enough money in reserves to buy a furnished home.

Gen 9: Natural Born Performer

Traits: Gloomy, Unflirty, Adventurous

Career: Entertainment (Comedy Branch)

Due to your parent's fame, it was always expected you would follow in their footsteps. While a bit more gloomy than most, you are happiest when you make others laugh. So you join the Entertainer Career where you flourish as a comedian. You're also a bit unlucky in love. Will the family name's fame and your own notoriety keep you from finding true love or are you destined to a lifetime of gold diggers and one night stands?

Goals

Complete the Entertainer Career (Comedy Branch).

Reach level 10 of the Comedy and Rock Climbing skills.

Complete Serial Romantic Aspiration

Have four children.

Die suddenly and *mysteriously* in your adulthood.

Gen 10: A Grand Finale

Traits: Kleptomaniac, Ambitious, Perfectionist

Career: Actor

After losing your parents at a very young age, you and your siblings were sent to live with some distant relatives you didn't even know about. While you and your siblings are all very different and you bicker plenty, you always stick together.

After learning you are a descendant of some of the most famous and infamous sims in history, you are determined to meet and surpass their achievements. Will you come out on top or have you flown too close to the sun?

Goals

Complete the Actor Career

Achieve level 10 of 10 skills of your choosing.

Become a Global Superstar.

Get a star on Starlight Boulevard.

Throughout your lifetime you must go on vacation to every house you lived in throughout all previous 9 generations. Oh, and your three other siblings need to come along too. Think of it as Narnia meets It. Also make sure to steal something from each of the houses as a souvenir and display it proudly in your own home.

After you've completed all the things above, get turned into a vampire and choose to end your mortal legacy here... or start a whole new type all together.

Thank you so much for indulging me in this insanity. While I haven't played through any of these generations myself as of yet, I look forward to see the chaos and cuteness possible in The Sims.

Happy simming!

V

[thewickeddevil]

andreil se conhecendo crianças

okay, I have a lot of thoughts on Andrew and Neil meeting each other when they were kids, so let me talk about one of them

andrew and neil have 10 and 9, respectively

because I like to think that they deserve a lot of happiness, andrew is under bee's guard — just like aaron and nicky — and he follows a therapy routine that is pretty much functional for him

while Neil lives with mary and stuart, and nathan cannot touch a finger on him because the Hatford family's business organization has enough influence to get the Moriyama to put nathan on a leash and keep him away from neil

so on that basis, we have neil and andrew having a pretty stable childhood

in this city where they live there is a small establishment where there are several movies, cartoons, music and other things to rent, and they are always open throughout the day for those who just want to hang out or do whatever other shit they want. anyway, it's a place that quickly becomes popular in the city.

andrew finds this place when nicky takes him there to accompany him while he see the other boys look for some movies. obviously, he likes it at first sight. kid andrew is a little geek, after all although he will never admit it, and he is currently facing a place full of tons and tons of options for the most varied things to watch, everything from action to fiction and dystopia, so of course he loves it

then he goes back to that place a second time, third, fourth and every other time that nicky is willing to go with him

meanwhile neil is trying to get his mother's attention to take him to the 'new movie place', but she always postpones their going

and the only reason neil wants to go there is because he's a fucking curious kid

like, very curious

and one day he just can't take it anymore and goes on his own

"I'm nine years old, of course I'm able to walk alone to a place that is literally four blocks away from my house," he said to himself

it's during this little adventure that neil visits the place for the first time

and he completely hates it

there are a lot of people and everyone is so big and never pays attention to the little boy or listens when he talks, besides that neil doesn’t know at least 80% of the things on the rental movie shelf, because none of that looks like the movies his mother sometimes watches with him and uncle stuart

then, he gets lost among people and goes out the wrong door — the back door that leads to the street opposite the one he came from

neil is confused for exactly three seconds before seeing another person — another boy — playing with a cat near the plants on the opposite sidewalk

he then walks up to him

as he approaches, the other boy lifts his head full of hair that glows golden in the afternoon sun, and then his eyes are even more golden than that

and neil forgot what he was going to say because the boy was grimacing at him, and he didn't even know that boy so why was that?

"if you're just one more guy mistaking me for aaron, I'm going to throw that shoe of yours in your face," andrew said, unaffected.

"who is aaron?" neil asked genuinely "and, excuse me, do I know you? you can't threaten me with my own shoe"

"I just did it"

"yeah, but you can't do it again"

"or else?"

"or else"

and andrew snorted because that kid was completely stupid — but he also had beautiful eyes, he couldn't lie

"are you here alone?" andrew took the cat in his arm and stood up from where he was sitting

"yes, mum and uncle were busy"

"and how old are you?"

"I'm nine years old, but I don't see how it can interest you"

"you shouldn't be here alone, then"

"aren't you here alone?"

"kinda, but I'm ten so I can"

neil, of course, rolled his eyes, "oh, shut up. that's a year apart, and you're shorter than me"

"so what? being shorter means I reach enough to hit you in the legs, and then how are you going to escape when I try to chase you?"

they needed a few moments of silence after that. "you are a quite peculiar boy," neil murmured

so obviously they became friends immediately

as they eventually kept coming back to meet more often, the place became more and more interesting for neil and being inside with the movies and all the stuff was less and less necessary for andrew. I mean, he could just stay with the idiot outside, right?

andrew found out that neil never really cursed, so obviously he taught the boy some bad words

neil found out that andrew has eidetic memory and so he gets good grades without much effort, and everyone completely hates him for it

andrew found out that neil has a heavy british accent whenever he is pissed, tired or excited. ("oi mate, ah youh stchewpid?" he teased one day, imitating his accent, and neil rolled his eyes and crossed his arms in front of his chest)

neil was startled when he found out that andrew has a twin brother ("I mean, I don't think I can stand looking at your face twice," neil shrugged. "join the team," aaron agreed)

andrew found out that neil liked 70s romance movies, and he laughed like a bitch of that

but neil found out that andrew listened to anime songs, so he also had his dose of laughter

once andrew tried to take their cat home, and bee found out immediately when his belly meowed under his sweatshirt, so andrew promptly said the cat was his friend's

this resulted in neil having to show up for dinner at their house one day. aaron didn't particularly care for him, nicky was all smiles and bee was bee.

and being bee she knew immediately and appreciated the purity and extent of the bond between andrew and that boy, so from that day on neil would be almost a constant presence in their house

until mary obviously wanted to know where her son was going when he disappeared for hours straight almost every day

and this time andrew had to return the favor and show up for dinner at the hatford family home

stuart was a little scared of the boy, and neil rolled his eyes so many times when andrew tried to imitate their british accent that maybe his eye muscles would gain some strength

but they all endured, after all

and that way andrew and neil grew up together for the rest of their childhood until their teens and eventually adulthood

[grigori77]

2020 in Movies - My Top 30 Fave Movies (Part 2)

20.  ONWARD – Disney and Pixar’s best digitally animated family feature of 2020 (beating the admittedly impressive Soul to the punch) clearly has a love of fantasy roleplay games like Dungeons & Dragons, its quirky modern-day AU take populated by fantastical races and creatures seemingly tailor-made for the geek crowd … needless to say, me and many of my friends absolutely loved it.  That doesn’t mean that the classic Disney ideals of love, family and believing in yourself have been side-lined in favour of fan-service – this is as heartfelt, affecting and tearful as their previous standouts, albeit with plenty of literal magic added to the metaphorical kind.  The central premise is a clever one – once upon a time, magic was commonplace, but over the years technology came along to make life easier, so that in the present day the various races (elves, centaurs, fauns, pixies, goblins and trolls among others) get along fine without it. Then timid elf Ian Lightfoot (Tom Holland) receives a wizard’s staff for his sixteenth birthday, a bequeathed gift from his father, who died before he was born, with instructions for a spell that could bring him back to life for one whole day.  Encouraged by his brash, over-confident wannabe adventurer elder brother Barley (Chris Pratt), Ian tries it out, only for the spell to backfire, leaving them with the animated bottom half of their father and just 24 hours to find a means to restore the rest of him before time runs out.  Cue an “epic quest” … needless to say, this is another top-notch offering from the original masters of the craft, a fun, affecting and thoroughly infectious family-friendly romp with a winning sense of humour and inspired, flawless world-building.  Holland and Pratt are both fantastic, their instantly believable, ill-at-ease little/big brother chemistry effortlessly driving the story through its ingenious paces, and the ensuing emotional fireworks are hilarious and heart-breaking in equal measure, while there’s typically excellent support from Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Elaine from Seinfeld) as Ian and Barley’s put-upon but supportive mum, Laurel, Octavia Spencer as once-mighty adventurer-turned-restaurateur “Corey” the Manticore and Mel Rodriguez (Getting On, The Last Man On Earth) as overbearing centaur cop (and Laurel’s new boyfriend) Colt Bronco.  The film marks the sophomore feature gig for Dan Scanlon, who debuted with 2013’s sequel Monsters University, and while that was enjoyable enough I ultimately found it non-essential – no such verdict can be levelled against THIS film, the writer-director delivering magnificently in all categories, while the animation team have outdone themselves in every scene, from the exquisite environments and character/creature designs to some fantastic (and frequently delightfully bonkers) set-pieces, while there’s a veritable riot of brilliant RPG in-jokes to delight geekier viewers (gelatinous cube! XD).  Massive, unadulterated fun, frequently hilarious and absolutely BURSTING with Disney’s trademark heart, this was ALMOST my animated feature of the year.  More on that later …

19.  THE GENTLEMEN – Guy Ritchie’s been having a rough time with his last few movies (The Man From UNCLE didn’t do too bad but it wasn’t exactly a hit and was largely overlooked or simply ignored, while intended franchise-starter King Arthur: Legend of the Sword was largely derided and suffered badly on release, dying a quick death financially – it’s a shame on both counts, because I really liked them), so it’s nice to see him having some proper success with his latest, even if he has basically reverted to type to do it.  Still, when his newest London gangster flick is THIS GOOD it seems churlish to quibble – this really is what he does best, bringing together a collection of colourful geezers and shaking up their status quo, then standing back and letting us enjoy the bloody, expletive-riddled results. This particularly motley crew is another winning selection, led by Matthew McConaughey as ruthlessly successful cannabis baron Mickey Pearson, who’s looking to retire from the game by selling off his massive and highly lucrative enterprise for a most tidy sum (some $400,000,000 to be precise) to up-and-coming fellow American ex-pat Matthew Berger (Succession’s Jeremy Strong, oozing sleazy charm), only for local Chinese triad Dry Eye (Crazy Rich Asians’ Henry Golding, chewing the scenery with enthusiasm) to start throwing spanners into the works with the intention of nabbing the deal for himself for a significant discount.  Needless to say Mickey’s not about to let that happen … McConaughey is ON FIRE here, the best he’s been since Dallas Buyers Club in my opinion, clearly having great fun sinking his teeth into this rich character and Ritchie’s typically sparkling, razor-witted dialogue, and he’s ably supported by a quality ensemble cast, particularly co-star Charlie Hunnam as Mickey’s ice-cold, steel-nerved right-hand-man Raymond Smith, Downton Abbey’s Michelle Dockery as his classy, strong-willed wife Rosalind, Colin Farrell as a wise-cracking, quietly exasperated MMA trainer and small-time hood simply known as the Coach (who gets many of the film’s best lines), and, most notably, Hugh Grant as the film’s nominal narrator, thoroughly morally bankrupt private investigator Fletcher, who consistently steals the film.  This is Guy Ritchie at his very best – a twisty rug-puller of a plot that constantly leaves you guessing, brilliantly observed and richly drawn characters you can’t help loving in spite of the fact there’s not a single hero among them, a deliciously unapologetic, politically incorrect sense of humour and a killer soundtrack.  Getting the cinematic year off to a phenomenal start, it’s EASILY Ritchie’s best film since Sherlock Holmes, and a strong call-back to the heady days of Snatch (STILL my favourite) and Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels.  Here’s hoping he’s on a roll again, eh?

18.  SPONTANEOUS – one of the year’s biggest under-the-radar surprise hits for me was one which I actually might not have caught if things had been a little more normal and ordered.  Thankfully with all the lockdown and cinematic shutdown bollocks going on, this fantastically subversive and deeply satirical indie teen comedy horror came along at the perfect time, and I completely flipped out over it.  Now those who know me know I don’t tend to gravitate towards teen cinema, but like all those other exceptions I’ve loved over the years, this one had a brilliantly compulsive hook I just couldn’t turn down – small-town high-schooler Mara (Knives Out and Netflix’ Cursed’s Katherine Langford) is your typical cool outsider kid, smart, snarky and just putting up with the scene until she can graduate and get as far away as possible … until one day in her senior year one of her classmates just inexplicably explodes. Like her peers, she’s shocked and she mourns, then starts to move on … until it happens again.  As the death toll among the senior class begins to mount, it becomes clear something weird is going on, but Mara has other things on her mind because the crisis has, for her, had an unexpected benefit – without it she wouldn’t have fallen in love with like-minded oddball new kid Dylan (Lean On Pete and Words On Bathroom Walls’ Charlie Plummer). The future’s looking bright, but only if they can both live to see it … this is a wickedly intelligent film, powered by a skilfully executed script and a wonderfully likeable young cast who consistently steer their characters around the potential cliched pitfalls of this kind of cinema, while debuting writer-director Brian Duffield (already a rising star thanks to scripts for Underwater, The Babysitter and blacklist darling Jane Got a Gun among others) show he’s got as much talent and flair for crafting truly inspired cinema as he has for thinking it up in the first place, delivering some impressively offbeat set-pieces and several neat twists you frequently don’t see coming ahead of time.  Langford and Plummer as a sassy, spicy pair who are easy to root for without ever getting cloying or sweet, while there’s glowing support from the likes of Hayley Law (Rioverdale, Altered Carbon, The New Romantic) as Mara’s best friend Tess, Piper Perabo and Transparent’s Rob Huebel as her increasingly concerned parents, and Insecure’s Yvonne Orji as Agent Rosetti, the beleaguered government employee sent to spearhead the investigation into exactly what’s happening to these kids.  Quirky, offbeat and endlessly inventive, this is one of those interesting instances where I’m glad they pushed the horror elements into the background so we could concentrate on the comedy, but more importantly these wonderfully well-realised and vital characters – there are some skilfully executed shocks, but far more deep belly laughs, and there’s bucketloads of heart to eclipse the gore.  Another winning debut from a talent I intend to watch with great interest in the future.

17.  HAMILTON – arriving just as Black Lives Matter reached fever-pitch levels, this feature presentation of the runaway Broadway musical smash-hit could not have been better timed. Shot over three nights during the show’s 2016 run with the original cast and cut together with specially created “setup shots”, it’s an immersive experience that at once puts you right in amongst the audience (at times almost a character themselves, never seen but DEFINITELY heard) but also lets you experience the action up close.  And what action – it’s an incredible show, a thoroughly fascinating piece of work that reads like something very staid and proper on paper (an all-encompassing biographical account of the life and times of American Founding Father Alexander Hamilton) but, in execution, becomes something very different and EXTREMELY vital.  The execution certainly couldn’t be further from the usual period biopic fare this kind of historical subject matter usually gets (although in the face of recent high quality revisionist takes like Marie Antoinette, The Great and Tesla it’s not SO surprising), while the cast is not at all what you’d expect – with very few notable exceptions the cast is almost entirely people of colour, despite the fact that the real life individuals they’re playing were all very white indeed.  Every single one of them is also an absolute revelation – the show’s writer-composer Lin-Manuel Miranda (already riding high on the success of In the Heights) carries the central role of Hamilton with effortless charm and raw star power, Leslie Odom Jr. (Smash, Murder On the Orient Express) is duplicitously complex as his constant nemesis Aaron Burr, Christopher Jackson (In the Heights, Moana, Bull) oozes integrity and nobility as his mentor and friend George Washington, Phillipa Soo is sweet and classy as his wife Eliza while Renée Elise Goldsberry (The Immortal Life of Henrietta Jacks, Altered Carbon) is fiery and statuesque as her sister Angelica Schuyler (the one who got away), and Jonathan Groff (Mindhunter) consistently steals every scene he’s in as fiendish yet childish fan favourite King George III, but the show (and the film) ultimately belongs to veritable powerhouse Daveed Diggs (Blindspotting, The Good Lord Bird) in a spectacular duel role, starting subtly but gaining scene-stealing momentum as French Revolutionary Gilbert du Motier, the Marquis de Lafayette, before EXPLODING onto the stage in the second half as indomitable third American President Thomas Jefferson.  Not having seen the stage show, I was taken completely by surprise by this, revelling in its revisionist genius and offbeat, quirky hip-hop charm, spellbound by the skilful ease with which is takes the sometimes quite dull historical fact and skews it into something consistently entertaining and absorbing, transported by the catchy earworm musical numbers and thoroughly tickled by the delightfully cheeky sense of humour strung throughout (at least when I wasn’t having my heart broken by moments of raw dramatic power). Altogether it’s a pretty unique cinematic experience I wish I could have actually gotten to see on the big screen, and one I’ve consistently recommended to all my friends, even the ones who don’t usually like musicals.  As far as I’m concerned it doesn’t need a proper Les Misérables style screen adaptation – this is about as perfect a presentation as the show could possibly hope for.

16.  SPUTNIK – summer’s horror highlight (despite SERIOUSLY tough competition) was a guaranteed sleeper hit that I almost missed entirely, stumbling across the trailer one day on YouTube and getting bowled over by its potential, prompting me to hunt it down by any means necessary.  The feature debut of Russian director Egor Abramenko, this first contact sci-fi chiller is about as far from E.T. as it’s possible to get, sharing some of the same DNA as Carpenter’s The Thing but proudly carving its own path with consummate skill and definitely signalling great things to come from its brand new helmer and relative unknown screenwriters Oleg Malovichko and Andrei Zolotarev.  Oksana Akinshina (probably best known in the West for her powerful climactic cameo in The Bourne Supremacy) is the beating heart of the film as neurophysiologist Tatyana Yuryevna Klimova, brought in to aid in the investigation in the Russian wilderness circa 1983 after an orbital research mission goes horribly wrong.  One of the cosmonauts dies horribly, while the other, Konstantin (The Duelist’s Pyotr Fyodorov) seems unharmed, but it quickly becomes clear that he’s now the host for something decidedly extraterrestrial and potentially terrifying, and as Tatyana becomes more deeply embroiled in her assignment she comes to realise that her superiors, particularly mysterious Red Army project leader Colonel Semiradov (The PyraMMMid’s Fyodor Bondarchuk), have far more insidious plans for Konstantin and his new “friend” than she could ever imagine. This is about as dark, intense and nightmarish as this particular sub-genre gets, a magnificently icky body horror that slowly builds its tension as we’re gradually exposed to the various truths and the awful gravity of the situation slowly reveals itself, punctuated by skilfully executed shocks and some particularly horrifying moments when the evils inflicted by the humans in charge prove far worse than anything the alien can do, while the ridiculously talented writers have a field day pulling the rug out from under us again and again, never going for the obvious twist and keeping us guessing right to the devastating ending, while the beautifully crafted digital creature effects are nothing short of astonishing and thoroughly creepy.  Akinshina dominates the film with her unbridled grace, vulnerability and integrity, the relationship that develops between Tatyana and Konstantin (Fyodorov delivering a beautifully understated turn belying deep inner turmoil) feeling realistically earned as it goes from tentatively wary to tragically bittersweet, while Bondarchuk invests the Colonel with a nuanced air of tarnished authority and restrained brutality that made him one of my top screen villains for the year.  One of 2020’s great sleeper hits, I can’t speak of this film highly enough – it’s a genuine revelation, an instant classic for whom I’ll sing its praises for years to come, and I wish enormous future success to all the creative talents involved.

15.  THE INVISIBLE MAN – looks like third time’s a charm for Leigh Whannell, writer-director of my ALMOST horror movie of the year (more on that later) – while he’s had immense success as a horror writer over the years (co-creator of both the Saw and Insidious franchises), as a director his first two features haven’t exactly set the world alight, with debut Insidious: Chapter III garnering similar takes to the rest of the series but ultimately turning out to be a bit of a damp squib quality-wise, while his second feature Upgrade was a stone-cold masterpiece that was (rightly) EXTREMELY well received critically, but ultimately snuck in under the radar and has remained a stubbornly hidden gem since. No such problems with his third feature, though – his latest collaboration with producer Jason Blum and the insanely lucrative Blumhouse Pictures has proven a massive hit both financially AND with reviewers, and deservedly so.  Having given up on trying to create a shared cinematic universe inhabited by their classic monsters, Universal resolved to concentrate on standalones to showcase their elite properties, and their first try is a rousing success, Whannell bringing HG Wells’ dark and devious human monster smack into the 21st Century as only he can.  The result is a surprisingly subtle piece of work, much more a lethally precise exercise in cinematic sleight of hand and extraordinary acting than flashy visual effects, strictly adhering to the Blumhouse credo of maximum returns for minimum bucks as the story is stripped down to its bare essentials and allowed to play out without any unnecessary weight.  The Handmaid’s Tale’s Elizabeth Moss once again confirms what a masterful actress she is as she brings all her performing weapons to bear in the role of Cecelia “Cee” Kass, the cloistered wife of affluent but monstrously abusive optics pioneer Aidan Griffin (Netflix’ The Haunting of Hill House’s Oliver Jackson-Cohen), who escapes his clutches in the furiously tense opening sequence and goes to ground with the help of her closest childhood friend, San Francisco cop James Lanier (Leverage’s Aldis Hodge) and his teenage daughter Sydney (A Wrinkle in Time’s Storm Reid).  Two weeks later, Aidan commits suicide, leaving Cee with a fortune to start her life over (with the proviso that she’s never ruled mentally incompetent), but as she tries to find her way in the world again little things start going wrong for her, and she begins to question if there might be something insidious going on.  As her nerves start to unravel, she begins to suspect that Aidan is still alive, still very much in her life, fiendishly toying with her and her friends, but no-one can see him.  Whannell plays her paranoia up for all it’s worth, skilfully teasing out the scares so that, just like her friends, we begin to wonder if it might all be in her head after all, before a spectacular mid-movie reveal throws the switch into high gear and the true threat becomes clear.  The lion’s share of the film’s immense success must of course go to Moss – her performance is BEYOND a revelation, a blistering career best that totally powers the whole enterprise, and it goes without saying that she’s the best thing in this.  Even so, she has sterling support from Hodge and Reid, as well as Love Child’s Harriet Dyer as Cee’s estranged big sister Emily and Wonderland’s Michael Dorman as Adrian’s slimy, spineless lawyer brother Tom, and, while he doesn’t have much actual (ahem) “screen time”, Jackson-Cohen delivers a fantastically icy, subtly malevolent turn which casts a large “shadow” over the film.  This is one of my very favourite Blumhouse films, a pitch-perfect psychological chiller that keeps the tension cranked up unbearably tight and never lets go, Whannell once again displaying uncanny skill with expert jump-scares, knuckle-whitening chills and a truly astounding standout set-piece that easily goes down as one of the top action sequences of 2020. Undoubtedly the best version of Wells’ story to date, this goes a long way in repairing the damage of Universal’s abortive “Dark Universe” efforts, as well as showcasing a filmmaking master at the very height of his talents.

14.  EXTRACTION – the Coronavirus certainly has threw a massive spanner in the works of the year’s cinematic calendar – among many other casualties to the blockbuster shunt, the latest (and most long-awaited) MCU movie, Black Widow, should have opened to further record-breaking box office success at the end of spring, but instead the theatres were all closed and virtually all the heavyweights were pushed back or shelved indefinitely.  Thank God, then, for the streaming services, particularly Hulu, Amazon and Netflix, the latter of which provided a perfect movie for us to see through the key transition into the summer blockbuster season, an explosively flashy big budget action thriller ushered in by MCU alumni the Russo Brothers (who produced and co-wrote this adaptation of Ciudad, a graphic novel that Joe Russo co-created with Ande Parks and Fernando Leon Gonzalez) and barely able to contain the sheer star-power wattage of its lead, Thor himself.  Chris Hemsworth plays Tyler Rake, a former Australian SAS operative who hires out his services to an extraction operation under the command of mercenary Nik Khan (The Patience Stone’s Golshifteh Farahani), brought in to liberate Ovi Mahajan (Rudhraksh Jaiswal in his first major role), the pre-teen son of incarcerated Indian crime lord Ovi Sr. (Pankaj Tripathi), who has been abducted by Bangladeshi rival Amir Asif (Priyanshu Painyuli).  The rescue itself goes perfectly, but when the time comes for the hand-off the team is double-crossed and Tyler is left stranded in the middle of Dhaka with no choice but to keep Ovi alive as every corrupt cop and street gang in the city closes in around them.  This is the feature debut of Sam Hargrave, the latest stuntman to try his hand at directing, so he certainly knows his way around an action set-piece, and the result is a thoroughly breathless adrenaline rush of a film, bursting at the seams with spectacular fights, gun battles and car chases, dominated by a stunning sustained sequence that plays out in one long shot, guaranteed to leave jaws lying on the floor.  Not that there should be any surprise – Hargrave cut his teeth as a stunt coordinator for the Russos on Captain America: Civil War and their Avengers films.  That said, he displays strong talent for the quieter disciplines of filmmaking too, delivering quality character development and drawing out consistently noteworthy performances from his cast.  Of course, Hemsworth can do the action stuff in his sleep, but there’s a lot more to Tyler than just his muscle, the MCU veteran investing him with real wounded vulnerability and a tragic fatalism which colours every scene, while Jaiswal is exceptional throughout, showing plenty of promise for the future, and there’s strong support from Farahani and Painyuli, as well as Stranger Things’ David Harbour as world-weary retired merc Gaspard, and a particularly impressive, muscular turn from Randeep Hooda (Once Upon a Time in Mumbai) as Saju, a former Para and Ovi’s bodyguard, who’s determined to take possession of the boy himself, even if he has to go through Tyler to get him.  This is action cinema that really deserves to be seen on the big screen – I watched it twice in a week and would happily have paid for two trips to the cinema for it if I could have.  As we looked down the barrel of a summer season largely devoid of blockbuster fare, I couldn’t recommend this enough.  Thank the gods for Netflix …

13.  THE TRIAL OF THE CHICAGO 7 – although it’s definitely a film that really benefitted enormously from releasing on Netflix during the various lockdowns, this was one of the blessed few I actually got to see during one of the UK’s frustratingly rare lulls when cinemas were actually OPEN.  Rather perversely it therefore became one of my favourite cinematic experiences of 2020, but then I’m just as much a fan of well-made cerebral films as I am of the big, immersive blockbuster EXPERIENCES, so this probably still would have been a standout in a normal year. Certainly if this was a purely CRITICAL list for the year this probably would have placed high in the Top Ten … Aaron Sorkin is a writer whose work I have ardently admired ever since he went from esteemed playwright to in-demand talent for both the big screen AND the small with A Few Good Men, and TTOTC7 is just another in a long line of consistently impressive, flawlessly written works rife with addictive quickfire dialogue, beautifully observed characters and rewardingly propulsive narrative storytelling (therefore resting comfortably amongst the well-respected likes of The West Wing, Charlie Wilson’s War, Moneyball and The Social Network).  It also marks his second feature as a director (after fascinating and incendiary debut Molly’s Game), and once again he’s gone for true story over fiction, tackling the still controversial subject of the infamous 1968 trial of the “ringleaders” of the infamous riots which marred Chicago’s Diplomatic National Convention five months earlier, in which thousands of hippies and college students protesting the Vietnam War clashed with police.  Spurred on by the newly-instated Presidential Administration of Richard Nixon to make some examples, hungry up-and-coming prosecutor Richard Schultz (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is confident in his case, while the Seven – who include respected and astute student activist Tom Hayden (Eddie Redmayne) and confrontational counterculture firebrands Abbie Hoffman (Sacha Baron Cohen) and Jerry Rubin (Succession’s Jeremy Strong) – are the clear underdogs.  They’re a divided bunch (particularly Hayden and Hoffman, who never mince their words about what little regard they hold for each other), and they’re up against the combined might of the U.S. Government, while all they have on their side is pro-bono lawyer and civil rights activist William Kunstler (Mark Rylance), who’s sharp, driven and thoroughly committed to the cause but clearly massively outmatched … not to mention the fact that the judge presiding over the case is Julius Hoffman (Frank Langella), a fierce and uncompromising conservative who’s clearly 100% on the Administration’s side, and who might in fact be stark raving mad (he also frequently goes to great lengths to make it clear to all concerned that he is NOT related to Abbie).  Much as we’ve come to expect from Sorkin, this is cinema of grand ideals and strong characters, not big spectacle and hard action, and all the better for it – he’s proved time and again that he’s one of the very best creative minds in Hollywood when it comes to intelligent, thought-provoking and engrossing thinking-man’s entertainment, and this is pure par for the course, keeping us glued to the screen from the skilfully-executed whirlwind introductory montage to the powerfully cathartic climax, and every varied and brilliant scene in-between.  This is heady stuff, focusing on what’s still an extremely thorny issue made all the more urgently relevant and timely given what was (and still is) going on in American politics at the time, and everyone involved here was clearly fully committed to making the film as palpable, powerful and resonant as possible for the viewer, no matter their nationality or political inclination.  Also typical for a Sorkin film, the cast are exceptional, everyone clearly having the wildest time getting their teeth into their finely-drawn characters and that magnificent dialogue – Redmayne and Baron Cohen are compellingly complimentary intellectual antagonists given their radically different approaches and their roles’ polar opposite energies, while Rylance delivers another pitch-perfect, simply ASTOUNDING performance that once again marks him as one of the very best actors of his generation, and there are particularly meaty turns from Strong, Langella, Aquaman’s Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (as besieged Black Panther Bobby Seale) and a potent late appearance from Michael Keaton that sear themselves into the memory long after viewing. Altogether then, this is a phenomenal film which deserves to be seen no matter the format, a thought-provoking and undeniably IMPORTANT masterwork from a master cinematic storyteller that says as much about the world we live in now as the decidedly turbulent times it portrays …

12.  GREYHOUND – when the cinemas closed back in March, the fate of many of the major summer blockbusters we’d been looking forward to was thrown into terrible doubt. Some were pushed back to more amenable dates in the autumn or winter (which even then ultimately proved frustratingly ambitious), others knocked back a whole year to fill summer slots for 2021, but more than a few simply dropped off the radar entirely with the terrible words “postponed until further notice” stamped on them, and I lamented them all, this one in particular.  It hung in there longer than some, stubbornly holding onto its June release slot for as long as possible, but eventually it gave up the ghost too … but thanks to Apple TV+, not for long, ultimately releasing less than a month later than intended.  Thankfully the film itself was worth the fuss, a taut World War II suspense thriller that’s all killer, no filler – set during the infamous Battle of the Atlantic, it portrays the constant life-or-death struggle faced by the Allied warships assigned to escort the transport convoys as they crossed the ocean, defending their charges from German U-boats.  Adapted from C.S. Forester’s famous 1955 novel The Good Shepherd by Tom Hanks and directed by Aaron Schneider (Get Low), the narrative focuses on the crew of the escort leader, American destroyer USS Fletcher, codenamed “Greyhound”, and in particular its captain, Commander Ernest Krause (Hanks), a career sailor serving his first command.  As they cross “the Pit”, the most dangerous middle stretch of the journey where they spend days without air-cover, they find themselves shadowed by “the Wolf Pack”, a particularly cunning group of German submarines that begin to pick away at the convoy’s stragglers.  Faced with daunting odds, a dwindling supply of vital depth-charges and a ruthless, persistent enemy, Krause must make hard choices to bring his ships home safe … jumping into the thick of the action within the first ten minutes and maintaining its tension for the remainder of the trim 90-minute run, this is screen suspense par excellence, a sleek textbook example of how to craft a compelling big screen knuckle-whitener with zero fat and maximum reward, delivering a series of desperate naval scraps packed with hide-and-seek intensity, heart-in-mouth near-misses and fist-in-air cathartic payoffs by the bucket-load.  Hanks is subtly magnificent, the calm centre of the narrative storm as a supposed newcomer to this battle arena who could have been BORN for it, bringing to mind his similarly unflappable in Captain Phillips and certainly not suffering by comparison; by and large he’s the focus point, but other crew members make strong (if sometimes quite brief) impressions, particularly Stephen Graham as Krause’s reliably seasoned XO, Lt. Commander Charlie Cole, The Magnificent Seven’s Manuel Garcia-Rulfo and Just Mercy’s Rob Morgan, while Elisabeth Shue does a lot with a very small part in brief flashbacks as Krause’s fiancée Evelyn. Relentless, exhilarating and thoroughly unforgettable, this was one of the true action highlights of the summer, and one hell of a war flick.  I’m so glad it made the cut for the summer …

11.  PROJECT POWER – with Marvel and DC pushing their tent-pole titles back in the face of COVID, the usual superhero antics we’ve come to expect for the summer were pretty thin on the ground in 2020, leading us to find our geeky fan thrills elsewhere. Unfortunately, pickings were frustratingly slim – Korean comic book actioner Gundala was entertaining but workmanlike, while Thor AU Mortal was underwhelming despite strong direction from Troll Hunter’s André Øvredal, and The New Mutants just got shat on by the studio and its distributors and no mistake – thank the Gods, then, for Netflix, once again riding to the rescue with this enjoyably offbeat super-thriller, which takes an intriguing central premise and really runs with it.  New designer drug Power has hit the streets of New Orleans, able to give anyone who takes it a superpower for five minutes … the only problem is, until you try it, you don’t know what your own unique talent is – for some, it could mean five minutes of invisibility, or insane levels of super-strength, but other powers can be potentially lethal, the really unlucky buggers just blowing up on the spot.  Robin (The Hate U Give’s Dominique Fishback) is a teenage Power-pusher with dreams of becoming a rap star, dealing the pills so she can help her diabetic mum; Frank Shaver (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is one of her customers, a police detective who uses his power of near invulnerability to even the playing field when supercharged crims cause a disturbance.  Their lives are turned upside down when Art (Jamie Foxx) arrives in town – he’s a seriously badass ex-soldier determined to hunt down the source of Power by any means necessary, and he’s not above tearing the Big Easy apart to do it. This is a fun, gleefully infectious rollercoaster that doesn’t take itself too seriously, revelling in the anarchic potential of its premise and crafting some suitably OTT effects-driven chaos brought to pleasingly visceral fruition by its skilfully inventive director, Ariel Schulman (Catfish, Nerve, Viral), while Mattson Tomlin (the screenwriter of the DCEU’s oft-delayed, incendiary headline act The Batman) takes the story in some very interesting directions and poses fascinating questions about what Power’s TRULY capable of.  Gordon-Levitt and Fishback are both brilliant, the latter particularly impressing in what’s sure to be a major breakthrough role for her, and the friendship their characters share is pretty adorable, while Foxx really is a force to be reckoned with, pretty chill even when he’s in deep shit but fully capable of turning into a bona fide killing machine at the flip of a switch, and there’s strong support from Westworld’s Rodrigo Santoro as Biggie, Power’s delightfully oily kingpin, Courtney B. Vance as Frank’s by-the-book superior, Captain Crane, Amy Landecker as Gardner, the morally bankrupt CIA spook responsible for the drug’s production, and Machine Gun Kelly as Newt, a Power dealer whose pyrotechnic “gift” really isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.  Exciting, inventive, frequently amusing and infectiously likeable, this was some of the most uncomplicated cinematic fun I had all summer.  Not bad for something which I’m sure was originally destined to become one of the season’s B-list features …

[aquanova99]

so, seeing as you're up to trying to do matchups. here's a little test run I guess? don't be upset if you can't include everything I add, it's just to give information. i'm apologizing now because this is going to be long.

My name is Ghost! I'm transgender ftm, INTP-T. I was born March 31st, therefore I'm a Aries. I go by he/they/xe/its, although I am considering a few new ones. I feel very hyper right now for no reason, so I apologize if this sounds like it switches from topic to topic. Likes whoever, although I prefer male/masc people. Poly! Huge horror geek! I grew up watching horror movies, or just rather disturbing things. I have literally been in the creepypasta fandom since I was eight, basically nine. I constantly make my in real life friends and family worried, I love watching gorey stuff and have literally smiled at a few scenes. My favorite horror movies as of now still has to be either House of a 1000 corpses or House of Wax.

Huge music person as well! I will listen to almost anything but country willingly. It's not that I hate it, it's just not my first choice. My first choice is and always will be rock music! I love a lot of rock bands like Guns N' Roses, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Queen, KoRn, Slipknot, and etc. I listen to a lot of ICP as well, my favorite song that I seem to be slightly hyperfixating on is "in my room" by them! Although I do listen to a lot of more calming music like piano! My music literally has to be blaring or I'm upset about it, it's why I normally wear earbuds/headphones whenever listening to music.

I'm a really really loud person whenever I'm not very focused. Which is very rare because I have the SHITTEST focus. I like drawing a lot, and I like taking photos of random things. I am a collector ngl, I love collecting animal bones, rocks/crystals, books, statues, rocks, sea-shells, and stuffed animals. I love walks so much, but like it has to be in a specific place or heavily surrounded by woods. No talking, no arguing, nothing but the sound of my music and the sound of nature. It helps me relax, so it normally helps me focus after I get back. Although whenever I'm not calm I'm rather loud and chaotic. I can be quite impulsive, and I'm currently trying to fix that problem. I have like really bad anxiety and depression, although I'm currently coping through it. My room is either very very messy or very clean, no in-between. fun facts about me bc.... yes; ❒ i have a lot of rather weird photos in my gallery, it doesn't matter if it's on my phones or my pc. like think of Barbie knives and shit. ❒ i used to do gymnastics as a kid ❒ i used to be able to sing ❒ i love the rain and thunderstorms, will deadass go outside and dance in it ❒ I am an animal lovers, we grew up my entire life rescue animals and taking care of them. lemme know if you need more information !!

Okay this was actually kind of easy but only because I’m cheating. I think you would go great with Garrett and Kate. They both seem like they would love horror movies and you can’t tell me Garrett doesn’t love that kind of music, whereas Kate and you would always be outside finding places to explore and Garrett would keep asking you guys to come along because he’s head over heels for you two. Garrett is messy and Kate is super clean, no I am not taking feedback on that. Both of them would absolutely go dancing in the rain with you, are you kidding me?