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padawanlost · 5 years ago

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People often talk about Anakins failings as a Jedi, so how about somethings he was better than them at. Was there ever things (non-Jedi things) that people appreciated him for? Did his loyalty and emotion ever help someone, or make them feel better? Just, some ways in which Anakin being a bad Jedi, ended up making things better.

You asked me there’s any non-jedi trait Anakin excelled at I’d argue Anakin excelled at the most Jedi trait of all: compassion. Unlike the great Jedi masters of his time, who talked a big game about compassion, Anakin actually cared about the people he met and tried his best to connect and help them. But I’m not going to say much about this, I’ll just show you the receipts.

When Anakin and Obi-wan find a captive woman who has been physically abuse, this is what happens:

He was polite:

Anakin was looking relieved. “Water would be greatly appreciated, thank you. Food, too, but I’ll wait for Obi-Wan to come back before I eat.” She crossed to the small kitchen table, put down the precious holoprojector, then nodded at the commercial-sized conservator her keepers had so kindly given her. “It’s entirely up to you. The water’s in there. Help yourself to as much as you like.” He drank three full bottles, hardly taking a breath. Noticing her surprise, he shrugged. “Sorry. My manners aren’t usually that bad. It’s just—it’s been a long, hard day.” “I can tell,” she said, disposing of the emptied bottles down her makeshift kitchen’s waste chute. “You should sit down. If you don’t mind me saying so, you look tired.” He considered his filthy clothes. “Are you sure? I don’t want to dirty the furniture.” [Karen Miller. Star Wars: Clone Wars Gambit: Stealth]

He was supportive and unfailingly kind:

“Oh. That’s right.” There was still dried blood on her fingers, and a dull, throbbing pain in her head. “I’m sorry. I’m not normally this stupid. I just—” And then she felt her face crumple and heard herself sob. Her knees buckled and she began to sink toward the floor. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” she choked. “Don’t mind me. I’m fine.”

He caught her before she tumbled completely. Lifted her without effort and carried her to the sofa. Boneless and unprotesting, she let him. Let her face turn to his roughly shirted, dirty chest and howled her rage and shame against him. Dimly, she felt his hand warm and comforting on her back and heard his soft voice saying, over and over, “It’s all right. It’s all right. You’re safe now. It’s all right.” The crazy thing was that she did feel safe. For the first time since those Separatist blaster bolts seared the air and sand of Niriktavi Bay, since she saw her friends and colleagues slaughtered, she felt safe. [Karen Miller. Star Wars: Clone Wars Gambit: Stealth]

He helped her with her wounds:

“Don’t apologize,” [Anakin] said gently. “You’ve got a right to be upset. Now, where’s that medkit?”

“In the refresher.” She pointed. “Through there. Top shelf above the sink. But please, don’t bother. It’s nothing. I can—”

Standing, he frowned down at her. “It’s not nothing. Don’t go anywhere. I’ll be right back.” Even if she’d wanted to, she didn’t think she could move. Hope had vanished, leaving despair in its wake. Leaving her empty of everything save pain. Her eyes felt scrubbed raw. “Right,” said Anakin, returning with the medkit. “Here we go. And I’ll say sorry in advance, because I’m probably going to hurt you.”

Again, that extraordinary sense of being small, a child, as he carefully wiped the blood and tears from her face, cleaned the bruised, throbbing cut on her forehead with antiseptic, and lightly pressed a steriseal over it. “You’re very good at this,” she murmured. [Karen Miller. Star Wars: Clone Wars Gambit: Stealth]

He was gentle:

Taking them, she looked up at him and shook her head, even though it still ached. “It’s odd. You’re nothing like I expected.”

“Why?” he said, perching on the edge of the nearby chair. “What did you expect?”

“I don’t know,” she said, floundering. “I can’t say I’ve ever given the Jedi much thought. I mean, not as individuals. I never expected to meet one—let alone two. I don’t tend to go places where your skills are needed. But—well—you’re gentle.” That made him smile. [Karen Miller. Star Wars: Clone Wars Gambit: Stealth]

She sat down again. “I understand. This is war. You have to look at the big picture. You can’t afford to see the little people.” Scurrying like rodents. Sacrificed for the greater good.

“That’s not true!” Anakin protested. “That’s what the big picture is. Lots and lots and lots of little people. You matter, Bant’ena. The friends you lost on Taratos Four, they matter. We’re fighting this war so no more like them will die.”

He was very sweet. Very young. Full of grand ideals and breathtaking, intuitive compassion. She looked at Master Kenobi. Now, there was a pragmatist, a man possessed of a scientist’s soul. [Karen Miller. Star Wars: Clone Wars Gambit: Stealth]

When Anakin runs into a planet where the population has been enslaved:

As for the native Lanteebans, they were easy to pick out. Hunched and nervous, skittishly aware of their armed supervisors, they were the ones lasering and sweeping and riveting and hammering and sweating to upgrade the spaceport to their new masters’ specifications. They wore nothing but overalls and sandals. No protective eye goggles. No steel-capped boots. No sensor-harnesses to protect them from a fall. The indifference to their safety was breathtaking … and at the same time, unsurprising. Their fearful misery muddied the atmosphere. Beside him, Anakin muttered something. Not in Basic. His outrage was palpable, a red shimmer in the Force. Oh no. Not now.

“Anakin …”

“Look at them!” Anakin retorted, low-voiced. “They’ve been turned into slaves!”

“I know. It’s irrelevant. Focus on why we’re here.” [Karen Miller. Star Wars: Clone Wars Gambit: Stealth]

He was generous even with his dreams:

When the war was over he’d go back to Tatooine and see. When the war was over he’d buy any child he found enslaved to Watto and find them a home where they might live and love in safety. Belonging to no one but themselves. [Karen Miller. Star Wars: Clone Wars Gambit: Stealth]

When Anakin runs into a group of poor kids playing in the street:

“Just like Mos Espa’s slave quarter,” Anakin said under his breath. “Everybody knows everybody else and nothing much stays secret.” Obi-Wan nudged him with an elbow. Not now. They’d accumulated a gaggle of children, who seemingly had nothing better to do than tag along in the newcomers’ wake, giggling and whispering and kicking a soggily inflated synthafibe ball.

[…]Grinning, without bothering to ask if he might, or if it were wise, or if they had the time to spare, so independent these days, Anakin jogged to join them. After a moment’s amazed hesitation the children welcomed him with squeals of delight, rough-and-tumbled him into their midst and made him one of their own.

Obi-Wan shook his head. “He’s nice,” said the girl with the bracelet and the ragged hair, wandering over to stand beside him. “Don’t be cross with him, Teeb Yavid.”

[…]“But—” Gathering his thoughts, disciplining himself, he watched Anakin scoop up one small excited boy, too young to kick the ball, and zoom him overhead like a fighter chasing a vulture droid. The boy nearly sickened himself with laughing. “Greti, are you saying—”

[…]“So that was merely a cynical exercise in the manipulation of a local populace?”

“Oh, no,” said Anakin, grinning. “It was fun too.”

May the Force give me strength. “And that business with the boy? Because when I said no heavy lifting I—”

Anakin’s amusement vanished. “He wasn’t heavy. These younglings are skin and bone. I look at them and—” He clenched his jaw. [Karen Miller. Star Wars: Clone Wars Gambit: Siege]

And this is just a few examples from ONE book series. The EU (TCW and the movies) are filled with moments of Anakin caring deeply for people he barely knows (TPM, anyone?) as the Jedi stand back and chastise him for caring too much. It’s so unfair that people forget that Anakin wasn’t always cruel and selfish. They forget that for a long time Anakin was of the few Jedi who actually acted on the compassion all Jedi were supposed to possess.

Anakin Skywalker didn’t become a heroic figure during the war only because he was a good fighter. He was a good person too. A person who cared about people as individuals. And the sad part is that people forget this compassion and caring attitude wasn’t learn from the Jedi, it was learned from Shmi Skywalker. A person that also acted on her words about being kind and generous:

“Helping others isn’t always easy, is it? If people paid us to be good, the galaxy would be overflowing with kindness. But most of the time there isn’t much reward, and sometimes it even costs us dearly to do good things. Yeah. What if it costs so much that it hurts? I think we should do it anyway. Make it a habit, like eating or breathing. Once you do, you’ll hardly even notice the cost.” Star Wars Episode I Adventures: The Ghostling Children by Dave Wolverton

Anakin and Shmi’s generosity, kindness and compassion was real and truly heroic and, imo, it’s the most important trait a Jedi should possess. Ahat’s why I think Anakin had everything he needed to be a great Jedi. He had everything else too: kindness, compassion, fighting skills, etc. the only ‘trait’ he lacked was the acceptance and support of his superiors.

#ask #anon #anakin skywalker #sw meta #meta: anakin #txt

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chloebeale · 5 years ago

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I was rewatching episodes of AF and the scene where Brittany tells Roxy she doesn’t want her there, that gave me major idea vibes of Chloe Beale having an argument with Beca’s father and kicking him out of their home at Thanksgiving for disapproving of their relationship and never supporting his daughter, spending much of Beca’s life absent from her life except to show up and pass judgement. Cause nobody belittles or upsets Beca and gets away with it.

TURNING TABLES

RATING: T.WARNINGS: Homophbia.PAIRING: Bechloe.WORDS: 3.3K.NOTES: Let’s pretend Beca’s father isn’t the same one from Barden pls. Thank you for this, I could totally see it too!

Chloe can count on one hand the amount of in-person interactions she has had with Warren Mitchell. (She’s willing to bet Beca could count hers on two.) Beca doesn’t really talk about him, and given the way he didn’t even walk Beca down the aisle at their wedding, and instead sat in the back with his wife and proceeded to leave before the reception, Chloe already has a pretty clear picture of the type of person he is.

So, Chloe understands why Beca is currently so jittery, why she’s seemingly lost in her own world as she rearranges the place settings at their Thanksgiving-ready table for what feels like the millionth time, and Chloe finds herself watching the other woman sympathetically from across the room.

“Bec, everything looks great,” Chloe states in a gentle tone—though not quite gentle enough apparently, because Beca jumps slightly along with the sound of her voice.

“Yeah,” Beca nods, clearing her throat somewhat awkwardly. Her gaze scans over the table, and while Chloe can’t actually read her mind, she knows she’s still questioning the seating arrangements. Almost like she’s forcing herself away, Beca slowly turns from the table, and Chloe catches sight of just how exhausted she looks. It’s worrisome, considering the day has barely begun yet, but again, Chloe understands it. “I just feel like I need to be doing something, you know? You won’t let me help with the food.” Her brow wrinkles in that familiar way Chloe can’t help but adore, and prompts a subtle smirk in return.

“You remember the green beans last year?” Chloe reminds her, auburn brow arching knowingly. “We were still finding them under the fridge at Christmas.”

“Fine,” Beca grumbles, turning back toward the table without missing a beat. Her hand outstretches to pick up Warren’s name label, though Chloe decides it’s time to intervene.

“Hey, stop,” she mumbles soothingly, pale arms wrapping delicately around Beca’s middle. While she hears a sigh fall from her lips, she also feels the way Beca’s body relaxes into the embrace. “It’s going to be fine,” Chloe continues, her chin resting gently against Beca’s shoulder. Her heartbeat drums gently, hopefully reassuringly, against Beca’s back. Slender fingers settle on top of her lightly freckled arm, and Chloe allows herself a brief glance down toward the wedding ring on Beca’s finger, painted lips tugging up into a contented smile.

Soft fingers squeeze delicately onto her arm, and Chloe tightens her hold slightly. “You just…” Beca’s shoulders slump, volume lowering some, “You don’t know my dad.”

READ THE REST BELOW OR ON AO3!

Given how genuinely wonderful her own parents are, Chloe really can’t relate. She does know she’s glad they’ll be there to act as some kind of buffer today, though. But that doesn’t help Beca’s situation, that doesn’t help to calm her nerves, so Chloe simply pulls her body closer to her own, pushing a gentle kiss into the crook of her neck. “I know,” she whispers softly, “But it’s going to be okay.”

If it were up to Chloe, Warren wouldn’t be joining them at all. But he’s in town for the first time since they moved into their new home, and when Beca had panicked and invited he and Sheila to Thanksgiving dinner, Chloe had been nothing but supportive. She’s very protective of her wife, but Warren is her father, and if Beca wants to try to salvage some kind of relationship with him, then Chloe isn’t going to stand in her way.

Over the years, Chloe has learned to read Beca Mitchell. She knows when she should try to coax something more from her, and when she should leave her to her own thoughts. Right now feels like the latter, and Chloe realizes she’s correct in thinking so when Beca finally releases another soft sigh of defeat, before twisting her body to face her again. Chloe’s arms loosen slightly, though they remain wrapped around Beca’s middle, while Beca’s rise to drape comfortably around Chloe’s neck.

“You look pretty, by the way,” Beca comments, the corner of her lips tugging up into a half smile. “Have I told you that yet?”

Chloe’s soft smirk returns, shoulder shrugging gently. “Mm, once or twice.”

Even after spending the better part of ten years together, it’s easy for them to become entirely wrapped up in one another, completely consumed by the other’s presence alone. And that’s fine when it’s just the two of them, though the sound of the front door opening promptly pulls them back to reality, with Beca freezing in Chloe’s arms.

“Knock knock!” Marie Beale chirps, bright grin plastered across her face as she comes into view. With her dark green dress and small bow holding back her red curls, she’s essentially just an older version of Chloe. “Happy Thanksgiving!”

Chloe’s arms unwrap from around her wife, and she can see the clear look of relief on Beca’s face. Still, even in the company of the most approving of people—Chloe’s parents very much fit that bill—Beca doesn’t love PDA, and tucks a chunk of hair almost shyly behind her ear as she steps out from Chloe’s embrace.

“Hey, Mr. and Mrs. Be—” Beca begins, though corrects herself upon seeing the warning glance shot her way. “Uh… Marie, Andrew.”

“That’s better,” Andrew grins, stepping forward to wrap his daughter into a welcoming hug. Marie quickly pulls Beca into her arms, too.

“Girls, everything smells great,” Chloe’s father comments, stealing himself away toward the kitchen to admire their work.

“Oh, that’s all Chloe,” Beca corrects, following dutifully behind.

Marie shoots Chloe a knowing look. “Green beans incident?”

Chloe nods her head in response, smirk settling onto her lips. “Green beans incident.”

For about ten minutes, there’s a very relaxed, cheerful atmosphere surrounding the four. The food is pretty much ready, and everyone takes the time to huddle on the couches, chatting casually amongst themselves. Beca isn’t a big wine drinker, but she accepts the glass Andrew pours for her, and drinks it perhaps a little too quickly, Chloe notices. However, she chooses not to comment; she knows Beca is stressed, and if a little liquid courage will help her to relax, then who is Chloe to stop her?

For a brief moment, that stress seems to leave her, though the sound of the doorbell almost has her dropping her empty glass, and Chloe quickly glances toward her, offering her a reassuring smile. “Want me to get it?”

Beca shakes her head, handing the wine glass over to Chloe. “No, it’s okay, I’ve got it.”

Chloe responds with a short nod, though exchanges a knowing glance with both of her parents, trying hard not to focus too intently on the sound of Beca greeting her father and step-mother. However, Warren’s first words (“That’s your Thanksgiving attire, Beca?”) are hard to ignore, but Chloe bites her tongue, and proceeds to stand in polite greeting, just in time for Beca to lead both Warren and Sheila into the living room.

“Mr. Mitchell,” Chloe beams, focus shifting to his wife momentarily, “Mrs. Mitchell. You look really nice. Can I take your coat?”

The energy shift between the arrivals of the Beale’s and the Mitchell’s is incredibly apparent, though true to their nature, Marie and Andrew make a point of welcoming the two newcomers warmly into their small party, and both swiftly ignore the judgmental looks they receive in return.

“What are you drinking?” Warren questions, blue-gray eyes moving between the two glasses in Chloe’s hands.

“Oh, just water,” she explains, shaking her glass gently.

“And the wine?”

“Chloe’s favorite!” Andrew responds for her, though Warren has already made his way over to the table, and proceeds to peer curiously at the almost empty bottle.

“This is what you’re serving?” Warren’s brow arches, head tilting as he studies the label, before quickly dismissing it. “Never mind, Sheila and I brought better stuff.”

It’s those comments, the ones that prove Warren Mitchell thinks he’s of a much higher class than everybody else in his vicinity, that cause Beca’s shoulders to sag and her cheeks to darken a shade, but Chloe knows how to play nice, and simply responds with a kind smile.

He doesn’t stop there, of course. He has comments to make about every little thing, it would seem. His chair is uncomfortable, the table is too small, the potatoes aren’t properly mashed. Fortunately, for every negative comment Warren has, both Marie and Andrew have something positive to say, and Chloe does well to bite her tongue. It’s a little upsetting, the way she feels Beca tense up whenever Chloe’s hand slides into her lap reassuringly throughout their meal, but yet again, Chloe understands the resistance. She knows Warren isn’t the biggest fan of their relationship, and while Chloe doesn’t care much for his comfort level, she doesn’t want to make Beca uncomfortable in her own home, too.

“I see you got your mother’s culinary skills,” Warren mumbles as he inspects a shred of turkey. Not for the first time, Beca looks entirely embarrassed, and turns to shoot Chloe an apologetic look, though she’s met with another kind smile, and Chloe gently shakes her head.

“Actually, Mr. Mitchell, the food was all on me this year. If it isn’t good, you don’t have to eat it. I can go whip up something else for you, if you’d like?”

Warren’s brows raise in what Chloe perceives as an entirely judgmental way, and a sickeningly smug look overtakes his weathered features. “Leaving the cooking for someone else? Even more like her mother,” he sneers, turning to shoot his wife a look. Sheila responds with a small snicker.

Again, not for the first time, Chloe bites her tongue, and it’s Beca’s turn to reach for Chloe’s hand under the table this time, giving it a small, reassuring squeeze. The feeling of Beca’s wedding band, the way it sits so comfortably on her finger, only adds to the gentle reassurance.

Apparently, Mr. Beale senses the tension. “Hey, why don’t we do gratitudes?”

“Oh, yeah, that’s a great idea, Andrew,” Beca chimes in quickly, clearing her throat. Her father, meanwhile, practically chokes on his food.

“Mr. Beale,” Warren corrects, “Have some manners, Beca.”

“Oh, no, Andrew is fine,” Marie pipes up, her kind smile the same one Chloe wears. In many ways, Chloe and her mother are very much alike; their fiery red hair, their piercing blue eyes, both with gentle demeanors that will quickly switch when triggered. They both know how to play nice too, though—something Beca is incredibly thankful for. “We’re Beca’s in-laws. We like her to call us by our actual names.”

Warren simply picks up his wine glass, shoulder shrugging briefly, before taking a long swig from his glass. The bottle sits beside him, and he seems to notice the contents are not going down very quickly.

“You know, when someone brings wine to a meal, it’s polite to at least try it,” he says, glare pointed toward Chloe. It doesn’t surprise her that he isn’t her biggest fan, and if her reluctance to try his wine offering is the most he has to throw at her, that’s fine by her.

“Oh, yeah, I’m sure it’s great,” Chloe nods, though motions toward her glass. “I’m fine with water, though. Thank you.”

Her choice in beverage hasn’t been an issue until now, though unlike Beca, Chloe is a wine drinker, and the conversation seems to catch her parents’ attention.

“Is everything okay, honey?” Her mother questions, a look of concern filling her eyes.

“Just try the damn wine,” Warren urges, standing from his seat and picking up the bottle to hand it across the table.

“Dad, no,” Beca interjects, “Chloe…” She trails off, gaze moving toward the woman beside her. Chloe sees clear fear filling her eyes, and honestly, the sight is heartbreaking. Yet again, she shoots her a reassuring smile, hand reaching out to take ahold of Beca’s beneath the table.

“Chloe?” Marie pipes up, that same look of concern still filling her eyes. “Is everything okay? What’s going on?”

Now’s not the time, not with Beca’s very judgmental father seated at the same table, but all eyes are on both Chloe and Beca, and the two exchange an almost cautious glance, before Chloe gently nods her head.

“Uh, yeah,” Beca proceeds, fingers wrapping tightly around Chloe’s. She clears her throat, and Chloe swears she can feel Beca’s palm beginning to sweat. “Everything’s fine. Great, actually.” Blue eyes point downward toward the food, and something they’ve been so excited about for the last two months now suddenly feels like the most terrifying thing in the world. So much so that Beca can’t even continue, not with her father’s stare burning into her the way it is, so Chloe decides to take over.

“Okay, we weren’t going to say anything yet,” Chloe continues, strong gaze shifting between the four sets of eyes on the two of them. “I’m not drinking because,” she glances toward Beca, a softness filling her eyes. “Well, we’re going to have a baby. I’m pregnant.”

“What?” The response is one of shock for the briefest of moments, before Marie rises quickly from her seat, an excited yelp sounding from her throat. “Pregnant? Oh, Chloe! Andrew, we’re going to be grandparents!”

Despite the prior atmosphere, despite the presence of Beca’s father, Chloe can’t help the wide grin that spreads across her lips as both of her parents pull both she and Beca into their arms in congratulatory hugs. She can even hear Beca chuckling softly from the middle of Andrew’s bear hug, and for just a moment, it’s easy to forget that there are two other people in the room, neither of whom has said anything thus far.

“You have got to be kidding me,” Warren suddenly pipes up, the newly stern tone to his voice catching everybody off guard.

Even Sheila reaches out a hand to settle gently on his arm. “Warren, don’t,” she warns quietly, though he promptly shakes her off, clear anger written across his face.

“No, Sheila. It’s bad enough that she insisted on marrying a woman, but now they’re going to bring a kid into this? Mess up your own life all you want, Beca, but a child’s, too? Really?”

For a second or two, it would seem everybody is in shock. Beca opens her mouth to speak, but swiftly closes it again, and Chloe can just tell how hard her wife feels like she has just been punched in the gut. She doesn’t like what Warren says, but it’s that look on Beca’s face, that sheer, undiluted pain, that has Chloe finally seeing red.

“Excuse me?” Apparently, Chloe is done biting her tongue.

“Chlo, leave it,” Beca whispers, hand reaching out to settle on her arm the same way Sheila’s had on her father’s only seconds prior.

“No,” Chloe shakes her head, brows tugging together. Both Marie and Andrew have taken their seats again, and it’s clear that nobody else is going to try to stop her, so Chloe continues. “Mr. Mitchell, we invited you into our home to spend this holiday with us, something Beca won’t admit, but that she has wanted to do for the past only God knows how many years. Her whole life, probably.”—Beca doesn’t correct her, so Chloe proceeds—“We invited you to our wedding, because Beca wanted you to be apart of one of the most special days of her life, and you didn’t even have the decency to stay and actually celebrate with us. You’ve come into our home and basically insulted your own daughter any chance you’ve gotten, and now you think it’s acceptable to talk that way about our unborn child?”

As taken aback as Warren looks, he evidently still has his own strong—and in Chloe’s mind, wrong—opinions, and continues with the same conviction. “A child is supposed to have a mother and a father. You realize it’s going to be bullied, right?”

There’s a rage deep within Chloe that she hasn’t felt before, not like this. While she’s normally the epitome of respect for her elders, Warren Mitchell has lost his right to that by now, so Chloe chooses not to hold back.

“Right, the same way Beca had a mother and a father? I don’t know you, Mr. Mitchell, but I do know that I have spent more holidays, more celebrations, more time with your daughter than you ever have. And the way Beca has been so terrified of you showing up here today, so desperate for your approval, I can guarantee that our baby will never feel that way. Our baby will never have to fight for our affection, because we are going to be incredible parents. Beca especially, and you want to know how I know that?” By now, Chloe has risen from her seat, and again, nobody has tried to hold her back. She hasn’t exactly lunged toward Warren, she’s still in her place, but she towers above him as he glares up at her from his seat, and it’s clear who has the dominance in the situation. “Because you’ve given her the perfect example of what not to do.”

There’s a surge of venom behind Chloe’s words that is almost unrecognizable even to her, and it has Warren glaring back at her, red-faced. “How dare you—” He begins, though Chloe cuts him off abruptly.

“No, Mr. Mitchell, how dare you? This is our home, and I’m sorry, but you’re just not welcome here anymore. I think you should leave,” Chloe states firmly, never breaking eye contact. “That’s not a request.”

It’s not often that Chloe loses her temper, not really. But this is an exception, and honestly, she feels like she’s well within her rights. However, her blinders are up, her pointed glare on Warren and his wife as they rise from their seats, so much so that Chloe doesn’t even think to check on Beca, to make sure that this is okay. Instead, she pushes back her chair and quickly escorts the two toward the front door, ignoring the grunts and grumbles sent her way. It’s only once the door is closed on their unwanted guests that Chloe finally comes back to her senses, back pressed up against the hard wood of the door.

And suddenly, she wonders if perhaps she went too far.

Even more so when the sight of her wife, wide-eyed and almost disbelieving, comes into view.

“Bec, I’m so—”

“Do you know how much I love you?”

The words catch Chloe off guard, stop her in her tracks. It’s not like she doesn’t know it, but a part of her had been expecting a hysterical Beca, or at the very least for her to yell. But she doesn’t. Instead, Beca takes a few steps forward, until small hands are rising to delicately cup Chloe’s blush-covered cheeks, blue eyes meeting blue.

“Of course I do,” Chloe nods, finally finding her words. “I’m sorry, I know he’s your dad, I just—”

“No, you don’t have to apologize.” Beca’s voice is gentle, kind. It’s like all of the fear, all of the hesitation built up inside her has suddenly dissipated, and Chloe suddenly recognizes her again. She’s her Beca again.

“He doesn’t get to talk to us like that, he doesn’t get to talk about our baby like that. And everything you said, it’s all true. You’re going to be the most amazing mother, Chlo. Our baby is so loved already.” She pauses, one hand falling from Chloe’s cheek to rest feather lightly against the small, barely visible swell of her stomach hidden beneath the loose fabric of her dress. “We’re both in the best hands possible.” Beca stretches up slightly, soft lips brushing against her wife’s.

“Seriously, Chloe,” Beca whispers, closing the gap between them. She doesn’t care that Chloe’s parents can see, doesn’t care that there’s anybody else in the room with them. It’s just the two of them in Beca’s mind—or three—and she chooses not to hold back, the same way Chloe hadn’t only moments before. “Thank you.”

#beca mitchell #chloe beale #bechloe #bechloe au #bechloe fic #mine #mine:writing #anonymous #question #turning tables

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introvertguide · 4 years ago

Text

The Graduate (1967); AFI #17

The current film under review is the classic comedy, The Graduate (1967). This moving is one of most well known and referenced films that I know of in American film. It was the last film to win only Best Director while also being nominated for other categories. This makes sense because the acting was good with many newcomers and character actors of the time, but there was some stiff competition at the Oscars that year. Director Mike Nichols did an exceptional job telling a story within a story utilizing symbols and camera movement to let the viewing audience know what the characters were thinking. Show not tell, which is perfect for this sort of media. Let’s go through a summary of the story before looking at any more of the technical or behind-the-scenes notes. This, of course, is always kicked off with...

SPOILER WARNING!!! I AM ABOUT TO GIVE AWAY THE ENTIRE PLOT!!! THERE IS A LOT MORE TO THE STORY OF THIS MOVIE THAN JUST THE PLOT, BUT IT IS STILL GOOD TO WATCH THE WHOLE THING THROUGH BEFORE DISCUSSING IT!!! IF YOU DON’T WANT IT SPOILED, STOP NOW AND WATCH THE MOVIE THEN COME BACK AND CHECK OUT THE REST OF THE ARTICLE

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Benjamin Braddock (Dustin Hoffman) is a 20-year-old man who just recently graduated from an East Coast college and has returned to Pasadena, California to stay with his parents and figure out what to do with his life. He is embarrassed by his doting parents at every turn when they invite all the family friends to come see him. The wife of his father’s business partner is Mrs. Robinson (Anne Bancroft), a middle aged women who seems unhappy with her marriage and convinces Ben to drive her home where she tries to seduce him. He runs away but later calls her and meets her over at the Taft Hotel and starts up an affair.

Benjamin spends the summer relaxing by the pool and going off on trysts with Mrs. Robinson at the hotel. During one night at the Taft, Mrs. Robinson reveals that she only married her husband because she was pregnant. Ben knows her daughter, Elaine (Katherine Ross), and jokes that he should date her. Mrs. Robinson is not happy with this and forbids him from seeing her daughter. Unfortunately, Ben’s parents think it would be a great match and set up a date between the kids.

Ben tries to sabotage the date in the most cringe-worthy way. He ignores Elaine and drives like a crazy man. He takes her to a strip club and sits her right next to the stage. It is so bad that Elaine runs away crying and Ben feels remorse. He actually likes Elaine and they go and have burgers at a drive-thru. They want to have a late night drink and the only place close that is open is the Taft Hotel. They go in and everyone there recognizes Ben which makes Elaine believe he has been seeing an older women. Ben says it is true and the affair is over, so the two plan another date the following day.

Mrs. Robinson threatens to tell Elaine when Ben shows up at the house to pick her up, so Ben tells Elaine first to ruin any blackmail. This upsets Elaine and she returns to Berkeley to go back to school and avoid seeing Ben.

Ben decides to move to Berkeley in hopes of getting back with Elaine and takes up residence in an all male dorm house. Ben finally runs into Elaine and she says her mom told her that Ben had gotten her drunk and raped her. (Wow. Keep this in mind because I will bring this up again in the conversation section.) Ben explains to Elaine and she forgives him. They hang out and Ben asks her to marry him, but she apparently has promised to marry some other guy named Carl Smith. Unfortunately, Elaine’s father shows up at Ben’s apartment to tell him that he is getting a divorce from Mrs. Robinson and forcing his daughter to marry Carl Smith. He makes a major ruckus and Ben is thrown out by the dorm manager.

Ben goes back to Pasadena and breaks into the Robinson house in search of Elaine but only finds Mrs. Robinson. She calls the police claiming there is a burglar. As Ben escapes, she says that he can’t stop the marriage between Elaine and Carl. He drives back to Berkeley and finds out were the wedding will take place (Santa Barbara) and rushes to the church. He can’t get in the front door so he runs up to the organ room upstairs and bangs on a glass barrier that looks down on the ceremony. He shouts out for Elaine and she eventually yells back in front of all the guests. She runs out and meets Ben, who pins the door closed with a large cross.

Elaine and Benjamin elope by jumping aboard a bus and sit among startled passengers. Their ecstatic expressions change to looks of uncertainty as the bus drives away.

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I have a list of questions that people have asked me when I told them I was doing an analysis of The Graduate, so this will act kind of like a FAQ sheet for the film and hopefully answer some questions:

Dustin Hoffman doesn’t look like he just graduated from college in the movie. How old was he?

Lot of questions about the age of the actors. At the time the movie came out, Katherine Ross played Elaine the college student at 27 years old, Dustin Hoffman played the recent graduate Benjamin at age 30, and Anne Bancroft played the part of middle aged Mrs. Robinson at age 36. It kind of made sense about Dustin Hoffman because he is a very small man with great hair and can look the part of somebody much younger. Katherine Ross lied about her age for years so directors thought she was 3 or 4 years younger than she really was. Anne Bancroft is the one that stands out the most because they put in a couple of grey streaks in her hair and added some crows feet around her eyes and called her 10-15 years older. I think Director Mike Nichols knew this so Elaine and her mother have almost no screen time together.

Didn’t that movie win an Oscar for the music?

It did not. In fact, the song that the film is known for, “Mrs. Robinson,” was not played beyond instrumental snippets. The film was not even nominated for anything music related.

I think I have seen the movie before because it feels familiar.

The film is set in California and has some of the most well known scenes in American cinema. The initial seduction scene between Mrs. Robinson and Ben captured the hopes of college boys everywhere. The idea of finding a beautiful and experienced woman that aggressively makes all the first moves is the dream of many a man. The famous scene right after Mrs. Robinson reveals she married because she was pregnant and didn’t love her husband shows Ben about to leave and framed by the leg of Mrs. Robinson putting on a stocking. I have never seen wrongful lust depicted any better and it really sticks with you. The final scene in the movie in which Ben stops the wedding and runs away with the bride has been used in many movies and TV shows and really displays Hoffman’s acting because we slowly realize that the new couple has no idea what to do next. I only remember one other non-speaking acting performance were a realization is revealed purely through a slow facial close-up, and that was from Jack Nicholson in One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest.

I remember there was some kind of accusation of rape that is never resolved. Did that really happen?

Yup. It did. I never realized how awkward a brush over this was until I specifically looked for it. Mrs. Robinson told her daughter that Ben raped her and Elaine still talks to him instead of calling the police. A rape allegation is not a light thing and there would not be pleasantries at the zoo if this was the case. Why would a girl who believes she is talking to a man that raped her mother and was now stalking her college aged daughter do anything but get the police involved? Elaine actually entertains the thought of marrying the guy. She thought Ben raped her mother and Ben says that the mother seduced and slept with him. She is apparently OK with this. I wouldn’t be.

Do they actually show Mrs. Robinson naked?

This was asked more than the age question. The answer is “yes, sort of.” There is a very brief shot of Anne Bancroft’s bare chest for two or three frames. If you consider that movies are generally filmed at 24 frames per second, this is very brief. I can’t imagine how many desperate people were quick on the pause button when the movie came out on video.

Did they use this movie for a Simpson’s episode?

Not just one. The famous shot with a leg in the foreground was in the episode “Homer of Seville” and “Beware My Cheating Bart” while the famous “Mrs. Robinson, you are trying to seduce me” line from the same scene was used in the episode “Lisa’s Substitute.” An homage to the end of the movie was used twice for Grandpa Simpson in the episodes “The Last Temptation of Homer” and “Lady Bouvier’s Lover.”

So now to the questions I answer for every movie on the AFI top 100. Does this movie belong on the list? Of course. It is a well directed movie full of symbolism. It is the first major role for Dustin Hoffman (one of America’s most well known movie stars). It is engrained in American vernacular: I knew that “she went all Mrs. Robinson” referred to an older woman seducing a younger man years before I ever saw the movie. Mrs. Robinson is a classic villain and that character alone deserves a spot on the top 100. Would I recommend it? Sure would. It is a little cringy at times for me, but it is legitimately funny. There are a couple of topics that are sometimes weird and sometimes uncomfortable, but the direction is good enough to move quickly through these parts to suspend disbelief. Check out the movie and check out the soundtrack because both are great, widely available, and great pieces of classic Americana.

#the graduate #mrs. robinson #dustin hoffman #katherine ross #anne bancroft #simon and garfunkel #great movies #1960s #classic american films #introvert #introverts #california

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aion-rsa · 3 years ago

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Doctor Who Series 13: Jodie Whittaker Leaving Rumours, the Next Doctor, and the Future

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Jodie Whittaker is fast approaching that three-season milestone at which most Doctors pull the inter-dimensional rip-cord and eject themselves from the TARDIS. Speculation has swirled around her, as it does for most Doctors, from the very start of her tenure, and now, more than ever, there’s the strong scent of Regeneration in the wind. So, will Whittaker leave at the close of series 13? And if so, will any of her companions remain to bridge the gap between eras? Might showrunner Chris Chibnall also hang up his sonic-shaped pen? The BBC is playing its cards characteristically close to its chest, so divining the answers to these questions is not unlike trying to unlock the mystery of the Doctor’s real name.

There was an ample reminder of the BBC’s zeal for secrecy when Who-newcomer and beloved Liverpudlian John Bishop – cast last year as companion Dan – was rebuked for revealing during an online Q&A that his character, too, would be Liverpudlian. If the BBC don’t want you to know that a Liverpudlian might be playing a Liverpudlian, then this is going to be a bumpy ride. But let’s strap in, brace for impact, and see what’s (or Who’s) out there…

Jodie Whittaker on leaving

Everyone has their favourite Doctors, and not-so favourite Doctors. Jodie Whittaker is not alone in having had love and scorn heaped upon her in equal measure, a phenomenon that has touched most actors to have taken on the role, with the possible exception of Tom Baker and David Tennant, who stand as almost deified in their respective eras.

It’s clear, though, that Jodie Whittaker has loved every moment of being the Doctor, and of being embraced by the show’s fandom, telling the Telegraph in November 2020: “If you bump into a Whovian, it genuinely makes both of your days. There’s something emotional, poetic and very humbling about being in the show, because you’re a little tiny jigsaw piece of something that is so precious to so many people.” It’s perhaps understandable, then, that her response to the speculation around her departure was to say: “To even question an end point would be too upsetting.”

Or, to parrot one of her predecessors: “I don’t want to go.”

Where’s the evidence?

Over the last eighteen months, rumours that Jodie Whittaker will be leaving after season 13 have been endlessly shared and repeated. These rumours were reported as fact by some media outlets earlier in the year, though the BBC has steadfastly refused either to confirm or deny them. It does, however, seem more likely than not that 13 will be 13’s last; a supposition based upon the ‘Who Rule of Three’ and the unignorable sound of drums gathering pitch and pace across the internet.

In the hunt for ‘evidence’, dead-ends and red-herrings abound. IMDb currently reveals no projects rumoured or in pre-production for Jodie Whittaker beyond her TARDIS tenure, but, then, actors keeping contractual secrets would be fools to release their schedules onto one of the most comprehensive entertainment databases ever to have existed. So no help there.

The Mirror newspaper recently reported that the front-cover of the 2022 Doctor Who annual would be Doctor-less for the first time in its 57-year-history. Could this be a clue? Not likely. The people at Penguin Random House – the annual’s publishers – made it clear that the thirteenth Doctor will feature heavily throughout the publication. So whether the new cover is simply a radical redesign, a yielding to the purchasing power of this era of the show’s vocal detractors; or a shrewd marketing move designed to have the product promoted for free in the press, it doesn’t actually tell us very much about the likelihood of the 13th Doctor’s exit.

Peter Capaldi’s Trouser Clue

We might, however, be looking for clues in all the wrong places. Peter Capaldi deduced that he’d be handing over the TARDIS keys to a woman a few days before the BBC officially broke the news to him: thanks to his tailor.

At a New York Comic Con panel in 2017, Capaldi told the audience: “I went into Paul Smiths, which is a very wonderful clothes shop in London where I buy my suits, and everybody knows me in there. And they said, ‘We just got a call,’ they said, ‘from the Doctor Who office saying, ‘Can we have a pair of [Peter’s] trousers, but with a waist size thirty?’ … And I thought, ‘Well, that can’t really be a man with a thirty-inch waist. That must be a lady then’.”

Staking out Jodie’s tailor probably won’t prove fruitful, though. Knowing the BBC, they’ve probably plugged that potential leak by sub-contracting Jodie’s wardrobe out to a mute grandma living alone in a fortress atop the Himalayas.

Doctor Who: the behind-the-scenes causes of regeneration

By Mark Harrison

Doctor Who: Which New Doctors Are Now Canon?

By Chris Farnell

Will the Doctor Regenerate in 2022?

Series 13 will consist of eight episodes, set to begin airing later this year. The Mirror reports that there will be two specials in 2022, although it isn’t clear whether these will be in addition to this year’s 8, or whether we’ll see a split of 6 episodes in 2021 with the 2 specials being held over for 2022. A special – Christmas Day, New Year’s Day or otherwise – has become the traditional arena for regeneration, so if Whittaker is leaving, it’s likely that her final scene will come at the end of that rumoured second special.

Many think that the greatest evidence for Whittaker remaining as the Doctor until at least 2023 is our proximity to Doctor Who‘s upcoming 60th anniversary. After all, it would seem a shame to bow out before a big milestone, and it could be daunting to saddle a new Doctor with spearheading such a significant celebration. Still, the timey-wimeyness of it all means that even should Whittaker leave in 2022 there’s no reason she couldn’t make an appearance in an anniversary episode, perhaps alongside a few other previous incarnations. And 2022 marks the 100th anniversary of the BBC itself, so it’s hard to imagine that the show won’t be doing something extra special to mark that, given that it owes its very existence and longevity to the broadcaster (Michael Grade notwithstanding). Whenever she leaves, 13 could easily have her cake and eat it.

Will Chris Chibnall leave after Series 13?

When Bradley Walsh and Tosin Cole left at the end of ‘Revolution of the Daleks‘, Mandip Gill’s Yaz stayed behind. Yaz has been one of the new era’s most underdeveloped characters, so it made sense that she would get her chance to shine and grow in a less crowded environment, sharing companion duties only with John Bishop’s newly teased Dan. But as her character and her story seems so intrinsically linked to the Doctor herself, with the promise of more in-depth exploration to come in series 13, when/if the Doctor leaves, will Yaz’s story also draw to a close? Will only Dan remain with a foot in two TARDISes? All speculation at this point, and it very much hinges on which direction the writers take Yaz in this next clutch of episodes.

Showrunner Chris Chibnall – a lifelong fan of the show and, prior to his appointment as big chief, a long-standing writer for both Doctor Who and Torchwood – has been at least as divisive a figure in Who fandom as 80s helmsman Jonathan Nathan-Turner. Rumours regarding his possible departure have circulated with just as much frequency as those surrounding Whittaker. When asked about series 13, Chris Chibnall told the Radio Times: “I do know I’m coming back for a third season. Yeah, absolutely.” Within those words, if you look hard enough, exists the implied absence of certainty around future seasons, but perhaps that’s getting rather too Da Vinci Code about the whole thing.

While the stewardships of previous showrunners Russell T. Davies and Steven Moffat spanned two Doctors each, this doesn’t mean that Chris Chibnall is guaranteed a crack at the 14th Doctor. Should Chibnall leave after season 13, among the writing team perhaps only Pete McTighe – who wrote ‘Kerblam!‘ And co-wrote ‘Praxeus‘ – has the experience to take over as showrunner, given his stint over-seeing the award-winning Australian prison-drama Wentworth.

How might 13’s Regeneration Happen?

Each of the modern Doctors has met their end in the service of some great sacrifice, either to protect a companion or to save if not the universe then at least a world within it. It’s unlikely that 13’s exit will be any different. It’s simply a question of against whom or what she’ll be fighting when her time comes.

Though it may be too soon for the Master to be directly responsible for the undoing of yet another Doctor so soon after 12’s John-Simm-shaped downfall, it’s likely that the Master will at the very least influence the direction of 13’s regeneration. Sacha Dhawan has expressed enthusiasm at the idea of returning, though nothing, as you would expect, has yet been confirmed. Or denied.

The revelations in ‘The Timeless Children‘, controversial though they proved for some fans, are perhaps too epoch-shaking and era-defining not to play a part in 13’s swansong, and it may well be that the shadowy Division – the Time Lord’s very own version of Starfleet’s Section 31 – will be complicit in the Doctor’s fall.

Another question presents itself: now that the Doctor knows she has infinite regenerations, might it make her more reckless? Might she start to see her body more like an easily changeable suit than a thing of flesh and blood? Might she regenerate multiple times before becoming the 14th Doctor, a la The Curse of Fatal Death, and what on earth would we call the 14th Doctor – who wouldn’t really be the 14th Doctor at all – if that happened?

Who’s in the running for the next Doctor?

Many of the same actors tipped as possible replacements near the end of Capaldi’s run have reappeared in the Regeneration rumour mill, including firm favourites Michaela Coel, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Michael Sheen, David Harewood, Richard Ayoade and the indefatigable Kris Marshall. Joining them this time are Line of Duty alumni Kelly MacDonald and Vicky McClure, and It’s a Sin front-man Olly Alexander. It could be that one of them, or none of them get the call. The next Doctor could just as easily be Jo Martin’s fugitive Doctor, who’s been hiding in plain sight all along.

Really though, as with all things connected with the show at this stage of its cycle: Who knows?

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Doctor Who Series 13 will air on BBC One later this year.

The post Doctor Who Series 13: Jodie Whittaker Leaving Rumours, the Next Doctor, and the Future appeared first on Den of Geek.

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launenji · 4 years ago

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Center of Your Universe - A KNJ Fanfic | Prologue

Pairing: idol!Kim Namjoon x idol!Reader Status: Ongoing Word Count: 3031 Genre: Rivals2Lovers. Fluff. Eventual implied smut and angst. Slow burn. idol!AU Summary: It’s 2019 and Kim Namjoon is conquering the globe with his Bangtan brothers by his side. However, BTS can’t seem to shake their top girl group rival from chasing their names across music charts and award nominations worldwide. Now, the boys have no problem with that in any way; in fact they’ve come to respect the girls of HELIOS and their never ending climb to fame that seemed to match their own success. The only real “problem” Namjoon sees is that HELIOS’ confident, fearless, and overall badass of a leader seems to absolutely hate him. And as much as he doesn’t want to admit it, it does keep him awake at night. A/N: Hello! After a year of diving into BTS and reading fanfics about the boys, I wanted to write my own with the beloved Rivals2Lovers trope, because who doesn’t love that good shit? So this is my first official fanfiction, this will be ongoing although I’m not sure how many parts I’ll be producing, but I have the entire story line written out! I also am fairly new to how kpop fanfics are generally published on tumblr, but I’ll do my best. I hope you enjoy this story as much as I have creating it! Prologue | Ch 1 | Ch 2 | Ch 3

Prologue: Definitely a (fan)Boy with Luv

March 2019 There was an unspoken rule that came about RM of BTS’ personal life, and that was to live as Kim Namjoon as soon as he steps foot in his hometown of Ilsan. RM existed while he was at work in Seoul; busy with performance schedules, writing lyrics, producing beats, recording content, and basically leading the biggest boy band of the generation to great heights of fame and success. That’s who Kim Namjoon is on a near daily basis. So when Namjoon can find the time to take a few days off and head back to his childhood home for some much needed rest, he’s only Namjoon; a regular twenty five year old guy who loves long walks among nature and grabbing drinks with old friends. And right now he was Namjoon; a regular twenty five year old guy at his parent’s home, dressed in a tank top and sweats, head bopping to his latest musical discovery on Spotify as he pours an entire bag of chips in a bowl for a mid afternoon snack in preparation for some much needed catching up on his netflix shows. Pausing the song on his phone and housing his earbuds in their case, he shimmies over to the couch with his bowl of chips in a small celebratory dance for these rare days where he can go home and actually relax. No pressing schedules to attend, no pulling out his hair to create the right lyrics for their next song, no band/roommates screaming and chasing each other around their shared Hannam apartment after yet another failed prank attempt; just him alone in the house ready to kick back and finally relax.

Armed with his snacks, drink, and the tv remote, he makes himself comfortable on the couch and finally finds that one show he’s been dying to catch up on. However, just as he’s about to press play, the front door swings open with a loud bang. “PUT. THE REMOTE. DOWN.”

A shrill voice echoes through the family apartment as the newcomer rushes in, hastily chucking her bag and keys on the counter before skidding to a stop between Namjoon and his only source of rest and relaxation for the night. Kim Kyungmin, loving younger sister to BTS’ beloved leader, stands before him with arms folded and with an unyielding glare. “Just because you’re home for the weekend doesn’t mean you can hog the tv the whole time you’re here, hand it over.” She extends out her palm, fingers flexing for the remote. Namjoon groans. “Minnie, I was LITERALLY about to watch my show, can’t you just record what you want to watch and watch it later? Y’know, when I’m usually not here?” Namjoon scoots to the other end of the couch in an attempt to continue on with his planned afternoon of relaxation. However Kyungmin manages to lunge for the remote and swipe it away at the last second, holding it above her head much to her older brother’s annoyance. “Not when you’re watching something you can literally watch anywhere else.” She shifts her pointed glare at his phone then at him before plopping down in his original spot on the couch, quickly switching through the channels to find the show she’s desperately looking for. “That doesn’t solve my solution to you recording your show and watching it later.” Namjoon points out, shoving a chip in his mouth as he watches his sister reach her designated channel. It’s a Knowing Bros episode that seemed to have just started. “If I do that then I can’t react to the episode in real time with Miyoung.” Kyungmin states matter of factly, thumbs flying across her phone as she texts her friend in question. Feeling defeated, Namjoon gives up his quest for his solo Netflix and Chill night he originally planned and settles to watch along with his sister. At least it was a show he actually did enjoy, especially when he was able to be on it with his members at one point. He reminisces his time on the show as he watches as the cast banter over some new found popular trend, the guests of the episode haven’t seemed to arrive just yet. “So who’s on the show this time?” In an immediate response to Namjoon’s question, the classroom door on tv whips open revealing four of the most recognizable women in Kpop; Lee Yuna, Chung Sumi, Han Hyojin, and their leader, Y/N L/N “It’s HELIOS!” Kyungmin lets out a high pitched squeal that Namjoon cringes away from. HELIOS. Arguably the most famous idol girl group to come out of Kpop history to date and BTS’ current standing rivals in the game. Namjoon internally scoffs; okay, so maybe the term “rival” seemed a little too harsh for their relationship to the girls. Let it be clear that there was no beef between Kpop’s fastest rising boy and girl groups despite what the media may try to spin about them. Namjoon and the boys actually do respect the ladies of HELIOS to a high regard and honestly believe that they deserve every inch of recognition and success they’ve received over the years. If the boys of BTS can understand anything, it’s the struggle of trying to make it in such a competitive and demanding environment that is the world of Korean entertainment. Much like them, HELIOS came from humble beginnings; hailing from a small entertainment company established by one of the most respected music producers in the industry. Despite debuting a couple years after BTS, HELIOS grew to be a well known name among teens and young adults. Their unique take on the “girl crush” concept and their unconventional practices of flourishing naturally as an idol group captured the hearts of many, and soon became a trending topic alongside BTS. Namjoon saw many similarities between BTS and HELIOS in the way they’ve grown to their current point of success. Much like the boys, HELIOS liked to connect with their fans personally, most of their viewership grew from watching their growth as an idol group on social media. In fact, the girls each had their own social media accounts and were good at posting daily doses of their lives on and off stage whenever they could. Their fans felt like they could really relate to them on a personal level; recognizing that, at times, these four beloved idols were just girls following their dreams. Other times, their fans were often reduced to a squealing-to-near-tears mess, as currently exhibited by Kyungmin. Namjoon was surprised she hadn’t started frothing at the mouth at this point. “Ugh! I just love them sooooo much!” Kyungmin groaned, voicing out her text message before tossing her phone aside and giving her undivided attention to the tv. On screen, HELIOS stood at the doorway as the hosts of Knowing Bros gaped in awe at their presence. The three women stood strategically in formation with you front and center. Namjoon let out a quiet sigh through his nose. Now while BTS and HELIOS had no history of any animosity towards each other (actually the only interactions they’ve really had was congratulating each other on a job well done in between set switches), the only “problem” Namjoon could find was that you, HELIOS’ renowned leader, seem to hate his fucking guts. He has voiced his concerns plenty of times to his members, especially after passing you and the girls by during music shows. You had a tendency to give everyone but him the time of day, and Namjoon didn’t know why. “You’re probably looking too much into it, hyung,” He remembers Jungkook telling him after another failed attempt to talk to the fellow leader. “I mean, you never talk to her, so I don’t think she has a reason to hate you.” “He’s right,” Jimin pipes up from across the dressing room. “It could be the way she is, after all she always looks like she’s got a 1.5 meter pole stuck up her- Ow! What!? I was just kidding!” His remark was short lived with a swift smack to the back of the head and a warning glare from Hoseok. Though it was rude to say, Namjoon couldn’t deny that, to a certain extent, you did look a little uptight most of the time.

Watching closely on screen, he studied your resting bitch face-like expression. Despite being dressed in a standard school uniform that admittedly made you look cute, you looked like you were ready to take names and kick some ass while poised in your signature power stance. One hand over a hip cocked to the side as your sharp gaze trailed over the Knowing Bros cast before walking in. Even your movements seemed powerful, as if they were carefully calculated with one foot strutting in front of the other in perfect sync with the sway of your hips, not that he was paying attention to that specific detail. His eyes quickly shifted over to your other members as they moved more naturally on to the set and waved their hi’s to the hosts. Everyone gave their applause as the girls took their place at the podium in front of the classroom. “Please introduce yourselves!” Clearing your throat, you throw on a smirk before making a creative introduction. “Hello, we are from the “Top Tier Global Rising Stars” High School.” The other girls share similar smiles as you before dropping into their standard greeting. “2, 3, Shine On! Hello, we are HELIOS!” The studio erupts in applause and awes of amazement welcoming the girls. Namjoon looked over to Kyungmin with her knees drawn to her chest and chin resting on top, staring intently at the tv. “What? No more weird orgasm sounds for your favorite girls?” That earned him a hard smack to the face. “Shh!” Well, this was his day off to relax. So as he slumped lower into the couch, Namjoon carried on watching the show alongside his sister. About 10 minutes into the show’s friendly banter, Namjoon realized that wasn’t much he knew about the ladies that made up HELIOS until now. For instance, he learned that Lee Yuna was actually the eldest of the group, being the same age as Yoongi. Their fans, appropriately named HALOS, dubbed her as one of the most beautiful women in Korea as she joked about her nickname “The Universal Beauty” to rival Seokjin’s title of “Worldwide Handsome.”

He also learned that the second youngest, Chung Sumi, was actually a naturally talented rapper who freestyled over beats she found on Youtube and posted them on soundcloud during her highschool days, which prompted her to be the first signed trainee at their entertainment company. It reminded him slightly of his underground rapping days leading up to his own path to an idol.

He even learned that Han Hyojin, their own maknae, could basically do anything from singing to rapping to dancing, making her a deadly triple threat for her young age. She could definitely give Jimin, Taehyung, Hoseok, and Jungkook all a run for their money. But what intrigued him the most was your backstory, something that you never revealed until this point. “So Y/N, you’re not actually from Korea?” Kang Hodong inquires. You shake your head in affirmation. “But you speak Korean so well!” Seo Janghoon chimes in, “Where are you from?” “The States, California specifically.” You respond, prompting a stock sound of amazement over the broadcast. “Another idol from California!” “Speak English for us! Come on!” This causes you to scoff, shaking your head. “What would you want me to say?” “Introduce yourself in English!” Yuna urges you with a bright smile, a round of cheers in the room encourages the idea. Namjoon stared in awe as he watched you introduce yourself in your native tongue to the camera. You seemed more comfortable and natural talking in English and it captivated him in a weird sort of way. Both Kim siblings kept their attention on you as the cast prods on with questions about your personal life and Namjoon can’t help but feel much more admiration for you as an idol and leader who’s made it this far after hearing your story. You share to the cast that you were nothing short of ordinary growing up. You’ve lived a normal life with your hard working parents and siblings. You were an average student with no strong ambitions to pursue for the future. The only passion you did have growing up was dancing, and it brought you as far as signing with your company to become a trainee after graduating high school. Without anything else to lose, you eventually made your way to Korea in hopes to find a suitable career that included dancing, however being an idol was totally out of your range. “So you initially didn’t want to be an idol?” Kim Heechul asks earnestly, you give a small shrug. “I didn’t think I was really cut out for it.” You answer cooly, then turn to your members with a soft expression. “But training with my members made me realize that I could do it and make something out of it.” Your girls return the heartfelt smile, something only Namjoon could completely recognize as a genuine bond between members. It tugged at his heartstring seeing this; despite your cold demeanor, you actually do care immensely for the people around you, which he could heavily relate to. If Kim Namjoon wasn’t impressed by you before, he surely was now. However that still doesn’t change the fact you can’t seem to stand him whenever he’s around you. The show finally cuts to commercial, giving Kyungmin enough time to call her friend and squeal about the events of the show. “And she was a cheerleading captain during high school! Can she BE any cooler!?” Namjoon watched incredulously as his sister took her conversation to her room for a quick break. He remembered teasing her once, when his fame with BTS began to rise exponentially, to never ask him for autographs or connections to any idols she may find herself gushing over in the near future, because he swore he’d never do it. Kyungmin only scoffed at her older brother’s feigning arrogance. “Oh please, you’ll never catch me drooling over any idol group at your expense.” If only she could see herself in a few years giving into the HELIOS craze and buying every single piece of merch she could. The look on Namjoon’s face was unbelievable when he came home one day to find Kyungmin framing a huge poster of your face to put in her bedroom. Her piercing glare stopped her brother from prodding any further with her newest obsession. “Not one word.” And with that, she carried your framed face off to her bedroom where it hangs next to her doorway. Well at least she hasn’t asked for your autograph. Not that he could get it anyway, you would definitely reject him if he even so much as breathed in your general direction. Despite finding out his sister was a die hard HALO, he was proud that she at least had good role models to look up to. However, the idea of her number one bias being the very person that hated him wouldn’t stop bothering Namjoon. Would he ever figure out why you just flat out disliked him? Should he even care at all? Why should he? It’s not like you two were friends. Did he want to be friends with you? Namjoon is pulled out of his inner monologue by his sister walking back into the living room with her hand over her mouth and eyes wide at something currently on her phone. She honestly looked like she was ready to cry. He rolled his eyes at her, now that’s just being a little too dramatic. “Alright, what is it now?”

Kyungmin wordlessly turned her phone towards her brother, revealing your personal twitter profile and your newest post. It was a new concept photo of you with the silhouettes of the rest of HELIOS behind you. Dressed in shades of burgundy and maroon, you held a finger to your red painted lips. The caption that goes with it is simple and vague, but gets its point across. “HALOS, you ready? One more time~ D-10”

Namjoon counts down the days quickly in his head, leading up to what seems to be your comeback date. Coincidentally, it’s the day after BTS’ planned announcement for their own comeback; Map Of The Soul: Persona.

He sits back and bites the inside of his cheek, deep in thought. If HELIOS was releasing their new album the same time BTS is, then you will most likely be promoting on music shows within the next coming months too. That meant more chances to pass you by in the studios and more time to figure out what the hell was your problem with him. Was it weird that the thought alone made him a little excited for your comeback more than his? His eyes caught sight of the show that just returned on air, now with you on screen teaching the hosts the moves of your latest single. He felt his cheeks heat up just a bit as he witnessed you sway your hips to the beat of your song before forcibly ripping his gaze away to look out the window instead. Yeah, it was pretty weird, and he really needed to stop dwelling on you so much. But that night, he laid in his bed, unable to get you out of his mind.

Even though he told himself to not get hung up over you, here he was under his covers at 3 AM scrolling through your Instagram, looking at every single selfie, candid shot, and freestyle dance video you’ve posted since your debut; still thinking about the fact that even though you intrigued him, you still didn’t like him. Eventually he scrolled back to your teaser photo he saw earlier that day, brows furrowing at your post before locking his phone out of frustration. Okay, he had to stop. At this rate he was going to turn into his sister, another HALO sucked into the HELIOS craze. But was that really a bad thing?

#bts fic #bts rm #namjoon x reader #rm x reader #namjoon fluff #namjoon fanfic #rm fanfic #namjoon au #bts rm x reader

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tewqut · 5 years ago

Text

Rewriting (Lukanette)

Rewrite of ‘Felix’ episode. Was just a thought, but turned into a new fanfic idea so here it is! Luka is an Agreste. Luka’s name is Luke Raphael Agreste, son of Gabriel Agreste and unknown mother. The whole gang are 16 while Luka is 18 years old.

Looking outside the window, Nathalie held her phone to her ear, murmuring “Of course. Someone will get you right away.” before sending a message to Gorilla. Once she had sent that message, another call appeared on her screen.

Instantly she answered, “He’s expecting you to be here, so no fooling around.” and hung up on the caller. She stood there for a couple of seconds, admiring the young blonde Agreste, who sat with his knees crossed on the grass as he stared at his mother’s sculpture. She tilted her head, smiling upon seeing Gabriel standing next to her, his expression never failing to be other than firm.

Adrien turned around and gave them a blissful smile and returned Nathalie’s wave. His father’s stern expression never leaving his face. “It’s been a year. The longer you keep him in the dark about what you are doing, the harder it will be on him when he finds out.” Nathalie advised her boss. Gabriel closed his eyes and walked out.

“Little Kitty on a roof all alone with his…” Adrien’s singing was interrupted by his father’s sudden voice,

“Adrien.”

He tilted his face to face the newcomer, “Father?”

Gabriel stopped a few inches away from his son before sitting on his legs, and spoke with such a delicate voice, “There’s something important I have to talk to you about. I think about telling you every day, but don’t know how to find the right words.”

“I think I already know, father.” Adrien’s eyes shined, cheery.

Gabriel’s eyes opened quickly, surprised, and glanced at his son, “But how?” He had never suspected that Adrien might have known all along about his secret identity.

“I’ve noticed how close you and Nathalie have become. If she can make you happy again, then, as far as I’m concerned, she’s already part of our family.” Adrien said, truthfully.

Gabriel’s expression changed for the worse, “How could you possibly think such a thing? Nobody could ever replace your mother.” Standing on his feet, he stared at Emilie’s sculpture. “As long as she’s still in our hearts, she lives on!” He took another look at Adrien, who stared back at him, confused. He turned around and started walking away, “We’re expecting guests. Be ready.”

Once Gabriel went inside the mansion, Plagg took his cue and flew out of Adrien’s shirt, “Wow, your father is like a piece of Tomme cheese, with a rind so thick, it’s almost impossible to get to the center.”

Adrien immediately went to his father’s defense, “Don’t be so hard on him, Plagg. It’s been a year today since… Mom went away forever.” before continuing to stare at his mother’s sculpture.

“We can’t leave Adrien all alone on a day like this!” Marinette said, pacing back and forth while some of her friends watched her, nervously.

“True that! But there’s no way his old man’s gonna let us see him.” Alix said through Alya’s tablet screen. The rest of her friends and tormentors, Lila and Chloe were all on a group call with them.

“Okay, why don’t we make him a video and tell him how much we all care about him?” She pointed out.

“Great idea! We can take turns recording our messages.” Alya said, enthusiastically.

“Then send it to him!” Nino continued, causing everybody on the houseboat to agree on it.

Alya raised her tablet, ready to record “Okay, go, Marinette.”

Her eyes widened, “Uh…No, no!” She giggled nervously, “Someone else, go. I still need to go figure out what I’m going to say!”

Alya smirked, “Okay girl. So, Nino, ready?” now facing her tablet towards Nino, who hummed in agreement and adjusted his cap “Action!”

“Hey, my dude!”

Adrien sat in his bedroom alone, sadly watching his computer screen of his mother and him, smiling together when Nathalie entered his room, startling him. “Your father is waiting for you downstairs, Adrien.”

He rubbed off the tears welling up in his eyes. He didn’t like to be seen as weak in front of people, “Uh… I’ll be right there.”

He walked downstairs, facing the ground and met his father at the foyer of the mansion. He lifted his gaze as he heard the front door open, revealing a figure accompanied by two others in the back. Gasping in shock, he saw the person he didn’t think he would ever see.

“Mom?” His eyes were wide as he raised his eyebrows, stunned.

The other figure entered carrying a big thick piano case, and baggage, “Nope! That’s not mom.”

Adrien looked towards the other figure and almost exploded out of excitement, “Luka!” He ran, crushing him in a tight hug.

“Well hello to you too, little brother.” Luka sassed, before hugging him back. “I missed you.” which caused Adrien to smile. After they let go, Luka walked in front of his father. He was getting closer to his father’s height. “Hello, father.”

Silence took over the room as Luka and Gabriel stood still, gawking at each other. Gabriel opened his mouth to answer back, but was interrupted by the woman Adrien had mistaken his mother for. “My, my! Look at how much both of you have grown!” She said, kissing both Luka and Adrien’s cheeks. “Gabriel, aren’t they the absolute cutest?” She intertwined her hands in adoration.

“I’m sure Adrien is delighted to have such a timely visit from his aunt, today of all days.” Gabriel stated, firmly as always.

Adrien put the pieces together, “Aunt Amelie?”

“I’m so happy to see you both again! I thought it’d be better if we were all together on a day like this. Don’t you agree, my dears?” She asked, in which Adrien nodded before he looked at his father.

A new figure stood in front of the doorway as Gorilla passed with a filled hotel luggage carrier. A lookalike of him came into view. Adrien thought this day couldn’t get any better than this. His brother, his aunt, and now his cousin were here with him. “Felix?” Felix walked to him and extended his hand to Adrien. Instead of shaking it, Adrien hugged him, in which he didn’t reciprocate and looked at him, weirded out. “Good to see you again.”

“Aw! They look just like twins. Don’t they, Gabriel? Do you remember when they used to have so much fun pretending to be each other? Once they had you and Emilie fooled for a whole weekend.” She let out a high pitch laugh, “We laughed so hard!”

“I won’t be fooled a second time.” Gabriel said, sternly.

“Hello, Uncle.” Felix extended his hand to him now, ignoring Luka and Adrien mouthing no’s and shaking their heads in the background. Gabriel glanced down at him, but his hands never left from his back.

Amelie walked to her son and placed her hands on his shoulders, “Felix, you know your uncle’s never been the physical sort.” She hummed, before she looked behind Gabriel’s back, noticing the ring on his finger, “Oh! How sweet! You’re still wearing your wedding band!” She walked back and faced him, “You must have Emilie’s too, I imagine. You never replied to my message about that. I’d still like to get the rings back, y’know.”

“These rings are obviously very special to me.” Gabriel answered back

“And they’re very dear to me, too, Gabriel. Those jewels have always been in the Graham de Vanily family, not the Agrestes!” Amelie confronted him. Luka covered his mouth, trying to contain an ooo from escaping, while Felix and Adrien stared at the scene in front of them.

Gabriel glared at Luka, “We’ll discuss it later. It’s been a long journey from London. You may want to rest a bit. Nathalie?”

“Follow me, please?” Nathalie left with Amelie, guiding her to the guest room.

��Take Felix to your bedroom.” Gabriel’s glare never withdrawing from Luka.

Adrien knew better than to question his father, “Yes, father. Come on, Felix.”

Once everybody was gone, Gabriel finally spoke to Luka. “Don’t forget your place, Luke.” Without taking a second look at his eldest son, he walked into his office and closed the door behind him.

Luka frowned as he felt his heart crushed. A groan startled him from behind. Turning around, he found Gorilla standing there with his usual facial expression. “Aw, come on, Gorilla. Show me those beautiful teeth.” He teased him, causing Gorilla to groan again before he gave a huge smile to Luka. “Uh…On second thought, never do that again.” Gorilla punched his arm lightly, both of them chuckling.

Gorilla loved Luka since the moment he entered the mansion. He bathed him, fed him, held his hand when he was scared, played with him while the young boy’s own father worked hours and hours in designing. It hurt him when Luka went away, 3 years ago. He was proud of the handsome gentleman Luka had become.

“Let me show you something.” Luka said, already on climbing up the stairs, followed by Gorilla.

“Adrien, I love you. I’ll always be there if you need me.” Marinette’s eyes widened, letting out a shaky small scream as she realized what she had done. “What was I thinking? This is the worst day I could choose to tell him! We gotta start over” Panicking, her finger ready to press the delete button until Tikki swapped in and stopped between the tablet and her.

“There’ll never be a right day to tell him.” Tikki lectured her, angrily.

“Marinette! You done in there? We’re all waiting for you!” They heard Alya’s voice coming from the other side.

“What if your message could turn his worst day ever into the best day ever?” Tikki tried convincing Marinette. It’s been so long since her owner has tried to tell her crush, her feelings towards him. Truth is Tikki had the advantage of knowing her owner’s future name, in case Marinette would go missing or just wanted to disappear in the future. It was some sort of protection for the miraculous. She knew Marinette would become an Agreste and the only Agreste was Adrien, yet she couldn’t exactly tell her that.

Marinette realized maybe her Kwami was right. Blushing heavily, she walked in a robotic way towards Alya. “What’s going on, girl? Are you feeling sick or something?” Alya asked, worriedly.

Marinette pushed the tablet forward for her friend to grab, “Promise me you’ll send the video without looking at it! No one can see my part!”

“No! Don’t tell me you…” Alya said in disbelief, never finishing her sentence, before grabbing her tablet back. She began pulling it, but Marinette didn’t let go.

“Promise.”

“You have my word.” Alya promised, making Marinette let go off of the tablet. “I can’t believe it! Wow! We got all the messages, guys!” Running out to the rest. “I’m sending them to Adrien!” Marinette fainted right in the spot.

Luka let out a final strum of his guitar, “And that, my friend, is how you do it.” Gorilla opened his eyes, giving him a thumbs up, “Remember, you can’t tell father about this precious.” He said, kissing his guitar. Gorilla nodded before his phone chimed, he let out a groan and left his bedroom. Again, he was left alone with his thoughts. He opened his baggage and began looking for his favorite white Jagged Stone shirt when he noticed his phone inside.

He turned it on and raised his eyebrow, confused, “What the hell is this?” He hadn’t changed his lockscreen and he wouldn’t have for the superheroine he’s been hearing about since he arrived to Paris. He clicked on the message that appeared on top.

A video started playing, revealing a boy with tan skin, brown eyes, and glasses, holding his red cap, “Hey, my dude. I’m not quite sure what to tell you, except that you’re my man, dude, and bros are always there for their guys.” The boy said. Luka was beyond dazed, he’d never met this guy before, let alone be his ‘bro’.

He swiped to the net video, revealing a girl with a pixie cut blonde hair, blue eyes, and wearing a lot of pink, “Unicorns have a saying. ‘Even when there’s nothing, but grey skies and rain, all it takes is one little sunbeam for a rainbow to appear.’” Okay, he had to admit, that was cute as hell, but that didn’t change the fact that he didn’t know who she was either.

Going to the next video, stood another boy with dark skin and glasses, wearing suspenders over his green shirt. “It’s 100% proven you should feel 52% happier with a healthy dose of laughter. So Markov uploaded a few jokes, starting with…” When Luka finished the video, he was bursting with laughter. He was amazed by the boy, he had no doubt the boy created the small flying robot, and for him, that was beyond cool.

Swiping to next, he finally saw a familiar face, Chloe sipping on her glass of orange juice, and with her usual attitude, “When my mother left for New York, I felt so sad.” Her face suddenly turned sad as she looked down, “It felt like she was…but she came back, and I know how lucky I am. So, you can count on me, my Adrikins.”

His eyes widened. Shit, this wasn’t his phone, but his brother’s. He went to turn it off and give it back to Adrien when he accidentally swiped next, revealing the most beautiful girl he’s ever seen. She had stunning dark hair, tied back in ponytails, with gorgeous bluebell eyes and pink lips. “Adrien, I love you. I’ll always be there if you need me.” She said in such a delicate voice, even he had trouble functioning after that. A smile formed on his face, before a frown took over. She’s in love with his brother. He sighed and left to give it back.

He knocked and entered when he heard Adrien’s or so he thought, invitation to come in. He found Felix sitting on Adrien’s bed while Adrien was nowhere to be found. “Umm…Where’s Adrien?”

“He went out to look for a basketball. He should be coming back soon.” Felix answered, blankly.

He would have waited for his brother to come back, but his actual phone rang from his bedroom. He placed Adrien’s phone on his desk, “Make sure Adrien gets his phone.” He walked out of the room, before he went back, “And tell him to check his messages. He’s going to want to see those.” This time, running out to answer his phone.

Turns out, it was only a scam call. He groaned and locked the door. He opened his piano case and pulled out his guitar. Closing his eyes, he let his fingers play the strings. Those bluebell eyes took over his mind and before he knew it, he was already composing a melody for her. “Melody.” Luka exhaled a shaky breath. He didn’t even know her name, but that was what he was going to call her for now.

Marinette stared at the cup in front of her, lost in thought. She turned around instantly when she heard Alya’s tablet, buzzed. “Oh. Come here! Adrien sent a message back on the group chat!” Alya shouted out.

Marinette began leaving, “Oh, no! I don’t want to know!” She gained her confidence, walking back, “Yes, I do want to know.” Puffing out her chest, letting out a grunt, before her confidence went flying out of the houseboat, “No, I don’t.” Fleeing out, causing everyone to look at her, weirdly.

She started pacing, again, back and forth in Juleka’s room, “What if he tells me that he loves me? Or that he doesn’t love me? Or that he likes me, but not that way?”

“Marinette!” Tikki yelled, interrupting Marinette’s rant. “You will never know unless you see it.” She said, pulling her owner’s phone closer to her face. Marinette hesitated before taking it and played the video.

Adrien’s sweet soft face appeared on screen, “First of all, thanks so much for all your messages, guys. Really. Sending me messages on today, of all days…” All of the sudden, Adrien glared to the camera, “to remind me how sad I’m supposed to be feeling? Why that’s great! Really, thanks a lot!” He said, bitterly.

“Uh…so is he happy about it or not?” Kim asked, totally confused.

“There’s something wrong.” Marinette knew Adrien wasn’t like this to anybody, so why was he acting that way.

“My father was right. What could I possibly get out of going to school? Hanging out with you, people, is a waste of time!” Adrien continued,

“Ha! I knew my little Adrikins couldn’t possibly be real friends with those fools.” Chloe said, sitting on her bed, amused by her friend’s words.

“And, Chloe, you’re still the same spoiled brat you ever were, you know that?” She let out a gasp, surprised her Adrikins would say that about her.

“That’s not him. Impossible! There’s no way that’s Adrien!” She said, before she ran out.

Nathalie entered Gabriel’s office, holding a tablet in her hand, “Sorry, sir. Lila Rossi just sent this to us. It’s a message from Adrien’s phone.” She pressed on the video, exposing Adrien’s mean message.

“Felix.” Gabriel knew his son, and his son had the heart of his mother, pure.

“If Adrien’s friends think it’s him on the video, they must be feeling very hurt right now.” Nathalie pointed out.

“Hmm.” Gabriel smirked, walking to his secret spot, “All this disappointment might just help us get rid of our unwanted guests.” pushing two buttons on his wife’s portrait, which brought him down to his secret lair. Now transformed into Hawkmoth, he clenched his hand, “Felix, I told you that you couldn’t fool me twice!” He opened his hand, letting a purified butterfly land on his hand. He placed his other hand over it, converting it into an Akuma. “Fly away, my little akuma, and evilise these sad souls!” The Akuma flew away to a certain houseboat.

“No way that’s real. It must be a fake!” Nino defended his friend which caused Alya to glare at him.

“I am 100% positive that the video hasn’t been altered in any way.” Markov stated.

“Confirmed.” Max said, sadly.

“The truth is, we’ve only known him since we came back after the summer.” Kim pointed out.

“Let’s not forget he was friends with Chloe before he met us.” Alya mentioned, furiously.

“Don’t believe this video! It can’t be Adrien!” Marinette uttered, defending her crush. The Akuma reached its target, akumatizing Alya, Juleka, and Rose. She gasped and rushed out, hiding from her akumatized friends.

“Lady Wifi, Reflekta, Princess Fragrance. You are now the punishers trio. I’m giving you the power to chastise the boy you thought was your friend, who has hurt you so terribly. I’m only asking you one thing in return. Ladybug and Cat Noir’s Miraculous.” Hawkmoth influenced them.

“He’s going to regret what he said to us!” The three girls synced, transforming into their akumatized self.

“This isn’t good. They’re going to take it out on Adrien! Tikki, spots on!” Marinette yelled, frightened. She didn’t care about her transformation, all she cared about was to get to Adrien on time. A mask appeared on her face, followed by the rest of her supersuit covering her body. A yo-yo appeared on her waist, finishing with a pose.

“Come on, Alya, you’re not seriously going to attack our buddy, are you?” Nino tried reasoning with his girlfriend.

Unfortunately, Alya wasn’t herself anymore, “I’m not Alya. I’m Lady Wifi. Anyone who tries to stand in our way will be harshly punished!” Nino tried to cover himself, but it was no use. Lady Wifi had paused him on the spot. Kim and Max were terrified as they just saw their friend hurting their other friend.

“You’re not punishing anyone, Wifi.” Ladybug announced, spinning her yo-yo, “It’s time to log you out!”

“Not now that I’ve got satellite connection.” Lady Wifi blasted pause buttons toward Ladybug who successfully avoided getting hit. Princess Fragrance let out a purple smoke, quickly spreading everywhere. Ladybug managed to cover her nose, but sadly, Kim and Max didn’t.

Once the smoke cleared out, Kim and Max bowed down to Princess Fragrance. “At your service, Princess Fragrance.” They sang.

“Catch Ladybug.” Princess Fragrance ordered, both Kim and Max dashed towards her.

Her eyes widened for a second, but she was able to defend herself, pushing Max down, then getting a hold of Kim and pressed him down, locking him in a position with his arm behind his back. She tilted her head towards the trio.

“Call you later.” Reflekta said sarcastically, before the three jumped inside the phone.

“I know where you’re going, Punishers.” Ladybug concluded, throwing Kim down. She threw her yo-yo and leaped forward towards the Agreste mansion.

“Nathalie, get Adrien to a safe place, far from his cousin, make sure he doesn’t have his phone with him.” Hawkmoth ordered.

Luka had finished his last beat when he heard things falling on the ground and yelling coming from his brother’s room. Straightaway, he came running to Adrien’s room finding no one, but a funny looking girl, in all pink, with a big pause in the middle. “Adrien! Felix!” He yelled, but no one responded to him.

“Adrien!” He heard a voice coming from behind him. Nothing in his life would have prepared him for what he experienced next. One minute he was standing on his feet, the next he was pressed onto the floor, his face squished between the cold floor and the intruder’s hand, while they grabbed his arm and bent it behind his back in an armlock. “Who are you and where’s Adrien?”

He couldn’t help, but chuckle at the irony, which turned out to be a mistake since the intruder bent his arm up, making him wince. Dammit, he really should’ve taken that Karate class back in Kindergarten. “I won’t ask again. Who are you and what have you done to Adrien?”

“I don’t know where’s Adrien. I came looking for him and there was nobody here, except her.” He nodded towards the funny looking girl. The intruder finally let him go. He quickly got up and fixed himself up. “You know you could have ripped my arm off!”

His jaw dropped to the floor as he finally realized who had attacked him. It was Lady-freaking-Bug. “You know that is impossible, break would be the correct word.” Ladybug joked. “I need to go. Sorry about your ar…” This time, it was her, whose jaw dropped. The boy was gone already. She sighed, frustrated and leaped out of the window. She found him a few blocks away, running. She landed in front of him, “You. Stay. Here. I’ll go looking for Adrien.”

“Of course not, he’s my brot…” He got interrupted by a scream. A guy in a black cat costume leaped through the buildings, holding ‘Adrien’ in his arms while being chased by three other weird looking girls, one similar to the one in Adrien’s room.

Quickly, she grabbed a hold of a fire hose and tied him to the street pole, “Stay here. I mean it.” Ladybug demanded and threw her yo-yo, leaping forward to catch up to Cat Noir. She needed to also protect the idiot from putting himself in danger.

“Ladybug!” He yelled, but it was no use, she was out of hearing range. At least, ‘Melody’ wouldn’t see him like this unless…

His head turned as he heard a sigh next to him, “I told you, kids, to stop playing with these.” A firefighter said as he started untangling him. He couldn’t exactly blame it on Ladybug, so he just gave a sheepish smile before he frowned. He was in deep trouble with his father.

Marinette dropped by near the Agreste Mansion as Ladybug. It was her turn on night patrol and she didn’t think it would hurt anybody, if she checked on Adrien before she went home. She smiled as she caught a glimpse of the blonde boy, moving around. She was about to drop in, to let him know that he has Ladybug’s support as well, but something stopped her. The sound of a melody.

She glanced towards the balcony, the same boy she attacked earlier today sat on a stool, playing a guitar and singing to the night sky with his eyes closed. His soft voice sending shivers down her spine.

“Put a price on emotion.

Looking for something to buy.

You got my devotion, but man, I can hate you sometimes.” He wrinkled his nose, making a pain expression as he recalled his argument with his father. His fingers holding the guitar harder.

“I don’t want to fight you and I don’t want to sleep in the dirt.

We’ll get the drinks in, so I’ll get to thinking of her.”

“We’ll be a fine line…”

She landed quietly in front of him, observing him. She didn’t have time to notice him earlier, but now she had all the time in the world. Hopefully. The first thing she noticed was the sadness that came from his mouth as he sang. He was hurt. His smooth messy dark hair pushed back by the night wind. The moonlight shined, showing off his jawline. She couldn’t lie and say he wasn’t breathtaking because well…he was.

“So, did you enjoy the show?”

She let out a frightening squeak, almost falling off of the balcony. The mysterious boy opened his eyes quickly and started to apologize, “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you.”

“How… how did you know I was here?” She asked, shifting her feet to the side, nervously.

He smirked at her, “You’re not quite as sneaky as you think you are.” He patted the chair next to him, inviting her to sit.

Beepings came from her actual phone, interrupting her from reaching to the chair. Alya’s picture showed on screen. She was calling her. “I…uh…I gotta go. I’ll see you around.” She threw her yo-yo and leaped forward, “Bug out!” She yelled, disappearing through the darkness.

It didn’t take her long before she got home, “Tikki, spots off.” She said, de-transforming as she collapsed on her bed, exhaustedly.

“Good job today, Marinette.” Tikki said as she flew to her usual spot and started nibbling her cookie.

“Thanks Tikki.” She smiled at the little red Kwami before she dozed off to the melody the mysterious boy had played.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hope y’all enjoy this! It’s up on my A03 as well at @tewqut. This is what I imagine Luka Agreste/Couffaine would look like without his teal blue dyed tips hair. (19 year old Harry Styles)

Credit to the artist (Not owned by me!) @itslopez on Instagram.

#lukanette #luka x marinette #luka couffaine #marinette dupain cheng #luka agreste #miraculous ladybug #miraculous au #rewriting fanfic #tewqut

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kimnamjooonz · 6 years ago

Text

Blank Space - Episode 12

Flawless

Songs used in this chapter:

Flawless - Beyonce

Just A Girl - No Doubt (because I’ve been obsessing with this song since watching Captain Marvel)

'You wake up, flawless. Post up, flawless. Ride round in it, flawless. Flossing on that, flawless. This diamond, flawless. My diamond, flawless. This rock, flawless. My rock, flawless. I woke up like this.''

'I can't believe you did this'' Luke was on the verge of a mental breakdown after seeing the state of Morgan's last night dress. ''A thousand dollar Zuhair Murad dress stained with grass and beer. This is a hate crime.'' Morgan didn't say anything. She just sipped her coffee and made a mocking face. Her team was getting her ready to the red carpet of the Toronto Film Festival. She was wrapped in a robe, covering her gown, so it didn't get stained with foundation or lipstick. ''Last night was a total mess for us.'' Lucas moaned. He was the only one who wasn't doing anything. ''Your little show with Sebastian has Taylor climbing the walls back in New York.'' Morgan was tired of being blamed for something that hasn't been her fault at all. Taylor had called her that morning and shouted at her for ten minutes. She accused Morgan of being an irresponsible idiot and that she couldn't be left alone for five minutes without creating havoc. ''It wasn't my fault!'' she yelled. ''It was Sebastian's fault. He grabbed my hand, I had no idea about it! But, of course, it's always the woman's fault! We can never win! I don't know why Taylor thinks I'm some sort of man eater. At least the press doesn't agree with her.'' ''Keep calm!'' hissed Shontelle. ''I'm trying to wave your hair.'' ''The press is too busy planning your wedding'' said Lucas. ''And his fans are over the moon.'' Morgan tried to hide her satisfaction. It wasn't hard. She had only to remember Taylor's earful to ruin her mood. And she hadn't seen Sebastian in all day as he had been busy going through every press conference that was possible. One included a photoshoot with a puppy, that had melt Morgan's heart. But now it was the main act of the show, and Morgan had no idea what could happen. Knowing Sebastian, anything. He had no shame. Thinking about the devil, Morgan got out of her brooding mood when she heard knocks on the door. ''I go'' mumbled Lucas, knowing perfectly well who it was. There was Sebastian, ready to leave, looking devastatingly handsome, in a black velvet suit. ''You cropped me out of last night's pictures!'' was the first thing he said. ''And?'' by her face, she wasn't even sorry. ''It's my Instagram, I post what the hell I want to. And I looked great in that dress.'' That gave Luke an excuse to talk. ''A dress that you ruined! And don't even know what were you two doing last night, but today I dressed you in Alexander McQueen so don't you dare doing the same thing. If you two want to have sex, don't do it on the grass, just wait a couple of minutes and do it on the room so you won't ruin the dress.'' Morgan just looked resigned. In the course of one morning she had got used to the endless doses of teasing. But she preferred the teasing rather than Taylor's accusations of immorality. ''We weren't... doing that'' Sebastian blushed. ''We were eating pizza under a tree on the park.'' Somehow, that was more incredible because it was almost impossible that Sebastian and Morgan could stand each other for so long to finish a couple of pizzas. ''Yeah, whatever'' mumbled Luke. ''Just don't do it again.'' ''Always with the man eater narrative!'' Morgan suddenly exploded, surprising Sebastian. ''Why do you always have to think about sex? I really don't want to get him into my bed!'' she pointed at Sebastian. Lucas wanted to laugh. Maybe she didn't want that in the present but in the past, that was on her bucket list. ''Woah, thank you very much'' Sebastian groaned. ''Just shut up!'' Morgan yelled, throwing a make up sponge at him. ''Calm down! Is she okay?'' a worried Sebastian asked Lucas. ''Yeah, she just drank coffee with almost no food, that's why she's a little cranky. And Taylor called her out so she's a bit mad at that too.'' ''And it was your fault!'' Morgan yelled again. This time she didn't have anything close to throw at him. ''Tell me that at least you got yelled by your agent, please!'' Sebastian almost felt guilty to tell the truth to Morgan. ''Well... no'' he admitted. ''Emily was over the moon. She congratulated me for getting some sense into my head. She was a bit disappointed when I told her that we weren't really dating and I just grabbed your hand in a reckless and stupid move. But she didn't think that it was stupid. And Damien is also really happy, that's what Emily said. He's probably dancing, around the studio.'' Morgan looked defeated. It seemed that everyone minus Taylor thought that Sebastian's move was a marketing masterpiece. He, who was having more and more recognition every day, was being pictured holding hands in a very public way with his co-star, Hollywood's hottest newcomer, who had just covered Vogue and was rumoured to be walking in this year's Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. Yes, they were a couple to remember. And about his girlfriend, well... no one seemed to care. Maybe they would have, if she were a celebrity too but... she wasn't. That made Morgan felt a little bad (not too much, after all her fangirl feelings were still there) but at the same time, that was not her fault. Florence should have known in what she was getting herself into when she had decided to date Sebastian. The media was ruthless and Hollywood was even worse. And the fans were the icing to the cake. And someone like Sebastian was always going to be linked with her co-stars, if not Morgan, someone else. That was the way it was and if Florence couldn't handle it, that was not Morgan's responsibility at all. She had to continue doing what she needed to do and she couldn't stop to spare the feelings of a woman she hardly knew. ''I still don't understand why Taylor can't see the bright side of the picture'' Morgan seemed to have calmed down a bit. ''Because she's a nice and honest woman who still thinks that morality can win in this industry.'' she was expecting Lucas to answer but instead Sebastian did it. ''Emily was the same at the beginning of my career, until we noticed that if we wanted to get somewhere we had to play dirty sometimes.'' ''That's the way it is'' she said, with no emotion in her face. She stood up taking off her robe on the process only to reveal the beautiful silver dress she was wearing. She looked like a dream. ''Let's go'' she ordered Sebastian. ''Okay...'' he was quite distracted, looking at Morgan. ''You look, really good.'' he didn't want to be that evident in front of Morgan's team. ''Thank you'' she mumbled. ''Hey, you're forgetting the jewellery,'' Luke placed some delicate rings on her fingers that matched with her diamond earrings. ''Please, don't ruin the dress this time.'' he begged. Morgan left the room and Sebastian followed her, almost tripping on the way out. ''Are you okay?'' he asked. ''Yes.'' she nodded. ''And how was the press junket?'' ''I was expecting worse, to be honest. And they handed me a puppy and it was so adorable. He fell asleep on me, it was the cutest thing ever. I wanted to bring him with me.'' Morgan, who had seen the pictures, agreed with him: it was the cutest thing ever. The puppy and Sebastian. She tried to hide the soft expression in her face. ''That was probably adorable.'' she simply said. ''Maybe I get a puppy once I get to New York. I already have half the custody of a cat but I'm not allowed to see him.'' ''Don't give yourself attributions. Thirteen is mine.'' ''I literally found him.'' he had a playful smile and she just rolled her eyes at him. The car was already waiting for them when they left the hotel. Sebastian helped Morgan to get in the car and for once she didn't refuse it. He was moving his arms at the rhythm of the pop song that was being played, even if he didn't know the name of it. That made Morgan smile and a second later she was 'dancing' just like him. They weren't saying a word to each other but dancing was enough, it was enjoyable for them both. Sebastian didn't want to arrive to the place at all. He was wildly thinking about skipping the festival only to keep Morgan in a good mood. ''Damn, it's raining'' she looked through the window. ''It seems that we won't be able to run away tonight''. Morgan just shook her head. She was actually lamenting not being able to repeat last night's adventure. But that didn't mean that there was not going to be another type of adventure. Who knew. ''Here we are.'' he said. The place was full of fans of his, that was quite obvious because the majority of them had signs with his picture in it. No one seemed to care about Kit Harington, Chris Pine or anyone else. Sebastian was the star of the show and Morgan was sure that he was not going to disappoint. Morgan was thinking that if it wasn't for the crazy chance she had had at being able to play the lead role in a famous movie, she would have been one of the fans, waiting for Sebastian under the rain. And now she had the guy basically all to herself and there were days she wanted to send him back to Romania and lock him up there. Crazy how her life had changed. He helped Morgan to get off and immediately both of them were surrounded by security and photographers. In the blink of an eye, a guy taller than Morgan was holding an umbrella over his head. Before no one could notice, Sebastian had freed himself from the horde of security and was about to cross the street to meet his fans. Morgan had been right, he was not going to disappoint. ''Hey, where are you going?'' a big, bulky man asked him. But Sebastian didn't even answer and ran towards his fans, with his own umbrella guy running after him. ''These stars...'' the bulky man mumbled, quite annoyed. Morgan let herself be guided by someone from the organization, always with a kind and polite expression. On the way to the red carpet she kept waving and people with a big smile on her face. It was surprising how many people were cheering for her. She felt incredibly great and grateful. At some point she followed Sebastian's example and freed herself from the security guards to take pictures, sign some autographs and talk a bit with the fans. The bulky security guard looked like he hated his job. Finally Morgan arrived to the red carpet and the flashes only intensified. She was freezing but being the professional she was, she never let it show in her face. She just did all the poses she was asked and the photographers were pretty happy with her. Finally, the pictures were over and it was the turn of talking with the press. She had no idea what they were going to ask her when had no movie screening there and was just Sebastian's plus one. She was still thinking what she was going to say when a reporter from Entertainment Tonight intercepted her. ''Miss Llewellyn, can we have a word?'' he asked her. ''Of course.'' ''Great'' he motioned something to the camera man. ''Three, two, one, recording. Morgan, tell us, as a newcomer, what are you looking forward the most at this year's TIFF?'' ''Nicole Kidman of course.'' she said with a pleasant smile and a soft laugh. ''I really want to meet her and I swear I'm not going to fangirl over her. I'm going to compose myself.'' Morgan was internally thanking the interviewer for not asking what the hell was she doing there. ''And The American Dream premiere's at next year's TIFF, are you excited for this?'' ''I can't wait. But we have to finish filming and we still have a long way too go. Initially, it was going to premiere at Cannes but Damien decided to premiere at Toronto because usually, the movies screening here have more chances at the award's season. That's Damien Chazelle's thinking, not mine.'' she excused herself, laughing. ''I guess he knows best'' ''Yeah'' Morgan agreed with the reporter. ''He has an Oscar and this year he's going for the second. He's premiering First Man next week at the Venice Film Festival, that I'm not invited to, which is a pity because I always wanted to go to Venice.'' She and the reporter laughed. ''Is there a reason you're coming with Sebastian tonight?'' Of course he had to be mentioned in the interview. ''I'm just here rooting for a cast mate'' she simply said. But lately she decided to add a tiny bit of spice to her answer. ''Not really,'' she winked at the camera, making sure everyone noticed that what she was going to say was sarcastic. ''I think he didn't have anyone to come with him so I'm doing him a favour by being here. The deal was that he was going to introduce me to Nicole Kidman.'' Morgan and the reporter laughed again. ''Wow, that's quite the exchange... and which movie do you think is going to shine?'' That question gave Morgan more cues to be cheeky. ''Well, I'm supposing to root for Sebastian but I want to piss him off so, I'm going to go for Beautiful Boy, starring my almost co-star Timothee Chalamet. Get that boy an Oscar, once and for all!'' Morgan wasn't joking because she considered Timothee a wonderful actor but not even in an alternate universe she was going to choose him over Sebastian. ''That was a bold statement. And one more that has nothing to do with this if you will excuse me... everyone is really curious about you walking in the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. Is there some true to these rumours?'' ''Not really.'' she admitted. ''I think that it was an Internet joke that got out of hand. And I watched how hard the models have to work out to get ready for the show and it's just painful to someone like me. I just work out four hours a week. Maybe I dress as an angel for Halloween, who knows.'' Yes, an angel, thought Morgan, but a weeping angel from Doctor Who. ''Thank you, Morgan for your time.'' Morgan just politely smiled, nodded and went on her way through the red carpet until she was stopped again, this time by someone from the organisation. ''Miss Llewellyn, please, I beg you, can you go back and take some pictures with Mr. Stan? The photographers are basically demanding to have some pictures of you two together.'' Morgan followed him without protesting. She knew that she could do nothing about it as if she dared to deny to take pictures with him it would result in media speculation, Damien Chazelle displeased and sending both of them to do some PR plot again, and both of their agents furious. Taking pictures with him was the easy way out. ''Where were you?'' he asked her when she joined him on the red carpet. ''Giving an interview. Now, let's get on with this.'' This time it was Morgan who grabbed his hand to guide him in front of the photographs who were frantically snapping pictures. They looked absolutely gorgeous together. Morgan's beauty was enhanced by Sebastian's classic movie star aura and handsomeness. They were a couple to die for. ''Kiss her, Sebastian!'' shouted a photographer. Morgan leaned in only to whisper something in his ear. ''If you do that, I swear I'm going to punch you in the face, right here in front of everyone'' He nodded. He wasn't planning to kiss Morgan in front of a horde of people. Yes, he was guilty of wanting to kiss her more than once and that had left him with an almost unbearable feeling of guilt afterwards. Sebastian just did the most politically correct thing in which he could think and looked at Morgan with an enchanted smile and she, thankfully, did exactly the same. The photographers were happy and they could finally leave. He grabbed Morgan by the waist and took her away. ''At least is over. Now, let's get in. We have to mingle with the people and I have the panel of my movie''. ''Am I going to meet Nicole Kidman? Because that's the only reason I'm here.'' ''Wow, thank you for your support, Llewellyn.'' ''C'mon'' she shot him a hard glance. ''You've gone to plenty of events by yourself, Sebastian. I don't know what's that current obsession of yours of going to every event with me.'' ''It was not my idea, it was Damien's'' He may be blaming Damien but he was blushing at the same time. Morgan was aware that they were attracting all the glances by some reason. It wasn't as if this whole event revolved around them, as there were many actors with longer careers than theirs that were also promoting their movies. ''Let's stay here for a little while'' Sebastian pulled Morgan to a corner that was a little hidden from the people. ''I'm quite overwhelmed by so many people'' he took his phone out of his pocket because it was beeping. He glanced at it, reading the notifications. ''Hey!'' he looked at Morgan, with an almost outraged expression. ''Why do you want Beautiful Boy to shine? I thought you were my date.'' Well, her recent interview had spread fast and also... did Sebastian have the notifications of her latest news on his phone? ''Yeah, because I had no other option. And I may be your date but that doesn't mean that I have to be your number one fan. You have hundreds of people who do this job right outside, believe me I'm not one of them.'' She was not going to admit that she had been one of them. ''You're always so sweet, Llewellyn.'' she left the hidden corner and he followed her. ''Are you like this with everyone or only with me?'' ''Only with people that annoy me'' she blatantly said. ''When you're in a normal mood I sort of like you.'' ''And what is a 'normal mood'? this time he was genuinely curious. ''Like last night. Talking about deep stuff instead of this nonesensical blabbering.'' ''I can say the same'' Sebastian started to justify himself. ''I really like you when you lay down your armor and stop throwing sarcastic arrows at me for no reason at....'' Suddenly he stopped talking, made a strange sound and hid behind Morgan, who wasn't a difficult task considering that when she was wearing heels, she was taller than him. ''What on earth is going on? Did you see Voldemort walking to you?'' ''Just please, do me a favor and don't stop walking until we crossed that door.'' She did exactly the opposite and stopped. ''But why are you hiding? Have you offended someone? Did you steal their girlfriends?'' ''No! But Jennifer is there and I don't really want her to see me.'' ''Jennifer Lawrence?'' Morgan frantically looked around. ''Because if you're talking about Jennifer Anniston, let me freak out.'' or it also may be Jennifer Conelly or Jennifer Garner. What Morgan had no idea was what on earth any of them had to do with Sebastian. ''Anyway, whoever you're talking about probably knows that you're here. I mean, we've been on the red carpet two minutes ago and news spread fast.'' He knew that Morgan was right. ''Please, Morgan, she's my ex girlfriend'' ''Oh... that Jennifer.'' of course Morgan knew about her and, yes, she had been jealous. But Jennifer Morrison was, hands down, her favorite of Sebastian's former girlfriends. ''And you're hiding? Can this be more pathetic?'' she teased him. ''What did you do to the poor girl? Did you rob her house? Did you kidnapped her cat?'' she shot him a meaningful glance. ''I mean, you're taking attributions with my cat and the only thing that link us is a role in a movie.'' ''Shut up, Morgan and keep walking.'' ''I refuse'' she stood there with her arms crossed. ''I'm not being your accomplice in your cowardice. Hiding of an ex girlfriend... I didn't know you were still in high school, Sebastian.'' ''I just didn't want to find her here'' he tried to hid behind Morgan again, which was useless because Morgan immediately turned around. ''And that's not my problem. By the way, I'm going to go and say hi to her because I really like her'' Sebastian grabbed her arm, trying to stop her. ''I warn you, Sebastian. Better stop acting like an immature teenager and walk.'' but Sebastian wasn't moving. ''Okay, I'm not saying hi to her. I'll do it in another time. Happy?'' he nodded. ''Now walk.'' Everyone was going pretty well until Sebastian decided to be an idiot and hid himself against Morgan again when they were passing in front of Jennifer. With no shame she grabbed him by the arm and made him walk in front of her, not caring about they looked at that moment. If Sebastian wanted to hide, he could do it, but not using Morgan as a human shield. ''Sebastian?'' someone asked and Morgan knew perfectly well who that was. Morgan just wanted to laugh. Seeing Sebastian Stan trying to hide from an ex girlfriends was priceless. ''Hi, Jennifer'' he wrapped his arm around Morgan shoulders, to make sure she didn't sneak away, that was exactly what she was planning to do as she had caught a glimpse of Nicole Kidman. ''Nice to see you.'' Morgan rolled her eyes, twenty seconds ago he was hiding from her. ''By the way, this is Morgan, my gir...'' ''Co-star!'' Morgan basically yelled, guessing his intentions. ''Which means that after finishing the movie and the promotion I don't have to see him anymore.'' Jennifer didn't know if Morgan was being sarcastic or she really couldn't wait to get rid of Sebastian. ''Nice to meet you, Morgan. I heard a lot about you.'' Jennifer had seen Morgan on Instagram, at the cover of Vogue and literally everywhere where Chanel makeup was being sold. But talking to the real life version of Morgan was quite a challenge because she had an intimidating vibe that made it hard to talk to her with coherent words. ''I saw your Vogue cover, it was really great.'' Morgan expression changed to an innocent smile. It was as if someone had switched sarcastic Morgan with her nicer, sweeter twin. She suddenly looked approachable and even kind. ''Really? Thank you! It was my first cover so I don't know if I did it right.'' ''Believe me, you did. And how is working with Sebastian?'' And... sarcastic Morgan was back. It was noticeable in her facial expression that went from cute and innocent to condescending. Jennifer couldn't believe how fast could someone change her whole personality. ''An... spectacular experience'' every word was soaked in sarcasm. ''Thank you very much.'' Sebastian whispered to her. In his opinion working with Morgan was not that bad. Yes, at the beginning they were at each other's throats all of the time but now things were getting better. ''You're welcome.'' she winked to Sebastian. ''Now, if you will excuse me, I'll leave. A pleasure to meet you, Jennifer.'' and for once, Morgan was being honest. ''Likewise'' Jennifer didn't know what to think of Morgan but she didn't dislike her. She had a peculiar personality, that was all. ''Where are you going?'' Sebastian stopped her, grabbing her arm. She slapped his hand away. Was he trying to control her? ''None of your business''. She walked away with a perfect model-like catwalk. It was impossible not to stare at her. ''Feisty, isn't she?'' Jennifer asked. ''She's like trying to tame a wildcat.'' He didn't take his eyes off Morgan, who was talking to Elizabeth Olsen. Then Chris Pine approached her and that was when Sebastian decided that he needed to interfere. ''Okay, I need to go. See you later''. ''Hey, wait! Be careful with her, okay? Don't suffocate her because you just said that she was like a wildcat so, that means that she can scratch you back and it's not going not going to be nice.'' ''Why are you saying this?'' for once he took his sight away from Morgan and looked at Jennifer. ''Because I'm the only one of your ex-girlfriends that still talks to you. I know that relationships are not your strong point and it doesn't seem that someone as free spirited as Morgan Llewellyn is going to be the solution to that problem.'' He thought for a second but as always, his heart got the best of him. ''She's just my co-star'' his sad smiled revealed that he wasn't happy of having that status. ''Whatever you say'' for Jennifer it was pretty evident that Sebastian wasn't just simply attracted to Morgan but he was slowly and almost unnoticeably falling for her. Sebastian walked towards Morgan that was still talking to Elizabeth and Chris Pine. ''Morgan... we should get going. Oh, hi Liz! And... Pine.'' He offered his hand to Morgan who surprisingly took it, without making a fuss. ''See you later'' she said Elizabeth and Chris and Sebastian just winked at them. What Jennifer had told him was stuck in his head. Maybe he was being too suffocating with her and she was just fighting back. And he was suddenly remembering that he had started all the fights with her, from arriving late in their first meeting, then calling her 'overnight success', something that had deeply offended her and then being a bit dense with her, like the time when she was peacefully talking to Chris Evans and he had crashed the moment. After all, he didn't know who Morgan really was inside that hard shell of her. The only way to do it was with patience and gentleness, showing her that she could trust him but not with words but with actions. ''Morgan...''he ran his thumb on her knuckles. ''I don't know if I told you before but... you look beautiful.'' ''Thank you'' She had a smile he hadn't seen on her before. It wasn't her usual condescending or ultra confident smile but one full of simplicity that somehow made her look a hundred times more beautiful. Somehow he knew that this smile belonged to the real Morgan, the one who was hidden inside her shell. And he didn't like it. He loved it. ''I'm sorry if I somehow involved you in my mess... yeah, I know, Jennifer is great but I didn't want to see her. We didn't end up badly but my reasons were quite embarrassing.'' he didn't know why he was telling that to Morgan. ''I still feel quite... I don't know...'' ''Ashamed?'' ''Yeah'' he admitted. ''We were better off as friends, I suppose.'' once he started talking it was almost impossible to stop. ''I mean, our relationship was fine... but it wasn't exciting.'' Morgan couldn't believe that she was getting all that information. ''Is the same with Florence. She's a great woman but there's no fire and she's not... nothing.'' He was about to say 'She's not you' in front of Morgan herself and that was the worst thing that could ever happen to him. Morgan would never let him be after that and the guilt he was already feeling was going to consume him. But for once Morgan didn't look condescending but rather a bit sympathetic. ''I'm a bit sorry for you. It seems that you've got no one to talk if you're confessing this stuff to me.'' But inside her head the only things she could hear were sirens, provoked by what he had just confessed. So, he wasn't happy in his relationship... Take that, Taylor! It wasn't Morgan's fault at all, after all. He was simply dating the wrong woman for God knows what reason. So, it wasn't that unreasonable that he had started looking at his beautiful co-star with other eyes. It wasn't as if Florence was a bad person or anything, quite the contrary, Morgan thought, they just weren't for each other, it was easy as that. ''Are you okay?'' he asked and Morgan realised that she had got lost in her thoughts. ''Yeah, I was just thinking that you seem to have some sort of mental block that makes you unable to do whatever you the hell you want to.'' ''Are you questioning my life choices?'' he asked. ''No'' she cheekily looked at his eyes. ''I'm just making a commentary. If I were your guardian angel I'd be banging my head against a wall at every bad choice you make. I'd probably be unconscious by now. Or dead, who knows.'' Damn Morgan Llewellyn striking straight to the wound. No one else with the exception of his mother had been so direct with him. She was honest and he loved it. ''Maybe that's the reason I'm quite a mess. And what happened to your angel, Morgan?'' ''Probably resigned when I was five. It couldn't be with me anymore. Since then I probably have a guardian demon.'' ''And that's explains a lot.'' he joked. Of course that they didn't believe in guardian angels, they were just trying to justify Sebastian's bad life choices and Morgan's questionable approach to life. ''We're quite a well matched couple. My unconscious and probably dead angel and your demon.'' ''That sounds like the plot of a cheesy and awful Young Adult book that probably Hollywood would adapt into a movie afterwards. You can act in it.'' ''No, thanks. I had enough of awful supernatural movies with The Covenant.'' ''I don't blame you'' They were easily getting well again, walking around the place, laughing at people and at themselves. That was until they finally found Nicole Kidman and Morgan was so shocked that she didn't manage to make a sound. ''Sebastian, sweetie!'' she greeted him and it was evident that Nicole held him in high esteem. ''I was looking for you. We have the panel before the screening in twenty minutes so get ready. I want you to talk, sweetie, because sometimes you stay in silence during the whole interview.'' ''But I never get anything asked! And I'm not going to interrupt when you are talking because that's rude.'' ''Okay, fair enough. I'll find a way for you to talk and you're going to do it.'' then Nicole's eyes focused on Morgan. ''Goodness... Morgan Llewellyn, I thought Sebastian was joking when he said earlier today during the press junkets that he was going to bring you as his date. It's great to finally meet you!'' ''Likewise.'' Morgan was impressed. She didn't know that Nicole Kidman was aware of her existence. ''You and Seb make a gorgeous off screen couple. I can't wait to see your on screen chemistry.'' This time Morgan didn't shout that they were just co-stars. With an angelic smile on his face she got closer to Sebastian. But he was wrong of he though that Morgan was going to lie in front of Nicole Kidman that they were a couple. She was just going to tell the truth in some other way. ''We're definitely having a good time filming the movie'' Sebastian wanted to laugh. Yes, they had had good moments on sets but they had also shouted at each other on the first day of filming. ''But Seb and I are not a couple'' Morgan looked at Nicole with puppy dog eyes, as if she were sad by the fact that Sebastian and her were not together. Sebastian almost believed her, except from the fact that he knew that Morgan was devious as hell and she could make people believe whatever she wanted. It was a great tool in the laid back relationship she had with the press. ''That's kind of disappointing.'' Nicole admitted. ''I was rooting for you two.'' 'Yeah, me too' thought Morgan. Since 2013. But life was a bitch and even though she had all the chances in the world with him, she couldn't do anything without damaging her career. She didn't want to be known as 'boyfriend stealer' and Sebastian as a cheater. Sebastian was the one who had to get out of his own mess so Morgan could do something about it. Deep inside, Sebastian agreed with Nicole. She was also rooting for him and Morgan. ''Anyway...'' Nicole decided to leave them alone. ''I have to get going. See you in twenty minutes.'' Morgan waited until Nicole was out of sight to speak. ''Oh my Gosh, she knew who I was!'' she looked like a teenager fan of some boyband member. ''This is totally crazy. I had no idea that Nicole Kidman knew of my existence.'' she grabbed Sebastian arm and looked at him with her eyes full of happiness. Sebastian had never seen her like that. ''I reacted the same way when I met her. She also knew who I was and I almost passed out. I still can't believe I got to work with her.'' ''I understand how it feels'' Morgan gave him a meaningful look. ''Working with someone you've admired for a long time.'' of course that she was referring to him but she was not going to admit it. ''That's what I felt when I worked with Ian McKellen.'' Making their way towards the theatre room should have been a very simple task but thanks to all the people that stopped them in the middle, they needed ten minutes to get there. Most of them wanted to talk to Morgan. ''You'll see that in the next months you'll have many of these people fighting to offer you roles. When our movie comes out you won't be able to live in peace. Directors will be approaching you in the craziest of places. Damien Chazelle himself got me in the bathroom of the airport the same day I was leaving to Greece.'' Morgan stopped walking. That was not the version of the story she knew. ''Wait a second... didn't you have to audition for the role? The media kept saying that you, Tom Holland and Timothee were competing for the role.'' Sebastian shook his head. ''That was a rumour that Damien himself put up there not to make that obvious that I had the role since the first day. It's true that he cast you first and he told me that you were his first option since he saw you in Lady Macbeth in 2016. Then he got a hold of you through a Juilliard woman who knew Ian McKellen. He saw all of your RADA auditions and offered you the role at the last one. Once you agreed he approached me in that bathroom and offered me the role and he told me who my co-star was and that you and I were going to set the screen on fire. He wasn't wrong. To put it simply, he had chosen us before we even knew about it.'' ''The sneaky bastard...'' Morgan couldn't believe it. ''So, I had my career saved since 2016 and I learnt about that in 2018. I went through useless auditions for TV commercials for nothing. And I didn't even got the jobs. Damn it, Damien Chazelle, you could have told me about this before.'' ''He had to wait for the green light from the studio to do the movie and that probably took him some time. And he was also directing First Manduring that time.'' ''I suppose you're right. Still, we should be even more grateful with the guy. We were Damien Chazelle's first option. Your career was going pretty well before but maybe this role gets you an Oscar nom or at least a Golden Globe. And me... well... I wasn't as glamorous six months ago and look at me now. The story tells itself.'' No matter what Morgan said, he could never imagine her being not glamorous or forgettable. It was Morgan bloody Llewellyn, the most beautiful woman he had ever seen who also had an striking personality that stood out. ''I seemed that he was shipping us before we knew about each other's existence.'' Yeah, sure, Sebastian, Morgan thought. Maybe he had had no idea who she was but Morgan had been crushing on Sebastian since 2013. ''The least thing we can do to thank him is to marry each other after we finish filming and let Damien officiate.'' Morgan joked and Sebastian looked as if he was considering the idea and actually liking it. ''I'm joking, Stan. I don't want to ever marry you. Not for a million dollars.'' L.I.A.R. Sebastian wasn't even disappointed. He knew that Morgan was going to say stuff like that but that didn't mean that they were true. ''And here I was, thinking that it was a good idea. I can book us a date in the court house for us to marry. And remember Morgan, it's for life.'' ''For the love of God, what did I do that I deserve to spent the rest of my life with you. That is what I call punishment.'' Of course that Morgan didn't believe in what she was saying but it was priceless to say stuff like that in front of Sebastian. Unfortunately for them the banter couldn't go on as Sebastian's panel was starting and he was rushed on stage and Morgan was guided to her seat. Nicole had been right when she had said that Sebastian almost never talked because he said like one sentence in the whole panel. Yeah, it was true that he was a supporting character but Morgan wanted to stand up and shout at him to talk. When the panel was over he went to seat next to Morgan. ''How did it went?'' ''Fine. I love Nicole Kidman, it's for her that I'm here, remember that.'' ''Nah, you're here for me and you know it.'' ''You wish'' and she wasn't lying this time. The only reason why she agreed with Damien's plan of her coming with Sebastian to Toronto was because she was going to meet Nicole Kidman. ''I do, to be honest. There's is going to be a day when you'll go to my events willingly and not to meet someone else.'' ''I can't see the future so I don't know what to comment.'' ''You're unbelievable'' he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pressed her against him. He went one step further and kissed her forehead. It was surprising that she didn't push him away.

This is Morgan’s dress, without the veil thing. And yes, it’s Alexander McQueen.

P.S. @thatoneslytherinbeater gave me the idea of starting a tag list, so if you want to be in it, just like this post.

I went to see Captain Marvel and I felt so empowered afterwards, like I could do anything. I love my girl Carol Danvers and the lovely Brie Larson to pieces.

#sebastian stan fanfiction #sebastian stan x ofc #sebastian stan imagine #Sebastian Stan #Bucky Barnes #bucky x reader #sebastian #sebastian stan x reader #bucky #marvel #mcu #marvel cast #mcu cast #The Avengers

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alligaytorrr-reviews · 5 years ago

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A Retrospective on Ace Attorney: Dual Destinies

Being someone whose online presence began in 2006, gaining a peripheral knowledge of the Ace Attorney series was unavoidable. Still, I knew relatively little for quite a while: I knew that there were attorneys, and that two of them were named Phoenix Wright and Miles Edgeworth; I knew (from the many memes) of “Objection!”; and I knew that at one point, Phoenix cross-examines a parrot. This, along with its popularity in general, was enough to give me a mild interest in the series, but not one strong enough to inspire me to ever make the effort to try it out, at least not until that effort became considerably easier with the release of a free demo for Dual Destinies on the Nintendo 3DS eShop. Everything about this demo instantly endeared the series to me: the immediately charming characters, the excellently funny writing, and the series’ hallmark rush of endorphins from uncovering a lie and watching a cornered witness squirm. I had been in the market for something new to play, as I would shortly be spending three months studying abroad and knew in my down time I’d want the comfort of sitting in bed with my 3DS, and this demo solidified Ace Attorney as that something new. Being about to leave the country, I unfortunately had no time to track down a physical copy of the then-nine-year-old first game in the series, limiting my selection to what was available through the 3DS eShop: Dual Destinies.

Dual Destinies, being the fifth main entry in the series, is by no means an entry point. But it was mine, and I fell in love with it. My first playthrough was overwhelmingly positive. I was enamored with everything about it, completely surprised to learn that beneath the often wacky exterior, both of the characters and the plot, there was a real depth to the game. I even considered it among my top ten favorites of all time. Later in the year, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy would release on the 3DS eShop, and I would also acquire a copy of Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney. Through playing them, I would learn that this depth is the core of the series’ identity – that is, fun, lighthearted, and clever murder mysteries hiding truly emotional storytelling and excellent character arcs. I would also learn that all of those games were better at this than Dual Destinies, as my second playthrough of it was overwhelmingly unremarkable. My third playthrough, just recently completed, seemingly confirmed this and resulted in a 3,500 word critical essay exploring how the game shoots itself in the foot by attempting to do to much and succeeding at none of it. Yet, unbelievably, as I spent this time elaborating on my negative feelings, I found I had more to say about my positive ones. This doesn’t mean the game doesn’t do too much, because, oh, it does. But there’s just enough good in Dual Destinies that the end result is not one that entirely fails to succeed at what it attempts, just one that fails to capitalize fully on its potential.

To understand Dual Destinies, it’s necessary to understand where the Ace Attorney series stood just before its release. The original trilogy of games is frequently and rightfully lauded for its stunningly well done ending, which manages to neatly wrap up major plot points and give nearly every character arc a satisfying conclusion – namely, that of main character Phoenix Wright. For all intents and purposes, Ace Attorney could have ended right there, and series creator Shu Takumi indeed intended as much. When it was decided that a new game would be produced, however, Takumi smartly breathed life into it by introducing an almost entirely new cast for what became Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney: newcomer lawyer Apollo Justice, along with a new investigation partner, detective, prosecutor, and… Phoenix Wright. Phoenix’s inclusion came at the insistence of Takumi’s colleagues and against his wishes, but I’m of the opinion that the final product works. Thanks to a seven-year timeskip, the game avoids stepping on the toes of his character arc from the original trilogy while managing to still do interesting things with him. His role as mentor to Apollo creates a fine (if not strictly necessary) through line for the series, and the overarching plot of him having been set up to lose his attorney’s badge and working to prove his innocence is a good one. Some complain that Apollo himself never really does much in the game, and this isn’t an inaccurate assessment, but a protagonist whose agency is constantly usurped by people with a better grasp of what’s going on is a great setup for interesting character development. Only, the game never really feels like it’s making that point (and, spoiler alert: Dual Destinies does nothing with that, specifically, either). Rather, the problem is not that Apollo lacks agency in and of itself, but that he lacks agency specifically because at the end of the day, this is not his game – it’s Phoenix’s.

It’s for this reason – that Apollo Justice is not really a story about Apollo Justice – that Dual Destinies raises eyebrows with its first moments. Granted, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney is not so much about Phoenix as it is about Miles Edgeworth, but unlike Dual Destinies, its sequel, Ace Attorney: Justice for All, doesn’t immediately introduce a new playable character. This character is Athena Cykes, a fledgling attorney who stands out well enough, being more energetic and chipper than Phoenix or Apollo. The setup for this case, Turnabout Countdown, is one of the more interesting for an introductory episode: a courtroom has been bombed, Apollo’s injuries sustained in the bombing make him unable to lead the case at the last minute, and Athena is thrust into the courtroom alone with her childhood friend’s freedom on the line. The game uses the same shortcut as it has in Phoenix Wright and Apollo Justice to help the player connect with Athena (that is, making her terribly nervous) and as a whole, she’s a fine character. It’s nothing about Athena herself that causes unease – it’s the fact that her existing at all begs the question of whether or not Apollo with get justice (pardon the pun) in this game, and if Athena is doomed to suffer the same fate that he did in his debut. The game spares no time compounding these fears, as Athena, struggling in court, is soon saved by none other than Phoenix Wright, who takes over as the playable character halfway through the episode. Not even a full episode into the game, it begs the question of how it will manage to be all that it wants to be: sequel to Apollo Justice, introduction of Athena Cykes, and return of Phoenix Wright. Already, it feels like Apollo has been shoved aside for Athena, who is soon shoved aside for Phoenix. The game will eventually do interesting things with all three, but it never quite assuages the suspicion that it could’ve done better had it narrowed its focus.

Turnabout Countdown now moves Athena into her alternate role as co-counsel (and investigation partner in later episodes), which causes the unfortunate shelving of Trucy Wright, whose relationship with Apollo after the previous game had plenty of unexplored territory that this game is uninterested in touching. For this loss, Athena offers something to gain: the Mood Matrix, this game’s new gimmick. This is a step up from Apollo’s Perceive ability as it involves some amount of critical thinking, but not much. The Mood Matrix is an admirable attempt to innovate and provide new gameplay for trial chapters, but unfortunately only seldom amounts to more difficult thought processes than “a witness wouldn’t normally feel happy when something bad is happening” and “a witness wouldn’t normally feel surprised when nothing surprising is happening.” Additionally, the explanation for how Athena makes it work is a bit goofy – it relies on her “special hearing” and “listening to a witness’ heart,” which feel like clunky ways to describe hyper empathy. Coupled with the sensory overload she’s described as having experienced as a child, it seems obvious Athena could be autistic, but the game doesn’t confirm this, which is a missed opportunity, especially when it results in such awkward ways of describing her “special ability.” The Mood Matrix has no penalty for wrong answers, so in the few instances where there’s a semblance of a challenge to these segments, a guessing game suffices, which doesn’t help it feel like any more of a worthwhile addition to the game. While on the topic of penalties, this episode provides the first opportunity to experience the excellent quality of life improvement to Game Overs, no longer bumping you back to the last save point, but simply starting over from the point where the player failed. Having to hold the B button to skip through a mountain of text you’ve already read has always been more of an annoyance than a fitting punishment. The penalty system is effectively meaningless because of this, but it can still serve as a personal measure of skill, which is ultimately for the better.

The Monstrous Turnabout turns the clock back to show how Apollo (playable this time – a relief) and Athena first meet. Like all “filler episodes,” this provides an opportunity to enjoy some character interactions and have their personalities shine. It feels the most like it belongs in a sequel to Apollo Justice out of any episode in the game, starting with Apollo and Trucy taking a casual trip together, before Apollo is once again turned into errand boy, tasked with tracking down new hire, Athena. The fact that Phoenix has been traveling and looking out for new recruits is a nice detail that fits well with the mentor role he took on in Apollo Justice, and as Ace Attorney has always had a found family aspect to it, seeing the Wright Anything Agency expand is welcome. Plus, Apollo and Athena play off each other well, so though it’s unfortunate to see Trucy out of the spotlight, this episode is an overall win in terms of characterization. The case itself, despite featuring the novel premise of a murderous yokai, is mostly unremarkable. It, like all second episodes, begins the inclusion of investigation chapters, which are disappointingly neutered in this game. While other entries have occasionally whisked you away to your next destination, much of where to go and who to talk to was left up to the player. This game constantly ferries you around to exactly where you need to be, which may have been an attempt to streamline and avoid frustration, but ends up robbing the player of a sense that they’re leading the investigation on their own. None of this is helped by the fact that the Examine option is now restricted to only vital areas, especially a shame because all the scenes in the game are beautifully rendered and look great with the 3DS’s stereoscopic 3D turned on too. This case is also the first to show off the new Revisualization mechanic, which tends to come at the end of a case where a previous game would have had a character talk through “turning the case around” and is a fun way of adding visual flair to those moments.

The most important contribution from this case, though, is the debut of new prosecutor, Simon Blackquill. As with every prosecutor following the first game, he’s equal parts actual character as he is gimmick. This time around, the gimmick is that Blackquill is a convicted felon, standing in court with shackles and having to rely on his pet hawk to deliver evidence and harass others in the room, as opposed to, say, a whip or a cup of coffee. It’s a fun new idea, and the moments where he inevitably breaks out of his shackles in each episode are consistently entertaining. He’s additionally accompanied by his minder and new detective for the game, Bobby Fulbright. It’s unfortunate to not have endlessly unhappy, but always amusing Ema Skye return from Apollo Justice, but Fulbright is a solid replacement. His “commitment to justice” schtick is grating, but in a good way, making him sufficiently annoying but easily enough manipulated into being valuable for the defense’s investigations.

Now is the best time to talk about the DLC case, since after the second episode is the best time to play it. For Ace Attorney’s first foray into paid DLC, this is definitely a success. It enriches the main game, but the five episodes that comprise Dual Destinies are by all means a complete story on their own. For its price and length, it’s certainly worthwhile, especially given that Turnabout Reclaimed is the best case in Dual Destinies. It tells the story of Phoenix’s first case after regaining his attorney’s badge, so I’ll take this opportunity to say that this is a great plot point. The ending of Apollo Justice hinted that it would happen, and it just feels right to see Phoenix back in his iconic blue suit (especially with a spiffy update that helps sell his role as an older, seasoned mentor). As with everything in this game, though, it feels like a plot point that would have been better served by having more time and focus devoted to it, rather than sharing the stage with the development of two more protagonists. Ignoring that, it’s an excellent case on its own. Taking on the defense of an orca in court feels like only a logically step for Phoenix, and in an obvious callback to one of the best moments in the first game he even cross-examines the whale, though an earlier fake-out where you can either request to do the same, only to have your request shot down by the judge, or choose the correct option and have the judge express surprise that you didn’t make the request, cheapens its impact a bit. Sasha Buckler, the second defendant in the case, is the most likeable defendant in the game (besides Athena, anyway), and Marlon Rimes is the only culprit with any degree of pathos this time around. A revenge plot against a whale is a little silly, but at least it’s something, and it’s nice to see Rimes’ coworkers sympathize with his grief and welcome him back to the aquarium openly. More than the rest of the game’s episodes, it feels like it tells an impactful story on its own, something that makes for the best Ace Attorney cases. Pearl Fey also makes a return here, with welcome confirmation that she and Phoenix have remained friends over the eight years since her last appearance, but her personality is bafflingly untouched despite having last been seen as a nine-year-old. Considering the traumatic events she experienced at the end of Ace Attorney: Trials and Tribulations, this is disappointing. Truthfully though, exploring her character any further would have only made an already-bloated game feel even more stuffed.

Periodically, Dual Destinies has been making references to the so-called “dark age of the law.” This is ostensibly a major plot point, but in practice is more the vague idea of a plot point. The game cites the fact that a felon is serving as a prosecutor as evidence of this “dark age,” but this fails to sell the idea well when Blackquill doesn’t particularly stand out among the series’ existing cast of equally wacky prosecutors. It also claims that Phoenix’s case at the center of Apollo Justice’s story, where he presents forged evidence, helped usher in the “dark age,” which at least means that these two games have something to do with each other, but Phoenix never appears to feel any responsibility for this until the end of the game, so it too falls flat. The only time the game actually properly shows what this “dark age” entails is during Turnabout Academy, which is the episode’s strongest point. Professor Aristotle Means, with his “the ends justify the means” preaching, feels like an embodiment of actually tangible ramifications of the “dark age.” That attorneys shamelessly forge evidence to win their cases is bad, but that Means is successfully indoctrinating high school students into his mindset shows the sorry state of the Ace Attorney world’s legal system far better.

Means is instantly hateable, and his ideological differences with victim Constance Courte make him particularly suspect, but the writing does a good job of forcing doubt that anyone could have done it but Juniper Woods, Hugh O’Conner, or Robin Newman. The case constantly jerks you around as the three friends pile lies upon lies in their attempts to take the fall for each other. This is never as emotionally impactful as the game desperately hopes it is, but it makes for a fun case where it’s hard to find your footing, and it’s satisfying when you prove they’re all innocent and get to take down Means, the true culprit. This is chronologically the first case where Athena leads the defense, though it feels as though the themes and character beats could have been the culmination of her character arc. Means frequently sowing doubt in her that she’ll be able to save all three friends without resorting to his underhanded tactics is a fitting challenge for her as a brand new lawyer. It makes for great character development as she remains determined to do things the right way and proves her capabilities to herself when she succeeds.

The game now moves on to its penultimate case, though in actuality The Cosmic Turnabout and the next, Turnabout for Tomorrow, are one large case cut in two. The only notable parts of The Cosmic Turnabout specifically are that it’s the second instance of a bait-and-switch where one lawyer (Apollo this time) starts out the case only to have Phoenix come along and take over, which is frustrating even if it makes sense for story reasons, and the reveal at the last minute that Athena is the only suspect that fits your argument, which is an excellently disheartening moment. Besides those points, these two episodes are best talked about as a whole. Wrapping up the game, they attempt to do nearly all of the legwork for character development, which is far from a new occurrence in Ace Attorney, but no finale has ever had three attorneys and a prosecutor to tackle all at once. Despite this, it’s a great case that, through what could only be a divine miracle, manages to do all of this to some satisfactory degree, though it begs the question yet again of what it could have accomplished if only Dual Destinies would ever stop trying to do so much. In a way, it’s a microcosm of how the game holds itself back.

Turnabout for Tomorrow begins with an investigation chapter featuring Phoenix and daughter Trucy. This is wonderful – Phoenix has always felt like he fit the role of a dad since as early as Justice for All, but it’s nice to have this dedicated father/daughter bonding time, something that hadn’t happened yet. They eventually come upon Apollo conducting his own investigation, having taken a leave of absence from the Wright Anything Agency to pursue the killer of his friend, Clay Terran, alone due to his personal connection to the case. This is the game attempting to provide a backstory for Apollo, but for the most part, the game is content to do little more than say that Apollo did indeed have a friend named Clay, show a brief flashback of the two as middle school students, and hope that it suffices. It doesn’t, but it serves as an excuse for Apollo to potentially be at odds with Phoenix, which provides decent drama and facilitates good development later in the episode. At this point, Trucy decides to stay with Apollo because she’s worried about him, which is an appreciated reminder that the two have a meaningful relationship, even if the rest of the game doesn’t care to explore it, but it does unfortunately cut short the time Phoenix gets to spend with her.

After this, Phoenix returns to the office alone for one of the best moments in the game. He’s lost the trust of one of his employees and his own argument in court helped implicate the other in a crime. It’s a low point, by his own account the loneliest he’s felt since the start of his career, until he finds a letter from his friend and former assistant Maya Fey, reminding him that even without anybody physically by his side, he’s not truly alone. It’s a moment that could only happen to Phoenix now, as he reminisces about years gone by and reflects on how he’s handled his role as a mentor, which is what makes it so spectacular. It feels like proof that there are still interesting things to be done with the character. The strength of this scene is dampened a bit when it turns out that Maya’s letter doubles as an excuse for Pearl to show up. Having Phoenix investigate on his own, determined to do right by his employees, could have been powerful, but Pearl is here instead, presumably for no reason other than that fans like Pearl. Soon after, another familiar face returns, in the form of Miles Edgeworth. This is more forgivable, as it makes sense that the chief prosecutor would involve himself in a case concerning an international spy, and he’s a more fittingly challenging final opponent for Phoenix than Blackquill would have been.

The investigation ends with Athena producing five black Psyche-Locks, a moment that feels like a genuine defeat. Despite spending the game with her, she’s still a relatively new character that the player doesn’t really know too much about, and it’s hard not to question if she may have just been responsible for her mother’s murder after all. It’s a fantastic setup for the excellent trial chapters making use of Edgeworth that follow it. Somehow, after all these years Ace Attorney has never managed (perhaps intentionally) to unseat Edgeworth as the prosecutor who is most in control and confident, and the way that he constantly turns Phoenix’s logic back around to prove his own assertions creates a lot of tension between the player’s attachment to Athena and uncertainty about the truth. It’s a direct reflection of Phoenix’s feelings, and it’s times like this where the player’s and the player character’s emotions are in sync that are Ace Attorney at its finest. The focus of these chapters is an exploration of Athena’s past and her trauma, which isn’t the most nuanced, though probably best for a game that wants to stay mostly relatively lighthearted. Besides, it’s already heart wrenchingly painful to watch her have what appears to be panic attacks throughout the game. The bulk of Athena’s character development comes from this, with Phoenix helping her to overcome her trauma. It’s good enough, but for a playable character, it feels like too much of this development comes at the hands of Phoenix powering through the case to uncover the truth. It feels more befitting of a supporting character, which Athena is not.

Prosecutor Blackquill also receives his backstory here, revealing that he intentionally accepted a false conviction for the murder of Athena’s mother in order to protect Athena as well as the evidence that would help him take down the elusive true culprit. His concern for Athena makes him an immediately more likeable person, and his method of laying in wait for seven years to take down the criminal who wronged him draws obvious parallels to Phoenix and Kristoph Gavin in Apollo Justice, which sets the stage well as the two work together in the final chapter to put an end to the “dark age of the law” that their cases ushered in. The parallel, and even Phoenix’s culpability for helping cause the “dark age,” is never elaborated on as much as it could be, but this conclusion ties together Apollo Justice and Dual Destinies with an overarching plot that works. At this point it’s also revealed that the real Bobby Fulbright is dead, and has been impersonated by the spy and murderer of Athena’s mother known as “the phantom” all along. This twist isn’t particularly impactful as it doesn’t recontextualize much about Fulbright’s behavior aside from his willingness to help the defense.

None of this, however, comes before Apollo gets his development too. This sequence is excellent, which makes it something of a tragedy. If Apollo’s arc had been laid out more gradually and his backstory fleshed out more, rather than it all coming at the tail end of the game, this might have been even more powerful. Still, what’s there is great: this is Apollo’s moment to decide what being a lawyer means to him, and it helps to define him more clearly as a character apart from Phoenix. This is Apollo’s answer to Phoenix’s Farewell, My Turnabout from Justice for All, which is to say it pushes his beliefs to an extreme and challenges him to reexamine what he stands for. For Phoenix, his unwavering belief in his clients is put to the test when he learns that he’s defending an unquestionably guilty man, forcing him to learn to balance that belief with the pursuit of the truth. For Apollo, his endless pursuit of the truth narrows his view to the point that he doubts even his own friend’s innocence, something he shows he desperately doesn’t want with the best line in the game: “It’s fine, Mr. Wright… even a bluff would suit me just fine…” This singular moment does more for Apollo’s character than the entirety of his own game and the rest of Dual Destinies, and it’s ever so satisfying.

It was at this point when originally writing this essay that I realized I had made a terrible, terrible mistake. I had set out to discuss every way Dual Destinies sets itself up for failure in its lofty hopes of doing more than it was capable of, yet as I went through, case-by-case, and examined what worked and what didn’t, I discovered that there was a solid story here and that each of its protagonists is developed – if only a little. Originally, I had thought Apollo got the short end of the stick, receiving only one case that didn’t contribute to any sort of character arc and a paper-thin backstory. What I didn’t see was that the game does manage to use it to facilitate some amount of meaningful growth, even if it comes at the very end of the game. I started to think that maybe Athena was the worst off, and given that she’s supposed to be a main character on par with Phoenix or Apollo, I’m inclined to maintain that view, but as a character, divorced from expectations, her story is a touching one. And as for Phoenix, the game shows that his continued relevance has value.

With one final, fist-pumping-ly exciting triple objection from our lawyers, Dual Destinies just about reaches its end and demonstrates what the game is really about. To some extent, it’s the continuation of Apollo Justice, challenging Apollo to develop as a lawyer. To some extent, it’s the introduction of Athena Cykes, exploring who she is and how she comes to stand confidently in court. And to some extent, it’s the return of Phoenix Wright, as he learns to serve his role as mentor and right the wrongs of his past. Maybe it should have been only one of those things – a more focused story might have made bigger strides for the characters’ development. But above all, Dual Destinies is a story of all three as a team. Unlike how Apollo Justice centered Phoenix over Apollo, no one character outshines both the others this time; each character’s growth is built off their relationships with the each other. Regardless of if this was the right direction, it was the direction nonetheless. In the end, for all its unused potential, Dual Destinies is at the very least, an Ace Attorney game through and through. The themes of discovering who one is and figuring out what one stands for are as present as they’ve ever been, even if they don’t get exactly as much time and attention as they deserve. The game is overly ambitious, certainly, but it crams enough goodness to just barely make it work – that, if nothing else, is an admirable feat.

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thecomicsnexus · 6 years ago

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THE WILDSTORM #3-6 JUNE - SEPTEMBER 2017 BY WARREN ELLIS, JON DAVIS-HUNT, JOHN KALISZ, STEVE BUCCELLATO

SYNOPSIS (FROM DC DATABASE)

In New York, Ivana Baiul is on the phone with someone, explaining that her work is in lockdown while they deal with the fallout from the Angela Spica situation, but that she anticipates a promotion out of it, which could lead to the removal of Miles Craven. The room of analysts she is technically overseeing includes two men watching footage of Angela Spica activating her armor in the middle of a crowd.

On the screen, a woman in the crowd turns around, and then she's gone. The same woman is suddenly inside a digital comic on a nearby tablet. She walks from that to the background of a currently-broadcast episode of the forensics show Crime Doctor on the Galaxy television network, and from that to a soda commercial. She appears in a commercial for the same soda in Times Square, and is then walking through Times Square itself. Critical of the soda, she pulls out her phone to watch a Kord video of Martian Manhunter. Appearing in the background of that, she is suddenly in her flat. Pausing to light a cigarette using a lighter that commemorates the "1955 Mars Expedition", she looks up at a wall of pins and pieces of paper, and wonders where she will add the information she has newly gained about Angela Spica.

Angie Spica thinks about her life. Working for a front organization for a year before being brought into I.O. proper. Getting suddenly transferred to the Senior Reporting Group in Manhattan. Then getting pressganged into brainstorming new armor designs for the Razor covert action teams, despite her background being in medical engineering. Trying to square the circle, which led her here, on the run, doing diagnostics on the launch system she built into herself.

Energy bleeding out of the air suddenly earths itself like lightning in the middle of the room, and three newcomers are standing there. They introduce themselves as Adrianna, Cole, and Kenesha, and say they were sent by Jacob Marlowe, to offer her "aid and shelter". Angie begins losing her composure, claiming that I.O. runs the planet and that she will be safe nowhere, but before the newcomers can calm her down, Miles Craven's Razor team dynamites their way through the door and throws flashbangs.

Reacting first, Cole jumps backwards, pulling out his pistols, shooting at the flashbangs, causing them to ricochet backwards into the Razors. The resulting explosion knocks everyone in the room down, and the Razors stride in, wearing fearsome body armor. They demand that everyone lay down their weapons. Cole has a mask on at this stage, and before the Razors have time to process what is happening, Angie activates her armor and launches a set of micro-drones equipped with searchlights, which cripple the optics on the Razors' armor. Blinded, the Razors' pointman is easily knocked backwards by a dum-dum bullet from Kenesha.

In the command room at I.O., the woman from Analysis uses the little their cameras are currently able to catch to discern the make of the micro-drone Angie is using: a design proposed for rescue missions, but then shelved because Strike insisted that they had a military application as smartbombs.

In the bunker, the pointman suddenly realizes that Kenesha's dum-dum bullet is also an explosive device, seconds before he is blown to bloody chunks. The other members of his team are knocked down, and Cole keeps them down with suppressive fire, but Adrianna has her own problems: a piece of shrapnel in her head has caused her to bleed silver and speak in a nonhuman tongue.

Craven orders the Razors to fall back and use explosives, but Cole knocks the grenade back towards them again. Cole looks back to see Kenesha fretting over Adrianna, and Angie, fully armored, clutching the remains of her laptop and cutting a hole in the roof to escape through.

Facing defeat, Miles Craven orders a scorched-earth tactic: to demolish the building and leave no survivors.

Acting fast, Cole achieves twin close-range headshots on both surviving members of the I.O. Razor covert action team, seemingly killing both. Cole pauses to congratulate the team, missing the fact that one of the Razors has survived, and pulled the pins on two grenades. Acting fast, Kenesha pulls the shrapnel out of Adrianna's head, causing her to come back to her senses and teleport the three of them out of there with no time to spare.

Over Montauk sound, Angie Spica's armor transforms in order to adapt to underwater travel and she dives into water.

In the I.O. command room, Miles Craven is looking at a bank of dead monitors. He says he needs Ben Santini to handle this, and that he needs to talk to Michael Cray.

At the safehouse in Brooklyn, Cole is angry at the outcome of the mission, and shocked that Adrianna managed to survive traumatic head injury, but doesn't know how. Adrianna says that the issue needs to be resolved, and that she will recover Angie.

Miles Craven walks into his New York apartment to get a change of clothes. His husband, Julian, is up, and the two pull out a bottle of wine while Miles lays out the situation: the flying power-armored woman who saved Jacob Marlowe on the news is actually the rogue researcher who recently stalked them, and who built her suit with technology she stole from I.O. - technology that I.O. itself stole from a crashed spacecraft called a "Breslau" which belonged to Henry Bendix, a creepy old man who is a peer of Miles'. Trying to cover this up, they discovered an unaffiliated covert action team - a wild CAT, something they've never encountered before.

In an unspecified location, Henry Bendix walks out of a teleport machine, and then chews out the operator for taking so long. Meeting his underling, Lauren Pennington, he walks out with her, insisting that she brief him in his private quarters. However, as soon as they are alone, his shoulders slump in relief and she takes a seat. Bendix starts drinking alcohol and complaining about the air quality on Earth. As he opines that he sometimes wishes he could have the excuse to blow up the world, the view pans out to reveal their location - a massive space station, orbiting Earth.

In the I.O. cafeteria, Michael Cray is having a coffee, but suddenly part of the cup deflagrates in his hand. He recovers from this shock just in time to talk to Miles Craven, to who he lays out the news: he has an inoperable brain tumor, but feels fine. Miles Craven asks him if he still wants to do his job.

On the road into Tiverton, RI, Angie Spica slouches purposefully.

In an I.O. facility, the assassin Michael Cray is taking his last assignment. He wants to leave and begin treatment for his brain tumor, but his boss, Miles Craven, is persuasive - his previous target, Jacob Marlowe, was saved from him by a woman identified as Angela Spica, who built a suit of armor from tech stolen from I.O. - tech I.O. was not supposed to have. Craven needs Spica dealt with, and Michael is the best for the job, but time is a factor and Craven needs him to also make the dossier. In private, Michael admits to himself that he loves the world for its strangeness and, because of that, he's afraid to die.

At night, Lucy Blaze is arriving at Camp Hero, responding to seismic activity and a sighting of Angela Spica. Via her earpiece, she confirms evidence of a struggle and the mangled corpse of an I.O. covert action operative. She finds an egress, not created by seismic activity, but before she can add more, the radio becomes useless from sudden static. At this point, a nonhuman creature steps out of the shadows and greets her verbally. Blaze refers to the creature as a "daemon" and pulls a smallarm. The creature says it is simply observing these events, as she is, and that it and its allies have reached the conclusion that if the situation surrounding Angela Spica is allowed to come to a head without either of their factions interfering, it will be for the best. The creature then vanishes, leaving Blaze to ponder.

A woman against a background of planets and pink energy. An arm, shapeshifting to reveal blue skin and talons. A chair surrounded by a wall of televisions, all showing one woman making a myriad of choices. "Incision", the new single from Voodoo. Coming soon on Lady Backlash Records.

In Michael Cray's headquarters, he is going over the raw data, trying to distract himself from his life-threatening condition. However, when he reviews the footage from the bodycams the covert action team was wearing, he makes a startling discovery...

On a street in America, Angela Spica is on the run. Without money or even a jacket equal to the wind, she uses her suit implants to hack into an ATM, wryly ashamed of herself for doing so. Suddenly, bursts of pink energy outline a human shape at multiple locations on this block, with the effect eventually grounding itself on the pavement in front of her. The woman in the spacesuit now standing there introduces herself as a friend, and asks for a chance to tell her story.

At a nearby diner, the astronaut introduces herself as Adrianna Tereshkova, a former member of a secret space program called Skywatch. Skywatch built the stealth system she reverse-engineered for her suit. She left due to the incident which left her with the mirrorglass eyes and teleporting abilities she now has.

Tereshkova explains that most of Skywatch's spacecrafts use electromagnetism, to great effect, but that they are keen to master interstellar engines. By interfacing with Angela's tech, she is able to show Angela a VR representation of her memories: Skywatch had assigned her to the astronaut team testing the Incision system. The Incision system was based on the theory that if one could cut through reality, one would find an "under-verse", through which it would theoretically be faster than light in travel. The designers had nicknamed this under-verse "the Bleed". But when the Incision system activated, the ship was crushed and the crew died. However, in the Bleed, she was found by... something, who put her back together and caused her to wake up in a crater in Russia. Adrift, she was found by Jacob Marlowe, who she acknowledges as a flawed employer, but also one who respects the needs of outsiders like her and Angela.

In New York, Michael Cray confronts Miles Craven, and turns down the mission to assassinate Angela Spica. Craven insists that Spica is a "good target", but Michael disagrees, pointing out that she was deemed trustworthy by every test I.O. put her through. That she needs a sympathetic ear, not a hitman. That she responds with fear in the footage from the CAT bodycam. And then Michael lays out his bigger problem: Craven assured him she deserved death, but he only found out she didn't because he was given raw data instead of manifactured profiles for the first time. So now, at the end of his career, he is left to wonder how many of his targets were good people who fell afoul of Miles Craven.

Craven jokes that Michael is not thinking straight due to his brain tumor, but Michael is unmoved. Craven shrugs, and says that if Michael will not kill, then he's useless to him. He orders Michael to hand over his badge and implies that he will withhold Michael's tumor treatment unless he complies.

In his quarters, Michael is left to think about the course of his life. The pride of his father. The wondrous strangeness of the world, at its best and its worst. The failings of his fellow men, and his efforts to correct it. Then, the Navy. National service with handgun and shotgun and hacksaw. And then, being recruited by Miles Craven. The wondrous strangeness of the world reduced down to a distant head in a rifle scope.

There is a knock on Michael Cray's door. When he answers it, a woman named Christine Trelane introduces herself as working for a private outfit, Executive Protection Services, who can offer him better medical treatment than his current employer, to do the same job but with more freedom.

There is a second knock at the door, and the knocker says that his personal effects have been taken to him.

In his apartment, Michael Cray is reacting suspiciously to a knock on the door. Informing the knocker that he is just changing clothes, he pulls out a handgun and waits the thirty seconds necessary for the knockers to try to sneak into his flat, at which point he shoots one in the leg. In the ensuing fight, Michael uses handguns, furniture, and in one case, the subject's own neck, to gain situational dominance and kill both attackers. His visitor, Christine Trelane, repeats her job offer: better pay, medical insurance, and more freedom. Michael asks if the job includes a flat with better security, and when Christine responds in the affirmative, he accepts her offer.

At the safehouse in Brooklyn, Adrianna arrives with Angie. Cole and Jacob arrive to meet her. Cole promises coffee, while Jacob promises answers. Angie accepts both.

Adrianna takes this time to retire to her room, where she takes off her clothes, revealing that she has no human face, just a mask and a silvery humanoid body, complete with toes and ears but void of facial features. Sitting down to meditate, she generates a miniaturized rainstorm.

In the kitchen, Jacob sits down with a bottle of alcohol to tell Angie a story: he created the Halo Corporation to design and sell consumer electronic devices. Jacob Marlowe believes in the future, and he wants the optimal version thereof. To that end, he assembled a group of incredible people and gave them a support structure, creating what I.O. refers to as a "CAT" (Covert Action Team).

Jacob then moves on to explain I.O. Created at some point in the 1950s as a classified joint intelligence committee, I.O. metastatized beyond all attempts to curtail it, and has been secretly running world events for years. The notable holdout is Skywatch, a secret space program which predates I.O. Skywatch was briefly part of I.O., but broke loose. As a result of the break, a series of treaties were signed between the two agencies, amounting to a non-aggression pact - I.O. can do what it wants on Earth, and Skywatch can do what it wants in space.

Angie interjects here, asking why I.O. would voluntarily give up control of Skywatch. Jacob, pausing to take another drink, explains that while I.O. envies Skywatch's hardware, the technology is in service to an ideology and a mission which is at odds with I.O.'s goals of control and medium-term benefit. Earth is rich and warm. Space is cold and dead. Mars is theoretically habitable, but still a challenge to get to and borderline unsurvivable, for... a host of reasons. So I.O. lets Skywatch alone.

Jacob moves on to the final key point: both I.O. and Skywatch are masters of their own domain. Each demeans the ideology of the other, but each secretly desires the resources the other commands. And while the treaties hold them in check, enough shock might make them fight, which would be disastrous.

At this point, Jacob pauses, and asks her why she rabbited at the bunker in Montauk. Angie tries to bluff, but eventually reveals the truth: when she created her drysuit, she gave it medical-grade scanning equipment, for use in disaster zones. Cole registered as a human. Adrianna registered as... something. But Kenesha has a completely inhuman internal structure, and that frightened Angie. In the quiet, Jacob asks if she would briefly scan him. Angie complies... and gets a shocking look at his skeleton. He states his case - he is not a medical miracle, but simply a lifeform alien to Earth, like Kenesha. He built the safehouse and populated it with people who have no home in the outside world. He and they are fighting two rival world-ruling powers, and a host of smaller powers, to fix a world that doesn't understand them. And he is offering her a place in this endeavour.

In Skywatch's space station, Ms. Pennington rouses Henry Bendix with new intel. Grumbling, Bendix watches footage of Angie Spica's transdermal drysuit changing configuration over Montauk sound. After a few seconds, he recognises the technology as being copied from the old Breslau II spaceships that Skywatch used when he was younger. As a brace of Skywatch craft make launch for the planet, Henry Bendix announces that he will "rain fire from heaven" to discover who is stealing from him.

REVIEW

By the pacing of these first six issues, I feel sometimes that this story was meant for HBO. But depending on the budget, it could also end up on Netflix (well, it would most likely end in the DC Universe service).

It’s all about world building in these issues, and putting all the players on the board. Some of them we barely seen. But Angela, Grifter and Michael Cray are clearly the stars of this part of the story.

I should have continued reviewing individual chapters, but to be honest, every chapter would have the same score (it has a very consistent quality). The fact that it is a 24 issue maxi-series is also a bit ridiculous, most comic-books these days do not get to issue 13.

This is a great story thus far, but I feel a lot more could have been done in the meantime (there is a Michael Cray series as well). What I am trying to say is... it’s been a while since DC/Wildstorm published WildCATs. The whole point of Flashpoint was to integrate the two universes. Now this is some kind of reboot? Or is it a stand-alone story? Just wondering, doesn’t really affect the quality of this story, but brings many questions to my mind.

The art is very consistent as well, and apart from very well placed cliffhangers, it feels like these are not episodes. Perhaps six issues make one episode. In an HBO show, these six chapters would make one episode (maybe I am overestimating HBO... it could be half a season).

I give these chapters a score of 7

#jon davis-hunt #dc comics #wildstorm #the wildstorm #grifter #wildcats #wildc.a.t.s #comics #review #2017 #post modern age #michael cray

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toomanytentacles · 6 years ago

Text

JON BON BRADY, an essay

This is the text of the recorded essay presented by Elbee Bargeron on Episode 43 of the Splathouse Podcast. Click below to hear the episode https://soundcloud.com/user-616846084/splathouse43-double-feature-suburban-commando-1991-the-brady-bunch-movie-1995

Has anyone given much thought to actor Jack Noseworthy lately? Back in the 90s, he was kinda a big deal breaking out in a starring role on MTV’s teen sci-fi series DEAD AT 21 — but what many critics can agree on is there was another role that solidified him as a bonafide movie star: his turn as angry grunge rocker Eric Dittmeyer in 1995’s THE BRADY BUNCH MOVIE. It was a role that, to some, may seem static or insignificant, but in reality, directly led him to probably the most noteworthy Noseworthy appearance of the decade. So, as much of a cinematic masterpiece as THE BRADY BUNCH MOVIE so obviously is, we don't dare stop there. Because within the same year, Jack actually reprised the role with a sinister twist in the most unlikely of places, the music video for Bon Jovi’s single, “Always.”

Caution: all of what I’m about to tell you is true.

Now we all know the story of Bon Jovi — after the success of two studio albums and extensive touring, the boys found themselves fatigued by being so beloved by everyone all over the world, and took a bit of a hiatus in the late 1980s — only to come back triumphantly a few years later with newsworthy short haircuts and a much more “mature” sound — and acting as inspiration for MTV’s “Unplugged” series along the way. They released one more studio album followed by a greatest hits record which featured a lot of their hits and a new single they would soon call a hit, the song “Always.”

Jon Bon Jovi knew he had a hit song on his hands with “Always,” and as such, knew he needed a hit music video to go along with it. He wanted something...edgy. Hot. And Sexy. Jon conceived a video so steamy that his band mates cautioned against it. After all, MTV had previously banned their video “Living in Sin” for being too explicit. But, Jon argued, after he basically invented the highly successful “Unplugged” for MTV, they pretty much were obligated to show anything he wanted, and production went forward.

So Jon was a big fan of The Brady Bunch, and you can read all about that in his memoir ROCKY ROAD: THE JON BON JOVI STORY AS TOLD BY ME, JON BON JOVI that I’ve so kindly provided for you in the footnotes (footnotes have been lost). So when THE BRADY BUNCH MOVIE debuted, Jon was taken aback. He, like everyone else who saw the film, became immediately enamored with it, and recognized the brilliance of its one true star, the incomparable Jack Noseworthy. Jon saw a bit of himself in the character of Eric Dittmeyer, and thought him a perfect fit for the message he was trying to convey with “Always” — that love is passionate and violent, and the crazy things we do for it could potentially haunt us. Essentially, this was the logical progression of the character — Jon knew this, and now he wanted the rest of us to know it.

The premise of the “Always” music video is cut and dry. Our bad boy hero Noseworthy aka Dittmeyer is sulking alone in his room remembering a lost love. He holds a photograph of her in his hands, and we can see from his forlorn gaze that he is heartbroken. But -- there’s more to it than that. The nuance displayed in the first 25 seconds of this video is crucial; not only is Dittmeyer sad, he seems stricken by grief -- a grief that is possibly (probably) brought on by guilt. We’re transported from his bedroom to his memories, starting with the day the photo was taken.

At this point, we would be remiss to mention the rest of the now legendary cast featured in this now legendary music video. Carla Gugino, fresh from her role in a film as equally great and universally adored as THE BRADY BUNCH MOVIE, the Pauly Shore vehicle SON IN LAW, plays Dittmeyer’s girlfriend; and newcomer Keri Russell -- who up until this time had only been cast as adolescent girls in projects like HONEY I BLEW UP THE KIDS and BOY MEETS WORLD, and who was looking for a way to break out into more sophisticated entertainment -- is Carla’s roommate. Rounding out the cast is indie darling Jason Wiles, who -- hipsters, take note -- also starred in projects by both Robert Rodriguez and Noah Baumbach during this time, making him the perfect choice for Dittmeyer’s baby-faced rival. Clearly, Jon Bon Jovi’s casting choices were -- as many critics agreed -- inspired.

But, back to the video. Here we are in Dittmeyer’s memories, reminded of what a rebel he is as we see he and Carla making out in his classic Oldsmobile 88 convertible while speeding away into oncoming traffic. Both of them fit the cliche of “young and free,” a love that makes everything else in the world irrelevant. But a love so hot can burn out fast, so we know we must be in for a tumultuous ride with this couple. Dittmeyer enjoys photographing his girlfriend, but what he really loves is taking video of her. Carla is an attractive and empowered young woman, so she has no problems dancing and acting sexy for her boyfriend, and no doubt does she find this kind of play enticing. They fall into bed together with the video camera still recording -- a fact cleverly made apparent to us with a full zoom to the camera lens sitting idle on the arm of a chair.

The story progresses quickly as we are now treated to a memory of the couple attending a rave party together, both of them dressed in scandalous outfits and moussed hair; they get down and dirty with each other on the dancefloor, and when they return home -- still fueled by the drugs they have undoubtedly consumed -- they unknowingly awaken Keri who had fallen asleep on the couch. The couple retreat to Carla’s bedroom as Keri stretches and flips on the television. And here’s where Bon Jovi decided to make it interesting: Dittmeyer’s video camera, still running, is connected to the living room TV. So when Keri sleepily turns on the television, she is shocked fully awake as she sees her roommate initiate sloppy sex with her boyfriend.

We can pause for a moment and reflect a bit more about Jon Bon Jovi’s vision for Eric Dittmeyer. According to his memoir ROCKY ROAD THE STORY OF JON BON JOVI AS TOLD BY ME JON BON JOVI, Jon knew Dittmeyer was a sleaze, and wanted to echo that in this video. We noted before that Jon had seen a bit of himself in the character, which means that Jon definitely had some demons he needed to deal with. Dittmeyer, as it turns out, had been, and seemingly always would be a two-timer. We can support this with the following evidence: Dittmeyer didn’t “accidentally” leave his video camera running. There had always been sexual tension between he and Keri -- we know Dittmeyer’s type has to be women with long curly hair, proven by his interest in Marissa Ribisi’s character in THE BRADY BUNCH MOVIE, so no doubt could he resist the allure of Keri “soon-to-be Felicity” Russell. He knew that if Keri saw how great he was in bed with Carla that she wouldn’t be able to turn down a future tryst with him. And ya know, it worked.

Carla is outraged when she returns from the grocery store and sees a live display of the two of them canoodling, again, on the living room TV. She throws the bag of groceries at them in the bedroom and runs out, leaving the apartment and running down the street. Enter Jason, an artist friend of theirs -- and just maybe one of Carla’s old flames -- who sees her on the street and invites her up to his loft. He has her pose for a painting, they both remove their shirts, and we cut to the next morning when Carla wakes up alone in his bed. She’s feeling guilty and calls Dittmeyer to pick her up, but when he arrives all hell breaks loose when he realizes she’s slept with Jason: he throws a tantrum of gigantic proportion, throwing furniture and destroying the painting, but the worst is still yet to come. Carla tells him, effectively, to talk to her hand, and tries to leave the building. But Dittmeyer has already tritely made up his mind that if he can’t have her no one will, and uses what we can only assume is paint thinner to set off a fiery explosion that kills Carla but he’s able to walk away from entirely unscathed.

We now leave Dittmeyer’s memories and return to the beginning of the video where he is staring at Carla’s photograph. He’s missing her greatly, and his guilt manifests as he hallucinates her standing in his doorway. He reaches to her but she fades away, a literal ghost that lives only in his mind.

Jon Bon Jovi married his high school sweetheart Dorothea in 1989, and although they share a love that won’t ever die, we can’t help but wonder who Jon modeled this destructive love story after. Why would Jon feel such a connection to a sleaze like Eric Dittmeyer? Frankly, it’s a love tryst with himself. Jon laid out an entire chapter in his memoir ROCKY ROAD THE JON BON JOVI STORY AS TOLD BY ME JON BON JOVI on how he had been secretly obsessed with Shakespearean tragedy in his youth, but had to cover that with a tuff persona to remain cool to his New Jersey heavy metal friends. He loved those tragic characters because they had flaws, and he respected them for that. So, along came THE BRADY BUNCH MOVIE -- a Shakespearean tragedy in its own right -- and the character of Dittmeyer spoke to him on a whole other level. He was a rocker, just like him. He drove a convertible and had a bad attitude, just like him. He was into girls with long curly hair, definitely just like him. And Jon felt none of his Jersey friends ever understood him or his passion for art and culture, just as Dittmeyer’s friends never fully understood him.

When Jon asked Jack Noseworthy to meet with him about the role, he was nervous and excited. He didn’t want to let on how much he needed Jack to be this character again, to act out his own youthful grief and regret using Jack as a surrogate. Jon wanted validation after so many years hiding his love for high art beneath tight pants, superfluous scarves, and feathered locks -- and besides, he had already hinted at a more sensitive side of himself when originating the intimate acoustic concert series “Unplugged” for MTV all on his own and by the way, gave it away for free -- so when Noseworthy agreed to reprise this character, Jon was ecstatic. They conceptualized the character together -- it was actually Jack who came up with the idea for Dittmeyer to destroy Jason’s painting of Carla, a symbol of Jon’s regret of hiding all of his delicate emotions from his more macho friends. It was, in a word, cathartic.

So, thanks to forgotten actor Jack Noseworthy, THE BRADY BUNCH MOVIE, and the video for “Always,” Jon Bon Jovi was finally given the intellectual credit he always wanted and deserved. Rest in peace, Jon. We’ll always love you, forever and a day.

#bradybunch #bradybunchmovie #jonbonjovi #bonjovi #jacknoseworthy

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