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kcyars189 · 1 year ago

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Bob Dylan Has a Lot on His Mind

In a rare interview, the Nobel Prize winner discusses mortality, drawing inspiration from the past, and his new album, “Rough and Rowdy Ways.”

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https://web.archive.org/web/20230330042035im_/https://static01.nyt.com/images/2020/06/14/arts/14dylan1/merlin_146478750_0a7f707b-ed5c-4046-a922-d33d68db402d-superJumbo.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp

By Douglas Brinkley

Published June 12, 2020Updated Sept. 18, 2020

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A few years ago, sitting beneath shade trees in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., I had a two-hour discussion with Bob Dylan that touched on Malcolm X, the French Revolution, Franklin Roosevelt and World War II. At one juncture, he asked me what I knew about the Sand Creek Massacre of 1864. When I answered, “Not enough,” he got up from his folding chair, climbed into his tour bus, and came back five minutes later with photocopies describing how U.S. troops had butchered hundreds of peaceful Cheyenne and Arapahoe in southeastern Colorado.

Given the nature of our relationship, I felt comfortable reaching out to him in April after, in the midst of the coronavirus crisis, he unexpectedly released his epic, 17-minute song “Murder Most Foul,” about the Kennedy assassination. Even though he hadn’t done a major interview outside of his own website since winning the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2016, he agreed to a phone chat from his Malibu home, which turned out to be his only interview before next Friday’s release of “Rough and Rowdy Ways,” his first album of original songs since “Tempest” in 2012.

Like most conversations with Dylan, “Rough and Rowdy Ways” covers complex territory: trances and hymns, defiant blues, love longings, comic juxtapositions, prankster wordplay, patriotic ardor, maverick steadfastness, lyrical Cubism, twilight-age reflections and spiritual contentment.

In the high-octane showstopper “Goodbye Jimmy Reed,” Dylan honors the Mississippi bluesman with dragon-fierce harmonica riffs and bawdy lyrics. In the slow blues “Crossing the Rubicon,” he feels “the bones beneath my skin” and considers his options before death: “Three miles north of purgatory — one step from the great beyond/I prayed to the cross and I kissed the girls and I crossed the Rubicon.”

“Mother of Muses” is a hymn to the natural world, gospel choirs and military men like William Tecumseh Sherman and George Patton, “who cleared the path for Presley to sing/who cleared the path for Martin Luther King.” And “Key West (Philosopher’s Pirate),” is an ethereal meditation on immortality set on a drive down Route 1 to the Florida Keys, with Donnie Herron’s accordion channeling the Band’s Garth Hudson. In it he pays homage to, “Ginsberg, Corso and Kerouac.”

ImageDylan says he doesn’t think about mortality in a personal sense: “I think about the death of the human race.”Credit...William C. Eckenberg/The New York Times

Perhaps someday he’ll write a song or paint a picture to honor George Floyd. In the 1960s and 1970s, following the work of black leaders of the civil rights movement, Dylan also worked to expose the arrogance of white privilege and the viciousness of racial hatred in America through songs like “George Jackson,” “Only a Pawn in Their Game,” and “The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll.” One of his most fierce lines about policing and race came in his 1976 ballad “Hurricane”: “In Paterson that’s just the way things go/If you’re black you might as well not show up on the street/Unless you want to draw the heat.”

I had a brief follow-up with Dylan, 79, one day after Floyd was killed in Minneapolis. Clearly shaken by the horror that had occurred in his home state, he sounded depressed. “It sickened me no end to see George tortured to death like that,” he said. “It was beyond ugly. Let’s hope that justice comes swift for the Floyd family and for the nation.”

These are edited excerpts from the two conversations.

Was “Murder Most Foul” written as a nostalgic eulogy for a long-lost time?

To me it’s not nostalgic. I don’t think of “Murder Most Foul” as a glorification of the past or some kind of send-off to a lost age. It speaks to me in the moment. It always did, especially when I was writing the lyrics out.

Somebody auctioned off a sheaf of unpublished transcripts in the 1990s that you wrote about J.F.K.’s murder. Were those prose notes for an essay or were you hoping to write a song like “Murder Most Foul” for a long time?

I’m not aware of ever wanting to write a song about J.F.K. A lot of those auctioned-off documents have been forged. The forgeries are easy to spot because somebody always signs my name on the bottom.

Were you surprised that this 17-minute-long song was your first No. 1 Billboard hit?

I was, yeah.

“I Contain Multitudes” has a powerful line: “I sleep with life and death in the same bed.” I suppose we all feel that way when we hit a certain age. Do you think about mortality often?

I think about the death of the human race. The long strange trip of the naked ape. Not to be light on it, but everybody’s life is so transient. Every human being, no matter how strong or mighty, is frail when it comes to death. I think about it in general terms, not in a personal way.

There is a lot of apocalyptic sentiment in “Murder Most Foul.” Are you worried that in 2020 we’re past the point of no return? That technology and hyper-industrialization are going to work against human life on Earth?

Sure, there’s a lot of reasons to be apprehensive about that. There’s definitely a lot more anxiety and nervousness around now than there used to be. But that only applies to people of a certain age like me and you, Doug. We have a tendency to live in the past, but that’s only us. Youngsters don’t have that tendency. They have no past, so all they know is what they see and hear, and they’ll believe anything. In 20 or 30 years from now, they’ll be at the forefront. When you see somebody that is 10 years old, he’s going to be in control in 20 or 30 years, and he won’t have a clue about the world we knew. Young people who are in their teens now have no memory lane to remember. So it’s probably best to get into that mind-set as soon as we can, because that’s going to be the reality.

As far as technology goes, it makes everybody vulnerable. But young people don’t think like that. They could care less. Telecommunications and advanced technology is the world they were born into. Our world is already obsolete.

A line in “False Prophet” — “I’m the last of the best — you can bury the rest” — reminded me of the recent deaths of John Prine and Little Richard. Did you listen to their music after they passed as a kind of tribute?

Both of those guys were triumphant in their work. They don’t need anybody doing tributes. Everybody knows what they did and who they were. And they deserve all the respect and acclaim that they received. No doubt about it. But Little Richard I grew up with. And he was there before me. Lit a match under me. Tuned me into things I never would have known on my own. So I think of him differently. John came after me. So it’s not the same thing. I acknowledge them differently.

ImageFrom left, George Harrison, Dylan, Little Richard and Mike Love at the 1988 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony.Credit...Ebet Roberts/Redferns, via Getty Images

Why didn’t more people pay attention to Little Richard’s gospel music?

Probably because gospel music is the music of good news and in these days there just isn’t any. Good news in today’s world is like a fugitive, treated like a hoodlum and put on the run. Castigated. All we see is good-for-nothing news. And we have to thank the media industry for that. It stirs people up. Gossip and dirty laundry. Dark news that depresses and horrifies you.

On the other hand, gospel news is exemplary. It can give you courage. You can pace your life accordingly, or try to, anyway. And you can do it with honor and principles. There are theories of truth in gospel but to most people it’s unimportant. Their lives are lived out too fast. Too many bad influences. Sex and politics and murder is the way to go if you want to get people’s attention. It excites us, that’s our problem.

Little Richard was a great gospel singer. But I think he was looked at as an outsider or an interloper in the gospel world. They didn’t accept him there. And of course the rock ’n’ roll world wanted to keep him singing “Good Golly, Miss Molly.” So his gospel music wasn’t accepted in either world. I think the same thing happened to Sister Rosetta Tharpe. I can’t imagine either of them being bothered too much about it. Both are what we used to call people of high character. Genuine, plenty talented and who knew themselves, weren’t swayed by anything from the outside. Little Richard, I know was like that.

But so was Robert Johnson, even more so. Robert was one of the most inventive geniuses of all time. But he probably had no audience to speak of. He was so far ahead of his time that we still haven’t caught up with him. His status today couldn’t be any higher. Yet in his day, his songs must have confused people. It just goes to show you that great people follow their own path.

On the album “Tempest” you perform “Roll on John” as a tribute to John Lennon. Is there another person you’d like to write a ballad for?

Those kinds of songs for me just come out of the blue, out of thin air. I never plan to write any of them. But in saying that, there are certain public figures that are just in your subconscious for one reason or another. None of those songs with designated names are intentionally written. They just fall down from space. I’m just as bewildered as anybody else as to why I write them. The folk tradition has a long history of songs about people, though. John Henry, Mr. Garfield, Roosevelt. I guess I’m just locked into that tradition.

You honor many great recording artists in your songs. Your mention of Don Henley and Glenn Frey on “Murder Most Foul” came off as a bit of a surprise to me. What Eagles songs do you enjoy the most?

“New Kid in Town,” “Life in the Fast Lane,” “Pretty Maids All in a Row.” That could be one of the best songs ever.

ImageDylan received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Barack Obama in 2012.Credit...Luke Sharrett for The New York Times

You also refer to Art Pepper, Charlie Parker, Bud Powell, Thelonious Monk, Oscar Peterson and Stan Getz in “Murder Most Foul.” How has jazz inspired you as a songwriter and poet over your long career? Are there jazz artists you’ve been listening to lately?

Maybe Miles’s early stuff on Capitol Records. But what’s jazz? Dixieland, bebop, high-speed fusion? What do you call jazz? Is it Sonny Rollins? I like Sonny’s calypso stuff but is that jazz? Jo Stafford, Joni James, Kay Starr — I think they were all jazz singers. King Pleasure, that’s my idea of a jazz singer. I don’t know, you can put anything into that category. Jazz goes back to the Roaring Twenties. Paul Whiteman was called the king of jazz. I’m sure if you asked Lester Young he wouldn’t know what you’re talking about.

Has any of it ever inspired me? Well yeah. Probably a lot. Ella Fitzgerald as a singer inspires me. Oscar Peterson as a piano player, absolutely. Has any of it inspired me as a songwriter? Yeah, “Ruby, My Dear” by Monk. That song set me off in some direction to do something along those lines. I remember listening to that over and over.

What role does improvisation play in your music?

None at all. There’s no way you can change the nature of a song once you’ve invented it. You can set different guitar or piano patterns upon the structural lines and go from there, but that’s not improvisation. Improvisation leaves you open to good or bad performances and the idea is to stay consistent. You basically play the same thing time after time in the most perfect way you can.

“I Contain Multitudes” is surprisingly autobiographical in parts. The last two verses exude a take-no-prisoners stoicism while the rest of the song is a humorous confessional. Did you have fun grappling with contradictory impulses of yourself and human nature in general?

I didn’t really have to grapple much. It’s the kind of thing where you pile up stream-of-consciousness verses and then leave it alone and come pull things out. In that particular song, the last few verses came first. So that’s where the song was going all along. Obviously, the catalyst for the song is the title line. It’s one of those where you write it on instinct. Kind of in a trance state. Most of my recent songs are like that. The lyrics are the real thing, tangible, they’re not metaphors. The songs seem to know themselves and they know that I can sing them, vocally and rhythmically. They kind of write themselves and count on me to sing them.

Once again in this song you name a lot of people. What made you decide to mention Anne Frank next to Indiana Jones?

Her story means a lot. It’s profound. And hard to articulate or paraphrase, especially in modern culture. Everybody’s got such a short attention span. But you’re taking Anne’s name out of context, she’s part of a trilogy. You could just as well ask, “What made you decide to include Indiana Jones or the Rolling Stones?” The names themselves are not solitary. It’s the combination of them that adds up to something more than their singular parts. To go too much into detail is irrelevant. The song is like a painting, you can’t see it all at once if you’re standing too close. The individual pieces are just part of a whole.

“I Contain Multitudes” is more like trance writing. Well, it’s not more like trance writing, it is trance writing. It’s the way I actually feel about things. It is my identity and I’m not going to question it, I am in no position to. Every line has a particular purpose. Somewhere in the universe those three names must have paid a price for what they represent and they’re locked together. And I can hardly explain that. Why or where or how, but those are the facts.

But Indiana Jones was a fictional character?

Yeah, but the John Williams score brought him to life. Without that music it wouldn’t have been much of a movie. It’s the music which makes Indy come alive. So that maybe is one of the reasons he is in the song. I don’t know, all three names came at once.

A reference to the Rolling Stones makes it into “I Contain Multitudes.” Just as a lark, which Stones songs do you wish you could’ve written?

Oh, I don’t know, maybe “Angie,” “Ventilator Blues” and what else, let me see. Oh yeah, “Wild Horses.”

ImageDylan and a host of folk-music icons at the Newport Folk Festival in 1963.Credit...Rowland Scherman/Getty Images

Charlie Sexton began playing with you for a few years in 1999, and returned to the fold in 2009. What makes him such a special player? It’s as if you can read each other’s minds.

As far as Charlie goes, he can read anybody’s mind. Charlie, though, creates songs and sings them as well, and he can play guitar to beat the band. There aren’t any of my songs that Charlie doesn’t feel part of and he’s always played great with me. “False Prophet” is only one of three 12-bar structural things on this record. Charlie is good on all the songs. He’s not a show-off guitar player, although he can do that if he wants. He’s very restrained in his playing but can be explosive when he wants to be. It’s a classic style of playing. Very old school. He inhabits a song rather than attacking it. He’s always done that with me.

How have you spent the last couple of months home-sheltered in Malibu? Have you been able to weld or paint?

Yeah, a little bit.

Are you able to be musically creative while at home? Do you play piano and tool around in your private studio?

I do that mostly in hotel rooms. A hotel room is the closest I get to a private studio.

Does having the Pacific Ocean in your backyard help you process the Covid-19 pandemic in a spiritual way? There is a theory called “blue mind” which believes that living near water is a health curative.

Yeah, I can believe that. “Cool Water,” “Many Rivers to Cross,” “How Deep Is the Ocean.” I hear any of those songs and it’s like some kind of cure. I don’t know what for, but a cure for something that I don’t even know I have. A fix of some kind. It’s like a spiritual thing. Water is a spiritual thing. I never heard of “blue mind” before. Sounds like it could be some kind of slow blues song. Something Van Morrison would write. Maybe he has, I don’t know.

It’s too bad that just when the play “Girl From the North Country,” which features your music, was getting rave reviews, production had to shutter because of Covid-19. Have you seen the play or watched the video of it?

Sure, I’ve seen it and it affected me. I saw it as an anonymous spectator, not as someone who had anything to do with it. I just let it happen. The play had me crying at the end. I can’t even say why. When the curtain came down, I was stunned. I really was. Too bad Broadway shut down because I wanted to see it again.

Do you think of this pandemic in almost biblical terms? A plague that has swept the land?

I think it’s a forerunner of something else to come. It’s an invasion for sure, and it’s widespread, but biblical? You mean like some kind of warning sign for people to repent of their wrongdoings? That would imply that the world is in line for some sort of divine punishment. Extreme arrogance can have some disastrous penalties. Maybe we are on the eve of destruction. There are numerous ways you can think about this virus. I think you just have to let it run its course.

Out of all your compositions, “When I Paint My Masterpiece” has grown on me over the years. What made you bring it back to the forefront of recent concerts?

It’s grown on me as well. I think this song has something to do with the classical world, something that’s out of reach. Someplace you’d like to be beyond your experience. Something that is so supreme and first rate that you could never come back down from the mountain. That you’ve achieved the unthinkable. That’s what the song tries to say, and you’d have to put it in that context. In saying that though, even if you do paint your masterpiece, what will you do then? Well, obviously you have to paint another masterpiece. So it could become some kind of never ending cycle, a trap of some kind. The song doesn’t say that though.

A few years ago I saw you play a bluegrass-sounding version of “Summer Days.” Have you ever thought about recording a bluegrass album?

I’ve never thought about that. Bluegrass music is mysterious and deep rooted and you almost have to be born playing it. Just because you are a great singer, or a great this or that doesn’t mean you can be in a bluegrass band. It’s almost like classical music. It’s harmonic and meditative, but it’s out for blood. If you ever heard the Osborne Brothers, then you know what I mean. It’s an unforgiving music and you can only stretch it so far. Beatles songs played in a bluegrass style don’t make any sense. It’s the wrong repertoire, and that’s been done. There are elements of bluegrass music for sure in what I play, especially the intensity and similar themes. But I don’t have the high tenor voice and we don’t have three-part harmony or consistent banjo. I listen to Bill Monroe a lot, but I more or less stick to what I can do best.

How is your health holding up? You seem to be fit as a fiddle. How do you keep mind and body working together in unison?

Oh, that’s the big question, isn’t it? How does anybody do it? Your mind and body go hand in hand. There has to be some kind of agreement. I like to think of the mind as spirit and the body as substance. How you integrate those two things, I have no idea. I just try to go on a straight line and stay on it, stay on the level.

Douglas Brinkley is the Katherine Tsanoff Brown Chair in Humanities and professor of history at Rice University. He is the author of “American Moonshot: John F. Kennedy and the Great Space Race.”

https://web.archive.org/web/20230330042035/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/12/arts/music/bob-dylan-rough-and-rowdy-ways.html

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arthur-does-tingz · 3 years ago

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Why Viktor Was In Love With Jayce

Okay so I watched Arcane and I can say with conviction that it is my new all time favorite series (maybe even hyperfixation?? We’ll see) and as part of both being gay, a lil bitch, and too much of an analytic, I tend to overthink character relationships. Vi and Caitlyn I smelled from a mile away, Mel and Jayce were obvious, even Jinx and Silco???? (i don’t know what the hell is going on there and I don’t think anyone does,) but something I didn’t expect to find on the way were the hints hidden in Viktor’s actions that were GLARING at me during my first rewatch and as I watch compilations (thank god I’m not alone in this).

So because I need an outlet, ur welcome to read my scrambled thoughts about why Viktor was in love with Jayce, why its beautifully tragic, how its shown, and trying to construct the thoughts going on in Viktor’s mind.

Okay so first things first, let’s deconstruct the why.

As a person who loves to analyze relationship dynamics in media (fancy way of saying I’m shipping trash) its important to also acknowledge that, such as in real life, not all close relationships are romantic and there’s no fixed or universal origin of romantic feelings. But HO MY GOD THESE BITCHES WERE GAY!

Even at first conversation, Jayce was a cloud of wonder and mystery in Viktor’s eyes. Like, “who tf does this guy think he is?” trying to artificially replicate arcane magic and all that shit. His ambition is further proved by every word they share with each other. It’s easy to be charmed by this well respected, hopeful BEEFCAKE of a man with dreams that are more radical than a 70s surfer. The image that Viktor fell in love with was one that was bathed in light and working closely with him for (we can approximate) like eight years?? As someone who never looked at him as an assistant but as an equal and a partner?? That’s just poetry.

NOW FOR THE TRAGIC SHIT! Viktor was a man doomed for darkness in both Piltover’s eyes and the eyes of the viewer (I JUST LOOKED UP HIS LORE AND I- hrrrrrrrrngh) . He was from the undercity, he was a “cripple”, and had chosen, as we see, horrible methods in order to try and extend his lifespan. HELL EVEN DESIGN WISE, he was a character surrounded and shrouded by shadows in like EVERY SCENE WE SEE HIM IN, ESPECIALLY when Jayce was there. Design wise, he was Viktor’s light.

And I could go on. Actually, I will.

Time and time again, Viktor is stuck in the darkness while trying to reach for Jayce’s light. EVEN IN THE LAST SCENE THE FUCKING LAMP IS ON JAYCE’S SIDE! And in the less obvious ones, Jayce is on the side of the light source while Viktor always has a side of him that’ll be stuck in the dark.

And of course, Jayce finds a new light. Mel, being a councilor, “saving the world.” And Viktor is stuck trying to chase after him. Always behind him in some way.

Until of course, Viktor tries to recreate that light and Jayce is stuck behind him in terms of their original dreams.

And its such a tragically beautiful dynamic. The only time that they get to be together, side by side, is when they are chasing their original dream together.

PLUS GIMME THE LONGING STARES!!!

(BTW moment above was when my gaydar officially started going WEE WOO WEE WOO) HE’S LOOKING DIRECTLY AT HIS FUCKING LIPS I-

Anyway, it makes it even more upsetting that Jayce will never see Viktor the same way, which is why it CUT BETWEEN JAYCE AND MEL HAVING SEX AND VIKTOR YOU CANNOT TELL ME OTHERWISE!!! And it fricking hurts. I think its why Viktor becomes even more engrossed in his work. He’s not gonna get the same level of hope and happiness that he got in Jayce and the dream of Hextech so he tries and tries to crack the code. Which elicits another parallel to arise. Sky and Viktor.

The reason why Sky was so important, at least from the perspective I’m trying to articulate, is because she is the Viktor in his and Jayce’s dynamic. Is that understandable?/gen. It’s like one of those comics where the shy girl is in love with the nerdy guy and the nerdy guy is in love with the cheerleader and the cheerleader is in love with the popular guy and the popular guy was in love with the shy girl all along. Except Sky is in love with Viktor is in love with Jayce is in love with Mel. And its this big cycle where no one is happy except for the fucking BEAUTIFUL heterosexuals. Sky’s death wasn’t pointless (okay is was kinda unnecessary but) because it showed Viktor just how far he was going into the arcane. And I haven’t FULLY looked at his lore. Really hoping he’ll turn out alright (though I know it isn’t likely.)

But Viktor was in love with Jayce and its a lens to put on the story that does nothing but enhance how fucking sad it is. BRING ME THE FANART CUZ I NEED TO COPE NOW!

#arcane #into the arcane #viktor #jayce #viktor arcane #jayce x viktor

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arctimon · 3 years ago

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The Beta Team That Never Was - Fanfiction Corner (BH6 Edition)

So all of this Peni Parker comic talk actually got me thinking about the process of her being included in my fanfiction.

I wish I could tell you it was a long and arduous process, but...

OK, maybe some of it was hard. But when you have a virtually endless supply of Marvel characters that you can use for possible teammates for Big Hero 6, you have to go with your gut.

We all know that the team will be Robbie, Aspen, Peni, Doreen (eventually), and Kate. But there were six other candidates that could have been in the mix as well.

And five of them have their emblems here:

These were made before I actually knew how to make hero emblems properly.

Some of them you might recognize. Some you may not. But we’re going to go through them all, from left to right.

And to start...it’s really hard to draw tiny hearts.

1.) Riri Williams/Ironheart - Ironically enough, it was around the time that Hiro started chasing Sirque around the town in “Portal Enemy” that I started brainstorming her. A teenage genius, stuck as to what to make, sees “Captain Cutie” and the chase on the news and gets brainstorming.

Thus, the Power Armor is born.

And she gets so excited that she bolts off to San Fransokyo to show her idol what she’s created.

And then, as per the Big Hero 6 Fanfiction Clause states...shenanigans ensue.

It was an interesting possibility, but the thought of Ironheart was really late into me doing the backstories of the people that I had chosen, so she was pushed aside. I don’t personally see me revisiting her in the future, but who knows?

2.) Nadia Van Dyne/The Wasp - Back when Karmi had first been pulled out of SFIT, there was a young woman who wanted to recruit her into a special organization. It was one that brought together the greatest female minds in their fields, and Karmi was on said recruitment list.

The organization?

Genius In action Research Labs, or G.I.R.L. for short. And it was led by the Wasp’s daughter, Nadia Pym (later changed to Nadia Van Dyne).

Plot-wise, this was probably the person that I got the farthest with, since the story would’ve been more of a focus on Karmi than anyone else. Also, the idea of writing someone with Bipolar Disorder (which Nadia was confirmed to have in her latest solo run) was intriguing if nothing else.

Unfortunately, it sort of dried up from there. A lack of a central conflict, uncertainty as to how many of the other girls (Taina, Priya, Shay, and Ying) to have, and how to handle her actual powers stopped it cold.

But seriously, how do you write in the ability to shrink to microscopic size? That’s not really a thing, even in a world as futuristic as San Fransokyo.

3.) America Chavez/Ms. America - The mere idea of a Superman-esque Latina teenager was enticing, especially because America, in her relatively short comic history, was with the Ultimates and the West Coast Avengers (meaning there was a possible Kate/Hawkeye angle). Making start-shaped portals was the Silent Sparrow angle, and the all-around badass, headstrong attitude would be the counter to Honey Lemon’s more nurturing personality.

But being from an alternate universe (which has very recently been retconned in the comics in part because she will be appearing in the MCU and Doctor Strange 2), no real villain to play off of, and becoming possibly way too overpowered for the BH6 universe, she was scrapped.

It’s quite a shame. I really like her in the comics that she’s in. Perhaps there will be an opportunity for her somewhere down the line...

4.) Alison Blaire/Dazzler - A pop star with light-based powers?

Or better yet, a struggling artist with acoustikinesis?

Her power to convert sound into light was what originally drew me to her. Something that could be made into a technological ability, unique enough to put a (pardon the pun) spotlight on it.

An actual blonde instead of whatever HL’s hair color is.

Heck, she even has a half-sister named Lois that could have been the antagonist (death tough, destruction waves, and the like).

But she quickly got lost in the fold. Better ideas (like Kate and Doreen) got more of my brainstorming, and she was eventually given up on.

But funnily enough...

It’s almost like she’s already in the show.

(See, for the people who may be new, one of the many Marvel theories that I’ve touched upon is that High Voltage is actually this universe’s version of Dazzler. Juniper is Alison and Barb is...well...Barbara London, Alison’s mom).

Hey, @baymaksu totally agrees with me kinda sort of.

5.) Cindy Moon/Silk - I knew right from the get-go that I wanted a Spider-person on the beta team. I also knew that I didn’t want Peter.

No offense to Peter Parker. He’s fine. But there’s a billion other Spiders out there, and I wanted someone out of the normal vein of Peter, as well as even Miles and Gwen.

And in came Cindy.

Locked away in The Bunker because of her spider powers manifesting, she was eventually released by Peter and thus began her entrance into the main Marvel world.

Her “unique ability” is her improved Spider-Sense, which Peter has said is even better than his own. That, plus her other powers, brought her the closest out of anyone to being a member of the Big Hero 6 Beta Team.

As we all know, however, Peni ended up getting the spot over Cindy (for the family angle with Hiro and the giant robot that she pilots). On the other hand, Cindy would later make her debut in the stinger of the last chapter of Along Came The S.P.I.D.E.R., along with Miles, Anya, and Joey.

Unlike Riri, Nadia, America, and Alison, Cindy and the rest of Peni’s little Spider Society are going to be showing up in future stories. And if I can get everything in order, they will be starring in their own story set in the Big Hero 6 universe.

Finally, I have no emblem for them, but the honorable mention goes to...

6.) Lunella Lafayette/Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur - Yes, there was a point in time where I was seriously considering putting a nine-year-old super genius and a giant red T-rex into my stories.

Ignoring the giant...”red flag” here, the reason why Luna never made it is the same reason why I haven’t put Rishi in anything yet. It’s because I don’t really know what to do with supergeniuses that young. Hiro is at least a teenager and thus has teenager-y problems to fall back on (like puberty and Karmi and all that jazz), but a nine-year-old? That’s a little too extreme for me.

When I was nine, I was busy playing with sticks in my backyard with my brother, not solving unsolvable puzzles from Bruce Banner.

...All that, and the giant dinosaur.

But hey, at least Disney is jumping on the MG/DD train. That’s good to see.

Crossover potential, perhaps?

P.S. - As I was finishing putting this post together, it occurred to me that I may get this possible question in the comments, so I’m going to head it off at the pass.

“You know that all of your possible superheroes are girls, right?”

First of all...sexist.

Second of all...true.

That was about 90% on accident. The actual team (Robbie, Aspen, Peni, Doreen, and Kate) has only one guy on it (two if you count Eli, three if you count Tippy-Toe).

I don’t really have a good explanation for that. I like all superheroes, but I think that the girl and woman superheroes need some spotlight, you know? I could have pulled people like Namor or Miles or the male Hawkeye into the mix, but to be honest, I find the characters I chose more interesting than a lot of the guy characters I was contemplating.

Of course, nothing is stopping any of you from using those characters in your stories. Be my guest, not that you really need my permission or anything.

But you can’t take Aspen. Aspen is mine. (Spoiler: Aspen is not mine.)

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amazing-spiderling · 2 years ago

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Do you ship Gwen with anyone in particular? If no strong opinions there, any Gwen headcanons?

You know for me it's really important that Gwen is able to exist as a character outside of any romantic relationships just because the original incarnation of the character was defined for so long as Peter Parker's dead girlfriend. And she was great and intelligent and when they wrote her death the concept of "fridging" wasn't a thing yet It was basically unheard of to kill off a love interest, but for decades we just remembered Gwen Stacy as the girl who died.

I think it was really important for them to not only define the fact that she didn't view any of her relationships as romantic, whether it was with Peter or with Harry or anyone else in her universe. There is a lot of complexity to those relationships, we even see MJ getting upset that Gwen is not cognizant of the fact that Peter holds her in such high regard if he isn't outright in love with her. Even Harry and Gwen viewed their relationship as something different from one another. And that's sort of great. Don't get me wrong we're rooting for Gwen the whole time but it does show how she can be a little bit oblivious to things that are happening outside of her own head. And I think that it's really important for a person to have a good sense of who they are before they start getting into romantic relationships with other people. Gwen is definitely still figuring that out in most of her comics. I think Gwen even realizes that herself which is why she pulls the brakes on any sort of budding romance between her and Miles. That being said if that ever happened down the line in future comics for real, I would kind of shrug and say sure that makes sense. Why not?

Now I think her platonic and adversarial chemistry with so many characters is amazing! The friendly rivalry that she has with MJ that turns to something pretty ugly and isn't ever really resolved (well I'm not entirely sure where we're going to stand after Gwen-Verse) is pretty meaty. The strange indebtedness she has to Cindy Moon for creating the spider that gave her her powers in the first place is certainly the kind of thing that can rock a person's foundations. And of course playing the unwitting hero to Murderdock's machinations is narrative gold. (I don't think it's any coincidence that the only way she is able to dig herself out of her hole is by facing consequences and standing firm in her sense of personal identity through them.) Right now I think it is the most important thing for Gwen to "date herself" because she'd be the first person to admit she still has a lot of figuring herself out to do.

And I don't think this would ever happen, especially considering recent spider verse events, but I think the juxtaposition of Gwen and Noir (who is much younger than his movie counterpart) could be really fun? He's classic swing jazz, she's rock and roll, what more can I say? (Okay really I don't think Gwen would date any version of Peter Parker because it would just be too weird for her but I do like the idea of the contrast between his muted universe and her crazy vaporwave world.)

I'm not sure if I have any specific Gwen Stacy headcanons but I do have a lot about Earth 65 in general. One of them is more or less supported by the comics but, I think that public opinion changed significantly while she was in prison. Well of course you can't get any group of people to completely agree on a matter, I think she went from having a much less divisive role in the public in her world, and it was her own actions and willingness to take responsibility that caused that. I think if she had been unable to go to 616 to attend school she still would have managed fine in her world, it just would have been more complicated because for every person who wasn't willing to give her a chance or a job there would have been two who were trying to use her celebrity to their advantage.

Also, I love joking about how Gwen would respond to a heroic Matt Murdock as much as the next person, but I think after an initial shock she would be totally fine. She's jumped all over the universe and seen all different versions of herself and Peter Parker, I think she's well acquainted with the fact that very little is absolute. If anything I think she would think it was funny and have hope she ran into Murdock or Nelson back in her universe again just so she could tell them and laugh at the confusion on their faces. But I also don't think she goes out of her way while in other universes to hunt for all the Easter eggs in all the ways their worlds are different. I think once you realize that in most versions of the universe you're dead and it's very sad and everyone is bummed out about it... You're probably less inclined to go poking around for no reason.

Oh, but if Gwen ever did encounter a universe like ours where the Spider-Man comics are just media that everybody consumes, I would really love for her to get her hands on the Mexican bootleg comics where the publishers refuse to kill off when Stacy like they were supposed to so they just continued the series as though she and Peter got married. I don't think she speaks Spanish but maybe she could bring it back to her roommates for a translation, and everyone would laugh and comment on how dummy thicc the comic book version of her was. XD

#thanks for the ask #gwen stacy #earth 65

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new-sandrafilter · 3 years ago

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How Timothée Chalamet Channeled The Blockbuster Pressure of Leading Denis Villeneuve’s ‘Dune’ Back Into His Role – Venice Q&A

DEADLINE: In a few days Dune will premiere at the Venice Film Festival. You first met Denis Villeneuve about the role in May 2018 and started shooting in the early half of 2019. It was always going to be a long journey, but the pandemic stretched it even further. How does it feel to have finally arrived at this moment?

TIMOTHÉE CHALAMET: You know, I like to think that with every film I’ve done, whether it’s Call Me by Your Name or Beautiful Boy, The King, or Little Women, the character you play is almost a piece of your flesh. And that’s always true, but simply from the perspective of how long the shoot for Dune was, and also the arc that Paul Atreides is on, as well as the huge love and almost biblical connection that so many people have for the book and the original film, it really felt… tectonic, if that’s the right word for it. Just getting to this finish line feels like: phew.

And independent of what the film is now, and what it has become, the experience of making it was I was put in such a safe environment, which you can never take for granted as a human, as an actor, but especially when you’re just starting your career, and when this is the first film of this size you’ve ever done.

To get to work with Denis on it, to get to work with someone of his caliber, let alone on a book that he considers the book of his youth and one of the things he has connected to the most… When he would have it in his hands on set, his body language would become that of a fan; of a kid who had fallen in love with the book at home in Montreal. And when all the kids around him were wearing hockey jerseys with their favorite players’ names on the back, this was a kid wearing a jersey that said ‘Spielberg’ on the back.

For it all to come together, especially with the added challenge of the pandemic, it has all combined to make this moment feel especially spicy [laughs].

DEADLINE: The entire ensemble will show up in Venice.

CHALAMET: Right. And I just can’t believe it; Jason Momoa has the number one film on Netflix right now with Sweet Girl, which I just watched. And since we shot, Zendaya has had all this success with Euphoria and Malcolm & Marie. Just to be part of this cast, period, let alone as one of the title characters, it’s really the shit you dream of.

And let me not forget, too—and I know I’ve told you this before—that The Dark Knight was the movie that made me want to act. That movie had a score by Hans Zimmer, and he has done the score for Dune. And it’s almost not what you’d think. It’s totally appropriate and excellent for the movie, but he has somehow managed to do something subversive, in my opinion. It’s a pinch-me moment all over.

DEADLINE: So, take me back to the start. Is it true you had a Google alert set up to track the latest news on this project before you were ever cast?

CHALAMET: Yeah, it’s true [laughs]. Not right away—Legendary had the rights and was developing it—but as soon as Denis got involved, I set up a Google alert and that’s when I got the book.

In total honesty, I think my understanding of Dune at that point was from a graphic novel I’d seen at Midtown Comics when I was shopping for Yu-Gi-Oh! cards when I was about 10. The year you and I first met, when I was there at Deadline Contenders with Call Me by Your Name, that would have been 2017 or early 2018, and Denis was there with Blade Runner. I remember I was trying to put myself in front of him as much as possible and set up a meeting with him. We had a night at the BAFTA where one of my good friends, Stéphane Bak—who’s also an actor��saw Denis across the room and was like, “Hey buddy, he’s right over there.” So, we went over to talk to him. I kept trying to put myself in front of him, but I didn’t really get a sense of the possibility [of working with him].

I was about halfway through the book when I got the call that he was going to be the president of the jury at the Cannes Film Festival, and I was in London prepping The King. He asked me if I could come out there, so I quickly busted through the second half of the book as best I could. So, like, the first half of my copy is properly annotated and full of my thoughts, and then the second half I just raced through. And then I had that meeting with him, and it was such a joy.

I’m struggling with this even now, as I’m working with Paul King [on Wonka], because he’s another guy I have huge respect and admiration for, and it’s hard to feel on a level. Not that you ever are, because as an actor you’re a cog in the machine, and you’ve got to be humble to the vision of the director. But with Denis, he was pacing around the room, throwing ideas around, in some fancy suite in Cannes, and all I could think was that a year before I was just sat on a stoop on 9th Street in the East Village or something.

DEADLINE: Was that your first time in Cannes?

CHALAMET: Yeah. Well, bizarrely, my sister would do dance camps growing up. Ballet intensive programs in a town called Mougins, which is nearby Cannes, so I spent a lot of time there growing up, but never during the festival, and not on the Riviera. To get to be there for the festival was just nuts. I went to see the Romain Gavras movie, I think, and it was just a huge joy.

I got attached [to the role in Dune] a couple of months after that, and it was nerve-wracking from the announcement, because like I said before, the fans of the book, and the fans of David Lynch version, the computer game, and everything, there’s so much love and strength of feeling. And so much of our pop culture and films and books have been derived from Dune, and all the philosophy the book. I’ve been shocked to learn how many people have a next-level connection to the book. I compare it to how our generation grew up with Harry Potter, and that one makes sense to me. But it’s cool to see with Dune also, when you actually sit down and read it… It’s not that it’s a quote-unquote “hard read” or anything, but it’s not made to be consumed easily, I think that’s fair to say.

So, I was grateful to be working on something of this size not only with Denis Villeneuve leading it, who between Polytechnique, Incendies and Prisoners had nailed the smaller indie film across languages, and then had nailed Arrival and Blade Runner, but who, in his own words, he didn’t feel he’d made his greatest film yet. But also, to be working with this cast. I don’t know if there’s some nightmare version of a film where a young lead is not supported by the rest of his cast, where every one of them had been the leads in their own huge projects. But on this, everyone was there to support, and I think it’s because we all wanted to be foot soldiers for Denis, and I think we understood the potential, based on the script by Eric Roth, Jon Spaihts and Denis, that this could be something really special.

DEADLINE: I don’t have a connection to Dune; this movie is really my first experience of the story. What strikes me is this is clearly an enormous universe—a broad canvas being painted with various families and factions and politics and mythos—but that ultimately it comes down to very elemental, human themes, and we feel them through this character you play, Paul Atreides. Did those themes help ground the experience for you?

CHALAMET: Yes, and I would give the credit entirely to Denis. He would constantly say on set that he had some opposing drumbeat or something. In my diminished intellectual standing, I didn’t understand it, but it was like some vision for the movie based on how biblical the book is that tries to tackle so much that it doesn’t tackle anything. I think he felt the need to be close to a character in it, and Paul is that guy in the book. He’s a character that is still in formation, like a lump of clay, which makes him a great figure for the audience to mirror off.

It speaks, I think, to Denis’ premonition and his directing ability that there were times when we’d move on from a shot or move on from a scene, and I swear, literally, we’d go back because Denis wanted to get something over my shoulder, or push in on my reaction, just to make sure [it stayed on Paul].

And again, it’s something where I’m pinching myself. I had the best time on Interstellar, and that was one of my favorite films I’ve ever worked on, but it was very much something where I was aware of when I had the opportunity to do real acting. And on a movie like Dune, again, one could think it would get lost in the scale and scope. But I felt every day like my plate was full.

DEADLINE: One of those themes is fear, and Paul must overcome his to become the person he needs to be. When you are number one on the call sheet on a project of this scale, and the cast list reads like an address book of Hollywood in the 21st century, and Legendary has injected hundreds of millions of dollars into this production, and it’s all falling on your shoulders, I have to imagine fear is a theme you can readily relate to.

CHALAMET: Oh yeah, and they can bleed into each other for sure—not to diminish the other work that goes in. It’s great when your life experience can inform the role. That’s not at all to say I’m on some crusade in the universe or anything, but definitely… And I had that same good fortune with The King I think. My life is not nearly as significant or as exciting as Paul or Prince Hal, but we all share an unwitting needle in the haystack feeling. On The King that feeling was because I was so new to having a career. On Dune it’s because of, as you say, just feeling the pressure of the hugeness of the project in all those different ways. Those things can absolutely inform each other.

And then there are the moments of glee that come, too, like seeing Jason Momoa running at you at a hundred miles an hour, or just getting to shoot the shit with Josh Brolin, or getting to do a scene with Oscar Isaac. I felt so supported, whether it was Rebecca Fergusson or Charlotte Rampling. When Zendaya came, it was a total breath of fresh air, and she’s one of my favorite parts of the movie. I just got really lucky, and I can’t wait to see them all in Venice.

Denis split the book in half, and the hope is a second movie will get a greenlight. That’d expand Zendaya’s role in the story.

CHALAMET: Definitely, Chani will play a huge role in the next film. I don’t know if there’s a script yet, but just based on the book, along with Lady Jessica [Rebecca Fergusson], they have a lot to do together, let’s put it like that. And Zendaya was incredible in this movie; the moment she pulls the mask down, it felt properly showstopping and powerful. I was hiding behind the camera, counting my lucky starts, because I was there in month two of the shoot and here was a total powerhouse just coming in for the first time.

And as I said before, this was before I’d seen Euphoria and Malcolm & Marie. She’s doing such incredible work and is just trailblazing her own path, and she’s so, so cool. She also happens to be in the most-watched trailer of the moment, too, for Spider-Man: No Way Home. I cannot wait for that movie, and I was there, by the way, with everybody else, clicking through the trailer frame by frame looking for clues [laughs].

#timmy #timothee chalamet #dune movie #dune 2021 #denis villeneuve

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kingday7 · 2 years ago

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Spider-Man: Into The Spider verse is not about black Spider-Man.

Spider-Man: Into the spider verse is my favorite movie of all time.

I have been a Spider-Man super fan for as long as I can remember. I’ve dressed up as him for almost every year I could dress up, I’ve seen every movie several times, seen all the tv shows, and own a good amount of comics about him. So it’s say to say there was a bit of an obsession. The admiration didn’t merely end with physical items though, no. I loved Spider-Man as an idea, as a person. His morals. The way this normal kid is able to make such a difference, and not require a reward for it. Ask any of my friends my favorite quote of all time, and out of every single on you’ll here “With great power comes great responsibility” come right back out at you.

That being said, I have always admired peter parkers version of spiderman. Not that odd I hear you say, isn’t he just Spider-Man? Who else would you admire? Quick cut to August 2011. Everything changes. A new Spider-Man comic comes out, the normal thing…But wait.. Somethings different. The suit is different. The writer is different. Spider-Man is different. It’s in August 2011 when Miles Morales enters the scene as the first Black/Latino Spider-Man, and I was in awe. All these years, I’d been admiring Peter Parker, and I still do to this day and never will not, but there was always something missing. But now that there’s a Spider-Man out there that looks like me? Everything changed. Mile’s took the world by storm, and would continue to do so in the Oscar winning film, Spider-Man: Into The Spider verse. A story with for the first time in film history, Miles Morales as the main lead, with peter parker as a side character. It was mind-blowing. I watched the movie and hated it. I’m just joking, I’ve seen it 6 times and have a poster so you can guess my relationship to it. But the more I watched, the more something came to my realization.

This isn’t *just* a miles morales story.

Yes, the main character of the movie is Miles as he is learning to use his new found powers and save the day, that’s basic superhero origin. But it’s when you start introducing other characters that the narrative changes. The plot may be that superhero origin story we are all familiar with, but the underlying narrative of the story is the idea that anyone, can wear the mask.

From the beginning of the movie, we get an introduction to Peter Parkers Spider-Man. It’s just like we know him, fighting crimes and cracking jokes while doing it. But he takes off his mask, and he’s blonde. Hm. A little odd, but characters can change appearances through comics that’s no big deal. It’s then we meet Miles and we see him get bit by the same spider Peter did. Together they get entangled into some super villain business and Peter tells him he’ll take Miles under his wing and teach him all the things of how to be Spider-Man. It’s great, we know what type of movie this will be, sounds good!

Then Peter dies. What? From the first 30 minutes of the movie, you’ve killed off the character everyone knows and loves in front of us. And in front of Miles. This is where I believe the narrative shifts. The movie does this beautiful thing of pulling you into somewhere comfortable where you can understand how things will go, and completely change that expectation, drawing you in even more. This is where the narrative kicks in. The plot remains the same, but the overlying story comes in. From here, we start meeting other Spider people. Another Peter Parker from a different earth. Very similar to the one we know, but sadder. And older. And fatter. Then we meet Spider-Gwen, or better put Spider-Woman, where in her earth, Peter Parker died after trying to become the lizard. And the list goes on with an anime inspired Spider Girl, a noir inspired Spider-man and even a Spider-Pig. But what’s the point of all these new characters? What is the movie trying to get at? I’m glad you asked.

Back in 2011, a statement was made. One that was made long ago by the legend himself, Stan Lee, but wasn’t highlighted as it should be. Spider-Man, is not one person. They are a symbol. Back in 2011, it was shown truly, that anyone can wear the mask. No matter what ethnical or sexual background, heck even if you are a cartoon farm animal, you too can wear the mask. You can feel the hope and the strength carrying that role. Spider-Man’s mask exist for a reason. Heck, his entire design was purposely and intricately created, but that’s a story for another day. The mask on Spider-Man is to show that, whoever is under the mask is irrelevant. If it was so important to know Peter is under the mask, he could just not wear one. Or have an opening around the mouth or the hair. But its the idea that anyone can be saving you, and you wouldn’t know because it wouldn’t matter. I think that’s part of the reason I resonated with Spider-Man so much as a kid, was the fact that you can put yourself in that place. As a kid who is just trying to be the best he can be, and save lives without worrying about the ignorant prejudice or superstitions about you.

That’s the beauty of this movie, that’s the amazing narrative that was being weaved throughout. It’s not only about Miles Morales, its about all the little boys and girls who look up to their heroes, and in some way shape or form are able to insert themselves into these lives so just maybe, even for just a second. They can feel like a hero too. You can be the hero, and anyone can wear the mask. It's just a leap of faith.

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evilwickedme · 3 years ago

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ok so to sum up my feelings for leverage: redemption, season 1(a): (long post warning, there’s a tl;dr at the end)

I knew that Hardison wouldn’t be in most of the season due to Aldis Hodge being a busy bee nowadays, but I didn’t realize that meant he’d only be around for the first two episodes. He was sorely missed, not only because of my attachment to him, but also because he’s usually the grounding factor in the group dynamic, and his role as info guy and tech guy was split evenly between two characters who had their own issues.

That said, Hardison is absolutely a highlight of the two episodes he’s in. his speech about redemption was everything I could’ve hoped for (plus, more evidence for the Jewish!Hardison pile...). I wish we’d gotten to see more of his dynamic with Breanna because what we saw was funny and sweet and we don’t generally get to see Hardison taking care of somebody who so desperately needs taking care of. I hope that Aldis Hodge is around for more episodes in 1(b), because what we’re left with feels a little hollow.

Sticking to original leverage characters for now, for the most part the leverage crew still felt true to the original series as characters, even if the show itself was a little bit confused at times. The actors understand their characters and embody them so well that I think one could give them the trashiest script ever and they’d still sell it. Sophie is a particular focus in 1(a) because of Nate’s death, and she’s particularly well written as a result.

That said, I’m super bitter that we saw little to no mastermind!Parker. Parker’s character being given the mastermind role was a big deal and it feels like they’re walking it back because they feel uncomfortable with it. It is eventually given an in-text excuse, but literally in the last episode, and it was not a particularly convincing reason, and in fact contradicted moments from previous episodes (Sophie leaving for a client meeting and ignoring Parker in ep3 comes to mind). It’s frustrating, it makes the end of the original leverage feel pointless, and letting Parker make a decision once in a while is not the same thing at all. The original series repeatedly showed us that while everyone in the team had their strengths, Parker works problems and solves them in unique, interesting ways, and other characters’ days in the limelight tended to be comedic or even failures. It’s a broken promise, and a pretty major broken promise at that.

On a more positive note, Parker’s dynamic with literally everyone was fantastic. She’s possibly the best written character this season. They’ve taken the autism out of the subtext and into the text (although obviously still undiagnosed), and given her coping mechanisms that were taken seriously in the text even when they were played for laughs, which I appreciated. Her attempts to mentor Breanna were sweet, her friendship with Sophie was electric and at times (CRIMES) hilarious, and as usual, she has a fantastic dynamic with Eliot that makes my heart burst. If you don’t think they’re romantically involved, at least acknowledge there’s a life partnership here. They’ve spent the last decade together.

(We’ll get to Harry.)

Eliot isn’t given much arc-wise, which is frustrating since he’s my favorite. He’s being presented as the goal at the end of a redemption arc, ie to keep working at it every day until your soul heals or whatever, and it doesn’t reflect the message they’re trying to convey via Hardison’s speech and our two new characters. He’s got his moments, but I think they under utilized his potential.

Breanna!!! Breanna’s my new favorite, except for Eliot. She’s hilarious, she’s insecure, she’s nerdy and excited in a way that’s similar to Hardison but still distinct in its inherent teenage-girl-ness and I LOVE IT. Unlike the previous series, where Hardison’s “age of the geek” was often a joke played on Hardison, we’re at the point where Eliot and Parker are both right there with him, and so they accept and even appreciate Breanna’s nerdiness. Also, canon gay character? In YOUR Leverage? It’s more likely than you think.

(No, I never thought they’d make ot3 canon on screen. I hoped, but I didn’t think it would actually happen.)

I think Breanna’s the character that will be the most interesting to see grow. She’s got a lot of potential and a list of crimes a mile long (or more). I adore her with all my heart. I want to see her tiktok account.

Harry. Oh, Harry.

It took me a while, but I do like Harry. It took a while, because the narrative positioned him at the same level as Nate back in episode 1 of original Leverage. But in episode 1 we didn’t know the other characters. We had Nate as the POV character, and so we cared about him because we were seeing the world through his eyes. (This is TV Studies 101. I know this, because I took TV Studies 101 in 2019.) In Leverage: Redemption, we no longer have a POV character, for several reasons:

Nate, previously the POV character, is dead.

As it is, by mid-season 3 of leverage Nate was no longer a POV character. This is, coincidentally, the point where the leverage writers realized they had four other characters in the main cast they could do something with, and in-universe, Nate accepted that he was a thief, not a special Good Man.

Sophie is sort of a POV character for the first episode of the revival, but only for the first few minutes. Afterwards, the series settles into the groove of seasons 3-5, i.e., the entire crew is our POV. We know our crew, and we love them as is.

Narratively, however, Redemption insists on positing Harry as the POV character, because it is his redemption we are pursuing most vehemently. And I think they really relied on us already knowing the actor - I’ve never seen him in anything before, so to me he was a completely fresh face and they put almost no effort into selling him to me. Beyond being competent and consistently mildly baffled by the antics of the leverage crew, I honestly don’t know who this man is by the end of EIGHT episodes with him. I have a much better handle on Breanna by the end of 1(a), and I can tell you I knew all five of the original leverage crew better by the end of the first episode of the original series than I do Harry. What’s the name of his daughter, John Rogers. Is he still married. How old is the daughter. Why is none of this worth mentioning. Give him a sense of humor that isn’t reacting to other people’s shenanigans. I’m so frustrated. It’s bad writing.

I did manage to grow to like Harry by the end, but I’m pretty sure this is down to Noah Wyle’s charismatic portrayal of an under-developed character, at least partially. And I never stopped being frustrated at not knowing who this man is at all.

The two highlights of the season are undoubtedly episodes five and six. Episode five was the first time I felt like the episode was more than a collection of good moments between the main cast and mediocre moments between the main cast and also the main plot. The issues with pacing and tone that I suffered through for most of the season were mostly non-existent in ep5 and 6, and at least in episode 5 I attribute that to the pared down cast. They had time to focus not only on our actual characters - Sophie, Parker, Breanna - but also on the case. This is the only client from 1(a) I am going to remember next week without googling it first, mark my words.

Episode six worked for the exact opposite reason - it completely disregarded the client and plot and immersed itself in the characters. Breanna gets a moment to shine, but everybody else gets their bits and I wouldn’t be surprised if that was the script that was most fun to write. The characters felt natural, real, and captured the found-family dynamic that’s been missing all season for the first time.

While episode 2 is the weakest episode, I don’t actually have much to say about it. I am disappointed in episode 8. For a mid-season finale, I really expected them to do something. Instead, it was an episode about Nate Ford that copped out of being about Nate Ford (both with fake-Nate and with the new version of him being relayed to us). I would have told the writers to give that energy back to episode 1 and write an episode that’s about anybody who isn’t Harry, oh my God. I know I said I grew to like him but so many episodes were about Harry. He’s the newbie! Why didn’t Hardison get an episode that was actually about him, considering he was only around for two episodes? Why does Eliot have to be the butt of the joke when the theme of the series should directly tie back to him in a much more meaningful way? The last episode parodies their own tagline by saying Eliot isn’t just a hitter, but it deftly avoids noticing that they’ve turned him into nothing more than very muscly comic relief, including in that very episode!

Also, I hated the Marshal. Eliot actively looked uncomfortable around her.

tl;dr

The season took a while, that’s definitely true. But it did find its footing eventually, and by the halfway mark of 1(a) it finally felt cohesive again. The characters were played fantastically even when they weren’t well-written, and if nothing else, the humor landed every time. It still has its kinks and problems to work out, but if you look at it as a brand new show rather than a continuation of one that went off the air over eight years ago, it’s actually doing rather well. I’m choosing to judge it in both lights - according to its own standards, it establishes its identity in episode five; according to Leverage standards, it establishes its connection to its roots in episode six. Either way, I thoroughly enjoyed 1(a), and continue to have high hopes for 1(b).

fic writing will commence in three, two, one...

#leverage #leverage meta #leverage redemption #leverage ot3 #parker leverage #alec hardison #sophie devereaux #eliot spencer #breanna casey #harry wilson #mine

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land-of-brains-and-chocolate · 4 years ago

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here’s the entirety of the paywalled businessinsider article interviewing charles beacham about marvel’s racism in staffing and editorial decisions!

In the early 2010s, Marvel's comics business focused on a diverse slate of new characters, but by 2017 comic sales had fallen, which resulted in the exit of editor-in-chief Axel Alonso.

Three former Marvel editors and one current editor told Business Insider that in the years since, Marvel has recommitted to nostalgia and classic, mostly white characters, often at the expense of some of those diverse characters like Miles Morales, a biracial teenage Spider-Man.

That shift was guided by an editorial department that lacked diversity, particularly in leadership roles. Today, there are no Black staffers on Marvel's editorial team of about 18 people, and only two people of color, Marvel confirmed.

"My voice and what I brought to the table wasn't valued equally," said Charles Beacham, one of two Black editorial staffers to work at Marvel in the past five years.

Have a tip? Email the author at [email protected] or DM him on Twitter @TravClark2.

Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Miles Morales was the character who pulled Charles Beacham into the world of comics.

Beacham was studying journalism at Brigham Young University, in Utah, when he walked into a comics shop in 2011 and picked up a copy of Morales' first appearance. Beacham, who is Black, said he was amazed to see Morales — a teenage Spider-Man who has a Black father and Puerto Rican mother — in its pages.

"When I was growing up, I always wanted to be the red Power Ranger, and the other kids would say I had to be the black Ranger," Beacham said. "The same thing happened with Spider-Man. They'd say, 'You can't be Spider-Man because Peter Parker's not a Black dude.' Seeing Miles Morales made me wish I had that as a kid."

Morales propelled Beacham into comics and into Marvel itself, where he worked as an assistant editor.

"I didn't have job prospects when I moved to New York in 2013, but the goal was to work for Marvel because of Miles Morales," Beacham said. When he landed a job at the company the next year, he loved it.

But Beacham, now 31, was living in New York City with a child on a $38,000 salary. He said that after three years as an assistant editor, from 2014 to 2017, without a promotion, he was ready to leave. It wasn't about the money as much as the lack of a path forward.

"I thought I'd be at Marvel forever," he said. "If they had promoted me I'd probably still be there and surviving on ramen."

Beacham is one of two Black editorial staffers to have worked at Marvel in the past five years, the company confirmed. The second Black staffer, also an assistant editor, left this year after five years without a promotion or raise, a person familiar with the matter said. The editorial team of about 18 people now has two people of color.

"I want to be back there all the time," Beacham said. "But when it comes down to it, my voice and what I brought to the table wasn't valued equally."

Disney-owned Marvel has grown into a cultural force that extends beyond its comic books and into movies, video games, and other media. The comics are the foundation for it all, including the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which has become the highest-grossing movie franchise of all time.

The stories that Marvel's small editorial team helps shape are central to popular culture in the US and around the world.

"Who works on these stories can help broaden them," said Regine Sawyer, the founder of Women in Comics Collective International, which helps to spotlight the comics work of marginalized people.

That was clear from 2011 to 2017, when Marvel ushered in a new era for its comic books under then editor-in-chief Axel Alonso, who is Mexican American.

New and diverse characters like Morales took center stage instead of Marvel's decades-old classic characters, who were primarily white. These characters inspired new fans like Beacham, and continue to inspire new fans as they make their way to other media.

But by 2017, Marvel's comic sales had fallen. Marvel's president of sales, David Gabriel, publicly blamed it on diversity. Alonso exited the company and was replaced by a white man in the role of top editor. Marvel reversed course.

Now, in the aftermath of the killing of George Floyd and the protests that followed, Marvel is promising to once again introduce more diversity to its ranks and its stories.

Marvel chairman Ike Perlmutter sent a letter to employees on June 18 saying the company would "support more Black voices."

And in a memo to staff sent July 6, Marvel's president, Dan Buckley, outlined three areas of focus for Marvel moving forward:

broaden Marvel's creative landscape, which includes identifying "what has traditionally prevented us in the industry from recruiting and fostering more BIPOC talent."

build a foundation of lasting growth by "examining our internal culture and rebuilding our long-term process for talent recruitment, retention, and outreach to communities of color."

create new initiatives and expansion opportunities by "looking to explore new projects that will enable us to reach and represent an even broader audience."

In addition to Beacham, Business Insider spoke with two former Marvel editors and a current editor. Aside from Beacham, the Marvel insiders spoke on condition of anonymity to protect their stance at the company or job prospects. They said they weren't confident in Marvel's latest initiative.

"The guy who made a commitment to diversity and wanted to try new things was fired," a former Marvel staffer said, referring to Alonso.

'Spider-Man with an asterisk'

Alonso led Marvel through a bold era during his time as editor-in-chief starting in 2011, helping to establish a diverse slate of characters.

Jane Foster was the new Thor. Sam Wilson, aka the Falcon, a Black character, replaced Steve Rogers as Captain America. Riri Williams, a Black girl, was introduced as an Iron Man-like character named Ironheart. Kamala Khan, a Pakistani American Muslim teenager, was the new Ms. Marvel.

It wasn't a new phenomenon in comic books. Characters are regularly passing on their mantles, at least for a while. Dick Grayson, the first Robin, was DC's Batman for a time in the early 2010s, for instance. Sam Wilson wasn't the first person to take over as Captain America. This era at Marvel Comics, however, was notable for how it emphasized diversity.

But by 2017 — Alonso's final year as editor-in-chief — the company's print sales had plummeted (Marvel in 2014 said that Ms. Marvel's solo title was a top seller digitally, but digital comics sales aren't released to the public).

"What we heard is that people didn't want any more diversity," David Gabriel, the vice president of sales at Marvel Entertainment, said that year in an interview with ICv2, a website that covers the comics business.

"I don't know that that's really true, but that's what we saw in sales," Gabriel said. "Any character that was diverse, any character that was new, our female characters, anything that was not a core Marvel character, people were turning their nose up."

What Gabriel meant by "core Marvel character" were the classic, decades-old characters being sidelined for new, younger, and more diverse characters.

Seven months later, in November 2017, Marvel's Alonso stepped down from his role and was replaced by C.B. Cebulski, a white man who faced controversy when he was hired after admitting to writing comics in the early 2000s under a Japanese pseudonym.

"The comics that [Alonso] made me think I could work in comics," Beacham said. "But when a Latinx guy is scapegoated for diversity and replaced by a white dude, and the sentiment was that Marvel was 'getting away from its roots,' what does that mean?"

In a statement after his 2017 comments, Gabriel emphasized that "our new heroes are not going anywhere."

But in the months between that retailer summit and Alonso's exit, Marvel introduced an initiative for editorial staff that had been discussed internally for some time: Phase out the familiar superhero codenames for some newer, diverse characters and give them their own, two former assistant editors including Beacham said.

Marvel confirmed to Business Insider that it had previously considered stripping Morales of his Spider-Man title and giving him a new name, but has no plans to do so right now. Marvel added that it discusses status quo changes for all of its top characters.

Today, some of the classic characters have been thrust back into the spotlight. Steve Rogers has taken back the mantle of Captain America, and Thor is a man again. Miles Morales shares the Spider-Man title with Peter Parker, the original Spider-Man.

Morales has grown in popularity beyond comic books, having starred in Sony's Oscar-winning animated "Into the Spider-Verse" movie in 2018 and in a coming PlayStation video game called "Spider-Man: Miles Morales."

Beacham said he was glad that Morales continued to be a Spider-Man.

"It would have made him less important," Beacham said of Morales' losing the Spider-Man title. "He becomes Spider-Man with an asterisk. It takes away the power for kids who relate to this character."

'There's not a lack of people who can do the work'

Now, Marvel's comic-book slate is once again largely focused on classic characters, though characters like Morales and Khan remain. And there are some comics starring diverse characters from creators of color, like Ta-Nehisi Coates' "Black Panther." But their stories are in the hands of an editorial department run by an establishment of white male leadership.

"There's not a lack of people who can do the work," said Yumy Odom, the founder of the East Coast Black Age of Comics Convention, which helps to showcase the talents of creators of color. "But it's about how receptive the industry is to them. I can think of 20 creators, mostly African Americans, who would be ready to work at Marvel."

Women faced an uphill battle at Marvel as well, the Marvel editors said. A female former assistant editor told Business Insider that she was never promoted or given a raise from her $30,000 salary in her three years at the company. She said she got promoted within a year at her new company, a different comics publisher.

Marvel declined to discuss employee salaries.

The Marvel insiders said a notable exception was Sana Amanat, who is Pakistani American and a former editor. She is now Marvel's head of content and character development, a leadership role outside the editorial department.

'There's a whole cohort of young readers'

Marvel has significantly bounced back from its 2017 sales decline, which might suggest that the refocus on its classic characters reeled longtime readers back.

Of the top 100 best-selling comics of 2020 so far, 69 belonged to Marvel, as of Wednesday, including four of the top five, and the company has accounted for 41% of comic sales this year, according to industry website Comichron. Three years ago, Marvel was lagging behind DC, its biggest competitor.

An example of the start of this resurgence was the first issue of Marvel's "Amazing Spider-Man" relaunch — starring the original Spider-Man, Peter Parker — which ranked fifth in 2018 out of all comics, according to data from Comichron. In contrast, when Marvel launched a series called "Miles Morales Spider-Man" in that year, the debut issue didn't crack the top 200 best-selling comics.

"People of a certain age have a connection with Peter Parker, not Miles Morales," a former Marvel staffer said. "Years from now, that may be different."

The current and former Marvel staffers Business Insider spoke with said they were hopeful that readership could broaden, particularly now that characters such as Morales and Khan are being introduced to audiences in other media like movies and TV. Khan is to appear in a Disney Plus TV series and the upcoming "Avengers" video game, for instance.

There are signs that the comics industry is going through a larger shift in how people read and who is reading, which could also spur change.

Last year, comic sales through the "book channel" — which includes chain and independent book stores and online retailers like Amazon — surpassed comic-book stores for the first time, driven by the increased popularity in children's graphic novels, according to an analysis by ICv2.

Milton Griepp, the chief executive of ICv2, said at the New York Comic Con conference last year that the shift could usher in a new audience for superhero comic books.

"There's a whole cohort of young readers that are being introduced to this medium and may graduate to other forms of content in the comic format over the course of their lifespans," Griepp said.

Beacham said: "Marvel needs to figure out the next stage of its core demographic because it could change rapidly."

#marvel #businessinsider.com is going to hunt me down like a wild animal

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wellhalesbells · 4 years ago

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✨✨ TOP FIVES FOR 2020 ✨✨

2020 was, i think we can all agree, a massively chaotic year but i have never consumed as much media before in my life, so i thought others might benefit from my slothery uh, connoisseur.... ship? yes, that. below are the books, comics, shows, and movies that got me through!

B O O K S .

the starless sea, by erin morgenstern - i loooove this book because it loves me back. it says: ‘oh, you’re a reader, well i have just the thing for you.’ it luxuriates in language and story and riddles and fairy tales and it feels like an entire library in a single tome.

they never learn, by layne fargo - oh fuuuuuck, this was satisfying. i thought it might feel a little exploitative as it is very aware of the zeitgeist and likely would not exist without the #metoo movement but it never ever did. this was a fucking ROMP, period. reading about a woman getting away with murdering skeezy guy after rapey guy after shitty human just made me happier and happier.

moonflower murders, by anthony horowitz - this is the second in the susan ryeland series (and the first was hardcore good fun too) and really feels very classic mystery with the artful twist of catering to the literary community. mainly because: susan isn’t a detective, she’s an editor and she gets drafted in this time because the clue to what happened to a missing woman is in a book she edited, if she can find it. both of the books in this series have such an excellent coming together moment that is rare af to find.

the invisible life of addie larue, by v.e. schwab - the writing in this is just so good. it has that feel to me where i just want to drop the book and open up my own page and let my fingers fly. it’s that inspiring kind of writing that reminds you of all the things language can do.

crown of feathers/heart of flames, by nicki pau preto - aaahhh, this series is SO FREAKING GOOD! why is there not more of a fandom for it, why???? it is so many of my favorite tropes all resting perfectly together to the point where you almost forget they’re tropes because they just so naturally evolved there. ugh, it’s just.... it’s so heart-bursty good.

.... number 5, part 2? raybearer, by jordan ifueko - this was just so original and i was invested af. like, what a brilliant idea though and an even better execution?? i loved every character and am so looking forward to the next in the series so i can get to know them even better!!

honorable mentions (sh*t i still liked a whole heckuva lot): you/hidden bodies, by caroline kepnes // writers & lovers, by lily king // i’ll be gone in the dark, by michelle mcnamara // the faceless old woman who secretly lives in your home, by joseph fink & jeffrey cranor // girl, serpent, thorn, by melissa bashardoust // a little life, by hanya yanagihara // the guinevere deception, by kiersten white // obsidio (and the entire illuminae series), by amie kaufman & jay kristoff // the bone houses, by emily lloyd-jones // house of salt and sorrows, by erin a. craig // we hunt the flame, by hafsah faizal // savage legion, by matt wallace // blacktop wasteland, by s.a. cosby // crier’s war, by nina varela // the empress of salt and fortune/when the tiger came down the mountain, by nghi vo // upright women wanted, by sarah gailey // the monster of elendhaven, by jennifer giesbrecht // a deadly education, by naomi novik // you let me in, by camilla bruce // when you ask me where i’m going, by jasmin kaur // the lights go out in lychford/last stand in lychford (and the entire lychford series), by paul cornell // the devil and the dark water, by stuart turton // serpent & dove, by shelby mahurin // one by one, by ruth ware // ruthless gods (this was SUCH an upshot from the first book - it’s worth sticking with if you’re on the fence), by emily a. duncan // cemetery boys, by aiden thomas // the inheritance games, by jennifer lynn barnes // the fortunate ones (2021 release), by ed tarkington

C O M I C S .

cosmoknights, by hannah templer - the art was gorgeous, the gayness was glorious, and just.... hot HOOOOOOOOT lady knights in space?! a princess winning her own hand? find something not to love in there, i dare you.

don’t go without me, by rosemary valero-o’connell - wow. wow wow wow wow wow. the writing was stunning, so lyrical and atmospheric and deep, and rosemary has to be one of my favorite artists but even that managed to come as a beautiful surprise because it was just so freaking bold.

through the woods, by emily carroll - i loooove emily carroll, the convergence of spine-tingling horror and art that feeds into it, that is both visually and aesthetically pleasing, is hard to beat! p.s. i also read beneath the dead oak tree from her this year and it was also a BANGER.

the impending blindness of billie scott, by zoe thorogood - zoe is someone that i just want to follow. she’s just starting and i want to be there for every single step. i love her art style and her ability to tell a story with it.

above the clouds, by melissa pagluica - this was so unique, and such a baller concept, as nearly half the entire book is conveyed only through the art and yet you’re never once lost, never once confused as to what any character is thinking or feeling. it’s a story within a story and only one of those gets words though they both are chock full of emotion!

um.... number 5, part 2? crowded, by christopher sebela - everything about this series is fun af. crowd-funded assassination and a hirable bodyguard who’s rated like an uber driver??? and the chemistry between the two mains is so great and gay!!

honorable mentions: monster and the beast, by renji // long exposure, by kam ‘mars’ heyward // fence, by c.s. pacat // invisible kingdom, by g. willow wilson // ms. marvel, by g. willow wilson // heathen, by natasha alterici // not drunk enough, by tess stone // giant days, by john allison // die, by kieron gillen // be prepared, by vera brosgol // ascender (sequel to descender, which is also great), by jeff lemire // the unbeatable squirrel girl, by ryan north // bang! bang! boom!, by melanie schoen // gideon falls, by jeff lemire // life of melody, by mari costa // cry wolf girl, by ariel slamet ries // the tea dragon society, by katie o’neill // ptsd, by guillaume singelin // heartstopper, by alice oseman // solutions and other problems, by allie brosh // finding home, by hari conner // the magic fish, by trung le nguyen // something is killing the children, by james tynion iv // the weight of them, by noelle stevenson // spill zone, by scott westerfeld // skyward, by joe henderson // miles morales, by saladin ahmed

F I L M S.

parasite, dir. bong joon ho - oh it was satisfying, oh it was suspenseful, oh i had to watch some of it through my fingers but i loooooooved it. such a good story and so well made.

knives out, dir. rian johnson - okay, everything about this movie was amazing. every single character was fun as hell and i could’ve watched an entire movie about each of them. what a great fucking mystery!

blindspotting, dir. carlos lopez estrada - this made my heart hurt so damn much. what glorious writing, acting, and story!

portrait of a lady on fire, dir. celine sciamma - gooooorgeous cinematography, amazing chemistry, and such a soft, atmospheric film.

the farewell, dir. lulu wang - i cried and my heart felt so full and i love it so so much.

um.... number 5, part 2? someone great, dir. jennifer kaytin robinson - no part of me expected to love a netflix movie this much but it’s a love story that doesn’t get told that often?? the end of a relationship and the true love of friendship and i love these girls and i love jenny and nate’s broken relationship.

honorable mentions: eighth grade, dir. bo burnham // booksmart, dir. olivia wilde // midsommar, dir. ari aster // the curse of la llorona, dir. michael chaves // the secret life of pets 2, dirs. chris renaud & jonathan del val // jojo rabbit, dir. taika waititi // the invisible man, dir. leigh whannell // the favourite, dir. yorgos lanthimos // can you ever forgive me?, dir. marielle heller // troop zero, dirs. bert & bertie // ready or not, dirs. matt bettinelli-olpin & tyler gillett // brave, dirs. mark andrews & brenda chapman & steve purcell // the half of it, dir. alice wu // palm springs, dir. max barbakow // doctor sleep, dir. mike flanaghan // uncut gems, dirs. benny sadfie & josh sadfie // birds of prey, dir. cathy van // bloodshot, dir. dave wilson // the old guard, dir. gina prince-bythewood // enola holmes, dir. harry bradbeer // hocus pocus, dir. kenny ortega // always be my maybe, dir. nahnatchka khan // finding dory, dirs. andrew stanton & angus maclane // die hard, dir. john mctiernan

S H O W S .

black sails (2014) - this show, this shooooooooow. i cannot, it just makes me want to cry with how good it is. the characters, the EMOTIONS, the story, the plaaaaaan. like, the creators clearly had a plan for every single step of this show and it was a gOOD, GOOD PLAN.

the untamed (2019) - truly, cheesy good fun with one of the best gay romances ever. i love these characters and their relationships to each other and the way it glories in its own ridiculousness.

the righteous gemstones (2019) - one of the things that bothered me about my next choice (the ratio of female to male nudity) was so much more realistic in this one (i mean, we’ve all gotten five thousand dick pics and i know like three people? so the fact that there is so rarely male nudity in shows when there are tits everywhere..... no, how does that even make a tiny bit of sense?). this show was such great, wonderful, awful fun. they’re not great people and the show is under no delusion about that and it’s GLORIOUS!

the witcher (2019) - this was just hella fun, i loved the characters and the fantasy elements. i’m excited for the next season, it’s just entertaining swashbuckling through and through!

fargo (2014) - all of this was really very enjoyable with the through line being somebody fucks shit up and gets involved in something they really shouldn’t be involved in that’s going to swallow them whole. season one and season three were my stand-out favorites but they were all so violent, clever, and vicious!

um.... number 5, part 2? central park (2020) - um..... so many of the hamilton actors in a muscial cartoon drawn and written by the bob’s burgers team? WHAT ABOUT THAT DOESN’T SOUND AMAZING?! it was such a joy to hear daveed diggs and leslie odom jr.’s voices again!!

honorable mentions: schitt’s creek // the mandalorian // mr. robot // broadchurch // mindhunter // jack ryan // the good place // the end of the f***ing world // big little lies // elite // kidding // servant // letterkenny // curb your enthusiasm // i am not okay with this // ozark // buzzfeed unsolved: true crime/supernatural // you // runaways // dear white people // dickinson // brooklyn nine-nine // will & grace // 9-1-1 // dead to me // solar opposites // never have i ever // killing eve // what we do in the shadows // grace and frankie // avenue 5 // roswell, new mexico // the bold type // evil // tuca & bertie // impulse // the umbrella academy // watchmen // infinity train // corporate // search party // on becoming a god in central florida // a.p. bio // criminal: uk // the morning show // mythic quest // last week tonight // prodigal son // the great

#the starless sea #the invisible life of addie larue #the untamed #knives out #2020 favorites list!!#i tried to stick to shows i both started and finished in 2020 otherwise like schitt's creek and the good place would be in top five #same for comics #uh oh i've found the keyboard again

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multiverseforger · 4 years ago

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Edit

In November 2013, Marvel Comics announced that Kamala Khan, a teenage American Muslim from Jersey City, New Jersey, would take over the comic book series Ms. Marvel beginning in February 2014. The series, written by G. Willow Wilson and drawn by Adrian Alphona, marked the first time a Muslim character headlined a book at Marvel Comics.[2] However, Noelene Clark of the Los Angeles Times noted that Khan is not the first Muslim character in comic books, which include Simon Baz, Dust and M.[3] The conception of Kamala Khan came about during a conversation between Marvel editors Sana Amanat and Stephen Wacker. Amanat said, "I was telling him [Wacker] some crazy anecdote about my childhood, growing up as a Muslim American. He found it hilarious." The pair then told Wilson about the concept and Wilson became eager to jump aboard the project.[4] Amanat said that the series came from a "desire to explore the Muslim-American diaspora from an authentic perspective."[5]

Artist Jamie McKelvie based Khan's design on his redesign of Carol Danvers as Captain Marvel and on Dave Cockrum's design of the original Ms. Marvel.[6] Amanat requested that the design "reflected the Captain Marvel legacy, and also her story and her background."[7] Amanat stated that Khan's costume was influenced by the shalwar kameez. They wanted the costume to represent her cultural identity, but did not want her to wear a hijab,[8] because the majority of teenage Pakistani-American girls do not wear one.[9] Amanat also stated that they wanted the character to look "less like a sex siren" to appeal to a more vocal female readership.[8]

Marvel knew that they wanted a young Muslim girl, but stated that she could be from any place of origin and have any background. Wilson initially considered making her an Arab girl from Dearborn, Michigan but ultimately chose to create a Desi girl from Jersey City.[10] Jersey City, which sits across the Hudson River from Manhattan, has been referred to as New York City's "Sixth borough".[11][12][13] It therefore forms an important part of Khan's identity and the narrative journey of her character since most of Marvel Comics' stories are set in Manhattan. Wilson explains, "A huge aspect of Ms. Marvel is being a 'second string hero' in the 'second string city' and having to struggle out of the pathos and emotion that can give a person."[14]

The series not only explores Khan's conflicts with supervillains but also explores conflicts with Khan's home and religious duties. Wilson, a convert to Islam, said "This is not evangelism. It was really important for me to portray Kamala as someone who is struggling with her faith." Wilson continued, "Her brother is extremely conservative, her mom is paranoid that she's going to touch a boy and get pregnant, and her father wants her to concentrate on her studies and become a doctor."[4] Amanat added,

As much as Islam is a part of Kamala's identity, this book isn't preaching about religion or the Islamic faith in particular. It's about what happens when you struggle with the labels imposed on you, and how that forms your sense of self. It's a struggle we've all faced in one form or another, and isn't just particular to Kamala because she's Muslim. Her religion is just one aspect of the many ways she defines herself.[2]

First appearance of Kamala Khan from Captain Marvel #14 (August 2013) by Kelly Sue DeConnick and Scott Hepburn

In the series, Khan takes the name Ms. Marvel from Carol Danvers, who now goes by the alias Captain Marvel. Captain Marvel writer Kelly Sue DeConnick revealed that Khan actually made a brief appearance in Captain Marvel #14 (August 2013) saying, "Kamala is in the background of a scene in Captain Marvel 14 ... She is very deliberately placed in a position where she sees Carol protecting civilians from Yon-Rogg."[15] According to Wilson, Khan idolizes Carol so when Khan acquires superhuman abilities, she emulates Danvers.[14] "Captain Marvel represents an ideal that Kamala pines for. She's strong, beautiful and doesn't have any of the baggage of being Pakistani and 'different,'"[4] Wilson explained. "Khan is a big comic book fan and after she discovers her superhuman power – being a polymorph and able to lengthen her arms and legs and change her shape – she takes on the name of Ms. Marvel," Amanat elaborated.[16] Khan is one of several characters who discover that they have Inhuman heritage following the "Inhumanity" storyline, in which the Terrigen Mists are released throughout the world and activate dormant Inhuman cells.[17]

In the series' first story arc, Khan faces off against Mr. Edison / the Inventor, an amalgam of man and bird. Wilson created the Inventor to be Khan's first arch rival in order to mirror Khan's own complexity. Wilson characterizes the Inventor, and the overall visual look of the opening story arc as "kooky and almost Miyazaki-esque at times", owing to the art style of illustrator Adrian Alphona, which balances the drama of the threats which Khan faces with the humor of Alphona's "tongue in cheek sight gags." During the storyline, Khan also teams-up with the X-Man Wolverine against the Inventor. Because Wolverine is dealing with the loss of his healing factor during this time, Khan is placed in the position of having to shoulder much of the responsibilities, as Wilson felt this was a role reversal that would subvert reader expectations that Wolverine would take the lead in such a team-up.[18]

At the 2014 San Diego Comic-Con International, writer Dan Slott announced that Khan would team-up with Spider-Man beginning in The Amazing Spider-Man #7 (October 2014) during the "Spider-Verse" storyline. Slott characterized Khan "the closest character to classic Peter Parker,"[19] explaining, "She's a teenage superhero, juggling her life, making mistakes, trying to do everything right."[20]

Beginning in June 2015, Ms. Marvel tied into the "Secret Wars" crossover event with the "Last Days" storyline, which details Khan's account of the end of the Marvel Universe. Wilson explained, "In the 'Last Days' story arc, Kamala has to grapple with the end of everything she knows, and discover what it means to be a hero when your whole world is on the line."[21] In the storyline, Khan rushes to deal with the threat in Manhattan. However, Wilson revealed, "She will face a very personal enemy as the chaos in Manhattan spills over into Jersey City, and she will be forced to make some very difficult choices. There will also be a very special guest appearance by a superhero Kamala—and the fans—have been waiting to meet for a long time."[22]

In March 2015, Marvel announced that Khan will join the Avengers in All-New All-Different Avengers FCBD (May 2015) by writer Mark Waid and artists Adam Kubert and Mahmud Asrar, which takes place in the aftermath of "Secret Wars".[23] A second volume of Ms. Marvel starring Khan by Wilson, Alphona and Takeshi Miyazawa is also debuted following "Secret Wars" as part of Marvel's All-New, All-Different Marvel initiative.[24] Amanat said,

By the time this new launch comes around, it will have been almost two years since the premiere of Ms. Marvel—and boy, has Kamala Khan been through a lot since then. She's been slowly coming into her own, dealing with the challenges of navigating adulthood and being a super hero. But her training is over now and it's time for the big leagues; the question is can she handle it? ... As much as Kamala has a right to be there—it's still a bit of a culture shock. Dreaming of being an Avenger and then suddenly being one is a lot to take on for someone of her age. So, she'll be a little awestruck, a little overly ambitious.[25]

In March 2016, Marvel announced that Ms. Marvel would tie into the "Civil War II" storyline by releasing a promotional image illustrating a rift between Khan and Danvers.[26] "While "Civil War II" may have initiated this rift, we've known for some time that Kamala would eventually need to separate herself from her idols. Her journey centers around self-discovery and identity, and a part of that exploration includes separating yourself from those you put on pedestals. The rift between Carol and Kamala doesn't really have to do with right and wrong. It has to do with growing up and realizing that you perceive the world differently from even the ones you love," Amanat elaborated.[27]

In July, Marvel announced that Khan will join the Champions, a team of teenage superheroes who split off from the Avengers following the conclusion of "Civil War II". The team, featured in a series by writer Mark Waid and artist Humberto Ramos, consists of Khan, Spider-Man (Miles Morales), Nova (Sam Alexander), Hulk (Amadeus Cho), Viv Vision, and a teenage version of Cyclops. Waid said, "The first three are the kids who quit the Avengers proper. That was an easy get. Those three, in and of themselves, form a nice little subteam. Their dynamic is great. They all show up in each other's books, and even though they have their arguments and stress points, clearly they're good together."[28]

In August, Khan made an appearance in Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur #10 by writers Amy Reeder and Brandon Montclare. In the issue, Khan acts as a mentor to Moon Girl (Lunella Lafayette) who is also a young Inhuman that suddenly came into her powers. Amanat stated that Khan sees much of herself in Lafayette and by teaching her, Khan learns much about herself.[27]

In November, Marvel announced that Khan will join a new incarnation of the Secret Warriors in a series by writer Matthew Rosenberg and artist Javier Garron that debuted in May 2017. The team, formed in the wake of the "Inhumans vs X-Men" storyline, also includes Quake, Karnak, Moon Girl, and Devil Dinosaur. Rosenberg stated that there is some conflict and friction amongst the team members explaining, "Ms. Marvel and Quake are really fighting for the soul of the team in a lot of ways, while Moon Girl will continue to really do her own thing. They will all be tested and challenged, they are superheroes after all, but they are going to do things their way."[29]

In March 2017, Marvel announced that Khan would team-up with Danvers in a one-shot issue of the limited anthology series, Generations by Wilson and Paolo Villanelle. Wilson stated that the issue would explore Danvers' and Khan's mentor–student relationship, but "at its heart, [it] is about growing up, and a big part of growing up is discovering that your idols have feet of clay – and forgiving them for their flaws as you gain an adult understanding of your own."[30]

In December, Ms. Marvel began the "Teenage Wasteland" story arc, as part of the Marvel Legacy relaunch. Wilson said, "Since the events of 'Civil War II', there's been friction between Kamala and her mentor, Captain Marvel. In this arc, we're exploring how complicated legacies can be when they're passed from generation to generation ... She's questioning a lot about herself and her mission. Her friends end up stepping into some very important—and unexpected—roles. So in a sense, the arc is really about a bunch of chronically under-estimated teenagers who pull together to fight evil."[31]

Ms. Marvel #31, the 50th issue of Ms. Marvel featuring Khan was released in June 2018. To mark the occasion, Marvel brought in additional collaborators for the issue including writers: G. Willow Wilson, Saladin Ahmed, Rainbow Rowell, and Hasan Minhaj; and artists: Nico Leon, Bob Quinn, Gustavo Duarte, and Elmo Bondoc.[32]

Beginning in March 2019, Khan headlined a new series titled, The Magnificent Ms. Marvel, written by Ahmed and illustrated by Minkyu Jung. Wilson stated that she had been planning her departure from the series for over a year, stating that she originally anticipated that the series would only last for ten issues and was excited by the fact that she had written 60 issues. Ahmed said the new series will have much wider scope, "while still maintaining that intimate tone that people have loved about it."[33]

In July 2020, Marvel announced that Khan would star in an original graphic novel, published in conjunction with Scholastic and aimed at younger readers. The book will be written by author Nadia Shammas. An illustrator has not yet been named.[34

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chronicas · 4 years ago

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i know i’ve been talking about the spider-man post™️ all day but it’s because i’m adhd as hell and think about things a lot. my least favorite thing about the post is i forgot to address the main thing that bugs me about mcu peter. it’s not just his internship with stark, it’s the fact that they chose to make him work with stark at all.

peter was intended to be an everyman hero, he was just an everyday guy struggling with poverty and taking care of his aunt. making him a billionaire capitalist’s sidekick is in very poor taste. it makes it very hard for audiences to relate to him, and peter was intentionally made to be relatable.

and not to circle back to the spider-verse comics (and by association the movie) but this is why the spider-verse exists, is to make spider man even more relatable. spider-men that are people of color, spider-women that girls can relate to more, older spider-men, younger spider-men, as the comics grow we’ll begin to see even more diverse spider-people.

the other issue i didn’t touch on is the fact that mcu peter isn’t even telling peter’s story, he’s much more like miles in the since that ned is basically a copy of ganke lee. not saying i don’t love ned, because i do, but it is upsetting to see them take from miles’ story, therefore making ganke seem less original to people who aren’t long time spider-man fans. i honestly think the reason they cut all the scenes with ganke from the spider-verse movie is because of the similarities to the mcu, but i haven’t found any sources discussing the main reasons for cutting out his role in the movie.

all these things combined make peter’s story one that isn’t really his. he doesn’t have his own independent character development that’s unrelated to stark in some way. they don’t even mention uncle ben’s death which is the most fundamental part of peter’s development as a hero. the only thing that makes him feel familiar is tom holland’s acting and how well he portrayed a dorky high school spider-man.

i’m not even saying i didn’t enjoy the movies, i was a big fan of the mcu for a long time honestly. they were good movies in my opinion, but they weren’t really spider-man movies to me.

and i could go on to explain many other issues i have with the films, but i’ll keep it more brief for now. in the civil war comics, they show how peter and stark don’t make a good team, honestly i just recommend reading the comics yourself.

also in case you’re wondering who i think the “best” peter parker is, it’s insomniac’s

#spider-man #marvel #mcu #anti mcu #ophidian lore

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rumor-imbris · 3 years ago

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Hello, Lady Connor! I want to ask out of unbearable, suffocating curiosity in my heart, even though in the previous post you already said to not mention "that certain comic". Could you please enlighten me about your view on that comic and what you despise about it? I would love to read your detailed thoughts about it even if just once. But if this is too triggering for you, I'm truly sorry for your discomfort and you don't need to answer it.

Hello, dear Anon and welcome ^-^ It's weird you naturally called me Lady Connor, as usually only my little fairy @giuliettaluce does. Well, I guess her magic put a spell on everybody here!!

If you really care to know, I'll answer, but brace yourself, it's going to be very long, almost an essay, because I can be very detailed about that comic being a failure in its every part. There's so much to say. You're right, as I mentioned before, it can trigger me, but I have attentively analized it and I know it makes not a single atom of sense. So nothing can actually bother me that much, don't worry ^_-

First of all, my general consideration of the AC Reflections comic issue #4, (yeah, that thing -.-) is that of a mere attempt to desperately make Bayek's remote vision through Senu's eyes a canon feature. It was created and published in 2017, the same year AC Origins was released and yes, they needed an excuse to make believe Connor's alleged daughter inherited a skill someone (who isn't even their direct ancestor!!) that lived 1700 years ago in ancient Egypt had! OMG, this should be funny enough, but I'll go on. Also, I think it was likely a carelessly arranged way to satisfy those AC3 fans demanding a "happy ending" for unlucky Connor (quite 5 years later, of course).

I'll better go step by step to figure out where to start from, seriously.

1) In the comic, when Otso Berg opens the file related to Connor, the scene is set in "1796: Upstate New York." Now this is chronologically and spacially incoherent and illogical. We see Connor still wears his assassin outfit in it, right? According to AC Initiates (2012) in 1804 Connor invites the Dominican assassin Eseosa at the Davenport homestead to provide him some advices and further training as he's involved in the leading of the Haitian Revolution. That's a really cool character, read about him, if you want!

So, until then Connor is still an assassin, probably the mentor (by now) of the Colonial Brotherhood. He still runs the homestead and he still commands the Aquila, I guess, he's the captain still. I calculated the distance between the homestead and the then upper NY frontier territories is approximately 260 miles (quite far nowadays with cars and planes as well). Then, why the hell should he have a family located in the forest upstate NY? It sounds very unconfortable to run back and forth to reach them and go back to take care of all the Brotherhood matters, doesn't it? Unless he knew about teleportation!!! Also, wow, he lives all alone in a nice massive villa with all the comforts of that time while his children and wife still live in a Native village constantly menaced by settlers wanting to steal their land? Beside the fact that Connor, at least in my point of view, seemed at last very familiar with european way of living by the end of the game, this leads us to the next point.

2) By the time the game and the comic are set (second half of 18th century), most of the East Coast Native tribes were facing the tragic and forced migration to western and northern territories (mostly towards Canada, protected by the British) because of all the consequences of the Revolutionary War (lost territories, failed alliances, settlers advancing and buying their lands and so on). So tells us history, unfortunately. It's a fact. And this is wisely showed to us in the AC3 main game when, after all the Kanien'kehá:ka tribes had left the territory around Connor's village (yes, even those near New York, to be clear) even Connor's own tribe at last migrates west, leaving an empty ghost village. They had remained all along to protect the secret temple, but in the end they as well were forced to leave. So, to me it's highly improbable that in upstate NY, one could still find a tribe and even if so, that Connor would let his family live there and risk their safety everyday.

3) The whole comic plot revolves around the fact that Io:nhiòte has a "special gift"... She inexplicably knows how to read the ground and find animal traces, she also can perform a perfect twisted acrobatic flip in the air and land unharmed to the ground. Do we know why? No, don't ask! xD She simply knows U.U, even if right after the next scene she slips and falls miserably down a cliff xD, but... ok!! Beside that, when Connor is far away to search for some water and is about to be attacked by a wolf hidden in the grass nearby, she sees the whole scene from the eyes of an eagle flying in the sky above her. As I said before, this reminds us of Bayek's (never clearly explained) ability to see through his eagle Senu's eyes and spot dangers and enemies. Now can you tell me why the hell this little girl has super powers and a skill Bayek had? As I said, they are not even directely related, as Bayek is not one of Desmond Miles' ancestor, we know him simply because Layla's new Animus is magical and can inexplicably read fragmented DNA from people who died a thousand years ago (it can also prepair coffee, I think!). So, where did she get that from? Magic? Mysteries of life? Convenient improbable connections for marketing's sake? We'll never know and you should simply accept that and ask no question!

4) From her height, way of speaking/moving/running, I assume Io:nhiòte is at least 8 years old, 8 - 9 minimum. She's the youngest of three siblings, who must be at least two years older than her and than each other (according to a human woman pregnancy timing!). If the comic events are set 12 years after the main game ending (1784, when Connor also starts to train the young ex-slave Patience Gibbs, arriving at the Davenport homestead with Aveline De Grandpré, according to AC IV Black Flag bonus mission with Aveline), so, this means that in that same year Connor must have found hastily the love of his life in a Native village (as if he was easy to open himself with other people after all he's been through), married her, impregnated her and seen her give birth to their first child, all in the same year when (let's not foget! xD) he still is the leader of the Colonial Assassin Brotherhood at the Davenport homestead training novices. Now, this may even be possible humanly speaking, (well, if you force the things a bit and hurry up!) but highly unlikely to happen!! xD

These are the main problems affecting the logic of the comic in my opinion, the points making its foundations crumble apart. Though I'm sure there are many little others to point out, such as Otso Berg "opening" Connor's files... like what? Where did those data come out from? I remember playing AC IV Black Flag and uncovering a file where Abstergo researchers themselves closed access to his memories as there was "nothing appealing to this character anymore"! So, if no more researches were conducted on him since 2013, where did Mr Berg magically or conveniently discovered such data in 2017?

Or... do we want to talk about the cover? It shows Connor in the spirit outfit from the Tyranny of King Washington DLC, which has apparently nothing to do with the comic, since it is set in his present day and he wears his assassin standard robe. Now, I think that can be either a simple marketing choice to make the comic more appealing, as... well, that cover is so cool, let's admit that, or maybe the subtle suggestion that the events told in it are just a parallel Disney-like reality and are not to be considered true at all! xD i don't know, maybe both explanations are right.

I'm sure that the deeper i dig, the more nothing rational I'll find!

If you played the old games, if you know well the franchise and its lore, the true, good, old AC lore, you definitely realize by yourself how that comic is useless and senseless.

This doesn't mean I do not wish an "happy ending" for Connor. But I'd rather accept something coherent with the main game events and AC chronology. Also, it doesn't necessarily needs to be a "happy" ending, as they conveniently created to please complaining fans. I wished for something real... coherent with his personality, acquired life-style and endless sense of duty and values.

Maybe that's what pushed me to write my FanFic novel in the first place, after all... To give him MY OWN cohesive ending, including my love, for love is always needed, I guess.

I'm so sorry if the answer took this long in time and words, but you were warned! ^w^

Though, thank you... Seriously, thank you so much for asking. You made me reflect once more about this matter.

Come visit me again, if you want. Take care

- Rumor Imbris 🦋

P.S. Oh, and if you're interested, this is my "jelousy song", for when things like this trigger my inner witch!! xD

#ask #ask me anything #I Am the Storm!!!!#AC3 Reflections #why it sucks #why it makes no sense #thanks for asking #anon ask

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starrynite7114 · 4 years ago

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Misconstrued: Part 6

A/N: FINALLY! SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG. School is back in session and things you never knew has been occupying me. But here it is now! So excited to finally update! I hope you all will enjoy this one.

Did you guys want a few more parts? See how their relationship progress? Should we move on to another series? LOL Let me know what you think!

Also, thank you again for the response I’ve been getting for this story. I enjoy reading all of your comments!

Please check out the Masterlist! I updated it with links that hopefully work for my multi-chapter fics!

Anon: I don’t know if this is too specific but could you do something about Angel ruining a date and later admits it because he loves them and then they have some angry smut and late night fluff

Anon, I hope you’ve enjoyed misconstrued! It wasn’t exactly how you requested it, but I still hope you enjoyed it!

Word Count: 6927

Warnings: Mild angst, Smut

Previous parts

Part 1 : Part 2 : Part 3 : Part 4 : Part 5

Masterlist

Tag list: @iambabyharry; @justahopelessssromantic : @carlaangel86 : @marvelmaree : @mrsamaroevans : @ifoundmyhappythought : @woahitslucyylu : @cind-in-real-life : @briannab1234 : @fairygardenss : @gemini0410 : @everyhowlmarksthedead : @losolvidad0s : @whyisgmora : @comasi-world : @xserenax-13 : @chibsytelford : @welovethesponge : @claytoncardenasbabymama : @jadert15 : @bigcreatorwombatdreamer : @trulysuccubus : @pananegra : @summertimesadnesswithadashofsass : @encounterthepast : @enamoured-x : @elcococruz : @samcrobae : @sadeyesgf : @briana-mishell24

Credit to the original creator of the gif!

You jolted awake, hearing the banging of cabinets in your kitchen. Looking at your phone that laid beside you, it was nearing three in the morning. You had multiple messages from EZ and Angel, frowning as to why dumb and dumber left numerous messages on your phone and called you as well. Grabbing your bat, you were hoping it was Angel that was in your kitchen, hell, maybe even EZ, but you could never be too sure. Making your way out of your room, you heard Angel cussed as he rummaged through your fridge.

Sighing in relief, you placed your baseball bat back in your closet. Making your way out of your room, you found Angel sitting on your couch. He looked up at you and you could see the tears in his eyes.

“Angel, what are you doing here?”

“EZ betrayed me.” Angel uttered out, his voice thick.

“What?” You approached him, and Angel pulled you to him as soon as you were close enough, resting his head on your stomach, wrapping his arms around you.

You ran your fingers through his hair, kissing the top of his head. You waited for him to speak, but he remained silent and just held you.

“Let’s go to bed?”

He placed his beer on the table and followed you to your bedroom. He took off his clothing, leaving him in his muscle shirt and boxers. When he found out about EZ’s betrayal, all he wanted to do was see you. He fucking missed you. It was insane how a woman could change his life so quickly. But it was hard to imagine life without you at this point.

Angel slipped in beside you. You were facing one another. Tracing a finger on Angel’s face, you could see the sadness and anger in his eyes. He proceeded to tell you everything. From the rebels to EZ’s betrayal. You just listened as he let it all out, his frustration, concerns, anger and his sadness. You couldn’t believe EZ would do what he did, but at the same time, it made sense. EZ wouldn’t get a pass just because the cop was crooked.

“I love you, you’re a good man Angel Reyes, even though you don’t think so.” You kissed him.

Angel wrapped his arms around you, pulling you flush against him. He buried his face at the crook of your neck, your hand soothingly running up and down his back.

“I’m so fucking sorry, I don’t deserve you. You’re the only person who put me first with no hesitation. I should have respected our relationship and included you in this whole bullshit.” He held you tighter if that was possible, his tears wetting your skin. “I love you, I fuck up, but I’ll try not to, just please come back to me.”

“You’ve always had me Angel.” You felt the tears pricking your eyes as well. It was heartbreaking to hear Angel cry. “Just give me some time, and then we’ll be back together.”

He nodded his head, keeping his face buried at the crook of your neck. You felt his breathing even out as you continued to rub his back. Eventually you fell asleep as well.

The next morning, you woke up and Angel was nowhere in sight. You weren’t surprised since you’re almost certain he was needed at the clubhouse. Letting out a yawn, you contemplated if you wanted to get up yet since you didn’t have to be at work till noon. You closed your eyes and before you could go back to sleep, you felt the bed dip. You would have been alarmed if you didn’t smell Angel’s familiar scent. He pulled you against him as he laid back down, wrapping his arm around you.

“I always feel stupid talking to you while you’re asleep, but at times, it’s better this way so I don’t become distracted of just wanting to kiss you.” You heard him chuckle. “I remember when I first saw you and how you hid behind your tio, which was comical since you’re fucking taller than him.” You smiled, wondering if Angel spoke to you in your sleep often. “I was attracted to you then, then I found myself gravitating towards you, hanging on to your every fucking word. This whole thing with Ezekiel, it fucking hurt me and I had to see you, because you’re the only thing that has made every pain go away and every insecurity I have about my brother seem like a million miles away. You’ve changed my life.” You heard him sniffle. “One day, I want to marry you, have kids with you, build a life with you. If I had to kill one of my own brothers to do so, I would. I would have buried Diego six feet under.”

Angel kissed the top of your head. “You can’t reply to me with that smart mouth of yours right now and I know you can’t hear me cause you sleep like the dead.” He chuckled. “But I love you. You’re my world and I hope one day you want to share the rest of your life with me. I fucked up with Diego, but God, just give me one more chance to prove to her that I deserve that chance.”

You had to hold yourself back from crying. Hearing Angel’s words, it made your heart swell. Sure there were things that occurred that had strained your relationship, but you could only stay away from Angel for so long, and he was so damn persistent. And you love Angel, more than you could even express. You debated on waking up or not, but you could feel his breathing evening out, most likely falling asleep again.

You could use a few more hours, you always slept best with Angel holding you.

==============

“I hate clubhouse parties.” You said to no one in particular as you park your car beside EZ’s trailer. You got out of your car, zipping up your bomber jacket. Jeans and t-shirts were your default. Comfort trumped everything.

Walking in the gate, the party was already in full swing. Angel has been texting you the whole day, and his nagging got more persistent when he arrived at the clubhouse and you weren’t there. You were certain that if you didn’t text him that you were on your way, he would have come and picked you up. It’s been two days since you last saw Angel since the club had him busy, but he never stopped texting you, calling you whenever he could.

“Hey bitch!” You heard Regina’s shrill voice call you.

You groaned, turning around and was surprised by the sudden sting on your cheek.

“You fucking happy now? You got what you fucking wanted.” She spat out venomously. “Your precious Diegito came for you.”

You were still shocked that this bitch just slapped you. Before you even know what was happening, all the pent up anger and frustration, hell, all the emotions you were put through by Regina all came back. You pulled your arm back and punched Regina right on the nose. You felt everyone’s eyes on you.

“Shit, are you okay?” You heard Diego ask you as he cupped your face, checking your cheek where Regina slapped you.

“She broke my nose Diego.” Regina cried out as she sat on the floor. She couldn’t believe Diego was checking on you when you had just punched her on the face.

“Serves you fucking right.” You heard Medina tell her as he made his way to you. “Knew those boxing lessons I gave you would come in handy. Should have done it years ago.” He slightly pushed Diego to the side and hugged you. “They’re at Templo right now, but I’m sure your boyfriend will be sad he missed you punching that bitch.”

You didn’t bother correcting Medina, you knew Angel would eventually become your boyfriend again. “My hand hurts,” you shook your hand, opening and closing it. “Not broken though.”

“Of course not, I taught you well.” Medina proudly told you. “I don’t even know why Diegito brought her here. Can you get rid of her? Send her back to Stockton.” He turned to Diego.

“You’re gonna pay for this bitch.” Regina warned you as she stood back up.

“Would love to see you try sweetheart.” Angel’s voice surprised all of you. “If I even hear that you’re breathing the same air as my girl, I won’t hesitate to put a bullet in between your eyes.” Angel wrapped an arm around you from behind.

“Fuck you and this club.” Regina stood up, dusting off her clothing. “Fuck you Diego and your small dick.”

“That’s not what you were saying before.” Diego yelled out after her.

Diego and Medina laughed while Angel’s attention was fixated on you.

“Did that feel good?” Medina knew all the hell Regina put you through. You never laid hands on Regina since she was never worth your time, but this time around, it was warranted.

You were never such a fan of inflicting violence, but you weren’t going to lie, that definitely felt good. “So good.”

“Damn baby, that was hot.” He kissed the side of your head after he pulled you against him. “You should let me show you just how good you looked.”

You laughed, playfully pushing him. “So, did you get it?”

Angel smirked and waved the patch in front of your eyes. “You're looking at the new secretary.”

“Congratulations!” You jumped into his arms. “So proud of you, well deserved.”

“Can I get a congratulatory kiss?”

“Absolutely.”

Angel kissed you, slipping his tongue inside your mouth as he did. His hands grabbed your ass, causing you to shriek.

“Angel!”

“Sorry,” he laughed.

His eyes connected with Diego who looked displeased by the public display of affection, but he didn’t give a fuck. Diego could kiss his ass. He was proud of that shiner on Diego’s left eye and the bruises and abrasions all over his face.

And he still had more coming for him.

“Everything okay with Ezekiel?”

“Yes, he’s going to quit and that’s that.” Angel wrapped an arm around you and brought you towards the clubhouse. “I don’t like how he looks at you.”

“Huh?” You looked at him, confused by what he meant. “Who?”

“Diego. I know you told him it was done, but I don’t think it’s registered.” Angel wasn’t happy that Diego was still here. He knew he was leaving soon, but it made him antsy whenever he saw Diego near you. “I should fuck him up.”

“You already did, remember?” You didn’t want anymore violence. You weren’t going to lie and say it felt good to see Diego with bruises on his face. He was your best friend not too long ago, even though you thought after all of his actions he deserved at least a punch or two.

“Yeah, but someone like him needs to really have it embedded with another beating.”

You stopped walking, turning Angel to face you. “Forget him, you have me. Just leave him be.”

“So you're done playing and you’re my girl again?” Angel smirked.

“Maybe.” You mischievously smiled at him. “Come on, I’m starving.” You pulled him towards the clubhouse so you could get some food.

“For my dick?”

“Angel!”

“You know you missed my dick, let's just skip this shit and go home.” He pulled you flushed against him, your back to his front. “I know I’ve missed the sight of your pussy, especially the taste, the feel, how fucking tight you are.” He whispered the last sentence in your ear, his hot breath against your skin. You felt a shiver go up your spine. You weren’t going to lie that his dirty mouth didn’t make you wet, but you had to at least be here for a few hours. “Come on baby, I’m the new El Secretario, you should give me congratulatory sex.”

“Behave,” you moved away from him, Angel watching as you walked in front of him.

He whistled. “God you’re fucking ass is a thing of beauty baby.”

You shook your head, laughing. Angel was too much at times, but you love him.

You were sitting on Angel’s lap, sharing a beer with some of the members and your tio. They were busting jokes about Creepers nonexistent love life. You love hanging with the guys, they were absolutely hilarious and they always involved you in their conversations. They never held back and if they did say something out of line they always apologized.

“You having fun?” Angel checked in with you all the time. He knew too much socializing exhausted you, so he wanted to make sure you were still good.

“Yes, I’m good babe, thanks for checking.” You kissed his cheek.

Bishop looked over Angel, nodding his head towards the clubhouse.

“Can you get me another beer baby?” Angel requested of you, understanding his gesture.

“Sure.”

Once you were inside, Bishop leaned over to speak to Angel. “I set up dinner with Diego tomorrow. We finish this whole bullshit with my niece and him tomorrow. If he so much even looks her way, he’s done.”

Before Templo, Bishop and Angel had a lengthy discussion about Diego and what they wanted to do with his past indiscretions. They both knew you wouldn’t exactly be happy with kicking Diego out of the club, it’s been too long. But, that doesn’t mean they couldn’t threaten him to fuck off. Angel would talk to you first, not wanting to have a misstep in your relationship again.

“Got it prez, we both know I want this to end.” Angel sat back, taking out his cigarette and getting a stick. He lit it up and took a drag. “I don’t like it when he’s around her. He always looks at her with such fucking hope and he could go fuck himself.”

“Then make it known to him that whatever it was with her, it’s fucking done.”

“Gladly.”

You returned, handing him his beer. You were going to take the chair beside him, but Angel pulled you down to sit on his lap again. “Baby, you ain’t sitting anywhere else when my lap is readily available.”

“You’re so needy.”

“I got you back baby, you better get used to it. You know how I am, all about affections.” Angel kissed your cheek, before turning his attention to Creeper.

“You want to go home?” You whispered into Angel’s ear.

His gaze turned towards you, already darkened by your suggestion.

“We’re gonna head out.”

==============

“Fuck baby, just like that.” Angel watched as you wrapped your mouth around his cock, bobbing your head up and down. Your hair was wrapped around his hand, guiding you on how to suck his cock.

He followed you home on his bike, immediately going to your place instead of his. You took out your sewing kit to sew Angel’s patch on his kute. You sat on his lap as you did, his hands gripping your thigh. You felt him getting harder as you sewed his patch on. He looked at you, biting his lips as you concentrated to not poke his skin.

As soon as you were done, he had you on your knees and sucking his dick. You’ve been at it for a good thirty minutes and the way you were sucking his dick like a fucking pro was making him come closer to his climax. He was proud that he taught you everything you fucking know.

“Get up,” he pulled you up, putting his hands under your ass and lifting you up. You wrapped your legs around his waist, your lips meeting his.

He walked you to your bedroom, gently placing you on the bed. Your lips were swollen, making Angel groan. He loved sharing intimate moments with you because he knew no one else has and he planned on keeping it that way. Slipping off his jeans he threw them to the side and walked over to you with a predatory gaze. You removed your shirt as you moved back towards the headboard.

Angel grabbed your ankle, pulling you back to the edge of your bed, making you laugh. He unbuttoned your jeans and pulled them off. You were only in your bra and panties, Angel’s eyes roaming your body. He smirked, licking his lips.

“You look fucking beautiful amor.” He kneeled by the edge of your bed, pulling you so that your legs were hanging on his shoulders. “I’ve missed your scent baby, it would drive any man crazy.” His fingers ran up and down your inner thigh, his touch alone made you shiver. You shifted so that he would move towards where you wanted him faster, but he was purposely making you wait. “I love you.”

“I love you.” You breathed out. “Angel, stop teasing me.”

Angel chuckled, grabbing a hold of your panties and pulling them off. He spread your lips, licking his as he saw your glistening cunt.

“I will never tire at the sight of this.” He pulled you towards him, his tongue lapping at your sensitive nub as soon as he was closed enough.

Your back arched, hands grabbing the sheets underneath them. You whimpered out his name as he began his assault, moving his tongue down to your entrance and sliding it in.

“You’re so fucking good at this.” A pleased hum was released from your lips, your hand gripping his hair. Your hips gyrating against his tongue.

He placed a hand on your hips, holding you down. He slipped a finger inside you with his other hand, pulling his mouth away. His eyes were trained on your reaction to every move he did on you, he loved watching you, memorizing your reaction to everything he did, it was so fucking satisfying for him.

“Look at me baby,” he commanded.

You tried your best to open your eyes and when you did, you saw that sexy smirk on Angel’s lips, you felt your stomach tightening up, your orgasm was close. You wondered if it was always like this for other people. The intensity, how good it felt, this was driving you crazy.

“I’m cumming.” You choked out. You grabbed on Angel’s hand that was on your hip, intertwining your fingers.

“Fuck baby, you’re drenched.” Angel lapped at your juices, causing your eyes to roll back, a loud moan escaping your lips as he did. “I fucking missed you baby, not having you in my arms was fucking torture.” He pulled away from you, instructing you to move back to the center of the bed. He crawled after you, kneeling in front of you. Coating the tip of his dick with your wetness, you whimpered at the contact. “You ready baby?” He didn’t want to overwhelm you, he wanted to always make you feel good. He knew that after an orgasm, you needed some time to adjust. Learning your quirks was his favorite thing to do.

“Condom.” It was the only thing you could say, your mind still in a haze.

“A condom?” Angel chuckled, shaking his head. “You know you love it when I enter you bare, I haven’t been with anyone since we started everything, I told you, no one could even get me hard anymore besides you.” He ran his tip up and down your slit, slightly slipping in before pulling back out making you groan. “Come on baby, you know you love it when I enter you bare, just your warmth enveloping mine.” He sucked in that spot on your neck, making you even hotter, wetter. His hand moved up your body, settling on your breast, squeezing it. “It’s just you and me right?”

“Yes.”

“Don’t you like it when I enter you bare, nothing separating us?” He slipped his tip again, and you have to agree, it did feel good, but you’ve never used a condom with Angel either.

“Okay, just please fuck me.”

Angel let out a low chuckle, the low timber of his voice alone could make you cum. He entered you, watching as his dick slipped in, inch by inch, rubbing your clit to heightened your pleasure making it easier to slip in. “Fuck baby, I love watching how you stretch out cause of me. You like the feel baby, when I fucking stretch you out?”

You nod your head, scratching at his chest. “Harder.”

“Harder? I got you baby girl.” Angel thrusted into you harder, keeping his pace moderate to keep this going. He didn’t want this to end yet. He wanted you to cum as much as possible, penance for the way things played out with Diego. You tightened up around him, making Angel groan. “Jesus fucking Christ querida, I love how I can make you cum.” He stopped moving, keeping his cock buried inside you as he rubbed your clit, your orgasm hitting you. You gripped him tightly and he moaned along with you.

“Does it always feel this good?”

“Only with me baby.” Angel slipped out of you, turning you on your stomach. “Stick your ass out, chest on the bed.” He slipped right back in, and he felt different for you. You two haven’t truly experimented with different positions yet, but this has to be one of your favorites.

“You feel so deep.” You grabbed the sheets again, your cheek against the mattress. “This shouldn’t feel this good.”

“But it does baby, you always take me so fucking well cause you’re fucking made for me.” Angel thrusted in and out, slow then fast, slow then fast, the alternating pace felt so good. “You ever let Diego in baby? You let that motherfucker touch what’s mine?”

You shook your head. You don’t know why, but you loved it when Angel called you his, it turned you on so much and the way he said it with such authority. You gasped as Angel drove into you harder.

“Use your voice mi dulce, let me hear your answer.”

“No, just you.”

“I would have killed him for you. It drove me crazy knowing he was in here with you.” Angel felt a certain type of possession over you. Besides the fact that Angel was never the type of person to share someone he cherished dearly, but you love him and only him. You gave him something that you saved for the right person and he would never forget that. For the short amount of time you two knew one another, he got to know you so well as well. And how deeply he felt for you, it was suffocating at times and he couldn’t breathe till he was near you. He never knew love could this be fucking intense, but he was basking on it.

It drove him fucking insane, but he wouldn’t have it any other way.

“He’s nothing to me.”

Angel pulled you up by your hair, your back against his chest. “Damn fucking right he’s nothing to you. You’re everything to me.” He told you, his voice so warm and soft.

“You are to me too.”

Angel wrapped his arm around your chest, holding you against him as he thrusted into you. He was going faster and you felt yourself tightening up again. “Keep going Angel, fuck.” Hearing his breath against your ear, grunting, it was turning to fucking on. The way he held you tightly against him, it was even better.

“I love it when you tighten up around me, cause I know you’re about to cum.” He pulled out making you whine. “But not yet.”

“Fuck, Angel.” You whimpered out.

Angel maneuvered you on your back again wasting no time to slip back inside you. “I need to see your face when you cum.” He leaned his forehead against yours, kissing you, sucking your bottom lip into his mouth. “I love your fucking mouth.” Intertwining your hands on either side of your head, Angel’s thrust was becoming sloppier so you knew his climax was near. You loved feeling his weight on you, it made it that much more intimate. “I’m cumming baby you almost there?”

You nodded your head. “Fuck, this feels so good.” You we’re already at the brink before and now you feel it coming again. Angel thrusted a few more times, burying deep into you when he came. You arched your back, his name coming out as a chant as you felt your legs quiver.

Angel begrudgingly pulled out, a sigh escaping both of your lips when he did. “You want to shower baby?”

You shook your head, you couldn’t even keep your eyes open. Orgasms always made you feel spent, tired, all you wanted to do was sleep. You heard Angel chuckle as he cleaned you up. You used the last of your strength to go under your covers, Angel joining you shortly after.

“Te amo mi alma.” You heard Angel whisper into your hair. “We have dinner with Bish tomorrow, is that cool?”

“Dinner? For what?”

“Just a family gathering.”

==============

Angel helped you off his bike, taking off your helmet for you. He got you a helmet a few months back for Christmas. You weren’t sure why he got it for you, but he always told you how he wanted to give you a ride on his bike. You’ve ridden with him before and you always enjoyed it, loving the feel of the air against your skin. It was so freeing.

“Before we go in, I want to talk to you about something.” Angel placed his hands on your hips.

“What’s up?” You had your hands on his flannel under his kute, playing with the ends of his shirt.

“Diego is here.” He should have spoken to you before coming here, but he was too distracted with your mouth around his cock.

“I saw his bike,” you nodded towards Diego’s bike.

“Okay smartass.” Angel rolled his eyes.

You both laughed.

“I’m guessing Diego being here for a family gathering isn’t exactly a coincidence.” You noticed Taza, Coco and Tranq’s bike next to Diego’s. “Please don’t tell me you’re going to fuck him up again.”

“No, corazon, listen, Diego needs to understand that whatever you two had way back when, it’s fucking done and it’s never coming back.” Angel explained.

“What are you going to do?” You were afraid to ask. Again, Diego got the beating he deserved from Angel already, you knew that Angel was itching to do it again, but you didn’t think it was necessary. Whatever Diego did, it was a distant memory now, especially with you being with Angel. Diego was like a bittersweet memory that you no longer cared for.

“Your tio wants to assure that this shit with Diego is done, that when he goes back to Stockton, he doesn’t look back hoping you’re going to come for him.” Angel assessed your reaction and was relieved that you didn’t seem to care much. You were just waiting for him to get to the point. You agreed that your chapter with Diego should be closed, but you felt that this was something that was understood. There didn’t need to be this extra meeting about it.

“This is unnecessary, I feel like this is something that was handled a week or so ago.” You reasoned. “Angel, I love you, I’m with you, is that not enough?”

“This isn’t about me. This is about all the shit that happened years ago that you let slide due to your feelings and kindness, but we’re done with that baby. You don’t want to give Diego hope that somewhere down the road there’s a chance for you and him.” Angel was hesitant to talk about the future with you since he didn’t want to scare you off. Your relationship was quite new even though you two have known each other for a few years. But you were it for him, this was it. “I love you, I have no plans of letting you go and I hope you feel the same way.” God he hoped you did.

“Of course I do, I love you Angel. But I think that I’ve moved on from this whole thing with Diego, it isn’t an issue.” Maybe you were downplaying it, but you were with Angel and you weren’t one to cheat. And you’re quite certain that there was no longer a friendship between you and Diego. There was too much hurt associated in your relationship. “What are you going to do?”

“Give Diego an ultimatum, if he wants to remain a Mayan, he can’t contact you or speak to you unless you initiate it. But if he wants to keep on trying my patience and pursue you, then he’s stripped of his patch.”

“Santo Padre isn’t his charter.”

“Yeah well El Padrino signed off on it before he left. Ramos has no choice if Diego decides to give up his patch.”

You bit your lip, moving away from Angel. You wouldn’t want them to take away Diego’s patches from him. Regardless of how much he was favored because of you, he worked hard for them.

“Mi dulce, you don’t seem happy.” He frowned.

“This is why I didn’t want to bring this up. I don’t want him to lose his patch over me, he worked hard for those. Yeah, Diego is an asshole and what happened three years ago was painful, but it’s done. I’ve moved on, isn’t that enough for everyone else to do so?” You didn’t understand why they were so hellbent on punishing Diego. Like what your Tio Bishop said, his punishment was losing you or whatever reasoning he had given you.

“Why are you protecting him?” Angel was starting to become irritated by your response. Did you not want Diego to stop speaking to you?

“I’m not protecting him.”

“Sure fucking seems like it.”

You sighed. “I don’t want to argue Angel.”

“What’s there to argue about, you obviously want to keep fucking talking to the prick.” Ange made his way towards the front door, leaving you by his bike. He was trying to push his temper down. You two just recently made up and now, well, you were being fucking unreasonable.

“Angel,” you groaned. “That’s not what it is. You know how much I hate drama and how I deviate away from the center of attention, I don’t fucking want this for him. He was my friend once, I’m not going to lie to you and say I don’t care about him anymore, not as much as before, but I know the club is his life.”

“That’s not the fucking point. He humiliated you years ago, you gave up so much for him just to let that bitch treat you the way she did. I’m trying to protect you here, to make sure he could never hurt you again.”

“But he can’t hurt me anymore cause I don’t care about him anymore. I’m not trying to protect him, I just don’t want someone to lose their place because of me.”

“Well he shouldn’t have fucking gotten it in the first place!” Angel didn’t mean to yell at you, but it was frustrating him how you couldn’t see why they were doing what they were doing. “Why can’t you put some value in yourself? You mean the world to so many people, I know you don’t want fighting battles for you, but this isn’t a battle. It’s removing a problem. You know Diego well, he’s not going to give up on you.”

“He told me he would.” That was a weak argument. Even though he did tell you he was going to give up, that he was going to walk away, you weren’t exactly sure how much of that was true.

“When I realized that I love you, I knew I would never give you up. His feelings are not as intense as mine, but if his desire is as great as mine to keep you around, then he’s not going to give up just cause he claims he would. I’m sure he’s holding off that you two could become friends.”

“You don’t know him Angel.”

“And you fucking do? Querida, why the fuck are we even discussing this? Plans already in motion, he stays the fuck away, he keeps his patch, if he doesn’t then he’s signing his death warrant.” It was simple for Angel. He didn’t care for Diego, it was just irritating him that it seemed that you did.

“Then I’m not going inside.”

“Fine, don’t.”

You watched as Angel walked in, leaving you outside. You saw Diego by the window, looking out at you. Angel passed by him, giving you one last look before walking away from the window. You really didn’t care about Diego, but you weren’t going to let him get hurt again. He was your friend long ago, you weren’t the type of person to just stand by knowing something awful away about to happen.

Walking to the front door, you opened it and Diego was right there to greet you.

“Can you take me home?” You questioned, trying to keep your voice low so that none of the other members would hear.

“Yeah, sure.” He gave you an odd, confused look but took his helmet.

“Where the fuck are you going?” You heard Angel question.

“I’m going home, Diego can take me home.”

“The fuck you are.” Angel was livid before but he was beyond it now. You wanted to go home, that’s fine, he would rather not have you hear when he fucking beat him again, but there was no fucking way Diego was taking you home. “Coco can take you home.”

“No, Diego is going to take me home. Is that okay tio?” Angel just chuckled, irritated that you would use your tio knowing he didn’t have authority over that.

Bishop knew that you wouldn’t be in agreement with their plan. He agreed to this to make up for not doing anything all those years ago and to appease Angel. He was protective over you and Bishop was glad that you found someone who cared for you as much as Angel did. This wasn’t going to blow over for Angel or Diego till Angel made it clear that you were off limits and Diego would stay away.

But at the same time, maybe it would be better for you to tell Diego to stay away. As stupid as Diego was, he knew how to follow orders. If you simply asked him to stay away, he would. And if it didn’t work then Angel could beat it in him.

“Yeah, of course sweetheart.”

“No, I can take her home.” Angel wasn’t going to let Diego take you home.

Diego stood in front of you, further aggravating Angel.

“Get the fuck out of my way. She’s my girlfriend, if I want to bring her home, then I’ll fucking do it.” Angel got into Diego’s face. You knew that things were going to pop off soon. Angel was already pissed and Diego’s demeanor was definitely not helping.

“Y/N, do you want Angel to take you home?”

“No, you can take me home.” You knew that was a mistake, but you were trying to save bloodshed here. Angel spoke about putting a bullet in him all the time and the last thing you wanted was another body for Angel to bury. “I just need to talk to him Angel.”

“Then talk to him outside, you’re not fucking leaving.”

You sighed.

Compromise.

“Fine, I can do that.”

Diego followed you outside and you both sat on the steps of your tio’s porch. You rested your arms on your knees, your foot tapping as the anxiety of talking to Diego overtook you.

“You okay?” Diego knew what you were going to say. It didn’t escape him how suspicious it was that only certain people were here tonight, but he knew what was coming and he deserved it.

“I want you to know that you were my best friend. All the times we spent together the good, the bad, and the ugly, I cherished them because they’ve taught me plenty of things.” You purses your lips, trying your best to keep your foot from shaking up and down. “But we’ve also grown apart.” Looking at him, you knew that he knew what you were trying to say. That it wasn’t ideal, but he understood.

“You remember when we graduated high school and we talked about what we wanted out of life?” Your eyebrows furrowed, trying to recall the memory he spoke of. You vaguely remember it since you were quite tipsy.

“Not really. Did you record it?” You teased.

Diego chuckled. “Well, it’s cause you’re a lightweight.” He ruffled your hair. “But you talked about what you wanted for the future, that you wanted to leave Stockton, go down south. How you wanted to get married, have kids, get a decent job. And you know what you said that really stuck to me?”

“What?”

“That you wanted to be happy. And at first I thought I could make you happy, that’s not a problem whatsoever. But I realize how many times I’ve hurt you, failed to protect you. Then I tried to ruin your relationship with Angel because I thought I could finally make you happy like I wanted to do so all those years ago. To make it up to you.” Diego bitterly smiled. “Guess I’m too late right?”

Your eyes began to water. All the things you’ve wanted to hear from Diego was happening, you weren’t making it up in your head. But you missed your friendship with Diego, you two had a solid friendship before feelings were out in place. But things couldn’t be the same anymore, things were just so different now.

“Yeah, you are.”

“It really hurts to see how happy you are with him, how much you love him.” Diego chuckled. “But I can accept that as long as you're happy cause regardless of everything, that’s all I wanted.”

“I need you to stay away from me. Our past is our past and I want to keep it that way. Maybe someday when things are better we can be friends again, but it’s better we keep our distance.”

Diego nodded his head, standing up and making his way down the stairs. “If he ever breaks your heart, I’m here for you.”

“Don’t fucking worry, I won’t.”

You turned around, surprised to hear Angel’s voice, but at the same time you weren’t. You didn’t exactly close the door and you knew Angel would stay close by.

“Take care of her Reyes.” Diego hated that this was happening, he was sick to his stomach, but he meant it. All he wanted was for you to be happy.

“Don’t need you telling me that, but I will Diegito.”

“Am I allowed to hug her?”

“That’s up to her.”

You nodded your head. He held out his hand, which you took. He wrapped his arms around you and you hugged him as well. He kissed the side of your head, whispering ‘I love you’. He let you go and took you in one last time before walking towards his bike.

You turned towards Angel, and he was leaning against the post at the top of the stairs of the porch. You walked up, and he watched until Diego was out of sight.

“Had fun down memory lane?” Angel turned to face you.

“Angel, you know that’s not what that was. I love you, I love that you want to fight my battles for me, that you want to protect me, but Diego was always a personal thing and I wanted to be the one to tell him to stay away.”

“I heard.” Angel sighed. “You’re so fucking frustrating. All I want is to be there for you and protect you, yet you couldn’t even let me do that.”

“It’s not about that, we’re a team, but this one is really just on me.”

“Exactly, we’re a team. Baby, you have to meet me halfway here. I love you, seeing how hurt you were when you first told me about him, how you were in distress when he first came into town, that was painful. The last thing I want is for you to be hurt.”

“But you can’t always prevent that, I have to learn things on my own too.”

Angel walked over to you, cupping your face, leaning his forehead against yours. “I know, but sometimes, it’s just hard for me.”

You wrapped your arms around Angel, resting your head on his chest. He kissed the top of your head. He was a bastard and there were parts of him who didn’t think he deserved you, but it was the one voice he could push aside. He wasn’t sure how he could live without you and he would rather not try.

“I’ll try to be better at it, I know you can fight your own battles mama’s, but I’m just overprotective over you.” Angel’s hand soothingly moves up and down your back.

“Which I appreciate, but sometimes, all I need is to know you have my back.”

“And I fucking do, you know I do.”

“You two lovebirds done? We’re fucking starving.” Coco interrupted their moment. Seeing their misty eyes, Coco cringed. “My bad, but I’m fucking hungry, Bish said we can’t eat till you two are inside.”

“Oh my god.” You playfully rolled your eyes.

You’re not sure how you landed this family, but you were definitely glad that they were here to stay.

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