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migleefulmoments · 4 years ago

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Abb/y has something to s/ay

Let me premise this by reminding everyone that Abby -like Trump-doesn’t “get” comedy. They literally do not understand jokes, punchlines, or humor. So a satirical show about the Hollywood song writers falls flat. Her time away did nothing to sway her conspiratorial aspirations or her misogynistic hatred of Mia. She watched Royalties not once, but twice... not to enjoy Darren’s creativity and performance, not to support the celebrity she stans, and not even to crack up at the humor, no she watched twice because she was looking for confirmation bias. She wanted to document all of the ways Darren wrote his CrissColfer truth into Pierce’s life and she obsessively listened to all of the diss-tracks he wrote to attack his wife.

Let me also premise this by saying I loved the show. I thought it was funny and the songs are so damn catchy. The lyrics are quintessential Darren- funny, very clever, and raunchy.

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R/oyalties, the Tale of Two Shows with a Heaping Side of Meta

ajw720. So I just finished watching R/oyalties for the second time, this time solely focused on the meta. Look, we all know, the show is not good, it was not well written and the short format didn’t help as there was no option to develop character or plot. But D knew it would not be good, he apologized for it back in January 2019. And I think the effort he put into acting was the effort it deserved. Ok.

But his songs were genius. As were the videos, hence why i call it the tale of two shows. It truly was like watching content made by completely different people. I concur with MH, D is “intensely talented.” And the part of this show he poured his blood, sweat, and tears into, the songs, are evident of this.

But this is a post about that Heaping Side of Meta. I think D, knowing that that show would not be made in the manner he envisioned, instead used it as a vehicle to make some bold statements and parallels with his career and public life. Shall we begin? And please, unlike the perfect song, this is not a perfect post and after the second round of watching i canceled my Quibi subscription and never plan to look back, so please feel free to add. I know some of these have been pointed out but I thought it was valuable to have one post.

One idea to inpsire the song? A tiny FROG on a dime.

D’s shirt 1st seen in Episode 2: “It is hard to soar like an Eagle when you are surrounded by turkeys”

And of course “Call me Goldilocks bitch” Remind you of something?

How about the entirety of Episode 3 when we are told that an artist is completely the product of the team. That no matter what the artists expresses they want, it doesn’t matter because the Label/manager/publicist/on camera agent/legal will always have a say. And how it will play in America or the Foreign market are key metrics of how the product is produced and presented. I love the line of the songwriter that tells P/ierce and S/ara to “get out while they are young.” Or the line by one of her team “we don’t want something different, we want something the same that is different.” And in the end P&S simply took one of KK old songs and reworked it, making something different that is not different and her team loved it.

And of course, the line that was an utter slap in the face to the most over praised “director” of an indie band video ever when D reminds her of the real director in his life, the man set to direct major motion pictures, “you know who would be perfect to direct? C/hris. C/hris would shatter this.”

Not much in Episode 4, but the gorilla suit in my opinion was mocking of a certain MMR video where we watched Swiller and a banana in a song about a gorilla. Images I never need to see in my head again.

Episode 5, a gem, I am still so fucking proud of D and how he mocked her throughout the entirety of the episode. New lines I love of that amazing song he wrote about her (in addition to those i posted previously here) “Some people say I’m a genius, which comes from the greek word for Latin, and other people will say, alright in fact i’m a fuckin’s genius” “I’m not saying I’m a god, but I’m not saying I’m not a god.” Mocking at its finest made all that much better by the band’s name “Switchback Jacket” that D describes as “butt rock emo” that is performed by a band that doesn’t actually sing, they are just the public image. He literally told us that what we see is an image created for the public and that it is completely fake. And he used his beard to make this statement. Just brilliant. I cannot praise him enough for this, stealing her moment in the sun and making her look like an utter fool, telling us just how narcissistic she is.

Also some wonderful lines from that episode that are beyond telling:

“Power, it felt good to remind Kevin that I hold power over him. You always want to be the one with power”

“p/ierce wouldn’t know where to take a shit if I didn’t tell him.”

“she is like my wife except we don’t have sex and we are friends.”

“alright boss, I am ready to record that song, but where should i take a shit?”

“You will do anything to succeed.”

Episode 8 starring “Poly Amorous and the Unicorn Guild” an episode used to shine a light on how absurd it is that people believe D&PBB lived with platonic roomie B/enny for something like 4 years. 3 grown ass adults, all of whom have money to spare lived together in a relatively small house for four years. It is pure comedy that anyone would believe that this is normal. But hey these are the same people that explained away the infamous arm around her while at an awards show with D looking on:

And the cherry on top of this episode, the inclusion of C/huck (for some background, see my post here).

I really like the one bit of dialogue between P&S, where D pretty much tells us once again that M will use anyone to get what she wants:

“Did it ever occur to you that maybe just maybe, I don’t like where we are now? There were a lot of really great things about the way things were. Things that are worth preserving. Not that you just take and use and through out.”

Episode 9 had some really impactful lines:

“you think i wouldn’t steal for my career? You think I wouldn’t lie? I would do anything.”

The Neils being the nameless individuals, nothing more than a number, who are the ones who actually create the product. And then the song, some of the translations are D telling you how he feels, because sometimes i think in terms of his public image he is just a Neil trying to escape the cage that has been built around him:

“I dream about getting away, I have been locked up in this cage wishing i could make my escape. I hate that I need you.”

And finally Episode 10, where we learn the Neils get no credit and no royalties. This reminds me of a script C wrote that never saw the light of day but suddenly the next season of AHS had the same theme as his script.

And that is all i got, if you have more please add. I think the fact that D took what he knew would be a mediocre project and projected his voice and story throughout it was pretty genius and a smart way to utilize this vehicle, that was clearly payout for so many that have used him for years and to shine a bright light on the truth.

elicc The “perfect song”’s performer is called Bailey Rouge, a clear link to TLOS.

He is a genius.

ajw720 @elicc damn, that was on my list and I forgot. And we all know who Red is inspired by, so seems fitting Bailey Rouge would get the perfect song.

ajw720. Just adding one more I thought about putting in my original post but admittedly think it’s a stretch. But maybe not? Just adding here for fun.

When Theo tells P to bottle up all his romantic feelings I couldn’t help but think of a certain chapter in a book

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Oy Vei! Abby didn’t use her time away getting any therapy or perspective. She hasn’t learned any lessons. I have no doubt she’s been reading just as much as she did before and she’s speaking to Cassie, Flowers et al all day. It’s really sad. It’s sad that she can’t see how silly she sounds, what an asshole her version of Darren is. If she could restrain herself even a little bit it might come off less unhinged because turning every single moment of Royalties into some crisscolfer wet dream reeks of desperation.

Abby hates Royalties. In last week’s “Dear D” she had the audacity to say

....Fans that are beyond devoted and mainly because of the way you have treated fans with respect and a level of caring that far surpasses the majority of public figures. And while I am not enjoying the show itself, the music shows how diverse you are as a writer and how you can virtually write for anyone or any genre. The songs are fantastic. Memorable. And really fun.

She knows the the Langs wrote the show and Darren wrote the songs but what she can’t seem to comprehend is that Darren IS Royalties. Everything in the show is Darren’s.

Staying in the closet would be less painful than trying to express oneself through a short-form satirical comedy. Can you imagine trying to express your devastation and pain through Kick Your Shoes off or Break It In?

“I’m the king of the hard fuck....pile drive the bed like a young buck...if you like feathery shit thats pretty cool but I don’t need that...people say I fuck too soft, saying that I can’t please a woman”

BTW Abby- “call me goldilocks bitch” isn’t a reference to TLOS it’s a reference to Goldilocks and Three Bears because because he fucks perfect, not too soft, not too hard. It’s much more believable that he is referring to a random nursery rhyme than it is to believe he is referring to a children’s book his lover/husband/boyfriend wrote 8 years ago. You might love the book but Chris has moved on and written new things.

Darren wrote funny lyrics. I loved Kick Your Shoes Off because it’s written by a man whose watched his wife and female friends wear painful shoes for the same of fashion even though its painful as fuck.

“Yeah, I’m a bad bitch so don’t be mad bitch. I turned the room into a catwalk like a sad bitch. I can’t feel my toes in these stilettos. when I walk out my roomate says you’ll regret those....Beauty is pain but oh I look amazing. You won’t hear me complaining but oh my instep (inside?) is screaming...kick your shoes off (kick em off) ooooooo I do what I want..(Kick em off) ooooo Hey I can’t walk in these, blisters start to bleed now both my feet are swollen. Kick your shoes off (Kick em off).....It’s like i feel so good when my shoes are on, but like i also feel sooooo good when they are off”

Abby’s convinced I am So Much Better Than You is straight up about Mia because Mia is in the video. She listened to it on repeat the day after it came out. In her “Letter to D” last week she said

Especially after you made an effort to mock her for the entirety of Tuesday when her episode aired (and for the record I am still really, really proud of what you did with that episode and how you handled the roll out, that is the fighter I admire and that inspires me. I listened to I am so much better than you on repeat on my drive home from work yesterday).

Good Lord The lyrics are as silly as all the other songs: “My mirror wants to bone me (but it can’t because it’s a mirror)” How did Abby miss the obvious TLOS mirror/ Halloween costume reference here?

“You keep doing push ups while I get buff eating mac and cheese (with overpriced lobster and truffles because I’m worth it)”

“Some people say I’m a genius (which comes from the greek work for latin) Some other people will say yeah I’m right I’m a fucking genius (I’m not saying I’m a god but I’m not saying I’m not a god).

“And even when you sneeze, God blesses me, he blesses me. And even when you sneeze, god blesses me, he blesses me, he blesses me”

“I’m am so much better than you at everything”.

She believes Darren would be- and stay- married to a women that he publicly ridicules and attacks. I don’t get why she thinks that is something admirable .

She thinks Also You is referring to Ben living with them. Where to start with this one? She says

“Episode 8 starring “Poly Amorous and the Unicorn Guild” an episode used to shine a light on how absurd it is that people believe D&PBB lived with platonic roomie B/enny for something like 4 years. 3 grown ass adults, all of whom have money to spare lived together in a relatively small house for four years. It is pure comedy that anyone would believe that this is normal. But hey these are the same people that explained away the infamous arm around her while at an awards show with D looking on”

I’m gobsmacked. Also You is about Polyamory. She doesn’t even understand her own theories if she thinks that is the message Darren wants to share about Mia and Ben. In no world would someone try to proclaim their wife was cheating on them with a live-in houseguest by writing an episode called Poly Amorous and the Unicorn Guild. Also, someone needs to explain cuckholding to her because her theories about Ben and Mia make Darren a cuck.

OMG I just realized that Darren is a cuck and Royalties proves it. He hired Kether to be his costar in Royalties,...Kether is in You’re the Worst as Lindsay. Lindsay cuckholds her husband. Bam! mic drop.

Why isn’t Perfect Song about Mia, you know, if we are playing confirmation bias “No one is as good as you because you're my perfect song”

#CrissColfer #Darren Criss #Abby Speaks

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whitewolfofwinterfell · 6 years ago

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My favourite Charmed episodes - season 2

This is the second part to my Favourite Charmed Episodes meta series all posts in the series will be tagged as #favecharmedeps.

Season 2 overall is a good season and follows on from the first season very well. When I was younger I particularly loved this season, but the older I’ve got and the more I’ve re-watched the show, the less I’ve come to like it, mostly because it has so many poor episodes that I really don’t like such as The Devil’s Music, That Old Black Magic, They’re Everywhere, How to Make a Quilt out of Americans and Ex Libris. However, there’s one thing Charmed does well which we particularly get to see in this season and that’s character development. Prue quits her job at Bucklands to pursue her dream of being a photographer; Piper opens P3 and goes through a period of conflict with Dan and Leo; Phoebe goes back to college to find a new pathway in her life, and these are just the most significant developmental changes the sisters go through. This season builds upon the sisters established personalities and roles within the trio from season 1, but fleshes it out more and shows the sisters grow as women, witches and sisters to be more powerful, equal and happy. Just like for season 1, there are 5 episodes that I have selected from season 2 as being my favourites (by the way, this wasn’t deliberate, it was a total coincidence!) - P3 H20, Ms. Hellfire, Pardon my Past, Chick Flick and Astral Monkey.

P3 H20 (2x08)

Any episode that taps into the Halliwell family and heavily involves Patty tends to be one of my favourites. P3 H20 is and always has been one of my all time favourite episodes (just like That 70s Episode) because it explores the sisters unresolved grief and trauma regarding Patty’s death. Honestly, I love pretty much everything about this episode - the way it hammers into Patty’s past, her relationship with Sam, Piper and Leo’s relationship, the sisters’ development and even the tone of the whole episode.

It digs into Prue’s lingering trauma over Patty’s death, and shows us for the first (and only time) that Prue actually witnessed Patty lying dead on the dock and being carried away in a body bag shortly after she died, which explains a little more why Prue is more traumatised by her death than Piper and Phoebe. We also see her fears of becoming Patty in one of my favourite Prue scenes ever (x) and see her having to overcome those fears head-on when she has to literally recreate her mother’s final moments. This episode is so important for Prue’s development, not just in realising that she’s not Patty and not doomed to follow in her footsteps (although ironically she does die young. Again this episode can be perceived as a foreshadowing of Prue’s death, which is so weird since I’m sure at this point there were still no plans to kill her off). It was also important in regards to properly introducing Prue to Jack (who is an important influence on her in season 2) and reaffirming that no matter how difficult it is to juggle her personal life, being a witch and her career, she’s still damn good at her job (x).

Piper’s development in this episode is centred on her relationship with Leo and the triangle she’s involved in with Dan. Despite hating the triangle (like nearly every other Charmed fan on the planet), this episode did portray it in a good way and setting Patty and Sam’s relationship up to contrast against Piper and Leo’s is very effective. We get to see Piper’s internal conflict over her feelings for Leo and understand them in a new light through Patty’s letters, which convey all of the unspoken emotions that Piper and Leo feel. This is the point at which Piper and Leo really get that angst down (which is pretty hard for them since they’re the least angsty couple I’ve ever seen) and you genuinely feel that mutual pining, but feel that they can’t be together.

Similar to That 70s Episode, Phoebe is able to be brought closer to Patty in this episode, which is always significant for her because of all the sisters she’s the one that feels most distant from her because she was so young when Patty died. Phoebe gets to see the camp where Prue and Piper went as kids (and where Patty died), she gets to see Patty’s final moments which although is a horrible experience brings her closer to her mom in a sense and she gets pieces of Patty through her love letters to Sam which she makes a scrapbook of at the end of the episode.

Despite being a new character, the introduction of Sam in this episode works beautifully. Sam immediately feels familiar and like one of the family (which is particularly interesting since he’s actually Paige’s father) and he’s very sympathetic. The grief he feels at Patty’s loss and the blame he places upon himself is sad, and the way in which he sacrifices himself for the sisters is an act of selflessness which is very overlooked. He lived for decades and ignored the deaths that were happening at the lake, was completely passive because he wanted to remain detached but because it was the sisters - Patty’s daughters - he simply had to get involved and he gave his life for them. He even admitted that he stayed at the lake all those years because he knew the sisters would show up eventually and he couldn’t let what happened to Patty happen to them. Although Sam wasn’t Prue, Piper and Phoebe’s biological father, the love he had for Patty (and Paige, since canonically he would’ve known about her even if we didn’t) was enough for him to make that sacrifice. A sacrifice that led him to become a Whitelighter again.

Overall, I love everything about this episode and think all the different aspects come together beautifully to create a memorable episode that deals with loss, trauma, family and love, for all of the characters that are featured in the episode.

Ms Hellfire (2x09)

I love this episode, because it doesn’t take itself too seriously despite having serious themes incorporated throughout, and because it’s Prue-centric, of course. From the opening scenes this episode is great - the scene with the hit woman shooting up the house, Piper freezing the bullets and vase, Prue using her power to deflect the bullets, it’s just one of my favourite scenes. There’s also the big moment that Darryl finds out the sisters are witches, which is such a relief and a long time coming. But like I said, the reason I love this episode can be summed up in one word: Prue. It’s just so good to see her get out there and shake things up and get to play for a while. Bane is an interesting new love interest for her (even if it is only for a short while), they have great chemistry and it’s fun to see her cross over into blue!Prue territory for a while and indulge that id of hers. I also love that the episode ends with Jack showing up on her door and the two of them going out on a date, because it’s the perfect end to Prue’s arc in the episode. The whole episode affirms that Prue is on the start of a new path where she’s trying to embrace life a little more and break out of her all work and no play mentality.

Prue playing the role of Ms. Hellfire and the development of her astral projection power acts as a literal metaphor for that duality that lives within Prue (a theme that is emphasised time and time again throughout the series with Prue) and to show how difficult she finds it to constantly have to juggle the different aspects of her life and herself.

The scene near the end of the episode where Prue is enchanted to kill Piper and Phoebe is also a fantastic sister moment. Piper and Phoebe share memories from their childhood to wake Prue and hearing it is enough to break the spell and help Prue realise that they’re truly her sisters. It’s also worth noting that Prue’s greatest fear in this episode was no longer drowning - proving that she overcame that fear in From Fear to Eternity (and most likely P3 H2O too) - and that her greatest fear being to lose a sister very likely could’ve come from her opening herself up to them by saying ‘I love you’ back in From Fear to Eternity. This is because not saying ‘I love you’ was basically Prue’s defence mechanism - a way of her keeping Piper and Phoebe at an arms length so if they died it wouldn’t hurt as much as it did when Patty died.

All in all, this episode is basically every Prue stan’s wet dream - Prue gets a new power and gets to play Ms. Hellfire and wear those insane outfits, flirt with tall dark and handsome Bane and just generally let her hair down and have some fun for once. And of course, she kicks Barbas’ ass once again.

Pardon my Past (2x14)

I love this episode because of the time travel and costumes, but mostly the interesting arc Phoebe has. The idea of Phoebe having a dark side is a recurring theme throughout the series (much like Prue having multiple sides to her) and this episode digs deeper into that by exploring Phoebe’s past life.

What’s most interesting about this episode is Phoebe or rather past!Phoebe’s relationship with Anton which practically mirrors her relationship with Cole. Whether this was intentional from a writing perspective is unclear, but nonetheless the parallels are there. Anton is a tall, dark, handsome warlock who seduces Phoebe and lures her over to the dark side. It further establishes Phoebe’s attraction to the dark side and sets the foundation for Phoebe’s future relationship with Cole.

Much like Ms. Hellfire is where Prue gets to indulge for a while, that’s what this episode does for Phoebe. She gets to go back to the glamorous past and experience the attraction to the handsome Anton, and play with the active fire powers she has. It’s all an experience for Phoebe to have some fun for a while but also brings it back home with serious themes about identity, morality and good vs. evil. Like Is There a Woogy in the House? this episode affirms an important message about good and evil - that it’s not black and white, that one cannot exist without the other and that we all have both good and evil inside us. This struggle is really central to Phoebe’s character throughout the series, so this episode is a great exploration of that which traces the roots of that back to her past life.

Chick Flick (2x18)

There is one simple reason I love this episode - it’s FUN. Phoebe and Billy are cute as hell (plus Phoebe being in love with a fictional character is so relatable, am I right?), the sisters attempt at fighting off horror movie characters is hilarious (”I am being stalked by psycho killers and I hide in the shower?!”), Piper and Leo are finally starting to get back on track and overall this episode doesn’t take itself too seriously. It’s all just about the entertainment value and it works. Some of the most memorable scenes and iconic quotes are from this episode - Prue and Piper scaring each other in the bathroom, Prue telling Finley Beck some home truths “It’s devastating for me to realise that the brilliance of your eye is completely destroyed by the ignorance of your mouth” and “It’s the 21st century, it’s the woman’s job to save the day”. Like honestly, who doesn’t love this episode?

Astral Monkey (2x20)

This episode is one of those that I always remember because of the emotional impact it has on me every time I watch it. It’s a very dark episode (cute monkey’s with supernatural powers aside) which taps into humanity more so than any other episode, in my opinion. Watching Dr. Williamson’s deterioration throughout the episode and how corrupted he becomes by the power he has is devastating to watch. It serves as a reminder of how even good magic can be bad in the wrong people and also that the sisters aren’t always able to save their innocents. The sisters vanquish evil a lot, but this is really the first time we see them kill a human, who is technically an innocent victim. Dr. Williamson is a good person who dedicates his life to helping and saving lives, and he gets infected with magic through trying to discover a cure to a life threatening illness. The tragedy of what happens to him is very understated and it always sticks with me. Plus, seeing how deeply it affects Piper only adds to the impact it has. The final scene with her crying in her bedroom and Leo orbing in and holding her as she cries is one of the most powerful scenes in the series.

Thank you for reading! The next post will be about my favourite season 3 episodes which will probably be longer because season 3 is one of my favourite overall seasons.

#charmed #mine #my meta #charmed meta #favecharmedeps #text post

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jacereviews · 6 years ago

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Review: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse

Theatrical Showing

Spider-Man has had a good year. While I can’t speak from a comic perspective, as a multimedia star he’s had quite the run. Many people are in love with Tom Holland’s portrayal of him in the MCU and his starring role in Avengers: Infinity War. Marvel’s Spider-Man for the PS4 is (allegedly) fantastic and even got a game of the year nomination. So here we are, last month of 2018 with one more Spider-Man. I’ve heard many people complain about Spider-Man movie fatigue, so is yet another new Spider-Man worth it? Let’s Rock. STORY: Peter Parker’s career as Spider-Man is at its peak. You know the stories, we all do. This isn’t Peter Parker’s story however. Miles Morales is moving to a new elite high school, the son of a cop and a nurse, he lives in a New York where Spider-Man is swinging up and down the roads. However an incident with a mysterious spider bite pulls him into the world of heroes, a world shaken up by the Kingpin trying to break down the walls between dimensions. Thrown into chaos, Miles must work with those brought in from other dimensions to try to restore order and figure out what it means to be Spider-Man. This shouldn’t and probably won’t be your first Spider-Man movie. It references a lot of Spider-Man culture and is a fanservice romp for long time fans, yet is still a refreshing tale. The plot isn’t particularly deep or complex, but it doesn’t have to be. It’s simple, yet effective. Going through the logical order of a superhero story, yet packing some surprises along the way. I want to give bonus points for the story being told in a way that’s aware of the trailers and intentionally tries to subvert some preconceptions established by the trailers. While I may not be able to give this much credit on originality or freshness, I can compliment the ability of the story to deliver the emotional payoffs it needs. Some of the harder hitting moments are done fantastically and work within the simplicity of the tale. Story-wise I think my only real complaint was the climax being a bit too straightforward. The way the story is told shines brightly though, especially in its use of spider-man tropes and parallels. Since my format doesn’t have a spot for it, I’ll go ahead and discuss the humor and comedy here. The movie can be damn funny when it wants to be, not only in simple jokes, but in twisting expectations, pop culture comedy, and a lot of inside jokes for spider-man fans. The gag character of Spider-Ham manages to stay amusing throughout the whole film and never gets grating.

8/10. Simple yet effectively told. Also funi movie make me laugh.

CHARACTERS: Let’s start with Miles himself. He’s discontent with his new high school, trying to flunk out so he can move back in with the people. He’s got some issues with his family, mostly looking up to his Uncle Aaron, who’s not always on the good side of the law. While like Peter Parker he’s got a good brain and some social troubles, he’s less of a nerd wish fulfillment type. His dynamic with his Dad and Uncle is unique from Parker and is a strong point throughout the movie. While not shockingly new or interesting, Miles is a strong central character. The other spiders are also strong. Peter B. Parker is a late career Spider-Man, one movies never show us. He’s arguably washed up and the constant life toll of Spider-Man has clearly gotten to him. I found this take to be rather unique, and also relatable as we see the youths around him reminding him of what he once was. While some people may not like his negativity, I found him to be rather engaging as the group senior. Gwen Stacy brings the main cast into an effective trio. Being slightly older than Miles, she’s got a good dynamic of banter with him despite her claim to not keeping friends. She’s pretty prominent in action scenes and in general has a strong energy that puts her in the movie spotlight. While I can’t claim she has too much interesting going on, I think in large part that’s simply because it isn’t her movie. As for the other 3 spiders, they feel like a lower tier in prominence. While there, they don’t have much individual bits outside of their backstories (which get told together.) Peni and Noir were quite interesting, and I honestly felt like we really just didn’t get enough of them. If I can claim any problem here, it’s a utilization issue, but that’s something to be expected out of a one off movie. You can’t give every character the full spotlight they could use. As far as villains go the only one I can really discuss is the Kingpin. While maybe not needed, the movie did go the extra mile to give him a borderline sympathetic backstory. I was a fan of how his story kind of paralleled miles with his downfall being his inability to learn from his mistakes. All in all a pretty strong cape movie villain even if he’s not my favorite Kingpin. I also want to give a shout-out to this movie’s Aunt May. Being a spider-veteran she’s just freaking awesome in this film.

7/10. Some nice ideas and strong characters. Any real complaints are kinda inherent to the medium.

VISUALS: Oh boy is this a treat. I feel like the real appeal of the movie is the frankly amazing art direction. Pretty much every aspect is spot-on. The framing, design, movement, colors, etc. I can just keep singing the praises of this film. Miles’ street art is taken full advantage of. The use of the dimension clashing is rendered in some gorgeous design. The City at Night is rendered in some gorgeous neon colors and the costumes pop. I love how some of the characters from other timelines come in their own distinct art styles. The visual storytelling here is also amazingly done. The scene where Miles leaps from the skyscraper as a full Spider-Man, yet glass sticking to his fingers is an amazing scene. The comic book aesthetic of displaying internal thoughts and backstories is also super nice. I could keep going on but basically it all boils down to YES! YES! YES! The only real complaint I can muster is I noticed when the frame rate would change and that was kind of jarring.

10/10, Why would you do something in animation when live action is more accessible? Because you can get art design like this!

SOUND: I went in expecting the movie to look as good as it did, I didn’t expect it to sound this good. The music track is full of bops, and not just the non-diegetic tracks but the diegetic ones too. This movie makes near perfect use of both diegetic and non-diegetic music for some absolutely amazing effect. I want this soundtrack! The voice acting was also on point. Everyone sounded great and it all came together nicely. Specific shout-out to John Mulaney as Spider-Ham for sounding the Loony Tunes part. The sound effects flowed perfectly, this isn’t a movie to just see, but to listen to.

9/10, the only faults I could really come up with are things that I’d have to set aside for an album review of the OST, and that’s one hell of a compliment.

FINAL SCORE: 9/10

This isn’t just another Spider-Man movie. It’s a Spider-Man movie for those who’ve seen too many Spider-Man movies. It’s one of the best comic book movies in a world too full of them. Not only that it’s a case study in aesthetic utilization, the art and sound design are beyond on point. It takes full advantage of the animated medium to be as visually unique as it can be in the best of ways. It’s a full recommendation not only for superhero and animation fans, but for any fan of film. While this could be your first spider-man film, I’d definitely recommend watching it with more familiarity of the character and his lore. All in all one of the best animated films in the west, and one hell of an entry in the repertoire of a character dominating the media world. PS: This movie wishes you a Merry Christmas!

youtube

#spiderman #spiderverse #movie #animation #spidergwen #spider-man #spider-man: into the spider-verse #review #marvel #comic movies #capeshit #super hero #superhero #spider-parker

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cartoonessays · 6 years ago

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“This Wasn’t Made For You”

WARNING: The following piece contains spoilers for Bao and other films.

I ranted about Pixar shorts a few years ago, mystified by what I saw was a decline in quality. I was feeling like ever since Paperman, Disney and Pixar got stuck in telling the same tired and generic “boy meets girl” love stories with their shorts, Lava being their nadir. They were creating new and amazing art aesthetics with shorts like Paperman, Blue Umbrella, and Feast, but my nagging thought watching these was that imagine if they used these boundary pushing aesthetics to tell a story that’s actually worth a damn.

There’s good news, though. I think there’s been an improvement since then.

I haven’t seen or remember every Pixar/Disney short since 2015, so I’ll bring up the ones I remember off the top of my head. Sanjay’s Super Team was like a breath of fresh air, especially after the embarrassing Lava. I don’t really remember the hermit crab short that came before Finding Dory. The short right before Moana about the dude’s internal organs was mediocre. I didn’t see the short before Cars 3 and the half-hour Christmas special before Coco starring Mater the Snowman was pretty excruciating. As of this writing, the most recent short is Bao, which is about a Chinese woman doting on a little dumpling she made as her child.

I liked this one very much. I absolutely loved the cartoony way the human characters were designed and the cartoony way they were animated. And while the story of the growing rift between the doting mother and the dumpling child wanting to go his own way in life as he grew up didn’t move me to tears, it was nonetheless very touching.

The short was directed by Domee Shi, a Chinese-Canadian woman and just like with Sanjay’s Super Team and its director Sanjay Patel, Bao draws on Shi’s Chinese background. There seems to be a weirdly polarizing reception to Bao, attracting a lot of praise (particularly from other Asians) and confusion (particularly from white people).

Bao’s story is particularly resonant to Asians raised by immigrants in a Western country. I’m not Asian, but I didn’t think the story was so uniquely Asian or Chinese that it’s completely unrelatable to anyone outside of that culture. Bao is basically a condensed version of A Goofy Movie. It shares parallels with Brave and the aforementioned Sanjay’s Super Team too. So I’m completely mystified that there has been such a big chunk of people so detached to this that they can only come away from it baffled.

I’m also the child of immigrant parents who’s culture has not been represented in any of the cartoons I grew up watching or have watched since growing up. Relating to all the white, Japanese, and anthropomorphic characters that inhabit all my favorite animated shows and films was never a problem for me. As a matter of fact, I always found it even cooler when those shows introduced me to parts of their culture I wasn’t familiar with. I’m not Jewish, so I was introduced to Passover and Hanukkah through episodes of Rugrats. I learned what a bar mitzvah was through Hey Arnold!. I’m not Persian, and one of my all-time favorite films is Persepolis. The concept of Bao and the emotional gut-punch scene where the mother, fed up with her dumpling child’s defiance, devours him is no less confusing than CatDog’s mom and dad being a big blue Sasquatch thing and a big nosed frog. They’re all metaphors for the points they’re getting at.

Asian fans of Bao were also mystified by some of the glib and dismissive responses the short has gotten from some white audience members. Some of these fans argue and defend its cultural specificity to Asian immigrant culture by suggesting they should suck it up because this isn’t for them and there’s a billion other media that centers their experiences anyway.

(I don’t know how to embed tweets on Tumblr posts....)

I don’t agree with this take either. Like I mentioned before, I don’t think Bao is so specific to Chinese culture that it can’t be relatable to anyone outside of it. Domee Shi’s perspective is still one that comes from growing up in the West and she directed this film for a Western studio that primarily targets Western audiences i.e. audiences that aren’t Asian. A studio like Pixar would never release a film that would only be relatable to a small cultural niche. When Disney or Pixar portrays any cultures outside the dominant, they always package it in a way that allows for those outside of it to engage, for better or for worse.

However…

In This Corner of the World is a movie adaptation of a manga about a young artist who lived in Hiroshima during World War II. I watched this movie last fall and I didn’t like it. I found it too mundane and it was a struggle to keep from dozing off or to keep my attention on it. This is a film that has garnered critical acclaim so I was confused by what I was missing, especially because I really liked other films/manga like Grave of the Fireflies and Barefoot Gen. But then I realized something.

Most of In This Corner of the World takes place before Hiroshima is bombed by the United States. The story mostly revolves around the young artist named Suzu getting married, moving in with her new husband’s family, and adjusting to her new duties as a wife. These aren’t things that readily come to my mind when I think of Hiroshima. When I think of Hiroshima, I think of the ravages and the immediate drama portrayed in Barefoot Gen or Grave of the Fireflies (although that didn’t take place in Hiroshima). I don’t think of marriage or domestic home life when I think of Hiroshima.

And this is what is so pivotal about In This Corner of the World. It portrayed Hiroshima and its residents before the bombing, laying them bare as no different than any other town in Japan (or anywhere, really). The people there get up in the morning, go to work, get married, raise children, play, laugh, and cry just like anyone else. Even as the war rages on in the background, the people of Hiroshima do their best go on with their lives. The tragedy of the film is that the reality of living in a war-torn country steadily disrupts their lives more and more until it is unavoidable. It started with taking shelter during the occasional air raid. Then it continues with Suzu occasionally seeing bombs exploding in the sky. Then it continues with food and water rations. It continues further when the air raids increase in frequency and devastation. And then it hits close to home when Suzu’s older brother is killed in action. It hits even closer to home when Suzu’s sweet little niece is blown up by a time-delayed bomb. This all culminates at the end of the film when the nuclear bomb is dropped on Hiroshima.

Hiroshima will forever be haunted by the specter of the nuclear bomb, even as the surviving residents continued to live on as best as they can for the next 70+ years. There are several generations of Japanese people who only know a Hiroshima after the bombing. So it is a big deal that In This Corner of the World provides their audience with a vision of what Hiroshima was before the bomb and what it could have been if not for the bomb. I can only imagine how powerful this is for Japanese audiences, especially those from Hiroshima, those who have relatives from Hiroshima, or those who have loved ones who died in Hiroshima. I specifically say “I can only imagine” because this was not my response to the film. I have no cultural or personal connection to Hiroshima at all, and I think this why my response to this film was so lukewarm.

In other words, In This Corner of the World wasn’t made for me.

This isn’t to say it could only resonate with Japanese people or people from Hiroshima. Based off of its critical acclaim, it clearly has wider appeal. I’m just acknowledging this as the likely reason it didn’t personally resonate with me.

So for those that didn’t like Bao, they don’t have to like it. I just think it would do them some good to think about why it might resonate more with others and to demonstrate more thoughtfulness in their discourse.

Hell, I don’t doubt there are people who did culturally relate to Bao and still didn’t like it. Actually, I related pretty strongly to Riley’s gradual descent into depression in Inside Out and it’s nonetheless one of only two Pixar films I didn’t like.

#Pixar #bao #domee shi #chinese culture #asian culture #in this corner of the world #cartoon essays #just my thoughts

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bartsugsy · 7 years ago

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Hello lovely Lo! I was wondering if you listen to podcasts (like on Spotify) and if you have any recommendations on what's good to listen to I'm order to make the working day move a little quicker? Lol! Thanking you!

i god damn love podcasts anon (i literally listen to them at work when i’m doing mindless stuff to keep myself entertained)

i don’t know what you’re into - i mostly listen to a mixture of politics, history-related things and comedy, but here’s a list of my faves:

the guilty feminist

my number one podcast recommendation to anyone, everyone and all people. i’m on a mission to get every person in the world to listen to it. this is a podcast about feminist issues, told from the perspectives of women, examining both our ideals and what we truly believe in but also the very real “hypocrisies that undermine” those beliefs, as deborah francis-white always says at the start of every episode. i.e. it talks about the way we support feminism whilst acknowledging that we all do a thousand and one things a day that maybe don’t fall in line with our feminist ideals, because that’s how humans work and that’s how the world works. it’s amazing. it’s funny, but also responsible and inclusive and real - it’s real women talking very honestly about their real experiences and feelings about any number of topics. honestly every single woman i’ve recommended this to say that she listens to it nodding, because everything they talk about it so relatable. PLUS they look to inspire women to help themselves and ways to help dismantle the patriarchy~~ and it’s just…. it’s so fucking good, i can’t stress this enough. i’m not doing it justice at all.

their most recent episode is an international women’s day special on the subject of ‘innovation’, which i’m listening to right now

also - if you ever have a friend who doesn’t quite believe in feminism, get them to listen to this. i’ve literally converted other women through this podcast, because it always starts off like an easy gateway before tackling big and serious issues, whilst never losing it’s humous

which, did i mention it will literally make you laugh out loud, because…

the beginning segment of every show, “i’m a feminist, but…” alone is worth the subscription tbh (”i’m a feminist, but some days my life doesn’t even pass the bechdel test” - taken from the beginning of the first episode)

it’s basically a comedy panel show about feminism and it’s perfect and i feel like every single person should listen to it and then go to a live taping if it’s round your way (usually they film in london but they do take it round the world) because it’s so funny and so relatable but also really fucking inspiring.

slow burn

i recently finished listening to what seems to be the first season of this (they’re working on season 2 now). it’s nine episodes long and takes a very in depth look into the watergate scandal and richard nixon - a podcast that slate decided to do because of the incredibly topical parallels you can draw down from a celebrity president being voted into power, attempting to somehow pevert democracy and then lying about it. there’s a lot of information but its actually really easy to digest and incredibly well put together.

slate also produce trumpcast which looks into the hows and whys of trumps rise to presidency and his current administration, which i haven’t listened to, but worth mentioning because it’s on my list, if you’re into looking at politics from a historical or analytical slant

the new statesman podcast

i just really like listening to stephen bush talk about politics tbh? i stan one man.

the rex factor

this is what i’m currently making my way through - it’s a podcast that looks at every single english (and then british) monarch through history individually and then ranks them, with the aim of eventually deciding upon the ultimate monarch. the value i personally place upon the present day monarchy extends to the amount of tourism revenue they bring in tbh (it’s a lot) but i’m a real fuckin history nerd, which is really what this podcast is. it’s told in a conversational way between the two hosts, in a way that’s both very easy to digest and honest to god fun to listen to and i’m loving it. (i’m currently finishing up henry VI and the war of the roses, if u were wondering, which i know you were not)

hello from the magic tavern

this is a comedy improv roleplay podcast that’s really fucking stupid but also hilarious - it takes a good few episodes to find its groove but then it goes hard. it’s about a dude named arnie, who fell through a magic portal behind a burger king and ended up in a magical land of foon and decided to host a podcast back to the people of earth to talk foon and interview special guest foon residents. it’s great. i find that the success of episodes depends a lot on how good the guest is, but like… jesus fucking christ, i have listened to this stupid podcast on the tube before and literally started laughing out loud.

i also love:

the storywonk podcasts, which involves the storywonk team deep diving into different series in media (their outlander podcast is amazing, if you watch that insane show)

myths and legends

you must remember this, about stories from the history of hollywood

sleep with me podcast, but i literally just use this to go to sleep so don’t listen to this at work

i’m not gonna rec serial and my dad wrote a porno bc they’re like… part of the podcast starter kit, aren’t they? they’re both high key great tho.

also, i’ve been working my way through the rex factor for a while, but my ‘to listen to’ list, for once i’m done, includes:

making obama

a history of oil

the butterfly effect

#about me #answering anons #long post

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jeremys-blogs · 4 years ago

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Star Wars and Samurai: A Classic Combo

As I probably mentioned the last time I wrote about this particular franchise, Star Wars has been a big part of my life for as long as I can remember, and as something that I've been watching for that long a time it can be easy to notice certain trends or ideas that keep popping up. Sure, the recurring motifs of lights vs dark, lightsaber fights, space battles and complicated family dynamics are all pretty widely-known, but even the less famous aspects of the wider Star Wars story can be interesting to look at and analyse. Specifically for this talk, I wanted to discuss how the franchise has a very close relationship to Samurai films. Going all the way back to its earliest days, Star Wars has frequently borrowed story concepts from old films about Japan's most famous warriors, and it's worth noting that every time it does so it always creates tales that, while perhaps not universally beloved, always manage to become at least interesting to watch. So that's what I'm going to be doing here today, to look back over the times that I personally know of from Star Wars and which classic Samurai story they drew inspiration from. Because if there's one thing that can make a cool sci-fi franchise cooler, it's basing itself around equally-cool real life figures.

And of course we have to start at the beginning. The original Star Wars, 1977, the film that shook the world. It almost goes without saying that George Lucas drew inspiration from a number of big stories when making his original blockbuster, from classic sci-fi serials like Flash Gordon to more folkloric tales like king Arthur. But perhaps the biggest shaper of the plot of the film came from the 1958 film by Akira Kurosawa, The Hidden Fortress. This story, set during the tumultuous era of feudal Japan, feature two peasants who, unbeknownst to them, are secretly escorting a princess across enemy lines. Now the parallels here are obvious, as the character of Leia is also a Princess in need of transporting to a safe location during a time of war. And the two peasants, while they can certainly be seen as spiritual successors to Luke and Han, perhaps better fit the role that R2D2 and C3PO fill, that of more bumbling and comedic characters who simply found themselves roped into this situation through no fault of their own. Regardless, Hidden Fortress played a big part in making the original movie what it was, and given how beloved a title it went on to be, we should all be grateful to it.

But its worth noting that Kurosawa was by no means limited to the original Star Wars when it came to his influence over the franchise, as his movies provided the basis for a lot of homages over the years. Take, for instance, what is perhaps his most famous work, the Seven Samurai. Now, I realise that this one doesn't technically qualify for a samurai film since the title characters are actually without masters and therefore ronin instead, but it's in the name so that's what I'm counting it as. Anyways, the story of these seven "samurai" who get brought in to defend a local village and help defend it from bandits and even teach the villagers to defend themselves is a plot that might be familiar to fans of the recent Star Wars hit, the Mandalorian. Its fourth episode, Sanctuary, had this as its central premise, even though there are obvious differences, like there only being two people hired to do the job. But even so, the connection is as plain as day. And as you might expect, a story rooted in one of Akira Kurosawa's most beloved films was a damn fine episode in its own right, to the point where I'll even call it my personal favourite of the show's first season.

At this point I imagine that serious fans of every aspect of this franchise will likely feel a sense of familiarity with the previously-mentioned film, as Seven Samurai also served as the inspiration for an episode of the hit CGI TV show Clone Wars. The episode "Bounty Hunters" followed a much more close adaptation of the film, to the point of actually having seven defenders of the village, and in fact the episode even went out of its way to be a love letter to the works of Kurosawa, dedicating itself to him. And it really is a testament to the man's film that it can lead to the creation of not one, but two great episodes from two great shows. Now it's probably going to be a debate among fans as to which one is actually the better episode, regardless of whether or not it's a good adaptation of Kurosawa's work, but regardless they are both fine stories that are well worth watching, and though it might not be fair to credit him as being the progenitor of the idea of outsiders coming to a village's aid, there can be no denying that it's because of him that the trope is as popular as it is.

And speaking of tropes that Kurosawa has helped to make popular, another such idea is the notion of the same story being told in different ways by different people, which was the premise of the movie Rashomon from 1950. The story in question being that of a murder, a crime being described by multiple characters, with uncertainty about who is really telling the truth. Now this one admittedly hasn't had that big of an impact on Star Wars as much as Kurosawa's other films, but this idea of differing perspectives had a very noteworthy appearance in The Last Jedi. Now I realise that this is a very divisive movie among the fandom, but this idea of perspective is right at the centre of one of the film's more controversial choices, specifically regarding the actions of original trilogy hero Luke Skywalker. It frames his actions, his near-attempt at doing something terrible, from the point of view of two people, himself and his nephew. Whether Rashomon was indeed the inspiration behind this particular plot point is unknown, but I would be very surprised if it wasn't, especially considering Kurosawa's shadow over the rest of the franchise. And regardless of whether or not you like Last Jedi, it's undeniable that this particular storytelling technique made for an engaging development with our old hero.

For our final example of the connections between Star Wars and samurai stories we move away from Kurosawa (may he rest in peace) and return again to discussing the Mandalorian. Because with the hit show the entirety of its premise, that of a stoic warrior defending a young child from the dangers around them, we go to the tale of Lone Wolf and Cub. Now here I'm technically cheating a bit as that story, while having plenty of films made from it, actually began life as a manga back in 1970. But even with that difference in mind you can still see the clear connections it has with our favourite spacefaring father and son team. A main lead whose livelihood features a great deal of violence being cast out and vilified in some way and defending this youth is almost exactly what Mando and the Child are going through, though there are obviously plenty of differences in the details and aesthetics. Out of all the samurai stories we've covered, this one is possibly the least well-known, and as such it would surprise me greatly if anyone watching Mandalorian will even come to the conclusion that it drew inspiration from it. Now the series is still ongoing, so it remains to be seen if it will continue this premise, but for right now I think the manga's author would appreciate the love his story is getting in this new form.

And with that, we come to the end of our look at samurai influence in Star Wars. It's worth saying upfront that I have not seen or read everything related to Star Wars, as there's frankly way too much out there for me to every really declare myself an expert on it, so what I've talked about here is all the examples I personally knew of. Are there other samurai references out there in the franchise I don't know about? Quite possibly, and if so then I hope people enjoy them as much as what I've talked about here in this posting. But suffice to say I trust my point has been well made. A sci-fi story it may be, but Star Wars owes much of what it is to that other great subgenre of film, and with the franchise likely continuing on for many years into the future I have no doubt that those films will carry on making their way into whatever movies, TV shows, games, books and so on get made from the Star Wars name. How good they will be I cannot say, but if nothing else then at least the stories made thus far have been of great entertainment value to me, and I'll be more than likely giving them a few more re-watches before I'm done with them 😉

#essay #writing #my stuff #star wars #the clone wars #akira kurosawa #samurai #the mandalorian #din djarin

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rorykillmore · 7 years ago

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alright here we go, a self-indulgent piece since i’ve been wanting to write my dc ladies hanging out for awhile and ballplot provided me with the perfect thing to center it around! clearly sara is a bad influence on everyone, however,

“It’s about the ball,” Sara says in a more conspiratory tone, leaning a little closer. “I think we should get her a date.”

“Sooo, Kara,” Sara drawls, most of her focus on the pattern she’s braiding into the Kryptonian’s hair. “Tell us a little more about this girl you’re taking to the dance.”

It’s a hang-out-and-watch-terrible-B-movies kinda night, which sometimes happens when one of them is feeling particularly homesick. Kara never knew Sara or Caitlin all that well back home, being that they’re technically from parallel Earths, but there’s a certain solidarity that comes from being stranded in the same alternate reality together.

Apparently, though, Sara is still willing to stab her in the back at a moment’s notice. She flushes a little. “You make it sound like high school all over again.”

“Don’t tease her, Sara,” Caitlin protests mildly, glancing back at them -- and then to Kara specifically. “You’re going with Ratchet’s friend from the tech center, right? I think he mentioned something about that.”

“Ah. Yeah. Rey.” The admission pulled out of her, Kara smiles a little more readily. “I just thought... well, the flyers make the ball look so nice, and she... deserves that. Something nice.”

Caitlin smiles at her, a brief flash of encouragement and endearment.

Sara says smartly, “I’m taking my angry Sith BFF so she can make a political impression on the masses.”

Pleading with whatever god might listen that Sara’s joking seems like it’d be a little in vain, so Kara responds more dryly, “How romantic?”

She feels Sara nudge her. “Don’t backsass the person doing your hair, Danvers. I’m in the perfect position for sabotage.”

“I wouldn’t test her,” Caitlin adds, eyes back on the television. “Last week she propositioned Killer Frost with highlights.”

There’s a pause from Sara. “Hey, it’s a step up from propositioning her in general.”

“Sara!” Kara chokes, entirely unprepared for that unfiltered statement -- but Caitlin handles it rather gracefully, flushing faintly but giving Sara a deadpan look.

“I’m kidding,” Sara adds quickly, and Kara can hear the laugh she’s holding back. “I wouldn’t do that. Not that Frosty’s not charming, but it’d be a little weird.”

“How do you think I feel?” Caitlin counters dryly. “You’re not exactly the --” She cuts off abruptly, and Kara gives her a curious look. Somehow, though, she feels like this might be a good time to change the subject.

“So how’d you get so big on hairbraiding, Sara?” she asks, playful but with genuine enough curiosity. “I didn’t exactly figure you for the type. No offense.” It’s just that Sara’s, well, Sara, and all things considered sleepover activities seem a little domestic for her.

Behind her, Sara finishes up and leans back. “Yeah, well. I had a lot of practice with Laurel.”

“Laurel?” Kara can’t remember whether she knows the name -- did Barry mention a Laurel, once?

There’s a pause, and it’s not until she turns so she can see Sara that she responds with a slightly belated, “My sister.”

“Oh -- oh!” Kara can’t help but brighten just a touch. It’s a point of relatability she can’t help but find appealing. She remembers where she heard this before, now. “Back when we were fighting the Dominators, I think you said --”

This time, as she remembers exactly what Sara had said, the pause is definitely awkward. Sara’s expression is unreadable, and for a moment Kara wonders whether she and her sister had some kind of falling out -- and then she sees Caitlin’s reaction. Somber. Sad.

Her heart sinks.

Before she can say anything - apologize like she wants to - Caitlin gets up, her eyes darting to Sara and then away again. “I’m gonna go make some more popcorn,” she announces, and then slinks back towards the kitchen.

Her departure leaves a beat of silence in its wake, but Kara can’t bring herself to let it hang too long. “I’m so sorry, Sara, I -- I know you told Barry, I just wasn’t thinking --”

“Look, don’t worry about it,” Sara interrupts her steadily. She doesn’t sound angry, although there’s an edge to her voice that Kara’s never heard before. “She died last year, so, you know. Not exactly a fresh wound.”

Last year? If anything ever happened to Alex, Kara can’t imagine herself getting over it in -- in a whole lifetime. Sara can’t be anywhere near as detached from this as she pretends, she thinks. She should say something, she thinks -- after all, if there’s one thing she knows about, it’s loss. It’s probably why Caitlin gave them the room, so Sara could explain and Kara could do... something to make it a little easier.

“How did she die?” she asks quietly, and it’s not the question she wanted -- not anywhere near it. It feels too direct, too abrasive.

Sara hesitates, like she’s not sure she wants to answer. “She was a vigilante. -- A hero. It’s not a job without casualties.” She sets her jaw, looks away -- and then back at Kara. “Not all of us are bulletproof.”

Kara swallows. For a fleeting moment, she thinks of Ratchet -- maybe she and Sasuke take too much for granted. “I’m so sorry. She must’ve been.. so brave.”

“She was.” It’s only for a moment, but Sara’s tone softens a little. They almost sink into quiet again. And then -- “Look, let’s not do this right now. Tonight’s supposed to be fun. Besides -- there’s something I wanna talk to you about while Cait’s giving us a minute for a heart to heart.”

It almost feels callous to just move on, but Sara clearly doesn’t want to linger on this -- and ultimately, Kara doesn’t want to corner her. Instead, she allows herself a little curiosity, her brow furrowing. “...Okay. What’s up?”

“It’s about the ball,” Sara says in a more conspiratory tone, leaning a little closer. “I think we should get her a date.”

The change of tracks makes Kara blink, and she has to process the suggestion before she can manage a response. Caitlin? Date? Maybe that shouldn’t throw her as much as it does. It’s just -- Caitlin never seems to have the time for it. “What makes you think she even wants to go?”

“It’d be good for her. She’s always working her ass off in Metropolis, and without Barry here, someone’s gotta drag her out to unwind every once in awhile.” Sara rolls her eyes and then frowns, sobering a touch. “Besides, between you and me... she hasn’t exactly had the best luck in the romance department.”

“Oh --” Kara winces a little in sympathy. She knows the feeling.

“It doesn’t have to be anything, you know, serious,” Sara continues without dwelling on that. “Just something fun. Even if we just set her up for a night.”

It isn’t a bad idea, Kara decides. She hopes Caitlin won’t mind, because it sounds like it’d be a nice thing to do for her, if it works out. “Do you... have anyone in mind?” she asks.

Sara hums wryly. “Well. I think she’s had enough of guys for awhile, if you know what I mean.”

“Is she -- are you sure she’s not, you know, straight?” Kara always manages to forget that you can’t assume these things on Earth. “Wait a minute -- is that why you made that joke about Killer Frost?”

“I was trying to get a read on her.” Sara shrugs like it’s a perfectly reasonable explanation. “Usually I can tell, with women, but Caitlin’s -- you know how she is. Private about everything outside of a medical lab.”

Kara’s never really thought about it either way, but... “I mean. Killer Frost is kind of...”

“Definitely not straight,” Sara agrees, and it’s hard not to laugh at how matter-of-fact she is about it. “So unless the situation there is -- uh, even more complicated than I think it is, I’d say we have a fair shot.”

“Okay.” Kara wracks her brain for a moment. How many single women does she know? Maybe if Lena were here, but --

Wait.

“Oh my god. I think I know someone perfect!”

Sara raises her eyebrows expectantly. “Spill.”

“Well, my friends and I were at lunch the other day, and we were talking about going -- my civilian friends?” Kara automatically regrets the way she says that like it might be a foreign concept, but Sara seems unfazed. “And, um -- my friend Belle, she’s going with someone from her world, but my other friend Edith was just gonna third wheel it.”

“Damn, Danvers,” Sara teases. “It’s like you’re living a teen drama. So would... Edith be cool with all this?”

For a moment, Kara hesitates. Caught up in her excitement, she realizes she’s forgotten to consider the fact that Edith -- Edith is from over a hundred years in the past. But she’s always seemed so ahead of her time, so engaged in modern things --

-- Maybe she should consult with Belle, she thinks, just for some perspective?

“Well, I think they’d get along,” she ventures a bit more slowly. “I mean, they’re both smart, and opinionated, and that kinda... sort of chill where you’re just kind of above other people’s drama? Or. Try to be. And they’re both really successful in generally male-dominated fields -- Edith’s a playwright!”

“Hmm.” Sara seems to consider that. “Well. Worth a shot. Talk to her and see if she’s even... interested.”

She’s about to agree when Caitlin comes back into the room - a little cautiously, as if she’s not sure she’s given them enough time - with a fresh bowl of popcorn. Kara immediately tries to beam at her, and then inwardly scolds herself for what is probably a blatantly transparent reaction (especially next to Sara, who has it turns out has managed to look perfectly unfazed).

“Wow.” Caitlin pauses, arching an eyebrow. “You guys look...”

“What?” Sara asks, glancing at Kara as if she’s just as nonplussed as Caitlin is.

Caitlin hesitates. “I just figured -- nevermind.”

Instead, she settles down next to Sara and nods to the television. “What are we watching next?”

They spend the rest of the night making fun of some M. Night Shyamalan movie, which infuriates Caitlin because of the botanical inaccuracies and leaves Sara unimpressed because apparently the deaths aren’t “creative” enough. Still, it’s nice just to see the two of them like this -- joking around, laughing a little. It feels nice for Kara, too.

Just how disastrous the ball would end up being had yet to be determined, but if it was anything like this? For a little while, the distraction would be enough.

#cuts dennys lvad wire #fic #i cant believe no one invited siobhan?#also ive always thought itd be good for kara and sara to talk about sister stuff so... bit of a detour for that #im not sure how i feel about this in its entirety but it was fun to do

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oncethrown · 7 years ago

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We! Are! Family! (2x16 Review)

Building on last week’s awesome character stuff, this episode also did a lot of deep character stuff, did a fantastic job of using it’s ensemble cast to explore the same topic in different ways, and then offered us a lot of drunk Clary nonsense as a palate cleanser between scenes of actual substance.

If palate cleansers tasted overwhelmingly of garbage.

Alec Learns About Black White and Grey

Setting Alec against Robert for this whole episode, particularly given the hints we currently have about the upcoming episode, was masterful writing. Robert’s disgusting corruption against Alec’s naivete. Robert’s decimated morality against Alec’s barely challenged innocence.

And Robert’s dead marriage vs. Alec’s brand new love.

Alec and Magnus’s relationship has faced very few internal challenges. Alec and Magnus are very firmly in the honeymoon stage, and the previews are hinting that may not be the case next week.

Enter Robert. Robert has been half of a complicated marriage for decades, and is currently married to a woman he no longer loves, and presumably hasn’t loved for a long time. We know Maryse and Robert were fighting last season, and in the books Robert cheats on Maryse sometime around Isabelle being either conceived or born, I don’t remember.

I’m not condoning cheating, but adult relationships are complicated, and I believe Robert when he says “It’s complicated”. There are thousand things going on in his and Maryse’s marriage. Maryse’s ambition, her dedication to the Lightwood legacy. Their shared past as members of the circle. Their shared exile from Idris, their shared scapegoating of Hodge. These are two people who, when they were young, fell under the sway of a madman, and then betrayed him and ran from their homeland with their baby and probably weren’t the same people any more afterward. Were not the same people who had fallen in love to begin with.

But Maryse said in the last episode that they weren’t going to get divorced because there was the legacy to think of. The two of them have probably had that legacy conversation a thousand times. They’ve probably loved and hated each other, tried to convince themselves they could get divorced, then ultimately decided that they couldn’t over and over again. And kids make everything a nightmare. They probably both love the kids, but disapprove of the way the other loves them, (and let’s be honest, they both abuse and neglect the kids, and probably only think the other does) and we know that neither wanted to hurt the kids by saying anything too true about the other. These two people are genuinely caught in this impossible, ugly snarl.

That ugly snarl is similar to Alec’s political position. He wants to run an institute, but it’s difficult to follow Clave orders and still be the leader he wants to be. He wants to move up in the Clave, but knows its rife with corruption.

It’s nothing like his relationship status though. He and Magnus are firmly ensconced in the honey moon stage. There have been challenges and problems, but nothing that changed the fundamental internal ease of the relationship. They haven’t had a conflict that wasn’t solved with love and honesty.

But that doesn’t last. And Robert is standing there in Alec’s office trying to explain to his incredibly black and white son that grey sometimes shows up when you aren’t expecting it. And Alec is going to understand that when it means how to discuss the whereabouts of the soul sword… but it’s going to be a lot more complicated as a lie of omission to Magnus. Being the head of the Institute and sleepin in the High Warlock’ bed every night doesn’t stay easy. In a way, Robert is a harbinger of doom for Alec’s story.

But Alec is also a grown up, and he has to accept parts of his father’s grayness as their story moves forward. He acknowledges that his father is right— he has to stay in the institute even though Jace is in trouble. He has to acknowledge that his deeply imperfect father does care about him, and is using the influence he has to try to protect him.

But he also has to acknowledge that his father’s influence has a dark origin and that his father has done a lot of bad things.

Which is a super awesome story to pit against Sebastian and Valentine.

Sebastian and Alec actually have very similar statuses in these two plots. They are both sons whose fathers have failed, and they are both struggling with that failure. Alec’s is corruption and infidelity, and Sebastian is evil and being sent to hell… so they are… ya know. Wide parallels. But parallels nonetheless.

Sebastian almost gets to be the emotional outlet that Alec will never be allowed. Sebastian and Alec are equally angry with their fathers, but Sebastian is the one that gets to scream and threaten and let loose on his. Sebastian could be Alec’s Anger Translator. It also gives us an inverse of Alec’s storyline. Robert fucked up and Alec didn’t. Robert is indisputably the bad guy in that pairing. And then in Sebastian and Valentine’s story, it’s not that easy. Sebastian murdered people. Because of what Valentine made him. Valentine was afraid of Sebastian, because of what Valentine made him. Sebastian is a monster because of Valentine’s fear, and Sebastian is demanding retribution because what Valentine did is unforgivable. It’s Alec and Robert’s storyline with the brakelines cut, and it’s a really well done emotional compliment to that story line.

What makes Simon’s entry into this Sons and Families storyline so interesting is that it’s so thematically similar, while every other element of it is wildly different.

The only person Simon has to forgive in his storyline is himself. On a day of atonement, Alec and Sebastian have long lists of the sins of the father, but Simon is angry with himself, and… in the end forgives himself (Neither Alec nor Sebastian forgive their fathers). Simon clearly blames himself for his mother’s drinking. He blames himself for worrying his sister with the blood thing. He doesn’t hear Bubbie Helen’s criticism of his not going to temple, but it’s clear that he would blame himself for not going.

And none of them place that blame on him. Helen sort of hand waves not going to temple, his mother blames himself for the drinking. His sister seems to blame the other band mates for the weird blood gimmick.

Maia echoes this when she talks about her family and says that it’s not anger that keeps her from reconnecting with her family, it’s guilt.

And then Simon almost lightheartedly accepts blame for not knowing more about Maia’s hopes and dreams. He admits that he’s been self-centered, but they don’t agonize over it. Also, everyone apologizes to Maia when Helen assumes she isn’t Jewish.

It’s also worth mentioning that Alec and Sebastian deal with antagonistic father/son relationships, but Simon is in a scene with four women.

This is the kind of thing I really wanted to see Shadowhunters start doing, and they really hit it out of the park. Those parts of this episode were cohesive and important. They built on each other, echoed and contrasted each other and gave us this super solid thing about sin and forgiveness, father’s and son, and how complicated family can be. They also fleshed out our characters, telling us all kinds of things we didn’t know about Maia and Sebastian and gave us peices to keep the plot going forward— like Robert’s mysterious (and crazy gross) backchannel with Imogen, the real location of the soul sword, Sebastian having Valentine and why he took him. Simon and Maia chemistry.

And Then there’s Clary

I’m actually getting exhausted with hating Clary, but the writers won’t cut me a break. Not every plot has to be on the same wavelength, it’s completely fine that Clary’s story line just dipped it’s toe into the main theme with her wide eyed “My brother is alive” shit at the end… but this plot line was a disaster, and should have been given half the time it was given. This plot accomplished 4 things:

1. Showed us that Clary’s Super Special Powers! Are so Super Special! That she is the only non warlock who can do the portals. 2. Taught us that Lake Lyn exists (probs important later) 3. Tried (and failed) to create post incest Jace Clary lost when Jace’s Super Special Powers! Save Clary from Lady Madness 4. Let Clary know that she still has a brother.

And like…from a writing perspective, I’m sure those things are important for something they are building toward, and it’s not their fault that I already know what it is because I’ve reading the steaming horseshit pile of source material.

But they have written 26 episodes now where Clary has no goal. No motivation. And yet another episode where she’s weak and pathetic and has to get rescued by whoever wants to put his penis in her the most.

She shouldn’t be the main character if she’s just a battleground for dick-wetting.

And like… an hour mystic drunk in the woods is the closest she’s come to experiencing consequences the whole time, and it takes two people to rescue her.

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand and Seventeen I don’t want to watch the main female character cured of hysteria by the right dick. I hate everything about it, and that makes me hate Clary and I don’t want to hate Clary.

And the writers have restrictions placed on them by the fact that they are adapting from a book… but compare Shadowhunters to something like True Blood? The books True Blood are based on are impossible to read sober, and the True Blood abandoned them by like episode 9 of the first season.

If you want me to give a flying fuck about Clary “Blink at You Until You Love Me” Fray you have to give her a story. You can’t rely on shitty storylines from a decade ago (and a tumultous decade at that) to make me give a damn about her and frankly I’m offended that the writers are lazy enough to think they can. They’ve been coasting on Clary since day one, and if that’s all they can do… fine. But then Clary can’t be a main characters. Maia can be the main, Izzy can be the main, and Clary can just show up in a wet dress from time to time with her crusty eyelashes, and eventually get killed off.

I haven’t quite hit the point where Clary is just the irredeemable nonsense that I forward through… but I’m getting damn close.

Live Reactions:

They have to do something about this fucking intro.

It is impossible to watch this show in a room that isn’t black out dark. We’re not all rich enough for TV rooms or curtains, Shadowhunters. Turn on a fucking light on set.

Simon and Maia also have chemistry. Alisha and Alberto could have chemistry with moldy bread.

Gross. Robert.

This father son conversation about where the black and white and grey go is interesting. And it’s fascinating to compare Alec and Maryse’s interaction to Alec and Robert’s. Especially because Maryse was terrible to Alec… and Robert was terrible to Maryse.

Fuck you, Clary. This isn’t Jace’s fault. You could have not fucked your best friend when you weren’t sure what you wanted. You are the worst. I hate that they keep pretending you’re the lead.

I kinda doubt you need to fake Magnus’s hand gesture.

You are very pretty, Sebastian

You sent him to Hell? What the fuck are you going to do?

After 90 seconds of Show Sebastian, I am totally invested in his story. I cannot wait to see what he does and I need to have him be a main character.

UUGGHHHHH Clary, our female lead, is now helpless and falling down in the woods. FFUUCCKKKKKIINNGG Shadowhunters

Under enough stress to scream at a 9 year old until he won’t leave his room? Cheating? Existing? I want Robert dead by Mid Season 3.

Listen to Izzy. She’s smarter than everyone you know, and the Inquisitor is obviously dirty.

Emeraude is the only one who says “by the Angel” like it’s a real phrase she has used before. Official award for this to Emmeraude.

I would care that you found a pile of Jace guts… but I’m sure that you’re just hallucinating or some shit because you are the weakest character on the show and women aren’t allowed to succeed at anything on Shadowhunters. Maybe, despite the cold, you’ll be in a wet white dress by the end of the episode.

Wow. Okay. Will and Alisha are now the stars of this show. They would be so good in a scene together is the writers could possibly write a scene good enough for the two of them to be in.

Gross. Robert.

This is just so much Clary being on screen with no drive. I’m super frustrated with how Clary doesn’t have to have a story to be the lead. Everyone in this episode wants something and has multiple layers of want and opposition. Clary is lake drunk in the woods. That’s not a plot. That’s halfway decent weekend.

Oh no. Not lose her mind forever. They might have to put her in the gard. We might never hear from her again. Oh no.

You know… Valentine deserves that. I’m on board.

Izzy could also be the lead of this show. She stuck to her beliefs while the Clave threatened to derune her. She actually gives a flying fuck about downworlders and has repeated it with fewer lapses than everyone else. The downworld respects her. She overcame being forcibly addicted by a superior who wanted to rape her. She’s the best shadowhunter in the Institute. She’s smarter than everyone. Izzy is the Hermione Granger to Clary’s Giant Squid.

Boy-magic saved her. Girl magic got her in that mess to start with. Thanks Shadowhunters.

This dialogue made me throw up my wine.

Gross. Robert.

Yes! Stand up for your baby brother Alec.

There is no way Robert threatened to do anything to the Clave. He’s lying. He’s always lying.

Feeling bad about sending your son to hell doesn’t make him less sent to hell, and he still doesn’t see you as a son, Sebastian. Just an experiment. Kill him, it’s fine.

Maia and Simon, you are the best. Please be one of the most important parts of the show.

Is Maia and Jace fucking ever going to come up again? If not what was the point?

Careful Clary, he’s sexy reading and you are but a wee pathetic lass

That is the most obvious chain they could have possibly picked. Why not just tape it to his forehead?

Clary’s desperation to find her brother had better be linked to her mother’s death. The writers have got to be able to make that teeny tiny leap.

#shadowhunters #Shadowhunters meta #shadowhunters 2x16

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themomentofdavyprentiss · 8 years ago

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Not Your Average Zutara Fic Rec

So I’ve gone through a LOT of Zutara fanfiction, probably too much if I’m being honest, and finding good fics can be really hard. When looking up fic rec lists I’ve noticed that a lot of the lists are just the same select fanfictions recommended over and over (We get it, everyone and their mother loves ‘His Majesty Prefers Blue’ and ‘Stormbenders’ [I never finished HMPB, sue me]).

So this list is for all of you who are in my shoes and can’t seem to find anything besides the same ten or fifteen stories recommended and are desperate for something new. Everything listed is complete! (If I listed the incompletes/abandoned stories I’d have a lot more chaptered stories listed… RIP ‘The Confrontational Approach’…)

I have a lot of bookmarked stories that I have yet to read and am in the middle of (Almost caught up on @firelordandlady ‘s ‘Say Anything’!), so I’ll try to update this when I finish something I think deserves a recommendation.

Chaptered

In the Same Candlelight by Like a Dove

In a world where there is no war, Zuko and Katara spend their summers together. Growing up is messy, embarrassing, and at times sad, but they think it might be okay because they have each other. Edited summary.

I know. I KNOW. I LITERALLY JUST SAID I WASN’T GOING TO RECOMMEND FANFICS THAT ARE ON EVERYONE’S LIST. But I NEED to mention this one. I spent so long not interested in this fic. I don’t like drastic AU’s, or modern AU’s. My taste is strictly canon divergence, so I didn’t think I would like this. I WAS SO WRONG. Trust me, if you are like me and don’t like big AU’s, read this anyway. I promise, you won’t be disappointed. Characterization is still so spot on, even with such a different take. Aang is precious. There is nothing but fluff, fluff, and fluff. It will melt you. You will probably die and your spirit will rise up smiling and beaming out rainbows and sunshine. That’s what happened to me.

Lilacs and Lily Pads by sadladybug

A tale of clumsy courtship and calamitous court weddings, featuring awkward family encounters, floral mishaps, cultural complications, and good old fashioned fluff and conflict. Takes place in the five years following war’s end. For Zutara Week 2016. A prequel to Bones.

Clothe Me in Seasons, Dress Me in Snow is a very commonly recommended Zutara fic (And for good reason, I shed many tears reading it). But this two-shot (A companion to Bones, a smut one shot) by the same author is really underrated and beautifully written. It follows Zuko and Katara as they try to plan their wedding, as well as shows two scenes from before they got engaged that solidified the relationship to be one they knew would last. Just really well done overall and very very sweet.

EDIT: I talked with the author and apparently it isn’t finished?? But they are apparently working on the next chapters so yay!! And each chapter is independent so it doesn’t feel unfinished.

The Slow Path by Tazainian Devil

Eight years after the fall of Ozai, Aang returns to the friends he left behind - Taang, Zutara, Sukka

This is technically a Taang fic, and if I’m being honest I kind of just skimmed through the non-zutara chapters, but the Zutara storyline was good enough that I think it’s definitely worth the read. And the overall plot has a great premise. Be warned, it has a sequel that was never finished.

Another Word For Alchemy by FanPanda13

Five years have passed since the Avatar defeated Fire Lord Ozai, and the members of the Gaang have all gone in their own direction. But when Aang invites them all to a Peace Summit at the North Pole and tells them of his new project, for which he will need their support, the group comes together again for adventure, fun and romance. AU. Zutara. COMPLETE.

So this fic is crazy for me. At first, it started as just really good natured fluff. The writing wasn’t anything fantastic (Although I loved how it broke the 4th wall and didn’t take itself seriously), and there were some definite OOC moments. But I had so much FUN with it. The plot (while definitely not the focus as everyone is more concerned about when Zuko and Katara will get together) was interesting, and there were some really sweet moments. It was also HILARIOUS and I had multiple moments where I genuinely laughed out loud. But then about five chapters before the end, the quality SKY ROCKETED. As the plot and mystery come together, the characters all come together in a moment that truly feels like it came from the show. Even the writing quality increases by a lot and I was genuinely shocked and impressed. Definitely recommend.

Kyoshi Hold ‘Em by cupid-painted-blind

When a blizzard shuts down the fourth annual Peace Summit, the group has to find some way to pass the time. /Zutara, Taang, Jet/Mai, Jet/Everyone, Sukka

If you’re looking for a good crack fic, look no further. It’s post war and utter nonsense. Jet is alive for some reason??? No one questions it and he’s shipped with pretty much everyone. It’s funny, it’s decently written, there are drinking and sexy time shenanigans, and overall just lighthearted. Also, it does a great job of being a crack fic without crossing the line and becoming unfunny and just a trash fic. A lot struggle to find the balance and resort to going over the top and ridiculous, but this one does a really good job.

Come With Me by Steamboat Ghost

Coauthored by fuzzytomato. Troubled over his newly restored honor, Zuko finds solace in the familiar guise of the Blue Spirit. In a chance meeting with the Painted Lady, a friendship is forged as the two heroes seek to help the Fire Nation’s neglected.

I’ll admit it: I’ve never gotten into Blutara fanfictions. I only read the first couple chapters of HMPB and dropped it after the tree scene. I don’t know, it felt really OOC for me and I may go back and read it again just because EVERYONE raves about it, but IDK. I’ve never been a huge Blutara fan because while I love the concept, I’d much rather see the Painted Lady and the Blue Spirit come together as equals. Most fics present Zuko behind his mask to Katara, and it feels imbalanced. There aren’t a lot of stories where we see their alter persona’s come together even though that’s the entire point of the parallel between the two. Insert this fic. I only wish there was a sequel dealing with Zuko in the Gaang after these events. Hey, a girl can dream.

A Zutara Story Anastasia by LastSunset

Katara, the only suviving waterbender of the Southern Water Tribe, joins two con men, Zuko and Iroh, while a fearful admiral chases for her death. A Zutara Story. Based on the movie Anastasia.

So this isn’t so much a retelling of Anastasia but with Katara and Zuko as it is a fanfic version of the movie but with the characters names and world changed. It takes a lot of lines from the movie. But WHO CARES? It’s Anastasia and Zutara!!! What more do you need???

Oneshot

this burden you bear by cowlicklesschick

Word travels, and war stories will be told round campfires and on freighter ships until every person in the world knows what Master Katara did for the new Fire Lord. She fights the burning in her throat at the thought of people knowing why she had to heal him in the first place. Post-war Zutara.

This is an angst-with-a-happy-ending, which I say is the absolute BEST type of angst. Katara deals with the guilt of what Zuko did for her as the Fire Nation celebrates what she did to save his life during the Agni Kai. The two come together beautifully while struggling to see the feelings they both share. Really well written and like I said, it has a happy ending, which we all need.

The Best of Me by Laririn-Shadow

The night before his eighteenth birthday Zuko wraps a bandage around his left wrist. He has a country to run and no time for frivolous things. It will make everything easier if he waits. Zutara Soulmates AU

Soulmate AU’s usually aren’t my thing (With the glaring exception of one Until Dawn Soulmate AU, but that’s besides the point), but I really enjoyed this oneshot. It isn’t sweeping or insanely romantic and the reveal isn’t “OMG I’VE LOVED YOU THIS WHOLE TIME” But it’s a subtle love that grows, which I really like.

my salvation, he’s not anything by sarsaparillia

Let’s run away and start another war. — Zuko/Katara.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯ What can I say? I love the ‘Let’s run away together, consequences be damned’ trope. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

The Time is Ripe by Casa Circe

ZUTARA WEEK 2012 Day Seven: Seasons. There are many stages that a heart goes through before it can finally be ready for the love it was meant to have. The road is often a rocky one but eventually, it leads you home.

A oneshot for the Zutara Week 2012 prompt ‘Seasons’. Not too much to say about it. Short, sweet, and well written. What more do you need?

Serendipity by Boriqua-chan

Iroh goes hunting for tea leaves and finds something…interesting. /Zutara week, day 1/

Secret relationships! Fluff! Happiness! And all from Uncle Iroh’s perspective!! Everything I love in one great oneshot!

Too Close for Comfort also by Casa Circe

ZUTARA WEEK 2010 Day Three: Pain. After watching “The Ember Island Players”, no one is in the mood for teasing. But a little slip of the tongue leads to the painful realization that the play was more accurate than they were willing to admit.

There are two Zutara plots/tropes that I am a complete and utter SLUT for. The first is the ‘Let’s talk about that EIP show’ trope. This is one of my favorites.

The Color of Truth is Red by Mrs. Pettyfer

Written for Zutara Week prompt “awkward.” Zuko and Katara discuss the Ember Island Players.

Another post EIP oneshot

Enlightenment by Blade Quill

Choices are made on the day of Zuko’s coronation, and sometimes, enlightenment is just the simple truth at hand. Zutara. AU of the final moments of the Book 3 Finale

The OTHER plot/trope I’m a slut for is finale rewrites. LET ME SEE THEM COME TOGETHER AFTER HE TAKES LIGHTNING FOR HER. Ugh, I love it.

Framework by profoundlycan

What if in “Sozin’s Comet” Katara had come into the room instead of Mai? Zuko/Katara. Prequel to Schema.

Another finale rewrite! Let’s just get Mai out of the picture here…

Lightning Shocks the Heart by drunkzutarafeels

Why do our hearts remain dormant until a climactic moment makes time stand still?

And here’s yet another finale rewrite. There is a really popular Zutara gifset that someone animated of the Agni Kai ‘Thank you’ scene, but Katara kisses Zuko after she hugs him. This is the fanfiction equivalent of that gif set.

Sunrise by lewilder

The days go on and on, and even if she feels more comfort from the moon, Katara learns to cherish the promise of each new sunrise. Zutara AU, largely finale-centric. Oneshot.

LAST FINALE AU I PROMISE. Really sweet, starts right after The Southern Raiders and goes past canon.

all the ghosts we cannot kill (we learn to love) by raisindeatre

Zuko and Katara; the moments we didn’t see. Or: Maybe we are all somebody’s ghost. And maybe sometimes we can be more than that.

“…My quarrel has only ever been with you, Zuko,” she says, his name sharp on her tongue. “This has only ever been about me and you.”

“You’re wrong,” he rasps, his voice rough in the late afternoon sunlight that falls around them, tangles them in golden nets. “This has only ever been about me and the Avatar. Not you and me. What we hold between us has nothing to do with it.”

This is a really beautiful one-shot that follows a battered, war torn and hardened Zuko and Katara through the scenes we DIDN’T see throughout the entire show. A Zutara must-read.

Drabble Collection/Series

And Other Fairly Stupid Tales by Advocaat

A collection of humorous and crack-tastic oneshots corresponding to the days of Zutara Month

Really great Zutara Month themed drabbles, and it contains the only body swapping plot that I’ve read and really enjoyed. Also the chapters ‘Potential’ and ‘Festival’ are some of my all time favorites.

Zuko Was No Coward by hootowl

Zuko was many things, but a coward he was not. A collection of Zutara100 prompts. Title may change.

Definitely some heartbreakers and angsty drabbles in here, but all well written and thoroughly enjoyable. If you read ANYTHING from this list, read chapter two of this drabble collection. I MELTED when I read it. It’s perfection. Aunt Wu’s prediction has always been a plotline I’ve loved in Zutara fanfiction, and this one just does it PERFECTLY.

Zutara Week 2012 by ichilover3

A collection of oneshots inspired by the prompts for Zutara Week

Not much more to say. The first, third, and fourth prompts are my favorite from this series.

Zutara Week 2015 by bianca_anna

It started at a tea shop and ended with forever. My entries for Zutara Week 2015. I hope you enjoy them.

Oh my GOODNESS. So they’re Zutara Week prompts, but all set in the same universe. The Zutara!Family depicted in these drabbles has become my headcanon. I’ve seen many a Zutara family, but this one is by far my FAVORITE. This is now my official family for them. I want the very last chapter fully animated because it’s so good and epic and I want more of this families adventures.

#zutara #zutara fanfiction #zutara fanfic #zutara fanfic rec #zutara fanfiction recommendations #fanfiction masterpost #100 #200 #300 #400 #500 #600 #700 #800 #900 #1k #susannah recs things

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revenjolras · 8 years ago

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The 'RED’ exR AU nobody asked for:

Okay so Don’t Judge Me. I was tired and sat on the tube after a night shift - which can only be described as feeling like you are stuck between two planes of existence.

Here is how you can arrange Taylor Sw.ift’s album ‘Red’ into a tale of exR reincarnation!au.

Now not every song fits perfectly. Because Taylor didn’t actually write an exR reincarnation au with her music (someone should tho??)… But each song has enough lyrics to make my brain connect the dots.

Right so backstory: It actually all started with a song that’s not on the album (I’d Lie). On this post (which has inexplicably become one of my most popular posts ever xD)… When I was asked to do a sequel I felt it was only fitting to stick with the theme so I listened to some more Swift to find one I thought would work.

I ended up writing ‘Know You Better Now’ posted it to ao3. Based on the song ‘Everything Has Changed’ which served as a happy-ish canon era follow up…

“ All I knew this morning when I woke Is I know something now, I didn’t before And all I’ve seen since eighteen hours ago is green eyes and freckles And your smile in the back of my mind making me feel like I just wanna know you better, know you better now”

Now… It could have ended there but then one day I was heavily sleep deprived and existing only on some parallel dimension (the London tube) and I was listening to the album again and each song seemed to fit itself into this idea that despite getting together before the end… They do still die in the rebellion… But what if they were reincarnated with limited memories of the events.

Coming at it from that perspective ‘Red’s’ lyrics (which seriously guys are all already so exR) could be heard as both going through life with maybe very vague memories of their past life in general but really clear memories of each other and their relationship despite knowing they’ve never even met… And the feeling of it is so strong it’s hard to let go of and be in other relationships.

“Forgetting him is like trying to know somebody you never met. But loving him was Red.”

“Remembering him comes in flashbacks and echoes. Tell myself it’s time now gotta let it go. But moving on from him is impossible when I still see it all in my head. Burning Red.”

We follow up by circling back to ‘Everything Has Changed’… But different inspiring lyrics. It seemed important to tired me that there be symmetry in their actually getting together.

“All I know is we said hello. And your eyes look like coming home. All I know is a simple name. And everything has changed”

“Come back and tell me why. I’m feeling like I’ve missed you all this time. And meet me there tonight. Let me know that it’s not all in my mind”

So this is them meeting again for the first time and recognising each other instantly even though it seems impossible.

Next comes ‘State of Grace’. Which is them reflecting to themselves on re-meeting and how unexpected it was and resolving to make up for lost time.

“So you were never a saint and I loved in shades of wrong. We learn to live with the pain, mosaic broken hearts. But this love is brave and wild.”

“And I never saw you coming. And I’ll never be the same. This is a state of grace. This is the worthwhile fight.”

We move on to ‘Treacherous’. Which is them getting to know each other… physically… again =P. But also expressing doubts… Is this a good idea. They don’t really know each other now. Is it too fast? But also… Being kind of excited by that…

“I’d be smart to walk away. But you’re quicksand.”

"I can’t decide if it’s a choice. Getting swept away. I hear the sound of my own voice. Asking you to stay.”

“Your name has echoed through my mind and I just think you should know. That nothing safe is worth the drive.”

Next on the agenda is the first fight with ‘Stay Stay Stay’… Still in the honeymoon period of the relationship so even though they fight they make up pretty fast.

"I was expecting some dramatic turn away but you stayed”

"Stay. I’ve been loving you for quite some time. You think that it’s funny when I’m mad. But I think that it’s best if we both stay”

The thing is that they don’t really get to the route of their problems so this is probably (definitely) gonna come back to bite them later.

So we move on. Maybe through all this they have been finding the rest of Les Amis… So interlude fun chapter for ‘22’. Probably led by Courf because… Of course it would be. He just wants to have fun with his re-found friends.

Then obviously the inevitable happens. The little fights build up into a big fight … maybe Enjolras gets super busy … maybe R withdraws into himself… maybe they both just panic that neither is quite the same person they were in the previous life… or all the above but anyway… they break up!!! Angst-city from here onwards!

So we head into ‘I Knew You Were Trouble’… I feel like this one fits the least well unless you look at it as coming from a place of hurt and anger… So it’s not really the honest truth but rather bitter feelings. Maybe also looking right back to a time before they ever saw past their first impressions.

“And when I fell hard you took a step back. Without me. And he’s long gone when he’s next to me And I realize the blame is on me”

“No apologies. He’ll never see you cry, Pretends he doesn’t know that he’s the reason why. You’re drowning”

So they’re apart and they’ve gone through being angry for the most part. What’s left is pain. So next comes ‘All Too Well’ which follows them trying to deal with not being together any more and pretending they’re fine which they really aren’t. Earlier in the story the memories described in this song would have happened so… Visiting family. Dancing round the kitchen etc

“Maybe we got lost in translation, maybe I asked for too much, But maybe this thing was a masterpiece ‘til you tore it all up.”

“You call me up again just to break me like a promise. So casually cruel in the name of being honest.”(psst this is R calling Enj for his stuff and being cruel as a defence mechanism because I’m tired of casual cruel Enj.)

So it moves on like that and slowly the pain becomes a dull ache and they start to think maybe they were too harsh to one another but they each believe the other is over them/better off without them. We have ‘I Almost Do’ here.

(so hard to filter these lyrics they’re all perfect)

“And I just wanna tell you It takes everything in me not to call you. And I wish I could run to you. And I hope you know that every time I don’t I almost do”

“I bet this time of night you’re still up. I bet you’re tired from a long hard week. I bet you’re sitting in your chair by the window looking out at the city. And I hope sometimes you wonder about me”

“I bet you think I either moved on or hate you ‘Cause each time you reach out there’s no reply. I bet it never ever occurred to you that I can’t say “Hello” to you And risk another goodbye.”

Enjolras is the first one to make a decision to try and reconcile. This is where ‘Holy Ground’ comes in. He finds himself outside the cafe where they first ‘re-met’ and it reminds him of all the good, but when he rushes off to find R he sees him with someone else and assumes he’s moved on (psst he hasn’t he’s still very sad) so he leaves.

“I was reminiscing just the other day While having coffee all alone and Lord, it took me away Back to a first-glance feeling on New York Time Back when you fit in my poems like a perfect rhyme” “ And I guess we fell apart in the usual way And the story’s got dust on every page But sometimes I wonder how you think about it now And I see your face in every crowd”

Just for fun you could dip into 1989 here and also have ‘I Wish You Would’ as that moment of realisation that they really do want to be back together. R would obviously be the one to instigate it now and Enj is so surprised to find him on his doorstep and they’re both a little scared (but also so happy =)).

“I wish you would come back. Wish I’d never hung up the phone like I did I… Wish you knew that. I’d never forget you as long as I live and I wish you were right here right now.”

“I wish we could go back. And remember what we were fighting for I… Wish you knew that. I miss you too much to be mad anymore.”

“2 A.M., here we are See your face Hear my voice in the dark We were a crooked love In a straight line down Makes you wanna run and hide But it made us turn right back around”

So they make up and agree to take it slower this time and really get to know the people they’ve become rather than just the people they were before and so they arrange a coffee date and we round off with ‘Begin Again’

“And you throw your head back laughing like a little kid I think it’s strange that you think I’m funny 'cause he never did I’ve been spending the last eight months Thinking all love ever does is break and burn and end But on a Wednesday in a cafe I watched it begin again”

TLDR: I hate myself. I am deeply ashamed. But damn it. It fucking WORKS

#Exr #Enjoltaire #I seriously am ashamed I promise

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drink-n-watch · 6 years ago

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Castling is a special type of chess move. When castling, you simultaneously move your king and one of your rooks. The king moves two squares towards a rook, and that rook moves to the square on the other side of the king.

Have you guys been looking forward to our next Promised Neverland discussion? I know I have. Talking things over with Crow is always really fun and interesting. On top of that, this series is certainly generous with the potential material. I feel like we go through almost an entire series’ worth of topics with each episode. For once, that’s not a bad thing.

this was quite the episode!

If you remember, ad I’m sure you do, last episode ended on an epic cliffhanger with Norman pointing to Ray as the “traitor”. An of course, Norma’s always right. I feel like my brain still refused to accept it for a good minute. It’s like the show has already conditioned me to refuse the simplest explanation even if in retrospect the narrative hasn’t exactly done twists so much as simply shocks. Situations are often unexpected but not because we were lead to believe something else, simply because this particular fictional universe is very high drama.

That distinction — shocks versus twists — might be this show’s distinguishing characteristic! Well, that and dynamic and flawed protagonists as well as dangerously intelligent and dangerously unpredictable villains! Oh, this is Crow — I’m in bold this week.

That opening scene with the clock ticking and rapid succession jumps between the two characters was a fun, tension adding, directorial trick. Cheap but effective. In general, I feel the direction took a lot more risks this episode and I liked it. Did you?

Evaluating direction isn’t my strength, but to the extent I understand it, I think you’re right. It’s like the show’s gaining confidence in its voice. There were some relatively straight forward shots, like closeups of Norman and Ray as they realized something (I’m still not sure exactly what!). There was a shot of Ray, leaving the room after the first scene, framed by the doorway at the top of the stairs, as if the camera were on a landing between the first and second floors. It was simple, elegant, and it capture his loneliness that Emma was able to articulate later on.

it was a very deliberately paced and framed episode

The first half of the episode was basically one long expo dump with Norman and Ray having this almost quippy, slightly antagonistic chat in the room. I see your Buffy parallels here. Although the conversation was much more stern in tone, there was something in the quickfire delivery and unspoken implications that was very reminiscent of Buffy dialogue.

Now, if we can just get Anya to sing her song about bunnies being the villains… I think Gilda could pull it off! But now I’m sad thinking about Conny’s bunny, which makes me remember Conny…

Also, I was on the edge of my seat. I was watching two (only two) familiar characters talk to each other in a closed bedroom with nothing else at all going on, and I was on the edge of my seat. This is when you know you got your exposition right!

I think this proves your point about direction. I felt breathless during this scene, too, as if either Ray or Norman might do anything — explode into violence, transfer into an alien — anything! Good dialogue, well delivered, with effective pacing. That’s a heavy load for exposition to carry!

tell me more!

I have to say, Ray may be an informant, but can we really call him a traitor when he’s been doing this for 6 years? He’s gathering intel as best he can to formulate an escape plan. The boy’s no hero, but he’s merely trying to survive.

Also, if I remember correctly, they’re all 11. Which would mean that Ray found out the truth (that they were all destined to be butchered) and was trying to navigate this dangerous world all alone since he was 5 years old. Somehow, it’s difficult for me to blame a five year old in this situation.

I might have to quibble with “the boy’s no hero.” Fighting alone, well behind enemy lines, without a break, without assistance, from the time he was five? That’s why I adored Emma’s reaction…

The conversation leaves with vague results. Ray is still adamant about not destroying their chances by trying to do too much. Norman agrees in principle but is morally and mostly emotionally torn at the idea of going against Emma’s wishes. And an unsteady truce is formed.

What did you think of Ray’s grudging disgusted look and Norman’s attempt to hold back laughter? I didn’t know what to make of that…

it fascinated me

You know what they say, keep your friends close and your enemies closer. If anything, this turn of events makes me more likely to trust Ray than before. Of course I have this super weird hang up about not trusting Norman. It may be the white hair.

Right at the end of this extended opening arc, it seems that both Norman and Ray realized something pretty big. It sort of bugs me that these little kids are so much smarter than I am but I’ve learned to accept it. I really wish they would have told us what Norman figured out though. It seemed big!

I’m listening to Neil Gaiman narrate The Ocean at the End of the Pond. (great book) I’ve come to accept that when it comes to a lot of topics, kids are smarter than me! Yeah, Norman’s laugh put me on edge, too. I’m beginning to suspect that we’re only watching the outer edge of the crazy — or maybe a meta representation of it…

Ray’s interaction with Mom was one of the best scenes so far. Mom is a formidable foe but because of the construct of the story and the necessity to keep up the pretense of unity, we have not seen her actually clash with anyone except Krone and let’s face it, at the time Krone was hardly even worthy of the title of opponent. Mom and a forcibly relaxed Ray made for a much more interesting back and forth. I look forward to seeing more mind games.

Watching that scene, I had to wonder: which one of them really has the upper hand? Ray mentioned that Mom only gave him older models of things. What if they weren’t representative at all? The show has me so paranoid that I wonder if Mom’s put the pieces in place so their escape attempt is actually part of their shipment protocol! Kinda like a Hunger Games sorta thing…

it makes me captivated!

We finally got to see that Norman is in fact human and that the situation is getting to him. That nightmare was just great. It was also a nice, visually interesting sequence that put the stakes into perspective for the audience. It was a bit on the nose (a lot of the directing is unsubtle in the series), but I don’t mind that too much when the storyline has a lot going on.

I just needed to throw in a pic

The episode then cleaned up the intel by bringing Emma into the loop. I’ve said this before but Emma is not exactly as straightforward as she plays it. Of course she immediately forgives Ray, of course she gives this compelling and heartstring tugging speech about him no longer being alone. But she let her mask slip for a split second there and we saw it.

She might be the most intelligent one there.

You saw it too, right Crow? That moment when Emma realized that Ray had probably at some point sacrificed members of her precious family, and willfully decided to brush the realization aside and ignore everything it implied. The second when her mind was telling her that if he’s capable of throwing the kids to the wolves once, he could do it again, and she chose to take the risk but pretended not to understand it.

I know you loved the scene between Ray and Mom, but this was my favorite scene in the episode. You could just see her mind connect the dots — and I think she connected more than she spoke of. She has this gestalt perspective that lets her assemble the big picture with only tiny disjointed parts.

I think you hit the nail on the head — she knows who Ray is. She knows how he thinks. She’ll go along for now, but she’s on guard. What more? She’s confident she can make it work.

what’s with that face?

Finally we looped Don and Gilda back into the action. As the other two oldest kids in the place, they have the greatest odds of survival, but I’m not so sure the have the nerves required. This might be where Norman’s (somewhat kind) lie may really cost them dearly.

By not telling Don and Gilda that Conny is already dead but still conveying the great danger everyone is in, they have effectively put a ticking clock on everything and are encouraging Don and Gilda into action.

Talk about being damned if you do and damned if you don’t…

I’ve heard some fas say this exact ting (not many though)

Basically, Gilda and Emma have been observing Mom (enemy recon) and have realized that she disappears somewhere at the same time every evening. Ray comes to the natural assumption that she must be checking in with however she reports to.

Moreover, a discrepancy in the dimensions of the rooms and hallway has lead Emma to conclude the whereabouts of a secret room next to Mom’s bedroom. Naturally, this seems like a place that should be investigated but the kids want to play it slow. Not take any more unnecessary risks at this time.

Not all the kids that is. Determined to save Conny, Don storms off to immediately find this secret room while Mom is away. After some prodding, he and Gilda do manage to discover a decoy bookcase with a locked door behind it.

Their hearts were in the right place. Their minds, though? Let’s just say as bright as both of them are, they don’t hold a candle to Emma, Norman, or Ray. I just hope they don’t have to pay the ultimate price for their mistake!

this isn’t ominous at all…

As usual with this series, I had not realized that this was the end of the episode. Well not this of course. Before that someone had to be slowly opening the door to Mom’s room in time to catch them both red handed and potentially doomed. And you thought last week (or every single week so far) was a cliffhanger!

That’s how I guessed it was over despite it seeming like 10 minutes. I was like, “Dang, that’d make a good cliffhanger… d’oh!”

Also, no Krone at all this week?

She’s still sulking, and it takes time to stitch her doll back together! Interesting point, too, how Ray says mom brought Krone in to watch over him for failing to keep Emma and Norman away from the gate…

So this is it for this week. I’m sure I’m not the only one who can’t wait for next week. Please feel free to catch up on our past episode reviews in the meantime:

The Promised Neverland Episode 1 – 45,000,000$

The Promised Neverland Episode 2: 121045

The Promised Neverland Episode 3: 181045

The Promised Neverland Episode 4: 291045

and of course – I got a few more caps for you guys!

The Promised Neverland Episode 5 –Castling Castling is a special type of chess move. When castling, you simultaneously move your king and one of your rooks.

#action #anime #Collab #drama #dystopian #episodic #Promised Neverland #suspense

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class-wom · 6 years ago

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Erik Adams: There are lots of ways to dramatize David Haller’s ultimate descent into villainy. One of the things Legion’s second season did well was to put those endless possibilities onscreen: in the poignant “Chapter 14,” which hops through the character’s parallel lives like the panels of a “what if?” comic; and in the visions presented to Syd in “Chapter 18.” And while it’s part of Legion’s whole schtick to make you question everything the show puts onscreen, when David wiped his true love’s memory in the early parts of “Chapter 19,” I was pretty certain we’d witnessed the moment the man who will be Legion broke bad.

But then the team returned to Division 3, where David projects into Syd’s room and proceeds to get physical, a scene that’s written, blocked, and acted in a way that obscures the true nature of the interaction. It’s a typical Legion trick deployed at the exact wrong moment. If tampering with Syd’s brain is supposed to be the uncrossable line, then this is a bridge too far, the show’s morally compromised main character sexually assaulting his incapacitated love interest. If David’s aggression itself is meant to be the point of no return, then what a vile choice it is. And if it’s all supposed to be a setup for the reversal that occurs in the episode’s closing moments, in which Farouk is suddenly a free man and it’s David on trial, then that’s a lazy way of engineering a cliffhanger at best and an insensitive way of plugging Legion into a hot-button cultural discussion at worst.

With its shocking season finale, Legion makes a painful and disastrous move

[Note: The following review includes mentions of sexual assault.]

And I have to be honest: I feel like my initial reaction to “Chapter 19” exposes some pretty ugly blindspots on my part. I registered the mental violations but didn’t consider the bodily ones until after I read Alex’s recap and discussed the episode with Danette. This is one area where Legion’s commitment to ambiguity and unreliable narration feel completely inappropriate. This is a series that begins with the dodgy prospect of using mutant powers as a metaphor for mental illness, and while it’s elegantly navigated the pitfalls of that premise, “Chapter 19” finds the show charging into the delicate territory of assault, agency, and accusation with all the grace of the minotaur Kerry beheaded last week.

It’s always seemed like there’s only so far that Legion can twist the Silly Putty of truth, reality, and logic until it finally snaps. It’s something that’s always made me regard the show with a certain level of skepticism, even as it dazzled me with its visual flare and music supervision. (From my notes on “Chapter 19”: “Legion is the only successful superhero musical.”) In using Syd’s trauma to make David realize that he might not be the hero of this story, I think we’ve finally found that limit.

Danette, you’ve had a more charitable view of Legion all this time. How do you think this finale reflects on the season as a whole? Where do you think the show can go from here? And do you even want to follow it there?

Danette Chavez: How do I feel about that finale? I’ll let Nathan Lane (as Albert Goldman) in The Birdcage answer for me: “How do you think I feel? Betrayed, bewildered.”

I’d say I’ve given Legion a lot of latitude with its storytelling, but until recently, it’s never felt that way. Although the balance between style and substance wasn’t always even in season one, Noah Hawley’s visual flourishes felt justified, integral. Legion set out to demonstrate how malleable reality is, through the perspectives of David Haller, who can alter it at will, and those who can only effect change at an infinitesimal level. The goal has always been to challenge our concepts of truth, time, and who defines what’s normal. So I expect to feel discombobulated at the end of every hour, to not be fully certain I’ve witnessed what I think I’ve witnessed. And it wasn’t until the season-two finale that I wished I hadn’t seen what I’d seen.

Hawley struggled to wrap up last season, as the fairly ordinary (compared to the preceding seven episodes) “Chapter 8” proves. At times, “Chapter 19”—which would’ve been “Chapter 18,” if the twist involving Melanie’s betrayal hadn’t required the heavy lifting of an additional episode ordered after the show had seemingly wrapped production—looks like Hawley’s response to criticisms that the previous finale was too conventional. Legion’s always leaned on its un-superhero bona fides, its un-reality; but this season closer chucks so much of our understanding of, and connection to, what’s come before it out the window, that it feels more like a reset than a cliffhanger.

There’s always been the potential for David to turn into the bad guy. You don’t have to have read the X-Men comics to pick up on that. But the desire to keep Legion outside of the realm of other superhero shows has led to the creation (or, since we’re talking about mutants, evolution) of a lead character that it’s now thoroughly impossible to like or relate to—assuming this isn’t, as you’ve pointed out, Erik, one of the Shadow King’s tricks. We already know David is flawed and mentally disturbed (the finale seems to confirm that), but now he’s a rapist, and I don’t know how the show can address that or walk it back. What makes it so frustrating, not to mention disappointing, is that Legion had already hinted at what David was capable of, including murder and torture. When they went back and added an extra hour to the season, Hawley and team included a whole montage of terrible things David’s done, like him repeatedly drilling into Oliver’s legs. The dramatic heft of Syd, the person who loves David and trusted him the most, admitting that he’s become a monster is diluted by the finale. Hawley’s taken to showing and telling in season two, but this was one case in which he should have left well enough alone. Ultimately, this overcompensation points to a lack of trust in the story Legion has been telling. Which is, again, such a damn shame, because I was fascinated by the exploration of the relationship between love and trust.

But since ambiguity is one of the cornerstones of Legion, Erik, do you think the finale left enough room for doubt about David’s destiny? Did we really watch him become the villain, or is he still a pawn?

Erik: I feel like the finale left a whole upside-wing-of-a-secret-government-facility-devoted-to-the-investigation-study-and-elimination-of-mutants’ worth of room for doubt. It’s part of what bothers me about the choices made in “Chapter 19”: This “Who do you believe?” question is so, so, so much more loaded than any previous one the show has posed, and I don’t think Noah Hawley’s Psychedelic Superpowered Fireworks Display is truly equipped to address it.

In postmortem interviews about the finale, Hawley has motioned toward two points of inspiration for his take on David’s story: Walter White, whose downward spiral is unequivocal no matter how many idiot Breaking Bad viewers say it isn’t; and Magneto, who’s flipped allegiances countless times over the course of the X-Men franchise. Legion seems like it wants to triangulate a point between those two fictional monsters, but lacks the storytelling rigor and sense of character necessary to pull it off. Walt’s arc was a precision-tooled machine; no matter whose side Magneto is on, he’s always grounded by the same philosophies and personality traits. Who is David Haller at this point? “I am a good person and I deserve love” is a start, but it’s not enough for a trick with this degree of difficulty—if we can even trust Legion not to wipe away what little we understand about David and start from scratch.

Hawley’s overlooking a better, more obvious model for David, and from one of the show’s biggest influences, to boot: the journey Dale Cooper takes in Twin Peaks: The Return. There was a show that started with a basic understanding of its protagonist—the FBI’s own square-jawed, “gee whiz” Boy Scout—and totally flipped it, forging a surreal narrative out of Coop’s crawl toward consciousness and the seeming defeat of the demon walking around in his skin. And Twin Peaks had the sense to make it clear that the Coop who committed rape was the villainous Coop.

Danette: I agree that, intentions and future reframing aside, Legion isn’t an ideal space for a discussion about consent. The show just hasn’t done the legwork; the characters are still underwritten, despite the extended season. We’re still getting to know David (and Syd and Melanie and...) after 19 chapters. I’m very open to the heel turn—it has all kinds of narrative potential and is the kind of bold thinking I’ve come to expect from the show.

But if we are, as Hawley says in that Entertainment Weekly interview, witnessing the birth of a supervillain, that story’s already been made redundant by the rest of season two. Farouk is also a rapist (Lenny refers to the abuse in “Chapter 15”), and he’s also felt like he was the voice of reason in a world of madness. David’s arc lines up a little too closely to Farouk’s, which might be the point, but in the context of the other reversals and reconsiderations, it comes across as another example of the show spinning its wheels. The second season is supposed to be an inversion of the first, which is a compelling concept, but the gratuitous flipping and stretching of truths cost the show momentum, and make the added layer of abuse look like embellishment for embellishment’s sake. And I say this as someone who couldn’t get enough Bedazzling in the first season.

So back to your earlier question—will I follow the show from here? Maybe. Because, despite finding the assault storyline unnecessary and Hawley’s explanation for it lacking, I’m holding out hope that Legion will hold David accountable, or that this long con by the Shadow King will prove worth it. I guess I’m saying I still trust the show, so it better not prove me wrong.

#NOTE: I scrolled down to the bottom and noted some good points were made in response to this article jtim #AV Club #Legion Chapter 19 Spoiler Discussion/S3 Speculation

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bornfromscarletcords · 7 years ago

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A Wolf’s Irony

James Wolkinder also known as The Silver Wolf, a sorta kinda Lupine God, was prowling the world with his traveling companion and sorta bestie for eternity and whatever comes after and or eats it, Rose. As far as James could tell Rose wasn’t an actual plant, though some strange encounters along the way had given her some sway with the spirit of the world’s vegetation, in fact her name had more to do with the nature of a compass and she was a great navigator. Rose was a dog, sort of, and a ghost, sort of but to most people she looked like a dark skinned girl with great wavy hair who could pass from anything from hawaiin, to mexican, to the eastern hemisphere’s Indians, to some weird type of black person and so on and so forth. The nature of her heritage was in some doubt these days as enough time with James could leave you doubting many of the absolutes you once took for granted, as well as losing much doubt in the slightly perverse if horrifyingly humorous nature of miraculous circumstances.

Rose and James had stopped in some time or space which had begun to get interesting by their standards of the concept, and it should be noted that although many stories and ideas may seem inherently disconnected at first glance, a bit of bending of perspective and unhinging into cosmic harmony, may reveal that one can hide many differing things within one another. In short, although this story is genuine in that it is it’s own tale and has it’s own personal worth, it does not take away from the truth of other parallel or perhaps even conflicting stories. In a manner of speaking, it’s almost as if each tale was its own household in a neighborhood of strange personalities.

We could discuss the potent spiciness of James and Rose’s emotional proximity to one another, or the very probable liklihood that they often engaged in super hot love making, but a lot of that stuff can get a little too, let’s say, invested in itself. Which isn’t a bad thing, but for the sake of this story, it is almost just as valuable and evolutionary to say that they seemed to share a strange forest of bonds which kept them charged and sparking with warmth for one another. James would be very much so pained and a shadow of himself without Rose, and Rose might feel something equally disturbing, as if she were missing a piece of her heart and soul, if she was deprived of James. Trying to name these plethora of connections would be interesting but it might also obscure the fact that destiny and fated twining often work in mysterious ways. Perhaps it’s more humorous like that. James and Rose didn’t really have to speak about it that much, though they did on occasion, it was like they were two moons with stars between serving as their entwined fingertips.

In super wolf fashion James drove in a grey sports car of superb quality, and illusive denomination. Rose was in the passenger’s seat, possibly as a dog, possibly as a human woman, it was hard to tell. They sort of poured out of the vehicle, in the way comets sort of fall out of nowhere and through the night sky. If Rose was more human in look she’d probably been dressed in leaf green dress, some hiking shorts and tennis shoes, she’d look about as beautiful as a stack of monetary millions, and would have looked effortless in doing so, as if appearances were the last thing on her mind. If she was a dog she’d look just as beautiful but in the humorous way that a once primal and predatorily shrewd creature like a wolf could turn into a jovial, yet cunning, canine socialite. Her fur was probably dark brown, black and violet , fluffy and curly, with ears half flopped and a tail that was almost constantly wagging.

James probably looked like a victorian england aristocrat with buttoned vest and suit, pocket watch and general swagger which was definitely detached from the present time zone. He probably looked fit, strong and powerful, perhaps humorous though in a dangerous way. In a vague sense he probably looked dreamy, like he’d just walked out of a dream, or was constantly dreaming. His hair was probably wild and roguish, and perhaps he had some stubble around his chin to give him some mountain man flare. To the more aware of extrasensory disturbances he might have had some type of strange aura around his being, like an argent cloak of light which may or may not have added to his wolfish characteristics, though it most certainly made him someone you didn’t want to bother unnecessarily. In general though, if you believed in such things, he probably just looked like a god.

Rose pried him around the arm, locking their elbows and leading him towards every landmark, regional treasure, arcade, mall, and park she could sniff out, and few people had her sense for adventures waiting in the norms. He didn’t mind as her being happy often made him happy, and the longer he was their the better a sense he got for how he could best help the person he’d come to see. Still the two also had to consider that the longer they were there the more likely their own trouble might start affecting the local’s. Ah but what is life without risk.

They took in the nature of the city, much of what it was, what it could be, and perhaps some of the hopes that hads gone into it, answered and unanswered. They contemplated the nature of good and evil, and how both nurtured one another. How one could learn more about good from studying evil and how following the greatest of people could turn you into one of the worst.

“We’ve seen many of creatures, some monsters, some just strange beings of peculiar habit or direction. Any one of them could be behind half the evils and blessings we encounter, so I simply wonder how a person could find any cohesion or strength of purpose in this almost storm or breaking ship of conflicting truths.” Rose said.

“The way someone said it to me, or maybe showed is more accurate was that for all the strangeness that a person encounters there's a bit of it in them as well. Things were sort of made to connect even if awkwardly positioned to do so. At any point you could choose to become or unbecome those strange things, to beat them, befriend them, or succumb to them. And, well as far as I understood it, it’s the strangeness, the beast you feed that defines you and steers the course of your destiny. A fire through the storm, a glint of light in the core of darkness.” James said. She ruffled his head, and though she was not as perky as she was when their outing started she had a sort of sobered yet warm contemplation, a little more insight and appreciation for the patient things. When the last of twilight ended with the setting sun they went to find their person of interest.

Olivia Anders had long curly hair down to her waist, a cinnamon complexion which seemed to match some of the spiciness in her scent. She had a somewhat cherubic face making her seem innocent or compassionate when she wasn’t beautiful. She was of arabic and hispanic descent and was rarely seen without her guitar which most had to admit, she was pretty damn good at. But mostly Olivia was a bad person. She was manipulative, inclined to lying more often than not, and seemed to have a certain affinity for attracting the darkest and potentially least helpful of energies/entities. You could say that in many ways it was a miracle that James remembered her at all, let alone took an interest in her survival. He hadn’t given Rose the specifics of why he knew her but she had a way of feeling out his intentions and understanding the emotions he could not vocalize. There was an issue of time surrounding the woman, something that James could or would not address before but something he felt he needed to now lest she be lost for eternity or damned for a similar length of time.

Whatever had happened in the other temporal paths had not happened yet and would not be happening if James had anything to do with things. Suffice to say it was horrible, and though he did not exactly like Olivia, no in fact he probably hated her to the bottom of his soul, their was the universe to consider but more personally, it was a great shame to let such a deep (though troubled) soul waste it’s pilgrimage through destiny. Olivia was masquerading herself as a witch, and though a number of denominations could be used to describe her, witch was probably not the most helpful. She might have been a witch before, though when things started out she could have been any number of amazing and beautiful and compassionate things. Circumstance and general pettiness on her part ruined that, so now, if James was being honest with himself, she would most resemble a sorceress. Some descriptions vary on just what those creatures happen to be but generally they have sway with the darker regions of existence often having to have sacrificed much, either in themselves or in others, to achieve the ridiculous amount of power they could command. As powerful as they generally were the power often consumed them and only the truly smart and strong survived the title or condition. Olivia was smart, but she wasn’t strong, not in the way she would have been had she made some different more harmonious choices along the way. James could help her find her strength though; he would.

James and Rose sort of dropped in on Olivia while she was on her way home. She smelled like darkness, and when the two didn’t immediately get out of her way she flicked her fingers undoubtedly sending a wave of evil in their direction. James sort of ignited his soul for a moment and her spell or force was burned away to dust and wind.

“We need to speak.” James said.

“I’ll call the police, leave me alone.” Olivia said.

“You really believe the police could do something to him, as he is right now, as he is here.” Rose said.

“I don’t know you. Whatever people said about me, it isn’t true, go away.” Olivia said.

“I don’t have time for your insanity you damn child. Grit up or something damn.” James said.

“We just need to talk, for now, we could do that in your home, or if that makes you uncomfortable we could do that in the park or something.” Rose said.

“Home would not be good. People isn’t good either, too many dark things in them I draw out. Park better ish, with you at least, you can protect me from other dark things.” Olivia said looking crazy and desperate. Whatever was happening to her was reaching it’s deadline fast. James grimaced, he wondered if it had been this bad the last times, he couldn’t remember exactly, it was always at least a little different.

“Take my hand. I’m here to heal you.” James said, he didn’t mention that death was a good cure for many things. Olivia sort of shivered over to him, and placed her hand in his, he took a step and then they were in a park. Just like that as if space and time was putty to be molded. The three sat on a bench. Rose was on James’ left, and Olivia was on his right. Although she was pretty enough on the surface, he used a bit of his other sense to peak at her energy and it was like watching a boar thrashing in an oil slick. Not something you wanted to be twelve feet near let alone a couple of inches away from.

“I will give you the short version. You are sick, you are degrading, which might end in death, though it will not be an easy one for you or any of those who care for you, or it could end in something far worse though no less altering to your existence.” James said.

“I won’t die, I can’t die.”

“Death is not the worse thing, if there was no end, how could you appreciate the beginning, how could you change. And you should note that he said the other option is probably far worse. ” Rose said.

“So you are here to kill me.” Olivia said.

“No, are you even listening to us.” Rose said.

“She is beyond most words right now. Her language is violence and control, and evil. Just keep that in mind as we deal with her.” James said.

“The thing inside, it stirs, it calls worser things even when I don’t tell it to, they watch, constantly.” Olivia said.

“Yes well, that’s what happens when you sacrifice puppies, or torture your former friends. Power is a means to an end, not the point of existence, and even as a means it is hardly all that worth it. Strength is more important, as far as I’ve seen. As powerful as you could say I am, it is forever faded by my strength, which comes from inside, which comes from depth and understanding.” James said. Olivia was breathing a little more heavily now, but she wasn’t trying to run or fight.

“I can burn out the evil, but if you just reach for it again, it will be wasted, and I’m not in the habit of wasting my time. If I help you, you need to stay helped, you need to grow and save yourself.” James said.

“Why.”

“Would you rather I leave you now, I’m offering you a way out of this nonsense you’ve surround yourself with.” James said.

“No why do you want to help me.” “Because we used to be friends, or at least we could have been. It was many lifetimes ago, in a place most people don’t remember anymore. I don’t want to be your friend Olivia, but I don’t mind being your guardian angel every now and then, when you need it, when you deserve it. Few things are unfixable. Existence is simply, by being, miraculous.” James said.

“Burn it, burn it out, all of it.” Olivia said after a second of consideration.

“If I do it will be like hollowing out your soul, like losing all the blood in your body. It will replenish itself, I’ll make sure of that, but for you to be able to function afterwards, I’ll require a service to cement our bond. A symbol of echange, a type of unspoken oath heard to those intangible and invisible things.”

“Yes I will...you are kind.” She said.

“Don’t jump to conclusions just yet. This will hurt a whole lot.” James said. He touched two fingers to her forehead. A sigil burned there for a second in bright red heat. It was an “M” , and then it rearranged itself into silver essence, like a star going supernova; there was a “W”. Then the letter dissapeared, and though Olivia had started screaming, James silenced the banshee like screeching, but Rose noticed the air still rippled as if she hadn’t been put on mute. When she was done she passed out, and James caught her.

“They won’t have heard her, but her enemies and dark things will most likely feel the change and her...weakness I suppose. We should move her. I’d go to her house, but it’s probably loaded with all manner of half assed evil dumbness.” James said.

“She looks so frail.”

“Well knocking an idiot out of a power trip tends to make them look a little bit lesser. Don’t be fooled, she was on a rampage of self destruction and the regular kind.”

“You get pretty destructive yourself sometimes.” Rose said.

“Yeah but my stuff’s productive and artful, her stuff is just tasteless and full of pointless chaos.”

“Well I can’t say she looks like mother theresa.”

“Maybe like vampiric brood mother theresa.

“Oh now you’re just being mean.”

“She started it, and plus, you don’t know how many times I’ve had to do this damn thing. This is like the first time it’s even shown some sign of going right.”

“Well if she’s that stubborn I know why you like her.”

“I don’t like her, I hate her, but I’ll be damned if I let her waste everything she could become and has sacrificed for human dumbness.”

“So I take it we’re going to a hotel then.” Rose said.

“Yes if you could make a reservation or whatever that’d be great.” James said.

“Cash or credit.” Rose said.

“Silver?” James said.

“Hah, you’re cute.” Rose said picking out her phone and typing in commands at superhuman speed, perhaps even super dog speed.

When Olivia woke up she was gasping for breath. She tried to move but her movements were sluggish and lacking the aura of dark majesty she seemed to possess before.

“What did you do to me?” She said.

“Exactly what I said I would, I burned out your evil, well your negative and I mean downright corrupted and depraved energy.” James said.

“I feel like a corpse.” She said looking a little grey.

“Don’t get ahead of yourself girly, you’ll have to wait for that sweet release like the rest of us. No you aren’t dead, or at least if you were more aware you wouldn’t describe yourself as such. Your gas tanks just running on empty most likely after thinking, erroneously, that it had all the time in the world to simply muck everything up. As I said your energy will come back, differently of course, but it will be tethered to my energy, to an extent, so if you don’t help me here and now, it will leave you or destroy you when I move on.”

“Why would you give me your energy?”

“Because If I left you like you are with only your own magic or whatever to rely on, you’d probably just go back to the dumbness you were indulging in because it’s all that you know, all the people you wronged would take this as their golden oppurtunity to get their vengeance on, all that evil you were communing with would twist you into a ghoulish breeding ground for darkness, or you’d just sort of collapse and never get back up like a body without a soul.” James said.

“You seem to have thought this through.” Olivia said.

“You could say I’ve had a lot of time to prepare.” James said.

“Or times.” Rose muttered to herself cracking a small grin.

“So what are you some type of angel or something?” Olivia said.

“I don’t believe I’m anything you would believe in, outside of some petty symbols you’ve attached to those that thwart you. I have served many roles and causes in my time, I have been protector, healer, justice, order, forgotten king, and hopes smallest brightest spark. I suppose you could call me an angel if you truly believed in it, if it truly mattered to you. Otherwise call me James Wolkinder, a very strong guy who is occasionally very powerful, who can be a wolf, and who likes to mess around with silver. Though I do go by James for short.” James said looking very much like a normal guy and very much like a god all at the same time.

“That’s pretty...heavy.” Olivia said.

“Many of the worthy things tend to be. The most important thing is that I am generally reliable, if you are loyal, and if you give a damn about how this all turns out. If you believe it’s worth it to actually matter and better, well...everything.” James said.

“I do…kinda sorta, It feels like I popped like twenty morphines.” Olivia said.

“Yes well, you can convince me in the morning, by then you should be capable of walking and we can begin cementing our pact or whatever you want to call it.”

“So you’re energy or aura or whatever, it can actually like protect me?”

“It can’t protect you from making dumb choices, or from getting what’s coming to you from people you’ve pissed off. But it can shield you from general evil which I’m not sure if anyone person is really responsible for, and though you might get your just deserts that may not translate into being locked in some torture dungeon, though you might get punched in the face or a couple of parking tickets or something. It will work as well as you connect with it, and I’m hoping you won’t disgrace it, or give it cause to cut its losses and slay you itself. In short not a toy, not a gift, it is a promise and a hope, and an armor against tragedy. It will help you stand, when and where you believed you could not, it will show you how to be strong, and help you know why?”

“You should sell cars.” Olivia said.

“I’ll settle for salvaging your essence.” James said.

“We could actually make a lot of money that way.” Rose whispered to him.

“Something to consider for after then.” James said nodding along.

In the morning they went to work. Olivia had trouble walking so James offered her his arm to keep her steady, but also to prevent her from accidentally harming Rose. He could feel her testing out his energies, trying to rip or pull here or there but it wouldn’t move for her, like she’d been burdened with iron sneakers. It was not unlike a cobra hissing at the walls of its cage, or a kitten scratching at the hand petting it, very much like nature; impulse and instinct rather than an overtly conscious choice. They went to find a wizard.

“I should kill you.” The wizard Gail, said to Olivia with hushed menace. In truth James wouldn’t have minded if she smacked her a little, but he hadn’t come here to kill if he didn’t have too, and he wanted to create as few ripples as possible. Gail was blonde with short hair and a fit body which looked like it might have run track when she was a teenager and found it hard to fully abandon it’s former habits. Like Olivia she couldn’t have been much older than twenty seven if that, but a person didn’t have to be old to be dangerous. Gail’s wand was sparking with all but caustic magic and if they weren’t careful they’d be dealing with a couple of fireballs firing. If we were giving a general difference between a witch and a wizard, you could say that wizard’s were more drawn to the magic of the dead, whereas a witch’s domain dealt more with the living. James liked wizards better, but he supposed that was a personal preference, they just were a little more clean with their craft from what he’d seen.

“You wish you could...bitch.” Olivia said heaving a little heavily but still managing to put some fire into the last word. Unfortunately Gail looked like she was ready to shoot off a little fire herself.

“We didn’t come here to fight. And I know it’s sounds hard to believe but Olivia’s here to atone or something like that.” Rose said.

“She doesn’t know the meaning of the word.” Gail said. She was dressed in a sweatshirt and jeans. They were in her apartment, but Rose suspected that would hardly stop her from trying to kill them if she felt cornered.

“I know plenty of words.” Olivia said still sounding a little sluggish.

“I have expunged the corruption within her, it is her choice what she does with this change. So far she has agreed to repay her debt and assist me in a task.” James said.

“Well she doesn’t have the same spawn of satan vibe I usually got from her, but who the hell are you, and why are you bothering me.” Gail said.

“I am James, I am also a wolf who enjoys silver. This is Rose, my beautiful and awesome partner in...what do we do again?” James said cracking a smile.

“This and that.” Rose said returning his with her own.

“We know that you are one of the many wronged by Olivia. I have learned that few things can be more dynamic, if not strong, than the resolution of a powerful feud, an enemy turned, if not friend, than a productive neutral.” James said.

“She tried to steal my magic and destroyed a family artifact in the process. Aside from being extremely versatile and strong, though meaningless to her because she couldn’t use it to make children cry, it was the last thing I had that really connected me to my grandmother. She was like everything to me in case you don’t understand why that is important.” Gail said, the last sentence pointed with much rage towards Olivia.

“Well like I’m sorry or whatever.” Olivia said.

“Go to hell.” Gail said.

“I don’t believe words will accomplish what we need. She isn’t here to try and be your friend but to make steps towards bettering herself and if not healing the wounds she created then preventing other wounds from being made.” James said.

“So...like...uh this is awkward… so what do you need me to do?” Olivia said.

“To die damnit.”

“Please, as terrible as she was, she can accomplish that much betterness or whatever you want to call it.” James said.

“Fine, she can help me upgrade the wards on my apartment or whatever, and make me a new pendant to pass on my children if I ever have them. And she can set up my new tv stand.”

“I’m not a carpenter or whatever.” Olivia said.

“I know I just want to see you suffer with normal people problems.” Gail said.

The set to work doing whatever it is they were doing. Olivia seemed to understand the basics of what Gail required but either the new pool of magic she had to pull on, or her change in karmic alignment made even the simplest of spells difficult to form. Which meant that it took longer than expected but not that it didn’t work. While that was happening James and Rose were chatting.

“So what is like a wizard or whatever? Like as far as this place is concerned” Rose said letting her hands drift wide as if trying to encompass the entirety of the strange world in one motion.

“That’s complicated. As you know it becomes a battle of semantics half the time as far as ‘who’s this’, versus, ‘that’s what’ or whatever. Still as you also know subtle changes or differences can shift the cosmos. Most of it is based on belief and alignment of a person’s choices or whatever. Wizards here have more access to a lot of the more forgotten magics rather where as the witches have a lot of modern magic it’s just relatively weaker. Neither have a high survival rate but I suppose you could say Wizards are more grey whereas witches are more dark.” James said.

“So witches are unlikely to start summoning fireballs.” Rose said.

“They might but yes it would be unlikely, and it would cost them dearly. You might even say it’s a subtle difference in emotional trajectory or intention.” James said.

“Magic’s pretty wierd.” Rose said.

“That I’m pretty sure we can all agree on.” James said looking at Olivia and Gail’s work.

When they were done Gail gave James her number saying that she owed him for smacking Olivia down a level, or a thousand. Then the crew went out into the woods oddly enough, and James nearly got an arrow in the face when they chanced on their target.

“Not a step closer.” The man said.

“We mean you no harm.” James said.

“If you’re walking all chummy like with that one I severely doubt it. You can leave with your life, but she stays, and she dies on our terms.” The man said.

“Our terms?” Rose said. The man whistled and the forest sort of shed a layer of itself and revealed, though obscured, a party of heavily armed men and women all with weapons aimed at the three. “You must have been really popular in elementary school.” Rose said to Olivia.

“I ate alone a lot.” Olivia said.

“Of course you did.” James said, trying not to make any sudden moves while still observing their predicament. The men and women seemed to be garbed in some type of military camouflage, but it could just as easily have been leather and furs or any other strange gamesmen garb from throughout the centuries. “You are the Hunters, correct? As in, you accept this term?”

“It works as well as some of the others, so sure, but those are terrible last words.” The man said pulling back his bow string a little tighter.”

“I am here to make up for the terrible things I did. Like I know I may never be able to fully erase the scar it left but I can help ease the pain which was born because of it.” Olivia said.

“You’ve been practicing your kindness.” Rose said almost proud. James snickered.

“We sent seven of our own to take out this mean ol’ monster that everyone and their mother seemed to be complaining about. Most of what we do is for sport, the thrill of the hunt, or simply to cleanse an evil from the world. She tortured them and left them for us to find in pieces. We try not to get too sentimental, they tried to kill her, she killed them instead, but we do have to honor our own.”

“I can teach your young ones how to defend against or defeat witchcraft. If your weapons need extra tuning when it comes to tracking or ending more magical evils, I can assist. I have even brought some of my grimoires as a sign of good faith. They’ll be hard to read without my help but you guys are pretty good at gathering stuff up, so maybe you have something which can do the job. I will not help you harm the innocent or court malevolent energies however. I will not try to stop you unless you intend to obligate me to your aid by force, then I may have to kill you.” Olivia said.

“Those are bold words.” Said another hunter.

“She’s a bold girl.” Said A hunter. There was some low whispering which James and Rose tried not to hone in on which was hard. The hunters lowered their weapons slightly, and one of their women stepped forward.

“I’m Candace, and your fire or spirit or whatever seems to check out. Whatever evil was in you before it seems to have been replaced by something a little brighter, well a lot brighter but we thought that was just this guy,” Candace said nodding to James, “We were still going to kill you, you witches are pretty tricky after all, but you seem genuine, and we are not allergic to educational competition.”

“Well you are Hunters.” Olivia said.

“Yes I suppose that does make sense. Well you leave us with the books and some way to reach you and we’ll call it even until a bad moon rises or whatever. This is for you.” Candace said, her last sentence addressed to James. It was their contact info.

“What’s this for?” James asked.

“Because one of our own says that energy which seems to have washed her clean, belongs to you. In a manner of speaking you helped avenge our fallen, and for that you have our thanks. Call on us and we will come...once.” Candace said.

When they were out of earshot Rose whispered to James “Why do you get all the thanks I was there to.”

“Poor simple woman, this is a man’s world, I’m like the CEO and you are but a poor regional manager. Be grateful for your sad salary deprived of those beautiful extra digits and make me dinner when I get home.” James said, Rose gave him a knuckle sandwich.

James silver blade was busy was flickering left and right, and stabbing up and down as he dueled with his foe. The man Zephyr had attacked them as soon as they entered his territory, and unlike the hunters, there had been no warning, only one near brush with decapitation or disembowelment after another. He was dressed in a strange armor, black with rough scales and a golden cloak. His face was hidden behind his helm. Being godly meant James could heal from most mortal wounds, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t be put in compromising situations, in fact it meant he had to be that much more aware and skillful than less durable creatures. Being stuck in an infinite loop of pain and confusion would be devastating and a huge waste of psuedo immortality. Bearing this in mind, James was about as skilled in forms of combat and survival as a person could get, some had even called him overly paranoid to which he often replied “just overly fond of maintaining my appendages...and dignity”. Aside from being one of the greatest trapmakers and disarmers amongst the divine James was also a pretty slick talker, once convincing himself back into existence, after laughing himself back to pieces. Still he’d have had a hard time convincing this Zephyr of anything, as he was a Dragon Slayer. Dragon Slayers were more or less dragon descended or dragon blooded creatures who were also bonded to some other dimensional alignment which made them unlike the more full blooded creatures. In many regions of confirmation this hybridization was important to the destruction of the draconic creature which was more or less the purpose of Dragon Slayers. One dragon fighting the other could end in any number of ways but it usually resulted in the energy of the dragon returning to their source. Dragon Slayers served as a sort of alternate channel from which the dragon energy could be directed to more unlikely destinations, perhaps even non existence itself. With this said, Dragon Slayer Arts could, under certain circumstances be nearly as effective in slaying gods. With this said, James was very cautious about the edge of the man’s black iron blade with it’s golden veins.

Rose was terrified, but also, slightly shamefully, hot all over at getting to witness this awesome exchange of might and skill. She pulled Olivia this way and that as they avoided arcing swings, and powerful throws, while looking for something that might end the battle in their quickly...without James being cast into oblivion or something. James muscles uncoiled like guns, battling the slayer with viper like poise and strength of spirit. Just when Rose, still feverish and a bit more moist than she felt particularly comfortable with (if only out of a embarrassment), found an ace in the whole a slamming kick to the chest sent Zephyr across the room, in a heap against the wall. That was when James appeared before him, in wolfish silver armor and cloak which seemed as radiant and divine as it it did solid metal; his blade pointed at Zephyr’s throat.

“I yield, that is a fine blade, but that armor is top knotch.” Zephyr said.

“I could say the same about yours.” James said, sounding like he was smiling under that wolfy helm. He extended an armored hand, Zephyr took it and was hoisted to his feet.

“Ah, I see you found my apprentice.” Zephyr said to Rose.

“Dad, you’re embarrassing me.” Said the voice of a young girl from inside what appeared to be a miniaturized version of Zephyr own ensemble, though she boasted a spear instead of a sword.

“You shouldn’t be embarrassed. This is the pinnacle of what it means to be a dragon slayer, minus the pointed lack of dragons. A quality fight, and the potential end by a worthy enemy who fights with their soul as much as their mind. The falling teaches you as much as the rise, maybe even more.” Zephyr said, limping slightly, but otherwise striding over to the ladies as if he was a lord of great renown who’d merely stubbed his toe. Perhaps he was, there were a couple of things strangers didn’t know about James upon first sight.

“Dad, says that some things can only be known after you’ve fought a person. Sometimes blades and armor can say things that humans can’t.” The little slayer girl said.

“Your dad sounds like a smart man.�� Rose said, still a little steamy under the collar, Olivia gave her a questioning glance.

“As I’ve heard it, a conversation between dragons is often interpreted as great cosmic or earthly disturbances by the mortals who see them. Not unlike a duel or war of the fates.” James said.

“That is one way of saying it I suppose. Dragons are beautiful and magnificent creatures, but like all things they must end. It is not exactly a task full of praises or rewards, but everything has it’s balance and providing an honorable end to those great creatures who both deserve it and require it, is not entirely without its joys.” Zephyr said.

“I’m surprised you have such quality company, mean lady.” The girl said.

“I’d apologize for my apprentice’s words, Jade can be a little brash sometimes, though I don’t particularly mind people who can push past the nonsense...but uh yeah I feel the particular need to second her statement. You surprise me Olivia, I thought you damned for all eternity, and maybe whatever comes after that, perhaps a pizza dimension or something.” Zephyr said.

“Pizza would be something, with like onion shavings, garlic and chunks of ham or something.” Rose said slobbering slightly, and her hungry look made James a little hot under the collar himself.

“People change.” Olivia said.

“That they do, though I’ll admit I am rarely one to settle for a weak alteration in character. Still from the company you keep I can tell this path of yours is worthy, if not entirely good.”

“Those words mean a lot.” Olivia said, she wasn’t lying.

“Do they now?” Zephyr said.

“I have a lot of respect for you.” Olivia said.

“That’s...interesting.” Zephyr said.

“What exactly is the story between you guys.” Rose said.

“Something dragon-blooded or of relation to a dragon was at risk of breaching this world. Olivia hired me to destroy the creature, but what she didn’t say was that she had a hand in corrupting the creature. I killed it but it’s essence could not be put to a more useful purpose, too tainted, so it’s essence wavers in unrest, mostly harmless, but it’s echoes are a pain in my heart and it keeps the darker things out their agitated and active. I did not seek retribution from her though I might have in another life, but we were also far from comrades or friends.”

“I can help you clean what remains, and help the essance move on. I have learned new things, better ways of existing with my skills.” Olivia said.

“That would do a lot to heal the pain in this world and the distance between us.” Zephyr said.

“It was a very dangerous distance.” Jade said.

“It will take time but I’ve already drafted a plan if you are willing to go over it.” Olivia said.

“That sounds just fine.” Zephyr said. They chatted and schemed for a while before Jade mentioned something to Rose and James.

“Dad says I should give you this. You can use it to call him should you ever need help or you find a dragon who needs killing. Or if you’re up for a rematch. That last bit means you’re really good. Just touch it and speak the word that appears to you or the emotion you feel from it.” Jade said handing them a black and gold serpentine scale the size of hand. James touched it and it glowed slightly.

“Justice.” He said. Zephyr snapped to attention and looked his way.

“It’s not a toy ya know.” Zephyr said and they all started laughing.

Rose, and James paid for another hotel room to get to the root of their increasing heat. Olivia was alone in her room for much of the day, though she could still sort of feel the other two and that they could feel her, so she hadn’t been abandoned. When they returned they looked like a million years had past but they’d only gotten more vibrant and healthy, and that unbalanced aching heat which had been there before seemed to have settled into an even hotter sustained ignition. They were all but glowing.

“You two look happy.” Olivia said. “Positively thrilled.” Rose said sounding like she was still on an island resort.

“You said there was one more person we had to meet with, want to tell me so I can prepare for any pitchforks getting tossed or particular grade of hatred to look out for.” Olivia said.

“Well that would be pretty complicated considering as I’m looking at the last person.”

“That’s cute but I don’t really have time to sit down and introduce you to ‘the real me’. What do you want my diary or something.”

“No that’d be weird.” James said.

“Right.” Olivia said.

“He’s already read it.” Rose said.

“What?” Olivia said.

“It was riveting.” Rose said.

“People rarely change even when they can, change isn’t always the easy thing most people want to pretend it is, though it’s far from unachievable. Olivia you are and were a hard person to change, which would have been an insult a couple of days ago, but we are not so much enemies now. Not friends, but I have enough experience to know some bonds are not so fond of labeling. Suffice to say, your stubborness is endearing, but also indicative of the formerly dormant internal strength of a woman who was often too smart for her own good, but that is something men are fond of saying when they’ve been outwitted by a quality dame a time too many. So with that I tip my metaphorical hat off to you.” James said but then, midbow an actual hat fell from his head and onto Olivia’s. It shouldn’t have been possible but it sort of somersaulted through the air. It was a quality magician’s hat like argent platinum.

“Was that a compliment?” Olivia said, blushing slightly and admiring the texture of the hat.

“Oh heavens no, a savage like me would not be capable of such civilized behavior. I’m not even entirely sure what a compliment is, can you eat it, does it cook? Regardless, I will say that I am sorta kinda proud to call you my very strange and challenging acquaintance of unorthodox connection. You have proven that even the worst of us are not beyond bettering ourselves or inspiring others. You’ve shown that hope can and often is found in the simplest or more unlikely locations. That the universe still has it’s crafty surprises up its sleeve. I’d thank you but that’d be bizarre.”

“Oh yes downright bonkers.” Olivia said smiling.

“Oh, I’m glad you agree. With that said, oh let me check the time,” James said pulling out his pocket watch, it read “Half Past Lunacy”, “Ah we are running a little short on it aren’t we. Well best to get down to business. I, James Wolkinder, also known as The Silver Wolf, Also Known as James The Amazing, The Magnificent, And Potentially The Best Looking Guy That Ever Did Step Out Into The Verse, dub you, Olivia whatever your last name is,” James said Olivia and Rose were all but laughing their pants off, “Guardian Of The Hearts; Watcher Of Hopes”. There was a pulse through the air, and Olivia felt something shivering about her form but it past, the fire in her core did not though.

“That it, I don’t get a medal or anything.”

“We could get you a sticker, or a coupon or something.”

“Here I know.” James said, he pulled out his watch again and stuck his hand into its shadow, “Not in here,” he said pulling it out, “hey wait, it’s always right under your nose or something, girly, if you’d…” James was saying.

“Already on it chiefy.” Olivia said lifting up the hat, allowing a silver heart shaped watch to fall into her other hand.

“Is that a necklace?” Rose said.

“Don’t look at me like that he gave it to me?” Olivia said.

“Wrong you earned it, so it came to you of it’s own volition. Don’t look so down Rose, we haven’t even gotten to the best part.

“And what might that be?” Rose said.

“A Surprise.” James said. He crossed his arms extending his hands to each of them. “If you’d be so kind my beautiful company.” He continued. The girls put there hands in his and from one moment to the next they were gone.

They landed in the park where they had talked to Olivia on the first night, though it wasn’t exactly the same park, it was like a brighter, happier, more wild version of the same park. Like its evolved form or unconscious dream or something. Candace, Zephyr and Gail were already there standing in front of something that looked more or less, like a, well silver wolf the size of a toy doll. It was not animate as far as any one could tell.

“I was considering going with a snake because snakes can like shed their skin or whatever and it’d have gone well with the whole aspect of change or whatever, but you know, wolves are just awesome.” James said.

“Can you get this show on the road, there are things to be tracked.” Candace said.

“I took a day off from work for this.” Gail said.

“I only said I’d need like an hour, you could have chose a lunch break or something.” James said.

“Yeah well...the point is I have stuff to do too.” Gail said.

“I am pretty free for most of the day, though I will admit. As...chipper as this place is, I’d rather be training my apprentice.” Zephyr said.

“Don’t worry this will only take a second.” James said. He arranged them together, first Gail, then Candace, then Zephyr, then Olivia. James and Rose stood with each other. James turned to address the little wolf figurine.

“Determination of the Wizard, for vitality and creativity.” James said and Gail Knelt to the ground her glowing energy swirling about the wolf.

“Cunning of the Hunter, for clear sight, and strategy.” James said and Candace knelt to the ground, glowing and a bit of her energy swirling around the wolf.

“Honor of the Dragon Slayer, to value one’s kin and enemies, to know how to stand when other’s will not, and why we fall.” James said and Zephyr knelt to the ground, glowing and a bit of his energy went to the wolf.

“Strength of the Timely Guardian, to know that the impossible can be changed and that change is not impossible. But most importantly that even on the darkest of nights sometimes it is okay to smile.” James said, and Olivia knelt to the ground laughing a little and her energy glowed to swirl about the wolf. Then James gave Rose a fevered glance.

“What are you doing?” Rose said. Then he clutched her close and pressed his lips to hers parting them with much fire, they stood like that all but melded to each other.

“A short sacrifice.” James said to Rose, who looked both irked and pleased as she ruffled his hair, which was already pretty wild. He stalked over to the wolf, and knelt beside it. “There’s a song about this somewhere or something. A thing about a kiss from a rose or something. Well from her lips to mine, and mine to yours, I lay on you the weight of my hope, and the fire of my love. It could consume the world.” James said to the wolf before kissing it on its head. There was a flash, and the park began to shake. When it was all done. A man stood where the little wolf had. He had silver eyes not unlike James’ own, but he would have said he had Rose’s good looks.

“That’s a sexy creature.” Gail said, a little hot under the collar herself. He wasn’t exactly dressed, but also not undressed either until James clothed him. He was fit, and though he wore the veil of humanity there was always, almost certainly a beast behind the illusion. His hair ran down his back and shoulders.

“Little brother, I’ve found in my existence that names, although risky and not always as clever as we would like, make us a little more relatable, a little more like people which is not a concept monopolized by humans, so if you would allow, it would be my privalege and my joy to bestow upon you a name, from my heart sung.” James said,

“I will allow it.” The man who had been a little silver wolf said. It was not a human voice but it used their language in a way that was not unrelatable; like an earthbound angel reborn.

“How about Frederick.” James said.

"That would make me happy.” Frederick said.

And The Rest Was His Story.

#The Silver Wolf James Rose Happiness Destiny Funny World Dreams

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