#we need more footage ya'll

[theconstantsidekick]

Tony Stark Is Like A Painting

Pairings: Tony Stark x Stark!Reader (siblings)

Genre: I literally have no idea what genre this qualifies as and I personally have a wide range of what I consider genre

Summary:  Tony's being rejected from the Avengers Initiative. FUN!

(These scenes incorporate y/n, codename—Static, into the pre-existing story as a character without making drastic changes to the plot or mythos. All the major plot points from the MCU remain in place with the addition of the reader as Static, who is not only a Stark but also enhanced. Whatever events from the canon aren’t mentioned, take place without much change.)

Warnings: Very little Swearing (idk how that happened)

a/n: read Age Of Ultron for more information on Y/n's backstory

sidenote: if ya'll know about the rabbit in a snowstorm, HIT ME UP.

My Greatest Creation Is You (previous part) | Series Masterlist | The Avengers (Ft. Static) | Age of Ultron (Static Origin Story) | Static Verse Masterlist  | Iron Man 1 (ft. Static) | Bucky Barnes, the Boyfriend

“I don’t think I want you looking at that,” Fury says in a scolding tone as he enters the room and takes a seat opposite Tony. There are guards surrounding them and behind their table are holographic screens lit up showcasing footage of the… let’s call it recent peculiar events. “I’m not sure it pertains to you anymore.” Fury pulls the file titled, “Avengers Initiative” out of Tony’s hands. 

Ooof, she thinks. That’s gotta hurt. 

“Now this, on the other hand, is Agent Romanoff’s assessment of you.” Fury hands Tony another file. “Read it,” He urges him.

Tony does as he’s told. “Aaaah—‘Personality overview—Mr. Stark displays compulsive behavior.’” Tony looks straight at Fury, “In my own defense, that was last week.” When Fury does nothing but stares at him unimpressed, he realizes his joke has not landed. Moving on, he adds, “‘Prone to self-destructive tendencies.’ I was dying. I mean, please. Aren’t we all? ‘Textbook narcissism’?” He seems a little shocked at the observation. There is a pause. He even looks at Fury… who remains unmoving. So Tony says, “Agreed. Okay, here it is… aaaaah—‘Recruitment assessment for Avenger Initiative. Iron Man? Yes.’” He closes the file. “I gotta think about it.”

Fury commands, as unimpressed as ever, “Read on.”

So once again, Tony does as he’s asked, he opens the file and reads, “‘Tony Stark not—? Not recommended’? That doesn’t make any sense. How can you approve—me but not approve me? I got a new ticker.” Fury gets off his seat. “I’m trying to—uh—do right by—uh—Pepper. I—I’m in uh—a stable-ish relationship.”

Fury walks around and rests against the table by Tony’s chair, “Which leads us to believe at this juncture we’d only like to use you as a consultant.”

And you have to know, a man does not dress up in a flashing red suit of armor if he isn’t at least a little bit of an egomaniac. If S.H.I.E.L.D. does not want him, he doesn’t need to pretend to need them. He’s a little petty that way. 

Tony stands and offers his hand. Both men shake hands.

Clasping his other hand on top of Fury’s, “You can’t afford me.” He smiles. 

He goes to leave, but then he turns around again. “Then again, I will waive my customary retainer in exchange for a small favor.” Fury looks a little skeptical, so he continues, “Rhodey and I are being honored in Washington and we need a presenter.”

Yeah… see? Real fucking petty that way.

“I’ll see what I can do,” Fury answers.

Tony smiles, triumphant in his upcoming revenge.

Then he whistles, “You coming?”

Y/n steps out of the shadow where she had been leaning on the wall, “You head out, I’ll be right behind you. The Director and I have a few things to square out.” 

Tony rushes over, drops a kiss on her cheek, and heads out.

Both she and Fury take a seat. 

“So?” Fury begins. “What is your assessment of Tony Stark?”

Y/n pushes her chair back so it’s balancing only on the hind legs. “My assessment is that whether you like it or not, he is going to be an Avenger.”

Fury raises an eyebrow, “Is that so?”

His tone is so apprehensive that it makes Y/n smile. “There’s this painting I like. It’s called ‘Rabbit In A Snowstorm’. You heard of it?”

“That all white piece of canvas that you fancy folk like to call art? Yes. I’ve heard of it,” Fury replies, clearly interested.

Y/n smile some more. “You don’t like it, I take it…”

Fury looks at her like it’s the most obvious thing in the world to dislike it. “It is literally all white. Now, I might not be the artsiest fucker out there, but come on, calling that blank canvas a painting is a stretch.”

Nodding in mild assent, Y/n shoves her hands in her pocket and throws her head back. “See, the thing about that ‘blank canvas’ is that it takes time. The more time you spend looking at the painting, the more of yourself that you invest into it, the more you see. You spend a couple minutes you see the texture, a more and you see the different shades of white and a couple hours in you can even see the brush strokes.”

“So, you’re saying Tony is like that painting?” Fury asks, mildly annoyed.

Y/n sits up. “I’m saying all the people around him have stuck around for a reason. And no matter how—unstable you think he might be, you have to admit the people around him are beyond trustworthy.”

“I cannot pick him to be on my team because I like his friends. This is not a game of charades in a shitty little house party,” Fury argues.

Shrugging, Y/n says. “Look, this isn’t me trying to convince you. I don’t really care if you put him on the roster. I just know he’ll find his way there.” Fury looks at her with a challenge in his eye. “What? You think the council will let you call in these so-called ‘Avengers’—” she picks up the file titles, ‘Avengers Initiative’, “—unless the world is on fire?” She scoffs. “No, right? So here’s my follow-up question; if the world is on fire do you think my brother, Tony ‘I am Iron Man’ Stark will just sit on his ass and watch it happen?” 

“So you’re saying it’s inevitable?” Fury questions, brow raised in discontent.

Standing up, Y/n replies in indispensable nonchalance, “No, come on! I’m saying neither of us knows what’s gonna happen in the future.”

“Except for the part where Tony will be on the team,” Fury counters.

“Yeah, except for that,” Y/n answers, fixing her suit.

“How do you know that the rest of them will accept him?”

“I know because of the ‘Rabbit In The Snowstorm’,” she tells him and begins walking out. “It’ll happen sooner than you think. You’ll wake up one day and realize Natasha Romanoff and Tony Stark are the best of friends.” She shakes her head, “It’ll be hilarious.”

“You’ve got yourself a bet, Agent Stark,” Fury challenges with a small smile in his voice.

“It’s Ms. Stark.” She puts on her sunglasses. “And you’re on, Nick.” With that she steps out, rushing over to her brother, who’s waiting patiently in his car.

“I’m craving donuts, you want some donuts? I think we should get some donuts,” Tony says as she gets in the car.

“I think Randy’s is open.”

With that, they drive off.

Find the series masterlist here. Find the Static Verse Masterlist here. Read The Avengers (ft. Static) here.

tag list :@aryksworld @freeflyingphoenix @arikarapli @just-anotherstan @justab-eautifulmess @ceo-of-daichi @liketearsintherainn @paintballkid711 @starkleila @heyitsmereading @fairlygothparents @euphoria-svt @sidepartskinnyjeans @mini-kunoichi @third-broparcelicito @siwiecola @haleybutnotthecomet @mvaldez7821 @rockybutmakeitlame @romanoffswoman @ashpeace888 @hopeofwinter @percabethfangirl987

hit me up if you wanna be added to the tag list.

[brilliantfantasticgeronimo]

(vibrates) it's slug time

loving the slang... "tightness all day long" "today is toasty". also love that "babes" survives way into the future. 15 this is ur legacy. "that woman was her sister" incest implication??? 2 minutes in

TURN LEFT /triggered

the design in this is impeccable.

this is so sims coded.... from the creators of "doctor who is a tv show" theory we bring u-> "doctor who is a videogame"

if u were disappointed with the focus on magic this ep this ep is rlly giving classic scifi parody lol

CRAZY DAYS

there's a lot of wordsmith-ing in this ep….eyes emoji

i love ruby sm now she's so resourful in every ep

this episode is like "this is how an anniversary multi-doctor multi-companion multi-master webcam special could still win"

ok but seriously. ppl are gonna be like "phones bad is dumb of course people look where they are!!!" bro. they dont. and yeah it can have deadly consequences. there's a reason "dont text and drive" campaigns happen.

ruby has done SO many callcenter type jobs forreal.

SLUG TIME SLUG TIME SLUG TIME.

DR PEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!

this episode is amazing

"is that thing something to do with you?" bitch (i got a bit spoiled that she's a racist (damn "looking at tumblr for 2 secs to vibe check" habit) so im looking at this with more hindsight than u are supposed to sdlkfjd)

bluie light celeste and gold motif in ruby and the doc's backdrops? also fifteen in orange <3333333 my beloved

the interior design is ON POINT this ep "you dont know how to walk without the arrows?" "condescending much?" bitch

this episode is so fun lol

"fifteen nd ruby react channel" realness (WHICH…..HEY…….DO U KNOW WHAT PPL REACT TO………………………. T V SH O W S (clown make up fully on))

ruby has done so much service calling jobs forreal lol the sheer patience

the doctor really wanting to lose their minds here but having to hold it together is peak doctor sdkjfsd (also very realistic of the struggles i expected a black doctor to work thru)

there's a bit of a theme of instinct vs programming going on here.

"surrounded by this woodland forest thing. it's like, really natural"

hashtag obsessed with it the catharsis im feelin tbh. 2 ppl being like "yo mass killing is rlly wrong" while the cacophony of the internet ~fun goes on and on. where's the [fiction]

ITS LIKE LOVE ISLAND THE PLANET. BRO. bro im so WIRED IN /clown make up intensifies

penny pepper bean still strong holding the 12 ppl still in the tory party together in the year something something

"ruby and the doctor struggle to lie in the moment" is my favorite recurring trope

the doctor using the sonic as a remote right there……………….. im running out of clown make up ya'll

"you did NOT just "@everyone" realism

no one ever listens to the goths….

until its too late…

its interesting that there's no cameras in their feeds, tho. right? like. that's the layer i think it's profoundly different to irl in this satire / social crit. ppl are *locked out* of the real world bc they're looking at their screens, but they do that bc the screens are a constant waterfall of billions of camera footage either of individuals or coporations or institutions. always producing "content". so like is not that ppl dont "see" anythign irl but they see it all thru a filter or thru editing,,,, but its fine i get what the satire is going for slkdfj but yeah. i think thats why it may feel a bit "not quite capturing" of the current ~digital ethos

fifteen so close to losing it- fifteen if u want to go for a bit of a timelord victorious i wont judge. u can have it. as a treat.

doctor who is a videogame energy bbc merch idea -> zombies run type podcast but it's the doctor and ruby telling u where to go for a job so u dont die. (russel get on this)

YOU STILL HAVE BATTERY PROBLEMS

"this is your fault!" iconic. classic who

so many ppl have presumably died so far. god bless. we needed an ep like this. proper high body count who feels good. feels organic.

rip the au where these were the beatles. thats 1 theory im really gonna mourn for the rest of the series lol

plaza 55…… orphan 55 reference???

great abrogation sounds important.

"i will get out out of here. i promise" obligatory doctor mirroring moment.

oh shit.

"thi iss SO manual"

"hands off" I LOVE THEM !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The doctor x companion x some bland guy love triangle DREAM omg

"he says they're saving us to eat for last (snob voice)maybe we're the most tasty" scream. this ep is so fun.

pentecost's style was so on point.

wasnt her battery running out? (i may have missed something sldkjf)

bro stop hitting the fucking gas pipes oh my goddddd

holy shit. RICKY NOOOOOOOOOOOOO

that was brutal.

racists are gonna hate this episode so much lol

fifteen getting to experience all the microaggressions/outright aggressions thirteen didnt. yay progress(???) "thats voodoo" holy shi t

"maintain the standards of finetime" rtd was pissed when writting this lol

fifteen is not doing all rightkids.

ncuti's "who's my doctor? he's a black man" prophecy comes FULL CIRCLE

fifteen looking at US tho…………… this is a tv show man. this is a tv show. this is - *im struggle against my straight-jacked as im graddged back to the cushion-walled cell*

the plot twist of this ep………… phones good actually. thank u phones. u are doing a service.

CONCLUSIONS!

so there's a lot of ways to chop this one…

"racism and capitalism still exists in the future" is a trope that it's kind of limiting / always grates me in some ways (it feeds into the anti-racism of ppl whose politics doesnt trascend idealist philosophy -> that is, it is an anti-racism that can't conceive of an end to racism bc it doesn't actually have a political project that address the material causes of racism and just tries to fix the "natural prejudices" away with "education". in other words, it cant portray a word without racism bc it cant *conveive* of one.) . however i think im more open to it this time / this series since s11 onwards the focus has been so much on telling stories about the present with scifi make up on. and i think this one manages to do that rlly well. ___

another vertice to look this one on is whether... is it really "doing anything" to have racism portrayed on screen (and other bigotry) in a scifi story? if u already experience racism or understand it happens, who is served by this? it's hurtful to watch and it's like missing the chance to "show a different world" is possible thru scifi. and the counterargument to that is on a """""color blind"""""" 2020s world it is rlly cathartic and re-affirming to have stories that *show* the realities of the world, and that dont shy away from showing those realities in fear of them coming off as "over the top" (bc they arent. some ppl will still walk away from this ep thinking "haha fun satires" but like. this is literally how White Rich People Talk. in real life.......) and again in this one time i think it works really well bc doctor who has… probably never done this? lol there's moments with martha and ryan for example, but never going this hard on it. but im open to discussion tbh. i think the angle of "is this a story about racism for white people to learn or is it a cathartic for *black / brown people to experience catharsis in" is gonna be one for fruitful discussion in the future. ___

besides the socio-political points,,,, bro this episode was a thrill ngl sdlkjf like so many simple, excellent moments like the girl walking into the light post. the made up slang and the real slang!!!!. the excellent interior design. "ruby and fifteen react to doctor who". just lots of fun little details. the execution was really inspired.

character point -> tbh fifteen at the end feels like a bit of Growth from like, ten at his worst moments -> "he's not the person you would have chosen to survive, but if you could decide who lives or dies, doctor, that would make you a monster"

also kinda wonder how this episde will hit for newbies / Not Us. i think a lot of its gut punch comes from dw never doing this before and so the strenght of subverting those expectations. is this an story that stands on its own w/o all the 60 years of context? we'll have to show it to our normie friends and see lol

[renton6echo]

Day 1 of 30 Days of The Bad Batch

Season 1, Episode 1: Aftermath

Alright. Let's dive into, probably, my favorite episode of the series so far. It's just such a great opening to the characters and the story. What a way to open a series right at Order 66. I just knew we were in for such a rollercoaster from the start of this show. Really, Order 66? That's where you're starting off the show? Force, have mercy on us all.

The biggest gem of this episode is that it's the only one we get where we get to see Hunter, Echo, Tech, Wrecker, and Crosshair just be a squad together. If I had my wish, I would have liked to have seen more of that before Crosshair and the rest of the batch split off. It was harder to see what the loss of Crosshair did to the team on an emotional and military tactics level. We didn't get much in the way of their team dynamic apart from Crosshair just being known as the surly, grumpy one. While I do love all the theories around how it was likely Echo who stepped into the role that Crosshair had like like being the peacekeeper between Tech and Wrecker's, it would have been nice to see more of that so we had an idea of what the Batch lost.

I've put my live musings of the episode under this thread for the sake of my followers. Sorry, not sorry!! Ya'll knew what you were getting into following me 👀

Not sure if anyone else is interested in doing this but if you're also re-watching TBB before the season 3 premiere be sure to tag all your musings in the #30 Days of The Bad Batch so I can read them!!

@floundrickthewayfarer @saturn-sends-hugs @the-bi-space-ace

First off, Captain Grey, I wish we had gotten to know you more before your chip activated because you seem like a sassy and salty man. I'm sure you and Rex swapped lots of stories.

Wee Kanan. I remember watching this the first time and having just finished Rebels. I saw and heard Kanan and literally said, "Oh, shit. Please no!! This is so mean." Good times. Good times.

So at what point did they realize they could use Echo's scomp as a melee weapon? It is so badass.

Oooff. That shot of the large canyon separating Kanan and Hunter that symbolizes the break between clone and Jedi *chefs kiss*

I really wish we had more scenes take place in TBB's barracks. So many fun details to dissect.

Will never get over Tech's matter-the-fact "My exceptional mind." Legend.

LOL. Echo's put-out expression when Wrecker notes how ugly Palpatine is! I've never noticed that.

Wonder how well the clones are informed in intergalactic politics. Echo seems to have a real knowledge of the larger political nuance more than the others. He is the first to openly question clones as soldiers of the Empire versus the Republic. I assume the Kaminoans would not have spent a lot of time educating clones on political structures and more on just being compliant with the system they were born into. For most clones, the transition from republic to empire is more or less just a name change, but Echo clearly takes issue with the implications.

Battle simulation time! Honestly, I could watch a whole series of clones just bantering and comming each other in battle. Such a fun, creative way to learn about characters and see them interact with each other. Wrecker and Tech sniping at each other is the best thing ever.

ALSO, Hunter why you whistling at them? You got comms for a reason you dramatic punk.

The implication that Crosshair also cried after seeing a fully stocked armory is just...I need that footage.

I never noticed that most, if all the weapons the Onderon insurgents have are Republic-issued.

Omega liking the batch's smelly barracks? Yeah, she's one of them.

Freaking Tarkin. I'm assuming he was just going to fry all their brains to make the whole batch compliant. Ugh. Poor Crosshair.

Oh, Shock troopers. Worst jobs with the worst rap. Do you think we will get to see Commander Fox in the last season? 🤞🏽

"You were down!" Echo has the best sense of humor.

[aquarian-queen]

Troy Otto

if you don't want to read below the cut, scroll down or mute the ftwd spoilers tags because they will be spoilers regarding Troy.

So we already knew our boy Troy was returning, but I had to go down the rabbit hole to see what the people at SDCC saw from the comments since they weren't allowed to film.

So 1st: it wasn’t a trailer that was shown, but a sneak peak of a scene. Not sure if it will be released, but they might tease things until w’ere closer to when S8B drops. Which is in October 22nd and such a long way to go still. I really hope we'll get some more news or the people that were there can tweet a bit more or even show that dang footage! 😭😭😭

This person said Troy seemed to be the antagonist, which I think isn't that surprising given that Madison bashed his head in with a hammer.

So this is the supposed scene where Troy is revealed to be alive. Madison and Strand are looking at someone, likely Troy.

The next few tweets give a better description of what we first see and might expect. Troy's the leader of this armed group (reminder of his militia experience at the ranch??) who have taken Madison and Strand hostage.

He's APPARENTLY BLIND on the side where Madison bashed his head in with the hammer. Also remember the end scene of S8A, where the hand picks up all the items reminiscent of S3 and put it in the bag obv. spoiling to Troy? He is wearing the glasses to cover his eye. Lol I remember Daniel Sharman comparing Troy to the Governor (but different) in an interview and it's low key funny he's also blind in one eye and covers it.

The 🔨 in the end credits is also the one Madison seems to want to bash his head in the trailer, but Strands stops her. He apparently agitated her or mightve shown the hand in the bag as well? I wonder if Troy found Alicia dead or some shit and took it. Because he obviously was the one listening to the broadcast Madison put out.

Aside from my stil lingering fears that the current writers will mess him up, I am glad to just see his face and see how it will end. Since they brought him back, I don't want him to die cause what was the point??!?!? But given Troy's story (he's a father and will save his daughter with the help of Madison) I wonder if it will sort of come full circle for Madison (who is the main character of the show) and she'll either go full evil, try to right her wrong or will be put down by Troy or someone else. I lean more to the latter two!!!

These were the only snippets I could find so far. Also credit to the tweeters and accounts.

BUT HOW EXCITED ARE YA'LL????? I need to reorganize my thoughts cause I am so excited!!!!

Edit: excuse the typos and grammar mistakes.

[joannaofarkham]

What are your current fic projects?? Brainrot with us pls

hello! sorry i've only answered this now. the weekend has been really hectic for me personally but, omg, i can't wait to share ya'll my fic projects and wips! so here's a list of the ones i have barely started and a briefer. we can brainrot together in any! 1. the blood that binds us: this is the gangs of new york au. if you've watched it, great! you know where this is going. but if not, it's alright. to put it simply, eren here is back in his hometown 10 years after the bloodiest gang war that caused his father's death and his childhood. he then meets/reunites with his childhood best friend, armin, and the girl of his dreams, mikasa, and the stakes got even more personal when he discovered how deeply entangled these important people are with the murderer. 2. untitled downton abbey au: so, this fic i really want to write as soon as possible. for this, lady mikasa is set to be the heiress of the ackerman-azumabito estate and wealth after levi elopes with his lover, mr. smith. law states that the inheritance should be passed to the next male of kin, so she has to marry and produce a male heir. enter the jaeger family and their youngest bachelor son, eren. he's not bound to inherit the title of being a marquis, so hearing an heiress in need of a husband is a very good prospect for him for a couple of reasons: he gets to be an earl...and the marquis and marchioness finally has a way to cut their son's feelings for his brother's wife :') this is going to be really angsty in the most passive-aggressive form hehehehee 3. ramblings of a man: or the gothic/macabre fic wherein eren is a writer and coping on his lover's death to the point of severe delusion (he thinks he can bring her back to life by writing and rewriting the events of her death, so long as he has her body with him). i posted the prologue here before so you can check it out! 4. paranormal/witch au: so to sum this one up, mikasa's great-great-great-great grandmother curses her lover while the people burn her for being a witch. the lover is eren's great-great-great-great grandfather. mikasa doesn't know of the curse, of course, and she goes on a trip to where her ancestors where supposed to live before and eren lives there all his life. this one, i'm thinking of writing in a found footage way so i still have to figure it out how.

[stephaniejuhnay]

Prince On Every Tour: Sign O’ The Times

Good morning children.  Jk, it’s not morning. It is very much night, but I’m currently jamming to The Dance Electric as I type this and I love the way he says that. ANYWAY. It has been quite some time since the last POET post. We last visited Parade Prince which was a TIME. It was the culmination of what felt like at least 2 or 3 months of being very much swept up in that era. But now we’re here. To my favorite album. Favorite rehearsal show. Second or third favorite era because he and Parade Prince consistently fight. There is no circulating tour footage outside of clips which is A CRIME AGAINST PRINCE-MANITY, but I have hope that we will get at least one concert from this tour. Just like we’ll get Second Coming. We’re gonna get these things guise. We will. Anyway, while in Detroit, my mom and I watched SOTT so I may throw a bit of that in, but I just finished Valium, which will be the focus. So, without further ado... 

SIGN O’ THE TIMES. FIRST AVENUE.  MARCH 21, 1987. LET’S GET INTO IT.

Overview: Welp. It’s happened. That thing that we all knew was gonna happen. That thing that probably hurt a few folks hearts. I know it hurt mine. Prince gave up the signature Parade slickback. Just as we were getting used to it. The 1999 curls that I LIVE for were stolen, and he lulled me into a false sense of security when I finally accepted the short, suave ‘do. But in true Prince fashion, he swapped it out for something JUST as fabulous: another set of wonderful curls with just enough to put into the world’s most unnecessary ponytail and what @the-beautiful-1 refers to as the fishing tackle braid. It’s all very glorious. He’s ditched suits for the most part for crop tops with matching pants and jumpsuits with ridiculous cutouts that would get any normal man sideeyed to death, but gets Prince these draws praise and adoration for the slayage.  Valium starts with something everyone needs: Prince in a polka dot suit with a pair of glasses (which I would very much like to have for myself) looking like an entire Thanksgiving feast. He talks to the crowd, lets us know this show is basically a rehearsal we’ve been invited to. We don’t care. We know it’s going to be fantastic. Especially because of the getting got that will take place afterwards when you see him in the final number outfit. For my peace of mind, this person I’ve created in this series through which any of us can live gets got and lives the dream forever. Amen. Moving forward.  We are joked with a bit, introduced to his new friends, some old friends, and my favorite friend: the polka dot suit. He also reminds us that if we don’t know who he is we MUST be on some type of drug. Daddy.  Where the concert film opens up with a wonderful rendition of the titular song, Valium wastes no time in the edge-snatching and gets right into Housequake. How jarring it must have been for the still screaming crowd to hear “SHUT UP ALREADY, DAMN,” not knowing that it was the beginning of a song that would incite some of the hardest dancing of their life. He probably thought it was hilarious. Daddy.

This setlist is short, but sweet. We get some (then) upcoming SOTT album stuff, but a couple old gems with Girls & Boys and Kiss. The show is just over an hour and it does not let up at all, even when Prince disappears and let’s his band get some shine. Which brings me to my next point. This band. Now, I love The Revolution just as much as the next opera bloused, curly haired, fake moled 80′s enthusiast with lace gloves on, and am fully aware that much of SOTT was tracked with them. However, I cannot imagine this music being played by them. Not in it’s final form. The SOTT band is a band full of insanely talented musicians, and they executed a sound that was absolutely incredible and sounded a lot more....idk mature? Polished?  I can’t put my finger on it. Not to take anything at all away from The Revolution because they too were insanely talented. The SOTT band just offered an element that the previous band couldn’t. If they could, Prince would’ve kept them around. He was exploring new sounds, therefore needed new inspiration. It’s why we love him. During the band’s solo’s, there wasn’t a single person that I wasn’t completely in awe of. Levi and his crazy bass solo was funky and in the pocket, Fink sounds the best he’s ever sounded on the keys, Atlanta Bliss and his God-awful ponytail are still puttin’ it down on the horn, my man Sith Leeds (soon to be) is KILLIN’ that sax, and Sheila. Miss. Sheila. What a legend on the drums. Miko is a wonderful guitarist, which we learned on the last tour, and Boni has some PIPES you hear me? And of course, I cannot forget about Cat. Technically the first REAL dancer to join the band, Cat brought an energy to the gang that really rounded out these shows for me. She put her ALL into those dances, and she even forced boyfriend to step up his moves imo. I would argue that this tour is the most he’s danced so far, and it’s absolutely delightful. Honestly, what is better than any dance he does during Hot Thing on the concert film? Precisely. Nothing. Thanks for agreeing. We also get the fantastic dancing during Housequake in both shows, and Beautiful Night on the concert film that warrants mentioning. 

Favorite Number:  This is the easiest pick of all the tours, however, let’s start with some honorable mentions.

Housequake: It’s a funky groove that you cannot escape. Be prepared to dance to it for the rest of your life no matter how many times you’ve heard it within a 5 day span. You’ll be fine, trust me. This number was a fave of mine in both shows.

Slow Love: First, it’s Slow Love. Second, during both shows it’s one of my top vocal performances. I love it when he sangs ya’ll. Third, shirt rip on the “shut the door, baby” during Valium. He also ripped his shirt a bit after that same line in the concert film. Never change, boyfriend. 

Hot Thing: CUTOUTS. “COM’ERE BAAAAYBY, I WANNA TALK TO YA.” CUTOUTS. FACE DURING ORGAN PLAYING AT THE OPENING OF THE NUMBER. CUTOUTS.

Forever In My Life: The breakdown during both shows is funky as all get out. Another song on which he was SANGIN’, especially on the concert film. The “I gotta tell ya” screech? How do you not throw it back after that? Like....

Favorite of all though: Strange Relationship. Hands. Down. Disappointingly not in the concert film, this 12min funk marathon is rivaled by none, other than the very same song from the rehearsal boot. Maybe. I say maybe only because this version includes the simplest but greatest chord progression before he let’s Boni do her thing (Whatchya sayin’ Boni?!) for a little bit that I rewound a good 35 times when I first saw this show. Idk what it is, but it’s just right in the pocket and it gets me every single time. I love the little stuff like that. We also get the playful fake radio station with DJ Prince shoutout, and the always welcome Squirrel Meat groove. It’s the obvious winner. Even boyfriend knew it was too funky. 

Favorite Outfit: WELL. SOTT is ripe with wonderful outfits. I’m even okay with the egregiously large-shouldered leather jacket that opened the concert film. I hope he burned it though. Or at least de-shouldered it.  I’m a huge, HUGE fan of Prince in suits, especially polka dot suits as you will hear PLENTY of in the next POET post. And the Valium polka dot suit is a doozy. As is the crop top in that shade of blue that makes him look absolutely STUNNING in the final number during Valium. Hang it in a museum. Please. It wins as favorite outfit from Valium.

I also am a huge fan of the tasselled white number he’s in during Beautiful Night in the concert film. And the Orange cutouts he graced us with during I Could Never. And his adorably fine self in the black cutouts with the hat during Forever In My Life/It. However, Hot Thing cut out wins the concert film war. Because....I mean...like....

Still Would Rating: SOTT Prince fights for second place with Parade Prince constantly. It’s a fight I do not mind at all. Swoop me, the both of you. 

Overall Rating: Overall, both of these are absolutely amazing shows. Well, one is an amazing show, one is a concert film made UP of what I am sure are amazing shows (audio) strung together with one heck of a visual performance that sure did fool me for years and years. Could’ve been a tour filmed for all I knew. Valium is a rehearsal that might as well have been an official tour show if you ask me. Even without the full production of the official tour, that show for 1600 people at First Avenue holds up to any of the other previous shows. Whether in a small club or a stadium, boyfriend slayed regardless. Daddy.

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