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lokiondisneyplus · 3 years

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Natalie Holt's timeline was turned upside down last fall when she landed the highly-coveted composer gig for Marvel Studios' Loki series on Disney+.

"My agent got a general call-out looking for a composer on a Marvel project," she tells SYFY WIRE during a conversation over Zoom. "So, I didn’t know what it was. It was [described as] spacey and quite epic ... I sent in my show reel and then got an interview and got sent the script and then I realized what it was for. I was like, ‘Oh my god!’ It was amazing ... Loki was already one of my favorite characters, so I was really stoked to get to give him a theme and flesh him out in this way."

***WARNING! The following contains certain plot spoilers for the first four episodes of Loki!***

Imbued with glorious purpose, Holt knew the score had to match the show's gonzo premise about the Time Variance Authority, an organization that secretly watches over and manages every single timeline across the Marvel multiverse. The proposition of such an out-there sci-fi concept inspired the composer to bring in uniquely strange sounds, courtesy of synthesizers and a theremin.

"I got my friend, Charlie Draper, to play the theremin on my pitch that I had to do," she recalls. "They gave me a scene to score, which I’m sure they gave to loads of other composers. It was the Time Theater sequence in Episode 1. The bit from where he goes up the elevator and then into the Time Theater ... I just went to town on it and I wanted to impress them and win the job and put as many unusual sounds in there and make it as unique as possible."

The end result was a weird, borderline unnatural sound that wouldn't have felt out of place in a 1950s sci-fi B-movie about big-headed alien invaders. Rather than being turned off by Holt's avant garde ideas, Marvel Studios head honcho Kevin Feige embraced them, only giving the composer a single piece of feedback: "Push it further."

Holt admits that she was slightly influenced by Thor: Ragnarok ("I loved the score for it and everything"), which wasn't afraid to lean into the wild, Jack Kirby-created ideas floating around Marvel's cosmic locales. Director Taika Waititi's colorful and bombastic set pieces were perfectly complimented by an '80s-inspired score concocted by Devo co-founder, Mark Mothersbaugh.

"To be honest, I tried not to listen to it on its own," Holt says of the Ragnarok soundtrack. "I didn’t want to be too influenced by it. I watched the film a couple of times a few years ago, so yeah, I don’t think I was heavily referencing it. But I definitely had a memory of it in my mind."

After boarding Loki last September, Holt spent the next six months (mostly in lockdown) crafting a soundtrack that would perfectly reflect the titular god of mischief played by Tom Hiddleston. One of the first things she came up with was the project's main theme — a slightly foreboding cue that pays homage to the temporal nature of the TVA, as well as the main character's flair for the dramatic. "He always does things with a lot of panache and flair, and he’s very classical in his delivery."

She describes it as an "over-the-top grand theme with these ornate flourishes" that plays nicely with Loki's Shakespearean aura. "I wanted those ornaments and grand gestures in what I was doing. Then I also wanted to reflect that slightly analog world of the TVA where everything has lots of knobs and buttons ... [I wanted to] give it that slightly grainy, faded [and] vintage-y sci-fi sound as well."

"I just wanted it to feel like it had this might and weight — like there was something almost like a requiem about it," Holt continues. "These chords that are really powerful and strident and then they’ve got this blinking [sound] over the top. I just came up with that when I was walking down the street and I hummed it into my phone. There’s a video where you can just see up my nose and I’m humming [the theme]. I came home and I played it."

As a classically-trained musician, Holt drew on her love of Mahler, Dvořák, Beethoven, Mozart, and most importantly, Wagner. A rather fitting decision, given that an actual Valkyrie (played by Tessa Thompson) exists within the confines of the MCU.

"I would say those flourishes over the top of the Loki theme are very much Wagner," Holt says. "They’re like 'Ride of the Valkyries.’ I wanted people to kind of recall those big, classical, bombastic pieces and I wanted to give that weight to Loki’s character. That was very much a conscious decision to root it in classical harmony and classical writing ... There’s a touch of the divine to the TVA. It’s in charge of everything, so that’s why those big powerful chords [are there]. I wanted people almost to be knocked off their socks when they heard it."

With the main theme in place, Holt could then play around with it in different styles, depending on the show's different narrative needs. Two prime examples are on display in the very first episode during Miss Minutes' introductory video and the flashback that reveals Loki to be the elusive D.B. Cooper.

"What was really fun was [with] each episode, I got to pull it away and do a samba version of the theme or do a kind of ‘50s sci-fi version of the theme," she explains. "I can’t say other versions of the theme because they’re in Episode 5 and 6…or like when Mobius is pruned, I did this really heartfelt and very emotional [take on the theme] when you see Loki tearing up as he’s going down in slow motion down that corridor. It was cool to have the opportunity to try out so many different styles and genres. And it was big enough to take it all. It was a big enough story."

The other side of the story speaks to the old world grandeur of Loki's royal upbringing on Asgard, a city amongst the stars that eventually found its way into Norse mythology.

"I went to a concert in London three years ago and I heard these Norwegian musicians playing in this group called the Lodestar Trio," Holt recalls. "They do a take on Bach, where they’re kind of giving it a folk-y twist … [They use] a nyckelharpa and a Hardanger fiddle — they’re two historic Norwegian folk instruments. I just remembered that sound and I was like, ‘Oh, I have to use those guys in our score.’ It seemed like the perfect thing. I was like, ‘Yes, the North/Norwegian folk instruments.’ It just felt like it was the perfect thing for his mother and Asgard and his origins."

That folk-inspired sound also helped shape the music for Sylvie (played by Sophia Di Martino), a female variant of Loki with a rather tragic past. "Obviously, we’ve seen in Episode 4 what happened to her as a child," Holt says. "I just feel like she’s so dark. She’s basically grown up living in apocalypses, so she has that Norwegian folk violin sound, but her theme is incredibly dark and menacing and also, you don’t see her. She’s just this dark figure who’s murdering people for a while."

And then there were all the core members of the TVA to contend with. As Holt mentioned above, fans recently lost Agent Mobius (Owen Wilson), may he rest in prune. We mean peace. What? Too soon? During a recent interview with SYFY WIRE, Loki head writer Michael Waldron said that he based Mobius off of Tom Hanks's dogged FBI agent Carl Hanratty in 2002's Catch Me If You Can.

"There’s this thing that he loves jet ski magazines," Holt says. "I had this character in my head and then when I saw Owen Wilson’s performance, I was like, ‘Oh, he’s actually a lot lighter and he plays it in a different way from how I’d imagined.’ But I was listening to Bon Jovi and those slightly rock-y anthemic things. ‘90s rock music for some reason was my Mobius sound palette."

Mobius is pruned on the orders of his longtime friend, Ravonna Renslayer (Gugu Mbatha-Raw), after learning that everyone who works for the TVA is a variant who was unceremoniously plucked out of their original timelines. A high-ranking member of the quantum-based agency, Renslayer has a theme that "is quite tied in with Mobius and it’s like a high organ," Holt adds. "It doesn’t quite know where it’s going yet. But yeah, we’ll have to see what happens with that one."

Wilson's character isn't the only person fed up with the TVA's lies. Hunter B-15 (Wunmi Mosaku) also became disillusioned with the place and allowed Sylvie to escape in the most recent episode

"Hunter B-15 has this moment in Episode 4 where Sylvie shows her her past, her memories. I thought that was a really powerful moment for her," Holt says. I feel like she’s such a fighter and when she comes into the Time-Keepers and she makes that decision, like, ‘I’m switching sides,’ so her theme is more like a drum rhythm. I actually kind of sampled my voice and you can hear that with the drums. I did loads of layers of it, just like this horrible sliding sound with this driving rhythm underneath it. So, that was B-15 and then her softer side when she has her memory given back to her."

Speaking of the Time-Keepers, we finally got to meet the creators of the Sacred Timeline...or at least we thought we did. Loki and Sylvie are shocked to learn that the red-eyed guardians of reality are nothing but a trio of high-end animatronics (ones that could probably be taken out by a raging Nicolas Cage). Even before Sylvie manages to behead one of them, something definitely feels off with the Time-Keepers, which meant Holt could underscore the uncanny valley feeling in the score.

"When they walked in for their audience with the Time-Keepers, it was like this huge gravitas," she says. "But you look up and there’s something a bit wrong about them. I don’t know if you felt that or if you just totally believed. You were like, ‘Oh, this is so strange.’ I just felt like there was something a little bit off and musically, it was fun to play around with that."

Holt is only the second solo female composer to work on an MCU project, following in the footsteps of Captain Marvel's Pinar Toprak. Her involvement with Loki represents the studio's growing commitment to diversity, both in front of and behind the camera. This Friday will see the wide release of Black Widow, the first Marvel film to be helmed solely by a woman (Cate Shortland). Four months after that, Chloé Zhao's Eternals will introduce the MCU's first openly gay character into the MCU.

"I just feel like it’s an honor and a privilege to have had that chance to be the second woman to score a thing in the MCU and to be in the same league as those incredible composers like Mothersbaugh and Alan Silvestri. They're just legends," Holt says. "Another distinctive thing about [the show] is that all the heads of department are pretty much women. Marvel are showing themselves to be really progressive and supportive and encouraging. I applaud [them]. Whatever they’re doing seems to be working and people seem to be liking it as well, so that’s awesome."

Holt's score for Vol. 1 of Loki (aka Episodes 1-3) are now streaming on every music-based platform you could think of. Episodes 1-4 are available to watch on Disney+ for subscribers. Episode 5 (the show's penultimate installment) debuts on the platform this coming Wednesday, July 7.

Natalie isn't able to give up any plot spoilers for the next two episodes (no surprise there), but does tease "the use of a big choir" in one of them. "Episode 6, I’m excited for people to hear it," she concludes. "That’s all I can say."

#Natalie Holt #composer #Loki #OST

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twh-news · 3 years

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Loki' composer on how her MCU score reflects the main character's flair for the dramatic

By Josh Weiss

Natalie Holt's timeline was turned upside down last fall when she landed the highly-coveted composer gig for Marvel Studios' Loki series on Disney+.

***WARNING! The following contains certain plot spoilers for the first four episodes of Loki!***

The other side of the story speaks to the old world grandeur of Loki's royal upbringing on Asgard, a city amongst the stars that eventually found its way into Norse mythology.

Wilson's character isn't the only person fed up with the TVA's lies. Hunter B-15 (Wunmi Mosaku) also became disillusioned with the place and allowed Sylvie to escape in the most recent episode

#Loki #loki series #natalie holt #Loki spoilers #loki series spoilers #Article #Interview #SYFY #Long post

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sleepymouses · 4 years

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tagged by @littlepetbee, thank uuuu <3 i spent way too long thinking about htis lol,

Rules: pick 5 shows, then answer the following questions, tag a bunch o ppls to do it too (if y’all want to, supes no pressure or anything!)

Natsume yuujinchou (a teenage orphan who sees spirits/monsters sets out to free the spirits who were bound in magical contract by his grandmother after he inherits a powerful book, aided primarily by a spirit who appears as an exasperated fat cat (who is just as fun as he sounds). Titular character is like my Fave boy in the whole world, he’s so kind and soft despite all the hardships he’s faced, the series has very gentle pacing/character development, and each episode is a carefully crafted lil story that have often moved me to tears, chuckles, or outright chinhands of fondness as u watch natsume slowly find a home in the world and amongst the humans &spirits around him. big focus on friendships, there’s like no romance with any of the main characters, lots of cool different creatures (most of whom arent all that scary once u get to know them), its just literally everything i could ever dream for in a show and it exists! <3)

Leverage (team of modern day robin hoods ruin rich peoples’ lives via delightfully crafted spy cons to give back to the regular folks the rich people hurt. Extremely good, strong found family vibes, and v cathartic)

Brooklyn 99 (follows diverse cast of character who make up a NY precinct. Hilarious, immensely wholesome & groundbreaking, & probs the most lighthearted crime show besides like psych tbh)

Blackspot/Zone Blanche (spoopy french/belgium crime series set in a small village way out in the mountains surrounded by misty, mysterious and murdery woods. eerie and atmospheric, but also like one of my fave characters (everyone calls him teddy bear) keeps a pet guinea pig at work, so it’s not entirely grim and bleak)

Longmire (a modern western crime drama centering around the titular sheriff and others in their small town wyoming county, well written and lot of chracter development revealed alongside some really good case mysteries bc i love trying to figure out whodunits apparently based on a book series well adored by dads btw)

who is your favorite character in 2? (leverage) ahhh,,, this is hard... Eliot maybe? like Hardison is baby ofc, but i relate to elliot a ton (i think if i was on a team i would want to be the hitter tbh?) and love the subversion of so many action hero tropes that he is, also endlessly amused by how very put upon he is despite all his rad/random skills

who is your least favorite character in 1? (natsume yuujinchou) oh seiji matoba for sure, he can go eat a mouldy tree stump. absolutely evil nasty dude

what is your favorite episode of 4? (blackspot) the end of the road. great opening, didnt end up too devastating unlike a lot of the cases, Hermann was gr8, cool twist i hadnt super expected in the plot which was neat.

what is your favorite season of 5? (longmire) probs 1, walter reeally started to piss me off being Such A Man in later seasons, also me being extremely anxious about Henry and his life choices later, that creepy stalker storyline starting up with Someone and when Someone else in the main cast got died really suddenly and upsettingly later on as well, also when a weird relationship started between some of the characters that i really aint feeling so. before all that happened was nice (also sorry if this is super vague, im trying to avoid spoilers)

who is your favorite couple in 3? (B99) Besides Jake/Amy and Holt/Kevin (bc oviously theyre gr8) uh.. i know it was a long time ago and didnt last very long, but i thought rosa and marcus were really sweet? it brought another layer out to her character, even when they broke up that helped rosa starting to show emotional vulnerability and all, even tho it ended it was still just, idk, i liked them.

who is your favorite couple in 2? (leverage) Does trio count, cos Parker/Eliot/Harding 4 life yo

what is your favorite episode of 1? (natsume yujinchou) i have sooo many faves ahhh!!! i dont think i could pick just one on pain of death, every episode is acrefully cosntructed gem all on its own and i have too many that i love and adore to pick jsut one :((

what is your favorite episode of 5? (longmire) Dog soldier!! ive rewatched that one a ton, so so many good bits, really satisfying resolution of the case despite the shitty system that was revealed, and i rmr getting chills by the end the first time i saw it.

what is your favorite season of 2? (leverage) i guess season 1? just, idk, everything being set up and watching all these grumpies/less grumpies who have no plans to stay together start working together as a baby team, and just the joy of seeing their first heist together with the first plot twist, just.. such a delight, but all seasons that ive seen so far were all excellent, it’s a stellar show

how long have you watched 1? (natsume yujinchou) oh idk exactly, like years and years man... defs the longest out of all on this list

how did you become interested in 3? (b99) i think it was just on netflix way back in season 1 and i started watching it, loved it and never stopped? i think that might have even been before it got rlly popular lol

who is your favorite actor in 4? (blackspot) i dont rlly know any of these french peeps? but teddybear’s one of my fave characters, so hopefully the person who plays him is also cool, in which case hubert delattre (if not, Suliane Brahim does a v good job as the lead)

which do you prefer, 1, 2, or 5? (natsume yujinchou, leverage or longmire) um... real torn between natsume and leverage here, they’re both such lovely gems that do found family so, so well.. leverage is a team of modern robin hood-esque spies with brilliant writing and exciting heists and multiple delightful plot twists every episode and great character building and so much catharticism in ruining evil rich peoples lives.

but natsume’s title character is one of my very favorite characters ever, hes been through so much but he becomes the most kindest and thoughtful boy ever, and its so, so soft and gentle in its development of characters and their slow build of getting to know each other and becoming friends, and the interactions with the paranormal world are very rarely entirely malicious/scary, and there’s pretty well no romance, at least like no romance for plot/with the main characters anyways, and there’s lots of female characters who have important roles but arent sexualized/killed off for man feels/exist for romo (which sadly cannot be said about a lot of media, especially manga/anime tbh, even leverage does not win entirely on that front).. its defintiely my favorite anime ever (i dont watch loads, but literally no other one can ever come close to topping its perfection),

i guess tho, leverage is over, and natsume is still technically ongoing, so i guess for that then i have to go with natsume?

which show have you seen more episodes of, 1 or 3? (natsume yuujinchou or b99) Natsume for sure, they’re so short its easy to power thru like half a season in an afternoon

if you could be anyone from 4, who would you be? (blackspot) i would probably want to be someone who didnt live in villefranche actually haha uh, it’s a pretty spoopity place.. even some of the characters i do like make some Bad decisions that are v bothersome. Dr. Leila barami seems to have a good head on her shoulders tho, so if i Must be a character here then let’s go with her

would a crossover between 3 and 4 work? (b99 or blackspot) oh god... the cheery upbeat department at the 99 meet up with a grim, misty tiny mountain forest village with bleak day to day life, solving crimes amidst small town paranoia and weird maybe cult-related conspiracies and honestbhly something/s paranormal and menacing going on in the woods?? i just... cant see any of the characters even interacting lol, im just picturing jake’s confused befuddled face when he hears something weird but like x 10000

pair two characters in 1 who would make an unlikely but strangely okay couple? (natsume yujinchou) hm... i mean, one of the things i love about Natsume is that there arent really any romo relationships tbh? at least not with any of the main characters in the main storyline (so far), just like the odd one-off of minor characters (and takashi’s adopted parents ofc, but that’s different). so, yeah, i cant really think of one (although i think the big fandom fave ship of takashi and his worst enemy is rlly.. nope, and i dont know what’s going on there? takashi and tanama however, that would make sense, tho it is not unlikely so i cant answer this question with them)

overall, which show has the better storyline, 3 or 5? (b99 or longmire) b99! cos ya know my annoyances with some of the stuff happening later on in longmire lol, b99 just got better n better as it went along, and it’s still going :’)

which has the better theme music, 2 or 4? (leverage or blackspot) blackspot has a real good eerie atmospheric theme which is gr8 and i love it <3 (leverage’s tune is like, elevator music/cheesy jazzy spy tune, which does suit it tho lol)

and idk, anyone bored and stuck at home who wants to do this? no pressure if ur like nah but if u wanna go ahead.... @creepy-friend-of-darkness @anna-wa @rhinky-thingz @rexbasileus @aeolian-harp @warrenkoles @softbrobarnes @damnitttana @cluelesswolf @moondoggiestyle @blloodorangeisthenewblack @my-nail-beds-suck @frankiecolours @savvylikeyeahhh @lake-effectkidx @justhugharry @casualmisandry @j4ya @galaxygalpals @thesecondwarm @dealwright @knipperdollin @curlycombover @kaspbrakeddie (and if i didnt tag u and u still wanna do this, consider yeself tagged)

#littlepetbee #long post #littlepetlouis #thank u for tagging me in these <333 sorry im rarely here to do them but i appreciate em and try to keep track when im on #heather watches things #also this was a fun thing to think about bc urgh i am so tired of same old shit day in and out these days oof #natsume #k now im real emosh about natsume ahh #leverage #also come scream at me if u watch any of these ahh #longmire #askables #black spot #b99

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jayalaw · 4 years

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Brooklyn Nine Nine: The Heist Aftermath (Spoilers)

@ashleybenlove

It was normal for Jake to be late. The 99 knew that. He had gotten better about it, however, after marrying Amy. That was why what she said surprised them.

"Jake's not coming in today," Amy said, using the same voice she did when having to tell Holt that a murder suspect had lawyered up and gotten away without confessing. "He had to go to the hospital."

"What?" Boyle stood up. "Did he get injured? Is he sick? I'll donate my kidneys if he needs them."

"He's sick," Amy said. "But no, he doesn't need a kidney."

"We can donate fingers," Rosa said. "Or any limbs. I know a guy."

"Okay, that's creepy and he doesn't need fingers." Amy walked towards her desk.

"Which hospital is it?" Scully asked. "I can recommend twenty to thirty doctors at the Brooklyn University Center. They love writing papers about me."

"He's at Interfaith Medical." Amy plastered a smile on her face. "He won't be ready for visitors for a while. He's sick but doesn't have a life-threatening injury."

"Jake never ready for visitors?" Holt's office door was open. "Peralta in my experience always craves attention and people."

Amy's lips fluttered; the 99 knew that was a sign for her swallowing a swear word. That and Holt coming out of his office for something this trivial.

"With all due respect, sir, I can't disclose that," she said.

"Oh my God." Holt's voice dropped. "Santiago. In my office."

Amy followed, eyes wide. She walked in, and Holt shut the door behind him. Then, reaching his desk, he pressed a button on his computer. Loud country music played.

"Brad Paisley?" Amy asked.

"He is quite muffling." Holy sat down. "Peralta had a breakdown, didn't he?"

"Dammit!" Amy exclaimed. "Sorry, sir, how did you-?"

"Please sit." The captain gestured. "Word will get around in the office, but I need to know how to cover for him."

Amy sat.

"Jake never misses work and he would arrive even with a broken bone," Holt said. "He doesn't need surgery because you said his injury wasn't life-threatening but he is sick enough to go to the hospital. If he had an illness like mumps then he would be stir-crazy, and I know that from my experience. So the process of elimination said it was a mental health issue."

She wanted to bury her face in her hands. Holt leaned forward, as if he wanted to comfort her.

"You need to tell me everything."

Amy wanted to say it started with little things. Jake started making copies of grocery lists, double-checking them, and insisting on going alone. He said he wanted to ensure they had a well-stocked fridge.

It had all seemed great. Normally Jake considered a box of muffins equivalent to groceries for the week. Amy always made triple-copies of grocery lists and had an app for coupons. Things were getting weird, however, when he started locking up case files and wore the key around his neck. Sometimes Amy caught him staring at her out of the corner of his eye, and not with his usual devotion.

Then he stopped talking to her about cases unless they were working on it together. He would ask about how she was feeling with the baby but never disclosing his thoughts on the latest game. Sometimes he'd pick up Sudoku and blackout the answers with a Sharpie. One time Amy even noticed he had bought a temporary burner phone. She was worried he had been asked to go undercover again.

"I can't confirm or deny," he'd say.

"Jake, you're not a lawyer," Amy replied. "This is really freaking me out. You're not this organized. Please tell me you're not being forced back into the mob."

"No, nothing like that. I just don't want to be vulnerable in time for the next heist," he'd say, in a joking tone. "After all, you did hire someone to be my therapist just when I was making progress with my life."

That had ended the conversation for the night. Amy had tried to justify her trick as a means to an end. But she noticed how the circles grew under Jake's eyes, heard him shuffling to the couch rather than sleeping next to her. When they had sex, he was much quieter. No talking about Die Hard or playing ping pong. He would get her pillows and tea to support her morning sickness.

Then one day, Jake took a Saturday off. Normally he went into the 99 looking for a case. Amy knew he wasn't there, though; he left her a note saying he scheduled a doctor's appointment, but writing five different hospitals on various Post-Its. All were covered by their work insurance.

Jake had actually read their health insurance plan through and through. That's when Amy realized something was wrong. Jake pretended he never got sick or needed to go to the dentist. She did a little detective work, only to find that she couldn't find Jake's phone or computer. Later, she'd find out he put them in a safety deposit box. The key was mailed to Boyle, who guarded it with his life.

By the time she figured out which hospital it was, Jake had committed himself. He said he didn't want to see his wife, the nurses reported to a stricken Amy, and he had gotten the histories of all the psych doctors to ensure none of them were actresses. Amy had to speak with the doctor, who explained Jake had developed a dysfunctional paranoia. It was likely a sign of PTSD. He was also cross-examining the doctors as they prescribed pills and talked to him.

She spent all night in the hospital waiting room, desiring an answer. That was awful. So was having to answer questions about her husband's medical history and any potential allergies. The worst part, however, was remembering how much she had paid that actress. That money could have been spent for a better cause.

"I'm taking as many gifts to Jake as possible." Boyle showed off the basket. "Who doesn't love blue cheese and rock crackers?"

"Everyone," Amy said. "You need to check with the doctors to make sure he can receive all of that. Until he's not a danger to himself."

They were in the evidence room. They were working the night shift. Amy didn't want to go to her apartment alone.

"Well, a bit of paranoia never killed anyone." Boyle gave a chuckle. "Eleanor would always threaten that if I got remarried she would stalk me and ensure I would never find happiness. But I'm still here!"

"That's not reassuring." Nevertheless, Amy stroked the bow on the gift basket. "I'll be sure to drop it off for him."

"You know if you drop it off, Jake will give it to the orderlies and members in group."

"I'll tell him it's from you." Amy undid the bow. "Just need to take the chocolate because that I need."

"I don't think Jake trusts you anymore," Boyle said bluntly. "He doesn't trust anyone in the 99 except for me."

He fixed the bow in the gift basket. It crinkled under his fingertips.

"Did you have to say that?" Amy said.

"I'm his friend, Amy. I have to defend him. The therapist prank was not cool."

"Do you think I don't feel guilty about this?" Amy asked. "You think I want to see my brilliant husband locked in a room where they only give him meds that wipe out his brain and one crossword at a time? He's a Sudoku expert!"

"Jake actually is more of a Kwazy Krush guy," Boyle corrected her. "He just can't play it because they don't allow cell phones or laptops in the psych ward."

"That's not the point." Amy took a deep breath. "I'm sorry. It's always been heist stuff. I know I went too far. But how can I get him to trust me again?"

"Show him that you're worth trusting," Boyle said. "And wait for him to recover. Ultimately, I know you're sorry, but does he know? Can he trust his mind when it tells you that you won't betray him again?"

Amy had no answer. Jake had stopped trusting her. He stopped trusting himself. And it was her fault.

Life went on at the precinct. The detectives solved cases. Perps tried to break out. Holt interviewed potential assistants and screened them for spies.

It wasn't the same, though. Holt pulled all his strings to make sure no one outside the 99 knew about Jake's breakdown. Everyone tried to visit him, but he was curt with most of them except for Boyle. Jake's tone changed as a cop interrogating a suspect, not a man among his friends. Rosa offered to smuggle him a knife and Jake told her bluntly why that would be a bad idea. Terry brought drawings from the girls. Jake took them and asked casually if Cagney and Lacey knew that Terry had faked an explosion to win the heist. Hitchcock was banned from the hospital after he sneaked into the ladies' bathroom, and Scully got distracted ball the new doctors he could befriend.

Holt sent Kevin, stuffing him full of Nick Cage quotes. It was a peace offering. Jake talked to Kevin about Greek literature -- he even received some books from the man-- but treated Holt the way he treated tuxedos. There was formality tinged with distrust. Holt was wary as well, perhaps feeling guilt over how off-the-rails things went.

Jake was still not talking to Amy, apart to ask how she was feeling with the baby. Amy wondered if the nausea was from morning sickness or the stress. She started seeing a counselor at the hospital, to try and process her feelings.

He wasn't opening himself up to anyone. Even Boyle mentioned he was out of his depth. Being a best friend and former wedding organizer did not prepare him, but he tried his best. Jake was paranoid that every single action was for the next heist or deception. His doctors weren't allowed to talk therapy sessions or medications with Amy. There was no way she could advocate for him. Jake had given himself to the medical system. And they knew the 99 was partly to blame.

Everyone was waiting. It wasn't like when he was undercover, and they only had to worry about his life. He was a few blocks away, fighting with something they couldn't see.

Finally, their captain called a meeting. They gathered in the conference room.

"The good news is that Jake should be back to work in a week," Holt said.

A cheer went around. Amy already knew, but the precinct had largely not been talking about it. Jake had finally talked to her when as an apology gift she smuggled in John McClane's favorite choice of alcohol. He wasn't allowed to drink with the meds, but it was the first time he had laughed during her visits. He still had to see the therapists at the hospital as a regular patient, however, and they recommended the two see a marriage counselor, whom they could verify was not an actor. Jake was still filling prescriptions for Klonopin so he could sleep. Amy knew they were addictive but she didn't want them to lie awake at night together.

"He's taking desk work, at his request. Boyle and Jeffords will be supervising him to make sure all is well."

"I can't wait for the guy to store food in his desk to rot," Rosa said.

"I'm practicing for when Jake will leap into my arms," Terry said.

"Now for the bad news; we are suspending the Halloween Heist indefinitely," Holt announced.

"WHAT?!" the detectives said.

"You heard me." Holt leaned forward. "Until further notice, we will spend Halloween the way we have before, with no competition and lots of paperwork on the busiest night of the year."

"But it's tradition!" Rosa said.

"You don't even know if the heist caused Jake's illness!" Amy protested.

"Where else will we prove ourselves?" Hitchcock asked.

"Aww, I wanted to show Jake I would always be by his side!" Boyle said.

"I think you're finally showing sense, Sir."

That brought all the protests to a halt. The silence in the room was deafening. Only Terry looked relieved if a little guilty.

"Who said that?" Holt asked.

"I'm Officer Gusman," the woman in the back said. "Been a uniformed police officer for a few years."

"Who are you?" Rosa asked with disgust.

"I've been working with Detective Lohank," Gusman said. "You normally don't see us because we're on the night shift."

"And you think to stop the heist is finally showing sense?" Rosa said, an edge in her voice. "Are you questioning the Captain's authority?"

The woman went pale. Then Detective Lohank stood up.

"Office Gusman and I completely agree," he said. "You've all gone too far with your plans and need to one-up each other."

"We've been watching this heist go on for years," Gusman said. "The rest of us stay out of it because while you are doing your Halloween shenanigans, we are busy trying to do our jobs and be decent human beings. But you can't even make it harmless. We have to dodge your drones, keep from stepping on broken glass, and witness pickpocketing in real-time. You've stolen dogs, for crying out loud!"

Amy went red. She had stolen Holt's dog, despite being deathly allergic. It hadn't been her proudest moment.

"One thing this precinct has taught me is that you are only as good as the people around you," Lohank added. "I've seen you all work as a team. But every time this happens, you all work to tear each other apart. And for what? To be called a 'detective slash genius'?"

He made air quotations.

"Uh-oh, he never does that," Rosa said. "He's serious."

"Sir, you are a great Captain, and I think you could be the greatest," Gusman said. "But your pettiness is infecting the rest of the group and drove one of our best detectives to a nervous breakdown. Yes, we know; we're not stupid."

"It's actually PTSD manifesting," Amy said in a small voice.

"Whatever it is, why do you feel the need to destroy each other on what's supposed to be a night of fun?" Lohan asked. "Someone's going to die for real during a heist and you'll be too concerned about winning to notice. That's not what a detective represents. We are made to serve and protect."

"Detective-" Holt started.

"You don't check yourself into a hospital because you have a problem. Jake checked himself in because he wanted to get better. But why did he need that in the first place?"

"Okay, that will do, Detective," Terry interjected. "You've made your point. No Halloween Heist this year."

"Dismissed," Holt said.

The 99 stood up. Rosa kept sitting. She had won the heist three times that year, and mocked Jake for his innermost secrets.

"Lohank, you surprised me today," she said. "Well done."

"I may not be the best detective, but I'm still a detective," Lohank said. "Jake's a good guy. Do us all a favor and treat him like that. Enjoy the prize."

He walked off. Rosa didn't move. Amy went over to her. Rather, she waddled because her baby fat was showing.

"Jake and I are setting boundaries," she said. "We've agreed no more pranks, and I am not interfering in his mental health plans or therapists. I am not touching any of his medicines or giving him any gifts with tasers in them. And I've color-coded notes to help with reminders and showing he can trust me. I think we may actually recover."

"Sounds great," Rosa said sarcastically. "But it won't be the same."

"It won't," Amy admitted. "But we have to try and make something out of it."

She pulled out the book of Sudoku. Jake had left it in the apartment, most of his answers blacked out. There were still a few pages he hadn't completed.

Amy would give him the book, and let him do the last pages privately. No sabotages, no need to tell him the answers, just space. And no more pranks related to the stuff inside your head or with Tasers. She could commit to that. If Jake wanted to get better, then she had to make the effort.

#brooklyn nine nine #brooklyn nine nine spoilers

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lesbianfreyja · 5 years

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Wld you mind elaborating on the b99 homophobia thing I’m dense

im kinda wine drunk so i’ll be brief but basically it’s dumb asf that b99 moved to nbc and suddenly theyre finding “joking” ways around gay people kissing…if u were leaving ur s.o.’s work you would kiss! jake and amy get to kiss!! it’s weird and lame that they’re writing AROUND holt/kevin kissing like spouses do….where is raymond “booOoooOnNnEeE” holt…people are like “its funny!” i’m like no its loud….

#ik rosa kissed her gf but it was LITERALLY for less time that jake/holt kissed on fx like get real #nbc be nbc!#anti nbc #b99 #anon #ask

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lovelyirony · 5 years

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your marvel/b99 au is the best thing that has ever happened to me

thank u! it’s weird bc i wanna write more of it, and i usually never do crosswords. i might do one of captain holt and kevin going on a double date!

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joysmercer · 5 years

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Read you b99 review. Meta is an interesting one + I agree I wouldn't want much more of it (B99 has never really done it). The kiss one I was fine with. Firstly because it made me laugh a lot and I think the moment worked fine for the characters even if someone didn't know the context. But beyond that I enjoyed the fact that the joke partly stated that Dan Goor isn't just going to do what we want cos we demand it. He may even tease us with our demands. (1/2)

That is encouraging. Also I remember they have their own behind-the-scenes jokes too like the one about Dan always writing tender kisses cos of an inside joke with Melissa/Andy. I imagine the fandom obsession with kisses became a bit of a joke on set so it was something that authentically made them laugh to write rather than just being there for us. Luckily there aren’t too many B99 fandom demands for them to respond too. I imagine the kiss joke thing has run its course now (2/2)

I agree that the kiss scene was pretty funny, and it did make me laugh when I saw it – what I wrote in my Final Thoughts post was not intended to be a criticism of that particular joke at all!! I was just voicing some worries I have about what its success means for future writing.

I do disagree with a few points you made, though. I’ll put it under the cut again so it doesn’t clutter up people’s dashes.

To be honest, I don’t think that moment was in-character at all. Yes, Jake and Amy are pretty affectionate with each other, but they would never openly kiss (in fact, they rarely show any PDA at all) at work, especially in front of Holt and during an important discussion.

For people not in the fandom/active on twitter/etc, chances are that they didn’t even notice the fact that there haven’t been any kisses (the people I spoke to didn’t, at least), and so the whole moment would have just seemed a tad bit weird, although still funny (mostly due to Boyle’s reaction).

Now, all that being said, it’s not too big a deal that the moment was ooc, but it was a bit strange lol

“I enjoyed the fact that the joke partly stated that Dan Goor isn’t just going to do what we want cos we demand it. He may even tease us with our demands.”

The whole point of my worrying is that I don’t want him to “tease” us for things we ask for, or just “do what we want because we demand it.” Good writing means that yes, they look at what the fans want (because it’s us who they’re writing for, after all), and include those things into the story if it’s realistic, and they don’t make a big show out of it (ie. they don’t do what they did here) when it does come up.

In this case, the Kiss Thing was mostly like a funny demand we were making, and I honestly don’t think people would have actually thrown a fit if we didn’t get anything at all, y’know? So this particular scene isn’t making me too worried – but it does have repercussions for future things that come up.

There are some demands that, I think, the show absolutely needs to address – Jake is bi, giving Jocelyn and Rosa more scenes/development, Holt/Kevin showing more affection than, like, a handshake, etc. And the only reason I think that is because these are things that are realistic for the characters, and not addressing them at this point would be bad writing (+ a whole host of other problems).

Thanks for the ask, anon, and sorry I went a little trigger-happy with the italicizing lol

#brooklyn nine nine #b99 spoilers #6x17 #6x18 #asks #anon #yikes the formatting got messed up on mobile sorry guys #b99disc #cw discourse #myposts

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startofamoment · 7 years

Text

B99 Hiatus Writing Challenge

In the immortal words of Captain Raymond Jacob Holt, “EVERYTHING IS GARBAGE.” – The finale left our favorite squad in pain, we have to wait months for new content, and Dianetti still isn’t canon.

Even Terry knows what we need most in these trying times: fanfiction.

Under the cut is a list of 30 prompts/summaries put together with a ton of help from @stardustsantiago, @peraltiagoisland, @scullysthumbtacks, @three-drink-amy, and @dogworldchampion. Feel free to run away with any (or many) of these plot bunnies!! Let’s make this hiatus as gr99 as possible. ★

1. He’s still chuckling at her screaming sheep prank as he walks out of the break room. He’s four paces away when he turns back, ready to stick his tongue out at her and yell one last comeback. Except that’s when he sees it: the Double Tuck.

2. An emergency at the precinct calls Raymond away from home, leaving Kevin alone to babysit little Marcus for the rest of the day. Everything’s all well and good until pre-nap story time, when Kevin realizes he’s never met another child so emotional over Humpty Dumpty falling off a wall. He manages to calm little Marcus down by suggesting they make french toast with bacon smiles for dinner, but the child ends up sobbing at the sight of the refrigerator. (Alternatively: 4-year-old Marcus bonds with his Uncle Ray-Ray’s boyfriend.)

3. “GET THAT LITTLE DEMON AWAY FROM ME.” “Jake, he’s just a baby. Also, weren’t you the one who rented this fur ball for the night?” “I DIDN’T REALIZE I WAS PAYING FOR SHERE KHAN JUNIOR.”

The relief team takes over. Jake and Amy don’t catch the bad guys. The night still ends up on their good dates list.

4. Five hours. No texts or calls or selfies or anything from him for five hours. Amy should have realized it sooner. She should have believed he was being sabotaged. She shouldn’t have driven off after he said, “See you never.”

5. “Which bird is that?” “It’s the shut the hell up or leave me alone bird.” “Is that its Latin name?”

Rosa Diaz is a graduate student at Cornell looking into going on sabbatical to study birds at the University of Buenos Aires. She’s pretty set in her plans, until she meets novice bird watcher Gina Linetti.

6. Jake is a disgruntled bookshop worker, just trying to save up to pay off his crushing debt. His life is a monotonous cycle of shipment unpacking, shelf restocking, and cashier manning until Amy comes in with a rare old book request, and they spend an entire afternoon searching the store for it. (Truthfully, he knows exactly where to find it, but he maybe doesn’t want his time with her to end.)

7. “Hey, it’s me. Please open the door... Come on, let’s talk. I’m sorry.” “Can I help you?” “Oh, no, you’re not Amy.”

After the most disastrous double date in history, Jake knocks on Amy’s door instead of Sophia’s.

8. Jake Peralta is one of the best wedding planners in Brooklyn. He can handle any wedding with his usual pizzazz and charm. Except for Amy Santiago’s.

9. “All aboard the Terryliner. Next stop, Holtsovania.” “Wait! Can we drop by the farmers market first?”

A perp Charles has been chasing for months surfaces out of the blue. Nikolaj is left at the precinct, and the rest of the squad take turns watching him.

10. He’d hated this song since his bar mitzvah ages ago, but suddenly, he couldn’t bring himself to keep hating it. Not when Amy’s hand was clasped in his. Not when she was close enough for him to see the lighter flecks in her eyes. Not when her smile had him falling deeper and deeper in love.

11. “Geez, Santiago, you didn’t have to pay $950 just for a second date with me! I didn’t realize you were so bummed our date last month was cut short by that case.”

The NYPD Men’s Charity Date Auction is coming up, and it’s Jake’s first time participating in the event. He’s been boasting about how excited he is to get free dinner and help out the local children’s hospital, but truthfully he’s scared out of his mind. (Rumor has it that the crazy 2nd floor receptionist from the Seven-Three was gonna drop at least $500 for a night with him.) He’s as stunned as the entire audience when Amy pulls through with a winning bid at the very last second.

12. Gina Linetti is stuck as assistant manager at the worst sunglass kiosk this side of Brooklyn. Her life changes when Rosa Diaz walks up and demands the darkest and shadiest pair they've got.

13. “Are you hearing that? What the hell is that noise?” “Do you mean all that thumping, yelling, and plates crashing?” “That plus the endless loop of Beyonce songs.” “Yeah, that’s Rosa and Gina having sex.” “WHAT? EW.” “Oh my god. Am I neighbors with a homophobe?”

Apartment neighbors Jake and Amy bond over the loud, crazy people on their floor.

14. I made a deal to save your life, and we can never be with each other ever again or else the person I made the deal with is going to kill one of us and make the other watch... I’m so sorry, it was the only way.

15. “So if I transferred anywhere else, you wouldn’t care at all?” “No, of course not. Do whatever you want, you know, it’s your life.”

He should have said something. Because now she’s gone to work for the Special Victims Unit, and he’s pretty sure she took a part of his soul with her.

16. Amy Santiago is about to have a traditional summer with her family, including her close friend Rosa, at Kellerman’s, a summer lodge she goes to every year. But then, she meets Jake Peralta, a talented dance instructor from the wrong side of the tracks. Will she have the time of her life? (Dirty Dancing!AU)

17. “Peralta, I swear to god, if you get blue soda in my car, I’ll kill you.” “Okay, but can I still eat my pocket donut, though?”

Jake and Amy go on a road trip, minus the complicated relationships but still with the poorly disguised feelings.

18. Midnight motorcycle races weren’t exactly Gina’s style, but the girl in the black leather jacket riding the supercharged R1 has her intrigued. She’s even more impressed when this rider turns up as a classical ballerina in their local dance competition.

19. “Ugh, Dad, The Enigma won’t leave me alone! Today she followed me around the entire playground.” “Now, Nikolaj, be nice to your cousin. She just loves you so much!”

20. We’re partners for an essay project in History of Magic, and we need to get a book from the restricted section, but I’m not sure how the books are organized in this section, and you won’t stop trying to find weird sex books, like, no I don’t think they keep the wizard’s kama sutra in the restricted section, what is wrong with you? (Hogwarts!AU)

21. “Remember when you got arrested and had to go to jail for three months?” “Yeah, good times.”

The squad and their kids get together for a barbeque, now that they’re all happy.

22. Lieutenant Melanie Hawkins is the best cop in the NYPD for a reason. As they’re being transferred to Rikers, Jake and Rosa find out they’re actually being sent to further infiltrate a notorious drug cartel. And thus begins one of the biggest, most dangerous undercover operations in history.

23. “Detective David Majors is already on this case. I need someone to partner up with him.” “Sir, with all due respect, I’m the obvious choice. I mean, look at me.” “I’m not sure you’re right for this, Peralta. The marshal says the detectives have to go undercover as a couple, and I’m not sure the group to be infiltrated is quite so progressive… I think I’ll send in Santiago.”

Amy gets assigned to date Blotter Dynamite Dave Majors for an indefinite amount of time. Jake considers ruining the operation in the name of love. (Fake Dating!AU - except not with Jake)

24. She’s pale yet covered in bruises, and her movements are slower and more guarded. There’s nothing he wants to do more than just hold her, but from behind the glass separating the two of them, all he can do is ask, “What happened?” (Alternatively: Amy gets injured in the field while Jake is in jail.)

25. “Sir, how did you and Kevin get engaged?” “I don’t think this is much of a proposal story, Jacob. We heard gay marriage had been legalized and then headed straight for City Hall.”

It’s only half an hour into this stakeout, but to Jake it feels like it’s been an eternity. There’s a ring box burning a hole in his pocket, and a jumbled mess of ideas in his head. He knows Amy wouldn’t want him turning to anyone for approval, but the longer they sit in this car, the more inclined he is to ask Holt for advice.

26. I am Head Girl, and I’ve been asked to give a presentation on safe sexual practices, and you will not stop asking me uncomfortable questions to embarrass me. Please stop, I know you know the answer to that, we did it last night. (Hogwarts!AU)

27. “What the hell, Gina! I thought this was supposed to be a Hip Hop class?” “Rosa, Rosa, Rosa. Did you seriously think I wanted a Step Up-esque number for the first dance out our wedding?” “Uhm. Yes?”

Gina tricks Rosa into taking a couples ballroom dance class with her.

28. A tragic car crash kills Terry and Sharon, leaving their baby daughter Ava to their mutual friends Jake and Amy, who don’t get along at all. (Life As We Know It!AU)

29. Jake and Amy manage to keep their relationship a secret, but that means Dozerman stays captain of the precinct.

30. “Just you and me, and Baby makes three.”

There’s a binder full of color coded information on the shelf, and a Die Hard-themed onesie in the dresser. Jake and Amy’s baby is on the way.

#b99 hiatus writing challenge #b99 #brooklyn nine nine #peraltiago #dianetti #b99 writing prompts #my stuff

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