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yan-senna · 3 years

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The Keeper of the Diamond 3 (Severus Snape x reader, Lucius Malfoy x reader & Negan x reader)

By yan-senna

Other links to the story: Wattpad / AO3

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Chapter 10

TW: Mentions of kidnapping and zombies

Lucius and Y/N are currently in Rick’s house, sitting at the dinner table with Rick, Michonne, Carl, Judith and Father Gabriel. They are all having a conversation about their dimensions. “Do people believe in God where you are from?” Father Gabriel asks them, curious.

Lucius shrugs. “Some may do, that is however not the most important thing in the Wizarding World. Where I am from, we care more about your blood status. You know, whether you are a Pureblood like me, a Half-Blood like my friend, Severus, a Muggleborn or a Muggle like all of you” he states.

Rick and the others look at Lucius with disgust. Is that really important? He seems like a status-obsessed snob.

Y/N shrugs, too. “Well, where I’m from, it’s really different from person to person. Sometimes it also depends on which country you are from. Some are more religious than others” she explains.

Father Gabriel nods. It seems that their dimension has lots of things in common with hers. Except for the walkers, of course.

There’s suddenly a noise, like a ringtone, coming from Y/N’s shoulder bag. She then takes out her phone which Tecna from Winx Club upgraded a few months ago.

Stella has sent her a message. “Hey, Y/N. We all hope that you, Laura and Vera are good. We miss you girls. We have only had one shopping trip so far! We need to change that. Anyway, we have heard that you are currently on a mission. We want to wish you good luck! PS: Could you knock some sense into Valtor? We have to attend a party at Alfea and he refuses to buy a new and BETTER outfit! Can you believe him?! That man has no fashion sense!”.

Y/N chuckles at Stella’s message. Maybe someday Stella will give up on trying to make Valtor wear something to her taste. She will never stop, of course. Poor Valtor.

Carl looks at her in shock. “Does your phone work?” he suddenly asks.

Y/N looks at him as she smiles. “Yeah, it only works because somebody from another dimension upgraded it. It works in any dimension thanks to her” she says. Carl’s eyes widen. Cool!

Meanwhile, Lucius looks at the weird Muggle device. “What is that? You called it… a phone?” he questions her curiously. Everybody, except for Y/N, looks at him like he’s crazy. Has that guy never seen a phone before?

“Yeah, it’s called a phone. It’s a Muggle device that lets you send messages to people. It’s kind of when you send letters via owls, only this is instant. They will only go through if there is a connection or something called the internet, though. Oh, and you can also call people. You can talk to them via the phone. You can even take pictures and play games on the phone as well as listen to music on it” Y/N tells Lucius who looks absolutely shocked yet intrigued.

Interesting. Maybe Muggles aren’t that stupid after all. He might need to get his hands on one of those phones. He bets that Arthur Weasley doesn’t have one. At least not one that works.

Suddenly, Aaron and another man burst open the door and run into the dining room. “We have a problem. Daryl and those two girls are gone! We think that the Saviors took them” Aaron says, panicked.

Y/N can’t help but gasp. The Saviors have Laura and Vera?

“What do we do now? We have to save them” Michonne states.

Rick nods at that. “Yeah, we do. Now we are three people less to help, however. We will have to save them immediately. I just know that they are going to hurt Daryl” he says, frustrated yet worried.

Y/N is in deep thought. “Maybe Lucius and I can sneak in and save them all? Then we can come back here and organise the attack” she suggests.

Rick thinks about it for a while. “Okay, that might work. You will need to be careful, though. They have walkers outside the building to alarm them of unwanted visitors. Here, take this walkie talkie. That way you can communicate with us in case anything goes wrong” he says as he hands them the device. Y/N nods and takes it.

“We will leave now” Lucius states as he rises from his chair. Y/N does as well. Everybody nods at them.

“Good luck, be careful” Carl says. Y/N and Lucius then leave the gates of Alexandria.

As Y/N is about to walk, Lucius stops her by gently putting a hand on her shoulder. “I was thinking we would have to disguise ourselves since we have to sneak in. How about we pay Cissy a visit?” he suggests.

Y/N looks at him, confused. He laughs at that. “Trust me. Now, come on” he says. They then apparate to Malfoy Manor.

As they walk towards the Manor, Y/N shivers. She can’t help but think about the last time she was here.

Lucius senses her concern. He looks at her sympathetically. “I am truly sorry if this brings any horrible memories back, Y/N. We were actually thinking about inviting you and Severus here at some point, but I suppose that is not a good idea” he says, regretting a bit that he took her here.

Y/N gives him a sad smile. “No, it’s okay, Lucius. I will be fine. And I would love to come here with Severus” she shyly says.

He nods while giving a smile. “I see, I am glad to hear that. Cissy will be, too. Oh, she is going to be so happy when she sees you. You call him by his first name, by the way?” he questions, referring to Snape.

Y/N blushes. “Yeah, I do. We have agreed that I can only do that when we are alone, though. I wasn’t thinking before” she admits.

Lucius chuckles at that. Severus is usually not too keen on people calling him by his first name, unless they are Lucius, Narcissa or his colleagues. Even Draco, who is his godson, cannot call him by his first name in case he accidentally says it when they are at Hogwarts.

Y/N really is an exception for a lot of things, Lucius has noticed.

When they enter the living room, they are met by Narcissa reading a magazine while sitting on a chair.

She spots Lucius and immediately rises from her chair, putting down the magazine. “Lucius, you are home! Are you already done with the mission?” she asks, surprised.

She then spots Y/N, too. “Y/N? You are here, too? Oh, what a lovely surprise!” Narcissa exclaims as she runs to Y/N, giving her a tight, motherly hug.

Y/N hugs her back immediately. “Hi, Narcissa. I missed you so much!” she says while smiling.

Narcissa smiles, too. “I missed you too, sweetheart. What are you two doing here?” she questions, sounding happy.

Lucius clears his throat. “We are still on the mission to save Severus. We will need two Death Eater robes as well as the masks. We will have to sneak in, but we need to be disguised” Lucius explains.

Y/N widens her eyes. She will have to dress up as a Death Eater? She won’t admit it out loud, but she thinks that’s pretty cool. She has always wondered how she would look in a Death Eater costume.

Narcissa nods. “I will get them now. Oh, we have a present for you, by the way. We know that it was your birthday a few months ago” she says while looking at Y/N.

She then hands her a gift. It’s wrapped in green and silver coloured wrapping.

Y/N looks amazed. “You really didn’t have to get me anything” she says, quite shy.

Lucius and Narcissa smile at her. “Nonsense, of course we did. We are sorry that we could not attend the party, though. Anyway, open it. Go ahead” Lucius gently says.

Y/N nods and gently and slowly opens up her present. It’s a silver necklace with a black diamond stone. “Wow. It’s beautiful. Thank you so much, both of you” she says while admiring her present. It must have cost a fortune.

Lucius then gently takes the necklace and puts it around her neck. “There you go. It suits you” he says. Y/N blushes but smiles at them, shyly.

Narcissa then comes with two Death Eater robes and masks. “Here you go. Save Severus, and please be careful” she says with worry in her voice.

Lucius smiles at her. “Do not worry, Cissy. We will get Severus immediately and come back home to celebrate” he reassures her.

They then put on the Death Eater robes. Lucius has to help Y/N as she struggles a bit. She blushes but gives him a shy and grateful smile.

When they are both dressed in their robes, they wave Narcissa goodbye and leave the Manor. When they are outside the gate, they apparate back to the The Walking Dead dimension close to the Sanctuary. It’s time to save some people.

#harry potter #the walking dead #twd #fanfiction #the keeper of the diamond #negan #severus snape #lucius malfoy #negan x reader #severus snape x reader #lucius malfoy x reader #reader #crossover

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stonecoldjerseyfox · 4 years

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Jersey on my mind (part 30)

“It’s gonna be a great day.”

Daryl turns his head from the robin, sitting on the ridge of a roof, further away and that he’s been fixing his gaze on for the past half an hour and observes Rick. His friend lets down his shoulders and relaxes his spine, takes a deep breath and lets himself take in the silent calmness of the morning surrounding them. He’s right. It’s gonna be a beautiful day.

The breeze hasn’t even bothered to wake up today. It’s the two of them, the robin, who sings his morning song, to announce that a new day has begun, and the walkers.

“Yeah.”

“Gotta continue working on the wall.” Rick proclaims, as if to create a to-do list in his head of today’s chores. “Check blueprints, find materials. Gotta go on a run.”

“Great.” Daryl replies and nods at Rick. He’ll get to go, he knows it, and he doesn’t mind. As if he were a tame fox, who no matter how domestic it may seem, constantly needs a certain degree of freedom and nature. But he doesn’t mind returning back here either. Not anymore. “I’ll go.” He continues. “Just tell me whatcha’ need.”

“Yep.” Rick takes another deep breath. “What a day.”

His sudden discovery of nature, the surroundings and an overbearing serenity hasn’t sprung from nothing. He watched by Carl’s side for days. Didn’t sleep, didn’t eat properly, not until Carl sat up in bed and ate himself. The eye was completely destroyed and had to be removed. Thanks to Denise, Rosita, Tara and Mila, who, thanks to her previous profession as a dental nurse, knew how to sterilize scalpels and tools, as well as use sedatives and anesthetics. Thanks to their care, Carl got better, as did Rick.

“What time is it?” Rick says. “Seven, or eight?”

“Prolly.” Daryl looks at the sun. He watched it rise, heard the birds wake up. Rick joined him shortly after. “Early.”

“Ya’ wanna go back to the house?” Rick asks. “Get some rest?”

“Nah.”

Rick fixates him with his gaze, very ‘nice cop’-like, yet friendly and somewhat cheeky.

“When I first met Lori-” Rick says, then smiles faintly, chuckles. “Boy, I was- Couldn’t eat properly. Couldn’t sleep. Like I went around in a haze and just thought ‘bout her.”

Daryl nods a little, smiles very faintly, but inside of his chest, his heart takes a skip.

Has it been two days, forty-eight hours ago he went downstairs holding hands with Jersey when everyone was eating breakfast at the big table?

After their escapade in the shower, resulting in soaking clothes that had to sundry at the porch roof, they stayed in the bedroom for the entire day. Juri wasn’t in bed when they came out from the bathroom, holding their soaking wet clothes. The smell of breakfast toasts was enough for Mila to understand that Juri was downstairs. Daryl left late in the afternoon, to join a group that has started to create a temporary barricade at the broken wall. Carol brought a late dinner to the working group.

“How strange, I think I saw these particular clothes sunbathing on the porch roof earlier.” She said cheekily and bumped his hip, while he took a bite of a sandwich.

“Shut up.” Daryl scoffed softly.

“Pookie.” Carol grinned and shook her head.

He returned late and when he entered the bedroom again, both Mila and Juri were asleep, spooning each other on the bed surrounded by books, soft toys and cassette tapes. He sat down in the comfortable chair, didn’t feel like waking ‘em up by laying down next to them, where he fell asleep.

Their presence downstairs the morning after that was a silent, visual proclamation that yeah, it was the two of ‘em now’. Or the three of them, including the kid wedged at Mila’s hip in his pajamas, barely awake, but determined to not skip breakfast. Daryl’s heart pounded harder than ever in his chest as they settled on the ground floor, next to each other in front of the entire Atlanta group at the table. Harder than when he stood in the yard as a child and saw the house, his home, burn down to the ground with his mother in it. But it was different. As if his chest was flooded with a warm, deep sense of pride, a sense of belonging. The group hadn’t, thankfully, made a big scene of the silent announcement, which was as big of a deal to him as if he’d announced he’d become the president of the whole damn united states of whatever. It was clear to him, when they sat down at the table, set with pancakes and toast, that the others had already put two and two together. Was it Carol who blabbed, or was it by any chance Rick? Anyway they took it without any fuss. Thankfully. He’d never pull through such a questioning.

But Rick’s right, to some extent. He’s been in a constant haze for awhile now. He can’t put his finger on when the haze was inevitable, must’ve been during their walk to the gas station, but might just as well be earlier. She had a special impact on him from the start. Those blue, piercing eyes looking at him over the barrel of the gun after they’d saved him and Aaron. He can’t get enough of ‘em.

“Guess ya’ right.” He therefore says. Why would he lie? Apparently they’re the talk of the town now anyway. Jeez. As if the townies don’t have else to talk about?

“That hurricane of- I dunno, feelings. They’re good. Validation that everything’s just- perfect.” Rick says and by doing so, puts his finger on something Daryl have felt some kind of guilt for, not always, fuck no.

But it’s a feeling he struggles with from time to time, if just for a second or a minute. He’s not good for her, or more correctly; not good enough. But that feeling’s swept away as soon as he notices her looking at him. The blue eyes smiling at him, as a lagoon of homeliness and deep affection.

“Never done this before.” Daryl says husky.

“No one has.” Rick replies while looking at the robin. “There’s a first for everyone. Ya’ just- gets a hang of your own mind. The rest goes by itself.” He makes a movement, and gets up from the boards. “I’ll go get some water.” He announces.

Rick climbs down the ladder and Daryl looks after him as he strides over to the store. He smiles faintly to himself, lets his experienced gaze wander slow and steady over the closest surroundings at the other side of the makeshift wall. A few walkers have miraculously managed to remain on the site since they made a raid and eliminated most, after the great battle. One of them seems to have ended up in a loop; over and over again it crashes into the hood of an abandoned pickup, whose tires have almost grown stuck in the asphalt, which has been taken over, slow and steady, by mother nature.

A soft tapping on wood gets his attention. He turns his head, and happens to see something at the lower end of the ladder.

“Mornin’.” He greets Juri, who’s small, soft hands squeezes the second step of the hard, wooden ladder. “Wanna come up, kiddo?”

Without hesitating, Juri climbs the tall ladder, with the walkman in his pocket and the headphones around his neck. The big blue eyes are determined, curious. Almost at the top of the ladder, Daryl grabs the boy by his armpits and lifts him up to the platform. The three and a half year old is an early riser and has managed to dress himself this morning too, except the shoes that Juri wiggles in front of Daryl, to tie for him.

“Ya’ gotta learn to do this on ye’re own someday, kiddo.” Daryl says and ties the tiny Chuck Taylors.

A small index finger is pointed right at him. Juri looks at him with a clever grin, as to say: ‘Well, until then, you’re doing it for me’. Yeah, that’s probably true. Daryl lets out a faint chuckle. Being bossed around by a kid is something new.

“Ya’ mom’s asleep?”

Juri nods. Daryl smiles. Before he left the night before to join Abraham at the watchtower he checked in on Mila and Juri. Juri was tucked in for bed and Mila had curled up next to him, supported by at least four pillows, with two books about bunnies in her lap; The Velveteen Rabbit and The Naughty Bunny.

“See ya’ in the mornin’.” Daryl said, stroking Mila’s hair. “Night, kiddo.”

The smile he received from Juri, all wrapped up under the covers with his soft toys was priceless and also followed by a thrown, open-palm kiss.

Juri settles down next to him on the platform. He’s dressed in a pair of rust colored dungarees with a black jumper underneath. On top he wears a flannel to shield himself from the still awakening sunlight, looking very proper. The blonde hair looks half combed, as if he got tired with trying and decided to leave it be. He fiddles on the walkman, while peering out over the wall with squinting eyes.

“Ya’ had breakfast?” Daryl asks.

Juri doesn’t answer, obviously, but he puts his hand in the front chest pocket of the dungarees and pulls something from it. A pack of two Reese’s cups. Daryl grins.

“Ya’ mom won’t like that.” He says, but gets an authoritarian index finger in front of the mouth, followed by a ‘shhh’ from the boy; ‘I won’t tell if you don’t tell’. “Go ahead, kiddo.” Daryl therefore says.

He watches as Juri peels the packaging open and takes out a peanut butter cup and hands it to him. They eat the chocolate-peanutty-goodies under silence. He’s amazed at the little boy, who seems to have the intellect and the ability to think like a child who is twice as old. Mila hasn’t coddled him, except smothered him with infinite amounts of motherly love, no doubt ‘bout that, but he can dress himself, make decisions on his own. He’s curious rather than scared and calculating rather than impulsive. He likes to collect stones, feathers and sticks, picks flowers, investigates bugs and likes to draw and listen to music while jumping on the bed or running around in the streets. And Daryl adores him. He’s a great kid.

“Whatcha’ listen to?” Daryl nods at the walkman between the small hands.

Juri removes the headphones from around his neck. He holds them up in his right hand as he pushes the ‘play’-button and turns the small ‘plus’-volume button on the side of the device, increasing the volume, leaking an old rock song.

“Sounds great.”

Juri gesticulates with his hands. It makes him feel both dumb and sad over the fact that he actually can’t understand the kid. Not that it stops Juri from trying, but he can’t understand no matter how many times he repeats his gestures.

“Sorry kiddo.”

The kiddo ain’t let down that easily. He opens the walkman, takes out the tape and shows him. Daryl reads ‘Boston - Boston, 1979’, written in black marker at the thin line on the orange paper label at the black plastic tape.

“Okay, here we go-” Rick appears at the edge of the platform, but pauses and bursts into a wide grin at the sight of Juri. “Hey, little guy.”

Juri waves at Rick as he climbs up and sits down at his left side.

“Here-” Rick hands Daryl the bottled water and then looks at Juri. “You’re up early.”

The blonde boy nods proudly, as to say ‘yup, before my mom’. Daryl unscrews the cap from the plastic bottle and offers it to Juri. He takes it and takes two small sips, before handing it back and continuing to look out over the wall. But soon the little nose begins to search in the air. Daryl and Rick can smell it too; breakfast. Toasts and waffles.

“Ya hungry?” Rick asks Juri. Juri turns and peers up at Daryl, as if he had an answer for it. He then turns back to Rick, and shakes his head. “We’ll be replaced soon. Then we’ll eat.” Rick says, very dad-like. Authoritarian but still nice.

Juri nods and returns to his walkman, puts the headphones over his blonde hair and disappears into his own world of Boston, 1979. Daryl looks down at the toddler sitting between him and Rick, nodding his head to the beat of the music, so carefree and at ease. He looks so much like Mila, except the blonde hair. But his constant cool is something else, a hybrid between Mila and whoever the man who biologically is his father. Mila’s a hothead by blood, with impressive self-control. Like the calmest water which in an instant can blow up into a raging storm. Juri, on the other hand, is calmness personified whatever the situation. Maybe because he relies on Mila entirely. He never has to be scared or worried.

“Now, that’s a sight for sore eyes.”

Daryl’s interrupted in his thoughts. He turns and looks over his left shoulder. Carol is standing on the ground, shielding her eyes from the sun, smiling up at the three of them. Juri waves happily down at her with a proud smile on his lips. He’s with the big boys now.

“Hi, darling.” Carol waves at him before turning her eyes to Daryl. “Ya’ boys hungry?” Juri sniffs in the air and nods. “There’s honey and waffles for you, darling.” Carol smiles at the blonde boy. “What about you two?”

“Sounds great.” Rick says. “We’ll be replaced soon.”

“Great.” Carol replies. “You’ve been up there all night.” She continues. “We’re planning a barbeque tonight. Why don’t you get some venison later?”

I’ll be damn Carol, Daryl thinks to himself with a faint, but thankful smile. More things to do today, except collecting materials for the wall.

“Sure.” He calls back at her.

“I’ll thank you later, when you’re back with some meat.” She replies in a cheeky smile. “I’ll bring you three something to eat before you leave if you’d like?”

“Set up three more plates.” Rick says. “We’re done here soon.”

Carol nods smilingly, turns and starts walking back towards the houses. Daryl and Rick look at each other. Huh, a barbecue.

“Could be fun.” Rick says. “Gotta chop some wood then. You wanna help?” He looks at Juri, who nods eagerly with the headphones around his neck again, excited to help out with grown-up stuff. “Great. We’ll start right away, after we’d had something to eat.”

Juri nods and looks at the two men on each side of him, rubbing his tummy, showing them that now he’s hungry. Especially when there’s waffles. He then gets up on his knees and, without warning, climbs into Daryl’s lap. The small hands start to fiddle with his vest, then with the cord of the headphones. Daryl doesn’t tense, but he becomes instantly aware of his body, as if a baby deer had climbed into his lap; he can’t scare him away. But Juri’s calm and relaxed. In the corner of his eye, Daryl sees Rick smile.

“What?”

“Nothin’.” Rick says and blinks. “Just, everything’s kinda fine, right?”

Daryl turns his gaze from Rick and looks down at Juri, who meets his gaze and smiles sunny, then out over the area on the other side of the safe-zone, contemplating his friend’s words. Yeah, he thinks. Things are actually kinda perfect. Fuckin’ hell, he feels great. Everything’s calm. No breaches and no herd of walkers approaching. There’s a three and a half-year old in his lap that looks at him like- yeah Daryl can’t figure that one out. But he seems happy. And there’s Mila, probably half awake by now, back at the house. Holy shit, he’s got his shit together at last.

“Guess ya’ right.” Daryl replies.

“Yep.” Rick says, also turning his head out over the surroundings. “I’m happy for ya’.” He sighs. “It’ll be fun. Barbecue. Bonfire. The only thing’s missing is a harmonica, or a guitar.” Rick turns his head to look at him. “Ya’ play?”

“What? Guitar?” Daryl shakes his head. “Nah.”

But a faint smile spreads upon Daryl’s lips as an idea forms inside his head, accompanied by the muffled sound from Juri’s headphones, which leaks a guitar solo. Nah, he ain’t playing. But he knows someone who might. Inside his head, he adds another task to his mental to do-list.

Taglist: @lonewolf471 @twdeadfanfic

#jersey on my mind #daryl dixon fanfiction #daryl dixon #daryl dixon fanfic #daryl x oc #daryl fanfiction #twd daryl #twd fanfiction #twd fanfic #twd #the walking dead fanfic #the walking dead fandom #the walking dead fanficition

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meanminyxrd · 4 years

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smokey eyes by lincoln but its andreil

i doubt anyone is going to fully read through this, but i like to song analyze. i like to take songs i find and explain why i’ve added them to my aftg playlists. this first song i’m going to “explain”, i suppose, is smokey eyes by lincoln. it’s added to neil’s playlist.

The first verse is as follows:

Smokey eyes, are you feeling good?

For now, you’re here with me

Seems like we’ve waited long enough

For someone else to make us feel complete

It’s not a bitter flavor, and it’s not a sweeter drink

I’m scared to ask you if you would do the same for me

at the beginning of whatever this thing with andrew is, neil believes that he is not important at all to andrew. he thinks that andrew doesn’t care as much as he himself does. but he’s okay with that; he’s gonna die by the end of the year anyways, so might as well have a good time. but still, it hurts. ‘are you feeling good?’—he wants to make andrew happy like andrew makes him feel happy. he wants to make andrew feel safe like andrew makes him feel safe. and for fucks sake, they HAVE waited long enough to feel happy and complete. they haven’t had anything like… THIS… their whole lives. and what they have, it isnt stereotypically sweet, but it isn’t in any means bad or bitter. it works out for them, and that’s what matters. and he cares so much about andrew that it hurts, it almost tears him apart to suddenly care about anyone but himself, but he doesnt think andrew cares back and is too scared to ask.

Smokey eyes; that’s your name, isn’t it?

At least that��s what I call you

When I call you, do you shake the way I shake

When I call to say I’m through?

“No, I shake the way you do at shows

So people know you’re cool

Violently, but still controlled enough to screw.”

you cannot tell me neil doesn’t come up with nicknames for andrew. my favorite head canons come from when neil is sleepy and calls andrew ‘drew and i get so weak reading them. as for the shaking part, its like neil’s saying ‘if i called to end it, whatever this thing is, i would be heartbroken and shaking from the anxiety and pain of it all. would you?’ and the only answer he can imagine coming back is that andrew doesnt care, and that all he was was a cheap fuck, because in the beginning that’s all andrew dares to show.

now, after the hotel in baltimore scene, he thinks andrew cares at this point. why else would andrew have fought for him to stay? but we all know how absolutely fucking oblivious neil can be. when he’s with aaron at the cabin during their vacation, he expresses he doesn’t believe andrew would care enough to do anything drastic for him. he genuinely believes that if aaron asked andrew to drop neil, that andrew would in order to keep his promise.

cut to the chorus of the song:

So help me make amends with all my friends

Most other people are just dead ends

There’s nothing worse than making friends

again, after baltimore, he knows andrew cares, but he doesnt know what to do about it or how exactly to cope with this revelation. if andrew cares, then it can’t be that much, right? because what could neil josten, a made up character and personality, have to offer to any of the foxes? yet he needs to make amends with the foxes. they’re all he has, and leaving them would break his heart. he is basically begging andrew not to send him away, begging wymack to let him stay. he wants to make amends, and most people who he’s tried to trust have just hurt him, so they’re dead ends. he hates that he’s attached because what could be worse than getting attached? but he cares, and he wants to fix it, fix this. he knows lying to them was wrong and he thinks the foxes will shun him because he’s the son of the butcher and also the yakuza is not just after kevin but him as well. he hates that he’s attached, but he is, and he wants to fix it.

Sticky thighs, are you wild now or just a memory?

Some people want to be your friend

Some people just want to be free

And the worst thing about me is that I’m somewhere in between;

I might miss you, but I’m still trying to get clean

‘some ppl wanna be ur friend’, the upperclassmen do attempt to include andrew in things, a lot more after neil kinda coaxes them to but the same nonetheless. it’s not easy trying to include the monsters, but neil’s relationship with both “sides” of the team are important to him, so each side tries their best to at least attempt to get along. ‘some ppl just want to be free’ ie aaron. aaron wanted out of the deal but didn’t know how to really get around it. nicky wanted to be more friendly with the upperclassmen but was held back by andrew’s rules. and neil, he’s somewhere in between. he wants to be (boy)friends with andrew, but he also still has this feeling of wanting to run, to leave before andrew leaves, and when he thinks of leaving he misses andrew but he’s also just trying to do what he thinks is best for both of them.

You’ve had enough to drink

You know you’re drowning in the flavor of

Cough syrup and Vicodin

You’ve got the bitter flavor down so

Dab the sweeter drink on a napkin, then

Hold it up to your mouth so you can sleep

andrew usually doesn’t get drunk, as he states he knows his limits, but he totally does when he’s really upset and isn’t gonna be driving. for instance, after a rough game without his meds he would be rewarded with alcohol from wymack. in the author’s notes, there’s a scene where andrew goes to wymack’s apartment to talk about neil and he chugs alcohol then, too. whether he’s able to admit it or not, andrew abuses alcohol as a way to cope. this lyric, to me, alludes to the use of drugs or drinks to cope.

Quiet lies that you’re telling to

Those black and screaming skies...

I hope you’re walking around campus

Contemplating your own smallish size

This is not what all my idols told me college would be like

I hope someday you learn to take your own advice

the quiet lies are in the blank stares, the flat expressions, the mean words and obvious apathy. andrew’s apathy keeps him safe, but neil sees through it. he knows its a lie. he’s knows that there’s more to this misunderstood monster and he wants to learn all about it. he hopes that andrew is able to think about bigger things, even when neil isnt there to try and get him to. he hopes andrew isn’t as impassive as he tries to make others believe. he hopes, and truly believes, that somewhere in there, andrew cares about neil.

furthermore, college is nothing like its made out to be. college, for neil, has been both hell and heaven. he never thought he’d even end up going, let alone go to play exy of all things. andrew is always giving neil advice, but he never follows any of it himself. andrew is all about getting neil to open up to him, but is hesitant to open up as well. neil understands, but he also hopes andrew warms up to him a bit. he enjoys their trust for trust relationship and genuinely wishes that one day andrew will be okay. maybe not good, but okay. because that’s a start.

and, scene.

thank you for reading if you read this far! i’ll probably end up doing more, tbh, because i really enjoy writing these. that’s all for now, though!

#aftg #all for the game #andrew minyard #neil josten #andreil #tfc #the foxhole court #song analysis

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emotionalcello-makefanfics · 5 years

Link

Summary :

“Excuse me, I think you underestimate the power of your cute smile. Nuclear warheads from the east throughout the west got nothing on you.” After solving a case, a detective tried to flirt with a hard-faced FBI agent. It doesn't go smoothly, but that doesn't mean he's going to stop. - - - - - “Smile to me like that again then I might not survive the night,” Chris swoons, and the one blushing is somehow Hotch, “Have you not been flirted on before?” “Not as boldly and creative as you do.” “Well, get ready Hotch, because I’m just getting started.”

Sequel : That Body = Absolute Unit and Not Now, But Someday

No Warnings Applied

Click title to read on ao3. Click keep reading to read on tumblr~

Words : 4k

The case of man shredder is finally closed. After four long days of following chunks of bodies in the alleys, they finally caught the unsub. It was the longest day he had ever experienced, and he had walked behind a hundred-year-old lady on the subway stairs before.

Detective Hamlyn – Chris for friends and lovers of the night- huffed and undo his bulletproof vest when they finally return to his precinct while police officers contain the unsub. The police officers, him included, notify the victim’s family, and their reaction is just as expected. They did a little briefing and say good work and goodnight as they close the case and tidy up.

The B.A.U. team seems rightfully s tired but they looked relaxed as they take this case as a win, so does Chris. With that, he feels it’s the right time to ask.

“Hey, Emily?” he called the agent by her first name. The last four days, he’s been bonding with agent Prentiss the most, though his true attention has been towards someone else. His hand inconspicuously pulls back his already rolled-up sleeves. Rubbing his arms as his warm beige skin starts to look paler.

“What’s wrong?” The agent narrowed her perfectly twin eyebrows. Her concerned voice and body language were caught by her colleagues who are sending the two of them watchful looks.

Chris had learned by working with them how scary their knowledge is, almost borderline supernatural. It’s crazy, but damn do they work.

“Nothing’s wrong!” Chris exclaimed in low voice.

“You looked nervous.”

Chris is doing his super-duper poker face right now. Maybe he needs to rethink his life choices too.

“I’m just... okay...” Chris groaned and wing it, “I didn’t see any ring so I’ve been meaning to ask if-”

“Oh...” Emily, flutter her pretty long lashes and leans away, “Sorry Chris, I’m not looking.”

Chris gapes, with eyebrows reaching to his hairline, “I’m not asking about you Em, no offense, you cute, but I was asking about...” Chris looks right and left, purposely ignoring Emily’s shocked expression. Chris leans down a bit and whispered, “I wanna ask if Hotch is single.”

Emily visibly froze, while Chris looks into the conference room with the mirror board through the glass window. By the oval desk he prepared for the BAU team, Hotch is by the table, reading case files and putting them in the file box.

To be honest, older man is not his type, and his face wasn’t that high on his priority list too. But seeing the man in action made Chris feel things in his chest, his head, and at some inappropriate point, his crotch. Honest to the holy gods, they were serious and focused on the job, and there was no romantic moment at all, but Chris is not the one holding the joystick to control who his heart rebels for.

SSA Aaron Hotchner, a man of few words, and a hard face. He doesn’t know how much suit and dress shirt the man brings but it seems like he’s been wearing the same black suit, and the same maroon tie with small dots and the same thin striped dress shirt.

In all the four days he’s here, never once did Chris ever seen him smile, not even a quirk upwards. His raven hair loosely coiffed, and eyes dark and deep and it just looks like two black holes with no end. They seem cold, devoice of emotion, but Chris knows that’s not true.

Under the light of day, when he tagged along with the unit chief to do a door to door interview, he saw the light hits his black irises. As they were concluding what they learned from the interviews, all that Chris can focus on is the light tint of olive green in Hotch’s eyes. Then slowly but surely, those sharp dark deep-set eyes pierce through his soul.

There’s more to that man than what he gave an impression of. Chris has been there as the man gives clear and cut-throat instruction, but at the same time considerate. Hotch is efficient, looks like a hard worker, respected by his team, but sometimes, when Hotch was all by himself, Chris can see how tired the man is. Even so, right now, the man just quirks up the tiniest smile as he looks into the missing teenager they saved.

His heart just stopped right there and then. A glint of light shines from his dark aura. Chris knows... oh he just knows he needs to get closer... He’s never been drawn to something this hard since he saw an authentic leather cowboy pants 20% off on Amazon

Maybe Chris just has a thing for mysterious emo boys? Well, not exactly mysterious emo boys. More like a stoic man, with a lot of baggage because of the emotionally draining job.

It helps that Hotch is dashingly handsome, and in contrast to his looks, Aaron is such a cute and boyish name.

TLDR: Chris is feeling some burning desire for the tall, dark and handsome FBI agent.

“Chris?” Emily snaps her fingers in front of his face, “Wow, you’re really whipped for my boss huh?”

“Am I? What does your profile say?” Chris tips his chin confidently.

“Well, in this case, your demeanor screams playboy, and you flirt with girls if she spares you even the tiniest spark of interest, but you don’t do casual relationship. You believe in love at first sight, you’re a naive romantic, but you’re persistent, patient, and you follow your gut. Now, your gut is pulling you right there,” Emily cocks her head towards her boss.

Chris cocks his head to the side with a smirk, “That never gets old, what you do is just so cool.”

“It can get annoying, I can profile what you google with incognito.”

Chris sweats, “Wait you can do that?”

The agent cracks a wide smile, “No, not with I’ve got so far.” Chris chuckled nervously and wipes his non-existent sweat on his temple.

“So,” his eyes are back on Hotch, unconsciously sweeping his dark chocolate hair back, “what are my chances?”

“Hotch was married once, and he just broke up with his girlfriend. That’s all I’m telling you.”

“Oof, total hetero huh? Not just that, everything he does is classic alpha male behavior.”

“That’s what I said too.”

“Fuck Jesus!” Chris spaz at Dr. Reid’s voice suddenly came from behind him. And as sudden as he says that, he’s gone just as fast, making a beeline to the coffee maker.

“Hotch is far from Jesus though, hair ain’t quite the same. And I never met Jesus, but I bet his skin is a bit more glowy, and you know, healthy,” Emily teased.

Chris spent a few seconds staring at Emily like she’s crazy, and then realized he’s the crazy one.

“You know what, I’m just gonna go for it,” Chris takes a deep breath. Tidying his navy dress shirt and makes sure his black fit jean isn’t crooked and his combat boots have no dirt on them. As he deemed himself presentable, he marches forward.

“Go for it tiger, good luck.” Emily cheers and Chris highly appreciates that more than Emily knows, heck maybe she does knows.

Heh, profilers. Oh, but Hotch is a profiler too. Damn, maybe he’ll know his intention just by a knock or something.

Here he goes anyway.

Chris knocks on the open door, catching Hotch’s attention, “Good work today.”

“You too, Detective Hamlyn,” Hotch nods, still no smile, “You’re cooperative, we hardly have any captain that do.”

“Yikes, I take it you’ve seen a lot worse?”

“Yes.”

Hotch stops tidying up the table and looks at Chris. Time stopped as his dark eyes investigate his micro-expression, but what Chris cared for the most right now is how pretty Hotch’s bottom lashes are. They’re short but full and intensely black, they go completely from one corner to the other.

“It’s nice meeting with you,” the older man said with a respecting and platonic nod as he continues to file.

Ouch, that’s worse than being rejected, being dismissed with a detached professional reply. Chris needs to be bolder.

“Yeah, nice meeting you too,” Chris takes a deep breath, “But you know... DC to Quantico is easily an hour train ride away, so it doesn’t have to be our last meeting.”

There’s a horse running in his chest, puncturing his heart with its hooves. Oh, and the look on Hotch’s face. He bet there’s a lot of murders and creepy bastards he takes on and he won’t even blink an eye, but now, Hotch blinks owlishly with his lips parted.

It doesn’t take a profiler for someone to know what Chris is implying.

“I...” Hotch looks away.

Oh no, it’s a dragged ‘I...’ means Hotch is about to reject him and currently trying to find the mercifully right word to do so, then they’ll never see each other again, like ever.

Time for bold tactic number 2.

“Look, even if you’re not interested, you’re a cool dude. I admire what you do, to face hundreds of sociopathic sexual sadist white males in his 30’s and still have your cool. Or maybe you’re trying to seem you look cool? I don’t know man I can’t really read any of you. I just... think you’re awesome and I want to get to know you. I swear I’m not up to something creepy. God, I’m rambling I’m sorry I’m nervous. Just um...” Chris takes a business card from the cardholder on his belt, and slide it towards the stunned agent.

“I’m down to hangout. If you’re tired of looking at the same face every day” Chris cocks his head towards the glass window, “Don’t hesitate to call, I don’t mind the train ride.”

Hesitantly, Hotch takes the card and inspect it. Chris had never felt this naked because a man looking so thoroughly at his business card.

“I knew Chris is not your full first name,” Hotch states, still with a stoic face. Emily could’ve profiled that, but Chris is not one and he doesn’t know what that reaction means.

“Nope, my real name is a tongue twister, so I just go by Chris,” he replies, like a normal person. He counts that as a success.

“How do you say your name?”

“Kristianto.”

Upon hearing it, Hotch doesn’t even bother to try, and Chris fully understands, “Malaysian?”

“Indonesian, on my mother’s side. Basically means Christian.”

Then Hotch stares to the card again, and Chris starts sweating. Should he escape now? Be like ‘okay call me maybe, bye’?

Then Hotch puts his card in his breast pocket and goes back to cleaning up the files.

“I’m busy most of the time, I don’t have a lot of free time,” Hotch’s voice drops low but soft like expensive faux fur and gentle as if meek.

“Duh, I can see that. I mean, as long as I get to see or hear from you, just a call or meeting for a short break, I don’t care, I’m down to do whatever you want.”

The look on Hotch's face is as if no one had ever said that before. Whoever was his wife or girlfriend, must’ve been the one pampered and forgot to pamper him back. Lucky for both of them, that’s his specialty. He’s not a people pleaser, but for Hotch? Boy does he want to please this man and show him a good time. That off-guard face he’s making just because Chris says something basic is the one that does it.

Chris, the casually pessimistic sanguine, now feel either optimistic or desperate enough to go anywhere this dreamboat is willing to sail him to.

“Really? Whatever I want?” Hotch, despite sounding monotone, looks actually excited. That just adds oil to his running engine.

“Yeah! I’m up until 2 am and woke up at 7 if you want to call me. My yelp game is strong so I can take you to the best restaurant and hangout spots around. If you want a chill daaa-I mean hangout! Yeah, if you want a chill hangout, I cook a mean chilly I learned from Binging with Babi-” Chris got choked up because of the sight behold in his humble presence.

Hotch smiles, at him. At him.

“Oh god...” Chris wobbles and quickly get a hold of the table.

“What’s wrong,” Hotch grabbed his arms. Repeat, Hotch is touching him. His grip is so strong he wants to be wrap in it and—now is not the time!

“No, nothing.” Chris dismissed, badly, as he awkwardly smiles like a creep and shifting his eyes anywhere else other than Hotch’s face.

“It doesn’t seem like nothing.”

“Profile me then,” Chris challenged out of desperation.

He got his poker face on, there’s no way the man knows.

“You reacted like this because I smiled.”

Why did Chris even try?

Chris doesn’t take kindly when Hotch looks at him incredulously after knowing that fact, “Excuse me, I think you underestimate the power of your cute smile. Nuclear warheads from the east throughout the west got nothing on you.”

Hotch smiles again, complete with a soft little scoff for extra damage. If that’s not a green light, then that little cheeky grin is too cruel.

“I’ve heard a few comments on my look, cute is never one of them,” Hotch admits.

“They either blind or have poor taste. Yes, your eyes are carrying shopping bags-”

“Hamlyn,” Hotch scolds half-heartedly.

“But they’re your charm! And-” Chris felt his brain scrambles like someone stuck a fork in it and spins it around like noodle in a cup of brain juice.

“Look,” Chris said, more to himself actually, “I don’t actually care how you look, or how sexy your voice is, dammit,” Chris lowly curse under his breath. “As you can see, I’m rusty.”

“You don’t say,” Hotch teased and seems to be having genuine fun, it’s not a sight for the faint of heart.

Smiling shyly, Chris glances at his boots, “Cut me some slack. I never actually approach someone like this. I draw the line on people I work with, but I really really like you, and I’ll be damned if I see you go without trying to at least get your number.”

The sharpness in Hotch’s piercing black eyes mellows. The wrinkles between his eyebrows are finally catching a break. With a loud thump on the files, Hotch is finally finished putting out the files on the table.

“What about now?” Hotch's suddenly said.

“What the what now?”

“I’m up for a drink, maybe a light snack.”

Chris short-circuit into oblivion. This is it. This is the shit man, pull it together!

“I... yeah! Sure! I know just the place.”

“Will it still be open this late?”

“It’s 24 hours, homebrewed beer, and the fried pickle is to die for.”

“That sounds nice,” Hotch sounded genuinely taken by surprise, he looks down to his watch, and he must’ve only noticed then that it’s 1 am, “I hope you’re not too tired.”

“No way, you just made me feel like I’m swimming in meth, not the best metaphor but yeah, you get it. I feel like I chugged a glass of liquid heroin, wait that’s not better. I swear I don’t have a drug problem.”

Then, honest to God, Hotch laughed. Not like the lame ‘haha’ chuckle no. A full laugh with a hand on top of his chest, and breathing shortly and eyes crinkled shut. This man has the ability to destroy him completely and Chris is so doomed. Oh so gladly doomed.

“Thank you,” Hotch said when he finally calmed down.

Chris doesn’t know what to think about when a man has to thank him for making him laugh. He’s glad though that Hotch doesn’t think he’s boring, or too forward, or even offending, god it was his biggest fear. Maybe this will go somewhere good.

“I’m done cleaning up,” Hotch notified.

“Great, let’s go, it’s a walking distance.”

“Perfect.”

Hotch grabbed his bag, and they walk out of the glass conference room. Only then he noticed Hotch’s team was huddled over together with watchful eyes directed at them. Most of the officers had already gone home and a few of the night shift officers already arrived.

“Hey, Hotch, ready to jet?” Agent Morgan called over. Hotch approaches them and Chris follows suit after grabbing his bag from his desk, keeping his jittering under the radar, hopefully.

“You guys go on ahead, I’ll fly by morning,” Hotch informed. This is the first time Chris sees his team seemingly suspicious of their leader’s decision. But honestly? So does Chris. One more day? For an outing with Chris? He hoped he’s not visibly blushing.

“What will you be doing?” Emily teased, looking pointedly at Chris who stuck a tongue at her.

“I have a date with Detective Hamlyn, goodnight everyone.”

Hotch turns around and walks away, leaving his team with jaws on the floor. No less Chris, who looks at Hotch’s back, then back to the five agents in front of him. He felt the eyes of five hyenas that looks at him sharply like he just killed their cubs or something. No words needed to know these people care about Hotch.

“I-It’s nice working with you guys?” Chris cleared his throat, “I’ll bring him back safely,” but that’s the wrong thing to say. He’s not taking out someone’s daughter for god sake.

“He’s waiting kid, chop-chop” Agent Rossi, his idol since he was in the academy, just ‘chop-chop’ him.

No need to tell him twice, “Goodnight!” then speedwalk towards Hotch.

Before the man even holds the knob to the front door, Chris hurries to open the door for him, instinctually. Given, Hotch looks stunned yet again.

“After you, my sir,” Chris bows and waves his hands towards the road.

“You do this to all your dates?” Hotch shakes his head amusedly.

“Yes, and it’ll gonna get worse,” chirped the old security guard, who gave him a side-eye and a held back smile.

“Sammy!” Chris put a hand on his navy dress shirt, “How could you, you know me better than that. I’m a gentleman to the core.”

The old man just chuckles and waves at the two men, “You guys have fun!”

“Goodnight sir,” Hotch nods at the man and walk down the side road with him.

After a few seconds walking and stealing glances, Chris finally says, “You’re an open book to your colleague, eh?”

“They already know you’re asking me out.”

“Yeah, but they didn’t know you accept.”

“Really?” Hotch smirked and Chris gapes.

“You sneaky sneaky tease!” Chris exclaimed.

Hotch smiles again, showing his slightly crooked teeth on the bottom row. Suddenly the late night air doesn’t feel too chilly anymore.

“First time on a date with a guy?” Chris asked.

“Yes, you?”

“No, I think I went out three times with a guy, dated one, which only lasts like a few months.”

“Huh, your reputation serves you.”

“Hey, no! I’m always the one broke up on.”

Hotch quirks up the corner of his lips, “I know.”

“Smile to me like that again then I might not survive the night,” Chris swoons, and the one blushing is somehow Hotch. “Have you not been flirted on before?”

“Not as boldly and creative as you do.”

“Well, get ready Hotch, because I’m just getting started.”

“Aaron, please. I’m off duty.”

Chris bites his lips from the smile threatening to form, “Okay, Aaron. Then call me Chris.”

The rigid and stern unit chief is finally enjoying himself as they carry themselves easy through the late city night. It helped that the bar is only filled to half that night. Most patrons are office workers with their buddies just gathering up to unwind. The bartender of the night shift is an old friend of Chris and he gave them a seat on the bar. The tv, people chatting and playing pool sets as a throughout mood.

They spent the night hanging out with cold craft beers and two servings of fried pickles, talking about anything and everything. Like the 4-days old news, because they pay no attention to anything else when chasing their criminal. What their plans for the weekends are, or their plans when they go home. Chris is planning to put a sheet mask, takes a long warm bath and sleeps as much as he can as he needs to work tomorrow. Horrifyingly, Aaron’s plan when he goes home is to work on a report.

After some persuading, lowkey begging, and a few embarrassing nicknames later, Aaron promised he’ll sleep first before touching those reports.

It’s noticeable how they edge away from personal topics like family, but Chris is fine with that. It’s only the first date after all. Even as they talk about pity things like their favorite foods and embarrassing university days, the air is comfortable.

He also learned that Aaron is not that much older than him, only by three years.

Boy, how many sleepless nights and emotional baggage did Hotch carry inside those eye bags Whether or not they’ll be an item, Chris is determined to make Hotch sleep more, or at least introduce him to sunscreen.

At 5 am, Chris drives Hotch to his hotel, and stops by the lobby entrance.

“I have a great time tonight,” the older man says, with smiling eyes murdering Chris with suffocation by handsomeness.

“Me too.” He was about to say something else, but he held back. He doesn’t want to push Hotch even further from his comfort zone.

“I’ll call,” Hotch’s words came to the rescue, and Chris is back from the dead and walks the earth again.

There’s a stupid smile on Chris’ face right now, and he’s showing it all.

“Okay, I’ll hold you to that.”

Hotch opens the door before his feet even touch the asphalt below he retracts and closes the door back. A hand planted on the side of his seat and a hand frames his face, that happened so fast, but when Aaron has himself in his merciful hand, he slows down as if he hesitated.

To proof there’s nothing to hesitate about, Chris caresses the back of Aaron’s neck and pulls him close. Chris doesn’t see Aaron close his eyes when he closes his, but the man doesn’t move away. His heart jumps out of his rib cage when he feels the warm lips on top of his. Aaron still tastes strongly of yeast from the beer with a tinge of saltiness from the fried pickle.

When Chris breaths in, he smelt a tinge of perfume blending with the smell of beer. The lips pressed against him nibbles on his, leaning even closer as Aaron’s hand plays with his hair. He can’t help the smile on his lips at the ticklish feeling on his scalp.

For a split second of their kiss, they let themselves be. He lets Aaron takes whatever he wants, no matter how little.

When Aaron finally breaks the kiss first, they stay in a close space.

“Thank you for tonight’s date,” Aaron whispered against his lips, and Chris finally has the gut to look into Hotch’s eyes.

How mysterious are those eyes. At first sight, it’s black, only when he’s this close and the light is right, he could see the slight low saturated green on his eyes. It obliterates his heart how much Aaron seems like he’s happy. It’s an honor but, Aaron treats it like it’s the first in a long time.

It’s only a date, but it’s starting to feel less superficial.

Maybe that won’t be such a bad thing.

“Your welcome, Aaron. Anytime. I mean it,” Chris hesitantly touch Hotch’s face, rubbing the soft wrinkles on the tail of his eye with his thumb.

Thank coincidence it’s 4 AM. They’re really taking their time in front of the lobby entrance, but no one is behind them. Still, one of them has to end the night, they got work tomorrow.

“You promised you’ll sleep first right?” Chris says.

“I promise,” Hotch replies, and he finally leans back, “Goodnight.”

“Goodnight.”

Aaron slips out of his car and walks to the lobby. Even then, Aaron took his time to look back and waves as Chris drove away.

The smile on his face sticks until he falls asleep.

It’s a good night indeed.

#criminal minds #criminal minds fanfiction #criminal minds fanfic #aaron hotchner #hotch #aaron hotchner fanfic #aaron hotchner x original character #aaron hotchner x OC #aaron hotchner x male oc #aaron otchner x male original character #hotch's smile fuck me up man #emocel's

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buttsonthebeach · 6 years

Note

*bangs fists on the table* I need a Hamilton solas meta! Have you done this and I missed it? I think it’s such a cool idea and you’ve done some cool stuff with the idea 💕

MY FRIEND.

Thank you for giving me the excuse to do the post I have wanted to do forever and ever and ever. (It got really long. I’m sorry?)

I was deep in the depths of my Hamilton obsession (which, like Solavellan hell, is eternal) when I first played Inquisition, and at first I thought it was just the fact that I was obsessed with both that made me see so many parallels, but the more I have thought about it, the more I have thought that there are truly some fascinating connections between the two “main” characters in the musical (Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr) and our favorite unwashed apostate hobo, as well as the overall plot of Inquisition.

For starters, who do you think said something along these lines: I can totally fix this mistake by making a different, bigger mistake. (Okay, this one isn’t a direct quote, but listen to the song “Hurricane” and tell me it isn’t what Hamilton is saying.)

Or this: Death doesn’t discriminate / Between the sinners and the saints/ It takes and it takes and it takes / And history obliterates / Every picture it paints / It paints me in all my mistakes

Sound eerily familiar?

So, the meta that has guided my characterization of Solas pretty much since I started writing him is this: Solas was an Alexander Hamilton who lived long enough to see himself become an Aaron Burr, and if he has any hope of redemption, it lies in him returning to those Hamiltonian sides of himself.

When you first meet Hamilton in the musical, he is the “young scrappy and hungry” revolutionary who talks too much and cares even more. To me, this is the perfect analog to Solas in his early days in Elvhenan. As he tells Blackwall, he was once “cocky and hot-blooded,” just as Hamilton is when he first arrives in America. We know he was highly idealistic, just as Hamilton is, and it wouldn’t shock me to find out he also had something to prove. I doubt he was a member of Elvhenan’s ruling class, at least not to start out. I also love that both young Hamilton and Solas are anti-slavery, a position that was revolutionary in both of their societies at the time.

Next, Hamilton and Solas both get wrapped up in a war, and are handpicked by a famous general to be their “right hand man” - in Hamilton’s case, Washington’s - in Solas’s case, Mythal’s. I tend to believe that Mythal was not Solas’s lover, but instead a trusted mentor and friend, or even a mother figure, just as Washingotn becomes a complex father figure for Hamilton. I also tend to believe that Solas may have struggled to overcome his cocky and hot-blooded nature despite his increasing social status and political power, just as Hamilton does.

(Now, this is where we skip a big chunk of the musical - mainly the romance with Eliza - but I’ll get back to that.)

Like Hamilton, Solas is an incredible talent, but this talent begins to sow the seeds of their undoing. Hamilton is an incredible legal and financial mind who writes “financial systems into existence” the same way that Solas creates the Veil, which was equally as unprecedented. But, even as they reach the peak in their careers, they also approach their downfall - Hamilton because of his affair with Maria Reynolds, and Solas because of his inability to accept Mythal’s betrayal and death. (Although Solas’s downfall also seems to be connected to his deeply held ideals, and we don’t have the full story there yet.)

Both men take drastic actions that they believe will fix this - Hamilton with the “Reynolds Pamphlet” confessing to the affair before anyone can use it against him, and Solas with the creation of the Veil. Both actions fix part of the problem, but lead to a ripple of unintended consequences (Hamilton’s estrangement from his beloved wife and loss of his political career, and Solas’s descent into uthenera, and the end of Thedas as he knew it).

Here is where they diverge - Hamilton’s downward spiral leads more or less to the death of his son, his reconciliation with Eliza, and then to his death in a duel. But while Solas seemingly dies - he also wakes up thousands of years later in a world he barely recognizes.

Enter Aaron Burr.

Burr already has status, wealth, power, knowledge - but he is deeply alone, saying that “everyone who loves me has died,” and deeply obsessed with his legacy. Sound like Solas, post-elevation to “godhood” and uthenera? Rather than choosing to stand for something, Burr wants to “talk less and smile more” and always seeks to take actions that lead to his own advancement, rather than choosing his actions based on his ideals. To me, this rings so much of Solas in his early Inquisition days. He actively hides behind a mask, he deceives, he takes actions that benefit his agenda and no one else’s (like giving the orb to Corypheus). Burr, unlike Hamilton, does not cultivate a close group of friends, and instead stands alone, much like Solas.

The thing is, in my mind, Solas never slips fully into being Burr - we still always get glimpses of the Hamilton underneath, or of Burr’s own softer side. (One great thing about this musical is that Burr is never fully a villain, just as I would argue that Solas is not fully a villain.) Burr also falls in love, also becomes a father, also has doubts and insecurities. Solas still approves when you help people, still approves of the Inquisitor seeking the understand the world around them better even as he plans to destroy that world.

Now, enter Eliza/Lavellan. (See, I said we’d come back to it!)

Of course, this is where the parallels only exist if you play your game this way. I can’t necessarily say that this is true of all Lavellans, or of worldstates where Solas does not have a romance. But, I do think it has some great parallels to any worldstate where Solas is romanced, even if they aren’t perfect.

Eliza is in awe of Hamilton, saying that there’s “nothing that [his] mind can’t do,” and describing how her love for him has her “helpless,” a word that feels innocent enough in the throes of young love, but still contains the seed of future heartbreak. She is a grounding force for Hamilton, constantly seeking to draw him back to the real, to the now, and out of his world of grand ideals. “That Would Be Enough” will forever be one of my all-time favorite Solavellan songs for that reason. I mean, look at this:

Oh, let me be apart of the narrative

In the story they will write someday

Let this moment be the first chapter

Where you decide to stay

And I could be enough

And we could be enough

That would be enough

(Again, the characterization of your Lavellan might not fall in line with this, but to me it captures so much of the wistfulness that I see in so much Solavellan.)

But, here’s where I see another parallel - Lavellan is also a source of temptation for Solas, pulling him away from his true purpose and plans. She is not only his Eliza, but his Maria Reynolds. “Say No To This” was actually the first song that made me sit up and go “holy shit, this is such a Solas song.” I mean, come on:

Lord, show me how to say no to this

I don’t know how to say no to this

But my god she looks so helpless

And her body’s saying hell yes

I see you, Mr. I-can’t-stop-myself-from-kissing-Lavellan-even-when-I-know-it’s-a-bad-idea. (Also, look at Lin-Manuel Miranda flawlessly bringing the word “helpless” back, this time with a different woman, to draw his own parallels between Eliza and Maria. Damn, he’s good.)

And unfortunately, just as Eliza and Hamilton’s love story has a tragic ending, Solavellan does too.

That euphoric helplessness Eliza feels when she first falls in love with Hamilton turns to actual helplessness as he has an affair, tells the whole world about it, indirectly gets their eldest son killed, and then loses his own life. That second arc in their story reminds me so much of how Solavellan ends. “Burn” will forever be one of my favorite Lavellan songs for Trespasser, as she bitterly describes how Hamilton’s ideals and legacy mattered more to him than his family - just as Solas’s ideals and beliefs ultimately matter more to him than his love for Lavellan.

But.

There is a beautiful, heartbreaking little song called “It’s Quiet Uptown” that gives me the tiniest bit of hope for Solas, and for Solavellan.

Eliza and Hamilton do reconcile before his death.

They do find a way through something as “unimaginable” as losing a child - through “moments when [they’re] in so deep / it feels easier to just swim down.” It takes Hamilton stepping up, acknowledging that everything he has done is wrong, that he still loves Eliza, and that he would be happy if he can just stay by her side. He owns up, and then he gives Eliza the choice to forgive him or not.

If we could have a moment like that - a moment where Solas finds his way back to Lavellan, where he acknowledges his faults and problems and asks for forgiveness, with no action on her part - if he truly wants to be redeemed, as Hamilton does in that moment - then I think we too could get that refrain of “forgiveness / can you imagine?”

I can’t think of a better ending. But it has to come from Solas, just as it has to come from Hamilton himself.

And, then, you know, he has to not give in to the other side of his nature and end up dead in a duel, as Hamilton does.

Anyway, thank you for coming to my TED talk about Hamilton and Dragon Age, I have 500000 more parallels in mind, and you can see most of them in The World Turned Upside Down, my Inquisition retelling paired with Hamilton songs, although I also have fun drawing parallels in my other fics. I have accepted my place in the deepest pits of Hamilton and Solavellan hell. I’ll be here forever and ever!

#solas meta #hamilton x dragon age #listen #i could probably write another 50000 words on how this has informed my other characterizations #like dorian as an angelica to a romanced lavellan #how my own ellana is eliza and maria and george washington #how so many songs directly relate to the inquisitor's arc #asojvglH #I LOVE THIS MUSICAL AND THIS FANDOM

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wolfwhiteflowers · 6 years

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hate-watching s9, I guess. I can’t let it go. Damn u TV Gods.

Rick and Maggie’s death/leaving is gonna make me sad anyways. :\

*Spoilers! Ep 2 spoilers!

*anti C/E

(keep reading)

Oh gosh. Idk how to emotionally handle TWD and Rick’s last five episodes. I mainly just don’t want to be really sad when he dies (or leaves) or be mad. I’m already annoyed with TWD crappy writing and the miss opportunities and not ending the story with Rick. But TWD isn’t totally that bad to me yet. So it’s all hard to just quit. (didn’t watch TMP final season because of it’s all about dating....OU@T was because I only like Neal’s parts and the show writing is super crappy. Idk maybe cos those shows were also quick to show it, learn that it’s crap. Whereas TWD, we know Rick will die for like the whole summer and more.And I like other characters too.) I got free time..still love TWD in some parts, so it’s hard to like avoid it. Even after Rick dies/leave, I might wanna watch s10 if it’s like a Caryl show or other interesting stuff going on. It’s harder rn because we still have Rick and Maggie. I’m all about TF and Grimes boy(s).

So 9x01 aired last night. I didn’t watch it. It’s funny how AMC promoted ep 1 with a bunch of sneak peeks, me reading filming spoilers and episode spoilers of it. I feel like I did saw the first episode anyway. There’s also social media where fans spoil everything and show clips and gifs of the scenes.

Like yeah ep 1 was good-ish like as usual, probably better than s8 already, imo. It got TF moments, shippy moments, action. I could make edits on parallels or something on it. I know there’s other dumb moments like CE’s romance, questionable things characters do, etc. I could watch Rick’s last episodes, if I just ignore CE. Carol isn’t featured that much anyway. I just laugh at CE plot. I love that Rick was holding Hershel Jr.

I really like this time-jump plot but I’m just bummed that when it seems like the show got more interesting or still interesting, it has better dialogue , charactery moments, callbacks, it’s when Rick is gonna die/leave in ep 5(6?) and Maggie too. Sighhhh. It might be just three or five episodes of showing TF a lot. Everyone’s about the museum and the bridge. Communities are coming together. Idk what ep 6/7 will be like when Whisperers show up. The show goes back to community per ep like in s8?

Recently, I read ep 2 spoilers of the full ep. (Critics/TSDF have them out already cos critics seen three episodes already.) I’m just arrrrghhhh it’s so charactery and TF! Ignore the weird romances part, but omg it’s good Maggie ep. Writers actually callback something about Hershel(sr) that I didn’t think they would do that. There’s interesting plots with Michonne and Maggie together and their leaderships. It’s a lot of Maggie..but it’s her last time too (maybe). There’s great Aaron scenes and with Rick and Daryl.

Carol isn’t with the ladies though.......but she was around with Rick and Daryl. arrrggghhh. Carickyl! But ..it’s too late. Carick isn’t the same anymore. It’s not gonna be what I always wanted them to be like. They’re just friends talking. I’m assuming they’re not gonna act or talk like they got history and strong bond and act like siblings kind of thing. If ya get it. They can still be but..it’s too late to what I hope for.

And, ugh Caryl. Now it’s when writers kinda tell us what they are. There’s some hope about Caryl. Daryl is like jealous and protects Carol’s loved ones. Like there’s some hope about Caryl being romantic and canon someday. What McReedus were saying on TD show, they’re protective of Caryl. It makes me hopeful for Caryl. But who knows how it goes later on and in s9B.

So .....idk what to do. Reading ep 2 spoilers got me all emotional again. I’m gonna be sad anyways when ep 5/6 spoilers come up. I know if I watch it live and hear the music and being into the show, I’ll be even more emotional mess. But I’ll be sad anyways from just reading a summary. I want to know what happens canon-ly because I think that’s how to let it go.... I also can’t seem to not look at any TWD stuff/fandom&shippy stuff. I heard this theory that Rick is dying and he’s laughing. That seems like a good ending. Ending-like. He’s proud. There’s also spoilers about other past characters popping up in hallucination I guess. Sounds so charactery and good. But yeah...after days later, I think I still want Rick to die when the show ends. I also think it’s sucky storywise to have two protagonists, Carl and Rick-the Grimes boys, Carl dies and I think it should be that Rick dies of old age or doesn’t die. Because Carl already died. Why keep the show going? (But hey ukno AMC wants $$$ killed off the main characters on TWD and FTWD. They probably purposely killed off Carl just to get the Grimes out of the story like Madison and Nick. To be more like a spinoff show.)

Stories. WTF. I want ep 5/6 to happen now so then I can go through it and get it over with. And then make fun of it and think of my AU ending of the show. >:| Also I gotta deal with a show “ending” too. TWD is like done-done soon and gonna be like a spinoff show.

I know..I just gotta detach more on the show. A lot more. Like stop looking at gifs and ship fandom wank. Gotta watch a different show. :]

#twd spoilers #*twd #*twd s9h #it's not hiatus but using that tag also for filming spoilers

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maryellencarter · 6 years

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What is your middle name? -- You know, about a year ago in a D&D session, I was attempting to sass the big bad (I’m much better at sass when I have time to think about it, D&D is such a time pressure that I’ve wound up playing much more of a strong silent type than I intended), and I said “Defiance is my middle name” and the DM wound up making Defiance the name of the country my character is from. Which is a delightful sort of NYC/Vegas mashup, quite different from Defiance, Ohio. ^_^ Also the capital city is called Skreuyu (pronounced, of course, Screw-you). :D

What are you passionate about? -- Dear god. What aren’t I passionate about? O_O I could attempt a brief and incomplete list, but this is a long meme anyway. ;-) Besides, you’re here, you’ll hear about it all sooner or later. XD

Zebra or leopard print? -- Either one, but only if it’s in day-glo neon rainbow colors. And not to wear, particularly. Fake-fur blankets and pillows, mostly. Lisa Frank was... a formative influence. ^_^ If I ever have money to actually decorate a place of my own, it’s gonna look very much like Wes Janson decorated it, although possibly with fewer Ewoks. (I do have a BB-8 penny bank, though.)

Do you have any fears? -- Honestly, at this exact moment, I’m too damn sleep-deprived to know. XD When I’m awake it’s probably social anxiety stuff. When I wake up at 4am tomorrow in my car, I may or may not be having the kind of weird quasi-psychotic fears that come with a certain level of sleep deprivation, where I’m suddenly convinced my laptop is going to eat me. Right now, nothing especially comes to mind.

Silver or gold? -- To wear? Gold. My skin corrodes silver. But as a color, I like silver better.

Top three places to visit? -- Ooh. Um. That I’ve been to, or not? I want to go back to Washington DC, and someday I want to be extremely sane and go back to Indiana, and someday I’d like to go back to the Black Hills and see all the geology tourism things, because the only one I saw as a kid was Mount Rushmore, which is more of a colonialism tourism thing. That I’ve not been to... Scotland, maybe? And Hawaii and Yellowstone, again for the geology nerdery? I feel like there are places I’ve very specifically wanted to go someday that I’m blanking on.

Where are you from? -- Indiana, once upon a time. Love the place, cannot deal with the people. Miss the snow. And the autumn leaves. And the library.

First career you wanted as a child? -- Paleontologist, best I can remember. Some things stay pretty constant. I don’t have the physical health to be a geologist anymore, if I ever did, but damn, I still want to take some more classes or keep up with the field somehow.

What’s your sign? -- You know, I’m not being bothered with this at the moment. I’m sure it’ll come up in a reblog pretty soon, I do those memes a lot.

Future names of your children? -- I refuse to have any. Five generations my bio-family has fucked up, all by trying too damn hard not to be their mothers. I will be a weird adopted relative and not name anybody anything.

What are you listening to right now? -- A fifteen-minute instrumental cover of “Turkey in the Straw”, to block out the myriad noises of the fast food place so I can think words. I’ve been looping it for hours and I’ll presumably be looping it for hours more.

Do you believe in fate/destiny? -- I have a lot of weird conflicting opinions about things like fate and destiny. I think if the universe is being... directed, by a god or fate or destiny or anything with intelligence or purpose, it’s an asshole and ought to be punched. It’s not actually any less depressing if the universe is being run by random chance and just happens to shake out in ways that make it seem like it’s being run by an asshole, but it’s less angering. *tries to word* I do get the feeling, the... desire for shit to have a purpose and to make sense, but a big part of me thinks that’s pareidolia or something related. It’d be nice if all this bullshit was eventually gonna shake out to me being either a stable human being or an epic hero, but I strongly doubt it. (And even if it did, a smart enough god should be able to get me there with less suffering, if it wanted to. So at minimum, if there’s a fate or god or destiny directing me, it’s either sort of incompetent, or motivated by priorities like taking the most direct route rather than minimizing the chances for me to die along the way, or it’s kind of a sadist. Sorry, I have Feelings about this one.)

Ethan, however, has a take that I think is... relevant, to the state of the world at the moment. He thinks the specifics of the world at any given time are all determined by chaos and random motion, but that there’s a cosmic balance between... stuff that’s very hard to give names to. “Good and evil” is part of it. “Order and entropy” might be a little closer. “Light and darkness”, whatever. But there’s this cosmic balance, and if, say, the Forces of Evil or whatever you want to call them... if something pushes too hard in one direction, tries to make one side win, the universe is gonna bounce back. There’s always gonna be that push-pull. Lots of people can get hurt or killed in the process, but because Ethan and I both read LOTR at formative ages, where we wind up at is the line “They cannot conquer forever”. You can’t have... you can’t get stuck. This is probably terribly Manichaean or something of us, but right now that’s the best I can word. That there’s always gonna be the thing you are Against, but there’s also always gonna be the thing you are For, even if one of them gets pretty squished for a while.

What are your career goals? -- Sometimes what you want to be when you grow up is “paid”. ;P I’d like to reach a point where I never have to ask the internet for money again, while continuing to be alive, and maybe can even give other people money. Help support my friends, travel around doing meetups, go to conventions or whatever, maybe do some cosplay. What exact job I’d be doing, Chaos only knows.

What is your favorite color? -- Blue. Royal blue, midnight blue, cobalt blue. Often with stars on.

What is your favorite flower? -- Uh. I’m gonna say these little striped white and purple crocuses that would come up through the snow in the spring? I loved those.

What was the first concert/show you attended? -- The Monkees 45th anniversary reunion concert. I said at the time that I’d blown five years of luck on the improbable string of coincidences that led to me getting there, but I’m so damn glad it happened, because I enjoyed it immensely, and Davy Jones died before what would have been their 50th. And hey, that was 2011, maybe I’m accumulating some luck again. ;-)

Something you are working on right now? -- This meme? XD In more general terms, reblobbenating some really old posts from my previous blog, as well as filling up my queue from same. It’s pretty slow going.

Have you ever had a near-death experience? -- Not the sort where you see a tunnel of light or go out of your body. Just the kind where you nearly die. :P

Are you a procrastinator or do you get things done early? -- Pfffft. Time management is something that happens to other people. ;P Occasionally I do get something done right away, but mostly it’s the night before deadline, or sometimes the night after. o_O Maybe when I have some spoons I’ll be better at that.

Left or right handed? -- Right. Very much so. My left hand is clumsy enough that I never did really get the hang of playing the piano with both hands, and I still struggle with video games that aren’t Mass Effect. (I’m good at Mass Effect because I’ve been playing it for something like five years at this point. ^_^)

TV Shows and anime you watch regularly -- Hah. I don’t watch anything regularly. I don’t even read books regularly, I go through phases where I don’t read a book for months and then suddenly I’m reading ten in a day. And I don’t do open canons, anyway; they interact badly with my particular anxieties and stress levels.

Halloween costume idea for this year? -- I generally default to a cowboy or a pirate. I also have a witch hat now. But I might come up with something else. Living in an apartment complex, though, there will be no trick-or-treaters, so unless I wind up working somewhere that does Halloween costumes, the point is rather moot.

What is your relationship status? -- Single, aromantic, have never dated anyone, would rather like a primary relationship at some point but that’s an issue for when I can support myself. :P

Last movie you just watched? -- I genuinely don’t know. Probably Black Panther? No, that was like February. Hot Fuzz?

A song that’s been stuck in your head? -- This very seldom happens to me. I think the last one was Janice Buckner’s “Strange Friends”, a little-known ‘80s children’s song, of which I can remember neither the tune nor the lyrics. Usually I can at least remember the lyrics even if I don’t know what tune they went to.

A book you want to read/have recently read? -- Erm. I just reread Aaron Allston’s X-wing books, if you can call it rereading when I was mostly skimming looking for good tumblr URLs (I found a lot, but none that felt like me). I’m not really in a reading phase at the moment, so.

#reblog if meme #sort of #i'm not really sure what to call this sort of meme

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weekendwarriorblog · 3 years

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The Weekend Warrior 4/16/21: IN THE EARTH, JAKOB’S WIFE, GUNDA and LINCOLN CENTER REOPENS

This is hopefully gonna be a relatively lighter and more streamlined column, because I have so much going on over at Below the Line, including a full weekend of awards this weekend past and another even busier one coming up. Because of this, I wasn’t really able to watch nearly as much stuff as I would have liked and have written fewer than normal reviews. (I know you’ve heard this tune before, but unfortunately, this state will continue for at least the next week, but once Oscars are done and past, I can get back to this column.

The big news this week is that New York’s Film at Lincoln Center has reopened with a retrospective celebrating the 50th Anniversary of FilmLinc’s long-running collaboration with the Museum of Modern Art, New Directors/New Films, which will begin on April 28. You can see the full line-up of the 2021 New Directors/New Films here, though I’m not sure how much I’ll be covering this year. (see above) It will take place in the virtual cinemas of FilmLinc and MOMA for people across the country and for those in New York City at the reopened FilmLinc theaters.

Leading up to that date, there will be a two-week retrospective called New Directors/New Films at 50, which will screen at the FilmLinc theaters as well as on Virtual Cinema, and that line up is:

Duvidha dir. Mani Kaul

Following dir. Christopher Nolan

The Goalie’s Anxiety at the Penalty Kick dir. Wim Wenders

The Living End dir. Gregg Araki

Lucía dir. Humberto Solás

My Brother’s Wedding dir. Charles Burnett

Peppermint Candy dir. Lee Chang-dong

Playing Away dir. Horace Ové

Les Rendez-vous d’Anna dir. Chantal Akerman

Sleepwalk dir. Sara Driver

Twenty Years Later dir. Eduardo Coutinho

Speaking of festivals, apparently there is a Brazilian genre fest going on right now called Fantaspoa 2021 that takes place on the Brazilian streaming horror service Dark Flix.

I have family in Brazil including a filmmaking cousin so I wonder if they know about this, but they seem to have a lot of cool and interesting films to share… and someday I hope to watch some of them. :)

Let’s get into some of the theatrical releases, shouldn’t we?

Filmmaker Ben Wheatley (High-Rise, Free Fire) is back with his eco-thriller IN THE EARTH (Neon), which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year. It stars Joel Fry and Ellora Torchia as Dr. Martin Lowery and Alma, two park rangers sent into the woods in search of missing researchers only to encounter an odd and eccentric hermit woodsman named Zach (Reece Shearsmith), who has lots of crazy ideas about nature and its effects on humans, so he proceeds to capture and torture the two rangers.

This is another one of Wheatley’s stranger films, one that he completely filmed and completed during the pandemic, and I’m not even sure what I can completely explain in the second half of the movie, not just due to spoilers but also because it just goes into some fairly out there places. But no mistake that this is true horror, especially when you see how the two main characters have to deal with the situation they found themselves in.

What’s interesting is that the story takes place during a pandemic but not necessarily the one we’re currently in, but as Martin and Alma get deeper into the woods, horrible things start happening. They’re attacked in their tents while sleeping and their shoes are stolen and then Martin gets a nasty cut on his foot that gets infected with something almost plant-like, which leads to a fairly tense and horrifying scene later on.

The movie shifts pretty drastically in the second half as the duo encounter another researcher named Olivia (Hayley Squires), who happens to be Zach’s wife AND Martin’s ex-girlfriend. Yeah, it’s that kind of movie, but it’s also one where it’s never really more than the two or three characters at a time. The movie can be slow at times but it always maintains the viewer’s interest in what is happening and what might happen next. And then it just gets so strange in that last act, really trippy and surreal and crazy with lots of fast-cut images and loud noises that really puts the viewer even further on edge. OH, and as you can see from the picture, Zach has an axe, which takes the film into places more akin to The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and away from the more cerebral stuff.

Where In the Earth really transcends is that it’s just such a great looking movie, and when you have a composer like Clint Mansell providing the score, as he did with Wheatley’s High-Rise, then you end up with a movie that works quite well for what it’s trying to do, which is to astound, disorient and puzzle the viewer but in a way that makes them want to watch it again and try to figure out more with each viewing.

As weird as the movie is, I could see there being an audience for the movie, particularly when you consider how movies like The Witch and Hereditary and Midsommar and The Lighthouse have found a niche audience or auteur lovers. Oddly, all four of those movies were released by A24, offering further proof that NEON is trying to get in on their turn.

I’m not quite sure how many theaters NEON is putting In the Earth into, but Wheatley’s latest eco-thriller maybe a harder sell with no known stars, and it’s definitely gonna be looking to bring in cinephile and auteur-huggers more than the normal Joe or Jill off the street. I expect NEON will try to get the movie into at least 1,000 theaters with many screens and reopened movie houses looking for content, but I’m not sure I’d expect this to do that much better than last week’s Voyagers, but maybe $3 million or so. It just doesn’t have much chance against a mainstream movie like Godzilla vs. Kong.

Anyway, check it out. I’ll have an interview with Ben Wheatley over at Below the Line probably early next week.

Another movie I highly recommend for horror fans is Travis Stevens’ JAKOB’S WIFE (RLJEfilms/Shudder), which stars the terrific Barbara Crampton and equally great Larry Fessenden as Ann Fedder, a woman married to the local small town pastor (aka Jakob), who feels that she hasn’t been able to live her full life while married to him for 30 years. When she has an encounter with a mysterious figure known as “The Master,” she finds herself gaining powers that allow her to live a new life but it has dark effects on her and everyone else in the town.

One thing I probably should mention is that I’ve known Larry Fessenden for a long time -- a friend of mine co-starred in his early movie Habit -- and I’m just a huge fan of Barbara Crampton from her classic horror films and more recent ones like my pal Ted Geoghegan’s We Are Still Here, which starred both of the actors.. And was produced by director Travis Stevens. See, how it all comes together?

This is another movie I don’t want to say too much about, as to not spoil your enjoyment of watching the various elements coming into place. Fessenden and Crampton are great as always, but I particularly like how Stevens has made a fairly contemporary horror movie that throws back to classic tropes like Cronenberg body horror and straight-out giallo blood flying everywhere.

I will say that the story involves a bit of a twist on the vampire movie, but more in vein of the weirdness from that 1988 Nicholas Cage movie, Vampire’s Kiss, versus anything like a studio Dracula movie, but it gives the two actors (especially Crampton) a chance to shine and really show different aspects of their abilities. Oh, also there’s lots of rats… lots and lots of rats...

Jakob’s Wife is a pretty fine independent horror film that certainly will deal a number of shrieks and squeals, and though it’s opening in theaters, On Demand and digital, much like most of RLJEfilms/Shudder’s offerings, I wish there were more of the local genre movie houses in which to watch it with a crowd cause even the SXSW Premiere probably wasn’t the same without an audience. Sigh, when will this fucking pandemic be over?!?

Oh, and by the way, I have an interview with Stevens over at Below the Line, so check that out to learn more.

Before we get to the rest of the new movies, let’s check out what’s going on at a few of my local digs, the Metrograph and Film Forum. Metrograph is just wrapping up another Aaron Sorkin retrospective, just three movies this time that wrapped with The Trial of the Chicago 7 (again) last night. On Friday, you can catch Thomas Vinterberg’s Oscar-nominated Another Round, starring Mads Mikkelsen, running as part of its digital Live Screenings series… I keep saying and will keep saying until you list. It’s $5 a month to join and watch a ton of cool movies!

Michael and Christian Blackwood’s Monk in Europe runs until next Monday and then there’s a few others also running through the weekend. Just click on that link above and join already!

At the Film Forum, Hitchcock’s great Rear Window is just wrapping up today, and I’m bummed I didn’t get a chance to see it on the big screen again. Starting Friday is Alec Guinness and Kind Hearts and Coronets, which had a pretty successful run at Film Forum in the before-times. The doc Gunda (right below) is also starting there in its reopened theaters as is the Norwegian Oscar entry Hope, starring the always great Stellan Skarsgard.

Victor (Aquarela) Kossakovsky’s acclaimed documentary GUNDA (NEON), which played most of the festivals last year is finally getting a bonafide theatrical release. It’s a black and white cinema verité that follows the lives of a number of farm animals, a mother pig, some chickens and a herd of cows. As a fan of The Biggest Little Farm, this is a movie that I’m apt to enjoy since I love nature docs, but it also involves staring at a screen (mostly my TV set) watching animals, which I really have to be in the right mood for, and it’s really been tough to get into that mood in the past year.

Sebastian Stan and Denise Gough star in Argyris Papadimitropoulos’s MONDAY (IFC Films) as Americans living in Athens who meet and have a whirlwind weekend one hot summer. Gough plays Chloe, whose time in Greece is coming to an end, but she has to decide whether to pass up a big job back home to see if the weekend she had with Stan’s Mickey is worth exploring and turning into something more serious. I do hope to get to this one eventually, but who knows when?

Gabriel Carrer and Reese Eveneshen’s FOR THE SAKE OF VICIOUS (Dread) stars Lora Burke as Romina (Lora Burke), single mother and nurse, who returns home after a late shift on Halloween night to find a maniac hiding in her home with a beat-up hostage. When a mob of intruders invade Romina’s home, the three have to work together to survive. The movie will hit theaters on Friday, be available via On Demand on Tuesday and then hit Blu-ray on May 4, so you’ll have lots of options to see it.

Barry Pepper stars in Brad (“24,” “Homeland”) Turner’s TRIGGER POINT (Screen Media), which will hit theaters this Friday and be On Demand on April 23. In it, he plays retired U.S. special operative Nicolas Brazer, who worked as a shadow assassin for the government but disappeared into a life of solitude after being accused of killing his team. Two years later, he’s drawn back into the world to clear his name and maybe turn a new leaf.

I don’t have a ton to say about this film, especially cause we just saw it in a much better version of this movie called Nobody. Pepper’s a great actor and that’s probably what saves Trigger Point from being a total loss, but it’s a fairly dry by-the-books crime thriller with a fairly generic plot that we’ve seen plenty of times before and often quite a bit better.

Also out this week is Christo Brock’s craft beer documentary BREWMANCE (Giant Pictures), which looks at… you guessed it… the history and obsession that a number of brewers have with craft beer. This is a fine doc, but like Gunda, I have to be in the right mood for it, and I’m just so busy that I never was able to just sit down and just concentrate on watching this.

Alan Yuen, the screenwriter of New Police Storyand director of Firestorm return with THE ROOKIES (Shout! Studios!), starring Alu Wang and Milla Jovovich. Wang plays daredevil and extreme sports lover Zhao Feng, who gets caught up in an illegal trade scheme when he crosses paths with Jovovich’s Special Agent Bruce and she recruits him for the Order of the Phantom Knighthood. The group is dedicated to fighting evil in all its incarnations, and it’s a ragtag outfit of four rookies with different skills. This sounds like my kind of jam, and at any other time, I would have had more time to watch and review it. Two weeks before the Oscars is not that time.

Devereux Millburn’s HONEYDEW (Dark Star Pictures/Bloody Disgusting) stars Sawyer Spielberg and Malin Barr as a young couple forced to seek shelter in the home of an aging farmer (Barbara Kingsley from “Jessica Jones”) and her odd son until they start having strange hallucinations and cravings. It’s a little odd that two horror sites, Dread Central and Bloody Disgusting, have movies out this week as they venture in distribution. But I just didn’t have time to see either movie. Sorry, guys!

And then the other movies I wasn’t able to get to this week include:

BEAST BEAST (Vanishing Angle)

VANQUISH (Lionsgate)

NIGHT OF THE SICARIO (Saban Films)

BILL TRAYLOR: CHASING GHOSTS (Kino Lorber)

OUR TOWNS (HBO/HBO Max)

GOODBYE BUTTERFLY (Gravitas Ventures)

That’s it for this week. Next week is actually the release of the new Mortal Kombat from Warner Bros. although I’m expecting a very busy weekend with awards over at Below the Line, so we’ll see how far I get. Wish me luck!

#theweekendwarrior #movies #intheearth #boxoffice #reviews #jakobs wife

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naizamayg · 6 years

Text

forty-eight letters to the moon

Some say if you live in outer space you don’t grow old as fast as people do on earth. That’s why I want to send these letters to the moon, so these words, these feelings and these memories would hopefully last longer than our time on earth. Dear Joshua, thank you for being the most responsible/most concerned student in our class. We sometimes tease you about it but we actually really admire that about you. Not everyone can speak up for what’s right, not everyone is as brave as you. Dear Cj, you’ve changed a lot but I’m not saying it in a negative way. We all change and that’s just normal. You changed in some negative ways but in positive ways also. You still get mad easily (to others) but atleast you don’t get mad at me that easily now hahaha, but that’s who you are. That made you the CJ in our room. Hope to see that scowl on your face gone the next time we see each other in years time. I hope you find your peace within. Dear Kenneth, You’re probably one of the most creative person i’ve met. You can make anything from scrap into art. You make wonderful stories and films that is not just a classroom pride but a school wide pride. You make a lot of us laugh in a daily basis, though sometimes you go overboard but I’m cool with it since I’m not easily offended but remember, it might affect others. I don’t know anything about you besides this joke-generating-out-of-the-box-minded person you are. Someday I wish to know about who you really are because ik everyone is more than what they show in class. Dear Ronnie, The ever late secretary hahaha just kidding. You have an incredible way to express words you read and I was amazed by our readers’ theatre performance on how you stole the spotlight. You should try and apply as a radio broadcaster in your school next year and join orations or declamations. Don’t be afraid of the thought of losing or no one supporting you. I would always be there somewhere in the crowd cheering for you. Dear Laurence, You have a reputation of having cold heart in our room. IDK if this is just a front or this is just really you but sometimes in rare occasions I can feel that your heart warms up. That sometimes you laugh too hard, smile too wide and give too much and I notice it and I think that’s the better version of Laurence that everyone might not see but I see it and I hope you try and show that to other people more often. Dear Aaron, I’m not gonna live happily if I dont get this out of my chest, Aaron sorry. Talking about you behind your back, not believing some words you say and just being rude to you. You probably noticed by now, you’re a smart observer anyway but I also want to say that some of us think you’re sometimes too arrogant they’re not wrong tho but sometimes you are someone who is nice to talk to especially relating to anime we have some bad sides in us and you can’t help that people would think and talk about your bad sides and ik it sounds ugly but it’s the truth again I’m sorry if I ever hurt you in some way bc ik you have never hurt me. Dear Freidrich, The only thing that pops up in my head is LASHES. I lowkey wanna steal them lol. Anyway, you’re a really good and smart person I still can’t believe you perfected the individual quiz bee during high school day. Isa kang tunay na #nofear. Dear Karlos, I remember you as the quiet smart boy in the class back in elementary and you still are. I hope you speak up sometimes bc ik you have a lot of ideas and stories to tell but maybe I’m just not there in times you do tell them. You’re sometimes made fun of in your group of friends and not gonna lie, I sometimes laugh with them but idk if you get hurt when they do or not but if you do I’m sorry and I hope you tell them when they say too much and that you feel suffocated if they do that. Dear Daryll, You are such a comfortable person to be with that’s probably bc you’re a Sagittarius. You always smile when people get mad at you and I find that very funny yet admirable how can you be so strong to not even lose your smile when people downgrade you. I hope to see that smile again it’s such a refreshing image and I hope you never let anyone make you falter that smile. Dear Harvey, I wrote this after the mapeh periodic test and after knowing my results in research and idk why in those moments you were there??? Idk but yeah I didn’t review anything about mapeh but you helped me and when I was upset (even tho i was smiling shonga ko) bc of my grade in research you were brave enough to tell me you have a lower grade than me idk if it was to comfort me but thank you. Dear Emil, you are probably the most “friendly” person I have met but I’m not bothered of how touchy you get bc I honestly don’t care hahahaha. But it just shows that you’re a comfortable, nice companion. Dear Ryan, I honestly don’t know what to write to feel or to say or what kind of friendship we have. We fight about the most nonsensical things but also don’t hate each other. Sorry if sometimes I joke too much to the point (if ever) that i hurt you. It’s not intentional I promise. It’s just probably bc we have a clashing immature personalities. Dear Jonard, I only knew you for a year but I felt really close to you we both like haikyuu and volleyball so ig it wasn’t hard to approach you and you being my table mate was a plus. I miss being your table mate btw but it’s your decision to sit wherever you want hahaha. Dear johnroe, keep writing and writing you’re amazing really you’ve proven that writing is a form of art and I admire that just do what you love and surround yourself with positivity. Dear felmar, you are so talented, smart and kind you have a big heart and an open mind and thank you for being you. We need more people like you in the class to avoid fights and misunderstandings you’re really the Mr. President of the anti-bullying club Dear Whesley, you have a short temper probably shorter than me (get it?) And a selfish attitude (sometimes) but even tho you’re not the kindest person, I don’t think you deserve to be disrespected to the point of not cheking your papers on tests but I hope you don’t plot revenges. It would only grow hatred on you. Try to be nicer and thank you for teaching me how to play chess hahaha. Dear Timi, sometimes you’re too impractical and it ruins you but you have a good heart who desires to help others and I think that’s enough thank you for taking care of us Mr. President. Dear Yran, I was once a crybaby (still think I am even tho I rarely cry) but I know how wonderful it feels after crying after letting it all out and I just want to say just be a cry baby all you want. Don’t listen to what other people tell you or to what they will think about you. Let yourself cry let yourself feel, let yourself be human. Dear Darylle, you are 1/3 of a whole I admire your friendship with Precious and Karen and I seriously hope you guys won’t drift apart because in my perspective you guys are genuinely happy together. Dear Kryssha, I hope to be with you in a BTS concert someday hahaha. You’ll met them soon and you’re a really good dancer. You should try and show it more and don’t be shy. Dear Judee, you’re quite confusing but I like being confused anyway. Hehe idk you have this feel of weirdness that I actually think it’s normal bc you’re Judee. Though you’re sometimes shallow, I know you have a very deep mind and have great ideas. Dear Janae, I dont know how it ended and how we pretend it never happened but all I know is that thank you and sorry because I couldn’t be there when I know you would’ve been for me. Dear Buena, I’m still thankful for your blog and will always am it’s nice to know how other people see me hahaha. I want to hear you sing more and have more confidence. You’re unique in your own way. I just realized (bc of laurence’s blog) that you really have the same expression to everything hahaha. Dear Angelica, You’re so modest and nice i don’t know a lot about you but i hope you keep your smile always and penge naman height:(( Dear Karen, you are a 1/3 of a whole and a beautiful morena. Embrace your beauty and always keep your head up. Stay as a happy person with precious and darylle. Dear Julia, thank you for teaching me how to dance bboom bboom hahaha. You’re also a great dancer and have confidence also keep smiling with your cute pangil. Dear angelica, an innocent soul with a contagious laugh I don’t know your story. I don’t know your deepest secrets but i know you have them bc I was once you I still am someone waiting for life’s trick to break me down to pieces. Dear salve, look at the stars tonight, breathe in, breathe out. Watch some kdramas. Dream about something, anything. Imagine a life where happiness is limitless. You are so strong for holding on for this long and I want you to be stronger. I need you to be stronger, because one day you’ll look at the stars again, you’ll breathe in and breathe out again, you’ll watch some kdramas again and dream about something, anything again, but you won’t imagine a life where happiness is limitless because you will live it. Dear christelle, i still remember when we used to be bffs and I was really happy being your friend back then but idk what happened we just ended things but ik we ended it in a good terms sometimes being with someone for too long is tiring and I’m sorry if I didn’t hold your hand longer. I’ll always remember you and Kim as my first bffs B! F! F! Hahaha I hope you still remember this chant we had. Dear Kristel, sorry if sometimes I’m too rude or if you feel I neglect you. I don’t hate you , I actually like you but whenever you approach me, I would either be in a bad mood or hungry hahahaha, so I kinda get annoyed at times but you still smile at me whenever I do and I feel really bad. I hope you reach your dreams of being a fashion designer and your love life would be prosperous (oyiiiiiii~~~) Dear jeanelle, you are probably the nicest person i’ve met. I know you have struggles and problems of your own but you always kept quiet about it so you won’t worry anyone but I hope you do tell about them because it’s bad to bottle it all inside. Thank you for being my seat (cheat) mate hahaha and sorry if I ever gave you a wrong answer in a test hahaha. Dear editha, a kind and strong heart you have. I like how you stand up for yourself and how you stand up for others thank you for being a reason for me to be stronger. I really want to have a heart like yours. Micah, I think you’re more chill than me. You go to school just when you feel like it but still have high grades isa kang #nofear pt.2 hahaha I hope you hold on salve’s hand a little bit longer she needs you and if you ever need someone i’ll always offer my hand. Nina, i know how it feels when you think you’re worth less than someone just because of your weight but I never thought that you were any less than anyone then and now. I admire your determination to lose weight but you’re beautiful in any form though your words come of harsh ik you just want the best for them but please keep in mind that karissa may have this reputation of being a strong kalog girl she’s also so fragile. Karissa, hey little sunshine. Hold up, okay? I know no one knows and that no one blinks an eye just because you aren’t showing it or you aren’t suffering as much to the pint of falling to this endless pit but it’s not like that you don’t have to be collapsing for people to notice and to give a hand. They should’ve come closer to hear what you’re saying not for you to repeat and change what you said. Kath, I want you to be kath. I want you to not be compared to your brother. I know how hard it is to have a big brother. Parents will always think of them first and tbh who cares about what they think do things for yourself okay and loosen up a bit and smile more. Shany, you’re so hung up with this guy which I always tell you, he’s not good for you but maybe it’s your happiness waiting for him for so long to chat you back. That maybe he is your happiness so I’m sorry for being insensitive that time I just want to say to think of yourself first and to choose what would make you happier we’re still young there’s still so many faces to meet, hearts to connect and smiles to smile with. Kezia, i know how you want to change the way you look but I honestly think you look fine. I respect how you think about yourself but I just want you to know that whatever you look like it’s the best version of you. Ayra, you have this aura around you that makes me feel at ease. I just know that whatever I say you wouldn’t judge me and you know my kind of humor so I’m happy joking around with you. Thank you for everything. Precious, you are a 1/3 of a whole I find it so funny how you darylle and karen bicker hahaha. I hope you guys always stay together and I hope you will always have that smile in your face. Jemarie, I really like how you draw. You’re an amazing artist tho I’m sad that you wouldn’t pursue it in the future, being a doctor who saves lives is good too. Thank you for all the answers you shared hahaha Katreena, you are such a kind innocent soul that whenever I see you down or upset it makes me sad too. Thank you for opening up to me and telling me your problems that time. Thank you for trusting me enough to ask me what decision you would make and that is to be happy. I hope you’re finally happy and will always be. Joanna, thank you for making me look tall hahaha. Just kidding you’re so cute whenever you dress up and i find your fashion sense really good. Andrew, I have been your classmate for so long to know your capabilities. It is very clear that you are smart person and you never smile at pictures to make it seem like you’re not emotional at all. You’re the one who is most affected about our moving up and I know you are concerned about your weight too and it’s completely okay to feel these things. No one will judge you, but remember to still take care of yourself. Saka wag mo nang i-break si ABCD, kawawa naman. Dear sam, thank you really I’m so thankful for you. You were such a huge twist of fate for me. When I first sat beside you I thought you hated me because i got promoted. But then when you talked to me we just suddenly clicked and was transported to a world where only the two of us exist. You once told me I was a person who doesn’t stay and I know that because i never had a strong grip on anything and I’m a very clueless, insensitive, shallow-hearted person yet you’re the only one who saw it (and maybe abcd too) and thank you for knowing who the real me is. Sorry because i won’t stay and that it might look like i’ll just forget about it but I won’t, I promise so don’t be surprised when one day at 3 am I text/chat you about random things or about my dream last night. Dear grace, I’m sorry at times that I “bully” you just for a laugh, it seems as though you are unaffected which sometimes makes me have the urge to make fun of you sometimes. But you are probably one of the most self-conscious people I know, and whenever you are told that what you’re doing is negative, you stop doing the thing entirely. But thank you for still understanding me and supporting me and accompanying me when the Hi-Y club advisers asks me to go to the library. Sorry if you always do or give things to me but I would sometimes not reciprocate it. Sorry for being the receiving end. I’m so thankful to you. You’re a part of who I am right now and who I will be. I hope someday we’ll be both able to sleep with peace, knowing our moms are sleeping and will wake up tomorrow and if things wont go in our way, I’ll always be there okay? and I hope you are too because I would really need you if it does happen. ps. One day, i’ll pay you back for all my utangs, kahit nasa ULST na ako at may chance akong tumakas. Dear Abcd, Thank you for everything. You will always be the first one i’ll talk to whenever I find something funny. You’ve influenced me so much. I became matured, more responsible and idk if you know this but I stopped crying because of you. I’m not saying it in a negative way hahaha what I mean is you made me stronger and unconsciously gave me a rope to help me climb. You didn’t gave me your hand because you wanted me to do it myself, because that’s the most important thing in everything. Always do things yourself for yourself. You taught me this so now that you’re the one who is drowning I honestly don’t know what to do. I’m always this clueless whenever it’s not about me. But please promise me, please promise yourself that you’ll swim as hard as the currents hit you and you’ll someday meet me in the shore. We all don’t know what we want or what to do don’t pressure yourself. We’re all as confused as you. Let’s all be lost while we are young. ps. Be happy :) Dear Naiza, I hope you would stop being so difficult and stop being so half hearted to everything. To studies, to your friends, to your family and to yourself. You don’t like to admit it but you’re so selfish and sometimes insensitive. You only show this version of you that would look great. The version of you who is always happy, who doesn’t have any problems. You even cover up your problems by saying positive things about your life. You’re the biggest liar I know. I wish you would also stop getting annoyed easily and being too dependent. Stop acting like you care when you honestly don’t, but you know you have to care because you have to be a good person right? but you’re not. It’s really scary how different you are from school, at home, at the internet or at your bed during 3 am. At school you’re this out going person, at home you’re this ignorant person who doesn’t know what her family feels, at the internet you’re so bitchy and rude, at 3 am you’re the most vulnerable person anyone can be. Someday I hope you find who you really are because i’m done with you lying.

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buttdawg · 4 years

Video

youtube

FTR vs. The Initiative (Brandon Cutler & Peter Avalon)

Pineapple Pete & Michael Nakazawa vs. Joey Janela & Sonny Kiss

Abadon vs. Skyler Moore

Will Hobbs & Shawn Dean vs. Dark Order (Stu Grayson & Evil Uno)

Corey Hollis vs. Scorpio Sky

Kenzie Paige vs. Penelope Ford

Aaron Solow vs. Wardlow

Best Friends vs. Dark Order (Alex Reynolds & John Silver)

Lance Archer vs. Frankie Thomas

Orange Cassidy vs. Serpentico

Fuego Del Sol vs. Sammy Guevara

SCU vs. Private Party vs. Santana & Ortiz

I’m watching this one right now, so I might as well throw in some liveblog commentary.

--This episode marks the beginning of the Cutler/Avalon team using the name “The Initiative”. The implication is that they’re finally getting comfortable working as a unit.

I don’t really get FTR’s “Follow The Rules” gimmick. This match is a good example, because they nag Aubrey Edwards about enforcing proper tag rules, but then they tried to do a hand-to-boot tag themselves during their match on this show. And then they win using a spiked piledriver, which used to be illegal in 1989, so it seems weird that these “Old School” traditionalists would adopt it as a finisher. Or maybe it’s supposed to be ironic, I don’t know. They’re a great team, I’ve always thought so, but I keep losing the plot with them.

--Sonny and Joey have a new remix entrance theme. Not sure how I feel about the music, but I like it when teams enter together.

I guess Pineapple Pete is into baby oil like Nakazawa now? This match sees Pete oil up Naka’s back and then slide across him to spear Sonny in the corner, using Naka’s back like a homoerotic slip’n’slide.

Pete just tagged Joey even though they’re on opposite teams? Was Pete mocking them, or did Joey think that was Sonny’s arm because they were all locked up in a hold? Or did Pete think he was in his own corner? So many questions.

Joey and Pete sell Naka’s thong claw like a champ. I feel kind of bad for Sonny having to deal with all these goofballs, but he looked good out here.

--They talk a lot about how green the AEW Women’s roster is, and I’m not disputing that, though I can’t tell which women are experienced and which ones aren’t. Nevertheless, they’ve got a lot of strong characters in this division, and I think that’s something women’s wrestling usually lacks. Abadon is a prime example. Maybe she’s a total rookie, but she looks so horriffic that it doesn’t matter. She’s like Bray Wyatt but actually scary.

And then you’ve got Britt Baker’s dentist/role model thing, Kris Statlander’s alien gimmick, Rayche Chanel’s “what have I stumbled into?” character, Leva Bates, and so on. That’s the cure for a roster with limited experience. They need to repackage Skyler Moore as some sort of truck driver or a witch or something.

--Promo package for Shawn Spears here. I saw this on Twitter, and it made no sense to me, because he didn’t explain what the glove does. Basically, Shawn lost on PPV to Dustin Rhodes, and Tully Blanchard chewed him out on Dynamite, and then he gave him a black glove like it was the key to furthering his career.

Now that I’ve watched all these Dark episodes, I finally see what’s going on here. The glove isn’t loaded. There’s nothing special about it, and they even have the refs make a big deal out of checking it before the bell. But then Tully will pass a metal slug to Shawn during the match, and then he’ll load the glove.

And this is great, because it justifies Tully’s presence (the glove only works as a cheat if Shawn has someone to smuggle the slug to him.), and it gives Shawn a winning record. My beef with the “Search for Spears” angle was that Tully kept putting him in tag matches to audition potential partners, and they never won. The implication was that Shawn Spears sucks and the only possible way to fix him is to pair him up with a better performer who can carry him through a tag match, except there isn’t one.

But the glove works, because it really is a coaching tool. Sometimes, Tully doesn’t even give Shawn the slug until after the match is over, because Shawn doesn’t always need it. So it’s not just a cheat. It’s a secret weapon if Shawn needs it, but it’s also a confidence builder. As long as Shawn is wearing the glove, he knows he can use the slug if things go poorly, but he also feels motivated to do his best without the slug.

My only complaint is that they introduced the glove on Dynamite, but only explained how it works on Dark. But now that I’m caught up, it doesn’t bother me as much.

--Not much to say about these Dark Order matches. I looked them up the other day because I wanted to make sense of their numbering system, but as far as I can tell they never used 6 or 7, and you never see 8 or 9 anymore. Maybe the unnnamed “spokesman” guy is 6 and Brodie Lee is 7? I thought the whole point of Brodie Lee was that he was the Exalted One, but they have Evil Uno, so that’s shot to hell. Is Brodie #0? Is he unnumbered because he’s in charge? Does Anna Jay get a number? Does Colt?

--It’s weird to watch Scorpio Sky’s winning streak on Dark, because I watched his TNT title match with Cody first, and I think that was supposed to be the payoff of this story. But I sort of hope this keeps going. Sky might as well keep doing singles matches, keep racking up wins, and take another crack at the AEW World title. While he was fighting Cody, the announce team talked about him becoming the first Black AEW World Champion someday, and it got me thinking about how he could very easily become TNT Champ someday, and I think the World title’s only a few years away at most. Really, the conversation should be about Scorp becoming the first AEW Triple Crown winner.

In terms of Black firsts, would he be the first African American Triple Crown winner? Nah, Booker T pulled that off in WCW, right? I’m not even sure he was the first to do that, but I’d have to look it up. Anyway, Sky looks like a guy who could win all the singles belts, and he’s already done the tag title, so he’s got a leg up over just about everybody.

-Dig the psychology of Penelope Ford locking in a camel clutch and (illegally) hooking her fingers into Kenzie Page’s face, then turning Kenzie’s face from side to side to hide her fingers from the referee. Nice stuff.

-Aaron Solow kind of looks like Kirk Hammet from Metallica. Wardlow wins by KO, then keeps attacking Solow after the bell, and I feel like they really need to bring back the thing where the ref will reverse the decision to punish the heel for excessive brutality. It didn’t get a lot of use in early 90′s WWF, but it was pretty cool when it happened.

-I really want to see Lance Archer mow down a whole squad of Dark Order guys. That’d be pretty sweet.

Holy shit they didn’t cut off Lance’s theme song during his entrance! First time for everything.

Taz asks on commentary how Jake can control Lance Archer, because he thinks he needs pointers on how to control Brian Cage. Taz, Jake’s just some guy Lance Archer lets follow him around. He’s gonna beat the shit out of Jake too; he’s just saving Jake for later.

-A lot has been made on Dark about Serpentico’s streamers. I dig them, but I don’t know what more there is to be said. I’m more interested in the weird protrusion from his luchadore mask.

-I dig the laid back commentary from Excalibur and Taz, including where they try to figure out what to call Penelope Ford’s leather garter (thighlet?) and whether or not “smooth as ice” would be a good figure of speech.

-I’ve seen Sammy Guevara’s GTH a few times, and I can’t really tell if it’s anything other than a GTS. Well, he carries the guy face-up on his shoulders, and I think the GTS starts out with the guy lying face-down on the shoulders, so maybe that’s the difference?

-Private Party and Matt Hardy do a promo before their match. The problem I’ve got with Matt is that he announced that he was dropping all of his characters, but I can’t tell the fucking difference. I think he was doing a bit as “Big Money Matt”, which I vaguely remember from a run he had in ROH? I never saw it, though. But it doesn’t sound that much different from all the other Matts, including default Matt. Also, he went nuts on the last episode of Dynamite, attacking a guy he thought was Sammy Guevara when he actually wasn’t. So is that him going nuts and descending back into his Broken gimmick, or is Normal Matt just going normal nuts? I sort of don’t care enough, is the problem.

-I like this triple-threat tag match, as it features the three teams that sort of got overlooked in this whole Young Bucks/FTR/OmegaPage thing. Those three teams have been circling around this “who’s the best?” business, but I think Private Party, SCU, and Santana/Ortiz have plenty of business in that conversation. Oh, and the Lucha Brothers, but yeah, there’s an embarassment of riches in this tag division.

-And of course PNP wins, because they’re THE BEST THE BEST THE BEST THE--!

#aew #aew dark #aew dark playlist

0 notes

day0one · 4 years

Link

Trump Is (Once Again) Blaming Obama for Not Developing a Test for a Virus That Didn't Exist Yet

We are still asking the president questions about the coronavirus response as if he did not recently suggest medical professionals try injecting people with household disinfectant products in order to clean the lungs. What's good for your countertop is good for your internal organs. (This was not "sarcastic," as the president suggested, and anyway, if it was, that would just be a different kind of weird.) He does not read his briefings. He rarely attends the meetings of his Task Force, which may or may not be disbanded soon anyway. And yet we'll keep asking him questions as if he knows what's happening, or really cares, and he's not just trying to thrash his way through another news cycle.

The President of the United States visited an Arizona plant that's manufacturing masks on Tuesday, where, among other activities, he did the thing where he pretends to be a Serious Man Listening to What You're Saying while talking and breathing all over a container of masks while not wearing a mask himself. (To do so would be Weak, and our president is Strong.) Or maybe Donald Trump really was listening intently and absorbing what the guy was saying when he explained how the mask blocks "particulates." I suppose we'll never know. Meanwhile, someone blasted "Live and Let Die" on the speakers.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Aaron Rupar ✔ @atrupar They blasted “Live and Let Die” while Trump walked around a Honeywell plant today in Arizona without a mask. It’s hard to believe this clip is real.

Embedded video 71.3K 7:27 PM - May 5, 2020 · Washington, DC Twitter Ads info and privacy 29.8K people are talking about this -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It's just bizarre how many people pretend he might be doing the job rather than watching TV until it's time to go out and be on TV. People actually working on this crisis, on the ground, in his administration, are saying hospital workers in many areas still face shortages of masks, gowns, and other medical gear, according to a conference call recording obtained by Politico. Those same people warn that if much of the nation moves to lift social-distancing restrictions, hospitals could be overwhelmed and we could once again face a ventilator shortage. (The administration did make progress on the ventilator issue after experts and local authorities warned it could be a significant problem early on.) Testing has improved, but it's still inadequate in many areas, especially if we have designs on reopening.

The president says none of this is a problem, however, and we're ready to reopen, and even though we all know he doesn't read anything—or really listen to anything he doesn't want to hear—many in the political media and beyond pretend his version of events could be true because he is the president. Someday, we will have to grapple with the fact that things do not become plausible because a powerful person is saying them. In fact, they deserve extra skepticism! Anyway, after the DJ performance of "Live and Let Die" was over, Trump went over to another area of the plant to sit down with ABC News' David Muir for a rare interview outside the friendly confines of the Fox News Channel.

Among other things, Trump trotted out one of his new favorite lies, that he somehow inherited "broken tests" from the Obama administration. The novel coronavirus we're all talking about is new—hence the "novel." It did not exist when Barack Obama was president. It would not have been possible to develop a test. He used to make vague suggestions that Obama failed to develop testing capacity on the scale we now need, which makes a little more sense, but his criticism of Obama's response to H1N1 and other outbreaks now looks patently ridiculous. Meanwhile, Obama developed a pandemic response team within the White House to lead exactly this kind of effort, an office that Trump's national security council eliminated. Also, the Obama administration created a pandemic response playbook, which Trump's people completely ignored.

The "broken tests" that were a problem in reality were developed in 2020 by the Centers for Disease Control under President Donald J. Trump, after the administration rejected tests developed by German scientists and approved by the World Health Organization in favor of developing their own. Trump could even try to pass the buck on this one, saying it's on the CDC, but he seems to be banking on the idea his followers will like it better if he blames Obama. He's also banking on people like Muir not challenging him on the basic impossibility of the "Obama's broken tests" claim, even though, as CNN's Daniel Dale pointed out, he makes it all the time. This is starting to rival his constant lie that he passed "Veteran's Choice"—which he also mentioned Tuesday—and which was actually signed by Obama.

Muir did press Trump on why, if the "cupboards were bare" when he took office, he did not devote any time or energy to refilling the cupboards over the last three years. (He also spent none of the extra time the United States had before the virus arrived here, compared to many other countries, to fill the cupboards—or do much of anything, really.) This prompted a predictable festival of victimhood.

Aaron Rupar ✔ @atrupar ICYMI: Trump's response to ABC asking him why he wasn't more prepared for the coronavirus was, "Well, I'll be honest, uh, I have a lot of things going on."

Yes, that's a real quote.

Embedded video 7,603 9:47 AM - May 6, 2020 · Washington, DC Twitter Ads info and privacy 4,064 people are talking about this This rant relies first of all on the notion the Russia investigation was magicked into existence out of thin air by the president's enemies. The investigation was opened because a Trump adviser blabbed to an Australian diplomat about Russian dirt on Clinton. It was not about The Dossier, which some sections of the media got out over their skis talking about. While the FBI used some unethical tactics while investigating members of the 2016 Trump campaign, they mostly appear to be the same unethical tactics the FBI uses all the time. The Mueller Report found insufficient evidence to bring charges of conspiracy, but that's different than saying there was no evidence and the investigation lacked justification. Also, the same report found numerous instances in which the president abused his power to obstruct the investigation. Also, the Republican Senate does not dispute that Russia attacked the 2016 election to get Trump elected.

And let's not even get started on the Ukraine business, a cut-and-dried impeachable offense wherein the president extorted a foreign government until it agreed to attack our democracy for his personal benefit. Even some of the president's Republican allies in the Senate granted he did what he was accused of before acquitting him because they were scared or just don't give a shit. In fact, the president appears to be using some of the same tactics now, exercising his official powers to distribute pandemic response resources in a way that seems to reward his political allies while harming his enemies. It's almost like this person's life is characterized by selfishness, deceit, and abuse of power to get what he wants, and when that runs up against the powers of the presidency, it creates continual crises that merit his removal from the office. Also, he's not doing the job.

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