#it feels mean to cast ed as ross

[laceratedlamiaceae]

Steddyhands fic where Ed and Izzy are exes who still awkwardly hang out because they have mutual friends but there's a lot of unresolved stuff between them. Stede and Ed are getting married and Izzy decides not to go to the wedding, but he changes his mind at the last minute and shows up. Ed looks over and gets distracted at the exact wrong moment and says Izzy's name instead of Stede's during his vows. Stede runs off and Ed goes after him while Izzy just sits there, kind of pleased but trying not to show it too much.

Eventually Izzy figures he should probably do something, if only to get Fang and Ivan off his back, so he goes to talk to Stede. Stede is still really mad at Ed, so even after Izzy's assurances that there's nothing going on between them he decides to sleep with Izzy as revenge. Izzy goes along with it because he knows it'll fuck with Ed.

Stede comes clean to Ed and they decide that to make things even, Ed should get to sleep with Izzy too. Izzy says he'll only do it if Stede is there too, just to cause maximum chaos. The ensuing threesome is so good that they decide to try being in a relationship.

#yes this is basically just the plot of a friends episode #it feels mean to cast ed as ross #but i find them both infuriating in similar ways so #our flag means death #ofmd #edward teach #stede bonnet #izzy hands #steddyhands #fanfic ideas

[tonguepiercedanyway75]

Wedding guest // Ross Macdonald x Reader

summary: the whole band is a guest at a wedding (you’re part of it) and then you get closer and closer to Ross

warnings: 18+ mdni

masterlist

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The evening is aglow with the soft light of lanterns strung overhead, casting a magical ambiance over the outdoor wedding venue. As a member of The 1975, you are part of the band invited to perform at this special occasion. The air is filled with music, laughter, and the chatter of guests, but amidst it all, your attention keeps drifting to Ross.

The last months your feelings have changed. He was always your best friend and you spend the most time together but it’s different. He makes you want him all the time. You miss him when he’s gone for 5 minutes but you can’t breathe when he’s there. The longer you look at him, the more you want to tell him that you want to be with him.

But you can’t. Because it’ll ruin everything.

That’s why you’re sitting in front of him, avoiding to look him in the face, even though he looks as beautiful as ever today. In a black suit, matching his beard, eyes and smile.

“Bollocks! C’mon Ross you agree with me right?” John laughs and sips his drink. Honestly you don’t even know what you’ve been talking about and Ross doesn’t either.

“Sure,” he laughs. His hand drops down under the table and seconds later he’s pulling out a cigarette. He holds up the pack.

“Would you like one?” He asks and you decline. You don’t want your own. You only want to share. Ross nods.

You take the last sip of your drunk and stand up, “I’m gonna get a refill,” you mumble as you walk away.

“Mate, she’s weird today don’t you think?” Ross nudges John and nods his head your way. John just smiles because he knows about your feelings and he knows about how Ross feels about you.

“You haven’t said one word to her, maybe a compliment wouldn’t have been bad.” That’s true. When Ross gives you compliment they mean so much more. You want to be beautiful just to hear him say you are. It’s stupid.

“She’s not even looking at me longer than a minute let alone speaking to me in a full sentence.” His head drops and he starts rubbing his forehead, trying to understand why you’re acting that way.

John’s hand finds his shoulder, “just tell her already mate.” A voice interrupts the two.

“Tell her you are whipped for her?, mate it’s getting timeeee,” Matty says hugging him ironically from behind.

“Fuck off,” Ross says, pushing his head away, “you’re plastered already.” Matty huffs at the obviously true statement.

“I’m telling you, don’t be an arse and tell her you wanna shag her.” John breaks out in laughter and puts an arm around his shoulder. “Fucking drink some water,” he says and leaves with him.

Ross is sitting there, hoping you’ll return any second and you do. With a new cocktail. You lost count of how many drinks you had but it doesn’t even matter. The second you sit down the groom is speaking through the microphone.

“Okayyy, it’s getting time for some dances, you’re all welcome to join on the dance floor.” It’s a funky song and you’re definitely not drunk enough to show some dance moves.

“Where’s John?” You ask, breaking the silence. You look around because John promised to tell you the newest tea from his family.

“Looking after Matty, he’s had a tad much of alcohol.” You giggle. The sound makes Ross smile and warm his heart.

“Knew it,” you said “Adam owes me 20 quid.” Adam was so sure that Charli is going to be the drunkest but she’s dancing with George, too busy to drink.

You look around and there are not many people sitting down. At your table there’s only you and Ross and at the one next to you there’s Polly and Gabi.

Ross doesn’t stop looking at you, it drives you crazy. You tug at your dress slightly, trying to shake off the nervousness. But it’s hard when the guy you’ve had a crush on for a while now is smiling at you.

The song changes to a slow one. ‘Kiss me’ from Ed Sheeran is now playing through the speakers. Your gaze drops to the dance floor, looking at the couples and some friends paring up to dance.

Ross stands up as he extends a hand towards you.

“Care to dance?” he asks, his British accent adding an extra layer of charm to the invitation.

You look up at him, surprised by his request. You take a deep breath to calm your racing heart. The twinkle in his eyes is infectious, and without any more hesitation, you place your hand in his.

“I’d love to,” you reply, rising from your seat.

He leads you through the cluster of tables and guests towards the dance floor.

Once you reach the dance floor, Ross turns to face you, his hand firmly on your waist as he holds your other hand in his. His touch sends a thrill through you, igniting a cascade of emotions that you struggle to contain.

You sway together in perfect rhythm until he spins you one time, and when your face finds his, his hand isn’t on your waist, but your back. His touch sending a shiver down your spine. You can feel the heat of his body, the steady rise and fall of his chest as you move together, lost in the enchantment of the moment.

It feels too real, him looking down at you through his perfect brown eyes. It’s something you could do for hours, gazing into his eyes, observing every breath he takes.

“Finally G,” Charli says as they both watch you.

Lost in the magic of the moment, you lean into him, the distance between you evaporating with each passing second. The soft brush of his breath against your cheek, the warmth of his embrace—it all feels like a dream you never want to wake from.

You think about what his lips would feel like on yours. But this is wrong. You’re friends. Ross wouldn’t think about you like that. You abruptly pull away, completely out of breath even though you were resting your face next to his, not on his.

“Sorry, I just-“ you stutter, “I have to-“ you look around, people still dancing, but the man in front of you looking at you baffled.

You pull your lips together and walk away, walking away from the venue to a little viewing platform. Far way from the people so they can’t see you, but you can hear them.

“Mate what happened?” George approaches Ross but he doesn’t give him an answer, he goes after you, taking his drink with him.

The air is cool and refreshing against your flushed cheeks. Overwhelmed by the intensity of emotions stirred up during the dance with Ross, you need a moment alone to collect your thoughts.

That moment is interrupted by footsteps behind you, you know that it’s Ross.

“Hey, are you okay?” He asks his voice gentle yet earnest.

You nod, offering him a faint smile, “yeah, just needed to cool down.”

Ross steps closer, seeing the goosebumps on your arms, your red nose and your slight shaking from the cold. He shruggs his jacket off and puts it around your shoulders.

You wrap it around yourself, feeling the familiar scent of his cologne envelop you. It is an intimate gesture, one that stirrs a up a swirl of emotions within you.

You thank him but he’s quick to say “anytime.”

The two of you stand there, enveloped in a moment of quiet understanding. With Ross by your side, the weight of your emotions seem to lighten, the warm feeling in your stomach relaxing you.

“I haven’t told you today, but you look absolutely stunning,” you blush and you’re sure he sees. The wind blowing your hair into your face, covering your eyes.

Ross carefully tucks them behind your ear, smiling, “there you are,” he jokes. You’re still baffled from his compliment and now the small gesture. he’s driving you insane.

Somehow you gained some confidence and because you are friends you’re not unfamiliar with body contact.

You grab his hands so lightly that he doesn’t feel it until your hands are resting in each other. “You don’t look bad yourself McDonald.” He chuckles and enjoys the moment, not letting his eyes look away.

“Are you okay?” He asks, trying to find out what’s got you confused. You exhale shakily.

“It’s just,” he looks at you expectant but he’s still reassuring you it’s fine to tell him, “I was nervous.”

“Why’s that?” You remove your hands from his and take his glass into your hands to take a sip. You pause, because you can’t tell him the reason you’re nervous. You can’t tell him that he makes your heart flutter like a teenage girl.

“Hm?” Your name rolls off his lips and he takes a step further. “You can tell me.” He whispers.

“You make me nervous.” It slips. You look away but his hands cradle your face. He suppresses a smile.

His hands are on your face, warming your cold cheeks. You’re forced to look him in the eyes, scared that he will break your heart.

“I make you nervous?” He repeats, “why?” You close your eyes for a second, thinking about what to say. “I want you to feel comfortable around me.”

“I do!” You say quickly, “I really do, I mean we’re friends and shit.” You sigh.

Now it’s unavoidable. You have to tell him. You will ruin everything. Your eyes wander from his eyes to the lights in the background until they’re back at Ross.

“I just really like you.” You say but what you want to say is that you really really really really like him.

“I like you too,” he says but you shake your head which makes him raise his eye brows.

“No Ross, I mean like I like you. And I didn’t want to say anything because we’re best friends and we’re on tour and I don’t want it to be weird. But then you’re always so nice and want to know if something’s wrong and I didn’t know-.” You’re rambling is stopped by your body being pulled flush against his, his hands grabbing your waist.

“Tell me when you’re done,” he says, smiling. Why is he smiling. Why is your body on his, feeling everything and why is your mouth suddenly so dry you can’t speak.

His gaze flicks down to your lips before his hand is on your neck, pulling you close. Now it’s a good thing you’re pulled against him because your knees buckle and you feel as if you’re gonna faint. His lips on yours feel better than you imagined.

“Wait,” you say as you pull away, “does this mean?” He’s on you again. His lips soft against yours, as he gives you only one long kiss.

“I really like you too,” he says. You want so scream, jump, cry, laugh but you stand there in shock. This is the best day of your life.

This time it’s you who pulls him in, Ross having to bend down to kiss you. His hand finds your lower back, pressing you against him, earning a shaky breath from you. An excuse to let his tongue brush against yours.

You can’t stand the heat, you want to rip his clothes off right there. “Do you think we can leave?” You ask, making him laugh.

“Patient much?” He teases, then he looks back at the venue. The people are still dancing and singing. When he looks back at you he knows he can’t wait as well.

“You absolutely sure?” He asks, “not too tipsy?” You shake your head and your eyes tell him you want him more than anything.

“I’m sure Ross, please,” His eyes are on you again, but this time, there wasn’t any questioning to them, as if he was searching for any sign that your words were less than sincere.

His hand goes through his face, “Jesus,” He’s having a hard time, not knowing what to do. He really wants to take it slow, give you a proper date. But you’re in front of him, saying ‘please’ so nicely.

He grabs your hand and leads you down the stairs, “okay,” he says, “let’s go to my hotel.”

You’re giddy, excited and you can’t believe that you have Ross, leading you to his room. You both move in a hurry, almost running. You’re lucky the hotel isn’t far away and you don’t need a car to get there.

When you reach his room, you lay his jacket on a stool. His bed isn’t made and his suitcase is still unpacked, but open. The door to the bathroom is open and you are amazed at the beautiful decorations.

Your thoughts get pulled back to reality as his arms wrap around your body and his mouth trails kisses down your neck. You smile and let your head fall against his shoulder. “Gorgeous,” he mumbles.

He spins you around and leans down to kiss you, more hungrily this time. He stumbles to the bed with you and lays on top of you, his mouth never leaving yours.

God, the way he kisses you should be illegal. Because it isn’t only his tongue, it’s the shameless groans he gradually let out the more the kiss intensifies -the way he bucks his hips upwards so you can feel how hard each kiss makes him. You are having a hard time breathing steadily.

You pull him closer by his tie, your mouth brushing against his ear before you speak just so you could feel the way your warm breath makes him shiver. “You make me crazy.”

“Yeah?” He reattaches his lips to yours, kissing you like his life depends on it.

Your hands finds his tie but you never fucking touched a tie so you just pull until he breaks out in laughter. “Let me.” He removes the tie in one move and now your hands are on his buttons. 4 open and you can’t wait so you just yank it over his head. He wastes no time getting back to kissing you, his lips trailing down your jaw and neck.

Your hands caress every inch of his skin you could reach from your position, the softness of your touch eliciting sweet sounds from his lips.

He rutts his hips against yours and you gasp at the feeling of his very hard member pressing into you.

“Ross,” you whisper softly, losing yourself at his hands and mouth touching your body. “I need you,” you continue.

“I’m here,” he says, keeping his slow grinding motions going. “What do you need?” He asks, his face coming up close to yours.

His gorgeous brown eyes waiting for an answer. “Touch me.” You say.

“I want to take my time with you, let me?” You nod and he grins. His hands find your back and the zipper of your dress. In one smooth movement he pulls the dress off of you.

You’re exposed now and it’s not helping you ease your nerves, when he’s staring at you. Your hands find your face.

“Don’t,” he moves your hands away, “you’re fucking beautiful.” Maybe it’s the black lace set you decided to wear. But for Ross it’s more. He waited for this since he’s known you.

He kisses the nervous feeling away from your lips and meanwhile his fingers find its way under your panties. When his knuckles brush over your clit, you forget to breathe. When they barely skim your entrance, collecting arousal to drag back upward, your brain malfunctions. It is not enough, but when he finds a careful, introductory rhythm, it’s immediately bordering on too much, too good.

You gasp into his mouth, rolling your head back, closing your eyes at the new sensation. “Keep your eyes on me love,” he whispers against your neck, “need you to look at me.” You obey and open your eyes again.

Your stomach tenses and you are surprised by your own sighs and hesitant gasps as you try to adjust to the feeling of Ross’ hand between your legs. “Fuck-“ you moan and Ross groans against your neck.

“Feel good?” Stupid question, you think. He’s fucking amazing and hotter than you’ve ever imagined. You nod and whimper at the steady rhythm, rubbing your clit and his fingers hitting the perfect spot inside you.

He talks to you, asks you stuff and you can barely listen let alone answer him. “What do you think about when you touch yourself?”

“You,” you moan. It’s always him and it’s always gonna be him. Ross is your endgame.

He groans, “good answer.”

“Oh my god,” comes your breathy little whisper, unprepared for and intimidated by how good he’s making you feel. Filthy noises come from between your legs and you clench around his fingers. The sensation is getting too much and your back arches off the back, pressing your chest against him.

Ross is still in his suit trousers but he’s very uncomfortable because of his raging boner pressing against the fabric. Every once in a while he grinds himself against your thigh, letting out groans deep from his chest.

“There you go darling,” you can feel your orgasm crash over you. Eyes squeezing themselves shut as the pleasure rocked through you. Ross continues to curl his fingers inside you through the euphoria, until he gently removes his fingers from you, licking his fingers clean.

“Taste like heaven, shit,” he comes up to give you a deep kiss, “you ok?” He asks and you nod, cradling his face and pulling his body completely on yours, so he’s not half on you and half on the bed. His bulge finds your core, and he can’t control his thrusting anymore.

Your hands find his belt fumbling around trying to shove them off, “Off Ross, please,” you whine and he laughs pushing the pants down. But before throwing them behind him, he pulls out a condom out of his pocket.

“Patient girl, aren’t you?” He grins. That fucking smirk. You love that smile, his dimples. You love him.

After he puts the condom on, he gives his cock a few strokes but then his hand is replaced by yours. You look down but immediately look into his face, his eyes rolling back and filthy words falling out of his mouth. “Love, shit-“ he groans and thrusts up into your hand, his stomach tightens already but then he swats your hand away.

You know that he needs you and you’re burning for him as well. “Been patient enough, just fuck me.” He laughs and then he’s lining himself up with your entrance, his lips never leaving yours.

“You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me,” he half whispers, half groans into your ear.

You both gasp when he’s pushing himself inside of you completely. It stings a bit, “fuck- wait a sec.” He does as you say and he doesn’t move, keeping his hips still.

“You’re doing okay love?- Shit,” he breathes out, trying to study your face and then you open your eyes again, kissing him and putting your thighs on his sides, your legs pushing him even deeper.

He moans and it’s the best sound you’ve ever heard. “Move Ross,” He closes his eyes, taking a steadying breath as he starts thrusting into you. Your walls squeezing him tight, producing the most resounding groan you'd ever heard.

Ross keeps one hand on your hip, then placing his other on the headboard, knuckles turning white from his fierce and unrelenting grip. He tries so hard not cum right there.

You moan his name multiple times following after some “fucks,” or “Jesus’” and he just keeps going. Not slowing down but not going faster. He enjoys it and takes his time with you. Devouring every spot you’re giving him.

“Wanted this forever,” he says, his forehead dropping to your shoulder, “you’re so gorgeous shit-“ you clench around him again.

“Please Ross, god-“ Your continuous whimpers and pleas are sending chills down his spine, spurring him on.

“You’re Perfect,” He breathes, his hand running up your back affectionately as his hips repeatedly slam into yours. You start to instinctively push back against him, pushing him further.

You feel your orgasm approaching again and Ross notices too. “Go ahead love,” his thumb finds your clit, rubbing slow circles again while his cock hits your spot. You clench around him again, letting your orgasm wash over you.

It triggers his own, his hips stuttering before he collapses on top of you. You’re practically useless, your body feeling like jello, you close your eyes, relishing in the contact of his warm skin to yours.

You think about how your life will go on. Are you going to be together, was it a one time thing? You certainly don’t want it to be.

“You with me?” He laughs, making you giggle and hide in his chest. “Soooo with you,” you mumble.

“Let’s get you cleaned up,” it’s a great gesture and you’re grateful but you need him. You grab his arm and pull him down again.

“Later,” you hum, “stay with me Ross.” He nods and furrows his brows, kissing every little spot on your head.

Your mind goes blank as you whisper into the air. “I’m so in love with you.” You close your eyes, trying to avoid his gaze but he lifts your chin with his thumb and pointing finger, taping your temple softly.

He says your name and when you open your eyes he’s already looking at you. He kisses you softy before confessing as well. “I’m so in love with you, you have no idea.”

One tear slips from your eyes which is quickly wiped away by Ross’ thumb. He rolls you on top of him, hugging your body so tight you both can’t breath.

“You think they noticed we’re gone?” You ask even though you’re sure they know and you’re not ready to listen to the banter in the morning.

“Now you worry?” His laugh is your favorite sound, it makes you smile again, nuzzling closer into his chest, which is moving up and down still a little faster then usual.

At some point his breathing steadies and so does yours and you fall asleep with him. Your dream has come true

#the 1975 #ross macdonald #matty healy #george daniel #adam hann #ross macdonald fluff #the 1975 fic #ross macdonald imagine #ross macdonald x reader #ross macdonald x you #ross macdonald smut #ross macdonald one shot

[handfuloftime]

10 Lines Tag Game

Rules: share the first lines of ten of your most recent fanfics and tag ten people. If you have written less than ten, don’t be shy and share anyway!

Tagged by @solomontoaster - thanks! This also made me realize how little fic I’ve written recently, lol.

Anyway, I’m cheating and starting with a wip:

Eighteen years ago, amid the great reorganization, the crown had seized the traitors’ lands as forfeit. With the old king in such ill health, it had fallen to him to distribute them as he saw fit. Small holdings, mostly, with paltry revenues—the inheritances of daughters and younger sons, though of course the duchy of Edda was a real prize. The main portion went to Jungby and Dozel and Freege, to buy their continued loyalty and smooth over any hard feelings. But he’d kept one for himself. He’d appointed a steward to oversee the upkeep and revenues, and occasionally entertained the thought of bringing Deirdre to visit, if only to make Sigurd’s ghost howl down in hell, but in the end he’d never gone.

And for fics I’ve actually published:

a book elegantly bound but in a language that you can’t read (Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War, Sigurd/Arvis, 2.6k)

It's at the banquet in Belhalla to celebrate the fortieth year of King Azmir's reign that Sigurd first meets the young duke of Velthomer.

a series of observations for determining the local attraction (The Terror, Rossieranne, 3.7k)

"How was he?" is Anne's first question, before Francis has even finished taking off his coat in the foyer.

meet me in the woods (The Terror, Rossier and JCR/Anne, 2k)

A clattering noise out in the dark startles Francis so badly that he nearly drops one of the oars. He looks around, trying to spot the other boat—but no, it's just a few ducks, startled by the boat's passage.

Francis sighs, readjusts his grip on the oars, and wonders for the dozenth time how he got himself into this mess. 

in the pleasure of your company (The Terror, Francis/Anne Ross, 1.3k)

The clock in the sitting room strikes the hour: eleven, later than Francis had thought.

this isn’t over (Our Flag Means Death, Stizzy, 2k)

"Captain," Izzy says.

"Yeah?" Ed says. "What's up?"

There are two captains on the Revenge's quarterdeck, actually: Ed leaning against the railing as he finishes his cup of tea, and Stede just coming up the stairs with another plate of scones. But there's no question who Izzy's talking to.

Ribbons (Our Flag Means Death, Izzy/Ed, 1.5k)

"Izzy? Izzy, get in here!"

Izzy has learned to dread the sound of Edward calling him from Bonnet's cabin. He's long since lost patience for feigning interest in whatever ridiculous toy Edward has found, Bonnet included. 

Ancestry (Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn, gen, 1.2k)

Sanaki tiptoes through the eastern galleries of Mainal Cathedral.

It's mid-afternoon, which means that the cathedral choir is practicing in one of the smaller chapels, somewhere a few levels down and closer to the main temple. As she slips through the arcade, she can hear the first harmonies filtering up through the flagstones, like the building itself is singing.

Resolve (Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn, Levail/Zelgius, 1.5k)

General Zelgius comes for him a week after the world stops.

Let the Waters Roar (The Terror, Rossier, 3k)

The Portuguese coast is a gray-green smudge on the horizon, as it has been for months. Francis casts it a weary glance as he hauls himself up on deck, rubbing sleep from his eyes. Lieutenant Hastings, who fancies himself a wit, sees him looking and says, “No, it hasn’t moved.”

#tag memes #i guess this is my fic tag

[oneisallallisone]

All I Know, All I Know Greedling x Reader fic Chapter 5

In a land ruled by alchemy, there are some who would call you a sorcerer. You intend to understand what this means. Along your journey you end up getting mixed up with two strange brothers, a military conspiracy, a potentially world-ending event, and the avarice of something more than human.

Previous

Chapter 1

Read on AO3

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All I Know, All I Know

Chapter 5: Each of Us is Hiding Something

A light. A bright light, a violet light. It was the only thing you could see, save for the expanse of stars all around you… 

Your waking was not sudden. It never was when you dreamt like this. The shining rays of purple and the sea of stars were ones that you dreamt of often, and ones that always allowed you time to come back from. No, your waking was not sudden. It was gentle as a whisper— go now, you can come back later. 

As you blinked your eyes open, you saw the tilted image of a hospital room. The walls were starkly bare and pale beige in color, and the sheets pulled up to your chin were pristine white. There was another cot in the room with you. A familiar shade of blonde hair spilled over its pillow. 

“Ed,” you croaked. Your throat was dry. Luckily there was a cup of water on the bed-side table. 

The alchemist rolled over, and his eyes widened when he met your gaze. “(y/n)! You’re awake!” 

“Are you…alright?” You could see that there was a bandage around his head and another one wrapped around his left forearm. But there was color in his cheeks again. You took this as a good sign. 

“Better off than you, by the looks of it,” Ed replied. “Although I am a little jealous that you were able to get out of the building before it collapsed entirely.” 

Heat flooded your face and you cast your gaze to the floor. “Yeah. Sorry about that.” 

“Eh, it’s no big deal. You’re alive because you left when you did. I’m glad about that.” 

“I could have killed you, though.” 

“What?” 

Ed’s question hung in the air for a few seconds. The shame had still not left your cheeks when you dared to look up at him again. 

“The building collapsed. It could have killed you, it was my fault. I was trying to protect you, I swear, by taking out a piece of the ceiling I thought I could make a barrier between you and those—” 

“(y/n), slow down,” Ed said calmly. “You didn’t cause the entire building to collapse. Those guys with the ouroboros tattoos—Envy and Lust—they were the ones who did that. I heard Lust instruct Envy to blow it up before I blacked out.”

You were silent for a few moments. In one heartbeat you felt relieved, but it was only  replaced by more unease in the next. “And then Envy carried you out.” 

“And then Envy carried me out.” 

“I wonder why they did that.” 

“Beats me,” Ed said. “The woman, Lust, she told me to remember that they allowed me to live. That I was one of their ‘sacrifices,’ whatever that means.” 

You remembered Envy’s rage at Number 48’s brother. How Lust had stopped Number 48 from talking, and then how Envy picked up the guard’s sword and stabbed his brother over and over again. What was it Envy had said? 

You were trying to kill one of our most important sacrifices! You could have messed up the entire plan! 

It was all too much to think about. You closed your eyes, feeling a headache beginning to blossom. 

But the silence didn’t last forever. The door flung open, and four people rushed in. Two of them were officers you recognized from the Fifth Laboratory, Lieutenant Ross and Sergeant Brosh. One of them was Major Alex Louis Armstrong, a towering man who you had often seen hovering around the Elric brothers. The fourth person was someone you didn’t know. This girl, with long blonde hair and shining blue eyes, was carrying a toolbox. She dropped it to the ground the moment she laid her eyes on Ed. 

“What happened?” She said it somewhere between a cry and a demand. 

“Well that didn’t take long,” Ed mumbled. It was the first time you had heard something similar to meekness in his voice. “You’re gonna charge me an express service fee now huh?” 

The blonde girl lowered her eyes. “No. No, I didn’t do a good enough job repairing your automail last time. And now you’re badly injured. I won’t charge you for this.” 

“Wait!” Ed sat up in a hurry. “It’s not your fault! You can’t blame yourself for this! I was being reckless, your repairs were as flawless as ever, Winry. Besides, if my arm didn’t break when it did, I would have kept fighting and gotten even more hurt…” 

He was rambling. The fullmetal alchemist, state-certified human weapon and snarky little asshole, was rambling. You couldn’t help the small smile that quirked on the corner of your lips. Ed and this girl—his apparent mechanic—were kind of adorable. 

“It seems that your injuries are also quite extensive, young sorcerer,” Major Alex Louis Armstrong rumbled as he approached your bedside. 

It felt like a shockwave, hearing him say it so matter-of-factly like that. Young sorcerer. You turned your gaze to Ed so sharply that he didn’t even need to look away from the mechanic to know you were staring daggers. 

“Ed,” you snapped. Never before had a single syllable from your lips also been such an accusation. 

Ed turned towards you, shaking his head.“Wait, (y/n), it’s okay. You can relax, he’s—” 

“Relax?” You felt your face heating up. “You tell someone, a government officer mind you, my biggest secret and you want me to relax?” 

“Wait, a sorcerer?!” Sergeant Brosh gasped. He and Lieutenant Ross shared a wide-eyed stare. 

The mechanic squealed and practically jumped up and down, turning her full attention to you. “So you can do magic? Like, real, actual magic? Tell me everything! What does it look like? What does it feel like? How do you—” 

“Oh, great! And now everyone knows!” Your voice was reaching near yelling levels now. “Ed, once I get my strength back you’re gonna wish those ouroboros guys had killed you—” 

“(y/n) will you shut up for two seconds and listen to me!” Ed shouted. “These people are okay! You can trust them!” 

Major Armstrong folded his hands. “I meant no offense, young one. I was merely intending to check on how you were doing.” 

“(y/n),” Ed said, commanding your attention, but also speaking much calmer than he had been before. “You can trust everyone in this room. I promise you. Armstrong, Ross, Brosh, and Winry are a few of the people I trust most in Amestris. In the whole world, even. They have my back, and because of that, they’ll have yours.” 

“Aren’t sorcerers not supposed to exist, though?” Ross spoke up. 

You hugged your knees to your chest. The throbbing in your head combined with the dull ache in your side from your wound were becoming almost too much to bear while conscious. “Please just…don’t tell anyone else.” You hated how small your voice sounded when you said it. But you didn’t know what Amestris would do to you if what walked among them became widespread knowledge. You didn’t know what anywhere would do to you. 

It had been a massive risk just telling the Elric brothers. And the last thing you needed was the wrong person in the chain of command to know your power. 

“My existence spits in the face of your beloved alchemy,” you continued, “And there is much about it that I don’t understand. So please, the less people know of me, the better.” 

“Edward told us your story while you had yet to wake,” Armstrong said in a voice much softer than you thought a man of his stature would be capable of. “We had no idea when you would open your eyes again, and we needed to know what happened in the Fifth Laboratory. But I can personally assure you, young one, that word of your abilities will not leave our lips.” Armstrong's gaze snapped to the younger officers, and when he spoke again his voice boomed. “Isn’t that right, Lieutenant Ross and Sergeant Brosh?” 

The two officers frantically saluted and responded in unison. “Yes sir!” 

The Major turned back to you. “Thank you for defending Edward, (y/n).” 

You managed a weak smile. “It was nothing.” 

“Oh, please,” Ed deadpanned. “I probably would have been a lot worse off if I didn’t have you with me. And once we figure out how to keep your power from getting drained so quickly, you’re going to be a serious force to be reckoned with. I’m sure of it!” 

“Thanks?” 

Winry sighed. “Well I’m just glad somebody had your back, Ed. You seriously need to stop being so reckless all the time. (y/n), you have my thanks too. Now let’s start on those repairs, Ed!” 

“Hey, wait. Where’s Al?” you asked. “He practically pulled me from the Laboratory when I couldn’t stand anymore. I want to thank him.” 

Ed frowned. “I’m…not sure where he is. I haven’t seen him yet.” 

This struck you as odd, considering how inseparable the brothers seemed to be. “Oh. Well…I’m sure he’ll be around soon.” 

“Yeah,” Ed said flatly. “I hope you’re right.” 

Al did show up, eventually. But the reunion of the brothers didn’t go as you had expected it to. 

It was obvious that something had been bothering Al for the past couple hours. And after Al insinuated that his existence could be entirely artificial, that maybe Ed had fabricated the memories of his old life, the fullmetal alchemist got up from his cot and walked out of the room. 

“You moron!” Winry’s cry shook the entire room. She threw a wrench and it hit Al square in the head. “Why would you say that? You idiot, do you even know what—”

All you could do was sit there in shock while Winry’s sharp words tore into Al. How much of a dumbass he was to accuse Ed of such a thing, how this entire time Ed had been so fearful that Al secretly blamed him for the way his body is now. It didn’t answer all your questions about the brothers, but it did give a little more insight into the alchemical accident that shattered their bodies. You were beginning to think that maybe it wasn’t entirely an accident, that there had been some intention behind the brothers’ actions…

“Now,” Winry said at the end of her enraged speech, “Go get your brother. Start running!” 

“Right!” Al leapt to his feet and hurried out of the room. 

Winry let out a long exhale and slumped against the wall.  

“Well that was…intense,” you managed, awkwardly. 

“Yeah, well. Somebody needs to keep those boys in line,” Winry huffed. 

“Does it have to be you?” 

The mechanic turned her gaze on you sharply. “What?” 

You felt your face heat up as it often did when you realized you made a mistake. “Wait, I don’t mean any offense, I promise. I guess I’m just…curious about why you seem to be the one who cleans up their messes? Not to make such a huge judgement about you right away, I know I pretty much just met you.” At that point you were beginning to ramble and figured it was best to just cut yourself off. 

Winry’s pointed gaze softened for just a moment. “How much do you know about the boys?” 

“Not much,” you admitted. “I know they’re looking for a way to return to their original bodies, but whenever I ask them about more details they avoid the question.” 

“That sounds like them,” Winry said, “Never wanting to accept help from anybody unless as a last possible resort. I grew up with them. We’ve known each other since we were…gosh, I think I’ve known them my whole life.”  

You nodded. Not really sure how to respond, but wanting to let Winry know she could keep talking. 

“I guess they just don’t have anybody else, now,” Winry explained. “That’s why I feel so responsible for them.” 

“That sounds like a large burden to put on yourself,” you stated. “Why is it they don’t have anybody else?” 

“I don’t really think it’s my place to tell.” 

It wasn’t Ed’s place to tell everyone about me being a sorcerer, yet it seems like he didn’t hesitate.

“Well, I’m not sure if they deserve you Winry,” you said. “But I know they must be incredibly grateful to have you. Anyone worthwhile would be.”  

Winry allowed herself a small smile.

#oop it's been a while since I've updated #ohhhh well! #greedling x reader #fmab #fullmetal alchemist #greed x reader #fma #fullmetal alchemist brotherhood #fma brotherhood #edward elric #alphonse elric #ling yao #fmab x reader #fmab fanfic

[fluffykitty1999-blog]

Dog of the Military- Chapter 26

Chapter 26- New Room

Hello! This is just another reminder- if you’re into my fanfictions and they bring you enjoyment, I’d super appreciate it if you could go over and leave an encouraging comment at my ko-fi here https://ko-fi.com/fluffykitty12, or even slip me $3 for snacks. 

Thanks so much! :)

The hospital was full. Or at least, that was the excuse they gave them when they were unceremoniously dumped into a second bed that'd been placed in Mr. Water's room.

The quarters were a bit tight- Roy had to relocated his plastic chair to the foot of ed's bed rather than beside it, but after settling Ed into the new bedding, the remainder of the night passed quietly.

It was around seven that morning when a knock on the door frame caught his attention.

Roy couldn't help it- he broke into an exhausted smile at the sight of Hughes.

"Finally. None of my team had spoken to me since yesterday, I was beginning to worry."

"Yeah, well, there's a reason for that. They managed to apprehend the fake judge fleeing the scene, but Banks managed to get away. They've been doing paperwork and issuing orders for the capture of Banks since then. The higher ups are eager to put a lid on this while fiasco- they're embarrassed it's even happened. How's Ed doing?"

"Seems to be alright. Except a Drachman operative broke into his hospital room last night and tried to abduct him."

Hughes jolted, looking shocked. "You're kidding!"

Roy shook his head. "I'm not."

"Mr. Mustang!" their conversation was interrupted by nurse Aubrey jogging over, holding a clipboard and looking out of breath. "I have those blood test results you wanted."

Roy cocked an eyebrow. "And what do they say?"

"Well, Ed's blood type is A+, and several of the other blood smears were found to be B-. So Edward wasn't alone in his room last night. Someone else was there. I'm sorry I didn't believe you."

Roy shrugged.

Hughes decided to make himself known, peering at the paper on her clipboard and adjusting his glasses. "Say, can I get a copy of that, please? I'm Colonel Maes Hughes of investigations- I have no doubt the military is going to want me investigating just who would try and attack a hospitalized state alchemist. I also want the room Ed was attacked in sealed off- I'll process the crime scene later."

"Of course." Aubrey hurried off to do as she was told, and Roy and Hughes sat in silence for a moment.

"So." Hughes finally spoke up, face impassive. "It appears Edward might've been onto something with his whole 'Banks is a Drachman spy' theory."

"It certainly looks that way." Roy agreed. "Either that- or Banks wasn't involved, but now that he's backed into a corner, any Drachman operatives are capitalizing on the chance to scoop him up. But why bother trying to take Ed too?"

"Ed's knowledge of Alchemy is a good enough reason as any. He knows more than most alchemists in the country- he could easily train Alchemists for the Drachman army. They've wanted to learn alchemy for decades now. And Ed's young- he's got a lot of potential, he's still forming his opinions and growing up. They'd want to capitalize on that- mold him into a ruthless killer."

Isn't that what you want to do as well? that small voice in the back of his head hissed. The same one that tortured him about Ishval at night. But Roy brushed it aside- it was lying, he cared for Ed like his own son. He was only trying to do what was best for Ed. And for your reputation, you heartless bastard.

"I know you need to be here. I get it. But your office is sorely missing you in your absence. Hawkeye is doing her best- I have Brosch, Ross and Armstrong watching the hospital starting today. No one else will come near him."

"Right." Roy ran a hand through his hair, looking at Hughes. "Can you stay with him? For a little while? I need someone I can trust with him- someone who I know can protect him." Roy thought fo all the knives Hughes kept hidden on his person. He pitied any Drachman who tried to abduct Ed from his best friend.

"Yeah, I can stay." Hughes frowned. "Where are you gonna go, though? The office?"

"Probably. Was going to stop home and at least chance my clothes first. Have a quick shave, probably."

His uniform was wrinkled from sleeping in it and smeared with Ed's dried blood. His five o' clock shadow was also getting out of control.

Hughes nodded, smiling slightly. "Yeah. I haven't seen you this bad since our last bender. I can stay half the day with him."

"That's all I need. Thank you."

"No problem. Take care of what you need to at the office." Hughes took his place sitting in Roy's plastic chair at the foot of Ed's bed. Ed was still sleeping- Roy had wet a cloth and cleaned the blood from the boy's face hours ago, and he looked peaceful, despite his circumstances.

"Alphonse is with Gracia and Elicia for the time being- he's probably going to want to see Ed later today."

"I'll bring him back with me on my way back from the office." Roy promised absently.

"Alright, thank you." Hughes smiled, and Roy returned the look.

He almost felt bad that he was lying to the man's face. Almost.

LINEBREAK LINEBREAK LINEBREAK

"You look like hell." Madame Christmas didn't parse words, sliding him a glass of cold bourbon across the bar as a way of greeting. IT wasn't even 9am yet, but Roy took the drink happily.

"You made the papers again." his aunt put down a copy of the newest Gazette in front of him- FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST SHOT IN COURT MARTIAL DEBACLE. The front page featured him clinging to Ed, trying to stop the boy's bleeding. It wasn't exactly a flattering shot, and Roy wondered briefly how the press had managed to get that picture.

"Are you alright?" He looked up to meet his Aunt's dark brown eyes at the question- she was being sincere, and he nodded.

"I'm okay."

"And that boy of yours? The prodigy they shot?"

"He's gonna be okay too. Bullet hit him in the arm."

"And yet you're here instead of watching him. Which means you need something." his Aunt tapped her long fingernails on the bar, looking pensive.

"How much have you read about the courtmartial?"

"All of it. But it isn't much. The Furher withholds most of the details- all I know is that man was facing charges of misconduct that the Fullmetal Alchemist boy uncovered."

Roy fought the urge to wince. Yes, of course the military would've white washed everything and censored it. The general population didn't need to know the gruesome scope of Bank's misdeeds.

"That Colonel Banks is still on the lamb. He hasn't been here, if that's what you're searching for." Madame Christmas said, reaching down to start polishing some glasses.

"That's not what I'm here for."

"Then what? We both know you aren't here to visit Vanessa."

"Some fellows who ought not have visited Amestris have come here. Foreign- Drachman, I think. Tried to kidnap Ed last night- and I have a feeling that they're trying to get into contact with Banks and smuggle him from the country. An outfit like that wouldn't just send one man- they'd send several. A team, maybe. Men like that go looking for girls. Have you seen any?"

Madame Christmas had stopped polishing her glass abruptly and set it down, nodding once. "Yeah. Five who'd fit your description, recently. I don't ask too many questions. What would you like to do with them? They're quite rough customers- hardly pay for their drinks, rough with my girls. So what do you have in mind?"

"I want to speak to one. Doesn't matter which, any of them will do. As soon as you can."

"You'll be delivering the usual message to someone who's unkind to my girls?"

"And then some. For trying to take my Alchemist." Roy swirled his glass, taking another sip. He was almost done.

"How soon can you deliver by?"

His aunt scoffed. "Tonight. One of those dogs is always by, at least one, every night."

"I'll speak to you soon, then." He finished his drink, placing his money on the bar and standing.

"Thanks, Auntie."

"Not a problem, my boy."

LINEBREAK LINEBREAK LINEBREAK

Roy managed to stop at the office for two hours- Alphonse had decided to walk there from the Hughes' residence- so it turned out he hadn't completely lied to Hughes when he said he was going to the office.

Either way, he was back at the hospital at one with Alphonse and a fresh cup of coffee in tow.

"What do you mean I can't leave yet!? They just gave me this whole bag of blood I have more than enough now! I want to go!" Roy heard Ed before he saw him, and he gave a tired grin, sipping his coffee as he and Al strode into the room.

"The doctors want you here another day and that's what's going to happen." Hughes said, ever-patient.

Mr. Waters was sitting in his bed reading a book on barrel-making, seemingly hardly disturbed by the commotion.

When Alphonse walked into the room, however, he looked up, eyes brightening. "What craftsmanship! I'm a welder- let me have a look at you!"

If Alphonse could've blushed, he would've. but he walked over to the bed anyways, letting the construction worker rave about how well his joints fit together and the well-placed rivets of his design.

Ed cast a glance at his roommate, watching him talk to his brother, before he noticed Roy and perked up.

"Can we go home yet?"

"What's this I heard about the doctors wanting you to stay another day?" Roy cast a glance at Hughes, who crossed his arms over his chest and nodded. "Ed did well during his blood transfusion, but he's still dizzy and tired. They want to watch him for one more day."

"Then that's final. You're staying for another day." Roy took a sip of his coffee, symbiotically absorbing the caffeine through his tongue to fortify himself for the coming outburst.

"This is stupid! I should be out there catching the bastard who shot me, not sitting around in this stupid hospital!"

"You're pale as the sheets. I hardly think another day in the hospital could hurt." Roy remarked.

"Who're you calling so anemic he doesn't even have the iron to be called a fortified cereal?!" Ed kicked his feet beneath the sheets and ranted.

Well, that's a new one. Roy thought to himself.

"You said I could sleep on the couch again! Last night!" Ed had turned back to whining, and Roy was slightly surprised he even remembered the exchange they'd had in the emergency room.

"Yes. And you can. Once the doctors say you're well enough to come home, and not a minute sooner. Speaking of fun things people said- you said a lot of things, Ed. You threatened to bite an EMT, accused him of trying to steal you leg, and said something about riding in the wee-woo wagon."

"Wee-woo wagon?" Alphonse asked, tinny vice echoing the question.

"He was too drugged up to think of the word ambulance." Roy supplied.

Alphonse and Mr. Waters burst out laughing, Hughes was grinning, and Ed flushed bright red in embarrassment, a red hashtag throbbing on his temple.

"Don't sweat it, Ed. Investigations and everyone is working hard to catch Banks and everyone else involved in this. You just need to rest up." Hughes said, standing up from his place on the chair and stretching.

"And I'm sure Colonel Mustang here agrees."

Roy nodded, taking his seat back and pulling out a large stack of papers from his briefcase. "I do. In fact, Hawkeye wanted me to stay here and do my paperwork to make sure you don't decide to sneak out of the hospital."

Ed's pout made his facial structure sag so much he looked like a pug, and he crossed his arms over his chest.

"So unfair. Why do I have to get punished when I'm the one who's been shot..."

"Cheer up laddy." Mr. Waters piped up. "'Least you ain't had a brick dropped on yer head."

#fma #fma fanfiction #Fullmetal Alchemist #fullmetal alchimist brotherhood #Roy Mustang #edward elric #Parental Roy #parentalroy #whumph #whump #hurt/comfort #hurt #comfort #dogofthemilitary #injury

[vivalatoons]

My Talk: Fullmetal Alchemist (2003 version)

Humankind cannot gain anything without first giving something in return. To obtain, something of equal value must be lost. That is Alchemy's first law of Equivalent Exchange. In those days, we really believed that to be the world's one and only truth. Here’s the reflection of the 2003 Fullmetal Alchemist.

I know. I must have lived under a rock to not know about Fullmetal Alchemist. I have so much more to see including the classic of FMA.

Plot. Brothers Edward and Alphonse tried to attempt human transmutation in bringing their mother back to life. It costed Edward to lose his arm and leg, and Alphonse lost his body. In order to get their bodies back, they go on a journey to get a Philosopher's Stone. They will witness things of tragedy, darkness, and realization of how things work in the military.

Characters. This is a long passage to address. Ed and Al are the Elrics brothers who can perform alchemy in various ways. It was thanks to their teacher, Izumi Curtis, who is an alchemist. Their mom, Trisha, died when they were young. Their father, Hohenheim, left them behind. Winry is the Elrics’ childhood friend. She’s excellent in creating auto mail and fix Ed’s prosthetics whenever they’re in need of repair. As being an State Alchemist of the military, Ed encounters with Roy Mustang’s military squadron. Roy is the Flame Alchemist who can spark flames with his gloves. His squadron includes Riza Hawkeye, Jean Havoc, Heysman Breda, Vato Falman, and Kain Fuery. They’re the pieces of Roy’s game of chess. There are others who are part of the State Military: Maes Hughes, Alex Louis Armstrong, Denny Brosh, Maria Ross, and Sheska. They’re the run of the villains in the show: the Homunculi, Father Cornello, Shou Tucker, and Solf. J Kimblee. The Homunculi are based on the Seven Deadly Sins and means business with the Elrics. Scar is also a villain, but his story makes it complicating to label him as one. In this version, the characters who appears are Dante, Russell and Fletcher Tringham, and Frank Archer. There are plenty of characters that come in the show and have their own roles to move the story.

Animation. The animation was created in Bones Studio. For an anime in 2003, the animation holds up nice. With the 2003 anime, I love the facial expression. The dark lines and tone of colors sets well for the show. The direction of Seiji Mizushima was a great touch for the show’s style.

The Conqueror of Shamballa. This was the movie that would conclude the 2003 FMA. While I enjoyed some parts of the movie, I wasn’t happy with the ending. It’s optional to view the movie, but I was fine with how 2003 FMA ended.

It’s not that bad. I refer to those who say skip this version of FMA or that the ending suck. Personally, I like the ending. Sure, Ed and Al don’t get back together, but hearing Al’s speech on Equivalent Exchange made me feel better. While they were parts in this show I wasn’t ok with, I was ok with how FMA 2003 ended. It was a good original ending. I advice people to not skip FMA 2003 because it was more detailed in the beginning. I love the dark tones the show displays, the creation of the Homunculi being mistakes of people who attempted human transmutation, the English dub cast, and the music was brilliant. 

Fullmetal Alchemist (2003) has proved to me that there’s more than meets the eye. This anime is one of a classic. Great storytelling, characters with their own motives, and animation with brilliant moments. I adore how this show started the careers for many actors and a great start to what’s next for the FMA franchise. Go see FMA 2003 and watch Edward and Alphonse Elric's journey.

#my talk #long post #fullmetal alchemist #fullmetal alchemist 2003

[teetanjaeger]

MCU Revisited: Justice for Betty Ross! (The Incredible Hulk)

Welcome to my monthly Marvel Cinematic Universe series! Going in order of release date, I will be watching each of the MCU movies and analyzing the women’s dialogue. The fun thing about this type of analysis is that it is driven by the data. That means that every movie has the potential to show something different about the women of the MCU. I’ve decided to go by release date instead of the official timeline . I’m curious to see if there are any notable changes to the writing over time.

This month we discuss the oft looked over and perhaps most difficult film of the MCU franchise, The Incredible Hulk.

In order to dig into the script of this film, we need to cover some production background. The high level takeaway from this review, however, is that in my opinion Betty Ross (played by Liv Tyler) is one of the best women in the MCU and got completely shafted. Also, that Marvel needs to hire more character driven screenwriters. 

The production background: The Incredible Hulk was not the first major Hollywood Hulk film made in the 2000s. It's predecessor, The Hulk was absolutely awful. I mean, there was a mutant poodle in it and that is really all I remember of the film. It received terrible reviews. In order to add The Hulk into Phase One of the MCU canon, the studio decided to put out a new Hulk film.

The tricky part here was that they did not want to create another origin story film, especially as that was a major criticism of the first one. So, The Incredible Hulk was made to be a sort of reboot, sort of sequel. It establishes during the open credits that Bruce Banner has already become The Hulk and is on the run from the US military for "stealing" military research and development intelligence (basically, his ability to turn into The Hulk which they allude to being based off of Howard Stark's research that created Captain America). 

(I'm so serious, that is a mutant poodle on the left. Stuff of nightmares!)

Here is where things get dicey for The Incredible Hulk: The original script with draft by Zak Penn, noted action scriptwriter. You'll notice he also got billed as the writer. However, he then had to leave the production due to scheduling conflicts and as such, Edward Norton (cast as Bruce Banner) stepped in to assist with finalizing the script. Ed is a huge fan of The Hulk and it truly shows in the character development between Bruce and Betty.

It also creates a sort of Jekyll and Hyde film watching experience because it is really obvious which parts of the film Zak Penn wrote and which parts of the film Ed concentrated the most on.

Our leading (and really only) lady, Betty, does not make her appearance until about 50 minutes into the film and honestly I recommend just jumping to that part. The first half of the film is an over-contrived, somewhat racially bigoted excuse to get Bruce back to the United States with thin veneer of plot and a lot of explosions. 

However once we get to her, Betty proves to be a highly intelligent, empathetic, and strong willed character. She's not only a doctor of cellular biology who was clever enough to make a backup of the gamma radiation research before it was destroyed, so also has the balls to step in front of a moving tank and yell at it until her father (the general hunting Bruce) stops the tank and comes out to speak with her. 

Betty has her own agency throughout the entire film. She insists that Bruce let her help him. She is perfectly capable of standing up to her father and the rest of the military attacking The Hulk. She chooses to remain on the run with Bruce. Even in the film's only almost-sex scene, she gets a moment to clearly state her consent to having sex with Bruce (unfortunately he realizes that it might result in him transforming into The Hulk...thanks Marvel that's something we REALLY needed to know). 

Seriously, Betty is a queen and has some of the most wonderful, quietly witty dialogue of the entire film.

BRUCE (dumps BETTY's purse out on the bed) Basically, we can't use any of this, because they can track all of it.

BETTY Well, my lip gloss? Can they track that?

BRUCE ...No, you can take your lip gloss.

She watches Bruce transform into The Hulk, and takes it in stride and starts figuring out how to help him. Bruce and Betty are honestly relationship goals with their mutual respect and care for one another.

That's what make the rest of script frustrating. It is very obvious that a Yale graduate and Academy Award nominee wrote the meaningful dialogue while the action "plot" was handled by a stock action writer. Ed not only gave Bruce a lot of depth, he also treated Betty's character with respect.

The film ends with a meaningful look of sorrow between The Hulk and Betty before he leaps away, once again on the run from the military. Betty is left behind, never to be referenced or heard from again. In fact, the directors of Avengers: Infinity War just recently revealed that  (spoiler alert) Betty was one of the characters killed by Thanos off screen.

I AM BESIDE MYSELF WITH FRUSTRATION. Betty is an amazing character and in the comics not only gets married to Bruce, she is also the Red She-Hulk. While Red She-Hulk likely does not fit in the narrative of the MCU, I also see no reason to kill her off especially off screen. I would absolutely love to watch another Hulk movie with Betty in it and I really feel the franchise deserves more characters like her. 

Check back on the last Saturday of every month for the next entry in my MCU series! Next up: Ironman 2.

#mcu #the hulk #the incredible hulk #women in film #marvel #liv tyler #edward norton #i accidentally posted this instead of scheduling it gdi #mcu revisited

[ruminativerabbi]

Thanksgiving 2018

For as long as any of us can recall, American Jews have celebrated Thanksgiving out of a deep sense of gratitude to God for any number of different things that define our lives in this place: the great prosperity of this land in which we share; the security provided for us and for all by our matchless and supremely powerful military; the freedoms guaranteed to all by a Bill of Rights that basically defines the American ethos in terms of the autonomy of the individual; the specific kind of participatory democracy that grants each of us a voice to raise and a ballot to cast; the freedom to embrace a minority faith—or any faith—without fear, reticence, or nervousness about what others may or may not think; and the inner satisfaction that comes from being part of a nation that self-defines in terms of its mission to do good in the world and to combat tyranny, oppression, and demagoguery wherever such baleful things manage to take root among the peoples of the world.

None of any of the above strikes me as being anything other than fully true, yet I can’t stop reading op-ed pieces and blog postings that posit that things have somehow changed, that the world now is not as it even just recently was, that it is the past and all its glories that shine bright now rather than the unknown—and unknowable—future, and that every one of the reasons listed above for us American Jews to join our fellow citizens in feeling deeply grateful for our presence in this place could just as reasonably be deemed illusory as fully real. And I hear those sentiments, interestingly enough, coming from people on both ends of the political spectrum as well as from all those self-situated just to the right or left of center. Nor are American Jews alone in their ill ease: if there is one thing vast swaths of our American nation seem able to agree upon, it’s that the age of great leadership belongs to history and that it is thus our destiny for the foreseeable future to be led by people whose sole claim to serve as our nation’s leaders is that they somehow managed to get themselves elected to public office. No one seems to dispute the fact that this is not at all a healthy thing for the republic. But expressing regret is not at all the same thing as formulating a specific plan to address the situation as it has evolved to date.

To keep this creeping malaise from interfering in an untoward manner as we prepare to celebrate our nation’s best holiday, I suggest we take the long view.

Frederic E. Church was a nineteenth century man, born in 1826 when John Quincy Adams was in the White House and dead in the spring of 1900 as a new century dawned. He was also one of America’s greatest landscape painters, a member of the so-called Hudson River School and, in his day, one of the most celebrated artists alive. I mention him today, however, not to recall the larger impact of his oeuvre, but to tell you about one single one of his paintings, the one called “The Icebergs.”

As you can see, the picture (currently owned by the Dallas Museum of Art) is magnificent. But what made it famous in its day was specifically the way in which it was taken by many to capture the surge of self-confidence that characterized America’s sense of its own destiny at the end of the nineteenth century. One author, Jörn Münkner, characterized the painting’s appeal in this passage composed when the painting was put on exhibition at Georgetown University:

Frederik E. Church's "The Icebergs" pictured the Alpha and Omega of time and tide. It reflected the mid-19th century American world-view that was characterized by the belief in a “Manifest Destiny” according to which the United States…was the New Israel that had been prepared for by the divinity. 1861 saw the U.S. reigning from the Atlantic to the Pacific, from the Gulf of Mexico to the Great Lakes. Nature was regarded as holy and science as sanctified. The belief in the American Garden Eden whose very fortunes were guided by the Creator emanated out of the scientifically correct “The Icebergs.” It was the display of the rare and intoxicating American amalgam of science, religion, and nationalism. The relationship of the actual and the real that was concealed in the painting revealed the idea/fact that scientific thinking in America was shaped by a deep religious faith. Providence guided the scholarly painter's hand.

I find those words somehow inspiring and chilling at the same time, but I see what the author means: even after all this time, the painting hasn’t really lost its ability to suggest the majesty of nature or its timelessness. I get a bit lost on my way from that thought to the notion of manifest destiny inspiring America’s nineteenth-century rise to greatness (and, yes, the whole America as the new Israel is beyond peculiar, as surely also is the fact that the artist was thinking so expansively about American destiny on the eve of what in 1861 would still have been unimaginable carnage), yet I really can see the strength, the power, and the sense of ineluctable kismet mirrored in the majestic icebergs in the picture…and so finding in them a symbol both of America’s uniqueness and of its remarkable destiny is not as big a stretch as I thought at first it would be.

But other nineteenth-century types saw different things in the image of these gigantic icebergs afloat in an endless sea.

Edward Bellamy, once one of America’s most famous authors, has been almost completely forgotten. Yet his 1888 book, Looking Backward, was the third most popular American novel of nineteenth century, exceeded in fiction sales only by Uncle Tom’s Cabin and Ben-Hur. An early utopian novel, the book tells the story of one Julian West, a young man from Boston who goes to bed one night in 1887 and somehow manages only to wake up from his sleep in the year 2000. Some of the author’s predictions are uncannily correct—he depicts West as enjoying the almost instant delivery of goods ordered without having to visit any actual stores—while other things West finds in 2000, like a universal retirement age of 45, have not turned out quite as the author imagined they might. But it is the author’s postscript to his own work I want to cite here, as he imagines America in the future and uses his own version of the iceberg symbol to express his dismay. Almost definitely thinking of Church’s painting and the expansive optimism it inspired, he wrote as follows:

As an iceberg, floating southward from the frozen North, is gradually undermined by warmer seas, and, become at least unstable, churns the sea to yeast for miles around by the mighty rockings that portend its overturn, so the barbaric industrial and social system, which has come down to us from savage antiquity, undermined by the modern humane spirit, riddled by the criticism of economic science, is shaking the world with convulsions that presage its collapse.

This line of thinking I also understand: for all it appears mighty and invincible as it rises from the sea, icebergs are, after all, just so much frozen water. They melt as they float into warmer waters than can sustain them, which may (or may not) dramatically affect the ocean into which they dissolve but cannot affect the iceberg itself once it disappears into the sea and is no more.

So one image and two distinct interpretations. Of course, both are right. An inert, uncomprehending iceberg was powerful enough to sink the most sophisticated ocean liner of its day in 1912. And the semi-famous iceberg rather prosaically named B-15, which broke away from Antarctica’s Ross Ice Shelf in 2000, is about to melt into the South Atlantic Ocean. At 3,200 square nautical miles, B-15 is larger than the island of Jamaica. Yet its doom was sealed not by weapons of mass destruction or acts of God, but by the sea’s slightly too-warm water. (To read more, click here.) From this we learn that strength and weakness are not as unrelated as their antithetical nature makes them at first appear. Indeed, they are each other’s twins…and from that thought I draw the lesson I wish to offer to my readers for Thanksgiving Day in the Age of Anxiety.

Our nation is currently divided down into people who see America’s great and mighty presence in the world pointing to a remarkable destiny framed by our nation’s ongoing commitment to the foundational principles upon which the republic was founded and still rests. Such people look at Church’s painting and are heartened by what they see because solid, powerful, majestic icebergs afloat in the sea remind them of our nation, its strong moral underpinnings, its commitment to (the American version of) tikkun olam, and its invincible military. This group includes members who vote red and who vote blue, but others see our nation coming apart at the seams, a country divided down into warring factions in which personal liberty is increasingly defined in terms of the sensitivities of the majority and in which justice is meted out entirely differently to people of different races and social strata. Such people look at Church’s painting and hear Bellamy’s warning that even giant icebergs that look stable and impregnable can be undermined by the gentle, unarmed presence of a warm current in the sea. Nothing lasts forever. Every Achilles has his heel. No garden thrives because it was once watered.  

So who is right? I propose we give the last word to Bellamy himself, whose afterword to his own novel (which I am currently reading for the first time) closes with these words: “All thoughtful men agree,” he writes, “that the present aspect of society is portentous of great changes. The only question is whether they will be for the better or the worse. Those who believe in man’s essential nobleness lean to the former view, those who believe in his essential baseness to the latter. For my part, I hold to the former opinion. Looking Back was written in the belief that our Golden Age lies before us and not behind us, and is not far away. Our children will surely see it, and we too who are already men and women, if we deserve it by our faith and by our works.”

Despite it all, that’s what I think too! And I offer that thought—part prayer, part wish, part hope—to you all on this Thanksgiving Day, a day on which all Americans are united by the desire to recognize the good in ourselves and our nation, and to be grateful for the potential to do good in the world that derives directly from that noble sense of what it means to be an American. 

#Frederic Church #Thanksgiving #Edward Bellamy

[nitrateglow]

Scattered thoughts on Glengarry Glen Ross (1992)

Oh my God, this movie was excellent. I can’t even find the words to express how great it is. Every performance is perfect, like, to the point where I could not say which was the best of the bunch; the ensemble cast just worked so well together as a unit.

Movies based on plays can be hard to pull off-- there’s the dreaded fear that it’s going to be “stagey.” GGR would initially appear to fall into this trap, with its heavy emphasis on dialogue as opposed to on-screen action; however, the way the conversations are composed and edited are so cinematic and thoughtful. During the scenes where Ed Harris and Alan Arkin are talking about committing a robbery, just check out how we see switch from standard shot-reverse-shot to two-shot, reflecting when the shaky relationship between these two guys.

It’s definitely not a feel-good movie: it’s incredibly dark, even vicious. I can see some people finding it too mean-spirited perhaps, but I thought it was a cold, hard look at the weak side of human nature. It’s a story that makes you look at what your own life goals are and wonder if you could ever be so shitty.

The whole thing was just riveting as hell. I can see myself rewatching it in the future. It’ll be great to appreciate the acting and cinematography with the full knowledge of the story’s trajectory in mind.

#thoughts #glengarry glen ross

[mdwatchestv]

Emmy Blog 2k18: Monday’s Revenge

That's right it's that very special time! Except this time that very special time falls on a MONDAY AFTERNOON when I will be at my job working hard to craft non-Emmy nominated television for you all. I feel personally attacked by this scheduling.

Speaking of me, this is my second annual Emmy blog which means I have maintained this blog for over a year now! Yes that is correct I have actually shown commitment and follow-through on a project, I would like to thank the Academy.

Last year I was wildly unprepared for how long it would take to type such a blog so I'm not going to mess around with all the loving analysis of yesteryear. Also last year I simply had no idea how tired I would be this year, because I was too tired to imagine that far into the future. So you will get your analysis up front and then nothing but pure, unadulterated nominee sass.

As always we must mention last week’s Creative Arts Emmys-  Congratulations to the casting winners Nina Gold + Robert Sterne (The Crown), Meredith Tucker, Jeanie Bacharach and Cindy Tolan (The Marvelous Mrs Maisel) and Courtney Bright + Nicole Daniels (The Assassination of Gianni Versace). See these casting names, know them, learn them, love them. Also it's bullshit Megan was not given an Emmy For Megan #justiceformegan

 Last year I commented on how the Emmy's were beginning to reflect the increasing diversity in the television landscape. While progress on that front continues to be frustratingly slow, this year did boast a remarkable number of incredible roles for women! Not only are we seeing roles for women that extend beyond wives, mothers, and girlfriends, we are also seeing more series that STAR women! This year boasts some VERY EXCITING Best Actress categories, and I am HERE FOR IT. In contrast though most of the male categories are a total snooze fest, and the fact that AMC's The Terror wasn't nominated for ANYTHING shows that absolutely no one cracked the seal on their screeners.  With an increasingly populated television landscape, it seems like voters went to old favorites rather than branching out and discovering some new gems. On some level this is to be expected, but at that same time there is an increasing disparity between what is recognized at these kind of events, and what is airing. 

Okay on to the main event! Disclaimer: Once again these predictions are based on nothing but flights of fancy and raw gut instinct. 

Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie

Sara Bareilles (“Jesus Christ Superstar Live In Concert”) Penelope Cruz (“The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story”) Judith Light (“The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story”) Adina Porter (“American Horror Story: Cult”) Merritt Wever (“Godless”) Letitia Wright (“Black Museum” (Black Mirror))

God, wasn't AHS: Cult like six AHS's ago? Letitia Wright should win this because she won't get any other hardware for stealing Black Panther.

Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie

Jeff Daniels (“Godless”) Brandon Victor Dixon (“Jesus Christ Superstar”) John Leguizamo (“Waco”) Ricky Martin (“The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story”) Edgar Ramirez (“The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story”) Michael Stuhlbarg (“The Looming Tower”) Finn Wittrock (“The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story”)

There are plenty of actors I like, like in life here but.......sorry I fell asleep. 

Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie:

Antonio Banderas (“Genius: Picasso”) Darren Criss (“The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story”) Benedict Cumberbatch (“Patrick Melrose”) Jeff Daniels (“The Looming Tower”) John Legend (“Jesus Christ Superstar”) Jesse Plemons (“USS Callister”)

This category is insane. What do we got, a second Jeff Daniels nomination, a Black Mirror, John Legend for acting, Harry Potter, Benedict Cumberbatch who always seems to sneak into the Emmys, and Antonio Banderas. I am trying really hard to have an opinion about this. I’m going to pick my boyfriend Darren Criss just so I can put a gif of him on this blog. 

Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie:

Laura Dern (“The Tale”) Jessica Biel (“The Sinner”) Michelle Dockery (“Godless”) Edie Falco (“The Menendez Murders”) Regina King (“Seven Seconds”) Sarah Paulson (“American Horror Story: Cult”)

Okay now here we go! Now this is a category! However the Laura Dern rule is in effect here, which is whenever Laura Dern is present in a category the choice MUST be Laura Dern.

Best Limited Series

“The Alienist” “The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story” “Genius: Picasso” “Godless” “Patrick Melrose”

Can none of the above be an answer?

Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series

Louie Anderson (“Baskets”) Alec Baldwin (“Saturday Night Live”) Tituss Burgess (“Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”) Brian Tyree Henry (“Atlanta”) Tony Shalhoub (“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”) Kenan Thompson (“Saturday Night Live”) Henry Winkler (“Barry”)

Are we really nominating Alec Baldwin for that Trump impersonation? What a time to be alive. Tony Shalhoub is an Emmy darling, I think if he wins another he gets a free one on his punch card. Henry Winkler was pitch perfect on Barry, Kenan Thompson has been on SNL for a million years, and Brian Tyree Henry's performance on Atlanta is deceivingly effortless. I think Shalhoub, the Academy will likely have missed voting for him, it just comes so naturally to them. 

Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series

Zazie Beetz (“Atlanta”) Alex Borstein (“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”) Aidy Bryant (“Saturday Night Live”) Betty Gilpin (“GLOW”) Leslie Jones (“Saturday Night Live”) Kate McKinnon (“Saturday Night Live”) Laurie Metcalf (“Roseanne”) Megan Mullally (“Will & Grace”)

Yes once again the ladies are LIT, tearing it UP. But no one tore it harder, and more literally, than Betty freakin Gilpin.

Lead Actor in a Comedy Series:

Donald Glover (“Atlanta”) Bill Hader (“Barry”) Anthony Anderson (“Black-ish”) William H. Macy (“Shameless”) Larry David (“Curb Your Enthusiasm”) Ted Danson (“The Good Place”)

This is a tough one, there are a lot of golden oldies here. I was surprised by how much I loved Bill Hader’s performance in Barry, but I think it was too weird and too dark to garner the votes needed. Atlanta had a lot of momentum and buzz last year,  not sure if the Academy is going to pour the same love two years in a row. I’m going to go with Ted Danson, he’s impeccable on The Good Place and he’s also Ted Danson!

Lead Actress in a Comedy Series:

Pamela Adlon (“Better Things”) Rachel Brosnahan (“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”) Tracee Ellis Ross (“Black-ish”) Allison Janney (“Mom”) Lily Tomlin (“Grace and Frankie”) Issa Rae (“Insecure”)

Ray Bro.

Best Comedy Series

“Atlanta” (FX) “Barry” (HBO) “Black-ish” (ABC) “Curb Your Enthusiasm” (HBO) “GLOW” (Netflix) “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” (Amazon) “Silicon Valley” (HBO) “The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” (Netflix)

Unlike the Best Drama Series category, which I am going to drag through the dirt at the end of this post, there is a lot of goodness here. These shows are not only very different, but also compelling in their own ways. (Although The Good Place absolutely deserves to be here). While I fell in love with Barry this year, and think Atlanta has maintained a consistent brilliance for two seasons, I think the delightful confection that is Mrs Maisel has the awards momentum to take this category. 

Supporting Actor in a Drama Series

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (“Game of Thrones”) Peter Dinklage (“Game of Thrones”) Joseph Fiennes (“The Handmaid’s Tale”) David Harbour (“Stranger Things”) Mandy Patinkin (“Homeland”) Matt Smith (“The Crown”)

And just like that my Betty Gilpin high has dissipated. I can't believe Homeland is still on. Do we reward David Harbour for having the perfect dad bod, or Matt Smith for being the perfect fuckboy? Decisions, decisions. If Matt Smith wins he needs to break that trophy in half and give it to Claire Foy. He can keep the globey part, but she gets the body and the stand. 

Supporting Actress in a Drama Series

Alexis Bledel (“The Handmaid’s Tale”) Millie Bobby Brown (“Stranger Things”) Ann Dowd (“The Handmaid’s Tale”) Lena Headey (“Game of Thrones”) Vanessa Kirby (“The Crown”) Thandie Newton (“Westworld”) Yvonne Strahovski (“The Handmaid’s Tale”)

I had to consciously uncouple from The Handmaid’s Tale this year, but that doesn’t mean those actresses stopped being brilliant in their performances. Ann Dowd is a Laura Dern in the sense that I will usually always pick her in a category, but Thandie Newton did arguably carry season 2 of Westworld almost on her own. There are a lot of good unique performances here, but I am going to say Vanessa Kirby because she crushed on The Crown (and for the last time). 

Lead Actor in a Drama Series

Jason Bateman (“Ozark”) Sterling K. Brown (“This Is Us”) Ed Harris (“Westworld”) Matthew Rhys (“The Americans”) Milo Ventimiglia (“This Is Us”) Jeffrey Wright (“Westworld”)

Guys can we be really, really honest with ourselves, like look in the mirror and come face-to-face with cold hard truths honest? WERE these the best performances this year? I love all these guys, but are they really turning in their best performances on these shows? Truly? The only exception is Matthew Rhys who is in his final year of a tour-de-force role on The Americans so my money is on him. 

Lead Actress in a Drama Series

Claire Foy (“The Crown”) Tatiana Maslany (“Orphan Black”) Elisabeth Moss (“The Handmaid’s Tale”) Sandra Oh (“Killing Eve”) Keri Russell (“The Americans”) Evan Rachel Wood (“Westworld”)

Now, this, THIS IS A CATEGORY. LOOK AT THESE WOMEN.  I love all of these actresses, and some of these performances are truly among the best I've ever seen on television. That is not a hyperbole, it is a true. I would be happy with almost anyone winning this slot, but I really feel like Sandra Oh is going to take it. I FEEL IT OKAY. 

Best Drama Series

“The Handmaid’s Tale” “Game of Thrones” “This Is Us” “The Crown” “The Americans” “Stranger Things” “Westworld”

KILLING EVE IS THE BEST DRAMA SERIES OF THIS YEAR AND ITS EXCLUSION IS A HORRIBLE MISTAKE!!!!! Like IS Westworld REALLY the Best Drama Series??? IS IT? Is Game of Thrones??? Yes they are highly enjoyable and I watch them both, but are they THE BEST? REALLY? Was Stranger Things season 2 THE BEST, or are we just charmed by the children? Was The Handmaid’s season 2 THE BEST, or did we just vote for it out of habit and a misguided feeling that it’s win would stave off Kavanaugh’s confirmation? The Americans should win. 

Okay I feel good now that that’s off my chest. I have a lot of thoughts of feelings, and please let me know yours! Phoebe Waller-Bridge forever!

xo Martha

#martha writes #emmys #emmy predictions #emmy snark #tv writing #tv gifs #other tv #emmy awards

[weirdpolis]

Fandom meme

tagged by @filigranka and @ysraellaleostwald - thanks!

Rules: Choose any three fandoms (in any order), answer the questions and tag 10 people.

tagging: @septembersung, @shewhodoesnotexist, @lightningale, @mariacharlet, @redhatmeg, @who-honor-idk, @theadventuresofacatholicnerdling, @2theheights, @itspileofgoodthings,

My chosen 3 fandoms:

1. Star Wars

2. Fullmetal Alchemist - Brotherhood and manga.

3. Avatar: the Last Airbender

The first character you loved:

1. Obi Wan Kenobi. In the New Hope, which I’ve seen first, he was this old wise man, tad bit a mystery, and emanating badassery, but also with a whimsical sense of humor, and lots of empathy. He got my respect and was my fave through this movie, which I don’t like that much otherwise, and I only grew more attached to him in the next movies. And then the Phantom Menance happened, and he got the face of  young Ewan McGregor, and it was literally love at first sight. I re-watch Prequel Trilogy just for him, hng...

2. Maes Hughes. This is why I’m cynical about my fave characters.

3. Prince Zuko. I decided to watch Avatar only because I heard he’s got an exquisite character arc, thus I was focusing on him from the begining - and it was the only thing that took me through the otter penguins and stuff, because I was way too old to enjoy it otherwise.

The character you never expected to love so much:

1. ugh, Hux. I’m really side-eyeing myself for this one, as I cringe every time at his speach and the pure hatred oozing from it. I didn’t expect to have any opinion about him at all - I was just “oh, hey, that’s Domhnall! he’s such a great actor! Let’s study every second of his acting.” Then there were jokes about him and Kylo wyying for power and approval from Snoke like two entitled children. And then there were all the meta and background info, and fandoom headcanons, and storytelling excercisses in heel-face turns and redemption possibilities (for the guy who blew up five planets and billions of people/aliens, *side-eyeing myself again*) and AUs... and now here I am, in the pit of doom, very much aware that the version of Hux I’m so obssesed with doesn’t even exist in canon.

2. Roy Mustang. I’m still cackling whenever I think about his early appearances in the Brotherhood. Look, they say he’s competent and he’s boosting about his powerfull flame alchemy, but he fails to use it! he’s constantly either wet or useless, and ends up looking like a fool. And then there’s Maria Ross incident - of all times you’d wish his flames failed! And so he prooves himself to be an angry idiot and a total bastard. Couple episodes later you mutter ‘bastard’ at him in totally different tone. At the end of the series you are rooting for him to become the ruler of the entire country, because he’s the only one with moral ideals and a necessary conscience. Also lots of angst. But really why I love him so much, is exactly because of those dumb moments at the begining and later on - he tries and fails and struggles on his path, because there’s no road map on how to redeem yourself and fix the country, and that’s so f relatable.

3. Pretty much everyone besides Zuko - I really did not expect this cartoon to be so good character- and story-wise, I thought I’d care only about Zuko, and even with him I didn’t fathom the extent of love I ended up giving him.

The character you relate to most:

1. Really, it’s R2D2 and BB8. Sometimes all I’m capable of are *sad beep noises* and arson.

2. In all honesty - Sheska.

3. Suki. It’s the way she speaks with pride about their culture, the obvious care she has for people - and the “answer now, or we will feed you to the Unagi!”

The character you’d slap:

1. After the Last Jedi, nearly everyone. But the director the most.

2.  You know, the villians of course and half of cast here and there too. Ed and Al for rushing into things and failling to talk about feelings, Hohenhaim for parenting, Roy for being occasionally dumb, Maes for not making notes. Isaac McDougall for not talking in a more straightforward manner. For Shou I’d borrow the mechanical arm from Ed.

3. besides villians, I dread to admit this but Aang. I know, he’s a traumatized 11 yo with huuuuge responsibility on his shoulders and really all around loving and compasionate character. It’s just I often don’t like protagonists just for how the story focuses on them, and the combination of Aang’s immaturity, temper (he does get angry quite a bit), and rather clumsily executed love arc with Katara, annoys me and I want to shake him like “get a grip, man!”  

Three favourite characters (in order of preference):

1. Obi Wan Kenobi. Luke Skywalker. Chewbacca. R2D2. Darth Vader. Princess Leia Organa. Ewoks. Huge black hole. and then Hux. BB8. Rey. Poe Dameron still. Kylo is sneaking on me, will see.

2. Roy Mustang. Ling Yao. Riza Hawkeye. Maes Hughes. Scar. Miles. Olivier Mira Armstrong. Lan Fan. Izumi Curtis and hubby. Alex Armstrong. Greedo, Marcoh, chimeras, the list just goes on...

3. Zuko. Suki. Mai. Sokka. Kyoshi. Toph. Iroh. Piandao. Hakoda. Ty Lee. Azula. Teo. June. Longshot. I’m forgetting someone...

A character you liked at first but don’t anymore:

1. Poe Dameron, sigh. After TFA Poe was really close to being my fave character of the newbies. I liked his not so overt sass, his confidence, without being cocky about it, his joy at flying, but also his calm and competence when it came to fulfilling the mission. And his easy going manner and friendliness. He was well balanced and quite unique of a character. But the Last Jedi took him in the direction of a “lovable” cock-sure pistol, and I’m just not charmed anymore. At least there’s still this:

2. I don’t think anyone got a fall from grace, even King Bradley still has some of my respect, tho the nature of it changed.

3. Again, I can’t think of anyone who’d lost my sympathy. 

A character you did not like at first but do now:

1. Luke Skywalker (tho “now” was before the Last Jedi assasinated him). It’s histerical, Luke annoyed the heck out of me in the New Hope, and is still whenever I watch this part. He’s so naive, and inexperienced, and eager, and wannabe-heroic, and pretty much everything I dislike about most protagonists. And then during ESB I got gradually invested in him, and then they cut his arm off, and I was in love in a second. And then he became wise in the RotJ, and I just love him a lot.

2. Scar. He was mostly a terror to be feared and a merciless killer - until he wasn’t. The more you know about him, the more human he becomes, and you wish him some peace and redemption and a kitten for company. I mean, panda.

3. Sokka. Ho boy, how did he annoy me at first, with his sexism, and bragging, and stupid comments. But then he got character growth, and became the strategist mastermind and often the voice of reason, not losing any of his comedic potential, and I love him. 

Three OTPs:

Most of the time I don’t ship characters, but I love the dynamics between Roy Mustang/Riza Hawkeye, the Curtis couple, Ling Yao/Lan Fan, also Zuko/Mai, and Sokka/Suki pairings.

#ask meme #favourite character #FMA #fmab #Fullmetal Alchemist #star wars #avatar: the last airbender

[thetradeway]

Session 41 17 Apr 2021: Wait, a TRAP door? Ahleqs casts Mage Armour.

Duncan is walking back from the opticians, so we start a little bit late. Ed is also going to be late, but he says to go ahead without him and he’ll catch up.

Mr. Pickles has a gift for Ahleqs (which Joe forgot until this week…)

Should be fun riding through the streets of Waterdeep - until he gets done by animal rights activists.

Matthew reminds us of what Brother Charity and Gideon did at the end of the last session - the buddy cop movie, during which they got some names of some people. (He explains in a very sketched out way until Sophie asks him to clarify a bit further, ‘like I was asleep or something’.) (For those who weren't there at the time, she *was* asleep.)

Mirt, Harper’s quest, Maxeene, talking horse, ride around the city, inn with a glory hole in it, disguised selves, names of a sun elf fellow and a half orc lady. Timothy P. Fuckapple and Thunderbuns, ah yes. (apparently Matthew was going for Danny Dyer, but he’ll take Ross Kemp.)

“That was exhilarating!” Charity says to Gideon as they flee down side alleys.

(Joe shows us an image of Undermountain, the dungeon under the Yawning Portal.)

(holy shit.)

We pick back up at the Dagger. Kessler wanted to ask Shanks about procuring us a book to offer the monks at Candlekeep. (Joe shows Melaina her new weasel…)

Kessler and Ahleqs arrive back at the Dagger, shortly followed by Charity, Carl and Gideon. Kessler points and laughs at Gideon’s disguise.

Tarragon has gone to find Renah and challenge her to an arm wrestle, loser buys drinks. Matthew worries that it might turn into a bar fight. Ahleqs: “It’s all fun and games until someone throws a dwarf.” Tarragon wins 18-21, and asks for a half an ale. “I’m very small and I’m not used to drinking.”

The others are deciding how to contact Shanks about the book. Ahleqs asks at the bar what would be the best way to get in touch. Ria and Jirr are tending bar tonight. Ria isn’t sure who Ahleqs means when he asks for Shanks. She offers to ask the other staff, and has a chat with Jirr.

Jirr can get a message to Shanks for us. Or - do we want to meet her? That might be better. Jirr will organise a meeting in the cellar. This might take a day or so to arrange.

Do we need preparations or supplies for the journey to Candlekeep? (Shopping episode! Somewhere, Travis Willingham sighs.)

We probably need rations. We also need to get passage on a boat - we could ask Surge (Gunna's water genasi friend in the Docks Ward), or Larissa. Either way, to the Docks Ward!

(Charity Prestidigitations Gideon before we leave.)

Kessler debates buying a shield and goes to speak to Filiare before we go, as well. (Scribe’s note: Her AC is already 18.) He will sell her one for 7gp; she accepts, choosing a metal one with a plain front so she can add her own design. She sells her crossbow bolts as well.

Ed joins us and Charity remembers about the mad druid that Tarragon needs to speak to, but that’s not for a few days. We decide to speak to Surge first as he’s slightly less dodgy, and if he’s unavailable or can’t help, then we’ll try Larissa. We’re trying to get passage but also get paid for it, like going to a festival and pretending to be cleaners.

(Duncan gets lost on his way to the kitchen to make coffee, and finds himself in the off license buying beer.)

As we go through the streets toward the docks, a bird lands on Tarragon’s shoulder and gives her a scroll from Amithrel, giving her the name of the druid whose tome may be of use in curing Tansy’s illness. She asks the bird to thank Amithrel for her and it flies off.

Kessler: “I wonder if I could snatch that bird out of the air…”

Duncan OOC: “This whole time I’ve just been imagining you grabbing birds out of the air and eating them.”

There follows a discussion about the diets of goblins, and how much evidence there is to suggest that they really do eat babies.

Melaina makes a Perception check to get us to the Docks ward (I almost wrote Dicks ward by accident lol). We find the temple, and Surge is in the middle of it, feeding sick sailors. He sees us and recognises us, and asks straight away if we’ve seen Gunna.

Melaina, suddenly and excitedly: “Have you seen him? Not that we care about… where… he… is…”

Surge says that he saw him briefly before he left, and that he said something about visiting his father. It could take a few months for him to return.

Melaina asks about passage on a boat. Do we want to pay, or work, Surge asks us? Well, we’ve acquired some skills in recent times. He asks about what sort of skills we have. Fire magic?, Ahleqs suggests. Tends not to be popular on wooden boats.

Kessler can make stuff…? Melaina is an elf, she could make a good lookout? Tarragon is a herbalist, she can make poultices. How many are there of us? Six? Yeah, six. Seven, if you count Brother Charity. (We’ve accepted Carl as one of us.) (Charity looks wounded.)

Ahleqs makes a Persuasion check with Guidance - 25 total.

To Candlekeep, you say? Maybe the return journey as well? Space for seven, we’re looking at a cargo ship. Is there any way Surge can contact us? We’re staying at the Dagger. Surge will ask around and send word.

Brother Charity has some shopping he wants to do. Where would he find adventuring supplies? Market in the Trades Ward. He wants Healer’s kits and scroll scribing kits, that sort of thing. We like to travel in a lump; our lump arrives in the Market.

Between a lucky roll and help from Charismatic Ahleqs, Charity can have 20gp off the asking price of 70, to the shopkeeper’s chagrin.

Tarragon buys some more herbs, as she’s offered her services as a herbalist on whatever ship Surge can get us passage on. Kessler buys some healing potions.

Anyone else want to do some panic buying? Chain mail! A gun! Some big bombs! The Death Star! Nope, that’s it. We head back to the Dagger.

So - rations, and a meeting with Shanks to maybe procure a book. Gideon has a heavy supper and falls asleep in front of the fire. (Tarragon: Five bean chilli from the new vegetarian menu, and a peach liqueur.) As we sit down to eat, Jirr motions to us. We’ve got a guest.

Shanks meets us in the cellar. Can she procure rare and curious books? Ahleqs explains what it is we need - a book that the monks of Candlekeep don’t already have in their collection. What about something unique, like a journal? Are we familiar with Xanathar’s thieves’ guild?

No-one is really sure what it’s real name is. The higher ups in that guild are known as The Hand. Their master of magic is a woman called Emerine (I think?). She’s a powerful wizard, not to be crossed. But she is undertaking research in the sewers, Shanks knows where. She has a something called the Tome of Bindings. Shanks could take us there to get it? She can time it for when the wizard isn’t in.

Would this wizard part with the book, or will we have to nick it? If we time it right, she won’t be there to defend it. But she’ll likely have traps and stuff. Ahleqs asks what do we think the chances are that she has an actual Beholder there? Low, says Shanks, as the guild leader is one and Beholders are notoriously territorial and won’t put up with another close by.

It would be doing Shanks a favour, if we got that book away from her. Can we be ready first thing?

Charity: “All those in favour say Aye.”

All of us except Kessler: “Aye!”

Kessler: “I don’t see why not, I mean I’ve got no objections…”

Shanks tells us it’ll be another trip to the sewer, so get ready.

Tarragon, thoughtfully: “Do you know anyone who sells nose plugs…”

Shanks returns the following morning and leads us into the sewer. We make CON saves against the smell. Only Tarragon fails and is polite enough to lean away rather than puking on Brother Charity, which she feels is very magnanimous of her.

Shanks leads us to a new (to us) part of the sewer, where we haven’t been before. It looks in poor state of repair. She points to a locked trap door. The wizard has been seen going in and out of there. Do we need help picking the lock…?

Melaina: “I think we’ve got this.”

(Wait, a TRAP door? Ahleqs casts Mage Armour.)

Melaina checks for traps and unlocks the door with ease, and after some wrangling, Joe gets a marching order out of us. (A police car goes by in horrible Nottingham.) There’s a small delay while Joe fights his way through all the gubbins I’ve filled roll20 with (SO MANY RED DRAGONS!), and puts our tokens on the board.

Back in the charming sewers again! It’s a nice part, and doesn’t smell. It’s part of the old elven sewer.

Ahead of her Kessler sees a metal door, with a slot into which something presumably fits. She checks for traps - it is not trapped. She goes for a pick, but rolls a 12 so nothing happens. She could try impact engineering… (Is that a fancy-lady way of saying she’s going to twat it?) Melaina elbows her way to the front and does it properly.

(Gideon has had too many meads and has probably fallen asleep - or gone to the kitchen to get sausages, so the DM moves him gently out of the way.)

We are just exploring when Joe tells us to stay where we are - uh oh!

We all make STR saves except Tarragon, who is now glad she was stuck at the back.

They roll so badly that they couldn’t pass if they added all their scores together. They are hit by lightning from the pillars in the room, as well as being blown around by wind.

Kessler shoots at one of the pillars to try and discharge the magic, but is at Disadvantage because of the wind and rolls a 9. It zaps her, and she takes 13 lightning damage.

Melaina has a go but also fails and takes some lightning damage. Joe rolls 4 1s for her damage though, noice.

Ahleqs makes an arcana check to see if he can figure out this magic, but rolls a nat 1. He uses a Sorcery point to re-roll for a 17. It seems to be retaliating when attacked, and there are glyphs on the floor that zap you if you stand on them.

Kessler and Tarragon see that the winds inside the sphere seem to be physically blowing the ammunition off course. Perhaps magic might work better…?

Ahleqs tries an Eldritch Blast, and it hits. Yay! He assumes the foetal position; just as well because he gets hit with lightning.

Tarragon does a Thorn Whip, which also hits. The pillar is starting to look damaged, and she takes 17 lightning damage. Oof! Kessler fires off a Firebolt, as Ahleqs downs a potion. She hits for 3 damage and takes 15 lightning damage. Yikes.

Melaina does a magic arrow at it - or, a spell? Or Charity can do a spell, so Melaina isn’t using up a spell slot?

He does a Divine Eldritch Blast. (A what? He is a Cleric, right? Sophie, OOC: ‘He’s a sneaky bastard is what he is.’) It does 1 damage, which is just enough - the pillar breaks. He does a Cure Wounds for Kessler, and offers the same to Ahleqs.

Melaina tries the door. It is a large, metal double door. She checks it for traps - once she’s found her character sheet again. She sees the telltale signs of trappage! She sleight of hand disarms it with a 27 - “Bazinga.” She then unlocks the door. It swings open to reveal a monster - “Lock it again! Lock it again!”

We roll initiative. DM asks if one of us want to take the Grease Wizard “because I think you’ll need him”. Oh shit. Matthew and Sophie both take him so they can squabble over him.

(Sophie OOC: “What is that thing? Oh, it’s massive and it’s got a big old sword.”)

It moves forward and breathes poison on Kessler, Melaina and Tarragon. Only Melaina makes her save. If only our front-line fighter wasn’t on a boat going to see his mum!

Tarragon rages and does Cure Wounds on herself (but the other way around); Melaina casts Woundbind on Kessler, who went down after the poison breath. (How’s that shield working out?) Melaina bonus-action-disengages and backs up.

Kessler gets to her feet and goes for a Thunder Gauntlet, which misses. She stands her ground.

Ahleqs: "I stand my ground too!" (We all laugh.) He screams (part of his spellcasting ritual), and casts Fireball. It doesn’t bother trying to make the save - ah shit.

Kessler, Tarragon, Ahleqs and Gideon (and Melaina) make perception checks - we all notice that the creature absorbs the fire, and any little dents in the armour repair themselves. Matthew-as-Gideon - “Fire appears to mend it!”

Ahleqs runs away.

Grease wizard doesn’t have Enlarge-Reduce prepared, sadly. He has a go at Enfeebling it instead. He rolls an 18 and it misses.

Oh fuck…

Kessler, right up in melee range: “Run, save yourselves!”

Ahleqs, already halfway out of the room: “Way ahead of you!”

Charity casts ‘a buffing spell’ on himself to get more HP, and then shilleweghilghosllhsoaslkhhah. Carl holds an action, as there’s not much he can do.

It’s the golem’s turn. It tries to squish Kessler, who is standing right in front of it, by bringing its sword down on her noggin. It misses! But dents her new shield. Then it swings an arm, trying to slam her into the wall. That time it hits for 14 damage.

Tarragon goes for an Indiana Jones slide between its legs but fails her Dex check and hits it in the legs. (If Duncan was DM she’d have hit something else.) She tries to batter it with her quarterstaff, but misses.

Melaina hides and shoots, and hits the thing! She rolls badly on her damage, however. (Joe assures us that this fight is winnable; we all make dubious noises.)

Kessler goes for the Thunder Gauntlets and hits it for 11 Thunder damage. She uses Fury of the Small on top for an extra 7 damage. She would like to disengage for a bonus action and split her attack; after a short discussion it’s decided that she can. She wants to move behind it so she makes a DEX check - and passes! Like a greased seal she slides between its legs. She goes for her second attack, with Advantage as she and Tarragon are now flanking it. She hits again for 8 more Thunder damage.

"Are we still in the shit? We kind of are, aren’t we." Ahleqs uses all his remaining Sorcery Points to create a 4th level spell slot before screaming “GO AWAY!” at it and casting Banishment. It fails the save and disappears!

We still need the gem around its neck, which is very much phase 2 of the plan, and Ahleqs will leave that to us.

Kessler: “I would say next time make that your opening gambit?”

Ahleqs, Concentrating: “Look, let’s not waste this minute bickering.”

(DM decides that was inspired so he won’t enforce it now, but next time Ahleqs casts Banishment he will actually have to produce the spell component - something distasteful to the target. Duncan, OOC: "I may go full monkey and fling my poo at it.")

We prepare - moving to flanking positions and rerolling initiative. Tarragon goes bear and waits to re-Rage.

Bear Tarragon and Kessler both hit with their attacks of opportunity as the thing pops back. Brother Charity goes for a whack with Sheldflhjdasdlaflfghhh, and natty 20s it for triple damage - 36 total!

It’s Kessler’s turn. She punches it upside the back of the head for a 19 which misses, then natty 20s for her second hit. Max damage, then she rolls the damage dice again, yeah!

Tarragon does a multi attack and crits with her claws - bloodied nose. Max damage and roll again - she gets max damage on that roll too! She’s so pleased it’s hard to maintain her rage.

Melaina goes for a shot but misses.

Ed has woken up! He is pleased to know that Matthew, about to take Gideon’s turn, was about to Grease something. He asks how this thing feels about fire, and is warned that it loves it. He’s very disappointed until he realises that he can use his new toy.

Wait is this the main big bad, or is this on the way to the big bad?

Sophie, OOC: “We just got into this dungeon, we’re in the foyer.”

He does Phantasmal Killer! The thing makes a WIS save - at Advantage - and fails. Ed, delighted: "It’s timid and scared and frightened." It makes another WIS save on each of its turns, or takes more psychic damage; for now it takes 16.

But…

It’s immune to psychic damage - and being frightened.

That is a poor show, Joe.

Brother Charity is up, and he’s the last one before the golem. Gideon: “We’ll have to do this the old fashioned way Charity, go and stab it with a spear!”

It’s still flanked, so Brother Charity rolls with Advantage and hits it with a 26 for 12 bludgeoning damage with Shillgslahkfksjddkghglhlhllbblhh. It’s looking tatty now, yeah!

It doesn’t get its breath weapon back, phew. It attacks the bear, at Disadvantage (because it is not attacking Kessler). It hits, but she takes half damage.

It’s Coward Time! He doesn’t need to move closer so he casts Shenanigans at level 2. He expends a spell slot to regain a sorcery point. Now he casts Shatter at level 3, using the sorcery point to use Careful Spell and steer it around his friends.

It does a CON save (“I imagine it’s okay at those”) which it has Advantage on, but it’s a construct so it has Disadvantage as per the spell. They cancel each other out so it makes a straight roll, and gets a 16 which succeeds. It takes half damage though. Having covered his eyes as he cast the spell Ahleqs shouts, “Did I get it?”

We all want Carl to get the how-de-do-dis. He does Gauntlets of Helm but misses even with Advantage.

Kessler goes for the Thunder Gauntlets and hits with her second attack, for 7 thunder damage. It’s at Disadvantage to attack anyone but her again.

Tarragon does a multi attack and hits with both - and gets the how-de-do-dis! She rips it apart with her bear claws, with a horrible screeching noise of claws on metal.

We get the crystal key!

(After the dust settles, Joe reminds us of when we fought the Flesh Ripper and Melaina very cleverly hid herself on the other side of a doorway through which the Flesh Ripper was too big to fit. We look again at the map we’re on now to see that we came through a corridor that would be too big for the golem… We are so stupid.)

The crystal fits in the slot in the door, which leads us down another corridor into a study. Melaina rolls to pick the lock with a 27. We get the book, yeah!

(Next week we pick up with our old campaign, for which I DM. I will try to add an entry here, but it won’t have the same level of detail!)

#dnd #thetradeway #campaign diary

[karinakamichi]

I don't see the “Winry being captured by Barry” thing as a problem in 03, given the way the event was integral to the story, and is part of what, I believe, caused Edward to pull away from people. Things like that happen every day, so I don't mind it being used in a fictional setting as long as it's handled with care. Winry may have been held captive, but it wasn't really that she was being used against Ed. People forget that Barry targeted only women in 03(which some serial killers do in real life). If you’re contrasting her to Brotherhood Winry, you’re failing to see that she was older than 03 Winry was at this point. Of course she would make better judgement at points. When 03 Winry becomes older, she actually becomes much smarter, like researching into Hughes' death along with Sheska. Also, if your going to get defensive of 03 Edward being criticized for being 'childish'(which is a complaint about 03 that I personally can’t stand), you need to realize that Winry too is childish. Edward, just like Winry, fell for the bait that Barry gave him. When Ed approached Barry, whom he thought was a female, he didn't hesitate to walk in the direction Barry told him to go, and turning his back towards Barry let him be knocked out. They both fell for a similar ploy. So I see both Winry and Ed on equal terms in this, because Edward didn't truly stand a chance in it and was just trying to save himself more than even Winry. I consider the trauma Ed faced because of it all too realistic. And I find no actual faults with Winry's writing in it. Also some people think Winry "made Ed go shopping with her", but there's no proof of that. She was trying to cheer him up, from what I could tell, and is visibly worried about him. To clarify my point: Barry didn't use Winry against Ed; they both got caught. And I did really like that situation. It was appropriately terrifying, like any real kidnapping would be. The Saturday Morning cartoons tend to play that off, but it's actually really fucking horrifying so kudos to FMA! Barry also has a much more terrifying nature in 03 in general, and his killing is taken, idk, more serious??? In BH, we’re never made to see the direct impact of his actions, but in 03, we see how it affected both the victims, and the family and friends of the victims, even in how there is a child crying over the dismembered corpse of his own mother, and then Edward is reminded of his and passes out from the Trauma. As one post put it:  --- Winry and Edward are both kidnapped by a serial killer. Not only that but this event occurs during a very emotionally charged time period for Edward. Not only is it his first week in the military, but it’s only a day or two after Nina is murdered by Scar. If you’ve seen the episode you know Edward comes very close to dying and basically reacts the way any child would in the same situation. He begins panicking, losing his cool, and by the end of the episode he’s sobbing his eyes out, frightened by his own helplessness in such a dangerous situation. It’s a very good episode if you haven’t seen it, and if you want my opinion it gives better closure to Edward’s emotional turmoil over Nina than the manga.What’s really interesting however, is the episode directly after this one. As a means of making it up to Winry, who granted was probably just as traumatized, Edward and Alphonse take her supply shopping, and it’s clear if your watching Winry is trying little antics to get Edward to cheer up some, or at least distract him. She picks out especially expensive materials, and makes comments directed at him “You’ll buy all of this for me, right Ed?“ and yet Edward is hardly paying her any attention, in a very pointed way. He isn’t looking at her, he isn’t speaking to her, heck he’s willing to let her just go wild with his research funds and purchase whatever she wants no matter the price. And even with her intentionally trying to get his goat, there isn’t even one snarky little comment coming from his direction. Very un-Edward. You know something is wrong where Winry and Al are the one’s squabbling and Ed is the calm mediator.But then let’s get into their relationship as young adults and not children and the events that go down later in the series. The biggest difference I think between the Manga and 2003 Anime, is that, where in the manga it is established Alphonse and Edward visit periodically and call every now and again, in the 2003 Anime, Edward severs all contact with Winry and Pinako for three years. No calls, no letters, no nothing, and he’s only forced to come back when his automail is completely ruined by Scar, suggesting Edward was going to lengths to repair his own auto-mail as a means of avoiding Winry. This is made even stranger when it’s established that before the incident with Barry the Chopper, not only was Winry visiting Edward, but Edward was also writing to her, something he did not do in the manga.So when you look at it carefully, it appears as though after the Barry the Chopper incident, Edward was attempting to distance himself from Winry. Now why could that be?Well think about it. He’d just witnessed the brutal murder of a young girl he was very close to, and directly after put his best friend in harm’s way and was unable to do anything to help her.Edward in the 2003 Anime pushes Winry away as a means of protecting her. Oh and don’t think Winry isn’t aware of this fact either, as she makes it very clear time and time again she doesn’t enjoy getting the cold shoulder from Edward. ---- While it’s not just Winry that Edward does this to in the 2003 anime, Maria Ross, Mustang, and even Alphonse have their fair share of Edward shoving them away, it shows that everything he’s seen, especially after feeling unable to protect Nina, and then seeing Winry put into such a situation, and being helpless even to protect himself, it does have an impact on him, and contributes to his character. And it’s written with so much heart behind it that I absolutely love it, and truly respect their devotion to it. (Also for Vic fans, he said he actually cried for real when giving Ed’s speech about how helpless he felt) (I really like the Japanese version, but I can tell that there was a lot of effort behind the 03 dubbing cast. And while it has some flaws like any dubbing cast does, it’s one of the best English dubbing casts I know of.)

#fma 2003 #fullmetal alchemist #edward elric #winry rockbell #winry rockbell 2003 #03winry #03edward

[theconfessionofawhitemask-blog]

SNM Shanghai 07/29/2017 3pm (70th visit)

Macbeth: Olly Hornsby-Sayer Lady Macbeth: Ingrid Kapteyn Macduff: Gaoyang Lady Macduff: Lily Ockwell Duncan: Simon Palmer Malcolm: Jude Monk McGowan Banquo: Ed Warner Boy Witch: Wang Mingchao Bald Witch: Maya Milet Sexy Witch: Maren Fidje Bjørneseth Hecate: Camilla Brogard Porter: Garth Johnson Agnes Naismith: Xu Xinwen Danvers: Chang Ching-i Speakeasy: Du Yanhao  Cunning man: John Ross Taxi: Sam Booth Bride: Lee Wen Hsin (Debby) Husband: Ben Whybrow Matron: Tang Tingting Nurse: Jiang Yuli James: Huang Hsiaoche Man in Bar (Calloway) : Liu Yu Woman in Bar (Constance) : Shenni

There are some visits you just regret. My 70th visit is definitely iconic as it is the first time I have to leave early.I generally leave early but still stay in the bar but this time, I don’t even want to stay in the bar. I just can’t allow myself to watch disasters after disasters, and time like this makes me want to ask for refund. 

I was really happy to see Ed Warner’s Banquo, as this is the first time I saw him in this role and I was really happy with the way he played husband. But I was wrong. I don’t know for sure but I guess he is injured, as otherwise there would be no excuse for the disasterous luggage room. I can’t believe what happened! My favorite solo was gone! it became drinking and washing face. WTH! I kept following him just to see what the heck is going on, and omg, the bird solo is terrifying. I feel the only logical explanation for this is that his arms are injured so there were some moves he can not do. Yet, it comes to a point I just don’t want to take those things into consideration. I paid a certain amount to watch the show every time. If a dancer is injured, then change the cast. It is your job to protect the actors and make sure the show is decent. How can the luggage room solo be GONE! I feel I am spending the full price watching a discounted performance. As much as I like Ed, I just can’t follow him. This complaint is addressed to punchdrunk and sleep no more shanghai. I know white masks here can be easily satisfied. If there are complaints, just throw them a bunch of 1-1s or interactions. On Friday, I went down to watch Conor’s Macbeth’e death, and I saw there were tons of people just waiting for walkouts at the exits. I know most of them successfully got the walkouts they aimed and congrats on a job well done. I am touched by the enthusiasm from the followers, and am happy for the commercial success of this show. That moment I know my opinion does not matter, as regardless of the quality of the performances, there will be sufficient audiences singing the praises. But then again, with this quality, why am I endorsing PD?

The last straw of that terrible experience happens in the last round, when Taxi, Macbeth, Macduff, Malcolm and Banquo all somehow met in the wall garden. In December or January, we never have to worry about the cue, but now it is a miracle if cues are correct. Friday, Macbeth almost ran into Banquo and Macduff, but high street has always been a disaster these days. Now, it is wall garden. Give me a break! Are we watching rehearsal or a regular performance. When the guy at the door asks me why I leave the show early, I just don’t want to say anything. If I complain, it means I somehow have hope. So I choose to keep silent...

#sleep no more #sleep no more shanghai #the mckinnon hotel #punchdrunk

[miss-bookworm]

i feel like out of all ed cast ryan is the one that works well with everyone and has chemistry with pretty much every cast member he shares a scene with. 

whether it’s robert having random interactions with other villagers like bob and eric or siblings banter with vic and liv or family drama with andy or romantic and sexy stuff with chrissie and aaron, banters with charity, threatening exchanges with paddy and lawrence, fighting with ross and so on and so on. 

i mean he just works so well with everyone imo

#i kind of want him to turn into ross and just be part of almost every sl on the show #just so he could interact with as much villagers as possible

[weekendwarriorblog]

WHAT TO WATCH THIS WEEKEND March 29, 2019  - DUMBO, UNPLANNED, THE BEACH BUM, HOTEL MUMBAI

This is going to be another weekend where I haven’t really seen any of the wide releases except for a few that opened limited first. Next week will probably be the same as I head to Las Vegas for CinemaCon and will miss most of the bigger press screenings.

Sadly, I would have loved to have seen Tim Burton’s DUMBO (Disney) in time to review it for you, as I am generally a fan of Disney’s classic animated movies (vs. the Jeffrey Katzenberg wave from the ‘90s, most of which I still haven’t seen), as I am a fan of Tim Burton and much of the cast of this one. It includes Michael Keaton and Danny De Vito, both reuniting with Burton after Batman Returns, and Eva Green, who has appeared in a few of Burton’s recent movies… AND she once called me a “pervert.” (The story is funnier if I don’t explain why.) But the story of Dumbo is classic Disney in the sense that it reminds me of all the wonders of watching movies as a kid filled with joy and awe… as opposed to now where I always feel a sense of dread, wondering if a movie will be half as good as it hopes. Anyway, I’ll see this on Thursday night and maybe write something Friday if I’m up to it.

I’m less likely to see UNPLANNED (Pure Flix), a movie that I’m shocked even exists, let alone is being released into 1,000 theaters. This is almost like the polar opposite of the great Mike Leigh’s Vera Drake in that it’s a biopic about Abby Johnson, a Planned Parenthood clinic director who was so shaken by witnessing her first abortion (not her own) that she became an anti-abortion activist. Besides sounding like something out of Jordan Peele’s upcoming The Twilight Zone show, it’s also horrifying to think that the Pro-Life crowd is now trying to recruit the Christian Right to their cause through movies, one that received Pure Flix’s first R-rating, no less.

After premiering at SXSW, Harmony (Spring Breakers) Corine’s new movie THE BEACH BUM (NEON), starring Matthew McConaughey and a typically oddball cast including Snoop Dog, Zak Efron and Jonah Hill, will also open wide this weekend. I’ll probably try to catch this just cause I’m so curious about Corine’s oddball auteur sensibilities. Spring Breakers was actually a bit of an anomaly, and it was one of his few movies I actually liked, compared to something like Mister Lonely, which I found unwatchable despite its similarly-odd cast, which included Werner Herzog.

Then there are two movies expanding nationwide this weekend, both of which I’ve seen and enjoyed, the first of them being Anthony Maras’ directorial debut HOTEL MUMBAI (Bleecker Street), a terrific ensemble piece starring Dev Patel, Armie Hammer and Jason Isaacs – three actors I truly love – about the terrorist attacks on the luxurious Hotel Taj in 2008. I was really impressed with how Maras and his cast and crew tell this harrowing story that’s not quite on par as Peter Greengrass’ United 93 but has a similar impact as you watch it and see how these amazing people came together to prevent even more people from dying. I also should point out that the primarily Indian cast beyond Patel are also excellent, showing there’s a lot of talent coming from India that have yet to break out in a big way Stateside.

Focus will also expand Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre’s drama The Mustang into an unknown number of theaters, and I also recommend this movie if you have an opportunity to see it. It’s a wonderful movie starring Belgian actor Matthias Schoenaerts (Rust and Bone) as a convict who finds a way to fight against his anger issues and violent tendencies by training a wild horse in the prison’s program. Since I haven’t seen the other three movies above, as of this writing, I recommend seeking out Hotel Mumbai or The Mustang if they’re playing wherever you live.

LIMITED RELEASES

I was a bad boy this weekend and didn’t watch any of the screeners I was supposed to watch, so that means I’ve only seen one of the movies opening in select cities this weekend, and that was Kent Jones’ DIANE (IFC Films), which played at Tribeca last year where it won two awards. It stars Mary Kay Place as a Massachusetts woman named Diane, who puts most of her time into helping others in her big family over herself while also dealing with her son Brian’s (Jake Lacy) ongoing addiction that has him going in and out of rehab. Personally, I found it a slog when I saw it at Tribecalast year.

Opening in New York (Village East and Alamo Drafthouse, the latter a part of their Drafthouse Recommends series) and L.A. (three Laemmle theaters)  is Sophie Lorain’s French coming-of-age comedy SLUT IN A GOOD WAY (Comedy Dynamics), a movie that I haven’t gotten around to watching the screener, as of this writing, but what a great title, huh? It stars Marguerite Bouchard, Romane Denis and Rose Adam as three teenage girls exploring their first taste of freedom, all three of them in love with the guy who works at “Toy Depot” – a sex shop -- where they each apply for part-time jobs.

Also opening in select cities is Alison Klayman’s documentary THE BRINK (Magnolia) which follows former Trump chief strategist Steve Bannon through the 2018 mid-term elections as the controversial Breitbart founder tries to reinvent himself by getting involved in the European Parliamentary Elections of 2019 with his “global populist movement.” I’ll be curious to see how this compares to Errol (The Fog of War) Morris’ American Dharma, which premiered during film festivals last September but (as far as I know) still hasn’t been released yet. I’m not even sure it found distribution but Bannon is not a very popular figure among American liberals (for good reason), so I can’t imagine many critics would approve of either film.

This week’s Saban Films’ offering is Sarah Daggar Nickson’s thriller A VIGILANTE, starring Olivia Wilde as an abused woman who sets a course to help victims rid themselves of their domestic abusers while also hunting down her husband, whom she needs to kill in order to truly be free. It will play in select theaters Friday after a month on DirecTV.

Downton Abbey director Michael Engler reunites with Downton writer/creator Julian Fellowes who adapted Laura Moriarty’s bestselling book The Chaperone (PBS Distribution Masterpiece Films). The amazing Haley Lu Richardson (Split) plays Louise Brooks before she became a movie sensation in the ‘20s and is just a student in Wichita, Kansas. When she is sent to New York to study with a dance troupe for the summer, her mother requires a chaperone, a role taken on by the by-the-books Norma Carlisle (Elizabeth McGovern).  This witty period piece opens Friday at New York’s Landmark West 57 and Quad Cinema and then expands to L.A.’s Laemmle Royal, Playhouse 7 and Town Center 5 on April 5.

The Discovery Channel is also giving Ross (Born into Brothels) Kauffman’s new documentary Tigerlanda release in New York on Friday just a day before it premieres on the cable channel Saturday. It’s a film about a group of Russians trying to protect the last Siberian tigers from extinction, and it’s produced by Fisher Stevens of the Oscar-winning The Cove.

Cocaine Cowboys director Billy Corben returns with the doc Screwball (Greenwich), another film set in Miami, this one that looks into Major League Baseball’s doping scandal and how it affected New York Yankee’s Alex Rodriguez. It opens in select cities following its debut at TIFF last year.

The makers of The ABCs of Evil, Tim League and Ant Simpson, return with The Field Guide to Evil, a horror anthology featuring short films by eight (actually nine) foreign horror filmmakers telling folktales about myth and lore, including Peter Strickland (Berberian Sound Studio), Can Evrenol (Baskin), Severin Fiala and Veronika Franz (Goodnight Mommy) and Agnieszka Smoczynska (The Lure). I missed this movie at Fantasia last year (‘cause I didn’t go) but it will be opening in most Alamo theaters (about 40 nationwide) on Friday.

This week’s Bollywood release, opening in about 100 theaters nationwide, is Thiagarajan Kumararaja’s thriller Super Deluxe (Prime Media), the second film from the director who won the Indira Gandhi Award for Best Debut Film at the 59thNational Film Awards in India. It’s a film about how fate messes with the life of a group of people, as fate is wont to do.

Renowned indie distributor Jeff Lipsky’s seventh feature as a director, The Last (Plainview Pictures), will open in New York at the Angelika and CMX New York on Friday, then will expand to other cities including L.A. on April 26. It involves a large Jewish family of four generations learning that their 92-year-old matriarch, a Holocaust survivor (Rebecca Schull) has a secret that shocks the entire family.

Opening in L.A. at the Laemmle Music Hall is the Holocaust drama Sobibor (Samuel Goldwyn Films) from reputed Russian actor/director Konstantin Khabenskiy (he appeared in Timur Bekmambetov’s Wanted and Nightwatch), playing Soviet prisoner Alexander Perchersky, who led a rebellion at the Nazi’s Polish death camp Sobibor in 1943 in order to escape, freeing hundreds of Jews.

As a counterpoint to Unplanned, there’s Josh Huber’s romantic comedy Making Babies (Huber Brothers) about a couple played by Eliza Couple and Steve Howey who spent five years trying to have kids, so they start exploring other medical and spiritual ways to conceive a child. The movie also stars Ed Begley Jr. and the late Glenne Headly and will open in select cities.

STREAMING AND CABLE

Besides playing at the Egyptian in L.A. (see above), John Lee Hancock’s THE HIGHWAYMEN will be available on the Netflix streaming service after playing in select theaters for a couple weeks. I finally caught it last week, and really enjoyed it. It stars Kevin Costner and Woody Harrelson as former Texas rangers Frank Hamer and Maney Gault, recruited by the Governor of Texas (Kathy Bates) to hunt down and kill Bonnie and Clyde, whose crime and killing spree has gotten out of hand. Hamer and Gault travel across stateliness trying to find them, following the different clues left behind. This is definitely my kind of movie, not just due to the subject matter, but also seeing such great actors as Costner (possibly the last of the bonafide movie stars?) and Harrelson taking on such great roles to show a different side of the story than the one mostly known from the Warren Beatty movie. I really enjoyed both actors’ performances and the general tone of the film, although I do feel that it was a little too long and drawn-out and not in a good way ala David Fincher’s Zodiac. But it does pay off, and it’s a shame that more people won’t be able to see this on the big screen because the film looks great due to the cinematography by John Schwartzman. I’ll also give a shout-out to my pal Johnny McPhail who plays the farmer who witnesses one of Bonnie and Clyde’s brutal murders. Rating: 7.5/10

Also, Friday sees the return of Santa Clarita Diet for its third season, again with Drew Barrymore and Timothy Olyphant. 

LOCAL FESTIVALS OF NOTE

The big festival starting in New York this week is the Film Society of Lincoln Center’s annual New Directors/New Films, which always has interesting stuff although it’s definitely getting more indie and esoteric in recent years. It kicks off tonight with Chinonye Chukwu’s prison-set drama Clemency, starring Alfre Woodard and Aldis Hodge, which recently won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance. The festival’s Centerpiece Is Alejandro Landes’s Monos, another Sundance prize-winner, starring the wondrous Julianne Nicholson as an engineer who travels to the South American jungle and is taken captive by teenage guerillas. The Closing Night film on April 6 is Pippa Bianco’s Share– ALSO a Sundance prize-winner! – which deals with sexual assault and the role of the internet, something which seems very relevant and pertinent. There’s a lot of interesting foreign films and a good amount from women filmmakers in this year’s line-up, which you can read more about here.

REPERTORY

METROGRAPH (NYC):

This weekend, the Metrograph begins its Total Kaurismäki Show, as in Finish filmmaker Aki Kaurismäki, who has been making festival-winning films for almost 40 years and has YET to have a film nominated for an Oscar. This Friday, the series begins with some of the director’s lesser-seen ‘80s movies Hamlet Goes Business  (1987),Calamari Union  (1985) and Crime and Punishment (1983), as well as Shadows in Paradise  (1986), Ariel  (1988) and then the 1990 film The Match Factory on Saturday. This week’s Late Nites at Metrograph  offering is Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner: The Final Cut  (1982/2007) and Playtime: Family Matinees (which has become my idea of comfort food in terms of cinema) is showing Abbot and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde  (1953). Sadly, I’ll be out of town on Tuesday when the Metrograph is presenting Claire Denis’ The Intruder (2004) with a QnA by Ms. Denis who will also introduce No Fear, No Die (1990) right afterwards. (If you also can’t make this night then never fear as BAM is beginning a full-on Denis retrospective, which you can read more about below.)

THE NEW BEVERLY (L.A.):

Tarantino’s reopened rep theater continues to kill it with a single screening of Mike Nichols’ 1966 film Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, starring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, on Weds. afternoon. This week’s double features are John Boorman’sPoint Blank  (1967) and The Outfit (1973) on Weds. and Thurs., Fellini’sLa Strada (1954) – one of my personal faves – and Il Bidone  (1955) on Friday and Saturday, then the ‘30s musicals Dames and Footlight Paradeon Sunday and Monday. The weekend’s one-offs are midnight screenings of Kill Bill Volume 1on Friday and the comedy anthology Amazon Women on the Moon (1987) on Saturday. The weekend’s KIDDEE MATINEE is The Black Stallion (1979) and there will be a special 20thanniversary screening of the Wachowski’s The Matrixon Monday. Tuesday night’s GRINDHOUSE double feature is two directed by Roger Corman -- The Trip (1967) and The Wild Angels (1966).

FILM FORUM (NYC):

Bob & Wray: A Love Story continues with a double feature of Virtue  (1932) and Viva Villa (1934) on Weds., a reshowing of Frank Capra’s Lost Horizon (1937) on Thursday as well as a Fay Wray double feature of Once to Every woman (1934) and They Met in a Taxi  (1936). Friday sees a reshowing of the double feature of The Mystery of the Wax Museum and The Vampire Bat, both from 1933, and a double feature of Lee Tracy movies, Doctor X (1932) and Carnival  (1935). On Saturday, there’s a special screening of the early Fay Wray film The Wild Horse Stampede with piano accompaniment, plus a double feature of John Ford’s The Whole Town’s Talking  (1935) and Frank Capra’s  You Can’t Take It With You  (1938), both written by Robert Riskin. This weekend’s Film Forum Jr. is the Disney animated classic Bambi (1942).

EGYPTIAN THEATRE (LA):

Besides a Weds. double feature of John Lee Hancock’s new movie The Highwaymen with his 2002 baseball film The Rookie starring Dennis Quaid, the Egyptian begins Noir City: Hollywood – The 21stAnnual Los Angeles Festival of Noir, running all weekend. It begins Friday with the double feature of Trapped (1949) and The File of Thelma Jordon  (1950), continues Saturday with Appointment with Danger (1951) and Shdow on the Wall (1950), Sunday is Sudden Fear and The Narrow Margin, followed on Monday by City That Never Sleeps and 99 River Street from 1953 and on Tuesday with Playgirl and Hell’s Devil Acre, both from 1954. (This series will continue next week as well.)

BAM CINEMATEK (NYC):

On Saturday night, BAM will start a new series called “Beyond the Canon” (pairing a classic with a more recent film which it inspired) with a double feature of Anna Rose Holmer’s The Fits (2015) and Peter Weir’s Picnic at Hanging Rock (1975). At the same time, BAM is kicking off Strange Desire: The Films of Claire Denis, which will run until April 9 and will show some of the French filmmaker’s best films, including Beau Travail (1999), White Material  (2009), 35 Shots of Rum and more recent films like her upcoming English language debut High Life, starring Robert Pattinson.

MUSEUM OF THE MOVING IMAGE (NYC):

On Thursday, MOMI is having a special presentation of Alexandre Rockwell’s 1992 film In the Soup, starring Steve Buscemi, Stanley Tucci, Seymour Cassel, Jennifer Beals, Carol Kane and Jim Jarmusch as part of the 9thAnnual Queens World Film Festival with Rockwell in discussion with former director (and QWFF Spirit of Queens honoree) David Schwartz. To prepare for Mike Leigh’s fantastic new film Peterloo, MOMI is also presenting Past Presence: Mike Leigh’s Period Films, showing the master’s earlier films Topsy Turvy (1999), Mr. Turner (2014) and Vera Drake (2004). It will include a preview screening of Peterloonext Wednesday with Mike Leigh in person!

IFC CENTER (NYC)

I guess Weekend Classics: Early Godard is continuing this week after all with a 35mm print of Weekend (1967) while the winter season of Late Night Favorites ends with Alejandro Jodorowsky’s The Holy Mountain (1973) as well as David Lynch’s Mulholland Drive (2001).

MOMA (NYC):

Modern Matinees: B is for Bacall continues with Douglas Sirk’s 1956 film Written on the Wind on Weds, Vincente Minelli’s Designing Woman  (1957) Thursday and Young Man with a Horn (1950) on Friday.

LANDMARK THEATRES NUART  (LA):

This week’s Friday midnight offering is Mandy director Panos Costamos’ 2010 debut Beyond the Black Rainbow.

Next week, it’s a doozy of an April opener with Warner Bros’ Shazam! taking on Paramount’s Pet Sematary and the STX drama The Best of Enemies trying to pick up any remaining scraps of business. I’ve only seen one of them.

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