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heliads · 3 years

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Into Thin Air

Newt doesn’t know what to think after Y/N disappears one night in the Scorch. She’s nowhere to be found, until a few weeks later she shows up with the girls from Group B. The only problem is that she can’t remember who Newt is, and all Newt can remember is how much he loves her.

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Newt sits alone, staring out at the desolate desert before him. He’s hidden from view, sheltered by a craggy outcropping, but the protection does little to settle the turmoil of thoughts lurking inside his head. The sound of footsteps approaches behind him, but Newt doesn’t have to turn his head to recognize his friend.

Minho stoops and sits down a few feet away. Newt glances at him. It’s strange- all of Newt’s memories of his life before the Maze have been stripped away, leaving behind only his time trapped within those walls. Minho is his best friend, but Newt can’t help but wonder if he had other friends, before all of this started. Before he was imprisoned in the Maze, before they escaped WICKED and stuck themselves in the desert. Did he have friends before that? Would it really matter if he did, anyway? If they’re not dead by now, they will be soon.

But he has Minho, and that’s enough. Minho’s been his friend for a long time. Newt hasn’t really known anyone for that long, or grown that close, except maybe Alby. Even the thought of the guy makes Newt’s throat burn. He’d known the guy forever, even been his second in command for all that time in the Maze. Newt can still picture Alby’s face in the back of his mind, that look of determination just before the Griever snatched him away. They’ve lost so many people. Alby, and Chuck, and Winston, and-

Newt can’t quite bring himself to finish the sentence.

Distantly, Newt realizes that Minho is still there, and staring out over the same horizon Newt had been studying a few minutes ago. At last, the other boy speaks. “We’re going to find her, you know? There’s no way we won’t.” Newt sighs. “We don’t know if she’s out there anymore. Or if she’s even somewhere we can find.”

Minho shakes his head, resolute. “She has to be somewhere. They wouldn’t take her just to kill her when nobody is watching.” Newt opens his mouth to argue, but Minho holds up a hand and continues speaking. “WICKED had to have taken her. She would never have left any of us, and definitely not you. Besides, we went to sleep with her right next to us, and woke up to her gone. No footprints, no tracks, no nothing. If she had left on her own accord, we would have seen a trail leading away, but there was just blank sand. It’s like she never even existed. Does that sound like some girl who’s sick of us and wanted to leave, or like WICKED wanted to send a message?”

Newt’s heard Minho’s attempt to soothe his worries a couple of times now, but he still plays along. “What message would WICKED want to send instead of just taking all of us? If they have the ability to get her, what’s stopping them from completing the job and getting all of us back?” Minho jabs a finger in the air, ready to prove his point. “They want to scare us, make us think that WICKED’s way more powerful than we’ll ever be. If they pick us off one by one, they’re hoping that we’ll come back to them easily instead of them having to chase us down. Less damage to the subjects if they return of their own free will, right?”

Newt chuckles quietly. “If they were interested in keeping their subjects in the best condition they wouldn’t have put us through the bloody Maze in the first place. They would have stuck to inkblots and blood tests like any other reasonable doctor.” Minho grins. “Hey, who said they were reasonable? They just don’t want us killed off before they get the chance to do it themselves.”

In spite of himself, Newt feels a smile growing on his face. “Alright, alright. I’ll stop moping. Are we heading out soon?” Minho stands, clapping his friend on the back as he leaves the outcropping. “In a few minutes. Thomas thinks the Right Arm reinforcements should be in the mountains just a mile or so down. We’re almost there.”

The Right Arm. Thomas seems convinced that the people of the Right Arm can help them, and save the Gladers from inevitable deaths at the hands of WICKED. It doesn’t make a whole lot of sense- use a shadowy, mysterious organization to escape another mysterious organization? At least the Right Arm isn’t known for running death tests on teenagers. That’s already a bonus.

The path to the mountains is dangerous, but to be honest, what part of their journey hasn’t been dangerous? Newt thinks it’s going fine, that although the terrain isn’t the best they’re at least making progress, and then the bullets start to ring out. Instantly, everyone panics and starts to hurtle toward whatever cover they can scrounge up in the desert, cowering as gunfire rains down around them. From the corner of his eye, Newt sees a couple of figures emerge from the mountains, faces hidden and weapons drawn.

Newt shoves Thomas and Minho to get their attention, and they start to come out with their hands drawn. Three figures stand before them, weapons pointed at them. Newt scans their faces, but he doesn’t recognize the first one, or the next. It’s only when his gaze falls upon the last of the three, on the figure standing farthest away, that he feels his heart freeze in his chest.

It’s not her. It couldn’t possibly be her. But yet-

Before he even knows what he’s doing, Newt is stepping away from the protective cover of the car, away from his friends, and towards the third figure. He can see Thomas and Minho extending their arms to pull him back, but they’re moving slowly, as if coming from far away. All that matters now is the girl before him, the girl with those all-too-familiar eyes that are now glaring at him in fear.

Newt’s voice comes cracked and quiet in the space at the foot of the mountains. “Y/N?” The girl levels her gun at him. “Who are you, and how do you know my name?” Newt stumbles, thrown by less by her threatening tone of voice and more the words that she’s just said. “Y/N? Why don’t you-” Hie voice breaks off into silence. Minho and Thomas are next to him now, and all Newt can do is stare at the girl in front of him. “Why doesn’t she know who I am?”

The other two figures are by Y/N’s side in an instant, the two pairs of three staring at each other. The tension builds and builds until finally the first of the figures glances away, at the other boy walking up to them. “Aris?” Suddenly, the hostility vanishes, and the figures are pulling away their face coverings to reveal the smiling faces of two girls. Aris turns back to them, clearly happy to see the girls. “This is Harriet and Sonya. They’re from Group B.” He addresses the Group B girls now: “They’re with me. They’re friends. They helped me escape from WICKED.”

Harriet and Sonya nod, but Newt just watches as the third girl hesitantly removes her own coverings. Sure enough, it’s Y/N. Harriet notices Newt’s stare and turns to his former friend. “Y/N, do you know these guys?” Y/N shakes her head. “I have no idea who they are, or how they know who I am.” Newt’s heart seems to drop in his chest. “What are you talking about? Y/N, I’ve known you for about a year, ever since you came into the Maze.”

Y/N’s eyes hold no recognition, no laughter, no light. She seems to have no idea who Newt is. “All I know is that I showed up one day alongside the Group B girls. They’ve been my family ever since.” She walks away, presumably to tell the people with guns to stand down. Newt is left alone with the words dying on his tongue: We were your family first.

Newt watches from a distance as his friends talk and laugh around him. They’re happy to have the Group B girls, who went through the Maze just like the Gladers did, and they’re relieved to have the protection of the Right Arm. Newt should be out there too, finally allowing himself to relax or at least have a good time, but he can’t quite muster up the energy to fake the smiles. Y/N doesn’t recognize him. That’s the only thing he has room to think about right now.

As if just thinking about the girl was a summoning, Newt turns to see a familiar figure walking away from the fire and coming to stand next to him. This picture, the two of them standing so close together, away from everyone else, is so painfully familiar that it hurts to know that she isn’t thinking of the connection they once shared. All Newt can think about is that he’s stood by her a hundred times, but all she can think about is that the boy next to her is a stranger, someone she’s never even seen before.

Y/N is the first to speak. “Is it true? Did you really- did you really know who I was?” Newt nods hollowly. “We first met when you arrived in the Maze. We were friends for a while, and-” He cuts himself off. He can’t talk about that, not right now. “And then we escaped, and you disappeared.” Y/N looks at the ground, at the fire, at her friends. Anywhere but him. “I have this strange feeling like I know who you are. Or I should, at least. But I can’t remember a single thing about you.” Newt stands silently, not trusting himself to speak.

Y/N turns to him at last, eyes burning into his own. He’s missed that look, that focus brushing across her brow. “Can you tell me what I was like? You know, in your Maze?” Newt sighs. “I’m not sure we could fit it into one night. You were there almost as long as I was, bordering on two years.” Y/N’s gaze is unrelenting. “Can you try?” Newt could never say no to her. Not in the Maze, and not now, when it’s just the two of them and he’s missed her so much. He clears his throat, and begins to speak.

“We were friends at first. Probably since the moment you showed up. You had this way of getting people to listen to you, even when the shanks were seconds away from tearing each other apart. There were only a few of us in the Maze, or at least at the beginning. You, me, Alby, and Minho. We were like a little family. I thought our friendship would last forever, and then other boys started showing up.”

Y/N frowns. “Did we fight or something?” Newt laughs ruefully. “No, we just- Well, I was kind of a shucking idiot myself. This one boy showed up, and he used to make me so angry. You’d be doing your job, not focusing on anything else, and then he’d come up and start talking to you. I didn’t know why it was bothering me so much, that he would be there for just a few seconds and the two of you would be laughing like you’d known each other all your lives, and then I realized after a while that it wasn’t him that annoyed me, it was that I was just jealous. Stupid, but jealous all along.”

“I kept it to myself, didn’t want to bother you. I didn’t realize you loved me until later.” Y/N looks up at him, mouth slightly tilted down into a frown. “But then what happened with you?” Newt smiles to himself. “I’d loved you all along. Don’t think I had much choice in the matter. Anyways, it took me a while to get up the courage, but I told you how I felt one night at the bonfire. I was nervous about it, but you just looked at me with this smile and I knew everything was going to be alright.”

Y/N’s smiling now. It’s strange, thinking of that night with this new Y/N next to him. She’s got the same expression on her face as the night Newt told her he loved her, and it cuts away at Newt that she could smile at him like that without remembering that night at all. Newt realizes he’s been staring too long, because Y/N gently nudges his arm. “Go on.” Newt looks away, fighting the shyness that suddenly overwhelmed him.

“We were happy, for a long time. We had months of uneventful life. Well, as uneventful as the Maze can be. Then Thomas and Teresa showed up, and the Maze doors didn’t close, and the Grievers attacked us all.” Newt’s eyes flicker shut as he remembers that night, remembering the tongues of flame spiraling over the buildings and the horrified looks of his friends. He can still hear the screaming, smell the coppery tang of blood like the scene was still being played out around him.

“We managed to escape. Not quite sure how. I don’t think I was scared for myself, more that you were going to die and I was going to have to live without you. When we first showed up at Janson’s building, I thought we were finally out and in the clear. We were so excited to have escaped and have a new life, one where we could actually relax and be just teenagers.” Newt’s voice twists into something bitter as he remembers how hopeful they’d been, and how quickly that hope had fallen apart, just like everything else that seemed to come their way.

“Then Janson turned out to be with WICKED, so we escaped. Took a while and a lot of running, but we made it out.” Newt falls silent, and Y/N tilts her head expectantly. “And then what?” Newt swallows unevenly, still feeling the pain and overwhelming heartache of that one specific night. “And then we were alone in the desert, all of us from the Glade who’d made it out plus Aris. We went down to sleep, late at night. You were right next to me. When I opened my eyes, you were gone.”

Newt looks away, fighting back the hot prick of tears threatening to appear at the corners of his eyes. “That was the worst part. You were right there, so close. There was no way you could have left without waking me. I knew you wouldn’t leave, so it had to be WICKED, but it still hurt. I was so worried that you’d died, or that they had dragged you back to their facilities and were experimenting on you-”

Newt can’t finish. Y/N nods, understanding. “And then you showed up to the mountains, and I had no idea who you were.” “Exactly.” Y/N sighs, leaning up against the rocky crag behind her. “I don’t know what to say. It all sounds familiar, but it just doesn’t sound like me. Are you sure that you’ve got the right girl?”

Newt nods. He’d know Y/N in a heartbeat, across the darkest night, anywhere. This girl is the one he loves, right down to that slight crease in her brow that she gets whenever she can’t figure something out. “I don’t know how to explain it. You are you, Y/N, and you’re the same girl I’ve been in love with since the Maze. You’re the same girl who always had a smile, even when things got dark, who yelled at the Builders but made friends with all the Greenies, who helped everyone survive the Maze because that’s just who you were.” Newt draws a ragged breath. “You’re the same Y/N who made me fall in love with you, and I’m not going to let any trick from WICKED convince me to let you go.”

Newt’s staring off into the darkness of the desert, but he turns with a start when he hears a slight noise from Y/N. He stares at her. She’s almost bent double in pain, hands clutching her head. He rushes over to her, helping her to the ground. “Y/N! Are you alright? What happened?” She just shakes her head, gritting her teeth through the pain. “I don’t know. You started talking, and I felt like I recognized something, and then my head started feeling like it was about to crack in two.”

She squeezes her eyes shut in agony, and her shoulders tense up in a spasm of anguish but then suddenly fall still. She lies on the ground, silent. Newt feels like his heart is in his throat. “Y/N? Can you hear me?” Her eyes open slowly, eyelashes fluttering in a dark frame around her eyes. She looks at him for a moment, then two, as if drinking in the sight of him. She reaches out a shaking hand to him, lightly touching his cheek. “Newt?” Her voice is quiet, as if she’s doubting herself, and then she breaks into a grin.

“Newt. Yes. I remember you.” All of Newt’s worries leave him in a rush, and he wraps his arms around her, pulling her close. “Y/N?” She nods, laughing slightly. “I remember everything. The Maze, the Gladers, you, everything.” She pulls back, smiling, so she can look in his eyes. “I don’t remember the part about you being in love with me from the start. You should have told me that earlier.” Newt chuckles, helping her stand. “I was trying to help you get your memories back. I’m sure it was just a dramatized detail.”

She flashes him a beaming glare. “I’m sure it was.” Newt can’t take his eyes off of her. “I was so worried, you know that? I was so worried that you’d left.” Y/N shakes her head. “I could never leave you. Not in a million years.” Newt lets himself smile again, and reaches out to lock his hand around hers. Y/N remembers him. The girl he loves is finally back once more.

#newt #newt imagine #newt x reader #newt imagines #newt oneshot #maze runner #maze runner imagine #maze runner x reader #maze runner imagines #maze runner oneshot

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caitlinsnicket · 4 years

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Newt Scamander SFW alphabet

Request: Can I request a sfw alphabet for Newt Scamander please! Thank you!

A/N: Two posts in a row? What the hell is happening? Anyways, this is a nice sfw alphabet for my favorite softboy newt scamander! I’m sorry for the delay. Feel free to like, reblog, or leave a comment!

A = Affection (How affectionate are they? How do they show affection?)

Newt is a shy man, so his way to show affection is more subtle: he checks if you’ve eaten enough, if you’re warm, if you’re happy. It’s unusual for him to initiate any physical contact, like hugs or cheek kisses, but he’s happy when you do it.

B = Best friend (What would they be like as a best friend? How would the friendship start?)

Newt is the most supportive friend you’ll ever have. If you need someone to go with you to the craziest places to do dangerous things, he’ll follow you and will help as much as he can. Your friendship would start with you asking about his creatures. Then, he’d want to show them to you, and you’d oblige happily. When his creatures took a liking to you, he knew it was true friendship.

C = Cuddles (Do they like to cuddle? How would they cuddle?)

Would cuddle only if you two know each other for a long time and if he’s comfortable physically with you. And even then, he would be too shy to actually initiate a cuddle session, and if he took the initiative, Newt would probably wait for you to sit down somewhere and then would put his head in your lap. Running your hands through his hair is a bonus.

If you two are in a relationship, he’ll as for cuddles making a puppy face, or will hug you from behind while you do something else. Like to be the little spoon because he feels safe with you, but also likes to be the big spoon because he feels as if he can protect you.

D = Domestic (Do they want to settle down? How are they at cooking and cleaning?)

Newt has settled down: his suitcase! Even if you two travel to the farthest ends of the world, your home is always with you.

After spending so long traveling and taking care of creatures, he knows how to do his chores the right way.

E = Ending (If they had to break up with their partner, how would they do it?)

He would blame it on work. He wouldn’t look you in the eye and would be fixing things all over his workplace to distract himself. Then, after you would leave, he would let a few tears spill, and also in the middle of the night when he wakes up missing you.

F = Fiance(e) (How do they feel about commitment? How quick would they want to get married?)

He would wait a while before bringing the subject up, and wouldn’t make a surprise out of it. If he felt like you weren’t going to leave him and that you actually loved him, Newt would sit down with you and talk about marriage.

G = Gentle (How gentle are they, both physically and emotionally?)

Newt Scamander is the gentlest man you’ll ever meet. He handles everything with all the care in the world: his creatures, his magic, and you. Physically, sometimes it will be hard to tell if he touched you or not, giving how softly he does it. If you want to be handled with less care, you’ll have to ask him.

Emotionally, he’s still getting the hang of it, and talking about any issues you two might have is mandatory for him. Each day that passes by, he learns something else about you and takes it to heart. The last thing he wants to do is hurting you.

H = Hugs (Do they like hugs? How often do they do it? What are their hugs like?)

If you two are just friends, he’ll be a little more cautious in his hugs, and it will happen more rarely. They are quick and usually, there’s a reason behind them.

If you two are a couple though, he’ll do it more often and mostly when you two are alone. PDA is not really his thing, but he enjoys physical contact with you after intimacy is settled. His hugs will last longer and he’ll hold you more tightly.

I = I love you (How fast do they say the L-word?)

It takes some time, will only say it if you say it first and the first time he actually says it, he thinks you’re asleep.

J = Jealousy (How jealous do they get? What do they do when they’re jealous?)

Newt doesn’t get jealous very often: he trusts you and he knows that people will want to hit on you. Though sometimes he gets insecure and needs reassurance, it doesn’t happen a lot.

K = Kisses (What are their kisses like? Where do they like to kiss you? Where do they like to be kissed?)

It’s like having a butterfly on your lips. He’s delicate, touches you very carefully and somehow always manages to leave you at ease. He likes your lips, of course, but also your wrists and the spot where your neck meets your shoulder. It’s an unconscious action: he hugs you and his lips end there.

He likes being touched- not by everyone, just a few people- so anywhere is good. He becomes jello if you kiss him on the neck, his heart sweells when you put your lips on his forehead.

L = Little ones (How are they around children?)

He likes children, though he sees them more as creatures than actual small humans.

M = Morning (How are mornings spent with them?)

He wakes up very early, so it’s rare to spend the whole morning with him, as usually by the time you get up he’s already off doing something. He always leaves tea ready for you if you like it.

If he stays with you though, his shyness will go away and he’ll cling to you and the only way to get up is if you cuddle him for at least one hour. Kisses are also mandatory.

N = Night (How are nights spent with them?)

He also goes to sleep very late, but so do you. Both too exhausted to talk or read or interact, you just lay down in a pile in the bed. It’s warm and comfortable, and Newt sleeps well.

If you’re not too tired, you might read a little of your book to him, or you might talk about your respective days, and he brushes your hair because he finds it so soft. Whispering everything and nothing, and then falling asleep. He always stays a little bit longer to stare at you and take in all your details.

O = Open (When would they start revealing things about themselves? Do they say everything all at once or wait a while to reveal things slowly?)

It takes time. He lets out little pieces of information for you, and if you pay attention at some point you’ll have the bigger picture.

P = Patience (How easily angered are they?)

His name should be Newt Patient Scamander. Never gets angry at you, even if you screw up really badly. Like to teach you stuff when you don’t understand and if there’s a fight, prefers talking it out over staying mad.

Q = Quizzes (How much would they remember about you? Do they remember every little detail you mention in passing, or do they kind of forget everything?)

He remembers everything, as he’s good at keeping information. He never says he knows all about you though, so you never stop getting surprised when he mentions a little detail about you.

R = Remember (What is their favorite moment in your relationship?)

The first time he showed you the inside of his suitcase, of course. Watching you interact with his creatures and how gentle you were with them made him realize he was falling in love with you.

S = Security (How protective are they? How would they protect you? How would they like to be protected?)

He knows how well you can take care of yourself, so he never interferes, only if you ask him to. His way of protecting you is making sure that you've eaten and that you are well-rested. He will never admit it, but he loves it when you get protective of him in a fight or in dangerous situations. He also loves when you cuss him for not sleeping enough because he feels taken care of.

T = Try (How much effort would they put into dates, anniversaries, gifts, everyday tasks?)

In his mind, everything you do together is a date, so he always acts romantic. Not a lot of effort, but always remembers you why you fell for him. Anniversaries and gifts, oh these are handmade and filled with love. He has a great time making them. In everyday tasks, as you share the things you have to do around the house, he makes sure to do all his assigned shores.

U = Ugly (What would be some bad habits of theirs?)

Not sharing his worries. When it comes to problems in the relationship, he likes to talk about it, but if it’s something only him is going through, he says nothing. You wish he would let you in, but he doesn’t.

V = Vanity (How concerned are they with their looks?)

He looks at himself a lot but doesn’t see himself as handsome or ugly. He always feels normal, so he’s not that concerned about how he looks. If you mention it though, he’ll blush and mess with his hair.

W = Whole (Would they feel incomplete without you?)

It wouldn’t be a huge part of his life, but deep down he would have a feeling that something was missing.

X = Xtra (A random headcanon for them.)

He likes sharing clothes. Whether it is shirts, sweaters, pants, socks, or ties, he just likes this feeling that you have a part of him and he has a part of you.

Y = Yuck (What are some things they wouldn’t like, either in general or in a partner?)

Someone that lives only in their own world. He likes people who are involved in the things around them, he likes to share his interests and to learn about yours and he likes to discover new things together. If he were to be with someone stuck in their own bubble, it just wouldn’t work out.

Z = Zzz (What is a sleep habits of theirs?)

Only the necessary. If he didn’t pass out, then the nap was enough. Though, after you two started your relationship, his sleeping habits are better: he spends more time in bed because of you.

#fbawtft imagine #newt scamander #newt scamander imagine #newt scamander x reader #newt scamander x y/n #sfw alphabet

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theflikchic · 3 years

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Things I Love About “Good Omens” (From A Christian)

I read the book a year ago but only just watched the show because of a fluke that made us get Amazon Prime. And now that I’ve gotten to watch it and really absorb it (and not be on a ton of painkillers, since I was recovering from surgery when I read it), I realized there were SO many things I love about it, most of which come from the fact that I...am Christian.

(So heads up: I’ll be referring to all this stuff as if it’s real since...it’s my belief system and I feel “Good Omens” is an awesome show so yaaay, celebrate that darn adorable angel and demon with me) (WARNING- LONG POST AHEAD)

- First and foremost: Jesus’ death. The way that was HANDLED so well just blew my mind. I have anxiety so I’ve tried to avoid all crucifixions scenes but I’m glad this was the one I saw because it was so respectful and heartbreaking (i was sobbing).

- It was also cool to see Jesus’ death from the perspective of people who aren’t Christian and to see that although they don’t believe him to be the Son Of God, they still recognize it as a tragedy.

- Frances McDormand as God. Okay, I was iffy on it at first but I was reminded that God is supposed to be the mix of masculine and feminine and He presents himself as Father to us so we can get a better idea of who He is. So although I refer to God as a man, He is supposed to be reflective of both so having a woman voice Him is a really interesting viewpoint........And I just like Frances McDormand.

- Newt’s casting. Just...so perfect. Exactly the way I pictured him.

- The fact that the angels mention how they’re celestial and not organic because HEEEELL yes,

- Adam and his friends ringing their bike bells just to tell everyone how they got into the airbase. Iconic.

- The fact that they toned down the Famine sequence. Reading that part made me feel so sick so I’m glad they toned it down for the screen.

- Michael Sheen’s terrifyingly accurate David Tennant impression.

- The angels, though seen as more aggressive than they probably are, are militant and that’s...kinda what they’re meant to be.

- The fact Heaven is filmed to be nauseating because (in my theory), we as humans find being good to be incredibly hard and stressful so we can’t imagine what it would be like to constantly be good.

- They defeated Satan with a MEME.

- Bonus: They defeated Satan and we got to SEE IT.

- Michael McKean. Bonus points because he’s one of my mom’s favourites and he made us all so happy.

- I’ve read Revelation TWICE and it wasn’t until I saw this that I learned 666 is an actual thing and not just a meme.

- The moment when Crowley prays. Biblically inaccurate but I sorta saw it as us in sin, as humans, praying to God because I have BEEN THERE. The amount of times I’ve asked God- “What do I do. I don’t know what to do,” is wild and I did it just earlier. And that moment hit me.

- “Oh.........FUCK,” *heavenly jingle intensifies*

- THE FACT THAT REVELATION KINDA HAPPENED

- The fact that, besides Crowley, there are no redeeming qualities in the demons. That’s a hard thing to write and they nailed it.

- *to the Doofenshmirtz Evil Inc jingle* Demons are holding a buuuuckeet!

- Although Aziraphale is genuinely a bad angel, he’s a pretty good representation of what we should try to be as Christians: loving, trying to help everyone, not kill kids, etc.

- “Tickety-boo,”

- The fact that they literally got ALL OF THE HOLMES SIBLINGS TO BE IN THIS LIKE WHAT-

- “We are Satantic nuns,”

- BOOK ACCURATE DIALOGUE

- I will praise Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett on this forever but the fact that the kids talk like kids. Because kids talk like adults. Because kids are little adults. Love it.

- The moment when Aziraphale at the sword and said to Adam- “We’ll be right beside you,” was like a hardcore guardian angel moment and I was SHOOK.

- The casting of literally anyone to play the angels, demons, and supernatural beings because- as Neil Gaiman and the Bible say- they’re genderless. They’re angels and demons.

- When Madame Tracy just screamed at that woman and she screamed back. That must’ve been so much fun to film, my goodness.

- The narrative creates a flawed way to try and talk to God and recognizes that it’s a flawed way, whereas the real way in the belief system isn’t because we as humans find it difficult to fathom that you can just...talk to the Big Boss.

- The little add-on that that one angel was from Sodom and Gomorrah. Which made me laugh but then made me sad.

- NOT ONE HUMAN BIBLICAL FIGURE WAS WHITE. NOT. ONE. AMEN.

- Those crappy camp chairs being in Hell because of COURSE they are

- The sea monsters. I just really like the sea monsters in Revelation so that was cool.

- Got to see Death ride that motorcycle because that’s the closest that we’re probably getting to a live-action “Soul Music”.

- War’s jacket.

- The fact that I had an existential moment when I realized Death being an actual...being is Biblical.

- Every “Doctor Who” reference.

- The hint that God planned everything because...just up.

- The repeated emphasis on how supernatural beings aren’t the reason behind every choice or event in history. Because they really aren’t. WWII happened because of humans. Supernatural beings can influence but they aren’t the REASON for everything.

- The pushing of the idea that the plan is “ineffable” but it constantly contradicts this idea because even in real life, God’s plan has never been ineffable.

- “He was waving,”

- God narrates so He/She knows everything which kinda gives Aziraphale and Crowley a Jonah-feel since they’re trying to outrun an almighty being. And obviously failing.

- Aziraphale’s gasp when he got betrayed. Legend.

- Agnes Nutter’s prophecies being insanely specific like the actual prophecies in the Bible. (I read a verse and Jesus said- “Remember me when there’s anger in the streets” and I was like WAIT)

- The emphasis that most- if not all- witch killings were rooted in sexism and superstitions. Also, that whole scene gave me “Holy Grail” vibes which is always a win.

- And most importantly: “Good Omens” has fun with the creatures and supernatural beings in the Christian belief system but never ONCE makes fun of the religion itself or the people who believe in it. The book takes an extra step and mocks organized religion (which, YES, do that, please) but it’s never mean-spirited. While flawed and inaccurate in some Biblical aspects (like the basic plot), it’s so funny and witty while remaining accurate in other aspects to the source material of the Bible such as the supernatural beings being genderless. It’s basically like- “Woah...it says in Revelation that there are giant sea monsters! We get to write giant sea monsters, awesome! What can we make the sea monsters do? OOooh, what if they took down a whaling ship?” It also gets the message of Christianity down: love others, forgive others, give second chances. And I feel that’s why it’s so effective, because it’s fun and cool but still hits those perfect emotional beats that resonate with everyone because they’re true. Love each other.

And go read more Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett. They deserve all the love.

#goodomens #neil gaiman #terry pratchett #christian #ineffable #tvshows #aziraphale #crowley #davidtennant #michael sheen

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chicagoindiecritics · 4 years

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New from Every Movie Has a Lesson by Don Shanahan: MOVIE REVIEW: Project Power

(Image courtesy of Netflix)

PROJECT POWER— 2 STARS

Whether it’s initially scribbled on a shitty cocktail napkin in a fog of bong smoke while occupying a disheveled couch or composed neatly on a souped-up MacBook atop a Feng Shui desk in a posh nook of some creative person’s living space, a potent idea can propel a writer’s bender to attempt a screenplay. Netflix’s Project Power has one of those high concepts where the mere thought of it gets you to hear late announcer Don LaFontaine in your head. Putting on his pitch voice, imagine a world where people can gain temporary superpowers from a mere pill. Picture the intriguing implications, suspense, and spectacle and your popcorn starts cooking already.

Now, at the peak of such anticipation, go back and remember the high concept movies you’ve seen that had very little beyond that one good idea. Feel a burn or two? Is Andrew Niccol, or worse M. Night Shyamalan, spinning and killing your brain cells again? Regrettably, kind of like erectile dysfunction, this kind of thing happens sometimes. Add Project Power to the list of damn good concepts that stop short of critical mass.

What is Project Power like mixing urban drug culture with edgy comic book overtones? Funny you should ask. Take it back to when even a pro like Don LaFontaine couldn’t keep a straight face pretending to sell male enhancement drugs on The Tonight Show. The listed side effects he exaggerates with an invasive giggle for such medication could easily match this actioner from the Nerve and Paranormal Activity 4 directing team of Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman. The pitfalls are the same.

In the Netflix flick, the Crescent City is beginning to percolate with an uptick of crime incidents coupled with fantastical tabloid-like reports of superhuman feats. The cause is the invasive use of a new street drug dubbed “Power” that an organized source (in the form of the slick black hats of 300’s Rodrigo Santoro and Transparent’s Amy Landecker) is starting introduce into the New Orleans market through low-level drug dealers like the twitchy Newt (Colson Baker, aka Machine Gun Kelly) and teenaged rap impresario Robin (the co-headlining and multi-talented Dominique Fishback). The pricy glowing capsule grants the consumer unbridled effects for an extended hit of five minutes.

LESSON #1: YOU GET WHAT YOU GET— Power’s reaction is different for every “I want to see what happens” user. One person could wield fire, become bulletproof, or have an animalistic bonus. The next could explode or melt into a puddle of deformity or fleshy goo. The only way to find out is to take the pill and see what happens, and that’s the crux of the movie’s buzz. Just like the pill, you get what you get with Project Power. Some school teacher out there (ok, it’s this one) will add a poetic rhyme after that line to say “you get what you get and you don’t throw a fit.” Well, so much for a warning label.

The long-arm of the law combating this rapidly growing mini-crisis is represented by Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s dedicated homer Frank Shaver. Robin is one of Frank’s undercover informants and his own supplier of Power that he uses to secretly get an edge on the job off the books from his overmatched captain (a grossly underused Courtney B. Vance). Clad in an ever-present Steve Gleason New Orleans Saints jersey under his necklace badge and a poorly-accented “not in my town” tough guy scowl, JGL plays this role, for worse more than better, as Mark Wahlberg Lite. The more Frank seeks the suppliers to level the playing field, the more he suspects larger clandestine governmental involvement.

The smoking gun enigma who knows the deeper implications of Power and the connected network controlling it is Jamie Foxx’s ex-Army Ranger Art. His own vendetta of investigations crosses paths with Newt, Robin, and soon Frank as his target is an urgently personal one, namely his missing daughter Tracy (Kyanna Simpson). Along the way, the three encounter the escalation of the drug’s pervasive use and the entrapment of its unchecked consequences.

In those collected moments of nonsensical chases against unmotivated heavies, there is some sizzle for the escapist thrills that have been lacking this summer movie season. There is one dynamite action scene of note where Michael Simmonds’ camera stays on the calamitous transformation of a side character in the foreground while the mayhem swirls behind them. Clever special effects from Ivan Moran and Yves De Bono paint manifested abilities over the stunts and fights coordinated by the team of Kevin Scott and Cory DeMeyers, all while Joseph Trapanese’s booming score sets the beatdown beats.

LESSON #2: KIDS, STAY AWAY FROM DRUGS— We get it. Superpowers are cool. We’d love some, but is it worth the risks just to see what happens for five minutes and a couple hundred bucks? Much like necessary exercise to get ripped and the hard work needed to get rich, there are no shortcuts. Nothing is free and drugs are too good to be true. Push the pills away. While you’re at it, don’t sell them either.

LESSON #3: BE SUPER ON THE INSIDE— Somewhere along the way, Art’s protective wing of wisdom extended to Robin tries to emphasize the greatness people have on the inside. Awww! Fishback is easily the core of the movie and Foxx is a lifting presence of integrity. Everyone has talents that don’t need to be super and they need to be fostered, shared, and used for the good of one’s self and others. Aww! That’s a nice higher place, but a clumsy pillar for a movie still dealing with more limited wrongdoers than heroes.

The fading buzz of Project Power comes from screenwriter Mattson Tomlin. Fair credit can easily be given to the future The Batman co-writer for that big bright central concept that grabs originality and attention. Project Power operates without comic book sources, though we’re all going to point our fingers at the borrowed logic, inspirations, and tropes. The movie makes an effort to form its own superhero sky above a grounded setting of tall buildings easy to bound. Like the chemical addiction on screen, you have at best, five-minute spurts here and there of those leaps from the concept. You’re likely left asking where all of the power goes.

LOGO DESIGNED BY MEENTS ILLUSTRATED (#902)

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howlsmovinglibrary · 7 years

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All of the question tags!!

Damn, it seems that this is what happens when you run out of phone data and are away from wifi for a while. The 11 questions tags take over.

Imma gonna answer every tag that I can find in this one long post, and sweet jesus I’m not tagging anyone in this particular chain, for fear of starting some kind of infinite loop that eventually becomes sentient and takes over the world.

So, time to seriously overshare!!

From @books-are-portals

1. Favourite mythological being (of any kind)?

It’s a tie between dragons and unicorns, and you know what that means…..FIGHT!

2. Least favourite drink?

I hate coke/diet coke/pepsi/cola. I’m quite intolerant to caffeine in large doses, so the last time I drank a glass of coke, at like 4pm in the afternoon probably about 8 years ago, it kept me away until 3am D:

3. What book(s) do you recommend for everyone?

The Wicked and the Divine comics. It’s hella diverse, the art is amazing, and it’s about insanely powerful magical pop star gods. EVERYONE SHOULD READ.

4. Can you touch the tip of your nose with your tongue?

No – I have both an incredibly small nose and a very stubby tongue.

5. Least favourite book protagonist?

Ummm, bar all the protagonists from classics that I could endlessly moan on about all day and all night (I’m looking at you, Pamela), I’m going to say Zoey from The House of Night series, for all her toxic slut shaming, double standards, and just generally horribly written narrative voice (‘bullpoopy’ is a word that will forever be branded on my mind).

6. What TV show/film makes you happy?

Brooklyn Nine Nine is my go-to happy tv show, Spirited Away/Howl’s Moving Castle are the film equivalent.

7. Favourite trope?

Anything where a platonic friendship (particularly between two women) gets prioritised above a romantic relationship.

8. What piece of fictional technology would you like to have?

An alethiometer from HDM – it tells you the truth, but not enough to stop you from being in control of your own fate (the beauty of a book about free will, I guess.)

9. Finish sentence: I didn’t get enough sleep last night because…

…my back aches from lugging all my books to storage.

10. Favourite food to eat when you’re feeling down?

To be honest, it’s probably toast (with peanut butter if it’s been a really bad day).

11. Can you knit?

I can, but I can’t knit well. If you want a scarf, I can, in theory, do that. Anything that isn’t just one uniform band of the same stitch and I am not the person for the job.

********

From @heretherebebooks

1. Have you ever fallen out of love with a book? Why?

There are a lot of standard answers: ACOTAR, Twilight, etc. but my most recent is Borderline by Mishell Baker – I really like books with ‘unlikeable’ protagonists so I gave this a very high rating on first review, but I didn’t realise how damaging this representation of BPD is until I read multiple own voices reviews on the subject.

2. What’s the strangest book-related dream you’ve ever had?

I have a lot of book dreams which feature me as the protagonist in my favourite fantasy novels, but then when I try to use magic to defend myself my brain goes ‘but Emma, magic doesn’t exist’ and so I’m suddenly facing down a demon hoard with no powers whatsoever.

3. Have you read a book that you didn’t really appreciate until later on?

Ash by Malinda Lo is the main one for this, because I didn’t appreciate that Ash is not supposed to get with the unbelievably hot fairy prince…until I reread five years later and saw that the hot fairy prince is a dick.

4. What book would you like to see a musical adaptation of? (Bonus: any ideas for song titles?)

To be honest, I just want Starkid to do a ‘A Very Potter Musical’ version of Cursed Child and watch the fanfiction of the fanfiction.

5. Have you ever thrown a book across the room? What was it?

Ms Marvel Volume 4 (my ship was sunk…for now, anyway).

6. What book cover do you absolutely hate? How would you redesign it?

The Falconer and Dark Days Club UK covers are just super tacky – I’d take the Falconer US covers, and replace the Dark Days standard ‘pretty woman in fragile looking pose’ covers with either ‘plain looking woman fighting a fuck tonne of demons’ or just ‘fuck tonne of demons’, which is what the story is about anyway.

7. Have you ever cosplayed a character? Who?

I’m read this question at a con while dressed as Newt Scamander, so…. (last year I was Violet from the Rat Queen comics).

8. What’s the last book that made you want to scream from the rooftop?

Six Wakes by Mur Lafferty (the thing I screamed was “MURDER. IN. SPAAAACEEE!” when my housemate asked me what it was about, although I was not on a rooftop at the time.)

9. What’s your favourite subgenre?

My new favourite is ‘geeky contemporary’, bonus points if it’s ‘geek convention contemporary’ (Queens of Geek, Geekerella, Unconventional)

10. If you could bring an author back to life to write one more book, who would it be?

I think Angela Carter could write one hell of a feminist YA fairy tale retelling, so I’m gonna bring her back.

11. Mug full of tea on your bed - yay or nay?

I just….I don’t live life this dangerously xD

*********

From @bookcub:

1. Who was the last character you related to and what were they from?

Luca from The Burning City by Amanda Foody – he was basically the reason I kept reading that book, which otherwise wasn’t really my cup of tea, despite being a perfectly good book. He was the love interest, and was explicitly demiromantic. Although I’m not entirely sure where I place on the ace spectrum, and also felt that his portrayal was a little bit too cut and dry – with no sexual attraction until the MC shows up and then all the sexual attraction immediately at once with not really any grey area – his indifferent attitude towards sex as a general concept until those feelings latch onto a specific person, and his hesitation surrounding how to handle a relationship when it’s not something he’s has to consider before that point, were both very relatable for me. It certainly fitted my experience a little better than Tash Hearts Tolstoy.

2. What’s your favorite genre of music?

Hmmm…there’s a wide range but I guess singer songwriter covers it? I care more about a song’s lyrics than what genre it’s in.

3. Which tags on tumblr do you follow and why?

*whispers* I still don’t really understand how following tags works…..(someone plz explain)

4. Do you have any book related jewelry?

I have a necklace of an owl delivering a Hogwarts letter, and Howl’s earrings from the Ghibli movie.

5. Thoughts on booklr being dead?

I think the parts of booklr that were active a few years ago might be dead, but that’s just one specific group of people and they’ve probably moved on for a reason. Given it’s only in the last year or so that I’m getting notes and making friends, if booklr truly is dead then it seems that I’m either a necromancer, or having one hell of a party in the graveyard.

6. What are some of your favorite picture books from when you were a kid?

We’re Going On a Bear Hunt is the classic (my parents used to sing it to me to get me to go on hikes). When I could read for myself, Varjak Paw.

7. What’s the first book you remember reading or being read to you?

My dad read me the first and half of the second Harry Potter books on the Eurostar train from London to Disneyland Paris.

8. What’s your favorite dystopian novel and why?

Hmmm, I’m not really a fan of dystopias all that much (more of a fantasy person), but I really like the Wolf by Wolf series, which I think counts due to it being alt. history, and The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood. The first because a) it has fantasy elements, and b) A* character development over the duology. The second because it was the first ‘literary’ book I read for school and enjoyed, and because the TV show has been one of my favourite things this year.

9. Where do you get/buy most of your books?

Truthfully, Amazon. I’m trying to do better now that I’m no longer strapped for cash.

10. Favorite animal?

Cats. Fluffy, smooshy faced cats in particular ^^.

11. What book release are you anxious for (one you know the release date for) (yeah that means not Doors or Stone)

It’s a toss-up between The Stone Sky by NK. Jemisin (which is out like, next week!!), Provenance by Ann Leckie, and Warcross by Marie Lu.

**********

From @accidentalspaceexplorer:

1. What do you think of science fiction?

I think it is good when written well, where the focus on world building doesn’t leave the characters one dimensional. Unfortunately I also think it is coded masculine in a number of ways - the focus on a ‘logical, technological’ world rather than ‘illogical’ femme coded magic - which means that sometimes I find it quite an frustrating and alienating genre.

2. What’s one of your pet peeves?

Mansplaining. Currently there’s this really horrible man at my book club who keeps trying to explain narrative to me and I’m like, dude, I’m an English Literature graduate.

3. If you could pick one magic system to exist in real life, what would it be?

Oh, fuck. There’s so many that would be amazing, but I think the main I always gravitate back to is Elemental magic a la the Avatar universe, because that was the first type of magic system I fell in love with.

4. What is your favorite tree?

Cherry blossom

5. Do you have any plants around the house?

I do not own any personally, but my housemate has like fifteen spider plants to which I like to think I am a caring godmother figure.

6. What is the book with the weirdest premise that you’ve read and would recommend?

The Jane Austen Project - time travellers go back to Regency era Britain to befriend Austen and try to steal one of her lost manuscripts.

7. Have you loved books for as long as you can remember, or was there a particular event that sparked you becoming a reader?

As long as I can remember - I remember giving a presentation in class about how I was going to be any author at age 9.

8. What is your favorite recipe?

Lemon meringue cake - cake, lemon curd, a fuck tonne of meringue, what’s not to love?

9. Do you reread books? If not, why not? If so, what’s one that you reread again and again?

Yes. Always reread. My three main ones are The Dark Days Club, Uprooted, and (of course) Howl’s Moving Castle.

10. What’s your favorite weather?

Cold sunshine in winter.

11. Do you read every day?

Pretty much (I read on my lunch break at work).

I think that’s every outstanding question answered - sorry if I’ve missed anyone!

#11 question tag #some would say 'too many questions' tag #about me #some would say 'too much' about me

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sebastianejw-blog · 5 years

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Fantastic beasts

I believe I may have said this before but repeating it just shows how fucking passionate I am about this.

First movie - fucking amazing I really liked it I absolutely fell in love with the cast & the story even though I really don't like Harry Potter I was bring over with Eddie & he was perfect in the roll & then Ezra also stole the show he was so interesting & I loved his style & his relationship with Graves was really nice. Its made kinda clear in the book that credence is probably gay I mean the movie only supported that

For newt I got a lgbt vibe but wasn't too sure the fact he didn't seem to be attracted to anyone made.me think maybe aromantic/asexual but then the implied relationship of the girl his brothers with (can't remember her name rn) so I was like ok maybe biromatic but then it almost didn't seem romantic at first I even thought it was his mother or sister.

His chemistry with Jacob was really cute & his chemistry with credence was really nice & I really liked the fact that he had no romantic partner he was soully there for his creatures which are his actual loves I related to newt a lot because I like animals company more that humans most of the time so his protectiveness was just relatable & humouress the bonus was he made friends & queenie & Jacob kinda get together & are the cutest.

So I did think that either newt just wasn't interested in romance or he was gay which for me is a interesting factor now a days I really hate movies that are for the typical white girl just a straight couple like hating each other then getting engaged within 2 hours like I think that sort of thing is really repetitive so yeas if I get a vibe that this character is different & his sexuality is more up in the air but certain things make you lean towards more of a answer I dig it I like to be curious but I also expected that maybe in the second movie because wed get young newt & we already have the cannon relationship of grindlwald&dumbledore I was kinda hoping we'd see baby newt go after a guy or maybe older newt meets a past mate & hit it off idk. I also was hoping for a nice relationship for credence whether it was family, friends, or romantic & when u saw he was gonna be in a circus I immediately drew connections to Jeremiah & Jerome Valeska my gay & bi boys. So I was like hopefully credence gets treated well their maybe feeling accepted & then the snake girl came in the picture & I was like cool he has a friend but then it was like a 2 second shot & she looked like she was gonna kiss credence & I was like noope can't do that. That baby boi has proven to us he likes dudes& due to his adoptive mother beating him, he would definitely have issues with trusting women-I think he would anyway I then got the book. Super excited to see what would happen in the film so I start reading it & suddenly all newt talks about is Tina & it came from nowhere & although I was really annoyed they really forced this straight persona on him I was like well it's still. My plant boy let's give him a chance but he just did not shut up it was pathetic he seemingly didn't care about anything else not even getting credence seemed all that important & I'm pretty sure I didn't even realise that's what he was trying to do until credence showed up in the book. But then bloddy grindlwald gets a hold of him somehow litrally on the book I think grindlwald was absent for a few chapter or even just 1 then bam he's back & yes credence has a sort of connection already with Graves/Gridlewals but I was like there no way credence is that weak. He was being manipulated so easily but credence already knows Grindlewald is like this so I wasn't buying it I thought credence has a secret plan or something & I thought that till the very end & the end just confused me suddenly credence has been carring a live bird around which is suddenly a Pheonix & grindlwald claims the bird was watching over credence but the bird was injured if credence would have left it would Gridlewald still have a bird at the end? & again I'm not a Potter fan so him saying some dumbledoor name got me confused because I thought that meant The dumbledore but no apparently it's dumbledores brother that u knew Jack shit about. Also the baby thing was confusing like their was credence & then their was the dumbledores kid or some shit idk it was some next level good omens baby mess up it got so confusing because they call credence, credence & not this dumbledores name so my brain is like well you Mr grindlwald are spitting bullshit & " they make it seem like a superise that credence can do magic. Duh the boi is like a ball of magic you dumbass.

Idk I really did not like what they did with the second movie & book of course I'm still a fan & I want to see if they do better with the other stuff

But yanno u thought straight after I though please don't have new & Tina get married & all that bs' apparently they are married & have kids & idk that's just really messed up the character I first fell in love with. I've had this problem with things before the characters opinions change rediculously just to please a certain demographic it's bullshit if you have a character who shows himself not being interested in romance but more in animals & his work then stick with that especially for a male role I love that instead of a guy who gers turned by the girl have a guy that's not change buy romance but but friendship, experience & the work they love & to me if you do want to do a romantic storylibe with a very socially awkward human who's (at least to me) just acts like a introverted gay mess then just concider actual making a main character lgbt it's 2019 people bring this in more.

&even if this was information people already knew somehow, is bs if they say they couldn't alter the story how many rediculous changes does jk make, loads. But instead of queer beating just actually make a character lgbt its really not that hard. I think newt has a son at some point & saying that newt was gay wouldn't even change very much Tina could've still been the surrogate or the kid could've been adopted all these things to me would be so interesting to see in a big franchise & idk in just kinda pissed that it seemed that they would go somewhere new & it flopped right after.

Can you tell I'm very passionate about this sort of thing? XD

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