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andrewmoocow · 3 years

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Steven Universe Alternate Future chapter 24: Fragments (originally published on August 23, 2021)

AN: The end of the Alternate Future begins here! Or this story at least, I've got a few follow-ups planned after finishing this one, one of which I might set up here. But regardless, here we are at the end of Part 3 and from here on out, things will go downhill for our heroes & uphill for our villains. Can Steven be saved from both himself and Black Rutile? Who knows? Except for me that is, and a very select few as well. But I've had enough keeping you in suspense, let's get straight to the action.

Synopsis: Steven's condition gets worse and he seeks help from Jasper.

Cast:

Zach Callison as Steven

Estelle as Garnet

Michaela Dietz as Amethyst

Deedee Magno-Hall as Pearl

Kimberly Brooks as Jasper

Noël Wells as Black Rutile

Lauren Ash as White Topaz

Della Saba as Aquamarine

Charlyne Yi as Eyeball

Tom Scharpling as Greg

Uzo Aduba as Bismuth

Dee Bradley Baker as Lion

Ron Perlman as ?

"Hear me my followers and rejoice!" Black Rutile declared, with Aquamarine perched on her shoulder, as she recorded herself making a grand speech to her remaining minions in her cave lair. "Our day of revengeance is at hand! No more shall that sanctimonious half-breed tyrant enforce his iron-fisted rule over our people! Because despite claiming to be a pure-hearted child, recent intel has confirmed he is far from it."

As an example, Black Rutile played the footage of Steven crashing his father's van that her satellite had gathered. "Look at this absolutely abhorrent act." She stated. "What kind of child would ever dare murder their father without any rhyme or reason?"

"Actually, there have been a few throughout this planet's history that have done just that." White Topaz leaned into view to point out.

"SHUT IT TOPAZ!" Black Rutile angrily commanded before turning back to her viewers. "Anyways, soon he will be exposed as the monster he truly is, and with the army we have regrown from the colonies some of my subordinates have retaken, we shall lay siege to the tyrannical Crystal Gems and strike them at our weakest!"

"You sure about that my Rutile?" Black Rutile's Topaz bodyguard leaned back in, much to her master's anger. "'Cause I've gotten word from Cinnabar's faction that some of your former Black Pearls have formed, like, a little squadron to fight back against her."

"Can you not ruin my speech, you ignoramus?!" Black Rutile shoved her Topaz away. Just as she was about to make a grand conclusion to her speech, Black Rutile quickly declared "End transmission." and shut off the recording. "Now look what you did, I was making a motivational speech to my allies, but you had to keep getting in the way just like you always do!"

"Always?" White Topaz replied while making shadow puppets against the cave wall. "Look, I may spoil your plans some of the time, but your ego is just as much to blame the rest of the time."

"That is indeed true Topaz, but now I must ask," Black Rutile said. "what is with this attitude? Where's the overly polite idiot that always followed my orders without question, no matter how horrible they are?"

"I'm betting she's already having second thoughts about your plans." Aquamarine advised her superior.

"You mind if I," Eyeball suggested before making a slashing noise with her mouth and pulling her chisel from her gem. "put her to rest?"

"I'm being serious you guys!" White Topaz said. "The three of you may think you're Gems of the people, but I don't think Gems like those would ever hyperfocus on ruining the life of one person instead of just focusing on something healthier!"

"Like what, forcing ourselves to join those ingrates and deprive ourselves of our way of life in favor of becoming part of a hive-mind?" Black Rutile asked, menacingly pulling out her bowie knife to threaten her Topaz with. "I have been plotting against the Crystal Gems ever since Steven brainwashed the Diamonds, and I refuse to abandon those plans just because you don't like them! Now, are you going to be a good little bodyguard, or do you want to ditch your best friend in favor of the hypocrite?"

Although White Topaz showed tons of reluctance, she nervously got down on one knee and bowed her head to her three teammates. "No, my Rutile. I am at your beck and call, whenever you need me."

"Very good my Topaz." Black Rutile put away her knife to pat White Topaz on the head with an evil smile, before turning away to tap at her visor. "Now if we have nothing else to discuss, it seems the seeds of doubt I have planted in Steven's mind that fateful night have finally begun to grow." She stated before her visor created a holographic chessboard with pieces resembling herself & her minions on one side, and the Crystal Gems & the Diamonds on the other. "Now all we need is just one last push." On that last word, Black Rutile then spawned a chess piece resembling Jasper that she put squarely in the middle of the board.

Far from Black Rutile's lair in the woods, Steven and Greg had finally returned home to Beach City after a father-son outing that turned rather disastrous. Fortunately, the Crystal Gems were already home to be told of what happened and as Steven gazed out over the deck, Bismuth asked Greg what happened.

"So Steven just flew off the handle because of a song?" Bismuth asked while helping Greg put his van back together. "Frankly, I could think of weirder reasons to get angry."

"No, it wasn't because of the song." Greg admitted to the blacksmith. "It was because we drove off to my childhood home in Keystone and he learned that my upbringing wasn't too different from his mom's."

"I don't think you ever told anyone about when you were a kid." Bismuth replied.

"Not that I wanted to until now." Greg stated. "But after that crash, I don't think I ever want to bring them up again. Steven started ranting about how he wished the Gems never found Earth and he had a normal human life like I had."

"Whoa whoa whoa, where did all this come from?!" Bismuth yelled in alarm, raising her hands towards the former rock star.

"That's what I said!" Greg exclaimed before turning to his despondent son. "And now that I think about it, maybe he had good reason for those wishes after all he's been through."

Steven looked down in utter shame and regret before he walked back inside the beach house, clearly avoiding a chance to speak with his father about the incident.

As soon as Steven got inside, the other Crystal Gems were there to greet him, but the looks on their faces told Steven things weren't going to be good.

"Sit down on the couch Steven, we need to talk." Pearl commanded the son of her deceased lover, who did as he was told before Pearl began pacing around. "I just can't believe you, Steven! Crashing the van with Greg inside?! You know how fragile humans are, young man! These pink outbursts need to be dealt with!"

"It's not an outburst!" Steven yelled, briefly inflating himself as he turned pink.

"See, this is exactly what I'm talking about!" Pearl exclaimed before Steven got back up and started walking away. "What is happening to you?!"

"It's nothing, just puberty, honest!" Steven cried as he struggled to keep his pink form at bay.

"Whoa no little dude, I've seen enough sitcoms to know that is not what puberty is like!" Amethyst declared. "Right, Garnet?"

"I can confirm, this is not regular puberty." Garnet nodded before Steven put up a literal wall between him and his guardians.

"Steven, drop the wall this instant!" Pearl ordered as she pressed against the pink, hexagonal dome.

"I'm sorry Pearl!" Steven gasped in apology before the wall disappeared. "I just need some space, okay? I'll be in my room." But as Steven walked upstairs, Amethyst rushed to keep him from going any further.

"Not so fast, my dude!" Amethyst declared. "You gotta tell us what's going on!"

"It seems like Steven wants to avoid a serious discussion altogether." Garnet analyzed.

"No, I'M NOT!" Steven yelled, dropping to his knees and pounding his fist on the stairs, creating a shockwave that shook the entire room.

"Steven, either you talk to us about what's going on, or you're grounded until you're able to explain." Garnet firmly declared.

"She's right man, you gotta chill!" Amethyst exclaimed.

"We need to do something about this before anyone else gets hurt!" Pearl stated as Steven continued struggling where he stood.

"Don't let these strange powers control you." Garnet tried desperately to calm the half-Gem down. "You're better than this."

"LEAVE ME ALOOONE!" Steven finally roared, causing a pink shockwave to burst from his body and seemingly force the Gems to move in slow motion. Or rather, he was moving faster than everyone else. "I'm speeding up again!" he muttered while gazing at his equally pink hands. "I gotta get out of here!"

Steven ran out of the house and far away from the Crystal Gems. There was barely anywhere he could go right now. Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl kept enabling these strange new powers, yet Peridot, Lapis, and Bismuth probably barely knew what to do about things. Thus, there was only one Gem left he knew could help him in his time of need.

"The Gems tried to help me, but they just kept making things worse." Steven explained to Jasper later that night while the two sat around a campfire in front of her cave. "And that's why I refuse to go back."

"So what you're saying is," Jasper answered before dramatically removing the cloak she was wearing. "you want a rematch?!"

"What?! No!" Steven exclaimed. "I just told you why I came here in the first place. I think my Diamond powers are coming out, and I have no idea how to control them. I just want to be alone so I can't hurt anyone or be super toxic and controlling."

"So, you finally admitted it, eh?" Jasper rolled her eyes as she got up and walked away. "If you want to be alone, your definition of it is horribly wrong!"

"But Jasper, this is the last place anyone would look for me!" Steven explained before running after Jasper. "Wait, don't leave me here!" he begged the bigger Gem. "This thing with my powers is the real problem."

"The only problem you have is your friends." Jasper declared, much to Steven's confusion. "Just like how you keep holding everyone back, they're doing the same to you!"

"Are you sure?" Steven asked. "I definitely believe I'm getting them all worried."

"That's because they're afraid of you." Jasper responded. "And not just of your powers, but your control over others. And you are too! You came out here to hide, but I'm not one to hide myself. I don't need to hide my power or try to stifle it, I let everything out by training!"

"Like this forest?" Steven wondered, looking around the patch of destroyed trees he and Jasper have stumbled upon.

"Exactly." Jasper answered, walking up to a tree and making it fall over with a single punch. "And to control that power, I have to use it. Those so-called friends of yours don't understand because they always want to make you feel bad for being yourself!"

"Yeah, I do feel bad." Steven muttered to himself, gazing at his fist before walking over to punch another tree, turning pink as he landed a blow that created massive cracks on the bark and wounded his hand.

"Yeah, crush that weakling tree!" Jasper cheered Steven on.

"No!" Steven exclaimed before kissing the tree to fix the damage he did.

"Are you kidding me?! That's disgusting!" Jasper gagged at the sight when she looked down to discover that Steven's kiss caused some grass to grow around them. "No, the grass!" she yelled and rapidly pulled out the grass beneath her. "Get out of here!" Jasper then angrily turned to Steven and picked him up by the collar of his jacket. "Quit helping this planet's ecosystem and show me! Show me your power!"

Jasper harshly threw Steven to the ground, causing him to groan in pain. "No way Jasper!" Steven coughed as he got up from the toss. "I can handle myself!"

"Shut up!" Jasper yelled and lunged at Steven, who turned pink on reflex and created a barrier to defend himself from the Quartz's ruthless attack, but it proved ineffective as Jasper punched straight through it, causing Steven to fall to the ground. "This is it; this is all you were worried about?! What a rip-off!"

As Steven helped himself off the dirt, Jasper just kept on yelling. "I am way stronger than everyone you hold back and are holding you back in return!" she bellowed while pointing at Steven. "Because I'm not afraid of this, and you shouldn't be either!"

In response, Steven turned pink again and created another shield to launch at his opponent. "Yeah, that's more like it!" Jasper declared eagerly and prepared to defend herself, smashing the shield with just her arm. "Now tell me, was it good to let your anger out that way?"

"Y-yeah." Steven realized how good it felt to vent his rage on someone who could be a match for him, allowing Jasper to let out a loud laugh. "If I stay here, will you teach me how to control all this?"

"I won't teach you until you fight me!" Jasper refused the offer.

"Well, I won't fight you unless you teach me!" Steven replied.

"Ugh, fine!" Jasper groaned in resignation.

"Really?!" Steven smiled as he returned to his normal color.

"Here's lesson number one," Jasper responded. "No smiling."

"But I've seen you smile." Steven pointed out the goofy smile Jasper wore when he agreed to fight her not too long ago.

"Lesson two, shut up!" Jasper yelled before she kicked Steven into the air, and the boy landed far from where she could see him with a thud.

"Guess my training starts now." Steven declared to himself before he heard footsteps behind him and turned around to find who was behind him. "YOU!"

"Training with Jasper, Steven?" Black Rutile snickered disdainfully. "Wow kid, you're not just one Spinel, you're an entire circus of them!"

"What do you want with me now Black Rutile?" Steven asked his new archenemy as Black Rutile's three minions appeared behind her.

"We just came here to talk." Aquamarine answered. "As much as we would love to kidnap you and hold you for ransom, or maybe even kill you right here and now, we think hanging with a brute like her is much more fitting."

"Besides, we all know you'll just drive her away like you did to everyone else." Eyeball laughed. "Or maybe even something worse!"

"Look, what we're trying to say is that you should just give up now and get the help you really need." White Topaz cautioned Steven, unaware of how angry she made her teammates. "We only want what's best for you, so you won't get in the way of my Rutile's plan!"

"Are you seriously trying to help our enemy here?" Black Rutile growled with eyelids lowered at White Topaz. "I thought you were at my beck and call whenever I needed you!"

"If you're trying to ruin my life again, it won't work." Steven firmly declared as he got up to face the four insurgent Gems. "I know what you really are, Black Rutile. You're no hero to Homeworld, you're just a callous bully who will do anything to get her way."

"GROW UP STEVEN, GROW UP!" Black Rutile abruptly yelled at Steven's face. "Sociopath, hypocrite! Refusing to save a dying pet because of the natural order when he refuses to accept everyone is leaving him! Who's the real villain between us two, my boy, hm?"

"Still you." Steven remained resolute against the Rutile.

"You can't even begin to comprehend my current plans." Black Rutile replied just as resolutely. "Soon, everyone on this accursed rock will see you for the monster you truly are."

"Hey, where are you?!" Jasper bellowed from afar, and Black Rutile saw this as her cue to leave.

"Wouldn't want to keep a certain someone waiting." Black Rutile smirked. "But at least the three of us agree the Crystal Gems are the real problem."

"Aw, but I wanna turn Jasper against Steven too!" Eyeball complained. "Plus it would be an honor to see her in person again. The real deal, not an Amethyst shapeshifting into her."

"Oh, shut up, and let's get out of here." Aquamarine slapped her Ruby partner and dragged her away by the hand.

"Hey, no hard feelings kid?" White Topaz asked Steven, causing Black Rutile to slap her mouth shut.

"We'll see each other again Steven." Black Rutile declared. "But until then, I'll be watching you, just like I've always had since our last fight."

As the four rogue Gems left, Steven was left alone with his thoughts once more. And with those thoughts, a certain voice in his head re-emerged. "You know, she does raise a few good points."

"You again!" Steven said to the voice. "What do you want now? Are you another Gem working for Black Rutile?!"

"Well, kind of." The voice answered. "I'm not directly working for her, but it's thanks to her that I'm even speaking to you now. Remember that night while the Gems were out in Los Diego? She helped me grow."

"I thought so." Steven muttered in a moment of clarity. "But please, just leave me alone!"

"Maybe I'll just sit back and watch while you worry your so-called friends sick." The voice laughed deeply. "Don't you worry, we'll be seeing each other again very soon."

With that foreboding goodbye, the voice once again vanished from Steven's thoughts. Was it true, was that voice even haunting Steven because of what Black Rutile said to him? Or could it perhaps be even older than that?

"Are you dead or something?!" Jasper yelled for Steven. "Come back over here if you aren't, we got training to do tomorrow!"

"I'm coming!" Steven cried and raced back to Jasper's cave. As soon as he got there, Jasper threw her cloak at his face. "What was that for?"

"Think you might need this." Jasper stated while peering out from her cave. "Humans need to sleep, right?"

"Aw, you really do care for me." Steven blushed at the seemingly kind gesture, but Jasper just scoffed and retreated into the darkness of her home. Steven then just shrugged and laid down on the ground with the cloak covering him like a blanket, gazing up at the stars and wondering how the Crystal Gems must be doing.

The next morning, the Crystal Gems were now searching across Beach City for the missing Steven. Pearl had placed posters all over town while Greg helped Lion and Amethyst sniff around for him, but so far they found nothing that would help them.

"Whoa, easy Amethyst!" Greg yelled as he tugged on the leash of a purple-furred Dalmatian with an amethyst gemstone on her chest, which then turned into an exhausted Amethyst.

"We're getting nowhere with this!" Amethyst complained. "I mean, I learned how he could slow down time through Smoky Quartz, and even I don't have a clue!"

"I hope we find him soon, I'm getting worried." Pearl whimpered before she found Garnet walking up to them. "Anything from Little Homeworld, Garnet?"

"Nothing, Peridot and Lapis told me they didn't see Steven recently." Garnet answered. "However, Zuli said she did see a pink blur zoom past yesterday."

"That's the same one I saw with Bismuth while we were fixing the van!" Greg declared. "Could that be Steven?"

"It probably is." Pearl said before she began to break down into tears and hug Greg tightly. "I miss my baby!"

"We all do Pearl." Greg sniffed and returned the hug, followed by Garnet, Amethyst, and Lion joining in to comfort the Pearl. "We all do."

However, little did the Gems know, Steven was perfectly fine. But not the kind of fine they want him to be.

Far off in the woods, Steven had fallen fast asleep underneath the blanket Jasper had lent him. But his rest wouldn't last long as Jasper emerged from her cave and smashed a wall, shocking him awake.

"Rise and shine, your training begins today!" Jasper barked as she walked up to the half-Gem boy and picked him up by the neck. "Now tell me, what are you here for again?"

"Uh, to get a better control of my powers?" Steven answered.

"Not enough energy." Jasper shook her head in disdain. "Why don't we start with the only way you can talk to people?" she suggested and then cleared her throat. "So you're here because of your mother, kid? Well, whoop-de-doo!" the big Quartz began singing while circling Steven. "You still haven't realized more have suffered than just you! If you wanna get tougher kid, here's a tip. I got three little words for you: get a grip!"

"Shouldn't that apply to you too?" Steven asked his new mentor.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Jasper growled while walking towards some boulders and picked one up.

"I mean, you're stuck here because of me." Steven continued, much to Jasper's anger. "Not to mention closets full of-"

"Do you want my help or not?!" Jasper roared.

"Yes ma'am!" Steven nervously complied before Jasper threw him a boulder.

"That's better." Jasper grinned smugly as she hoisted up more boulders on her back and walked away. "Follow me."

"You've been through a lot brat, but let me say something about that." Jasper began singing again as Steven followed her up the mountain with boulders in hand. "As a veteran, I've seen far messier, you should've seen the Clash at the Theater."

"I don't think I've heard of that before." Steven stated while setting the boulders down nearby.

"Doesn't matter, just giving an example." Jasper replied as she dropped her boulders too. "Now come on, throw me some shields!" Steven nodded before he turned pink and summoned multiple barriers to unleash on Jasper, who managed to break through all of them. "The fusion's all high and mighty. Amethyst can be pretty flighty. And the Pearl, wow, she's nuts, you see! They all got experience, but none like mine!"

"Maybe when you're done, you'll be feeling just fine." The next day, Steven continued training via splitting logs in half on a stump, while Jasper demonstrated her superior strength by knocking down a tree with just a push. In the meantime, Black Rutile whispered something into Jasper's ear without her knowing the Rutile was even there.

"If you wanna get tougher kid, here's a tip." As night began to fall, Jasper challenged Steven to a race, her spin-dash against his pink form's speed. "I got three little words for you: get a grip! Ya hear me!"

"Yeah, those three little words are 'Get a Grip!'" Steven joined in on the song as he began catching up to Jasper.

"Now we're talking!" Jasper cheered triumphantly.

"No time for healing!" As the training went on to the day after that, Steven had grown slightly taller and more muscular, and even began growing a beard as he threw another barrier at Jasper. "Who needs feeling?!"

"You're still reeling?" Steven caught a fish in the river with a more polygonal bubble that he cooked up to eat, while Black Rutile loomed behind him with another lie to tell him. "Well, my tips are quite appealing! Let's say it again!"

"If you wanna get tougher kid, here's a tip." Steven and Jasper harmonized while clashing fists in a forest clearing. "I got three little words for you: get a grip!"

"Yes, for everything to go as planned, get a grip." Black Rutile muttered while watching the two train with an evil smile, eager to see how far Steven has come and how far he'll fall.

The next day, thunder began rumbling far from Steven, who knelt in front of a campfire with a more muscular body that made him as tall as Jasper and a wildly different hairstyle.

"I found more rocks!" Jasper called out to her student while tossing over some more rocks for him to train with. "You won't believe how hard it is to find a good rock around here, especially since we broke most of them."

"I'm done with rocks Jasper." Steven declared while getting up to face Jasper. "I'm finally ready. For our rematch." He then put out the fire behind him with one stomp, showing the other Gem how serious he was.

"Took you long enough!" Jasper cackled as she cracked her knuckles and prepared for her long-awaited round 2. "Then come on, show me what you got!"

Steven responded by creating another hexagonal shield to launch at Jasper. However, Jasper jumped over the shield and attempted to punch Steven, but suddenly, she got punched instead. As Steven let out a gasp, Jasper summoned her horned crash helmet and slammed it into Steven's head, sending him tumbling backwards into the ground.

"What are you holding back for Steven?!" Jasper yelled while the resulting smoke began to clear. "You think you can't take it, that I'm just going to coddle you the whole way through, just like the Gems?! You still want to go back to them?"

"No!" Steven coughed from the smoke.

"You still afraid to be strong?!" Jasper continued taunting her foe. "Are you dull?! ARE YOU PITIFUL?!"

"I AM NOT!" Steven bellowed out loud, causing a shockwave that knocked Jasper back, and nearly shook a certain Rutile from a tree she was hiding in as he lunged at Jasper with fury in his eyes.

"Is that all?!" Jasper cackled arrogantly, forcing Steven to create more barriers to strike at her with, which finally landed a hit on Jasper and slammed her into a tree. "That's more like it!"

Steven let out a sadistic giggle before he lunged again, far faster than normal as he started repeatedly punching Jasper while the two soared through the forest and into the air.

"Come on, come on!" Jasper beckoned Steven as their brawl took to the skies. "Show your master what you can really do!"

Steven's maniacal laughter grew louder and louder with each punch before kicking Jasper to the ground. "You were right Jasper!" he declared while summoning more shields to trap Jasper with before forming an even larger one in front of him. "I HAVE BEEN HOLDING BACK!"

With a murderous smile and white diamonds in his eyes, Steven made his barrier grow razor-sharp spikes before launching it at his captive opponent. And for the first time in what felt like ages, as the spiked shield rocketed towards her, Jasper felt one emotion that she barely showed to anyone else.

Pure, unadulterated terror.

What had she done?

The cloudy skies gave way to a loud thunderstorm as Black Rutile climbed up to the top of another tree to watch the outcome of the fight, and she was more than happy with what she was seeing.

"Bravo Steven, I never knew you had it in you!" Black Rutile clapped loud enough for Steven to hear as he returned to his senses to realize what he had just done. "If I hadn't planned for that, she would've made a great bodyguard!"

With tears and raindrops staining his face, Steven hid whatever he was hiding in his balled-up fist while glaring at Black Rutile before he raced back to Jasper's cave. When Black Rutile decided to climb down the tree, she was greeted by the nervous look on her Topaz's face. "So, who were you betting on to win?"

"I was betting on Steven to curb his problems more healthily, and you just kept stringing him along!" White Topaz accused her superior, but her accusations were shut down by a bowie knife pointed straight at her face. "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry! Would a shadow puppet make you feel better?!"

"No need." Black Rutile frowned, hiding behind the tree to watch as Steven, now wearing his jacket again, hid his fist in one of the pockets while running out of the woods. "Nothing makes me happier than seeing him squirm."

"Oh yeah, it's funny how pathetic he is." White Topaz laughed nervously in agreement. "Come on, let's head back to the cave. Don't wanna get wet."

"Indeed," Black Rutile agreed and strolled back to their lair with her arms behind her back. "wouldn't want anyone knowing what we did to him."

"I sent so many messages, but he hasn't replied!" Pearl fretted while pacing around the beach house as the storm continued. "Do you think he even had his phone when he ran away?! What if something horrible happened and it's all our fault because he wanted to stay away from us?! What if-" Pearl's panicking soon turned to hyperventilating as she curled up into a ball on the floor and began rocking back and forth when Amethyst stepped in to calm her down.

"Pearl, chill out!" Amethyst literally shook Pearl out of her traumatized state and picked her up off the floor. "Panting and sweating over everything won't bring Steven back! It's not like he's going to just barge in as soon as I finish talking!"

Just then, Steven finally returned home, much to the Crystal Gems' delight and worry. However, he had no time to tell them where he's been as he gunned for the bathroom.

"Steven, where have you been?!" Pearl cried out in fright for her surrogate son.

"No time to talk!" Steven exclaimed before ducking into the bathroom.

"Seriously man, we've been looking everywhere!" Amethyst added just as the door closed in front of her. "Hey, what was that in your hand?"

"Nothing important!" Steven replied, peeking out the door one last time before going back.

"The way he said that makes me get a bad feeling about this." Garnet declared ominously.

'This has been a horrible day.' Steven thought to himself while filling up the bathtub and snatching the three Diamond essence bottles from the mirror, taking a moment to find a dark shadow in the exact shape of his muscular self from earlier standing behind his reflection.

"I never knew you had it in you either." The shadow growled before Steven turned to dump all the Diamonds' essences in the bathwater and pulled his fist out of his pocket, unfolding it to reveal Jasper's shattered remains in his palms.

"Please work, you gotta work!" Steven muttered in total panic while piecing Jasper's broken gemstone the best he could and submerging it in the water. "Please Jasper, I'm sorry!" he began sobbing for the deceased Gem, his hot tears streaking against his face and dropping into the water.

"I'm sorry."

END OF PART 3: FRAGMENTED MIND

TO BE CONCLUDED IN PART 4: WE WILL ALWAYS BE YOUR FAMILY

Wow. Great googly moogly, it's all gone to shit, just the kind of shit that Black Rutile likes. Is Jasper truly gone? Okay, definitely not since next chapter after the break will be Homeworld Bound. Has Black Rutile won? Maybe. Will the voice in Steven's head take the wheel? Who knows? Find out on the epic final part of Steven Universe: Alternate Future, to perhaps begin after the usual two-month hiatus. Or maybe I should go for a shorter hiatus this time. Or maybe longer? What do you guys think? I mean, by the time I publish this, I'll be getting ready for sophomore year of college so my time will most definitely be filled up. But regardless, there are now only eight chapters left of laughs, tears and adrenaline rush, so don't even try to miss the next arc! Okay, peace!

#steven universe #steven universe future #fanfiction #steven universe alternate future #steven quartz universe #garnet #amethyst #pearl #jasper #black rutile #white topaz #aquamarine #eyeball ruby #greg universe #bismuth

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feverinfeveroutfic · 3 years

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chapter two: the art whore

Careful not to wake Alex, Sam and Eric crept out of the trailer and into the pure white snow that resided outside of the trailer: the plows had already gone through and kept it all away from the wheel rims and thus they could go forth on the road, albeit with a bit of struggle. As she climbed out of there in her boots and heavy coat wrapped around her pajamas, she peered up at the early morning sky, all inky and heavy with those swirling storm clouds overhead. For all she knew, more snow was upon them.

Sam adjusted the lapels on the coat before she went any further towards the car: meanwhile, Eric shut the trailer door behind him with a bit of ease so it wouldn’t awaken Alex.

Sam unlocked the car, and all the while, she almost lost her balance with a step into a thick pocket of snow closest to the driver’s side door.

“You alright over there?” Eric called to her.

“Yeah, it was just a little bit deep over here,” she assured him as she climbed into the seat. She knocked her feet together and brushed off her legs before she slipped inside there; he did the same and then he ran his hand over the crown of his head even though it wasn’t snowing again at the moment.

“So do you think we can just roll on out of here, willy-nilly?” he asked her, out of breath.

“Yeah, pretty much,” she replied as she rubbed her hands together. “The plows took care of it all and since we pitched up underneath a tree, it could be way worse. My one concern is the trailer could jackknife as we’re headed back for the highway. And by the way, do we wanna go to Tom’s Place or Mammoth Lakes?”

“Which one’s closer?”

“Mammoth. Yeah, I promised Alex that we’d go to Tom’s Place at some point, but I don’t really want to drive back around Lake Crowley in the dark and with a bunch of snow on the ground.”

“There’s more to do over in Mammoth, too, I would think,” Eric said as he strapped himself into the seat and hunkered down to keep warm.

“Oh yeah, there’s a few thousand people over there, compared to the couple hundred the other way. Maybe when it’s lighter outside and Alex is awake, we can treat ourselves to some cobbler.”

“But for now, it’s breakfast,” he declared.

“It’s breakfast!” she echoed.

Careful not to upset the trailer, Sam drove up the road, back towards the airport and ultimately the highway, which still stood dark and vacant even with the sunrise upon them. Once she started on the highway once again, the first flurries fluttered down before the headlights. Eric shifted his weight in the seat next to her, but she knew it was more from a lack of heat in the car rather than a feeling of anxiety over the black road stretched before them.

The trailer lumbered behind them; all the while, she was glad that she had packed up all the tools and utensils prior to heading for bed. It was either that or stay there under the tree and freeze out of sheer boredom until Alex woke up, and she swore that that was the case with the whole thing. That didn’t stop Eric from giggling about it, however.

“Wake up to a nice Skolnick frittata,” he joked. “Or an Alex omelette with eggs over easy.”

She quietly scoffed at that, but she then thought of all the ginger snaps Alex had eaten up to that point.

“Do the Skolnick shake,” she said, which brought a big laugh out of him.

“The Skolnick shake—that sounds like a dance rather than a thing you eat,” he proclaimed.

“It’s chocolate and vanilla and filled with pieces of ginger snaps and makes you say 'oy vey' afterwards.”

He laughed out loud again; Sam tapped on the brakes right as signs for Mammoth Lakes emerged from the snowy darkness. Even though there wasn't any ice on the road, she needn't risk it. Not with the trailer right behind the car like that.

Lucky for her and Eric, there was no one else on the road so she babied the whole thing to the first exit into the little town underneath Mammoth Mountain, which loomed there in the darkness like a sleeping beast. The highway exit led onto Meridian Boulevard: the trailer lingered right behind them as if it never left the spot underneath the tree. She figured that if nothing, the gentle sway of it all along the road would rock Alex further to sleep.

The next stoplight up, and she spotted a cafe right across the street from there.

“Place right there has billiards,” Eric pointed out. Sam flashed back on when she and Alex hung out together in the back room with nothing more than a few brewskies and a billiards table.

“Let's do billiards together,” he suggested.

“I also saw a clothing shop as we were coming into town—I really wanna try on some clothes later on. You want to do that with me?”

“As long as I don't have to try anything on,” he told her.

“You won't if you don't wanna,” she pointed out. “Can I tell you something?”

“Uh—yeah? Does it mean I have to keep it a secret from Alex?”

“Well, I just think of the date you proposed to me a while back,” she recalled as she drummed her thumbs on the rim of the steering wheel. She took a glimpse over at him and his sinking down into the seat, as if he hid away from her.

“Eric, I've slept with three guys and had phony staged sex with Chuck,” she told him, “—I think I know what this whole thing means.”

The light turned green and they lunged ahead to the curb up ahead.

“Who have you slept with?” he asked her in a small voice.

“You really wanna go there?” she demanded.

“Yes. Before we go any further with it, I deserve to know whom you've played around with.”

“Alex, Greg, and Joey,” she replied without hesitation.

“Greg?” He raised his eyebrows at that. “You fooled around with Greg?”

“Yes. Let's just say we had a little fun putting our mouths around each other.”

Eric gaped at her because of that.

“Fuck me sideways,” he murmured.

“Okay then!”

And he laughed again.

She climbed out to the snowy morning and she bowed her head so as to keep the flurries out of her eyes. The sunrise still remained on the other side of the White Mountains, which remained behind a thick blanket of low clouds. To think that she and Alex were over there just the day before and they lay on their backs together. She could still taste Alex on her lips; she could still feel him on her hands, much like how she could always taste Joey and Cliff on her lips as well. She need not give up on any of them so quickly as of yet.

In the meantime, she took a glimpse over at Eric and the little snowflakes which landed on the crown of his head. She tried to imagine him without any clothes but it was out of her mind's reach.

The trailer remained in a single piece right behind the car; Eric held the door for her and they stepped inside of the warm cozy cafe, which in fact had a billiards table in another room on the right side there. They took their seats there at the counter, right next to the cash register, and peeled off their coats; once she ordered them a couple of cups of coffee, he ducked into the next room for a round of billiards.

“So early, though, Eric,” she teased him as she followed him in there; a stained glass light hung over them and cast pale yellow light upon their heads as well as the faded dark green pool table before them.

“I wanna play, though,” he insisted, as if he was still a young boy. He picked out a pair of pool cues and handed one to her, to which she thanked him with a little smile and a warm sensation.

“Alex tells me you're a natural,” he told her as he twisted the little cube of chalk to the end of the cue.

“I dunno 'bout that,” she said with a shrug of her shoulders; he handed her the chalk to do the same, and he leaned over the edge of the table with the cue extended out before him. The end of the cue tapped onto the pearly white cue ball and knocked onto the ball closest to him, which in turn made the triangle of balls disperse across the table. Sam thought about Alex and how it all coalesced so beautifully between the two of them: Eric was cute, and she wondered if he was as soft and warm as Alex. She yearned for that softness, that sweetness, that kindness, the same thing that Cliff showed to her in an era that almost felt like an eternity ago. Eric had that full round face and that smooth inky black hair. If she could only touch him, especially right underneath his shirt. Right there under the shirt and then down inside of his jeans.

Right behind them was an older gentleman at a single table by himself, wrapped up in dark red flannel and with a small cap upon the crown of his head. A waitress strode over to him with a pad of paper in hand; they spoke about something as Sam stooped over the edge of the table with the cue extended out before her. She cocked her hip to the side a bit even though Eric stood on the other side of the table. She did, however, push her breasts together with her upper arms, even though her neckline never extended that far.

She raised her gaze once she tapped the cue ball and he stood there with his eyes hooded all for her.

“So all the trees over there are dead?” the waitress was asking right behind her.

“All the trees over by Horseshoe Lake are dead,” said the man. “Dried, cracked, and fallen to the ground. One morning, while we were camping, my wife and I woke up to trees literally wilting and dying over there.”

“Wow!” The waitress stopped in her tracks. “Wait a minute. You don't think the volcano is going to erupt any time soon, do you?”

“Doubt it,” said the man. “The volcano and earthquake people would be all over this whole region like flies on shit if that were the case, telling everyone from Bridgeport and Squaw Valley to Big Pine and Fresno to get out as fast as they can.”

“Horseshoe Lake?” Eric interrupted with a turn of his head. Sam lifted into an upright position for a better look at the man.

“On the other side of the mountain here,” the waitress explained with a nod of her head.

“Some poor bastard got caught up in his cabin a couple of nights ago and died,” the man told him.

“Oh my god,” Sam gasped as she held the cue close to her body.

“He worked with the park service, too,” the man continued, “my wife and I were camping out there when we heard about it. We just high tailed it out of there, like there was no way we were about to risk being there another couple of days.”

Eric looked over at Sam with his eyes wide with fear.

“You kids be safe around here,” he said in a low voice. “This whole part of the state is quiet—a bit too quiet if you ask me. A thousand years and we could have another lava dome form out of the ashes over by Horseshoe Lake.”

Another waitress set down the tray of coffee mugs on the other side of the counter, and Eric was eager to warm himself up with a fresh cup.

“You don’t think it’s going to erupt, do you?” Sam asked the man, concerned, to which he shook his head.

“Naw, but I would definitely be careful, though,” he assured her. “Especially if you and your boyfriend there go over that way for the weekend.”

“Oh no, he’s not my boyfriend,” she told him with a gesture back to Eric, who had begun on his cup of hot coffee on the other side of the counter.

“You sure? He’s been keeping his eye on you in particular since Gloria and I saw you come in.” The man flashed her a wink, but Sam knew it was all in good fun with her and Eric. Even with the residual sensations she was feeling within her, she swore to herself that it was all fun and games between them.

She collected the billiard balls into the triangle again and set her cue down on the side of the table before she joined Eric there at the counter. They asked for their breakfast and then they sat there with their cups of coffee in hand and the sunrise at their backs. All the times she had watched Alex eat up held a special spot in her heart, but as Eric picked up his fork and began on his duo of Belgian waffles, crispy and fresh and with a dollop of lush butter and a little drizzle of maple syrup on top, there was something rather gentle to it. Alex always took great care in how he ate something, whether it was a ginger snap or a big bowl of pasta, such that it was rather sensual to watch him. Eric was something else, though: he sliced away at his waffles at a slow pace, but it was more deliberate and he bowed his head, where Alex tilted back and closed his eyes every so often.

“Death is also coming to play up in Carson City in April, I think,” he said at one point. “You've heard of Death?”

“I have, yes!”

He bumped fists with her and then he slipped another bite of waffle into his mouth.

Sam thought about Alex and if he wanted anything to eat given the sun had risen up behind the clouds on the other side of the White Mountains far off in the distance: the sky outside glowed bright orange with the brand new day. Once Eric had downed a bit more of his coffee, she asked Gloria the waitress for another plate of waffles to take out to the trailer.

And while she indulged in her own breakfast, he finished the rest of his coffee and then he returned to the billiards table for another round.

Within time, the waitress returned with a white styrofoam box with a fresh thick batch of waffles. Sam paid for it all right there with the bit of money she had on her right then: she hoped to hear back from Scarlett in no time. More contact with the New York art scene meant she could find more of her way in the art scene in other places. Once she left a tip for Gloria, she picked up that box and took one last gulp of that cup of coffee, and she returned to the next room.

Eric stooped over the edge of the pool table with the cue extended out before him.

“Death goes hand in hand with desire, you know,” he pointed out; without moving his head, he glanced up at her. That round boyish face, quite a bit rounder than Alex's face, loomed right below her.

“Desire?” she echoed him as he tapped the cue ball and it smacked up right against the blue stripe. That one ball rolled into the corner furthest away from him.

“Did you know the word for 'orgasm' in French literally translates to 'little death'?” he told her as he stood into an upright position.

“I do now,” she replied as she held the little white box closest to her.

“You reach the top and you sorta die,” he continued in a slightly lower voice. He showed her his tongue as he came on closer to her: she could smell the soft musky cologne on the side of his neck. Something about the side of the neck, and something about the smooth skin there on the side of his neck in particular.

“Goes hand in hand with it,” she breathed to him; he eyed the blonde highlights upon her head and then he returned to her face, with his eyes even more hooded and heavy. The man had left which meant the room next to them was empty. There was no one else in the rest of the cafe; Eric lingered closer to her with those bedroom eyes.

“We can go in the car,” he suggested in a husky tone of voice.

“We're not going in the car,” she scoffed with a shake of her head.

“Why not?”

“Because it's freezing outside and I don't wanna wake up Alex.”

“Why, you think the romping and rolling in the car can wake that boy up?”

“Maybe,” she confessed in a soft voice, “or maybe it's from the fact that I'm hangin' with you and not him.”

Eric squinted his eyes at her.

“C'mere,” he whispered to her.

“Only if you c'mere for me,” she retorted back to him.

“Ah, yeah, big mama. I'm gonna make you come so hard. Reach the top of the mountain and make you die. Die so hard and quickly.”

“You sure it's gonna be quick?”

“Positive.”

“Quick and pointless?” she teased him.

“Not if you want it to be pointless,” he assured her.

“I don't want it pointless—but I want it.”

“You want it?”

“I want it.” She said that even if she had a lingering doubt in the back of her mind.

“You're kinda like one of the boys,” he confessed with his voice down to a near whisper.

“One of the boys?”

“Yeah, you like hanging out with all of us,” he explained, “I never really believed we'd have female fans who'd like to hang with us.”

“Let me just—let me just—” She set her free hand on his chest to feel his warmth.

She made a sex tape and slept with three boys—she was about to get down with Eric while in a public place. He leaned back a bit and she ran her hand down onto his stomach: she had to tell Alex about it at some point. He was the one who told her to do it.

“You better get down and get naked, big fella,” she insisted.

“Get naked here?”

“Yes.”

“Mmm. That's hot.”

The door of the building swung open and Alex staggered in right then. Sam flashed a glimpse over at him.

“'Mornin', baby doll,” she called over to him as he fetched up a yawn and rubbed his eyes.

“What's going on in here?” he asked them in a broken voice.

“We're just having a little chat,” Eric quipped; Sam strode over to him with the box cradled in both hands as if she presented to him a silver platter.

“What's this?” he asked her.

“Breakfast.”

“Oh, good! Thank you, Samantha.”

He took the box and she returned to Eric in the form of a glimpse over her shoulder back to him. He flashed her a wink as he readjusted the lapels of his sweater. So he was another boy she needed to give it to at some point in the future.

The three of them returned back outside, to the slivers of rich bright orange sunrise and the low hanging clouds overhead. She stared straight ahead to Mammoth Mountain there and she wondered about Horseshoe Lake on the other side. A few more flurries glided down around them from the cold crisp wintry winds and they bowed back into the car there at the curb: Alex ducked into the back seat and no sooner had he buckled in when he dug into the waffles.

“How are they, Alex?” Sam called back to him once she tucked herself into the driver's seat.

“They're excellent,” he said with his mouthful: she adjusted her mirror for a better look at it. Where Eric only had two, Alex had three, and she couldn't resist the devilish smile on her face.

“So how're we getting back to the Bay Area?” Eric asked her as he rubbed his hands together.

“Well, there's no way we're taking Tioga Road,” she told him, “not with all the snow on the ground, even around here. That bad boy's gonna be buttoned up good. No clue if Sonora Pass is open, either. Even though it's lower, it's still within range of Tioga, though.”

“Think we could go back the way we came and then loop around the Sierra Nevadas?”

“That'd take forever, though,” Alex pointed out with his mouth full of Belgian waffle.

“Yeah, that'd take all day and maybe into the night, too,” Sam added, “and you guys have to be back there, too. We'd have to go all the way back up to Carson City and eventually Reno. We'll have to Donner Pass because it's a much bigger road and they're a bit more lenient about people going through. If nothing, we'll be up at Carson City. One of the places I grew up in.”

“Sounds good by me,” Alex declared before he took another bite of waffle.

Sam doubled back to the highway right as dark clouds blanketed the orange light of the sunrise. She turned left and Mammoth Mountain loomed in her rear view mirror.

“We ought to have a menagerie,” Alex suggested before he took another bite.

“You mean a menage a trois,” Sam corrected him.

“Right.”

“A threesome on a full belly, right, Alex?” Eric joked.

“Hell yeah.” He sighed through his nose. Sam took a glimpse in the mirror over her: he leaned back in the seat and closed the box. Even in the car, she wanted to get down with him next. She never believed to be a groupie for one fleeting second, and she vowed to never reach that status, either, but she had her tongue around the two of them plus Greg, Louie, and Chuck as well. She hadn't touched Louie at any given point, but she still had him in the palm of her hand.

Even with the four hour drive, she still wanted to stop over and let these two boys relax their tummies and their sleepy heads. Eric did refer to her as “big mama” back there after all.

They stopped over in Lee Vining for fuel, and for Alex to walk about the place with his little white guitar pressed against his little body. Right before they rolled into town, Eric had told her the song titles on the new album, and she knew the whole process was going to be quick from that point onward. She muttered the titles to herself because she knew that, rushed or not, this album was going to be hers for the taking.

While the car was being fuelled up, she stopped Alex right there on the sidewalk.

“That last song,” she muttered over the rush of the breeze down the mountain side and the distant waves of Mono Lake, “what's it called?”

“'Seven Days of May,'” Alex replied in a low voice. “I wrote that when the whole ordeal in Tiananmen Square first started and then came to a head right before the tour started.”

“So fierce,” Sam remarked.

“Well, you saw it,” he told her as he lowered the guitar's neck a bit, “—and you saw me, too. It was horrifying. I couldn't believe what I was seeing—I bet you felt the same, too.”

“I did,” she said; when she noticed the fallen look on his face, she extended a hand onto his shoulder. “Hey—it's okay.”

Alex raised his gaze to her, still with his guitar cradled upon his lap.

“It's okay,” she repeated in a soft voice. “I said it then and I'll say it now—you do everything that you can, Alex.”

“I really do,” he said in a near whisper, “I really truly do, Samantha.”

“And know that I'm never far away from you, either,” she added, to which he showed her a small shy smile.

“You really aren't. You're always there when I want you the most, too. It's like our paths were meant to converge together.”

Sam inched closer to him.

“D'you know Eric called me 'one of the boys'?” she told him.

“Did you take that as a compliment?” he asked her.

“I did! He explained it and said he didn't believe any of Testament's girl fans would want to hang with them.”

“Well—if I'm being honest, I didn't think we would, either.”

“Really? What makes you think that?”

“Because—we're nerds, Samantha. And I am, especially. Girls don't talk to nerds.”

“But I'm talking to you right now,” she pointed out.

“And that always kinda blew my mind, too,” he continued with a straight face, “like I couldn't imagine a bunch of girls liking all of us like the way you do. Or with Marla, Aurora, Belinda, and Zelda, too.”

“The five of us, we just like hanging out,” she told him. “The fact there's a bit of music thrown in just makes it better. It makes it better for me, anyway.”

“Metal was always a strictly masculine thing,” he confessed to her. “I will say this, though—I like how the Cherry Suicides give it some extra life.”

Another gust of wind sent a shiver down her spine and she peered over her shoulder. They were alone on the sidewalk, not too far from the car itself as well as the front door of the gas station.

“I still like how you were in Aurora and Emile's wedding,” she told him.

“I caught hell for that, too,” he recalled. “Like I'm one of the girls. Like there's a problem with that.”

“I'm one of the guys and you're one of the girls,” she said.

“Right!”

He adjusted the leather strap on the guitar a bit and he unzipped his coat all the way down to his waist.

“A bit too warm?” she asked him.

“Oh, yeah. Even just standing out here.”

The way his hair spread over his shoulders and down onto his chest. She noticed the collar of his shirt undone a bit. All clothed up and yet he was feeling so full all the while. She wanted to come closer to him right then and there, even while out on the street. Dyeing her hair blonde must have done something to her as she lingered in closer to him.

“You're looking extra sexy right about now,” she confessed to him.

“Extra sexy,” he repeated that.

“Yeah. You're looking really sexy right now, Alex.”

“I'll never forget the first time you said that to me,” he recalled with a little raise of his eyebrows.

“Because you are sexy. You're very sexy, baby.”

Sam lingered in closer to him so she could smell the waffles and the coffee on him. Something so homey about it.

“You really are one of the boys,” he whispered to her.

“And you're one of the girls,” she whispered back to him. She set her hand on his knee and she leaned in closer to him. She took a glimpse down at her own chest, at the triangle of skin exposed for him.

“And I'd like to caress those girls, too,” he said with a raise of his eyebrows.

“Yeah, you like to be one of the girls so you can touch some girls, don't ya, big boy?” she teased him.

“God, that's hot,” he breathed, and then he closed his eyes. She lingered to his face as if she was about to kiss him but she never did.

“Never mind art vixen,” he teased her. “You are the art whore, emphasis on 'whore'.”

“Aurora and I were the art whores—think it's official now, baby.”

“The art whore...” he echoed it. “The hot as hell bad girl.”

“Hey, you two porn stars,” Eric called out to them from the driver's side of the car, and they turned for a look over at him and the mischievous smile on his face. Alex and Sam made their way back onto the cold blacktop and back to him as he huddled further down inside his jacket.

“Think we dressed a little too lightly for this trip, Eric,” Alex confessed as he zipped his jacket back up his body.

“I think we did, Alex,�� Eric added as Sam swayed her hips at them on the way over to the passenger side and the fuel pump. She remembered what Alex had teasing her and she wondered if he at all meant it. There was a little devil inside of that strait laced boy, and she knew she would dance with him at some point in the future. There was one inside of Eric, too, but she had to tame the one inside of Alex first. She had a feeling that if she brought him to his knees first, she could do anything as she took the pump out out of the mouth of the tank and then she doubled back inside to wash her hands.

When she returned, Alex had put his guitar back into the case and then he lay it down on the floor behind the driver's seat. He paused once she returned to the car.

“This is Cliff's old hat, isn't it?” he asked her; she peered into the back seat at Alex taking the black cowboy hat from under the seat. She had forgotten she had brought it with her. All the memories returned to her once again. They had crossed over into a brand new decade without him.

There was that interview Greg had shared with the two of them, the one she needed to bear witness to for herself. The very thought of it brought a firm full feeling to the inside of her throat.

“Yeah, it is. I wore it for what feels like forever it seems.”

Alex gazed into her eyes and he raised his eyebrows once again, which in turn softened his face. He set it back into its hiding place there in the back seat and he climbed inside. Sam took her place there behind the steering wheel. Eric buckled in and handed her the key.

“When we get back to the Bay Area, I wanna visit him again,” she told them.

“Where James and Lars spread her ashes?” Eric asked her, to which she nodded.

“We gotta get there first,” Alex told her. She gazed out to the cold endemic lake as it loomed out before them.

Even after five years, even with the sexy feeling inside of her, the very thought of Cliff made her feel the same way that lake looked.

#fanfic #fanfiction #testament fanfic #chapter 2 #fever in fever out #fever in fever out fanfic #veritas #book five #alex skolnick #eric peterson #alex x sam #slow burn #slice of life #also on ao3 #also on wattpad #writing #text

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popculturebuffet · 4 years

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OK K.O.! Let’s Be Heroes!: You’re Everybody’s Sidekick Review

OK KO was easily one of the best animated series of the 2010′s and i’ll stand by those words. The brainchild of Ian Jones Quartlery, voice of Wallow in Bravest Warriors and more importantly former head writer for Steven Universe, and current longtime romantic partner of that series creator Rebecca Sugar. That part isn’t AS important, but I still find it sweet. Anyways OK KO was the story of K.O., a 6-11, not my own laziness for once but the show’s own way of doing age, year old boy who wants to be the best like no one ever was. In this case i’ts being a hero in a world that’s basically like if someone took the marvel universe and smashed a retro game collection and a pile of manga on top of it and then blended up the result and shot it full of gamma rays. Full of heroes of all kinds ranging from those fighitng crime to those who just want to loiter outside strip malls or cut hair. To achieve this goal KO gets a job at Gar’s Bodega, the combination of your average bodega (for those unfamiliar with the term, i’ts a convience store) and a video game item shop, so the slurpee machine is right next to the power ups and ninja stars, and everything from skateboard polish to Spread Guns is avaliable. The bodega is owned by Mr.Gar, a mustachiosed muscle man whose basically a shoutier mexican version of MIke Haggar but with shades and a mustache. So a somehow better version of him, though with him being busy watching over the plaza itself, doing secret hero missions and what not the day to day operations are left to two teens: Rad, a muscle bound dude bro alien with telekenisis and a secret heart of gold and Enid, a cynical, slacker ninja whose also bilogically a witch because her parents are a vampire and a werewolf. So the series follows these three as they run the boedega, grow as people and fight the robots that frequently attack the plaza sent by the evil Lord Boxman who hates the place literally because it’s there and it’s existance annoys him. This is the canon explination and it is utterly hilarious. The series was funny, had great character work, decent ongoing stories, great jokes and a fun tone that could go from meaningful and well thorught ot utterly batshit from episode to episode and was sadly canceled after 3 seasons because Cartoon Network is kinda stupid right now and dosen’t know how to handle a superhero show that still makes action a priority, but it did get a solid ending, a slew of great crossovers and a decent amount of representation under i’ts belt. WHich brings us to today and the start of RED ACTION WEEK: A week dedicated to the series most prominent gay character and the bisexual ninja witch who loves her. I’m covering all 5 of Red’s more prominent apperances... I was just going to do the red/enid episodes but decided this was a better introduction to the series itself, as well as the fact it allows her character arc to better tie together by her final episode, which directly uses this one as a major plot point. I also threw Plaza Prom in there since, even if she’s only a supporting character, it’s still one of her few major apperances, is part of her final major episode, is one of my faviorites, and the climactic dance fights is one of the most intentionally homoerotic fight scenes i’ve seen in some time. With all that out of the way, let’s do this after the cut.

We start at Gar’s Bodega, just after the opening two parter, with KO starting his first day of work, part of the reason this episode is a fairly smooth introduction into the show. Not even in the door he accidently shoryukyn’s joe cuppa, a stand up comedian with a cup of coffee in the big time for a head... I told you anything goes and I meants it. After that accident, we find Enid at the counter, ignoring the customers before shooing them away and when KO asks for work, plays along with his enthusasim and tells him to clean the store.. which he does in minutes, before being told to sort the penny dish, and while he does the two discuss KO’s love of helping people: KO just genuinely thinks that’s part of his job, the right thing to do and feels good while Enid.. dosen’t feel it’s worth the effort and people are just generally ungreatful and not worth it. I really like this scene for showing off their character dynamic beautifully: It starts showing that while at this stage Enid is largely an asshole, she does care about K.O. and while he’s cleaning, despite usually turning customers away, still let’s Ginger, an elderly patron and one of KO’s mom’s dojo customers, not only check out but pay in freaking pennies. It shows that try as she might, Enid really isn’t a cyncial or heartlesss as she claims. It’s also nice setup for later in the season as, and as i’m sure Ian Jones Quartlery and crew were preparing for, we later DO see why Enid hates people so much: her best friend, possibly more, Elodie, who i’ll certainly be covering eventually, betrayed her for a spot at Point Prep, basically UHA or Xavier’s for this world and claimed their friendship was just a ploy (It wasn’t, but again, story for another time), while her one date with Rad went terribly due to him acting like a huge jackass at the advice of his even bigger jackasses of friends. It’s easy to see why she stopped carring: When she opened up in the past it only lead to her being hurt and alone. K.O.... is the opposite. He genuinely belivies in everyone and tries to help them because, as said above, it’s just what he does and what he belivies a hero should be... he hasn’t been hurt or influenced by assholes like his friends, and thus is able to get them to open up. It’s a wonderful dynamic and I love it. And naturally, KO is determined to help Enid see the light, with Enid responding with the wonderful line “You’ll never melt my icy heart”... give him a few more episodes Enid, give him a few more episodes. So K.O. Decides to set out helping people, shouting about it to enid back at the store as he does because he’s 6-11 and kids in that age range are many things, but subtle is not one of them. He starts with Geoff and Nick Army, a monk and gay duke nukem reflectivity who despite having polar oppositie personalities, are both a couple, as confirmed by the creative team and then the finale, and a crime fighting duo who are having a dispute over opening a pickle jar with the good old ultra violence or non violence, which KO solves by letting both do it once, which results in a pickle jar explosion, both men in their underwear and everyone happy, especially the shippers. KO continues his quest, going to Logical Cuts where we meet Mr.Logic, a robot who has a rather moving and well done backstory we’ll certainly get to, and is voice by James Urabanik, aka the voice of Rusty Venture on the venture bros, to my utter delight. And yes i’ll be covering the venture bros eventually, and might be this month. His customer, another one of KO’s mom’s regulars, is upset because her haircut isn’t right while Mr.Logic is upset, well as upset as a monotone robot can convey, that his usually 100% mathmatically perfect haircuts are off. KO pitches in and the new result is perfect, with both being greatful.

KO’s next stop on his good will help people crying for help tour, after the above bit of wonderful art shift as that version of ko moveds like a south park character for some reason. Anyways, it turns out best friends, co workers and the dante and randal of this show, i.e.two best friends working a dead end job who despite arguing a lot need each other, A Real Magical Skeleton, self explaintory and Greg, a bear, are having an argument because RMS is trying to do their job and frame a baseball for a guy while Greg is being a dickhead and playing the drums constantly. As you can probably wager, I do not like Greg, probably more than rusty, partly because a future episode has him making KO doubt his macaroni art gift for his mom so he can eat it, yes really,and partly because he’s less intresting than his buddy and yet the two are shipped frequently despite my honest assumption they’d kill each other.. much like if dante and randall finally banged. However if you do ship them, I have no hostility with you. Unlike say loudcest or shipping sam with lincoln over at the loud hosue, there's nothing wrong with RMS X Brandon, it’s just not for me. Anywho KO solves it in the hilarious and awesome manner of just putting Brandon inside one of those baseball cube things... it’s a shame he apparently gave him air holes but whatever. Proud of himself, K.O. plans to head back when he runs into the Ally Teens: Red Action, rude teen warrior from the future who just had a bad haircut, Drupe, a sentient strawberry because of course, and Greg, Drupe’s nonbinary best friend and combination of one of the bone cousins and Woodstock. K.O. offers to help and , with the trio being huge steaming bowls of elephant piss at this point, they instead trick him into waiting in a lava flow and then have drupe whip him every time the lava causes him to cartoonishily jump in the air. Yeah despite both Red Action and Drupe going on to having supporting roles, like our good pal tom, who I will get back to this month, there isn’t nearly as much wiggle room in their first apperance. With Tom Lucitor, he was a dick.. but you could make the case, even just off that ep that he genuinely dosen’t know HOW to be a good person or that what he’s doing is sketchy at best. Here, it’s fairly obvious the ally teens know setting a child on fire and using vine whip on him super effectively is wrong, that’s why their doing it. Red, being that special brand of asshole, posts it on social media. I mean posting a video of yourself hurting a child, that’s Tucker Carlson level’s of dickery right there. Stone cold. Enid sees it and is understandably concerned, and goes over to see if KO’s allright when he returns and is forced to explain to him that no they weren’t laughing with him, they were laughing at him and were just being dicks. Also he wasn’t in lava, it was magma. It was above ground.

K.O. glumly wonders why and Enid reitrates this kind of shit is why she dosen’t help people. K.O. also wonders how she saw it and we find out Enid is basically facebook stalking red action on her social media, as you do, and that Red’s been on a bit of a tear lately, smashing up shit and farting in Geoff’s face all because she got a bad haircut, with K.O. , likely going thorugh more of her posts, realizing theirs a pattern: When bad things happen to her she lashes out at others.. just like Enid. I do like the parallel there: Enid likely has a crush on her because the two are fairly similar.. but Enid runs cold and tens to be standoffish as a result of her past, while Red tens to take out her anger and frustration on everyone else and runs red hot. But they come together because opposities attract... it’s what noble laurite MC Scat Kat taaught us after all. K.O. however, having Steven Universe level’s of empahty and an equal sense of wanting to help, and just as few boundries as he had as a tween, decides that it’s clear the ally teens have underlying issues to adress and gets Enid help to look at their social media. Returning to the ally,and seemingly unphased by earlier, K.O. sets out helping them, starting by helping red get her haircut fixed by Mr. Logic. Red is adorably delighted. Moving on K.O. notes that Drupe basically just follows Red’s lead but has a fashion blog and clearly an identiy of her own and we soon learn she believes no one reads it. K.O. showed it to the not at all ambigiously gay duo and Geoff and Nick thank her> That’s two blushes and two wins in K.O.’s court. Finishing up, K.O. realizes Gregg stays quiet because they have low self esteem and feel they have nothing to be proud of. K.O. however found lots to be proud of and framed Gregg’s valdectorian certificate for him, again with some help from earlier. Instead of graditude red just calls him weird and leaves and KO slumps back depressed. I’ts a good lesson though: people DON’T change just because you did one weirdly kind thing for them. That takes time.. as we’ll see with Red and as we see with Drupe, who has less of an ons creen journey but is far nicer after her next apperance. While Enid is grossed out over having helped someone, Gregg comes in.. and after some great deranged animation thanks K.O. and Enid admits after some prodding that it does feel good to help, and K.O. is happy to have helped her int he process. The two playfully mess around as the episode ends. Final Thoughts: This was a really good one. Reaching back this far into the series, I didn’t think it’d would be nearly as good as it ended up: It serves both as a good proper introduction for a lot of the plaza regulars, a good setup for Enid’s character arc, and was also really funny with great animation. LIke Tom, I don’t think the creators knew exactly what they were going to do with the Alley Teens and thus take the two they end up focusing on in opposite directon: Red keeps her assholishness for her next apperance and grows from it, while Drupe’s drops off by the end of this season, likely due to her fashion blog taking off, but we’ll get into Red more in a review or so and Drupe more later this month.For now this episode was good and next up we have their next apperance in Plaza Prom. Until then, follow this blog for more reviews and nonsense, like and reblog it if you enjoyed this, hit me up with asks for review suggestions or comssions and until next time, later days!

#ok ko let's be heroes #you're everybody's sidekick #enid #red action #rednid #drupe #gregg #ko #geoff #nick army #mr.logic #ginger #lbgtq+#pride month #happy pride

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teatimewithhiddles · 5 years

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Red High Heels, part 2

I've decided to continue the story. I have a few more plot bunnies hopping around for this that I'm hoping to get out.

@kinghiddlestonanddixon - here you go!

Greg spun Charlie around so she wasn't facing the kitchen and grabbed her ass. He nuzzled her neck as Tom and Chris walked out of the kitchen with whiskey and the ice bucket to put on the table. "Greg! We're in public! Stop!" she giggled, pushing playfully at his shoulder.

"He can't magic a knife like Loki, right?" Greg murmured in her ear. "If so, I won't be alive much longer. He's even hotter when pissed, huh?"

"Its the jawline" she sighed.

~*~

"Evans, where's the restroom? I need a minute before I head over there" Tom grumbled as he glanced over at them.

Chris' jaw was scraping the ground. "So, this whole situation is a new development but the bathroom is down the hall, third door on the left. I'm going to get intel" he stated as he walked over and Tom left. "So...Merry Christmas. What's all this?" he asked, leaning in to buss Charlie's cheek.

Charlie reached up and grabbed his ear. "Christopher Robert Evans, what in the actual fuck is wrong with you?!" she hissed as she slapped his chest with her other hand, accentuating every word. "How DARE you spring this on me?! Do you really think I wouldn't care?! That I'd just go along with it?! No! I'm over here, scheming with the boys and making Greg pretend to be my boyfriend for the night. Also, you get no toffee and that better be the good whiskey" she rushed out, grabbing it out of his hand and tossing it back. "Another!"

"Ow woman! What, are you Thor all of a sudden?" Chris laughed.

"A-noth-er Christopher and keep them coming. I'm going to need them. Fuck fuck fuck, here he comes."

"Charlotte, darling. Stunning as ever" Tom smiled as he walked over, leaning in for a hug.

She stiffened in his arms. "My name is Charlie."

"You always rather enjoyed when I called you Charlotte..." he stated, raising an eyebrow.

"You lost that right when you threw me away like an empty container, TOMMY" she sneered.

"My name's Greg Piedmont, by the way. Charlie's boyfriend and you are?" Greg butted in, hand extended.

"Tom Hiddleston. Friend of Chris' and Charlotte...er Charlie's ex."

"Oh the British guy who thought Charlie wasn't important enough. Thanks for that. I moved home recently and was glad to see she was available. She was always one of my favorite people and she's gotten even more beautiful over the years."

"It wasn't that I didn't think that she wasn't important enough. I was extremely busy with work and didn't want her to not get any attention from me. It wouldn't have been fair."

"But it was FAIR to not even ask ME what I wanted? There are two people in a relationship last I heard. You ripped my heart out and threw it in the Thames. I cried the entire way home from London. When I woke up in the middle of the Atlantic, you know what was on? Fucking Avengers! I woke up to that fucking smirk staring me in the face. All I heard was murmuring about "the crazy American in aisle twenty" the rest of the flight."

"Charlie, I never meant..." Tom started.

"Just stop. I don't want to hear it. I've moved on. It hurt like a son of a bitch but I moved on. I'm going to try to be civil but it still hurts to look at you. I loved you and you didn't care enough to try to work it out. C'est la vie, right?" she shrugged and grabbed the new tumbler of whiskey from Chris. "Christopher, you owe me a very large bottle of this for Christmas."

"Yes, ma'am" he nodded.

"Do NOT ma'am me right now, Cap. I need to go outside and have a few minutes to myself" Charlie stated, grabbing a random coat off the back peg and heading out the door.

"She took my coat" Tom stated. "Evans, I need your coat. I'm going out after her."

"No, you're not. I know where she's going. Same place she always did when she needed a minute. I'll go out in a few. She needs to literally and figuratively cool off."

"But it's my fault..."

"Fault belongs to both of us. I should have given her the heads up. I forgot how hard she slaps" Chris chuckled, rubbing at his chest. "I'm going to have bruises. Is my ear still red?"

"Yup!" Greg laughed. "Glad I'm on her good side. So Tom, how long do you plan on being in town? I own a bar, the Dirty Captain. I'll buy you a drink."

"The Dirty Captain?" Tom snorted, eyeballing Chris. "Please tell me it had something to do with this one."

"It does! He's a silent partner so I had to acknowledge him somehow. Charlie even did a painting of Cap being spanked by Bucky's cybernetic arm hanging in my office. It's there mainly to make him blush when he comes in" Greg grinned.

"Oh I definitely need to see that. I'll be here into the new year so I'll have to pop in."

"There's a drag night every Thursday. You should come in and the two of you should perform!" Greg grinned.

Tom laughed and stroked his beard. "Pretty sure this wouldn't work with drag makeup. Maybe if I'm clean shaven next time I visit. Doesn't mean Chris can't though" he grinned.

"And on that note, I'm off to check on Charlie" he laughed and ducked outside. He walked outside to the sound of sobs drifting down from their old treehouse. "Charlie. Come down. I'm sorry."

"Leave me be. Please?" she asked through a strangled sob.

"I'm coming up" Chris sighed. "Charlie, honey, I'm so sorry. I should have said something so you could have prepared yourself."

She looked up from the notebooks she had found in the trunk, with red watery eyes. "I found my journals from my teen years. I was supposed to be madly in love with a British lit professor living in London by this point. I got close" she choked out as Chris pulled her into his arms.

"You still love him, don't you?"

"I never stopped. God, seeing him is like picking at a wound that was never properly healed in the first place. And then he called me Charlotte. He KNOWS he was the only one I ever let call me that. Why is he even here? Doesn't he want to spend Christmas with his family?"

"His sisters were doing something with their families this year and his Mom wanted to see the grandbabies. As much as he loves everyone he couldn't bear to see the kids. He was hoping the two of you would be well on your way to having some by this time this year."

"What are you talking about? We had talked about it before but I'm just old fashioned enough that I wanted to be married first."

"He was going to propose the last time you were together. I helped him pick out the ring at an antique shop near set. He chickened out and broke it off instead."

"Why would you tell me these things?? It only makes it worse!"

"You had a right to know. Now c'mon. Dry your eyes. When I left, your "boyfriend" was trying to convince Tom that he and I should perform at drag night and Scott was almost peeing his pants. Do you really think he'll fall for Greg being your boyfriend? He's here until after New Year's, you know."

"Fuck. Well, I'll see how long we can pull it off. It's not like I'll be seeing him every day anyway."

#tom hiddleston #chris evans #chris evans fic #tom hiddleston fanfic #tom hiddleston fanfiction

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jenny-vip12 · 6 years

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Molly Hooper Appreciation Week: Day 1

(Can I just say that this is my first time contributing to the Sherlock fandom, and that this may not be perfect? I had to write and post this before Saturday since I will be going on a holiday for five days. I do apologize for any inconsistencies, spelling errors, grammatical errors and any plot holes. Like I said, I had to write this in a hurry...and I actually wrote this in about an hour, so any mistakes will be visible somehow.)

Read it on AO3

Why do fools fall in ditches?

Not literal ditches, anyway, Molly grumbles. She pulled the scarf tighter around her neck as cold wind blows to her face. She sniffles before she picks up the speed of her steps. She could’ve just said ‘why do fools fall in love’ like people usually say it. But she prefers the term ‘ditches’ rather than ‘love’.

Her father had always referred to everything in his life as “falling into ditches”. His brief career as a sports journalist was taken down the drain, as he called it then, when a new and more charismatic reporter showed up to work one day. When Molly’s mum left him and Molly for another man (a decision that still angers Molly to this day), he said his life had “fallen into a ditch”. Molly slowly began to pick up this habit of his shortly after his death. She had quoted her father when she said that her “life had fallen into a ditch” at his funeral.

To Molly now, her unrequited love for Sherlock is also like falling into a ditch filled with water, especially when it rains. The water flows quickly in the ditch; anything that falls into it will be carried away by the swift current. Molly has seen it happen in front of her eyes: a schoolmate of hers was bragging about a necklace she has received from a boyfriend when she tripped as she was about to head back into class as recess time was over. It was raining back then, but not very heavily. Yet, the ditch next to the playground where she and the rest of her friends were hanging out had rainwater mixed with a little bit of mud from the construction site a few kilometres away from their school. Molly saw the necklace flew right out of the girl’s hand and landed into the ditch. Molly could only watch helplessly as the girl tried to chase the currents while begging and crying (to God knows who) to get her necklace back.

Back to the topic, Molly thought as her lips curved into a small smile as she realizes her mind has wondered so far away. Molly uses the ditch as some sort of a metaphor for her current relationship with Sherlock. The love and admiration she had for Sherlock was always there, even when he almost overdosed over a case (Molly is still not sure whether that part is true or not). She always feels her face heating up every time she sees him, including the time when she was dating Jim, when he spouted out his deductions based on her appearance and her gifts during the Christmas party, when he asked her for help into faking his death, when he congratulated her engagement to Tom (and also when he pointed out that she and Tom were no longer a thing), during Rosie’s christening, when she relayed John’s message after Mary’s death, when she discovered the large dose of drugs in his body before meeting Culverton Smith,…

Molly stops her train of thoughts. All those moments, all those memories,…

And yet, he toyed with her feelings. Those feelings were immediately washed away thanks to his words. His so-called experiment.

She knows that he knows of her feelings towards him. She knows that he used her infatuation to him as a way to get to the dead bodies. She knows how she must’ve felt when he kissed her cheek after congratulating her engagement.

But why did he have to make her say it?

Why?

“An experiment,” he had said.

“I’m not an experiment, Sherlock.” She wanted him to see. She wanted him to understand that above all else, she’s still human.

“I know you’re not an experiment. You’re my friend. We’re friends, but…please. Just say these words for me.”

Molly had to take a few deep breaths as he said that. Of course we’re friends, she thought bitterly then. For a brief moment then she thought that she was wrong into thinking that he knew of her feelings towards him. And she also thought that he sounded so desperate then. For what?

She considered for a split second then that she wanted to make him feel humiliated (if he is capable of feeling as such). She wanted him to get a taste of his own medicine. She told him to say those words first. “Say it like you mean it.” She had never thought he would’ve said it. But he did.

When he said it…she closed her eyes as she locked the memory of his voice saying those words into her mind. At first, Molly felt like he was forced to say it. She only wanted to hear him say it once, but he said it again.

“I love you.”

She froze for a moment and she looked at her phone. Why oh why does he have to sound so sincere?

She took a deep breath and…replied to him. “I love you,” she had said, her voice barely above a whisper. She thought she heard Sherlock sigh in relief before the call was disconnected. She stood there, in her kitchen, staring blankly right in front of her with tears streaming down her face as his voice repeatedly said “I love you” to her over and over again. She did not bring her phone down from her ear for five solid minutes after the phone call ended. She was brought out of her reverie when she felt Toby rubbing his body against her leg, asking for food.

An experiment…You’re my friend…It’s very important...If it’s true, just say it anyway…

I love you.

Molly had not seen Sherlock since then. He did not try to break into her apartment anymore, like he used to do when he tried to escape from something or when he just needed someone to hear about his powerful deduction skills. When he entered the morgue with John and Greg in tow, about two months since the phone call, she acted professionally (that is, trying not to break down at the sight of him) and answered their questions briefly but accurately.

During the second visit at the morgue following the phone call, John pulled her aside on the pretence of asking for her schedule so she could babysit Rosie. Sherlock chose that moment to leave the lab, citing “an appointment with Mycroft” as an excuse.

“Are you okay?” he asked her. Molly could only reply with a brief “Yes” while avoiding his eyes.

John sighed. “Look, I know it’s difficult…”

John did not have the chance to continue when the petri dish Molly was holding dropped to the ground and a loud clanging was heard throughout the lab, and Greg was on the phone, updating the recent addition of clues from the murder victim to his team of detectives, turned around in surprise and worry.

“Molly?” John asked warily.

She slowly looked up and stared angrily at him. “You knew?” she asked quietly, but John could definitely detect the hint of anger in her voice.

He gulped before he nodded once.

Molly refused to say anything. She was seething. Since then, she refused to assist Sherlock and John. Even the thought of seeing them made her feel humiliated. Whenever Greg called her to conduct the post mortem on any murder victims’ bodies, she politely declines the offer and instead ask Greg to refer to another pathologist.

Today, it has been nearly six months since the phone call. During the third month, there were many calls left unanswered from many different people asking Molly to listen to Sherlock. John was the most frequent caller. He asked her if she could drop by at Baker Street so that she could talk with Sherlock. When she ignored it, John called again, asking if she would allow Sherlock to talk to her, to listen to his side of the story. She also ignored it.

Greg awkwardly asked her to understand what Sherlock had gone through, and he “definitely needed some to be at his side. Someone other than John and Mycroft.”

Hell, even Mycroft called her. Instead of pleading with her like the other two men, Mycroft simply ask her to keep an eye out for Sherlock. “Revelations were made, secrets were unearthed, Miss Hooper. I simply would like for you to hear him.”

Molly only heard briefly on what had happened. Something about a secret sister who apparently had met Jim before his death. It all sounds so absurd, and Molly almost ignores the small part in her that tells her to go to Sherlock.

Almost.

When she turned right to Baker Street, she saw the construction of a new fence for the nearest park. She sees the ditch the team had made to make sure no mud water would flow onto the street. It is when she sees the ditch that she thought of her feelings, her thoughts, her memories…with Sherlock.

She gingerly knocks the door and Mrs Hudson answers it almost immediately. The older woman’s face brightens up when she sees Molly.

“Is Sherlock here?” Molly asked.

Mrs Hudson wastes no time ushering her into the infamous room.

#bbc sherlock #sherlock #molly hooper #molly appreciation week #day 1: why do fools fall in ...

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lilsherlockian1975 · 6 years

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Part 2 of The Potential of Pairs

As I mentioned before, this was supposed to be a short story, which it is... sort of. Anyhoo, @mizjoely hope you enjoy it, your prompt is to blame ; ) Once again, thanks to @darnedchild for betaing and Potter-picking. Still rated T and always will be. Enjoy ~Lil~

Part 2 - The Acquisition of Pluck

At first, Sherlock was, just as Molly had anticipated: rude, pushy and overbearing. Never satisfied with her calculations or the way she stirred a potion or prepared ingredients; he seemed to have a biting remark ready for her every move. She wasn’t surprised, they’d been in school together for six years and he had been disparaging towards her several times in the past. He was making her a nervous wreck!

Thankfully, he hadn’t yet made any scathing comments about her looks or personality, which was his usual MO when it came to Molly. For some reason with her, it was always personal.

She’d seen him cut other students down, usually referring to them as inferior or idiotic, preferring to attack their intellect rather than their appearance. She had even seen him embarrass Kitty once when she’d made a pass at him during a Quidditch match, basically telling the witch that he’d rather shag a Quintaped than spend one full minute alone with her.

Molly was relieved, to some extent, but she was always waiting for the other shoe to fall. She simply couldn’t erase his merciless verbal flagellation of her at the Yule Ball their sixth year...

She needed this, this night of friends, frivolity and festive foods. Letting Meena talk her into an uncharacteristically tight black dress and heels, she actually took the time to apply a little makeup (something she rarely did) and charmed her hair into soft curls that cascaded down her back. She didn’t feel like herself, but that didn’t seem like a bad idea, for once. Besides, if it happened to attract the attention of a certain dark-haired Slytherin, that would make the night all the more interesting.

Not that it would, but...

It had been a tough year for the witch. Her mother had passed three just months prior and her boyfriend, Tom, had moved away literally the week before. She didn’t love the Hufflepuff, by any means, but he had been sweet and attentive and had made Molly feel so much more confident in herself for the first time in a very long time.

Never one to dwell on the negative, she did her best to put on a brave face and focus on enjoying the party. And it was working, going quite well actually, until she crossed paths with Sherlock Holmes.

Near the end of the night, as she was looking for Meena, she stumbled, bumping into Greg Lestrade. Unfortunately, the wizard was talking with Sherlock and John near the refreshment table. The heels were a bit too high, it seemed.

“Oh, sorry, Greg,” she said as he helped get her balance.

“‘S’alright, Molly.” He looked her up and back down again. “Wow. Don’t you look nice!”

“Um, thanks.” She blushed, though it wasn’t the first compliment she’d received.

“Yeah,” John chimed in, staring at her chest unapologetically. “I didn’t know you had… ah…”

“It’s a charm,” Sherlock said as he took a drink of punch.

“I’m sorry?” Molly asked.

He turned to her, a bored look on his face. “Well, you didn’t suddenly hit puberty overnight, Hooper.” Studying her for a moment, he said, “You’ve also done something to your face, though...” He narrowed his eyes. “Ahh...your lips, obviously. Careful with Engorgement Charms, they can go horribly wrong. Keep practicing though, your lips are too thin without them.”

“Sherlock…” John started.

“What?” the Slytherin said to his friend. “She’s obviously overcompensating since the only wizard who ever showed her the least bit of interest ran off to America.” Turning back to her, he smirked. “Whose attention were you trying to attract this evening, Molly?”

She felt her eyes filling with tears and even though her instinct was to turn and run, she simply couldn’t. She’d had enough! Her mother was dead, her boyfriend was gone and now Holmes, beautiful as he was, had just humiliated her in front of all his friends.

“What is wrong with you?” she asked, her voice nearly a whisper. “Why do you say such horrible things? You don’t know me. You only think you do because you seem to think you know everything.”

He leaned down. “Let’s see what I know about you, Molly Hooper…”

“Sherlock!” John warned again.

But the Slytherin ignored his friend and went on, evidently, hell bent on inflicting her pain. “I know you are desperate for approval; always working towards getting the highest marks and trying to impress the faculty. I know that you have only one close friend. In six years, Molly, you’ve not grown close to anyone other than the Patil girl. Why is that? I’d say rampant insecurity if I had to wager a guess. I know that you’re afraid that you’ll end up a spinster, alone with a house full of cats. And do you know what else?” He paused, his blue-green eyes boring into hers. “That’s a valid fear.”

Molly drew back as if she’d been struck.

Suddenly, Sherlock’s hair turned bright pink and he coughed before vomiting up a giant slug. Molly looked around to see Mary Morstan and Sally Donovan, wands drawn, pointed at the wizard.

“Too far, Holmes,” Sally growled.

Sherlock hacked up another slug, then said, “Your boyfriends were just ogling her.” After another disgusting regurgitation, he tried to compose himself. “Are you sure it was too far?”

“That’s because she looks amazing,” Mary said as she handed him a small bin she’d Transfigured out of a punch glass. “They’re not blind, for Merlin’s sake. It’s about time you showed these idiots what you’ve got, Molly,” she added with a wink.

The commotion attracted the attention of several students as well as McGonagall and Snape.

“What’s going on here?” the Headmistress asked disapprovingly.

“If I may, Headmistress?” Snape asked. “I’m guessing that Mr. Holmes, once again, opened his overly large mouth and invoked the ire of any one, or all, of these young ladies.” He looked at them each in turn. “Am I right?”

They all nodded.

“Well, he’s in your House, Severus. You deal with it. But get him out of here before he makes someone sick,” the witch replied, making a disgusted face before hurrying away.

“Come, Madame Pomfrey awaits, Mr. Holmes.” And with that Snape led Sherlock out of the party.

“I’m sorry, Molly,” John said. “Sherlock is such an arse sometimes.”

“Don’t worry about it. If you see Meena, tell her I went to bed, will you?”

They had very little contact after the slug incident, which was frankly fine with Molly. It had done one thing, however, she found herself closer with the two Gryffindor witches who had come to her rescue. Silver lining, she supposed.

The confusion started three weeks into the term. Around the end of September, something changed. After an uncharacteristic outburst on her part, Holmes dialed it back, slightly. Even though it was hard to believe, Molly realised that she had actually earned his respect by standing up to him. Though it hadn’t worked at the Ball, somehow when she let him have it during Potions class, he change his tune rather quickly.

While working on Draught of Living Death, Sherlock called her incompetent and criticised her ‘crushing technique’ when she was preparing the Sopophorous bean.

She was nervous enough, worrying over her marks and didn’t need the genius wizard critiquing her every move. After warning him gently he ignored her, and reached for the silver dagger she was using, snatching it from her hand.

“If you’re not going to take my advice, I’ll just do it…”

It was the final straw for the usually mild-mannered witch. This time she did not whisper her admonishment. “I’m doing it right, you giant arsehole! And if you don’t give me back the damn knife I’ll crush your bollocks next!” she shouted, causing all heads to turn in her direction, including Professor Snape’s.

Steadying herself for points loss, Molly lowered her eyes and waited for the oncoming storm.

“Well done, Miss Hooper,” the Dark wizard said. When she raised her head, she saw an odd look in his eyes. Though he wasn’t smiling, it almost seemed like he wanted to. “You got there quicker than I thought you would. Five points to Ravenclaw. Holmes, you’re lucky that your scrotum is still intact. I’d be more careful if I were you. Back to work.”

She was convinced that Sherlock would make her life a living hell after her outburst and their professor’s rebuke, but quite the opposite happened. When she finally looked at him, one corner of his mouth was turned up.

He held out the dagger to her. “Those beans aren’t going to crush themselves, Hooper,” he said with a bit of humour in his voice.

Their potion turned out perfect that day.

From that point on Sherlock was simply put: different. Oh, he was still a pompous arse, but he seemed to school himself when speaking to her, at least to some extent. Not only that, but the Potions Professor had been right; Molly’s work was quickly improving.

She soon decided that perhaps she’d been wrong about the wizard. Maybe, just maybe, he was a bit misunderstood.

In preparation for her apprenticeship at St. Mungo’s, Molly had been slowly working her way through her father’s medical journals and textbooks. Every couple of weeks she would send him an Owl with the finished books and a request for more. One of the many sub-specialties that she found fascinating was Psychology and she decided to focus on learning as much as she possibly could as it wasn’t well known in the Wizarding World.

At any rate, the knowledge she was amassing was helping her deal with the genius and he was, in turn, helping to improve her marks. Suddenly, she didn’t dread Potions anymore.

More to come! Thanks for reading! ~Lil~

#sherlolly #potterLock #mizjoely #au prompt #mollock

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iztarshi · 7 years

Text

Boston Stunt Spectacular

Yeah, if this is post Crystal Kingdom then it probably is early spring, because Crystal Kingdom was literally midwinter.

"Griffin: Who you befriended on the— let’s see if Dad can even, do you remember?"

I dunno if "befriended" is QUITE the word. I guess she appreciated the day being saved.

Ooh, calling on them to solve a murder… well, they DID solve the murder last time. I still might have gone with Angus, personally.

"Neverwinter’s justicars discovered the bouquet had been cursed by powerful magics"

That's actually a fair thing to want Taako in on.

And she wants Magnus to fight alongside her, which is also a pretty good choice! At any rate, he's enthusiastic.

"Jess: If you’re still in touch with him— just a thought, but could you bring the boy detective too?"

Oh, she DID ask for him, although apparently as an afterthought. Or, I guess, she had no idea where to find him or whether they did.

Why does Clint/Merle hate Angus so much?

Aww, Travis got him a birthday present. And it was either a carved wooden duck or a carved wooden stag, because I don't think Magnus has heard of non-handmade gifts.

"the BattleFest franchise, which is the WWE, essentially, has been around in this world for about a decade or so."

This is probably not significant, but that's also about how long the relic war has been forgotten. Maybe it is significant? Everyone settled down and immediately started wrestling :P

"Justin: Taako is only familiar with the television show, because ‘Sizzle it Up with Taako,’ his cooking show, was on up against them on basic cable. Basic fantasy, fantasy cable,"

There's a disagreement between Justin, who persistently describes Taako's show as a TV show, and Griffin, who persistently refers to live shows from the cart only. Taako would really like TV to exist, but it doesn't. Maybe people just scry at events they'd really like to see and it kind of counts? Maybe TV existed on Taako's home world and he's slightly confused as a result?

"Griffin: [beat] 15 years in the future, he opens up a Magnus Park."

*cracks up* You just KNOW this guy reached the Day of Story and Song and realised he had the merchandising rights to 3/7ths of the heroes they'd just heard about.

Magnus BROUGHT HIS BEAR MASK.

"Jess: [beat] I am regretting how I have assigned the most important job. [all laugh]"

*pfft* Taako DOES get the good perception rolls, though.

"Taako: Yeah, carves, he’s good at carving stuff. I don’t understand what you’ll need him for, but… yeah."

Pay attention, Taako. What do you think they'll need Magnus for at a wrestling show?

Merle's like… stripes. That is it for his costume. Meanwhile Taako has a whole THING. Even if Taako's thing is 100% a good excuse for a costume he can snoop in.

"Merle: Son of a bitch cut my arm off. That’s what the hell happened—

Magnus: I SAVED. YOUR GODDAMN LIFE.

Merle: No, you cut it off!

Magnus: By Pan’s name!"

He doesn't even… this is 100% about getting at Magnus, not about the arm. Or he'd be angry with Kravitz.

Taako's allowed to keep his umbrella! And now I'm wondering how conscious Lup is of this, because I think she'd enjoy wrestling. Well. Maybe not personally, unless she's allowed to set things on fire, but like hell she wouldn't want to watch.

They're actually not being as awful to Angus as they sometimes are. Magnus is TRYING to be nice.

And Angus doesn't want to work, he wants to watch the show.

"Justin: At home? Uh, no, I’m gonna cast Leomund’s Secret Chest? Which lets, creates ‘an exquisite chest’ that I can hide on the Ethereal Plane."

You know, if Taako remembered the Hunger at all, he'd probably be much less inclined to use the Ethereal Plane for storage.

Taako just stole everyone's weapons which makes sense. If things get bad, he would really like them to have access to those, I suspect.

"Jess: We’re heels. [beat] Do you know what that means? [audience begins to laugh]

Magnus: No, what?

Merle: We make people feel better?"

*cracks up* Aw, Magnus is going to be disappointed. Being the villain really isn't his thing.

Ah, yeah, Magnus hates it. But Travis LOVES it.

Also, it occurs to me that it's really unfair that Jess can summon her weapon in the ring and no one else is allowed one? I guess she's trusted to be responsible with it?

"Clint: Kill him.

Justin: I’m not gonna kill -"

And THIS is why you send Taako rather than Merle. Dear god. This is like the thing where Merle tried to make Tom Boddett step in front of a train.

"Taako (as Tuff Greg): You got it, bubbeleh, any direction you want it aimed, or what?

Gruff voice: [beat] The -- FIGHTER-wards!"

*snort* I love that Taako often comes up with really smart plans, especially smart uses of magic, and is also still like… this. And once caused someone to say, in all seriousness, "the gum is not a lich".

"Griffin: Yeah, I think… uh, no, this is a different franchise probably than the one that Merle was a fan of."

What with thirty years ago being on a different planet and all.

Magnus randomly applauds Jeff Angel, which is very Magnus of him.

Magnus is better at being a jerk when he's NOT trying to be. (I love him, but just ask anyone from the Rockport Express.)

Taako just jumped into the wrestling match. Dude. This is great, but isn't watching out for murderers a TINY bit more important?

I forgot Arcane Eye was still active. Jesus, Taako. He's just everywhere.

"Griffin: The- It can get you up higher? Levitation, but like, a super efficient form of Levitation?"

*cracks up* Ladders, everyone.

Oh, no! Darts from above. There's an assassin in the catwalks and Taako is… NOT in the catwalks.

Oh my god. Oh my god! It's Klaarg!

"Taako: First off, let’s say the obvious: I’m sorry. Didn’t mean to try and kill ya."

I don't think that's exactly something you can do by accident…

OW! I don't think Taako HAS a whole lot of HP, if he's actually getting suplexed -- by a bugbear no less -- I think he's going to need Merle pretty soon.

"Clint: ―there’s a bunch of people underneath this!"

It's kind of funny considering how into killing Catwalk Boy he was, but, yeah. In a fucking wrestling stadium is not a great place to summon POISON GAS. At the very least he's going to kill the security guards!

"Griffin: As they get this bad bad poison damage and then they cast Gust of Wind to push the poison cloud directly downward into the ring."

You SEE? Idiot!

"Taako: I’m but a humble cooking wizard whose ratings are bound to improve if people start dying on this show."

Dark. Dear god, Taako. Daaaaark.

Aw. We're getting things fast forwarded because as it's a live show, Griffin can't let it take another episode.

Aww. Magnus runs to grab Angus.

Taako gave everyone's weapons back, proving that was a really useful bit of foresight.

Oh dear, Taako's down to one hit point, please avoid paradoxes by protecting the squishy wizard.

"Taako: THAT’S MY BOY! THAT’S MY BOY!! MY BEAUTIFUL, MAGIC BOY."

AWWWW.

"Taako: Toss it to the guy with the fork. [beat] [audience cheering]"

Oooh, my god. But I think this is probably MAGICAL, and we've been down that road once.

'k vetoed by virtue of size, probably a good thing.

"Taako: I can’t die. Literally, I can’t die! Don’t worry about me, I live longer than this!"

Taako's just going to rely on the fourth wall to protect him.

Do they have to win by saying NICE THINGS about one another? …Good luck with THAT.

Oh, Taako. But, come on, it's not that hard to compliment Angus. You were yelling about how awesome he was a moment ago.

Nonononono don't cast Zone of Truth, that's the LAST thing this needs. *laughing*

Thank goodness it was charmed!Klaarg. Really.

"Klaarg: That’s amazing, thank you for tying up my storyline like this."

*pfft*

*cheers them* They all did really well, even if Taako nearly DID poison an entire audience. Er. Again. (Sorry, Taako.)

And they were nice to Angus on his birthday!!!

#TAZ #actual liveblogging

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unlessimwrongwhichyouknowimnot · 7 years

Text

Autistic Martin Crieff (Cabin Pressure)

Martin Crieff is the captain for MJN Air, the airdot in the BBC radio series Cabin Pressure. He is voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch (and, for one episode when Benedict was sick, by Tom Goodman-Hill).

Martin is so very obviously autistic and the examples below will show you why I think that. I had to cut out a lot of the examples I found, so that the post wouldn’t be insanely long. Though, it’s 11 pages in my word document, so maybe it’s already insanely long.

Arthur Shappey, another character on the show, is also very obviously autistic. You can find my post about him here.

The traits focused on were taken from this list of Inclusive Autistic Traits.

All examples below were taken from transcripts at this website.

Social

1. Differences in body language and nonverbal communication

I don’t really have examples for this one due to it being a radio show, but there is a running joke on the show that people don’t recognize Martin as captain (even when he’s wearing his uniform) because he doesn’t look like one. This could possible be an example of how Martin’s body language/nonverbal communication is different than allistics.

2. Differences in verbal communication (Martin struggles with communicating with others, will take things literally, and has occasional moments of echolalia. He’s very insistent that Air Traffic Control uses the appropriate scripts when communicating.)

A. Different use of literal and metaphorical language

1x03 – Cremona

MARTIN: And these are the altimeters. HESTER: Really? They sound like a nice middle-class couple, don’t they?! (She and Douglas laugh. Martin chuckles nervously.) MARTIN: How-how-how d’you mean? HESTER: You know: oh, do come in, lovely to see you. Now, have you met the Altimeters? MARTIN: Ohh! (He laughs falsely.) I see! Yes, that’s very good! (He laughs falsely again.) Yes, the Altimeters! (More false laughter.) Mrs and Mr. Altimeter! (Putting on a deeper voice) I’m-I’m-I’m Greg Altimeter and-and-and this is my wife, Katherine Altimeter! (He laughs again, snorting in the middle of his laughter before trailing off.)

~*~*~*~

MARTIN: What a lovely woman. DOUGLAS: Oh, did you like her? You seemed rather cool and distant. MARTIN (anxiously): Oh, no! Did I? Really? DOUGLAS: No.

3x03 – Newcastle

LINDA: Hello, sorry to intrude. It’s … the conversation back there was getting a little heated. MARTIN: Oh no, you’re welcome. It’s lovely to see you and very nice to … see you. LINDA: Thank you, Martin. MARTIN: So, Linda, you’re a pilot. LINDA: Yes. MARTIN: Yes, obviously. Sorry. That wasn’t a question. That was just a preliminary statement before the actual question that I was going to ask, which is: how long have you been a pilot? LINDA: Twelve years. MARTIN: Twelve years, right. Twelve years. Well, that’s not a long time or a short time. Umm, do you like it? LINDA: What? MARTIN: Being a pilot. LINDA: Yes, I do. Do you? MARTIN: Yes, I do. I like it, like you. I mean, I like it like you do, not I like it like I like you. I don’t like you. I mean, I don’t not like you, I just, I don’t like you as much as I like being a pilot. LINDA: Don’t you? MARTIN: Well, not yet. I mean, I’m sure if I got to know you, I’d like you more than being … well, probably not more than, because I love being a pilot and I don’t suppose I’d love you … well, I suppose I might … no, I mean, I’m just gonna go and have a wander down the cabin now. (He leaves the flight deck.) LINDA: Is he always like that? DOUGLAS: No. He’s not terribly good at talking to other pilots, I’m afraid. LINDA: Oh. I thought it was because I was a woman. DOUGLAS: And he’s atrocious at talking to women, so I’m afraid you represent something of a Perfect Storm.

3x05 – Rotterdam

MARTIN: Carolyn, I really feel I ought to do the welcome message. I mean, after all, I am the captain. People want to hear from the captain. They find it reassuring. CAROLYN: Martin, when has anyone ever found you reassuring? MARTIN: That’s not fair! CAROLYN: Look, I’m sorry, but this needs to be calm, relaxed and authoritative – none of which, I’m afraid, are qualities for which you are famous. DOUGLAS: Mind you, they’re terribly hard qualities to find. MARTIN (anything but calmly): I am calm! I’m very, very calm – and authoritative, and-and, er, the other one. What was the other one? I can do that as well, whatever it was. DOUGLAS: Relaxed? MARTIN (frantically): Yes! I’m very relaxed! CAROLYN: All right. Give it your best shot. MARTIN: Er, what, now? CAROLYN: Practice run. Fade up on Captain Martin Crieff at the controls … (Martin whimpers.) CAROLYN: He turns to the camera engagingly and says … MARTIN: I’m not ready! CAROLYN: And blackout! MARTIN: What? No! CAROLYN: Thank you, Martin. We’ll let you know. MARTIN: No-no-no, wait-wait-wait! Okay. (He clears his throat.) I’m ready now. CAROLYN: Okay. Go. MARTIN (calmly): Hello. Welcome to MJN Air. (His calmness immediately begins to disintegrate.) M-m-my name is Captain Martin Crieff, though that doesn’t matter – it’s all very informal here. Just call me Martin … well, in the context of this video, anyway. If you actually see me in person, it’s probably best you do call me CaptainCrieff, or just Captain. It’s just protocol, I’m afraid, um, but if it was up to me you could call me … ‘Marty’. (Slight pause.) No, no, actually, no, no, let’s not confuse things: definitely don’t ever call me ‘Marty’. Right, so, to recap: hello. I am Captain Martin Captain … Captain Crieff, Crieff, I mean! Can we start again?

4x01 – Timbuktu

MARTIN (into radio): Fitton Tower, this is Golf Echo Romeo Tango India established on the ILS. FITTON ATC (over radio): ’Ello, ’ello, is it a bird, is it a plane? No! It’s … oh, no wait, it is technically a plane. DOUGLAS: Hello, Karl. MARTIN: Fitton Tower, please confine air traffic communications to standard phraseology.

KARL: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Wind two eighty at eight; Runway three-six clear to land; all the usual jazz. MARTIN: Roger. Clear to land, three-six. KARL: So-o-o, did you have a lovely time in Luton? DOUGLAS: How could one not? It’s a palace of pleasure. MARTIN: I mean, seriously, you’re really not meant to just chat on this thing!

4x02 – Uskerty

ARTHUR: Okay. Er, ooh, and Douglas, um, storm warning. DOUGLAS: Ah. Thank you, Arthur. What gale force? ARTHUR: Er, what does it go up to again? Is it, is it ten? DOUGLAS: Twelve. ARTHUR: I’d say … eight. DOUGLAS: Oh dear. MARTIN: No, I-I-I’ve just picked up the weather. There’s lots of rain, but no storms. DOUGLAS: We’re not talking about the weather.

B. Different use of speech (echolalia, difficulty speaking under stress, etc.)

1x02 – Boston

DOUGLAS: How did it go? MARTIN: Fine. Fine. Fine. Fine. Fine.

1x03 – Cremona

(Martin is practicing how to greet a movie star they’ll be flying.)

MARTIN (in an over-the-top grovelling voice): Good morning, madam, and welc… No, ‘ma’am’. Good morning, ma’am, and welc… No, she’s not the Queen! Um … good morning, Ms Macauley and w… No, ‘madam’.

How Martin actually greets her:

MARTIN: Yes! Hello! Er, good morning, Ms Madam, and wel… Ma-Madam Macauley, Ms Ma’am, Mmm, Ms Macauley.

1x04 – Douz

MARTIN: But why? Why? I mean … why? Why?

3. Differences in interactions and relationships

(Martin struggles with how he relates to others and how he interacts with others.)

2x05 – Kuala Lumpar

MARTIN: Why didn’t you tell me about it? DOUGLAS: Well, we were just waiting for you to settle in – you know, get comfortable with everyone. MARTIN: I’ve been here a year and a half! DOUGLAS: And we’re still waiting.

~*~*~*~

DOUGLAS: Don’t be so melodramatic. No-one drinks when they’re on duty. It’s just a bit of fun. It’s more about the secret club atmosphere – you know, like at school. MARTIN: Not at my school. DOUGLAS: Oh, come on! You must have had secret clubs in the lunch break at least! MARTIN: No, actually. People weren’t really around during lunch break. I think they went home or … (He trails off.) MARTIN: Oh.

3x03 – Newcastle

LINDA: Have we met before?

MARTIN: I don’t think so, no. People haven’t usually met me before. LINDA: Sorry? MARTIN: I mean, they’ve-they’ve normally met Douglas before if they’ve met anyone. I mean, obviously the people who’ve met me before have met me before, but there aren’t many of those because I-I haven’t … met … most people.

Sensory

1. Differences in sensory sensitivity

2x03 – Ipswich

MARTIN: Er, as I believe I mentioned before, I have a slight abnormality of the inner ear. It’s-it’s perfectly air-worthy, but it means I, um, I-I-I-I-I black out if I get dizzy.

4x04 – Wokingham

(Martin really really hates being lifted into the air by his brother.)

SIMON: Martin! Come here, chap! MARTIN: Oh, no, don’t … SIMON: Big hug! MARTIN: Mmm, it’s-it’s very nice to see you too, Simon. SIMON: No, no, no, none of that. Big hug. (Martin whimpers and groans, his voice muffled.) WENDY (fondly): Ahh, lovely! MARTIN (muffled): It’s not lovely! SIMON: Ooh, it’s good to see you, eh? MARTIN (muffled): Don’t lift me up! SIMON: And up he goes! MARTIN: No! SIMON: Whee! MARTIN: Put me down! SIMON: He’s flying! Whee! MARTIN: Put me down! Put me down!

~*~*~*~

SIMON: Good lord! Is it? Anyway – hug? MARTIN: No, no, no. I’ll crease my uniform – my captain’s uniform. SIMON: Ooh, I don’t think so. Looks pretty polyester-tastic to me. Come ’ere! MARTIN (muffled, protesting): Don’t lift me. Please, don’t lift me. SIMON: And up we go! (The doorbell rings and the door is opened. Martin continues to protest in a muffled voice.) DOUGLAS: Have I got the right house? MARTIN (muffled): Put me down! Put me down!

2. Strong enjoyment, desire, or need for certain types of sensory input. Demonstrated by stimming (self-stimulation) behaviour.

3x02 – Paris

(The ‘him’ Arthur is referring to is Mr. Birling, a passenger, and the ‘you’ is Martin. Martin’s whining could be a form of verbal stimming due to stress.)

ARTHUR: I poured him a glass of whiskey; he tasted it, said it was horrible. I called for you; you came; you did that funny thing with your throat … DOUGLAS: What funny thing? ARTHUR: Oh, you know, the sort of … (he makes a high-pitched panicked whining sound).

Cognitive

1. Strength of focus and rigidity

A. Intense focus and interests

(Martin’s lifelong special interest is airplanes, and to a certain extent, the rules and procedures involved in flying airplanes.)

2x01 – Helsinki

MARTIN (laughing): Well, I doubt it, actually. I’ve also got Flight Simulator. KIERAN: Oh, which edition? MARTIN (hesitantly): … Ninety-five. KIERAN: And how often do you train on it? DOUGLAS: Play on it. MARTIN: Most days. DOUGLAS: Hang on, hang on, Martin. You come home after ten or twelve hours’ flying an aeroplane and then, to wind down, you sit in front of a computer and pretend to fly an aeroplane?

~*~*~*~

KIERAN: Er … (he clears his throat) … well. Let me start by getting an idea of your hinterland. What are your outside interests? MARTIN (slowly): Outside of what? KIERAN: Outside flying. MARTIN: Outside flying? KIERAN: Yes. MARTIN: You mean, what else am I interested in apart from flying?

2x03 – Ipswich

DR. DUNCAN: Now then, I want to talk to you today about the potentially dangerous mind sets a pilot can get themselves into; and in particular what are known as the Six Deadly I’s. These are … MARTIN (instantly): Impatience, Impulsivity, Invulnerability, Insecurity, Indecision, and I-Know-Best.

~*~*~*~

DR. DUNCAN: All right. Individual questions now. Martin: how are the passenger oxygen masks activated? MARTIN (promptly): Automatically by a barometric pressure switch when the cabin altitude is fourteen thousand feet; or when the Pass Oxygen switch on the overhead panel is positioned to ‘On’.

2x05 – Kuala Lumpar

MARTIN: It wouldn’t be for lounging in. It would be for our briefings; doing our log books. I thought maybe each month one of us could present a paper on some aspect of aviation that interests us.

~*~*~*~

MARTIN: Tell you what, though, George, er, you’ll be interested in this. You know that little Cherokee that was out doing circuits today? Well, on his third landing, he … (Cries of “Ohh!” from everyone, as someone repeatedly rings a bell behind the bar.) GEORGE, DAVE and OTHERS: Oh, shop! (This gradually turns into a chant of “Shop, shop, shop, shop!”) MARTIN (anxiously): What’s going on?! What have I done?! DAVE: Talkin’ shop, Skip. Sorry – automatic round forfeit. MARTIN: What?! DOUGLAS: Flap and Throttle house rules, I’m afraid, Martin. Anyone caught talking shop has to buy a round for the whole bar. MARTIN: Then, how d’you talk about flying? GEORGE: Well, you can’t, can you? That’s the point. MARTIN: So what d’you talk about? DAVE: I dunno! Music, sport, women! GEORGE: The meanin’ o’ life. Anything but bloody planes, eh? MARTIN: Yes. Yeah, of course. (Sadly, his voice getting quieter) Yeah, who wants to talk about stupid … aviation?

~*~*~*~

MARTIN: So, I mean, I-I was within limits but it was a ticklish little crosswind – sixty, sixty-five, but gusting seventy – and I thought to myself, ‘Well, I have seven options here …’ DAVE (despairingly): Seven. MARTIN: Ah! Quite right, Dave, yes! Eight. (He chuckles.) You see, I’d been given the one-nine runway but … d-d’you know the airport at Nice? DAVE: No. MARTIN: Oh well, I’ll just explain the layout. They’ve got this very … DAVE: Look, I mean yes. Yes. I do know it. MARTIN: Are you sure? Because you really won’t understand this story if you don’t. I’ll just refresh your memory. There’s a very odd …

~*~*~*~

MARTIN: Well, it doesn’t matter – he’s here now. Come and join us, Arthur. I was, er, just telling Dave about the landing into Nice. ARTHUR: Ooh, what about the talking shop forfeit? MARTIN: Oh, I’ve paid for that. DAVE: Yeah, yeah. He bought me a drink. So now he can talk about flying … (he tries to suppress a sigh) … as much as he likes.

4x01 – Timbuktu

MARTIN: Do take your time, Douglas. Still everything to play for. (Gleefully) I’m only twenty-six points ahead of your three points! (He giggles.) But-but I have every confidence you’re about to come roaring back! DOUGLAS: Yes, all right. MARTIN: But I am gonna have to press you for an answer, I’m afraid. DOUGLAS (sulkily): I don’t know. At twenty thousand feet, I suppose about two hundred knots? MARTIN: Ooh, what a pity! It’s a lovely guess, but I’m afraid the answer on the card was two hundred and four knots! I win again! So that’s Martin on twenty-nine; Douglas … oh! Still on three … (he chuckles) … as we head into round two. DOUGLAS: That was one round?! MARTIN: Oh, don’t worry, don’t worry. Round two’s much more fun. We say a fond farewell to the flight manual … DOUGLAS: Thank God. MARTIN: … and we welcome instead our very good friend the operations manual! DOUGLAS (protesting): No! No, I’m sorry, I’m done. MARTIN: No-no, fair’s fair, Douglas. You promised if I joined in with Flight Deck Buckaroo, I could pick the next game. DOUGLAS: But I hate this game! MARTIN: Yes, and I hate Flight Deck Buckaroo. DOUGLAS: How can you hate Flight Deck Buckaroo? It’s a terrific game! And it’s educational. MARTIN: There is nothing educational about seeing who can disable the most instruments without setting off the recorded warning. DOUGLAS: Yes there is! You find out all the things you don’t really need! Like altimeters. MARTIN: No, this is educational. So, welcome to round two of Beat the Manuals!

4x06 – Yverdon-les-Bains

DEROCHE: So we invited you to take a sim check and a technical exam. MARTIN: Yes! DEROCHE: Yes. Your results are rather curious reading. In your simulator exam, you were rated ‘adequate’ … MARTIN: Oh! Good! DEROCHE: No, ‘adequate’. But in your technical knowledge exam … MARTIN: Yes? DEROCHE: … you got ninety-nine percent. MARTIN: Oh, good. That is good, isn’t it? DEROCHE (hesitantly): … Yes. OSKAR: Kind of amazing, actually, because the test is designed to return scores of between forty and sixty percent. No-one’s ever got more than eighty-four percent. MARTIN: Really? … (Thoughtfully) Ninety-nine percent. So I got a question wrong? DEROCHE: Yes. MARTIN: Which one? DEROCHE: Er, “What increase in landing distance is required for a flap-thirty landing with auto spoilers inoperable?” MARTIN (instantly): Seven hundred and thirty feet. DEROCHE: That’s … the right answer, yes. You put a hundred and thirty. MARTIN (snorting derisively): I don’t think I did! DEROCHE: You … you did. Look. MARTIN: No! That’s a seven! DEROCHE: Oh. … Well, then you got a hundred percent. (Martin sighs happily.)

~*~*~*~

DEROCHE: There are questions that are designed to be unanswerable without consulting the manual. They’re there for us to see how candidates cope under stress. MARTIN: But I learned the manual. OSKAR: You … learned it? MARTIN: Yes! DEROCHE: That’s impossible. It’s-it’s six hundred pages long. MARTIN: I know – it took me ages. OSKAR: But some of the questions weren’t even about our aircraft. MARTIN: No, but those ones were easy. They were just general knowledge. DEROCHE: We asked you which aircraft type KLM added in the winter of nineteen forty-eight! MARTIN: Exactly! The Convair two-forty! Any twelve year old could tell you that!

Zurich – Part One

CAROLYN: Oh! Unless I can interest either of you in buying a sunbleached print of two Spitfires fighting in a clear green sky. Martin? Obviously I’m mainly looking to you. MARTIN: Er, no thank you, Carolyn; and that one’s not a Spitfire. CAROLYN: How can you tell? MARTIN (quick fire for the first part of the sentence): Well, partly because of the wing shape, fuselage and markings, but mainly because Spitfires didn’t fight each other.

B. Preference for routine and sameness

1x01 – Abu Dhabi

MARTIN: I can’t. You’re in my seat. DOUGLAS: Your seat? You have a seat? MARTIN: Yes. DOUGLAS: In Carolyn’s car? MARTIN: The front seat is my seat. DOUGLAS: What, did you call shotgun? MARTIN: I don’t need to call shotgun. I’m the captain. DOUGLAS: The captain gets the front seat in the aircraft, Martin, because he’s driving it – not in any vehicle he happens to be in. MARTIN: I always sit in the front seat in the taxi.

Christmas Special – Molokai

MARTIN: Well, there’s always an orange in a Christmas stocking! And chocolate coins! And a sugar mouse. Everyone knows that.

4x06 – Yverdon-les-Bains

OSKAR: Okay, show me. Suppose you’re all ready to take off. Suddenly you realise: oh no! You’ve left your licence at home. What do you do? MARTIN: Oh, that’s easy. OSKAR: Yes? MARTIN: That wouldn’t happen. OSKAR: Okay. But if it did? MARTIN: But it wouldn’t. No, my licence is in a special inside pocket of my flight bag. I never take it out except at Customs; and I check it’s there on leaving my home, on getting into my car, on leaving my car, on entering the terminal, on leaving the terminal, and on entering the aircraft. OSKAR: Why do you do that if you never take it out? MARTIN: So that I can never leave it at home. OSKAR: Okay, but say this time, somehow, you have. MARTIN (laughing in disbelief): But how?! OSKAR: Somehow – for the sake of argument. (Martin sighs in frustration.) MARTIN (unhappily): All right. OSKAR: What would you do? MARTIN: Well, I would immediately inform the captain what had happened, apologise profusely, explain how literally impossible it is that this has happened … OSKAR: … but that it has happened … MARTIN: … but that … (he sighs) … for the sake of argument, it has happened, and then I would go home and get it.

OSKAR: Okay, great. So Élise is your captain – tell her. MARTIN: Okay. Um … (He clears his throat.) Captain Duhrrrosh-sh … Élise. (He coughs.) I’m very sorry, but I have – for the sake of argument – left my licence at home. DEROCHE: You fool! Never mind – we’ll go without it. MARTIN: Obviously we can’t do that, Captain, because it would be illegal … DEROCHE (talking over him): Nonsense. The flight is within Europe; your airline I.D. will do. MARTIN: Yes, but I’m afraid I left that behind as well. DEROCHE: No you didn’t, or you wouldn’t have been allowed to board the plane. MARTIN: Well, I must have done, because I keep my I.D. card in the same pocket. OSKAR: But for the sake of argument, you didn’t. MARTIN (tetchily): Fine! (Through gritted teeth) Very strange argument. (To Élise) Still, I don’t have a licence and it’s illegal to fly without a licence. DEROCHE: Technically, but it’s not as if anyone ever checks. MARTIN: No, but it is illegal. DEROCHE: But this airport closes at dusk. MARTIN: Then we’ll have to go tomorrow! DEROCHE: But there are two hundred people on board … MARTIN (talking over her): We’ll have to find them hotels! DEROCHE: It’s Christmas Day! MARTIN: Merry Christmas! DEROCHE: You are proposing to cost the company thousands and thousands of Euros for a technicality which has no effect on air safety?! MARTIN: Well, this is exactly why I’d never leave my licence at home!

2. Differences in cognitive abilities

(Martin struggles with executive functioning (i.e. planning actions that have a lot of steps, such as flying the plane in difficult conditions, difficulty with impulse control, etc.)

1x04 – Douz

CAROLYN (a little breathlessly): Good lord, Douglas. You made a right old meal of that, didn’t you? DOUGLAS: Not really. CAROLYN: What? You did two go-arounds, then you finally slammed it onto the ground like you were trying to wipe out the dinosaurs.

DOUGLAS: Oh, I’m not denying a right old meal was made of it, but I was not the chef du jour. Captain Crieff kindly took control.

CAROLYN: What?! Martin landed it?! With a hydro failure in a crosswind?! Martin, you get flustered trying to parallel park! Why on earth would you take control?

2x03 – Ipswich

DR. DUNCAN: O-kay. Great! Well, next: Impulsivity – that’s the tendency of some pilots to panic under pressure, to do the first thing they think of just for the sake of doing something. Now, again, you may never have … DOUGLAS: Actually, that does ring a little bell. DR. DUNCAN: Oh, well – again, without naming names. DOUGLAS: No. That would be the height of iniquity. Well, this chap – could be literally any of the other pilots in MJN Air; let’s call him Marvin – once requested an emergency landing because his watch went off.

~*~*~*~

DR. DUNCAN: … and finally Indecision – getting caught in the headlights of a problem and being unable to settle on a plan of action. DOUGLAS: And Marvin. MARTIN: I thought you said Marvin impulsively did the first thing he thought of. DOUGLAS: Amazingly, he manages to combine both: doing whichever is least appropriate to the situation.

3. Difference in thinking styles

3x04 – Ottery St. Mary

MARTIN: Oh, come on. I mean, I can definitely imagine a hundred otters. ARTHUR: Mmm, me too, yellow car. DOUGLAS: All right. How much space do they take up? MARTIN: Er … DOUGLAS: Could you, for instance, get a hundred otters on board GERTI? MARTIN: Yes, I reckon you could.

#cabin pressure #martin crieff #autistic martin crieff #autistic headcanon

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eliottdemauries · 7 years

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This might be unusual of me to ask but can you post the song list of Tarjei's playlist if it's not too much bc Spotify doesn't work in my country and i can't see all the songs rip 😔😑

it’s a lot of songs and the playlist is literally so mixed when it comes to genre (loads of classics though) but yeah here is the list:

my name is - eminem

the real slim shady - eminem

the birmingham ho - morten abel

wonderwall - oasis

everybody hurts - r.e.m.

too close - alex clare

bitter sweet symphony - the verve

friday i’m in love - the cure

hjerteknuser - kaizers orcestra

butterfly, butterfly (the lasy hurrah) - a-ha

losing my religion - r.e.m.

stop for a minute - keane k’naan

everybody’s changing - keane

se på meg - delillos

yellow - coldplay

in the backseat - jonas alaska

take on me - a-ha

sail - awolnation

do i wanna know? - arctic monkey

human - the killers

pump it - the black eyed peas

just can’t get enough - the black eyed peas

rather be - clean bandit feat. jess glynne

somebody told me - the killers

where is the love? - the black eyed peas

i see fire - ed sheeran

can’t stop loving you - phil collins

never let me down again (remastered) - depeche mode

personal jesus (remastered) - depeche mode

open up your eyes - tom hugo

spiralling - keane

you’re beautiful - james blunt

moves like jagger - maroon 5 feat- christina aguilera

bonfire heart - james blunt

ampersand - stephen walking soulero

love me again - john newman

puttin’ on the ritz - fred astaire

daybreak (gopro hero3 edit) - overwerk

with or without you - u2

there she goes - the la’s

from nowhere - dan croll

paper planes - m.i.a.

april come she will - simon & garfunkel

seven nation army - the white stripes

pretty fly (for a white guy) - the offspring

i got you (i feel good) - james brown

one - mary j. blige feat. u2

our house - madness

baggy trousers - madness

your song - elton john

changes - butterfly boucher feat. david bowie

the logical song - supertramp

‘74-’75 - the connells

nothing compares 2 u - sinéad o’connor

the one i love - r.e.m.

i’m too sexy - right said fred (literally why tarjei??)

livin’ la vida loca - ricky martin (he basically have the entire shrek 2 soundtrack in this playlist,, i hate him)

hurt - johnny cash

can’t help falling in love - elvis presley

supermassive black hole - muse (i got way to exicted when i saw that he listens to muse)

fell in love with a girl - the white stripes

every breath you take - the police

roxanne - the police

wannabe - spice girls

don’t look back in anger (remastered) - oasis

basket case - green day (bae listens to green day,, day is made)

good riddance (time of your life) - green day (tHIS SONG THOUGH)

don’t stop me now (remastered) - queen

tears in heaven - eric clapton

young and beautiful - lana del rey

summertime sadness - lana del rey

feel good inc - gorillaz

on melancholy hill - gorillaz

clint eastwood - gorillaz (he seems to like gorillaz)

far from any road - the handsome family

man on the moon - r.e.m. (also seems to be a fav of his)

pokemon theme - pokémon (fucking hate this guy..)

homecoming - kanye west feat. chris martin

i wanna be sedated (remastered) - ramones

stuck in the middle with you - stealers wheel

lay all your love on me (from mamma mia) - dominic cooper & amanda seyfried (this musical is everything)

the sound of silence - simon & garfunkel

i need a hero - andrew spencer (blue nature mix edit) (again with the songs from shrek 2,,,,)

rock the casbah (remastered) - the clash

you can call me al - paul simon

shout - bernhoft

styggen på ryggen - onklp & de fjerne slektingene

don’t you (forget about me) - simple minds (the breakfast club

wicked games - chris isaak

everybody wants to rule the world - lorde (this boy seriously listens to all my favs??!!)

dragostea din tei (original romanian version) - o-zone

tusen bitar - laleh (favvvvvvv)

outside - calvin harris feat. ellie goulding)

i’m an albatroz - aronchupa

lie to me - chris isaak

the scientist - coldplay

halo - ane brun & linnea olsson

man in black - johnny cash

ave maria - beyoncé

little green bag - george baker selection

always on my mind - pet shop boys

a little less conversation - elvis presley (jxl radio edit)

hooked on a feeling - blue swede

unchained melody - the righteous brothers

go your own way - fleetwood mac

i will survive - gloria gaynor

hotel california - eagles

september - earth, wind & fire

cheerleader (felix jaehn remix) - omi

livet er for kjipt - lars kilevold

gdfr - flo rida feat. sage the gemini & lookas

blue velvet - lana del rey

one of us - joan osborne

glemte minner - delillos

eple - röyksopp

monument - röyksopp feat. robyn

this love - maroon 5

mad world - gary jules feat. michael andrews

old thing back - matoma & the notorious b.i.g. feat. ja rule and ralph tresvant

pumped up kicks - foster the people

i’m on fire - awolnation

creep - radiohead

karma police - radiohead (he listens to radiohead,,what more can you ask for)

hypnotize - the notorious b.i.g.

ghetto gospel - 2pac

this summer - maroon 5

tandtråd - tjuvjakt

you don’t own me - grace feat. g-ezy

i get around - the beach boys

ms.jackson - outkast

no surprises - radiohead

big in japan - alphaville

save tonight - eagle-eye cherry

hero - family of the year

iris - the goo goo dolls

kast alle papirene - delillos (this translates to “throw away all paper”,, i’m looking at you even)

wuthering heights - kate bush

starman - david bowie

spis din syvende sans - karpe diem

tusen tegninger - karpe diem (”thousand drawings”,, why all the s3 references)

like a stone - audioslave

california dremin’ - the mamas & the papas

bridge over troubled water - simon & garfunkel

ave maria - johann sebastian bach & charles gounod (’cause he seems to need ave maria twice)

evig forelsket da - delillos

forelsket - delillos

hemingway 2016 - ganic & johnny whitehouse

sugar - robin schulz feat. francesco yates

suser avgårde alle man - delillos

mindre alvorlige ting - delillos (this dude and delillos….)

the hardest part - coldplay

swedish television - bigbang

sike 2016 - mehiko & n.o. beats (russ music deluxe)

relax, take it easy - mika

hjernen er alene - delillos (skam soundtrack yay)

varsko - klovner i kamp

glade dager - klovner i kamp

du og jeg og livet - lars lillo-stenberg

finns de en kvinne - delillos (i think i have found his fav band)

the penetrators 2016 - hanzee (skam soundtrack yay pt.2)

gå hjem - delillos (surprise it’s delillos again)

didn’t i (blow your mind this time) - the delfonics

girls just want to have fun (demo) - greg laswell

mine peannøtter er ikke gode - delillos (i get it tarjei,, u like ‘em)

i’d rather dance with you - kings of convenience

ikke gå - delillos (……)

the pop kids (radio edit) - pet shop boys

go west - pet shop boys

forever young - alphaville (skam soundtrack yay pt.3)

boat behind - kings of convenience

24-25 - kings of convenience

love to hate you - erasure

a little respect - erasure

running out - matoma feat. astrid s

trendsetter - morten abel

i don’t want to be - gavin degraw

if only as a ghost - jonas alaska

lonely - akon (this boy is just a parody on himself really)

i believe in a thing called love - the darkness

this list is so random but i think that we can get quite a good idea of how tarjei is through it (,, which seems to be a fucking dork). note that this playlist hasn’t been updated since july so it’s a bit outdated.

#THIS TOOK ME SO LONG HOLY FUCK

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networkingdefinition · 4 years

Text

Dating Quotes

Official Website: Dating Quotes

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• A lot of people wouldn’t feel miserable in this environment. A lot of people aren’t dating my girlfriend. – Dov Davidoff • About age 30 most women think about having children, most men think about dating them. – Judy Carter • After a number of years dating, we decided we were good partners. – Melinda Gates • Are you kidding? I’m a terrible cook, but John is a really great one. Literally, I never cook. The whole time we were dating, I prepared two officially romantic meals. Both of them were such disasters that he begs me never to go into the kitchen again. – Rebecca Romijn • At the time that I knew them, they were not living together. They began dating again after their divorce, so I didn’t really see fighting. – Kato Kaelin

jQuery(document).ready(function($) var data = action: 'polyxgo_products_search', type: 'Product', keywords: 'Dating', orderby: 'rand', order: 'DESC', template: '1', limit: '68', columns: '4', viewall:'Shop All', ; jQuery.post(spyr_params.ajaxurl,data, function(response) var obj = jQuery.parseJSON(response); jQuery('#thelovesof_dating').html(obj); jQuery('#thelovesof_dating img.swiper-lazy:not(.swiper-lazy-loaded)' ).each(function () var img = jQuery(this); img.attr("src",img.data('src')); img.addClass( 'swiper-lazy-loaded' ); img.removeAttr('data-src'); ); ); ); • Bill Clinton is a man who thinks international affairs means dating a girl from out of town. – Tom Clancy • Busy’ is another word for ‘asshole’. ‘Asshole’ is another word for the guy you’re dating. – Greg Behrendt • Celebrities say they date other celebrities because they have the same job. But I think they just like dating famous people. Celebrities attract each other, like cattle. – Jason Lee • Computer dating is fine, if you’re a computer. – Rita Mae Brown • Dating a new man is like holding a strawberry milkshake; first the taste, then the pleasure. – Marilyn Monroe • Dating is a give and take. If you only see it as “Taking,” you are not getting it. – Henry Cloud • Dating is a place to practice how to relate to other people. – Henry Cloud • Dating is about finding out who you are and who others are. If you show up in a masquerade outfit, neither is going to happen. – Henry Cloud • Dating is just awkward moments and one person wants more than the other. It’s just that constant strangeness. I think it’s a very real thing. – Jason Schwartzman • Dating is like pushing your tray along in a cafeteria. Nothing looks good, but you know you have to pick something by the time you reach the cashier. – Caprice Crane • Dating is pressure and tension. What is a date, really, but a job interview that lasts all night? – Jerry Seinfeld • Dating is primarily a numbers game…. People usually go through a lot of people to find good relationships. That’s just the way it is. – Henry Cloud • Dating is probably the most important aspect of a single person’s life. – Linda Sunshine • Dating is really all about sex. In the conventional context, this means that the man invites the woman to go through a social encounter, the ultimate purpose of which is sexual engagement. – Alexander McCall Smith • Dating now is a lot like going shopping when you don’t have any money. Even if you find the right thing, you can’t do anything about it. – Joshua Harris • Dating should be a part of your life, not your life a part of dating. There is more to life than finding a date. – Henry Cloud • Dodi got a lot of criticism when he began dating Princess Diana. No one seemed to think he was good enough for her. – Lorna Luft • Encourage your children to come to you for counsel with their problems and questions by listening to them every day. Discuss with them such important matters as dating, sex, and other matters affecting their growth and development, and do it early enough so they will not obtain information from questionable sources. – Ezra Taft Benson • Envy is what makes you, when an acquaintance is lustily telling you that she’s dating a Greek god of a guy, ask, ‘Which one, Hades?’ – Gina Barreca • Everyone was like, “Why do you need to meet someone on Match.com?” My response was, “I certainly don’t need to meet more of the same broke, acting class guys that I’d been dating my whole life.” I needed to change that whole paradigm. So, I decided to meet some corporate guys and see how that worked. So, I went on Match, but I didn’t put a picture up, because I’m on television, and I didn’t want anybody contacting me for the wrong reasons. So, I had to do the hunting, as it were. I didn’t anticipate meeting my husband online, but there he was. And it all worked out! – Essence Atkins • Gay men should not adopt the sophomoric model of heterosexual dating; gay men should always have sex first. – John Rechy • Good-looking individuals are treated better than homely ones in virtually every social situation, from dating to trial by jury. – Martha Beck • Here’s the funny thing about the response I’ve been aware of to my dating famous people: It’s been very negative. I’m either not good-looking enough, not a good enough actor or not successful enough for these people. – Dax Shepard • Honeymoon: A short period of doting between dating and debting. – Mike Binder • How many of you have ever started dating because you were too lazy to commit a suicide? – Judy Tenuta • I also find it interesting that a lot of people in their 30s are not married and don’t have kids. There are a lot of people in this age bracket that are out there dating and trying to find love. And I never thought that at my age I would be. – John Stamos • I came to the realization that I started dating my now-wife junior year of college, before you actually went on a date. You didn’t take girls from college out to dinner. I’ve never been on a date. I’ve never been on a date where I didn’t know the end game. I’ve never casually dated someone. I’ve only been out to dinner with the woman who would eventually be my wife. – Jon Gabrus • I can’t imagine dating a boy, meeting him only outside the home. What’s a home and family for if it’s not the center of one’s life? – Loretta Young • I can’t wait for my little sisters to start dating, because it will really be fun to pick on their boyfriends. – David Gallagher • I could be a party girl, dating whoever I want and being reckless, but I like being in a relationship. When you have somebody who grounds you and keeps you sane, it helps. – Eva Longoria • I do like dating cynics – they tend to be incredibly funny. – Chris Pine • I don’t have the best dating track record. – Lauren Conrad • I don’t know the first real thing about the dating game. I don’t know how to talk to a specific person and connect. I just think you have to go to person by person and do the best you can with people in general. – Jason Schwartzman • I don’t really comment on my personal life because I feel like any comment at all is opening up a whole can of worms. I’d just rather not talk about who I’m dating. – Josh Hartnett • I don’t think courting and dating is a liability. I actually think it can be a blessing. – Rebecca St. James • I don’t understand the whole dating thing. I know right off the bat if I’m interested in someone, and I don’t want them to waste their money on me and take me out to eat if I know I’m not interested in that person. – Britney Spears • I feel like I’ve always had gay fans, I don’t think my dating a woman has changed my demographic, but it certainly changed the way I feel about politics. – Sia Furler • I got that experience through dating dozens of men for six years after college, getting an entry level magazine job at 21, working in the fiction department at Good Housekeeping and then working as a fashion editor there as well as writing many articles for the magazine. – Judith Krantz • I grew up between the two world wars and received a rather solid general education, the kind middle class children enjoyed in a country whose educational system had its roots dating back to the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy. – George Andrew Olah • I grew up in the world of bad television, on my dad’s sets and then as a young schmuck on dating shows and so on. – George Clooney • I have been dating someone that treats my heart like it’s monkey meat. I feel like a delusional, invisible person half the time so I need to learn what it’s like to be treated well before it’s too late for me. – Hannah • I just can’t fathom tweeting, and I’d rather spend my time writing a book than a blog, but I rather grudgingly agreed to a Facebook page. I had a brief, intense romance with Facebook. It’s weirdly addictive, but anything that time-sucking is a danger for a writer who writes as slowly as I do. Now I post only occasionally and nothing very confessional. I think I’m carbon dating myself as I speak. – Debra Dean • I just don’t like when there’s a rumor that says I’m dating someone who is below my standards. But when I got divorced, my ex-wife said I was spending all my time with Lindsay Lohan and Angelina Jolie. I was like, ‘Thank you for the big ups!’ – Marilyn Manson • I knew dating the son of Satan would turn out badly – Darynda Jones • I like the idea of dating, but I’m not dating anyone exclusively, particularly right now. It’s hard to be in a relationship unless you’re ready to go public with it. So it’s a lot easier for me to not be in a relationship. I really don’t want that part of my life to be tabloid fodder. – Cory Monteith • I love being a single mom. But it’s definitely different when you’re dating. – Brooke Burns • I prefer ordinary girls – you know, college students, waitresses, that sort of thing. Most of the girls I go out with are just good friends. Just because I go out to the cinema with a girl, it doesn’t mean we are dating. – Leonardo DiCaprio • I started dating older men, and I would fall in love with them. I thought they could teach me about life. – Daphne Zuniga • I stopped dating for six months a year ago. Dating requires a lot of energy and focus. – Daphne Zuniga • I think a man’s dream woman changes as he goes through different stages in his life. I’m fortunate to be dating my dream woman now. – Wissam Al Mana • I think I should date a normal girl. I am tired of dating heroines. While I believe in marriage as an institution, I am also petrified of it. – Shahid Kapoor • I think I’m definitely more open. You know the thing is I wouldn’t have said I was closed before, but like, it’s the kind of thing that you don’t even think of other options. I’ve been dating black men for really, for like, I don’t know, 10 years. You know, I haven’t really dated outside of that. Now I think I’m probably am more open to the idea. – Sanaa Lathan • I think more dating stuff is scheduling. It’s needing people who understand your work schedule. – Jennifer Love Hewitt • I tried to tell them about the dating process because I’m single now and how horrible it is and how many foolish experiences I had had dating. So I was really selling him hard, but the whole time he really wanted me! – Andie MacDowell • I want my audience to know me for my work, not because of who I’m dating or what drugs I’m on or what club I went to. – Shia LaBeouf • I want to start dating the man that I’m gonna marry. I want to start having some fun with someone that I know I’m gonna be with. I don’t play any games. I’m too old for that. I’ve been there, I’ve been around the block. – LisaRaye McCoy-Misick • I was dating a guy that was a huge wrestling fan and I’m embarrassed to say it now but I used to make fun of him for watching it. – Torrie Wilson • I was dating this guy and we would spend all day text messaging each other. And he thought that he could tell that he liked me more because he actually spelt the word ‘YOU’ and I just put the letter ‘U’. – Kelly Osbourne • I was thrown into the fashion world, dating models – and you’d read about me dating a new starlet every month. That’s just where my life was. But I’ve grown up a lot. – Stephen Dorff • If you want me to be straight, gay, into monkeys, dating Kylie, whatever, I’m happy for people to project whatever onto me! – Darren Hayes • I’m a bad dater – I’m just not good at it. It’s so weird dating in this town. It’s like high school. I get a lot of people who have their publicist call my agent to ask, ‘Is she dating anyone? – Jules Asner • I’m dating a girl who’s pretty levelheaded. She’s a nurse. She’s a real, normal girl. Which is what I need because my life isn’t normal. – Kenny Chesney • I’m dating a homeless woman. It was easier talking her into staying over. – Garry Shandling • I’m dating a woman now who, evidently, is unaware of it. – Garry Shandling • I’m friends with a lot of my exes, but it took time. We didn’t just get into it. I don’t think you can be friends until you’re cool with them dating someone else. That’s when you know. – Rashida Jones • I’m much more interested in what an actor has to say about something substantial and important than who they’re dating or what clothes they’re wearing or some other asinine, insignificant aspect of their life. – Ben Affleck • I’m not cynical about marriage or romance. I enjoyed being married. And although being single was fun for a while, there was always the risk of dating someone who’d owned a lunch box with my picture on it. – Shaun Cassidy • I’m not great at dating, but I need to do it to relax. – Lena Dunham • I’m not interested in serial dating; I’d honestly rather be single. – Tamsin Egerton • I’m not very experienced with boys or the whole dating thingy. – Vanessa Hudgens • I’m not with anybody, I don’t have time for dating. Not to get too personal, but it’s weirdly harder to meet new people now. But for the first time in my life since I was a little kid, I’m not so concerned about it. – Justin Vernon • I’m of the belief that dating “potential” is almost always an exercise in frustration. – Mallory Ortberg • I’m so an all-or-nothing person in dating, always. I’m big on not wasting time. And so, yeah, if something’s not working, it’s time to not hold people back. – Ginnifer Goodwin • In its purest form, dating is auditioning for mating (and auditioning means we may or may not get the part). – Joy Browne • Is it a bad sign when someone asks you about the person your dating and a tear falls from your eye as you leap into oncoming traffic? – Dov Davidoff • Is it a bad sign when you see the person you’re dating and get the same feeling as if you just saw police lights in you’re rear view mirror? – Dov Davidoff • It was funny actually because that was still during the time we were dating. He would get all these calls because supposedly before we broke up, we had already broken up in the trades, in the rags or whatever. – Rosario Dawson • It was really shocking to me that when I was dating a dude I could get married and my taxes were 8 grand less, blah blah blah. – Sia Furler • It was V-day and I was stuck at home while the guy I was dating was at an Anti-Valentine’s Day party. How wrong was that? It was one thing to be totally alone on V-day, but another to want to be with someone who would rather spend the evening protesting love instead of making it. – Kate Madison • It’s always been my personal feeling that unless you are married, there is something that is not very dignified about talking about who you are dating. – Luke Wilson • It’s amazing how much time and money can be saved in the world of dating by close attention to detail. A white sock here, a pair of red braces there, a gray slip-on shoe, a swastika, are as often as not all one needs to tell you there’s no point in writing down phone numbers and forking out for expensive lunches because it’s never going to be a runner. – Helen Fielding • It’s so easy to misuse social media as a dating tool. I think it can be useful but it’s scary when you think about who can access this information and what they’re doing with it. – Justin Long • I’ve been dating since I was fifteen. I’m exhausted. Where is he? – Kristin Davis • I’ve been dating younger men since my 20s, When I was 29, I dated someone 21… younger men are just more fun. I like their energy. I’ve always been kind of young for my age. – Dana Delany • I’ve been in plenty of situations where someone I’m dating had more time for a console than me. – Josie Maran • I’ve done a number of studies with speed dating and Match.com and what’s interesting is that you know we still walk into a speed dating event, you know, thinking about what it is we’re looking for in a mate and so you ask people, like women will say “I’m looking for somebody who is really kind and sincere and smart and funny.” – Sheena Iyengar • I’ve had a little bad, bad media luck the new year. Well, apparently I’m dating Bill Clinton, which makes me nervous. I didn’t know, though. – Julie Bowen • I’ve learned that I don’t want to be as open or public about relationships anymore. In my first relationship, I thought I could hold on to the normalcy of just being like “Yeah, we’re dating,” just like if it were high school and I was telling my friends. But in high school, there aren’t articles written everywhere when you break up and you don’t have everyone in the school coming up to you and asking what happened or sharing their opinion with you. It didn’t feel like ours anymore, it felt like everybody else’s. – Camila Cabello • Just because times change and alot of people think that dating multiple people is the thing these days, it just isn’t a solid foundation at all in matters of the heart. I still believe in marriages that have a physically powerful foundation. – Angela Merkel • Like the guy I was dating. White, liberal, educated. I went to meet his family and I think that they probably didn’t know they had a problem with it until he walked in with me. And they definitely had issues. Mom had issues with it. Could not, didn’t want to see her son. And I don’t think she had anything against me. But it was about her son bringing me home. And I felt that for the first time. I was like, ‘Wow, that’s deep.’ It’s really simple: I don’t fit their picture. – Sanaa Lathan • My husband is the only guy I’ve ever dated where I’ve never been drunk around him. I couldn’t handle dating without drinking in the past. – Alison Rosen • My mom always complains about my lack of a boyfriend. Well, next time she asks, I’m going to tell her I’m dating two different guys-Mr Duracell and Mr Energizer. – Michelle Landry • My mom is going to kill me for talking about sleeping with people. But I don’t want to put myself in the position where I’m in a monogamous relationship right now. I’m not dating just one person. ‘Sex and the City’ changed everything for me because those girls would sleep with so many people. – Lindsay Lohan • My original inspiration was my mom: a few years after the death of my dad, she started dating one my teachers! – Meg Cabot • My philosophy of dating is to just fart right away. – Jenny McCarthy • My wife and I have been together since 1986. I graduated in ’86 and she graduated in ’88. We began dating when she was 17. Actually she turned 18 when we started kissing and stuff. – Cuba Gooding, Jr. • No one knew me until I met my wife Lulu. Lulu’s mother used to ask, Which one is Maurice? For six months she thought Lulu was dating Barry. – Maurice Gibb • Nothing defines humans better than their willingness to do irrational things in the pursuit of phenomenally unlikely payoffs. This is the principle behind lotteries, dating, and religion. – Scott Adams • Of course, a lot of courtship and dating is about sexual attraction. If you’re an attractive person, you have that sort of interest from people, whether you cater to it or not, but when you get older, that’s not really the leading thing anymore. – Patricia Arquette • Oh, my dating skills are the worst. No, I pick the wrong men; it’s amazing. I am awful, the worst dater. – Paget Brewster • On girls night in we talk about dating; the ups and downs of the previous week. Our collective laughter is uncontrollable and tearful, even the most disappointing dates become meritorious on girls night in. – Cilla Black • On the Hugh Grant romance rumours: We’re not dating and I’m not pregnant. We have not kissed or touched. We have not fought and broken up. – Sandra Bullock • One of my best friends is dating my other best friend, Lena! – Taylor Swift • Pamela Anderson Lee released a statement confirming that she has had her breast implants removed. Doctors say that Pamela is doing fine and that her old implants are now dating Charlie Sheen. – Conan O’Brien • Rumors about me? Calista Flockhart, Pam Anderson, and Matt Damon. That’s who I’m dating. – Ben Affleck • So if I was dating somebody now and the relationship didn’t work out, I’d take that as failing – Gavin DeGraw • Some burns,” Clary said. “Nothing that matters” “Everything that happens to you matters to me.” “Well that certainly explains why you haven’t called me back once. And the last time I saw you, you ran away without telling me why. It’s like dating a ghost.” Jace’s mouth quirked up slightly at the side. “Not exactly. Isabelle actually dated a ghost. She could tell you–” “No,” Clary said. “It was a metaphor. And you know exactly what I mean. – Cassandra Clare • Tess realized one of the great modern dating sadnesses: everyone is so used to the comforting glow of the computer screen that no one can go so far as to say “good morning” in public without being liquored up. – Amelia Gray • That’s the advice I would give to women: Don’t look at the bankbook or the title. Look at the heart. Look at the soul. Look at how the guy treats his mother and what he says about women. How he acts with children he doesn’t know. And, more important, how does he treat you? When you’re dating a man, you should always feel good. You should never feel less than. You should never doubt yourself. – Michelle Obama • The global economy is becoming a place where women are more successful than men, and these economic changes are starting to rapidly affect our culture – what our romantic comedies look like, what our marriages look like, what our dating lives look like, and our new set of superheroes. – Hanna Rosin • The Google algorithm was a significant development. I’ve had thank-you emails from people whose lives have been saved by information on a medical website or who have found the love of their life on a dating website. – Tim Berners-Lee • The inspiration for this movie [Something New] was this Newsweek article that came out a couple of years ago that talks about 42.4 percent of black women in America aren’t married. Black women are shooting up the corporate ladder way faster than our black male counterparts. And (black men) are either dating outside their race, in jail or dying. And so if you want to have a family, you want to be married, you have to look at other options. – Sanaa Lathan • The learned are not agreed as to the time when the Gospel of John was written; some dating it as early as the year 68, others as late as the year 98; but it is generally conceded to have been written after all the others. – Simon Greenleaf • The love is so powerful that both people have to surrender. I think that’s the funny thing about dating somebody for the first time, it’s kind of a question of who wears the pants, or who’s gonna text you first, how much am I supposed to put myself out there, and it makes you feel a little bit crazy. But at the end of the day, it’s not about that. And if it’s the right person you don’t have to worry about that. – Zella Day • The most difficult part of dating is the initial invitation. – Janell Carroll • The number of people who have either gotten married or had kids or started dating or just made great friends over Instagram is countless. I think we’re the only platform that continues to be successful in bringing people together in real life for these real relationships. – Kevin Systrom • The United States is now relearning an ancient lesson, dating back to the Roman Empire. Brutalizing an enemy only serves to brutalize the army ordered to do it. Torture corrodes the mind of the torturer. – James Risen • The whole dating ritual was different when I was a kid. Girls got pinned, not nailed. – Bill Maher • The woman I am currently crazy about was a vegetarian for a year until I started dating her. As is the case with most vegetarians, she had never eaten properly prepared meat, only commercially packaged or otherwise abused flesh. – Steve Albini • There are three possible parts to a date, of which at least two must be offered: entertainment, food, and affection. It is customary to begin a series of dates with a great deal of entertainment, a moderate amount of food, and the merest suggestion of affection. As the amount of affection increases, the entertainment can be reduced proportionately. When the affection IS the entertainment, we no longer call it dating. Under no circumstances can the food be omitted. – Judith Martin • There is no golden rule of dating, except to make sure that it engages both of you; too many people go to a cinema for a first date and of course don’t say a word, that’s a bad thing! – Steven Hill • There’s an interesting story around that [“Heaven Without a Gun”], because the girl I was dating at the time got into a bike accident and couldn’t make it into the studio, and the gentleman Dave Hamlin who worked on this record along with Ohad sort of took it, rearranged it. Dave went and sonically changed it and changed the keys so that Andy could sing it better. All these pieces came together that suddenly displayed that the song was meant for Andy [Kim] to sing. And he always said, “I’ll never understand it, but I’ll sing it with all my heart.” – Kevin Drew • There’s no way to get around it; online dating is work. And some people are more skilled at this kind of communication than others. – Rachel Martin • We had two rules growing up in my house: If you’re going to take a shower, do it with whomever you’re dating so you don’t waste water; and if you buy one for yourself, buy six, because everybody’s going to want one. – Moon Unit Zappa • Well, dating has become a sport and not about finding the person you love. – Rashida Jones • Whats nice about my dating life is that I dont have to leave my house. All I have to do is read the paper: Im marrying Richard Gere, dating Daniel Day-Lewis, parading around with John F. Kennedy, Jr., and even Robert De Niro was in there for a day. – Julia Roberts • When I had been dating my husband for a while, the president Obama said to me, “When is he going to put a ring on it?” And I was like, “Oh, come on. We are so busy. We don’t need to think about that.” He said, “He needs to put a ring on it because you’re worth it.” And the thing is, I’m not even kidding you, it was about a week or two later that we got engaged. – Alyssa Mastromonaco • When I met Nathan, I told my tour manager he was too good-looking for me. I don’t have a history of dating good-looking men. I’ve always complained that girls don’t get male groupies, and now I’ve married the first groupie I’ve ever had. – Nina Persson • When I saw music as a means to an end – more fame, more money, dating celebrities – that’s when things have gone terribly wrong. Now my life is focused on just trying to keep making music. Because when it’s really good, it’s just the most remarkable feeling on the planet. – Moby • When someone is good, but it doesn’t seem like their world will collapse if they don’t get the part, it’s more appealing. It’s like dating someone: You don’t want someone who’s too into you. – Steve Carell • While she could hardly fathom what had just happened to her that night, she reached some conclusions before she fell asleep, certain things now made perfect sense; Moon River didn’t sound so syrupy, mistletoe wasn’t such a bad idea, and perhaps dating was not such a frivolous waste of time after all. – E. A. Bucchianeri • With my husband it was never like “omg, should I text him?” or “he didn’t call me for two days.” So, I think I knew it was right because it just happened so naturally. That’s one piece of advice that I would give to women who are struggling in this crazy world of dating. – Lindsay Ellingson • Workshops and seminars are basically financial speed dating for clueless people. – Douglas Coupland • Would a dating service for people on the net be “frowned upon” by DCA? I hope not. But even if it is, don’t let that stop you from notifying me via net mail if you start one. – Richard Stallman • You know, I had my mother and my father convincing me that he would be going back to Hollywood and he’d be back with the actresses and dating them and that he wasn’t serious about me at all. So I had him saying one thing to me and my parents telling me something else. – Priscilla Presley • You shouldn’t be in a relationship with somebody who doesn’t make you completely happy and make you feel whole. And if you’re in that relationship and you’re dating, then my advice is, don’t get married. – Michelle Obama • You’re talking to someone who has been married to various people for the last 40 years of her life. Dating is not really something familiar. I’ve never really been a dater. – Stockard Channing

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equitiesstocks · 4 years

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Dating Quotes

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theconservativebrief · 6 years

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The only way out is through.

By the time the curtain falls on the first season of HBO’s Succession, that adage has quite literally drawn blood. Though the series, which follows the power struggle within a family-owned media conglomerate, has been called a satire and in some cases a comedy, any laughter during the show’s final hour will likely be out of horror rather than amusement. With each successive episode, the series has shed layer after layer, revealing itself to be something much grimmer than just a wry indictment of the über-rich.

The finale, “Nobody is Ever Missing,” lands like a bomb, fundamentally shifting the dynamics of the show thus far. That it works is largely thanks to the stunning performances of Jeremy Strong as Kendall Roy, the heir to the family company throne, and Brian Cox as Logan, his ruthless father, as their characters emerge as the keystones of the entire show.

Kendall and Logan’s story neatly vaults Succession into the realm of the classical texts that inform it, a point that was driven home when I spoke to Strong and Cox to examine the season’s final episode and its last two parts, which shake the very foundations upon which the series is built. Strong calls it an example of the archetypal monomyth, while Cox describes the show as “ludicrous.”

“It’s the ludicrousness of life,” Cox explains, citing how the classical works that Succession calls to mind — King Lear and Titus Andronicus among them — veer between comedy and tragedy. “You’re not locked into any sense of absolutism about the characters,” he adds, laughing, “You think, ‘Oh, they’re such horrible people,’ but then, if you really strip it down, they’re no more horrible than most people.”

Strong’s verdict is similar: “I hear from a lot of people how unlikeable these characters are, and I find that so interesting, as if a character is either likable or unlikable.”

It’s that refusal to fall into a strictly black-and-white matrix that ultimately makes the Succession finale so affecting, and so difficult to watch. The balance between comedy and tragedy finally tips, crashing into the latter category, and it’s a testament to the series that it all comes together.

Warning: spoilers for “Nobody is Ever Missing” lie ahead.

With the crash, the series reaches a point of no return. Colin Hutton/HBO

At the beginning of “Nobody Is Ever Missing,” Kendall delivers a letter to his father informing him of a hostile takeover of the company. For a moment, it seems like Kendall may finally triumph over Logan after the countless humiliations and setbacks he’s suffered over the course of the season, but there’s no savoring the victory. Kendall can’t get through the confrontation without stammering, and his siblings now hate him for putting their inheritances and social status in jeopardy, and on the day of his sister’s wedding, no less.

The brewing sense of unease only worsens as, at the episode’s halfway point, Kendall goes hunting for drugs to try to take the edge off, coaxing one of the serving staff to take him to get some cocaine. As they drive, they joke about kidnapping; “You should kidnap me,” Kendall says, boasting about his fortune as the boy notes that he knows a house where he could keep him. Though the characters laugh, the scene is very clearly teetering on the edge of an abyss — of some event that it’ll be impossible to come back from.

In an instant, the balance breaks. A deer appears in the middle of the road, and the car goes careening into a nearby lake. Though Kendall manages to swim out of the car, the boy is knocked out cold by the crash. Kendall dives once, twice, to try to get him out of the sinking car, but it’s no use. By the time he manages to swim to shore, the spot where the car sunk isn’t even distinguishable anymore, and the young man is dead.

The next 10 minutes focus on Kendall, and Kendall alone. As the ramifications of what’s just happened sink in, he stumbles back to the wedding festivities. The sequence almost plays like a horror movie: Kendall is soaked through to the bone, and darts behind trees to hide from cars on the road, knowing that he can’t afford to be placed anywhere near the accident. His posture is rigid, as if he doesn’t know how to function anymore, and his expression is slack, going from abject despair to grim determination and back again.

“It was really hard to shoot,” Strong says of the scene. “It was hard emotionally, it was hard physically. But in a way, those are the given circumstances, so you kind of lean into that. You lean into the fact that the water is freezing, you lean into the fact that it’s raining and freezing and it’s 4 in the morning and you’re covered in mud.”

On top of that, to try to sustain a certain “energy field” around the sequence, Strong asked the episode’s director, Mark Mylod, to keep as much of the post-crash shooting together as possible. “As you can imagine, a 10-minute sequence takes much longer to film, and you have to sustain the life and death stakes of that, or I believe you do, for the entirety of it,” he explains, adding that he’d also requested not to rehearse a few specific scenes (including Kendall’s delivering the letter to Logan) to keep a sense of tension to them.

After breaking back into his own suite (having lost his room key somewhere along the way), Kendall cleans himself off and returns to the wedding. Though he does his best to act as though nothing’s happened, dancing with his children as Whitney Houston plays, he can’t quite keep his facade from slipping.

It’s a showcase for Strong, who, despite the presence of more outwardly colorful characters like Tom Wamsgans (Matthew Macfadyen) and Cousin Greg (Nicholas Braun), emerges as the series MVP with how heartbreakingly he pulls off the episode’s final act.

“I remember just being really kind of destroyed by them,” Strong recalls of reading the final scripts, which were written by series creator Jesse Armstrong. “You read something like that, you sort of know you’re going to have to go through this, you can’t avoid it. But I think a part of me certainly wished it on someone else.”

This near-Gothic tragedy is a far cry from most initial impressions of the series, which Strong is quick to acknowledge. “Even though the show starts out with some low-hanging fruit, I think the real kind of bedrock of it, the plate tectonics of the structure that [Armstrong] starts to create, that build to this sort of tragedy, is really — when I read the script, I was blown away, and quite daunted by what I had to go through in order to serve it,” he says.

He tells me he hasn’t revisited those nights since they were over. “They were harrowing to go through. You want it to be real, is the thing. It’s not enjoyable. I think there’s always joy in the creative process, on some level, but actually, what is the character’s experience, and what is the character’s struggle — I don’t think you can really spare yourself from that if you want to embody it.”

Given just how far and how drastically Kendall falls, there’s a certain bittersweetness to knowing that the show’s writers had such a plummet in mind all along. One day, during a break in the writer’s room, Strong sneaked in to take a look around. On the wall were notecards, one of which read, “Kendall wins, but loses.”

“This could be the defining moment of your life, and indeed everything.” Colin Hutton/HBO

It doesn’t take long for the other shoe to drop. The next morning, Logan calls Kendall to discuss a matter brought to him by the police. The car and the body have been found, along with Kendall’s room key. Calmly, Logan explains to Kendall that it must have been an accident following an attempted robbery, and tells Kendall to report any missing items. Kendall, shellshocked, simply nods along.

As soon as the room empties, Logan instructs Kendall to inform his co-conspirators that the takeover is no more. Kendall begins to cry, trying to protest his innocence, but it’s of no use. “This could be the defining moment of your life, and indeed everything,” Logan says. “A rich kid kills a boy. You’d never be anything else. Or you know what it could be, what it should be? Nothing at all. A sad, little detail at a lovely wedding, where father and son are reconciled.”

There’s something awful about the episode’s final moment, as Kendall, in tears, stumbles into Logan’s arms. It’s the first glimpse of tenderness we’ve seen Logan offer his son — “You’re my number one boy,” he says in consolation — but it’s undercut by the tragedy that’s prompted it, as well as by Logan quickly calling in one of the house staff to take Kendall off his hands.

“I remember talking to Jesse about if [Logan] really loves his children,” Cox recalls, when I ask about Logan’s capacity for genuine warmth. ”Jesse said, ‘Absolutely. He absolutely loves his children.’ And I think that’s the tragedy of the piece, that’s what gives it its stature. It’s not just — it is a morality tale, certainly, but the thing about Logan is his children mean a lot to him. They’re all fuck-ups, and he sees that, and that sort of fills him with great sadness, that they have to have their hands held.”

But that doesn’t preclude a certain ruthlessness. “He really had Kendall,” Cox says of the final scene. “He was able to reconstruct Kendall, in a way. … It goes back right to the first episode, where I say to him, ‘You’re too soft.’”

It’s a sentiment that’s echoed in the finale before the crash, as Logan dresses down Kendall yet again, telling him that he’s not made for the harsher, harder world in which his father runs.

Their final conversation drives that point home, as Logan’s willingness to sacrifice a life in order to bring his son back into the fold is contrasted with the way that Kendall breaks, exhibiting a vulnerability that had seemed lost as the season progressed. They’re fundamentally different — Logan is a “man of blood,” as Strong puts it, where Kendall is not. The crash shakes Kendall to his core, but as Cox explains, “Logan will not dwell on that. He wants it sorted, done. He moves on.”

In other words, Logan’s language is the “language of strength,” a description that Strong cites from Michael Wolff’s book The Man Who Owns the News: Inside the Secret World of Rupert Murdoch, and which Cox ascribes to Logan’s childhood brutalization, as suggested by the scars visible on Logan’s back when he goes swimming in “Austerlitz.” Obviously, it’s not a vocabulary that Kendall possesses, and as Strong notes, it’s his attempts to use it that lead him to suffer.

It’s clearest in Kendall’s breakdown, which, incredibly, Strong tells me wasn’t scripted. “That’s honestly just what happened in the room that day; I had no idea how it would come out of me,” he explains. “That was just what I experienced. I think you load yourself up with everything that’s happened to the character until that moment, and then you walk through the door and see what happens. It’s a very important way of working, for me, because if anything is prescribed — to be honest, if it had been in the writing, I’m not sure it would have happened.”

On the characters of Succession: “These are real people.” Colin Hutton/HBO

“It’s not Arrested Development,” Cox says, as we discuss the series’ influences, from the Chappaquiddick incident to Greek tragedy. “There’s a classical element to it, with language, and I think that’s its strength, in a way.”

His meaning becomes clearer as he notes the way that plays like King Lear will get laughs despite being regarded as tragedies, just as Succession has excelled at balancing humor with an increasingly tragic narrative.

“I’ve always regarded myself as a comic actor,” Cox says, adding, “I play a lot of heavies, but I think I always play them in a slightly sort of comic— certainly wicked, that kind of comic way. […] I think Logan is also very funny, because he’s got this authentic quality. He doesn’t seem to be quite there. He’s not quite there because he’s damaged in some way, but he’s not quite there, I think, because he doesn’t want to be quite there. He likes to be inscrutable. And you get that very clearly in the first episode, when one son brings the goo, the sourdough, and then Tom brings a Patek Philippe watch. He’s more curious about the sourdough than he is about the Patek Philippe watch.”

Though Kendall certainly isn’t quite as opaque, he’s still unquestionably complex, and draws from the same sorts of archetypal molds. “Chekhov said, ‘Tell me what a character wants, and I’ll tell you who they are,’” Strong tells me. “What [Kendall] wants is so clear, and he goes after it with such a vengeance that that becomes his undoing. And that is such an archetypal story. I’ll be struck down by a bolt of lightning, but if you look at The Godfather, Michael Corleone goes from being this guileless student to being a cold-blooded, ruthless killer. Obviously, Jesse finds his way into that terrain in a kind of sideways way.”

To that end, Succession is an organically growing creature, and its creators clearly have larger ambitions. Cox initially expected his role on the series to be a one-season part, but Armstrong and Adam McKay dispelled that notion as soon as they began negotiating to bring him onto the show.

Cox also points to the growth of Kieran Culkin’s character, Roman, as evidence of the show’s shift toward “a more considered element.” “He’s such a roister-goister, he’s so glib and talky,” Cox says, “but he suddenly emerges. I watched [episode] eight the other day, and I thought Kieran was so good in that because he sort of ends up holding it all together.”

Again, it all comes down to a sense of humanity. “These are real people,” Strong says, stressing the quality of the show’s writing. “I think Mike Nichols said that, in the first act of a play, you invite the audience to the party. So I feel like the show invites everyone to the party, and then hopefully it kicks them in the stomach. Or something forceful.”

That forceful effect is certainly felt in the series finale, which is more than just a brutal reset, as the crash and its resulting fallout wipe out a season’s worth (arguably a lifetime’s worth) of Kendall’s attempts to get out from under Logan’s shadow. It’s wrenching to watch, and all the more remarkable for having been born out of genuine emotion.

“I think that really great work is a product of putting yourself in danger, which is sort of what I mean about not knowing what would happen in that last scene,” Strong explains. “Without risk, you’re just making something safe. Or if you know in advance what you’re making, it’s not art, certainly. I think that’s, at the end of the day, what you’re trying to make, whether you fall short of it or not — not just television.”

Original Source -> How HBO’s Succession pulled off its brutal finale

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alexleffall-blog · 6 years

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Why kyrie left Cleveland?

Kyrie Irving was one of the best point guards in the league playing for Cleveland. Averaging 21 points per game and led the team in assists and steals. He took the last game winning shot against the warriors in game 7 of The Finals to win the championship, but most of the Credit went towards Lebron and how he led his team to another finals appearance.

Kyrie Irving's request to be traded from the Cleveland Cavaliers in the off-season caught many basketball fans by surprise, but the four-time All-Star felt as though their divorce was "inevitable," according to a new interview. While speaking with ESPN's Jackie MacMullan in a wide-ranging interview, Irving opened up about the blockbuster trade to the Celtics for the first time, saying he didn't feel as though the Cavaliers wanted him anymore – something LeBron James denied when he was asked about it earlier this season.

Not only that, but the cavs were planning on trading Kyrie Irving before deciding to leave

The cavs. I think another reason he left was because of his 2k rating. A video 2k posted in the fall asking Kyrie Irving what he thought his rating was, he said at least 95 plus. But the guy recording the video revealed to him that he was a 90 overall, while Russell Westbrook, is the highest ranked point guard on 2k. "I love it," [Kyrie] "It's motivating me now."

The eventual trade they settled on has worked out well for both Irving and the Cavaliers this season. The Celtics currently have the best record in the Eastern Conference and Irving has shined as the face of the franchise. The Cavaliers aren't far behind them in the standings, and they should only get better now that Isaiah Thomas has recovered from a hip injury that sidelined him for around seven months. A lot could change between now and the end of the season, but Irving insists that he's happy in Boston and that he's taking full advantage of the situation.

Blake Griffin’s trade

he 2018 NBA trade deadline isn’t even a week away yet, and basketball has been shattered, swept up, and put back into place after the Clippers traded Blake Griffin to the Pistons on Monday.It’s pretty easy to tell that this is a sign of change for Los Angeles, which hasn’t made it past the second round in the playoffs since the Lob City era began when Chris Paul was traded to the Clippers. The Clips got a first-round pick and enough young talent (Avery Bradley, Tobias Harris, Boban Marjanovic) to flip into other future first-round picks, but their work is far from done.Blake Griffin will get the $140 million coming to him through 2022 regardless. Now it’s just coming out of Pistons owner Tom Gores’ pocket, rather than Steve Ballmer’s. (And, Griffin will have to have some clothes sent to Detroit. Other than that … he’s good.)

But for the Pistons, who got Griffin, Willie Reed, Brice Johnson and a second-round pick last Monday from the Clippers for Tobias Harris, Avery Bradley, Boban Marjanovic and a 2018 first-round pick, the decision to bring in the extremely skilled yet oft-injured five-time All-Star, and to pick up his price tag, wasn’t a hard one at all.

Derrick Rose if he wasn’t injured

Derrick Rose, rookie of the year, all-NBA and Rookie 1st team, MVP, and 3 time all star, one of the greatest in the game would have been even greater, probably the greatest point guard in the NBA if there wasn’t any injuries. had a vertical of “40 and ever since the injury, reports have said he have jumped 5 more inches. Russell Westbrook, the best point guard in the league right now, reports say he has a vertical of “36’5. Derrick rose literally would have “9 inches more than Westbrook, and Derrick Rose averaged better stats than Westbrook until 2011, when his first major injury took place. means more rebounds, blocks, and especially, dunks! Derrick Rose was known for dunking and posterizing famous players in the league: Goran Dragic, Joel Anthony, Leandro Barbosa, Greg Oden( one of the biggest 1st round pick busts in the league), etc.

Usually NBA players coming into the league don’t start out as great. They take a few years before their full potential comes out, like Lebron James or Russell Westbrook.

Derrick Rose’s potential already came out during his rookie year, and his stats would have only been better not having a full blown injury and after that, and after that.

He lead his old team, the Chicago Bulls, in scoring almost every game.

Michael Jordan was even seeing potential in the young athlete.

He’s also the best because of the contract he has with Adidas, a 13-year $185 million dollar contract. Making him the top 30 highest paid athletes in the world.

Larry Nassar

Megan Halicek went to Dr. Larry Nassar as a 15-year-old gymnast suffering from a fractured spine. But during what was supposed to be a routine appointment, Nassar assaulted her: “Again and again and again,” Halicek testified in court last week, “he abused me, all the while telling me stories about his Olympic journey.”

“I closed my eyes tight, I held my breath, and I wanted to puke,” she recalled. “To this day, those feelings are still there.”

Halicek is one of more than 150 women who came forward with harrowing testimony at the sentencing hearing for Nassar, a former doctor for USA Gymnastics and sports medicine physician at Michigan State University who has pleaded guilty to charges of criminal sexual conduct and child pornography.

On Wednesday, after seven days of survivors’ statements, a judge sentenced Nassar up to 175 years in prison for his crimes. “I just signed your death warrant,” Judge Rosemarie Aquilina said upon delivering the sentence. The former doctor has already been sentenced to 60 years on federal child pornography charges.

Among the victims are decorated US Olympians, including Aly Raisman, Gabby Douglas, and Simone Biles. But the majority were not famous competitors. They were students and young female athletes — gymnasts, dancers, and volleyball players. Nassar’s reputation as a well-connected, talented doctor won their trust. It also helped secure their silence.

Nassar’s sentencing comes amid a larger reckoning about sexual assault and harassment in all arenas, from Hollywood to hotel rooms — and the people in power negligent or complicit in protecting those perpetrators.

Even given the headlines of the past few months, the Nassar case is shocking. First, there’s the number of known victims: More than 160 have come forward, which, as HuffPost’s Alanna Vagianos writes, represents “nearly as many victims as the Jerry Sandusky, Bill Cosby, and Harvey Weinstein scandals combined.”

Many of the victims were minors, sometimes abused with their parents in the room while they were medically examined. There is evidence that Michigan State University and USA Gymnastics, the two elite institutions associated with Nassar, were slow to act on reports that he was abusing girls and young women.

Here’s what we know about the case against Nassar, where it stands now, and why elite gymnasts may have ended up particularly vulnerable.

Ronda Rousey in WWE

the former Olympic judoka and UFC star is set for a new challenge in the WWE.Rousey announced her arrival on the pro-wrestling circuit with an appearance at the Royal Rumble event in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Sunday.She later described the experience to the WWE website as a "real pleasure" and a "dream since I started MMA."Rousey also told broadcaster ESPN that the WWE would be her "first priority on my time for the next several years" and that it was not a "publicity stunt."Rousey last appeared in the octagon in December 2016 when she lost to Amanda Nunes at UFC 207.That defeat was her second on the bounce after suffering the first loss of her career to Holly Holm a year earlier.UFC boss Dana White told the Associated Press last week he thought Rousey "won't fight again" in a mixed martial arts contest, praising her impact in the sport and for creating "millions of female fans" around the world.Rousey, 30, made a WWE cameo appearance in 2015 alongside Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and even used adopted the nickname of WWE icon Rowdy Roddy Piper during her time in the UFC.She first came to prominence as a judo star, appearing in the 2004 Athens Olympics as a 17-year-old.She would win gold at the Pan American Games in 2007 before becoming the first American to win an Olympic medal in judo when she claimed Bronze in Beijing in 2008.WWE stars Brock Lesnar and CM Punk have moved in the opposite direction, going from pro wrestling to MMA.Rousey has signed what is being referred to as a "full-time" contract with WWE, though it is unknown how often she will actually appear. She may wind up scheduled like Brock Lesnar, who only appears on TV every few weeks and only fights on major pay-per-views, work a completely normal WWE superstar schedule or find herself somewhere in between.

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