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adorablelokie · 3 years

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Episode 2 speculation

Or alternatively, how I think episode 2 will go down

Based on the cliffhanger from last episode I reckon episode 2 could have a wicked cold open scene of the mysterious hooded person attacking a yet another unit of TVA Minutemen.

Last we saw her - again, I am firmly convinced the mysterious villain’s name is Sylvie - she lured the TVA Minutemen to an open (and yet undiscovered) oil field in Oklahoma and set them on fire, killing them - which was, whoah. Brutal.

She also stole one of those canisters (I already pointed out a few months ago that she’s after those glowy orange canisters for some reason), but for the most part remained hidden under that heavy cloak and wasn’t shown doing much.

So based on what we currently know about her, what she’s after, what she wears (because at some point in episode 2 she ditches that cloak, thanks to bts videos from March 2020) and where we left off from episode 1, I reckon the episode will start....

....with this scene:

A small group of minutemen and hunters will be dispatched to check a new branched timeline, unknowingly to them Sylvie will be waiting for them, but instead of simply setting them on fire she will use a nastier trick. I’ve long assumed one of Sylvie’s powers is mental manipulation/telepathy and here’s why:

- back in december they released the first official trailer and we saw Loki losing a fight with what seems to be a normal human being in Roxxcart building. A human shouldn’t be able to overpower a God, so I found all that very suspicious. Is that person not human? Is Loki powerless and human? I said maybe. But it seemed weird, given the fact that Loki, Mobius and the team were sent there to help those people, that one of them would suddenly start attacking Loki out of the blue. However, there was another quick scene of Sylvie being shown watching Loki, TVA and the shoppers on surveillance cameras from safety of Roxxcart’s security room. And we know that’s Sylvie because she’s wearing a cloak, is the main bad, and she was there on set in bts photos.

So then I started speculating. What if she’s doing that? What if she’s mentally manipulating those shoppers to attack the TVA and Loki? And thus also somehow making them stronger? Like...think of demonic possessions in paranormal movies. A normal human being would always be much stronger under possession.

- In April another trailer came out and we saw Sasha Lane’s character, hunter C-20 attack her fellow Minutemen and hunters. Some said maybe she’s a double agent or secretly working for the big bad. All I saw was that it was again Sylvie’s fault (since we also know she’s in this scene thanks to trailer footage) and she did something to C-20 that caused her to start attacking her coworkers.

So yes, tl.dr.: The big bad’s - Sylvie’s - powers also consist of mental manipulation/telepathy and she’s the reason why the agents start attacking each other.

The scene will end with all agents dead, killed by one of theirs (C-20) who in the end will probably die as well.

Sylvie will then grab those orange canisters (she’s already in possession of them; note her backpack) and disappear.

Meanwhile back in the TVA, Loki and Mobius will probably try to figure out who the mysterious villain is/how to track him down.

Loki will probably be messing around at what could be Mobius’ desk and Mobius will bring him his VARIANT jacket. He’s literally holding it in his hands here.

Loki of course, will ‘happily’ decide to wear it lol

At some point after this Loki, Mobius and some other TVA agents will go to Renaissance Fair set in 1980′s Wisconsin (according to casting calls from last year). Loki will probably not be given his knives here though :(

but it’s probably going to be his first time mission so yay

Given how the set looks, I reckon that’s where Sylvie’s earlier attack happened when she attacked/killed those TVA agents.

they probably find some sort of anachronistic evidence on the ‘crime scene’, similar to that gum in France, Loki causes some shenanigans and they return back to the TVA HQ to figure out how they can track down the guy doing this and if there’s a pattern

Then Mobius and Loki decide to travel to Pompeii for some reason. Probably because something happens there, because Sylvie’s there, or because they think she’s there. I see no other reason why’d they travel there.

Obviously the Pompeii adventure goes pretty chaotically well. Personally, I think Loki will kinda let himself loose in this scene, because it’s POMPEII! The chaos of it all! And he thrives in chaos.

Anyway, they return back to the TVA HQ just in time.

At some point in episode 2 I think there’s also an attack on the TVA HQ by Sylvie.

She’s still pretty covered up and we know she takes off her cloak at Roxxcart store.

Meanwhile Loki seems to be hunting someone as well, this time with his knives:

Perhaps one’s first impression would be that Loki went rogue and is trying to escape his TVA ‘friends’, but it doesn’t appear that that’s the case. In the following shot we see a knocked out TVA agent just...lying there on the ground and Loki is, with his knives drawn, slowly making his way towards them, not away from them as he would if he was the one responsible for the poor agent’s state.

It appears that Loki is approaching the commotion/danger and is following the source of the fight. In this case I believe Loki is chasing down Sylvie, who has broken into the TVA HQ for reasons unknown.

However, cue his ‘luck’, he comes across Renslayer instead and of course things don’t work out well for him and she knocks him out. I don’t think Loki was her primary target, I think he was just in the way while she and her agents went after the actual danger, but Loki was being annoying and she did what she knew best.

RIP Lokes

Anyway, they’re hunting Sylvie and Loki isn’t their primary issue at the moment. Somehow they track her down to 2050′s Roxxcart. Maybe even using that gum or the shovel she left behind? Idk, but they travel to futuristic store caught in a storm.

Loki’s magic returns and it seems like he will be using it a lot in this scene.

Wouldn’t surprise me if at some point Mobius and Loki split up and Loki stays with Hunter B-15 while Mobius goes with his own set of Hunters.

At some point these random shoppers they were meant to help/rescue start attacking them and as I mentioned earlier in the post it seems like they’re being mentally manipulated by Sylvie as they seemingly easily overpower Loki....something a normal human wouldn’t be able to do

She’s nearby watching everything on surveillance cameras, probably expecting them to find her there. Perhaps she even joins in the fight at the very end.

Thanks to bts photos taken last year we know she takes off her cloak in this scene and reveal herself. I think that might happen at the very end of the episode as a closing ‘shocker’, that the person they’ve been hunting is a woman.

I don’t think her real name will be revealed - I think that might happen in episode 3 and episode 4 will show us her backstory and motive for why she does what she does. Remember we have Young Sylvie in episode 4 (as well as Robot scanner and paper clerk guy, so perhaps she gets captured just like Loki did in episode 1)

Something happens, the lights turn red, chaos ensues. Loki sees her face, she escapes through those doors behind him and Loki, intrigued, decides to go after her, leaving Mobius and the TVA behind

I don’t know why the lights turned red, but perhaps it’s something Sylvie did? Or did the branched timeline reach the red safety line?

I don’t know, but I think this is the start of this timeline mess.

I could be way off but I think, given the information from casting calls and trailers, and by observation...I think this is how I envision episode 2 to go.

#loki #loki spoilers #loki theory #loki speculation #sylvie #sylvie lushton #mobius m mobius #loki series #loki show

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cetacian · 3 years

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The Fall and Rise of Orca: Monster Mash Team-Up in Gotham City Monsters Vol 1 Issues #1-6

Warning: child murder, brief mention of animal sacrifice

Under Cut for Length

After Nightwing Vol 4, Prime Earth’s Orca would end up back in Gotham’s waters, though when exactly these stories take place with regard to any kind of timeline for her is anyone’s guess. The timeframe we do get for Gotham City Monsters is it takes place after the events that created Monstertown in the storyline “Night of the Monster Men” and during the events of the City of Bane arc.

Several of the future members of the team found themselves in and around the section of Gotham City known as Monstertown, each with their own personal issues and agendas. Orca, meanwhile, stalked Gotham Harbor in pursuit of a boat carrying illicit cargo to Bane at Arkham Asylum. She soon managed to destroy the ship, taking one crew member captive as the other dissipated back into living clay, later revealed to be an extension of Lady Clay (Sondra Fuller) in order to experience more of the world to make herself feel more perfect:

In the meantime, future team leader Frankenstein narrated about Orca’s current activities and her desire to make herself seem more respectable to her young nephew, who she hadn’t yet met in person:

In the first issue, Orca refers to her nephew as Daniel, but later issues will refer to him as Jonah. It seems likely that he changed names because writer Steve Orlando seemingly couldn’t pass up the obvious joke.

In the meantime, the immortal magic user Melmoth The Wanderer staged what at first seems like a play within the Magnus Theater, trapping the building’s guardian ghost the Red Phantom (Michael Drown) inside a magical mirror to prevent his interference. Soon enough, Melmoth and his Martian Mandrill minions performed a dark magical rite that claimed the lives of all inside the theater’s auditorium, among them Orca’s nephew Jonah, Killer Croc’(Waylon Jones)’s friend Tusk and another of Lady Clay’s humanoid extensions of herself (something that was traumatic for her as it was akin to part of her soul dying):

Frankenstein, the vampire Andrew Bennett and the freed Red Phantom confronted Melmoth in the theater, who claimed to require sacrifices in order to perform a ritual that would save the Multiverse from destruction. As Melmoth escaped, Frankenstein realized he would need to gather a team of those who had connections to the victims in the theater in order to prevent more deaths. Red Phantom agreed to join him, though Andrew set off on an ill-fated mission to kill Melmoth alone. Frankenstein sought out Lady Clay first.

In Orca’s underwater cavern lair, she tied up her captive, explaining her motives and preparing to kill him. However, she soon became distracted by a news radio announcement about the explosion from the Magnus Theater and the voice of her sister Charity asking for assistance in finding her missing son. Her captive took this opportunity to cut himself loose. Orca broke down when it was revealed that her nephew was dead, unaware that her captive was attempting a sneak attack, only stopped by the good timing of Frankenstein’s sword, as he arrived to offer her vengeance as part of the newly forming team:

The team sought out their next member, Killer Croc, to inform him of his friend Tusk’s death and offer him a place on the team, though he was reluctant to join for personal reasons and due to distrust of Frankenstein, who had been created in part by use of Melmoth’s blood. Orca’s kind words changed Croc’s mind about joining and the team were soon on their way:

Orca mentions having a terrible disease that she was cured of by becoming a hybrid, which seems very different from being paraplegic due to an accident in the case of the New Earth version of the character. However, the miniseries never elaborates any further on her backstory.

The team headed to the Gotham Zoo, but were unable to prevent Melmoth from killing two night watchman, a python and the eggs inside her. However, they gained Andrew Bennett as their sixth member, realizing his previous folly which resulted in him being briefly mind controlled by Melmoth’s blood. Requiring a seventh member, they found Batwoman riding through Monstertown, with Orca being none to subtle in her method of getting her attention:

This action lead into a brief battle with Batwoman, with Croc aiding Orca before Frankenstein stepped in to break up the fight:

Croc stepping in help Orca because she was kind to him is very touching and it makes sense that another version of the characters would end up as a couple in the Injustice 2 comic series (which I’ll cover in a later post).

After explaining the situation to Batwoman and inoculating Andrew against Memoth’s influence via Frankenstein’s blood, the team set out to stop Melmoth’s next sacrifice, but failed in the attempt. A brief distraction from the Monster League of Evil forced the team to pick up Melmoth’s trail as they carefully made their way through Bane’s Gotham:

Orca KOing a mummy is awesome and I almost wish the Monster League of Evil were the book’s main villains. Maybe a story for another time.

The team were soon lead to Melmoth’s final sacrifice site: Slaughter Swamp, where Melmoth was able to bring two potential sacrifices with Solomon Grundy then currently elsewhere. Though Melmoth was able to raise an undead horde of smaller Grundys from the swamp’s countless dead.

Orca and Croc expressed their distrust of Batwoman along the way, though she stressed that their willingness to grow as people was more important than past grudges:

There’s strong themes of redemption and life improvement throughout the miniseries and it’s good to see that happening with rogues and a member of the Bat Family instead of just the usual fistfights.

As Melmoth prepared to sacrifice his latest victims, revealing that he was fighting against Perpetua (creator of the Multiverse and responsible for its many Crises), the team arrived to stop him. Several members fought their way through the horde of Grundys as Frankenstein and Croc tried a ruse to wound Melmoth:

Lady Clay turning into gauntlets for Orca is yet another badass moment in this miniseries. In general ,the issues make good use of her shapeshifting powers.

Just as the team seemed to be getting overwhelmed by sheer numbers, the Red Phantom’s quick thinking and Frankenstein’s execution of the plan, severely damaged Melmoth’s body and allowed Red Phantom to capture his soul. This caused the Grundys to fall dead once more as Orca and Lady Clay went to untie the would-be victims:

There are a few humorous bits of levity in the book that work and this won’t be the last time someone mistakes an Orca for a shark.

In the aftermath, Orca visits her nephew’s grave, accompanied by Lady Clay and Red Phantom. Lady Clay offers her condolences as she and Red Phantom promise to lend aid whenever needed:

In the meantime, Croc took over as the manager of Tusk’s hotel, as Red Phantom went back to his theater, with Melmoth trapped within the same mirror Phantom had once been imprisoned in. The team then recovieneied at the Tomb of Gotham, the place where evil first infected the city, to make their vow that they would come together again to fight whatever other evils might threaten the city and the greater Multiverse:

Summery Thoughts: You can probably tell by my enthusiastic comments that this is my favorite storyline that Orca has been a part of. Her self loathing has actual consequences this time around, as it prevented her from being there to save her nephew. Some might considered his death fridging, but given how many characters are motivated by revenge in this story, I don’t think it counts. I’m just glad they remembered her family at all and I really wish writers would remember Terry, but I’m getting off topic. Having some of Gotham and DC’s more monstrous inhabitants on a hero team paved the way for books like Justice League Dark and expanded on worldbuilding with the area of Monstertown, as well as on character development and following up on past stories. This was also a great first outing for Red Phantom/Michael Drown and I hope the character shows up again at some point. I worry though because the Joker War arc saw the destruction of much of Monstertown, along with the rest of Gotham, and put characters like Croc back at square one, just when he was finally getting a chance to do something more interesting than being a sad, sewer-dwelling thug. I don’t want to end this on a downer though, so I’m just going to hope that we’ll see more of the Gotham City Monsters somewhere down the road.

Up next, I’m going to talk about a couple of one-shots featuring Orca, before we head into a much darker universe.

#Landlubber (OOC)#Apex Predator (Muse Images)#Whalelore (About The Muse)#orca #grace balin #gotham city monsters #dc comics #steve orlando #tw child murder #tw animal death mention

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skeptycats · 4 years

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Vicky Archives #2

FOREST OF SECRETS - A mother’s decision

Vicky Holmes, the former editor of the Warriors series, has been doing short extract readings on Facebook since the start of the UK lockdown back in March. There’s some really cool anecdotes hidden within some of these videos, so I decided to begin penning them down for posterity and easy reference.

I won’t be transcribing filler, hedging and false starts but I’m including some amount of preamble just to be comprehensive.

Vicky started splitting the readthroughs into three parts starting with this one: the reading itself, ‘behind the scenes’ discussion, and topical creative writing exercises. I will be transcribing all three sections under different headers.

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Hello! Welcome to my kitchen today!

My reading today is going to be from the third book in the first series, Forest of Secrets. This was the first book I wrote with Cherith Baldry.

For the first book, Into the Wild, we took writing samples from several writers, a dozen writers, even, and Kate Cary was a new writer to my company and to me. We felt like she had an amazing voice and a real grasp of the sensitivity of the cats, a real feel for the story. And that’s how we chose her, through auditions.

For this book, I went straight to Cherith. I worked with her already on a series called Puppy Patrol by Jenny Dale, I think on a couple of other projects as well. I knew her well, I worked with her very well, and I knew that she loved cats, which was good to balance out my natural antipathy towards the feline species. So I just had a hunch she would be great, and of course, she was.

We’re going to read the prologue:

Cold gripped the forest, fields, and moorland like an icy claw. Snow covered everything, glittering faintly under a new moon. Nothing broke the silence in the forest except for the occasional soft rush of snow sliding from the branches of trees and the faint rasping of dried reeds when the wind swept through them. Even the murmur of the river was stilled by the ice that stretched from bank to bank.

There was a flicker of movement at the edge of the river. A large tomcat, his bracken-colored fur fluffed up against the cold, emerged from the reeds. He shook snow impatiently from his paws as he sank into the soft drifts with every step.

In front of him, two tiny kits struggled forward with faint mews of distress. They floundered in the powdery snow, the fur on their legs and belly matted into icy clumps, but every time they tried to stop, the tomcat nudged them on.

The three cats trudged along the river until it widened out, and they drew level with a small island not far from the bank. Thick beds of reeds surrounded it, their dry stems poking up through the ice. Stunted, leafless willow trees concealed the center of the island behind snow-covered boughs.

“Almost there,” the bracken-colored tom meowed encouragingly. “Follow me.”

He slid down the bank into a narrow frozen pathway through the reeds and leaped onto the dry, crisp earth of the island. The bigger of the two kits scrambled after him, but the smaller one collapsed on the ice and crouched there, mewing pitifully. After a moment’s pause the tomcat jumped down beside it and tried to nudge it to its paws, but it was too exhausted to move. The tomcat gave its ears a lick, roughly comforting the helpless scrap, and then picked it up by the scruff of the neck and carried it onto the island.

Beyond the willow trees was a stretch of open ground broken by bushes. Snow covered the earth here, crisscrossed by the pawmarks of many cats. The clearing seemed deserted, but bright eyes gleamed from shelter, watching the tomcat as he led the way to the largest clump of bushes and through the outer wall of tangled branches.

The icy chill of the air outside gave way to the warmth of the nursery and the smell of milk. In a deep nest of moss and heather a gray she-cat was suckling a single tabby kit. She raised her head as the tomcat drew closer and gently set down the kit he was carrying. The second kit staggered into the nursery behind him and tried to scrabble its way into the nest.

“Oakheart?” meowed the she-cat. “What have you got there?”

“Kits, Graypool,” Oakheart replied. “Will you take them? They need a mother to look after them.”

“But…” Graypool’s amber eyes were shocked. “Whose kits are they? They’re not RiverClan’s. Where did you get them?”

“I found them in the forest.” Oakheart did not meet the she-cat’s eyes as he spoke. “They’re lucky a fox didn’t find them first.”

“In the forest?” meowed the queen, her voice rasping with disbelief. “Oakheart, don’t talk to me as if I’m mouse-brained. What cat would abandon her kits in the forest, especially in weather like this?”

Oakheart shrugged. “Rogues, maybe, or Twolegs. How would I know? I couldn’t leave them there, could I?” He nosed the smaller kit, which was lying completely still except for the rapid rise and fall of its tiny ribs as it breathed. “Graypool, please…Your other kits died, and these will die too, unless you help them.”

Graypool’s eyes clouded with pain. She looked down at the two kits. Their tiny mouths gaped pink as they mewed pitifully. “I have plenty of milk,” she murmured, half to herself. “Of course I’ll take them.”

BEHIND THE SCENES

So that was the prologue of Forest of Secrets. I don’t think it’s a massive spoiler to say that was Oakheart taking his and Bluefur’s kits into RiverClan after Bluefur, who we know better now as Bluestar, made the terrible decision to give up her kits in order to become deputy of ThunderClan. She knew that a nursing mother would never be allowed to take position. She had to make that ultimate sacrifice. She had three kits, one of them died in the snow on the way, and two kits remained.

Now, when I started writing Forest of Secrets and coming up with the storyline... this series, you have to remember, was very much flying under the radar. It was still just a little series about cats. Yes, we were going to do six books instead of just the one, but it wasn’t selling very well. HarperCollins wasn’t promoting it massively, they didn’t feel the need to. It was just a bread-and-butter series. And because of that, I’m not going to say I was allowed to run riot, but I certainly had a lot of freedom with the storylines, and that meant I could come up with all these backstories for cats.

It’s so long ago, I can’t remember how I had the idea that Bluestar had given up kits, but I do know at the time I was very personally aware of the conflict between a mother, with young children, and a career. As a parent, and especially, I think, as a mother even in this day and age, you have to make really hard decisions. You can’t be the best mum in the world and the best at your job. It just tears you in half. And I wanted to demonstrate this. It was what I was living through at the time, and I wanted to demonstrate this in my books. And so, I made Bluestar the ultimate career woman, and she gave up her children. With terrible consequences. So that was the first freedom that I was allowed.

The other great freedom was that I was writing about cats, and therefore I could write about old characters. Now, when you’re writing children’s books, and as you know I’ve written many, many children’s books, normally your protagonist, your central character, will always be the aspirational age of your readers. So, for example, if you’re writing a middle-grade series, which is for ages 8-12, your central characters will be 12, because that’s the age your readers will identify with and want to be. It has this slight glamour for the younger children, and the older readers will think ‘yep, I get them, that’s what I’m living at the moment’.

However, because I’m writing about cats, cats age far more quickly, obviously, than humans do. So my characters could start off as kits, but within a book they would be apprentices, and then within another book they’d be grown-ups, and having a job, and having great responsibility, including over life and death. And they’ll be able to get married and have children, basically, in the cat world. That meant I could have central characters that aged, and that felt very new at the time, and very fresh.

Therefore, I was able to have in Bluestar a central character who had not only had children, but she had given up those children for the sake of her job. Including losing the life of one of her three babies in the snow, and then had had to live with those consequences all through her career. And it destroyed her mind. Therefore, in Forest of Secrets and all of the rest of the first series, I was able to show an old character, her mind disintegrated. I think if Bluestar was human we would’ve said she had symptoms of dementia. She certainly had symptoms of massive depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. We don’t need to label it, we just need to empathise.

We can really see how she was destroyed by giving up her children, and as series one progresses and the trouble with Tigerclaw emerges and she faces losing her whole Clan, it seems to her that her sacrifice was for nothing. And the pain of that is, well, I think it’s probably more than I could contain in words. And both Kate and Cherith, both mothers themselves, just captured that I think, the disintegration of an old person.

It’s safe to say that for Into the Wild and Fire and Ice, I didn’t love Warriors. It was part of my job, I was working on other things that I much preferred. Didn’t really like cats, didn’t really see where these stories were going... you know, just ‘bash them out’. And that sounds awful, but that kind of was the truth. Forest of Secrets? I fell in love. Fell in love with Warriors, I fell in love with what these characters could do, I fell in love with what I could do with them, and this is when the series became me. Became personal. When I opened up my life onto the page.

CREATIVE WRITING PROMPTS

So I’ve read my prologue, and I’ve talked a little bit about the freedom that writing about cats gave me, and especially writing from the perspective of an old person. If you’d like to use this for your own creative writing today, I’d like you to have a think about writing from the perspective of a grandparent, or someone who’s lived hundreds of years and is looking back over their lives. How would they see the world differently? What sort of extra perspective do you think that gives them?

Ordinarily, as an English teacher, when we’re encouraging our students to write from the perspective of an older person we often say go interview your grandparents, especially if they’ve lived through the Second World War, because that was a time when society was very different and very alien. We are in the unique position now of living through our own version of that war. Society is different now than it ever has been before, and so what I think might be interesting is to imagine yourselves way in the future, having gone back to living very normal lives, hopefully having families of your own or surrounded by children from your neighbourhood.

What would you tell them about this time now? See if you can get into the old person’s perspective, would you look back on this and say it was a positive time for connecting with your family and learning the good of the Internet? Would you perhaps be nostalgic? Are there things you might miss about this time?

But you can also be realistic about how scary it was, especially if you’re younger you might feel particularly that you can’t control it and you don’t know what happens next. I’ll let you into a secret: I’m a grown-up and I don’t feel in control, and I don’t know what’s going to happen, and I’m very, very worried about my family especially.

Have a go at writing today from the perspective of an old person. It doesn’t have to be about now, it can be something perfectly happy. Do your bones ache? Does the sun warm your skin? Think about how it would be to be someone else, someone of a different age.

As well as creative writing you could also look at your own books and check out the ages of the protagonists, check out the ages of your central characters. Do you have any books which present events from the point of view of an elderly person? At the moment we’re all about inclusivity in children’s literature, writing from all the different viewpoints, which is just a fabulous thing and I’m learning as much as anyone else about it. Old people have a lot to say, and it’s worth listening. We have a good perspective, even though I’m not nearly as old as I would hope one day to be.

#vicky archives #warrior cats #warriors #bluestar #forest of secrets #not designs

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wolf-555-writer · 5 years

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Still Breathing Part 4

I decided to post smaller parts of the story as I won’t have much time for writing starting next month, responsibilities, responsibilities... So sorry guys :(. And I really appreciated your messages! Thank you ;). But this way I can still post frequently I hope :). Enjoy!

Read part 1; part 2; part 3

Alex Danvers x Reader

Word Count: 1,619

Feeling the hot water drops gently sliding down your body. You think about the events that happened an hour ago, outside the bar, as you can’t stop smiling.

“Did that really happen? Like… we kissed right? I still can’t believe it…”

You’re currently in the steaming hot shower at Alex her place because you were freezing cold and drenched from the rain. Bringing your hands up to move them through your hair, you feel a stinging pain and flinch. It’s from your wounded knuckles, meeting the heated water, since you cracked the unhealed skin due to your rage fit earlier. You almost forgot about that moment. That nasty fight you had with Alex. Quickly snapping out of it, you turn off the shower and reach for a towel. Your clothes are as of now ready to be worn again thanks to Alex who had put them in the dryer.

All warmed up, you get dressed and casually walk to the couch where Alex is already seated. Crashing yourself on the couch, you finally relax from this intense day. Grabbing the warm coffee mug from the table, Alex sarcastically chuckles:

“You can sit closer to me you know, I don't bite.”

You laugh nervously as you suddenly think of something.

“Wait... where are Kara and J'onn?”, you gasp, lifting one eyebrow. “What do you mean?”, Alex responds. “Well… we left the bar in a hurry and didn't tell them where we went, because we didn’t go back in. They're probably still waiting”, you say, laughing a bit. Alex her expression looks guilty:

“Oh god, you're right.”

“I know. We're terrible people, right?, you jokingly express, causing a faint smile to appear on Alex her face while she reaches for her phone. Feeling responsible for leaving the bar without letting her sister know, she sends her a short text. Almost immediately after Alex placed the phone back on the table again, someone calls. She quickly picks it up. It's Kara. You can't exactly hear what's said on the other end of the line, but you can guess as Alex her facial expression speaks louder than a thousand words. Kara definitely knows what happened outside, definitely. Alex tries to calm Kara down, guess she was rooting for this moment all along. Alex hangs up the phone and looks at you, still chilling on the couch, sipping your dark coffee.

“What?”, you ask her. “Everything okay with Kara?”

“Everything is more than okay with Kara”, she answers, slightly annoyed by her sister. You laugh, almost choking in the warm drink. You love this about Alex. The love she feels for her sister, the way she protects her. But also sometimes the hate and annoyance her sister makes her feel. Alex sits herself down on the couch again, now closer to you. One hand tenderly stroking your leg while she’s holding the coffee mug in the other as you two start talking about everything and nothing.

At a given moment you bring up the DEO, making some sort of joke, which you obviously think is funny. Well- I can tell you, Alex does not feel the same. Immediately realizing this is not the best time to raise this subject, as you're suspended, while viewing your freshly scarred knuckles. Alex becomes a bit pissed again because she has a lot on her plate right now, including your screw up. She turns her head fiercely away from you. Why did you do that… not your brightest moment so to speak.

“Sorry, didn’t mean that”, you declare, sort of apologizing?

“You don’t have to tell me that”, Alex growls back at you. Standing up from the couch, you think it's better if you leave, figure this out later, as you’ve caused enough for today.

“Maybe it’s better if I just go”, you suggest while you already start to put on your jacket and reach for the door. Alex remains silent, avoiding eye contact while she had furiously crossed her arms.

“Talk to you later Danvers”, you say tiredly as you shut the door behind you, quickly walking away from the apartment, facepalming and blaming yourself for ruining this perfect moment or what could have been...

It was obviously not the first time you screwed up or did something stupid. You think back to some random day at the DEO.

///

[Flashback]

Letting an alien escape on your watch? Yeah… not your best action. You had already endured an intense, downgrading, expressive speech from Director Henshaw, how he still called himself at that time, as you are in the examination room, nervously pacing around, waiting to get cleared for duty. He was extremely pissed at you. Of course you slightly understand, but it could have happened to anyone. Right? Your mind wanders off to the critical event.

Director Henshaw and Alex were discussing something with the cops who first responded to the scene. You had already escorted the captured alien, who’s wearing power dampening cuffs, to the black transportation truck with another DEO Agent, or ‘FBI’ Agent as that’s the DEO’s cover story. Once the alien was safely locked up inside, you both were guarding the armored truck, guns gripping close. You were casually standing there, talking with each other, as all of a sudden a loud noise originated from behind you.

-BAM-

The heavy door slammed open. Hitting your back harshly while you were stationed right in front of it. Whereas the forceful blow made you collide with the solid asphalt, sensing the discomfort radiating through your entire back. The alien managed to get their cuffs off, but how?? It was already too late to act as the alien made a run for it. Surprising everyone, including Alex and Hank, while also injuring some innocent bystanders in their escape. “What did I do wrong?”

Busy retracing every single step in your mind, as currently Alex enters the room.

“Let's see what the damage is”, she states with a blank expression. The escapee didn't getaway without a struggle since you feel several parts of your body aching. You look up and see Alex pointing at the silver, metal table. As you sit yourself down, having removed your shirt a bit clumsy, you ask: “I didn't know you were also a doctor”.

“I had a job as a researcher up in Seattle for a while” she states while she grabs the stethoscope to listen to your heart and lungs.

“Is she also mad at me for letting a prisoner escape? Am I gonna ask her? I don't want her to be angry with me”, you think, following Alex her actions closely.

“Can you deeply breathe in for me?”, she requests, sensing the cold stethoscope touch the bare skin on your back. You flinch and clench your teeth as that spot on the shoulder blade hurts due to the metal door that forcefully struck you earlier. Alex notices it and caringly questions: “Does it hurt?”

“Yeah- no, not... not really”, you deliver, trying to cover up the miserable state that you’re in. Alex stares into your eyes, gentle grin on her face and one eyebrow lifted, “I know when you’re lying (Y/N)”.

“Okay... maybe a little”. You quickly change the subject as your body is also filled with shame. “Are you also angry with me?” now glancing at her with sad puppy eyes. She gazes at you with a lost expression. “What do you mean?”

“Did she already forget it?” you think while responding to her question. “The unfortunate event that happened today…”

“Ah, the escaped prisoner you mean!” she exclaims. “Yes. I was furious!” she answers resentful. You feel more and more guilty by the minute, tilting your head down towards the bleak floor while you desperately sigh. “But I saw Hank loudly yelling at you, so... I think you’ve learned the lesson”, she continues with a more compassionate tone.

It comforts you a bit, but the shame and guilt haven’t completely left your state of mind because you know that every Agent, including Winn, is currently on the look-out for that rogue alien. Trying to find its location and bring them in, again. Fixing your mistake, while you’re doing absolutely nothing. Except of course screwing everything up.

“I’m all done by the way. You’re cleared. Just take it easy, you’re probably gonna be bruised up for a while”, as you notice a slight chuckle in her voice. “And you can put your shirt back on”, she gently expresses while you boost yourself up from the firm, metallic table. Grabbing the other half of your black DEO uniform from the chair nearby, Alex stares at you from a distance as she’s tidying up some medical equipment. “Is she like, checking me out right now? I mean, not that I’m complaining...”, you debate inside your head while you notice her eyes following your fine figure. Completely from head to toe, probably unaware that you’ve caught her gloating.

Now it hits you -weird timing, but okay- You neglected to thoroughly search the prisoner before putting them on transport. They probably had something on them, able to free themself from the high-tech handcuffs. I mean, they were after all a skilled thief. This was a huge mistake. A mistake not even a rookie would make. Why weren’t you suspended for these actions? Or better said, lack of action? Had Alex something to do with it? Did she convince Henshaw? If that’s the case, she’ll probably never admit it to you, even if you tried. Guess you’ll never know...

You admiringly watch Alex, sensing your spirit brighten. She exits the room, walking through the doorway, while you intensely breathe in, encouraging yourself and learning from the mistake you made. May this never happen again...

Continue with part 5

#alex danvers #alex danvers x reader #alex danvers imagine #alex danvers x you #supergirl #supergirl imagine #wlw fiction #wlw imagine #fanfiction #kara danvers #j'onn j'onzz #hank henshaw #winn schott #alex danvers fic

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justanothercinemaniac · 7 years

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Epic Movie (Re)Watch #160 - Star Trek Into Darkness

(GIF originally posted by @forquicksilver)

Spoilers Below

Have I seen it before: Yes

Did I like it then: Yes.

Do I remember it: Yes.

Did I see it in theaters: Yes.

Was it a movie I saw since August 22nd, 2009: Yes. #227

Format: Blu-ray

1) The opening scene for this film is a lot of fun. It is a nice isolated adventure which reestablishes the world and the dynamic of the crew while also setting up some character interaction/arcs to come.

2) Hmm, wonder which Star Trek film this is going to take reference from...

Spock: “Doctor, the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.”

3) Remember this question:

Kirk [when he has to either save Spock’s life or follow the prime directive]: “If Spock were here and I were there, what would he do?”

Bones: “He’d let you die.”

4) London.

The opening scene with Noel Clarke in London - with his obviously sick daughter, elevated by Michael Giacchino’s subtle and somewhat haunting score - does well to set up the titular darkness the film features. It is somber, slower paced, and much more clawing than what we’ve seen before.

5) Sassy Spock returns!

Captain Pike: “You givin’ me attitude, Spock?”

Spock: “I am expressing multiple attitudes simultaneously, to which are you referring?”

6) Kirk’s key conflict throughout this film is how he deals with mortality. Outside of the death of his father, it is not something he is familiar with. And even that was something which occurred literally the day he was born, meaning he has no memory of it. Yet it still guides his actions. Everything he does - letting the indigenous species from the beginning see the Enterprise to save Spock, attempting to save the species in the first place - is striving to prevent what happened to his father. Kirk plays god not out of ego but because he doesn’t wish anyone to feel the emptiness he knows from that kind of conflict. But he has to learn to let it happen. He has to learn to deal with it, otherwise he’ll go on a bad path. Look at what he almost did when Captain Pike died. He almost let himself get played and go against the core beliefs of Starfleet just to make sure no one else got hurt. But death is a part of life. And he will come face to face with death in a way in a similar-yet-unique way as he did in Wrath of Khan.

7) The whole “Kirk loses his command, has to go back to Starfleet academy, only to become a first officer and immediately get his command back” thing feels sort of frivolous. I feel it would have been much more effective to have him just be on probation or something, because this sort of undermines the lesson he was meant to learn. There’s not much of a consequence to it.

8) The bar scene between Kirk and Pike (calling back to how they met in the first film) is something I have mixed feelings about.

Kirk: “How did you find me?”

Pike: “I know you better than you think.”

Kirk [in reference to the bar fight from the first film]: “Yeah, that was a good fight.”

Pike: “A good fight? I think that’s your problem right there.”

For the most part I think it is a nice piece of the film. It gives us one last good look at their relationship, Pike’s mentorship, and the respect Kirk has for Pike before Pike’s death in a little bit. However - for me - it doesn’t feel like it matches up with when Pike was railing on Kirk earlier in the film. At all. There is this dissonance there I just cannot remedy.

9) The key conflict between Kirk and Spock in this film is interesting. We’ve moved past the place of sheer conflict they started out in the 2009 reboot to a place of respect but there’s still this dissonance between them. They’re not the strong pair that we are used to yet. The best friends. That’s what they become in this film, but they’re not there yet.

Kirk: “Do you understand why I went back for you [to save your life]?”

[Spock does not have an answer.]

10) Hey look, Robocop!

11) At the meeting of the captains, Kirk - even though he’s been disgraced - still says his piece. Yes it took some convincing but he notices something no one else could and stood up for it. And so continues the tradition of Kirk standing up for himself.

12) Spock’s mind meld with Pike plays into his own arc of dealing with death (similar to Kirk’s) very well, but more on that later.

13) Alice Eve as Carol “Wallace”.

With one noteworthy exception, I truly enjoy Carol’s presence in this film. Alice Eve has always been a favorite of mine and I think she does well in the part. Carol Marcus was an interesting character in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan and it’s fun getting to see this younger side of her. She is probably one of the characters with the most underused potential from the original series of Star Trek feature films and I’m glad that - at least for this film - they decide to explore that potential more. More on that one exception later though...

14) It is good to see that Kirk, Bones, and Scotty - while all loyal to Kirk - care more about making sure he is okay than following him blindly. They all act as voices of reason to their captain and their words do set in, it is just a delayed settling.

15) I think Scotty resigning was a nice surprise. I honestly was not expecting it and it lends itself to a few things:

Kirk realizing just how sketchy some of this stuff is.

Kirk being pushed/pushing himself to places he’s never been before.

An organic & unique way of including Scotty later in the film.

16) Love this.

Kirk [about Spock]: “Sometimes I want to rip the bangs off his head. I don’t know, maybe it’s just me.”

Uhura: “It’s not you.”

Kirk: “It’s not? [Beat.] Wait a minute, are you guys fighting?...Oh my god, what is that even like?”

17) Even Chekov knows what a red shirt in Star Trek means.

Kirk [giving Chekov’s Scotty’s old job]: “Go put on a red shirt.”

Chekov [nervously]: “Aye sir...”

18) So one thing that sort of confused me was the fact that Carol is British in this film while in Wrath of Khan she was American. My theory is that the results of the Kelvin made Admiral Marcus (her father) a much more paranoid man, which we know lead to his wife leaving him. I feel like his wife is British and since Carol takes on her mom’s maiden name I have a feeling she grew up more with her than in the original timeline. Hence her British accent. But that’s besides the point...

19) I like that Uhura knows and uses Klingon in this film. In Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, Nichelle Nichols objected to a scene where Uhura had to hurriedly learn Klingon since she felt her character should already know it. In this film, she does! Yay! Progress!

20) According to IMDb:

When calling down to the shuttle bay, Sulu commands the crew to prepare the transport captured during the "Mudd incident last month", a reference to the same character who appeared in Star Trek: Mudd's Women (1966) and Star Trek: I, Mudd (1967) as a rogue trader. He also appeared in the comic prequel "Star Trek: Countdown to Darkness".

Last I heard, Rainn Wilson (of “The Office”) would be playing Harcourt Mudd in the upcoming Star Trek TV show “Star Trek: Discovery”. Moving on...

21) I feel like I’d be Kirk in this scenario.

Kirk [as Uhura and Spock start arguing on a dangerous mission to the Klingon home world]: “Are you - are you really going to do this now?”

22) This is so important to Spock’s arc throughout the film:

Uhura: “At that volcano, you didn't give a thought to us. What it would do to me if you died, Spock. You didn't feel anything. You didn't care...”

Spock: “Your suggestion that I do not care about dying is incorrect. A sentient being's optimal chance at maximizing their utility is a long and prosperous life.”

Spock [later]: “You misunderstand. It is true I chose not to feel anything upon realizing my own life was ending. As Admiral Pike was dying, I joined with his consciousness and experienced what he felt at the moment of his passing. Anger. Confusion. Loneliness. Fear. I had experiences those feelings before, multiplied exponentially on the day my planet was destroyed. Such a feeling is something I choose never to experience again. Nyota, you mistake my choice not to feel as a reflection of my not caring. Well, I assure you, the truth is precisely the opposite.”

That’s it. Right there. I don’t think there’s any more analysis needed. Spock is dealing with death in a similar way Kirk is, except he is dealing with much more relevant and painful memories he is trying to avoid. Kirk has to learn how to deal with those kinds of experiences as opposed to death as a concept.

23) Remember how I said I love that Uhura can speak Klingon now?

Uhura [convincing Kirk to avoid a fight with Klingons]: “You brought me here because I speak Klingon. Then let me speak Klingon.”

I love that she takes such an active role on Kronos of trying to avoid conflict. I love that she puts herself out there for her crew and her team. I just love it all.

24) Here we have Kirk just beating the shit out of “John Harrison” and “Harrison” not doing anything about it because it doesn’t really effect him. Or the plot. I get that Kirk is dealing with how “Harrison” killed Pike, but can’t we just have him hit him once, see it does nothing, and move on?

Also I will talk about Benedict Cumberbatch as “John Harrison”, just not yet.

25) I love Carol Marcus in this film. I think she’s smart, competent, is able to hold her own with Kirk well, and just works really well. However, I hate - hate hate hate - this moment:

So according to IMDb:

Writer Damon Lindelof apologized on Twitter for the seemingly gratuitous and much criticized scene where Alice Eve strips down to her underwear. J.J. Abrams would counter the criticism later when he appeared on Conan O'Brien's talk show and premiered a deleted scene featuring Benedict Cumberbatch showering. For her part, Eve staunchly defended the scene, and stated that she was very proud to show her her body after working out intensely for the shot. She has maintained that doing the scene was not forced upon her, and that in no way she felt exploited by this.

I like that Eve herself was comfortable with it, that makes me a bit more comfortable with it. However, gratuitous is totally the right word. It literally serves no purpose other than to objectify Marcus when she is so much more than her body. It’s eye candy for Kirk in a film written by guys, directed by a guy, and produced by a guy. And at the end of the day the filmmakers DID cut the scene with Khan, they did not cut this scene. I just...do not like this moment. At all. It feels pointless and makes me sad every time I see it. Again, I like that Eve was comfortable with it. But from a storytelling standpoint it just does not need to exist. At all.

26) I do enjoy the scene immediately following Carol’s strip down, which is where she and Bones take a torpedo to a nearby safe space to try and open it up only to risk blowing it up. It’s a simple, short, yet tense scene which I think is an elegant piece of conflict. It also plays into something which was a regular occurrence in the first film: the idea of if something can go wrong it should go wrong.

27) Alright, Benedict Cumberbatch as John Harrison.

(GIF source unknown [if this is your GIF please let me know].)

Cumberbatch as Khan is a very mixed bag for me. Like I have a lot of different feelings about it. I like that he is able to play the intellect/physical prowess of the character well, but obviously no one will ever be able to touch Montalban’s performance so there’s not really a point in trying. Since this is an earlier version of Khan, he’s a lot less wrathful than what we’re used to. He’s also less poetic and greener (as is the rest of the crew, in relation to the later of those two). But Cumberbatch is also able to give Khan a brief vulnerability we are not exposed to in Wrath of Khan, specifically in his care for his crew. So in terms of the performance alone, I think Cumberbatch does a nice job. He is a terrific actor so I’m not surprised. But...

I don’t think they should have gone with a white actor, if I’m being honest.

For one thing, Ricardo Montalban is Mexican. And based on what I’ve read about the character’s episode in the original series (I’ve never seen it myself, so I might not be totally right here) he was a ruler of Asia and the Middle East before being deposed and cryogenically frozen (I read on Wikipedia that he’s Sikh, but it still is Wikipedia so there’s a chance that’s not 100% accurate). None of this really screams, “white british guy,” to me. This is a criticism of the casting, not Cumberbatch or his performance.

In an interview with Trekmovie.com, cowriter Bob Orci said:

"Basically, as we went through the casting process and we began honing in on the themes of the movie, it became uncomfortable for me to support demonizing anyone of color, particularly any one of Middle Eastern descent or anyone evoking that. One of the points of the movie is that we must be careful about the villain within US, not some other race"

I do understand the issue there, but Khan is not meant to be representative of all Middle Eastern people or a certain ethnicity. He is a visual representation of himself but he is an individual. It’s not like you are writing him to be the big bad Middle Eastern bad guy. You’re writing Khan, and in the past Khan has been non-White.

Again, this is not a criticism of Cumberbatch himself but of the casting decision. I think Cumberbatch does a fine job in the film, I just think a non-white actor should have been cast. Now that I’m done talking about that...

28) This is Kirk at his most frightened.

He see no way out right now. Admiral Marcus is going to blow his ship out of the sky with his crew, so he pleads with Marcus to just take him and spare his crew. He knows what it feels like to lose a loved one in a situation like this, he knows the hole it leaves in your heart even if it isn’t one he can’t define in the same way as Spock. He wants to spare them so they can go home to their families. Just like he wished his father was spared. And when he can’t do that...

Kirk [to his crew]: “I’m sorry.”

I think Kirk’s emotional conflict in this film is one of its standout elements (possibly its strongest), and whatever other issues this film may have I’m glad it does that well.

29) Fans of voiceover actors will recognize Nolan North as a member of Admiral Marcus’ crew.

North is most famous for his role as Nathan Drake in the Uncharted series of video games, but also has voiced Deadpool on a number of occasions and even the Penguin in the Batman: Arkham video game series. He’s one of the most prolific and talented voice over actors there is and I believe JJ Abrams included him because he’s a fan of his work.

30) Similarly, Bill Hader voices the computer on Admiral Marcus’ ship and would collaborate with JJ Abrams again on Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens as a voice consultant for BB-8 with Ben Schwartz.

31) I think it’s nice that the tribble (a fan favorite from the original series) is included, but it’s sort of just awkwardly placed while Kirk is talking with Khan just so it can establish a way to resurrect Kirk later in the film.

32) The dive Kirk and CumberKhan make from the Enterprise to Marcus’ ship is a great set piece in the film. Supported by strong visual and great action, it has the potential to be considered iconic Trek a few years down the road.

33) It makes so much sense that Zachary Quinto Spock would call Spock Prime to ask about Khan.

(GIF originally posted by @tomfooleryprime)

Spock Prime: “Khan Noonien Singh is the most dangerous adversary the Enterprise has ever faced...”

Spock: “Did you defeat him?”

Spock Prime: “At great cost, yes.”

34) I like that Kirk is not stupid enough to actually trust Khan.

Scotty [after Kirk tells him to stun Khan when he’s given the signal]: “I thought he was helping us.”

Kirk: “I’m pretty sure we’re helping him.”

35) Wow, the ego on this guy.

Admiral Marcus: “If I’m not in charge our entire way of life is decimated!”

That does not justify the horrific crimes, attempted murder, or extortion you’ve committed. This guy pisses me off way more in 2017 than he did in 2013.

36) Khan crushing Marcus’ head is very strong for me. It feels like it’s straight out of a horror film and really shows just how dark this character is willing to get in the fulfillment of his wrath (see what I did there?).

37) The preceding mental chess game between Spock and Khan is very nice, though. It shows just how smart each is, how they’re intellectually matched, and see to succeed Spock must use Khan’s ego (a flaw he has always had) to his advantage. Khan underestimates Spock and just how crafty he can get, to his own disadvantage.

38) Remember note #3? Where Kirk was wondering what Spock would have done if the roles were reversed? Well Trek fans know what Spock DID do when the roles were reversed in the past (alternate timeline? I don’t know). We know Spock very willingly sacrificed himself to save the crew, and so does Jim.

Spock [about the trick he pulled on Khan]: “It’s what you would’ve done.”

Kirk: “And this...this is what you would have done.”

Kirk admits that he’s afraid and that has been his conflict all along. He’s afraid of death, or mortality. Not just for him, but for his crew as well. For his loved ones. But his need to keep them safe outweighs his fear for himself. And this is how Kirk learns to face mortality, by sacrificing himself (as opposed to dealing with Spock’s death in Wrath of Khan). As I said before, a similar-yet-unique way of facing that conflict.

39) Of course this had to be somewhere in the film.

youtube

40) When the Enterprise crashes into the San Francisco bay it destroys Alcatraz. JJ Abrams had a 2011 TV series on Fox named/surrounding Alcatraz that was cancelled in its first season. Hmmm....

41) I like the final chase between Spock and Khan through San Francisco but I always feel its sort of extra. Fun to watch but maybe a little long. The real climax was Spock/Khan’s mental chess game and then Kirk sacrificing himself, this just does not carry the same amount of conflict with it.

42) So Khaan’s blood can...cure death?

Whatever you can do to keep James T. Kirk alive, I guess.

43)

Kirk: “Dr. Marcus, I’m glad you could be a part of the family.”

Okay, I actually googled why Carol Marcus was left out of Star Trek Beyond and the reason I found I actually REALLY like. This is a quote from Simon Pegg, who cowrote Beyond in a somewhat rushed amount of time.

“With this it felt like we would under-serve her if we included her, she might end up feeling like she hadn’t been given the amount of screen-time she deserves, so rather than bring her in and just have her be a supporting role, like, have her not be in this one, and when the time comes [bring her back], the worst thing to do would be to have her in the film and have that character be killed, and that felt like a cynical thing to do. We thought rather than have Carol Marcus not be used to a reasonable capacity, let’s just not include her, have her be alive, in canon, and ready to come back at any time.”

I’m actually REALLY glad they went that route, because more often than not characters are included out of obligation and killed off because they can’t think of anything better to do with them.

While I do enjoy Star Trek Into Darkness, it is a mixed bag for me. I think the acting is still topnotch and the conflicts each character deals with (ESPECIALLY Kirk and Spock) make for incredible storytelling. Sometime it can feel a bit extra and convoluted however, I’m disappointed in the whitewashing of Khan (even if I do think Cumberbatch did a nice job), and I find the underwear shot of Carol gratuitous. Overall I think it’s a good film just not a great one, and occasionally a problematic one. I do enjoy it. It’s not like I feel like I waste 2 hours of my life whenever I put it in, and this is about the third time I’ve seen it. I just am very aware of its flaws. I hope some of that makes sense. If you want to watch it, watch it. If you are more of a fan of it than I am, fantastic! It’s still a good Trek film (there are much worse Trek films out there), but if it comes down to watching this or any of the rebooted Star Trek films I’d go with any of the other two. Or even better, Wrath of Khan. Maybe I should stop talking now.

#Star Trek #Star Trek Into Darkness #Chris Pine #Zachary Quinto #Zoe Saldana #Benedict Cumberbatch #Alice Eve #Simon Pegg #Bruce Greenwood #Peter Weller #Epic Movie (Re)Watch #Leonard Nimoy #Bill Hader #Nolan North #Noel Clarke #Karl Urban #Movie #Film #GIF

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taliesin-19 · 7 years

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Fic Recs Part 2!

I did one or two of these a while ago, so you can just click on the ‘fic recs’ tag if you want. But for part 2, I’ll start out with some general fics that I’ve read recently and enjoyed, and then go into more specific recs that people asked for.

1. Ginny Chronicles by @justalittleconfusing (Part I complete, Part II actively updating)

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12312469/1/Ginny-Chronicles-Part-1-Little-Girl-Lost

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12470990/1/Ginny-Chronicles-Part-2-The-Lioness-Within

This is a canon-compliant series from Ginny’s pov that starts from her 1st year and is continuing on. The author has created a perfect characterization of young Ginny. She begins as her talkative, curious, bright little self, but as the story progresses, we slowly see her ‘descent into madness’ as Tom cleverly manipulates her. It’s truly wonderful writing, packed with so much emotion that you can’t help but feel everything that Ginny is feeling. Before reading this, I’d never given too much thought to what Ginny went through in the Chamber of Secrets, but now, I can really see how this experience must have haunted her and eventually shaped her to become the independent, feisty, stubborn girl we all know and love. I’m beyond excited to see how the author handles the coming years and Ginny’s growth, as well as her relationship with Harry.

2. I’m Not The Only One by Potato19 (incomplete, but actively updating)

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12365803/1/I-m-Not-The-Only-One

AU story set in Harry’s 5th year, his parents are still alive and he has a half-brother after James cheated on Lily. Also, HHr.

You’re probably thinking, why in the world would I read, let alone rec such a story? It has a bunch of red flags, yes, but this is honestly so well-written. It’s like a breath of fresh air. The characters are charming, complex, and funny. The dialogue is always spot on. And there’s just this aura about it that is so pleasing, and yet sad at the same time. As someone who can’t really stomach HHr stories these days, I was pleasantly surprised to find that I actually enjoyed their chemistry. Both their characterizations are just slightly different enough to canon to make it work. But it’s not even the romance that drew me in. It was the relationship Harry has with his mother and Sirius, and his best friends Neville and Luna. If you enjoyed Perks of Being a Wallflower, or any other coming of age book where the characters are outcasts, then I think you’ll enjoy this.

Some downsides: James Potter is not a pleasant character in this story. I’m not sure if I could call it bashing yet because the author may reveal something in the future or flesh out his character more, but at this point, I can’t stand him. The same goes for his son (Harry’s half-brother) who I hate more than Draco Malfoy, which is saying something. Also, at this point, I’m not entirely sure where the story is heading plot wise. It may have something to do with Voldemort, Harry/Hermione, James and his bad choices, or all of the above.

Despite that though, it’s just a nice drama/romance fic with great characters. And I’m eagerly awaiting an update!

3. Rogue’s Bet by Hufflepunk (incomplete, but updated not too long ago)

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12240216/1/Rogue-s-Bet

Light-hearted AU story where Voldemort never rose to power and Harry had a happy childhood (raised by Sirius I believe, but not sure if reasons were given why). Honestly, this is just a fun fic. Harry is a bit of a douche, but not a horrible person. All the Gryffindor dormmates are tight-knit friends and very believable teenagers. Ginny’s characterization is absolutely amazing and hilarious.The author states that the story is more character-driven than plot driven, which is very apparent as soon as you read it. There are some minor plot threads here and there, but the crux of the story is the boys’ and Ginny’s friendship, and the trials and tribulations of being a teenager.

Downsides: Harry’s love interest as of now is Daphne Greengrass, and while I don’t mind reading stories with her or any other minor character from the series, I don’t particularly like her characterization, here. She doesn’t fit well with the tone of the story, in my opinion. And I would much rather have Harry and Ginny together. But the fic is still in-progress so things may change.

4. The Casebook of Harry Potter by Chris400ad (incomplete, but still updating)

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12373224/1/The-Casebook-of-Harry-Potter

I actually beta this fic, so I may be biased, but you can take my word for it that it’s a great story. It’s AU (surprise, surprise), post-Hogwarts, with a Sherlock!Harry that consults with the Aurors to solve crimes while Daphne Greengrass plays the role of Watson. The author knows his Sherlock Holmes, I can tell you that much. Harry is a wonderful depiction of the character. The perfect amount of snark, arrogance, and genius. The dialogue is witty, the interactions are fun, and the cases are well thought out and intricate. It’s still in its early stages, but I would highly recommend following this story, and maybe dropping a review to give the author a good kick in the bum. If you like Sherlock Holmes, you’ll love this. If you don’t, give it a shot anyway!

Now for some specific recs that people requested:

Dark!Harry AUs where he’s raised or mentored by Voldemort. Like I said somewhere before, this particular subgenre of fanfiction doesn’t produce the greatest stories because they’re usually riddled with bad tropes and bashing. The ones I have been able to stomach are mostly just guilty-pleasure fics, so here are a few:

1. A Shattered Prophecy by Project Dark Overlord (Complete)

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/2762511/1/A-Shattered-Prophecy

This is actually the story that Kurinoone’s Darkness Within is based on, so you’ll see some similarities. I prefer Kurinoone’s version, but you can give this one a shot too. The major difference I see between the two (besides the plot divergence that eventually happens) is that this story doesn’t have as much heart. I feel like the characters and dialogue are more wooden. I actually teared while reading The Darkness Within, but with this, there weren’t really any emotional moments. I suppose the major difference is that A Shattered Prophecy is more plot driven, while The Darkness Within is really both plot and character-driven.

Harry is still pretty bad-ass though, so it’s worth it, I suppose.

2. The God of Death: Black Beginning by I Am Atrocity

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11868509/1/The-God-of-Death-Black-Beginning

Same premise with this fic, except Harry intentionally goes to Hogwarts on a mission from Voldemort instead of being captured by the Order and forced to attend. This story is pretty enjoyable, but the biggest downside for me is that Harry isn’t as badass or methodical as I would’ve liked, He doesn’t get redeemed which is rarer in a dark Harry story, but I like my villains more sophisticated. I also really don’t like the HHr relationship or Hermione’s characterization, in general. But again, these are guilty pleasures, so I forgive a lot of things.

Barty Crouch was fun, though, and he has a great friendship with Harry, so that’s a plus!

3. Imprisoned Realm by LoveHP (incomplete, but updated recently)

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/2705927/1/Imprisoned-Realm

So, this story has a slightly different premise in that canon Harry gets pulled into another dimension where there’s a dark Harry roaming about (I believe the two interact telepathically or something, but I can’t remember). Anyway, we do get some scenes from dark Harry’s pov which are awesome, and canon Harry switches places with him at some point. Idk, it’s a long story man. The major plus for me are the dark Harry scenes which, unfortunately aren’t as abundant. The major downsides are the canon Harry angst, the mentions of rape, and some other plot points which I don’t want to spoil. To be honest, I read this one a while ago, so I don’t even remember how it ends. But give it a shot if you want. I happen to really enjoy dimension hopping fics, so that’s probably why I stuck with it.

Anyway, that’s that for now. I’ll probably think of more eventually. And maybe I’ll do a list of Dark Harry fics not raised by Voldemort. Sorry these weren’t exactly glowing reviews, but I wanted to be honest with you guys lol. If I set your expectations low, then they can only go up, right? ;)

#fic recs #dark harry #fanfiction #hpfanfiction #Harry Potter #my posts

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littlemissheartfilia · 7 years

Text

What’s In A Prince Ch 8

Chapter nine has finally arrived! Thank you all for liking and reblogging it so far! I’m really glad you guys are enjoying it! We’re getting close to the end now and I do believe we have only a few more chapters left. Please continue to like and reblog to let me know what you guys think of it. Also enjoy this next installation~

Part(s): [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7]

Summary: As Prince of Sabertooth Kingdom, Sting Eucliffe must choose a queen before his coronation. Easier said than done when Sting becomes overly attached to his personal knight Rogue Chenney. But when unrest slumbers in the kingdom, can the two secret lovers escape with their lives?

Pairing(s): Stingue

Setting: Old Kingdom type setting. Weisslogia is the King making Sting the Prince.

“Here, eat.” Rogue said as he broke off a piece of bread and handed it to Sting. He took the food with a nod and greedily bit into it. A warm breeze blew through the trees and there was a happy chirping of birds all around them. Despite narrowly avoiding capture in the sewers and now on the run for their lives the weather could not have been more perfect. He wondered if the gods did it just to spite him.

Rogue rummaged around in his bag a while, his frown increasing the entire time. Due to the sudden appearance of Giemma’s guards back at Yukino’s manner they hadn’t had sufficient time to gather the required food they needed for a long journey. Rogue had taken whatever was in his bag and ran. The day before they sent Yukino to the market place in a thick cloak but even in this town Giemma’s eyes were everywhere. They couldn’t risk showing themselves in public. Not until they made it out of the kingdoms reaches.

“We’re running low on food again.” Rogue said, absentmindedly handing another piece of bread to Yukino. “I suggest we keep moving for two more days rationing as we go. By then we should have made it to Lillington. We’ll buy more food there and keep going.”

“And what then?” Sting asked, looking Rogue deadpanned in the eye. His tone of voice may have suggested agitation but the look they shared was filled with worry and pain. “Are we just gonna keep running? Rufus is probably looking for us by now and we’re nowhere to be found.”

Rogue looked to the ground. “If we can get far enough away that we’ll be under Giemma’s detection then we can send a messenger-”

“What if it’s intercepted?” Yukino jutted in.

Rogue thought on her words for a moment then shook his head. Sting took over speaking, “There’s too many variables in place to know anything for sure but we can’t give up. We’re still alive so we have to keep fighting.”

The group nodded somberly. Despite Sting’s encouraging words none of them seemed confident enough to pull it off. Suddenly Yukino gasped and her eyes lit up with an idea. “Lillington is the last port town on the west coast of the kingdom-We could send for a boat to bring us to Fiore.”

“Giemma is going to be checking every last port for that exact reason,” Rogue said.

Sting shrugged. “It’s worth a shot. Maybe there’s still someone left who isn’t under Giemma’s thumb or terrified at the thought of him.”

Rogue nodded and as he stood up the rest of the group did too. “Alright then. To Lillington it is.”

Three days later and Sting had grown used to having Yukino and Rogue by his side, used to feeling the heat of Rogue’s body on cold nights and although they never said it out loud Yukino must have known the bond growing stronger between the two of them. If she did she never treated them any differently. Sting could no longer imagine life without the two of them. They had faced so much together and for as long as Sting could remember Yukino and Rogue were always by his side. But now on a fight for their lives he wondered if they really had that much time left.

They had arrived at Lillington in the early morning and sneaked into the marketplace under cover as the guard shift changed. Sting wondered just how much training Rogue had been put through before they met because he seemed like an eagle; with his head on a swivel and the smallest of eye glances that told him when it was time to leave.

What they found in Lillington was much more helpful than they thought it’d be, and much more dangerous. Guards barring the royal seals roamed every street and inspected every ship coming in or out of the city. The trio had managed to stay out of sight with hooded cloaks pulled over their face but they hadn’t dared stay in town for longer than it took to buy rations and leave. Once again out in the woods Rogue found them a spot that overlooked the whole city on a high cliff. The sun was setting and it cast it’s pink hues across the horizon that towered over the city yet stretched past everything they could see. Wisps of clouds circled the red sun as if they had been blown away from it like a woman’s dress that flared out as she spun.

Far too many lamp lights to count dotted the corner of every street and with the setting sun the city began to glow like a pile of glittering gold. Buildings lit up as the sky darkened and candles were lit to keep the night owls awake.

They were far enough away from The Sabertooth kingdom that the terrain had changed from expansive moors to mountains surrounding a valley of beaches. They were in no immediate danger but Sting still felt so vulnerable on top of this cliff. As if the mountain itself could swoop down and crush them all.

Rogue, Yukino and Sting were gathered in a circle discussing the behaviors of the guards they had observed in the marketplace. Yukino had always been an observant person and Rogue was trained to spot weakness and exploit it, but Sting...the only thing he had noticed was the difference between the slums of the city and the prestigious areas. Less guards were posted in the slums, which allowed for an overflow of vagabonds and questionable residents whereas the wealthier parts of the city held so many people not a single one of them paid you a lick of interest. He doubted that information would help them at all if they were trying to keep away from the guards in the city.

Even still Rogue assured him that they can use it to their advantage. “How?” Sting asked.

Rogue smirked and folded his arms confidently as he said, “Like you said, there’s less guards in the slums and I bet we can spot more than a few places which are known to hide outcasts and vagabonds. We’ll fit right in as long as we keep up a cold demeanor. And if there’s one thing high criminal activity areas are known for- its connections. There we’ll find someone who can lend us a boat to Fiore.”

Sting’s gaze found the ground and he formed a furrow in his brow. Yukino looked at him quizzically until he spoke up. “What about Rufus?” There was a silence which no body answered so Sting went on. “We left him behind. What if he came back to Aguria manor and was captured?”

“We can’t afford to think like that,” Rogue said. Sting looked cross with him but he just sighed and explained. “It’s tough in life or death situations but we need to focus on winning this battle before an actual war starts. Remember Rufus isn’t just some token butler. He was trained like the assassins of old just like I was.”

Sting sighed in despair. “I know...I just-” Yukino placed a hand on his shoulder and he looked to her. Surprisingly she was smiling.

“I believe Rufus can find his way to us.”

In spite of everything Sting found himself smiling slightly back at Yukino. It was no sooner after the sun had set that the cliffside was plunged into a darkness that overlooked the shining streets of Lillington. Rogue took first watch while Sting and Yukino curled up underneath their cloaks. Just like he had found for the past week he was unable to sleep until the small hours of the morning when his tiredness overtook his whirling thoughts.

Yukino pulled her hood tighter around her face and kept her eyes to the ground. Just like Rogue had taught her. Don’t make eye contact with anyone but if you meet any starers hold their stare until they back down. Luckily she hadn’t come across anyone who suspected her of anything. Most people in this part of town are always up to something so it wasn’t like she would be any different.

The King, who had acted like a father figure to Yukino after hers left, had always warned her of entering taverns in run down parts of towns and especially cities. He had particularly informed her not to speak to anyone in these rundown parts of town and certainly avoid cloaked figures who keep their faces hidden and weapons revealed for all to see. Now here she was spotting a figure of that description and the first thing she did was walk straight up to them, slam a gold coin on the table and demand info on where she can get a ship to Fiore.

“Fiore, eh?” a gruff voice said as the cloaked figure brought a mug up to his hood and sipped. “Yer a long way from getting even a rowboat to that place.”

“What do you mean?” she asked, leaning in as her curiosity grew.

The man she was speaking to lifted his head a little and the dim light of the tavern shone on a scratchy looking beard and dark hair. “Have you been living under a rock? The new King put a hold on any and all ships coming to or from Fiore.”

Yukino stared into where the man’s eyes would be, hoping to draw him in and force him to say more with a well practiced look. “Why?” she hissed through her teeth.

“Sorry,” he said not sounding sorry at all. “That’s all I know.”

Yukino gritted her teeth and was about to slam another coin on the table when a hand grabbed her elbow. She reared back to stare at who had grabbed her when she saw the darkened tones of a feathered hat she knew well.

“You won’t be finding the information you’re looking for around here.” Rufus said. “Come with me.” His voice was terse and his mouth drawn thin but his eyes shined. Yukino tried her best to hide her smile as she followed Rufus, stone-faced, out of the tavern.

When on the streets Yukino began to whisper a question in his ear but he silenced her with a finger. Only when he had led them both to a secluded street and turned the corner into a back alley building, closed and locked the door did he turn to her with a smile on his face. There was a small candle lit by the door but aside from that the building he led her into was shrouded in darkness. Rufus clasped Yukino’s arms and said with a smile. “M’lady, It’s good to see your ok. Tell me, the Prince and his Knight must be with you?”

Yukino nodded. “Yes, I traveled here with them after our position was found out. We split up to look for a ship that can take us to Fiore. Lord Rufus please tell me you have good news.”

Rufus’s smile faltered a bit upon hearing that the trio had split up but he brushed it off with a shake of his head. He walked past Yukino in thought and began lighting candles so the room came into clear view.

It wasn’t much better off than the tavern or say any other rundown building in the slums district. The curtains were closed, with various windows boarded up and there was a smell of dead rats wafting from the floorboards. There was just enough room for two small thatch beds and two packs of travel gear, one Rufus’s but the other she didn’t recognize. Past the beds there was a corner which she assumed led into some sort of kitchen but it was hard to make out details in the dim lighting the candles provided.

“I have news, but the good aspect of it is up to interpretation,” said Rufus.

Suddenly there was a noise from above, floors creaking and a shuffling of feet. Then Yukino heard the footsteps of someone coming down a set of stairs she hadn’t seen at first as they were hidden in a corner and shrouded in darkness. “Rufus? Is that you?” A steely voice sounded before miniscule and well dressed feet came into view.

“We have a visitor. You’ll want to explain everything to them.” Rufus called as they watched the voice form a body out of the shadows. Soon standing in front of her was a woman clad in a black formfitting leather outfit which showed her curves all too well but was full of pockets lining her legs and waist line. Once cold hearted and sharp eyes gazed on her now with brow worried and uncertainty flashing in the pupils. Her black hair was pulled back with only her bangs framing her face.

“Stin-” Minerva began but cut herself off when she saw Yukino instead. She cleared her throat and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear before letting her gaze hit the floor.

Yukino felt a rage and fear mix within her. She gasped but could not speak words and merely cast Rufus an accusatory glare. Rufus caught her look and came up with arms outstretched, an explanation forming on his lips.

“Don’t worry, she’s not working with Giemma anymore.”

Yukino tried hard to keep her voice unbiased as she hissed back at Rufus. “How can you know for sure?”

“Because I despise that man.” Whatever uncertainties Minerva had had before they were cast out the window as she placed a hand on her hip and asserted herself in front of Yukino. “He’s foul, and cruel, and manipulative. I no longer want to have anything to do with him.”

Yukino’s sympathy clutched at her heart. She remembered well the verbal torment Giemma had placed on Sting and Minerva whenever they were seen playing together in the royal gardens. As far as Giemma was concerned Minerva had always been his to make use of, Yukino always thought Minerva liked it that way however the look in the woman’s eyes made her reconsider. However there was still a warning flag going off in the back of her mind telling her that this wasn’t right. Why would Minerva betray her own father?

“He’s your fat-”

“Not anymore.” Minerva interrupted sharply. Then she seemed to notice Yukino’s flinch and lightened her stare a little. She dropped her hand and walked to stand beside Rufus who was listening patiently. She began speaking again, a little more softly this time. “I told you. I want nothing more to do with him. That’s why I contacted The Black Dragon Assassins- and then Rufus. I knew he’d lead me to wherever The Prince and his knight ran off to and I want to help you.”

“The Black Dragon Assassins?” Yukino repeated.

Rufus nodded. “They trained me until I took up my undercover position as the head butler at the palace. I’m sure you’ve heard of them-the legendary group of assassins that serve loyalty to the royal bloodline.”

Yukino shook her head, all of this being a bit much to process. “I thought they were just childs tales-what does any of this have to do with assassins anyway?”

Minerva and Rufus shared a look and motioned to the beds. “You may want to have a seat,” said Minerva.

Rufus bowed his head and said, “I’ll put the kettle on.”

Sting strode onto the docks making sure to keep his head down and his hood up like Rogue had informed them. Much to his reassurance he wasn’t the only one hiding his face around here. The smell of the seawater and fishermen who haven’t bathed for weeks hit his nostrils like a slap to the face. Clearly this is not the better part of the slums...He thought as he stepped around a puddle of rainwater, sewage and excrement. He lifted his hood enough to take a look at each ship, fishing crew or row boat that was pulling into port but not enough to let anyone see his face. He picked a shady looking captain out of the crowd. One who was just docking a small fishing boat that carried barrels of fish and others whose contents were questionable.

He made a beeline for the ship after the crew had gotten off and walked into the nearest tavern. Thankfully the captain stayed by the edge of the dock tying up ropes. He stood behind the captain not making a sound until the captain sensed his presence and jumped back with a drawn sword. Sting pulled up his hands to show he wasn’t armed. He let out a deep throated, “Easy friend.” He tried to conceal his voice in a different tone but was afraid it came over the wrong way when the captain looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

The captain sheathed his sword nonetheless and asked in an annoyed voice, “The hell’s wrong with you?”

Sting cleared his throat and continued in his deep voice. “I want to hire your ship.”

The captain laughed out loud letting his voice echo. Sting’s shoulders instinctively went up as attention was drawn his way.

“Step off! If you think I’m gonna let any ol’ vagabond on this ship o’ mine you must be as twisted as a rats arse.” The captain stepped forward forcing Sting to step back a little. As Sting stepped back he bumped into a passerby and his hood was torn off in the impact. The passerby sneered until he saw Sting’s face.

Sting quickly brought the hood back up and said firmly, “Watch where you’re going.”

The passerby looked suspiciously at him but kept walking. Suddenly the captain advanced on him. “Ey, ain’t I seen yer face before?”

Sting kept his head down as he answered. “You must be mistaken. If you’re aren’t going to offer me services I’ll be on my way,” he said, his deep voice cracking a little as panic flooded into his mind. He had to get out of here before his cover was blown. Without waiting for a reply he turned to walk away but the captain caught him by the arm and held him back. “Let-” Sting began but the captain leaned in close and stared him down.

“A guy like you shouldn’t be asking questions like that around here y’know.”

Sting balled his fist and was ready to make a run for it when out of the corner of his eye he saw a guard running up to them both. Sting caught the guards eye and he shouted at Sting to remain where he was. His eyes went wide. Without thinking Sting ripped his arm out of the captains grasp and ran for his life.

#:D #stingue #stingue fanfic #my fanfic #fairy tail #fairy tail fanfiction #StingxRogue #sting eucliffe #Rogue Cheney #Yukino Aguria #rufus lore #Minerva Orland

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