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hurricanerin · 4 years

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Poise & Rationality Ch. 1: Chime

A profuse thank you to @hysteria87 for being a solid pal and beta and making me a bomb graphic. And shoutout to @liquor-belle for unintentionally signing on as my crisis management team and beta as well. Annnnd to both of them for handling my 7 week long neurosis featuring this story. Both of them are hardcore talented, please check them out.

Hi Dark!Steve Fandom! Thanks for your patience!

Pairing: HYDRA!Steve x OFC

Rating: Explicit. Always, always explicit.

Warnings: Rape/noncon/dubcon, smut, forced pregnancy, emotional manipulation, power imbalance.

Length: 5.5k.

Summary: Shield has fallen, leaving Eden at the feet of the villainous Steve Rogers, Hydra's newest recruit. She walks on eggshells, trying to survive in a new reality where she’s at the mercy of her closest friend, one where she can keep her heart locked away from this mess. The problem is that the ex-Captain’s flirting and gentle teasing has turned carnal and new intentions clear: she is his and he’s going to have her.

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It felt like a bad dream, really; the defunct Avengers held captive at the overtaken compound while the newly triumphant Hydra made themselves comfortable. Shock collars, laced with gamma radiation and programmed to trigger in the event of excessive exertion, kept the fallen heroes docile as their minds rotted with hate and failure. It would have been a kindness to use Loki’s scepter to cheat them into blissful unawareness as they knelt to their enemies.

The newest of whom was Steve Rogers.

Captain America was dead. The infamous shield rested amongst Hydra’s other freshly acquired treasures, his star spangled suit torn to shreds, and the righteous hero’s wholesome affect demolished beyond recognition. In his place stood a hardened, jaded man, lied to and taken advantage of ten times too many by the entity he had believed in with every ounce of his being. But, when government property and intelligence were held at a higher value than humanity again and again, when Shield repeatedly chose to prioritize the safety and preservation of weapons over the lives of civilians, Steve had finally walked away from everything: the scene, the victims’ bodies, Shield itself. Three days later, Hydra attacked the compound in upstate New York, led by the rogue First Avenger. All Avengers were taken alive and divided amongst the Hydra elite.

Some higher ups chose more practical uses for their new playthings. Hydra monitored Tony, even more volatile due to Pepper’s disappearance, with a team of twenty while they forced him to improve Hydra weapons tech. Bruce, clad in a collar unique to his makeup and under the watchful eye of fifty of Hydra’s finest, was stuck in the lab conducting heinous experiments on future super soldiers. Natasha, Clint and Thor also served in sectors reflective of their own talents. Steve stuffed down the guilt twisting in his stomach and instead focused on the satisfaction of knowing that Shield’s puppets were neutralized.

The Captain’s personal vendettas didn’t end with the five originals; he spread his bitter anger throughout the extended squad of heroes. Save for a smattering of team members he recruited, the Avengers as a whole suffered. He made certain that Eden, a recruit with only two years on the Avengers crew, endured a fate just as miserable as the rest. She was his protegee and had been attached to his side since her first day on the team. She deserved to be punished like the others, forced to watch the world they had worked so hard to protect fall to shambles.

Eden had had Steve wrapped so tightly around her little finger by the time he left for Hydra that when she refused to change sides, she had …wounded him. Badly. She deserved retribution, but Steve didn’t have time for petty discipline and the thought of anyone but himself marking or marring her skin made him see red. If someone were to physically punish Eden, it would be his fingers pressing bruises into her arms, his teeth leaving angry red imprints on her neck, his lips pulling purple marks to the surface of her chest.

No. The situation didn’t call for that. Not yet. For now, he was content humiliating her; keeping her close to his side, as she had been since her first day at the compound. Eden now served as his imprisoned assistant and glorified scullery maid. A combat-trained scullery maid capable of absorbing and neutralizing the energy of a nuclear bomb, but a maid nonetheless. Most importantly, she was his.

Of all the people in the world to be assigned, Steve Rogers was the last who required cleaning up after. Even as Hydra’s Captain, he kept his rooms immaculate. In doing so, he unintentionally maintained that air of humility that had made him Captain America, which infuriated Eden. He would be so much easier to hate if he weren’t still Steve.

Smoothing the surface of the flat sheet over his mattress, she exhaled softly. Like the disciplined soldier he was, Steve made his bed every morning, but he liked new sheets every other day. Changing his linens provided a brief reprieve from the boredom of being confined to his apartment all day, for which she was grateful. Humming absently to herself, she spread the slate-colored comforter over his bed. She honestly wasn’t sure which she preferred: solitude; time wasted alone in his giant space where she was plagued by listlessness, or suffering his company, in which she was tortured by watching the man she revered so ardently betray his own credo.

When a series of beeps and chirps sounded from the other room, followed by the thunk of reversing deadbolts, Eden’s heart pounded and she haphazardly dragged the bedspread over the mattress and tossed the remaining pillows onto the bed. Rushing from his bedroom, she didn’t bother with the lights as she hustled into the living room. Steve discovering her in his room rarely ended well. He would stare at her, pupils dilated to the size of dinner plates as he made no effort to conceal the erection growing in his trousers. He’d toy with her until the tension in the room grew unbearable, and then she’d break and find an excuse to flee. Though they hadn’t acted on their mutual attraction prior to his betrayal, the power dynamic between them was vastly different now. She wasn’t sure she was allowed to refuse his advances anymore, and she didn’t care to put herself in a position to find out. So far, he had been lenient.

Trotting straight to a cart filled with decanters of alcohol and snatching the scotch, she paid little mind as she nearly missed the tumbler, hastily pouring as the front door released and Steve strode into the room. Wiping her wet hand on the skirt of her dress, Eden silently approached him and held out the crystal glass, neglecting to make eye contact. Once in his grasp, she fled with as much subtlety as possible, taking refuge beside the antique cart.

A stack of papers muffled the clatter of his heavy P220 as he dropped them to the kitchen table. Gaze flicking over her, Steve took a long draw, disappointed, as always, at the alcohol’s lack of effect. Though Eden’s eyes refused to meet his, she did pay attention to the way his scruffy throat bobbed as he swallowed, which earned her a grin. Her attempts at feigned disinterest were endearing. Actually, at the present moment everything about her was endearing. Appealing. Fresh from a testosterone-filled debriefing meeting, an aching tension filled him from chest to groin, begging to be released. However, their tango wasn’t simple.

Licking a drop of liquor from his lip, he nodded in her direction. “How was your day, Eden?”

Her lip curled before she dropped her gaze to the ground, letting her hair fall forward to shield her face. The simple act caused a pleasant throb in his lower abdomen. The more she hated him, the more he wanted her. There had been a magnetism between them before the takeover, before his ultimate betrayal. Back when he was good. As his altruism had faded while hers remained, as his world had darkened and decayed, Eden had stayed a small beacon of… not light, but comfort. Someone he returned to at the compound and used to soothe the festering rage and simmering disappointment Shield fostered.

It was Eden who had coaxed him into sharing his doubts regarding Shield’s intentions and she had never judged him for it. She had listened, challenging him with the occasional question or opinion. He had never doubted her fidelity, but everything changed during the takeover. The expression on her face when she saw him flanked with Hydra soldiers that day of the attack made his stomach sink. Steve had trained her, made her what she was. She was his confidante. He thought Eden’s loyalty would survive something like his transition to Hydra, but he was sorely mistaken. She had turned on him, just like almost everyone else.

Eyes flicking over her body, clad in his designated 1940’s tea dress, Steve rested his hip against the leather sectional. His face hardened as he drained the tumbler and tried again.

“How was your day, Eden?”

Once more, ignored him.

“Respond, Eden.”

Focused on her hands, she picked at the cuticle of her thumb.

Pursing his lips, Steve sighed and reached into his pocket to retrieve a slim remote. He saw Eden freeze in his peripheral, but she still refused to look up. With an exasperated exhale, he pressed one of the buttons, frowning as the woman cried out and crumpled to her knees, tugging at the collar around her neck and leaning into the wall for support.

“Damnit,” she panted.

“I don’t like it when you ignore me, Eden.”

“I don’t like it when you betray your family, humiliate and hold us prisoner, but here we are,” she grit.

Steve’s face softened as his gaze focused on something she couldn’t see.

Family.

The Avengers were his family. Had been his family. Hydra would never fill that void. He knew that going in. For as much as Steve Rogers had changed, that basal, primal need to create a family he could protect and provide for still ate at him. It was the one thing in the world he wanted. He had given everything to defend the earth and its inhabitants. Was he not due what he desired most?

Eyes focusing, they honed in on the seething woman bracing the wall. Even incensed and in pain, Eden made his thick cock swell. Family. He had entertained the idea featuring her, of course. It was impossible not to when they spent so much time together. He had briefly substituted several of the women he worked with, but he always came back to Eden. She fit all his requirements; wide hips, a hearty body, strong maternal instincts, and more than capable of defending herself. How her superhuman talents would factor into her offspring had yet to be determined, but he doubted the results would be adverse.

Natasha would kill anything he planted inside her just to spite him. She was self-destructive. But Eden… Eden was flawed in a completely different manner, in harmless ways, such as stubbornly insisting she was always right or that her way was best, but he had sway over her. She was headstrong with a temper, but both were easily tamed. In training, she yielded beautifully to him. Sometimes it took him physically besting her to get a point across. If that carried over to their relationship, then so be it.

He knew Eden may try to escape with his baby because she feared for his or her safety, but that did not concern him. He would prove to her eventually that once she submitted to him, there was nothing to fear.

With a tired, distracted sigh, Steve collapsed onto the sofa, discarded his glass on the cocktail table and absently rubbed his chin with a thumb. Frowning, he tugged at the hair on his jaw, feeling the length. He turned and examined himself critically in the mirror mounted on the wall behind him, running his fingers through the heft of his beard. He could feel the odd stray hair and the undefined neckline bordered on untidy.

“I want this trimmed,” he said without facing Eden.

Biting her cheek to keep from scoffing, she crossed her arms and raised a brow, only to be met with an austere glance in the mirror’s reflection. Steve nodded in the direction of his bedroom.

“My shaving kit is in the bathroom, bottom left cabinet. Go get it.”

Releasing an irritated sigh, Eden dropped her arms to her sides.

“Yes, sir.”

Her voice was demure but the ire in her eyes gleamed with disdain. Pushing off the wall, she slipped into his bedroom and to the ensuite. She knelt and rummaged through the cabinet, retrieving the worn bag. Steve watched impatiently from a kitchen chair as she dropped her prize unceremoniously on his kitchen counter.

“What are you waiting for?”

Gritting her teeth, she unzipped the leather pouch, fishing out its contents and laying them on the table: a plastic comb, a few guards, clippers, beat up disposable razor, and a tube of shaving butter.

Eying the pile, the corner of her mouth pulled upwards. Forgetting herself, she couldn’t stop the jibe from tumbling out from between her lips, “The traditional Captain America doesn’t have a straight edge?”

Steve’s body stiffened. He inhaled sharply, releasing his breath through his nose. Forcing his corded muscles to relax, he shucked off his long sleeved tactical shirt and held it out for her to take. “I don’t have time for nostalgia.”

“Seriously?” Eden muttered to herself.

His movements froze and his gaze met hers. Heat bloomed across her face and chest at the invitation in his eyes to provoke him further. She held his stare for a moment longer before he called her bluff, and Eden looked away. Suddenly very busy folding his uniform, she focused on her task until he stretched his arms behind his head. With a loud, satisfied groan, he extended his hands into the air, then rubbed a palm against the skintight material of the thin, white cotton t-shirt plastered against his chest.

Aware of the nearly irresistible temptation to stare at Steve’s body, Eden set her jaw as she delicately placed his still-warm shirt on the counter. Planting a hand on her hip, her eyes flicked back and forth between Steve, his beard, and his array of tools. She motioned at the table.

“This is going to make a mess. There will be trimmings everywhere. Let’s do it over the sink.”

“Here is fine. My maid will sweep everything up later.”

Gritting her teeth, she marched to the table, snatched the clippers and comb in one hand and wrenched his chin upwards with the other.

“I haven’t done this in a long time. It may not be good,” she warned.

“I didn’t expect you to have done this at all. Whose beard have you trimmed?”

She hesitated, running the comb down through the scruff on his cheeks to wrangle unkempt hairs, then turned on the clippers. If his arched eyebrow wasn’t enough indication, Steve clearing his throat made his desire for a prompt answer abundantly clear.

“An ex owned a barbershop,” she said over the noise. “I wanted to know what he did all day, so he taught me.”

At the mention of her being with another man, Steve visibly bristled.

“I see.”

Using her fingertips to angle Steve’s jaw as needed, Eden couldn’t fight the blush staining her cheeks. His eyes followed her everywhere as she guided the guarded clippers down in the direction of the hair growth on his cheeks. His pensive gaze was overwhelming, and given the amusement in his eyes, he knew very well the effect he had on her. She opted to ignore him.

Confident that she had trimmed enough without taking away too much bulk, she flipped the switch off to change the guard. She needed one that would leave more length for his neck and chin.

Steve cleared his throat, breaking her concentration.

“Do you want kids, Eden?”

She froze, almost dropping the plastic piece in her hand. A deeply personal question from Captain America wouldn’t have warranted a second thought. But, since the takeover and her accused betrayal, Steve had been cold, withdrawing from her completely. Her heart ached at the naïve hope bubbling up in her chest that the inquiry was meant as an opportunity to connect. That man didn’t exist anymore. Giving herself a mental shake, she cleared her throat and frowned in thought.

“Um, well—I guess—I—”

“It’s not a difficult question.”

Shooting him a nasty glare, she snapped the guard onto the clippers and flicked the power switch. With a huff, she positioned herself in front of him, yanking his chin upwards and running the clipper comb through his beard.

Eden pursed her lips. “I don’t think I’d be a good mom,” she admitted. “My career is so much more violent than I expected, I don’t think a child should grow u—”

“You’ll be a good mom,” Steve interrupted.

The conviction in his voice caused her to falter. With an uncomfortable laugh, she shook her head.

“I don’t know anything. While my friends had babies, I spent my early twenties learning how to control myself around sources of energy so I didn’t accidentally blow up a city. I learned to fight and devise exit strategies and collaborate with a team. If I have been around them, the children I’ve seen have been victims of awful circumstances. I wouldn’t know what to say to a kid I haven’t rescued.”

Steve was contemplative as she removed the plastic guard. Her thoughtful reflection only made him desire her more. The urge to claim her, before another Hydra member did, before an opposing force banded together and stole her away, clouded his vision. There was only one solution: He’d plant his baby in her belly now and tie her to him forever. Eden would never allow her child to be taken from her and if she ran from him with the baby, he would find her. No matter where she went, he would find her. She would be his by right. They would be his by right. Mother and child tethered to father forever. His indestructible family. Untouchable, with two gifted parents that would do anything to protect their children.

Steve shifted uncomfortably in the chair, tugging at his tactical pants as his erection grew at the thought of her swollen with their baby. For their first child, her movement would be restricted to the compound. She couldn’t be trusted, not yet. But by their second, he’ll have trained her by holding their firstborn over her as leverage to obey him.

Oblivious, Eden used the bare clipper to clean up his untidy neckline, neaten his scruffy cheeks, and trim around his lips. When she brushed away clippings littering his mouth with her fingers, he fought the urge to take them between his lips.

Eden started to hum, and it was clear her mind was deviating from their future.

“I’ve seen you with them,” he noted. “If you can handle traumatized kids during missions, you can handle your own. Practiced or not, you have maternal instinct.”

Eden’s ears glowed as she finished his sideburns. Whether Steve allied himself with Hydra or Shield, she knew he wanted a family. His approval of her ability as a mother was significant, she just couldn’t figure out where he was going with it. Opting to ignore his comment, she gingerly placed the clippers on the kitchen counter, as if doing so with little noise would allow her to slip away unnoticed.

“All done,” she said softly, casually brushing beard hairs off her dress as she backed away.

Eden yelped when he snatched her wrist. It took everything in her not to react instinctually, the way Captain America had relentlessly trained her body to respond when attacked.

“You’re not finished,” he said tersely, lifting his chin and rubbing the pads of his fingers along the short, prickly hair at his Adam’s apple. “There is still stubble.”

“I’m not using that rusty razor, I’ll give you tetanus,” she nodded at the disposable in his bag. Though Steve was correct, using a straight edge or razor would give an even closer shave than the clippers, she was not going to be responsible for infecting Hydra’s newest member.

Steve noiselessly raised his pant leg and slipped a black combat blade from a hidden ankle sheath, then handed it to Eden handle-first. Not a straightedge, but just as sharp.

“I just cleaned it,” he nodded at the weapon. “Don’t get it dirty.”

Don’t make him bleed. It was the most impassive threat she’d ever heard, but as deadly as if he’d held the blade to her own throat.

Eden fingered the knife handle, watching Steve’s face uneasily. How could he careen from thoughtful parent to menacing so effortlessly? Was this a challenge? Did he want her to attack him? He had trained her; Eden’s uncanny talent for disarming enemies in place of killing them had always made Steve proud. He knew her every tell and every strategy in her repertoire. Besides, he’d never actually kill her; he found too much satisfaction in toying with her. He’d hurt her though. He had the self-control to dominate her physically without causing her bodily harm. The toll it would take on her heart was another story. Whatever he was planning, she wanted no part of it.

She held the knife back out to him, shaking her head. “It’s too hard to get the right angle. I’ll cut you. Do it yourself.”

Steve’s mouth twitched. He patted his thigh. “Sit. You can do it from here.” He leaned back, arms spread along the back of the chair, lap open. The epitome of inviting.

Eden’s face warmed as she set her jaw. Hesitating, her eyes flashed before she abandoned the knife on the counter and stalked further back into the kitchen. Immediately Steve reached for the remote, his thumb on the button to activate her collar. About to press down for blatantly disobeying him, he stopped when all she did was snatch a hanging towel and meander to the sink to fill a bowl with hot water.

When she turned to face him her eyes widened, brows furrowing into an expression of saddened anger as she saw the device in his hand.

“Can I keep going? Or should I put these down so you can zap me?”

Though he only felt a tinge of guilt, it was more emotion than he could afford. Hardening his expression, Steve dropped the remote on the table and raised his hands in the air.

“My mistake.”

Again, he had to display that wretched humility that had made him Captain America. Why hadn’t Hydra purged him of it? Why couldn’t he just be bad? Breath stuttering as she exhaled, Eden stowed her items on the counter next to Steve’s shoulder, swapping them for the weapon.

Flipping the knife in her hand, she squeezed her fingers around the handle, inhaled and gingerly padded forward. Her breath caught as Steve’s iron grip cupped her ribcage and hip, lifting her to perch sideways on his thighs. She caught herself, one hand grasping at the thin white t-shirt he wore, the other plastered flat against his pectoral, the knife sandwiched between her palm and the solid wall of muscle.

Her fingers tensed when his chest rumbled beneath them with a laugh, goosebumps rising on her arms as his nose found its way against the hypersensitive skin of her neck. Steve made no effort to mask his groan as he inhaled the familiar fragrance of her jasmine shampoo, mingled with the scent that was intrinsically Eden. When she stiffened in his arms, he guided a warm palm up the expanse of her back, pulling her even closer as he used a knuckle to brush her hair from her face.

“Things have always been easy between us,” he mused. “It feels good to be this close, doesn’t it?

Swallowing hard, she kept her eyes lowered, focused on his chest.

“Of course,” she shrugged. “This is normal. It’s no different than training,” she all but whispered.

Shit.

Between his voice in his ear and his hands on her body, her brain wasn’t functioning. Eden needed space. She hadn’t smelled his familiar Old Spice deodorant, that faint note of sweat, or the pure musk of Steve since before the takeover. Her sole mission had been to convince her brain that the man working for Hydra who looked like Steve wasn’t Steve, at least not her Steve, so she could make it through each day. If she did that, Eden could maintain emotional distance while interacting with his imposter. She doubted sleep would ever come easily again, not with him in the next room, but she could at least survive the daylight hours without a complete breakdown. But now he was touching her, talking to her like nothing had happened and she couldn’t ignore who he really was.

Steve’s thumb nudged her chin upwards to expose the underside of her jaw. Eden was caught so off-guard by act that the emotion bubbling in her throat froze and she sobered. She swallowed hard as she felt him lazily trace the tip of his nose along her jawline, before creeping lower and pressing his lips against the sensitive skin of her throat. She couldn’t breathe properly, but her head was painfully clear as his scruff burned her delicate flesh and his lips pulled gently against the tender skin of her neck, leaving a purple mark.

The sound of her breath hitching was deafening, and in case she weren’t positive that it was, feeling his lips morph into a triumphant smile against her throat confirmed it. Steve easily pried Eden’s clenched fist from his shirt and looped her arm around his shoulder. She was putty in his hands.

Neither of them missed how the position brought them closer yet, pressing her breast firmly against his sculpted chest. Aside from the minor shiver that racked through her, Eden ignored the sensation of her pebbled nipple rubbing against his solid mass. Steve, however, did not let it go unnoticed. He released a pleased grunt and nodded at the knife in her hand.

“You have a job to do, Eden.”

She hated when he said her name. All it took was hearing those two syllables and her lower belly tightened, flooding with heat. She clenched her teeth with enough pressure that something in her jaw popped. Taking a deep breath, she regrouped, then studied his face, analyzing the best way to proceed.

Truly, she did her best to maneuver herself with as little friction as possible. But in reaching to drag the shaving butter, steaming bowl and rag closer, she shifted and her bottom ground against the existing bulge beneath her, eliciting a hiss from Steve.

Eden froze in a mixture of terror, embarrassment, and arousal. When Steve repositioned himself beneath her, it was her turn to stifle a moan. She was fairly certain the way he ground his erection against her ass was payback. Unprepared for the retribution, the quiet gasp she uttered echoed in the silent kitchen. Eden swallowed back a whimper, closed her eyes as she collected herself. Straightening with mock confidence, she wrung out the steaming washcloth, smeared a dollop of shaving butter on the back of her hand and turned back to Steve with the utmost delicacy.

His harsh exhale puffed against her cheeks and she disregarded his smoldering gaze, stubbornly setting to work. It was impossible, however, to ignore the warmth radiating off his body. The contrast in their body temperature beneath her cool palms sent goosebumps rising up her arms as she twisted to face him. Keeping her face blank, she wet his cheeks, upper neck, and sideburns with the cloth, then worked the butter between her palms and applied it using as little bodily contact as possible. Unfortunately, she could only limit so much. Her task required her to run her fingers along his Adam’s apple, cheeks and the neckline of his beard to massage the product into his skin, ensuring there was a lubricating layer of cream between his flesh and the knife.

By all accounts, her hands should have trembled too badly to wield the weapon. She followed Steve’s gaze to the steady knife as she directed his chin once again with her hand. The corner of his mouth twitched, as if he were trying not to smirk, but he couldn’t quell the regard in his eyes. She realized he was proud that she had stayed as composed as she had. Her lower half throbbed, trained like a dog to respond to pleasing him. At this point, it was a visceral reaction.

Cold blue irises tracked her every move as she lifted the blade, frowning at it before pausing to study his face. She had no more reason to dawdle. It was time to use the knife. Taking a sharp breath and holding it, she gently pulled the skin of his neck taut and dragged the edge of the knife through the layer of cream, only just scraping the surface of his flesh. It slid easily against his skin, slicing away the rough stubble until it met the edge of his carefully shaped beard.

Eden looked to him for permission to continue, but he only raised an expectant brow. Pursing her lips, she said a prayer to whoever was out there, thanking them for the fact that he was letting her work for the moment. She moved an inch to the left, and repeated the act. Mechanically she shaved Steve’s neck and jaw, moving towards his chin. As she reached the center of his neck, she scraped the knife across his skin, and he swallowed. The unexpected, fluid roll of his Adam’s apple beneath the weapon at an exaggerated degree hit the blade at just the right angle. The skin split, blood welling at the shallow broken seam. Steve didn’t so much as flinch, but Eden’s entire body froze, her breath leaving her lungs. Her brain felt like a fuzzy TV channel. She couldn’t think. Only her eyes moved, darting towards Steve’s face as she tried to gauge whether or not she had just signed her own death sentence.

When his only response was to clear his throat impatiently, she shook her head. Her thoughts were so loud her head was about to burst and her frantic inhalations sounded like those of an overheated dog.

“I can’t do this,” she said breathlessly. “I can’t. Please.”

He moved without warning, fortunate that she had the training to keep the knife steady this time. In a blink, she straddled him full on, her hands once again bracing his shoulders in confusion as he settled her body over his lap chest-to-chest, this time with her core positioned over the bulging hardness in his pants.

“Oh,” she gasped as his erection aligned with the soft cleft of her center, her eyes glazing over.

Steve groaned, his head tipping back and exposing his neck even further. At some level, Eden registered the dribble of crimson gathered at the site of the miniscule cut, but out of fear for her life, she only watched it gather idly.

After a determined exhale, Steve swiped at it, distractedly glancing at his thumb after he swept the blood away before refocusing his gaze on Eden. Unfazed, he confidently settled his hands on her hips, squeezing to gain her attention.

“Now, your angle is better. Finish the job.”

She started to position herself towards him, then stilled. Even the slightest pressure forward pressed her center against him. Fighting the urge to whine, she squeezed her eyes shut. With an uneasy breath, Eden shook herself. He wasn’t just going to allow her to leave his lap without finishing. Whether she was willing or not, he would make her complete the task.

Refreshing the used dish cloth in the bowl of water, she used it to dab at his wound and clean the knife of stubble and excess shaving cream. She hesitated for a moment before adjusting the tension of his skin, then launched back into her chore quickly, more concerned with finishing promptly than the risk of inflicting another nick or two. Her physical position was beyond precarious; the intimacy of touching his face was already overwhelming, but the feeling of his cock exactly where she wanted it when they were separated by mere barriers of fabric and fundamental ideological differences was unbearable.

Eden didn’t want to think anymore. Retreating into her mind, she went on auto-pilot. Scraping and wiping, she worked methodically until her assignment was nearly completed. It wasn’t until then she that realized that once she did finish, she would be left straddling Steve’s lap without an easy way down and no work to occupy her. Torn between the incentive of not having to endure the intimacy of touching his face and the dread of the unknown, Steve forced her hand when he started rubbing his thumbs back and forth against her thighs, buffered by the cloth of her dress. She stiffened, unable to squirm away in fear of upsetting or further arousing him, but incapable of staying stationary due to the threat of his wandering hands.

The look of amused satisfaction that came over Steve’s face frightened her. It also made her slick center throb. Certain she resembled a panicked deer with wide, leery eyes, she wet her lip, eyes flicking to the weapon in her hand.

“This needs to stop,” she warned.

Silently he dared her to break his gaze as his fingers traced the hem of her dress. Eden was keyed up on adrenaline, so focused on Steve and his predatory gaze that when his palms confidently made their way under the skirt of her dress and up her warm thighs, her reaction was instant. Clutching Steve’s knife in her fist, she made a lightning-quick move to hold the weapon to his throat. The clap of his palm catching her arm sounded before she felt his grip on her.

“Eden,” he sighed. “I’m disappointed.”

Ch. 2 What a Shame >>

Tag list: @whatsitgonnabeangelina @kakakatey @patzammit @maynay43 @readermia @the-kinky-friend @monarchofallisurvey @averyrogers83 @atthediscowithoutpanic @smollest-soybean @alexakeyloveloki @theofficialwifeeeofpietro @rania @suzieqsez @liquor-belle @sophiria @titty-teetee @mcudarklibrary

#dark!steve #dark steve x ofc #dark!steve x ofc #dark steve rogers x ofc #dark!steve rogers x ofc #mcudarklibrary

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aj-anime-blog · 3 years

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Deca-Dence - Review!

Wooooo Deca-Dence!

Deca-Dence was a summer 2020 anime, and that’s when I originally watched it! I've watched it about a dozen times since, as it landed itself right on my roster of my favorite animes, if not my favorite of all time.

Deca-Dence is an original piece, so no manga source material (whaaat!) and comes from the genius brain of Yuzuru Tachikawa, the director of other fan-favorites like Mob Psycho 100 and Death Parade (a review for Death Parade is in the making!). Original mangas are such a hit-or-miss recently, and I think that this one got the bullseye!

What's our concept?: Set in the future, the world is now plagued by monsters known as Gadolls. In an attempt to keep humans safe from them, mobile fortress Deca-Dence was constructed, where Gears, who live near the top, fight the Gadolls, and Tankers, who live at the bottom, provide support from inside Deca-Dence. Our protag, Natsume, is a Tanker who wants to fight with the Gears, but her prosthetic arm keeps her out of battle. That is until she meets Kaburagi, an older Tanker who seems to know his way around fighting and might have more to him than he lets on.

It's gonna be hard to go through this without spoilers, but I promise that I'll keep it spoiler-free until the section at the bottom!

So overall, what do I think?: 10/10! I've already said it, but Deca-Dence is one of my favorite animes of all time, and it deserves the spot! It has incredible characters, a story that keeps you hooked even through twists and turns, and a pace that manages to cram so much plot into only 12 episodes without feeling overwhelming or rushed! Deca-Dence presents ideas that, at the surface, may seem overused or old, but spins them in such a way that they're completely original. It follows through with character relationships, making them worthwhile and fulfilling.

Let's start with the story this time!: 10/10!! It's going to be really hard to explain the beauty of Deca-Dence's plot without spoiling it, but I'm doing my best! I really do recommend just giving the show a try, though, as it's really worth it! (Don't just drop it after episode 2, like a lot of people did :( That's just judging it wayyy too early!!)

Deca-Dence has a story that's thrilling and new. Everything that happens builds off of itself in a way that's natural and smooth. The elements of the story, no matter how different they may seem, play their part and work together well. The show isn't predictable either - don't go in thinking that you know what's going to become of it. Each twist feels surprising and new without feeling like they're coming out of left field.

I won't say much more in fear of ruining it, but Deca-Dence's story holds up well, and with its strong cast of characters supporting it, it becomes absolutely suburb. I think a lot of people fell into this pit of seeing only the beginning and tossing it aside, but no matter how strange the concepts in it may be, they wind together to form something really unique!

So those characters, huh?: 11/10, I love them so much! I'm a character nerd through and through, and Deca-Dence sends my little character-obsessed heart wild. The protags, Natsume and Kaburagi, are both fascinating, have incredible development, and engage in a character dynamic that is so natural and well-written that I never doubted it.

To be honest, Natsume doesn't have a personality that's anything new. She's young, determined to a fault, naive, and a complete sweetheart. She wants to fight the Gadoll and she'll do anything to achieve that dream. She's not a natural at fighting but her motivation to do so makes her believable and relatable. She's looked down upon because of her prosthetic arm and forced into a job that she doesn't like, but she never gives up on her goals. Even though she's so simple, her interactions and energy make her lovable and a wonderful protagonist.

Kaburagi follows the washed-out warrior trope, as he's an older man assigned to clean-up duty who keeps to himself and never shows too much emotion. While this type of character can sometimes get annoying, the show gives Kaburagi enough time to show his real feelings and explain how he got to his position. This proper development keeps him down-to-Earth and shows him as even more flawed than Natsume. Kaburagi's motivation, which I can't explain for spoiler reasons, is entirely believable and explains perfectly why he decides to put up with Natsume, even though she's his polar opposite.

The relationship between the two characters is balanced and beautiful. It's given the proper time to grow, mature, and ends up being extremely worthwhile. Natsume relies on Kaburagi, as he sees the potential in her and continues to support her in ways no one else ever has, and Kaburagi understands that Natsume is everything that he's trying to rebel against. Their relationship is emotional, runs deep, and leaves you wishing that there was more of them to watch, even after the show has ended.

The villain! The villain. I cannot talk all that much about the villain at the risk of spoiling. He is evil. I really really hated him, and that is a very good thing because it means that he's well-written. His motivation makes sense, his actions make you want to strangle him, his design was really really good! He's not the most interesting thing in the show, as his character is really only there to move the story along, but not every villain needs to be incredibly deep for a show to be good.

Lastly, our supporting characters! While none of them are as wonderful as Natsume or Kaburagi, they're still interesting and hold their own. They play important parts in the show and all of their interactions with the main two feel natural. Their conflicts make sense, their resolutions feel well-earned, and their personalities are all unique! For a 12-episode anime, there's a larger cast of supporting characters than you would think, and nearly all of them are memorable and loveable.

Time to shut up about characters, what about the art?: 9/10, ooooh yes the art! Deca-Dence is gorgeous! It's animated by studio Nut (bwahahhaha), who haven't done that much else in the anime world. Still, for a relatively new studio, it's absolutely amazing! The characters all have unique looks that make them stand out and the fight scenes are to die for. They lose a point on the CG, since it's a little bit less than amazing, but again, for a new studio, it's definitely not the worst I've seen!! (Admittedly, I also don't like CG much at all, so I'm always harsh towards it when it's used).

Deca-Dence switches between two styles that vastly contradict each other, one which is a colorful, happy-go-lucky style, and one that's the more typical anime style. I'll speak more about them in the spoilers section, but they do a wonderful job at maintaining the tone of the show, as to not let it get too dark, and forming a clear divide between the events of the two parts.

Oh goshhh the Gadolls look so cool. I'm so obsessed with cool monsters in anime and woah they look awesome!! They're original, with cool designs that I haven't seen elsewhere. The show could've so easily slapped in some pretty typical-looking dragons or wolves or whatever, but they instead spent time on these epic creatures, and it's so worth it! It makes the setting that much more unique and allows it to stand out from other animes.

Surely there's a flaw in this anime? The pacing, maybe?: 9/10. Yeah, I would argue that the pacing is Deca-Dence's weakest point. Not that the pacing is particularly bad compared to other shows! I still think that, for a 12-episode anime, it does a wonderful job of fitting in a large amount of plot into only about 5 hours! But, at some points, parts felt rushed or confusing, as the show would zoom into them. I never felt like I was truly lost, though. Even if I did wish that there was a break from the action, I never found myself really thinking that the show was leaving me behind in the dust. It's not the kind of show that you can turn on and leave running while you multitask, though. Blink for too long and you might miss something important, which can ruin some of the hard-hitting twists that the anime works so hard to build up.

OK! Time for spoilers! I beg you, go watch the anime before you read past this, because it's totally worth it!!

Woahh episode 2 am I right?? I thought that I clicked into the wrong anime when I began it, it took such a wild turn, and so soon in the anime too. This is what I really mean when I talk about a show not being what it appears to be! Again, I really encourage you to watch it for yourself, but if you're that stubborn on reading this through before you turn it on:

Deca-Dence is not about the heart-wrenching battles between Gears and their desperate attempts to keep humanity alive, because Gears are just avatars for cyborgs! You see, there's a civilization of cyborg people who are living above the Earth, who log in to fight in mobile fortress Deca-Dence as a game. So the Gadolls are genetically grown as prey for the Gears and the entire story surrounding Deca-Dence's battles are scripted. Crazy right!? The best part: the Tankers aren't in on this at all. You heard me: Natsume and her human friends have no idea that Deca-Dence is staged.

From here, Deca-Dence has two distinct parts: we'll call them "Natsume's half" and "Kaburagi's half". Natsume's half refers to the mobile fortress, the Tankers who live unaware of the cyborgs, and the art style that premiered in the first episode. Kaburagi's half is the Solid Quake organization, the Gears who are avatars of the cyborgs, and the goofy, stylized art style with big lines and bright colors.

The twist and the diverging sides of the story set this show up as not your typical sci-fi anime, but as something a little deeper. The stakes are the same, as humanity is in just as much peril as it was before - it becomes abundantly clear that the Gears and cyborgs don't care about them - but the name of the game completely changes as you realize that our so-called "heroes" aren't really all that heroic, and there's a lot more going on.

Kaburagi is, of course, one of these cyborgs, cursed to live among the Tankers because of a mistake he made while playing as a Gear. Now, he's in charge of eliminating "bugs", or mistakes that the system finds. He's upset with his life, frustrated at what he's doing, and contemplating suicide. But when Natsume walks into his life, a little girl that the system considers legally dead, Kaburagi sees a chance to rebel, even the slightest, against the system. He's supposed to kill Natsume, but instead, he takes her under his wing, determined to protect what he's been instructed to eliminate. This development gives their relationship a deeper meaning, even if Natsume doesn't know it.

Deca-Dence does a wonderful job at showing the watchers both sides of the story but keeping Natsume's side in the dark. Even though we see scenes from Kaburagi's side, Natsume knows nothing about them. When Kaburagi leaves after Hugin kills his avatar, Nastume doesn't know where he's gone and has no reason to believe that he hasn't run away. There's no way she could guess that Kaburagi's new form - his weird orange Gear avatar - is the mentor that she once knew. And when Kaburagi, back in his original form, is killed in front of her, she really believes that he is dead. When Natsume finds out about the truth of the Gadolls - that the world she knows is fake - her horror is palpable and realistic, because there's no way she could've known any better.

Kaburagi's world has a goofy style to it, with the cyborgs looking cartoonish rather than realistic. While it might initially seem off-putting, I think that it ends up balancing the tone of the story much better. Consider the hellscape that is the reform facility that Kaburagi visits. Imagine how dark it would've been if it was not in a silly style! By keeping the style cuter rather than realistic, the show doesn't dip too far into dark and gritty, and I really liked it!

It also set up this harsh divide between Kabruagi's half, where things are easygoing, done for pleasure and fun, and not nearly as harsh as Natsume's world (Look at the name of the series! Decadence literally means living in excessive luxury!). Even when the cyborgs are in their Gear forms, which are drawn in Natsume's style, they're still a lot more colorful and vivid, showing that their lives aren't as harsh as that of the Tankers. The art styles reflect the differences between the two halves and give them both distinct tones and personalities!

& finally, let's take an in-depth look at one scene!: I had a really hard time picking what I thought summed up the series in a single scene. In the end, I think that Natsume and Kaburagi's discussion at the end of episode 7 was the best. Here, we see a culmination of a lot of the character development going on. Kaburagi, in this scene, is in a Gears avatar that Natsume doesn't recognize, meeting her for the first time since his normal avatar was killed. Natsume's been working with the Tankers to protect them from Gadolls that infiltrated the fortress, and she's motivated them all to rise up and fix the hole in the fortress themselves.

Kaburagi has encouraged Natsume to be a stronger person, even though she had to be independent and not rely on him any longer. His pessimistic view on the world - that they'll never defeat the Gadolls - has rubbed off on her, but it's only made her more determined to be stronger to stand up to them. In this scene, we see her breaking down as she considers that Kaburagi might be right, and that she'll never kill them all, but that she needs to continue fighting.

Though Kaburagi previously doubted Natsume and her endless determination, he now feels filled with the same motivation. Natsume has convinced him, time and time again, that he can't give up, and so he decides that he's willing to do anything to make sure that she never loses that hope. He wants her dreams to come true, and he knows that she can't accomplish them alone.

This perfectly shows the effects that they have on one another. Natsume is now stronger than she's ever been: independent, able to take down Gadolls on her own, and determined enough to patch up the hole that no one else thought could be fixed. Kaburagi, in stark contrast to his suicidal thoughts from episode two, is now completely devoted to make the world a safe place for Natsume. Their relationship has shaped one another into being the best versions of themselves, and this isn't even the end! They still complete their growth in the last few episodes, but I've rambled about them enough.

We're done!: That's my review of Deca-Dence! I really believe that it's one of the masterpiece animes in recent years, and I wish it got more attention. I'm sure that there's plenty of anime out there like this one - forgotten diamonds in the rough - that I'd love to dig up and fawn over. Tell me if you know any! Or, if you disagree with my review, tell me where you think I'm wrong!

#time to go rewatch deca-dence #writing about it has made me miss it so much #its sooooo good #please check it out #it's so worth it #studio nut #bwahahah #studio NUT #lmaoooo #please tell them to get a better name #deca-dence #anime #anime review #summer 2020

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naruot · 6 years

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WHY DO WE ACCEPT MEDIOCRITY IN (SHOUNEN) ANIME

Disclaimer: I am talking about the ANIME of these series. I don't care that if I read the manga then something would make more sense, or the manga is way better, or I have to look in the databooks to understand why this worked and wasn't just plot convenience blah blah blah no

I wanted to write about this for a while now and I know that the west isn't the primary target for anime and I have heard (don't know if this is 100% accurate tho) that people in Japan that do like anime like the standard troupes in which category of anime they watch and have no problem with those troupes being used constantly

However it's just been bugging me lately that the bulk of animes that've been coming out as of late have been so lackluster. Every time I try to get into another anime I immediately stop watching after like 10 minutes into the episode because I can tell what's about to happen Black Clover.

And I'm not saying that Black Clover is bad I'm just saying that there's no originality in it or the other shows being produced. There are some shounen that are okay like Bnha and Attack on titan that I can get through and watch, but that it there just okay.

Recently there have not been enough of the one punch man's or mob psycho's that shake up the shounen genre with refreshing concepts and ideas. And you may or may not like OPM or mob but you can't deny it's something vastly different then the other shounen that have been out lately.

I remember under a YouTube video someone commented something like 'people outgrow troupes and have a shorter tolerance for certain character archetypes because you know they can be done better' and that really resonated with me when it comes to a lot of modern shounen animes today. Many new shounen's are just to similar nothing outstanding or revolutionary like YYH, JoJo, fmab, HxH.

And what made these animes so great especially to me are the way they aren't trying to be like a regular shounen and the mangaka weren't scared to do something different.

For example HxH, first I wanna say that I wouldn't exactly call it a deconstruction anime however it does not follow the usual shounen troupes. Like the protagonist and his wishy washy morality, the villains seeming like living breathing being because they have need and wants outside of the main cast, and the main nen system being beautifully crafted that all anyone has to do is just train hard enough to be extremely powerful. No one needs to be a wizard god king, born with an OP quirk, or even have the best kekkei genkai Jesus eye/9 tails and child of prophecy to be powerful.

JoJo has stands and it's proven in the show just because your stand is OP doesn't guarantee you a win, FMAB whole story is beautifully crafted the themes from racism to war etc. and there are real consequences in brotherhood for the brothers, or in YYH like in HxH, where all the characters are amazing etc. (I can go on with praising these shows but I don't want this post to be to long) Some of these animes aren't even my favorite but I can appreciate them and love the variety they bring to the shounen genre.

And of course these animes are far from perfect (JoJo first season isn't the best, YYH ending was rushed, HxH chimera arc does lag but the payoff was worth it in my opinion, and I don't really have anything negative to say about fmab loved it all the way through etc.) but those were still great animes that people still discuss and love til this day.

Do you really believe where mha and black clover are at right now that they would stand the test of time and be remembered as great shounen's that people love and still discuss other then for shipping fuel and fan service?

And when people do praise those shows it's for what they don't do wrong. Yes some of the shows follow the shounen troupes and they do it well but they don't take any risk or have any stand out points which makes them pretty forgettable to me.

And it's not only troupes or character archetypes I'm also talking about character designs and art styles so many characters look like SAO rejects or from some cheesy slice of life anime that they get boring.

That's another thing I like about Mob the creativity of the show is amazing! The character designs plus the amazing and colorful backgrounds when it comes to action scenes that make the anime a masterpiece to watch. Devilman crybaby is another anime with a different art style. The art was a little off putting to me but I could appreciate that they were trying to do something new and the artist wasn't afraid to get really creative.

I just want some new ideas and concepts I'm tired of all the mediocrity in shounen. Maybe make an amoral protagonist, a true underdog MC, a villain with amazing ideals and philosophy that your agreeing with them, etc. these aren't even new concept but they are barely used in the shounens that would be great to see.

Pretty much all I'm trying to say that personally I just want more variety in the genre and hopefully that happens somewhere in the near future.

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baby-come-bach · 4 years

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All writing asks!

Oh daaaamn! Thanks, bro!! @brynhildr13 !!!!

In response to this post!

1. What is your preferred place to write (notebook, laptop, cellphone, etc.)?

~Normally I try to do everything on my laptop in Zoho’s Notebook app. I seriously love the app, and there’s a desktop and mobile version that will sync so if you’re on the go you can still edit your notes! If I’m ever stuck I’ll hand write in a paper notebook and that usually works really well for me.

2. When did you start writing?

~I started writing back in the third grade, when I wrote and illustrated a comic series called The Evil Substitute Teacher from Mars! Obviously it was of a third grade quality and I had no intentions of being a writer at that point, but it was the first time I seriously flexed my skills even though it was just for fun!

I started writing fanfiction in my freshman year of high school.

3. What is your favorite thing to write?

~I love to write stories that take characters through intense emotional journeys. I absolutely love quality character development when you can track it from beginning to end.

4. Fluff or angst?

~Angst. I have little to no interest in writing a love story or love encounters as the primary plot. It’s hard to emulate the kinds of emotions people feel during those encounters when I’ve had minimal experience.

5. How would you describe your style?

~Hmmm . . . I would say . . . healthily balanced between pragmatics and prose. I try to make things as literal as I can when there’s action happening, but when I describe character’s emotions I literally love to pour on the cheese.

6. Where do you usually find inspiration?

~In general, for overall fanfic concepts I’ll find it in the source material, in a detail that wasn’t well-expanded. For specific ideas within a story, and for specific language to describe something I’ll borrow from both the source material and other writers in canon-based fics.

7. Do you listen to music to help you write?

~Hell yes.

8. What’s the biggest “challenge” for you as a writer?

~I love to write and I mainly write for myself - meaning I write the stories that I would want to read. But it’s extremely easy to fall into the “Nobody else will want to read this/Nobody is reading this = it must be bad and I’m a terrible writer” mindset. Surprisingly, that hits me harder than comparing myself to other writers. I understand and embrace that my style is different and the way I tell stories is unique. I actually really love how I write in comparison. I also struggle with pacing.

9. Where do you usually go to write (bedroom, living room, etc.)?

~When I’m at home, my bedroom. However, occasional changes in scenery do wonders for my inspiration, so I also love public libraries. When it’s very late at night (and it usually is because I’m a night owl to begin with and I work two jobs), I love to go to Denny’s. The people at my local Denny’s know me by name and I have the same server almost every time. They let me sit there for hours and hours (and if I do stay, I always leave a gigantic tip).

10. Can you give us a sneak peek of your current WIP?

~We’re mid-fight scene and this is unedited (I’m just really self-conscious lmao). It’s from my Dissidia fanfic, A Petal Among Thorns:

“’Cosmos's assassins!’ the Emperor sneered. He laughed, calling his staff from its resting place next to the throne. "I'm glad you could make it!" Removing Cloud first would be the most important thing. That, and deflecting Terra's magic. Cloud lifted his sword behind his head and slashed it down, and an arc of power careened off the blade towards him. The Emperor slammed the end of his staff into the ground and called a cluster of purple mines in its path. The Blade Beam collided with the mines and they detonated on contact in a cloud of smoke, the sound booming through Pandaemonium.”

11. How many stories have you written so far?

~18, though not all are complete.

12. What’s your favorite thing you ever wrote?

~In the first version of A Petal Among Thorns, I wrote a giant fight scene between a goddess and her warriors. It was intense and epic, and really maximized my skills at the time, and I loved every second of it.

13. How many chapters does your longest series have?

~Well, the new and improved version of A Petal Among Thorns has 45 posted chapters at 171k words, and I’m working on 46. The original Petal, which I finished, ended with 64 and had 108k words. Both are my longest so far. the most words, though, is Horrible Bosses with just under 200k.

14. What’s my favorite character/person to write for?

~This is so tough. But I think the Emperor for A Petal Among Thorns. He’s a classic kind of “Muahahaha” villain and I absolutely love getting into that evil headspace.

15. “OCs” or “Reader” inserts?

~If it’s an either/or question, then I say OCs. But nothing against Reader inserts. I love those, too. If it’s a do I read or write them question, then not really. I did one back when I was in high school. But I do read them and I support writers who do. There’s no such thing as cringe culture anymore so don’t let any elitists make you feel shitty for writing them.

16. Can you tell us anything about your current WIP?

~Sure. I’ve got four major ones:

1. A Petal Among Thorns (Dissidia Final Fantasy) - Cosmos just sent a group to take care of the Emperor since he’s been plaguing her and her warriors, but they’re caught unprepared when they realize he’s been secretly amassing power.

2. The Krypt (Mortal Kombat) - The group just found Master Hasashi and Kenshi, two out of the whole group they’ve been looking for. Their next order of business is to escape the spider caves, but it won’t be so easy.

3. Legends Yet (Final Fantasy XII) - Balthier and Fran are preparing to infiltrate the Archadian Palace to go after a special item. Little do they know the palace is more prepared than they thought.

4. This is My Punishment (Final Fantasy VII: Dirge of Cerberus) - The Turks go looking for Vincent after he fails to report in. They confront Dr. Hojo about it, but he’s smug and disinterested.

17. How long was the longest fic you ever wrote?

~The longest COMPLETE story I ever wrote was the original A Petal Among Thorns with 64 chapters at 108k words. The longest INCOMPLETE story I have right now is the rewrite of A Petal Among Thorns with 46 chapters at 171k words. The most words I ever wrote was Horrible Bosses at just under 200k but with only 15 chapters.

18. What fandoms do you write for?

~Final Fantasy and Mortal Kombat and Hetalia are pretty much it right now, but a variety of FFs! I have written for Assassin’s Creed too, and Voltron, and I did one very self-indulgent Black Butler self-insert.

19. What is/are your favorite fandom author/authors?

~Poisonous Panda on AO3 (she used to have a tumblr but she deactivated for some reason), and Jaydee Grey on ff.net

20. Have you ever written an AU?

~No. All my stories take place in the actual world and parameters of canon. Although, I guess Petal could be considered one, since Rosa was never called to the cycles in any Dissidia game except Opera Omnia . . . ?

21. What’s your favorite AU trope?

~I don’t know if I have one. I read them but they’re not my go-to. I usually stick to canon stuff first.

22. A fanfiction cliché you can’t help but love?

~Hmmmm . . . I think descriptions of eyes. Not like, the word ‘orbs’ or anything, but the use of gemstones to describe color. I love the aesthetics associated with gemstones and their luster and how they shine, so if someone has “emerald green” eyes, or “amber” eyes, “crystalline blue”, etc. It makes me understand that their characters’ eyes are aglow with something, that they have character or passions or an ideas.

23. For how long have you been a fandom writer?

~I started my freshman year of high school, so . . . 10 years?

24. Have you ever had an idea for a story and forgot about it?

~No, I usually write stuff down right away. But as I develop my stories they rarely stay along the path enough to end up using the idea. Either the plot point is too out in left field now, or the characters are too far along in their journeys to make it work in-character.

25. What do you do to motivate yourself to write?

~Motivation? I don’t know her.

In all seriousness, I have ZERO self-control, so I can’t bribe myself. I mostly use my own desire to see my stories finished, plus nice comments and reviews from users on AO3 and ff.net. They’re so few and far between that a single one can make my entire day.

26. How did you find out you like to write?

~I’ve always enjoyed telling stories, from the third grade up! Making my own comics, and novelizing games I used to play, like Pac-Man World 2! I sort of never stopped, but WHAT I wrote matured as I grew older and joined fandom.

27. Are there any writers (fanfiction writers or not) that have inspired you to start writing?

~No, I was writing in general before I knew what fanfiction even was. But what inspired me to start writing fanfiction in particular was reading a Dissidia fic on ff.net by the name of Slash and Burn, that hasn’t updated since 2011. Reading that fic made me realize that the stories and scenarios I was coming up with surrounding these characters I loved could be transcribed and posted, and that other people were doing it too! I simply started writing down what I already was imagining for these characters outside of the events that happened in their games.

28. What’s your favorite fandom to write for?

~Final Fantasy, hands down!

29. Describe your style in three words.

1. Balanced

2. Introspective

3. Natural

30. What would you say is the most ‘famous’ fic you’ve ever written?

~Definitely The Krypt for Mortal Kombat on AO3. Writing for an active fandom is vastly, vastly different than writing for an older, stale one. The Krypt has the most comments and shares. On ff.net, it’s Horrible Bosses.

31. Blurbs or drabbles?

~Drabbles. Flesh it out more! I wanna be more immersed in whatever this is!

32. Have you ever written smut?

~I have written ONE SINGLE SHEEPISH scene in chapter 13 of Horrible Bosses. It was my very first attempt at smut and it is god-awful. Go check it out on AO3 if you want (and can withstand the second-hand embarrassment!)

33. How long does it usually take for you to write?

~LMAO that depends entirely on if I can get started for the day. If I can start and I can stay focused, I’ll easily write 3,000 words in one sitting. If I can start but I’m not focused I can usually still grind out anywhere between 100 - 500 or so words. But I’ll go days without touching Notebook if I can’t even get started.

34. What’s your favorite font to use when writing?

~I don’t put much stock in fonts but the one I’m using now on Notebook is Montserrat. I will change it every so often if I want something new though. Changes in scenery help my focus most times.

35. Which do you prefer to write: longer or shorter fics?

~Longer definitely. Shorter fics are easier but I love the challenges associated with aligning plot points with character development, as well as pacing.

36. how do you keep yourself inspired?

~My love for the fandoms I’m writing for usually does it. I love these universes and characters so much that I want to spend more time with them and watch them grow and change in ways that are or aren’t necessarily spelled out in canon. That, and the idea that since I’m writing stories I would want to read, then I’m the only one who can tell this story in my own way, so it has to be me.

37. Have you ever written something you didn’t like but posted anyway?

~Hell yeah. It be like that sometimes. Sometimes you stare and stare at a chapter and you absolutely hate it but you can’t figure out why and eventually you get pissed and say, “Fuck it, i have to post this to move on,” and you do. Specific examples for me are a few chapters in the new Petal.

38. What is your “strong suit” as a writer?

~I pride myself on my characterizations, to be honest. I feel like I have a good sense of who these characters are based on canon, and I can translate their reactions well to situations that test them.

39. What’s your favorite trope?

~I actually really, really love when characters are injured or slipping physically or emotionally, but they keep it to themselves for the sake of others. It can be for any reason - they don’t want to be a bother, they think they should be strong enough to handle it, etc.

40. How many likes do your fics usually get?

~Depends. The most I’ve gotten on anything was ~70 follows/favorites for Horrible Bosses on ff.net, and 128 kudos on The Krypt on AO3. Those are outliers, for the most part. My more popular fandom fics float around 20 - 40 kudos, my smaller fandom fics float around 5-10. The mean average for AO3 kudos across all my fics is 32, and the mean average for ff.net favorites is 14.

41. Have you ever used a prompt?

~No. it’s very, very hard for me to imagine characters into scenarios that I didn’t myself come up with?? I’m not sure why.

42. What is your weakness as a writer?

~Pacing.

43. Have you ever cried or felt any emotion while reading something you wrote?

~Yes, I cried when I wrote the aftermath of the large battle I talked about earlier, between Cosmos and her warriors in the first version of A Petal Among Thorns.

44. Have you ever done a collab with another writer?

~No, I’m too self-conscious.

45. One thing you love about fanfiction.

~I love how it allows fans to expand upon these worlds and universes that were created for us. I love how it allows us to demonstrate our love by interpreting things that were either not touched or not expanded upon in canon. It also allows me to express myself in a healthy and creative way.

46. What’s your favorite emotion to cause on your readers?

~Nothing makes a person sexier than physical pain. But I also love anger and regret.

47. What’s your favorite thing about writing?

~See above. Writing fanfiction is another way that I express my love for something that matters so much to me, which are these pieces of media I write for. It also gives my daydreams purpose and doesn’t make me feel like I have to bottle them up!

48. Do you post your writing in any other platforms?

~Yep! AO3, ff.net! I’m Keyblader41996 on both.

49. What app/apps do you use to write (word, notepad, etc.)?

~I’ve got notes all over! I’ve got some in Notepad on my Mac, and I have some in Notebook by Zoho on their site and app, I have some in my paper notebooks, I have some in my college textbook margins and notebooks, etc. My favorite to use is Zoho’s Notebook.

50. One thing you don’t like about fanfiction.

~Thinly veiled, arbitrary and unnecessary bullshit that is masqueraded as “constructive criticism” when I didn’t ask for it, and when it’s easier for the commenter to just, idk, LEAVE THE FUCKING FIC?!?!?!!??!?!?! Rather than spend ALL that time just to be shitty???????????? get away from me.

51. Least favorite trope?

~I dislike time travel.

52. Favorite words to use when writing?

~I love facial descriptions and body language: He crossed his arms. Her eyebrows furrowed. She winked coyly. His fists balled at his sides, trembling. She jumped, clapping her hands enthusiastically. etc.

53. Least favorite words?

~I hate describing clothes and bodies/figures. Hate it.

54. Do you usually like what you write?

~It depends. I cycle through different phases. (1) This is great. (2) Oh god, what the fuck??? is this??? (3) I can’t even look at this, it’s so bad. *Stops writing for days* (4) Wait, why did I hate this so much? It’s a great starting point! (5) Edit (6) YESSS YESSSSSS YASSSSS!!!!!!!! (7) Post

I can start at any one of those numbers and go from there but it’s always in that order no matter where I start.

Thanks so much for asking me these!! I love them!!!

#brynhildr13 #my post #baby-come-bach #writer asks #thanks man #writing

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briangroth27 · 5 years

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Aquaman Review

I went into Aquaman with no expectations—I've never been a fan of the character and don't know much more about him or his world beyond the basics—but I had an enjoyable time watching it! I wouldn't say I've been converted to an Aqua-fan, but this is a fun adventure film with excellent world-building.

That world-building is the best part of Aquaman and they do it much better than any other DCEU film has so far. Wonder Woman is definitely my favorite of this run of films, but I still think it was a mistake to kill off her entire pantheon; keeping them alive would've given Diana's world so much more personality, flavor, and story potential. However, Aquaman explores several different realms and offshoots of the people who came from Atlantis, giving us a wide variety of settings to visit. The scope of this movie is vast, to put it lightly. I also loved how far they pushed the boundaries of realism here: instead of trying to ground Aquaman like Justice League did—where Atlantis was one muddy, submerged ruin—this movie had everything from glistening neon underwater cities to secret hollow Earths to giant undersea monsters (voiced by Julie Andrews!) and more! I hope this proves to Hollywood that you don't have to maintain even a Marvel Studios-level of realism to be successful and that diving into the deep end is perfectly acceptable to general audiences. I also absolutely loved the colors on display here instead of the washed-out look of the Batman and Superman efforts.

My favorite character was Mera (Amber Heard). She was a great blend of cool warrior, experienced stateswoman (though we didn’t see her in the political arena, she clearly had a good grasp of what was going on politically), and Wonder Woman-esque naïveté when she got to the land. Her hydrokinesis was great and a much cooler power than anything Arthur (Jason Momoa) was doing. I feel like she would be the better ruler for Atlantis too, as her hatred of the land isn't any different from Arthur's of Atlantis, so that can’t be used as a point against her. She also knows the ins and outs of the seas and the people therein and truly cares about their well-being; concerns Arthur absolutely does not share. Any concern about her not knowing the land world is essentially moot, since bridging the two worlds isn’t really crucial at all except as the correct alternate course of action to Orm's specific battle plan. The outside world still largely considers Atlantis a myth by the end of the film, and even if they didn't a ruler's first priority should be understanding their kingdom. The assumption that it was always going to be Arthur who was worthy to lead also creates a comparable humility in Mera which should’ve allowed her to be worthy in the Karathen’s judgment too, given how she decided Arthur was.

This was the best appearance of Arthur in the movies so far, but I still don't like him much. I’m glad he's not another Special Chosen White Guy, but I’m not a fan of his bro-ish personality (Batman The Brave and the Bold’s “Outrageous!” Arthur is still my favorite version); more often than not I was agreeing with Mera’s annoyed reactions to him (eating the roses after she mistakenly did was sweet though, I’ll give him that). There’s a disconnect between this movie’s flashback scenes of Arthur being trained since he was a kid and his appearance in Justice League, where he was afraid to use that (apparently extensive) training to do anything, lest it get him killed. At the very least, I would’ve liked his fear of dying in JL to connect to what he knew about his mom’s fate. Arthur's need to reconcile his aquatic side and find a place where he truly belonged was fine, but would've been stronger if he either were more of an outcast on land (instead, he's beloved by those who believe he exists) or if he actually had any interest in taking part in the Atlantean world (since he doesn’t, he isn't losing anything by being an exile...he's still mostly free to roam the seas and do his thing). Because he hates the Atlanteans and doesn't want to be king, his arc feels underdeveloped; there's no sense of accomplishment, release, or elation when Arthur "earns" his destiny IMO, because he doesn’t want it. I understand the argument that he would be the best-suited to be a bridge between worlds intellectually but I don't feel it for a second. He ends up still being essentially who he always was after getting the trident (like I’ve seen pointed out on Twitter), except he hates Atlantis less (and, minus his flirtation with Mera, even that only came with the reveal that his mom was alive). Learning to love/appreciate Atlantis wasn't even part of his journey. I wish the quest for the trident brought Arthur through the kingdoms of the sea to accomplish just that. In the same way Mera learns to appreciate the land, Arthur learning about the people he was supposed to be ruling should’ve been important. He's deemed worthy because he doesn't want to rule, but he also has no idea how life undersea works in the kingdoms, who his people would be, or any idea how to be a leader. Also, King shouldn't be a "learn on the job" kind of gig. Humility isn’t enough, especially since fulfilling this prophecy also means that seven vastly different kingdoms will now be united and will definitely need finessing to help them get along. In short, he’ll probably be a terrible king. This could be an interesting sequel arc if it turns out he's legitimately a poor king (or that he still doesn't want this burden), but here it felt like a foregone conclusion that he's the best choice without showing us much of why he should be king (like I saw others pointing out online). I also wish it felt like Arthur was more connected to the surface world to truly be the bridge he's supposed to be. He can argue the land's pros, but I feel like it's a huge stretch to say he's some big shot that anyone in the land governments would listen to (they don’t even trust Superman; why should Aquaman be different?).

I also wish we could've gotten something more out of Arthur's relationship with his parents. Yeah they're proud of him, but they don't seem to have passed much on to him (aside from helping those in need). I definitely don't need more heroes who treat their superheroism like a mission handed to them by their parents (I was happy that Arthur seemed to be doing good just because it was the right thing to do), but I would've liked to see his parents' personalities in Arthur more. That said, I liked both Atlanna (Nicole Kidman) and Tom Curry (Temuera Morrison). Atlanna was very cool and Tom’s dedication to her and concern for his son were sweet. I absolutely wish there’d been a way to avoid the almost-certain rape of Atlanna after she was taken back to Atlantis though: her king could've just been increasingly anti-land, so she leaves after giving birth to Orm (Patrick Wilson). It would’ve been a harder road for Arthur to travel if he weren’t born to be the next in the line of succession too. Sure you’d lose some of Orm’s paranoia about Arthur, but that’s not something I’d miss if it meant excising that wholly unnecessary offscreen assault.

Orm's "they're killing us with their pollution!" argument was valid and I liked that they literally threw a lot of trash back onto shores all over the world. However, he's so power-hungry that he immediately runs right past "understandable yet misguided" into "only uses his gripe as an excuse" territory. I don’t believe for a second that he actually cares about protecting the planet, only about using land-dwellers’ accidental and careless ‘aggression’ as an excuse to take power for himself. It would’ve been a lot more complex if Orm really were trying to save everyone but were simply unable to do it. I’d rather he have been drawn as a radical who isn’t listened to than a clearly power-mad wannabe king. If he has a more complicated and altruistic goal, it’s that much more difficult for Arthur to argue or fight him.

Black Manta (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) was a solid secondary villain who fit right into the story, but I don't know that I need to see more of him. I liked that Manta had a legitimate gripe against Arthur and thought his quest for vengeance worked (though the gun he turns into his helmet seemed more powerful the original way, yeah? Cool display of his tech prowess though!). I’m just not sure where he goes from here, because he certainly doesn’t seem changed by being beaten by Arthur and I don’t see how further conflicts are going to be different than the (very cool) one we saw here. As I’ve seen pointed out on Twitter, Manta provokes a nice bit of change in Arthur when Curry accepts his responsibility in creating this enemy and later turns away from killing (or even just letting people die) altogether, which plays nicely against the violent Atlanteans (the biggest personal development Arthur reaches here). In that way, Manta is even more influential than the movie’s main villain. The parallel between Manta and his father (Michael Beach) and Arthur and Atlanna was a solid look at vengeance, but again the ability to move on and forgive is handed to Arthur without any effort on his part because Atlanna is still alive. It would’ve been a stronger contrast with Manta if Arthur were able to forgive Atlantis before he knew she hadn’t been killed. The lesson there also seems to be that vengeance and hate is inescapable unless the source of your pain turns out to not truly be lost to you, and that’s...quite the downer.

The direction and pacing were really well done! The effects were also excellent, with fully believable undersea sets and creatures. The underwater conversations could’ve looked really silly with everyone awkwardly floating around, but they didn’t. There were a few cheesy moments and some cliche dialogue, but nothing that broke the tone. It was great that they weren’t afraid to embrace classic Aquaman elements like the visual of his ‘sonar’-like telepathic power and Arthur riding a giant sea horse! I also loved the adventure vibe of the film, particularly the Indiana Jones-esque quest Arthur and Mera undertook.

All in all, Aquaman is definitely entertaining and fun, but it needed something more to be great. I think there’s an interesting setup for the next film here, but I wonder if they’ll take that avenue.

Check out more of my reviews, opinions, and original short stories here!

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godselbow-blog · 6 years

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Dichotomy: (minor) Black Panther Character Analysis

“Just bury me in the ocean, just like my ancestors who jumped from the ships, ‘cause they knew death was better than bondage.” Let the words ring at a decibel that the Liberty Bell must envy, and let them resonate throughout your soul. They can’t truly hit home, because we all hail from those who decided that survival was more important, but our ancestors possessed strength of a different measure. We all recognize the truth behind these words, and they are a part of who we are as much as the ancestors who sired us. Black Panther is a mosaic that accounts for all shades of the color and word “Black”. Black Panther enlivens the last measure of hope we have as a people, and protects it at the same time. Black Panther is our story.

It executes necessary exposition as a story being told to a child, a child ignorant of what came before it; and well enough so, because how many of us have read the glorious works of Christopher Priest, Ta-Nehisi Coates, and the maestros who came before them? How many of us know the history behind the character other than his skin color and the infectious nature of his existence? We are then introduced to a more contemporary and familiar setting, the image of what becomes a person of subjectively “adverse” origin who must exist in American society, and we are told to be wary and afraid of them. We are made to intake images of black revolutionists like Chuck D. and Huey P. Newton, and the plans of liberation that some would call necessary and others would call extreme. The first line is actively being drawn. We are then subjected to amazement through the eyes of children who instinctively view the sighting of Wakandan technology as practically another famed UFO sighting, and later find that this occurrence touched a child so deeply that it created a seed of change that would take over 20 years to grow. Even though the catalysts for what would make the antagonist and protagonist characters what they are happen at two disconnected points in time, these scenes are given to us to convey who the characters are and what they represent. One is a King by supposed right, and at their base they represent the philosophical difference that existed between Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. And that’s just one layer of this film. The way in which this 2-hour movie embodies the philosophies of these two true icons and imparts them to a young generation is captivating, sorry Jaden.

In my first viewing I was brought to tears by the transparent beauty of African culture and tradition that was displayed during T’Challa’s ascension ceremony. It cultivated itself as a feeling of pride that I want but can’t truly have, because I am American, and everything else that comes with the word. And that’s something to be scoffed at, as Okoye demonstrates, much like the wig she wore that featured a European standard of beauty. Sure, Nakia provides comedic relief at this moment, but Okoye is right. Far too often is African culture depicted as savage, unimportant, and primitive, much how Klaue regards Wakandan people and culture in the movie, but here we see that standard flipped (by Okoye herself) and attributed to white Americans themselves. This will lead to a later-formed question that we must answer within ourselves.

T’Challa is his father’s son. He makes a point of emulating his father’s rule, wanting to be just as great as his perception of the great T’Chaka. This is revealed in his initial interaction with his sister Shuri, when he takes the stance that old technology his good enough even though it can be improved upon. Even when KillMonger is brought face-to-face with T’Challa for the first (ehh, second) time, he tries to dismiss KillMonger and KillMonger’s very existence just like his father did. However, T’Challa comes to recognize that it is KillMonger’s existence that illustrates the arrogance and immorality of Wakanda’s long-held approach to global politics and involvement, and it is at the confrontation of this realization that he realizes he must be a different king than his father. The second line is being drawn. T’Chaka was wrong.

Nothing is perfect, but this movie is beautiful. Forgive me, because no person truly speaks for all, but we are KillMonger. The real show-stealer of the film is not the imagined technology, not the overwhelming pride in a "self" that those on the boats who would become and beget black americans were robbed of, but the best marvel villain ever put to screen. KillMonger embodies the rage we all feel, constantly, and he expresses that rage, constantly. And it begs to question, the very question that I alluded to earlier, was his vision even wrong? It was practically given to us by Nakia, T'Challa's love interest established early in the movie, that they should allow Wakanda's technological advancements to influence the world and people around it. True, his methods were more extreme, as well as his envisioned application of those advancements, but the goal is practically the same: to not cast a blind eye on the children and lost children of Africa whose lives would forever be changed by the hope and power that Wakanda could bring. KillMonger was right.

But there are those who would even question if KillMonger's methods and plans were wrong. There are black militancy groups in the world, and no matter how news outlets portray them, we all can identify with the root causes for what made them who they are. How do they, or how would they, view the movie's positioning of black militancy as the main antagonist? The film even went so far as to make KillMonger military personnel, trained by and killing for the forces he hates, all for a specific purpose. That question is open, I can't answer it, for I don’t belong to these groups, it is only mine to ask. KillMonger stated that he had studied the tactics of his oppressors. He thought he was overcoming them. He thought he was above them. But as Agent Ross told us, he was simply following the strategy that had been given to him by his oppressors. KillMonger wasn’t truly overcoming what was taught to him but simply enacting these tactics against his oppressors in turn. In this instance, T’Challa was right.

Even deeper with KillMonger's character is his lineage, and how it applies to all of Africa's lost children in the United States. For as we are who we are, we can all trace our roots and heritage back there, somewhere. And he simultaneously embodies a rage of a different origin: the rage we feel at being men and women without a country. The questioning of one's self at being beaten, disenfranchised, and victimized by the country we were birthed into, but also being viewed as the unworthy other by those in our continent of origin. As soon as he makes his true origin known, as soon as he makes a righteous stake to the throne, he is confronted with thunderous opinions of being an outsider who has no place in the nation or its governance. He is the sadness felt when one ponders "where do we go from here?". The character is so well developed, so layered, and so representative of who we are as black people, that he was the first Marvel villain that forced me to evoke a mournful response at their passing. I was genuinely sad to watch this character die. But that brings me to my next question. Was his death truly necessary? Given the history between the two characters, and the way in which history was allowed to repeat itself, was it more effective to have KillMonger die and be the catalyst for the change in Wakandan politics that he wanted to see, or would it have been more profound to have him join T'Challa's side, overcome the cycle, and serve as an advisor and a vastly different vessel of change that could continue to impact his philosophies on Wakanda's global influence?

Both T’Challa and KillMonger were right. Both of these characters are kings, and the person that each represents is worthily respected by others. This is the reason why one may feel conflicted when reaching the end of the film, for one may not be completely certain of who they want to win the final battle. That said, and all questions asked, I conclude with this: I want a dope ass KillMonger poster.

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game-refraction · 7 years

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Movie Review: The Lego Batman Movie

When I think back about The Lego Movie, I distinctly remember three things; Unikitty, the “Everything is awesome” song, and of course, Lego Batman. It was shortly after the release of that film that they announced that Lego Batman would get his own theatrical spin-off, and it’s finally here. The Lego Batman Movie is the best time I’ve had in the theater watching a Batman movie since 1993’s Batman: Mask of the Phantasm; my favorite Batman movie of all time, and still is.

The Lego Batman Movie tells us the story of Batman and his relationships; not just with Alfred, but with that of both friend and foe alike. One such relationship that has come to define Batman, no matter the iteration, is that of Batman and the Joker. The version of this relationship is almost a parody of romantic comedies where one side is vastly more invested in it than the other, and a plan is set in motion to make that other person feel the same way. Of course, there is no actual romance here and the “I Love You’s” are replaced with “I Hate You’s” and “I’m currently seeing other people” with “I’m currently fighting a few different people right now”. When Batman tells the Joker that he means absolutely nothing to him, well, you can’t help but feel a bit sad for the guy. I mean, look at this face..

Will Arnett’s Batman is self-absorbed, arrogant but still very likable. Arnett plays him with a very sad vulnerability that comes off even more so due to the fantastic facial animation on display, even if it is on the face of a Lego character who emotes with glowing blue eyes and a small mouth. Batman is still very much haunted by the loss of his parents, the family unit he doesn’t know he desperately wants to have again. When his loner status is threatened due to the possibility of gaining said family unit, well, he doesn’t know how to handle it.

During the course of the story, Bruce Wayne accidentally adopts orphan Dick Grayson. This union is treated like an unconventional introduction to parenting for Batman and is some of the best highlights in the film. Michael Cera’s role as Dick is superb and his big-eyed glasses just add a comical touch that compliments the voice so well. Nearly every interaction between Batman and Robin is well written, well acted and to borrow a phrase from Robin himself, I’m quite “jazzed” by the both of them.

Zach Galifianakis is technically the second ‘animated’ Joker to hit the big screen and while he doesn’t do anything terribly memorable for the role, the visual scope that this Joker entails more than makes up for it. This Joker has an almost feral look to him and the emotional spectrum that runs across his face during the film is some of the best work in the movie. I would have preferred someone a little more high-pitched for the vocals, but that’s just me.

The Lego Batman Movie sees the retirement of Jim Gordon, replaced by his daughter Barbara, played by Rosario Dawson. This isn’t Dawson’s only DC voice-over work as she provided the vocals for Wonder Woman in a few of the ‘New 52’ based animated films. This is another voice that I felt was ok but could have been better. Nothing for me really stands out here and while the character does have a few fun moments in the film, none of them are my favorite by far.

Providing support, both parental and otherwise is Alfred Pennyworth, voiced by Ralph Fiennes. While it’s a bit strange that Fiennes isn’t voicing another character featured in the film, his role here as Alfred is rather great. He has a nice tone as the butler of Bruce Wayne and even gets involved in many of the final moments of the film, to a degree many Alfred’s have not.

Much has been talked about the opening act, and how beyond amazing it is, and they’re not wrong; it’s incredible. Batman is tasked with disarming a bomb that could very well destroy Gotham City, the only problem? The dozens and dozens of villains that stand between him and the explosive. The sheer number of foes that Batman must take down is staggering, many of who are from decades worth of comics or based upon various TV shows, both live action and animated. I got a good laugh from seeing Condiment King, who actually existed, despite the villain being quite lame. This scene is made even better by a song that Batman sings while vanquishing said enemies. It’s easily the best part of this movie due to its sheer silliness and charm.

Chris McKay was heavily involved during the production of The Lego Movie and having him continue that involvement here as Director was a smart and logical choice. His framing of the action and emotional moments are well done and the pacing of the movie is brisk without feeling overly too fast. Seth Grahame-Smith’s screenplay is remarkable as not only does it hit all the comedic feels that The Lego Movie had, it does so while providing a solid voice to what a Lego Batman Movie should have without compromising it.

Where The Lego Movie was bright and colorful, The Lego Batman Movie is dark and colorful, as one would expect with a movie adaptation of the Lego Dark Knight. Because of the dark nature of the movie, the colors tend to stand out more, and this is also poked fun at during a moment in the film where Batman is trying to teach stealth to a bright and colorful Robin who can’t help but stand out like a sore thumb. I would have to give the visual edge to The Lego Batman Movie over The Lego Movie as it just looks better overall. Characters are well animated, colorful and you can visually look at any of the main characters and be impressed with each and every one of them, especially Robin and his big-eyes.

The Lego Batman Movie is tremendous and exceeded all my expectations. It’s funny, charming and has some deep emotional hooks that can really hit home. Its first act sets the pacing and delivers a fun filled movie from start to finish. The Joker and Barbara Gordon are pretty much the only parts of the film I believe could have been done better as neither of them really stand out. They also could have dropped the entire beat-boxing scene as the whole moment is not that great and comes off a bit awkward. Michael Cera’s Robin is beyond brilliant and his open enthusiasm is the counter to Batman on so many levels. From Batman visiting the Fortress of Solitude, microwaving his lobster thermidor, or having video problems on his TV, The Lego Batman Movie is engaging, entertaining and some of the best fun you can have at the theater and wait until you find out Batman’s super secret password.

Hey Batman, how’d you like the review?

Movie Review: The Lego Batman Movie was originally published on Game-Refraction

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