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mewhiphand · 3 years

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Drake analysis for his birthday!

Long post, part 1 of 2! Feel free to share your thoughts!

Drake analysis;

*WARNING : MAJOR spoilers for the Gone series and Monster series, discussions of child abuse, misogynistic mindsets, victim blaming, discussion of torture, sexual assault and rape*

This is a general analysis of Drake's character, focusing mostly on scenes from GONE and HUNGER (where he, arguably, has the most autonomy). If there any specific scenes or books you'd like me to take a look at, please let me know! :)

1| Pre-Coates Drake (overview)

Drake was already showing worrying signs, even before the FAYZ (and before he got sent to Coates); it's mentioned that he found enjoyment in microwaving a puppy and burning frogs. Either this was done covertly until the Holden incident, was done at Coates, or was ignored by his family (likely the former).

This tells us a couple of things:

A. His family may neglect or ignore him (or he ignores them)

Torturing these animals, a strange hobby as it is, does require time and commitment. This distance from his parents during his formative years could create antisocial tendencies and isolation from his 'loved ones'.

B. His sadistic tendencies developed before the death of his father and his mother's remarriage (more on that later).

However, Drake didn't start hurting people until he shot the "neighbour's kid, Holden" who "liked to come over and annoy him".

This short description gives us an insight into Drake's short leash on himself: his temper and impulses are hard to control, and he's aggravated to the point of almost committing murder at a young age (he was 14 in Gone, so this could have been at any age before then) - the book tells us that despite only being shot in the leg by Drake with a .22, "even then, he'd nearly died".

This was the incident that got Drake sent to Coates (a boarding school for mostly "rich", messed-up kids) - this could also clue us into how Drake didn't appear to be legally punished for shooting Holden, as his family might have been well-off (implying they'd rather just buy the victim's silence and ship Drake away rather than deal with his issues on their own, or get a private therapist - or perhaps they believe it's out of their hands?).

However, this is based on assumptions and not solid ground.

2 | Drake and his father.

Drake was taught to shoot by his father, a Highway Patrol lieutenant, using his service pistol. This formed an integral part of who he became, and they now had something in common -

"Don't shoot a person," his father had said. But then he relented, relieved no doubt to find something he could share with his disturbing son."

Despite his father being wary of Drake's early sadistic tendencies, he seemed to be the person that Drake was closest to, and his death affected him majorly. As perhaps the only person who even slightly understood him or sought to find something to do with him, his father's death appeared to be a pivotal moment for Drake - it signalled the end of any sense of a positive male role model in Drake's life, as his mother's next husband was abusive. This would cause him to seek out "strong", violent, dominant men when he was older.

The most likely timeline in my opinion is :

•Drake develops sadistic tendencies

•Drake's father dies

•Drake's mother remarries

•Drake shoots Holden and is sent to Coates

3 | Drake and his stepfather and mother

There is subtextual information that Drake is abused by his stepfather: "the beatings he'd suffered, and the much more numerous beating he had delivered, the pleasure he had found in burning frogs and microwaving a puppy and drawing all those endless loving pictures of weapons, spears, knives, torture devices, all of it, all the hatreds, all the burning lust, all the madness and rage.."

"But he was always a troubled boy. Especially after my son died. The stepfather...young Drake’s stepfather..." - Drake Merwin Sr to Connie temple

To digress :

This small passage in Plague and Sr's speech in Light gives us leagues of information.

Drake is drawn to things that cause pain, he's sickly fascinated with all kinds of weapons, "torture devices" (cleverly hinted at in Hunger, when he's watching Saw II), and the true depth of his emotions are revealed - along with a great deal of self-awareness.

Drake doesn't lack emotion - he's incredibly emotional. The things he does feel (rage, lust, joy) seem to be felt deeper, as if his lack of empathy amplifies the rest of his spectrum of emotions. Drake is also aware of what he feels - the "burning lust" mentioned is especially important to understanding Drake - the misogynistic hatred of Astrid and Diana stems from his apparent inability to distinguish between sexual attraction and causing pain (again, his sadistic desires)

The two are one, in Drake's mind.

[More on that later*]

But where did the misogynist mindset come from in the first place?

The answer lies in Drake's home life following the death of his father.

Drake's mother remarried - but his stepfather was an abusive man, leading to an incredibly toxic relationship. Drake, in his youth, already having the urge to hurt and kill, was exposed to that kind of extreme violence. Drake's stepfather beat his mother in front of him, and because his mother seemingly took actions to antagonise him enough to beat her, Drake (with the mindset of a child, who may have already seen it as a betrayal by his mother to remarry after his father's death)

concluded that she did it deliberately because she liked it.

This misconstruction and victim-blaming set in place a cycle of violence that would form Drake's victim-perpetrator mindset. [*]

It could also imply that Drake's mother's actions of irritating his stepfather directly impacted Drake himself: his stepfather took out his anger on his stepson, and beat Drake too.

This could stand to reason as another explanation why Drake's hatred of women developed - lacking positive female role models and maternal figures in his life led to distance from women, and led him to think that all women were intrinsically weak, irritating and masochistic in their desires.

(This would establish a sadistic-masochistic dynamic that Drake believed all woman [for some, like Astrid, secretly] wanted / partook in, and fuel the idea that women were weak and cowardly as his mother failed to protect him from her husband's violence.)

With a stunted, childish psyche, Drake lost sight of the real issue - the fact that his stepfather was abusive - and directed his anger at someone "safe" and "easy" to hate- his mother, whom he victim-blamed.

We can infer that Drake's childhood was filled with uncertainty and violence, and therefore he sought out control as a way to find a sense of stability in his life, and linked violence with strength and power - therefore, he won't recognise any authority that doesn't use violence as the main way to achieve its aims (hence why he's so gleeful when Caine "is lowered to his level" by using violence, and Drake himself only exercises power through shows of violence and using fear as a means of control - he has no sense of loyalty)

The build-up of resentment at his mother would explode, but not at its original target - at Drake's two known objects of sexual attraction in the FAYZ, Astrid and Diana [who will be addressed separately, as their treatments differ in some aspects. In this post I believe I'll only be addressing Diana, but if you want the full Astrid post comment I guess!]

4| Drake and Diana

Drake fears humiliation - mainly, from the female population. In Gone, Drake comments on this :

"He felt a moment of panic then...He would look like a fool if he didn't get [Astrid]."

"Drake cursed and, again, for just a moment, felt the almost desperate fear of failing Caine. He wasn't worried what Caine would do to him - after all, Caine needed him- but he knew if he failed to carry out Caine's orders, Diana would laugh."

What Drake hates about Diana here is her ability to make him feel humiliated, weak, powerless, a failure - everything he's bound to have felt in his childhood when he couldn't protect his mother or himself against his stepfather. He craves the feeling of power over others, and loathes the feeling of helplessness. We can see that he's aware that Caine uses him and needs him to act as a threat, and he accepts this for now, with the ultimate goal of overthrowing him, but his real fear is being publicly seen as weak and being laughed at, which drives him to do anything to succeed in Caine's eyes and, in his own words, "wipe the smirk off Diana's face"

"Drake had made time to check out Diana's psych file the day after the FAYZ came. But her file had been missing by then. In its place she had left Drake's file lying open on the doc's desk and drawn a little smiley face beside the word "sadist".

Drake had already hated her. But after that, hating Diana had become a full-time occupation."

Diana humiliates Drake, and gains power over him by knowing information about his mental state. Drake, who had the same idea to gain power over Diana, is infuriated and his hatred of her, once a burning ember, is now a raging volcano. We can see that Drake doesn't fear that Diana will hurt him psychically, but emotionally by provoking and humiliating him.

"To Drake's disgust, Caine accepted Diana's back-talk."

Diana has power over Caine that Drake can't hope to accomplish, due to the fact that Caine is attracted to her. Caine's desire of Diana outweighs any loyalty or comradeship he has with Drake. Diana also uses Caine's want for her as a failsafe protection against Drake.

Drake's misogyny shines through here: he sees the fact that Diana is manipulating Caine, and sees how he tolerates it. Drake realises that Diana can get away with much more than Drake himself can - she has more power over Caine than Drake does. And this power, in Drake's eyes, isn't "earned" as it wasn't gained through violence.

Drake disregards any kind of power that isn't earned through pain - this also shows in his hatred of freaks, who he sees as not having "earned" the right to be powerful, and explains his glee at, yes,suffering the pain of his arm being burnt off, but it being replaced by something that enables him to cause pain to others - like a reward for enduring the pain. Drake wants his suffering to mean something, and to gain something from it. Drake wants to be important.

"Go ahead, raise a hand against me, Drake," Diana taunted. "Caine would kill you."

We see another example where Diana uses the threat of Caine to keep Drake in line.

Diana is described as attractive throughout the books by varying characters, and so we infer that Drake finds her attractive, but in his twisted, misognyistic mindset, this is translated to violence. Additionally, he already disliked her so his hatred for Diana is stronger than for any other girl in the FAYZ (even Astrid).

5| Drake and Caine

The foreshadowing of Drake's betrayal

We've established that Drake lacks any sense of loyalty and trust due to a lack of these in his own childhood. Drake also only sees respect as being earned by shows of violence and dominance.

Drake, lacking positive male role models, appears to latch on to Caine, the "most ruthless" of all the boys at Coates, and the most powerful (in a literal sense, with his telekinesis). Caine is mentioned to do small favours for Drake (but, crucially, plays Drake and Diana off against each other [*]), and seemingly gains Drake's initial respect.

Drake, however, seeks to usurp Caine (due to his hatred of freaks, and needing to have a sense of superiority. He also sees Caine as weak and below him for bowing to Diana's demands due to Caine being attracted to her.)

When the Coates trio is first introduced together, in Gone, - "Drake Merwin stood smirking, arms across his chest, on Caine's left, and Diana Ladris watched the crowd from Caine's right"

I'm perhaps guilty of looking too much into this initial description, but I find it interesting - despite being Caine's "right-hand man" and even Drake taunts Diana that he and Caine are "like brothers" (Hunger), Drake stands on his left and Diana on his right.

While this also serves to cement (haha) Caine's role as the 'Fearless Leader', it could also foreshadow Drake's betrayal later in Hunger, and his need to "run the show".

Drake, the Judas figure to Caine's christ [maybe a post on this at some point?*], stands on his left. It also marks Diana as the loyal follower, the one to stay with Caine until the end.

The decimation of Drake and Caine's relations ship culminates in the final events of HUNGER, when Drake almost kills Diana and Caine throws Drake down the mineshaft in revenge and anger.

This marks a shift to Drake's character - he's no longer under Caine's control - but emphasises that his loyalty is now fully to the Gaiaphage, whom he worships for giving him power over others [!!] (the whip hand, which grants him the ability to hurt and kill others, and in LIES, immorality)

We can see that what Drake actually craves is, in GONE: to run things himself, a personal anarchist dream where he can hurt anyone he wants, (and yet he needs a strong male figure behind the scenes to give him motivation), or the illusion of control, found in causing others pain, as he lacks the mental stability and leadership needed to be in control, and he lacks long-term goals beyond revenge and fulfilling his sadistic desires, and is rudderless without a leader (as seen in Monster, where he is "mindlessly killing, torturing and raping anyone he comes across" until he is sought out by Tom Peaks, who gives him motivation)

This is supported by Peaks' comment on this in VILLAIN -

"But along with the sneers, he sensed that Drake was looking for leadership. Drake had no plan, never would have any plan, beyond his next murder."

Drake and his hatred of freaks, and how this impacts his relationship with Caine -

"Drake hated the power. There was only one reason why Caine and not Drake was running the show: Caine's powers."

"But Caine understood that the kids with powers had to be controlled. And once Caine and Diana had all the freaks under control, what was to stop Drake from using his own nine millimetres of magic to take it all for himself?"

Drake always planned to usurp Caine, as he thinks he's too influenced by Diana and due to his hatred of freaks. Drake hates anyone having power over him, and Caine's abilities give him a unique advantage, which Drake loathes.

Caine and Drake - altercations before the betrayal and what they show

"She was your mother and she gave you up and kept Sam?" Drake said, laughing in his enjoyment of Caine's humiliation.

Drake's sadism shines through and he turns entirely reckless in tormenting Caine, his desire to see Caine humiliated outweighing any fear he has of him. For Drake, fulfilling these sadistic urges take precedence over everything - even fear, pain, rage. We can see that he seems to not know when to stop, or chooses to push people past their limits anyways.

Caine responds in physical violence, the language Drake seems to understand - "Something slammed Drake's chest. It was like being hit by a truck. He was lifted off his feet and thrown against the wall."

Drake refuses to be humiliated (in front of Diana, curiously) - "He made himself shake it off. He wanted to jump up and go for Caine, finish him quick before the freak could hit him again. But Caine was there, looming over him, face red, teeth bared, looking like a mad dog."

"Remember who's the boss, Drake," Caine said, his voice low, guttural, like it was coming from an animal."

"Drake nodded, beaten. For now."

This small passage gives us a lot of messages about Drake. He wants to appear strong and vicious, but plays it smart and backs down to avoid the risk of Caine actually killing him. Drake and Caine's dynamic is, crucially, a power struggle at its heart.

However, Drake doesn't give up - he's admirably resilient and persistent in chasing his goals of revenge, and "winning" the power struggle against Caine. He does, at least in GONE, possess a good amount of intelligence and foresight.

Caine (and Diana) being aware of Drake's psychopathy

Caine :

"Drake is a violent, disturbed boy." - Caine to Sam, the gym scene in GONE.

Caine knows of Drake's afflictions, but keeps him around as a lackey to do his dirty work. He also considers himself morally superior to Drake - he remarks that at least he doesn't "get off" on what he does.

Hypocritically, Caine does not see his own actions as being just as damaging, but this is due to his overinflated ego and delusions of grandeur - he believes the ends he wants justifies the means he uses.

Diana :

"Drake is sick in the head. I'm not saying that just to scare you, I'm saying it because it's true...Drake is flat out sick in the head. He could kill her, Sam" - Diana to Sam, the gym scene in GONE.

"Well, that's why we keep Drake around. He enjoys hurting people." - Diana to Astrid, classroom scene in GONE.

Diana shares a similar opinion to Caine - he's mentally unhinged, but Diana recognises the threat he poses to both her and to Caine, and wants him gone.

6| Drake and dominance & submission

"Drake moved past Diana and kicked Sam onto his back, legs twisted beneath him. Drake stood over him and pushed the end of his hat against Sam's Adam's apple. The same move he had used on Orc the night before."

We see that Drake is physically strong, despite his unassuming stature - he's described as "lean". He has been in enough fights and has enough experience to take down people at least "fifty pounds" heavier than him (Orc). He also puts these people into humiliating, submissive positions where they have no choice but to capitulate to his demands.

He speaks to Astrid in LIGHT about this -

"Are you as clueless as the rest of them, Astrid? It’s simple. Here it is, here’s the answer, Astrid the Genius: it’s fun to hurt people. It’s such…it’s such joy, Astrid. Such joy realizing that all the power is yours, and all the fear and pain is right there, in your victim. Come on, smart girl, you know what it’s called. You know the word for it. Come on, say it.’ He cupped his hand to his ear, waiting for the word.

'Evil,’ Astrid said.

Drake laughed, threw up his hand wide, and nodded his head. 'Evil! There you go. Good for you. Evil. It’s in all of us. You know that, too. It was in you. I saw it in your eyes as you looked down on me in that cooler. Evil, hah. We all want to have someone powerless beneath us while we stand over them.’ His voice had grown husky. 'We all want that. We all want that.’

One thing that stands out about Drake's character is that he likes to believe that everyone, at some level, has the same desires he does: Drake is just "strong" enough to act on them.

Drake likes to antagonise people to 'bring them down to his level'.

In this speech, Drake reveals a lot about himself.

"it's fun to hurt people" ,in particular, keys us in to the fact that Drake is self-aware, and making Astrid call him "evil" is part of this: Drake knows what he's doing is morally wrong. Drake wants people to think that he is evil, that he's ruthless, that he's nothing but a sadistic murderer, because he doesn't want to reveal his true vulnerability and helplessness.

He calls out the hypocrisy of Astrid for seemingly reveling in his pain and still condemning him for the desires over which he has no control. [This is not to say that I believe he is right for acting on them; the urges he can't control, but he can control his actions]. This is Drake's make me your villain speech. His final cry for help, in a way.

He wants everyone to be like him. He wants to not be judged, he aches for the confirmation that he is not alone in wanting power and vengeance and pain.

"We all want to have someone powerless beneath us while we stand over them." - Drake's experience of the roles being reversed, and the victim-perpetrator cycle show through here. Drake seeks power because he was denied it.

It is paradoxical in that, arguably, he wouldn't be like this if people hadn't punished him for things he couldn't control (involuntary sadistic impulses), and it is sad that we realise he could have been so much more, had circumstances been different.

Drake is a dark mirror of every dark thought we ever have. He, horrifyingly so, reflects the human urge to inflict pain as revenge. Drake's story is a cautionary tale. Many can relate to his harsh childhood, and Drake reminds us that no matter how much pain is inflicted on us, we bear the weight of not continuing that cycle onto others. That is the curse of being good. That is the curse of being human. That is the curse of empathy.

Crucifixion - in MONSTER, it is revealed that Drake has been 'alive' for years, and we find out in VILLAIN that he resides in a cave in the desert along with 3 bodies - 2 female, one male, people he recently tortured. He crucified them with "railroad spikes" and left them to hang from the bones of their wrists. We can see that Drake leaves them in humiliating positions deliberately - "The only thing better would be to have Sam nailed to the opposite wall, forced to watch it all. To see Astrid degraded as Sam watched? He could not imagine anything better."

This is an example of his psychosexual development being warped - he associates sex with violence and power. He tortures and degrades his victims as a way to fulfil his sexual and sadistic urges.

7| Drake and Orc as foils

Drake and Orc first oppose each other in the early chapters of GONE - Drake is given power over Orc by Caine - "Drake and his people, including Captain Orc.."

This establishes a hierarchy within the "sherrifs". Drake leads them, but ultimately defers to Caine - (and, he is given power over others at Caine's will.)

Orc, like Drake, had a traumatic childhood and was abused by his father, and his "dumb dishrag" mother does nothing to stop it (she herself is abused by her husband, and rebukes Charles for wanting to kill his father.)

Both Orc and Drake blame their mothers for failing to stop the abuse of their husbands (and their father and step-father in Drake's case).

This is an interesting comparison, as it cements (haha) both Orc and Drake as bullies with short tempers who need to have control, each with a shrewd, conniving friend who effectively "leads" them.

Also, for the most part in the books, they're the only characters with physical mutations (both resulting from physical injury!) and turn their backs on the shrewd friend at some point (Drake and Caine becoming enemies, Orc finding faith and becoming distanced from Howard's crimes).

The fight between them at the start of GONE is a clever foreshadow to their battle at the end of GONE (and, of course, their long-lasting rivalry) and provides a comparison between the two.

They butt heads when Orc is ordered to defer to Drake when Caine is giving out roles, and Caine handles it by crushing a boy with a cross - but no physical altercation happens until Orc punishes Bette for "doing magic tricks".

The anti-freak agenda (ironic, considering they both end up gaining mutations, at similar points too!) of both Drake and Orc is pointed out, but Orc is almost painted as a "lesser evil" - as if Orc may be a garden-variety bully, but Drake is pure, distilled essence of evil.

"Orc...went for Drake like a linebacker. Drake stepped aside, nimble as a matador."

"Drake hit Orc in the ribs with a short, sharp forward thrust of the bat. Then again in the kidneys and again in the side of the head. Each blow was measured, accurate, effective."

Drake is the quick and nimble to Orc's sluggishness, the playfulness to Orc's sullen demeanour. He is "lean" where Orc is "wide" - their battle at the end is described as "their quick-and-slow, nimble-and-heavy, sharp-and-dull battle".

This is a perfectly well written description in my opinion - succinct, and perfectly accurate of them.

The main differences, however, are their personal views on their mutations, and their arcs.

Orc thinks he's a monster - he knows he is physically repulsive, and detests himself. He feels immense guilt over the pain he caused, and seeks to redeem himself through finding faith and asking for forgiveness from God.

Drake, in contrast, adores the power that his mutation gives him. He even describes himself as "Jesus with a whip". His mutation, in Drake's eyes, gives him control over others and he relishes in this.

Drake feels no remorse over the pain he causes, and doesn't desire redemption.

His God-figure is the Gaiaphage, whom he eventually betrays as he desires personal revenge on Astrid and Diana and cannot cope with Gaia being female due to his misogynistic views.

However, Drake and Orc share an interesting scene in Plague with Astrid - Orc seeks out Astrid with the intent to hurt her (it is implied to be sexual violence) and is interrupted by Drake arriving at Coates with his army of bugs. Drake picks up on Orc's intentions.

Drake confesses to Orc that he had the same idea.

"You think she'll give you a big, wet kiss on your gravel face?" He peered closer at Orc as if looking inside him. "Nah, Orc, the only way you get Astrid is the same way I get her. And that's what you were thinking, isn't it?"

#drake merwin #caine soren #gone series #fayz #the gone series #diana ladris #michael grant #sam temple #astrid ellison

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arshipweek · 3 years

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AR Ship Week - Fanwork Recs

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This is the fourth and last weekly post in the lead up to Alex Rider Ship Week. Only 1 week to go!

This week we’ve got a selection of shippy fanwork recs submitted by members of the AR fandom. Enjoy and hope to see you next week!

**Please note that I haven’t listed all the details for the fics so take care to read the tags on AO3 before diving in!

Yassen/Alex

Our Endless Numbered Days by Galimau Just your run of the mill heartwarming look at the quiet beats of Alex and Yassen's relationship...after the apocalypse. Soft and sweet this fic focuses on the very still and quiet moments of two men at the end times trying to hold onto the things that bring them joy. It's an intimate view of what Alex and Yassen's life could be like of all their cares were quite literally wiped away - excellent world building and writing make this a must read.

Yalex art by Ireliss Alex and Yassen in a lake! Everything about this picture is perfect - the light, the colours, the feeling of stillness... Probably the most beautiful picture of Alex and Yassen I've ever seen.

Sun Poisoning by fElBiTeR Angsty, beautiful, slowburn soulmate fic with a twist on the usual tropes and gorgeous imagery

Twisting, Turning, Tumbling by ShiruyTheSecond A glacially slow burn, road trip au, and sick fic all mashed into one fic, in non-chronological order based on 100 themes. I'd say this was one of the gateway fics into Yalex for me; there's nothing like reading a longfic you thought was gen and wishing it were slash, only for the realization to hit you in the face like a brick 50 something chapters later. Alex is on the run for a variety of reasons after a mission for MI6 goes spectacularly wrong, so he surprisingly finds himself leaning on Yassen for help, experincing whumpage along the way. Absolutely delicious.

Specific Performance by BurntWhisper Alex is a good spy, good enough that SCORPIA has tasked Yassen with killing him. Yassen can't do that but he can give Alex a very...enthusiastic going away present even Alex hasn't been a very good boy. It's a fun look at Alex and Yassen's first fling with callbacks to the original gen fic. That hits every perfect note and hits a few other things too.

Interlude by Suzie_Shooter Incredibly soft and fluffly Yalex that ends with an unexpected top!Alex and bath sex. Will absolutely warm your heart the way it does mine every time I read this fic.

Medicine by Suzie_Shooter The other fic in response to the prompt of "Alex is given a serum that makes him feel good when he tells the truth" except this one is praise kink while the other is humiliation kink! Specifically focused on a smoking hot blowjob and Alex's reluctance turned enthusiam, plus, there's a second chapter, just in case one dose of the antidote isn't enough.

One Year by BurntWhisper The slowest of slow burns featuring Alex and Yassen on the run from MI6, SCORPIA and their own feelings. Covering 3 months of their life on the run this fic features action as well as the slow, quiet moments where the budding relationship can truly shine through and behind it all the intelligence world continues to grind on threatening to take their happiness with it. It's a beautiful fic with strong, detailed writing and the emotional weight that it deserves.

Midnight Smoke by Hijja If you're in the mood for darker fics with plenty of Yassen hurting Alex complete with violence and heavy dubcon, Hijja has you covered. This particular fic features a mission-type premise with Alex being sent to investigate a spate of teen abductions only to be captured. Yassen is there, and he has his own goals...

Hello Alex by anonymous Fanart: a reunion hug between Yassen and Alex.

Face The Truth by capeofstorm Alex is given a serum that makes him feel good when he tells the truth. Yassen is absolutely a man to take advantage. Recced by Suzie_Shooter

Lights Out by Suzie_Shooter Yassen and Alex left tradecraft behind for a new life in the Greek islands. Ten years on, their relationship is still going strong and they've become island locals, the proprietors of a sailing club and a windsurfing business. Their idyllic life is disrupted by a new threat that wants them dead. I just love the premise of Yalex riding off into the sunset and not looking back. This fic not only has suspense, action, hot sex, and the intimacy borne of ten years...but once you're done, there are two excellent sequels and a prequel to lap up!

Villa in the Sun by BoldAsBrass A multi-chapter story within a story as Yassen and Alex keep in touch over the phone through a tale of a Russian bodyguard's encounters with a young English man. This is so cleverly done and beautifully written; I could re-read it and re-read it (in fact, that's exactly what I've done).

Sting in the Tail by Suzie_Shooter With the world hanging in the balance, MI6 presses an imprisoned Yassen into service. They use Alex to convince him, but also a nasty "sting in the tail" incentive to guarantee results. A thrilling Yalex mission!fic where Yassen and Alex forge their trust in each other by facing mortal danger and saving the world together. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time, eating up the slow burn and wondering how on earth they were going to succeed with all the obstacles Scorpia and MI6 threw in their way.

Rarely Pure And Never Simple by fElBiTeR Non-con > dub-con > fuck-yes-con speedrun. Recced by Suzie_Shooter

Just Say I Do by Nanimok I'm possibly biased because this was written for me, but 'woke up married' is a great trope and this is both snarky and adorable. Recced by Suzie_Shooter

Open Invitation by Suzie_Shooter After Ian's death in TV 'verse, fifteen-year-old Alex is living alone in a depressive, self-destructive spiral. He realizes someone is watching him at home...and decides to give them something more compelling to watch. I am squicked out by creepers, but the characterizations tackle the thorny elements head-on: Yassen's mixed feelings and understated pursuit tactics are 100% believable, as is Alex's volatility; he's alternately confused, provocative, and defiant. Exhibit A:“Does that make you a victim, or a slut?” The question came casually, but it had the unexpected sting of a slap. Alex blinked. “What, I can’t be both?” he countered after a second. Plot ensues, because how can a relationship possibly form from such a premise? Mind the tags (you might trip into your next kink because the sex is mind-blowingly hot).

Flirting with Danger by BoldAsBrass Basically THE gateway fic into Yalex for me - short and sweet, snappy narration and dialogue, a sleekly dangerous Yassen and Alex who might be a skilled, pragmatic adult but quickly realises he's in over his head. Sprinkle in a bit of dubcon and scorching hot writing and you get this perfect fic.

Burning a Dead Man's Fingertips by GreenQueenofClubs Multichapter slow burn, MI6!Yassen AU - an excellent premise done extremely well and feels fresh and new, balancing mission-style fic with character development! The dynamic between Yassen and Alex is somewhat different here compared to most Yalex fics as they don't meet until Alex is an adult; a really intriguing glimpse into what could have been...

A Little Pat Down by Nanimok Airport security can be frustrating at the best of times but couple it with being edged like none other by an assassin turned security guard and it can really be a pain in the ass. A filthy but extremely well written premise. Crack taken seriously is this author's strong suit so not a single one of their works will steer you wrong.

Yalex Ballet AU by anonymous Yalex ballet AU with absolutely gorgeous imagery and slow burn. Fluid prose and in the background, the shadows of past histories and things unsaid.

Gentleman's Agreement by Valaks Yassen and Alex have a "gentleman's agreement" for handling their business in the field. No one ever said anything about parent-teacher conferences. Claims to be gen, but deserves a place on this list for subtle genius alone, because with lines like "Like a fine wine, Alex Rider was improving with age" and "How interesting that Alex Rider would be that interested in his hands", what are we supposed to think....? UST in all caps is the best description.

Salty the Sweat on my Fingertips by Galimau A fun little romp of Alex visiting Tom and having to call his overly protective boyfriend? because he's pregnant and everything hurts. Beautifully written, this fic explores the ending of Oceanbreeze7's Moonfish and follows the extremely creative monster biology to its logical conclusion of Alex getting knocked up.

Slipping Through My Fingers by Nanimok This kink meme fill hits in all the right places as we watch through the eyes of a very jealous Julius as Yassen gives Alex all the attention he needs. The writing is, as always, on point and the characterization of Julius gets absolutely nailed (almost as much as Alex). Julius/Alex, Yassen/Alex

Other

Miss Julia by DantesThird Very creepy and traumatic noncon but really believable with Julia Rothman's obsession with John Rider. Alex/Julia Rothman

gone loose inside the shell by cyanides Fantastic messed-up fic where Julius keeps fantasising about killing Alex, but then the fantasies take a different turn. The possessive 'If I can't have you no-one can' dynamic really encapsulates the ship for me, and the fic stuck in my mind afterwards. Alex/Julius

smoke haze by Ireliss Dubcon, gun kink. A really intriguing and quite dark exploration of a young Yassen's situation with Scorpia and his very complex relationship with Hunter. John/Yassen

Our Settling Bones by Galimau A multi-chapter slow burn focused on a former assassin who has lost everything...and Yassen Gregorovich. The tension is off the charts and the characerization is on point. Everything you could want from the rarest of pairs. John Wick/Yassen

Lemniscate by Ireliss A look at what awaits Yassen when he arrives back at Scorpia after killing Vladimir Sharkovsky. This is deliciously dark as well as being entirely plausible. The sensory descriptions are fantastic. Yassen/Julia Rothman

#alex rider #ARshipweek #yalex #....#.....#mod posts #recs

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tsukihimeyfan · 5 years

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To Undertale

In honor of its 4 year anniversary, I would like to talk a bit about Undertale (I know I’m a bit late, but bear with me). Apologies ahead of time for the long post, and to anyone who reads it in its entirety; thank you. Also thank you very much to Toby Fox for giving birth to this masterpiece that has touched all of us so much :) I will be discussing several important details in the story, so SPOILER ALERT (just in case)

I came upon Undertale very late. It had already been out for about a year when I first heard about it, but everyone said such wonderful things and I was curious, so I decided to watch a playthrough on youtube, just to sate my curiosity. But Oh Man, I was not prepared for what I found: a gorgeous soundtrack, dozens of memorable characters, an amazing story, an incredible journey, and a veritable fountain of feelings sprouting in my heart. I fell in love.

For at least several weeks afterwards, the words “stay determined”, “everyone can be better if they just try” and “despite everything, it’s still you” bounced around in my head. Also, the idea that “even if its painful, even if you are going through a hard time, you can always choose to be kind, and happiness can always be found there, for others as well as yourself” became embedded in my soul. Even now, thinking about the True Pacifist ending fills me with joy. It was only fairly recently that I finally completed my own playthrough of the game, and I was pleasantly surprised to find that there were still many little secrets to uncover (for example, did you know that the “gauntlet of deadly terror” bridge is just a rock formation that Papyrus painted over to make it more dramatic? He also added the rope for safety LOL😂)

The best part of the game, in my opinion, are the main characters. They are all more complex than they appear, they all have their struggles, and I would like to talk a bit about my opinions and theories about all of them.

Let us start from the beginning and talk about everyone’s favorite goatmom, Toriel. Of course, we all know her sadness at the death of her children, new and old, but if we really think about it there are signs that the situation may have been even worse than it seems... Namely, the shoe box in the room Toriel prepares for Frisk. If you check it, it says there are several shoes “in a disparity of sizes”. Presumably, these are the shoes left behind by the human children before they left the ruins, but they surely didn’t leave the ruins barefoot, right? And if they only stayed with Toriel for a day or so like Frisk does then she wouldn’t have had the opportunity or the need to go out and get some for them. This implies that each human child that fell probably stayed with Toriel for a while, long enough for her to need to buy them new shoes, maybe even because they outgrew their original pair. This, in turn, means that she had a chance to really get to know them, take care of them, and love them, unlike Frisk, who she only took care of for a little while before we leave. This might explain why she is so angry at Asgore, why it is unlikely that she will ever forgive him. If this is true, he not only killed random innocent human children that she didn’t really know, which is bad enough on its own, he might have killed her children, children she treasured. This also explains why she is so obsessive about protecting Frisk from everything and keeping them in the ruins no matter the cost. And yet, despite her pain, her “loneliness and her fear”, she still is one of the most gentle, kind and caring characters you meet, even willing to try to prevent Asgore’s death as well as Frisk’s. Toriel is best goatmom <3

Then we meet the star of the True Pacifist run (especially if you call him often); the Great Papyrus! He is my second favorite character for good reason. He is so much fun from the very beginning. Although he might appear to be a bit narcissistic at first, you quickly realize that in truth he is just lonely and desperate to impress in a misguided attempt to make more friends. Even so, he is always attentive to the feelings of his friends and tries his best to make them feel better. His relationship with Undyne is also quite adorable, and there are signs that he knows more than he lets on about everything (he is at the very least great at gauging the emotional state of people and manipulating them a little to push them towards self improvement, as Frisk’s date with Undyne and his warning about Alphys can demonstrate). Also, the way he always tries to believe the best of people, even in the worst circumstances or when he is scared, is truly admirable. I really love that precious cinnamon roll

Then there is Sans. Oh my god, Sans. He steals the show in the genocide route, truly. He is my favorite character of all, and there are so many things about him you don’t find out if you don’t dig deeper and talk to several people. First of all, he is a wonderful brother. Although he always teases Papyrus, he does his best to cheer him up all the time (for example, in the Genocide route he says that Junior Jumble is the hardest, even though in other routes he says its the crossword, just to make Papyrus feel a bit better when the human refuses to play along with his puzzles), he pays the bills for the house, he probably gave Papyrus his action figures (Papyrus tells you santa gave them to him, but there is a thank you letter to santa in Sans’ room), he made sure Papyrus’ room was super cool and comfortable when he doesn’t even have a bed frame himself, he was probably the one who bought Papyrus his car on the surface (one of the guys at Grillby’s tells you that he spends most of his time checking out car magazines), he helped him build his sentry station and battle body, and he reads him bed time stories every night. Second of all, although he seems to be a comic relief character at first, he is struggling with major depression (you can find out that he is eating less, he doesn’t sleep much at all at night, he feels hopeless all the time, he seems fatigued all day, and he doesn’t see a point in doing anything at all) and is probably using humor to cope. Finally, there is Sans’ heroism as well as his tragedy: he is one of the only characters who is aware of the resets. First he had to live through Flowey’s endless resets, when he first befriended everyone and then proceeded to kill them all in a variety of ways, presumably being the one to stop him from getting the human souls several times (Flowey tells you that Sans has caused him “more than his fair share of resets”). Then there is YOU, who manage to free the monsters, begrudgingly earn his trust/friendship, and then rip it all away (even worse, he is completely aware of your betrayal; if you reset after a True Pacifist ending, you can find a picture of Frisk smiling happily with all of your friends together, and the only time such a picture is taken is when you all make it to the surface, so he certainly knows that you freed everyone and then returned them to the darkness for your curiosity). And yet despite all of that, despite knowing that fighting you is pointless (especially since he can tell every time he kills you and you load your save file), despite not having hope anymore that he will one day see the sun and remain under its light, he still fights you fiercely on the genocide route, again and again, employing all of his considerable power, but not for himself (he doesn’t hope for anything anymore after all); its because he still wants his brother and his friends to have a better future, because he knows that if you win the world will end and no one will ever return, because he still wants you to reset so that everyone will come back and have another chance at happiness, no matter how brief. Jesus christ, this character gives me all of the feels. I love him so much

As for Undyne, I love how she seems so rough but is actually very sweet to her friends and loved ones, and she cares so much for her fellow monsters, always trying her best for their sake. Also, her crush on Alphys is the cutest thing ever, particularly if you take the time to call her often (you’d be surprised how often she talks about Alphys. Papyrus also tries to encourage her several times to be honest with her feelings, and their dynamic is frankly the best mentor-student relationship I’ve ever seen)

In the case of Flowey, I really like how he is a sort of reflection of the player ingame, especially for those who chose to go through the genocide route (“‘I don’t like this’, I told myself, ‘I’m just doing this because I have to see what happens’ Hahaha, what an excuse!”). And the Asriel twist was truly masterfully executed.

I really empathize with Alphys in a lot of ways, since I struggle with social anxiety myself. Her journey to overcome her self hatred and be honest about her mistakes is really touching. I love how her friends understand that she only had the best of intentions at heart and continue to stand by her when she comes clean about what she did. Friendship can really make all the difference in the world for those of us who are struggling like her in one way or another. Her apparent suicide if you kill Mettaton or Undyne, her pillars of support, is one of the saddest things in the game I think. I also really admire how during genocide she presumably opens up the true lab for the evacuating monsters despite her fears, and if you abandon the genocide route in Hotland she takes charge in order to protect all monsters in Undyne’s stead

When we first meet him, my opinion of Mettaton is the same as Undyne’s; “I don’t really like that guy, but I admire his lifestyle”. However, I really enjoyed his growth as a character after Frisk beats him and his fans remind him of what is truly important. He becomes so much more supportive of his friends, and I really like how he always stays true to who he is, even going so far as to find the body/look that perfectly represented how he felt inside, and later encouraged others to do the same (like giving that one lion his dress)

Finally, we come to one of the most interesting characters, even though they are rarely mentioned and not really seen except in the ending of the genocide route: Chara. Truthfully, I think they are often misunderstood because the biggest impression they make is in said ending, when they take control of Frisk and destroy the world. However, I do not believe Chara was inherently evil. After all there are clear indications that Chara is the narrator of the game (the most obvious being the mirrors in Genocide). They tell you that your determination awakened them from death, and I believe that their spirit becomes attached to yours at the beginning of your adventure, which would explain how you, a human new to the underground, can understand the monsters that can’t speak normally like the Froggits and the snails (notice that their text starts with a noise they make, like “ribbit”, and what they actually mean is in parenthesis) as well as the ancient writing on the walls. After all, Chara lived in the underground long enough to become a sibling to Asriel and become known by all the monsters, it would make sense for them to have learned their language, and then they translate for you. This would also mean that all the funny commentary whenever you check an object or a monster comes from Chara. Also Chara being the narrator would explain why they go silent at one point or another during the battles with Asgore and Toriel (when the description says only “...”). Many people argue that their plan to cross the barrier with Asriel and kill humans means they were evil, but I do not think so, even if they did hate humanity. After all, if they only wanted the power to kill humans they could have killed one of the Dreemurs in their sleep, taken their soul and crossed the barrier with it. Instead, they killed themselves, gave Asriel their soul in order to break the barrier and made a plan to free all of their monster friends and family. Death from buttercup poisoning is not an easy one either (it includes bloody diarrhea, abdominal pain and blistering of the intestines); they had to suffer in terrible agony for days in order to achieve their goal, all for their monster family. People also argue that the fact that they laughed after accidentally poisoning Asgore means they did it on purpose or enjoyed causing him pain, but Undertale shows us many times that sometimes you laugh when the only thing you want to do is cry. There is also this during the fight with the Snowy amalgamate which proves my point: (look below) . Finally, during the battle with Asriel in True Pacifist, you use your memories with your friends in order to save them, but you don’t know Asriel at all, so how do you save him? The answer is simple: Chara shares their memories of him with you, and since they are the narrator, they are also the one who encourages you to use the last of your power to save your friends. In conclusion, I think in the beginning Chara is just a slightly bitter, slightly misguided, sometimes unnecessarily violent child who tried to do their best to protect those they loved, even though in hindsight it might not have been with a good method. In many ways, they remind me of Undyne (specially after MK says that maybe she is mean, not cool, in the True Pacifist ending. That really breaks my heart, when I think about all she has done for monsters in general and MK in particular in other routes. It would also explain why Chara seems to admire her so much, calling her a heroine in every route and seeming horrified by the state of her body when she is killed in neutral routes). This means that what they become in the Genocide route is because of you, and they even tell you so at the end (you are the one who makes them think the only meaning of their reincarnation is acquiring power). It makes sense that seeing everyone they know and love being killed systematically right in front of them would twist them, turn them into something they were never meant to be in order to cope with what is happening. Also, Sans does say that gaining LV causes you to feel less and hurt others more easily. Your actions take that well-intentioned but misguided child and turn them into a demon.

I am so in love with these characters that I cannot do a Genocide route myself. I only know about it from watching playthroughs but I don’t have the heart to destroy their happiness. I only ever did a single run, without resetting once, all the way up to True Pacifist. I like to think that in some universe where they are real, they are living happily on the surface, Sans has had the chance to restore his lost hopes, and resets are no more.

I would also like to thank the Undertale fandom for giving me a home, and so many wonderful ideas to explore. Since Deltarune practically confirms that the Multiverse exists in canon, the possibilities are endless, and the amount of detail and dedication you guys have devoted to building those other realities is truly outstanding. I specially love Underfell, Aftertale (and its close relative Errortale), Underswap, Handplates, Endertale, and Underverse/Xtale. To their creators, thank you for the ideas, the art, and the possibilities. And most of all, thank you Toby Fox for starting us all on this wonderful journey.

And to all my fellow fans: Remember, Always Stay Determined ♥️

#undertale #stay determined #happy anniversary #despite everything it's still you #toby fox #thyf rambles

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lahuertaflower · 6 years

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The Shard: Part One

((Authors Note: I just wanted to start by saying hi and welcome to my fan fiction. I honestly had no idea anyone would want to read it so to see any notes on it I was surprised. Like I said, this is an Endless Summer/Hero crossover and all rights of the characters are reserved to Pixelberry. I am simply borrowing them.

Book: Endless Summer/Hero

Tagging: @princesstopgun as requested 😊. If any of you would like to be tagged in Part Two please let me know! Yes, this is going to seem like a slow start to this but it is because I want to make sure I have everything lined out. The beginning is also going to seem more ES focused, but you will see where it is going!))

“Happy reunion everyone! Here’s to five years.”

Voices called out and through the clear air of the beach while the chatter and faint music filled the calm night sky as the stars twinkled down, sparkling brightly without the city lights fighting to drown them out. The fire crackled, orange ambers wafting into the air and dissipating into the darkness. This tradition was always bittersweet, knowing that although everyone had such beautiful lives, filled with love, happiness and success, that one person was missing. That someone who had been incredibly important to each and every one of the collection of people who stood in the sand this evening, clinking beers as they toasted.

It stung to know the sacrifice that had been made so each of the eleven would have the life they so yearned for. Even after all this time it didn’t seem real. In the back of all their minds they hoped that one day they would all be reunited to continue their journey together; but this wasn’t to mourn the loss, it was to reminisce and be thankful for the sacrifice made. Well, at least to most of those who joined in the festivity each year…

“Dammit Kaity...don’t you know I’d come after you? I’d find a way! Cross every mile of space to get you back!”

One of the last sentences Jake McKenzie said to his wife replayed over and over again, drowning out the conversation and the waves crashing against the beachfront. It was like a broken record, each time cutting deeper and ripping his heart apart. All the former soldier had wanted was to have the joy that all the others gained. Sadly, it didn’t work out that way. There was no new love in Jake’s life, no kids or relationship prospects. Even though he was able to return home to US soil and reunite with his mother and sister, it didn’t take away that burn for her love. The silver lining metaphor wasn’t all everyone cracked it up to be.

“What about you Jake?” A soft voice rang through the train of thoughts. Coming to, he realized it had been from Quinn Kelly. The ginger haired female had her head quirked to the side, beachy curls swaying with the motion as everyone’s else’s eyes focused on him to progress the conversation.

“I…uh...sorry Ariel, what was the question?” Blinking back the sadness a few times, Jake’s bright cerulean blue eyes flashed to each of his friends faces, a forced smirk tugging on his lips to keep up the facade.

“What have you been up to? Everyone else has already talked about how things are going, so naturally it’s your turn to share!” There was a hint of reassurance in the tone of her voice, being able to see through the mask he was putting on.

“Right, right. Sorry, I -uh started to zone out listening to Bottomless go on about his fancy cooking show.” The remark got a few laughs as Jake continued on. “Life hasn’t changed much since last time we were all here. Mike and I have been working hard on restoring Arachnid to its former glory and using it to actually help people. We have teamed up with the Navy to give more specialized training with the new equipment they will be implementing to make deployment missions easier. That and the fact that Lundgren is still rotting away in his tiny prison cell makes each day that much better. That’s it though.”

“And you got a haircut! You don’t look like a shaggy,stray dog anymore!” Craig chimed in, a goofy grin lighting up his face, elbowing Zahra lightly in attempts to get her to encourage his joke. Their eyes met, a slight tinge of blush tickling up on their cheeks. While they were officially together, the two of them still had that air of hesitation to displaying feelings due to hiding it away for so long.

“Yeah, yeah, laugh it up while ya can. I gotta look presentable during meetings and all that crap.” On instinct, Jake ran a hand through the light brown hair tufts, down stroking his maintained hair growth on his face afterwards. “I know you’re just jealous that I can rock the long and the short hair. My good looks aren’t for everyone Drax.”

“Pft, I don’t need to be jealous. I have great genes that make me irresistible.” Craig retorts instantly, brushing off his shoulder to try and downplay that he isn’t the best at taking jabs. It isn’t long after that Craig gets smacked in the stomach by Zahra in attempts to keep his ego in check though. “Oouf Z, don’t worry, Jake can handle my comments better than he can a plane.”

Another round of laughter pushed its way through the circle as the flames illuminated each of their faces. Jake started to give a hearty laugh, but his mind began to flash back to the painful memories of first meeting Katie, on that fateful day, heading into supposed trip of a lifetime that turned their world upside down. A lump formed in his throat, causing him to choke as her face came into view each time his eyelids shut. No one seemed to notice the change in demeanor and Jake took the switch of conversation to excuse himself silently and trek further down the beach to enjoy some time alone.

Legs carrying him further than expected, he peered over his shoulder to ensure that no one else had picked up on his disappearing act and trailed along to make sure he was okay. Bounding around a curve in the beach, Jake knew that there wasn’t a chance he could be seen from the gathering, trees shading over where he had decided to plop down. Leaning back onto his calloused hands, his eyes darted up to the twinkling sky, taking in the constellations that adorned the navy sheet that stretched as far as eyes could see.

“I sure wish you could be here Kaity. I know I say that every year but it only gets harder. I feel stupid y’know? I keep thinking that one of these days you are just gonna be sitting across the way from where I am, grinning at me like nothing ever happened.” Jake started, exhaling in frustration as the tears began to build up in his eye ducts, tempting to break through.

“Why’d you have to go and be everyone's hero? I know your heart was in a good place but...dammit, I just miss you so much.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The cosmic swirled, overseeing all that was and all that is. The transparent body drifted across purple hazed skies while coming to a graceful halt amounge the rocky surface of its own planet. Drifting over the plains of the world, it reached its destination. Glimmering pink shards of all sizes protruded out from the dirt, shooting in every which way, almost creating a casing. Hand outstretched, it gently laid itself on one, feeling the energy flow through it.

“I can feel the change...we must brace ourselves for intrusion from another.”

A few more presences began to form near the biggest cluster on the prism planet, nodding in agreeance as they too could notice the shift in dynamic and power. There was a drawn out silence as they all took in the situation at hand. This was never supposed to happen. The powers of their planet were far too strong to fall into mortal hands. That mistake had already happened once and caused a group of young adults to will to life someone to fill the void in their lives.

“Vaanu, are you sure this isn’t just another lashing out of The Shard? The slumber should keep the powers at bay, but it has been proven over the years how this day of significance causes a disturbance.” One of the ethereal beings mentioned as they all formed a circle.

A red and black energy began to dramatically swirl around inside the being known as Vaanu, clearly not impressed by the fact that the others blamed the sudden spike of unknown and drastic energy on it.

“If you are all concerned with the safety of The Shard, shall we go and ensure it is not indeed the cause?” One of the others voices filled the surrounding area, to which the group of six nodded and began to make their way further into the overgrown forest of gleaming pink gems. Coming to a halt, Vaanu reached upwards again to one particular stone, it emanating a blinding light before softening to a dull gleam.

Encased in the magnificent gem was a young woman, eyes closed as if in a peaceful, deep sleep. Due to the contact of Vaanu though, it appeared like the gem cocoon had thinned out in order for them all to view her with little to no obstruction. The girls locks cascaded down her shoulders, an ombre effect having taken place from the time of being in containment, the ends a lighter brown than the roots that had extended over the years. Her features were soft with a quirk of a smile dangling on her lips.

“As you can see, The Shards slumber ensues. Still right where it was left when the agreeance of becoming one was made. Now, we must drop this and discover who is causing the trouble with the prisms.” Vaanu had subsided its anger, the red being replaced by sparkling blue, taking itself back while the entities observed the girl as if she was a museum exhibit.

“Vaanu, allow me to stay back and ensure the prism restructures its hold around The Shard while you gather all to search the planet for obstructions.”

With a swift nod, Vaanu took off without another word, the others following suit. This left the volunteer entity in silence, arms placed on either side of the makeshift prison. Time was not a concept that they abided by here on the prism planet, as they had pure control over it, so there was no construct to declare how long it would have. Instead of using it’s force to reseal The Shard into place, it just stood and took in the sight, a tinge of sadness seeming to form in its transparent body.

“If these forces are as strong as we presume them to be, then any ally is a good one.”

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ty-talks-comics · 4 years

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Best of DC: Week of February 5th, 2020

Best of this Week: The Dreaming #18 - Simon Spurrier, Marguerite Sauvage and Simon Bowland

Okay, hear me out - The Dreaming has been really good since the beginning and while not on the same level as Sandman itself, Si Spurrier has done a fantastic job of contributing to this world of the fantastic and absurd with his own brand of whimsy and abject horror. I haven’t found the time to cover any of the issue because, well, there’s always been something just a bit better on the same weeks that this series released and though the normal artist, Bilquis Evely, wasn’t on the art this month, Marguerite Sauvage stepped up and provided her always stunning style.

A short-ish recap for the uninitiated, The Dreaming is a realm where all of humanity’s minds go when they sleep. It was ruled by Dream of the Endless, a being of immense power over and creator of the realm before he was succeeded by a young man named Daniel Hall. Daniel becomes Dream for a time and even appeared in Scott Snyder and Greg Cappullo’s Dark Nights: Metal, but at some point, he left the Dreaming entirely. This caused things to spin out of control until the realm lands in the hands of Wan, a moth like boy with a dark side.

The book begins with a dream apparition of Rose Walker, a central character of the Sandman series, looking upon Wan’s Eldritch side as it releases nightmares into The Dreaming. She muses that she’s been watching him for some time now, acknowledging that when he returns to his cute moth form they both forget what had just occurred. Wan appears satisfied, thinking his rule over the Dreaming is making the world better as he’s been dispatching “blanks” into people’s dreams to make their whimsical dreams more logical instead. This has a profound effect on the world as it seems as though joy and color are lost.

Sauvage stuns with her depiction of this joyless world as people just walk around with utter lethargy and casually kill themselves. It’s absolutely disturbing to watch as a woman prepares to drop herself from an overpass, seeing another calmly hold a gun to the side of her head and a man self immolating in the background. What makes all of this especially great, however, is Sauvage’s use of soft colors to almost make the despair and horror feel unimportant. Rose walker is the only one that stands out because of her bright yellow dress and normal looking skin.

Her internal monologue allows her to see that something’s amiss and that she should be a wreck after losing her mother and daughter over the course of her personal story, but she lacks sufficient motivation to pursue any action aside from sleeping, but then she recalls how vivid her dreams always were and Sauvage portrays this excellently as an unseen figure lights a cigarette for her and she drifts into a white space filled with beautiful wisps of smoke and color. In the dream, she hears something about a Vortex that will likely play a big role later in the series.

We then cut to Dora as she watches the transferred consciousness of Cain kill the man who initially caused Dora to fear her own existence, Keter. Dora is a Night Hag that had haunted Keter in his younger years, causing him to want to figure out the secrets of the Dreaming and ultimately how to destroy it. It’s implied (or plainly stated, I forget) that he created Wan and set him upon the Dreaming in Daniel’s absence. Unfortunately for Dora, with Keter’s death there is no one able to remember her story and she starts to fade away.

In contrast to the previous pages, Sauvage colors this scene with a deep, but not oppressive red as the facility responds to its creators impending death, giving things a sense of panic as Dora then looks puzzlingly at her translucent hands. Soon after, Keter’s body starts to convulse and a murky plume of light purple and pink pours from his mouth - the background and Keter’s body are white, with his outline and the monitor version of Cain being the only line art for this panel. Abel and Matthew (and others) then burst forth from Keter’s mouth as he finally dies.

Matthew is one of the Ravens of the Dreaming and he acts as the eyes for the ruler of the Kingdom as they survey the dreams of men. Abel acts as something of an accountant of some kind, but he has been keenly aware of Wan’s other side and chose to escape the Dreaming with Matthew, but The Dark Moth sent blanks to follow them and one of those blanks just so happened to be Ziggy, Dora’s former blank companion. When Ziggy disregards his former identity, his other blanks begin to savagely beat Dora in a flood of oppressive pink colors.

Spurrier tells two tales that Sauvage portrays in nine striking and dynamic triangular panels. On the downward facing panels, Cain lambasts Abel for having the audacity to kill him, but Abel counters with the fact that Cain has killed him hundreds of thousands of times over the millenia they’ve been together. Cain looks on with rage and it only gets worse as he realizes that Abel is mostly right to call him a coward. At the same time, we continue to watch as the blanks continue to assault Dora. These panels are most uncomforting as she pleads for Ziggy to help.

Sauvage does an amazing job of showing Dora’s distress is pained and betrayed facial expressions as she bleeds and cries while a flurry of fists and feet meet her. She continues to fade and is soon dragged away by the other blanks before cut back to Rose Walker and her continued feeling of disillusionment before Spurrier reveals that the unseen figure that lit her cigarette might be the hand of her Grandmother, another being with a strong connection to the Dreaming. She manages to convince Rose to take the bus and find the color of the world again.

One subtle thing that I liked about this issue and the way Spurrier has been writing this series thus far, is the implication that things started to go horrendously wrong when Abel killed Cain and stopped stuttering as a result. Cain was always one of the smartest residents of the Dreaming and would have figured out Wan’s scheme even if Wan himself wasn’t aware of his other half, but Abel was far too nice to think about it like his brother. When Abel is finally reunited with his brother, he begins to stutter a lot more again, symbolizing a return to how things were.

In trying to convince his brother to return to the Dreaming, Abel does he one thing he needed to do make things right with Cain, he recreates his brothers murder by stabbing himself in the neck with a fork while Cain says that he will, but because he WANTS to, not because Abel asked (Cain is a tsundere confirmed). While absolutely brutal and horrific, it’s touching at the same time because Abel does this out of love and sacrifice knowing that the world is doomed without his brother at his side. At the same time, this inspires Ziggy who goes against his order and tells the other blanks to stop the process of killing Dora because she made Ziggy who he was…

Unfortunately, his newfound sentience comes late as Dora is probably seconds from death and True Death by fading. Then suddenly a bus CRASHES through the walls and Rose emerges, feeling the dream energy drifting away from Dora. Sauvage draws their interaction together beautifully as Rose inches closer and closer to Dora, trying to feel something before whispering in her ear and bringing the Night Hag back to life.

The soft colors spring to life as Dora mounts Rose and begins to drain her fear, her ear wings turn a bright white and varied pink watercolors dance across her body as she reaffirms her belief in herself and Rose is in ecstasy of feeling again. We then learn something crucial about Dora and how all of this might have been by the original Dream’s design. At the end, not only is Dora restored, but the keeper of the Dream Library is as well.

The Dreaming is a weird story, but it always has been. One thing that I have loved about this story so far is that it doesn’t completely require you to have read all of Sandman to understand it, but it enriches the experience if you have. These characters are fully three dimensional with their own motivations, fears and thoughts that Si Spurrier has captured so well. I’m glad that he took on this story because it’s equal parts beautiful and dark like the Sandman Universe should be.

This is also in no small part thanks to how Marguerite Sauvage chose to draw, color and ink these beautiful scenes, characters and environments. Everywhere from the human world to the land of the dreaming was distinct and interesting because of backgrounds, color choice and intensity - even the use of white space was striking and amazing to look at.

I think the series is supposed to end at Issue 20, but it already feels too soon, like we need more. Of course there are the other Sandman books out like House of Secrets, Books of Magic, Lucifer and Hellblazer, but everything related to the Dreaming will always have a special place in my heart and I can absolutely say that I have enjoyed this ride thoroughly thus far. High recommend!

Also, I just started a Patreon, so feel free to support your boy.

https://www.patreon.com/join/TyTalksComics

#dora the night hag #rose walker #the dreaming #cain and abel #sandman #dream of the endless #sandman universe #si spurrier #marguerite sauvage #dc comics #comics #dc black label #vertigo comics

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flourishedandsunkissed · 7 years

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A Film for a Fool Who Dreams

Obviously La La Land has taken the world and awards season by storm. I’ve only gotten to see it once so far, but I smiled through nearly the whole film, even when I was crying. But this isn’t a review of La La Land, and it isn’t about Mia and Sebastian’s romantic relationship, this is an entry explaining what it means to me as a dreamer, an artist, and as a little suburban girl.

Quick thought that’s always on my mind: When we say “Hollywood” we’re usually using the synecdoche for the film industry. However, I see it as the film industry, the music industry, and television–reality and fiction. This is the system that either creates or manufactures celebrities.

I appreciated Mia and Sebastian’s deep investment in their respective aspects of Hollywood. Firstly because they’re able to teach other about what matters to them. Upon getting lost in San Francisco, my friend and I were discussing just that, film and music. He was teaching me about the intricacies of various genres and I shared with him what I think makes a film work. Additionally my brother has been trying to teach me about music my whole life. Some things I grasped and others I didn’t, but I appreciated being the student in someone’s passion. My brother doesn’t watch movies very often, but when he does I’m happy to engage in an enthusiastic dialogue. So simply, I can appreciate the dynamic because I’ve been a part of it and I think it’s realistic.

Secondly, they weren’t in it for the money. They weren’t looking for fame and wealth, that just became a benefit/detriment of pursuing their passions (well, I’m actually not sure if Sebastian was rich or famous in the LA area, but Seb’s seemed pretty popular). They were in it for the actual artistic value of their focus and the joy that it brought them. This is the way it should be. For the most part, I’ve been adamantly against the remakes and years-late sequels, and prequels studios have been spewing at consumers because they know they’ll do just that–consume the familiar. I’m not shaming you if you enjoy them, watch what you like. I’m shaming the studios for shunning creators of any age and background with big ideas and great stories to tell and opting for the get rich quick scheme that is piggybacking off of a story that was told well the first time and not even doing it justice. If you do care to end it though, stop watching those movies just because they’re there. The films I’m excluding from that tangent are those that have built a universe (Star Wars, Marvel, even DC, etc)–I don’t see them as exempt, but at least they’re working toward something. Even if it is about consumerism and capitalism to a degree, they’re bringing people joy and uniting nerds all over the planet! So back to the passion: that’s what should get anybody into it in the first place. That’s how you make good work. And honestly that’s what makes any effort worth it.

Thirdly, this was it for them. This was all they wanted. Deciding if sacrificing true love for your dreams is a different discussion that I’m not even sure of my stance on so I won’t go there. And I’m not saying having a back up plan is a cop-out, it’s a good idea. What I’m saying it wasn’t a hobby or a side hustle and then what do you know they made it! They didn’t settle. And I find that tremendously inspiring. We know it wasn’t without compromise or deciding at one point to give up, that’s more than realistic. And what’s even better is the support. Mia didn’t even want to go back to LA at first but Sebastian didn’t let her give up. And that’s what what kept it alive. She drove off on him and he crossed states to keep someone else’s dream alive. She endlessly supported him through his jazz dream even though it was her least favorite genre. I hope to have and to be that kind of friend.

And now to get specific with some songs…

Another Day of Sun Wowza. If you didn’t know already, by now you know I’m Californian. To open on a painfully crowded freeway was immediately hilarious because, again, it’s realistic here. Let me just add that this opening sequence is the most fantastic long take I have ever seen. Definitely a favorite of all time. The music itself makes me want to cry tears of joy because they’re stuck in the worst traffic ever and it’s so exuberant. I want to feel that way in traffic. Even more importantly: the lyrics. I’ve been on countless auditions. From Hollywood to my own campus. They’re awful. I’ve never had an experience as bad as Mia’s, but I’m sure her story is far from an exaggeration. I hate how they say “thank you” with no expression and look at you like Death when you’re giving it all your life. But this song. It encourages you not to fear rejection or take it as defeat. From the beginning it’s about following your dreams, being optimistic despite expressionless executives and endless auditions with no callbacks. It’s about getting back on your feet because the only way you’ll truly be defeated is if you give up on yourself. This is one of the toughest industries to break into and no one (without the advantage of marvelous connections) makes it on their first try.

City of Stars “City of stars / Just one thing everybody wants” Half the people you meet in Southern California want something to do with Hollywood. People from all over the world want something to do with Hollywood. That’s not a bad thing. I hope we all take it over and build it up to be what it should’ve been from the beginning. I want it, my friends want it, my brother and cousins want it. And just looking at LA driving in from the suburbs fills me and my friends with excitement from the beauty of the skyline and who we might overhear or see that day. It’s an interesting place. All the kids from the suburbs want to live in the city whether they want a piece of Hollywood or not just because we’re so bored with everything home lacks. So for me this song isn’t just about love and opportunity, but my love affair with LA and cities in general. Even though I’ve come to terms with the fact that I could never live in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Santa Monica, or probably even San Diego proper, their lights, their history, their food, their beauty still has me.

Audition (The Fools Who Dream) Where do I even start. I’m forever filled with overwhelming appreciation for this song. I felt the excitement with Mia when she started working on her one-woman show, the anxiety with her when she finally executed the show, her disappointment with the turn out and lack of Sebastian, her defeat upon returning home, her dejection with the statement, “maybe I’m not good enough,” and her nerves upon entering into this last audition. I’ll always remember how the guest speaker at my high school graduation unceasingly praised the STEM students and seemed to render the artistic students useless. That stupid, painful, insulting Wells Fargo campaign. And just the way America treats budding artists in general. I’m a film major right now and sometimes undermine myself by worrying about how “liberal” I’m being. A film major with a minor in Italian studies? And an unofficial emphasis in creative writing? All of my roommates are STEM majors and they lament how much easier school is for me and I joke saying, “It’s okay! Because you know what? You’ll get a job!” I am a bit afraid. I shouldn’t have to be. Freshman year the popular question is “What’s your major?” and I always winced a little before telling everyone else film. But they thought it was fantastic. People have been telling me for years, “Don’t forget me when you make it on the big screen” after seeing me perform or reading my writing and you’d be surprised at how afraid I am of letting them down. I unfortunately consider myself a bit of a fool because of the way the system treats my mind and how part of me has bought into it. But look at me, I’m still dreaming. And I love working with people who are too. We matter. I admire people in STEM and business, but that’s not all there is. If everyone went off to be a scientist, who would write the music that relieves your stress, motivates you, and brings you and your friends together? Who would create your endless hours of entertainment on the plethora of streaming services you spend your hard earned money subscribing to? We matter. Don’t treat us like fools then praise us years later for diverging. “She told me / A bit of madness is key / To give us new colors to sing / Who knows where it will lead us / And that’s why they need us / So bring on the rebels / The ripples from pebbles / The painters and poets and plays” I always remember that speech when I hear that part. It feels like a call to action. And I plan to mobilize.

Thank you to everyone that supports me, I appreciate you more than I can articulate. More importantly than remembering you “when I get to the big screen,” I’ll remember you whenever I dare think, “maybe I’m not good enough.”

To the public school system who tries to program us and the corporations who want us to be their robots and ignore our skills, to the studios that are running out of ideas on their own:

You need us. Don’t forget.

#writing #loves #la la land

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jessicakehoe · 4 years

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How To Get Away With Murder’s Aja Naomi King Talks Inclusivity and Inspiration

Yesterday afternoon on International Women’s Day, moving speeches, humble stories and plenty of tears filled a grand ballroom at Toronto’s Omni King Edward Hotel as L’Oréal Paris held its annual Women of Worth gala. The special philanthropic event celebrated a diverse group of ten Canadian females who are selflessly working on causes to address some of the most pressing issues within their local communities. Each passionate change-maker was honoured with a $10,000 grant to help fund their not-for-profit organizations, and this year’s grand prize award winner, Glori Meldrum, received an additional $10,000 to help fund Little Warriors, an Edmonton, AB-based charity and treatment facility dedicated to rebuilding the lives of sexually abused children and their families. Meldrum is a survivor of child abuse herself.

“When Glori talked about not being believed — that’s just such a big conversation right now,” reminisced this year’s host, actress and How to Get Away With Murder star Aja Naomi King. “We’re now talking [more and more] about women being abused or harassed, but to be a child and not being believed? I can’t think of anything more painful. If there’s one thing we should all be doing is protecting our children,” she continued. ‘The incredible thing about Glori is what she did with that pain — that hurt, that trauma — to find the strength to heel others. I’m just in such awe of her.”

After the powerful seated brunch, we sat down with King who opened up about the importance of diversity in Hollywood, her biggest inspirations, working alongside prolific industry names, and saying goodbye to Shonda Rhimes’s Emmy-winning drama How to Get Away With Murder, the final season of which airs this April.

On what makes her feel the most empowered:

“There are a multitude of times I feel empowered but, I have to admit, when I feel like I look great, I feel super empowered. When I love my outfit and I do my makeup I do feel really incredible about myself. There’s something about that that makes you feel untouchable.”

On what she values most about being a cast member on How to Get Away with Murder:

“My favourite part has been the people. Viola Davis, Alfie Enoch, Jack Falahee, Liza Weil, Charlie Weber, Billy Brown — they’re my family and they are the most incredible human beings. They are so talented, so dedicated. Being around Viola especially, it doesn’t matter what comes out of her mouth, you just can’t take your eyes off of her. She is so so dynamic and just being in her presence and being treated like I’m on the same level as her is life altering.”

On life behind the scenes of How to Get Away with Murder:

“[Fans] would probably be surprised with the amount of singing that happens in between takes. Sometimes it will start with Viola clapping and before you know it there’s a little bit of dancing and singing. We could be singing anything, but there’s always a lot of Beyoncé!”

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Today is the day we have our FINAL Table Read for the FINAL Episode of #HTGAWM…this picture kinda captures all the feelings I’m having 😩😢😨😱

A post shared by Aja Naomi King (@ajanaomi_king) on Jan 24, 2020 at 8:18am PST

On what she’s learned from writer-producer Shonda Rhimes:

“I feel like I (like the rest of the world) have learned: ‘Look what we can do!’ especially when given the opportunity. Everything Shonda Rhimes has created, everything she has done, [has been huge] for self-esteem. You didn’t see this many black doctors and black lawyers [on TV] before. And it goes beyond just black people. Her shows have been a beacon for diversity and possibility, and to be a part of that — to be one of those faces looking back at people and saying, ‘This could be you too. There’s space for you.’ — is just really incredible.”

On the joys of working on an inclusive set:

“That’s another thing that’s been so great about working on a show like this, because I’ve been on other shows where the majority of the actors were all white. That then meant that the people in the hair and makeup trailer were really more inclined to know what to do with the hair or makeup of white people. But being on a show where you lead as a black person? All of a sudden the possibilities seem endless. There was such greater comfort walking [onto set] and not having to think about my hair and makeup; I could just focus on my lines. I didn’t have to worry about someone putting too much heat on my hair or putting on the wrong kind of product and messing my hair up. That in itself was huge.

Before this show, I’ve had the experience of bringing my own makeup and keeping it in whatever trailer space they put me. I’d wait and let the makeup artist do whatever it is they had to do, and then I’d be like, ‘OK, now I’m going to go and fix it.’ That’s not fair. That’s not fair to me and it’s not fair to any other actor of colour to feel like, ‘Why is it that this [artist] can do that person’s hair and makeup but not mine?’ It makes you feel like you don’t count and that’s not OK.”

On her biggest hair inspiration:

“I love Tracee Ellis Ross! I love seeing what she’ll do next. She once did a long braid, so I then did a long braid with baubles for the ESSENCE Black Women in Hollywood Luncheon this year. I loved that [hairstyle]. And I always love how Kerry Washington looks. Everything she does is just the epitome of elegance. I look to those two women a lot.”

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✨AJA✨ @ajanaomi_king attends 13th Annual Essence Black Women in Hollywood #luncheon .. #hairbyrandys makeup by @mylahmorales styled by @waymanandmicah #hairjunkierandy #ajanaomiking #randystodghill @opusbeauty

A post shared by randy stodghill (@hairjunkierandy) on Feb 6, 2020 at 6:47pm PST

On her dream dinner guest:

“If I could just sit down and ask this person, ‘Tell me how to live’ — it would be Oprah. I’ve met her before and the brief encounter that we had was amazing. I’d want her to walk me through everything!”

On words she lives by:

“Don’t be afraid of trying or going after things because you’re afraid of hearing the word no. That word can’t hurt you.”

Oh the importance of living in the moment:

“With this career, a lot of the times you can be constantly end-gaming: thinking beyond your current experience to where you want to be instead of living in the moment and enjoying the process of doing what we’re doing. To me, that’s the valuable part. If you’re missing that — if you’re missing the joy in the process — then it’s like what are you even doing here?”

On her favourite red carpet moment:

“This year at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party. I had on this fuchsia pink dress with this gorgeous cape from Nicolas Jebran. I just loved the crap out of that outfit because it was so lightweight, so comfortable and the colour was stunning against my skin tone. My hair was in a super long ponytail. I loved that whole look.”

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Back Views💋.. @ajanaomi_king #vanityfairoscarparty #hairjunkierandy #hairbyrandys #ajanaomiking #howtogetawaywithmurder

A post shared by randy stodghill (@hairjunkierandy) on Feb 10, 2020 at 3:02pm PST

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