#also hologram technology was invented in the 40s so…)

[cq-studios]

I love that Ephemer’s first conversation with Player is like “Thanks for the help! Did you know your life is a lie?”

There’s no way he’s not knee deep into conspiracy theories.

This was prior to Data Daybreak Town and the glitches, before the Keyblade War even. Did he come from one of the worlds being portrayed? (I don’t think so but it’s a thought) Judging by Player’s reaction they have no clue what the hell Ephemer is talking about (to quote the novel “It was the part about the world being holograms that had you stumped”) so where holograms even a piece of technology that was common knowledge? What evidence did Ephemer have to even make that claim?

Like I don’t care wether or not he was right (though for his sake I’ll say he was half right, it was just data, not holograms [which I think is further evidence for my whole no one knows about computers headcannon]), how the hell did he come to that conclusion? What happened to him that made him figure that out?

[emergenciesstory]

Nats sis Part 3

Pairing: Sister!Nat x Jessabelle (OC), Tony x OC, Stucky

Word Count: 2,176

Chapter summary: Tony and Jesse are, well, soulmates.

Notes: Just a couple parts left!

Masterlist    Nat’s Sis Masterlist

Sketching on the holograms was more fun than on the tablet. I had been working on his design flaws for who knows how long, weeding out the ones that wouldn’t work in practice to the ones that could be saved. Tony had given me a tablet to use while here, with access to all the files. ‘No need to keep manipulating the system’ he claimed. Tony moved behind me, putting together the mechanics on the first design from this morning. I occasionally heard him grunt or shock himself, but had gotten lost in the plan before me. While the idea sketched out, the description didn’t follow the sketch, nor was the formula right for what he wanted to do. Different from the others, this wasn’t a gun or improvement for his suit, but a bracelet to track and aid everyone. While it had benefits to Tony for his suit, it also was to call select weapons with a small chip installed in it. I had been busy, but running into the error of the chip situation. Sighing, I dove back into design of the chip.

    “What’s wrong?” Tony looked up at me, the hologram I was facing becoming a blur of colors and numbers.

    “Nothing, just running some schematics for the Call chip.”

    “Call chip? Are you already on the last file?” His voice was closer now, and I noticed he was wringing a rag on his grease covered hands. Pinching out of my work, I scrolled back through the designs, each with a note or writing all over it.Tony took control and was evaluating them.

    “The first few were good ideas, but impractical. For the function you want, the size is too great with the technology available. Even using some of Hydra or Russian technological advances- What?” Tony was staring at you with Jaw dropped.

    “You used their technology?” He turned back, analyzing the few sketches I had fixed.

    “Well, of course. What else would I have been stealing from the mission? That’s what I’ve been doing, hacking into servers, stealing weapons to analyze. If something technological goes missing, it was probably me for study. I destroy it after so no one can have it, or to put some kinks in their plans.” I jumped onto the work desk behind us, crossing my legs under my lap, watching Tony look at the design I was stuck on, picking up the pen and writing in yellow.

    “Are you the reason one of the quinjets disappeared?” he mused, focusing on the new plans.

    “No, that one wasn’t me. I wish though, I’ve always been curious about the cloaking device and tiles.”

    “It’s not difficult technology. Basically big mirrors, just more fun.”

    “I see.” Tony had sketched another idea on the plan, a magnet rather than blaster on the gun. “Why didn’t I think of that?!” Grabbing my pen, I finished the calculations for a magnet from where I was perched, the technology actually looking like it would work on paper. Clicking his pen off, satisfied, Tony turned back to me.

    “Because, you’re not a genius like me.” He was standing in front of me, smirking at eye level. “Hungry?”

    “Are you egotistical?” Tony quirked an eyebrow at my comment. “The answer to both is yes.”

    Tony escorted me from the lab and into the lift down to the commons. The clock on the wall read 1830, we had been working for eleven hours straight. The storm outside was still pouring rain, but the atmosphere of the commons was bright and lively. Steve and Nat were dancing around the kitchen cooking while Bucky and Bruce sat at the bar. Music played out through the room, Clint asleep on the couch with the controls in hand. Tony took my hand and pulled me from the elevator.

    “What’s for dinner?” He called out, still not letting me go. I tried to pull my hand away, shrink back and let the fun play out how it should have been but it was too late. Nat looked up at us and saw our fingers intertwined and smiled, hitting Steve who answered.

    “Chilli and Corn bread! Been working on it all day.”

    “It smells good.” I said, sincerely.

    “Don’t worry. Clint told us you were vegetarian. You have your own pot.” Steve smiled gesturing to the smaller pot on the stove simmering.

    “You didn’t have to go through the trouble.” a smile spread on my face, this felt right, light and airy, warm like a home. Much better than eating from a can while trying to remain invisible.

    “No trouble, besides, only the best for Nat’s sister.” Bruce chimed in, smiling. Tony released my hand to go mess with Steve, a very endearing expression on his face. I felt my eyes shift again, but tried to not let it get to me so it would settle back to green.

    “Blue.” Nat whispered beside me. I hadn’t seen her move from the other side of the island. “But nothing to be jealous of, Steve is taken, Tony is single. Use your training and open your eyes.” She placed a warm bowl in my hands before leading us over to the table.

She pointed to a chair to sit in and sat across from me, the others joining quickly. Nat sat between Bruce and Clint, with Steve settling into the head of the table, Bruce on one side and Bucky to his other beside you. Tony came in last, sliding into the seat beside me. They all began chatting while you listened to what Nat had said. Looking over at Steve, you saw the silver band, barely traceable on his ring finger. His hand lingered near Bucky, who’s flesh hand sat close, but not touching. Looking to his metal hand, I noticed a matching thin band missing into his ring finger. I looked at Nat whose smirk confirmed my suspicions, Captain America and the Winter Soldier were together.

    “So, Jessabelle, What did you do today?” Steve’s voice brought your attention back to the tables conversation.

    “Jesse, please. I um, well,” I stammered, face turning red.

    “Jesse here was helping me work on some old plans I had scrapped. She actually got a couple cool things to work, so new inventions from Daddy’s lab should be out for training this week.” I choked on my food at his comment of his lab, enticing laughs, and concern, from around the table. Composing myself with the glass of water Tony placed to my lips, I muttered apologies.

    “No worries, Doll. Not the first time we’ve been flustered from his, openness.” Bucky gave your knee a squeeze and returned to eating.

    “Hey, grandpa. Just because you and your boo over there are from the 40’s doesn’t mean this isn’t acceptable now a days.” Tony quibbed back. The room went silent as Steve’s face went red, Bucky’s sheet white looking like murder.

    Steve chuckled slightly, rubbing the back of his neck. “Well, cat’s out of the bag.”

    “It’s okay. I knew. Just didn’t want to make you uncomfortable.” I said quietly.

    “Who Fucking told you?” Bucky whispered, eying you.

    “Chill, Barnes, she found out the same way I did.” Nat said, looking like she’d stab him with her fork of possessiveness.

    “I do like how the band is from Bucky’s finger though. It’s cute, very innovative.” I mumbled, my chili suddenly the most interesting thing in the room. At this, Bucky turned red, looking at Steve’s hand, now interlocking in his.

    “Yes, he is.”

The rest of dinner was quite uneventful, Everyone discussing their days and projects for the week. I was asked to come to training the next afternoon, Wednesday, and Tony asked if I’d help him finish a couple of designs. Agreeing, it was as though I was part of them. After dinner, Tony asked me back to the lab to finish the first design tonight, and get a head start on the others. Nat and Bruce had a date planned, Clint was going to join Wanda and Vision on a mission early and wanted to go to sleep soon, and Bucky and Steve made plans to watch a movie or something. I excused myself to go change back into the shorts Nat had loaned me before going back to work.

Following Tony back to the lab, we immediately went back to our tasks, him finishing the blaster, and I looking at some of the plans I had scrapped, seeing if I had made another rookie mistake like the magnets. I was chewing on a pen, looking over a plan, cross legged on the bench like before. I had dredged up a plan for improving the security system, and seeing how easy I could hack into it, I was focusing on the codes, many of them a lot more intricate than I had deciphered this morning.

“You know, I think there’s a lot more to you than you let on.” Tony said, snapping me from my daze.

“What do you mean?” I looked over at him fidgeting with attaching the small blaster.

“I mean there’s no way a confident, brilliant, metamorphmagus such as yourself just steals technology and learns about it for no reason.”

“There is a reason, I enjoy it. It was all I was good at. When Natasha and I were taken, they trained her to be a fighter, but when I had guns to my head, I dismantled them quicker than pulling they could pull the trigger. Yeah, I can hold my own, but what’s the point.” His gaze never wavered, so I continued, leaving out a small detail. “So they sent Natasha to kill me. Steel bullet, but luckily they didn’t realize the gun was too powerful. It went clear through my hip, the shock rendering me unconscious.” I slid the shorts and watched the tattoo disappear, showing him my scar. “They believed me dead.  When I came to, I realized what had happened, so I changed my appearance and left. Been alone since, changing to do a job, stealing technology, plans, weapons, learning everything I could, and moving onto the next base.” Tony watched with wrapped attention as I told my story, fingers absentmindedly tracing the scars from the bullet.

“How’d you find Nat again?” He tilted his head to the side, sitting on the stool in front of me.

“I actually found Clint first. I had run into him back where he has his farm. Literally. We got talking and it was, easy, like talking to you. So I spent a while with him and Laura and the kids. When he was gone, I helped Laura with the work that had to be done in exchange for living there. One day, Clint came back while we were painting the sunroom. I heard the kids say ‘Auntie Nat’ and I knew the secret was out. We agreed to not say anything and I disappeared again.”

“Wow. Just, wow.” Tony had his hand resting on my knee, smoothing his calloused thumb over me. It was calming.

“Yeah.” I watched him as he processed the information.

“Smart, strong, and beautiful.” He smiled up at me, eyes deep. Not again, I thought, feeling the amethyst color come back into mine. “I do like your eyes, they’re very telling.”

“And what do they say now?” I whispered, keeping eye contact.

“If I’m correct, they’re confirming my feelings aren’t one sided.” Tony spoke slowly while standing, his face inches from mine when he stopped. Glancing at my lips, I barely processed what he had said before I felt his lips on mine, softly pressing as though he was timid. I kissed him back, dropping my legs to either side of him, begging to be closer. I felt his tongue on my lip before he pulled back slightly, smirking

“I hate you” I murmured, before sliding my tongue in his mouth. My hands laced their way to behind his neck, threading into his hair. I felt his hands move up from my knees, snaking up my thighs to caressing my ass, pushing the shorts off my legs. He kissed me deeper, need laced into his lips as I slid to the edge of the table to be closer to him. Suddenly, he broke the kiss, resting his forehead against mine, smiling as we locked eyes.

“Violet opal and Amethyst. You imprinted.” He whispered, breathing heavily.

“How do you know that? The only one who knows my colors is...”

“I may have asked her out of curiosity how to get to know you better, and I may have intentionally left the file where you’d hopefully find it. When I saw you flash dark sapphire before dinner, I wanted to know more. So when you changed, I asked about them all. It’s intriguing.”

“If you wanted to know so bad you could’ve asked.” I whispered, still not letting go of my hold around his neck and waist.

“But now I knew how you felt before I did what I wanted to,” he smiled.

“Damn these eyes,” I mused, kissing him again.

[yougotcrit]

A long, long time ago... 40 years ago, to be exact. 40 years to the day when Star Wars (1977) first hit theaters, and what a journey it has been during that time. To truly appreciate this landmark of a film, I’d like to step back and evaluate one simple question.

What is Star Wars?

It’s so much more than a movie. Its roots are simple enough; a story of good versus evil, a journey of discovery, an adventure to places unknown. The Greeks were playing that old song and dance long before Star Wars came along. So what set it apart from these other stories?

It’s the brain child of George Lucas. 

Love him or hate him, none of it would be possible if not for him. Through his imagination he brought life to his creations, showing us creatures and places we never dreamed of. And oddly, he was near the only one who believed in the project. Hardly anyone expected it to be the success it became. But thanks to George’s passion and persistence, in conjunction with a talented cast and crew, we have the most iconic film in history.

It’s iconic.

The soundtrack; the title crawl; the locations; the costumes, props and special effects; the characters; the movie quotes. The list goes on. Even the film’s blunders are iconic (The Kessel Run in 12 parsecs. The Stormtrooper banging his head in the doorway.) 

So many films wish they could be half as universally recognized as Star Wars. Even if you’ve never seen Star Wars, chances are good that if you saw an image of Darth Vader, you’d know his name. That’s the power of the franchise, it’s something that, as a society, we all share and love together. 

It’s controversy.

And perhaps that’s why many fans have such a love-hate relationship with George Lucas. The creator, in an effort to actualize his original vision which was hindered due to the constraints of the technology at the time, decided to revisit his beloved films and alter them. On paper this sounded all well and good. The movies would be digitally restored and remastered to counter the gradual deterioration of film, a necessity if you want to preserve the films. And the space battles, which had been filmed with models originally, would receive a fancy, polished CGI upgrade. So what caused millions of voices to cry out in protest when the Special Edition of Star Wars was complete? Two things. Lucas took it upon himself to fill every scene he fancied with superfluous amounts of CGI, to the point where it’s so crowded with nonsense you can’t see what’s happening. It marks one of the first instances where CGI was abused in cinema. But even more controversial was Lucas’s alteration of history. Replacing the actor who played the dying and older Darth Vader with Hayden Christensen was a slap in the face. Adding the Jabba the Hut scene in A New Hope was clumsy and unnecessary (don’t even mention how the movie’s name was changed to Star Wars: A New Hope). And let’s not forget who shot first. It was Han. Han shot first.

If that wasn’t enough, there’s also the prequels. Nothing causes more rage among fans than the three films that nearly ruined Star Wars forever. Poorly written, boring, poorly acted, and occasionally racist, the prequels were not the films we were looking for, and they complicated the continuity of the original trilogy. No one was happy. You’d cause less uproar trying to rewrite the Bible than what Lucas did with the prequels. To make matters worse, despite such a public outburst against the prequels, George Lucas remained unapologetic and uncaring towards the fans’ disappointment. After all, it’s his baby. He could do with it as he pleases. Until he sold it, of course.

It’s money in the bank.

Even before George Lucas sold the rights to Star Wars to the Disney Company for $4 billion, he was raking in the cash. The films alone were very successful, the very first blockbusters, but thanks to some poor foresight on the part of the movie executives, Lucas kept the licensing and merchandising rights everything Star Wars to himself. And that’s where the real money from the movie is made. More well than you can imagine. Action figures, tee shirts, Build-A-Bears, tote bags, Legos, collectibles of all shapes and sizes; Even a mini fridge shaped like R2-D2. There’s no limit to what Star Wars fans will pay if it’s got the logo slapped on it. And nobody knows exploitation like the Disney Company. Promptly after their purchase they began churning out more films to further the saga, not excluding spin-offs or solo films. And boy, have they gotten a return on their investment. With plans to open up a Star Wars themed park at Disney World, the Disney Company’s going to see profits that George never considered.

It’s a whole universe.

How big is Star Wars? It’s big. There’s series upon series of novelizations about the Star Wars universe, much of it obsolete since Disney’s takeover. Not to mention the story lines from each and every video game, at least two television animated series, and every character, regardless of how brief their appearance in the films, has at least half a webpage dedicated to its biography on Wikipedia. Each of these contributes to a much greater world that even the movies never explain in detail. Few franchises and properties come close to the level of detail and universe building that Star Wars has created, which is why it ranks in the top of all circles of nerdery, geekdom, and fanisms.

It’s a community.

If you’ve never heard of the 501st Legion, I suggest you look them up. They are Star Wars enthusiasts, whose love and passion for Star Wars is so great that they’ve come together as “an all-volunteer organization formed for the express purpose of bringing together costume enthusiasts under a collective identity within which to operate.” These guys get together to build and wear authentic and customized stormtrooper costumes, among other characters, and then they attend events to promote an interest in Star Wars. They do this on their own time, using their own funds, and they do a lot of charitable work. And it’s because they all love Star Wars. But it goes beyond cosplaying. There’s groups dedicated to collecting memorabilia. Musicians come together to play John Williams’s amazing scores, incorporating lightsabers into the act. Star Wars even helped a family through a rough time, when a husband, diagnosed with terminal cancer, was allowed to see The Force Awakens (2015) weeks before its release and days before he became one with the Force. Star Wars brings people together, and brings out the best in them as well.

It’s a technological achievement.

This one can’t be overstated enough. Until May 25th, 1977, there was every other movie, and then there was Star Wars. Audiences had never seen anything like it. The film pushed the boundaries of the available technology, inventing several new technologies along the way. Advancements in sound, costumes, green-screen technology, puppetry, model building and so much more all stemming from Star Wars. It’s hard to imagine in this age of CGI that all the ships in the original trilogy were mere models hanging on wire in front of a blue screen. Pixar’s computer animation was originally a branch of LucasArts, so we have George to thank for that as well. But Star Wars continues to push the limits of technology, even in the real world. It’s influenced modern day prosthetics, robotics, and for Pete’s sake, even hologram technology is available these days. In time, maybe we’ll have our own lightsabers, because there isn’t a person out there who wouldn’t like their own lightsaber.

It’s inspiration.

There’s no end to imagination, so I don’t see why there should ever be an end to Star Wars. What began as the musings of one man has become a myriad of ideas and tangents and spin-offs and parodies and all manner of art. Fans cosplay as original characters of their own design. Spaceballs (1987) would not exist if not for Star Wars. It has inspired conventions, fan fictions, food, and the names of children. Yes, I’ve met a real life Anakin once. Some people have Star Wars weddings and funerals. Star Wars is so expansive, with so much source material, it can be incorporated into nearly anything. It seems to me that we’ll go to any length to bring that galaxy far, far away a little closer to home. That’s Star Wars.

Happy birthday, Star Wars,

You Got Crit

(Feel free to read my past reviews for the more recent Star Wars movies: Here and here.) 

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