#can you imagine how confused she must be when she reads about the bank heist and leviathan sam and dean?

[angelcasendgame]

Post 1x13, Dean keeps up with Cassie's career as a reporter and reads all her articles as she gets recognition for all her hard hitting journalism stories and Cassie keeps up with Dean's career as a criminal and is increasingly confused and concerned as he rises through the ranks on the FBI most wanted list

[tomeandflickcorner]

Falcon and Winter Soldier Episode 1- My Thoughts

Under the cut due to potential spoilers:

Sam’s plotline:

So, despite Steve’s obvious endorsement of him as his successor, Sam is feeling unworthy to take up the mantle of the new Captain America.  So he donates the shield to the Smithsonian, where it is placed on exhibit.  But he’s still apparently doing work for the military/air force as Falcon in stopping terrorist hijackings and the like (which leads to a pretty amazing areal action sequence.)  I’m guessing the stupid Accords were put through the shredder after the events of Infinity War/Endgame?  At least I hope so, because that was a mess and a half.  Also, he’s now got a friend and ally, Joaquin, who is working to stop some other terrorist group called the Flag Smashers that apparently thought Thanos had the right idea, and that things were better during the five years where all those people were dusted.  But Joaquin’s attempt at putting a stop to this group’s attempt at a bank heist(?) ends pretty badly, as the guy who I guess orchestrated the bank heist is apparently super strong and effortlessly kicked Joaquin’s butt.  My first thought was that this guy was one of the other Winter Soldiers, as we know Bucky wasn’t the only person Hydra turned into a brainwashed pawn.  But I then read something abut how they were all essentially unceremoniously killed off.   If that’s true, I don’t remember that particular detail, but it’s been a while since I watched the movies.  So I’m hoping they eventually explain who this tough guy is.  Did the Flag Smashers manage to get their hands on their own version of the super serum, or is there another explanation?  Looking forward to seeing how this will develop, as I imagine the Flag Smashers will be the main Big Bad in this series.

Meanwhile, Sam’s got some normal civilian drama to deal with, as we meet his sister and two nephews.  (Can’t remember if it was stated, but was Sarah Sam’s younger sister?  If so, that must be awkward since Sarah might be older than Sam now. It’s heavily implied she and the two nephews remained while Sam was among those lost in the Snap.  They have a family-inherited fishing business that Sarah has been trying to keep afloat (no pun intended), and Sam was supposed to be assisting with it, but he’s been gone for the past five years (through no fault of his own).  Now, the family fishing business is having some financial issues, and they could even lose the house if they can’t make ends meet.  Sam has an idea on how to save the business and the house by starting up a boat charter business on the side.  But they have to get a loan from the bank in order to make it happen.  And even though the banker is clearly a fan of Sam (or rather his Falcon identity), he can’t give them the loan they need, because.... some explanation involving how Sam didn’t have any form of income for the past five years. Which, again, wasn’t his fault because he literally didn’t exist during those five years.  Not like that matters to the bank, though, as there were a lot of people who were wiped out of existence and then came back, so the banks have their hands full with those cases.  Here, we get some social commentary on how difficult it is for Black-owned businesses to get an advantage.  Rather bold of the MCU series to go there. I’m impressed.  There’s also even more social commentary on how military veterans can get the shaft.  Because that’s exactly what Sam is.  He served in the air force for a time.  And he still has some government contracts and whatnot.  Plus, he was one of the Avengers and literally helped save the world on more than one occasion.  But despite all that, the government doesn’t properly compensate him financially.  Meaning he gets all these people thanking him for being a hero, and even posing with him for selfies.  But that’s pretty much all the thanks he gets.  When he needs help getting back to everyday civilian stuff, he’s more or less on his own.  Again, rather bold of the MCU to address that.  

And of course, we get the final scene, where it’s revealed that the American government has decided to select a new Captain America. Of course, you get the feeling that they just selected him to be a mascot for the public to rally around rather than an actual hero (which is kinda what they were using Steve for in the beginning.) Even so, I do agree with people who see this as rather scummy. Because when Sam turned over the Shield to the Smithsonian, they told him that he was doing the right thing. And now they just take the Shield and hand it over to some random White guy? Even if you ignore the whole racial aspect, it still is practically spitting on Steve’s legacy, considering Sam was his chosen successor, not this guy. Of course, this new guy is apparently John Walker, who did appear in the comics as someone who briefly held the mantle of Captain America. But it’s too soon to tell how closely the MCU John Walker will resemble his comic book counterpart. That being said, I fully expect the series to lead up to Sam realizing he does deserve to be the next Captain America and take back the title.

Bucky’s Plotline:

Interestingly, even though Bucky and Sam share equal billing with this show, Bucky’s plotline was more of a side note in this first episode.  Not that it wasn’t important to his characterization, of course. Since the events of Endgame, he’s received a full pardon from the government for the things he’d done as Hydra’s brainwashed assassin and is now trying to adjust to living the life of an ordinary man. He’s even going to therapy!  Which is a really good thing, as goodness knows he needs it.  But I don’t much care for his therapist.  She seems like a pretty crappy therapist, to be honest. Personally, I think Bucky should find a different one, but I think it was mentioned this therapy was mandated as part of his government-issued pardon.  So maybe he doesn't get a say in who his therapist is.  Anyway, Bucky is still haunted by the things he was forced to do as the Winter Soldier.  And he’s trying to make amends for the things he did during that time. Because even though none of that was his fault, he still remembers everything and feels guilty because of it. In this episode, we see him forging a friendship with this old man.  At first, I was slightly confused on who this old man was.  I briefly wondered if this was supposed to be one of the other Howling Commandos who Steve and Bucky fought alongside in WW2.  But as the episode progresses, it’s revealed that the old man was the father of a young man Bucky killed as the Winter Soldier.  And Bucky has been trying to figure out how he can make amends to the father, who is clearly haunted by the loss of his son.  Man, that is really dark.  Not to mention messed up.  How does one make up for something like this?  Especially since the dead son wasn’t even the Hydra-appointed target.  He had simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time.  (And yes, the fact that the dead son and grieving father are Asian makes it slightly more uncomfortable due to the recent events down in Georgia. Though I don’t think we can blame the show creators for that. They could hardly go back and refilm everything with different actors in those roles. Not without pushing the show back who knows how long.) Anyway, I’m curious to see how Bucky continues on from here, and if he can find the peace of mind he deserves. Oh, also, he does go on this impromptu date with a woman who works at a sushi restaurant. That was rather cute, but also a bit awkward since Bucky is still a bit closed off, for understandable reasons. And this woman clearly doesn’t know who he is and how much he went through. She doesn’t even know about his metal arm. Still, props to Bucky for trying to adjust and move forward. (And I literally laughed out loud when he tried to stop the beckoning cat statue from moving). On a side note, the flashback/nightmare he experiences about the night he killed the old man’s son was both chilling and well done. Especially with the inclusion of the Winter Soldier theme that is playing throughout the scene. The fact that you also can hear it when Bucky is listening to the old man talking about his son was a really great touch. Anyway, I just really want to see Bucky get the hug he deserves.

[nuka-cola-princess-blog]

Found a OC questionnaire and decided to use it to finally write my OC’s backstory. Meet Esmeralda Santiago. 

1. What is your character’s full name? 

Esmeralda Santiago

2. Where were they born?

San Juan, Puerto Rico. Moved to Boston, Massachusetts at the age of 14. 

3. What are their allegiances?

The Minutemen. 4. Do they have any brothers or sisters?

Nate Santiago (brother) and Nora Santiago (sister-in-law)   5. What kind of eyes do they have?

Purple. Rare family eye color. 

6. What kind of hair do they have?

Dark brown almost black hair with dark purple highlights. 7. What is their race/ethnicity?

Human, Latina.   8. How’s their temper/demeanor?

Usually sarcastic and flirty. A big show off. Doesn’t really take much seriously. When angry, offend or upset however she can be irrational and ruthless. Sometimes regrets her actions after she calms down.  9. What is listening to their voice like?

Often very flirty tone in her voice. Slight hints of a Puerto Rican accent.  10. Do they have a favorite quote?

“Hey, chin up I know the night just got darker, but it won’t last forever.” -Nick Valentine   11. What sort of music do they enjoy?

 Hip hop, Punk, Metal, Reggaeton, 8-Bit, 12. What are their favorite radio stations?

Diamond City Radio, Radio Freedom, Jet Fuel Radio (mod), 8-Bit Radio (mod) 13. Have they ever lost someone close to them?

Her brother Nate and her sister-in-law Nora are both killed. Her nephew has also been abducted by the Institute and his status is currently unknown to Esmeralda. 14. What is their favorite sound?

Dogmeat’s happy yipping and barking when he gets attention. 15. What is their opinion on euthanasia? 16. Are they judgmental of others?

She grew up being judged so she loathes judgmental people and goes out of her way to be pretty open minded. This often puts her at odds with the Brotherhood of Steel. 17. Have they ever been drunk?

More often than she should be. 18. What are they like when they stay up all night?

Usually up taking Jet watching old holotapes or listening to the radio. 19. Have they ever been arrested?

Yes. A bank robbery gone wrong is what lands them in the hands of the law and later Vault-Tec which leads to them being frozen. 20. What color evokes strong memories for them?

Purple. She has an odd obsession with the color.  21. What do they do on rainy days?

Stay inside and mess around with Cait or take Jet, or both.  22. What religion are they?

Not a very religious person. Meditates and believes in ghosts n’ spirits though. 23. What are their likes?

Caps, power, drugs, alcohol, sex, Nuka Cola, protecting her friends and family, The Minutemen, Goodneighbor, Cait, Dogmeat, Preston, Nick Valentine, Hancock, Codsworth, Maccready, Jet, Ghouls, old holotape movies, music, holotape games, Sunset Sarsaparilla, Sugar Bombs.    24. What do they wear to bed?

Either just a bra and panties or nothing. 25. Do they have any tattoos or piercings?

Lots of tattoos along her arms and chest as well as several face and neck tattoos.   26. What type of clothing are they most comfortable in?

Easy-going casual clothing. Shorts, tanktops, jeans, boots, ect. 27. What is their most disliked saying?

Ad Victoriam  28. Do they have any enemies?

The Brotherhood of Steel, Gunners, The Pack, The Disciples, Operators. 29. What does their writing look like?

Surprisingly articulate. She loves reading and writing. 30. What disgusts them?

Judgment, child abusers/killers, The Brotherhood Of Steel, slavers, Operators, The Pack, Deezer’s Lemonade, Raiders, Kellog, people who call baseball bats ‘swattas’. 

Esmeralda Santiago was born in San Juan Puerto Rico shortly after her brother Nate Santiago was born. They were born to a single mother who had taken money from loan sharks in order to pay the bills but couldn’t afford to pay them back. So at the age of 14, Esmeralda and her brother Nate moved with their mother to Boston, Massachusetts to run from their loan shark problem. Unfortunately, the loan sharks tracked Esmeralda’s mother down. Esmeralda and Nate came home from high school one afternoon to find their mother had been shot and killed. They were alone now and forced to support themselves, refusing to allow themselves to be taken in by an orphanage as they felt they were too old to have a chance at adoption and decided to take their chances on their own taking care of themselves. 

The siblings had very different approaches dealing with their mother’s death and supporting themselves as time went on. Nate engrossed himself in school and work trying to better himself in order to make a living. He eventually ended up joining the army after graduating high school and marrying his high school sweetheart Nora after he came home from war, starting a family with her and giving birth to Esmeralda’s nephew, Shaun. 

Esmeralda however, chose to support herself by delving into a life of crime. She used her charismatic personality and charm to gather her other down-on-their-luck friends and organize them into a purple-clad street gang to help her pull off crimes. She and her little crew began selling drugs, mugging people, burglarizing homes, and stealing anything that wasn’t nailed down. It wasn’t long before her little neighborhood crew of misfits ended up getting a hold of guns and weapons and became a legitimate street gang growing rapidly in number and an actual threat to Boston Police.

Nate tried his best to try and redirect his sister and set her on the right path but after the death of their mother, Esmeralda refused to listen to her brother and saw him as just another person trying to control her and her lifestyle. She still loved her brother and had a soft spot for her nephew, visiting whenever she was allowed since Nora didn’t approve of Esmeralda’s criminal ways and would often tell Nate that his sister was no good and beyond saving and that she felt Esmeralda would be a bad influence on Shaun. 

Esmeralda had become confident in her gang. A little too confident. She felt they were finally big and powerful enough to attempt a bank robbery. Unfortunately for her, there was a undercover cop in her gang that had caught wind of the plans for a heist. The police were ready for Esmeralda and her crew and took down a majority of her gang as well as Esmeralda herself once they arrived at the bank. Esmeralda was arrested and was due to be sent to prison before Vault-Tec of all people intervened.

Vault-Tec was running an experiment. They were testing out cryogenic stasis pods for a Vault called Vault-111 and were hoping they could make some money using the pods as a new form of imprisonment for criminals. Imagine not having to pay for a prisoners needs or worry about escape when the prisoner is frozen in stasis until their sentence has been served. Guaranteed incarceration for one and all.

Vault-Tec froze Esmeralda in a stasis pod, placing her in a cryo-chamber storage room in the back of Vault-111 for further testing. Ironically, the day they decided to freeze her and imprison her in Vault-111 was the day the bombs dropped. Nate, Nora, and Shaun all escape to Vault-111 just in time thanks to Nate’s family getting a place in the vault due to his military service. However they had no idea that Esmeralda was frozen just a room away from their stasis pods as they’re frozen and anxiously awaiting a new future.

Years later, the Institute sends Kellog to abduct Shaun for his pure unirradiated DNA. Kellog opens Nora’s stasis chamber and takes Shaun away from her, handing Shaun to the Institute Scientist accompanying him. Nora fights as hard as she can to hold onto Shaun but is quickly killed by Kellog. Nate’s stasis pod is then opened as Kellog was instructed to bring a backup, but Nate immediately attacks Kellog, enraged by witnessing his wife’s murder. He almost succeeds in wrenching the gun away from Kellog, taking him by surprise as he didn’t expect Nate to have combat training but unfortunately Nate is outmatched and killed by Kellog. The Institute Scientist naturally freaks out about how Kellog killed their only backup by Kellog informs the scientist that there’s another backup frozen in the back, referencing Esmeralda frozen in the next room. 

Esmeralda is unfrozen some time later, confused and angry as she wanders the vault, only to find Nate and Nora’s corpses. She breaks down and mourns, feeling rage as the last of her family is now gone. She notices Shaun’s coprse is not amongst them. She also noticed that Nate and Nora were clearly killed by a gunshot. Meaning someone must have taken Shaun after killing them. Esmeralda wipes away her tears and takes a 10mm and Pip-Pad (mod) from the vault’s security desk and takes a deep breath as she exits the vault, ascending to see the new world she’s been forced into.

(((Will write part 2 later, this is just the intro. Thanks if you actually read that whole thing! More or less, this character will be focused on finding her nephew Shaun and rebuilding the Minutemen as her new gang after finding Preston. While she’ll run The Minutemen more like a street gang than a government, she still believes in Preston’s goal of helping out the little guy and keeping them safe from raiders, slavers, and larger factions like the Brotherhood Of Steel whom she views as bullies hoarding all the tech for themselves. Despite her hate for injustice and bullying, she craves power and caps and drugs more than anything and is not above extorting people to get what she wants although she tends to reserve this treatment to those she feels deserve it such as the Brotherhood. Hope you like my character! Will be writing part 2 soon.)))