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pastelpressmachine · 2 years

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Bridgerton Season 2 is a delightful surprise

If you recommended me Netflix’s Bridgerton (adapted from the book series by Julia Quinn into a streaming television period drama series produced by Shonda Rhimes) and called it Gossip Girl meets Downton Abbey...none of it would compel me to watch it. I’ve never seen Grey’s Anatomy or How to Get Away With Murder or Scandal, but I understood Shonda Rhimes to be a powerful creative force with a hearty career in producing and writing for American television. I’ve never seen Gossip Girl or Downton Abbey, so the appeal in marrying the two to describe Bridgerton also didn’t work for me. I don’t care for period dramas, and the Regency era of London did not strike me as an intriguing backdrop for anything. I don’t care about the romantic plight of wealthy white British people living in the 1800s.

So how did I become so enthralled by season 2 of Bridgerton, without having watched season 1 and largely ignoring the selling points of it being a great, colourful source of escapism. I wasn’t even pulled in by what I thought I would be: the introduction of two South Asian characters (Simone Ashley who plays Kate Sharma and Charithra Chandra who plays her younger sister Edwina) involved in a love triangle with the leading man, Anthony Bridgerton (played by Jonathan Bailey).

Bridgerton follows a powerful London high society family in a vivid fictional universe that is true to the pressures of debutante balls and courting season designed to couple young adults from prestigious or noble families into marital unions that carry financial and/or social benefit for each other’s families. Racial differences are essentially ignored, with major characters being Black, such as the Queen of England (played by Guyanese-British actress Golda Rosheuvel) and Lady Danbury (played by Ghanaian-British actress Adjoa Andoh). Interracial couples existing in high society was completely unheard of at the time, yet last season’s central romance was between a Black duke, Simon Basset (played by Rege-Jean Page) and the eldest Bridgerton daughter, Daphne (played by Phoebe Dynover). This could’ve gone so wrong, but I found it to be a refreshing source of escapism to not have characters of colour have their stories center around discrimination or trauma, especially in diversifying Black characters’ narratives to not just be about the historical time period’s violence towards Black people in the form of kidnapping, enslavement, and displacement. Everyone gets to exist in this affluent bubble, and there’s something almost utopian about it, although the show does touch upon the financial wobbling of other families at risk for losing their social ranking and classist attitudes towards members of the working class. I don’t want to gas the show up too much because the main families are still entirely white with characters of colour revolving around this specific white family as satellites to the true main characters, which will always be eponymously, a Bridgerton.

Season 2 spotlights Daphne’s older brother, the eldest Bridgerton sibling (played by Jonathan Bailey) who gets himself wrapped up in a love triangle between sisters Edwina and Kate Sharma. Edwina is primed by her older sister and Lady Danbury to become the “diamond of the season”, naturally catching the attention of practical family man Anthony, who repeatedly butts heads with Kate. Edwina is perfect on paper – she’s well read, she’s accommodating, she’s warm – whereas Kate is headstrong and challenges gender norms as well as Anthony’s patience.

When I tell you that the incredible slow burn and sexual tension between Anthony and Kat is so satisfying and scratched such a specific itch that I didn’t even know I, as a queer woman, even had…I surprise even myself. I had seen plenty advertisements for the show, including promotional material featuring #kanthony, but it wasn’t until I saw a TikTok with Anthony giving his impassioned, frustrated monologue (“You are the bane of my existence, and the object of all my desires” - the way I screamed!) that I decided to give the show a proper go.

The enticing build-up keeps you hooked and there are so many substantial sub-plots surrounding this love story that keep you occupied rather than just operate as filler storylines in between the next steamy scene you’re anticipating. It kept checking boxes I didn’t know I had by addressing so many topics so well:

Grief and its many forms

How trauma ages you and the expectation to be responsible leads to unfair perceptions that you are cold and unfeeling when the option was not afforded to you to be easy or enthralled by something as “impractical” or “selfish” as your own emotions or desires

Related, the eldest child’s tendency to operate and sacrifice things as a third parent in certain families, which often is the dynamic and role of eldest daughters in brown families

The link (relative to both masculinity and eastern approaches to mental health) between one’s ego and the ability to accept help or display vulnerability.

Even aspects of Indian culture were embedded into the story seamlessly, particularly with the pre-wedding haldi scene.

But an important aspect of the casting choice within the context of this time period piece and in western media in general is the fact that the two female leads and love interests are dark-skinned South Asian women. @bootlegmegz says it best in her TikTok video when she states, “There’s a specific reason every brown woman you know is losing their mind over the season and how Kate and Edwina are portrayed.” She goes on to say, “So I grew up in India, in Bangalore, for the first 18 years of my life, so I can’t really compare what the Indian experience growing up in the west is, but there are obviously aspects that overlap. But when I tell you the colourism in India is so much more deep rooted and accepted as normal thought, than it is in the west, I’m not joking.” And she’s really not. The skin fairness industry represents about 50% of India's entire skincare market, with estimates of its worth varying between $US 450–535 million, according to the National Center for Biotechnology Information. Meg continues to point out, “It is very normal for family members to have conversations with you about the tone of your skin, if you’ve gotten darker or lighter, and ways to ‘remedy’ that. And as a result, it becomes very important, at least for young girls at the time, to look fair or seem fair, in whatever way they can, and develop a certain aversion to being dark or seeing darkness as attractive. Because you’re taught that darkness is the antithesis of beauty. And there are definitely still days where I can’t seem to unlearn that idea, you know. That’s a lot to process as a young person, but definitely more so as an adult because you look back on how much of your life you’ve spent thinking that thing. And it’s really hard to reconcile in India because we don’t have a big white diaspora that lives there, and they’re not like a regular part of society like it is [in the west]. And I only learned to decolonize my view toward myself or attraction or sex when I came here because it’s a far more multicultural society. But it is still hard to let go of this notion that European-approved attraction is very superior to dark skinned people. And so much so for Indian girls because even within our own country, even within our own film industry, we really dislike dark skinned actresses. Like even in the Tamil movie industry, I cannot tell you how many random British actresses they employ in place of Tamil actresses. And while yes, it has colonialist undertones, I cannot tell you how new and refreshing it is to see a fair-skinned character just find dark-skinned women attractive for themselves. It is very rare. We don’t even do it to ourselves. And it is hard for me to look at sometimes because I understand how far away from reality it is, and I feel like I’ll spend most of the rest of my life trying to figure out why I feel that way. And I think part of it comes from the fact that we’re not allowed to find ourselves attractive unless somebody [white] else does first.”

Fortunately for young impressionable South Asian viewers, Bridgerton season 2 seeks less to tell our girls to seek the love and affection of a white man and more to show the inherent beauty in existing unapologetically, as Kate Sharma does.

#bridgerton #kate sharma #kanthony #jonathan bailey #ashley simone #charithra chandran #regency era #south asian #colorism

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neutron-stars-collision · 2 years

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Waiting for the Night

Bruce Wayne x F!Reader

Chapter 1 - Nocturnal Animals

Masterlist; Chapter 2

Summary: Desperate for a scoop (and a pay rise), you scout Gotham for anything of interest. When you cross paths with the mysterious Drifter, you decide to use the chance to spark up a fruitful cooperation.

Warnings: Swearing.

Author's Notes: ... Hi *waves*. Yes, that's a new series because it seems like Rob's characters tend to make themselves at home in my head. I wanted to develop Bruce a little more and this idea came to exist quite quickly. Reader is a journalist in need of a topic, Bruce is out on the streets... and the rest is history :))) Slow burn as always since that's my specialty (apparently).

I hope you'll enjoy this introduction and I'll greatly appreciate feedback!

The only pretty thing in Gotham during the fall was the way neon lights reflected in the puddles of the alleyways and street corners. The myriad of colours and slogans tinted the darkness with a sense of something bigger than the wet tarmac and slippery pavement slabs. Only, that light did not get everywhere, creating niches in the city’s fabric, where no ray of hope could ever permeate. That is where the crime skyrocketed, no matter the season. That is where scoop and intel were found. Conveniently.

Adjusting your hood for the umpteenth time, you frowned as another cold drop of rain slid inside your coat. In October, even waterproofing hardly did its job; especially one four years old and long past its prime. But it did not matter. Your eyes restlessly scanned the surroundings, mindful of anything that could be of interest. Because while murders in Gotham were hardly the breaking news type novelties, a serial killer on the loose, seemingly connected to the city’s elites, was quite the concept. A case to crack and the potential of a pay rise. Something you could not deny yourself, considering the tightness of the pockets and emptiness of the bank account. In short, you needed to find something worth writing about. Something worth covering by the GC1. Or else… No.

There was no time for that. Having made it to the docks, you stopped, hiding underneath the roof of an abandoned warehouse. The last victim had been found here, stabbed multiple times with an unidentified weapon. Potentially – a meat hook. Which did sound lovely, you had to admit. Having left the apartment that evening, you were led with the idea that maybe back at the crime scene, you could discover crucial evidence everyone had missed. Now, drenched, tired and disheartened, you realised how wrong you were. There was nothing left aside from the rain, the murky water by the docks and the foul stench of trash and urine. The police had cleared everything.

With a resigned sigh, you took a quick round of the area, taking photos with your phone. Apart from a few unidentified objects lying on the ground and rusty spots you could hope was the residual blood, there was nothing.

“Fuck,” a soft curse escaped your pursed lips, ringing out in the quiet alleyway.

Finding absolutely nothing meant another stressful debrief in the morning. And you have had enough of those already. With the mind half-focused on the idea of heading back home and drowning the sorrows in a glass of cheap red wine, the unmistakable roar of the chopper pierced the ambience and made you look up.

At the sky first, using the instinct whole of Gotham had acquired throughout the last few months. Because once the signal had been lit no one could rest easy, watching the shadows with anticipation of what came next. But tonight, the light was off. The masked vigilante, the Bat-Man, Vengeance… there’s been many names and even more theories about his identity. No one knew when he appeared or when he left the scene. Having heard rumours, you held your breath until the black motorcycle appeared on the horizon. It was not him. Or at least it did not look like it was.

Your target parked the vehicle on the opposite end of the warehouse spaces. You observed, hidden in the shadows, as the man took off the black helmet and stood up, quickly pulling up a black hood over the head. He was moving with purpose, throwing a non-descript backpack over his shoulder and heading towards the abandoned building. With curiosity, you watched as he kicked open the chained door and disappeared inside with the clank of metal. Now that was a way of investigating you had not thought of yet…

For a moment, you wanted to follow him, to satisfy the curiosity as fast as possible and (hopefully) get some answers. But then reason kicked in, with yet another sigh, you backed into the shadows, waiting for the stranger to return. After all, no one sane would leave a motorcycle like that unattended for too long. Once he appeared fifteen minutes later, you were ready. Keeping away from the light, you skirted around the area and approached him without making a sound. A handy chat-up line on the tip of your tongue:

“Visiting the crime scene, are we?” once the man looked up at you with surprise evident in the abruptness of his reaction, you grinned.

Even with the flickering streetlights, it was hard to make out his features. You could see sharp edges of the jawline, slightly crooked nose and wide eyes, their intense stare intriguing.

“Who are you?” his voice was hoarse as though he was not used to speaking.

The sharp edge to the vowels told you the stranger was not easily intimidated. Yet your appearance was unexpected. His lips were pursed as he stiffened, clearly bracing himself against what would come next.

Perhaps he was the case you could crack…

“I could ask the same question, Mr…?” leaving out the opening, you waited for a beat before adding in a faux disappointed tone, “I see. Well, I can’t blame you for snooping around this case is quite the sensation” making sure to drop the bait, you watched him closely.

There was no apparent reaction. The man threw a nervous look towards the alley’s exit and then glanced back at you. As your eyes adjusted to the half-light, you could see more of his face. The chiselled features and fascinating eyes drew you in despite caution. Yet you still did not know who it could be. He did not look like your usual thug or a drophead, and you would bet he was not one of the Falcone’s. So… who?

“What do you mean?” your internal ruminations got cut short with a simple question.

The enticement worked. Pasting on a mysterious half-smile, you stepped closer to the stranger and lowered your tone to a confidential whisper:

“The usual… Corruption, Gotham’s finest… perhaps some revenge to trigger it all and… boom” with pleasure you noticed that the man seemed transfixed on your story “Here we are. I wonder who’s next” it was a simple deal, two people wanting something out of the conversation.

A game you were willing to play. Even if to understand more about the case and the mysterious drifter. Something shifted in his eyes, acceptance replacing the previous uncertainty. An agreement had been reached without either of you laying out the terms. Feeling an inexplicable rush of adrenaline, you awaited the question as the man thought hard. Once he looked up again, you allowed yourself to stare at him intently as he asked:

“Do you think the killer is after the people in power?” the innocence in his voice made you throw a cheeky grin to the mix.

For whatever reason, you felt like extending the conversation if he was willing. The rain and damp clothes faded into the background as you eyed him closely, thinking on the next move:

“Sure looks like it. You’ve been mapping the area from the roof, weren’t you?” it was the obvious conclusion, so you decided to run with it, “Found anything good?”

The more you observed him, the less everything made sense. The dark streetwear, muddied motorcycle, and how he moved, like a fighter, a nocturnal animal. Yet he did not seem dangerous like a criminal. Before you could run on with the ideas, the man replied:

“I’m not sure” the hint of caution made you frown.

‘Not sure’ wasn’t an applicable answer. Ignoring the pang of disappointment, you bated your eyelashes once your gazes locked and chose to voice the let-down:

“That’s a shame, I could do with some scoop” slight reveal of the identity in hopes he would follow.

But it was for nothing.

“You’re a journalist” it was his turn to measure you coolly.

Mindless of the interest burning bright, you raised an eyebrow, mirroring his judging stance with an aura of theatricality:

“That wasn’t a question,” another telling stretch of silence, making you add with the familiar tinge of bitterness “Yes, one of the hyenas, as some say” the cold had caught up, making you shiver and helping to make up your mind “Well if you don’t want to help me, I better get going” you sized him up one last time, the traitorous part of your brain hoping you could meet again.

Why? Because if there was anything you loved more than a good scoop, it was a mystery. A puzzle to crack. Something to motivate and drive you forward. He was an enigma you wanted to decode. With a parting shrug, you moved to turn away just as he spoke up:

“You shouldn’t be wandering out alone at this hour. It’s dangerous” oh.

That was new. A personal touch to an exchange of information between strangers. Turning towards him again, you noticed with a surprise that he reached up to remove the hood. As the streetlight hit his unobscured face, you tried hard to look away yet found yourself unable to. There was something hauntingly beautiful in the blue of his eyes and the tightly set jaw. Pain written onto the features that could not be wiped off with a mere smile.

But one could try. You scoffed, choosing to armour yourself in humour to deny the maelstrom in your head:

“And the sky’s blue” the repartee waiting for a punchline you delivered while looking the man point-blank “Or black,”

It could have been an illusion (or wishful thinking), but his lips twisted in the faintest of the smiles. There was no time to verify it. In a flash, he was putting on the helmet and turning the engine on, disappearing with a spray of water from the puddles.

Alone again, you grinned. There might’ve been no intel, but there was something else found tonight. A different sort of mystery.

***

Closing your umbrella with a groan, you pushed open the door leading to GC1 headquarters. The complaint was always the same – how come a leading tv channel in Gotham doesn’t even have an automatic set of doors? Funding cuts apparently.

It has not stopped raining since last night, puddles deepened, and the mood grew dense as the city descended into yet another circle of seasonal depression. As with most things, even that was extreme here, making an ordinary citizen keen to commit murder if it meant having one cloudy day without rain. Sometimes you did consider doing just that. And today was not any different. Your steps grew heavy as you neared the office, your mind unable to focus on anything that was not him. The stranger. It made no sense. But he was there every time you closed your eyes, every second you drifted away from reality. As though in a dream, you passed through the familiar maze of cubicles, knowing the path to your desk by heart. Only once you reached the spot, falling into the chair with a groan, you did acknowledge the surroundings. Sophie, an acquittance of convenience occupied the cubicle next to yours, her keyboard clicking with aggression. A scowl on her face. With curiosity, you peeked over her shoulder, an innocent question accompanying the movement:

“What are you working on?” noticing a fat pile of newspaper clippings on her desk, you frowned.

With so many current affairs and scandalous murders, barely any attention had been given to the past. Yet it seemed like that was precisely what Sophie had been assigned. She acknowledged your appearance with a nod before flipping through a couple of pages without attention:

“A column about Wayne. I know, I know, the man’s a cryptid, but-” she waved a hand dismissively as you cut right into the sentence, unable to keep the surprise from your voice.

“What? The Wayne?” the intonation that once used to make you laugh, now commonplace in your dictionary.

Because, yes, theWayne was a cryptid. And yes, writing about him was a task nearly impossible given he appeared in public once a few years.

Ignoring your paralysis, Sophie threw you a sceptical glare and picked up one of the clippings, putting the newspaper directly in the line of your eyes.

“Yeah. The boss said it’s been long since-”

As soon as your gaze landed on the black-and-white photograph on the page, everything faded into the background. He did not look the same when wearing a crisp white shirt and a tailored suit, but there were no doubts left in your mind. Even if it made no sense whatsoever. Mindless of Sophie’s protests, you tore the page out of her hand to examine the photo closely. Same features, same dark hair, same eyes. But-

“That’s Bruce Wayne?” your hand shook as you set the clipping back on her desk, aware of the waver in your voice.

“Yes, why- You look like you’ve seen a ghost” Sophie fixed her curious eyes on you, noticing how blood drained from your cheeks.

Without giving it too much thought, you got up from the chair and picked up the bag you had just set on the desk. There was only one thing you needed to do. Everything else be damned.

“I did” grinning at her puzzled look, you waved your hand, “Bye, gotta go” without waiting for an answer, you set upon the journey back through the maze.

Work had to wait. The blue eyes flashed before yours as you took out the phone and checked the next train that would take you to the Wayne Tower.

***

The initial bravado wore off when you approached the tower, gaze landing on the massive steps with apprehension. At the very top, you could see the heavy wooden doors with a brass knocker and a more modern doorbell button with a golden plaque above. As though massive letters on the top of the building weren’t enough. You took a deep breath as you eyed the fortress, unable to concoct a plan that had any chances of working out. Because another thing everyone knew about Bruce Wayne was that he never allowed any visitors. And yet you also knew that you could not give up, having joined the dots. A final long inhale. Let’s wing it. What could go wrong, eh?

As you reached the set of doors on top of the staircase (and rolled your eyes at the said plaque), you plastered on a confident smile on your lips and pressed the doorbell button. The ringing pierced the silence, making you involuntarily flinch. Maybe it’s a mistake? The doubts descended over your mind as your feet started itching, legs shuffling to fulfil the fleeing instinct best they could. With half the brain already eager to bolt, you barely registered when the door creaked open. In the newly created gap, stood an older woman in a weirdly old-school maid uniform. She eyed you closely, never losing the pleasant smile that seemed fixed to her face.

“Good morning, Miss” her smile widened as she asked the innocent question, “What brings you here?”

A good one, you had to admit. Stifling the increasing uncertainty, you beamed back, rushing out the words one after another:

“Hi… I, um- I’m here to see Mr Wayne” your tongue stumbled over the surname, unused to the sound.

Never in a million years, you would have expected it to happen. And yet there you were.

“Have you got an appointment?” her smile faltered as she increased the scrutiny, hand tightening on the handle, ready to slam the door in your face.

Only one way out of it.

“No… But he’ll know who I am” hopefully “Think he’ll be happy to see me, actually” an addition to charm the woman into letting you in.

The logical part of your brain knew that he would not be happy. Quite the contrary, probably. But that did not change the needs. So, you strengthened your back and took an experimental step forward as though already confident of the outcome.

“I’m not sure-” she hesitated, the pleasant smile nowhere to be seen anymore.

C’mon. Another step towards the door, one hand reaching out to touch the wooden surface. A likeable face expression put on like a mask. Seeing a shadow of conflict pass through her face, you added:

“Please?” the puppy eyes that had earned you a few ins when it seemed absolutely beyond the realm of possibility right on hand.

Before you had to search the arsenal for more weapons, the woman replaced the uncertainty with a weaker version of the lovely smile as she took a step back from the doorway.

“Oh, all right” she opened the doors wider for you.

A passing desire to hug the woman had to be abandoned for now.

“Thank you” instead, you gave her the brightest grin available and took the liberty of having a look around the hallway.

The interior did fit the expectations with stone pillars, a wide mahogany staircase and hand-embroidered carpets laying on the floors. But it was evident everything had long expired from its glory days. Upon closer examination, you noticed the chinks in the balustrade and the old stains on the carpet. Mr Wayne did not care much for his family’s legacy. But then, you knew better than anyone that material objects did hardly matter when contrasted with life’s tragedies.

“Here, Miss,” your thoughts had been interrupted with the woman showing you an entrance to a vintage elevator, “Mr Wayne is upstairs in the study,” she added as you stepped into the cabin.

She shut the metal crate and pressed one of the buttons on top of the list. The elevator creaked to life and began a slow ascent with the accompaniment of metallic clutter. With curiosity, you studied the floor plan, noticing how only the upmost levers seemed to be in use, for the buttons were worn out from the regular touch. The elevator could also go below the ground floor, but the levels lacked numeration, adding to the interest and occupying your mind with possibilities until the cabin came to a standstill with a groan.

Your stomach was tied in a knot before you even stepped out of the elevator. And for a good reason, as you soon understood. There was barely time to register the surroundings as your eyes got drawn to the gothic arches and large windows showing the cityscape of Gotham laid out beneath the tower.

“Dory, who is this?” the familiar voice rang out from the side, making you whip around in a flash.

Two discoveries: the woman’s name is Dory, and Bruce Wayne doesn’t enjoy having surprise guests.

You did not dare wait for her to introduce you, instead took a step closer to the man and grinned with the simplest of questions:

“Remember me?”

Sure, hope he does. Using his moment of hesitation, you let your eyes wander over Bruce, immediately noticing the dark circles underneath the bloodshot eyes and scarred forearms, revealed by the old, oversized t-shirt. He was not the man you saw in the newspaper photograph an hour ago. It was the stranger you talked to the previous night. Seeing the flash of recognition in the blue eyes made you release a shuddered breath.

“I didn’t think you’d remember me” Bruce shot you a glance before motioning for Dory to leave the room.

He seemed much less confident without the veil of anonymity and darkness, protecting him from knowing stares and judgement. The awkward movement and slouching posture nothing like the man you met less than 24 hours beforehand. But it was the assumption that got you, emitting an honest scoff you did not bother hiding.

“Oh, come on… How could I not?” you stared him down with disbelief, the head still soaking up the reality of the situation and recalibrating to fit the new needs.

With a start, you noticed a flash of surprise in his eyes before he turned away, staring at the cityscape. The wall had been put up, and there would be no more peeking. For now.

“What do you want?” Bruce’s back tensed as he asked the question, apprehension and frigidity filling every syllable.

Immediately you understood what it was – a public persona, the Bruce Wayne everyone thought he was. Cold, rich, and distant. Only, you knew that was not the whole picture. The memory of his faint smile from the previous night flashed before your eyes as you offered him a one-word response:

“Information” that simple.

You were not sure what that came from or why it became the reason for your rash decision to visit him. But it seemed to make sense. And that was better than giving up.

Because forgetting didn’t sound like a viable option.

“Isn’t that your area of expertise?” the sharp edge in his voice was accompanied by a side glance full of disregard.

As though he wanted you to surrender and leave him alone. Little did he know of stubbornness and persistence… Using the room as your stage, you quickly closed the distance to Bruce and placed yourself in the line of his sight to accentuate that he would have to listen. A sweet, knowing smile on your lips:

“It seems like it’s yours too,” you threw the remark, pushing onwards before he could think of a rebuttal, “Never in a million years I would have guessed it. The prince of Gotham scouting the streets at night and investigating the crimes. And yet” with interest you observed as his confidence wavered and he dropped the gaze to stare at the floor.

You had lied out the issues perfectly. Now was the time to reveal the terms. But before you got that far Bruce raised his head and began:

“If you want money-” the contempt in his voice did strike a chord, making you frown and drop the act for a split second.

Karma for negotiations with the rich bastards, huh? For a moment, you wanted to scoff and tell him where he can put that money in the plainest of terms. However, you still needed him to agree and cooperate. So, instead, you offered him a warning glare and replied in a measured tone:

“Don’t be a jerk, Mr Wayne. I just think it’s no coincidence we’ve stumbled upon each other, and we could use it to our advantage” noticing the glimmer of curiosity in the blue eyes, you allowed yourself another step closer, resting your hands on the back of a dark wooden chair “Here’s what I suggest: you’ll let me work with you, we’ll share the intel and whatever tips we get our hands on” it probably sounded better than it could function.

To hell with reason. There was that rush of adrenaline coursing through your veins again. Making everything brighter and sharper. Because if it worked out… You did not dare hope that it could. To keep your hands from shaking, you gripped the wooden frame tighter, awaiting the response.

“What will I get from this?” this time, Bruce’s voice was devoid of spite.

In its place, you detected genuine interest and determination. Although it was difficult to admit, you were not that different. Each driven by their own needs and ambitions, desperate to make it work, no matter the cost. Alone.

Your mind got stuck on that word, making your mouth follow its logic by saying:

“A friend?” warily, you met his gaze over the table; his walls were up yet you could still see a shadow of recognition “And a promise that I won’t pry into whatever it is that you’re doing. I won’t write anything about you or our cooperation. It’s going to be our secret” concluding the pledge breathlessly, you knew the earnestness could not be hidden from your eyes.

It was there, making your heartbeat speed up and your hands shake. You never believed in destiny or fate, yet somehow, everything that happened since last night felt like it could be one of those. Like a plan devised by someone else in charge. An opportunity you did not dare let go of easily.

“All that for information exchange?” Bruce’s question caught you by surprise as he added, eyeing you closely, “You must be desperate,”

It was his time for scrutiny, a chance to take apart the protective armour and see what you were made of. You met his inquisitive gaze, showing a degree of loneliness in your eyes and the extent of dedication. Just so he understood. And then you shrugged, letting a genuine smile bloom on your lips:

“Aren’t we both?” not expecting an answer, you allowed yourself a longer look at his face before throwing the conversation off its profound grounds “Listen… It’s not like I’m trying to bribe you into a marriage of convenience or other such bullshit” on its own accord, the thought entered your mind.

Marriage of convenience? Now that was an idea you’d rather not delve into. Where the hell did that come from? Sure, he was not a dapper gentleman you always expected him to be, but he certainly was not ugly either. Stop. Ignoring the urge to shake your head and stop the ridiculous train of thought, you found a distraction in the subject of the mess.

There it was again, the not-quite-smile from the previous night. As soon as you spotted it you grinned, feeling an inexplicable sense of triumph deep within your heart. Because it did seem like he was capable of smiling, and that discovery alone felt like a victory.

“I’m glad” Bruce rolled his eyes, evidently trying to distract you from the observation.

He still had a lot to learn.

“Me too, sweetheart” your smile widened as he visibly froze at the nickname, “So… what’s the verdict?” there was no point in dancing around the subject.

You relaxed the pose, making it seem like you did not care, all the while holding in a breath and feeling the pulse speed up in the veins. Everything depended upon it. Or it seemed like it did. Bruce met your gaze warily, conflict visible despite the veil in how he had caught the bottom lip between the teeth, worrying the fragile skin. Despite yourself, you glanced at his mouth, feeling the warmth spread over your cheeks because of the act of looking alone. It had been too long.

You mentally slapped sense into your brain exactly when Bruce broke the silence:

“Fine,” he spared a final look at you before wandering off to gaze out of the windows.

A clear signal. Despite the cold response, you grinned, unable to process the feelings filling every corner of your mind. You would make the best out of the situation. You had to.

“Great,” letting the quip slip, you added, “I’ll talk to my sources about the docks’ case, and I shall be back” there was a promise in the sentence that you could not deny yourself.

Even when knowing that it was only you that felt excitement at the prospect.

“Fantastic,” Bruce sighed heavily, for once not hiding the myriad of feelings aroused by your suggestion.

He still had his back turned to you, expecting your imminent exit. You did not want to disappoint, so one last, selfish look had to do. Your eyes slipped over his form, the broad shoulders and the worn out clothes, looking out of place in the grand study. And yet all of it was his, the master of the house personified. A mystery to crack.

You could not deny yourself the pleasure as you turned towards the lift, aware you could not even see his reaction. It did not matter.

“Don’t worry, you’re gonna love it, darling” glee made your heart summersault as you stepped into the cabin with a final remark, “I’ll let myself out,”

For once, the rain outside did not matter.

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occidentaltourist · 2 years

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Originally I had a different way that I was going to write about the slow burn love affair of Sophie Moore and Ryan Wilder (Wildmoore, for those of you in the know).

I was going to talk about their sweetness, their loyalty, how fun it is to watch the Batwoman writers so openly flirt with gay fanfic tropes on prime-time television (at one point in the second season, Sophie tells her younger sister that she and Ryan will never happen, “not even an ‘enemies-to-lovers’ maybe,” and in the third season they go on a Fake Date undercover). And that is all still true!

But on Monday, Javicia Leslie, the Black bisexual actress who stars as Ryan/Batwoman, responded to yet another one of our End of Year Lists celebrating Sophie and Ryan with a personal love letter of her own:

“As a kid, it was so rare to see romance between 2 black women on screen. A lot of shows tend to pair the person of color with a person of a different race than their own (which is beautiful as well). But to see a reflection of myself, and other women I know… RARE!”

She went on to thank the Batwoman writers and show creator Caroline Dries for “creating characters that showed ‘our’ kind of love.”

That’s when I knew, I had to write the more honest tribute.

Yes, it is great that Sophie and Ryan are a main text slow burn relationship, written with the kind of layered, detailed care — even in the middle of an often over-the-top silly fun superhero show! — that is almost never given to queer romance. But it also matters, so deeply and emphatically in my toes matters, that what we are seeing on Batwoman is a lead romance between two Black women.

It’s just not that it hasn’t been done before (though it hasn’t! Not like this.) — I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what gets lost in conversations when we talk about “representation.” Over the years we’ve used the word so much, I fear we’ve begun to flatten it. Representation still matters, but not all representation is equal. What has happened this fall, where we’ve gone from nearly no Black women being in relationships with other Black women in our television history, to it rapidly becoming something like a norm, is already unparalleled and should be celebrated. Within that, what is quietly developing between Sophie and Ryan on Batwoman — the depth, the authenticity, the learning how to trust and tongue-in-cheek flirtations and always always reaching out for each other’s hands — it is the kind of romance that takes my breath away.

- Carmen Phillips (Autostraddle)

#batwoman #wildmoore #javicia leslie #meagan tandy #ryan wilder #sophie moore #conclusion at the link

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pale-silver-comb · 4 years

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So I know absolutely nothing about Leverage except what I've been seeing you post lately and I have to admit you're making it look tempting to watch! Can I ask what are some of your favorite things about the show/reasons you would suggest people watch it? And is there really a poly relationship that is canon?

Okay. Okay, okay, okay, okay, okay. I am going to do my best not to just “asdfghkjl” at you and answer coherently.

In a nutshell, Leverage is about 5 people. 4 are criminals (Parker, Hardison, Eliot and Sophie) with different and unique skill-sets and 1 is an ex-insurance investigator (Nate) who, at one point or another in his career, has tracked down (or at least attempted to) the other 4. The whole show is essentially: man reluctantly reforms 4 criminals to use their criminal powers for good and 4 criminals move into man’s life and stubbornly refuse to leave because, goddammit, now they have morals.

I’ve got a lot of favourite things about the show but the main ones are as follows:

1. Found family. And I’m not talking about loners who come together to fight crime and happen to co-exist to the point where they realise they happen to have found themselves a family. I mean, Nate and Sophie are the Drunk Uncle and Wine Aunt who somehow become Mom and Dad to 3 beautiful criminal children. Mom and Dad love their criminal babies and the kids love them (as well as each other, but we’ll come to that in a moment). You get amazing family moments such as: Mom and Dad packing the kids lunch before sending them out to kick corporate greed’s ass; Mom and Dad giving the kids ridiculously expensive and personal Christmas presents causing their most Grumpy Kid to go very very quiet and soft as he runs off to gleefully play with his new murder toy; the kids interrupting Mom and Dad’s big Movie Style Kiss to ask if they can please keep their new underground layer and huffing and puffing when Dad tells them no.

2. Found family: the OT3 edition. To answer your question, the OT3 is indeed canon, confirmed by the creator. Now, usually, “confirmed by the creator” infuriates me because most of the time it’s a way for a creator to be seen as “progressive” without doing anything to actually be progressive. That isn’t the case here. The OT3 are built up carefully and while it is obvious the creators didn’t originally intend for all 3 of them to become a relationship in the romantic sense, by mid-season 5 we are given a very clear picture of where Parker, Hardison and Eliot are heading in their relationship. There aren’t any kisses at the end to signal this but there are solid marriage vows in not only one but two episodes. (And by marriage vows I mean literal equivalents of marriage vows: “for better or worse” and “’til death do us part”. I’m not even exaggerating). The OT3 also doesn’t need explicit romantic narratives to convey how much they love each other. Their love is laced through the whole show, from the way they teach each other things to the way they respond to each other and work as a unit. The way they fiercely protect and admire each other. Like someone once said, if you need characters to kiss or say I love you to let the audience know they love each other, you are writing them wrong.

Aside from that, each of the parings in the OT3 are just. Gah. They are so well done, with friendship being the solid basis for them all. The creators never expect the audience to assume anything about them or fill in the gaps. They give us their relationships on screen and reference many things off-screen to show us how these relationships continue to build in between episodes.

Hardison and Parker are a canon couple and date in the show: it’s approached slowly and they are so goddamned sweet. They are basically every fluffy slow-burn trope with a healthy dash of mutual pining in the mix. They are basically that quote “love is patient, love is kind”. (I would like to add their romance never becomes the focus of the show or overrides the importance of any other relationship they have with the other characters, especially Eliot.)

Hardison and Eliot are the Old Married Couple and from day one are already bickering and looking at each other/making comments that are found in every UST fic ever (not to mention Hardison has a very good knack for making Eliot grin like a little kid, when usually he’s basically an Angry Little Chef Man). They argue, they play, and love each other plain as day.

Parker and Eliot are more subtle but every bit as wonderful. They have an unspoken connection and understand each other on a level no-one else can. Parker and Eliot are not good with giving themselves over to affection for different reasons (and Hardison plays a central role in helping them realise it’s okay to want it and have it- that boy has endless patience) but there is something so beautiful in the way the two of them come together on their own and develop their own special bond that works for them. Parker and Eliot are that trope where the characters don’t need to speak to understand each other perfectly. They just do. Their love language is a lot of the time non-verbal but speaks volumes. (Parker also likes to annoy the hell out of Eliot and Eliot....just.....lets...her. Because he’s soft. The softest, grumpiest boy.)

I could go into so much depth for each pairing and their dynamics as a 3 but that's for another post.

3. Subverting stereotypes. There is the occasional hiccup in the show regarding stereotypes but ultimately, Leverage gets an A+ when it comes to writing characters and making them 3 dimensional people who are not defined by certain characteristics or events. Nate could so easily fall into the White Man Pain trope where he uses the trauma of losing his kid as a reason as to why he is entitled to act like a dick. Nate is a dick but he doesn’t use his pain to excuse it and I appreciate that. Hardison is a black man who is soft and nurturing. Easily the most empathetic and patient of the group. He’s nerdy, an actual genius, and has the biggest heart of all the characters. Nate is maybe the glue but Hardison is definitely the heart. Media’s usual aggressive, amongst other, racist stereotypes can fuck right off. Parker is canonically autistic (I am sure this was confirmed by one of the creators) and she is not defined by it. It’s not written as some kind of singular personality trait. It’s part of what makes up Parker but it’s only one facet of who she is and not once is her actions, thoughts or feelings treated like a joke. Sometimes people don’t understand why she does and says the things she does but it’s met with patience and fondness over the course of the show. Equally, it’s not met with over-caution. Parker is just Parker. No-one tries to change her. The other nice thing is Hardison, who always makes sure Parker knows she’s amazing because of who she is and not in spite of it. Finally, Sophie is in her 40s. She’s not treated like she’s past her prime. Ever. She’s sexy, smart and never is she pitted against or compared to Parker (who is younger) for anything. Sophie is amazing and there’s never even a conversation of “I may be older but I am still *insert adjective typically associated with younger women here*”. Sophie is possibly the first female character I’ve ever seen who isn’t just unapologetic about her age but has never had to apologise for her age. It’s a non-issue and that’s that. The women on the show are written so well, right down to secondary characters and it’s beyond refreshing.

4.) It’s just fun. The show has a “monster of the week” type format. Except instead of a ghoul or a ghost, the monster is some corrupt wealthy and powerful individual or organisation. The show draws on real-life individuals to do this and therefore closely parallels real-life people and events. It addresses important political, economical, social and environmental issues while at the same time remaining fun and light-hearted. The characters constantly get the chance to play dress up and by GOD do they have fun with it. You get to watch Eliot beat up bad guys in the most delightful of ways, usually after a witty non-sequitur and with a weapon you’d never think could be a weapon. The dialogue and back and forth between the characters is everything. And finally - my favourite thing- the team can never resist striking a dramatic pose after they’ve taken down the bad guy, making sure the bad guy sees them. I mean, they COULD just walk away, satisfied they’ve taken the person down, but nope. They gotta be dramatic bitches 24/7 and pose like they are models for every single month of this year’s Criminal Calendar.

5.) Competence Porn. So. Much. Competence Porn.

Honestly, I could list a thousand reasons for why Leverage is amazing but to list them would to be spoiling so many amazing moments you’d get to discover for the first time on your own if you do choose to watch it. It’s the kind of show you can watch with an eagle-eye and sink your teeth into. But it’s also the kind of show if, you would prefer, put on in the background for something entertaining while you do something else. Each episode is about the job at hand but it’s made up of so many moments between the characters that show how much the creators and writers care about them. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll do whatever it is you do when something Soft and Wonderful happens that makes your heart melt. I am so beyond grateful for Leverage. It’s everything I always wanted in a show. Nearly every show I’ve watched in the past 10 years has disappointed me in some way, usually either because the writers run out of steam or characters who I love are treated poorly or given some kind of unnecessary “shock value” arc. Leverage doesn’t do that. Leverage is what it says on the bottle. Fandom isn’t something I joined because I needed canon fix-its. Fandom only enhances and celebrates an already excellent canon.

#leverage #leverage ot3 #parker #alec hardison #eliot spencer #sophie devereaux #nate ford #talk leverage to me

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fanfictiondreamscape · 3 years

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Alternate Endings (Pt. 2)

Title: Alternate Endings (Pt. 2)

Genre: more angst, possibly more than the last part. this is your warning.

Pairing: Victor Nikiforov x GN!Reader

Notes: This is a part 2 to the previous part, and I still used the angst prompt list from the aforementioned previous parts to form this piece.

With that said, I think that this will be the only part following the first unless I can find some way to continue the storyline. I intend to keep the ending somewhat depressing and sad, so I guess proceed with caution due to such.

If you want something similar to this for any other character, please let me know, though! I may also mention that this went from a drabble, to a scenario, and now borders on an imagine - I can’t help that I got caught up!

Part 1

Below the cut!

You practically fell off the face of the Earth as soon as you left.

Harboring all of the money you saved and deciding upon negotiations to make with your employer, you left Russia. You left Japan. You just...left.

Travelling became a huge part of your life afterwards, and though many people had tried to regain contact with you, you ignored most of them - save for a few. Only Yuri Plisetsky and Yuuko Nishigori were available to your whims, but they were still advised to stay as quiet as possible regarding your whereabouts.

You changed your whole appearance, changed your mindset, and even changed something as generally miniscule as your wardrobe. Still, as much as you did change and throw away, you couldn’t rid yourself of the many frivolous gifts that Victor had given you over the years.

Some things you just can’t give up, but you knew that it would be fine. At the very least, you had something that would never let you forget about him.

Victor, on the other hand, fell off the deep end.

He had come across the note you’d slipped under his hotel room door and for the first time in a long time, he cried. A true mess was what Yuuri had come across, and as many times that he was able to help him through unconventional methods, this was nearly impossible.

Victor didn’t leave Japan, but he did become so reclusive that even Yakov was extremely worried upon finding out about the occurrence from an offhand comment that Yurio made when talking to Yuuko over the phone before practice.

Everyone around him saw the typically extravagant man become so dulled by misery that it became painful to watch.

He didn’t even know where to start since he’d already tried to find you - looking everywhere that he knew you loved, everywhere that he knew you were often obligated to be at - but had failed to do so.

It wasn’t until, when Yurio was free, that he overheard him and Yuuko talking at the front desk of the rink as Yuuri was warming up and he was getting his skates on.

“Yeah, they’re in America right now. They just got a raise, actually - they were even thinking of dropping in when they get enough saved up,” Yuuko recollected, excitement dripping from her tone.

“Well, they’d have to come by when Victor isn’t here. That would also mean that I’d be gone, but at least you could update me,” Yurio responded. He seemed more nonchalant about the whole thing, but Victor became hysterical.

Granted, he did suppress what he could to eavesdrop further.

“Of course! I am still a little worried about them, though - you remember how Victor had gone crazy trying to find them?” Yurio grunted in response. “Well, what if he decides to do something impulsive again and leave mid-competition?”

The light-blonde teenager in front of Yuuko flinched at the thought. “That’s a good point...but we’ll never know unless it happens when it does.”

A solemn chill fell upon the two, but the conversation split onto Yurio’s next routine and Victor left it to them. He stared wide-eyed, in pure disbelief, at the wall of lockers in front of him.

“So they’re...(Y/n)’s in America....”

Ideas began to run through his head as the room became eerily quiet. Even Yuuri, who was sat in the corner and preferred a calm and quiet atmosphere, was perturbed by the sudden shift.

“I know what I’ll do! Yuuri, skate if you want - I’m going to be out for a while,” Victor announced, generally resembling the flamboyant figure skating icon that everyone knew.

He took his skates off and capped the blades, putting them into his bag and reaching for his cell phone and scrolling through listings. Katsuki was left dumbstruck, but he went on about what he was doing and decided to run through his routine a few times.

Yurio had left by this point, and Yuuko was too far in the back to catch the tall man’s outburst.

It wasn’t until the next day that he was extremely prepared and anyone who understood his issue was suspicious. Victor had hunted for every listing to America from Japan, and memorized the closest ones. Yuuko was the one person who was going to be there that he had to ask.

“Yuuko, I must ask you something! Would you mind?” was Victor’s burning introduction, shocking the normally upbeat mother. She was a little taken aback at the bold attention grabber.

“Mmm, yeah?” She tried to be as ‘typical’ as possible, considering that her suspicions were up now. She knew what was going on, she knew what Victor was burning for.

“You said that you’ve been in contact with (Y/n), yes?”

Yuuko deadpanned, eyes blank and dropping the facade that she was going to attempt to maintain. “I knew it. Listen, I know that you’ve been troubled since they left, and that they have been as well, but please - give them some more time.”

Victor visibly deflated. He didn’t think it would work, really, but it was worth a shot. Maybe, just maybe, though.... “How about a hint? Is it hot? Cold? What is a landmark?”

“No, Victor. Sorry.”

And he was back to his dejected being by the next hour.

Victor was willing to annoy both her and Yurio, but gave up once they stood their ground with firm hold. “No. (Y/n) is fine, and they will come when they want.” It was always the answer, no matter who he asked.

Daily, Yuuri would keep him company and skate to the best of his ability. It seemed to quench his troubles just a little bit before the up and coming competition season.

Eventually, the Grand Prix rolled around again. Yurio was competing, as well as Yuuri, and Victor was there to maintain support for his ever-promising prodigy.

Amongst the drama that had ensued, the two of them decided to take a break romantically and focus on the practice rather than devote too much issue to their worryingly stagnant relationship.

It wasn’t until Yurio had pulled Yuuri aside when Victor was getting changed that he was let in on soem information that, had Victor heard, would send him into a frenzy.

“(Y/n) wanted to me wish you good luck and let you know that they are here to watch. If you wanna talk, they’ll be waiting in the lobby.”

Yuuri almost faltered and told Victor, but decided against it. Your wishes were still high up, even if you two weren’t amazingly close.

Sadly, Victor was still shaken and hurried. It was a large competition, and as much as he wanted to focus on the task at hand, you never left his mind.

Over the year that you had fallen out of reach, he began to realize where he screwed up. Maybe he did like you at one time, but he let his own fears get the best of him and he fell to putting more of an interest to Yuuri.

He truly loves Yuuri, but he truly loved you (romantically) at one point, and you slipped from his reach before he could manage to comprehend anything.

So, upon making eye contact with a familiar pair of (e/c) eyes and an eerie copy of a blazer that he had given you as a birthday gift years ago, he was left idle.

“(Y/n)?”

You sucked in a breath and shrugged, sighing afterwards and shaking your head. “Yep, it’s me. Hello, again, Victor.”

Tears flooded his eyes as he ran to you, arms open and tight as his hug enveloped your frame. You didn’t reciprocate, not immediately at least. With obvious hesitance, you returned the hug, but pushed him away only a couple seconds later.

“You’ve got a skater to support. We can talk later, okay?”

“But, you’ve come back and-”

“Victor. Go support Yuuri.”

He bit his lip, but nodded nonetheless and embarked to the rink.

After the free skate, the next day’s events were prepared and everyone was sent out for the day. Yurio had caught up with you before heading to his hotel room, and Yuuri had popped in before he changed out of his costume, but Victor was most eager to meet you.

Upon seeing each other, yet again, in the lobby, the two of you parted ways but decided to meet at a restaurant in town. Yuuri would be dining with Phichit and some other competitors, and Yurio was with Otabek going sightseeing, so this was a prime opportunity.

Silence loomed over the two of you, slow walking and sounds of nature overwhelming your senses.

“So, you’re probably curious as to where I’ve been,” you began, breaking the tension as calmly as possible. You could have sworn that your heart was going to burst out of your chest if you let the quiet settle any longer.

“Yes, (Y/n). I really have been.” Victor, for once in the time that you have known him, was quiet. He was never really afraid to speak to you about anything, but the way he was acting now let some of the more obvious pain show.

“I’ve also been extremely worried. I never realized that you felt like that.”

You stopped upon the sentence, eyeing a nearby bench. Victor followed suit and looked down at you, eye contact being maintained. His gorgeous blue eyes were glassy and he appeared on the verge of tears.

“(Y/n), darling, I never realized how much you actually meant to me. I was stupid. I- I really, truly did love you. I always thought that you were too good for me, though, so I tried to make the ideas disappear. It worked, but only for a while. I love you, (Y/n). Honestly, I really do, and...

“I don’t know how much longer I can endure this.”

Your brows furrowed at his proclamation. The thought had never really crossed your mind, but you had always been drawn to his personality and how driven he was. You knew that he would do this, though, as he could also be notably daft regarding certain things.

“Victor, I-.... Listen, I loved you at one point, but you found Yuuri. You found your match. You made your decision. Out of respect for you and him, I left. But I also did it to respect myself.

“I know my habits. I know that I can fixate, so I needed to get out of your hair if I wanted to feel better. So I did. I’m engaged now, Victor, and the person that I met is amazing. I thought that could have been you. But it wasn’t, and I’m okay with that now.”

“You- you’re engaged?”

“Yes, yes I am. We haven’t planned our wedding date quite yet, but it is being discussed. The fact of the matter is simple: I knew what would happen if I were to stay, and as much as I love you, - platonically - staying here wouldn’t do me any good. Life comes, things change, and sometimes we just gotta give up.”

Silence fell on you two yet again, but it was interrupted by the slight sniffling coming from the tall Russian.

“Victor, I came back not because I wanted to fight for your affection, but because I’ve been worried about you. I just want you to know that...I still do care for you, and I have still supported you and Yuuri. But what you want, what I wanted...that’s not possible anymore.”

Pausing, you thought over your next words. Nothing was ever going to completely repair what was broken, but at the very least, you could try.

“How about this? Here’s my new number,” you handed him a small slip of paper with the nine digits printed on it in your handwriting. “Let’s start talking again, and you can meet my fiancee sometime. Sound good?”

His mood nearly took a 180, but his demeanor was still sullen and sad. A weak smile crossed his face, and he responded in kind, “Of course. How about we go back to the group and enjoy dinner, though? You’re here again, and it’s more than I could ask for - but we have a lot of catching up to do.”

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myhahnestopinion · 3 years

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THE AARONS 2020 - Best TV Show

It was prime time for TV in 2020, with many more free hours to fill. I managed to get through a lot of my backlog in fact, finally getting around to watching shows like The Strain. It’s a show about a deadly disease that tears society apart because a lot of arrogant people think they are exempt from quarantining. The disease turns people into vampires, so it’s technically escapism. Here are the Aarons for Best TV Show:

#10. The Plot Against America (Miniseries) - HBO

It’s not TV, it’s not HBO, it’s real life. The Wire-creator David Simon’s penchant for illustrating the human fallout of institutional failures made him a perfect collaborator for HBO’s Plot Against America, an adaptation of Phillip Roth’s alternate-history novel. Following a Jewish family in New Jersey navigating the increasingly-fascist America of a hypothetical Charles Lindbergh administration, the show is a terrifying warning of what happens when hatred and conspiracy theories are allowed to accumulate political force. Notably, while the book ends with history back on the right track, the closing moments here are left ambiguous. The show was a limited series, but in many ways, The Plot Against America is ongoing.

#9. Mrs. America (Miniseries) - FX

Its interests are married to The Plot Against America, but Mrs. America traces the country’s rising extremism from a more historically accurate perspective. The miniseries centers on political activists in the 1970s on opposing sides of the proposed Equal Rights Amendment, but its dialogue isn’t a strict dichotomy. The episodic format is expertly utilized to build out intersectional ideas from the likes of Rose Byrne’s Gloria Steinem, Uzo Aduba’s Shirley Crisholm, and Margo Martindale’s Bella Abzug, detailing the difficulties in building a diverse coalition, and the dangers of a single-minded one. Drawing parallels to current debates, its compelling centerpiece is how conservative Phylis Shafley (Cate Blanchett) successfully defeats the Amendment; voting against your own self-interests, Mrs. America says, is as American as apple pie.

#8. The Outsider (Miniseries) - HBO

Societal collapse comes from within in the two shows mentioned above, but the threat in HBO’s adaptation of Stephen King’s 2018 novel is decidedly an “other.” King clearly had his mind on modern manipulations of truth when crafting the ingenious premise: a man is arrested for the murder of two young boys due to irrefutable DNA evidence, only to provide an air-tight alibi for the crime. To match King’s procedural prose, HBO brought on The Night Of’s David Price, who layers the original work with meticulous mysteries. The Outsider has all the pulpy jolts expected of the author, but the show’s true horror lies in its overbearing grief, best brought to life by Ben Mendelsohn’s Detective Anderson. To say more would be to spoil its secrets; you’ll want to be on the inside.

#7. Perry Mason (Season 1) - HBO

Just like the famous fictional attorney, HBO can’t seem to lose, with Perry Mason marking its third entry on this list. The reimagining of the long running court drama actually takes place before the character’s illustrious law career; here he’s a down-on-his-luck private eye caught up in a scandalous child kidnapping case. The result’s a gangbusters production of old-fashioned moody noir: political corruption, femme fatales, and a more morally-complicated Mason, as played by The Americans’ Matthew Rhys. The lavish period details and character-actor cast, including Shea Whigham, John Lithgow, and Tatiana Maslany, will help draw viewers in, but, I’ll confess, I was already hooked by the season’s chilling opening moments.

#6. Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist (Season 1) - NBC

Dour seasons have dominated this list thus far, but Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist sings a different tune. It’s a lovably oddball premise: an accident during an MRI causes a young woman, played by Jane Levy, to hear other people’s thoughts in the form of popular music. It’s all karaoke, but, emphasized by the presence of Skylar Astin, a worthy inheritor to Crazy Ex-Girlfriend’s musical-comedy crown. The tracklist, workplace antics, and love-triangle drama all exist in a comfortingly familiar network TV realm, but the show takes additional steps for inclusion with stories highlighting Zoey’s genderfluid neighbor (Alex Newell) and an American Sign Language performance of Rachel Platten’s “Fight Song.” During a year in need of shuffling off stress, there was no better time to queue up Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist.

#5. What We Do in The Shadows (Season 2) - FX

FX’s expansion of the mockumentary feature film of the same name lit up some of the darker corners of its universe in the show’s second season, transforming mundane-seeming material into something completely, uniquely batty. Each creature of Shadows took their turn in the spotlight this season, from a middle-management promotion gifting energy-vampire Colin Robinson unlimited supernatural power, to undead Nadja befriending a doll possessed by her own ghost, to Matt Berry’s Lazlo forging a small-town persona as a bartender/volleyball coach to escape a vengeful Mark Hamill. As always, it was the sympathetic Guillermo (Harvey Guillén), a Van Helsing descendent desperate to become a vampire, who gave the show its emotional stakes, and the vampires within a different kind altogether.

#4. Stargirl (Season 1) - DC Universe

Shadows was lit, but few things burned brighter this year than Stargirl (perhaps too brightly for the flamed-out DC Universe). The superhero drama is one of several that will outlive its original streaming service - fitting, given its obsession with legacy. Based on a character created by DC Comics stalwart Geoff Johns after the tragic loss of his sister, the show finds a young girl taking on the mantle of a fallen hero after moving to a town run in secret by supervillains. With sprightly fight choreography and an unabashed embrace of its comic book lore, Stargirl outshines the overabundance of small-screen superheroes out there. Its highlight is the bright performance of lead Brec Bassinger; put simply, she’s a star, girl.

#3. BoJack Horseman (Season 6b) - Netflix

Throughout its run, BoJack Horseman garnered acclaim for routinely delivering unexpected pathos, and the final season kept it on that track until the end. ...Get it, because horses run on tracks? The unexpected porter of television’s legacy of antiheroes ended in much the same vein as its sister shows - with consequences finally catching up with its protagonist. No amount of fanciful animal puns could soften that painful catharsis, as the show finally trampled its tricky web of abuse through bittersweet means. The series closed out with an especially thoughtful scene, the kind viewers who looked past the wonky pilot years ago were regularly blessed with; to the very end, BoJack, you were a gift, horse.

#2. Better Call Saul (Season 5) - AMC

As good as Bad ever was and better than ever before, the fifth season of AMC’s spin-off completely upended the world of its eponymous lawyer while bringing Vince Gilligan’s universe one step away from full-circle. Saul Goodman found himself in way over his head, and viewers found themselves way on the edge of their seats, as his first foray into “criminal” lawyering swiftly dovetailed with an escalating drug war. Despite the emotional distress of watching fan-favorite character Kim Wexler placed in perilous situations, there are no objections to be had with the drama’s continued masterful storytelling. Ramping up the slow-burn storytelling, season five saw Kim and Saul’s relationship develop in rich and unexpected ways, while still keeping their final fates unresolved. Fans are thus waiting with bated breath for the show’s final call next year.

#1. The Great (Season 1) - Hulu

Who could be the best but The Great? There was a minor television controversy this year over Netflix marketing The Crown as a historical drama despite its fictional interpretation of events; The Great has no such pretentions. An asterix adorns every title card of the show, letting viewers know that its take on Catherine the Great’s coup against Emperor Peter III of Russia is only “an occasionally true story.” The show indeed is not great for education, but it’s the most entertaining television of the year, locking stars Elle Fanning and Nicholas Hoult in a battle of wits and a fight for the country’s soul under the watch of The Favourite co-writer Tony McNamara. The uproarious comedy slyly collates leadership based in cruelty with leadership based in goodwill in the background of its quite bawdy escapades, a subtle bit of relevant political maneuvering that lets it successfully claim the crown this year.

NEXT UP: THE 2020 AARONS FOR BEST TV EPISODE!

#tv #TheAarons #TheAarons2020 #TheAaronsTV #best of 2020 #the plot against america #mrs america #the outsider #perry mason #zoey's extraordinary playlist #what we do in the shadows #stargirl #bojack horseman #better call saul #the great

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entertainment · 4 years

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Entertainment Spotlight: Will Vought, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

Actor, comedian, and writer Will Vought stars in the most recent season of the critically acclaimed dramedy series, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Additional television credits include The Good Wife, The Good Fight, both Lipstick Jungle and Love Bites, Bones, and Wilfred. Will is also an accomplished comedian, having toured the country opening for Wayne Brady. He got his start in the entertainment industry by contributing to Scott Shannon’s #1 morning show on 95.5 WPLJ, offering David Letterman updates and recaps, which opened the door for him to work for Late Night with Conan O’Brien. Following his work with Conan, Will was offered a position in the West Wing of the White House, working for former President Bill Clinton, where he still continued his radio work on the weekends as the youngest morning show host in the country at just 22 years old. Will went on to serve as head writer for Wayne Brady during his time hosting the The Late Late Show prior to James Corden in 2014 on CBS, and he continues to collaborate with renowned actor and comedian Paul Reiser, including shopping a television pilot they wrote together with Julie Bergman. We got the chance to ask him some questions. Check it out:

Do you have a favorite character arc from season 3 of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel?

For Season 3, I’m finding myself really interested in Susie and her journey. I don’t want to spoil it for those getting ready to start the new season or binge the series; however, in the first two seasons, Susie’s been hustling and primarily being of service to Midge while her personal life hangs on by a thread. In season 3, there are so many more layers introduced and opportunities that will ripple into not only her clout as a comedy manager but also her personal life. Also, I’m really invested in Lenny Bruce. Having read so much about him to see his plight on screen told through Amy’s lens is incredible. I don’t know anyone in comedy that doesn’t appreciate what Lenny Bruce did for comedians. The end of the Season 3 premiere is absolutely priceless seen thought the eyes of Tony Shalhoub’s Emmy Award-winning performance as Abe Weissman - Midge’s father.

If everything that you did was narrated, whose voice would you want narrating your life?

HA! That is a great question, and I’ve had to think about it. At first, I thought of the late great voice-over artist Don LaFontaine who moviegoers would remember as the “In A World…” guy who made millions voicing almost every movie trailer ever! BUT…truth be told I think that I would love Seinfeld's voice and lens, and I think it would make my day to day activities far more entertaining to listen to, especially when on the phone with my therapist.

Can you tell us about a time you bombed (on stage or in an audition)?

Well…the thing that pops to mind was an audition for NBC’s series called Lipstick Jungle. At the time, I was living on Long Island and decided to make the mistake of driving into Manhattan for the audition. Traffic was abhorrent, and you would think that there were mass casualties on the Long Island Expressway resulting in me being almost an hour and forty-five minutes late for the audition. The director of that episode was the one and only Timothy Busfield, whom I loved on Arron Sorkin’s The West Wing. Tim played reporter Danny Concannon - Senior White House Correspondent.

I had no idea that Timothy was going to be at the audition and was mortified when I showed up and saw him in the room because I was so late. It’s not unheard of to not be seen at all if you are late, let alone hours late. I read for the part and left. Tim was gracious. A month later, I got a call saying that I didn’t book that role; however, they were writing me another role and wanted to hire me for it. While on set shooting, Tim told me that when they asked him if he had any ideas for the part and he said, “That guy who came in 2 hours late. He was great. Hire him.” So I thought I bombed — but it worked out in the end.

The USO Tour scene from The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel broke the record for the most number of background actors used in a scene for tv in the state of New York (850). What was it like being a part of such a huge production?

I’ve never worked on Star Wars, but that’s what I was thinking of when we were filming that. It was by far the largest set I’ve ever been on, and yes there were almost 1000 background actors there for almost an entire week, who made up the audience of the USO show that you see in the season 3 premiere. When I met with Amy and Dan for the final audition for the role of Major Buck Brilstein, it was at Steiner Studios in Brooklyn in a small room that’s not much larger than a small studio apartment in Manhattan. It was the three of us and Emmy award-winning casting director Cindy Tolan. We did all the material from the episode, and to juxtapose that to being in an actual hanger with 1000 extras essentially filming a USO show that’s scripted — it was a historic moment in television that wasn’t lost on me.

What was the audition experience like for your role on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel?

I kind of talk about that above. I had a great experience. As with anything, you have to go in a number of times, and then the final callback is with Amy and Dan Sherman Palladino. You are 2 feet away from her, there is a camera, and Cindy Tolan, the casting director, and you create the world and do the scenes — WORD PERFECT! That is a huge thing, and something I was told going in. Be word perfect every time. Their words are like notes on a page. Each one carefully picked and placed, and my job is to take them off the page and bring them to life with a sensibility of 1959 and a guy that’s a major in the army who always wanted to be a comedian but never really got the chance. So, my character is literally living his dream in this episode. Beyond that, you bring your A-game, nail it, and it’s up to Amy and Dan. It happened to go my way, and as I told Amy, I was grateful to get the invitation to play in her world. She wrote and directed this episode, so it was extra special.

Is there a specific role or moment that you feel has defined your career up to this point?

We’ll — this is pretty significant re: working with the Palladino’s. I thought that The Good Wife was a big deal at the time — as I was part of Bob and Michelle King’s storyline that revealed Josh Charles’ character was murdered.

It seems that I’m only allowed to act opposite actresses that have won 2 Emmy’s and 2 Golden Globes for Best Actress. LOL. It’s truly a hard question to answer as each project is different, and as an actor, you hope that one job will open a door or opportunity to another. That’s what I’ve found, at least over the past few years, so it’s certainly a slow burn.

Years ago, I was the low man on the totem pole at NBC’s Late Night with Conan O’Brien. I was an intern in the writing department under John Groff and often got the chance to appear in sketches on the show. This was an invaluable experience. There was an afternoon where I asked Conan (as I was cleaning his office) if he knew this was what he was going to do from the beginning. I’ll never forget what he said. He told me that, “In his wildest dreams he never thought he would be hosting a late night show.” He described show business as being on a highway. He was a writer in college, wanted to be a writer and set off on the highway with the goal of writing in mind. Along the trip, there were exits: Mad Magazine, The Simpsons, SNL. After each exit, he gets back on the journey. If you want to be a teacher or doctor or lawyer, you know exactly what to do. Go to X school for X years, and then they declare you as such. Boom. You’re it. Hollywood is not like that. Everyone’s path is so different, and how we get to where we are is almost inconsequential when compared to the culmination of the journey. I’ve been blessed to do a lot of different things so far and work with incredible talent that truly moves the needle in this business, and I hope for more opportunities.

What’s your favorite bit or joke from one of your stand-up sets?

I have a new bit I’m working on that’s fueled by my natural anger toward this situation.

I hate paper straws.

If this makes me a horrible person, so be it. If “they” think I don’t care about the EARTH or ENVIRONMENT and support the extinction of humanity because of this — so be it.

Paper straws? Really? Who did this make sense to? Who thought it was a good idea to combine PAPER and WATER?

I’m sure it seemed like a good idea at the time — but it doesn’t work. Three sips into my iced coffee and the thing has disintegrated, and I’m now drinking iced coffee and paper!

If you think paper straws are a good idea, let me ask you one question. Would you like to use a paper condom?

In the future, you’ll be standing in the rain telling your friend you can’t understand why she’s pregnant and soaking wet from holding the paper umbrella.

I will say that if we do switch to paper condoms ��. I don’t know about the environment, but we will absolutely ensure the survival of humanity.

Lighting round! Describe each of the following in one word: Who you are, what you value the most, and what you’d be if you were a food item.

I AM WILL VOUGHT.

I VALUE MOST: MY SON.

IF I WAS A FOOD ITEM, I’D BE A BEYOND BURGER!

What are you working on right now?

Right now, I’m working on sending out subliminal messages via Transcendental Meditation to Adam McKay for a coffee meeting that would result in being cast on the 3rd season of Succession on HBO. I’d text him, but I don’t have his cell. Do you?

Thanks for taking the time, Will! Catch Season 3 of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel on Prime Video.

Photography: Emily Assiran | Grooming Laila Hayani | Styling: Natalia Zemliakova

#entertainment spotlight #will vought #the marvelous mrs. maisel

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smalltragedycuckhold · 3 years

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* brigette lundy-paine, nonbinary + they/them | you know kirby wormwood, right? they’re twenty five, and they’ve lived in irving for, like, two weeks? well, their spotify wrapped says they listened to ring ring by mika like, a million times this year, which makes sense ‘cause they’ve got that whole balancing acts at perilous heights destined to entertain, jack of all trades master of none, refusal to accept the mortal world as it is thing going on. i just checked and their birthday is december 1st, so they’re a sagittarius, which is unsurprising, all things considered. ( james, 21, est, they/them )

hllo welcome 2 my third character i love them a lot theyre a. remake of an older oc of mine so this is fun <3 sdfhk anyways once again i am asking u. pleathe like if u wld like to plot.

ARSON TW

mini playlist.

wizard ;; lucas lex / ring ring ;; mika / crows ;; clues / sunrise sunset ;; bright eyes / la llorona ;; beirut / no children ;; the mountain goats / might be love ;; the pesky snakes / sax in the city ;; let’s eat grandma.

statistics.

full name: kirby wormwood (currently).

nickname(s): magpie.

birthday: december 1st, 1995.

zodiac: sagittarius sun, aries moon, libra ascending.

mbti & temperament: estp & improvisor / sanguine.

label: the hellion.

hometown: abilene, texas.

sexuality: bisexual.

pinterest.

biography.

alright lets get right into it. kirby ws switched at birth. they cld’ve hd a very like. picket fence trampoline in the backyard. 4 columns cos its texas n it feels right. bt instead they were chosen <3 somewhat unintentionally <3 by dorothea n fawley wormwood, two traveling circus workers who emergency stopped in abilene.

n u know what. growing up in st. pierre’s traveling circus ws kinda fkn awesome? like ok. besides the fact tht they were homeschooled fr like evr n there were a sparing amt of children 2 socialize with? it ws p cool idk.

it ws kinda like everybody ws their parent n also not at all bc they were all very casual. bt they grew up learning hw 2 maintain the circus (n also like. normal school thingz bt i dnt think kirby hs ever cared abt school like ever) n whenever they hd a show kirby wld facepaint or handle tickets until they were old enough 2 start learning like. the Real fun things.

fawley hd a lot of his own weird odd little like superstitions n beliefs n practically raised kirby on them like n they dnt rly <3 make a lot of sense. lots of made up philosophy. very much like. nothing defines u. u cn b anything or anyone. n kirby ws like ok cool. n then developed a god complex.

names didnt rly stick 2 kirby when they were a kid like. nothing satisfied them or felt worthy fr them or simply they just. got tired of a name. this isnt related 2 them being nonbinary BUT it did help ease some of the. pressure of exploring gender identity. theyve only hd one name tht stuck genuinely n tht ws magpie n. thts bc everybody hd their own bird name n it felt very. like community. like a role. usually the names they used during performances bt. anyways KFHDSGLKKHL

theyre Kirby bt answers 2 most. neutral nouns.

honestly. they were also a rascal as a youth. ws like. oh. i learned sleight of hand? cool. time 2 pick pockets. wld throw popcorn into the hair of other kids n b like. omggg what was that ... became a mime fr a year. it ws a rigorous training.

now a master of charades. bt anyways. they traveled pretty much weekly, maybe bimonthly n sometimes just pure monthly. there wsn’t an off season fr them, when the colder months came they’d travel south and when summer rolled in they’d go right back up again. it ws easy to switch personas almost daily n just. never reveal ur true self. totally not saying tht’s what kirby did bt thts what they did. it nvr made them lose sight of themselves it ws more like. acting. tricking ppl fr fun.

anyways all good things come 2 an end and when kirby ws like. 18. they were like hey ur old enough that we cn trust u with fire. we think. n they started 2 learn fire-throwing n like. they were ok at it bt lessons were painfully slow n kirby ws like. i wld b so good at this if i cld do it all the time. n it ws like. hey kirby, chill. u already know a lot of things.

arson tw // u see where this is going. tents are kind of flammable. kirby ws unsupervised. bad decisions all around. circus is aflame. all the animals n all the circus workers got out fine bt like. st. pierre’s ws efficiently out of business. arson end of tw //

n kirby fkn booked it they just. ran. pure fear. nvr looked back which is like super traitorous of them 2 do bt. sometimes they meet up in secret like. sunglasses n all at a coffee shop. not all of them just like. fawley or someone else. theyre like. ur family u cld burn down a thousand circuses n we’d still love u. n kirby is like yeah i know bt i’ve rly committed to the bit now. n they dnt reunite.

anyways. since then kirby hs just been. a traveler. nvr rly staying anywhere fr super long n driving around in their shitty little van tht’d been used as housing back at st. pierre’s.

they’re in irving n theyve been there fr almost. suspiciously long. compared 2 their average stays. when asked abt what they do or why theyre there theyll just. give a vague answer or spin a long tale tht usually involves a burning circus.

theyre staying at uh. abernathy creek rn bc of course they r they fit in so naturally. welcomed with wide arms. might b soul searching rn might b on the hunt fr their birth parents might b just vibing ... whose to say ..

personality & facts.

has a Big personality tht attracts others fr better or fr worse. either super likeable or the most despicable person on the earth. no in betweens. n honestly tht is a talent in itself

has no off button is constantly. spinning tales or performing a dance or getting kicked out of bars fr whatever nonsense reason.

honestly they prob think tht nothing bad cn ever happen to them even tho like. bad has literally happened 2 them before? love the optimism here. KLFGDLKFSDHGF

acts a bit like u’ve known them fr ur entire life they r oddly warm in tht way bt they themself r so distant tht its like. oh nice ok ...

both honest n yet dishonest like. yes they will hustle u out of ur money bt they will also tell u their opinion straight up.

probably smart bt they r just like. prime thembo? flowy pirate shirts n cropped tshirts n pants tht r never tight. dresses like they do still work n live at a circus.

likes 2 instigate things between others n then stand back n just watch it happen while taking like zero accountability. loves a good small town drama. avid milf hunter.

does not hv any faith in the american healthcare system at all n will straight up refuse 2 go 2 a hospital if they get hurt theyre like. i cn do it myself im like practically a professional. they r not a professional.

bt does hv like. a thing abt apples. fkn loves them.

uuuhhh cn play instruments bt all very badly. only knows one (1) song tht isnt made up n its wonderwall by oasis. they play it at parties. they expect fr tomatoes to b thrown at them at any given time.

very nimble. agile. granted its frm. learning circus tricks frm a baby age bt they hv impeccable balance n cn sneak up behind anyone without a single noise. uses this 2 their advantage in order 2 scare ppl. chaotic neutral.

loves having the attention on them i wont fk around here. will go to drastic measures to accomplish receiving it. my other muses r capable of taking things srsly bt kirby just. is not. they do not take a single thing srsly they barely even took. st. pierre’s destruction srsly n they caused it. maybe.

likes being able to just. be unknown so the amt tht ppl know abt them is actually very. little. i dnt think they even tell others their last name. sometimes not even their first. just hs so many aliases n nicknames. i know i didnt list any bt thts simply bc Any cld.

probably acts out to compensate fr the. underlying guilt they hv bt thts okay. i mean it isnt bt.

will probably show up if u call them fr help bt they lose interest in people p quickly n r always moving onto the next shiniest person. bt when they do they give them like. all their attention. if u wrong them in this period they will just. ignore it. bt when theyre bored then its like. u werent even friends at all? very odd.

perhaps it is commitment issues bt <3 ya. thts them. they do not claim favorite colors or movies or. most interests. probably bc theyre very very disconnected frm pop culture i think they learn everything thru twitter n google.

i wld not call them a good person bt i also dnt think theyre like evil horrible nasty awful they just. think abt themself a lot more than they think abt others n also refuses to face consequences ever and also .. anyways.

wanted plots.

part of the bird’s nest ;; honorary bird honorary circus member. u hv to be very well regarded by kirby to earn a bird name bt i feel like tht doesnt feel like a lot considering theyve only been here fr like. two weeks KDGDSHKGK. the catch is tht u cn only refer 2 them as magpie frm then forward.

hand in unlovable hand ;; theres comfort in being terrible ppl together n it may not last bt it doesnt hv to anyways. its just them n the like. vibes. n knowing tht its smth thts nvr gna b long term. cld b anything ur character just hs to be also a little evil. KHDSGFDS

one jester ... wht abt ... TWO jesters .. ;; hoo boy. ooh man. unstoppable force and immovable object combine forces n just become. the worst of the worst. ultimate jokesters. epic pranksters. absolute clowns. chaotic energy unmatched. always nonsense.

n also ;; ppl they’ve stolen frm, ppl who hv caught them in that act, ppl who’ve maybe seen them in the circus a very long time ago, Found Family Trope, real family shenanigans, kirby just asking everybody if theyre their dad., mortal enemies if they see each other its an instant duel 2 the death, etc.

#( kirby wormwood. ) about. / sunrise sunset.#irvingintro #arson tw

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lovelyhxsie · 4 years

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Analyzing Hosie Both Together and Seperately (1/?):

[note: other shippers might deflate moments that have occurred and even suggest that this ship is more friendship/sisterly, but that’s to be expected. all of us shippers are pretty bias when it comes to our ship, so i am not judging. aside from that, i will uses specific points from other ships as a way to emphasize how hosie works. meaning that i am not deflecting other ship moments, but merely using them as a different perspective. i respect all ships and apologize if i say anything wrong.]

1. Camera shots:

The videographer/s who is/are in control of the camer, do a magnificent job at capturing our hosie moments. Why? While yes, we watch Hope and Josie provide interactions, spoken words, and emotions that make us swoon for them, we have to acknowledge how we see that and situations that make us love them.

A cameraman/woman’s job to create the feeling of what the writers want us to feel is how the scene(s) is/are shot. So, why does the director feel the need to have scenes up close to Josie and Hope when they stare at one another if Hosie isn’t at all romantic? Because the way these scenes are shot, it gives the scenes depth that Hosie’s relationship might run deeper than just a friendship. The slowmo and the constant back and forth from one to the other Like, gaaaaAAAYYYYY.

2. Chemistry:

The outright chemistry that Danielle and Kaylee absolutely have in general is beyond amazing. Their easy going flow of actions with each other help bring out the emotions that Hosie has within each other. In other words, when they communicate, joke around, hangout, and simply enjoy each other’s company, it radiates off of them and is easily seen on Hosie.

How does chemistry work in terms of Hosie? First and foremost, the bEST chemistry within Legacies will always be, and I mean ALWAYS be, between the twins, because the sisters have a whole bond the will always be deeper than the others. Period. We love powerful sisters. Anyway, that’s not what we’re focusing on because Hosie is our focus. So, for these two, there has to be a structure for a relationship to work between characters. Especially if they’re both a prime character to the story, show, or movie.

What is the romantic chemistry? Romantic chemistry obtains the value of attraction, a pull that brings one person to another. The thing is attraction comes in all types, but it varies from person to person. Specifically there are four factors of attraction that displays key romance. They are: Physical attraction, Intellectual attraction, social attraction, and emotional attraction. Now, these can all lead to a great platonic relationship; however, that happens when it’s normally just one of these keys (it can be all four, bur the likelyhood of that is 3/10; it’s rare). Romantic relationships are intimate and usually exist with the presence of three or all of these types of attractions—emotional attraction being the prime essential.

Hope and Josie immediately cross off 3 of those keys. They are intellectual, social, and the big one...EMOTIONAL attraction. Now, before you wonder why I didn’t add physical attraction, it’s between there is and yet there isn’t. But it doesn’t mean Hosie won’t get it written in to be more emphasized. There are episodes that highlight each of the attractions I stated and I will continue to explain and provide examples the further I go on, but for now lets go to our next point. Yeah?

3. Klaus’ Approval:

Joseph and Candice have admitted to loving Hosie, and if Joseph was to approve anyone for Hope, it’d be Josie.

That’s it. That’s-that is the big man giving the people his approval for his little wolf. SO LETS EAT ICECREAM AND SOB ABOUT HOW HOSIE HAS APPROVAL FROM KLAUS MIKAELSON.

4. Stares + hand holding:

So obviously these two are not the only ones who have their moments with handholding and stares. At least each ships has had one moment of that, but I will state that Hosie has a strong overrule when it comes to stares and handholding. Really it’s the stares that get us, but I will explain both holding of the hands and their stares. Also, emotional and physical attraction does come to play with these (the physical attraction is small but it does play an important role when I get to it).

Handholding really only occurs when it comes to spells that they both do when the other needs help. So, while their handholding isn’t out of desire or could be considered as romantic, there are other ways with how they could perform the spells. Josie doesn’t need to siphon magic through holding hands with Hope, but she does anyway and it’s just a thing that Hosies have fallen in love with and I can’t argue with that because it’s adorable. There have been specific moments with their handholding that has more physical attraction compared to the others.

In the alternate universe when it’s Lizzie’s second wish, after Hope comes to the school, Josie is instantly infatuated with her. When they leave the school, if you pay attention, Josie and Hope hold hands (rather tightly and flirtatiously) showing physical attraction. An addition to that physical attraction, when they’re at the Mikaelson boarding school, Hosie goes to the couch. So, when Lizzie looks in on both of them, they are both obviously flirting, but it’s their hands that works it charms onto Hosies. THEY ARE BASICALLY CANON IN THE ALT. REALITIES. Oh, the second time Lizzie checks in one them, Hope’s hand placement on Josie’s thigh is pure...oof. Chef’s kiss. That is physical attraction because it shows desire of them wanting to have the other’s touch, but it hints a bit of sexual attraction, so yeah. The downside of these though is that they’re all in a different reality rather than their actual world, so zero stars. But don’t let it deflate the idea that it could happen.

The second major factor of pure physical attraction that was shown occurred specifically in episode 7 of season two when Josie took Hope’s hand in hers. This is when you add in the camera shot, and both the physical and emotional attraction. This moment itself held its intimacy. Why? The shot focuses on the gentle hold that Josie takes when she grabs Hope’s hand. It had to have a meaning for it to be worth getting its own scene. Not only is it seen, but the emotion behind provides the value of the intimacy. What is the emotion? The emotion is comfort, security, and care. So, while those portray the scene as simply platonic, when analyzing the purity of this, it is in fact more than platonic. They hold hands until they break the contact when they go in for a hug. The level of physical attraction here is not purely because they wanted it (or maybe they did) but it was to give sincerity that Josie was showing. She held onto Hope to say she was there for her and she wasn’t leaving, nor did she want Hope to leave. All spoken without using words. It’s also really gay and lots of people expected them to kiss because Of their close proximity...so if you got that idea (even if you don’t ship them), then it was shown to be a bit more than friends.

Now, moving to the stares. Oh the Hosie stares. How much gayer can they be? Like? Listen, these stares are not only shown more than a few times, they occur quite a lot, but each of these stares share one thing: an emotional attraction.

The amount of emotional connection Hosie have in their eyes run for miles and miles. The emotions are felt through their eyes when they stare. Each emotion can be felt when you look in their eyes. Happiness, disappointment, hurt, guilt, worry, care, and genuine love (whether it be friendly or more). Each of these have been expressed by their eyes. Thus, connecting them in the style of soulmates and slow burn. Seriously, both seasons have expressed and emphasized on the looks greatly which brings us to question what the reasons are if they aren’t meant to have their own relationship storyline?

Going back to episode 7 of season two. The moment Hope stated she missed Josie, the pain she was feeling was displayed as tears threatened to fall. They’re fully on display when she tells Josie that if she continues to bring more pain to her, that she wouldn’t stay. When the camera turns to Josie, it’s clear that she too had tears but for a different reason. Her reason being that she wanted Hope to know she was worth holding onto. That she cared and was upset to see Hope in the way that she was. It made the scene beautiful and developed what could be an upcoming romance.

When Josie and Hope shared their own moment after Josie admitted to Hope about her crush, it really gave a strong leap to Hosie rising. Especially when Hope gives Josie a longing stare after asking the girl about crushing on her. There was pure admiration and a glimpse of reciprocal feelings (of course the answer that explains the look she gave is in episode 6 of season two). Not only did it give a statement but it left that teasing sensation that we hate, yet desire because its telling a story that is slowly dropping answers to our questions, so I’m not against anything that is happening in the show for now. In return, Josie practically looked back at Hope in the same manner with the same emotions. This moment gave us love and timidity that was heartfelt and warm. It was cute and created question whether Hosie would happen or not.

One more prime example I will use is episode 15 of season two. When dark Josie decides to fight against Hope, the moment Josie came back for a mere second. The look in her eyes when seeing the tribrid was filled with worry and unsureness. Hope when she notice Josie Josie, her eyes contained concern and hope. She knew that Josie was still inside, and was fighting back. Maybe not enough, but enough to ensure she was there and trying which is what helps build their connection. Again, this is emotional connection and it is the element that a relationship has to have for it to build into more depth.

I understand that there are more scenes, but one, there are so many that I cannot go over because it would extend this way more than it already it, two, I only picked the stares that provided the most meaning and value that added to their relationship. These were prime scenes that I absolutely think is a great way to slowly iniate a relationship.

- okay, that is the end of part 1 out of how ever many of these it will take to get my point across, but please keep in mind that this is only my analysis based off my observations and understand of relationships. they’re also theories which means what i believe could happen might not. i wanted to provide description for those who might not understand fully as to why hosie would be great romantically. there’s so much to talk about and yeah. anyway, thanks for taking the time to read. :)

#hosie #hope mikaelson #josie saltzman #hope x josie #josie x hope #legacies #theories #my own thoughts #i got bored #hosie endgame

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turtletotem · 4 years

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Burn Me Down - a Catradora fanmix

Fifteen-song Spotify playlist for giving you Catradora feels, presented in roughly chronological order for their relationship. Fairly Catra-centric because of my brain.

Songs and their relevance under the cut!

1. Ashes (Braden Barrie)—Catra's POV of Adora leaving

Wish I had known back then That when you told me That this was goodbye I'd never see you again

I know the stars still shine And the moon still glows But my heart still beats for you And I wonder why you gave up this time Maybe I just wasn't enough for you

2. Someone You Loved (Lewis Capaldi)—More Catra, particularly when she tears the bed up

Now the day bleeds into nightfall And you're not here to get me through it all I let my guard down and then you pulled the rug I was getting kinda used to being someone you loved

I'm going under and this time I fear there's no one to turn to This all or nothing way of loving got me sleeping without you

3. The Horror and the Wild (The Amazing Devil)—Catra's growing anger at Adora and maybe also at Shadow Weaver

Think of all the horrors that I Promised you I'd bring I promise you, they'll sing of every time You passed your fingers through my hair and called me child

4. Bad Blood (Bastille)—"You promise?" "I promise."

We were young and drinking in the park There was nowhere else to go And you said you always had my back Oh but how were we to know That these are the days that bind you together, forever And these little things define you forever, forever ... If we're only ever looking back We will drive ourselves insane As the friendship goes resentment grows We will walk our different ways But those are the days that bind us together, forever And those little things define us forever, forever

5. Don't Make Me (Malinda)—Back when Catra and Adora still didn't want to fight each other.

Don't make me be the bad guy Don't make me be the bad guy Despite all of my foresight I keep hoping I'll be right about you But you were the psycho So what do I know? (I know) Tell me you're the bad guy No, don't make me be the bad guy

6. Circles – Minor Key Version (Chase Holfelder)—They can't just turn their backs on each other, no matter how they try. I like the minor-key version here for a more tragic tone.

We couldn't turn around 'Til we were upside down I'll be the bad guy now No, I ain't too proud … Seasons change and our love went cold Feed the flame 'cause we can't let go Run away, but we're running in circles Run away, run away

7. Until the Day I Die (Story of the Year)—Post-portal, when things get… very bad between them.

My hands are at your throat And I think I hate you We made the same mistakes Mistakes like friends do

My hands are at your throat And I think I hate you But still we'll say, "Remember when" Just like we always do Just like we always do

Until the day I die I'll spill my heart for you, for you

8. The Beauty and the Tragedy (Trading Yesterday)—Oh the repressed feelings

Watch your step, love is broken I am every tear you cry Save your breath, your heart has spoken You already have my life For I am finding out that love Will kill and save me Taking the dreams that made me up And tearing them away But the same love will take this heart That's barely beating Fill it with hope beyond the stars Only love

9. Broken Inside (Broken Iris)—Emo song for emo season-4 Catra and her slow-spiraling breakdown. [WARNING: There’s a scream at the end of the song for some reason.]

Until the end of me You'll be the death of me I dare you to cross the line again Because deep down inside there's something that waits to be Broken inside Feeling alive Forced to defy Who casts me aside I'm waiting to be Broken inside Losing my mind Gasping for life Crashing through times That drive me to find The darkness behind Will never run dry But I'll still stand

10. Wrong Direction (Hailee Steinfeld)—Adora POV

I don't hate you No, I couldn't if I wanted to I just hate all the hurt that you put me through And that I blame myself for letting you Did you know I already knew?

Couldn't even see you through the smoke Lookin' back, I probably should have known But I just wanted to believe that you were out sleepin' alone Love me with your worst intentions Didn't even stop to question Every time you burned me down Don't know how, for a moment it felt like heaven

And it's so gut-wrenching Falling in the wrong direction

11. Fairly Local (Twenty One Pilots)—Catra's heel-face turn in "Corridors"!!! Credit to @yesbpdcatra for pointing out the amazing Catra-ness of this song.

I'm evil to the core What I shouldn't do I will They say I'm emotional What I wanna save I'll kill Is that who I truly am? I truly don't have a chance Tomorrow I'll keep a beat And repeat yesterday's dance … I'm not evil to the core What I shouldn't do I will fight I know I'm emotional What I wanna save I will try I know who I truly am I truly do have a chance Tomorrow I'll switch the beat To avoid yesterday's dance

12. If You Need Me (Julia Michaels)—Adora POV, especially deciding to go back for Catra after she saved Glimmer.

Have I spent too much time on what we used to be? Am I making up details in the memories? Have I got too caught up on the you and me thing? Well, I'm hoping not 'cause I loved what we got Out of sight, don't mean out of mind Not in your space, but you're still in mine Hope you don't think I could leave you like that

13. Vow (TENDER)—Catra, trying to change and be better.

I'm gonna need you tonight Walkin' miles in the moonlight Got myself into the wrong fight So, show me where To make amends

14. Control (Zoe Wees)—Catra recovering—from Prime, from Shadow Weaver, from everything—with Adora to help her.

Sometimes I still think it's coming but I know it's not Tryin' to breathe in and then out but the air gets caught 'Cause even though I'm older now and I know how to shake off the past I wouldn't have made it if I didn't have you holding my hand

15. Marry Me (Train)—The sweet, gauzy, sappy fairytale-ending song they deserve.

Together can never be close enough for me To feel like I am close enough to you You wear white and I'll wear out the words I love you And you're beautiful Now that the wait is over And love has finally shown her my way Marry me Today and every day

#she ra #spop #catradora #she-ra and the princesses of power #fanmix

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dredgen-no-more · 4 years

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Heavy Weapons for Gambit – 6/09/20

The heavy weapon represents one of the most game changing decisions a player can make before a game even begins. The choice between an all round good weapon and something which excels in one particular area all but dictates the kind of work you intend to do within a Gambit game. As such, more thought that one might initially believe should go into this decision. But before we even begin to discuss which Heavy Weapon you want to use, you must first ask whether you want your heavy weapon to be exotic or not.

In the case of both Exotic and Legendary Weapons, there are powerful options for whatever role you intend to fill. The trouble with Heavy Weapons, however, is the accessibility of ammo. Although it is guaranteed to spawn around the bank, and might drop from combatants, the reality is that picking up Heavy Ammo will never be a guarantee. If you want heavy ammo, you will need to prioritise it. Thus, the first step to making this decision is to recognise your role within a game of Gambit (considering what you intent to do) and whether that role requires you to put effort into prioritising Heavy Ammo. Technically speaking, no role requires heavy ammo, but the two which definitely want it are Invader and Sentry.

Invaders cast themselves into the fray to take down and whip out the enemy team. Heavy Ammo allows this to happen as quickly as possible, without too much retaliation. Two taps with a Xenophage is a hard thing to retaliate against, but will chew through ammo. Hammerhead may preserve ammo, but is easier to come back from. Etc, etc.

Sentry’s job is to deal with priority targets; invaders and blockers. Heavy Weapons are required as an efficient means of dispatching these pests before they get ahead of the rest of their team. A weapon like Truth is devastating to Invaders and Blockers alike, but struggles against the Primeval, while Falling Guillotine devastates blockers and the Primeval, but struggles against Invaders. Thinking over your options is best. As such, I want to offer a wide range of recommendations for Invader and Sentry for both Legendary and Exotic weapons. I will also offer one recommendation of an Exotic and Legendary weapon for each Reaper and Collector. In the case of Legendary Weapons I also want to offer some recommended rolls to try for.

Invader:

Exotics:

Xenophage – Machine Gun

Xenophage has been a favourite ever since it dropped. It is, effectively a rapid fire Mountaintop with a magazine in favour of that fact. Its rounds are explosive allowing for no damage drop off and devastating multi-kills against huddled Guardians. Moreover, it offer a phenomenal advantage when reaping moats for all the same reasons, dealing massive damage to major and minor combatants all the same. However, this weapon can be a struggle to aim, especially on console. At 120 RPM, despite being full auto the shots are slow and the initial burst of recoil is difficult to properly control. It forces you to burn shows unless you can control the recoil, or forces you to miss, burning shots. Despite being powerful, it is all too easy to empty your reserves. But, guaranteeing a kill with 2 shots and consistent damage since it can’t deal crits, it is a fantastic all around weapon, devastating on the other side.

Truth – Rocket Launcher

Truth is a deceptive weapon, presenting no obvious advantages. Most Rocket Launchers can roll with Proximity Detonation and Seeking Module, and even then Rocket Launchers aren’t all that fantastic in PVP or PVE. However, where Truth shines is how it handles it’s abilities. It has the strongest tracking system of any Rocket Launcher in the game, allowing shots to chase down fleeing and even hiding Guardians. It has the fastest lock on of any game and the most powerful blast radius. The absolute best part about Truth, however, is its Magazine size. No Rocket Launcher in the game has a magazine size greater than 1 (except Two-Tailed Fox). Truth has 3. It won’t shine against the Primeval, but as a Void weapon it will wreck Envoys. It is, in short, the best Rocket Launcher in the game. However, it is still a rocket launcher.

Legendary:

Hammerhead – Machine Gun

My favourite joke about Hammerhead is that it is the best Scout Rifle in the game. The recoil is needlessly consistent, almost non-existent, turning the weapon into an laser of sorts, mowing down entire teams with little to no effort. I got mine explicitly to use it in Gambit, and its my go to weapon for games where I want to Invade. Its massive reserves and minimal shot to kill ratio means you’ll get plenty of opportunities to Invade and devastate.

God Rolls:

-Chambered Compensator, Ricochet Rounds, Tap the Trigger, Rampage.

-Best for confident Invaders

-Corkscrew Rifling, Extended Mag, Feeding Frenzy, Mulligan.

-Best for unconfident Invaders

Sentry:

Exotics:

Leviathan’s Breath – Bow

This is the weirdo inclusion on this list, but as someone who has played too many games as a Sentry, I cannot stop singing its praise. If you have the aim, and the time to draw this bow, it will almost always be a 1-hit-kill (I can’t confirm this fact right now as its TTK hasn’t been recorded and at the time of writing, Destiny 2 is down. I believe it is a 1-hit-kill even on a headshot, but I’m unsure on a body shot on an Invader). The weaknesses of Leviathan’s Breath are largely situational, but lends itself well to the situations most Senties find themselves in. As a sentry, you don’t need to prioritise heavy ammo too much. This mitigates the issues around the weapons small reserve size. You also have the home advantage, giving you the time to draw and hold your bow, waiting for an invader, mitigating the weapons very slow draw time. The fact that it disorients and staggers foes will also make it easier to take down Primevals, Blockers, and a particularly hearty invader, so you’ll get the chance to switch weapons to finish them off. Finally, the fact that it’s a void weapon makes dealing with Envoys a breeze. This weapon is weird, but a powerful inclusion.

Whisper of the Worm – Sniper Rifle

Since its pretty major nerf, Whisper hasn’t been as powerful as it use to be. This has affected its role in Gambit more than any other game mode, as it has turned the weapon from ammo efficient to devastatingly ammo hungry. However, that doesn’t mean that the weapon is useless. It’s still is one of the best damage dealing heavy weapons in the game, and as a Sniper Rifle, it makes hitting your target relatively easy. This combination of effects plus the bonus damage from the catalyst can make for a heavy hitting blocker demolisher, all at a distance.

Legendary:

Falling Guillotine - Sword

If you’ve used this weapon this season, you’ll understand why its here. This weapon has ridiculous DPS, so rather than use this time to explain why its good, I’m going to explain how to properly use it. You want this weapon to roll with Whirlwind Blade. The way that Whirlwind Blade works is that you’ll gain 1 stack of Whirlwind Blade for each hit to make before blocking, up to a stack of five 5x. For each stack you have, you’ll deal extra damage. First step: NEVER BLOCK. BLOCKING IS FOR COWARDS. YOU SWING THAT. Second Step: You want to engage the thing you want dead with a heavy attack to proc Whirlwind Blade to most efficiently deal damage. Third Sept: then deal light attacks until your heavy attack is recharged. Fourth Step: At this point you should have 5x Whirlwind Blade. Repeat this process until the thing you want dead is dead.

The only problem is the Chimera which flies. It is possible to use your normal heavy attack on a flying enemy, but its tricky.

God Rolls:

-Jagged Edge, I-Don’t-Care-Don’t-Block, Tireless Blade, Whirlwind Blade

-Best for pairing with Lucent Blade mod

-Tempered Edge, I-Don’t-Care-Don’t-Block, Relentless Strikes, Whirlwind Blade

-Best for without Lucent Blade mod

Interference VI – Grenade Launchers.

Most grenade launchers are extremely similar, but Interference VI stands above the rest. The break down on its stats is favourable compared to other GLs with similar stats, in particular thanks to its Blast Radius. While no GL is favourable against Invaders, a larger blast radius is better than a smaller one in this regard. The closest other GL to look towards is Wendigo GL3, so long as you can consistently produce and pick up Orbs of Light. However, the use of this weapon lives and dies based on its rolls and your ability to hit targets directly from a distance. If you can get it all right, you’ll have the best DPS from any ranged Legendary Weapon in the game.

God Roll:

-Confined Velocity, Spike Grenades, Autoloading Holster, Full Court

-Best for Bosses

-Linear Compensator, Proximity Grenades, Clown Cartridge, Full Court

-Best for Invaders

Reaper & Collector:

Exotics:

Tractor Cannon – Shotgun

This weapon is an absolute sleeper hit for Gambit and Gambit Prime. Unlike most shotguns, Tractor Cannon unleashes a blast of consistent damage, rather than a barrage of low damage pellets. Where other shotguns need a close shot to deal lots of damage to one target, Tractor Cannon’s blast has drop off, meaning its easy to dispose of a number of close range combatants all at once. At its core, this weapon is about debuffing big targets and clearing small. A hit with this procs The Scientific Method, an ability which grants increased movement speed and handling for a few seconds. Additionally, it pushes back combatants, supresses abilities and boosts damage deal to the target. While it doesn’t output a shocking amount of damage, the combination of ability asks you to switch to another special weapon anyway, to deal the bulk of damage.

I’ve had games where I’ve lost 40-something motes, but still ended on top because clearing out combatants, envoys and the primeval was a breeze.

Legendary:

Falling Guillotine or Hammerhead

I’ve gone into why these are useful and the same principles apply for Reaper and Collector. Falling Guillotine devastates the Primeval while Hammerhead is useful against powerful enemies and Invaders. However, Falling Guillotine is also particularly effective against swarming ads and High-Value Targets. Pick what you want, but I always recommend the Guillotine more.

#Destiny #Destiny 2 #Gambit #Gambit Prime

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