#'he strangled his companion!' in one episode

[brokenhardies]

tbh as a six fan i feel so bad for thirteen fans

bc there are a lot of thirteen fans who are willing to defend shitty writing and poor decisions bc thirteen's their favourite doctor and there's no other way to say she's their favourite bc thirteen has only been off the air for 2 years at this point. thirteen also has the bonus problem of being the first female doctor which means a lot of her criticism is clouded by misogyny and other icky incel alt right shit

meanwhile with six, a lot of his problems had the benefit of the wilderness years, big finish, the expanded universe, and even people looking back at his doctor and realising that there was some good in his episodes. a lot of his fans didnt become his fans until recently and even most of his haters are quite clear that they hate the writing decisions and not the actor himself

like until jodie gets some good material - maybe big finish? theyre doing fugitive doctor and dhawan master stuff that might improve the problems with those - a lot of thirteen fans are going to be clutching at straws and trying to figure out why they like her and how to say so in a way that won't upset the predominantly male fandom, as well as won't disagree with common and very bloody obvious criticisms of chibnalls era

[gasolinerainbowpuddles]

𝕂𝕚𝕟𝕜𝕥𝕠𝕓𝕖𝕣 🎃💦 ∘₊✧ 𝔻𝕒𝕪 𝟚𝟚 ✧₊

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@absurdthirst's Kinktober 2023 Prompts

day 22: True Monsters, Spiritual Possession, Sexual Exhaustion

𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐞

| PAIRING(s): monster!Joel Miller x soulmate!f!reader | RATING: explicit material | 18+ | WORD COUNT: 2.2k | CONTENT: it's Joel Miller as a humanoid monster beast creature with a massive cock idk what you want me to say, creative liberties with anatomy and bodily fluids, they're soulmates because I wrote this so of course they are, monster!Joel can talk a little but it wouldn't kill him to watch a few episodes of Reading Rainbow or do some alphabet flash cards tbh, one curious use of an aquifer as a metaphor | SYNOPSIS: You encounter a frightening beast in the forest after getting separated from your group. Instead of killing you, he spares your life - the first of many surprises from this mysterious creature.

The prick of his maw grazed your collarbone, breaths coming so frantic it was hard to keep from ballooning into the death trap of his jaw altogether. Perhaps it would just be easier to give in. Let yourself be ravaged by this man beast and succumb to the darkness it offered. You lie caged in his form, waiting as he evaluated his prey. Looking for the weakest point of flesh to rend with his incisor. Watching with delight at the flickering pulse he was soon to take from you.

But seconds ticked by and turned into minutes, and still nothing. Just the rancid humidity of his breath flowering over your trembling face and body.

“Just do it already,” you whisper, hoarse and resigned and too tired to fight anymore.

A horrid, strained sound crawled from his throat. It dawned on you he was attempting to speak. “Want. Close. To you.”

You blink a few times, frozen in shock. “Y-You want…to be close with me?”

The man beast grunted something like an affirmation, and it was then you noticed the beady insistence of his eyes. There was something almost human there. Almost.

“What do you want from me?” you shudder.

The man beast made an aggravated noise. I just told you what I wanted.

“But w-what does that mean? Close?”

He seemed calmer now, more understanding. As if it was everyday you found yourself conversing with a humanoid creature large and powerful enough to rip you clean in half. “You say. You tell what close. I go with you.”

You shake your head against the rough rubble beneath your head where he has you pinned against the ground. Had he tackled you to keep you from running further? Had he not wanted to catch you to kill you like you’d assumed when you were running as fast as your feet would carry you? Was this all some strange misunderstanding?

“You want me to decide? What close means? How close I want to get?”

Again, that strangled noise of communication, this time an affirmation – or at least you think so. In all honesty, you wanted as much space between you and this hulking man creature as possible. His body was a rippled mass of musculature and strength that spoke to the devastation he could cause if he wanted to. And yet, something in his eyes, in his softened movements as jittery as they were, called to the deepest parts of you to tend to him.

“Can you– I want to get up,” you say with a great deal of mustered courage.

“You run again.” His vocalizations were becoming smoother, more sure. Maybe it had just been a long time since he’d spoken to someone else? You wonder who he’d learned from and where they were now, what had become of prior human companions.

“I won’t,” you promise. “Besides, you’d just run me down again. You’re faster than me.”

This point seems to clear away any misgivings he had about retreating from crowding you against the ground. “Don’t want you to run.” Somehow he sounded sad beneath the gravel of his timbre.

“I ran because you scared me.” You prop yourself up enough to scoot back against the wall of the alcove he’d dragged you into.

His eyes lock onto yours and burn something truthful. “Don’t want to scare.”

It was this tentative olive branch between you that led to the next few days of one another’s company. If your group hadn’t found you yet, there was little hope that they would at all. So, you spent quiet nights together, eating whatever the man beast hunted and brought back for you. The weak fires you were able to light paled in comparison to the warmth of curling against him.

He’d stayed true to his word of not wanting to frighten you. As the weeks went by, you could sense in his movements that he was attempting to display an understanding of your hesitancies to get close to him. You could feel his form practically melt into yours when you finally gave into the magnetic pull each night and meshed your bodies together.

The first time you were intimate was entirely your doing. Watching the pacified creature sleep next to you, moonlight illuminating the breadth of him, you reached a hand to explore. He was so warm and firm and solid. You used the opportunity to unabashedly stare and ogle. So much of him was beastly creature, but so much of him conveyed man. 

You weren’t sure if he’d once been human and had somehow managed to cling onto sparse remnants of it all this time or if this is just how he'd always been. His speech had improved greatly over the past week in particular, but there was still a limit to what could be communicated.

Your hand drifted lower, cheeks tingling with heat as you skimmed between his hindlegs. You’d seen it, of course. He wasn’t clothed, never had been. But he much preferred walking about on all fours than upright most of the time, and you weren’t afforded many direct, uninterrupted views. Thankfully not the case now.

Much like the rest of him, it was impressive and a bit daunting. Thick, veined, and imposing, it rested gently against his thigh. He made a small sound in his sleep when you tried to take it into your hand. You couldn’t wrap around the whole of it, and it sent something hot and electric down your spine, a liquid flame of arousal that had you more awake than you’d been since he first caught you. He stirred at your motions, grunting and trembling breaths as he watched you curiously with half-lidded eyes.

“Feels good,” he slurs through sleep thickened vocal cords. “You make me feel so good.” The way he says it implies he means more than just in this moment – you always make me feel good.

Something otherworldly seems to take hold of you at this admission. Like something had finally shifted and locked into place. It feels right to give him that blanket of repose. It feels right to be here with him now like this, the furnace of his body listing closer to yours as if drawn by some invisible force.

“What if we…..?” You trail off, distracted by that almost human stirring in his eyes as he holds your gaze with an intensity that neither challenges nor frightens you. “What if we wanted to make each other feel good?”

He considers you quietly for a moment and slowly reaches a clawed pad of a hand to your face, advancing with a touch of eagerness when you don’t shy away. “It’s all I want to do.”

You lack the substantial breadth and heat of his indomitable form, but your skin feels alight all the same. You nod, an encouragement for him to proceed. The grit of his touch summons a wave of goosebumps over your body, a low gasp catching in your throat. It’s this sound that plumes into the surrounding air and wrenches it over you both like a weighted shroud. The world feels smaller, nonexistent except for the space you share.

“It’s all I want you to do,” you choke out.

The moonlight flashes against the ivories of his lethal jaw when his lip pulls back in a heated snarl. The tongue that had refined his speech over these past few weeks now wields itself into a binary slip against the column of your neck. There may as well be branding marks left in its wake, and you shiver at the combined sensation of being immersed in flame and frost all at once.

You pull at the wrap enclosure of your attire, mere scraps of what had once clothed you from the elements in what felt like a lifetime ago, and let it fall open to the wayside. An almost pained keening sound of appreciation vibrates through his chest, and his eyes cloud into that void of black, betraying any notion that this was merely man and not entirely beast.

The forked appendage slithers in separate directions, curling to meet in a spiral around your peaked nipple. You grab at his forearms and tug at the tussock of hair that first meets your grasp – anything to keep you from springing heavenward at the staggering and blinding paroxysmal bliss. His mouth drips with a viscous want onto your skin as he flicks and squeezes his tongue across your chest.

“Please,” you exhale. You gently push his head further down, and he growls at your anxious need for him to give you more.

“Pretty,” he grunts. “Pretty for me like this.”

“You’re so beautiful,” you whisper, almost sounding on the verge of weeping at the sentiment and significance of whatever has been growing between you and now blossoms in the fertile soil of an infinite springtime.

You clench around nothing when you see the swell of blood that has fattened his cock while he was exploring you. It would be an unnerving consideration if you weren’t sure this was a predetermination of meeting, two souls binding into one. The silent communication and understanding passing between the two of you makes you wonder if you too will lose your speech over time – the practice of words lost to the redundancy of vocalizing to a being who has come to comprehend every thought and feeling you possess.

But for now you aren’t mute, a cry of pleasure spilling out as he sweeps his tongue inside your drenched hole. The tendrils of muscle dance on the ridged, spongey shape inside you. The spot begins to warm under his motions, a heat siphoning from his tongue as a rock awash in sunlight. A surreptitious and soft febrility that coaxes a release from you without any sort of warning. You erupt a cascade of fluid, an aquifer skillfully unearthed by his articulations.

He slurps and suckles at it with a voracious grizzle that rumbles from the recess of his barrel chest, whining when every last bead of it has been lapped up. He crouches above you, his imposing girth slapping against your mound. The entirety of it seeps a syrupy dribble, the warmed honey sensation dripping between your folds. He positions himself at your core and trembles at the anticipation of finally becoming fused to you.

You reach a hand between your legs and guide his bulky tip to the lip of your entrance.The balmy salve of his secretion draws a sigh from your mouth, and he whimpers as he licks into it. You clutch the span of his neck and shoulders as he eases inside of you.

The besoothing purl was not so great that it eased all the sting and pinch of accommodating him. Your breath catches when he slips far enough to nudge the mouth of your womb. You let out a sharp hiss when he pushes further, filling as much of you as he can. He groans when he reaches the terminal of your core. “Filled with me.” He says it in a heaving breath like he’s staked his claim.

“E-everywhere,” you blubber. “I feel you everywhere.”

“Feel you everywhere,” he echoes in a shared sentiment.

“I need you,” you choke out, wriggling your hips just enough to further the blissfully punishing effort of taking him. You whine at the involuntary spasm of your cunt swallowing and obliging the heft of him.

He groans at your deference, at the gentle surrender of yourself to him. “Mine,” he growls and rocks into you for the first time in earnest. It punches the air from your lungs, and you hold onto him tighter.

“I’m yours, I’m yours,” you repeat as he ruts into you. His cadence stutters and becomes haphazard in its drive to mark you as his his his. You can feel each pulse of blood through his veiny cock as it rubs the velvet confines of your core. Your skin glistens with the strain of seating the bulk of it. Every curve and dip and slope of him dragged against your walls. Each drive pushed you closer and closer to another freefall. With one harsh drive of his cockhead against your cervix, your eyes flash wide open in a jolt.

The choking clench of your climax suspends his thrusts, walls locking down and ensnaring his length where it cleaves you in two. A euphoric sob escapes you as tears cloud your vision and you ride out your high. His own release comes quickly after yours with a cacophonous baying wail tearing through the still night.

The flood of him inside you curls and crests until it is met with no other place to go but out of your sticky, drooling hole. It rushes in a stream onto the ground, puddling around you with the missed droplets of your earlier outpouring. He cages you under his body like a precious gift to hide from the world and snivels in your ear.

You wrap an arm around him where you can and gently stroke the coarse scruff of his nape. “Ssshhh, I’m right here,” you soothe. You can sense his desperation, the need to maintain the intimacy of the moment. “We’ll stay just like this for a while, okay?”

He sighs and curls you into him, for comfort or safekeeping or maybe both. “Stay together. Mine.”

“Yes. I’m yours.”

He licks mindlessly at your neck to lull himself, and his chest slowly falls into a peaceful rhythm. You drift off long before he fully softens inside you.

This is my first True Monster smut fic imo, and I just have to say I think I get it guys lmao. I get to make him have magical dick juice? I'M IN. ~*~~*~WORLD BUILDING IS SO ENRICHING AND REWARDING FOR THE CREATIVE MIND~*~~*~*.

For other monster fucking fics, please check out @wannab-urs awesome compilation here. I also wanna specifically rec Oh, Honey by @lincolndjarin bc it is delicious.

catch ya later, ♥Puddles♥

[soulless-angel25]

Finally going ahead and posting this, it has sat in my drafts for several months so... warning: there is a lot of swearing. I remember that orginally I planned for this to cover all of season one but just episode one became very long so...

(sorry for the slight rant in advance)

I always get pissed off when people call Rose a crybaby or a whiner or say that she wasn't that good and X companion was better.

Like what do you expect???? She is 19. 19. Do you expect a fucking 19 year old human girl who works in a shop to be this amazing perfect can-do-no-wrong person????

When we're introduced to Rose she is a 19 year old shop girl who is stuck in this daily routine that she can't get out of. And then, suddenly the world is so much bigger then she ever thought it was before! She meets this amazing man who takes her hand and says 'run'. And when they're in the lift instead of crying or breaking down she tries her damn best to rationalize the situation. When the mannequins start moving her first thought is that it's a prank, because why wouldn't she? Why would she for any reason think that it's alien? And then she starts to panic a bit, yeah. Who wouldn't?

Do you think he could keep a mostly cool head whilst all of that shit was going on? Do you think you'd be able to not break down into a mess?

And then, when she's cornered. A man appears, takes her hand and saves her. But the moment they're in (relative) safety she is immediately asking questions, coming up with theories about what's happening. [ROSE] Very nice trick then, who're they? Students? Is this a student thing or what? [DOCTOR] Why would they be students? [ROSE] I don't know! [DOCTOR] Well, you said it. Why students? [ROSE] 'Cause... to get that many people dressed up and acting silly, they got to be students. She is trying to rationalize, she is coming up with ideas. Talking to the Doctor and he's like, 'Yes, but why do you think this?' And she answers! She just saw him rip and arm off when of those things, and after this interaction she's told her boss is dead.

Then they're outta the lift and she's interrogating him. Because now she has questions, and she wants answers. And the Doctor, is the person who has them. Then she's being told to get out and then her job is blown up!

I think, compared to anyone who could've been in that situation that she did a remarkable job! But, then her life just, dips into a light semblance of normal. Mickey's over, her mum's on the phone. And she has a cuppa and is staring off. And the next day comes 'round, her alarm goes off but her mum reminds her that she's got no job to go to so no reason to get up. The cat flaps rattling and so she goes to check it out and there's the Doctor. The person who has answers.

He comes in, she starts on tea, he nearly gets strangles by the plastic arm. He leaves and she goes after him, determined to get answers. And the two banter back and forth, 'Who are you? / Told you, the Doctor. / Yeah, but Doctor What? / Just the Doctor. / The Doctor?' But then he's explaining it to her, telling her roughly what's going on and she's trying to piece together the information that she's being given. The Doctor does his whole, turn-of-the-earth speech and tells her to forget him.

But that isn't where it stops, later on Rose is searching. Trying to gain more information on the Doctor, and she gets a lead. She goes to investigate it, despite the dangers it might pose. Sure, she decides the man is a nutter but that doesn't mean that his words still don't stay with her. No matter who small. And then the Doctor is back, he's crashing her date, taking her boyfriend's head off and she goes with him because the plastic replica of her boyfriend is trying to murder them. (tbf i'd go to) Then, she's in the TARDIS.

She plainly says that it's alien, the Doctor agrees. Then she says 'are you alien?' and the Doctor says, 'yes. is that all right?' and simply replies with 'yeah.' LIKE, she's so chill about it. This man that she's had maybe 3 interactions with is an alien and she's just kind of like 'ok.' But then Rose is crying and the Doctor thinks it's cause the TARDIS and him are alien but it's because she doesn't know if Mickey is safe.

Then they're out of the TARDIS and trying to find where the Consciousness is, and the Doctor's like 'well, it has to be somewhere big! A giant circular metal disk, must be completely hidden' and Rose is just looking behind him at the London Eye and it takes him a bit to realize and then he's grinning saying 'fantastic'. Before you know it the two of them are running, holding hands.

Then they've found the underground base and hey! Mickey's alive. Then the Doctor is trying to negotiate but then the mannequins find the anti-plastic and there goes Rose. With her bronze in gymnastics, with her no future, no life, no a-levels. But she's got her bronze is gymnastics and she saves the Doctor.

Next thing you know, the three of them are out, alive. Mickey exiting the TARDIS first, then Rose with the Doctor standing in the doorway. And he asks if she wants to come along.

You can see her consider it for a moment before she looks at Mickey, who's clinging to her legs like a child. And she says no. She says no and he looks disappointed but accepts it. He goes into the TARDIS and she vanishes. Rose clearly regrets her choice but she's already made it and is walking away but then the TARDIS is back, the Doctor is back and says 'did I mention it travels in time?' and she doesn't look back, she says thanks to Mickey who says 'for what?' and she says 'exactly' before running on.

That entire episode not once do you see Rose cry or break down except when she thinks Mickey is dead.

[autistic-crypt1d]

Season 2 SG-1 Live Blogging:

Off to a thrilling start with the team trying to stop a galactic assault on Earth by the Goa'uld!

S1

Updates:

- PFFFFT THE WAY JACK FEELS UP TEAL'C'S FACE

- Sam biting Jack's hand will never stop being hilarious

- Goa'uld busters... I hate that that's kinda funny

- Bra'tac!!! Fuck yeah!!

- ah yes leave the archeologist who barely knows how to use a gun alone to watch your back

- Daniel 😭 I hate watching him get hurt

- seriously? They didn't bother to keep the hole in the uniform? Does the sarcophagus heal clothes now too? Cuz it certainly didn't when Jack was taken by Baal as far as I remember

- let's go Daniel!!!

- the reunion of the team AHHHHH

- In The Line of Duty

- oh shit this episode

- Daniel's reaction to being used as a human shield is so funny "oh geez", the way he says it so softly too XD

- why do I recognize the nurse dude

- Daniel sitting on the bed with her :(

- Prisoners

- oh boy

- I wish we got to know more about The Taldor after this

- "if you once again try to harm me or my companions, my patience with you will expire" love that guy

- good on Daniel for questioning why Linea is there

- "the things I do for these people" for real dude, Hammond goes through the wringer for his 4 kids

- "and this just came to you?" "No this came to me while I was suffocating" PFFFFT

- Daniel's little fuckin point for the team to get food first is so funny, he's so goofy y'all

- I wonder why nothing ever came of her studying the root sample, even without the activators, surely she would've learned something useful

- the marks on Jack's neck :(

- Gamekeeper

- oh hell I hate this episode 😭

- why is there duct tape on the guns and John's knife?

- oh god Daniel's one AHHHHH

- I want to strangle the keeper so badly

- "Daniel! With me!" Ah yes, the archeologist as your backup instead of the 2 highly skilled soldiers XD

- Need

- ugh, skip

- Thor's Chariot

- ooooo this one!!!

- the way they don't just forget about the whole Jolinar thing and incorporate it into the show multiple times is so cool

- THOR!!!!! MY GUY!!!

- BRO SAM LITERALLY JUST REACHED FOR DANIEL'S HAND

- god the Asgard are so cool

- Message in a Bottle

- oh boy this one is INTENSE

- "you think it might be a booby trap?" "Booby?" PFFFFT

- those two have no personal space with eachother

- ah Daniel, sticking his foot in his mouth once again

- I know I've said it like a million times but I love Teal'c and Jack so much. One of them needs something and the other one is already doing it istg

- "undomesticated equines could not drag me away"

- seeing Jack on the verge of sobbing is heartbreaking omfg

- yeah Daniel you get that axe!!

- the Simmons side plot in this episode is so random

- Family

- I really hate when this guy comes back from the dead

- I've always wondered, why do some Jaffa have the metal marking like Teal'c while others have the black tattoo?

- this episode makes me so sad for Teal'c :(

- "but we are with father?" "Yes" "then to me, we are home" AHHHHHH

- Secrets

- oh boy this episode

- "General, Captain, General, waiter" Jack is so sassy I love him

- god Jacob really fuckin irks me sometimes ya know? That whole pushy dad who doesn't really get boundaries thing? Hate it

- Daniel making sure the decision is entirely Sha're's AHHHHH

- what the hell kind of father tells his daughter he's dying and his final wish is for her to completely change her life for him and when she says no, he storms off in a huff like a damn child

- the way Daniel is so excited when he says it's a boy, and then the second time realizing what that means AHHHH

- Jack's expression OUCHYYYY

- Bane

- ah hell this episode stresses me TF out y'all

- "we gotta get outta here" "No, really?" "No. Really."

- poor Teal'c :(

- despite the chaos that ensues in this episode, I feel like they really should've figured out some good protective armor or sent a robot back to investigate the society more. They were obviously advanced, there was probably so much stuff they could've learned from them

- "General, request permission to beat the crap out of this man"

- "I'm not gonna hit you Mayborne, I'm gonna shoot you"

- it really sucks that Teal'c first real experience on the surface is during this shit

- this kid rules but also like, don't talk to strangers dude

- god I love the goofy ass relationship between Teal'c and Daniel

- THE WET SHIRT SOUNDS XD

- The Tok'ra, Part 1

- see, Jacob being unfairly fuckin dickish to Sam once again

- I always find it so weird that she calls DID, Schizophrenia. Was that just the label they lumped it under at the time or something?

- why is it always Daniel walking in on some alien dude flirting with Sam XD

- The Tok'ra, Part 2

- SAM'S LITTLE SMILE AFTER TELLING JACOB ABOUT THE STARGATES BEING ON HUMAN COMPATIBLE PLANET

- Spirits

- another alien race I wish we got to know more about!!

- poor Jack :(

- pffft Jack's reaction

- "are you, you?" "Yeah, you?" "What? "Nevermind."

- Tonané is so awesome

- Touchstone

- "in my culture, it is well within my rights to dismember you" GOLD

- Jack in a backwards hat, AHH

- I'm sorry but Daniel being in a tactical situation wearing that damn floppy archeologist hat is so funny XD

- why is this making me a little emotional

- The Fifth Race

- oh boy

- I love the boxing scene so much XD

- this is honestly one of my favorite episodes

- pffft Teal'c casually restraining Jack

- "I can't leave him like this, and I won't" AHHHHHHHHH

- y'all I STILL get chills during this whole section

- "Chevron 8, is locked." AHHHHH!!!!

- little grey guys!!!

- god I love this scene

- now see, why do we never seen the Asgard use that hand thing again? Wtf is that?

- I LOVE THIS SCENE AHHHH!!!

- "you have already taken the first steps to becoming, the fifth race" AHHHHH

- A Matter of Time

- this is absolutely also one of my favorite episodes

- Major Davis!!! He is absolutely one of my favorite recurring side characters

- I love Janet for slapping tf outta that dude's gun XD

- where did the General get his blues from? He didn't go up the elevator with them on, at least not the jacket and hat

- "Captain, relativity gives me a headache" pffft

- the angst between Jack and Cromwell is so good

- the vortex is so cool ahhhhhhh

- I'm sad Daniel isn't in this episode :(

- yikes, that iris collapsing cgi was bot the best XD

- :(

- all I can imagine is how hard he must have slammed into the wall with the combination of the blast force and the gravity returning to normal, dropping him

- Daniel!!

- Holiday

- Serpent's Song

- I don't really feel like watching this one tbh

- god damn Teal'c is fast!!

- I always forget how much Simmons was in the show this early on instead of Walter. I wonder what prompted the switch

- Sokar is such a cool villain concept, the original Satan. Sucks he ended up being so lame after this

- serious, willing to kill Daniel is something else y'all

- it must be something else to be in the position Teal'c is right now. After spending your life serving what you thought for a long time was a god, turning on that god, and dedicating the rest of your life to defeating him and the others, now he is watching over that same man lying in a bed dying. He's entirely at the mercy if his captors, powerless, I can't imagine how that must feel for him to witness.

- SEE THAT PROJECTION THING IS SO COOL AND SPOOKY

- I can't imagine how good it must feel for Teal'c to get all this out

- the hot iris looks so damn cool

- One False Step

- oh this one!

- pfffft Sam slapping Daniel's shoulder

- PFFFT IT RUNNING AWAY

- I both love and dislike this episode

- Daniel interacting with these dudes is one of the funniest things in this show

- "I am not fond of this"

- Daniel just plopping down on the ground with them is so cute

- PFFFT THEM DRAWING ON HIM

- HIM PRETENDING TO BE A PLANE

- god this is such a good Daniel episode

- PFFFFT the way the dude just flops

- "this, this is nothing to worry about" *alien collapses* "of course I could be wrong"

- the way they're just tapping the collapsed ones 😭

- Sam tapping its arm to try and comfort it AHHHHH SO PRECIOUS

- I'm sad I had a bunch of stuff written after this and it didn't save for some reason :(

- Show and Tell

- this episode is so sad :(

- idk why Mother just stood in the room with the other 2 Reetou, or why the kid didn't tell anyone

- 1969

- idk, it's a good episode but I never really like rewatching it so I'm skipping for now

- Out of Hand

- oh dang it's this one

- they really did 2 time jump episodes back to back? I know this one is fake, but that feels like some bad timing. Surely they were all thinking, again? We just did this

- this is another flashback episode for the first like half so I'm gonna fast forward

- more than half!

- omg Daniel's first haircuttttt

- Teal'c's loyalty to SG-1 😭

- the flashbacks after he escapes are done much cooler

- ugh, Hathor

Season 3

(Link will be added once it's posted)

[dragonsarecool]

June of Doom Day 18 - Headache

A/N: Doc sometimes get too absorbed in his projects. A short piece set a few years prior to Part I.

By some miracle from the heavens, he'd managed to arrive for work early.

For fourteen-year-old Marty, given how often Strickland seemed to bombard him with tardy slips and trips to detention, it was most definitely a rare occasion. He was grateful that even when he was running late, Doc never spoke harshly to him or even acknowledged it half the time.

I just hope he doesn't mind that I am early for once…

The young man rang the doorbell twice before letting himself inside. "Yo, Doc!" Marty placed his skateboard next to the doormat, shuffling his backpack off his shoulders. "You here, Doc?"

Although he still didn't receive a response, he wasn't that concerned. Sometimes Doc was so wrapped up in whatever he was working on that until Marty tapped him on the shoulder, he had no idea he was there. This had resulted in a number of unintentional jumpscares until Doc decided to finally fix his doorbell, giving Marty a tool to announce his arrival. "Doc?..."

What did make him concerned was the sudden appearance of a frantic Einstein, barking and whining as he sprinted towards Marty. The faithful canine jumped towards the teenager, wailing as he tried to grab a piece of his shirt in his mouth.

"Einstein!" Marty attempted to calm the furry companion, failing to dodge the projectiles of spit flying at him. "Einstein, it's alright boy! Where's Doc?"

A sudden clattering from the back of the house made him jump, causing Einstein to abandon his obsession with the teenager and charge down the hallway, barking furiously as he went. Now starting to feel worried, Marty cautiously followed the canine into the depths of the house. "Doc? You okay?"

If the scientist did respond, Marty couldn't hear his reply over Einstein's wails. "Geez, Einy, calm down!" He ducked his head into the kitchen as he passed, though he found himself doing a double take as he realised there was an uneaten bowl of cereal and glass of milk adorning the kitchen bench. One sniff was enough to confirm his suspicions that it'd been out of the fridge for several hours, and he frowned in disgust. Did Doc even have breakfast this morning?…He's always telling me how its bad for you to skip food.

Einstein's yapping drew his attention back to the present, and Marty found himself trailing behind the dog as he led the teenager towards the back living room, and his panic only rose as he noticed the lights were off. "Doc?"

He went to flip the light switch when a strangled noise of protest made him jump. "Doc!"

Squinting through the dim light he managed to make out a familiar shape curled up on Einstein's dog bed, still dressed in a lab coat that desperately needed a run through the wash. Doc's hands were clutching at his hair, his fingers absently massaging his scalp through the strands as he kept his face firmly buried in the depths of a pillow.

It didn't take Marty long to work out what was wrong; he'd seen Doc in this state enough times to know the drill. "Another migraine?"

The scientist could only manage a low hum in response and Marty sighed numbly. That's the second one this month! And it's only the tenth!…

For God's sake, Doc, I told you that you gotta look after yourself! You can't work for twenty-six hours straight!

Marty leaned against the doorframe, glaring at the linoleum floor with He felt guilty for being so frustrated with the situation presented before him. Doc was an adult, after all, and therefore capable of looking after himself.

At the same time though, all he could see in that curled-up profile on the couch was his mother after a couple of bottles of wine.

At least Doc had the decency and humility to thank him after each episode had passed. His own mother usually didn't remember him cleaning up her vomit or placing a damp cloth on her forehead.

I'm getting too good at this whole 'nursing' bullshit.

Deciding to keep his thoughts private, Marty gave Einstein a thankful pat before he turned towards the kitchen. "I'll grab your water, Doc."

[davros42]

Rewatching Classic Doctor Who, some episodes I haven't seen in years, some of the animated reconstructions I haven't seen at all.

The Rescue AKA Serial L

The second production block of episodes starts with a tight little two-parter. We get a new companion, the first that we've seen that The Doctor takes on by choice (presumably Susan came by choice as well, but we never actually see that). The TARDIS gets it's distinctive 'VWORP' sound effect for the first time. Barbara gets yeeted off a cliff and then does a pet murder. Ian pronounces the villain's name as "Cocky lickin'" for some reason. It's a very full serial.

The episode starts with a long pan over some decent modelwork of a crashed spaceship. We get an introduction to Vicki: clever and excitable. She claims the rescue ship has landed but her bedridden companion Bennett claims that can't possibly be true. So what is it? The TARDIS has landed in a cave system nearby with the Doctor asleep at the wheel. In the process of preparing to disembark, The Doctor rather sweetly calls out for Susan before remembering she's left. I do like callbacks to old companions. Ian and Barbara explore while the Doctor takes a rock sample back to the TARDIS. They think he may be a bit depressed following Susan's departure. The Doctor's analysis of the rock sample, indicates they have arrived on the planet Dido, somewhere he's been before. Ian and Barbara come to a cliff from which they can see the crashed rocket but are interrupted by a strange creature who interrogates them. He sends Ian back for the Doctor, then pushes Barbara off a cliff. He then causes a cave-in to trap Ian and the Doctor.

Barbara survives, of course, and is hidden by Vicki. Vicki explains that the ship crash landed the crew were betrayed by the people of the planet and only Vicki and Bennett remain, held captive by a man named Koquillion. Ian and the Doctor move through the cave system, setting off some booby traps while they're at it. Back at the ship, Vicki tells Bennett that Barbara survived and he promptly faints. Vicki steps out, just in time to be menaced by a creature. So anyway, Barbara starts blasting and in a dangerously American moment kills Vicki's pet Sandy. Ian and the Doctor arrive. Vicki is understandably upset, but everyone sides with Barbara anyway. She's clearly the most dangerous member of the team.

The Doctor searched Bennett's room finding it empty.. and also finding a secret trap door. Ian and Barbara explain to Vicki that they are time travelers from 1963. Much to Barbara's chagrin, Vicki points out that this means they are over 500 years old. The trap door leads to a temple, full of ceremonial robes and gear... Koquillion appears to confront the Doctor who tells him that is blasphemy to wear the holy garb and he should remove it. Koquillion does so... revealing Bennett. Bennett murdered the crew of the ship and the people of Dido (apparently there's only one settlement on this planet? That's not important right now.) to cover up a murder he did before the crash. It's a nice little twist. Bennett attacks the Doctor, strangling him but two people of Dido appear (apparently, they were not all killed) and frighten Bennett until he falls off a cliff to his death.

The Doctor awakens on the TARDIS with Ian and Barbara. The Doctor goes to Vicki and asks her to come along. Ian and Barbara agree she should but it is up to Vicki who decides to come along. The TARDIS dematerializes...

...leaving the two people of Dido to smash up the radio system in the crashed rocket, making sure that rescue ship will never arrive.

The TARDIS rematerializes... and promptly falls off a cliff, a literal cliffhanger. And a good one. Welcome to the team, Vicki.

Two very fast paced episodes with a nice twist that probably couldn't have been sustained over more than two episodes. Koquillion's costume looks good, the model work is good. It's a nice little story, even if two random people of Dido turning up at the end to resolve everything is a bit anti-climactic. It is a sort of karmic justice, so it works. Barely. Honestly, if they hadn't smashed the radio at the end, it could have been up to the audience whether they were real or figments of Bennett's imagination or ghosts or something and the additional ambiguity would have made for a stronger ending. Audiences at the time enjoyed the story too, the second part of The Rescue was the first episode of Doctor Who to crack the top 10 most watched program(me)s of the week, increasing ratings from The Dalek Invasion of Earth

Next Up: The Romans. Now we're playing with fire.

[aoawarfare]

Episode 35 Turkestan and Bolshevism 1918

For this episode, we’re going to leave the Alash Orda in the Steppe with their Bolshevik and White Movement problem and return to the Jadids in Turkestan. Things were not going well for the Jadids. The Tashkent Soviet strangled the Kokand Government before it could breathe, the Bukharan and Khivan Emirs showed no interest in reform. Famine swept the land and the Basmachi were organizing themselves in the Ferghana. The Jadids themselves were on the run, without any real power, and the Bolsheviks were determined to spread communism into the region.

Enter Pyotr Kobozev

Lenin understood that the first step in regaining control over Turkestan was to settle the dispute between the indigenous peoples and the settlers. While the Bolsheviks negotiated with the Alash Orda in the Kazakh Steppes and the Czech Legion made their way to Vladivostok, the Bolsheviks appointed Pyotr Kobozev as plenipotentiary commissar for Turkestan.

Pyotr Kobozev

[Image Description: A black and white drawing of a man in a military cap with a star and the sickle and hammer. He has a thick, circular beard and mustache. He is looking to the left. He is wearing a white shirt and dark coat.]

Kobozev is an interesting figure of the Russian Civil War. He was born on August 4th, 1878, in the village of Pesochyna, Russia. He was born to a Moscow railroad employee but fell in love with theology and attended the Moscow seminary. He either left (or was expelled for taking part in a student uprising) and attended the Moscow secondary school of Ivan Findler. He frequented Marxist circles and joined the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party in 1898 while attending the Moscow Higher Technical School before being expelled once more for taking part in a student strike. He was exiled to Riga, Latvia. He remained involved with Marxist and Communist circles, making it almost impossible to find work. In 1915 he moved to Orenberg where he worked a railroad engineer and the leader of the city’s Russian Social Democratic Labour Party.

During the February Revolution he organized an agitation train along the Orenburg-Tashkent route, urging for support of the Bolsheviks. He would have been the Commissar of the Tashkent Railroad if the Provisional Government had not blocked his appointment. Instead, he was appointed the chief inspector over the educational institutions of the Ministry of Transport. Then the October Revolution.

Ataman Alexander Dutov took advantage of the revolution to claim power in the Orenburg region, which the Bolsheviks opposed. Kobozev was appointed the extraordinary commissar for the resistance to Dutov’s counterrevolution. He spent the rest of 1917 planning an assault on Dutov’s forces, reclaiming the city in January 1918. It is said he drove one of the armored trains himself.

After he reclaimed Orenburg, Kobozev was sent to Baku to nationalize the local old industry. With 200 million rubles, he was able to prop up the Bolsheviks in Orenburg, Baku, and Tashkent, successfully re-establishing the oil flow to Russia. In early 1918, Lenin sent a telegram to the Tashkent Soviets, announcing the arrival of Kobozev and two members of the People’s Commissariat of Nationalities in Tashkent. One of his travel companions was Arif Klebleyev a former member of the Kokand Autonomy. In fact, he was the one who sent a telegram to the Tashkent Soviet asking they recognize the Kokand Autonomy as a legal authority in Turkestan. Now he was working with the Soviets.

Lenin’s telegram read:

“We are sending to you in Turkestan two comrades, members of the Tatar-Bashkir Committee at the People’s Commissariat for Nationalities Affairs, Ibrahimov and Klebleyev. The latter is maybe already known to you as a former supporter of the autonomous group. His appointment to this new post might startle you; I ask you nevertheless to let him work, forgiving his old sins. All of us her think that now, when Soviet power is getting stronger everywhere in Russia, we shouldn’t fear the shadows of the past of people who only yesterday were getting mixed up with our enemies: if these people are ready to recognize their mistakes, we should not push them away. Furthermore, we advise you to attract to [political] work [even] adherents of Kerensky from the natives if they are ready to serve Soviet power-the latter only gains from it, and there is nothing to be afraid of in the shadows of the past” - Adeeb Khalid, Making Uzbekistan, pg. 94

Kobozev arrived in April 1918 and made the following changes:

First, he forced the inclusion of indigenous peoples in governing bodies, including the Fifth Congress of Soviets that convened in Tashkent on April 21st, 1918.

He also elected himself as chair of the presidium during the Congress.

During the same congress, he created the Central Executive Committee of Turkestan (TurTsIK) as the supreme authority in the region. He ensured that nine of its 36 members were Muslims.

Second, he proclaimed a general amnesty for everyone involved with the Kokand Government.

Third, he created the Communist Party in Turkestan (KPT) in June 1918. By 1920, it would consist of 57 thousand members.

Fourth, He forced a re-election to the Tashkent Soviet, winning a “brilliant victory of ours in the elections to Tashkent’s proletarian parliament has decisively crushed the hydra of reaction…White Muslim turbans have grown noticeably in the ranks of the Tashkent parliament, attaining a third of all seats” - Adeeb Khalid, making Uzbekistan, pg. 94

The Rise of the Jadids

Jadids were not enthused at first. Between the bloodbath that followed the Russian Revolution and the overthrow of the Kokand Autonomy, they had little reason to trust the Bolsheviks. Abdurauf Fitrat would write in 1917:

“Russia has seen disaster upon disaster since the [February] transformation and now a new calamity has raised its head, that of the Bolsheviks!” - Adeeb Khalid, Making Uzbekistan, pg. 95

G’ozi Yunus, another Jadid, would write about the Tashkent Soviet:

“Muslims have not seen a kopek’s worth of good from the Freedom [i.e., the Revolution]. On the contrary, we are experiencing times worse than those of Nicholas” - Adeeb Khalid, Making Uzbekistan, pg. 95

For a moment, they looked to the Ottoman Empire as a source of salvation and G’ozi Yunus even traveled to Istanbul to petition the Ministry of War. When the Ottoman Empire was defeated during the world war (and Russia leaked the secret treaty between Britain and France divvying up Ottoman land amongst themselves), the world lost the last independent Muslim empire and the Jadids were forced to turn internally and to their neighbors for support.

The Jadids used their new political power to, first, punish their old enemies the ulama. They used the KPT in old city Tashkent to take land from the ulama and on May 21st, 1918, the commissar of the old city shut down the Ulamo Jamiyati, their journal al-Izoh and took its property. For the next two years, the Bolsheviks would requisition lands once owned by the ulama on the behalf of the new-method schools started by the Jadids and their theatrical groups, empowering one set of indigenous peoples over another. The Jadids also targeted the ulama’s control over the waqf. A waqf is a religious donation of land or money that can be used to support the community. The ulama controlled what could be donated and how it was distributed amongst the community. The Jadids, by taking control, wanted to use the waqf founds to support causes they thought worthy and would help modernize society.

The ulama for their part either found refugee with the more conservative elements of the society, joined the Basmachi, or attempted to win Bolshevik support by proclaiming that socialism had roots in Islam and they were the truly anti-capitalist sect whereas the Jadids were westernized modernizers who would bring about capitalism to Turkestan.

The Muslims of Turkestan were granted the right to use firearms, and, despite Kobozev’s efforts, the old dynamics returned to the city. The newer settlements remained the stronghold of the Russian settlers while the Muslims’ power was confined to the old city. The Jadids recruited Ottoman POWs to serve as teachers where they created clubs and secret societies. Some of these clubs were nationalistic, others were social gatherings. From 1918-1920, the Ottoman POWs became a core facet of Turkestan society as the indigenous peoples tried to survive the tumultuous end of the decade.

Turar Risqulov

The opening of the political world attracted other activists who did not support the Jadid’s version of reform. The Jadids got their start in political activism via the arts and education. This new cadre of politicians entered politics through the radicalization of the famine and violence against Muslim peasants and nomads and spoke the language of Bolshevism and the revolution. Many of these new politicians were younger than the Jadids and had gone through the Russian-native schools, giving them the benefit of speaking fluent Russian (similar to the members of the Alash Orda). Few had ever taken part in the Islamic reform championed by the Jadids.

Turar Risqulov

[Image Description: A black and white pciture of a man standing at an angle. He is looking at the camera. He has bushy black hair and a short mustache. He is wearing round, wire frame glasses. His hands are in his dark grey suit pants. he is wearing a white button down shirt, a grey tie, and a dark grey vest and suit jacket. A flag is pinned to his suit lapel.]

One of these men, a fascinating person who is my newest obsession was Turar Risqulov (1894-1938) He was born in Semirech’e to a Kazakh family who was poor but had high status. He went to a Russo-native school and worked for a Russian lawyer and then went to the agriculture school in Pishpek. In October 1916 he went to the Tashkent normal school and then the Russian revolution happened. Up to this point he had no public life but in 1917 he returned to his hometown of Merke and founded the Union of Revolutionary Kazakh Youth. He returned to Tashkent in 1918 and was named Turkestan’s commissar for health.

In November 1918, Risqulov was reporting to the Turkestan Sovnarkom about the situation in Avilyo Ota uezd where 300,000 Kazakhs died from starvation, but the settlers levied an additional tax of 5 million rubles on the survivors. Risqulov called this what it was-colonial exploitation This inspired an ideology of communistic anticolonialism. In May 1920, Turar wrote:

“In Turkestan as in the entire colonial East, two dominant groups have existed and [continue to] exist in the social struggle: the oppressed, exploited colonial natives, and European capital.” Imperial powers sent “their best exploiters and functionaries” to the colonies, people who liked to think that “even a worker is a representative of a higher culture than the natives, a so-called “Kulturtrager.” - Adeeb Khalid, Central Asia, pg. 170

For Turar the communist revolution was synonym was anti-imperialist in all its forms. If the revolution could not throw off the shackles of imperialism, then it was a failed revolution. While we’ll talk more about his political career, his ideology raises an important question for us: what did communism actually mean to the indigenous people of Central Asia?

A revolutionary example for the Muslim World

The Jadids

For the Jadids, Bolshevism was a revolutionary force they could use to achieve modernization. Even though they adopted Bolshevik language, they could not map the Bolshevik obsession with class to their own society. Instead, they translated class warfare into anticolonialism, conflating Islam, nationalism, and revolution into a singular vision of anti-imperialism with their enemies including the ulama, the emirs, and the British (the conquerors of the Ottomans and the latest colonizer of Muslim lands). Fitrat even went as far as to write that India’s efforts to overthrow Britain’s rule was

“as great a duty as saving the pages of the Quran from being trampled by an animal…a worry as great as that of driving a pig out of a mosque.” - Adeeb Khalid, Making Uzbekistan, pg. 103

The Jadids wanted to create a Turkestan that was Muslim, nationalistic, and revolutionary, free of settler dominance and source of revolution for the Muslim world. They discovered that the Bolsheviks shared in their belief in women liberation, economic redistribution, and power of the people (or proletariat). Additionally, the Bolsheviks had the power to do what the Jadids could not: overthrow the settlers and the emirs just as they overthrew the Tsar and the aristocracy of Russia. In 1919, the First Congress of Muslim Communists passed the following resolution:

“To the revolutionary proletariat of the East, of Turkey, India, Persia, Afghanistan, Khiva, Bukhara, China, to all, to all, to all!

We the Muslim Communists of Turkestan, gathered together at our first regional conference in Tashkent, send you our fraternal greeting, we who are free to you who are oppressed. We wait impatiently for the time when you will follow our example and take control in your own hands, in the hands of local soviets of workers’ and peasants’ deputies. We hope soon to come shoulder to shoulder with you in your struggle with the yoke of world capitalism, manifested in the East in the form of the English suffocation of native peoples” – Adeeb Khalid, Making Uzbekistan, pg. 106

The Jadid’s embrace of an anticolonial revolution coincided with Afghanistan defeating the British in 1919, the wave of Ottoman POWs now free to roam Turkestan as well as an influx of Indian activists via Afghanistan. The Afghan Khan, Amanullah, looked to the Soviets for support against a British return. For their part, the Bolsheviks helped established a modern army in Afghanistan and allowed Afghanistan to open a consulate in Tashkent (but their relationship would always be strained whether because the Bolsheviks feared Afghan intervention in favor of the Bukharan Emir or because Afghanistan made no secret its desire to expand its influence into the rest of Central Asia).

The Indian activists (as well as many Ottoman expats) traveled through Afghanistan and into Turkestan to meet with the Bolsheviks, who represented an anti-colonial revolution about to overtake the world. Sakirbeyzade Rahim, an Anatolian representative would write in 1920 that:

“Turkestan is the path to liberation of the East, [and] the Red Soviets are the way to our natural and human rights. From now on, Turkestan and Turan will live only under the Red Soviet banner” - Adeeb Khalid, Making Uzbekistan, pg. 105

Yet, despite all of this revolution activity, these efforts never materialized into an organized revolution. Instead, many hopeful revolutionaries came together, talked, and started nascent organizations, but were never able to go further than that.

If the Jadids believed they were the leaders of a Muslim revolution, what did the Bolsheviks believe?

The Bolsheviks

Back in 1917, the Bolsheviks were very anticolonial and Muslim friendly, claiming:

"All you, whose mosques and shrines have been destroyed, whose faith and customs have been violated by the Tsars and oppressors of Russia! Henceforward your beliefs and customs, your national and cultural institutions, are declared free and inviolable! Build your national life freely and without hindrance.” - Adeeb Khalid, Making Uzbekistan, pg. 91

I don’t think this changed as they marched into 1918, but their understanding of what Turkestan needed conflicted with what the Jadids and Alash Orda were fighting for. The Bolsheviks thought in terms of class and industry and for them nationalism was the form class took in the colonies. So, while they initially supported nationalistic projects, they always intended for nationalism to be a steppingstone to true communism. But for the Jadids and Alash Orda, nationalism was the end goal. The Bolsheviks failed to win the Alash Orda’s trust and support and they were determined now to make the same mistake in Turkestan.

But what made Turkestan so important for the Bolsheviks? There is an ideological and an economic reason.

Ideologically, the Bolsheviks believed that converting Turkestan to communism would open the door for further communist expansion into the East. As Lenin argued in November 1919:

“It is no exaggeration to say that the establishment of proper relations with the peoples of Turkestan is now of immense, world-historic importance for the Russian Socialist Federated Soviet Republic. For the whole of Asia and for all the colonies of the world, for thousands and millions of people, the attitude of the Soviet worker-peasant republic to the weak and hitherto oppressed peoples is of very practical significance.” (Adeeb Khalid, Making Uzbekistan pg. 92)

This was particularly appealing as communist expansion floundered in the West. Trotsky would argue that:

“The road [to revolution in] Paris and London [lay] via the towns of Afghanistan, the Punjab, and Bengal” - Adeeb Khalid, Central Asia, pg. 172

They legitimately believed that Communism would flounder if it didn’t get a foothold outside of Russia and so they turned to the peoples the Tsar once oppressed. As they made overtures to the Jadids (and the Alash Orda) Lenin stressed the importance of not upsetting the indigenous peoples and to put the Russian settlers in their place before they ruined everything.

Vladimir Lenin

[Image Description: A black and white photo of a balding man staring intensely into the camera. He has a wiry mustache and goatee. He is wearing a white collared, button down shirt, a black tie, and a black suit]

Economically, the Soviets needed material and economic resources, especially cotton. The Russia the Soviet’s inherited was a stunted version of Tsarist Russia. No longer could they count on the economic and material resources of their western colonies and now the vast lands of the Steppe and Turkestan were at risk of escaping Russian control. The Commissar for Trade and Industry, L. B. Krasin, wrote:

“the recent reunion of Turkestan presents the opportunity…for making broad use of the region as well as of countries neighboring it…for the export of cotton, rice, dry fruits, and other goods necessary not only for the internal market of Russia, but also for its external trade.” - Adeeb Khalid, Making Uzbekistan, pg. 93

The challenge was benefiting from Turkestan’s resources without invoking the greed and bad memories of the Tsars.

By the end of 1918, the Jadids and Bolsheviks were working together to rebuild a functioning government in Turkestan. And yet, they both had two very different, clashing visions for Turkestan’s future. The Jadids entered 1919 needing to settle their differences with the Bolsheviks or risk the fate of the Alash Orda: a modernizing movement marginalized by its “allies” and the civil war.

Resources

Making Uzbekistan: Nation, Empire, and Revolution in the Early USSR by Adeeb Khalid

Russian Colonial Society in Tashkent, 1865-1923 by Jeff Sahadeo

Central Asia: a History by Adeeb Khalid

[sonofcoulson]

Tales of Asgard

Series 2, Episode 5

Balder the Brave part II

Again, this is mostly taken from The Warriors Teen comic. The main difference being that they are not teens here but young adults. And also they wear proper armour instead of tunics. The storyline was a good fit for where I wanted to take the characters and only needed a few little tweaks.

We join our trio sunbathing and bantering before making their way through the temperate rainforest to the dunes at the edge of Asgard where the mines of Jennia plunge below the surface of the desert.

Unlike the blatant excuse to build some sexual tension in the comics, Sif and the boys go to bathe separately. Loki uses illusion to mimic the boys and Sif and manages to separate them. Thor rushes back to Sif who is dressed and drying her hair. He realises it was a trick and they race to Balder who is being strangled by enchanted vines. They manage to free him in time.

Sif says Loki is here. Balder croakily concurs. Thor is wavering now. He calls Loki. Loki, of course, silently presses himself into the foliage. Balder croaks they should get out into the open.

They go back to get their gear from where they were sunbathing and are worried. If it was Loki, he seemed to be trying to kill Balder. It could be any one of them next. If it's not Loki they possess a very similar skillset. Thor asks why anyone would be trying to kill them? Let alone their brother. Sif says he's no brother of mine.

They warily set up camp in silence. Thor wants to take first watch but Sif insists. The boys have a heart to heart about the current state of their family. Sif tells them to get some sleep.

The mirror user observes the tense trio and notes that Odin's other son is glowering in the treeline. An unwitting ally as she says in the comics.

The next day there are a few quips but the group is not as bantery as before. No sexist comments from Thor like the comic though.

Also, Sif does not suddenly go all girly at the thought of jewels as in the comic.

Then gang are suddenly swallowed by quicksand one by one. Loki approaches and appears to shed a tear as he proclaims it done, though not by his hand. Then he too sinks.

The trio come to in a chamber surrounded by strange childlike creatures with glowing red eyes. Thor, already riled up tries to bat them away and they start to swarm him. They start to creep onto Sif as well. Balder recognises them as the Jennia, keepers of the jewels. The feed on emotion. He advises the others to be calm and rid themselves of emotion. They do and the Jennia retreat, leaving a jewel.

When Sif states that anyone with hatred in their heart would be in for a worser fate, we expect to see Loki engulfed by Jennia. Instead we cut to Loki having been rescued/captured by the magic mirror user who is revealed to be...Karnilla...

Karnilla is the Norn Queen and believes that Odin owes a large unpaid debt to the Fates of Norn as he gained knowledge of the runes without permission.

"Such powerful magic for less than half a soul? We would have charged a much steeper price if we had known."

The Fates (Skuld, Verandi and Urd) warn Loki that Odin will pay a terrible price. Karnilla says "exactly ". Loki tries to pretend he doesn't care. Verandi tells him that he longs for Odin to love him the way he loves his other sons. She tells them to be quiet, how Loki has no love for family. How she has seen him trying to murder both his brothers and their companion.

Urd says he made a pact with hatred.

Karnilla asks her elderly assistant Haag to still their wagging tongues.

K: How hard can it be to destabilise a royal family?

That first ungrateful wench...you give a girl a little power and...

Ah sorry, you can't speak about her at the moment can you?

Then if your foolish wife hadn't actually fallen in love with you this could all have been done by now.

L: Sigyn? You sent her?

K: Where do you think she learned all those things that your mother wouldn't teach you? She thought I was putting you on the throne. I just wanted the chaos.

But she had to get herself thrown in jail defending you. Now I shall just have to take care of things myself.

Cut to the trio in the forests of Lilitha. Thor is nostalgic for swimming and climbing there in his childhood. Balder has noticed the trees seem to be dying.

The comics go in for some love triangle nonsense here. Not us.

Then Loki apparates in, tears in his eyes, genuinely conflicted.

Thor asks him how he has appeared here and why? Has Odin sent him? Is Asgard in trouble?

Loki names Karnilla and tells of her plot to kill Odin and take Asgard with the Utgard giants and the creatures of Niflheim. How she captured him while he followed them and tried to turn him against Asgard. He refused, she admired his previously unobserved backbone and weirdly kissed him. This allowed him to steal a little of her power, which meant he could apparate.

Sif is enraged! She knew Loki had been conspiring against them! How he nearly killed Balder. The spiders...that was you too wasn't it?

Loki lies and says it was all Karnilla.

Sif wants to run him through with her blade. Balder muses that it could be a plot to make them fail the quest.

Thor puts it to him, Loki says no even after everything he still loves father and that he needs them all. They (Thor and Balder that is) choose to believe him.

Loki conjures them horses from the fallen leaves (they are stunned by his magic prowess, this makes Sif a little more suspicious) and they ride to Asgard. Thor stays to finish the quest as Odin may want Svadren for the fight. Loki leaves a horse for him.

He fights a conjured stone golem which he assumes was conjured by Karnilla. He fights with particular fierceness as he has no time to waste. When he finally reaches the lake he sees it is dry. Magically drained. He scoops some into a bottle as a reminder to never fail again then rides like the wind to Asgard.

He finds it under assault by the forces of Niflheim (giants, orcs, ogres and goblins) and storms his way through. This rallies the troops.

Thor finds Sif and Balder and tells them the quest has failed.

Odin battles his way to them and tells them there will be no talk of failure. Defend Asgard!

Thor, Sif and the Warriors Three defend one side of the gate, Balder and Heimdall the other. Odin holds fast in the middle. Einherjar are positioned strategically. Loki is murdering Niflheimers too.

They hold fast. The Utgard Giants et al, see defeat is coming and decide to retreat.

Just as the celebrations begin Karnilla apparates in and shoots Thor straight through the heart with an arrow. Then she apperates into the throne room. Balder warns a shocked Odin that she may go for his vault. Odin grabs Mjölnir, calls for Sleipnir and races upstairs. Epic battle between Odin, Frigga and Karnilla. Odin and Frigga eventually win.

Coming back down they see they have not been able to save Thor.

Odin ritualistically pours the sand from the bed of the Lake of Lilitha on to Thor's wound. He gives a regretful and moving speech while Frigga, Sif and Balder mourn. The Warriors Three cling to eachother for comfort. Heimdall and the Einherjar remove their helmets. Heads bowed.

Then as the tears of Frigga, Sif and Balder mingle with the sand it turns to water and heals the wound. Thor lives! They bottle the rest of the magical liquid.

Just as everyone is celebrating, a dishevelled Karnilla appears holding Loki at knifepoint. If she can't have the kingdom, she will have a sacrifice for the knowledge of the runes. One of your sons must forfeit their lives.

They all show concern for Loki. Even Odin. Karnilla scoffs that their lives would be much easier without him. All the trouble he caused. She blames Loki for all the things he blamed her for. Even the stone golem. That he followed them and sabotaged them because his heart was full of jealousy and hate.

Sif says she knew it. Thor cries out , "You lie, witch!". Balder reasons that this may all be true. But despite all that, knowing the consequences of being found out, Loki chose to do the right thing and saved all of Asgard.

Dialogue from the comic:

K:How can you defend him? His hands are as dirty as mine.

My hands...that will spill blood once more today.

B: If you must take a life this day...take mine.

I forfeit it in exchange for Loki's.

And if the denizens of Asgard hate Loki, as you say, won't my death better satisfy your need for revenge?

K (releasing Loki and pointing knife at Balder): You fool! What kind of man would sacrifice his life for that of his enemy?

B: A man who knows no enemy.

A man who believes in the value of all life.

A man who believes there is good in every soul.

Even in yours, Karnilla.

K (releasing him too): This is not over, Balder.

She apparates away. Odin confirms she is gone.

He vows to have the sword forged.

Sif and the Warriors Three are sent with the four elements to Nidavellir. In a month he there will be a ceremony to bestow the sword upon the winner. That he has much to deliberate upon. Now he would speak to his other son. But Loki is gone.

One month later, at the ceremony, Svadren is given to Balder for his mercy and compassion. Celebrations!

Some time after that Balder and Nanna, Thor, Sif and the Warriors Three return to Lilitha with the last few drops remaining in the vial and empty them onto the lake bed. Slowly, the water returns. The friends swim, splash and horse about. Happy ending!

Post credits - Loki just sitting there in the family home hatred bubbling away under the surface. One of his boys runs through shouting for his father. Sigyn's mum comes and ushers him away as Loki glowers.

[alfred-e-neuman]

Yellowstone Thoughts Cont. (2/?)

I’ve made it to the 4th season of this show. I will say from a narrative perspective, it did pick up enough to grab my interest. However, I’m seeing a familiar problem in this show many of the other drama’s on television have, especially ones with law enforcement authority in them. 

The thing about writing a show featuring criminals as your narrative drivers is you are going to need to come up with a conflict that the audience will accept as “bad guys for the bad guys”. In this case, women/children killers, rapists, neo-nazi white supremacists, literally all of the scum of the scum as been brought forward to fight the Duttons. However--as of where I’m at the start of season 4--nothing has come of Jamie strangling an innocent woman to death for doing her job, the countless people that were just murdered by Rip because they “knew too much”, the laws broken to keep the ranch under ownership of the Duttons, for every law they break, there is an enemy that has broken a more sociably worse law that the Duttons have to take care of. 

Every cop show on TV does this. Cops get to bend or break the rules as long as the narrative convinces you that it was the morally right thing to do. Walker can’t just leave the ranch, he’s got to be disposed of, because he “knows to much”. The reporter was killed, because she knew too much. This is all ok in the narrative of the show, because the “heroes” of the show’s goals is to keep Yellowstone ranch. So, as a viewer who isn’t thinking beyond the moving pictures and the red state rhetoric, it’s their goal as well. Bad guys get shifted over on the line of morality because there are worse guys. That’s what this show has been doing.

As of the leftist messaging in the show, I can see why a lot of red-hatted dipshits wouldn’t have caught the messaging because it’s REALLY nuanced. In a recent episode, a group of guys laid out that the farmers votes are what win the elections because they’ve worked out how to keep the “barista hippies” from voting. They basically broke down voter fraud and subjugation, but it was presented in a way where they were attempting to get one of the fan favorite characters to be governor of Montana and told him they knew how to make it happen. So, it wasn’t presented as an existing problem in today’s society in a way that informs an audience of the problem, but presented as a positive way to get what is wanted by the large portion of the show’s core demographic. Red-Hatted dipshits don’t give a shit about election fraud as long as it works in their favor, I mean *gestures at Jan 6th*. 

Is this show good? Yes. Does it require a certain mindset to pick up on it’s leftist narrative? Yes. Is this going to convert the red masses to understanding they are pumping fuel into fascism and destroying the country and change their ways? lol no. 

Would I recommend Yellowstone? Maybe. If you were a fan of Sons of Anarchy, then thought “what if there was a LOT more yeehaw in my Biker Gang show”, than Yellowstone is for you because HOOOOOOboy is this just YeeHaw Sons of Anarchy. And I’m not saying that because the shows are ~kinda~ similar, there are direct narrative parallels. 

-Son of the “top dog” who was training to take over the family business isn’t really the son of “top dog”

-Symbol etched into the flesh of those part of the group, and if they leave they have to be killed/have it removed.

-Brown skinned side characters who were enemies at first become semi-companions as their interests align.

-Tough as nails female character gets sexually assaulted.

-Pretty boy fan favorite son of top dog and his “doesn’t know too much about this life until she is forced to understand” wife doing everything in their power to create a future for their children.

There are many more but you get the idea.

I’m positive the comparisons hasn’t gone unnoticed because there was even a scene where a group of Bikers from California get absolutely owned by the ranchers in the dumbest way possible. As if to say “we remember you’re little show, it’s our time now”, lulz.

To me, it’s good. It’s a fun time. It’s not groundbreaking tv, but I like a good western and I’m especially looking forward to watching the movie and the subsequent show with Harrison Ford. Should be a blast. 

[clowncarstars]

TW/// Blood +Strangling

Damn it Michael you scarred another child

Anyway this is a continuation of the last fnafsb dlc post I made with the idea of Michael being the companion in the upcoming dlc. With the dlc not coming out for a bit I’ve been making up scenarios and dlc theories.

One of my theories is that the reason dlc girl is at the burned down pizzaplex is not to search for Gregory, but her sister who didn’t come home after the place had burned down.

Anyway, after meeting Michael and exploring through the burned down pizzaplex they eventually run into vanny. Vanny kidnaps DLC girl and threatens to kill her but Michael saves her and fights vanny. During this fight Michaels PTSD acts up and imagines vanny as his father to cope with the situation at hand. Michael ends up on top of vanny and rips off her mask revealing to dlc girl that this bunny murderer is actually her sister. While this is happening Michaels PTSD episode has peeked and he begins to strangle vanny believing he is killing his father. DLC girl snaps Michael out of his episode explaining that this is her sister and he stops strangling her.

Will I continue this? Who knows…

[davids-cartoon-corkboard]

Episode 10: The Samadhi Fire

(original thoughts here)

Nezha sounds a bit younger in the flashback, maybe in his “late teens”? Journey to the West was inspired by the pilgrimage of a real monk named Xuanzang, which took place in the 600s. Assuming the Journey in Lego Monkie Kid took place at around the same time, that’s almost 1400 years ago from our perspective; given that the show’s setting is somewhat futuristic, I’d add at least another century on top of that. It’s no surprise that Nezha aged a little during that time (or did voice training to seem older, lol).

Tang Sanzang, Zhu Bajie, and Sha Wujing all have the same voice actors as Tang Shifu, Zhu Dachu, and Sha Dali, respectively. That’s... that’s gotta be difficult for Sun Wukong in the modern day, being around people who look and sound so much like his past companions, but are (as far as he knows...) total strangers.

---

We hear some of White Bone Spirit’s creepy ghost whispers as her hold on Macaque breaks, so she’s almost certainly aware it happened.

Though Sun Wukong was the only one who reacted to her little “destiny cannot be undone” quip, so I think that was him remembering something she said to him in the past, rather than something she was saying in that moment.

We got that line as SWK was actively strangling Macaque, it’s likely another hint that WBS was involved with the fight between them- perhaps she whispered doubts and falsehoods to them, and their fight wouldn’t have been as intense or as deadly without her influence?

---

It’s... interesting that Sha Dali was the one to point out that Long Xiaojiao is descended from Ao Lie, rather than that line being part of SWK’s explanation. Sure, Sha Dali was there for her family exposition back in “Coming Home”, but Ao Lie was never mentioned then; he’d have no way to know Ao Lie was specifically her ancestor and not a distant uncle or cousin... unless he’s secretly Sha Wujing and thus knows more than he lets on, but that idea is totally bonkers, right? 😉

---

SWK is looking at LXJ’s dragon form as she verbally eviscerates him. While he knows LXJ is the one speaking, he probably feels like these words are coming from Ao Lie.

“We trusted you! All of us! How could you lead us into this fight without a real plan? Time and time again, I’ve watched you put [us] in danger, leaving [us] to figure out everything on [our] own! Don’t you realize you’re hurting the people who care about you the most?”

Is that why SWK is so adamant about not accepting help from others? Did the other Journey members die in the process of sealing WBS? Does he blame himself for their deaths?!

---

What’s up with this forest location? We know that ordinary water cannot extinguish the Samadhi Fire, is this lake(?) magical in nature? That would explain why Red Son was there; if he sensed the Fire activating, naturally he’d look for such a useful resource.

Presumably he still has LXJ’s spare phone from “Revenge of the Spider Queen”, so she'll be able to call the T.E.A. squad and let them know where she is.

-----

(Ep. 1) (Ep. 2) (Ep. 3) (Ep. 4) (Ep. 5)

(Ep. 6) (Ep. 7) (Ep. 8) (Ep. 9) (Ep. 10: You Are Here)

[randomposterofstuff]

An in-depth analysis of Mikasa’s character development in relation to Eren and Levi

Author's Note: Hi, all! As I was re-reading and going over my previous post/analysis titled "On the change of dynamics of Mikasa's relationships with Eren and Levi," I realized that there were some points that I should've/could've included. Lol. I also came up with other points of analysis as well as arrived at other realizations concerning Mikasa's connections with Eren and Levi. So, I've decided to post them here. This post can be considered a continuation of the previous analysis since it supplements and further expounds on the last post's points. But this can still stand on its own since it also talks about additional issues. Haha. If you want to read the previous post, the link is up there. Hehehe.

Fair Warning: This is a very long post. Lol.

This post will analyze the following:

1.  How Mikasa's connection to Eren is rooted in their shared history. This was already touched upon in the previous post, but this post will expound more on this.

2.  How Mikasa's character development is affected by Eren's own character development. How her development as a character is affected by this will also be discussed. This segment will also analyze how Mikasa's connection to Eren became strained because of the latter's drastic change in the latter part of the series.

3.  How "Chapter 138: A Really Long Dream" is about Mikasa finally letting go of and "waking up" from her dream. This post shall also analyze how Chapter 138 is actually the climax and turning point of Mikasa's character development concerning Eren.

4.  How Eren represents Mikasa's dream, while Levi represents her reality. This will be further expounded on later.

From the foregoing topics, it’s clear that this is a primarily Mikasa-centered analysis. Haha. I just had so many thoughts running through my mind about her development that I was eager to make this post. Lol.

So, anyway, we now delve in:

1.    Mikasa's connection to Eren is rooted in their shared history.

In the series, most of Mikasa's actions and reactions tend to either revolve around or be connected to Eren. About this, it is necessary to take into account their relationship and shared history.

Before Mikasa met Eren, she was a young girl who lived a relatively peaceful and quiet life with her loving parents. But then, all that changed when human traffickers killed her parents in front of her eyes and kidnapped her to sell her as a sex slave.

During this time, she was just an innocent young girl who hadn't experienced much of the world yet. So, one can only imagine the pain, shock, and trauma that she must have felt during her brief period of captivity. Being so young at the time, she was understandably shaken and scared – having had her family and her innocence forcibly and violently taken away from her.

However, hope came in the form of a young Eren who had gone looking for her on his own when he and his father discovered her parents' bodies. When he found her, he wasted no time taking action and immediately killed two of her captors before freeing her. When the third captor arrived and tried to strangle Eren, he told her to fight. At first, she was scared to do so, as evidenced by her shaking when she held the knife Eren used to cut her binds. While he kept telling her to fight, memories suddenly flashed in her mind, and they made her realize that they lived in a cruel but beautiful world. During this time, her dormant "Ackerman powers" awakened and thus gave her the strength and courage to actually fight and deliver the killing blow – thereby freeing both herself and Eren. As we all know, in the aftermath, the Yeagers took Mikasa in, and Eren gave her his scarf when she said that she felt cold.

As mentioned before, Mikasa and Eren's shared history is important. This is because it defined the early dynamics of their relationship. Eren was literally and figuratively her savior. He saved her from captivity and from a potential future of abuse. He also saved her from loneliness and despair. When she lost her biological parents, she found a new family in Eren, Grisha, and Carla. The Yeager parents treated her warmly and kindly, and Eren was her constant companion (apart from Armin, of course). Having experienced the severe trauma of violently losing her parents, she never wanted to lose anyone precious to her ever again. This is evidenced by the following situations in the series:

a)  When she and Eren desperately wanted to save Carla from the Smiling Titan in Season 1. Neither she nor Eren wanted to leave her behind. So, when Hans carried them away to safety, Mikasa was visibly crying and heartbroken.

b)  When she attacked Levi with tears in her eyes when he initially declared that he would use the Titan serum on Erwin instead of Armin. Armin, alongside Eren, was one of the most precious people left in her life. As such, the idea of losing him was painful. When Levi eventually decided to save Armin instead, Mikasa wept tears of joy when Armin fully recovered after eating Bertolt.

c)  When Mikasa cried upon seeing Sasha's dead body. While the development of their friendship wasn't fully shown, it was clear that Sasha meant a great deal to Mikasa as the former's death affected her deeply.

About Mikasa not wanting to lose anyone close to her, it is evident and apparent that Eren was the most special person in her life. This is not surprising since Eren was the one who literally saved her, and there's also the fact that he was the only one left of her adoptive family. Apart from these, I think that the following reasons are also possible and probable causes as to why Eren was the most special:

a)  Eren was her source of hope and strength. When she fell into despair when she was kidnapped, Eren gave her hope when he came to her rescue. It was also during the struggle against her captors that she awakened her inner Ackerman power. So, she might have attributed her then new-found strength to him. 

[Side note: I'm aware that Eren was lying when he commented that Mikasa had responded to his "command" to fight back then because she mistakenly thought that he was a "royal host." In the “Attack on Titan ANSWERS” guidebook, Isayama-sensei himself stated that "[Mikasa, Levi, and Kenny] are all part of the same Ackerman bloodline. However, their reasons for protecting their respective counterparts do not have anything to do with the bloodline itself—it is just their nature." When I said that Mikasa attributed her then new-found strength to him, I was talking in figurative and emotional terms. Lol.]

Screenshots taken from Season 1, Episode 6 of the “Attack on Titan” anime

b)    In her eyes, Eren represented the good in their cruel world. Because of Eren, Mikasa realized that the world is cruel but is also beautiful – meaning that there's also good in it

Screenshots taken from Season 1, Episode 7 of the “Attack on Titan” anime

My take is that all of these things shaped and formed the beginnings of Mikasa's connection to Eren. Their shared history influenced Mikasa's overly protective nature towards him and her affection for him. Eren was the foundation of her strength and a constant reminder that there was still good in the cruel world they lived in. As such, she would have done anything to protect him and all that he meant to her.

This is particularly important as we proceed to the second point of this analysis, which is how Mikasa's character development is affected by Eren's.

-----

2.    Mikasa's character development is affected by Eren's.

For the most part of the series, Mikasa has been characterized by her strong urge to protect Eren. The reasons behind this protective nature of hers have already been expounded earlier. At this juncture, I shall now discuss how Mikasa was affected by the kind of person Eren used to be.

Specifically, this portion of the analysis will be divided into two (2) parts: the first will be about their character developments during the pre-Marley arc. The second will be about their developments during the Marley arc and going onwards.

a)    Pre-Marley Arc

As previously mentioned, Eren was her literal savior. And she saw firsthand how he would willingly place himself in danger to protect others. She appreciated Eren's good-nature. And she likely saw him as a sort of embodiment of the things that make the cruel world they live in more bearable and more beautiful.

It is essential to consider the kind of person that Eren used to be before the Marley arc. Before the truth of the world and the Titans was revealed, Eren was a mischievous and stubborn child. Still, at the same time, he was also good-natured, determined, selfless, and courageous. His resolve, courage, and desire to protect others were further amplified when the Warriors of Marley attacked his hometown of Shiganshina and when the Smiling Titan ate his mother.

The early stages of Eren's development are relevant to Mikasa's own development. Due to his well-meaning nature and their shared history, Mikasa felt strongly inclined to side with him and protect him at all times. While this is understandable on her part, it has also proven to be problematic.

Her disposition towards Eren impaired her judgment

For instance, it has been shown on more than one occasion that Mikasa's affection for Eren has impaired her judgment. This has been exemplified in the following cases:

a)    Back in Season 1, when both she and Armin thought that Eren had been killed, Mikasa went on a reckless rampage on her own against the Titans which invaded Trost. To be fair, she was grief-stricken under the circumstances. Nonetheless, her actions were still irresponsible, and she nearly lost her own life because of them.

b)    When she recklessly went after Annie in her Female Titan form after the latter had captured Eren in the Forest of Giant Trees outside the Walls. Mikasa would have probably been killed had Levi not arrived. Furthermore, because of her rage towards Annie during this time, Mikasa disobeyed Levi's order not to engage Annie in battle. Her decision endangered her; it also resulted in Levi's injury, which rendered him unable to fight for some time.

It also narrowed her priorities and way of thinking

As mentioned in my previous post, Mikasa is not cruel or heartless towards others. It has been shown that she has empathy for innocent and helpless people. This is likely because of her own experiences with being powerless. The following instances exemplify this:

a)    When she saved Louise and her mother from one of the Titans that had invaded Trost.

b)    When she threatened Dimo Reeves with her sword when he refused to allow the district's defenseless citizens to pass through the pathway leading to the protected areas until all of his merchandise and goods were carried through. She only relented her threatening demeanor and actions when he had this cart moved to the side to make way for the citizens to pass.

However, because of the extent of her concern and devotion to Eren, Mikasa seemed to disregard nearly everything else whenever he was in danger.

An example of this was during the Struggle for Trost and Eren's military trial in Season 1. When Eren transformed to begin the mission to seal the Wall, he initially lost control and attacked Mikasa and the others. It is worth noting that it was unintentional on his part. However, that does not change the fact that his loss of control nearly jeopardized the mission and placed his comrades in danger.

While the mission was ultimately successful, Eren's loss of control was still a serious source of concern. Because of this, he was temporarily imprisoned. It was also decided that there would be a trial to see if he was either a threat or an asset to humanity within the Walls.

During this time, Mikasa was understandable apprehensive, and worried about Eren. It is worth noting that, as mentioned in my previous post, she was more concerned about him than the fact that he was still a potential threat at the time. It should be remembered that during this time, the inhabitants of Paradis (save for a select few such as the royal family and their followers) were ignorant of the truth about Titans and the world. As such, the fear directed towards Eren was valid and understandable. Yet, despite this, Mikasa was still singularly focused on him.

This is evidenced by the following:

a)    Her glaring at Rico when it was revealed that the latter had mentioned Eren's loss of control in the report that they had submitted. When Rico responded with, "Did you expect me to lie in a report?" Mikasa simply continued to glare at the Garrison soldier. On this, Rico was clearly in the right for telling the truth since Eren's powers were still a mystery and still potentially harmful to others. Yet, Mikasa was probably too worried about Eren to realize this.

b)    When she attempted to attack Levi when the latter began to physically beat Eren. She would've undoubtedly intervened had Armin not stopped her. I had already expounded on this in my previous post, but I will just add the pertinent excerpts here:

"The display was necessary to emphasize and prove that Levi, who is widely known as "Humanity's Strongest Soldier," was best suited to subdue Eren should he lose control of his abilities. Because of this, the Scouts were able to convince the Military Police and Premier Zackly that they should be given custody over Eren. At the time, Mikasa was gravely concerned about Eren's well-being and was perhaps too furious at Levi to think about anything else. Because of this, she probably did not immediately realize that Levi had effectively secured Eren's relative safety at the end of the day. "

"During the trial, the MPs spoke of planning to dissect him, among others. Conversely, the Scouts proposed that he participate in an upcoming scouting expedition to determine whether he is a threat or not. They also suggested that Eren be placed under Levi's direct supervision so that he could be subdued in the event of an incident. While the latter proposal still entailed some degree of violence, it was far less hostile and more beneficial to Eren than the MP's proposal."

To conclude this part, I think that Mikasa focused more on the fact that Eren never meant any harm. And she probably thought that Eren should not be punished because of this. Again, all of this shows how Mikasa was inclined to always side with Eren (even though his actions may sometimes do more harm than good) because of his good and well-meaning nature and their shared history.

b)   Marley arc until the present time

The second part of this segment shall now discuss how Eren's drastic and dark development affected Mikasa.

As mentioned before, Mikasa always sided with Eren because of their past and his good nature.

However, when Eren began changing for the worse, their relationship began to deteriorate. As mentioned in my previous post, they slowly but surely drifted apart until they lost their common ground.

At the start of the Marley arc (which is the beginning of the fourth season in the anime), Eren's personality had noticeably become darker. This is evidenced by his horrible actions, which endangered and cost lives, such as the following:

a)    When he executed his and Zeke's plan to raid Liberio so that they could both escape to Paradis Island. As a result of this plan, countless innocent civilians and children were killed in the process. Furthermore, several of his comrades from the Survey Corps/Scouting Regiment lost their lives, including Sasha.

b)    When he initiated the Rumbling with the intention to destroy all of humanity not residing within Paradis Island. This plan and course of action would eliminate both their enemies who were actively plotting to attack Paradis and millions of innocent civilians and bystanders.

At this point in time, Eren had changed from a good-natured and compassionate soldier dedicated to protecting innocents to a depressed and violent extremist. This change was triggered by the revelation of the truth about the world and his gaining access to the memories of the past and future inheritors of his Attack Titan.

With regard to how his terrible change affected Mikasa, it is clear that she was clearly disturbed by it.

Mikasa had begun to acknowledge that Eren was no longer the "good" in their cruel world.

During the raid on Liberio, she was visibly distraught and affected by Eren's destructive actions. It seemed that she was in disbelief – she even asked him if he was aware that he did things that cannot be undone. As mentioned in the previous post, Mikasa was even more distressed because Eren consciously caused the destruction and did not appear to show any remorse.

It is worth noting that Mikasa's empathy for innocent and defenseless people, especially children, was highlighted in this scene. When she asked Eren if he was aware of his actions' consequences, there were tears in her eyes.

Screenshots taken from Season 4, Episode 6 of the “Attack on Titan” anime

At that point in time, Mikasa had begun to realize that the Eren she once knew was no longer with them. She had started to see that Eren no longer represented the good in the world; and that he had become a source of what makes it cruel.

Mikasa felt conflicted because she was in denial.

Throughout the Marley arc events up until the Rumbling arc, Mikasa still held on to the hope that Eren could still change for the better. It is true that she believed (or maybe desperately wanted to believe) that Zeke was manipulating him, but does not change the fact that Eren was acting on his own accord.

On several occasions, Mikasa had expressed her desire to talk to Eren and kept insisting that sense could still be talked into him. I think that this is an indicator that she was in a state of "pseudo-denial."

I used the term "pseudo-denial" because, from how I see it, Mikasa was already aware that Eren was no longer the same person who saved her.  That he was no longer the same person who insisted that Historia eat him so that humanity can be saved. That he was no longer the same person who would jump right into battle to protect innocent people; that he had turned into someone who had harmed and would continue to harm innocent people. However, it appears that Mikasa did not want to accept this fact. This is why she kept insisting on talking to Eren in the slim chance that he could still be persuaded to abandon his plan of initiating the Rumbling. She was torn between reality and her personal sentiments. In short, she still hoped that the kind person who stood up for the helpless and who saved her from bondage was still in there somewhere. This exemplified by this scene from Episode 14 of Season 4:

Screenshots taken from Season 4, Episode 14 of the “Attack on Titan” anime

This pseudo-denial placed her odds with her allies and comrades. The others, such Armin, Annie, and Levi, had already accepted that Eren needed to be killed in the worst-case scenario. On this, it's apparent that Mikasa knew that they were right considering the circumstances. But she still felt conflicted because she still hoped that Eren could be convinced to not go through with his plans. However, that hope was dashed when Eren himself told them that the only way to stop him was to kill him. Yet, even then, she was still hesitant and conflicted.

Mikasa had matured because of their strained connection and had begun outgrowing her bond with Eren.

In a way, Mikasa was still holding onto the past. On this, Eren's dark character development is what caused their relationship to deteriorate. As previously discussed, Mikasa's connection to Eren is rooted in their shared history and the type of person he used to be. In the past, Eren was her savior, her family, and her source of strength and hope. But when he stopped being those things to her, the foundation for their bond was lost.

While it is tragic and drastic for Mikasa, this caused her to become more keenly aware of other priorities. She became more cognizant of the stakes involved rather than just focusing on Eren. Although she still cared greatly for him, she was no longer singularly focused on him. She became wise and mature enough to not turn a blind eye to the danger and threat that he posed. This in sharp contrast to how she acted in the past. Before, she would always place Eren's welfare first before nearly anything else. But because of recent developments, she finally began to realize and understand that there were other things more important than Eren. And I think that this is a significant turning point for her since he had affected and influenced her for most of her life.

Before Chapter 138, Mikasa was still in a state of "pseudo-denial" because of her hope for a more peaceful solution in dealing with Eren. But I think that the fact that she started feeling conflicted was the start of her process of outgrowing her bond with Eren. This is because she knew that she could no longer just turn a blind eye to his actions and their devastating effects.

The significance of her process of outgrowing her connection with Eren will be further expounded in the next point of analysis below.

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3.    "Chapter 138: A Long Dream" is about Mikasa finally letting go of and "waking up" from her own dream.

It has already been established that Mikasa had dreamed of living a peaceful life for the longest time. She dreams of one that is similar to the kind she once had with her parents. In particular, Mikasa wanted to live such a life with her loved ones, particularly Eren. The "dream" she had during this chapter is evidence of this.

It is unclear whether what Mikasa saw was a dream, a hallucination, a vision, or, as some fans speculate, a memory from an alternate reality. In any case, it was not the reality that she lived in.

I've already stated earlier that her process of outgrowing Eren and their bond was significant. Concerning this, I think that the said process was part of a slow build-up towards her decision to finally let Eren go and kill him.

As previously mentioned, Mikasa seemed to have difficulty accepting that the Eren of her past had turned into the Eren who wished to destroy all of humanity outside of Paradis. She had struggled to fully acknowledge and accept this fact because it was too painful for her. However, as the situation started to become more drastic and desperate, she realized that she had no other choice but to face reality.

But even though she knew this, she still felt conflicted. Even when Eren told them that the only way to stop him was to kill him, she was still hesitant. She knew what needed to be done but could not accept it because of her attachment to Eren.

On this, I think that the "dream" or vision (or whatever it really was) that she had during the battle is representative of the kind of life she wishes and dreams for. When she, Levi, and the remaining Titan shifters were the only ones left to fight, she started having another headache. And when Levi told her that they were the only ones left who could kill Eren, her head pain intensified until the dream/vision started playing in her mind.

This is my take on this moment: the headache represented Mikasa's conflicted feelings. She knew that Eren needed to be stopped to save humanity. She knew that the rest of the world did not deserve to suffer from the cruel fate that Eren wished to bestow upon it. But her emotional attachments held her back from taking action. As for the dream/vision, I think it was her way of arriving at an epiphany and decision. And on this, maybe it was this dream/vision that gave Mikasa the resolve and courage to finally accept the reality. I will expound further.

In the dream/vision, Mikasa was crying. She said that she "shouldn't be there." And then dream-Eren spoke about their decision to run away from the Marleyan-Paradis conflict so that they could live in isolation and in peace during the last few years of his life. Dream-Eren then apologized for "bringing up the past."

Screenshots taken from Chapter 138 of the “Shingeki no Kyojin” manga

I personally think that this was the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back. During this dream/vision, Mikasa finally realized that her wish and dream to live a peaceful life with Eren could no longer come true. Her dream was born in the past, and if there was any chance of it happening, it had already passed by. Mikasa finally realized that attaining her dream was already impossible at that point.

I also think that when dream-Eren told her to forget about him after he dies, this could be interpreted as Mikasa realizing that if she were to finally have a quiet and peaceful life, then Eren would not be a part of it.

Screenshots taken from Chapter 138 of the “Shingeki no Kyojin” manga

Furthermore, Mikasa saying that she "had a long dream" could mean that she finally let go of her life-long wish/dream so that she can wake up to the reality she needed to face. It could be interpreted as her choosing to give up on Eren for good to make the world a less cruel place. On this, her decision to kill Eren herself was likely her way of letting him go and saying goodbye. It was the climactic resolution and outcome of her internal conflict where she struggled to choose between doing the right thing (saving humanity) and holding on to the most special thing in her life (Eren). In the end, she chose humanity over him because she knew that if she chose him, then their already cruel world would become darker and crueler.

Screenshot taken from Chapter 138 of the “Shingeki no Kyojin” manga

A quick note on Mikasa saying that she can’t forget Eren:

Some people might say that Mikasa’s declaration that she can’t forget Eren means that she decided not to let him go. I personally disagree with this. It is completely possible to move on from someone and let them go without forgetting them. In Mikasa’s case, I think that by saying that she won’t forget Eren, she meant that she will always remember the peaceful, good, and happy times that they had together. I also think that it means that she will fondly remember Eren as the good person he used to be.

I think that it’s understandable and fair that Mikasa chooses to remember the good times and the good things. Because, for better or for worse, Eren was still a huge and influential part of her life. The old Eren and the good times they had together were very much real, and the happiness she felt during those times was also genuine and valid. I also think that her decision to wear the scarf around her neck before delivering the killing blow was her way of saying, “I’m letting you go. But I will always value the good moments we had together. Goodbye.”

Screenshot taken from Chapter 138 of the “Shingeki no Kyojin” manga

-----

4. Eren represents Mikasa's dream, while Levi represents her reality.

This is a personal take and interpretation of the possible symbolisms connecting Mikasa and Levi in Chapter 138.

During the final battle against Eren, only Levi, Mikasa, and the titan-shifters were left to fight. And during this battle, Mikasa started to have her dream/vision. While dealing with her conflicted emotions, she began to drift to her "dream" about Eren and away from reality. And while she was drifting away, Levi kept telling her to "stay with [him there]."

Screenshot taken from Chapter 138 of the “Shingeki no Kyojin” manga

This could be interpreted as Levi being the voice calling out to her to stay in the current reality and not get lost in her distant and impossible dream. It is interesting to note that before she began "dreaming," an image of Eren as a child was shown, followed by a panel of a close-up of Levi's mouth with no dialogue. Meaning that everything around her had already faded away before she was immersed in her dream during that time.

Screenshots taken from Chapter 138 of the “Shingeki no Kyojin” manga

This could symbolize the inner conflict and turmoil that Mikasa was experiencing. She was torn between holding on to the past and accepting the present.

When she woke-up, both literally and figuratively, Mikasa had decided to let go of her dream and of Eren. She finally accepted the reality and returned to it. She returned to Levi's side and faced reality alongside him.

Screenshot taken from Chapter 138 of the “Shingeki no Kyojin” manga

Following this line of thought, this symbolic moment could foreshadow the kind of relationship they would have in the future. Considering that this final stand against Eren might very well be the most important battle of their lives, it would be reasonable to assume that they might form a deeper connection and relationship in its aftermath. They finished it together, so perhaps (and hopefully) it means that whatever the future might bring, they would also face it together.

Going back to how Eren and Levi are symbols, Eren represents her dream. Eren is not only a part of it; it is also linked to her past. Mikasa knew that her dream was impossible to achieve at that point and that it was necessary to finally let it go.

Levi, on the other hand, represents her reality. The reality she currently lives in is cruel and harsh. However, she can control what she does in it and what she makes of her life in the said reality. In other words, her reality is full of possibilities and various choices. This is in contrast to her dream of a life with Eren, which was impossible to attain. Furthermore, she only had two (2) choices as to what to do with the dream. It was either to keep holding on to it despite its impossibility or to let it go completely.

Thus, it can be said that Eren represents and symbolizes “what could have been”. Whereas, Levi represents “what could be”. Prescinding from this, there really is a good chance of Mikasa and Levi growing closer in the future.

-----

Author’s Note: Well, that’s all for now. Lol. I know that this post is very, very lengthy. Hahahaha. So, I really appreciate you guys for taking the time to read it. I tried my best to make it as organized and as clear as possible. I hope that it makes sense. Haha. I might post more analyses in the future. Hehehe. Let me know your thoughts and opinions!

[shirtlesssammy]

10x13: Halt & Catch Fire

Sidenote to begin this recap: Boris will shamelessly plug a little GEM of a show that no one watched called Halt and Catch Fire. Strong female leads, queer main character(s), fantastic and compelling dive into the tech/gaming boom of the 1980s. It’s not remotely supernatural but it is so good!! (And you might spy Claire Novak at some point as well.) It’s on Netflix, watch it everybody! On to the show….

A young couple drive drunk down the road looking for tacos. The GPS leads them down a very interesting detour —right to a bridge under construction. When the dude mouths off to the GPS, it tells his companion, Janet, to get out, and then the car proceeds to drive off the bridge.

Sam and Dean talk at the bunker about Cas locating Cain. Dean is doubtful that Cain will have the answer. He does have a case, and they head off for Iowa.

They head to a college campus to talk to Janet. They introduce themselves as Agents Grohl and Cobain (and I want to scream that I’m old and these are way too obvious aliases, but … so are other band member names, so…sigh). (Natasha: LOL, right? It hurts…)

Ugh, they talk to the girl about what happened and when Dean isn’t looking at young coeds, he’s dumb about technology. Hoohoohoo, SO funny. Also, Dean is in the Oregon Trail generation, and while he maybe never played that game in school, he knows PLENTY about technology. Hrmph.

Anyway, Janet reveals the car belonged to Joey —who died in Afghanistan. Billy got it when Joey died.

The brothers head to the salvage yard to scope out the truck. They find ectoplasm and EMF. It appears the big brother didn’t like the baby brother, and didn’t want him driving the car. “I get it.” Lol, Dean. They salt and burn the car.

A sorority girl, blessed with the natural ability to sleep with her TA for better grades, chills in her room. She chats with “a friend” on The Social Media. The chat reveals a secret the girl doesn’t want out. She deletes the conversation, and turns off her computer, but it turns back on. She unplugs the computer and turns it off again. The air grows frosty. 810 810 810 scroll across her monitor. She runs to her door, but it’s too late. Her power cord strangles her to death.

Dean continues to not act his age (why, SHOW, why?) They get to the new crime scene and ponder how the ghost is jumping from one machine to another. They interview the roommate and ask her if Julie knew Billy. Everyone knew him.

Dean and Sam head to the cafeteria for some food (Dean, I remember froyo at the push of a button any time I wanted it —and it was a joy.)

(Okay, but seriously, I’m watching this episode out of order and WHAT is happening at this point to make Dean act the way he’s acting? Is it the Mark??? I know he eats like a pig on occasion, and that’s a reflection of his state of mind, but ogling women, eating horribly, acting dumb —there’s A LOT in this episode.)

Sam stole Julie’s computer and is rifling through her social media and deleted files. He finds the chat, and does a quick search to find three addresses with 810 in them.

They pull up to 810 Downs Drive. They follow a woman who walks to a post where she collects day old (but very much alive) flowers for disposal.

The woman explains that her husband was killed in a car accident about 9 months ago. She sees these flowers and feels like they’re taunting her. The woman sees a college student from a sorority leave them.

A little research reveals that the dead husband, Andrew, was cremated.

Julie’s roommate, Delilah, stresses about the feds calling her while Kyle scrolls Sext’r. She thinks they should come clean. He tells her that isn’t happening, and she storms off.

Kyle gets a chat in the app from an obvious catfisher account, proceeds to text gross things, and then gets a call. “What time is it?” a male voice shouts and “8:10” appears on the stereo. The kid’s sound system ramps up until Kyle’s head melts. 

Later, Dean recounts what happened to Kyle to Sam and Delilah. 

Dean and Sam grill Delilah about the accident and the meaning behind 8:10. She confesses that she’s going to be the next victim. All four of the kids were engrossed in social media while driving the night of Andrew’s death. The driver ran over the center line and ran the teacher’s car off the road and into a pole. At first Andrew was hurt but alive, but a loose power line falls onto his car and incinerates him. Rather than helping him or calling for help, they drive off. 

Dean and Sam immediately spring up and pull out large shakers of salt, sealing the doorway and making a ring around a chair. They’re gonna take care of Andrew…just as soon as they figure out what’s tying him to Earth. Sam heads off to investigate while Dean holds down the fort. 

Dean paces around Delilah’s room like a trapped tiger while Delilah spills her guts about her guilt over the accident. Now THIS is a conversation Dean can get into! “I have made more mistakes than I can count. Ones that haunt me day and night,” Dean responds. He tells her his coping strategies of choice: whiskey and denial. Dean. Bean. He ACTUALLY recommends airing out her dirty laundry and seeking forgiveness. 

Sam surveys the power lines by the accident site. The lines feed into a wifi tower nearby. Andrew’s a ghost in the machine. The…….WiFi machine. Sam experiences a real 802.11g moment and explains that Andrew’s spirit (aka collection of “electrical impulses”) just transferred over to another current after he died. (I am always amused when the show’s mythology veers into something new, only to completely discard it for the rest of the series run.)

Dean starts on his mission to turn off the routers in the house, but Andrew’s ghost appears on every screen. Dean smashes the heck out of every single device in the room. That seems cathartic! They race down to the basement - the only room in the house without any kind of internet access (or cell signal). 

Sam heads to Andrew’s widow’s house, his awkward opening line interrupted by her immediately guessing that he’s there about Andrew. She tells him that he started writing to her online after he died.

She tells Sam that she accepted the online haunting because it was at least some part of him. (I hope the first thing she did was buy a pottery wheel.) After a little while, he started acting oddly and talking about revenge. She knows he’s killing college students but has sunk herself nice and deep into a pit of denial.

In the sorority’s basement, there’s a sound… Dean searches the cushions and finds a working cell phone. Andrew’s ghost appears. They fight and Dean tries talking to Andrew. “Take it from me. The more you kill, the crazier you get.” Oh, Dean Bean. 

Dean calls Sam and puts him on speaker, telling the ghost to jump into the light instead of seeking catharsis-by-murder. While Dean gets the stuffing beaten out of him, Andrew’s widow video calls her murderous husband. She tells him to move on. Andrew weeps at her words and then dissolves into light. 

Later, Dean and Sam drop off Delilah at the widow’s house so she can apologize, per Dean’s suggestion.

The grieving widow invites Delilah in to murder her - er, have a peaceful chat. Dean tells Sam that he realized he can find peace by Saving People, Hunting Things™ (you know, the family business). He wants to give up on finding a cure for the Mark.

The Quotes in the Machine:

Trying to find a cure for this thing… It’s like a dog chasing its tail. There’s no end in sight and you just end up dizzy

It’s not a coincidence. It’s a ghost

Oh, yeah. Sure, Sammy. We’ll just kill the Internet. Wait, can we?

Want to read more? Check out our Recap Archive!

[sassassassins]

Zhou Zishu is not a good person.

He's not inhuman, not heartless. His subordinates find him a fair leader, not vicious like many might expect of a master assassin. He remembers the faces of those he's killed, especially the ones he suspects may not have deserved it, deep down. Still, the memory of those who died at his hands do not haunt him at night. Instead he sits awake in his Tian Chuang quarters mourning his lost sect brothers, who had died under his leadership. A good man would regret the destruction he had caused; Zhou Zishu regrets only his own failings, his wounded heart and shaken faith in the path he chose.

He does not inflict the Seven Nails on himself to atone for his misdeeds, although the pain certainly serves as punishment for his failings. But he chooses the nails because anything less would be unfair. His sect brothers had only been able to leave Tian Chuang by paying with their lives, why should he pay any less? It would be cowardice to flee, and perhaps it was his pride that would not allow him to choose an easier path.

He is not a good man when he meets Wen Kexing. A good man would not abandon his responsibilities and pour away his life like the last remaining drops of a bottle of wine. Striving to be good, to be righteous, holds no appeal. He wants to enjoy the sun on his face before his debts finally come due, as they must.

Zhang Chengling changes him, not that he would ever admit it to the brat. To have someone look at him and think him a worthy teacher and master, stripped as he is of all outward signs of money and status, does awaken some small part of him that yearns to be worthy of such admiration. He quashes such romantic notions as soon as he feels them -- his history is too bloody and his lifespan is already too short to aspire to heroism, which would certainly do nothing but make his hands bloodier and his life shorter. But with Zhang Chengling, he finds someone he wants to protect, someone who needs him.

Wen Kexing does not make him want to be a good person. In fact, in the first few weeks of knowing him, Zhou Zishu contemplates strangling the man at least once a day. But he gives Zhou Zishu something else he thought he'd lost forever, or perhaps something he'd never had before: a partner. An equal. A ghost and an assassin, two entities who should never see the light of day, walk side by side in the human realm. Meeting his match in Kexing did not make Zhou Zishu want to be good, but he does find himself, quite unexpectedly, wanting to live.

He longs for a simple life: making his idiot disciple train his footwork until he drops, then sitting in the kitchen drinking wine and avoiding helping Lao Wen with dinner. He wants all the things he'd wanted before, the sun on his face and a good bottle of wine in his hand, but he no longer wants a brief moment of that life before dying, but years, decades, a life.

He doesn't deserve it, most likely. Doesn't deserve to live: it's not fair to his sect brothers to dodge the price of his freedom. But he is, after all, not a good man. So when Ye Baiyi and Wu Xi offer him the chance to be healed, he doesn't waste time dithering over whether he deserves it. A good man might accept the punishment as his due atonement and refuse treatment, but Zishu only wants to live. Even the slightest hope of living that simple life would be worth pursuing, no matter the cost to himself.

It all goes to hell, of course. Perhaps fate could not allow him a happy ending without paying a steeper price. But in the end, he can only be grateful for the freedom to be found in the dark and cold, as long as the one who understands you is by your side. He will never be a good person, but if there is such a thing, the world has never rewarded the good for their morals. He will take his peace, and enjoy it till the sun runs down.

A/N I'm watching the YouTube release and I'm d r e a d i n g watching episode 35 tomorrow, so have a quick character study thing. Trying to sketch out the characters a little more for possible future fic-- they're very hard to write!!

Edit: now with a companion piece about Wen Kexing!!

[kentos-filmcamera]

10 times, 1 occasion - Inumaki Toge

3. Group Battle (I)

A/N: this is a two-parter! I’m covering two episodes here, so they will be divided respectively. 

Previous Chapter | Next Part

“Ah, they’re such a hassle, hang in there, me” Momo sighed from the sky. The target was easy. You threw a ball of cursed energy to Momo’s face, which she avoided easily. You laughed at your opponent’s ingenuity, placing a thin needle in your palm to then close your hand.

“Acupuncture needle: Mobility detainment” You whispered into your hand, opening your grasp to watch the needle light in blue cursed energy, and notice as Momo’s joints did the same. She gasped and froze, unable to move, just as Megumi summoned Nue to strike her down from the heights, throwing her down to a tree.

Needle and thread was an innate cursed technique passed down from your family generation through generation. If the women didn’t turn into sorcerers, they turned into seamstresses. Usually, it was used combined with thread, or to move using cursed energy and sound, like whistling. You were the first in your lineage to use a cursed technique that includes both shaping and duplication and management of mass like acupuncture was. The only time you could achieve domain expansion was on the edge of dying, and it looked like a cave full of stalagmite, which closed in as time passed. For curses, it was instant exorcism and for humans, it was a slow, piercing death.

After the job was done, you ran back to your position outside of the forest. Bullets ricochet on your surroundings; you knew Mai Zen’in was trying to knock you off, unable to do so by the speed you ran. You were recognized by your companions as a fast runner, an agile and flexible fighter with the speed of light is a close match to your reflexes. And that was before the incident, were back at your home you trained intensely to heal yourself faster.

“Wow! Slow down!” Panda called to you as you almost zoomed past them. You stopped abruptly and jogged back with an apologetic smile.

“Sorry, Mai was after me” You exhaled deeply, pressing your hands into your knees and bending down to breathe a little. As you raised your head up to recompose yourself, the rest  “I guess she missed”

“Okaka” Inumaki shook his head and swiped the running blood from a thin gash, a bullet that grazed you left. You pulled your lips in from the surprise, touching the affected area. It was definitely going to bruise later.

“They were all moving in the same direction towards Yuuji,” Kigusaki informed the three of you.

You pondered until the answer was clear “They’re trying to kill him, probably by the prune’s orders” Couldn’t understand why they would actually do it, but you could understand their reasoning, as you’ve heard all possible arguments on why anyone would want Itadori gone.

Nobara frowned “I don’t understand why would anyone want to kill Itadori… and on someone else’s orders nevertheless... “

“You two have been with him for a while now, and the rest of us just learned how good of a person he might be. To them, he’s just another curse who needs exorcising.” Panda explained “Nobara and I will go check on Yuuji. You two stay out on the lookout for the cursed spirit and stay alert for any signal of back up”

“Mustard leaf!” Toge crossed his arms in an X. You looked at him with half a smile, understanding his feelings. He looked back at you and tilted his head briefly, the two of you solely communicating with your eyes.

“I know you’re both concerned about Itadori too, but we will handle it.” And with that, Panda jogged straight into the forest.

“Cookie” Toge called, brows furrowed with concern. As it was said and done, the cut on your cheek was bruising. The only thing he safely said aside from onigiri ingredients was a simple “cookie”. Nothing more, nothing less. Everyone who knew him was aware that it was his way of calling out for you. Whether it was a greeting, a remark, an interrogation, or a lament, it was you. Just for you.

You shook your head. “I’m okay, don’t worry about it” You offered your hand to him. “Let’s go” Toge looked at it with a certain fondness, even though it was scarred, recognizing the ring. He let out a hum and held your hand tightly. Before you two took off running in your own direction, he rubbed his thumb against your hand.

After a while of scouting through the forest, Megumi’s divine dog appeared, holding Mechamaru’s arm with his phone in it. “Ahh! Good boy! You’re such a good boy! Yes, you are, yes you are!” You squealed, reaching out to grab the mechanic arm and pass it to Toge. He chuckled lightly as you pulled away, giving you a warning look. You nodded, and the blue aura physically engulfed your ears. He unlocked the phone and searched through the contacts.

“Sleep,” Inumaki said, looking away from you as you covered your ears and protected your mind with cursed energy. He stayed on the phone for a minute or so, just to confirm Miwa was asleep. When he did, he threw away Mechamaru’s arm. You stayed with your mouth in a straight line, concentrated on keeping your mind protected. Your arm reached out to pet Megumi’s divine dog, trying not to laugh to not disturb your concentration. Toge looked at you with a glimmer in his eyes as you ruffled its fur. You took a step back as Inumaki unleashed it.

Something hit you in the gut as a purple smog covered your surroundings for a second; the cursed energy was coming from behind you, it was strong and evident, the spirit’s aura was dreadful. By default, the two of you were set on high alert, backs facing each other.

“You think this is it?” You looked around, reaching for your armband. For the first time in a while, you were nervous. You were promised a second grade, but the amount of cursed energy was too high and too strong for it to be a lower grade.

“Kelp” Inumaki held the zipper to the cover-up around his lower half, looking around as you did. The two of you stayed in position as large thudding steps rumbled through the area of the forest. You sucked in your breath for the surprise as Toge gasped lightly, eyes wide, but to your surprise, the semi-first grade curse’s head fell off, sliced, right in front of you. You both stayed stiff, your raised hand trembled lightly. This wasn’t good. Then your gut squeezes harder. And that’s when you saw it.

The curse said something you couldn’t understand as you both got in a position to defend yourselves. Inumaki lowered his zipper and said “Salmon, caviar, roe.” You felt something creeping up on you, a thick branch trying to strangle you. The needle in your hand grew in size with flaming cursed energy to resemble a sword, and you slashed them away from you and Toge easily.

Soon, the branches started multiplying and growing in size “Run!” Toge commanded, and you gladly did so, catching with the corner of your eye you saw thick branches extending, trying to snatch any of you two. Toge was fast, but you were faster. You two jumped and ran from one ledge to another, soon landing on the roof of one of the old buildings, encountering Fushiguro and Kamo as a giant structure similar to a tree broke through.

“What is this?” Kamo looked at the wave made of roots heading directly towards them. As you rounded the corner, they stood there staring at you in shock. ‘Idiots!’ You thought as the wave was about to crush them into a pulp.

“Run away!” Inumaki called for them. They looked up at the nature-like creation with wide eyes and did as commanded, soon joining the pair of you. Your stomach was squeezed tight. You were a bit afraid.

“Run faster!” Toge called out to you specifically, and so you did. All that ran through his mind was to protect you. Insistently, he looked back at you, not wanting to see you ever again in the state you were a few months ago. He gave you a concerned look that pulled you together; you’ve been through worse. There’s nothing you couldn’t survive at this point in time. Not only that, but you were more skilled now than the night of the primary school incident. This was no time to doubt yourself and your abilities.

[adricthemindnimon]

Having finally finished Six’s run, it really is remarkable just how much of an uphill battle Colin Baker was given as the Doctor. Starting his run by trying to strangle the companion his previous incarnation died saving, and then given one mediocre episode in which he is brash and unlikeable (and repeatedly threatening to his companion) immediately before the show went on break... that’s a lot to come back from. Then there’s the fact that he looks like a rainbow threw up on him, which is... a lot. Like it’s iconic now, and it works with his over the top personality, but like, that’s another pretty polarizing thing to start off with. And then there’s the whole Trial of a Time Lord series - which is an ambitious attempt to do something new and different with Doctor Who, but also leads to episodes with quite a lot of interruptions and interjections, and to a somewhat fragmentary nature to most of the stories in that series. And that series also features a) the death of a companion, and b) the introduction of another companion midway through her relationship with the Doctor, so we’re coming in to an already established relationship and have to play catch up.

All of these elements are interesting ideas, but to throw them all in together... no wonder he had a tough time winning folks over! (But also all the more kudos to him for making a solidly compelling go of it.)