#I Wonder if after this episode they will talk again or be separate for a while

[birdy-babe]

“everyone hates better-than-blitzo guy because he makes Stolas happy >:(“ “why can you let Stolas be happy and not hate that guy?” “why do you hate that guy so much”

You want to know the real reason I hate that guy ?

because if it weren’t for him

WE WOULD KNOW WHAT BLITZO WAS GOING TO SAY HERE

I NEED TO KNOW WHAT WAS HE GOING TO SAY???????????? AFTER ALL THAT???? AFTER????

[tobiasdrake]

*deep breath* Okay. Here we go.

I don't think the Netflix Avatar show likes women very much. It's a great show for fans of Aang, Sokka, Zuko, and Iroh specifically. All four of those characters get a ton of great material. In fact, it's super great for Sokka stans, because the show takes him ultra-seriously and can't go five minutes without one character or another (usually a woman) praising him.

But the way it handles its female cast is troublesome.

Katara

So, all three of the main trio got some changes made to their stories. They changed Aang's story so that he wasn't running away from his responsibilities; He was just clearing his head and somehow accidentallied himself into a tsunami. Whoopsy-dooodle. Aang did nothing wrong.

They changed Sokka's story so that him being a leader of his people and a great guardian warrior is treated with complete seriousness. Multiple times, characters stop to talk about how brave and noble Sokka is for taking on such an intense responsibility, and tell him to his face what a great warrior and a wonderful leader he is. Also his misogyny is erased.

And they changed Katara's story so that she directly got her mom killed because she sucks at waterbending.

Katara tries to waterbend to attack the Fire Nation soldier but couldn't manage it, provoking the soldier to start actively searching for her and forcing her mom to fake a waterbending attack and draw his fire. They changed Katara's story so that her bad decision making fucking got her mom killed.

This is treated with the same level of severity as "Sokka was bullied by mean kids and also his dad doesn't think he's good enough to be a leader."

"I hoped Sokka would do better but not everyone is meant to have people's lives in their hands," Sokka's dad says of him.

Yeah, you're right, that's totally comparable to watching your mom get barbecued because you tried to waterbend in a situation you shouldn't have and then failed.

In fact, they give Sokka's greatest trauma more weight because it gets examined again with Yue next episode, while Katara actively getting her mom killed isn't brought up again at all. We get traumatized glimpses of it throughout the season leading up to the reveal, but after this scene in episode 5, it never comes up again.

But to be fair, Katara was a child. An event this significant would surely have motivated her, driving her to become the great waterbender she is now, right?

No! Katara sucks at waterbending and needs men who aren't even waterbenders to teach her how to waterbend. She requires instruction from Aang in episode 1 to learn how to waterbend, then from Jet in episode 3 to learn how to waterbend better.

And unlike the show, her relationship with Aang isn't a give-and-take; Katara doesn't teach Aang a single goddamn thing. He never learns to waterbend. She is a strictly a pupil throughout the whole season. Though she at least gets officially labeled a master in episode 8, so there's that.

In any case, the whole traumatic memory thing isn't even the only time she's directly compared with Sokka. Episodes 3 and 4 see Katara and Sokka bicker over whose morally dubious side character is better. Sokka likes the Mechanist and Katara likes Jet.

Ultimately, Katara is forced to eat crow when Jet turns out to be the worst, while Sokka is vindicated when the Mechanist sees the error of his ways and reforms. But not before two separate arguments where Sokka calls Katara childish and accuses her of acting like a little girl.

Arguments ultimately resolved when Katara apologizes to Sokka for not adequately respecting his very serious and ultra important role as village protector and leader. Gives him a whole speech about how great and glorious he is. And Sokka... appreciates Katara learning to respect him properly, I guess, because he never offers any similar sentiments back to her.

The show just... They need you to know how important Sokka is, okay? It's very important that you respect Sokka.

Suki

Suki suffers tremendously from that whole "Sokka's misogyny was removed" thing. Y'know, because they need something else to do with that episode. The show is deeply aware that Suki is Sokka's love interest, so they just do that right off the bat. Suki falls madly in love with him from the moment they meet, and spends the entire episode making goo-goo eyes and trying to get him to Notice Me Senpai.

They still do the "Suki Trains Sokka" stuff. But Sokka is a serious, dignified manly man worthy of the deepest respect now, so of course they don't make him wear the Kyoshi uniform. Instead, the main purpose of his training is to allow them to flirt some more. It's less martial arts training and more an excuse to grope each other and near-kiss.

Suki's just a waifu now. She still fights real good, but all of the stuff that made her relationship with Sokka interesting has been erased.

Yue

Yue, similarly, leaps straight to shipping from the word go. They write out her fiance, Hahn, by having Yue briefly meet Sokka earlier in the season. She spends one minute talking to him in the Spirit World about Spirit World lore; In that time, she falls so desperately, madly, unfathomably in love with him that she breaks off her marriage to Hahn and devotes herself to waiting for him to one day come to her.

"Never have I known such joys as that time you let me explain the spirit bear Hei Bei to you. Truly, we are destined to be together for life."

Like with Suki, they go out of their way to have Yue and Sokka already be a ship from the word 'go' so they don't have to spend time developing any kind of meaningful attraction.

They just. They really want you to know that Sokka is the manliest and most desirable man ever to walk this earth. It is very important that you understand how great he is. Women hurl themselves into his arms with zero effort whatsoever, because he's just so goddamn irresistible.

Fortunately, Hahn is super okay with this turn of events. He's the most chill guy ever, he gets along perfectly well with Sokka, and he completely supports Yue's right to dump him! In the famously misogynistic Northern Water Tribe, no less! What a swell guy. Aren't men swell?

June

June gets hit with that "rewritten as hollow waifu" stick too, but her eyes are set on Iroh. They rewrote June to be super attracted and flirty towards the man who was her unwanted sexual harasser in the source material. So that's fun.

Also, she barely does anything. Zuko hires her to find Aang, she succeeds, and then she fucks right off out of the show - But she manages to find time to express how unbelievably sexy Iroh is twice during that time.

She seriously just dropped into the show to flirt with Iroh and leave. She is unbelievably inconsequential.

Kyoshi

And then there's Kyoshi. They really want you to hate Kyoshi. She's constantly shot from below, as if looking down on Aang and the audience. Her voice takes on a demonic echoing reverb at one point as she's screaming at Aang that "THE AVATAR MUST BE A MERCILESS WARRIOR!!!"

She despises Aang, calling him a coward for running away from his responsibilities - Which, I remind you, is no longer a plot point because they unwrote that flaw from his character. So she's just a complete and utter asshole, shot from the asshole angle, yelling violently at him with asshole sound effects. They want you to despise this woman.

Azula

Awkwardly, they do not seem to want you to despise Azula.

There's a lot to be said for how Ozai treats Azula in the original show. The way the favoritism he shows her is every bit as cruel and manipulative as the unfavoritism that he shows Zuko. Ozai does not love Azula. He loves the reflection of himself he sees in her eyes, and his encouragement urges her to polish herself to ensure his reflection always shines through.

This is not that. The show instead erases the favoritism entirely. Ozai doesn't really care one way or another about either of his kids. He plays them against each other, bragging openly to Azula about how great Zuko is and unpleasably writing Azula off as weak and useless.

They've rewritten the dynamic between abusive father and his two abused kids in order to take Azula's pride away. Reimagining her from a gifted prodigy who excels at imitating the toxic behaviors of a father who doesn't truly care for her, to a put-upon overachiever tearing herself in knots to live up to the standards of her unpleasable father.

This results in a truly wild portrayal of Azula as insecure and jealous of Ozai's seemingly love for Zuko. Here, she is simply a browbeaten child constantly complaining to her friends about how mean her father is and conspiring to get one up over Daddy's Golden Child Zuko.

Which she fails at, because she backs Zhao. Zuko deftly defeats her without even realizing they're in competition.

Conclusion

The season ends well for some of these women. It ends promising that maybe we'll see Katara teaching Aang some day. It ends with Zhao bragging that Ozai just used Zuko to train Azula so maybe we'll see the more confident and misguidedly proud Azula some day. Yue becomes the moon like she's supposed to. June's still out there so maybe she'll get to do something again some day.

Katara gets to fight Pakku and lose, but she looks pretty cool. She gets to fight Zuko and lose, but she looks pretty cool. Azula learns to lightningbend because she's just so mad about Ozai's contempt for her and favoritism for Zuko, which isn't how you lightningbend.

But promises of future content fall flat when the content that exists is so underwhelming. This season made its feelings on these characters pretty evident, and it's unwise to expect better material from creators who've disappointed you with the material they already made.

The women of Netflix Avatar simply do not get to shine, outside of superficial moments like the "Women of Northern Water Tribe demand the right to fight and then fuck off and don't do anything for the entire rest of the episode" bit.

"In the midst of battle, we demand that you stop being sexist and give us permission to fight! This is a way better idea than convincing you to teach us to fight before the battle begins."

The characters of this show feel as if they've been reimagined to glorify the boys at the expense of the girls. The boys are treated with a great amount of care. They're dignified and made important movers of the plot, with their rough edges sanded off. While the girls are molded around them.

[666thtoolofhell]

That Kingdon slow burn is coming 😭😭😭 all I think it’ll take for Patrick and Taylor to get on board is Langdon separating or divorcing cause wdym Taylor says she thinks Mel will probably be one of the only people not judging him 😭

I just listened to the whole interview and here are some bits that weren't transcribed to the written version:

The reaching up and tapping of the door header on their way to STEMI wasn't in the script - it was all Patrick and Taylor. Patrick would always do it and Taylor thought it was funny and "boy-ish" and copied him to tease him. She didn't even think they'd keep it in the actual episode.

Apparently all the staff will be behaving as if nothing out of the ordinary happened and one of them isn't suddenly not there anymore, just going about things as normal without even touching the subject and sidestepping the Langdon-shaped hole in the room, and Mel will be surprised at not seeing him and then very confused about the whole thing. (Until the reason why is eventually explained to her, I assume. Since she won't be judging him upon his return she'll have to be in the know regarding the basics by then, no?)

Mel will be genuinely excited when Langdon comes back next season, very much like she was when she saw him again after he'd been - unbeknownst to her - fired and away from the ED for a short while. (Imagine if the joy and enthusiasm were to be proportional? If she was that elated after he'd been gone for an hour, how would she react after ten months? Fic writers, you know what to do.)

That man needs to be at the very least separated and in talks of divorce if not already signing those papers by July 4th. We won't survive the slowly burning colleagues to friends to lovers wrapped in soulmatism these two are bringing to the table. [wishful thinking]

I have no real expectations except for the powers that be to continue to focus - as much as possible with the time allotted to them as characters and as a duo - on their wonderful bond and dynamic, still partnering them up for cases as well as for breaks and significant downtime moments, letting their wholesome relationship progress further, growing and flourishing as naturally as it did during the first season.

Since Langdon is going to return fully believing he's failed her and that he's no longer deserving of her trust I foresee Mel disabusing him of that silly notion so thoroughly and so fast he won't know what hit him. Mel treating him the same, without disappointment or betrayal or pity in her eyes, still wanting to work closely with and learn from him? Being supportive and there if and when he needs someone? Just being unapologetically herself in all the ways that immediately drew him to her in the first place? That is going to be a huge help and relief for him, I think, and ease his reintegration into their workplace and team if only a little bit.

I'm hoping their friendship solidifies as something that isn't exclusive to the hospital and that we'll get a teeny tiny blink-and-you'll-miss-it hint that it'll extend into their personal lives. Something like Mel telling Langdon more about Becca and their parents; or him telling her about Abby, the dog, the kids. Sharing and commiserating. Getting to know each other better. Finding only acceptance and understanding. That'd be nice.

Baby steps.

[deja-you]

Starling: Act VII

bucky barnes x reader

masterlist | series masterlist | previous part | next part

word count: 3.5k

summary: Finally.

Dim evening light filters into the hotel suite. Scattered comms gear and weapons are scattered across the coffee table. Torres is sprawled on the couch messing with some tactical gear. You’re perched on the armchair eating gummy worms from the minibar.

You and Torres are discussing the last episode of a reality tv show you’ve both been watching. Bucky stands at the window, scanning the street below.

“Stop brooding near the window. You look like you’re about to start narrating a noir.”

Torres chuckles at your joke. 

“I’m wondering which will be more painful: jumping out this window, or continuing to listen to the two of you discuss Sex Lives of Mormon Wives.”

“It’s Secret Lives, actually,” Torres corrects him.

Bucky’s eyebrows knit together. “Then why are they always talking about their sex lives?”

Torres gapes at him. “You watch it too?”

Bucky turns back to the window and mutters under his breath that you made him. You watch as he goes back to contemplating jumping.

“Go ahead and jump,” you tell him, “but if you break your leg, I’m not carrying you.”

“You couldn’t.”

“Excuse you–”

“You eat like an unsupervised raccoon, and I’ve seen you try to open a pickle jar. You’re not carrying me anywhere.”

“And you sleep in jeans and wear gloves all the time like a Victorian widow.”

He glares at you. You glare back. It’s deeply unproductive. 

“You two bicker like you’ve been married fifteen years,”  Sam steals a gummy worm from you. “Now, do you two need to bang one out of your systems, or are you good?” 

Stunned silence. You blink. Both you and Bucky look at him. Then at each other. Then away. 

“We’re good,” Bucky grumbles.

“I’m great. He’s tense.”

“She’s annoying.”

“Do you fight like this in front of Alpine?” Sam asks, scrolling through the blueprint layouts of the hotel.

You shrug. “She’s seen worse.”

“I’m gonna have to call Cat Protective Services,” Sam laughs at his own joke. “Unfortunately, I don’t have time to be your couples counselor today.”

Sam’s tone shifts and he sets the blueprints down. “Virell isn’t going to come east. We need to isolate him. Quietly. The rooftop gives us vertical clearance, no civilian exposure. Best shot we’ve got.” 

“If we can separate him, I can handle the extraction with Sam,” Torres adds.

A beat. And then–

“I’ll get him up there,” you say.

Bucky’s response is immediate.

“No.” 

“Barnes–” Torres tries.

“We’re not doing this again. She’s not bait,” Bucky says flatly.

“I’m not,” you agree, “I’m the distraction. There’s a difference.” 

“She’s the only one he might follow without hesitation,” Torres says tentatively. “It’s… a cruel advantage, but it will work.” 

Bucky’s quiet for a moment and his resolve slowly falls, realizing you’re not going to change your mind. When he speaks again, it’s lower, to you. 

“Just–stay close tonight.”

“Trust me, I have no plans of getting sold off again.”

The room goes still. Any previous laughter in the room has evaporated completely. You rise from the chair, stretch slightly, like shaking off a memory, grab your dress from the closet, and head to the bathroom to change.

Bucky stares after you, hands twitching like he wants to follow, but doesn’t know what he’d say if he did. The bathroom door clicks shut behind you. You and your very obvious effect on Bucky disappear from view. 

Sam nudges Torres with his elbow and whispers loud enough for Bucky to hear:

“She’s not even outta the room and he’s already brooding harder than usual.” 

“He told her to ‘stay close tonight.’”

Torres joins in, making a heart with his hands.

“That’s practically a marriage proposal in Barnes-speak,” Sam grins, then, in a gruff Bucky impression, he grabs Torres’ hand and locks eyes with him. “Hey. Stay close tonight.” 

Torres responds in a high-pitched imitation of your voice. 

“Oh? How close do you want me, Barnes? You want me to hold your vibranium hand in case you get scared?”

Bucky’s face is expressionless as he glances between them. He calmly picks up a pen from the desk.

“You know what’s wild about ballpoint pens?” Bucky asks them.

Neither of them respond.

“They can puncture a lung if you angle ‘em right.”

They both freeze, then Sam asks tentatively:

“Is that a threat?”

“No,” Bucky responds, they both relax a little, but then he adds on, “it’s a field-tested promise.” 

Torres raises his hands in surrender. “Okay, okay, message received.”

Bucky glances toward the closed door again, hands stuffed in his pockets.

“She’s got you real bad, huh?” Torres asks softly. 

Bucky sighs. “She doesn’t even know.” 

The bathroom door handle turns. The conversation drops instantly. Everyone shifts like they’ve been reviewing floor plans the whole time.

Bucky’s eyes trace the gown first–of course they do. How could they not? That dark glinting fabric that moves like water and shadow clinging to you like it remembers your shape better than he does. The green and blue glimmers catch in the low light, pulsing like something alive, something elemental. He’s seen warpaint that looked less deliberate.

It’s the way you wear it that undoes him. The sharp lines of the bodice cross like a secret vow and the high slit a challenge. You are art and intention. And he is ruined.

Absolutely, utterly ruined.

You don’t ask how you look. You just meet his gaze, head tilted slightly, eyes unreadable. There’s a stillness in the tightening of his jaw, in the breath he forgets to take until you turn away–

You know. 

Sam looks up from the blueprints, glances at you, then to the completely whipped expression on Bucky’s face, and mutters: “Damn.”

-

The ballroom is a continuation of the party from the night before: shimmering chandeliers, glittering champagne flute, a string quartet, silk gowns. Everything is a little more grand tonight. 

But you’re not looking at the decor. You’re looking at him. And he’s been watching you since you left the hotel room. 

Bucky doesn’t say anything, just silently holds out a gloved palm. Steady. Waiting. An invitation. You take it.

His hand slides to your waist, his other curls around yours gently. Your other hand finds the back of his neck, fingers brushing the soft undercut of his hair. He swallows hard like the touch startled him. He leads you out onto the dance floor.

The two of you fall into rhythm easily.

“You’ve done this before,” you say teasingly, voice low.

A slight smile tugs at the corner of his mouth. 

“All the time. Back in the day.” 

You grin.

“Old soul.”

He shrugs. 

“Steady feet.”

Your bodies sway together like memory.

“So… who’d you dance with back then? Any dames I should be jealous of?” 

“One or two dames. Some dames’ sisters. A guy named Roy who didn’t realize I was just being polite.”

You laugh. A full bodied real one. The music swells. His heart does the same in his chest.

“I bet Roy was heartbroken.”

The dance carries you across the floor, slow and intentional. Every step is a negotiation. Every touch is something you can’t say. Bucky’s thumb traces small circles at your waist. You feel it. You pretend you don’t.

Your fingers slide just a little deeper into the hair at the nape of his neck. He feels it. He doesn’t pretend anything. He’s getting tired of playing pretend. There’s too much unsaid.

He clears his throat.

“You still thinking about leaving when all this is over?”

You falter. Just a little. He notices. 

“Maybe. I’ve never stayed anywhere long.”

“Why?”

“The last time I stayed too long… I ended up in a cage.” 

You don’t elaborate further. His grip tightens at your waist. Protective. Angry. Not at you. 

“That wasn’t your fault,” he says, wanting to make sure you know that.

“Didn’t say it was. Just said it happened.”

Your eyes find his again. The space between you shrinks. 

“Some places are different now,” he says quietly.

You don’t ask what he means. You know. 

He means this. Tonight. Him. 

You want to tell him you feel it too. But you can’t. You’ve never been allowed to want something like this. Someone like him. 

Your chests brush faintly every time you breathe. Your eyes drop to his lips just for a second before they meet his eyes again. Your foreheads almost touch when he leans in slightly to murmur something he doesn’t say. 

Bucky wants to say don’t go. He wants to say stay with me. And you want him to say these words as well. You gently pull your bottom lip into your mouth and stare at him imploringly, silently begging him to ask you to stay. 

It never comes. 

Your eyes drop when you realize he’s not going to say it. 

“You know,” you say finally, “if this was real… we’d be dangerous.”

“We already are.”

He means it. Not in the way the world sees him. But in the way he feels you close enough to ruin him forever. 

“You always this poetic on dance floors?” You deflect. 

“Only when I’m trying not to kiss someone.”

Your eyes snap to his. Startled. Caught.

“Don’t.” You say too quickly. 

The word hurts you, but you mean it. Not because you don’t want him to, but because it would make it that much harder to leave. 

“I won’t.”

The spell wears off quickly when Bucky sees him across the room. 

Lucien Virell.

Tall. Polished. Snake-like stillness. He walks like he owns the room. 

Bucky’s grip on your waist tightens instinctively. His whole body goes still.

You don’t need to ask. You already know. 

Your body tenses. The old instinct humming behind your ribs. Fear doesn’t claw–it smiles. You lift your chin. 

You turn your head just slightly and lock eyes with Virell. And you smile.

Not sweet. Not naive. The kind of smile he trained you to use. The one he thinks means submission. His eyes light up. Hungry. Possessive. 

He lifts a drink from a tray. Doesn’t sip. Just watches you for a beat. 

You press your hand softly to Bucky’s chest. He doesn’t want to let go of you.

“Remember the plan,” you tell him.

“I don’t like the plan.” 

“Noted.”

He reluctantly lets you step away. Your posture shifts. You fall back into the body language Virell will recognize. Familiar. Seductive. 

Your eyes meet Virell’s once more and you gently mouth “roof.” 

He tilts his head. Amused. 

You leave the ballroom headed toward the elevators. Virell doesn’t follow you immediately, taking the time to finish his drink before quietly slipping out of the room in pursuit of you. He’s always liked a chase. 

The moment the elevator doors close behind Virell, Bucky’s already moving. Through the crowd. Past Sam and Torres’ startled glances. Into the stairwell. Sprinting two steps at a time.

He’s not losing you. Not now. 

Not ever. 

-

The rooftop is cool and slick with dew. Dark, but the city pulses below allowing for flickers of light and shadows. The wind whips at you, pulling strands from your updo. 

You’ve paused at the center, turning slightly to face the access door behind her.

Lucien Virell enters moments later, deliberate footsteps. A predatory pace. He straightens his tie, his coat fluttering like wings. Calm. You know that calm. It’s the stillness before a kill. 

His voice is smooth and cruel as he emerges.

“Starling.”

“Lucien.”

You circle each other slowly like fencing opponents. You, keeping your distance. Him, closing it. Slowly. He studies you like you’re still something he owns.

“If I had known all you needed was a firm hand and to play dress-up every now and then, I could have arranged that,” he tells you. “When we get back to the Menagerie, I’ll make sure you have all the pretty dresses. That is, once you’ve learned your place again.”

Your posture stills. A flicker of fear. Memory. But you hold the line. 

Virell delights in your discomfort, and goes on to mention specific girls who are still at the Menagerie. You can still picture their faces. 

“The newer collections don’t last as long as you,” he says, going on to hint at systems he still has in place. Like you never left. He mentions how he’ll have to keep you on a tighter leash to make sure you “don’t fly off again.” 

“Maybe your new friend will come and visit. If he can afford you.” Virell tilts his head, eyes glitter. “Who would’ve thought? My Starling… and the Winter Soldier. What a pair.”

Your breath catches. 

He laughs. Cold and amused. 

“It’s in the eyes. You can always spot one of Hydra’s dogs.” 

“He’s not the Winter Soldier anymore,” you say firmly. 

He notices your protectiveness and affection and pounces. 

“Oh this is rich. You’ve got feelings. For him.” He laughs cruelly. “You actually think he cares about you, don’t you?”

You don’t respond, but your silence gives him more than words ever could.

“What is it you think he sees in you? Strength? Courage. Please.” He draws closer, deliberately invading your space. “You’re not lovable. You’re marketable. And that’s not the same thing.” 

He lifts a hand to your chin–slow and condescending. 

“You can wear a dress like that. You can wrap your arms around him. But freedom? Freedom’s a role you’re playing, Starling. Deep down, you know the truth. You will always belong to me.” 

You don’t recoil, but your jaw locks. Eyes sharp. You meet his gaze and slowly lower his hand from your face with two fingers. A deliberate act of rejection. 

Footsteps echo below. Bucky. But not here yet. 

You tilt your head slightly, shifting your weight like a predator ready to strike. The air stills and you take a quiet, steady breath, hand drifting toward the concealed weapon at your thigh. 

And then the door bursts open with a metallic slam. Bucky storms through, slightly out of breath, eyes immediately scanning for you. 

“Get your damn hands off her!” 

You pause. And raise an eyebrow. “Did you just… did you just quote Back to the Future?”

Bucky locks eyes with you, relieved that you’re okay enough to clock his plagiarism.

“Yeah. Well. I've been a little too busy to come up with something original,” he pants. 

You scoff. “Well, it took you long enough.”

“Sorry, Birdie,” he gives you a withering look. “Just had to climb twenty-four flights.”

Which, apparently, is a lot. Even for a super soldier. 

He rolls his shoulder, already stepping forward like he’s winding up to tear someone apart. The tension crackles like a live wire. Virell gives Bucky an amused sneer, delighted at the emotional volatility. 

They clash immediately. Bucky lunges. Brutal, efficient, personal. A series of tight strikes, elbow jabs, throws. Bucky is relentless, all muscle memory and grit. 

But Virell moves fast. Almost too fast.

“You think you’re the only one with upgrades?” Virell grins. 

The stairwell door bursts open again. Virell’s men flood onto the rooftop. Sam and Torres follow quickly, both suited up and ready, already engaging multiple targets. 

Virell steps back and activates hidden suit enhancements: an electroshock gauntlet pulse blue and you can see reflex-enhancing stimulants pump into his bloodstream. His pupils dilate and veins rise dark beneath his skin. 

Virell lands a hit on Bucky as a flashbang is thrown. Bucky falters for a moment, and grits through the pain–they’re forced apart. Sam grabs one of Virell’s men and slams him into a vent. Bucky is pulled into a separate brawl with two baton wielding men. 

You try to keep your eyes on him, but suddenly, Virell is in front of you. 

He lunges, you dodge. Barely. A swing of his gauntlet misses your face by an inch. You grip the knife that had previously been concealed underneath your dress and swing back. Virell grabs your wrist mid-strike and slams you against the wall.

Your ribs scream but you don’t have time to recover because Virell has a tight fist wrapped around your neck, his fingers tightening around your throat and cutting off air in your windpipe. 

“You were always the prettiest thing I owned,” Virell says. He leans closer, voice laced with venom and mockery. “Do you still wake up aching for the cage, Starling? For my touch?” 

Bucky’s eyes finally find you, spotting Virell’s hand clamped around your throat. He sees the way you claw at the hand around your throat. He drops his gun. 

Eyes darken, breath shallow as he stalks his way over. 

“You should’ve stayed dead.”

His voice is almost unrecognizable. 

Metal fist connects with bone. Crunch.

Virell’s hand falls away, leaving you gasping for air. It burns in your throat. 

Bucky hits him again. Brutally. Virell staggers. Blood spatters the rooftop tiles. 

You’re pulling yourself to your feet and that’s when you see it.

Something in Bucky’s eyes flickers and for a second, it’s not Bucky you see, but the Winter Soldier. His expression is even and still, no emotion behind his eyes. Another punch. Virell drops to one knee. One more, and he’ll die. 

You’re scrambling between them now, a hand pushing against Bucky’s chest. 

“Stop,” you say hoarsely, throat still raw. 

He takes a step forward, pushing against your hand. You know you can’t physically stop him.

“Stop,” you plead again softly. “He doesn’t get to break you, too.”

Something flickers in his eyes. Recognition. He wakes up. He’s himself again. Bucky takes a step back, fist dropping, shoulders heaving, breath ragged. He stops. 

Virell is sprawled on the ground, bloodied. His expression switches from one of fear to smugness.

“My Starling,” Virell coughs out a broken laugh, “would never hurt me.” 

You turn to face him, taking a step forward. Eyes dark, voice frozen steel:

“I was never yours.” 

Virell doesn’t get the chance to respond as you deliver a punch with all the fury and weight of years of captivity. His head snaps sideways and he slumps unconscious.

You stand to your full height, taking a step back. You’re blinking down at your hand.

“Ow. Shit,” you pant. “I think I broke my hand.”

Bucky is still catching his breath, watching you carefully. 

“Worth it?” He asks.

You shake it out, wincing, but smiling through the pain.

“Totally worth it.” 

The door slams shut behind Sam and Torres as they haul Virell and his men off. The distant sound of footsteps fade. 

The rooftop is suddenly still. Silent. The wind catches your hair as you stand there in the wreckage. Blood and starlight smeared down your arm, dress torn at the hip, your ribs aching with every breath. But it’s his eyes that land the hardest.

Bucky approaches slowly, something reverent in his steps. His hand lifts to gently take your bruised one in his. His thumb brushes your knuckles, inspecting the swelling. 

“Remind me not to piss you off,” he says with a soft huff of a smile.

You wince, and he immediately softens.

“We should get that looked at–”

“You trying to ruin my moment of glory?” You say dryly. 

He laughs quietly, then lifts his eyes to yours. Serious now. He really looks at you. The torn dress. The sweat. The blood. 

“You’ve never looked more free,” he says.

You laugh. Quiet and exhausted.

“Flattery, Barnes?” 

“Not this time.”

Something shifts between you. Something slow. Heavy. Inevitable. 

Your eyes hold his. 

There are no masks now. No aliases or earpieces or cover stories. Just you and him

You swallow.

“Thanks, Bucky.” 

He freezes. Bucky. Not Barnes. It hits him like a punch to the ribs. His eyes widen and his breath catches. You’ve never called him that before.

His voice is barely above a whisper. 

“...say that again.” 

You step closer to him. Slow and sure. A smile pulling at the edge of your mouth.

“Bucky.” 

He blinks slowly, like he’s trying to absorb the sound of his name on your lips. His hand still around yours. His other lifts to your jaw, fingers soft against the blood-damp skin there. He tilts your face up, just slightly, searching your expression like a map he’s walked a thousand times but never understood until now. 

His eyes flick to your lips once.

You tilt your face up, ever so slightly. Invitation.

“Now is this the part where–” You start. 

His lips meet yours like he’s starving for it. 

There’s no performance here. No mission. No pretend. Just the press of his mouth to yours, warm and shaking with restraint, with grief, with every unspoken thing between you. His hand slides from your jaw to the nape of your neck, the cool touch of vibranium fingers threading into your hair and destroying whatever remnants were left of the style that had long since been undone. 

You melt forward, gripping the front of his jacket like it’s the only thing anchoring you to the moment. 

The kiss deepens, slowly, desperately unfurling. Promises carved between breaths. He pulls you tighter, life if he can just hold you close enough, long enough, it might undo the years.

Just for a second, it does. 

His kiss is the break in the storm. The flood and the stillness. The shudder of breath after years of holding it.

When you finally part, neither of you speaks right way. Foreheads rest together. His hand stays wrapped in yours. He’s not letting go. 

He pulls back enough to look at you. His gaze is pleading, his whisper devastatingly raw. 

“Don’t go.”

[threalcrabbysamantha]

the southern raiders & misplaced anger

Saw people being weird about the Southern Raiders episode again, and I started a long response but it was sooooooo long, I thought I should just make a separate post. 

Here’s the thing: the Southern Raiders episode is about two things - on the surface it’s about Zuko, Katara, and misplaced anger. Thematically, though, this episode is about forgiveness and negotiating where forgiveness fits into the overturning of oppressive regimes. 

I’m just here to talk surface level today. Maybe one day I’ll delve into the thematic stuff (which I think is also so well done). What’s brilliant about this episode is that even the surface level hits more than just the surface - it’s complex, filled with a lot of subtext. Recently I saw someone lament that it’s weird that this episode seems to reinforce the idea that Katara blames Zuko because of her mom’s death - but this reading of the episode really takes things at face value, and I think we need to look deeper than that. 

What always strikes me about this episode is that before it happens, the audience sort of assumes that Katara is angry at Zuko because his actions caused a lot of harm to Aang. But once we get to her confrontation with Zuko, she names the source of her anger as something different: I was the first person to trust you, she says, and you turned around and betrayed me. This is the first thing she says to Zuko that makes an impression on him likely because it feels like the first real thing she says to him about her anger, beyond just aggressively taunting.

But it’s also…ridiculous. He “betrayed” her?? They had no agreement, no alliance! He chose his sister over some random girl he had one conversation with, an action that, as smart as we’ve seen Katara be, shouldn’t have been all that surprising to her. I think the wording here is very important that she trusted him and he betrayed her, because it should set off some alarm bells in your head, the absurdity of the accusation. And it points to the truth: Katara is directing her anger at Zuko, sure, but who is she really mad at? 

It has to be herself. She trusted Zuko, like an idiot, and then Zuko almost got Aang killed. That’s why, for the first time in the show, her anger spins her so out of control. Because she’s not putting the anger in the right direction, not working through it. Anger has a very interesting role in ATLA because the show never really suggests that anger, at its core, is a bad thing, which is a radical position for a kids show in 2005. Katara is the best evidence of this, since her anger 99% of the time is a life giving force interconnected with her hopefulness; the show celebrates her anger more often than it punishes it. But in TSR, her anger is killing her because it’s different than usual. It’s tied up her guilt, and instead of feeling it and working through it, she’s just pushing it on someone else. 

It’s also telling and important that Katara starts blaming Zuko for her mom’s death. Again, this is misplaced, but it’s no wonder she would be thinking about her mom in the wake of her renewed guilt over what happened to Aang. Her mom, after all, also died because of her. 

This is the crux of the episode: Katara feels intense guilt and anger over her mother, and she places it all on Zuko because let’s be honest - she blames herself for all of this, and it all ends up tied together, her guilt her anger. I have no doubt that the person she’s most angry at is herself, unable to do anything to save her mother. And then years later she turns around and trusts ZUKO, of all people - how stupid was that? I mean just LOOK at the way that Katara had spent years turning herself into a caretaker for everyone around her. At first this just seems like a trauma response to losing her mom at a young age - but once we know that her mom died to protect Katara, died in her PLACE - it becomes clear, to me anyway, that Katara making herself into a caretaker at 14 is wrapped up in her guilt and anger over her mom. It’s a punishment, in many ways; she has to take over her mom’s role because her mom died in her place.

Perhaps the final sort of evidence for me that Katara is actually mad at herself in this episode is that Zuko, king of self-loathing, becomes her mirror, her sounding board in this episode. People like to argue that Zuko takes Katara down a “dark path,” but he seems to me more like a beacon in the midst of her turmoil. Placing him next to her, it’s a poke to the audience. Remember? Zuko said not so many episodes ago that he was mad at himself. By the time he joins the gaang, his anger has clearly been redirected at his father; it’s closer now to the anger that Katara most often feels, that hopeful, life giving anger. And allowing Zuko to guide her through this side quest is a reassurance: Katara will work through her anger too.

At the end of the episode, Katara says she’s ready to forgive Zuko. I think this is why people take at face value that she was genuinely angry with him, that her anger at him was a pure expression of her rage and hurt and not a muddied one. But I’d argue that her verbal forgiveness of him isn’t about his “betrayal,” it’s about the themes of the episode - she’ll probably never forgive Yon Rha, she says, a vow to remember the wrongs done in the past - but by forgiving Zuko, she’s saying that she’s willing to collaborate for a better Fire Nation of the future, a more just world. And now that she’s been able to confront and work through her anger at herself, she’s in a balanced place to do so.

Honestly, I think if the true source of Katara’s l anger about all this really was Zuko, they wouldn’t have the relationship that they do by the end of the show. They clearly really trust each other and care about each other by the end, and I think that if Katara really felt betrayed like she says, she would have held back her heart a little bit, keeping them at allies but never quite friends.

And ya know what? This is one of those episodes of ATLA that refuses to spoon feed you the answers, which I really like. It offers a lot of subtext for good, old fashioned analysis and argument, and it’s why it’s one of my favorite episodes - plus it’s an episode that REALLY brilliantly puts the focus on Katara and complicates her character, and I love that. 

[magniloquent-raven]

Day 4: Supportive Boyfriends

and for my next (LATE, SO LATE) @bucktommypositivityweek contribution. KITTEN FIC.

(read on ao3)

**

The 118 doesn't have a baby box.

In fact there aren't any in the state of California at all. Buck looked it up, after Maddie's postpartum episode. When half his family was missing and there wasn't much he could do besides wait and... think about things.

So he thought about safe haven laws. Read up on the training seminars for first responders who want to be better equipped to deal with hand-offs. Read a bunch of other stuff he sort of wishes he hadn't. Spent the next week haunted by articles about abandoned children.

He considered talking to Bobby about it. Only partly to ask him if they should get a box for the firehouse. Partly because Buck wasn't sure how he felt about the whole thing, and Bobby always seemed to have answers. But he never worked up the nerve to broach the subject.

And now. Bobby's not captain anymore, and Buck really can't imagine Gerrard giving a shit about any of this.

So, they don't have a box. But.

Well, this isn't a human baby. It's not like the same rules apply.

Buck has to wonder if wires got crossed somewhere, because. Someone left a kitten. Outside the firehouse.

Buck was just going to grab something—he can't remember what—from his Jeep, when he spotted an unlabelled cardboard box on the pavement, up against the side of the building. His first thought was bomb.

Until it meowed at him. A tiny, high-pitched peep of a meow.

Kind of scared the shit out of him, if he's being honest.

There's only one. All alone in the box. A poofy grey thing wriggling around half buried in an off-white towel. Like a very ambitious dust bunny with big round blue eyes and skinny legs. It wobbles slowly over a fold in the towel with all the effort of someone scaling a mountain.

Buck crouches next to the box, and pokes a finger inside.

"Hey, buddy," he murmurs, holding very still while the kitten inches towards his hand and squeaks. It's unclear whether there are teeth in that little maw. That means it's really young, right? Too young to be left alone for very long.

Shit, how is he going to explain this to Gerrard? He's still got, like, 12 hours left on his shift, but someone has to feed this thing. How long can kittens go without food?

Oh, it does have teeth. Really teeny ones. They're ineffectively poking his knuckle.

Buck fishes his phone out of his jacket—with the hand that isn't currently being drooled on—intending to go to Google for answers. How to figure out how old a kitten is. How often do kittens need to be fed. Do cats get separation anxiety. He has a million questions.

Only he doesn't pull up his browser. He calls Tommy.

It's a whim. Barely a seed of an idea. But when he unlocked his phone the first thing he saw was their text history (he'd been complaining about Gerrard off-and-on all morning, and Tommy had been sending random updates about all the chores he'd been getting done—his last message was a picture of a mop with no context) and he just thought... Tommy will know what to do. Not in so many words, more a feeling. Comfort and certainty, just from seeing Tommy's picture in a little bubble at the top of his screen.

"Evan?" Tommy answers almost immediately, and there's a subtle undercurrent of worry in his tone. Buck winces. Right, calling out of the blue while he's at work would look. Bad.

"I'm okay!" He says quickly, all in one breath. Then pauses. The kitten squints up at him, meowing again, long and loud. Its whole fluffy face scrunches with the effort.

"...What was that?"

"Uh. That would be why I called, actually."

—

Gerrard is less of an obstacle than Buck feared he'd be. Because he's holed up in his office doing paperwork when Buck sneaks in with the kitten, and Buck's decided he has no intention of letting him know the cat was ever here.

Tommy promised he'd come get her.

Buck didn't even really ask, and wasn't planning on asking. Didn't have any plan whatsoever, in fact. He just wanted to know if Tommy knew anything about taking care of kittens, and suddenly Tommy's voluntarily sacrificing the rest of his day off to scope out vets and pet supply stores and whatever else Buck's helpless little friend might need.

He hung up hours ago and his insides still feel warm and goopy about it. He can't stop thinking about the gentle fondness that softened Tommy's voice after Buck explained the situation. Buck would wrap himself up in it like a blanket if he could.

Tommy's getting so kissed when he shows up.

In the meantime, Buck's sitting upstairs, working his way through the dozen or so tabs he opened up after googling kitten care.

He thinks the one he found might be around three weeks old (ears not quite unfurled, can't sheathe claws yet, legs unsteady but mobile). And possibly a girl. She did not care for being picked up and turned over, and the indignant squirming made it difficult to tell what's going on down there. But he's almost certain he's right.

She was shrieking up a storm about it, and he was worried if he took any longer she'd alert Gerrard. (She didn't. She did, however, draw the attention of about half the firehouse.)

"You are disgustingly cute," Chimney coos, scratching under her chin with the tip of one finger. She's lifted her head as high as she can and her eyes are squinted happily. Buck can hear her purring from across the room. "Yes you are. Hen, can you get a picture of this?"

Hen pulls out her phone. "Sure... why?" She asks, leaning over his shoulder to snap a picture and eye him with mild suspicion.

"Jee. She'll wanna see when I tell her about my day."

Her expression softens to a smile. "I'll text it to you." She taps her screen a couple times. "Just had to make sure you weren't planning on calendar campaigning again."

Chimney grins. "Nah, my calendar days are behind me. The only person who gets shirtless pictures of me now is my wife."

"Gross," Buck says without conviction. He narrows his eyes at the site he's scrolling through, swiping away a Join Our Mailing List! popup. "You guys don't think she's cold do you? Are her ears warm? It's only, like, 70 today and we don't know how long she was out there."

Hen and Chim exchange glances, and then, disturbingly in sync, look from the cat to Buck. Chim gives her ear a perfunctory poke, which she does not appreciate as much as chin scritches, "She's fine, man."

Hen waves a hand at Buck when he opens his mouth again, "We're medical professionals. And in my medically professional opinion. She's fine."

"Okay, but—"

"Hey guys, look who stopped b—uhhh. Is that a cat?" Eddie slows to a stop at the top of the stairs, blinking at the kitten on the couch. "When did we get a cat?"

"Couple hours ago," Buck says, still frowning at Hen and Chimney. "Where have you been?"

"I found him polishing the engine."

Buck shoots out of his seat. "Tommy!"

He only half-hears Eddie muttering, "Favouritism," as he scuttles around the chair to meet Tommy halfway between the stairs and the sitting area. Tommy has just enough time to smile—and it warms Buck, like it always does, with a spark caught in his chest for safekeeping—and say hi before Buck's on him, palms clapped on either side of his face, smushing their lips together.

He makes a bit of a show of it, dramatically swooping in, because he knows the big smacking MWAH will make Tommy laugh, and he likes the way that feels rumbling against his chest.

Buck taps their noses together. "Hey," he says, savouring the mirth sparkling in Tommy's eyes for a second before kissing him again, properly this time.

His brain goes sort of fuzzy when Tommy's palm cups the back of his neck.

Someone in the distance wolf-whistles.

When they finally come up for air Tommy asks, "What was that for?" a little breathlessly, which is doing things to Buck.

"Mmn...y'know. For being you."

Tommy raises his eyebrows, kiss-reddened lips curling fondly. "Okay."

"Hey, Tommy. Good to see you," Chim calls in a very pointed way.

Right, public setting. Workplace. Friends watching. Buck exhales slowly, and tries to think about anything other than how much he wants to bite that bit of clavicle peeking out of the collar of Tommy's shirt. Like the fact that Tommy's hands are warm, and he's sort of rubbing his fingertips over the short stubbly bits of hair on the back of Buck's head, and Buck's lips are still tingling a little, and—no wait, not that either.

Tommy pulls away first, which is probably for the best, but also very sad. The corner of his mouth twitches like he can see Buck thinking it. He curls his index finger and gently taps Buck's chin with the knuckle before he turns to the group.

"Howie," he says, not even pretending to be contrite in the face of Chim's mock-judgement. "Hen."

"Tommy." Hen fails to contain her smirk.

Some time during all the kissing, Eddie moved over to the couch. He's sat next to the kitten, watching her attempt to groom her paw with all the grace of a toddler who's only a little bit sure they know how to hold a brush. She keeps starting and stopping at random intervals, sometimes licking the cushion beside her, sometimes sticking her tongue out at thin air.

She's so cute it makes Buck's chest hurt. It's a little much while he's still loopy from making out with his boyfriend.

Then Tommy goes and crouches next to the couch so he can get eye-level with the kitten while she sniffs his hand, talking to her all calm and soft with smile-lines crinkling his cheeks, and. Buck might need to lie down for a bit. Like, on top of Tommy, preferably.

The kitten seems to like him too, and he really can't blame her when she crawls up Tommy's sleeve to perch on his shoulder.

She looks so much smaller cuddled up on Tommy. He reaches up to steady her, and she's almost entirely obscured by his hand.

God, is it wrong that he's getting a little hot under the collar about that? He just looks so strong and competent and at the same time, like, gentle. Buck knows how it feels to be touched tenderly by those hands, and apparently just seeing it happen does not affect him any less. In fact it's only added dimensions to his desires.

"I should probably get going," Tommy says, bringing Buck back down to Earth with a resounding splat.

He opens his mouth to protest, then closes it. He's right. The last thing Buck wants is for Tommy to have another run-in with Gerrard, and they don't know how long the old bastard's gonna be occupied.

"Mhm, run while you still can," Chimney pipes up. "Before our dear old captain smells an opportunity to ruin someone's day."

"He does seem to have a sixth sense for that," Eddie adds sullenly. Buck makes a note to ask him what that was about. Later.

"I'll walk you out," Buck says, trying not to sound like a pouting child. He's fairly certain he fails, because Tommy laces their fingers together and gives his hand a comforting squeeze.

He says his goodbyes, the whole time being careful not to dislodge the kitten while she crawls across his shoulders.

Buck goes through the list of kitten care basics he memorized as they make their way to the parking lot. It's...more than he thought it was, honestly. It starts to feel overwhelming as he goes on, and on, and on. He's running out of time to get it all out, and he feels like it's just now sinking in his huge this responsibility that he's dumping in Tommy's lap is.

"You're sure you don't mind taking her?" The question bursts out of Buck before they make it to Tommy's car. "W-we didn't really, I mean. We talked about it over the phone, but..."

"Yeah, now that I've seen her she does seem like a real handful."

The kitten yawns, and curls up into a tiny grey ball in the crook of Tommy's neck.

Well. Alright.

"It's just, t-they need a lot of attention when they're that young, and I kinda just, just dropped this on you."

"Evan." Tommy gives him a look. "Are you worried that you baby-trapped me?"

Okay, when he puts it like that. Maybe a little bit. But also now he's having complicated yearning feelings that he really should not be having this early in the relationship.

Buck's pretty sure he looks like a deer in the headlights right now, because Tommy's doing his damnedest to pretend he isn't laughing at him.

He tugs Buck's hand, leading him the rest of the way to his car.

The backseat is full of cat stuff. Containers of milk-replacement powders, and a shiny plastic litter box, and toys, so many toys, baggies of fake mice and feathery things, just. So much stuff. Piles of it.

"I called up a friend who used to foster kittens. She had a lot of advice. And then I got a little carried away."

"I, uh. See that," Buck laughs breathlessly.

"Over the phone, you sounded like this meant a lot to you? And I think I got really attached to the idea of...this. Taking care of her for you. With you." He sounds hesitant, like he's trying not to say too much, and Buck can't stand it—

"I love you so much," he says in a rush.

"Well, good," Tommy purses his lips around a smile, eyes bright and crinkled at the corners. He reaches up to his shoulder, like he's absent-mindedly checking to see if the kitten's still there. "Wouldn't want her to grow up in a broken home."

Buck huffs a laugh.

"And I love you too."

[kanmom51]

Jikook in bed - Part 3

Are you sure?! Episodes 4 and 5

Before we get started, a little reminder of parts 1 & 2.

Let me start by saying that the occurrences in this post directly follow the whole ramen convo saga.

After speaking ramen and showering (notice how I haven't added the word "separately" there?🤣 ), and spending some time together downstairs all cozy and everything, they both decide to go to bed.

Let's talk about the pre-sleep coziness for a sec before moving on.

Watching the SNTY choreo and talking about it. JM loving the choreo.

Nothing new here folks.

We also got to learn, once again, just how 'informed' they are of each other's business. That's a nice way of saying they know shit about each other even if we don't tell us they do. Like, JM knowing that JK hasn't slept since NY, including on the flight. And if we're on the sleep talk already then funny how JK didn't know his 'husband' 'is struggling with sleeping lately.

And then, as we got to learn throughout the show, the two, once again, make a joint decision to go to bed.

Enough of that.

Let's get to the juicy part of this post, why don't we?

We start it off the two entangled.

JK has zero issue with JM's feet basically in his face.

Well, he did say JM's toes are cute, so...

Do we notice how JK goes for JM's ankle?

Now holding on to JM's foot with both hands (his mobile in his left hand).

And then letting go.

Reminded me of this moment.

And this one too.

JM going for the hug and JK pulling his hand in.

And they stay like that.

We don't know for just how long.

Discussing sleeping together.

It's not about "are you sleeping with me here?" or "where are you sleeping?"

It's "don't hit my nose today... if you do I'll hit you too..."

No questions asked.

Just facts!!!

How long were they just laying like that, calm, intertwined, BEING?

And they clearly do fall asleep together both laying over the covers.

The editors making sure to let us know that the two were sleeping on that one bed.

That angle of the lone empty third bed. Was it really necessary?

But you'll say: JK moved at some point to the third bed. Yes he did. And why? He already fell asleep on the bed with JM.

There is a purposeful omitting of JK waking up and moving to the third bed. They cameras were rolling, and they clearly could have shown us what happened. Makes you wonder why they didn't show us.

My uneducated guess would be that he moved to the bed on the floor because he was cold at night, and didn't want to wake up JM (they fell asleep over the covers and getting under the cover might have woken JM up). We do see JK covered in the morning. A guess, no more.

That was night 1 of Jeju.

Night 2 is a little different. This time they automatically split into 2 beds. Question I ask is why? Were they told to? Did they think it was better that way?

Either way, we see how JK insists on taking the bed on the floor.

And no, that flimsy excuse of preferring the less soft bed doesn't stand with me. I'm going to go with JK not wanting JM to sleep on the floor. Where Tae was supposed to be sleeping, btw. Funny how that worked out...

And yes, they didn't share a bed for the night, but JM sure couldn't go without his morning cuddles.

Understandable.

Notice how we never see JM getting up? We have zero idea just how much time they lay on JK like that cuddling him. Sob sob. I'm going to go with it not being short lived, which is why they cut the footage.

Ok, so that basically wraps up the 4 nights. 2 in CT (the actual night they spent together in bed the whole night we got zero footage of) and 2 in Jeju.

But how can I end this post without JM's wake up alarm for JK? Waking up is still about bed, right?

When I first saw this I didn't get what was going on... and why JM thought it was so funny.

Well, until I saw this.

Those two...

🤣🤣

[clanwarrior-tumbly]

can i get a scarlet/violet gang x ghost trainer reader who lets their ghost types possess them for pranks ?

This took a minute to think about until mochi mayhem dropped--then I got ideas haha

...........

During the events of Mochi Mayhem...you seemed remarkably unfazed by Pecharunt's "curse" spreading throughout the village, finding it more amusing than frightening.

And it's because you were no stranger to being possessed yourself.

Your first experience occurred after a Spiritomb's soul got separated and found you as a temporary host while you were exploring some ruins in Paldea (with your poor Fuecoco at the time being terrified for you).

Fortunately it wasn't an aggressive one, just a scared lonely spirit that was piloting your body around until it was reunited with the other 107 souls of that Spiritomb....which turned out to be a shiny!

In a show of gratitude, it decided to join your team--and soon you found your true calling as a ghost type trainer.

So you've picked up other ghosts throughout your journeys in Paldea, Kitakami, and BB Academy.

At some point you trusted your main team enough to allow them to possess your body.

Initially, they only did if they believed it was necessary (ie saving you from a fall or sudden Pokémon attack).

But then you decide to let them do so for pranks and such--mainly reserving those for whoever bothered your friends, while other times your friends are the hapless victims.

Exhibit A: When a BB Academy student is harassing Kieran over how he used to act, you see him getting upset and have one of your Shiny Spiritomb's souls possess you, enabling you to creep up and stare at the bully--all behind his back without him ever noticing you.

He's confused when they suddenly look terrified and run away....and then he slowly turns around, screaming a bit upon seeing your face in the likeness of a Spiritomb (like in that one episode of Journeys where Ash gets possessed by one).

You feel bad, especially after the soul leaves your body, and you promise that you'll never do that again.

Although he is grateful you saved him from that intense moment.

Exhibit B: You're hanging out with Penny at your house, watching her play some horror game on your console.

Your Gengar gets the mischievous idea to turn the lights off and possess you, creating a creepy atmosphere all around the house, making your friend paranoid of whether the sounds were coming from the game or elsewhere.

In hindsight, it sounds hilarious..but you forgot Penny doesn't fw horror movie tropes like that.

As she commands Umbreon to attack you out of pure instinct-

Only to see you and Gengar get forcibly separated and hit the ground hard.

Knock Off was no joke.

She apologizes but is a bit annoyed bc she couldn't save her progress thanks to your "prank".

Exhibit C: While Arven is giving Nemona, Penny, Kieran, and Carmine lessons on the art of sandwich crafting, you stroll over with some purple mochi, offering it as a dessert.

Obviously they decline, seeing Pecharunt literally hovering beside you and wondering if you already forgot what happened.....and are horrified when you shrug and eat one, your eyes turning purple.

Yet before anyone can fully freak out, you just laugh and start talking normally.

To make a long story short, you and the mythical 'mon came to an agreement that you'll eat the mochi it provides as long as it doesn't make you do anything harmful (like battling) or anything ridiculous (like dancing and saying "mochi" nonstop) while possessing you.

It's still mischievous at heart, of course. You'll allow it to have a little bit of fun considering its troubling past.

Exhibit D: Your Skeledirge was the first 'mon you used the Synchro Machine on after arriving to BB Academy, walking around and battling wild Pokémon in the terarium for a few good hours.

This "reverse possession", however, left some adverse effects on you even after desynchronizing...as for several days you developed a habit for singing, could taste smoke in your breath, and even your partner's little fire bird companion decided that it wanted to nestle atop your head.

You realize what a funny prank this could be.

So you pull up to the cafeteria to the "date" Drayton invited you to and freak out the rest of the Elite Four (except for Crispin who immediately realizes you own a Skeledirge and thinks you're awesome).

That also makes for a rather...awkward reunion with Kieran who thinks you've seriously gone off the deep end, and you drop the act right away.

But he's too caught up in the idea of battling you and winning to care about why tf you're possessed rn.

[kiame-sama]

Drag Me To Hell- (Yandere!Alastor x Chubby!Fem!reader) pt 2.

Warnings; same warnings apply from Hazbin Hotel as to here, but if you know Hazbin, you're already prepared for what's coming, spoilers for episode 1 of Hazbin, a bit more "background" for reader, fem pronouned reader,

~~~~~~~~

"I swear, if you film me goin' at it with mister fancy-talk creepy voice here, you'd be rollin' in participants willin' to stay at this tacky hotel."

"Haha, never going to happen."

You glanced over from where you sat at Husker's bar, seeing Angel Dust make a few gestures to Alastor. The Radio Demon in question had a sneer on his face disguised as a wide grin, almost seeming annoyed with the consistent light flirting from Angel.

Angel would never have him.

Alastor- as you knew him- was not an overly sexual being, and anything that did come over him was fleeting if even substantial enough to act on. Besides, he was not one to expose himself to just anyone. It took decades for Alastor to come to you, and you were by his side more often than anyone else in his demonic life. You suspected part of why he was even willing to approach you about the matter was because you were already the equivalent of a lady in waiting to him.

His living diary. His secretary. His studio assistant. His bed-fellow. His ensnared soul bound eternally to be loyal to him alone. His favorite soul in the entire collection.

You weren't his strongest- if anything, you were his weakest- but you were his favorite.

"Hey," Angel started, "I have a question, if freaky-face over there is so powerful, then why can't he just make people stay here?"

"Oh, trust me," the light around Alastor faded and his antlers slightly grew, "I can!"

It was then Husker spoke up, a bottle in hand and a frown on his face.

"Why do you think I'm here?"

The hell-cat bartender was a familiar face to you. He was yet another soul in Alastor's repertoire and his contract was one that made you pity the gruff demon. You were there when it was struck after-all, not that Husker knew that.

Alastor didn't like going places without you, so he would often contain you inside of his microphone cane. In a sense, you were the spirit possessing his microphone. Where it went, so did you, meaning you were always by Alastor's side. Of course, you could be separate from it, he just didn't usually want you to be. An eternal summon bound by the shred of demonic power you had to your name.

"You actually think I'd be cleaning bottles and listening to you fucks bitch and moan all the time if he wasn't forcin' me?"

"I like being forced."

"Keep that to yourself, Niff."

The sudden interjection from Nifty actually made you laugh, knowing the twisted inner workings of another of Alastor's 'summons'. Nifty was more like you than Husker, far more intertwined to Alastor and his whims than others. Nifty was more of a pet to Alastor- not that you were any better- and she kept things tidied to Alastor's standards.

"Never change, Nifty."

She smiled at you and Husker rolled his eyes, wiping down the same bottle once again. Husker was damn good at being a bartender and listening, even if he bitched about it while it happened. Between the three of you, you all were used to Alastor and his general behavior in most situations. As Alastor's confidant and microphone, you knew him better than anyone else and even then there were things you didn't know about him.

"Darling, can we talk a moment?"

The words sent anxiety down your spine, but you were quick to answer the non-optional summons. Walking up to his side he lazily wrapped an arm around you, leading you away from the group.

"Yes, Alastor?"

"Ah-ah, what did we talk about?"

"Sorry... Yes... Dear?"

"Hm, I never get tired of hearing that. I just wanted you away from them for a bit, that's all~"

Part of you wondered if Alastor was being serious or not, but decided that he had done far deadlier things to other demons for far less than vaguely annoying him by existing. If anything, his new interest in 'pet-names' was a recent development that likely had to do with his growing jealousy. You had been with Alastor on his seven-year 'sabbatical' and now you both were among others like this. It was clear to you that he was finding himself a bit more possessive of you.

"Just happy to have you here, and trust me, I'll make sure you never leave."

[avelera]

How do you think one should go when trying to "fix" the narrative or make it less angstier? Because when it comes to season 1, I feel like it's easier, but when it comes to season 2, you sorta have the impression that you HAVE to let all the events play up as they are even if you want to make Jayce and Viktor reconcile earlier. For example, Jayce could have tried to show Viktor the truth as early as episode 6, but he doesn't and instead blasts him. Same with episode 8. And it makes me wonder just what exactly Mage Viktor told him. Like did he tell him to let things go exactly like that or did Jayce just assume they should. And this is mainly a peev of mine, but to be honest, when I saw Puppet Viktor on episode 8, I genuinely assumed Singed had already healed Viktor and got baffled to see he only did after Jayce rejected him. So, how do you think things would've gone if Jayce had accepted Viktor? Albeit in a "Only if you listen to what I say and think REAAAALLLY hard if that's what you still want". The most I can think of the top of ky head is Ambessa being down an army and Singed being disappointed in Viktor once again not following his example. What do you think?

I'm going to assume this is for fanfic AU purposes because I'm not super interested in litigating how S2 "should" have gone.

As for why did Jayce not try to reason with Viktor in 2.06, I think we have to infer that it wouldn't have worked.

The theory I go with is that the Hexcore was still controlling Viktor too completely at that point. Jayce could have talked until he was blue in the face or he could have used touch to show Viktor directly what the future would hold, it wouldn't matter.

I suspect that Jayce knew that even if he had gotten through to Viktor, Viktor wouldn't have had the power to throw off the Hexcore's influence either (we're going pure Watsonian here, Doylist the explanation is: we wouldn't have a story).

So at that point, Jayce doesn't tell the future through touch or words to Viktor because he needs Viktor but more important the Hexcore to be ignorant of the events that will be needed to truly destroy it for good.

My guess is that the sequence of events had to go like this:

Even if Viktor could be convinced at the commune, it wouldn't matter because the Hexcore was more powerful than him.

Viktor would need an alternate source of power in order to cast aside the Hexcore's influence.

The only sequence of events that get Viktor to a point where he wants to and can separate himself from the Hexcore and then destroy it are what we see in canon.

It requires 1) Viktor and the Hexcore to gain the power of the Anomaly that resides at the base of the Hexgate tower. Jayce's attempts to remove the cores and talk to him were only stalling actions for the critical moments needed to buy time for Ekko to wake up because

2) Ekko needs to throw a bomb at Viktor's head made from an Anomaly from an alternate universe that Viktor has no awareness about, so it truly surprises him AND the Hexcore.

The Anomaly cracks the outer shell around Viktor, the Machine Herald, which is actually a manifestation of the Hexcore's influence over Viktor.

Then Jayce's pleas and the information about the future can get through to Viktor, through the crack in the Hexcore's influence.

Then, with the power of the Anomaly and the rune in Jayce's wrist (which is in turn powered up by Wizard Viktor), Viktor and Jayce together can withdraw the Hexcore's influence from all the people who have been assimilated (thus rendering the puppets immediately inert), withdraw the tendrils of influence from the people who have been captured, and use the power of the Anomaly to erase the Hexcore from existence. Without that exact sequence of events, they wouldn't have the power to do so.

Had Jayce tried to warn Viktor in 2.06, the Hexcore would have realized the Anomaly has the power to destroy it. So Jayce couldn't tell him about the Anomaly then or the Hexcore would have avoided going there. The Anomaly gave power to Viktor as well as the Hexcore.

That said, it's still a very narrow path to victory, which is one reason I think Jayce still tried to tell Viktor not to go to the Hexgates, perhaps knowing it would only goad Viktor to go there sooner, as was required by the plan, OR perhaps he truly hoped against hope that he could talk Viktor out of this inevitable sequence, like when he tried to reason with him at the base of the tower, only to be shown over and over that Wizard Viktor is right, there is no way to get through to him before Ekko's bomb goes off and separates Viktor's consciousness from the Hexcore's goals even by a fraction.

Also remember, Jayce's promise to Viktor, the one he references in his speech, was that he would destroy the Hexcore. All of this, from the beginning, has been about destroying the Hexcore.

Viktor once free of the Hexcore's influence thanks to the bomb and the realization brought on by Jayce's plea, tries to destroy and withdraw its influence alone. Then Jayce steps in, and they destroy the Hexcore and withdraw its influence together.

I think a lot of people lost track of the fact that the Hexcore is embedded in Viktor's chest and still active throughout S2. One reason Viktor warned that it had to be destroyed is that he knew it had taken over his mind enough and was physically controlled him enough already, just from the transformation of his leg, that he knew he couldn't do it himself, the Hexcore would stop him.

This also explains why Viktor isn't trying to destroy the Hexcore anymore in S2 and why he suddenly believes in Glorious Evolution. He knew before it took him over that he wouldn't have the strength to fight it. His look of disappointment at Jayce in 2.02 is, I'd argue, the last flicker of his awareness that he's doomed to carry out its will, now that Jayce has made it a part of him. He has been taken over by it through Jayce's attempt to save his life.

Anyway, I hope this answers your question!

[shantechni]

I think an awful lot about Splinter believing in the start of the series that he'd lost his humanity.

For the sake of someone named Pete, I will go through the events in chronological order for once-

In Lone Rat and Cubs, Splinter tells the turtles about their time spent running from the Kraang before they found their forever home, and we learn that Splinter didn't easily slip into his new role. Sure, he cared for the turtles, kept them fed and sheltered them from the elements, but he still called them "creatures" and "turtles" before naming them. He didn't see this as an opportunistic situation where he miraculously became a father to a second batch of kids, but rather that he'd fallen into a pool of misfortune and would need to live with this new form while protecting himself and the turtles.

"What terrible deed did I do in a past life that such a curse has befallen me?"

As he considers the turtles' growth and the possibility of a future with them, he then begins to view himself as a potential father. He explains that he wondered if he had the discipline to be a proper father, especially after the loss of his first family, and he realizes it was something he wanted to be regardless of discipline or odd circumstances.

And so, he claims the turtles as his own, and accepts his role as their father.

Though he'd grown accustomed to being a mutant rat over the years, he still draws a line between "Hamato Yoshi" and "Splinter" without knowing it, albeit a blurry and ephemeral one drawn in ever changing sand.

We hear Splinter in the second episode of the series talking about the loss of his family, his home, and his own name. He more or less tells Leo that being mutated erased whatever connection he formally had to the name "Hamato," and the idea is further supported by a similar and more somber scene in I, Monster. Splinter fights off the Rat King's control as he again laments that his entire clan and family, even his humanity, is gone, and he has nothing but the turtles left for him in this new life. Fortunately, he retains his sense of self post mutation, and he's presented from the beginning of the series as one who's in control of himself, both to his sons and friends of theirs, as well as any enemy that comes their way.

However, that presentation of control gives us a bit of a look into his psyche and allows us to consider the idea of him still struggling to come to terms with not being human anymore.

With the introduction of the Rat King, he's taunted by a potential loss of that control for the first time and it shakes him to his core. It makes sense for him to be shaken up since all that'd be left without him is a mindless, humanoid rat who'd lost touch with the human it used to be. Which is why it's so compelling that his sons, particularly Leo, are so adamant about reinforcing the fact that his mutation doesn't erase who he is. It's incredibly noteworthy what Leo says to him when trying to break the Rat King's control over him, "Remember who you are!"

Not who he once was, or the human he used to be, but who he is.

They never viewed Splinter as a separate being from Hamato Yoshi.

The boys aren't strangers to Splinter's old life before them, and they're very much aware of everything he'd lost; the guy talks about certain things frequently enough for them to know his tragedies and recite them without skipping a letter. It's his recollections of the tribulations he suffered through that helped them understand that his life with them is undeniably disconnected from his life with Tang Shen, but not unrelated.

He's still Hamato Yoshi, and his place will always be with his family.

Having been defeated by Splinter, the Rat King runs to find another way of tormenting him, and his perfect target is fear.

Though we got a brief look into this during their first encounter with Falco's twisted appearance, it's not until Of Rats and Men that we get further insight into another layer of Splinter's concern with his rat half: the repercussions that could result from the loss of control.

Throughout all of his years of raising his sons, not once did he ever treat them with the intention to frighten them and make them wary of his every move. The Rat King can easily use that fear to his advantage and weaken Splinter's mental stability enough to figure out how to make mutants similar to him. And he truly makes use of that fear by turning Splinter into his personal puppet.

There's still a considerable amount of concern on the turtles' end that pierces through that fear though. After Splinter teleports across the room to distance himself, Leo looked ready to leap to his side, and the others, despite being threatened literal seconds earlier, remain where they are and are equally concerned.

Eventually, the Rat King strikes again and everyone begins to piece together what's going on when Splinter loses it. Mikey is absolutely terrified and staggered by what happened, and Raph and Donnie tread with caution while Leo and April are the first ones to approach Splinter.

The TV gives them extra confirmation that Falco is back, and to everyone's surprise, Splinter refuses to help them fight Falco, even when Casey is dragged down a manhole by one of the mutated rats in their first attempt to clear the streets. It's not an easy choice for Splinter to make because we see how guilty he feels for his refusal, but the gang doesn't fault him for refusing either. No matter how much they want for Splinter to join them, he's right to worry about what the Rat King, now stronger than before, could force him to do.

April speaks for everyone though when she tells him they all believe in him. They make it known that they aren't afraid of what may happen, and they especially aren't afraid of him.

Unsurprisingly, Splinter changes his mind at the last minute, and, with the help of a recently mutated cat, he chases Falco down to deal with him once and for all. Protecting his family takes priority over his doubts, and by the end of the episode, he overcomes his fear of the Rat King controlling him.

He has his humanity, and that's what makes him different from the rat Falco constantly made him out to be.

And for the first time in the series, in The Lonely Mutation of Baxter Stockman, he says out loud that he has his humanity and is thankful he's fortunate enough to still have it when others lose it post mutation.

I previously went a bit more in depth about it in this post but the boys have witnessed Splinter grappling with being a rat, particularly with the Rat King's meddling, and Donnie sincerely believed giving him retromutagen would be something he'd want. This was clearly an idea that's been weighing on Donnie's mind for a while considering that he seemingly kept quiet about his plan until he completed the retromutagen, and he's the most upset when he has to use the remaining dosage for Kirby.

But Splinter tells him and the other turtles he's content as he is and wouldn't do anything to change himself this far in. And the boys all seem content with his answer.

With the invasion of the Kraang and his defeat at the hands of the Shredder, Splinter again comes face to face with his mutated genes, and there's no Rat King stringing him along this time. He'd been swallowed by delirium with the lack of familial support to pull him out of it, and he became spiritually disconnected from his body as a result. The gang is initially caught off guard by Splinter's state, but they quickly get over it and work to subdue him.

While the boys are pulled away into battle, April uses her powers to sift through Splinter's memories and, after showing him the time he asked her to train with him, we see a memory with the turtles, Karai, and his only family portrait from before his mutation:

Seeing his family is what manages to bring him back to his senses.

We the audience, as well as Splinter, figured that was the end of his troubles with being a mutant rat, but Shredder decided to bathe in some super juice and sent Splinter careening a thousand feet into a dark cavern, the same one Splinter sent Falco down two seasons ago. Being thrown into near total darkness with a fairly debilitating injury and fever was the perfect recipe for him to begin hallucinating, and he believes the Rat King is attacking him when he's most vulnerable. But just when he feels himself slipping further away, his mind goes straight to the day his sons celebrated their 15th mutation day, and just beyond them is Tang Shen.

He regains his clarity, grasps that Falco's been dead the whole time, and is immensely relieved to see Donnie and Mikey after what he'd been through.

"Perhaps a teacher, but never my master."

Falco inadvertently taught Splinter that he's always had his humanity, and his family serves as a reminder of that fact by remaining a constant and significant pillar for him.

His family is his humanity.

[wonderfull-star]

I so wish more people would talk about Hazel and Dev reuniting in season 2. And how she, Winn and Jasmine try to mend fences with Dev again. And how the four of them become a team, getting into various adventures. It would be great if in one episode Dev was the one who saved everyone. It would be also great for his redemption arc. I don’t know, but I just don’t see Peri and Dev getting back together. At least not this early. I’m sure after the final episode Peri will be thinking clearly about something else. That is, about how this job wasn’t for him after all and he’ll try to find something different. And the fact that Dev stays with Dale isn’t such a tragedy as some people describe in fanfiction. Dale is certainly a bad father, but not to the point where it would threaten Dev. So to think that after the finale Peri will worry about Dev when his career (and even life) is going downhill is pretty stupid. Well, yes, he is now (f)unemployed ✨Who else to think about if not Dev 😒

I think that Hazel, her family and friends will be given more attention. Hazel will not make such big wishes for a while, but only certain small needs. While Cosmo and Wanda will spend more time at home. Perhaps we will even be shown more of what the house itself looks like, as well as what the other rooms look like. Probably there will even be a separate episode about this, where Hazel and her friends decide to explore Cosmo and Wanda’s house, discovering more and more secrets. So I think that at least at the beginning of the 2nd season Peri will not have much screen time. Perhaps we will be shown time with him for a few seconds and only by the 5th-10th episode he may be given his screen time (possibly related to his problem with choosing a career). There is also an option that until the middle of the 2nd season Peri will "disappear" in order to show him later at the most unexpected moment. So that everyone has intrigue.

For me, this whole "Dev and Peri reunion" thing is way overrated. Fanfics mostly only include this topic and have become painfully monotonous. And that's not even counting the typical cliches many give to characters that sometimes aren't even in the show itself. If you take only such fanfics, then usually there are: "Dale is a bad person and a bad father" - "Peri is of course the only one who understands this and tries to find a way to help Dev" - "Dev is rude and cold most of the time" - "Peri follows Dev like a tail" - "Later, Dev notices Peri's efforts and apologizes to him” - “Good ending”.

I have nothing against these fanfics and especially those who wrote them. I'm just wondering why so many people write mainly on this topic. And I cited the main cliche from what I once read before (of course, I will not read ALL such fanfics. Since I don’t like fanfics on this topic anymore).

That's why I SO want Hazel and Dev to reunite. Dev still needs to recover from what happened. He might not even go to school for a while. And if Dev does come to school one day, Hazel will probably be the first one to interact with him (as a parallel to episode 1 of season 1). I imagine how after everything that happened, Dev will become more quiet and withdrawn. And Hazel will be the one who will try to improve his condition over time by starting to be friends with him like they used to be. And over time, Winn and Jasmine will start to be friends with Dev too.

[thebroccolination]

THE GREAT CRYING LORE OF 2018 AND WHY IT CONNECTS TO "THE EX-MORNING"

There's a bit of lore underlying a scene in KristSingto's 2018 "Our Skyy" episode that we fans have been using to torture each other for years while we waited for a new series to be announced. I bring it back today in the hopes that I can torture indoctrinate share with unsuspecting new people. \:D/

It's about this scene:

If you haven't seen everything preceding it, I'll do a quick recap for you:

"SOTUS" is the story of first-year Kongphob who makes it his purpose in life to be the persistent thorn in third-year head hazer Arthit's side. It's a brilliant slowburn romance that leads neatly into the sequel, "SOTUS S," which follows Arthit's transition from Openly Queer University Student to Closeted Real World Employee and shows how his fear of bigotry affects his relationship with Kongphob, who's still in the safety of school. Their last installment in the "Our Skyy" episode focuses on Arthit struggling with Kongphob's impending departure to Beijing where he'll be studying for the next two years.

In the lead-up to the infamous scene above, Arthit has spent hours doomscrolling forums about long-distance relationships after secretly breaking down into tears twice because he's not coping well with the looming separation. He's doing this, by the way, in a park overlooking the bridge where he and Kongphob had their first kiss. He's doing this, I presume, for optimal self-harm.

Let's watch the scene together, shaaaall we?

That hurt, huh! \:D/

First of all, and I just like to say this to cause unnecessary pain, but I'm pretty sure Kongphob was building up to a proposal before Arthit succumbed to his anxiety spiral, pulled out a trident, and lanced him through the heart with it.

But anyway, I'm not here to talk about the characters. I'm here to talk about the crying.

Because apparently, Krist wasn't supposed to start crying here:

Disclaimer: I can't find the source for this lore, but I've checked in with other Peraya who also remember it from somewhere, so either we're all sharing in a very specific mass hallucination or it's real.

Krist has said in the past that he draws on personal experience when he acts. Some characters, like Arthit, are easier for him to portray because he can align some aspect of himself with the character. Kawi, famously, was one of his biggest challenges because he couldn't wrap his head around a character who avoids communicating when he needs to.

Normally to make himself cry, Krist said he usually thinks of family or other people he loves, but for this scene, he thought specifically of Singto leaving him to study abroad.

Before Singto officially left GMMTV to go freelance in 2022, he'd always talked about going overseas to attend film school. I don't have any source for this, but since their "Our Skyy" episode wasn't based on anything, it's possible they based the script for this episode on Singto's real-life plans to study abroad and applied them to Kongphob's canon desire to study economics in graduate school.

So when they filmed this scene, Krist started crying much earlier than Arthit was meant to, and they just kind of had to roll with it. He was too overwhelmed by the thought of Singto leaving, it just overflowed.

So now that you know The Lore, have a watch of that scene again. That's Krist thinking about Singto leaving him someday.

Why do I bring this up, you're wondering?

WELL.

"The Ex-Morning" is an exes-to-lovers series, right? And unless it's been altered in the revisions for some reason, the premise is that Tamtawan (Singto) broke up with Pathapi (Krist) in university and then moved overseas, only coming back years later to help Pathapi patch up his reputation as a reporter.

We know flashbacks were filmed, and there's a scene in the pilot teaser where we see Tamtawan end things with Pathapi, so I'm pretty sure that's going to be in the full series.

And I think it was filmed waaay back in Q6, because one of the crew is seen crying while filming.

Since Krist made himself cry in "Our Skyy" with the thought of Singto someday leaving him, I'm willing to bet every limb I have as well as one of my chocolate Easter eggs that he used Singto's actual leaving to make himself cry this time.

And seeing how well he did in "Our Skyy," I can see why drawing on experience would make even the crew cry.

Oh, and just to twist the knife, after Singto officially left GMMTV, the pandemic and his father's health interfered with his plans, so he didn't end up going overseas. Krist, who'd understood and supported him going, saw him Not Going Anywhere and convinced himself that Singto had just used that as an excuse to get away from working with him. They talked about it when Singto first came back, and while Krist was smiling and laughing during the interview itself, Singto said he had to talk Krist down from sobbing over the phone for a Very Long Time to convince him.

He might have supported Singto leaving to pursue his dream, but from the way Krist's described it, he missed Singto every day he wasn't by his side.

Basically, I think this series is a form of therapy.

Get ready to cry along, y'all. \:D/

[shuggymaniac]

Someone pointed out to this picture saying that Shanks and Buggy already know where the “One Piece” is since they were there when the route was figured out…

Which made me wonder why did they already go after if they were there… and of course with this song stuck in my head lately…

I thought of a new story idea!!!

—-

In the day of Roger’s execution, after Buggy ran away from Shanks instead of standing still Shanks ran after Buggy and did his best to convince him why they shouldn’t go after the “One Piece” just yet, which eventually Buggy agrees because deep down he doesn’t want to be alone without Shanks.

So they have this discussion on what they should do next, during that time they find out that the marines released the wanted posters for what’s left of the Roger’s pirates and Buggy was not of one of them but Shanks was.

With a heavy heart they come to the conclusion that Buggy needs to stay hidden because if Shanks sailed into the sea his bounty would be higher than those new pirates, and also because Buggy is way better navigator than Shanks. He could redraw the map for the “One Piece” with his eyes closed if he wanted to.

After securing ways to keep in contact without fear of the marines, they go on their separate ways. They talk every few months, giving each other updates of how found new friends and crewmate for their future crew.

Shanks’s crew already knew about Buggy and Shanks still being in contact and all, and they swore to secrecy. Buggy on the other hand took a different approach. The bluenette had trust issues so he already told a hand full of his crew about him and Shanks, adding to it his plan on staying low key so the marines won’t notice them, that they have to commit pity crimes so that they would be seen as just regular small pirates.

Cabaji, Mohji and Richie know and agreed to play along, pretending that they were just some cowardice pirates who follow their captain blindly. When Alvida and Mr.3 join they don’t know anything because Buggy didn’t trust them yet and with how Mr.3 reacted when Buggy got beat up by Mihawk and Crocodile assured him that he made the right choice on not telling them.

And they continue making this acts of Buggy hating him whenever they are seen in Public so that don’t discover them.

In their private lives, Shanks and Buggy already courted one another and confessed their feelings. At some point they meet up in an unknown island just so they can hold a small wedding for them, with their most trust crew mates as witnesses.

When Shanks lost his hand Buggy rushed to him alone so he can nurse him back to health, which the red hair would never say because it would upset Buggy but it was his best days since his it was the longest time his husband stayed with him.

When Buggy met Luffy in orange island he fought Shanks and yelled at him about how his “Special boy” caused him to be stranded at sea without most of his body parts.

When Buggy told Shanks that he will borrow money from crocodile, Shanks tried to talk him out of it, because Buggy already has enough money from selling weapons in the black market in an anonymous name, and that Shanks can give him if he wants more. But Buggy disagrees convincing him that it was a good plan to make not only marines but other pirates to think that he was just a small fry pirate.

At some point Buggy and Shanks needed some high secret documents from the marines, so Buggy orchestrated an act to get captured and sent there so he can steal those documents, because getting out of “impel down” was easier than getting in.

I think I can milk this idea if I rewatch one piece again, I just need to remember Buggy and Shanks’s episodes.

[echo-lover]

I wanted to share my thoughts about the first three episodes of Bad Batch season 3 immediately after watching them, but I was too emotional about everything I saw that I needed some time to calm down a bit.

It's beyond my expectations, just perfect! From the plot, to the characters, through the beautiful graphics and wonderful music, everything was epic. This season will definitely be much more mature and dark than the others. I love Bad Batch with all my heart and words cannot describe how important these characters are to me. I don't think I will focus on each episode separately, but I will show my general feelings and thoughts.

Something that touched my heart deeply was how Omega becomes so much like Hunter. Her facial expressions, her eyes, tactical skills and that characteristic whistle! I immediately thought of Hunter. She became so mature, strong, decisive and calm in stressful situations. It's clear that she's no longer the same little child we met on Kamino in the first season. She has changed so much... Even Crosshair seems to see this, as he let her lead during his escape from Mount Tantiss. He was her support, did not question her ideas and did not hesitate to follow orders. I love watching their bond become stronger. Every day Omega came to his cell, talked about her day... and he listened... he had no choice because he couldn't just go, but I think they both needed each other's presence. They knew they were not alone and encouraged each other, in some way.

It is clear that Omega still misses the rest of her brothers and strongly believes that she will be able to return to them again, together with Crosshair. She can't imagine leaving him, it's out of the question. No matter how hard Crosshair tries to make her believe that he is not worth saving, she will still be on his side. I think Crosshair realized through her that his brothers never really wanted to leave him and were willing to take him back at any time if he just wanted...

Even though Omega has become more mature, she is still a child. Being locked in a cell, the routine and monotony of life must be very exhausting for her, because she is by nature a lively, active and curious sweet girl. She spent most of her life locked up and the only good memories she had were of freedom and her brothers, even though it wasn't for a long time. She even made herself a doll like Lula, who stayed on the Marauder with Hunter and Wrecker. This parallel symbolizes their connection, despite the enormous distance that separated them. And Batcher... Omega doesn't want to forget, she wants to remember her brothers, the love she had for them and received from them, all those good memories together... Ouch...

Somewhere in another part of the Galaxy, two brothers are desperately looking for their little sister. Their worn armor shows that they have fought hard during this time. Hunter also has different bandana... I've seen a theory that it's similar to the band Omega wore on his wrist in season two. This way, maybe Hunter wanted to always have her close to him, at least a part of her, I wonder if he can smell her scent... Oh Force, I'm gonna cry...

The sight of Hunter having difficulty working with Tech's Datapad, how desperate he is to do everything he can to find Omega, how exhausted he seems... Maybe it's just me, but he looks thinner and has paler skin than before. This breaks my heart. I'm sure he was thinking about Tech who could do the job in a second. The sight of his goggles resting alone, the empty space he once occupied... Marauder never looked so lonely... Let me tell you, I shed a tear.

I really liked how Wrecker was the voice of reason in his conversation with Hunter. It's beautiful how one look, a nod of the head, or a hand on the shoulder can bring Hunter down. They support each other and it is clear that after everything they have lost, they have become even closer. They need each other to keep from going crazy.

Even though they are the only two left, Wrecker still considers Hunter to be the leader and waits for his orders even though he knows he doesn't have to. He remains loyal. When he was talking to the little cadets on the Marauder, I was so happy when I heard his laughter. Honest, loud and heartwarming. I think he's needed this for a long time. He definitely misses the company of a child on board, he loves children so much...

I also love that little scene where Hunter is working and looks at Lula out of the corner of his eye, thinking about Omega. He can't live without her... I feel like if they were separated again, he wouldn't be able todeal with it and would just explode, showing all the anger and despair he was holding, possibly doing something stupid in the process... He loves his little Omega too much that he can't imagine life without her. He is ready to drop everything just to be able to hold her close to him, to keep her safe. I'm so scared for him.

On the one hand, I was surprised that Echo didn't stay with the boys to look for Omega, but I expected him to join Rex. They may also be searching, but I think their main goal is to free prisoners and gather as many allies as possible to create the Clone Rebellion.

I could talk for hours and still not express all my thoughts and emotions that these episodes made me feel. I can't wait for next Wednesday.

[thealexchen]

with Tell Me Why becoming free again this pride l was wondering what scenes from the game are your favorite?

This is so fun! I haven't gotten to talk about TMW since it came out, I think. It's also been that long since I last played it, but some moments still stand out:

In general, I loved the twins' sibling banter and the idle conversation throughout the game. I really missed the peer-to-peer relationships in LiS2 since the majority of the game is Sean being a parent to Daniel, and Tyler and Alyson support, bicker, prank, make fun of, and love each other the way only twins can. The game was so full of funny little moments that felt so real: young Tyler telling Alyson "You're gonna fall, stupid!"; Alyson sticking a "trash" post-it on Tyler's back, having the option to throw a ball at Tyler's head, Tyler scaring Alyson under the porch, Alyson trolling Tyler by leaving him to sort through the files, and so on.

In episode 1, the reveal of Mary-Ann's room. It's after the first puzzle of the game so it feels earned, and the door opening with the projector lamp turning on gave it such a magical, sad touch. At this point in the game, Mary-Ann is still shrouded in mystery, and it feels sad how little her own children knew about her.

My favorite scene was definitely the entire opening of episode 2, "Family Secrets." Even before the montage, the presentation of the flashback from Alyson's perspective was so compelling. The tense music building in and out with the hard cuts to black screens and choppy, disjointed memories is such an intriguing depiction of trauma-related amnesia and works so well because it also keeps the mystery intact for the player. Young Tyler and Alyson really pull at my heartstrings because you can see they were really were just happy kids. Even young Alyson trying to drink melted ice cream straight out of the bucket is such a kid thing to do.

Then, the montage set to "Stop the Stars" by tiny deaths. Dontnod is so good at these dreamy, magical realist scenes where you're never sure what's real or not, but it doesn't matter because it's so nice to look at. In this, you see fragments of the happy, energetic kids Tyler and Alyson were and the love they've held onto for each other as adults despite their trauma and separation. You also see the nostalgia and warmth they have for each other and their childhood home. I especially love the shot of them jumping on the couch, going from children to adults. [If you haven't watched this scene, imagine the dance scene in the cabin from Bloom & Rage, but the characters morph seamlessly between their teen and adult selves as they dance.] But it's also a sad scene because of that separation can't be ignored. The scene only cuts between them at 11 and 21, and you feel that gulf of years where they couldn't see each other. While young Tyler looks happy, it was all pre-transition where he couldn't live as his true self, such as the lingering shot on the childhood photo of the twins in dresses. For all the nostalgia they have for the house, it's also the site of their worst trauma, and the scene still ends with the child twins joyfully running out of frame while the real, adult twins are slumped against the couch looking sad.

The ending: If you kept the twin's bond strong, they witness one final memory of Mary-Ann as just their mother reading them a triumphant bedtime story. It's not an epic, high-stakes conclusion and it doesn't need to be. It's a quiet, personal moment between the twins in their childhood bedroom, and their long, silent hug is an affirmation that they will always be there for each other. It always bothered me that LiS2 could never give an ideal ending for the Diaz brothers (I understand why narratively, but still), but TMW's story was much gentler to its protagonists and is still the happiest ending I've seen in a Dontnod game.

I remember TMW so fondly because I had become really intolerant of dark, depressing stories in 2020, and it was difficult to engage with games like LiS2 and The Last of Us Part II. Tell Me Why was not only a huge step forward for queer rep (and queer rep that was well-researched and handled sensitively and positively) in games, but a really bright spot during a really shitty year.

Now that Lost Records: Bloom & Rage is out, I am seriously so blown away how advanced B&R's graphics are compared to TMW in only 5 years. Even though they weren't made by the exact same team, I really love how Dontnod reincorporated similar themes and tones into B&R: memory and how trauma can alter memory; a dual timeline narrative that explores how the protagonists evolve over a period of time; nostalgia (of course) but also how nostalgia and trauma can coexist; a lean away from tragic stories and into healthier relationships and positive queer rep.

Thanks so much for asking! TMW is so slept on, so I still recommend it if you haven't played it yet.