#I need more of these mini episodes so I can round out the cast | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

grigori77 · 2 years ago

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Critical Role, Campaign 3 Episode 57

Oh no. Not Love Shack. Leave it alone, Sam. How could you? "Rock lobster barbarian from Hell?" SERIOUSLY?!!! "I'm starting to lose the will to live! Please put me out of my misery!" Really, Sam? Oh dear gods ...

Taliesin: "Did you say gothy?" Ah yes, that's catnip to Jaffe.

"Applebee's Soulcycle" again ... (snort)

Ashley and Laura rocking the caps, I love it ...

Yes, they are all talking to each other in their heads. Chetney (immediately): "Balls!"

So clearly sound = gruesome death.

FCG: "If the stag had a dream I could talk to it." Yeah ...

Chetney: "Get loose, FRIDA, get loose!" FRIDA: "Someone oil me!"

Yuck ... fumes ... lovely ...

Massive tower. ALWAYS a dead giveaway.

"Round here" ... Counting Crows, now? Oh, that's set Matt off, that dark grin! Travis: "No, don't roll, don't roll!"

There's motes and spores IN THE AIR?!!! It's like the Upside Down out here? Not good ...

Aaaaaaaah ... undead traces? Lovely ... it's getting worse ... Matt is totally messing with Travis now. XD

Creepy tree ... CREEPY TREE ...

Imogen: "A fiendish tree? Is that loke a thing?" Chetney: "I don't know, I didn't read the books!"

"Orgies"?

Oh fuck ... it's a PEOPLE TREE ... that's nasty ...

Ashley: "How do I have a minus 1 (for Nature check)? I rolled a ZERO. What ARE plants?"

Deanna: "I'M DISTRACTED!!!" Imogen: "We can all hear that!" Deanna: "Shit! I thought this was like a single line!"

My gods, it's like Annihilation. With dead horses ... oh shit, yes, don't let Imogen see THAT!!!

Oh fuck ... not Fearne's topiary again ...

Decompose? Are you SURE? In THIS place?

In a nutshell, Imogen means STOP MESSING WITH THIS SHIT!!!

Chimes? Really? And a HOWL?!!!

Chetney has advantage on scent based stuff and Travis STILL rolls balls ... and Chetney inhales a spore! XD

Slow going, so another stealth check, but Pass Without A Trace is still up ... phew ...

"We're in Molaesmyr, it's Upside Down day!"

Ask the Changebringer? FCG casts Divination ... so what's the skinny? Ooh, wind based response! Cool ... Imogen: "That's the first time I've ever seen a god actually DO something."

"Flippers"?

More ghosts? Fuck ... it's the Paths of the Dead! Not good!

Little teeny FRIDAs! That's adorable! :3

Aabria: "Can I insight check the ghosts before you say the scary thing?"

Shiiiiiiiiit! That didn't go well at all ...

Fuck, these thing are moving like the Weeping Angels! Aaaaaaaaaaah!

Channel Divinity ... JJ Abrams lens flare? Cool ...

Am I the only one thinking that that's a whole FUCKLOAD of rolls?

Five left ... and FOLL INITIATIVE?!!! Shiiiiit ...

Holy fuck that is a SWEET Battlemap ...

Slightly mesmerised by the minicam's slow pan ... O.O

Spiritual Weapon! A tiny FCG? Cute ... Superman style ... "Can you read my mind?"

Deanna turns her staff into a HALBERD?!!! Awesome!

Another Spiritual Weapon ... giant Dawnfather mace! Cool. Boosh!

Travis: "We don't need to see a crazy mini with baby arms." Don't give him ideas, Travis!

Fuck, there's something watching from the tower? Great ...

The ghost tries to REACH INTO Deanna? Seriously? Fuck ... Dirty 20 gives it a hit, though.

Tiny FRIDA whirlwind? Hmmm ...

Chetney getting attacked now ... Charisma Save ... 2? Shiiiiit ... and now he's POSSESSED?!!!

Now FCG? 13 ... what, Us that NOT good enough? Oh ... just worked! Phew ...

Imogen would be a hard attack, wouldn't she? And Fearne KILLS her save too, NICE!!!

Mind Whip! Cool ... and they FAIL!!! Ouch ... and Laura rolls THREE ONES in damage? Oh fuck, the dice gods are CRUEL ...

Mister! Yay ... Fearne shoots out three Scorching Marisha Rays? XD Cute ... all three hit ... aaaaand it doesn't do much ... oof ... they're resistant to fire. Crap.

Chetney is now ATTACKING FCG with Turmoil! Crap ... 17 points of damage! Ouch!

FCG: "Chetney, what's gotten into you?" Laura: "Her name's Rebecca!"

Divine Strike! Yuuuuuusssss!!!

Sam: "I'd say I am a Close Friend to FRIDA now since we've swapped spit!" XD

Deanna beelining for Chetney ... Greater Restoration! Nice! "GET OUT!!!" at the possessing spirit ... BOOF!!! Nice ... Full blown exorcism ...

Deanna: "Are you all right?" Chetney: "I'm a little salty!" Deanna: "Thanks, I hate it!"

Desperate crossbow action ... and that actually WORKS against ghosts? Trippy ...

Aabria (at Sam): "God, baffle your fucking dice!"

Scare effect ... ouch ...

Sam's flask ... RIP Gerry? Oh. My. Gods ...

Imogen casts Dissonant Whispers ... 3D6 psychic damage! Cool ...

FCG gets to Divine Strike on an Attack of Opportunity ... and KILLS that ghostly bitch! Nice!

Mister's mad so he shoots flaming shit at the ghosts! XD Fearne chucks an Ice Knife at another one ... nooooooo, she backs up and takes a devastating Withering Strike! Aaaaaaaah ... thankfully FCG takes HALF of it ...

Oh ... that Ice Knife ghost kill was REALLY COOL, though ...

Ashley: "I'm not scared anymore!" Aabria: "OWN your power, girl!"

Chetney gets the HDYWTDT ... Matt: "You kill it. That's what you get."

"A large wing type tip"? REALLY, Matthew?

Matt makes Ashley roll for concentration ... Nat1? Fuck ... she just RECASTS Pass Without A Trace instead ... phew ...

And now there's something FLYING AROUND out there ... great ...

"Trained as an absolute unit ..." XD

Oh ... that is FREAKY ... multiple legs AND streamers? Forty odd feet wingspan ... and NO HEAD?!!! Sweet fuck, Mercer ...

Creepy place ... are they SERIOUSLY gonna stay here? And there's a tree growing in the middle of the place ... okay ... and it's got a face like the other one ... lovely ... carefully please, FRIDA!

And now it's GRABBED them ... great ... RUN!!! Oh, that wasn't fun ...

Impressive view ... and COMPLETELY terrifying.

Don't talk to the tree, Fearne. PLEASE don't talk to the tree.

Still a half mile to go ... time to move, then ... znd FRIDA keeps watch ... hmmm ...

Chetney: "If only I had a Bonded Blessing." Aabria's explosive laugh is adorable. Sam: "With hindsight that was a mistake ..."

Time for a break.

They're now lost, essentially ... shit roll, Sam!

And now FCG has now fallen into s hole that's just erupted open in the ground! Shit! Everybody gets hit by the miasma! Aaaaaaaah!

Imogen pulls FCG out JUST IN TIME ... but they feel like SHIT. Oh, discussions of their potentially LOSING IT ensue ... yeah ...

Chetney (while they all start babbling): "We're sll gonna die. This is how it happens."

Crap ... the flying thing is COMING ... and it has one massive purple eye instead of a head ... and it's been hunting? So maybe it's gonna be busy for a while, at least ...

Time for FRIDA to head out snd join the others ... and that's a Nat1 on stealth ... crap ...

FRIDA gets halfway back to the others ... Travis: "Oh, he's in storytelling mode." Yup, bad sign ...

Oh, that is a NASTY tumble ... and NOISY. Double crap ...

Howling ... shit ...

"The barks and snarls of MULTIPLE beasts" ... oh, that is LOVELY ...

RUUUUUUUUN!!!

Chetney wolfs out ... but only his UPPER HALF?!!! Ye gods ... running round on creepy little baby legs ...

Oh, decisions decisions ... this is fucking CHAOS ...

Seething Storm? Whoa ... that is AWESOME ...

Oh my gods ... Fearne PICKS UP a sobbing Deanna and just BOOKS IT for the tower.

Wait ... did that actually WORK?!!!

Chetney Donald Ducking it with his tiny legs ... Matt (dismayed chuckling): "That is HORRIBLE ..."

Stoneshape for cover? Cute ... is it gonna work?

The Gildhollow Tower ... hmmm ... looks like it's gonna be HARD to get in ... but lots of COVER, at least ...

Dire wolves? Oh shit ... MUTATED dire wolves ... oh, it's just ONE BIG FUCKED UP RAT KING of a creature ... that is HORRIFYING ...

Everybody's all over the place and it's FUCKING CHAOS ... and now it's dusk ... lovely ...

Imogen tries to Send to FCG ... and Matt makes her roll a D100 ... shit ... is her hair gonna fall out again?

Chetney and FCG home in on the tower ... snd now it's howling! Great ...

Trying to find some way into the tower ... and now Imogen's just CLIMBING up the growth on the outside ...

Guardian of the Faith? Okay ... shaped like a giant Chetney wolf? Cool ...

Fearne makes a Mirthful Leap ... nice roll!

Everybody's climbing now ...

FCG: "Imogen, what the fuck are you doing?" Imogen: "SOMEBODY'S gotta save their asses!" (hair flip)

This fucking thing can CLIMB?!!! Shiiiiit ...

Hiding inside the windows now ...

Guardian of the Faith is SERVING right now! Nice!

Oh, so IT IS the Wolf King. Lovely ...

Ah ... it's backing off ... phew ... thank fuck for that ...

Freaky attempt to comfort Deanna from werewolf Chetney ... "Relax." Deanna: "I can't relax, this is CREEPY!!!"

So ... to business. This is where Ludinus came from ... what can we learn?

Chetney's smell adventure ...

Laura: "That's skin ..." Oh PLEASE don't tempt fate like that ...

Heavily looted ... shit ... not a good sign ...

Fearne tries to "Vibe Check" the place ... XD

This is indeed The Place. Okay ... going upstairs, then ...

Let's not loot the nasty mouldy corpse, guys ...

Traps ... crap ... burn? Oh dear ... a glyph? Hmmmm ... Dispel Magic! Quickly! Oh ... that was cool.

The ring ... snack or souvenir? Hmmm ...

Investigating the weird papery strips ... it IS shed skin ... charming ... and now we're considering the possibilities ... oh boy ... whatever it is, it can't be good.

Looking for clues ... mouldy scroll ... oooh ...

Casting Mending go try and repair the scroll ... SMART.

I'm sorry ... Laerryn? REALLY?!!! O.O

"An Exandrian TED Talk" ... XD

"What is her name? There is power in names."

I swear, one mention of Exandria Unlimited: Calamity and Travis starts channeling Cerrit ... :3

Oooh ... Chetney funds a clue ... intriguing ... what is it?

Arcana Check ... Aabria rolls a NAT20!!! Nice ...

It NEEDS magic? Ooooh ... interesting.

Matt: "FCG, a fickle bitch." Laura: "Fickle Care Giver?" XD

Trying to get at whatever it is in the back of FRIDA's mind ...

Something SOFT ... oh fuck ...

Everything starts shaking ... great ...

A pinkish OOZE?!!! Really? FACES?!!! WHAT THE FUCK?!!!

Some freakish shape-shifting NIGHTMARE ... Matt: "And that's where we're gonna end for the night." SHIIIIIIIIT!!!

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keyleth-clay · 6 months ago

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Since it's been a hot minute since my last Top 5 post, and since some of the things I wanted have been crossed off the wishlists, I figured now was as good a time as any for an update!

KC’s Top 5 CR Races/ Classes/ One-Shots Wishlist

Starting things off with races wishlist - I've gotten two of my previous wishlist entries! Shout-out to Braius and Bramble for giving me a PC minotaur and fairy, respectively.

The first three of my new top 5 are the remaining choices from the original - Triton, Pachydan, and Water Genasi. Rounding out the list are Tabaxi/Katari (I just think they're neat) and Dragonborn (can we get a Dragonborn PC who doesn't suck? with a player who doesn't suck?)

Next up, the classes wishlist ...which actually hasn't changed, really! We still haven't gotten another artificer (fingers crossed for Downfall), nor has Lingering Soul happened. We did get another ranger in Sarge in the most recent Red Nose Day one-shot, bringing the grand total of CR rangers up to 3... but he's yet another Beast Master, and he's only in a single one-shot that's half the length of a normal CR episode. I'd love to see another ranger of a new subclass, Swarmkeeper or Horizon Walker or Fey Wanderer, preferably.

We've also gotten another monk and another blood hunter in Re-Slayer's Take, but a) I'm not even sure that I'm going to listen to RST b/c of the editing and lack of table-talk, b) Frog is another Cobalt Soul monk, which means we haven't gotten a new monk subclass PC, and c) while Farah is a Ghostslayer blood hunter, from my understanding RST removed any reference to blood or injuring yourself to use blood hunter abilities, which... kind of defeats the point of a blood hunter in my eyes? Also I'm still holding out hope for an Order of the Mutant.

The One-Shots wishlist. First of all, the "Mighty Nein epilogue game(s)" can get crossed off the list! On top of that, I've completely changed my mind on the "playing a game in an older edition of DnD" idea that I had before. I like the idea of the cast finding out about some of the weird stuff that existed in early DnD, but they don't need a game to learn that, and they'd probably spend most of their time confused and/or frustrated by rules differences rather than having fun.

"Critical Role: The Next Generation" is still my absolute Number 1 Most Wanted one-shot, and I'd still love another Darrington Brigade game. Number 4 on my original list was "any horror one-shot DMed by Taliesin", and that's still the case. Yes, we got Candela Obscura, but for whatever reason, it just didn't click with me, and I feel like it didn't really scratch the itch of this particular entry on the top 5 wishlist. Also Taliesin didn't DM any CO games, so even if it had, I still wouldn't end up crossing that off the list :p.

I only really have one other idea for a one-shot, making this one more of a top 4 than a top 5, but now that we've been to Ruidus and seen the inhabitants (Reilora! Bormodos! Cytaas! Quanikkas!), I'd kill for a one-shot or mini-series set on the Moon of Ill Omen.

#kc speaks #Critical Role #CR Cast #kc's top five

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kingofthewilderwest · 2 years ago

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Hi! Its the, “I like the new kids!” anon ☺️

Thank you for responding to my post. I’m a big fan of the dragons series, but I will admit that I haven’t read the books. I guess I wouldn’t feel too bad if the dragons were from different worlds within HTTYD movie/series canon. To me, if that ends up being the case, dragons would just be super adaptable species. But that’s neither here nor there. I don’t think Nine Realms is the best written show, but I do personally think people in the fandom are being overly harsh. That’s not to say fans can’t critique, and there are definitely aspects that deserve criticism. I’m just happy to get more dragon content. I think the modern world is an interesting setting that brings in new conflicts such as CORPORATE GREED, and I like that the new cast is diverse in a way that feels organic. I love how there are dragons from different lands/cultures even if I don’t like some of the dragon designs. I like how Tom is a distant relative of Hiccup’s. To me that’s bringing in just enough nostalgia without ruining the original story and characters.

I think my biggest problem so far is that there are only 7 episodes per mini season, so a lot of the dialogue seems forced because there isn’t enough time to fully flesh out situations. My favorite, Jun, bringing in Chinese mythology should have been a multi episode arc. But because there were so few episodes in Season 4, we instead get Tom sounding like a jerk thats’s trying to talk over someone else’s culture in an insensitive way, and acting as if Jun and Wu and Wei don’t hav the ability to make the best decisions in situations regarding themselves. I feel if those episodes had been given proper time, Tom and Jun could have still had a conflict about what is best/not best for Wu and Wei that sounded more genuine.

I was also happy with the duo of Eugene/Alex that I didn’t know I needed, but the same problem I had with Tom/Jun happens when Tom talks over both Alex and Eugene’s wants and concerns. Those two situations feel rushed and incomplete, and they make Tom seem more like a jerk than an impulsive teenager.

Now this is me wondering from a writing perspective why there are only 7 episodes per season when even with 3 more much more could be done per season. The characters would be more well-rounded, for one.

Welcome back! Glad to have the conversation continue! :)

To make things clear for folks coming into the middle of the conversation, I’m not intending to see whether DreamWorks and the book worlds match, because they’ve been distinct from the start (the books do have magic!). My focus is whether the DreamWorks world stays congruent to itself. The case of dragons having evolutionary adaptations also isn’t my main point, but an example of how DreamWorks Dragons worldbuilding situates itself firmly in the realistic. After three movies, several shorts, comic books, Riders of Berk, Defenders of Berk, Race to the Edge, and countless other tie-in materials that seek to depict a world close to ours (just with a few more animals), the foundation, framework, and finishing touches have let us know we’re not dealing with high level type magic like portals to other worlds. We’ve been given the constraints of what the characters can and can’t do and what does and doesn’t exist. For me, it absolutely would be breaking twelve years of DreamWorks worldbuilding. But it wouldn’t aggravate me either; it’d just be something I’d comment on, acknowledging as incongruent. To borrow your words and come to common ground: it’s neither here nor there. I’m fine watching whatever TNR decides to throw at us.

I’m also like you in that I don’t enjoy fandom areas that are scathing towards TNR. To be clear, that’s not criticizing fans! Just saying we do things differently! I understand why people feel that way, and please keep doing you, but I’m more lowkey and willing to live and let live. As you said so well, there’s a difference between having conversations with valid criticism and being nothing but harsh. I like to do the former: I want to engage in conversations about TNR that might have constructive comments, but aren’t trying to ever be disparaging. I’m having fun with the new content myself and want to have fun with other fans who wanna chat!

I want to agree with you on several pros you brought up! I also love:

The organic diversity of the cast.

Seeing dragons across different environments.

Looking into modern elements like corporate greed (and whether dragons like pizza).

Eugene and Alex as the Dismal Duo (TM). I didn’t know I needed it, but now I am a fan. I’ve wanted TNR to do more stuff like this: show unique bonds between subgroups of the team.

As far as the other stuff, I’m going to bring in a different perspective!

I don’t think the writing quality has anything to do with season length. It has to do with writing. Good writing can pack fantastic, nuanced conversations in two minutes. And for single adventure episodes (which exist in ROB, DOB, RTTE, and TNR), we’re given the same twenty-two minute time span for every show. Now, would long-term plot arcs have the ability to develop more with a longer structure? Yes. But it’s no solution for having the dialogue be as inane and dumbed down as it is. I don’t mean that to sound harsh; I just have no other words to describe it.

When conflicts happen in The Nine Realms, they’re overly basic, black-and-white, contrived, poorly developed, and the conflict resolution conversations use the most basic words and sentences without any nuance of thought. Lots of conflicts in TNR rely on the characters not noticing things a human being naturally would. People act one- or at most two-dimensional. This also isn’t a matter of appealing to age groups. We do unfortunately have a tendency to oversimplify dialogue, etc. for children’s shows, but the good children’s shows don’t, and the good children’s shows maintain high quality writing, character conflict, and conversation.

The characters could be very well-rounded if the writing wasn’t poor quality. They could’ve been well-rounded and complex after three or six episodes. There are entire television series or movies with high complexity for that amount of run time. The Wu and Wei episode was more than long enough to have been done justice with better writing. If Tom and Jun’s actions weren’t so oversimplified to the point of unrealism, the conflict would’ve been organic and interesting.

I’d say the problem with TNR is there’s no depth. I could take a character conflict resolution conversation, rewrite the words, triple the depth, and still keep the same number of words spoken and time allotted for the conversation.

To bring it around again, though, I do wish the seasons were longer, too. I don’t like the latest trend of shows being split up into so many small parts. I do think it messes up pacing and does, as you say, make it harder for many shows to pace well without rushing, skipping over things, or forcing conflicts and climaxes after too little development. There’s something to be said that forcing such hard structure constraints onto shows (as fracturing season length does) comes at the cost of organic plot development.

I hope these comments sound like a good back-and-forth because I love talking with you and hearing your alternate perspective. The fact we have different views is fine to me! So I hope my response came off okay.

#TNR #The Nine Realms #DreamWorks Dragons #analysis #my analysis #httyd #How to Train Your Dragon #ask #ask me #anonymous #awesome anonymous friend

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ktheist · 4 years ago

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02 — show me yours & i’ll show you mine | m

➙ muses. seokjin x college student / gamer!reader ft. best friend! taehyung

➙ genre. best friend’s brother au. university au. working au. fwb au.

➙ word. 1.9k

➙ warnings. explicit content. oral (f receiving).

➙ index. 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | finale | side story 1 |

➙ synopsis.

“can we have morning sex?”

“not today.”

“is that my brother’s shirt?” is the first thing kim taehyung says to you after a whole night of you declaring war against him for choosing his girlfriend over you.

your body clock’s designed in a way where no matter how late you go to sleep, you’ll always wake up at 8 in the morning. the question of whether you can go back to bed or not varies. like right now, when your stomach is grumbling because it’s decided to deem that the spicy carbonara ramen you had has lost its sustaining-abilities.

“uh, is that a woman-choosing, best friend-abandoning human i see?” you say, eyes squinted at said human.

“whatever,” that seems to have taken taehyung’s interest off the creme colored sweater hanging off your shoulders and way past your butt. you could’ve not word shorts when you went out to get yourself a bowl of cereal. mainly because the brothers have a similar habit of sleeping in until the sun’s shining directly into their faces and they’d have no choice but to wake up - that is, in the event that they forgot to shut the blinds.

“what are you doing up anyway?” you ask but it’s a no-brainer because every friday night, kim taehyung and you would never fail to release a week’s worth of pent up frustrations over playing video games until the crack of dawn, “don’t tell me you haven’t slept.”

“unlike some people, i’ve got things to do,” he steals away the bowl of cereal you just finished preparing for yourself, “places to be.”

you can’t even get mad at his brazenness, not when those eyebags make him look like he’ll pass out with one swing of your punch. and you do punch like a girl - besides the fact that you are one, it’s already a settled fact that you’re really not fond of the idea of wasting your energy on something pointless - so you tend to give the least amount of energy for, for instance - if you do choose to - punching kim taehyung who’s walking away with your bowl of cereal.

so you fix yourself a new bowl, savoring it while watching an episode of the tale of nine-tailed and spending the entire morning catching up to the latest episode. it’s only until half an hour past noon, do you strut back into seokjin’s room, noticing the lump under the sheets now shifting with a sign of wakefulness.

“morning!” you greet, hearing the sound of hymns trickling into chuckles as seokjin pushes the sheet off his face and steals a glance at the uncalled for being that’s perched on top of him.

“you’re up early,” he remarks, arms stretched over his head, muscles flexing deliciously.

“can we have morning sex?” you put on your best smile, lashes fluttering in what you hope to be a coquettish manner rather than someone who looks like they have dust in both their eyes.

“not today,” he says but his large hand latches on your right breast, massaging with a expertise before pinching on your nipple and making you jump in surprise.

“ah!”

but before you get to complain, he’s pulling you down and engulfing you into a warm but shirtless hug (on his part at least).

“not fair,” you pout but snuggle closer anyway, forehead leaning against his chest.

but it’s short-lived because thunderous footsteps start echoing in the hallway and sounding dangerously close with each passing second. for a split second, you watch seokjin watch you, panic spreading across his face before your hands instinctively push him away. then the panic dissolves into alarm as he calls your name, accompanied by another timber-like voice that’s shouting out the same syllables.

“___!”

and then your butt hits the ground, then your back and your head at the same time.

“whew chile, that sounds painful, you okay?” taehyung sounds concern, but he doesn’t take any step towards you to further assert your head - you could’ve had a concussion for all he knows!

“um, gee thanks for making sure,” you want to roll your eyes, but you’re too busy rubbing the spot where your head made contact with the floor.

but seokjin, ever the thoughtful person, is already climing over the bed and pulling you up with one heave.

“why are you shirtless?” taehyung suddenly inquires.

the cozy creme sweater clinging onto your body feeling immensely inadequate as you ice up. he looks between you and his brother, screws twisting in that head of his before he asks another question.

“is that really my brother’s shirt?” his eyes scream concluded assumption.

well, it’s true, but-

“would you give me your sweater if i said i was cold?” you don’t give him a chance to respond, “no. right. so shut up. what do you want anyway? hurry up cause i wanna take a nap.”

“let’s play, the squad wanna go one more round with you before we all go to sleep,” he says, the matter of why seokjin is shirtless or if it’s really said man’s shirt you’re wearing now no longer a matter of importance.

you like how his brain works.

“the fuck? you came all the way here just for that?” you narrow your eyes, as if visually asking him if he knows whether he’s making sense or not but you get up anyway, walking towards your laptop that’s perched on the desk where you left it last night.

your friends greet you with less enthusiasm than they did last night - everyone sounded like they either need sleep or need a fuck. there’s no clear answer to what they need but you guess you’re up for one game.

“alright losers, let’s geddit.” your cheer is met with groans and tired version of ‘wooo’s and ‘yeah’s.

five minutes into the game, you feel a peck on your cheek and a smiling kim seokjin gazing down at you with bed hair and puffy cheeks. the smile you offer him back is fleeting because you have a character to maintain and a team to support. this time, you choose the supporting role while hoseok takes on the fighter role.

once you realize that the figure casting a shadow over you remains still and unmoving, you peek up at him for the briefest seconds to ask ‘what?’.

you’re only met with a higher tug of his lips.

and then he falls down on his knee - and you don’t even have the chance to wrap your head around it when he grabs hold of your ankle and spread your legs apart. lifting your ass up as he pulls down your shorts seem to be a muscle response than your brain actually understanding what’s happening. but by the time it does, seokjin’s face is already buried deep between your thighs.

“wah- yikes!” you manage to divert your surprise to the enemy that came on screen, forcing out a laugh, “th-that was a close one, whew i was about to die.”

“the fuck? you already had 8 hours of sleep what are you messing up for?�� taehyung says into your headphone.

seokjin licking a strip up your love nub.

but that doesn’t stop you from retorting, “oh my god, did i tell you to play all night and not sl- sleep?” you bite back, barely managing to end your sentence with a consistent amount of sarcasm when the tip of seokjin’s tongue slips into your entrance.

“okay, okay, we’re all a little sensitive here,” jeongguk, the most competitive and non-losing-accepting out of the five of you actually tries to placate.

oh, you’re sensitive alright.

then he says something about how “we’re a team” and “if you wanna fight, fight the enemy team.” or something. you’re not so sure because you’re too busy clasping your hand against your mouth whilst trying to dish out healing powers to your team that’s fighting a few feet in front of you as seokjin tugs on your thighs, positioning them in an angle where his tongue can reach deeper inside you, so much so that your ass is almost hanging off the air.

“fine,” you almost choke on your supposedly vindictive reply as your toes begin to curl, back arching as the only sound that manages to escape you is a sob-like whimper whilst sparks erupt from the depth of your stomach and course through your veins like sweet, sweet poison.

seokjin kisses the inside of your thigh once your breathing slows down and you’re slumping on the chair like you have no energy left in you. jimin’s voice demanding you to cover for him barely registering in your brain as you click an ability that showers him with a protection spell.

“sorry, got distracted,” you say into the mic simply before hearing jimin’s “it’s okay, nobody died.”

literally.

if anyone of you died, it would’ve definitely been on you. last night, you got away with saying you weren’t in your ‘zone’ but today, your underperformance will be the reason you get kicked out of the squad for good. probably.

and because you’re under fire, you can’t stop seokjin when he slips away and out of the room, leaving you to make up for your mini blunder.

the game lasts a good 20 minutes before the golden symbol of victory flash across your screen and more energetic sheers erupt in your headphones. everyone starts bidding each other farewell and ‘good night losers’s before the headphones go quiet.

only then, do you bound down the hallway and into the kitchen where you know the reason of the sizzling, salivating scent is because of kim seokjin. a still shirtless kim seokjin with his beautiful, broad back on you as he chops something on the chopping board and gracefully pours it into whatever he’s cooking.

“that wasn’t fair - you should at least give me a warning,” you stand with your arms crossed over your chest.

“did the enemy you go against give you a warning before ambushing you?” he asks in a matter of factly, teasing smirk on his lips that makes your heart go flip flop.

he’s never smiled at you like that before.

“that’s- that’s different,” you refuse to back down, “they couldn’t even if they wanted to because the system doesn’t let us communicate with the enemy team.”

he nods whilst stirring the - you’d peeked - fried rice that’s sizzling in the pan, “i did give you a warning.”

“um where?” you can fee your eyebrows knitting together.

“the kiss,” he taps his cheek twice before shutting off the stove, devious smirk playing on his lips.

“i thought that was a bona fide peck!”

“that’s on you,” he shrugs, pouring the fried rice into four plates, “like namjoon says - never assume.”

“okay, maybe he did say that,” you concur, taking a seat across from him where he places the plate and offers you a fork and a spoon that he took out from their respective drawers under the counter.

“something smells good,” taehyung comes popping out from the hallway, bowl of empty cereal in hand as his eyes light up at the sight of the two other plates placed between you and seokjin, almost as if knowing that the only other thing that coud summon the kim brothers out from their dwelling is seokjin’s cooking.

“i’m starving,” namjoon announces, seconds apart from taehyung’s assertion.

so you have breakfast - or lunch, really - together like you would. just four kids from the same hometown who found home in each other’s presence.

you might’ve found something else that you like in seokjin’s pants - but that’s besides the point.

note. and here we go for the 2nd installment! hope yall enjoyed!

taglist. @scalubera @aretha170

#seokjin scenarios #bts scenarios #bts smut #bts fic #seokjin smut #seokjin fic #seokjin x reader #bts x reader #taehyung smut #taehyung fic #taehyung x reader #taehyung scenarios #taehyung fanfic #bts fanfic #seokjin fanfic #seokjin scenario #bts scenario #taehyung scenario

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whythinktoomuch · 5 years ago

Text

~pArT tWo~

(pt. i)

Lena’s jaw is broken in two places. Her right elbow and ankle fractured. Three ribs bruised, one broken. There’s a scrape running down her entire right side that’s still fighting a nasty infection. And, to top it all off, she’s also sustained a severe concussion and even coded twice on the operating table.

The information is communicated to her in a curt, clinical tone that Lena can actually appreciate, but Alex seems to be leaving out one key detail. The only one that really matters to Lena at the moment.

Lena fumbles with her marker, scribbling on the provided mini-whiteboard with her left hand in large jerky letters.

HOW

“You were attacked.”

Lena would roll her eyes if the very notion didn’t make her stomach lurch. She smacks her marker onto the whiteboard, huffs insistently.

HOW

“… You don’t remember,” Alex says in soft realization, rubbing her eyes.

Lena just stares, watches as Alex jots something down on her clipboard. She wonders if a practically one-sided conversation could be any less productive.

“You were attacked three, four blocks from Kara’s apartment,” Alex says. “Do you remember that? Why you were there?”

Lena releases a frustrated breath through her nose. She looks to Kara, who’s quietly standing in the corner, lips pursed and arms crossed. Heavy rounded tears are sliding down Kara’s cheeks, and Lena feels a sympathetic spike of heat high in her nose because, oh, Kara must have found some way to blame herself for this entire thing… Which, she shouldn’t.

“All right then,” Alex sighs, drawing Lena’s attention back to her. “What’s the last thing you do remember then?”

Lena thinks about it until her head starts throbbing, then scrawls a clumsy word right underneath the previous.

WORK

With another sigh and a nod, Alex moves on. She doesn’t answer Lena’s question no matter how many times she angrily taps at the HOW on her whiteboard. Eventually, Lena’s too tired to protest, and soon after that, she’s too tired to even answer any more yes or no questions.

Alex leaves. But not without saying they’ll get more done in the morning and reminding Kara that Lena needs her rest.

Once they’re alone, Kara slowly shuffles to the foot of Lena’s bed, fidgeting with the hem of her sweatshirt. “Can I stay?”

Lena closes her eyes for a pronounced beat, then opens her left hand in invitation. Kara jumps at the opportunity, nearly crushing Lena’s hand in her abrupt eagerness. It hurts enough that Lena grimaces, but not nearly enough for her to renounce the welcomed pressure, even for a moment.

“Sorry,” Kara mumbles, hastily adjusting her grip. “Better?”

Lena squeezes at Kara’s fingers with what little strength she has left.

“Okay, okay, good… You know, I’m really glad you’re okay, Lena. I just… want you to know that, okay?”

In a wholehearted attempt to be encouraging and perhaps even a bit funny, Lena concentrates on crooking her right thumb up. But Kara never notices, much too occupied with running her eyes over Lena’s face, again and again.

It’s a lot of attention. Maybe too much.

But Lena decides that she doesn’t really mind.

—

When Alex walks in the following morning, Lena’s prepared. She raps her marker insistently against her whiteboard, at the message she’s painstakingly crafted.

WHO ATTACKED ME

“Lena, for now, you just need to focus on getting better, okay?”

Lena glares, traces a multitude of crooked circles around the WHO in emphasis.

“It doesn’t matter.”

But of course it does, and Lena is determined to convince Alex of it. But the instinctive jaw clench—a natural byproduct of her exasperation—is exceedingly and immediately regrettable.

“Hey, hey, no! Stop.” Alex is at her bedside, one hand cradling Lena’s head, the other gently pressing a tissue to the corners of her eyes because apparently, somewhere along the way, Lena’s started shedding tears of pain. “I know it hurts. Look, I know. But I just need you to breathe for me. Come on.”

Alex continues to address her in firm, yet soothing tones—the words secondary to the intention behind them—until Lena’s breathing returns more or less back to normal. The examination continues with Alex checking on her infection, gently applying a balm to Lena’s mouth, giving her casts a once-over, etc.

Her question doesn’t get answered.

—

Lena’s new routine, though somewhat forcibly established, isn’t all that bad.

There’s stuff to be learned. For example, DEO is in possession of at least one black site hospital. Another example, Alex Danvers apparently has a legitimate medical degree. Yet another example, Alex has such a soft spot for her sister that she’d let even a card-carrying journalist of a civilian drop by at said black site hospital whenever she wanted. Lena can’t fault Alex for that last one though; she could relate.

Plus, with all the downsides that come with her hospitalization—No, you can-not work, Lena’s been told, repeatedly,��by every hospital employee she’s come into contact with—the upsides more than make up for it.

Just… so, so much quality time with Kara.

Kara’s often already there when Lena’s waking up or holding her hand when she’s dozing off again from the meds. There isn’t much to talk about, nor much Lena can talk about, but there’s an endless reserve of activities to be shared. Drinking smoothies. Playing hangman on the whiteboard. All manners of card games and round after round of chess. Not to mention, perhaps way too much daytime television for two women who surely have better things to do. Lena quickly gets well-acquainted with a near obscene number of competitive cooking shows in the process.

“Hey, I missed you, you know,” Kara says one day, looking over at Lena all soft and smiley.

Lena snorts, shakes her head a little. From what she’s gathered from Alex’s recounting, she’d been unconscious for all of 18 hours following the attack. Not nearly enough time to admit to missing someone, honestly.

But that doesn’t stop her from tapping twice on her own chest before holding up two fingers.

Me too.

—

On one of the quieter afternoons, Lena passes her whiteboard onto Kara’s lap with a single word carefully written on it.

WHO

“It’s in the title of the show,” Kara says with a laugh. “They said his name like 20 times already just this episode alone.”

Lena shakes her head firmly, underlines the WHO with her marker, and stares at Kara with an unwavering gaze until it sinks in.

It doesn’t take long, and Kara straightens up in her seat straightaway, sneaking a glance at the door. But nobody’s there. They’re usually left to their own devices during her visits.

“I shouldn’t be telling you.”

Lena writes out a quick reply—PLS—and draws a messy heart right beside it. She even gives an encouraging smile for good measure. Kara doesn’t smile back, not even instinctively.

“Are you sure?” Kara asks, and Lena taps at the PLS ♥ and takes her hand, which seems to be convincing enough. “Okay…”

Kara shifts a little, facing her body toward Lena with a grim expression. The silence lasts so long that Lena considers tapping on her whiteboard again. But then… the name slips out, so quietly that it’s almost lost in the static of the TV.

Lex.

Lena blinks then, out of necessity, and falls slack against the bed. Kara’s saying more, but Lena raises the volume on the TV to discourage her. Eventually, Kara gives up and settles for climbing into Lena’s bed, curling into her side with one hand resting atop Lena’s as a gentle reminder.

Kara stays over for the first time that night, snoring lightly into Lena’s shoulder, glasses drooping precariously off her nose.

All things considered, it ends up being a pretty good night.

(next part here)

#my words.

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carryonmywaywardcaptain · 4 years ago

Text

What’s in a Name?

CarryOnCap’s Masterlist

Pairing: Michael!Dean x reader, Dean x reader

WC: 2,135

Summary: Weeks after Michael disappeared with Dean as his vessel, you decide to take some time away from the bunker. Nothing could have prepared you for the talk you have (or the tearful goodbye) when he pays you an unexpected visit.

Square Filled: Midnight Snack

Warnings: Season 14 spoilers if you haven’t seen it. Some angst. Sort of sappy fluff. Revelation of feelings and implied mutual pining. Minor mentions of injuries. Kind of a corny, abrupt ending. Also this gif by @teamfreewillbettertogether (I mean LOOK AT HIM.)

A/N: This is my first submission for #spndeanbingo challenge round 1 hosted by @spndeanbingo Inspired by this 14x01 gif and the end dialogue of 14x09. (I do not claim to own the dialogue from those episodes, I just paraphrased for this fic.) This was supposed to be a drabble but it got away from me. lol

You had just finished a case up north-- nothing big, just a few werewolves preying on teenagers who were exploring the woods on the outskirts of town at night for “something to do.” You had tracked down the last of the pack just in time to save a young girl from becoming an unfortunate midnight snack. After driving her home and observing a tear-filled reunion with her parents, you returned to the motel you’d been staying at.

You were exhausted, covered head to toe in cuts and bruises from the hunt, and you knew you needed some rest. But sleep didn’t come easily these days and, when it did, you often found yourself dreaming of Dean. It kept you up at night knowing he was out there somewhere locked away under Michael’s control, and dreaming about him only seemed to make you miss him more.

It was late, but you decided to venture to the gas station up the street to grab a midnight snack of your own, hoping the cool evening air and a little food might help ease your mind. After cleaning up a little, you slipped out of your room and back into the night.

It had been weeks and there'd still been no sign of Dean or Michael. Sam had been working tirelessly trying to find him, but so far he still hadn’t had any leads. In an effort to help with the search, you packed a bag and set out to connect with some of your old contacts.

...At least that’s what you told Sam.

Truthfully, you had decided to leave because you needed a break from it all. The bunker had begun to feel crowded with all of the new inhabitants from Apocalypse World. Sam, Mary, Cas, and Jack checked on you at all hours of the day because they all seemed to know about the feelings you harbored for Dean. You appreciated their concern, but the lack of alone time and space left you feeling suffocated and on edge.

On top of it all, the bunker somehow also felt eerily empty without your favorite green eyed hunter. Reminders and memories of him seemed to haunt every inch of the place. With how overwhelming everything had become, it was liberating to work a case or two while you took some time to grieve and process everything in peace.

After buying a sandwich, a six pack, and a mini pie, you thanked the cashier and began the short trek back to your motel. Still lost in thought, you had taken a shortcut down an alley when a noise from behind stopped you in your tracks. It was subtle and if you hadn’t recognized it immediately, it might’ve gone unnoticed-- drowned out by the bustle of cars, sirens, and drunken bar-goers still enjoying what was left of their night.

The familiar rustle of angel wings.

Realizing you’d left your angel blade in the duffel bag beside your bed, you tried to remain calm. Cas had no way of knowing where you were and you knew the few angels left in existence were doing all they could to keep heaven running. Grappling with the fear and hope you could feel rising in your chest, you wracked your brain for any other possible explanation for who could be behind you. But even before he spoke, you knew it was him.

“Hello Y/N.”

It wasn’t his voice-- not really. Even so, the sound was oddly comforting after so many weeks without it. If you’d kept your back to him, you might’ve been able to let yourself pretend it really was him. That he had managed to break free from the archangel somehow and track you down.

But it was the way he said your name that let you know who it really was. His voice was hollow. Almost formal.

One thing you’d always loved about Dean--whether he was angry or worried or teasing--was the way he said your name. There was always so much emotion behind it. Always a trace of the unconditional love he gave to everyone he cared about. When he spoke your name, there was always a deeper implication: no matter what he was feeling or what you had done, you knew he would always protect you and have your back. There was never a need for him to say those things outright, because somehow you’d always understood.

But this wasn’t him and those weren’t the feelings you had when your name rolled off of his tongue. Taking a deep breath, you slowly turned to face the man behind you.

“Michael.”

The corner of his mouth tilted into a smirk. He wore a gray three piece suit, a long coat, and a newsboy style cap. His head was slightly bowed, casting a dark shadow over his eyes. Instead of the relaxed, bow-legged stance you were accustomed to, his posture was stiff and typical of the angels you’d grown familiar with over the years.

“It’s nice to be able to skip the introductions.”

He raised his head and the motion seemed almost robotic. His jade eyes briefly flashed a bright electric blue and the longer you looked at his emotionless face, the more unsettled you began to feel. Everything about him seemed detached and unnatural-- a stark contrast to the man you knew.

“What do you want?”

“What do I want? It’s a little...ironic.” His lips stretched into a wry grin, but there was still an emptiness behind it. “That’s what I’ve been traveling all around this world asking people. ‘What do you want?’ Their answers are always the same: Peace. Power. Revenge. Love.”

You exhaled upon hearing the final word--recalling the countless number of fantasies you’d had about Dean confessing something similar to you.

“They say the things they think I expect to hear. Give answers they hope will ensure their survival. It’s all so very...weak. Pathetic. Human. But I will admit free will does keep things marginally interesting...how these ‘wants’ seem to motivate you. To give you a cause to fight for.”

You stood motionless, soaking in every bit of the speech he was delivering. The way he spoke was flat and unhurried. You reminded yourself over and over that it wasn’t him, but as his voice washed over you...the hold he had on you was undeniable.

He took a few steps forward, hands behind his back as he began circling you like a predator stalking its prey.

“He’s still in here, you know.” He tapped a finger on his temple when he circled in front of you again. “Resisting me. Squirming and trying to claw his way out. To get back to all of you.”

“Is there a point to this monologue?” Your voice wavered, sounding feeble instead of assertive.

“I can sense how vulnerable you are in my presence because of this pretty face. Haven’t you ever wondered what it is that Dean wants most?” He began slowly pacing back and forth in front of you. “I know his thoughts. His desires. His reasons for fighting. I know all that you’ve been through together...”

“He wants the same thing we all do. To take out as many of you douchebags as we can until--”

“You are what he wants.”

You tried to swallow, but your throat had gone dry.

“...what?”

“Why do you think he said yes to me? Why do all of you sacrifice yourselves for each other? Again and again...and again.” He paused and met your eyes when you didn’t say anything. “For love. For the fear of having to live without each other. For the ‘family business’ or whatever. Now, Sam? Mary? His angel pal and even the nephilim-- sure, he loves them. He would die for them. But you…well, there aren’t words for how devastated he would be if anything ever happened to you.”

“You’re...lying,” you whispered.

“I’m just a messenger, sweetheart.”

He spun on his heel and held his hands out to his sides, chuckling as he shook his head. You wanted to believe everything he was saying, but you had no reason to. Michael had lied to Dean-- why wouldn’t he do the same to you?

“Why are you telling me any of this? Why bother finding me at all?”

“Because his squirming is like an incessant gnat that simply won’t go away. So, as a small attempt to put his floundering to rest, I decided to pay you a visit. To say the things he never could. To put an end to his doubts...the worry and the fear and the anger that keeps him fighting. To show him there’s no need to resist me any longer. Lucifer is dead and all of you survived.”

“So you’re pretending to care about his well-being now?” you scoffed. “That’s your play?”

“He’s angry with himself for saying ‘yes’--but he wanted to save his brother and the boy. To beat Lucifer and, together, that’s what we did. He’s so worried about his family’s safety but, with my help, you were all spared from Lucifer’s wrath. Now, after everything I’ve told you...do you have any idea what Dean’s greatest fear is? His reason for continuing to resist me?”

As the gears turned and every fiber of your being seemed to have a hunch about what he meant, your mind refused to even consider the possibility. There was no way he could possibly mean--

“You,” Michael sighed impatiently. “You’re the one he’s most attached to. The source of his deepest fear and regret. Because what if something happened to his beloved Y/N? What if he never had the chance to tell you that he loves you? That he’s always been too much of a coward to admit it.”

Feeling like the air had been knocked from your lungs, tears began to well in your eyes at his admission. You weren’t sure if he was telling the truth, but if there was any way to reach him...you had to try.

“Dean? If you can hear me--”

“Dean’s not home right now. He’s served his purpose and his mission is complete. Now it’s time for mine.”

You knew you should ask what he meant, but right now you couldn’t care less about Michael’s mission. Taking a measured step forward, you gazed into his eyes and hoped he could hear you, no matter how deep he was buried.

“I love you too, Dean. More than you could ever know… And no matter what happens, none of this is your fault.”

Michael scoffed at your attempt before suddenly hunching over to stare at the ground. His expression quickly grew irritated and he shook his head as he rolled his shoulders back.

“So...very...pathetic,” he mumbled angrily.

“...Dean?”

He stood abruptly, jaw clenched and nostrils flaring as he closed the distance between the two of you. You watched as he curled his lip in disgust and placed two fingers on your forehead. When his pupils flash blue once again, your body went rigid as a warm energy spread from your head to your toes.

As he withdrew his hand, you breathed heavily and rolled your sleeves up to discover the wounds from your hunt had been healed. You glanced back at him with a puzzled expression and let out a small gasp when you noticed how drastically his demeanor had changed.

Instead of blank, dead eyes, you were met with tender emerald ones. He reached a hand out and lightly traced his fingertips along the edge of your jaw.

“Y/N…”

It was nothing more than a whisper; a silent plea for you to hear everything he didn’t have time to say. When the word escaped his lips, he drew his eyebrows together-- all of the raw emotion Michael had kept locked away painted clearly on his face.

You understood completely, hearing it all in the way he said your name.

“I know, Dean. We’re gonna find a way to get you back. Just hold on.”

He cupped your cheek and a sad, longing smile graced his lips when you leaned into his touch. Without warning, his eyes flashed blue once more.

In the blink of an eye he was gone.

Clenching the bag of food and beer in one hand, you wiped away a few stray tears and fished your phone from your pocket. After selecting a number from your favorite contacts, you began jogging toward the motel. The line rang several times before going to voicemail, but you quickly hung up and dialed again.

Arriving at your room, you unlocked the door and began frantically packing your bag. You huffed in frustration when the call went to voicemail again but, on your third attempt, you finally heard Sam’s groggy voice.

“Hello?”

“Sam? It’s Y/N. So, get this--”

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sanoiro · 4 years ago

Text

Lucifer 5x09 - Family Dinner -Spoilers & Speculation

Written by Joe Henderson

Directed by Nathan Hope

Nathan Hope has directed

1x02 - Lucifer, Stay. Good Devil 1x13 - Take Me Back to Hell 2x01 - Everything's Coming Up Lucifer 2x07 - Trip to Stabby Town 2x10 - Quid Pro Ho 3x05 - Welcome Back, Charlotte Richards 3x19 - Orange Is the New Maze 5x07 - Our Mojo He will also direct Episode 2 or 3 of S6

Behind The Scenes Video

youtube

Ignore the fact that I accidentally watermarked it with the number 519...

The Case & Deckerstar

Now we can start with the case of the week.

The murder happens at Golf n Stuff which is rather popular due to the scenes that were shot there for The Karate Kid. Rafferty was actually giddy over that.

So we have a murder. After over 70 episodes we know that the case of the week is somehow connected to the main plot and that it leads to a resolving of Lucifer’s issues or at least a small or big breakthrough.

The victim in this case was burned to death or at least he was… charred. A bit like how Mum ‘enlightened’ Jared in 2x17 but worse.

(In order to make sure most bts are included I have put them in the same file in their original resolution and you need to open the image and zoom. You can do it from your PC, MAC or mobile)

The mini golf has several fun statues like knights and pirates but what was not supposed to be there was the figure at the hole where nearby the victim was found. To be more You might have guessed it has many teeth by the photo and the answer is, it’s a reddish dragon head.

Back in December I came across the props building it and I thought it was cool but I wasn’t aware it was for Lucifer as the account is not affiliated with our crew or production. So imagine my surprise when a friend told me about what she had seen on the lot and going through the archived bts I found the victim photo as well.

You may have noticed it but in two particular episodes more dragons made their appearance. First it was at the second showrunner’s office in 503. There we see a dragon impelled by a sword, it seemed really out of place but I then correlated it with Baphament’s blade which is a representation of Azrael’s blade.

Later on I saw something else. In 508 Pete’s apartment had shelves dedicated to dragon figures as well as some knights. All along I was wondering can I even meta about that? What can it symbolise if it means anything at all? For some reason all I could think was the movie ‘Dragonheart’.

But let’s assume they have laid some hints, so far we have seen that they go very basic on bible and comic material so it’s funny how dragon-like Lucifer was presented in Series 3 of the black label of DC/ vertigo. But there are also more tidbits.

Now in 1x12 you all remember the Angel who was defeating a very Lucifer-looking Satan?

That was a prop. But it is derived by the work of Guido Reni ‘Michael and Satan’ (1636) Who was in turn influenced by Raphael’s painting ‘St. Michael Vanquishing Satan’ (1518) and if we go to Raphael’s early works... St. Michael (1504-1505)

Anyways!

The investigation of this ‘week’s’ case has its usual suspect chase which leads us to an arcade where we can spot some members of the crew doing rounds with the go-carts on that location. What I do know is that we are looking for someone young as far as guest posts go but other than that not much is known. The case seems to be progressing slowly but at some point the murderer appears to want to skip town so the leads bring us to L.A.’s train Union Station.

We also have scenes at the precinct during the case as we have seen from Aimee’s bts but not much is known there.

Now the suspect might be played by the elusive guest of this episode John Clover whose appearance was posted on Reddit and had sparked the first speculations over the title of the episode.

We should now wonder whether the theme of this episode’s case which takes us to gaming areas has anything to do with how Lucifer views his Father’s appearance in the mid-season finale and whether it will provide him with a resolution to not act in a rush way. The same after all happened with Mum.

Do not forget that Lucifer in Season 2 and especially at the beginning with Mum and when he thought Earl Johnson was his Father, Lucifer’s plans changed as his vengeance turned to a slow paced questioning over why their relationship deteriorated.

For an Angel who was ‘forced’ - not yet clarified so let’s not take that for granted- to punish the guilty Lucifer seems to be more merciful, understanding and open to explanations in the long run especially with the people who wronged him. Amenadiel, Michael, Uriel, Azrael, Mum, and Earl ‘God’ Johnson.

As Amenadiel said in the Pilot Lucifer away from Hell showed restrain and mercy… Perhaps it is true that we cannot escape from what we truly are. In any case that’s meta talk!

Back to the Union Station.

In the train station we have a bts where we can see Chloe and Lucifer chasing the suspect and from the photos and videos outside of it we can safely say they are successful on apprehending the murderer.

Now a funny incident was that during the shooting the area was closed to the actual travelers but somehow a Japanese tourist ended up sitting where the background actors were. No idea if it was her Pizza or it was given by the craft service but the girl was obviously bewildered on what was happening. It’s the little absurdities of life I guess…

It seems though as a lighthearted episode at first...

Do not be mistaken, the writers, cast and showrunners have revealed that in S5P2 we enter the emotional and equally dark (In P1 I missed the darkness aside from Pete of course) part of this season. It means that by the end of 5x09 as we roll on the last minutes of this episode, Lucifer is heavily conflicted and a resolution is needed, one that seems to be somewhat provided.

Since P1 I thought it would be weird to have Deckerstar break up for effect, in order to break us, especially since S5 was supposed to be the last season and S6 is effectively from what they imply (again cast and showrunners) an epilogue. So do not expect Deckerstar to break up but on the contrary as we saw Lucifer and Chloe in 507 they pull each other back up.

It is why I’m wondering what will be unraveled after the arrest of 5x09’s murderer.

The end of the episode takes us at night to L.A.’s Grand Park. The Grand Park is across the City Hall by the way, and for the Christmas season it was decorated with a Christmas tree made out of light bulbs.

In the bts the prominent colour of that tree is deep lilac. That’s where our next Deckerstar moment will unravel. We should also be ready for the Lucifer Universe to acknowledge yet another holiday of the human world, Christmas!

A tiny break here but you should remember that on each side of the elevator we have two bronze plates depicting the transfer of Christ after he was taken down dead from the Cross. So in the most discrete of ways Lucifer’s Universe has acknowledged Christ and perhaps it was because before the Sumerian text set Amenadiel as the favourite son, in Season 1 and for the majority of S2 we knew Lucifer as the favourite one.

On the cross Christ (no I didn’t write Lucifer at first :P) according to the scripts in a moment of lapsed faith “Father, Father why do you abandon me?”. In a way we might meta that for 516 but also for what Lucifer has experienced so far and has so eloquently expressed in 3x11 and in 1x09.

But back to the Deckerstar moment…

It takes place on the ‘balcony’ above the fountain as the purple Christmas tree is behind them. The setting happens at night and provides the place for our characters to talk, to open up and perhaps even express certain fears but also be urged to take advantage of the current circumstances.

From my perspective is the scene of a couple that talks a difficult matter but at the end of that talk they know each has the other’s back so they can step forward, take that chance and their partner will always be there to catch them if they fall. It is also how we will experience Lucifer finally opening up without Linda probing him. But whatever comes forward also gives space to truths and a realisation which will break our Devil as we have seen from the bts of the next episodes.

We might even have an understanding why ‘I love you’s’ are difficult for Lucifer and for Chloe to also realise that. We might even get Lucifer to say it. Here is to hoping…

On a final note. Maze in this episode seems to have gone MIA but many times we do not see the bts of every scene so all we have is Lesley-Ann’s bts from her trailer during that time. Also do not forget how things ended in 508. Maze did betray Lucifer and with God on Earth...

The Dinner

This episode is expected to open back to the precinct. The reason is because it is a mid-season finale which means that the in between scenes are not implied but also because of some spoilers we had back in December.

As you remember the actress who played officer Cacuzza had posted on Twitter that she and Lauren were in a ‘very small’ room which had just been painted. That room we can safely say is the ‘evidence room’ and that Cacuzza managed finally to find a way to close the surveillance in order to take a nap.

Now do remember that back in S4 Cacuzza was also the officer who let Lucifer ‘sample’ the drug busts… I’m not sure if that will come back somehow but we do know that Cacuzza will appear later this season, whether alive or not is yet to be seen.

What we do know is from the clues that were given by the actress.

1) She will be in the same room as Chloe meaning we will revisit the evidence room once Dad arrives and perhaps it will be a comic moment? Perhaps a random human will figure things out? But what was interesting is that according to the bts photo we see the actress and Lauren in their own clothes while Dennis is in his ‘Dad/God’ clothes.

2) Both Chloe and Officer Cacuzza were supposed to act distressed and shaken. If we take the ‘I love you’ element from that scene for Chloe let’s remember that the evidence is suddenly a bit of a mess. A glass has broken, the sound and effect will be heard once the time has started running again and they are two cops in a room with no idea of what is happening outside. So perhaps the shaken and distressed effect comes before they open the door (or walk out) and are sure there is no imminent threat.

3) In my opinion in this episode Cacuzza has some lines no matter how brief they might be.

Now the question here is how to proceed.

We obviously have a Family Dinner from which only two bts exist.

If we assume that the Family Dinner is arranged after the brothers have hid their wings and then Dad has met Linda then the dinner is set up by a very flabbergasted Linda.

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I do expect Linda to bow by the way and for this dinner to bring some elements from 1x10 Pops. For this speculation I’ll include the video of the scene from that episode and I’ll try to tie them up with 5x09.

All the episodes in P2 are meant to do a full circle and the writers have based most of their storytelling on the events of S1 and S2.

So first the spoilers of what we know from 5x09 and then the ties we may find with 1x10 and some more past episodes.

The 11 minutes are quite long but is it really all things concerning?

Henderson tweeted that there will be 5 actors but as we know know Ellis plays two characters which is why the dinner scene may have taken three days to shoot so we should count six people at the Dinner Table.

The location will be (most probably) at Linda’s house as we have seen from a bts that her main table is full of different varieties of fruits and food in an attempt to recreate an Olympian affluent meal. For Linda is only normal to be out of her element and try to impress God. So far she has been almost killed by his ex, has a child that can be snatched away to the Silver City if she is not deemed worthy perhaps or even because of Charlie’s half genetic code.

Remember there was a stand in actor for Michael

The problem Linda also faces is that she has supported Lucifer. Yes, he is her friend but how will God react to that? Having a human siding with His rebellious son? Linda as it has been written knows how far pissed off celestials can go and I’m sure she remembers Lucifer’s agony and fear over his Father where Chloe was concerned. So she tries, really tries to present a wonderful setting for the grandfather of her child.

So we do have Linda in the mix. Obviously God, Amenadiel, Lucifer and Michael. That makes us five characters and four actors. Little Charlie also makes an appearance as far as I’m aware as the twin babies were on set and that also contributes on why the scene took so long to be shot. However the babies do not count as the sixth character. Chloe though does.

In short we have:

Linda

God/Dad

Amenadiel

Lucifer

Michael

Chloe

and

Charlie

Another thing we should take into account for this scene is Rafferty’s posted script page of the midseason finale.

While Amenadiel and Lucifer appear shocked and in awe, Michael seems rather pleased. I mean he literally ‘Grins with excitement’.

Amenadiel in 5x03 said that the only one who was talking to the throne meanwhile Henderson as far as I remember in one of the post P1 interviews, revealed that God and Michael have a relationship that Lucifer wishes he had with Him. D.B on one of the virtual cons (or ET interview. I have issues with keeping track of them now) have said that the scene at the family dinner would be gut wrenching and absolutely fall down hilarious’.

So in this dinner we will get to know our characters more and as Ildy and Henderson have said Lucifer will go back being a 14 year old at the Thanksgiving table. That perhaps is the reason why the script episodes 510 and 511were reversed. The last time that had happened was in S1 in order for Lucifer’s vulnerability to not come too soon in the season. In the case of these two episodes I believe it has to do with Lucifer’s emotional state but also the constant collisions he will have with his father in the Family Dinner but also during the Musical episode.

Another aspect to consider is that if 5x09 reminds us a lot of 1x10 -Pops right now and 5x10 the Musical episode is directly influenced by 2x16 - God Johnson.

The next section will now be dedicated to a quick recap of 1x10 - Pops and the possible connection to Michael and his story.

Michael in 5x09 teases Chloe as she is kept captive that there is a bigger plan and ‘Spoiler Alert’ it will be EPIC. That can be left alone as a promise to see more of that plan in S5P2 but before we go forward we should also go back in 2x04 - Weaponiser.

Do you see the parallel? How far Uriel’s view of the ‘Patterns’ could go was always a meta I couldn’t crack. Sure Michael hinted as per one Anon hinted on Tumblr that Michael might have been the one to urge Uriel on Earth to kill Mum and hopefully Lucifer as well. It is also perhaps why we were reminded of Azrael’s Blade in 5x03 - Diablo with Baphament’s blade, the only blade that could kill the Devil. Perhaps that was Michael’s plan back then but it didn’t work out.

But is Michael the big villain? According to the showrunners no. There are more things happening but Michael has a reasoning, has a story, one that explains his deformity and is the hero of his own story as all the other season ‘villains’ so far were. Mum, Amenadiel, Malcolm, Kinley, even Cain.

What the Interviews say about Michael:

Beginning with the parallel between the dinner we had in 1x10’s dinner and plot, and in what may have in episode 5x09 I would like to remind you-

- at this point I have censored some spoilers, not speculations, spoilers for episodes of P2 that will not be added in the S&S -

I’ll return to this topic and explore it thoroughly as the S&S are written but for now remember that 1x10 might tell us more than what we think right now and it might take us as a point of reference even up to 5x16.

Between 1x10 and 5x09 we can also wonder what are God’s intentions, can we attribute them all to Michael’s manipulation or it goes beyond that because the showrunners have promised us an emotional P2. I do believe issues are addressed and Lucifer will have to come face to face with some hard truths without that meaning that Dad was always right.

In the Pilot - wait.. Pilot? Yes, 5x09 is an episode that slowly builds us to the very end. There are spoilers and references that need to be addressed from past and future episodes before and after 5x09.

We need to address that in the Pilot, Lucifer told Delilah the very truth he uttered to Linda where he was concerned in S4 (4x08). God has nothing to do with your mess. Like Delilah, Lucifer was putting the blame to others, circumstances and even questioned God. He was wasting his eternal life and his talent, which he eventually found in crime solving.

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On cue we get to the scene with Chloe asking God what she is doing to a bar with Lucifer. And what follows is Chloe telling Lucifer how she saw things differently from everyone and she paid for it. That story for me at least rings a bell.

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We still do not know why Lucifer was cast out, the actual reason. No matter the sexescapeding with Eve or the rebellion what was the core of all that acting out as Linda called it in season 2? Whatever it was if we go back to 3x11 we will see that Chloe in the Pilot is basically Lucifer in 3x11.

They feel alone, misjudged and while Chloe tries to move on and later in S1 finds what actually happened, in Lucifer’s case he gives up on waiting for forgiveness from his Father until Michael comes, and tells him that even his Fall was a manipulation.

In Pops Lucifer asked something very interesting what did the sous chef wanted? And the answer was to surpass Pops. I do wonder if that’s what Lucifer wanted in a way and of course Michael on Lucifer’s expense. Two ‘children’ fighting for attention but only one was groomed to take over.

Speaking of taking over at the end of the episode of 1x10 we learn that Pops despite what Junior had done still had his son in his mind for taking over the restaurant. Pops believed in his son but allowed him space to grow eventually when everything failed.

If you remember Zadkiel’s spoiler we see that in 5x15 for some reason Lucifer wants to re-join the Host. That aside from a reconciliation shows that like Junior, Lucifer for his own reasons - we do not know what has happened but we will go back to that in the S&S of 5x15 - wants what divine power has to offer.

What happens next is again interesting -censored-. I just want you to see how we do not deal with standalones but everything progresses towards a point, a familiar yet innovative point for the series.

In episode 2x01, Lucifer asks mockingly an offended Chloe who did she thought he took after, his Dad? That happened because Lucifer believed to have taken more after his mother but as we know genetics is a funny thing, Celestial genetics even more so.

God’s absence from Lucifer’s life shaped him. He did drove Lucifer to become something he wasn’t but after 4.5 seasons can we claim that Lucifer and God are nothing alike?

Maze I believe was spot on on the similarities God and Lucifer held.

Lucifer believes in justice, in truth and is able to love. He has been more of an Angel than any non fallen Angel has ever been so far.

Amenadiel tricked a dead human to kill Lucifer thus condemning him again in Hell however as we know from Charlotte’s case a redemption was not impossible.

Uriel wanted to kill his mother and wouldn’t hesitate to kill Chloe in the process. Azrael is basically a liar and manipulator, Remiel would gleefully cut open a human for their half-celestial baby while Michael is really-really messed up.

So what has happened?

Like with Junior, Lucifer was pushed by his Father to become the man he is today. And Lucifer likes what he is, who he is because he sees the change and is even afraid of not being real when that change is questioned or exposed to him.

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The same happened with Amenadiel, once he decided to embrace humanity and brotherhood. He changed for the better and became more ‘angelic’.

So yes, Junior’s story does apply to Lucifer on many levels. But Junior didn’t have that dinner with his Father, Lucifer will as they will do two more of his siblings. Some will be hurt, some will feel betrayed and some may walk out.

Which brings us to a very big question.

Was Mum truthful when she said to Lucifer, his Dad wanted to destroy him? If the answer is yes, how will both deal with that? Because Lucifer may have not totally believed Mum.

If that answer comes to play we should consider it as the common question children come forward to when they learn they were not planned or their parents had opted at first to have an abortion. The fact that they didn’t get on with the abortion or had willingly made a child does affect their feelings towards that child now? Do they regret it? Do they want what that child has become?

These are all tough questions and sometimes the answers are not easy either. Mainly because humans like celestials with human emotions as it seems, are secure and balanced only with the totality of a circumstance. Everything or nothing, the rest in between are not welcome and it’s bound to hurt.

Finally, on this 1x10 weird reminisce. Can we say that Lucifer will be allowed in the end to create something that represents him? I think he may but more about that in 5x16 S&S.

Probably the story will not end with redemption but with Lucifer finally becoming his own person one that resembles a lot of Dad and Dad may accept or even encourage that path. That does not mean he will start anew though

Which brings us back to the adversary of 1x10 - Pops. The sous chef believed that Junior was not worthy of his father’s tolerance and reward so she made sure to destroy his reputation and went as far as trying to kill him. That sounds a lot like Michael.

Michael’s speech towards Maze about what was happening in the Silver City in 5x02 did echo the sous chef words:

So we should wonder if Michael will succeed to a point to ruin Lucifer’s chances and leave Lucifer live with the consequences in the end as our hero learns to move on from whatever injustice happened or the writers will provide a catharsis.

And a final question here… Is Amenadiel really the favourite son? I somehow doubt that, perhaps I’ll be proved wrong as in many interviews Henderson has gone back to Amenadiel’s arc as he learns he is the ‘favourite’ and so far he has not said anything to contradict the belief 2x17 brought to us with so many translated Sumerian words.

But as we said teh Dinner will not be cathartic on the contrary so does that mean that Lucifer eventually walks away? Probably.

At the photos that were posted near Christmas we have two bts one crystal clear and the other more hazy which shows Lucifer at the Penthouse and Dad being there in his white cardigan. I do suspect that meeting at the penthouse happens after the dinner but it does not resolve things between Father and son. it is also possible that it’s why we need the very emotional scene from the musical to be moved forward and 511 script to become 5x10 aired episode.

Perhaps the comment on it’s not just Lucifer who hits the keys was referring to Dad and not Maze in 5x01.

Although we cannot be sure on what will happen in the penthouse and whether Scarlet was meant to join that scene or simply was on set for the day (highly probable) for another scene, we do know that in this episode we had a LUX night. A most perhaps unconventional one.

By this point you know that the writers are ready to address everything or at least make parallels and so somehow we have one with 1x09 - A Priest Walks Into A Bar. This time however it is seems like God Walks Into His Son’s Bar.

If the camera is clear enough we can see God (?) talking to a white person. I would have loved it if it was Dan but I cannot tell for sure.

Whether that visit happens before or after the family dinner I believe it may happen before as the clothes Dennis wore at the lot around that time were different from the white we saw him appear with in the end of 5x08. Of course that does not say much as we will see Dad in the same/similar white clothes in at least three different episodes in Part 2.

Therefore in the conclusion of this S&S we should speculate that the Dinner is placed at the middle of the episode and a resolution is reached for Deckerstar in the end of the episode but Lucifer’s turmoil did fit better through the musical episode hence the change.

#lucifer season 5 #lucifer season 5 part 2 #lucifer S5p2 #Lucifer - Family Dinner #Family Dinner #Lucifer spoilers #lucifer speculation #lucifer S&S

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popculturebuffet · 4 years ago

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Ducktales Reviews: How Santa Stole Christmas! or Scrooge is kind of a dick

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays everybody! Christmas begins on this blog with the last new Ducktales of the season! Time to break out some eggnog, presents and warmth of good family, i’ve got a bushel of Christmas reviews planned for the season, and this one is just the start of htem. As you can probably tell by my enthusasim I love this holiday. Oh sure it has it’s bad sides, paticuarlly several jackasses making huge deals out of the fact some people say happy holidays because “there’s a war on christmas” when really their just petty morons who can’t accept theirs more than one holiday in the month and not everyone likes christmas. I do, but I know not everyone does, and that’s fine. But overall it’s a fine holiday with warmth, cheer, family, generosity and of course, what brings us here today, really damn good episodes and specials of television. It’s just a really warm and cheerful time that , whlie it can bring out the absolute worst in people.. can also bring out the best more often than not. And that’s why I love this holiday. If you don’t that’s just fine, but it’s my blog, I can love what I want. And I love this holiday.. and I loved this episode, a good end to a great run of episodes. So let’s rock around the Christmas tree and find out why Scrooge hates santa, this is How Santa Claus Stole Christmas!

We open with the classic night before Christmas poem.. only naturally since Della is reading it to the boys, it’s Scrooge’s version involving barbed wire and calling the man a traitor because what honestly did you expect. Though I find it ironic a man introduced in a Christmas story has a one-sided blood feud with Santa. The boys are annoyed with this and just want free presents and the presecne of a jolly fat man and don’t get why Scrooge hates him. And yeah.. all of that tracks. They were raised by Donald who, while he clearly spent several years at Scrooges tolerating this feud, likely figured the Feud was just some personal gripe of scrooges and that Santa had done nothing that terrible. Which given Scrooge isn’t personable on the best of days and the episode goes out of it’s way to point out Scrooge has no friends, is entirely accurate and Donald was, as always the sane one in this situation. Plus he was already mad at Scrooge, this was just another way to tell him to go fuck himself.

The boys hear what they think is Santa on the roof but turns out to be Scrooge, in full Scottish war garb manning traps with webby.. in full chimney camo... putting a knife to Dewey’s throat for siding with santa.. well okay pointing at his throat but still god damn. Every now in then i’m reminded how ready Webby is to murder someone. It never gets easier or less disturbing. The boys.. continue to make a good point: Scrooge says he’s the richest duck in the world and can provide them whatever.. but being Scrooge just gives them itchy hats made of cheap fabric, and bemoans them wanting a trampoline, a new electronic game, and a new phone. And while Scrooge can give them whatever he wants, it’s his money, he also could’ve put some actual thought into it and clearly views the holiday more as a transaction and less for hte acutal sentmient. Instead of giving them personal mementos, or making them personal mementos, or even just simply building them a sled or something, a simpler toy than what they want but still something nice that comes from the heart.. he just gave them the cheapest hat he could find and tries to guilt them for not liking his thoughtless present he probably bought in bulk for everyone in the manor and his employ because he’s kind of a dick sometimes. IT’s good storytelling though as it sets up that Scrooge.. can possibly be int he wrong, so when the main plot comes to his front door, quite literally, there’s some doubt as to wither he or santa is in the wrong. Speaking of which Santa is at the door. So cue the credits and cue the cut for the rest of the plot as is usual. Full spoilers, and full plot under the cut. Ho ho ho.

First a quick comment on the Holiday version of the theme, the same one from Last Christmas! IT’s really good, a really nice frank sinatra style verison of the theme. Good stuff. My only real complaint is like last time.. there’s nothing unique about it, it’s just the normal season 3 intro but with snowflakes. And that’s.. more on Disney than the creators. If Frank and Matt had the option they would likely do an entirely original intro.. it’s just Disney can be cheap when it comes to intros, see how possesed ludo stayed in the star vs intro long after that plot point was resolved, and only affords one a season. That being said they still have one up on most networks, who, with the exception of Netfix with she ra, never really let intros change more than once, if at all. I mean I get it, budgets are higher here than with anime, they can’t do a new song and intro every half a season.. BUUUT it wouldn’t kill more stuidos to do this more often and do a complete intro overhaul, as it adds freshness, and you can still use the same old theme, just over a new set of pretty images. Most just allow a few swap outs, Disney included, and while I get intros are expensive, this is something you can use for a whole season, or more, why are you like this?

Anyways one theme song and me complaning about an animation trend I don’t like later, we’re inside the Manor with none of the other adults present because this season hates me. I do actually get it this go round: Besides Della, Donald and Launchpad getting a full subplot in the other holiday episode, they aren’t really needed. In fact most of the episode’s present day is a framing device for the tale of how Scrooge and Santa met and why Scrooge hates him, so for once the minmal use of the supporting cast.. is actually done well. The focus is on Scrooge and Santa, a feud that’s had four years build up in real time, and two years in series and a bunch of months. So yeah, i’m okay with sidelining everyone for once, because this story really needed all of the space and there was no real place for them aside from the climax. This is Scrooge and Santa’s story, with Webby there as an impartial-ish observer. We’ll get to that in a moment. Also if your curious where in the fuck this episode fits on the series massively warped time scale.. i’m going with this and “The Trickining!” taking place before season 3, since “Astro Boyd” takes place in march, and “Forbidden Fountain” takes place in probably late april, huge thanks to a friend on discord for help with the timeline. Otherwise it just makes no sense whatsover and while it dosen’t TECHINCALLY need to, I prefer the series timeline at least making some rational sense. The world dosen’t have to but time still does. So the boys are at least 12, possibly turning 13. Congrats. Or maybe they just don’t age. I dunno.

Now time and plot concerns aside, Santa gladly gives the boys their gifts which is.. everything they listed: A mini tramp for Dewey, Legends of Legend-Quest 2 for Huey, and another phone for Louie, which Scrooge dosen’t get. But Louie gets it on 2 levels: One, the one he asked for is probably a nicer model and as someone who just got a very marginally nicer model on insurance, I get it, even if like Scrooge i’m fine as long as mine works, it’s still nice to have more space to do shit. And two, he plans to sell the old one and keep the money. So yeah the boys already loved Santa but now they have every reason to since, you know, Santa actually gave them what they asked for and Scrooge gave them itchy hats because he’s cheap not because he put the slighest thought into it. And no i’m ont letting him get away with that: Again, off list, perfectly fine. Right behind me on my sprawl of book shelves is Weird Al’s biography, a really fun, really intresting book with photos on his career. I did not ask for it, but my mom rightly knew I would love it and got it for me for my birthday, which is very close to christmas, the 16th if you were curious, anyway, and I’ve treasured it since.. and really need to re-read it. My point is you CAN get someone something they didn’t ask for and still have it be something they LIKE. I did that for most of my christmas gifts this year. Scrooge just, as I went on about above, didn’t give a shit and was a bit callous about it so yeah, Santa wins this round. But Santa naturally needs Scrooge’s help to save Christmas because his ankle’s sprained and he’s out of options. Scrooge.. naturally refuses because, as i’ve made clear this and past episodes, he can be kind of a dick and Santa is one of his worst enemies in his mind. Why help him? So Santa, reluctantly, offers Scrooge the one thing you can get for the man who has everything: An agreement to leave his house alone. The boys aren’t happy about it, but Scrooge reluctantly agrees to the deal. They prepare to mount up though the boys aren’t invited, as Scrooge thinks their too far in the Santa camp and Scrooge does not trust him. Which again is both accurate and fair on their parts as again, he gave them things with well meaning and love, he gave them hats he fished out of the dollar store clearance bin. I mean at least go for the dvd’s and blu rays man. Yeesh. Santa does lightly buy them off by offering them another present if their good boys. Though honestly given Santa in this universe, he probably was going to anyway and this is his nice way of getting them to stay behind to make Scrooge happy.

So as they take off, while Webby is wary of Santa, she is curious what happened, especially since earlier Scrooge actually did finally voice his gripe, if without any full length explination: Santa took Christmas From him. And Della might know that, Scrooge likely didn’t tell her or Donald the full story and Donald rightly didn’t buy it was that one sided. And it isn’t as we’ll see. Since the episodes divided up into two storylines, i’m once again splitting the difference. This time though I would like to mention the story is beautifully woven in, with both complementing each other: there’s some legit suspense as we wonder if Santa did something really that bad or if he’s lying to webby, or if Scrooge being Scrooge was just exaggerating or holding onto a grudge that was partly his fault. It’s genuinely well done to build up the story and helps really flesh Santa out as a character in both stories. i’m only not doing that because my short term memory, while good enough to hold the story for now can be spotty, and this is a lot less taxing on it. Also parts of this segment happen before the boys leave, but it’s easier this way. Sooooo...

Times Past: Santa’s Worst Christmas Some time ago... seriously I don’t know. Scrooge was born in the 1800′s and Christmas well existed by then, to the point there’s actually a story starring young scrooge published over seas. Granted the Duck’s are no stranger to christmas, as I already covered Christmas on Bear Mountain for Scrooge’s birthday, and will be covering “A Christmas for Shacktown’ sometime this December. It’s just something worth noting. But given this universe can do whatever it wants, having it invited sometime in the early 1900′s or late 1800s is fine just fine.

Scrooge is a coal salesman, selling people what they need but getting no shelter as he’s, again, an ass. But in the depths he finds Santa, whose having trouble puling his sleigh, and gets them in the previously closed door with kindess and saying he’s with me. We now get an idea of who Santa truly is: a kind, selfless soul who thinks nothing of himself, and is happy to offer a gift in exchange for something, but does so only in the most well meaning, warmest way possible. In short this Santa really is.. what Santa is at his best in stories; a kind, generous man who just wants to make people happy. He just gave a gift not because he wanted to bribe his way in, but because he was genuinely hoping for some shelter and wanted to be greatful. It also shows that clearly, even if something did happen.. Santa probably isn’t evil. A twist still could’ve come.. but spoilers.. it dosen’t. Santa is genuinely this kind and self sacrificing and noble. He’s just a good person.. and that would ultimately be the problem but we’ve got a lot of subplot to cover. So Santa parties with what are clearly going to be his elves, and turn out indeed to be elves at the end when the fire goes out and Scrooge is suddenly in buisness.. and he and Santa make a great team, as Santa talks him up and says he can deliver a whole year’s worth of coal all over the world by Christmas Morning, so Christmas DOES exist here, it’s just Santa didn’t which kind of tracks. Well played. I’ll keep my earlier mistake in there though. Keeps me fresh. But Santa offers to help.. after all what are friends for? And Scrooge says their not friends.. their partners.

And Santa says why not both. And a friendship is forged. And it makes sense.. while i’ts not as tight as it will be, Santa is a warm generous guy who helped Scrooge multiple times just to be kind: He helped him find shelter to repay his kindness helping him.. then helped him sell his coal, when he didn’t have to and while he upsold him on what he could do, did so not out of malice, but so his friend could sell MORE and with eveyr intention of helping. And this friend is someone he just met, is kind of cranky and rude.. but as we all know is a good person underneath and to Santa.. that’s what he sees.. the kind young man who helped him pull his sleigh when he didn’t have to and was already cold and miserable. And that.. that just warms my heart a lot. But Scrooge being Scrooge has a mystic artifact that could help: The Feliz Navidiamond, a mystic artifact that can seemingly control time he got off a spanish sailor needing coal. The two head in but encounter it’s guardians. The Magic reindeer! And that’s part of what I love about this episode: besides really getting christmas, we’ll get to that, it has a creative and intresting Santa origin baked into the show’s mythology that also shows off an intresting part of Scrooge’s past. Santa manages to pacify them with jingle bells and our heroes head inside. In the cavern they find a Giant Snowman.. because this show is fucking awesome and Santa’s attempt to be nice bacfires but Scrooge’s natural paranoia and gumption pull through. It shows off why they make a good team: Santa’s niceties helped them with the reindeer, and netted them future transportation, while Scrooge’s natural grumpus tendencies help when nice just won’t do it. They work well together: one’s a showman and the other hasn’t learned how yet, one is nice the other naughty. It’s easy to see why they worked so well together.. in both senses. They make it past the Snowman and find that the diamond slows down time running on “christmas time!”.. seriously a great pun and one of many this episode. This show had a chance to go all out on holiday puns this go round and they did not blow it.

But... sadly... and obviously the good times can’t roll forever and when we next return to the story it’s a year later. McDuck and Klaus coal is a MASSIVE concern, and Scrooge is eager to get started... but Santa.. wants to just give gifts instead. To do something Generous. Buisness just isn’t in him and he just wants to do something kind. It’s.. not a bad goal.. i’ts just not Scrooge. To Scrooge it’s a betryal of all he stands for: foreswearing profit to give something for nothing for seemingly no reason and to a younger even meaner scrooge.. it’s an utter betryal.. and a breaking point. Either his daft presents idea.. or Scrooge. And why yes this episode is dripping with ho yay and why yes this does resemble his painful breakups with goldie. And why yes is glorious.. Imean I wasn’t shipping Scrooge with santa before but now? Hot damn. But yeah the two have come to a parting of ways, and Scrooge bitterly leaves, while the elves reveal themselves. And my heart hurts “The Empire Builder from Callisota” bad so thank you and fuck you show. It also probably shows why Scrooge has exactly one friend, who also works with him so it’s complicated, in present day: He just dosen’t want to let people in... and now we know WHY. The first genuine friend he made, the first person he let into his heart.. betrayed him. It’s no wonder it took decades for Beakly, then the kids to get into his heart again: the guy’s been betrayed by goldie, in his mind betrayed by santa and as we’ve seen his own dad turned against him eventually. He had no one for so long, he built a wall all around him but the wall was too tall and it blocked out all the birds and the son. But this .. is a really damn good story that fleshes Scrooge out and explains his hardness. In the comics it was Glomgold.. here.. it’s much more personal and cuts much deeper. And I absolutely love it. This story could’ve neatly fit into life and times if it made any sense in Rosa’s timeline, and it would be just perfect there.

PRESENT DAY: Concentrated Awwww

The present day plot is a lot simplier but still fantsatic: Webby slowly warms up to Santa depsite herself.. despite Scrooge clealry seeing she is.. she sees the man is just.. nice. He gives her a new crossbow, a really nice one she probably didn’t even expect to get given you know, everything and knowing scrooge, and appricates the sentiment and slowly sees the man isn’t some monster, but just a jolly old fat man who wants to give presents. Even Scrooge seemingly warms up a little. We also get tons of cameos during delivery, as they visit tons of supporting cast.. sadly no Darkwing.. but this one was clearly meant to go anywhere and is clealry set before “Let’s Get Dangerous”, but tons of other great bits: We get the Drake recidence with Boyd getting a present.. and somehow also doofus whose filled his stocking full of.. something. I don’t want to know and you can’t make me ask. You can make me ask why the fuck Doofus gets a present, but it could be filled with bees or maybe Santa truly thinks theirs good in him.. which .. yeah tracks. I mean not their being good in him.. I think dr. loomis said it best.. I mean it was about micheal meyers but.. same diffrence minus the patricide?

I mean points for trying though Santa, you mean well you loveable bear in both senses of the word you. But anyways other cameos include Fenton, alsleep with his armor strewn about, aww, with the gizmo armor set to hit people with fruit cake. Thought that was against the geneva convetion but alright. Scrooge’s been hit with worse. We also get them visiting the boat and giving Donald and Della presents, awww. And of course I saved the cameo I put up top for last as Webby visits her closest friend and her gilfriend and gives both an adorable cheek kiss. Though only Lena reacts.. probably because this isn’t the first time Webby’s snuck into their bedroom at night but probably the first time it hasn’t been accidently creepy because she’s still learning boundaries. Also i did not realized they shared a room. Aww. Also it’s the first time we’ve seen their room, which as you’d image from a sorceress and a magical researcher/bookworm, it’s a massive sprawling library from what we see with a skull with a candle in it, a picture of a house, and a calender. IN short it’s perfect and i’m glad we finally saw their room.

So yeah things are going well and Webby finally realizes “Shit Scrooge is the bad guy in this scenario” at the end of the story, realizing Santa was just as hurt by the split as Scrooge was and that he had to make the harder choihce for the right reasons. Unfortunately, as i’ve said a lot this review, SCrooge is a dick and only coperated, as he wasn’t using the magical present sack, but his own filled with Coal to teach people about responsiblity. Thankfully, Scrooge realizes he’s been a dick to the globe when he happens upon little Jeniffer, a small pig girl who mistakes him from santa and takes his coal, meant to warm her fires.. and makes it into a doll. And resists his attempts to take “Coalette away”... Scrooge then rants and .. we actually get a good reason for why he’s being such a douche... as a kid he had nothing, and a gift of coal for his fires would’ve been welcmoed. He simply just.. dosen’t get the frivolity. He gets the warmth and joy of the season but not the gift part. And it’s only seeing this small, innocent child, play with a doll, he realizes “A warm heart can keep you going through the coldest nights”. And it’s then he finally realizes why his old friend did what he did.. because as i’ve been saying the real gift.. is in the giving.. of giving someone something that makes their memories glow and their heart warm. Even a lump of coal can do that in the right hands... a toy can get someone through the roughest times and it’s the WARMTH of the gift you remember, not the gift itself. I remember that book I mentioned proudly.. as do I remmeber the copy of the art of the venture brothers right next to me, or the copy of the people’s doonesbury my best friend mike bought me, and so on.. not because of the book itself... but because of the thought and warmth of someone getitng something for you because they care, not for their own reward, but just to make you feel nice this holiday season. That’s the true spirit of christmas. Naturally realizing the errror of his ways in true christmas story fashion, Scrooge is devistated by his own actions. And Santa is PISSED.. but Scrooge is now regretful.. if also pissed because Santa stormed in there and it turns out this was all a ploy to get his friend back... which destroys Scrooge’s anger as he realizes just how much his old friend missed him and how many years he wasted lashing out at him when , in the end, Santa was right. So with only so much Diamond power left, and time running out, what can they do to right this? Simple, Scrooge suggests splitting resources.

So we get a glorious shot of the three boys, and the twins riding the reindeer. Also we get Launchpad!

Who naturally wonders if he can crash a reindeer while Beakly thankfully stops him from murdering Dasher. So Christmas is saved and Scrooge and Santa exchange gifts: For Scrooge, a set of bells with their old company name.. and for Santa? a garage door opener. While Santa’s confused turns out.. it’s to turn off the traps. He’s welcome any time.. just use the front door. Cue a big hug, and Webby narrating us out as Scrooge wishes everyone a merry christmas once again letting people into his heart. I have.. the approirate response to that.

Final Thoughts: Excellent, easily one of the best of the season, the series and possibly of chirstmas show episodes all together, we shall see when I put together my list. And given how utterly excellent Last Christmas already is, it was hard to top.. but they did it. This was a warm, wonderful special that gets to the heart of christmas.. and really why I LIKE santa so much. For all the comercailsim around him.. he’ s a kind generous man who gets kids to belivie in magic for a while, wants nothing in return , with the offering of cookies just there to be nice and thank him for being a good person, and just wants best for people. He’s what’s best about christmas rolled into a person. And the series gets that and makes him the kindest guy around. It ends up being a story abotu Scrooge learning the meaning of christmas, an irony that’s not lost on me, but in a way that’s diffrent and unique from last time and works just as well. It’s just a warm wonderful epsiode with plenty of great gags and adventure and a beautiful, unique story at it’s core that could only be told here with tihs cast and this version of scrooge and that’s what makes it so damn magical. Easily a fantastic note to go out on. Next time on Ducktales: I don’t know! Next time this blog covers ducktales: We’re going back a few seasons to the only episode i’ve never seen, not even a little bit. It’s the treacherous summit of mt neverest! Until then, if you liked this review, reblog and all that good stuff, follow for more ducks, and if there’s an episode of any show you want me to cover, my cyber monday sale is still going till midnight central, and even past that if you get in a liittle past it, so you can comission a review of any episode for just 3 bucks right now, 5 if you get to this review after monday. So spend if you have it.. and if you don’t.. happy holidays to you anyway. Have a wonderful season.

#christmas #ducktales #how santa stole christmas #santa claus #scrooge mcduck #webby vanderquack #huey duck #louie duck #dewey duck #donald duck #della duck #violet sabrewing #lena sabrewing #weblena #launchpad mcquack #bentina beakly #doofus drake #boyd drake #fenton crackshell cabrera

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jq37 · 5 years ago

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The Royal Report– A Crown of Candy Ep 2

Ambush on the Sucrosi Road

And we’re back for our first battle episode! Are you feeling trepid my guys, cause I sure am.

You’re Dead and Here’s Your Mini

You’ll remember that, at the end of the episode, the Candia Caravan had stopped in the road because of a fallen tree--the universal fantasy fiction indication for an impending ambush--and Ruby was unceremoniously dropped to zero HP. But don’t worry! Brennan is here with all the missing ceremony at the top of this episode! And by ceremony, I mean we get the most graphic, visceral, bloody description of bodily harm we’ve ever gotten in an episode of D20 as the arrow pierces her neck and she goes unconscious. In her unconscious state, she’s on a trapeze, swinging from one bar to another that seems to be either getting closer or farther away. A voice in the inky black that surrounds her tells her to bring it towards her. We fade out from the vision and that brings us into the combat proper.

So that’s the very chill place this episodes starts.

With Ruby down, everyone else springs into action. Liam does his ranger thing and reveals a hidden enemy--which is like finding a roach in your house: You *know* there’s no such thing as a single roach. Jet tries to snatch Ruby into the carriage but when she loses her grip, she opts to instead threaten Lapin--Heal my sister or I’ll reveal you’re working for the Sugarplum Fairy--and hop on top of the stopped carriage to use herself to shield her sister from any further damage. She also activates the Locket of the Sweetest Heart--a split friendship locket the two of them have which gives advantage on saving throws if the other person is within 5 feet--so she’ll have help on her next death save which happens right away. She gets a success with two 13s, which gives her 1 save, 1 fail (I assume from getting hit by a second arrow--ranged attacks while down count as a fail and melee attacks count as two. Yikes!).

In her mind, Ruby uses Mage Hand to bring the trapeze bar closer to her and, as she does so, she sees a pair of smiling purple eyes and hears a voice say, “You are gifted in the ways of the arcane. It seems that my brother has made quite a family for himself.” Ruby gasps. “Are you my aunt?” The voice tells her to take good care of her bow. She’ll need it.

On Amethar’s turn, he clocks a bunch more hidden archers and hears that they’re speaking Carnish (the meat language) but (and Jet especially notices this because she speaks Carnish) they’re speaking it brokenly and with weird (vaguely French-y) accents. And the arrow that hit Ruby is baconsteel, but the archers look weird. Like, it’s less that they’re made of meat and more like they’re *wearing* meat, and it smells like it’s rotting (which, hey Brennan? Gross). Something’s up.

Amethar, charges out and goes into a rage--pouring cola onto himself and letting the pop rocks of his body explode out (extremely cool flavoring for that), doing 2 points of damage to anyone in the immediate vicinity. Jet, still over Ruby’s unconscious body, narrates this all to her, because Emily Axford never lets a moment for an emotional gut punch go to waste.

Amethar gets a Nat 20 with his first attack and hits the nearest enemy hard enough to cut through the meat. Underneath, he smells stinking cheese.

But then, it’s the enemies’ turn and Amethar is absolutely beset. A couple of enemies go after the others’ but five enemies go for him and all hit, bringing him down to less than a third of his HP in one round of combat (down to 10). And they’re not messing around. They are really and truly trying to murder him specifically.

Thank the Sugarplum Fairy or the Bulb if you prefer that Lapin’s turn is next. He scrambles to the top of the carriage and casts Cure Wounds on Ruby which brings her back to full because first level rogues are so so weak you guys. Lapin goes through the Bulbian motions but Jet, who is closeby, can smell the sugary magic energy from his true patron. She doesn’t much care though since it means Ruby’s back and she promises her silence. Lapin also tosses Amethar a d6 of healing with his bonus action.

Theobold hits a nat 20 to do a good bit of damage then action surges and casts Compelled Duel with his sword--Battlepop the Broadscicle--to force the Captain of the attackers (who rolls a Nat 1 save) to 1v1 him to take some heat off of the king.

Ruby and Jet are forced to confront the possibility that Lapin and Theobold might be...cool? Really, all the old dudes this fight are kinda badass--Calroy also hits a nat20 and is kicking ass all fight (also, his pants are on point--I think this is only the second time in d20 pants have ended up being *A Thing* (John Feathers) but that still feels like a lot for *pants*).

The fight continues!

Jet fights alongside her super proud dad and does a bunch of damage but doesn’t quite get a killing blow which she blames on Theobold’s refusal to teach her one last episode. The brigands continue to strategically try and take out Amethar and Lapin judiciously uses his precious few heals to let him drop and then bring him back instead of blowing all his heals at once--stressful but effective. Also, Sir Theo comes in clutch and uses his shield--Swirldwarden--to, as a reaction, take one of the attacks that would have F’d him up.

Ruby shoots the leader of the cheese brigands--at this point everyone knows that these are cheese people disguised as meat people--and, spurred on by some new, hazy awareness from her near death experience, uses her once per day grasping arrow (an Arcane Archer ability) to hold the captain in place and make him take damage if he moves. Amethar goes back into a rage after having gone down, teaching us that when he does that, it hits enemies and allies alike. On the baddies’ turn, the captain tries to move and gets obliterated by Ruby’s arrow. This is super clutch, not just because he was going after Amethar, but he also gave +1d4 to all attacks to all of his guys of which there are/were many.

Amethar goes down again and, on his turn, Lapin heals him, and then wrecks some of the brigands with a very un-Bulbian blast of candy energy, though he continues to insist that it’s all above board. On her turn, Jet gives her half of the locket to her dad in case he drops again (not how it really works since it requires attunement but Brennan allows it this time since it’s her dad). One of the attackers tries to hit Jet but between her once-per-day shield with Flickorice and Theo imposing disadvantage, she’s unscathed.

Our Daily Bread

You’ll remember from last episode that the caravan was on their way to meet an Imperial escort. Well, they finally show up to help, led by a young Ceresian Centurion Commander (they confirm later it’s the guy they were supposed to have been meeting--Commander Constano Grissini--wonder if him showing up was like an “after x rounds of combat” story event or if it was based on something else). Ruby (very conspicuously) casts Fog Cloud around her dad to try and make it harder for anyone to hit and drop him again. Brennan makes her roll an Insight check and on a 12, tells her nothing which is the most maddening thing a DM can do to you.

With the extra help, they’re able to end the fight pretty quickly after that without any casualties (tiny violins for Brennan because, lbr, the house always eventually wins--it’s only a matter of time before he gets one of them). Theobold wanted to keep one enemy alive for questioning but the Tartguard didn’t quite get the memo and skewered the last guy. Lapin is very suspicious of Grissini but his 23 Insight check tells him this is a straight up guy who would have been ruined if anyone here had died. However, he also notices that Grissini won’t look Ruby in the eye. Calroy quietly comes up to Ruby and tells her that, while she did a good job this fight, things are about to get very complicated and she should be a loooot more careful with any future magic she does. She seems confused by her own abilities and mentions she saw her aunt Lazuli while she was passed out but Calroy shushes her before she says anything else incriminating. It seems we didn’t get the full picture of how frowned upon non-Bulbian magic is outside out Candia.

Lapin rolls to cover for Ruby with Grissini and says that her magic is Bulbian and Brennan rolls in the Box of Doom to see if he buys it. 10 or higher and he knows something’s up. We don’t get the result (though it *looked* like a 1) but he either buys it or plays along.

Theobald investigates the area (with help from his living sprinkle/dog Sprinkle who I haven’t mentioned before but gives him the help action in battle) but doesn’t find any info they didn't already have. However, he does notice that there aren’t any steeds around, which he interprets to mean they didn’t get there through outlaw means (ie: ride in on your horse, steal a bunch, ride out).

Calroy pulls aside Lapin and Theobald and says that even though they may have been able to convince Grissini, all of his men also saw Ruby doing forbidden magic and if word gets out it’ll be a problem. They need to make a plan and they need to be very careful about how they tell Amethar because if he finds out they “know how he’ll solve the problem.”

Ominous!

Things I’m Concerned About

So something I talked about while this episode was happening (and something that Brennan talked about during the talkback afterwards but in slightly different terms) is that the enemy NPC Battle effectiveness has, like, changed from “Saturday Morning Cartoon Minion” to “Art of War Scholar”. No one came into this like, “Let’s have an epic fight!” It was like, “We need to murder one specific guy as quickly as possible.” This isn’t a world where you can spend several rounds trying to jump on tables for cool points. This is a world where you need to be paying full attention even when it’s not your turn and everyone figured that out pretty quick. This is the most tense I’ve ever been during a d20 battle episode and this was only the first one! Amethar--the *Barbarian*--dropped THREE times. He ran out of rages which I didn’t even know was a thing! The fact that everyone made it out of the battle alive was really a miracle! Like, everyone was strategic and played well but if Ruby hadn’t won that Grasping Arrow roll off (Siobhan: I love gambling!), if Lapin hadn’t been perfectly placed in the initiative to feed Amethar heals right after he dropped, if just a couple of things had gone differently, they could have been so screwed.

Oh, and you know what else? Rezzes don’t exist in this world! Like, I think we all kinda figured but we got confirmation this week on Adventuring Party. It makes total sense. It is absolutely the correct choice for the setting. But, God, does it ratchet up every single round of combat. Every single decision. Every one of Lapin’s limited heals. Like, RIP Zac. What a season to play the party healer. Ally and Lou got off easy. (Note: The Spare the Dying cantrip does exist though at least, which isn’t a powerhouse spell but it’s not nothing).

I’m concerned about Jet’s flirting! First Thad now this hot Italian breadstick soldier guy? Like, usually I’d be like do you girl but, like, romantic entanglements are a quick way to get in a lot of trouble, up to and including death in a world like this! This is the “actions have consequences” season!

On the exact opposite end of the spectrum, Liam doesn’t seem to have any interest in romantic entanglements which doesn’t always go over well if you’re a royal. He’s not directly in line for anything important it seems since he had so many older brothers, so maybe he can skate by. But last episode, Caramelinda did seem to be pushing him a little bit in that direction--saying he could get out of exile earlier if he got hitched--and I feel like there’s a good chance this becomes a bigger issue for him.

If we have a false flag attack AND and an attempted assassination in episode TWO, what are we escalating to, huh? Where are we going that that’s where we’re STARTING?

I could have mentioned this last episode but I’m glad I waited until this episode because it underlines the point even better. I’m *very* concerned about the religious politics of Calorum. In the first episode we got kind of a sense that things were different in Candia versus the rest of the world but this ep it was less of a “sense” and more of a concrete fear that someone was about to start gossiping about having seen Goody Ruby with the devil. And we knew from last episode that Lapin is secretly in league with the Sugarplum Fairy but Brennan used the word heretic in the talkback which feels a *lot* more dire but...yeah, is accurate. Plus, one of the girls’ aunt is St. Citrina, clearly a respected figure in the Bulbian faith, so there’s obviously Lore to unlock there. Look, a lot of going on and none of it feels very chill. Lapin better keep nailing all of his deception checks.

And, to drill down a little deeper, I’m very concerned that Ruby--who has presumably been told that magic is banned in the rest of the world, decided to illegally cast a spell in front of a ton of people--including Imperials--while loudly shouting “ABRACADABRA!” Like, if her impulse control doesn’t improve, we are gonna have some *issues*.

You know what I’m concerned about? My continuing relationship with several different food groups if I have to keep hearing graphic descriptions of them fighting each other. I mean, BONES in the CHEESE? *Bones* in the *Cheese*? My forgetting to preheat the oven is the *only* reason I wasn’t eating pizza when I heard that line. And the worst part is, with another DM I’d be like, “They probably didn’t think of the implications.” But this is Brennan so I KNOW he thought of the implications and he was like, “I’M DOING IT ANYWAY.”

Also, while we’re on the implications, I was also concerned--as Theo/Murph was--about Lord Swirly’s (the ice cream Candian) loyalty considering he is dairy (like the cheese brigands) even though he is Candian. Like, there’s a *lot* of overlap in different food types and that feels like it could easily get messy.

If this fight is an indication, these fights aren’t gonna be balanced to be fair. They’re balanced to be tactically sound--as in, “What would their enemies do to them at this moment?” And, man, I am really dreading the inevitable moment they get hit when they’re down for the first time. Having to start a fight already down to one third of your HP and having already burned through most of your spell slots is so demoralizing but you know it’s gotta happen!

I share Zac’s concerns about their Imperial allies. When he said, “This is Games of Thrones. It doesn’t mean anything,” I felt that.

I was reminded of a scene in the trailer which shows what looks to be the PCs in a freezer and now I’m just full of questions like is a freezer a part of a fridge or its own thing? Is it Calorum or is that like the upper part of the map that cuts off? Is it a death-y no man’s land? What’s going on?

So the toughest prof I've ever had was my Constitutional Law professor my 1L year of Law School. She's probably the smartest person I've ever met and so supportive but also super scary. What you need to know about law school grades to understand this story is that they're fake so a B- is like a hard C, a C is like a D, and a D means your professor wants you to die. A professor has to fill out paperwork and justify giving you a D at my school. So we heard a rumor that this professor gave one of her students a D and we were like, "Oh man, even she wouldn't...would she?" So, one day--I think at some kind of event, we're all chilling and we're like, "Professor! Did you *really* give a student a D last year." And she turns to us, glint in her eye, and says, "Who said I only gave out one?" Chills. Absolute chills. Anyway, that is all to say, I'm very much feeling shades of that conversation right now. "Brennan, did you really kill a PC this season?" *Anime Glasses Flash* "Who said I only killed one?"

Lingering Questions

Theobald is an Eldritch Knight, not a Paladin. So he has some magic, but it wouldn’t be Bulbian (unless Brennan flavored it that way). Is he also doing arcane magic on the down low or is there some other mechanism for that? (Sidenote: Glad the cast made the gummi berry juice joke when Murph cast Jump on Amethar so I didn’t have to.) If he is, gotta say, hiding it *way* better than the others.

Curious about exactly what Liam’s favored enemy is. Cause he was getting the bonus for that during this fight but was it because they were bandits or cheese people or archers or what?

Another quick holdover from last episode: Sir Theo rolled a deception check last ep against Ruby's insight upon seeing the princesses training with their new weapons (Theo won with a 19 to her 17) and Brennan gave us no information so it’s like, what was their deal? Past relationship? Past magical relationship (see first point)? Just concerned Ruby is gonna do something stupid with a magic bow in the world where magic is banned?

Five Six More Things

OK, let’s get the most important thing out of the way...my Candysona would be a Mint Chocolate divine soul sorcerer librarian/researcher. I’m sure ALL of you were wondering.

I really wanna give it up for the crew this episode! The battle set was amazing and the music was so good! Especially Ruby’s quirky circus-y theme. Loved that! Oh and the overlay of all the magical items was very helpful. (Side note: It’s all on the wiki if you wanna see it--I’d link it but tumblr hates when I do that. EDIT: @cloudmancy actually wrote them all up here too so here’s the link).

There was no way Brennan could have known that Ruby was going to drop immediately when he initially planned the session but using that as kind of a vision quest moment to unlock her magic which she starts fully using after that point for the first time was a very clutch story choice for them.

Murph and Emily sitting next to each other this season is a *gift*.

I cannot imagine having the gall to play a level 1 magic rogue in a world where magic is illegal, people who can hit for more than my hit point total 100% want me dead, and rezzes don’t exist. What a choice.

If one twin dies...and they have to decide...what to do with the other half of that locket...Brennan…

Housekeeping

Brennan is doing an Answer Time here on tumblr! Get your questions in before the 25th!

Not strictly D20 related but Brennan is also DMing a D&D game with some actual play vets and their kids! Check it out here!

I can’t believe I failed my word count limit two episodes in on a battle episode that I only had 3 pages of notes for. Bold of me to assume I could tamp down on me. But, plus side, Brennan did say I was valid on stream last week, so I’m gonna say these two things cancel each other out and I am in the clear.

#dimension 20 #dimension 20 spoilers #a crown of candy #a crown of candy spoilers #the royal report

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fmdjaeinarchive · 4 years ago

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using this gif here because there’s no way that i’d actually use it during a jaein interaction unironically!! but now that the event is over, this is me coming by to say that all event threads will be dropped. however, if there’s one in particular that you’d like to continue, please don’t be afraid to tell me! i’m more than willing to continue them if you’d like. this also means this is my first plot call in forever because my girlies need people in their lives! feel free to like this post, and i’ll come to you most likely tomorrow since it’s getting late over here. below the cut, i’ll have some brief information on what my muses’ lives look like right now! it could be used for plotting purposes, but also it’s kind of an update for me <3

jaein

she’s currently very busy with lucid schedules as well as being a dj for a daily radio program so she’s just gonna have bags under her eyes that grow deeper and deeper!!!

though she doesn’t know it yet, she’s going to get word about gearing up for a solo comeback sometime during the first quarter of next year (this album is already claimed for a late march release), and so she’ll be even more miserable! yay!

but jaein’s marketable in a lot of ways, and dimensions wants to try to make her marketable music-wise since don’t make me laugh tanked

overall, she’s probably not super easy to meet up with since she literally has at least one schedule every single day, but she’ll try because she does need some time off with friends or people she cares about in order to stay,,, healthy for the lack of a better word

hyeju

don’t say no promotions ended not too long ago and even though it was only a week long, she really loved the song and the whole era!! so she’s Happier

of course, queendom also ended not too long ago and while the results are disappointing and rigged (she likes to believe so, sorry not sorry), it does reinforce the idea in her head that she likes to perform, and that she actually likes her job more than she used to think

she’s gearing for a lipstick comeback sometime this month, but she’s also preparing for a solo comeback at the same time! it’ll be the second part of what she’s getting told is a trilogy. like she didn’t know this information either until now but since i just wanna dance did pretty well, they decided she could use another mini album

that’s pretty much it! nothing special going on in her life, and she won’t have any extra jobs at the moment so really her life is gonna be her apartment or the bc entertainment building

she’ll be easier to hang with than jaein.... hyeju’s basically kim possible right now so “call me beep me if you wanna reach me i guess”

suji

the results of our songs isn’t out until like a week from now so FOR NOW she’s still in the middle of participating in that! she’s been having quite a nice time getting to challenge herself through the program though the fifth place ranking both rounds have been kind of worrying since it means she could get eliminated this next time around

she’s just been working on a shit ton of music for our songs and then doing last minute things for her album that’s dropping this month!! she’s really really happy about how this album turned out despite not being allowed to write the title track but since she participated in some way on every other track, she thinks this is the most ~suji sounding~

aka suji’s very happy!! nothing can really crush her right now!! not even an our songs elimination!! though ngl it’d crush me as her mun lmao

hospital playlist has finished airing and despite a lot of worry at the time of her casting, she gets an overly positive review when it comes to her acting!! but that’s mostly because she played a Really small role... anyway suji would like to hope she doesn’t get put back into acting tbh like the experience was nice but #notagain

she’s also been filming for busted which will start airing early next month!! i can’t believe i made her This busy, but suji’s a workaholic and a perfectionist to begin with so it’s not really a big bother to her. the drama filming was actually the most exhausting to her. all the other jobs are Fine

uhm,, yeah,,, she’s just busy,,, i guess that’s the best way to describe her life but still satisfied with her career at the moment!!!

yujin

funny enough, it turned november 3rd here right now as i was typing this post out which means the first episode of reply 1997 will air later on!! it’s her first lead role, and it’s quite different from her last role

the drama won’t hit popular status, but she’ll get very good reviews for the way she plays out sung shiwon!! people will know her as more than the seobang girl now Maybe!!!

reply 1997 is basically all she has going on right now but in the middle of reply 1997 airing, she’s gonna get an offer for her next drama, and that’s just gonna solidify the fact that gold star is adamant on turning her into this idol actress/model more than a member of element

which is kind of : ( for yujin because she loves loves loves to sing and perform on stage, but it doesn’t look like element’s getting a comeback anytime soon, and she’s just gonna have to keep acting

she’s not exactly sad, but she’s kind of disappointed yknow like she loves element with all her heart, and she constantly feels bad that she does better on her own than with the group

#fmdcall #( ✧ ・ﾟ ― ooc. )#[ if this post has bad grammar no it doesn't <3 ]#[ i'm half asleep rn ]

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aion-rsa · 4 years ago

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The Simpsons Season 32 Episode 22 Review: The Last Barfighter

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This The Simpsons review contains spoilers.

The Simpsons Season 32 Episode 22

The Simpsons Season 32, episode 22, “The Last Barfighter,” is a perfect mix. It’s got secret societies, booze, and a big, old, ugly head. Since time immemorial, this unholy trinity has come through for the series. The Stonecutters cemented the dank and seedy underground of Springfield into the minds of the series’ fans. The Olmec relic of Xtapolapocetl proved even Mr. Burns could be gracious. And, of course, alcohol is the cause of, and solution to, all of life’s problems.

“You’ll never believe what they laid on me tonight: Crappy marriages, crappy jobs,” Moe says as he sits on what we discover is his usual stool. Even bartenders need bartenders, and when Moe needs to unwind and throw back, he’s got a mixologist who’s got his back. Ian McShane’s Artemis is the bartender’s bartender, it is immediately apparent. Before Moe even pulls off his helmet and bellies up at the bar, we’d like him to pour us a drink.

Moe belongs to “something bigger than himself, and super weird,” another winning combination. He drinks at The Confidential, a secret club even speakeasy regulars couldn’t get in at the time. Members don’t have a special knock. There are no peep-holes. They need a special key. This is ancient. It is exclusive, historic, and they only serve the usual. They live by a sacred code, and this is the place where someone will “listen to the listeners.” It makes it sound so noble, you almost want to buy one of Moe’s pickled eggs.

But it’s a crystal skull which binds the story. Krusty cancels his show after his afternoon animal entertainment escapes in the studio, endangering dozens. This leaves the clown to drown his sorrows in tongue at the local deli, and Bart and Milhouse with useless tickets. They go into Pedro “Bumblebee Man” Chespirito’s Noches de Abejorro show, a Spanish-language almost-equivalent to Krusty’s show, and Bart keeps his cool long enough to win the coveted Calavera Gritando, or Screaming Skull.

The head is designed to look like a relic of the Day of the Dead, the 3,000-year-old Meso-American ritual honoring deceased loved ones. It is really a knockoff of George Clooney’s knockoff tequila Casamigos, which he “accidentally” founded. I always imagined while drunk on the tequila, which brings us to Carl. He’s an inventor, and a pretty good one, but he’s never filed a single patent. We are always getting fascinating tidbits about Carl and Lenny. Though it was even more revelatory to learn Barney got fired from the AutoZone for huffing floor mat cleaner.

Homer recognizes the skull immediately, at least enough to know it is filled with a tequila superior to all other mezcal. Homer has always wanted to drink something “fancy enough to come in a bottle that doesn’t look in a bottle.” But Bart won’t give it up, and Marge sides with her son. Bart says he’s going to “save it for high school,” which is encouragingly diabolical. He’s going to be just like his dad. You can almost hear “Cat’s in the Cradle,” it’s so touching. But it sets off a classic comedy duel. Bart taunts Homer relentlessly, antagonizing him with the forbidden elixir, even dedicating the song “Tequila” to his beloved father during morning drive-time radio. The punchline lands so hard, it sets off the airbags on Homer’s car. Even Lisa pretends not to know her father, that’s how effective it is.

Thus is the curse of the Screaming Skull. Soon, even the Calavera Gritando is tormenting Homer. Urging him with taunts he is “too weak to drink me.” Homer finally cracks, he “may not speak Spanish but I know when a talking skull is talking to me.” We know we’re going to see a Raiders of the Lost Ark parody long before it happens, but it is happily surprising to see how Homer replaces the weight of the skull.

The sequence at Moe’s bar is funny and moving. Moe-centered stories are usually among the best of the secondary character pieces in the series. He has such depth, Lisa once dubbed him a poet. He certainly is a tortured soul. Even the glasses he breaks out to drink from the skull are Iranian hostage commemoratives. When he comes to the other side of the bar and says “So this is sitting,” it condenses a lifetime of upright crouches. When we hear the barflies tell Moe “You’re not our bartender, you’re our friend,” we are touched. When we hear the skull declare “You fool, you’ve ruined a man’s life, and now begins his slow descent into hell,” we’re relieved. Because, from this moment, the entire episode builds a palpable sense of suspense.

We come back when Moe is remembering what happened 12 hours earlier. A time when he was just one of the drunks on the street, instead of putting them there. The sequence of the revelries includes amusing diversions like getting a group photo-booth picture with the skull, and a team teeth-whitening session, including one for the skull. But then things get ugly, and when things get ugly with Moe, that can go pug ugly, fugly, or pug fugly, which is where it goes tonight. He dishes so much dirt, even his crotch rag wants a raise, and it earns its pay tonight. Moe lets loose from the Lovejoys’ sexless marriage to Lenny’s wet spaghetti arms. And just who is the mayor of Greenfield? It’s funny because it’s true, but there’s nothing less funny than an honest drunk.

Moe makes a very astute observation. He is wasted. His bartending friends are drunks. The secret club sends an even more astute signal. Moe has to follow a rat named Kristoff to answer for his broken vows of silence. But the punishment of the society is worse than the curse of the skull. Not only is Moe cast out, but his regulars are cut off. And when a secret society of bartenders calls last round, it’s a serious matter. There’s cranium-splitting headaches, firehouse sweating, and hurricane vomiting involved, they don’t even show the last one, but the reaction shots and sounds are hilariously horrifying. If the bartender sticks you with a needle, you never touch alcohol again. Oktoberfest becomes sober fest.

The peril is real. There is true commitment to the premise and how frightening the prospect is. Springfield’s bartenders become a roving mob, whether from the League of Extra Horny Gentlemen or the Lesbian Rye Curious bar. Moe’s taverners are hunted like dinosaurs. Given the choice between a life without alcohol and one on the run, Carl and Lenny choose flight, a hazardous decision, with sobering consequences. Homer gets it from Dr. Hubbard, who bartended his way through medical school. It is all too horrible to witness. It’s enough to drive you to drink.

Even though it appears life without drink works out good for the quartet – Lenny gets ripped, Carl heads a body-hair-shaving mini-robot startup company, Barney holds the big arrow at the AutoZone, and Homer’s such a good dad even Maggie’s happy – it feels like something out of Invasion of the Body Snatchers. Moe is at his lowest, even for Moe, making omelets on demand in a well-lit, non-dank mall shop. He doesn’t even have a shotgun behind the oven. It’s such a sad spectacle, we’re rooting for a break on the wagon train.

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The episode ends on a cliffhanger, but we all know how it will turn out. Just like we know how even the water at Moe’s bar is watered down. “The Last Barfighter” is a fun, action-packed, and twisted installment. Secret societies, booze, a big old ugly head, and a Simson on the run. It’s a grand slam best watched on a wall at a dive bar. It leaves us with a subversively comic paradox. Will Homer upset the balance of the nature of Springfield if he doesn’t get re-boozed? It is a beautiful ambiguity, but this is last call for the season. If The Simpsons season 24 opens with Homer doing Smithers’ job or its equivalent, even for one segment, it will be more satisfying than learning Maggie shot Mr. Burns.

The post The Simpsons Season 32 Episode 22 Review: The Last Barfighter appeared first on Den of Geek.

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rebelminxy · 5 years ago

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Not So Blue Christmas

Pairing: Jensen Ackles x PlusSize!Reader

Word Count: 1952

Warning: Fluff and then SMUT!

Trope: Sexy Santa Dress

Rating: Mature Audience

A/N: Ok, ok, I had to at least get one smut for the trope @supernaturaltropecelebration Christmas Mini Bang. Images are not mine, they were found on Pinterest and Google, so credit goes to their original creator. I hope you enjoy!

A/N 2: I hope EVERYONE had an awesome Christmas and a Happy Holiday! That you got to spend time with those you love and enjoy the holidays. Now let’s get ready because 2020 is right around the corner!!!

My Masterlist

You stood back in the darkest corner of the hall while you watched the fans sing along with Richard and Rob as they sang Holly Jolly Christmas. It was a week before Christmas and the Supernatural cast was doing their last convention for the year. You were supposed to be out in Paris for a fashion show your new plus size clothing line was highlighting in, but you really miss your man after being away from him for the past four months because of work. You hadn’t told him about your arrival just in case you weren’t able to make it, but after the phone call with Gen. you knew you had to make it to the convention.

“Gen told me you were supposed to arrive tomorrow,” Jared’s voice interrupted your thoughts.

“I caught an earlier flight and came straight here once I landed,” you replied, smiling up at him.

“Well, good thing you arrived tonight. Jay was planning on leaving tomorrow to Paris right after our photo op. Took a lot to convince him to wait on buying a plane ticket.”

“What time will you guys be heading back to the hotel?”

“If it all ends on time, we should be back around eleven. Everyone wants to at least have a few drinks before we head back since a few cast members are leaving in the morning.”

“A few drinks?” you asked cautiously.

“I know Gen told you he was drinking a bit more than usual because of your time apart, but I promise I won’t let him go back drunk to the hotel room,” Jared responded with a chuckle as he pulled a card out of his jeans pocket, handing it to you. “He really misses you, ya know.”

“Yeah, same here. But seriously, don’t let him get drunk, I’ve got some news to share and I need him sober.”

“I’ve got ya, darling,” Jared winked at you, causing you to smile.

That’s when the crowd broke out in applause, causing you both to look up at the stage to see Jensen walking across it, waving at the crowd. You felt your heart warm at the sight of him. Compared to the constant Skype calls, they were nothing to seeing him in person. He sat on a stool next to Rob which had a mic in front.

“I need to go backstage, but have fun tonight and make sure he is at least ready for midday tomorrow. Good luck with the news.”

You smiled at Jared as he walked away towards the door he used to get to you. You turned to look back at the stage as Jensen spoke.

“Well, hey there everyone! Hope y’all enjoying tonight’s music.”

The crowd went wild with screams as he took the guitar Richard handed him.

“Since Christmas is right around the corner, we all thought it would be fun to just sing holiday songs. But I gotta admit, I’m not feeling so great this season.”

“WHAT’S WRONG JENSEN?” someone screamed out from the crowd.

“Well, as you all know, (Y/N) my girlfriend, is currently in Paris for a fashion show that is presenting her new clothing line,” he replied, which caused the crowd to go wild once again.

“I heard her plus size clothing line has been doing great and she is planning on doing a spring line inspired by the Supernatural family,” Rob added.

“That is true,” Jensen responded. “But because of our busy schedule, this will be the very first Christmas we won't celebrate together.”

The ‘awws’ resonated through the crowd. Jensen smiled weakly at everyone.

“So the only song I could think of singing tonight was Elvis Presley’s ‘Blue Christmas’ to convey my feelings. I hope y’all don’t mind singing along with me.”

The crowd went silent as Jensen and Rob began to play their guitars, the band joining them as they played the song. When Jensen began to sing, you could feel the same sadness you felt for the past months, being separated from him. Your friends made fun of how attached to the hip you and Jensen were, but you couldn’t help how much you loved the man, and how much he adored you. As the crowd sang along with him, you made your way out of the hall. You smiled to yourself as you held onto the card Jared gave you, knowing what you had planned would be perfect.

It was around ten-thirty at night when you heard Jared outside the suite.

“Dude, they promised to unlock the door in the morning.”

“Then how will I get dressed? What am I going to wear to sleep? All my belongings are in that room!”

“They made sure the suite would have an extra pair of pajamas for you and they will get your things out first thing in the morning. Let’s not have what happened in Montreal again.”

You could hear Jensen grunt on the other side as he unlocked the door. You quickly ran over to the living room of the suite and sat down on the gigantic couch that took up half the room. You heard the door shut and his heavy footsteps as he walked towards the living room area, which was in the direction of the bedroom. You smiled as you watched him freeze at the entrance, staring at you in disbelief.

“Hey there, babe. Miss me?” you said flirtatiously.

You sat there wearing a thigh-high velvet Santa dress you made two weeks ago, right after you made the decision for your flight back home. The dress showed off your deliciously thick thighs, and you wore black thigh high stockings and ankle-high black six-inch heel boots with gold buckles on the side. Your hair was curled and loose, and a Santa hat pinned to your head. Simple makeup to finish the entire look, but was underneath the outfit was the real surprise.

Without waiting another second, Jensen walked towards you, his eyes never leaving yours as he dropped down to his knees in front of you. As you looked at him, he grabbed your shoulders and pulled you close into a deep, passionate kiss. A kiss you had been craving for the last few months. His lips pressed against yours, so soft and plump. He kissed you with such force, the force of a man that missed his woman. His tongue begged for entrance, licking the slit of your lips, which you gave so willingly. Tongues clashed against each other as they danced for dominance, the dominance you always gave in to after you teased him a bit. His arms wrapped around you, pulling you closer to him. Your arms wrapped around his neck in turn, your fingers grasping his short hair. You moaned into his mouth, wanting more, but you knew you had to wait, at least until he was fed.

Sadly, you broke free from his kiss, hooded eyes looking at each other as you smiled at him, stroking the back of his neck.

“Missed you so much babe,” he groaned out, his hands gliding over your curvy hips to your round bottom.

“Same, babe, you don’t know how much I wanted to just leave everything behind to be with you.”

“But you’re here now,” he whispered back, his own smile breaking free. “How did you get away? I thought you had to be there for the show?”

“Left Angela in charge, and they don’t really need me there. It’s not like Paris will miss me,” you giggled. “Now, I ordered us some food that should still be warm so let's eat first, and then we can spend the rest of our time together.”

Jensen only nodded in response, his hand holding yours as you got up and guided him towards the dining table not far from the couch.

You were wrapped in Jensen’s arms, sitting on the couch after dinner. After having a long conversation playing catch up, you finally felt it was the right time to give him your news. But before you could speak a word, Jensen beat you to the punch.

“I wanted to ask you if you wanted to move in together?”

You stayed silent for a moment.

“Look, I know our jobs consist of us traveling constantly, but I was planning on buying a house in Austin, have a more permanent place out there. And I was wondering if you would like to move in your stuff so that when you aren’t traveling, you have a permanent home...with me.”

He began to ramble about how much he loved you and wanted to spend more time with you instead of being in separate homes in different states. Explained how Austin would be a perfect place to settle at and having a home together would be wonderful.

“You don’t have to answer right now. Figured you might be leaving back to Paris since you did say you had an…”

“I’m not going back to Paris, not anytime soon anyway,” you interrupted.

“What do you mean? When you left you said…”

“I know what I said, but traveling to Paris will make things a bit more difficult.”

You got up from his arms and stood before him, taking in a deep breath. Looking into his eyes, you began.

“The reason why I can’t go to Paris is that I am taking some time off. About a year off actually.”

“What’s wrong?” Jensen asked anxiously. “Is everything ok?”

“Everything is fine, babe. I just don’t know how you will take it,” you replied, taking a deep breath before continuing. “Remember the two weeks before I left? That trip to Miami?”

“Yeah, we decided to enjoy those weeks before we went back to work.”

“Well ...simply put it….” you began to stutter.

Jensen took hold of your hands in his and gave you his typical silly grin.

“I had forgotten to get a refill of my pill and didn’t take it during those days. I thought because my period was over that we would be safe and I would just get the refill in Paris!” you blurted out in one go.

Jensen’s eyes narrowed before growing wide, realizing what you were saying.

“I had a doctor monitor me out in Paris and since you were so excited with directing a few episodes, I wanted to wait until I was out the three-month danger zone to tell you. Plus, I know how dedicated you are to your career right now…”

“Wait so you knew this entire time and didn’t tell me?” Jensen said, his voice rising.

“I was scared, Jay. You know my history with miscarriages and I didn’t want to get my… our hopes up if this was another one,” you replied with a whine.

“Babe, even if it was, I would have been there with you every step of the way. Even from Vancouver, I would have wanted to be with you through it all.”

“I know, it was just my fear. I was afraid to have you see me break down.”

Jensen got up and pulled you into his arms, hugging you tightly.

“I love you so much, (Y/N). I get you were afraid, but remember, I love you no matter what.”

“I know, Jay,” you replied softly. “And that’s why I’m back in the states. I couldn’t wait any longer to tell you the good news and fought so hard with Gen about…”

“Wait, you told Gen but not me?”

“I told her about a week ago. Asking if she could help me through all this as someone who has two kids of her own.”

“Ok, that’s good,” he answered.

“Plus, she is the one looking for the best obstetrician in Austin…” you mumbled, hoping Jensen heard you.

“Wait, Austin?”

You looked up at him through your lashes, a tint of red dancing across your cheeks.

“I was hoping tonight that with this news you would be open to living together, but you beat me to the punch with that… AHHHHH!”

You screamed out as Jensen picked you up in his arms and began twirling around the room, his deep rumble of a laugh vibrating against you as you held on, laughing along with him from joy. Suddenly, he stopped and put you down, dropping to his knees as he touched your stomach.

“I’m sorry, are you both ok?” he asked with a worried tone.

“We are fine, babe. I just flew seven-plus hours in economy. I think a quick moment of joy will be ok.”

“Economy! Nope, our flight to Austin will be first class. You and the baby need space and comfort.”

“Our? I thought you were heading back to Vancouver after the con?”

“Nope, we are all off for the holidays and won’t be back to shooting till January. So, since you are here and staying, wait, you are staying right?”

“Silly bean!” you exclaimed in laughter. “I did say I was taking a year off.”

“Good, because I want you both safe and sound in our new home. The home we will search for once we get to Austin.”

You smiled down at him, feeling such warmth radiate through you as he carefully rubbed your belly. Thinking back on how you felt when you first saw that pregnancy test, you knew this was all worth it. You leaned down and kissed him on his forehead, hoping he felt the same joy you were feeling at this very moment. But that joy was then replaced by desire, the desire to show him how much you loved him.

You turned in his arms and asked for him to unzip your dress. He got up from the floor and slowly did so, his fingertips caressing your skin underneath the cloth inside. Once unzipped, you slid the velvet sleeves down, letting the dress pool down onto the floor. You heard Jensen gasped softly as you turned and faced him.

You wore a silk red see-through full body lingerie set. The piece showed off your curves, a red silk belt wrapped underneath your breasts into a bow. It had peacock patterns all over it and garter belts held up your black stockings. It was a set you saw in Paris and knew you had to buy for tonight’s meet up.

“Baby, are you sure we can…” Jensen began as his eyes grazed over every inch of your body.

“Positive, plus four months is too long, and I need you now.”

You pulled Jensen into you, kissing him desperately. Lips mashed against each other, tongues entangled in desire. You clutched onto his shirt as if grabbing on for dear life as you felt your body turn into jelly just from his hands gliding over your curves, his mouth dominating yours. You unbutton it, pushing it off his shoulders once he was free. Feeling his hot skin under your hands felt so good, like a craving finally being pleased. You knew you couldn’t wait to reach the bedroom, that place can wait for later. You needed him here and now, and by the way he pressed into you, the feel of his length against your stomach, you knew he felt the same.

You stumbled to guide him over to the couch, struggling to remove the rest of his clothes. He eventually helped you, finally stripping him down bare. You smirked as you saw how hard he was, pushing him to sit on the couch, his eyes never leaving you. You climbed onto his lap and began to rock your hips against his length. He threw his head back in pleasure as you put more pressure against him, his eyes closing as he began to lift his hips up to feel more. You grabbed the couch as you picked up the pace, enjoying how delicious it felt as his length rubbed against you, causing you to grow wetter between your legs.

You were so close to your high, but Jensen grabbed your hips and picked you up, causing you to wrap your legs around his waist. He kissed you roughly, nibbling your bottom lip as he guided you both to an open area of the living room space. He slowly got down to his knees, never letting you go. Once he kneeled, his hands grabbed the back of your lingerie and he ripped it open, letting your breasts bounce free as he reached for your front and ripped that down.

“That was silk,” you groaned out between the kisses.

“I’ll get you a new one,” he grunted back as he began to trail kisses down your jawline to the crook of your neck, his hands ripping the rest of the piece from you.

“Don’t care about it, only want you,” you huffed back, arching your back in pleasure as his kisses dropped down to the top of your breasts as the piece of silk finally slipped off your body.

He cupped each breast in his hands, juggling them as he licked and nibbled at the top of them. You dropped down with a grunt, splayed on the floor for his view, legs still wrapped around his waist. You could hear him say the word delicious before burying his face between your breasts, licking and nibbling his way to one nipple. He took that nipple into his mouth and bit down hard, causing you to scream out, your fingers digging into his hair. Switching from one nipple to the other, he gave both the same pleasurable treatment, causing them to stand perk at attention. Removing a hand from his head, you slid it between your bodies and grabbed hold of his swollen length, pumping him as best you could from the angle you were at. You grinned as you felt his body jerk at your touch, his moans growing louder as you moved your hand faster.

“I want you inside me,” you mewled into his ear, spreading your legs open.

Jensen lifted his hips, letting you guide him towards your entrance. You teased yourself with his tip, sliding it up and down against your soaking entrance. He then pushed through, slowly and taking his time, enjoying the missed feeling of your wet warmth around him. He groaned out a ‘fuck’ as he finally filled you up entirely, keeping still for a moment. You felt his body shake above you and you wrapped a leg around his waist again, whispering in his ear to move. And he complied, moving out of you to then push back in.

It was a slow start, just enjoying the feel of your bodies flush against each other, but control was soon lost as your groans grew louder, edging him on for more. His thrusts became faster, rough and with total need. You were so close, right on the edge, groaning out his name when he whispered in your ear.

“Come for me, (Y/N).”

His deep rumble pushed you over the edge, causing you to tighten around him as you screamed his name out. A few more thrusts from him and you felt as he came inside you, your name bouncing off his lips as his entire body went tense over you.

As you both fell from your respective highs, Jensen dropped his head into your shoulder, using his arms to not put his entire weight on you. You laid there, enjoying the only sound of your heavy breathing. After a minute, Jensen pulled out his already softening length from inside you and fell beside you. You moved over to lay against him, his arm coming around you to pull you close.

“Best Christmas gift ever,” Jensen finally said with a chuckle.

“It’s not even Christmas yet,” you replied softly. “I have a gift for you though.”

“I will take tonight and the baby as an early Christmas gift.”

You both laughed at his response, his fingertips grazing over the slightly raised skin from the possible carpet burn on your back.

“Seriously though, this is the best gift anyone could give me, and I am so happy it's with you that I finally start a family with, (Y/N).”

“Love you too, Jay. Happy super early Christmas, babe.”

#supernatural #supernatural fanfiction #supernatural fic #Supernatural RPF #rpf fanfic #Jensen Ackles #jensen x reader #jensen ackles x reader #jensen x you #jensen ackles x you #christmas fanfic #christmasmini #christmas #merry christmas #supernatural trope celebration

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venus-says · 5 years ago

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Kamen Rider W Episodes 01-18

I like my detectives how I like my eggs, hard-boiled.

(GOSH THAT WAS AN HORRIBLE PUN, I'M SORRY)

If you saw my Kamen Rider Zero-One post you may recall that I've mentioned I had intentions of watching he older seasons of Kamen Rider, and well it happened faster than I thought and here we are.

When I decided to begin by W all I had in mind was that I wanted to start from the earliest era since in my mind this would be the closest o Zero-One's style thus it would be easier for me, in many places I saw they listing the Heisei era seasons divided into two parts so to my logic this would be the season to start.

What I didn't expect was... THAT I'D CHOOSE THE SEASON THAT WAS PRACTICALLY MADE FOR ME. As you can already guess, I LOVED WATCHING THIS. At first, it was confusing as hell, then when I see there's this cool looking dude parking his cool ass bike wearing a cool ass hat, and then when I know this guy is a detective obsessed with detective fiction AND I WAS SOLD! And the more I watch the more I fell in love with it.

But I'm getting ahead of myself, allow me to recollect and give a general overview.

This show has a very simple plot but they shine in this simplicity. Because there weren't any huge ambitions so far it made me feel very close to this world, yes they have monsters who use USB devices on their bodies and there's a dude with google on his brain, but when you put this fantastic element aside they did a good job on making me feel like that city and its people are real. What I really like about this whole thing is the structure of the show where all stories are two-parters, I think it's a good way to fill 49 episodes while keeping a good pace without having to pad things with filler to fulfill a quota. I may have watched 18 episodes but to me it felt like I just watched 9 episodes of a 45 minutes show on Netflix and if I didn't have to write this post I'd definitely had continued watching until a passed out because I didn't feel time passing. Another thing this show has going for is the music, from the opening to insert songs passing through BGM there are a lot of nice tunes and straight out bops in there, I really need to check their soundtrack sometime.

The characters have been very hit or miss to me so far. I really really like Shotaro, to me he's the perfect main character for shows like this because he has all elements we expect from a Red Ranger/Pink Cure but he's not only that, we see his passion but we also see his worries, more often than not he comes as the voice of reason of certain situations, and it's not a thing that happens only in certain episodes to try to pull an emotional moment or to be used as a comic relief, this is present, on a form or another, in all episodes and love it. Phillip in the other hand I have a really hard time with him, his quirk of being SO OBSESSED with things can be seen as cute in some moments but absolutely despiteful in others. Akiko is another part of the cast I dislike, I don't know if she was written to be utterly annoying, or if it's the performance of the actress that is way too much, but I couldn't sympathize with her in any moment.

This show also has great side characters, I don't remember their names but I think I love all of them! The cop duo is great, the informant is hilarious, I don't get Santa's existence on this but he's lots of fun, the ramen dude is kinda charismatic, and they have WTomo as recurring characters which I completely forgot was a thing! The villains are also quite interesting, I don't really like most of the designs of their Dopant forms (Taboo is the only one I like), but to me they have a very interesting dynamic and while their goal so far doesn't seem like anything spectacular, I really enjoy when the show takes its time to give us many looks in this family and gives us the opportunity to see their machinations in detail.

Thinking about the rider, W has a very simple design but it's not a detriment it works very well both aesthetically and as a gimmick, that I really like btw even though I get very uncomfortable when they use finishers where they get split in two. I like even more that Phillip and Shotaro don't need to be at the same place to be able to transform (you should take notes precure). They also have some really nice gadgets, I love the camera bat and the motorcycle for example, and this mix and match of forms gives some very creative combinations and attacks. I still think the belt is a bit too much, but it doesn't bother me like how the Zero-One's does.

This post is already pretty long but I'm talking about 18 episodes, I feel like I need to go through some stories in more detail.

I really like the second story (Episodes 3 and 4), and a huge part of that was how interesting the powers of the Dopant were. At first, I thought we had way too many scenes of Saeko and Kirihiko's wedding but after watching more episodes and seeing how this relationship developed(?) I think we needed to have that.

The story of the girl who lost her father (5 & 6) was a very good surprise to me, the show was very chill so far and then they drop this emotional bomb and OOF. It was amazing, the whole setting was quite interesting, the little girl was very strong and I really felt for her, I hated her mom at sometimes but in others I could understand her, and Shotaro's intern turmoil if he should tell the girl the truth or not was also incredible. I'm still puzzled about how Phillip knew about their special greeting though.

Episodes 7 and 8 were without a doubt my least favorites and the only episodes I straight out hated. To start the "victim" of the week was just the worst dude ever who in the moment their friend decided to go try something else he felt like if it was okay to put her name in to be killed. In whatever way you put it, this isn't cool. and to make things worst THIS SHOW REDEEMS THIS DUDE LIKE IF WHAT HE DID WASN'T EXTREMELY ABUSIVE AND ABSOLUTELY WRONG. Another thing this episode did was make me hate Phillip who was so fucking obsessed with this stupid dance move and showed completely disregard to not only his mission but also the girl in this episode to the point where THEY LOST FOUR MEMORY DRIVERS TO THE VILLAIN BECAUSE HE JUST COULDN'T LET GO OF THIS THING THAT I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHY HE WAS RESEARCHING IN THE FIRST PLACE. UGH I hate this story so much.

The story of Episodes 11 and 12 was pretty interesting as well, the way the Virus Dopant worked in here was very clever, and also the thing that started this whole mini-arc was a very interesting topic I wish they had dowelled more on traffic accidents and such instead of going "girl got me because she was being cheated" thing.

Wakana's arc from episodes 13 and 14 was amazing, probably my favorite episodes so far. I thought it was going to be something to comment on the obsessiveness of idol fans, and secretly I wish that was the case rather than a dumb rivalry between two women, but I can't deny that what we got was indeed pretty good. One thing I really enjoyed from this episode was seeing past "victims" return, it shows that this world is alive and that the past episodes weren't just isolated events. It was also very good to see the seed of Wakana's redemption being planted, and the revelation that Phillip is her brother came in a very good way too. Very well rounded episode.

Sadly this can't be said about the next two arcs, they had a major pacing problem for me. I think what both of these arcs needed was more of a connection between the two, especially for Kirihiko's defeat/redemption.

Episodes 15 and 16 are fine, it was the typical "villain takes on the hero's identity to crush their popularity" but that had elevated stakes, but I feel like Phillip and Fang needed to be worked more and maybe if they had left a few things out of both episodes they could've built more into this. And you can kinda say the same about 17 & 18, they tried to do so much in just these two episodes that the major event of one of the lieutenants being defeated felt very rushed. I think they could've left this plot of kids with Gaia Memories and a single Memory being used by multiple people be an arc solely for this problem so they could go really in dept with such an interesting conflict, and let this be a more proper send-off to one of the big bad guys.

Despite said problems, I still enjoyed the shit out of W and I'll definitely try to sneak in a couple of episodes more before going to bed today. This was my first time covering so many episodes at once and I hope it wasn't a dreadful experience to any of you who sit through almost 1700 words of me rambling trying to sound smart. XD You can expect my review of Zero-One's episode 10 either tomorrow or Tuesday and if nothing goes wrong I'll be back next Saturday with another 16 episodes of W to talk about. See ya folks~.

#Kamen Rider W #kamen rider

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five-wow · 6 years ago

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9.20 thoughts! this got very long, just as an fyi.

not even a minute in and some guys sold a teenage girl a gun. oh boy.

on the plus side: i remember which episode this is now! it’s the one with the gun that somehow has a connection to lots of five-0 members’ lives!

the banter between those two cops was really fun (and not as stilted as it sometimes is when a random Cop Or Security Duo shows up!) and then one of them got shot and something like that kind of HAD to happen but i’m still sad

OKAY so the first connection is that junior is friends with one of the guys who sold the gun and the guy shows up at HQ and i was like, oh no, but then he tells junior what he did!!! that’s so good!!! i’m weirdly proud of this very minor side character who did a very bad thing

DANNY. THERE’S DANNY. i technically knew he had to be in this episode somewhere because i’ve seen photographical evidence of it here on tumblr, but THERE HE IS. YAY. i mean, i love almost all of the main cast, but i think part of the reason why it took me a month to watch the previous episode was because danny wasn’t in it. it still just doesn’t feel right. it’s like there’s something missing. and here that something is!

junior and his buddy leave and steve and danny are alone in the office and steve said something case-related directly to danny and i’m weirdly excited about that, too!! my bars are literally so low.

BABY STEVE. baby steve is watching inspector gadget, oh my gosh, aw.

i love how doris is supposed to be there and she picks up the phone and tells mini steve to turn down the tv, but we never see any part of her except a hand and some hair because they didn’t hire the actress for this episode. so subtle.

i am... so conflicted about this scene. on the one hand, mini steve is super cute. on the other, we’re probably supposed to like young john here and think he’s a Good Dad but i just... kind of low key hate everything he does. he looks annoyed when doris tells him the call is for him, like she’s bugging him somehow after being the one who picked up the phone in the first place, and the whole “i have to go to work. take care of your mom while i’m gone, okay?” that he says to steve is so bad, omfg. steve is what, five? i know the “man of the house” thing is very common in media but it’s! so! stupid! doris is a grown woman and steve is a tiny little boy - doris has to (and can!) take care of steve, not the other way around, god. /rant

oh! we do get a full body shot of doris but it’s blurry doris! and she’s SUPER PREGNANT which makes the fact that john let her get up to answer the phone in the first place kind of bad too, actually, oh boy.

doris: “john, if something was wrong you’d tell me, right?” john: “i’m not gonna lie to you, i don’t know. just lock the door behind me, i’ll try to call you as soon as i get this straightened out.” OMG WHAT. okay a) this is hilarious knowing as we do that doris was actually a highly trained cia agent/assassin and probably way more skilled than john and outranks him by far, fjdkfd, and b) i’ll give john a little credit for being somewhat honest and not just going with “no, everything’s totally fine, don’t worry”, but the answer he does give is almost worse because it’s so incredibly vague, holy shit. he says “i’m not gonna lie to you” and he doesn’t, but he also doesn’t tell doris who called or what they said or why he’s suddenly leaving for work in the middle of the night or why he thinks she needs to lock the door.

i’m only six minutes in at this point. i’m talking too much oh gosh

WAIT WAIT WAIT. john is offering himself up as a hostage, alone and unarmed and without backup, and THAT’s the “oh, i don’t know if there’s something wrong honey” situation he was leaving for? john. the fuck. now the “i’m not gonna lie” was definitely a lie after all.

the guy with the gun: “you’re such a good boy, john.” i respectfully disagree, my man.

the guy with the gun apparently killed his business partner and john arrested him (of course) and he and john have a talk about it where the guy is like “i shouldn’t have gone to prison!” and john is like “you got off lightly!” and it’s okay but. john is so smug about it and i hate that. he’s probably supposed to look bad ass and cool but i just. i just really dislike it. it’s this macho man thing and i’m not into it at all.

guy with gun, talking about his son: “you made sure he grew up without a father.” this, um, kind of made me laugh, because apparently that’s one of john’s specialties - for this guy’s kid by sending him (probably deservedly) to prison, sure, but later also his own kids by sending them away, fdjfkd. wow.

ooohhhh the gun guy said “steve, right?” and the frame kind of flipped to present day steve and that was very cool! i loved that.

2010 danny! and he’s talking to grace on the phone!!! already love it.

i also love that they gave him a baseball cap, presumably to hide the kind of obvious difference in hair that nine years brought.

danny kind of snubs the local food and it’s very 2010!him, but oh danny. it’s not the poor shop owner’s fault that your ex dragged you there against your will.

oh BOY. the shop gets robbed and the owner shot (which was expected, of course, when a main character wanders in there at night), and then danny asks the random woman shopping there to keep pressure on the owner’s wound until the ambulance gets there (which... he hasn’t called, and he also hasn’t told her to call for one, so that, uh, might take a long, long while) and then he takes the shop owner’s shotgun and RUNS AFTER THE SHOOTER. which is very heroic of him but also makes every single complaint he has in season 1 about steve’s daredevil approach to law enforcement VERY IRONIC.

oh, danny loses the guy and NOW he calls it in, fjdkfkd.

jerry is doing some smart tracking thing on the computer and it’s pretty regular h50 stuff but there’s an email adress on the screen that’s literally “gunlover[bunch of numbers]” and i’m screaming oh gosh

they already found the girl! but her dad is understandably not that jazzed about letting his daughter be investigated for murder. but good job on tracking her down so quickly!

2015 tani at a party!!! aww.

ohhh gosh koa is target shooting with the gun, which probably means he’s going to end up getting framed for something, oh no.

oh boy, tani has the same concerns so she confronts her boyfriend about it but she also knows her boyfriend’s in a gang and then the police comes knocking at his door about a murder, so that’s not going to end well.

ooh, 2015 tani was a police informant! and she’s talking to a pretty cool female detective and i appreciate that, even though you’d have to squint to count this scene as passing the bechdell test because almost every sentence references tani’s boyfriend, the boyfriend’s gang or tani’s brother.

steve and danny are interrogating a suspect together!! i might be completely wrong, but i feel like we haven’t seen that in a while.

suspect: “i don’t know if either of you guys are married, but even if it goes south, you can’t shut down some of those feelings, you know? like the ones that go right down into the core.” HMMM. INTERESTING. the camera is literally on danny’s face for a good portion of this, gosh.

they close their main case and i thought for a moment there was going to be some big twist because the episode isn’t near over yet, but instead they realize that this gun was used for a whole bunch of other crimes. it’s a “community gun”! i love that term, wow. how nice and cooperative of them all, sharing this one piece between them.

danny recognizes his case from the ones on the screen!!! and he tells the rest of them that he went to get a bite to eat on his first night in hawaii and that the store was robbed, and i’m kind of glad that at least the team seems to recognize that this is extraordinarily bad luck, ha.

also, steve barely reacts to danny’s story, so i’m taking that to mean that he definitely already knows it. which would make total sense! this seems like the kind of thing danny would rant about at some point during one of his “why i hate hawaii” tirades in season 1, but still, i like that. they know each other.

fjdkfjdk i LOVE how the whole team is standing there and piecing together the fact that they have connections to a ridiculous number of the crimes committed with this one gun, and jerry keeps commenting about how freaky it all is. this is so much fun, awww.

young john gets shot but of course he was wearing a vest, because he can’t die yet, because he needs to save that for a moment much later when he’s scarred his kids more and when he can die horribly on the phone with his son.

OKAY BUT “d. lukela”!!!! i’ve been watching the john bits very sceptically at this point but THIS I DID NOT SEE COMING and i ADORE IT.

john: “listen, duke, i’m not gonna lie to you man...” WHY do you keep saying that john, omfg. at least this time you’re telling the truth about not lying, i suppose. 50% not lying about not lying isn’t much, but it’s a start.

steve!! remembers!! that night!! and it’s because he was six and really scared because he knew something was wrong oh nooo

danny and tani talking in the car is super nice!!! and danny gets to drive the camaro for once which, wow, that’s pretty shocking

ahhhhh, the only thing this danny+car scene was missing was steve and then he CALLS. very good.

i just. listen. i just love danny. the way he keeps butting into the tense conversation between tani and this guy she used to know who she put in prison? it’s both hilarious and secretly very kind, because it’s making the moment so much more bearable for tani.

danny and tani find the guy from the convenience store robbery and he just turns around and puts his hands on his back to be cuffed when they ask him to! he doesn’t pull out a gun from somewhere or even try to run away! holy shit!

duke and steve are in california rounding off steve’s dad’s case and of course they get shot at before even knocking on the door and then the suspect runs for it, too. maybe it’s just steve. maybe their work would be a lot easier if steve’s presence didn’t magically make all the suspects shoot and run.

and the gun gets put away in a box in evidence storage, closing the case(s). aww. that’s a nice end.

okay, so, as much as i complain about john mcgarrett, i did really enjoy this episode very much! it was a really fun idea to have this gun travel around the island and use it to show little parts of characters’ backstories and i liked the execution of it too, plus the pacing was good and it had some funny moments and it had (very importantly) danny in it. and tani’s background!!! i think that was the one that surprised me most, because danny being a good cop with bad luck and steve having a not-so-great dad are a bit of a given at this point (though i still enjoyed seeing that, too!), but we knew precious little about tani’s life before five-0, and apparently there’s a huge story there. knowing what this episode showed us, i kind of want her to have a conversation with kamekona at some point - they both had a youth where they (almost) went the wrong direction, and they both got out of that in part for the sake of their brothers, and then they both ended up in the five-ohana somehow, which is probably not a place they ever saw themselves. i don’t know, i just love the idea of this unexpected friendship/understanding between two characters who don’t seem to have a lot in common at first glance.

also, more general comment: the funny thing is, until i watched this episode i hadn’t realized how much i missed this silly show and its silly characters over the past month. i totally did that not-watching-it thing to myself (not even intentionally, but still) and clearly it was more of a mistake than i realized because oh my god it felt good to see them all on my screen again, gosh. :D

#9.20 #h50 #this!! this is the kind of thing i want more of #*

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