#SOOOOOO much fun. i love two light sources. two light sources save me

[lelelego]

irresistible force meets a somewhat moveable object

[commission for @ssealdog]

commission me!

[yehet-me-up]

Into The Ancient Woods - Four

Pairing: fae!Jongin x lady knight!reader

Genre: Fantasy AU

Rating: PG13 - mentions of blood, gore, etc.

Word Count: 2,149

Moodboard (that I’m OBSESSED with) @gingersaysjump​ 

Summary: When your sister is stolen by the Fae King you set out on a quest to save her. But when you arrive in the Kingdom of the Fae, all is not as you thought, and in no time killing the king becomes the furthest thing from your mind.

A/N: I wanted soooooo badly to combine these drabbles into a oneshot but after a few weeks I realized that it’s either going to be a few fun drabbles or... basically a full book’s worth of a plot and there’s no happy middle. 😅So I picked out my favorite bits from the rest of what I wrote and here they are! 😄

One | Two | Three | Four

Too much has been sacrificed to turn back now.

A king needs his queen. The kingdom needs love and blood to begin again. New life to wipe the stains of death away from its’ surface like steam from a mirror. And to do that he needs you. No one else. He’s tried. 

Other fae women. Their drops of blood did nothing. 

Other mortal women. Their spilled blood had only appeased the curse for a short while. 

No, he thinks as he gently sets you on the plush bed, watching the light cascade over your face. No, it must be you. You’re his final hope. The one with the hair the color of fire and the spirit to match.

~~~~~~~

The cell is an opulent one, but it is a cage nonetheless. Now that he has you, he isn't willing to take any chances. The bed may be lavish and covered in blankets - red and gold brocade, warm against the chill that lingers everywhere in his kingdom. 

He wonders if you’ll scream at him again when you wake and he smiles at the thought. It’s been far too long since life flowed in this village and he craves the intensity.

His healer already attended to you, removing any damage his sharp and efficient magic did. Exhaustion is the only thing keeping you from consciousness now. He stifles his impatience and paces in front of your cell.

He has questions - hundreds of them, as he observes the gentle rise and fall of your chest. 

Who put the flowers in your hair - were they done with your own hand or by someone else’s? A lover, perhaps? 

How did you come upon the sword you carry? The mortal kings have long been dismissive of the women in their kingdom. Did you steal it?

Jongin longs to pry open your mind and heart and have a look to see just what kind of woman fate brought him. Decades and centuries of waiting for the prophesied one. Endless years of suffering, now brought to an end. If she accepts me. And this.

~~~~~~

It's midday when someone comes for you again. Unfortunately, it's the King himself. Handsome and devastating and evil.

Though you now know it would solve none of your problems, you still long for your sword to be able to drive it through his heart. If just for the satisfaction of having bested him.

'Would you like to go for a walk, kultaseni?'

You make a noise somewhere between a scream and a whine of confusion. 'Surely you are joking.'

He leans an arrogant shoulder against the frame of the door and smiles at you. 'I am not. You have seen your sister, alive and unharmed. I would like to speak with you and would prefer to do so without bars between us.'

'You're the one who put me here,' you counter. You grip the metal so tightly it bites into your palms.

His expression turns mournful, brows drawn together and his plump, red lips pouting. Irrationally you want to sink into the bottom one with your teeth and pull. Just to taste him. Just to hear him moan and know it was you who caused it. But then the light shifts and his expression is reserved and taunting once more and you swallow the thought.

'Fine. But if you try and harm me, I'll gouge your eyes out with my thumbs.'

He raises a brow and smiles at you, pleased by your comment. 'I'd expect nothing less.'

The castle and the village, in daytime, are disconcertingly similar to your own.

Children play in the town square, their laughter echoing off the cobblestones. Women and men walk to and fro down a path off the center square, carrying baskets of fruit and grain from the harvest. Soldiers stand guard at the palace gates. No wonder they were so cavalier, you think, their threat comes from within. Not from the world outside.

Jongin leads you towards the mountains that rise towards the south. The villagers nod as you pass, watching you with awe. You wonder if everyone has heard the tale. You can almost hear their silent pleas, asking you to be your savior. Would you not do the same, in their place?

Thankfully the path disappears into the trees and you and Jongin are alone once more. Here, he's quiet and contemplative, hands drawn behind his back. You've never seen a man more beautiful. Or more dangerous. His moods change faster than lightning and you do your best to keep up.

He runs a ringed finger along the branch of a thick tree. Its bark is twisted and old, fighting death as the tree reaches towards the sun. 'The forest was so beautiful, in my youth.'

Curiosity gets the better of you. 'How did it come to be cursed?'

~~~~~~~~~

The light through the branches falls on his face and suddenly you can imagine the boy he was in his youth. His amber eyes are shrewd and playful. You wonder what it was like when his smile was easy and unburdened, when he gave of himself willingly and joyfully. 

When his choices didn't carry the fate of an entire Kingdom behind them.

You feel your heart soften a fraction and pull back, afraid of being drawn in by him. Even if you understand the source of his actions, even if the women aren’t hurt - there’s still blood on his hands that will never come clean.

‘If you wanted me… if I’m the prophesied queen, why did you take my sister? Why not come for me directly?’

He pauses, a slight blush coming to his cheeks in the golden light. ‘Is it so wrong that I would want my future queen to be able to say goodbye to her family in some way? To the human world?’

‘So you’ll really let her go back? You meant it?’

He folds his hands behind his back, contemplating. 'I'm entirely honest. If you hold up your end of the bargain, I'll hold up mine.'

You watch him, through the trees he looks almost human. His skin is ice white, with none of the bright warmth you'd associate with living. But his features relax in nature, away from the harsh lines of the castle. He’s been just as much a prisoner of the curse as the village, as the woods. 

For long moments you both get lost in your thoughts. He pulls a flower from one of the trees and holds it between his fingers. You can only imagine what must occupy the mind of a king of an immortal land. If you make this choice, you will become like him. Trapped forever in this land, trapped forever in this body. Until you choose to die.

'Will it hurt?' you ask quietly.

He looks at you suddenly. 'Are you agreeing?'

His eyes are wide with hope and you imagine him much younger. Being forced to make a deadly choice to save his people. Wouldn't you do the same, in his place?

'Yes.' Your promise is a whisper. 'Yes,' you repeat, stronger, finding your conviction and surrender like air beneath your wings. 'I'll do it.'

Jongin catches you off guard by wrapping you in his arms. In two steps his scent and his body envelops you. His delight is a palpable thing between you, seeping into the marrow of your bones. He pulls back and watches you fiercely.

'I will owe you for this,' he says gently, breath cascading across your lips. 'Forever.'

Even if you didn't know that magic lived in him, you'd be transfixed. His eyes are dark brown, cut through with amber in the bright sunlight. You remind yourself of the terrible things he's done and on instinct you step back.

'You didn't answer my question.'

His hands hang in midair for a moment, as though he were imagining you still in his arms. 'Yes, it will.' His hands fall to his sides and he looks sad. 'I'm sorry for that. Being remade is not an easy feat, from my understanding.'

You steel yourself. 'I've said many times in my life I'd be willing to fight, and die, for those I love. And if this will forever keep them safe, I'll do it.'

Jongin nods. 'You cannot know what it will mean for my people. Centuries of pain ceasing, like blood clotting in a wound.'

No words come, the thought of a lifetime away from your family sits heavily in your mind. But wounds still leave marks, even after they heal. Never seeing your mother and father again. Never being human again. 

Some wounds never heal. But for this, you'll sacrifice everything. And perhaps, in time, come to find other reasons to live. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~

The stone dais in the square is empty. Distant noises of battle - swords clashing, men and women fighting for their lives - pound in your ears as you race to complete the ritual before it’s too late. Before all is truly lost forever

Jongin hesitates for a moment before stepping up behind you. He could have remained opposite you, closeness wasn't a necessity to slice your arm. But despite it all, you're glad he's there. The fact that he lives and breathes and feels comforts you. You hope you're still yourself after this night is done.

'Ready?' he asks, softer than you'd imagine.

With his chest to your back like a shield you slide up the sleeve of your overdress, exposing your skin. Fear clogs your throat and you struggle for breath. Fear of pain. Fear of loss. Fear of failure.

You grit your teeth and will yourself to be strong. 'Ready.'

His broad hand wraps around your wrist, holding it out over the circular opening of stone. The bottom is stained with age, with the imprint of hundreds of years of dead leaves. The sun has bleached the rim. With morbid fascination you hold still as he draws the blade against your skin.

The cut is deep, well-placed. You wince at the searing pain and bite down hard on your cheek, but still you don't look away. His face presses against yours and you realize abruptly how close he is. Jongin sets the knife down on the rim and wraps his free hand around your waist, keeping you steady. Held close against him, as if you were lovers.

The blood pools in the base, in drops, thick and red. You should have asked him what the transformation entails. Too late you realize you were so caught up in the loss of your human life, you'd asked nothing about your journey into the immortality.

Moonlight shines, clear and bright, as the clouds above you clear. Like a beacon it settles on the steady drops of blood that fall from the open wound. It's slowing, turning from a steady flow to a trickle. Just when you think he'll take up the knife and reopen the wound, the stone beneath you trembles. A great rumbling starts beneath your feet and you cling to his arm with your right hand. Ready for whatever hell is unleashing upon you tonight.

'Hold steady,' he says.

You nod and press your lips together to avoid screaming. In the silver light the blood in the base shines. It morphs from red to orange to a near white color in seconds. The structure around you drops a fraction before stilling. Your breath comes out in pants and you keep firm as the shimmering moves up the drops of blood, flowing upwards and back into your body.

When it reaches your skin, you feel like you've been stabbed all over. It's like the time you got too close to the fire as a child, when the flames licked along your skin and burned. You can't help the sound of surprise and agony that leaves you as the ancient magic undoes your humanity.

Jongin catches you as you fall, turning you in his arms and easing you down onto the stone. His hand beneath your head cushions you as your body writhes and jerks as though it were trying to evaporate like smoke. He seems to glow himself as he watches you with a look both fearful and intense with hope.

He squeezes your hand and you look down, realizing he's clasped his hand around yours. The world fades at the corners of your vision. The branches of the trees appear menacing in the darkness. The great turrets of the castle disappear as the clouds move over the moon once more. A great bolt of lightning cleaves the sky, striking the dais.

Your head lolls to the side and you watch the stone crack in half. Thunder echos around you so loudly you gasp. As you lose consciousness you hold Jongin's focus, praying that it worked. That his kingdom will be restored. That your people will be free. That he will once again be whole and uncursed.

[lydmstilinski]

i was tagged by my angel Nessa @nessa007 thank you, love!! 💖

pick 5 shows, then answer the following questions, don’t cheat. tag however many people.

1. the 100

2. the handmaid’s tale

3. superstore

4. one tree hill

5. timeless

1. who is your favorite character in 2? nick blaine.... he may be missing in action right now, but he’s always my number one. i skipped most of this season because he wasn’t around lmao. he brings heart, humor, and light to a show that so desperately needs it.

2. who is your least favorite character in 1? um......anyone who isn’t bellamy blake??? i kinda can’t stand half of the characters most of the time, but probably most especially ech*. the writers can half ass all the backstory and ~growth~ they want but i remember all the shit she’s done. and i haven’t forgiven.

3. what is your favorite episode of 4? 4x09 is GODTIER television. everything about this episode is iconic from the leyton content to the naley content to the state championship. i watch the ep at least twice a week.

4. what is your favorite season of 5? season 1 for sure. genuine development of the team, minimal g**** content, most of my favorite periods of history, plus the adorableness of lyatt slowly falling for each other.

5. who is your favorite couple in 3? amy and jonah naturally. they are the cutest best friends who fell in love while bringing out the best in each other but also challenging each other....not to mention the playful banter!!!

6. who is your favorite couple in 2? nick and june, my perfect angels!!!!! he gives her a source of comfort and autonomy when she has none, and she gives him hope and strength to try and fight for a better life. they give each other light and love when their world (and the shitty writing!) tries to take it from them.

7. what is your favorite episode of 1? i feel like i should say day trip because... well it’s day trip. but i actually dig 4x03 the most. the ‘if i’m on that list, you’re on that list’ is my favorite bellarke moment of ALL, not to mention jaha seeing riiiiight through bell’s love for clarke.

8. what is your favorite episode of 5? 1x09 of course!!! lucy and wyatt fake engaged?? their first kiss??? bed sharing??? pet names????? PEAK content

9. what is your favorite season of 2? season 1 without a doubt. it stayed beautifully true to the book but also developed june and nick’s relationship even further and deeper. plus there wasn’t nearly as much waterford nonsense shoved down our throats.....

10. how long have you watched 1? i’ve been in this endless hell since mid s1. i kept seeing bellarke vids in my yt subs and i was dragged into a trashcan that i’ve never escaped from lmao.

11. how did you become interested in 3? i was going through the hell of my first year of teaching and post-college life and i just needed a fun show to help me destress. i’m usually not one for comedies but i gave superstore a try and i fell IN LOVE.

12. who is your favorite actor in 4? hilarie burton, my brilliant queen 💖

13. which do you prefer, 1, 2, or 5? yikes.... that’s tough. um i definitely prefer handmaid’s and timeless over the 100, but it’s hard to narrow it down further than that. normally i’d say handmaid’s but s3 just happened soooooo

14. which show have you seen more episodes of, 1 or 3 ? i’m not sure lol. i’ve seen every ep of both show multiple times but i don’t bother with ep count.

15. if you could be anyone from 4, who would you be? peyton sawyer of course. brilliant, snarky, sweet, selfless, creative, strong AF. she’s everything i’ve wanted to be since i was like 12.

16. would a crossover between 3 and 4 work? yeah for sure! a cloud 9 store opens in tree hill....i’d love that

17. pair two characters in 1 who would make an unlikely but strangely okay couple? if y’all know anything about me, you know exactly which couple i’m thinking of but won’t say aloud. *cough* ‘cest *cough*

18. overall, which show has the better storyline, 3 or 5? hmmm probably timeless with the whole saving the entirety of history thing.

19. which has the better theme music, 2 or 4? one tree hill definitely (and not just because handmaid’s doesn’t really have a theme lol)

i tag: @parkerpopoff @alexrocksdude and anyone else who wants to!!

[deeeepsteep]

Alright now that I had like an hour or two to process what actually happened I think I can summarize my thoughts and feelings on Kingdom Hearts III...though it may be all over the place lmao

This is full of spoilers and it’s also very long so take that as a warning

This isn’t new and people have been complaining about it all over the internet but LMAO THEY REALLY DID KAIRI DIRTY DIDN’T THEY?????? She and Lea get this ENTIRE FUCKING UNIVERSE THAT’S ALSO SUSPENDED IN TIME so they can train and meet Riku and Sora’s skill levels but we hardly get to see them do anything lmao plus we don’t even get to play as her even though we briefly got to play as Riku a couple times. Also Nomura really pulled a Luna on Kairi and fucking killed her off for the sake of plot development - which shouldn’t be surprising at all because it’s Nomura we’re talking about and this isn’t the first time he’s given a female character the short end of the stuck but whatever, I guess that means he lied to us after all and KH3 won’t be Sora’s final journey...but maybe this also means that this is the beginning of Kairi’s, and the next game will be about her saving him for once???????? I’d like to think that’s what he’s planning but I can’t keep my hopes up because lol it’s Nomura

Now that I think about it, Namine and Xion were kinda useless too. Aqua’s the only female character out of the main roster who really had an impact on the story and actually did shit in KH3 - and even then, she was kind of in a “damsel in distress” kind of deal where Riku and Sora had to save her. I mean, there’s a good reason why they had to save her, but still. Again, I think Nomura just doesn’t have a fucking clue what he’s doing when it comes to writing for female characters lmao

I don’t necessarily think the Sora/Kairi stuff was forced, but I do feel like it was unconvincing seeing as they barely got any screen time together. It was established from the very first game that the both of them have a special bond - whether it’s romantic or platonic I don’t really care lmao, but I can’t deny there’s a unique closeness between them - and it’s reinforced up until KH3 for some reason. Like...suddenly Sora and Riku kinda just forget they’re best friends with her???? And Riku and Kairi didn’t even talk to each other the entire fucking game!!!! Sure, Kairi pretty much saves Sora from death and it’s obvious she’s the “guiding light” in his life but like...........there’s no substance to that at all. At least not in KH3. I dunno. It just felt very hollow to me. There wasn’t any buildup that made their last scenes together look or feel significant. 

Also, I know Roxas and Namine only briefly interact with each other in KH2 but it’s obvious that they still share a strong bond since they’re reflections of Sora and Kairi - so it was weird not seeing them interact in KH3. They promised they’d meet each other again and that they’re looking forward to seeing each other again, but that never fucking happens. It’s almost like at the end, Nomura suddenly realizes he created way too many fucking characters and he’s overwhelmed with trying to find conclusive, happy endings for all of them so a lot of shit just slipped through the cracks during the writing process.

So in the ending, Kairi’s the one that stays and Sora’s the one who disappears. Does that mean the beach scene is set after Sora goes and rescues her????? Nomura decided to fuck things up further in KH3 when he introduced time and space manipulation so literally anything is fair game at this point. I swear to God though if this is a “there’s multiple dimensions” sort of thing I’m going to fly over to Japan and hunt Nomura down myself

Aside from all of that bullshit, the ending was wholesome. Everyone partying on the beach???? Xion and Namine looking for seashells together????? A frisbee game??????? Ven accidentally breaking Donald’s sand sculpture of himself???? So wholesome!!!

Isa coming back to the light and returning to Lea!!!!!! They can finally be the gays we all knew they were meant to be!!!!!!! And they can raise their children Xion and Roxas in peace!!!!

I hope Aqua keeps Terra chained to a basement or something so he doesn’t run out and do dumb shit ever again - other than that I’m so glad the Wayfinder Trio are finally reunited

Soooooo the secret ending shows Sora and Riku in Shibuya????? At first I thought that they were going back to TWEWY but then I saw that Verum Rex dude so idk...but if that’s the case idk how I feel about it lmao, it’s kinda corny. I’d rather we just see them reunite with Neku and the gang - which reminds me, I should really replay TWEWY lmao

I stopped playing KHX a long time ago because the game got boring really quick, but I quickly read up on it so a few things make a little more sense re: The Dandelions, Ava, the Unions, why Ven hugged Chirithy etc. So is Xigbar gonna be the new bad guy now??? ALSO WE NEVER FUCKING FOUND OUT WHAT WAS IN THAT GODDAMN BOX....guess we gotta wait another 17 years for the next game!!!!!!

I find it weird that Corona and Arendelle were basically just re-hashes of the movies, but all the other worlds had their own original storyline that feels more like an add-on to their original sources. I’m assuming there’s a licensing/legal thing with Disney, but it really doesn’t explain much. I thought Elsa would’ve been a fun ally to have; it would’e been neat to see her ice powers in combat alongside Sora. And it’s lame that you lose Rapunzel as an ally after her hair is cut; that would’ve been avoided if Corona got another storyline so that she could develop abilities outside of her magic hair. Meh. 

Toy Story actually was the worst world for me??? The story dragged on a lot longer than it needed to and I got SO bored with the gigas shit. San Fransokyo was my favourite, not just because BH6 is one of my favourite Disney movies but also because the world was JUST SO BIG and I felt like I could spend forever just roaming around the place. It had an open-world feel to it. 

I actually didn’t mind Arendelle so much lmao, the mountain climbing was kinda fun - but I have bad memories tied to Frozen (I worked at the Disney Store when the movie came out so I was forced to put up with the hype, the annoying children, and their unbearably demanding parents...not to mention I had to listen to Let It Go a billion times a day) so that dampened my experience a bit.

Ok all in all the game was enjoyable for the most part. I loved the actual gameplay; the battle system was great and so delightfully chaotic!!! There were like 3249872 things happening all at once and it was so fun. The attractions were annoying sometimes but they’re a quick fix if you’re in a bind so I quickly got desensitized to them, and they finally (sort of) fixed the camera issue by giving you the option to re-centre the camera on Sora when it moves away which I was eternally grateful for.

This is just a jumbled mess and I know I’m leaving stuff out but I’m sure I’ll complain about them later when I remember lmao

KH3....maybe a 7/10??? Idk that feels a little generous. 6.5???

[mrs-goldie-mcduck]

DuckTales reboot sinks to a new low in its adaptation of “Land Beneath the Ground”

*Spoilers for “Terror of the Terra-Firmians”*

How can you adapt one of Barks’ most wonderfully creative, surreal, imaginative tales of all time and come up with an episode that is none of those things?  

Well, it seems you start by omitting the two most important characters, then exchange an expansive underground world for a boring subway tunnel.  Also take the whimsical creatures at the center of the tale and strip away most of what made them interesting and unique, use them as generic monsters, then inexplicably have them become not scary after all so they can have a quick cameo that amounts to nothing.

I have tried to approach the reboot with the right attitude--times change, new people have new ideas, not everything is going to be to my taste, art is subjective, etc.--and I’ve mostly succeeded in maintaining that perspective.  I’ve had a few nitpicks here and there, but have definitely enjoyed the episodes so far.

Until “Terror of the Terra-Firmians.”

Where do I even begin?

Well, I guess I start with a cut to keep most of the spoilers out of sight.  THEN I rant.

The episode started out fine. I got a laugh at the kids’ half-hearted attempts to tell the adults where they were sneaking off to.  I loved Webby’s notebook doodles, and having her little Terra-Firmian drawing saying “I’m mythical and adorable” was really cute (and accurate).

I understood that earth science has progressed by leaps and bounds since 1955 (when Barks’ “The Land Beneath the Ground” was published), so the original concept of “nobody really knows what makes earthquakes” wouldn’t work anymore.  I was fine with the idea of Huey as a skeptic versus Webby as a fringe science fangirl as a way to update the story.

I even laughed aloud at Launchpad, who, paranoid after seeing a scary movie, asked of HD&L,  “Have there always been three of them?���  Great line.

Lena’s British-themed nicknames for Mrs. Beakley were amusing, and I was excited to see the Magica mystery deepen.

But when I saw that half the episode was already over and there were still no Terra-Firmians in sight, I knew something was very wrong.

Then they showed up, but the show tried to make them scary.  Not in the subtle, “Hey, where did that rock come from?  It couldn’t have moved...could it?” psychological way from the comic.  But in the “glowy red eyes and gaping maws, chasing after the characters who flee in terror” way.

Seriously.

These guys...

...are supposed to be scary monsters.

I mean, the show did succeed in making them genuinely creepy.  I guess I can give it credit for that.  But then the Big Twist Ending(tm) was that they...weren’t actually mean or scary.  It was all a trick of the lighting, I guess?  For some reason?  And then we got an E.T. reference, because soooooo many little kids in 2017 are fans of that 1982 movie?  Just...what?

I remember my dad reading “Land Beneath the Ground” to me when I was a five-year-old kid.  It was one of my favorites, despite or perhaps because of the fact that it was a tiny bit scary in the beginning.  You don’t know what’s down in that dark tunnel, and the ducks get a little creeped out, too.  Then you see the gorgeous, alien world deep under the surface, and it’s not so scary anymore.  Then you meet the goofy, round people that live there, and it’s not scary at all.  Then you find out what they’re capable of, and a different kind of fear sets in, but it’s okay in the end because the ducks save the day--and the world.  So I’m not completely opposed to having some scariness in the story, but it was way more subtle than “being chased by monsters with glowing red eyes.”  The reboot showed a disappointing lack of nuance.

I had even harbored a hope that maybe, just maybe, the show would give the Terra-Firmians natural rock colors instead of bright hues.  I don’t remember the source, but I know I read once that Barks intended them to be camouflaged like that, thus indiscernible from a normal rock when rolled up into a ball.  The original colorists didn’t get the memo, or perhaps decided that wasn’t visually interesting enough for a “kid’s comic” and made the Terra-Firmians look like they’d been rolling around in paint.  Decades of reprints and the 1987 DuckTales continued that tradition.

The original DuckTales made them look like they were made of Play-Doh, to be honest.  I thought maybe the reboot would rectify the situation.  They did have more muted colors than in many depictions, but they certainly didn’t look like rocks.

That’s a small nitpick, though.  If only that was the only complaint I had with this episode!

Perhaps the biggest travesty was that we never got to see their kingdom.  The whole episode took place in an abandoned subway tunnel.  A dark, uninteresting subway tunnel.  We could have had THIS:

That’s one of the most breathtaking reveals in all of Barks’ stories.  The animators could have gone nuts making creative and intricate rock formations!  It’s not like they had to build sets on a huge scale.  It’s drawing!  The sky’s the limit!  (Or, in this case, the opposite of the sky...)

I had hoped that they’d stay true to the comic and include the Terra-Firmians’ distinctive neckwear, maybe even explain their caste system, but nope.  They weren’t wearing anything.

“This rock is wearing a necktie!” is such a great line, and the reveal of the “rock’s” true nature is an amazing surprise.  Look at Scrooge’s expression!  The audience should get to have that reaction, too!  To go from “it’s just a rock” to “it’s a strange creature wearing a necktie, speaking with a Texas accent, and offering to shake hands despite not having visible appendages just a second ago” is wonderful fun.  How could you pass up something like that?

The neckties and the cowboy accents were such delightful quirks, adding to the wild creativity that ran throughout the story.  I mean, who sits down and thinks up something this wild?  Rhetorical question, obviously.  It was Carl Barks.  He devised so many crazy adventures and characters to make up the ducks’ world, but “Land Beneath the Ground” showcased another entire level of imagination.  Most of Scrooge’s best adventures were grounded in history and existing myth, but this one was pure fantasy, proving Barks’ creative power was as versatile as it was timelessly entertaining.

The stakes were also much, much higher in the original.  All we worry about in the show is whether the kids and their chaperones will find their way out of the subway tunnel.  Barks started with a threat to the Money Bin and the hill on which it sat, and worked up to putting all of Calisota (if not the planet) in jeopardy.  Talk about an epic story!

It was a great opportunity to delve into the ducks’ characters, too.  It was the classic setup of “Scrooge drags his nephews into danger trying to protect and/or add to his fortune, then has to begrudgingly put their safety over his own interests.”  In the comic Scrooge begs Donald to compete against the Terra-Firmian champion to prevent a catastrophic earthquake, urging him to “think about your house, and Daisy’s house,” and then Donald puts him on the spot by interrupting with “And your money bin!” It’s a great character moment!  It shows the recurring conflict between Scrooge and Donald, as well as the warring priorities in Scrooge’s mind.

What did we get instead of exploring the dynamics of the core cast?  Um, well, we got...Mrs. Beakley and a new character we just met (Lena) butting heads and eventually getting to know and understand each other a bit more.  Which is fine, I guess, but the priority should be establishing the characters who are the stars of the franchise.  After the intrigue of the pilot episode, with all the simmering tension between Scrooge and Donald, I was excited to explore that.  I don’t want to dislike Lena, but if she’s stealing the spotlight from characters I’ve loved for over thirty years, I can’t help but resent that, and I’m sure that’s not the creators’ intention.

I understand the episodes are airing out of their intended order, which is probably throwing off the balance of characters’ screentime and the pace of their arcs. I try to give the show the benefit of the doubt with regard to that, but this episode was truly egregious in its elevating of the kids at the expense of the adult characters.

There are a million shows where smart-talking kids have wacky adventures.  Only DuckTales can show us the world’s richest duck and his nephews having epic globe-trotting adventures.  So...do that.  Please.  We haven’t left Duckburg since the pilot, and Scrooge and Donald are M.I.A.

There was so much wasted potential with this episode!  If it had been presented as any other random creature in the subway tunnel--actual mole men like Launchpad was scared of, or gremlins, or trolls, or literally anything else--it would have been a decent episode, albeit a disappointingly Scroogeless one.  But to take one of the most unique and iconic Barks stories and turn it into a throwaway “those wacky kids versus the monster of the week” plot is beyond comprehension.

I’m certainly not giving up on the series, as I have enjoyed the episodes up to this point and I expect future episodes to be better.  However, “Terror of the Terra-Firmians” was, well...terrible.