#and silences epic arc culmination

[mokagachas]

musing on ho'olheyak she's such a wonderfully interestingly tragic character. shes a victim of cycles and cycles of generational abuse and torture that have resulted in her race being slowly driven to extinction and her actions are such an interesting and unusual ( but realistic ) take on someone who is the culmination of all this centuries old trauma that shes had heaped onto her... shes so neat! wowie!

[meimi-haneoka]

What moment in the Clear Card manga do you really want to see animated some day? (For me, it's a hard choice between Yue confronting Syaoran, Yue calling Spinel and Ruby batteries and them reacting, and Kero and Touya finally talking face to face.)

My gosh anon, that's such a difficult question cause THERE'S TOO MUCH I NEED to see from the last two-thirds of Clear Card!!! 😂 I can't really choose one...

But I will try to sum up the indispensable ones for me!

1 - Akiho's confession under the moon / ch. 48

Alright, this was expected af from me, but leaving behind all the obvious reasons, this was maybe the first, real moment of agency for Akiho. Akiho, the one character who's always been accused of "doing nothing but being the carbon copy of Sakura". This, with her traumas and all, was definitely NOT a small thing, for her. It's the very first moment where her character starts to flourish, cause she moves the first baby steps towards fulfilling her happiness.

2 - Syaoran desperately hugging Sakura (for the last time) / ch. 33

Man this was such an exciting mini arc in its entirety, between Sakura aknowledging the truth about the Clear Cards, Syaoran becoming a toddler, Sakura squealing and then Kaito putting the silencing spell on Syaoran, pressured by the attack he himself had to repel from the Association. All of this culminated in this desperate hug, which this time got reciprocated by an equally fired up Sakura. Too bad it was the last time, before the "no-touch" spell was casted upon Syaoran by an unknown source.

3 - Syaoran and Kaito's fight / ch. 41-42

Man, maaaaaan. This will be sooooooo spectacular and exciting. Two equally fired up moon heads, determined to protect who matters the most to them. With whatever means they have available.

4 - The goddamned pudding scene / ch. 52

I know I have screamed left and right in frustration when it came out, but this scene was such a HUUUGE statement from Akiho's side. Akiho is not the poor gullible child in a schemer's hands, Akiho is her own goddamn person with a great intuition and a heart that can see through the person she loves. And she will not stand by and watch him waste his life away. This scene was also super emotional because Kaito's fragilities here appear loud and clear, making him run away from Akiho's assertiveness and attempt at getting closer to him.

5 - Sakura and Kaito's confrontation / ch. 55

Epic. The big showdown we all wanted to see. Sakura was so smart here, and Kaito made my heart squeeze in pain cause he really looked more and more like a rat in a trap. And in such a vulnerable moment, the only one thought that never left is mind was always her, of course, Akiho.

For now, it's these ones, but of course we're in the climax right now so I expect more and more epic scenes!!

[ramblings-of-a-mad-cat]

Which storyarc do you like the best from Doctor Who?

I think the seasons had their ups and downs.

The Ninth Doctor had a pretty solid storyline. The whole idea of Bad Wolf was and is a little arbitrary, but it brought back other features like Satellite 5 and the heart of the Tardis. I think the finale was lovely and we don't talk about it enough. This season also has the single best Dalek story in modern who, simply called "Dalek."

Season 2 brought back the parallel words and made Torchwood into the new Bad Wolf. The conclusion was okay, I just really could have lived without all of the teasing that Rose was going to die when she kind of didn't. Also, the cybermen are superbly creepy. Seriously, this may not be their finest outing but for a return to the series, I sure got chills.

Season 3's storyline is amazing. Everything felt seamless. It's one of my favorites for sure. Everything to do with Mr. Saxon and the influence he had over The Doctor and Martha's adventures, and especially the character of Francine Jones. I adore Francine. Martha has an excellent character arc as well, and goes out on her own terms.

Season 4 had it's moments. Turn Left was not only a fantastic episode but a great piece of continuity. I think the disappearing planets was a neat mystery and I enjoy the epic finale, I just also have a lot of issues with it. The whole idea of "destiny" is...meh. The fake-out regeneration was an ice cold move too.

Season 5 is like Season 3. It is so, so well told. All of the elements come together for a perfect finale. The cracks in time, the Silence, the Tardis exploding, Rory's death, the mystery of River...and the Pandorica being built for The Doctor? Underrated twist. Factor in the fairy tale themes and you're in business!

Then we have the hodge podge that is Season 6. Some great episodes and great ideas, but it isn't really put together very well. Especially the stuff with River. Of all seasons, this one is the most convoluted, and it insultingly throws everything in the trash during the final episode.

Matt Smith's final season didn't have an arc for some reason. Okay, it kind of did. The Impossible Girl storyline was solid, and I got emotional losing Amy and Rory...but this season was a weird outing. Apparently the posters/titles were designed, and the episodes built around them...and Moffat is proud of that?

This is the worst season. I'm sorry, but this story-arc is garbage. One of the worst uses of the Cybermen, Missy before she got likeable, and The Doctor randomly hates soldiers with a passion in this season even though UNIT still exists. Don't get me started on the "Am I a good man?" stuff.

A much better season, but not a significantly better arc. I love Clara, I quite like Ashildr, but the Hybrid idea was hastily thrown together and tacked on. And the idea that it's The Doctor and Clara together? That's not what a hybrid is. I'd also be remiss not to mention the letdown that was Hell Bent.

Surprisingly solid. Like, this is the best story-arc Capaldi got. They take a crack at redeeming The Master and honestly? It kind of works. As does Bill's unique dynamic with The Doctor of being his student. It all culminates in an exceptional finale. Season 10 is way more frickin awesome than we remember.

I love this season and I don't even care. The storyline here is one of emotional growth, and it's well executed. Ryan and Graham have to bond and move on from Grace, and it's beautifully done. This is one of the most human seasons of the show.

Like Season 6 before it, this one is a bit of a mess. It's got some great episodes and there are some really cool ideas here, that I want to see explored further. But it doesn't quite stick the landing. I am very salty about Gallifrey being gone again, and I shall be for a while.

So in my humble opinion, the seasons with the overall best storylines and writing are 3, 5, 10, and 11. If I had to pick a favorite through, I would probably go with three. I just love Martha's journey so damn much, and I'm a sucker for The Master when he's written well.

[vivithefolle]

What is your opinion on the parallels between Ron and Neville, especially considering that they both suffer from drastically low self-esteem? People often draw similarities between their arcs, but it seems to me that as the book series went on, Neville gained confidence while Ron lost confidence. Am I missing something?

I think you pretty much summed it up.

You could say that Neville’s self-esteem was inversely proportional to Ron’s.

When Ron comes at Hogwarts, he’s feeling a bit defeated already, but his successes in the first book (where he kinda carries the team) and the second (where he gets a Special Award For Services To The School along with Harry) serve to build up his confidence, culminating with him getting his own wand in the third. Meanwhile poor Neville, while he stands up to Grabbe and Coyle and later to his own friends, is still seen bumbling around and being generally a laughing stock.

After the third book it’s kind of a turning point. Ron doubts Harry openly, makes a fool of himself due to Fleur’s Veela glamour and is pretty much getting slapped in the face by the narration. Neville however doesn’t get humiliated as much, and even gets to go to the Yule Ball without being publically humiliated.

In OOTP the chasm deepens. Ron is bullied horribly... and no one does a thing. Neville, meanwhile, gets McGonagall telling him he’s a great wizard and a promise of her standing up to his grandmother. OOTP ends with Neville having gotten his own wand, and Ron’s triumph over his bullies is eclipsed by his defeat at the DOM.

HBP pretty much spits on every character, even uses Luna Lovegood to convince us to feel sorry for Hermione who has assaulted her friend, and Neville is pretty much the only one to come out unscathed, because he was relegated to the background. He makes a comic relief appearance at Slughorn’s party and that’s all; he’s then here and present when it comes to fighting the Death Eaters during the battle of the Astronomy Tower. Ron is also there, but people seem to forget that Hermione and Luna did not participate much in that fight...

And DH... well, no possibility to see Neville bumbling at Hogwarts in DH now that we aren’t at Hogwarts, is there? But we are given first-seats to see Ron be moody and angry and a general ass... which anyone would be in the situation he’s in (as in, having your family/little sister liable to be executed at any moment by a corrupt government, being anaemic, and being led on a wild goose chase by an asshole who doesn’t seem to care at all about the fact that YOUR FAMILY MAY DIE THE LONGER THIS DRAGS ON), but somehow JKR insists that it’s Ron and only Ron being an asshole, case in point:

This was their first encounter with the fact that a full stomach meant good spirits; an empty one, bickering and gloom. Harry was least surprised by this, because he had suffered periods of near starvation at the Dursleys’. Hermione bore up reasonably well on those nights when they managed to scavenge nothing but berries or stale biscuits, her temper perhaps a little shorter than usual and her silences rather dour. Ron, however, had always been used to three delicious meals a day, courtesy of his mother or of the Hogwarts house-elves, and hunger made him both unreasonable and irascible. Whenever lack of food coincided with Ron’s turn to wear the Horcrux, he became downright unpleasant. - Deathly Hallows

So we have

Ron, however, had always been used to three delicious meals a day, courtesy of his mother or of the Hogwarts house-elves 

... but, um, Hermione too is used to three delicious meals a day, courtesy of her parents and the Hogwarts house-elves -

Hermione bore up reasonably well [...], her temper perhaps a little shorter than usual and her silences rather dour

Nevermind, Perfect Goddess Sue is perfect.

At the end of DH, we still remember that Ron behaved badly in the Horcrux Hunt because blah blah symbolism blah blah poor wee Harry blah blah catholicism parallels with St Peter denying knowing Jesus blah blah blah.

While Neville’s appearance as the fearless, epic Hogwarts leader is still a shock, but also a satisfying moment, especially when he gets his epic speech to tell Voldemort to go fuck himself.

... which leads many to forget that Ron did it before Neville (not that Neville’s speech wasn’t an epic, well-deserved moment of pure badassery).

"You see?" said Voldemort, and Harry felt him striding backward and forward right beside the place where he lay. "Harry Potter is dead! Do you understand now, deluded ones? He was nothing, ever, but a boy who relied on others to sacrifice themselves for him!" "He beat you!" yelled Ron, and the charm broke, and the defenders of Hogwarts were shouting and screaming again until a second, more powerful bang extinguished their voices once more. - Deathly Hallows

But people will mostly recall Neville’s speech. Because it lasts longer than Ron’s simple “he beat you” and Voldemort actually reacts to it, actually holds a conversation with Neville, while Ron’s scream is... mostly ignored. Even his breaking of Voldemort’s Silencing Charm doesn’t impact much, because another, stronger Charm is immediately put in place moments after.

The way Neville and Ron kill their respective Horcruxes is very different, too... Neville does it in an epic moment of badassery, set on fire and everything, and takes the sword from the Hat itself, mimicking Harry’s actions in Chamber of Secrets. It’s a pure, unadulterated moment of epicness, and nothing can taint its sheer badassery (especially if, like the rest of us intellectuals, you ignore everything JKR has tried to establish as canon after DH). Ron, however, kills his affiliated Horcrux as an act of... eugh... redemption over leaving Harry’s side (even though it was clearly the smartest thing to do since the dumbass didn’t even manage to destroy the Horcrux while Ron was gone, so here’s your proof that Harry and Hermione absolutely do need Ron because they’re incompetent nincompoops). Ron killing the Horcrux can’t be called triumphant or a victory, no matter what idiots blabbering about symbolically destroying his inferiority complex try to say - because yeah, symbolism is nice and all, but it’s not because Ron gets a symbolic victory that he’s miraculously cured of it, but hey who cares Ron can’t possibly have a mental illness cuz he’s not Harry haha!!

... Excuse me. I’m still bitter over... things.

Ron’s defeat of the Horcrux isn’t a triumph like Neville decapitating Nagini is. He’s humiliated in front of his best friend, whose opinion he bases most of his self-esteem upon. His dirty laundry is aired for Harry to see. And finally, when he destroys the Horcrux, he is left crying in the snow with Mr Emotionally Stunted for company.

How. The fuck. Do you call that. A victory.

Ron’s killing of the Horcrux is bittersweet. It’s only Harry and Ron, isolated in a small clearing, in the snow. Ron doesn’t get the sword from the Sorting Hat itself, which may make some people think it hasn’t been won properly, even though Ron displayed bravery (jumping into a frozen pond in the middle of winter) and chivalry (rescuing Harry) to obtain it, and Ron pretty much spends the whole time being terrified (of the thing that psychologically tortured him but hey, since when do we care about Ron’s feelings) then apologizing to Harry for leaving (and Harry accepting those apologies when HE TOO OWED RON SOME FUCKING APOLOGIES BUT NAH HARRY POTTER IS TOO SPECIAL FOR THAT).

While Neville’s killing of Nagini is nothing but badass, badass, and re-badass, with loads of people to witness it. It’s epic. Neville obtains Gryffindor’s sword “”“properly”““, by taking it from the Sorting Hat. And naturally, there’s nothing about Neville “redeeming himself for his betrayal of Our Lord And Saviour Harry Potter” to taint that success.

Yeah... at the end of it all, Ron is... not fine. Him “symbolically destroying his inferiority complex” is just fucking that, a symbol. But it doesn’t mean he’s miraculously cured his insecurities and all. It doesn’t mean he’s stopped being horribly fucking depressed. It doesn’t mean he’s not traumatized. But I forgot only Harry’s traumas matter (and Hermione’s, to a lesser extent... what am I saying, Hermione doesn’t get trauma, trauma is for losers, like Harry).

Neville is slowly but steadily built up in the background through the series (huh, kinda like Ginny... wonder why more people won’t point that out). His failures are so commonplace, and usually more in the realms of “accidental fuck-up” than “feeling offended and fucking up because of it”, that it’s hard to be angry at him. Meanwhile Ron’s failures feel more personal, because he’s so important to Harry and Harry takes Ron’s disagreements with him as personal attacks like the idiot fuck he is.

So, while Neville gradually gets stronger in the background, Rowling brings Ron down a little more in every book, because as the books go on she can’t bear to have Harry and Hermione fuck up, so Ron has to do all the fucking up so she can pretend the other two are perfect instead.

[an-american-whovian]

• The Story Thus Far:

After Martha Jones takes a hint and drops the Doctor like the shitty fuck boy that he is -- he gets his first platonic companion in Donna Noble.

All the while, we get the culmination of the Russell T Davies era (well, this and the specials that followed before Moffatt took over as of series five).

• I Keep Getting Ahead of Myself:

Just before we reintroduce Donna -- the Doctor teams up with that lady who played Cammy in 'Street Fighter: the Movie' (Raul Julia was LEGIT in that film, yo).

'Voyage of the Damn' is fine. The Doctor boards a spaceship made to look like the Titanic, gets a brief companion, hangs out with an obese couple, fights off some angels and then a half robot dude. Lady sacrifices herself to save the day . . . (That's gonna be a theme fer a bit.)

That's basically it. One of the most inoffensive episodes of NuWho.

• Y'all Might Hate Me fer This One:

A LOT of people LOVE series four; and fer good reason. The chemistry between Tennant and Tate carries over from 'The Runaway Bride'. They're SO MUCH fun together -- and it's great to have a companion not be head over heels on the Doctor. (They've even continued their chemistry over on the Big Finish audios. Still haven't gotten around to hearing any of those, yet, tho'.)

Be that as it may, this MIGHT BE the most overrated series of NuWho. Like, yea, the mystery of Rose's return is legit -- and the epicness of the three part finale is DOPE; but aside from (MAYBE) 'Planet of the Ood' and 'Midnight' -- everything else is just kinda meh.

• Mediocrity at its Best:

'Partners in Crime' is a fun little opener. The Adipose havent aged well (Baby Yoda they aren't). That ending with Rose pulling a Houdini was a nice set up fer the series arc.

'Fires of Pompeii' is aight. Like, if anything, it works better in retrospect as they use this story to explain Capaldi's "face".

The Sontaran two parter and 'The Doctor's Daughter's do nothing fer me. Love me some Sontarans -- and I love that genius austistic dude's sacrifrice at the end; but it's a skippable story. Jenny in the latter should've been more. She's (KINDA) the fucking Doctor's daughter. (I think she's only showed up in the comics or audio since then . . . )

(P.s. She sacrifices herself, too)

'The Unicorn and the Wasp' is serviceable at best.

• I Always Get Ahead of Myself:

Fucking hell -- I almost forgot about the River Song two parter! Gah! Those two episodes and EVERYTHING after is sheer perfection.

Alex Kingston as River Song is just one of my favorite things ever. That look on her face when she realizes the Doctor has NO IDEA who she is? Her sacrifice at the end? HOW DID SHE KNOW THE DOCTOR'S NAME!? (Has that even been resolved!?) "Spoileeeeers . . . "😭

'Midnight' is just one of those perfect bottle episodes that does everything right.

• And in the End . . . :

Then we have that three part finale. Not enough can be said about Catherine Tate and Bernard Cribbins' Wilf! I'm always a fan of when DW tries something different and this episode checks every box.

Alternate universe? ✔.

Mystery of Rose? ✔.

Donna sacrificing herself (fourth sacrifice fer the series)? ✔.

Cliffhanger? ✔.

Then you have what's basically the Avengers Infinity War/Endgame of Doctor Who before the MCU even tried it! Torchwood! Sarah Jane and company! Martha Jones! Mickey Smith! Harriet Jones (ANOTHER fucking sacrifice)! Even Jackie FUCKING Tyler! The return of the Daleks AND DAVROS! If there's ANYTHING that can be said about Russell T Davies: he really knows how to craft an EPIC series finale.

Like, that ending with Davros cursing out the Doctor!? So dope. That cliffhanger with Ten FINALLY being reunited with Rose -- only to get shot and begin to regenerate!? An entire TARDIS crew navigating the TARDIS -- only fer the Doctor to end up all ALONE after erasing all of Donna's memories of him!? 😭

In short: You can pro'ly watch the series opener and then skip to 'Silence in the Library'.

From then on? Doctor Who at its fucking BEST.

Siskel and Every would've given it ALL the thumbs up.

👍🏽x💯

[shewhowantsmouseears]

The Son Of Scheherazade, 9

Notes: As always, big thanks to my amazing editors Drucilla and BlueShifted!

Welcome to the "breather" arc, a filler meant for hilarity before we dive back into the plot. Donald's reaction to Panchito's and Jose's... enthusiasm is kind of like one of those anime cliches where the girl becomes so embarrassed she runs away with her hands on her face. Embrace popularity, Don.

Another anime cliche I had in mind was with Minnie and Lotus Blossom - you remember those old-school anime where rival girls would fire lightning from their eyes? Poor Mickey.

For those not in the know, Lotus Blossom is a comics-only character. Sometimes friend, sometimes foe, always a pain in the butt.

Summary: With Mickey's confidence at an all-time high, he's about to learn arrogance has its price. He's also about to have his first date... but it's not with Minnie!

Mickey would never call himself a patient person, but he was currently waiting calmly in front of Clarabelle and Horace's room with a smile on his face. Panchito and José were at his side, struggling to be as composed as Mickey was and failing, judging by their incessant tapping of feet and fingers itching on Panchito's guitar. Minnie was napping in her lamp – at least, that's what Mickey assumed she was doing, since he didn't see any other purpose for being in there. He definitely wouldn't have guessed Minnie was rolling around trying to handle all the confusing feelings and questions swirling around in her mind.

“Almost done!” Clarabelle's voice called out from inside. “Why, you won't even recognize Donald when I'm done with him.”

“It's not that big a difference, for crying out loud,” said Horace, who was no doubt earning a smack from his wife. Donald could be heard chuckling quietly, which made Mickey pleased beyond measure.

Ever since Donald had first climbed onboard, he had followed Mickey around like a baby bird imprinting on its mother. Mickey hadn't minded at all, happy to show Donald all around the ship and properly reintroduce him to everyone. Donald had been nervous to express any of his natural feelings, out of fear for his powers, but with every passing day he allowed more and more of his real self to emerge. It had finally culminated in him timidly asking Clarabelle for a favor, which she cheerfully obliged.

“And...there! What do you think, Donald?” Clarabelle asked.

A moment of silence followed, and then the doorknob twisted. Donald opened the door and stepped into the hallway, revealing the “big change” - Clarabelle had snipped away his ponytail, and smoothed down his feathers, giving him a much more humble and natural look. It highlighted all the other changes that had taken place since his arrival – the bags under his eyes were gone, and now his stomach was fuller, since he'd been given proper meals and attention. Mickey mused that Donald now looked more like a handsome prince than he did when he thought he was royalty.

“What do you guys think?” Donald asked, scratching his cheek shyly.

“It doesn't matter what we think,” Mickey replied, a hand to his heart. “What matters is what you think, Donald! This is your life now, after all.”

Donald took a moment to consider this, and nodded. “In that case...I like it! I kinda feel more free. Like a burden's off my shoulders! And I'm going to wear different clothing too! No more tight, frilly, fancy stuff! I'm even going to choose my favorite color and everything. I'm a whole new man!” He proudly put his hands on his hips, ready to strut his stuff, when he realized Panchito and José were staring at him dumbly. “...What's with them?”

Mickey raised an eyebrow. “Probably something very silly. Watch yourself.”

Panchito suddenly slammed his hand downwards, creating a loud chord with his guitar, then pointed up in a dramatic fashion. “José!”

“Panchito!” José called back, holding his umbrella out in the same manner a knight would brandish their sword.

“Long have we searched this world for the very thing that has been missing from our souls!”

“Yes, we who are two, we have been incomplete! But we could not tell what we lack!”

“But you who understand me so deeply, you now know what I know, and so you know now!”

“I know now and now know more than anything else I ever known!”

“Can you put a name to this feeling in my heart, the one that calls out in this moment?”

“Of course I can, for I feel it in the very depths of my soul! Say it, my friend, say it!”

Donald was about to ask what in the world they were going on about, when Panchito latched himself onto Donald's left arm. “This can only be... love! Our third caballero!”

José snatched the right arm. “Love and love only! I implore you, dear Donald, to be with us forever and ever!”

Donald's entire face began to redden, and the sunlight that was pouring through the windows began to intensify to a blazing degree. “Wuh-wuh-WHAT ARE YOU TWO TALKING ABOUT?!” Oh, this was the feeling called embarrassment.

“I think they like you,” Mickey said mildly, by now used to the bird's bizarre antics.

“We love him!” Panchito agreed, pressing his cheek to Donald's. “Come, we shall drink and be merry and make you a part of our life forevermore!”

“We shall sing songs and dance and introduce you to everything about this world we live in!” José took the other cheek. “We shall be your constant companions, your loyal servants, your wingmen! … See, it's funny, because we're birds.”

Donald, who had never heard a genuine compliment in his whole life, was wholly unprepared for the instant adoration thrust upon him. He covered his face with his hands and ran down the hallway, with the two nutjobs giving chase. “WAUUUUGH!”

“Look at how fast he goes, José, already bragging about his superior speed!”

“Praise be unto Donald, for he is mighty and amazing in all he does!”

Horace finally poked his head out of the doorway. “Oh, that's going to be fun to adjust to.” His voice dripped with sarcasm.

Mickey chuckled nervously, unsure if he should help or not. “Well, at least they won't constantly be asking for stories from me anymore.” He had been delaying that every chance he got, knowing he had nothing in his head that could compare to his mother's marvelous imagination. “I just hope Donald's emotions don't crash the ship before we land. How long until we reach Khade Town?”

With the crew having to adjust to another member, especially one with potentially destructive powers, Goofy had deemed it necessary to make a stop at nearby town to get extra supplies. “Should be less than an hour!” the captain himself declared, walking down the hallway, having just barely dodged the parade of birds that were now running up and down the ship. “We should be done in a day or two, maybe even shorter if we don't run into any distractions.”

“Like Mickey picking up another friend,” Clarabelle continued, giving Mickey a small smirk.

Mickey crossed his arms defensively. “It's not my fault we keep running into people who need our help! Besides, Minnie and Donald are going to help us out in my journey to get my parents back. Maybe we could even find another helpful person in the town!”

“Look kid,” Horace walked out of the room. “I'll admit, so far your knack of chronic hero syndrome has worked out for the better... but it's not always gunna be that way. Sometimes we can't save everyone, and sometimes not everyone deserves saving. You gotta be ready for people to take advantage of that big heart of yours.”

“I think I can take care of myself pretty darn well.” Mickey turned his head away. Shoot, he'd already been in some epic battles and used his strength and smarts to get out of them. He could take on any challenge that headed his way! And even better, his victories had nothing to do with him being the Son of Scheherazade. His heart would never steer him wrong! He was the hero of the story, and the hero was always right!

“We shouldn't run into too much trouble,” Goofy interrupted, trying to stop an argument from occurring. “It's a pretty small town... the only notable thing about it is a shrine to some gods from the north. Other than that, it's your average, run-of-the-mill kinda place. So we probably won't find anyone in life-threatening danger or folks with magical powers or villains with evil schemes to take over the world.”

“Boy, wouldn't that be nice,” Horace groaned.

“Don't be such a coward, Horace!” Mickey held his chin up, and began to head back to his room, full of confidence and swagger. “We can take on anything that comes our way! I ain't afraid of anything!” If he had heard this line of dialogue from one of his mother's stories, he would have immediately assumed that the hero of that tale was going to eat his words by the story's end. But now Mickey was drunk on his own spirit, unable to conceive his own failings. He was the hero who rescued the genie, who freed the prince of storms!

What could the world toss at him that he couldn't handle?

~*~

The ship “landed” a few miles outside of the town, anchored in by small rocky mountains. Once again, Pluto stayed behind to guard the ship, and the rest of the crew was split into groups. Panchito and José insisted on showing Donald around, and Donald allowed it if they stopped singing for several seconds. Goofy, Clarabelle, and Horace would be the second group, and Mickey and Minnie would be the last group – although Horace objected to this, insisting Mickey should stay with him, due to his attitude.

“I don't need a babysitter,” Mickey insisted as the groups walked into town, the birds already going in a different, loud direction. “Tell 'em, Minnie, didn't I do great at Donald's kingdom?”

Minnie gave him a curt look. “Is that a wish?” She had quickly settled back into her snide routine, not wanting to entertain the warm, weird thoughts the last adventure had brought her. Okay, so, Mickey was a decent enough fellow, but that just meant his darkness was hiding deeper than most people's did. He was not an exceptional, extraordinary being. Sure, maybe he was the tiniest bit clever, and perhaps the smallest bit generous, but in the end he would be the same as all her other masters. Not that she cared when this happened. Because she didn't. At all. Just like she didn't care how much Mickey was so-called “in love” with her, which he wasn't, he just liked her looks, and not her personality, because genies don't have personalities, they are tools, and so by that logic, Mickey didn't really love her and so Minnie really didn't care SHE ABSOLUTELY DID NOT CARE SO STOP TALKING ABOUT IT.

Mickey rolled his eyes, oblivious to Minnie's inner nonsense. “Thanks, Minnie.” He would have explained further, but his big black ears picked up an odd sound.

It was something the others didn't pick up on, especially Horace. “Kid, I'm just trying to look out for you.” He closed his eyes, drawing upon years of experience. “You've been cooped up in a palace all your life, so you don't know the cruelties of the world! In a year's time, I bet you'll be thanking me for all my help. All you have to do is... he ran off while I was talking, didn't he.”

“Yes, yes he did.” Minnie pointed to the cloud of dust that had once been Mickey.

“Kid's gunna age me twenty years,” Horace groaned.

“Aw, let's just go shopping like we planned!” Goofy insisted. “We gotta buy some lemons so we don't get sky-scurvy.”

As Clarabelle yelled at Goofy for the tenth time that sky-scurvy was not something that existed, Minnie took it upon herself to look for her wayward master. What had distracted him?

The rapid sound of footsteps, that's what – Mickey had weaved himself through an open alleyway, and that's when he caught the origin of the sound. Three burly, tall, masked men were chasing a young woman who was carrying a wrapped bundle in her arms. Startled villagers ducked out of the way, frightened by the display.

“Get back here!” One of the men shouted, full of anger and spit. “There's nowhere you can run!”

Mickey instantly decided he knew what was happening – those three bullies were trying to rob that woman! So much for peace, quiet, and boredom. Looks like it was time for the Son of Scheherazade – no, Mickey the Hero, to write another exciting chapter! He looked around the area, trying to think of a solution – as much as he wanted to leap into the heap of battle, he didn't like the odds of one against three. The entire group was coming up, and if he didn't act fast, they'd all pass him.

What could he do, what could he use? He quickly surveyed the area – a humble food market, full of yummy fruits and vegetables, such as bananas, apples, and oranges – round oranges! Mickey ripped off a satchel of coins from his belt. “Hope this'll pay for everything!” He shouted to the shopkeep who had probably hidden inside by now, and he tossed the satchel inside the building – before taking out his scabbard and hacking away the legs of the fruit stand, causing it to crack and break, sending the oranges spilling into the street.

The timing had been perfect – the woman managed to avoid the spill, but the three men now found themselves tripping and rolling over the mess beneath their feet.

“Hey!”

“Whoa!”

“Dude, I JUST washed my robes this morning!”

While they tried to regain their balance, Mickey dashed ahead to the woman's side, having an idea for one more trick. “Here, this way!” He grabbed her wrist, which is when she finally noticed him, giving him a surprised, puzzled expression. He pulled her into another alleyway, spun her around, dipped her low, and took off one of her pointy yellow sandals, and then chucked the shoe across the street. Once the action was done, he held up a finger for silence, while the woman blinked at him. Mickey would later realize she had been awfully calm all the while.

The trio of attackers managed to finally find their footing, catching up to the alleyway. The leader of the group stopped them, pointing at the shoe. “Look! She must have gone this way!”

“Excellent finding, bro-ski. Don't worry, we'll find her!” said the smallest of the group.

“Only when we find ourselves, can we find another,” said the largest of the group.

They then took off ahead, believing they were right on their victim's tail. Mickey waited until he could no longer see them to let go of the girl – to be frank he wasn't sure how much longer he could have held her, given that she was two heads taller than he was. Now that the adrenaline was wearing off, he could get a good look at her.

She was a pretty thing, he supposed, the kind of prettiness that other men would find beautiful but simply not Mickey's type. Her long black hair was tied up in a high ponytail with bright orange flowers, and a pair of golden earrings hung in round circles, rocking back and forth whenever she moved her head. Her deep blue top had yellow lining, exposing her pale arms that apparently could carry heavier things than one would think, given how large the bundle in those arms was. Her blue dress had noticeable slits that revealed shapely long legs. Curious dark eyes studied him, and she finally smiled, curling a lose hair behind her small ear. “You saved my life!”

Mickey placed his sword back in its scabbard. “Aw, it was nothing.” He replied with a puff of his chest. “It's just what us heroes are made to do. Are you all right?”

“I am now, thanks to you.” She held the wrapped bundle close to her chest. “I was trying to get my precious family heirloom home, when those thugs corned me! I thought I was a goner until you arrived! May I know the name of my brave hero!”

“I am Prince Mickey, the Son of Scheherazade!” Mickey only realized what he'd said when it was too late, and he resisted the urge to slap his forehead. “But... uh... just 'Mickey' will do.” Shoot. He was so conditioned to that title it came out as natural as breathing.

The woman's eyes took on an intense glitter. “Prince?” she repeated, before putting the heirloom on the ground and bowing low, hands on the ground. “I am not worthy to be in your presence, your highness.”

“What?!” Mickey jumped, and then raced over to grab her hands. “No, no, stop that! It's not like that at all! You don't have to do anything like that! I just wanted to help you, I don't want any special treatment.”

“Please forgive me, then... I have never been with someone so important.” The woman didn't pull her hands away from Mickey's. “My name is Lotus Blossom. How can I ever repay you for your kindness?”

“I don't need any kind of payment, really!” Mickey now tried pulling his hands away, but my, she had an awfully tight grip on him. “Listen, Lotus, if those guys are still out and about, maybe I should walk you home so they can't get their hands on you.”

“Your generosity truly knows no bounds, Mickey. But now I carry a burden with me, if you can't allow me the simple act of returning a kindness. How will I sleep at night with this guilt? Can't I be allowed one simple thing?” She raised a hand to touch his cheek, leaning in and lightly whimpering.

“Ah... well...” When she put it that way, it did seem harder to deny her. “I... I guess if you really want to, it'd be rude if I said no. Doesn't have to be anything big, though.”

“Oh, thank you, your highness!” Lotus suddenly threw her arms around Mickey, drawing him close to her plump chest. Mickey jerked, but he didn't want to insult her by backing up. His cheeks burned, and he tried to patiently wait out the hug and praise, eyes darting around for a proper place to rest his eyes. Like the sky, or the walls, or Minnie -

… Or Minnie standing in the alleyway staring at Mickey as he was pushed into the bosom of a pretty woman.

“NOTWHATITLOOKSLIKENOTWHATITLOOKSLIKE-” Mickey yelled loudly, his words so smashed together that no one understood what it was he was trying to say, jumping backwards and landing on his butt. Forget Mortimer the Magnificent or Donald's storms, this was as close to death as he ever felt!

Lotus frowned, and then looked in the direction Mickey was flailing at. “...Can we help you?” Her sweet voice now turned sour.

Minnie looked at Lotus, looked Mickey, then back to Lotus. “I was merely searching for my Master, and I have found him. That's all.” An average onlooker wouldn't have noticed the fire in Minnie's eyes or the aura of wrath all around her, but Mickey sure did, and he hoped one of the laws the genies had to follow was to not murder their masters. “Come, Master, we should return to the duties the Captain gave us.”

“Uh,” said Mickey, which for the moment all he was capable of saying.

“Right now?” Lotus put her attention back on Mickey, taking his hand with both of hers. “But I haven't properly thanked you yet! And what about those vicious men who are after me? You said you would help me.”

“Uh,” said Mickey again.

“My Master has his orders to follow, and can't afford to waste any time helping every single person he meets.” Minnie began to walk towards Mickey, and grabbed his other hand. “I'm sure this woman can find her own way home. She is an adult, not a child.”

“Uhhh.”

“Why yes, I am.” Lotus smiled, with a hint of fang to it. “Are you saying you're an adult too? I'm surprised, since you certainly have the body of a child...”

“UHHH.”

Now Minnie was glaring hellfire at Lotus and got it back in turn. “My looks have nothing to do with my Master returning to where he is supposed to be!”

“If he really is your master, then he should be able to make his own decisions, shouldn't he? You sound awfully bossy for a slave.”

“And you sound awfully attached for someone he just met. Why can't you find someone else to take you home?”

“He saved my life, of course I trust him!”

“He saves everyone's life, that's what he does!”

“Why don't you back off, tiny?”

“WHY DON'T YOU BACK OFF?!”

“WHY DON'T YOU MAKE ME?!”

Mickey had finally gathered enough bravery and strength to whistle high enough so both women stopped. “Listen... I have no idea what you two are doing, but that's gotta stop.” He cleared his throat, starting over. “Yes, I do have duties to fulfill, but Lotus Blossom was in trouble. I can't ignore people when they need help! And she says she won't be comfortable unless she repays me. So I'll take her home, and then she can repay me, and then I'll return to my duties. Everyone okay with that?”

Minnie “hmph”ed, but then glanced away. “...I suppose it is a matter of honor.”

Lotus clapped. “Wonderful, we're all in agreement! And I know exactly how to repay you, your highness! It will be something you and I both enjoy! And it's the only thing I want to give you, so you can't say no.” Was it Minnie's imagination or did this sound rather planned and rehearsed?

Mickey merely nodded. “Sounds fair. So, what is it?”

Lotus took Mickey's hand again for a big squeeze. “A date!”

“... A date?” Mickey repeated in disbelief.

“A date?” Minnie repeated in equal lack of belief.

“A date!” Lotus finished, now standing up and gathering the heirloom into her arm. “Oh, it'll be so much fun! We'll have a great time together! A hero and the damsel in distress he saved, together... isn't it romantic?” She then paused in her glee, noticing Mickey wasn't celebrating, and she eyed Minnie suspiciously. “Unless you two are...?”

“Oh, no, uh, she's, no.” Mickey fumbled, airily trying to gesture what he himself was barely figuring out. “She's... well... my friend? I mean, we've never... you know...?”

“I must say, that is a relief!” Lotus chirped, giggling. “There are some truly despicable masters out there.”

“NO, NO! I would never do anything like that!” Mickey said realizing what she meant, and then felt he just had to add, “I don't think I would be comfortable even kissing Minnie now.”

Now, Mickey was still trying to work out the tricks and oddities of romance. So he was fairly clueless why Minnie's jaw had dropped and she looked ready to either burst into tears or strangle him. “Comf...Comfortable?” She said shakily, her body twitching, fingers clenching. “You think the idea of kissing me is uncomfortable?”

Mickey blinked, knowing he was digging himself deeper yet unable to understand why he had the shovel. “Well, sure. Wouldn't anyone feel that way?” Lotus Blossom grinned, enjoying the show.

“Youuuu...” Minnie stretched the vowel out, shaking harder with anger. What happened to the dopey, goo-goo-eyed boy who had been drooling over her when she was on stage? Was she that repulsive now that she was a genie? What was so uncomfortable about kissing her?! Had he been uncomfortable when she kissed him on the cheek ages ago? NO SIR, THAT STUPID BOY HAD ENJOYED IT! “You, you, you...” She sucked air in through her teeth, her tail curling up behind her. “Well... I'm SO SORRY that I make you so UNCOMFORTABLE, MASTER!” Mickey had never heard her shout so loudly, and was literally floored, reeling on his back. “DON'T ALLOW ME TO MAKE YOU ANYMORE UNCOMFORTABLE! ENJOY YOUR DATE!”

Minnie then stormed off, her feet stomping so hard one could swear she was leaving footprints that would last a lifetime. Fine! FINE! Let him have his fun! He really just was like all the others! Let that harlot take him so they could cuddle and coo and KISS and have COMFORTABLE kisses! What did she matter? She was only a genie, and genies weren't supposed to entertain any thoughts about their master besides sheer obedience. It was her own fault for feeling this way.

As for Mickey, he still laid there, trying to process everything. “...Wha'happen?” he mumbled, as if he'd been run over by a wild stampede of elephants.

“I'll show you the way home!” Lotus took Mickey by the hand and began to drag him away, not caring if he ever got up to walk. “Then we can plan our date! I simply can't wait!”

Then Mickey thought the one thing no hero in a story should ever think – At least it can't get any worse.

[spotlightsaga]

Kevin Cage of @spotlightsaga reviews... Chicago PD (S04E20) Gasping for Salvation Airdate: April 26, 2017 @nbctv @nbcchicagopd Ratings: 6.270 Million :: 1.18 18-49 Demo Share Score: 3.75/10 TVTime/FB/IG/Tumblr/Path: @SpotlightSaga **********SPOILERS BELOW********* If one thing stands out in any episode of 'Chicago PD', it's any character (long or short term) coming through and threatening Hank Voight (Jason Beghe). Simply put, it is NOT a good idea! Whenever it happens, which isn't too often, I expect fireworks or some kind of eruption coming from Hank's general direction. Maybe his eyes will pop out like a cartoon character and flames & steam will rise from the top of his head. When any resistance or backtalk towards Voight is met with pure silence, the perpetrator may just be in more danger than if Hank Voight slammed them up against the intake wall or gave them a good piece of his mind... Something so intense that it's hard to wish on the scummiest of bad guys. Whatever it is, they should probably wish for a quick punch in the face over a cool, calm, collected, and secretly enraged Hank Voight. In Chicago PD 4x20, 'Gasping for Salvation', it's a fellow police officer, Denny Woods (Mykelti Williamson)... A cop from way back in Hank's past that makes this fatal mistake. You'd think someone who's been around Hank Voight and is aware of his reputation as long as Woods has been would know better, but there's always somebody putting ol' Hank to the test. Woods is Voight's superior, so maybe that had something to do with Woods' cocky behavior... That and the fact that Woods was involved in a cover-up that helped send an innocent man to prison for 17 years, so there is some desperation mixed in there as well that accounts for some of that ballsy attitude towards one of Chicago's most menacing and fearless Intelligence Officers. Something about the whole dynamic between the two men feels empty, the normal fireworks aren't there. It's not the issue in the story being told, but how it's being told. As we've mentioned many a time since NBC and everyone who works within the 'One Chicago' realm took on the third spinoff and 4th Chicago Franchise television series, Chicago Justice, there has been a noticeable drop-off in the quality of writing within not only these episodes but the story arcs that are the foundation and backbone of the seasons at hand. I had originally started with PD, then went back and fervently caught up on Chicago Fire so that I could watch the series and episode order the way they were meant to be watched. Then came Chicago Med... Then Chicago Justice. Suddenly the main emphasis fell on the big crossovers, the arcs that jumped from Chicago Series to Series, which in turn puts a strain on the individual series as a whole. For instance... Just who the hell is Denny Woods? Well, we're told facts about who he is within this singular, standalone episode and we're given a quick rundown as to the history between Woods and Voight. We are told what connects the two, besides sharing a job in the past, is the fact there is this sloppy arrest that put an innocent man away for such a large amount of time that Netflix could have easily picked up the story for a docuseries like 'Making a Murderer' if it had all actually happened in real life. If these writers and creators of One Chicago and particularly Chicago PD had the best interest of PD in mind, Woods would have been introduced many episodes ago... Maybe even several seasons, who knows... Whatever it took to build a proper compelling storyline that would have given this Voight vs Woods face off a much more epic feel, and made it actually mean something more than a 'one-and-done' throwaway ending, culminating to a moment where a door is being rightfully slammed in Vought's face. Of course, these people don't want anything to do with Voight. I personally wouldn't want to even see the man groveling at my feet for a genuine apology because, hello, you were part of a crew that took 17 years of my life away! That's 17 years of freedom, 17 years without a family, 17 years without being touched in a truly loving and meaningful way. No amount of money that could be awarded from the state for wrongful imprisonment would make up for those 17 hellacious years... That's near 2 freaking decades! And if the man had brushed up on his Netflix, he'd know to stay far away from any more police or strangers that came knocking around the door because as soon as that check hit he may be charged again and throwing all that money right back into the system! Good thing he had the common sense to anyway! Now just for a minute take all that background between Woods and Voight away. We're still left with a shaky foundation of a storyline that just so happens to involve a gun that supposedly matched a murder weapon from a case that was solved and closed ages & ages ago. They mean to tell me that because this man, Mark Scalise (Dana Ashbrook), the father of the murdererous son of this current case, Eric Scalise (Nickolas Loquercio), was a heroin addict and therefore kept the gun he used to murder someone and get away with it all those years ago? WHAT?! Writer Tiller Russell must be extremely tired or simply just not give a damn, because that is just straight lazy. Are we really supposed be shaking our heads and nodding in agreement to this asinine connection... 'Like father, like son!' Puh-lease!!! I simply cannot buy it. I simply will not buy it... Because I've seen this simple, straight forward Big 4 Network Procedural knock me down with some heavy hitting episodes, some of which were written by Tiller Russell himself! For me, that's just proof that everyone over at NBC working within this One Chicago Universe is tired, out of ideas, and simply over it. Can you blame them? There are literally 3 episodes of S4 left at this point, the writers should be making heavy strides towards creating a gripping story arc that captivates CPD's faithful audience to the end of the series, leaving them salivating for the series to return. I've been there with Chicago Fire and Chicago PD, I know it's possible. It's officially way past time to kick this tv series into overdrive. Sure, at its core CPD is an episodic procedural, but in the past 2-3 seasons we've seen the show take on serial elements that really connect each episode in a way that keeps the show fresh and engaging as possible. Unfortunately, all the show's across the board plainly feel like they've lost their mojo, their magic... It might be true that Chicago Med has always struggled to capture that magic, tho it has dramatically caught lightning in s bottle from time to time and walked away with some emotionally triumphant pieces... And it might be true that Chicago Justice never proved it had even an ounce of what it took to keep its claws in its audience, but this is no longer our show. Hopefully the cancellation of Justice will reinvigorate the franchise and NBC & Dick Wolf will have learned a valuable lesson... Don't beat your cash cow, nurture it, cradle it, and tuck it in at night. You don't want to end up with a full deck of faded out playing cards and massive waves of lost audience members, especially when it's the cornerstone of your network's median ratings.