#do i think the dawn of the future ending is a lil silly? yes.

[ninemelodies]

so i thought about this some more.

noct is the only one that remembers their loops & even then it takes a couple before they begin to settle in as solid memories and not some half-baked fever dream

for each loop the chocobros do the stronger they get. they keep everything they’ve learned/collected in past loops even tho the other 3 don’t question it.

the only bad thing is, they’re not the only one collecting power. for each loop completed ardyn also gets stronger until, eventually, he’s gathered more power/scourge than noct can get rid of.

it is in this loop that noct learns of bahamut’s plan - wipe out all life on eos using a tera flare strengthened by the scourge. during this loop ardyn also lets slip that luna is alive just asleep.

basically from there it goes into the dawn of the future ending with a little bit of canon hand waving where the regalia type f (or smth similar) is available when noct comes back from the 10 years of darkness (maybe night didn’t fall immediately but the days got shorter and shorter so cindy built them something so they could travel by air)

noct takes this to pitioss ruins, the only dungeon/ruin left unexplored after all these loops and the only place he can think of where luna could be. it takes. So. Many. Tries. to land without crashing and turning into a ball of fire.

he completes pitioss, wakes up luna, and takes her back to face bahamut w/ ardyn. tada the loop is broken noct doesn’t die everyone lives (except for ardyn who wanted to die anyway)

kinda thinking about turning new game+ into a time loop fic

[snarkystarkybby]

Sugar and Spice. Natasha Romanoff x reader

Hi all, 

juts another Lil sweet fluffy story for yall, 

please send me requests xo 

isabella x

It had been a hard mission. Civilians were hurt, Clint was hurt and Nat felt like it had been her fault. If she had of just looked a little harder, thought faster, maybe nobody would have gotten hurt. After a sleepless night of tossing and turning in the ever-so-slightly-too-soft-sheets, she decided to clear her mind by going on a walk through the city.

It was barely dawn but the streets were already bustling with the early risers and late-nighters and Natasha took in everything. The sounds of sirens and the early morning traffic, the sour smells of the city and underlying sent of coffee which roamed the streets and lingered in small cafes and takeaway cups.

The tiny hole in the wall bakery was a blink and you miss type place. Something about the buttery yellow painted bricks and the hand-drawn decals on the glass captured her attention and she found herself pushing open the door and smiling at the tinkering of the bell.

“just a minute” the sweet voice called out from far behind the counter and Nat could barely make out the hair twisted up delicately into a messy bun with a pin stuck through. As you turned around Natasha smiled at the small speck of flour? Across your cheek which you bashfully wiped off as you greeted her.

“Morning, what can I get you?” Your infectious smile and cheery tone were unexpected for so early but definably not unwelcomed, she found herself matching your smile as she ordered,

“oh uh just a black tea, and um whatever you recommend” in all honesty she didn’t care what she ate, everything looked amazing it was like every single pastry was a piece of handcrafted art and she was sure if you had created it would taste like heaven. Someone and gorgeous and warm as the girl in front of her couldn’t possibly be capable of baking a bad pastry.

You just smiled your mouth going dry at the beautiful woman in front of you. Your mind attempted to keep the focus on making her order, by keeping the small talk flowing smoothly between you it stopped you from getting too caught up in the ruby haired goddess. Nat was thankful for you talkative nature because no matter how hard she tried, the normally composed redhead, couldn’t think straight anytime you looked at her and smiled.

“you know it’s nice seeing someone so early, my first customer typically doesn’t arrive until 7 ish”

“why do you open so early then” She enquired as Nat glanced back to the door where it clearly stated the Sugar and Spice Patisserie opened every day at 6am.

“Because the first ones are always the most intriguing, here’s your order…”

“Natasha”

“well Natasha, I hope you enjoy”

“I’m sure I will” you watched as she eyed for a name badge, which you never wore, being the boss and all you made the rules,

“Y/N, I’m Y/N”

“Nice to meet you Y/N”  she called out softly, as the beautiful redhead walked out the door and something within you screamed for not getting her number or Instagram or something to at least be able to contact her by. Because you would be dammed if you never saw that stunning redheaded angel ever again.

It was hardly long before you saw each other again and eventually, Tasha, who you had nicknamed her (it made her stomach flutter every time it would pass by your lips)  became your most regular customer. Every morning just after you would flip your handmade sign from closed to open, she would walk through and order her black tea and your daily recommendation.

Each day you would hand her the steaming cup and a different pastry for her to try, and you two would chat whilst she sipped and ate, and you finished up the last few batches of the delicacy you were creating.

Your ongoing routine went on for months and eventually she asked if you wanted to catch a movie and dinner, which typically you would turn down dates but as she said the words your knees felt like jelly and the words “yes’ came out a little too quick and too enthusiastic for you to even hold a slither of dignity.

That afternoon you closed the café early and spent a decent two hours trying on every possible outfit you owned. Tasha had only ever seen you in your work outfits which were always paired with a messy bun and flour-covered apron.

When she knocked at your small apartments’ door to you with your hair down and curled, in a flowy white dress and jean jacket her jaw almost physically dropped. You invited her in and quickly scurried off to put on the final touches of your makeup and grab your purse. 

Natasha smiled as sure looked around your apartment, it was everything she expected. Bright colours, soft pillows and polaroids you who she assumed was your friends and family. She spotted a few small house plants and the knitted blanket thrown across your sofa, which she remembered you telling her about and how you had spent all of the winter learning how to knit only to not finish the blanket until mid-summer when it was rendered useless. She smiled at the memory.

The pair of you walked ate at a small Italian restaurant before heading to the cinema to watch,

“whatever you want to see” you shook your head at how sweet Natasha was but you insisted she chose so I the end you watched the lasted comedy film and shared popcorn and soda. When you arrived back to your apartment and it took hardly half an hour before you two were sitting cross-legged laughing at the silly story about Natasha friend Steve, wine glasses in each of your hand and both of you slightly tipsy.

After exactly three more dates and an accidental hook up you and Natasha became official, she explained who she was, and you scolded yourself for not realises sooner but it hardly changed anything. She still came in each morning sometimes with a friend (not going to lie you fangirled a little when you met THE CAPTAIN AMERICA. Your 9-yr. old self was screaming with excitement)

She was your favourite customer, best friend and girlfriend. Not a single part of you could understand how you had become so lucky to have her, but you would be dammed if you ever let her go. Natasha, on the other hand, had finally found and accepted her happiness, in the small yellow Sugar and Spice Patisserie. Something within her thanked the sour smells of the city and early morning traffic for directing her straight to the love of her life, and the future she would have with you- flour-covered cheeks and all.  

[lumilasi]

from all your oc's is there any particular oc that is your favourite amongst the other? idk like they kind have a special meaning to you.

Mmmm, kind of, but also not really?

There is no one singular character that I could say is more special than everyone else, but rather there's a group of sorts, that have something about them that makes them bit more special, and the reasons kind of vary;

There's Azul, who's one of my all time favorite characters; he's existed for many years now, so there's a pretty strong nostalgia attachment with him! (His birth story is kinda interesting in a sense that he was a fantasy AU version of another character named Chester, but I ended up preferring Azul vastly more and Chester no longer really exists.) Azul is basically the protagonist of this OC group alongside his lil bro Reuben, and he's their problem solver/grumpy big brother figure with a mischievous side. He's also lowkey dating his kingdom's eldest prince Diojas lol

(Dio and Azul are also one of my all time favorite oc couples, their "old bickering couple who'd trust each other with their lives" dynamic is super fun)

There's Jurou, who's another one of my all time faves, a newer addition to the list. He's really fun to draw, but he's a fave especially because he embodies a lot of the positive parental qualities in him that I actually took from my own dad. He's patient, emotionally intelligent, supportive, guides you without holding your hand too much, and has a good sense of humor. (to be fair most of my dad characters have these qualities in varying amounts, Jurou is just my favorite out of all of them due to his design and powers lol) It's especially fun given, well....look at this guy; he looks like a scary villain, but his nature is nothing like that (usually lol)

(Also, his relationship with Yuushi is fun, with how both of them are much nicer and kinder in nature than they might appear & how Jurou is the calm, quieter one and Yuushi is the silly weirdo)

I feel like I do need to bring up Dawn & Shanti. They are THE og characters of mine, the ones I started with years ago when I first started posting online. Of course, they look NOTHING like what they used to be (they were...sonic ocs back then, yes I had that phase too OTL...) and actually am supposed to finish their redesigns; their personalities and Dawn's fire-themed powers have always stayed similar though. I only have one up-to-date art piece to share about them rn;

(I've just been too invested in my other oc story set to really get back to this, but maybe someday, hopefully!)

There's also the "I just really really REALLY love these character's designs especially, and gravitate towards drawing them a lot as a result" squad, which includes Yaguro, Chouma, Konjou and Angus (tho there's also story reasons to why I really like these four)

Yaguro because he's so colorful, but also his dynamic with Yume is fun & the fact he looks scary but is actually a really good parent figure (hence he becomes a parent in the future with Yume)

Chouma because I love his color contrast & his funny relationship with Youko, where this big scary looking guy goofs around and big brothers a lil girl who's oblivious about how scary he is lol. Also his complicated relationship with Angus is pretty fun to explore, where they aren't really a couple, but Angus def. pays special attention to him/is a bit possessive over Chouma.

Konjou's design is again, really fun to me. I also like his family drama with his mum & the fact he's Yaguro's half brother. Also his silly himbo BF loves penguins and thinks Konjou kinda looks like one lol, so there's lot of interesting stuff to do with him. Oh, there's also this whole deal with Angus kinda being a dad-figure to him, almost.

Talking about him, Angus, outside his design that's surprisingly fun to me despite being fairly simple, is a very interesting and complex villain where it feels like I constantly discover new details that could work/make sense with his character. From how cold and calculating he usually is, to the genuine care he shows to select few in his own way (his sis, Konjou, Chouma), to how as a former doctor he still prefers killing his opponents as painlessly as possible - unless you anger him where all that is thrown out of the window. This last bit is especially interesting because it is a conscious choice, that requires effort from his part, given he's actually quite sadistic.

.....There's so many more I could talk about tbh, but I should really cut this here so this answer won't get any longer than it already is lmao

(....Okay one more, I HAVE to give Honorary Mention to Yuushi, because he's hilarious and one of my friend's favorites;)

[woozi]

henlo yza <3 ,

hdjdkd i don't really have much knowledge abt different techniques & kind of dances so when the steps match the lyrics i'm like '!!! wow yes i love it' fhdjdjskks also bc i've grown up watching these kind of dances only so my that's what i tend to notice first hdjdjddk it is also one of the reason why i decided to stan svt dwc, oh my, thanks & our dawn is hotter than day's choreo details really impressed me.

maybe vincenzo is your svt club & ur so valid for that <3 hddjdjekek also pls don't say sorry!! you can talk abt it as much as you want i like knowing what you think. i'll let you know how was it for me when i complete it. & no homecha hasn't ended yet (idk if there are 16 or 14 eps i haven't checked) it does come on weekends, counting this sunday's ep, we're at 12th rn.

i get that fjdjdkkd i used to be the same 😭 always waiting for dramas to end so i can binge watch because not knowing what happens next would kill me. but idk when this happened, my will to watch anything died down bc the eps are just there, available for me to watch anytime. im like 'i'll watch it next time' but next time never comes 💀. this year i've watched no-air ones only hdjssj very surprising for me ( also my wack memory & svt content supports me by forgetting abt it after weekend ends dhdjdkkd) anyway i'm very excited to see how you like homecha!

CHURCH BOY JOSH HDHDJDDKKSLSDJ church boy josh, cringe domestic boy, joshua numbers. we've come up with so many nicknames for him in few asks only 😭😭 dbdjksksk deserve actually. BUT SO TRUE I STILL HAVE NO WORDS FOR HIM. THAT WAS- JUST- WOW OKAY WE SEE YOU 😭😭and dino lip piercing and hoshi eyebrow slit..... so sexy of them. cb concept pictures haven't come out yet & they're already shinning!! love to see that. also now we have gyu and hoshi's wedding reception pictures & cottagecore hannie (with that collarbone picture right in middle >:( wth mister but also hbd ig <3) being added in the equation.

IM CRYINGGGGGG THEY LOOK SO CUTE THEY ARE SO CUTE NOO 😭😭💔 HOW HAVE I NEVER SEEN THESE COVERS WTH (being the ex-directioner and all dhdjkdsksk). I SMILED SO WIDE WATCHING THEM <///3 it's been so long since i heard one thing wow lol. but! this means they know who zayn is. thank you for this jdjssk this is going to keep me happy for some time hdjdke. SUNDAY MORNING EHJEJEKE 😭 thank you <3 dndjdj

IKR???? IM SO EXCITED FOR THIS CB I'M ALSO EXCITED TO EXPERIENCE IT WITH YOU. agreee truly bless svt for helping keeping us from losing it over life (by making us lose it over them) tbh sometimes it worries me too with the way contents keep dropping but just now in these unit interviews being released, perf unit shared how they have ppl who encourage them to be okay with their tiredness. things like that put me at ease. hope they rest well from time to time too. honestly just looking at their tour schedules i used to get tired because these dudes used to have more shows and less day offs and some of them being used to just move from one city to another. i hope in coming years pledis changes that lol.

sameee for the poster release hdjdkeek. also even though there was scheduler, i forgot abt the concept trailer 😭 it was raining & bcoz of that power was out as well & i don't use data dhdjdkdk. i think 5 minutes after 12 kst power came back (you can say joshu's sparkler brought it back hdjdjdks) it literally left me speechless. yk that meme ' everyone remembers what they were doing & where they were when it happened ' that's me & you with this cb hfjdkd honestly that's everyone with this cb me thinks.

seventeenies bringing the grass to you w their posts djdjkd ( btw you can always tell me if silly little jokes get out of hand i wouldn't ever like to make you uncomfy) but seriously i hope uni doesn't give you hard time. don't worry much just keep moving forward, at some point whatever is making you feel stuck will move away eventually.

is it that obvious? 😭😭😭😭 no i don't like rain at all dhjddk (i actually didn't dislike it as much during teens) mostly because road drainage system sucks here & we live in lower area so even moderate rain causes water logging. i'd give you some rain but this one's bad so i won't </3 ( as if i could if it were the good one 💀) stay hydrated!!! drink two sips of water everytime you hear dino laugh, i hope it cools a little soon.

that's what being on tumblr since 2012 does to you 😭 ALSO UR SO FUNNY PLS, SO ARE THE MEMES YOU USE FOR ASKS DJDJDKD. *hands you bunny headband dino* it's dangerous outside take this, you too stay safe out there 😭😭😭😭 love you too <3 and thank YOU for hanging out w me hehe :3, also dw tbh these asks have become one of the highlights for me now & i'm only using my free time excluding resting time, i hope you are too, no pressure at all! dw about being late - 🪂

ps - did i tell you i actually followed your svt blog around the time everyone was guessing your biases hddjkddj i sent mingyu & jeonghan dhdjdj that was my first ask :3 - 🪂

henlo, 🪂!! <3 <3 <3

honestly it doesnt matter to me tbh <3 if people enjoy the dance its all that matters!! and omg i can see that!! i love the svteenies always bring something fresh to the table

omg that means you're near the end 😭😭😭 i keep seeing gifs of it on my dash and it makes me feel a lil lovesick ngl HJFHJFHD why is it so TENDER????????????????

ok but that's so valid too bc that's me rn with in the soop.... i literally have not watched the 6th ep yet 😭 and i'm getting the feeling youre mentioning w swf now because i literally always look forward to tuesdays just for the next ep HJDHJDS also i am dumb what are no-airs HJDHJDHHD and ur not alone tbh <3 i have also been super forgetful lately and that is not like me fdhjdfjhdfhjdfhj we're rotting in this hellsite ig

love bullying him i just wanna know how he'd react if he gets upset <3 i dont think we've ever seen angry josh and i wanna make him angry sm HSDHJSDJ im glossing over dino lip piercing to directly go over hOSHI EYEBROW SLIT BC HELLO??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? ive never really liked eyebrow slits but he makes them look so- i want him to hurt me HJDSHJDHJDS ALSO THE LATEST SET OF PHOTOS OH MY GODDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD they're giving me what i've been asking for i love being here sm <3 soonyoung's so chummy w everyone have u seen his photos w jihoon last night 😭 he's literally tamed the actual tiger icb this. and no oh my god i do not Know what Collarbone Jeonghan is i have erased him from my memories thank u

HDSHDSJDSHJDS the ex-directioner is so funny to me 😭 i think we have all been there one way or another <3 and ofc omg <3 i'm glad my core svt memories make u happy HSDJHJDFHJHJDSF

they literally said escapism hELP ME 😭😭😭😭😭 i think they're also just workaholics in general. i would be too if i actually enjoyed what i did for a living 😭 and are we even gonna get tours in the near future.... this is so sad i havent even seen them irl </3

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OMG that's terrible, i hope u guys were okay though :/ AND NOT THE JOSH SPARKLER FDDHJFHDFHJFDHFDH now i have to think about him oh my god i think i passed out a little when eyebrow piercing josh came on screen and just full on blacked out when the match scene came on tbh 😭 JKSDJKDSKDS ITS LIKE THE PANDEMIC!!!!!!! WE WILL RMB!!!!!!!!!

ALSOO NOOO OMG i dont feel uncomf at all and u should also tell me if i do make u feel so <3 thank u for even mentioning that!! also love that they're Doing It All for us we dont even have to go out to touch grass anymore HJDSHJSDJ i've actually been v happy w uni omg!! just that i often feel stressed bc they give us sm things to do </3 thank u for ur kind words!!

that's the price of being an adult JDJSJKD now we gotta think of things like.. idk the effects of rain 😭😭😭 i used to even love it when it flooded as a kid HJDSHJSDHJ now i get anxious too!! i love all kinds of rain though so i wont mind JKKSDKJSDKJD just that other people might be affected </3 wish i had my own rain cloud on some kind of leash lmao. ALSO IF I DRINK WATER EVERY TIME I HEAR DINO LAUGH FDHFDHJDFHD gonna be bloated but hydrated af ngl

oh my gOD YOU WERE HERE SINCE 2012???? we're literally sick bestie <3 i genuinely think tumblr has changed something fundamental in me and my way of thinking has not been The Same as idk.. regular people ig JDSHJSDHJSD THE OFFLINE PEOPLE!! smth about tumblr is so <3 sick but also i love this hellsite so 😗 AND NOOO NOT THE MEMES FDHDFHJDF its my broken sense of humor and inability to convey emotions properly HHSDHJDSHJ

BUNNY HEADBAND DINO?????????????????????????????????????? honestly he'd bring me more harm than protection i'll say that much 😭

AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW 🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺 that genuinely made me feel so warm & fuzzy, i always look forward to your messages too <3 <3 <3 i hope u always have good days u deserve it for being such a sweetheart

WAIT HELLO???????????????????????? YOU'VE BEEN HERE FOR SO LONG THEN 😭😭😭😭😭 and im so impressed you didnt get weeded out ngl HFDHJFDHJFD icb you've been witnessing me going more ill everyday <3 ur a soldier

and u are partially correct abt mingyu & jh <3 at least during the time JSDJDSJKSDJK i think i've been desensitized to mingyu now but i still love him sm <3 he's just so cute and cutesy boys kinda infuriate me in an affectionate way so HJSDHJDSHJDSH

[alucywarner]

~♥ PRIVACY PLEASE ♥~

[So, that dealing got done. Woo-hoo. No one was caught, no parents walked in. Nope, these darn kids got away with it. And afterwards, an edging-on-hangry Carmen got herself some pizza. It’d all be very rom-com, if Carmen felt any romance at all, but alas.

Pizza was eaten, and separate rooms were probably taken again, and that’s when the parents got home who were none-the-wiser as to what took place on the couch while they were away. Hm. Don’t worry, Mr. Rivera. Your daughter is still the innocent angel you believe her to be. Everything is fine here. Nothing to see. 

No sign of Julian and Sophie before everyone else had turn into their own rooms, though, much to Carmen’s disappoint, because, really, the couple had been gone all day, and there was just little for Carmen to be excited about if she could underhandedly, or not-so-underhandedly flirt with Julian Harper. Nope, not even couch sex is gonna keep her excited enough to not be upset about the lack of flirtation with her future husband, because she truly felt like maybe he was flirting back, if even a little bit. (And why wouldn’t he? She was Carmen. She got who she wanted, my dude. iF SHE WANTED SOMEONE TO FLIRT, BY GOSH, THEY’D DO IT BACK.)

But again, no sign of the couple before everyone went on their own way for the night. And am I gonna deny that there is a strong chance that Jordan sneaked into Carmen’s room again? Because I don’t think I am. The boy is insatiable, okay? He can’t help it. Carmen Rivera was a siren sent for his destruction, but boy he loved every minute of it, and probably her i mean what. So, uh, yeah. There was probably a great big round-two. 

And just like before, he was dang kicked out as soon as all of that was over. Like, there will be no afterglow cuddles here, my boy. Go back to your own room, and don’t let me see your face until morning, got it? So, of course, he would never argue with her post-sex because he still had that fog flying around his brain, so that meant he left as instructed.

Try as Carmen may to fall asleep after he was gone, she undoubtedly had too high a heart-rate to be able to go to sleep quickly, and she sat there for what felt like ages, but was probably only about half-an-hour or so, just staring at the ceiling before she decided that she would just get up, stand on the balcony, and hope the sounds of the ocean could be lullaby enough to help her drift off into a niCE PEACFUL SLEEP.

So, off she went to the balcony, padding quietly as to not wake anyone up. (She figured everyone in the condo would be asleep by now, given that it was like, two in the morning.) But, hark, what’s this??? The balcony is already occupied by someone else??? Leaning against the railing and watching the stars and moon and prettiness???? Who ever could that be?]

You’re up late.

[He turns ever-so-not-gracefully around.] ‘Could say the same thing about you. [And it is clear that he’s cracked open a few cold ones with the boys tonight.]

Aha. You’re also drunk, aren’t you~?

Maybe jus’ a little.

I take it you had a fun night with your school friends then.

S’always fun to hang out with guys. 

I bet Sophie enjoyed herself a ton.

I take it she did since I carried her passed out self in earlier. Then again, she always has been a lightweight, so maybe not as much fun as I had.

Well, it’s nice that you had a good time. [So, she’s gonna go stand beside him and lean against the railing like he is, ya know.]

Did you have fun tonight? Alone with Magikarp, and everything? [Since I believe his fam would have told him they would be going out.]

[A quiet, breathy laugh at the drunken Julian still referring to Jordan as ‘Magikarp’.] It was fine.

Just fine?

I mean, he and I didn’t talk much. [Not a lie.]

Yeah. I figured that, actually, given the... not-talking sounds happening when Sophie and I got back.

... You came back during that, did you?

I seem to have impeccable timing. 

I figured you be... out for the rest of the night. Sorry. [Is that actually a bashful Carmen? Because it may just be.]

[There is a pause now, and all that can be heard is the sound of the crashing waves, because nah, nobody’s on the beach at 2 AM. Not on this part of the beach, anyway. But, if you listened really closely, you could hear the sounds of gears turning in a drunk man’s brain. From thinking too hard about something. 

But then we don’t have to worry about listening to gears turning, because, he’s back to talking, and interrupting the sound of the crashing waves, and all that.]

Can I ask you a question?

Uh, sure.

This may be a bit out of turn, but... just tell me if I’m overstepping.

Okay. [Confused, but like, curious.]

Jordan. Do you actually... I mean, I guess I just don’t... get it. Because... well, it just doesn’t... make sense?

What doesn’t make sense?

You and... him, and not-talking sounds. It’s not... I don’t know. I don’t know what I’m saying.

Yeah, same, actually. [Because, he’s like, super confusing her.]

It’s just... Do you... Do you actually like him, Carmen? Like, do you like Jordan?

[And then at least a little bit of something appears to dawn on her. Because this drunken tone does not read as concern for a little brother. Nope.] Depends on what you mean by ‘like’, Julian.

I mean, do you like him? Because it doesn’t make any sense to me. It really doesn’t. Jordan’s just... he’s... he’s fucking Magikarp, that’s all. And you dont’ seem like the type to go for Jordan.

Having sex with him doesn’t mean I like him, you know.

So, you’re saying you don’t?

If I do say that? What would you say?

Good. I’d say good. I think you’re way too good for him.

I actually aim my sights a bit higher than high school boys, usually~. 

Except in this case, right?

It occupies my time~.

Well... he’s lucky to be given that opportunity.

... Yeah?

‘Course. You’re... intelligent, witty, ambitious, kind... 

Oh, stop.

And... you’re beautiful.

[A mind screech, but a good one. So, she tilts her head like all the teen girls do when they’re trying too hard to be cute, ya know. There is a smile sliding across that evil face of hers.] I’m all of that~?

Most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen.

[So, she’s bashful again, because, lbr, she’s got the feelings for Julian, so it’s not like when any other person has said that to her before. Because, by gosh, I’m sure she’s heard that one a few times in her life, but J u l i a n saying it. Oh, boy. It’s too much for her girly heart to take. Flutters abound here.

There is a bashful look at the ground, and she’s probably red, and her heart’s just goin nuts, my dude, and, again there’s only the crashing of the waves behind them, but she can’t hear it because her heart’s pounding in her ears. You know how it is. But then, she’s not looking at the ground anymore, because there is a finger lifting her chin, and oh geez, are we ready for more bad decision-making today?? Because someone’s about to make one. And it goes a lil something like this.]

[And, come on, even Carmen Rivera herself couldn’t have expected her schEME to come to a head so quickly. Yeah, sure, the alCOHOL helped along the way, but boy heckie, she had to put in the work to make the alcohol even be able to help. So, no, while she honestly hadn’t been expecting this in the least, oh dear, is she ever flying with purE JOY? 

That’s what it felt like. SOarinG, FLyiNGG. Because had she ever kissed someone that she actually had real romantic feelings for? And not just sEX FEELINGS? The answer to that one is a strong no. Definitely she had never been in this situation before. So, yes, this is totally a bad idea says Parrish, buT, that means nothing here in the land of a drunk Julian and a soaring, flying Carmen. BECAUSE. She’s definitely not stopping it. It’s not stopping on her watch.]

[So, it’s deepened, it’s more passion than Carmen’s ever thrown into any kiss in her whole life, and she’s had a lot of them. She’s making sure that that drunk brain of Julian’s knows that she’s in this one too. He ain’t alone in this kiss, boy. She wanTS IT. She’d go further if that’s what the dude wanted. JUST NAME IT, JULIAN HARPER, AND YOU CAN HAVE IT. 

And Mr. Fuzzy Brain is all-too-accepting of this. He’s all-too-immersed in this siren we call Carmen Rivera. Most of all, it’s dream-fulfillment, because without a doubt, even despite trying not to, you better believe the guy had somE kind of dream about kissing her after the morning after debacle. YoU BETTER BELIEVE IT. So, while the lady there is pushing ever-so-harder into this kiss, well, Mr. Married is allowing it. And not only is he allowing it, he’s contributing.]

[Oh, dear. The balcony is spinning, and Carmen isn’t even the drunk one. Nope, he’s just kissing her that silly right now. Not good, not good. 

Better believe there’s some attempts at progression here, because maybe there’s a Julian hand drifting somewhere that it probably shouldn’t, and bet Carmen’s (veRY DANGEROUSLY) pressed up against the railing right now, and beT HARDER that there’s some Julian LIPS drifting down to a neCK, freeing up Carmen’s mouth to do something like, I don’t know, let out a noise of satisfaction, or what-have-you.

And it is thaT noise that brings Julian back to reality. So, he pulls back, and there is a look of ‘SHIT’ on his face. He backs off, and he looks dazed af through that ‘shIT’.]

Carmen... I am so sorry. I don’t know what I’m doing. I--... I--... I’m just... gonna go inside now. Good night. 

[He starts in with the unrivaled speed of a guy that just drunkenly made out with someone that wasn’t his wife.] Julian, it’s [He’s already inside.] ... fine.

[And here we have poor Carmen, the homewrecker who just rly rly adores that Harper boy, left alone on that balcony hoping to gOD that maybe Julian won’t remember this tomorrow because, hoW EMBARRASSING WOULD THAT BE, RIGHT? Okay, the end. yay.]

[daleisgreat]

Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift

Welcome back to my latest entry going through the Fast and Furious franchise. Today I am covering the third movie in the series, 2006’s The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (trailer). If you are going through my blog archives and am curious why there is no entry for 2Fast, 2Furious, that is because as I stated in my blog for the first film that is the only film in the brand that I loathe and do not own so I am going to pretend it does not exist. -I always considered Tokyo Drift a side story in the F&F universe since Vin Diesel & Paul Walker’s characters take a backseat and this film focuses on one Sean Boswell (Lucas Black). After getting in a nasty wreck in a street race gone awry with high school rival Clay (Zachery Ty Bryan), Sean is sent packing overseas to live with his father (Brian Goodman) in Tokyo. Even in the Far East Sean cannot escape the thrills of the underground street racing scene after getting introduced to it by new friend, Twinkie (Shad Moss aka Lil Bow Wow).

-I ended up watching Tokyo Drift twice. The first time I watched it with the Giant Bomb staff commentary like I did with the first film, and the second time with director commentary from Justin Lin (Tokyo Drift marks the first of four straight F&F films that Lin directed). The Giant Bomb crew once again was a riot to listen to especially since GB head honcho Jeff Gertsmann flew nationwide to join up with the East Coast office’s crew to specifically watch this film with these guys. Jeff has a lot of awesome stories about relating to this film with his rambunctious street racing tales growing up and lays down some knowledge on drift culture and goes in depth on some car industry lingo when appropriate. Lin also had a lot of nonstop insight throughout and had a lot of love for the cast and I got a kick of his memory of car enthusiasts riding him on swapping out the engine of a Dodge Charger in order to make it drift-worthy. I also appreciated Lin explaining what it took to pull off and how grateful he was to get a certain cameo at the end of the film. -The opening race scene where Sean and Clay race is awesomely cheesy where the two demolish a new expansion of residential areas under developmen. There is silly a BluRay GPS extra feature where each driver’s location is shown on an overlay map on the screen. I nodded along enthusiastically following the dots with intense driving action playing out to Kid Rock’s “Bawitaba” in the background.

-Tokyo Drift is the final movie in the franchise to have street racing be the primary focus of the film. Tokyo Drift’s hook on the racing is by introducing drifting to the street races. I recall being surprised at how the film made it seem like it was this revolutionary technique that was only applicable in Japan, but that was probably because I played too many driving videogames that had a drift feature such as various Need for Speed and Burnout games by 2006. Regardless, I loved how the film embraced drifting here by introducing the antagonist street racer of the film, DK aka Drift King (Brian Tee). He smokes Sean in an early race in the film as Sean is flummoxed at this radical new car technique, but luckily Han (Sung Kang) takes him under his wing and shows him the ropes at making him a master drifter in a well-produced montage. -Spoilers ahead, skip this paragraph if you have not seen Tokyo Drift. Yes, Han makes his F&F debut in this film, and even though he bites the dust to set up the final act, Justin Lin loved the character so much that he brought him back for the next three films. When asked about this in interviews, Lin simply stated that F&F 4-6 all take place before Tokyo Drift. Sure, why not. That is fine, because Han is an awesome character and Kang nails his laid back role and even has a couple throwaway loose references in Tokyo Drift on how he use to ride with ‘The Family’ that formed in the following films so it all makes sense anyways. If you are new to the series and absolutely want to watch the films in the proper canonical order then the correct way to do so is starting off with the first two movies, then skip to four through six, but skip the post-credit scene at the end of six, then watch Tokyo Drift and then the F&F6 post-credit scene and continue on to seven and eight. If you can follow that, then you will be set and the timelines will all fall into place….I think.

-The two best scenes in the film are when Sean and Han have a serious life moment with rooftop soccer in the background and the final mountain-top race showdown between DK and Sean. It is appropriately ridiculous and filled with countless ‘yeah right’ drifts and stunts. This race went out of its way to show how advanced Japan cell phone tech was in 2006 by being able to live stream and broadcast the race with the latest flip-phones available at the time. Also, I hope you made the connection by now that F&F 4-6 all take place a couple years before the introductions of smart phones, so even though they are ubiquitous in those films, just think of them as alternate model flip-phones and avoid thinking twice about it. The race was the ultimate thrill ride and a fitting end to a surprisingly enjoyable film that did not prominently feature any of the cast from the first pair of films. -There is a significant amount of extras on the BluRay, but unless you are seriously into car culture and drifting then you can easily skip at least half the extras. If you are a big gearhead, you will absolutely eat up Drift: Sideways Craze a one hour look at the pro drift racing scene and a few other shorter extras on drift culture. If I were to recommend just two of the 11 extra features (totaling around two and a half hours!), then check out Han’s Last Ride and Tricked Out to Drift. Those two extras break down the gang car chase scene and how the filmmakers modded the Dodge Charger in the film to make it drift-worthy. There is also a feature-length ‘Picture-in-Picture’ BluRay exclusive extra that combines all the extras and constantly switches between them all when appropriate throughout the film so that could be a better way to take in all the extra features, but I would rather suggest checking out the director commentary from Justin Lin instead. -I still recall regretting going to the theater when initially seeing The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift and thinking it was going to be a complete waste with none of the noteworthy cast in it. I was glad to be proven wrong. Tokyo Drift is far from the best film in the series, but I would still give it a strong recommendation because it is a fitting swan song for races and driving being at the forefront of the movies before the series transitioned into the over-the-top-yet-amazing-what-will-they-do-next CG experiences that we know them as today. Other Random Backlog Movie Blogs 3 12 Angry Men (1957) 12 Rounds 3: Lockdown 21 Jump Street Angry Video Game Nerd: The Movie Atari: Game Over The Avengers: Age of Ultron Batman: The Killing Joke Batman: Mask of the Phantasm Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice Bounty Hunters Cabin in the Woods Captain America: The First Avenger Captain America: The Winter Soldier Christmas Eve Clash of the Titans (1981) Clint Eastwood 11-pack Special The Condemned 2 Creed Dirty Work Faster Fast and Furious I-VIII Field of Dreams Fight Club The Fighter For Love of the Game Good Will Hunting Gravity Guardians of the Galaxy Hercules: Reborn Hitman Ink Interstellar Jobs Man of Steel Marine 3 & 4 Mortal Kombat The Replacements Rocky I-VII Running Films Part 1 Running Films Part 2 San Andreas ScoobyDoo Wrestlemania Mystery The Secret Life of Walter Mitty Steve Jobs Source Code Star Trek I-XIII Take Me Home Tonight TMNT The Tooth Fairy 1 & 2 UHF Veronica Mars Wild The Wrestler (2008) X-Men: Days of Future Past

[hedaswolf]

Ooh, ooh, can we get a sleepover chapter? Either El going to a friend's OR, a friend comes to stay at their house, or both.

part 20 of the clexa eleven au !

“Plaid pajama set or pink nightgown?” Clarke asks from her spot on your bedroom floor. She holds up both options as if you wouldn’t be able to make the decision without visual aids.

You smile, glad it goes without saying that you want to keep your Grounders tee safe at home. “Plaid.” She tosses them to you and you take your time folding the top and bottoms before placing them in your backpack.

The last time you and Clarke packed a bag together she was “anx-cited” about going to California to meet with one of her graphic design clients. This time you’re the one who’s anx-cited -- and the one who’s leaving.

“So,” Clarke says, “you gonna miss us?”

You shrug one shoulder and focus on smoothing out a crease in the plaid fabric in your lap. “It’s not far.”

“Mmmmhm.” Clarke arches an eyebrow and presses her lips together. “Well we’re gonna miss you, I’ll tell ya that.”

You roll your eyes and the two of you laugh and you try to sink into the comforting familiarity of the moment. But the truth is you will miss them, more than you’d like to admit.

***

Lexa walks you to Lily’s house. It’s kinda silly, because it’s just around the corner and you’ve walked there on your own plenty of times, but when Lexa offered you quickly agreed.

The plan has been in the works ever since you told Lily that your moms want to adopt you. You were standing in the schoolyard during recess, bouncing on your toes to keep warm. After Lily freed you from an extra-suffocating hug she told you, eyes shining with tears, that you have to tell her absolutely everything, but away from the busybodies at school. The only solution, of course, was a sleepover.

So Lily set to work concocting a detailed strategy to get her parents on-board and a few days later, when she gave you the all-clear, you simply asked your moms, who said ‘yes’ practically before you got the question out.

Lexa squeezes your hand as Lily’s house comes into view and you wonder if she can feel the quickening thrum of your pulse. You squeeze back and try to snap yourself out of it.

You’re a child of the system who’s slept in countless lumpy beds in homes run by some unsavory people. But Lily’s queen-sized bed is made of this magical material called “memory foam” and her parents are warm and cheerful, like their daughter, so you can’t fathom why the thought of sleeping over makes you feel a bit queasy inside. It bugs you.

When you reach the doorstep Lexa turns to you before ringing the bell. She cups your chin and waits for you to meet her eyes.

“You’re going to have a great time,” she says, like it’s a fact. “But if you ever want to come home just call. Even if it’s the middle of the night, okay? We won’t mind.”

You want to tell her you’re not a wuss, that you’ve stayed in far worse places without having anyone to call in the middle of the night -- you’ll survive one sleep in Lily’s fancy house. Lexa runs a finger over the crease that’s formed between your brows, and you remember that if anyone understands the kind of nights you once endured, it’s her.

“Okay.” The smile that seemed so far away just seconds ago spreads easily across your face. “I love you, Mum.”

“I love you too, El.” You sink into the warmth of Lexa’s hug, wrapping your arms around her middle. Then it hits you. “Oh no… I forgot! I got distracted by Waffles, and then the phone rang, and then it was time to go...”

You pull away and glance down the street, wondering how long it’ll take you to run back.

“You forgot something?” Lexa places a steadying hand on your shoulder. “What is it? I can go get it.”

You shake your head, that queasy feeling setting back in. “I forgot to tell Ma I love her.”

Just then the front door swings open and Lily’s mom appears behind it.

“I thought I heard voices out here,” she says, smiling at both of you. “Come on in, Eleven. Lily’s anxiously awaiting your arrival in her room.” She cups one hand beside her mouth and switches to a stage whisper. “I believe I heard rumblings about a blanket fort.”

Lexa must read the panic on your face because she pulls you in for another hug.

“Don’t worry,” she murmurs in your ear. “I’ll tell her.”

***

There are, indeed, the beginnings of a blanket fort in Lily’s spacious bedroom. Your friend sets you to work right away, and with each sheet you secure to a bedpost or light fixture you forget a bit more about your earlier misgivings.

The whole bedroom is practically covered in an intricate network of blankets and pillows by the time Lily’s dad calls you down for dinner. As you sit around the table with the family you can’t help but compare it to meals with your moms.

Lily’s dad made steak, which you don’t often have at home, but it’s tender and delicious. Lily dips her meat in ketchup, which her dad dubs “an outrage,” but he’s smiling when he says it.

Lily’s mom is more proper than either of yours. Throughout dinner she reminds Lily of her manners, instructing her to chew with her mouth closed and keep her elbows off the table. At first it makes you self conscious about your own eating habits, but eventually you catch on that Lily is mostly misbehaving on purpose, and that her mom winks at you each time she scolds her daughter.

All families have their weird little games, you think.

After dinner you head straight back to the blanket fort. Lily is one of the few kids in your class who has a TV in their room, and you purposefully built the fort around it so you can still see the screen from the bed. You lie on your stomachs on top of the covers, heads propped up on elbows, and watch cartoons on a cable channel you don’t get at home.

When Lily’s mom calls up that it’s time to get ready for bed a strange feeling settles in your gut. It makes you think of your first night in the group home -- an unshakeable notion that you don’t belong here.

But that makes no sense. You’ve been over Lily’s a million times. Your brain must be mixed up.

You and Lily change into PJs and take turns brushing your teeth, and something about going through the motions of the routine makes you feel better. Once you’re settled under the covers Lily’s dad comes in to tuck you in. He and Lily do an elaborate handshake that ends with kisses on both cheeks, and you hide a smile behind your hand.

It’s strange to see your bold and brassy friend in such a tender moment. When they’re done you think she might make you swear not to tell anyone what you’ve seen, but all she does is give you a toothy smile before sticking out her tongue. You grin back, happy that you have a friend who has never once doubted that she’s loved.

Lily’s dad leans over his daughter and holds up his hand, palm facing you. “Up top, kiddo.” You giggle as you give him a high-five, trying not to think about how the pet name makes reminds you of your Mama. (You definitely don’t wonder what your moms are doing at this very moment, or worry about where Waffles will sleep tonight. Absolutely not.)

After Lily’s dad leaves and turns off the bedroom light, you hear Lily throw off her covers and start rummaging for something under the bed.

“Ah ha!” she says, and then you’re blinking into a blinding light. “Oh, sorry.” She points the flashlight away from you as she climbs back into bed. “It’s just, I want to hear about your adoption proposal and I obviously need to see your face.”

***

In your and Lexa’s favorite show -- the one about a pawn shop that buys antiques -- the book expert often wears white gloves when handling priceless texts, to make sure she doesn’t damage them. You really wish you had a pair of those gloves right now as you balance “The Story of Us” on your lap.

Lily clamps a hand over her mouth as she squeals at the sight of it. Once she gets ahold of her excitement she balances the flashlight on a pillow and aims the light at the sketchbook. For a moment you worry she might try to turn the pages herself, but she wraps her arms around herself, like she’s trying to keep from bursting.

“Okay,” she says after taking a deep breath. “I’m ready.”

You take her through the story, letting her read each page before explaining what you were thinking the first time you saw it. At this point you practically have the words memorized, but reading it again through someone else’s eyes is thrilling. It doesn’t hurt that Lily squeaks and sighs at every little thing.

When you get to one of your favorite pages -- the one with “And now it’s time for them to live happily ever after…” -- Lily makes a hiccuping sort of sound. But you keep going, too caught up in your narration to stop.

“By this point my moms were a mess,” you whisper. “They were sitting on either side of me -- I think I mentioned that -- and I couldn’t look at them, but I could tell they were almost crying. My heart was beating so fast, Lil. I didn’t know what was coming next, but deep down I think maybe I did, you know?”

You turn to the page with the family portrait, explaining how you held your breath when it dawned on you that Clarke had drawn a glimpse of the future.

The muffled voices of Lily’s parents coming up the stairs make you realize you’re no longer whispering, and you pause in case they’re coming to tell you to go to sleep. A door somewhere down the hall clicks closed and their voices fade, but you keep quiet. That weird feeling has snuck up on you again and you can’t shake the thought that you’re not supposed to be here.

Lily cuddles in closer, resting her head on your shoulder, and pokes your hand that’s poised to turn the page. You scold yourself for getting too soft before continuing on.

You’ve read this story more times than you can count, but the last page still makes your eyes sting. It’s “the proposal,” as Lily puts it. When they ask if they can keep you forever.

“Well?” Lily’s voice sounds hoarse. “What did you say? What did you do??”

You let out a quiet laugh. “I burst into tears.”

You wait to feel embarrassed by the admission, but it never comes.

***

Lily’s out like a light the second her head hits the pillow, but you can’t sleep.

This house is too quiet -- it doesn’t have radiators that hiss or a cat whose purr rattles through the night. Your mind, on the other hand, is too loud -- you can’t stop imagining Waffles curled up alone at the foot of your bed, or mute the voice in your head that thinks maybe, just maybe, your moms are happy to have a night without you for once.

You know it’s not true. The evidence is there in the sketchbook tucked safely back in your backpack and in next week’s appointment with an adoption lawyer, written in block letters on the post-it stuck to the fridge. But you know two things can be true at once; your moms can love you and still want time to themselves. That’s what date night is, after all. But what if a whole night child-free -- Eleven-free -- makes your moms realize how much they missed being a family of two?

You squeeze your eyes shut, but all you see is a post-it note falling to the floor.

Dr. Kapoor once told you that when your mind starts going to a bad place you should try focusing on the present, so that’s what you do. You listen to the rhythm of Lily’s breathing, watch the clock on the bedside table turn from 12:27 to 12:28, note the scent of Clarke’s favorite fabric softener on your pajamas.

That last one makes you smile. Your moms got in one of their fake arguments over fabric softener once, before you knew them very well. It was one of the first times the three of you went to the grocery store together and you quickly picked up a pattern. Lexa was in charge of finding the items on her neatly written list, and Clarke was in charge of pushing the shopping cart and Lexa’s buttons.

Every so often, when Lexa was looking through the coupon catalog or scrutinizing a nutrition label, Clarke would wink at you and toss something unnecessary into the cart. When Lexa inevitably noticed the bag of Swedish fish or box of trick birthday candles, she’d roll her eyes and lecture Clarke about the importance of sticking to their budget and not straying from the list. Clarke would sigh and put a hand on her hip, but she gave up pretty easily, having already succeeded in her primary goal of annoying her wife.

It was in the detergent aisle that Clarke stood her ground.

She didn’t even wait for Lexa to become distracted before placing three boxes of Bounce “Outdoor Fresh” fabric softener in the cart. Lexa made a strong case -- they’d never used dryer sheets before and their clothes were soft enough, so there’s no need for the added expense. Clarke listened patiently before explaining her reasoning, which resulted in fabric softener being included on the grocery list from that day forward.

“My dad always used the same fabric softener and to this day when I catch that scent, it reminds me of home,” she said. “I want Eleven to have that, too.”

The clock on the bedside table turns to 12:29 and you yawn. You roll onto your side, hoping you might finally fall asleep, and something kinda sharp presses against the outside of your thigh. You wedge your hand between your body and the mattress and find what seems to be a folded up piece of paper in the pocket of your pajama bottoms.

You unfold it and hold it in front of your face. You can tell there’s something written on it, but it’s too dark to make out. It only takes you a moment to find Lily’s flashlight.

“Sleep tight, kiddo,” the note reads, in Clarke’s handwriting. “Can’t wait to hear all about your sleepover. I love you.” At the bottom she’s drawn a tiny walkie-talkie that looks just like the one you hid in her suitcase all those months ago.

You read the note a few times over, a smile stretching your cheeks, before you turn the flashlight off. At some point you must drift off to sleep, and hours later when you wake up the sun is seeping through the blinds and the note is still in your hand.

***

It’s one of those early spring days where you can almost feel the sun on your skin. Lily’s mom hugs you goodbye and you and Lily do the handshake her dad helped you create after he made you heaping stacks of pancakes.

Once the door clicks closed behind you, you look down the street toward home, and it’s like no time has passed since the last time you were standing here with Lexa, wondering how long it would take you to run back to Clarke.

And that’s just what you do.

Holding tight to the straps of you backpack, you take off down the street. The fears you had last night are still present at the back of your mind, but in the light of day they’re just phantoms of their former selves. You’re not going to let them slow you down.

When you round the corner and your house comes into view you go into an all-out sprint. Your heart skips when you see that moms are sitting in kitchen chairs on the front porch with a blanket over their laps and steaming mugs in their hands.

“There she is!” Clarke calls when she spots you.

You’re panting and feeling a little silly when you bound up the steps, but your moms are beaming at you, so you don’t care. Clarke puts her coffee down and holds her arms out to you.

She’s warm and smells like sleep and you whisper an hours-late “I love you,” into the fabric of her sweatshirt.

Clarke pulls you into her lap and Lexa angles her chair so that you can rest your legs across her thighs. Then they cover you with the blanket and everything feels right once again.

“Did you have a good time?” Lexa asks.

“Yeah. I did.” You smile, remembering pancakes and blanket forts. “But... sometimes I got this weird feeling.”

“Weird feeling, huh?” Clarke kisses your cheek. “What was it like?”

Now that you’re cuddled up with your moms -- who were waiting for you -- it’s hard to remember, but you try your best.

“I don’t know. It just felt like everything was a little off. I got it when I had to take off my shoes to go inside and when I helped fold linen tablecloths for dinner and when Lily gargled with this bright green mouthwash.”

Lexa squeezes your ankle. “Sounds pretty different from home.”

“Yeah, exactly,” you say. “It was like I liked being there, but I wanted to be home, too.” You shrug and focus on your nails. “But that doesn’t make much sense.”

Clarke loops her arms around your waist and pulls you back until you’re reclining against her, with your head tucked into the crook of her neck.

“It makes sense to me,” she says. “I got that feeling when I was in California, away from you and Lex.”

“You did?”

“Yep.”

Since you can’t see Clarke’s face you look to Lexa, who nods. “Sounds like you were homesick, El.”

“Homesick,” you whisper, feeling color fill your cheeks. “Wait... I didn’t get that when we went away for Octavia and Lincoln’s wedding.”

“That’s because we were all together,” Clarke says. “It’s a bit of a misnomer -- a word that doesn’t always mean how it sounds. Sometimes you’re not homesick for a place -- you’re homesick for the people who are your home.”

You think of all the times you got that feeling in the past -- in the group home and old foster homes -- and wonder if it’s possible you were homesick for people you hadn’t even met yet. “Well, we’re happy you had fun with Lily,” Lexa says. “But we’re also glad you missed us, because we really missed you.”

“Really?”

“You have nooo idea,” Clarke says. “We didn’t know what to do with ourselves. And you should’ve seen Waffles -- we had to give him a bunch of extra treats because he was downright depressed.”

You giggle and pull the blanket up to your chin. “We should probably have a family day to make up for lost time.”

Lexa beams. “I like the way you think.”

“Pajamas all day?” Clarke says. “Movie marathon? Ice cream for lunch?”

Lexa sighs and rolls her eyes, but you know this is one of those arguments that Clarke will win.

***

After a day of pajamas and movies and ice cream and cuddles you’re beyond excited to go to sleep in your own bed. But after your moms tuck you in, you sneak back out.

There are a few blank pages at the end of “The Story of Us” and you tape Clarke’s note to the first one.

[alizrak]

Finished watching season 2 with my niece!

I finished watching Rebels Season 2 with my 10 year old niece and it was a wild ride! After the Season 1 finale, she had expected Ahsoka (who became her favorite character on Disney Infinity) to join the Rebels cast full-time but I reminded her that she already 'had a job' in the Rebellion and had other responsibilities... but would likely help them when needed. This post is obviously much longer than the previous review by the sheer amount of episodes in S2 (even if we skipped a couple) and because my niece started to make LOTS of questions at one point, which is great because she has started to slowly take in the lore.

There is one thing though. If I hadn't been there with her to answer her questions, I'm not sure she would have followed certain plot points. Season 1 did great by keeping it local in Lolthal but now that they were jumping around planets and started to bringing more people from the past, she had some trouble keeping track of the whole picture. I don't think she ever had to deal with so much story lore before on other shows. Didn't get all of the episodes but just the most important comments:

Siege of Lothal.

"What's Kanan's problem? He's being very rude. He wasn't like this..."

"She ((Minister Tua)) needs to leave or she might lose her head too"

"Is this a trap?... uhm... but they have to take the risk. Ezra is right, they should help people. Do the right thing."

"Woah! They blew up the ship! They will need to find another way out of the-... why are they leaving without her((Tua))? Aren't they going to help her out of the debris?", "She... uh, she didn't survive the explosion sweetie", "D: [silent gasp] they... they killed her??..."

"Why are they cold?" (Darth Vader shows up) "Woah, woah, woah! No. No-no-no! Kanan is not that good. They need to run. RUN RUN RUN"

"He's really evil. He wants Ezra to kill himself with the Force!"

[squirming on her place] "C'mon Ahsoka, tell them is Anakin. Tell them. You know! They need to know!"

"She didn't tell them... ugh... this is going to be a problem"

The Lost Commanders

"Who is this mysterious leader? How are they going to know WHO it is? Like... are they going to sense him with the Force... or...?", "Yeah, good question"

"Oh, they are clones", "yeah, they were very good friends with Anakin and Ahsoka"... "Ooooh I seee"

"Zeb becomes friends easily with people who also like to fight"

"These clones are good... wait, WHAT? THEY TOLD THE EMPIRE? NOOOO!"

Relics of the Old Republic

"They will have to fight together..."

"Can't they use the Force to... Oh! They ARE going to use the Force to sense them! Good"

"The clones will fight to the end alright... their last fight... (c'mon Kanan, don't leave them!)"

"So, Rex is like Ahsoka's uncle", "Uhm... well, good friends and family, yeah"

Always two there are

"I bet Ezra can find the supplies first"

"Who's that-...! A WOMAN Inquisitor??"

"She's scary!"

"They don't have Kanan with them, there is no way they can fight TWO Inquisitors"

(She got lil weirded out by the Seventh Sister with Ezra but said nothing of it)

"Oh great... Zeb is not exactly that smart. I hope he can come up with a plan"

"RUUUUUUUUUUUUUUN!"

"Look! Kanan and Hera are holding each other worrying about 'their kids'! THEY ARE A COUPLE!"

Brothers of the Broken Horn

"Who's that again?", "His name is Hondo. He was a big bad pirate from before, from when Ahsoka was still a Padawan, but he has gotten old and lost his crew", "oh... ok"

"Let's skip this one"

Blood Sisters

"wait... she didn't do that graffiti. This is suspicious..."

"So that's a friend of Sabine... but not anymore?"

"Why did they escape? For money?"

"She's going to join them in the end, right?"

"Wait... wait... Sabine is going to make that robot ((captain)) explode with the ship?? What? BUT HE HAS FEELINGS!"

"Aww... Ezra is so silly. xD"

The Future of the Force

"Why would they want a baby? Can't she have one on her own? That baby is not an Inquisitor baby anyway!", "well, 'Inquisitor' is not a race, is something you grow up to be", "Oh... so, they want to turn them into inquisitors, gotcha".

"Hahahah Chopper is so funny, I bet he makes a good nanny", "Erh...seems like he asked to blow up the ship anyway", "Nah, he's just joking", "yeah... joking"

(Kanan realizes they are force sensitive babies) "WELL DUH! Kanan is usually smarter than that"

(Ahsoka shows up) "YES! PREPARE TO GET YOUR BUTTS KICKED!"

"She's soooo goooood! They don't have a chance against her!"

"Yeah, you guys need to run away, she can handle this!!"

"See? Chopper makes a good robot nanny! I bet he can take care of any babies Hera has with Kanan in the future"

Legacy

"A cat? Force Cats? Is that a thing?"

"They are not dead right?"

"I mean, Kanan is like his new adoptive dad, but it would be nice to have his parents too"

"Are they dead??"

"Maybe they are not dead after all"

"Follow the cat!"

"Oh no... they ARE dead... poor Ezra :(... I want to hug him"

"Kanan is going to be there for him. He loves him too. Ezra's not going to be alone"

A princess on Lothal

"Ezra needs some time to feel better"

"And who's that?... is she a new character?... wait- ITS LEIA! ITS PRINCESS LEIA!"

"They are going to meet Princess Leia!"

"She's so smart~!"

"Ezra wants to show off but still needs a lot of practice"

"Make it look real, hahahaha"

Protector of Concord Dawn

"Sabine knows them?", "She's Mandalorian too, remember?", "Oh, that's right", "They are warriors", "Like the saiyans", "yeah... kind of?"

"They are working for the Empire! Run!"

"I didn't notice when she got into the ship either!"

"So... Kanan is not getting shot down on sight because...?", "They want to hear why he is here at least", "But they know he's a Jedi now, they will hand him over to the Empire"

"She's learning not to kill and be less... 'Mandalorian'. Nice!"

The Call

"Why is space always so cold?", "Well, it can be extremely cold or hot. If you are on the shade of a planet or a ship, you will freeze. If you are without cover, you will get fried..." ((Simplistic explanation, I know... didn't have time to explain about radiation/convection lol))

"You know, if my ship was running out of gas in space, I would just boost in the direction of the base, turn off the motors and just let it go in a straight line. It should keep moving with that", "...that's correct, I think"

"WHALES? IN SPACE?"

"THEY ARE SO PRETTY!"

"Why aren't they listening to Ezra!? He's right! They need to start hearing Ezra more!"

"How can they breathe in space?", "I guess the Helmets have some breathing masks with oxygen inside", * "Mmh... Ok"

"What's up with his eyes? Is he mind controling Ezra?" "xD, hahaha, no. I think they are connecting through the Force", "Ok! but... JUST GIVE HIM HIS HELMET BACK ALREADY!!"

"PUT THE HELMET BAAAACK! PUT IT BACK! BREATHE!"

Homecomming

"What's a Ryloth?", "Ryloth is Hera's planet"

"Hera has a DAD?", "Yep"

"How do I look??.... HAHAHAHA! Kanan is all nervous because he's going to meet his father-in-law! HAHAHA, he even confused everyone's names! Hahahahaha" ((I lost her for a full minute))

"Family first. Yep"

"Hahahaha, Kanan is having a good time"

"What do they want to do again?", "Hera wants to steal that big ship, her father wanted to destroy it"

"TRAITORS!",

"What's that little thing running around!", "That's uh... I believe is like a roomba? Like... in Wall-e? Remember the cleaning robot?", "YEAH! Hahaha, poor thing!"

"Sabine is not going to blow up the roomba robot, is she? She likes to explode stuff too much..."

"You know, if Ezra did that to me and failed the first time...", "You mean the Jedi mind trick?", "Yeah, if he failed the first time, I would got like 'yeah, we should evacuate the ship' to make them believe it worked, so when I leave I give the alarm and catch them", "[slow clap]"

The Honorable Ones

"What's that place?","Geonosis","It's empty?","It shouldn't be"

"What were they building there? Something big?", "Really big", "....??", "The Death Star", "But it should be there...", "They can move it, it's like a huge ship", "ah"

"[roll eyes] Oh, great, Agent Kallus..."

"Zeb is going to get caught"

"[Gasp] What happened to his leg?", "He broke it", ":O"

"They will need to work together... but Kallus is pretty useless now"

"He believes he's a good guy?? REALLY??"

"Well, at least now I know that Geonosis's moon are freezing and have giant beaked monsters in caves"

"Is Kallus going to join the Rebellion? It looks like Zeb and him could be friends"

"Don't throw him around like that Zeb!! HIS LEG!! HIS LEEEEG!!"

"Wait... he's not coming? He's going to stay in the Empire? Why?? JUST GRAB HIM ZEB!"

"No one cared he came back :( "

"Is that a CELL? Is he a prisoner??", "No, that's his normal room", "That's sad"

Shroud of Darkness /or how I call it "Question Galore"

(Kanan/Ezra fight the Inquisitors) "Why are they saying their plans out loud? THEY CAN HEAR YOU!"

"... Why are the lightsabers diferent colors? Why are the inquisitor's and Vader's red? Why were Ahsoka's yellow/green but now they are like white?", "-Woah" ((Had to pause and go into a lengthy explanation about Kyber crystals, tuning, bleeding, purifying...))

"He doesn't like the CRAZY ONES anymore? ANYMORE?", "Well, he did have other girlfriends before Hera", "WHAAAAAAT!? WHEN DID THEY SAY THAT? THEY NEVER SAID THAT!", "It's implied on one of the books", "WHAT BOOKS?", "There is a novel from when Hera and Kanan met when they were younger", "WHAAT! Why isn't that on the show!? IT SHOULD BE!", "It's not exactly a children's book", "That's not fair! WE KIDS ALSO WANT TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENED! UGH!! [squirms on her seat]"

"Oh... that's Anakin. Awww... :( now he's all evil"

"That's the technique we watched on youtube!! :D If they ever invent real lightsabers, I would so get fencing clases" ((We had watched some lightsaber training youtube videos on Form 1, 2 and 3 to play 'realistically' with our lightsaber toys... don't judge me))

"I don't get it. Why didn't Anakin die?", "You mean when he burned himself? or with a lightsaber in a fight?", "No, why didn't he kill himself?", "I-... -what?", "[offhandedly] Yeah, he became a bad guy to save his wife, but it turned out to be all for nothing. It didn't mattered anymore. He should have just suicide", "[agast] I-... I don't know... He was too angry?...", "...[unconvinced]" [darkside intensifies].

"Why did Ahsoka left the Jedi again?", ((explanation))

"It's all an illusion again?"

"Who is that? A Jedi Guard?"

"Who is he talking about? Who's the darkside calling to?", "Ezra", "Oh, yeah. Pffft, it calls to him TOTALLY", "(w-why are you so sure...?)"

"He... he looks like the Inquisitor. He moves like the first Inquisitor", (( GOOD EYE!))

"Is the Guard evil? Not really, right? He just wants to kill Ezra to keep him from the darkside", "... that's not exactly good either!", "But not evil-evil!".

"Well, he's not wrong. Ahsoka wasn't there to help him. It kinda was her fault too", "Woah, haaarsh"

"YODA!"

(( Yoda goes on about the Jedi shouldn't fight in the war and the cost of wining)) "I don't get it"

"IT IS THE INQUISITOR! WOW!... huh, he looked way better before..."

"Kanan graduated! Good for him! He's still not a good teacher, but he tries hard, and that's what matters!", "Gee, thanks?"

"GO, GO, GO, leave!"

"Malachor is a place?", "A planet" NOTE: HELP, I FEAR FOR MY PADAWAN.

Mystery of Chopper Base

"Woah, they are getting good"

"Whoops, Ezra got offended. Hahaha"

"They... are leaving? To look for Malachor? ... aww... they don't want to leave."

"How long will they be gone?", "They have no idea"

"SPIDERS!? NO, NO, NO!"

"SHOOT THEM! SHOOOT THEEEEEM!"

"I'M WITH ZEB! TOO MANY LEGS!"

"Why are they SPLITTING!?? THEY NEED A JEDI ON EACH GROUP!", "It because they are leaving and they need to learn how to go without them", "I DONT CARE"

"DON'T! It's not going to work! EZRA! IT'S GOING TO BITE YOUR HAND! SEEEE!? SEEE!?"

"I DONT LIKE THIS EPISODE!"

"AAAAAAAH!!! THEY ARE HORRIBLE!"

"I CAN'T TAKE THIS ANYMORE!", "Cooomeeee oooon, is not that bad!"

"I HATE SPIDERS!"

"THEY ARE TRAPPED! NOOOO, THIS IS A NIGHTMARE!"

"[uninteligible yells while covering her face]", "Yeah, yeah, it's almost done"

"It is very weir Ezra can't connect with them. Maybe Ahsoka can..."

"Awww... so sweet. Hera needs to relax. They will be fine" ((OH MY SWEET SUMMER CHILD))

Twilight of the Apprentice (Oh boy, the rollercoaster of emotions is about to begin)

"They should have brought Rex. Or Zeb for muscle"

"Why did the wall react like that with Ezra?"

"What's that?", "The Jedi had temples... so did the sith. This is a Sith Temple", "ooooooh"

"There was an old Jedi and Sith war? Woah... who won?"

"A new Inquisitor!"

"Ezra can force jump that high now, right?"

"Who's that old guy?"

"Well, if he wants to help him, and used to be bad, but now he also fights the Empire so then he's good right? Unless he is lying..."

"What...!? Ezra shouldn't use the darkside. No... EZRA DON'T LIFT THE ROCKS- oh nooo.....!! He's turning him bad? IS THAT IT?? D:", "Remember what the Guard/Inquisitor said about Ezra?", "That the Darkside called to him. Oh no, no, no. This story is going to end with him turning evil like Darth Vader"

"Who is Maul?", "You know him", "No", "Yes you do. He was the final boss on the Twilight of the Republic in Disney Infinity. I even made a challenge for you with him", "I don't remember him", [silent cream]

"Hey, that's like Kanan's cube!", "Holocron", "So this is a SITH holocron"

"You gotta jump! Wait... he's not going to drop him right? Oh, phew! That's good"

"So just one Sith can open it. Someone who uses the darkside. Uhmmm... so, Ezra is going to be a Jedi that uses BOTH. The Light and the Dark! He can even get a red lightsaber and fight like Ahsoka", "You can't be a Jedi and use the darkside. Jedi only use the light", "But... BUT HE CAN...! AND he's not bad. He won't be a Sith... maybe he won't be either then... what would that make him?", ((somewhere in the Galaxy, Bendu hums))

"Nope. Kanan is not going to leave him alone anymore with Maul"

"Don't split, don't split, don't split. THEY SPLIT! AAAARGH!"

"He won't kill her! He can't. He won't be able to kill her. He's not that cold... WOAH! BUT HE DID!... That should be such a shock for his young mind", "His young mind? xD He's 5 years older than you", "STILL!"

"HIS apprentice? What does that even- WHAT THE-!!! WHAAAAT!! WHAT JUST HAPPENED!?? GO BACK!! IT CANT BE!! NO! HIS EYES! HI EYEEES!! PAUSE IT!! HE CANT BE-!! HE CANT BE BLIND! IS HE BLIND!? IS HE BLIND!!!??", "well...", "IS IT PERMANENT!?", "Uhm", "EZRAAAA THIS YOUR FAAAAAUUULT! HE WILL NEVER SEE HERA'S BEAUTIFUL FACE AGAIN! [RAGE]"

"STOP IT WITH THE HOLOCRON! YOU HAVE DONE ENOUGH!... OOH NOW YOU PLACED IT!... THIS IS YOUR FAAAULT!!"

"EZRA WILL NEVER BE YOURS!! HOW DARE YOU HURT KANAN!!"

"Can Kanan still fight??"

"He tricked you alright Ezra- [GASP]... DARTH VADER! RUN! RUNAWAY YOU HAVE NO CHANCE! I mean all of this is your fault but I don't want you to DIE!"

"UUGH, what is Ezra doing!? He's going to get killed! And all of Kanan's suffering will be for nothing!"

"D: HIS LIGHTSABER! AAAAAAAAH! WHAT IS HAPPENING! THEY ALL GOING TO DIE!"

"YEAH AHSOKA!... ooh-oh... They are finally going to fight"

"But he didn't kill Anakin, he IS Anakin", "He's speaking on a figurative way", "well, I believe 'Anakin' is still trapped deep down on a dark cell on his heart", "O_O woah", "I bet he secretly wants to see how much has Ahsoka has improved and is proud of her... and then kill her", ((daaaamn))

"Are you blind too? OF COURSE HE IS BLIND! IS YOUR FAULT!"

"[eyes widen]... Anakin... deep down, he's still-... oh never mind, he will try to kill her anyway... sigh"

"You should stop crying for Ahsoka and start crying FOR WHAT YOU DID TO KANAN", "Hey, the whole place is going to explode, of course he is worried", "But she won't die. She can't die [straight face, not an ounce of doubt]"

"ALL OF THIS FOR THAT STUPID HOLOCRON! [RAGE]"

"Oh no... No. He had promised Hera they would see each other again! HE WONT. HE WOOONT BE ABLE TO SEE HER EVER AGAIN. THIS IS TOO SAD! I thought Hera was being pessimistic about what would happen to them but she was riiiiiight"

"Wait... Did Ezra just told Rex she is dead with that look? WHAT! NO"

"VADER SURVIVED [GOING NUCLEAR] WHERE IS AHSOKA!? DONT TELL ME HE KILLED HER! SHE CANT BEEE!"

"THERE! SHEEEEES THEEEEEREEEEE! SHE'S ALIVE BUT LOST INTO THE SHADOWS"

"THEY LOST AHSOKA BECAUSE OF YOU EZRA I HOPE YOU ARE HAP-.... what... no... NO! DONT YOU DARE OPEN THAT HOLOCRON-! AAAAAH! YOU DIDNT LEARN ANYTHING! THIS IS YOUR FAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAULT!"

"IM CRYING INSIDE!"

Final verdict: "There is more right? RIGHT? THIS CANT BE THE END. I NEED TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS NEXT"

We have been watching the Seasons 1/2 in Netflix, and as they don't have season 3 yet, I told her I would look for them later. In the mean time, we started playing Infinity again. She got to play Kanan, I got Ezra... and she started chasing me for a while with his lightsaber. "He didn't apologized to Kanan! COME APOLOGIZE TO ME! I LIKED YOU EZRA! YOU LOST ME!". I then took us to a challenge I had previously done for her with Maul... one that I had hoped made the image of Maul fresh on her mind for the season finale but failed miserably... and let her get a cathartic fight with him and Kanan. She reveled in it.

Submitted February 21, 2017 at 02:05AM via reddit http://ift.tt/2lBgKzX