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sailtoafarawayland · 4 years ago

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Walk Me Through The Dark (1/1) Alpha/Omega one-shot

Summary: There are no guarantees that life will be easy or happy, but Emma had finally found all that and more in the form of Killian Jones, her best friend, her alpha and mate. She’d forgotten what it was to fear, to run, to have the hope knocked from her body, but she’s about to remember, and so is he.

Rating: Explicit, read through A/N for trigger warnings, or skip to after the cut for spoiler-free

A big thank you to @the-darkdragonfly for beta reading and supporting this story!

AO3 or FF

Author’s Note: This is a hurt/comfort omegaverse based fic for CS. It is rated E for a reason. Tags/Trigger Warnings are as follows: Attempted rape/non-con, Attempted Sexual Assault, Heavy Angst, Sexual Assault Recovery

-Walk Me Through The Dark-

Emma hung onto the rail above her as the subway lurched into motion, her long curls falling around her face and giving some sense of privacy in the crowded car. She stared down at the screen on her phone, a soft smile on her face. Tapping a quick reply to Mary Margaret with one finger, she swiped back to the previous screen, selecting Killian's name and letting go of her hold on the rail so she could send him a message. The train swayed and she widened her stance, regaining her balance. Her stomach churned slightly at the motion and she frowned. She shouldn't have eaten the curry from the food truck for lunch, it never sat well.

She tapped send and reached for the support of the rail again.

E: What are you doing for dinner, babe?

Her eyes traveled the length of the car as she waited for his response. He'd mentioned earlier that his latest overhaul may keep him at the ship yard for some late nights, but the picture Mary Margaret had sent – something simmering in red sauce with a crispy layer of cheese – left her wondering what her mate would be doing to feed himself that evening.

Her cell vibrated in her hand.

K: If I'm lucky, there will be some takeaway left in the work fridge, though I'd much rather be enjoying the evening with you, love.

Heat rushed into her cheeks as she read his words, the echo of his voice in her head. He loved his work at the ship yard, and though it had taken her a long time to realize the sincerity of his words, she knew now just how much truth was in them. Despite having a job that he'd long dreamed about, his favorite place to be was always at her side. The way he made her feel, loved and wanted, was a far cry from how she'd felt her entire childhood into her adult life.

E: I miss you too. Don't forget there's leftover alfredo at home, if you end up not staying too late.

E: Looks like MM is making lasagna.

Their apartment wasn't too far from his office, and she hoped the idea of fresh food would lure him away from whatever dried out leavings had been abandoned by his coworkers.

K: Both of those sound very tempting at the moment. Give MM and David my love.

Emma smiled and slipped her phone back into her pocket, settling in for the rest of the ride out to the Nolan's. Friday night dinners had become something of a tradition between the four friends, but things had been so overwhelming at the ship yard lately that Killian missed them more often than he liked. Luckily, his latest overhaul was coming to an end soon, and they were both hoping things would be a bit more manageable.

The car rocked again and Emma swallowed, a sudden wave of nausea creeping up her throat as they moved, something about the steady creaking of the wheels and the sway of the train making her feel sick. Honestly, that was the last time she went with spicy food, it always made her feel off, despite how delicious it was. She closed her eyes and wrapped her fingers, sweat beginning to dampen her palm, more tightly around the rail, wishing she were anywhere else as the nausea worsened, her stomach churning and cramping. A tingling warmth worked its way up through her body, spreading along her arms and legs. Another cramp twisted deep in her abdomen, and that's when it hit her.

Her heat was coming on early.

Panic surged beneath the burning heat and nausea as she sucked in a deep breath. It was too early, by a week and a half at least. She would have never dared take public transit if she thought there was even a chance...and now she was stuck on the T with a crammed car. Her eyes darted to the digital map above the door, the light that indicated their position creeping along slowly to North Quincy station. They were only a quarter of the way along, and she cursed her luck.

The doctor had warned her more than once that she could end up suffering from unmanageable heats down the road due to her early use of suppressants, but so far she'd escaped having to deal with any of that. She'd thought she was in the clear.

She could feel the instincts that became heightened during her heats start to spike, the panic only making them sharper. She needed to get off this train, the locked doors and windows and the sheer press of people triggering an instinctual need to run, to get to a place that was warm and safe, a place that was familiar – their bed at home with the blankets piled high and smelling of her mate.

She needed Killian.

She needed her Alpha, but he was already too far, and she was stuck on a train heading in the opposite direction.

Another sharp cramp twisted her insides and she bit back a whimper, adrenaline pumping through her veins and sweat beading on her skin as she shifted, stealing a glance at the people surrounding her. Almost everyone seemed unaware of her predicament, which made sense. Her heat was only just at the beginning of its climb, and it was unlikely that betas would notice much difference in the pheromones her body was producing – not this early on. Only alphas and omegas possessed the hyper-sensitive ability to pick out those scents from the air at such an early stage.

Then her eyes fell on the far corner of the car, and she saw him.

He leaned casually into the corner, but his eyes were narrowed and hard, his lips touched by the start of a smile as he realized that she knew he knew. Flexing his shoulders, he lifted his nose to the air and drew in a deep breath, his mouth twisting into a feral grin.

Emma's eyes widened with fear and she snapped her head back down, breathing heavily as a shiver washed over her body, the hair on her neck prickling. That had been a mistake, she realized, looking away – too submissive and sure to goad the strange alpha into action. She should have stared him down, and normally she would have, but somehow, being stuck in a confined space so far from her mate, her heat bearing down on her in a way that was faster and worse than normal – she was utterly terrified.

The man staring her down – she could feel it, even if she refused to look back in his direction – seemed to be a typical alpha from what she'd briefly seen. He wielded his large, bulky frame with the ease of someone used to getting their way and being obeyed, looming over the people beside him with an air of authority. He'd made a show of scenting the air when she'd laid eyes on him, and the fact that he was so blatantly displaying his interest had the taste of bile stinging sharply in the back of her throat.

She wanted to be anywhere but here.

She wanted it to be yesterday, before her body betrayed her and she was stuck in this nightmare.

Another cramp twisted in her gut, longer and sharper, her teeth digging into her lip as she tried to hold back the whine she could feel building in her throat – a call that was always answered by the reassuring rumble of her mate, except he wasn't here.

He was too far, and despite the flush of heat consuming her, she was so cold, her body insisting that she needed the warmth and security only he could provide.

She wanted to call him, the urge to do so almost irrepressible, but she knew he'd be a frantic mess, worrying for no reason. As long as the alpha in the corner kept his distance, she'd be fine – and it's not like he was crazy. Her claim mark would have been clearly visible when she turned toward him, and she knew that her scent gland was in overdrive, producing copious amounts of not only her own signals for heat, but the potent scent of her mate as well, broadcasting to any other alphas in the area that she wasn't a free omega. The guy had to know, so she felt reassured that he'd leave her alone.

She had to believe it, because the alternative was too frightening to consider.

No, there was no reason to call her mate and worry him over nothing. She had time. She'd jump out at North Quincy and grab a car straight back home. Then she would call Killian and let him know that he'd need to cut his work night short. If she was lucky, he'd already be there, drawn in by the promise of chicken alfredo.

Sweat slid from her cold grasp on the rail down the inside of her wrist in into her jacket.

She had to believe that everything would be fine, and for a few minutes it felt that way. It was the movement in her peripheral vision that betrayed that hope. The stray alpha was leaving his place at the other end of the car, people parting around him as he made his way closer. His body was tensed as he took another deep whiff of the air around him, a look of impatience on his face.

“Sorry,” Emma stammered, apologizing to the woman she'd accidentally pushed against in her futile effort to put more distance between herself and the threat the man posed.

Another shiver racked her body, adrenaline amplifying every normal inconvenience that her heat brought out – the cramps, the chills, the clawing need for her mate, and with that, the steady rush of slick that was just starting to slip from between her thighs. She wrangled with her own body, fighting for control and losing, her attention so caught up in maintaining some sort of normalcy that she didn't realize the alpha had moved closer until she felt his hot breath against the back of her neck, the air around her thickening with a sour, deep musk that was simply wrong.

She wanted to scream, but when she opened her mouth nothing came out, instead she fell forward, nearly on top of someone in the seat. She'd just managed to pull her feet back beneath her when she felt a firm hand wrap itself around her bicep, hauling her backward.

“Now, now, Omega,” the man chuckled close in her ear, the heat radiating from his body making her want to vomit. “Seems like you need some help.”

“No,” she ground out, almost unable to hear her own words, the hammering of her pulse in her ears drowning them out. “No. I'm claimed.”

She tore herself out of the man's grip and moved quickly toward the small circle of space near the door, uncaring of the people she elbowed or pushed aside to get there. The map above her was starting the blink, the little bulb beneath N. Quincy Station finally lighting up.

Thank god.

With any luck the man had taken the hint and wouldn't risk making a scene. At this point, there had to be at least one or two others on the car aware of what was happening, and there was no way any sane alpha would risk the trouble he could get into for pushing himself on a claimed omega. She hoped – but her heat always gave her tunnel vision, and the only thing she could think of was Killian, of how badly she needed him and how she'd never felt more vulnerable than in that moment.

The train finally slowed to a stop and the doors slid open. She'd never moved more quickly in her life, shoving aside the few people that tried to cut her off as she bolted from the train, never even hearing the muttered curses a few commuters send her way.

Her vision blurred in time with her heart, pinching and expanding as her heat slipped into the next gear. She stumbled forward and leaned heavily against a concrete support not far from the train as another cramp jolted through her core, leaving her nerves tingling in pain. She chanced a look back through the thinning crowd as the doors slid shut, but she didn't see him in the station.

Fearing what she might not see, she looked into the window of the car, but she couldn't make out his bulk there either. He wasn't on the train, but she hadn't seen him in the station either. She would have noticed.

The wave of nausea and cramps passed and she pulled out her cell, punching in Killian's number, her breathing echoing in her ears as she waited for the call to connect. He was at work, and she hardly ever called him there, so of course he picked up immediately, concern tainting the voice she'd needed so desperately to hear.

“Emma, is everything alright, love?”

Hearing his actual voice broke something in her, the wall she'd been holding up out of sheer determination, needing to believe that everything would be fine, that the alpha on the train was just going to forget her – but there was a small, niggling part of her brain warning that she would have seen him in the car if he'd stayed, if he hadn't followed her out.

“Killian,” she whimpered, every bit of that fear communicated through the tremor in her voice, in the way her breath fell in short pants as she moved farther out of the station, her eyes darting to the dark corners around her as she hurried toward the back parking lot.

“Emma,” he rushed, his voice laced with dread. “Emma, where are you? What's wrong?”

“My heat, it's early,” she muttered. “I was on the train when it hit. It's bad...”

“I'm coming to get you. What station?”

She nearly dropped the phone as another cramp rocked her, more slick cooling her thighs and dampening her jeans, her breath cut short as she struggled upright again.

“Emma!” Killian snapped just as she brought the phone back to her ear. “What station, Emma?”

“North Quincy. Killian...there was an alpha on the train.”

She could hear the sharp intake of his breath, something in the background dropping to the ground.

“Emma, I'm coming. Can you stay where there are people?”

“I don't know if he followed me,” she admitted, finally saying the thing she hadn't wanted to confront aloud. She hadn't seen him as the station emptied out around her, but there was no denying the odor of his musk that still drifted toward her occasionally. She wanted to believe it was lingering from where he'd wrapped his sweating hand around her arm, but she couldn't be sure. “There's no one here,” she whispered, blanching when she finally realized how far she'd walked in her daze. “I'm in the parking lot. I was gonna grab an Uber home.”

“Are there any cabs? Any cars, love?”

“No, it's so empty, Killian. There's no one here...”

“Stay on the line with me, Emma. I'm coming – right now. I'm on my way.”

Her mate's voice was wrecked, cracking with fear that she knew he was trying to keep at bay. In her gut she knew he was probably more frightened than she was, because she at least had the luxury of her heat muting everything it didn't deem important, but he didn't even have that. Entwining with hers, his fear only made her desire to burrow into their bed that much stronger, everything other than her need for him and a safe place dimming slightly. She wanted home, nestled in warmth with his weight on top of her. She'd be so full and sated, content with him curled around her back...

“Emma.”

Killian's voice broke through the fog, strained but firm, and she found herself humming in response, his voice sending a pleasing vibration through her body.

“Omega!” he snapped, and her purr turned into a whine at the sharp tone of displeasure, but his attempt to pull her back to reality worked, and some semblance of clarity came back to her as she hurried further into the parking lot.

“I'm here – I just...it's bad, Killian. It's coming fast and hard.”

“Just stay with me, love. Look around, do you see the alpha from the train? Did he follow you?”

She turned in place, trying to focus on her surroundings, the sidewalks and the slight glow of the lobby in the empty station, the parked cars and streetlights that cast wide circles of light across the pavement. She didn't see him, but there was this feeling, this warning in her gut that she'd learned to trust.

“I don't see him, but I think...oh, god, I think maybe he did. I don't know. I'm scared, Killian.” She stumbled backwards over the concrete lip of a planted median and grabbed onto the mirror of a car to steady herself. She needed to get farther from the building, someplace dark and hidden and safe – someplace he wouldn't see her. “I have to get out of sight. Maybe he'll just give up...”

“Can you get somewhere with people?”

“Not without going back through the station to the front...there's no one here,” she whispered, the tiny, logical part of her brain still working thinking how insane it was that the parking lot was this empty, like all of her bad luck had saved itself up for one day. “He could be inside still, if I try to go back.”

Just as she was threading her way between two vehicles, her eyes still locked on the station, she saw the silhouette of someone large approaching the doors she'd left mere minutes before, and she knew it was him. Before he could spot her, she dropped to the ground in a crouch, ignoring the sharp cramp that twisted in her gut with every ounce of determination she had left, gritting her teeth and moving farther through the parking lot.

“He's here,” she whispered, sliding her back against the front wheel of a car, her already soaked jeans pressed against the damp pavement. “He's here.”

Everything slowed, her heart beating like a dying drum against her chest, her breath shallow and drawn out on a tremble. She tightened her grip as her phone nearly tumbled from her sweat-slicked hand, her mouth dry with the taste of bile and metal.

He was going to find her. He would find her, and there would be nothing she could do.

The pain in her stomach had doubled, her body caught between fear and desperation, and she knew she wouldn't be able to stand, let alone run.

“I'm coming. I'm almost there, I promise. I'm not going to let him hurt you, okay? Just stay quiet, love. Please, just stay with me, Emma.”

He was too far, so far.

“I'm here,” she breathed. “Killian...I'm so scared.”

For a moment there was nothing more than the sound of his wrecked breathing and her quiet pants. Her hearing was sharpened, but she didn't hear any footsteps, didn't know if she even would over the rapid flutter of her pulse in her ears. There was a chance, if she had any luck left, that he'd glanced out the door and hadn't seen her. Maybe he was gone.

She exhaled and the air around her finally shifted, a gust of wind sweeping over the lot and cooling her heated skin. She almost sighed, the relief it brought making her forget for a second that she was drenched with slick, feverish and freezing at the same time – but then she smelled him, the alpha from the train.

He was close, the scent strong and just starting to deepen with notes of an alpha in rut, but nothing about it was heady and intoxicating like her own mate's. It was all wrong, and something feral in her snarled, wanting nothing to do with the male following her.

“Killian,” she broke, her whispered words nearly a cry, tears mixing with sweat as she realized her time was up, her vision blurring.

If she could smell the alpha, then he could smell her.

He would find her.

“Emma, I'm so close. I'll find you, I promise.”

“Killian, I love –”

Her phone clattered to the pavement at her feet, her words stolen as a strong hand grabbed her arm, ripping her up from where she'd been hiding. A pained yelp flew from her mouth as her shoulder twisted painfully, the world spinning as she was pinned against the hood of the car, a heavy body covering her back.

Her attacker's face pushed roughly into the crook of her neck, scenting her with a groan. She shuddered, squirming beneath him, her cries muffled as the suffocating weight of his arm pressed into her face. She sucked in meager, burning gulps of air, vomit rising in the back of her mouth as his tongue swept over the claim mark on her neck.

“You really gave me a chase,” the alpha groaned, his hips rutting against her backside, thrusting her own sore and cramping body into the wheel well. “I like a good chase though, and I've never smelled anything like you before.”

Twisting as much as she was able, she latched her teeth into an exposed section of his hand, her stomach lurching as the taste of blood filled her mouth, his angered snarl cutting across the dark parking lot. For a brief second the pressure eased and Emma hoped she might have a chance, but before she could even draw in a full breath he was back on her, changing his hold and wrapping his bloody fingers around the back of her neck instead. Cold air whipped between their lower bodies and she screamed as his other hand moved to her jeans, her knees banging against metal as she struggled.

“You don't know your place, Omega,” he growled, enjoying her whimper of pain as he pushed her more forcefully against the car, the sound of his zipper making her freeze. “I'll teach you. You'll thank me too. By the end you'll be begging for my knot.”

He kept talking, but his words were slipping away, everything moving farther away – even the piercing noise that Emma thought might have been her own screams, but she didn't know. She couldn't breathe, let alone scream. His fingers were tugging at her zipper, the wet, stubborn material of her jeans scrunching slowly down her hips.

She fought, struggled through the heavy fog settling around her. She didn't want this. It was all wrong. Not her mate, not Killian.

Then the world collapsed around her, lights and sounds finally folding into nothingness like a house of cards as her attacker grew more impatient, her body rocking against the car with each jerk as he struggled to lower the soaked material down her body, her position making it near impossible for him to get the jeans low enough with one hand.

Everything felt so distant, her breath on the hood of the car spreading like smoke and then fading away.

Then in a sudden rush the world snapped back to her, the hot weight against her back and fumbling hands torn away – the sound of something crashing into metal. The sound of a struggle as something was dragged across the pavement, grunts and curses and the sound of a fist hitting something over and over. There were voices now, shouts that come to her like a light through the fog. The sound of her jacket dragging against metal as she slumped to the ground. The sound of her sneakers pushing back gravel, and then the sound of her own voice as her knees hit the pavement.

“Killian,” she rasped, smelling him before she saw him, movement and light and clarity returning to her just as he rushed to her side, his blue eyes shining with tears and his hand, bloodied and swollen, moving to cup her face as he pulled her from the ground, as if she weighed nothing.

To him she never had.

She wanted to cry, finally enveloped by the heat and the scent and the person she needed, her hands twisting in his shirt as she strove to somehow get closer. Sensing her need, Killian shifted her carefully, juggling her in his arms as he shrugged his jacket off, draping it over her and shielding her in safety and comfort. His sweat and musk were soaked into the material, his scent flooding her, calming her frayed nerves and the part of her that still wanted to jump and kick at every noise reaching her ears.

His body was shaking with adrenaline, the tremors vibrating through her. She nestled against him, rubbing her cheek and neck along his skin in the way she knew would stir her own scent gland, easing his worry and calming him. She felt him settle around her, but then he started to move, growling out something unintelligible – it was then that she realized there must be people standing nearby. He paused and she clung to him tightly, his arms responding in kind. Fear crawled along her spine at the thought someone might be trying to separate them. From a gap in his jacket she could see the flicker of lights, red and blue against the metallic sheen of the cars. She knew he must be talking with a cop, that help had come, but she couldn't focus on the words.

Now that she was where she should be, the reality of her heat was falling back over her like a familiar weight.

The gentle swagger of his body resumed and there was the sound of a car door opening – a brief moment of terror when he let her go, her response immediate and frantic, but then he was back at her side, scooping her from the seat and back into his lap as he barked their address at whoever was driving.

The car pulled away, the fog of fear lessening and eventually falling away from her entirely as she basked in the comfort that was her mate, his arms wrapped solidly around her as he whispered her name over and over into her hair, his fingers caressing her sweat-soaked skin and soothing the writhing need inside of her, wordless promises that she wouldn't feel aching and empty for long, that he would take care of her.

~ * ~ * ~

She isn't sure how long the trip back home takes, but every moment she slides further away from the trauma she'd been put through and into the instinctual need that feels like it just may rip her apart. She's bathed in the scent of her mate – the deep, spicy musk heavy on his skin, laced with notes of sea salt and sweetness and something unique only to him. It's everything she's ever needed. Adrenaline and fear had triggered his rut in the same way they'd worsened her heat, and the familiar intoxicating tang that it edged his scent with was driving her wild with need, slick pooling once more between her legs as she core throbbed violently.

Her attack seems so distant, and far less important than finally getting into the privacy of their own home, to the place where her mate can soothe her and give them what they both desperately need. She wriggles in his lap, unable to hold back the needy plea that she presses into his skin, delighting in the low growl vibrating through his chest as he tightens his grip. Words are snapped at the driver and then Killian is tipping them both to the side as he digs into his pocket. A moment later the car slows to a stop and he's tossing something onto the front seat before easing them outside, her body still caged tightly within his arms.

His jacket is still draped over her, his arms holding it in place, but the collar had settled around her neck and she looks up into his stormy eyes, his pupils blown-wide, just as surely as her own are. There's an unquenchable need there, but below it she sees the fear, the regret and guilt, the anger. Her fingers drift up and cradle the tense line of his jaw, stroking until his muscles unclench, hoping he understands that everything is alright, everything will be alright.

They're together, and she's never felt more safe than she does right now.

He doesn't put her down, not once, despite the struggle it gives him in getting into the apartment, but she doesn't want him to, doesn't think she could stand to be separated for even an instant. She knows there are a lot of things to be said, to be asked, to be cried over, but right now she can't think past tearing off all of the layers that are keeping them apart.

They don't make it farther than the entryway, the door slamming shut behind them as he fingers the offending material of her jacket, the stench of the other alpha still wafting from the wool into the air. When he peels it carefully from her body, clearly resisting the urge to tear it from her, she sighs in relief, shrugging off the weight of it as he tosses it violently across the room.

Killian normally loves taking his time with his mate, using his fingers and mouth to bring her to completion before finally giving in to the crushing need to fill her and knot her, but her need is too great right now, too desperate, and his sudden rut is making it near impossible for him to walk her to the bedroom, let alone take care of her in the way he wants – to sit her down and ask what he can do, what she needs – he knows that she needs this, and he'll give it to her, to them both.

“Alpha...” she begs, suddenly falling to the floor at his feet, her chest pressed against his legs as she rubs her cheek against his crotch, her fingers trembling as she struggles to undo the button of his pants “...need you, Alpha.”

The air between them is thick with the mix of their scents, his blood pounding in his ears, need and fear and desire rolling together like some wild thing, the sweet scent of her slick so strong he can taste it on his tongue, wants to taste it on her soaked flesh.

“Omega,” he rasps, his vision sharpening to see her and only her, his cock hard and throbbing and every instinct in his body telling him that his omega needs him, that only he can give her what she craves. His hands settle tightly on her shoulders, turning her gently on the entryway carpet. “Present for your Alpha.”

Small, expectant whimpers tremble from her throat as she drops to her belly and slides her knees up behind her, her fingers hastily grabbing her rumpled jeans and pushing the sodden material over her ass and down her thighs, wriggling her legs to get them to her knees as an overpowering wave of her scent plows into him.

The sight of her sex, swollen and exposed, presented so wantonly in the air for him has his knot swelling at the base of his cock, his pulse racing as he shoves his jeans down his own legs and kneels behind her, holding the beast in him at bay so he can snatch one last human moment before he's lost completely, burying his mouth in her folds and greedily lapping her juices up, his tongue sweeping every inch he can reach before he pulls back with a growl, images flashing through his head – another alpha's hands on her, another male scenting her, imagining what she would feel like.

Somewhere in the back of his brain he knows that this isn't about that, but gods he needs to feel her to know that she's really there, that they're both here and he made it to her in time, that he didn't let her down completely when she needed him most, that she needs him in this way just as urgently as he needs her.

“Emma,” he whispers, her excited pants driving him on as he pulls back and hovers behind her, the swollen head of his cock throbbing against her scorching folds as his hands settle on her hips, “my Omega...”

“God, yes, yours, Alpha, always yours...”

“Mine.”

And then he's burying himself inside of her, her walls seizing around him the instant he does, her cries of his title and name muffled in the carpet as she gyrates her hips, trying to impale herself further. He wants to savor that first, heavenly wave of pleasure that sinking into her always brings, but the beast inside of him is unrelenting, needing to remind the both of them that she is his, and he is hers. Everything other than the ecstasy of their joining and her delicious noises falls away from him, lost beneath the haze of instincts he can't escape – his hips pistoning as he drags his cock from her grasping channel and thrusts back in, slick running freely from his omega and soaking the floor beneath them as she begs and pleads for all of him.

“Is that what you want, Omega,” he pants, the wet sounds of him pulling out and driving back into her filling the air, her firm ass bouncing as he rams into her again and again. “You need your Alpha's knot?”

“Please, Alpha, please, need it so bad,” she mumbles, her words running one over the next as she lets out a moan and shudders around him, so close to falling apart, but needing the fullness of his knot stretching her. “Just yours, just yours, Alpha...”

She tries to struggle upward, unable to shake the urge to feel her alpha covering her completely, his chest pressed against her back as he thrusts into her, claiming her entirely and leaving no inch of her body unmarked by his firm hold and powerful scent. She's shaking, her limbs barely able to support her own weight as he continues to plow into her, his knot fully swollen and catching the edges of her opening with each push deeper, but he senses what she needs, that the separation between them is too much, and he pauses for a second to move his hands from her hips, grabbing her arms and yanking her upper half closer, their two bodies bent together as he pulls her tightly against his chest, swallowing her small frame entirely as he holds her up, his rut bringing with it a strength that doesn't answer to weariness, but only to need.

His grunts are hot and rhythmic against her neck as he moves within her, his teeth sharper and gently razing the swollen gland that already bears his claim mark, sweat running from both of their bodies and sliding between them. Still riled by the threat to his omega, the beast inside of him is wild and frenzied, driving him to mark her again, to claim her once more – the only thing that will sate him. Beneath him her whimpers spiral into something keening and primal, her legs trembling despite the fact that he's holding both of them suspended as he thrusts, and he knows she's almost there, can feel her swollen walls spasming around him.

He slides one hand down her stomach, changing their angle and forcing himself deeper, his knot brushing further within her swollen walls as they begin to pulse around him.

“Mine, Omega...” he growls, completely lost to the beast as she keens beneath him in answer.

She is his, always his.

“Need it, need it, Alpha, please,” she cries, her walls pulling at the throbbing edge of his knot with each teasing thrust. “Need to feel you fill me up, make me yours, please...”

“Open up for me,” he pants against her skin, his teeth gliding down to clamp around the swell of her shoulder. He moves his hand lower and rubs against her clit, his calloused fingers pinching roughly, his words like liquid sin rolling over her, his cock thick and hard and stretching her in all the right ways, everything flowing and surging together in a brutal wave that crashes over her all at once, her vision fading and slipping into darkness as she shakes beneath him – the familiar sting of his teeth marking her shoulder a vibrant shock of blinding light beneath her lids, drawing every last pulsing moment of rapture from her body.

He thrusts into her one final time, his own peace finding him as he forces the swell of his knot into her tight sheath, the coil in his gut snapping and exploding outward as pleasure rocks his body, her walls milking every last drop of his seed – the beast inside of him quelled.

They come down together, Emma collapsing as he releases her shoulder and cushions her fall with his arms, stifling a groan at the pull between them where he's tightly joined with her still. He carefully maneuvers them to their sides on the damp carpet, Emma's breath leaving her in a gasp as the movement shifts him within her slightly, her walls shivering around him and drawing a last spasm from his still hard member.

“Killian,” she whispers, her voice tired yet serene, her head rolling against his chest so their lips can find one another. “Alpha...”

There are a few blissful minutes where their bodies breath as one, sighs traded between their lips and fingers tracing heated skin, but then the fog of need disperses and the weight of the evening falls back onto them, her body shaking in his embrace.

“Oh, love,” he murmurs, wishing he could pull her more comfortably into the safety of his arms, or that he’d spared a thought to getting them to the bedroom before they’d joined.

She reaches for his hand, pulling it to her lips and pressing small kisses into his skin, her tears running along her cheeks and into his palm as she weeps. He tries to hold and comfort her as best he can, his own tears darkening her hair as he presses her closer, whispering soft noises between them. He wants to tell her how sorry he is that he wasn’t by her side, that he hadn’t been able to prevent that monster from ever laying a hand on her, but he knows saying the words won’t make them true, and the last thing he wants to do is burden her with his own failings. With no words strong enough to soothe the hurt that’s been done to her, he simply offers what he can with his presence. As soon as their bodies slip apart, she’s turning into him, burying her face in the warmth of his chest and sighing into his embrace, neither of them sure of the next steps to take, or where those steps might take them.

~ * ~ * ~

It was never going to be easy – taking broken things and making them resemble what they once did never is, but its almost impossible when a new, jagged memory sits among the rest, waiting to find its place.

It wasn't easy the first week that swung violently between frantic couplings and emotional upheaval, a man and woman in uniform sitting opposite their couch as Emma recounted what happened, her hands gripping Killian's like a lifeline. He sat on the edge of the cushion, his body slanted between her and the police. Still mid-rut, his instincts to protect and shield her were at war with the man who understood she needed to tell her story, to do what she could to put the monster who had assaulted her behind bars.

It didn't get any easier the next week when her body finally gasped and released its need, her heat dissipating and leaving her an empty, broken shell that every happiness seemed to run straight through, spilling on the floor.

And none of the hours, or days, or weeks that came after were better. She'd wake at night with the memory of hands on her arm, pressing against her neck – the wrong hands – but there was never more than a second of panic before she was wrapped in the rightness that was her mate, her fears soothed if only for a few moments.

It wasn't easy when she sat on the couch with her therapist, sometimes talking, and sometimes saying nothing at all, but always wondering if those pieces she'd been broken into would ever amount to the strong, capable woman she used to be, or if that one dark piece meant they'd stay forever on the floor, waiting for the next blow that would crush them into an even finer dust.

It wasn't easy for Killian either, not the first week when he bent to the instincts they were both driven by, man warring with pure, primal need, unable to do anything but give in, but fearful that it was too much too soon – both the man and the beast left rabid with fury when the police informed them that while they suspected her attacker had a similar history in other cities, without corroboration or a record, he'd most likely be able to bargain down to a slap on the wrist.

It didn't get any easier after their rut and heat ended, reality slipping through their doorway as they searched for a new normal that didn't disturb the broken pieces that littered the floor and met them each day in the mirror. Killian confided that he'd decided to walk home for dinner when she mentioned the leftovers, that if he hadn't, if he'd decided to stay at the office, he was terrified to think of how much longer it would have taken him to get to her – how one little decision had meant so much. What other decision could he make that would be the wrong one?

None of the hours, day, or weeks that followed were better, waking from his own nightmares to comfort his mate, images he'd never forget still etched behind his closed eyes as Emma shuddered in his arms – the police holding him back from a scene he didn't want to see, Emma bloodied and broken on the ground because he'd taken too long to reach her, because she was a fighter, because he'd failed her.

He'd finally agreed to see someone, to try to find a way just as Emma was, but even then the weight of fixing things felt like a burden he'd crumble beneath, one infinitesimal crack away from shattering. How could he take the guilt, the anger, the resentment, the fear and wrap them up neatly into something that wouldn't drag him down with each step he took? How could he be there for Emma if he couldn't hold himself up? How could he forgive himself?

It wasn't easy, and it took more days and months than they could count, some of them passing in moments of brightness and others lingering like a sickness they couldn't shake, but they had each other. They had help, and gradually, like seasons shifting, the minutes between dark moments grew a little longer, the days between nightmares stretched.

It was months before they took anything but a car to get around Boston, and even then never alone. Emma still hated confined spaces, leaving the doors open to every room she was in, even at work or home, and neither of them were as comfortable with long absences than they once were. When Killian mentioned a transfer to a small ship yard in New York, Emma could see through his reassurances that he would be happy there. She knew his heart, and she also knew hers, so she knew it wasn't right for them.

This was their home, and she wasn't going to let that monster take it away from her, from Killian, from the future they'd always envisioned here.

So they fought for it, through the days that were easy and the ones that weren't, which a year later were few and far between, and on the day that Emma told Killian they would need to move his office out of the spare room, it had never been easier to forget that brief moment of darkness in the face of so much light and promise.

And on the day they painted it a beautiful sea-blue that peeked through the slats of the crib Killian had put together himself, they barely ever thought of all those broken pieces – the few that still lingered were familiar and softened by time, as ingrained into the foundation of who they were now as anything whole – instead, they chose to look ahead to where there was a happy beginning to a new story – and above all else, there was Hope.

#Captain Swan #cs fanfic #cs ff #emma and hook #sailtoafarawayland #omegaverse

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mysimparchive · 4 years ago

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TITLE: If You Spend The Night I’ll Loose My Mind

SHIP: Twice/Mr Compress Jin Bubaigawara/Atsuhiro Sako

RATED: T

SUMMARY: When Jin shows up at Atsuhiro's stoop at 3 in the morning, does he really have the best intentions in mind? Atsuhiro suspects being alone is more than Jin can deal with at the moment, even if all he really craves is silence.Prompt: Twice and Compress spend the night together after experiencing something traumatic

ADDITIONAL INFO/WARNINGS: Includes references to pain killers and alcohol, improper use/abuse of illicit substances. Big focus on the fact that Compress only has one arm. References to Magne’s death

AO3 Link

Full story under the cut

It was past three in the morning, and there was someone knocking at his door.

A part of Atsuhiro had a feeling of what- or rather who -was responsible for that knocking. Among his ring of associates, the list of suspects was fairly limited. It did not stop the dread forming in his gut. He was not still awake at this hour because he wanted to entertain company.

As such, he sat still for a moment, taking a calming breath. See, he’d only just lowered himself on to the compact couch in the small but tidy living area of his similarly compact loft. There was a tall glass of water and a vivid orange pill bottle sitting on the coffee table in front of him. His hair was damp following a shower, and he was clad in a bathrobe as the ordeal of undressing, showering, and renewing the bandages around his missing arm had collectively caused a bit of a headache. He had not been mentally willing to go through the ordeal that was attempting to properly clothe himself again one handed and in miserable pain. Meanwhile, the robe had been hanging on a hook so conveniently near..

Another series of raps against the door, this time more persistent.

He sighed again and stood, sliding towards the door, and peering through the peephole even if it felt like a redundant gesture. He closed his eyes in sharp irritation, and quickly moved to open the door with his missing arm. Ignoring the throb of pain in his severed limb, he tried again, this time with his right.

It swung open, revealing Jin, who other than the blatantly obvious Twice mask covering his face, was in his civilian clothing, hands in his pockets, staring at his feet guiltily. It was almost as if he hadn’t been the one pounding at his door with the incessant beat of a maniac at an underground rave, and when Atsuhiro finally opened the door he just happened to be standing there. Coincidentally.

“Come inside,” Atsuhiro said urgently, granting Jin a pathway to shuffle through the doorway. He would hope to the powers that be that all of the neighbors reamined asleep and unperturbed by the sound issued by his colleague’s slamming fists. Hoping that no one had witnessed the nationally recognized visage of a League of Villains member standing at his doorstep.

“It’s three in the morning, Jin” Atsuhiro accused somewhat pointedly. Given the hour, and the day he was having thus far, he had more trouble than usual keeping the annoyance from seeping out.

“Really?” Jin mumbled first, then added slightly more expressively, “ Not like you were sleeping anyway. ”

Atsuhiro’s jaw clenched and he braced himself, willed himself to keep calm.

“You can’t just show up here like that,” he gestured at the mask.

He didn’t wait for a response, just strode back towards the couch, the left sleeve of his robe flapping emptily as he moved. He snatched up the pill bottle which had been resting nearby. Something for the pain , Giran had promised and for once there was not a trace of that teasing sleeze in his voice. Instead, there was something akin to actual sympathy that had sent an inexplicable blot of anger coursing through Atushiro.

Now, he was standing in his suffocating living room, dutifully ignoring his uninvited guest, and struggling to get the lid off said pill bottle with only one hand to aid him in the task. That was when Jin's shoes suddenly faded into his line of vision, and a hand landed on Atsuhiro's. Somewhat clumsy fingers eased the bottle free of his own clammy hand, and opened the cap with such a practiced ease, it felt like a smack to his face.

Jin handed back the bottle, again something apologetic about the gesture.

"Thank you," Atsuhiro said quietly after a beat.

The rest of the process went relatively smoother. It was easy enough to fish out one of the capsules buried inside, and wash it down quickly with the water from his glass.

He’d closed his eyes as he’d swallowed the pill, leaning slightly against the arm of the couch. For a moment, all he could fixate on was the sensation in his fingers. Those in his left hand, as if it too was brushing up against the fabric of his furniture to help him balance. There was a ghostly pinch in the tips of those extremities. As if the blood flow had paused momentarily and now it was picking up again.

Brown eyes fluttered open to land on Jin’s mask. There was usually at least one mask between the two of them in these moments. More often than not, it was his own. Tonight he was the vulnerable one, leaving every crease and dark shadow under his eyes exposed to Jin’s probing stare. If only the damn pain pill would kick in faster.

A third sigh.

“Why are you here?”

Jin continued to shift in that sorry way before finally speaking, “I thought someone should check in on you. Make sure you’re okay.”

It was a trying situation and the miserable note in Jin’s voice had him second guessing the rapid irritation pounding in his head. Of course, Jin’s intentions were always good ones. That was the common thread between all of these encounters. Except that he felt the motivation didn’t just end there.

If he had to warrant a guess this was just as much about Magne as it was his arm. If not more so. There was a pang in his chest at the thought.

“So… How are you?” Jin said when it became apparent that Atsuhiro would not be leading this conversation.

“I’m tired , Jin, it’s three in the morning,” he repeated as if it hadn’t been pointed enough the first time he’d brought up the fact.

“Oh yeah..”

A more mannered guest would take the hint and leave. Atsuhiro didn’t believe that Jin was as oblivious to these cues as he often pretended to be. If he wasn’t leaving now, it wasn’t because he misunderstood. It was because he didn’t want to be alone. And that deep seated longing for company outweighed his fear of coming off as a rude nuisance. Atsuhiro was apparently the only wimp in their team that couldn’t kick his sorry puppy-dog eyes to the curb.

Even in this state.

He fixed another look at Jin, catching on to a subtle tremmor coursing through the other man. A symptom of stress he hadn't noticed before too preoccupied with his anger, his pain, his need to get the damn cap off the pill bottle.

After a moment Atushiro broke the silence.

“Top left cabinet in the kitchen. Fetch me what you find.”

….

The spirit the two of them were sharing, plus whatever the hell Giran had slipped him, nearly had Atsuhiro forgetting he’d ever had arms at all. His head was spinning out in this awfully heady way. Or was that just the late night hour? He hadn’t slept in what felt like days.

The only solid in that moment had been Jin’s shoulder beneath his head.

Jin was talking to Atsuhiro, telling him a story. Or was he simply arguing with himself? It was difficult to keep track. Meanwhile, Atsuhiro’s glazed eyes were fixed on the satin sleeve where it hung flatly off the edge of the couch cushions.

“--She punched the damn thing out of my hand, and I thought the crash was gonna wake up the entire league. I wasn’t worried at all! And then she told me that waffle irons aren’t actually meant for waffles, they’re supposed to be used for sandwiches. I’m not a gullible guy-- I’m so fucking gulible . Shut up-- And, and for a minute I actually believed it because of the look on her face. She’s always so full of shit-- Was full of shit, asshole-”

The speech had abruptly cut off. Atsuhiro’s brain realized with only partial dely.

He shifted from his languid position, staring up at Jin. Only the lower half of the man’s face was exposed. The skin tight mask rolled up to the bridge of his nose so as to ease the drinking process. And he’d drank like it was his last night on earth, pounding back shot after shot of amber liquid, far out pacing Atsuhiro who was still somewhat aware that mixing even one shot with the Giran-pill had been a bad idea. This thought had briefly occurred to him as he’d poured a second glass after what felt like hours, but had likely been barely fifteen minutes later.

The visible half of Jin’s face was pale and unshaven. His previously flapping mouth had transformed into a thin trembling line.

“Enough,” Atsuhiro commanded softly, “Come here.”

He moved first, assisting Jin to fall into his chest. Slowly the man folded inward, the quake in his shoulders returning and vibrating against Atushiro’s body. He wrapped his available arm around Jin, hand landing at the base of his neck to card fingers through the stiff blonde locks.

….

At some point in the night Jin had stopped crying and began laughing.

At which point, Atsuhiro had pressed his lips against the other man’s cracking ones.

Something about that maniacal sound had been even more grating then the shuddering sobs which had preceded it. As they were both far too faded for the kissing to lead anywhere promising, Atsuhiro simply cherished the quiet that followed.

For one spectacular moment there was silence besides the soft sound of their mouths working against each other. He’d learned a while ago that kissing was an efficient means to shut down some of Jin’s otherwise inescapable noise. So, for the next period of time they sat and kissed, and Atsuhiro cherished the blessed silence.

Following this, they’d abandoned the bottle and dirty glasses on the coffee table, in favor of tumbling onto the futon which Jin had been far too eager to unfold. Atsuhiro remained in his robe, Jin in his dirty civilian clothes, something he may have argued on a different night. Then of course, there was the half drawn Twice mask...

Both of them were sluggish as a result of the substances coursing through their blood streams. Or perhaps that was a result of the deep resonating sadness the two of them had shared. Who was to say really? Either way, changing anything about the arrangement would have been an unnecessary challenge.

Instead, they settled. Atsuhiro spread out on his back, missing limb angled outward to keep it from rubbing against Jin’s body. Meanwhile, Jin burrowed his face against Atsuhiro’s neck, still dropping the occasional kiss against any piece of skin that was level with his mouth.

“I’m so sorry,” a ragged whisper broke the silence that he’d dared to hope would be permanent for the remainder of the night.

“...Jin… Enough,” he murmured, closing his eyes and hoping to hell that either the drugs or sheer exhaustion finally dragged them off to sleep.

….

He awoke in the early dawn hours. Or maybe it was closer to late afternoon?

Through the fog that lingered in his brain the dimb lighting in the loft was tough to decipher.

Jin was still at his side, sleeping soundly. His mask had slipped off at some point in the night, exposing his face and a pair of raw red eyelids still shut in a dream. Atsuhiro quickly clenched his eyes as a stab of pain suddenly coursed through him. Although, it wasn’t his arm that bothered him this time.

He felt a convulsion tight in his chest and realized with some surprise that he was about to cry.

#mr compress #twice #atsuhiro sako #jin bubaigawara #my hero academia #Baku no hero academia #my fic

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lannisterdaddyissues · 4 years ago

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Tlk & alfred for the ask meme👀😁

aaaaa sorry i took so long to answer this lmaoo!!! i forgot it was in my inbox but i LOOOOOOOVE YOU!!!! @stellar-voyager you give me all the fun validation

001 | THE LAST KINGDOM

favorite character: Literally everyone who’s ever met me knows this lol but Alfred hands down. He’s brilliant. I love the brainy ones who play puppeteer with everyone else, it just really turns the cogs in my mind. I also love Uhtred and Aldhelm though, they’re probably tied for next in line :)

least favorite character: Cn*t 🤢🤢🤢🤢🤢 I can’t stand him. But Aethelwold comes in a close second because ew.

5 favorite ships (canon or non-canon): Again, literally everyone who’s ever met me knows this but Uhtred and Alfred have so much chemistry and such a strong bond that I couldn’t just...not ship them. After that there are some really good canon ships in this show that I just love. Aethelflaed x Aldhelm, Uhtred x Gisela, Finan x Eadith, and Alfred x Aelswith have all my heart eyes 🥺

character I find most attractive: Ugh I can’t believe I have to answer this when the main cast is full of attractive people. If I’m being completely honest I really think Uhtred and Gisela are super attractive.

character I would marry: A̶e̶t̶h̶e̶l̶r̶e̶d̶ I can hardly choose between the entire cast, but if I have to narrow it to one then probably Aldhelm :’) He would be the best husband!!!

character I would be best friends with: Likely Uhtred or Aldhelm again <3

a random thought: Iseult lives rent-free in my brain forever, I know she lasted for like 2 episodes but she had such an impact on Alfred that he attended her pagan funeral and I will just never stop thinking about that.

an unpopular opinion: Finan is overrated. That is all

my canon otp: I mean there aren’t a lot of ships that are canon as of yet so Uhtred x Gisela. I love them, they’re the perfect example of what a marriage should be <3

my non-canon otp: I am once again Thinking about Alfred x Uhtred because they are transcendent

most badass character: Alfred. He wasn’t the protagonist but still stole the spotlight every time he was on screen and was unafraid to call people out on their BS.

most epic villain: I hate just about every antagonist in this show and most of them are kind of lame tbh, but Siegfried (i think that’s how you spell it? the subtitles call him Sigefrid but it didn’t look right) was pretty good. I didn’t like him much but he was probably the least lame.

pairing I am not a fan of: Brida and Cn*t are just...ew. Ugh. No.

character I feel the writers screwed up (in one way or another): I mean the writers did a great job with everyone really but... Brida by the end of s4? I am Not a fan.

favourite friendship: It’s impossible for me to give any answer but Coccham Squad, though Hild and Uhtred are the most wholesome friendship I’ve ever seen between a man and a woman on screen. I love the respect he has for her 💖💖 and she for him!!! Really anyone who’s friends with Uhtred, I love.

character I most identify with: I identify a lot with Aldhelm and, a fact which disgusts me :), Edward. Not that I live in my parents’ shadow but at such a young age he’s striving to do more than he’s capable of and that’s a same. I still hate him though 🥴

character I wish I could be: Aethelflaed is the Woman™️

003 | KING ALFRED (THE GREAT) OF WESSEX

how I feel about this character: HE IS EVERYTHING TO ME AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA I would sell my soul to him for a penny and a lock of his soft hair 🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺

any/all the people I ship romantically with this character: Have I not said Uhtred twice already? I will say it a third time. He deserves it. I also love his relationship with Aelswith. They had a rocky start but there were some scenes in the later seasons that really showed how much they loved and cared for each other 🥺❤️

my favorite non-romantic relationship for this character: He doesn’t really interact with any of the characters except for Uhtred and his family, so I’d have to say Aethelflaed. He’s such an adorable dad with her, I love seeing how much he dotes on her and he was so stricken with grief when she was kidnapped in s2 😭 But for characters who aren’t his family, I’d have to say Hild. She’s easily his favorite nun 🏆😇

my unpopular opinion about this character: A lot of people don’t like him because of his treatment of Uhtred throughout the course of the show which is valid, since he shows a lot of hypocritical behavior and manipulates Uhtred into serving him a lot. But people don’t take into account the fact that Uhtred refused to assimilate with his culture and follow his laws in his own land, instead doing the exact opposite by killing who he pleased and blatantly disrespecting the Christian God. People normally ignore this by saying it was a different time but it’s Alfred’s house and his rules and that is the tea sis.

one thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon: The reconciliation with Uhtred and the handhold was really all I could wish for 🥺🥺 and Uhtred’s speech about him!!! The love!!! I’ll always hold their bond so dearly to my heart. But I really wish that we’d gotten to see some grandpa Alfred before he died :((( Grandma Aelswith and Aethelstan were so cute, and the scene where she tells Aethelstan about Alfred’s vision made my heart hurt so much. I wish we’d gotten to see Alfred be a grandpa though 💔 He would have been the best grandfather 😤😤

favorite friendship for this character: haha the implication that alfred has friends is so funny....but no his closest friend is his chronicle (it’s really his diary). To answer this question seriously though, Aelswith may be his wife but she’s also his best friend!! They judge people together just as best friends should. I love them <3

my crossover ship: I’m not really a crossover person so I don’t really have one. Also he’s a real person so that’s just kinda... idk nahhh lol. I guess, off the top of my head, Allura from Voltron???? They’re both...royals...and they’re relatively similar in personality. I don’t even know I’m just throwing stuff into the void 😜 but oh no i’m kind of seeing it now oop- 😖

here’s the link to the ask meme!

#ask #ask meme #reply #tlk #tlk alfred #stellar-voyager #mutual #thank u so much omg payton i LOVE u

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phantom-le6 · 4 years ago

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Episode Reviews - Star Trek The Next Generation Season 1 (3 of 6)

As we draw close to crossing the first month of 2021 off the calendar to make room for February, which in my view is only of use for Pancake Day and nothing more, I’m back with yet more reviews from the first season of Star Trek: TNG. Will these episodes prove any better than those of the first two rounds, or are we looking at more lemons with warp engines? Let’s find out…

Episode 10: Hide and Q

Plot (as adapted from Wikipedia):

The Enterprise is en route to Quadra Sigma to aid colonists caught in a methane explosion when Q re-appears and demands that they abandon their mission to compete in a game. He teleports Commander Riker and the bridge crew, with the exception of Captain Picard, to a barren landscape and appears in front of them wearing a uniform of a Napoleonic era French marshal. He explains the rule of the game is to stay alive, and after Lt. Yar refuses to compete, he transports her back to the bridge of the Enterprise in a "penalty box".

Q returns to the bridge too, to talk Picard into setting a wager. He explains that the Q Continuum is testing Commander Riker to see if he is worthy of being granted their powers. Picard, having the utmost faith in his First Officer, takes the bet, as winning it would mean Q would get off their backs. Meanwhile, Riker and his team are attacked by what Lt. Worf reports as "vicious animal things" wearing French soldier uniforms from the Napoleonic era and armed with muskets that fire energy bolts instead of the classic projectiles. Q returns to Riker and tells him that he has granted him the powers of the Continuum, and Riker promptly returns his crew mates to the ship but remains behind with Q to ultimately reject the powers. Q brings the crew back to the landscape, this time without their phasers and with Picard. The crew are attacked once more by the aliens, and both Worf and Wesley Crusher are killed. Riker uses the powers of the Q to return the crew again and bring both Worf and Wesley back to life.

Riker makes a promise to Picard never to use the powers again and the ship arrives at Quadra Sigma. A rescue team beams down and discovers a young girl who has died. Riker is tempted to save her, but in the end, he refuses to do so out of respect for his promise. However, he quickly shows signs of regret at this decision, which he expresses to the captain. Tension between Picard and his first officer grows as Riker now seems to be embracing his powers, and his behaviour toward the crew begins to change. At Q's suggestion, and with Picard's blessing, Riker uses his powers to give his friends what he believes they want, turning Wesley into an adult, giving La Forge normal sight in place of his visor, and creating a Klingon female companion for Worf. All the recipients reject their gifts, however, with Data even anticipating and declining Riker's attempt to make him human. Picard declares that Q has failed, and when Q attempts to go back on his word, he is forcibly recalled to the Continuum. Picard is pleased to see Q gone, and praises Riker for confirming his trust in his "Number One".

Review:

There are two main reasons to enjoy this episode; Q and Picard. This is the first time since the pilot that we’ve seen Q and Picard interact, and it’s much better this time because both the actors are a bit more at grips with their characters. The scene in the Captain’s ready room between the pair where they both quote Shakespeare is one of the real highlights of the first season, a veritable miniature diamond in a season-long run of rough. In some respects, it’s almost a pity Picard-Q meet-ups aren’t more frequent, but ultimately, I think that they have to be done as little as possible to retain some impact in the later seasons.

Unfortunately, the episode lacks sufficient subtlety in trying to convey a story about power corrupting. The key reason why the Dark Phoenix story in the X-Men comics is a classic that no adaptation has ever effectively captured is because it involves Jean Grey being corrupted by power slowly, inch by inch, until circumstances push her over the edge. When the Primarch Horus is turned to Chaos in the Horus Heresy novels that form part of Warhammer 40,000 lore, it’s not an overnight transformation from the noble being he was to the power-mad tyrant laying waste to Terra years later. It’s a slow, gradual seduction by power, and a single episode of any TV show doesn’t give that.

As a result, the idea of Riker’s shift in character and attitude seems too rapid and falls flat. The only thing that doesn’t fall flat is how the rest of the cast reacts when Riker tries to act with benevolence. It’s a testament to each of them how they resist being granted their supposedly fondest wishes. I especially applaud Geordi and the autistic-like Data for their choices. I never like stories that try to push the idea that characters who are somehow differently abled, either blatantly or through the metaphor of a genre-specific concept, should always want to eliminate that difference. Maybe Geordi can’t see like everyone else, but considering all the different things he can see with his visor, it’s not like the vision he has is any better or worse. It’s just a pity his reason for saying no was more about not liking a Q-style Riker than about accepting himself and all the goodness inherent in that.

Add in Troi not being around at a time when her character could be very annoying without much effort, and you’ve got an episode that has many saving graces propping up a poor execution of a decent core concept. End score for this one, probably 7 out of 10.

Episode 11: Haven

Plot (as adapted from Wikipedia):

The Enterprise arrives at the planet Haven, where the ship's half-Betazoid Counsellor Deanna Troi has been summoned by her mother Lwaxana. Deanna had previously been set into an arranged marriage to the young human doctor, Wyatt Miller, and his parents have since tracked down Lwaxana to enforce the marriage. After Lwaxana and the Millers are welcomed aboard the Enterprise, the parents argue over whose cultural traditions will be honoured at the ceremony. Deanna and Wyatt attempt to get to know each other but find it difficult, as Deanna is still in love with Commander William Riker. Wyatt has had numerous dreams of another woman with whom he has fallen in love, and had initially believed her to be Deanna communicating telepathically with him.

The Enterprise then learns of an unmarked vessel approaching Haven. Captain Picard recognizes it as Tarellian, a race they thought to have been wiped out by a highly lethal and contagious virus. When they contact the ship, they find a handful of Tarellian refugees who have been travelling at sub-light speeds to Haven in hopes of finding an isolated location to live out the rest of their lives in peace. Picard insists that they cannot go to the planet for fear of spreading the virus, and has the Tarellian vessel placed in a tractor beam. Wyatt discovers that one of the Tarellians, Ariana, is the woman from his dreams, and she too recognizes Wyatt. Wyatt tells Dr Crusher that he will transport some medical supplies to them, but transports himself along with the supplies. When the crew discovers this, Wyatt's parents demand that Picard bring Wyatt back to the Enterprise, but Denna insists that he cannot return, as Wyatt would now carry the Tarellian virus. Wyatt promises his parents, Deanna, and the rest of the crew that he knew that this would be his destiny, and is happy to try to help cure the Tarellian virus. Wyatt convinces the Tarellians to leave Haven and search for help elsewhere. Picard orders the tractor beam to be dropped and allows the vessel to depart the system.

Review:

When it comes to Majel Barrett in the era of the TNG-DS9-Voyager shows, her best work as a guest star is her voice work as the voice of any given Starfleet computer. Her worst work is when she’s guest-starring as Deanna Troi’s mother. Her whole character is the very definition of nails on a chalk board, and it’s very rare if ever that an episode featuring her can be anything good. That said, her presence does help to improve Deanna’s character just because it means Deanna’s suddenly no longer the most likely to irk you with her characterisation. Basically, anytime Deanna’s on the screen at this early stage in the show, all I can think is “please don’t have her go all over-sensitive like she did in the pilot.”

Leaving the Troi family aside, the episode isn’t much to get excited about. Just a run-of-the-mill b-plot about a plague ship that interconnects with the main plot nicely to save us from the Trek equivalent of a shotgun wedding. Frankly, I’d have preferred it if they’d done a plot exploring the arranged marriage idea and casting it down as the terrible idea it is, but then I suppose it wouldn’t be politic to do that with a culture that is part-and-parcel of the Federation instead of being the guest-race-of-the-week. I’d give this one about 3 out of 10.

Episode 12: The Big Goodbye

Plot (as adapted from Wikipedia):

The Enterprise heads to Torona IV to open negotiations with the Jarada, an insect-like race that are unusually strict in matters of protocol. After practicing the complex greeting the Jarada require to open negotiations, Captain Jean-Luc Picard decides to relax with a Dixon Hill story in the holodeck. Playing Detective Hill in the holo-program, Picard takes up the case of Jessica Bradley, who believes that Cyrus Redblock is trying to kill her. Picard decides to continue the program later and leaves the holodeck to affirm their estimated arrival at Torona IV. He invites Dr Beverly Crusher and historian crewmember Whalen to join him in the holodeck. While Crusher is still preparing, Picard and Whalen are ready to enter the holodeck when Lt. Commander Data arrives, having overheard Picard's invitation. Entering the holodeck, the three discover that Jessica has been murdered in Picard's absence. As Picard explains that he saw Jessica at his office the day before, Lt. Bell brings Picard into the police station for questioning as a suspect in her murder. Meanwhile, the Enterprise is scanned from a distance by the Jarada, causing a power surge in the holodeck external controls. Dr Crusher later enters the holodeck, first experiencing a momentary glitch with the holodeck doors, and joins her friends at the police station.

The Jarada demand their greeting earlier than the agreed time and are insulted at having to talk to anyone other than the Captain. The crew tries to communicate with Picard in the holodeck but finds it impossible; the Jarada signal has affected the holodeck's functions, preventing the doors from opening or allowing communication with the crew inside. Lt. Geordi La Forge and Wesley Crusher attempt to repair the holodeck systems. While inside the holodeck, the group returns to Dixon's office. Mr. Leech appears, having waited for Picard, demanding he turn over an object he believes Jessica gave him. When Picard fails to understand, Leech shoots Dr. Whalen with a gun, and the crew discovers that the safety protocols have been disabled, as Whalen is severely wounded. As Dr Crusher cares for his wound, Picard and Data discover that the holodeck is malfunctioning, and they are unable to exit the program. Mr. Leech is joined by Redblock, who continues to demand the object. Lt. McNary arrives and becomes involved in the standoff. Picard tries to explain the nature of the holodeck, but Redblock refuses to believe him.

Outside, Wesley finds the glitch; however, he cannot simply turn off the system for fear of losing everyone inside. Instead, Wesley resets the simulation, briefly placing Picard and the others in the middle of a snowstorm before finding themselves back in Dixon's office. With the reset successfully clearing the malfunction, the exit doors finally appear. Despite Picard's warnings, Redblock and Leech exit the holodeck, but dissipate as they move beyond the range of its holo-emitters. As they leave the holodeck, Picard thanks McNary, who now suspects that his world is artificial and asks whether Picard's departure is "the big goodbye", to which Picard replies that he simply doesn't know. Picard reaches the bridge in time to give the proper greeting to the Jarada. The Jarada accept the greeting, heralding the start of successful negotiations.

Review:

The Big Goodbye has a special place in the era of holodeck era of Trek as the first example of a “holodeck-gone-wrong” episode. Later episodes of this series and the spin-off shows Deep Space Nine and Voyager would return to the premise of holodeck malfunctions time and again as either minor or major plot points. Unfortunately, the holodeck is already going wrong as a plot device in the show just from a technical realisation standpoint.

The basic idea of the holodeck is that it creates 3D images that resemble whatever is programmed into the computer, with some kind of force-fields giving the images substance while other aspects of the technology fill in the proverbial blanks (e.g. special programming to create interactive characters, localised environmental controls, etc.) However, everything that exists within the holodeck can only exist within the range of the room’s tech; if anything created by the holodeck moves beyond its walls, it should instantly cease to be. However, in the Farpoint pilot, Wesley Crusher fell into water on the holodeck, and when he walked out into the corridor, he remained wet and dripping when all the holographic water should have disappeared the instance he walked through the exit.

Likewise, in this episode Picard picks up a lipstick mark when he first tries the holodeck’s new upgrades, and that should have disappeared when he later briefs the crew in the observation lounge. Instead, Dr Crusher has to wipe the lipstick off for the captain, despite the fact it should have disappeared from Picard’s face long ago. It’s an annoying issue, and one that could have been easily fixed even back in the 1980’s when this show was made; evidently, this was just another example of how bad the show was at this stage. If TNG ever gets the kind of reboot the original series did, I sincerely hope any use of the holodecks pays attention to and rectifies this error in the application of the holodeck concept.

Otherwise, this episode doesn’t do much more than give Brent Spiner a bit more to do with Data by having him impersonate a 40’s-style gangers and give Patrick Stewart someone else to be besides the captain of the latest version of the Enterprise. It’s a fairly well-made episode for season 1 of this show, and it really sells the illusion of the holodeck program for the most part. The people who made the show just needed to learn that anything that gets made in the holodeck stays in the holodeck. I’d give it about 5 out of 10.

Episode 13: Datalore

Plot (as adapted from Wikipedia):

While on the way to Starbase Armus IX for computer maintenance, the Enterprise arrives at the planet Omicron Theta, the site of a vanished colony where the starship Tripoli originally found the android Data. An away team travels to the surface and finds that what had been farmland is now barren with no trace of life in the soil. The team also finds a lab which they discover is where Dr. Noonien Soong, a formerly prominent but now discredited robotics designer, built Data. The team also find a disassembled android nearly identical to Data and return with it to the ship. As the course to the Starbase is resumed, the crew reassemble and reactivate Data's "brother" in sickbay. He refers to himself as Lore, and explains that Data was built first and he himself is the more perfect model. He feigns naiveté to the crew, but shows signs of being more intelligent than he is letting on. Later, in private, he tells Data that they were actually created in the opposite order, as the colonists became envious of his own perfection. He also explains that a crystalline space entity capable of stripping away all life force from a world was responsible for the colony's demise.

Lore then incapacitates Data, revealing that he plans to offer the ship's crew to the entity. When a signal transmission is detected from Data's quarters, Wesley Crusher arrives to investigate. He finds Lore, now impersonating Data, who explains that he had to incapacitate his brother after being attacked. Wesley is doubtful, but pretends to accept the explanation. Soon after, the same crystalline entity that had attacked the colony approaches the ship. Lore, still pretending to be Data, enters the bridge as the object hovers before the Enterprise and explains that he incapacitated his brother by turning him off, causing Doctor Beverly Crusher to be suspicious, since Data had previously treated the existence of such a feature as a closely guarded secret. Lore then explains that he can communicate with the crystalline entity and suggests to Captain Jean-Luc Picard that he should show a demonstration of force by beaming an object toward the entity and then destroying it with the ship's phasers.

Lore's attempts to imitate Data are imperfect, though initially only Wesley is suspicious, and his efforts to voice these concerns only draw rude rebukes from Picard and his mother. However, Picard does ultimately become suspicious, especially when Lore does not recognize Picard's usual command to "make it so". Although Picard sends a security detachment to tail him, Lore overpowers Lt. Worf and evades pursuit. Meanwhile, the suspicious Dr Crusher and Wesley reactivate the unconscious Data, and the three of them race to the cargo hold to find Lore plotting with the entity to defeat the Enterprise. When Lore discovers them, he threatens Wesley with a phaser and orders Dr Crusher to leave. Data quickly rushes Lore and a brawl ensues. Data manages to knock Lore onto the transporter platform, and Wesley activates it, beaming Lore into space. With its conspirator no longer aboard, the crystalline entity departs, and the Enterprise resumes its journey to the starbase.

Review:

This episode very heavily relies on answering the mystery of Data’s origin and giving him a villainous brother in a manner similar to the Thor-Loki dynamic of Marvel superhero lore (pardon the inadvertent pun) to make it worth watching, because goodness knows it falls down everywhere else. Spiner is remarkable playing the treacherous Lore alongside his regular character of Data, and it’s fun to see him make the best of what ultimately becomes a poor episode on other fronts.

I know some reviewers have stated they don’t understand Lore’s motives for allying with the Crystalline Entity, but as a Marvel fan, it’s actually fairly easy to deduce. Much like Loki in Marvel’s Thor franchise, Lore is a bit of a trickster, an android Q but without the pseudo-godhood or ultimately benign motives of Q. Also like Loki, Lore is the unfavoured son, one who was basically cast aside in favour of something supposedly better, so he’s turned against the humanity his brother admires and emulates out of jealousy and the pain of rejection. It’s not a hard motive to grasp, but with Lore not explicitly saying it, you need that knowledge of another fictional reference to make the deduction. Given that Marvel lore was largely overlooked by the adult world until superheroes were made into a legitimate cinematic genre at the turn of the century, it’s unlikely many original reviewers would have made the link.

However, as I’ve noted, the episode falls apart in other respects. The crew’s haste to reassemble Data’s brother mid-flight is very risky behaviour more akin to the cowboy antics of Kirk’s crew from the original series than Picard’s more measured approach, and they are remarkably stupid in failing to catch onto Lore’s threat. Only Wesley shows the requisite insight and intelligence, but expresses it poorly because at this time no one on the show could write Wesley with any kind of competence. As a result, Picard ends up looking like a total git for his outburst at Wesley, Wesley’s mother comes off almost as bad, and when it turns out that, as ever, Wesley was right, there’s no apology from Picard at all. On balance, this episode rates about 5 out of 10, which can be taken as the anti-Wesley acting having a severely detrimental impact on a great Spiner performance, or a great Spiner performance saving the episode by some horrid Wesley-bashing.

Episode 14: Angel One

Plot (as adapted from Wikipedia):

The Enterprise arrives at the planet Angel One, which is ruled by an oligarchy of women. The ship is looking for survivors from the shipwrecked freighter Odin, over seven years after having been evacuated. The freighter was missing three escape pods and the only planet in range was Angel One. An away team consisting of Commander William Riker, Lt. Commander Data, Lt. Tasha Yar, and Counsellor Deanna Troi beam down to the surface. They attempt to negotiate with Mistress Beata, the "Elected One" of the native inhabitants, to let them search for the survivors. Time is of the essence however, as the Enterprise must travel to a Federation outpost near the Romulan Neutral Zone (where a group of Romulan Battlecruisers has been detected) as soon as they resolve their investigation into the Odin survivors.

Beata reveals that they are aware of four male survivors of the Odin who have caused disruption in their society, and are considered fugitives. Beata requests Riker stay with her (and later requests that he order Troi, Data, and Yar to track down the survivors' camp and their leader Ramsey, while staying and dining with her). After some back and forth, Data concludes Ramsey and the survivors of the Odin would have platinum with them, and Angel One is naturally devoid of platinum, allowing the Enterprise to easily detect them. Meanwhile, Riker dresses in the garb given to him for his dinner with Beata, Troi and Yar tease him for dressing in clothes that sexualize him and, in some ways, demean him. He responds by saying he is honouring the local customs, and acknowledges Beata's beauty, and that the garb is rather comfortable.

The Enterprise searches while in orbit around Angel One. Doctor Beverly Crusher relieves Captain Jean-Luc Picard of duty after he and most of the crew have fallen ill to a random virus on board. The Captain leaves Lieutenant Geordi La Forge in command (Geordi's first time in acting command of a starship). Shortly after, they find Ramsey and transmit his location to the Away Team, who beam directly to there.

When confronted by Data, Yar, and Troi, Ramsey and his men, having taken wives and started families during the seven years, refuse to leave. Data points out that as the Odin was not a star fleet vessel, its crew is not bound by the Prime Directive and the Enterprise cannot remove them against their will. Geordi informs Yar of the medical situation on board, and that more Romulan ships have been detected near the Neutral Zone. Riker gets close to Beata as they compare how gender roles differ between Angel One and the Federation. On the Enterprise, systems are becoming harder to maintain with more crew succumbing to the virus. Geordi (after a friendly reminder from a sniffling Worf) remembers that in command, he must delegate tasks so he can stay on the bridge. Dr Crusher finds that the virus is an airborne organism that produces a sweet smell, to encourage inhalation, after which it becomes viral inside the body.

Riker gets up to date with the situation, and decides that while Ramsey and his group are at large and refusing to leave the planet, there is little they can do. Before leaving they find that one of Beata's fellow mitstresses, Ariel, has married Ramsey, and was followed by Beata's guards to their camp, where they arrested the survivors and their families. The Away Team attempt to explain to Beata the reason for Ramsey's refusal to leave. Beata and her council reject his reasoning, and threatens to execute them the following day. After failing to convince Ramsey and his group to leave with them, Riker contacts the Enterprise in hopes of transporting Ramsey and his group without their consent (despite it being a violation of the Prime Directive, and almost certainly an end to his career). However, Dr Crusher (while treating an incapacitated Geordi in the Captain's chair) refuses to allow anyone to beam aboard for fear of them being infected, but allows Data, an android, to return. Riker orders Data to take command and get the Enterprise to the Neutral Zone before it's too late.

The following morning the Away Team is invited to witness the execution of Ramsey and his followers. Moments after Riker rejects their invitation Data makes contact and informs them that there is a 48-minute window in which Dr Crusher has to find a cure, and Riker must defuse the situation on the planet before the ship must leave for the Neutral Zone. On the planet, Ramsey and his men are prepared to be executed by disintegration despite Ariel's pleas, while Dr Crusher discovers a cure for the virus. Riker is prepared to have the away team and the Odin survivors beamed to the Enterprise, but makes a plea that execution will do Angel One’s society little good. He contends that Ramsey and his men have simply become a symbol for pre-existing dissatisfaction with the current society on Angel One, an evolutionary change that execution may only accelerate by turning Ramsey’s group into martyrs.

After deliberating with her fellow mistresses, Beata announces that she will stay the execution and banish Ramsey, his men, their families, and any others that support them to the far side of the planet. She explains that their banishment will not stop the fall of the oligarchy, but will slow it down enough that Beata will not be around to see its end. The away team return to the ship and Picard, already recovering from the virus but hardly having a voice, orders the ship to the Neutral Zone at high warp.

Review:

Apparently, the idea of this episode was look at South Africa’s apartheid system, but using a gender-based schism in a female-dominated society to explore the concept along gender lines rather than being more direct and using anything akin to a racial divide. As a result, the intention is lost behind some very horrendously sexist rubbish that makes the show seem more like a bad parody of feminism. The episode also has a lousy b-plot of a virus story that adds nothing to the episode, and again showcases how badly the holodeck concept was being handled at this time. A snowball from a holodeck skiing program should not be able to go through the holodeck doors to hit Picard and Worf in the corridor. 2 out of 10 is all this episode deserves.

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truthbeetoldmedia · 5 years ago

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Mayans MC 2x09 “Itzam-Ye” Review

Leading us into the finale, Episode 9 deals us some heartbreaking blows. Some truths are discovered, some remain hidden, and we say goodbye to a character who has been with us since the first episode. I knew it was only a matter of time, seeing as how this season hasn’t dealt us any blows quite like this yet. It was still pretty rough to see.

Let’s get into it!

Uncovered Truths

Felipe Reyes finally has a sit-down with his boys and tells them about his former life as Ignacio and the life he led before meeting their mother. He informed EZ and Angel about the affair he had with Dita Galindo and how when he met their mother and she got pregnant with Angel, they fled to America and they became the Reyes family. Ignacio grew up in the same town as Jose Galindo and the cartel. When he became Dita’s protector, she grew feelings for him and he didn’t discourage them. He made sure to mention that he ended things as soon as he met their mother. This whole time I thought he was cheating on Mrs. Reyes and I got so mad, but Felipe’s back on my good side with this one...kind of.

There were still some questions that needed answering, but they had to get Emily away from Miguel’s watchful eye in order for this to happen. Felipe had called in a favor with Dita to get Emily away for a “girls day” at the spa. From there, Felipe picked Emily up in the back alley and brought her to meet up with EZ and Angel at Felipe’s house. Once there, she was able to show them all what she had found in the Galindo financials. The Reyes men and Emily saw that Dita had written and signed the checks, but were suspicious of Jose and then Miguel himself. The timing just didn’t add up to Emily because Jose was gone before they even knew the Reyes’ were in Santo Padre. The checks were written only 10 years before the episode takes place. That makes Miguel the suspect in EZ and Angel’s eyes. Emily’s convinced he had nothing to do with it. He wouldn’t kill anyone (on the northern side of the border, anyways). She pleads with EZ not to harm her husband.

When EZ drops Emily back off at the spa, he gets a glance of Dita. Before that day, he mentions how he wouldn’t even know what Dita Galindo looks like if he had crossed paths with her on the street. He gets a good look and he gets a feeling that only EZ gets on this show because of his photographic memory. He rushes back to Casa de Reyes and looks through Felipe’s lock box of his previous life for a picture to confirm his theory about Dita Galindo. Turns out, Dita knew Felipe and Marisol were in Santo Padre 10 years ago. Dita had wanted Ignacio for herself. Dita orchestrated the hit that killed EZ and Angel’s mother and that had meant to kill Felipe as well.

It was exactly as I predicted! Dita can get down and dirty just like the rest of the Galindo family. She’s always had that kind of darkness in her; that ability to harm others.

Hidden Truths

Meanwhile, Miguel has known for weeks at this point that Emily has been hiding something from him. He knows the death of the city clerk has something to do with it and he knows the Reyes family is involved. Miguel has no idea what exactly Emily is hiding and just how deep those secrets run. He can have Nestor and Marcus follow Emily all he wants, but he’s not getting much closer to finding out the truth.

As a sign of good faith between them and their marriage, Miguel apologizes for having lied to her about his plans to deal with Potter. He tells her what he found; that he had a relationship with someone he was meant to protect while on the job in Mexico and they had a child together. He also tells her that he intends to use this information to help Adelita, but he has no plans to harm the woman or the child. Emily sees through this farce though. While she appreciates being kept in the loop, she knows he’s trying to get her to spill whatever it is she’s hiding from him and that’s just not something she’s ready to do just yet.

There is another truth that is being kept hidden though. Felipe and Dita haven’t told anyone else that Miguel may be his son. I say “may” because she never got a paternity test done and I believe science over a gut instinct on this one. I’m really looking forward to the day this secret comes out though. It’ll cause an explosion, no doubt.

To Fight or Not To Fight? That Is The Question.

Last episode we saw Coco and Riz get hurt. Coco had been by the bikes when they got blown up and his eyesight was damaged. When the episode this week begins, we see Coco being discharged with the doctors saying he may or may not get his eyesight back. He will need to see a specialist, but is that something he can even afford? If he can’t see, he can’t ride. What will his place in the club be like after all this? Understandably, the man is pissed and is hell-bent on retribution.

As for Riz, he was shot several times in the ambush throughout his body and he’s shown on life support. He’s got a tube down his throat helping him breathe and he’s unconscious. We don’t know if he has any family around, except for the club, as they were the ones the doctors spoke to, apparently, regarding Riz’s situation.

The question now is whether or not the club is going to seek revenge against Vatos Malditos, the club from Tijuana. SAMCRO and the other Mayan charters will understand if that’s what they decide to do, but the amount of money they’d lose from the Irish guns if they go for retribution is just far too great. Vatos Malditos is the only MC to the closest port on the southern side of the border. The Mayans and Sons both need this deal to work out.

It is ultimately Bishop’s decision, as he is club president, so this is the dilemma he deals with throughout the episode. The club is rallying around their fallen members. Coco may never see again so that puts him on Team War and Angel and Gilly tend to vote along with Coco, especially under these circumstances. One of the other club officers (I honestly forget the name. There’s too many club members and not enough time to devote to having each one stand out) has voted that the money is far too good, so they need the deal for the betterment of the club. The rest of the club officers decide to go with whatever Bishop decides, so that’s NO help AT ALL.

Bishop’s torn, but ultimately decides to go with the money and the deal. Coco’s vision and Riz’s health could very well improve! The money would even help them with whatever they need to help heal them along the way. The vote is made and they go with the money. The plan is to follow through on that until a wrench gets thrown in. Riz dies. His lungs give out.

What nobody else knows is that Taza, the club VP, messed with his life support. He killed Riz because he lied to Bishop. He does want war with the Vatos Malditos and that’s what he’s about to get. You see, when Taza was young and impressionable, he was a member of Vatos Malditos. We don’t know when or why exactly he left, just that there’s no love lost there. Perhaps we shall get some answers in the finale?

The penultimate episode was a rollercoaster of emotions and just what we needed going into the Season 2 finale. I’m hoping to get a “Miguel, I am your father” confession from Felipe, but I honestly don’t know if there will be time! War is coming and it’s inevitable.

Some thoughts on the episode:

Coco was discharged awfully fast. I definitely expected the news of his vision to be delivered in a more devastating way.

I really like how they showed Leti fawning a bit over her father. This is the first time she’s seen him be hurt from club-related…activities.

It just hit me that Felipe is the only one that knows everything now. I feel like he’s the one in the most danger now because of that.

EZ and Gabby sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G! I ship it!

EZ and Angel are just so done with Potter. I feel like all those scenes of the brothers just blatantly ignoring texts from Potter were kind of put in as after-thoughts almost? Kind of like, “Oh hey. Remember Potter? He’s still here.”

I’m really feeling Adelita’s absence right now and I just hope she’s okay and she returns to us soon, in whatever capacity.

If this show doesn’t get renewed soon, I’m going to be PISSED.

Sarah’s episode rating: 🐝🐝🐝🐝

Mayans MC airs Tuesdays at 10/9c on FX

#Mayans MC #Itzam-Ye

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derangedsilence · 5 years ago

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Karlheinz

Permissions

Please feel free to check any of the Sakamaki Bros.’ permission lists. It’s pretty repetitively the same.

The only exceptions:

Shipping - Within any verse he’s participating in, it’s entirely possible for him to form romantic and/or sexual partnerships with anyone who suits his needs, fancy, etc. Canonically had three wives, you know what you’re signing up for if you aim for this. However, as Karlheinz is very good at controlling his partners to suit his needs, I would prefer that many of his romances not get commented on by the public unless they’re somewhere they could be witnessed or if the individual themselves talks about it. Feel free to ask me!

Participation - Hop into getting involved in plots and storylines! Just do the dashboard commentary thing and tag this blog so I can be sure to see it. This much is the same. However, for some people, plots will need to have certain secrets kept, etc. until later. You’re still welcome to get involved, but it might be better to discuss with me and any other involved players how to participate instead of commenting on the grapevine for those particular plot aspects.

Biography / Stats

FULL NAME. Karlheinz ALIAS. Tougo Sakamaki, Reinhart AGE. Appears 35-45 || Actually significantly older at 2000+ BIRTHDAY. Unknown GENDER & PRONOUNS. Male, he/him ORIENTATION. Heteroflexible. He’ll play it up for whoever can be used. SPECIES. Vampire. OCCUPATION. Vampire King (of the demon world), Japanese politician, school nurse... RESIDENCE. Someplace in the demon world, but visits the Sakamaki household from time to time.

HAIR. White, reddish/purple-ish EYES. Golden BUILD. “What the fuck, man, it’s like you’re photoshopped.” HEIGHT. 6'2'' ADDITIONAL NOTES. A known shapeshifter, not even his sons are sure they’ve seen his real form. He can easily appear as a man, a woman, etc. to suit his needs.

ZODIAC. I Hate You, Vampire Dad is a zodiac, right? ALIGNMENT. Unknown. POSITIVE TRAITS. intelligent, charming, goal-oriented NEGATIVE TRAITS. merciless, sees people as means to an end, lacks the ability to feel deep emotional attachment

BIRTH PLACE. Japan NATIONALITY. Japanese PARENTS. Unknown SIBLINGS. Sibling: Richter. Wives: Beatrix, Cordelia, Christa (also his cousin). Sons: Shuu, Reiji, Ayato, Kanato, Laito and Subaru Sakamaki EXTENDED FAMILY. Adopted Sons: Ruki, Kou, Azusa and Yuma Mukami. Bastards: Kino, apparently? EDUCATION. Unknown SPECIES. Vampire NOTABLE SKILLS. Being the worst dad ever, running extremely complicated and often successful experiments, is charming enough to be able to convince people who are fully aware of his nature that he really is sincere for them specifically, etc. LANGUAGES. All of them FAVORITE FOOD. The fruits of his labor

PUREBLOOD. Inhuman strength, increased speed, vision, hearing, and smell. Fast healing & healing saliva. TELEPORTATION. Can teleport instantaneously. FLYING. He can fly. SWORDSMANSHIP. S OTHER. In addition to the racial abilities of a pureborn vampire, he also possesses the highest level of magic in the Demon World and his power is considered by his race, as a whole, as well as his sons, as “Godlike”. Karlheinz is capable of unleashing his magic and destroying the entire Demon World. In addition, he can shapeshift and change his appearance as it suits him. Oh, did we mention he also has the ability to MANIPULATE TIME and REVERSE EVENTS until he’s satisfied? WEAKNESSES. None? DISLIKES. People not doing what he wants them to do in his experiments.

Appearance

*Will be updated as various ‘personae’ are implemented.

As ‘Karlheinz’, at least as most of his sons know him: A pale-haired, golden-eyed figure who dresses in extravagant capes. His hair falls past his knees in waves and he looks absolutely ethereal.

As ‘Reinhart’, the school nurse, he is pale with blond hair wrapped into a ponytail and wears glasses.

Personality

One of the most powerful creatures in the demon world, he is viewed by the vampires (the bat clan) as a God. Which may or may not affect his personality, but the fact is that it is universally understood that a man that’s over 2000 years old is in want of a new life goal. Or death.

INTELLIGENT AND MANIPULATIVE: Karlheinz rarely directly engages these days, usually pulling strings in the background. He manipulates for the better and for worse, only determined to get closer to his personal goals. If that heals some and hurts others, so be it.

AFFECTION: It’s well-known that demons do not experience the same emotions as humans, or at least, they do not act on nor feel them the way humans would. Even within the “emotions” and “bonds” of demons, Karlheinz is incapable of deep affectionate sentiments and believes that all demons are similarly incapable. He is obsessed with human emotions despite or because of his inability, glorifying them and incorporating them into his new demonkind 3.0 ideas. His inability to feel this deep affection doesn’t save him from confusion and hesitant behavior on the rare occasion his plans and experiments are not succeeding.

It’s worth noting that he is considerably kinder when engaging with humans, as he blatantly punishes his own kind for their very nature (of which he is entirely aware). However, humans break much more easily, so this may be a necessity for engaging those tools compared to his sons.

FAMILY: His sons, wives, etc. are all tools and test subjects with which to create a new race and “save” the Demon World. If they become failed experiments, he has no issue disposing of them himself. When it comes to his kids, he’s extremely neglectful but does not hesitate to order their punishment when they displease him. He’s imprisoned Laito, sent Shuu to the North Pole, and tossed Subaru into the ocean. Most of his abuse was directly on his wives and directly affected how they would raise their sons, however, for which most of the Sakamaki children loathe him.

PRINCE CHARMING: Karlheinz excels at charming and manipulating others. As with Cordelia, he promises everything to obtain them, spoils them, and then acts in whatever manner best executes his experiment.

History

Under construction.

Quick summary: Really good contender for ‘worst dad’ and ‘worst vampire dad’ awards.

Verses

Brief summaries of the verses for Karlheinz along with potential links for those less familiar with Diabolik Lovers but still want to interact with him. For the sake of keeping things clean, encouraging community-wide and cooperative storytelling in roleplay, and not letting things get too crazy, verses will be limited. More may be made over time as needed.

Summaries:

VERSE - HAUNTED DARK BRIDAL

Karlheinz is...somewhere. Doing things. Like usual.

*This verse will be typically be the default, 'main verse'. In this, it is assumed that Yui Komori is staying at the Sakamaki household with some version of the first game having taken place. If the second game is included, it's with the idea that Yui stayed with the Sakamakis.

Verse Details | Tag: #V; KARLHEINZ; HAUNTED DARK BRIDAL

VERSE - MORE BLOOD

Karlheinz is somewhere doing things, but now there’s Mukamis!

If for some reason it's absolutely necessary to differentiate between the verse above and a verse where More Blood has certainly occured, but Yui did not (at least initially) stay with the Sakamakis and instead is currently living with the Mukamis or was, until recently, still living with the Mukamis. Rivalry abounds and attempts to procure Yui are likely.

Verse Details | Tag: #V; KARLHEINZ; MORE BLOOD

VERSE - MISC.

Posts that could take place in the Sakamaki or Mukami verses but involve duplicates (whether Yui or others) in the same scene in a manner that would be hard to pass off as typical flow for those verses. Also includes nearly ANY time fellow characters are staying at the mansion, otherwise we’d end up with verses of 20+ additional characters hanging out in the Sakamaki villa.

Verse Details | Tag:#V; KARLHEINZ; MISC

SITUATIONAL VERSE TAGS

#V; KARLHEINZ; UNIVERSAL

Posts that can easily be assumed to have occured in either the Sakamaki or Mukami verses, typically answering asks, etc. that aren’t directly related to events unique to their timelines.

#V; KARLHEINZ; WHAT IFS & #V; KARLHEINZ; ONESHOTS

Likely reserved for one-off threads exploring a “what if”, a romantic meme that would otherwise be inappropriate, etc. If a meme doesn’t quite fit with one of the existing timelines, it’ll get one of these.

Trivia

Successfully cucked by Richter for years, but he kind of encouraged it to begin with so who really loses?

Can and will wear you out in the bedroom and leave you a flower to wake up to in the morning.

Gave Reiji a pocketwatch that shows how much time is left until the end of the world. Demon world? Human world? Who knows.

Really just wanted to know if Shuu would actually fight back against polar bears when he sent him to the north pole. Now he knows.

“Even when he loses, he wins” is a theme with this guy. I hate him, too. I know.

Tags

THREAD / WRITING TAG: #echoes in the halls; karlheinz

HEADCANONS: #hc; dialovers; karlheinz

IMAGES: #itt // karlheinz

MUSIC: #music; dialovers; karlheinz

#blog; stuff #blog; muses

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mithrilwren · 5 years ago

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So, hmmm... I saw The Rise of Skywalker last night and... I have notes.

Nothing I say here is going to be super original, probably, but hey, I’m going to talk it out anyway.

I walked out of that movie saying, again and again, that that script needed about 6 more rounds of polish. It is frankly baffling to me that a Hollywood movie, with so much money and so much time and so much investment thrown into it, could make it to filming on a script that disjointed. So many times, an avenue was proposed as the ‘only’ solution to the current problem, only for that to be unceremoniously dropped and for another avenue forward to miraculously appear. We never got any explanation for what Finn was going to tell Rey before they fell into the sand pit, despite it being built up multiple times as something significant. I’ve seen speculation that it was that he meant to tell her that he was Force-sensitive, but that particular plot thread was treated with so little fanfare by the rest of the script that I barely realized its implication until after the movie was done. Because of COURSE the fact that Finn is Force-sensitive is important - it means Rey isn’t the last Jedi! That’s huge! But the film makes no effort to re-contextualize the audience on that fact, because Finn and Rey never discuss it. They don’t even speak after the final battle. (I would love to see Folding Ideas do an editing breakdown of this movie, akin to the one he did for Suicide Squad, because it deserves a comprehensive, hour-long run-down of everything that went wrong on both a scene-by-scene and structural level.)

I saw a number of reviews that likened the script to fanfiction, which is... one of my least favourite forms of cheap criticism, because it nearly always betrays a fundamental misunderstanding of what fanfiction is, and what its specific flaws tend to be. Instead, the term is used as a synonym for ‘bad writing’, which is frustrating to say the least. Fanfiction, on the whole, tends to be highly character and relationship-centric. That can come with its own pitfalls, but it’s baffling to apply that label to this movie, which spends so much time jumping between action sequences and macguffins that we almost never have time to linger with any characters in a meaningful way, or to develop the relationships between them beyond single, unsupported lines about how much they mean to each other. The exception to that is, possibly, the relationship between Rey and Kylo - and I don’t mean relationship in terms of the highly-controversial ship (that’s another whole conversation that I have no interest in diving into) but just in terms of two characters having multiple interactions with each other that change them as people in some way. Even that relationship felt rushed, but it was more than most of the other characters got.

My main gripe about the ‘Rey Palpatine’ twist is not so much that I think it’s bad, inherently. There are interesting things they could have done with that idea, even it’s not the direction I personally would have chosen! My main issue - and again, this is not a hot take, this is just common sense - is that this was so clearly not something they were building up to in the other two films, and so it comes completely out of left field. I have to wonder what someone who’s only seen this new trilogy thought of this plot thread, because the movie doesn’t exactly take a lot of time to explain who Palpatine actually is? There’s a large degree of assumed knowledge from the audience, because in lieu build-up in the previous two movies, you need the lore of the previous movies to even begin to contextualize what’s happening. What does the moment where Rey uses lightning to destroy the shuttle mean to someone who never saw Luke being blasted to the teeth with the same? Where is the creeping horror that the original trilogy managed to build around this shadowy figure, pulling the strings in the background? Who is this dude, anyway?

I’m probably in the minority who (on paper, if not in actual viewing pleasure) liked The Last Jedi quite a bit. I think that its writing was the strongest of the three. It had the most interesting things to say, and while I might have enjoyed watching The Force Awakens more, I was more interested in thinking about The Last Jedi. The biggest problem with the Palpatine twist is, of course, that it throws out every salient point TLJ was trying to make, which just feels... petty? TLJ exists, it is part of the anthology, and to pretend that most of it never happened and blatantly contradict both its reveals and themes, even if you (yes, you, JJ Abrams) didn’t like them, deprives the story of any chance of a coherent or satisfying arc. And that frustrates me, not just as a viewer, but as a writer. Because if there’s one thing that the writers involved in this movie should have learned from fanfiction, is that it is possible can spin gold from what you’re given, even if its imperfect, and elevate what existed before through your own creativity. But there was no effort made to reframe the unpolished elements of TFA and TLJ into a coherent three-part story. Instead, they went the route of ignoring what they didn’t like, and cherry-picking in what they did. Totally fine if this was a standalone episode, but it’s not. It’s part of a trilogy, and by throwing out the second act, you’ve gutted the entire heart of the story. *shakes my head*

There were definitely parts of this movie that I enjoyed. Every time the main trio was on screen together, it was a joy. All three of them were giving their all, and it showed. I liked both of the new characters introduced! The other former Stormtrooper, whose name I can’t recall, was vivacious and bright and I lit up whenever she was on screen, and I desperately wished the movie had taken the time for Finn and her to discuss their shared pasts more, because there some much interesting there. As much as I’m aware that it was likely a cynical tactic on the part of Disney to no-homo Poe, I didn’t hate his interactions with his old flame(?) at all, mostly because the relationship was ambiguous enough between them that it was just playful and fun, rather than wholly contrived. I actually found the shared visions between Rey and Kylo some of the most engaging scenes in the film - just visually and as a concept, the whole idea of trading physical objects between the two spaces? Pretty cool!

But overall, I came out of this movie feeling like the best thing I got were a lot of details that I’m excited to see people incorporate into trio fic, and not much else. This is a movie that begs you not to think too deeply, lest it all fall apart at the seams, and just enjoy the spectacle of it all. And for me, who tends to get distracted during flashy action sequences and choppy edits, that didn’t leave me with much to chew on, or reasons to see it again.

(PS. Rose, they did you so dirty, and I’m so, so sorry.)

#spoilers ahoy #and this is not a review #more just a collection of jumbled thoughts #most of them... not particularly positive #im not tagging this with the main tag because I don't think im contributing anything useful to the discussion #im just trying to make sense of my own thoughts

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wheredidhiseyebrowsgo · 6 years ago

Note

Helloo could you rec me some fics that are canon and has sterek slow burn? Thank you 🙏

AND

Anonymous said:Hi! Do you know any fics where sterek takes things slow? Thanks :)

AND

Anonymous said:Hi good morning/afternoon/evening :) do you know any sterek fic recs similar to "baking my way into your heart" by theSilence? That kind of fluffy/slow burn/happy pack etc... Thank you :D

AND

Anonymous said:March 10th 2018, 4:52:20 am · 10 months agoheeyya! i'm looking for slow build fics that largely feature derek sneaking into stiles' room

Yeeeeeeesssssss. - Anastasia

Inertia by apocryphal

(1/1 I 21,608 I Mature)

The last thing Derek and Cora are expecting to find outside their motel room is a gaunt Stiles Stilinski, lacrosse bag on one shoulder and the weight of the world on the other.

Tore a Line in the Sun by stilinski

(1/1 I 44,929 I Teen)

"If you're watching this, you're probably some kind of sentient life form responding to my distress call – well, it's not really an officialdistress call because, well, the hardware for that is kind of crushed, but I'm definitely in distress, so that should probably count for something."

The young man on the screen sighs and rubs his face, jerking his hand away with a hiss. He's bleeding, Derek realises: there's a gash across his brow and the knuckles of both hands are bruised and bloody, and that's only what he can make out between the cracks in the glass and the frame of the camera.

Insemination and Other Indiscretions by melofttroll

(14/14 I 55,351 I Explicit)

And oh, was he charming. Especially the way he leaned in, and cupped Stiles’ cheek, and kissed him.

It wasn’t so charming when he never called, and the next thing Stiles heard was Derek engaged, traipsing about the Mediterranean.

What a dick. What an absolute ass. What a complete and total…

Sterek Jane the Virgin AU

Strut on a Line, its Discord and Rhyme by xiaq

(21/21 I 61,818 I Teen)

“Carry me,” Stiles says.

“No.”

“But I’m injured.”

“You have a rash,” Derek says. “On your arm. Your feet work just fine.”

“Please?”

“No. You weigh almost as much as I do. And you ate a pound of chicken at lunch.”

"Well, yeah, but I pooped like an hour ago, so.”

“You’re disgusting.”

“Don’t play, you love me.”

I do, Derek thinks, relatively horrified. I really do.

There's a Light on the Porch Here for Someone by freeyourheart

(15/15 I 62,843 I Explicit)

Derek Hale moved to Beacon Hills to be alone.He had finally found a place where he fit - a place that fit him.

But that was all too good to be true…

Go Away, Scott by HelloWhyTheFuckAmIHere

(45/45 I 66,231 I Not Rated)

After the incident at the warehouse, Stiles is fed up with Scott. He finds himself drawn into Derek’s pack and in the process, drawn to Derek himself.

With the Alpha Pack closing in, Derek needs to learn how to trust his pack and those around him. And who better to help him than Stiles?

The Silence Between by flourcrowned

(14/14 I 66,492 I Explicit)

When Stiles began volunteering at the Beacon Hills Crisis Center, all he hoped for was to help out kids (like him) that needed somewhere to turn. He didn't expect to find something that he needed in a stranger's voice on the other end of the line.

Don't Speak by fatale

(13/13 I 68,916 I Teen)

The Alpha pack has systematically attacked Stiles and his friends for months, testing their strengths and weaknesses. When one of the Alphas goes after Stiles, he awakens in the hospital and realizes that something's wrong. Very wrong. All sounds seem to hurt him, he can't understand what anyone is saying, and when he tries to speak, it's gibberish. How is he supposed to deal with the fact that he's lost the ability to communicate with his dad and his friends?

Without his ability to talk, his sarcasm, and his wit, what does Stiles even have left? Enter Derek, the only one who seems to make it better.

Seeing Wolves (Where There Are No Wolves) by MellytheHun

(16/16 I 71,305 I Explicit)

Or otherwise known as "Derek Goes to the Doctor," wherein Derek gets the therapy he so desperately needs and gets healthy. The clearer his head gets, the more room it seems to have for Stiles.

Windows by dr_girlfriend

(28/28 I 83,017 I Explicit)

Derek has a new neighbor who won't stop looking.

Hallowed Grounds by damnfancyscotch

(16/16 I 109,758 I Mature)

Everything in Beacon Hills is the same when Stiles comes home from college.

Well, except for the fact that he's a published author now, Scott is halfway across the world with a travelling circus, Erica's epilepsy has been cured, her boss offers him a job too, and there's this weird black dog that seems to be following him around just to judge him.

Oh, and the murders, of course.

But other than that stuff... totally the same old BH.

Home by TheTypewriterGirl

(18/18 I 167,178 I Teen)

January seventh. Seven days since the start of 2015, and seven days since his father’s death.

The bastard, he thinks bitterly. The past year Derek Hale had made it blatantly obvious that he hated his scrawny guts, taking every given opportunity to shove him up against a wall, growl threats in his ears and roll his eyes whenever he stepped into the room, muttering some snide comment about how spastic or idiotic he was.

So why did he fucking volunteer to take him in?

Teen Sorcerer by G8rguy

(26/26 I 168,331 I Not Rated)

Stiles Stilinski is tired. Tired of being ignored and forgotten once the research is done. After defeating Gerard and freeing Jackson from the Kanima he thought things would improve but somehow it got worse. Derek is focused on building his pack which includes the newly rescued Erica and Body, freed after Allison realized her grandfather was nutso, and the freed Jackson who narrowly avoided being shipped overseas by his parents. Scott is focused on his neverending relationship drama with Allison and his new best bud Isaac. Left alone more often than not, Stiles feels everyone is moving on without him so he looks for his own path.

When Deaton is unable to help him with his Spark he looks elsewhere and finds others who help him along until he finds himself meditating in his room and is surprised by an Astral form that shows up. Unknowing attracting the attention of the new Sorcerer Supreme, Stiles discovers that he might be able to not only help Dr. Strange, but he just might find out how he can protect both his home and those jerks in what he considers his pack - whether Mr. Hale or Mr. McCall consider him or not.

Baking My Way Into Your Heart by theSilence

(22/22 I 178,630 I Mature)

Derek is an uptight college student, all work and no play. His carefully scheduled life is thrown kilter when his regular barista is replaced with someone new.

Your Vision Borrows Mine by hazyascent

(18/18 I 179,353 I Explicit)

Stiles has encountered a fair share of monsters before, way out of his league - the kinds that children are afraid are hiding in their closets and under the bed.

He’d even become one himself when he was void. The nogitsune was in his house, his body, and his mind.

But the worst monster he’s ever faced took even more from him and got away with it.

It’s why Stiles has never really been as terrified of werewolves and kanimas and darachs as he should have been. They’re really not that scary, relatively speaking, and he has a whole team on his side. They always found a way to win - until they lost someone they really loved.

Stiles doesn’t know how to be normal, not after everything he’s done and everyone he’s hurt. The nogitsune is gone, but another monster is on its heels.

His uncle is back. And Stiles has never felt more alone.

#teen wolf #sterek #stiles stilinski #derek hale #slow build #anon #Anonymous

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tearlessrain · 6 years ago

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I’m about to watch Arthur and Merlin, which is free on youtube and came up in my suggestions randomly. I have no idea what it is but I am hungry for the arthurian Content so Imma watch it and see how it goes

update: it was way better than I expected and accidentally SUPER gay. that merlin tv show everyone loved was amateur hour compared to how gay this was.

“there is magic in the air, and in the water, but it has been forgotten by many in these lands” wow why does that sound familiar I wonder

the funny thing is I watched fellowship of the ring literally yesterday so this will be hilarious

but there is hope [extremely unsubtle cut to a baby who is definitely important]

now I think... and I could be wrong... but guys I suspect this baby might be the chosen one.

oh god there was no father he was conceived by midichlorians

THE SKYWALKERS HAVE INFILTRATED THE CELTS

okay place your bets is it arthur or merlin

it’s Merlin. or Merddyn rather, in a surprise twist this movie was written by Fucking Nerds

so far mild cheese aside this is surprisingly watchable

“your crops fail and so you ask the king for help, but do not help yourselves! where are your alters?? starvation is punishment for your lack of faith!” THE RNC HAS INFILTRATED THE CELTS

okay so near as I can figure out the mark is from the old gods but there’s a druid who I guess speaks for the king or something who wants them to worship different old gods and now he’s demanding the villagers make a human sacrifice and it’s gonna be Smol Merddyn.

aw no they killed Celtic Shmi. Merddyn got away though and is now wandering the Forbidden Forest

I’m mad this is actually a solid movie so far. absolutely nothing unexpected has happened but I didn’t click on a movie called “Arthur and Merlin” to be surprised

oh wait that kid who freed him was Arthur

fifteen years later arthur is... a military leader who looks strangely like one of those romans played by obviously white actors in older movies

I honestly can’t pinpoint when this movie was made on aesthetics alone

ooo some Roving Misogynists™ are here to cause trouble and assault random women for being christian. by order of the druid no doubt.

“you mock us!” “I do.” okay I’m starting to like this arthur.

oh my god is that. he just fucking. tripped over excalibur while wading in like a two foot deep pond to get this woman’s cross back for her. best interpretation ever.

wait Olwen??? as in Ysbaddaden’s daughter Olwen?? once again I assumed they’d go with Guinevere or make someone up but I forgot, this movie was made by Fucking Nerds.

okay I know insisting everything is gay is a constant thing on this site but I want to point out that Arthur has showed nothing but very platonic friendship to Olwen but this is the face he makes when he sees Merddyn in a vision

and I mean to be fair to him this is what Merddyn looks like now

goddamn

oh no they’ve immediately made it very clear that he’s Romantically Involved With Olwen In Secret Look They’re Kissing Nobody Is Gay

so now I really want to know who wrote this movie because what I’m seeing here is people who intentionally chose to use the name merddyn, and know that olwen exists, but then decided to pair her romantically with... king arthur. and culhwch just doesn’t exist I guess. not that this is the most off the wall welsh mythology ship I’ve encountered but still it’s a weird one for this kind of media even if it’s an indie film

who are you people. how did this movie get made. I mean I like whatever it is but for real how and why did you do this.

I love how there’s just this trio of random dudes who don’t even have names who are arthur/olwen’s friends. and yet somehow they’re likable and I’m rooting for them. whoever they are.

so the only real problem with this movie that’s denting my enjoyment is that nobody has names and they all have the same haircut so I lose track of who’s doing what. see these are arthur’s friends:

and these are bad guys:

and Olwen is the only person in either screenshot who has a name

if any of them ever changes into a new outfit I’m screwed.

I’m gonna be real with y’all I love me a cursed forest

in an ironic twist, excalibur is now firmly stuck in a tree trunk and arthur cannot get it out

why is this movie GOOD what the heck. I mean the druid and king situation is blatantly ripped from wormtongue and theoden but I still like. care about the king. they’ve done it well.

“I’ve already told you, I am no longer a man.” “are you so sure???” see I know nothing will happen since this is a movie not a fanfic but that line is the quintessential hate-makeout segue

THIS IS VERY HETEROSEXUAL they’ve had most of the argument while approximately that distance from each other

oh god what the fuck arthur’s friends got sacrificed by the druid just to make a point to olwen. this is the opposite of a Sacrificial Girlfriend.

they do not need to be this close to each other to argue but they keep on doing it

they’ve been on screen together for less than five minutes y’all

arthur: maybe you’re right, you are no longer a man

merlin: [conjures an entire patch of flowers for him to make... some kind of point I guess?]

okay now they’re arguing again but there’s all this “I thought I knew you” talk (which, again, it’s been five minutes) and the actors have clearly decided that their dynamic is based entirely on constant, roiling sexual tension

why does every single thing they say scan like dialogue from a slow burn enemies to friends to lovers fanfic

“the girl in the village, did you love her once?” “I know little of love” “Surely a man who can control the growth of a flower must be able to make love blossom” JUST FUCK ALREADY

this is how they’re having this conversation by the way

there was only one shrub hollow

“to control nature is one thing, but only the most powerful sorcerer could control the mind of a man- OR WOMAN,” he said, heterosexually.

y’all I’m gonna be honest I thought I was just projecting at first but this is the gayest thing I’ve seen since the baseball song in high school musical 2. this is just absolute beleg and turin levels of probably unintended but utterly blatant homosexuality. I’m so glad I decided to watch this movie and youtube was right to recommend it to me.

this movie really speaks to me because on a spiritual level I too am a mystical but irritable and socially stunted forest hermit with sexy hair just waiting for a brash but pure-hearted warrior who looks like a roman statue to draw me out of my cave with homoerotic banter.

oh it’s not excalibur it’s... nuadu. which I guess in this movie is not the king of the tuatha de danann but a sword forged by them? see my first impulse would be to assume that the way they’re mangling everything, the writers knew nothing about Celtic folklore, except that they’ve chosen such weirdly specific things to mangle. they know their shit, they’ve just deliberately chosen to go absolutely buckwild with it.

THEY’RE DOING IT AGAIN THEY ARE INCAPABLE OF ARGUING WHILE STANDING MORE THAN TWO FEET APART

for real though character-wise this might be one of my favorite interpretations of merlin/merddyn I’ve ever seen. I feel like everyone involved was genuinely super passionate about the subject matter they were working with. like all jokes aside he’s really honestly well acted and well written.

STOP IT NOW YOU HORNY SIMPLETONS

uh oh they’ve been captured by... bandits?

oh it’s olwen’s uncle

“TO GOOD WOMEN... WHY DO YOU NOT DRINK, MERDDYN”

it is a mystery, olwen’s uncle.

a mystery.

this motivational monologue could have been so cheesy but like. I’m here for it. I would follow arthur into battle.

aw come on. olwen’s uncle betrayed them. I kinda saw it coming but dammit.

again, the druid should be absolutely stupid but he’s kind of a cool villain.

yay olwen’s uncle unbetrayed them. probably so would I if I’d seen what merddyn just did to the druid’s guys.

so the druid is trying to sacrifice ten thousand souls to raise a god from the underworld and merddyn is on the fucking warpath. and olwen’s uncle is ON BOARD HELL YEAH.

THE HOBBITS THE HOBBITS THE HOBBITS THE HOBBITS TO ISENGUARD TO ISENGUARD

arthur and merddyn have escalated to clutching each other’s clothes during their heated two-feet-apart discussions

olwen is a badass in her own right like she has her own whole thing going trying to save the king from basically his own literal dementia and the druid who’s taking advantage of it, which is somehow way more compelling than just magical mind control.

“I thought the cave taught you fairness” “well... you taught me fighting” JUST KISS.

okay let’s see how they pull off this dark god on the shoestring budget they definitely have, at this point I honestly believe in them.

by avoiding showing the god entirely apparently but they made it work even with that.

aw the king has named him his heir. which again we all knew would happen but it’s still so well done.

and we end on merddyn placing the crown on arthur’s head while lovingly quoting his own words back at him, while olwen looks on with the kind of approval that implies they’ve ended up with some kind of road to el dorado situation. solid.

so I was expecting this to be absolute garbage with bad actors and checked out writers just trying to make another mediocre coattail-riding medieval fantasy movie and what I got was some weirdly good actors and writers who are clearly obsessed with celtic folklore and desperately wanted to just run amok with it for an hour and 45 minutes. and they did. they poured every ounce of their hearts and souls and tiny, tiny budget into it. and it was beautiful. 10/10

#tearless liveblogs #I just watched an entire merlin/arthur/olwen crackship slow burn enemies to friends to lovers fic in the form of an indie film #and I loved it

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strxga · 6 years ago

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Adam Taurus, Bumblebee/y and Seeing Red from the lens of someone who hasn’t been in the FNDM since 2015

Let me preface this by saying that I’m not particularly someone who really is into shipping or really defends or excuses Adam’s actions. I like most characters in RWBY - Adam, Blake and Yang included, but I’m someone who likes to analyze from an objective standpoint and I hope I can get my point across without drawing any ire. If you wish to politely discuss things respectfully and in a friendly manner, my DMs are always open! But with that out of the way, let me get right into it.

I’ll dissect this in two segments: the first half regarding RW, JPR, Qrow, Oscar and Caroline and then the Adam vs. Blake and Yang section.

Let me get this out from the get-go: the main characters in this circumstances are, indubitably, the bad guys. This sounds like a very harsh and extreme assessment, but really there is no other way to put it. Ruby addresses Caroline most of the time in a way that makes it sound like, in a way, she feels she is entitled to travel to Atlas because she has set the burden of Remnant on her shoulders, and she has! But Caroline knows nothing about Salem, about WTCH and about her and Ozpin’s centennial long feud. She is merely a high-ranking soldier defending the base in Argus after she was entrusted with it by General Ironwood himself. Now, I’m saying that our main characters are the bad guys, but Caroline herself is also being extremist. We’ve already seen glimpses of her incredibly patriotic personality and her radical way of treating our main characters, threatening to send all of her armed forces against them.

While she is justified in her demanding our main characters surrender herself considering they’ve stooped so low as to committing highway robbery (or would it be airway robbery in this case?) and assaulting members of the Atlas Military. At this point they are actually, inexcusable criminals! And yes, I do understand that Caroline stood in their way and that she blatantly denied their request to at least confirm what they were saying with General Ironwood. Does this make her, from a narrative standpoint, an antagonist? Yes! But let’s remember that she has absolutely no reason to believe these groups of teenagers who refuse to tell the full truth to her! Not to mention that, if the Atlas Military does indeed follow the real-life rules of the military, then lower-rank members can’t just contact high-ranking soldiers willy-nilly. Often you even need a permission and appointment to just speak with them. Is Caroline justified to deny our main character’s request? Yes! But this doesn’t mean she’s in the right either.

The moment she was defied she not only used excessive force but also busted out a giant mech suit to use against the protagonists. It’s overly-ridiculous why she would even do something like this! At this point, it was only a matter of time before the two of them engaged in battle considering they’re in opposite sides. Now, regarding the fight itself, I won’t comment too much other than it’s just laughable a group of not even fully experienced hunters are able to tear holes through the robot... Not to mention how silly it is for the mech’s shield to not cover its entire body and it’s just blatantly awful how easily it was to dispatch of its shields and its rocket launcher design is just practically unreliable in any and all ways. The mech is just filled with unnecessary weaknesses that are very exploitable, so much for the might of high end and cutting edge Atlas technology... But that’s besides the point. It just, ultimately, feels like both sides are wrong but, from an objective standpoint, our main characters are ultimately causing Caroline to have to resort to forceful military intervention seeing as they won’t listen to her and she won’t listen to them.

Now this can only end up badly for Argus considering it’s been left entirely unprotected because Ruby and Jaune thought it would be a good idea to attempt and cross the Atlas Military. Ultimately, this is like saying the Brothers were the villains to Salem’s story, as they refused to upset the balance of Life and Death by bringing Ozma back after he expired even though it was Salem’s own selfishness that ultimately lead the Brothers to wipe the board clean after all of humanity had unified under Salem and decided to reject them, forcing them to get rid of Humanity until its eventual restoration. And now that Ruby, in her selfishness, decided to take down Argus’ greatest defensive weapon against supersized Grimm because she wanted to travel to Atlas fast and as soon as possible, it’s likely several more lives are going to be sacrificed. In the end they decided their own goals are more important than the rest of the lives in all of Argus, including Jaune’s sister’s family and likely Pyrrha’s relative too. It feels like they didn’t not only earn their victory against Caroline due to that robot’s massive defects but also like they learned nothing from the Battle for Beacon and Haven.

Now, of course there’s the second part and... This one is frankly the one I’m the most afraid of discussing, but... Just hear me out. Please don’t instaclick your ‘Block’ buttons and just take your time to listen to me.

I’ll summarize this first by saying the following things: Did I think Yang’s PTSD was accurately represented not just in this battle but throughout the Volumes? Arguably... Yes. Did I think Blake and Yang overcoming Adam was done fruitfully? Yes. Did I think Adam deserved to die? Yes. Did I think he deserved to die now? No. Did I think he deserved redemption? Hard no. Did I think Blake and/or Yang should’ve been able to individually defeat Adam? Hard no for Blake and an arguable no for Yang, but if it I had to decide I’d say she’d be able to keep up with him the most. Lastly, should Blake and Yang be able to take down Adam by working together? Absolutely.

Now to elaborate, let me say this... I know PTSD and abusive relationships from experience, and neither are pretty. This is obvious of course. PTSD is a mental condition which you can work at to get better but you can never truly get rid of it. Some of the more common symptoms are anxiety, paranoia, hallucinations, nightmares, flashbacks, body tremors and overall very nasty reactions to things that remind you of your trauma. Yang’s PTSD throughout the volumes was related to Adam and to fights in general, but while her PTSD was shown affecting her severely at first, besides handshakes and hallucinations, there wasn’t really much shown regarding her condition. I understand she talked and sparred with Taiyang, but truthfully you can talk to someone and that’ll still not really help you overcome entirely such mentally and emotionally taxing condition. Even with her PTSD and fear of battles, Yang still jumped recklessly into battles and she still came out winning. It genuinely feels like while she did get better, she didn’t truly learn anything from her past experiences. I don’t think she should’ve had a mental breakdown upon seeing Adam, but rather that more than her just shaking should’ve been shown.

Throughout the volume she still does experience visions of Adam and is utterly horrified by his mere visage, this very vividly represents to us that, despite what we might want to believe, Yang isn’t truly over her condition and still struggles dealing with even the idea of Adam being nearby! So, with this, the least we can realistically expect from her fight with Adam is to, for once, NOT recklessly dive in to fight him... Except that’s exactly what she does. She’s gotten training with Taiyang, sure, but Adam is a skilled swordsman who has been fighting for far longer than Yang has, so the very least is for her to be able to keep up with him but not have the massive advantage she displayed in The Lady in the Shoe. It would’ve been pleasant to see her hesitating more and being shown how she’s struggling to not give in to her fear of him. If, in the previous episodes, they would’ve shown her have a more relaxed and accepting response to her hallucinations rather than the fearful expressions she displayed then it’d make more sense for her to be so confident and reckless fighting Adam, but this wasn’t what happened, so it feels like she just had a massive boost to her mental and physical capacities that came out of seemingly nowhere.

Now as for Adam himself? While I understand he was meant to be nothing more than a foil to Blake and - to an extent, Yang - I still feel like his character was misued. For all the show tells about how Faunus are discriminated against, the truth is we’ve never seen true discrimination throughout the Volume. Adam is the only Faunus that we have canon evidence to have been witness and victim of Faunus oppression through the branding of his face and for having constantly fought Humans who tried to hurt those he cared about while the White Fang was being led by Ghira. His radical views could’ve made a great foil for not just Blake throughout the series but he could’ve represented the ideology that Humans help only in creating monsters like Adam by treating them the way they do and a great opposite on how Adam and Blake go about bettering the Faunus’ conditions; with Blake’s kind but seemingly ineffective method and Adam’s more sadistic and merciless tactics. In short, I feel like he still could’ve played a more important role in the whole Humans vs. Faunus debacle going on in the background.

The world is not black and white, it’s grey, and these two could’ve been great polar opposites; the fire to each other’s water, but this idea wasn’t sadly explored. He could’ve been more than just the former, stalking, abusive and controlling ex-boyfriend. Especially with recent revelations of his suffering at the hands of the Schnee Dust Company. His personal vendetta could’ve even been centered against the Schnee Dust Company or even Weiss herself instead of just Blake. He could’ve been more than that, but I respect and understand the decision Kerry and Miles took when writing him. I wouldn’t call it bad or lazy writing as much as I just feel like it is a greatly missed opportunity.

I understand Adam, or for the matter, any other ‘minor’ characters are only part of Team RWBY’s story and not truly 100% part of it, but what I don’t think many people grasp is that they’re STILL part of the story and they should be fleshed-out some more than just being given tiny glimpses of their past. And this doesn’t apply to just Adam. It applies to every other character besides the members of RWBY! We know barely anything about JNPR and about STRQ, SSSN or CFVY. We don’t even know anything about WTCH’s motivations or even Emerald and Mercury and they’re the main villains! They feel, comparably, flat to the main cast. They’re all part of THEIR story. They’re not the focus but time and effort should be put into getting to know these characters more. I won’t fault them for their writing, but it’s inevitable for the fans to think that they could’ve done better, but that’s true for almost every piece of media, because no one’s a perfect writer and there’s always going to be faults.

While I am not really pleased to see Adam go and do indeed feel like he was a missed opportunity for a great villain, it is what it is. His death, however, was executed marvelously. Ideally, for me, it would’ve been better if individually the two wouldn’t be able to overcome Adam because he would be faster, stronger, every single bit the monster Yang imagined him to be, but once together and understanding each other again, they’d slowly get the advantage on him and defeat him. Symbolically, it would’ve made a lot of sense considering how intrinsically tied to each other Blake and Yang are, but frankly with how Chapter 11 went, it doesn’t really feel like Blake even had to fight at all considering how easy Yang was beating him around without him landing a single hit on her. It could’ve been performed better but ultimately the way he was killed fell more in line with what I had in mind.

His death feels bittersweet. Sure, they got rid of a terrible person, but one you couldn’t help but feel sympathy for because he wasn’t born a monster, he was made a monster by humanity. He was spiteful, but he was also broken and damaged inside, and rather than heal, he followed on the path of revenge. I’ve formed part of an abusive relationship. I was mentally, emotionally and verbally manipulated, deceived, cheated on, and gaslighted. I felt connected to Adam in a way because he, too, was likely treated that way by the S.D.C. but I saw him as a victim of his circumstances. That’s what made him so powerful. There’s rarely any characters that are truly shown to be the producers of what they were once the victims of. I wanted Adam to continuously evolve and direct his hatred at the S.D.C., at humanity. Him to confront Weiss so she could see his scar and show the kinds of racism and crimes her father was responsible of. Adam’s actions were deplorable and that’s why I, personally, wanted him to continue hurting others in his effort to ‘right’ the Faunus against humanity. He could’ve been an interesting side-villain completely unrelated to Salem’s circle, but again that’s just why I feel he shouldn’t have died at this current moment. Death wasn’t necessary for Blake and Yang to overcome him, but for the narrative it presented it made sense.

It’s not a happy moment for anyone. Blake breaks down and Yang does the best she can, which is to support her friend through her pain. Adam did once care for her after all and she was likely the first person to show him any compassion or anything like that regarding his branding, hence why I think she’s so attached to her, and she was attached to him too. His descent into the madman he is now was slow and gradual and Blake herself says that while they were together as both mentor and student and potentially lovers he was a different man. He let his revenge drive him where he was now and she no longer saw eye-to-eye with him. She left because she stopped believing in him. And now parting with him permanently hurts her. It’s not a time for jokes about how he’s finally gone, it’s not a Bumblebee shipping moment where they could kiss. It was an emotionally-charged scene where we see two broken but healing girls finally overcome their biggest hurdle yet, but to do so they had to take a life, and that’s something that’s certainly going to weigh heavily on them because no matter what Adam did to them, they’re Huntresses and their job is to protect life, not get rid of it. But ultimately they did what had to be done. Adam was far too gone to truly be redeemed or reasoned with.

Now, I’ve been in the FNDM since 2015 and let me tell you though, male characters have almost always been bashed by the majority of fans... Jaune, Mercury, Neptune, Sun... All of them have received such a huge amount of hate with the only one exempt from this being Lie Ren, though I feel that’s more because his character was, at the time, seen just as Monty’s self-insert. Regardless, it just feels like female characters don’t nearly receive the same amount of scrutiny and hatred as male characters do... People in the tags are calling Adam an abusive and pedophilic, psychopathic bastard, and while I agree on most of those, isn’t it kind of hypocritic to call him out on that when there’s another character who falls on the same category? I’m talking about Ilia. I understand and respect Ilia, but she, too, preyed on Blake while she was young considering she doesn’t look any different than Adam does in the Adam trailer too. I’ve seen the tag and I see nothing but love and praise for her and I just ask to myself if the FNDM’s changed at all from these past three years... And then there’s another character who shares many traits with Adam but sees no criticism other than “she’s flat and boring.” This character being Cinder Fall herself.

Adam at the very least could’ve been a vehicle to represent how oppressed and endangered Faunus could and would fight back in such extremist and reckless ways if left unchecked or unsupported but Cinder just falls flat precisely because she doesn’t represent anything, and I just ask myself... Where's the Cinder hatred for also abusing and manipulating Emerald and Mercury? Where's the Cinder hatred for leading to the mass-death of several innocent Vale civilians through Grimm attacks? Where's the Cinder hatred for killing Pyrrha? Where's the Cinder hatred for being even more obsessed with hurting and killing Ruby than Adam was with Blake? Where's Cinder's hate for killing Ozpin's previous incarnation and scarring Weiss in the same way Adam did with Blake? Where's the Cinder hatred for being a terrorist? It feels almost like all of these awful actions are either ignored or just, swept under the rug either because no one cares about Cinder or because she’s a woman and it’s just honestly saddening how hypocritical the FNDM can be sometimes...

Anyways this post is already far too long to the point I doubt anyone’s going to read it so I’ll just leave it there. If anyone wants to talk to me and engage in friendly and respectful discussion, my DMs are completely open! Just, please no insults or slurs. I know there’s bound to be hate comments but let’s try to keep it respectful ok?

#rwby #rwde?#rwde i guess #rwde #adam taurus #blake belladonna #yang xiao long #rwby volume 6 #seeing red #ruby rose #weiss schnee #jaune arc #lie ren #nora valkyrie #qrow branwen #caroline cordovin #ozpin #ilia amitola #cinder fall

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ishipbullshitso · 7 years ago

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Vast Pt. III

.Also can be read at: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14693370/chapters/33951807 if you would prefer that.

It burns, this unwanted need for N'Jadaka. The shame that T'Challa carries is bulky, gaining weight with each day that he doesn't see the ghost. The worst of it is yet to arrive: Erik has been missing since the incident occurred. Missing, in retrospect, is the wrong word to use. Erik has actually been missing since the end of the Wakandan Civil War a long time ago (where T'Challa promptly stated that "he is where he is meant to be" to those concerned), but this is so much worse. For once, the King has absolutely no idea where Erik is, what he is doing, or if he will even come back.

War has sparked again. A battle only meant for the Black Panther - his allies in need. T'Challa accepted it easily, seeing the grievance on Captain's face, and was gone before sundown of that day. War is not something the Black Panther is meant to be uneasy about, it is his mere duty to protect and fight, but T'Challa cannot shake off the thought that one day, he will not return to Wakanda. To Shuri. To Erik.

T'Challa hates that he actually misses the sarcastic and devious man, but it was probably the only relationship that he had where he could relax for even the slightest of moments. Yes, he had to be careful, for there will be a time where Erik can return to his body and attempt to murder him, but in the meantime, he could rest on the fact that N'Jadaka is only there to entertain himself. Almost harmless, except it all blows into T'Challa's character.

N'Jadaka could've controlled him at any point to kill himself and T'Challa would have let him. Not just because he can't fight off that kind of mind control, that possession, but because the amount of guilt that he still feels for N'Jobu, for his beloved son, is enough to do the job. Erik doesn't do that though and allows him perform something much worse: tearing down at the pride and hidden secrets that he has. He liked it and he hates himself for it too, but so did Erik. T'Challa is led to believe that N'Jadaka is far more disgusted with himself than he could ever be. Erik is not honest with anything in his life, he never had to be, and when the time came that something true revealed, he would rather rip the blade from his heart or run away.

T'Challa scoffs to himself as the air ship lands. Captain greets him along with the rest of the Avengers. At this point, despite the sudden appearance of the Black Panther, he has somehow edged his way into the title of the Avengers. Steve Barnes, Bucky, hugs him, smiling. It has been some time since he has seen the man.

In the rightness of this, being able to fight for something just, he feels off. And he knows exactly what it is.

What the hell are these things?

T'Challa tosses another one off of him, but another comes to attack just as he does so. His claws penetrate the torso, reaching for anything vital. The creature sags, dead, and the panther throws him another following creature. Of course, he has to deal with the out-of-the-world beasts. Multiple of them leap onto him, weighing him down. They bite at him and the kinetic energy builds. Just as he was about to blast them, they are gone. He stands quickly, confused.

N'Jadaka

He smiles at him and flicks his hand once. He thought it was a wave, but the creature flips over him and splits in half midair. Showoff.

"N'Jadaka, I.." words leave him. He froze. Erik shrugs as if he knows what he is trying to say.

"You looked like you was in a bit of trouble." T'Challa lowers his head, as if thanking. He turns and begins to find another thing to fight. T'Challa turns and catches that look in his eye. Erik looks around, absorbing the fight around him, and it was as if he wishes he could be there. He is here.

"Are you coming or not, Erik?" His cousin looks at him expressionless, then a hint of a smile plays on his lips. In a millionth of a second, T'Challa is somewhere else and the creatures turn around to see him. T'Challa gulps.

"They're all over here," Erik comments as they all run towards him. In his head, he curses, damning his cousin for playing such a joke, but the way Erik laughs from behind him, the damning can wait.

"You are horrible," T'Challa reminds him as he charges.

Every now and then, Erik kills one for him. Other times, he wipes the whole population of them because the things just keep reappearing. It feels like hours of nonstop fighting before the creatures finally stop coming. T'Challa assumes they finally killed whoever is causing this and he can breathe so much easier. Not only can he stop fighting, but his cousin is right there next to him, waiting.

"You've grown stronger," T'Challa decides to walk all of the way back to the rest of the Avengers. He wants more time with N'Jadaka, who gives him a knowing look.

"Yeah, I gained a couple of things. Watch," T'Challa elevates from the ground, then he is right outside of the Wakanda's borders again.

"Wh-wha-"

"I could go wherever I want now. Could take anyone with me, too." There is a wrongness, a sadness in the way Erik says it. T'Challa looks around to his home, heart heavy. The sun begins to set.

"Where did you go?" Erik looks at him, hurt, and then he is in the dense forest. A waterfall roars to his right and the trees harbor a sign of life. Big leaves and branches are woven together to show a small hut. Erik motions to the hut and T'Challa moves towards the structure. Inside, it is beautiful, up on the list of things that T'Challa has seen. Erik coughs from behind him.

"This is deep in one of your forests. I wanted time by myself to think. I built it with my mind, of course, I can't touch any of the shit." A chastisement lies on his tongue, but he can't do it. He has never seen Erik so vulnerable in a long time.

"I am sorry for.. that thing I did. I didn't have to force you to do that." Erik scratches the back of his neck, embarrassed.

"But you did," T'Challa replies, stepping up to him, "but it is okay. You are bored."

"I am not bored," N'Jadaka corrects, "I am tired of this. I can have all of the power in the world, but it will not make me happy. I don't want this. I learned I am either dead or alive but now I am neither. I can't sleep, I can't eat, I can't even feel! You have no idea what that is like!" If N'Jadaka was alive, he might cry, but he is not. His facial expressions shift in coordinance to his emotions, but nothing beyond that. Wind picks up outside, the howling partnered with the crashing of water. T'Challa feels guilty once again.

"I am sorry," and a list of things to say after that runs through his mind, but he leaves it at that. T'Challa leans his head forward and N'Jadaka mirrors the action, their foreheads in "contact" with one another. In such, he can feel the anger running though Erik's veins, though he does not pull away from the intimacy.

"You didn't have to fucking do this to me. I didn't want to live, it was my choice. I should fucking kill you for doing this to me, it is worse than anything your father could have ever done." T'Challa flies across the forest, breaking through trees until he crashes. He lets out a pained groan, but then he is against the tree. A pressure settles hard against his throat. He chokes on air although there is nothing physically there to suffocate him. Erik looks at him, rage evident on his expression, teeth grinding and eyes wild. T'Challa speaks through the strangulation.

"You deserve the chance to live."

"That was not your choice!" Black wraps around his vision, greeting him like it was the last time. T'Challa lets his body stop struggling, welcoming the perceived end, refusing to halt their eye contact.

"I know, N'J- " The pressure tightens, neck bones grinding at the name. "I am sorry." He grits out, closing his eyes to let the job finish. If he does by the hand of his cousin, at least he deserved it. Senses are completely cut off, unable to feel anything.

T'Challa's body drops and air rushes back into his system. His eyes reopen and he is no longer in the forest. He is back at the lobby of the building he was meant to enter a while ago. Unsteady, he stands. It is blatantly obvious that Erik has disappeared again.

Erik may never come back, but now T'Challa can understand. Understand that when someone allows or forces you to live even if you don't want to- it is.. words cannot describe. T'Challa rubs at his neck as he walks up the stairs with intention to meet with the Avengers. They will look at his neck and assume something different had happened. And that is okay.

The King breathes in deeply, sparks of pain in the process.

Erik doesn't leave his mind for one second. His cousin could do whatever he wanted to him and T'Challa would let him.

Because the truth is, in some wrong and shameful way, T'Challa loves N'Jadaka. How unusual is that..

#t'cherik #killchalla #I hope you enjoy #because this is a blob of words put together

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tomupside · 7 years ago

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The Review You Deserve: The Avengers: Infinity War

Infinity War? More like Infinity Bore!

[searches for high-fives]

[finds none]

Okay, that’s harder than Infinity War deserves. It wasn’t boring. That’s a positive that I can give it. But let’s face it, I saw it once, and that’s all I needed. In short: Infinity War was . . . better at doing particular aspects, but, overall, was on the same level as the lowest-common-denominator Marvel film out there.

Spoilers ahead . . .

Infinity War isn’t a single film, but three or four separate films stitched together by a single theme: how all these heroes tried to stop Thanos, and failed. Or, really. it’s a film antholgy trimmed down to a single Abridged movie.

The plot for Infinity War is simple: Thanos wants the infinity gems (or “stones,” as they’re called in the movie-verse) because there are too many people in the universe, and there needs to be a culling. This is the motivations of an insane person driven as such by past tragedies, but because this is Disney, we get all of this in exposition and are informed that he is a “tragic villain” through monologues over sad violins.

(Tangent: Loki was a great villain because the writers and director of Thor understood Shakespeare! You, Disney, do not! Fucking stop it!)

The heroes need to stop Thanos because they’re told that he wants the Infinity Stones for “Bad Things.” Well, that’s the surface-level reason. For the most part though, the heroes all find a reason to want to stop Thanos for personal reasons: Tony, because Thanos caused his PSD; Gamora, because he adopted her after slaughtering half her planet.

We start the story with Generic Uber-Bad’s Generals and Thanos, having just killed all of the surviving Asgardians, trying to get Infinity Stones from Thor and Loki . . . and in the most clumsy of sequences, they do. But they didn’t get them all, and with his final breath, Heimdall sends Hulk back to Earth (leaving Thor, Loki, and the Tesseract – the one thing Thanos was killing your people for – behind, because that totally makes sense as a dying gesture.)

Thanos then kills Loki after getting the Tesseract, and blows up the Asgardian ship and, supposedly, Thor with them. (Though don’t worry, he manages to survive the vacuum of space for just long enough – that being at least a few hours, if not days – to be saved by the Guardians of the Galaxy.)

Hulk lands, conveniently, in the Sanctum Sanctorum, where he warns Doctor Strange of what’s going on. That’s when Thanos’ minions show up to get the Time Gem –

– which happens to be when Tony Stark is giving his heart-felt Two Weeks to Retirement speech. Spidey happened to be friendly in the neighborhood too, and the three of them wind up on the Minion Ship when Strange is kidnapped.

Later, the remaining minions try to get to Vision when and his mind gem while he’s with Scarlet Witch (because Bulma Briefs invented frikin’ Infinity Stone Scouters for them, apparently?) but get thwarted by Captain America, Falcon, and Black Widow (the *most powerful* Avengers out there.) They convene at Avenger Compound, where Bruce Banner is waiting with Rhodes (because that makes sense?)

Meanwhile, Thor tells the Guardians “Thanks, but fuck off” and, with Groot and Rocket Raccoon to forge a new hammer, while the rest go off elsewhere.

Then we start following the segments: Section 1: Peter Quill and the remaining Guardians try to stop Thanos themselves before he can get the stone from The Collector.

Section 2: Thor, Rocket, and Groot try to forge Mjolnir 2.0.

Section 3: Earth tries to protect the Infinity Stones that they have.

Section 4: Iron Man, Spider-Man, and Doctor Strange try to take the fight to Thanos.

Spoilers: They all fail. In some cases, for the most spectacularly dumb reasons imaginable.

Double-Spoilers: This is the first part in a two-parter, so guess who doesn’t beat the bad-guy in his goal to destroy half the life in the universe.

The film had potential. That Disney still refuses to get any real red blood on its hands is a small reason why it failed. The real reason it failed is because so many decisions were made not because they were logical to the characters or to the moment, but because they had to happen so the story could reach the next plot point. SO much of the story could’ve been solved if someone had just pulled the trigger when they had the chance! And you can’t use the whole “Well, they’re super heroes, so they have rules against killing . . . “ NO! Every one of these cretins has killed, whether blatantly or indirectly. But they had to be frikin’ idiots, because otherwise Thanos would’ve been stopped not even forty-five minutes into the movie!

And I don’t get it! I don’t get why, in a two-and-a-half hour film, you can’t dedicate at least ten minutes to show what could have been so bad in Thanos’ past that he would think wiping out half the life in the universe is a good thing, rather than have him tell us in almost five separate fucking monologues? Fucking five?! It creates a greater emotional connection for the audience when we get to feel that moment once and at the same time as the character. They obviously knew this, because they fucking showed that tender moment when Thanos kidnapped Gamora as a kid so she wouldn’t be slaughtered by his own kill-squad! Otherwise, we might not have cared as much when he threw her off a cliff so he could get the Soul Stone! See! THAT made us feel for Thanos! That worked! We got why Thanos was crying, and why he kept being choked up through the film about her death, because we were there when he found her as a kid! Wouldn’t it have been nice to have that same goddamn moment instead of him saying why he thought killing half the universe would be something good for everyone?

And of course – of course – Disney can’t let a somber moment be somber! “Oh, hi Thor! You just saw your brother be strangled in front of your eyes and your entire people slaughtered? Well, let’s have a goof-off with Peter Quill and you constantly call Rocket Raccoon a rabbit! Isn’t that great!” Or how about half the Earth population being dusted like in Buffy in the worst tragedy ever, but have Samuel L. Jackson almost get off a trademark Muthafukka? Wakka wakka fart joke!

It’s called “timing!” you repugnant rodent! Learn it!

We, the fan boys, got a bit of what we wanted. We got to see Thor with the Guardians of the Galaxy. We got to see man-child Peter Quill geek a bit with child-man Peter Parker. We had a snark-off between Stark and Strange. We got to see Robert Downey Junior phone-in impotence jokes at the expense of Bruce Banner-nee’-Hulk in a moment that shouldn’t have had jokes because Jesus Christ movie just let us have a serious moment here! But so much of the film’s progression necessitated everyone either taking a free-action to explain everything to us or to act completely out of character! Spoiler Alert: Nice job fucking things up, Andy Dwyer! Your plan to save the Universe was perfect except the part that involved you!

The directing was passable, but barely. The action scenes were cluttered at times, but for the most part, not as messy as they could’ve been. But overall, that’s all the directing was: passable. No scene passed along any sort of emotional weight, nor hinted at anything deeper than they were expressing. Even the harder moments, up until the end, didn’t hit. For example: When Gamora died . . . I felt nothing. There was no emotional impact. Thanos threw her off, we saw how sad it made Thanos . . . and then the corpse. Mufasa had a better fall-death! Hell, Inspector Javert had a better fall-death!

Also, the ending . . . which was just that: an ending. Which, I get it, it's how the comic book The Infinity Gauntlet ended. Good job, writers, you read a trade paperback! It gave no indication that there was going to be anything coming, like with Empire Strikes Back. It was just . . . and end. A "Fuck You." (And no, post-credits don't count! They never count! Stingers are post-sex cuddling!)

Now, there were a LOT of clever misdirects that kept things interesting: the reveal of Gamora’s Swiss Army Knife, which everyone in the audience was made to believe was going to be used to kill Thanos, but wound up ultimately being used as a set-up to failure, being one of the better ones. There were nice touches! And some of the parts that set up Person A being on the Infinity Kill List, but only to show that it was Person B or Person C instead, were nicely done.

But I don’t care. Because I know that these deaths are all going to be undone in the second part. In a universe where everyone can and has come back to life (coughcoughGrootcoughcoughColsoncoughcough) all of these dustings have as much impact as any comic book death or pro wrestler retirement. Plus, they didn’t kill any of the A-listers. All of the original Avengers made it to the end. Only the Second Wavers bit it.

People will say that Disney took a risk with this one. This won’t be true. Every person who died will be brought back. All the consequences will be reverted. Timey-wimey will save the day. And thanks to the Magic Space Beeper which Nick Fury apparently had the whole fucking time, we will now have our new Captain Mary Sue to come and save our day soon. (Which honestly pissed me off most: if you had a magic space beeper that could summon a space Captain Marvel to come save anyone at any time, why didn’t you use that in the first Avengers film, Fury?! And even if she did show up, what the Hell could she do now? Spin the Earth in reverse faster than the speed of light, and turn back time twenty-four hours?! Thanos won! You’re dusted! Game over, man!) I’d say the only parts of this film worth watching are the fights, but even then, that’s only on occasion. Again, so much of the action depended on contrivance (“Oh no, his space weapon somehow prevents me from phasing, especially in this scene where I’m not being attacked! Thank god Black Widow is strong enough to block it with her not-super strength, which I have, and with her weapons made of regular material, and not from Vibranium, which is the unbreakable material that I’m made from!”) that I kept expecting Thanos to reveal that he had fabricated the events from Reality Stone out of bored curiosity the whole time.

And what the Hell, Disney? You own Industrial Lights and Magic, one of only two special effects studios in Hollywood! So why do you keep phoning in the CG? Seriously, the fight between Thanos and Hulk looked like something out of a first-generation World of Warcraft cinematic! And I can’t be the only one who noticed how obviously rotoscoped Bruce Banner was in the Hulkbuster armor at the end! Vaporwave videos had less shifting! And don’t tell me “Look at how awesome they made Thanos in all the close-ups!” because that’s just proof of what they can do when they decide to do it, the lazy assholes!

Infinity War is typical Disney, which is now synonymous with glitter-rolled bullshit! There are parts which are worth paying attention to, but is, on whole, worth ignoring. The motivations were superficial; the drama was lip-service; the characters had almost no consistency; and nobody in the audience seemed to care, because that’s what we’ve come to expect from the studio that brought us Dog with a Blog.

Final Score

Rating: 5.5/10

Xowie: 2

Half-Life: 15 months

Nelson Ranking: Laundry Film

Tom Upside

- Up until the end, Thanos, himself, only kills two people. And one of those people he kills is technically a villain. Now somebody go back and confirm this, because this film is too bullshit for me to care.

#infinity war #marvel #movie review #moviereview #toupside #thereviewyoudeserve

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elizabethrobertajones · 7 years ago

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How do you feel about Reylo?

Based off of TFA? I was indifferent because I didn’t really think it was a particularly textual ship and that Rey’s disgust and fear were pretty obvious, given that he abducted and tortured her, and then killed the father figure she’d never had. He offers to teach her to use the force but within 10 minutes movie time she’s found herself a Luke Skywalker to do it instead. There’s plenty of talk out there about how people want Kylo to have the choice to throw off an evil upbringing via brainwashing and be redeemed while blatantly missing that Finn’s entire first movie from his POV is about doing exactly this and proving he was good all along despite having been a wee tiny child when he was taken by the First Order. I suppose some of the appeal of the ship if you want it to be a corny romance is Rey redeeming Kylo while Finn did all the work himself by being like “wait no I don’t wanna slaughter innocents” at the first available opportunity… I find it extremely hard to see Finn and Kylo as having equal but opposite pulls on Rey’s heart, is what I’m saying :P Dark shipping is another matter but it’s a major movie franchise and Rey’s one of our main POV characters and the message isn’t subtle about Space Fascism in the broad strokes so I had low concern about Rey going dark or them having a forbidden romance across sides or something.

TLJ -

I think the new movie played a LOT into the initial buzz from TFA, including masses of fan theory. Which, of course, you can best summarise by taking that huge build up for Rey to get to Luke and be taught by him, and him just chucking the lightsaber over his shoulder and walking off. If you bring expectations into this movie, you’re gonna have them shaken.

(My only equivalent movie experience, incidentally, is seeing Up followed by Toy Story 3 and becoming convinced that Up proved that Pixar was so merciless that they may just incinerate the entire main cast of Toy Story and legitimately fearing for those little lives, so kudos to that moment for setting me so on edge I need to go see the movie again just to *enjoy* it when it comes to Rey’s arc :P)

(Of course, the toys were not incinerated, and Rey didn’t get ~seduced by the dark side~ but they had me on uncertain ground, which is not easy for film makers to do when you’re an annoyingly genre savvy asshole like me :P)

When it comes to Reylo they played right into the mystical force bond, Rey wanting to redeem him, Kylo being conflicted because of her, and a whole bunch of tropes. Within the story without Rian cackling while setting this all up (I don’t know him but he seems like a cackler, based on this movie) they used the uncertainty about what Luke had done to Kylo to make Rey question him (after all she doesn’t know him except in legends and he’s not living up to them in person) and to worry Kylo might be right and it’s not as simple as it seems. At least to the point of hearing him out, and feeling his conflict and deciding that he can be saved or that she must try.

The stuff where they’re communicating over the force is fairly straightforward that it builds up Rey’s conflict and gives her a chance to see Kylo exposed - emotionally and I guess physically because joke about Kylo Ren being shredded aside (that sketch is canon and again I swear he was only shirtless to make nerds laugh >.>) in TFA she sees him as a masked monster and he takes the helmet off to prove he’s human, but he’s being *exposed* to her now and it’s important there’s the later twist about all this because they’re both being shown each other’s vulnerabilities right now while thinking the other is tormenting them because of some bond they managed to make while beating the shit out of each other on Starkiller Base.

I remember starting to feel like this is REALLY not going to go how we expect when Rey sent herself off to meet Kylo because they mirror the elevator scene with Luke and Darth Vader from RotJ, which obviously is the 3rd in the trilogy, and you *can’t* do this same surrender yourself to the enemy to redeem him and take down the bigger evil from within thing here in the 2nd film without just causing more problems from somewhere else. In this case each thinks the other has a chance to come to their side and the bond is a mutual fascination and there’s a sense of attraction and being drawn together by it.

But then a few minutes later they discover that Snoke set the entire thing up - has been messing with their minds, connecting them and showing them each other’s weaknesses, preying on their unresolved business with each other to make them want to turn the other to their side; neither of them are completely evil or completely good - the force is re-defined as neutral rather than having a light side and a dark side, and I think the spec that grey jedi will be an endgame for the force, is a good one (rather than restoring the Jedi Council etc which, after all, was responsible for turning Anakin to the dark out of desperation and neglect in the first place >.>)…

In this capacity I think Rey and Kylo are actually really well balanced? It might not make a good love story but they are due another reckoning and their powers are clearly matched. They have a good literally and metaphorically back-to-back fight scene with the guard and their powers are shown to be in balance when they try grabbing the lightsaber again. It comes down to the personal side - Kylo loses because he just wants to repeat the same patterns but leave behind the First Order, not because it’s bad but because he wants to rule and destroy on his own terms, a little nihilistic baby bird flying the nest and wanting to start his own empire to dominate the galaxy. Rey fails, because everyone’s failing on the good guy’s side because you don’t win in the 2nd movie, because she thought she might have a shot to take Kylo’s uncertainty, but in the end it was because he was being controlled and wanted to be free that he struck out at Snoke, and he had already been shaped to a point of no return. Rey rightly sees a lost cause and flees, though she doesn’t kill him while he’s unconscious because she’s not heartless.

The rest of Kylo’s movie is not being killed in time by Hux either, and going fully unhinged supreme leader and fruitlessly venting his frustration on the teacher who failed him as well as continuing to try and kill what is left of his family without caring any more that Leia is in there like he hesitated at the start of the movie (and she still got hurt anyways in that first battle because of his orders to destroy her ship - given knowing she’s in it as well as the fact even after this hesitation he doesn’t do anything to stop them taking out the rest of the rebel ships in the LONG chase sequence he had to reconsider before Rey showed up, while he was just chilling brushing his hair or whatever). I mean at this point he’s better developed than Joffrey but he’s in a similar place. We already know he’s full of rage from TFA and we have a reminder how he smashes things up around him when he’s frustrated and angry with a necessary repeat of the joke about First Order personnel staying the hell away from rooms with angry Kylo noises and smashing sounds coming from them. The stuff with Luke killing or not killing Kylo and setting him on his path - either from Kylo’s victimised POV about it or Luke’s horror about the darkness he - rightfully - sees in him, that Snoke had *already* got to Kylo and he’d *already* recruited the Knights of Ren from within Luke’s attempt to start the Jedi Order up again… the darkness had got too far and Kylo was an unfortunate temperament exacerbated by the bad teaching/manipulation and I feel like there’ll always be room to try again or argue he isn’t a lost cause LATER if that’s what they want to do, but in this movie it was very MUCH about him being a lot cause, and Rey sees that in person when after her efforts to help, to go to him and all, it turns out the only reason she was connected to him was a manipulation, and the only reason he turned on Snoke was his own ambitions, and he’s twisted and runs at a baseline level of megalomaniac desire to oppress that frankly a girl should not be expected to fix through the power of true love or whatever and she gets the heck out instead of dragging his prone form to a shuttle, Luke Skywalker style. :P I’m a bit blurry about when it happens now (RIGHT at the end?) but there is definitely another final moment of her shutting the door on him in a vision which felt like a conclusive comment on her emotional energy being spent on him now.

I sort of feel like as long as you don’t woobify Kylo too much and try to understand without getting too worked up about redeeming him, but seeing his actions as they’re presented in the film (he is a “cool motive, still murder” character now which is an upgrade from TFA because he was just Whiny Toxic Masculinity White Guy Who Could ‘Take What He Wanted’ back then) then I just don’t really see how this character could have a romance arc with Rey, given that she managed to overcome her fear and disgust of him to pity and wanting to help, only to have it literally explode in her face *when she thought she’d won so now he’s something she failed just like Luke failed him* and she legged it and fought against his side to save the Resistance without any more angst about Kylo whatsisname again for the rest of the movie.

Also the Resistance is shown variously carrying around the Rey Homing Beacon and being her true family who cares about her but Finn full on pined and wanted to get to her and though he didn’t have a force bond it was important in a way it wasn’t when Poe or Leia had the beacon, that it was his parallel in a pure-hearted way to the link Kylo had with her, and whatever’s going to happen with Rose, it’s *definitely* a love triangle between her and Rey, because she and Finn have a pre-existing and powerful connection after TFA… I mostly just want Finn to be happy, so I’m just going to ship him with those two and Poe until something sticks, but of all the characters in the movies, Rey and then Rose both have the most actual romantic tropes with Finn, with Rey collecting a sizeable chunk of them with Kylo in the first part of the movie, only for the subversion and reveal to flip *all* of them on their head and therefore dunk the whole lot out of contention as far as I’m concerned. And I think when it comes to flipping tropes and expectations, we have to stop being short sighted about the build up before the flip as meaning the entire fullness of what’s going on here, when the entire last act of a movie may exist to expressly tell you that what it made you think in the first parts was all wrong.

I’d love to watch again knowing the twist, and I think we’re going to go when my brother comes back for Christmas, so it might be another week at this point before I can put my eyes on this film again, but I think I’m remembering this all right and that my impression was right/I knew the impression they were giving was wrong and that I identified when they flipped things all through the movie, as it was all very loudly broadcast for a blockbuster audience. I haven’t really seen people reacting to Reylo much but I don’t ship it and I think it went from generically unshippable to utterly sunk, but only from my outside POV where obviously I have never really been interested in the ship. So when I see all this I’m making assumptions that I’m seeing them treat it the way I expect if they were writing it as a fake out on teasing that they may get together before crushing that, because I’m not really invested in them getting together.

And I’m assuming in the surface text of the story it just wouldn’t make sense to show Kylo being unredeemable now and seeming to make his choice and sink even deeper into unhinged darkness. It’s not like Vader offering Luke to rule at his side after revealing he’s his father in the equivalent place in ESB, because at that point Vader had made no moves to show he may be redeemable or have doubts, while after that reveal Luke sees Vader as human, and has to begin hoping there’s some Anakin left in him from before he was corrupted to the dark. Kylo knows full well he’s Ben Solo and has been trying to shed that identity to the point of killing Han, has been trying to push himself into darkness, dreading he WON’T be evil enough, and when he makes Rey the offer, she’s already tried to skip ahead to the RotJ Luke and Vader stuff based on what she felt and saw - which was all a manipulation. Yes he’s conflicted, but it’s the same trap Han fell in - he thinks “Ben” is saying he’s conflicted and he wants to be good and Han has to help him - offers him the lightsaber like he can take away the symbol of what’s making Ben dark, but it turns out he was going to kill him all along and Kylo wanted help to be strong enough to do that to Han and THAT is what he was referring to. It was an act of being conflicted to want to be good, while it’s always been more to be nihilistically destructive and FREE. And in that sense, Supreme Leader Kylo’s actually doing pretty well for the first time in his life >.>

So for Reylo the only option I see left if you care about it, is darkshipping it without much expectation that Rey is due to become a world-destroying megalomaniac in the next movie :P

#Asks #THIS MOVIE SURE GAVE US A LOT MORE TO SAY ANYWAYS #star wars #star wars spoilers #reylo #I'm not an anti I'm indifferent and here for Luke Skywalker is all :P

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televinita · 8 years ago

Text

Zoo 3.11, “Cradles and Graves”

Maybe, you’re gonna be the one that saves me

I don't know if I'm more upset that this show had the gall to unironically use (a cover of)“Wonderwall” for dramatic effect, or that after 3 days of my inability to stop watching this episode, it's actually working for me.

I distinctly remember bursting out laughing when the first lyrics hit my ears, and now I'm like, teary eyed and nodding sagely through that whole montage. "Wow. So deep. So profound and meaningful."

------

A list of things I did not care for this week: the IADG bullpen unless Tessa was talking. Now that we've got that out of the way... Some things I like about the first 5 minutes -Imagining the Darkest Timeline version where they are all already dead by the time Clem finds them. -The (unintentional?) hilarity of the fact that Jackson's blood waits for the exactly perfect moment to ooze under the door for maximum dramatic effect -The fact that Mitch is found on the stairs instead of where he was shot, which suggests to me that he got to feel the full horror of seeing both Max and Jamie on the ground before he succumbed to his own wound (which is probably just an irresponsible directing choice because if he had, I'd think he'd be a little more grateful about the whole them-not-being-dead part, but it's fun to think about! Otherwise I just get bogged down again in wondering about the logistics of GSW injuries.) Ctrl + Z I loved it, but my parents and I could not stop laughing during the entire resurrection scene. "So I guess everybody's actively dying and no one can help us, but it's cool. Just gimme some of that tank serum (totally valid medical term) and mix it with water (just your basic home remedy recipe), and then we'll suffocate them back to life and five minutes later their mortal wounds will be fine and we can get on with the real problems." A.K.A. So there's example 57 or so of an entire episode's worth of possible plot being pushed aside because this show refuses to take a breath. We could have wrung so much more emotion out of Clementine, whilst ignoring her own signs of labor, trying to triage her father, grandfather, adoptive mother, surrogate uncle I'm pretending she is already attached to more than I'm sure she is, and other surrogate uncle who is also her best chance of saving her baby, the most important of all, if something goes wrong in delivery. ...and GDI now I gotta go find a special episode of Grey's Anatomy to get my mass tragedy fix. But I'm grateful that even at Zoo speed, they still gave me a little taste (in two flavors!) of people suffering the after-effects of injuries the serum couldn't fully fix. You're Responsible, You're the One to Blame, It's Your Fault :( to everyone being too busy hating her to notice Jamie cradling a clearly injured arm. But I love absolutely every sentence in this 7-way argument, including but not limited to Mitch's strangled "are you full term? how long was I out?!", the group-wide reveal of when exactly Mr. Duncan disappeared, Jackson's deadly-quiet anger, Jamie's valid defense of her actions, Mitch trying to take his daughter and blow this popsicle stand at a doubled-over limp, Clem taking her sweet time mentioning the quarantine, Max and Jamie's "oh" realizations about the plane, and Mitch's fabulously cranky echo and "what now" attitude. Last but far from least, the disgusted "I can't even look at you" was kind of my favorite part? I dig it when one member of an OTP is that intensely furious at the other out of hurt. (see also: Castle at the end of season 4)

A+ Comic Relief Laughing for 1 million years at Clem hopping off the exam table pantsless while all the men in the vicinity double take and look away* (except for Sam, whom Mitch hilariously whacks on the arm for his impudence, in my favorite sight gag since "Special Consultant") *the fact that Abe also does this, while understandably instinctive and appropriately respectful, is also kind of hilarious given where he just was

Oh My Darling(s, Sam &) Clementine (who can't make a good shipmanteau to save their life) I don't have enough interest to do it myself, but it sure sounds like the story of how they met would make a pretty great YA novel plot. Anyone who doesn't actually want to spend the month trying to be a paid author need a NaNoWriMo prompt? Particularly someone who likes world-building, because this show leaves things wide open to fill in the details of U.S. society outside New York and the plane. Speaking of which! Did Clem happen to share with him the part of her backstory about being raised as an orphan basically the same way for the same reason? Because that seems like it would decently bond them. I like this parallel. Also update, I am getting a lot fonder of his face, mostly because he shut up and stayed out of the way except when I needed him to chime in to be sweet and supportive of Clementine (or side with her dad about ranking her over the baby on the priority list). He seems like he's really tried/is trying to be a good partner, and I'm impressed that he holds his ground despite a faceful of largely unwarranted hostility from her. I might actually be okay with him being the head of his family, even though up until now my head has danced with visions of Clem raising her baby under Mitch (and Jamie)'s purview and/or roof, Last Man Standing style. (although I guess there's always Reba-style, where both young parents are under that roof) (I realize I'm making a lot of assumptions about everyone's ability to stay alive and/or live a semi-normal life)

Beta Ship 2.0 / My Wonderwall** There's something immensely funny to me about the juxtaposition of Jackson being in his Brooding Cave Of Isolated Despair while Tessa is in a brightly ilt location, in the middle of the hustle and bustle and basically being like, "Buck up and stop being so melodramatic." (Jackson: The prophecies have spoken. Food turns to dust in my mouth. A great wave shall fall upon us all. // Tessa: is your plane out of groceries again?) But on a serious note, I love so much that he's thisclose to broken until she pulls him out of it that I'm not even gonna whine about him asking Tessa to do the same thing he's punishing Jamie for. Though in his defense, he did say "stop" her and not "kill her,” which is an important distinction for him. **My friend once wrote a Jim/Pam (The Office) parody of Jim/Pam stories using this title, and that is at least 50% of why I can't take this song seriously even though I actually have always loved it.

I Don't Know What To Do My Whole Brain is Celebrating "How do you know the name of Jamie's scorpion?" "Because my son and Jamie have, uh, very lively pillow talk."** !!!!!!!!!! NO BUT WAIT THERE'S MORE.

The fact that Abe pipes up despite a sucking chest wound just so he can help take the mick out of Mitch is glorious. The cranky and ineffectual "shut up" in response is THE BEST. I love that Mitch has just always blatantly refused to publicly acknowledge how he feels about Jamie, despite the fact that everyone and their mother is like, "Oh yeah, I know Mitch. Snarky scientist, walks around with hearts in his eyes to match the one on his sleeve?" (Mitch, in the distance: I do not LOVE her, okay, I just...miss her when she's not around, think about her all the time, and I imagine us one day running towards each other in slow motion and I'm wearing a brown suede vest.) I doubly appreciate this exchange because I was wondering when the hell these people actually sleep and I was getting worried there was no recognizable place in canon that they might have both had a chance to go to bed at the same time. **This writer could not have more clearly been flagging us with a fic prompt. Max Morgan, Love Doctor My very favorite of the small moments in this ep is Max insisting that Mitch let him patch him up. I was all on board for some serious injury, but I loved the subversion of his attention being caught by the scars I thought the show had forgotten about instead. "Oh, Mitch."

That just kills me. I want to unpack their relationship right here so much more, but also, it's 7pm on the night of new Zoo. Suffice to say Mitch isn't the only parent who suffers over the thought of his kid being in pain tonight, and that's beautiful. And gosh do I love him quietly, individually, nudging Mitch and Jamie back towards each other. The promise that Mitch will understand eventually was an immediate balm upon my soul. If Max says a thing about my ship, it must be true! Mitch + Being A Mess of Emotions About His Daughter (if anyone wanted to make a gifset off of this theme I would not be opposed) Words cannot express how thrilled I am that Mitch gives zero bothers about Sam's baby daddy rights and takes up prime positioning to stroke Clementine's hair nonstop throughout the whole labor,* even stealing the requisite final "you can do this" encouragement. He also gets to be the first one to hold the baby and it's amazing.

* and makes some pretty wonderful faces over how hard it is to see her in pain and not be able to do anything about it -- and remind me I've got either some meta or a story scrap about how this is what Audra was on the front lines for all those years he selfishly hid away, telling himself it was for the best P.S. As much as I love that Mitch just falls apart in full Worried Dad mode and can't seem to process a single medical term or physical symptom as it pertains to pregnancy, you know that if Abe weren't a sex doctor and the writers weren't butts, Mitch would absolutely be whipping out the stethoscopes and telling us all about the time he delivered a baby gorilla so this is basically the same thing -- I imagine Clem would take loud offense here -- while roping in Jamie as a delivery nurse to follow his instructions to the letter (because there are some things fathers just should not do no matter how brilliant they are). Things I would like to know Why Mitch -- who apparently had a through and through -- is the only one whose gunshot wound is still bothering him Why Clementine didn't once ask where Jamie was. (at which point I'd really like to see Mitch try and explain that one.)

It is straight up ridiculous to me that 19-year-old girl in labor, surrounded by men, would not want a woman with her, particularly one she loves. This is the most "what...man...[wrote] this" moment I have ever had about TV.

Did I just miss it, or is it kinda weird that Sam doesn't bat an eye upon finding out Charles Duncan is actually a different person and his girlfriend's father?

Leftover Thoughts

This show is so nuts, I am just now realizing I didn't even stop to wonder how the hell Abigail reanimated herself last week before now.

Mitch being a testy bitch @ Abe is a thing that just does not get old. ("You put hybrid goo in my daughter? Was that not worth a little chat?")

Aww @ Mitch's mini pep-talk about being a good parent, followed by the "OK time to go" and the sweet "I'm having this baby?" / "You are having this baby."

I also really enjoy Mitch deciding to be cranky about Sam just because he's there and he can. It's kinda like sniping at Logan, but more fun and with way better reasons. (Which I hope is exactly what Mitch says when Clementine inevitably tells him to knock it off)

"Goodbye frequent flyer miles" lmao

I love that instead of shutting down the beacon by cutting the wire, they multiplied its effect by a thousand and destroyed a city, to which the response is basically, "Whoops."

"You've been good for my son. Take care of him for me." So I LOVE THIS, but also: dammit Max that is not what "die for our ship" means.

But I love the moment where Jamie and Max, individually, hear the baby crying. The joy dawning on their faces is so pure it actually makes it worthwhile that they're not present at the birth itself.

(I know we're especially mad about Jamie. But honestly, if it means All Mitch All The Time, that's an OK trade to me.)

tl;dr if something is not mentioned please assume I loved it

COMING SOON:

(will be links shortly) Mini essays analyzing Jamie V. Jackson, Mitch/Jamie and Max's death.

In conclusion: I spent my entire night writing this, but it was worth it. Future Me is gonna love looking back.

#cbs zoo #episode reactions #zoo 3.11 #2200 words AND THIS ISN'T EVEN ALL OF IT #most of the Mitch and Jamie analysis is yet to come

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