#mAYBE JUST MAYBE 8'DDD I'M FINE WE'RE FINE WE'RE ALL GOOD

[tidaltow]

@howthesleeplesswander || cont.

So, here’s the thing.

It wasn’t so much that Kazuma was a strict, no excuses kind of instructor—which, yeah, sure, he definitely was, and no one at camp would ever argue that, but… The reason anyone ever felt any amount of disheartened under his keen eye usually had a little something to do with not wanting to disappoint the supremely cool, incredibly skilled and awesome katana guy who showed up whenever he wanted and disappeared like some crazy demigod vigilante. (Who also was considerably attractive, Percy supposed… if the reactions of some half-blood kids and even the dryads were anything to go by.)

Part of Percy knew Kazuma didn’t expect him to excel at this immediately. Then another part of him argued he should, that this technique should be well in hand by now (literally) if he hoped to have any chance against what was coming. Part of him figured he was annoyed at the prospect of letting Kazuma down—letting everyone down. Then another part of him shot back that there was more to this. It wasn’t just about—

He nearly jumped when Kazuma rejoined his side. In the prior few seconds, he’d fallen into somewhat of a trance, one that had him glaring off at the dining pavilion with thoughts of the winter before, of a particular young demigod responsible for the large crack across the floor. Because Percy had failed him (and still continued to).

A murmured “thanks,” and he took the water, downed a few gulps while Kazuma gave him his usual encouragement. He pinched his brows. “Yeah, I know. I mean… You’re right, I just—” He should’ve laughed. Maybe even said something like, What isn’t bothering me? But the energy wasn’t there today, and with some reluctance, Percy met the eyes boring into him. He weighed his options: what he should and shouldn’t talk about, what he could and couldn't trust Kazuma to know. Whatever ended up winning, a loud and practically surrendering sigh came first.

“We can… talk for a minute, if that’s okay. Can we—?” Percy capped Riptide, stowed the sword-turned-pen back in his pocket at the same time as he pivoted toward the nearest bench. He paused only to glance back. “Only if you don’t have someone else, uh… lined up to train anytime soon? I don’t want to interrupt…”

[verecunda]

Some assorted thoughts/speculations/general yellings after watching the s2 trailer and behind the scenes video after about a dozen times each. (Spoilers galore!)

SAURON. :DDD

2. Isildur lives!! I mean, obviously, I knew he would, but it's nice to get a glimpse of what he's up to. Looks like he's in some sort of creepy cave - maybe he's going to discover Shelob's lair?? I can just see our disaster baby taking shelter in what he thinks is a nice safe cave, only to find it's the home of an ancient menace. That would be so on-brand for him. :P (Maybe that's also part of the reason that he founds Minas Ithil later, if he knows there's something horrible up there up the Spider Stairs that needs guarding against?) Also very excited that he and Arondir seem to be teaming up at some point!

Speaking of which...

3. Rather worried that there's no sign of Bronwyn or Nazanin in either vid, but there is a shot of Theo looking very upset. Don't like that at all. D: Also the thing Ismael says about Arondir having a great blow to his spirit. Not liking where this is all pointing to... 😬 Like, in general, I was hoping we would get to see Arondir and Bronwyn, now that they've actually got together, having to reckon with the full Athrabeth-style implications of their relationship. A quick glance at Nazanin's social media suggests she's actually left acting in order to focus on her activist work, especially in the wake of the women's rights protests in Iran. I can only respect her for that, but I will be sad to see her go. I got very attached to her and Arondir. In the meantime, until the show inevitably dashes my hopes, can I just pretend that Bronwyn is FINE, SHE'S FINE ACTUALLY, she's happily setting up her new herb garden in Pelargir and refusing to have anything to do with this ring nonsense?

4. SAURON. :DDD Honestly, I'm just watching all this like

:')

5. Okay, I love all the jokes about how Annatar is just Sauron in a wig (*gasp* "King Philip II of Spain!!"), but I don't think what we're seeing in the trailer is Annatar. All the shots of him look like they're happening during the fall of Ost-in-Edhil, by which point his cover's blown and he has no more reason to mask himself. (In fact, he might be quite happy to reveal himself in all his glory?) I think that's just Sauron. Which isn't to say that Annatar, or something like him, won't feature, I just think it won't be Charlie Vickers playing him. He's Sauron in his "true" form, if you like.

6. Oh, Celebrimbor. ;___; I was hoping we'd get to hang onto him for a few series, but I don't think that's going to happen. Eregion definitely looks like it's had it this series, in which case he won't be far behind. Unless maybe this series will just end with his capture, as a sort of cliffhanger, and his actual death won't happen till series 3. That would be cruel. That's probably what I would do if I was writing it tbh. I hope they at least give us a few good scenes of him and Narvi before shit goes down.

7. No sign of Ciarán Hinds yet, though I was keeping an eye out. Do we have any idea yet who he's playing?

8. I've seen other people on here suggesting that Durin's line about an ancient evil returning might be about the Balrog, rather than Sauron, and I can see that. Canonically, Khazad-dûm isn't destroyed until the Third Age and the reign of Durin VI, but maybe they're planning to shift that back, as they have with the arrival of the Istari. Or maybe the Dwarves will just manage to beat it back into dormancy for another age? There's a shot of Durin III with what looks like a Ring of Power, and I've seen someone else suggesting that maybe the Dwarves will use it in their fight against the Balrog? (Might I hope that we're going to get the version where it's Celebrimbor who gives Durin that ring...? Please I just love Celebrimbor and the Dwarves so much. ;____;)

9. General joy at seeing more of Durin and Disa!!! If Disa wants to be a heroine, I support her. Likewise, If she still wants to go all Lady Macbeth and get her husband to murder his father for the crown, I still support her. ❤️

10. SAURON. :DDD I know you Haladriel shippers are all enjoying that first shot of him looking all rough and teary-eyed, but I'm hoping we're maybe going to get some flashback scenes of his backstory? Maybe that's him just post-War of Wrath and going "oh shit I need to dig myself out of this fucking hole fast". I would love some flashbacks showing us his dynamic with Morgoth or Aulë. (A scene with Eönwë is, alas, probably a forlon hope.) Or what about that time he was bullied by Lúthien? :D

11. I fear Nori and Gandalf (we're okay to call him Gandalf, right?) are not going to have a wonderful time in Rhûn. 😬 So far it looks pretty bare and desert-y, so I guess a trip to the vineyards of Dorwinion is not on the itinerary? :( No sign of the other Harfoots, so maybe they just plan to focus on Nori's journey until she inevitably returns. Which makes sense, but if that's the case, I'll miss my girl Poppy. :'(

12. Combat Galadriel is still going strong, I see. Mixed feelings on that one. On the one hand, I love Combat Gal and I love her more every time some internet neckbeard posts his cold take on Reddit. On the other hand, since she gave up both her sword and Finrod's dagger by the end of s1, I was hoping we'd start to lean more into her sorceress side. Still plenty of time for that, I suppose, and it's not like the two are mutually exclusive.

13. General joy at seeing all the various blorbos again. :D Hi, Elrond! Hi, Elendil! Hi, Míriel! Hi, Eärien! Hi, Gil-galad! Can't wait to see what you're all up to now. <3

14. I do NOT trust Pharazôn with pointy objects around that eagle. D: Don't hurt that eagle, Pharazôn, if you hurt the eagle you'll make Manwë cry. ;____;

And, last but not least:

15. SAURON. :DDD

Sorry, friends, I am a Sauron fan first and a person second. X'D

[after-nine-at-the-oasis]

OPE Owen 😳

Ooh- oOP

Is he dying or something?

Dang it you can't end it there DD:<

OOHHH YEP HE IS

Oop 👀👀👀👀

Also ahhh his brother 😌😌😌👀👀👀

AHH JUDD

It's okay we're gonna be fine :')

Everything's gonna be fiiinee :'DDDDD

Just

Fine :))

Anyway!! That's it for the final thoughts, now time for the. . .

REVIEW

Yes, I know it's a week late, ignore it xdd

First of all! Owen, obviously. Well, maybe not obviously for him being first, but nonetheless. Okay, so, a) my boy. Well, not really, but, yaknow lol. Anyway, b) my dude. Get help. Like I know you ARE, but still xdd. Idk get more help XD. Glad you're dealing with your daddy issues tho. Or sorry for your loss. I ain't reading all that. XDD I'm kidding, but that is a little bit how I act about Owen lol. Anyway!! Seriously though, I am proud of him for getting help :). And honestly like, seemingly stupid fears? Relatable, man. But the clown (most his adamant denial of it lol) is still funny xD. Anyway, I am very eyes for the next episode 👀👀. It will be interesting 🤔🤔 :))).

Next! Grace and Judd (you know what's coming last lol) :D. I love them SOOO much!! Honestly I felt bad for them lol, I got the annoyance xD. But, I'm glad Grace didn't have to break it to Dave the hard way. She doesn't deserve that xd. That scene was hilarious though XD. Seriously, I did feel bad for him. Honestly, he's been working for, what was it, 8 years, and never lost a caller? Dang. Wow. Like, yeah, that must hurt xdd. Sometimes when I don't get 100% on a grade I'm kind of glad, because it takes a lot of the pressure off of my future grades. Not all of it, but a fair amount. Obviously they're not the same thing, but, you know :). This could help for his future, but I mostly mean that the longer it goes on, the harder it is. And even if I don't like him much, I do see some similarities between him and I :D.

Also Charlie you're adorable and I love you SO MUCH :DDDD 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🤩🤩🤩😍😍😍😍😍❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️🥰🥰🥰🥰😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰 <3333333333.

Although I did feel bad for Grace and Judd since they didn't get to see her first steps lol. Just, rip, honestly xdd.

Lastly!! Tarlos 🥰🥰🥰. Lol, obviously. I mean, knowing me, yeah, they'd probably be last or first xD. But, anyway!! I love them so much 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰❤️❤️❤️🤩🤩🤩😍😍😍😍❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️😭😭😭😭🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰. It was honestly just a silly storyline lol. But so sweet!!! It just shows that they can have honestly kind of stupid, just random off the cuff storylines, and it still shows and loving they are 🥰🥰🥰. It was hilarious and cute and I just love them a lot lol :'DD. Good tears, obviously :)). Also, that scene of TK trying to sweetly half seduce Carlos to capture Lou was absolutely adorable and fantastic and hilarious XDDDD. I will never get it out of my head lol. Their entire storyline this episode was just great :DDD 😃👍🥰🥰. Also Carlos looking for Loouuuuu 😭😭😭😭😭. All that effort (and TK's little like "oh okay" after going "have we been robbed ಠ_ಠ" like lol xDD besides the adorable fact that Carlos tore the apartment up that much looking for Lou that it looked like they had been robbed - yes 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰), it was so cute, and so SWEET too, I just love him my guy 🥰🥰🥰. I guess you're my guy lol ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ :))).

Also, on a related note, I really hope we get some TK content next episode :DD. Not that we haven't been getting a lot of content for him, we obviously have, or that he never has content or whatever, but just because it's all about father's and sons ¯\_(ツ)_/¯. Like, clearly, with Judd and Wyatt (AH. I love in fear xdd :')) ), and Owen and his dad. I'm just saying, him and Owen as the father son relationship are kinda the main thing of the series, at least for that specific relationship, and we haven't scenes with them in a while ://. Although TK watching him during the clown call was cute and sweet and nice 🥰🥰🥰. But still, is just want to see some scenes between them :)).

Overall, I really loved the episode!!! Some really cute moments all around, great calls, despite a sad one - I guess we get a detach in each 9-1-1 this week :(( -, and it was honestly really funny :D. I'm so scared but so excited for the next one :DDD :)).

So yeah!! I loved this episode, and I'm excited for the next one :). This has been my review of. . .

9-1-1: Lone Star, Season 3, Episode 15: Down to Clown.

It was great! I'm sure the next episode will be awesome :)). Next time I'll be here for my review of. . .

9-1-1: Lone Star, Season 3, Episode 16: Shift-Less.

See you then!!!