#the catch 1x04

[yasminhananis]

rewatching again. did not realize feyd gives another crazy (horny) intrigued face when paul silences gaius helen mohiam. and his initial peel up on paul’s way in, even before the reveals. also just his general demeanor and walking by looking at the baron on the steps, not helping, subduedly gleeful.

[sophsun1]

I've got to find Brian. What for? He'll know what to do. Like he cares. He wants me. How can you tell? Because I can!

Queer As Folk – 1.04: Ted's Not Dead

[merlinemrys]

anyway im obsessed with merwen’s crush era they should’ve kissed more actually 🙄

[xviruserrorx]

MerlinRewatch2023 -> "The Poisoned Chalice" Metamorphoses ~ Masterlist [Prev <- • -> Next]

[raayllum]

Rayla and Callum re: possession plot line + all foreshadowing (s1-s5, supplementary material)

“An assassin doesn’t decide right and wrong. Only life and death.” Rayla parroted the mantra Runaan had so often repeated. She did not know if she was reciting the words to convince the prince that his fate was sealed, or to convince herself to seal it.

(Book One: Sky novelization; 1x02, and 1x04)

“Wow. So they look identical, but they might kill you or they might save you,” Callum said. “Exactly. Just like me…” Rayla smiled.

One more, she thought. Just one more win. A human stepped into the pit. His armor, a weather-beaten but familiar silver-grey with a red collar, told a grim tale: an exile from Katolis. He’d likely fled deeper into Xadia after the battle at the Storm Spire. He was barely taller than Rayla herself, and couldn’t have been older than— —what would he look like now, she wondered? Nearly two years older, a few inches taller— The human’s sword flashed towards her. Rayla sprang away, and the crowd bellowed. [...] The human kicked dirt at her, and Rayla scraped at her eyes, angry—infuriated, even. Humans were frustrating. Humans were clever. Humans could do anything, they could be anything, they could take their own fates and change them— When she blinked her eyes back open, Rayla saw several things at once. In the pit, the human charged forward, sword aloft. And in the crowd behind him, a flash of red. A scarf. For a moment Rayla was somewhere else, far away and safe and warm, following that red scarf instead of turning her back on it— —and then the human’s fist struck her jaw. She shouted in pain. One blade rose instinctively to block another blow, but the human grabbed her wrist and twisted so hard she dropped it. Then he swept a leg under her, catching her by the heels, and before she could breathe again Rayla was on her back in the dirt, staring up at the wooden bones of the ceiling. “Rayla! Wake up, come on! We’re gonna be okay—!” The human stood over her and tapped his blade to her chest. Rayla craned her neck, looking around. The sound came back into the world, and the crowd’s cheering had turned from raucous support to mocking, shrieking laughter. Groaning, she let her head fall back to the dirt. “You win,” she said. [...]

“What was that?! You beat yourself!” Back in Redfeather’s little hovel, Rayla sat in the hammock, arms tight across her chest. Stella, who had been told to stay behind for her own safety, snuggled against her neck and cooed. Rayla fiddled with a little wooden token someone had shoved into her hands as a consolation prize for her victories in the pit. Her fingers traced a carving of a hermit crab on one side and the stark profile of a Tidebound elf on the other. “What happened? Why didn’t you keep fighting?” Rayla took a deep breath. Her ribs ached. “I got distracted.” Redfeather gave a disbelieving laugh. “Don’t they teach you to avoid that kind of thing when you become an assassin?” “That’s different,” she protested, even though her heart knew it wasn’t. It was the same problem every time. Hesitation, sympathy, distraction… all just weakness in a different mask. 

Chasing Shadows, part 2

Rayla pulled the chest back, out of reach, and pressed the curve of one blade to his neck— —and held it there. The human froze, meeting her eyes. He looked afraid. Rayla wanted to hate him, this young Neolandian boy, she wanted to hate him like she hated Viren. She could almost see Viren’s face in his: the white streaks of his hair, the sickly pallor of his skin, the bruise-like shadows beneath his eyes. Was he not the same? But what if it was true? A plague, an illness, a wound— “Life is precious. Life is valuable. We take it, but we do not take it lightly.” [...] Rayla looked at the driftwood floor. “Because I messed up. He got away with the rest.” Redfeather sighed. “You hesitated. Like in the Bone Pit.” It stung. She was right, of course. Rayla caught a glimpse of her own reflection in a glass bottle and scowled at herself: the face glowering back at her was not the face of an assassin, and it never would be. [...] Redfeather nodded. “I like you, but you’re still trying to be the person they’ll welcome back home. You’re a Ghost. You can’t be that elf ever again. You have to decide who you are going to be instead. So—who are you?” Rayla balked at her. It was an awful question. She wasn’t an assassin, she wasn’t an elf of the Silvergrove, she wasn’t anything at all, she was just— —“Rayla.” That voice again. Rayla pushed away, trying to focus on Redfeather. “I’m—” “—selfless, strong, and caring—” He persisted, as he always did, and his voice took her far, far away. 

Chasing Shadows, part 3

She has made the princes her best friends and gone on a journey to free every elf and human from such terrible fates.

Rayla's Tales of Xadia bio

[thoughtfulchaos773]

Season 3 and corresponding episodes

I made a post about corresponding episode moments and how they have these small scenes that play into the previous season. So this should give hints to season 3. Recap: SPOILER

1x02 and 2x02- a moment in Carmy's apartment

Sydney and Carmy will probably walk through Carmy's apartment again. The 2nd episode similarities is it told us about Carmys experience in New York and Carmy walking through his apartment doors alone, and in the second season, Sydney walks through the door with him. Season 3 we'll learn more about Carmys time in EMP, and he and Sydney will work on their partnership at his place, or he may be alone.

1x03 and 2x03 (Sydney and Carmy stand off)

this will probably happen the 3rd episode of season 3 after all they'll be doing a month long service with the new standards.

1X04, 2X04,- 3X04 Marcus finds inspiration

Sydney plays a role in this inspiration, like the moments in the 4th episode of season 1, Marcus elevates this source of inspiration when he goes to Copenhagen season 2. LUCA MAY COME BACK this episode season 3.

Another theory- Violet has something to do with Marcus or Sydney's mom. This will inspire a new dessert.

The 6th episodes (1×06, 2x06x 3x06) MIKEY MAKES AN APPEARANCE

Season 1 is when he catches the first flashback of Mikey. 2x06 we get fishes and 3x06 will be the same thing (remember Tina said they ran out of napkins- shoutout to @devsrina and Jon Bernthal is in the trailer)

For the 7th episodes. 1x07, 2x07, 3x07 Ever Head chef makes an appearance like in Forks season 2?

The 8th episode will be a shout out to Let It Rip.

We see this note in 1x08 when Carmy gets Mikey note and 2x08 when he gives the note to Sydney to put on her expo station.

Syd and Carmy moments will probably happen episodes 2, 8 and 9! I hope we get a moment like the table scene episode 9. We'll probably have more syd and carmy moments we missed season 3.

[imminent-danger-came]

The tiniest s5e1 lmk spoiler.

I feel like there was a Wukong and Pigsy parallel, maybe you'll notice it too when you'll watch it.

There reason why this is so important to me, because could there be more parallels between them I didn't catch? Also thank you so much for your posts about lmk's great themeing, I'm episode one in and am already bonkers

- 🐒

Ooo! Interesting!

Based off of what I know of 5x01, that's exciting! I'm obviously waiting for the english version, but here's a parallel I've noticed based off of screenshots that have made their way into my hands:

I love dadsy sm

As far as Pigsy and Wukong parallels go, I can think of them both reaching to stop MK from facing the Samadhi Fire:

There's also "I'm sorry, Tang. I got us into this mess. We're gonna need to work together to get out of it." (1x04) versus "You're not in this mess you're still free! Everything I did was for us!" "You did it for yourself!" (4x11), which is kinda a freenoodles and shadowpeach foil you know. Pigsy said to Tang what Wukong should have said to Macaque under the mountain. Imprisonment theme babyyyyy

[cedarxwing]

Deleted lines that shed light on Will's relationship with Abigail:

Oeuf (1x04) - Will decides to avoid Abigail because he's too close to GJH.

Oeuf (1x04) - Hannibal tries to get around Will's avoidance of Abigail by arranging the breakfast-for-dinner scene at his house (Will is too busy catching the killer of the week to attend).

Trou Normand (1x09) - Abigail thinks Will only visited because he doesn't want her to write the book with Freddie Lounds.

[its-leethee]

What kind of magic does the Jailer use, and what is her connection to the Key of Aaravos?

I have thought for a while that perhaps the Jailer is neither a primal nor a dark magic user, and that she utilized the Key of Aaravos to serve an important role in his imprisonment. Now, there isn't a lot of overt evidence for my hypothesis here; this is a ramble of pure speculation. I'm going to do my best to present the dialogue and canon-consistent logic to support my thoughts. Here goes:

The prevailing opinion in Xadia is that "human magic" is akin to trickery and sleight of hand. When confronted with Callum's claim of being a primal mage in 5x07, Nyx dismisses his boast reflexively: “I’ve seen ‘human magic.’ Fake ropes, false doors, birds and rabbits stuffed into clothing.” To her, it's common knowledge that humans can't use real primal magic, and her derisive attitude shows she doesn't have much respect for human magic either. As for dark magic, Nyx doesn't even mention it at all; as Lujanne said in 2x01, "we do not call that practice magic. It's an atrocity."

But human magic has one more specialty: creating and solving puzzles. The mechanical devices and riddles guarding the secrets in Kpp'ar's labyrinthine house and the rock-stone puzzle hiding the staircase to Viren's dungeon are story-significant examples of the types of innovations created by human magic. In 1x03, Ezran solves the rock-stone puzzle to reveal the staircase hiding Viren's dungeon. Callum answers the riddle posed by Rex Igneous in 4x08, "having knowledge isn't knowing knowledge…. He has a map!"

So neither a primal mage nor a dark mage would resort to puzzles and riddles, the gimmicks used by magic-less humans. So let's now consider the Jailer.

During the post-season four Discord Q&A, Aaron Ehasz states that the Jailer is a "mastermind of prisons and puzzles."

In episode 5x05, Archmage Akiyu tells the story of how she met the Jailer and introduces her as "a human mage." Akiyu goes on to explain:

"The archdragons had given the Jailer a daunting task, to design a magical prison that could hold a Startouch Elf. She needed my powers to craft the prison itself." (emphasis mine).

It stands to reason that a competent dark mage, with the notoreity to catch the attention of the archdragons, could bring that kind of power into her grasp on her own. So why would the Jailer seek out the powers of primal archmage, unless she couldn't wield that power herself? Furthermore, knowing the prejudice that the archdragons hold against dark magic--all of humanity was driven out of Xadia for refusing to forswear its use--I don't believe the archdragons would ever condone cooperating with a dark mage, even to quell an existential crisis like a demi-god bent on world destruction.

Akiyu tells us one more intriguing thing that the Jailer said:

"'The puzzle is the real prison,' she told me with a proud smile," (again, emphasis mine)

There's another word besides "magic" that we can use to describe the practice of creating and solving puzzles: cryptography; the art and science of creating and breaking codes and ciphers. The terms code and cipher are often used interchangeably, but their meanings are technically different. Basically, a code uses arbitrary substitutions while a cipher uses an algorithm.

Now, if you wish to solve a puzzle, you're going to need all the pieces - and if you wish to solve a cipher or code, you're going to need a key.

More than one use has been hinted at for the Key of Aaravos. We've heard Rayla refer to it several times as a toy and a game piece (1x04, 2x07). In the book two novelization, Callum notices that the Key left marks on the ground that appeared to point toward Xadia (we get a glimpse of those lines in early episode 2x07). In 4x07, we get suspiciously up-close framing of the Key when Callum asks, "is there no primal gem for star magic?"

And a few months back, one of the TDP creators shared on Twitter about a season 6 scene that was eventually cut. In the scene, Callum holds the Key up to a symbol on a wall and says, "I'm gleaming the cube!" (if anyone remembers this twitter convo and can provide me a link to this, I would be so grateful)

This is the Key feature we're all most familiar with: its glow. When exposed to a source of magic, the corresponding primal magic symbol on the Key lights up. This is why I think one of the potential functions of the Key of Aaravos is as a cryptographic key. If it were held up to a magic-infused symbol, the glow effect would reveal the primal magic source - and in this way it could be used to decode a secret message.

In cryptography, a key is the series of words, symbols or phrases that contain all of the basic information you need to decode or understand a specific coded message. Both the sender and receiver of the coded message need to know the key in order to create the coded message or decode it into plaintext - to lock or unlock the meaning behind a cipher or code.

I can't speculate on the exact nature of the secrets that she encrypted with it, but the Key can literally shed light on the solution! It was a toy that was repurposed by a the Jailer, magicless human mage and mastermind of ciphers and codes, to protect the secrets of Aaravos and his prison.

Exactly what secrets it will be used to reveal remains part of the Mystery.

if you're interested in learning more about cryptography, this page has links to a lot of my favorite resources

Recommended reading for more Key of Aaravos and the Jailer theories:

the post that initially enabled my crazy train of thoughts, thank you @beautifulterriblequeen

super rad analysis of the Jailer's unique character design by @kradogsrats, who also authored one of my favorite alternative hypothesis for the real function of the Key of Aaravos

an amazing thorough and detailed Key analysis, by @raayllum and another very interesting conversation about the Key here

Special thanks to @raayllum for answering my random Akiyu and Jailer questions, and to @self-spaghettification for giving me the push I needed to bring this essay together!

[amuseoffyre]

I did a thread on the bird site last night about Ed's world being so tied up in sea/water analogies and connections but realised I didn't put together a full list of the references I can remember off the top of my head. Now, I will attempt to do so.

Before I get into the details, there's also recurring symbolism of Ed standing between two worlds and this is reflected in the above/below of the sea but also the tidelines/shore/docks as a place where land and sea meet and overlap.

There's a lot happening.

"treading water, waiting to drown" (1x03)

"Be a lighthouse" / "cracking up on the rocks" (1x04)

throwing unwanted people/hopes/dreams/fears into the sea (1x05, 1x10, 2x02, 2x03, 2x07)

the dock and lighthouse in his flashback to his father's death - the first sea versus land metaphor, where the horror rises from beneath the surface (1x06)

"something stirring in the brine" (1x06)

"plumb the depths" / sirens and krakens (1x06) being the thing to trigger a breakdown

"Edward Teach, born on a beach" (1x09)

the kiss happening on the shoreline (1x09)

the abandonment happening on a dock (1x09)

marooning the crew on a sandbar - a temporary island, which is what Stede and his crew were for him (1x10)

"sunshine one moment, cataracts the next" (2x02)

his purgatory begins with him waking at the high tideline - a symbolic meeting point between the land and the sea (2x03)

collecting paua on the beach with ties back to his mother (2x03)

"Jeff's Inn by the Sea" - another place on the edge of land and sea (2x03)

reveal about the Gravy Basket while standing on the shore (2x03)

becoming the cataract - the chaotic surge falling over a cliff and full submersion in the sea as a way to end his life (2x03)

mer!Stede - a creature of both land and sea who can be there with him when he's in his dark watery doom (2x03)

"caught in his whirlpool" (2x04)

"hanging out on this ladder" - again somewhere between the sea and the safety of the safe space ship (2x05)

"Man against beast - I'm the man and the beast was beneath the sea" (2x05)

"we're the fish, I think" (2x05)

"storm's coming but I just can't see it" tied in with flashbacks and a shot with a 50-50 split of sky and sea (2x06)

another abandonment that is planned on the dock by the water's edge (2x07)

"pirates and fishermen are nothing alike" - subtext of the entire conversation ties to "you can't catch the fish unless the fish chooses to be caught" (2x05) and Ed is choosing not to be caught and fleeing (2x07)

the opening of 2x08 on the water's edge, away from the sea

reclaiming an identity cast into the sea (2x08)

rising from the waves on the shoreline, a place where he becomes himself instead of trying to split himself into different sides (2x08)

finding one another on a beach - Ed Teach, reborn on a beach (2x08)

choosing to leave the sea and make a home on the line where the land meets the sea (2x08)

I love the symbolism of a man who has spent his life trying to be this *or* that realising that he can become this *and* that. Blurring the lines, moving away from the binary rules.

He can be both land and sea. He can be both Ed and Blackbeard. He can have leather and silk. He can be strong and soft. He can be the big spoon and the little spoon. He can have it all :)

[yannaryartside]

WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT CARMEN'S FATHER

and the impact of his absence.

This show has me like a fucking detective; if somebody has found more evidence on this aspect, like how nobody seems to know how old even Carmy is, please comment or tag. This is my first Tumblr post and a break from a long writer's block, the power of this show. I would appreciate tips on how to post, especially about how to tag sensible topics showcased in this show.

These are some of the things we know from Cicero's description of Carmys father:

Cicero is related to Papa Berzattos because he describes their father as "more a friend than family."

Did he die? It is safe to assume. Cicero says that they "were" close in age. It is pretty beautiful that Cicero is acting in a parental role to Carmy, even acting as his "provider" and "supporter," wanting the Berzatto family to finally catch a break.

Carmy explained to Cicero on 1x04, "I really didn't know him well enough to miss him." Based on that statement, Papa Berzatto was eighter really absent, or Carmy was like 5 at most the last time he saw him. He said he didn't "know" him instead of "remember" him, which makes me think more of the "absentee" angle; this also could be confirmed by Cicero saying that he saw Papa Berzatto about 20 years ago at the time the show takes place, and I think a safe bet is to assume that Carmy is at least 30 years old, so he was like 10 when his father died, but he didn't know him to much by that time. 

He did drugs/alcohol/gambling, and, again, according to Cicero: "insisted on doing fucking stupid shit all the time."

He had a new career like ten minutes: a broker, a defensive coordinator; eventually, he bought the restaurant The Beef, which Donna later had to be involved in (stuck by his husband), and then Mickey took over. My God, the restaurant is a generational curse. One of Carmy's cousins also owns restaurants, so it's safe to assume this got too many people inside the family, not just Carmy's brothers. 

Not but literally, Cicero says that being 5 minutes in the restaurant "makes him think about bad shit," like the place is actually haunted wtf. Obviously is haunted symbolically; Mickey, being there for most of his adult life, trying to "handle" the business, his parent's business, probably was a constant reminder of what his father was, or what he thinks he is, a failure, a disappointment, a burden, an embarrassment. The reason he consumed drugs. He seems to be defensive about his father when he said in 2x06 Fishes, "This is our father's home, my father's home," like something he had to stand up for, something that deserved respect, all of it while sitting at the head of the table, the place that his father will sit on if he was still alive. 

[thegreatimpersonator]

Hi everyone! Here’s the newest addition to my Creator Shoutout Series (november 19 - november 26)!  I want to appreciate editors and their creations that i love from the past week. To track this series or look at previous shoutouts, please check out the tag on my blog *creatorshoutouts. Have a great week everyone!

the hunger games gifset by @alexstandall

taylor swift: suburban legends gifset by @antoniosvivaldi

stranger things: argyle + incorrect quotes gifset by @userlokis

narcos: 1x04 gifset by @pedrorascal

sabrina carpenter gifset by @zendadya

taylor swift: clean graphic by @cellphonehippie

the hunger games gifset by @nowadayz

severance gifset by @sheryl-lee

taylor swift: say don't go gifset by @rogerhealey

pride & prejudice (2005) gifset by @haniishu

the hunger games gifset by @starminsters

taylor swift: mirrorball x say don't go graphic by @hits-differently

the hunger games: catching fire gifset by @rachelzegler

succession gifset by @sdktrs12

taylor swift: mirrorball cat art by @mmemirrorball

the hunger games: catching fire gifset by @buffysummers

atonement gifset by @foldergif

stranger things: robin gifset by @kitconnor

yellowjackets: jackie taylor gifset by @natscatorrcio

sabrina carpenter: christmas icons by @iknowplaces-tv

the hunger games: peeta and katniss gifset by @jakeperalta

brooklyn nine nine: jake peralta gifset by @jakeyp

stranger things: max and lucas gifset by @loserboygator

scream 6: sam carpenter gifset by @tbosas

brooklyn nine nine gifset by @muldery

taylor swift icons by @internet-illusion

gilmore girls: jess and rory gifset by @emmafallsinlove

yellowjackets gifset by @wistfulwatcher

the hunger games: mockingjay part one gifset by @juliedelpy

priscilla graphic by @speakviolence

the hunger games: katniss everdeen gifset by @crowley-anthony

taylor swift: long story short graphic by @artelarium

the hunger games: catching fire gifset by @clairesbeauchamp

the bear: 1x04 gifset by @demarcoes

olivia rodrigo: all-american bitch graphic by @faultsline

[northbndtrain]

halt and catch fire ep. 1x04 "close to the metal" = gordon clark + Well, did it work? Is the reporter gonna write the story about us and our PC?

[certifiedlovergirlsstuff]

battle of the sexes

pairing: lo’ak x female omatikaya!reader

WC: 1.5K

warnings: dont think theres even cursing. completely clean, well, theres a bit of tension.

summary: always have to one up each other

A/N: could i have choosen a better title? absolutely. i got inspired by 1x04 of That 70′s Show where donna and eric play basketball at the end of the ep. idk just some mindless fun.

@alecmores my editor💗

been in the drafts since april 2

masterlist / lo’ak sully

it was a pleasant midday in the forest of pandora. the sun was blazing brightly and a cool, steady breeze would caress the leaves and flora, giving a melodic tune around you and lo’ak.

your feet were dipped in the crystal clear water of a nearby pond with a tiny stream. your back laid against the plush green grass, arms cushioning your head as you kept your eyes closed and enjoyed the peace. the twittering and humming of the fauna buzzed in your pointed ears making them twitch at every noise.

a touch on your ankles made you flinch and lift your head, elbows pushing your upper body into a half-sitting position. lo’ak’s head peeked over the surface, water lapping at his chin. his eyes shined with a gleam that pulled a lazy smile upon your lips, he always made you feel weightless. he smiled back as he swam closer to the shore.

he crossed his arms as they rested beside your thighs, his head lolling to the side as he stared up at you with a slight raise of his brows and the smile that still sat on his lips. his braids fell over his shoulders, the two with beads covered an eye as they always did. on impulse you leaned over and moved them away, your fingers dragging down lo’ak’s face that stopped at his chin before pulling away.

“we should get back to practicing.” you blurt out as you pull your legs out of the water and move to grab your bow.

“what? oh, come on!” “we have rested long enough, we must train to be mighty warriors for the people.”

with a popped hip you set your hand onto the skin while you hold your bow and arrows beside you. you took the eye roll the boy gave to your reply but watched as he pushed out the water, droplets sliding over his stomach and stripes. they caught your eyes and you were transfixed until a nudge to your shoulder snapped you away.

“see something you like?” his cocky tone made you feel warm but you just rolled your eyes before walking back to the training grounds. his laughter followed behind.

you re-entered the area where lo’ak set up targets to practice your shooting. you did some quick cleaning as you waited for lo’ak to catch up to you, when he was taking forever you decided to start on your own.

so you notched an arrow along the string and pulled with your fingers. you sucked a breath in, making sure your stomach was solid and your arms weren’t wavering. when the moment felt right you released the arrow and it flew straight into the bullseye. you smiled.

“wow! nice shot!” his voice came from above and you looked up into the trees.

he was perched on a low branch with his legs swinging in the air and his tail swaying behind him. his forearms sat on his thighs and he hunched over with his hair dancing in the wind.

“why don’t you come down and show me what you got? Since you’re always bragging.” you held your chin high.

you saw the shake of his head but couldn’t see the smile on his lips or how his eyes sparkled as he stared down at you. he gathered his bow and arrows, and jumped his way down to the forest floor with a muffled thump. he pushed his braids behind his ears before taking your spot.

“watch and learn, syulang (flower).” he said cockily and got into his stance.

you rolled your eyes but ignored the rapid beating of your heart as you watched lo’ak. not taking your eyes off him for a second and letting them wander as he was distracted. you watched how his muscles flexed and his back pulled taunt as he was in an aiming position. his tail skimmed the grass by his feet and his ears twitched now and then if one of the forest creatures cried out.

he stayed in the stance for a while and you were about to speak up just as he let the arrow fly and sink into the bark of the tree, just beside your arrow.

“not bad, not bad. but you were supposed to hit the middle dead on,” you pointed a finger at the arrows, “that is not dead on.”

he scuffed and pointed to said arrow, “sorry, but there seems to be an object in the way. someone forgot to take their arrow back.” he walked to the target and yanked both arrows out, and walked back, handing yours over.

“maybe we should work on some combat. i think our shooting is at its best right now.” you put your bow on the ground and spun to face lo’ak. his eyes just watched you.

“lo’ak? are you fine with combat?” a step forward and he snapped out of his trance.

“y-yeah. combat is fine. but i won’t go easy on you.” he smiled and his fangs poked out. it made your tail waggle.

“wouldn’t be practicing if you went easy on me.” you crouched into a defensive position. the right arm pulled back with your left hand touching the ground. your tail swung low to the grass, shifting over the blades. your ears stood at attention and you watched lo’ak get in a similar position.

it was quiet for a few minutes, both of you waiting to see who would make the first move. when the silence stretches on too long, you get closer to lo’ak and hissed deeply with your fangs showing dominance. he looked thrown off by the display, but it vanished fast and he hissed back and lunged at you.

you rolled out of the way and kept your eyes firmly on his creeping form. your eyes roamed over his body to look for any points of weakness that would allow you to attack. his eyes didn’t look to be fully in the moment, his mind elsewhere and you took advantage. you pounced at the boy, hands latching onto his biceps and throwing him to the ground. the two of you tumbled in the grass and rolled to a stop with you straddling lo’ak and pinning his wrist to the ground.

“that was an easy win. i thought you weren’t going easy on me, syulang?” a smug smile on your face as you let your eyes bounce over lo’ak’s motionless features. your loose hair fell over your shoulders and formed a curtain, hiding your face from outsiders.

he didn’t fight against you or scuff or roll his eyes. he was a blank wall with his eyes following you. you tilted your head, smile slipping. you leaned in closer and peered into his eyes, his widened and you heard the sharp intake of breath.

“did- did i hurt you?” you let up on his wrists, moving back to give him space to breathe.

lo’ak started to shift a bit and you moved your hands from his wrist to sitting on the ground beside his armpits to keep you up. he moved his arms and then pushed himself to his forearms, upper body meeting you halfway.

you stared into each other’s eyes, lo’ak’s golden orbs hypnotizing you into a calm energy. you were so hypnotized that the smirk on his face went ignored by you and the feeling of his legs wrapping around your waist forced you to move off his lap, positions switched. lo’ak straddles you while pinning your wrist down. open mouth and wide-eyed, you were stunned into silence.

“gotcha, paskalin (honey)” lo’ak’s smirk never left his face.

you huffed a laugh, feather top shifting with your breaths. lo’ak’s braids swung in the air, his beads hitting each other as he tilted his head from side to side. you wouldn’t catch his eyes, knowing the heat from his touch would further spread to your face to the tips of your pointed ears.

“wanna go another round?” you heard the smile in his words as the warmth turned to a fire. “uh… uh…” your tail moved off the ground and the furred tip grazed over lo’ak’s leg.

when you made eye contact with the boy still over you, it was like you both could read what the other was thinking. how the sunlight peeking through the leaves shined on them and they were glowing, their eyes staring at each spot on their face making sure to memorize their details. how just a simple touch of skin-to-skin contact makes their heart race quickly. how they so desperately wish to move in closer, breath skating over lips and wishing to know the feeling-

you abruptly pushed lo’ak in the chest when he moved his hands away. he fell to the floor beside you and you quickly jumped off the grass and walked away. you shook your head free of any thoughts coming to fruition, hair tickling your back.

“hey,” his voice made you jump but you turned to him, “you okay? i didn’t hurt you or anything?” his hands reached out for you. his fingers a gentle caress on your cheek.

your eyes softened at the simple touch, “yes. everything is fine. i just- i just got tired suddenly.” a shaky sigh.

his eyes just studied you for a minute or two before nodding his head and picking up the bows and arrows. he handed over yours and the both of you headed back towards home. neither of you spoke up about those moments during combat training.

...

[chicaotaku-fanfics]

There's Three of You?! Pt. 13

Please don't kill me! This took longer than expected, I'll be the first one to admit it, but it is finally here! The 3/3 chapter of the Mistaken (Chicago Med 1x04) mini arc is finally here!

Hope you enjoy!

Warnings: foul language, might be some medical inconsistencies.

CHAPTER 13

Connor and I had emptied the room sometime later and made our way to the elevator to go and wait outside Miss Goodwin’s office, to see if we could at least save a kid’s life today. Even a few seconds before the door opened, Connor was already on his feet, and as soon as it did opened I stood up.

Miss Goodwin’s expression wasn’t good at all.

“Can I at least talk to him?” asked Connor

“No, you cannot.” she said.

“There has got to be something we can do.” I said.

“And we've done it. Let it go, Dr. Rhodes. You too Dr. Halstead.” she said, looking at us pointedly.

Unexpectedly, the door open, and we all turned to see Mr. Simms coming out. He handed Goodwin the forms and just left.

“He signed them.” Miss Goodwin said, noticing the signature on the papers, Connor started making his way to the elevator.

“Good luck!” I exclaimed, he turned to me and nodded. I turned to my boss again. “Thank you Miss Goodwin… I’ll go see if Mr. Simms needs anything.” I said, going after the grieving man.

I managed to catch up to Mr. Simps, so I decided to talk to him about Max.

“Mr. Simms, how are you doing? How’s Max? I haven’t seen him since this morning, when we played at the kid’s lounge in the waiting room.” I said, announcing my presence to the blond man.

“You… you’re the doctor that took care of Max while I was coming here?” he asked.

“Yeah, I am. Dr. Lillian Halstead.” I said, offering my hand for him to shake, he did.

“Bill Simms. Uh, oh, my mother came for Max shortly after we reunited… didn’t want him to be exposed to this circus.” he said, I nodded.

“I understand. And I’m also very sorry for your loss Mr. Simms.” I said, he sighed, walking until he reached one of the windows, he stared at the view of the city.

“Lucy and I met at a Cub's game.” Mr. Simms said, I made sure to listen to him intently. He then let out a short mirthless laugh. “I heard this--this crazy laughter coming from, like, five rows behind me and… it just– it just reached out and grabbed me.” he continued. I could only listen to him. “I'd look at her, and it would just make me happy, and then, this afternoon, just watching the life get stomped out of her… you know, his site has gotten more hits in the last hour than it's every had before, I mean– it's disgusting, it's all disgusting.” he said, I just looked down.

“Like I said Mr. Simms, I understand… but you’re also going through one of the most traumatic days of your life.” I said to him, he was about to say something, but I raised my hand for him to let me finish. “I’m not invalidating your feelings, or even suggesting that anything that what happened today was fair. I’m trying to paint the bigger picture here: you’re grieving, that’s normal. And you’ve also just donated your wife’s liver to the guy responsible for her passing… that takes a level of maturity not many achieve.” I continued, he finally interrupted me.

“LUCY DIDN’T DESERVE TO DIE, HE DOES!” he exclaimed, I just placed my hand on his shoulder to calm him dowm.

“I understand your pain… but you just saved a kid’s life, and by doing that, you’re giving him the chance to turn his life around.” I said to him.

He finally broke down sobbing, I hold him so he didn’t hit the ground. I maneuvered us to one of the rows of chairs so he could sit down, from my coat pocket I pulled out a packet of tissues and offered one to him. He took it and dried his tears, then he looked at me and said something that really left me thinking.

“Max told me about how you took care of him when he and Lucy first arrived. How you asked to look after him, took him to the play area, even played with other kids and talked to them about being a doctor.” he made a pause, blowed his nose and continued. “He says he wants to be a doctor when he grows up… all thanks to you.” he then turned to look into my eyes. “You’ll make a great mother someday Dr. Halstead. Thank you for taking care of my son.” he then hugged me. I hugged back.

Just then, my pager went off, it was Connor, Peter was just out of surgery, he had pulled through just fine.

“Sorry Mr. Simms, I have to go, my other patient just pulled through out of surgery, I gotta go check on him.” I said, he looked at me.

“It’s him right? The prankster?” he asked, I just nodded. “I wanna go see him.” he said, I wasn’t convinced, but he pleaded. “I just wanna say something to him.” he managed to persuade me. So I took him with me towards the elevator and to the ICU floor.

We made it there, and Connor looked at me in question.

“Mr. Simms wanted to say something to Peter.” I answered the unasked question.

Connor nodded, and the three of us went into the room.

“Mr. and Mrs. Wallace? This is Bill Simms. It was his wife–” started Connor.

“Lucy. Her name was Lucy.” he said, not looking at the parents.

“It was Lucy's liver that was transplanted into Peter.” I added.

“Thank you for saving our son.” said Mrs. Wallace

“What you've done for our family–” Peter’s dad started to talk, but Mr. Simms interrupted him.

“I didn't do it for your family.” Mr. Simms said, he made a pause to sniffle, but the continued. “I did it for mine.” he made another pause. “Death isn't justice. Can he hear me?” he asked Connor, pointing at Peter.

“Yes, he can.” my friend answered.

“My wife– my wife died because of you. And now she keeps you alive… And that's gonna haunt you for the rest of your life.” he said, his expression somber.

Oh no

“Mr. Simms, please.” I said, trying to stop him.

“No, no, no, I can't– Look, you wanted a following, right? Kids today, everyone wants a following. I'm gonna give you a following every day on every social media site for the rest of your life. I'm gonna be there to remind the world of what you did!” he started raising his voice by the end of his last sentence, becoming more erratic by the second. Connor and I stepped in between him and Peter’s bed.

“You will never be able to go anywhere or do anything without people knowing who you are!” Mr. Simms exclaimed against Connor who was pushing him out of the room. I just stood there, my back facing the kid, one of my arms extended to protect him.

“You will never be able to hide!” was the last thing we heard from Bill Simms as Connor managed to get him out of the room.

I turn towards the terrified teen and distraught family.

“I’m so sorry about that.” I said to the three of them, then turned my attention to the kid. “You gotta understand Peter, actions have consequences… you did something dumb today, and someone payed the price.” I made a pause, he looked at me, as well as the parents. “I’m not gonna scold you, everyone makes mistakes… I just hope that today helps you to think before acting next time.” I smiled at him. “Because, and I mean this in the best way possible, I don’t want to see you around here ever again. So take good care of yourself, hear me?” I asked him, he nodded the best he could.

I nodded at the parents who nodded back and I just left the room. I went to the elevators and made my way to the ED floor, just as Miss Goodwin was leaving Connor’s side.

“Hey.” I said to him, he just nodded to acknowledge my presence. “Come on, if we don’t hurry, Will and Jay will make a mess of my apartment.” I said, he snorted.

“Somehow I doubt that.” he said.

“Oh believe me, they could. But they know I’d kick their asses if they did, so, for thier sake, they don’t.” I said, that did get a laugh out of my friend.

“Oh, I’d bet you win.” he said.

“Like hell I will! They may be older, but I’m smarter.” I said, while we made our way to the doctors lounge.

[thoughtfulchaos773]

The 4th Episode

The cinematography and style potential of this episode and the color schemes will be a sight to behold.

1x04 Dogs, 2x04 Honeydew (Marcus bond with Sydney and Chester)

In seasons 1 and 2, Marcus searches for inspiration. Focus on Marcus and his relationships, particularly with Sydney and Chester. In the second season, a new relationship is built with Luca.

Season 3 Ideas- 3x04 Violet

in 1x04 Chester hands Marcus a purple booklet; purple is one of the first schemes that catches his eye. He tells Sydney in 1x04 Dogs that he wants his donut to be perfect, like the plum dessert Carmy made.

This is not as good as @turbulenthandholding's prediction.

But my prediction is Sydney's mom passed when she was about four. Sydney could remember a purple princess cake for one of her birthdays. This could be a time when Sydney opens up to Marcus about her mom, and this strengthens their bond.

Sydney could also paint an accent wall in her apartment purple. Chester is a designer, after all, and he brought the color schemes for Marcus so he might have his input on this.

Sidebar: Can Luca please make an appearance? Maybe facetiming Marcus or visiting the Bear?

Either way, I'm most excited to see the change of pace in this episode and the tones it will take, which will solely focus on Sydney and Marcus. I have a feeling it will be one of my top episodes.