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dukeofonions · 4 years ago

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So I thought I’d try something a little different (and slightly more fun than my usual saltiness) and do my own little personal ranking of Sanders Sides episodes!

Now I actually haven’t watched anything from the series for awhile so these rankings are going to be based purely on my own memories of each episode and how much I remember enjoying them. I’ll also be splitting the rankings up so I’ll do season one today and season two later on.

Eventually I want to go back and actually rewatch everything but I’ll probably wait until the season two finale comes out (whenever the heck that will be) but until then I think this will cover it.

Also important to note is that I will not be counting Asides in this since

1. I’m salty

2. It’s not supposed to be Sanders Sides anyway so why include it?

and 3. I’m very salty.

Alright, let the ranking begin!

Dang, can you believe season one has seventeen episodes? Starting with My True Identity on October 19th, 2016 and ending with Accepting Anxiety on July 15th, 2017.

These episodes were a lot shorter too. The longest one, Growing Up, is only about 15 minutes long (14:39 to be exact because I already have the playlist pulled up to get all these references so I might as well use the info I have) and the shortest episode was Way Too Adult that barely makes it to the four minute mark. (Okay it’s 4:18 but that’s still closer to four)

It’s really interesting to see how much the series changed just throughout season one alone, especially once it shifts from just being a silly series of one shots to a series with more fleshed out characters and beginning to scratch the surface of dealing with heavier topics.

How did it do for me personally? Well if you made it this far I assume you actually want to know my opinion so I’ll go ahead and tell you...

For real now, let the ranking begin!

*cue drum roll*

#17 I'm in a Disney Show

Yeah this one is pretty forgettable, and it really sticks out like a sore thumb among the other episodes in this series since it’s based on something that happened in real Thomas’s life and later on they try to establish that Sanders Sides isn’t about real Thomas. Not only that there wasn’t much in this episode that stuck out as funny to me. The only bit I actually remember laughing at was when the Sides were throwing around click bait titles.

So yeah, boring episode, feels out of place, moving on.

#16 Becoming a Cartoon

Like with the last one this one is just very forgettable to me. It also features someone who turned out to be a pretty shitty person so I can’t even watch it without feeling uncomfortable.

The only thing I remember laughing at was Patton holding a potato.

#15 My True Identity

Okay I know it’s harsh putting the first episode so low on the list, especially when most of my problems with it stem from it being made before there were any intentions to make it a series, but like the first two it’s also kinda boring. I mean on it’s own it does a good job of introducing people to the basic idea of the series and gives an idea of what the characters are like, but they all basically act like the same person (yes I’m aware of the irony) with just one or two minor things to set them apart.

Can’t really hate this one like the other two since, again, this was made with no intention of plot or character development, so it’s only this low because it doesn’t really stick out to me. But hey, it did its job at getting people interested in the characters so in that aspect it did its job perfectly.

#14 Taking On Anxiety

Oh the second hand embarrassment in this episode is too much to bear. Honestly any episode that has Thomas interacting with someone from real life just feels so weird to me and takes me out of the episode. However, I do actually have a bit more positive things to say about this one. The advice they give is actually helpful, and my gosh I love pre-AA Virgil.

The snark, the sass, it’s easy to see why he became a fan favorite so fast. And fortunately for me, there’s plenty of episodes for me to love him in before I start to hate him.

#13 Way Too Adult

This is gonna sound repetitive but again, forgettable. Doesn’t give me second hand embarrassment or make me feel negative in any way so that’s why it’s higher than the others. And hey, 13 is one of my favorite numbers so that’s gotta count for something right?

The best part of this episode is Patton, I really miss the earlier version of him where he actually took on more of a fatherly figure and had more of a serious side. Not that I don’t like him now and I still think he’s one of the better written in the series (more on that in another post) but it’s kinda nice to see him being portrayed in a way that doesn’t feel like he’s being dumbed down for laughs or is just sad and confused.

#12 The Mind vs The Heart

Or as I like to call it “Selfishness vs Selflessness in Five Minutes.” This episode is way too relatable which is both fun but also I don’t need the reminder that I can’t say “no” to people, but that’s a me problem not the episode’s. I like the format of using cutaways to show examples of how Logan and Patton clash in Thomas’s day to day life and honestly I wish they’d use it more since I think they only do it in this episode and in Growing Up but I could be wrong and I’m too lazy to check.

All in all this a cute little episode (and not cute for the reason you might think) and I enjoy it.

#11 Accepting Anxiety Part One

Honestly not much to say about this one? It’s funny watching Thomas’s antics while the Sides have to try and figure out what’s going on. Which is a nice change of pace from the usual “The Sides are being goofy and zany and Thomas has to try and get them on track” that I kinda notice throughout season one and that starts to change to become the norm in season two, but I’ll get to that later.

Reason this one isn’t as high as others is just because besides that one gimmick of Thomas saying and doing silly stuff is that there isn’t much beyond that, and of course that’s just because this is the first part of a two part episode so I’ll give it grace for that. Still a great set up though and is funny on its own.

#10 The Dark Side of Disney

Alright, we’ve made it to the top 10! Here’s where things start to get interesting.

Personally, I find this episode hilarious because I do this kind of stuff to “kid’s films” all the time. Never to actual kids but to adults, it’s fun to see just how dark I’ll go.

Of course this isn’t really what the episode does, it talks more about the messages in these movies as opposed to talking about how “dark” they are. Which, now that I look back I clicked on this episode thinking that it was going to be a part of the latter and had no idea it was a Sanders Sides episode. Maybe that’s how I found the series? I always forget which episode was my first...

Back to the episode, it also establishes Virgil and Roman’s little dynamic of being rivals and I love it. They have some of the best exchanges in the series and it’s fun watching them go head to head here, and even bonding a little as well. All in all, fun episode that provides some good character moments and some laughs.

#9 A New Year of Lying to Myself... In Song!

Just the song, man. It slaps.

But am I the only one miffed that Virgil technically got a villain song (about lying no less) and Janus didn’t? Not even an evil reprise? Yeah that’s some bull spit right there.

#8 Growing Up

Aw, the first name reveal episode on this list! This episode is a lot of fun, mostly because of the scenarios they come up with and the little cutaways they add in. Seriously. Just use these more instead of going to these great lengths to show us something that can be accomplished in six seconds of footage.

It also has one of my favorite moments with Logan quietly asking Patton what they’re doing wrong after Thomas tries to force himself into the “serious adult role.” I really got a soft spot for this episode and honestly talking about it makes me wanna watch it again, but I’ll hold off for now.

And I think Patton has one of the best name reveals. Like Thomas really thought his name was Pattoncake, and Patton’s reaction is priceless. I still want to know what “Pattoncake” actually is and how it’s played, but part of me also accepts that it’s probably better if we never know.

#7 Making Some Changes

Why are Thomas’s friends so good at acting as Thomas acting as his characters? Seriously half the time when I watch this episode my brain doesn’t acknowledge that the Sides are now being played by different people until halfway through.

This episode is one of the funniest in my opinion, and one I remember coming back to a lot. Do I still want an episode where the Sides pretend to be each other? Yes. Do I know it’ll probably never happen and if it did they’d find some way to just make it full of angst? Yes, yes I do.

#6 Alone on Valentine's Day

The first episode to be officially cowritten by Joan, and it’s great. It’s hilarious, and just seeing all the varying ways each Side tries to portray their idea of romance is the cherry on top. What more can I say about this episode other than I’m curious as to what Janus and Remus would have contributed to a conversation like this, maybe they’ll do another episode like this in the future with their inclusion, but who knows what the heck they’re doing at this point.

#5 Sanders Sides Q&A

Top 5 here we go!!! This is when ranking started to get difficult because I love all of these episodes so much. Especially this one. I think I’ve watched this one more than any of them and why not? It’s just pure goofball shenanigans and seriously, Thomas, why haven’t you done another one yet? Especially with Janus and Remus?! I mean I get if you’re waiting for “all the characters” but come on man! I need more of the energy this episode gives off.

#4 My Negative Thinking

This episode made me realize just how underrated Logan and Virgil’s relationship is. It’s also the second entry in the “Logan Fights Everyone” saga. I do love how this episode has actually helped me with my own negative thinking and I just freaking love Virgil’s sass in this.

Did I mention I also love Logan and Virgil’s friendship? Ah, good times when they all more or less liked each other.

#3 Losing My Motivation

The set up of this episode is just brilliant. Having it be a “mystery” for Logan to solve with Patton as his sidekick provided a lot of laughs and one of my favorite Logan moments with his little bit he does after realizing he was the “culprit” in all of this. Ugh, I really wanna watch some of these episodes now but I’m gonna hold out.

One thing is that I feel like Logan got the short end of the stick with his name reveal. Like Patton just casually calls him by his name like it’s no big deal, yet pretty much all of the other names are revealed after some kind of emotional moment and are treated as a big deal. If Patton was comfortable enough to just call Logan by his actual name and Logan himself was fine with it then why didn’t any of them introduce themselves before? There’s not really an explanation within the series itself as to why this is or why the Sides even have names in the first place, like it makes sense why Virgil or Janus would hide their names but Logan, Roman, and Patton have been there since day one so what gives?

My personal headcanon is that the three of them had a bet going on to see how long they could go without calling each other by their names in front of Thomas and Patton lost because he forgot.

#2 Am I Original?

Look, Roman is my favorite so of course he’s up here! Not only that but this episode resonates with me a lot as a creative person, and I just love watching the Sides trying all the ideas Roman comes up with.

And his name reveal is also great, probably my favorite one, and of course it’s followed by the now infamous, “You’re my hero” line. But I’m just gonna ignore what became of that and focus on the fact that Roman was actually happy at the end of this episode.

#1 Accepting Anxiety Part Two

What can I say other than this was the perfect way to end this season? Virgil has been the outsider of the group since day one, and seeing him go from this snarky antagonist to gradually being tired with the role until he decides that it would be better if he just wasn’t around at all. This episode has some funny moments too, but what sticks out to me are the more emotional ones.

Roman’s entire speech to Virgil is just *cheff’s kiss* perfection. Their relationship has finally come full circle and when Virgil smiles at him? Ah it’s so good!!! Like the music, the acting, all of it comes together so perfectly and it makes my heart happy.

Virgil’s name reveal is also great, after being teased about it over and over again we finally get the real thing and it’s executed perfectly. Although my favorite thing about this episode is probably the end card, it’s so sweet and makes me all sentimental. Why? I dunno, I’m supposed to be heartless but I somehow find my heart melting when Patton gives Virgil the card anyway. Ah, I love Virgil’s relationships with the others by the end of this season, and honestly I would have been satisfied if this had been the end of it.

Just a neat little way to wrap up this neat little series.

Of course we all know that wasn’t the case and oh boy things certainly took a turn, but that is for another post!

And that was the first part of my ranking! Like I said this list might change once I go back and watch the series again, but I’m pretty sure things won’t change much then.

I’m actually surprised at how many happy memories I have with the season, like I seriously want to just go back and watch my favorite episodes again because I’m all up in the nostalgia but again, I’ll hold off for now.

I hope y’all enjoyed this and I’d be curious to see other people’s rankings of season one. I’m glad I was able to have fun with this and just gush about the series for awhile because oh boy I know things are gonna be very different once I get to season two...

#dukeofrankings #new tag for this because why not #long post

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artificialqueens · 3 years ago

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Ever in Your Favor, Chapter Two (Rosnali) - Athena2

Summary: Rosé and Denali must say goodbye to their friends and family while dealing with their emotions about going back into the arena.

A/N: Thank you so much for all the amazing comments on chapter 1! I hope you enjoy this chapter, and leave some more feedback if you'd like! Thank you so much to Writ for beta-ing!

Read on AO3.

Surprising as it is, the biggest shock of Rosé’s life wasn’t when Jan’s name got called at the reaping. It was a shock, sure, that her little sister’s name was chosen when it was only one out of thousands, but the shock never had time to sink in before Rosé was running to the stage. She couldn’t send Jan into the arena. She was just a kid, a kid who tried to bring home every stray animal she found. Even if she somehow managed to win, that kindness would be beaten out of her. Rosé stopped the shock before it could overtake her, like plunging into ice water all at once, and made her decision, bringing it into her control. Volunteering wasn’t something she had consciously planned, because she didn’t want to think of either of her sisters getting picked in the first place, but when the moment came, when the blow hit, she knew what she had to do, and what she had to do didn’t come as a shock to her.

The biggest shock was five years after that moment, when she was sitting on stage with clenched fists, praying her sisters weren’t called because surely their family couldn’t get lucky enough to have two children win the Games. But the tribute was Denali Foxx, and for the first time, Rosé had to watch someone she knew take the stage.

It was horrible to watch any tribute get chosen, knowing how slim the odds of their survival were. But they were strangers, and Rosé could keep a distance from them. But when Denali took the stage, face cut with steel rather than the dimpled smiles of her youth, Rosé couldn’t keep that distance, couldn’t stop the way her heart clenched. In her mind, Denali was unchanged, still the goofy kid who was Jan’s best friend. She knew from Jan that Denali was trying to keep herself and her mother alive without her father, and it had made her older, wearier, so much like what Rosé had become that it hurt to watch Denali take her place at Manila’s side, clenching her fists and biting her lip to mask her fear. There was a resignation in her eyes, too, like she was just waiting for another blow like this to hit her. Another child who had to grow up too fast, and Rosé just wanted to protect her the way she would protect her sisters, to let Denali dream and be a kid just a little longer. It was proof that the world didn’t stop, that things would never stay the same, that the world she knew—a world of laughs and jokes on walks home from school—was truly gone. As much as Rosé tried to separate herself from it all, as much as she tried to shield her sisters from the darkness of the world, that darkness would slither in all the same, and now it would take someone she knew, just like it had taken her.

It was the moment Rosé realized she would never be able to escape from the Games, and that was the biggest shock of her life.

Until this morning, at least.

She has to consciously remind herself to breathe, forcing in every bit of air through her tight chest as the crowd cheers for her and Denali, the only two tributes to ever come back to their district. Maybe one of them can do it again.

But Lord knows it can only be one of them.

The shock gives way to a cool, detached sort of thinking, her brain calmly registering each step that comes after being chosen while avoiding the emotions that come with it. It’s like she’s moving through a dream, like she’s in her body but not really feeling it, everything hazy around her. Now they’re exiting the stage, and now they’re walking in the Justice Building, and now--

And now they’ll say goodbye.

Jan comes in to see her first, cheeks soaked with tears, and Rosé swears she’s twelve again--

This is the goodbye Rosé’s been dreading the most. Saying goodbye to her parents had been bad enough, the calm facade they tried to put on for her sake dissolving into tears.

Her sisters are so young, too young to mask their tidal wave of emotions. They’re sitting on dark gray chairs, and Jan’s feet don’t even touch the ground. She’s only twelve, and Lagoona is thirteen. They’re meant for jumping rope at recess and playing with friends. Rosé’s not much older at fifteen, but she feels like she’s aged ten years since her name got called. Her sisters might as well be babies.

They throw themselves at her, and Rosé wraps an arm around each of them like she always did, Jan’s head nestled into her right shoulder, Lagoona at her left. It gives her a few seconds to cry without them seeing. What if this is it? The last time she hugs them, last time she ever sees them? If she lets herself think that, she’s already lost. She knows from all the Games she’s watched that there’s no room for self-doubt; the second you doubt yourself or lose the will to fight is the second you get killed.

They pull out of the hug and Rosé quickly wipes her eyes, though she knows she’ll never fool them.

“You have to come back, Rosie,” Lagoona says thickly. “You have to.”

“I will,” Rosé says. “I bet I’ll be back in time to see you win the spelling bee.” She doesn’t want them to see her fear. They know the Games, they know her odds, they know what she’s up against. But she wants them to believe, because she’s the oldest sister and that’s what she’s always done.

Jan’s still crying, her hands shaking as she offers something to Rosé. It’s a golden pin in the shape of a lion. Rosé had saved up to buy it for Jan as a sixth birthday gift, and Jan has worn it every day since.

“Jan, I can’t take this from you.”

“Technically you bought it for her in the first place,” Lagoona mumbles to relieve the tension, because she’s the middle sister and that’s what she’s always done.

Jan looks up at Rosé sweetly, because she’s the youngest sister and that’s what she’s always done, but her eyes quickly turn fierce. “Then you’ll just have to bring it back, won’t you?”

“Rosie, this isn’t fair, it’s--”

“I know,” Rosé says softly, pulling Jan to her shoulder once more. Her muffled protests continue, but eventually she stops and leans into her. Lagoona settles herself at the other shoulder, and Rosé holds on as tight as she can, breathing them in, feeling their weight against her, telling herself this isn’t the last time. She survived the Games once; maybe she can do it again. But every tribute this year has survived once, and they’re probably all thinking the same thing.

“This is my fault,” Jan mumbles. “I should’ve just gone when I got called, you wouldn’t have to do this again--”

“It’s not your fault. I would volunteer for you all over again, Jan. I would for either of you,” Rosé says firmly. And she would. Even knowing that her choice to volunteer would one day send her to the Games all over again, she would still do it.

Lagoona pulls herself away. “Rosie’s right, Jan. And besides, she won already. She can do it again.”

Jan nods, letting out a sniffle. She reaches into her pocket and motions for Rosé to hold out her hand. A familiar weight hits her skin, and when Jan pulls her hand away, the lion pin rests in Rosé’s palm. It’s a little worse for wear, part of its mane chipped, but at least the blood didn’t stain. It’s equal parts past and present, memory and promise. The reminder of home, and the promise to return to it, just like last time.

Rosé swallows the lump in her throat. “Jan…”

“You brought it back once, Rosie. Do it again.”

---

Denali watches the door, wondering if anyone will come see her. She’s pretty sure this is the same room she said her goodbyes in last time, but maybe all the Justice Department rooms are the same, with dull gray walls and matching furniture. The tiny room was packed eleven years ago, with her mother and Jan and Kahmora and Kandy all waiting their turn to hug her and tell her to win.

Denali knows for sure her mother isn’t coming. She’d died months after Denali returned from her Victory Tour, though Denali knows her mother really died when her father did, when Denali was fourteen. She’d done everything she could to keep them both alive, hunting every morning and bringing her mother tea each night, but it wasn’t enough to save her in the end. She’s been on her own ever since, so long that she doesn’t know if she likes being alone or has just become too familiar with it to protest. All Denali has left of her mother is the silver necklace with a forget-me-not charm, cool at the base of her throat like a ghostly kiss.

Kandy and Kahmora might come, though she's not as close with them as she was, and how can Denali honestly expect Jan to show up when she’s competing against her sister?

Denali really doesn’t want to do this. Why, of all people, did it have to be Rosé? Denali’s first thoughts go to the logical odds of it. Rosé is three years older and an inch or so taller, with a slightly bigger build. And she’s one hell of a fighter. In her Games, the final three had been led to a field by poisonous wasps, who then circled around and kept them trapped, forcing a fight to the death. The Gamemakers wanted a bloody, exciting finish after three weeks of competition, and they got it. The girl from District 2 went for Rosé, but she dodged the attack and pushed the girl into the boy from District 1’s axe. He then turned to Rosé, thinking a District 12 girl half his size was an easy kill. But she fought him blow for blow, her sword against his axe, blood everywhere, until she finally won. She won’t be easy for Denali to beat in a fight, especially at close range.

But then again, Rosé’s not quite who she once was. She never leaves the house, and her sisters go there almost every day just to check on her. Denali might be able to beat her, if it came down to it. A second later she burns with shame and horror. Is this what she’s become now? Someone who automatically analyzes the threat people pose to her and how easily she can kill them? She doesn’t want this, doesn’t want to be used to the Games. It’s barely an hour since she got picked and she’s already under their control.

She doesn’t want to do this. And she doesn’t want to kill Rosé.

Part of Denali will always see her as a friend, even if now they’re more like acquaintances with a past. It was lonely as an only child, and when Rosé let Jan and Lagoona tag along with her, Denali was always included, and Rosé made her feel like one of them. That carefree, smiling Rosé is gone now, but she’s still in Denali’s memories, and she doesn’t want to lose her. Last time, Denali’s fellow tribute was a boy she didn’t know, and that was easier than losing someone she knew. She wishes she had that luxury here, that she didn’t know Rosé is probably hugging a sister with each arm in her goodbye room, or that she likes honey on the rolls from her family’s bakery. Maybe they don’t have to be opponents. Maybe they can form an alliance in the arena, be stronger together. Then again, that could bite them in the ass later on--

“This is bullshit!” The door flies open and Kandy marches inside. “How can they make you do this again? It’s not even fair!”

Kahmora hushes her gently, not wanting any Peacekeepers or officials to overhear. But part of Denali is glad to see someone else so outraged at this, proof that it really is horrible.

“I know,” Denali says. “It sucks.” There’s a lot more she wants to say, but that about sums it up.

“It’s really happening,” Kahmora says quietly, eyes on her feet. “When Manila announced it, I thought--I thought maybe it was a joke.”

“I wish it was,” Denali says. She can feel her resolve crumbling, a rock coming loose and triggering an avalanche. Everything is rising to the surface now, and her mind is flooded with images of all the tributes she might be up against, of the cliff where she almost died in her Games, of coming home to find her mother--

“Oh, honey, come here.”

She’s pulled into Kandy’s arms, and Denali knows she’s fully fallen apart. The tears don’t stop, even if it’s been years since she’s cried, and she knows they’re soaking Kandy’s shirt but she doesn’t care. Kahmora rubs her back in gentle circles, whispering for her to breathe. Denali wants to stay in this moment, to not have to leave and face what she knows is waiting in the arena.

She’s more scared now than she was as a kid, the fear so bad it’s making her shake. Back then, her fear was of the unknown. Now her fear is of the known, and it’s even worse.

“It’ll be okay. You beat everyone once, right? Just do it again,” Kandy says, her voice so unwavering that it really does seem that simple.

“You’re amazing with your bow, everyone said it last time,” Kahmora adds.

Denali forces a smile. “You’re right.”

She clings to them for another few frantic heartbeats, grateful that she kept her friendship with them, even if it's not as strong as it used to be. If she wins, she’ll work harder to make things like they were, to take her coffee mugs out more than once a year.

They leave with the promise to take care of her dog, and then it’s just Denali in the room, trying not to think. She jumps when the door opens again, expecting Manila or some official.

“Jan?” Denali can’t hide her surprise.

Jan looks mostly the same, with long brown hair and big brown eyes, even though Denali hasn’t seen her childhood best friend in a while. Denali was taken away from her in the middle of the summer, and by the time she got back from her Victory Tour she didn’t really know how to be Denali, Jan’s friend, anymore. Not when she was Denali, Hunger Games Victor. They talk from time to time, whenever they run into each other in town, and sometimes Jan will wave and exchange small talk when she leaves Rosé’s. Nothing serious. But Denali can tell this is serious, just like she can tell from Jan’s bloodshot eyes that she’s already said goodbye to Rosé. It hits Denali then this is the fourth time Jan has had to say goodbye to someone she cares about in one of these rooms, and that’s just too many times for someone that kind.

“I just--I just wanted to say good luck,” Jan says quietly. “I know you’re going against my sister and everything, but I wanted to say it anyway.”

“Thank you,” Denali says sincerely.

“I wish you could both win somehow,” Jan says suddenly, eyes burning with intensity. “Hell, maybe you can find a loophole or something. If anyone could, it’s you two.” She gives a little smile, wiping away her tears. “I’m gonna go now. I just wanted--”

“Thank you.” Denali crushes her in a hug, the motion so familiar it aches. There was a time when she and Jan were joined at the hip, so close that strangers often mistook them for sisters. Denali secretly loved it, because she always wished she had a house full of sisters, even though Jan said they argued sometimes. Denali especially wished it after her dad died and her mother barely talked. Even arguing would have been better than silence. But she pushes that away now and lets herself hug Jan, letting go with a sigh.

Jan leaves, and then Denali is led to the train.

Eleven years ago, she remembers being excited at the prospect of her first ever train ride, even through her fear. Her fear is a little harder to shake this time, but she still does love the train, even if she takes it every year with the tributes. She loves the plush seats and the big windows and the steady zooming along the tracks. The first time she boarded this train from the Justice Building, she’d been seventeen and terrified, with her fellow tribute and a twenty-year-old Rosé at her side, less a mentor and more an exhausted older sibling with only three years between them. Still, Rosé had done her best, telling Denali that it would be okay, that she could make it through the Games. And she was right.

No other victors means no other mentors, and she and Rosé have done it every year since then, growing older and even more exhausted, sitting in separate compartments and only talking about Games stuff when they had to.

“I hate this fucking train.” Like a vision from the past, Rosé appears by her side. Her cheeks are red and blotchy, and Denali can’t imagine how hard her goodbyes were. Probably even rougher than Denali’s.

They wordlessly slip into a compartment, and Denali is grateful when Rosé sits across from her. She’s not ready to be alone with her thoughts right now. Not ready to be alone at all. Just having Rosé here is enough to take the edge off, give her the comfort of someone else feeling just as stressed and angry and terrified as her.

They busy themselves in the train dining menu, talking about all the food they’ll eat in the Capitol and putting in a huge donut order. The fact that so many food options just appear, when Denali had to hunt every day for years just to keep herself and her mom alive, is something she’ll never get used to. There are more choices for desserts than people back home have for regular meals. Talking about the menu is probably a waste of time when every second should be devoted to planning, but no matter how much Denali loves planning, she can’t bring herself to disturb the paper-thin peace in this compartment. They’re just whistling in the dark, filling the silence on the way to a loud and terrible violence, but Denali pulls a rare smile from Rosé after she gets strawberry jam on her chin and knows there’s no one else she’d rather fill the silence with.

#rpdr fanfiction #denali foxx #rosé #kandy muse #kahmora hall #jan sport #lagoona bloo #rosnali #s13 #lesbian au #hunger games au #ever in your favor #athena2 #tw violence #concrit welcome #submission

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ten0rreaper · 4 years ago

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Here’s my entry to the @pnatsecretsanta for 2020! @quarktrinity, I hope you enjoy! It’ll be crossposted to ao3, link will be in a reblog. Thank you for your patience!

Isabel: hey so

Isabel: when are u going to get here

Max: wat?

Max: its xmas ev

Isabel: you really need to get a new phone

Isabel: and remember? youre supposed to come to my place tonight, wait it out

Isabel: max?

Isabel: if you were spacing out again im going to kill you

Isabel: you WERE doing the face again now that i think about it

Max: u guys ned 2 mak imprtnt info cler. Y i spcd

Isabel: you need to listen! this time mr spender remembered to tell u and everything. youre not allowed to be mad at us this time

Isabel: in short, get ur butt over here before midnight. sneak out if u need to, thats what isaac does

Isabel: in long, if u dont santas gonna kill u

----

“Let me get this straight.” 11:30 P.M. December 24th, 20XX. Max sat in Ed’s room on a chair hastily drawn up, with a jacket pulled hastily over his pajamas and hat still jammed on his head, massaging his temples. “Santa’s real, he’s a spirit, and he hates all spectrals and is coming to kill us?”

“That’s a bit of an oversimplification, but yeah,” Isaac said, and Max shot him a glare. He could hear that smugness. “So like, there’s a lot of spirits that kinda grow from ideas humans have, right? I don’t know what’s up with Scrapdragon, but like, Muse came from the ideas around ancient Greek muses, like his name. They can be really off base but still have the same ideas- like Lucifer, Mr. Spender’s spirit, is just some lightbulb guy, but Lucifer does mean light and stuff, so they can just be along those lines. But like, a LOT of kids believe in Santa and think about him a lot, so there’ve been a few spirits that manifested around the idea of a guy who can get anywhere to deliver presents to good kids and punishments to bad ones, especially with stories like Krampus too.”

“But most spirits can’t interact with humans, so this guy mostly goes around to other spirits and ghosts and stuff,” Isabel said, distracted by her attempts to spin her umbrella like a top. “So he likes spirits a lot. And we kick a lot of spirit butt,” she punctuated this with a particular spirited spin of the umbrella, ��so he hates us and comes to try to kill us every year. And because he can teleport, he can get inside the barrier. So gramps makes us all stay with him until sunrise every year so that all the adults can fight off santa and his reindeer so we don’t get put in a sack and teleported somewhere.”

Max groans and tries to fall backwards in his chair, but the chair doesn’t budge. “Your paint really isn’t good for drama,” Max informed Ed.

“Don’t be so dramatic then,” Ed snickered. “It’s not that big of a deal.”

“Says you, You just stay at home all night. I have to sneak out! My dad’ll kill me if he finds out!”

“I just put a pillow in my blankets and it’s fine,” Isaac says with a shrug. “If your dad looks harder than that, we probably have a tool lying around that can wipe memories or something.”

“I don’t want to mind wipe my dad,” Max grumbled, but resigned himself to slumping grumpily in his chair to watch Ed play some punching game or whatever. Bad enough that his own baseball bat might want to eat him, and he was trapped in this town with no way out- now Christmas hated him too.

Isaac caught his eye and smiled sympathetically. “You get used to it,” he whispered.

“I thought I was used to it a month ago.”

Max jumped as a knock on the door sounded, glaring at Isabel’s laughter. The door opened without waiting for a response. Mr. Spender poked his head in through the door with a goofy grin. “Alright, kids! You all ready for this year’s Christmas night?”

Ed didn’t even look away from his video game, waving lazily. “We could use some snacks. That’d be nice.”

“Yeah, where are the snacks, old man? You want us to starve?” Isabel waved her umbrella at him like a grumpy old woman might a cane.

“You’re well fed enough already. I made sure of that.” It spoke wonders to how used to this existence Max had become that Mr. Spender knocking politely had scared him, but Isabel’s grandpa floating through the wall didn’t. The man’s bulk and imperious gaze still caused him some anxiety, though, and he had to consciously remind himself that he’s a punk, he’s cool, and he doesn’t respect anyone’s authority, even a scary ghost’s. Yeah, totally.

The atmosphere of the room quickly shifted, and Isabel’s eyes dropped. “Yeah, I was just joking. Sorry, Grandpa.”

“Joke or not, this night is too much effort to make light of. My students and I are putting ourselves at risk for you,” Mr. Guerra said, looming over the room, “so only vocalize a need if you need it.”

Isabel glowered at the carpet. “Alright, Grandpa…”

“So. I will ask again. Are you all prepared? Midnight strikes soon.”

“We are, sir,” Isaac said. Max fought not to pull a face at Isaac’s please pay attention to me, authority figure tone, but for once it was helpful, so whatever. He could let it slide.

Mr. Guerra eyed Isaac. “...good. We’ll get you once the sun begins to rise.” And with that, he turned away and slid down through the floor. Max could already hear him barking at the pupils below.

Mr. Spender grimaced. “Well… good! Everything’s all set then.”

Isabel grumbled, picking at the carpet.

“...trust me,” Mr. Spender said, forcing audibly fake cheer into his voice, “This isn’t a hassle at all. You guys getting stuffed into a sack- now, that would be quite the kerfuffle!”

They all stared as Mr. Spender slowly deflated. “...sure,” Max said. “Uh, we’ll be good, stay up here, it’s fine.”

“Great.” Mr. Spender nodded, stared awkwardly for a moment, and stepped out the door. “Well, Merry Christmas, children!” He shut the door behind him. Max listened with the others as his footsteps hurried down the hall to the stairwell.

Silence reigned for a few minutes, a distinctly uncomfortable experience for Max. It was almost impossible not to ramble, and he was reaching his breaking point and about to open the floodgates of inane and overly verbose chatter when Ed, thankfully, took point.

“That sucked,” he said simply, and Isabel groaned and fell back.

“I hate when he does that!” Isabel laid her umbrella by her side and waved her hands in the air exasperatedly. “It’s like he has no in between and I’m always either The Best And He’s So Disappointed In Me For Not Being Perfect or A Helpless Kid He Needs To Do Everything For! He always gets like this tonight!”

Ed paused his game, and reached around to pat her on the knee. “I mean, we could prove him wrong. We beat up spirits all the time, how hard could this be?”

“Okay, hold up, hand on,” Max said. “No? I- this is a terrible idea, you just got finished telling me about how if I wasn’t here I’d be killed by Santa, and now you want to go out there and fight Santa?”

“Well, not Santa,” Ed said. “Duh. He mostly just sends his reindeer to do everything and hangs out on rooftops.”

“And no offence Max, but uh…” Isaac scratched the back of his head.

“You’d totally get killed if you were on your own.” Isabel flipped herself upright. “All you got is that dinky bat, and magnet powers. You can’t even do a spec shot, dude, you’d get thrown in a sack in no time. We’d be fine.”

Max crossed his arms. “Alright, screw you too.”

“But other than that… that sounds like it could be pretty fun.” Isabel grinned. “Show the old man and his big dumb deer who’s boss. Maybe then he’ll stop coming to Mayview every year.”

“That would be pretty nice actually.” Isaac was clearly thinking hard- he had his broody face on. “I would like to stop having to sneak out every year. Sooner or later my parents will notice.”

Max shuddered. “Actually, yeah, Isaac has a point. I don’t want to die to Rudolph or anything, but if we keep having to do this, I’ll die to my dad, which is way worse honestly.”

“Your dad’s a teddy bear,” Isabel said, and rolled her eyes. “Stop complaining.”

“You haven’t seen him when I fail a test!”

“So are we going or what?” Isabel was already pulling her jacket back on, tucking her umbrella firmly under her arm. Ed bounced on the balls of his feet with a grin, already eyeing up the window and painting himself a rope.

Max looked at Isaac, who shrugged and got to his feet. Max sighed, and stood up, regretfully leaving his scooter on the floor. “Yeah, alright. We’re going.”

Well, Max was regretting this. He was regretting this so much. He tromped through the snowy woods, eternally grateful for his boots. “Why in the world do we have to fight the spirits of Christmas in the woods? Why can’t we do it in town, or like, on the road at least? The roads we salted. The roads wouldn’t be as cold.”

“Cuz we’d get caught, dummy,” Isabel snorted. Or maybe it was a sniffle. “Either someone from the dojo would hear us and yell at us and get in the way before we can prove anything, or someone in town would yell at us and call the cops or something.”

“Maybe having people nearby to help isn’t a bad thing? You can’t just say that after saying that I’m the most likely person to die!”

“You came out here anyway,” Isaac pointed out, and looked all too unaffected by Max’s glare.

“I hate you. I hate you with everything in my being you- you chump elf.”

Isabel laughed. “Yeah, yeah. Anyway, this place looks pretty good, huh?” She stopped, looking around the snowy clearing they’d come into and turning in place. She nodded, satisfied. “There’s room to fight here, and we could come up with some pretty solid traps. Isaac wouldn’t have to worry too much about blasting a bunch of trees.”

“Looks pretty good!” Ed pulled off a mitten with his teeth and dug his paint brush out of his pocket. “What’re you thinkin, Izzy? Tripwire? Net?”

“Let’s go net,” Isaac said. “They can fly.”

“Plus, last time you tripped Isaac, remember?” Isabel elbowed Ed in the side. “Max and I are pretty fast, but Isaac needs some help.”

“Please. I can jump higher than your house is tall.”

“But you still fell just flat on your face,” she cooed. Isaac grumbled, cursing her just loud enough for Isabel to overhear, but she just batted her eyes and paid him no mind. “Okay, so,” she said, looking up at the sky through the hole in the canopy, “we probably only have a few more minutes before one of the reindeer finds us-”

And that’s when a dark shape, faster than cheetah and twice as forceful, barrelled into Max. And off he went, hanging by the hood of his jacket on a wicked sharp antler prong, into the sky and away to the sound of jingling bells.

----

Things were quiet this year, Richard reflected. It was honestly a relief- maybe the spirit had finally given up. Probably too much to hope for, but, Christmas miracles and all. In any case, there seemed to be plenty of time to get the kids some mugs of hot cocoa and cookies to wait out the night with.

“Need any help balancing those?” Day asked, and Richard felt his mood become momentarily strained.

“Actually, that would be nice, if you think you could.” The tray of mugs and cookies he was balancing was quite the challenge, after all. Day reached up and somehow grabbed the plates of cookies perfectly- Spender could swear he saw her eyes flash for a moment, smart woman- and left him to balance the four mugs. A much easier task now.

“I really thought things would be more eventful, with how much Francisco was fussing over it, but everything’s pretty quiet, isn’t it?” Day smiled and followed Richard’s footsteps to the stairs.

“Well, usually there’s more cause for it, but the spirits seem to be laying low this year. Not an unwelcome reprieve in the slightest, but I do worry about Max… if this isn’t the new status quo, I don’t want him to get the wrong idea.”

“He’s a- well, he seems like a really smart kid,” Day reassured him. “I think he’ll make sure to be careful next year too!”

“I hope so. He does seem resourceful, but… he can be reckless.”

“Oh, I’m sure,” she said, before stopping with a small frown on her face. “They’re being pretty quiet…”

Spender listened for a moment himself. “Hm, they are… mayhaps they went to bed early?”

“That doesn’t sound like them.”

“No,” he said, dread creeping into his heart. “It doesn’t.”

He set the tray of cookies on the floor. He approached Ed’s room. He knocked.

He opened the door.

Richard’s lips thinned into a grim line as he surveyed the dark room. “They’re gone.”

------

Max screamed for his life as he was lifted faster than he could process into the sky. It was a clear, starry night, and they all looked like streaks as his captor circled through the sky, closer and closer to the top of the dome before colliding headfirst into it. Max didn’t have any more air in his lungs to scream as he was jostled loose and began to fall down, down- only to be caught again, this time like a sack of potatoes on the spirit’s back. He was overwhelmed by the sound of silver bells as he caught his breath, eyes screwed tightly shut.

Eventually, his lungs rallied to his call, and he was able to take in an unpleasant few gulps of animal-scented air. Max cracked his eyes open a peek- and immediately shut them again. Too high. He was way, way too high up. His heart felt like it was about to beat out of his chest, and the wind burned his face and the tips of his ears.

Hold on.

“My hat,” he wheezed reaching one hand up to grope the top of his head. “My hat’s gone!”

“Soon that will be of no matter.”

Max screamed- even he was getting fed up with his own screams at this point, but instinct didn’t seem to be on the same page.

“Quiet,” the rumbling voice said, and the spirit turned to look at Max. “Your sounds irritate me.”

The spirit that held Max on its back was by far the biggest deer of any Max had ever seen. It was shaggy and majestic, even as its fur was electric yellow, and its huge rack of knife-like antlers shivered as if they were made of candle flame. Its many eyes blinked, and it beared serrated teeth- a stark contrast to the many silver bells that seemed a part of its pelt. Max looked away, avoiding its cruel gaze, to see three pairs of legs, hooves thundering over empty air. And below him, seven more enormous shapes were blazing their way towards the distant forest clearing, led by an eerie red light. “Oh no, oooooh no, no no no no no no…”

“But yes, child. At last you have been retrieved, and soon your friends will be as well. Then, you can all face your punishment.” The spirit laughed cruelly. “I am Dasher, and I was simply the herald.”

“So you’re just, you’re just Dasher? Like from the poem? One of those things down there is…” Jeez, this was surreal. “...Donner? And, Vixen?”

“Many tremble in fear before those names. It would do you right to show some respect.”

“What? No, nobody does! You guys are like, goofy little stop motion dolls, man, how’d you guys end up looking like this?”

“Our powers are untold by your human poems-”

“Aren’t you guys based on the poems?!”

Dasher snorted and tossed his head in anger. “That is an egregious oversimplification-”

“I thought your name was Dasher, not Dictionary.”

The spirit cried out in frustration, and Max felt something in him settle a bit better. Poking things with words, he could do that. Just don’t look down. “So, uh,” he began, shifting a bit so it was less like he was thrown over Dasher and more like he was riding him, “why am I not in a sack yet?”

“Our pilot is attending to his annual business in Mayview,” Dasher growled. “It is we who have the ability to fight and fly- so it is we who collect naughty children. Once your compatriots have been obtained, then we may return to our stations.”

“Wow,” Max drawled. “I can’t believe Santa needs his reindeer to deal with three preteens.”

“You do have a teenager within your ranks. That does provide some extra challenge.”

“Whoa, wait, really?”

“Yes. He cannot fully be counted as a child by our pilot any longer- he has aged enough to become a teenager. It is not he that we seek.”

“Wow, that’s weirdly arbitrary and nitpicky.” Max was so going to tease Isaac about this later. If he didn’t, well, get thrown into a sack and… baked into a pie? Eaten alive? Thrown into a dungeon? Whatever. Try to be positive.

“If you take issue, you may air your complaints to our pilot.”

“Taking it straight to the manager, alright.” Max stared at his hands, balled in bright yellow fur, and took a deep breath as he relaxed them. He wasn’t going to fall, he was certain Dasher wouldn’t allow him, channel a Karen- and he released the fur, balancing on the spirit’s back with only his legs. Before he could lose his nerve, he swung his backpack off his shoulder and grabbed his bat. Okay, weapon acquired. Just… what to do with it.

Dasher huffed. “Puny weapon. Even with the power of an enslaved spirit, you cannot defeat me. Especially not with a spirit as weak as that one.”

“Ugh, not you too,” Max grumbled. At least this thing wasn’t getting aggressive. “I’m kinda tired of being called the weak one, it’s getting old.”

“It would have been better, then, if you had kept your power to yourself, and not bothered the true denizens of this world, as the other child does.”

“Other child-? You know what, I don’t know what you’re talking about and I do not care. Now let me think.” Max re-gripped Dasher tightly, this time grabbing the reigns, and looked around. Man, of course Max got magnet powers in the place where there’s no tall buildings anywhere- it would be great if they could pass by a skyscraper or two for Max to attach himself to. But alas… then, his eyes caught a gleam, a dark silhouette against the colorful lights of Mayview.

A transmission tower in the woods. And they were heading right for it. Max shrugged his backpack back on to his shoulder and gripped his bat as tight as he could.

“Thinking will get you nowhere, child.”

“Yeah, but it’ll keep me quiet,” Max mumbled.

“True,” Dasher said. And started to turn back towards the clearing.

“No!” Max yelped, holding his bat out desperately- he knew the tower was too distant still, but he put all his will into the bat, trying to extend its power as far as he can-

Dasher lurched beneath him with a confused cry, the bells jangled, and Max’s focus was broken with a shout. Immediately, Dasher steadied beneath him.

“Child, if you do that again I will throw you off into the ground-”

“What- I don’t even know what I did-” Max’s breath caught as he realized what happened. The bells. They were metal, and he had what was definitely a terrible idea. But it was his only idea.

Quickly, before Dasher could retaliate, Max activated his bat. Dasher howled with rage as all the bells in his body strained in the direction of the magnetic center, and Max laughed with panic.

“RELEASE ME AT ONCE-”

“No,” Max said, filled with thrill and panic, and directed Dasher back towards the clearing. The spirit barrelled towards it at supernatural speeds, a furious scream echoing through the night as he crashed into the snow like a comet. Max tumbled off of the spirit’s back, and the bat’s angle changed wildly, forcing Dasher in mad circles.

The other seven deer spirits, crowded in the woods, were as thrown into chaos as Isabel, Ed, and Isaac were, but Ed recovered fastest. “Max!” He crowed, head popping out of the snow. “You’re alive!”

“Somehow!” Max laughed, voice squeaky with panic. “For now!” In the corner of his eye, he noticed another spirit- a large one that was on fucking fire, so must be either Comet or Blitzen- and quickly swung his bat around to point at it. Dasher was forced to charge full speed into the other spirit, which dissolved into a wisp with a cry of shock.

Isabel whooped. “I can’t believe it! Magnet powers are good for something!”

“Serves you right!” He felt about to shake apart, and still dizzy from the crash, but spinning Dasher around like a top was easy enough- and the other jingling spirits were drawn in too. It was a glorious explosion of color, sound, and christmas spirits as one by one they melted each other away into whisps. Finally, only Dasher stood in the snow, puffing furious, cloudy breaths into the air.

“You will pay,” Dasher hissed. “Naughty children. You will not escape your punishment, this I swear to you.”

“Whatever you say, bub,” Ed chirped, and raised his scythe above his head.

“Wait!”

Max and the others turned back to look just in time to watch an arrow streak through the night and imbed itself in Dasher’s forehead. “No, no,” he groaned, watching Isabel’s face light up with glee.

Agent Day and Mr. Spender ran into the clearing, both panting and exhausted. “Thank goodness we found you,” Agent Day breathed, hands on her knees. “We were so worried that you were taken…”

“But I saw Dasher fall from the sky!” Spender’s chest heaved, and he swayed with effort, but he somehow managed to stay upright. “I’m so glad you’re all alright, even Dasher alone is quite the challenge to combat…”

“Nah, we got all of them.” Isabel grinned and punched her palm. “Max was able to yank ‘em around by the bells with his bat, and he got em all to poof each other. It was really easy to hit ‘em when they were all clumped up, too.”

“You- you really beat them all? Where are their tools?!”

“Right here, Mr. Spender!” Isaac called, arms full of a few rocks and sticks. “They’re, uh, not much to look at, but…”

“Amazing! Wonderful job, all of you- these will be great for the club’s stores!”

“But you shouldn’t have snuck out. We were so worried about you, and you’re glad we found you! Your grandfather is worried sick!” Agent Day wrung her hands together, cane stuck in the snow.

“Yes, he’s… not happy,” Spender admitted. “But, surely he’ll be proud when he finds out what you’ve accomplished?”

“Probably not,” Isabel sighed, sticking her hands in her pockets.

“...probably not.” Spender came over to put a hand on her shoulder. “But, for what it’s worth, I am.” Isabel looked up at him, then threw her arms around him. Spender smiled softly and hugged her in return.

“This is great,” Max groaned. “But I’m being crushed by a flippin’ reindeer, so can I get some help?”

Oblivious to Max’s irritation, Dasher continued licking Max’s hair life the reindeer he resembled. “You’re not so bad, I suppose. Resourceful child.”

“It always happens to me.”

“The arrow will at least last the night,” Agent Day said thoughtfully. “It should be safe for you to go home, in that case- you too, I think, Isaac! Since all the others are gone, after all… Maybe Dasher can take you home!”

“Nooooo!”

“I think that’s a wonderful idea, Ms. Day,” Spender said. “You could perhaps take Isaac and Ed back to the dojo, and I can take Isaac back to his home…?”

“Yes sir!” Day smiled. “Merry Christmas, Max, Isaac,” she said. “I hope you get back undetected.”

“Thank you, Ms. Day,” Isaac said. “You too.”

“You guys suck,” Max grumbled.

----

It took a bit for Max to wrangle Dasher into taking him home, but under Day’s spell, the spirit was a fairly easygoing ride. As Max climbed back in through his window to his undisturbed bed, he heard the spirit settle on the roof to keep watch for the sunrise. And, taking comfort in not being discovered and in the knowledge that next year, when he’s a teen, he won’t have to worry about any of this, Max changed back into his pajamas, settled into bed, and slipped into a deep sleep.

#jakalwrites #paranatural #pnatsecretsanta #pnat #paranatural secret santa 2020

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lookwhatilost · 4 years ago

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Thinking about importance and sad rarity of family/children's art/entertainment that doesn't have contempt for its audience, that has craft, substance, and emotional heft. It's good for kids not to get it at every level, the fact there's more there is what provokes them to grow. The Last Unicorn and the 80s Don Bluth stuff were really the high watermark for this in english language animation. Better than 90s Disney or '95-'08 Pixar, despite their much more lauded critical reputation.

I watched 'Raya and The Last Dragon' today out of curiosity after the Lindsay Ellis Twitter thing and it's, y'know, fine. But it undercut a lot of whatever emotional weight it could have by being too aggressively paced and quickly moving to something goofy. Can't risk letting anyone get *too* sad or scared.

I rewatched Land Before Time a while ago. That is a really sad and melancholy movie in a lot of parts. It was weird thinking I'd just watch this on random mornings as a little kid like it was nbd, when Littlefoot's mom's death was a suprising gut punch as an adult. You wouldn't see any movie of it's type like that today. They might orphan the main character, but they wouldn't dwell on it as long, the overall vibe wouldn't be nearly as bleak. We'd cut right quick to a big bug doing a Fortnite dance or something.

I mean it's still a children's movie, there's parts that are too cutesy and even gratingly so as it is, but it's still like "Losing your mom would be pretty fucked up and we can take a few minutes to really feel it and let it sink in, and revisit that." It got me thinking. That fucked me up more as an adult than as a kid, cuz I was thinking both of my parent's mortality, my grandfather's recent death, but also of something like that happening to other people I care about. Death is way more real as an adult, than as a kid (usually). And it made me wonder if the deep wariness of these movies to really let the audience process these kind of emotional beats, really feel them (not just grasp them intellectually as a plot/theme point), is for the adult audience, and not the children.

If for all the pop-psych sloganeering about how it's OK TO FEEL or whatever, if we're actually really terrified of watching anything, even a children's film, that forces us to actually sit with sadness, or grief, or fear, without a puppy making a pop culture reference cutting in. Kids aren't stupid. They're inexperienced, naive, ignorant, undeveloped, unrefined whatever - but not stupid. Life is complex, and sad, and scary, and art has a modest but not insignificant role to play in challenging them to meet that and deal with it.

And you know what? Kids like it. Challenge them instead of indulge them and they'll more often than not rise to the occasion. They like to be thrilled, scared, provoked, challenged - they're not as afraid of their fucking feelings as us neurotic adults. And it's sad that art and entertainment that really does these, or even tries, is so fucking rare. Not only because of capitalist production, but even in written fiction, where you can publish online with near limitless creative freedom, you have so much pandering hack dogshit.

I think the very baseline ideology, the popular conception among many writers and artists of what children's (or family) art and entertainment should be and how it should function, is just kinda fucked up. The people making it have contempt for young people. They're didactic and condescending and project onto children their own neurotic fragility, where they're not just ripping off Harry Potter to make a fast buck cuz they gave up on or never had any real creative ambition.

Fuckin tragedy man. Kids are people. They deserve and need cool, interesting, mind and soul nourishing stories and experiences as much as anybody else. Just because Paw Patrol is adequate to distract them doesn't mean that's where our aspirations should begin and end.

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sugarbutterbroadway · 4 years ago

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Crowning The King

The sun was high in the sky and beaming. It would’ve been a perfect day to not be walking the Brooklyn bridge. But here Race was, little on his back and damp hair stuck to his forehead. He’d strip and dive off if it wasn’t broad daylight, wouldn’t be the first time either. On the bright side they were making good time, Shadow getting tired was a blessing in disguise. He was growing on him, but little legs could only move so fast. He spared a glance at Spot and stifled a laugh. Ah yes, little legs could only move so fast.

“What’s with the smirkin, Higgins?”Spot huffed. He wasn’t too keen on the heat either.

“Jus thinkin about stuff”He said innocently. Spot narrowed his eyes. It was never a good idea when Race started thinking.

“What stuff?”

“How short you’s is”he said. He felt a sharp pain at the back of his ankle and gasped.

“Don’t kick me! I‘m your beau!”

“You’s a pain in my ass, that’s what you is”Spot grumbled. Race’s smirk broadened.

“I could be a pain in your as-”

“Racetrack.”Spot warned with a pointed look. Race sucked his teeth and whined.

“You never let me have any fun!”

“Oh me and you had plenty fun not even an hour ago”Spot said, “And plenty fun this morning. Keep it in ya pants until we get there, I ain’t bailin you out for public indecency”

“Oh I just love when you say big words at me”He swooned, batting his lashes. “Really makes me melt”

“...’m sendin you to an asylum”

“Why? Cause I'm so crazy for you?”

“No, Cause you’s a complete nutcase”

-----

“Alright,”Race said, once the lodging house was in sight. “Do you um...do you wanna stay outside? I mean I don’ know how Jack is gonna react and-”

“And leave you to deal with him by yourself?”Spot said, raising a brow. “Yeah, no. Let’s go”

The fact that Spot was willing to put himself in the line of fire—with firsthand knowledge of how unpredictable Jack could be—made him want to sing. He smiled and slung his arm around Spot’s shoulder, careful not to jostle the child on his back.

“Ya know how gone I am for you?”He said with a dreamy look in his eyes. Spot quickly looked around them, and sighed when he was sure no one was looking. He grabbed the hand that was around his shoulder and gave it a quick squeeze before pressing the blonde’s knuckles to his lips.

“Yes I do, now get yer arm off a me! It’s too hot for this,”Spot said and squirmed away from his grasp. Race made a noise of protest but Spot shook his head, later he mouthed.

Race huffed and started walking in full strides. He wanted to get this shit over with as soon as possible. He heard Spot yell but kept walking, after all it wasn’t his fault that Spot was short.

By the time Race made it to the doors, Spot was still down the street taking what seemed to be his sweet time. He gently maneuvered the sleeping child into his arms and leaned back against the building.

“They should call you sleeper”He said with a laugh, “Boy you could sleep through a war and wake up askin what happened” He looked up just in time to see Spot stalking towards him looking angry and very very sweaty.

“You’s an ass, Higgins”Spot huffed, his chest rose and fell at an unsteady rate. “A right ass”

“I-”

“I wear a shirt with sleeves, to try and make a good impression”Spot continued. “And you go and leave me? Your cathedral sized body was blockin the sun!”

“Oh so I'm a cathedral now?”he drawled, “You wanna explain how that makes any sense?”

“Really pretty, decently tall and provides me with shade!”Spot stressed.

“Oh you think ‘m pretty?”he said with a wink. Spot nodded quickly, wiping his forehead.

“And smart an’ tough as nails, but can we go inside!”

“Yeah Spotty just...just hold on”He said. He lifted his back off the cool bricks and faced the doors. He didn’t know what was waiting for him on the inside. Best case scenario Jack would be angry, maybe soak him, but get over it. Worst case scenario, he’d walk in and get thrown right back out. Sure he did have Brooklyn to fall back on but these boys were his family, he didn’t want to lose them.

“You’s nervous”Spot said. Race nodded. Sure he had a temper,and he’d soak anyone who crossed him. But he didn’t like conflict with his boys. It made his stomach tie itself in knots, made him feel like he was going to be sick. His paling face must have been a dead give away because Spot had quickly plucked Shadow off his back and pushed him in the direction of a bush. He fell to his knees and retched. His body shook and his head felt like it was spinning, but thankfully nothing came up. Spot had pulled his cap off his head and fanned him with it while he tried to regain his composure.

“I ain’t seen you nervous like this in a long time, Racer”Spot said carefully. “Are you sure you wanna do this?”

“I gotta”He groaned, “ ‘m tired of bein a coward”

Spot squatted down next to him, voice dropping to a whisper. “It’s makin you sick, Angel. I don’ want you to get in there and vomit all over Davey”

“How do you even know Davey’s there?”He asked quietly. “An’ why not Jack?”

“Firstly”Spot said, “I can see him through the window. Secondly, if you vomit on Jack it’ll be the best day of my life”

“Shut up”He said, pushing himself up on shaky legs. “ ‘m good, let’s go”

“Racer-”

“ ‘m good, Spot”He said, wiping the corner of his mouth. “Honest. Let’s go”

-----

He was holding Spot’s hand when they walked in. He knew that he shouldn’t be, that it would cause Jack to freak out even more, but he needed to. He needed to touch him. When he saw Jack—or more like Jack saw them—Spot gave his hand a squeeze, he didn’t complain when Race’s nails dug into the pad of his hand, he didn’t comment on the way he was trembling down to his fingertips. Race squeezed back and slowly willed his eyes to meet the ones he had been avoiding. Blue met green and Spot squeezed even tighter, he knew. He knew that Race wanted to run and it was his silent way of saying no, it wasn’t worth it. They took another step forward and all Jack did was stare. His eyes scanned over Race,then Spot, then their connected hands.

Race made the decision to let go. His arm went limp and dangled at his side, he turned to Spot and nodded. Spot took a few steps back while Race continued walking forward. He walked until him and Jack were only a few feet apart.

“Hey Jack”He said with a weak chuckle, “ya miss me?”

In an instant he was roughly pulled into a pair of arms. His chest hit Jacks and he groaned but didn’t pull away. It seems like he wasn’t the only one who was trembling. Just as quickly he was pulled away, and boy did Jack look angry.

“Don’t you ever!”Jack snapped, “Ever, pull that shit again. You hear me? Boy I outta soak you good-”

“Jack”Davey said softly, placing a hand on his shoulder. Jack closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

“We had boys lookin all over the city for you”Jack said, “All day, and all night. Racetrack I did not sleep last night because I didn’ know where the hell you were. So next time you plan on runnin, at least yell where you’s stayin”

Davey pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. “What he means is we were all worried about you and we’re glad your back”

“ ‘m sorry Jack”he said, “I didn...I was scared--I still am scared, I ain’ no good at leadin”

“That’s where yer wrong!”Jack exclaimed, “Racer, I wouldn’ve made you my second if I thought you was a shitty leader. These boys look up to you, they see’s how smart you are—you’s the only one here who can do that fancy ‘rithmetic ‘sides Davey! You’s quick on yer feet and even quicker with that brain you got. If you think it’s too much, then so be it. But these was my boys since the day I got here and I wouldn’t leave them with you if i thought it’d be puttin’ them in danger”

“Honest?”he asked, his fingers gripping the sleeves of Jack's shirt.

“Racer you got my word”Jack promised, “I don’ make promises lightly either, now c’mere”

Jack pulled him in for another hug and he finally exhaled. Things were going to be alright, he was worried for nothing.

Or maybe he spoke too soon.

“Group hug!”Davey exclaimed. His eyes widened.

“No-”

“Too late!” An extra force was added to Jack’s already tight embrace and Race felt like he couldn’t breathe in the best way possible. He felt a small pair of arms wrapped around his leg and looked down to see Shadow hugging him too. Spot wasn’t too far behind him.

“I tried to stop him,”Spot said, but he was smiling. The three pulled away and Jack knelt down in front of the small boy.

“And who might you be mister?”Jack said with a goofy grin. Shadow spared him a quick glance but opted to hide behind Race’s legs instead. Race couldn’t help but smile as the little boy gripped the bottom of his trousers. Spot patted Race on the back and mouthed I got him before gently guiding Shadow back to his side.

Jack couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

“Look at that!”jack exclaimed, “We leave him in Brooklyn for a day, he comes back with a kid!”

“What can I say?”he smirked, “ ’m loved by all”

“Except the nuns”Jack said.

“And the cops”Davey pointed out.

��And that one shop owner down the street-”

“Alright!”he snapped, “I get it!” Jack laughed and clapped him on the shoulder.

“It’s good to have you back, Racer”Jack said, “Now you,”he said turning to Spot, “What’re you doin here? I thought you’s never left Brooklyn”

“Ah no”Race mumbled, he shot a glance at Davey who must’ve been thinking the same thing because he rolled his eyes.

“ ‘m just here to make sure Racer got back safely,”Spot said calmly.

“Racer?”Jack said, raising a brow, “Oh, so he calls you Racer?”

“Jack-”

“Nah”Jack said, he squared his shoulders. “Also the hand holdin, what’s that about?”

“What’d you think it’s about, Kelly?”Spot said.

“Don’ go gettin smart with me”Jack warned, “What did you two do in Brooklyn last night”

“Nothin we ain’t already done before”

Jack’s nose twitched and his hands were already bunched at his sides. “Spot Conlon you’a dead man-”

“Jack!”

“Spot!”

Race and Davey looked at each other before turning back to their respective partners.

“Don’ Jack me!”Jack exclaimed with wide eyes, “I jus’ think Spot’s gotten a little too comfortable with our Racer-”

“Please don’t start,”Race groaned.

“-and I think he should know that it is completely inappropriate for them to be doin this kinda stuff-”

“That’s it, ‘m not listenin.” Race said, “I am not listin, one of you’s watch the kid, ‘m gonna be outside if anyone needs me” without another word he walked out the door. Jack was still going and Davey rolled his eyes. That boy could rant himself to death.

“Spot”He said, “let’s talk” When Spot nodded Davey walked over and took a seat.“Now”He said, “I may not be as forward as Jack but that doesn’t mean I care any less for Race, is that clear?”

“Crystal”Spot said.

“Now I'm an older brother”He said, “I’ve got two siblings that I love dearly and I'd do anything for them. I feel the same way about our boys, ya followin?”

“I am”Spot nodded. Davey leaned in across the table and his voice dropped to a whisper.

“Which means i’m not above getting my hands dirty if you hurt him in any way. I don’t like getting violent, it’s not my thing”He said.”But I’m as sharp with my wit as I am with a pistol, I’m as dangerous as Jack but unlike him I think my plans through, thoroughly. We on the same page?”

“Absolutely”Spot gulped, pulling at the collar of his shirt. “You’s scary when you need to be”

“It’s one of my hidden talents,”He said, pushing his chair out. “Good talk, Spot”

“Um, yeah”Spot said. “Good talk”

-----

“Can I sit out here with you?”Jack asked.

“You gonna stop lecturin’ me about my virtue?”He asked.

“Never”Jack scoffed as he lowered himself to the ground. “So uh...you and Spot huh?”

“Yeah,”He said.

“How long?”Jack asked. Race smiled as he fiddled with his hands.

“Officially since last night, but it’s been me and him for years”he said. He could hardly remember a time before the soft smiles and gentle touches that were Spot Conlon.

“You’s grinnin’ like a fool”Jack said.

“Well he makes me happy”He said, “You don’ gotta like him, but I do. You don’t know him like I do Jack, you don’t know how sweet he is to me”

“I guess I don’t”Jack said softly, “I just wanted to uh...apologize for how I acted in there, I lost my head”

Well that’s not what he was expecting. “Don’ worry ‘bout it Jack, you was just tryin to look out for me”

Jack stared at him long and hard. “When did you get so grown up?”

“I don’t know”He said softly, “I guess it jus happened”

“I still remember you and Crutchie squeezin into my bed at night cause you had nightmares”Jack said, “Now you’s got a beau and you’s ‘bout to be leadin...where does the time go?”

“Down the drain if you think too long”he said, “Time don’ wait for no one Jack, life moves fast so I just gotta be faster so I don’ miss it, ya know?”

“Yeah”Jack said, “Yeah I know exactly what you mean, yer gonna do good for our boys”

“I don’ wanna be good”He said, “I wanna be great...wanna give them the things I ain’t never had, wanna give them a chance”

“You got a chance,”Jack said.

“ ‘m sixteen with no proper education”He chuckled, “My life’s already been planned since the moment my Ma passed...i’m doomed to a factory”

“Racer don-”

“But it don’ gotta be the same for these boys,”He rushed, “I wanna do what Brooklyn’s doin. I wanna send ‘em to school, I want us to care about each other...I want us to love each other. I mean most of us ain’t got families anyways, why not make this a family?”

“You got that fire in yer eyes”Jack said, “keep goin”

“We need to have each other's backs”he said, rising to his feet. “Not just for necessary shit like food and clothes, ain’t no bond. I wan’ these boys to come to me with their problems, I wanna know how they’s feelin, if they got a dame or a beau, I wan ‘em to know they ain’t gotta drop like flies when they sick because we’ll take care of ‘em”

“That’s what i’m talkin about”Jack said, “what else”

“I wan’t them to be able to ask for help”He said, “to feel comfortable enough to put their pride aside ‘cause I don’ wanna lose no one else, after Eagle we...we can’t lose no more boys because they felt like they had no one” tears pooled in his eyes but he blinked them away, “We’s always singin songs ‘bout brotherhood, but we gotta act like we brothers too”

“You see Race”Jack said, “you think you ain’t ready but you came up with all that by yourself”

“Ain’t all my ideas”he said with a shrug, “It’s just how they do it in Brooklyn”

“You love Brooklyn,”Jack said, shaking his head.

“Nah, I hate it over there”He smirked. “But I love their leader”

Jack’s eyes nearly popped out of his skull. “You…that word holds weight Race, you gotta be careful ‘bout it”

“Like I said Jack”he said, “Life moves too damn fast, one blink and yer ancient. All I know is I don’ wanna see a day that Spot ain’t in”

“You got it bad”Jack said standing up.

“Got it bad?”He said, “I’m fuckin gone for him”

-----

The room felt a little tense when they walked back inside but Race ignored that and beckoned Spot over.

“Davey you too”He said, taking a seat at a table. “Need to have a witness with sense”

“Hey!”Jack exclaimed. Davey practically beamed and took a seat, so did Spot but a little closer to Race.

“I want peace between these two boroughs”He said, when nobody objected he continued. “Things have been calmer since the strike, i’ll give you that. But we’s the only two boroughs that got it out for each other, with absolutely no reason? Now does that make any sense?”

The boys shook their heads.

“Exactly. We ain’t all that different from each other, the only thing separating us is that bridge. I know it’s gonna take time but I want peace, complete peace”

“That doesn’t seem like a half bad idea”Davey said.

“I know,”He said. He shifted to face Spot. “I don want my boys bein scared of you or Brooklyn no more, especially when there’s good sellin spots. It ain’t right”

Spot's face shifted and Race could tell he was putting on the King of Brooklyn. “Well if your boys can be sellin in Brooklyn, that means mines can sell here. Right?”

“Absolutely”he said, “I don’ got a problem with it-”

“I do!”Jack said. Race raised a brow.

“You’s not leadin this borough no more, I‘m doin this to better our boys.”He said. “Now if you ain’t gonna say anything worth sayin, keep yer mouth shut”

Spot stared at him in awe, this was his boy. “And the King of Manhattan is back”

Jack glared at him and crossed his arms. “Fine”

“I got one more thing to say”Spot said, “Your boys tend to get rowdy, fists flyin before they even think. What you gonna do about that?”

“Says the one who’s boys soak anyone who even steps foot in Brooklyn”He countered, “This gotta go both ways, Conlon. If one of my boys soaks yours, they answer to both of us”he paused and leaned closer. “But if one of your boys soaks mine, then i’m raisin hell. You’ll hear me screamin from across the bridge before I even get there.”

“I expect nothin less”Spot said, his face was hard, but his eyes were sparklin. “So tell me, Higgins. How do you plan on punishin them?”

“I’m glad you asked, the way that…”

-----

“Racer!”a voice shouted.

“Huh?-oof!” Albert. His brain supplied just as his back hit the ground. The voices around him seemed to multiple, the boys were back. He groaned and tried to sit up, but was knocked back down by the force of the entire borough, plus Les.

“Jesus, give a guy some space!”He shouted.

“Not gonna happen buddy!”

“Where the hell’ve you been?”

“Jack was worried sick!”

“We looked everywhere for you!”

The familiar guilt from earlier tried to rear his ugly head, but this time he buried it. He was tired of feeling guilty. He managed to fight his way through the sea of limbs and sat up.

“It don’ matter where I was”He said, “It just matters that i’m back now”

The boys all seemed to pause collectively before barreling down on him with an onslaught of questions. He groaned as he was tugged every which way, but he was happy. Brooklyn was calm, but this is the hell he was bred for.

“Boys boys!”Jack shouted, clapping his hands. Everyone—even Spot—turned to face him. He perched on top of the table and made sure all eyes were on his. What was he doing?

“Boys”he addressed, “As you know, I recently had a birthday”

Race’s eyes widened, oh no.

“An eighteenth birthday, meaning in the eyes of sellin, i’m as good as dead”he continued, it earned a few laughs. “I don’ got no fancy speech prepared but, i’m stepping down-”

The uproar started up again and he flailed his arms wildly.

“Hey hey!”he shouted, “Ain’t no need to freak out! I ain’t gonna leave you all alone”

His eyes scanned the sea of boys and they landed on Race. “I’m sure you all know Race is my second”

The boys nodded and murmured in affirmation.

“Well then say hello to your new leader, boys.”He smirked, “You all know me, I wouldn’t let this knucklehead lead if I didn’ trust him. We was talkin earlier ‘bout the plans he’s got for here and well, the future looks bright. I know we ain’t got no booze, but cheers to Racetrack!”

“Cheers to Racetrack!”the boys repeated. An arm gripped him tightly around the waist and he was hoisted onto somebody’s shoulders. He looked down and saw Spot looking up at him with a grin.

“Who’s your second!”Someone shouted from the crowd. A chorus of voices repeated.

“Yeah, who!”

“I think we all know the answer to that”Race smiled, “Alby, my partner in crime. Will you be my second?”

“Only if you don’ plan on leavin no time soon”He smirked. He lurched forward as someone slapped the back of his head.

“Just say yes, idiot!”

“Of course, Racer”He said rolling his eyes, “Like i’d pass up the opportunity to do business in Brooklyn, heard the dames there are beautiful”`

“We’s not gonna be there checkin out dames”Race said, “If we’s goin on business, it means business.”

“You’s no fun anymore”He said with a pout. Race gave him a face.

“There’s a change comin to this borough, once and for all”

“I’ll drink to that”Davey grinned.

“But there ain’t no booze”Albert said with furrowed brows.

“For the love of god Racer, please don’t make this idiot your second!”Finch said.

“Who’re you callin in idiot!”

Race felt himself getting carried off to a quieter side of the room and thanked not only Spot but god. It was barely his first day as leader and his boys were already tearing each other’s heads off. Spot squatted and he took that as the initiative to climb down. The two sat on the floor in the corner side by side. And Spot, boy was he still beaming.

“ ‘m proud of you, Angel”Spot said, “It’s been so crazy today that I didn’ get to say it but i’m proud. You’s gonna do good for these boys, I know you are”

“Stop butterin me up, ‘m already sleepin with you”he said, he could’ve sworn Spot was blushing before a cap hit him square in the face.

“Ow!”

“This is why I can’ be nice to you”Spot sighed, “If you ever ask why I ain’t romantic in the future, remember this”

“Please”He said “Like you can resist me.” Spot chuckled and wrapped and arm around his shoulder.

“I think that’s the smartest thing you said all day”

-----

The festivities died down when they remembered they all still had work in the morning. The boys trickled up the stairs slowly until the younger ones were eventually ushered up by Crutchie. That left only Jack,Davey,Spot and Race sitting in the middle of the room trying to take in all that happened.

“Racer”Jack said, breaking the silence. “Come with me, I got somethin for you”

“What is it-”

“Don’t ask questions,”Jack said. Race sighed, hadn’t his day been eventful enough? He slid off the table he was perched on and followed Jack down the hall. They stopped in front of Kloppmanns desk, Jack snagged a key sitting on the hook.

“What’re you-”

“I think it's about time the King gets his crown”Jack said, his smile wavering a bit. “I ain’t got much to give you so here, from one leader to the next” he placed the key into Race's palm.

“Is this for…?” He didn’t want to get his hopes up.

“You know the rules, Race”Jack said, “Leader gets his own room”

“Are you sure about this?”He said slowly, though all he wanted to do was run upstairs and lock himself in there forever. A taste of privacy seemed intoxicating.

“As sure as I've ever been,”Jack said. “I already got an apartment waitin for me. Drawin them cartoons for Pulizter and sellin really helps rack up the money”

Race’s jaw dropped. “You’s got an Apartment!”

“That’s not the point, it’s yours now Race, you earned it.”Jack said, “But, I will be stopping by very frequently, and if I see you and Mr.Conlon-”

“Alright!”He exclaimed, “I get it”

“One last thing, from leader to leader”Jack said. Race didn’t trust the look in his eyes.

“Yes”

“The headboard thumps against the wall when you rock the bed too much so I’d-”

“Jack!”he said fighting the blush creeping up his neck. Jack laughed and wiped his eyes.

“Okay okay, i’m done now,”Jack said. Race gave him a look. “Honest, just make sure you’re safe and olive oil helps-”

“That’s it”He said, “I’m leaving” he could still hear Jack laughing as he walked down the hall.

-----

“Do you really have to go?”Race asked.

“I do”Spot said, “Someone’s gotta bring this little guy back” Shadow was once again fast asleep in his arms. Race nodded, this borough wasn’t exactly child friendly yet. He took a step forward and placed a kiss to his cheek, and then one to Shadow’s forehead. This kid was really starting to grow on him.

“Make sure you get back safely”Race said.

“I will”Spot said, “I may be soft to you but to everyone else i’m still Spot Conlon”

“King of Brooklyn”He finished. Spot grinned and brought a hand up to stroke his cheek.

“And don’t you forget it, Angel. I’ll still see you tomorrow, right?” “Of course you will”He said, “I may be the leader but ‘m still a newsie”

“And you’re still my boy”Spot said. He felt himself blush again.

“I thought you was done bein romantic?”

“I thought we agreed that wasn’t possible?”Spot countered.

He narrowed his eyes, “Fair.”

“I really have to get goin”Spot said, “New York don’ get no less dangerous just cause we’s high on life”

“Then go”he said.

“I want you in bed before I do”Spot said.

“Fine”he said, “After I watch you leave, I will”

“You’re impossible”Spot sighed,

“You love it”

“I do”Spot said with a grin. He gently grabbed at Race’s collar pulling him down to plant a kiss on his cheek.

“I’ll see you”

“Y-yeah” Why was he stuttering? Spot smirked and walked out the door. Race held a hand to his cheek and grinned. If you would have told him two days ago that he would have a beau,a borough and his own room he would’ve thought you were crazy.

“Well”He said to himself, “Guess this is what it’s like bein King of Manhattan”

#newsies #broadway #racetrack higgins #jack kelly #newsies broadway #spot conlon #davey newsies #crutchie newsies #jack kelly x david jacobs #spot conlon x racetrack higgins #spot newsies #race newsies #oc Shadow #all the newsies #King of manhattan #javid #sprace #this took me two days #please be kind

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chronicalanxiety · 4 years ago

Photo

[here are their cutie marks and a sketch of their human forms that nobody asked for]

Now here’s a huge ass description for the kids™ if anyone is interested

Zap Apple

Rainbow and Applejack's first-born child and Lil' Cheese's best mate. Zap is a daydreamer and has a gentle soul, he's that one ripped nerd that likes writing and drawing things just for the sake of it. Exploring and discovering new things and places is what really makes his eyes glow (history and geography hoe), so he can be usually seen carrying his saddlebag around all the time (you never know when you're gonna need sketching and exploring supplies). Zap also loves puzzles and is a huge fanboy of Daring Do Books like Dash (and adventure books in general. AJ swears it's because Rainbow used to read so many Daring Doo adventures to her belly when she was pregnant). While he can be smart, he tends to over-thinks things, Zap has a wide imagination and is easily one of the most compassionate ponies around, though he used to be easily coaxed into fights or manipulated by his feelings. Like a good apple family member, the boy loves farm life and has a strong fraternal instinct, but his nature just doesn't allow him to settle there, though he still finds some peace whenever he's back in the environment he grew up in.

Random facts:

- Zap loved wearing his Ma's hat so much that she gave one for him as a gift in a Hearts Warming;

- He lost part of his his right ear to a bad fall when he and some friends went exploring one of his first off-limits area;

- Loves collecting comic books and stamps;

- AJ entered labor right during a Zap Apple harvest (Yep, that's exactly how he got his name);

- Inherited AJ's stare and lie detector;

- Upon noticing Zap's resemblance to his great grandmother, Rainbow nicknamed him Baby Smith.

Applejoy

Rainbow and Applejack's middle child. Applejoy doesn't take her name for granted, she's a total sunshine and bringing people happiness is what really makes her happy. She tends to be famous for getting a bunch of bruises all the time and being a little too reckless, so much so she lost two of her teeth out of pure clumsiness when she was little and had to wait until they began to grow to get them back (still has the best smile), and she also used to break her flying goggles at least once a week. The girl is also very outspoken and sincere, though it can end up being a problem sometimes. Applejoy is the family's Poly Athlete and has strong and fast wings (as well as legs, the girl is speed itself), she doesn't do very well in school but makes for it in sports and is very disciplined when it comes to it (Rainbow is her personal coach for every occasion). She hates losing, but tries her best to be a good sport and not to show she's upset most of the time. It was also awfully difficult for Applejack to handle her being all over the place when she learned how to use her wings (no need to say she was very grateful when her next child was born an earth pony).

Random facts: - Inherited Rainbow's habit of napping on trees (Applejack didn't like the idea, she was always concerned her children were gonna fall and hurt themselves for being too cloud-headed);

- Loves to indulge in her mother's sugary treats;- Rainbow started calling her junior (or AJJ) because her name abbreviation is the same as her ma's. No need to say the nickname was a success;

- Sleepwalker;

- The bandana she uses around her neck is a part of the fabric of an old sheet she used to nap with;

- Likes a bunch of crafts, specially wood-carving, but isn't really gifted at most of them (doesn't matter because she always tries her best every time).

Cider Splash

Rainbow and Applejack's youngest child and Tank's best buddy. Cider Splash a performer at heart, he's a innate dancer and plays multiple instruments very decently, he's the loudest of the bunch in every way and talks everyone's ears off (some conversations can also turn into musical numbers for no apparent reason). He's the most headstrong and stubborn out of the three, so he'll almost always get really deep into a project (or anything, really) when he sets his mind in it. He has blessed hoofs like AJ and is by far the one who ends up helping with the applebucking stuff the most, though he has a natural charm with the farm animals and prefers playing with them (his love for animal plushies wasn't taken for granted). He also indulges in cooking (mostly by Big Sugar's influence). Cider was always jealous of his sibling's ability to fly, so RD tries to compensate by taking him for a ride every once in a while and making sure he's the first one to get Wonderbolts tickets whenever they perform.

Random facts: - His love for music started when Applejack bought him a toy guitar to get him out of his tantrums when he was little. Later, his grandpa Bow Hothoof gave him a mini drum set as a birthday gift. AJ and RD weren't very happy when he started playing it all the time and making a bunch of noise, but they eventually saw potential in it and started investing in his inate talent;

- No need to say cider is his favorite drink ever;

- His bandana was a handmade gift from his Aunt Applebloom.

Florence

Fluttershy's big baby and Agate's older step-sister. Florence is a very resourceful and hard-working young mare, though she tends to spends way too much energy worrying about results and is almost constantly on the verge of outright panic (she's usually seen gritting her teeth or generally flipping out, no need to say she does not fare well under stress, specially when she is given a task to complete). Florence is known to be very sensible and intelligent, and even though she sometimes puts her own paranoia before common sense, she usually manages to find logical solutions to problems. She learned how to deal with stress by canalizing it into something productive, thanks to Rarimom (which ended up being another source of anxiety, ironically). She also has very strong beliefs, and when forced to question them, she becomes very upset. Despite that, Florence is extremely loyal and kind and will go out of her way to help other ponies.

Random facts: - Her scarf was given by Rarity, it made her feel safe when she was little, and she still uses it until this day (Her moms had to bribe with her in order to get her to let them clean and wash it after months of using it non-stop);

- Probably has OCD;

- She has also been known to retreat into her imagination when under extreme stress, often picturing peaceful, grassy fields or tranquil landscapes to calm herself down.

- Florence loves her coffee, tea and Fluttermum's pets more than her life (She loved growing up around pets, they still give her a sense of calm and relaxation. Her mom used to use them to calm her down when she was crying or couldn't sleep, she would almost always fall asleep after caressing some pet's ear for a while)

Agate

Rarity’s most precious gem and Florence’s little step-sister. Agate has been a very independent gal since she was little, she has been described as curious, monotone and sarcastic, and also appears to be more logical and mature than some of her peers, typically being the one to call them out on their ignorance, she’s inclined to remain passive and stoical to most things that happen around her. She has a fuckton control over her emotions and wears a neutral expression about 80% of the time, but is actually a pretty chill gal and has a very good (and weird) sense of humor. Agate has a great eye for photography (specially Avant-garde stuff) and turns out working as a professional photographer in the future.

Random facts: - Lowkey a huge mystery fan and computer nerd;

- Has a huge soft spot for Fluttermom's pets since she first came in contact with one, she can’t help but to smile the whole time she’s around them;

- Discord's favorite gal right next to Fluttershy.

Lil' Cheese

So let's get this out of the way, the script says Lil' Cheese is a colt, but many people see them as a filly, so they ended up being non-binary in my headcanon because I couldn't decide their gender (but go with whatever suits you better).

"Don't worry, Zap and Cheese got another infallible plan". Cheesecake, AKA "Lil' Cheese", is first and foremost known for the ability to talk their ass off anytime of the day for whatever reason (they used to spend most of their time besides their mom, so no need to mention that they practically picked up all her goofiness and energy by osmosis), they're also an excellent actor and are known as "The God of Puns". They’re generally a popular and gifted student, however, they're foul-mouthed and kind of competitive (but despite that, they are generally well liked and always looking after their friends). Lil' Cheese uses their innate talent for comedy and natural charm and charisma to help attract attention to their mum's bakery. Cheese had pretty deep random conversations with Pinkie since very little, so they turned out to be a pretty good conversationalist and improviser.

Big Sugar/Little Mac

I don't really have a very elaborate description for him (sorry peeps), but I imagine Sugar as a very sweet (pun intended) Big Baker Boy that loves cooking (and eating, most of all). He has that big bro energy and always gives the best hugs, but can also have with no mercy when messing around with his peers. He's very well liked around Ponyville and known for his extroverted and warm nature, though he may care way to much about other's opinions and tends to take a lot of them personally. Being a proud member of the Apple Family, he's the embodiment hard-work and loves working on the farm, but his heart always feel in the right place whenever he's preparing meals for other ponies.

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Okay, so quick backstory time about how Flarity happened in this canon.

Fluttershy was going through a very rough time with her previous marefriend, she always wanted to have a child of her own, and seeing her friends having some of their own made her even more eager to have one, so she found a sperm donor and conceived Florence with the consent of her partner at the time. Their relationship didn't get any less toxic even after Florence was born, so as a good friend, Discord felt the obligation to intervene (along with the rest of the elements of harmony) and convince Fluttershy to just end it and let go, as it wasn't doing any good for both her and the kid. When she finally got out of it, Discord and Rarity were the ones who helped Flutters to heal the most.

Meanwhile, Agate was the product of Rarity's previous marriage with Fancy Pants and was conceived as the last hope for their doomed marriage. Turns out having a child didn't save their relationship and they ended up divorcing, both going their separate ways with their own lives and businesses, however, it was a healthy separation and they remained in good terms with each other. Rarity took this separation as a way to get to know more about herself and to spend more time bonding with her daughter, having a break from her business life and letting Sassy Saddles and some other employees take the wheel for a little while, though she didn't stop playing her part on the creative side. During the time Fluttershy was going through her healing process, she and Rarity reconnected and some gay stuff happened. By the time the series ended they were probably on the dating phase and close to engagement. They eventually marry and join their families together.

Also Discord's still a very close friend of the couple and helps them and the kids whenever and in whatever way he's able to. He loves spending time with the kids, specially Agate, who finds his chaotic energy specially amusing.

#next gen #mlp next gen #mlp #MLP:FiM #mlp oc #My Little Pony #next gen oc #appledash #flarity #rarishy #sugarmac #cheesepie #lil cheese #little mac #my art

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chickensarentcheap · 4 years ago

Text

Best Part of Me -Chapter 38

Warnings: none

Tagging: @c-a-v-a-l-r-y, @alievans007, @innerpaperexpertcloud, @ocfairygodmother

“How much do you think Kyle knows?” Esme asks, several hours later as she stands at the end of their bed with Addie in her arms. Her body sways from side to side; the movement solely to calm her shaky nerves baby, the baby already fast asleep. Her voice is low; eager to keep any eavesdroppers -especially little ones- from hearing their conversation.

“Might not know anything,” Tyler replies, as he slips into a pair of cargo pants, tending to the zipper and button.

“What’s the chances of that? Considering all the time he’s been spending over there, getting to know her. In the biblical sense.”

“How long were you able to hide what you did for a living from your family?”

“That’s a valid point. But I didn’t live under the same roof as them. And Kyle’s been over there every day for a week and a half; we barely see him. Can you be with someone THAT much and still be totally oblivious?”

“Maybe she’s really good at her job and knows how to keep things on the down low. She fooled us, didn’t she?”

“I’d just like to take this opportunity to swallow my pride and admit that you were right all along. You didn’t trust her from day one. “

“You called me paranoid and overprotective,” he reminds her.

“Usually that’s all it is,” she reasons. “You can be VERY paranoid and overprotective. I thought you didn’t want some strange all up in your personal space. You don’t like people disturbing your happy place.”

“You can’t tell me you didn’t think there was something...off...about her.”

Esme shrugs. “I thought maybe she was just eccentric and outgoing. Friendly.”

“Overly friendly. Like she was trying too hard.”

“Well you ARE a tough nut to crack. I guess it is sort of strange that she seemed so hell bent on being friends with you; you’re not exactly the warmest and most welcoming person. And the whole thing wanting to touch you all the time,” she frowns. “I mean, I can’t exactly blame her for wanting to. I’d want to feel you up too. But she was so...I don’t know...insistent.”

“And you encouraged it. That night she had dinner here.”

“I was joking around and you were a really good sport about it. I just thought she was being goofy and totally harmless. And I was right there. It’s not like she was being sneaky about it.”

“Like when she came over here and I was alone and she started making comments about my dick?”

“It’s a very nice dick,” she playfully comments. “Guess she just knows a good thing when she sees it.”

“It was weird. Normally I don’t mind being checked out, but that was fucked up.”

“Maybe she wanted to bang you and see if you lived up to your man whore reputation,” Esme teases, and he gives a small laugh and snags a belt from the closet; slipping it through the loops on his pants. “I don’t blame her for being thirsty. I’ve been thirsty for seven years and I feel no shame for that.”

“Yeah, but I like when it comes from you. Other people? Not as much. And she’s a little…”

“Overbearing?”

“That works.”

“I don’t understand how he didn’t hear or say anything,” she muses, watching her husband as he finishes dressing. Shrugging into a short sleeved button down; olive green and fitting ‘just right’ across that broad chest and shoulders and snug around the biceps.

He’s changed a lot in seven years; physically speaking. Heavier and wider, stronger and more powerful, a touch more gray scattered throughout his hair and in his beard. More tattoos and scars that are still healing; injuries he’d sustained at Michael McMann’s home in Ireland. But the most drastic difference -despite the horrors and struggles with PTSD and everything that comes with it- are with his personality. The edge is still there. The grittiness and the toughness that comes with years of serving in the military and then as a ‘gun for hire’; the often haunted look in his eyes, caused by the things he’s seen and heard and had been forced to do to stay alive. It had taken years for all those walls to come tumbling down; a full time job even after they’d gotten married and having Millie AND the twins.

It had been a struggle for him; opening up to someone, trusting them, allowing himself to have those softer and vulnerable moments. He’d grown up with an abusive father and went straight into the SASR after graduating high school; had a wife that cheated on him regularly, had a child diagnosed with a terminal illness, then made the unfortunate -and entirely selfish- decision to abandon him while he was dying. But little by little the cracks in that hardened exterior began to spread and grow wider. He began laughing and smiling more easily; genuine smiles that would light up his face and crinkle the corners of his eyes. Letting go of the constant need to be the strong and stoic one; afraid that too much emotion and showing -and receiving- too much affection made him ‘soft’. Weak.

Slowly he’d come around; his children managing to strip away at the last of the layers that he found it so hard to get rid of. They’d always been there. The empathy. The compassion. A heart ten times bigger than his body. Just needing to be reminding that it was okay to expose those sides of himself; to allow himself to feel.

To be human.

“It would be hard don’t you think?” she continues, as she places Addie in her bassinet. “Keeping that kind of secret when you’re under the same roof?”

We’ve kept a lot of secret things from each other,” Tyler points out.

“That’s different. We have a past and a lot of bad things happened in it. Anything we’ve held back from one another, has been done with good intentions. She’s just over there doing her thing and spying on us and having her colleagues over. She’s probably just been using him to get close to us. Or to find things out about us. Kyle isn’t the sharpest knife in the drawer and he wouldn’t twice about it if she started asking him things. If she’s that sneaky…”

“Maybe what’s going on between them is legit. Maybe the dick’s that good.”

Esme grimaces. “Ewww. That is my brother. Let’s not talk about that. He probably could have given you a run for your money during your days as a whore.”

“I was not THAT bad.”

“Bullshit you weren’t! I bet half those scars on your back aren’t even from the job. I bet they’re left behind from some stripper with those tacky long nails that are like daggers.”

He grins, then leans it to press a chaste kiss to her lips. “She was a Sunday school teacher, actually.”

“Yeah, and I bet now she can’t even walk into a church without bursting into flames because of how badly you corrupted her with your filthy ways. I was an innocent, good girl until I met you. And now look.”

“You may have only been with two other guys before me, but there was nothing innocent about you. What went on those days? Even just that first day? Good girl, my ass.”

“I can’t help it that the voice and the accent brought out the nympho in me,” she says, and directs a swat to his ass before he heads around to his side of the bed. Watching as he removes the Glock remover and its holster from the lock box in the nightstand; slipping the latter onto his right hip before covering it with the bottom of his shirt.

“Better to be safe than sorry,” Tyler reasons, when he catches her observing with wide eyes.

“And if all else fails, she probably has a garden rake you can borrow and kill someone with.”

He smirks. “It’s not too far-fetched to think maybe things between your brother and Salena are the real deal. What would she have to gain by banging him just to get to us?”

“Orgasms? Hopefully.”

“It makes no sense that she’d do that. Hook up with him to get to us. That’s way too much work.”

“None of this makes any sense,” she grumbles, and then sheds her housecoat in favour of pulling on a simple white and yellow striped Maxi dress over her bra and panties.

Tyler doesn’t argue with that.

“Okay, so we’ve established that it is possible Kyle knows nothing. But explain this to me: why would Mahajan give us Ovi if his intention all along was to come after you? Wouldn’t that just put Ovi in harm's way all over again? And why would he wait this long for revenge? The kid’s been with us for six years now.”

“I dunno, babe. He’s got his reasons I guess.”

“It’s been seven years since Dhaka. If he held a grudge against anyone, it would have been Saju. For not taking you out.”

“But he’s dead and I’m still here. So…”

“That line of thinking makes no sense,” she argues. “Why would he wait all this time to exact revenge?”

“Probably to catch me off guard.”

“Hmm...I guess…”

“Or maybe he was waiting until I had a lot to lose. So it would make a bigger impact.”

“That’s just fucked,” Esme declares. “And if that’s the way he thinks, he’s an even bigger monster than I thought. Waiting until a man has a family?”

“More lives destroyed that way,” Tyler reasons.

“That’s messed up.”

“You what kind of people these are. You’ve worked closer with them than I have. You were the one that would go in and make nice with them and get them to trust so you could get the info guys like me needed. You can’t tell me you didn’t hear and some fucked up shit.”

“Of course I did. But this is different. This is personal. We aren’t talking about random strangers we’ve been hired to help. We’re talking about OUR family. You’re not just some guy off the street that I barely know. You’re my husband. And those are my kids downstairs and…”

“Nothing’s going to happen to the kids. Or you.”

She scowls. “I noticed you didn’t put yourself in there.”

“I gotta do what I gotta do, yeah? Keep you and the kids safe. That’s all that matters to me.”

“Well it matters to me if you’re still breathing at the end of it. And can we not think all doom and gloom? If Salena is telling the truth...if she is who she says she is and she’s working for Neysa and her ‘people’ are keeping an eye on things...maybe things won’t escalate. Maybe it will just be all idle threats and nothing will come of them.”

“You really want to just sit back and hope nothing happens?”

“What else can do?”

He takes a seat at the end of the bed, grimacing at the pain in his knee and the small of his back. “I can eliminate the threat.”

“You said yourself that you can’t just walk into the prison and shoot him in the head. And it’s the people he has doing his bidding that we have to worry about.”

“So I stop them before they can cause issues.”

Esme frowns. “You’re talking about tracking them down first? Before they can even get this far?”

“Take them right out of the game before it even starts.”

“That’s a little risky don’t you think? How would you even know who these people are? I doubt Mahajan is going to willingly give you their names.”

“There’s ways of finding out.”

“How?” she asks, and leans back against the dresser across from her.

Tyler stares at her pointedly.

“Oh hell no!” Esme objects. “I am not getting involved in this.”

“You already ARE involved in this.”

“I am NOT going to Mumbai to talk to Mahajan. There is no way I’d be able to get information out of him. Why the hell would he tell me anything? If he really IS after you, he’s going to tell your wife who’s working for him.”

“I wouldn’t let you go there anyway. But you know people. You still have contacts in the game. Probably some that are in India right now.”

“People that I haven’t talked to in years,” she reminds him. “I can’t just call them up and ask them for help. It isn’t the same kind of relationship you have with your contacts. They’re glad to hear from you’; they’re happy you’re even still alive. Mine are hoping I’m dead. That’s a lot of burnt bridges, Tyler. And some of them? Going to them for help would only make things worse.”

“So you give me their names and numbers. I’ll talk to them.”

“And that would be better, how? I lied to them years ago and now I turn around and give their info to a mercenary? You can see why that would be problematic, right?”

“Then just give me their names and I’ll find their numbers another way. I don’t even need to bring you into it. They don’t need to know how I found them.”

“They’d figure it out.”

“Well we need to figure out who these people are. The ones working for Mahajan. Before shit does hit the fan.”

“WE don’t need to do anything,” she informs him. “Let Salena and her people take care of it. It’s what they’ve been doing, right? Keeping an eye on things?”

“I’m not going to trust complete strangers with your life. Or our kids’ lives. I’m just not.”

“So you’re just going to find out who these people are and hunt them down one by one?”

“If I have to.”

“Tyler...no...just no. How is that even an option?”

“It’s the ONLY option.”

“The hell it is! Salena and her people are already on this!”

“And I already said I don’t trust them. Not with you, not with my kids. I trust myself. And a couple other people. That’s it. And I’m not going to just sit back and and wait for things to go to shit. I need to stop it before it happens.”

“You don’t know that anything is going to happen.”

“I’d rather not take the chance that it will.”

Sighing heavily, she crosses her arms over her chest.

“You trust me?” Tyler asks.

“Of course I trust you. You're the only person I do trust. But I also love you and I don’t want to just send you out there to get killed. These are bad people. Extremely bad people.”

“I’m not some rookie going in blind,” he reminds her. “This is what I do. It’s who I am.”

“No. It’s part of who you are. There’s a difference.”

“And right now, I need to be that ‘part’. I need to be the old Tyler. And I need you to be okay with that. I’m not doing this because I want to. I’m doing it because I have to. You’re my wife. Those are my kids. And without any of you, I’m nothing. Which is why I need you to let me do this.”

Another sigh. Heavier this time. Resigned. “Can we at least give it two weeks? For the kids? Because we’re going away next week and then it’s Millie’s birthday shortly after. And we can not take that away from her. She’s a little girl. And she’s so happy and so excited and it’s going to break her heart enough when you leave and I’d rather her not find out until AFTER her party. Can you do that at least?”

He nods. “But if anything happens…”

“If anything happens then you go and take care of it. But for now can we just act like nothing’s going on? For them? Because they're kids and they don’t need to worry and stress over adult things. Can we just pretend around them that everything’s fine? Because it’s going to be hard enough when you leave without the anticipation of it hanging over their heads. Please? Can we do that?”

“Of course baby.”

He reaches out and takes hold of one of her hands, gently tugging her into him, placing her between his legs. And he presses a kiss to the inside of her wrist and then wraps both arms around her waist; pulling her tight against him, forehead resting against her chest. Eyes closing as he feels her hands on him. First in his hair. Fingers combing through it before her nails lightly scratch against the nape of his neck, then the tips running softly over the outer edges of his ears. And when her palms come to rest against his cheeks, he looks up at her, attempting a reassuring smile when he finds those huge dark eyes filled with tears.

She’s silent as he watches her. Fingertips travelling over the older scars that mar his face; the one across the bridge of his nose, then the left side of his forehead, followed by the one alongside his left. Then she moves to the one that he’d sustained during the incident at Michael McMann’s house. Starting at the top of his right eyebrow; spreading up onto his forehead and disappearing -for several inches- into his scalp.

She kisses him. So soft and sweet sweet...the tenderness and the love so evident...that it takes his breath away and nearly brings tears to his eyes.

“I can’t lose you,” her voice is just above a whisper. “I just can’t.”

“You won’t,” he says. “I promise.”

She manages a small smile and places a kiss on his brow. And he tightens his hold on her; falling backwards onto the bed and tucking her securely into his chest; one hand on the back of her head, the other on the small of her back. Feeling her body trembling against him and the tears that dampen the front of his shirt.

****

She plays the part of a perfect hostess; bringing out carafes of coffee and tea and a jug of ice water, along with plates of various small desserts and finger foods. Tyler had noticed the drastic change in her the moment she’d answered the door. Her usual flowing and brightly colored sundresses or tropical themed shorts and band t-shirts replaced with well tailored dress slacks and a crisp white blouse; her usual bare footed approach abandoned in favour of a pair of black heels. But her personality change is the most baffling. No longer loud and boisterous and bordering on obnoxious, instead both soft AND well spoken. Now that the truth is out -or at least part of it - she no longer has put on the front of the affable, annoying, and overly friendly new neighbour. Now she’s professional and courteous. Polite. And almost too apologetic. A continuous string of “I’m sorry” and “I wish things hadn’t come out this way” as she led them out onto the back deck. Telling them help themselves to food and drink before disappearing back into the house.

“Is it just me or did things just go from weird to really fucking weird?” Esme whispers to him as they sit side by side; their knees touching and his hand on the small of her back.

It’s comforting. The simple brush of his body against hers and his familiar scent; filling her with a sense of security and effectively calming her nerves. He won’t leave her side now, making sure she’s always close enough to touch, never out ear shot and certainly not out of eyesight. His protective nature kicked in high gear. And for good reason.

“It’s not just you.”

“It’s like we’re living in the Twilight Zone,” she mutters, and then issues a long, shaky sigh.

“It’s okay,” he assures her, as he rubs the small of her back. “Everything’s going to be fine. The worst could have happened already. If she was working for the other side, she would have had guys here to ambush us the second we walked in.”

“How do you know they’re not hiding inside for the perfect moment?”

“Not a rookie, remember? You have to trust me,” he presses a kiss to the side of her head. . “Just trust me.”

She manages a small smile and leans into him. A hand resting on his thigh and his lips lingering against her temple; hand slipping off her hip and up onto her side, rubbing comfortingly. Selfishly he enjoys having this role in her life: the fierce and loyal protector. It’s an ego boost knowing that she has that much faith and trust in him. And he knows he’s more than capable of living up to her expectations; confident in his strength, skills, and abilities.

“I promise none of it has been tampered with,” Salena comments upon her return, noticing that their cups remain empty and the food hasn’t been disturbed. “As I said earlier, I’m not here to hurt either of you. Or your children.”

“So why are you here?” Esme asks, her hand slipping from Tyler’s thigh as he moves beside her; pouring himself a coffee and her a tea. “And why the big production? Why show up out of the blue and act as if you wanted to be friends? You could have just been honest right off the hop. You think it would have bothered either of us? This isn’t the first time someone has threatened us in the past seven years.”

“I know it isn’t. I know everything there is to know about the two of you. About everything that went down in Dhaka; start to finish. And I know about your little return there. About Mumbai and Ireland and New Zealand. Information is easy to get when you know the right people.”

“And when you’re willing to pay big for it,” Tyler adds. “Something tells me Nik Khan helped you out quite a bit.”

“Nik and I have a very good working relationship, “ Salena admits, and Esme gives a derisive snort. “I don’t approve of her transgressions. Or attempts at them. But as far as business goes, she’s one the best there is. And we trust her completely.”

“Who is we?” Tyler inquires. “And who are you? Why don’t we just cut the shit and get down to it. You wanted us here to talk, so talk.”

“My name...my REAL name...is Allison Rav.”

“Rav?” Esme arches an eyebrow. “You’re related to Saju? How?”

“Related by marriage only. My husband...ex husband, I should say...is Saju’s youngest brother. Former special services as well. We parted on good terms and have remained friends. And business partners. After Saju died...correction, after he was murdered...Anil left the military and started things up; in Saju’s memory. A way of both honoring him and avenging him. This…” she lifts up one of the plates of food and removes a file folder -one of many- from underneath. “...is everything there is to know about it. About us. About who we are and what we do.”

She offers the file to Tyler and he accepts it; dropping it into the empty chair beside him.

“Are you a mercenary?” Esme asks, her body and nerves starting to relax; comforted by the mention of Saju’s name and the woman’s connection to him.

“Far from it,” Allison gives a dry laugh. “None of our people are. We strictly provide security. We’re trained to assess potential threats and stop them before they happen. But we do seek out mercenaries; when things because too volatile and need...permanent...results.”

“When you want guys like me to go in and put our asses on the line and get blood on our hands.” Tyler smirks.

“Our area of expertise and concern is providing support to those being harassed and threatened by the Mahajans and the Amir Asifs of the world. And there’s a lot of them. So when Neysa contacted us and said that she was receiving threats of bodily harm and death against her and her son, we didn’t hesitate to help. We have her and Aarav in hiding. A safe house just outside of Mumbai.”

“You really think that’s smart?” he asks. “Being that close to Mahajan and his people? Doesn’t leave much room for error. Why not move them somewhere further away? Other side of the world if you had to. Doesn’t make sense for them to be that close.”

“It’s what she requested; to be close to home. We move them when...and if...we have to. We ended up here..I ended up here...when Neysa ‘disappeared’ and Mahajan’s people lost track of her. That’s when he changed his game plan, so to speak. His first thought was that she came here. What better place to hide them with someone who could protect her and Aarav if need be? The person who worked with Saju to get Ovi out of Dhaka alive. What a turn of events THAT was. He was supposed to eliminate you and in the end you worked together. Not what Mahajan expected.”

Tyler gives a tense smile. “How about we NOT talk about Dhaka.”

“Fair enough,” Allison agrees, and pours herself a cup of coffee. “When he thought she’d come here, we were ready. We already had eyes and ears on the situation. He hadn’t sent anyone here or sent out any official threats, but we knew it was going to happen. So we acted first and got here as soon as we could. But things ARE picking up. He is escalating things. This is a man hell bent on revenge and will stop at nothing to get it. You both know what these kinds of people are like. They don’t care if there’s a woman and children involved. They’ll be their first targets to get to who they really want.”

Esme issues a heavy, shaky sigh and Tyler gives her a small, reassuring smile; arm wrapping around her, palm softly and comfortingly rubbing her shoulder. “It’s been seven years,” she says. “Why now? Why wait all this time? And why Tyler? Mahajan gave us his son. So Ovi could be safe and have a normal life. A real family. Why would he let us have him if this was his plan all along?”

“There’s two reasons,” Allison replies. “The first is that Saju failed his mission. Yes, he helped get Ovi out of Dhaka. But he didn’t eliminate everyone standing in his way. He wasn’t supposed to leave anyone alive. You two survived. And I understand why he didn’t kill you; he would never harm a woman in that way. I’m sure he looked at you and thought of Neysa and realized he couldn’t go through with it. But you…” she looks at Tyler. “...you put up one hell of a fight. He didn’t expect that.”

“What’s the second thing?” Tyler asks.

“Did Ovi tell either of you that his father has been in contact with him? On a regular basis?”

Tyler frowns. “What?”

“Even behind bars, Mahajan still holds a lot of influence and power in the drug world. He has a lot of money stashed away in several offshore accounts. Enormous amounts of money. He needs someone to run the business now that it’s booming again. And what better person to be his successor than his only son? But that kid is tough. Resilient. He isn’t giving in. He wants nothing to do with that kind of life and isn’t afraid to tell his father that. Which naturally has enraged Mahajan. He’s taken it as a sign of disrespect. Dishonour. And he’s not going to let that slide. He feels the only thing standing in Ovi’s way...preventing him from doing it...is the two of you. But especially you.” she nods in Tyler’s direction. “He thinks Ovi is completely under your influence and is only saying no because of you.”

“I’m starting to finally see why he wants into the game so badly.” Tyler says to Esme. “It isn’t about the actual job or the money. It’s about being able to protect himself. And us if he has to.”

“That’s why he didn’t want to tell us,” she laments. “Or why he gave us such bullshit excuses. Because he knew he’d have to tell us that he’s been speaking to his father.”

Tyler nods.

“Mahajan wants the obstacle removed,” Allison continues. “He really just wants Tyler out of the picture; he’s the biggest hurdle and true threat. And it would be a way of righting Saju’s wrongs. That’s why we’re here. To prevent any of that from happening. We’re here to protect you. Not hurt you.”

“I’m more than capable of protecting my own family,” Tyler informs her. “I don’t trust just anyone with this. And I’m especially not going to trust you. You could have just told us all of this right from the beginning. Not put on some big, ridiculous show.”

“Neysa asked us to keep this quiet. She didn’t want to scare either of you. Or your kids. And now that you’re getting back into the mercenary business, there’s an even bigger target on your back. Mahajan sees that as a direct threat.”

“He can take it whatever fucking way he wants. I don’t care if you and your people stay on the sidelines or keep in the background. But I’ll protect my own family. I’m more than capable of doing it and I know my wife and my kids trust me. They know I’ll keep them safe. Better than any of your people can.”

“He’s right,” Esme speaks up. “There’s no else I trust with my life. With my kids’ lives. And we’ve got people working for us that can always lend a hand if they need to. We don’t need perfect strangers fucking things up.”

“We’re highly trained,” Allison argues. “We’re more than capable of...”

“Tyler can do it. And that’s who I WANT doing it. I don’t care how highly trained you or your people are. No one can protect us the way he can. No one. And if that pisses you off and you pull your people out of here…”

“We’re not going anywhere. Neysa wants us here and this is where we’re saying.”

“I want to talk to your ex husband,” Tyler says. “There’s information I need. About who is working for Mahajan. Who these people are he has after us.”

“Anil expected you’d want to speak to him. That you would have a lot of questions for him. All his contact information is in the first folder I gave you. There…” she pulls the other files from under the plate of food. “...are your files. Everything we have on the two of you. There’s also a file about Dhaka and everything that went down there. And one with copies of all the threats that have been made so far. To Neysa and to you. I trust this information will be in good hands?”

Tyler nods and accepts the folders, placing them with the initial one she’d given him.

“We kept this secret because that’s what Neysa wanted,” Allison explains. “She didn’t want to alarm anyone. So I HAD to put on a good show. I had to get myself into your life. I had to get close to all of you and get you to open up to me and tell me things. And I know that you know what that’s like, Esme. Having to lie to people; fool them. Having to trick them into giving you what you want.”

“And my brother?” she asks. “What about him? You used him to get to us? He broke up his engagement for you. And all along you were just using him? Why did you have to stoop THAT low?”

“We do what we have to to get what we want. Kyle has no clue about any of this. I’d like to keep it that way. Because he’s a good guy and there’s feelings...legitimate feelings...involved now. On both sides. It started out as part of the job, but it’s become more. So much more.”

“Yeah…” Esme smirks. “...sure it has. Can we go now?” she addresses Tyler. “I really want to go. I’ve heard enough and I just want to get the hell out of here. I just want to go home.”

“We can go,” he confirms, and then gathers the folders off the chair and stands up. “I don’t want any of your people near my house,” he informs Allison. “I don’t want them watching me or my wife or my kids. Especially my kids. You tell them to back off. That I’m more than capable of protecting my own. Because if they get in the way and totally fuck things up? If that happens? You’ll end up a few employees short because I won’t hesitate taking them out too.”

Allison nods in confirmation, then stands as well. “We’ll continue to keep an eye on things. Just as Neysa asked. And if you need our help…”

A smirk tugs at the corners of his mouth, and he lays a protective hand on the small of his wife’s back. “I won’t.”

#tyler rake #tyler rake fan fiction #tyler rake fan fic #extraction #best part of me #chris hemsworth character

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readingsbylibramc · 4 years ago

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birth chart reading for @joonie5

hello! welcome to your reading. I’m gonna give you a quick overview of what I’m going to analyze about your natal chart. feel free to ask me anything if something isn’t clear, of course. you’ll find out your dominants’ influence on your persona, your physical appearance, impression on others and the way you approach the world; your ego, identity, the real you; your reactions, your desires, inner emotions; your way of expressing your feelings, your mind and ideas; your desires and approach to love; your energy tank, instincts and temperament; in-depth analysis of each house with their rulers and analysis of heavy aspects; love life + soulmates/karmic partners interpretation; your relationship with your friends; your family life; your approach to career and work in general + possible jobs suggestion; your style, fashion sense analysis; life purpose and past life description; basic transits’ analysis to describe your current mood and, last but not least, your secret skills, how to make the most out of your soul and manifest what you desire based on your birth chart.

🦋 chart shape, dominants

your chart is a bucket shape, with mars as the handle of the bucket. your mars is in the 6th house, hence matters regarding work, health and routine will be your priorities in this lifetime. you also have clear ideas about your future and who you want to be. even though you may have different passions and talents you’re capable of only sticking to one and mastering it, giving your all.

your dominant planets are uranus, mercury venus. you are a particularly smart individual, you're probably very witty and you always manage to come up with original and innovative ideas. in fact, you're very creative, and you may even express yourself through some sort of artistic hobby for example.

your dominant sign is aquarius. you're eccentric and rebel, you don't like being told what to do. you're very considerate of others, as you focus more on the development of a group rather than your persona. that's because you want the people you frequent to be as open-minded as you are. aquarius people are capable of elaborating different ideas in a short amount of time; hence, you either overwork yourself, or you're not able to keep up with all your ideas, leaving projects unfinished.

your dominant element is air. in your life, you adore seeking for knowledge of any kind. you may be interested in studying different subjects, from those you study at school like science, maths, literature etc. to more unconventional ones, such as astrology, psychology, criminology and so on. you enjoy interacting with people; even if you’re not that sociable, you’ll still be interested in their point of view and their ideals, as you see it as a way to expand your own mind. you’re also interested in vintage, and you may have a retro aesthetic or just like history in general.

🌎 ascendant in gemini, 11° / 2nd decan ruled by mercury and venus

you enjoy communicating and intellectualism. you’re very curious about everything that surrounds you. you love expanding your knowledge, ideas and mind in general through communication, interactions and media. you have the ability to adapt quickly to new situations; your mind is fast, usually impulsive, even though this energy may not be much prominent; it may be perceived differently due to your virgo energy, in fact. that’s because virgo prefers organizing things, rather than acting impulsively. yet, this placement still helps you being adaptable to changes, even though you may only be able to see it after a few years if you manage to balance it well. you may also be able to match the energy of the people you’re talking to in order to be perceived as more likeable and connect with everyone on a deeper level. you may be so focused on making up your emotions, that you could forget to feel them, though. this may eventually cause crisis in an individual. you may be fond of books, poetry, literature… both writing and reading. it’s also a way to let yourself tune to your emotions. since you’re constantly mentally active, physically you may also tend to play with your fingers or hair, or maybe you tend to gesticulate while you speak. appearance-wise, I assume you’re at least of average height, with long limbs and fingers. you have something small about your face; you may either have a small nose, or eyes, lips etc. same thing goes for your bones. you may be naturally skinny. you also tend to look younger than you actually are, especially when growing up.

gemini ascendant opposite sagittarius pluto: you're aware that the world is too nasty for your honesty, hence you may have trust issues. even though you are friendly, you're very picky about who you decide to actually call your friend. you may constantly feel lonely, as if no one were willing to listen and understand you. you live with the fear that others may take advantage of you, hence you end up doing it yourself, unconsciously. you may be controlling, but your chart hints that it's not too much of a big deal. you may have the tendency to do it sometimes, but it's mostly a bad trait of your past life. the universe is testing you to see if you've learned your lesson or not. you have all the skills to avoid this type of behaviour now that you're aware of it.

🌞 sun in capricorn, 13° / 2nd decan ruled by saturn and venus

you're an extremely ambitious and hard-working person. you have a goofy side to you, and with your gemini rising I don't think it's hard to let it out. nonetheless, you put a lot of seriousness in your goals. you aspire to be the best, not only for yourself, but also to be recognized. you don't do it to brag, though. you just want to feel fulfilled, being good at something boosts your self-esteem. in fact, you're quite insecure about yourself. you're a perfectionist, you always want to be at your best state, and that could pressure you. since you were a child, you always took care of your responsibilities, in fact you probably didn't find yourself at ease around your peers at school. you get along more with older people, or that are at least as mature as you, as you grew up sooner than other kids, with a strong sense of duty. you tend to be a bit too materialistic; for example, when thinking about a gift, you immediately think about something material that costs money, not something handmade, for example. money is very important for you, and you aspire to achieve a great status in life. you're also quite pessimistic, you never set your expectations too high, mostly out of fear. you're constantly afraid that things could turn out the way you don't want them to be, as you always want to have everything under control. because of that, you may even appear as bossy or snobby, as you may have the impulse to control people as well. you don't do it out of malice, though, it's something very subconscious that comes from fear. fear of not being able to achieve your goals and being criticized by others.

capricorn sun conjunct capricorn mercury: you express your ego and identity through your words and ideas. you’re very opinionated and you protect strongly your beliefs. after all, you probably came up with your ideals after thinking deeply about them, you were too precise to be wrong. you’re also probably an avid reader, and you could do well in writing yourself, as you’re able to properly convey your ideals with your words. also, your heavy gemini dominance makes you naturally good at writing poetry, or even philosophical quotes. your mind is very active, and you feel comfortable letting all your thoughts out. it’s actually a way to relieve stress. you also have a wide vocabulary, and you’re capable of making a formal speech if you have to. you have a memorable way of speaking, as your words are very sharp. it’s hard for you to be ignored for your intellect.

🌙 moon in aries, 24° / 3rd decan ruled by mars and venus

you aim for greatness. this is where your strong desire to be the #1 comes from, pretty much. you're very proud of yourself, and you don't like to acknowledge your mistakes. you always want to look like you have your life together, even in certain moments when you feel lost. I would say that this is a sort of self-sabotaging mechanism, as you can literally go as far as forcing a smile if it shows the world that you can stand by yourself. overall, I would say you deal with your emotions in a very 'child-like' way; after all, aries is pretty self-centered. you tend to preserve yourself more, unless someone really special to you is involved. in fact, aries moon makes you really protective of your loved and trusted ones, even though they're not many because of your high standards. you're also very honest, you speak from your heart. while it's a positive trait, you may be too blunt and ruin your relationships because of that. you're both smart and fast, hence you may get annoyed when people mishear or misunderstand your words.

aries moon square capricorn mercury: your thoughts and feelings are constantly in contrast with each other. your capricorn mercury desires privacy and formal, mannered relationships, your cancer moon wants more fun and action. this results in indecisiveness, you change your mind pretty often, and that can cause you conflicts due to communication problems. you're also pretty opinionated, you don't hide your feelings when you act by impulse. at least, the positive side of this placement is that you're probably very intellectual, capable of taking in consideration both the subjective and objective side of an argument.

🗣 mercury in capricorn, 18° / 2nd decan ruled by saturn and venus

you can come off as cold by the way you speak. when you're speaking to someone you're not close to, you choose your words more wisely and patiently; with your friends, on the other hand, you take off your mask and you just act the way you feel to. you may also be the type to give dry answers, such as 'ok', 'alright', 'good' and so on. your tone is calm and placid, while your voice sounds quite youthful, but still with a note of steadiness. you're funny, but your humor is more sarcasm-based. you're not intimidated easily; even when someone tries to argue with you, you don't back up from it. you may dive deep into your mind to find the right answer you to your problem. even if it takes you some time, you manage to find a solution. a downside to this is that you may lack patience; you are very efficient, and you want people to match your standards.

❤️ venus in pisces, 0° / 1st decan ruled by neptune

you’re hopelessly romantic, to the point that you almost look naive. you’re not simply looking for a partner or spouse, you’re looking for a soulmate; someone you can literally communicate with just using your eyes, someone that knows how to make you feel even messier on the inside. you like to nurture and feel nurtured in a relationship. your ideal lover would be sensitive and empathetic, yet still with a sort of rebel vibe to them. this placement is indeed very lovely, but it has its downsides too, of course. the problem is, pisces makes you idealize your crushes/partners way too much, to the point that you create an image of someone in your head that turns out to be the opposite at the end. you ignore your partner’s flaws, as they seem perfect to you. pisces also attracts 'broken’ persons, so you may be prone to find yourself people with any kind of illness or addiction. you also have the tendency to fall for people who may hurt you because they’re unavailable, either physically or emotionally. you could possibly also crush on celebrities, movie characters etc. that’s because you’re more the type to fall in love with love, rather than with the actual person.

pisces venus square gemini jupiter: you come off as a very positive, happy-go-lucky person. you're extremely friendly, and this makes you be good at social relationships. you may have lots of friends, or at least you have the potential to make many if you opened up and talked to them. yet, while this energy gives you positive vibes, some people may take advantage of that, as you could easily be mistaken for naive. people can try to dominate you unconsciously (sometimes even on purpose) not only in relationships but even in friendships. aside from that, I don't think this placement causes you many problems. you may have the tendency to procrastinate and not work. you could be quite lazy and get easily distracted, as you're constantly with your head in the clouds. yet, thanks to your capricorn energy, you still manage to find some motivation to do your work.

pisces venus square taurus saturn: you feel unable to love someone, or perhaps you feel pressured from others to hide your love, maybe it's your shyness or it could as well be other factors. this placement usually brings fear of committing, causing the individual to be flaky. there are two possibilities; I assume you directly avoid to get into relationships. your mind may unconsciously repress any thought about an eventual crush or love interest. it is caused by your insecurity, especially regarding your looks. or perhaps, it’s the other way around: you literally jump into relationships, resulting in you getting hurt from time to time. you could feel pressured to be in a relationship, even though it’s not your priority. this is something that is mainly caused by insecurity, whether you realize it or not, even though it's something that will get better with time, especially since you have a strong capricorn dominance. don’t be afraid of not being enough, because you are. but if you don’t realize it first, others won’t. you have to be your own healer, and you’re totally capable of doing that.

☄️ mars in scorpio, 6° / 1st decan ruled by pluto

you’re an extremely goal-oriented person. you want to be the best at everything you do, not only to be better than others but also the best for yourself. you’re very astute, it’s impossible to trick you, and you always find a way to be in charge and get what you want. yet, you can get quite obsessed about your goals, that you could do extreme things to get what you want. in fact, people with this placement can even manipulate others, as they’re totally capable of doing that. yet, I don’t see many placements that point out to that in the rest of your chart, aside from your gemini rising. in fact, you are probably a very smooth talker, as I've already mentioned above. people are naturally attracted to you, you have a way with words, and hence you’re always able to convince others into giving you what you want. but luckily, this doesn’t turn into manipulation, you probably don’t even realize this skill of yours, and hence you don’t use it to damage others. when you get angry, you could actually seem scary. your emotions are very intense, it’s hard to calm you down. mixed with your aries moon and capricorn mercury, you may be very sarcastic and aggressive with your words. you could hurt people, but you don’t do it on purpose. most of the time, you don’t even mean the things you say. you may also vent your anger with physical action, hence you could slam doors, punch or break things etc.

🏡 houses

your 1st house is in gemini. your ego feels fulfilled when you express your opinions, ideas and creativity. people probably see you as an intelligent, wise individual. maybe even as a know-it-all. you care about both your inner and outer self, which may be the cause of your confidence issues. you try to fit into society, and you tend to change your approach to people based on who you’re interacting with. while this gives you great social skills, it may confuse you quite a bit. in fact, you may forget who you are. you may often have identity crisis, especially since you always feel as if you have to fit somewhere. with the ruler of the 1st house in the 8th house, your life is oriented towards experiences and earning money. you probably love having deep, meaningful bonds with others, and you could also be quite picky in choosing your friends. you may be interested in the the occult and spiritual matters, like tarots, astrology, etc. you probably ask yourself about the meaning of existence a lot, for example, you’re constantly looking for the truth. above all, you love learning about yourself, and that also explains why you decided to book a reading.

your 2nd house is in cancer. your family, home and cultural background may play a big role in your finances. you may earn money through your family’s business, or maybe you actually work with your family. you may also work from home, especially online/through social media. your adaptability is your greatest strenght; you’re probably good at a different variety of jobs, hence it may not be hard for you to find something to cope before deciding your definite career. this also confirms that your values, self-worth and security were shaped by your roots, childhood and family. the ruler of the 2nd house is in the 11th house; having a dream, a goal to pursue and working hard for it is a great help to boost your self-esteem and be more self-aware. you may actually make money out of it, you could pursue the career of your dreams and earn a nice income from it. the 11th house also rules friendship, hence you could have many wealthy friends, or perhaps they help you feeling more confident. you’re probably more sociable when you’re in their company.

your 3rd house is in cancer. your parents were probably successful in school and university, and they passed down their knowledge to you. maybe, you felt so pressured to meet their expectations that you became insecure about your abilities. you may also find yourself talking about your memories, as you’re very attached to them, or even directly about your childhood/parents. you could, for example, write very personal poetry or books, you can’t help but tune in all of your feelings when you express yourself through words. the ruler of the 3rd house is in the 11th house: you may often find yourself thinking and talking about your goals. especially with your capricorn dominance, you are an hard-working individual who always tries to get their job done, and hence you may often talk about your achievements, your goals and expectations. you may also have lots of friends, especially from school, or at least you love talking to them, you have witty friends who you can have interesting and stimulating conversations with.

your 4th house is in leo. your family had great expectations of you, which could eventually led to anxiety/self-esteem issues. on the other hand, your parents cared about you, and they always made sure they let you have everything you needed. if you have siblings, you were most likely the favourite child in the family, or at least you were spoiled by your parents, both with material things and affection. overall, your childhood wasn’t much turbulent, I don’t see any kind of trauma. the ruler of the 4th house is in the 8th house: you could come from a possibly wealthy family, or perhaps you have quite of a secretive family. they may not go out too often, you may not like inviting people over for example. also, your family could have received an inheritance, or perhaps you’re the one who’s going to receive an inheritance from your family.

your 5th house is in virgo. you enjoy relax, yet you may feel guilty to abandon work for a while. you always feel like you have something to do, and that doesn’t allow you to fully enjoy your rest time. make sure to always find some space for yourself, though. it’s where your energy resides, you feel at home and comfortable exploring your abilities, you shouldn’t take them for granted. also, this enhances your writing abilities even more. in fact, you’re both creative to create stories and rational to tell them objectively and in a clear manner. the ruler of the 5th house is in the 8th house: your hobbies involve occult topics, such as astrology, tarots, horror etc. you probably also love spending your spare time by yourself. you’re quite of a loner, from this point of view, and you may possibly feel sad about it.

your 6th house is scorpio, with mars placed here as well. you may be passionate about routine, self-care, health and work, to the point that it looks (and feels) obsessive. you may attract enemies in your daily life, e.g co-workers that are jealous of your ambition. you might have to undergo different changes in your routine and health throughout your life, which can literally transform you both physically and emotionally. mars here makes you extremely hard-working and effecient, especially combined with your capricorn energy. you are a precise person who always strives to be the best at everything you do. the ruler of the 6th house is in the 7th house: you may come in contact with people very often in your day-to-day life. you may have a job that requires social interactions, for instance, or perhaps you're just the type to spend and enjoy time around others. possibly, you could even find yourself dating your co-workers, and you may actually marry someone from your workplace.

your 7th house is in sagittarius, with also pluto tightly conjunct the descendant. you want your marriage to be a constant travel for you, in which you can both relax and learn. you want to marry a witty and impulsive partner, that is also fun to live with. you may often find yourself falling for unavailable people, either physically or emotionally (or even both). pluto here can make things a bit complicated, though. in fact, pluto in the 7th house indicates that you may have a turbulent marriage, you may often fight with your spouse. in the worst case, this could even escalate as physical violence, not only verbal. there could also be lots of power struggles and competitiveness, you feel as if you always the need to be superior to feel secure, and this could interfer in your relationships. of course, this doesn't have to be 100% accurate, you have lots of easy aspects in your chart, but I'd keep that in mind if I were in you. the fact that jupiter, the ruler of this house, is in the 12th house, indicates that you may actually dream about your future spouse, or just about your lovers and people that surround you in general. actually, you may even have a connection with your spouse, you could've already met in another lifetime and therefore you two are soulmates.

your 8th house is in sagittarius, and the sun and mercury are also placed here. you’re very curious when it comes to taboo topics, you like learning about them, especially with also mercury being in this house. you’re probably into conspiracy theories, as well as matters like astrology, tarots, horror, tragedies, violence… you’re most likely interested in them, and you may work in a field related to these topics, for example you may become a criminologist, a detective, a psychologist etc. you could also experience lots of karma in your life; that is, if you’re mean to someone, then others will be mean to you too. try to always do your best, the universe will surely appreciate that. you could have strong feelings, but you probably struggle to let them all out. you may particularly good at public-speaking, but actually you’re overall quite secretive, you don’t mind being by yourself. the good thing about 8th house is that, while you suffer, you also transform and grow up to learn from your mistakes. therefore, having an 8th house stellium isn’t a curse like other astrologers say. the ruler of the 8th house is in the 12th house: your self-growth process happens when you’re able to stay by yourself and explore your own mind, you probably think a lot. you also love learning about psychology in general, spirituality, etc. actually, you may even be skilled at reading tarots, birth charts, or at least you have the potential to be good at it.

your 9th house is in capricorn, with also uranus and neptune sitting there. you have a pragmatic approach to philosophy, school and experiences in general. for example, you may be the type to plan every day of a travel. at school, you were probably the type to prefer more logical subjects, but I assume that you were good at all of them. you’re most likely extremely curious about anything the world has to offer. you want to make new experiences and adventures, you want to find out anything about other cultures, places, etc. to open your mind and gain some new knowledge. you probably love travelling, and you may have quite a few dream destinations to visit. the 9th house is also about higher education, and hence you’re probably successful at school. you most likely enjoy studying, and you could get more than one degree actually. or perhaps, you got to study different subjects before choosing your final university, you were quite indecisive at first. neptune is also placed in this house, while the ruler of the 9th house is placed in the 12th, enhancing this energy. you may be a very creative and imaginative individual, you could daydream very often and you tend to literally 'travel' with your mind. you may even be a good writer, you may like reading fantasy books or perhaps you're goot at writing that genre. you could also be fascinated by abroad lands, you may see them as a dream in your eyes.

your 10th house is in aquarius with also your venus placed there. you want to stand out from the crowd, you strive to establish your own morals and beliefs. you don’t want to conform to anything and anyone, as you’re a trend-setter and you want to be seen as such. you’d rather have a job where you can handle your work yourself, rather than having a boss. in fact, aquarius in this house makes you extremely resolute and motivated to achieve your goals and be independent. you may not be much interested in love, and if you are, you don’t overlook career either. having a stable and successful future that makes you happy is the key for happiness in your life. it could take you some time at first to be recognized for your efforts. you may easily experience 'almost-winner’ situation, and hence you could often make silly mistakes that ruin your work. it’s important to be focused when working, especially for you. yet, once you know how to balance this tricky energy and get your stuff together, you'll earn a reputation for being an innovative and original person. you may be quite artistic, creative and emotional, you'll probably focus your life on self-expression. venus in this house is another placement that indicates that you may often date people from your work place, or maybe even people older than you. also, since venus is your most elevated planet, your life probably revolves around love, as well as creativity. in fact, your career could possibly involve beauty, like fashion, make-up, etc. or maybe arts. you could be a singer, a writer... you would also do particularly well at politics or law.

your 11th house is in pisces, with also your moon sitting there. you probably had problems with your friendships in your early years. you could have been too shy to approach people, hence you struggled to befriend them. or maybe, you used to gossip around, and that led you to lose them. or perhaps, you’re too work-oriented to find some spare time to hang out with others, and hence you end up losing your bond with them. in the best case, you may have quite spiritual / religious friends, or perhaps they’re your soulmates, they were a part of your past life. you have this habit of idealizing them a bit; that is, you may be too picky in choosing your friends. you’re probably looking for the type of friend that’d literally throw themselves under a car to save you, but it’s hard to actually find someone like that. open up more and accept others as they are. you don’t necessarily need to be with them for a long time, but make sure to learn your lessons from them. it’s what your life revolves around, after all. the moon here makes you care a lot about your friends; even though you may argue a bit, their presence in your life is still very fundamental for you, they're most likely the ones to bring fun and adventure in your life. we could say that they literally feel like home to you, you feel completely comfortable with them, and you may even have lots of childhood friends. with the ruler of the 11th house being in the 9th house, you may have friends that live far away from you, maybe even abroad, and that have a different cultural background from you. you may also have long-term goals related to the abroad, you may want to learn another language or travel around the world. perhaps, you may even want to go live abroad, or at least you strive to learn as much as you can about the world.

lastly, your 12th house is in the sign of taurus. you’re secretly sensitive and affectionate, but you may have issues finding it out at first. in fact, the center of your life is your own intellectuality, these venusian traits are probably yet to develop. you may feel attracted to spirituality, but you’re quite lazy to actually dive into it, as your jupiter and saturn conjunction suggests. you’re quite secretive, but maybe because you don’t know how to get in touch with your feelings. using tools like meditation, astrology etc. are important for you to understand what you truly need from life. luckily, I assume that you're already working on getting more in touch with your higher self, otherwise you wouldn't have booked a reading. anyways, spirituality for you is particularly important; in fact, with this saturn and jupiter influence, all you need to do is work hard for yourself, as much as you work for others. the universe is going to pay you back. plus, I assume that manifestation and law of attractions work particularly well for you, I'd definitely try that out. your 12th house’s ruler is in the 10th house: getting in touch with your hidden, subconscious and higher self will be crucial to help you grow up and gain success. you may be interested in topics like astrology, psychology etc. most likely to get to know yourself, but your chart points out that you could easily turn these hobbies into a job! or perhaps, you may have a reputation for being secretive, you may not say much about yourself in professional relationships.

❤️ love life, soulmates

in love, you attract sagittarius, virgo, libra, scorpio, pisces and aries placements. your future spouse may also have sagittarius/scorpio energy, maybe a sagittarius - scorpio cusp. you need someone who’s adventurous, funny, outgoing and witty, that can also stand up for themselves with no hesitation. you’re also into the magnetic, sexy type. you’re looking for someone independent, but that wouldn’t mind dedicating their time to you. you may feel unlucky in love, as your sagittarius descendant makes you attract people that are usually unavailable, whether it’s physically (they’re abroad) or emotionally. you may marry someone of a different culture/country/religion from yours. you may also meet and marry abroad. you may meet through your family, or maybe at your workplace as I’ve already mentioned before. they could also be someone you already know, probably from your childhood. your children will most probably have very prominent mercurian energy, hence gemini or virgo, or maybe they could also have leo or cancer placements; they’ll love to be spoiled with affection, they’ll love material things like toys, food, clothes etc. but they’ll also be very smart and creative.

👶🏻 family life

your mother is probably very hard-working, and she has a strong role in your family. she loves being spoiled and appreciated, together with receiving attention. yet, she could sometimes be quite superficial because of that, but deep down she's very romantic and mannered. she may have leo placements, or any fire / 5th house placement in general. your father is a bit colder than your mother, and he might be an aquarius or have any type of air/capricorn placement in his chart. your father could be a bit moody and / or unpredictable, and he may also have some addictions in the worst case. yet, he also has a very sweet and romantic side to him that he may struggle to let out. he could possibly also have taurus placements. if you have siblings, they’re probably cancers/ water signs. if you’re the elder sibling, you probably used to take care of them to help your mother. on the other hand, if you’re younger, then your siblings were the ones who nurtured you with your parents.

📊 career

as I’ve already mentioned above, you could work abroad, or at least with different languages/cultures. you’re probably naturally talented in this field, it would be a shame to overlook it. you also most likely have great communication skills and writing abilities. you’re very logical and precise, you’d definitely do well in a field that requires calm and organization. I can also picture you being an amazing teacher or even professor. based on your other placements, you could also do well at literally any creative career! you may be a dancer, a singer, or even something more complex like a creative director. in fact, with your aquarius midheaven, I feel like you'd rather be in charge in your job rather than be submissed to a boss. you’re very intuitive and observant, but also logical and rational. otherwise, you could also be successful as a designer, an architect, a scientist… something that allows you to be mostly independent, but that can still guarantee you mental stimulation and a decent income, and that also allows you to use your creative uranian energy.

👕 fashion sense, style analysis

you love wearing comfy, even over-sized fits, but that still look stylish and modern. for example, you may be fond of wide leg trousers, oversized t-shirts or sweatshirts... for the colors, you may fancy pastel colors, especially different shades of blue, or even just natural colors, such as white, beige, kaki etc. you may also like wearing baby/pastel colors, and you may experiment a lot with accessories. you may wear lots of bracelets.

👁 past life, life purpose

during your past life, you probably didn’t have as many challenges as in this life. you most likely used to depend on someone else; perhaps, you married someone rich, hence you didn’t really have to work for your resources. this lifetime, you need to step up your game and become independent. your path to luck and abundance may be long and steep, but your venus being conjunct the north node indicates that you may achieve great personal success in this lifetime. you just need to work on your self-esteem and have stable finances, you shouldn’t over-indulge. to boost your security, you could try using loa, as well as the advices I gave you above.

🤔 major transits analysis, december 25th

in the last few months, you could have had (and you may still have) problems with your friends, as mars and chiron, two malefics, are both transiting your 11th house. you may argue and discuss often, or perhaps you even lost a few friend during this span of time. also, since your natal pluto is conjunct your transit venus, you may feel particularly moody in these days. it could be that you're starting to crave love or communicating in general in the first place, but in addition you also feel the need to change. you may feel very intense emotions, but at least you have a stronger will-power, therefore your manifestations may come true quicker for instance. just be careful not to stress yourself by being too bossy or suspicious.

🧿 manifest what you want, secret skills

your secret skills revolve around finances and just security in general. with a positive attitude, you may attract material luck: money, clothes, houses… everything that you desire. since you’re a logical person, I assume the most efficient way for you to manifest through the LOA is writing! take a notebook and just write down positive affirmations, such as 'I have the car of my dreams’ etc. you may also write them on post-its and glue them around your house, so that you can accelerate the progress. you can also try to idealize your wish before trying to manifest it. for example, if you want a new sweatshirt, try to imagine yourself wearing it. you could also go into a shop and actually try that sweatshirt it on; being in contact with it will boost the law of attraction even more.

this is the end! thank you again for booking a reading, let me know if you have any questions :) - libramc xx

#astrology

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stevenuniversallyreviews · 5 years ago

Text

Episode 131: Off Colors

“And this is Lars. He’s all human.”

Forty-seven seconds is an eternity in an eleven-minute episode. Steven and the Stevens (the song) is forty-one. The final scene of Winter Forecast, my favorite in the series, is an even thirty. And when Pearl first poofs in Steven the Sword Fighter, it may take her several weeks in-universe to come back, but it’s only seventeen seconds until Amethyst and Garnet reveal that she’s okay.

Off Colors ends with Lars at his finest, bouncing around from friend to friend to save their lives from an alien drone, culminating in a brave, goofy rodeo show on the robotic menace. He comically yelps as the machine bucks and sprays lasers everywhere, then the baker who was once terrified of letting people try his food yells “Eat this!” as he deals the final blow, solidifying the cartoonish victory we’ve seen time and time again in action shows for kids. But then the drone explodes, and it kills him.

Laramie Barriga, the first person we ever see Steven speak with, the first human who’s ever named on the show, a depressed grouch that has resisted every opportunity to grow but can’t help growing anyway, who after countless false starts has finally seen his inner hero emerge, dies a sudden, violent death. And he remains dead for forty-seven seconds.

False deaths abound in Steven Universe, from Pearl’s aforementioned poofing to the Pink Diamond faking her own shattering. But none feel as visceral as Lars’s, because it isn’t false. He not only dies, but we see his lifeless body tumble to the ground like a rag doll, and must linger with him as the weight of his death settles in. The Off Colors are jubilant at their victory, and their cheers create the discordant atmosphere that so often accompanies death, the shock and confusion as life goes on even as another life ends. Steven is the only person on the planet who understands that humans don’t die the same way Gems do, and he doesn’t need to say a word as he grasps for signs of life and finds none.

According to interviews with the crew, there was some question over when the episode would end, and whether this death would be a cliffhanger. I’m so glad they went with this approach, and not because I think it would be too brutal for young viewers (I was raised on Don Bluth and The Lion King, kids can handle it); reviving him in the next episode would be a pacing nightmare, but reviving him here forces that uninterrupted wait, a moment that can’t be escaped by the episode ending and focusing on something else until the next one comes on. Plus, I’d imagine it helped with the censors to have him come back in the same scene, because I’ve never seen a children’s show portray death with this much physical realism; in the rare instance of a character dying on-screen, it’s always a dramatic affair with a final speech and a last gasp, but Lars is dead before he hits the floor.

The other reason Lars’s death stands out is that even if it’s temporary, it’s permanent. The rules of Steven’s inherited revival powers aren’t examined too deeply, but it’s clear that Lars is no longer mortal in the way he once was. He’s pink, with white hair. He barely has a heartbeat. If he’s anything like Lion, there’s a chance he’ll never age. This and more will be covered in Lars’s Head, but even now, it’s clear that the Lars we knew died on a cold and foreign world, and it’s another Lars that wakes up.

There’s obviously more to Off Colors than Lars’s death, considering the episode is named for the new set of characters that we spend most of our runtime meeting. But its very first line, after another stylish pan down from the title card, is “Lars, are you okay?” Much like The Good Lars appears to be a Lars episode but ends up being about Sadie, Off Colors appears to be an Off Colors episode but ends up being about Lars. Every moment he’s on screen is a reminder that he’s an alien on Homeworld, from his earthly need for food to his battle plans adopted from Jurassic Park to his vital lack of a gem. Even before he literally changes color, he fits right in with the misfits.

But let’s not cut the Off Colors short. It isn’t easy to introduce four distinct characters at once, so each gets a quirk to make them stand out fast. The Rutile Twins have two heads that paraphrase each other. Rhodonite fuses the nervousness we’ve seen from rubies and Pearl into a whole new level of perpetual fear. Fluorite speaks in the deep, slow voice of a six-Gem fusion. And, of course, Padparadscha has visions of the recent past, a running gag that I don’t predict I’ll ever get tired of.

Still, even in this first appearance, there’s more to this little family than their quirks. We meet the Rutiles first, voiced by Ashly Burch (one of the 2010s’ best new talents and the co-writer of my favorite latter-day Adventure Time episode, Hall of Egress), and despite a lifetime on the run their instinct is to help instead of hide. Rhodonite, voiced by Enuka Okuma (who like Padparadscha/Sapphire’s Erica Luttrell is a Canadian actress who started young and has steadily built up a considerable resume), doesn’t let her anxiety or societal pressure stop her from living as a fusion, which in a way makes her braver than the more confident Garnet. Fluorite, voiced by Kathy Fisher (primarily an EDM singer for the band Fisher) is proudly polyamorous and has a lot of grace for a giant caterpillar. Padparadscha, voiced by the aforementioned Luttrell...well, she pretty much is just her quirk, but she’s still a delight.

Given how many characters we meet and the amount of time we devote to Lars’s heroism and death, Off Colors can’t do much with its new characters besides introduce them. But the episode reveals their struggles not only with their words, but the setting they hid themselves in. Rather than spend any amount of time in the high tech environment of modern Homeworld (the place that reared the likes of Peridot and terrified Lapis Lazuli) we head straight to the ancient remains of perhaps the oldest Kindergarten in the universe, a massive chamber in a hollowed world without any more room to form new life.

Like Earth’s Prime Kindergarten, it’s a perfect place for horror, this time from a drone that’s so relentless that it kills one of our characters. The drone’s theme resembles the opening of the Love Like You reprise and Holly Blue Agate’s motif, adding another layer of looming alien danger to the atmosphere, and the machine itself has the vicious efficiency of Peridot’s old robonoids. The world is old, but the technology hunting the Off Colors down is new, lending the sense of an endless struggle that must be endured rather than overcome.

Life on Homeworld is dictated by doing what you were created to do, but it’s important to show that deviating from this path doesn’t lead to instant happiness. If Gems could break away from their oppression with ease, it wouldn’t be much of an oppressive state, so the Off Colors trade lives in constant servitude for lives in constant survival mode. It isn’t as if we needed more evidence that Gem society is a mess, but there’s power in personalizing how misfits are persecuted to this day, compared to how the Crystal Gems were able to form in the past. The struggles from back then remain the struggles of the present, and the only way to fix them is with an outside push. We won’t see that push until the end of the series proper, but are primed to understand the power of external changers from Blue Zircon’s own ability to stand outside of the story and punch holes in the narrative the characters took for granted. It’s no wonder that Steven is fated to do the same thing.

It’s refreshing to see Lars and Steven get along from the start, instead of going through the usual ornery motions until they reach the sense of understanding they had in Stuck Together. It makes sense that we’d cut to the chase in an episode with this much to do, but given how often Lars forgets his lessons, it’s a nice change of pace for his growth to stick.

Even more refreshing is Steven forgetting about his martyr complex for a moment as his own survival instincts take hold: we see him instead channel the leadership lesson he learned with Peridot in the drill, assuring Lars that everything will be okay even when it’s clear that he doesn’t believe it. This time it’s Lars who must deal the barriers he sets up for himself, railing against his own cowardice and needing Steven’s positivity in the same way Steven needed his negativity on the spaceship. When Lars shows signs of an imminent panic attack, Steven gives him the same hand to the heart we’ve seen in Lars and the Cool Kids and Lion 3 and tells him that it’s okay to be afraid, a line Lars repeats to psych himself up for his last stand.

Steven also forgets about Zircon’s big reveal, which initially seems like a negative. As viewers, we’re invested in learning the truth about Pink Diamond and are made to wait even longer to get more clues. But I see this as the beginning of a major step forward, because even though Steven is hardly over his issues with Rose, this is where he starts focusing on where his priorities should be: his life in the present, rather than his mother’s ancient past. In Off Colors and Lars’s Head it’s all about escaping Homeworld and helping Lars and his new friends, then it’s straight to the Breakup Arc, and both journeys recenter Steven in a way that lets him grow enough to reexamine Zircon’s information through fresher eyes.

And as complicated as his relationship with Rose has become, let’s not forget that this episode ends with the first instance of her healing tears emerging from her son. He’s had healing spit for ages, his own Steven-y take on his mom’s power, but he evokes her far more directly as he revives Lars with a method that solves a mystery we weren’t even thinking about as we entered Homeworld: the origin of Lion. But more on that next time.

For now, it’s enough to have a full-to-the-brim episode of new friends and tense drama, written and animated to punch you in the gut with a surprise death that feels no less powerful when it’s half-reversed. The Off Colors show us problems unique to Gems (Homeworld society, fusion stuff, malfunctioning psychic powers), and Lars shows us problems unique to humans (general physical frailty, from hunger to the inability to shrug off explosions), but both reach an understanding that makes their imminent team-up feel as natural as can be. Each of them lives in fear, and each of them learns that the only way to work past this fear is to accept it and work together to overcome it. I know that they can be strong in the real way, and they’re about to prove it.

We’re the one, we’re the ONE! TWO! THREE! FOUR!

The streak of Love ‘em episodes holds strong. What seems to be a pure set-up episode is blown up by its shocker of an ending, and while it may lead to yet another cliffhanger, there’s a sense of completion as Lars goes from cowering mess to genuine hero.

Top Twenty-Five

Steven and the Stevens

Hit the Diamond

Mirror Gem

Lion 3: Straight to Video

Alone Together

Last One Out of Beach City

The Return

Jailbreak

The Answer

Mindful Education

Sworn to the Sword

Rose’s Scabbard

Earthlings

Mr. Greg

Coach Steven

Giant Woman

Beach City Drift

Winter Forecast

Bismuth

Steven’s Dream

When It Rains

The Good Lars

Catch and Release

Chille Tid

I Am My Mom

Love ‘em

Laser Light Cannon

Bubble Buddies

Tiger Millionaire

Lion 2: The Movie

Rose’s Room

An Indirect Kiss

Ocean Gem

Space Race

Garnet’s Universe

Warp Tour

The Test

Future Vision

On the Run

Maximum Capacity

Marble Madness

Political Power

Full Disclosure

Joy Ride

Keeping It Together

We Need to Talk

Cry for Help

Keystone Motel

Back to the Barn

Steven’s Birthday

It Could’ve Been Great

Message Received

Log Date 7 15 2

Same Old World

The New Lars

Monster Reunion

Alone at Sea

Crack the Whip

Beta

Back to the Moon

Kindergarten Kid

Buddy’s Book

Gem Harvest

Three Gems and a Baby

That Will Be All

The New Crystal Gems

Storm in the Room

Room for Ruby

Lion 4: Alternate Ending

Doug Out

Are You My Dad?

Stuck Together

The Trial

Off Colors

Like ‘em

Gem Glow

Frybo

Arcade Mania

So Many Birthdays

Lars and the Cool Kids

Onion Trade

Steven the Sword Fighter

Beach Party

Monster Buddies

Keep Beach City Weird

Watermelon Steven

The Message

Open Book

Story for Steven

Shirt Club

Love Letters

Reformed

Rising Tides, Crashing Tides

Onion Friend

Historical Friction

Friend Ship

Nightmare Hospital

Too Far

Barn Mates

Steven Floats

Drop Beat Dad

Too Short to Ride

Restaurant Wars

Kiki’s Pizza Delivery Service

Greg the Babysitter

Gem Hunt

Steven vs. Amethyst

Bubbled

Adventures in Light Distortion

Gem Heist

The Zoo

Rocknaldo

Enh

Cheeseburger Backpack

Together Breakfast

Cat Fingers

Serious Steven

Steven’s Lion

Joking Victim

Secret Team

Say Uncle

Super Watermelon Island

Gem Drill

Know Your Fusion

Future Boy Zoltron

Tiger Philanthropist

No Thanks!

6. Horror Club 5. Fusion Cuisine 4. House Guest 3. Onion Gang 2. Sadie’s Song 1. Island Adventure

(Despite the header image looking very Sugary, there’s no official promo art; that lovely picture is actually from the wonderful ferryperson.)

#off colors #steven universe #su #steven universally #review

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ebachan · 5 years ago

Text

Sonic Movie Review

So, nobody is going to be surprised I’m writing a review of this movie :-D I’ve seen it the last Saturday. Since then, I’ve calmed down a bit, so I’m not going to be “clouded” by emotions (too much XD)

So without further ado, here we dash by...

I’ll divide this into three segments - The Good, “The Neutral”, “The Bad”. This is a purely personal opinion, so you are free to disagree ;-) I’m open to discussion, but have patience with me ;-) This will be spoilerific, so watch out :-)

TL: DR

The movie is worth the money for sure. There is a lot of fun, good action, top-notch CGI, the voice acting is spot on, Jim Carrey as Dr. Robotnik works really well, and Tom with Maddie make a great couple. All of this and more makes one heck-of-a-ride you will enjoy for the second time as well.

I hope you won’t mind the tag, but I love to read from you ;-)

@movie-robotnik-positivity @movie-sonic-positivity @movie-sonic-adopted-au @aawesomepenguin @welcome-to-green-hills @dxrkblaze @deldiztmblr

THE GOOD

The design...

We all can agree this Design is extremely good and flows well. I’ll remind you, I’m one of the rare people who liked Sonic 1.0. Yes, the one who was hated by almost the whole world. I still like this design, and I would be happy to see it again in action with small adjustments.

However, this one fits better. It has cartoony vibes, vibrant colors, the details are insanely beautiful, and the eyes are pure cuteness.

Jokes...

I liked almost every joke, and if I didn’t get it, I enjoyed the reaction. I can’t speak for English since I’ve heard only Czech dub, but they did well in translating or changing the jokes to fit the scene :-)

Voice Acting...

As stated before, can’t judge it, but great job on it! Czech one just sometimes for me loses some of the emotions Ben Schwartz expressed, but it’s not so bad.

Actions Scenes...

Fast-paced and well-timed. No DBZ-like fights and all of them lead to Sonic’s evolution and show his personality in the best light.

Tom and Maddie...

As I mentioned briefly, I like them both. They are a color-mixed couple, and I love them!!! It’s not forced like with words “Emancipation” or “Women don’t need men”. While Maddie isn’t an action type, she knows how to hold her ground. Like when she was calm when facing Sonic for the first time, or how she accompanied them later in the journey. She is level-headed as not even a dozen of egg-drones made her panic.

Tom is perhaps for some boring, but I like him. He is more collected and mature, which works for some nice dynamics. He is not just an adult, but Sherif too, so he has a strong sense of justice and can’t leave helpless people and alienhogs alike alone :-) He has some great lines, and takes Sonic as an equal.

Dr. Robotnik...

Only know I know he played in The Mask (a movie I’ve seen as a kid but didn’t like that much), but I’m soooo bad with names ^_^;. So, he wasn’t the reason I watched the movie, but I knew I love him as Dr. Robotnik. He makes him less 2D-villain-from-80s and gives him a spark. He is more interesting then SatAm’s Dr. Robotnik, and more close to Boom Dr. Eggman. Yet he is also very dangerous which makes for a great balance of goofy&over-the-top&serious threat.

Music...

I find it nice. Featuring smaller names like Hyper Potion or belowed Junkie-XL is a nice bonus, and they fit well the story. Except for Dr. Robotnik’s one. His moves were more fit for Fast Rock-like music. The Where Evil Grows feels too slow but fits his character. That was the only scene that threw me a bit off.

CGI...

I generally didn’t like 3D much less not fully CGI movies, but this CGI is gorgeous and so alive!! The first half-CGI movie I enjoyed was Detective Pikachu. In this decade, we have a technology capable of making those characters come to life! I hope to see more movies like this!

Easter Eggs...

I’ve spotted a few. And perhaps one I didn’t see anybody talking about. In the Bar Fight Scene, Sonic pulls out underwear of one man attacking Tom just like The Mask did XD Don’t tell me this isn’t an Easter Egg XD You can’t talk me out of it :-D

Emotions...

While I didn’t cry (as I feared), I still felt sadness or joy with Sonic.

The Neutral

Floss...

I don’t care! It’s a simple but challenging dance. It has fast-paced vibes that fit well with Sonic. Not to mention, Sonic mimicked children to feel like he has friends or he is “in”, so if some did Floss challenge, he would do it too.

Product placement...

I’ve noticed a few, and I didn’t mind them. They were relevant to the plot, quick easter-egg (pun intended), or a part of a joke.

Some jokes...

I didn’t mind fart jokes... as silly as they are, there wasn't one every five minutes, so no big deal :-)

Sonic’s arms...

I still don’t get this argument (and I may not want to), but whatever... It’s a minimal change, and I never had a problem with it. The same goes for shoes or any other design choice. Small changes don’t ruin the character ;-)

“The Bad”

I don’t exactly have something I don’t like. But I thought I should mention a thing or two. I found a few “plot-holes” that bugged me after a bit, but they do have an explanation when you think about it. Let’s call them Sonic’s Fun Facts!

NONE of what I mention here is meant to trash the movie!! It’s more of an observation, a fun activity ;-)

The car...

I dunno if any of the cars have an alarm telling you to put on the seat-belt but in both cases of Tom and Sonic, it never rung. But some may not have this function.

The car v2...

Tom’s car lost the roof, yet we didn’t see anybody stopping him. I’m sure everybody would call cops. That would be so weird. The question is, how far he had it to Maddie’s sister, and how close that house was to the Center. Perhas he needed only a short distance or people thought he has those funny 3D-stickers or it’s part of s promotion... Who knows XD

The car V3...

Sonic’s driving... has a lot to desire. Yet, still no police on their tail. Maddie asked the right question. The answer... This is just a joke. Don’t think too deep about it :-D

The Terrorist...

Tom is called a terrorist, but we don’t see any police forces to approach him. Why? Perhaps Dr. Robotnik called dibs on him and given how much the government trust in him, they believe nobody else is needed. Also, if terrorist sees policemen, they tend to turn aggressive. So, for the protection of people, it’s best not to approach him ;-)

The terrorist v2...

Tom uses his badge to gain an access to the door with no security going after him even after the “kidnapping joke”. It still works with my previous statement. It’s meant as a joke, something silly and a bit of adult-humor that works with kids as well. You gotta love those people’s reactions XD

The door...

Sonic checked he needs a key to access the roof. Which is strange. In the beginning, we can see him run up some tall building. So why not here too? Simple... 1) Dr. Robotnik was chasing him, so he might have turn desperate and ran faster and more haphazardly then before. 2) He really wanted to stay with Tom and Maddie for the longest time possible <= Nail it! I’ve no doubt it’s this ;-) Sonic did “guilt-trip” Tom into helping him :-D

The last battle...

We know the story is Sonic’s memory leading to the final battle. Yet, when we get to the point Sonic didn’t run up a building. One would assume we would see similar/exact shot. But no problem here, the movie might have had “time-limit”, so instead of a repeat, we got something new ;-)

The room painting...

When Tom goes and paints the wall with a freshly dipped paint roller, there is no wet mark. I’ve noticed it the moment I saw it. It’s kinda funny.

-----

Well, this seems to be everything I had on my mind :-) I’ve greatly enjoyed the movie that I go the second time <3

Thank you for reading <3

#sonic movie spoilers #sonic the hedgehog #sonic movie #sonic movie positivity #sonic movie 2020 #tom wachowski #jeff fowler #maddie wachowski #james mardsen #tika sumpter #jim carrey #dr. robotnik #paramount pictures #paramount animation #movie review #ebachan rants

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rainbat · 6 years ago

Note

a prompt could be, maybe: TJ has to kiss someone in a game of truth or dare. Cue jealousy/jealousy induced realisation from Cyrus (??)

fuck i really need to work on my paranoia fic i love group games im literally 20 and i still always suggest these dumb games at parties 😩

Have some Muffy, have some Tarty, have some Tyrus, have it all...

Cyrus sat cross-legged, elbows propped up on his legs and chin resting on his hands, which were clasped together. They had been playing truth or dare for the last ten minutes, and he had yet to be picked for anything. He was pretty much expecting to be left out: Andi had really only picked the game to force Buffy’s feelings for Marty to come out, but it still stung a little. They were three ‘truth’s’ deep with Marty, where he had already admitted he had a crush on Buffy (to no one’s surprise) and that he definitely would kiss her out of everyone in the circle. He still wouldn’t choose dare, however, so the game went on.

Buffy, on the other hand, kept choosing dare because Andi had promised to never make her first kiss come through a party game. Cyrus had never promised anything of the sort, and he had already had his first kiss, so why couldn’t he be the source of kissing entertainment? There were certainly people in the circle he wanted to kiss.

He risked a glance over to TJ, who was whispering to Marty. He frowned. He had never realised the two of them were actually friends until Marty started hanging out with them again. He wasn’t jealous, but they did seem a lot closer than Cyrus had expected.

“Okay, Buffy,” Marty said, pushing TJ away from him slightly, “I dare you to kiss TJ.” Buffy looked at him like he had just asked her to kiss a dead rat. TJ scowled at Marty, smacking him in the head.

“I’d sooner lick a toilet,” Buffy replied, which earned a laugh from Marty. “Besides, you can’t dare me to have my first kiss, it’s an established rule.”

“I’m just kidding. I wanted to see your reaction,” he said. Cyrus considered this. Was he kidding? Why had they been whispering right before that whole ordeal? Could..TJ like Buffy? Cyrus shifted his position, drawing his legs up to his chest and resting his cheek on his knee, facing the two boys. TJ noticed this and smiled at him, holding up his bag of chips in offering. Cyrus shook his head in response.

“I dare you to lick the toilet,” Marty said.

“You’re disgusting,” Buffy replied.

“A dare’s a dare!”

Buffy rolled her eyes and pushed herself up from the ground, walking toward the bathroom. Marty jumped up, following her quickly. Cyrus watched them go into the room, but had little interest in actually watching whatever was going to happen. She came back out approximately three seconds later, Marty scowling.

“That’s not fair!” Marty whined, trailing behind her as they made their way back to the circle.

“You didn’t specify,” Buffy replied, not bothering to look back at him. “It’s not my fault you’re bad at giving dares. Get better.” Marty had a goofy smile on his face and Cyrus turned to make eye-contact with Andi, just to clarify they saw the same thing. “So now it’s my turn!” Buffy announced and she sat back down.

“Oh,” Marty replied, his face falling.

“Really didn’t think that one through, huh?” Cyrus sighed, trying to get more comfortable on his knees. They were just going to go back and forth again. There was no end to this game, to the flirting and the bantering, and there was no way to include him. “TJ,” Buffy stated. Cyrus was suddenly interested again.

“Dare,” TJ replied. Cyrus looked to Buffy, somehow hoping he could convey his desire to have TJ kiss him to her telepathically. But did he really want that to be their first kiss? In a dumb game? Probably not, yet he really was regretting keeping his crush a secret at that moment.

“I dare you to kiss,” she rose an eyebrow in suspension, “Marty.” Cyrus’ head shot up. What?

“What?” TJ said, looking to Marty and then to Buffy, who was smiling.

“Kiss Marty,” she repeated. “On the lips.”

Cyrus was hoping he would say no, say he hadn’t had his first kiss, that he’d sooner kiss a toilet, that Marty would be the last person in the world he would ever kiss. But he didn’t.

He shrugged. “Okay.” Buffy’s smile fell. Cyrus was looking at the two boys, trying his hardest to tear his eyes away. He couldn’t believe they would actually kiss. They wouldn’t, right? There was no way.

Marty was facing TJ now, wiggling his eyebrows and TJ wasted absolutely no time. He placed his hand behind the boy’s head and pulled him in. Their lips connecting.

Cyrus watched TJ press into the kiss and his vision went blurry. He pushed himself up as best he could, stumbling on the way and exiting the room as fast as he could. He wasn’t excusing himself to the bathroom, he needed to be completely out of that room, as far away as possible.

He made it outside, with some luck, and threw himself down on the porch bench, dropping his head into his hands to rub at his eyes. His breathing was shallow and he still couldn’t see clearly. What was wrong with him? Why was he panicking over a stupid kiss in a stupid game?

He tried to focus his breathing but his mind just went back to the kiss. How TJ had been so casual about it, he hadn’t even acted like it was an issue. He was casual about kissing Marty, and he had..actually kissed him. Not that Cyrus had expected him to actually do anything at all, but he thought it would be a peck, something small and reluctant, like his kiss with Iris. That wasn’t what that was. TJ had kissed him and then kissed him again. TJ had kissed Marty exactly how Cyrus had daydreamt the two of them would kiss one day. TJ’s hand in Cyrus’ hair, their lips touching lightly at first and then-he felt sick. He stood up, pushing himself off the bench and grabbing onto the rail of the porch, leaning over it. Whatever he was going to do, he wasn’t going to cry.

The cold helped, and he got a nice breeze from the wind as he leaned over. He slowed his breathing finally, and his vision wasn’t as blurry. He was okay. There was no need to panic. Whatever that was, however TJ may feel, Marty liked Buffy. Marty liked Buffy. He closed his eyes, repeating that sentence in his head. He was going to have to go back inside, and explain some reason for his absence. Or was he? He wasn’t even being included, maybe they didn’t even notice he was gone. The thought made him sad, but it helped calm him down. His problems weren’t that big of a deal. He loosened his grip on the railing slightly and tried to straighten himself, taking another deep breath.

“Cyrus?” He froze. It was TJ. He closed his eyes, unable to turn around. “Are you okay?” Bad words. Really bad words to use around him. He felt his eyes sting. No. He gripped the railing again. He wasn’t going to do this.

He took a breath, a little shakier this time. ‘Yes,’ ‘I’m fine,’ anything along those lines was what he should say. “Go away,” was what came out. He didn’t want to tell TJ to go away, but he really couldn’t handle the boy being there.

“Cyrus.” He stepped closer, Cyrus could tell. “Did I do something wrong?” Cyrus wanted to yell and laugh at the same time. At least he was that oblivious to Cyrus’ crush, that was a positive, right? “Can you talk to me?” His voice was soft but there was a twinge of annoyance in his voice. Leave it to TJ to make Cyrus believe this was somehow his fault. He took a breath and turned around.

“What do you want?” He asked, trying to keep his voice steady.

“To know if you’re okay? Why did you run out like that?”

“Because I’m an idiot,” he replied, feeling his eyes sting again. He hastily pulled at his sleeve to wipe his eyes.

“Are you crying?” TJ asked, stepping forward. Cyrus pulled away quickly, trying to hide his face. “Cyrus,” TJ pushed, obviously growing frustrated with him. His voice made Cyrus tear up again. “Hey,” TJ said, slightly softer. He grabbed Cyrus by the arm, pulling him back around. “Am I making you cry?” Cyrus was looking at him now, and there was no turning away. He didn’t know what to say, how to respond to a question like that, so he just blinked. He felt a tear roll down his cheek and noticed TJ’s eyes went to it. His hand came up to Cyrus’ face, thumb brushing over his cheek and wiping away the tear. “Please don’t cry,” he whispered, his hand still on Cyrus’ face, thumb pressed lightly to his cheek.

“I like you,” Cyrus whispered. It came out like a reflex, like an impulse he had absolutely no control over, which was likely thanks to his emotional breakdown.

TJ smiled at him lightly, his thumb ghosting over Cyrus’ cheek. “I might have assumed that when you freaked out over me kissing another guy,” he admitted. Cyrus blinked, another tear rolling down his cheek. So TJ knew. And he was still standing there, hand on his face. And he knew. “Hey,” TJ said, his thumb catching the new tear, “Why are you still crying?” He hadn’t said it back. He hadn’t really said anything.

“Y-you, did—haven’t—you—,” he couldn’t get the words out. He was trying so hard not to cry even more, it took everything he had.

“You think I don’t like you?” TJ chuckled softly, leaning in closer. “Cyrus, I’ve had a crush on you since the moment we met,” he admitted. “I’ve been infatuated with you for months. I’ve lost sleep thinking about you. I’ve failed tests trying to work out how to tell you. I’ve spent hours ranting to Amber about you.” Cyrus couldn’t believe a word coming out of TJ’s mouth. Was he dreaming?

“But you kissed Marty.” That was still at the forefront of his mind, obviously.

“That was a dare,” TJ pointed out. “A dare by Buffy. I morally, and probably legally, could not back out of that.” Cyrus chuckled and TJ smiled wide. “Marty is an idiot,” he continued, “He’d never get a real kiss out of me.”

“A real kiss?” Cyrus asked, looking up at TJ, all too aware the boy’s hand was still on his face.

“Yeah,” TJ whispered, running his thumb across Cyrus’ cheekbone. “A real kiss.”

“What’s that like?”

TJ ran his thumb down Cyrus’ cheek and met his hand under Cyrus’ jaw, angling his chin slightly. “Can I show you?”

It wasn’t really realisation i realised once i was like halfway through this but...i hope you like it either way!

#andi mack #tyrus #tarty #fanfic #Anonymous

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serenlyss · 5 years ago

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And Just Like That, They’re Gone

Rating: G Relationships: Reigen&Serizawa&Teru&Shou, Reigen&Shigeo, Reigen&Ritsu, Shigeo&Ritsu, small background serirei and ritshou Summary: A series of drabbles about Reigen coping with watching the kids grow up and move on. Crossposted to AO3: And Just Like That, They’re Gone

It's me, back at it again with more stepsiblings AU because I'm weak for it. Anyway I've been thinking a lot about Reigen in an AU where he ends up living with the boys, specifically Teru and Shou, and having an up close and personal insight into how they grow and mature through middle and high school, so now here I am. I had a lot of fun thinking about and writing this, I hope you all like it!

---

The end of Shigeo’s second year of middle school marks a season of change in Reigen’s life.

Reigen prides himself on being good with change. He’s always been rather unpredictable, especially in his career choices, and so, he thinks, these changes are natural. Shigeo diverting his attention away from working at Spirits & Such in order to focus on school is a reasonable change, and it doesn’t mean he’s gone forever. He still stops by the office when he has time, even if it’s only to sit quietly on the couch and work on homework for a few hours while Reigen and Serizawa take exorcism jobs, and Reigen never turns him away.

Their relationship is a lot more honest now that Reigen’s secret is out for good. Reigen finds himself talking to Shigeo more like someone might talk to their nephew rather than their former student, keeping tabs on his how studying for finals is going, his escapades with the Body Improvement Club, how his family is doing. Shigeo grows more expressive every day as he tentatively begins to feel the emotions he’s kept locked up for the past four years. It warms something deep inside of Reigen to see him finally acting like the kid he is, showing off his goofy side, laughing and smiling and crying and getting overwhelmed by his schoolwork until Reigen announces that it’s time to take a break and go for ramen.

Another thing that changes that summer is much more personal, much closer to home. After months of arguing with himself over whether it’s a good idea and a few extra days of arguing over why it is a good idea, Reigen finally convinces Teru to move in with him. The lease on his old apartment is up for renewal and Reigen doesn’t really want to move, but he can’t get the image of the fourteen-year-old boy living by himself, going out to buy groceries by himself, doing homework at his desk by himself, and after thinking about it enough he finally decides to rip off the metaphorical band-aid.

(He finally gets the idea to stick in Teru’s head after agreeing to split the rent equally, but even after they move in together, Reigen never asks him to uphold his end of the bargain.)

It’s a long time coming, everyone says. Reigen’s been standing in as a surrogate caregiver for a long time now—from afar, at least—picking up the responsibilities that Teru’s absent parents refuse to fill. He calls his school when he gets sick and goes over to his apartment occasionally to check in on him. Teru starts coming by the office to do homework with Shigeo, which results in all of them inevitably going out for dinner together, and by the time this routine has been going on a few weeks he ends up seeing Teru for at least a few hours on most days anyway. Shigeo seems more than pleased when Teru explains their arrangement, and after Teru officially moves in Reigen starts to see Shigeo more often, too, as he comes over to work on homework or sleep over or just for fun, sometimes. Reigen’s apartment is livelier than it’s ever been before, and despite the noise and the extra clutter and the long nights spent staying up late while Teru complains about school projects, he never regrets making the offer.

---

Halfway through Teru’s third year of middle school, Reigen and Serizawa start dating. Shou, who’s been rocking back and forth between living with his mother and crashing at Serizawa’s apartment, makes a big deal out of having known all along that they were bound to get together, and is, in turn, the one who makes the biggest stink over the few instances of PDA they indulge in.

(Reigen gets him back years later when he and Ritsu start dating, and the stink eye Shou shoots him is worth more than every smile put together.)

---

Shigeo and Teru graduate from middle school, and swap out their old uniforms for matching blue suit jackets and crisp white dress shirts as they move on to attend the same high school. Shigeo is quick to express how excited he is to have a friend going to the same school as him, and the two of them immediately make it a tradition to walk home together whenever they can.

That same summer, Shou moves in with Serizawa officially, loathe to leave Seasoning City behind even as his mother moves to a nearby city for work. He goes with her blessing and a promise to keep in touch, and winds up bumming on Serizawa’s floor until they can find a bigger place. Ritsu keeps him tethered to his hometown, the one person he knows he can never leave behind, and the two of them end up hanging out together more often than not as Shou transfers to Salt middle school and winds up, somehow, in Ritsu’s class. He complains about how stifling the boring black uniform is and refuses to wear his blazer for a minute longer than is necessary, but both Reigen and Serizawa can see that he’s happy there.

In the end, it’s Teru who suggests moving Serizawa and Shou into his and Reigen’s apartment. They have plenty of extra space, as he’s quick to point out, and Shou can’t sleep on Serizawa’s floor forever. Rationally, Reigen knows that adding two more people to the apartment is sure to make it feel a little close and cramped, but he can’t deny that the prospect of splitting rent and saving money is appealing. Not to mention, he’s rather fond of the noise that comes from having people over, now. His office is rarely empty anymore, flocks of middle and high schoolers constantly streaming in and out alongside his clients as they laugh and bicker and complain and conspire. It only takes a few weeks of talking and planning before they’re putting the plan into motion.

Shou shares Teru’s room now, something Reigen worries might be a point of conflict since Teru’s so used to having his own space, but he’s surprisingly quick to adapt to his new roommate. Shou convinces Teru to stay up late playing games on the weekends, and in turn Teru makes sure he does his homework on time. Sure, it’s not a perfect arrangement, but the positives seem to far outweigh the negatives now, the more Reigen thinks about it.

(Teru would later admit to Reigen that having a roommate makes him feel less lonely, like he’s not the only one in the apartment late at night after Reigen’s long gone to sleep, but he never tells Shou to his face. Reigen has a feeling Shou knows anyway.)

---

Reigen really loves living with Serizawa, even if it means he tends to see him most of the day, now. They commute to work together in the mornings and then part ways so Serizawa can attend his night classes while Reigen goes back to their apartment and finds something to eat. Sometimes they all get dinner together, on the occasions that Shou and Teru decide to stop by and help out and Serizawa doesn’t have classes, and then they’ll ride the train home together in high spirits. It’s times like these that make Reigen feel most like he has a family now, as unorthodox and dysfunctional as it is.

Reigen’s no parent, and he knows this. Neither is Serizawa, for that matter, as hard as they both try. Teru and Shou don’t refer to them as their fathers—except for Shou, who might call Reigen ‘dad’ in a mocking manner whenever he does something particularly father-adjacent—but the sentiment is there, sometimes, on nights when Shou’s insomnia keeps him up into the early morning or days when Teru’s anxiety really gets the better of him. It’s the feeling that he’s needed, in a way no one else can quite fill, that makes Reigen wonder what would have happened if he’d decided to leave well enough alone. Whenever these thoughts come to him he’s quick to squash them; he doesn’t want to think about these boys, barely old enough to care for themselves, being forced out of their childhood and into the world too early. Reigen knows a thing or two about fending for himself, and he wouldn’t wish it on his worst enemy.

---

Until he sees Teru cross the stage and accept his high school diploma from his principal’s hand, Reigen had never believed the parents who would bemoan how fast the years go by. All of a sudden he’s hit by the realization that Teru is an adult now, just a tad taller than Reigen himself is and on his way to university in the next few months. It’s been nearly four years, now, since Teru had stepped foot in Reigen’s apartment for the first time as his new home, and the traces of him are everywhere, from the Flying Dead Pig DVD nestled between Reigen’s own collection to the potato chips in the cupboard he’d started buying just because they’re Teru’s favorite snack. He can no longer seem to wrap his head around a house without Teru in it, despite the fact that he’d lived a majority of his adult life by himself.

It’s no different for Shigeo, who Reigen has been watching for even longer than Teru. Shigeo is tall, now, taller than Teru, and his continued exercise with his high school’s Body Improvement Club means he fills out his uniform in a way he never had before. Neither of them are kids anymore, they’re adults who are getting ready to move forward, to seize their futures, and the thought of it makes Reigen’s chest tighten in a way he’s never really felt before. It’s a new feeling, to have so much pride in another person, but he feels it potently when he sees them hug after the ceremony is over, sees the euphoric little kiss Shigeo presses to Teru’s temple in the excitement of the moment, sees the tears that well up in the corners of Teru’s eyes as he holds himself just a little straighter than usual. It overwhelms him in an instant, and he has to blink and tip his head back to keep from crying before he even gets the chance to congratulate them. Serizawa settles an arm around his shoulders and smiles at him knowingly, and no words have to pass between them for Reigen to understand that the feeling is shared.

---

The summer after Teru’s graduation is a rush of grad parties and packing and preparing for the move to university, interspersed with late-night breakdowns over whether or not he’s ready to take the next step and excited phone calls to Shigeo about his class schedule, the apartment they’re going to move into together, or any other new discovery that sets his hands quivering in apprehension and anticipation. It’s simultaneously amusing and nerve-wracking to watch the boy who’s become almost like a son to him practically jumping up and down in excitement for the coming days.

Summer ends before he can blink, and Teru’s move-in day arrives. He and Reigen and Serizawa pile boxes of Teru’s things into the back of a u-haul they’re renting; he doesn’t take everything with him, just the necessities, and leaves his keepsakes in his room in the apartment. Serizawa drives the u-haul with Shou while Reigen follows behind with Teru in the rental car he’s borrowed for the trip. The university he and Shigeo have decided to attend is about a two hour trip away by car, close enough to visit on long weekends if they decide they want to get off campus but far enough away that they can have their own space and room to stretch their legs.

The apartment they move into is small but cozy, with a bedroom big enough to easily fit them both even with Teru’s bulky wardrobe to account for. Shigeo and his family are already there when they arrive, and they greet him warmly, as though Reigen is an old friend. He supposes he is, in a way; he’s been a part of Shigeo’s life for nearly eight years now. He’s been to their house for dinners and birthdays and graduation parties, and they’ve been accepting of him despite his fraudulent actions and tendency to lie under pressure. Even Ritsu greets him in a semi-friendly way, even if he still refuses to give Reigen as much as a smile.

(Reigen laughs and ruffles his hair when Ritsu’s back is turned, just to annoy him, but to his surprise, Ritsu doesn’t so much as glare. It makes him wonder if Shigeo made him promise to play nice for the day, but something tells him there might be more to it than that.)

It takes a few hours to unpack and organize all of Teru’s and Shigeo’s combined belongings, even with the eight of them working together, but by the time they’re finally finished the apartment always looks much more lived-in. They all go out for the busiest, loudest, most hectic dinner Reigen’s ever been a part of before they drop Teru and Shigeo off at their apartment again, this time for good. He manages to hold it together pretty convincingly up until the point that Teru moves in to give him a good-bye hug, and suddenly he can feel his chest tightening and his eyes watering and his lip quivering and he knows it’s going to be a long drive home. Shigeo hugs him, too, and it hurts, because these boys have been a constant in Reigen’s life for years now and he can’t imagine them being so far away. Serizawa, to his credit, seems to be keeping it together a little better than he is, but even he can’t hide the bittersweetness that settles itself in his eyes and stays there as he watches the two boys, caught somewhere between childhood and adulthood, say their good-byes to their families in preparation for their first night on their own as roommates.

Reigen doesn’t say that he’s going to miss them, even though he really wants to. Instead, he wishes them good luck and reaches up to ruffle their hair. They’re too tall for it to be comfortable anymore, but the annoyed expressions are worth the awkward motions ten times over, he thinks. Well, Teru’s annoyance, anyway. Shigeo still doesn’t seem to mind, even though he’s long outgrown such displays of affections and is nearly too tall for Reigen to give them anymore.

(When they decide to give Reigen a call days later, he insists that he isn’t sad at all that they’d left, and doesn’t tell anyone but Serizawa about how he’d cried on the drive home, alone in the rental car.)

---

Ritsu and Shou are the next to graduate, but to Reigen’s surprise—and relief, in the end—they decide to stick around a little longer than Shigeo and Teru had. Ritsu gets accepted into a high-end private university in the city, one he can commute to easily while living at home in order to save money, and Shou has no desire to continue with school any longer than he has to. He gets a job working at a local animal shelter and spends all of his extra time there, putting his spare energy into playing with the rescue dogs and socializing the kittens dropped off by cat owners who can’t afford to keep them. It doesn’t pay a whole lot, but it makes Shou happy and gives him something to do now that Teru’s gone. He keeps living with Reigen as he and Ritsu start to tentatively pursue a budding relationship with each other, and even after he hits his final growth spurt just after graduating, he never quite reaches Reigen’s height. Ritsu, meanwhile, shoots over everyone’s head except for Serizawa, who holds the title of tallest inside and outside of their ragtag family. He gets close, though, the spikes of his unruly hair giving him the extra few inches he needs to match Serizawa’s height.

(Serizawa teases Shou sometimes about how he must have gotten his height from Reigen, and it never fails to make Shou loudly and argumentatively flustered. Serizawa has a way of getting under Shou’s skin that Reigen can’t seem to replicate, no matter how many years Shou sticks around.)

---

As promised, Teru and Shigeo come to visit whenever they can, whether it’s over a three-day weekend or during the holidays. They’re always glowing when they do, eager to reunite with their families and catch up on lost time, and for Teru that means crashing in his old bedroom with Shou again, a room that is still partly his despite how Shou’s begun to overtake the extra space. Reigen is amazed every time just how easy it is to fall back into old routines whenever Teru decides to come home, but Teru comes with new stories now. He talks everyone’s ear off about his college life, his apartment with Shigeo, his classes, how different college life is compared to high school. Reigen’s just glad to have him in the apartment again. He misses Teru’s exuberant energy when he’s away at school, energy he only gets to hear flashes of whenever Teru decides to call and talk to him.

---

Eventually, Shou and Ritsu move out. They don’t go far, but they’re both long overdue for their own space, and so they decide, a year or so into their relationship, to go in together on an apartment of their own, somewhere equidistant from Ritsu’s university and the shelter Shou now works at full-time. Reigen and Serizawa help Shou move his stuff over to his new place, and though the goodbyes are not nearly as emotional are they had been with Teru—Shou’s only moving a fifteen minute drive away, and knowing him, he’s sure to come barging back into his old home whenever he pleases—it still feels like a time of change to Reigen.

Reigen prides himself on being good with change. Change is a constant in his life, as much as it sounds like an oxymoron in his head, and he’s quick to accept new changes with what he considers to be graceful flourish. Despite his optimistic views of change, however, he can’t deny the profound loneliness that comes over him when he walks by Shou and Teru’s old room and sees it empty, half of its previous belongings shipped off to other parts of the city, other parts of the country. The apartment suddenly feels spacious again, and it’s quiet, during the week. Serizawa is still there, of course, and Reigen has a sneaking feeling he might always be there, but it still knocks him off-balance to think that the kids he’s been watching over for the better part of a decade now have grown up and moved on, at least in some ways.

It’s bittersweet, he thinks, but he’s proud, really proud. He feels that pride every time Teru brags about the memories he’s making with Shigeo and when Shou talks about the animals he’s helping at his shelter.

Reigen understands now, when he hears parents bemoan how fast the years have gone by. He understands because he’s experienced those years, as few as they’d been. He’d given advice, provided innumerably meals, weathered late-night breakdowns and broken hearts and anxiety attacks. And just like that, they’d come and gone, like a snap of his fingers.

But it’s not a bad thing, Reigen thinks. After all, change is a part of growing up.

#mob psycho 100 #mp100 #dad reigen #reigen arataka #serizawa katsuya #hanazawa teruki #suzuki shou #kageyama shigeo #kageyama ritsu #serendipitousfics #stepsiblings au

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ragnarssons · 4 years ago

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Never understood people who said Aang was immature. Him running away from the Air Temple is actually has a very mature soil. The kid was about to be taken away from everything he's known. He was considered differently, ignored and rejected by his friends. He was NOT ALLOWED to be a kid anymore at the point that happens. Just because Aang acts goofy to deal with a lot of trauma that is thrust upon him at the beginning of the show, it doesn't make him immature.

All in all, Aang is probably the most mature character on the show. With Katara. That's what binds them together, how they were forced to grow up so fast, and that's what drives Katara to Aang's "goofiness" when they meet. One of the best most telling quotes about this is when they go penguin sliding and Katara says "I haven't done that since I was a kid" and Aang replies "you still ARE a kid". It's a very mature thing to answer, y'know? Reflecting on Katara's trauma and her responsabilities that forced her to give her innocence up.

On top of that, Aang's sense of sacrifice, sense of morality, kindness, ability to forgive, to reach to his enemies? How can anyone say that's immature? When he tries to reach Zuko, super early into the show? When he never held Iroh accountable for the actions of the fire nation and talked with him and learnt from him several times BEFORE Zuko came to "the good side"? On top of it all, do we have to delve into the ending of the show? First, the amount of maturity, courage it takes not to give in to revenge (again, a parallel to Katara) and not to think he has any right to decide what "justice" to inflict on his enemy? All these kids are very mature but Aang and all the messages surrounding him are MATURE, in capslock. The episodes with the Guru where Aangs has to deal with his emotions and grief? He does it all in such a mature way, hello? Even most adults couldn't do it that way.

The questions Aang raises to keep the world and himself at check and question his actions, others' actions all that. All of it reflects on such a level of maturity from the character. That doesn't erase the fact that he remains a kid. And the show allows him to still be a kid despite everything that happens and all the expectations that lie on his shoulders. And that's important too.

It’s time that we had a real conversation about Aang…

For the main character of a television series, Aang somehow almost always finds himself under-rated and dismissed in fans’ posts. You see all these posts and, when they do reference him, it’s usually accompanied by the phrases “immature” and “12-year-old boy.” I mean honestly, in some ATLA fans posts, it seems as if Aang’s name is almost synonymous with the word immaturity–and it’s been that way for years. I’ve always wondered why people discredited him. Was it because they saw his age and immediately ruled him out? Is it an excuse for Katara and Aang to have never happened? Was calling him the most immature character a way to bring up their favorite characters? Or did they simply get conditioned to think Aang was immature because everyone just… said he was? Well, I think Aang’s the most mature character (from start to finish) on the show, and Imma tell you why.

I think that Book 1 Aang is the Aang that everyone has stuck in their head. We get introduced to Aang in a strange way: he’s a boy frozen in an iceberg, and the first thing he asks is to go penguin sledding. Then he boldly explores a fire navy ship after being told it might not be a great idea. This kid’s kinda stupid, we think. Why does he care about penguin sledding? Why does he explore something he is told not to? Then he stops at Kyoshi Island to ride the Unagi, then he stops at Omashu to ride the delivery service, and then he lets the gang stop at other locations—having mini adventures—without worrying about learning waterbending on any sort of timeline. Why does he choose to explore all these different places at first rather than master the four elements? Doesn’t he even care about being the Avatar? Ah… that’s right. He’s only 12.

Except surmising his entire maturity (or lack thereof) to the fact that he stops for these adventures means that you are ignoring one glaring detail of the show: Airbender and nomad culture. Aang asking Katara to go penguin sledding instead of what year it was and taking his friends to all those random stops in B1 so that he can explore can not be chalked up to immaturity. Because then you are ignoring an entire culture. We don’t get to see a lot of airbenders, and I think that plays into the problem, but from what we do know, we learn that a critical part of their culture is that they travel. A lot. And experience different cultures. A lot. Think about all the different places he’s referenced going to 100 years ago in the series. Then think about all the friends he’s talked about having in these obscure places—and it always sounded like he visited them more than once. Traveling, experiencing different cities, and meeting new people was a part of him and a part of his culture. He wasn’t being a 12-year-old when he stopped to ride the Unagi or the delivery shoots in Omashu, he was being an air nomad

On a similar note, one of Aang’s most notable traits is saying, “Hey, check this out,” excitedly while doing some air bending trick that seems juvenile–like spinning marbles around or doing an air scooter. People look at him doing this and his previously mentioned traits and go, “Oh, what a kid.” But here’s the thing: we can’t roll our eyes at his persistent need to show people marbles floating in the air or his air scooter. In the episode “Southern Air Temple,” we see Monk Gyatso—an extremely old, wise air bender—throwing cakes on other monks’ heads, and then we’re told throughout the series that Airbenders were known for their playful nature. Airbenders didn’t use their bending the same way other benders do. For example, Waterbenders might show off their skills by creating a giant wave and being like, “Look how cool!” (See: Katara, like every time she learns a new move.) We know Airbenders have some pretty powerful moves–we’ve seen the tornado Aang created, the air body imprint of Aang that slammed Zuko back–but they don’t show off those moves because they’re so combative and not so fun. They show off the good-natured side of air bending (ex: Gyasto’s staff surfing when he was a child). So those marble/air scooter tricks can’t be watered down to 12-year-old immaturity. Because he’s not being a kid when he does those things, he’s being an Airbender. People also tend to look over the fact that he is a survivor of a genocide. You need to keep in mind that he is a living relic and the only example left of what his race was. So even later in the series when he continues to show people those tricks, he’s showing them not just for fun, but to keep his culture alive. And what do you think he’s going to show them: a tornado with random objects flying around in it or two marbles flying in his hands? Which is a better representation of Airbender culture?

Also, do not forget that Aang earned his arrows. Airbenders are not just regular benders; they are known for being especially enlightened. You don’t just need to be a master at airbending to get your arrows—you also need to be a master at their culture. Aang was an enlightened boi. Look at all the speeches that he gave as the series continued. He didn’t just magically become wise in the course of a few months because he had to fight the Firelord, he just tapped into what was always there and never showed. The maturity was always there, and the receipts are in the arrows.

So, I’ve gone over why he’s not as immature as everyone thinks, but why do I think he’s the most mature on the show? It’s because his emotional maturity is freaking through the roof. He’s part of a genocide, his culture is mocked, the few things—his clothing and glider—that he had left from his home were completely destroyed, and he had to do something that severely went against what he believes in. And he almost never loses his shit. In fact, we only ever see him get actually upset (we’re not counting the Avatar state cause that’s a whole different thing) 3 times in the series: when he was telling Katara about how the monks wanted to take him away from Gyatso, the episode when Appa was stolen, and when he was explaining that no one understands the position he is in (in terms of killing Ozai). Think about how much we saw everyone else freak out over the course of the show? About even smaller things.

Katara and Zuko are generally accepted as the two most mature characters of the series. But why? Zuko is continuously snapping at everyone, and, yes, he matured. But he is not completely there yet. He still somewhat believes in revenge (See: Southern Raiders), and it’s only at the last episode of the series that he understands violence is not the answer. And Katara? She acts very mature towards everyone else, but when it comes to her own emotions? She’s a whole basket full of mess. (See: Southern Raiders, again. Or anytime she uses anger as her way to show she’s “passionate.”) A good way to showcase the difference between Aang and these two is realizing that all of them lost a parent from the war and analyzing at how they handled it. (For Zuko let’s focus on the idea that he never really had a father) Katara lost her mother, Zuko his father, and Aang his father, Gyatso. Throughout the series, losing their parent was a huge topic point for both Katara and Zuko so much so that it was as if they thought no one else had ever suffered. (Katara, we see you telling Sokka that he didn’t love your mom the same). Aang, however, acknowledges his pain, tells stories of Gyatso and uses him as an example of what he wants to live up to— eventually coming full circle at the end wearing Gyatso’s beads and an identical outfit. I can’t imagine a more mature way to handle what happened than that.

Basically, what I’m trying to say is, maturity isn’t based on how you have fun, it’s based on how you react to hard situations. And nobody, nobody reacted better in those situations than Aang. So if you watched Avatar and thought it was a story about a young boy maturing, then you misjudged. It wasn’t a story about an immature boy growing up. It was a story of an Airbender becoming an avatar.

#the last airbender #atla meta #aang #ppl treat him as if he were immature to justify shitting on him and saying katara 'mothers' him and doesn't love him in a romantic way #anyway this post is gold and my addition is just me rANTING #aang defense squad

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curriebelle · 7 years ago

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Episode Ignis Feels Like Fanfiction and That’s a Good Thing

Ok so I’m having a Thought.

You know when people say something reads “like fanfiction”, and it’s meant to be a criticism? The phrase is one of those intangibles, one of those agreed-upons, where no one can define it quite accurately but everyone thinks they know what it means. Usually it’s a combination of deviation from the original tone, bleaching out character flaws and complexities, a lack of understanding of nuance, and a reverent or worshipful attitude towards old characters, moments, settings, and iconography (and iconography is just the Stuff. Star Wars iconography is lightsabers, wookies and Jedi robes).

That’s a pretty reductive description of fanfiction of course, because a lot of fanfic - whether it’s well or poorly written - doesn’t necessarily follow those patterns. Weirdly enough, saying a sequel or reboot reads “like fanfiction” often implies that the writer doesn’t understand something about the source material - that they’re oversimplifying, or they’re fanning about while failing to understand what a “good” sequel would actually require. And that’s pretty ironic, because fans - obsessive detail-hoarding, secondary-character-worshipping pastiche-crafters that they are - often know the source material better than anyone, sometimes better than the creators themselves, and they are very aware of what they are erasing or changing when they move Marvel into a fluffy coffee shop AU.

But I’m kind of digressing, because my point is that “this feels like fanfiction” shouldn’t be seen as a criticism, but rather as a gut feeling that we need to unpack. Sometimes it leads to legitimate criticism that, while worth addressing, actually has very little to do with fanfiction. And sometimes it leads to this weird 4:30 am conclusion: Episode Ignis is when “this feels like fanfiction” should be deployed as a compliment. Spoilers onward, for both Episode Ignis and FFXV.

I’m talking specifically about the alternate ending, here, which is tantamount to an FFXV fix-it fic. In this version Ignis averts the tragic ending of FFXV, and though he prepares to sacrifice his own life to do so, it ends up costing nothing. Ignis survives with even prettier hero-scarring than he gets in the regular plot. The episode fills in a sizable story gap after Leviathan knocks Noct out, and closes a few additional plotholes (I wondered what happened to that one obnoxiously overdesigned Imperial guy: turns out Ravus stabbed him). It spends some time with likable characters (Ardyn, yeeee) and underdeveloped characters (again, Ravus). Ignis gets roughed up and drenched, loses the glasses, and I’m 90% sure the animators made his eyes bigger in the cutscenes for extra pretty. He gains maximum plotline power, and Adam Croasdell voice acts the shit out of some sassy comebacks and anguished screaming (ok, this is unrelated, but when he’s doing the regular stormbind combo, it sounds like he screams FUCK in one of his battle grunts and it makes me laugh every time). He can liberate Altissia more or less by himself, and that’s before he drives a goddamn speedboat away from pursuant megarobots. So for anyone calling Mary Sue, yes, Ignis dives headfirst into that. He basically becomes Magic James Bond.

The whole episode is also pretty blatantly queer-coded. We get a very cuddly flashback to kid Noctis, and Ignis’s vow to stand at his side. Ignis is monomaniacal when it comes to finding Noctis. Noctis eiher drops the l-word, referring directly to Ignis and the freshly fridged Lunafreya (I’m still salty about that one, sorry), or says Ignis will always be in his heart depending on the ending. There’s a fantastic gifset going around of the official couples in previous Final Fantasies (Squall and Rinoa, Tidus and Yuna) declaring the exact same thing Ignis does in the alternate ending. “Rinoa, even if the world turns on you, I’ll be your knight”. “There’s no way I’ll let Yuna go”, even if I have to break all the rules of your stupid religion. Even if it costs my own life, I won’t let you take Noctis away. The queer subtext here is one of those things where it’s purposefully vague - just enough emotional evidence and physical contact that you can read romantic feelings there if you want, but just short of an actual romance to leave interpretations open. If you’re convinced Noctis and Luna were in love, Episode Ignis probably won’t debunk that.

So Ignis and his Episode are both powerful, emotional, pretty, potentially kinda gay, and ridiculously awesome.

And honestly, it is phenomenal.

Episode Ignis is a blast to play. His combat style is very fun and quick and fluid and flashy, and the grappling hook in the first portion makes you feel superheroic. Killing Ardyn, meanwhile, makes you feel godlike. It is an incredible surge of adrenaline to take on armies and deities by your lonesome. The gameplay and narrative reflect each other here, just like they do in the base game. FFXV seems happy at first, and the combat is pretty entertaining with all the goofy combo-attacks, but that game is a tragedy. It’s all the more tragic by how fun it is to begin with, and by the end it is painful to play. Characters get older, places fall apart, people die, and you have to escort Ignis around for a chapter while he grows used to being blind and Gladio constantly bitches at you for walking too fast. The photo mechanic is introduced to break your heart later, to show you how fleeting youth and pleasure can truly be under backbreaking destiny.

And in retaliation, Episode Ignis thrives on the power of Fuck You. Long commutes by car, mundane in the moment but peaceful upon reflection decades later? Fuck You, I have a grappling hook. Sections that force you to walk slowly through a dungeon and think about what you’ve done? Fuck You, I’ve got two daggers, lightning teleportation and button-mashing hands. Musings about the ravages of time, and aching nostalgia for youth? Fuck You, Ignis is prettier than ever. A tragic ending pre-ordained by prophecy? Fuck You, Ignis is going to re-write that fate by being clever, patient, and brave enough to sacrifice his life, but double Fuck You, he gets to live as well. Bullets flying, health bar low, multiple explosions and Atlas Ripped decking airships in the background? Fuck. You. It’s time to make some fucking soup.

With all that in mind, it makes sense that people might accuse Episode Ignis of being tone-deaf, of being fanfiction in all the “bad” ways - it neglects the nuance of the original, and papers over complex themes so everything can end up hunky-dory, but I still think that’s too easy.

Here’s the thing: Episode Ignis can only exist as fanfiction - or as alternate-ending DLC, I guess. FFXV is the story of Noctis and his story has an ending and it’s horribly, horribly sad, but it’s also what the story is built around. You might find it too depressing or too grim or you might find it just right, but it is well-structured. FFXV is careful with its themes and patterns and foreshadowing.

Because of that care, Ignis screwing Ardyn’s plans out of whack and saving Noctis from his fate couldn’t occur in the main game. FFXV is not about Ignis. It’s about Noctis. And the gameplay, built as it is around creating nostalgia - photographs, long car rides, camping, friendship - wouldn’t work if the ending wasn’t agonizing enough to make you long for the good old days. Maybe Noctis didn’t have to die or maybe he did, but the ending of FFXV was always going to hurt.

FFXV is an emotional project, and that project is to make the player painfully nostalgic. With that intriguing goal achieved, Episode Ignis exists as a response, and it can never really be more than that. It’s an ending I like better, but it is an alternate ending.

If you think about it, Episode Ignis didn’t need that alternate ending. It could have existed perfectly well as a companion to FFXV, filling in a much-needed blank (and without the alternate ending that’s exactly what it does). But in making a response to FFXV instead, they challenged a lot of assumptions FFXV needed to make in order to tell its story. FFXV assumes its prophecy is the only answer, as do its characters. FFXV yanks a great deal of agency away from Ignis, Prompto and Gladio when it asks them to sit still for a decade and wait for their friend to die without hunting for an alternative

Why can’t they try something else? Why can’t they defeat their nemesis on their own terms? I mean, who the heck does Bahamut think he is, anyway? Who says the ending can’t be happy, and the future can’t be bright?

Those are exactly the questions a fanfiction writer would ask. FFXV created those questions, and Episode Ignis addresses them, but in a way that acts as more of a breach than a closure. It’s one route to a happy ending - so maybe there are more. This is also the reason I brought up the queercoding in Episode Ignis. If there is any genre that needs a complete overhaul from grimdark tragedy into happy endings, it’s the scourge that is the modern queer romance story. There are so many of those bloody stories ending in anguish or separation or suicide or displeasure, and not nearly enough fairytales. Having a tragic ending overturned by the power of queer love is an insanely empowering experience, and that’s probably why you see so many posts about how Ignis’s gay love can pierce the veil of death and save the day. Episode Ignis didn’t need its queercoding any more than it needed its alternate ending, but the two make sense together: both of them are stories that people are absolutely aching for.

I don’t know if I’ve ever seen anything quite like this - a company actively revising their story, overturning its mood, questioning its plot, granting a completely different ending, and then asking fans to pay 6.99 for it. It’s different from alternate film endings, because those are DVD extras and one always wins the theatrical release. It’s different from re-imaginings or adaptations because Episode Ignis is...just not quite that. It can’t exist on its own, unlike most remakes. Video games are always fluid texts to a certain extent, but now developers are even relinquishing the solidity of lore and cutscenes. It’s so odd.

At the decision point of Episode Ignis, you can use R1 and L1 to flip the camera back and forth, moving between a shot of Ardyn and a shot of Ignis. It’s a tiny, insignificant moment, one that almost feels like a mistake - like maybe the developers couldn’t figure out how to stage a normal shot-reverse-shot. But that moment became an oddly powerful synecdoche for what Episode Ignis was to me. If you want to look at this story from a different angle, well, go for it. Here’s another place you can point the camera. Maybe the sun will rise over there too.

#ffxv #episode ignis #what the fuck it's six am #happy 2018

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