#this feels like one of those 'bandit picks an episode and we play around with it'
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mayday-jd Ā· 1 year ago
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HOLY SHIT IT'S BANDIT FROM BLUEY!!
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anyways time to talk about jerry so I can FINALLY finish this show tmr or this weekend so on we go
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alr so this is a weird one if you don't register simon's old love story this episode was weird (not /neg) it felt off and I think that was the point
so the gang is now stranded in this literally deserted universe with no signs of life since the remote is fucking dead it has no more juice
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they're basically shit out of luck and since they're no sign of life anywhere they already assume there isn't a crown around so yeah everyone's pretty bummed out about that especially cake but not exactly for such reasons
cake is upset with fionna for seemingly not trusting her since she grabbed cake the exact moment she was about to get the crown (ignoring she was about to get eaten by the vampire king) so to cake fionna is being a mother hen and sees her nothing more than a house cat AKA not a capable and independent person
but cake can't really communicate that yet since she's pissed so her and fionna end up fighting/bickering like a mom and her kid
fionna doesn't really regret getting cake out of trouble she's just upset that they're both fighting and just wants them to make up but yk kinda hard to do that when cake's not in the mood to do so soo fionna's bummed out for a lot of the episode yet again (goddamn fi)
enters everyone's favorite ex-cursed old man simon who doesn't really know how to comfort someone for the life of him
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so what does he do?? he decides to tell fionna a story.. of how he met betty yippee
and honestly it is very sweet seeing simon cheer fi up with that story like whenever he picks up that she's sad or feeling down he just starts narrating and it's very nice to watch and fionna enjoys it too so win win
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but we'll get back to the story later rn let's talk more about the besties and their disagreement
so this is where literally the only living person comes into play (not really but shhh that's for later) and that is our little guy bmo who cake founds when she goes for a walk after another little argument with fionna (there's a lot of those)
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bmo doesn't really know what happen all she knows is that everyone turned into skeletons one day but the bmo the gang meets pretends to not know that and just keeps on living life as if everyone's gonna come back I mean finn even left a "brb" note how could they not return?? šŸ™‚
so bmo's pretty nonchalant about the whole deserted universe thing because there's jerry anyway so at least he has company but jerry will come up later
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even when they're mad at each other they're still the best friends ever them being upset with each other is upsetting to me man
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aparticularbandit Ā· 3 years ago
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so. i have a bunch of chapters of a jtv/ouat crossover that were primarily written for me while i was dealing with some irl stuff. i don't know if i'll finish it or get back to it and mostly want to ignore the pressure of you posted a thing and should finish it for the readers BUT given how anxious i've been feeling the past few days and everything that's going on globally, if y'all would like a distraction of sorts, I could start posting it - or, ah, what i have of it - so that y'all can have something to just. not have to think about things for a bit.
i'd maybe post a new chapter shortly before midnight? and then would eventually run out of chapters? (and wouldn't post when i post a chapter of something else - y'all, I'm not gonna push myself to daily create when i, also, am the high anxiety.)
so, ah, if that's something y'all would be interested in, idk, let me know????
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tsukihimeyfan Ā· 4 years ago
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Sorting the main cast of AtLA into Hogwarts Houses
I know Iā€™m late to the party because Iā€™ve seen many different people tackle this before, but I feel like it is my civic duty as both a Potterhead and an AtLA stan to put in my two cents, since every single time Iā€™ve seen it talked about people either misinterpret what each House values in their members or pick a House by taking into account only one aspect of their personalities. I want to make it clear that these are my own opinions, which Iā€™m basing on the definitions weā€™ve gotten of the main traits of each House over the years and the ā€œcore valuesā€ of each AtLA character, and that Iā€™m in no way am I trying to insult anyone who thinks differently. That being said, here goes nothing!
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Letā€™s start with the easy ones. Namely, the Fire Siblings:
1) Azula is 100%, undoubtedly, definitely, incontrovertibly Slytherin. Just doing a quick rundown of the qualities Salazar Slytherin prized in his handpicked students, as stated by the Sorting Hat, Albus Dumbledore and Pottermore: Cunning? Check. Resourcefulness? Check. A disregard for rules? Check. Using any means to achieve her ends? Check. Shrewdness? Check. Ambition? Check. Self-preservation? Check. Pride? Check. An argument could even be made that, as a member of the Fire Nation Royal Family, Azula also kind of meets the ā€œblood purityā€ criteria. Iā€™m sure most of us agree on this. Even if she does exhibit a lot of loyalty to her father as well as courage and intelligence, there is just no contest. Azula is one of the most Slytherin characters Iā€™ve ever seen outside of the Harry Potter universe.
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2) In the same way, Zuko is irrefutably a Hufflepuff. Hear me out! I know that heā€™s very brave and daring, but when we think of Zuko, what is his most essential trait, what do people tell us again
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and again
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about Zukoā€™s character?
Heā€™s a hard worker. And whatā€™s the House of the hard-working?
"You might belong in Hufflepuff, Where they are just and loyal, Those patient Hufflepuffs are true, And unafraid of toil.ā€
You guessed it. Hufflepuff. Of course, thatā€™s not the only trait valued by this House that he exhibits. Who is more loyal in the series than the child who got half his face burned off and still did his best to earn the love and respect of the one responsible? Who never faltered in his loyalty even when he was sent away on an impossible mission? Who spouted angry words most of the time yet was willing to let his ticket home go temporarily in favor of ensuring the safety of his Uncle and his crew? Thatā€™s right, our boy Zuko. That very loyalty to his father is what unfortunately bound him for the longest time, until he was forced to face what a monster he was and let go of it in favor of more important things, namely his own morals and his loyalty to his Uncle.
He also has an incredibly strong sense of justice, as proven by the above statements, as well as this moment:
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and he can be incredibly patient when he needs to be, as seen during The Blue Spirit and the Southern Raiders episodes.
Hufflepuffs are also said to be fair (which he clearly is), dedicated (need I say more?), honest (which Mr. shouts-his-feelings-at-the-top-of-his-lungs and canā€™t-lie-without-being-obvious-or-glancing-away-and-has-been-found-out-every-time-he-tried of course is) and modest (this one he starts without but by the time he joins the Gaang there isnā€™t anyone more modest or humble)
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AsĀ ā€œan idealist with a pure heart and unquestionable honorā€Ā , Zuko is the Hufflepuffiest Hufflepuff to ever Hufflepuff and I will die on this hill
3) Another easy one is our girl Suki, whom Iā€™d say is a Gryffindor through and through, even if she is very loyal to her friends.
The rest of the Gaang under the cut.
The other members of Team Avatar are a bit trickier because they all exhibit a pretty even mix of traits from more than one House, but still if we just concentrate on their defining characteristics we can get to an answer.Ā 
4) Iā€™d argue that Sokka belongs in Ravenclaw, even though he is of course quite brave and extremely loyal to his loved ones, not only because heā€™s a strategist and an inventor, but also because, as best stated by Master Piandao:
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Ravenclaws most value wit, learning, intelligence, creativity and wisdom (this last one is a bit iffy but Iā€™m sure heā€™ll get there when heā€™s older), as well as priding themselves on being original in their ideas and methods. Thatā€™s Sokka to a T.
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5) Katara gave me a hard time. Sheā€™s unbelievably loyal to her friends and family, sheā€™s compassionate, patient, fair, hard working and dedicated, with a REALLY strong sense of justice, so a case can be made for Hufflepuff easily. However she can also be quite cunning when she wants to (most obviously during The Waterbending Scroll, City of Walls and Secrets, The Painted Lady, and The Runaway), she has a lot of ambition (if you count every variation of ā€œI will make the world a better place by force if I have toā€), she disregards the rules when it suits her (again The Waterbending Scroll as well as The Runaway) and she can be proud at times, so we could argue sheā€™s a Slytherin. Sheā€™s also undoubtedly very intelligent and even quite wise for her age. It took me a while to decide but then I pondered; at her very core, what are the statements that define her? What words just screamĀ ā€œthatā€™s it, thatā€™s Kataraā€? They are, of course, these two phrases:
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The first sounded incredibly Gryffindor to me, and the second is half Gryffindor half Hufflepuff, so it had to be between those two. As such, I decided to look into Gryffindor first. Katara is, of course, astoundingly courageous, but what else? I had to actually look up definitions for the Gryffindor traits besides courage because they all just kinda meantĀ ā€œbraveā€ to me initially šŸ˜…, but what I found was:
*Nerve:Ā ā€œone's steadiness and courage in a demanding situationā€. Yep. Whoā€™s the most level-headed, steady and reliable person whenever the Gaang is in any kind of pinch? Thatā€™s right. Katara
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*Daring:Ā ā€œadventurous or audaciously boldā€œ. Yep. Iā€™d say she ties with Toph for boldest in the Gaang
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*Determination:Ā ā€œfirmness of purposeā€. Yep, absolutely. See the above image from the Painted Lady. ā€˜Nuff said.
*Chivalry: can mean 2 things, one is ā€œsum of the ideal qualifications of a knight, including courtesy, generosity, valor, and dexterity in armsā€. All of that is true of her (her ā€œarmsā€ being her waterbending), but I found it interesting that to be chivalrous can also mean ā€œgracious and honorable toward an enemy, especially a defeated one, and toward the weak or poorā€. Iā€™d argue that this fits her even more. Once again, just take a look at The Painted Lady episode.Ā 
*Courage and bravery: they can mean the same thing, namelyĀ ā€œthe ability to do something that frightens youā€ and of course that fits Katara, but the word courage in particular has another meaning, which isĀ ā€œstrength in the face of pain or griefā€...
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Iā€™d say sheā€™s pretty good at that. I think that settles it, Katara is a Gryffindor.
Turns out that when it came to the water tribe siblings Bato was right all along
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6)Ā For Toph I was split between Gryffindor (thinking of her brash, bold nature) and Slytherin for a while, but after looking into Katara and researching all those definitions I think I have to give it to Slytherin. Of course, Toph doesnā€™t seem to be very ambitious unless you count ā€œbeing recognized as the greatest earthbender in the worldā€, but she is quite cunning. She knows exactly how to use her ā€œpoor helpless blind girlā€ persona to get what she wants, as seen both on The Blind Bandit and The Runaway. Sheā€™s also an extremely good actress, being able to play the ā€œreserved and obedient little girlā€ to her parents for years, and being easily able to pick it back up when it suits her.Ā 
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Sheā€™s also stubborn, proud, and 100% willing to use any means, regardless of laws or rules, to get what she wants.Ā 
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As for self preservation? Remember that her response when asked to teach Aang, which was crucial to save the world but wouldā€™ve compromised her secret, was this:
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Slytherins can alsoĀ ā€œhesitate before acting, so as to weigh all possible outcomes before deciding exactly what should be done ā€œ and my first instinct was to say that it didnā€™t fit Toph at all, but what is Toph if not a person who ā€œwaits and listens before strikingā€? Slytherins tend to favor Neutral Jing it seems.Ā 
Almost forgot that as a daughter of the Beifong family sheā€™s sort of nobility and she technically also meets theĀ ā€œblood purityā€ criteria.
7) Finally, we get to my boy Aang. He was really difficult. Heā€™s loyal, patient, fair, kind, modest (usually) and just but I canā€™t really call him a hard worker most of the time.Ā Ā 
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Heā€™s brave, adventurous, determined and chivalrous but he does tend to get discouraged during demanding or stressful situations (his friends always make it better though)
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Heā€™s creative, very wise for his age, and quite smart (except when heā€™s playing around with Sokka in which case they share one brain cell šŸ˜‚)
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He can even be cunning when he needs to be.Ā If he ever went to Hogwarts, heā€™d definitely be a Hat Staller like Harry. I heard someone say once that they considered Aang a Gryffindor because he liked to show off a lot, but thatā€™s not really a Gryffindor trait (think of Neville Longbottom, Remus Lupin, Harry Potter and Minerva McGonagall. I think any one of them would sooner Stupefy themselves than go show off their skills in front of a crowd for no reason other than to brag).
Once again, we must pin down what it is that defines him, what his core is. After much thought, I decided itā€™s this:Ā 
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Itā€™s his compassion, which he learned from his people, and his desire to value and protect all life. Itā€™s his loyalty to the ideologies of the Air Nomads of which he is the last remaining bastion. Itā€™s his strong moral code, his sense of right and wrong, his wish to make friends and to believe the best of everyone. Thatā€™s his center. That is what makes him Avatar Aang. In light of that, I think we can consider Aang, first and foremost, a Hufflepuff.
In the end, Team Avatar is made up of one Ravenclaw, one Slytherin, one Gryffindor (two after Suki joins), and two Hufflepuffs
Ironic, that the House least valued in the Harry Potter universe is the one that houses arguably the most pivotal characters of Avatar the Last Airbender: Zuko and Aang. Fitting, that even in this they parallel each other.
This is already long enough so I donā€™t think Iā€™ll do Mai, Ty Lee, or Iroh. Maybe some other time.
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viseralantlers Ā· 4 years ago
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old friend (c!karl jacobs x reader)
takes place in episode 5 of tales ! The wild west one !
warnings: Injury, swearing, character death
Request: nope!
note: using Kit as the alternate name to avoid confusion and follow how the time travel thing works kinda !!!! If you donā€™t like it feel free to pick another one and fill it in ! I was mostly trying to keep it gender-neutral !! Sorry if it makes it difficult to understand : (
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John led Karl around the small town to pick up people to help stop the hostile bandits he had the pleasure to meet when he first entered the saloon just a few hours ago. Now an eccentric band of characters were leaving Williamā€™s shop to head to their last stop, the bakery.Ā 
ā€œAlright, so this is Kit!ā€ John spoke with a slight drawl as Karl watched hesitantly as a head peaked up from behind the counter that had been covered in fresh loaves of bread. Karl paused at the sight, it was y/n. It couldnā€™t be, they had died on doomsday. He felt frozen to his spot as he studied their every move. Karl knew deep down that this wasnā€™t y/n. Heā€™d seen these past versions, relatives of sorts. of his friends, but heā€™d never seen anyone that had looked like y/n. It had always been sapnap or technoblade, it was as if y/n died not only in the present but in every past he traveled to.
ā€œHuhā€ they said as they wiped the flour from their hands on a black apron that had been tied around their neck and torso, stepping around to the group.Ā 
ā€œHey, Kit!ā€ John was cut off as y/n jumped into a question.
ā€œJohn, I thought you already picked up your stock for this week?ā€Ā  John scratched the back of his neck feeling Percyā€™s stare digging into the back of his head due to his newly revealed spending habits. Y/n, now Kit, continued talking before abruptly pausing when they finally noticed the crowd that had accumulated in their small bakery. ā€œWhatā€™s all this about?ā€ They said with a hint of anxiety slipping into their voice.
ā€œNothing to be worried about!ā€ Karl jumped into action at the sign of y/nā€™s trepidation ā€œWe just wanted to ask if you wanted to help us take down those old democrat haters.ā€ Karl nervously laughed.
ā€œOh! Yea, for sure bucko, I hate those guys as much as the next one of yā€™all.ā€ They smile, a steady joyful expression breaking their former nervous demeanor. Karl felt strangely sick at the sight, at how much it reminded him of his old friend, or more so crush, before their passing. Though he also noted the change in your speech as a strong southern accent slipped in every once in a while, even using the word yā€™all.
ā€œGood to hear, Kit!ā€ John said happily as y/n and William shared a small conversation talking about stock and sales in the recent weeks. Karl trailed behind the group as he watched y/n converse with the crowd, their face filled with a wide smile, even daring to talk with Crops as if he wasnā€™t a convicted cannibal. They seemed as kind as ever, as an addicting presence as they used to be when the two lived together in Lā€™manberg.
ā€œHey Karl!ā€ y/n practically beamedĀ at him as he passed them on the wooden prime path as tommy affectionately called it. ā€œNiki and I made this new bakery together wanna come check it out!ā€ They singsonged already reaching to grab at Karlā€™s sleeve. They smelled like freshly baked bread, their face dusted with a soft blush from the exertion of baking.
ā€œYea, sure!ā€ Karl granted them his hand letting y/n pull him in to waste an entire day tasting pastries and sweets. He went home that night with flour handprints on his back and a warm feeling in his chest.Ā 
ā€œGreat shot!ā€ Karl was pulled out of his trance as he watched Michael whiff the target by a few feet. Shaking his head he studied each member shoot with varying success. Though what really caught his eye was an aim that only rivaled y/nā€™s own coming from who John had called Kit, the baker that smiled exactly as y/n had every time he whispered a bordering on senseless joke into their ear on party island. He struggled to solidify the name Kit in his head as he watched Kit stick out their tongue as they focused their aim and hit a perfect bullseye. Kit smiled to themselves before they followed the party to the tents surrounding a warm crackling fire.
ā€œHey, Kit, right? Sorry Iā€™m just never very good with names.ā€ Karl said as he settled down beside the sweet-smelling baker.Ā 
ā€œYep!ā€ They chirped with a relaxed face as they studied the flicking fire as it reached up towards the open sky.Ā  ā€œNeed something?ā€ They asked turning to Karl. Karl blushed at the eye contact not knowing why he started the conversation in the first place.
ā€œNo, no, no,,, uh nothing, I just wanted to say good shooting back there I guess.ā€ He laughed to himself playing with the ends of his sleeves.
ā€œThank you very much, kind stranger! Just a little hobby I picked up after they built that old shooting range. You know, I donā€™t think I ever caught your name back in my store?ā€
ā€œItā€™s Karl.ā€
ā€œKarrlllllllllā€ Kit drew out with a goofy face focusing on the l ā€œPretty name!ā€ Karl felt stuck in time as the interaction mirrored one he had had with y/n.
ā€œKaaarrrrrrllllllll! Did I ever tell you your name is pretty?ā€ Karl looked at y/n confused.
ā€œNo, but ,,,, I wouldn't quite call it that.ā€ He blushed looking down at his feet.Ā 
ā€œI would.ā€ y/n nodded affirmatively ā€œcause itā€™s Karl, not Carl, itā€™s pretty,,,,,, your pretty,, really.ā€ y/n laughed at they looked up at the lazily passing clouds with a gentle smile plastered on their relaxed face.Ā 
Karl laughed away the small compliment after he looked back up into Kitā€™s e/c eyes as the group broke into talking about the coming showdown between the two sides.
ā€œKit, I think you should fight, Mason. You have the best shot out of us aside from me, of course.ā€ Sherif Thompson spoke.Ā 
ā€œThatā€™s okay with me! Anything to stop those guys from ruining my pastries really.ā€ Kit said as their interest was engulfed by the warmth from the fire once again. Karl felt fear dig its way into his chest as he looked at Kitā€™s side profile remembering the last time he had seen them like this.Ā 
ā€œKarl go to your library, please. The grid canā€™t reach itā€ y/n called to Karl over the never-ending sounds of explosions and falling rubble. ā€œIā€™ll be okay, I got my bow and my charisma.ā€ y/n chuckled sadly.
ā€œCome down with me! We can be safe together. This isnā€™t worth it, y/n!ā€ Karl begged as he yelled over to their figure standing tall knowing they were on their last life, knowing that they were not going to go with Karl, knowing this could end in tragedy. Y/n turnedĀ  with fresh tears trailing down their cheeks.Ā 
ā€œThis is my home, Karl.ā€
ā€œI know.ā€ Karl resigned to the fact that you werenā€™t gonna come with him. Werenā€™t gonna cower as Lā€™manburg breathed its final breath full of smoke. ā€œI love you.ā€ He yelled as they gave a brave smile jumping down to join the fray. He had imprinted the side profile of their face as they stood solemn, lit by the cloudy sky and the flashes of explosions.
Suddenly it was high noon. Tension building in Karlā€™s chest as he called out the paces studying Kit walk away from Mason. The track record had been 2-0 he could only hope it would remain so positive.
1
Y/n had died from an arrow.
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An arrow through the chest.
3
It had been thought to have been shot from Dreamā€™s grid.
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No one knew who did it. There was no way to know.
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They bled out at the bottom of the crater,
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alone,
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As Karl huddled in the library,
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Eyes shut tight.
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Karl knew that in some twisted way, he might as well of fired that arrow himself.Ā 
10
FIRE!
They both fell to the ground, Mason dying upon impact due to the arrow directly piercing his heart. Kit wasnā€™t as lucky, the arrow had hit itā€™s target, but not quite a bullseye, the tip was lodged into their upper thigh.Ā 
ā€œy/n!ā€ Karl called out in a panic, the strange name not lost to the group around him. He rushed to Kitā€™s side as tears freely flowed down his face. ā€œDoes anyone have a potion?ā€ Kit stared at him in confusion.
ā€œHey, Iā€™ll be fine, not an artery or anything, just hurts.ā€ they gave Karl a soft smile trying to reassure him of the small injury not being lethal.
ā€œYea, yea, sorry, I just.ā€
ā€œy/nā€™s dead, Karl.ā€ Quackity said as he walked into the secret room of the library that was hidden behind the bookshelf full of y/nā€™s favorite classics. Karl was frozen in fear as he studied Quackityā€™s face for any sign of this being some sick sadistic joke. He only found sorrow and loss.
ā€œNo, no, y/n, will be here any second! The fight is over, and they are okay, right? Right?ā€ Karl begged Quackity as he felt his hands begin to shake, his breaths becoming ragged. Quackity sat down beside him letting Karl curl into his side. Karl handā€™s gripped to his shirt as he sobbed. Quackity knew he couldnā€™t stop Karlā€™s pain, but he could comfort him through it.
ā€œI guess, you just reminded me of an old friend.ā€
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Top 5 Reasons Dougā€™s Pretty Great
Itā€™s hard to believe that itā€™s been nine years since the first episode of S1 was released. I can still remember be a wee little lass first discovering it on youtube and becoming obsessed. At the time, I had no where to play it myself, so I watched as many playthroughs as I could until my family got an xbox.Ā 
While the first episode in this series has a lot of memorable moments, the one that always stands out in peopleā€™s memories is the moment where youā€™re trying to escape the drugstore as walkers pound away at the door and windows, and you realize that both Carley and Doug need your help or theyā€™re going to die.Ā 
But... you can only save one, and whoever you donā€™t help, they end up being eaten alive by walkers and you get to feel bad about it for the rest of the episode.Ā 
I bring this up because itā€™s interesting to look back nine years ago and see that... well, not a lot of people saved Doug. Which is crazy, because nowĀ the stats are pretty 50/50 with Doug even having a bit of an edge over Carley. That definitely wasnā€™t the case back then because the stats were more along the line of 20/80.
Why? Well, the writerā€™s didnā€™t exactly do the best job of showing how great Doug is in ep1, especially compared to Carley who has more interactions with Lee and more screen time.... which is even funnier because they did actually think they did a good job and were surprised by the results after the episodeā€™s release.
Even back then they had a habit of making imbalanced routes then denying the imbalance... something they never grew out of.Ā 
I guess they were a little butthurt about it since Doug is a favorite among the team given that heā€™s actually based on a real person, Doug Tabacco, an IT guy they worked with. This got to the point where Telltale never missed an opportunity to tell everyone to #SaveDoug over Carley.
I also love that they use the Stranger to guilt trip everyone who saved Carley by having him be like,Ā ā€œDoug was in a worse position! >:( You only saved Carley because she was a pretty girl!!ā€ just.... real subtle, guys haha
Now, Iā€™ll be the first to admit that more often than not, I choose to save Carley over Doug for many reasons, but that doesnā€™t mean I donā€™t appreciate Doug and enjoy having him around in the off chance I do save him. So I thought itā€™d be fun to talk about Doug as a character and why he was pretty great as a little tribute, yā€™know?Ā 
5. Dougā€™s a pretty funny dude
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Now, I wouldnā€™t exactly call twdg a comedy, yā€™know? It gets dark, then manages to get even darker at times, but if the game was nothing but doom and gloom, itā€™d get boring and become unenjoyable.Ā 
While other characters do get a laugh out of me from time to time, I enjoy the humor that Doug brings to the group, even if itā€™s not intentional and just the way he is.Ā 
Even from the beginning, Doug had me chuckling with the fact that this nerdy dude didnā€™t want to bring profanity to Leeā€™s ears when talking about Larry, so heā€™s just likeĀ ā€œ He's kind of a dick... pardon my french,ā€ like Doug.... itā€™s okay, you can call him an asshole, no one will judge hahaha.
Then thereā€™s the biscuit scene that I think we all know and love. Helps break the tension of meeting these weirdoā€™s who own a dairy and are totally not suspicious or anything.Ā 
But itā€™s not even just that Doug is funny, heā€™s also a character that gets you to crack a smile when heā€™s talking about something heā€™s passionate about, or when heā€™s proud of the alarm he rigged up, or when heā€™s being adorably awkward.Ā 
One of my favorites is in ep3 when Lee goes to ask Doug if he has any chalk, and he goes into this spiel about charcoal--Ā ā€œYou know, a piece of charcoal is a suitable alternative, depending on your marking surface. Since we're on the subject, did you know that while chalk is traditionally known to be calcium carbonate, what's often used in classrooms is actually made of gypsum, thanks to favorable domestic mining conditions?ā€
And Leeā€™s response is just--Ā ā€œDoug, I did not know that.ā€
ā€œHappy to be of service.ā€
Itā€™s just really funny... and it makes you feel better after all the implications about Dougā€™s mental health in the episode... like you gave him a moment to flex his knowledge and get excited about it.Ā 
But yeah, what can I say? Doug makes me laugh and he brings a bit of light to the groups constant shitshow.Ā 
4. Doug saved the groupā€™s ass at the St John farm
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And he did so with a laser pointer.Ā 
I always hate it when Doug/Carley leave the group at the St Johns and remain absent for most of the episode, though I chalk that up to the writers trying to make the different routes easier on themselves, yā€™know?Ā 
But, at least they come back to save the day.Ā 
In Dougā€™s case, heā€™s not comfortable with guns like Carley is, so heā€™s gotta get creative when it comes to getting Leeā€™s attention and stopping Andy from hurting Duck and Lee.Ā 
Thatā€™s where his fancy little laser pointer comes in.Ā 
We first see him with it during the walk to the farm, but then see it in action after Lee escapes the barn and is nearly blinded by the light. Doug claims he was doing morse code before Lee tells him and Ben that these assholes cut off Markā€™s legs and tried to feed them to the group.Ā 
Now, hereā€™s the thing... If Doug and Ben had done what they were told and stayed at the motor inn over night, things probably wouldnā€™t have turned out so good for the group. Doug is the one who shines the laser pointer in Andyā€™s eyes when heā€™s got ahold of Duck, giving Lee the advantage of attack. Without that, if Lee tried anything, he wouldā€™ve ended up like dingdong Kenny with a bullet in his side.Ā 
Also thereā€™s just a lot of bravery from Doug, yā€™know? Like as soon as he finds Lee and knows the situation, the first thing he asks is what can they do to help, and he sticks around to do what he can.... even if it is just to point a laser in someoneā€™s eye.Ā 
No one gives Doug enough credit for savinā€™ the day, yā€™know? And if you have any doubt, even Lee says, ā€œI never thought a laser pointer would be the thing that saved our lives.ā€
3. Dougā€™s friendship with Lee
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Speaking of Lee, his friendship with Doug is underrated. The two have chemistry and work off each other well in the sceneā€™s theyā€™re in. While itā€™s not as strong as Carleyā€™s in ep1, saving Doug and having around in ep2 & ep3 lets you see it at itā€™s best, yā€™know?Ā 
After Lee saves his life at the drugstore, Doug is shown to mourn Carley and asks Lee why he would pick him, lamenting that he wished he had picked her over him and you can tell that Doug feels that he owes Lee a lot for saving him. Hell, he even says as much when Lee tries to give him food in ep2--Ā ā€œWhy don't you keep my share today. I know I said it didn't matter why you saved me and not Carley, but... I owe you a lot more than half a day's rations."
Also, I love this one line from Kenny when youā€™re on bad terms with him and theyā€™re talking about going separate ways where heā€™s basically likeĀ ā€œWe all know Dougā€™s gonna stay with you because you saved him that ONE time >:(ā€ and on top of it being such a bitchy Kenny line, it also shows that every can see that Doug is a loyal friend to Lee and would want to stick with him where ever he decides to go.Ā 
One thing that I think people tend to overlook, though, is how concerned Lee is with Dougā€™s mental health in ep3. There are implications that Doug might be suffering with depression due to the situation of the walkers, bandits harrassing and threatening them, and believing that he isnā€™t useful to the group, stating that he feel pretty worthless. Lee asks Clementine if he seems sad, and hell, he even talks to Lilly about it.
In fact, speaking of Clementine, Doug is real sweet with her, too. Of course, he gives her those batteries for her walkie, but he also asks about how sheā€™s doing as theyā€™re leaving the dairy. Hell, 8 years later, Clementine still remembers him by name and how sweet he was when fucking dingdong Lilly canā€™t remember his damn name. That says a lot.Ā 
Yā€™all know how important Clementine is to Lee, so he wouldnā€™t have grown as close to Doug if he wasnā€™t a genuinely good person who treated Clementine with kindess.Ā 
I dunno, thereā€™s a lot of trust and care between the two and itā€™s a relationship that I truly love. I just wish we couldā€™ve seen a bit more of it but yā€™know...#2 happened.Ā 
2. Doug saved Benā€™s life
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Yeah, I think we all saw this coming...
Look, doesnā€™t matter what you think about Ben, okay? Not what weā€™re talkinā€™ about. Weā€™re talkinā€™ about Doug saving Benā€™s life, which unfortunately meant ending his own.
Still havenā€™t forgiven Lilly for this one. Though Iā€™ve always found the difference between Doug and Carleyā€™s deathā€™s interesting. With Carley, Lilly intentionally kills her after Carley tells her off. But with Doug, Lilly was aiming for Ben and even when Doug pulled him out of the way, she still fired the gun... even though she didnā€™t have a clear shot and ended up hitting Doug.Ā 
Then she tries to play it off like it was an accident which, yeah I guess it was but that doesnā€™t change that you were intending to murder this 6ft tall child.Ā 
Itā€™s just... I dunno, man, itā€™s sad. I always feel more sorrow for Dougā€™s death, but more anger for Carleyā€™s? Even though both make me angry, itā€™s just different characters, different things that led to their deaths, different feelings. This is the first realĀ ā€œFuck you, Lillyļæ½ļæ½ļæ½ moment for me and she can spend the next 8 years wandering around for all I can.Ā 
Doug didnā€™t deserve this shit.Ā 
But, the reason I put this at #2 because it really says a lot about Doug as a character. The second he saw Lilly aim that gun, he yanked Ben out of the way. He couldā€™ve gone into shock, he couldā€™ve just yelledĀ ā€œno!ā€, or he couldā€™ve gone at Lilly instead.... but no, his first instinct was to grab Ben and move himself in front and it really fucking sucks that thatā€™s what killed him.Ā 
And yā€™know this isnā€™t the first time Doug has put himself in danger to save someone. I already talked about him saving everyone at the dairy, but can we not forget how he and Carley met? She was gonna get eaten by walkers then our big hero Doug came in and saved her?? Didnā€™t know her or anything, just saw her and her crew getting attacked and did what he could to save any survivors??Ā 
Like... no one talks about that because itā€™s so played off and never brought up again and I need everyone to remember this, okay?Ā 
Doug selflessly putting himself in danger to help those around him? Fantastic. Beautiful. Love that.
1. Look, Doug himself is just #1. His personality, intelligence, everything.
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Wow, Dougā€™s personality being the #1 reason heā€™s so great? Who woulda thought?
Well, MEĀ woulda thought because obviously.
Listen... in case you havenā€™t gather this from the previous four entries, Doug is an intelligent, awkward, caring, selfless, funny, and brave man, okay? Heā€™s likable, he tries his damnedest to pull his weight for the group, he shows actual loyalty and kindness unlike someĀ people, and when he tends to avoid the constant Lilly and Kenny conflicts, he does his best to step in when things take a serious turn, hence the Ben situation.Ā 
No to mention the dude is smart.Ā 
I mean, he really took a random remote and was like,Ā ā€œOh itā€™s universal, let me just program it to work on ALL the random TVā€™s across the street as a way to distract these walkers!ā€ like dude.... you just know how to do that, huh?Ā 
Or his fun little bell trap that alerts the groups of strangers and walkers? Oh, and remember when he fixed the RV by hitting it with a fucking hammer and was likeĀ ā€œIt works now, drive!ā€Ā 
And have I mentioned that he bested Andy St John with a goddamn laser pointer??Ā 
Oh, also wanna add that I really like his voice acting, as well. Heā€™s voiced by Sam Joan, who does a good job at selling Dougā€™s soft-spoken but intelligent nature, and knows how to pull offĀ ā€œdorkyā€ when needed... and I mean that in a good way, when heā€™s talking about charcoal Doug isĀ being a dork and I love him.
I mean... what else is there to say?
All thatā€™s left to do is pull a Telltale and--
#SaveDoug
---
Honorable Mentions
-Doug is a pie guy, going off of that time he named all the different kinds of pie he could thing of and I feel that.Ā  -Heā€™s a very fashionable person. I want that weird polar bear deer thing shirt he wears in ep1.Ā  -also, you canā€™t go wrong with socks and sandals, my dude.Ā  -He had a crush on Carley and honestly, I feel that, too.Ā 
---
There it is, thereā€™s my whole thing about Doug. What are your thoughts? When it comes to that choice in ep1 of s1, do you save Doug or do you save Carley? Do you agree or disagree with any of my choices for this list? Or have anything to add? Iā€™m always down to chat.
Have any suggestions for future T5Fā€™s? Feel free to send ā€˜em in! :D
ā€”
Next weekā€™s T5F
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pandoraborn Ā· 4 years ago
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BORN TO RISE chapter 1 (prologue and first chapter can also be found HERE.)
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This is definitely not his bed anymore. For one, the ground is a lot harder than a mattress, for two, the air circulating isnā€™t electrical. Tommyā€™s staring up at the sky, blinking in confusion. Come to think of it, he doesnā€™t even remember going to bed last night. Heā€™d been spending time with Wilbur and Phil, with Phil giving him strange looks the whole time.
Did Phil have anything to do with this?
Tommy pushes that thought out of his mind. He knows Phil is as protective of him as he is of Techno and Wilbur, so it wouldnā€™t make sense for Phil to kidnap Tommy and drag him to the middle of a forest.
Tommy rubs his face as he sits up slowly, grimacing at the wave of dizziness that washes over him. Heā€™s not okay, but heā€™s not panicking. Yet. Itā€™s more important for him to gather his bearings and find out where he is first before he latches onto that panic.
The problem is, after rummaging through his pockets, Tommy realizes that heā€™s empty-handed. Heā€™s left with nothing but the clothes on his back, and...a glance to the ground tells him a headset. Why there is a headset laying on the ground next to him is beyond him, but if thatā€™s something thatā€™ll help him, heā€™ll take it.
For the moment, Tommy ignores the device as he looks around. Heā€™s surrounded by what looks like birch trees, and in the distance, what looks like an open field. He has no idea what any of this is supposed to mean, other than heā€™s alone and has no way to contact anyone in the outside world.
Bending down to grab the headset, Tommy leans against the nearest tree, trying to fight the urge to scream. He has to wonder what Phil is thinking, feeling, or anything else. Is Phil worried? Does he know where his kids are? Does he even care?
Stop that, of course he cares. Ā 
Tommy pushes away from the tree, sucking in a deep breath. He canā€™t afford to let emotions take over right now. Thereā€™s no way heā€™s alone; someone wouldnā€™t just kidnap him and drop him off in the middle of the wilderness without sticking close by to watch over him. The headset says as much, too.
He turns the device over in his hands, frowning. Itā€™s an ordinary, black headset that fits over his ears. Thereā€™s a mic attached to it, presumably for speaking to whomever may be listening on the other side.
That still doesnā€™t answer the question of who might be on the other side. Tommyā€™s almost afraid to put it on, but curiosity is also starting to win out over the fear. Heā€™s Tommy, he has no reason to be afraid!
The headset is slipped on, and Tommyā€™s gaze glances over the scenery. Thereā€™s nothing but silence, and he wonders if he missed a switch to turn the headset on.
ā€œHello?ā€
Tommy nearly jumps at the sound of the voice coming through. Itā€™s nice to know he doesnā€™t have to flip a switch, butā€¦
ā€œTommy? Youā€™re awake, howā€™re you feeling?ā€
ā€œWho is this?ā€ Tommy asks. He instinctively scrunches up his face in irritation, as if that can mask the annoyance leaking through his voice. Ā ā€œWhere even am I, whatā€™s going on?ā€
ā€œThatā€™s not important right now Tommy.ā€ The voice is far too gentle for this kind of situation, and Tommy wishes he had a weapon on him. Heā€™d love nothing more than to smack the mysterious person in the face. ā€œWhatā€™s important is that this is a speedrun. Youā€™re being hunted, and I wonā€™t say by who. Just take the rules of speedrunning and apply them to this situation.ā€
ā€œWait, wait wait wait.ā€ Tommy brushes a stray hair out of his face as he approaches the second nearest tree, staring at the bark. ā€œThis is speedrunning? What the fuck, you canā€™t just drop me into the middle of a speedrun and expect me to know whatā€™s going on!ā€
ā€œYour training begins now, Tommy.ā€
ā€œHold on, donā€™t leave me!ā€ His voice rises in pitch as he finally starts letting the panic set in. Frantically, he punches at the tree, trying to strip any wood he can grab with his bare hands. This is difficult when he has no idea where to even begin. ā€œNo one told me I was doing a speed run! No one told me I was being hunted! What the fuck is this, an episode of Manhunters versus Speedrunner?ā€
ā€œThatā€™s exactly what this is.ā€ The voice on the other side chuckles. Itā€™s not a vicious one, but a more good-natured sort of laugh. Itā€™s enough to give Tommy pause. ā€œDonā€™t worry, nothing serious is going to happen to you. We just know youā€™re going to make it. Thatā€™s why we picked you.ā€
ā€œWait.ā€ Tommy resumes picking at the tree until heā€™s got a sturdy enough base to start crafting some basic wood tools. Heā€™s starting to recognize the voice on the other end. ā€œWait, I know who you are.ā€ ā€œUh, are you sure about that?ā€ The voice chuckles again. ā€œYou might still be disoriented. You did just wake up.ā€
ā€œSapnap, is that you?ā€ Once those words are out of his mouth, Tommy feels a wave of relief. It has to be Sapnap; thereā€™s no way heā€™d let anything happen to Tommy. That also brings to mind the thought that if Sapnap is talking to him, then the others on his team may not be too far off either.
Tommy isnā€™t currently focused on that.
ā€œYeah, itā€™s me. You never answered me earlier, by the way. Howā€™re you feeling?ā€ Heā€™s trying so hard to sound gentle, soothing, and very much like a friend. Tommy should feel that relief still, he should feel safe, but instead, the question has the opposite effect of what Sapnap intended.
ā€œHow the fuck do you think Iā€™m feeling?ā€ Tommy snaps. ā€œIā€™m in the middle of nowhere, with nothing but this stupid ugly headset, and I have no idea what Iā€™m supposed to be doing or where Iā€™m even going! You know what this is, Sap? This is bullying. You are a bully and you are ugly.ā€
ā€œWhoa, Tommy, chill, itā€™s okay.ā€ Sapnap sounds defensive, and Tommy partially feels bad. It may not be Sapnapā€™s fault heā€™s in this situation. Then again, Sapnap is the one talking to him over the headset right now. Of course Tommyā€™s going to be pissed. ā€œTommy, I promise itā€™s all going to be okay. You just need to stay calm. We wonā€™t-ā€
ā€œNo, I take that back. You are a pussy. You know what you are, Sapnap? Youā€™re weird. You and your entire team of bandits are weird and...this is off-putting. This is bizarre, and insane! I am sixteen, have you considered that, Sapnap? Have you considered that before dragging me out of my home and dropping me off in the middle of thisā€¦where even am I?ā€
Sapnap sighs heavily. Itā€™s a sound that grates Tommyā€™s ears, but he fights back the urge to chuck the headset up into the leaves. Itā€™s his only connection to the world around him, and as strange as this entire situation is right now, Tommyā€™s not willing to let go of that; he doesnā€™t want to face the reality that heā€™s actually alone.
ā€œItā€™s a training ground,ā€ Sapnap says, sounding resigned. ā€œYou know how we have access to high-class technology, build specifically for our team and for tournaments and championships, in order for us to perfect our skills.ā€
ā€œYou sound like some sort of drone,ā€ Tommy mutters. ā€œIā€™m not interested in some stupid ad here, I want to go home. I bet youā€™re homeless. Where do you even live?ā€
ā€œThis isnā€™t about me right now,ā€ Sapnap protests. ā€œIā€™m trying to help you. Do you know how to speed run?ā€
Tommy splutters in surprise, spinning around as if trying to find a hidden camera. Surely there must be some nearby. Thereā€™s no way theyā€™re not watching him. ā€œWhat kind of question even is that? Are you stupid or something? Do you even realize who youā€™re talking to? Iā€™m Tommyinnit, big man. I helped my team in the last championship. Iā€™m a winner. I even beat you!ā€
ā€œOf course you are, Tommy. This is why youā€™re here, because we know youā€™re a winner.ā€ Sapnapā€™s back to sounding gentle, soothing. Reassuring. Tommy feels something well up in his gut, a sort of sick feeling. He clings onto that feeling as he lifts up the wooden axe and pickaxe heā€™d just finished making, leaving the crafting table behind. He gathers some more wood, focusing more on the sound of Sapnapā€™s breathing. Itā€™s keeping him from screaming in fear, but itā€™s not keeping his spiraling thoughts at bay.
Something isnā€™t right.
Why is Sapnap talking to him alone?
Thereā€™s more going on than he initially realized. He plays the entire conversation back in his mind, going over every word he can remember, every inflection, but...
ā€œHey, Sapnap, can I ask you something?ā€ Tommyā€™s voice comes out a little colder than he intends for it to. His hands are shaking as he clutches the wood in his hands, trying his best to strip the bark and pile the pieces as he gathers leaves, using those and bits of twig to make a shoddy backpack.
ā€œSure, you can ask anything, Tommy. Thatā€™s why Iā€™m here.ā€
ā€œWhy is it just you talking to me? Whereā€™s the rest of your team?ā€ Tommy tests the durability of his makeshift sack, before piling the wood pieces inside and slinging it over his shoulder. Heā€™d rather have an actual bag, but if he can find a cow, he'll be able to have leather to have something more solid. For now, leaves and twigs seem to be holding together nicely enough. He moves on, trying to spot any water source or exposed stone.
Thereā€™s a long pause before Sapnap answers. ā€œTheyā€™re around here somewhere.ā€ Sapnapā€™s voice is far too light for such an important question. Tommy isnā€™t sure he buys it. He doesnā€™t stop moving though, because now heā€™s looking over his shoulder.
If Sapnap is hedging on this question, then thereā€™s definitely more heā€™s hiding. Tommy doesnā€™t like it, he feels he has a right to know more about this situation than Sapnap is giving him. If heā€™s been placed here, it has to be for a reason, and Tommy wants more to go off of than ā€˜itā€™s a speed run.ā€™
ā€œFuck this speed run,ā€ Tommy grumbles. Thereā€™s a bit of mountain side not too far from his location, maybe he could head there and try mining stone out. Itā€™d do him a lot better to have something more solid than wood. Wood is valuable, but thereā€™s only so much Tommy can do with it. Heā€™d rather have stone to better defend himself. Or even better, iron.
ā€œWhat was that, Tommy? I didnā€™t quite hear you.ā€
ā€œDo you need to clean your ears out?ā€ Tommy bites. ā€œDo you need to have a bit of a wash? Because I donā€™t know how to be any clearer. I said 'fuck this speed run', and fuck you. Iā€™m Tommyinnit, I donā€™t need this, not from you, not from anyone!ā€
ā€œYou need to calm down,ā€ Sapnap says. Heā€™s once again trying to pull away from the argument and sounding reassuring, but Tommyā€™s coming to hate that tone of voice. ā€œYouā€™re going to be okay, weā€™re-ā€
ā€œSee, there you go, using ā€˜weā€™ again. I know youā€™re not sitting in this forest or mountainside with me, which means youā€™re not alone!ā€
ā€œI never said I was alone. I did say the others are around.ā€
ā€œSapnap, I need you to understand something.ā€ Tommy chips away at the stone, setting the pieces in a small pile to the right of him. ā€œI need you to listen to me. Are you listening?ā€
ā€œYes, Tommy.ā€ Thereā€™s a lilt in Sapnapā€™s voice. ā€œIā€™m listening.ā€
ā€œShut up, I didnā€™t give you permission to speak. I reckon I could fight you. Youā€™re a big pussy, canā€™t even face me like a man. Here I am, sat chipping at stone. Iā€™m mining, Sap. Do you see this? Iā€™m mining, and youā€™re sat in...where are you?ā€
ā€œIā€™m around.ā€
ā€œIs Dream with you?ā€
ā€œ....Dreamā€™s around too.ā€
ā€œFuck you, youā€™re old.ā€ Tommy lets out a snort. Heā€™s still angry, but this banter is easier to deal with than exploding in frustration. At least heā€™s getting somewhere; he could probably use this tiny section of ground as a temporary shelter. ā€œWhere is Dream anyway? I donā€™t want to hear ā€˜aroundā€™ because I donā€™t believe you. You are a liar and a cheat, and I could beat you to death with this pickaxe.ā€
ā€œYouā€™d have to find me first,ā€ Sapnap retorts playfully. Tommy really does wish he could beat him. ā€œYou should watch your own back more, you are being hunted after all.ā€
ā€œOh yeah? By who? And how do I know Dream isnā€™t already watching me?ā€ The next chip at stone reveals bits of coal, which helps lift his mood some. He gathers the coal in a separate pile, even taking a moment to set twigs down by the coal. He continues mining, hoping to gather more coal and stone. If he can make torches, heā€™ll be set by nightfall.
ā€œWait, what? What does Dream have to do with you being hunted?ā€
ā€œHeā€™s watching me, isnā€™t he? There are hidden cameras around this entire area, and youā€™re watching me and Dreamā€™s watching me. Donā€™t lie to me Sapnap, Iā€™ve heard enough of your bullshit in the past hour alone.ā€
ā€œTommy, you just have to trust-ā€
ā€œLiar! Sapnap is a liar! Iā€™m not moving from this spot until youā€™re honest with me.ā€ Tommy makes good on his word and plants down, sitting cross-legged. He sets his pickaxe down in front of him and stares straight ahead. ā€œIā€™ll even take off the headset, Sap. So then you wonā€™t get to talk to me at all.ā€
ā€œTommy, youā€™re in an active training zone, you need to focus, please.ā€
ā€œNo, I donā€™t want to. See, Iā€™m tired. I think Iā€™ll have a nap.ā€ Tommy makes a show of leaning against the wall and closing his eyes. He even fakes a yawn for good measure. Itā€™s working, he can hear Sapnapā€™s frustrated noises on the other side. Tommy can even hear the sound of rustling papers and thumping, which tells him Sapnap definitely isnā€™t in the forest, but probably some type of office.
ā€œOkay, fine.ā€ Thereā€™s more thudding noises, and Tommy lets himself believe itā€™s Sapnap facepalming. It's funnier to imagine. ā€œYouā€™re right, Dream is watching. I canā€™t tell you if heā€™s here or there, but heā€™s definitely watching, and most certainly hearing this conversation. Can you please get up and get back to work?ā€
ā€œSee? Telling the truth isnā€™t so hard.ā€ Tommy makes another big show, this time of getting to his feet, gathering up his belongings again, and heading away from the wall. This time, heā€™s picking a random direction, not entirely sure where heā€™s going. ā€œI also donā€™t want to talk to you anymore. Can I turn this off?ā€
ā€œNo, unfortunately youā€™re stuck with me.ā€ Sapnap sounds tired, or done. Tommy canā€™t tell what inflection means what yet, but heā€™s not focused on that right now. Heā€™s aimlessly wandering for the moment, but now heā€™s paranoid.
If Dream is watching, it means Tommy has to try extra hard to prove himself. Heā€™s always looked up to Dream, always wanted to impress him. But thereā€™s that same, twisted and sick sort of feeling in his gut, leaving him feeling emptier than before.
ā€œSapnap, if Iā€™m stuck talking to you, I just want you to know that Iā€™m the big man in charge,ā€ Tommy says. Heā€™s trying to play it off, to sound cool. Itā€™s all he knows how to do. Heā€™s not ready for this, heā€™s not ready to do something when he has no clue how to begin in the first place.
ā€œTommy, I donā€™t...youā€™re not...I mean. Whatever. If you say so.ā€
ā€œSee? Iā€™m the big man in charge, and youā€™re just a moron. I am going to be as annoying as possible from now on, and weā€™ll be best friends.ā€
Thereā€™s a desert not too far away from where heā€™s standing. Tommy heads off in that direction, deciding to try and push the negative thoughts out of his mind. Maybe if heā€™s annoying, one of two things will happen.
One, theyā€™ll get tired of him and call this off early. He half hopes for that, as it means heā€™ll get to go home. The downside is that heā€™ll lose his chance to impress Dream, and that thought fills him with a separate level of anxiety.
Or two, heā€™ll eventually win the entire team over. Option two is far more preferable, and with that, Tommy canā€™t lose. So, being annoying is the only choice.
Tommy straightens his back. Regardless, heā€™s in for one hell of an adventure now, heā€™d better get busy.
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duhragonball Ā· 4 years ago
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Yamcha if you're still doing the character meme?
I am still doing these, and Iā€™m enjoying it, so keep ā€˜em coming.Ā Ā  Before I start, let me promote the original post, in case anyone else wants to start their own thing.Ā  Iā€™d link to the OP, but I guess they deleted this from their blog, probably because their notifications went nuts.
Give me a character and I will answer:
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Why I like them: Letā€™s be honest, Yamcha doesnā€™t get a lot of big ā€œhero momentsā€ in Dragon Ball.Ā Ā  Or Dragon Ball Z, or Dragon Ball GT, or Dragon Ball Su-- Look, you get the idea.Ā Ā  In most arcs, heā€™s the first one to get benched.Ā Ā  In tournaments, he always loses in the first round.Ā Ā  He spent the King Piccolo Saga recovering from a broken leg.Ā Ā Ā  Against the Saiyans, he was the first one to die.Ā  Against the Androids, he was nearly killed and had to sit out the rest of that arc.Ā Ā  In the Buu Sagas he was retired.Ā Ā Ā  In a number of major storylines, he just isnā€™t there, because no one called him.
But he remains a fixture in the franchise anyway, because heā€™s always showing up for more.Ā  Letā€™s take the Buu Saga as an example.Ā Ā  It didnā€™t surprise me to find out he had retired, mainly from a dramatic standpoint.Ā Ā Ā  Thereā€™s a lot of new characters in the Buu arc, and it made sense for some of the older characters to step aside and make room for them.Ā Ā  But heā€™s still there, because he wants to see Goku one last time, and he wants to hang out with his friends and watch some of them kick the crap out of each other. Ā  It was kind of sad to see him stay behind while the others rushed off to follow the Supreme Kai, but heā€™s retired, after all. Ā Ā  Also, they didnā€™t stop to fill him in on what was happening. Ā Ā  I suspect he might have tagged along if they asked. Ā 
As it was, he still ended up getting involved, and he was with the Dragon Team right up until Super Buu cornered them on the Lookout. Ā  Ā  And the next time we see him, heā€™s on the Grand Kai Planet with Krillin, and King Kai seriously considers sending them in to take on Buu in case Goku and Vegeta canā€™t get the job done.Ā Ā Ā 
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And thatā€™s a big deal, because it even comes up in the anime.Ā Ā  King Kai tells them that he arranged for them to keep their bodies as a precaution, but heā€™s totally in favor of letting them remain on the Grand Kai Planet with all of the other honored warriors, like Goku.Ā  So you start with this desert bandit, a highwayman without a highway, probably because heā€™s afraid of all the women that use the interstate.Ā Ā  But he gradually overcomes his fears and insecurities, never completely, but just enough to put one foot in front of the other and become a better man.Ā Ā Ā  And finally he ends up receiving a place among the great heroes of old.Ā Ā 
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So why doesnā€™t that get more attention?Ā Ā  You could make a whole epic story out of that, except itā€™s not Yamchaā€™s story.Ā  Heā€™s a supporting character.Ā Ā  So the franchise itself tends to play it down.Ā Ā Ā  Even Yamcha doesnā€™t really take it all that seriously.Ā Ā  I donā€™t know if thatā€™s modesty or cluelessness or Big Himbo Energy or what, but thatā€™s why itā€™s so easy for everyone to write him off as a loser or a failure.Ā Ā  Theyā€™re overlooking the bigger picture.
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The best way to illustrate this is with this TFS short that serves as an epilogue to their DBZ Abridged series.Ā Ā  Yamcha goes back to playing baseball for the Taitans, only to get fired, because heā€™s so talented that heā€™s literally broken the game, and no one buys tickets anymore.Ā Ā Ā  But he gets a gigantic severance package, and he still goes down in history as the greatest ballplayer in history.Ā  What always gets to me is that they have to explain to him that this is actually a win.Ā  As his coach puts it, ā€œyou do nothing but win.ā€Ā Ā Ā 
Like Yamcha himself, we often see him from the lens of these insane Dragon Ball adventures, where you have to have glowy hair and a hot cyborg wife to be considered a success.Ā Ā  But to the rest of the world, heā€™s a jacked up millionaire with fantastic hair, and heā€™s a real sweetheart.Ā Ā  Who couldnā€™t like this dude?
Why I donā€™t: As you may have noticed, I tend to only use this section to talk about why I disliked the characters initially.Ā Ā  I have to think back to 1999 when I was still having trouble keeping track of whoā€™s who.Ā Ā  In particular, I found Yamchaā€™s presence frustrating because he looked and dressed almost exactly like Goku, but not quite, which seemed bizarre.Ā Ā Ā  Later, I picked up on the context, and it didnā€™t bother me as much.Ā Ā 
Yamcha does have a bit of an overconfident streak in some situations, which might look like unfounded arrogance, but I think itā€™s really just his carefree nature and enthusiastic can-do spirit.Ā Ā  He was confident about their chances against the Saiyans, but I donā€™t think that was him being cocky.Ā Ā  He just knew they had all trained hard and he was stronger than heā€™d ever been.Ā Ā Ā  But thatā€™s easy for people to jump on as a reason to hate the guy.Ā Ā 
Future Trunks claimed that he fooled around while he was involved with Bulma, but come on.Ā Ā Ā  Does anyone really buy that?Ā Ā Ā  Besides, at best, that would only apply to Future Yamcha, the one who died in the other timeline.Ā Ā  Once Trunks changed the past, all bets were off.
Favorite episode (scene if movie): Iā€™m gonna get a little nuts here and go with TFSā€™s playthrough of Legacy of Goku I, where they decided to level up Yamcha and have him solo Broly.
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Basically, in an RPG game like this, Wolf Fang Fist can do monster damage, so they maxed out Yamchaā€™s stats to wreck the gameā€™s hidden superboss.Ā  You have to skip to 1:40:00 or so to see the successful attempt, but I loved this video.Ā Ā  This is where I learned to respect the utterance of ā€œRoga... fufuken!ā€Ā  Broly probably would have respected it, too, except he died from all those hits he took.
Favorite season/movie: You know, that fight with Tien was a classic. Ā  Not sure itā€™s in my top ten, but itā€™s on a lot of peopleā€™s lists, and I absolutely get that.
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Dumb as it may sound, I enjoyed seeing Yamcha in the hospital, wrestling with his own despair as he recuperated from his broken leg.Ā Ā  And when he shows up at the end to congratulate Tien and accepts Tienā€™s apology, well, like I said, Yamcha has this great character arc, but itā€™s easy to overlook with everything else that goes on.
Favorite line: I forget which game it was in, maybe Budokai 3, but one of his pre-fight taunts is ā€œWatch this, Puar!Ā  Iā€™m gonna win!ā€, which always makes me think of Puar sitting just off-camera, watching the action from a little lawn chair.Ā Ā 
Favorite outfit:
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I may take some heat for this, but I like the Androids/Cell Saga version of Yamcha, with the short, spiky hair.Ā  This dudeā€™s long, luxurious rockstar ā€˜do is a national treasure, sure, but I dig this look more.Ā Ā 
Also, I consider Yamcha to be the only guy from the Turtle School who pulls off the slippers and no-blue-undershirt look.Ā Ā  It looks off when I see it on Krillin and Goku, but with Yamcha it just feels right.Ā 
OTP: This guy gets shipped with a lot of people, probably because heā€™s one of the major characters without an established love interest.Ā Ā  Folks still carry a torch for Bulma, some people ship him with Tien, Frieza hit on him in FighterZ, and Iā€™m still trying to make sense of that.Ā Ā  He flirts with your character in the Xenoverse games. Ā Ā  Years ago, I considered doing something with that, but Iā€™ve fleshed out my OC enough to where I donā€™t think that fits.Ā 
At the end of the day, I can only see Yamcha getting together with @cozymochi ā€˜s OC, Marzi.Ā Ā 
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Brotp: Tien, Krillin, Goku.Ā  Hell, I always figured Yamcha was one of the few people Vegeta could get along with to some extent.Ā Ā 
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I mean, Tien couldnā€™t stand to be one the same planet as Vegeta, but Yamcha keeps coming over to have hot dogs at Bulmaā€™s place, long after the Namekians have left.Ā Ā 
Head Canon: Heā€™s Luffaā€™s type, donā€™t get me wrong.Ā Ā Ā  I just donā€™t see any room in my fic for a whirlwind courtship.Ā Ā Ā  The stars just donā€™t align.
Unpopular opinion: Iā€™m not really behind this notion that they should give the humans more stuff to do in future series.Ā Ā  When it comes to supporting characters, sometimes they get phased out, and thereā€™s no point in phasing them back in unless thereā€™s a compelling story idea for them.Ā Ā Ā 
I think itā€™s dumb how they teased Yamcha in the Tournament of Power prelude, only to leave him out of the tournament itself.Ā Ā Ā  On the other hand, they put Tien on the team and barely used him, which tells me that even if theyā€™d put Yamcha on the team, it wouldnā€™t have amounted to anything.Ā Ā Ā 
I get it, people love these characters and want to see them used more, but Iā€™d rather have one strong Yamcha story than a hundred non-starters.Ā  And at this point, I think the only thing anyone can do is rely on fan-created content.Ā Ā Ā  Be the change you want to see in the world.
A wish: Crap, itā€™s after ten pm.Ā Ā Ā  I dunno, I wish Marzi was canon.Ā Ā 
An oh-god-please-dont-ever-happen: I feel like the characterā€™s already been through worse than I could come up with for him.Ā Ā Ā 
5 words to best describe them: Cat loves food, yeah yeah yeah.Ā Ā  Thatā€™s six, but who cares?
My nickname for them: Yeah, I donā€™t have one.
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dragonturtle2 Ā· 4 years ago
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RWBY Volume 8, Episode 6 - Midnight (Cinderā€™s Backstory)
So we got the disturbed science-fantasy version of Cinderella weā€™ve been predicting for years associated with Cinder Fall.Ā Ā Except itā€™s with a lot of dumb mixed in.Ā  (spoilers below)
People wanted a Cinder backstory because she seemed too one-dimensional and blatantly evil. Ā So the explanation is... THREE other women who are one-dimensionally evil. Ā Obviously those three are suppose to be the 'evil' stepmom and stepsisters for Cinder-ella. Ā But even the animated Disney versions of the characters were written with more subtlety; no exaggeration. Ā Lady Germane exuded an oppressive and controlling aura, even when she was just sitting up in bed in a nightgown. Ā She didn't even directly insult Cinderella that much, you can can get a feel for her intensity. Ā Whereas this episode has Casey exclaiming "NO ONE'S EVER LOVED YOU," on the track.Ā  In case the audience somehow didn't pick that up. Ā (I really hope those lame lyrics arenā€™t part of the same track that plays during the Rhodes fight, because that sounds AWESOME). The worst point in all this is the literal shock collar that's put on Cinder. Ā Firstly, it throws out all subtlety about signs of an abusive relationship; it feels almost like a parody. Ā Which is really strange, since this show is REALLY good at examining the ins and outs of abusive relationships. Ā That even shines through in different parts of this episode.Ā Ā 
But going as heavy-handed as a shock collar also flatly invalidates Rhodes entire plan and reasoning. Ā He can't simply whisk Cinder away from her legal guardian, I very much understand that. Ā It's a veryĀ intriguing plot point, the idea of Cinder cracking under the abuse while waiting out the clock, and Rhodes being the only thing keeping her head above the water. Ā But once it reaches the point of a freaking shock collar, how does a Huntsman NOT have the ability to step in and say "that's obviously illegal, you're under arrest?" Ā Is that actually legal in Mistral? Ā A few problems with that: one, please ESTABLISH it's legal (bizarre as that is). Ā Secondly, why is this ultra classy hotel using something as freakish as taser-slaves in full view of polite society? Ā Sure, we can assume that it wasnā€™t actually activated in view of customers. But why run the risk of Cinder talking to ANYONE, or any of these Huntsmen identifying the thing?
Yes, child labor under threat of force is an unfortunately real problem; please donā€™t think I would ever try to to diminish that. But in this century, that happens in places where the upper class doesn't hang out or pay attention to; farmhands, mines, sweat shops, child marriage, brothels, even in armies and militias. Ā Cinderā€™s ā€˜adoptedā€™ home absolutely screams ļæ¼luxury. I suppose this part of Mistral could be meant to represent newly industrialized former-Second World countries, since labor regulations in most of Asia really are pretty terrible (or are fine on the books, just donā€™t get enforced). Ā But that doesn't shine through in RWBY; everyone in Mistral speaks English with American accents (and theyā€™re not all even Asian), so we can't help but assume well-off metropolitan Mistralians look at things through a Western viewpoint. Ā Or perhaps with a modern Japanese/South Korean view. Ā This aspect would make more sense if Cinder was working at an establishment that served mafia and gang members (which we know Mistral has plenty of) under the veil of legitimacy.
Did Rhodes not KNOW about the collar? Ā It feels strange he wouldn't pick up on that after years of one-on-one training with her. Ā Did Cinder just make a point of making sure he never found out about it, because she was ashamed? Ā That would actually be a fascinating detail! But I can't be making up these plot points and character interactions by myself. Ā The show needs to be TELLING us this. Ā For example, maybe given us a quick scene where Rhodes asks about what the necklace is, and Cinder dismisses him saying "Oh, it's just a trinket to look pretty." Even when Rhodes first meets Cinder, his advice makes no sense. Ā That she can't run away, or she'll spend her whole life looking over her shoulder. Ā But... MOST of the cast of RWBY is either an orphan who manages to find transportation just fine (Ren, Nora, Ilia, Emerald, Mercury) or are people who DO have a home and family, but ran away just fine (Blake, Jaune, Sun, Oscar, eventually Weiss). Ā Remnant is generally a pretty easy place to disappear, probably thanks to 90% of the planet being controlled by demons.Ā  In Mistral especially, apparently the authorities are SO thinly spread that entire tribes of bandits roam around sacking villages. Ā Heck, Vacuo is apparently nothing BUT a nation of bandit tribes. Ā So with Rhodes's money and a friendly contact, it would actually be a TOTAL breeze. Ā What could a Hotel manager do if Cinder flew out to Vale or something? Ā 
Rhodes's character flaw clearly seems to be his adherence to the law, and I actually respect attempting that kind of character. Ā But this is just him being totally unaware of the world around him, and willfully uncreative for the sake of making the plot move one way. Ā This is where a "Lawful Good" character begins a descent into "Lawful Stupid." Please note I say it BEGINS; just wading into the pool, so to speak. My anger at his badly-planned morality is tempered by so much being unclear about the situation, and most of his character being flat-out unknown. If his advice had something to do with his own experiences, that would be cool... although that requires an actual backstory for the dude.
Found something REALLY fascinating with his name though: plenty of people have figured heā€™s based on the Colossus of Rhodes, with his metal skin and easily identified name. But his name may be calling back to Rhodopis, apparently the oldest version of Cinderella. But what might be blowing my mind the most: Rhodopis is another word for ā€˜Rose.ā€™ Holy crap. I suspected that the parallels between Cinder and Ruby were planned from the first season, but this...? Could something as specific the Greek/Egyptian origin for a classic fairy tale possibly be something thatā€™s pure coincidence?
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ryqoshay Ā· 4 years ago
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Tri-Arame: RPG Night
Primary Pairing Trio: YuuAyuSetsu Secondary Pairings: AiRina, Shizu??? Words: ~2.8k Rating: Tā€™ish for some fantastical violence and a mildly suggestive ending Time Frame: First year of college? Maybe second? Dunno yet Story Arc: Stand Alone (for now... I may indulge more in this later)
Authorā€™s Note: This may be my most self-indulgent chapter yet; doing a crossover of sorts with my own unpublished work and even bringing in my screennamesake. And trying a new formatting style to boot. But after Setsuā€™s Bond episode revealed she liked TTRPGs, I couldnā€™t stop thinking about this. Well, except to get sidetracked by writing two other scenes...
Anyway for those who are unfamiliar with my D&D story - read: at least 95% of my readers, probably more but that's the cap for a d20 - names may get a bit messy and confusing. Most of my OCs have a given name, family name and a call sign. And several have nicknames. Iā€™ll give a list of who is playing who here at the start, but for a bit more information on the in-game characters, please refer to the notes in my Followup Post.
Player - Character Call Sign - Character Name Setsuna - Dungeon Master Yuu - Ryqoshay - Rebecca Bouteillevoix Ayumu - Yozakura - Hakumei Yaiba Rina - Nullsilver Luna Ai - Recipere (Rx) - Rachel Ira Xaviera Shizuku - Lady Sanguine - Vivian Sexton / Sanguine
Ryqoshay couldnā€™t help a smirk as she took careful aim. It didnā€™t matter that her bodyguard, Yozakura, was engaging her intended target in close quarters, in fact that was a boon. The girl knew her best friendā€™s fighting style better than anyone, so it was merely a task of picking the right moment. The bandit wouldnā€™t know what hit him.
Dodge. Feint. Parry. Strike. Now. She released her arrow.
ā€œNice! A Nat 20! Roll to confirm your crit. Perfect. Now for damage and donā€™t forget your bonus.ā€
ā€œYatta!ā€ Ryqo cheered as the bandit collapsed, clutching his throat where the arrow had struck. The man was dead before he hit the ground and the raven-haired archer scampered toward the blonde ninja. ā€œYoza-chan! Thanks for keeping him distracted for me!ā€ she threw herself into a tackling hug.
ā€œY-Yuu-chan?ā€ Yoza stammered. ā€œWhat are you doing?ā€
ā€œYuu-chan?ā€ Ryqo cocked her head to side. ā€œWhoā€™s that? Iā€™m Ryqo, remember?ā€
ā€œAre you guys talking in character or OOC?ā€
ā€œO-Ohā€¦ uhm, sorry Setsuna-chanā€¦ I meant Ryqo-chan.ā€
ā€œNe, Ayumu, would a super serious girl like Yozakura really use -chan?ā€
ā€œArenā€™t they childhood friends?ā€
ā€œWell, yeah, kinda like you and me, butā€¦ā€
ā€œHonestly, are you two in or out of character?ā€
ā€œSorry, Shizuku-chan, weā€™re still learning our characters.ā€
ā€œItā€™s alright. Maybe we can talk more about things after this battle is done?ā€
The DM cleared her throat. ā€œAnyway, Sanguine, youā€™re up.ā€
A manic bout of laughter from nearby caught their attention.
ā€œThatā€™s the last of ā€˜em!ā€ Lady Sanguine practically shouted as she stood over the bodies of several bandits, her two longswords coated in almost as much blood as she was herself. ā€œToo easy! You guys are a hundred years too early to think you could defeat me. And look, your blood has barely sated my blades. Pitiful! More! I demand more bloodshed!ā€
ā€œWere we not to leave at least one alive for interrogation?ā€ Recipere made her way over to the redheaded barbarian, healing magicks already gathering around her hands.
ā€œWoopsā€¦ā€ Ryqo chuckled, rubbing the back of her neck with one hand, while refusing the remove the other arm from around Yoza. ā€œI was just caught up in watching Viv-ne-chan take down all those bad guys that I didnā€™t want to be left out of the fun.ā€
ā€œWoah, I got you, I got you, Vivian.ā€ The blonde cleric said as the barbarian collapsed into her arms.
Vivian mumbled something unintelligible as her rage subsided and her personified bloodlust retreated into her mind.
ā€Whatā€™s up, Setsuna-chan?ā€
ā€œNothing, nothing. Donā€™t worry about it.ā€ The DMā€™s giggles betrayed her words as she read something from her phone. ā€œIā€™m awarding Inspiration to Vivian Sexton.ā€
ā€œThanks.ā€ Shizuku responded with a smile. ā€œThis Vivian/Sanguine persona switching thing is turning out to be quite interesting.ā€
ā€œNe, Luna-chan!ā€ Ryqo called over to the teamā€™s artificer. ā€œWas that really all of them?ā€
Nullsiver Luna held a finger to her lips as she stared at some device in her hand. Silence reigned in the roadside clearing for almost a full minute, the local fauna having long since been scared off by the sounds of the battle that had finally ended. Suddenly, the orange-haired girl pointed and a moment later, an anguished cry sounded from a stand of shrubs a short way into the woods. From the sky, something dived into a nearby tree while something else scampered across the road into the brush.
ā€œRace you there, Yoza-chan.ā€ Ryqo let go of her bodyguard and made for the bushes.
ā€œYā€¦ Ryqo, wait! Itā€™s dangerous, let me go first!ā€
ā€œNope!ā€ The archer cried happily over her shoulder. ā€œIf you wanna get there first, you gotta be faster than me!ā€
Yozakura couldnā€™t help releasing a frustrated grumble before she followed her charge. With her training, however, she easily caught up to and passed the other girl, but remained annoyed as the two approached the scene.
ā€œWhat in Karlaā€™s name are these things?!ā€ A young man, not much older than the two girls cried, his eyes shifting rapidly among several gathered devices.
ā€œThey are my familiars.ā€ A blue-haired artificer stepped into view.
ā€œWait, Rinari, wasnā€™t Lunaā€™s hair orange earlier?ā€
ā€œYes.ā€
ā€œHuhā€¦ā€
ā€œItov Altiui, to me.ā€ Nullsiver held out her arm, upon which the bird-like contraption landed and stood like a well-trained hawk. ā€œMoxt Tonash, Weyog Kornari, maintain your positions.ā€ She instructed the cat-like and spider-like automatons.
ā€œWhere did you come up with names like those, Rinari? I love them! You have to tell me what they mean!ā€
ā€œIā€™m interested as well, Rina-san. I was intrigued when I read them in your character bio and would love to work something into a future campaign.ā€
ā€œā€¦ I can send it to you twoā€¦ā€
ā€œThanks, Rinari!ā€
ā€œYes, thank you. Anyway, where were we?ā€
ā€œThose donā€™t look like any familiars Iā€™ve seen.ā€ The bandit continued.
ā€œI made them.ā€ Luna responded simply.
ā€œWell, now that we have your attention,ā€ Rx suddenly appeared from the direction of the road, a fully healed Vivian in tow ā€œwe have a few questions for you.ā€
ā€œIā€™m not telling you anything!ā€ The young man practically shouted.
ā€œOh ho?ā€ The redheaded barbarian grinned, slowly drawing her swords.
The bandit flinched, but otherwise remained defiant.
ā€œWe just want to know where your boss and the rest of your gang is hiding.ā€ Ryqo spoke up.
The bandit spat towards the girlā€™s feet.
ā€œTake me to your leader!ā€ The archer demanded.
ā€œYuu-chanā€¦ā€
ā€œWhatā€™s the matter, Ayu-pyon? That was hilarious!ā€
ā€œAs amusing as that was,ā€ the DM interjected ā€œIā€™m afraid neither of your Intimidation checks were successful. Would someone else like to try their hand?ā€
ā€œLike I said, I ainā€™t telling you guys nothing!ā€ The bandit insisted. ā€œThe boss will kill me if I gave away our hideoutā€™s location.ā€
ā€œYou realize, of course, that weā€™ll kill you if you donā€™t.ā€ Rx stated, matter-of-factly.
The young man glanced among Vivian and Yozakuraā€™s blades, Ryqoā€™s bow and the three automatons. ā€œYou guys ainā€™t got nothing on the boss.ā€
ā€œTell me.ā€ The artificer began. ā€œWhen you cried out earlier, was it because Weyog Kornari bit you?ā€
ā€œYou mean this thing?ā€ He kicked at the spider, which dodged with ease.
ā€œYes.ā€
ā€œWhat of it? It didnā€™t hurt much.ā€
Luna raised an eyebrow but did not attempt to dispute the claim. ā€œI believe I should inform you that you have been poisoned.ā€
ā€œYeah, so?ā€
ā€œYou may not feel much now, but you will. Soon. Everyone reacts a little different, so you may notice some blurred vision, shortness of breath, chills, perhaps some perspiration despite the chillsā€¦ā€ She spoke in an almost unnerving monotone as she continued to list potential symptoms of the toxin.
The bandit held a hand up and stared at its visible shaking.
ā€œAh. I see. That would be your nerves being attacked at the chemical level.ā€
The bandit suddenly convulsed.
ā€œIt will hurt. A lot.ā€ Luna continued to explain solemnly. ā€œUntil it reaches your heart. Then it will hurt more.ā€ She knelt beside him and held out a tiny vial for him to see. ā€œThis is the antidote. Only this can save you as I have ensured my poisons cannot be cured by magical means.ā€
The young man tried to reach for the vial but ended up clutching at his chest before convulsing again and curling into a fetal position.
ā€œTell us the location of your base of operations.ā€
ā€œAlrā€¦ā€ The bandit began before choking off. Despite his entire body shaking now, he managed to make what appeared to be a nodding motion.
ā€œRecipere, Lady Sanguine, please hold him.ā€ Luna requested of her guildmates.
ā€œRight.ā€ Rx replied, moving forward, alongside Vivian.
Once the spasming man was secure, Luna pulled the cork from the vial and upturned it into his mouth. Within moments, his shakes began to fade until he lay still completely.
ā€œIs he dead?ā€ Ryqo asked, poking at his arm with the end of her bow.
Vivian delivered a quick backhand across the banditā€™s face. His eyes snapped open and he gasped.
ā€œReady to talk now?ā€ Ryqo leaned over the bandit with an all too cheerful grin. ā€œIf youā€™re really that worried about what your boss might do to you for spilling the beans, let me assure you weā€™ll be taking care of him as soon as you tell us where he is. Then youā€™ll be free to run along and join some other bad guys and weā€™ll meet again when some other town hires us to get rid of you. Sound like a plan? I think it sounds fun.ā€
The young man stared up in confusion at the archer. His gaze drifted over to Luna, then to the spider automaton and back to the artificer. With a sigh he began to reveal the location of the hideout.
ā€œAlright, that seems like a good place to call things for the night.ā€ Setsuna said, glancing up over the top of her DM screen. ā€œBut before I forget, Rina-chan, Nullsilver was the one to get the bandit to talk and your performance was quite chilling so Iā€™m awarding her Inspiration.ā€
ā€œMm.ā€ Rina confirmed with a nod.
ā€œRinari, that was amazing!ā€ Ai marveled, leaning over to throw an arm around her girlfriend and pull her close. ā€œIt honestly sent shivers down my spine.ā€ She giggled as she nuzzled the younger girlā€™s cheek. ā€œWho wouldā€™ve thought you could be so evil.ā€
ā€œNot evil. Just not good.ā€
ā€œRina-chanā€™s right.ā€ Setsuna nodded. ā€œYouā€™re from a guild of mercenaries, technically none of you are good; youā€™re all Neutral on that scale. Sure, youā€™re currently contracted with a town thatā€™s more good leaning, but you could just have easily been hired by the bandits instead.ā€
ā€œOh dear, is that the time?ā€ Shizuku sighed as she checked her phone. She looked across the table at Ai and Rina. ā€œWeā€™ve missed the last trains of the night.ā€
ā€œYou guys can stay here if you want.ā€ Yuu offered.
ā€œThatā€™s not the problem.ā€ Shizuku lamented. ā€œSheā€™s not going to be happyā€¦ā€ She started typing something on her phone.
Ai laughed. ā€œJust tell her to join us next time.ā€
ā€œNext session would actually be the perfect time for a new player to join.ā€ Setsuna pointed out. ā€œWe can work it into the story that you guys sent for another merc from your guild to assist in the raid of the bandit camp. And I can adjust the threat levels of the encounter as needed.ā€
Shizuku nodded. ā€œIā€™ll be sure to ask her againā€¦ā€ Her phone chimed and she frowned upon checking the message. ā€œI know Iā€™m about to get an earful, but Iā€™m going to call her.ā€ She stood up.
ā€œYou can use my room.ā€ Yuu said. ā€œIf youā€™re good with a couch, you can use that, otherwise Ayumu will have to help me find our guest futon.ā€
ā€œThank you, the couch will be fine.ā€ The younger girl nodded and excused herself.
ā€œYuyu, you still donā€™t have an actual bed?ā€ Ai asked.
ā€œI like it.ā€ Yuu shrugged. ā€œThough I suppose there is one bed I prefer these days.ā€ She pointed a thumb over her shoulder to indicate Ayumuā€™s bed behind her.
ā€œOf course.ā€ Ai turned to Setsuna. ā€œSo, does that mean weā€™re to take your room, Setsu?ā€
ā€œYes.ā€ Setsuna nodded. ā€œEverything is clean because, wellā€¦ā€
ā€œBecause you sleep here.ā€ Ai chuckled.
ā€œY-yesā€¦ā€
ā€œHonestly, Iā€™m surprised you all fit.ā€
ā€œItā€™s actually quite comfortable.ā€ Ayumu spoke up, somehow managing to sound less embarrassed than the dusting of red on her cheeks would have otherwise indicated.
ā€œWell weā€™ll leave you to it, then. Cā€™mon, Rinari.ā€ Ai stood and took the pink-haired girlā€™s hand.
ā€œMm.ā€ Rina affirmed, allowing herself to be led out of the room.
ā€œSetsuna-chan!ā€ Yuu threw herself at the raven-haired girl as soon as the door closed.
ā€œYuu-san? Whaā€¦?ā€ Though the behavior was by no means out of the ordinary, it still surprised Setsuna.
ā€œIā€™m sorry!ā€
ā€œHuh?ā€
ā€œI spent the entire night flirting with Ayumu.ā€
ā€œYou mean your character flirted with hers.ā€
ā€œYeah.ā€
ā€œBut, that was perfectly in character? I figured you two would act that way based on the bios you gave me for them.ā€
ā€œWell, yeah, but I donā€™t want you to feel left out.ā€
Upon realizing what Yuu meant, Setsuna laughed lightly. However, she stopped when she felt herself being embraced from the other side as well. ā€œAyumu-san?ā€
ā€œYuu-chan is right,ā€ the redhead said softly ā€œwe donā€™t want you to feel left out.ā€
ā€œYou guys, Iā€¦ā€
ā€œHey, I know!ā€ Yuu interrupted. ā€œThereā€™s a bunch of other mercs in the guild, right? Why not write up a character of your own to join in the campaign?ā€
ā€œThatā€™s a good idea.ā€ Ayumu agreed. ā€œIā€™d like to see what kind of character Setsuna-chan might play.ā€
ā€œAnd then I could have my character flirt with Setsuna-chanā€™s in-game as well!ā€ Yuu concluded.
Setsunaā€™s mind spun through several possibilities. But as she glanced back and forth between the faces of her two girlfriends, still snuggled in close, something snapped. ā€œImpossible! I canā€™t!ā€ She cried before a wave embarrassment washed over her from the outburst. ā€œI meanā€¦ Iā€¦ā€ she fumbled to explain ā€œI have enough to do as DM running the game. It would be too distracting to try to play a character on top of that. Especially ifā€¦ā€ She trailed off.
ā€œEspecially ifā€¦?ā€ Yuu pressed.
ā€œā€¦ Especially if you two were flirting with meā€¦ā€ Setsuna admitted sheepishly.
Yuu laughed. ā€œDonā€™t worry, Setsuna-chan, it would probably be just me doing the flirting, I donā€™t think Ayumu knows how.ā€
ā€œI do too know how to flirt.ā€ Ayumu stated, reaching across Setsuna to punch Yuu lightly in the arm.
ā€œPouting isnā€™t flirting, itā€™s just cute.ā€ Yuu pointed out in an amused tone.
ā€œMmph...ā€ Ayumu puffed her cheeks.
ā€œCase in point.ā€
ā€œAyumu-san was indeed very cute tonight with her reactions to Yuu-san.ā€ Setsuna recalled, thankful for a momentā€™s respite as Yuu focused on Ayumu. ā€œYou played your characters well and were in perfect sync in battle. Iā€™m really looking forward to our next session.ā€
ā€œWe did good?ā€ Yuu blinked.
ā€œVery much so.ā€ Setsuna nodded. ā€œWith the exceptions of the occasional name slip and confusion about in or out of character talk, but those kinds of things happen in many games. So, honestly, if I didnā€™t know better, I wouldnā€™t have guessed this was the groupā€™s first session together.ā€
ā€œOhā€¦ā€
ā€œHuh?ā€
ā€œWell, itā€™s just I thought I wasnā€™t doing as good as the others because I never earned any Inspiration awards.ā€ Yuu explained. ā€œAyumu didnā€™t either.ā€
Setsuna replayed the nightā€™s game in her head, scouring it for memories of each award. She had recorded them in a document on her laptop, but with her girlfriends hanging off her arms, she was unable to confirm with certainty.
ā€œI know!ā€ Yuu suddenly spoke up, excitement in her voice. ā€œMaybe if we get you some of your favorite snacks for next time, that will earn us a few points?ā€
Setsuna shook her head. ā€œSorry, no. Actions taken outside the game like that shouldnā€™t have an effect in game.ā€
ā€œMaybe I can give you a massage?ā€
ā€œThatā€™s even worse.ā€
ā€œEven though you love me?ā€ Yuu cooed.
ā€œYuu-san, it is because I love you that I need to take extra precautions. I refuse to participate in the impropriety of playing favorites, or even giving the impression that I am. It would be unfair to the other players and jeopardize the enjoyment of everyone.ā€
ā€œBut is it fair to ignore her completely?ā€ Ayumu interjected.
Had she really not awarded any Inspiration to either Yuu or Ayumu? Setsuna tried to recall again.
ā€œShizuku-chan was awarded Inspiration for making you laugh with inner dialogue acting.ā€ Ayumu continued. ā€œBut Yuu-chan also made you laugh multiple times with her antics, yetā€¦ā€
ā€œHrmā€¦ā€
ā€œRina also earned some for her great acting and giving us all the chills. And while I donā€™t think Yuu-chanā€™s character could do the same, she certainly entertains in other ways.ā€
Setsuna sighed. ā€œPerhaps I was being too cautious.ā€ She conceded. ā€œIā€™m sorry.ā€
ā€œApology accepted.ā€ Yuu said with a smile before craning her neck so she could press a kiss against Setsunaā€™s cheek.
That was quick. Then again, it was Yuu. Stillā€¦ ā€œI canā€™t fairly grant awards via retcon, but I promise I will try to be more fair going forward. I really do want everyone to have fun with this game.ā€
ā€œWe are having fun.ā€ Ayumu assured.
ā€œIt was even obvious that Rina-chan was having the time of her life.ā€ Yuu pointed out. ā€œAnd maybe Shizuku-chan can convince a sixth to join. And if Ayumu and I werenā€™t having fun we wouldnā€™t be so excited about the next session.ā€
Setsuna smiled. ā€œThank you. So long as my players are interested in continuing, Iā€™ll do my best to DM a good game for them.ā€
ā€œWe know.ā€ Yuuā€™s tone changed a bit. ā€œAnd all that hard work deserves a reward, right Ayumu?ā€
Setsuna gasped as a hand slipped under her sleepshirt to push fingertips past the hem of her shorts and graze across the skin near her bellybutton.
Yuu giggled. ā€œI think Ayumuā€™s getting a little impatient to issue your reward.ā€
Whatever Setsuna was about to say in response was cut off as Ayumu covered her mouth with her own.
Authorā€™s Note Continued in Followup Post
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deesdiaries Ā· 5 years ago
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eryWARNING: Spoilers ahead! Do not proceed if you haven't seen Season 6, episode 6 of Vikings, "Death and the Serpent."
The Seer's prophecy was fulfilled on Wednesday night's heartbreaking episode of Vikings.
Lagertha (Katheryn Winnick) met her end -- and the gods -- at the hands of Ragnar's son, Hvitserk (Marco IlsĆø), in a violent, devastating match after the wounded shield-maiden had just saved her community in a battle against the bandits.
The episode, titled "Death and the Serpent," marks the end of an era for Vikings; Winnick was the last remaining original cast member on the show. The Canadian actress thus saw her time as Lagertha coming to a close, and as Vikings creator Michael Hirst tells ET, he wanted to give her an "incredible" send-off.
"She owns that storyline," Hirst says of Lagertha's journey this season, in which she returned to her farming roots and tried to put her life of struggle behind her. "Almost for the first time, she's not involved in someone else's storyline, where she's the wife of Ragnar, or she's the mother of Bjorn. This is her storyline, and her last fight with the leader of the bandits is one of the most powerful fights I've ever seen on TV. I mean, it's incredible."
"Her death is a huge tragedy. I even cried when I was writing it, for Pete's sake. But I wanted it elevated as well," he explains. That "elevated" component came in the form of a Polish singing group he brought in to sing Lagertha goodbye.
"They came to the studio. They were singing in this ancient language no one understood and it was just the crew and the cameras and a few actors. I didn't tell them what was happening. They didn't really know what the song was about, but by the time the song was over, everybody in the building was crying. Me and the camera crew and the crew, everybody was weeping, and that's the music you'll hear when you see the death of Lagertha," Hirst continues.
"It is heartbreaking. It is astonishing, and I think it does huge justice to what Katheryn has given to this show, and I'm so pleased that it's made her a star. I mean, she deserves everything," he declares.
Winnick feels that same affection for Hirst -- and for the character she's spent so long embodying.
"I don't know if I've actually said goodbye to her," she confesses. "I'm still looking at her shield and sword right now in my living room, so she's definitely a big part of my life right now."
In an emotional conversation with ET, Winnick opens up about the years she's spent playing Lagertha, her intense last day of filming, and shares a message to the fans who have been so inspired by her work and the character.
ET: You've played Lagertha for so long -- how did you prepare for her to no longer be a part of your life?
Katheryn Winnick: It was a long time coming. I think I'm the only cast member from day one that's been there for that long, and it was nice to say goodbye to a character that's so dear to my heart and finally close that chapter. As hard as it was emotionally, it also felt the timing was right. I felt definitely fulfilled as an actor and I felt I pushed her storyline as far as I can possibly take her. She is, after all, a granny at this point. And I definitely feel I've been put under the ringer and so many circumstances throughout six seasons that it felt it was a good time to say goodbye to such an iconic character.
When did you find out when -- and how -- Lagertha was going to die? What was that conversation like?
I have a very strong and close relationship with Michael Hirst. It was always a conversation together of when we're going to let go of Lagertha, and I originally didn't think I was going to stay on for as many years as I did. I've been lucky enough and blessed enough to have such loyal fans that they didn't want to let me go or let Lagertha go, but after six seasons, I felt that it was the right time.
I told Michael Hirst, as long he'd give me a really epic death, something that people won't forget, I would be happy to be able to say goodbye to her. As hard as it was, and also it was important that we say goodbye to Lagertha in the right way and proper way, and I feel that Michael Hirst has done that with her death and her funeral and also getting a chance to get behind the camera and direct for the first time. That was my way of really saying goodbye as well.
Michael spoke a lot about bidding farewell to Lagertha with that beautiful song.
I do remember the song very well. Michael sent it to me and played it first at a dinner, and then he came on set, he was there on set on the day of my death as well, and he played it for me again. I was so overwhelmed to have a song made and named after Lagertha. It was so moving and so powerful, and to have that on set and hear it before my death, it was just -- overwhelming. And I actually remember that day really well, shooting and chronologically. Usually, we don't shoot things in order, but it happened to be my very last day shooting as well as Lagertha, it happened to be my death.
Lagertha's last scene alive is incredibly violent -- what was it like filming that day?
It was a freezing cold day. It was below zero temperatures. We had a rain machine. We were soaking wet, all on the ground crawling. It was physically extremely demanding, and to be able to try to stop your body from shaking because of the cold [is difficult] and obviously it's a very emotional scene, and very powerful. We had a medic on set too, because I remember having to go in and out of the hot box. They created a little hot box to keep us warm and go in and out of the rain. We were trying to prevent our body from going into shock, just because physically, to have your body go through such hypothermia and extreme conditions was tough.
So, I'm not sure if I really let go. I don't feel like -- at the end of it, after Lagertha got killed, I just wanted to get warm, so I left quickly. It wasn't as much of a goodbye as I would have imagined. But for me, the real goodbye was coming back after my death and seeing the funeral and coming back to really direct. That was my way of giving back to the seven years I was on the show.
You've been with Lagertha through so much, from overcoming domestic abuse to losing a child -- is there a moment in her storyline that has stuck out to you?
Most people don't have the opportunity even once in their lifetime to have such a role like I got with Lagertha. The priviledge to play her for almsot seven years, and that's such blessing. Most people get maybe one chance to be able to get that. I've had the opportunity to dive into such an iconic, moral character that people look up to and make tattoos from her and dress up like her on Halloween and name their cats and dogs after Lagertha. So anyway, it's just been overwhelming but amazing to see.
And I don't think -- to answer your question, I don't think it's really one particular scene. She's gone from being a farmer to shield-maiden to dealing with domestic violence. She's dealt with having to kill a few husbands or wannabe husbands. She's made her own way and really stuck to what she believes in that I feel that it's hard to sum her up in just a few moments. ... But all those moments make her who she is, really. If it's losing a baby or if it's divorcing her husband, or becoming a queen or now retiring or believing in the fates of the gods and accepting her death, there's -- she's just such a tycoon and such an iconic character. I don't know if I've actually said goodbye to her. I'm still looking at her shield and sword right now in my living room, so she's definitely a big part of my life right now.
Lagertha's death is going to be hard for those viewers you've mentioned that have grown so attached to her and were so inspired by her. Do you have a message for those fans?
Oh, now you're going to make me cry [voice cracks]. It's hard to say. I hope that Lagertha lives on for many years to come and on our TVs and people rewatch and she's an inspiration to all the young girls out there from around the world. The most gratifying thing I have as an actor is when I've had the pleasure to travel to India and the Philippines, and Spain and all around the world, and to have fans from these remote, tiny villages that watch Vikings on their iPhone, without necessarily having running water, and to hear how Lagertha has been an inspiration for them. Whether it's finding their own strength internally or leaving an abusive relationship or really getting the equality they deserve in the workforce as powerful women -- it's just been remarkable how Lagertha has touched so many people around the world, and I hope she continues to do so.
The Vikings spinoff, Vikings: Valhalla, has been picked up by Netflix -- and Michael Hirst has spoken about possibly incorporating some Vikings characters into the show in some way. Any chance fans could see you make a cameo or come back for that series in any way?
I'm a huge fan of Michael Hirst, and I always will be. I consider him family and we've been in touch since [Vikings], and of course, I would love to work with him in one form or another. It doesn't have to be as an actor, it could be as a director or just have him in my life, even as a mentor, he's family to me, and I'm excited for Valhalla to get on Netflix and to live on. It obviously won't be the same original castmembers as Vikings, but I'm glad that there's such a need for it, and there's going to be another spinoff.
Vikings airs Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET/PT on History. Winnick will direct season 6, episode 8, "Valhalla Can Wait," airing on Jan. 22. Circle back to ETonline for more on her directorial debut.
********************
I have not ā€œlet goā€ of Lagertha yet.Ā  It would have been nice to see her reunited with Ragnar in Valhalla.Ā  šŸ˜­šŸ˜­šŸ˜­
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insane-control-room Ā· 5 years ago
Text
Make a Claim
A collaborative work with the wonderful, incredible, lovely, @randomwriteronline (ilysm <<<333)
ao3 link here
inspired by her fic The ThoughtĀ 
After a grave mistake, the doctor finally asks him, plain as day, to make their claim their own.
ā€œI am at my wits end, Bandit!ā€ Doc Carver muttered in a loss as he repaired the foolhardy puppetā€™s strings. ā€œI have tried everything - letters, poems, offers to help him, repair him, even repainting his chipped coat! I cannot understand how a man can be so, so oblivious!ā€
Bandit did not say anything, merely sighing. He was used to the Doctorā€™s spiel at this point.
ā€œAnd to add insult to injury...! After I repainted him, he hugged me, and I felt so overjoyed, butā€¦ā€ a noise of frustration broke out of the taller puppetā€™s mouth piece. ā€œIt was too short lived! And then he ran off, and I, like a coward, was too dumbfounded and startled to even try and go after him, so I didnā€™t follow. Ugh, that was just simply pathetic, wasnā€™t it, Bandit?ā€
ā€œDunno, doc,ā€ he shrugged. ā€œNever tried courtinā€™ someone, you know.ā€
ā€œI know, I know,ā€ Carver grumbled. ā€œYou know, youā€™re a great listener, Bandit.ā€
Looking into Banditā€™s tired, cold, dead eyes, one could see that yes, he did in fact know he was a good listener, especially after having to hear these exact words being told to him a plethora of times. Far too many times, in his opinion. Doc had a bad habit of repeating himself, nearly as bad a habit as Bankerā€™s natural stutter. But, honestly, Bandit did not really mind - it was comforting to have some sort of repetition, something natural and flowing, a familiar back and forth between the attempts at not dying any time he stepped outside of his few friendsā€™ sight.
So he just stood, with the face of someone who was about to doze the hell off, as Carver grumbled away his woes and stitched his strings up. To the doctor's reminder to take care of himself, he replied with a firm thumbs up, and then he waddled awkwardly into what in an episode might have been the glorious sunset, but in this case was only another door through to the wild.
Leaving the good doctor alone. Wooden fingers drummed against the unpolished counter of his workstation, filling the deathly quiet world with a steady rhythm. An impatience filled his head, that constant nagging feeling to do something, anything. Instantly his thoughts turned to the Banker, the sweet, timid, scared Banker, and those thoughts curled around daring ideas and wishes like ivy growing steadily on an old house's wall; he shoved them away, just as the Banker had shoved him away. Yet they kept coming back, filling his mind over and over. Carver leaned against the wall heavily with the soft thud of wood on wood, rubbing at his face with a grumble. Another day, another lovesick time. He smiled wryly to himself, humoring his conundrum. A doctor's worst patient is themself, he concluded bitterly, and he could not heal his own aching heart, despite his biggest efforts. He slid down the wall, trying to quell his murmuring mind, so absolutely wanting, no, craving, no, needing anotherā€™s touch. Specifically, the gentle, shaky, newly restored touch of Banker. But it was not like he could just, just up and ask him! Oh, goodness, no! The gall, the audacity! Carver scowled, stuffing his hands into his pockets, then took out, picking up his saw to go out into the wild. He was running short on needle and thread anyways, especially with how often Bandit was getting himself de-stringed nowadays.
So he would return to his old place, murder decimate destroy harvest some aracknits, and pick up more thread.
On his way, he encountered a bank booth. He only got a glimpse of something - or rather, someone, a particular someone who wore a shirt of the same light blue as that of the sleeves he saw retreating into the dark right before leaving the place completely empty. Carver stared at the empty bank for a little, recalling the man that had been in it but moments before. Then, with a heavy, sorrowful sigh, he forced his legs to move past it. It would not have done much for either of them anyways, standing in front of each other, waiting for something to happen, and that yet, knowing their clashing natures, simply never would. Hefting his saw over his shoulder, he crept into Dead Manā€™s Gulch -- and then into the place he used to call home.
The sound of the spider-like creatures sent shivers up his wooden spine, the inebriating thrill of the hunt filling his chest. He forced himself to keep calm and still his nerves, knowing the adrenaline rushing in what he could consider veins would only give him shaky hands, like those of the Banker he so cherished. But he could not risk having them, not now. He silently stalked through the halls, a thin and lithe coyote between hazy sand stone creeping up to its prey.
A distinctly recognizable sound caught his attention. Ah-ha!, he thought, crouching furtively out of sight. There it was: one of those awful little yarn devils, scuttling around in the shade of the doctor's old home with his needle tick-tick-ticking all over the wooden floor. A quick, painless bounty of thread for the blade of Carver's saw. The Doc slowly crept closer and closer, trying to hide the glint of his weapon from his eyeless prey, sneaking forward without letting himself make a single soundā€¦
A fulminous zac!, and the aracknit dissolved into a bunch of strings with four needles attached.
Carver grinned, at least, the best he could with a solid mouth, satisfied. He still got it.
He stopped to gather the materials, keeping himself from humming and attracting too many of the little beasties. A skittering passed behind him. Ā He froze, readying his saw once more. He turned his head ever so slowly, his motions nearly unperceivable... An aracknit rushed by, and he swung, missing, his saw flying out of his nervous grip. He swore under his breath, chasting his own hastiness and going to retrieve it, but another spider ran by him and stole it from under his reaching hand. A hiss, long and slow, and so, so, so very many quiet, ticking aracknits. He tried to creep out of his corner, but found every stealthy pass blocked by yarny webs. Without a weapon, there was no way he could go through an open area. He would lose his strings in a matter of seconds if he even attempted to do so! Color slowly drained out of his vision, and he cursed his worsening luck. He could feel his wooden heart beat, faster and faster. More scampering. He demanded of himself to slow his breathing, and could not.
ā€œWell, well, well, well, well,ā€ the air turned cold. The supposed to be jolly and high voice creaked and rasped lowly, angrily, softly, dangerously. Ā ā€œWhat, or rather, who, do we have here, caught in the webs of his own prey?ā€
Carver stayed silent, going at a crawl to the thinnest web, planning on breaking through it and making a mad dash to the exit. The sound of the Faceless Banditā€™s three footsteps clacked loudly in the still, dusty air, the scampering aracknits now far too quiet in comparison to the terrifying approach. Perhaps because they too, as simpleminded as a bug of raw yarn can be, could not help but being afraid of the scarred danger slowly coming closer.
ā€œI didnā€™t know you were Dr. Jekyll,ā€ Faceless chuckled, making the wood of Carverā€™s back to ripple in disgust. ā€œSeeing that youā€™re playing around with Mr. Hyde.ā€
Doc Carver scowled. Goodness, how much he despised the otherā€™s use of terrible puns.
ā€œStop playing around, my dear Doctor,ā€ his words turned the land foul. The dead shivered and rose, disturbed from what should have been their peaceful eternal rest. ā€œYou canā€™t avoid me forever, you knowā€¦.ā€
ā€˜Yeah, rightā€™, Carver rolled his eyes, then refocused onto the web he planned on escaping through. He poised himself to run, breathing in, waiting for Faceless to turn aroundā€¦ and the moment he did, he bolted with a, ā€œHa !ā€
It was a mistake.
A grave one.
Of course it was all planned out, of course there would not be a weak spot. After all, wherever a bone breaks, it becomes stronger than before.
Dozens and dozens of aracknits surrounded him, wooly fangs bared. Some trembled, others ducked away, and Carver realized that--
ā€œThey listen to me,ā€ Faceless droned behind him. He grew very still. ā€œOut of fear, yes, but stillā€¦ arenā€™t they so cute? So sweet? So helpful?ā€
The doctor ran into the crowd of the small eight legged monsters, the spiders parting like a sea, but also like a sea, instantly drove back.
An aracknit jumped at Carver, and he tried to bat it away with his open arm, but it just scampered onto him, leaving a woven strand over his wrist, and jumped away.
Another did the same to his other side, and he struggled even more, despite the fact that he was given less and less ability to do so.
He felt a string snap, and his left leg gave out, leaving him stumbling to the ground. Second came the right arm. He screamed, not to ask for help, knowing no one would hear him, but to try and bolster his own strength: he bashed an aracknit down and restringed him arm, then going back to fighting with every ounce of strength he could have found desperately still kicking in his wooden limbs.
The aracknits kept coming, the few dozens that were cornering him turning into a swarm that only grew bigger at every turn of his head, crawling out of every single nook and cranny. They bit down on his strings almost faster than he could sew them back up (but luckily, not quite as fast), all while stabbing his legs with their small damned needles as they attempted to climb him, possibly to feed off of him, maybe to try to escape their terrifying master by reaching the top of the doctor's head.
Carver felt their webs wrap around him, pulling him back, swirling around him tight, tighter than the knot of a noose, tying him to the ground and the walls, nearly forcing him on his knees. He screamed - not to be heard, not to gather strength: he screamed in pure terror, almost as though he hoped the sound of his voice would delay the inevitable.
A fly. He was a fly, a careless naive fly, who had thought he could outrun the spiders only to fall in their mother's trap, the hunter becoming the hunted - and soon to be the slaughtered.
He gave one last weakened kick before his legs became a useless mermaidā€™s tail on land, only barely managing to hit an aracknit strong enough to shoo it away before the string wavered away, dropping onto ash. The little beastie tumbled over, legs frantically moving in a terrified attempt to scramble back onto them, and he pitied it, the shared pain of two prisoners trapped beyond their powers, and he wished that it could get to its feet, to give him a sign of hope that he too would rise, but alas.
It was crushed under the handle of an approaching scythe.
Its needles stiffened and twitched, fighting one last time against their lightning quick rigor mortis; then, it dissolved into a puddle of string under Carver's horrified eyes.
Silence. Accursed, blasphemous, terrifying silence. All the doctor could hear was his own panting breath. He had one string left, and a scythe tugged on it for a moment before sliding down his face, making his head tilt this way and that, as if inspecting a specimen most curiously.
The two puppets were still, and silent.
Not a spider crawled, not a soul moved, nothing breathed and it was all so strikingly obvious to Carver. Of course, of course, why should he have gone back here? He should have baited the aracknits out instead of going in like a fool, a cretin, a pup still unaware of the sly tactics of hunting, thinking it all as fun and games. How foolish he had been!
He wished that he was somewhere else.
Somewhere safe.
Somewhere to feel at home.
Hanging up his apron in the hall after a fulfilling day of making puppets feel better and smile, going into a cozy living room to join hands with a smiling Banker, to rest with tea in front of a warm fire and good book, simple domestic perfection and tranquility. That was all he wanted. Was it really too much to ask forā€¦?
It seemed so.
A golden tear bubbled up in his eye, and he blinked rapidly to force it away.
It slid down his face, trailing down his scar.
His wooden skin crawled as a scarred and ripped hand came to rest on that mark, and he turned icy cold, shivering. God, how he wished a different, trembling, gentle hand were there! Even if he were in the same position, bound and inflexible and defenseless, he would have given anything for it. For that sweet intoxicating touch, the throne of which was instead being usurped by dirty, loathing, scratching fingers.
ā€œOh, my dearest Doctor Carver,ā€ the mangled puppet laughed, his words airless. ā€œYou always were my least favorite. Always stealing from me those delightful strings of the weakened, of the broken and bent. And you, so resilient and resistant! Why so much of a fuss, hm?ā€
The doctor felt a knot tie in his throat. He forced himself to stare straight at the eyeless being looming cruelly before him in total defiance: if he was going to die there and then, he would have not given that piece of tumbleweed the satisfaction of seeing him bend his head to him.
ā€œWhat is it, Doc?ā€ the Faceless hissed, yanking him with annoyance at his silence, scratching at his face, gouging three sharp cuts under his scar that would have bled if the doctor had blood instead of sap, which oozed out of the crevices. ā€œCat got your tongue? Or did you ever have one? I doubt it, seeing as youā€™re quite dumb right now.ā€
Carver inhaled with a low growl.
ā€œGo to hell.ā€ he merely grumbled.
ā€œOoh, how raunchy,ā€ Faceless snarked back, cutting into his own face with his scythe to display any kind of expression, the smirk he left in his own face jagged and twisted. Carver felt his stomach churn with frost at the sight, so crude and, and unnatural. The scythe returned to the bottom of his chin, sliding up to the top of his head to hook around the string that resided there. Carver shivered as he felt his singular string slowly sawed at.
The Faceless Bandit held his head firmly with one hand, pulled back his arm a little, swiftly, and-
Shhh.
Then there was nothing.
Death felt so weird, the doctor thought.
He had imagined it crueler, darker, colder, more painful. Lonelier.
Instead he felt onlyā€¦ suspended. As if in wait. For what, he could not tell. But it was a peaceful waiting, and he felt far from afraid.
He was enveloped into a gentle, vast hold. A warm, ginormous finger touched his face, tapping each of his eyes, and he felt air seep into his lungs once more.
Another hand carefully, gently, cautiously and lovingly placed strings onto his limbs.
The hands slowly vanished, and he found himself put into something enclosing andā€¦ safe?
And then he felt alive.
Which was not ideal, because it made him realize that he was in a claustrophobic and dark space, and with his most recent memories being those of his body tied up in yarn among an army of aracknits and every last one of his strings being cut by the cruel scythe of a criminal lacking a face, so he panicked and kicked the air in front of himself as hard as he could to escape his dark prison.
The Banker nearly had a heart attack when the coffin next to bank opened with a loud noise - only nearly, because he did not actually have a heart or circulatory system.
ā€œB-Bandit? Is, is that you?ā€ Bankerā€™s sweet, timid, wonderful wonderful wonderful beautiful darling amazing incredible voice rang out in the empty room. The doctor pleaded in his heart, unable to find his voice, still gasping and panting, trembling and teary, ā€˜Oh, please, say more, speak more, keep talking, fill the void.ā€™ There were quiet footsteps, the Banker creeping slowly out of his booth. ā€œL-Lorelei? L-Lookout? Uh, um, Mr., Mr. West?ā€
And then he stood before him, looking down at the Doctor with four wide eyes.
Carver knew he was a mess, he knew he was shaking and sitting in the bottom of a coffin like container as his tears froze in his eyes, but the moment he saw the Banker looking down at him, silently, mouth open in a slight shock, he felt his frosted heart melt, finally filling his body with relieving warmth, color finally returning to his vision, and his shoulders finally untensed as he looked up at him with total and complete admiration.
The Banker stood, fidgeting with his hands nervously. He was about to start scratching them, but he stopped himself: the doctor had put a lot of time andā€¦ and care (wonderful, dutiful, devoted care, whispered the ghost of a thought in his mind) into that coat of paint. He couldn't justā€¦ he couldn't just ruin it like that. And, well, he couldn't, he couldn't just leave him there, hazy and frightened and in need of help, either.
He lent him his hand as that terrible fear gnawed at his stomach: ā€œI, I didn't expect you to, to be here, D-Doc.ā€
Carver grabbed the appendix with both hands, pressing his fingers against its palms. He did not make any motion to stand up; completely honestly, he did not want to. He just wanted to hold it, to hold him, to feel the other puppet's arm curl against him, a soft, shy and gentle shield of blue and brown hues, of tremors and stutters, warming him endlessly. Oh, how he needed it! How he wished for it terribly, now and forever...
ā€œD-Doc Carver?ā€ the Banker felt that fire burn from his fingertips, spreading up his arm. He swallowed roughly to keep it from his face. ā€œD-do you need to make a c-claim?ā€
ā€œYes,ā€ he breathed, and pulled Bankerā€™s hand down, close to his heart. Banker stared at him with wide eyes, big, terrified eyes. ā€œYes, I do, please, Banker, pleaseā€¦ grant me this one claim.ā€
Banker trembled, and still, he asked; ā€œWhat?ā€
ā€œI've just been struck down with death,ā€ Carver nearly whispered, eyes glazed with tears. ā€œI have lost my confidence, please, Banker, dear, dear Banker of mine, please, kiss me with life, restore my confidence, please, that's the only claim I ask of you.ā€
Carver squeezed the hand tight, afraid it would escape his grip, knowing it could.
ā€œK-kiss you?ā€ Banker squeaked, eyes wide, the searing sensations spreading all over his face and neck, but, how enrapturing and captivating those burns were! And how loud the echo of the thought he'd been sure to have killed was! His fear tugged him away, or so it tried, for his body wouldn't move an inch.
Carver nodded, his eyes pleading, as he rubbed his face on the back of the hand, murmuring ā€˜please, pleaseā€™ over and over, knowing rejection would have killed him on the spot, and yet not finding the will to care for it. Though he wouldn't beg for life from the Faceless Bandit that so hated him, he would beg and plead for death from the Banker he so adored.
The Banker breathed heavily, shivering. His head shook ever so slightly.
ā€œN, no, noā€¦ā€ he whispered as he kneeled in front of the other puppet; ā€œNo, noā€¦ā€, as he let the doctor cup his cheeks and rub his face on them; ā€œNo, no, no, noā€¦ā€, as he returned the other's affection, kissing him in the way a puppet can kiss, wooden faces scratching ever so softly against each other, slowly, then faster; ā€œNo, no, noā€¦ā€, as his fingers finally curled around the stitches of Carver's scar, stroking it idly, pushing away the tears that slowly dripped from the otherā€™s face, finally seeing his fear as what it was: no fear at all, not even close to fear, even. It was something softer, something that he had selfishly denied himself through his own blindness. Oh, what good were four eyes when he could not use them to see what was right in front of him? What good was the blessing of sight without letting himself revel in the beautiful image in front of him? What good was living to play a part and nothing more if it did not allow him to have the gift of, the, no, his, his dear, dear, darling doctor to gaze upon?
He held Carver closer, nuzzling harder against him. The fire divamping inside him boiled and burned, it begged to be released, to be imprinted on the other puppet for all to see. He was kissing it into Doc, but it was not, it could not be enough. A single face was too restrictive, and he had to improvise, he had to figure out a way to make it more, to have more of the doctor pinned under him, to show him that yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, this was right and wanted and good.
His hand begrudgingly left the side of Carver's head and instead grabbed with all of its strength his arm. The good doctor nearly jumped up from his seat in the case, surprised, left breathless. His own fingers curled around the Banker's forearm, but the kiss they pressed against him was weak, not nearly as deep and passionate as the one pushing into his limb, far more shy and trembling, a near reverse of their usual attitudes. Carverā€™s whole being shivered with warmth. And oh, oh!, it was so good! So very good, so very delicious, the sensation spreading from that long, long kiss to the rest of his bodyā€¦ goodness, he was addicted to it already. That was it, his only wish, his reason to live. All he wanted was for that magnificent pressure to never soften and leave.
But the Banker had other plans. For him, it was too long, too time consuming; it didn't let him give Carver everything they both wanted desperately after letting so much time pass by. So instead he began to grab and release, grab and release, fast and hungry, pressing quick hasty kisses all over the doctor. On his arms, his chest, his neck, his shoulders, his sides - to hell with his part!, to hell with his fear! - even reaching further down, gripping Carverā€™s hips and legs in a frenzy, dominated by nothing but the burning embers inside of his wooden frame that pushed him to love and love and love again.
Carver was too slow to reply to those attentions, and he found himself overwhelmed. He was in an almost comatose bliss, jolting and shivering with little gasps and murmurs of, ā€œYes, yes, p-please, yesā€¦.ā€, only barely managing to nuzzle back his lover's face, goodness gracious, this was it, the moment he always dreamed of, his lover, they were lovers now. He did not feel like himself, not at all. He was out of his body, out of his mind, looking down on that scene from a warm cloud of ecstasy, the prickling of pleasure taking over him in waves.
It took what felt like ages, for the Banker's wild rush of claiming Carver as his to consume itself. It exhausted them both, to the point where they were moments away from collapsing entirely in the box Carver rested in, seconds from slipping into pure bliss and tranquility. They held each other close as they rested, panting softly, Bankerā€™s hand finally finding its place on Carverā€™s cheek, gently trailing the scar there. Then he felt the ridges, his eyes widening, and he pulled away a bit to inspect the mark, and to his horror and sadness found the three fresh cuts under his hand.
ā€œC-Carver, you, youā€™re hurt!ā€ he exclaimed, his gentle shaky fingers turning the doctorā€™s head to inspect the cuts better. ā€œO-Oh dear, why didn't, why didnā€™t you t-tell me?ā€
ā€œItā€™s fine, it really is,ā€ Carver reassured him, though he leaned into and reveled in his touch. ā€œItā€™s nothing that I canā€™t mend.ā€
Banker frowned at that, and so Carver might have even said something more, had a not-so-freshly-painted-anymore visage not rubbed gently on his wounds, kissing away the sap seeping from the small gouges. The kiss threw him for an incredulous loop, stunning him. Had his wood been replaced by flesh, he would have been redder than a blooming hibiscus.
Perhaps it was seeing the doctor like that that slowly brought the four-eyed puppet to his senses. All those newly formed memories reverberated in his mind, slowly becoming clear, first their gentle, almost reluctant, kiss, then the frenzied adrenalinic boiling and burning and exploding cravings that had taken control of him, and finally, when he realized the spontaneous act of kissing those little scrapes, he finally got a grasp on his actions. He gradually began shaking, hands going to cover his mouth already muttering apologies, his legs trying to push him to his feet - oh, but Carver would not have any of it.
His gentle grip tightened around the other's waist, keeping him from escaping into the dark of his shame. Banker would have blushed furiously had he skin, feeling the rippling strength of Doc Carverā€™s arm around him, his breath hitching as those thoughts that he thought he killed earlier swarmed back into his mind. The doctor collected himself as well, slowly, naturally slipping back into his ordinarily calm and proper self, just like the Banker had returned to his anxieties and worries, their regular personalities bleeding back into their forms as if regaining consciousness after a long sleep.
ā€œDear,ā€ goodness, how wonderful it felt to say that, ā€œDear, darling, love, what's troubling you?ā€
ā€œI- I, Iā€¦ Doc, I-ā€
ā€œCarver, dear, please. Carver is just fine.ā€
ā€œI, Iā€¦ Car, Carver, I didn't - oh, oh god, I'm, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean-ā€
ā€œOh, you did!ā€ the doctor adamantly insisted, his eyes widening, but in complete confidence. ā€œWeā€™reā€¦ us now. Itā€™s okay, weā€™re okayā€¦ Iā€™m here, youā€™re here, itā€™s okay. Weā€¦ we are good.ā€
The Banker tried shrinking himself in the other's arms without much success. Carver merely huffed, an adoring look in his eyes, and brought him closer. His gentle nuzzles onto his recently repainted cheek were a balm for the Banker's nerves.
ā€œThere's nothing to fear, my darling.ā€ he murmured into the puppetā€™s ears, feeling him relax from his smooth accent, melting against him in a pleasant warmth, ā€œHm, but your boothā€¦ it seems quite comfortable, wouldn't you say?ā€
The other nodded, humming absentmindedly, one of his hands trailing up Carverā€™s arm, twirling around his neck to run over his hair. He had always wondered how it felt, and now found that it was not only wood, but covered in felt to give it a soft velvety texture, and the same went for his handlebar moustache. Come to think of it, nearly everything about the doctor was just so soft and warmly inviting.
ā€œShould we head over to it, then?ā€ Carver's voice caught up to him, pulling him back to reality, yet sending him from one pleasant distraction to another. He barely had to answer, the slightest sigh and the smallest nod, and the doctor slid a firm and strong hand under his knees, and rose him up, carrying him into the bank much like a newly wed groom carries his beloved man into their just made house.
There was some cloth folded in a corner, arranged as if to simulate what could have once seemed like a bed which clearly had been abandoned for the anxious Bankerā€™s many sleepless nights, him preferring instead to pass out in fear on his counter.
The doctor laid him on top of the covers gently before positioning himself on top of him. One of his hands tenderly stroked his cheek, his legs straddling the Banker, looking down at him, eyes shielded by his glasses, though behind those lenses, his eyes were full of pure admiration.
The four-eyed puppet adjusted himself under his weight almost sleepily: ā€œCarver, loveā€¦ā€ oh, to be called like that forever and always, what shivers did it send down his spine!, ā€œWhatā€¦ā€
ā€œPlease, my dearest.ā€ Carver leaned down to press kisses to his throat, and purred against his neck, hands pressing light kisses with thumbs swirling on wooden skin so gently, ā€œYou don't truly think I am sated of your kisses? I waited so long for youā€¦ā€
The Banker sighed blissfully, body melting and becoming as soft as warm clay. He wrapped his arms around his dear, dear lover and let his head fall back on the bed that hadn't seen him in weeks, basking in the wonderful burn enveloping him.
How curious, he thought to himself. He could hear a hummingbird sing in the back of his mind.
For some odd reason, he heard Bandit clear his throat in the back of his mind too.
Then Doc Carver let out a small grumbling shriek, rolling over and tumbling off of a Banker too hazy to notice anything.
ā€œH-Hello Bandit!ā€ Carver stumbled over his words as the cowboy looked at them from the counter where his elbow was leaning on. The four-eyed puppet called for him needily, drawling out the last part of the doctorā€™s name, his grasp on reality basically non-existent. Carver turned bright red. ā€œF-fancy seeing you hereā€¦.ā€
ā€œSure is, Doc, sure is.ā€ Showdown smiled, cheek resting in his hand, giving him a quick wink. ā€œMind if I make a deposit?ā€
ā€œUm, sure,ā€ the doctor stuttered, rushing to the desk to swipe the cash, hastily dumping it in a vault labeled ā€˜SHOWDOWN BANDITā€™.
The cowboy tipped his hat politely: ā€œThanks, Doc.ā€
ā€œN-no problem,ā€ he mumbled, staring at the ground.
ā€œNow I suggest ya go back to yer other business. He sounds prettyā€¦ umā€¦ critical.ā€ Showdown nodded in the direction of the lovestruck Banker. The doctor tried to swallow, and failed. ā€œYā€™know what I mean, Doc?ā€
ā€œCarveeeer, love, pleaseā€¦ please, where did you go?ā€ the poor soul lamented, turning on the bed. ā€œYou're so cruel, so cruelā€¦ ! Oh, love, pleaseā€¦ please, I need youā€¦ !ā€
ā€œI know.ā€ Carver muttered to Showdown, closing the Bankā€™s shutters and swiftly turning around, rushing back into the arms of his darling, finally together.
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twdmusicboxmystery Ā· 4 years ago
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Re-Watch 7x11: Hostiles and Calamities
Next up is my rewatch of 7x11, which is mostly Eugene at the Sanctuary.
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So, we start with the Saviors arriving with Eugene at the Sanctuary (this picks up after Negan decided to take him Alexandria in 7x08, because Eugene admitted heā€™d made the bullet Rosita tried to assassinate Negan with.)
Actually, we first see Dwight and some other Saviors find Joey who Daryl killed when he escaped in 7x08. Joeyā€™s sandwich is smashed on the ground beside him and you can prominently see the smashed tomato, which is symbolic.Ā 
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Thereā€™s also a puddle of blood and of course theyā€™re next to all the motorcycles. The setup reminded me a lot of the bike and puddle of blood we saw in 6x02 when the Wolves attacked Alexandria.
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Then Laura shows Eugene around. This is where he gets the jar of pickles. She has an interesting line that youā€™ll like, Frangi. She says, ā€œbeer, break, cut your head.ā€
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He goes out to talk to Negan and Negan asks for a solution for how to keep walkers from eventually falling to pieces on the fence and Eugene gives him the idea of melting down scrap metal and pouring it over them, especially over their heads so no one can stab them and put them down. Iā€™m still not sure what to make of this theme, but itā€™s repeated many times around Eugene, so Iā€™m sure itā€™s important.
Okay, onto the good stuff. Negan says something like, ā€œwhat do you say to me for doing you this favor?ā€ (paraphrasing) and Eugene says thank you. Then he says, ā€œSeriously, thank you.ā€ So thereā€™s Sirius reference #1.
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As a reward, Negan sends three of his wives (Frankie, Tanya and Amber) to hang out with him. This is where we get tons more Sirius mentions. I counted three. Two on their own, those close together in the dialogue. The third time he said, ā€œSerious as sepsis.ā€ Which really mirrors the one you always bring up, Frangi, that he said while playing cards on the way to Alexandria. I believe one of the ladies asked him, ā€œSerious?ā€ Or ā€œSeriously?ā€ And that was his answer. He was talking at the time about how he could use household cleaners they had lying around to make a bomb.
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Then he goes out to demonstrate his ā€œbombā€ for the three women. Remember that heā€™s humming the 1812 Overture. I remember everyone discussing this in detail when this episode first aired. Honestly, we had no way to really appreciate what this might mean. Now I can see that it was clearly a foreshadow. So I reviewed some info on the 1812. It was composed by Tchaikovsky to commemorate the successful Russian defense against Napoleonā€™s INVADING army.
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So hereā€™s what Iā€™m thinking. This is probably a foreshadow of where we are now in the show. It either foreshadows TF fighting against the helicopter group or possibly against the invading walker situation at the hospital. (The Sirius references come because Bethā€™s return will happen somewhere in there.)
So, remember how in 10x15, Luke was making something? I totally didnā€™t get what that was at first. I saw someone, somewhere online say, ā€œobviously heā€™s making a bomb of some kind.ā€ And I was like, ā€œā€¦oh. I totally didnā€™t get that. I thought he was trying to put together a power source for the hospital.ā€ Lol. But given that he had Carol and Kelly go find him wiring from a car, it makes sense that heā€™s constructing a fuse of some kind.
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So Iā€™m wondering if this sequence with Eugene foreshadows Lukeā€™s bomb which will ā€˜successfully defendā€™ them from the invading army of walkers. The only weird thing is that Eugene isnā€™t actually present at the hospital. BUT. It did cross my mind that Eugene doesnā€™t represent himself directly in the analogy in S7. Maybe he represents Beth. Sheā€™ll somehow bring the final component they need to make the bomb and help lead the walkers away.
Or something. Damn TWDā€™s vague possibilities of interpretation!
Moving on.
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Next we see Dwight go search in the cabin for Sherry. I donā€™t think I need to say much about that. Tons of symbolism, but we all already know what it is.Ā 
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The three rings laying in his hand symbolize the helicopter group in some way, which probably means the people in FTWD will run into them at some point. (I know Al already has, but Dwight hasnā€™t, technically.)Ā 
The camera focuses on a particular cigarette Dwight pulls out. It has a red ring of something near the top. I think itā€™s meant to be lipstick. Itā€™s Sherryā€™s cigarette and he kept it. But the paper of the cigarette itself has a green ring around the bottom. Resurrection themes (because heā€™ll find Sherry again, which we already know he will in this season of Fear) but also reminded me of a can y@wdway found while re-watching Still, recently. Iā€™ll post her findings either later this week or early next week.
Then Tanya and Frankie come to ask him to make a suicide pill. At first he says no and we get another ā€œare you seriousā€ reference. Thatā€™s 5 in a single episode around Eugene.
But he reconsiders and asserts himself as being important and takes all the cold medicine, bed pan, stuffed animal sloth, etc from the one Savior lady. He calls her #16. Donā€™t know if thatā€™s important, but Iā€™m hoping it points to Bethā€™s return in a season finale.
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So I looked up sloth symbolism and not tons jumped out at me. They spend a lot of time in trees and such, and have some things in common with owls, so some possible symbols. But one thing did catch my attention. They say a sloth only consumes what it needs to survive and is very measured about what it takes in and its waste.Ā 
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I know itā€™s weird because weā€™re talking about sloth bowel movements, but the way it was phrased in the article I read made me think of Bethā€™s line to Dawn when Dawn was trying to convince her to eat. She said, ā€œI donā€™t need much.ā€ I just wonder if the all the bed pan symbolism might play into this in some way. Weā€™ve always associated it with Grady, and therefore Beth, but this could be another aspect of it. And Eugene did take a bedpan with him at this part. Just some food (hehe) for thought.
Umā€¦at one point, Negan calls Daryl a puppy. And Iā€™m not sure if thatā€™s meant to be a Sirius reference, or maybe a way of showing symbolically that Negan truly doesnā€™t understand Darylā€™s nature. (Because heā€™s a cat, not a dog.)
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Negan knocks on Eugeneā€™s door to the rhythm of a Shave and a Haircut. This, combined with Laura calling him Haircut at the beginning draws a lot of attention to his hair. I canā€™t help but wonder if thatā€™s a Sampson thing. A way to name him Sampson or a pre-Sampson, if you will.
(I should have posted this yesterday. It applies more to 7x10, but I didnā€™t see it.)
@wdwayā€‹:
I enjoyed your review, @twdmusicboxmystery. A couple of things popped into my head like when you were talking about Rick getting Michonne another cat my mind went to she had a child that she lost and he will give her another child. Something we could not have foreseen back then.
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About the Smokey and the Bandit tractor trailer can't remember all the discussions which we've had on this subject but the funny thing is that David, Aaron and I were had this strange discussion about Coors Beer last night and I made the comment that in Smokey and the Bandit that's what they were hauling, they were bringing Coors to whatever state, I want to say it was Georgia but not totally sure about that. So this tractor trailer is actually a beer/cold reference. I also feel since it was disconnected from a trunk that means this particular symbol was frozen/ not moving at that time, as the symbol of Sirius it is not on the move, would not appear, get to its destination anytime soon.
@frangipaniloveā€‹Ā 
I did a post that deals with the Smokey and the bandit trailer in august last year, hereā€™s the link if anyoneā€™s interested: https://frangipanilove.tumblr.com/post/187351457970/blue-clues-shanes-22-necklace-truckers A lot of this post deals with other elements from 7x10 as well.
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woolishlygrim Ā· 5 years ago
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Winter Weebwatch #5
After last weekā€™s surprisingly bad bunch of episodes, this weekā€™s episodes are surprisingly good! There was also no Darwinā€™s Game this week, probably because it got pre-empted by a sporting event, but to be honest, I donā€™t think anybody was especially crying out for another three paragraphs of me struggling to remember what happened in it.
Also, there is a huge trigger warning for discussions of suicide, both in fiction and in real life on this post, specifically in the ID: Invaded review.
In/Spectre
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So, this episode was cruising along for an easy three stars for most of its runtime. Continuing on the Steel Girder Nanase storyline, the episode sees Kotoko and Saki simultaneously deciding to hate each other and deciding that they need to work together to decipher the truth behind Steel Girder Nanase, who they believe to be the ghost of an idol, Haruka Nanase, who was accused of murder and subsequently was found crushed by a steel girder, her face unrecognisable and even her teeth unidentifiable, the body only identified by virtue of carrying Nanaseā€™s identification.
ā€¦ Just so weā€™re all absolutely on the same page here, next episode is definitely going to reveal that Nanase murdered someone else to fake her own death, and that Steel Girder Nanase is actually some poor woman who was her victim, right? Right.
But anyway, this episode settles into a nice, consistent tone, sets up a fun and legitimately intriguing supernatural mystery, and seems all set to make its way to a satisfactory conclusion in one or two episodes, probably.
What elevates it to four stars, though? The fairly throwaway joke in which a fully animated opening sequence for a completely fictional magical girl show, complete with an original and fully vocalised song, plays, and ruthlessly satirises the far-right, taking shots at capitalism, militarism, and the police and justice system.
Itā€™s a joke that doesnā€™t fit the tone of the rest of the series at all, but itā€™s so unapologetically vicious while also making me laugh out loud that I had to add an extra star for it. I just had to.
ID: Invaded.
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Honestly, I wavered on whether this should be a four star or a five star. If I could do half stars, itā€™d be four and a half, but I think it edges out five.
This episode switches gears a little. With the Gravedigger killed, and the woman who was manipulating him into his murders arrested, Sakaido dives into the womanā€™s mental world, hoping to figure out exactly what caused her to turn to murder, and why murder in such a specific, gruesome, and sadistic way.
And he fails completely.
The story tempts us with just enough information that we can start forming the half-baked foundations of a hypothesis, but not enough that we can actually form any kind of cohesive theory. We see in the womanā€™s mental world that she is stuck as a child, endlessly riding a train thatā€™s going in circles, each loop having it cross the train crossing where her mother committed suicide. We see that her victims are gathered at said crossing, waiting patiently to cross. And we see that her accomplice, the man she had killing for her, is present on the train as well, as a young boy very far removed from the blank, not-all-there man weā€™ve seen up to that point. We see Kaeru, usually representing the murder victims, in this mental world is presented as a suicide victim, having removed her shoes and asked the woman to wipe off her wounds before expiring in a seat at the end of the train.
But we never get enough to build any kind of meaning out of it. The show deliberately withholds closure from us, mirroring the womanā€™s lack of closure over her motherā€™s suicide (why did she decide to do it, and why do it by throwing herself in front of a train she knew her daughter was riding?), telling us that we will only ever have a handful of puzzle pieces and no way to piece them together.
I admit, that affected me pretty deeply. As someone who obsesses over puzzles and especially over the whys and wherefores of why people do things, whose lowered empathy response means that figuring people out is often a maddening struggle, the show presenting a puzzle that canā€™t be solved is infuriating. But more than that, as someone who has had a friend commit suicide, leaving no note and providing almost no indication beforehand that he was going to, Iā€™m familiar with the bewilderment that can follow something like that, the attempts to piece together a cause-and-effect that makes sense.
This episode kind of got to me. Iā€™m not sure I liked that it did.
ā€˜Not having enough informationā€™ is the running theme of this episode, anyhow, as the rest of the investigation team takes some time to discuss the recurring appearance of John Walker, a mysterious man in a red frockcoat who has appeared in five separate killersā€™ mental worlds (and who appears also in the womanā€™s, as a reflection in the train window). As they talk, they realise all they know is a baffling mess of contradictions about him: Nobody has ever seen him in real life, and yet the fact that five different people dreamed him up wearing the same bright red coat means he must be going around wearing what is basically American War of Independence cosplay; there seems to be no single link between the killers who have him in their mental worlds, and yet there are strange coincidental links; none of the killers remember who he is, but all of them have extremely strong recollections of him.
The end of the episode pulls another gutpunch on us, as Hondomachi, having killed the Gravedigger in seeming self defence earlier in the episode, finally gets her wish to be trained to dive into peopleā€™s mental worlds -- only for Hayaseura, her boss and the man who recommended her, to tell her that itā€™s not enough to have just killed, you have to be a serial killer, something he knows that she is. While we obviously saw her murder someone (by provoking them into attacking her and then framing it as self-defense) earlier in this episode, Hayaseura also points out something that Iā€™d dismissed at the time and completely forgotten about: That in the very first episode, before Hondomachi was kidnapped by the Perforator, she was alone with one of his victims in the basement, and when we next saw him he was dead, even though the Perforator couldnā€™t have killed him.
Thatā€™s ā€¦ actually some really solid writing. I hadnā€™t even realised on my first watch that the guy couldnā€™t have been killed by the Perforator.
Pet.
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I feel like I havenā€™t given this series enough credit for how surprisingly vicious it is. The first episode sets us up to think that Tsukasa and Hirokiā€™s friendship is pretty cute, and the second episode clues us in to the fact that theyā€™re (quasi-?)romantically involved and sets up a clearly unhealthy but quite sweet all the same romance where you think that, hey, theyā€™re screwed up people but they clearly love each other. It isnā€™t until the third episode that the rug gets pulled out from under you, with the reveal that Tsukasa is actually quite abusive, and this episode pulls the rug straight out from under us again.
It follows two plot threads. The first one is a milder one, with Satoru meeting the niece of the mysterious Companyā€™s CEO, who exposits at him a little about how the Company was founded and some of the strifes that have led it to its current state of disarray -- namely that the qigong masters who created the psychic techniques the Company uses (just ā€¦ roll with it) all simultaneously betrayed the CEO and were killed for it, leaving the Company with only one person who can pass on those teachings: Hayashi.
The second plot thread sees Tsukasa and Hayashi playing mind games with each other, with Tsukasa first trying to persuade Hayashi to return to the Company, before Hayashi tries to psychically rewrite Tsukasaā€™s memories, only for Tsukasa to rebuff him and for the two to end up in a psychic battle where they both try to repel the other oneā€™s attempts to alter their memories.
Itā€™s in this second plot thread that we learn all about Tsukasaā€™s many issues: Like Satoru, he is most definitely in love with Hayashi, and like Satoru, those feelings clearly arenā€™t reciprocated. Unlike Satoru, however, Hayashi doesnā€™t even seem to have filial feelings for Tsukasa, and we learn that when he started teaching Satoru, the Company told him that he couldnā€™t act as mentor for two people and had to choose one. He picked Satoru with what seems like startling ease, effectively abandoning Tsukasa.
There are allusions, as well, to the idea that Hayashi kept using Tsukasa even after that abandonment, entreating him to infiltrate the Company on his behalf and keep Satoru safe. Tsukasaā€™s ā€¦ not happy about this at all, and also, as becomes swiftly apparent throughout the episode, more than a little unhinged.
As the episode ends, Tsukasa and Hayashi are ramping up their psychic battle, with Tsukasa informing Hayashi that heā€™s learned some tricks off Hiroki, so weā€™ll see where that one goes.
Infinite Dendrogram.
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ā˜…ā˜…ā˜†ā˜†ā˜†
More and more, it feels like this show is falling into a rut, and thatā€™s honestly a huge shame.
Thereā€™s just no forward momentum to it. Things happen, but thereā€™s no sense of motion, no sense of things winding towards a conclusion, either on an arc level or a series level, and yet at the same time itā€™s not fast and snappy enough to be a truly episodic series like, say, Kekkai Sensen.
So, this weekā€™s episode sees Ray, now cursed with dog ears (for reasons which are not plot relevant, but I mean, itā€™s fine), teaming up with a new character, Hugo, a Dryfe Master whose job is essentially that heā€™s a giant mecha pilot, as the two attempt to tackle a base of bandits who have been kidnapping children.
The show tries very hard to set the bandits up as absolute monsters, and to sell us on Rayā€™s rage, but it kind of lacks the elements necessary to make an impact. The huge emotional moment where Ray sees that some of the children have been turned into undead is weakened by the fact that the cinematography is bog-standard, the animation direction for the scene is uninteresting, and the music is unremarkable. Even Rayā€™s reaction is strangely muted, with some anger but no real horror or anything like that, and not even a quiet fury so much as just moderate amounts of rage.
There are hints of a broader plot involving Dryfe, though (which we know from an earlier episode is prepping to invade), with Hugo making remarks that he canā€™t use his Embryo yet, because keeping it secret is part of some plan.
He does, eventually, use it anyway, and relatively without fanfare at that.
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cheddar-the-dog Ā· 5 years ago
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b99 the podcast episode 6:
from flatline you back nine
@jake-and-ames and I have summarized what we think are the highlights of the sixth episode of the brooklyn nine-nine podcast. maybe those of you who canā€™t listen to the podcast for whatever reason can profit from it a bit
under the cut as per usual
[[MORE]]
Part 1 with Paul Welsh and Madeline Walter, Dan Goor, Joe Lo Truglio
Madeline and Paul are the first writing duo in the 99 writers room
thereā€™s always changes after the table reads
table reads are on the spot performances and not everyone is great at it
sometimes one of the actors isnā€™t there so a writer has to fill in and thereā€™s always a debate if they should do an impression or just a suggestion of an impression
06x18 Suicide Squad: the idea to bring back the 99ā€™s worst enemies and they have to side with the 99
there was an idea to bring back Pimento and The Pontiac Bandit but theyā€™re not actual enemies
Kyra Sedgwick, the actress playing Madeline Wunch, directed an episode of B99
Ken Marino and Joe went together to NYU
every show has his unique difficult thing, in 99 itā€™s writing police plots and make them satisfying in a way/ building the believable police element into it/ itā€™s limiting that they only have a certain physical perimeter to work within
thereā€™s times when the writers first figure out an emotional story and then the other circumstances
in ā€œThe Bimboā€ there was a woman choreographing the handshakes and Madeline and Paul ended up calling her ā€œthe handshake ladyā€ and Andy called them out and said that sheā€™s an award winning choreographer
the crew is like 180 people on average
cut conversation between Holt and Peralta was a set up to Holt on the street and itā€™s a tease for S7
Part 2 with Stephanie Beatriz, Rick Page, Beatriz ā€œBeaā€ Chahin
Bea is the production coordinator and ā€œIf you need something call Bea!ā€ is a common mantra among the cast and crew
Steph shot one pilot before b99 and it didnā€™t go and she fell into a ā€œhugeā€ depression
ā€œBack Nineā€ means when a show starts with 13 episodes and you typically hope for 22 so if the ratings are doing good the network gives you the ā€œBack Nineā€
Melissa was very emotional about the back nine and crying a lot so Steph held back because she didnā€™t want to turn everything into an even bigger emotional mess
the Super Bowl episode: the episode that airs after the super bowl which means high ratings and promos during the game and then additionally to that there was a Golden Globe nomination and win
the Globes was Stephā€™s first award show and she didnā€™t have a stylist and her dress was too big but they won!
everyone was more than thrilled that Andy won a Globe
and they couldnā€™t believe that the show won as well, it gave everyone a boost, and Steph said that it must be especially validating to the crew because they put the most work into it
during S2 a bunch of people (Melissa and her husband, Joe and his wife, Chelsea and her husband and Steph and her then partner) went on a trip to Paris
the people on the trip were recognized a lot but Steph wasnā€™t because, as discussed, her behavior and voice are so different
that changed though when she wore a leather jacket outside
there was a Make-A-Wish person that broke down in tears seeing Mel and Steph and Rick says it made him realize that the core ensemble are mainstream icons
they talk about the diversity and complexity of the show
Steph says that working on b99 made her views change drastically and makes her think about work environments and attitudes a lot more
Steph met the Japanese voice-over actors for her and other characters (they also gave her a picture of the whole cast) when she was on her honeymoon in Japan
The show has a very international appeal because of the family that is the 99 so it transcends the US police procedural aspect
MEJ says that the show is very meme-able
they discuss the comedy and the intelligence of the jokes
also that the show creates its own language/ slang terms (noice, toit)
the shouting of the ā€œnine-nine!ā€ is very iconic, it was an internal thing first that was started by Terry and now itā€™s a mainstream thing
what they remember of the cancellation: it came out of nowhere for everyone and they felt terrible because they couldnā€™t properly wrap up the show and they didnā€™t have a chance to work with the 99 crew anymore
after 2 days everyone gave up hopes because Hulu and Netflix passed
Rick was so disappointed and furious he shut down all devices and the next morning someone called to tell him that the show had been picked up and it turned out he shut everything off about 20 minutes before the news broke that they got picked up
Dan Goor sent an e-mail to tell everyone that the show got cancelled and it got cancelled the day before the upfronts
Steph has a mindset of ā€œthis is the last seasonā€ every year around April and didnā€™t react emotionally when the news broke that the show actually got cancelled
she was very level headed and talked to her agents about next steps to take and then Brad and her got spicy chicken and beer and got drunk
Steph gets very emotional talking about the outpouring of emotions of the fans because it reminded her of her time in theatre when people would come up to her immediatelyafter the show to tell her how she made them feel during the play and though she was seeing all the of love the internet gave b99 Brad described her as a ā€œlittle dead behind the eyesā€
she really lost it when she realized she wouldnā€™t see her friends anymore
how do they want the show to be remembered? fondly/happy/a palette cleanser says Steph, as something groundbreaking and it to have a positive impact says Rick
lastly they talk about the impact of the show and Bea says that as a Latina herself she appreciates the fact that the show has two very different Latina characters she hasnā€™t seen before
ā€œI wanna see more of it for all people. I want everyone to feel like theyā€™re represented on TV. I think thatā€™s really important. And I think itā€™s important, not only for the people who are seeing themselves, but itā€™s also important for maybe the people that have always seen themselves and never thought about it. Because, I think, thatā€™s the real issue. Itā€™s like if you have decided one kind of person is the hero then thereā€™s no room for anybody else to be the hero. And then everyone else becomes disposable. And thatā€™s, thatā€™s the worst version that humanity can be is when others that are human beings are disposable. And I think, you know, in a small way this show does a really good job at reminding us that nobody is disposable.ā€
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steve0discusses Ā· 5 years ago
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Yugioh S3 Ep 36-37: Local Mom-Friendā€™s Weird Trick, Doctors Hate Him
Hey yā€™all itā€™s a surprise midweek post because Iā€™m in Canada this weekend woo. Surprised I even got this post done, TBH, I finally get some time where Iā€™m not commuting around to and from San Francisco or corralling small children and I can just sit at my computer and focus and have some peace and quiet and I got--a mysterious sickness from all those kids! *yay* So, since I canā€™t really focus on anything, Iā€™ll type in here and see if any of my words make any sense at all and hopefully I wonā€™t go on some weird ass tangent like I tend to do like every other post.
So Yugi is still dueling Kaiba, much like he has for the past like...it feels like 4 years. I know Iā€™ve only seen 3 seasons but this is...this is a really long duel. Maybe because there was a month-long break for me in the middle, (during which I watched the entirety of Evangelion, 2 Seasons of Gotham, Stranger Things S3, and the disappointing season of One Punch Man so like...Iā€™ve had some time away from Yugioh) or maybe...maybe itā€™s because theyā€™re actually playing card mechanics that go more in depth...
But yeah, despite everything, theyā€™re still dueling.
And honestly, Iā€™m looking at that episode number above me and itā€™s like...so thereā€™s this Kaiba and Yugi Duel and then...only one more duel, right? Is it going to be a ten episode duel? Like unless Rebecca comes back for a weird cameo like...how...?
Whatever, weā€™ll get there when we get there.
Anyways, everyone whoā€™s been avoiding this duel like the plague is down with the plague victims in the hospital. Thatā€™s where Tristan gets a bright idea and itā€™s one of his dumber ones, believe it or not.
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Man, I forgot that comatose Joey Wheeler is still wearing that duel disk Pharaoh slapped on him during all this too, haha.
Also, why does he have to have all these pectoral suction cups while they just kinda...gave up on Mai? I mean I know they canā€™t show boobies on a Y7 show but like...it really feels like the doctor just kinda shrugged at Mai and was like ā€œI only have one set of boob suction cups, I really didnā€™t think Iā€™d need more than that, if at all.ā€
(read more under the cut)
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And so Tristan decides that if Joey is at the window which is like...600 ft below Yugi Mutoā€™s duel, a duel you canā€™t...really see from the ground...then Joey Wheeler will arise.
I mean, itā€™s gonna work, itā€™s just also kind of laughable that Joey wasnā€™t able to hear any of this nonsense from the bed that is two feet away from the window.
But wtv, itā€™s very dramatic and Tristan gets to cry some more and feel useful I guess.
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The haunted underwear mannequin plot-thread was dumped between that episode and this one, and Iā€™m kinda bummed out that more things havenā€™t turned into haunted underwear mannequins.
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Instead of horrific underwear mannequins, Joeyā€™s dream has gone back to the standard fare of Joey picking on middle schoolers and wearing a much better outfit than he has for most of this show.
I will super miss Joey in a fitted suit. Like, soak it allll in horny preteens, because pretty soon, Joey Wheeler will be back in that scruffy oversized T-shirt just like...well, just like how a teenager would be. I mean thereā€™s some REASONS Mai canā€™t date Joey, but the fact he has a fitted suit he refuses to ever wear is one of the top reasons right under, youknow, the fact heā€™d need a fake ID to ever go out with her.
Itā€™s kind of amazing actually, how my whole life I kinda just figured this was a show of insane character designs, only to find out when I actually watch the show that there is like a ... REALLY horny line just going all the way through it.
Honestly, me trying to figure out how and when this kidā€™s show got so damn horny has been a very big mystery Iā€™ve been trying to solve in the background this entire time. Like, I was told ā€œyeah the Yugioh boys get very attractive.ā€ and I was like ā€œehhhhhhhh I donā€™t even know what youā€™re talking aboutā€ but, little by little over the past 3 seasons, these animators are starting to draw these boys just waaaaaaay older than these kids actually are. Iā€™m starting to see what people are saying. Itā€™s still not my thing, personally, but uh yeah I can see how this spawned all that fanart now.
Anyways, speaking of, the other day a friend of mineā€™s sister was talking about how she, as a millennial, has been wired to love very tall skinny boys in skinny pants and very long coats with popped collars and I immediately was like ā€œLol are you admitting to Seto Kaiba?ā€
And she meant Cumberbatch Sherlock, LOLOLOLOL.
And so, back on the duel field we got Seto Kaiba, whoā€™s a lot like Sherlock except a Sherlock who is suffering from both short term and long term memory loss. And, who does cards instead of heroin.
They probably both play violin.
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Kaiba, despite having arc after arc where his little brother is his main motivation, has decided to just ditch Mokuba and itā€™s like...either heā€™s psyching Yugi out or Seto Kaiba forgot he had a brother for a little bit. He might...he might have forgotten. Mokuba is standing behind him, after all.
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And so, because Joey is facing Yugi at just the right moment and at just the right time, somehow he can do his little force ability again and just do this:
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Thanks, hallucination!Joey.
And out he goes, drawn like a romance anime character lol.
Anyways, heā€™s back to being a slob so...welcome back, wrinkle shirt, itā€™s been a while.
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And then Joey looks around and actually said this:
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ā€œDid someone get hurt?ā€ He asks, after being burned, electrocuted AND drowned just yesterday.
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I was kinda very much hoping Tristan would deck him out.
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Glad that, as predicted, the moment Mai doesnā€™t need to be Joeyā€™s main motivation anymore, the moment he puts the cards away, she may as well not even exist. This show and the way they write straight romances.
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Please admire the matching lace up boots on the Kaiba Corpā€™s Emergency Squad. This would be the most obscure Cosplay on earth but maybe the most wearable Yugioh cosplay outside of Bandit Keith because you wouldnā€™t need a 400 dollar wig.
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And then for some reason Tea just loses her mind and has a complete breakdown. Sheā€™s been kind of a mess since Yugi walked out like 2 episodes ago, which seems kind of...I dunno, both out of character but very much in character at the same time. I mean weā€™re assuming they ā€œhaveā€ a relationship itā€™s just never actually say that they do, so her acting like her man is dead is kinda like...it still feels like it comes out of freakin nowhere.
Anyways, Tea who is strong enough to lift this entire plane and who is, in fact, possessed by at least 2 powerful ghosts (remember Shadi did spends some time there and he did NOT like it), is now a seeping crying mess that refuses to lose any more of her hospital-prone boys.
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I mean they were going to go anyway, but they let Tea pretend she had any control over that and kind of glazed over this.
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Back in this game that no one else is really watching anymore, Seto Kaiba is still monologuing about his entire life story that heā€™s never gotten any therapy for, except for that time his evil step brother accidentally gave him therapy.
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Quite upset we never see the color of Mokubaā€™s little tuxedo.
Course...didnā€™t...Noah wear a little tuxedo in that same exact shape? I mean itā€™s a silly headcanon but youknow...it could be a yellow tuxedo they just happened to find in the back of the closet.
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And itā€™s at this point that Mokuba just lost his lid. Iā€™m so used to Mokuba unconditionally supporting his crazy brother that this would have been the biggest anime betrayal of the whole series, if Mokuba had said any of this outloud (which he wisely did not).
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It was like...damn Mokuba. He actually said something along the lines of ā€œI liked you better when you were poorā€ and it was like. Holy cow, Mokuba. Damn.
Anyway, a bunch of card stuff happens, and Pharaoh has decided that Seto has too much anger in his heart, and thatā€™s why he will lose. Then, Pharaoh played the card proof for how angry Seto is, and if I actually payed any attention to cards, it would have been very meaningful.
But anyways, kudos to Pharaoh on not mind-wiping Seto Kaiba this time or launching him directly off this very tall tower like he attempted to do last time. They actually played a game start to finish with eachother and nothing exploded except for every television in Domino. Progress.
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and then Mokuba started crying and initially I thought...wouldnā€™t he have WANTED his brother to lose but then I kind of remembered oh yeah now Mokuba has to deal with this oncoming aftermath.
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RIP Mokuba, I guess.
Anyway, Iā€™m out of town for the rest of the weekend, escaping to the far North to get away from the weather. I should be back next weekend, but if Iā€™m not, I was probably eaten by a bear. ĀÆ\_(惄)_/ĀÆ
Anyway, if you just got here, this is a link to my Yugioh recaps in Chrono order from the beginning.
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eponymous-rose Ā· 6 years ago
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Talks Machina Highlights - Critical Role C2E27 (July 24, 2018)
This is a special SDCC edition featuring the cast... some of the cast! Marisha Ray, Taliesin Jaffe, Sam Riegel, Liam Oā€™Brien, and Matt Mercer!
This episode was pre-recorded on Saturday, and hence there is a tragic lack of After Dark content. Please turn off all your lights after the episode airs to simulate the After Dark experience. Thank you.
Vox Machina: Origins will be back in 2019! The next arc (the first arc to really kick in for the home game) will be about meeting Pike and Percy.
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Matt is going to have Taliesin design him a Mollymauk tattoo. Sam:Ā ā€œDoes Taliesin get to pick the body part?ā€ Marisha:Ā ā€œNo, I do.ā€ Taliesin:Ā ā€œWeā€™re in committee.ā€
Realizing how much the dynamic was going to change has thrown everyone a bit off-balance. Liamā€™s glad Keg stepped up when she did after Molly went down. Calebā€™s mental process was ā€œHow many can we save?ā€ and knowing heā€™d have to just cut and run if he couldnā€™t bring anyone with him. He was very aware of the Scroll of Invisibility in the pocket.
An older game of Mattā€™s where Taliesin played had only two out of five characters survive after a disastrous fight. That session was Marishaā€™s first time watching the game after she and Matt started dating.
Leaving the coat was mostly a respect thing since it was such an intrinsic part of Mollyā€™s character. It is pointed out that they might come across a bandit mugging people in that coat. Anyone who stole that coat would just be liquified. Liam points out that if Lucien/Nonagon/whoever returns as an NPC Big Bad of the series, leaving the coat might keep them on their good side.
Beau has a family history with tarot cards, which is why she always had a thing about them. The last meaningful conversation she had with Molly was over those cards. Taliesin:Ā ā€œI was watching, going,Ā ā€˜Yeah.ā€™ā€ Marisha: ā€œIt means something, and Beau has some regrets about how that conversation went.ā€
Nott didnā€™t want anything?Ā ā€œOf course I wanted things. I wanted everything.ā€ But it didnā€™t seem respectful. Taliesin:Ā ā€œI was backstage screaming,Ā ā€˜LOOT THE BODY, just loot the body, whatā€™s wrong with you!ā€™ā€
Taliesin had several moments last episode where he had to drop everything and get ready to go when his new character almost made an appearance... but never quite did.Ā 
Taliesinā€™s opinion of the funeral? ā€œI feel like more money couldā€™ve been spent. I mean, you ended up in a brothel. You couldā€™ve done something.ā€ Seriously, though, he cried. To Marisha:Ā ā€œYou were a lot.ā€
Samā€™s getting to the point where Nottā€™s point of view is like second nature.Ā ā€œIt helps that I have had a lot of drinks in the past, and I know just from sense memory what thatā€™s like.ā€ Liam:Ā ā€œNott shares your unbridled sense of id, Sam.ā€
According to Matt, the hardest part about preparing for the new campaign was creating something that simultaneously felt new and set itself apart from the first campaign without deviating too dramatically. He also felt like if the first episode was a dud coming off of the very dramatic ending of campaign 1, that would be on him. He was very aware that a lot of people would be jumping into the show for the first time since it would be a more accessible entry point.
There will be one shots and all sorts of new content associated with the new studio. Honey Heist 2: Electric Bear-galoo will be the first one! Marisha wants to start and focus with bite-sized content, shows that will lower some of the barriers of entry to D&D. A lot of people have discovered D&D from CR and want to get into it, but the PHB looks like homework, so theyā€™re trying to make elements of it more easily understandable to a wider audience.
Matt likes to bring in guest stars, but doesnā€™t want to do it too often so that the story still focuses on the Mighty Nein. Heā€™s excited to have this opportunity to bring in more of the folks theyā€™ve wanted to have for ages, though. Thereā€™s always the possibility of guests having to cancel last-minute, which makes the whole process nerve-wracking. The focus is always on bringing in the people who only really want to be there for that part of the story.
Matt on dealing with directed anger from the internet: ā€œWhenever somebody lashes out, itā€™s coming from a place of insecurity inside them. Most people. Some people are just dicks. But some people are just angry at the world and lash out at whateverā€™s in front of them.ā€
Matt on non-binary NPCs:Ā ā€œThereā€™s plenty more out there.ā€
Mechanics they miss from last campaign: Marisha went from being ā€œa versatile Swiss-Army-Knife toolbox to a... toolbox.ā€ She misses the versatility of the spells.Ā ā€œNow I try to figure out other creative ways to do things.ā€ Taliesin:Ā ā€œI miss having an enormous amount of distance from combat.ā€ Sam: ā€œThe ability to speak. With confidence. Thatā€™s it.ā€ Liam: ā€œI miss the sheer satisfaction, and dare I say smugness, of stealth rolls.ā€
Taliesin on Molly as queer rep: ā€œI love watching whatā€™s been happening with the community in the last 15 years.ā€ He had to ask his ā€œyoung friendsā€ to figure out the vocabulary, but heā€™s been focused on exploring new things and heā€™s delighted at how much itā€™s resonated with people.
Taliesin on Molly: ā€œHeā€™s still doing great in my head.ā€ Matt points out that Mollyā€™s already having major effects on the campaign and the motivations of the PCs right now (Taliesinā€™s so pleased).
Marisha: ā€œAfter the first few times that I put the moves on [Yasha], we were at break, and I could sense that Ashley was wanting to ask me something, and she got up the courage, and she was like,Ā ā€˜Hey, um, Iā€™m just curious. Is Beau--ā€™ and at that exact moment someone called Ashley to the stage, and I was like,Ā ā€˜Bye!ā€™ā€œ They havenā€™t had a chance to talk about it since then. Beauā€™s looking at it a bit like deciding whether or not to get into a work relationship right now.
An unexpected theme of campaign 2 has been identity and trust. Matt on one of his favorite unexpected storytelling developments: ā€œHaving a group of self-entitled terrible people that had this one amazing individual come into their life and be taken away, and now realize they all want to become better people because of that.ā€
Sam mentions that the first year in the home game, the characters were a bit like cartoon characters, until they got comfortable enough to start letting them have real emotions. Now thereā€™s been a lot more pressure to create a character thatā€™s internally consistent and different from their first characters without being tooĀ different and outside their ranges.
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Liam gets a question from a kid with the cutest voice and everyone loses it from the adorableness. Whatā€™s his favorite monster?Ā ā€œWell, my number one favorite monster is Matthew Mercer.ā€ Heā€™s a big fan of the beholder.Ā ā€œI really like that guy.ā€
Sam on being asked how he creates flawed characters: ā€œIā€™m fascinated by flaws and how people overcome them and work around them and stuff, because in real life, I donā€™t have any.ā€ For Nott, he picked a couple of weird character quirks and worked backwards from there.Ā ā€œTheĀ ā€˜whyā€™ is the fun stuff.ā€
Matt talks about how weā€™re already facing a huge difficulty with prejudice in the world now, and he doesnā€™t feel like he should be forcing that awfulness into entertainment. Heā€™s still finding the balance to give the players a chance to confront and defeat those ideas without it feeling hackneyed or unnecessarily painful to viewers dealing with those issues outside the game.
On resurrecting Molly, Taliesin: ā€œDue to things I canā€™t necessarily go into, I donā€™t know if that would have even worked.ā€
Liam talks about how he never plays Renegade characters in video games and how itā€™s been a challenge playing Caleb. Liam: ā€œThe Mighty Nein isnā€™t really the family that Vox Machina was, at least not yet, but we are. We love each other and we love playing with each other.ā€
Marisha points out that when Molly talked about a silk flower, he said,Ā ā€œHereā€™s one that wonā€™t die.ā€
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