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sylvienerevarine · 1 year

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once upon a time over at @nirnwrote i received a couple of prompts that I combined into this Dark Brotherhood-related tale. It answers two primary questions: 1. who the hell hired the DB to take out poor Dragonborn Sophrine? and 2. if Sophrine's too much of a goody-two-shoes to join the DB, who's going to do it instead?

(starring Muireen, my Reachfolk Rebel gal who has joined the DB for totally normal reasons)

---

The contract had seemed simple enough. Kill some Breton woman, do it discreetly, report back for payment. The target hadn’t seemed particularly intimidating, either: she was short, plump, and dressed like a schoolteacher.

Unfortunately, as the saying went, appearances were deceiving. Muireen barely had time to draw her dagger before a sharp pain hit her arm, and she was knocked out cold.

When she finally came to, she was tied to a chair in a damp cavern, her target standing in front of her. Muireen tried to conjure a flame to burn through her binds, but nothing happened.

“A spell won’t help you at this point, I’m afraid,” the woman said calmly. “My blade was poisoned. It won’t kill you, but it certainly does a number on your magical abilities. You won’t be going anywhere just yet.”

“What d’ye want from me, you madwoman?” Muireen snarled.

“Let’s start with the basics, shall we? What’s your name?”

Had she been able to, Muireen would have stubbornly crossed her arms. “I won’t be telling you a thing.”

The woman shrugged. “All right, then. Have fun living in this cave with no food and no chamber pot. I should be heading home to my children anyway. My magicka poison is very long-lasting, so I’ll see you in…a week, maybe?”

She turned as if to go, and Muireen let out a low growl of annoyance. “Oh, for the love of Sithis, fine. I’m Muireen. No surname. Happy?”

“It’s nice to meet you, Muireen,” said the woman. “I’m sure you know who I am, since you’ve been hired to kill me, but just to keep things civilized: I’m Sophrine Aulette. Most people know me as the Dragonborn.”

Muireen tried to keep the shock from showing on her face. Astrid had mentioned that this Sophrine character was supposed to be quite powerful, but there had been no mention of dragons.

“Nord nonsense, that is,” she said sharply. “Don’t tell me you’re a puppet for those dragon-obsessed barbarians.”

Sophrine tilted her head to the side and said, “Fus.”

Had Muireen’s chair not been set against the cave wall, she would certainly have been knocked halfway across the chamber. As it was, that Word hit her like a blast of wind, making her teeth shake.

“I’m no one’s puppet,” said Sophrine softly. “I’ve been traveling all over this land for a year trying to do as much good as I can–for the Nords, for the Reachfolk, for anyone who asks me. But I am, as you’ve probably guessed, very dangerous when I want to be.”

Muireen swallowed hard, mouth dry. “What happens to me now?”

“Well, that depends on you,” Sophrine replied. “I’ll be honest, Muireen, you’re not the first Dark Brotherhood agent sent after me. I think you’re the…fifth, maybe? And I probably don’t need to tell you what happened to the other four. I could kill you as well, but I’d really rather not. Especially since I’m pretty sure I owe you one.”

This was not, it had to be said, what Muireen had been expecting. “Owe…me?”

“You killed Grelod the Kind, didn’t you?” Sophrine smiled. “Gave all those poor kids a better home and a chance to get adopted. That was a noble thing to do.”

“How did you know about that?”

“Constance mentioned seeing someone who looked like you in Riften the day Grelod was killed. I didn’t think anything of it at the time, but seeing you in person I put two and two together,” said Sophrine. “So you see, I really do owe you one. If you hadn’t killed that old woman I never would have been able to adopt my son Hroar, and he’s the sweetest nine-year-old in Skyrim. I’m truly grateful.”

“Um,” said Muireen. “You’re welcome?”

“With all that in mind, I don’t think we need to resort to violence. However, I do have a question for you.” Sophrine crossed her arms, brow furrowed. “Who hired you to kill me? It won’t be the Thalmor, I know, they’ve already tried with their own people. Ulfric’s a stubborn bastard, but he’s honorable enough to fight me himself. And Alduin…well, he’s a dragon, and I doubt he knows what money is. Who was it?”

“I don’t know,” said Muireen. “Really, I don’t. The bosses don’t always tell us–I guess some folk pay extra to stay anonymous.”

Sophrine sighed. “I guess that makes sense. In that case, Muireen, maybe we can make a deal. When you get back to the sanctuary, tell Astrid…”

“Wait,” Muireen interrupted. “How do you know about Astrid?”

“Snooping in Maven Black-Briar’s cellar. Not important. I want you to tell her that I’m taking out a contract on whoever took one out on me, and whatever they’re paying, I will triple it. I know the Brotherhood is all about rules and traditions and honor, or so they claim, but I also know they’re as greedy as anyone else. Shouldn’t think your superiors would pass this up.”

“You sure?” asked Muireen. “Could be quite a bit of money.”

“You let me worry about that,” said Sophrine with a wry smile. “Managing the Thieves’ Guild does have some benefits. So, is everything clear to you?”

Muireen considered her options briefly. Once she was freed, she could still attempt to kill Sophrine, fulfilling her contract and tying everything up neatly. The odds of actually winning, though, seemed slim. Besides, the Dragonborn was sort of–nice.

“Aye, we’re clear,” she said. “I’ll relay your message to Astrid.”

–

“So, you’ve failed me,” Astrid said coldly. “This doesn’t bode well for your future in our organization, Muireen.”

“I wouldn’t say I failed, ma’am,” Muireen replied. “I’ve just reversed the contract and brought in triple the money. All in all I’d say we’ve come out ahead.”

Astrid shook her head. “Normally, I’d give you a good beating for insubordination. But you’re right, money is money. I only hope the good people of the Bannered Mare won’t miss their bard too badly.”

#my writing #dark brotherhood #nirnwrote #skyrim #skyrim fic #oc: sophrine #oc: muireen

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duhragonball · 7 months

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All right, Nanowriomo doesn't start for another 24 hours and change, and I think I've taken care of all the prep stuff I needed to do. Tomorrow, I take a nap, stay up till midnight and... begin.

Not much point dancing around it anymore. The next several chapters of my fic will be devoted to Luffa vs. Goku. This was pretty much the whole reason I started this thing.

Like, I came up with the character around 2004, because I wanted to do a Dragon Ball fanfic and couldn't think of a good angle until I considered making my own take on the ancient Super Saiyan to serve as a counterpoint to Broly. And one of the problems I had with the original Broly movie was that it introduced Broly as a challenger to Goku's Super Saiyan title, so he'd have to fight to prove he's the real deal, but their battle was too one-sided for my tastes. I wanted Goku to face a peer who could match him, and they would put on a clinic. If they were to fight. In 2007, I remember imagining Luffa getting to see Goku and Vegeta in the future, but I couldn't figure out a good way to make that happen. Then 2015 came along with create-a-character for the Time Patrol, and it all clicked into place. I just had to write all the setup.

And I've wanted to ramble on about this for years, but I knew I couldn't, because it would spoil the fun when it came time to actually make it happen. Besides, there wasn't much use in hyping up a dream match when it only existed in my head.

But now it can be told. Well... not now now. But soon.

I'm feeling kind of restless right now...

Oh, right, I was going to address some programming notes. One thing I didn't get done this month was the 2023 Dragon Ball Apocrypha Liveblog. The last stop on that tour was supposed to be the DBS manga adaptation of Super Hero, but the arc stubbornly refuses to end. I had said a while back that I might just knock out the chapters that were available in October, whether the story was finished or not, but I just couldn't find the time for that.

So my options now are to write it up in November--which is probably not a great idea since liveblogging and writing fanfic in the same month never goes well for me-- or I can just do it in December, which might be more realistic, since there's a non-zero chance that the arc won't be over until then anyway. I mean, I can't do it in January, because that's 2024, and that defeats the whole idea of a 2023 Apocrypha liveblog, right?

I'll keep you posted, but no matter what I do, you probably shouldn't expect to see me post anything about the manga until December either way. Either I wait until December to start, or I do it in November and I probably won't have it ready to post until December anyway. These manga chapters always come out near the end of the month, you know. Anyway, I'm sick of letting Shueisha set the pace for this thing. I'll do it on my terms, not theirs.

And yeah, I guess that's it for tonight. For newer followers who don't know how this works, I use Halloween to hype up the start of Nano by queueing up some songs to set the mood, then I post a version of the DX theme song around midnight to mark the start, and also a picture of Cell saying "Ding!" from the dub. Then I use the blog to sort of ramble on about the writing experience. It's probably not great for viewer engagement, but that's how it goes.

#nanwum vii #almost there

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emmacornell · 2 years

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Dragon Ball Z Ask Game!!!

all the numbers.

all of them.

GO!!!

@sonikkuruzu i've combined your ask with the anon it's @beegl isn't it you're the only person i could think of that would tell me to do all of them 😹that asked for literally all the questions lmao

Which series is your favorite (Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, Dragon Ball Super, etc.)?

Aight if I have to pick one it's probably Z just cause that's the one I remember rewatching the most (mostly cause thats what tv liked to replay the most back then), but OGDB is very close to my heart and GT is great in both good and bad ways. Super exists i guess idunno

Who is your favorite character?

Oh wow hm I gotta think about that I wonder who could my favorite character possiblRaditz i love Raditz I love him so much y'all don't even know I love Raditz so much don't get me started I won't shut up about it

List your top five favorite characters in order of how much you like them.

Okay Top 5 gotta make me actually think lets go

Raditz

Yamcha

S. Broly

Gogeta (specifically SSJ4 but Z is also fantastic)

Cooler

Who is your least favorite character?

Everything related to Buu. I can't stand Buu.

Who is your favorite villain?

OOOHOHOHO I had to think about this one cause I honestly love a LOT of DB villains. I guess if I had to pick one I'd pick Cell! I've always thought he was a super fun and terrifying villain and I love his design all forms of him.

Which saga is your favorite?

Namek Saga my beloooved

Which saga is your least favorite?

Buu arc.

Do you have a favorite episode from the anime/chapter from the manga?

Aside from the Driving episode because that episode is *chefs kiss* my favorite is that like one or two episodes that take place between Goku and Gohan getting out the HTC and the Cell Games where Goku is just spending time with his friends and family. Those moments are so damn sweet and wholesome and make me cry because Goku is such a good man and a good father for choosing to spend what he'd figure to be his last moments on earth with his loved ones.

Also that bit with Krillin full force chucking a rock at Goku makes me wheeze.

What is your favorite fight?

Can I say every bit of fighting from DBS Broly cause that movie means a lot to me.

The Dragon Ball series isn’t exactly known for being consistent with its story, its characters, and various other things. Which inconsistency irritates you the most?

The completely out of nowhere character assassination of Yamcha at the beginning of Z. I'm supposed to believe this man who couldn't be in the same room with a woman without straight up dying turned into a homewrecking womanizer after having a solid relationship with ONE woman?????

Have you seen any of the films? If so, which one is your favorite?

Yes almost all of them (I haven’t seen Super Hero yet I’m waiting till after finals) and DBS Broly hands down zero hesitation no questions

How long have you been watching/reading the Dragon Ball series?

Since I was like 4 so almost 22 years ayooo

Have you played any of the games?

I have played so many DB games the Tenkaichi games and Budokai Tenkaichi games are my childhood also please if anyone plays DBXV2 on PS4 or DBFZ on PS4/Switch hmu play with me I also play Dokkan and DBLegends and I do my best not to whale too hard I swear. Also yes I will be playing Breakers.

Do you own any merch?

SHFigs and FRS kits are my life. (NYCC exclusive S Broly SHFig i am CRYING i need you in my life to add to the Broly Shrine)

Do you have any favorite ships (canon or otherwise)?

I don't ship things ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I just like seeing art of characters I like being happy together

Which anime opening is your favorite?

I love so many bruh I can't pick ONE. Makafushigi Adventure, Cha La Head Cha La, Dragon Soul, Rock the Dragon, Dan Dan Kokoro Hikareteku, Welcome to the Grand Tour, Chouzetsu Dynamic they all slap

Which anime ending is your favorite?

Again so many of them SLAP. Romantic Ageru Yo, Zenkai Power, We Were Angels

What is your opinion of GT?

GT is good it's just really dumb and slow. I know that doesn't make any sense but GT isn't god awful just because it's stupid. There's a ton of good bits in GT and SSJ4 is absolutely incredible.

What is your opinion of Super?

I have mixed emotions about Super. A good amount of it is not bad! There's parts I can enjoy. But the character assassination of Goku is just bruh why c'mon it's so painful that is not my boy

If you could hang out with one character, who would it be?

You're expecting me to say Raditz aren't you?

Well you are correct.

Which Bulma hairstyle is your favorite?

THAT CUTE AF POST NAMEK FRO SHE HAD THAT LOOK WAS SO CUTE

Do you prefer the sub or the dub?

I love the sub for OGDB but for everything else I have to do dub

What is your favorite technique?

Alright this one might be controversial but Mafuba is a great technique I would put all of my enemies in jars if I could.

If you could write your own episode, what would it be about?

Ok hear me out we bring back Raditz and-

What would you wish for with the dragon balls?

If we're talking post Dende-ification of the balls then I get three wishes lets go.

Shenron give me top surgery so I can finally be free of my tits

I want a 2 bedroom 1.5 bath Capsule home

Gimme $1 mil

#asks #ask game #sonikkuruzu

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ufolvr · 4 months

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List 5 things that make you happy, then put this in the askbox for some of the last people who liked or reblogged something from you! Get to know your mutuals, followers and all the wonderful people on here! happy new year and all the best :)

Ily

Hm, right! This isn't my main so I'll keep it contained to my favorite little fictional characters off the top of my head. All familial bc i feel very attached to my little siblings/children rn ^_^

(6 instead of 5 bc i couldn't decide)

Not numbered because if I had to try and Rate my children and siblings I would never forgive myself...

Gas Heeter (DBS)

Brother

This little guy isn't... Written too well, is he. He's got a cool concept pushing him forward, but ultimately we don't spend nearly enough time building the relationship between him and Elec to see it as something lecherous.

However, I can't help but feel for the poor thing. He's so tiny and cute... And he really was just trying his best out of blind loyalty. He felt like he owed his brother the pain and suffering he was putting himself through, because he wouldn't be here without him

I'm sad we don't see much of him and his other siblings, too - they seemed genuinely nice and caring, unlike Elec. I am quite glad they survived the whole shitshow.

Now, this guy is also the catalyst for Viola becoming a better person, overall. Sure, he already had a sibling figure in Saike (Psyche Demon - you know, the one Janemba grows off of like mold), but Gas arrived into his care in such deplorable conditions, Viola's heart shattered despite the fact it's no longer beating.

Seeing a soul arrive at the suspended world immediately after dying so brutally was a much needed reality check to make Viola care about other people. I'm glad they have each other - though, I really need to expand on their relationship some more ^_^

Allister and Kieran (Pokemon SV/SWSH)

Brothers

These guys share a spot bc they're very similar, personality and design wise! They even share some verbal quirks here and there, which I find really cute ^^

Kieran has the upper hand when it comes to backstory, because he's a Main Character and has his own arc throughout the DLC. But Allister is such a little darling in his own way - he's so shy and sweet, but still a strong gym leader - outclassing a handful of adults, even! He chooses to raise pokemon most people consider frightening and scary, and he does so wonderfully!

They're both near and dear to my heart. Kieran I feel especially bad for, however - it's not that I Hated carmine. Really, I think her personality is fun and even cool at times - but she would've been better Not put into contrast with a socially awkward, kindhearted little brother she's always shouting at. I'm not saying Kieran can't be annoying - in fact I'd Like him to be, it's more fun! - but the way she treats him has me on edge from the start.

I really love them both, and think they'd be good friends if they met - I feel like they'd love to sit in a room together doing their own things in silence ^^

Tetsuo Shima (Akira, 1987 - Movie)

Son

Oh this little kid... I know he's meant to be sympathetic by default, since despite everything he's still 15 - but I genuinely just want to give him a hug and talk to him one to one.

He's in so much pain throughout the movie, and put on the spot for things out of his control - it's not the lashing out that makes him dangerous, per se, since (at first) he's doing it out of self defense, at the very least. It's how far he takes his rampage, until it culminates into his own destruction.

Tetsuo never really had a chance. It's not like I think every kid put on his situation would choose to behave like that, but in the end - he'd always felt alone, inferior and pathetic. Pushing his limits into inhuman levels of stress and fueling it with deranged power was never going to help him deal with anything healthily. There's always hope, and I always choose to believe in the possibility of a happy ending - but he really was a ticking time bomb from the very beginning.

Roy Ulthoon/Ruby Hurricane (BTBATB/OC)

Son

Oh I know for a fact there is a hell. You know why? Because I feel its flames licking my skin whenever I think about this poor tormented soul.

He was never meant to be a real child. Roy was a moral, a lesson, a plot device from the very beginning - about how finicky the human spirit can be, especially when you don't treat it perfectly well from the start. Or maybe I'm just being optimistic, and the writers wanted to make a 'humans are monsters' character to drive the plot forward and serve as a foil to Red's blind faith in humanity.

Either way, god, I hate his ep with an inhuman passion. I know for a fact he could've been saved - I KNOW Batman was not the right choice when dealing with this freshly made human soul that's lashing out against abuse. Or, at the very least, he wouldn't have acted the way he did - he electrocuted my son. I want him as far away from us as possible.

In Citrus' story, he's the catalyst to the alien finding his purpose in life, realizing just how much he enjoys children. He didn't, ever, need to die or be put down - he needed someone that would listen. Instead, they wrote Red's thinking to be that of a parent that tells you 'it is what it is because I said so, now suck it up'. It's not... Terribly out of character, but it could've been framed better, at the very least. I could go on and on about this one, since I basically Made It All Up - but that's for later «3

Kid Buu (DBZ)

Son

HOUGH. God I love this kid. I love this little shit just SO MUCH, he brings me inhuman amounts of joy I can barely contain it.

First off - he's so cute. He's meant to be a demonic entity of pure evil, with 0 thoughts in his brain aside from Killing and Destroying. And yet... He's so endearing. He really is, to be blunt, like a cat in that way.

He's so so tiny, too... And the pinks aren't helping. He just looks like something I'd want to hug and squeeze to death (very likely my own). I know I'm not meant to love him As Much as I do, but come on... It's not like it's my fault.

My reasoning as to why he can coexist with Super Buu, Good Buu and even Uub is kind of muddy. I think Pluto just straight messed with reality for that little guy to live with him - and who could blame him? Just let him waste away in hell for god knows how long? Come on now...

And I know I don't talk about Uub much - mainly, honestly, I don't trust the decision to reincarnate a being of pure evil into a dark skinned child, considering dragon ball's history with antiblackness - but I do find him really cute too ^^ he's just not... Son material? I guess? I'm not mad he exists in Kid Buu's place, iykwim - I just prefer crazy evil kids is all.

Oh by the way - if I ever get to developing my AUs this year, he's very important in the reforming of another amoral bastard he happens to live with atm. It's the only person he's in contact with that feels Pain nowadays - which makes the whole thing even funnier.

Baby (DBGT)

Son

Ok I know I said I wasn't rating these in any way. But. Jesus Christ

I LOVE BABY SO MUCH! I LOVE HIM SO SO SO SO MUCH ITS NOT EVEN FUNNY!!!!

He's got such a cool concept, backstory, voice, design... God, he's got it all! He's really unique because of how and When he was created, and it really breaks my heart they'll never write him in a way that makes Me personally happy.

Granolah is usually considered very similar to Baby in concept - but oh brother, the things that set them apart makes the gap so obvious it hurts. Baby is one of a kind, you can't ever try and make another one like him.

And I know, I know. Someone like him is very unlikely to accept being raised and treated as an actual child - a human one, no less, but we'll get to that - but also, isn't that perfect? He's the perfect brood parasite - he gets food, shelter and love from an unsuspecting parent who tends to his every need until he's strong enough to get rid of them and fulfill his purpose. Its genius.

However, he didn't take into consideration the soul that still burns inside of him - no matter how weak, it's still there. He can't help but get attached to Coralia, who treats him so well, and is willing to put his own life on the line to make sure he's safe. God, he doesn't even look human - why is this one so hell-bent on treating him as such?

It's maddening. He's not meant to be nurtured, he's meant to take over people's bodies when they least expect it to end a war that's ended more than half a century ago. And yet... Here he is. A monster in an infant's skin, being treated in the exact same way that made an alternate version of him to murder Dr. Myuu in cold blood. What's happening to him....?

Anyways. These r my delightful little guys!!!!!

#this has been in my drafts since the 20th i didnt post it bc of the strike ^^#asketh #💛tetsuo #💛baby #💛kid buu #💛gas #💛Kieran #💛allister #💛roy #yeah its um. 7 characters 6 items. kill me about it

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trainsinanime · 3 years

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Random notes about No Time To Die

Spoilers. Sorted roughly chronologically and probably the basis for a longer text post about the movie if I can be bothered. I probably forgot some things because I’m tired.

I’ll never be able to look at blood on the snow in a normal way again. You know, because of color theory.

I know that blonde woman was in the previous movie. I do not know anything else about her.

We’ve got all the time in the world? I would have missed that, but I’ve been listening to the Kill James Bond podcast lately, so I do actually remember that this is from the George Lazenby one. Is she going to die?

Love me an old Biturbo. Just the right car for this setting. But between this old Maserati, the Psi symbol for Bond, and the trident in the opening, there’s a lot of trident iconography here that doesn’t connect to anything.

I used to be a 00 agent like you, but then I took a bullet to…

The new 007 is fun, but I wish she got stuff to do.

Paloma is awesome and fun and I want to see more of her. She feels like she wandered over from a different movie. Not quite sure which one; Marvel seems to fit, except for the dress, but there are also vibes of sillier Moore-era Bond girls.

Oh no the white pretty boy whose only characteristic was “annoying” turned out to be a bad guy who could have seen that coming

I’m assuming the dress was sponsored by someone making double-sided sticky tape.

Love the V8 Vantage! Yes, the DB 5 is iconic and all, but at this point I’ve kind of seen it often enough.

Did they canonically make Q gay? Yes, it is just a throw-away line that I may have misheard, but still, more than what Disney does.

Either way, Q, Bond and Moneypenny are great together. Of course there’s still the old problem where Bond is easily among the weakest characters in a James Bond movie, even in this one that tries to make it more of a character piece, but it’s better than average.

Have you heard the concept of “bottom storage” that’s been making its rounds on Tumblr recently?

I do not get why this movie insists on reminding us that Spectre was a movie that happened. The sooner we can all forget that, the better.

Giving Bond a daughter is corny and cliché, but it kind of works for this movie. Like, it’s the kind of corny and cliché I’d expect given everything that led up to this.

The profound awkwardness in the breakfast scene is just delightful.

Did you know that they reshot some scenes to make sure Bond uses the newest product placement cell phone instead of the two year old one that was supposed to be in the movie? Well, you will, because the new shots are painfully obvious.

Synchronised Defender jumping, the new Olympic sport!

Very disappointed that he didn’t find a way to make the helicopter fly into a ramp and turn over.

What would Dame Judi Dench do? Don’t we all wonder that?

Okay, but is he going to find the bunny? Okay, he did, but he didn’t bring it home to his daughter? That’s the real tragedy here.

Maddie’s agency in this movie is largely limited to lying to Bond. She doesn’t tell him her traumatic past, or that this traumatic past has come back to haunt her, or that he has a daughter, and the movie gives us no reason for any of this lying. Does she not trust him? Is this too hard for her to talk about? Those are things I’d get, but it’s certainly not established.

Wasn’t that bad guy in the last Brosnan movie as well? The North Korean one? He looks just the same from what I remember, which is not much.

People want Oblivion, and we will give it to them. Or another edition of Skyrim.

This was the least specific and imminent plan ever. Was that bad guy even planning to use this poison on anyone? Did he have a reason for taking Maddy and her daughter?

Oh, so if he goes to his family, he kills them, because he brings death wherever he goes. Get it? It’s a metaphor! It’s easy to miss because it doesn’t work at all in the movie, though: The bad guy only cares about Maddie, Bond just happens to be there. But still, you know, metaphor.

That fight up to the blast door felt like a video game. Between this and Black Widow I feel like I’ve played way more Tomb Raider reboot games than I actually did.

Ah, so here’s the „All the time in the world“ callback, but this time he’s going to die. Okay, I get it.

Bold choice to spend the entire movie establishing that Bond is 100% blast proof, and then kill him in an explosion.

Ending on „All the time in the world“ makes a lot of sense.

I did not wait to see whether there’s a post-credit scene because it’s Bond, the entire movie is technically post-credit scenes.

I feel like this movie rates about medium on smarm, low on cultural insensitivity, middling on unprovoked violence, and low but not as low as it thinks of itself on misogyny.

#james bond #007 #no time to die

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faorism · 3 years

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needing the au to drop wherein i can commit to writing a historical au,, because since i first watched the db cooper job my mind went straight to OT3! OT3! OT3! (unlike with the van gogh job, since i aint playing with that fucking lieutenant)

one day maybe one dayyyyy i will sit down and i will write the ot3 into that episode's story. so, it'll be the backgrounds for the characters in the flashback (so, stephanie ritter, steve reynolds, and reggie wilkins), but with the necessary personality adjustments (parker, eliot, and hardison respectively). basically, vintage ot3 with some hot as hell aesthetics and secrets and avoiding as much as possible producing copraganda.

so. my thoughts. what i see happening. and this got super long so im throwing this under a cut. and for ease i will call them by their modern day canon names except when making a point.

first, general thoughts about the characters.

and so: steve to eliot. nothing much here on the surface. eliot still volunteers, too much an indoctrinated white man to have been forcibly drafted. so its still one man gone to war. one man come back. eliot would had been noticed early in training for his ability to pick shit up, and they teased at maybe sending him to a special unit. maybe they do, or maybe they don't because they just need to funnel fuckers to the jungle. the vietnam invasion was a terrorist imperialist venture and there's no romanticizing from me about anything done being at all valorous or special or brother-in-arms'y. and eliot commits war crimes under the american stars and stripes instead of just to keep moreau's champaign running. but also maybe moreau is eliot's superior. he certainly would have been rewarded for this ruthlessness. (eliot of course strove to impress moreau because there aint an eliot spencer who wasn't that man's dog at some point, i!!!! dont make the rules). eliot's friend died and eliot's gone off to carry out his wishes and moreau lets him because he Knows eliot is gonna come back. whether its to come back to the same squad, or follow him into deeper spy shit for the military, or to fuck off and go private. then eliot meets parker.

now. stephanie to parker. beth plays normal so well im mad at her, but there's something edgy and strategic about stephanie that i think parker can grab onto. i feel that maybe she was kind of a thief still, but there's more realism to this world so archie wasnt a super secret spy with lasers to practice with, but just a guy with sticky fingers whos a little bored and wants a protege. parker is good really good at what she does, and not having to deal with lasers makes me easy. but she's into scams that are less grifts and more Catch Me If You Can slight of hands. she's always looking for easy money (she was into lifting cars at one point! literally she follows where the crime is). she's doing something in an airport and someone tries to recruit her as a flight attendant because she's got the Look. and yall, flight attendants? that shit was like being a model and an astronaut and a time traveler back then. and according to a teacher i had, who once worked as in the f.a. union, those ladies back in the day were rad and queer and free spirited and runnnnning shit. i think, yes, it's a Job which i think we might resist placing parker into. but! of the jobs, at the time, i really see her rocking it during the time period. (also come on, the opportunities to swindle distracted people of their shit would be endless. they would just think they dropped their stuff in the airport! not that it was stolen.)

finally, reggie to alec. i think hardison will be the hardest to translate. even tho i admittedly listen to a lot of true crime podcasts, i dont know much about fbi life and also definitely don't know about it historically. part of me desperately wants to put him somewhere else even if it does have to stay within the fbi. i might cheat and make him like a Q(uartermaster) to 007/00s like in james bond, and he's like UGH this is horrible god i hate working for the fbi but they will give me funding so...... anyway, here's this totally cool [radio term]. that said, if hardison is stuck in the fbi, why he ends up there is that he is a fucking savant when it comes to research and the man can put together a presentation like no one else. that white man gets all the credit for profiling but it was hardison who goddamn was the google of the microfilm days. reggie felt super square but that might be because he had to deal with mcsweeties db cooper shit day in and day out for years. hardison is more himself. and definitely still a nerd. alec would be into dime fantasy novels and comics and ham radios and oh god he also would be into star trek like the original star trek as it came out and he would be into the zines yes! yessss. omg. also he plays a mean arcade cabinet. but he's mostly well adjusted but lonely. his colleagues dont appreciate him because fbi esp during that time were fucking wilding out and racist as hell aaaaaand im sorry im srry im trying so hard to have fbi hardison make sense but also! acab. ANYWAY.

second, the relationship

i think it would be fun to play with what it means to have parker/eliot start off first and bring in hardison afterwards. (if white collar is your thing, it would be like this canon divergent ot3 fic wherein peter burke is the last to join in.) i feel they would be Super Intense esp since they are carrying this big ass secret. kind of broken and dysfunctional and there's the passion and the commitment, but i think there's also a tenderness that's super hard for them to achieve? and i think there's a way that hardison plays such an important part in who they are and how they are. like, sure i think parker/eliot would have joy but they won't have levity. they would have compassion but they won't have gentleness.

eliot meets hardison after being recruited by nate. i think they get close because while nate and eliot have an interesting and compelling mentorship/friendship, nate is still eliots superior; sometimes its nice to complain about your boss, as hardison will say to eliot to try to make friends. i think hardison and eliot would become legit friends and not just work buddies because they are just not cut out of the same cloth as the rest of their colleagues. they grab beers after work. after hard days, hardison cajoles eliot into going to the arcade. they are friends. real real truly deep best friends, in a way hardison didn't think he could have with a fed and eliot didnt think he would have after his friend died. but also? they are like "buds" who are buds who are desperately tryna to cross any lines because there's a.... tension? an UST between them they dont know what to do with.

parker meets eliot by way of a "lets have my friend for dinner, he's a blast." and immediately immediately hardison is like... wow this woman is beautiful but like, really attracted to her personality. and parker things hardison is kinda dorky but cute dorkie? anyway, they have a puppy love situation growing. and it keeps growing until bam. eliot and parker are like. are we into alec???? fuck we are aren't we.

i think stephanie and steve would never tell reggie (even if somehow they were to be a thing). but parker and eliot? hell yeah they tell hardison. eventually. after a while. sooner than maybe they should. the tension if they should say something is one of the things that build up as UST between them for so long; parker and eliot know they are carrying this huge thing. two huge things. eliot being db cooper and also their massive crush on him.

if i could control myself to stick to a pwp, it would be another christmas. maybe the christmas nine (more?) years down the road. the damn snow grounded hardison's flight back to his nana's, and parker and eliot hear this and invite him over. the egg nog gets flowing and parker eventually is like,, fuck this. and comes onto hardison. and hardison would be like wow wow what but... idk, free love and swinging were In The Thoughts And Minds Of The People. he still checks in with eliot who is like. her body, man; i aint gonna tell her what to do. and for a sec hardison is like, man is this a cuck situation? i guess i can be for it but also...... aint mad if i aint alone. and eliot is so grateful and idk. i just want them all to be happy and having fun and no one to be left out. and yeah i am kinda brushing over a lot of the racial politics which, in a more developed fic rather than a pwp, would definitely need to be brought in; but idk that needs to just be in the bedrock of whatever plot is going into this.

it takes a lot of maneuvering of their lives but they make it work and eventually hardison is a keeper of eliot's secret too.

(apart from the historical aspect, another reason i probably won't actually write this is because i know myself. i would want to do worldbuilding. i would follow eliot and alec to their jobs, but i wouldnt want to write outright copaganda. the grit/realism i would be comfortable with would take a level of research i dont think i can commit to. but if someone wants to take this up or if you figure out a way around this issue, pls do i wont be mad)

#eliot spencer #parker leverage #alec hardison #leverage #thiefsome #okay i srsly am not this active but this week got me wanting to talk and talk about these three beauties #the db cooper job

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dangerousstrawberryshark · 3 years

Text

Yandere Teacher Dream x Student George.

This is the only exception I'll give. The rest will have to be Male x male readers.

This was requested from Pokadeathpony

Disclaimer: I do not encourage anyone to do this sort of thing.

Word count: 3679

Warning: There be violence, smut, an age-gap of 4 years, and I guess forced? George is 18 and Dream will be 22.

George POV

I heard my alarm go off and my mom calling me. “Honey! Time to get up, It’s going to be your first day at school!”

‘Oh yeah, It’s going to be my first day at school!’ I got up from my bed and went to the bathroom to empty my bladder, wash my face, and brush my teeth. After I was done and went to my school uniform, I looked at myself in the mirror to see if I look good. ‘I look good today!’

I went downstairs to greet my mom and say goodbye to her.

“Hey, mom!”

“Hi sweetie ready for your first day at school?” “Yeah, I am.” “Oh, my baby is all grown up! I remember when you were just a baby! Can I take a picture of you?”

“Mom!” “Oh please, sweetie? I wanna show all of my Facebook friends that you’re all grown and to show Karen that I’m good and raise you well as a single mom!”

“Fine… But make it quick! I have school in a few minutes!” “Alright! Give me a pose!”

After a few minutes of trying to take the picture, she finally got the picture and posted it on Facebook and show Karen that she raised her son well.

After a few tries, she finally got what she wanted and kissed me on the cheek, and told me to have a good day at school. “Have a great day at school sweetie.” “Okay, mom! I’ll see you at 4:30!”

I walked out of my house and made my way to Windlesham School Brighton. (Random high school I looked up)

After a few minutes of walking, I finally made it. I saw there were still kids walking in and talking with each other about what they over the break and bragging about where they went.

I was hoping to make friends cause I was always lonely. (Y’all know when you don’t have friends and you would eat alone at lunch?)

As I walked into the school it was loud, mostly from the girls screaming and talking at 300 dB. And they walk in these big packs taking up the whole hallway. (It was like this at my school)

I bumped into someone while walking through the halls and I heard a thump. The other person who got up helped me.

“Hey, you alright?” “Yeah, I am.” “What’s your name?” “Oh uhh, George. George Davidson. Uhh, what’s your name?”

“Thomas. Thomas Simon. Or you can call me Tommy!” “Oh okay, nice to meet you, Tommy!”

“What class do you have next?” “I have… uh… Economics?... Yeah.” I said looking at my schedule. Just then we heard the bell ring signaling that class has just started.

“Aww, we don’t have to be in the same class. But we have most classes together after that though.”

“Oh, I was hoping you could lead me to my class?” “Sure I can still help you. I can just say I was lost as an excuse.”

Time skip (only 3 minutes)

After Tommy helped me get to my class, he went on his way to his class. I walked in and everyone’s attention was on me and the teacher looked at me with an unreadable face. ‘Great! They all were just talking but when I walked in they just stopped to look at me!’

“Are you in my class?”

(Has that ever happened to you?)

Dream’s POV

I was just in class ready to start class, show the expectation, behavior, and give the class syllabus. But these damn kids won’t stop talking.

“I hate my job,” I said underneath my breath, I was thinking of just quitting until the class door opened. And everyone stopped talking and directed their attention to the door, so did I. And I saw the most captivating boy in my life.

He was triggering something inside me. I noticed he looked embarrassed by all the eyes on him. I decided to ask him, “Are you in my class?” I was hoping he was.

“Yes… here take a look.” He handed me his schedule and I felt his soft milky white hand graze mine, but it was only a moment before he snatched his arm away.

“Let’s see…… Okay, you are in my class! Since you’re up here would you like to introduce yourself?” I see him shake his head no.

“It’s okay now you can go sit anywhere but you will be given assigned seats, so don't be comfortable.” I heard the class groan cause they wanted to stay next to their friends. I’m going to put him upfront.

Whatever he is doing, is growing. I feel like I want to protect him, I want to keep him, and let no one else get him.

My other self was telling me that he is ours, while my other is telling me this is wrong and that I shouldn’t have a feeling for one of my students. But in the end, it was my other side telling me he is ours to have and to keep forever, and hurt or even kill anyone who dares to get between us.

George’s POV

I was standing there just embarrassed by the way everybody is looking at me, Then I heard him say, “Are you in my class?” Took me a few seconds to comprehend what he said and I gave him my schedule to show that I was in his class.

“Yes… here take a look.” I handed him my schedule and he looked through it to confirm that I was definitely in his class.

For a brief moment, I felt his big strong hand touch mine as I handed it in. ‘I wonder how it would feel to be manhandled by those hands?’ My gay thought was appearing, ‘Wait… What?! Why am I thinking about that?!?! He’s my teacher for crying out loud!’

After a few moments, he confirmed that I was in his class. “Let’s see…… Okay, you are in my class! Since you’re up here would you like to introduce yourself?” he asked me if I wanted to introduce myself in front of the whole class. I shake my head, no, I didn’t want to present myself.

“It’s okay now you can go sit anywhere but you will be given assigned seats, so don’t get comfortable.” When he said that I was finally able to sit down.

I choose the sit right by the window. I feel like one of those main characters in anime where they have that scene where they look out the window, outside, looking at the peasants.

Nothing was happening, the teacher was preparing and he seemed to daze off. I then felt a tap on my shoulder and looked behind me to see a boy.

“Hi, my name is Wilbur. Wilbur Soot! What’s your name?”

“Hi, my name is George. George Davidson. Nice to meet you!”

I and Wilbur talked until we were interrupted by the teacher apparently, we talked so for too long. And we were about to begin class.

Dream’s POV

I was trying to get things ready but my mind kept going back to that kid. Maybe I’ll get to know his name when I do a roll call.

In the corner of my eye, I could see MY lover… ‘Wait? What I’m I thinking?! You know what, who cares! Yeah, he is my lover even though he looks 18 or 19. He is old enough I’m only 22!’

anyways I could see him talking to a random kid. Seeing that made me feel jealous, I looked at them with envy, I wanted to be the one that made him laugh. I decide to interrupt them and start the roll call.

As I was calling the names of my students and paid more attention to finding out who that kid was. “George Davidson?”

“Here!” I see my angel raise his hand. Now I know his name. Few names later. “Wilbur? Wilbur Soot?”

“Present!” I see the kid who was talking to MY George. Now I know who he is. Now I got to deal with him.

Time skip (end of class)

I told everyone my expectations, how they should behave, gave out the syllabus, and did assigned seats. I of course placed George at the front and Wilbur at the back.

“Goodbye everyone, have a great day and review your syllabus, and have it signed to get your first grade!”

Everyone had left, leaving me alone in the room and the only thing I could think about was George. ‘Don’t worry darling, Daddy will have you’

George’s POV

It turns out that Wilbur and Tommy were friends and they introduced me to the rest of the group. Their names, Dave, Zak, Darry, Floris, Nicholas, Karl, and Caroline. Caroline was the only girl in the group but I finally made friends! I’m no longer alone!!

Time skip to the end of the day.

All classes were over and I could finally go and sleep. ‘I miss my bed.’

I said goodbye to my new friends and I began to walk home.

As I was walking home, I felt someone watching or following. I turned around and looked around to see if anyone was following. No one.

But I’m going to take that chance. I remember watching something like this on TV. You should go or run in different directions so who is following would get lost by all the different routines you take. And I did that.

I went in different directions hoping to lose them. I finally arrived home. What I didn’t is that they still followed me and now they know where I live.

“So that’s where he lives”

(But for real though, does that work?)

Time skip to 2 months later

Still George’s POV

The first month was great, I had friends with Wilbur and Tommy being my best friends. But things changed

At the beginning of November (School starts in September in the UK. That’s what I got), Some of my friends began to go missing. First, it was Caroline, then it was Karl, Darryl, Zak, Nicholas, and Dave in that order.

(To lazy to write their deaths)

The atmosphere at school was dark. The once cheerful school full of normal kids became dark and everyone was scared, thinking they may be the next person. But all of the missing kids are related to me.

The only ones that are left, Tommy and Wilbur.

Dreams POV

As the days, turn into weeks, and weeks turned into months my obsession over George had grown. I began to deal with the “bad people.”

I also learned some things about George. He is 18 years old, meaning that there is a 4-year difference, He was born in London, etc.

I just have to deal with Wilbur. I know he likes George, It's so obvious. Tommy? Nah, I don't have to worry about him, He's going to move to a different school tomorrow, so he won't be a problem.

But now it's just Wilbur. I forgot too much George and Wilbur are in my last period class so I could just keep Wilbur behind. Time skip to the end of class

"Alright remember to turn in your work, tomorrow is the last to turn it in. Also, Wilbur, will you stay behind, I have to talk to you about something?" "Sure Dream." (I don't know his last name so yeah)

The bell rings signaling that the day is over and everyone can go home. Everybody rushed out of classes and walked outside while Wilbur stayed behind to "chat" with dream about something.

"Hey how about we go outside? To the rooftop?" I said with a wicked intention but he still accepts it.

"Sure." he was unaware of what was going to happen to him. We both walked up there and I told him to go stand by the rail. He complied and went to the rail, and I stood right next to him.

"You know what I got to say?" I said. "What? What do you need to say?" He questions with suspicion.

"George is mine." I pushed him over the rail and he spat when he hit the ground, killing him instantly. 'I'll let the police find him. They won't know it's me. I'll put the body in the dumpster.'

I went to drag the body into the dumpster where nobody can find it.

Friday

The next day came and I could finally claim George for myself. I would just stare at him lovingly, knowing that he will be mine soon.

George's POV

It was the last day of the week until the weekend came. Wilbur didn't show up today, I wondered why.

Throughout the day, Dream would give me weird stares, it was creepy. I was cautious of him. I don't know he seems suspicious if he is the one behind all this, I don't have evidence against him.

This suspicion went on for the entire day until it was the end of my classes. 'Finally, it's the weekend!' I thought to myself cheerful but that ended when I heard my name called.

"Hey, George could you stay behind? I need to talk to you about your grades." What about my grades? He said the same thing with Wilbur. Uhh, he's my teacher, he won't do something bad right?

"Okay, sir."

Timeskip to the end of the day. (Plot purposes)

It was the end of the day and I had to stay behind to talk about my "grades."

The bell rang and everybody ran out the door while I sat there in the front. "So, you know there is nothing wrong with grades," he said. "Then why am I here if my grades are good?" I replied

"But I need you to come over to my house and study for the upcoming test," he said with no emotion and with a straight face (gay face).

"I can study at home," I replied. "You can but I feel like it would be better if you study with me since I am your teacher and it would be easier." He replied.

"And if you don't then I'll drop your grade to a 40." He whispered in my ear. "Okay fine! Let me just text my mom."

"No, no need to worry I already called her and she is okay with that." He said nervously. "Okay."

"Fantastic let's get going."

No one's POV

George and dream both went out into the parking lot where George would go "study" at Dream's house. They went off and the car ride was awkward and nobody talked during the ride.

When they arrived, Dream got out and opened the door for George. And George thanked him for that. They both went and that's when dream struck.

He pulled out a syringe and ejected whatever was in the thing into George's neck, knocking him out. Dream smiled wickedly as he looked upon the now sleeping corpse of George. 'He is finally mine.'

A few hours later George woke up in the basement tied to the bed that was in there.

SMUT WARNING!!!!!!!!

"What, where am I?!?!" He said frantically as he was trying to comprehend and remember the last that happened then he remembered, 'it was dream! I knew it!' he thought to himself.

Just then a naked dream walked down the stairs with nothing on but his boxers.

(oH lOrD HavE MerCy. Ignore the surfboard. I think this is dream cause when I looked it up, this was one of the results.)

"Hey, there sweetie." dream said seductively. "It was you! I knew it was! You despicable monster!" George yelled at the top of his lungs. Dream was anger by what George just said.

So he grabbed George on the thigh and turned him over to where his asscheeks were showing and he gave them smacked. He smirked when he saw them jiggle. George let out a squeal.

"Don't talk to Daddy like that sweetie or you'll get punished." Dream said while giving a smack on George's ass. "You molester!" George replied. Dream of course was not happy about this and gave 20 smacks.

After the 20 smacks on the ass. Dream began to plant small kisses on George's neck and nibble on his neck. That for sure will leave hickey's showing that George now belongs to Dream.

George was groaning and moaning at this. George was now rock hard. "I see you're hard for daddy now, mmm?" Dream in George's ear as he bits and George whimpering. George was now a moaning mess.

"You want daddy to continue? Mmm, baby?" Dream said seductively and George is now under Dreams enchantment. "Yes, Daddy! Please I need you!" George screamed while moaning.

"Mmm... I didn't hear you, baby you're gonna have to speak louder." Dream teased George. "Please I need you! I want your big fat cock to fill me up! I want your cum to flood my insides! Please I want you, I need you!" George said needy as he was still on his stomach shaking his ass. That provoked dream.

(Oh lord have mercy!)

"Yeah, you want daddy to continue?" Dream said and George rapidly nodded his head. "That's what I like to hear. Now take Daddy's boxers off," Dream said and George complied.

George slowly took off Dream's boxers while his other was touching his rock-hard abs, and his tongue playing with his nipples. All of this left dream groaning under his touch.

George was done teasing and he finally took off Dream's boxers, and Dream's large cock popped out. 'Damn he was packing down there! It's like 9 inches long (or 22.86 cm long.) and thick as a coke can!’ "What's wrong? Too big for you?" Dream said teasing George thinking he can't take him.

"Yes, I can! I'll try to!" George replied with determination in his voice. Dream just smirk and let him do his thing.

George began to give kitten licks on his massive member. Dream was groaning, "Stop teasing baby boy... And take it all in that little warm and tight mouth of yours." George nodded his and tried to take him whole. Keyword: tried.

George got his mouth around the head and slowly started to take him more. George only got halfway before choking. "You're doing well-baby!" Dream said while moaning as George's tongue was getting all of the sides. "Shit I'm to cum! Stop baby I wanna release inside you."

George got on his knees on the bed. Dream got behind George and began to lick the rim around George's ass. "AHHHH!" George moaned. "You taste delicious." Dream said while continuing. George was about to cum, Dream stopped.

"You're not cumming just yet baby, we gotta cum together." Dream said while trailing his tongue on the back of George's and licking his ear.

Dream grabbed the lube and squeezed some on his three fingers. He pushed his three lubed fingers inside of George. "Mmm... ahh!" George moaned as the fingers penetrated his tight hole.

Dream was trying to find George's prostate, meaning that he was going to have to go deeper. After trying to find his prostate, George felt a massive amount of pleasure going through his whole body. "AHHHHHH!" George moaned loudly as his prostate was being abused by Dream's fingers.

"Looks like I found it." Dream said while taking his fingers out. George whimpered at the feeling of being empty. "Don't worry baby, you'll get something way bigger than my fingers." Dream said reassuring George that he'll receive much more pleasure.

Dream took his fingers out. Dream began to tease the rim of George's ass with the head of the massive thing. George whimpered. Dream then thrust in George's tight hole. "AHHH!" George moaned at his hole was being shaped to fit dream's whole cock inside him.

Dream slowly thrusted in. "Please go faster..." George whimpered as he was moving backward to meet his thrusts. With dream thrusted faster hitting George's prostates immediately. "AHHHdchfbfcedrjcbu." George was on cloud nine as his prostate was being abused by a massive cock. It felt like he could see the stars.

"You like that huh? Do you like how my cock is pounding this tight hole of yours? Shit, you're milking my cock if you keep squeezing around me!" Dream as he was inching closer to his climax.

"Answer me!" Dream said while slapping his ass causing George to moan louder. "Yes, I like it! Wait no, I love it! I love your cock daddy, the way it stretches me out! Please give your milk!" George said he was closer to his climax as well.

"Fuck I'm going to cum! You better cum with me!" Dream as he was now aggressively pounding George faster than he was. George began to get tighter around Dream. "Here it comes!" Dream screamed. "Yes, please give it to me!" George said while moaning and groaning.

Dream came inside of George filling him up with his milk. Dream then but down on George's shoulder official marking George, with that George came as well. They both laid down as they both were exhausted.

George went to sleep and the last thing he heard before darkness consumed him was, "You're finally mine. I will never let you go. DEATH is the only thing that will separate us."

THE END.

#dreamwastaken #dreamnotfound #yandere dream #smut #violence

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chaoticdean · 3 years

Text

SEAL Team, the parallels and Jason Hayes’ journey

[Spoilers for 4x01 and 4x02, read at your own risks!]

I don’t know if my mind keeps going there because I’ve been watching Supernatural and reading between the lines for so long, but the way SEAL Team highlighted Jason’s journey through these last two episodes absolutely blew my fucking mind.

THE GODDAMN PARALLELS, PEOPLE.

The first and obvious one are the parallels they’ve started to set between Jason and Cerberus, all the way into season 3: Cerberus not being on top anymore, making mistakes that could potentially be dramatic (which he does on that op, effectively taking Brock down at first and then Jason), and Brock having to make the hard decision of taking him off duty; Jason, on the other hand, is left wondering what’s left of his life, if he still has a purpose as Forces leave Afghanistan and J-Bad behind, if Jason Hayes can exist outside of War. 04x01 was set to parallel both stories and it’s been done so very effectively (also side note, gotta thank Director DB for these gorgeous wide plans — boy might have taken a page out of the Lord of the Rings playbook, as per @camille-williams’ comment). The parallels between Jace and Cerb ends with the scene where Brock brings him back into the cages’ room, and there’s an interesting bit of dialog from Jason here that directly highlights Jace’s path:

“A warrior’s place is on the battlefield. That dog was bred to be in the fight. But I think he’s suffered way too much stress, combat and trauma. I think it’s time for him to just be a dog.”

………… sirs, is that foreshadowing?

(yes, it is)

The way they set the flashbacks between current-Jace and 13-years-ago-Jace was absolutely spot on, basically highlighting Jason’s self-doubts as they’re going into their final mission with Bravo Team ‘as it stands’ (because both Ray and Clay are set to leave at that point). The way Jason’s mind went from “Family first” to “Bravo Team always comes first” takes a wide place, also highlighting all the in-betweens — Jason wanting to be a family man, having more kids/opposed to Jason walking on Ray and Naima being sweet as fck (The Perrys, man, do I love the Perrys ❤️) and looking at that picture of Alana and Mickey with blank eyes. We get a glimpse at what Jason used to be, carefree, always in for a fight and a laugh, which is now being paralleled by the team-leader who gets shit done. I also loved that we got to see what Ray was like before he turned into what he is now, paralleling with his current family situation (again, THE PERRYS ❤️).

The parallels between Jason’s ex team leader Guzo and present team leader Jace was one I didn’t expected but ended up loving. We get to see how Jason evolved and morphed into the warrior and team leader he is today, and truth be told, I don’t think he’d be here without Guzo. We see him knock some sense into young Hayes, and we get to see the exact moment where Jason’s head shifts into the Team mode we’ve been seeing him in ever since the serie started. I also personally loved some of the tidbits we got from the dialog (“You can’t be half a gangster, Hayes”, “All in all the time”), including the “When you’re outside the wire, home is where you hang your helmet” because that’s a direct callback to a line that Jason said to Ray in season 3. There’s a lot of Guzo in Jason, and this episode put a lot of effort into making sure we get to understand Jace’s journey… which I loved, because we didn’t get to see a lot of that in the past.

Then comes the parallels between Clay and Jason, set so carefully since season 1, that turns into a very blatant show of “Clay is Jason from a decade ago minus the goddamn trauma”. There’s a whole different meta post to be made about Clay’s story arc over these last two episode, and I’m not sure I have the strength to dive in just yet, but I’ll say this bit: Clay’s story has been crafted from day 1 to be paralleled with Jason’s, and if that wasn’t clear enough before, I think these two episodes gave us the most solid view of that. If not for the fact that it’s Clay who get’s to take out Al-Hazred Jr. when we know Jason took out Al-Hazred Sr. 13 years before (effectively moving his career forward onto the path he’s now been on for a decade), I think the plan has always been to follow Clay’s journey as he works up the ladder of Bravo Team, and with STA-21 taken off the table and Bravo 1 stepping down, I wouldn’t be surprised to see both Ray staying and Clay effectively starting to train as Bravo 2 (although there are probably going to be disciplinary consequences, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see that pattern unfold later on during the season).

Which brings me to my best friend’s question from last night: when do you think Jason’s “Oh” moment happened? Was it there all along, or does he work up to it during those two hours and come to realization later on in that bar?

I do think he works up to it. It’s clearly highlighted throughout the entire episode, but the first thing that struck me is the way the flashbacks are carefully crafted to give off a “what’s my place in all of this, and do I still have one” vibe.

The scene where Ray is Skyping with Naima when Jason arrives was incredibly powerful to me. The dialog itself (“Just come home safe, that’s all that matters to anyone in this house / People in that house is what matters to me the most”) highlights Jason’s family situation, the fact that he’s coming home to an empty apartment, and it’s directly shown by him taking Alana and Mickey’s photo in hand. That’s when we get the “Family always come first” flashback, and it’s maybe the most painful of it all.

We see Jason’s doubts as to where he stands in this, and it might be the first time ever. The parallels (again!) between now-Bravo-1-Jason and then-Bravo-1-Guz is so carefully set that I half-expected him to show up at the end in that bar, knocking some sense into Jason (I guess he kind of did, since Jason is looking at Guzo’s picture on the bar’s wall before he gathers the Team to say his piece).

Then there’s the conversation between Chaplain Walker and Jace, and boy, oh boy, is it foreshadowing (no pun intended) (okay, maybe a little).

For the sake of it, let me just pull up dialogs real quick:

J: Whole place will be scrapped in a month. You’ll be out of business.

W: I’ll be reassigned. Address will change, job never does.

J: You ever wish you had a job where at the end of it, there was a sign that, I don’t know, said that you were done, that it was over?

W: What would that look like?

J: My Flyers, when they win the Stanley Cup, they go down Broad St. and they have a parade. It’s a victory… you see it.

W: Unfortunately for us, the war on terror doesn’t have a goal line to cross. But you know, you don’t strike me as the type who need to spike the football.

J: Just be nice to know that it was worth the cost. 40 fallen brothers, a broken marriage, broken body… broken head.

W: You told me last time we spoke, you know you’ve made an impact that will last forever here.

J: The only thing that’s gonna last forever is this war. I’ll — I’ll see you around.

W: You know, I — I think you’re wrong about them just scrapping it all. Somebody’s gonna sort through it. You know, ask the questions that we all should ask.

J: I don’t understand. What do you mean?

W: End of the day — what do you take away from here? What can you pull from the rubble, to be cherished? What do you need to leave behind? And what can you pass on to someone else?

SEAL Team 04x02 — Forever War

This is the first time I’ve ever seen Jason voice his doubts, in public, to someone who is NOT Ray, or for that matter, Sonny. This is Jason acknowledging that he doesn’t really know where he stands, or what’s left for him. We’re starting to see the “where does Jason Hayes stands in all of this, and can Jason Hayes exists outside of the battlefield”.

(Also, I love Chaplain Walker, can we keep him pretty please?)

Then they go home, and Mandy drops the hammer on him (“If I don’t walk away now, I’m gonna lose myself forever”). He sees firsthand someone he loves and connects with deciding to walk away. The whole conversation between them is Jason trying so hard to hold onto the threads and Mandy basically saying “this is me walking away because I can, we can, you still can. You’re not just a shell of a man doomed to be sent on the battlefield, Jason, there’s more to it.”

We get the cages’ room scene with Cerberus coming back and Jason voicing the fact that it’s time for Cerberus to “just be a dog” because he’s seen enough war, enough trauma.

And then comes the bar scene with a steel chair.

First and foremost, and that is not entirely Jason related, but I’m a big fan of the song choice in the background of the Savis scene (Matt Costa’s Make That Change), if only for the exact part of the lyrics that have been chosen to be played at that exact moment (“Because the start is the finish line, even if you take two steps back / You gotta make that change to see a brighter day”). Now, I don’t really believe in coincidence, and even if it is… It’s a really nice nods to what’s about to unfold.

And boy, does that unfold. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t a sobbing mess all through the entirety of Jason’s speech.

I think learning that Clay’s taking the fall for Ray is the final straw for Jason. We see the realization on his face right before he turns to Guzo’s portrait on the wall. I’m not going to go much further than that, I’ve giffed the whole dialog of Jason explaining he’s standing down earlier right here.

All I’ve got to say at this point is that this was supposed to be our season finale last season, and it culminated the whole arc of Jason’s character over season 3. I’m incredibly excited to see what’s in store for the rest of season 4, and how/if Jason adapts. I see growth through a man that spent a lot of time trying to ignore and override the signs of his body and mental health to keep grinding, because he truly believed that’s what he was meant to be. I wonder what his next step is going to be, and where it’s going to take him.

This is incredibly all over the place, but I swear I’ll get better at sorting through my ideas overtime. Until then, enjoy that mess of a meta and feel free to add to it if you’ve got anything else to say.

#good lord spn really did broke me #i know for a fact that literally NO ONE is going to read that long ass post but i also DON'T GIVE A FUCK #this is 2k words about jason hayes and i'm not sorry #seal team #seal team meta #seal team cbs #jason hayes #character meta #character analysis #jus.meta #seik-o #archer-and-lionprince #usersamanne #overtimeme #mutteringghost #abcdefuk-off #usermone #userbravo

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medea10 · 4 years

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My Review of Fruits Basket: 2nd Season

It’s really happening! It’s fucking happening! The never-before animated story to one of the best shoujo series in the 21st century is finally happening!

HISTORY: Just read my long-ass review for that.

Okay, okay!

Tohru Honda stumbles upon the family secret of her classmate, Yuki Sohma when she moves in the Sohma household. Whenever a member of the Sohma family is hugged by a member of the opposite sex, they turn into an animal from the Chinese Zodiac. Because of this, the Sohma family is very secretive about this issue and only let close people in on the family secret. And even then, it rarely happens! But after a lifetime of worry and hell these members have been put through, they learned that Tohru cares about each and every one of them. She was able to bring out the sun for many of these characters who have suffered a lifetime of ridicule, pain, and isolation.

SEASON TWO: It’s the start of summer and many things around Tohru, Yuki, and Kyo are changing. For Yuki, it means taking over the student council full-time, as his seniors will be graduating in the spring. And for one Sohma family member, she’s made it her mission to lift the curse that has plagued the Sohma’s for generations. This season is filled with the cute and fluffy moments it’s known for where characters are having fun. But then you remember this is Fruits Basket and the cute and fluffy moments are shrouded in pain and misery.

And when you have an unstable character like Akito, people are going to be hurt. With the addition of several characters, we do detour from time-to-time for stories about them instead of following Yuki, Kyo, and Tohru. But many of these characters have some sort of connection to the main cast. With the introduction of Rin, we see the desperation in finding a way to rid the Sohmas of the zodiac curse. The student council members introduced this season helped Yuki come out of his shell even further. And the introduction of the final zodiac Kureno gave us possible hope for Tohru and a possible love interest with someone you probably didn’t see coming.

LICENSING: Thank you FUNimation. Thank you for once again taking the helm by licensing it and putting in the delicate care the mangaka went in to creating it! And also thank you for not being greedy dickholes and letting Crunchyroll and Hulu air it too. Anyways, the cast from the previous season have returned to do their respectable roles in both the English and Japanese cast. It’s just that due to the Coronavirus outbreak, the dub wasn’t as frequent as it was last year so I spent a good chunk just sticking to the original Japanese audio.

NEW CHARACTERS: In the final episode of season one, we were quickly introduced to several new characters who are going to make a big splash this time around. Just a reminder, there are only two zodiac members that were never introduced until this very moment. But there are several characters, who may not be part of the Sohma clan, but are a big part of the story and to several main characters.

First, I would like to introduce Kakeru Manabe and Machi Kuragi. They will now serve under Yuki as Student Council Vice President and Treasurer. They’re also half-siblings (same father, different mothers). Now by no means are these two ever going to be let-in on the Sohma family secret like Tohru, but they definitely make a big impact on Yuki’s life as Yuki seems comfortable enough to have one-on-ones with Kakeru and share common themes with Machi.

Isuzu (or Rin) is a Sohma with long, black hair. She is the horse of the zodiac curse. She doesn’t let a lot of people in her corner and usually only confides in either Hiro or her boyfriend, Hatsuharu. A lifetime of family issues and Akito being a cunt has something to do with it. Rin’s mission is to find a way to break the curse set on her and the rest of the Sohmas. But after an altercation with Akito, Rin has taken it upon herself to become a lone wo-, um horse in this mission.

Kureno is the final zodiac member to be introduced. And if you haven’t guessed, he is the rooster! Kureno is usually never seen by anyone in the Sohma family due to the fact that Akito keeps him on a short leash. But once Kureno was able to step away from Akito’s side, he finds comfort in one of Tohru’s friends.

I’m familiar with many of these voice actors they’ve added to these new characters. The only one I was surprised at came from Aki Toyosaki playing Rin. I think it’s just leftover questioning after hearing her voice these cutesy, moe characters (blame K-ON for that one). But Rin’s voice isn’t bad.

As for the dub, thank you FUNimation for bringing Aaron Dismuke back to the Fruits Basket family. If you��ve been following Fruits Basket from the very beginning, you might recall him being the original voice of Hiro Sohma. But since he was quite a young child when voicing Hiro, that voice he carried at the time wasn’t going to stay forever. Puberty happens! Aside all that needless info, I really liked his Kakeru! I’m digging Ian Sinclair as Kureno. I spent a full-on decade imagining who would voice him. And back in the day, I always thought Micah Solusod or Vic Mignogna would do him justice. But once 2019 happened…

*crosses off a name on a list*

…Yeah, Micah Solusod would do his voice justice, just him, no one else! But Ian Sinclair is awesome in nearly every thing he’s in and this is fine by me. Brina Palencia as Rin…eh, I mean she always plays characters who are monotone or serious. I’m not bashing it, but it was a predictable role for her. Here’s what you might recognize these folks from.

JAPANESE CAST: *Kakeru is played by Takuya Eguchi (known for Cheren on Pokemon BW, Takeo on My Love Story, Ryouma on Love Stage, Kujo on Gosick, Watanuki on Inu x Boku SS, and Fumiya on Domestic Girlfriend)

*Machi is played by Ai Kakuma (known for Misaka Worst on Index III, Rossweisse on High School DxD, Lala on Monster Musume, and Hato on Genshike Nidaime)

*Rin is played by Aki Toyosaki (known for Uiharu on Railgun/Index, Yui on K-ON, Suu on Shugo Chara, Satsuki on Maid-sama, Momo on To Love Ru, Chitose on Yuru Yuri, and Aoi on Beelzebub)

*Kureno is played by Yuichiro Umehara (known for Gorou on Darling in the Franxx, Mars on Black Clover, and Goblin Slayer)

ENGLISH CAST: *Kakeru is played by Aaron Dismuke (known for Al on FMA, Hiro on Fruits Basket, Young Hohenheim on FMA: Brotherhood, Van on Escaflowne [redub], Marx on Black Clover, and Takami on Deadman Wonderland)

*Machi is played by Caitlin Glass (known for Winry on FMA, Haruhi on Ouran HSHC, Maki on Love Live, Miria on Baccano, Petra on Attack on Titan, Evergreen on Fairy Tail, and Kirigiri on Danganronpa)

*Rin is played by Brina Palencia (known for Nina on FMA, Ciel on Black Butler, Yuno on Mirai Nikki, Saten on Railgun/Index, Juvia on Fairy Tail, Touka on Tokyo Ghoul, Holo on Spice & Wolf, and Chopper on One Piece)

*Kureno is played by Ian Sinclair (known for Whis on DB Super, Bard on Black Butler, Sousuke on Free!, Chuck on Panty & Stocking, Magna on Black Clover, Brook on One Piece, and Space Dandy)

SHIPPING PART II:

I still know who everyone ends up with and I’m doing my darndest to keep my mouth shut and not let out a decade-old spoiler. So let’s get some crap over with!

*Yuki x Motoko: Yeah, remember Motoko? That Yuki-obsessed chick who literally can’t breathe without the boy in her life! Well, first episode of the season, we get an episode featuring her once more. Because Motoko is one year older, she faces the harsh reality of graduating a year before Yuki and is pretty depressed over that. Not only that, but she's still super jealous that Yuki spends so much time with Tohru. But it gets a little deeper when she noticed that Yuki has changed as he’s smiling a lot more (and those smiles are not fake this time). She so wanted to be the woman in his life to make him smile like that. But Motoko’s probably just going to admire him from a distance. Oh and she still finds time to harass and/or threaten any foreign girl that hangs around Yuki’s aura.

*Ayame x Mine: I almost forgot to talk about this one. Probably because we really only got one episode to show the slightest ship hint from them. Mine has got to be the only female on earth who is able to handle Ayame’s wacky behavior 24/7. Then again, Mine has a few quirks herself. But both of them find that they can confide in each other. Here’s the thing with this one, it is unknown if Mine actually knows about the family curse up to this point. And if they are really in a relationship, Akito hasn’t given her “blessing”. I don’t know, maybe everyone in the family thought it would be best to not pry into Ayame’s private life for many valid reasons.

*Hatsuharu x Rin: So these two were actually in a (secret) relationship. Secret for obvious reasons! They knew the consequences after what Akito has done to Hatori and Kisa for being loved. In this season, we see how much these two really care for each other. Rin is so desperate in finding a way to rid Hatsuharu and everyone else of the zodiac curse that she’ll pursue it by any means necessary. And when she dumped Hatsuharu, this devastation built up pretty big until it burst in the destruction of a classroom. Hatsuharu can be very laid-back, but the break-up really devastated him. Later this season, we do get the development of this ship. Hatsuharu is one of the few people in Rin’s inner circle she was able to rely on and this blossomed into both of them confessing their love. And even sleeping with each other! Yep, Fruits Basket gave us a sex scene! However, Akito found out and Rin took the blame for everything.

…And Akito gave her blessing by shoving Rin off the second story.

Akito’s blessings really should come with an advisory.

Advisory: DON’T ASK AKITO FOR HER BLESSINGS!

*Hatori x Mayu: If you’re wondering who Mayu is, that is Tohru’s homeroom teacher. She surprisingly has some history with Shigure, Hatori, and Kana. First of all, Mayu is best friends with Kana. When Kana was dating Hatori, Mayu started to get these feelings and she ended up dating Shigure (seriously, bad choice). But she knew like the rest of us that Shigure is distant, sneaky, and you just can’t trust him. But Mayu was the only one to cry for Hatori’s sake. Mayu does hold out hope for one day going out with Hatori. Five, ten years, however long it takes!

*Kureno x Uo: The one time Kureno was allowed to escape from Akito’s grasp and he enjoys the company of Tohru’s best friend Uotani. When I first read this in the manga, I thought this was absolutely random, but cute nevertheless. And after watching their small time together, I yearned for there to be more time for Kureno and Uo to be together…but you know it’s not possible because you know the real deal. I mean, Kureno has spent the majority of his life as Akito’s personal bitch. After that one episode, Kureno has remained on the Sohma estate and Uo has wanted to see him again. So much so that she quit her part-time job where she first met Kureno because she feels like she’ll never see him again! Thing is Kureno promised to stay by Akito’s side after a really big revelation happened (stay tuned). Kureno is like the only Sohma that is able to cast his shackles aside and be with someone he loves. And Uo is the first person he’s ever truly felt that about!

No…I’m not going to mention that OTHER ship just yet. I get upset just even thinking about it.

*sniffles*

Just let the little bird fly and be free already.

*Kyo x Kagura: I probably should have covered this in the first season. But I was too focused on the sad ship and cute ship. Anyways, it’s well known that Kagura loves Kyo. REALLY LOVES HIM! But after Tohru moved in, Kagura slowly learned that Kyo has changed because of Tohru and knows that Kyo might not like Kagura that way. In the 11th episode, we get a moving storyline where Kagura goes on a date with Kyo and we learn a little more into why Kagura began to like Kyo. Kagura pitied Kyo as a child since he was the unfortunate child cursed under the cat. It made her feel better about her own sad fate of being cursed under the boar. But she still played with him until she accidentally took off Kyo’s rosary beads that revealed the demonic cat curse. By this time in the story, it’s absolutely cemented with Kyo that he’s in love with someone else and is ready to tell Kagura that he will never love her. But that doesn’t stop Kagura from telling Kyo that she loves him.

*Yuki x Machi: Unlike all the other girls in school, Machi doesn’t see Yuki as a prince. She sees clearly through his fake smile that he gives off all the time. At least that was her thought at the beginning of the series! Machi has been pretty quiet and kept to herself whenever at the student council. No one even knows what her favorite foods and colors are! Truth is, Machi doesn’t know either. But it wasn’t until a simple (and I do mean simple) gift from Yuki that Machi changed a little bit! This ship didn’t get much action until near the end of this season where the student council met up for some lunch. This was the first time we saw Machi act all tsundere around Yuki when he noticed she held onto the gift he gave her.

It was a leaf. He gave her a friggin’ leaf. And then she turned it into a bookmark.

*Tohru x Yuki: Sigh. He kissed her on the forehead and cried. Moving on! She’s not even friend-zoned. She’s MOM-zoned! Tohru is the mother that Yuki turns to because Yuki’s mother is an uncaring cunt. I know who Yuki really ends up with in the end, but if you ask me, I prefer Yuki x Kakeru.

Don’t at me, I love seeing these two together! Okay, final shipping for the category.

*Tohru x Kyo: There is no doubt that Kyo and Yuki have changed for the better since meeting Tohru. Both of them felt that there was no hope and only self-isolation in their life. In Kyo’s case, he knew early on that his life was fucked. His mother committed suicide, his father abandons him, the Sohma family shuns him, and once he reaches a certain age, he faces a lifetime of being locked in confinement. So Tohru’s kindness and persistence has definitely done wonders for the boy. Romance, wise? Let’s just say that things were almost said at the beach. And we get a realization from Kyo that Tohru is precious to him. His precious!

Oh, there is ONE certain ship I feel I should mention. However, it’s still too much of a shock for people to take in. So I will wait for the final season to let it rip.

HORRIBLE PARENTS: The original series only scraped the surface of how horrible the Sohma parents truly are. I could have done my worst parents/mothers/fathers list with at least half of these people. But the original series never showed us the ugliness when it came to Yuki’s mother, Kyo’s father, and queen of the bitches, Ren Sohma. Bitch, I will see you in season three! Thankfully, we’ve got at least one or two nice parents like Hiro and Kagura’s mothers.

Before I bring up the worst this series had to offer, can we just talk about how precious this woman is? Hiro’s mother loved rams and was very happy when Hiro was born. Hiro’s mother is just so precious for this series. She loves her son and even loves Kisa. It’s adorable! As for Kagura’s mother, even with Kagura’s aggressive personality, her mother is quite supportive of her daughter and even Rin. So let’s go down this rap-sheet of the worst ones!

Kyo’s father was never able to forgive his own son for “causing the death of his wife”. He even refuses to call Kyo by name, he only refers to Kyo as “It” or “That Creature”. Thank God we have Kazuma to replace this dick. I know Kazuma’s hands aren’t clean either, but he has treated Kyo like the son he never had. More than what I can say about this fucker!

Yuki’s mother did some unpleasant things to her son. For starters, selling Yuki to Akito for her to do whatever she wanted with him. Because the rat in the zodiac was the first to arrive, it is said that the rat is closest to the god. This gave Yuki’s mother the opportunity to have Yuki deal with Akito’s scary tantrums and scar him for years. Ayame doesn’t have anything pleasant to say about his own mother either. Last I recall, she’s quite cold to Ayame as well. She’s a cold, uncaring witch.

Ah shit, here we go again! Momiji’s father! Yes, that very same father who told Momiji that his mother’s memories of him had to be wiped away in order for her to get better. We see him once again taking away more from Momiji because his daughter Momo is catching on. In an episode, Momiji is told that he should give up playing the violin. Why the fuck for? Well, Momo’s getting music lessons from Momiji’s teacher and feels these two should not meet or even cross paths. And of course, his father isn’t too keen about Momiji coming to his office so he can watch the family he sacrificed so his mother could be saved. This boy just can’t catch a break and I still want to hug my little bunny-kins.

Rin gets panic attacks spontaneously due to her parent’s physical abuse and abandonment. Rin’s home life was okay until one question sparked years of abuse. Because Rin caught on to her parent’s fake smiles, they showed who they really were. Rin hid her abuse until she passed out from so much pain that she had to be checked into the hospital. It was there that Kazuma and a young Hatsuharu learned she was being beaten by her parents. And what do the parents do? Abandon her then and there at the hospital!

Kakeru and Machi aren’t a part of the Sohma family, but that doesn’t stop the fact that they have a messed up home life. Kakeru and Machi are half-siblings (same father, different mothers). Kakeru was an illegitimate child, but was the elder sibling (+ male), so is a prime candidate to be his father’s heir. And both of their mothers fought over who would be the heir to their father’s fortune in the future, putting endless stress on Kakeru and Machi. As a kid, Kakeru would have spontaneous panic attacks because of the stress his mother put him under. While Kakeru was able to tell off his mother and she begrudgingly accepted it, Machi’s mother still puts pressure on her to a point where Machi just does what she’s told and has infrequent bouts of panic attacks.

Oh, there’s another parent worth mentioning. But the final season will take care of that one. I know you’re expecting me to say something about Ren Sohma (Akito’s mother). Problem is, she only had one line in this whole season. I could say there was a scene where her name was mentioned at Akito and Akito went a little berserk. But that’s all I can say here.

SADDEST MOMENT OF THIS SEASON: Hands down, anything involving sweet, little Momiji is going to hurt. Granted, this doesn’t hurt as much as the backstory between him and his mother. But when we get the episode of Momiji’s sister Momo spying on Momiji playing the violin, it’s like a knife to the chest. You want these two to see each other, but it’ll trigger some unhappiness with the family. Momiji sacrificed a butt-ton just for his mother to recover. Momo knows that Momiji exists, she just doesn’t know that Momiji is her brother.

So what does Momo do?

Ask Tohru to ask Momiji to be her big brother.

Ouch. Ow, Fruits Basket! I know this scene hurt when I read it, but it nearly killed me in animation. God and Momiji’s crying. I want to hug him so much.

EVERYONE’S FATE: In this season, we hit the asphault when it’s revealed that Kyo made an ultimatum with Akito. If Kyo is able to beat Yuki in a fight before the two of them graduate high school, he will obtain his freedom and avoid a lifetime being caged (like the previous cat). As this clock ticks, Kyo knows he doesn’t have much time left before he spends the rest of his life sealed away.

And it isn’t just Kyo! All the other zodiacs are destined to live on Akito’s estate so that Akito can have her delusional “eternal banquet”. So of course, Akito feels threatened that Tohru has such a hold on almost all of the Sohmas. That’s why Rin wants to free everyone from this curse and a little later once she learns about this, Tohru wants to do the same.

THE HAT: Remember the hat that seems out of place for Tohru to have? An old, dusty hat that doesn’t match anything! It was mentioned briefly in the original series and expaneded a bit in the first season. This season gives us a little surprise in the form of the hat connecting to Yuki, Kyo, and Tohru.

The hat originally belonged to Kyo. When they were children, Yuki tried to talk to Kyo and it turned into Kyo yelling at Yuki because he’s the rat of the zodiac. And as the story goes, the rat lies to the cat about the banquet and the cat is left out. A lot of the zodiacs were always sour at Yuki growing up. Moving on! Kyo’s hat fell and Yuki never returned it to him. Yuki once wore the hat on his head and ran away from the Sohma estate. It was at that time he came across a lost, little girl (Tohru). Yuki lead Tohru back home and puts the hat on her head as he leaves from her sight. And that’s the tale of that mystery hat you might have seen prior.

Oh, there’s another connection with Kyo…yeah, you guessed it. Third season! Wait for it.

ENDING TO SEASON TWO: So this season seems to be getting 25 episodes as well. That means if the final season only has 13 episodes that would equal up to 63 episodes in total. And that would make Eric Vale’s comments in a video a year ago correct. Eric Vale is bad with spoilers, isn’t he?

Anyways, this season has given us a lot to mull over. We get new characters that have no connection to the Sohma family, but has a big impact with Yuki that he changes for the better. We finally get to see the two zodiacs that have never made their debut until now. And the backstory of Tohru with the out-of-place hat as a child is settled. Inching closer to the second season finale, we get some cute and semi-impactful stories around the school. Tohru and Kyo were in a class production of Cinderella where Kyo finds out Tohru knows what’s going to happen after graduation when she accidentally blurts out the wrong thing on stage. Then we have Yuki opening up more to his student council members (especially Kakeru) and long-time holdout Machi opening up and becoming a blushing girl like many her age.

Well folks, it’s New Years and time for another zodiac banquet. And Yuki was feeling a sense of weight being lifted from his shoulders. He was going to make a change with his life by not blaming others for his problems. So Akito gives her blessing by…

You should know by now that when I say that, it’s not going to end well.

Let’s just say, hearing Yuki say those words, Akito started to recall a time with Kureno that really struck a cord. I’ll get to it in a second. Akito struck Yuki in the face with a blunt instrument and thankfully he did not end up blind like Hatori. Akito had yet another psychotic outburst that resulted in one of the Sohmas being hurt. And you have to wonder why Akito is this evil, twisted soul that hurts her family physically and mentally. Hatori permanently loses the sight in one of his eyes and still forgives Akito. Kureno stays by Akito’s side no matter what she did to him.

In the final episode, we get quite a few revelations exposed (especially for Tohru). The play, Tohru, Hana, Uo, and Kyo were in was videotaped and Momiji gave a copy to Kureno. Let’s just say that Uo sent her own secret message of wanting to see a certain someone again. Kureno was conflicted that he wanted to reach out and talk to Tohru. When Tohru met with Kureno, she came upon some startling discoveries about the man possessed by the rooster zodiac (or bird).

When walking towards birds, they flew away from him. If you recall, many animals are drawn to the zodiacs (i.e. cats to Kyo, rats to Yuki, etc.). But with Kureno, they all just flew away! And finally, Kureno walked right up to Tohru, hugged her, and he didn’t transform.

Kureno has been curse-free for several years. Actually, since he was in high school and dude is in his 20’s currently. It’s unknown why only he was released from the curse and everybody else still transforms. Kureno kept it from everyone in the Sohma household (even though Shigure was suspicious for a while). And when the curse lifted from Kureno, he felt as though he could finally fly free (irony is that he can no longer “fly” being a zodiac bird). Problem is that Akito had a mental breakdown when she saw Kureno was free from the curse and she screamed at him to stay and never leave her side. This was actually the one time Akito didn’t hit or injure someone during one of these fits, so this felt very different.

And because of Kureno’s decision to stay by Akito’s side, he feels he can no longer see Uo. Even though, he really feels a connection towards her despite only seeing her two times. This was his first actual love! And then, Tohru learned another bombshell.

Actually, this bombshell isn’t as huge as it was years ago.

You see, up until this point in the manga it was hard to decipher what gender Akito was. In the original anime ALL of Akito’s voice actors (even in Japanese) were male. Yes, including when Akito was a child. Aaron Dismuke was everywhere 15 years ago. But then a chapter from the manga came out where Kureno clearly tells Tohru (who had no idea at the time) that Akito was female. So, for hardcore fans such as myself, this wasn’t so much of a bombshell. Although I forgot Tohru didn’t know about Akito’s true gender. New fans to the anime, it might’ve caused great impact. Anyways, the second season ends on that note.

Come on Fruits Basket, you announced another season on my birthday last year. Surely you can give me something to go on for my birthday this year.

OH HELL YEAH!

This totally…doesn’t make up for RBG dying over my birthday weekend, but it’s a start!

Aside from ONE episode, this season was totally brand-spanking new, never-before seen in anime form. And it was satisfying to watch many of these moments I thought were going to remain on the printed page forever finally in animation. This season gave us the good and the bad. We’ll have those light and funny moments that Fruits Basket was notorious for. Tohru visiting Ayame’s clothing store, Yuki’s class taking a trip, and the Cinderella storyline. But then you get all the heavy stuff like Akito coming to see Tohru at the beach house, Rin’s backstory, Kureno’s reveal, and Momiji’s sister wanting to know more about him. Every Momiji episode hurts me! Momo is too precious for this world and she just wants to know her secret onii-chan.

Now some people might think the lineup of these episodes and story is a bit sloppy with how it’s listed. Well, that’s how most of it was in the manga, just go with the flow. I mean, yeah, I’d agree with you there and maybe if this series were one continuous anime with no breaks, you’d get no complaints there. But whatever, you can’t please everyone on everything. This season gave us more character development from these characters. Kyo, while still an angry kitty from time to time has really matured a bit. He doesn’t fly off the handle to fight Yuki every day like you’d see in season one. Yuki was able to realize many aspects of his life and grow from there. Hatori was able to move on from Kana. Ayame learned to be a better big brother…though he’s still a yutz.

Shigure is NOT to be trusted!

I know some people have been saying that since season one and I feel it’s well worth repeating. And it’ll get worse next season, believe me! The only character I was disappointed in by not seeing that much of was Ritsu. But as I recall, Ritsu doesn’t get that much action in the second year arc. I’m so happy to hear the original dub (most of them anyways) with this new material that they’ve never done before for these characters. And I’m hoping to ride this train going into 2021. I love this story and I can’t wait for the final season.

Yes, watch this. Watch the first season too! Hell, watch the original series, it’s not out of print yet!

All of the episodes are available to watch on FUNimation, Crunchyroll, and Hulu. The dub is available through FUNimation only. And if you want to watch the original anime (w/o the new story), Hulu still has it available.

#anime review #Fruits Basket #fruits basket 2nd season #Tohru Honda #kyo sohma #Yuki Sohma #hiro sohma #hatori sohma #kagura sohma #kakeru manabe #machi kuragi #rin sohma #akito sohma #ayame sohma #shigure sohma #momiji sohma #kureno sohma #arisa uotani

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blackbat05 · 4 years

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I’m typically very picky with my K-dramas, so the fact that I watched ‘was it love’ after ‘strong woman DBS’ which was like in 2017 probably says a lot. Just finished episode 14 so why not do a review myself?

The beginning part allowed people to get curious I must say - with all the flashbacks and ambiguous sentences from the characters(?) like it kinda got me wondering who was the dad - which I think was the whole purpose of the drama. Then in the middle I felt it started to falter in the sense where nothing was really progressing and things were going back and forth. Even as a Ji-hyo fan I almost felt frustrated with her character. Then again I was frustrated with all characters.

This was kinda cleared up recently when things started to be explained again - which I think we and myself included can learn from the lesson? Like it was a heck load of misunderstandings and because they weren’t addressed for 14 years it grew into hatered. Perhaps people may still think this is a weak plot or whatever but to me it’s realistic. I’m pretty sure every person has a thorn somewhere because of a misunderstanding that they never cleared up.

But I must say the scene that impacted me the most was in 14 where Dae Oh imagined what happened if he did things right? Right as in leaning on Ae Jong when he needed to and not acting like everything was ok. This happens in real life too? More than often we find telling people that ‘we’re ok’ and then lash out at them for no reason.

Fun part(?) if that’s even the word to describe? I love my gangster dad Goo Pa Do😎 like he was so mysterious that I got angry they weren’t focusing on him but last ep was wow. Honestly put your hands up if you want to see a whole series on him. Like when I started this series like initially I loved Yeon Woo (I still do) but now gangster dad just owns my whole heart.

I love Ji-hyo but dude just skyrocketed to my number 1 fav character and cemented his position there. Also I LOVE LANDLADY SOOKHEE - we could all use a badass friend who will lend you a shoulder (literally) and fight for you.

*SPOILERS*

That plant scene where Pa Do was standing outside Ae Jong’s bed and she was behind and both were the exact same plants? I mean I’m not one to ship but both their bad ass characters they’ll put the whole country on FIREEEEE

#was it love

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cryptoriawebb · 4 years

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So I recently bought the remastered version of Dragonball GT on DVD and I am LOVING it. I’ve been dying to see the English voices paired with the Japanese music and it did not disappoint. I’ve missed GT, it’s my favorite of the Dragon Ball series (and yes, I’m aware of how unpopular that is) but it’s so nostalgic for me! GT was my first fandom, back when the internet was new and youtube hadn’t yet grown into the monster it is now.

I’m going to talk about GT now. Please read with an open mind and respect my opinion!

I honestly still prefer some of the characterizations to what we have in Super. It’s nice to see a Goku who isn’t obsessed with being the strongest ‘just cause.’ It’s nice to see a mellowed but still cranky Vegeta, even if he isn’t in the series all that much (which really is a shame.) I even like the variation in Trunks’ and Goten’s personalities! Maybe they have gotten a little soft but I like that angle too! It’s different, and honestly, we can’t really expect Universe 7 Trunks to grow up exactly like his alternate future self. Different experiences, right? To be honest, I think I like his GT personality better XD; (I know I know, another unpopular opinion but he’s such a frazzled mess, I can’t help it.)

I love Pan too. Yes she’s a little overly aggressive but so were a lot of female characters in Shonen series during that time (the late 90s.) I like that they added a female saiyan to the main cast - it meant SO much to me in middle school. If she’d just become a damn SUPER SAIYAN I’d have very little complaints about this show. Seriously. Why didn’t that happen? (I know why it supposedly didn’t but why hasn’t it happened in the 20 years since GT aired??)

Oh and Super Saiyan Four? SO cool. I definitely prefer it to what we have in Super (I know I know, don’t come after me!) It’s different - so different and I really appreciate that. You can tell just by looking at Goku in that form that he’s powerful, you don’t have to suspend any disbelief, looking at a Super Saiyan with differently colored hair (although I admit, Super’s Ultra Instinct is cool.)

On that note, I’d forgotten how strange it was to watch a DB series that doesn’t include a lot of transformations. It’s honestly a little refreshing, looking back as an adult. I’m sure it was jarring when the series first came out - wondering why Goku didn’t use his super saiyan transformation until episode 7 and Trunks until, what, 9 or 10? I’m still rewatching it. The first sixteen episodes were withheld from Funimation’s dub until later, so I didn’t experience any jarring adjustment. I know that’s why they weren’t released for a while but darn all, I LIKED the focus on adventure and character relationships. The battles in Z, at least the Z that aired in the early 2000s, were unbearably long. I still haven’t seen it in full, but I have read the manga.

I also prefer the tone of GT to Z. It’s a little more melancholic, romantic in the old sense of the word and also darker. I know a lot of people didn’t like that, but I tend to write tragic stories myself so it appeals to me. Even watching the first arc (which is my still my favorite) there’s a tone of finality in the music, including the opening theme. GT was meant to be the end of this franchise, after all. I like that about the series too. It was building towards something, something greater than the next Big Bad Foe. If only it were orchestrated a little better...

That’s really where GT falls short. There were so many little ways to improve this series, to make it stand out more than it did and the creative team just didn’t come through. Turning Goku back into a kid worked well in the beginning, but by the end, the audience was a little tired of it. He should have returned to adult form after Piccolo’s death (a cancellation of the wish kind of thing.) If he had been an adult for the last arc, I think “Goku Time” might’ve been more widely accepted. Also, as I said, Pan should have become a super saiyan, considering she was the only other protagonist by the end. Some of the blackstar dragons were strong enough for her to handle in a super saiyan form, which would’ve reduced the amount of times she was saved by Goku. I’m pretty sure that was a result of the era GT was written, as I said, but still. Pan deserved better.

Also Trunks should’ve stayed a main character, and if not, he should’ve been replaced by Vegeta or Goten or even a few characters. There are so many great ones to choose from and this timeline had a lot to explore. I never really understood why the Son and Briefs family stood by while Goku and (For a time) Vegeta took on Omega Shenron. It would’ve been the perfect opportunity to bring back Gotenks, see Gohan tap into his power reserves at last...like yes, Omega was scary-strong but still! So many “should haves” in this series...

All of this said, I still love GT. It really was beautiful in a lot of ways and the ENDING gets me. I didn’t like it when I first saw it but that’s really just because of the issues mentioned above. Goku’s death - his last death - was a bold move and poetic in a lot of ways. It’s kind of bittersweet to imagine a Dragon Ball world that continues in peace instead of constantly falling into danger. It may not hit the nostalgia button like Super but it wasn’t trying to appeal to all of us adult fans. It wanted to be different, it tried to be different and at least in that regard it succeeded.

TL;DR I love GT and it will always hold a special place in my heart.

#dragon ball gt #dragonball gt #son goku #son pan #trunks briefs #dragon ball #dragon ball z #dragon ball super #whispersfromthecrypt

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duhragonball · 3 years

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What version of the Saiyan Tuffle War do you prefer: the Tufflew subjugated the Saiyans or the Saiyans just straight up obliterated the Tuffles

Between the two options, I think I prefer the first one, simply because all the Tuffle characters we've seen have been diabolical villains, and it sort of undermines them as bad guys if the Tuffles were innocent victims in the war. But that's just a personal preference.

I'm not suggesting that the Saiyans were all sweetness and light either. But it seems a little naive to have an advanced civilization just welcome a bunch of Saiyans onto their planet with no ulterior motives.

I say this because most of what we know about the Tuffles is based on Baby's appearances in Dragon Ball GT. Supposedly, Baby was created by the last survivors of the Tuffles, and they "infused" him with the genes of their king, whatever that means. Baby only had two objectives: to take revenge on the Saiyans, and to to convert or destroy all non-Tuffle life forms. And that's... pretty fucked up when you stop and think about it. Baby was such an over-the-top villain in GT that it was easy to just go along with whatever crazy shenanigans he was up to. But he was programmed by the Tuffles, and presumably the Tuffle King was totally on board with this. If he had lived to see Baby Vegeta ruling over the restored Tuffle Planet with the entire population of Earth infected with his nasty mind control eggs, the King would probably be pleased.

And yeah, the Tuffles would want revenge against the Saiyans, but what did Earth ever do to them? Or any of the other planets Baby menaced? You can make the argument that Baby was a doomsday weapon that went beyond the intentions of his creators, but I think he did exactly what the Tuffles wanted him to do.

And that begs the question: If Baby's reign of terror was the last gasp of the dying Tuffle species, then what sort of weird stuff were they up to before? I'll put some thoughts on this under the cut.

First off, I think it's kind of weird how there's not a clear picture of what a Tuffle is exactly. I went looking on the DB Wiki for some pictures and found this Tuffle design by Akira Toriyama.

That design prevailed in DBZ Episode 20, and also in Plan to Eradicate the Saiyans, when King Kai explains how the Tuffles welcomed the Saiyans to settle on their planet when they crashed there in a wrecked spaceship. The implication from Plan is that the Saiyans didn't just show up one day. They were refugees who needed help, and the Tuffles invited them with open arms.

But it's weird how the Tuffles in DBZ #20 are depicted as being much smaller than the Saiyans, but in Plan they're basically to scale with each other. Maybe that's a continuity glitch, and no big deal, but then you have Dr. Lychee, who looks like this:

He starts out as a regular-looking guy, and then he becomes this blue creature who looks a lot like a prototype for Baby. The blue form is supposed to be nothing more than one of the phantoms created by Hatchiyack in the OAV, like the phantom incarnations of Frieza, Turles, Cooler, and Slug. But those phantoms looked the same as the originals. Why does Lychee look so different? Is this a form that Tuffles can naturally assume?

Which brings me to Baby and his "Tuffle Parasites". By the end of his run in GT, Baby basically identified as a Tuffle, rather than a creation of the Tuffles. When he started infecting Earthlings with his eggs, he called them Tuffles too.

Then you've got Kamin and Oren from Super Dragon Ball Heroes. Apparently they're considered "Neo Machine Mutants", which are Tuffles modified become like Baby, for lack of a better explanation. I'm not sure if this was established in the DBGT days or not, but I guess the current lore is that Baby, Oren, and Kamin were natural Tuffles who were augmented into the form we see here.

I guess what I'm driving at here is that the Tuffles seem to have a very broad definition of what a Tuffle is. For them, it seems to be more about a way of thinking and feeling than any particular appearance or body plan. A machine can be a Tuffle. An Earthling infested with a parasite can be a Tuffle. So maybe those miniature humanoids in DBZ #20 were just one more variety of Tuffle.

I get a real transhumanist vibe from the Tuffles, particularly from the notion of archiving their King's DNA into Baby, and the way Dr. Lychee continued to exist as a "Ghost Warrior" after his natural death. Oh, and the Tuffles of Universe 6 augmented Kamin and Oren. That wasn't for revenge, by the way, they just wanted to see if they could do it, and apparently Kamin and Oren were outraged enough by this that they turned on their creators. Throughout the Dragon Ball franchise, the Tuffles are known for their advanced scientific knowledge, and also for making all these freaky creatures.

And maybe they weren't all evil. I wouldn't go that far. But I get the feeling that their leaders welcomed the Saiyans to their world because they saw a potential resource that they could exploit. Maybe they just wanted the Saiyans to pacify the uninhabited parts of their planet, or maybe they though the Saiyans could help them against other enemies. But maybe they saw the Saiyans as potential test subjects for their experiments. Just a thought.

I don't think the Tuffles necessarily subjugated the Saiyans, but it might have been more of a case of rising tensions. They lived in separate parts of the planet, with the Tuffles in the cities and the Saiyans in the wilderness, but the Saiyans grew more numerous, and the Tuffles probably saw that as a threat, and the Saiyans probably started to wonder why they needed the Tuffles at all. A lot of things might have instigated the war, but it wouldn't surprise me if the flashpoint involved Tuffles experimenting on Saiyan prisoners. If something like that came to light, then it would become a matter of survival. The Saiyans would have to wipe out the Tuffles to avoid being "Tuffleized" or worse. And the Tuffles would have to crush the Saiyans in battle to maintain control of the planet. There could be no return to the status quo; it would have to be total war until one side was completely defeated.

Once the war began, it must have taken a long time for the Saiyans to win. King Kai said that the lunar cycle on Planet Plant was eight years, and that each full moon allowed the Saiyans to gain ground in the war. So this implies that it took several full moons to end the war, so the conflict might have lasted decades, or maybe even a century. There might have been a few armistices or truces during that time, as each side would want to try to regroup and get as much momentum as possible before the next full moon. At least, that's how I'm picturing it.

One causus belli that sticks out in my mind is that the Tuffles were apparently a spacefaring people, but the Saiyans couldn't do much in space until they made contact with the Arcosians, and then King Cold's organization. So maybe the Tuffles were purposely keeping the Saiyans confined to Planet Plant, either to prevent them from escaping, or to isolate them from other civilizations. The Saiyans would take this poorly, I'm sure. So that might have a lot to do with it.

To be sure, the Saiyans of this era were real rat bastards, no doubt. I'm sure a lot of Tuffles of the time would make the argument that they were trying to contain the Saiyans as a matter of self-preservation, or even for the good of the greater universe. But I also suspect that the Tuffles aren't just friendly-looking anime folks. Creatures like Baby, Hatchiyack, Kamin, and Oren give us a peek into their more inhuman qualities, qualities that the Saiyans probably knew firsthand. It's possible that King Vegeta thought he was the one doing the universe a favor when he wiped the Tuffles out.

Something else to consider, in Episode of Bardock, we meet the Plantians, who were apparently the original inhabitants of Planet Plant. At some point, they were gone, and the Tuffles were living there instead, and then the Saiyans showed up and wiped out the Tuffles. So what happened to the Plantians? Did they just migrate to another world, leaving Plant empty for the Tuffles to move in? Or did the Tuffles do something to them? Food for thought.

#dragon ball #tuffles #i really ought to write some sort of fanfic about the saiyan-tuffle war #if only to crystallize my thought about it #i thought about using a tuffle villain in luffa but it seemed a little too obvious #like there was a whole war between saiyans and tuffles and that's where that conflict belongs #luffa's not part of that era so it shouldn't be part of her story #it'd make a good nanowrimo project if i ever finish the luffa thing #which... probably won't be for a while

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