#scenes from tonight's episode were gems

[arcade-writing]

IF YOU HAVEN'T WATCHED EPISODE 6 YET - BE CAREFUL, THIS IS INSPIRED BY A SCENE IN IT AND WHILST NOT A DIRECT SPOILER , IM STILL PUTTING THIS HERE AND IF YOU WANT TO STAY COMPLETELY SPOILER FREE THAN PLEASE READ AFTER WATCHING!

Jake canonically fucks. In the comics he's even got a kid. Jake knows how to have good sex and I stand by that

Mi amor

🍋 NSFW

Pairing: Jake lockley X reader (GN)

Warning: spanking, dirty talk in Spanish, rough sex, Car sex - semi public, fingering, mentions of a belly bulge, blow jobs, creampie, crying kink, hickies, slight knife play, he has a big dick, sadistic Dom! Jake

I use a translation app a friend recommended to me, it was one they used to translate English and of course, vise versa when they wanted to translate their language to English. They said it was super useful whilst they were still learning so I'm using it

I'm sorry if there are mistakes

You frowned as the bitter taste of alcohol burned your throat. The cheap stuff most bars sold were always too rough to drink. It's why most only drank to get drunk - not actually enjoy it.

But you preferred finer things. Not to say you were a snob or overly picky. After all you were still ordering drinks despite your complaints. You just liked it when alcohol didn't feel like a challenge to drink. Wanting to spend your night tipsy and free. No one telling you what to do or forcing you away from your free time. Just being able to finally relax.

Though being alone didn't seem to be an option. You'd be a fool not to notice the man in the far corner, watching you like a hawk. You couldn't make out his face due to the distance also the fact the top half of it was covered by his flat cap.

You tried your best to ignore him. He didn't make any moves to approach and you hoped it stayed that way. You really didn't need some weird guy harassing you tonight. Or really, any night.

With one last gulp of your drink you slammed the glass down. Tipping the bartender before you marched to the dance floor. Let the music vibrate from the floor beneath you to your finger tips.

Hands slid up your hips, your back pressed to an unknown back. You watched the hands as they did so. Blocky rings on each hand but they weren't excessive. Nothing luxurious or telling of character. Either plain bands or something chunkier with a fake gem in the middle. Their hands were large with a visible vein.

You looked up to see it was the man who's been watching you. You were far too tipsy to care anymore; letting his hands roam up your chest until they guided your arms out. His lips pressed against your shoulder before descending down one kiss at a time to your knuckles. Repeating the same for your other arm.

You gasped as you were suddenly spun around. Your hand pressed against his chest as he put one hand on your waist. The other kept your hand in a firm grip. The music moving your bodies as you swayed. Feet tapping against the floor in time of the beat. You didn't even realize you were taking your dance around the floor; watching as the people around you cleared the way.

You hooked your leg around his as you were suddenly dipped. His hand on your waist creeped up your back. You took this moment to catch your breath.

"What's your name?"

You were thankful he was so close to you now. You could finally see his face. Finding yourself sinking deep into his brown eyes. The same shade as barch wood. They were clouded and dark; not a single shine to them.

"Ever heard of stranger danger, toots?" He remarked. Smirking as he pulled you back to his chest.

Your dance continued as your hips swish, legs tangling together but never causing a slip up. Each step smooth as if you're rehearsed this all before. Utterly in sync despite never meeting.

"I'd like to know the name of the man who's been watching me all night."

"Forgive me, I couldn't help but admire ya from afar."

His voice was much clearer now. You could hear a thick Spanish accent with a Chicago twang. Before you could think of it any more you were spun. His hand on your lower back the entire time as you twisted on your heels.

His knee was now pressed between your thighs as he leaned against you. Your knuckles brushed his freshly shaven face, his hand still locked with yours. His palms were coarse. You just caught a glimpse of his knuckles; shredded and scarred. As if they were never given time to heal.

"So? What's your name, I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours." You bargained.

He hummed as he thought before he grinned. It was stiff. Wooden on his face. As if he wasn't use to smiling genuinely.

"Jake- Jake lockley and yours?"

You told him your name. Listening to the way it rolled off his tongue as he repeated it to himself.

There was one part of your brain that was still sober. Screaming for you to run. To get as far away as you could. His whole demeanour smelled like danger. It was potent on him. But you couldn't bring yourself to act logically. Not when he was kissing your shoulder, lips brushing against the exposed part of your neck.

A little bit of danger never hurt anyone.

That's what you tell yourself as you let him whisk you away. Stumbling out the back of the bar where you saw a white limousine. Whilst the bar itself was pretty upper class it still felt out of place to see such a facny car.

Like a true gentleman, he opened the door for you. You obviously went in without thought and he followed after you.

The seats were a gorgeous crimson. Soft and lavish yet still a little firm. You pressed down and watched it slowly rise back up. A sigh slipped out of you as you leaned against the chair. You had to admit - they were really comfortable.

Jake pulled out a bag from under an arm rest, sealing it back shut as he offered it to you. With alot of hesitance you reached out and looked inside. It was bread sticks. Just - dozens of bread sticks you'd normally steal from a bad date at a nice restaurant. Where they were freshly baked, still plump with abit of squish. Unlike the rock solid ones at your local restaurants.

They still smelt fresh and were warm against your hands. They looked delicious.

But even with your mind fuzzy you couldn't bring yourself to eat. He was a stranger afterall. You were in his car. Oh god what are you doing? You wanted to smack yourself for ever letting him near you.

Jake plucked one of the rolls from the bag, greedily chewing as he leaned against his chair. Keeping a respectable distance from you as if he was trying to keep you comfortable. You watched him eat without care and finally let out a breath. Taking one for yourself and began to eat.

You always forgot how hungry alcohol made you. All you could focus on was this continues sensation of dehydration you felt, you always skipped having a meal. It's most likely why you're usually the first to get drunk when out with friends. But as you ate more bread you could feel your mind slowly lift from its clouded state. Your mouth fighting off a sudden dryness with your saliva.

He handed you a water bottle and without thought you took it. Chugging it down as you finally felt that hit. You were now sober. Still in a stranger's car and eating an unflattering amount of bread sticks. You glanced down at the cars door and noticed that it was still unlocked. He made no attempt to keep you stuck here.

"Thank you - I wasn't really sure how this was going to go."

"I have many ideas."

That both intrigued you and scared you. Your heart pounding as he slowly moved closer. Taking your hand in his his as he kissed your knuckles. You moved the bag away from your seat as you let him sit next to you. He pulled you towards him as his lips hovered over yours.

"Do me the honours, mi amor?"

Oh god you were down bad for a total stranger. Even with a clear mind you wanted to keep going. You wanted to see what he'd do. He was a mystery you wanted to solve. And the way his voice dripped with desire but still kept his hold on you light. It made your chest go fuzzy.

"Y-yes."

He smirked at that. Taking his place on the floor between your legs. Throwing off his jacket with speed you could only describe as desperate. Undoing only a few buttons to reveal his tanned chest. A golden necklace shimmering against the small lights in the cars ceiling.

Jake was quick to undress you. Leaving you in only your underwear. You were completely vulnerable. Just watching him as he ran his hands up and down your thighs.

"Wait- what about the windows."

"It's two sided."

That should of made you run but you didn't. A new excitement brewing in your gut knowing no one would be able to see you. You thought you were better than this. Smater than this but feeling the cold metal of his rings against your skin? It did something unspeakable to you.

Teeth dig into your thigh making you yelp. It was hard enough to leave a mark but not draw blood. He immediately kissed it to soothe your bruised skin. He sucked on the mark as his hands squeezed your thighs. He continued his pursuit; biting and sucking all over your inner thigh before he did the same to the other.

You were squirming under him. Feeling your own arousal become torturous. He was close yet refuse to satisfy the aching need you felt.

"Please- Jake-"

He looked up at you. Releasing your flesh from his lips; they were shiny from the sloppy kisses he gave. He caressed you as he leaned up. Your noses brushing against each other. His damn hat still on which stopped him from Leaning any closer. Knowing it'll get in the way.

"I can fuck you like you're my lover." He cupped your face, slowly dragging the back of his hand to your chin. You shivered as the rings dug into your cheek.

"Or like you're a hole needing to be filled." He grabbed your chin roughly, forcing you to look up as he towered over you.

Your brain ceased to work. Thighs rubbing as you thought his words over. You really wanted to be a sensible person. Let yourself have something gentle and nice but your body screamed for the latter. You let out a shaky breath as you spread your legs further.

"Fuck me until I can't take it."

Jake let out a growl. Yanking you towards him as he pressed himself against you. You pulled back his hat as he rushed towards your lips. Forcing his tongue in as you let out a gasp. Hungrily devouring your mouth as his lips crashed against yours. You moaned as your tongues swirled. You could taste the brandy he was drinking earlier, it made you grab his head. Wanting to taste more as you kissed him back with furious passion.

He bit your bottom lip causing a small amount of blood to drip. But it only made him kiss you with more force. He groaned as his large hands traveled around your body. Squeezing what he could as he grinded against your clothed sex.

When you two finally parted you were left breathless. Stars sparkled in your ears as you stared at him. You were sure your lips were red and bruised. Jake licked your blood of his lips with a shaky breath. His own excitement growing.

You were suddenly spun around. Your hands gripping the comfy seat as he roughly grabbed at your hips. You jumped as you felt something cold drag along the plump of your ass. You peered over your shoulder to see a small pocket knife. You didn't want to admit how turned on you were right now. Following the blade as it grazed your skin. Leaving light scratches until it reached the edge of your underwear.

You blinked and your underwear was sliced. He pulled them with surprising strength, literally ripping them from your body. Exposing your lower half completely. Your knees buckled as you used the chair as a support. Gripping onto it for dear life as he squeezed your ass.

"Qué culo más bonito." He mumbled to himself. (what a beautiful ass)

A blush rose to your cheeks as you felt his rings dig into your skin. The knife he held still trailing small scratches. Brushing over the sensative part of your inner thigh. You tried not to move, fearing it'll cut you.

You gasped as you jumped in Surprise. A hard smack knocking you from your thoughts as your ass was left stinging. The knife he held was tucked neatly back into his leg strap. You leaned back, wiggling your hips. Silently asking him to do it again.

He happily complied with a coo you couldn't quite understand. Striking you with another slap. This one more aggressive than the last. The force of his palm and the rings made it more painful than you expected but you loved it.

You loved it more than you should. Knowing full well your ass was going to covered in bruises and hand prints by the time he's done with you.

You let out a whine as he massaged the splotchy red marks. He leaned down to give it a curt kiss before he sucked on your lower back. You arched as his fingers just brushed against your entrance. Teasing you before he removed them, you wanted to protest but he pressed his fingers against you. Now wet and covered in his spit, his finger circled around your hole before he shoved a finger in.

Creating a steady pace as he worked you out. Only adding a second finger until he was sure you could take it. It was delicious - he curled his fingers in a 'come here' motion as he thrusted his fingers in. Unable to go down to his knuckles since his rings were in the way but you didn't care. You just felt relieved you finally felt something in you.

He swapped hands. Leaving more harsh smacks against your ass. You were shaking at his point, tears in your eyes as the pain became overwhelming. You clenched around his fingers as you grew more impaitent. Feeling his confined cock against your ass.

"Fuck me-!" You cried out.

"You think you can take this?" He taunted, freeing himself as he smacked it against your hole. It felt heavy.

Curiosity got the better of you as you twisted your head further, it was uncomfortable but you needed to see it. And oh was it a sight to behold. It was slightly darker than the rest of him, thick in girth and had an impressive height. You were no mathematician so you couldn't say what his exact size was but you didn't need to be one to know that it was big.

"I can take it." You tried to sound confident. Your grin strained as he raised a brow at you.

You could see him more clearly now his hat was out of the way. His hair was scruffy, ruining the effort he put in to keep it pushed back. He was devastingly handsome. His brows were dark and thick. The left having a scar splitting it. His jaw was as if it was cut from stone, sharp and perfectly square. His nose was crooked as if he's taken far too many beatings.

He only shook his head. Amused by your persistence. "You want to take it? Go on - see how much you can take in that pretty mouth or yours."

Apart of you wanted to protest. To whine for nor getting what you want but it was too tempting. Your mouth was watering at the mere sight of him.

You turned around, sliding down to the floor as he fell into the nearest seat. You crawled towards him; fixated on his cock as he held it by the base. Watching you with eager eyes as you took your place between his legs. You leaned up, grabbing it and replaced his hand. You trailed kisses up it as it pressed on your cheek. You could feel it twitch in your grasp.

You wrapped your lips around the head of his cock. Sucking on it as your tongue swirled around it. He groaned as he grabbed the back your head, giving you an encouraging nudge. You took in a deep breath through your nose as you slowly sunk deeper. It wasn't long before you could feel it hit the back of your throat. You gagged around it as you bopped your head. He only let out a blissful grunt as he kept your head steady.

You wrapped your hand what you couldn't fit in your Mouth as you hollowed out your cheeks. Trying to fit more. You grinded into your own palm as your head moved faster. Your body was shaking as you held back the urge to move away.

"Eso es, cariño - Puedes soportar más, ¿no? Dijiste que podías aguantar.". (That's right, honey - You can take more, can't you? You said you could take it)

You cried out as he pushed your head further down. Your eyes Rolling back as you could feel him in your throat. Jake had no issue gripping your head tighter as he moved your head to his own pace. You moaned as he fucked your mouth, palming yourself with more vigor as he used you.

He sat up, clutching the roof handle to hold himself up as he thrusted his hips forward. Your fingers digged into his thigh as you let out a choked cry.

"¿Te gusta que te folle la garganta?". (Do you like it when I fuck your throat? )

You nodded as you swallowed around him. He felt himself verge on the edge. Looking down at your tear stained face. Cheeks painted red, brows slightly knitted as you tried to stay focus, tears streaming down your face as you trembled. Mouth full of his cock.

"Fuck-!" It was too much. He pulled your head back, finally letting you breathe. You took in greedy gulps of air as you shuddered. Sniffling as he caressed and patted your head.

You look up at with his watery eyes. Pawing at his thighs as you nuzzled against him.

"Please." Your voice was hoarse. Utterly ruined by his deep thrusts.

To Jake, you were perfection. You looked.more beautiful than any gem in the world. A sight he would never forget.

"I'm gonna ruin you for any other man." He growled out, pulling you up with ease.

Your hands slapped on the cars window. Cheek smooshed against it as he adjusted your hips. The cold window felt heavenly on your sourcing skin. It was a miracle you could even keep yourself propped up, your legs felt like jello. He slid his knees against your thighs to keep you steady. Stretching your plump flesh outwards to get better access to your entrance.

His fat tip pressed against you making you mewl. Sinking deeper and deeper with each thrust. You both let out a moan when he bottomed out. His grip on your hips was painful as he held still. Resisting all his desires as you adjusted to his length. As soon as you felt more comfortable you rolled your hips back. That was all he needed before he was pounding into you.

You didn't have enough strength to try to match his pace. Marveling as he moved your hips for you. Skin slapping against skin filled the car as it creaked. You used your hands to brace your head. Clawing at the edges of the door as you cried out.

"Guess you weren't all talk, after all." He snickered to himself. Absolutely thrilled by the way you felt so snug around him.

You tried to speak but every attempt was cut off by your moans. Your throat burned as you couldn't do anything. Mouth parted, drool trickling down your chin as your eyes rolled back. Completely lost in the overwhelming pleasure as he brutally slammed into you. Hitting your g-spot with ease.

There was a flash of white as you felt yourself twitch. Clenching around him as a scream was ripped out of you. You couldn't even get a breath from your sudden climax, he was still thrusting in. You let out a sob as you gripped his wrist. Whispers of a moan spilled from you as he chased his own release.

"Jake...." You croaked out. Trying to muster your voice. "Inside.... please."

That was all he needed to push him over the edge. Hot thick ropes of white splattering your walls as he slowed down his thrusts. Keeping you flush against him as he groaned.

He fell back into the chair, keeping you glued to him. Any movement felt like fire. Too sensitive to take anymore. Against your more sensible brain you started grinding on his lap. Panting as you left open mouth kisses against his lips.

"Mi amor." He groaned out, placing a hand on your stomach. Feeling the head of his cock against your abdomen. "You're playing a dangerous game."

You leaned against him. Sighing as you finally caught your breath. He nuzzled into your shoulder, planting a kiss on it as he caressed your stomach. You both sat there. Enjoying each others warmth. Where the night was gonna end you weren't too sure. But you didn't care. Just enjoying the after glow.

#moon knight x y/n #moon knight x reader #jake lockley #jake lockely x reader #jake lockley moon knight #moon knight episode 6 #moon knight end credits #moon knight minor spoilers #moon knight jake #moon knight jake lockley #my favourite serial killer

[moonlightperseus]

A BUZZFEED UNSOLVED AU?!?@?!?!? BRO I AM LOOOOOKINGGGGGG 👀👀👀👀👀

but yeah in all seriousness I LOVE their dynamic. in the episode i just watched, they were camping out in a demon infested house and the only thing that kept me from freaking out completely was Shane just laughing at Ryan the entire time I was too busy laughing to be scared lmfao

i opened up my google doc for this au and it is SO short but i am cackling at past me so hard

cisco: we might see a demon tonight

siren: jokes on you I see a demon every time I look in the mirror

and also this gem

cisco: well siren, we could die tonight

siren: you could die tonight

(i genuinely don’t know if that was supposed to be interpreted as siren threatening cisco or if it’s just siren saying she simply wouldn’t get killed by demons/ghosts but either way it’s funny)

also in my notes was like debating if this would be like a no powers au or not bc the concept of it being in a world where they still have powers is potentially funny like if they freak out and start vibe/sonic blasting stuff, esp if siren freaks out about smth and sonic screams and ciscos like “you scared the ghosts away :(“ and sirens like “maybe i just saved your life. and ghosts aren’t real”

also i CANNOT remember what season this episode was in but have you seen the ep where ryan and shane stay in like. a really nice/fancy haunted place and there’s jacuzzi tubs? i crack up just thinking about the cold cut to them in the jacuzzi and disclaimer i Do Not ship ryan and shane bc they are real people with partners and i’m not into that shit but i DO think it would be hillarious if somehow in this au that scene happened with cisco and hartley and siren records a shot on her phone and adds the “two bros, chilling in a hot tub” sound but she edits it to say “none feet apart because they ARE gay” and hartley and cisco are both >:( while sirens >:)

also is that the episode where shane lies on the pentagram in the basement? and the flashlights flicker and ryan loses his shit? an iconic episode

also have you watched any of the true crime yet/do you plan to watch the true crime? it can be a little dark at times depending on the topic they cover but they also cover some. Shenanigans like the D.B. Cooper episode lives in my head rent free. like they say such HILARIOUS shit it’s so funny they had a bit in one episode that i don’t remember the name of but it was about five missing kids (which. sad.) but they had a bit about first responder response times and i think about it all the time (they do NOT hesitate to call out corruption which i also love shane is VERY fuck the system which. mad respect for him)! another good one is the amelia airheart episode

#also the postmortems are good and the hotdaga is both fascinating and tortoruous (to ryan) #abby replies #queen-of-ice494

[alfe5]

Time for another retro revisit. Never intended to make this into a series but might as well, has a nice ring to it. Tonight I just finished rewatching an anime called “Birdy the Mighty: Decode” which upon revising still holds up fantastically. The show was aired from 2008-2009 but I watched it for the first time 7 years ago. Back then, I was still discovering my identity and this show was extremely important to that. Personal bias aside, the animation is great and holds up fairly well. The action scene choreography is stunning, however, the age of the show certainly shows. It is by no means a turn off, but just a heads up for those only interested in visuals. Outside of action scenes, the plot is not out of this world but still extremely good. The main hook of the show is the MCs are living a double life after one accidentally kills the other. They end up sharing a body, one going to school, the other fighting intergalactic crime. The first season focuses on the stress of adapting to this new lifestyle while developing the male MC. The second season delves into the aliens’ culture and develops the female MC. Episodes are light hearted yet deep, dripping with content all in a 20 minute package. The air of mystery kept throughout the series makes you want to find out just as much as the MC’s do. One unexpected I found upon my revisit was just how good season 2 was. When I initially watched the show, I had a hard time grasping the plot. (partly due to watching it late at night.) This time however, I was able to follow along and it kept me hooked the whole time. Granted the twists could be seen from a mile away but it was still and interesting build up toward them that left me satisfied. Another thing that shocked me about season 2 was just how gorey it got. If a character got hurt majorly, they showed it, no dancing around the subject. I really felt a connection between the characters and they were all really well developed other than one or two outliers. I suppose that’s all my brain can manage to gush about for now. If you have any interest, please give this forgotten gem a watch. I promise you won’t regret it.

#transgender #anime and manga #anime review #thoughts #nostalgia

[redflagsandbanners]

someone PLEASE make gifs of Sara in this episode, so many smiles, so much happiness spilling, I will owe you money

#legends of tomorrow #sara lance #the love of my fucking life #scenes from tonight's episode were gems #actual gems #like YES finally they allowed her to be happy #*side eyeing the writers* #they're on thin fucking ice #but this was great

[thiscastielhasflown]

i could be...losing my mind at this point and analyzing any crumb of deancas that i can get a taste of, so let me share this with you all anyway. 

i just watched 6x15 the french mistake (which happens to be my favorite supernatural episode) twice in a row and just noticed something very interesting that i don’t think anyone has talked about (if they have, 100% my bad) and i cannot stop thinking about it. 

preface to this scene: raphael managed to get into the “fake supernatural set” where dean and sam were sent by balthazar who had given them the “key” (a fake one) to all of the weapons in heaven. bathazar shows up and tries to talk raphael out of it and spilling the plan that he had, soon after cas shows up saying, “step away from him, raphael. i have the weapons now. their power is with me...if you don't want to die tonight, back off.” so of course raph backs off and leaves. 

but what i find...questionable is the line that balthazer says right after to cas:

obviously this could be interpreted by having an actual real sword that came with the deal that cas had with balthazar, this plan including in the factor of heaven’s weapons (unless there is another reference to a sword later in the season i really don’t remember so then this analysis could be way off but i don’t care), but i’m going to take the meaning of sword a little less literally in this circumstance. 

do you see how they cut to dean right after balthazar gives that look to cas? 

“now that you have YOUR sword” -- dean is known as “michael’s sword” right, the perfect vessel for michael and not like a physical object? this is something that all angels are aware about, right? and we all know that balthazar has deeper knowledge into the feelings that cas has for dean (“sorry, you have me confused with the other angel. you know, the one in the dirty trench coat who's in love with you”). 

i swear this is balthazar saying in a subtextual way, “there, now you have your dean back in one place, don’t put yourself in a position where you have to die for him” (which, haha gotta love unintentional foreshadowing) in an “under the radar this is an inside joke between the both of us” sort of manner. 

please go watch this scene again, it hits differently now and i hope i’m not the only one who’s noticed this if not this is a gem we’ve been sleeping on. 

#castiel #dean winchester #destiel #deancas #jace is typing...

[benoitblanc]

arwen’s peggysous fic rec list!

all right! i posted that i was thinking about making this a while ago and no one actively said “arwen no please stop,” so here we are! i legitimately have a seven-page google doc full of agent carter fic recs, so it was a TRIAL narrowing this down. that being said, i’ve tried to separate this into four categories: fluff, angst, casefic, and character studies.

onward!

fluff:

sleigh ride by sholio. it’s christmastime, and peggy’s present this year is a sighting of dottie underwood back in new york city. if that involves commandeering a central park sleigh into the subway- well, that’s her business, isn’t it?

reception by glorious_spoon. large quantities of alcohol and spies who are supposed to be keeping secrets don’t mix well in the best of times, but what jack’s just let slip might have a bigger fallout than most.

magnolia lane by eienvine. naturally, wherever the carter-sousa household goes, trouble follows, even to an innocent night of bridge and something called tomato soup cake.

creative uses for avocados by irisdouglasiana. there’s absolutely no way i can summarize this one. get your mind out of whatever gutter the title sent it to and just go read the fic. iris is easily the funniest writer on this list, and everything of theirs is a gem.

slightly darker than rosy beginnings by justanotherghostwriter. jack’s sure peggy and daniel are hiding something from him, which is not a comforting suspicion for a guy who’s recently been shot point-blank to have.

a little something by paeonia. peggy and daniel’s next mission: find a bloody decent cup of tea in this godforsaken country.

angst (happy endings may or may not be included):

three deaths by glorious_spoon. two gunshots and a rebar nearly meant the end for our intrepid heroes. what if they did?

jewels on an empty beach by sholio. if it isn’t a woman who can consume people with black space goo from her fingers, it’s a mysterious would-be assassin and a missing file, isn’t it.

secrets by mayfriend. the agents of the ssr are spies; of course they’ll have secrets. even secrets they’ve been trying to hide from each other... and themselves.

the district sleeps alone tonight by em2mb. thirty years after the falls of fenhoff and frost, shield is in its heyday. their most formidable enemy is a soviet assassin who’s practically a ghost story, and he’s got his sights set on an equally formidable target.

they sent forth men to battle, but no such men return by tolkiengirl. edna, look away, because this one features graphic medical inaccuracies following the rebar incident. i KNOW that taking the object doing the impaling out of an impaled person is bad and significantly speeds up the bleeding. we all know. lindsey allen knew when she wrote the damn episode. I DO NOT CARE.

casefic:

trip wire by sholio. when a mission of the bell company’s goes sour, daniel’s forced to help jack defuse a land mine in new jersey... over the phone from california. which would ordinarily be such a piece of cake anyway, but there’s a slight complication: peggy’s standing on the bomb. this is my emotional support carter fic and i adore it.

renegades by inkdust. this is season three. that’s the best summary i can give. it’s season three with a lead-in, should the author ever choose to follow up on it, to a season four. i’m obsessed with absolutely everything about this fic, though i will admit i only skim through the smuttier scenes. but i’m sure those are as well-written as the rest of it, if that’s your thing. 

of all the delis in manhattan by irisdouglasiana. a chance encounter with one peggy carter at his father’s place of work might be exactly the opportunity daniel’s been looking for... to take down the italian mafia, of course. what were you thinking he’d do?

worth it by yalu. i can’t do a slightly snarky summary for this one either, because there’s a lot of context you need for a summary to even make sense. worth it holds the probably unique position of being a casefic set DURING season 1 that is technically completely canon compliant. it takes place between blitzkrieg button and iron ceiling, and chronicles dooley sending peggy and daniel undercover to a function of one of howard’s old friends.

in the cold november by sholio. peggy, jack, and daniel are called to upstate new york to investigate claims of a sea monster on a local lake. claims that are completely bullshit... right?

peony and thisbe by aurora_australis. peggy doesn’t regret turning down that offer at the new york ssr branch, though she can’t honestly say that the undercover op phillips sent her on instead is a breeze by comparison. and her mysterious new ssr contact is only complicating matters...

returning the favor by truth_renowned. it’s christmastime, and there’s a mysterious gift under the tree. for anyone who doesn’t have an archnemesis itching for revenge, this wouldn’t pose an issue. unfortunately, this is peggy we’re talking about.

character study:

the first language and the last by shuofthewind. you guys. it’s an agent carter his dark materials au. it’s also ABSURDLY beautifully written. it’s everything i’ve ever wanted in a fic. please read this.

time difference like a lifetime by spatialvoid. bad timing has always been their curse.

the lingering remainders by oh_simone. the avengers are in ruins, and tony has no idea what to do without them. fortunately, an old family friend drops by to put things in perspective.

four chances by inkdust. four christmases spawn four very different conversations between two people at very different places in their own lives.

the lucky ones by irisdouglasiana. a new relationship is always full of surprises, some big, some small.

her bones are made of chaos by anextraordinarymuse. maybe daniel has always been fooling himself.

#arwen.text #marvel #agent carter #peggysous #fic recs

[rainbowcaleb]

Rating: General Audiences 770 short and sweet words. Summary:

Essek is shown his guest room and takes in the decor Caleb had created. The 'Shadowhand' walls he tries to keep up come crashing down.

Essek's POV, a missing scene from Episode 133 where we see Essek in his room in the tower. Somewhat spoilers for the episode.

Also written for @essek-week  prompts: Stars and Tower.

Or you can read it below (although the formatting is much nicer on ao3)

  It was a reminder.

Young man.

 A reminder of a century’s worth of differences between them. A century’s worth of sins heavier on Essek’s shoulders. Whatever Caleb has done in his short life could never compare; time wasn’t on his side.

 It was distance.

Young man.

 Essek’s walls had never dropped, but there was a door now, a Caleb sized door. Unlocked, unguarded, and he had let Caleb in. Jester and the others had followed behind once the door was open. Essek never thought he’d find people, or even friends, that he would follow willingly into battle, wanting to risk his own to save their lives.

 But a wall wasn’t a wall if there was a door; it’s a leak, a crack, a weakness. Essek had to reinforce his position, his power, anything to re-steel the boundaries he had so carefully maintained for decades. He had to step back.

 It was affection.

Young man.

 Despite everything, despite himself, Essek liked Caleb. He was an unexpected light in the dark sky of Xhorhas, a beacon of power and hope and friendship that surpassed any magic of the Luxon. Essek could not put these feelings back any more than he could return the beacons that he stole. He had floated down a few inches to catch Caleb’s eyes, to hold his gaze as he spoke to him. And he had wanted nothing more than to reach a shaking hand out to lift Caleb’s chin, to let his palm settle on that freckled cheek, to hold on to the warmth he sought in this fragile moment. But instead Essek clenched his hands under his mantle and simply looked into those blue eyes. Looking, but never touching.

 It was affection, it was affliction.

 Essek continued forward to dinner, the moment with Caleb over, his mind still fretting over decisions not chosen, and anxiety should have swept him into a poor mood. However, it was impossible to hold onto gloom in the bright face of Jester, as soups, stews, and breads, and countless more, flooded across the tablecloth. The Nein were facing potential harm and death, but tonight there was joy, and Essek fed on that as much as he did the bowl of soup in front of him.

 He could have this.

 He could find a place here too.

 Returning to his guest room to trance, the nerves scratched at his door again. He was tempting fate, battling enemies he was unsure of, fighting alongside a shaky mutual trust, trying to walk and talk and act distant from the man he was very surely in love with.

 Essek didn’t know how to keep it all spinning in the air.

 His room was less Zemnian than the rest of the tower; the wood stained darker, the ceilings curved and twisted in arches like the Bastion. Essek unclasped his mantle, the weight of it choking him in his panic, and tossed it haphazardly towards a chair. He turned to stumble towards the bed, trying to catch his breath, but was halted by the sight of the stained glass window in the room.

 It looked like a map at first glance, golden lines looping across each other in intricate patterns. The lines criss-crossed the heavens and earth, tracking paths Essek now recognized. They charted the magic ley lines, much like the statuesque astrolabe on his tower rooftop. A galaxy swirl of purple and blue was set behind them, glittering with gem dust trapped in the glass. Some stars appeared larger than the others, catching his eye, so he stepped closer to investigate. The breath he had just caught was exhaled sharply in a gasp. Little scroll labels trailed under each large star, the names instantly recognizable: The Mighty Nein. Each star, each person, was linked together like a constellation. Essek traced his finger from star to star as they spread across the window, encircling the ley lines and galaxy between them. One, two, three…. and nine. There were nine names.

 Essek’s name amongst them.

 He kept his palm pressed against the glass near his own name, feeling too much at once, overwhelmed beyond being able to put it into words.

Young man.

 He had been so foolish.

 There was still so much he himself had to learn.

 Essek didn’t notice he was crying until the salty taste hit his lips. He didn’t bother wiping it away. No one could see him here, and it had been decades, perhaps more, since he last cried. He relished it, despite the pain and guilt pushing the tears from his eyes. Because he was also crying from something else, from joy and from love.

#essek #essek thelyss #shadowgast #shadowhand essek #critical role #critical role spoilers #a missing scene from this week's episode! Essek's guest room!!! #I may or may not have shed a tear while writing this #essek week #fic #my fic

[ramblingguy54]

SUF’s Double Hitters & Importance

Damn. Just fucking damn. As a dude in my late twenties, who’s seriously passionate about romance, but still has yet to actually get into having any genuine experience with it, this episode seriously hurt to watch. Christ, look at how utterly crushed Steven is here. The animators did a fantastic job in displaying how defeated this kid feels. These two new episodes were so wonderful in exploring Steven’s trauma and how much that has ended up defining his whole existence from the very start. This moment of Steven breaking into tears may honestly be on my top list of heartbreaking scenes from his character arc. He’s looked toward fusion with Connie as his last hope for genuine escape from those years of internal pain, which naturally she turned him down for now because it’s all kinds of unhealthy. Besides the obvious fact that they’re both still too young for such a heavy commitment like marriage, Steven’s not in a right state of mind whatsoever and is impulsively looking for any “be all end all” resolution that will solve all his problems with a 180 heel turn.

Together Forever was intended to be Steven’s breaking point for his emotional issues and by God did it execute that idea to the fullest 100%. All that existential dread is written over Steven’s face when Connie tries to put off studying to help someone who needs a shoulder to cry on and so much more. Rather than make it about himself once more Steven defaults to thinking of her needs instead of confronting the bigger issue in front of himself, which is topped of by this soul crushing look of a fake smile. Seriously, that look is enough to make me cry because I know that expression all too well. That’s the kind of smile signaling someone at their wit’s end, who doesn’t know what else to do anymore, but resort to what he’s been doing since the earlier seasons, being gritting his teeth and staying quiet about it all. He’s a ticking time bomb waiting to go off.    

“I think all these experiences have been subjecting your body to a harmful amount of stress and that’s affecting your ability to respond new forms of stress in a healthy way. You’ve been dealing with genuine threats from such a young age, your body is now responding to smaller threats, as if your life were in danger.”

We all knew Steven’s therapy session was coming and it put the spotlight on, you all guessed it, surrounding his heavy childhood trauma ranging from the Gem War, insecurities about his mother Pink Diamond and how that reflects onto his own self-esteem, and many other iconic unfortunate scenarios earlier in the show, like when he saw Amethyst shape-shifting into Rose to spite Greg for “taking” her away from them all. What a shocker amirite? Seriously though, these new episodes wonderfully delivered on getting to see Steven suffer from not dealing with his emotional baggage properly, due to the environment he grew up in and how that affected him in turn to not further speak up about it, considering Steven was always viewed to be so much more than just another kid. We’re now finally seeing all those consequences boil over from all that crap and I love so much that Future is making a big point to illustrate all this. I can’t begin to describe how happy I am they referenced Storm In The Room here because that episode is another seriously important one in Steven’s PTSD journey of facing himself. I answered an anon ask awhile back mentioning how terrific this episode was for Steven’s characterization, so it’s very nice to see them give a big nod to that moment with him venting in Pink Diamond’s room.

Future is a beyond noteworthy addition to Steven Universe’s original story because it doesn’t just sweep all the previous shit that Steven has endured underneath the rug without looking back on it. SUF’s big vocal point is all about the kid facing his inner demons, which is something I deeply appreciate with how down to Earth the writers are making this additional series in general. Honestly, looking at SUF as simply an additional series is such an understatement in hindsight, given all the important stuff they’re tackling here. When I heard about Future’s announcement before it first started airing, I wasn’t sure how necessary it was going to be overall and could simply be ignored, but nope.

Future’s extremely important for those who want to see Steven face his past and not have it be overlooked, by simply saving the universe from enslavement and especially destruction. Color me impressed by tonight’s new episodes.

#steven universe future #together forever #growing pains #suf #suf spoilers #connie #steven universe #tonight's episodes were just...damn great

[love-sapphirerose]

Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon Episode 21

https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/yashahime-princess-half-demon/episode-21/.170045

I was naïve enough to hope that, after delivering an essentially tolerable half-hour last week, Yashahime might finally be on the upswing. Except I forgot: Yashahime is where hope goes to die. The animation, voice-acting, and direction all still range from mediocre to outright bad; nothing's changed there. In order to truly understand what makes “The Secret of the Rainbow Pearls” so lame, we have to talk about its writing, and that means the return of ~Yashahime Masterpiece Theater~, where I provide a completely accurate, line-by-line breakdown of Yashahime's many flaws! We begin some two-hundred years before the beginning of InuYasha, with Kirinmaru plotting his defeat of the Great Dog Demon…

—Prologue: Wherein We Technically Learn About the Secret of the Rainbow Pearls.—

The Four Perils: Lord Kirinmaru, the Great Dog Demon is ill, which makes right now the perfect time to strike!

Kirinmaru: You idiots! I'm an honorable and soulful villain. I only want to kill the GDD if we're on equal footing! Riku, go deliver these medicines to him, so I can murder him later!

Riku: Kay. [He leaves]

Lady Zero: That damned fool Kirinmaru! If only he'd be willing to murder the GDD while he's down! This is why we haven't taken over the world yet! [Riku returns]

Riku: Yo, so I went to go deliver those meds, but that Great Dog Demon dude is definitely dead.

Lady Zero: What!? No! how cruel, how unjust is this world to take from it such a beloved creature! I simply cannot handle this grief, so I'm going to use my tears on the Shikon Jewel to make these Rainbow Pearls, which are like Infinity Gems, I guess? Point is, I'm not even a demon anymore, except I'll still be immortal and young even hundreds of years from now, so maybe I am a demon still?

Riku: Um.

—End Prologue—

(Why does Lady Zero's entire disposition turn on a dime? Why does it take almost two hundred years for Riku to get ahold of the other Rainbow Pearls? I hope you weren't hoping for answers to any of those questions, because instead the episode takes us to…)

—Act One: Wherein Towa Is Very Bad at Listening to Directions. Again.—

Setsuna: Alright, sis, look. Moroha and I are going off to do…whatever it is we do in our free time. It's the new moon, and you're powerless again. We all know that everything you touch is immediately ruined, so I am begging you. Please. Do not go anywhere. Do not do anything. Just stay inside with Kaede. Got it?

Towa: Yeah, yeah, I got it! Geez. Hey, Kaede, how are—

Kaede:[Unprompted] Have I ever told you about how much you remind me of your mother, Rin? I lived with her for years, and when she disappeared after you were born, it broke my heart.

Towa: You've literally never mentioned any of this to me, even though we've been in Feudal Japan for…I dunno, a while? Anyways, I guess I'm mildly interested in this. What happened? Did she die?

Kaede: I dunno. Probably.

Towa: Huh. Well, what about me reminded you of her?

Kaede: She was…nice?

Towa: Neat. Oh damn, was that the Dream Butterfly!? [Towa immediately runs outside to get into some shenanigans]

Setsuna:[Miles away] Seriously, Towa, what the fu—

—End Act One—

(I don't need to go into any more detail about why it's so ridiculous that it has taken twenty-one episodes for Towa to show even a passing interest in one of the most important story threads that fans have been dying to have resolved, right? That's good, because we haven't even gotten to the next part yet…)

—Act Two: Wherein Things Get Really Dumb. —

Towa: Aw, man, I lost the Dream Butterfly! I guess I'll give up on that again for another season or two. [Enter Riku]

Riku: Hey there girl. Remember me? I'm that sketchy guy who always shows up at suspiciously convenient moments. I got you arrested that one time? I have an inexplicable knowledge of the villains' movements and plans?

Towa: It's tea time! [The episode becomes about these two sharing a romantic tea picnic, for some reason]

Riku:[A few minutes of unbearably cringy flirting later…] So anyway, I'm, like, all about these Rainbow Pearls. You know, the incredible magic artifacts that are lodged in you and your twin sister's eyes? I gotta snatch 'em all!

Towa: Oh yeah. That isn't even a little suspicious! I've honestly never thought about them much. What do they even do when you have them all together?

Riku: Who knows? Your powers would increase, I suppose. Or perhaps a devastating Degenerate Age could begin…[Riku gives a mischievous double-wink]

(Note: That is really Riku's line from the show, straight up. Even the wink.)

Towa: I have no follow up questions for you. At all. Not even one! It's a good thing that I'm out here, vibing with such an obviously trustworthy dude, especially since I don't have any powers tonight!

Totetsu: Surprise! I'm gonna kill you all, you motherfu—

—End Act Two—

(There's a fight scene here, it's nothing special. The only noteworthy thing is that Riku summons some awfully familiar-looking poison miasma bees. Oh, and he takes a bunch of bees to the back to protect Towa, which leads us to the worst part of the whole episode…)

—Act Three: Wherein…You Know What? Just Read It For Yourselves. Trust Me.—

Riku: Agh! Towa, I've got to tell you that I used to work for Kirinmaru, that guy who wants to murder everything you love. Well, I used to work for him, but we both have *separate* schemes for the Rainbow Pearls, so it's been kind of awkward.

Towa: Yeah, yeah. Whatever, sure. Have I told you that I kind of have a crush on you?

Riku: Oh. Well, that's nice and all, but I don't know if you heard— [Setsuna and Moroha conveniently arrive]

Setsuna:Towa, you had one job. How are you so bad at this? Plus, this Riku guy is definitely a creep! He smells like our worst enemy! It's weird!

Towa: I know, isn't it hot?

Moroha: Um. [Riku brutally decapitates Totetsu, leaving his head to gasp and twitch on the ground. It's honestly pretty metal]

Riku: I'm just so good at murdering things. Wowzers!

Towa: You see, so trustworthy! In fact, he's so trustworthy that I'm just going to give him my Silver Pearl!

Moroha: Wait, what!?

Setsuna: That is, without a doubt, the stupidest thing you could possibly do at this moment. What on earth would make you think, even for a second, that—

Towa: Already done, no takebacks! Byeeeeeee!

Riku: Um….Okay? Peace out, then! [Riku dips out]

Setsuna: Was that really okay, handing over your Pearl like that? With those Rainbow Pearls he'll have immense demon power. We can only hope that their rightful owner won't use them for evil… [Towa looks very shocked by this ridiculously obvious point]

Moroha: And wasn't Mr. Riku working with Kirinmaru?

Towa: That's right!? I changed my mind! Give me back my Silver Pearl!!! Riku, wait!

Riku: Haha. No.

—End Episode—

You know what the kicker is? That final exchange up there is taken word-for-word from the dialogue in the final scene. What more is there to say, when Yashahime's actual script becomes virtually indistinguishable from my bitter snark? It's one thing to try and blend some humor into your fantasy adventure story, but it's another thing altogether for the show to make its ostensible lead heroine into such an incompetent joke. This week's Half-Star of Pity comes from the single redeeming moment of the entire episode: Moroha finally got herself a corpse head to sell! Good for you girl! Now go buy yourself a hot meal, a fresh set of clothes, and a one-way ticket out of this show, because Lord knows it isn't doing you any favors.

#anti yashahime #anti hanyo no yashahime #anti sunrise #anti towa #anti moroha

[biird-rot]

⚠️More Spoilers For The Bloopers Video!⚠️

I literally cannot sleep until I make this post.

So, I’m going to go through the scenes one by one and try to predict what might happen in this next episode, and I’m going to analyze the hecc out of these screenshots. I’m also going to try and put them in order as to what I think will happen in the episode.

So, we start off with Thomas opening the door aggressively, clearly pissed off. But about what? Well, he’s all dressed up, and the date clearly says April 13th, AND it’s nighttime outside, so he’s returning from the Wedidng, and something went down because he is NOT happy about it.

Then, like in SvS, he comes marching to his spot in the middle of the room, but he opens up with “What the F*** everybody??” Like he’s mad at something that happened at the Wedding. Something bad obviously went down there, but the question remains: What Happened?

After going on some tangent on whatever sh*t went down at the Wedding, the sides show up as usual to handle the situation. Then, we start getting to visuals for, what I assume to be representations of different situations that occurred at the Wedding. Let’s start with this one, shall we?

Hm. A silhouetted figure...who could this be? An old friend? An enemy? An ex? Not to mention the Pokémon-battle style thing. As someone who plays Pokémon, I approve.

Anyways, back on track. This visual is used as maybe a representation of a rather unpleasant or embarrassing conversation that Thomas had with this person, and it plays out like a Pokémon battle. Like, maybe during this visual, it has representations of phrases and words that were said, and either person takes damage for what was said and how it affects them? Does that make sense? I hope so.

Now, onto our next scene:

Thomas sitting on his Phone playing a game as he said he would in SvS as a distraction “of the fact that he’s still single”. This kind of adds to my theory that maybe the person he runs into is an ex? I’m not sure....but it is a possibility.

Moving on:

Now we have a LOT to unpack here. Let’s start with the fact that it says “World: A-U” up there??

AU typically stands for “Alternate Universe”, so maybe Thomas and Th e Sides are dreaming up a scenario of what would happen if something went different? Or something similar? Because, well, it’s THOMAS we’re talking about here, he wouldn’t just put random things in the episode if it didn’t mean something.

And in the upper right corner, it says “TIME: LIMITED”. So clearly they’re dreaming up an alternate universe/situation of sorts where their time is limited and they need to get somewhere fast....Wait....maybe Thomas tries to go to the Callback? And tried to go back and forth to the Wedding and the Callback? Hm.....

And oh boy...these gems:

I already went over this Patton one, but he’s clearly stressed out about something. My guess is that someone said something that made him upset, so he covers his ears and denies it? Maybe Roman suggested something that was a complete no-go for Patton? After all, this is a confirmed Roman vs Patton episode.

Speaking of Roman:

Our Gay Prince is not very happy. With what? I don’t know, but he’s looking where? You guessed it, in Patton’s direction. And if you watch the full clip, he has his face in his hands before he looks up at Patton. He has this “I’m sorry, but I’m not sorry” frustrated-sad look on his face. Like he said something that upset Patton, but he knows he’s right, and isn’t very sorry about it? Or maybe Patton said something that Toman thinks is complete BS, so he becomes frustrated with him?

Well...that’s all you’re getting out of me for tonight. But hey, that’s just a theory! A Sanders Sides theory! Thanks for reading!

#nightanjel theorizes #sanders sides #thomas sanders #roman sanders #patton sanders #ts theory #ts #ts spoilers #sanders sides theory #ts patton #ts roman #sanders sides toman #sanders sides patton

[honestlyhufflepuff]

Mr. Universe Breakdown

I just had a lot of feelings about tonight’s episodes, so come with me while I attempt to process them.

Ice cream and pie for dinner is great, but you can kind of tell Steven is eating it more for his dad’s sake than his own.

The entire "Dear Old Dad" callback is so sweet, imma cry.

I love how Steven is this nearly adult drool-snoring with his mouth wide open in Greg's van and Greg still looks at him like he's the cutest child ever.

Alright, this expression with that weak laugh was the first hint we get that Steven is not totally into this. He's trying, but it's getting wearing.

Trying on tacky convenience store sunglasses and Greg noping out of the bathroom were peak moments.

Matching icons, anyone??

Greg, you live in a van, how are your standards that high?

Also, I wasn’t expecting Guacola to have a callback. No redemption arc for that abomination of a beverage.

“Dad, you’re rich, you don’t have to steal!”

I love how Steven just immediately assumes his dad is taking him to steal stuff. I’m doing this react on my second watch through, but I immediately knew this was the house Greg grew up in.

There’s a picture of the barn in the hallway! And a “Love Lives Here” sign. Oh no, is that this Universe’s equivalent to “Live, Laugh, Love?” Here I thought Greg avoided his parents because they were toxic or abusive, but it turns out they’re probably just super lame and cramped his style.

“Sorry for breaking into your lovely home. You seem like such nice people, with excellent tastes.”

First watch through, I totally thought this was a sarcastic little teen snark comment. Because come on. This decor is the quintessential representation of dated-grandparent-mild-hoarder-chic. On my second watch through, this seems utterly genuine. This house represents a peaceful, happy, stable life that Steven’s never known, and that he thinks he never will. He has so much longing to take in every single detail, before he even knows the people who live in that house are related to him. I had to take a break after writing that sentence because I got emotional.

He is more than strong enough to forcibly stop his dad from “stealing,” or to demand an explanation from him, but instead he goes off to write an “i’m srry we broke into ur house lol” note. Seems like he wanted a justifiable reason to explore this house.

Steven thinks later in the ep that Greg rejected a perfect life, but why would the parents not open any of Greg’s letters? Do they know about Steven? Do they care? It seems like they would care quite a bit, given that all of Greg’s memories have been preserved throughout the house, and yet no pictures of Steven, which tells me they don’t know about him. It’s not lost on me that Greg uses a PO box so they can’t find him (also because he still lives in a van). Is Greg repeatedly sending them checks so he feels he doesn’t owe them anything, and they are just refusing to cash them? I have so many questions.

Alright, so Steven is SO EXCITED to see Greg’s childhood memories. So excited to see his roots. To see his own connection to his human heritage. And Greg just shuts it down.

Way back in “Gem Harvest,” Greg saw how desperate Steven was to make a relationship with Uncle Andy work. And yet Greg did nothing to expose him to other human relatives.

In his attempt to grant Steven “freedom,” he just bound him and lived through him in a different way than his own parents did. If Steven’s upbringing was really about freedom more than Greg projecting his own issues, then Steven would have been given the option to have grandparents in his life. He would have gotten to decide if he liked meatloaf every Thursday and been given the chance to take road trips to their warm, lived in little house. It is a huge, glaring mistake that Greg never gave Steven that chance, especially after seeing how much he loved Andy.

“Leave that junk behind.”

Greg found the one memory he was looking for, and paid no attention to what Steven was drawn to.

“I get it, Steven. When I was just little Gregory Demayo I was going through the motions. Doing what everybody else wanted.”

And yet that’s exactly what he’s having Steven do. He’s literally having Steven walk in his footsteps to find himself in the same way he did, and he’s so lost in his own nostalgia that he’s not understanding that the reason that path worked for him was because he chose it. Steven’s way of breaking free and finding himself might end up being horribly boring and domestic to Greg, since that was something he never knew growing up.

This song is pretty tight, but Steven is not feeling it. Read the room, Greg. It’s like that “who wants to go a ROAAAAD TRIPPP??” line all over again.

“I don’t need this song, I need what you had...they can’t have been worse than mom’s family. I went half way across the galaxy for them, and THIS was right here??”

PREACH, Steven! He has always been so desperate for family. I’m getting so frustrated with Greg for denying him that choice because of his own hangups with authority figures.

Steven: You’re just like mom!

Greg: You grew up with actual freedom!

Steven: I grew up in a van!

Oh geez, stuff is about to go down. The leak did not prepare me for this moment.

“My problem isn’t that I’m a gem! My problem is that I’m a UNIVERSE!”

And here we see Steven shift from blaming his mom for everything, to blaming his dad for everything. And it’s so cathartic, honestly. It’s hard to be mad at Greg because he’s just so sweet and gentle, and rarely gets angry back at someone even when they are angry at him. And he genuinely loves the crap out of Steven. Even with all that, however, he is not blameless. And Steven has a right to call him out on that.

Scene breakdown: The driver’s side is totally crushed. The impact is enough that Steven was unconscious while Greg pulled him out of the car, and while he called for a tow truck. Think of all the impacts Steven hasn’t been knocked unconscious for, including all those hits from Jasper in the very next episode. If he was a normal human, Steven would have died on impact here. His gem probably was working overtime rapidly healing multiple fractures and internal bleeding in his brain.

And here’s where Steven starts to tune Greg out. I can’t help but see a parallel to when Aquamarine/Bluebird gets so annoyed with Steven’s relentless positivity.

I guess the talent of delivering all those cheesy motivational pep talks came from Greg. You know what, though? Forced positivity is just widening the divide between them at this point. Steven is not in a positive place right now, and he did his best to express why, but instead of owning up to anything Greg is just chalking it up to him “going through a hard time right now.” On the surface he appears sympathetic, but his response is ultimately condescending and invalidating.

And in the background he just talks about eating ice cream for more meals, like that’s going to fix everything. Like Steven didn’t just tell him that was the opposite of what he needed.

Even at this moment Greg never offers to connect him with his human family, when Steven has very clearly stated that’s what he wants.

I never would have thought a simple scene deleting a photo would be so tense. The building music, continuing to make Greg seem further away. The tired, bitter look in Steven’s eyes. This is like a villain origin story wtf.

Steven is slowly running out of people who he feels he can connect with. At the start of SUF it was the gems, and then it was Connie, and now it’s Greg. With that deleted photo he’s decided that Greg is no longer worth confiding in. He’s just another person who won’t listen.

I thought this scene would be the most painful one I saw tonight, until I saw Fragments...

#mr. universe #suf spoilers #su meta #su analysis #su reaction #steven universe

[monsterdoodles]

Thoughts on Steven Universe Future 3/20/2020

Spoilers Ahead

Mr. Universe: I thought it would be a story about Rose that would cause Steven to crash the van. I was wrong. It was Greg and the story of how he got the name Mr. Universe.

Greg in this episode seems to have a teenage/young adult sense of maturity to him. Steven has shared with him his trauma, and Greg doesn’t seem to look deeper into it. He sees that the situation has died down, gives his son some ice cream, and takes him on a road trip, when really it’s stability that Steven needs.

Steven knows he isn’t Rose Quartz, but he hasn’t truly formed who Steven is. I remember Rebecca Sugar discussing this sort of identity issue in regards to Amethyst. She described Rose as a free-spirit hippie from a conservative family who told Amethyst that she could be anything, but never told Amethyst any of the things that she could be. Greg is a lot like Rose in this way.

Seeing Steven Universe in the suburbs looks wrong.

Greg resents his early home life. Apparently there was a restriction/no access to music. We, the audience and Steven, don’t have the complete picture here. Because so far that’s the only unreasonable restriction other than his hair cut (really bodily autonomy is important). Having meatloaf on Thursdays and having a curfew are just part of growing up. He found those things to be too restrictive and left. This lead to him leading a rough but ultimately happy life, which is why he doesn’t want to stifle Steven.

Seeing Steven smile at all the knick knacks, pictures, and potpourri made me feel sad for him. To marvel at this things means that he’s never seen anything like them. We’ve never seen the gems tell Steven to go to bed, and they never wake him up unless it’s for a mission. He often would eat alone, it’s only in this season that they even have a dining room table instead of 3-chair breakfast bar. The curfew, the stable home, school, mathletes, and wrestling, Steven craves all these things.

Steven finds out that their new family name came from a song. This reminds of Lion 4: Straight to Video. That the magical destiny isn’t there. That the name Mr. Universe didn’t have a mystical origin, to Steven at least. This song very obviously spoke deeply to Greg, but Steven already knows about the great big world out there. He has lived it.

In a fit of resentment at his stolen childhood, Steven does what I’ve known about since the first audio leak, he crashes the van.

Greg can’t bring himself to be mad at Steven, it seems. I’m not sure what Steven wanted in that scene next to the wreckage of the van as his dad told him they could go home and everything would be okay. Did he want Greg to be mad? I’m not sure.

Fragments: The episode opens with the audio leak. If you didn’t hear it then, you heard it tonight.

The gems describe his pink mode as outburst. We, the audience and Steven, know that this is a bodily response to stress, and it’s not something he knows how to manage yet. I don’t think he’s ready to tell them everything yet. He’s been through a lot, especially in what amounts to only a few days in these last 3 episodes. His powers let him escape this situation.

He goes to Jasper, because that is the last place the gems would expect him to be. Jasper says that without the diamond authority all she has left is power. She’s in the same place as Steven right now, she doesn’t have much of an identity. All she knows is fighting. Steven wants to train so he can control his powers, Jasper wants to train Steven so he’ll be a more exciting and challenging fight.

Through the course of their training, Steven’s forcefields grow stronger and he seems to master his super speed. He also grows some whiskers, and grows to be the size of Jasper. I suppose all this camping out, fishing, and training is making him feel especially grown up.

Here comes the fight. After working hard (for three days, which is kind of funny), he’s ready for the rematch. She eggs him on. Tells him not to hold back, which he doesn’t. He shatters her.

I think Steven, before the shattering, felt very in control of himself in a way that he hasn’t in a while. His whole life has been at the whim of where the gems needed to be, and the crimes of his mother were all the while looming over his head. I think he was trying to find freedom here. But this was the wrong place to find it.

The gems had been trying to find him. He rushes in, no longer tall and strong looking anymore. Her shattered gem in his hand made me gasp. I wasn’t sure that it was going to go that far. I’m unsure if it would have only taken his tears to heal her or if the other diamond essences were necessary. Either way this does heal her.

I half expected her to be mad that she was brought back, that as a warrior it would have been an honor to die. Instead she bows to Steven’s power. “My diamond,” she says. I think she is seeking a purpose again, someone to serve. Steven is once again compared to his mother, and that is the last thing he wants to hear.

NEXT WEEK

I don’t personally have many predictions. I think homeworld and the diamonds will be heavily featured. I still think that giant monster in the opening is Steven. I don’t see this all having a downer ending. This show has been all about equipping people with the tools to communicate with each other and face real world problems. Steven will get the help he needs in the end.

#steven universe #steven universe future #corrupted steven theory #su spoilers #suf spoilers #j posts about stuff

[yesterdaystommorow]

The moon's just at the perfect spot in the sky, glorious white light bathing everything around. Distant street lamps do little to receive my attention.

// Stars shining bright above you

Night breezes seem to whisper "I love you"

Birds singing in the sycamore tree

Dream a little dream of me//

I notice my playlist playing tunes of yearning and love, completely forgetting the ball I have to attend in an hour. I slide into the electric blue off-shoulder gown laced with flowers, wear white gloves and sapphire rings. Lifting the feathery lace hat adorned with poppies and lillies, I stroll out the bustling street lined by lush green trees which is shifting colours in moonlight and the lamps of hurrying carriages, turning the entire view into an ombré fantasy scene.

The castle is just a few steps away, I walk humming something.

//So this is love mhm mhm//

I see the magnificent shape and twinkling lights of the biggest castle there is.

In the ballroom, the dazzling light of multiple chandeliers hanging from the ceiling and of the hundreds of lamps lit in every direction is blinding. Numerous lights decorating every inch of the castle outside is nothing compared to the room I'm standing in. Had it missed something, the sparkling dresses of women, one or two precious gems in their lockets or bracelets, cuffs and highly polished buttons of men, all made up for it.

There's a song playing that I hardly recognise.

//Oh, dream maker, you heart breaker

Wherever you're goin', I'm goin' your way

Two drifters, off to see the world

There's such a lot of world to see.//

Few pretty women accept the offers of the beaus to dance along to the tunes of a melody only my heart remembers. Others with blood red cheeks approach the men who are blushing twice as much. As the couples sway in each other's arms, maintaining a healthy and unwilling distance, the song ends.

//We're after the same rainbow's end, waitin' 'round the bend

My huckleberry friend, moon river, and me//

They disperse cheating glances at each other, giggling to themselves and smiling furiously. Women bound in tight corsets and flowy skirts reach out to hold the wine glass with the utmost delicacy. Men standing in and around corners, sipping lightly and searching for their love in the crowd.

My eyes have adjusted to the radiance in the room, I look aimlessly surveying those around, beaming and nodding gently to those who come my way, politely dodging the offers trying to wait for somebody I don't even know.

The song starts. And I see a new sparkle in the mass. Those eyes...smaller than the sapphire in my ring twinkle from the opposite end of the room.

// When marimba rhythms start to play

Dance with me, make me sway//

The tension and pull is gravitational, I try to convince myself so. I gulp down my drink and reach out for another when a hand reaches tenderly, almost distant voice saying, "May I?"

My heart goes swoop, swing, bang, flush!

"Holy squirrels!", I stare at him wide- eyed, turning redder than the colour of his lips, the blood in my nerves dancing to beats and rhythms of his aura.

//Like a lazy ocean hugs the shore

Hold me close, sway me more//

The angelic voice repeats, " May I?"

I come out of my episode of random raptures, totally embarrassed, blinking like a cuckoo head, not realising my neck turning at an angle looking in his eyes, furrowing my brows...

" Oh! I'm very sorry, Miss. I didn't know you're waiting for somebody else"

What to appreciate more, the voice that's singing all sorts of music to me or the face that's the most beautiful and bright thing I've seen tonight...in my entire life?

" I am not waiting for anyone. It would be a pleasure to dance with you.", I say aloud keeping, "if I could just stop gawking at you like this", to myself.

//Like a flower bending in the breeze

Bend with me, sway with ease//

My gloved hand touches his, the warmth is immediately reaching my nerves making me go weak in my knees. Tango. That's the dance I want to do...the most sensual dance to the most inviting song with the most desirable man. But we settle for Waltz -

//When we dance you have a way with me

Stay with me, sway with me//

His mouth opened as if to say something but just smiled and touched the curve of my back softly,

// Other dancers may be on the floor

Dear, but my eyes will see only you//

We lock eyes and talk about the universe without words. We share the lives that we've lived million years ago and the future of the nights to come.

He winks, I frown at the suddenness of the action.

He leans in close mumbling, " Forgive me for presuming but I am quite sure you're thinking too much about me". The blush returned when it never left.

//Only you have that magic technique

When we sway I go weak//

He chuckles and embraces me a little too close, " I only said that because I doubted if I were the only one doing that. I wanted the confirmation that we share mutual likeness of each other"

"Well, do we?"

" I would dare myself to affirm that"

I bite my lip and look away to stop myself from giving away Everything by smiling at him in this moment.

//I can hear the sounds of violins

Long before it begins//

Is the song playing just for us? Can others hear it too? Is the song describing their situations as well?

//Make me thrill as only you know how

Sway me smooth, sway me now

When marimba rhythms start to play

Dance with me, make me sway//

He twirls me around with uncontrollable force and pulls me close too quickly. His heart beating like a drum, resonating with mine, as I lift my chin off his chest.

//Like a lazy ocean hugs the shore//

" Hold me close, sway me more", I say in faint voice inaudible to my own ears.

The twinkle in eyes turns new all of sudden, he heard me despite the deafening resounds of our hearts.

We dance indifferent to other presence in the room, the concept of time dissolves, a man nudges my shoulder breaking the moment for us. " Would you mind if I steal your lady for a dance?" The man asks him.

//Stay with me, sway with me//

He lets go off me. Is it too soon to say something...to commit? Maybe it is. I let questions fog my head. The last line I hear before leaving the ballroom goes :

// When I think of home, I see your face.

I know I have to wait

So close, yet so far//

The moon's about to set but it's still dark.

I swayed with a man so handsome, my cheeks burn still. Illuminating white gem now turned yellow, the tips of the nearby trees look golden.

Was it real? Or a playful evil reverie?

My playlist is alive even when my senses are unconscious from the exhausting efforts of trying to tell truth and dream apart.

//Everybody loves somebody sometime

And though my dreams were overdue

Your love made it all worth waiting

For someone like you//

.

#writers on tumblr #creative writing #writing #writers #writeblr #excerpt from a book i'll never write #writblr #writing inspiration #oldsongs #ballroom #old school #romance #romancewriter

[stillebesat]

Breaking Nightmare’s Grip

Detective Conan/Magic Kaito: Kuroba Kaito, Hakuba Saguru Blurb: Struggling to come to grips with how his heist with Nightmare ended, Kaito ends up finding comfort from an unexpected source. (Takes place after the Dark Knight episode.) Fic Type: Hurt/Comfort Overall Fic Warnings: Death Talk, Minor Character Death mention. 

Ao3 Link  FF.Net Link

His hand was cold. Had been cold since Jack Connery had slipped from his grip, taking KID’s white glove with him as he plummeted to the floor below.

Let them go! Let the jewels go and grab my arm with both hands!

I can’t! This is Kenta’s--Kenta’s surgery. 

Kaito flinched, trying and failing to get Connery’s face out of his mind as he slid to the ground outside his bedroom door, pressing his back against the wall as he buried his head into his knees, the mask he’d been desperately trying to hold onto cracking as the weight of it all became too much to bear. Breath hitching, Kaito made no attempt to stop the hot wet trails that streaked down his cheeks. 

“Why?” He whispered into the darkness, his voice cracking.

Why. 

Why hadn’t Nightmare let go of those black opals and grabbed his arm? If he had he wouldn’t---wouldn’t be--

Kaito grimaced, trying and failing to no longer see Connery’s body falling away from his outstretched hand. 

Yet, he couldn’t stop replaying the moment. His mind desperately churning through various options, trying to find a way where it could have ended differently. Where KID could have saved Nightmare. Saved Kenta from having to now live without his father in his life. 

Kaito drew in another shuddering breath, his right hand spasming from the cold, from the phantom feeling of Connery’s fingers slipping out of his. 

There should have been something KID could have done differently. 

But no matter what he’d planned, how many possibilities he’d prepared for. He hadn’t expected Nightmare to end up...dead. 

He shuddered, curling up tighter into a ball. 

With how many times he’d had run ins with his favorite detectives on their cases where people ended up dead, he should be--well not reacting like this. He’d seen dead bodies before. Even talked to the victims before they--died.

He sh-shouldn’t be--

Kaito swallowed, struggling to get air into his burning lungs as his hand only seemed to grow colder. 

He hadn’t watched the life vanish from those people though. Hadn’t seen their last breaths. Hadn’t tried to sa--save---

The baka. 

He could have lived. 

If Connery had only let go of those stupid gems. If only he had thought more about saving his own life rather than--

Warmth.

Kaito jerked, head shooting up as someone’s hand took his own in a firm yet comforting grip. 

He blinked, breath catching in his throat at the shadowy silhouette crouched down in front of him. 

A silhouette he recognized despite his blurry vision. 

A silhouette that shouldn’t be here, in his house.  

“Ha-Hakuba?!” He asked, internally wincing as his voice again cracked. 

Kaito had no reason to be upset right now. Kaito shouldn’t be--be---mourning anyone’s death yet because Kaito has no idea what has happened and now Hakuba was here which meant there had to be some clue that lead Hakuba to him and now the Detective was--

“Shh.” Hakuba squeezed Kaito’s hand between both of his own. “Breathe, Kuroba-kun. I believe you may be going into shock.” 

Shock. Him? Go into shock? Ha. “Y-you sho-shouldn’t--be-be-”

“Here?” 

Kaito jerked his head in a nod, using his free hand to wipe his cheeks as he caught a glimpse of a smile in the faint light coming from the window. The Detective exhaled, shrugging a shoulder. “I’m only here as a…” His fingers twitched against Kaito’s. “As a concerned….friend. Nothing more, Kuroba-kun. So put that particular...worry away from you.” 

That was like telling a bird not to fly. A fish not to swim. A detective to not solve a crime scene. 

And as a friend? Kaito scoffed, fighting to draw the torn pieces of his mask back on. They were hardly friends. “W-worry?” He asked, conscious of how he should be freeing his hand from Hakuba’s grip. Only...it was warm. Warmer than the frozen empty void that had been present there since Connery’s hand had left his. 

Don’t THINK about THAT!

“Ov--Over--??” He drew in a deeper breath, rapidly blinking as he fought to keep eye contact with the Detective. “Why should I be-be worried? Be--because you...bro--broke into my house?” 

He was certain everything had been locked. After all, Kaito had entered from the skylight on the roof after discarding his KID outfit. He doubted the Detective would have taken that route.

Hakuba shifted, giving a slight bow with his head. “My apologies for the intrusion.” He said, simply. Formal as always. “As I said before…I was concerned.” 

Concerned enough to act more like a thief than a detective apparently.

Kaito brushed at his burning eyes, taking a more steady breath. Despite the reason...he was grateful to have someone else here. “Why?” 

Hakuba exhaled. “May I sit?” He asked, not waiting for Kaito’s response before he settled down next to him, hand never leaving his as he leaned against the wall. 

“I didn’t say yes.” Kaito muttered as the detective made himself comfortable.

“I came...because seeing death is never an easy thing.” Hakuba said just as softly. “Especially when the life of another is extinguished right in front of you.” 

“Me?”

“The general usage of you, Kuroba-kun. I am not here to insinuate any potential connections to a certain thief and his activities tonight..” 

Kaito rolled his eyes, hand trembling in Hakuba’s. He didn’t WANT to think about it. Think about how he’d failed. “I think you just did, Hakubaka.” 

“Apologies. Regardless.” He adjusted his grip on Kaito’s. “Tonight the others involved have found sources of comfort. I couldn’t help but feel...that since this---death can’t really be talked about due to certain implications. A certain individual would have no one to go to.”

That was true. With his mother who knew where, Aoko in the dark about his identity as KID and Jii still on vacation in France….he had no one. 

“And in this case...while I am probably not the best source to keep you company due to our...antagonistic history in school and my position as...a detective going after KID...I felt, regardless, that my presence may be of some help to you, even if it is a negative reaction. I felt it would be unwise for yo--ah...well...unwise to be left alone when...when...ah...KID isn’t often exposed to the--darker side of breaking the law, especially when it’s obvious KID tried to prevent--

Kaito tilted his head, studying Hakuba as the detective blabbered on. Nerves? Possibly. This was--well semi out of character for tantei-san. Phone calls before heists were one thing, but having him physically come here to...help?

The detective was right in one aspect though.

Kaito really didn’t want to be alone right now.

He exhaled. Dropping his head back to his knees. If this was a truce. He wasn’t of a mind to break it. Even if this was blurring the line between his ability to deny being KID a bit too much for his liking. 

“Baro, stop talking. It’s fine.” He said interrupting Hakuba as he squeezed his hand tightly. As tight as when he’d been trying to--to save Connery’s life. 

He needed something..someone to keep his hand from feeling the cool void that Nightmare’s presence had left, to keep his thoughts distracted from what had occurred earlier tonight. Even if that someone was Hakubaka. 

Kaito would figure out how to explain this...this break down later. Figure out just how the detective had entered his home. For now though… He took a breath, keeping his voice low as he felt Hakuba relax. “Thanks for coming.”

#Breaking Nightmare's Grip #stillebesat #Detective Conan #Magic Kaito #Kuroba Kaito #Hakuba Saguru #DCMK #Kaito KID #detective #hurt/comfort #death talk tw #minor character death mention tw

[poorreputation]

Undertaker: The Last Ride

When I say I've been waiting years for this, I'm serious. Ever since Undertaker's loss at Wrestlemania 30, and shortly after that the news he would be on the Stone Cold Podcast, I've been eagerly anticipating seeing Mark Calaway speak as himself. Many fans have been hesitant to watch Calaway out of character, worried it would ruin the mystique of the Undertaker, but I've felt for years that the work put into these characters behind the scenes is just as fascinating as the fiction.

I watched episode one soon after it aired, and want to do a rewatch/reaction post before episode two drops tonight. Join me, if you wish.

If you've not seen the episode, a little content warning: there is blood, gore in a surgical setting (very, very graphic, but only there for a couple seconds at a time), needles, and implied injuries, including details of Mark's concussion at WM30.

CHAPTER 1: THE GREATEST FEAR

The series, all five episodes, takes place between 2017 and 2020. Chapter 1 covers Wrestlemania 33, and his match with Roman Reigns, which was intended to be his last.

This is the first time Mark Calaway's really opened up about his work, and himself in general. There's other instances of him being interviewed, even mixing fact and kayfabe, but never on a platform like this, certainly not with WWE.

Mark: You know they call me Santa Clause, now, right? Because I only come out once a year.

Jimmy Hart, being the sweetest: That's all you need to. You look great.

These backstage segments of Calaway with his coworkers are honestly some of the best parts of the episode. A transcript can only do so much justice.

Roman Reigns, upcoming opponent of the Undertaker, signs in at the lobby desk right next to Mark, being a smartass. Screw your camera guy, indeed.

Mark meditates on the struggles of working only once a year, and throughout the episode, chronicles the moments and injuries that make an already challenging schedule nearly impossible. Chasing the dragon that is the perfect match has lead him to a stalemate with himself and his character: if the Undertaker can go out in a match fitting of him at Wrestlemania, Mark Calaway will be happy.

Gah, baby 'Taker at his Survivor Series debut always gets me. No one could've called the run that boy was about to go on. I see other people call this portion of the episode the mythologizing of the character, building him up to be this big deal, and it's so funny to me because I wouldn't be watching if I didn't already think that of him. Like, y'all are just preaching to the choir, at this point. That, and so much that's been said here has been consistent with what Mark's peers have told about him in the past, it just feels like catching people up rather than building an image from scratch.

Say what you will about Vince McMahon (and there's a lot to be said), but there's something special about his comments on Mark Calaway. You rarely get to hear the guy talk candidly as it is, so when he does, you know it's important.

Calaway describing the weight, the prestige of Wrestlemania... and then the sneer he makes after that statement. I ain't a journalist, so I'll freely speculate: 'Mania's for the best of the best, and he just doesn't see himself as deserving to be there, not right now, at least.

Other wrestlers, from Orton to Edge to Batista, talk about what an honor, and mark of trust, it is to work with Undertaker, period. To work with him at Wrestlemania? You've arrived. The implication of what this would, or should, have meant for Roman is clear. It's a wonder if this image that his coworkers built up of him affected Mark's own expectations of himself. I mean, it's more or less spelled out in the episode, and it is the pro wrestling way to go out on your back, losing to someone who can use the rub, but, just throwing it out there, 'Taker had more pressure on him than most. That legacy, 'Mania, and the worry of managing to physically move during a match? It's overwhelming.

For those confused about why working once or twice a year would be so much more difficult than working hundreds of shows in that same time span, Steve Austin sums it up best: the road keeps you calloused and bruised. Ring rust from inactivity, due to being away or rehabbing an injury, gets you both mentally and physically. Knowing Mark's doing this process every year in his 50′s is insane.

During this, Steve plainly states that to go through that, and the many surgeries as Michelle McCool, Mark's wife, mentioned, it makes him a tough son of a bitch. It's an interesting note, considering we start this episode with Mark referring to that toughness as a thing of the past. His perception of himself, and what his peers see, is another fascinating aspect of the documentary.

Calaway talks about how nerve-racking the final workout before 'Mania is. The worry you'll hurt something while trying to train. Later, when other wrestlers talk about how calm, cool and collected 'Taker always seems... it's like they've built him up to be superhuman; Invulnerable to the same things and fears that plague all athletes. They talk about the physical decline, of course, that’s inevitable. But the mental side of things is where the biggest differences are.

Hoo boy, WrestleMania 30, the cause of my first major bout with depression. After that match between Undertaker and Brock Lesnar, not only was I crying and distressed, but there was then the news of Mark Calaway's hospitalization that was the numbing cherry on top. I remember registering how much more important the man's health was, but it was like I couldn't get any more upset. 

After that, I'd read up on so many rumors, that the only new bit of information here in the documentary is about when Mark's being rushed to the ER; how Vince infamously left the arena before 'Mania was over just to make sure Mark was okay, and, in new info, Brock was in the car with him. I cannot stress enough how humanizing that is to hear, especially considering how closely guarded Brock is about his persona, and how the man and the character are often so blended together. Time heals all wounds, but I really appreciated hearing that.

So, the injury for the uninformed: during the match with Brock, 'Taker got concussed. No one knows when it happened, much less Mark, who can't remember anything from after 3:30 PM that afternoon. To say I, and many others, were convinced this was it, he'd retire, would be an understatement. Many people felt he should retire, I did too, at one point. But, I could also tell Calaway wouldn't want to leave on such a note, because frankly, the match sucked. That's what happens when one person gets knocked the fuck out, and the other guy's gotta improvise. The fact 'Taker's going on muscle memory while he's out is nothing short of a miracle.

With WM30 in the books, 'Taker was at a low point, his confidence shot and a lot riding on his match with Bray Wyatt at WrestleMania 31 (or Play Button, if you prefer). Bray himself recalling how nervous he was, but how chill Undertaker appeared, in comparison.

Triple H's pep talk with 'Taker backstage is another gem, and I just love their friendship. I love the raw vulnerability this series is providing, both when it comes to 'Taker, and everyone else around him. I hope it's a constant through the rest of the docuseries.

WM31 was an ego boost, and leads into the superior Brock-Undertaker program in 2015. It's not highlighted as much, but it's fire, and I think allowed Calaway to redeem himself a bit, in his eyes. Not too much, since he didn't retire, but it made fans really start to come back 'round.

Now, I liked WM32 because I got to see it in person, and it was the first time I'd ever seen Undertaker live, so I'm a biased bitch. Anyone signing up to work Hell in a Cell is a ballsy move, and considering how old both 'Taker and Shane McMahon were going into that is no small feat. I liked it, it was a spectacle, and I was sports entertained. There is the implication, between showing clips of WM32 and 'Taker's appearance at the 2017 Royal Rumble, that Calaway wasn't satisfied with how the former turned out. It becomes fully fleshed out he's talking about entering the RR, and feeling intense regret, but that he was also disappointed with the former. Again, if he were happy with it, he'd have retired, but that's again the difference between what the fans see and what the wrestler sees. I, and I imagine roughly 100,000 others, had the time of our lives; Mark Calaway was, and still is, chasing perfection.

With RR 2017, Mark freely admits that he had no business being there. It sounds truly like his thought process in the moment, and not just the regret of how WM33 went down, and that the build for that match began when he and Roman went toe-to-toe at the Rumble.

Back to WM33 weekend. 'Taker's finished up the final workout, and is talking about his place on the upcoming card:

Mark: Regardless of my injuries, regardless of my age, regardless of everything that has happened, if I'm on the card, there's some young guy that's making a lot of the shows through the year, you know, that may not be on that card. So, it's my duty to make sure that it's worth putting me on the card. No one would probably say it to my face if I stunk it up, (but) I would know, and that's one of my biggest fears, and um, is becoming a parody of myself.

This is someone who's also been reading the rumor mill, the comments, general fan reaction. It's neat he's so receptive to fan interaction, and makes me wonder if he's actually been doing this for years, but it's also sad to watch him only see the negative sides. The Undertaker, as a character, wouldn't have worked for so long without innovation, so being open-minded is important. And, I'm all for Mark Calaway doing what he wants with his life, but, for him, will anything, any match, ever be good enough?

It's the night of the Hall of Fame 2017 and we see Mark and Michelle backstage greeting people. We get a shot of Mark saying hi to the likes of the late Bruno Sammartino, inductees Sean Waltman and Kurt Angle, and I just love how dolled up Michelle looks, whereas Mark's just in jeans, a dress shirt and a cap. I love their dynamic, so so much. Also, Mark and Kurt's friendship, that's adorable. One of the good things to happen when I found out about kayfabe was thinking how these characters who normally hate each other on screen, were really besties backstage. It's a thought that still tickles me to this day, and watching that in the episode on several occasions is a joy to behold.

Kurt's talking about 'Taker's role as locker room leader, and Mark mentions how it wasn't ever something he actively pursued, it just happened. Being locker room leader just seems to be yet another thing added to the legend of the Undertaker. Makes a bit more sense why Mark's peers put him on a pedestal.

Wrestlers are talking about how, very early on, Undertaker set the benchmark, the gold standard, of work every night. John Bradshaw Layfield goes on to say, "(Mark) was the yardstick. And if you did well, then pretty much you were in, if not, then you were out, because you knew if you didn't do well, it wasn't the Undertaker's fault." That explains why it hurts so much for 'Taker to not be at his best. I mean, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that out, but it's fascinating to see all of these elements come together. It's also interesting to hear JBL build up 'Taker as the greatest of all time, and then plainly say he's never seen Mark in worse shape than he was heading into WM33.

On a lighter note, it's real funny to hear Mark and Roman talk about the latter's new twins (from 2017) considering he's got another set of twins on the way, now. Just in general, Roman going on about how much he loves talking to Mark about work, but mostly family and to hear the stories Mark's got to tell, you can see how much this match means to him. The prestige of working with 'Taker at any point, let alone 'Mania, he knows this is the highlight of his career. I can't help but respect Roman for that, and couldn't help but feel that way going into WM33. It's a stark difference from how I felt about Brock post-WM30, and I honestly thought I was prepared to watch Undertaker take his rumored loss at this show.

It's the night before 'Mania, and they're doing entrance rehearsals. The stage setup for this show was so cool, guys, it took inspiration from the theme parks that are littered throughout Orlando, and was a beauty to see live, especially when it got dark. And 'Taker's entrance, even in practice, is a spectacle.

Cuts to the day of WrestleMania 33. General nerves are felt, and the start of a very long day begins.

Mark: People say, "All you gotta do is go out there and chokeslam somebody, make your entrance, and everybody's gonna be happy." No. I'm not gonna be happy. Like when I say, and this isn't stupid man pride, or cliche stuff. I'm either gonna go out in a match that's befitting the Undertaker at WrestleMania, or I'm going out on my shield, one way or another.

And there we have it, the subject of this docuseries.

Roman talking about the weight of potentially being the last person to work with the Undertaker, it just makes you feel bad for him things didn't work out quite the way they planned. But, it's as JBL summed up before, no matter the outcome or if it's really 'Taker's last match, this is the biggest night of Roman Reigns' career. I know episode 2 will focus on the aftermath of WM33, and Mark's reaction, and what gets him to come back to wrestling, but I hope they get Roman's take as well. Is he as disappointed as 'Taker? Does he blame himself? Or, did he actually like what they did, flaws and all?

Content warning: they show the botched top rope dive from WM25, the one where 'Taker goes head-first into the mat. It's during the segment where Mark explains how he comes from the era of 'if you can move, you can make it to the ring'. He's okay, and we know he's okay, but it doesn't make it hurt any less to watch. They also mention the time he was severely sick and still worked a match with Big Show, and how he caught on fire in 2010 on the way to the Elimination Chamber match. Like, they actually show him engulfed in flames, then narrate how he went on to work the match. I love you, Undertaker, but JFC.

And now we're at the medical portion of the episode. Warning for needles.

Actual showtime for the match, and even now, 'Taker's entrance gives me chills. That feeling of happiness is indescribable, and is that precious something that never fails to make me smile.

So, everything else in the match is framed as great, brutal, well-done, and then that damn botched tombstone reversal comes up, and it's honestly the hardest thing to watch in the entire episode. I swear, it's the only bad thing in my eyes, and seems to be enough to make 'Taker dissatisfied. Again, I'm biased, with others saying his whole mood was off during the match, and that affected the overall performance, so what do I know? But, I will say this, ending 'Mania on such a grim note will always be a strange choice to me. I get it, if not the main event, where else would you put the Undertaker’s retirement match? Still, it completely changed my perception of the whole night, from riding high to finding myself depressed, once again. And maybe that’s exactly what all those wrestlers, namely Vince McMahon, were talking about. Instead of this being Shawn Michaels going out on a high note, it’s far more dour.

Mark: We'll see what tomorrow brings. 

And with that look, and the fact he's had a match as recently as March/April of this year, he won't be gone for long.

Preview for the next episode contains intense surgical imagery. Just a heads up.

Post-episode thoughts:

I learned very little new information, but that's not the the hook of this series for me. Undertaker's the first character I ever truly loved, long before the likes of Supernatural came into my life. An interesting dynamic is potentially seeing both the Undertaker retire, and Supernatural come to a close, in the same year. I don't find myself mourning either, because I've already been through that. Now, I just want to indulge in behind-the-scenes tales, and watch two of the most influential stories in my life come to a close.

I greatly look forward to Chapter 2 of The Last Ride, and the rest of the episodes to come.

#WWE #Undertaker #Undertaker: The Last Ride #Mark Calaway #documentaries #docuseries #pro wrestling #or if you prefer #sports entertainment #graphic imagery #violence #notes #long post

[darkestwolfx]

Breakdown - Re-Review #16

Sorry for the couple days of silence! So here is the next part of the series and then I’ll be throwing up some more of my March Prompt Series tonight too. I also just wanted to say a massive thank you for the support to this series! Thank you everyone who reads, reblogs and lets me know what you think! You all keep me going.

But for now let’s stick with this gem of an episode.

So today people, is actually Sunday August 15th 2060 - no, I really want you all to imagine this with me let’s forget about the C-virus for a moment (just a moment because this isn’t me saying anything to do down the situation, rather enjoy your next five minute read and then think about it if you wish to) because we’re obviously still standing in 40 years time or IR would serve no purpose! And we are presuming the brothers have planned a surprise party - oohhh... (did anyone else think it seemed a little mean to start with)! And they’ve even managed to end up with a real rescue (I bet the distraction plan otherwise would have involved Gordon and Alan in some way)! And they’ve even stretched so far as to getting him a cake - from Paris, France! So I want to know how Virgil didn’t manage to find said cake, because they had to have picked that up in advance considering the travel time really and to factor in that they couldn’t have accounted for a rescue popping up with such appropriate timing... okay, birthday party issues out of the way- let’s go on!

If you haven’t already sussed it out, this episode is really all about Virgil. Screensaver materials, right here everyone (just doing my pubic duty for the day by pointing that out).

So we start out with everyone ‘forgetting’ Virgil’s birthday and then a rescue being called in.

And so of course, Virgil responds and heads out there to help.

“Thunderbirds go were other tow trucks can’t.”

“It will be a quick one. You’ll be there and back before lunch.”

“It’s beautiful! It looks like a... huge frosted birthday cake.”

“What was that?”

“Nothing.”

And rescues this guy - hooray!

Who said ‘Breakdown’ 6 times in the opening scene (and it’s said about 17 times during the episode in total - so no wonder it’s the episode title).

“We’ll soon have you toasty as a teacake. Hmm... cake.”

And then he goes home, has a lovely birthday party and some great cake! For anyone who doesn’t know me that well and has yet to realise, I Love cake. My best friend now has her own business and that is great, but at the same time, makes me eat loads of cake!

Anyhow, Virgil had a lovely birthday party, all was well, end of review! See you tomorrow :)

Yeah, not what happened (though what we might have liked to happen), as well all know. A birthday party isn’t a rescue and clearly the writers thought we wouldn’t want to watch that - I would have, thank you very much, but hey - so on we go with the rescue, part 2.

So because Virgil is really good at thinking, he realises there is a tunnel and goes down there! I mean, I think this is another one of these ‘red button’ moments... just because you can see one, doesn’t mean you have to press it. Likewise, just because there’s a tunnel...

But it’s his birthday so I won’t criticise!

“Did someone call a tow truck?”

I think Thunderbird Two is a little more sophisticated than that but that was Virgil’s choice in words.

“Perhaps we should change our name to International Breakdown?”

“International Breakdown, we have a situation. Hmm, doesn’t quite have the same ring to it.”

It was a good call to go down there though because he meets Dr Peck (whose also in red - there’s so many red uniforms in this episode). First time I watched this episode, I was like: ‘You’re an idiot man’.

I still feel a little like that, but I really do understand where he was coming from. It was a pretty valid cause to be undertaking something like this, unlike some we know *cough*Lemaire*cough*Fischler*cough*.

“It’s incredibly inconvenient!”

He sounds a bit like them though, but better cause, still I remind myself.

I still think Virgil’s heavy lifting equipment would have caused the ice to crack further after he nearly fell... but that’s not my are of expertise.

“Thunderbird Five, does the big book of saving people say anything about saving someone who doesn’t actually want to be rescued?”

“Does he seem like he’s lost his mind or acting against his will?”

“He’s weird and rude and kinda frustrating.”

“I’m due a little birthday luck.”

That you were Virgil, and that was such a close call. Any later and Thunderbird Two would have fallen down with the ice.

Rescue count: 22

“He’s on his way back.”

“Hooray!”

And then hours still pass before Virgil comes back.

And Doctor Peck (standing up now despite his injury) kindly rings Virgil which was a really nice touch and ends up being the only person to actually wish him happy birthday, which is both yay and aww and I still don’t know which one I’m leaning towards it being for me.

But do you mind ringing him back Virge and asking if he can;

1. jump 40 years into the future

2. Jump out of a fictional tv show and become real

3. Find us a cure?

Because he owes you right?

I’ve had to resort to my birthday collage from my original review, because 5 years later and it is still impossible to find good photos of these scenes. The balloons just gradually giving up over the course of the episode made me chuckle.

Also - anyone else notice the party hats? This is kinda a small image, but go back and watch it if you want to see properly, although you can sorta see it in the image below;

Basically, Scott’s is blue and red, Gordon’s is yellow, Kayo’s is black, Alan’s is red - matching the colours of their Thunderbirds (or in Scott’s case, the ones he pilots/co-pilots). Grandma’s is purple - matching what she wears, and Brains I didn’t quite get to. I wonder if Virgil’s would have been green and John’s orange...

So... on like a final note, I’d also kinda like to have known what was in the presents....

I mean, let’s face it, it probably couldn’t have been worse than Alan’s 21st birthday present in TOS ‘Attack of the Alligators’.

Yeah... that present was no a success...

See alligators (it’s a pygmy alligator pictured), I don’t mind so much, but crocodiles creep me out. I’ve studied them (because Orinoco crocodiles are critically endangered) and I’ve seen a Black Caiman (just think large, like really large for both - so Orinoco’s are the only crocodiles bigger than BC’s in the neotropics).

As a huge dolphin/whale lover, I was heartbroken to see a dead Amazon River Dolphin (also endangered) from the continued impact of BC crocodile’s teeth, and I stayed with a family out there whose son had a run in with one and was lucky to escape with his arm after being pulled under by one. The scar was horrific! If you want any context, these things have the bite force to shatter a turtle shell so... Anyhow enough that relates to my work - if anyone really does want to hear any more about anything above, just let me know and I will post about it.

#Thunderbirds are go #scott tracy #john tracy #vrigil tracy #gordon tracy #alan tracy #jeff tracy #grandma tracy #TOS #TAG #attack of the alligators #Breakdown #Birthday party #August 15th 2060 #Darkestwolfx #ThunderbirdsSpace #Re-Review series #16 #Thomas Brodie-Sangster #Rasmus Hardiker #david menkin #david graham #angel coulby #sandra dickenson #kayvan novak #Lee major #Brains #Kayo #Tin-Tin #MAX