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natashasfilms · 6 months

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Chapter Seven - A Real Rain

Summary: FBI agent Leila faces a profound life change after giving birth to a baby girl, supported by her loving husband. Despite the challenges of motherhood, Leila returns to her role as a dedicated agent a few months later, ready to confront gruesome and haunting cases with the BAU team.

Pairing: BAU!Fem!OC x Male!OC , EVENTUAL Aaron Hotchner x BAU!Fem!OC (Like much later)

Warnings: This story contains mature themes such as sexual content, strong language, violence, mentions of alcohol and drugs, blood, gore, and death. All the usual Criminal Minds stuff. And there is NO CHEATING.

Note 1: I imagine Leila Kade as South Asian but I have decided to let you, the reader, imagine her appearance, hence the reason why I have not given her a face claim. However, her race does not affect the story, whatsoever. You, as the reader, are free to imagine her however you want. If you don't see her as South Asian, then that's fine. It won't affect the storyline. I also imagine the OC!Male as South Asian, but again, it won't affect the storyline.

Note 2: The team will consist of the main cast (Emily, Derek, JJ, Spencer, Penelope, Aaron, and Rossi) but will also include Elle Greenaway and Jason Gideon because they were some of my favorite characters and I wanted to include them with the rest of the team. Basically, Elle and Gideon never leave when Emily and Rossi join.

Note 3: There will be multiple time skips throughout this series. For example, the first chapter will begin on the first season and episode of the show but then there will be a time skip to later episodes (because there are obviously way too many episodes to write this series on and I wanted to include specific episodes that would help the plot of this story). This means that this series will be a slow burn romance but I believe it to be better this way. This will also stray from the actual show a lot, so don't expect it to follow the plot precisely.

Series Masterlist

Season 1, Episode 17

Jasmine's joyful giggles filled the room as Zaid continued to play with her, bouncing her gently on his stomach. Leila lay on her pillow, her eyes heavy with exhaustion, but her heart warmed by the sight of her husband and daughter bonding.

"I don't want to go to work." Leila mumbled, her voice barely audible as she fought the urge to stay in bed.

Zaid turned his attention from their daughter to Leila, his expression softening with understanding. Still holding Jasmine securely, he offered her a gentle smile. "I know, honey." He said. His gaze briefly returned to Jasmine, pride and love evident in his eyes, before he turned back to Leila. "Why don't you take a day off today? Just one day to relax and recharge. It won't hurt, right?"

Leila paused, considering Zaid's suggestion. The thought of a break sounded enticing. The last extended break she'd taken was during her maternity leave, which felt like ages ago. However, all the thoughts washed away when her phone started ringing.

“Never mind.” Zaid sighed.

Leaving her family was the most challenging part. She had deep respect for her job, knowing that catching those sick criminals meant one less murderer on the streets. However, she couldn't help but despise being away from her family for days on end.

Being a mom while also being an FBI agent wasn't the easiest job. Although she had her husband, Jasmine sometimes wouldn't even go to her dad, wanting to be with her mom all the time. Balancing the demands of working tough cases for days straight and then being back at home to take care of her daughter and spend time with her family as a whole took a toll on her mental health. But at least she had Zaid, who helped her in any way he could.

As she prepared to say goodbye, Zaid wrapped his arms around her, drawing her closer to his chest. "You're overworking yourself. You should take a break soon."

She sighed, resting her head on his chest. "I know. I will soon. Maybe after this case."

"Okay, good." He replied, planting a kiss on the top of her head. "I love you."

"I love you, too." Leila said, glancing over his shoulder to see Jasmine lying on the bed. She walked over and sat on the edge, giving her daughter a quick kiss on her forehead. "I love you, Jasmine."

Jasmine squealed with delight, kicking her legs in response to her mom's affection. Zaid joined the baby on the bed, knowing how fussy their daughter could get when her mom had to leave.

On the jet, Leila sat next to Elle, who was playing cards with JJ and Spencer. They were en route to their new case, which involved a serial killer who stabbed knives into the victims' ears, then broke off the handles. Leila put on her glasses and delved into the case file.

“This is not how I planned to spend a few days home in New York.” Elle said, looking carefully at her cards.

“I'd kill for an afternoon at Barneys and dinner at Il Cantinori.” JJ responded.

“I'm looking forward to seeing New York.” Spencer chimed in, shocking everyone on the plane with his response.

Derek raised an eyebrow. “You've never been to New York?”

Spencer shook his head. “We've never had an unsub there.”

Aaron turned to Gideon, overhearing their conversation. “I thought you were going to talk to Reid about taking some vacation time.”

“What's vacation time?” Gideon sarcastically questioned.

“Reid, it's a one-hour flight.” Derek exasperated, still shocked.

“Well, if we have some time, I'll show you around.” JJ smiled reassuringly at Spencer.

“It's a three-hour train ride, man.” Everyone, except Leila, laughed, while Spencer looked flustered.

Leila rubbed her temples, sensing a headache coming on. Zaid was right, she really was overworking herself. She was afraid she might become sick soon.

Elle looked over at her and furrowed her eyebrows. “Hey, you okay?” She whispered, as not to gain attention from the members on the plane. “Do you need anything?”

Leila shook her head, laying her back onto the seat. “I’m fine. Don’t worry about me.”

“It’s kind of my job to worry about you, Leila.” Elle retorted. “I’m here if you need anything.”

Leila looked at her from the corner of her eyes, giving her a tight-lipped smile. “Thanks, Elle.”

Situating herself at the station in New York, her raging headache did not subside even after they landed. Leila took some painkillers in hopes that the headache would go away, but it had yet to kick in.

Someone placed a glass of water in front of her, causing Leila to look up. Aaron sat down in the chair next to her, keeping his usual stoic face present. “Drink it.”

Leila rolled her eyes but complied, bringing the glass to her lips and taking a few sips. “Thanks.” She mumbled, placing it back down and closing her eyes.

“You’re overworking yourself.” Aaron stated, narrowing his eyes at her. “If you need a few days off, just tell me.”

She scoffed, rubbing her eyes. “Aaron, if I needed a day off, I would’ve told you. And I don’t want to leave you guys.”

Locking eyes with her, his stern face didn’t falter. “You’re a vital member of this team but if you need some time away, I understand. You’re an agent who is also a mother to a little girl, so you have priorities outside of work.”

Her face softened at the mention of Jasmine. She put the glass of water down onto the desk, then clasped her hands together to tuck under her chin. “I guess I do need a break.” Aaron was about to speak before she cut him off. “After this case, though. I’m taking a break after we’re done with this case.”

Aaron nodded his head before standing up. He gently offered a comforting touch on her shoulders before walking away.

The team decided to get dinner at a nearby restaurant, not having found any new leads in the case after a long day. Leila’s headache had finally simmered down, allowing her to feel comfortable with working once again.

“So you know there was a big hole in the profile you presented back there.” Aaron told Gideon, as they all began to eat. Leila smelled the delicious food and immediately dove in, feeling starved from the entire day.

JJ looked confused, looking between Aaron and Gideon. “What's the hole?”

“I left out the possibility our UnSub might be a cop.” Gideon answered. Leila looked up at them, her eyes going from one person to the next as she continued to chew her food.

Derek chimed in. “Well, they do know the system. They're definitely overworked and underpaid.”

Aaron nodded his head but his eyes were set on his plate. “They see so much injustice every day they can easily take matters into their own hands.”

Leila swallowed before inputting her own comment. “It would certainly make sense.”

Spencer added his own facts, all while struggling to use the chopsticks. “When someone like our victim is killed, police refer to the murder as a public service murder.”

“You know how many rapists I saw walk during my Sex Crime days?” Elle shook her head, sighing. “And either the victims, they didn't want to press charges, or the juries, they said that she was asking for it. It was enough to make you explode.”

Leila took a napkin to wipe the corner of her mouth, holding it in her hand as she continued to eat. “The system is messed up. It doesn’t make sense how these people can just get away.”

“Well, it's a long way from feeling like that and actually committing murder.” JJ stated. “Don't you think?”

“Oh, not really.” Aaron responded to JJ’s question. At the same time, Spencer asked the waiter for a fork, causing everyone to snicker. Leila grinned, shaking her head at the boy’s actions.

“Did you know that experts credit Confucius with the advent of the chopstick?” Spencer began again with his facts. “He equated knives with acts of aggression.”

Derek laughed, holding the chopsticks up. “You don't know how to use them, do you?”

“It's like trying to forage for dinner with a pair of number two pencils.” Spencer answered and the table burst out laughing.

“Okay, here let me help you.” JJ said, taking Spencer’s chopsticks out of his hands to wrap a rubber band around it.

“Oh, the rubber band trick.” Derek smirked.

“Yeah, the rubber band trick.” JJ smiled.

Derek went back to the initial conversation.“Well, New York City cops do have a lot of pressure on them. Every move they make gets scrutinized.”

“One of the first cases of criminal profiling happened when a New York City cop asked a criminal psychiatrist friend to help with the Mad Bomber case.” Gideon stated.

“The Mad Bomber was a major inspiration for the Unabomber. He eluded cops in New York for 16 years, starting in 1940, but he kept his promise and never set off a single bomb during the Second World War.” Spencer said.

Gideon continued. “Psychiatrist James Brussels, he developed a profile so accurate, he predicted that when they caught the Bomber, he'd be wearing a double-breasted suit and it would be buttoned.”

Elle chuckled, looking around. “You guys, we're here in New York and even when we're not talking about our case, we end up talking about another profiler.” They all mumbled in agreement, while Aaron spoke up.

“You're right.” He turned to look at her. “So, Elle, are you seeing anyone?”

Derek laughed, almost choking on his food. Leila smirked, sipping on her glass of water before she caught Elle’s eye, winking at her. Elle’s face grew red and she looked away, her eyes set on the food on her plate. Derek continued to chuckle even as Elle changed the topic. “Uh, Gideon, why didn't you tell the cops that it might be one of their own?”

“If we're gonna catch the guy, we need all the help the cops can give us.” Gideon answered honestly. “Last thing I wanna do is accuse one of them of murder.” Suddenly, his phone began to ring, which he picked up a second later. “Gideon.”

“How's it going there?” JJ nodded her head towards Spencer, who still seemed to be struggling.

“Awesome.” Spencer said sarcastically. “It's absolutely incredible, 1.3 billion people stay nourished using these things.”

Leila clapped to tease him, grinning. “Yay, Spencer! You’re doing it!” Spencer rolled his eyes but smiled, anyway.

Gideon mumbled something back into the phone before ending the call, his face rid of all the joy that was there only thirty seconds ago. “He just took out a cop-killer.” He said, causing everyone to look up and their smiles to fade.

Leila’s mouth opened before she shut it back closed. She let out a deep breath, losing her appetite altogether. The team quickly finished what they could and paid the bill, leaving the restaurant, and headed back to the PD.

After lots of new information, they were able to locate the unsub who was currently inside the most recent victim’s apartment. Gideon had called them to ensure they were safe, but as soon as he heard a gunshot over the phone, the team quickly rushed to the apartment.

Leila geared up, wearing her bulletproof vest as she, Aaron, and Gideon were ready to enter the building. There were police cars and ambulances surrounding the complex, sirens blazing into the air.

The three held their guns up in front of them as they made it to the door, hearing the unsub screaming at the victim’s wife to shut up. Gideon was the first one to walk inside, with Leila and Aaron following. Leila slowly put a hand in front of the wife, backing her away from the unsub and her husband on the floor.

Gideon tried to calm the unsub down, speaking to him to try and get him to release the gun in his hands. Leila’s gun was still pointed at him. “You’re hearing voices, right?” She asked him, trying to get through to him.

“They always lie.” The unsub, Marvin, said. “If he dies, they'll go away.”

Aaron spoke with his fierce gaze set on him. “What do you think, they won't come back? Waverly, Iowa, 1999. A man kills two boys, only to walk away free and kill another one.”

“Stop.” Marvin mumbled.

Gideon continued. “Haskins, Georgia, last year. Three white guys. Three white guys kill a black teenager, just because. Four witnesses see it, the jury finds them not guilty, just because.”

“The first two boys were 14 years old.” Leila added, noticing that it was working. “The third was only 12.”

“Shut up!”

“It doesn't stop.” Leila kept going. “Diallo, Blake, Simpson, T. Cullen Davis.”

“You can't kill fast enough to keep up.” Gideon finished.

Marvin started to cry. “They killed my parents.”

“I know.” Gideon responded.

“I'm so tired.”

“Marvin, listen to me.” Gideon put his hands up, his gun already on the ground long before. “Why don't you just give me the gun, and I promise you, I will get you a place to rest.”

It was only a few seconds but Marvin put the victim onto the ground, beginning to rise up from the floor to give the gun to Gideon. However, at the last second, Aaron shot him.

Leila silently huffed out a breath, looking at Aaron who slowly lowered his gun. He didn’t look at her but called for the ambulance to come up. They heard the medics rushing inside and began to take away both the victim and the unsub, with the wife by the former’s side.

Leila, Aaron, and Gideon walked out of the building, watching as the ambulance took them away. She pursed her lips as she walked towards Elle, Derek, and Spencer. Aaron walked behind her, but he was extremely quiet.

She didn’t have any words to say. She felt her headache return and she silently winced, rubbing her temples. The loud noises of people conversing and the sirens blasting only made it worse.

She turned around to see Aaron’s gaze on the apartment. She tapped him on the shoulder, making him look at her. “I’m ready for that break.” She declared, crossing her arms. Aaron only nodded, but no words seemed to form.

Returning home, her headache seemed to increase. She grabbed her bag and shoved all of her files inside. Though she was taking a break, she knew that the paperwork would have to get done, somehow.

She exited her office and walked over to Aaron’s, who was sitting at his desk filling out more paperwork. She knocked on his door and he muttered a quiet, “come in.” She walked inside, waiting for him to look up.

“Take a week off.” He told her, knowing how difficult it was for her to balance between work and her personal life. “I don’t want to see you here until next Monday. No offense.”

She shrugged, laughing. “None taken. I don’t think I have the energy to see any of you for the time being, anyway.” She turned around to leave, but stopped. “I think you should take a break soon.”

He furrowed his eyebrows. “I can’t.”

“Why? Just because you’re the Unit Chief?” Leila asked, shaking her head. “Bullshit, Aaron. You tell me that I’m overworking myself? Look at you.”

“I…” Aaron sighed. “It’s not that easy. There’s too much to be done and I feel selfish for taking a break when I know there’s no actual emergency.”

Leila raised an eyebrow. “So, what? Unit Chief’s don’t deserve breaks unless they have an emergency? That is the stupidest thing I’ve heard.” Aaron stayed quiet but his eyes were still on her. “You deserve to be at home with Haley and Jack. Just because you don’t have an emergency doesn’t mean you can’t take a break.”

When he still didn’t say anything, Leila sighed. Her eyes landed on the photo on his desk, a picture with him, Haley, and Jack.

“I’ll see you in a week, Aaron. Think about it.” She said, before leaving his office and closing the door behind her.

#aaron hotchner fluff #revelations series #angst #fluff #criminal minds #aaron hotchner #fanfiction #aaron hotchner fanfiction #criminal minds series #aaron hotchner x bau!reader #aaron hotchner x original female character

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cottoncandysprite · 1 year

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God ok. So I rewatched the season 3 finale right. This was my first rewatch since bingeing the entire show in 2 days with no breaks except sleep last spring so obviously this was my first REAL watch of it that wasn't over emotional and sleep deprived. And I still cried my eyes out.

That finale (and the third season as a whole) is such a perfect piece of television for so many reasons but I'm just gonna be rambling about some of my favorite details for a second so just hang tight

Guillermo interrupting himself at the beginning with "and I deserve it" is SO UNDERRATED I'm obsessed with him

Laszlo draws such a realistic line of putting up a front of apathy even though we as the audience know how close he and Colin got that season. Like obviously he's mourning but it's not cartoonishly obvious that he's lying like we would see from Nadja. He's just unusually quiet.

Colin's pictures being torn out jumpscared me. Not a fun thing to forget about when you aren't emotionally prepared

I miss the Nadja doll. Where was she in season 4 fr

It cuts to Guillermo when Nandor talks about being reminded of how eternal life can be snuffed out in an instant. Camera guys ily

"You're running away from your feelings!" vs. "You're one of the things I need to get away from!" I never forgot about this moment I just can't believe it exists

Do y'all think Viago is gonna be confused when Guillermo shows up as a guest judge on drag race this season

LASZLO HAD A FLING WITH WALT WHITMAN????????? WE ALL JUST FORGOT THAT EXISTED HUH

Guillermo's little grins as he ran around trying to manipulate the house into staying. I love this little shit

Laszlo's speech legit got me choked up. WITH NADJAS THEME IN THE BACKGROUND I LOVE THEM SO MUCH

Ok. Fuck. The fight scene. GOD.

¡¡¡PLANCHA!!!

Wouldn't say Guillermo cheated, fought dirty yes but cheating is a bit of a stretch Nandor. I thought you were a strategist

HOW COME NO ONE TALKS ABOUT GUILLERMO THROWING THE KNIFE BACK ANYMORE. WITH THE "AH AH AH!" THAT WAS COOL AS FUCK I LOVE HIM

"You're just scared of me right now" I mean, that and one other thing probably

I know it's been pointed out on here a million times but I wonder if Guillermo realized that Nandor wanted to share ancestral soil. He must have realized right

NANDOR'S SMILE AFTER GUILLERMO LEAVES IM GONNA BE SICK

"MY NANDO- MASTER" AND WHAT IF I SCREAMED

The hat. Maybe it was packed and that's why Guillermo had such bad luck (/hj)

THEIR PLAYFUL TEASING. UGH. NANDOR IS SOOO BABYGIRL IN THIS EP

Do y'all think NADJA will recognize Guillermo on drag race????????

Catch me literally sobbing at the train station. NANDOR LOOKS SO PATHETIC. YOU CAN SEE THE HEARTBREAK IN HIS EYES. WHILE GUILLERMO CALLS OUT TO HIM. THEYRE IDIOTS AND I HATE IT HERE

The lighting on the scene where Laszlo discovers Baby Colin had no right being that cool

That kinda just devolved into recounting the events of the episode through screaming but like. It stands. That episode. God.

#i may have more coherent thoughts in a second but holy hell #wwdits #wwdits season 3 #nandermo #ramblies

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ordinaryschmuck · 1 year

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What I Thought About “For the Future” from The Owl House

Salutations, random people on the internet who are already skipping past this! I am an Ordinary Schmuck! I write stories and reviews and draw comics and cartoons!

…So, “For the Future” got leaked, like, two weeks ago. And everyone hated that.

Well, the people who were going to pirate the special anyways due to their “legitimate” reasons loved it. But for the fans who wanted to support The Owl House while it was on its last legs? Yeah, needless to say, people were angry.

And the special got leaked for dumb reasons, too! Some dumb-dumb from iTunes accidentally put the episode up early for people to buy and then proceed to spread like wildfire. Because when you make a mistake like that, you need to correct it the SECOND that after it’s been made. Let it linger, and you’ll come to regret it.

Some compared it to the situation with Amphibia and the episode “True Colors,” but I wouldn’t really say it’s THAT bad. There, it was carelessness on Disney’s part to delay the episode SUPER last minute and not warn iTunes to do the same. Here, it genuinely seems like an accident caused by some dumb dipstick not paying attention. It’s one of those situations where NO ONE could have prepared for it, least of all the fans who found out too late that the leak happened and spoilers were already flooding EVERYTHING. Miraculously, I made it through the whole two weeks by only seeing ONE genuine spoiler. I’m honestly amazed by that.

And for those saying they have “legitimate reasons” for pirating the special, there’s no legitimate reason to LEAK it. Doing that is disrespectful for the show and the people who work on it, hurting the viewership and numbers they need to know people liked it. Plus, if you don’t care about that, it ruins the fandom experience, because it leaves fans with no outlet to share theories and thoughts about the special without fear that they’ll lure in anyone ready to spoil everything. I remember when the trailer finally came out, I felt SO hyped yet SO angry because I couldn’t talk about ANY of it. That’s what happens when you leak a special from a series people love.

Now, the question is this: Was it worth it?

Well, no. It’s never worth ANYTHING to screw over a show like this. But was it worth the wait? I mean, despite the quality of the special, it’s always worth waiting to support The Owl House the RIGHT way.

But to humor the dinguses who leaked “For the Future,” let’s dive in and see how good it really is.

*Spoilers below…even though you probably already know everything that happens by now*

WHAT I LIKED

Showing Us What Happened: Off to a great start already!

A part of me, going in, was a little hopeful that the special would begin with Luz and the others coming to the Boiling Isles and learning what happened as they went on. I figured that the expectations of what the Collector would do the second he has the freedom to go nuts would have been too high to live up to, so it'd be for the best...not to show it. With that said, I don't mind that the writers did. It gives us a taste of what's to come while, to my surprise, living up to so many expectations I had. We get to see the damage the Collector causes, what they do to the people on the Isles, and how a few people react to it.

Plus, a few bonus stuff within that.

Lilith Going to Save King: Have I ever mentioned how much I adored Lilith changed since Season One? This woman went from snobby to throwing herself at a literal god to save her nephew. It backfired immediately, but at least she was kind enough to try.

Though, quick note, maybe don't show Lilith getting transformed. Hooty is fine because he never turns back, but if Lilith is going to change back off-screen anyways, you might as well not change her at all. We see a lot of others get spared off-screen, so why NOT make it the same with her? Speaking of which…

The Collector Turning People into Puppets: It's not the worst fate in the world, but it's not the best. Sure, everyone's still alive, and the Collector--THANKFULLY--doesn't torture them. Yet that doesn't change how this is something truly twisted. These people...are not sentient. About anything, really. They're only truly "alive" when the Collector is playing with them, and even then, they're not really all there. They're more like toys, which is pretty much the point. To the Collector, these people are nothing more than playthings to a higher being--Holy s**t, Tinella Nosa really DID call that, huh?

But, yeah, this is a decent way of establishing how the Collector is unlike any threat before. People might not be able to change back unless HE wills it so, meaning that for the characters to win, they need to convince the Collector to turn everything back to normal. Which, judging by how this episode ends...Yeah, good luck with that.

Oh, man, I just referenced something heavy. Time to balance it out with something sweet, STAT!

Eda and Raine’s Moment Together: You'll do.

This moment is short, but through visuals alone, there is SO MUCH that's delivered. There's the elation that they're both alive, Raine's worry (and maybe regret) for Eda now missing an arm, Raine already knowing and accepting that Eda's gotta go save King, and Raine being amazed (and possibly a little aroused) by the sight of Eda as a harpy. It's honestly everything I could have asked for and more, given that it's a perfect scene where the music and facial expressions say so much that words can't. What more can I say about it, really? Nearly two minutes in, this special got me hooked.

There’s Someone or Something in the In Between: And nearly three minutes in, and the special has got me INTRIGUED.

I'm honestly surprised how I almost forgot about that...person? Thing? Whatever they are/it is, I forgot about them because SO MUCH happens in this special that it nearly slipped my mind. And I truly hope the same won't be for the writers because I WANT to know what the deal is with this thing. Because from what we can tell, they're...trapped? Looks like it. It even looks like they were trying to get Luz's attention for help. I'm not sure what's going on, but that's what's fun about it. Not knowing something and wanting to figure out what it means is the basic, bare-bones necessity regarding storytelling. As long as we eventually get a satisfying answer, I don't mind being left in the dark for now. As long as, again, we DO get an answer. But I'm not worried about never getting one. These writers are pretty good at making one connective narrative this season.

Hunter’s Anger: For instance, this. Hunter's rage over wanting to kill Belos is not only justified in every conceivable way, but it also functions to make "For the Future" the direct carry-over from "Thanks to Them." Now, that's to be expected, but I'm glad that, even though Hunter's NOT the main character of this story, the writers didn't forget or gloss over what happened. The poor boy lost his best friend, who was the first thing ever to give Hunter any sense of true joy. I would honestly question a few things if he didn't act even the tiniest bit bloodthirsty. So, I'm glad the writers gave Hunter time to process his pain and anger rather than making him stoic or emotionless throughout "For the Future." I honestly thought they were going for the ladder, so I'm more than grateful to be wrong for once.

Luz Still Choosing to Stay Back in the Human Realm: Just as I'm grateful that THIS carried over too.

Luz's problems from "Thanks to Them" weren't fully addressed, so it's great that a good chunk of "For the Future" is about her learning to let go of her guilt. Even better, it's Camila who's the one to do it. I'll talk about their big scene together later, don't worry. But for now, I want to gush over how perfect it is that Camila's the one in the main cast who's trying to help Luz with her problem. The woman went from begging Luz to stay in the Human Ream to accepting that Luz would want to remain in the Boiling Isles. And not wanting to have Luz make a mistake she'd probably regret for the rest of her life, losing the close friends and family she's made there, Camila does all she can to make Luz feel better about herself. What's more spectacular about this is that Camila doesn't reveal Luz's turmoil to her friends. A.) It would put more strain on them than they already need. B.)It's not her place to. She respects Luz's privacy, and even when asking for help, she does nothing more than imply what's wrong. She wants to fix this herself because, well, she's a mom. Moms help their babies when they need it the most. And...dang it, if I didn't love Camila already, I love her even MORE now! It's so good!

Camila’s Hungry for Vengeance: Same thing with this. I’m right there with you, Gus. I’d PAY to see Camila beat the snot out of Belos with her bat.

Camila Trying to be Supportive: Emphasis on trying. Camila's still freaked out by pretty much everything around her and has a MILLION more questions every time she's greeted by something new or strange, but for Luz's sake, Camila does her best to be supportive. It's more evidence of why Camila's such a great mom. She might not fully get what to love about the Boiling Isles, but she tries. She tries than actual irredeemable monsters that cause true pain to their family. Speaking of...

Belos: Oh, I'll get to what this f**ker does soon enough, don't worry. But first, I want to discuss how much I liked what the writers did with Belos in this special. The fact that he's haunted by the sins of his past and completely ignores them says pretty much everything you need to know about Belos. He doesn't care about these spirits trying to guilt him. If anything, he gets angry, standing firm that he has nothing to be ashamed of, and there's nothing some random spirits will change about that. Nor does he care about life. He has these backup grimwalkers that are all nothing more than flesh puppets to him. These things can be people of their own, and Belos uses them to further his life and finish his misguided agenda. This man is bitter evil to the end, and I'm all for that. I like irredeemable villains.

Plus, I adore that despite the Collector being the primary threat this season, Belos is still the main antagonist. The dingleberry manipulates the situation to his desires, only now he's using the Collector as his latest tool. I am totally one-hundred percent on board with this decision because while the Collector is a decent threat, Belos makes more thematic sense as the show's big bad. His ideals go against everything the series stands for, about freedom, acceptance, and that it's ok to be whoever you want to be. He takes away and perverse so much of that, and it's all a part of why he's the best villain Disney's had in a while.

...Felt weird praising a scumbag like him for so long. Let's talk about a character that's actually a good person.

Willow Trying to Keep a Happy Face: I did NOT expect Willow to get as much attention as she did. Surprisingly, she manages to have the most engaging sub-plot in the special to me. Speaking as someone who tries their best to be upbeat despite tragedy, wanting to bring good vibes despite the current heartache, I can confirm it's not a healthy mindset to have at times. It's noble to lift spirits up, but it's for your own good to admit that...you're not feeling good. It makes me grateful for Willow's subplot, not only because of its great lesson but because it offers us so much more insight into her character than Seasons One and Two combined. Don't look at me like that. You know it's true. We all know that Willow's a kind person, but seeing how much that kindness puts a strain on her makes for something relatable and engaging to a lot of people.

It's also neat how her story connects with Hunter's. Willow wants to help cheer up Hunter, and Hunter wants to reassure Willow that he IS happy because he has her. It's truly sweet stuff while adding more fuel to the fire with this ship.

But as cute as they are, they ain't the OTP.

Luz and Amity Talking About Palismens: Such a sweet moment between these two!

The backstory behind how Amity got Ghost doesn't offer much that we already didn't know, but it is sweet that she says it to help cheer Luz up. After Luz helped Amity out of her goth phase, she's doing the same, offering the same amount of kindness Luz has been delivering for years. It's...perfect, to be honest, as it shows how much these two will always balance each other out when one is more in the dumps than the other. I love it, and weirdly enough, I love the pain I felt when Luz moved away when Amity kissed her head. Because Luz is so dead set on leaving at this point, she's already trying to create distance between herself and Amity. It hurts to see but in the best way possible...but that DOES mean I could use a little sweetness. Let's double back a bit and discuss a pair that ISN'T romantic (unless you ask my buddy @l-egionaire).

Gus and Willow’s Little Moment: We REALLY needed more scenes like this with these two. We get a story about Willow cheering Gus up when he had a bad day. Through this, we REALLY get a good sense of their bond and why they make good friends (again, unless you ask @l-egionaire). They're...screw-ups who, a lot of the time, rely on each other to get out of their darkest days. Moreso with Gus than Willow because she's basically the older sister he never had (@l-egionaire, I'm sorry. I know it must be killing you to have me say that). It's genuinely adorable, and it's great that we at least got ONE scene this season about these two cute kiddies.

And while on the topic of cute kids…

The Collector: ...What? They're surprisingly adorable.

I might have said it before, but I adore how the writers make the Collector a kid. A kid that can kill us all if he wants, but still a kid. To the Collector, they don't really understand that what he's doing is wrong. It's all a game of pretend where they're a hero surrounded by friends who love him. It's very much NOT the case, but...Ok, do you know how a five-year-old would go out and mess with ants? It's like that. To the ants, it's f**ked up that this gigantic, unstoppable creature is killing them without mercy, but to the kid, they don't really see what's wrong with what they're doing. It's not like they're hurting a person. They're just hurting something small and insignificant. Well, to THEM at least.

It's why I can't really say the Collector is evil or even a villain. Not anymore, at least. I mean, would YOU call your kid evil for messing with something they shouldn't? Or would you say they're misguided and needs to learn what's good or bad? I'd say that describes the Collector perfectly, and I'm not the only one who thinks that.

King Guiding the Collector: A pretty smart move from a writer's standpoint. The Collector, in many ways, is a lot like King. At least, King if he didn't have Luz and Eda checking his ego every ten minutes. It's why King understands the Collector better than others: King KNOWS what it's like to be a kid. Since, well, he IS a kid. King's just one that was raised better and was given more of a moral conscience. So, not only does King try his best to lay boundaries for the Collector, but he's doing some ego-checking too. It's clearly exhausting, as the Collector doesn't easily take no for an answer, but it's something that still, albeit slowly, works. It's why I have no problems with King saying they can reason with the Collector. Mixed in with the understanding and the effort he made in reasoning with them, it makes sense.

Plus, how can you hate a kid who finds the perfect karmic justice for two old broads?

Odalia and Terra’s Roles: Both of these ladies deserved worse. Especially Odalia (I'LL GET TO THAT!). With that said, these are perfectly serviceable punishments. These are two women who hate children just as much as they hate receiving orders. So to have them forced to do everything a child says less they want to be destroyed is a great idea, even if I wish they suffered just a bit more. Because, you know, they deserve it for being such easy-to-hate characters...And since I've brought that up...

Matt: THANK FRICK THAT I DON'T HAVE TO CALL HIM MATTHOLOMULE ANYMORE! My spellcheck thanks you, writers!

Anyways--HOW DID I GO FROM HATING THIS STINK WEASEL TO LOVING HIM?! I'm not kidding. The kid's so...funny! He's a funny character whose false confidence and huge ego make for some good laughs! That was very much NOT the case in his introduction, what with him being, as I've said, a stink weasel, but the writers managed to make it work this time. Mainly because they actually wrote him to be a decent human being...You know what I mean.

A character like Matt works better when he's on the side of good. Use that ego and false confidence for someone that's a bit of a dick, and you're going to make a character that people will hate very effortlessly. That can be fine, as a character that people love to hate can be as enjoyable as one that we love to...love, but you got to do it carefully. Make them too despicable, then they're just going to be more annoying than funny, which was definitely the case for Matt in the beginning. And if you don't make them despicable enough, they'll be funny, but they're practically on their way to being one of the good guys anyways, so you might as well follow through on it. So, making Matt a good guy works better for the character and the audience. But that's just one Hexside student. How's the rest going?

New Hexside: Turns out pretty funny.

Now, initially, not at all. We quickly learned how Hexside reacted to the Day of Unity and the Collector's domination, and it really gets to me how real their reactions are. The fear and panic felt prevalent, and you feel bad for these poor kids as they're forced to witness the end of the world, helpless to stop it.

But after that delicious drama, it's not too long until the jokes come flooding back as we witness what happens when children are left in charge of a school for a few months. The results are exactly what one would expect, with everything being a beautiful series of chaos. The kindergartners are savages, kids eating paperclips, and the students raise a radical statue in Principal Bump's honor that wildly misrepresents him (although that underrated character very much does deserve a statue). It's all pretty good stuff that succeeded in getting a laugh out of me. But some things can be both funny AND heartwarming.

Amity Reuniting with Ed and Em: Like THIS little family reunion that I had hoped to see for MONTHS.

First, you get a touch of something heartwarming as Amity tearfully hugs her brother and sister, with Emira being the one to spin Amity around in an adorable display of affection. And then you have Ed...who runs at Amity in a full body cast, screams in pain as he forces his arms to bend to hug her, and reveals that he's like this because he fell in a well. This boy is the best kind of stupid, and I appreciate every bit of it. I have not laughed this hard with the show in...forever, so believe me when I say that I love this scene for that.

But that's enough wholesomeness and hilarity. Let's get to the ominous and...anxiety building.

The Collector’s Book: This is probably the closest we're going to get to any backstory or explanation of what the Collector is, so, you know...Appreciate it for what it does.

And as interesting as it all is, the lines that the Collector crosses out...gives me fear:

"But should they meddle in our affairs, we'll clean the planet and scorch the air."

Considering how this special ends, I am very much not looking forward to figuring out what THAT means.

I changed my mind. Can we go back to New Hexside? Things are fun there.

Boscha: ...Is it too late to change my mind on changing my mind? It is? Ok...

So, Boscha...I kind of like what they're trying to do with her. Would the special have benefitted by cutting her out? Maybe, but we get more out of Boscha here than the entire series. Now, I'm one of the few people who never cared that she didn't get any development. She was a static character that made for the perfect antithesis to Amity and rival to Willow. But that doesn't mean I'm against the writers trying something, and they...sure did try something. And that's making Boscha go bat-s**t insane without Amity. Ever heard of codependency? Because that's what Boscha's going through. She is so reliant on having relationships and people being with her that being forced to work on her own drives the girl to near insanity. It's why Boscha was willing to team up with the first little psycho she met. If the alternative was to be alone, then it's better to work for a lesser cause than a just one. At least, that seems to be the logic Boscha operates on, and to be perfectly honest, it makes me wish we had time for one more episode to dive deep into this idea with Boscha. What we get is a taste, and a dang good one at that, making it a little disappointing that we'll never explore this side of her again. As is, it's...fine. I like what the writers wer going for, but I just don't LOVE it. It's one of those ideas that would have benefited with more time, especially if the writers were going to force redemption out of her. And you want to know what else would have benefited from more time?

Eda, King, and Lilith’s Subplot: If "For the Future" was just ten minutes longer, I would REALLY adore everything about this little section of it. As is...Well, there's still a lot to love.

I love that Eda and King are still together. I genuinely didn't expect them to be this close this soon, but I'm not complaining. Eda and King sticking together despite this awful situation is something that all I'm here for, and I do adore that out of everyone in the Isles, it's these two that manage to live safely while under the nose of a god who has the potential to destroy everything with a temper tantrum.

I love that Eda's still keeping good spirits despite how dire things have become. She's joking around and taking the same risks she would take on any occasion. She even risks a lot by coming out to talk to Raine, which is just all kinds of bittersweet and absolutely in character for Eda.

And I LOVE that Eda's still cursed. I honestly thought the Collector would take the Owlbeast out of her, but no. She still has to deal with it, and Lilith is the one helping Eda brew potions, which is another little detail I can't help but admire. After causing her sister to deal with years of torture thanks to the curse, Lilith is paying things forward by making the potion Eda needs to stay normal, and it's great. Everything about this is great...My only complaint is that I wish this special was longer.

So much of what happens with Eda, King, and Lilith happens off-screen. Stuff like Lilith changing back, them all finding themselves in this comfortable situation, and researching how to beat the Collector are essential things for the story, and we don't get to see it happen. They don't show that stuff as a way to cut corners with a season with so much to do and little time to do it, and I can understand that. It's why I don't really HATE this for what it is. I just know that this section of the special would be a lot better if we saw more.

Ok, that’s a lot more negativity than usual in the LIKES section. Let’s go for more positivity.

The Return of the Memory Tweezers: I always love it when a series nears its end, it brings back something established in a previous episode. Especially a good one.

And that's what this is: A great callback that has plot relevance. Luz needs to remember something she's seen only once, so they might as well bring out the thing that gives a perfect memory...Let's hope none of the photos get destroyed. Luz has enough problems as it is. Being brainless isn't one of them.

And as much as I want to keep this positivity going…it’s time to get into it…

Belos Taking Over Raine’s Body: Does Dana Terrace hate Raine Whispers or something? Why does she take joy in letting them suffer?!

Once I saw Belos loom over Odalia and the other puppets, I felt so excited. FINALLY, that woman is going to get some real punishment for being the big b-word that she is! And then Belos jumped into Raine...and all that excitement turned into despair.

Odalia was RIGHT THERE! She would have made for a PERFECT meat puppet! Look at this:

That's some quality meat right there...That might be the most risque joke I've made when talking about this show...Ah well.

Anyways, as much as I do not like this, I can't say I hate it. Well, I DO hate it, but that's why I love it. I'm SUPPOSED to hate that Belos did this to Raine, just as I'm supposed to dread the gut wrench of a reunion when Eda finally clues into what happens...Yeah, not looking forward to that.

Can we go back to being positive?

Gus Knew Hunter was a Grimwalker: Oh, yeah. That'll do.

Fans called this one, but it's still pretty cool to have it confirmed. It kind of recontextualizes how Gus tried to cheer Hunter up with Cosmic Frontier. He gave Hunter something to connect with that also happens to help with his inner turmoil. It's pretty powerful, and it's reason #456 of why I love The Owl House: Future episodes make previous ones better now that you know what's going to happen.

There. That was pretty positive. Can we keep the positivity going?

Kikimora: No? Ok…

So, a LOT of people do not like Kikimora. She might be the most hated character in the series if Odalia Blight didn't exist (SHE WAS RIGHT THERE!). With that said...I love Kiki. She's such a chaotic little gremlin that I can't help but adore her antics. Take what she does in this special, for example. Her current grand plan is to be the queen of teenagers. It's so petty and ridiculous that I can't help but love it. If you hate her, I can't stop you. But I can't physically hate someone this chaotic.

Also, Kikimora is pretty adorable when not wearing a cone of shame. And Camila calling Kiki a little red kitten is the best. Man, I love Camila.

Camila and Luz’s Talk: I REALLY love Camila. I might even be IN love with her?

Can you be in love with a fictional character?

Never mind, I just heard what I asked. Let's, uh...pretend I didn't ask that and move on.

Joking aside...this scene is magical. Camila is far from a perfect woman or mother. She admits to that here and now, acknowledging her mistakes, apologizing for them, and promises to do better. It might not make her perfect, but it IS what makes Camila the best cartoon mom to me. She's a woman who tries her damnedest and owns up to mistakes she's made rather than deny that she's made any, like a wannabee meat puppet that I know (SHE WAS RIGHT THERE!). If there's any mother you want to aspire to be, it's, without a doubt, Camila. A woman who shows love when it matters the most, even if there were a few mistakes along the way. I appreciate her for what she is, and you'd better believe Luz does too.

Luz Wanted to be Understood: In "Hunting Palismen," Luz is asked a question: What does she want to be? That question never got answered, and after so many twists and turns, I forgot that was an issue for Luz. So, to have "For the Future" bring it back and finally answer what Luz wants to be. And I am blown away by that answer.

It's an obvious one, in hindsight. In the first episode, it's apparent that Luz's problem is that no one understands her. Not her teachers, classmates, or even her mother. So to have this moment of realizing how it feels to be understood by Camila, to have someone say, "I know how much it hurts to be you," it's an epiphany that Luz didn't know she needed. And the look on her face, mixed with the beautiful colors, makes for an image that gives me goosebumps for the pure joy I felt. And the joy keeps on coming. + Palisman

Luz Gets Her Staff: And she's frickin' happy about it!

GENUINELY happy! In "Thanks to Them," every time Luz smiled, it NEVER reached her eyes. You always saw the sadness she tried her hardest to fight. But here? Luz is grinning ear to ear and being her old goofy self again. And it is EUPHORIC to see my poor girl be the Luz I remember. I don't mind a main character going through an emo phase, just as long as it's just a phase. Funny enough, I prefer my favorite characters to be happy, not miserable.

Hunter’s Powers: The same goes for Hunter. The boy's a SUPERHERO! A lot of us predicted that he'd still do that dash thing with Flapjack inside him, but seeing it is a whole different thing together! Again, I love seeing my favs happy, even if there's a bittersweetness to Hunter's new joy.

But the positivity train doesn’t end there…

Stringbean: I LOVE HER ALREADY!

Stringbean is the cutest little bugger ever, and the fact that she shapeshifts is amazing. As far as we know, no other palisman can do this, making her the most unique one to ever exist. And that's perfect because a unique witch like Luz deserves a palisman that's as original as her. Plus, the others guessing what she might be is a great shout out to fans making the EXACT same theories.

Man, what a perfect, hopeful end to such a great--

Collector Wants to Play a New Game: MOTHER F**KER!

Yeah, believe it or not, the stakes somehow got HIGHER now that the characters are dealing with an ANGRY Collector. And I'm scared. I'm scared of what an angry Collector could mean for the future...pun unintended.

WHAT I DISLIKED

It Got Leaked: I'm not kidding. That's my ONLY complaint regarding "For the Future." We didn't deserve a special THIS GOOD early. I am so glad to have the patience to wait and even MORE relieved that I didn't get spoiled that much because watching this special with a more-or-less fresh mindset is an experience that proves why it's important to wait. The hype of counting down the days, even counting down the seconds, to watch a premier is all a part of the experience. I can't blame people for being a LITTLE impatient, especially if they thought it'd be better to watch it and not worry about spoilers, but to those who leaked it? You get a good ol' fuck you from your pal Ordinary Schmuck. This one is extra special because I didn't censor it.

But, not to worry. There's a chance to redeem yourself. Disney put up the entire special on YouTube, and you can watch it--FOR FREE!--if you live in these regions:

The US

The UK

Australia

Mexico

And other countries

If it's locked out of your region for some reason (and you're apparently so against getting a VPN), then I guess that's the ONLY excuse you have to pirate it. I don't condone it, but I learn my lesson on Reddit. Don't tell fans not to pirate The Owl House. They'll be extra salty about it. However, if you're NOT locked out, there's no excuse to NOT watch it. Clearly, paying for stuff is an issue for people, but since "For the Future" is now free and RIGHT THERE, why not watch it? Like, stow your hatred for Disney just a second, so you can give the people who worked tirelessly on this show the respect they deserve. Because if the views aren't getting close to the millions by the time I post this review, then I'M gonna be salty.

And, yeah, that's the only complaint I have regarding "For the Future."

...

…Also, some obviously cut corners due to not having enough time. Stuff like Boscha's redemption and the stuff regarding Eda, King, and Lilith happening off-screen are big ones to come to my mind. I'm not bothered by this because I fully understand why it's done, but it does leave one a tiny bit irked.

But, seriously, that's about it.

IN CONCLUSION

"For the Future" is another solid A episode! But are you really surprised anymore?

If I had to pick, I'd say I like "Thanks to Them" a LITTLE bit more, primarily because that one feels more like a standalone episode. With "For the Future," it feels more like set-up. It's still GREAT with some fantastic character moments, some surprisingly great scenes of development, and by somehow raising the stakes MORE than they already were! I may want it to stand out more on its own, but it's still necessary as we lead into the grand finale. Plus, considering how the writers have so much to do and very little time to do it, I don't mind a full special of set-up, even if a few corners were cut along the way. I'm still left with something great that I'll be watching and rewatching as I dream of what comes next in the future.

While also hoping, for the show's sake, nothing else gets leaked...Seriously, if ANYTHING about special Numero Tres gets leaked online, I might actually blow a gasket.

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dododan · 3 months

Text

Last part <- my previous thoughts

Here is the final part of Alastor's analysis~

It's time for the final episode! And in addition to the analysis there will be my little crazy theory at the end ;)

By the way, don't you think Alastor as a nun has a strange power to attract hazbin hotel fans? Lately where I don't look whether it's Instagram or Tumblr everyone is drawing Alastor as a nun XD

Is it time to open up the cult of Alastor The Nun?

And now for the serious part!

There are spoilers here!!!

To start with, something that only occurred to me a few days after watching the finale. What if Alastor had it all planned out? I mean Charlie will have to recruit the cannibals to fight the angels. During a gathering with the Overlords, Alastor managed to taste the angel's blood from its severed head and commented that it was tasty. Could it be that he was already preparing a plan for himself if Charlie's idea of convincing the angels to call off the extermination failed?

Alastor has given Charlie his microphone again!

I think he's doing it to show his support for her somehow, looking back after the 'Hello, Rosie' episode.

I think the conversation between Alastor and Niffty is very significant in this episode. As we know from Vivzie, Al is very fond of Niffty. You can see in this scene that Alastor is relaxed as he talks to her. No one is watching him now, so he doesn't have to hide his intentions.

Alastor himself admits that he finds the other residents of the hotel delightful and their company satisfying. This could be interpreted to mean that Alastor has grown to like them to some extent by helping them and staying with them (regardless of his contract). He has become accustomed to them and you can see that he is telling the truth by his smile as well as the fact that he is talking to Niffty.

As we also know, many some episodes give us hints of what might happen in the future - e.g. Vaggie and Carmillie's song 'Whatever it takes' foreshadowing their reunion; or Dazzle's sacrifice scene in the song 'Hell's greatest Dad' foreshadowing his death in the finale.

Could Alastor's scene with the crown of cockroaches be of any significance?

Certainly the fact that she gives it to him by Niffty could mean that she values Alastor very much by giving him such a gift. But I think it also shows his desire for power himself. We also see Alator laughing sincerely together with Niffty. Which confirms their intimate relationship.

I don't know how true this is, but I noticed that on the Hazbin Hotel Wiki in the description of Niffty that Alastor is a father figure to her. You can actually see this a bit in the series, as Alastor somehow looks after Niffty and she is very attached to him.

In my opinion, the fight between Alastor and Adam was very strange. I'm not saying it wasn't fantastic in terms of animation or how it looked in general. But didn't you get the feeling that something was missing?

Alastor seemed to enjoy the carnage that was to come, as well as his fight with Adam. The barrier he created was amazing and very powerful. This barrier managed to fend off the angels, meaning that Alastor's strength could match them when not taking demonic form. Alastor himself also managed to kill several angels using tentacles that emerged from the barrier. It can be seen that he was the main point of defence.

Only Adam destroyed Alastor's barrier.

Alastor also seemed to have the upper hand against Adam from the start, and took him seriously - as evidenced by the fact that Alastor cursed. Adam also annoyed him, probably because he was a powerful personality, and such annoy Alastor because they can be a potential threat to him (e.g. Lucifer).

Al exploited his weaknesses - Adam's overconfidence and the fact that Adam probably had no experience of fighting, having only killed fleeing sinners before. Adam knows how to fight weaker people who don't even put up that fight. And Alastor? He kept Adam at bay with his attacks, seeing that Adam's weapon is a guitar - presumably used for close combat. Alastor himself also mentions Adam's other flaws (his lack of discipline or consideration in fighting or how chaotic his movements were). Alastor exploited this.

Adam also, like other angels, did not defend himself after an attack and did not expect that someone might hit him - just as Carmila said when she showed Vaggie the angels' weaknesses. Still, Alastor kept a safe distance, always out of reach of Adam's guitar. This is not how someone who is powerful fights. Alastor was cautious from the start and assessed Adam and his chances. Alastor was convinced that he was capable of winning.

The destruction of his microphone took him by surprise. Presumably Alastor was convinced that he would be able to fend off Adam's attack. Someone who fights so carefully and plans his next move should not make such a mistake and get hurt so easily. I think Alastor's contract is affecting his powers somehow, weakening him and he may not have realised it until this point.

Alastor's radio voice disappears as soon as his microphone is damaged. I think Al deliberately uses such a filter on his voice so that emotions cannot be read from the intonation of his voice.

Alastor ran away because he was badly injured, yet the smile remained on his face. For a moment before Al gathered his staff and disappeared you can see him looking furiously at Adam. Alastor did not expect to lose. I doubt he would have judged his skill level so poorly against Adam. After all, Adam was human, so in theory some sinner could match him in power, but not in experience. I doubt that Alastor, got it so wrong, unless he didn't know that his arrangement limited his powers - his freedom.

We get a small glimpse of Alastor's photo being snatched. You can see Vox there, even though the photo is hijacked you can recognise him. Which shows that Al and Vox had a common past and were probably close colleagues/friends. You can also see pictures of other characters like Charlie and Lucifer. You can see that the Vee's may be planning to take over Hell since they have angelic weapons at their disposal. The massacre that Carmila sang about when she wanted to hide how she killed an angel may come true.

And we have our radio demon and his worship song. Alastor admits how close he came to death, that he is at the bottom - symbolised by his abandoned office, somewhere far away. The moment when he describes himself as an altruist, and that he looks like he'll die for his friends shows how terrified he was by this vision. The question is why?

It could have terrified him that the deal he made forced him to act in this way. But he could have escaped. If there had been something in his contract that he had to protect the hotel and Charlie at all costs, he probably wouldn't even have had the option to escape. It's just that he's worth more alive than dead.

Additionally, it might have terrified him that he would be capable of dying for them, since he had admitted earlier in his conversation with Niffty that he had become accustomed to the hotel's inhabitants. Alastor may have been horrified by the conflicting feelings within him.

On the one hand - since he admitted that he likes the hotel and its inhabitants - he may have wanted to fight for them and protect them, while on the other hand he desires power and authority at all costs. These are two contradictions that he may not be able to cope with internally.

Nevertheless, his desire for freedom ultimately wins out.

He doesn't want to be remembered that way - as an altruist. Alastor wants freedom, which may mean that he may have felt chained and controlled for most of it. We don't know exactly what he experienced during his lifetime, or his details of life in Hell. What we do know is that he appeared and killed several Overlords. It is possible that he seeks power because only it - in his mind - can give him freedom and security.

He also admits for the first time that he has made a deal with someone. You can see the desperation on his face at this point. Alastor does not consider the scenario in which this deal is impossible for him to break or get away with. It's puzzling that Alastor sings about spreading his wings - they could be a metaphor for freedom, compared to when he sang about escaping the deal early on. Seemingly it fits together, but I wrote to you earlier about how the episodes contain little foreshadowings of what's to come?

Then it's time for my crazy theory!

What if Alastor is an angel, but so not really. We know and have it confirmed that Alastor is human and lived on earth as a serial killer. What if Alastor is a nephilim - a being born of a human woman and an angel? For me, that would fit. Alastor was defined by an anomaly in terms of his powers. Sinners didn't normally have such power and didn't become as strong as Alastor so quickly. He was a phenomenon. If one began to treat him as a nephilim then his power makes sense. Additionally, nothing is known about his father. All that is known is that Alastor is a mummy's boy. Maybe Alastor never met his father because he wasn't human? Maybe it was during his stay in Hell that he discovered who he really was or even before that, which is why he had to constantly control himself and hide behind a smile so that no one would hurt him. Maybe the fact that he wants to discover how to unleash his wings is about his true wings and the potential he has in him because of his angelic blood? Alastor craves power. Why?

Maybe it's the only way he feels he has control over a situation and it gives him a sense of security?

It may sound strange, but Alastor was a murderer when he was alive. Maybe killing gave him a sense of power by deciding who could survive and who couldn't. Here in Hell you can't take someone's life so easily, the situation has changed and he had to adapt.

And here is the end of my crazy theory~

I am not going to go into here whether Eve took Lilith's place and at what point, but there is definitely something wrong with these two. I also don't know which one was actually on that beach. There's a little plot twist brewing with these two, that's for sure.

Who Alastor ultimately makes a pact with will determine his character development and role in the next season:

The pact with Lilith - if she's the one he made the pact with, it could be more about protecting Charlie. Lilith doesn't seem like a bad person after Charlie's introduction to her in the beginning. It was Lilith who made Inferno develop and grow in power. The family portraits seen in the background, also indicate that she was very close to her family and sincerely loved them. She must have been a support for Lucifer, because when she left he broke down and was unable to pull himself together until his daughter was in danger. In this case Alastor, may want to break the pact, mainly because of being on someone else's leash and the sense of danger this creates.

Pact with Eve - We know virtually nothing about her. The only time we get a chance to find out anything about Eve is in Charlie's song in the first episode and a brief mention in the finale. Eve was Adam's second wife, who was tempted by Lucifer with an apple. And we see her rather peculiar face with a very wide red smile when she accepted the gift from Lucifer. It looked quite sinister. Additionally, Lucifer declared during the fight with Adam that Eva had also given herself to him. Nevertheless, Eva was Adam's wife and he makes no mention of her. It is possible that since Adam was the first man in Heaven, Eva was the first sinner. Disrespected by Adam who wanted to subjugate her, possibly also abandoned by Lucifer who fell in love with Lilith, Eve was left alone. Possibly accused of bringing evil into the world and banished from Paradise. She may have wanted revenge on Lucifer - and not just on him, perhaps on the angels too? If Alastor made a deal with her, it might involve being close to Charlie and ultimately killing/hurting her so that Eva could get revenge on Lucifer. If this were the case then Alastor may crave the power to get out of this deal - because he has become attached to Charlie and knows that this deal could kill him (or rather Lucifer, if Alastor did indeed hurt Charlie).

The last thing is that Alastor would have to be in a really bad situation to make a deal with someone himself. Which is also hard to imagine, how much trouble did he get into to trade his own soul? It also kind of makes me wonder if Alastor isn't nephelian and the vision of the deal was to keep him safe, but something went wrong.

And such loose thoughts as came to mind:

My theory about Charlie's transformation came true! She had to be pinned down by the death of Sir Pentious and the spectre of Alastor's death in order to take action.

From the official first episode of Hazbin Hotel I had a bit of a problem. This series gave me a sort of familiar vibe, but I had a lot of trouble figuring it out. Seriously. It wasn't until the finale and seeing Charlie's outfit as well as her demonic form that made me realise what I associated this series with. Star vs. the Forces of Evil (by Daron Nefcy) and Gravity Falls (by Alex Hirsh) Simply put, Charlie reminded me of Star! That enthusiasm of theirs! Being positive and eternally happy, but as time goes on learning that the world is not so simple and colourful. It has its shades of grey. Hazbin Hotel is such a Star Butterfly for adults for me. In particular, I feel the atmosphere from the Star Butterfly season where Eclipsa appeared. Plus linked to Gravity Falls when it comes to looking for any clues as to future episodes!

Why was it Sir Pentious who got into Heaven? → Because he changed the most out of everyone, I think. From a person who craved power and approval, a person who didn't trust anyone, Sir Pentious won friends and sacrificed himself for them. He probably redeemed his sins in this way. Nor was he killed by an angelic weapon that destroys souls but by Adam's ray. Added to this is the symbolism of the appearance of the serpent in heaven. Sera may not necessarily have feared that Sir Pentious had rehabilitated himself, but she may have feared the defilement of Heaven. The serpent (Lucifer) had already destroyed Paradise once, and now another serpent appears before her….

Why doesn't Adam return as a demon? → He was killed by Niffty with a dagger of angelic steel. And this steel destroys the soul and is the only one that can hurt angels. Since the angels' weapon wiped out the souls of sinners, it rather wiped out Adam's soul too.

Why did Lucifer delay during the battle? → Probably so that no one would suspect him of being the one to break the pact between Heaven and Hell. Adam was the first to attack Charlie and almost killed her, which violated the terms of the agreement because Charlie was born in Hell, which gave Lucifer a free hand to kick Adam. It could also have been about Dazzle, but in his case it is difficult to say whether he was born in Hell. Besides, Lucifer openly admits that he came here to fight Adam because he hurt Charlie.

Did you notice that Charlie's blood is red? → Could this be relevant? Charlie is the daughter of a fallen angel, so in theory her blood should be gold, but it's not. Does it have to do with the fact that Lilith was human when Charlie was born and later became a demon? Because demons/sinners can't procreate, so going by this line of thinking Charlie couldn't have been born when Lilith became a demon.

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watchinglikeafangirl · 2 years

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VegasPete had two intense scenes this time so what does that mean for me and you? Yess, each gets its own analysis!

So, enjoy part one since it's too hot here and a migrane is coming.

VegasPete - captured and hostage 1/2

To understand why this particular scene feels so intense, we have to revisit the very first one of this episode.

"Do you know how sexy you are?"

Many people referred to the meaning of this scene as an equivalent to the forest episode with KinnPorsche because VegasPete is as isolated from the world as they were. This isolation is in reach of our hands in this scene, we can taste it. They just had sex, they share some thoughts, they stare into each other's eyes.

"I just live in the present. What I'm feeling, that's all I think about."

I am not quite sure if it's really the truth because it seems more like a vague answer to Vegas' question if Pete just accepted himself or not. It's more like an idea we all have, we all wish would one day happen to us. Blending the real life out, not caring about what other people do or say or care about seems like a hard thing to do and certain people's opinions will always affect us. I don't think we can just shut it all off.

But that's what this scene is about. They wish to be carefree, Vegas wishes to be carefree. In the end, it's just that: a wish. A wish that can only exist in an isolated mind far from reality because it's something ideal that will never happen. The scene is tragic in this matter but it's just a little talk between them. There are no windows, there's no outside, no reality, so it's a save space to share those thoughts.

This scene is very important as it draws a line, colors the difference between them sharing little thoughts and reality hitting hard. They live there alone. Vegas can actually feel appreciation, cooks for Pete but then his father hits him and the world hasn't changed one bit. The bubble he himself created, let him believe his own lie and disappointment is what he gets in return. Yes, Pete is there, Pete didn't run, Pete helps him but no, feelings don't change the world.

Moving on to the scene I call "aggressive knife-grabbing"

We start with a sequence of an angry, sad and disapponted Vegas and a Pete that's lost in thoughts.

"I don't like it. Then why didn't I say no?"

But Pete isn't alone all the time. Vegas brings him food, though it's again just instant noodles. Since Vegas is suddenly very distant, hides his face and was gone for a long while, Pete figured the father showed himself again. Before, Vegas was open, calm and smiling but there is always a change in attitude when he got hit. The change from last scene to this one is fatal and it's rather painful because Vegas takes ten steps back again. He is again a kid that's angry at his father. This anger comes from disappointment though he should have learned by now, there's nothing to expect. But well, in our role as kids, we never learn to expect to get no love but harm as a reward for our existence. Vegas stays in his mindset, so the mental abuse can never stop.

Pete tries to reach Vegas again, tries to touch his face but Vegas acts all cold towards him. He doesn't want to talk about it, doesn't want to deal with it. His response to Pete's concern is more like a: don't try to fix me when I can't fix myself. He doesn't accept the fact someone could care. Like I said, ten steps backwards because he doesn't feel appreciated any longer. But Pete being there is not a dream nor pity, it's care.

This comes from Vegas' very dominant character trait: selfishness.

"It's up to you Vegas. It's your choice."

This is when things start to get out of hand because Vegas starts choking Pete. For Vegas, Pete's words imply he is too weak to cut ties with his family and run. But what Pete means is Vegas chooses to let his father have that effect on him. He once overcame it and the hitting didn't hurt as much any more. But here, he wasn't prepared, caught off guard and robbed of his happiness. The scene itself was different, so is Vegas' way of dealing with it. But Pete still tries to remind him of the power he has over his father. Vegas still has the power to decide it's not gonna hurt any longer the way it does now. It also implies he always had that power, just didn't know about it or how to use it.

"Anyhow, you're just my pet."

Pete is once again the prisoner, the pet. He is not allowed to have an opinion on his own. Vegas threatens him, telling him he shouldn't get too ahead of himself. From the mere second on Vegas puts his hands on Pete's throat, an old mask reappears. I'm not saying, he's not angry, his emotions are halfway true, but it's not true he only granted Pete to share so many of his thoughts, that he was waiting for Pete to stop, that Pete should stop being himself. This is clearly something he only says to protect himself. Like I said, he's saying "I'm not fixable" though he knows deep down that's not what Pete was trying to do. There's no pity here, it's far more complicated and deeper. So Vegas is just saying all that bullshit to push Pete away.

But then things get out of hand and suddenly there's a knife pressed to Pete's neck. None of them is moving, both confused what led to this moment. They went too far. This image of the other changes the whole perspective of things. Vegas is in shock that he is threatening Pete with a knife, that his anger is strong enough to randomly kill anyone who provoces him, even if that anyone is Pete. Pete on the other hand is just truly devastated since Vegas doesn't seem to understand a word he says, that it doesn't have to be like this and that Pete has feelings as well. Vegas' face shows regret while Pete is breaking, starts to cry.

Pete insists Vegas should kill him, but Vegas doesn't. He can't. He doesn' have a reason to. For him, he calmed down the second that knife went to Pete's neck. It shook him awake. But Pete is now breaking down since Vegas was so gentle with him before but then turned into the scary kidnapper from episode 10.

And then follows the most intense line of this scene:

"I got nothing left. Not even my hunmanity."

Vegas' expression changes immediatly. His eyes are wet, his face regrets, his body is restless. He realises what he'd done. He did the same as his father, he made Pete feel like shit because Vegas himself does. The parallel to Pete's line "they don't do this because we suck but because they themselves suck" is too obvious here and it hits Vegas. He's in this context and in this scene right here, no better than his father. The abused turned into the abuser.

It's not like he didn't abuse anyone before, we see Tawan was extremely manipulated, but none of the people before have said so. They never let him feel their pain.

Then again, it was Pete's humanity that helped Vegas but he took that humanity by force. Pete didn't give it to him willingly, so Vegas drained him. He broke Pete by ignoring his needs and by just thinking about himself because he feels like he's the only person on earth who suffers.

"I've always been useless."

Pete just drops these heavy lines, aiming right to where it hurts Vegas. By saying "you're my pet", Vegas gave Pete a purpose - in a way. He told him his worth and what role he plays in Vegas' life. But in doing so, he gave Pete something to feel pathetic and even worse. All his life comes crashing down on him because Vegas treats him no different than all the other people before. In my notes I wrote: Vegas drove Pete to the edge of the cliff where his entire life comes back to him, all the aweful days he did nothing, didn't talk back, was never respected.

This is not about the time with Vegas, it's about the raw side of Pete because he shows Vegas how much he kept hidden because he was just the pet. he hoped to be treated differently after a while but Vegas just proved he won't, so this disappointment and regret of ever hoping and anger against himself, lead Pete to not see any purpose in his life any longer when this is all he ever gets and seems to deserve.

"I never exist. I have no feelings."

Because he's always been used, became useless to himself.

"I don't freaking have anything left within me."

Because Vegas took his humanity by force.

"I can't take myself anymore, Vegas."

"If you don't kill me today, I'll do it myself."

And this is where the tables turn because Pete actively harms himself. He grabs the knife, it cuts deep through his hand and he lets out a noise of pain, because hurting yourself, even when you feel like you're ready to die, still hurts, doesn't make you numb.

Vegas wants to save Pete from himself but stumbles backwards when Pete tells him to let go.

"Pete, I'm sorry. Okay? I give up, Pete. I'm sorry."

This is obviously too much for Vegas to bear. It's all so messy and an overload of information. This scene holds so many emotions, one is unable to name them all. Regret is not enough and love is too much. So I'm not even trying to word this. Just watch the frustration, disappointment, anger and self-pity run over Vegas' face when he sees he damaged more than he ever wanted. We know Pete is not the only one he held as a pet, so Vegas is probably thinking what horrible human being he is, having done such severe harm to a person's confidence and will. He knows he went to far after the incident with his father. His impulses are too strong from being mistreated all his life. He snaps so easily and it led him to where he is now. With a man he kinda has feelings for, standing in front of him, ready to take his own life in order to escape his fangs.

"Don't leave me, I'm begging you."

Here we see his selfishness once again. He may not mean it as selfish as it sounds but Vegas has always been someone to believe the world turns around him, like he is the centre of everyone's attention when in fact he's not. His idiology fights against the rest of the world. It's him against it all. With Pete, he is willing to make an exception and let him be by his side. But then it will be an "us against the world" which is not what Pete wants. The world doesn't care about him, so why cry about it when nobody's gonna listen?

"I'm a human, Vegas. I have feelings."

Pete is once again stating his point that he is not an emotionless wreck. At this point, I think Vegas never asked Pete about his thoughts because he thought Pete would come around eventually. Those lines show a completely different side. It's the side of a desperate prisoner who wants to flee whereas Vegas only knew the calm and balanced side of Pete until now. So it didn't occur to him that Pete was not okay with this situation at all. Because Vegas can't see things from the other's perspective. He doesn't have (much) empathy.

I think it's still pretty unclear how long VegasPete are on their little vacation but judging by the way Pete's wounds have recovered, I would say a long time. So Pete was coping with all of this for like three weeks or something while Vegas thought it would be okay to keep someone in a room without windows. So yes, Pete can't believe Vegas when he implies he will free him from handcuffs. He just can't trust Vegas. It totally makes sense to knock Vegas out and flee because this was the only way to escape at all, because this was not a relationship. It was the captured and the hostage. Pete was captured and would have never been freed because Vegas was his own hostage, because he was too caught up in his head.

#kinnporsche #kinnporsche the series #vegaspete #didn't check for mistakes sorry #but i need to sleeep

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darkershining · 2 months

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All right, it's time to start catching up. I just watched the first episode of Wonderful Pretty Cure, in which we are introduced to Iroha, and her dog, Komugi, who wishes to become human so the two of them could be even closer.

The episode begins with a shot of different animals around Animal Town, before we are introduced to two of our main characters, as the cute little dog Komugi wakes up her owner, Iroha, so the two can go for an early morning walk. Iroha greets the various animals they encounter on the way.

They return home, where Iroha's father has prepared breakfast for both of them. Iroha's mother reminds her that she had made a promise to spend time with the volleyball team in the morning, which Iroha had forgotten about. Komugi doesn't want Iroha to leave without her, but Iroha's parents eventually get her to stay. Iroha's mother, Yoko, offers to take Komugi to the dog park, but Komugi is not the mood, instead deciding to take a nap while waiting for Iroha to return.

We cut to another location, where a sheep-like creature calls out to someone as he and other knocked out animals are sealed into odd dark-looking eggs.

Komugi has a dream where she is a human, going for a walk with Iroha. Suddenly, two other girls ask Iroha to play with them, and Komugi suddenly finds herself having turned back into a dog as Iroha asks her to wait for her to come back. As Komugi wakes up, she takes a moment to reflect on the fact that she was a human in the dream, before hearing Iroha call out as she returns home. Komugi is pleased to be able to spend time with Iroha.

As the two go for a walk, they come across one of Iroha's friends, Satoru, who is looking at a local monument. Iroha greets Satoru and his rabbit, Daifuku, before asking what he's up to. Satoru explains he was curious about why the Mirror Stone is called that, noting that their town is known as Animal Town due to the many animal and animal lovers who live there. Iroha recalls an old myth that your wish would be granted if you saw your reflection in the Mirror Stone. Satoru notes that maybe the stone was used for some ceremony in the past, and muses that maybe he should look into the town's history some more.

Iroha reveals that when she was younger, she wished to be able to talk to animals. This year, her wish is that she and Satoru can be in the same class, since they were in different ones last year, and thus didn't have as many oppurtunities to talk. Komugi's reflection is briefly visible in the Mirror Stone.

As Iroha and Komugi continue their walk, they pass by a new Pretty Holic store that will be opening soon, with a girl telling her cat Yuki that she hopes they'll both make lots of friends in this new town. As she spots Iroha and Komugi walk by, the girl hides, while Iroha decides to greet the cat before continuing the walk. The cat gives her owner a disapproving glance, with the girl insisting she wasn't hiding and commenting on how Iroha just casually introduced herself to someone's cat like that. Yuki gives her a thoughtful glance.

Near the dog park, one of those dark eggs seen earlier has appeared. When Iroha and Komugi visit it, Komugi comes across a strange stone while playing catch. Iroha comments that it kind of reminds her of the Mirror Stone they looked at earlier. The dark egg ends up hatching, instantly putting the dogs on edge as they sense something is wrong. As a dark sheep-like "Garugaru" emerges, the dogs and their owners wisely decide to leave the area. However, one boy is too scared to move, his dog also refusing to leave his side. Iroha tells Komugi to wait while she goes to help them.

Iroha draws the Garugaru's attention away from the boy, letting it chase after her instead while a worried Komugi looks on. Iroha manages to stay just ahead of it, but as she starts running out of stamina, she trips and falls. Komugi decides she can't stand by and watch as her previous friend gets trampled, rushing in to help her. The stone she finds begins glowing, the light turning Komugi into a human girl about the same age as Iroha.

As Iroha wonders who the girl is, Komugi uses the newly formed Wonderful Pact to become a Pretty Cure, Cure Wonderful. Cure Wonderful asks the Garugaru why its acting this way, using her new powers to create barriers to block its attacks and using her newfound agility to continue dodging. She eventually leads the Garugaru on a chase, until she corners it in a fenced area. Observing its behaviour, she realizes it seems to be in pain and approaches it, gently embracing the sheep and purifying it of the dark energy that corrupted it, turning the sheep-like creature back to its normal self.

As Iroha approaches, still trying to make sense of everything happening, finally catches on to the girl being a transformed Komugi when she initiates the same handshake they did earlier. Komugi is thrilled about gaining a human form, while Iroha is still rather confused about everything that just happened.

So, we have an interesting set-up here, with Komugi gaining human form and becoming a Pretty Cure. I'm certainly curious to see how this goes, and particularly what kind of character arc Komugi will have after gaining human form. I'm sure the sheep-like being they rescued will give them some explanation of what is going on.

Looking forward to seeing what happens next!

#pretty cure #wonderful precure

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psianabel · 2 years

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complete jumbled thoughts about Dark Road because holy fuck: Spoilers for like literally everything.

holy shit holy shit holy shit ok so, getting this out of my way,

I'm eating well with Xehanort being a Blueblood LMAO. Called it, love it. The sheer irony of him being a child of destiny and us knowing how his story ends up - delicious.

So many parallels you can draw between Xehanort - Eraqus and Sora - Riku here. In the end Sora is the one who Xehanort should have become and just, goddamn. I'm still on the path of thinking MoM is the reason why this didn't happen, pushing him further into the darkness (talking about love and its false light. man.), then Eraqus leaving him alone and as such, the balance between them destroyed (just as Baldr and his sister),

Baldr eh. Just holy fuck. So i guess he did bring Ragnarok... just not how we expected it to end up lol. Poor boy, oh man. Just. oh man. Oh man.

Bragi hfkdjdodjfofjg GIVE IT UP FOR LUXU REVEAL THREE, congratz to the people who called it episode one, i wasnt one of them lmao jfidjdodg. For me its fucking hilarious now honestly. Luxu please get vessels with not so similar names.

I fucking screamed when Odin summoned Master’s Defender and then called No Name forth, I AM EATING WELL, THESE TWO KEYBLADES MAN. MAN !!!!!! Also extremly interesting how No Name's nature is known, and mannnnnnn him retiring and giving these two keyblades his last two pupils im fucking. h.

KH game with the highest death toll i guess LOL (excluding UX with the keyblade war), my heart already hurt when Hoder died and then THE DEATH DIDNT STOP LIKE HELLO, i actually had to stand up and take a deep breath when Hermod and Urd died like WTF MAN god god god god goodbye i liked u a lot :(

Xehanort having Hoder in his heart got me a lot, just. man. man. There is this small interaction after they are fighting Vidar and Baldr shows up, Xehanort clutches his chest - because Hoder is reacting to Baldr....... its so similar to Sora with Anna and Elsa in KH3 ...... wahhhhhh..... delicious.... just,,, Xehanort and its connections to other people. MAN..

This whole thing with the true Lights is so INTERESTING. Like, they are objects ???? before the Princesses of Heart were a thing... thats so good.

Still wrapping my head around with that summoning of Kingdom Hearts. And ... killing 13 lights for that. god Baldr was so close and it was so so cruel my god. SEEING THEM ALL DIE WAS SO. NAH MAN. NAH. like YEAH WE KNEW THEY WERE ABOUT TO DIE BUT FUCK.

Their names are all soooo interesting. Not going through them all, i just have to mention the heartless that is the final boss has the name of Baldur's ship that carries his dead body in the Norse mythology....... just. oh.

so. the "secret ending". Im fucking yelling at the fact Blue Robe is KHML Player with UX Player reincarnated. just. THIS IS THE PLOT I HAD PREPARED FOR MY PLAYER HELP THIS IS FUCKING FANTASTIC FJDKDBDKFJG also no Player - Xehanort anymore which im, ah well, but Still they have a close connection which is enough for me now i guess -

Baby Xehanort calling Lauriam a skinny boy with pink hair had me laughing so much. like TRUE but dont come for my boy like this ahsjshdodjdkf. I'm kinda :worry: about Skuld's involvement for Xehanort's Mom as i dont really want her .... to have stayed behind ..... but for me to truly accept that I have to see it in ML myself. Still holding onto Subject X, but man,,,,,, Nomura why.

Xehanort saying he wants to have 14 lifetimes has me so c: I really wish for Young Xehanort to return. He should live a life that belongs to him .... i hope he gets to see that. I really want him to hang out with the Guardians of Light...

The whole Underworld thing is going to be so interesting in KH4, because they essentially did the same thing here like Donald and Goofy are trying?? At least we know now that the Underworld is like, universal, for KH worlds. I hope we get to see the upper classmen in some form again.

This game is an emotional rollercoaster that definitely would have worked better if they released these episodes... episodic. This whole ending was Such an Experience.

Just holy crap I am excited for Missing Link.

My mind is mush. I'm dead tired. What a phenomenal experience.

Missing Link, you have so much explaining to do. And goddamn im in for this ride.

#khdr spoilers #kh spoilers #khdr #personal #lying on the floor #processing

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pinkcherryblossom18 · 2 years

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okay so first off, SPOILER for the last episode but i have a request.

instead of dustin being the one who goes after eddie, his s/o is the one who goes after him and witness him die. very angst im so sorry🥹

Who hurt you?

S4 Vol2 spoilers proceed with caution

TW: Spoilers, death, blood, crying, the authors tears went into this, the author also has regrets about making this, the author also hopes the Duffer brothers now sleep with one eye open.

Maybe it was supposed to end this way. Maybe me and Eddie weren’t supposed to make it, maybe our friendship that was barely that was tearing at the seams and everything was breaking but I had always thought that at least it would end with both of us together.

I guess I had been a fool.

Now with the bedsheets broken and the tears leaving tracks on my cheeks I had to figure out a way to bring him back, to bring him back to me and our friends. Looking around I spotted the chair to the rickety table that Eddie and I had used many times. Taking the chair I dragged to the portal and took a deep breath Eddie had cut the bedsheets and removed the mattress; it wasn’t going to be like last time it was going to hurt now when I get to the upside down.

I closed my eyes imagining what Eddie would say to me while I was building the courage, he would most likely call me crazy and pull me off from my spot so he could do it instead. He was selfless like that I would guess. Sure he could be a coward and run away from problems but I wasn’t any better about that either. We would have to talk when we got back to the right side up when we were finally together again with some scratches and bruises but we would be alright.

We were always eventually alright.

Opening my eyes I shook my shoulders and ran jumping on the chair and grasping the portal with the edges of my fingers but I was able to pull myself up. Then gravity hit, my shoulder hit the hard floors first, making me groan out in pain. Slowly I sat up looking up at the portal and the chair that looked at me in return and laughed lightly to myself surprised that it actually worked.

Suddenly I remembered why I was there in the first place and jumped up bolting out the door having to avoid the stray demobat every few moments as it was heading somewhere. Where? I didn’t know but it couldn’t be good.

The pain in my shoulder was getting unbearable, the limb beside me loosely hanging at my side but I was as determined as it was to give up. Up ahead I saw where all of the bats were going or more swarming around. I looked around to spot Eddie then my heart dropped.

In the middle of the swarm was Eddie and around his throat wasn’t his pick but the sharp tail of the demobat and along beside it was its friends and they seemed to be having the time of their lives.

Yelling. I was trying to make enough noise to draw them towards me but the already screaming and struggling person near them was enough to keep their attentions. Then when I got closer it faced me and screeched, alerting its friends that there was another near a two for one meal for them.

“Shit,” I muttered running when half of the swarm decided to abandon the already half prepared meal beneath them to hopefully get something a bit fresher. Running back to the trailer I hoped that the chase would draw in the rest of the bats but when an even sharper pain hit my shoulder and a hit on the back of my legs made me falter I could almost see the end.

Reaching over i ripped the demobat off of my shoulder and I screamed in pain taking the thing and throwing it hitting two more of the vile creatures. Then about five more headed towards me closing my eyes I readied for impact, hoping that Eddie survived and wishing that I could have at least confessed to him that I loved him when we were both alive.

But the impact never came and opening my eyes the demobats were gone and the swarm that surrounded Eddie was like it was never there in the first place. I would have believed that if Eddie wasn’t on the ground and if he wasn’t moving.

“Eddie,” I breathed out clambering up and almost falling back in pain. God I hope the bats don’t have rabies like Robin said. Running to him my shoulder still screamed at me but it was more of a small kick as the pounding of my heart and the tears in my eyes started to well up but I was still hoping that he was still alive.

I dropped down to my knees and fully sat down, putting his head into my lap. “Oh god, oh god Eddie,” I said looking at the ring of scratches around his throat and the blood that started to rise out of the wounds.

He was trembling in pain he wasn’t even looking at me but favored the cloudless sky it was the type of sky that Eddie had always loved andI made a promise to find more cloudless skies with him after this was all over. “Bad, huh,” he choked out, his voice holding all of the pain that he was feeling.

“No,” I moved him gently off of my lap and started to wrap my arms around him. “No it’s not bad at all. We just need to get you to a hospital, okay,” I said throwing one of his arms around my shoulder.

“Okay,” he said. I looked into his eyes, withering hope still reflecting in mine but there was not even a small dose of hope in his. No, he couldn't have already given up, could he?

I looped an arm under him and started to pull him up. Eddie started to groan out in pain. “Come on,” I said pulling him up more.

“I think,” he started to say, making me stop for a moment. He was finally in a sitting position but it would take a blind man to say that he wasn’t in a maximum amount of pain. “I think I need to take a second, okay.” I nodded and laid him back down again so his face was once again my lap.

He started choking a bit, a tiny amount of blood coming out of his mouth. Then he started to smile and let out small amounts of laughter from his throat. “What?” I said, a small sad smile appearing on my face. “What? What you crazy bastard?”

“I didn’t run away this time right?” He asked me, saying the words through gritted teeth.

I started shaking my head, tears starting to fully well up in my eyes. I brushed back some stray hairs on his head and carded my fingers gently as I could through his hair. “No, no you didn’t run Eddie,” I said a tear starting to fall down my cheek.

He grasped my hand and looked me in my eyes. “You’re going to have to tell Dustin to look after those little sheep for me, okay?” He asked me. “And you're going to kick him in the ass for me as well, alright?”

I shook my head widely and even more tears started to fall. I took the hand that was card through his hair and started to gently rub his cheek catching the stray tears that were also falling from his face. “No–no you can do that yourself,” I said choking through a sob that was racking through me.

He looked at her with a sad expression. “No,” he said in full confidence at the near future for him. He knew that he was going to die and that was something that he couldn’t ignore but for some reason despite the evidence in front of me I still couldn’t let myself believe that he was going to die. “Tell me that you're going to do it–say it.”

Looking up for a second I tried to will the tears into staying where they were but even then they were still cascading down my face. I looked back at him and into those dark beautiful brown eyes. “I’m–-I’m going to do it,” I said still sobbing and now even a bit harder when I felt the slowing of his breath in my palms.

He nodded slightly and a small flicker of humor started to spark up in him, which he always had in bad times like these. “Cause I’m actually going to graduate this year,” he said, more blood coming out of his mouth as he was talking. He chuckled weakly making me nod at his words no matter how much neither of us believed them. “And then I’m taking both of us out of here.”

I nodded at that as well. It had always been our goal to leave and start anew. “Yeah–yeah we will,” I said, brushing my thumb on his cheek again watching as he slightly leaned into my touch. 86’ was supposed to be our year and perhaps it still would be next and only for one and not two this time.

“I think it's my year,” he said. “I think it’s finally my year.” He looked at me and a weak smile passed over his lips. “Our year.”

“Eddie,” I took my hand and started to card through his hair once more. “Eddie…I love you man–I love you and I-I couldn't tell you but goddammit Munson,” I drew in a sharp breath my vision being clouded. “I fucking love you.”

He looked at her and sputtered where the blood was choking him but still pain and adoration shone in his eyes. “I love you too man,” he said, his voice lost in the pain and the lost chances that both could have had together.

Then Eddie started struggling, chokes of air started to come through and his body started to try to fight against what was happening. “Eddie? Eddie?” I said, alarm sounding in my voice. “Eddie! Please, no–Eddie,” I yelled, more tears falling as he stilled.

Then what the rest of the upside down heard was the screaming of a heartbroken girl and in her arms the corpse of the dead Eddie Munson.

#eddie munson x reader #eddie munson #I regret everything

60 notes · View notes

renyen808 · 1 year

Text

A Week Later, I Cannot Stop Thinking About…

Hey everyone! Let’s talk about the newest movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU): Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, directed by James Gunn. I’ll let you know when I get to the spoiler section of my post.

(Credit: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 Wikipedia Page)

Ever since Avengers Endgame, I don’t think I cried as much in another movie besides this one. Maybe Black Panther last November, but there were only certain places that brought me to tears. From beginning to end, this movie sent me on a roller coaster of laughter and (or with) tears.

I do agree that this film is more on the emotionally intense side, with the animal abuse situations and the dark themes shown throughout the movie, but I enjoyed the film nonetheless. Just note, if you have not watched the film yet, be prepared for scenes of animal abuse and very minor gore (Some may disagree with the gore, but it caught me off guard).

(Credit: Duniaku Article)

I loved every scene, and although I had issues with the pacing at first, I enjoyed this movie from beginning to end. From the get go, this movie draws the viewers in and doesn’t let go until the very end, showing that this is indeed the last ride. Guardians Vol. 1 stole the hearts of audiences with its infectious chemistry, engaging story, and loveable characters, but fell short when it came to the villain (love Lee Pace though). Guardians Vol. 2 upped the ante and gave us a fantastic villain, built off the already amazing chemistry, gave us many laughs, and showed to not only meet, but surpassed its predecessor in terms of likeability and quality. Vol. 3 builds off of what 2 established and gave us the ending that not only the Guardians, but that we deserve.

When it comes to movie reviews, I rate things on a scale from 1 to 10, 10 being the absolute best, and 1 being the absolute worst. I don’t do 1 to 5 because I am afraid I will do some dumb rating like 3.3 out of 5. So, for consistency, I will only use whole numbers to rate things.

(Credit: Deadline Article)

For me, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 gets a 9 out of 10. Although there were some criticisms and pacing issues, this film showcases why we all love the MCU to begin with. I cannot gush enough about this movie. Gunn’s direction and writing is perfect for this final ride, choosing to subvert expectations and take viewers on what looked to be a predictable journey, but instead gave us a story we didn’t think we needed. The seasoned actors performed at the top of their game, and invited new characters with open arms. So, now I am going to go in depth with the movie, basically a summary of what happened, which means the SPOILER WARNING is now in effect! I will have a border for the next section, and will have spacing so that people who don’t want to see it have the choice to not. With that, it is the end of my review! If this is where you are leaving us, thank you for taking the time to read my post! If you enjoyed reading it, share it with a friend who may also like it as well. Comments are always welcome, but keep it nice. Everyone is entitled to their opinions and shouldn’t be attacked because of them. If you want to hear audio versions of these articles, you can find them on my YouTube channel ‘Screen and Joystick’. Thank you for reading! See you in the next post!

SPOILERS! SPOILERS! SPOILERS! SPOILERS! SPOILERS! SPOILERS! SPOILERS!

Hello to everyone who has read this far! So here is a quick rundown on how the spoiler section will go. If you’re familiar with the Dead Meat Channel, for movie review podcast episodes, they go over a quick summary of the movie and share their thoughts along the way. This will be similar to that, where I will go through each section of the movie and share my thoughts and insights.

So, the movie starts with baby raccoons (trash pandas) all in a cage, and immediately I’m in the feels. I mean, it’s a bunch of baby animals in a cage. Innocent animals. When the cage is opened, the babies scatter, but one looks on to the being with curiosity. This curious one is our beloved Rocket.

(Credit: Brick Fanatics)

Before we move on, I need to commend Bradley Cooper for the amazing voice acting and Sean Gunn for the amazing motion capture for Rocket. He CARRIES this movie, and although people may think that StarLord or Gamora are the main protagonists, Rocket is the main protagonist and this is proven in this movie. It’s Rocket’s world and we’re just living in it.

We cut to the present day, where Rocket is sitting on Knowhere, minding his own business. Then, the opening credits play with Radiohead’s Creep as he walks throughout Knowehere. Although at first, I was a bit disappointed by the lack of action during this part, I have grown quite fond of why Gunn chose to do it this way. In Vol 1, we see Quill dancing to Redbone’s Come and Get Your Love, an iconic scene where he is dancing on Morag trying to get the Orb, and also where a 2023 Rhodey proceeds to call him an idiot for dancing and singing. In Vol 2, we follow Baby Groot as he dances to Electric Night Orchestra’s Mr. Blue Sky as the other Guardians fight off an Abilisk, which is the weird tentacle monster thing. Each Guardian interacts or ends up in frame with Groot as he dances, but it is cut short when Drac is thrown into the speaker, ending the song and dance abruptly. In the Holiday Special, a band, played by the Old 97’s, in Knowhere sings an original song titled I Don’t Know What Christmas Is (But Christmastime is Here). Although the people of Knowhere don’t dance, Groot excitedly dances in the background. Here, no one is dancing. We follow Rocket as he is walking around Knowhere, where he passes by all the Guardians at one point or another. It ends with Nebula carrying a passed out Quill walking with the other Guardians in slow motion and the title card appears. With this, it establishes the solemn tone that is prominent throughout the whole movie, and it also establishes the fact that this is Rocket’s story. Rocket then retires to his room as Nebula puts a drunk Quill to bed. Kraglin is trying to use the arrow and Cosmo shows him up with her telekinesis, which ends with Kraglin calling her a ‘bad dog’. Everything seems calm at first, but then, shit hits the fan when Adam shows up.

(Credit: Quora)

We were teased about Adam Warlock in the post credit scene to Vol 2. He was currently being created in his cocoon. We were just given his first name, so we all knew who it was: Adam Warlock. It was rumored that he was going to play a big role in Infinity War and Endgame, but, as we all know, that didn’t happen. So, Gunn had Adam all set up, and he wasn’t used for the one thing Kevin Fiege asked him for. So, here we are now, where we meet Adam Warlock in the MCU for the first time and I really enjoyed what Gunn and Will Poulter did with him. Although people just saw him as a man child, that’s exactly the point. I get that Adam is supposed to be this strong, all powerful character, but he is just a baby here, a child even, so I forgive him for being the way that he is.

So, Adam Warlock breaks through the wall of Rocket’s room and attacks him. Rocket initially gets away and Nebula begins attacking Adam with her new arm and Groot tries to fight him as well, but in the scuffle, Rocket is fatally wounded, and they cannot revive him due to an internal kill switch placed in Rocket by his creator, the High Evolutionary. They find out that the company that sponsors him, Orgocorp, made the code for the kill switch, so they leave Knowhere, leaving Cosmo and Kraglin in charge, and travel to Orgocorp on the Bowie.

Now, this is the start when I thought the pacing was a bit slow for me. During this part, we have a funny scene involving Quill, Mantis, and Drax talking about humans and life on Earth as they infiltrate the shields of Orgocorp. They are then boarded by the Ravagers, led by Gamora, who was Nebula’s contact. Quill is initially upset about Nebula hiding the fact that she kept in contact with her sister and chose to not tell him. They figure out that they need to get into the planet and retrieve Rocket’s old file, since it must have a reverse to the kill switch. Quill, Mantis, Drax, Nebula, and Gamora leave the Bowie in these suits that reminded me more of Among Us than 2001: A Space Odyssey. Once they made it to the planet, there is this tiny spot where Quill and Gamora talk, and she calls him Quinn. There is another joke where Mantis and Drax discuss the private channels as Nebula creates an opening.

(Credit: TL;DR Movie Reviews and Analysis)

They make it inside and this is just James Gunn cameo central. First, the main woman controlling the security is Jennifer Holland, an actress that Gunn worked with on Peacemaker and his wife, whom he married in 2022. Secondly, the main security guard wearing the ridiculously large orange suit is Nathan Fillion, a long time friend of Gunn’s who has been in many of his projects, which includes the first two Guardians and Gunn’s directorial debut Slither. The woman that Gamora takes hostage inside is played by Daniela Melchior, who plays Ratcatcher 2 in Gunn’s Suicide Squad.

So, they are inside and get their disguises on, but in a panic, accidentally send their Among Us space suits into…space. They split up inside with Mantis and Drax trying to find a way to get Groot to come in or a ship for them to take, while Quill, Nebula, and Gamora go and get Rocket’s file. Drax and Mantis make it inside, thanks to Mantis’ little joke that makes the gatekeeper fall in love with Drax. The other three were able to retrieve the file, but got themselves caught and this is the first of many instances where we were tricked into thinking a Guardian was going to die. Drax is shot multiple times in the chest, and it does not let up until Quill uses a trick he learned from Rocket during their prison escape in Vol 1: turning off the artificial gravity used in their enemies suits. Drax is revealed to be okay and Groot comes in with the Bowie to save them. They watch Rocket’s torture on the file, which makes all of the Guardians angry and discover that the kill switch reversal had been removed, which leads Quill to believe it was a guy he passed in Orgocorp.

Now, I just brushed through this part because this is the part that felt extremely slow to me. I mean, I was happy that everyone got a chance to see what the High Evolutionary did to Rocket (more on that in a bit), but all this stuff felt a bit slow to me, like the bland soup before the beef wellington prepared by Gordon Ramsay himself. The only things that it achieved to do was 1. Give them a chance to see what happened to Rocket, and 2. Gives Quill an idea of who wiped the code from his file. I really enjoyed seeing people I recognized and will never pass up on humor, but it kind of pulled me out a bit with how slow and how recognizable some of the cast were, not that using your friends and family in movies is a bad thing. I believe that you are able to choose whoever the hell you want for your movies, doesn’t mean I won’t complain about it when I have an opinion on it.

So, after deciding to chase that guy, Gamora and Quill have a spat, which ends in her throwing him into a panel and rushing to call who she believes is a Ravager awaiting her signal to be picked up. What she doesn’t know is the one that was supposed to pick her up was accidentally killed thanks to a misunderstanding from Adam. The ravager was kidnapped and about to be interrogated, but Adam wasn’t sure what to do to intimidate him, so he killed him. So, Ayesha and Adam follow the Bowie as the others suit up to go to Counter Earth, a planet created by the High Evolutionary.

(Credit: Inverse)

Now, I haven’t really talked that much about Rocket and the High Evolutionary’s scenes, so I am going to take the time now to discuss it. Rocket’s name when he was in captivity was ‘89P13’. He was part of batch 89, which includes his friends. Lylla, an otter with mechanical arms. Floor, a rabbit with robotic legs and voice, and Teefs, a walrus in a wheelchair. When Rocket first meets them, he is unable to stand or speak at first, before just muttering “Hurts”, and this broke my heart. This poor thing’s first word was about the pain he was experiencing. Throughout Rocket’s torture there, his intelligence actually surpassed the High Evolutionary’s own, with Rocket discovering an error the High Evolutionary overlooked in his experiment for ‘a perfect society’. Rocket and his friends were all under the impression that they will soon join this perfect world, but the High Evolutionary, with no remorse, states that he and his imperfect friends weren’t invited to the new world, but rather they will be killed. In a state of desperation, Rocket creates a key that opens the doors to their cages, freeing them all. He and Lylla embrace for the first time, having been separated in two different cages, and this is the most unexpected death. I thought that Lylla would at least survive, but she dies right as she is freed by the High Evolutionary by a gunshot. Rocket cries in agony as Teefs stays quiet and Floor cries out “Rocket, Floor, Teefs go now!” She is screaming this in fear because her best friend was just killed. Rage soon overtakes Rocket as he brutally attacks his creator. In the ensuing chaos, shots were fired towards Rocket and his friends, so Rocket returned fire. When the attackers are reprimanded, he turns and sees that Floor and Teefs were shot and killed as well. Heartbroken, Rocket flees and escapes on a ship, flying away into the forever and beautiful sky.

These scenes were sprinkled through the previous section with the Orgocorp stuff and it made me so upset to see Rocket and what happened to him, which is why I believe that the High Evolutionary is the MCU’s best villain in this new era. I loved some previous ones after Endgame, like Shang Chi’s Wenwu and Black Panther’s Namor, but something about the High Evolutionary being pure evil with no redeeming qualities is something fresh, after having so many sympathetic villains. Now, there is nothing wrong with a sympathetic villain, majority of my favorite MCU characters were sympathetic villains before (Loki, Wenwu, Killmonger among a few), but ever since Endgame, everyone is trying to recreate that same magic that Josh Brolin did with Thanos. Ever since Endgame, we have had sympathetic villains from Shang Chi (Wenwu), No Way Home (Norman, Otto), Multiverse of Madness (Wanda), Love and Thunder (Gorr), Wakanda Forever (Namor), and just recently, Quantumania (Kang). This is way more than Pre-Endgame MCU, where the only sympathetic ones were one every phase. Here, the High Evolutionary, played perfectly and brilliantly by Chukwudi Iwuji, is an evil mastermind who is trying to create what he believes is the perfect society, using Rocket and his other experiments as mere stepping stones in his path to greatness. One line that he said that I will mention later is not only one of the best lines Gunn ever wrote, it is probably the best thing a villain has ever said since Thanos. Iwuiji did a perfect job playing a villain that I not only hated, I despised.

(Credit: Digital Spy)

Now, the Guardians are making their way to Counter Earth, where they are surrounded by human animal hybrids. They are able to befriend a bat woman (side note: did not know she was a bat in the movie, had no idea what it was), who helps point them in the right direction on where to find the High Evolutionary and the guy they are looking for. So, Drax and Mantis were told to stay with Rocket as Quill, Groot, and Nebula went to confront the High Evolutionary. This is when the first ‘F***’ in the MCU is placed. Now, they make their way through different neighborhoods and see how they live here on Counter Earth. They make it to the High Evolutionary’s base, built in a pyramid like shape. Nebula is not allowed inside thanks to her arm, so Quill and Groot enter while Nebula waits outside. Quill sees the High Evolutionary with his own eyes and the rage and fury behind them is unmistakable. He sees the other Guardians as his family, and the fact that this guy tortured someone in his family, it made him so upset.

Before continuing, I just wanted to say that I do not blame Quill for everything he has done. We have seen throughout his time in the MCU that he is an emotional individual, I mean, hell, he hasn’t found a healthy way to cope with the loss of his mother, because the mere mention of her death, he is sent into a fury filled fit. Quill has been running his entire life, running from these feelings and as a way to continue running, you retaliate. In this case, he retaliates with anger. Since a lot of people blame him for hitting Thanos since he killed Gamora, I just think that this is exactly how he would react, since everyone near and dear to him has been killed (his mom, his girlfriend, his father figure). I mean, if someone killed any one that I loved, I would not even begin to explain the emotions I would feel and what would happen to the person that did me wrong. Although it is wrong that he did punch him, I feel it reflects him as a character, and sure you can hate and blame him, but it had to happen, according to Strange.

So, Quill confronts the guy he saw, which catches the attention of the High Evolutionary, who at this point told him to wait. They talk for a bit before Groot reveals that inside his torso was a bunch of guns, including Quill’s guns. They attempt to kill everyone inside and Quill tackles the guy out of the building, mind you, where they were, it was around 1,000 feet in the air. He is airlifted by Groot to safety and they successfully retrieve the device.

Now, while this is happening, Drax steals a motorcycle and he and Mantis go towards the pyramid, which is starting to rise into the air. Them, along with Nebula, board the ship and are nearly killed thanks to the ship going into space before Drax opens the door to get inside. Meanwhile, Gamora is back at the Bowie, and finds herself trying to protect Rocket from Adam, who is seeking to kidnap him for the High Evolutionary. Just as all of this is happening, the HIgh Evolutionary is blowing Counter Earth up, starting over again. This is interesting, because in that moment in the theater, I had turned to the people I was with and said, “He is playing God,” much like how many believe He threw the asteroid that killed the Dinosaurs (I am not saying I believe in this, I do not, but I find the similarities between the two). As the planet is blowing up, that is when Drax, Mantis, and Nebula board the ship. Gamora is trying to drive the Bowie (although very poorly) and saves Quill and Groot. Meanwhile, Ayesha is killed in the explosions as Adam tries to save her. He ends up on the Bowie and they all fly off the planet.

(Credit: Quora)

Quill begins trying to save Rocket, but Rocket begins to hallucinate his friends in the afterlife, Lylla being the first to see him. He laments how apologetic he was for letting them down, and Lylla explains that he did not. He asks to join them and she agrees, which is when he begins to flatline and Quill and Groot begin to panic. Quill is yelling in anger as he frantically tries to resuscitate him. Meanwhile, Rocket begins walking to his friends, but Lylla stops him. She explains that it is not his time yet. They ‘kiss’ and she calls him her raccoon before sending him back, with him saying “I’m not a raccoon.” He is sent back to his physical body, where he desperately gasps for air. Quill and Gamora are able to heal him and the three guys embrace, Gamora happy that he is okay.

Nebula, Drax, and Mantis are able to communicate with the others on the Bowie, and they are all relieved to hear Rocket (especially Nebula). The three on the ship are captured and they all go to save them. Meanwhile, prior to being captured, the trio find themselves surrounded by caged children. Nebula and Mantis tried to talk to them, but they were unsuccessful. They freed some of them, but then, that is when Quill is able to talk to him. Once they are captured, Drax shows he is able to communicate with the children, which irritates Nebula. They are then lowered into an arena, surrounded by three Abilisk, the battery eating creatures from Vol 2. To everyone’s shock, Mantis is able to befriend the creatures, allowing them to escape.

Meanwhile, the others, including Rocket, board the ship and decide to save them, but they are all reunited thanks to Mantis. They were going to leave, but the trio told them about the children, and the ship is beginning to blow up (More on that in a bit). Rocket lets out that he is “done running” and turns back to save them. Groot, not even thinking about it, follows Rocket, and slowly, every Guardian, including Gamora turns out and they go back to fight the High Evolutionary.

(Credit: Nerdist)

Now, I want to discuss what happened. The High Evolutionary wants to restart his entire experiment, starting a new colony with Rocket’s brain once he captures him. This starts a mutiny on the ship, and this is when he drops the line I mentioned earlier. He says, “There is no God, so I stepped in.” and this solidifies my stance that he is an evil mastermind and the best MCU villain in a while. Just as this is happening, Kraglin and Cosmo brought Knowhere to the ship and began firing at it. In response to this and the mutiny, the High Evolutionary expands a blast of energy, ending everyone’s lives quickly inside that room.

Quill and the others, before freeing the children, have to fight through a hallway. I wish I could go into depth and explain it, but I want to shout out Ryan Arey on ScreenCrush who made a full breakdown video on it. Please go and watch it, he has a frame by frame explanation on how amazing this shot was. I will share the link here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHevly-Nz_M

Quill and the others free the children as Cosmo creates a link that allows the children to run to safety. As they were evacuating, Rocket finds himself in the animal area of the ship, and finds a similar cage that he found himself in when he was younger. He opens it and sees all the babies looking at him. He looks up at the paper and shows that these are in fact ‘Racoons’. He attempts to grab and save them, picking up the ones he dropped and looks around in sadness at all the other animals before the High Evolutionary comes to attack him. He attacks Rocket and ends with him calling him “89P13” before Rocket corrects him by saying “The name’s Rocket. Rocket…Racoon.” He finally admits he is a racoon and fires at him, blasting the High Evolutionary back. The High Evolutionary gets back up and charges at Rocket, but Groot pushes him back into the arms of Drax who throws him over his shoulder and bodies him. Drax then throws him into the air as Quill fires his gun at him. Mantis attacks him, followed by Nebula blasting him into Gamora, who fatally stabs him and proceeds to peel his face off. They look at him as Rocket chooses to spare him, since he is “a fricken Guardian of the Galaxy”.

They save the children and all the animals and Cosmo barely hangs on before fainting. Everyone but Quill makes it over, since Quill went back for his Zune that he dropped. He attempts to make it out and uses the blast’s momentum from the ship exploding to blast himself towards Knowhere, but is unable to make it back, earning a heart wrenching scream from Mantis. Groot attempts to rescue him, but is unsuccessful. Just then, Adam saves Quill after Groot saved him from the ship blowing up, bringing him to Knowhere and he survives, ending up in a group hug with everyone except Gamora.

(Credit: Men’s Health)

Quill catches Gamora before she returns to the Ravagers, explaining how he is finally ready to move on and let her go, truly coming to terms that the Gamora he grew and fell in love with was gone for good. She laments that they must have been great before they parted their separate ways and I really loved how this ended for them. Quill and Gamora’s romantic relationship was one that I thought was the most natural throughout the movies, and seeing it finally come to fruition in Infinity War was great, but it did not last long, and this just shows that even though she was a big part of who he was as a new person, he is finally ready to move on from that chapter in his life and into a new one, which flows right into the next part.

Quill shares to everyone that he is going to return to Earth, having been moved by Rocket’s mantra. He is going back to Earth to see his grandfather. Mantis decides to also leave, not really knowing anything about herself, since she has always done what Ego and the Guardians wanted. Drax volunteers to go with her, but Nebula reminds him that she needs help on Knowhere. He reluctantly agrees, and Rocket is devastated to know the Guardians are ‘over’. However, Quill tells him that the Galaxy needs it’s Guardians, and hands leadership of them over to Rocket, all of them giving Rocket a Ravager salute. It ends with Groot being the last one to do his salute as he says “I love you guys,” and at this moment, I whispered, “Oh my god,” as I began to bawl my eyes out. I have always loved Groot and Rocket throughout the course of the films, and I always tried to figure out what Groot is trying to say, so to finally hear him say something else, and the audience finally being a part of the Guardians made me feel not only sad that it was over for this team, but heartwarming because of how much love they all have for one another. It is truly an amazing job by James Gunn for creating a team with such infectious chemistry.

So as Florence + The Machines The Dog Days Are Over begins to play, we see everyone gets a bittersweet ending. Rocket and Groot dance with each other on Knowhere as Father and Son. In the mid-credit scene, Rocket is leading a new team which includes Kraglin and his arrow, Adam Warlock, Cosmo, one of the children whose name is Phyla, Adam’s pet Blurp, and Groot, who has grown way past his predecessor. Quill returns to Missouri, where he is reunited with his grandpa. Mantis and Drax part ways as she and her friends the Abilisks travel with her on her journey of self discovery. At the climax of the second part of the chorus, Drax finally dances, having been able to go back to becoming a father thanks to the children he saved. Him and Nebula dance with the children as they stay behind to raise them and rule Knowhere, Nebula explaining that she can give them everything she never had growing up. The movie ends with everyone howling into the sky, and it ends with Rocket howling, finally happy. Also, in the post credit scene, it explains that Star Lord will return, so we will see what that brings us.

(Credit: IGN)

Before we end, I wanted to share that I really did enjoy how things ended here for the Guardians. Every single one of their endings played into their character so well, so much so that I was upset that I haven’t even thought of it myself. I touched on Quill and him constantly running earlier in the post, but the fact that he is finally ready to return to Earth for the sole purpose of being there for his Grandpa shows he has grown so much over his time with the Guardians. Gamora returning to the Ravagers and not staying fits perfectly with this version of Gamora, since she has no personal ties to the team besides Nebula. She found a new family with them, the Guardians aren’t her family. Drax, I feel, had the most rewarding ending ever. After fighting all his life, wanting revenge on the ones that wronged him, he was never able to do one thing because his family was gone: become a father. Now, thanks to all the children, he is able to live that part of him. He seems truly happy to be a father, and I know he still misses his wife and daughter, that part will never leave him, but the fact that now he can continue on and raise these kids, giving him back the chance that he lost, makes me feel so happy for him, and it is the perfect sendoff for Drax. Nebula has also been wronged her entire life. Taken away from her family at a young age, constantly put in a sibling rivalry with Gamora, losing everyone but Rocket in Infinity War and Endgame, and gaining it all back and learning to move on from her trauma. She is now able to give back and raise these kids the way that she wished she was. Rocket and Groot are still Guardians of the Galaxy and I am so happy that Rocket made it through. He is the heart of the Guardians and without him, nothing would be the same.

(Credit: Fandango)

With that, it is the end of my explanation and I thank you for reading this far! If you enjoyed reading my stuff, share it with a friend who may also like it as well. Comments are always welcome, but keep it nice. Everyone is entitled to their opinions and shouldn’t be attacked because of them. If you want to hear audio versions of these articles, you can find them on my YouTube channel ‘Screen and Joystick’. Thank you for reading! See you in the next post!

#gotg #gotg review #gotg3 #gotg3 spoilers #rocket raccoon

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secretly-of-course · 1 year

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sorry to keep complaining on main but I need to vent about this

I’m just. So Upset. about this whole leak situation.

I’ve tried blocking tags. I’ve tried blocking people. I haven’t opened pinterest or youtube in two days. And it’s still not enough. I still have seen spoilers. Maybe not as many as I would have had I not taken those precautions, but still enough.

And I feel like I’m (and as I’m sure everyone else is) at such a crossroads because like. Now I have to make the decision of watching the leaked episode and not say a word about it or not watching it and risk getting even more spoiled? It’s only been two days how are any of us supposed to last two weeks? Am I just supposed to not go online for two entire weeks? What am I? A cavewoman? As much respect as I have for people who are capable of that I’m too weak-willed for that.

I saw a screenshot of a moment I know would have squealed at in delight had I seen it live, and instead it just made me way to throw up. One thing about me is I hate knowing other people are watching and enjoying something while I am missing out. You know, when Hollow Mind aired I had to work that day, so I set my alarm for 5:30 AM just so I could watch it and react to it before going to work and I was freaking happy to do so.

On the flip-side, when DOAFP season 2 aired I only got through an episode and a half before our internet completely shit the bed. I was so upset that I cried. It took 2 days to fix and when I finally got to see the episodes and got back online to talk about it, it felt like the hype on tumblr had completely died down already and I had missed it. That was 2 days, how is 2 weeks going to effect this fandom?

I was so excited to see this episode, and now my excitement has been completely ruined. I was literally talking to my therapist on Tuesday how I feel I have been so much better mentally recently than I was a year ago, largely in part due to having toh to focus on and the new episode to look forward to. And I know, I know. I knew from the beginning that staking so much of my mental health on one show was a bad idea but frick I couldn’t help it. I haven’t cried yet but man I’m getting close. I already laid face down on the floor a while. Is this a healthy reaction? No. But what else am I supposed to do. I’m trying so hard to remain optimistic, to tell myself that I don’t know the whole story and there will still be surprises, but the truth of the matter is I’m not excited for this episode now and that’s fucking sad.

We should be making theories right now. We should be writing fics and drawing art. We should be rewatching the previous episodes in preparation. And instead we’re fucking dodging leaks left and right.

I wanted so badly to finish my Gus x Matty reunion comic before ftf aired and that’s just been ruined for me. I was even hoping I might have time to do a Hunter x Willow comic too and it just feels pointless now. I am trying so hard to focus on drawing my comic and writing my Steve x Katya fic and I’m just struggling to focus on any of it because I’m too upset. And it sucks because I know if I’m not careful I could easily slip into a creative block again like I was exactly a year ago before toh altered my brain chemistry. I don’t want to go back to being depressed and uninspired like that again.

I don’t know what to do really. I know everyone in the fandom is going through the same thing, I just had to get my thoughts out, even though they are very self-centered. I just don’t know.

#about the leaks #personal

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lgcyichen · 1 year

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【 TRAINEE MISSION 012 / PROJECT ORIGIN AUDITION 】 ✎... 500 words

despite being blessed with good looks and a brain, being creative wasn’t yichen’s forte. when it was announced that he had to come up with a character for the audition, his usual sharp brain became blank. as much as he wanted his persona to be completely different, it would take too much effort and creativity. hence, he resorted to the internet for some inspiration. yichen managed to stumble across a video on youtube, one that would aid in his musical homework.

“hello, i’m xue yichen and i’ll be presenting my ideal character today for the musical,” he greets the staff with a polite bow. from behind his back, he reveals an a5-sized paper with a drawing that resembles a mind map. the label ‘yichen in an alternate universe’ was circled in thick, red ink with lines branching out to represent his public persona, magic power and his knight’s contributions. “i know i’m still not fluent in korean so i hope this diagram can help make my explanations clearer.”

if he cannot be creative, why not tweak a little of his own personality instead? his ideal persona, the person he wished he could have become. “this character is a warrior, one that isn’t afraid to go out to the frontlines to fight,” he began, pointing to the branch that says ‘his personality’. “but since he doesn’t have a strong physique, he’s often seen as a support. he’s quite an intelligent fellow so i can imagine him helping to strategize or prepare materials. but if there is a need for extra hands on the battlefield, you bet he’ll be the first to volunteer. which brings us to my next point.” his finger taps on the branch that says ‘super power’.

while searching for ideas, youtube’s algorithm coincidentally recommended him one of running man’s older episodes. the one where they had superpowers. that gave him the idea. “since my character’s a short, lanky boy like me, i thought it would do him justice if i give him a power that can be useful as both an attacker and a support. running man episode 74, the one where they had superpowers. just like gary sunbae-nim, my character will have the power of duplication, or the ability to create many versions of himself. each clone has a mind of their own but they share the same purpose as the main controller. for example, he’s tasked to gather supplies for camp. so one clone would head off into the woods to gather wood while two of them would look for a river to catch some fish.”

his finger taps on the last branch, ‘contributions’. “besides helping out with strategizing, i can imagine him being the perfect baiter when the group needs a distraction or when they need extra help. even though he’s not the most talkative person, his intelligence and quick-wit would surely be an asset to the group. that’s all for my presentation. thank you for your time.” yichen bows at the panel and leaves.

#{ *. solo .* }#lgc:traineemission

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djmossback · 6 months

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Spacebar 10/21/23

Third Space Saturday

Tasting Notes:

I’ve been on vacation from my day job all this week. So I ostensibly had more time than usual to prepare, but I was spending it going through the detritus that had built up over the last 29 years of homeowning, child raising, earning a living and being a closet hoarder. And record collector. Is there really a difference? Yes and no. It’s nice to have this archive to draw from, but it’s so out of control that I lose track. I’m not sure if that is a minus. It certainly makes the sets interesting. My friend Andy, in an excerpt from his unpublished book “Extinct-Ophonics,” 1) describes it as “accumulation,” not “collecting,” and this certainly applies to me and my process. I try to exist on the edge of knowledge and discovery. Of exploration and storytelling, even if the story writes itself. I am continually in awe of other people’s creations, and I try to honor them. Even though some things are amusing to me, it’s definitely not a joke. I genuinely like what I play.

I did manage to show up on time and not cause a lot of chaos doing it. Elevator worked for me, so I didn’t get trapped in it like last time. I was greeted almost immediately by the 36th St. Crew: S8n and Geneva, Leah and Airman Mike. It was great to see them there. They are family. And, instead of me playing records at the party like I used to, I did it in public. My son Sam and his person Maddy, along with a couple of other friends, came by later. And stayed late, too.

I started with the Shannon cut I wrote about last month, but did not go back to the compilation it came from again, even though I left “Easy Lover” out of the crate in favor of “Sususudio,” which I didn’t end up playing. I had so many new 12” records to get to. The set cruised pretty well, and I felt good. Technically, it was the best I’ve performed since I started working as a DJ again. I did struggle with the sound, which Julie came up and helped with. I am so grateful to her. She is a great person to work with.

The highlight of the early crowd were the people who came in dressed up in old people costumes. S8n came up and asked me how it felt being in an episode of “Golden Girls.” I told him they were so much fun. Door person Samson told me that he thought it was a mixture of actual old people and young people pretending to be old. Whatever, I thought they were great.

As a matter of fact, all the crowds that filtered through were really great to play for. I apologized to the listener who requested “Pinball Wizard.” I don’t play requests, but I would have played that. Going to look for a 7”. I asked her which version, and she said “Oh, the original.” It follows that a DJ playing an arcade would have that song. My bad.

Things flowed well. I managed to establish a good vibe, and did the things that I do well, better than usual. Maybe I’m more confident, perhaps having loved ones in attendance helped, I don’t know. I played a few tracks that got Tavis dancing behind the bar, which is always inspiring. I threw in some reggae tracks that flowed nicely. I’m not a genre DJ, which I don’t have enough discipline to do, or interest in doing in the first place. I was having such a good time that I forgot to enter the tracks in my log; I think I reconstructed things right, but who knows. You get the drift.

The big moment was when Sean Patton and David Cross came into the bar. Will had invited them, and they included us in their post-show downtown crawl. Will instructed Cyberjewel to play the track “Do They Know It’s Halloween?” by the North American Hallowe’en Prevention Initiative. It was a surprise, and I of course, being a disorganized old, didn’t have a clue what it was about. Jules got it on YouTube, and I wedged it in after the OMD>Closer>NORF NORF combo. Mr. Cross came up and asked me where I found it, and I pointed to Julie. I felt like a total dweeb. I just looked it up, and found out it came out in 2005, and promptly ordered a vinyl copy to have in the crate; it may prove useful next to Band Aid in the Christmas Mix. The celebs bailed after that. I can’t believe we pulled it off, frankly, although if I had mixed the record in, it would have sounded better.

TommyTime came in after the Blonde Redhead show, stayed for the Bush Tetras track, and then left. “Someone’s got to open the store tomorrow!” Hashtag Tommy Time.

I managed to pick up where I left off, and put on the Bob Seger cut “Ramblin’ Gamblin’ Man,” which just thunders. Great drum sound. The remainder of the night was a good representation of what I’m trying to do when everything works, cutting back and forth across the decades. One of the good things about the “blob of information” 2) is that surprisingly, people are open to things outside the mainstream, which doesn’t really exist anymore anyway.

I was feeling so inspired that I tacked an extra hour onto the set, starting with the Gorillaz cut. I was trying out some things that I had just acquired, putting some contemporary artists next to old pop records and seeing how things worked together.

I ended promptly at 0200. Packed up my stuff, wiped down the surfaces and got out of the bar staff’s hair. Just a really great night.

Thank you. Next Third Space Saturday is November 18th, 2023. Drop in if you can.

1) Interested readers can read the full excerpt in Maggot Brain #14, available at Third Man Records. Hopefully, someone will put this book out soon. It is brilliant.

2) Another quote from my man Andy. Really, you should pick up the latest issue of Maggot Brain if you haven’t already. I know print is horribly passe, but then again, so are vinyl records. Right Lefsetz?

The Track List

2100

Let The Music Play, Shannon (LP cut)

Let’s Dance, David Bowie (12” single)

Kiss You All Over, Exile (7” single)

War Ina Babylon, Max Romeo (LP cut)

I’ve Been Thinking About You, LondonBeat (12” single)

Rise, Herb Alpert (12” single)

The Magnificent Seven, The Clash (7” single)

Pressure Drop, The Maytals (LP cut)

The Things That Dreams Are Made Of, Human League (LP cut)

Outstanding, Gap Band (LP cut)

Things We Do For Love, 10CC (7” single)

Let It Whip, Dazz Band (7” single)

Whip It, DEVO (7” single)

Word Up, Cameo (12” single)

Every 1’s A Winner, Hot Chocolate (LP cut)

Pumped Up Kicks, Foster The People (LP cut)

Hippychick, SOHO (12” single)

Jive Talkin’, Bee Gees (7” single)

Rock With You, Michael Jackson (7” single)

Got To Be Real, Cheryl Lynn (7” single)

Couldn’t Get It Right, Climax Blues Band (7” single)

Roxanne, The Police (7” single)

Crazy Little Thing Called Love, Queen (7” single)

Drivin’ My Life Away, Eddie Rabbit (7” single)

Wanderer, Donna Summer (7” single)

Can’t Get Blue Monday Out Of My Head, Kylie Minogue (12” single)

Meaning Of Love, Depeche Mode (12” single)

Knock On Wood, Amii Stewart (12” single)

Walking The Dog, Rufus Thomas (7” single)

Cheap Sunglasses, ZZ Top (LP cut)

Too Many Creeps, Bush Tetras (7” single)

Scratchcard Lanyard, Dry Cleaning (7” single)

Joan Of Arc, O.M.D (12” single)

Closer, Nine Inch Nails (LP cut)

Norf Norf, Vince Staples (LP cut)

Some track that we played for David Cross, who came up and asked me where I found it.

Ramblin’ Gamblin’ Man, Bob Seger System (LP cut)

Give It Up Or Turnit A Loose, James Brown (7” single)

DO THE DU, A Certain Ratio (12” single)

Pick Up The Pieces, Average White Band (LP cut)

Fire-Eater, Rusty Bryant (LP cut)

Only So Much Oil In The Ground, Tower Of Power (LP cut)

Boogie Oogie Oogie, Taste Of Honey (LP cut)

Pressure, Ari Lennox (LP cut)

Dirty Rat, Orbital (LP cut)

West End Girls, Pet Shop Boys (12” single)

Dancing With Myself, Gen X (7” single)

Ex’s & Oh’s, Elle King (LP cut)

Black Sap Scriptures, Plague Vendor (LP cut)

Hair Of The Dog, Nazareth (LP cut)

Walk This Way, RUN-D.M.C. (12” single)

What’s Inside A Girl?, The Cramps (12” single)

The Futures So Bright I Gotta Wear Shades, Timbuk 3 (LP cut)

Pay To Cum, Bad Brains (7” single)

Blood Of The Prophets, Max Romeo (LP cut)

Them Changes, Thundercat (LP cut)

YAH, Kendrick Lamar (LP cut)

America’s Most Blunted, Madvillain (12” single)

She’s Crafty, Beastie Boys (LP cut)

Charley Says! (Roller Boogie Baby), King Tim III (LP cut)

Clint Eastwood, Gorillaz (12” single)

Declaration Of Rights, Abyssinians (LP cut)

Promises, Promises, Naked Eyes (7” single)

blue bones (deathwish,) billy nomates (LP cut)

This Life, Kendra Morris (7” single)

Genius Of Love, Tom Tom Club (12” single)

Uptown Top Ranking, Althea and Donna (LP cut)

Down By The River, PJ Harvey (7” single)

Keep Your Fingers Out The Jam, Fatback (Tribute to IGA) (LP cut)

Time (Clock Of The Heart,) Culture Club (7” single)

Magic, Olivia Newton John (7” single)

Remembering Me, Cate le Bon (LP cut)

Ms. Fat Booty, Mos Def (12” single)

Money Ain’t A Thing, Jay Z w/ Jermaine Dupre (LP cut)

Madison Time, Ray Bryant Combo (LP cut)

Pipeliners Blues, Moon Mullican (LP cut)

Say Man, Bo Diddley (LP cut)

Hang ‘em High, Booker T (LP cut)

0200

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ordinaryschmuck · 2 years

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What I Thought About "O' Titan, Where Art Thou" from The Owl House

Salutations, random people on the internet who certainly won't read this. I am Ordinary Schmuck. I write stories and reviews and draw comics and cartoons.

It's crazy to think that this is basically the beginning of the end for The Owl House. And I don't mean just this season. "O' Titan, Where Art Thou" gives me this feeling that things will start wrapping up for the series. After this week, we have two more episodes, three forty-five-minute specials, and that's it. There's very little time at this point for shenanigans and fluff, as the writers need to dedicate how little they have left to tie up as many loose ends as possible. And like I said, "O' Titan, Where Art Thou" is the beginning. Revelations have been made, and groups are formed, meaning that there's not much left except preparing for the end. Let's just hope that this week's episode didn't break us too badly when doing it.

Spoilers below.

WHAT I LIKED

The Opening Scene: Well, this episode is already accepted as being heavy and heartbreaking. Might as well start things off with total, incomprehensible fear as we learn that King has some form of a connection with The Collector. Knowing that they probably want King for something, it is a horrifying prospect that they can have an idea of where to find him.

On the topic of wants, this opening scene gives us a glimpse of The Collector's motivation: Freedom from isolation. It appears they're stuck in that weird Pokeball or whatever the hell it is, wanting to be free and have people to play with again. Unfortunately, I feel like The Collector's idea of playtime involves s**t like shuffling a person's face holes like a deck of cards, but at least we know what they want now. The question is, why does The Collector need the Day of Unity to be free? Well, we'll have to wait for future episodes to answer that question because we have problems to deal with now.

King Wanting to Split Up: Such as King wanting to split up so he can be left alone with his thoughts on being the last of his species and that everything he thought he knew was a lie. That's really the impression I got from King's request to just go back to the Owl House on his own. He both wants and needs the time to process what happened to him in "Edge of the World," and I respect that the writers acknowledge that King wouldn't immediately go back to his usual self. His life--At least, with how he perceives it--is changed forever. He can never go back to the time before he knew he was a Titan, and it's great that we get to see him process that ON SCREEN. He might have thought about everything that happened to him between episodes, but it would have been much more fascinating to see it. And we do, and it was. So, yeah. Good job all around.

Everyone’s Wanted: Unfortunately, the problems keep on rising. I'm sure if this was still Season One, Eda would be proud that Luz ends up a wanted criminal like her because "Hooray corrupting the youth" and "fight the power" and all that jazz. However, this is nearing the end of Season Two. The context behind the wanted posters has changed, and Eda has grown closer to Luz. So, when the Emperor's Coven is hunting Luz down like a wild animal, it's not going to be pride Eda will feel. It's fear and worry over how to protect Luz from this not-great situation. So seeing those posters not only makes the audience fear for Luz, but it also makes us worry about Eda and what she's going through.

The Owl House Got Ransacked: And this makes it worse!

Seeing the Owl House emptied out of everything...hurts. It always stings when the home of the characters, one we often see and become familiarized with, gets some level of destroyed or violated. It shows how big the stakes are becoming, where the one setting we all saw as sacred isn't even safe from this big, status quo-shattering event.

And again, it makes me ask, WHERE'S EDA IN ALL OF THIS?!

Lilith and Eda Coming Up with Ideas to Stop Belos: Oh, there she is. And with Lilith too!

That being said, I like where we find Lilith and Eda in this episode. They're low on resources and are on their own, and all they can think to do is bounce ideas off each other on how to stop Belos. Because, really, that's all they can do at this moment. Eda's broken laws before, but she's never had to do a full-frontal assault against a dictator. This is something that is way out of her league. And while Lilith has planned assaults before, she's always had her magic and an army of Coven Guards backing her up. Now? All she has is Eda, and both of them are powerless without their magic. They have their glyphs and staffs, but compared to Belos' "magic" ability, they'd be dead in a few minutes. They recognize this and understand that there's basically nothing they can do, which soon presents an interesting conflict for Eda. She has no plan and knows that she and everyone else is screwed, but she can't tell Luz that. Luz has more hope than anyone else, and if Eda kills that, then things really are hopeless for everybody. I'll get more into that later. For now...I could use a laugh.

Lilith’s Reaction to King Being a Titan: Oh, how I needed this...

There's been this air of doom and gloom within these last few episodes, heightened by the Day of Unity is coming closer and closer. So, trust me when I appreciate this subplot of Lilith being excited that King is a god and starts worshiping him like one. It was pretty fun to see, getting me to chuckle at how nuts Lilith can get when seeking approval from someone of a higher power. But that's just ONE part of the episode.

Luz Wanting to Steal Back Francois: Just like Eda, Luz wants to give King ONE good day. And to do that, she decides to steal back his favorite stuffed animal, one that he got on the day he and Luz first met...Huh. I wonder if that's the reason why King loves Francios so much. It'd be interesting if it was true.

But enough about plausible theories. Luz wanting to go against the Emperor's Coven for King, despite knowing how big of a target is painted on her back, shows how much she truly cares for him and wants her little buddy/brother to be happy. So by the him, she's going to risk life and limb to get King his favorite toy back! And Eda's going with her because obviously, she doesn't want one of her kids getting arrested or killed for this dangerous mission!

“Wouldn’t you rather have a beach day?”/“Maybe if we had time for twenty more adventures, but we don’t!”: HA!

AH-HA!

Ha...

Ah...

Augh. I'm laughing because it hurts.

Ow...Also, do fans really want a beach episode? Why? To see the characters in swimsuits? You DO realize that most of them are minors, right? You twisted psychos...unless some of you are minors who are younger than the characters. In which case, you're not sick freaks. You're kids going through puberty, Mother Nature's way of reminding everyone that she hates us all. It's totally natural and nothing to really be ashamed of. But if you're NOT a minor, you really ARE a sick freak who SHOULD be ashamed...and also should still stay away from playgrounds.

"But what if I want to see EDA in a bikini?"

Then draw Eda in a bikini! Do you really think a Disney show for kids will have a MILF like her in a bikini?! COME ON!

Anyways, this got away from me. Let's get back to the episode.

Luz and Eda Being “Inconspicuous”: I'm going to be honest, "O' Titan, Where Art Thou" is way funnier than I expected. Eda and Luz busting in with poorly made disguises and not being inconspicuous in the slightest? I'm sorry, but that got a chuckle out of me. And I'm glad. As I said, things have been filled with doom and gloom lately, so it's appreciated that The Owl House remembers to let its viewers have fun before things get too real.

Steve and King Going for a Ride: And while we're talking about fun, I'm glad that King got a more lighthearted subplot in this episode. I mean, he's still dealing with his issues over recent revelations, but he does that by taking the time to relax, breathe, and process everything. It's sweet to see, letting him have this day of fun while still acknowledging how much thing's have changed for him. That moment when he hugged the Titan's rib? Man! That hurt...

And Steve. That mother f**ker. He has no right to be as cool and central to the plot as he did! He was just a silly one-off character that had a good joke of getting shoulder pats! If you were to tell me in Season One that he'd be the central source for King's character development, I would have laughed at you! Because it's f**king STEVE! There's no way that'd be true! But it was, and, dang it, these writers win all of the brownie points for turning a one-off character into someone important and having it WORK! It was all fun to see...and it made me wonder if the episode was ever going to get to the heartbreak I anticipated.

Eda Begging Raine to Protect Luz and King: There it is!

This shows us how much trust and love Eda has toward Raine. She's willing to put faith that they'll be able to protect her kids, knowing that even if Rain's brain is a little scrambled, they still have a heart. They would never let children get hurt if there was anything they could do to stop it. That's heart-shattering enough as it is, but the tone in Eda's voice and the fact that she's willing to let herself get caught so her kids could be safe stings even more. Earlier, I said that Eda knows that they're all screwed, so of course, with the Day of Unity coming in two days, she'll do everything she can to make sure her kids are safe.

Even if it hurts them.

“Are you sending me away?”: The pain in Luz's voice when she asked this question felt real. Luz already had her mother send her away, thinking it'd be for Luz's own good. So to have Eda do the same thing hurts for two reasons. For one, it reopens the wound Luz has from Camila, thinking that she'd rather have someone else take care of Luz. Not saying that's what Camila did, but it's what Luz might THINK she did. Another reason is that it makes Luz think Eda doesn't trust Luz to hold out on her own. Again, that's not true. At least, not entirely true. Eda just wants Luz to be safe, but that's not what Luz wants. She'd rather throw herself into danger than lose the family she has in this world. It's a moment where you'll side with Eda but can understand Luz's betrayal. And what follows after...hurts even more.

Luz and Eda’s Fight: I didn't need this. I DID NOT NEED THIS!

Seeing Luz and Eda fight really hit me hard. These two arguably has the closest relationship out of everyone in the main cast, basically being mother and daughter at this point. Therefore, seeing them fight like this has so much emotional impact because we know they don't want to do this. You see it in how neither actively goes out to hurt the other. It's either to distract, escape, or block, but it still stings seeing them come to this. Luz is trying to prove she can handle herself just fine, while Eda is trying to protect the closest thing she'll have to a daughter. You understand why both are fighting like this, but you just wish they could stop and just talk things out peacefully. And they do...technically. But before I get to THAT gut punch, let's go back to the wholesomeness. PLEASE!

King Not Wanting People to Fear Him Anymore: Now that's some character growth I can get behind.

King finally has everything that he ever wanted. And if this was the same King from Season One, he'd probably be ecstatic, demanding everyone to do dumb things for his entertainment. But this is King from Season Two.

He's a character who saw himself as a tyrant but learned that he was a young child who lost his father. A character who had wanted his biological family again but knows that'll never be possible. A character who went through so much and just wants to live a normal life as a kid. Not a tyrant. Him admitting that he doesn't want people to fear him anymore is King realizing he's not the same as he used to be. He doesn't want power or fear. He wants to be loved. It's an incredible moment, and I sure hope the fandom doesn’t undermine it with something like, oh, I don't know--

Steve’s Face Reveal: THIS! MOTHER! F**KER!

How DARE HE take away our precious baby boy's time to shine by showing what he looks like under the mask! And how DARE HE look cute under that thing!

Also, what does it say about Belos when I'm more excited about Steve's face reveal than his. Again, if you told me that in Season One, I would have laughed in your face. BECAUSE IT'S F**KING STEVE!

Alright, that's enough wholesomeness. Back to the heartbreak.

Luz and Eda Breaking Down in the Cell: DID! NOT! NEED THIS!

Do you want to know what's worse than seeing a mother and daughter fight? Seeing them both cry as they realize how dire things are for them. Eda didn’t want to stamp out Luz’s hope…but she NEEDED to. She needed to tell Luz that things aren’t looking good, and that there’s practically nothing they can do about it. And that kills her. The reason why she’s crying is because she’s finally admitting that she can’t protect Luz and that there’s nothing for them to do but wait for the inevitable. And Luz’s reaction…kills me. She’s begging for Eda to tell her what to do and explain how they can get out of this, only for Eda to stay silent as they’re carted off to their own demise. It hurts much more than the first time they were separated in “Agony of a Witch.” There, Eda was at least trying to force a smile so to not let Luz worry. Here, there is no smile. Just acceptance that there’s no getting out of this…and thank GOODNESS that the episode doesn’t end there!

The CATs (Hiss!) Saving Luz and Eda: So much happens during this reveal, so I'm just going to go in order:

Confirming that Darius and Eberwolf are the ones who are helping Raine (even though we already knew) is great. Raine and Darius already have some solid chemistry, and the explanation for why Darius and Eberwolf attacked Raine and Eda makes sense. Tons of people already assumed that it was mostly an act, and Darius and Eberwolf weren't actually going to hurt anyone. They were just making it look authentic for the emperor's coven and filling Raine in later when things calmed down. As I said, it makes sense.

Luz meeting Raine is everything I wanted it to be. They're both excited to meet each other and explain how the reason why is all because Eda wouldn't shut up about her two favorite people. It's sweet, and I love it.

I love everything building up the name of the rebellion. Raine slowly hyping it up while Darius tells them to shut their mouth is hilarious, with Raine's excitement for having the most pathetic rebellion name being just too pure. The same goes for Luz! She's so excited to be in a rebellion called the CATs, and I'm all for it.

This whole scene was absolute perfection. It lifted my spirits quick after the heartache I just had a second ago while also giving more hope for the end. I know in the back of my mind that things won't end well in "King's Tide," but I'm at least hopeful that our characters have a fighting chance against a mad man planning genocide. It makes me excited to see how well they do...but that's not the only thing I'm excited about.

Luz Carving Her Palisman: Forgot about that little plot point, didn't you? Can't say that I blame you. After all, with everything else that happened, Luz making her own palisman just got left on the backburner for a while. But now, it is the perfect time to bring it back. We've got one episode before the season finale, and what's a better way to make it more grand than letting Luz kick butt with her very own palisman. Whatever she makes, though, we'll just have to see.

Now, I wanted to just cross out the dislike section and just accept that this episode is practically perfect…but…

WHAT I DISLIKED

This episode left me with...questions. Questions that I'd ignore if not for how important they are to be answered. Questions such as:

How did Eda and Lilith avoid getting captured?

How did Eda know that Raine knew about the draining spell?

How did the CATs save Eda and Luz?

Why did they wait hours to free Luz?

I know the writers are strapped for time and need to cut corners to focus on the more important stuff, but there's some flimsy excuse behind these questions that, honestly, would have worked better with just one more rewrite. Other than that, I'd say this is another solid A.

IN CONCLUSION

Even though "O' Titan, Where Art Thou" is the beginning of the end for The Owl House, it still feels like its own episode rather than a part of a larger story. We get many perfect character moments, solid character growth, and a strong balance between humor and drama. Maybe the episode itself isn't flawless, but everything that's done right makes me care less. I enjoyed every minute, and here's hoping that winning streak continues as we reach the end of The Owl House.

#the owl house #king clawthorne #luz noceda #eda clawthorne #lilith clawthorne #toh steve #raine whispers #toh darius #the owl house reviews #the owl house spoilers #toh spoilers #what i thought about

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markfaites · 7 months

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HELP IM BACK, somewhat- hehe i didnt post in a long time cause my phone was dying.... so i had no memory storage to.... download... this app again- AHEM ANYWAYS!!! fed myself with tons of deltarune-related stuff to prepare myself for the chapter 3(it would be so fun if it will be released right on my birthday lma)

uhm sooo what do i say here after being gone for a year or so?...

helo. im happi...ur..hea...reedink fhis.🤓!!

I HAVE IMPROVED AT NY DRAWING SKILLS... ASTRONOMICALLY. somehow. your buddy Mark wasnt slacking off the whole year now was i👹

it feels like october is ALWAYS a big month of some big events, waiting for THREE funny thingies to come!! drones, deltatraveler section 3 and delta..rune... chapter 3- hold up did the deltatraveler creators do this... intentionally???? COME ON!! oh, now im just writing my thoughts out-text here, like i always do.... well, some things never change‼‼

oh yeah also QAITING FOR MYSTER SKULLS FINAL EPISODE TO COME OUT... the last one came out in october.... holy... moly.... dont tell me all of those 4 funny thingies will... JUST BLAST ME UP ON MY BIRTHDAY!??! NOOO THIS WILL BE TOO MUCH FOR MY POOR LITTLE FANBOY HEART TO TAKE!!! and yeah i am into murder drones cause N is my exact doppleganger... even if he is yellow(i hate yellow. grrrr....) but hey!! he even has an angsty teen half emo half edgelord mega cool and very lovable gf!!! i cannot argue with that! its like the one who designed N's personality... just... traced it from meee.... hmmm... EH i dont mind being stalked by some animation studios, knowing my kinn list is taller than the biggest skyscraper in the world, i could say i am used to this. AND YES I HAVE ALREADY DREW MYSELF AS A DRONE!! and even if i dont like violence or murder or anything like that because it makes me sick, robo-me is... a murder drone. cause hey!!! N is also one and he is my robo-copy!!

alsp im studying japanese with duolingo now. is that a good idea? will i be able to learn fluent japanese from there? idk, but i hope i will get to a level high enough that would help me start self-educating myself in japanese, just like i did with....other...languages.....AHHEM...... phew! anyways, maybe when the times get even better, i would be able to find what to post! and yeah i have quite a ton of drawings that piled up over the years.... but its all private stuff! its all people that i know or something very VERY personal that i dont share with... anyone!!!! maybe i could cherry pick some stuff from there to post over here like robo version of myself or... maybe other stuff. but the half-realistic ralsei drawing will DEFINITELY go here! whow, i love drawing my kinns. theyre just so... me that.. its just an urge at this point. isnt it also this way for you too? you just see a character that you either heavily relate to, or theyre just outright your copy, pasted in a different looking body with a slightly different voice (LOOKING AT YOU PEOPLE!! N, RALSEI, ARTHUR, DAve, papyrus, steven, simon... AH JEEZ I HAVE TOO MANY STUPIDLY IDENTICAL TO MYSELF CHARACTERS THAT I HAVE A VERY HUGE URGE TO DRAW BECAUSE THEYRE LIKE ME! well, im like an extroverted version of simon muhehe) and you just... go "damn... this is... just me but in another coating! i wanna draw them. i relate to them." I AM HORRIBLE AT EXPLAINING!!

#idk man #idk what im doing #yippee #silly goofy mood

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beautifulbows924 · 2 years

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The Dating Problem

Steven Grant x Gender Neutral!Teacher Reader

Masterlist

A/N: I wasn’t going to write more for this until the second episode came out, but I just couldn’t help it. Remember requests are now open for Steven Grant! As always, I hope you enjoy and feel free to leave any feedback:) And should I make a third part to this with some smut maybe? Let me know what you think!

Word Count: 1.5K+

Warnings: Fluff, No spoilers, General awkwardness, the tiniest bit of angst if you squint (at least in regards to how Steven thinks of himself), Sexual innuendos, Implied future sexual situations.

This is part 2 of this fic, Awkward Beginnings, but could technically be read as a standalone oneshot!

“Steven, Steven!”, you exclaimed quietly, trying to get his attention without drawing anyone else’s. You knew he’d be more nervous with the eyes of others watching you.

You finally caught his gaze and gestured to the bookshop across the street, raising an eyebrow in question.

He nodded, walking to you and tripping over his own feet in the process. You stifled a giggle, as he steadied himself like a tightrope walker would on a highline. Steven was nothing if not clumsy, but it was endearing. He had many quirks as you had come to know over the last few weeks. You talked almost everyday. Except for a few, where he didn’t text you at all.

He didn’t seem to have an explanation for that, but you let it go.

You worried about him quite a bit. He would show up to dates looking like he hadn’t slept in weeks. And even now, underneath the dim light of the street lamps, you could see the rings around his eyes.

“Are you okay?”, you asked, seeing his disheveled appearance, “do we need to reschedule?”.

“No!”, he yelled, startling you. You took a step back to give him space in case he needed it. He pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a long sigh, “What I meant to say was that I’m fine, really. I just didn’t get a lot of sleep last night”.

He moved tentatively towards you, reaching a hand out to clasp yours, squeezing it reassuringly. He didn’t want to scare you again. “I’m sorry for startling you”, he said softly, looking at you with an unreadable expression.

“It’s alright, Steven”, you said, responding with your own squeeze of his hand, “Are you ready?”.

He nodded again, smiling at you.

You return to this bookshop almost every weekend. And you always enjoy your time with him, so much so, you wish the night would never end.

You talk about your students and what they’re learning, and he tells you about his time at the museum, including any new exhibits that are set to open soon. Sometimes, he even tells you about the strange dreams he has and how they scare him. You tell him that they’re only dreams and you wish you could sleep next to him to make him feel better when he wakes up scared.

That’s the one thing though- he never talks about his apartment, except for his pet goldfish Gus. You figure he doesn’t want to invite you there for whatever reason, so you don’t push him on the matter. You’ve invited him to spend the night with you, but he’s turned that down everytime too.

He’s pursuing the history section, when you walk up behind him and wrap your arms around his waist. He yelps in surprise until he realizes it’s just you. You laugh a bit before asking him what he’s looking for. There’s your laugh again, he still can’t get enough of it.

Steven so badly wants to invite you home with him, but he can’t push away the thoughts that he shouldn’t. What if you think he’s weird? His bedtime rituals are pretty unusual.

“What about this one?”, you ask, holding up a book on Egyptian gods. He scans your appearance. You look so nice today, he notices.

He ignores your question but takes the book from you and sets it on the ground. You look at him curiously, but you have barely any time to prepare before his lips are on yours.

He’s more experienced than you thought he would be, but you can still tell he’s asking for your permission to take it any further. You deepen the kiss and wrap your arms around his neck pulling him even closer. He runs his hands over your arms and back until they rest softly on your waist.

He pulls away slowly, accessing the expression on your face. You give him a wide smile, “That was unexpected, what was that for?”.

He blushes, looking down and away from you, eyes closing tightly. Not able to meet your gaze anymore.

You reach for his face, lifting it up to look at you, “Hey, it’s just me”, you say softly.

And he thinks his heart melts right there.

His eyes soften, “I know, I’m just not used to this”, he gestures between the two of you, “I’ve never made it this far before and I don’t know where to go from here”.

You take his hands in yours, “That’s okay”, you say, “We’ll just see where things end up. No pressure, Steven”. You kiss his lips quickly, causing him to blush again.

He bends down to pick up the book, so he can steady his breathing, but you’re still talking and his breath hitches in his throat. “I’m not going anywhere, I promise”, you say.

He stands back up and contemplates his next words, while you continue your search for the books he told you about.

“Would you-”, his voice wavers, “I mean—would you like to come to my apartment tonight?”, he asks, a hopeful expression on his face.

“Of course I would”, you smile again, “Are you ready to go?”.

After checking out, he takes his hand in yours and leads you to his apartment. It’s surprising to you that it’s not too far from the bookshop you both frequent.

“I’m sorry if things are a bit of a mess”, he says, before he starts opening the door.

“I’m not worried about it, I’m sure it’s fine”, you dismiss him.

He grimaces as he steps through the door, light illuminating the place.

You look around and smile when you find Gus in his tank, exactly how you pictured him. You let go of his hand to go interact with the fish and—

Steven can’t remember what he was so worried about.

He can feel himself falling in love with you. Your kindness, your intelligence, how sweet you are to him. You’d never judge him and he can feel it so deeply it almost hurts.

You smile at him, looking up from where you were talking to Gus, noticing that unreadable expression on his face again.

“What are you thinking about?”, you ask him, pulling him from his thoughts.

“Just you”, he says, quicker and more honest than he or you expected him to. And now it’s your turn to be embarrassed as you cover your face with your hands.

You shake your head, laughing lightly before walking back over to him. “I’m glad you invited me”.

“I’m glad you wanted to come”, he responds, thinking of how to phrase what he wants to ask you.

“So”, he says with a long pause, “Would you want to spend the night?”.

“I thought you’d never ask”.

“Is that a yes?”, he asks, nervous again.

“Yes”, you laugh, “but I’m stealing some of your clothes. It’s way too hot to be wearing all of this”.

He nods, thinking about how you’d look in his clothes. Would they be too big on you? Just right? However they fit, he knew he couldn’t wait to see you in them.

“But first why don’t you give me the tour”.

He smiles, he hasn’t had the chance to show off his apartment since he first got the place.

The last stop on your tour is his bedroom area and as soon as he gets close he remembers what it was he didn’t want you to see.

You access his apartment with an open mind and no judgement, it’s a lot like him actually. A bit messy, but sweet.

When you get to the foot of his bed, your eyes flicker over to the restraints tied to it. Your eyebrows raised in surprise, “Is there a full moon tonight?”, you ask, humour lacing your tone, “or should I be prepared to not be able to walk in the morning?”.

You can see Steven out of the corner of your eye trying to form a response, but his mouth just opens and closes a bit like Gus, “It’s not- It’s- for me”.

“Well that makes sense, I always suspected you were a sub”, you tease.

“No—that’s not what I meant. I mean that it’s for me when I sleep”, another eyebrow raise, “This is coming out all wrong. I mean that I sleep walk sometimes so I use them to keep me in bed”, he rushes out, biting his lip to stop himself from over-explaining anymore.

You walk over to him, smiling at him reassuringly again, “Okay”.

“Just okay?”, he asks.

“I mean what did you think I was going to do—run out the door and never come back?”.

He scratches the back of his neck, “Well… yeah, pretty much”.

You shake your head, “You’re going to have to do a lot more than just ankle restraints to make me run away from you”.

“I really do like you Steven”.

“I really like you too”, he says, his hand moving to cup your face, caressing it softly with his thumb.

“Also, I have a few ideas on how we can use those restraints tonight if you’re up for it?”, you say, wiggling your eyebrows at him.

And this time, he laughs.

Thanks for reading! Let me know if you want to be tagged or un-tagged down below <3

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