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toujoursmiraculous · 3 years

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Thoughts & Reactions to Sole Crusher & Queen Banana!

Here's my 2 in 1! Starting with Sole Crusher. Loved the tourist feel in the beginning, gives it a very different feel and interesting to see it from Zoe's perspective. Aww Zoe's so nice to Marinette right away. And it's awfully sad that she only ever had one friend. :c I wonder who that friend is? Zoe's right about her family not appreciating the baked goods from the Dupain-Cheng bakery. I don't know if she's fully aware of the history there, or if she just knows how picky her mother and sister are. But it was awfully sweet of her to give them to the tour guide to give to her family instead. So Zoe learned: in order to survive, she had to put on an act and be somebody she's not, because her family wouldn't accept her being a decent person that cares about others. When asked about her middle school, her response, "I found a cockroach in my locker!" Might not be true, doesn't sound like it's the only thing at all if so, but sadly it was enough for her mom to not question anything.

Chloe's definitely a lot worse now after Miracle Queen. In my opinion, this is us beginning to see how low she's gotten and will continue to get. As Avatar Aang once said, "When we reach our lowest point, we are open to the greatest change." I'll write more on this in a separate post later. Zoe's sure scared to object to anything and be herself. Not even hesitating to act like a brat when around Chloe. If she didn't end up growing up around Chloe, how horrible are her parents??? We know Audrey is pretty bad, but even then if she had a decent dad she'd likely not end up like this. I suppose we'll have to see, but this poor girl. :/ Rose: Can we adopt her? Lol awww. Wonderful of Marinette to know that after only one brief encounter with Zoe, she knows that the Zoe at school isn't really her, and wants to genuinely help. How can anybody hate that about her? I don't get it. If it's because she doesn't do things how you'd like them...Most things in life won't go as you want them, or be taken by others as you may intend them, so you have to appreciate what's there and the intent of others actions. "But my family made me think that to deserve my place, I had to give up on some of my dreams." If Andre's talking about his parents here, as he said "When I was young", then oof this poor man, no wonder he's so timid and such a pushover. If he's referring to Audrey and Chloe... then that's a huge oof because Audrey knew exactly who she was marrying and should've never ended up with him in the first place if she didn't want to be with a director. So Zoe left because she couldn't stand it in New York anymore around her dad and the kids at her school. She hoped that she wouldn't have to act anymore and could just be herself. It really sounds like she needed to act a certain way in order to survive getting bullied, or worse. Dang, she really must not have met Chloe before then, or heard anything about her if she thought living with her mom and sister would be better. But in a way, it is better for her, because she has Marinette and the kids at school now. And she has Andre who's probably a better parent to her than her actual parents. Which is surprising and also not at the same time. "We end up hiding our feelings deep down in here." Okay so he says that with a booklet that has Emilie's face on it held up to his chest. Now, it may just be nothing but him thinking about his director dream. But. It could've also been any other object he held to his heart, it could've been something without a face on it or at least not her face. And Andre did work with Emilie. So I would not be surprised at all if there was something there that this is hinting at. Hmmmm. Also, I guess that's not Tomoe Tsurugi? Even though it's Kagami's model they used. And she's really pretty, too! Maybe something will come from this, or the animators didn't think it through when they added that image. Who knows. Even Chloe's first thought when she's in trouble is to go to Marinette what the heck 😂 When Kaalki teleported into Adrien's room...had Adrien turned around as it

happened he would've seen enough of her room to recognize it. Instead the portal changed and was outdoors. But lol poor Kaalki slamming against the window! All his things getting sucked in and Plagg's cheese was hilarious. XD Chloe's second thought of where to go: Luka's. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. 🤔 "This winner and loser thing doesn't exist!" Sad that Chloe thinks this way at all, who even taught her this? x.x Chat Noir: Did somebody start off on the wrong foot today? Marinette: I'm not finished! Chat Noir: Huh? LOL I laughed so hard at this moment. Did she forget who she is at the moment because even Chat's like what "I will always support you!" AWWWWWW what a good friend! And I think by helping Zoe become stronger, she'll in turn help Chloe be a better person too. But I'll talk about this again later. Poor Sabrina in this episode, my goodness. She works in a tiny closet and has to run along the limo. Chloe's seriously getting awful. Zoe's charm is the cutest one so far! So pretty. Ivan giving Zoe a hug was the cutest thing ever. Like, I don't ship them, but this shouldn't have anything to do with it. He and the rest of the kids care about her and respect her for being open and honest with her struggles, and want to be there for her. It's so wholesome. 😭 I find it interesting that even Audrey in this episode doesn't always know how to react to Chloe. xD But thank you Andre for caring enough about her to keep her in Paris and trying to keep some peace between the two. "For the first time in my life, I feel at home." 😭😭😭😭😭 Just imagine for a minute if Marinette didn't bother to help Zoe, believed how she acted at school rather than when she met her, and didn't tell the other kids about what was going on. Everything for her would be so drastically different. All because Marinette showed some kindness. Now onto Queen Banana. Well poor Marinette can't help but faceplant on the news. xD I can just tell what Alya leaned into say "You okay, girl?" and Marinette mumbling under the cape, "that's what the news is going to see of me, aren't they?" "Afraid so." "groan" Ah okay, Thomas was an alumni of the school. Cool. Poor Andre, he's just doing what Zoe suggested of him and not give up his dream of directing! I wonder if being around Luka and Juleka made Zoe want to put that pink streak in her hair. xD I want Luka and Zoe to be really good friends, that'd be so cool. Chloe being really awful some more. To everybody. I've noticed a pattern and I think I have her figured out pretty well. I'll be writing a in-depth post about her soon! She's making them change the entire movie just for her. xPP I said to my sister, "as soon as she leaves they should just film their original ideas." They do, thank goodness. xD I got so happy that we get an Adrienette scene in this ep! And then I saw he's locked in a cage, willingly, smiling at Marinette while the door shuts and I just burst out laughing. He's not even nervous he's locked in a cage, suspended in the air! Booooooy must like Marinette a lot! "Now let's take care of Adrien and get him out of that cage." OMG thank you, Marinette. While the image of him is comical, it's making me so uncomfortable that someone's up there like that and that someone also being terrified of being locked up in such a small space. Also, how long do you think Adrien would've stayed up there had Marinette not said something? Oh? What a change of pace, when Adrien goes to try to make things better for everyone, he screws it up pretty badly to be what really drives Chloe to get akumatized. She may have cooled off enough on her own as she tells Adrien "I'm fine." ...until he suggests apologizing to everyone. "You promised to stop being rude to everyone. And I told you that we couldn't be friends otherwise." OOF. Okay so her reaction to this really goes into the territory I want to talk about in my upcoming post about Chloe. "Banana BOOM BOOM!" lololol it sounds so funny in German dub xDD Marinette instantly pulling Zoe away from the attack x33 Ladybug's spin move with Chat Noir XD

it's like what's happening we're fighting an akuma not dancing This entire akuma feels like a Donkey Kong game and I love it. Those games are my childhood. Ooof Ladybug needs to be more careful with her Lucky Charms, they can sometimes be massive! Like that giant doughnut in Weredad. I seriously legit thought that the Gorilla was Gorilla, Adrien's bodyguard before the episode aired. XD The best heroes in this show tend to be the ones that have the most self-doubt, have you noticed? Ladybug, Carapace, and Vesperia all expressed serious doubt in themselves being a superhero, but when they suit up they're fierce! Like they were born to be a hero. Don't worry about Chat kissing Vesperia's hand. That's just the way he is, it's not in a flirting way. c: I remember when people freaked out about Rena Rouge and Chat Noir. It's the same as that, nothing more. "Or I'll turn her into baby mush!" LOL Chloe threatening to turn Ladybug into baby food hahaha that sounds so outrageous and weird that it's funny. And yet in this situation, would be actually possible so it's quite disturbing....hm. Dang, Hawk Moth trying to reakumatize her immediately. You go Zoe, speak up for yourself! And good on Andre for putting his foot down about Zoe too. "You may hate me, but I love you. And I'll always love you even if the whole world hates you." OKAY, THAT WAS REALLY BEAUTIFUL. Including the way she convinced Chloe to take the charm. Marinette's literally in hearing range of Adrien as she's talking to Tikki LOL she's like 5-6 feet away maybe? But that's okay, he probably would think nothing of it if he heard Marinette talking lol. I really like Zoe's character, I think she makes a wonderful addition to the show and that her character is extremely important. ;) Again I'll talk about it in my upcoming post! I've really noticed a lot of things when it comes to Chloe that I look forward to sharing my thoughts on sometime early this week. I really don't think things are as clear cut as a lot of people seem to think about her.

#ml #miraculous ladubug #ml spoilers #ml season 4 spoilers #ml spoilers season 4 #sole crusher spoilers #queen banana spoilers

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libralita · 3 years

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Way of Kings Reread

This is my post Rhythm of War reread so if you don’t want spoilers for Rhythm of War then come back later. These are essentially just the notes I took during this read through so things like “Szeth is darkeyed” isn’t really stellar commentary but there are a few interesting things in here. Also this reread was like…very sporadic so I probably missed things.

“A man with a long grey and black beard slumped in the doorway, smiling foolishly—though whether from wine or a weak mind, Szeth could not tell.

‘Have you seen me?’ the man asked with slurred speech. He laughed then began to speak in gibberish, reaching for a wineskin.”—Page 23

Oh god, it’s Jezrien. Nooooo.

I’m curious to see how Humans being voidbringers plays into Szeth’s punishment.

“Occasionally, light would flash without the thunder. The slaves would groan in terror at this, thinking about the Stormfather, the shades of the Lost Radiants, or the Voidbringers—all of which were said to haunt the most violent highstorms.”

Interesting that they’re called the “shades”, perhaps referring to cognitive shadows?

“Talenelat’Elin, bearer of all agonies.”

Wait…do people know about Taln?

“This room is called the Veil…That which comes before the Palanaeum itself. Both were here when the city was founded. Some think these chambers might have been cut by the Dawnsingers themselves.”

First of all, Veil, haha. Second, interesting bit of lore.

“Thaylens had their own systems of rank.”

I’d like to know what it is.

It’s very interesting that philosophy and history are feminine arts and yet the merchant is still trying to sell Shallan on a romance novel

I wonder if Yalb still has his drawing. It was probably ruined so that sucks.

“There, she used all her remaining sphere to fill of all nine colors and all three sizes.”

Hmmmmmmmm. Nine and three. Interesting

“Then he’d have someone to talk to in Damnation. They could reminisce about how terrible Bridge Four had been, and agree that eternal fires were much more pleasant.”

K…Kaladin please don’t joke about that.

“His ways were odd—though Lirin made certain that his son didn’t mix up the Heralds and the Lost Radiants, Kal had heard his father say that he thought the Voidbringers weren’t real. Ridiculous.”

RIP

“He reached the base of the slop, wind-driven rain pelting his face as if trying to shove him back toward the camp.”

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

“She looked exhausted. ‘These things are heavy!’ She lifted the leaf. ‘I brought it for you!’”

I love her so much I could cry.

Szeth is a dark eyed.

We need to get the void sphere back.

“It was fairly ordinary, a simple piece of rock with a few quartz crystals set into it and a rusty vein of iron on one side.”

Iron.

“‘Today,’ King Elhokar announced, riding beneath the bright open sky, ‘is an excellent day to slay a god. Wouldn’t you say’”

Owwwwwwwwww my heart

“One might say that gods, as a rule, should fear the Althei nobility. Most of us at least.”

Y’know…Sadeas has a point

Actually they should probably fear Taravangian.

Sadeas wears red plate. I always imagine him in green.

Shardplate is naturally slate gray. I wonder if it’s the same color as what your limbs go if they’re cut by a shardblade. Hmmmm.

“Adolin found himself wishing, passionately, that his father would do a little more these days to live up to that reputation.”

Adolin, sweet pie, NO

I miss Elhokar so much

Also the Thrill of Contest, that’s interesting.

“I felt like a youth again, chasing after your father on some ridiculous challenge.”

Dalinar, we all know that it was Gavilar chasing you

“There was someone watching me in the darkness that night.”

My poor baby…

“‘I defy you, creature!’ Elhokar screamed. ‘I claim your life! They will see their gods crushed, just as they will see their king dead at my feet! I defy you!’”

Elhokar…

“Adolin—stalwart as always—had dismounted beside the king. He tried to stop the claws, striking at them as they fell. Unfortunately, there were four claws and only one of Adolin.”

Hmmmm, Adolin v 4 is becoming a pattern.

“Dalinar should have been there to defend him. Only two things remained of his beloved brother, two things that Dalinar could protect in a hope to earn some form of redemption: Gavilar’s kingdom and Gavilar’s son.”

Ughhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

“Let me first assure you that the element is quite safe. I have found a good home for it. I protect its safety like I protect my own skin, you might say.”

It has been ten years and I still have no idea what this means.

“Kaladin punched Moash right in the gut, where he knew it would wind him. Moash gasped in shock, doubling over, and Kaladin stepped forward to grab him by the legs, slinging Moash over his shoulder.”

Ahhhhh I could read this paragraph over and over again.

“He worked himself ragged. In fact, he felt close to collapsing several times, but every time he did, he found a reserve of strength from somewhere.”

I wonder where.

“Rockbuds had opened nearby, their vines reaching out to lap up the beast’s blood.”

Gross.

Insult his son and the Blackthorn will peek through

“I had…things to be about.”

I don’t like the way Wit said that.

“You going to do Alethkar a favor and rid it of both of us?”

That is a very interesting line for Wit to say…Also concerning. Wit what are you up to?

It’s very interesting that without Sadeas and Gavilar, Dalinar has to learn how to be a politician. It’s clear that both men maneuver others while Dalinar is blunt force. Good character development, I really love it as a political scientist.

“Brother, follow the Codes tonight. There is something strange upon the winds.”

Hmmmmmmmmm, I think Gavilar was planning his death.

“We’d protect Gavilar’s son. No matter what the cost, no matter what other things came between us, we would protect Elhokar.”

…Would…Elhokar have died if Sadeas was still alive?

“The book was used by the Radiants as a kind of guidebook, a book of counsel on how to live their lives.”

That…something that I forgot. Dalinar maybe you should have some required reading in your Radiant generation.

It’s interesting that Shardplate and Rsyhadium have no problem with humans using them but shardblades do.

“Dalinar was shocked that he could remember the story word for word,”

Hmmmmmm

“Could he train himself out of freezing in battle like that?”

End me.

“You sure he’s not decayspren wearing a man’s skin?”

S…Syl…is that a problem we have to deal with?

“They break the land itself! They want it, but in their rage they will destroy it. Like the jealous man burns his rich things rather than let them be taken by his enemies! They come!”

The…humans?

“‘Hm,’ he said. ‘Yes. We’ll be getting right to that soon. It’ll be grand. Lots of prancing, sauntering, and er…’

‘Promenading?’ Yis the leatherworker offered.

‘Isn’t that a type of drink?’ Adolin asked.

‘Er, no, Brightlord. I’m fairly certain it’s another word for walking.’

‘Well, then,’ Adolin said. ‘We’ll do plenty of it too. Promenading. I always love a good promenading.’”

He and Shallan are truly made for each other.

“Highprince Aladar has begun to talk of taking a short vacation back to Althekar. I want to know if he’s serious.”

Oh?

It’s very interesting how Gavilar after death is portrayed as having grown weak and yet there’s so much reverence for him.

Three gods, huh?

It’s interesting that Dalinar can feel the thrill in these visions.

“It was a topaz entwined with a heliodor, both set into a fine metal framework, each stone as big as a man’s hand.”

Is that some kind of fabrial? Is she an edgedancer/truthwatcher? She seemed to have Stoneward shardplate. How confusing. I guess she could have borrowed Shardplate.

DABBID MY SON!

“‘Next time it could be you!’ he called. ‘What will you do if you’re the one that needs healing?’

‘I’ll die.’ Moash said, not even bothering to look back. ‘Out on the field, quickly, rather than back here over a week’s time.’”

Oh that would be so unfortunate.

REREADING THIS BOOK WITH THE TEFT SECTIONS OH OHHHHHHHHH BOY SUFFERING. LEAVE ME THE FUCK ALONE

“I was under the impression that you were going to aid the queen in protecting the king’s interests in Alethkar.”

That is interesting to think about. What would have happened in Navani had stayed in Alethkar? Did the Unmade compel Navani to go? Or would she have been under the influence of the Unmade?

“I have determined that the queen is sufficiently endowed with the requisite skills needed to hold Alethkar.”

Uhhhhhhhhhh

“‘Well, I suppose that’s all right,’ she said. ‘I kind of trust Sadeas.’”

Interesting. Also my son, my love, Elhokar...you are so dumb.

“‘You still argue he isn’t a bad king?’ Navani whispered. ‘My poor, distracted, oblivious boy.’”

HE COULD HAVE BEEN GREAT

Ishar is the herald of luck?

WAIT ROION! TURTLE MAN! My baby!

My god I sometimes forget that Dalinar has no fucking chill and no impulse control.

“The Almighty himself depended on the Alethi to train themselves in honorable battle so that when they died, they could join the Heralds’ army and win back the Tranquiline Halls.”

Is that…Honor’s influence or Odium’s? Or has Odium corrupted this idea? Because judging by Rhythm of War, Odium’s end goal was to raise an army from Roshar and then send them across the Cosmere.

“My sense of honor makes me easy to manipulate.”

Whaaaaaat? You Dalinar. Pffttttt Noooooo. Pfffftttttt.

“‘He is well, though you presence here is sorely missed. I’m certain he could use your counsel. He is relying heavily on Brightness Lalai to act as clerk.’

Perhaps that would make Jasnah return. There was little love lost between herself and Sadeas’s cousin, who was the king’s head scribe in he queen’s absence.”

First, there’s another Sadeas we must deal with besides Sadeas’s nephew that I’m sure will be around in arc 2. Second, interesting wonder where that drama stems from.

“They may be a little too stable. The world is changing outside, but the Shin seem determined to remain the same.”

Hmmmmmmmmmm

“Gavarah hadn’t reached her twentieth Weeping when she proposed the theory of the three realms.”

WHOA WHOA WHOA WHOA WHOA WHOA. Lemme hear this theory, my dude.

“He reminds me of my uncle Dalinar. Earnest, sincere, concerned.” “We could do with more men like Taravangian,”

I…mmm….aw man…I…that’ll be a yikes for me.

“He found a half-finished bridge. It had eventually grown out of that one plank Kaladin had used.”

ASODFKJSLDFJSLDF JUST LIKE THE FOURTH BRIDGE

“Had something moved in the darkness?”

His spren?

“‘Roshone lets them know he finds them contemptible. And so they scramble to please him.

‘That makes no sense,’ Kal said.

‘It is the way of things,’ Lirin said, playing with one of the spheres on the table, rolling it beneath his fingers. ‘You’ll have to learn this, Kal. When men perceive the world as being right, we are content. But if we see a hole—a deficiency—we scramble to fill it.”

This feels like how Lirin is acting in Rhythm of War.

Y’know it really makes sense why Kabsal would be working for Thaidakar.

Is…Kabsal attempting to get Shallan to join the Ghostbloods? Rhythm of War makes me wonder how honest Kabsal was towards Shallan. Yeah, Jasnah thought Kabsal was just manipulating her but she didn’t say how she knew this.

“He smiled, then drew the bow across the edge of the metal plate, making it vibrate. The sand hopped and bounced, like tiny insects dropped onto something hot.

‘This,’ he said, ‘is called cymatics. The study of pattern that sounds make when interactive with a physical medium.’

As he drew the bow again, the plate made a sound, almost a pure note. It was actually enough to draw a single music spren, which spun for a moment in the air above him, then vanished. Kabsal finished, then gestured to the plate with a flourish.”

Well, Rhythm of War certainly made this more interesting.

“Bridgemen aren’t supposed to survive. There’s something about that. He wouldn’t be able to ask Lamaril. That man had gotten what he deserved, though. If Kaladin had the ability to choose, such would be the end of all lighteyes, the king included.

Your inner Moash is showing.

“I want you to go back into the barrack and tell the men to come out after the storm. Tell them to look up at me tied here. Tell them I’ll open my eyes and look back at them, and they’ll know that I survived.”

No wonder a religion might be forming around Kaladin.

“Teft lingered too, as if thinking to spend the storm with Kaladin. He eventually shook his head, muttering and joined the others. Kaladin thought he heard the man calling himself a coward.”—Page 517

Brandon Sanderson, leave me the fuck alone.

“‘Taking the Dawnsahrds, known to bind any creature voidish or mortal, he crawled up the steps crafted for Heralds, ten strides tall apiece, toward the grand temple above.’—From The Poem of Ista. I have found no modern explanation of what these ‘Dawnshards’ are. They seem ignored by scholars, though talk of them was obviously prevalent among those recording the early mythologies.”—Page 524

Wait…who’s he? And aw man this becomes more relevant in a few years.

“‘Then you’re not a murderer,’ Kaladin said.

‘Not for want of trying.’ Sigzil eyes grew distant. ‘I thought for certain I succeeded. It was not the wisest choice I made. My master…’

‘Is he the one you tried to kill?’

‘No.’”

We need some backstory.

Marabethia sounds similar to Twitter.

“It claimed that humming of all things, could make a Soulcasting more effective.”

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

“That isn’t the kind of thing the Dawnsingers did. They were healers, kindly spren by the Almighty to care for humans once were forced out of the Tranquiline Halls.”

Is…that right?

“‘We believe that the Voidbringers were real, Shallan. A scourge and plague.. A hundred times they came upon mankind. First casting us from the Tanquiline Halls, then trying to destroy us here on Roshar. They weren’t just spren that hid under rocks, then came out to steal someone’s laundry. They were creatures of terrible destructive power, forged in Damnation creature from hate.’

‘By whom?’ Shallan asked.

‘What?’

‘Who made them? I mean, the Almighty wasn’t likely to have ‘created something from hate.’ So what made them?’

‘Everything has its opposite, Shallan. The Almighty is a force of good. To balance his goodness, the cosmere needed the Voidbringers as his opposite.’”—Pages 634-635

Thaidakar’s reveal really makes Kabsal a more…suspicious character. Like how much does he actually know? How much does Thaidakar actually know? Also, I don’t know if Odium is the opposite of Honor. I guess we’d need all 16 shards names to compare.

“A city where people lived in gigantic, hollowed out stalactites hanging beneath a titanic sheltered ridge.”

EXCUSE ME WHAT

“‘I doubt many would disagree. But I mention these horrors for a purpose. You see, it has been my experience that no matter where you go, you will find some who abuse their power.’ He shrugged. ‘Eye color is not so odd a method, compared to many others I have seen. If you were to overthrow the lighteyes and place yourselves in power, Moash, I doubt that the world would be a very different place. The abuses would still happen. Simply to other people.’

Kaladin nodded slowly, but Moash shook his head. ‘No I’d change the world, Sigzil. And I mean to.’”

Hmmm, yeah that didn’t exactly work out.

“‘That makes you wiser, presumably?’

‘Damnation no,’ Teft said. ‘The only thing it proves is that I’ve more experience staying alive than you.’”

Brandon. Leave. Me. Alone.

“Cenn stopped wheezing. He convulsed once, eyes still open. ‘He watches!’ the boy hissed. ‘The black piper in the night. He holds us in his palm…playing a tune that no man can hear!’”—Page 671

Is…is that a reference to El?

“I’m sorry I drove you to suicide. Here’s some bread.”

How people on this website think Moash’s redemption arch is gonna go.

“‘…why Thaidakar would risk this?’ Amaram was saying, speaking in a soft voice. ‘But who else would it be? The Ghostbloos grow more bold.’”—Page 701

Jasnah was complaining last chapter how she hates being wrong but she was wrong about Shallan’s intentions and that Amaram is not as smart as he seems. Yeah, he’s wrong about who sent the shardbearer to kill him but if I was in the cosmere and someone tried to kill me, I would assume it was Thaidakar. On that note, holy fuck, I need to know what conversation prompted both Gavilar and Amaram to assume that someone trying to kill them had to be Thaidakar. I really hope that Gavilar’s pov is next for KOWT for his death so maybe we could get a conversation where they talk to Thaidakar through cube skype or maybe this avatar (whatever the hell that means.) God Rhythm of War makes this scene so much funnier.

“You’d have changed your mind. In a day or two, you’d have wanted the wealth and prestige—otehrs would have convinced you of it. You’d have demanded that I return them to you. It took hours to decide, but Restares is right—this is what must be done. For the good of Alethkar.”—Page 703

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa—this is why we reread—aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa Kaladin is going to have some words with Restares.

What happened to Baxil and Av?

?????????????????????????? Why do these two Ardents know about the Physical/Cognitive/Spiritual realm?

“Eight weeks? Forty days of winter at once? That war rare.”—Page 728

Did the weather used to be more consistent on Roshar?

Oh god Rhythm of War has made the Recreance so hard to read.

“If I abandon my principles, then I become something far worse than they. A hypocrite.”—Page 741

A hypocrite is a just a man changing or something. I forget the quote.

“Have you been paying much attention to the conflict between the Tukari and the Emuli?”—Page 753

“And the Tukari are led by that god-priest of theirs, Tezim.”—Page 754

Look at the foreshadowing.

“‘Just as Hatham wishes his partner in negotiations to know of his goodwill, I wish you to know of our goodwill toward you, Brightlord.’

Dalinar frowned. He’d never had much to do with the ardents—his devotary was simple and straightforward. Dalinar got his fill of politics with the court; he had little desire to find more religion. ‘Why? What should it matter if I have goodwill toward you?’

The ardent smiled. ‘We will speak with you again.’ He bowed low and withdrew.”—Pages 756-757

OKAY AT FIRST I THOUGHT THIS WAS FUNNY BECAUSE THE ARDENTS GET VERY MIFFED AT DALINAR IN OATHBRINGER BUT “we” HOLY SHIT THAT’S ONE OF BUG PEOPLE NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

I can imagine why this bug man wants his goodwill because they’re pretty sure he’ll destroy them.

“‘This thing will not happen,’ Rock said. ‘Is impossible to get sphere out of the chasms.’

‘We could swallow them,’ Moash said.

‘You would choke. Spheres are too big, eh?’

‘I’ll better I could do it,’ Moash said. His eyes glittering, reflecting the verdant Stormlight. ‘That’s more money than I’ve ever seen. It’s worth the risk.’”—Page 766

I swear to god, one of these days Moash is going to swallow a sphere.

“You call him the Stormfather, here in Alethkar.”

So people in Alethkar think that Jezerin and the Stormfather are the same person?

“Light grows so distant. The storm never stops. I am broken, and all around me have died. I weep for the end of all things. He has won. Oh, he has beaten us.”

O…Oh man, I hope this isn’t foreshadowing for KOWT.

“We should have expected this, Dalinar thought. We started bringing two armies to a plateau, so they have done the same.”—Page 781

Interesting that Kaladin thought about this when fighting the Fused by Dalinar didn’t fighting the Listeners

“When other men failed, a field of crops got worms in them. When a surgeon failed someone died.”

Well…if your crops fail then you could very much cause a town to starve to death.

“Though there was one thing he clung to. An excuse, perhaps, like the dead emperor. It was the soul of the wretch. Apathy. The belief that nothing was his fault, the belief that he couldn’t change anything. If a man was cursed, or believe he didn’t have to care, then he didn’t need to hurt when he failed. Those failures couldn’t have been prevented. Someone or something else had ordained them.”

Those are some fucking foils right there.

“They watch me. Always. Waiting. I see their face in mirrors. Symbols, twisted, inhuman…”

Babbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbby

“I wish to sleep. I know now why you do what you do, and I hate you for it. I will not speak of the truths I see.”

The sibling?

“I’d surrendered my plans, but you’ve returned them to me. I’ll guard you with my life, Kaladin. I swear it to you, by the blood of my fathers.”—Page 881

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

LISTEN I KNOW ELHOKAR IS AN IDIOT BUT HE’S MY IDIOT

“The further you look, the more pieces that wind breaks into.”—Page 995

That’s interesting

“A champion could work well for you, but it is not certain. And…without the Dawnshards…”—Page 997

Well, we’ll see how Rysn plays into this.

#Brandon Sanderson #way of kings #Stormlight Archive #cosmere #TaylorRereadsSA

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phoenix-downer · 3 years

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Aerith Week 2021: Wide-Open Future

After breaking free from fate, Aerith has a heart-to-heart with Tifa. Tifa has noticed Aerith knows more than she’s letting on, and she wants to know why.

~1600 words. Friendship. Aerith Gainsborough POV. Final Fantasy VII Remake Continuity.

Characters: Aerith, Tifa, Cloud.

For @aerith-week Day 5: Boundless Freedom.

(Spoilers for Final Fantasy VII Remake and the original game below the cut).

Freedom. Boundless, endless freedom. Aerith felt like a big weight had been lifted off of her chest as Barret helped her climb off of the highway. She wasn’t bound by fate anymore. She might be able to stop Sephiroth without dying this time, and it was all thanks to her friends.

“We should split up,” Barret said once they were safely off the highway. “Makes us less of a target for monsters. Cloud, any ideas?”

“Why don’t you and Red XIII go on ahead? I’ll take Tifa and Aerith with me.”

“Heh, figured you’d say that. Meet you all at Kalm.”

With that their two groups set out. Kalm wasn’t too far away, so they’d be able to get there in a day or two, even if they took a few breaks to rest.

Aerith loved being outdoors. She still hated the sky, but she loved feeling the breeze on her face and seeing more and more plants and flowers as Midgar grew ever distant behind them. She couldn’t help but hum to herself as they went along, an old lullaby of the Ancients Mother had taught her.

“So, you said this is your first time outside of Midgar, right?” Tifa said presently.

“Yup! I’ve lived there my whole life.”

Well, that wasn’t entirely true. Her memories from her past life filled her head, memories of her journey. If she counted those, then no, this wasn’t her first time outside of Midgar. But Tifa and Cloud didn’t know that, and Aerith wasn’t sure how to tell them. The Whispers could no longer mob her and insist she keep everything secret the way they had when she’d tried to tell Zack, but…

“And you?” Aerith remembered to ask before things got too suspicious.

“Well, Cloud and I are from the countryside… Same town, actually. So this feels more like home I suppose.”

“Cloud? You think so?” Aerith prodded. She had to test how bad the Mako poisoning was this time around.

Sure enough, he frowned, like he wasn’t entirely sure. “I guess,” he finally said.

“Hmmmm,” Aerith said, but decided not to push it. His mind was still too fragile.

They continued on, fighting the monsters that came in their path, till at last Aerith heard the ocean waves crashing against the shore, could taste the sea-salt in the air.

“Is that the sea up ahead? Can we stop and take a look, pretty please?” she begged.

Cloud and Tifa exchanged looks, and he grunted his assent while she smiled and nodded. Aerith giggled and ran up ahead. Soon the ground turned to sand and made it a lot harder to run, but she didn’t care. Off her boots came so she could feel the wet sand beneath her toes. She waded into the shallow surf, carefully holding her dress up so it wouldn’t get wet.

Before long, someone else had joined her. Tifa was carefully removing her boots and stockings, and Aerith grinned as she neatly laid them to the side and waded in after her.

“Cloud not coming?”

“He said he has to keep watch,” Tifa said, amusement in her voice as she indicated where Cloud was. He was seated on the little hill above the beach with an aloof, unreadable expression on his face as he stared down at them.

“That Cloud, he really needs to let loose and unwind a little,” Aerith said.

“You’re telling me. But he’s always been so serious, ever since we were kids.”

Aerith didn’t like the frown on Tifa’s face. It was in Tifa’s nature to worry, to care, but Aerith didn’t want her to fret so much. So she clasped Tifa’s hands, hoping to lighten the mood a little. “Then will you solemnly swear that you’ll help me get him to loosen up a little?”

Tifa nodded, her lips twitching. “I solemnly swear.”

“Are you two talking about me?” Cloud called over the breeze.

“Absolutely!” Aerith called, making Tifa giggle. “We’re saying all sorts of things about you.”

The exasperation on his face was too cute.

“You gonna join us and set the record straight?” Tifa called, but he didn’t budge. Her face fell, but she quickly masked her disappointment and turned towards the sea.

“Don’t,” Aerith said, gently touching Tifa’s arm.

Tifa started and looked at her, eyes wide. “Don’t… What?”

“Hide how you feel. It’s okay if you’re disappointed he’s not joining us.”

Tifa looked away again. “I’m fine.”

Aerith bit back a sigh. Tifa was so guarded, so careful showing how she felt, that people who didn’t know her well might not realize how much she cared. Well, Aerith knew her, and she wanted to help her be more comfortable expressing her feelings.

“Lockhart,” Aerith said softly. “It’s a fitting name for you, but I wish you’d feel more comfortable opening up to us.”

Tifa paused and searched her face. “Did I ever tell you my last name?”

Shit. Tifa had caught her again.

“Oh, er, Barret told me. When we were at Shinra headquarters.”

“Mmmhmmm.” Tifa’s eyes narrowed. “Aerith, what aren’t you telling us?”

“Nothing! I like to be cryptic to troll people. It’s especially fun to do to Cloud. Come on, I can show you—”

Tifa caught her hand. “Aerith, I know there’s something you’re not telling us. You know all these things you should have no way of knowing. Marlene’s name, and that I wanted you to go save her before the plate collapsed. My last name. And when we met, you acted like you knew me.”

“You’re amazing! Of course I was drawn to you the moment I met you. I knew we’d be best friends.”

“Then why do I feel like I’ve met you before too?”

Aerith’s heart thudded in her chest. “Huh?”

Did Tifa know? Had she figured it out?

Tifa finally released her hand. “I can’t… I can’t explain it. I don’t know why I feel this way. Nothing about this makes sense. But I see how Cloud gets this faraway look in his eyes when he looks at you sometimes, like he remembers something too. And then, when we were fighting the Whispers, I kept having these… Visions.”

Aerith tilted her head. “Visions?”

“Of… Of the future. I don’t know what else they’d be.”

Aerith searched her eyes. Tifa looked so uncertain, so unsure. What all she had seen, Aerith didn’t know, but she wanted to reassure her friend.

“Tifa, that future is no longer set in stone. We defeated the Whispers. Our future is well and truly free now.”

“You think so?” Tifa asked, looking at her gloves. “I can’t shake the feeling our lives are on repeat, like we’re reliving the same moments over and over again. Like certain things are bound to happen no matter what.”

“They’re not,” Aerith insisted. “Our fates are what we make of them.”

Tifa didn’t seem convinced, so Aerith decided to try a different tactic. She picked up a small pebble and stared at the sea, at the waves crashing on the shore.

“You’re right about me knowing things I shouldn’t. After we won that battle back there, I felt ripples move through the fabric of reality.” She tossed the pebble into the water to demonstrate. “If those waves are fate, then maybe even a pebble like me can disrupt things. And I have several pebbles helping me too. Imagine what we can accomplish together.”

“Pebbles, huh? I wonder what we’ve managed to change.”

Aerith was silent. She’d felt something, felt something stirring deep in her heart, and she was too scared of being disappointed to let that stirring grow into hope. Too hurt to want it to be true.

“Guess we’ll have to wait and see,” she finally replied.

“Yeah, I guess so.”

They stood in the surf a little while longer, enjoying the cool water on their feet and the sand beneath their toes. But at last it was time to go, and as they put their shoes and socks and stockings back on, Aerith spoke up.

“Thank you, Tifa.”

“For what?”

“Joining me here. Opening up to me about your fears.”

“I wish I was more like you,” Tifa admitted. “Bold and fearless and willing to go for what I want.”

“I wish I was more like you. Strong and sensitive and caring. I say what I want, it’s true, but sometimes I wish I was better about biting my tongue. I tend to be a little callous and hurt people’s feelings if I’m not careful.”

“You are strong, and you’ve been very kind to me,” Tifa said. “You have a good heart, Aerith. I’m glad I met you.”

Aerith smiled and looped her arm through Tifa’s. “I’m glad I met you too. And for the record, I am not fearless. I’m scared of the sky, for crying out loud.”

“The sky?” Tifa asked as they started walking back to Cloud. “How come?”

“Long story, I’ll tell you when we get to Kalm.”

“Deal. But I bet you have a good reason for it.”

“Oh, I do. And for the record, you being afraid of the ghosts at the Train Graveyard isn’t silly. I’m the weirdo for trying to talk to them.”

“A kind-hearted weirdo then. Those kids needed your comfort.”

“And I needed yours. Thank you for that.”

When they’d returned to Cloud, Aerith felt like another weight had been lifted off her chest. There were things she wished she hadn’t said to Tifa the first time around, and at last she could make up for that. She’d be more sensitive to her friend’s feelings this time. The future was wide open, as wide as the sky above, and she had to make the most of it.

#aerith #aerith gainsborough #aerithweek #aerith week #aerith week 2021 #tifa #tifa lockhart #gen #friendship #speculation #phoenix writes #aerith and tifa friendship #long post

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mearcatsreturns · 4 years

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From Illusion to Reality, or Luka in ER’s Seasons 10-12

A couple days ago, I got a lovely anon who wanted me to talk about Luka’s journey from season 11 to 12. I may have gone overboard and expanded it. If you’re not interested in the whole, hella long post, I’ll summarize it in a couple pictures:

I’ll put it under a cut, because of how long it is, but I’d love comments and dialogue!

To talk about Luka’s trajectory from season 11 to season 12, I think it’s very important to consider season 10 Luka. His “coming back from the dead” served as a sort of topical soft reset on his character--at least to him. That is, while it undoubtedly deeply affected him and those around him and does seem to have led him to important realizations, it didn’t actually change his personality or his desires and loves.

Firstly, when Luka comes back from Africa, sick and with another woman, it’s still readily apparent that his love for Abby hasn’t gone anywhere. He might be able to deal with it better and not self-destruct to the same extent, but at least initially, what was Gillian (and later Sam, but that was more involved)? He’s the same Luka at work, too, though the outward trappings seem different. He still cares about caring for his patients, though he’s still in crisis mode. He has the same disregard for bureaucracy, though it’s about treating as many patients as quickly as he can to help the largest number of them instead of spending all his time with his patients, etc.

It’s so interesting, because for the first half of season 10, Luka is torn between wanting to go back to Africa--where he even said things seemed simpler--and moving forward, probably with Abby. He legit lights up around her and is looking out for her constantly, and the only reasons they didn’t get together then were fear, some small misunderstandings, and a misguided sense of propriety. Then you can see it happening again--Luka backs off from Abby because he seems to think she’s hung up on Carter and because she’s his student. It’s not as hopeless as before, so he doesn’t spiral out of control, but he legitimately does the same thing he did in season 9 on a smaller scale. Sam thinks Luka is hot, he’s good with Alex, so she makes a pass at him, and Luka passively goes along with her making a move. Sound familiar? Yeah. The biggest difference is that Luka has realized that he was deeply unhappy with non-monogamy, so even though he falls back into sleeping with Gillian pretty quickly (after he forgot about her visit, lmao), when Sam is willing to grant him the opportunity for even a little bit of commitment, he takes it.

Relatedly, Alex is a huge part of his journey in season 10 and 11. Or rather, Luka’s continuing longing for family and fatherhood. We’ve seen that from pretty much the beginning, and the only time it didn’t seem to be a huge driving force for him was with Abby. When he can’t have Abby and his love for her is thwarted, it’s like he looks for that kind of fulfillment from this idealized notion of family and being a dad again (see: Nicole, Sam). It’s not surprising to me that as Luka thinks Abby is unavailable and uninterested in him, he gets close to child...who has a single mother who thinks he’s good-looking.

It’s not a good fit. Abby describes hers and Carter’s relationship as doomed from the start, and you can easily talk about Luka and Sam the same way. I could do a more Doylist explanation, but there’s plenty of in-universe material to say this--they and their relationship are plagued by problems from the very beginning. They’re never on the same page, any of them--not Sam, Alex, or Luka. Luka has a hard time articulating what he really does want from them, probably because he doesn’t want to fully examine that for himself. After all, if he has a good woman who cares about him and child he can be a father figure to--though not a father--why would he not be happy? Sam seems to want stability and sex, and Alex...Alex wants a friend. So yes, while there are a lot of external issues that come up, the primary impediment to Luka’s happiness with Sam and Alex (and for them as well!) is internal.

As we go into season 11, we see, strangely enough, that Luka can’t be around Abby anymore while he’s with Sam. Like, @somekindofflowergirl and I were looking and thinking about it, and we’re not sure he’s capable of talking to Abby when Sam is around until season 12 (not for more than a few sentences about whatever case they’re working on, at any rate). He starts brushing her off more and more, culminating in him all but dismissing her in 11.02 (shockingly, right after he tells Sam he loves her. Almost like there’s a correlation there, hmmmm). Instead, he focuses on his friendship with Carter and his relationships with Sam and Alex.

As the season goes on, Luka gets more miserable. Carter gets caught up in his own issues, Kerry and Susan are too busy to be there for him, and he’s busy pushing Abby away. But the tension is creeping into his home life, too. Alex lets him know in no uncertain terms that he will never view him as a father. Sam at first drags her feet about moving in with Luka, and then it seems like they have maybe a month or two of living before it sours and never recovers. He just...flounders again. Not as severely or apparently as in season 9, but he’s clearly looking for something again by the end of season 11.

Luka and Sam are on the precipice of breaking up at the end of season 11, but they prolong it for a variety of reasons. On the surface, it’s for Alex’s sake. In reality, it’s because they both want things from their lives that they get all the trappings of together, even if neither of them is happy with it. I mean, it gets to the point where they can hardly talk at work or home, and Sam even says she doesn’t think they should be together. Then the situation with Steve, Alex’s birth father, blows up and worsens things, and Alex runs away.

When they’re in the middle of nowhere in this crisis, Luka and Sam actually have to confront how poorly their relationship is going. Well, Sam does, though Luka is still feeling that fear of not having anything left if he loses Sam and Alex completely. But Sam says it eventually--they’ve been pretending for a long time. The truth is out, even when Alex is back.

Luka, for all his many good qualities, does not handle life deviating from his plan or idea very well. He just straight up goes into denial (again, a recurring theme with him).

BUT he also does something very right. He lets Abby back in. In season 12, a year after he blows her off, she tentatively reaches out again, just wanting to know if he’s okay after a case. She fully expects him to brush her off again, and you can see the surprise, delight, and relief when he opens up to her. And it’s interesting, because he tells her that he doesn’t want to talk about it with Sam, and that’s probably why Sam is moving out.

Luka tries to talk to Sam in lockup, though he doesn’t offer any changes, which is fairly telling. And he says something even more telling: “I don’t want this to be one more thing I messed up.” He’s not so afraid of losing Sam herself or Alex, he just doesn’t want to have messed up at love (Abby) and family (his kids and even Danijela) again. He wants to be husband and dad because he remembers being happy in those roles, and even though Sam and Alex didn’t give him that, they gave him a lesser version of it. And since our Catholic boy loves rolling in that guilt and self-blame, he seems to think he should just take what he can get since he’s not worthy of more. When Sam and Alex can’t and won’t even give him crumbs anymore, he...I don’t know. He doesn’t really fall apart, because his heart isn’t really in it. It hasn’t been for a long time, if it ever was in more than a performative way (and Luka, for better or for worse, is not a fake-it-til-you-make-it kind of person).

Once again, though, Abby is there at a moment where he’s willing to be vulnerable. And he says something so honest about what he wants: to be seen (12.03, “if it were me...would anyone know who I am?”). Abby’s yes, combined with her just being there for him unasked, seems to immediately grant him peace in that regard. He is seen and he is cared for.

Luka never shows any signs of having feelings for Sam again, though he still looks out for her and Alex if they seem to be in trouble, but it’s no more than he’s done for friends and even strangers. In fact, they’re so back to friendly and professional by the next episode that it’s annoying and counter-productive when Eve tries scheduling them for different shifts.

Something else seems to have happened: Luka doesn’t rush off into an ill-advised romance or series of hookups. He isn’t pining, but he’s not frantically searching for family and fatherhood again, either. Given that each episode has them having a nice scene together that emphasizes their growing closeness and comfort together, it isn’t unreasonable to think that Abby is part of this. He isn’t pushing for more, but that’s not who he is with her, not after their first relationship. If friendship is all she can offer, that seems to be enough for him. In reality, it’s Abby being enough for him, but we’ll get to that later.

At that same time, one of Luka’s foils, Victor Clemente, arrives. Clemente exists narratively to be a catalyst for action in Luka’s life (which is why his role is such a mess once he’s accomplished that, but I digress) and it works like a charm. They butt heads from the start, and it’s the prospect of Clemente running the ER that goads Luka into applying for the position of chief. Kerry was right, it’s not his style at all, but also? A way for him to be everyone’s dad. (And yes, he’s better at it than Clemente would have been.) It gives him another marker of professional success, even if his personal life isn’t where he wanted it to be. As Luka’s foil, Clemente is also perceptive while Luka is oblivious. As such, he seems to see right through Luka and Abby to their connection, and he needles both, seemingly to get at Luka. It works, and as Abby says in 12.07 after their child patient dies, Abby ends up in the middle of it.

Then, at the end of The Human Shield, Abby goes to Luka. This time she isn’t reaching out to him and going to him to support him, but to justifiably yell at him for putting her in the middle of a conflict between him and Clemente. But more importantly, Abby went to him and told him how she felt. She was vulnerable with him. And that...that was something he’d rarely seen, and not in a long time. Finally, that having woken him up to hope once again, he did something he hadn’t done in a long time: he took action. And that was something he didn’t do much, mostly with Abby, and he starts exploring it more throughout season 12.

I’m not going to turn this into a Luby meta (though I could also do that if anyone wanted, ahahaha), but 12.07-12.10 is Luka stepping forward and making choices. For love of Abby. He doesn’t push her for more so much as very obviously hope for it and ask, in his way, if she’s as in as he is.

This extends to his professional life too! He (very sexily and pettily at the same time) takes charge of his new position and fires someone his first shift as chief. It was the right thing to do and he did it, but it wasn’t a passive reaction to something happening to him.

Then at the end of 12.10, Abby drops the bombshell that she’s pregnant. Once he recovers from the shock of that, he does seem to spring into action, but...reserved action? He isn’t as proactive as he’s been so far, but he is also scared out of his mind that he’s going to lose Abby. Here he is, seemingly with everything he’s wanted for YEARS within reach. Not just a family, but Abby. And not just Abby, but a baby with her. But he also has years of experience with Abby, and he knows her fears, and he doesn’t want to lose her by scaring her off or pushing her for something she doesn’t want or that would make her miserable.

So Luka lets Abby know what he wants but leaves it up to her, while also making one big mistake: he’s not clear about how much he loves her. He showed her with the compass, with gestures and moments, but he doesn’t seem to realize how much Abby needs the words. This is also typical Luka.

I love If Not Now (12.11) as part of his journey, because it’s when you finally see Luka realize, if he didn’t before, what matters most to him. He goes to Abby and tells her in no uncertain terms that it’s not about the baby, that he wants her no matter what. And that’s HUGE. Family and fatherhood have been a motivator for him for at least 4 or 5 of his 6 years on the show so far, so for him to say “yes, that would be nice, but Abby is the important one to me” represents a big shift. It gets swept over a bit in the subsequent and also life-changing news that she wants them to have the baby together and hasn’t had an abortion.

Most of the back half is solidifying what’s come before for Luka. We see him become more assertive professionally. He dotes on Abby and shows his commitment to her over and over, though it is interesting that in spite of how obviously in loved and devoted he (they, really) is, he doesn’t explicitly state it. I kind of think he’s worried that pushing for that, for everything that he wants, is asking too much of the universe. After all, he has the woman he loves and they’re having a baby together.

You also see his compassion, not just with the patients, but in how he breaks his and Abby’s news to Sam. I don’t know that it was better for him to have told her, but it was a kind impulse borne out of a desire to do the right thing, and she knew that.

Things get interesting again in Strange Bedfellows (12.18), when Luka tells Abby he’s thinking about going to Darfur to help Carter. We also find out Luka hasn’t told Carter about him and Abby or the baby. It seems a little odd of a choice for him, honestly. Not the keeping Abby and him and the baby a secret--I think that’s more compassion when he seems to have picked up on Carter and Kem maybe not doing so well and their continued mourning of Joshua--but the idea of going to Darfur. He’s new enough in his position as chief that it wouldn’t have been allowed, for starters, so I don’t think he’d have been able to go. And maybe that’s it--it was something he could do to help and make the world a better place for his baby (shoutout to @somekindofflowergirl again for this theory), and he wanted to try to go but probably knew he wouldn’t be able to. Also, he’s kind of an idiot sometimes, and one who sometimes loses track of the details when looking at the big picture. Which he did big time.

But Abby, as she often does, grounds him and lifts him up at the same time. She makes it clear that he can go, but that she wants him there and wants everything with him. And that’s it for Luka. He’s already made it so he could stay, but you can see the light of “oh, maybe I can have everything I’ve yearned for” go off. The next couple of episodes show them settling into their commitment even more.

Then the finale of season 12 comes (though I’m going to carry this through 13.02, as that feels like the real end of the season to me), and they’re clearly domestic and cute. For all Abby saying they don’t live together/hinting broadly for more clarification, they clearly have built a home together. I think Luka is trying to get her to realize she lives with him without saying it, which is a strategy, if not the best one. The second Abby voices her uncertainty, though, Besotted Idiot Luka jumps straight to saying they should get married, instead of, you know, telling Abby he loves her and wants to move forward with her.

I think his reaction is another example of him poorly handling...it’s not rejection, it’s just they’re coming to the same thing from different perspectives. They do affirm their love, and it’s clear they would have dealt with things had they not been interrupted by everything that ensued.

But interrupted they were. Abby’s abruption, Joe’s birth, Abby’s hysterectomy, Joe’s close call...what an interruption.Luka makes it so clear throughout that he’s there for Abby, that she’s his family. He obviously loves Joe and is devastated that he might be in danger and that they won’t be able to have a bigger family (though not as devastated as Abby, interestingly). That said, he renews his proposal to her and is CERTAIN of their love, even with the strain and uncertainty of Joe’s life.

Within a couple of years, he’s moved from trying so hard to look like he had everything together and trying to force it to having everything he’s wanted and more, even with the thorns and pain. It’s so much more than he could have hoped for, and he is more hopeful and settled.

#luka kovac #Luka Kovač #er #nbc er #luby #let's get meta #my apologies for typos and stuff #but I am tired #and full of love for Luka #the tl;dr is that it's a switch from the illusory and passive to reality and the more active/assertive #and it's absolutely intrinsically tied to him and Abby

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nobodies-png · 5 years

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If each member was a language, what language would they be and why?

I’m assuming you mean from the OrgXIII so here you go ! This was an interesting question lolol - I had to look up and read a lot of articles on wikipedia to make sure I didn’t end up saying bad or weird shit bUT IT WAS SUPER FUN

Xemnas :

Greek, probably ? The language and culture that rivaled Latin and Rome throughout history and despite it’s age, it MANAGES to still be a living language (if you think I overthink too much about metaphors and shit just wait till you read the rest of answers). It also fits all Scala Ad Caelum’s aesthetic inspired by Greece and all the shenanigans with the Norts !

Xigbar :

LEET Speak just to give every homestucker a heart attack. Maybe just surfer speak, if it counts. Xigbar would fit Latin perfectly - it’s a dead language and the source of many other languages just like Xigbar is the fucking source of many things that go down in KH. Cryptic and old, like him ! And considering his ties with the KHux Foretellers and such, it makes sense for him to be Latin, right ?

Xaldin :

I literally have no idea why but I think of Portuguese when I think of Xaldin. I havE LIKE NO ARGUMENTS OR EXPLANATIONS, IT’S JUST A THING (tm) SO YOU’RE FREE TO ADD TO THIS. Or give him a different language to be w h e e z e.

Vexen :

You know when old people try to be hip and come up with shit like How o You Do Fellow Kids / I’ll Krump With You Sweetie ? Yeah that’s him Okay but honestly, when I was a kid I really liked the idea of Vexen just screaming shit in Latin whenever his experiments went wrong. Now that i’m older, I like to imagine the same thing except now he speaks a Slavic language. I wouldn’t be able to tell you e x a c t l y which one, though. But I guess also a language from north Europe would work, like Finnish or Swedish - mostly because the countries remind me of cold weather lol

Lexaeus :

Nghhhh, I wanna say either ASL/Sign Language or Braille - but i’ll go with Braille ! Lexaeus is a quiet man of a few words, so I think it suits him just fine to be a language that doesn’t need to be spoken. And we know he’s tactful and gentle, considering he does a lot of puzzles in his free time, so Braille seems perfect for him ! While he might not actually need Braille, Lexaeus would be that kind of guy who just teaches others how to read and tries to normalize the use of Braille !

Zexion :

A lot of people might give me shit for not making Zexion Latin bUT LIKE LISTEN. THIS SMART BOY WOULD BE SOMETHING LIKE CHINESE/MANDARIN. Think about it, we’re talking about a super flexible language whose entonation can change the meaning of a sentence completely - yes, i’m talking about that one poem that only has ONE word and it still manages to be a fully fledged story. Like, i’m an artist, not a literary major but I still think that’s super smart and dope and i’ll gladly compare that to magic anytime. In retrospect, it matches Zexion’s illusion motif and complex character !

Saix :

Uhhhh, i’d say either Japanese or Russian. Cause both are languages with strong accents and pronunciations which suit Saix’s strong and firm character - and also because Russian reminds me of NASA and space for some reason and Japanese makes me think of that one tale about the rabbit on the moon. Also Japan puts a lot of emphasis in discipline, honor and loyalty too, traits that Saix shares.

Axel :

Axel is definitely Spanish. Not to be confused with the latino dialects from South America ! I’m talking Spain’s spanish ! And no, I didn’t choose this one because it’s an “exotic sexy firey language”, tRUST ME IT’S MY FIRST LANGUAGE AND IT’S ANYTHING BUT THAT - I chose spanish because it’s an abrasive and brash language. Most words (and the insults specially) give the feeling you’re about to spit on someone’s face and be a cocky disrespectful brat OR you’re just a super friendly and extroverted fella - it suits Axel’s previous ruthless mercenary personality with his current and contrasting kind, outgoing self. 50/50.

Demyx :

Okay hear me out, it’s been like 45 minutes since I went researching to write Demyx’s answer and I still don’t know if I have a proper one. I wanted to say a language from India, since it’s where his signature sitar originates from and what else can accompany a sitar better than the language of the place it was pretty much created in ? So researched Ravi Shankar, the Sitar Maestro and a super important figure in indian classical music. But I know barely nothing about that side of Asia, so i’m NOT exactly sure what language he spoke or used in his music ! Like I looked for his songs and they’re in Gujarati, but HMMMM, NOT SURE CHIEF.

So if anyone feels like educating me on this subject, please go ahead. Otherwise I have to give Demyx the way us millennials talk and oH boy.

Luxord :

I’ll go with the obvious choice here : English. Like, back in the day, most people just HC’d Luxord as a britishman because of his mannerisms and etc etc - but like, it works for him ! He’s closely tied to Alice and Wonderland in both the game and the manga, as well as Pirates of the Caribbean like come on it’s rIGHT there. Also imo, british English just sounds like super polite and elegant, the way Luxord acts most of the time.

Marluxia :

Either German or the language of flowers. German because it’s That Type Of Language™ that seems to have a word for every specific thing, action and feeling no matter how obscure - which kinda seems to suit him somehow ? A language with a rough appearance, intimidating to most people due to the hard sounds but eloquent, deep and extensive ! The other option is pretty obvious, considering his power with nature and stuff - Marluxia is definitely the time to give bouquets and flowers as gifts with double edged meanings and intentions.

Larxene :

The only one that comes to mind is French. Just cause I think Larxene reads french literature in the 358Days manga - but like, dark and smart stuff only Intellectuals™ can understand. And also because it’s a tricky language to speak properly (LISTEN I TOOK 5 YEARS OF FRENCH AND I STILL DIE WITH ALL THE VOWELS). There’s just something about the way it’s spoken that screams her name. It’s fast paced, coquettish, sounds mature, there’s a lot of sharp sounds. Y’know !

Roxas :

Not specifically a language, but Roxas reminds me of the mix every bilingual person speaks sometime when they can’t remember a specific way of saying or explaining something. Or when your group of friends is mostly bilingual too and y’all just mix both languages and it’s a fucking mess for outsiders ? ( Like “Me cago en la fucking madre que te parió” o “I swear to god pOR QUE ERES ASI” are examples from the groupchat I am, wheeze). So probably Spanish and English !

Xion :

I’m torN AGAIN between ASL/Sign Language and Braille. But I think i’ll go with sign language ! Not to get Deep and Philosophical, but Sign Language seems to fit Xion, someone whose voice was silenced by those around her. We know she’s timid and quiet, but she’s also young and energetic, quick and witty around her friends - so unlike Lexaeus who’d calmly read using Braille, Xion is the type who’d sign at the speed of sound when excited or panicking and she’d enjoy sending secret messages to her friends.

#kh headcanons #organization xiii #Anonymous #xemnas #xigbar #xaldin #vexen #lexaeus #zexion #saix #axel #demyx #luxord #marluxia #larxene #roxas #xion

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angelrider13 · 6 years

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001 Voltron: Legendary Defender

Favorite character: Keith. Hands down. He was my fav even before I watched the show and I just saw random gif sets as I scrolled though my dash. Although Matt is a close second.

Least favorite character: …this is surprisingly hard, I usually have the opposite problem. Picking favorites is Death, but there’s usually this one character I hate above all others…in this fandom not so much. Hmmmm…I guess if I have to pick one, it’d Haggar because she ALWAYS has something planned. I mean when Lotor does it I’m like “Ha! I knew it. Sneaky prince is sneaky.” But when it’s Haggar, I’m like “Fuck. Why can’t you leave my children alone?! LeT tHeM REsT.”

5 favorite ships (canon or non-canon): (I mean, I’m open to pretty much any ship [keep your evil ship wars and discourse away from me] but for my top 5, in no particular order)Klance - I will be the first to admit that I am Klance trash. I tried not to be. I swear I did. It just happened. I have no excuse.Sheith - First ship I shipped in this fandom. They have super good chemistry.Shatt - I was sucked in by all the pre-Kerberos fic. I have no regrets.Shallura - They are in leadership positions and they support each other and I just think they would work well together.Hunay - …How do you NOT ship these two? Is that even possible???

Character I find most attractive: Shiro. Don’t get me wrong, our cast is very pretty, but….Shiro.

Character I would marry: Again, Shiro. He would make a good partner, I feel like.

Character I would be best friends with: Definitely Matt. He is basically what the inside of my head sounds like (minus like all of the smart science things). But we could be total nerds together and it would be awesome.

A random thought: I want more Lions. Like, how do they each communicate with their paladins? How do they feel about everything that’s happening? How sentient are they exactly? I just want more Lion stuff.

An unpopular opinion: This fandom is really bad at writing in-character mental illness. Don’t get me wrong, I am all for neurodivergent paladins. But the way that a majority of the fandom writes it seems…over exaggerated. Now I’m not saying that there aren’t people out there who experience depression or anxiety or autism or whatever that way, I’m just saying that it’s almost never in-character. For instance:

Fanon Lance + depression = cries all the time, doesn’t talk to anyone, runs away, stays in bed, suddenly incapable of combat/piloting, etc.

Canon Lance + depression = puts a smile on even if he feels like dying inside, talks to his friends but never about himself, stays because people need him even if he’d rather disappear, gets out of bed cause he’s got shit to do, kicks asses and takes names because he can’t afford to do anything else, etc.

A lot of people in this fandom seem to equate mental illness with weepy sadness that can be cured with a hug and the Power of Friendship~. No. It doesn’t work like that. It is so much more complicated than that. Being mentally ill doesn’t make someone inherently weak, but a lot of people seem to think that way. If Lance has depression or Hunk has anxiety, or Pidge has autism or Shiro has PTSD or Keith has Borderline Personality Disorder, it doesn’t mean they’re going to collapse as soon as you poke them with a feather. It doesn’t mean they’ll give up because they have this sudden “inability.” They’ll have moments of weakness, sure, they’re human after all. But they will be moments.

They’ve proven, in canon (specifically Shiro as his PTSD is actually canon), that they all have the strength to push past their issues and get done what needs to be done. They have shit to do, they’ll have that anxiety attack later.

Mental illness is messy and complicated and has no easy fix, but almost no one writes it that way. It’s romanticized and used as an excuse to make characters behave in a way they usually wouldn’t. And it’s just really frustrating.

My Canon OTP: I mean, Hunay is basically canon right? They’re just at the mutual pining stage rather than the actual relationship stage.

My non-canon OTP: Again, I am Klance trash.

Most badass character: Are you kidding me? It’s totally Keith. Why is this even a question.

Most epic villain: …ya know, I’m not really sure? Zarkon and Haggar don’t really strike me as “epic.” Zarkon is a little to obsessed with the Black Lion for me to take him seriously and Haggar is a little too obsessed with Zarkon and Quintessence for me to consider - she doesn’t have her own goals really, just Zarkon’s and in my opinion, an epic villain needs to have their own master plan for their own purposes.

…does Lotor count? Have we decided if he’s a villain yet??

Pairing I’m not a fan of: Hmmm anything with Pidge really - I headcanon her as ace-spec. But if we’re talking canon, then honestly? I’d have to say Zarkon/Honerva. I mean, don’t get me wrong, they started off cute, but that relationship got really unhealthy. That saying, love is blind? Yeah, totally accurate here. Zarkon was totally oblivious to literally the rest of universe and Honerva became so obsessed with her research that she was oblivious to the rest of the universe and Zarkon.

At the end there, Honerva looked like she was at the level of obsession where she didn’t leave her lab. She probably slept there. She didn’t even acknowledge him or Alfor when they came in until the topic of shutting down her research came up. And then she didn’t talk to Zarkon - she yelled at Alfor. And Zarkon just fed into her obsession, even though Alfor was bringing up valid points (the deterioration of his planet and Honerva’s health). And their relationship now? Yeah, no.

I know a lot of the fandom sees them as this cute power couple, but their relationship was NOT healthy. At all. And that’s not even touching what their relationship is like post-mortum.

Character I feel the writers screwed up (in one way or another): Er, all of them? In the writers’ defense, with a cast this large, there is only so much you can explore individually within the limited time frame they have. However. There are a lot of moments where the characters just feel…well flat. They don’t have depth and then the writers will keep focusing on that flat point and they don’t do anything with it. If you’re going to take the time to bring attention to it, develop it! Change it! Let it grow! Hunk especially! Give our golden boy some more screen time!

Favorite Friendship: Hunk and Pidge brotp. They are so adorable and I love them. Every time these two dorks interact on screen together, my life is brighter.

Character I most identify with: Keith. He is literally me in all social situations. Jokes go over his head, he’s not really sure of the appropriate response, he is an introvert and desperately wants companionship but at the same time wants to avoid it, he is constantly going how do i person? Yep, that’s me.

Character I wish I could be: Matt or Allura. They both know what they want and they’re passionate and confident and outgoing and sassy and I so wish that was me.

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fly-pow-bye · 6 years

Text

DuckTales 2017 - “The Last Crash of the Sunchaser!”

Story by: Francisco Angones, Madison Bateman, Colleen Evanson, Christian Magalhaes, Bob Snow

Written by: Francisco Angones

Directed by: John Aoshima

Storyboard by: Jean-Sebastien Duclos, Jason Reicher, Sam King

The calm before the shadowy storm...or is it?

Previously on DuckTales 2017, Dewey found a note on the back of a portrait that happened to have the same handwriting as Della Duck’s! While following the clues on it only led to a prank involving a hat that was meant for Donald Duck, Huey takes the note and uses a pencil to mark it. Apparently, that’s a Junior Woodchuck tradition, and not just another Adam West Batman style riddle solving!

It revealed these dates, and something that looks like the tip end of a spear. It even happens to be labeled the Spear of Selene! Clearly, unlike the ending of Other Bin, they didn't want to wait a few episodes before coming back to that! Surely enough, it will be brought up again in this delightful comedy romp known as “The Last Crash of the Sunchaser!”

...yeah, something tells me this won't be pretty.

The episode begins with a trip to the country of Monacrow, and everyone has their own reasons for enjoying the vacation. The boys, Webby, and Launchpad are interested in a convention called E.X.C.E.S.S., which has many star attractions, like...

Webby: Experimental racecars?

Huey: Lasers?

Launchpad: Aeroplanes?

Subtle! Mrs. Beakley also shows up to use up one of her stacked up vacation days on one of Monacrow's beaches. Who would have guessed they would use vacation days to not write off a character, but actually get one involved in a plot?

Scrooge, in particular, is more interested in the Maltese MacGuffin, which happens to be something of massive worth. It's both a reference to the trope, and a reference to one of the most famous uses of it. He also talks about how having the nephews around has made him more energetic than he ever was in a long time! Hmm, hmm, hmm, hmm, hmm, hmmmm.

They all aboard the plane, and right from the get-go, there's problems. After Mrs. Beakley is utterly shocked about the massive amounts of safety violations on a plane usually boarded by young children, including having a pilot known for crashing planes, Scrooge tells her there's nothing to worry about. He tells Launchpad to give Mrs. Beakley a tour of the ship. While he's away, he's going to take the wheel.

Mrs. Beakley tells him he doesn't know how to fly a plane, but Scrooge McDuck says that he he's Scrooge McDuck, and that seems like a good excuse for anything. Throughout most of this episode, his ego is through the roof, but why not? Right from the beginning, he seems like this invincible hero who can do anything.

Meanwhile, in a large wooden box, the boys and Webby piece together a bunch of pieces of a photograph that Louie snuck into the car, along with a few other things. Apparently, this all came from that wacky librarian from The Great Dime Chase.

While Dewey learned his lesson from the last episode, the theme of secrets still holds true for Scrooge. They feel that if Scrooge finds out about this, he'll shut down the entire operation. Much like Dewey, a lot of this is based on assumptions; if he wanted to shred these papers, clearly this has to be something Scrooge doesn't want people to know.

They manage to piece together almost all of the photograph, except for this one large piece that happens to be right in the middle. Half the episode becomes Dewey trying to get this one piece of photograph. Unfortunately, as soon as Dewey across towards this piece, the plane starts shifting forwards and backwards.

They go out of the box, doing some inconspicuous whistling when Mrs. Beakley asks them what they are up to. Well, the boys do, Webby just sings "inconspicuous whistling". They soon see what exactly happened, as we see Scrooge getting angry at the plane. He can't blame himself, he's Scrooge McDuck.

While Scrooge McDuck has many talents, flying a plane isn't one of them. It’s not a Launchpad crash, either, but a crash that ends up putting the plane on top of a "10,000 meter speedbump". Needless to say, this episode isn't going to end with racecars, lasers, or aeroplanes that aren't the titular Sunchaser.

Scrooge tries to get the plane out of this situation, because he's Scrooge McDuck, he can solve anything! That seemed to work for most episodes, but it does not work here, as anything he tried to do only made things worse.

Of course, the Sunchaser being on top of a small spire-shaped peak means that balance is absolutely everything. Unlike most episodes, there's no real villain in this episode outside of gravity. It's a high concept episode, there's no B plot happening anywhere else. Maybe.

For example, Launchpad accidently drives a car into the large door of the Sunchaser, causing the plane to lean backwards. Eventually, the door opens, and Launchpad is hanging on. We get to see some cool moments with Scrooge, having him jump up on a box that's sliding down and being able to rescue him from falling off. It's like an action movie.

Not that Scrooge gets all the fun, Mrs. Beakley gets a lot of great moments, too. Throughout the episode, she's trying her best to keep the kids safe, and arguing with with Scrooge about how he's endangering everyone. She really wants Scrooge to admit that he can't fix this problem, but Scrooge is having none of that. Under Scrooge, nothing bad is going to happen to the children! Or, as he accidently says...

Scrooge: Nothing bad is going to happen to her!

Mrs. Beakley: ...hmm?

Scrooge Er, kids.

This is our first big hint that Scrooge is not just acting the way he is in this episode because of his sense of self-worth or for the safety of his kin. This becomes far more apparent near the end of the episode. It's clear that this isn't just about Scrooge's war against Isaac Newton.

The kids eventually have to stick to one place, as much as Dewey really needs that one piece of the photograph.

Launchpad tries to give some in-flight entertainment with a nice nod to Darkwing Duck. Hopefully we’ll get to see him, or his actor, next season. Sadly, the tape only repeats the same section of credits over and over again due to damage to the VCR caused by the crash. They eventually start to sing the portion of the theme song. The lone exception being Dewey, who just can't take it anymore.

Huey gets an idea: go to the opposite way Dewey is going, keeping balance, allowing Dewey to get the piece of the photo. Eventually, Scrooge spots Dewey with the piece of the photograph, and asks what he has. Dewey, left with no choice, decides to give Scrooge that piece, only for it to blow away to the same spot where Launchpad crashed the car from earlier.

Dewey chases after the photograph, while Scrooge chases Dewey. It's the slowest chase scene ever, due to Mrs. Beakley ordering them to be careful to not to make the title fit. That joke would have been a lot better on shows that I actually judge the titles on, I realize. Scrooge is only trying to grab Dewey to save his life.

Scrooge: I'm only trying to save your life, so come back here before I have to end it!

Obviously, Scrooge doesn't mean this, but he's getting a bit unhinged.

Eventually, the box where the secret hideout was hits the door and breaks open, revealing the hideout and all the pieces of information that were nailed to its interior. Mrs. Beakley notices the paper in Webby's skirt, which happens to be the Spear of Selene picture from earlier. Her reaction to this seems to be telling.

Mrs. Beakley: Oh, children, what have you been up to?

She doesn't do anything else to the nephews and her granddaughter about this, mostly because what will happen a few seconds later will heavily, but this line read is a clear sign that whatever secrets that Spear of Selene holds is not going to be pretty.

While the paper with the Spear on it is taken, the little piece of the photo gets blown out of the window by a gust of wind. Of course, that doesn’t stop Dewey from leaping out onto the Sunchaser, chasing after it. Scrooge utters to himself, "no, not again". Anyone who's watching this show will know this is referring to his side of the Della mystery.

Dewey's reckless endangerment even scares the other nephews and honorary niece, and they ask Dewey to forget about this and love the family he has. Dewey is having none of that, and neither does the viewer; we're not going to have another cop-out. Scrooge eventually has to ask what he can do to get Dewey to listen to him. Dewey, in no uncertain terms, decides to ask him for the truth.

Dewey: (holding up photograph) Tell me about the Spear of Selene!

We saw this scene in the trailers, and that’s definitely something people would want to see Scrooge answer. Scrooge eventually nods his head, grabs Deweys hand, and gathers everyone together for the big story.

No, there's no cop-out here. The longer answer, as I said before, is that it is not pretty. The even longer answer should be figured out by watching the episode. I would stop here, but this is the kind of ending I need to talk about. This episode was already good enough that a cop-out wouldn't have made this a below-average episode.

However, I'm sorry to inform that this is not the twist you will be watching. The twist you are about to see is extremely unpleasant. If you wish to see a film about three bug-eyed freaks that beat the stuffing out of monkeys, I'm sure there's still copies on eBay.

← The Secret(s) of Castle McDuck! ☆ The Shadow War! →

...

Alright, fine, in the immortal words of a Dark Souls soapstone message, "time for tears".

I honestly thought they were going to stretch the Della plot into the Season 2, but lo and behold, Scrooge manages to keep his word. He’s not a hypocrite, just like how he promised Webby that all she had to do to know about the number one dime was to ask, all Dewey had to do was ask. No need to keep secrets, we learned that in the last episode.

Even in this episode, it’s hinted that the Della situation is not going to be a bright and cheery one, and oh boy, oh boy. It all started before the nephews were even hatched.

She went on many different adventures across the entire world, until there just wasn't anything left. Eventually, she decided that. Donald was completely against this, because it's too dangerous. Scrooge decided the best plan was to buy the Spear of Selene, and keep it a surprise from both Donald and Della.

...that is, a big rocketship in the shape of one. Unfortunately, Della finds out about this surprise because she's that clever. Della takes the Spear, leaving a note.

Scrooge tries to get Della to abort the mission and come back home, but Della wasn't having any of it. After all, she was Della Duck! Needless to say, there's a lot of parallels between this and everything else in the episode. However, there is one big difference...

Scrooge: I couldn't keep her safe. The rocket and your mother were lost...in the empty abyss of space.

Major props to David Tennant’s performance here. I had no doubt that he would do well as Scrooge. Donald wasn't too happy when he heard about this, and they never spoke again until the fateful day the nephews met Scrooge. This is completely understandable, and I bet it's even more understandable that telling your nephews that your Uncle indirectly caused your mother's disappearance may not make them like you.

Dewey: Cool...so you're the reason why our Mom is gone.

My earlier assertion that there are no true villains in this episode except for gravity becomes not an opinion shared with any of the characters aside from Scrooge and maybe Launchpad after this story. Symbolically, the plane starts to teeter and totter as the boys accuse him of being a greedy person who didn't even try to save their mother.

Webby shares her two cents as well, and Scrooge immediately tells her to stay out of family matters, as she isn't family. It felt like she became this honorary niece a few episodes ago, so this is a stab in the heart. This earns the anger of Mrs. Beakley. The anger continues until the Sunchaser falls off the spire into a regular Launchpad-style crash. Did anyone forget about that?

On the bright side, Uncle Donald finally fixed that houseboat, and everyone else managed to survive and walked all the way back to Duckburg! Donald Duck shows off the freshly painted houseboat, which is fully repaired, and ready to go back to the Marina. The boys tell their not-a-rich-mother-killer uncle about what happened, and all Donald can say is, "oh."

While they are bummed out, the nephews are glad that they don’t have to live with that money-grubbing tyrant that caused their mother to get lost in space due to his greediness. Actually, that’s not bright at all. There's nothing but tears at this point.

As Scrooge is sitting in his chair, everyone leaves the Manor, even Duckworth. I wouldn't know if it's even possible for a ghost to leave the mansion he's haunting, and that never comes up again in the next episode as far as I can tell. We see another flashback, and it's even more heartbreaking than the first.

Unbeknownst to everyone else, he did try to use his riches to find Della. The Vulture Capitalists have to forcibly restrain him from wasting so much money to reverse his biggest mistake. Well, it’s also her biggest mistake, but nobody seems to blame Della for abandoning her kids before they even hatched. There's some moral ambiguity here, and whether they'll address that is up in the air.

We even see the money bin get smaller and smaller. I actually didn’t even notice that, even in this cartoon’s modern day, he never managed to get it back to the heights it was generally shown to be in previous iterations of the Scrooge McDuck mythos.

Actually, speaking of “the beginning”, this shot at the very end may take that way further than I thought at first.

This is a recreation of Scrooge’s very first appearance in the original comics, back when he wasn’t too far off from his namesake. It's a neat touch; it also references him before he met Donald, and this would be a horrifying bookend. Thankfully, there's another episode.

I was thinking that this episode was going to be the calm before the shadowy storm, but it turns out that the episode before was the calm before the storm. But after a storm, there tends to be a rainbow, and anyone can expect that the next episode would be that rainbow. But...how? I just couldn't wait to find out, and that's something an episode should be proud of.

How does it stack up?

I never thought I would spend any percentage of my day crying over Disney ducks, but here we are. It’s an action-packed thrill ride and a heartbreaker in all of the best ways.

This is the best episode of the series so far, and definitely something I want to see the conclusion to. We might not see if Della is truly gone or not, but maybe the “get the kids back together” plot. Oh, and that Lena plot, too. I guess that’s important. As much as this image is very unfitting for this episode...

Next, prepare to be drafted for the finale of DuckTales Season 1.

← The Secret(s) of Castle McDuck! ☆ The Shadow War! →

#fpb dt 2017 #ducktales 2017 #ducktales #disney #fpb reviews

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sophygurl · 6 years

Text

heh. @c-l-ford gave me all of the main characters from both Lucifer and Leverage for the character questions thing. This should be interesting. And long.

Lucifer

Lucifer:

do I like them: you betcha!

5 good qualities: he’s clever, he loves his family - much as he tries to deny it, he’s extremely talented at playing the piano, he’s a wonderful model of hedonism being about what’s pleasurable for all and not about a single-minded pursuit of what’s pleasurable for one in disregard for other’s desires, and he actually quite cares about humans and wants them to be good and not make it to hell.

3 bad qualities: he’s more than a tad self-absorbed at times, he is quick to blame/judge others for their failings, and dude often has to make the same mistake many times before learning from it.

favourite episode/etc: A Good Day to Die, 2x13 where he goes to hell to get the formula to save Chloe

otp: Deckerstar

brotp: Lucifer x Amenadiel

ot3: Don’t particularly have one for him. Sexytimes with any 2 ppl he wants, but I don’t really romantically ship him with anyone but Chloe (possible Mazikeen, but not WITH Chloe. and I could see either Linda or Maze as someone for fun sexytimes but not with one another or Chloe involved, so, yea. no ot3 for the dude we often see in 3somes (and moresomes))

notp: Any of his family members - he seems totally grossed out by the idea, himself.

best quote: Don’t have a specific one, but any time he reminds ppl that he has no qualms about the gender of who he has sex with or is attracted to is fantastic.

head canon: Mostly ones that really make me cry if I think about them for too long, having to do with his relationships with his family - particularly his dad. Like, for example, that he was a total daddy’s boy before their falling out and that’s part of why it hurts him so incredibly much.

Chloe Decker:

do I like them: yes ma’am!

5 good qualities: she’s such a good mommy, she is loyal af once she’s let someone into her inner circle, she’s driven af in her career, she is able to maintain a high sense of professionalism while allowing for Lucifer’s quirks as her partner, she’s one of the few ppl not let in on the Big Secret and yet she is still cool with all of these wacky people that have entered her life since meeting Lucifer like whatever these folks are weirdos but they’re my weirdos now.

3 bad qualities: she can be a little bit naive??, she often puts work above personal life stuff which can hurt her relationships and cause her to be a bit strained emotionally, she needs to work on that flirting game if she wants to do undercover work lol

favourite episode/etc: Quid Pro Ho, 2x10 - the trial where she talks about Lucifer’s honesty, etc.

otp: Deckerstar

brotp: Chloe x Maze

ot3: None for her, she’s monogamous.

notp: No major ones, though I’d not particularly enjoy her and Dan getting back together. They work best as friends, I think.

best quote: ugh, I’m bad at specific quotes. probably some snarky thing she said to Lucifer.

head canon: There’s a part of her that does, in fact, believe everything Lucifer tells her about who he and his family really are. She’s just not ready to accept it, yet. Until she’s ready to accept it, there’s nothing he’ll be able to do to prove it to her. But eventually, one day, she’s going to put it all together and just sort of ... know it. Then she’ll have a million questions.

Mazikeen:

do I like them: yea, she’s amazing.

5 good qualities: character development like whoa, she’s totally kick ass, she’d do literally anything for the small handful of folks she cares about, she’s learned to be vulnerable and to value vulnerability in others which is amazing, sexy af.

3 bad qualities: like Lucifer she can be kinda self involved at times, she enjoys the torturing maybe a hair too much, can be really mean without intending to be

favourite episode/etc: Mr and Mrs. Mazikeen Smith, 3x3 - her Canadian adventure

otp: none as of yet

brotp: with Lucifer, obvi

ot3: none as of yet - perhaps Linda and Amenadiel???

notp: no one in particular

best quote: Self worth comes from within, bitches.

head canon: She’s gonna get accepted into heaven some day.

Amenadiel:

do I like them: amen!

5 good qualities: he has learned to be so kind - wow character development!, he loves his family sfm, he finds cues of goodness and forgiveness and worth all around him even at his worst, is driven by a sense of purpose even when he feels lost as to what that purpose may be, hot af

3 bad qualities: can be a bit rigid in his thinking, is still overcoming some of his judgmental stuff, doesn’t always think through the consequences of his actions

favourite episode/etc: also A Good Day to Die - the way he and Lucifer worked together on that was so amazing I love them so much

otp: no one really, though I enjoy his relationships with both Linda and Maze

brotp: with Lucifer of course

ot3: idk with Linda and Maze!!?

notp: with Lucifer/any family, also would be horrified at the thought of him and Chloe

best quote: I don’t have an exact quote for this, but when he was telling Lucifer about the significance of his getting his wings back over and over and how it proves that their Father can forgive anything and how that gives him hope. *tears up*

head canon: He’ll get his own wings and angel powers back once he’s forgiven himself. God never took them away from him...

Linda Martin:

do I like them: Oh yes very much.

5 good qualities: So smart, so funny, so compassionate, so open minded, has some mysterious past that we still don’t know about please tell us Linda!!

3 bad qualities: Uhmmmm.... hmmmm .... I’m sure she has some but none are coming to mind.

favourite episode/etc: Oh, whatever episode it was that she found out the truth - er, probably not that episode because her seeing Lucifer’s true face was the end but the next one where we see her dealing with it all and trying to accept it and accept these supernatural people in her life for who they are. Linda is so amazing u all!

otp: No otp, but I did dig her and Amenadiel’s thing. But not if it’s gonna hurt Maze - which I think they’d both also not wanna do anything to hurt her, so that’s cool. I hope.

brotp: Linda/Mazikeen for sure.

ot3: As said above, her and Amenadiel and Mazikeen together could be interesting?

notp: Her and Lucifer. Like, it was fun when it was a thing but I was a lot more comfortable with them as both friends and client/therapist once they stopped having sex.

best quote: idk - something wise she says to Lucifer during a session most likely.

head canon: I can’t think of any.

Leverage

Nathan Ford:

do I like them: meh

5 good qualities: he hates the rich, he’s incredibly intelligent, he’s protective of his people, he’s wily, he not only thinks six steps ahead but can think on his feet to adjust the plans as necessary

3 bad qualities: he can be selfish af, his character arc was kinda boring to me?, he tends to wallow

favourite episode/etc: I’m gonna be bad at this category for this show because I haven’t watched it recently to remember specific episodes oooops.

otp: with Sophie

brotp: also with Sophie? I feel like they were sort of the two on the same footing with the others being somewhat dependent on them so while they were all a family, he didn’t allow himself to connect as equals with any of the others.

ot3: none

notp: idk who else did ppl ship him with? I can’t picture him with anyone besides his ex and Sophie tbh

best quote: Sophie Devereaux is the finest actress you've ever seen…when she's breaking the law.

head canon: After he and Sophie leave the other 3 to it, he checks in on them from time to time. That is to say - he always knows what they’re up to and how they’re doing and occasionally when they find themselves in a bind, he just sort of shows up out of the blue like “I knew this was gonna end up being a plan M situation, and I didn’t wanna lose Hardison quite yet...”

Sophie Devereaux:

do I like them: She’s alright.

5 good qualities: Elegant af, amazing actress as long as she’s breaking the law, loves her 3 socially awkward children and wants them to do well in life, takes no shit from Nate, has a strangely positive outlook on the world for the kind of work she does.

3 bad qualities: Such a bad actress when she’s on stage, again her character arc wasn’t super interesting to me, and uh IDK what else - she’s mostly pretty fab.

favourite episode/etc: no clue, see above.

otp: With Nate, although honestly I think she could do better??

brotp: With Tara, probs.

ot3: None.

notp: With any of the team other than Nate. It would be weird.

best quote: no clue

head canon: Sophie also checks up on the kids after they leave them to their own devices, but she does it in her own way. She’ll show up to their apartment after a draining job with an organic pizza and some beers and have her feet up in a comfy chair and ask them to come tell her all about it. When they’re having relationship issues, she seems to magically know about it before anyone tells her, and she’ll take them each aside for a lil chat and help them work through whatever is bugging them. Then she slips away before they even have a chance to say goodbye.

Eliot Spencer:

do I like them: Boy, howdy!

5 good qualities: When it counts he is so gentle and kind, has more emotional intelligence than you realize, is ridiculously knowledgeable about a ridiculous amount of things, cranky chef af, loves his adorkable nerd and sweet sociopath and would do anything for them (but would never admit that)

3 bad qualities: Doesn’t communicate that emotional intelligence enough, thinks he’s only good for his brawn :(, can be a lil intolerant and fussy

favourite episode/etc: Can’t think of the name, but the one with the kid that he bonds with and protects? I loved him so much in that one, especially.

otp: none....

brotp: with Hardison, also with Nate I think

ot3: Hardison and Parker, OBVI

notp: never with Nate or Sophie

best quote: hmmm not sure, something about food probs.

head canon: When he snuggles with Parker and Hardison? He’s the little little spoon. Don’t tell me otherwise, I’m not listening!

Alec Hardison:

do I like them: yup!

5 good qualities: so smart, so brave, so open-hearted, so funny, so adorable!

3 bad qualities: does Not like being wrong or making a mistake, can be over-confident at times, can also be overly pessimistic at times

favourite episode/etc: Oh probably the pretzels one. Like he is just so patient and open with Parker. I just ... *tearing up*

otp: with Parker

brotp: with Eliot

ot3: with Parker AND Eliot

notp: no one I can think of actively anti-shipping him with

best quote: The pretzels thing.

head canon: He’s the one who finally brings Eliot in to the relationship with Parker.

Parker:

do I like them: uh yea, she’s only one of my all-time fave characters

5 good qualities: she’s hilarious, she’s been so traumatized and she’s still so open to people like??? she doesn’t know How to connect with ppl but she Wants to so bad???, so fucking competent at everything she does, extreme desire to help others once she’s had a small taste of it, her idea of a great time is jumping off buildings and blowing things up and she is legit confused when she realizes that not everyone likes those things????!

3 bad qualities: nothing. she’s perfect. leave me alone.

favourite episode/etc: ALL of them, IDK, maybe at the end when Nate hands her the reigns it makes the most sense in the world alflgfjfhgskjalhfhgf

otp: with Hardison

brotp: Peggy!! (also Sophie)

ot3: Hardison and Eliot OF Course!

notp: anyone besides those 2 rly because my girl is very unique and emotionally fragile and I can’t have anyone hurting her or abusing her trust or causing her to backslide in her evolution of learning to love people like. no. stay away.

best quote: Everything blows up, silly!

head canon: She loves unicorns and totally believes they’re real. She can’t wait to meet one some day. She knows it’ll happen. The guys probably discuss how to dress up a horse as one to make this happen for her on her birthday at some point. She knows it’s a fake, but she loves them for trying. And she STILL believes in unicorns.

WOW that was fun and only took 2 hours, thanks C! lol

#leverage #lucifer #ask me stuff #fandom memes #question memes #head canons #that was my fave part

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aniseandspearmint · 7 years

Note

So with all that Naruto you reblogged I thought - mentor swap, Naruto gets Obi Wan and Anakin gets Kakashi, how do you think that would go?

Hmmmm, let’s see... Let’s put this in the context of a fusion, with the Naruto verse characters transposed into star wars.

First, some background, setting the stage if you will.

Jedi Knight Kakashi Hatake is the son of retired Knight Sakumo Hatake, and I’m thinking their story is just as tragic this time around. Sakumo went into the diplomatic corps after he met Kakashi’s mother, and was eventually ‘responsible’ for inciting major genocidal war on some planet because of a misread situation and it was either hand his diplomatic team over to be executed or start a war. The story was leaked to the press, and he was branded a galactic pariah overnight. Cue terrible Naruto canon running it’s course.

Kakashi, having no living family, is taken into the creche and our little genius vows to be the perfect jedi, and follow all the rules and never leave the order like his father did, because clearly that was a bad choice for his father (because Kakashi is not Kakashi without his crippling father issues).

I’m thinking he’s a year or two older than Obi-wan, but maybe in the same clan? IDK how that works actually. My memory of the Apprentice books is like 18 years old, lols. Say it works that way, anyway. They know each other.

But while Obi-wan is solidly in the middle top of his class, Kakashi _soars_ above the rest. The the teachers can’t keep up with him, and by the time the youngling is nine he’s already taking classes meant for children five or six years older.

It’s a relief when Sentinel Knight Minato Namikaze bumps into the kid in a hall one day and a padawan bond snaps into place like lightning.

Kakashi grows up under the care of a alternately fluffheaded and terrifyingly intelligent Knight, who cheerfully pulls him into trouble and teaches him that sometimes the rules need to be knocked out and shoved out an airlock (and that his father made the only choice a Jedi could, plight of the many over the few be damned. War would have happened no matter the choice he made).

Kakashi and Knight Namikaze spend most of their time trolling the rim for pirates and slavers, often joined by Master Healer Tsunade and her Padawan Rin Nohara (she likes to keep her hand in the fight despite being next in line for Temple Healing Master) and by Sentinel Knight Kushina Uzumaki (a Noorian woman with long fiery red hair and violet and orange-red striped eyes) and her Padawan Obito.

The Padawans figure out pretty quickly that there's Something Going On between Minato and Kushina, and almost as quickly determine that they’re *gasp* married. It takes Obito and Rin sitting on Kakashi for a while to defeat his kneejerk impulse to tattle to the temple, but they manage to talk him out of it.

((“Master Tsunade clearly knows,” Rin argues, “And if she knows, so do Master Orochimaru and Master Jiraiya, and they haven’t told yet so it’s okay, dammit Kakashi, stop squirming! Ow, why are your elbows so pointy?!?!”))

Then there’s a massive natural disaster on a little no name border planet, and their team is the closest available help for the endangered research station there. Rocks fall, mud slides, and Obito never makes it off planet. (of course, that’s only what they think happened) Kakashi is injured, and receives an experimental bionic eye from the locals (it’s not as cool as the sharingan, I know, but I’m at a loss as to how to fit creepy magic eyes into SW).

Kushina is heartbroken, and, after a very long conversation with Minato, takes a leave of absence from the Order. She sets herself up in one of the small satellite temples on Coruscant, far from the main temple, and spends a lot of time in the salle doing moving meditation.

Then Master Orochimaru Falls, and Tsunade leaves the order. Rin is transferred to another Knight, this one greener than grass. A few months later, Rin and the Knight are brought back to the temple for their pyres. A stupid misjudged situation, and Kakashi is suddenly alone. (Note: Hey, at least he doesn’t have to deal with being the one to put a hand through her chest this time?)

Minato, dealing with a grieving Padawan and grieving himself, sticks closer to the temple for a while, taking few off planet missions. He also spends a lot of his spare time dropping in to visit his wife friend Kushina.

It’s really not a surprise when Kushina gets pregnant a year or so later, is it?

Fast forward a little, and a mysterious attack on the satellite temple the night Kushina was due to give birth ends with not only Minato and Kushina dead, but nearly every living person at that temple. Kakashi is left holding their son.

Naruto is accepted into the creche with no fuss, though he is haloed in scandal, because his parents broke the code.

Kakashi wavers. He’s not quite old enough to go through his trial, but he can’t bare the thought of calling another Knight ‘Master’. But then, an offer comes from Master Drallig, and he takes it gratefully, vanishing into the faceless ranks of the Temple Guard for a time. (I’m pulling on a headcanon here, that says the Temple Guard still maintain identities outside of their jobs, and can and do retire after a while, because that kind of existence is not permanently maintainable for sentient minds. Otherwise, hey look, Jedi ANBU!)

Time marches on, and years pass. Kakashi buries himself in his job to the exclusion of nearly everything else, copes by adopting bits of friends personality traits, gets pounced on regularly by this crazy Guardian named Gai, and tries to find his footing without all the people he loves.

Meanwhile, there are assholes everywhere, and as it happens, the current creche master is such a person. A bastion of upholding the code, they see Naruto as a giant stain on the face of the order, conceived and born out of breaking the code as he was. They treat Naruto badly. Not badly enough to get called on it mind you, the child is never outright harmed, but neglected compared to the other younglings, yes.

And children take their cues from the adults around them. This version of Naruto is perhaps not as mistreated as his ninja world counterpart, but he grows up just as lonely. Still, he’s not called Sunshine Child for nothing! He’s still Naruto. Still unfailingly optimistic and bright.

But with the creche master convinced that such a child does not deserve to be a knight, he grows up ever so slightly sabotaged. He’s awful at traditional meditation (get’s it from his mother) and he doesn’t do well sitting in front of a screen in a classroom for hours a day.

The year he turns twelve, another child is brought into the temple. Naruto feels him the second their ship touches down on the landing pad outside, though he doesn’t know what he’s feeling, not yet. Class isn’t even an afterthought. He’s got to find out what that whirlpool in the force is!

At this point, Naruto is an expert at dancing around the temple surveillance, and in no time at all he’s face to face with a younger boy in strange roughly spun clothing, sitting outside the council chamber doors.

And Naruto being Naruto, he immediately beams at the boy, and rattles off a greeting, and launches into questions.

((”Hi! I’m Initiate Naruto Uzumaki! Who’re you? Your so bright! Have you come to be trained? You look a little old, but I’ve heard that Knight Vos was like, eleven when he got searched and brought to the temple, and you don’t look that old, so you should be fine!”))

Hearing about a child even older than him getting to be Jedi student soothes several fears that had been gathering in the back of Anakin’s mind, just a little, and soon enough he and Naruto are cheerfully chattering at one another, trading stories (Anakin gets a glimpse of what temple life is going to be like from a child close to his age, and Naruto hears quite a lot about podracers and a very nice girl named Padme)

So when Qui-gon and Obi-wan sweep out of the Council chambers, Qui-gon heading off to find a change of clothes, Obi-wan steps to the side and heads for where they left Anakin, to tell him the council wishes to see him now. He rounds the corner and stops bemusedly watching for a moment as Anakin gestures expansively in the middle of a story about the race he won, an older blond, human looking, boy in initiate robes exclaiming excitedly.

((”That’s amazing, Ani! Podracing’s illegal on Coruscant, so I’ve never seen it except for a couple clips on the holonet, but we’ve got swoopbikes! Those go really fast too, and you can catch some really cool races down in level 78!” Naruto enthuses. Before he can invite Ani to come the next time he sneaks out to see one, a soft ‘ahem’ interrupts him.

Whirling around, both boys cringe just a little at the senior Padawan eying them.

“The council is ready to see you, Anakin.” he shooes the boy towards the large doors, watches to see him go in, then turns to the initiate inching away in a not very sneaky manner.

“Odd, Initiate, I was under the impression that swoopbike races were as illegal as podraces here?” He asks dryly, eyeing the boy up and down, cataloging the child’s appearance from the sun bright hair to in the marks on his cheeks and the blue and orange striped eyes.

A Noorian then. Obi-wan is suddenly fiercely reminded of Tahl. Caught up in the thought as he is, plus his Master’s words a few moments ago in the Council chambers, he doesn’t notice the way the force seems to pause for a moment, like a canine pricking its ears at a new and interesting sound.

“Er, well. Um-” Naruto tries, only for the Padawan to shake his head and wave him off.

“Go on, I know for a fact you should be in class right now. I imagine you’ll get enough trouble from your teachers.” He makes another shooing motion.

Naruto doesn’t have to be told twice! He’s gone in a flash, vanishing around the corner.

And unnoticed by both, the force churns a little and spins in his wake, tendrils reaching out to both Obi-wan and Naruto almost thoughtfully, if a powerful omnipresent energy could be described as thoughtful.))

The council visit goes slightly better for this Anakin. Talking with Naruto, meeting a child only a little older than him, talking and laughing together, and hearing that he’s hardly the only child to be brought to the temple past the perfect age settles him.

The council is still not all together pleased by him, and their own fears do still color their interactions with him, but not to the degree they might have. Instead of an outright refusal to train him, there is a different choice made.

((”Deliberate, the council must.” The old tiny master chirps. Then he taps a few lines into the arm of his seat, and a moment later the doors reopen to admit Qui-gon and Obi-wan. He repeats the words for their benefit, and continues. “Into your care the boy is placed, Master Qui-gon for now. And return to Naboo, you and Padawan Kenobi must. But not alone, you will go. Another Knight the council will send.”

Anakin listens to this, a bit confused. But, well, a maybe is better than a no, he supposes.

“Who?” Master Qui-gon asks, brow furrowing as he tries to remember who is in the temple and not on the injured list or already assigned.

“Knight Kakashi Hatake has just returned from a long term mission.” Mace speaks up, long fingers gracefully dancing across the arm of his own chair, doubtlessly informing the knight of his sudden, new orders. “We believe his skill set will be much help on this mission.

Qui-gon and Obi-wan trade a look. ‘Just returned from a long term mission’ might as well be code for a reassigned Temple Guard or Shadow, they both know. And Obi-wan remembers that name, image of a small boy with sleepy dark eyes and coarse silver hair spring to the forefront of his mind.

“Meet you tomorrow, at the transport, Knight Hatake will.”))

Kakashi has just been summarily booted out of the Temple Guard meanwhile. Twelve years is about six years longer than most humans go in the guard, full stop, no breaks.

He might be a little confused and indignant about this. It seems a fact of life that Kakashi is a poorly socialized, bad at personing person in every world he exists in. This one is no exception.

He’s just trying to find his feet and figure out what exactly regualr Knights are supposed to do, when his personal com pings, and he is informed that he’s to be on the transport pad bright and early tomorrow, as extra support for a Master Qui-gon Jinn and senior Padawan Obi-wan Kenobi.

((Kakashi eyes the missive like it’s going to sprout a virus and eat his PC any second now. Then he tilts his head back a little, thoughtfully.

Kenobi, Kenobi, where does he know that name from?

A reedy human youngling with coppery red hair and defiant blue eyes swims up from the depths of his memory. Wait, shouldn’t Obi-wan be twenty-five by now? What in the sith hells is he still doing as a padawan? Most humans got knighted around twenty or twenty-two.

Kakashi had been marked down as passing his trials at nineteen.

Well, he supposed he’d find out tomorrow.

Picking himself up off the couch he ambled towards the bedroom he rarely actually used and idly threw several of the new robes he’d been issued in a travel sack.))

Kakashi is awkward around Anakin, at first. He’s not really interacted much with kids, in his defense! The Temple Guard really isn’t supposed to interact with anyone. They just, well, guard?

Anakin is fascinated though. Qui-gon is busy for most of the trip to Naboo, in conference with the Queen, and Anakin get’s the feeling that Obi-wan doesn't like him very much, so that leaves Kakashi to talk to, and ask all the questions he couldn’t ask Naruto or Qui-gon about.

Slowly, when the kid doesn’t immediately quiz him on his soft squishy tragic past, but just wants to know what kind of things a he’s going to need to learn to catch up, Kakashi relaxes. He even has a laugh startled out of him when the kid viciously mutters a nasty string of Huttese upon learning he’ll have to take a whole slew of aptitude tests and won’t be allowed to fly any kind of ship before twelve, and then only supervised.

((Kakashi can be forgiven for not noticing the way the force swirls idly around the two of them, rather like a cat eyeing up a new toy. He’s never been the most gifted at sensing the force, especially after his family after Master Minato and Kushina had died.

Anakin feels it, but Anakin always feels the force. It’s like air, always there for him. Someday he’ll be trained to narrow his senses enough to pick out fine detail in the force, but for now sensing nuance is beyond him.

So neither one feel the weight of consideration upon them, the questing brushes along their souls.))

Sadly, for all that Kakashi’s presence on the mission does save many lives, Qui-gon Jinn’s life is not among them. He stands with Obi-wan behind a humming energy wall, helpless to stop the sith from impaling the Master.

He and Obi-wan, together, take down Maul. Obi-wan bisects him, Kakashi takes his head off. Both are present for Qui-gon’s last words, his plea for Obi-wan to train Anakin.

Naboo is freed, Qui-gon is dead. Anakin saved the day in space, and Kakashi and Obi-wan fought and killed a sith. A real, live sith.

In the ensuing havoc, Kakashi gets swept up in routing trade federation lackeys and it’s not until the council representatives show up that he sees Anakin again.

He and Obi-wan have just come from meeting Yoda, giving their verbal reports, and Kakashi backing up Obi-wan when he pleads/demands to be given Anakin as a Padawan.

Anakin is waiting just outside the door, having been told by Obi-wan to wait.

He looks up as they come out, his eyes meet Kakashi’s one uncovered eye and the force comes down on them like a pouncing Pittin. A durasteel force bond snaps into place faster than they can blink, to the shock of all involved.

Everyone just kind of stares for a moment in silence before Kakashi mutters several choice curses he’d picked up from Anakin on the trip to Naboo.

The force wills what it wills.

Knight Kakashi Hatake will train Anakin Skywalker.

Force help them both.

((Obi-wan is Knighted, and set adrift.

This... Well, Obi-wan is an odd mix of pleased and guilty for being pleased, and sad, because he couldn’t even do the last thing his father Master asked of him. Logically he knows that this has nothing to do with him, the force willed it and all that, but emotionally, he feels like a failure.

So, while Kakashi and Anakin slowly orbit one another and find some kind of balance with each other, Obi-wan fields comm calls from concerned friends (none of whom are in the Temple right now) and slowly packs up his and Qui-gon’s rooms. He can’t stay in them. Rooms of that size are reserved for Master/Padawan sets. He’s been politely informed he has two weeks to pack up and what his new room assignment is.

It hurts. Far far more than he ever would have thought to give all of the temple issued clothing and gear back to the quartermaster, and carefully pack away all of the collected detritus of his masters life.

A paper book of pressed flowers and leaves from his master’s own Padawan days. Holo upon holo of moments in his life stored on a half dozen image displays.

A collection of blue pebbles in a line before the window in Qui-gon’s room, arranged from pale sky blue to a glittering blue black.

In the bedside drawer Obi-wan finds a handful of flimsy notes scrawled in Tahls spidery hand and he just- he needs to get some air.

And so he goes wandering. He has the vague thought of heading for the gardens, but no, his mind is elsewhere as he walks, and when he rouses himself from his thoughts, he finds himself outside one of the the initiate level salles.

And, well, he’s here now he supposes, so he goes in.

There’s a class in progress, older initiates by first glance, all spinning and weaving in pairs, movements fine and controlled as benefits students of an age to be chosen as Padawans.

A head of bright yellow catches his eyes, and he watches as the boy he saw talking to Anakin (force, had it only been seven days ago?) spins away, grinning widely, from the too telegraphed swing of the Zabraki girl he’s paired with.

And he feels the force prod at him, just a little.

Frowning to himself, he skirts the Salle and comes up beside the instructor, a towering Ithorian fmale.

“The Noorian boy, with the blond hair. Who is he?” He asks in an undertone, not wanting to draw more attention than he already had by wandering in during paired katas.

The Ithorian Jedi blinks large eyes placidly down at him for a moment, taking in his still shorn hair but lack of Padawan braid no doubt, before responding.

“Half Noorian. Naruto Uzumaki.” He rumbles.

“He’s very good. He moves quite well for a boy his age.” Obi-wan offers. Naruto certainly moved better than he did at twelve. At that age he’d started random growth spurts, and it always seemed that his body was never quite the size he was used to.

The Ithorian rumbled in agreement. “Yes. The child moves well. Very gifted in the martial ways. Pity.”

Obi-wan blinks in surprise. “Pity? Why pity? If he moves this well at so young an age, surely he’ll only improve.”

“Moving is about the only thing he does well. He’s bottom of his class in everything else. No Knight has expressed any interest, and with grades like that... Well, Agricorps, or Exploricorps perhaps. But not Knighthood.”

There is another, sharper prod from the force, and just like it’s happening right now, he can see Qui-gon walking away from him, taste the bitter disappointment of crushed hopes and dreams.

The force helpfully prods him again.

‘Oh Hell.’ He thinks, finally catching on. He has a sudden suspicion why he’s there. And, if he’s reading the currents eddying around him right, and the tendrils unfurling towards the half Noorian boy, he doesn’t actually have much of a choice in the matter.

There’s an almost smug thrum from the force.

Well, at least he’ll get to stay in his and Qui-gon’s rooms now? And... Naruto is such a bright shimmer in the force, like sunlight dancing across an ocean. He can’t help but think such a bright spirit would be welcome now.))

SO, Obi-wan caught on to his little force bond match up, unlike Kakashi. After glumly saying goodbye to any idea of peace and quiet (he does recall Naruto cheerfully talking about swoopbike races after all) he goes over after the kids are done with katas and taps Naruto on the shoulder.

Naruto turns around and BAM. Instant Padawan bond.

Naruto is ecstatic. Obi-wan is mostly tired. Cautiously happy, but tired.

The council is convened, and there is much arguing, oh I mean discussing, of what two instantly forming force bonds within days of each other could mean, but the force isn’t talking.

In a rare bout of wisdom and insight, the council decides that since Kakashi is only just come back from his ‘long term mission’ and doesn’t quite have the hang of being a normal (hah!) Jedi yet, and Obi-wan has only just been Knighted and is now saddled with a Padawan, the two of them should become a team.

Anakin and Naruto are far more excited about this that Obi-wan or Kakashi, as you can probably guess. Instant brothers and bffs.

Anakin grows up with a friend this time. Someone who is not an adult and is willing to help him catch up on the things he needs to know, even if Naruto doesn’t really like sitting still and paying attention to learning modules, and someone to show him all the ways to sneak out of the temple (there are a lot, unsurprisingly, mostly on the lower levels)

Naruto gets a bestie who doesn’t care one whit about who his parents were and how they broke the code. Someone who’s nearly as curious as he is, and willing to move with him instead of trying to get him to slow down. It’s amazing.

Eventually Naruto and Anakin befriend several other Padawans around their age. A Togruta girl named Sakura, and a human boy named Sasuke. Because Naruto is still a friend making dynamo once he gets going.

In this verse, Anakin tells his master when he and Padme secretly get married, because he’s heard Minato and Kushina’s story, and knows Kakashi won’t tell the council. Naruto and Obi-wan also get told, because they’re family, no matter how Obi-wan never says it.

When the war comes, Kakashi becomes a general in his own right, leading his own portion of the clone army. it doesn’t sit well with him, this army that was made in the jedi’s name by some unknown, and he’s quietly running his own investigation into things on the side.

Does he find out who’s really running things and about the ticking time bombs in the clones heads? I have no idea, but I hope so.

My steams kinda running out here bc it’s like 4AM here and this got so freaking long omg *facepalm* I meant this to be a quick what if/reply but i started typing and just could not stop. So here, have 4,000 odd words about a hypothetical Star Wars/Naruto fusion!

Other things that spun through my mind while I was working this out;

- Kakashi has a prototype special bionic eye instead of a whirly magic eye in this verse. He still needs to keep it covered, since the record function automatically activates when exposed to light.

- Once Kakashi and Obi-wan loosen up around each other the snark starts flying. OMG the snark. We’re talking epic levels of snark.

- Kakashi and Obi-wan fall into bed together at least three times, but ultimately decided to keep things purely platonic. They just don’t work as lovers.

- They find out they’ve both had relationships with Quinlan and Siri.

- Naruto and Anakin give Kakashi a plush canine every year on his birthday. (My way of working in the ninken pack)

- Kakashi knows really weird people. See: Knight Gai Maito, Jedi Shadow Anko Mitarashi, and other former temple guards ‘other people on the same long term mission’ Knight Genma Shiranui, Knight Raido Namiashi, etc.

- Kakashi get’s along pretty well with Padme. He can respect a woman who managed to rule a planet, become a senator, and still remain such a kick ass and take names kind of girl.

- Kakashi adores Ahsoka and thought it was freaking hilarious when she was sneakily assigned to Anakin.

- Naruto gets assigned a Padawan around the same time, but I don’t know who it should be. Konohamaru maybe? IDK that would be pretty funny.

- Obito eventually shows up as one of Palpatine’s apprentices. That revelation goes just as badly as you can imagine.

- Orochimaru (I’m picturing him as half Echani, half something unknown) swans in and out as a big bad, just like in canon. He probably teams up with Jenna Zan Arbor a couple times because they’re the same kind of crazy.

- Akatsuki may or may not be a thing with deep cover Shadow Itachi Uchiha working undercover (no massacre happened in this verse).

- Tsunade eventually rejoins the order and takes over the Medical Corps. She might find out about the chips in the clones heads, come to think about it. She seems like the kind of person who’d want to know just what the kriffing hell those things actually do. Control aggression her ass.

- Tsunade’s first Padawan, Shizune, is Sakura’s Master, but Sakura spends just as much time learning from Tsunade.

- Jiraiya is a Zeltron in this verse. He still writes porn under a pseudonym, which Kakashi reads. He still wrote a novel about a protagonist named Naruto, but this time about a brave Jedi Knight.

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furederiko · 7 years

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Tis the start of the week, thus it's time for Random-News-Digest! Only a few categories, though...

Disney Live Action

"Beauty and the Beast" has had its big Hollywood premiere several days ago, following the UK one that was already held in a prior date. Which means, critics have begun voicing their opinions about it. From what I read so far, the response was... rather divisive. Some called it a loyal, bold, and faithful adaptation of the original, that would bring together old fans and new ones alike. Some praised the movie to the point of predicting it to be one of the year's first best-selling title so far, that it's going to make a lot of money. But on the opposite side, there were those who weren't as pleased with the adaptation. Collider called it "too much of a good thing", and The Hollywood Reporter likened it to a "crystal-meth-like narcotic high that lasts about two hours"! Both which... can mean good and bad at the same time. Of course, the rule of the thumb is, everyone has the rights to have their own personal and subjective opinion. So in the end, it's all just a matter of taste. Knowing that, it's hard to pinpoint which one of these responses is the accurate one, without actually seeing the movie with our own eyes. In fact, even you and I might have a completely different opinion about it. That's just the way it is.

Backlash to the movie also came in other areas. The first one was about Disney's approach to the 'renewed' sexual orientation of one character, that made fans both buzzing in cheer and jeer. The movie might not even gain access to Russia JUST because of it! WOW. In an interview with Attitude Magazine, director Bill Condon (who is openly LGBT, in case you're not aware) stated that Josh Gad's LeFou might be heading towards a more 'queer' trajection in the movie. Basically crowning him as Disney's first openly LGBT character in the big screen. This is said to be an update from the original animated movie, that originally placed his character as some kind of idiot manservant comic-relief to Gaston. Who, by the way, in the movie is played by the loveable dashing actor Luke Evans. Thus making perfect sense that anyone, regardless of their gender, might easily have a crush on him *wink*.

In my opinion (rhyming nicely with LeFou's actor's point of view), I see nothing wrong with it. In fact, this is a natural progresive albeit MINOR update that embraces the change in our culture and society. If not something that simply works as a subtle tribute to the late Howard Ashman, the original lyricist of the animated movie, whose fingerprints are all over the animated movie. C'mon guys, it's the year 2017! But why minor, you ask? Because if you actually pay attention to the character of LeFou in the animated movie, there has ALWAYS been a hint of attraction to his boss. Something that went beyond mere "I respect my boss so much, I'll go with him wherever he goes". It WAS there all along, so what Disney is doing, is nothing more than a confirmation. Problem is, there are people who simply don't want to accept this, and being an internet era, immediately voiced their disagreement. Especially after USA officially became a 'discriminative country' thanks to its new elected leader. This kind of reaction feels... ODD, if you ask me. But to each their own, so who am I to judge, right? Besides, just like above, I need to see the movie first before I can fairly say whether this update is for the better or opposite, or even worth the pointless argument alone.

The other negative buzz, was the ridiculous questioning of lead actress Emma Watson's feminism stand! With some even going so far as calling her... a hypocrite. YIKES! Yes, this came following her rather revealing photo shoot for an interview with Vanity Fair. This reaction, was also... ODD. Pray tell, WHAT is really the point of being a feminist? Isn't it, the FREEDOM of choice for women to express themselves, to stand proud without the need to be approved by men? Isn't that... what Watson was doing? Hmmmm. Which is why I'm feeling confused about the reasonings behind these decries. Does this mean, a fully grown-up actress (albeit growing on-screen from an innocent child one), is NOT allowed to do both? Posing elegantly in a magazine for a mature art piece, and still be a feminist who stands up for female rights? Once again, do tell me what's the point of feminism. Because the way I see it, if she's not allowed to perform such pose just because she's a woman, then isn't that... sexist instead? And for crying out loud, it's her own body too, not ours! Really, please elaborate me on this (which is a sarcastic rhetoric, in case you don't realize one). I thought being feminist is an ideal that extends more than just about women wearing pants...

As of writing, "Beauty and the Beast" is sitting at a score of 73%, aggregated from 44 critics on RottenTomatoes. This number will definitely fluctuate in the coming weeks, so it's not the end result. For the sake of pure numerical comparison only (not quality, that'd be subjective), Disney's previous two live action remakes ranked higher. Kenneth Branagh's "Cinderella" ended with a 83%, while Jon Favreau's recent Academy Award winning "The Jungle Book" finished with a heaping 95%. To be fair, I'm never a fan of the original animated movie in the first place, so my interest to see this movie hasn't been as high as those other titles. But now my curiousity has peaked at the highest level, because I just need to see whether these absurd complains are true, or that these people are only making too much of a big deal out of nothing. I have a feeling it's the second one...

Currently in production for a December 25, 2018 release, is the long awaited sequel "Mary Poppins Returns". Disney Studio has officially released the first look for lead actress Emily Blunt as the titular character via Twitter. And well, response to this one was generally positive. Which was on point, if you ask me, because Disney is keeping most of Poppins' signature looks in tact. That is something that would easily please fans of the first movie that starred the legendary Julie Andrews. Of course, with the risk of sounding pessimistic, "Beauty and the Beast" also had the same warm-welcome at first. But look at what is happening now, right?

Anyway, I expect we're going to see more of the other cast really soon. Just a reminder, Ben Whishaw and Emily Mortimer are set to portray the adult versions of Michael and Jane Banks, the children that Poppins nannied in the first movie. Lin-Manuel Miranda is set to play Jack, a street lamplighter who will aid Poppins in her mission to bring back joy to the Banks. While Meryl Streep will be playing her cousin. Will this movie be as captivating and genuinely endearing like the first one? Or will it suffer unnecessary backlashes, because people in the modern age are more prone to complain about everything and can't seem to shut their mouth for just a moment to enjoy something as is? As always, we'll see... hahaha.

X-Men Universe

Before you ask, NO, I won't talk about that X-Men TV show that had just cast its Polaris. I couldn't care less about it, so this is as far as I go on even mentioning one. Yep, I'll just focus on talking about the movies instead. But nope, I won't talk about that NOT-Supernova X-Men movie, which I couldn't care less. Not even "Logan" as well. Even if critics everywhere are praising the movie, seemingly unable to find any flaws in the R-rated gruesome comic book adaptation, that is already raking a great amount of money in its first weekend (and exceeding expectations too). I just don't have that much interest for Hugh Jackman's last foray as the titular character, and will not watch one until.... the home video is out. That's all I can say.

Instead, I'm going to talk about another title that seems to be in pre-production process. Yes, "Deadpool 2"! Sequel to the surprise hit that made FOX shifted direction into venturing the R-rated superhero business. Apparently, there's a short for the sequel that has been playing in front of "Logan". Not to worry though, because FOX and lead actor Ryan Reynolds has kindly released this 03:41 minutes butt-sho... er, I mean "No Good Deed" online for everyone to see. So it's not just limited to those who are watching "Logan" anymore. Lucky for me, eh? Then again, that's not such a big deal anyway (Deadpool: "R U effing kidding me?"), because writer-producer Rhett Reese has clarified that this footage will NOT be used in the movie itself. What's the purpose then? Simply a final message to Hugh Jackman before he rides off into the sunset. After all, with Wolverine officially gone, the burden has fallen to Reynolds' shoulder to carry the flag of the FOX-Marvel franchise. Reese also confirmed that his sequel is currently in casting mode, hence why there is no release date given for the movie just yet.

Speaking of casting, another big name has been thrown to the "Who Should Play Cable" hopefuls. This time, it's a popular name that would make Netflix's fans happy, particularly those who are watching "Stranger Things". According to The Wrap, Hawkins Police Department Chief himself, David Harbour, has been considered for the role of the future-based mutant. He even said to have screen-tested for the part. Of course, knowing what happened to previous contenders like Kyle Chandler, this doesn't necessarily mean Harbour is set for the role. So don't get excited too much too soon about it, because it might very well be just a passing news in the near future. Not to mention, The Wrap's source El Mayimbe isn't as reliable as he used to be anymore, with most of his scoops regarding "Logan" turning out to be false. Nevertheless, it's still interesting to see the range of actors they are looking for the character.

Personally, while I think Harbour's a fantastic actor, I just couldn't see him as Cable. Not saying that he won't be able to pull it off, but I'm expecting someone who's a little more... stern and naturally buffed, considering the character itself has always been like that. That's nothing Hollywood can't fixed of course, but those who already came with the built would be better. Perhaps, the likes of John Cena, or Joe Manganiello would fit my criteria for this role? Even the recently cast Black Bolt, could be a better choice... physique-wise. Anyway, let's just hope we'll hear more about the casting soon. With "Logan" already out on the market, and its actor posting a final message to Wolverine fans, it makes sense that FOX would be moving ahead with "Deadpool 2". To keep the hype strong for their favor, what else?

Marvel Studios

"Doctor Strange" has been released for home video for quite some time now. Thanks to this, director Scott Derrickson has been making rounds about his movie once more, either with the press or via social media. He's been answering questions on Twitter lately, and his response might have hinted on what we can expect from the as-of-yet-unnannounced sequel. To be honest, since "Doctor Strange" was a success and a easy hit among audience, even snagging some prestigious Awards honors ever since (like Academy Award?), a sequel is nothing more than a sure thing. Highly likely Marvel Studios consciously opts to not reveal too much about it though, to keep the momentum and attention towards current projects instead. Heck, confirming its sequel for Phase 4 could even be considered spoiler alert for "Avengers: Infinity War", right? A movie that will see Benedict Cumberbatch's second return in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Intriguingly, while Derrickson hasn't been confirmed to return for the directorial duty, the way he responded with ideas and everything, seems to have partially confirmed that he would definitely be back, or at least involved in the sequel.

As for what he said about the inevitable solo sequel, Derrickson has revealed several interesting bits. When asked about the potential of Jericho Drumm, or more familiarly known as the Master of Mystic Arts Brother Voodoo, Derrickson replied that his brother, Daniel Drumm's demise might not serve as a mere pointless random incident. After all, this IS Marvel Studios we're talking about, and not FOX nor Warner Bros. His death will surely triggered an after-effect from his younger brother. Since in recent years Jericho has become a Sorcerer Supreme himself, it makes perfect sense to see him joining the sequel as Strange's apprentice. To add credential to this, do remember that when Chiwetel Ejiofor was cast, many sites have speculated that he's playing Jericho instead of Mordo. As for which actor should play Jericho? Expect Marvel Studios to target big names. I don't know, how about... Trevante Rhodes from the latest Best Picture Winner "Moonlight"? *grins*

The brief inclusion of Dormammu the Dread in the movie, would naturally pave way to another key character in the Doctor Strange lore: his equally magical romantic interest, Clea. It wouldn't be surprising to see the character incorporated in the sequel, because as Derrickson himself stated, "you can't tell the story of Doctor Strange w/out eventually dealing w/Clea.". It's safe to say that we haven't seen the last of Dormammu, thus his silver-haired sorceress nephew will surely come into play as well. As for the villain, Derrickson mentioned the name Nightmare once again, but unlike before, he has backtracked a bit with a tinge of uncertainly because he's a "tricky villain to get right". In my opinion, going with Nightmare would allow Marvel Studios to completely venture to the realm of horror genre, and that's certainly going to be a challenge. It could open the gate for supernatural characters like Blade, or Moon Knight too. Especially since Derrickson is clearly a fan of the latter, as much as the Fantastic Four.

Promotional materials have begun hitting the internet, in anticipation of the arrival of "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2". We get to see more of Kurt Russel's Ego, as well as Yondu and Nebula who both have been hinted greatly to be joining the team. The movie will open on May 5, 2017 in the US, but I won't be surprised if it arrives earlier in other countries. In fact, I believe it will be available here late next month. Because that's how it has always worked for Marvel Studios movies. We almost always get a May movie in April. The good news is, even after seeing the third and latest trailer, I still don't have any clue about what the movie is all about. Which is good, because I'd love nothing more than some elements of surprise!

Meanwhile, the July movie, "Spider-Man: Homecoming" is said to have begun additional photography as we speak. Or 'reshoots', in case you prefer a much pessimistic sounding choice of words. According to reports from social media, a crew for the movie was spotted at Disneyland California. Not just that, a school bus scene apparently has been filmed outside of LA's Van Nuys High School. There isn't an official confirmation for reshoots like this, but it is said that lead actor Tom Holland and his personal assistant- best friend Harrison Osterfield will be meeting with co-star Jacob Batalon very soon. Is it for this reshoot? It's anyone's guess.

As for "Infinity War" that's currently in production, there's a rather startling news that was sparked from Atlanta Business Chronicle. Namely, the claim of Pinewood Atlanta Studios' co-owner, that there is a "largest film production ever with a $1 billion budget." going on right there. Easy bet obviously went to Marvel Studios, considering "Infinity War" is gathering a huge number of actors and resources, to create what seems to be a 'Two-Parts Finale' of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Mind you, NONE of this was official news. It was never stated openly that "Infinity War" was what the co-owner was talking about. It's all a result of speculation and pure assumption. But since we know how the internet works, it's more than enough to drive people talking. Both in praise and cynical tone.

Interestingly, this wasn't even new. Bleeding Cool, had also reported the same rumor before. Calling the combination of "Infinity War" and the 2019's UNTITLED Avengers movie to reach the exact same number. So is this true, then? Though I'm inclined to believe its possibility, there's always a high chance that it's nothing more than an exaggeration. After all, Bleeding Cool in particular has been known to be an anti-Kevin Feige fansite, who favors the side of Marvel Comics (as well as Marvel TV) more. That alone is enough to make me question the foundation behind their report. Not to mention, they don't really have a good track-record in reporting insider info. Remember, they were the one who assumed that Chiwetel Ejiofor would be playing Brother Voodo. And we all know how that turned out to be, right? Sean Gerber had posted a fine thinkpiece about how this situation does NOT make sense, pointing out some valid reasons for this to be illogical. Go ahead and read it on Marvel Studios News.

Marvel TV

Production has officially begun for Marvel's "The Inhumans" last week. Precisely on March 3, 2017. Photos of Black Bolt from the set has already begun circulating on the internet (courtesy of Reel News Hawaii)! So fast, huh? A few days prior, the remaining core cast members have been announced. Joining the already announced Iwan Rheon and Anson Mount, were the other Inhumans Royal family characters, as well as two more supporting ones.

The first one to be announced was gorgeous actress Serinda Swan, who was cast to play Medusa Amaquelin. Medusa is the wife of Black Bolt, which means she's the Queen of the Inhumans. Interestingly, this isn't Swan's first comic book role, as she has portrayed the magician Zatanna in the TV series "Smallville" before. Her casting announcement was followed by Asian-American actor Ken Leung, who will be portraying Karnak Mander-Azur. Similar to Swan, this wasn't Leung's first comic book role, as he has played the mutant Spike in FOX's critically panned "X-Men: The Last Stand". To put it simple, Leung is officially both a mutant and inhuman now. How cool is that?

Several others, and arguably lesser characters were announced all together as the production officially began. African-American actor Eme Ikwuakor is set to play Gorgon Petragon. Australian actress Isabelle Cornish will portray Crystal Amaquelin, who is Medusa's younger sister. Mike Moh, familiarly known by gamers all around the world as Ryu in "Street Fighter Assassin's Fist" web-series and its sequel, has been cast as Triton Mander-Azur, who is Karnak's blood-brother. Hawaiian native Sonya Balmores, will portray the Inhumans Royal Guard Auran, while Ellen Woglom's character is currently undisclosed to not spoil the storyline. The same announcement also confirmed the appearance of one key character of the Royal Family: LOCKJAW!!!

As for the characters they are playing, if the official announcements were any indication, then we might be seeing a very faithful adaptation of the comics. Black Bolt will have the power of his devastating voice. Medusa would have her 'powerful hair'. Karnak will be Black Bolt's brilliant strategist with the natural ability to pinpoint weakness in all things. The same with the other three. His brother Triton will have his fish-like ability, Gorgon will have his super strong legs and hooves, while Crystal is a master of elements. Just like in the comics! The only change that seems apparent, is the switching of Karnak and Triton placing in the Mander-Azur family. In the comics, Triton has been described as the older son. But seeing their actors age, it seems this might be reversed. Which shouldn't be a surprise, since many adaptations have been practicing the exact approach ("Ultimate Spider-Man" animated shows, for example). For more information on how these Royal characters are linked as a Family (they are literally siblings and cousins), MCU Exchange has provided an excellent infographic for our convenience. As for Woglom's mystery character, interestingly, she is said to be working at a private aerospace company, with a passion for all things space and lunar. This is a vague hint that the setting of the show would take place out of Earth, and perhaps on the Blue Side of the Moon. Could she be an important character from the comics too, then? That's certainly a possibility.

It's safe to say, that the hype level for the show just skyrocketed due to these announcements. For me personally, it's Lockjaw's inclusion as well as Moh's casting that basically sealed the deal. The moment I saw Moh's name, I think I nerded out, because I've been wanting to see him play a Marvel heroes. Sure, he'd make a far better Shang-Chi than Triton, who will be covered by scales and prosthetics throughout the show. And yes, he'd make a better Karnak too, since he's an actual martial art practitioner (in fact, I wonder why he's not switching role with Leung?). But the fact that he's a Marvel actor now, is enough to make me happy. Of course, it's when I read that the show will incorporate a 2000-pound giant mutt with the power of teleportation, that I basically lost it. After all, you simply can't have a faithful Inhuman show without Lockjaw!

Intriguingly, most if not all of the names in this cast are on a 'different' level than your average TV actors. If you pay attention, most of them have had big screen roles as well. Swan was in "Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief" and "Tron: Legacy". Leung was recently in "Star Wars: The Force Awakens". Cornish was as suspected, the younger sister of movie actress Abbie Cornish. She has been a contender for "Transformers: Age of Extinction" before, but more importantly, she's also a "Home and Away" alumn, a.k.a the show that gave birth to lots of Hollywood big names such as... yes, Chris Hemsworth. Mount was in "Non-Stop" among many other titles. Ikwuakor and Moh mostly had roles in TV, but have been involved in big movie productions before. There has been a wide speculation that Marvel TV was looking for actors who could fit both mediums nicely, considering "The Inhumans" will have an exclusive 2-weeks IMAX debut before proceeding later on as an 8-episodes TV show on ABC. Clearly, this IS indeed the case, and I'm genuinely pleased. Speaking of IMAX debut, the theatre chain itself had announced via Twitter that the first two episode will arrive in one feature-length movie format on September 1st, 2017 (additional scenes will be added for the TV version). This practically confirmed previous report that it will debut on Labor's Day. That's only less than 6 months aways!

If there's any lingering question I have about this show, is how it will play out in the MCU. How significant it will be in the bigger picture. Remember, Marvel Studios had this as a movie planned for Phase 3 once, before "Homecoming" and the sequel of "Ant-Man" shuffled it away to 2019. Kevin Feige had since mentioned that there's still a plan for the movie in Phase 4, but then ABC and Marvel TV announced it a mini-series. Will the one produced by Marvel Studios be using the exact same cast to this one? Will fans' expectation to see Mount's Black Bolt as part of an Illuminati that consists of Robert Downey Jr., Benedict Cumberbatch, Chadwick Boseman, and others, exceeds more than just a wishful thinking? Or will... everyone be recast, similar to the fate Linda Louise-Duan who is not reprising her "Doctor Strange" role in the upcoming Marvel's "The Runaways". As great as these actors are, I doubt they have the high-profile needed to sell a high-budget movie version to a global audience. Which is why many have imagined the likes of Vin Diesel, Jessica Chastain, and other A-list actors in these roles instead. Technically, this show CARRIES the greatest potential to be an actual bridge between the TV and Movie side. But judging from the current situation between Marvel Studios and Marvel TV, it'll be far wiser to not get our hopes up too high. Yes, ABC is a network owned by Disney, but even the House of Mouse has no power to settle what's happening between the two divisions. Especially since both are reporting to a different boss *sigh*. Let's just hope for the best, shall we?

As for the other shows, it seems Marvel's "Cloak and Dagger" has wrapped production of its first episode. At the same time, "Runaways" is close to wrapping its in production, as some candid photos and videos have hit the internet from Long Beach's Ernest McBride High School. Despite the intention to keep things tightly kept in secrecy, eager fans will still find a way to get information anyway. THAT my friend, is how our internet works! LOL. Unfortunately, as great of an idea these two shows are, the chance of me watching both has only continued to wane. As I said, unless it's through illegal means (which is NOT recommended) I don't think I'm going to watch both. Why would I purchase a Hulu and Freeform account to watch one show, right? Looks like it's a good thing that my interest for "The Inhumans" has spiked enormously. In the end, that might be the only new Marvel show I'd be watching. Or is it? According to IMAX CEO Greg Foster, they are "already looking for a second series" to work with. Could we be seeing more Marvel shows with "The Inhumans" treatment then? That's a possibility...

Netflix

The 4th and final Defender's member so far, the last character that Marvel TV promised several years ago, will be upon us in just one week from now. Yes, Danny Rand will be debuting on Marvel's "Iron Fist" on March 17th, 2017. Hype is high, as well as expectations, and as I said, if the last trailer was any indication, then this is going to be an interesting show. At least for me personally.

Unfortunately, just two weeks before all episodes of the show is released worldwide, showrunner Scott Buck just had to 'run his mouth' and well... revealed something underwhelming. That's like... taking cues of DC Films for their impressive bad-marketing stunt. In this case, it's concerning Danny's iconic costume. Talking to Games Radar, Buck stated that fans should NOT hold their breath to see Finn Jones wearing one. In this show, that is. To be fair, the same thing happened on the first season of Marvel's "Daredevil", where it took 12 episodes before Charlie Cox' Matt Murdock consciously shifted from black beany to a specially crafted costume. So there's no reason for us to be shocked. Even so, this news was still disappointing to fans nonetheless. Why? Because every Netflix shows afterwards, had been real shy on implementing one. Marvel's "Jessica Jones" only revealed one just to make fun of it, and Marvel's "Luke Cage" only featured a very quick glimpse of one in its 4th episode. Both ended up serving as mere passing nods. That's why somehow, fans are expecting a change in this repetitive scenario. Because once, or the first time, is okay, but doing it again and again every year? That will get old real fast.

And yes, I do feel slightly disappointed with this. I mean, if anything, at least Danny should be wearing a similar attire to the one Matt wore in his series' first season. That's practically an all-black version of Iron Fist's attire, right? Many fans (through various fansites) have also pointed out one VERY logical thing. Similar to rich characters like Bruce Wayne, Oliver Queen, and others, Danny has a reputation he has to protect. He's the heir of a wealthy businessman. He OWNS a company, and is supposed to be its long-lost CEO. Can he damage such esteemed position by openly beating up thugs and evil henchmen as a vigilante, exposing himself to the world? Even Buck's statement contradicted this very issue: "There was no good reason we could imagine to put Danny Rand in a costume because Danny Rand is still discovering who he is as a hero and where he is going to be, so he’s not yet ready to put on a mask or a costume.". Eventhough he backtracked a bit by saying "At the same time he is someone who is rather well known as a billionaire, so he can’t necessarily go out in public and do the things he does without being recognized. It does become an issue for the character.". Seriously? THAT makes for a good reason, right? Let this sink in to your brain for a bit. Of course, Buck might simply be hinting at some surprises in store, that we can only learn by watching the series. So for now, let's just give this show the benefit of doubt.

Pocket Monsters

Still playing "Pokemon GO", eventhough the addition of Generation 2's species isn't as big as it should have been? Well, worry not, because according to John Hanke, more "major new releases" will arrive this year. Yes, and there are 3 of them too! Speaking in an App Convention, the Niantic boss confirmed that there are major quarterly updates being planned for their successful App this year. There aren't any official announcement about what they will be, but two of them might have already been revealed through interviews.

The first one, is 'Gym System Overhaul'. A statement that came straight from Hanke himself. I can't help but wonder what this means. To be frank, I've been hearing many complaints regarding the state of Pokemon GO's Gyms nowadays. Either it's becoming rather dull due to being monopolized by high-level players, or the fact that it now mostly consists of the same types and species over and over again. This isn't surprising, since several Pokemon like Vaporeon, Gyarados, Snorlax, and others have become the game's top-tiers. Hence, their presence on Gyms have not only become a norm, it's an underwhelming and annoying repetitive sight. No wonder many players have walked out because of it. I'm curious whether the App will eventually choose to go the Core Game route, by assigning fixed Pokemon on Gyms instead of letting players assign their own. But what about the battle part? Well, that's where... 'Battling' comes to play. Just imagine how the fanbase will react when they know they can do Pokemon Battle with other players. Won't that be a lot of fun?

The second update, is something I have long expected to arrive in the App. And what is that? 'Trading'. Yes, the ability to exchange Pokemon with other players. This is the exact reason why I speculated that a Battling feature might be coming as well. Because the ability of Trading, means there will be interaction between players in the App. After all, just the thought of seeing an alert with the tune of "There's another Player near you" is enough to thrill me! Tatsuo Nomura, the Senior Product Manager for Niantic has even confirmed that this Trading system "won’t be through the internet ...The person needs to be in your proximity". This is GREAT news. I've mentioned on my First Impression last year, that "Pokemon GO" has massive potential it can explore. Trading, which might trigger Battling, is one of its key social feature, and is a step to the right direction. Not only it will enhance gameplay, it will also enhance real-life social aspect of the game. I can already imagine players meeting new people, interacting, and develop a healthy community if not deeper relationship with one another. That's precisely what Niantic's earlier title "Ingress" has successfully accomplished, right? It has even spawned a bishoujo Manga! So just imagine what "Pokemon GO" could be when it can replicate the same feature. Fans are going to love it!

A quick disclaimer note, do mind that what I just said on the previous two paragraphs are combination of fact, and personal speculations. The Gym Overhaul and Trading are facts, albeit not yet officially announced, while the Battling and other bits are my own wishful thinkings. So until we hear actual confirmation to these features, take it with grains of salt. Oh, and by the way, included in the Hanke's statement, was a "systemic solution to spoofers". I can't really comment on this, because I'm not quite sure what it means. Mind you, I'm not THAT fluent on the gameplay, due to being a casual gamer. But of course, the general notion is, Niantic is hard at work to stop players from cheating on the game. And that's a good reassurance to existing players.

Sidetracking a bit, the first trailer for this year's movie have been officially released by The Pokemon Company. There are two versions, the normal-length and shorter one, but the content of both are practically the same. Serving as the 20th anniversary movie, "Gekijouban Pocket Monster, Kimi ni Kimeta!" is a retelling of Satoshi's first encounter with his most loyal and trusted companion, Pikachu. After seasons of TV series, and 19 movies, that had the pair travelling together with various other Pokemon and close friends, it's time to revisit the harsh and tumultous starting point between the two. A fated meeting that has evolved into a strong bond that inspires many Pokemon fans all around the world. The movie will premiere in Japan on July 15, 2017. Will you come to the theatres to see this nostalgic tale? I know I would I could...

Nintendo

Nintendo's new hybrid console, the Nintendo Switch has been released! Have you purchased one? In alternate universe where financial situation is not an issue, I would've already been playing one right now. Heck, I might have been among the line of those first queue to get my hands on one *sigh*. So yeah, despite my desire to own one, I have no choice but to wait until things are more... stable. It could happen in a few months, later this year, or even next year, only time will tell (and God knows when).

Response for the release has been generally positive. Including that ODD-sounding cartridge mouth-testing stunts everywhere. LOL. Yes, some folks are holding back until Switch has more exclusive titles like "Super Smash Bros", a core "Pokemon" title, or the likes, but many who has purchased one are pleased with its features. As well as its launch titles. "The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild" in particular, is an easy crowdpleaser. Fans of the franchise immediately fell in love with the game, calling it fun and amazing. In fact, IGN rewarded it with a full score of 10 on their review! Something that is rarely done by the Entertainment Site. Of course, with the good also comes the bad. Other title, like the much anticipated "1-2 Switch" didn't perform as successful as it's expected. Then again, you can't have it all, right?

Nevertheless, Reggie Fils-Aimé, the President of Nintendo America has conveyed his thankful message to all fans who have supported Nintendo by getting Switch. It remains to be seen whether Switch will stand strong amidst competition with bigger Ultra-HD consoles like Playstation 4 or Xbox One. Moreso the rumored high-tech Project Scorpio from Microsoft's front. There's always the possibility that Switch will end up suffering like its predecessor Wii U, and not gaining much love like the groundbreaking Wii. Let's just hope this hybrid console will bring Nintendo back to its prime.

For now, gamers can enjoy other available games like "Just Dance 2017", "Disgaea 5", "Othello", and others, while they wait for more titles to arrive throughout the year. One of it is "Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers" that will released on May 26 in Japan, North America, and Europe. It's a remake of the classic title, with new characters and bonus features. And that's just one of the Switch's upcoming title! Here's hoping it will be getting even broader titles in the future. Like that rumored "Pokemon Stars", perhaps? That would be super dope... :D

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