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redheadspark · 2 years

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Winter Prompts, Round 1!

Hello my lovelies!

I hope you all are doing well in November and you have a great time with the Holidays this upcoming week!

I have a few new followers here on my blog: WELCOME! I'm so happy you're here and I hope you like what I write! If you ever get lost, come to the Navigation Page! I know December is not here yet, but I also know we are all going to be beyond busy when it's officially Christmas season next week, so I figure I can get a head start with a new Prompt Session! Now I will do TWO Sessions, not just one, and I'll make sure to do them right before we all travel to see loved ones for Christmas, so don't worry!!

This Prompt theme is:

Christmas and Winter Prompts 🎄🎁❄️

Here are my rules with this prompt sessions:

1.) You maybe chose ONE character from my list that I have Here . It’ll have the list of characters that I write for or have written for in the past.

*(If you have a character not listed that you wish for me to write, PLEASE MESSAGE ME AND CLEAR IT WITH ME FIRST TO SEE IF I CAN OR WILL DO IT!)*

2.) The Prompt list found below has two sections: Scenario and Dialogue. You may choose ONE FROM EACH, not two from one and two from another. Also, Please provide the number AND the line that you wish for me to write for you so I don't get confused!

*I write out the request I get as first come first serve. I will try my best to fulfill every request that comes my way, but please bear in mind I work full time as a teacher. Because of that, I’ll be busy most of the day so please be patient and I’ll write on my spare time as much as I can :) *

3.) You can request in my ASK box neither as yourself or anonymously. Although I would LOVE to give you a shout if you request as yourself, anon is perfectly fine!

4.) I will close this prompt session Sunday, November 27th, at 3:00 pm (Pacific Standard Time or California USA time).

5.) Have fun and enjoy! If you miss this request session, don't worry! I'll do another December Prompt session around December 4th!

*Prompts created by @mirclealignr* SCENARIOS;

Decorating the tree

Dancing in the snow

Present shopping

Gift giving

Wrapping gifts

Making a gingerbread house

Gingerbread house competition

Snowball fight

Sledging

Mistletoe

Christmas baking

Christmas market

Making snowmen

Christmas party

Watching Christmas movies

Dancing to Christmas music

Going ice skating

Christmas dinner

Making Christmas dinner

Fake dating for Christmas Ball

Secret Santa

Both reaching for the last cookie

Making Christmas decorations

New Years Countdown

NYE Party

DIALOGUES;

"Stop trying to get me to walk under the mistletoe.”

"That should be our Christmas card this year."

"Why'd you turn the music off?"

"I know we said no presents this year but..."

“I hate Christmas shopping.” - “I love Christmas shopping!”

“Do you want to put the star on the top of the tree?”

“What do you think? Like the tree?”

“Open your stocking!”

“It’s snowing!”

“What are you doing?” - “Making a snow angel.”

“Do people even use nutcrackers?”

“Do you still believe in Santa?”

“You’d make a cute elf.”

“Look! Reindeers!”

“Is that supposed to be a snowman?”

“Do you have any carrots?”

“This is the best gift you could’ve given me.”

“You have snow on your eyelashes, looks cute.”

“Come here by the fire.”

“Please don’t make me wear this, I look ridiculous.”

“You’ve really made my Christmas this year.”

“I thought you were going home for Christmas.” - “Well, I couldn’t leave you all alone.”

“I’m never letting you convince me to go carolling again.”

“Hey, if we don’t find someone by midnight…you and me…maybe?” - “Ask me properly and I might consider it.”

“Here, you can have one of my gloves.”

“What are you wearing?”

“Did you get us matching pyjamas?”

“You look so beautiful in the snow.”

“It’s bold of you to assume I haven’t eaten my entire advent calendar.”

“Christmas hot chocolate is not normal hot chocolate. Where are the marshmallows?”

“Smell this candle, it’s amazing.”

“Aren’t you going to write your letter to Santa?”

“I’ll let you sit on my knee.”

“You’re my Christmas angel.” - “Wow that was…intense.” - “Just take the compliment.”

“Will you be my new years kiss?”

“But I wanted to be Santa this year!”

“Did you make me a tinsel crown?”

“I can’t get the star on, would you give me a hand?”

“Looks like you’ve had a few drinks!” - “You haven’t had enough if you’re noticing. Come on, bar’s over there.”

“Will you make me a hot chocolate?” - “Name all the reindeer and I will.”

Once again, This Prompt Session will close at 3:00 PM PST on Sunday, November 27th.

Happy Writing!

Tagged: @a-lumos-in-the-nox @botanicalbarnes @heartofwritiing @basicrese @hottpinkpenguin @heliosphere8 @virtueassassin

#azriel x reader #acotar fanfiction #benedict bridgerton x reader #bridgerton fanfiction #eddie munson x reader #stranger things fanfiction #druig x reader #eternals fanficiton #marvel cinematic universe #marvel fanfiction #mcu fanfiction #oliver wood x reader #harry potter fanfiction #joseph quinn x reader #barry keoghan x reader #shang chi fanfiction #shang chi x reader #jack russell x reader #werewolf by night fanfiction

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clonewarsarchives · 3 years

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UNEXPECTED JOURNEYS (#140, APR 2013)

Dave Filoni, Supervising Director of Star Wars: The Clone Wars on Season Five, Ahsoka, Barriss Offee, and why he loves the passion of fans. Interview by Jonathan Wilkins.

“When I first started on The Clone Wars, I didn’t know how long I’d be working for Lucasfilm—I just wanted to make the best show possible. I thought I’d be here maybe two years.”—Dave Filoni (approaching his 8th year as supervising director on Star Wars: The Clone Wars).

It has always been a joy to talk with Dave Filoni. As any fan who has enjoyed his numerous convention appearances will tell you, he lives, breathes, and speaks Star Wars. Interviewing him for Insider is always one of the highlights of the job—usually a call from the London office to his Lucasfilm office at Big Rock Ranch in Marin County, California.

Here’s a secret. This interview was done on Tuesday, January 16, some two months before we hit newsstands—and way before the finale of Season Five of The Clone Wars has been publically seen. The Clone Wars’ ever-helpful PR representative, Tracy Cannobbio, lets Dave know the relevant dates; then, between the three of us, we decided that we could talk about the Alderaan-shattering climax to Season Five. If you didn’t pay heed to the spoiler warning at the start of this interview, then know that we’ll be giving a lot away. You have been warned!

THE DIVERSITY OF STAR WARS

We start by discussing the many challenges the show presents Filoni and his team. In the past, there have been technical barriers to break through: water, fire, and cloth simulation, for example. Happily the team has vanquished them, with insurmountable problems in the early seasons now solved. Filoni admits the challenges are Less technical now, and more story-driven.

“We typically have about 22 episodes per season, and we have to try to decide what’s going to make it out there or not. I know that some fans sometimes think they’d he happy with an entire season about Darth Maul, but we have such a wide-ranging fan base. We have stories for every type of fan.

“There’s always the choice as to which characters are going to make it onto the screen. Sometimes we say, ‘Wow, we didn’t see this character all season long!’ You can get so caught up telling these other stories that you don’t even realise it. That’s probably one of the biggest challenges: you have to juggle the characters and make sure you follow through with the characters arcs.”

Nothing is off-limits for the show’s writers. “We just act Like that. I don’t know how relatively true it is. I don’t tell the writers, ‘Let’s not do that: It’s more, ‘Let’s get this story right. Let’s worry about that first’ We don’t live by the restrictions we had five years ago.

“We always have to keep an eye on the budget. At certain points, it will push back and that’s where we have to make a wide range of decisions—from maybe Dooku is not wearing his cloak in this scene to how can we re-purpose these sets? It’s really the same issue that you would have on any movie, the same situations, the same problems. But I’ve never chosen to let the budget dictate the stories we’re telling. The whole team wants this show to look good no matter what, and everybody just goes above and beyond while trying to reach that goal. I’m a considerably better director today for all of George’s teaching than I was when I got here.”

SITH LORDS AND YOUNGLINGS

Season Five’s diverse stories have featured vengeful Sith Lords, droids on a mission, and themes of rebellion and sacrifice. Perhaps the most popular was the enchanting “younglings” episodes which featured some of the series’ best aesthetics to date. Filoni, too, is a fan of that four-part arc. “I think that whole thing came out really welt Maybe it’s just a Little easier to relate it to the Original Trilogy, because you’ve got a band of young people who are coming together to overcome insurmountable odds—that’s a pretty good theme in Star Wars! It brought some of the magic back, like showing how the Jedi make a lightsaber. That sort of thing we’d seen in the Clone Wars micro-series, but not really per se how George Lucas has envisioned it. He wanted to start the kids off much younger; it was more about Yoda’s Lesson, which I think really works to our advantage and to the story’s advantage.”

Was there any trepidation about centering an arc on the younglings when the show had grown in its maturity? “ALL the writers would tell you that in these meetings when George said, ‘I want to do a series of stories about young Jedi: it could go either way. It could be really good, or a groaner. The first thing discussed was how old these kids are going to be. I started drawing them immediately to get a visual idea of how it might look.

“When we were trying to work out which species to do, I did a little Net Dorian kid [the same species as PM Roos, Filoni’s favorite character] who George immediately nixed. He said, ‘No way! Too ugly!’

“Then it just kind of gained momentum in our imaginations, having the little Wookiee, Gunji, and deciding what they would look like. I did some research to figure out what the crystal caves would look like, too, to give it a sense of history. I put nice tittle clues in there for people playing The Old Republic to see some connectivity between the game and the history we’ve created. You can see their fleet symbol on the Crucible ship. Of course, there was also Huyang, voiced by David Tennant, who brought a great level of magic to his role and the story.”

A NEW VOICE FOR THE REPUBLIC?

The show lost one of its finest actors last year when Ian Abercrombie, who played Patpatine, passed away. His replacement, Tim Curry, brings alt-new facets to the character. “It was a very long search to find someone to replace Ian,” Filoni reveals. “There are people who think they can do the voice, but it’s different when you’re reciting lines from the film; it’s really about the magic of the acting and bringing the characters to life by saying things they’ve never said.

“What Tim really brings is a great level of experience, but also a kind of gravelly edge. He brings a nice level of sinister evil, something that he did all the way back in Legend [1985] Ian’s Darth Sidious voice was deep, but wasn’t quite as gravelly as what Tim is doing,” Filoni continues. “It’s an interesting nuance and quite a shift in some ways.

I wish that Ian Abercrombie could have finished all of Season Five, but Tim is in one episode at the end of the season, along with a brief line that we inserted overlapping with Ian in ‘Revival,’ one of the Darth Maul episodes. I think it’s the final line of the episode. Most people don’t even notice the difference. It’s a great hand-off in a way, to have someone like Tim Curry come in and portray this character now, and he does a really brilliant job.”

Unless things get light and fluffy toward the end (Filoni assures me they won’t), Season Five is the darkest season yet. A move from Friday nights to Saturday mornings might make you think that The Clone Wars would dial down the darker aspects of the show. Not so, says Filoni. “The Season Five episodes were already done before the time change. I would be more sensitive to it now, and say, ‘Let’s pull back on that a little bit.’ I trust a network like Cartoon Network when they say when they want to show it. They are very experienced at doing that and I have more experience doing Star Wars. The ratings have really shown it was the right choice.

“But I think people are aware of how intense the show can get—and things are not going to get fluffier with Darth Maul around, that’s for sure! Saturday mornings have never been this exciting!”

JEDI NO MORE?

Ahsoka’s journey took an unexpected twist in the finale. While Filoni is clear that it’s not the culmination of where the character is going, and there is more to come, he’s sure it’s going to get fans talking. As he lays out what’s to come, more than one plot-point elicits an audible gasp from the writer of this article.

“This is a big year for Ahsoka and I’m very happy about how it went,” says Filoni. “We knew we wanted to do a big arc with her to end this season. George is really onboard with her character, and I think he’s really happy with how she’s developed. We wanted to challenge her, so the opening sequence in the first part of the arc shows her flying toward Cato Neimoidia and the action is all about showing her in her prime, and how she is now capable. Anakin shouldn’t have to worry about her, because she’s the one that saves him. She has a bit of an edge to her, not unlike Anakin.

“As we move on, we challenge several things—one of which is something I’ve been feeding into the story for a long time, which is the people’s perception of the Jedi and the Jedi Order. We find out in this arc that there are people protesting the war from within the Republic. There are people that blame the Jedi for the war and want them to stop.

“Ahsoka’s journey, which involves a terrorist attack on the Jedi Temple, and Ahsoka being implicated for it, results in a big test of faith. It’s a big eye-opener for her. She asks, ‘Why isn’t the Jedi Council rushing to my aid? Why aren’t they defending me without question?’ The real thing that you see is that the Jodi Council is pretty compromised because they have to play a political game. They know that if they defend Ahsoka, then it’ll look like they’re playing inside politics, it will fuel public dissension against the Jedi if they do not have her tried outside the Order. It’s a test of her faith in the Jedi and her friends. That’s what’s at the heart of it.”

As Filoni goes deeper into the story, he warns that my head will explode if he and the team have done their jobs right. Undeterred by the thought of working as a headless writer from then on, I compel him to continue. He tells the story of how Barriss Offee, the kindly and kind-of cute Jedi Padawan who befriended Ahsoka (we met her in the Geonosis arc back in Season Two), is a traitor! As Filoni admits, “I keep trying to sympathize with the readers who are going to pick up this issue of Insider, because they’re going to want to know: ‘Dave, why did you do what you did in this arc?’

“The reason that Barriss is the head conspirator with these people that have been protesting the Jedi Order is because she believes the Order is corrupt, and are following a corrupt senate. She thinks they have lost their way and that the only thing the Council reacts to or believes in anymore is violence. And she’s right, everything she says is true, but her reaction to the situation is wrong and it’s devastating to Ahsoka. That is the main motivator at the end of this season for why Ahsoka does not come back to the Jedi Order. It’s a combination of her faith being shaken and the way the Jedi Council operates, because she can’t deny what Barriss says is true.

“This has huge repercussions. We are foreshadowing everything in the final arc of this season. It foreshadows the Empire, because we see Tarkin’s military institution really rising up in a way that hasn’t been seen before. We see the massive Republic courtroom and it completely reflects the Death Star in every possible way. There’s the reeling that the Jedi are uncomfortable in it. You really see the teeth of the machine that’s going to destroy them.”

CHALLENGING THE FANS

As with any drama, each plot goes through many changes before transmission. “There was a moment when we were talking with George about the finale, about how the Council tries to bring Ahsoka back to the Order,” Filoni explains. “They describe the whole ordeal at the end of this season as her great trial and that she’s a better Jedi than she would’ve been otherwise for this tragedy. The original intention was just to bring her back, but then the writers and I thought about how she’d react to this—and decided that she should turn them down. It works on many levels, not least of which is that Ahsoka is a teenager and how often do teenagers react to authority when authority is wrong or authority wrongs them? I’m hoping it’s unexpected, and there are a couple of things there for me to get letters about. If we’re not challenging fans with characters and their relationships, then we end up being predictable.”

Ahsoka’s fate may hang in the balance at the close of this season, but Filoni admits that, for the first time, her ultimate fate has been decided. “George and I sat down and ironed out the end of it. We actually know what happens to Ahsoka and the other characters. There are several episodes planned with her and what happens to her from this point.”

Of course, key to Ahsoka’s popularity is the performance of Ashley Eckstein, for whom Filoni is full of praise, enthusing about a trailer that Lucasfilm is putting together to promote the arc. “She’s spectacular—the best she’s ever been! It’s a wonderful piece of acting by Ashley. But, at the same time, it’s so her! She came to us not knowing much about Star Wars. I had this actor who was going to play a very important role in this series and didn’t know how important the role was going to be. Her real life involvement in the show has really mirrored the character’s evolution.

“When we recorded the final scene between Ahsoka and Anakin this season, I sent all the other actors away. I said, ‘Everybody go, except for you two.’ We recorded the scene with them, and then George and I watched it. George wanted to make some changes—nuances to the dialogue—and I had to bring them back in, and then we changed it again, which ensured nobody knew what the actual ending was going to be! We just continued to work on that final moment. I think for Ashley and Matt it was especially moving. I do terrible things to her—I told her that I wasn’t going to see her for a while because she was out of the storyline for a bit and she got quite sad. Whether it’s true or not doesn’t matter—I’m the director and I need to motivate her!

“Ashley and Matt give powerful performances these episodes and I think they’ve really grown to love those characters. It worked really well.

“Our composer, Kevin Kiner, watched all four episodes with me and we pinpointed where we really wanted to hit with the music—we don’t do that for every episode,” Filoni continues. “Joel Aron’s lighting was amazing—one of the skies you see in the final scene between Ahsoka and Anakin outside the Jedi Temple was actually inspired by one of the trips I take to L.A. to do the voice recordings. We were driving back from the airport. I looked at the sky and it had just rained. I thought, This sky is perfect! It’s one of those times that all the new technology we have at our fingertips to take pictures really came in handy. I took a bunch of pictures of the sky and gave them to Joel. Everything kind of fell into place—I think they’re some of the best-rendered episodes we’ve ever done.”

CLEANING HOUSE

The season also saw numerous characters killed off. Filoni jokes that, “We’re cleaning house!” Star Wars fans are always vocal about favorite characters being written out—just look at the reaction to Baba Fett being killed off in Return of the Jedi. Is Filoni ready to face the more vocal fans?

“It just shows that they care,” he responds. “I don’t mind it at all. I think it’s a good thing. If we weren’t getting any reaction, it would stink. There’s one character in particular that goes down and I thought, I know someone who’s a big fan of that character. Maybe we should have the whole crew sign a sympathy letter and send it over in the mail.”

The season also saw the return of the Mandalorians—characters who have not been without controversy in the past. Filoni reflects on their inclusion and the way that they have differed from the depictions in the novels.

“I think at the end of the day, what’s been developed on the show with George feels like it fits more with the bigger mythology that he was making: that they are a capable warrior race and that their culture changes and develops over the years and is not always this one-dimensional thing. I think this view of it gives them a more interesting history. That’s one of our strengths as a franchise—just like with our episode arcs, you can be a fan of any number of episodes and you can be a fan of any era of Star Wars or not. Before, you’d hear fans saying, ‘I love the originals!’ or ‘I don’t like the prequels!’ but now there’s a very vocal group that love the prequels and are tired of hearing older fans say how much they like the originals! Now there is a middle group, raised on this cartoon and that’s their Star Wars! Then behind them is going to be fans who like the new upcoming trilogy!

“Imagine fast-forwarding 15 years from now to that year’s Star Wars Celebration, and imagine what the demographic is going to be like. It’s going to be amazing.”

A CENTURY OF CLONES

For a man who thought he’d be working on the show for two years, Filoni hit a major milestone in January with 100 episodes of the show. “To give George credit, he always talked in terms of 100 episodes or more,” Filoni reflects. “I thought, Wow, that’s a lot, right back when we were still figuring out how to make starfighters fly properly. We sailed past that. Then I blinked and we passed 100 episodes. But we need 100 more just to finish what we’re trying to do!”

The show has introduced a staggering number of characters who have struck a chord with fans. Some feel like they’ve been a part of Star Wars mythology since the start. Aside from Ahsoka Tano, the roll-call of fan favorites is extraordinary, with Cad Bane, Embo, Captain Rex and Hondo amongst many standing alongside the movie greats. Filoni’s contribution to the saga is met with a modest response: “When I step back and look at it, I almost feel like I didn’t have anything to do with it because it’s Star Wars. I have such respect for Star Wars. When I see a fan wearing a T-shirt with Rex on it, a Clone Wars backpack, or they’re dressed up like Ahsoka, it just blows my mind. I always want to just take time out to talk to them because it’s something we had direct involvement in. I know all the people behind it, from the people who paint the characters to the ones who model the helmets, to the ones who did the design.

“I don’t feel the ownership over it because I still feel so privileged to be a part of it. It’s still a real responsibility and I don’t take for granted that I can just put things into play in the Star Wars universe. I try to do things that I know the fans, George, and Star Wars needs and can use, not something that I want to put in there just because I can. It’s incredible—just to be a part of it.

“I have a wall at work that’s completely dedicated to fans in costumes from The Clone Wars specifically, just so my crew can walk past it and see how much care and attention to detail the fans put in when paying tribute to our work. It’s incredibly flattering. From the first time hearing George talking about Ahsoka as one of his own—because he did create her—her genesis was really through sketching out the character. Henry Gilroy and I wanted to have a Padawan character, so seeing her as an action figure and seeing the pride that George has in the character is just tremendous.”

LEGACY

The cast and crew of the original trilogy are still much in demand for interviews and convention appearances 35 years on from the original film. It’s interesting to consider what The Clone Wars legacy will be. Filoni is optimistic. “I keep telling the crew that we don’t know what effect we’ve had yet, because fans don’t lose momentum with Star Wars as they get older; they seem to gain it! I can see a time in 10 years when Clone Wars era fans are older and have money to spend on collectibles. They’ll want their incredibly detailed Ahsoka statues and Captain Rex accurate blasters and all that stuff.

“I love it when people take them over into the live-action world —I think that’s just great. The day I went to Walt Disney World far Star Wars Weekends and [one of the girls dressed as) Ahsoka Tano walked up and started talking to me, I was like ‘Okay, wow—that’s weird but awesome!’

“It’s been an amazing experience and still is. I couldn’t ask for a better situation or a better group of people to work with, especially with Kathleen Kennedy now taking charge. It’s just another level of development and I get to see things in a different way now. I’ve had some exciting days here, even just this week—if you could only know, but you can’t!”

But surely sometimes, it can be tough to get criticized? Filoni is pragmatic. “I think when you’re a creator, working on something like Star Wars or anything that has a fan base, you have to accept the discussion, the arguments, even some of the hatred, comes from a place of passion and sometimes wanting to be a part of it. Most fans just want to be heard and I hope through some of the things they’ve seen on the show or experienced or when they get to talk to me or Joel or any of the cast, that they feel like they’re always heard and that we really appreciate the time they take and the interest they have and what they have to say.”

And so the interview draws to a close. Aside from the usual pleasantries and joking that Filoni will be the only attendee at Celebration Europe II [at the time of the interview he was the only guest to be announced] with a convention full of angry Barriss Offee fans, it’s time for him to return—to what could well be the best job in the world.

#Dave Filoni #season 5 #insider #i140 #crew #the clone wars #the part about the Jedi and Barriss is most interesting #binc

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kaypeace21 · 3 years

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Will and the car on fire (theories)

*this is just under the assumption this is Will in the pic and not some other character. Which is still very possible .

Why it could be Will (it's for sure possibly not)

But, most of the rebuttals saying it's not Will are iffy. Cause we really don't have much evidence to point to any 1 character. Like the hair counterargument: that the hair is too long to be Will's .Will's s4 body double has a similar hair tuff on the back of his neck. And we know st uses camera shots of the back of Will's neck/silouette ,in past seasons . So doing so here could make sense. And Will of course is the most associated with fire: using fireball for Will the wise in s1 (3 times), the will the wise drawing from s2 had flames on his cloak, Will being being burned in s2,etc.

So...Will looking at lightning. And (Will?) looking at fire. Both have a dark full body sillhouete and red in the forefront .

We also see this character is possibly wearing a watch like Will?

And i've been hearing this a lot here ... but southern california (where the Byers are) does have a lot of trees lol. Not sure why people think otherwise.But, regardless a trip from cali to Hawkins would most certainly have some forrest.

*Also, any movies I’ll be mentioning (in the theories , below) were stated to be inspiration for ST.

So theories...

Theory 1) It's Joyce's car ( and it was rigged to explode/look like an accident by Brenner or Lonnie). And Will wasn't there but sees it in a nightmare cause it's already happened/or it's a dream vision of the future.

Evidence: CAR TROUBLES: Joyce’s car model was infamous for exploding in car accidents-being sued by the state of Indianna before the start of the series. We also have Alexi tell murray about a way to cause cars to explode-and turn people into dust (and make it look like an accident). Brenner’s name means “to burn” and he already hurt 1 mother to keep a subject -so not out of the realm of possibilities for him to hurt Joyce (and make it look like an accident to try and get Will and or el).

In s3, we have Jonathan and Hopper try and fix the car-and after this cars explode with people inside. Jonathan lifts the car hood- and notices someone rigged nancy’s car . Than, right after,Billy’s car lights on fire with him inside. With Hopper (he also lifts the car hood) and joyce barely escapes the lit car (but she may not be so lucky next time).

We also have Joyce tell Will 3x she’s going to be ok... which is a bit overkill if she will be OK ...

And, notice during the hoodlift we see Will observing- which is similar to Alexi watching and warning them before hand that the car (with Joyce inside) will explode. So it’s possible foreshadowing since Will may predict the future and was was paralleled to Alexi.Alexi ‘can we watch lonnie toons now?. Will : can we play d&d now?

movie inspos:

It’s hinted s4 will be around Will’s b day: In gilbert grape- Arnie after his b day, has his mom die, and a fire was stagged that lit his mom on fire. ( Before this,Arnie was also raised by his older brother Gilbert cause his dad wasn’t around). stoker- kid’s parent dies in staged car ‘accident’ on her bday (this allows ab*sive relative closer to kid-since dead parent banned him from seeing kid). The kid was taught how to hunt, by dad. And is also a painter and bullied at school (like Will). what dreams may come-painter blames themselves for fam dying in freak car accident- the relative was getting a present for them when it happened. so they blame themselves. The descent- also had (right before a b day, the main character’s fam dying in a car accident) .And the sole survivor/family member of the deceased hallucinates a shadow chasing her in a empty hospital hall. Get out-photographer (jonathan)blames himself for mother dying in car accident.

There’s also a lot of other films where the kid (for no logical reason) blames themselves for their mom’s/parent’s death: goodson, dream catcher, analyse this,etc. Of course ... this could simply relate to max and el having survivors guilt after the mall killed their family members (in a fake ‘mall fire’). However, a fake out fire causing family to die (in s3) could be foreshadowing for it actually happening in s4?

rigged car explosions: scarface -have guys try and bomb a car with kids and parent inside. backdraft -guy raised by older brother had 1 parent die in explosion and sees the freak explosion occur- later in the film someone rigs a car to explode and masks it as a freak car accident. Same thing occurs in godfather- he sees family member die in rigged car explosion. The dark knight- rigs car to explode. batman v superman- calls superman a demon and says they need to burn the witch that bore him (aka his mom).

dreams (if in the past): Never ending story (reffed in s3)- starts with kid with bowl cut saying he had another dream about his mother who died. Peanut butter solution- kid has visions in dreams about people he knew who died in fire. this next movie (emily rose) is said to be Joyce byers inspo according to Winona - has (kid with 2 personalities) have nightmares from the past of her and her mother burning in a car fire. while screaming/sleep walking she burns windows with her hands -accidentally using her powers. Some people suspect the videogame “life is strange’ is show inspo too- it has character named max caufield with a ‘never maxine rule’, etc. Anyways in the game prequel queer chloe, who plays d&d, would have dreams/nightmares of her nice parent’s car accident . Despite , chloe not being present for the car accident. After the parent’s death, she’s stuck with her mean step dad.

dreams (if predicting the future): Will says in s3 Will the wise can see into the future. We also see Will/Will the wise via a dream predict Hopper was in danger-saying to Joyce “he’s going to die”. In ‘12 monkeys’ and ‘Rebel Robin st novel’ they mention the myth of cassandra- who could make accurate future prophecies , but was cursed to never be believed by those she warned. In 12 monkeys- he tries warning others of a dreaded event in future- and it’s dismissed as him being mentally ill. Since, Will’s other abilities were dismissed as his ptsd in s2-and with the Byers fam having a family history of mental illness (they may not believe him over such a prediction). In ‘the ring’-the movie opens with the guardian saying the boy is drawing the car accident that killed his mom -as a psychological coping mechanism. Only for the teacher to say he made that drawing before his mother’s death (and it’s revealed later the boy is psychic). Terminator 2- sarah conner says she is having future visions, which include explosions, and everyone dismisses it as her being schizophrenic. Like how in s2 a scientist said about Will “let’s see if this boy is a wizard or a schizo”.

If joyce survives the accident she may be hospitlized (and unable to have legal custody). In black swan the girl (with 2 personas) -blames herself for what happened to Winona Ryder’s character (who is in a coma after a car accident. They had had a verbal fight before the accident). In girl with the dragon tattoo- the main character (who is compared to a phoenix and dragon) has 1 parent burned in a fire- and after this her kind guardian is hospitilized so they can no longer take care of her- and she is placed with an ab*sive foster dad (who resembles her bio dad). If Joyce was in a coma - it would further parallel her to terry- and be another willel parallel.

if dead: Tokyodrift- mom loses custody, and dad who is a mechanic and abandoned the family years ago, later gets custody. Super 8-mom dies in freak accident- douche dad gets custody. Book of henry-mom dies pre-film, ab*sive dad got custody. Outsiders- parents die in car wreck, relative gets custody of teen who he slaps etc.In black swan-girl who blames herself for Winona’s accident is stuck living with ab*sive parent. good son- mom dies, stuck with violent and manipulative relative after this.

Of course-joyce may be fine. And Lonnie may just visit for Will’s b-day and ruin shit that way.

Theory 2) It's an undercover government car that Will uses his powers against in self defense... or in anger after they hurt someone he loves.

Evidence:

Joyce about ‘Will the wise’: If he’s so wise, why does he need the fireballs? Why can’t he just outsmart the bad guys? Will: cause the bad guys are smart too. Joyce: so he needs the fireballs? Will: Yeah, to burn them to a crisp.

* the fact-this flashback happens at a funeral of a Byers, could also be narratively significant as foreshadowing.

Gov agents in s1 are called “the bad-men” so Will may use fireball on “the bad-guys”(government agents) . Fire has been used on all the other adversaries relating to the upsidedown-so why not the gov agents (aka human villains) next? 2 movies on the inspo list caught my attention: firestarter & carrie (which are both stephen king adaptions with psychic kids who have fire abilities).

Firestarter- she has pyrokineseis (firepowers) . And unlike every other psychic in the film- she is the only psychic that doesn't get nose bleeds (aka mini brain hemorages) from using her powers (Will). We know el and kali gets nose bleeds.

(Anger): She only unleashes her fire abilities on gov agents after they kill her parent...

*And uses a literal “fireball” on them.

Could also be another willel parallel. kali about the US gov:" They took your mother away from you!" El str*ngles man from gov agency that incapacitated her mom . El before str*ngling him: " you hurt mama".

(self defense): While in carrie she kills people who tried to run her over with a car. And causes the car to explode.

Also, in s3 Steve does technically cause a car to explode to protect Nancy from being run over by a car (so maybe foreshadowing?). I believe, tumblr user ‘bran-who-writes-theoretically” was the first to point out the Carrie/car on fire parallel.

* This car scene could also be added to the list of Willel parallels. El in s1 uses her powers to flip a government-car upside down. And looks back at it. And it’s a ref to the film Et. So Will causing a government -car to explode and flip upsidedown (referencing carrie) could be a parallel.

Of course El flipped over a car in s3 to attack the Soviet agents and protect her friends too ( right before losing her powers). Sort of like Steve using his car as a weapon in s3 to protect his friends. so who knows, if not Will, maybe El (wearing a ponytail) got her telekenesis back and she flips the car and it explodes ? To be honest, I just find this explanation too boring, cliche, and predictable. And I still hypothosize the mindflayer took her telekensis (but not her other powers). Since in d&d mindflayers have ‘mage hand’ (what el is called) and ‘telekenesis’/ along with the ability to steal powers from other life forms. But, we’ll see...

Theory 3) The car flips (maybe caused by a deer jumping in the road) and it blows up after the crash- with Joyce inside. And maybe Jonathan survives it/ Will wasn’t there but had a nightmare /vision about it?

Evidence: in s1 Jonathan sees a dead deer that was hit by a car. This could be symbolic : because it related to Jonathan mentioning the hunting story with his dad and how he cried for a week cause he liked the film Bambi. Which in the film : Bambi (a deer) has his mother k*lled. And after his mother’s death, he’s taken in by his douchey dad who was M.I.A for most of his life ,until his mom passed away. And the hunters are the bad guys in the film . In ‘get out’ the photographer , Chris,blames himself for his mother dying in a car accident - and he sees a dead deer hit by a car -and the dying deer was used to symbolize the guilt he has over his mother’s death. in ‘the long kiss goodnight’ a character is driving home with a friend- they swerve and hit a deer and 1 of them is ejected from the car into the forrest. But their friend is unconscious in the car and it quickly explodes on the road. The survivor turns and sees the car in flames- disoriented they stumble and kill the dying deer. And it’s left ambiguous if they were helping the deer end it’s pain or if it was vengeful-hunting (since it caused the car accident that killed their friend). Cause their face was emotionless from shock.

Even in the st novel "suspicious minds' rabbits- like jonathan was forced to kill on the hunting trip with his dad (around his b-day) represented the bond between mother and child.And the mother sacrificing herself for the baby-to not get k*lled (by Brenner).

-so maybe?? jonathan before he gets the pizza job/car (may have his car break down , like hinted it would in s3).

So him and Joyce share the car (once his car stops working) and the accident happens while Jonathan is behind the wheel -with Joyce. And after this he gets the job at surfer boy pizza. Billy was a surfer boy and that memory was used to think about his mother who is no longer around (once he's stuck with his ab*sive dad after moving away from Cali). While Jonathan moved to Cali after his mom passed-maybe stuck with Lonnie.Jonathan's actor in recent pics has a blonde mullet - which sort of resembles joyce/Billy's og hair. This may be why he starts doing dr*gs - which is pretty out of character for him- but it could be a coping mechanism(like in the s4 films). One of many examples was 'enter the void'- the older brother was surrogate parent to their lil sibling and after a car accident k*lls his parents , he starts doing dr*gs to cope. Also ‘hunger games’ was on the list- and Katniss (who was a surrogate parent to her litle sibling, like Jonathan is to Will) in the sequel, saw her family die in an explosion. And it really broke her emotionally.

I've mentioned this before but Billy is used to parallel and foil Will and Jonathan. And it may be more than a ... what if Lonnie had custody scenario. But to show how Lonnie (like most ab*sers) will later bring out the worst in the kids (once he does have custody). Like how s3 has Will mimick lonnie with the baseball bat (and we see in s3 Billy being bullied by his dad to play baseball and flashbacks showing him mimicking Neil). I've also discussed how there's a theme with pretty much every character mimicking their parent- for better or worse.

Killing a deer would certainly hint at Jonathan's possible character regression (and mimicking Lonnie to a certain extent). if he not only blames himself for Joyce's death. But is also stuck with his ab*ser.

The animal k*lling motif , and after that, mimicking an a b*sive father is already shown with el. Brenner , in s1,tried to make her k*ll a cat (using her powers) and she refused (similar to the s1 rabbit hunting story of Lonnie forcing Jonathan to k*ll a rabbit ). But in s2, she uses her powers to k*ll a squirrel (and like a deer- it's typical hunting game). Than in s3 el does literally everything Brenner ever asked of her- she spies on people and repeats the words back (like brenner told her to do), she becomes a weapon to ‘fight the commies’ (which was said to be the reason he k*dnapped her in the first place), and when looking into the void to see the mf (she mirrors the words brenner told her - when he made her go into the void to face the demogorgan).

And some s4 movies are literally about being trapped in a house with your ab*ser and slowly losing your mind because of the ab*se and gaslighting- lighthouse , black swan , good son, are prime examples. But movies like scar face , girl with the dragon tattoo, and book of Henry touch on this theme a bit as well. And ordinary people- is about a guy who survived a vehicular accident but his relative in the same accident didn't- and it causes him alot of issues /survivor's guilt.

The shadowy figure could just be Will in the shot - seeing it in a dream before or after it happens?

Theory 4) Will sees a future vision or has his ’now memories’ of someone else's car.

Evidence: i guess the s4 shot parallels El (in s3) spying on Billy while he’s hurting Heather. During that spying scene: the shot is of El near Billy's car. So it’s possibly a diff willel parallel?

If not Will. Who knows ...if El’s telekenesis is gone maybe her spying abilities strengthened and look different because of it (and now she can see background details)?

Theory 5) it's Lonnie's car and Will escapes from the trunk and uses his powers in self defense

Evidence: I’m pretty iffy on this one. This goes back to how people suspected Lonnie took Will in s1 (and could be foreshadowing). Even the recent rebel robin book-has characters say Lonnie probably took Will. Jonathan suspected Will may be at Lonnie’s - so checks Lonnie’s car trunk (to see if Will is there). We also see how the mf in s3, knocked people out by dr*gs/str*ngulation, ties them up, and throws them in a trunk (to k*dnap them). Or how the cops raided jonathan’s trunk- which had stuff to track the demogorgan (and the demogorgan parallels Lonnie) . And after looking in Jonathan’s trunk-they suspected something fishy is going on.

*heather was described as “another me” by Will- who was thrown in the trunk.

movies: “tangled” was on the s4 list- and had an ab*sive parent later try and kidnap their kid ,and that parent ends up dying. in girl with the dragon tattoo (the girl associated with dragons & phoenixes- lights her ab*sive bio dad on fire. In ‘drop dead fred’ (girl who is in love with childhood friend, named Mikey, who she met at age 5) lights a imaginary version of her ab*sive parent on fire - while in a trippy memory world. Chrissy accidentally lights her ab*sive relative (nickname “daddy”) on fire in self defense- in a trippy hell memory scape. in ‘long kiss goodnight- the girl with 2 personalities (Will/will the wise) was kidnapped and put in a trunk and escapes by jumping into a quarry. Not sure if that could relate to a flashback or something else? like in ‘don’t breath’ the older sibling who essentially was a surrogate parent to the younger sibling-mentions how their dad left the family, and her parent would throw her in the trunk for hours as a punishment.

#will byers #jonathan byers #joyce byers #el hopper #stranger things #stranger things theory

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absinthe-and-abstinence · 3 years

Text

An Unhealthy Obsession: Chapter Twenty

Let's Kill Tonight

TW: Mentions of covid, fires, blizzards, school shootings, language, slight smut (?), intimate scene, nudity, biting, police, mentions of police, guns, and jail.

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As you laid in bed with a man next to you still asleep, you contemplated the last few days.

Spencer had come back to you on his own accord, and even spend his birthday with you. He ran into his team members from the FBI, and ran away from them with you. That night was the farthest you had gotten with Spencer, or let’s admit – anyone – for that matter.

But if Prentiss and Morgan saw your face, saw your plates, it was only a matter of time because they came knocking down your door. As Spencer shifted in his sleep, you wondered if he had stayed blissfully unaware of this fact. That, or he didn’t mention it. You didn’t bother bringing it up either – for the time being, you wanted to enjoy being with him.

There were a few things, though, you didn’t talk about with him. You two hadn’t brought up your initial meeting, where you took him home with you. He never mentioned what he did in Seattle when he took the car and you found him incapacitated, but you weren’t sure that was necessarily your story to know. While the object of you being from another time and reality also tended to not get brought up in conversation, he did ask one time:

“What’s the future like?”

You weren’t sure how to answer the question.

“Um…well, my reality is different than yours, so my future – or I guess present, maybe past, since I was there and I’m not there now – would be different too.”

He rolled his eyes. “Alright then, what’s your future like?”

You thought back to everything that happened in the modern day. It wasn’t a pretty picture.

“I’m not sure you want to know.”

He crossed his arms. “Try me.”

You took a deep breath and began.

“So there’s a virus that currently is spreading around the world, and it’s been around for over two years; they think maybe even three. There’s dozens of variants of this virus across the globe and we’ve been in a worldwide pandemic for a while. Climate change is really hitting us hard, with the West Coast catching on fire every summer, the South like Texas being frozen over in winter, and parts of the East Coast flushed away. I’m from California, so we have to wear masks for the pandemic, and hazard masks with the smoke too.

And what your reality makes up for in serial killers, we have a multitude of school shootings that you couldn’t even imagine.

And that’s really it. That, and ABBA is making music again.”

His mouth agape, he stood there, shellshocked. Taking a moment to take in everything you had just said, he finally replied, “I don’t think telling me ABBA makes music again is the most important thing you just said.”

You laughed.

“Probably not, but it helps get us through.”

As you laid there, listening to the breathing of Spencer Reid beside you, you wondered how he would do in that future. A technophobe and a germaphobe, he’d probably fear for his life. You laughed at that image in your head, and wondered; in a reality based on a fictitious franchise, what would their future look like? Did this world keep going, even after the series ended? You estimated you had dripped through what was season four, and now existed in season five. Did seasons even exist here? Was the world different since you entered it?

These were too many questions for this early in the morning, and you couldn’t really ask people them, either. You slipped out of bed, trying not to wake the sleeping person next to you, and went down the stairs.

You started up some coffee, using your own French press. Even though the coffee wouldn’t be ready for a while, the smell of it brewing was intoxicating, and flooded your sensory gates. Enough so you didn’t hear the presence sneaking up behind you.

“Morning, Y/N.”

You yelped and jumped, seeing a tired-eyed Spencer a few feet away from you.

“I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to wake you up.”

He smiled with a groggy grin as he shook his tangled bed head.

“No worries. I woke up to the smell of coffee – didn’t mean to startle you.”

You walked over and ruffled his hair, taking a mug over towards him.

“Want a cup? I just brewed it.”

He took it out of your hands and slowly had his first morning sip.

“You want to know why I’ve stayed around so long?”

“Hm?”

He leaned over and whispered in your ear.

“Your coffee is miles better than anything they have at Quantico.”

It made you laugh, although you weren’t sure if it was funny or sweet. You decided to switch up the topic.

“So, Halloween’s tomorrow – you have any plans?”

He took another drag out of his coffee and savored it before answering.

“You know, some historians think that many Halloween traditions may have been influenced by ancient Celtic harvest festivals, particularly the Gaelic festival Samhain. Other scholars hold that Samhain may have been Christianized as All Hallow's Day, along with its eve, by the early Church.”

You laughed. “I’m guessing you’re available? I found a party online if you’d want to check it out.”

He groaned.

“I’m not a big party person. And you saw me at the last one – I don’t think that ended quite well.”

“Mmm,” you nodded, “but this time it’s Halloween. AND you get to wear a costume. You can even pick out my costume, if you’d want,” you said with a wink.

That last part perked his interest.

“Can I choose anything?”

You smirked, wrapping your arms around his neck.

“Anything.”

---

“Okay, this is so not what I had in mind.”

“Hey! You said I get to choose, let’s get going.”

You were walking around a local neighborhood with a bowling hat and a fake mustache, wishing you had attached a leash to the man in front of you with a fake pipe and a trench coat. When you had said he could dress you up as anything, you were expecting a sexy nurse, or a schoolgirl, or something, at least.

Not Dr. John Watson and Sherlock Holmes.

Spencer was having the time of his life, pretending to inspect every poster you passed with a fake magnifying glass and starting every conversation with “my dear friend Watson.” He specifically only spoke like a twentieth-century Englishman, with an accent so terrible you almost broke into laughter each time you heard it.

What a dork. You wouldn’t have it any other way.

“Do you even know where we’re going?” you asked.

“To put it simply, my dear Watson,” Spencer replied as he spun around to face you, “I have absolutely no idea.”

While the idea of a Halloween party – a “Monster Mash” as they put it – sounded tempting, it felt like too many people and too risky to get caught. You two had decided to find a local neighborhood, and although you were both in your twenties, you decided to go trick-or-treating.

“I’m surprised you like trick-or-treating, Spence.” It was hard to talk with the mustache tickling your top lip. “Aren’t you scared of sharing germs?”

He had begun to walk beside you, instead of before; he was so excited with the Halloween decorations and everyone’s costumes that he often ran in front of you. You didn’t mind, it was cute to see him this excited. But walking here with him, hand in hand, felt nice too.

“Ah, my dear Watson,” he said as you faked a grumble, “you see, that’s what the wrappers on candy are for. And besides, although Antoni van Leeuwenhoek has already discovered bacteria, it would take some years until people realize that germs can carry diseases.”

He took out his magnifying glass and grabbed your hand, moving his fingers over the surface of it.

“I don’t see any bacteria here,” he teased. “Guess we’re good to keep going.”

“You are such a dork,” you remarked, rolling your eyes.

“Correction,” he replied as he placed his hand back into yours, “I’m your dork.”

Even though he had admitted he had feelings for you back, even though you two had spent a night of close intimacy with one another, it still gave you butterflies when you heard him say little things like that. You couldn’t imagine how many people would kill to be with Spencer, and for him to be with you back.

You wonder if Spencer could feel the jitters he gave you, because he kissed your cheek at that moment, and the world felt alright.

In your own private world, everything felt safe, and warm, and okay.

To the outside world, it may have seemed that an English pair of detectives were more than just roommates. Good thing he didn’t kiss you on the lips – with both of you wearing fake mustaches, you with half-moon spectacles, and he with a monocle, it may have been confusing for both you two and onlookers.

It was still 2009.

“So, how about we finish this block, head home, and watch a scary movie? You can choose which one.”

Before he started to speak, you cut him off by stating:

“Sherlock and Holmes, by the way, does not count.”

He pouted. “What if I wanted to watch a rendition of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s best work?”

“Oh, I’m sure whatever we watched would be terribly historically inaccurate,” you mocked, “not to mention all the subtext and context clues they’d leave out of the film too.”

“You know, both Basil Rathbone and Jeremy Brett did great jobs of impersonating the character. I’m sure we could find something,” he replied, disregarding your teasing of him.

Suddenly, an idea popped into your mind.

“Do you want to watch a Sherlock Holmes from the future?”

He narrowed his eyes.

“…The future?”

You revealed a devilish grin. “The series technically doesn’t start airing until 2010. But it’s my favorite version – I used to watch in high school all the time. I even had a mini-blog about it online.”

“What kind of teenager likes Sherlock Holmes? Besides weird ones, like me?”

“Oh no, no, no,” you started, “we were definitely weird. But the guy who plays him? He was a major hottie back in the day.”

You grabbed his hand and pulled him down the street.

“We’ll finish these houses and then I’ll introduce you to Benedict Cumberbatch,” you yelled giddily. It had been a long time since you had revisited those days.

“Bene- what now?” he called back, unaware that he was making one of the internet’s oldest jokes.

You were so in love with him.

---

You two just arrived home, and you set down your loot from the evening. You two had changed already out of your costumes, turning in your trench coat and slacks for tank tops and sweatpants. A lot of families were entertained with the fact two adults were out trick-or-treating, looking as ridiculous as you did, and gave you a handful or two extra.

In candy terms, you guys were loaded.

You popped a mini Snickers in your mouth and skipped over to the television, anxious to find the series you were craving. It felt like so long since you had started the show – back when galaxy print was in style, converse went with homecoming dresses, and your biggest worry was if you could get tickets to a British boy band concert.

How much time had changed.

You stood up, finding the first season of it on DVD, glancing over the front and back of the box. Arms reached around you and you felt Spencer placing his chin down on your shoulder. You put your hands on top of the arms that hugged you from behind.

“What are you doing, Spence?” you giggled.

“Mmm…I was thinking.”

He began to slowly rock you two, back and forth. You laughed again.

“Maybe there’s something I want to do instead of a movie.”

Your face immediately blushing, you replied.

“Oh? And what would that be?”

He growled in your ear, sending tingles up and down your body, firing your neurons.

“You.”

You weren’t sure how to respond but to melt into him.

“Should we take this upstairs?” he purred in your ear.

You nodded, unable to make a sound.

He took you by the hand up the stairs into the master bedroom where the two of you had spent the nights together. He shut the door gently, and you walked over to the back wall. A moment of awkwardness passed between you two, then suddenly he pushed your body against the wall, moving his hand behind your head to cushion it.

With one hand behind your head and the other pinned to the side of your head, you were completely locked in by him. Spencer Reid, standing in front of you, leaning over you, moving his eyes up and down your body like a piece of candy.

“I’m so lucky to have you,” you whispered as you reached up to kiss his lips. As much as you were going for a sweet and gentle kiss, he met you with force and determination. You were taken aback by the action but allowed yourself to be met with that fury and passion. You kissed back, bringing back that force and moving your hands down to his waist.

He moved his knee to go in between your legs, pushing them apart. He moved one hand to your shoulder, and the other down to your thigh, caressing it. No one had ever done that to you before, and you whimpered as he moved his hand up and down it, meeting the same rhythm his lips were going to your mouth.

“A whimper? That’s cute.”

He floated his hand off your shoulder to your hip, on the opposite of your body from where his hand was rubbing your thigh.

“Let’s hear you do that again.”

He used his hand on your waist to bring you closer to him, your bodies touching in almost every spot. You moved your leg up and twisted it around his leg, tightening it more. Gripping your leg around him seemed to trigger something in him, and he twisted you until you fell flat on the bed.

Taken aback, you tried to catch your breath as Spencer mounted on top of you.

“Let me know if I do anything that makes you uncomfortable,” he muttered, losing the dominating act for a second. You whispered an okay, and he landed back on top of you, kissing your mouth once more and moving his hand up your shirt. Not wearing a bra, he was given unrestricted access to your chest, and began to feel his hands around in that area. You wanting to do something in return, reaching for the waistline of his pants.

“Not yet,” he growled, and he continued working his way up until your shirt no longer covered your chest. You broke off from him, only for a second to take the entire shirt off and throw it onto the floor, and as soon as you did, he lurched you back into your position in the bed, making his lips descend down from your lips past your chin, down your neck, and towards your breasts.

You took this moment to flip you two over, you now on top of him. It surprised him, but he did not hesitate as you hissed at him to take his shirt off. He glanced at you up and down, unsure of what would happen next.

“I do think it’s my turn,” you drawled out.

You bit onto his ear lobe and pulled on it softly, causing him to moan slightly so.

“A moan? That’s cute,” you echoed.

You worked your way down his chest, sliding your tongue down his stomach to his puppy trail. At the same time, you were able to grab bits of hair and drag them down slightly. You trailed your fingernails down his chest and towards his waistline, to which you asked:

“May I?”

He murmured a yes, and you cackled. You moved your mouth up to kiss up to him, get your tongue inside his mouth to distract him. One hand worked on undoing the zipper on his pants, and the other on finding places to massage his scalp and pull his hair. He whimpered as you finally got the pants undone.

“Do you want me to continue?”

His breath hot and heavy, he replied.

“Please.”

You trickled your fingers down underneath his boxers, touching an area you had believed before to be unavailable to you.

“So, Dr. Reid,” you teased, “I think I feel something down here.”

He groaned slightly as you began to work your fingers around his package.

“But in order to reach this better, you’ll need to take your pants off for me. Can I do that for you?”

He didn’t say anything, dazed and confused in the heat of it all. Just a slight nod and the twitch of his mouth. You began to slide the pants off of him, working past his shin and shimmying down past his legs.

“Good boy,” you muttered, as you finally got the pair of pants off of him and onto the floor.

“Now for the rest,” you teased, and you began to work your hands around his boxers.

“FBI! THIS IS FBI! HANDS UP WHERE I CAN SEE THEM, MOTHERFUCKER!!”

Oh no.

In a state of panic, you sat up straight and threw your hands up in the air like a deer in the headlights. You looked around the room, seeing all the men with guns pointed at you and him. How did you not hear them? How did you not see them? You kept moving your head around as Spencer held up his hands as well, you still sitting on top of him, shirtless, until your eyes landed on two individuals that you were terrified of seeing – and petrified at this moment especially.

Derek Morgan and Aaron Hotchner, supervisory special agents.

“I…” you trailed off, nothing you could say.

It wasn’t until you heard Morgan say “get this fucker off of him and get her a shirt, for Christ’s sake” that you realized that he shouted that original warning. Four or five agents took both your hands and forced you off of Spencer, and as much as you tried to fight it – wriggling, shoving, biting – they would not let go of you.

“Y/N!”

You could hear Spencer’s voice calling out to you, but in the sea of people and panic, he was lost to the tide. Someone had found one of Spencer’s shirt and placed on you forcefully, slamming it down over your head. As they walked you down the stairs, a pair of handcuffs snapped onto your wrists.

“It’s about time we found you, bitch,” Morgan scathed into your ear, his words feeling like burn marks against your skin.

They dragged you out of the house as you tried to shake and scramble yourself out of their hold. As you tried to stomp down on their feet, you tripped, and they continued to walk; leaving your feet to drag in the dirt and rubble up to the cop car. Two other agents from behind used this opportunity to shackle your feet, and at that moment you realized how much you had really fucked up.

The driveway was saturated in flashing blue and red lights, with sirens and people yelling back and forth overstimulating your senses. You tried to grasp some of the scene around you, but parts were hard to make out in all of the hysteria.

An ambulance with its doors swung open.

A cot with an IV drip already set into place.

Police and people in red suits sneering as you passed them by.

Men arguing if guns were really necessary or not.

Emily Prentiss talking to what appeared to be a sheriff, until she caught wind of you, and you two shared a glance.

In that brief moment, locking eyes with her, time slowed down.

She moved her hand up to her face and her eyes widened, witnessing you. You scrunched up your face at her as her expression changed to one of fear and realization. As the agents forced you into the police car against your will, you spit on the ground next to you, keeping eye contact with her as you did.

They slammed the door shut to the car, eliminating that interaction with Prentiss. You didn’t recognize the driver of the police car, albeit hard to see anything with the flashing emergency lights and bars separating the front of the car from the back.

You did recognize the passenger’s side voice as they got into the car and slammed the door shut.

“There’s a private airstrip a few exits from here – security will be meeting us there,” Hotch informed the driver, and the car started to move.

You looked out the window once more, and saw Spencer sitting on the cot, scared and in disarray. Prentiss had moved towards him, and she blocked your way of seeing him. You swore and turned your attention to the front of the car.

“Agent Hotchner,” you snarled, “a pleasure to meet you. Sad we couldn’t meet any other way.”

He didn’t answer you, but asked the driver if he could drive any faster.

With every second as the house grew smaller and smaller away, fear and dread set into you. You had kidnapped one of the most brilliant and talented agents of the FBI, and shelled him away for months. You manipulated him to fall for you, or at least that’s what you told yourself, and you almost had it too. Interrogation, jail, prison, pain, punishment, and torture were going to be your new future – not one with Reid or a happy ending.

Well, well, well.

If it wasn’t the consequences of your own actions.

Taglist:

@thatsonezesty13

#an unhealthy obsession #criminal minds fanfic #criminal minds fanfiction #criminal minds #cm spencer reid #spencer reid x you #spencer reid/you #spencer reid/reader #spencer reid x reader #spencer reid imagine #spencer #spencer reid #yandere fanfic #yancore #yandere #my fic #fan fiction #fanfiction

49 notes · View notes

inkandpen22 · 3 years

Text

Permanent Chaos (1/?)

Pairing: MGK x Female!Reader

Warnings: Swearing

Word Count: 2.8k

Part Summary: Y/N is a newly famous actress from a popular TV show and she’s willing to do everything in her power to maintain her perfect image as “America’s Sweetheart.”

Masterlist

The limelight is a hard place to be under. It’s draining to constantly be on display. Day in and day out I feel as though I’m always looking into a mirror. However, a mirror is replaced by people’s eyes. I see myself through other’s eyes. Being sat on a slippery plastic stool while being watched by millions of Americans before they head off to work is an excellent way to start my day. Perhaps if I keep telling myself that I’ll eventually believe it. Savannah glances down at her cards then continues with the interview.

“Let’s go back to a year ago, if someone approached you and said “you’ll be the most sought after girl in America,” would you had believed them?”

I shake my head “not all.”

If only she knew how absent I am in the current moment. I’ve answered similar questions a million times these past few months. All the exact same questions within the same routine.

“Now, being as famous as you are, how do you cope with your newfound fame?”

There it is, famous. A better-sounding word than popular. After all, adult life is nothing like high school… right?

“I don’t particularly like the word “famous.” When people say “you’re famous!” What they really mean is “a lot of people know you!” At least people think they do.”

She studies me, intrigued by my honest answer, perhaps too honest. “You’re saying America doesn’t know the “real” you? Including your fans?”

I shrug, I can only imagine Nicole’s face right now. My usual bubbly and charmingly excited personality didn’t wake up with me at three this morning.

“I believe they know whatever version of me they’ve created. For some, I’m that girl from the cover of that one magazine they saw in line at the grocery store. For others, I may just a name without a face. That’s the thing about being so-called “famous.” I’ll never have the chance to meet every single person who has ever read an article about me or has seen paparazzi videos. They’ll only see those tainted versions of me. They’ll never have the opportunity to know me personally and make a valid judgment for themselves.”

Savannah hums, her eyebrows scrunched up. “How do you feel about that?”

I sigh, the words settling within me. “It’s disappointing.”

If only they all knew the truth, the reality of it all.

______________________________________________________

After the interview for the show, I fly straight back to Los Angeles from New York. My schedule has been worse, but I never miss the chance to complain to my manager. Thankfully, Nicole is a mother of tween girls and a ten-year-old boy so she knows how to take my childish whining. Once we’re landed in LAX I countdown the minutes until I can return to my bed.

“I don’t understand why you insist on wearing heels on the plane,” Nicole nags me.

“Because you never know who you’re gonna meet! Best to dress nicely just in case!”

It’s been a rule of mine since I first discovered my style and began to wear makeup, never go out in public without looking and feeling confident. I’ve learned that people can sense when others don’t feel confident and take advantage of that.

“I doubt your Mom would like it,” she nags.

“Well she’s not in California is she?” I fire back but snicker slightly.

My momma’s absence was bitter-sweet, in the beginning, now it’s all sweet. When we have our luggage, Nicole leads me through the airport to where the car is picking us up.

“You may want to put on your sunglasses now. We’re about to cross the line,” she warns.

I grab my glasses out of my purse like she instructed and slide them on. She was right, as soon as we cross over that taped line it’s a free-for-all for the paparazzi.

“Y/N!” “Y/N!”

“HEY! SHOW US A SMILE!”

The yelling doesn’t bother me as it used to in the past. Now, it’s the clicking. The clicking from their cameras. A constant *click* *click* *click*, from each of the thirty cameras. Nicole attempts to create a path for me by walking ahead.

“HOW WAS YOUR TRIP TO NEW YORK?”

“Good, thank you” I reply politely with a smile toward the tile floor.

I try to manage a balance when it comes to paparazzi. They have their job and so do I. Following me, taking pictures or videotaping me is their job. As long as they respect me, I will respect them. Nicole says it’s good for my image. My image wasn’t the first reason I was nice toward them, I was being myself. Nowadays, I’m hardly myself. I have my name, Y/N Voss, but it no longer feels like my name. The paparazzi are not used to getting easy responses out of people because there’s a long pause before the next question.

“WHEN DOES FILMING START BACK UP FOR THE SHOW?”

The question comes from a different voice but that doesn’t keep me from answering.

“In two days!” I gleam, looking forward to returning to set.

“CAN YOU GIVE ANY INFO ABOUT THE NEW SEASON?”

I chuckle a little but think it over. I agreed in my contract not to give out spoilers but there is a little info I was told I can let out. Plus, I’ve only seen the script for the first episode so I don’t know too much.

“I can say that Hollyn will have a bump start this season but no worries,” I answer vaguely but with interest.

Nicole and I manage to reach outside and she guides me down the sidewalk to where the car is supposed to pick us up.

“RUMOR HAS IT YOU’RE DATING SOMEONE! CARE TO COMMENT?”

“I’m very much single,” I laugh, finding the topic humorous. “Not enough hours in the day to share them!”

There are always rumors that I’m dating someone though none of it’s true.

“YOU LOOK GREAT TODAY Y/N!”

“YOU ALWAYS DO!”

“Thanks, boys!” I give my appreciation.

The driver gets out of the front and pops the trunk. Nicole informs me to get in the car and let her worry about our things along with the driver.

“WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR THE SUMMER?”

I open my door but pause to answer the last question. “Work, of course, but I also want to have some fun.”

“HAVE A GREAT SUMMER!”

“SEE YA LATER Y/N!”

They all hurry to get some last shots and I grant them a couple of seconds.

“You too! See you guys later!” I wave goodbye then climb into the car.

Nicole gets in a minute later and gives the driver the address. “You did great back there,” she compliments.

“Eh, it was nothing. I was only answering their questions.” I remove my glasses and get settled in as best as I can for the hour drive home.

She pulls out her binder full of scheduling material for me.

“Yes, but you were willing and kind. The public and media appreciate that! You’re becoming America’s Sweetheart!”

I would never admit it to Nicole but that title she keeps pushing makes me anxious every time I hear it. None of this was planned, it was thrown at me. Please don’t misunderstand me, I’m grateful for what I have but geez! When everyone is telling you a whole country adores you, how are you supposed to handle that? Especially at eighteen. It was no more than a year ago I was back in South Carolina and just another girl in high school. Now, I’m supposed to be “America’s Sweetheart.” I’ll play the part but it doesn’t make the job any less intimidating.

__________________________________________________________

My best friends/co-stars, Sam and Penelope, meet up with me for dinner to celebrate my first night back in town after the press tour. The three of us have been dividing our time around the country working on various projects between filming the show. Any time we can all get together is a gift.

Ever since I’ve known Sam Merka, girls flung themselves at him. Even I’ll say it, he’s a good-looking guy. If Grant Gustin had a younger brother, it would be Sam. I don’t want anyone to get the wrong idea, we’re just friends. A sibling sort of bond. Since he’s eight years older than me, he likes a big brother.

Though Penelope is older too, one can’t tell since I tend to act more mature. I’m jealous of her sun-kissed long blonde hair and dark brown eyebrows. We all kinda got thrown into our friendship. Having to play life-long friends an hour after meeting for the first time was, to say the least interesting. Five years later, and we are like three peas in a pond. A mini family to have each other’s back in the big city.

For dinner, we agreed on The Nice Guy, an Italian place in West Hollywood. The most important aspect of the place is the amount of privacy it grants. The interior is a lounge, super lowkey, with booths, couches, and coffee tables but there are no photos allowed. Since no photos can be taken that means the three of us and others can enjoy ourselves in peace. Sam called dibs on being designated driver as per usual as the “bodyguard” for us girls. The paparazzi tend to hang out around the restaurant because it’s a well-known spot for celebrities.

“Maybe we can slip past them,” Sam says optimistically as we exit the car.

He meets me around the front and Penelope joins us after getting out of the backseat.

“HEY! HEY! HEY!”

From in front of the restaurant, a ripple of cameras begin to take notice of us.

“IT’S THE KIDS FROM THE SEASONS OF LIFE!”

“Yep, we really snuck past them!” I tease Sam playfully.

He huffs, annoyed with the situation. Sam loves his job but hates the lack of privacy aspect. He isn’t a fan of crowds either which I can understand. However, he’s great at masking it behind his charming smile. It’s what we were trained to do. Yet, Sam is better at managing a crowd mentally overall than I am. He understands how they affect me sometimes. The swarm of photographers rushes up to us. Sam leads the way toward the restaurant door. Penelope remains close, keeping a hand on my forearm to stay together. The cluster follows us down the sidewalk to the building.

“SAM! SAM! HEARD ABOUT THE GQ PHOTOSHOOT! CONGRATS ON GETTING THE COVER MAN!”

Sam chuckles next to me, “thanks, dude!”

“PENELOPE! RUMOR HAS IT YOU’LL BE SWITCHING OVER TO THE BIG SCREEN!”

“Exactly, it’s a rumor!” She replies a matter-of-factly.

The *click* *click* *click* and the flashing lights in the dead of night never fail to overwhelm me. Though, Nicole has told me I never appear overwhelmed when I interact with them. I force on the brave and confident face. I’m not me when I’m in front of cameras or important people, I’m Y/N Voss. I’m two very different people.

While I’m lost in thought, I get stuck when one photographer gets too close to my face with his camera and blinds me for a second. Sam and Penelope don’t notice my absence amongst the chaos until another photographer barks at the other to back off. Then, I feel Sam’s hand slip into mine and he protectively escorts me toward the door with determination.

“ANYTHING YOU TWO WANT TO SHARE ABOUT HOLLYN AND ELLIOT FOR NEXT SEASON?”

Hollyn and Elliot are Sam and my’s characters from The Seasons of Life, the show we star in together. Our characters have been on again off again for the past two seasons. According to the last season’s finale, the two are currently together, but of course, the season ended on a cliffhanger so their relationship isn’t very stable.

“Sorry guys, can’t share anything!” Sam answers, sounding a tad irritable.

“ANYTHING IN REAL LIFE? YOU TWO WERE BOTH IN NEW YORK THIS WEEKEND!”

“That’s true, but we never have the chance to meet up!” I reply nicely.

Press events for last season have come to an end and work officially begins in no time! Downtime for me is filming and it couldn’t come at a better time. I’ve missed being home in Los Angeles. Living out of a suitcase and sleeping each night on a plane isn’t the best way to live, at least for me. We finally reach the doors and I thank the heavens.

“Oh my gosh! There’s no way!” I hear what sounds like girls squealing and I slow down to see where it’s coming from. My hand slips from Sam’s as he goes on. When he’s determined to get away from the paparazzi, he can ignore the voices. Yet, when he notices that I do not follow he finally stops.

“Excuse me!” A girl calls amongst the clicking and shouting.

The paparazzi move aside a tad and create a path for me to see two young teens jumping up and down. They must be around fourteen I’m guessing, younger than me at least. I approach them to see what’s the matter. I can hardly see anything with all the bright lights.

“Hi! How are you?” I greet but once I get closer and cover my eyes with the flashing lights, I recognize them. “Sarah! Emma! How are you two?”

These two have been some of my biggest supports. They run a Youtube channel and create content about their reactions to episodes of the series. Somehow they manage to make appearances at any events relating to the show. I’ve met them numerous times at events, so have other members of the cast. Besides being two of the sweets girls in the world, they’ve created a fan page for me on Instagram and Twitter.

“Good, good!” Emma replies eagerly.

“It’s been so long since we last saw you!” Sarah adds.

“It really has! When was the last time we saw each other? During the press tour?”

They nod in unison as though they’ve rehearsed it.

“Well, group hug!” I hold out my arms and they gladly accept.

“Can we get a picture?” Emma practically begs, bouncing on her heels.

“Of course!” I take Emma’s phone and hold it out to the crowd of paparazzi. “Could one of you take our picture by chance?”

Many of the guys offer and I select a random one in front of me.

“Squeeze in tight!” I tell the girls as I stand between them and we wrap our arms around each other.

“One, two, three!” The man takes a couple of shots and hands, Emma, back her phone.

“Thank you!” The three of us say together.

We all hover over her phone to check out the pictures.

“So cute!” I awe at the photos.

“Y/N...” Sam places his hand on my back to usher me along.

“Oh, my-” Emma covers her mouth.

“Sam!” Sarah’s jaw is to the sidewalk.

“Hey girls!” he charmingly smiles.

He’s had the chance to meet them a few times while on the press tour and at other various events. I was there to introduce them which was one of the most entertaining moments of my life. I thought the girls were going to faint!

“Can we ask a quick question? It’s for our channel!” Sarah nervously bites her lower lip.

“Yeah, yeah, anything for you guys!” I answer without hesitation.

Sam wraps his arm around my waist while we’re talking to the girls and I don’t think much of it but the cameras begin to go nuts. The men behind them don’t say a word since we’re occupied but there they go *click* *click* click*.

“Is there any hope of you two getting together IRL?” Emma questions intently without hesitation.

I press my lips together with amusement and turn my head to Sam. He has the same look of pondering the question. He squints his eyes at me and then the two of us turn to the girls.

“Just friends,” we answer in unison.

“Best friends!” Sam adds playfully.

“Best friends forever ever!” I one-up him.

The two girls laugh with us, but it’s clear they’re a little disappointed.

“Well, I still bet on you two,” Sarah confidently points out.

Sam and I get a kick out of it. Our viewers want us together too.

“We better get going, our moms are waiting,” Emma informs us.

“Okay, quick hug!” I order and the four of us group hug.

We say our goodbyes and when the girls disappear the men behind the cameras start yelling.

“YOU’RE GREAT Y/N!”

“HOW DID YOU KNOW THEM?”

“Their names are Emma and Sarah. They run a popular Youtube channel, Twitter, and Instagram accounts for the show. Super sweet girls those two!”

“DO YOU KNOW ALL YOUR FANS?”

“I try to! I know a good amount!” I grin proudly.

Sam guides me into the restaurant and his hand never leaves my back. All of it is platonic of course, nothing more. As I told the paparazzi before, there isn’t enough time in my life for me to share any with someone.

________________________________________

Masterlist

Tags: @canyoubuymetoast

#machine gun kelly #mgk #mgk smut #fanfic #mgk fanfic #famous #colson baker #colson #mgk aesthetic

114 notes · View notes

steve0discusses · 3 years

Text

S5 Ep 14: So If You Put a Fraction Into a Duel Disk, the Card Explodes

We left on quite the cliffhanger last episode, so I’ll fill you in:

I did not get the haircut.

Like I seriously considered getting a Zigfried for a cool 3 or 4 minutes there, but then I decided to wait a couple of days and I basically forgot.

But, back to the arc finale, Seto has decided to walk, not run, to the Kaiba lab in order to fix the virus rapidly eating his entire company.

I just want to point out that Zigfried went through a LOT of work to get Seto Kiaba to go “uggggh” turn around, and pretend to calmly walk away. I’m used to Seto losing his nut kind of a lot and blowing things up but this season he’s like “be chill be chill be chill” so that the entire world doesn’t think he’s a spaz on TV.

And little aside about Seto’s design choices here, I fell down a hole of interior design videos, and can I just say: apparently these wood frame things on the wall are back in style? Good on you, 2002(3?) Seto Kaiba. Don’t think that current designers are painting them purple but...we’re halfway there to Yugioh fashion.

Meanwhile, Pharaoh decides to remind everyone that these stakes are hella low. The worst that happens is that Zigfried deletes the plane that Yugi needs to fly home...which would be an impressive virus.

Like it’s hard to tell if Yami even has a solid concept of “capitalism” and whether or not he cares about or understands the makeup of Seto’s company (which up till now has operated like a small country and not a business...which is a little more Pharaoh’s understanding. Either way...hard to tell if Yami would shed two tears for the loss of Kaiba corp.)

And, despite what I say in the caps, I feel like Leon and Zigfried are the first villains we’ve ever had that Yugi and Pharaoh didn’t unintentionally disclose that they are 2 people to. Zigfried and Leon are just...completely oblivious to how effed up Yugi’s bean is. They think that’s just a normal kid and lol no dudes...y’all got distracted by Seto Kabia but you have a literal Egyptian God just hovering around in the background and dating 3 people by accident.

Like when the show shelves the main storyline, it is very funny how it’s all “And we’re gonna put the Pharaoh crisis on hold--just put a pin in it. No one will notice this child is two nervous wrecks stitched together” and then Yugi and Yami just kinda hold it in and watch all patiently until it’s their turn to get off the bench.

(read more under the cut)

In the giant computer tower, Seto Kaiba shouts out a string of orders and numbers, admired the many sonar detector looking windows open on every monitor, and then sat down at his desk to like...check the firewall, I guess?

The virus is past the firewall. It’s um...it’s inside the firewall, pretty sure that was the point, but youknow, it’s a kid’s show so they’re just throwing out computer stuff that has no meaning to the writers of this show.

Mokuba thinks fondly of how Seto Kaiba has never screwed him over (which I mean...maybe not on purpose, ((except for that one time he did screw him over on purpose to get Gozaburo Kaiba to accidentally give Seto Kaiba the company, but you could say that was a grander scheme that he knew Mokuba would see through, which...)) but Seto certainly has screwed Mokuba over accidentally. At least once.)

And meanwhile, Yami fixes everything through card shenanigans.

So here’s the shenanigan this episode: I don’t go over cards here but this one requires a limited amount of explanation.

So every round the golden castle deletes half of Yugi’s cards. So he was like...I’ll just draw down to one card. They can’t delete half a card...so that means the card must delete one of the two cards on the field which means it must delete itself.

...which is like the closest Yugioh will probably ever get to abusing a glitch to do a speedrunning tactic like GDQ.

Anyway, like I stated in the title: there are no fractions allowed in Yugioh. If you do that to your priceless one-of-a-kind card you got from winning one of Pegasus’ murder tournies, it will irreparably bust the card.

I’m sure at least one of you will correct me with the proper way to insert a fraction into your duel disk. Cuz like...as I say multiple times so we never forget, I barely pay attention to this card game and I’m just flying by the seat of my pants.

I want to say Seto and Mokuba were in the hacker chairs for like...3 minutes maybe before they realized “oh...Yugi fixed it...” and walked the half a mile back to the duel arena.

and also, as I’m looking at Seto’s glasses here, I just realized...all of Kaiba’s team wears sunglasses all the time. Inside, outside, night, or day...

They haven’t outright said this...but what if those aren’t sunglasses?

Is Roland and that other Roland wearing fancy cyber glasses? They are, right? Because they wear them indoors?

Damn, they can’t take a piss without being on call with Kaiba Corp, can they?

Now the problem is...Yugi played all of his cards (he has two in front of him face down, but none in his deck) and after milling himself, this means he’s now basically a sitting duck for Leon to take the title of “King of Games.”

Leon insists that he defend whatever scraps are left of his card honor and not duel a person who is carrying no cards and Yugi was like “COME AT ME BRO THIS IS THE ONLY WAY I KNOW I’M ALIVE.”

He didn’t even have to do a horror on Leon, he just...played cards good? I skipped it, I’ll be honest, but overall Leon’s card honor was...saved? Maybe? I mean he also go destroyed when his competitor had not a single card in his duel disk so...

...Leon will have to work on his card honor off screen because he’s pretty well humiliated at this point.

But stumbling onto the playing field like he’s half dazed/daydrunk, Zigfried is like “You forgot I already won, bastards!”

Which is when we find out that Zigfried’s “delete all” virus failed to press “enter” and deleted basically nothing. Just like when my Mom attempts to send something in Gmail but doesn’t press “Send” and tells me that Google is down and broken.

Sorry my bro has informed me that he ALSO has had to help my Mother locate the “Send” button and I just...I know she absolutely did that but I’m in denial that this Riddle of the Sphinx has happened to her multiple times.

Honestly, the pep talk we get from Leon at the end to cheer up his bro was a whole lot of “we will pick ourselves up and we’ll do better next time. Together.” and sure you can translate that as “we’ll be honest next time” or you can translate that as “next time we will be not nearly as obvious about inserting a virus into their computer until it is done doing the job, bro.”

Just like Dartz, we didn’t really get a whole lot of retribution or closure when it comes to Zigfried. But, unlike Dartz, Zigfried didn’t do too much murder, so I guess this is fine. He tried to cheat in a card game...

...and I guess tried to delete Kaiba Corp but youknow...

...people let him have that. The police saw the ticket of “this man tried to delete Kaiba Corp” and they just...didn’t arrest him. The judge saw that ticket and didn’t put out a warrant. They just let Zigfried have this, almost like “better luck next time, ya?”

And then Roland clocked out for the day and went home, thus ending this arc.

Look at all these characters, most of which we never saw duel even one card.

We also got one shot of Mai for some reason although she was not in this arc.

AAAHHHH. Every time I’m like “the show is done screwing geography” we get another freakin geography spook!

But we went back to California in order to get a scene of these guys in an airport to get a flight to Japan...

which means Rex and Weevil just...were they shipped home by the Kaibas? Because way to ditch getting arrested by the American Government, hot damn. They are...literally terrorists who destroyed a Caltrain in a plot to kill everyone in the world so like...really surprised Rex and Weevil are in public...but maybe all the FBI were dead at the time so they just didn’t know?

Meanwhile, Duke has to go back to Death Valley and call a tow truck for his car, RIP.

I sure hope he got PTO during this stunt and isn’t going home to a pink slip.

I’m not sure of Dukes life or anything going on with Duke. I’m sure the thing about Serenity is him joking because we have all forgotten about that girl by this point...but also...is Duke...still living in the Tenderloin? The crime rate is very, very high and the ground isn’t solid, so it will liquefy if there’s an Earthquake, but it is one of the few places in the Bay Area that doesn’t light on fire every year. He has that going for him.

I just really hope Duke moves out of the Tenderloin one of these days, he needs a better life.

Meanwhile, Rebecca does one last crime.

This is like a post-epidemic reaction to a hug, but in 2002(3?).

I don’t think I’ll miss Rebecca too much. Wanted to like her more, but she was under-utilized, like most of the characters on Yugioh. Not even just talking girl characters here--most characters on Yugioh are super under-utilized, just Tristan Wallflowers doing nothing, but also being selectively OP as hell about very specific things they never, ever need to do.

Speaking of the devil:

Yugi...just saved his entire company...

But Mokuba is just has to make sure to make it seem like they owed Mokuba and not the other way around. Just in case.

So off they go on this massive plane. It’s probably more to do with the length of the trip as to why the plane is so big but also...

This plane is overcompensating.

But before we analyze that, lets close the book on Seto Kaiba’s very short therapy arc. Overall, it was a nice distraction, but I can see why people call it a filler arc, as it really doesn’t affect...anything going on in the major plotlines, which makes me think it could have been a movie or a game or something. But overall, it’s not bad, it’s just not what you’d expect if you were a Western audience.

Like I’m preaching to the choir, but typically, Western stories are entirely plot focused, and so our arcs always give or take away from that plot. But in a Eastern story arc, it may instead be character focused, where the climax is a character evolving or coming to some sort of cathartic realization, which this arc was, in a big way. We still had some plot, because this is a Shonen, but overall it was about characters, and specifically whether or not Leon and his bro would reconcile or change--which they did.

We did get to see a little more growth on Seto in that he...didn’t go bonkers and hallucinate during a card game. It’s been a while since we’ve had him not do that. Seto was very chill this arc, which makes sense, it was a very chill slice of life arc for everyone involved.

So, next we move on to the next one, which bro has informed me...is

still not Bakura.

According to Bro, the next arc didn’t even air in the Japanese version of the show? Like he’s got a lot of spicy Yugioh headcanons so he could be wrong (He did tell me that he thought that Zigfried was Seto Kaiba’s ex boyfriend when he saw this as a kid which...that sure is a way to interpret this arc, and it probably wasn’t just my little brother who went down that thought tube there...)

(Bro Note: To be fair, I didn’t watch much of this arc as a kid.)

But he says the next arc was originally a movie. But they released it in the States as episodes to be part of S5, just to put more episodes in there. Which, if he’s correct, makes it seem like we’re getting like the Mulan 2 experience kind of shoved in between this arc and the next

But um..

according to bro it has virtually no card games.

.......

I’m so used to only capping 10 minutes an episode, what?

Anyway, until then, here’s the link to read the rest of these from the start in chrono order:

https://steve0discusses.tumblr.com/tagged/yugioh/chrono

I’m kinda itching to do a Season Zero, it’s been a hot minute--so those take a little longer to do, especially since I need to go to a different site I haven’t...checked out yet...I’ll be back...eventually? I just know that at some point in Season Zero they fight it out with yo-yo’s and I want to see it.

#yugioh #yu gi oh #ygo #S5 #Ep14 #Seto Kaiba #zigfried von schroeder #leon von schroeder #Yugi Muto #Joey Wheeler #Tristan Taylor #Mokuba #Tea Gardner #Duke Devlin #Rebecca Hawkins #recap #photo recap #episode recap

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chiseler · 3 years

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Hero of Our Nation

I first encountered Roger Ramjet on a Chicago public access station in 1983. It was part of an early morning show apparently aimed at stoner insomniacs. The show came on at five and also included episodes of Lancelot Link, Secret Chimp, that awful Beatles cartoon, and a weather report clarified by some appropriate pop song (“Here Comes the Sun” or “Here Comes the Rain Again”). I was usually up and around that early for some godforsaken reason, and originally started watching on account of Lancelot Link. Always did love that Lancelot Link. But Roger Ramjet was, well, let’s just say it was a revelation.

Roger Ramjet, “ that All-American good guy and devil may care flying fool” (as he compulsively introduces himself) was a none too bright and none too coordinated drug-dependent space age superhero in an ongoing battle against the assorted forces of evil (or more specifically, N.A.S.T.Y.) to preserve the American Way of Life. He was square-jawed, straight-laced, straight-faced, and True Blue if little else, so hyper-patriotic that nearly every time his name is spoken aloud an American flag, a bald eagle, or a rotating ring of stars appears on the screen. After catching one or two episodes, I forgot all about Lancelot Link.

The show was easy to overlook, especially when squeezed between the Beatles and some secret agent chimps with a psychedelic band. The episodes were only five minutes long (maybe seven with the abrasive theme song filling out the opening and closing credits), and were so crudely drawn and animated it might at a glance seem like something a couple of junior high school kids threw together in their basement one weekend. The shows were so primitive they hardly bothered with niceties like “backgrounds” satisfied instead to settle for rudimentary suggestions of a setting. But the writing was so sharp and the voice talent so good what it really felt like, if you paid attention, was a spoof of a ‘40s radio serial like Sky King or Gangbusters, complete with a soap opera organ and illustrated by a handful of jerky drawings scratched out by someone’s kid. People who thought Jay Ward’s Bullwinkle and Dudley Do-Right were crude when compared with the output from Disney or Warner Brothers had no idea what “crude” meant.

Looking at it today what it reminds me of more than anything are the paper cutout animations of the earliest episodes of South Park, before they upgraded to Flash. Along with the lo-fi stylistics, the humor was clearly aimed at an adult audience while pretending otherwise. You may not find any child molestation jokes or crass religious cracks in Roger Ramjet, but for 1965 the lightning-fast humor was pretty hepcat and sophisticated, with undisguised satirical references to the Cold War, Central American turmoil, and the Vietnam War (“Hey kids, this is Roger Ramjet,” demanding that you stay tuned to this station to see my next adventure,” Roger announces in his commanding superhero baritone. “Or I’ll see to it that all you little rascals are drafted.”) . Mixed in with the topical jokes we also get some highly unlikely name drops, from Noel Coward and Henry Cabot Lodge to James Joyce and bawdy nightclub performer Rusty Warren, as well as film parodies and literary nods to the likes of Catch-22 and Catcher in the Rye. It’s also a little less than what you might call racially sensitive by modern standards (consider Mexican revolutionaries The Enchilada Brothers, Beef and Chicken).

While a lot of the more timely jokes might be lost in the murk of the over 50 years since it first aired, there’s plenty of rapid-fire absurdity that’s timeless, from the misspelled title cards punctuating the narration to the self-consciously dumb coked-up adventures.

Bullwinkle aired from ‘61 to ‘64. Roger Ramjet came along a year later and Jay Ward’s influence is undeniable. The difference was Roger Ramjet crammed the equivalent number of bad jokes, references, and plot twists of a typical 8-part Bullwinkle serial into each five-minute episode, both mirroring the rapid-fire screwball dialogue of the ‘30s and the frenetic quick-cut comedy to come along a year or two later in shows like The Monkees and Laugh-In.

The episodes were produced with essentially no budget and were cranked out very quickly by a small team of writers, voiceover artists and animators with solid day jobs in radio and TV. They were all seasoned pros, some dating back to the days of classic radio, who worked on the show after hours as a way of letting off a little steam and tossing around a few cynical, subversive cultural jabs their day jobs wouldn’t allow. The show was created originally by animator Fred Crippen (who went on to work on some pretty dreadful crap like the Extreme Ghostbusters and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) and Ken Snyder, an ad exec who moved over into producing cartoons. They brought in a remarkable team of voice talent and comedy writers, including Gene Moss (the voice of Smokey the Bear) Jim Thurmam (who did a lot of kids shows including Sesame Street), Dick Beals (the original voice of Gumby), and the great Gary Owens, a drive-time deejay in LA who would get national recognition soon enough as the on-screen announcer for Laugh-In. Although they would all get specific credits in the end (Crippen as director, Moss as a writer) it was a communal effort, in which everyone contributed to the writing, and everyone, even the executive producer, did a few of the voices. Apart from the regular crew, careful listeners might also catch a few uncredited guest appearances by some surprisingly big names (I’m told Sinatra and Dean Martin appear in an episode, but I’m still looking for that one). Owens was the star, though, as his ability to read the most ridiculous lines in a dramatic deadpan made him the perfect Roger Ramjet. Together they made 156 episodes (about 150 still exist), which were sold directly into syndication in ‘65 as half hour shows, each containing three unconnected adventures. I can’t say as I’m exactly sure who they thought their target audience was at the time, except maybe each other.

Much like William Conrad in Bullwinkle, each show opened with our narrator, Steve Allen alum Dave Ketchum, setting the mood and the scene (“In today’s depressing episode,” he’d begin with dramatic enthusiasm, or maybe it was an “existentialist episode,” “phlegmatic episode,” “rickety episode,” “hairy episode,” or “ethnic episode”). Then we’re out of the gate at a breakneck pace, with a flurry of gags coming from every direction. “Ramjet rode into Boot Hill,” we’re told, “where the men were men and the women were men, which can get pretty old after awhile.”

While none of the shows are connected, there are a few recurring characters and locations worth remembering: Roger hails from Lompoc, an actual California town (“where nothing ever happens, and seldom does”) and takes his orders from General G.I. Brassbottom, a no nonsense military man who “hadn’t had an original idea since he was a civilian.” He’s also assisted by Yank, Doodle, Dan, and Dee, the unusually chubby kids who make up the American Eagle squadron. Like Roger, all the members of the squadron wear their white jumpsuits and flight helmets at all times (Roger even wears his helmet on dates), and in true superhero sidekick fashion, their primary job is to get Roger out of scrapes and make sure his drugs are handy.

That’s one little detail more than a few casual viewers have taken umbrage with. Roger, see, is a pretty hapless character most of the time, but he repeatedly saves the world thanks to a little help from his Proton Energy Pills (PEP), which take five seconds to kick in, then give him the strength of 20 A-Bombs for 20 seconds. Modern viewers seem a little uncomfortable with the idea of a superhero gulping amphetamines in order to function, but all I can say is, well, it was a different time, and hey, it worked for Roger and Elvis both.

The proton energy pills come in handy when dealing with his arch-nemesis Noodles Romanoff, the short, trench coat and fedora wearing head of N.A.S.T.Y. (the National Association of Spies, Traitors, and Yahoos). Romanoff may not have a Natasha, but he does have a gang of cronies and thugs who all mumble in unison (save for one, who can’t seem to get the rhythm).

Along with Romanoff and his gang, Roger also has to contend with some lanky alien robots, the Solenoids (voiced by executive priducer Ken Snyder), and their repeated efforts to invade the planet in assorted ridiculous ways (in one episode, they begin kidnapping all the Miss America contestants, who “were disappearing faster than co-eds at a Dartmouth weekend.”)

When not saving the world, Roger found himself competing with the smarmy hotshot test pilot Lance Crossfire (who sounds an awful lot like burt Lancaster) for the affections of Lotta Love, the fickle Southern belle with a taste for the finer things in life.

Then there are the adventures themselves. Some seem standard superhero fare, but only to a point. Earth is besieged by flying saucer attacks (sort of). Roger’s hometown is terrorized by a werewolf (sort of). Roger plays tennis with a kangaroo, or becomes the first man to surf in space, or, in a personal favorite, attempts to stop the flow of bootleg comic books into America’s drug stores.

Actually, there’s an interesting moment in that one that revealed just how subtle you could be even with animation this unsophisticated. Okay, so Noodles Romanoff, see, is replacing real comics in drug store racks with bootlegs in which popular superheroes are humiliated, all in an effort to destroy the morale of America’s children. After Brassbottom shows Roger a few examples (the issues include “Superman Gets Beat Up by a Chicken!” and “Ratman Stubs His Toe!”) he explains that if this sort of thing continues, “America’s kids won’t have anyone to look up to except YOU, Ramjet.” Then, for just an instant in that crude and jerky style, Roger cuts his eyes toward the camera, revealing in that moment everything we needed to know, namely that it’s what he’s always wanted.

Thirty years on and that still sticks with me.

In the end, though, the characters and storylines are secondary at best In Roger Ramjet. At heart it’s a matter of trying to keep up with all the lightning-quick jokes and wordplay, the non-sequiturs and references. In the five minute span of one cowboy-themed episode I counted nods to at least seven classic Western films, from High Noon to She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, and I suspect I missed a few. It really is such a dizzying blur of dialogue and bad puns and cultural references, sometimes, christ, even just references to old jokes that take the form of bad puns (“Waiter, there’s a spy in my soup” or “how many angels can swim in the head of a beer?”), that absurd as it all is, repeated viewings are a necessity to catch everything. It’s a bit like having the complete contents of an issue of MAD magazine jammed onto a single page. It can make your head hurt after a while, but it’s worth it. Whether the density and the pace make it better or worse for stoner viewing is something, I guess, each stoner will need to answer for him or herself. Lots of bright colors, though.

In 1965 there was nothing new about making cartoons with adult sensibilities in mind. Betty Boop and Bugs Bunny were made to be shown as short subjects to largely adult audiences. Jay Ward’s cartoons a few decades down the line were near-revolutionary for smuggling hip, subversive political humor into what had become an exclusively child-friendly format. What made Roger Ramjet so radical was it’s blend of ‘30s radio style with mid-’60s cynicism, as well as its foreshadowing of our shrinking attention spans, a hyper-condensed proton pill of comedy and commentary disguised as just another dumb, low-rent superhero cartoon. Although it’s barely remembered today, its influence is still evident in most any subversive animated show you can name, even if they’ve slowed things down a bit.

by Jim Knipfel

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aion-rsa · 3 years

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Endeavour Theory: Has Morse Already Crossed Paths With Nemesis Hugo de Vries?

https://ift.tt/3ivQyUa

Warning: contains spoilers for Endeavour Series 7 and Inspector Morse episode ‘Masonic Mysteries’.

There’s a beauty to mystery that could hardly be lost on fans of Endeavour, a series with playfulness in its bones, as evidenced by its regular tips of the hat to pop culture and Morse creator Colin Dexter. The show’s viewers understand that ambiguities deliberately positioned as such should be allowed to stand, unaccosted by any fun-sucking need for certainty. We’re not here to unweave rainbows or clip angel wings.

That said, Endeavour does love a game, and its fans love to play along. So while appreciating that some things are destined to rightly remain in the hazy hinterland of maybe, let’s play. The name of this game? Find Hugo de Vries!

Played by Ian McDiarmid in Inspector Morse Series 4 episode ‘Masonic Mysteries’ (1990), Hugo de Vries is a fan-favourite villain in the world of Morse. Erudite and cultured with a love of classical music, he has much in common with the detective, as is fitting for any two nemeses. A great difference of course, is that de Vries is a diabolical killer utterly without conscience.

Ian McDiarmid as Hugo de Vries in Inspector Morse Series 4 episode ‘Masonic Mysteries’

In de Vries’ one and only Inspector Morse appearance, Morse finds himself framed for the murder of a woman from his choir, which is staging a production of Mozart’s The Magic Flute. After the murder, Morse finds almost £100,000 transferred to his bank account from the charity administrated by the victim. Morse’s personal file on the police computer is hacked to insert a fictional past event in which he supposedly attacked a woman, and his guvnor – McNutt at the time – covered it up. His home is set on fire, he’s pulled over and breathalysed after an anonymous complaint is made about his erratic driving, his Jag is vandalised with masonic symbols and McNutt’s dead body is discovered in his bathroom. All of it, realises an increasingly unhinged Morse, is the work of de Vries, who’s borne a grudge against Morse since his sergeant days.

Endeavour being the story of those very days, Inspector Morse fans have been watching the prequel closely for a cameo by the younger Hugo de Vries. After another ‘Masonic Mysteries’ character, Marion Brooke, turned up in Series 3’s ‘Arcadia’, Endeavour writer Russell Lewis was asked in this 2017 interview whether Endeavour would one day bump into de Vries. Lewis replied, “Each thing in its season. I shouldn’t be surprised to see him sooner or later.”

Jump forward four years to a post-Series Eight finale exchange on Twitter when Lewis is asked the same question. The writer’s answer this time is more playful. “Ah, Hugo. Who can say if he hasn’t already crossed our path? He might well have done, of course. On the other hand… ��Now you see him, now you don’t. That’s de Vries all right’.”

Ryan Gage as Ludo Talenti in Endeavour Series 7

In the spirit of investigation, let’s assess the evidence. Is Lewis just teasing or has Hugo de Vries already crossed our path in Endeavour, namely in the form of Ryan Gage’s Series Seven villain Ludo Talenti?

That name alone may contain all the clue we need. Not only do Hugo and Ludo bear more than a glancing resemblance, but the latter in Latin is the first person of the verb ‘to play’. ‘I play… many talents’ would be an inelegant translation. A better one might include the possible allusion to Patricia Highsmith’s famous conman Tom Ripley, given the epithet ‘Talented’ in his first appearance. Like Ripley, both Hugo and Ludo are master manipulators who charm and inveigle their way to wealth, leaving a trail of bodies in their wake.

To jog the memory, Ludo recurred throughout Series Seven, initially presenting himself as a university contemporary of Morse’s who ran into him after Morse’s wallet was lifted at a garden concert (almost certainly a ruse designed to engineer the ‘accidental’ meeting). Ludo befriended Morse and the pair bonded over a shared love of opera. Ludo’s family is in shipping, he tells Morse, and he travels around raising money for their charitable fund, driven by a pursuit of music and beautiful women.

Endeavour: the Series 8 Finale’s Easter Eggs and Homages

By Louisa Mellor

Endeavour: The Beautiful Poignancy of Series 8’s Last Lines

By Louisa Mellor

When Morse asks him which country he’s from, Ludo is coy, preferring to say he is a “man of the world.” He later tells a childhood story about life during Nazi occupation, which throws up various suggestions but like so much Ludo says, that could well be fiction. For what it’s worth, the saying he cites as from his country, “Do not praise a day before sunset,” is Polish. And what of Hugo de Vries’ nationality? Ian McDiarmid’s accent in ‘Masonic Mysteries’ is difficult to place, though the name is Dutch (borrowed from a famous botanist), and he faked his death in prison in Sweden. (Ludo incidentally tells Morse that he posed as a Swedish policeman on the phone once to track the detective down.) Ludo’s name, it’s revealed in the Series 7 finale, was taken from the gravestone of a 16th century priest on Venice’s San Michele cemetery island.

Ludo Talenti’s priest namesake revealed in Endeavour’s Series 7 finale

To tot up the similarities so far, that’s two criminals, of indiscriminate European origin, around Morse’s age, fluent in the language of classical music and opera, living under assumed names. Both also share a snobbish disdain for the police. Ludo expressed surprise that a man as cultured as Morse would be “a lumpen, plodding petty official” while Hugo sneered at Morse’s colleagues going about in pairs “like low comedians.” They also share a similarly rarefied, Bond Villain-ish way of speaking (Every man has his price, every man, I shall make it my life’s business to find yours,”), and express the same nihilistic attitude. “Life, death, rich, poor, it’s all a roll of the dice, Morse, there’s no reason to any of it,” says Ludo, foreshadowing Hugo’s words when he forces Morse to his knees at gunpoint in ‘Masonic Mysteries’. “He was clever, you see,” Inspector Morse tells Lewis in that episode, “he took one look and knew your weakness right away.” In Series 7, Ludo jokes to Morse that he will find his weakness and exploit it without mercy to his own ends.

What else? The nature of their crimes. In ‘Masonic Mysteries’ Morse tells Lewis that his past encounter with de Vries saw him con Oxford University out of millions of pounds. His scam had a kind of poetry to it – posing as the heir to a Swedish armaments manufacturer, de Vries proposed the building of an institute for peace studies. His later scheme involved stealing money from Marion Brooke’s charitable foundation to frame Morse.

Paperwork from Ludo’s life insurance policy scam. Note the signature.

Ludo’s Series 7 scheme was less poetic, but of a similar flavour. He bought up life insurance policies of people looking for a quick pay out, killed them, cashed in, and disguised the deaths as freak accidents. One such victim was poor Carrie Bright, the cancer-suffering wife of ACC Bright. (In a rather baroque twist, the initials of the locations for each murder spelled out the name L.U.D.O.). Both men wore disguises to do their evil work – de Vries posed as a homeless man to murder Morse’s former guvnor McNutt, and Talenti posed as a healer to gain access to the Bright home and sabotage their Christmas lights, causing Mrs Bright’s death by electrocution. Note in the image above the name of the Executive Director of Ludo’s fake company ‘California Amenity Redemption and Disbursement’ (or C.A.R.D, perhaps another game-play reference…) in the signature on one of his victim’s letters: E. De Vere?

Hugo and Ludo didn’t work alone on their devilish schemes, they each had a female accomplice. Hugo’s was the aforementioned Marion Brooke, a devotee who shared his revenge obsession (Hugo’s the kind of man who makes women kick off their shoes and men open their chequebooks when he enters a room, Morse once told Lewis). Ludo’s was Violetta (played by Stephanie Leonidas), who started a passionate affair with Morse during his holiday in Venice. In the Series 7 denouement, Ludo says that he picked Violetta from the streets when she was 15 years old and “gave her the world,” forcing her to become his co-conspirator in the life insurance murders and the plan to make Morse his “pet policeman”.

On the subject of having police officers in your pocket, Hugo de Vries’ association with Morse’s longstanding adversaries the Masons mustn’t be forgotten. De Vries taunted Morse with his masonic connections, through Mozart’s freemason-themed opera The Magic Flute. There’s no evidence that Ludo Talenti was involved with the freemasons yet, but Endeavour viewers know that they’re in full operation in Oxford at the time.

Endeavour Morse attends ‘The Demon’s Wife’ opera in Venice

Endeavour and Violetta met at a performance of ‘La Sposa del Demonio’ in Venice, an operatic work by Endeavour composer Matthew Slater, which translates fittingly as ‘The Demon’s Wife’. Demons come up a great deal around Talenti and de Vries. “There speaks a devil sick of sin,” Ludo says to Endeavour. “There may not be a devil, but there’s devilry alright, and de Vries…” says Inspector Morse, walking away from Hugo’s burial and doubting whether or not he’s really in the coffin. (De Vries’ name, cryptic crossword fans can’t ignore, shares its first three letters with ‘devil’). And perhaps it just suited his complexion, but Ludo wears deep red numerous times in Series 7, perhaps in echo to de Vries’ burgundy shirt in his sole appearance.

Speaking of that Venetian denouement, did Ludo not die after being shot by Fred Thursday and falling into a canal, putting the kibosh on the ‘Ludo is Hugo’ theory? Well, he was certainly shot, and he certainly did fall into the canal, but did he die, or did that devil live to return and torment Morse under a new name in future adventures? You’ve heard the evidence. What’s your verdict?

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Endeavour Series 8 is available to stream on ITV Hub and Britbox.

The post Endeavour Theory: Has Morse Already Crossed Paths With Nemesis Hugo de Vries? appeared first on Den of Geek.

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rachel-rebellio · 4 years

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Autumn is the Best Time of Year

part 1

It was a crisp autumn, November 3rd to be precise, and y/n was trying to distract herself from her post-Halloween depression the best way she knew how. She was tired of the typical Southern California sun and fires, so she decided to get in her car and drive up to Big Bear so she could see the autumn colours she had grown to love so much. She took in the sights as she slowly drove ‘round the lake with the windows down, letting the fresh mountain air hit her face and fill her lungs. She pulled into the Big Bear Village to bum through some of her favourite shops and get a bite to eat at a local restaurant.

As she was wandering through town, she came across an art gallery that hadn’t been open on her previous trips. Being a lover of art, y/n quickly wiped the wet leaves off her boots and fixed her beanie to better sit on her head. It was a small gallery, but it was showcasing multiple local artists from all over Big Bear City. The pieces were all beautifully done, but one in particular caught y/n’s eye. It was an oil painting of the lake surround by autumn foliage with the sun gleaming off the water. She had seen that sight plenty of times, but this artist brought a whole new perspective to it.

Y/n stood admiring the painting for several minutes when someone bumped into her. She quickly turned around saying, “Oh, I’m so sorry! Was I in your way?” just as this stranger also turned around saying, “I’m so sorry! I didn’t see you there, are you okay?” Y/n was taken aback by handsome stranger when their eyes met. She was just as tall as he was, but it still felt like she had to look up to make eye contact. He made her feel small in the best way.

“Hey, have we met before?” Y/n asked.

“I don’t think so. I would’ve remembered a face as beautiful as yours.” He said, causing y/n to break eye contact so she could look down and try to hide her cheeks flushing red. Y/n looked up after a couple moments and said, “Well, my name is y/n. It’s nice to meet you-“

“…Ma-Matthew. My name is Matthew.” He said, stumbling over his words through a chuckle to fill the silence where y/n trailed off.

“I love that name. So, are you a big fan of the arts Matthew?”

“Yeah! I’m actually a little bit of an artist myself! I published a book that I wrote and illustrated about a green monster named Rumple Buttercup.”

“Whoa, really? That’s so cool!”

“What about you? Are you a big art fan?”

“I love it! I’m a black and grey portrait artist, myself. I love drawing people.”

“I bet you’re amazing. I’d love to see your work sometime!”

“I definitely have room for improvement, but I’m a lot better than I was when I started a few years back. I’m totally self-taught; so it’s been a bit of a slow process.” Y/n said, trying not to sound too self-deprecating right away.

“So, what caught your eye about this piece?” Matthew asked y/n in an attempt to keep the conversation going.

“Well, I’ve been up here so many times. I like to come up here and enjoy the colours of my favourite season every early November to try and help my post-Halloween depression. I’m not ready for Christmas quite yet and Halloween is my favourite holiday, so I need some time between. But, I don’t know. This painting just captured a scene I’ve personally seen so many times, but in a brand new light; and their colour theory? Are you kidding me? So good! Autumn is my favourite season, so it’s not too often that I find something that allows me to see it in a new light and through a different lens. I’m so sorry, I’m just rambling at this point. What about you? Do you like it?” Y/n asked, blushing and nervously playing with her hair as she looked over and saw Matthew paying full attention to every word she was saying.

“I haven’t been here many times, but I love their use of colour and the blending of the oil paints. Oil always gives it that nice gleam and blend to the colours.” Matthew said with a smile, physically pointing out the things he was talking about. Y/n couldn’t help but notice how beautiful his hands were as they gestured about and pointed to specific details as he talked. She could have listened to him talk passionately about anything for hours on end without ever getting tired of hearing his voice. Suddenly, Matthew turned to y/n, who was watching him closely even after he finished talking, and said, “I’m sorry if this is too forward, but would you like to get some coffee or cider with me? I saw a little coffee shop just down the street.”

Y/n tried to hide her excitement and answered as calmly as she could, “I would love that. I could always go for some hot apple cider.” Matthew walked with y/n out of the gallery, holding the door open for her on their way out. She couldn’t fathom what was happening; guys never paid attention to her, let alone a guy who looked like this. His brown, curly hair was just long enough to curl over his forehead and ears, barely touching his neck. His glasses framed his face so well and were large enough that you could see his brown eyes that crinkled nearly closed whenever he smiled his smile that was so warm and inviting. On the way to the coffee shop, they made small talk about some of their favourite artists.

They walked up to the counter to order heir drinks but when y/n pulled out her wallet to pay for her own, Matthew placed his hand on hers and said, “Hey now, getting cider was my idea, I got you covered.”

Y/n smirked at him and said, “Fine. But the next one’s on me.”

“Sounds like a plan.” Matthew said with a quiet smirk right back at her as she, in that moment, wondered if there would even be a next time. Once they got their drinks, they went outside and saw that the fireplace had been lit, so they decided to sit on one of the benches next to it to enjoy their drinks and talk. It was now around 5p.m. and the sun had started to set so the autumn leaves looked even more beautiful in the olden light. Matthew and y/n were sipping their respective drinks and talking about how they celebrated Halloween after finding out that it was both of their favourite holidays. He went as Vincent Price and y/n was convinced she would never beat that costume, as Vincent Price was easily one of her favourite actors of all time. Y/n was about to finally admit what her costume was when Matthew quickly scooped up some of the leaves and dumped them on y/n’s head.

Y/n gasped, set down her apple cider, and said, “Ohhh, you’re on. I declare war!” as she scooped up an even bigger pile of leaves to throw at him. The two of them threw leaves at each other until Matthew wrapped y/n up in a one-armed hug, pinning her against him so he could take off her beanie off and continue dropping leaves on her head until she yielded. Laughing, y/n tapped Matthew’s arm saying, “Okay! Fine! I yield! Have Mercy!” which caused Matthew to also laugh until he fell to the side, still holding onto y/n. While lying on the ground, he looked to her and said, “Well that was fun hon! I always appreciate a woman who can hold her own in a leaf fight.”

Y/n shook her head at him before grabbing one last handful of leaves to throw at him and then stood to her feet yelling, “Victory is mine!”

“Oh, so that’s how it’s gonna be?! Fine, you win this time.” Matthew said, standing to his feet and raising his hands in defeat which caused them to both start laughing as they picked leaves out of each other’s hair.

“I really didn’t think this weather through.” Y/n stated, starting to shiver. “I had such a one track mind about coming up here that I was stupid and forgot a jacket… and this flannel really isn’t doing the job. Mind if we step into the shop across the street so I can get a jacket?”

“Here, you can wear mine, if you don’t mind the possibility of it clashing with your flannel.”

“Not at all, but aren’t you going to be cold?”

“Nah, I’m fine. Maybe you could hold my hand to keep me warm.” Matthew remarked, trying his best to be smooth; although it may have come across as more awkward than savvy.

“Now there’s a nifty idea huh?”

“I try.” Matthew said with a chuckle in his voice. Y/n accepted the offer to wear his jacket and when she put it on, she noticed three things.

1. It was still warm from him wearing it.

2. It smelled amazing.

3. There was a single ping pong ball in the left pocket.

“If you don’t mind me asking, what exactly do you have a ping pong ball in your pocket for?” Y/n asked, pulling the ball from the pocket.

“Oh, so one thing you don’t know about me is that I’m actually a magician. Here, I’ll show you a trick!” Matthew practically yelled in excitement.

Y/n handed him the ping pong ball and Matthew knelt down in front of her saying, “Okay, now watch closely.”

Y/n did as she was told and watched as Matthew’s hands showed her the ping pong ball and encased it. He held his hand out to her and said, “Okay, now blow on it.”

Confused, but eager, Y/n blew on the small white ball. Matthew made a weird noise and said, “My turn now.” and blew on it before making yet another weird noise. Y/n started laughing, but kept watching closely as Matthew opened his hands to reveal the ping pong ball had disappeared.

“Whoa! That’s so cool! Where is it?” Y/n gasped through her smile, wanting to know how it was done.

“Check the pocket again.”

“What- wait… HOW?” Y/n exclaimed as she pulled the small ball back out of the jacket pocket.

“Nope! Nu-uh. A true magician never reveals his secrets.” Matthew explained with a smirk on his face and his arms folded.

“What about an amateur magician? Can he reveal his secrets?” Y/n asked, smirking right back at him. Matthew looked shocked at her response before dramatically pretending to be deeply hurt by her calling him an amateur.

“I’m sorry! I had to! Forgive me?” Y/n asked, giving Matthew her best please face.

“I guess.” Matthew said, pouting. “But you’re going to have to make it up to me for that remark little miss.”

Y/n asked hesitantly, but also very excitedly, “Oh? What did you have in mind?”

#Autumn is the Best Time of Year #aitbtoy #matthew gray gubler #fic #matthew gray gubler x reader #mgg #mgg x reader #my fic #my writing #fanfiction #matthew gray gubler fic #matthew gray gubler fanfiction #mgg fic #mgg fanfiction #criminal minds #cm #spencer reid #please don't let this flop

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racingtoaredlight · 3 years

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THE DEGENERATE’S GUIDE TO COLLEGE FOOTBALL TV WATCH ‘EM UPS 2021: WEEK TWO, A MUDDLED AND MAUDLIN WEEK OF MAYHEM IN HONOR OF THOSE WE LOST

RTARL would like to extend our warmest holiday wishes to those who celebrate and, even if you don’t, happy 9/11. Now who’s ready for some FOOTBALL!!!!?!?!

So after two weeks of games that combine to count as only one official week even though some teams have already played twice we have only one real question answered: is Alabama still good? Yes, they are. Everything else is still liquefying vapor.

I am assuming everybody is waiting with baited breath for an RTARLsman but I don’t have anything yet. I guess the not-Master Teague RBs on Ohio State are the frontrunners for now. Or that one guy from that one team who was good. You know who I mean.

Saturday, September 11

Matchup Time (ET) TV/Mobile

Illinois at Virginia 11:00am ACCN

Jeff George won Citrus Bowl MVP for the Illini against the Hoos in his last game as a student athlete before becoming the #1 overall pick in the 1990 NFL Draft. Based on this history it is safe to presume that whoever the QB is for Illinois today will be the #1 pick in 2022.

VMI at Kent State 11:30am ESPN3

I’m not sure on this but maybe this game is cancelled.

WKU at Army 11:30am CBSSN

Army is favored by 6. I bet this game is boring.

Norfolk State at Wake Forest 12:00pm ACCNX

I don’t see a line listed but whatever it is bet against Wake covering.

Indiana State at Northwestern 12:00pm BTN

This game is an act of terrorism.

Alabama State at 25 Auburn 12:00pm SECN

Real body bag season starts today, huh?

Youngstown State at Michigan State 12:00pm BTN

The Michigan State running back is the guy I was trying to think of earlier! He’s pretty good. Not good enough to make me watch this but I will check on his stats every so often.

Tulsa at Oklahoma State 12:00pm FS1

I bet Mike Gundy has some really salient thoughts on the 20th anniversary of 9/11 and I can’t wait to hear them.

South Carolina at East Carolina 12:00pm ESPN2

South Carolina is a two point favorite against an East Carolina team that is, per my understanding, not exactly good. So I can only extrapolate that South Carolina is likewise not good.

Pitt at Tennessee 12:00pm ESPN

Look, I’m not going to pretend this is good television but if Pitt rocks their classic yellow helmets and Tennessee wears non-alternates the colors on the screen will at least be pleasing. The thought of the actual football involved hurts my brain but it’s interesting that the points have gone from a consensus pick ‘em to Pitt -3 over the course of the week. Does Tennessee have any players that are good enough that by missing the game they could impact the gambling that much? Or are people just squaring themselves with the fact the the Vols are really and truly a ruined burnt out hole of a football program? Pound the latter.

12 Oregon at 3 Ohio State 12:00pm FOX

Losing Kayvon Thibideaux certainly isn’t going to help Oregon but he’s not usually on the field as a run stopper anyway and if Ohio State learned anything last week it’s that they can just run until they feel like throwing a pass. Oregon actually has some legit talent on the d-line besides Thibideaux but the Ducks are gonna be hard-pressed to keep things within two scores here.

Miami (Ohio) at Minnesota 12:00pm ESPN

If Oregon can’t make a game of it in Columbus look out because this time block is an absolute wasteland. There is scant reason to turn the TV on for the early schedule other than gambling purposes.

Kennesaw State at Georgia Tech 12:00pm RSN/ESPN3

Georgia Tech probably should have closed up shop after Paul Johnson retired. Either that or just absolutely slathered the football program in dollars. The Yellow Jackets being unable to land any big time recruits while playing in Atlanta is a real mindfuck. They aren’t a AA program playing dress up in a “power” conference they’ve got actual history. I don’t mean to give the impression I want them to be good but I don’t understand how they can be such fodder for so long.

13 Florida at USF 1:00pm ABC

Remember that year when USF was the best program in the state? Wild stuff. Weird, wild stuff. I know the deal with UF is that they don’t go out of state for contract games but it’s actually kind of surprising they even bothered to keep this trip to Tampa on the schedule. Like the area recruits would probably be happier to go see a game at The Swamp than to kick around their hometown for a pile of shit like this.

Wyoming at NIU 1:30pm ESPN+

I’m not gonna open the ESPN app for this but if it was on ESPN2 I’d probably check in on it during commercials. Aesthetically pleasing trash with an upside for actual entertainment.

Middle Tennessee at 19 Virginia Tech 2:00pm ACCNX

Virginia Tech’s home crowd scene was the normie story of last week’s games. People that don’t watch college football were either aghast or frantically waving their blue lives matter flags in response. Us in this space just ate the shame and forgot it happened by the time Saturday’s games kicked off. My theory is that VPI is not actually any good but UNC’s 2020 season was a well-timed fluke and the last hurrah of Mack Brown’s storied coaching career. The Hokies are at home, though, and MTSU is almost certainly not on the same athletic level as the Turkey Gobblers so I’d probably take the home team -20 if I were so inclined to wager on this particular game that is being broadcast on the ACC’s new pornography channel.

Rutgers at Syracuse 2:00pm ACCN

Holy fuck does this game suck. Reuniting former Big East, uh, rivals (??? does Rutgers have any natural enemies?) in a cross-conference classic betwixt the B1G and the ACC.

Duquesne at Ohio 2:00pm ESPN3

I don’t think I need to explain to you all the national title implications riding on this game.

Toledo at 8 Notre Dame 2:30pm Peacock

Just remember that if you subscribe to Peacock you are at the very least tacitly supporting Notre Dame. If for some reason you’re watching this please report back on how many of those defensive pick plays Notre Dame runs. They were doing that shit constantly against Florida State last week and it drove me nuts. I think the idea is that you are so flagrantly illegal so often that the refs grow numb to it and just don’t call it at all.

Robert Morris at Central Michigan 3:00pm ESPN3

Not to be outdone by the early games, the 3 o’clock set is equally terrible.

Purdue at UConn 3:00pm CBSSN

I bet Edsall still gets bonuses for stupid shit even now that he’s retired or whatever the official designation was for him no longer coaching.

Boston College at UMass 3:30pm FloFootball/NESN+

I don’t know what FloFootball is but I know it isn’t anything to do with the state of Florida.

Ball State at 11 Penn State 3:30pm FS1

It surprises me to see Penn State as only -22.5 favorites. That seems very kind to Ball State. Hopefully I’m wrong and the Ball State Lettermans take it to the Sanduskys.

Murray State at 7 Cincinnati 3:30pm ESPN+

Practice week continues.

Temple at Akron 3:30pm ESPN+

Pound the under.

Georgia Southern at Florida Atlantic 3:30pm Stadium

There is really nothing going on this week.

Air Force at Navy 3:30pm CBS

Middies vs. Fly Boys in the first leg of the Commander’s Cup on the twentieth anniversary of 9/11. I can’t imagine the amount of emotional manipulation that’s going to make its way onto this broadcast. Normally I watch these games but I don’t think I can do it this year.

UAB at 2 Georgia 3:30pm ESPN2

Georgia may well be absurdly talented on the defensive side of the ball but I’d be surprised to see them make it through the regular season with fewer than two losses.

5 Texas A&M at Colorado 3:30pm FOX

This is only interesting if the Aggies spring a leak.

California at TCU 3:30pm ESPNU

Things most certainly are not looking up.

Buffalo at Nebraska 3:30pm BTN

Nebraska is in an interesting position because if they buck the odds and end up being good after we’ve all been so ready to see a National Championship-winning coach get fired that would be funny but if they end up being really bad it’s even funnier. Go Bulls!

Mercer at 1 Alabama 4:00pm SECN

I’ll cry a little if Saban pulls the starters in the first half and the Tide beats Mercer by less than they beat Miami.

South Alabama at Bowling Green 4:00pm ESPN+

10 Iowa at 9 Iowa State 4:30pmABC

This is not the kind of top 10 matchup I can just sit idly by and let it happen. Your silence is complicity in this monstrous display of modernity.

SC State at 6 Clemson 5:00pm ACCN

Clemson dropped all the way to #6 and they’ll hang around the top of the polls because they don’t have the toughest conference schedule in the world but my confidence in them is not high right now. I think the new QB is just a guy. He’s talented as hell but I don’t see him being great.

Illinois State at Western Michigan 5:00pm ESPN3

This is either MACtion or MACtion adjacent and I have only one word for this midwestern trash: abhorrent.

LIU at West Virginia 5:00pm ESPN+

LIU plays football?

Lamar at UTSA 6:00pm ESPN3

Downside: You’re watching one of the least important games of the year. Upside: You’re really not missing anything.

Portland State at Washington State 6:00pm P12N

Washington State was a perfect spot for the stupid pirate fuckhead and his leaving has ruined the program and, eventually, his reputation. Not relevant to this game necessarily but this game isn’t relevant to anything else, either.

Gardner-Webb at Charlotte 6:00pm ESPN3

Oh, yeah, feel the excitement.

Bethune-Cookman at UCF 6:30pm ESPN+

Go Cats.

NC Central at Marshall 6:30pm ESPN+

The hits keep coming.

Houston at Rice 6:30pm CBSSN

I’ve always had a soft spot for Holgo and for Houston football but somehow I really don’t like seeing him coach the Cougs. This is SWC magic but with no magic. UNLESS! Houston can put up 100. I don’t think they even have the guys to do it but this is Rice we’re talking about here.

Nicholls at Louisiana 7:00pm ESPN3

Keep the energy up.

North Texas at SMU 7:00pm ESPN+

I bet is MS621 were still alive he’d be at this game giving Spencer’s boys hell. Sadly he died doing what he loved, curing his COVID by eating ivermectin paste out of a horse’s butt. R.I.P., friend. Neigh to you wherever you are.

Southeastern La. at Louisiana Tech 7:00pm ESPN3

Even the low tier stuff is geared up for annihilation. This is a bodybag week for all time.

Memphis at Arkansas State 7:00pm ESPN+

Memphis getting less than a touchdown against Arkansas State seems like easy money but I have no real concept of either of these teams just yet. Maybe the end is nigh for the Tigers glory years? I sure hope not but it’s possible.

NC State at Mississippi State 7:00pm ESPN2

This game should be as fun as a parents funeral.

Southern Illinois at Kansas State 7:00pm ESPN+

Over the past week I experienced derision for referring the the guys in purple and silver as “Kansas State” instead of “K State” and that stung because it always surprises me that anybody cares about them enough to have a strong opinion about them.

Stephen F. Austin at Texas Tech 7:00pm ESPN+

Shrugs

15 Texas at Arkansas 7:00pm ESPN

Let’s see if Texas is ready to run with the big boys of the SEC! Arkansas is given a decent shot to win this game and that makes the “15″ next to Texas appear extremely suspect in my eyes.

Texas Southern at Baylor 7:00pm ESPN+

This week Texas Southern is the people’s champion.

Texas State at FIU 7:00pm ESPN+

Oh, Butch, why have you done this to yourself?

Western Carolina at 4 Oklahoma 7:00pm PPV

All the Westen Carolina fans are buying this PPV to see their guys score 40.

New Mexico State at New Mexico 7:00pm Stadium

I looked up the historic rivalry last year to figure out why it was played early in the season instead of at the end but I’ve forgotten and don’t feel the need to look it up again. I figured out how to watch Stadium on my TV but I also forgot that and don’t feel the need to look it up again.

Appalachian State at 22 Miami (FL) 7:00pm ESPNU

My gut tells me Miami is probably legitimately about the 14th best team in the country but I still would never advise you to bet actual money on the Hurricanes. Are they 9 points better than App State? Easily. They should win by 20+. Are they liable to fuck around and lose or scrape out a win in the final seconds? Absolutely. Let’s fuckin’ go.

Morgan State at Tulane 7:00pm ESPN+

A lot of people learned to love the Green Wave last week but it’s hard to keep that going with their schedule. Don’t forget them later in the year when the CBSSN glow is really shining.

Liberty at Troy 7:00pm ESPN+

Liberty -4 is maybe my surest advice of the week. If Malik Willis is as good as his press the fake school should have this game on ice early.

Eastern Michigan at 18 Wisconsin 7:00pm FS1

I find Wisconsin’s losing effort against Penn State last week to be a personal affront against me and all of nature.

Eastern Kentucky at Louisville 7:00pm ACCNX

I think this game being broadcast at night on ACCNX means they’re playing naked.

Grambling State at Southern Miss 7:00pm ESPN3

This is the kind of game that belongs on an app.

Hampton at Old Dominion 7:00pm ESPN3

This is the kind of game that belongs on a well-worn high school football field.

Austin Peay at 20 Mississippi 7:30pm ESPN+/SECN+

This is a pretty big OOC game for an SEC team.

Georgia State at 24 North Carolina 7:30pm RSN/ESPN3

One of several GSUs, I think this is the one I most hope emerges victorious this week.

Idaho at Indiana 7:30pm BTN

Wait, wasn’t Indiana like #10 last week? What the hell happened to them? No, don’t tell me. Seriously, don’t.

Missouri at Kentucky 7:30pm SECN

When the SEC hits 24 teams the “S!E!C!” chants are gonna seem really stupid.

Howard at Maryland 7:30pm BTN

There’s no official line for this game but I hope the Bison can pull off the upset in this classic local rivalry game.

Jacksonville State at Florida State 8:00pm ACCN

Still shaking my head at FSU icing their own kicker. Jesus, Norvell. Get your shit together.

McNeese at LSU 8:00pm ESPN+/SECN+

LOLSU was my lock of the week last week if you’re considering taking gambling advice from me.

Washington at Michigan 8:00pm ABC

UDub lost to a 1-AA team last week and now they have to go on the road and beat Michigan. Which seems inevitable, to be honest.

Cal Poly at Fresno State 10:00pm CW59

The murder rate will continue to increase as the day progresses. I always kind of like it when a local broadcast shows up on the sheet. So pretty much none of us have legal access to this game. It makes it more special.

San Diego State at Arizona 10:00pm P12N

Pac-12 Network is similar to CW59 in that almost nobody in the country has legal access to their broadcasts. If you’ve read enough of these posts you are aware that SDSU is my weird very deep backup team. I don’t have a reason to align myself with the school or program, I just tend to enjoy watching their games.

Vanderbilt at Colorado State 10:00pm CBSSN

This is an abomination.

21 Utah at BYU 10:15pm ESPN

This is a lowkey fun rivalry. I’m pretty sure I write the same thing every year but it’s still true. Go Utes.

Stanford at 14 USC 10:30pm FOX

I think USC could win a national championship and I’d still be baffled that Clay Helton is their coach. Of course, they won’t win a national championship as long as Clay Helton is their coach but they apparently won’t ever get embarrassing enough to fire him, either.

Idaho State at Nevada 10:30pm Stadium

This is the lowpoint of the week’s schedule and you have to stay up late to watch it on a network that only exists as an app or as part of a hidden unlockable download-only level of cable subscription. This is the beauty of the college game.

UNLV at 23 Arizona State 10:30pm ESPN2

Herm Edwards figured out the trick to looking good in the Pac-12 without having a particularly great team and I can’t make up my mind if I’m rooting for him to keep sliding on that rail or to fall off it. I think I’ve come around to rooting for him but it’s a very dynamic and fluid situation.

Hawaii at Oregon State 11:00pm FS1

Hawaii gets to play at their normal time for a game against the bottom of the barrel of the Pac-12 but they’re an 11-point underdog. If you’re ever going to take Hawaii, this is the stars lining up for you to do it. It’s still a big “if” but I’m saying there’s a chance.

#college football #football #Tv watch em ups #rtarl watches tv #gambling #9/11 #two decades after 9/11

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prettyboybarzal · 4 years

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tattoos together (4) // tyler seguin

pairing: tyler seguin x reader

summary: the end of your trip to dallas brings change to your friendship with tyler... read to find out the rest

(a stars road trip to LA)

word count: 2k+ (she’s a filler chapter, my b)

author’s note: i’m sorry this took forever to get to you guys!!! and im sorry it’s short... longer ones are coming! promise! i will try to get the next chapter up next sunday. please read/reblog/like/comment, xoxo

warnings: i think just alcohol and cursing! the usual, you know. but if there’s anything else please let me know :))

On the morning you left Dallas, Tyler was out of bed first. He made breakfast, Nutella French Toast included, for the two of you and woke you up to join him out back. It was wonderfully warm in Dallas, and you stepped outside still wearing the pajamas you’d been sleeping in. Tyler reclined in his chair and kicked his feet up on the bench you were sitting on as you two ate.

The conversation had over breakfast was easy, even though you were both thinking about the kiss. Truth be told, you were reeling from it because it made you feel conflicted. And Tyler was reeling from it because he was sure you were the one and the night before had just added fuel to the fire.

When you finished breakfast, you told Tyler not to worry about the dishes and gathered them all on your own to clean up. He watched you walk off to the house with plates in hand until you disappeared beyond the door.

He waited a few more minutes, letting the morning sun wake him up a bit more before joining you in the kitchen.

Tyler stepped up to you and wrapped his arms around your waist. Despite yourself, you melted into his embrace and felt your heart beat a bit faster when his lips touched the shell of your ear. He placed a kiss there, then stepped away, his hands lingering on your hips as he moved to the side.

“We should talk,” you blurted out. Tyler raised an eyebrow. “About last night.”

“Uh oh.”

“I don’t know,” you murmured. You started scrubbing Nutella off one of the plates, then dropped the sponge and looked up at him. “I’m just a little rattled.”

“Why?”

“Because I liked it,” you admitted. A smirk appeared on Tyler’s lips. “But, God, it can’t happen again.”

The corners of Tyler’s lips turned down and his eyebrows pulled together. He shook his head and asked, “Why not?”

You started storing the plates in his drying rack and then looked up at him. You leaned your elbows on the counter and dropped your head in your hands, which were wet with dish soap and water.

“I can’t date you from California when you’re all the way here in Texas,” you stated. Your eyes remained on the countertop, feeling too upset to look him in the eyes. “I just can’t do it.”

“Loads of people pull that off.”

“But, I don’t want to do that with you,” you told him. You looked up at him again. He was leaning his hip against the counter on the other side of the sink, waiting for more of an explanation from you. “I don’t want us to try this when we’re thousands of miles away from each other because it would tear me in half if it didn’t work out. If we’re going to do it, I wanna do it right. I want us to be together.”

“What if that time never comes?” he asked. “What if this is the chance?”

“It’s not.”

“How can you say that so confidently, YN?” You had no answer to that question. Tyler huffed, tossing his arms up in the arm in frustration. “I have been waiting for this day, for this chance, since 2013. I don’t want to just let it slip away. Last time I did you ended up dating douchebags for three years.”

“I don’t trust the timing.”

Tyler stood, staring at you, for a minute longer and then shook his head. He dropped his mug into the sink with a shake of his head and exited the kitchen. Calling over his shoulder, he stated, “We’ll leave for the airport in an hour.”

You didn’t speak to him for the entire 60 minutes. Instead, you spent most of the time crying in the guestroom. When the time finally came for you to leave with him for the airport, you kissed the dogs goodbye and gave his house one last look.

You had a feeling this could be the last time you saw them, or ever stepped foot in his home.

At the airport, Tyler grabbed your bags from the trunk of his car and placed them beside it as you situated yourself. When you finally looked up, he wasn’t even looking at you. It’s like he couldn’t find it in himself to meet your eyes. That’s when you realized how much you hurt him.

“Ty…”

“YN, I don’t want the pity,” he said. His eyes finally met yours. They were dark and angry. “Thank you for coming, but I think it’s best if we just put this on the back burner for a while.”

“What?”

“I can’t be your friend, YN,” he stated. “Not right now.” You couldn’t find the words to protest. “I need to figure my shit out without thinking about you all the time.”

“Okay,” you whispered. Tears were welling up in your eyes, but you tried to blink them away. How had this situation become such a colossal fuck up?

“Have a safe flight,” Tyler said. He leaned in and wrapped one arm over your shoulder to hug you. “Good luck with the move.”

That day still feels like it was yesterday, despite all the months that had passed since then. The sadness was still there. It had become imbedded in you like a personality trait.

The first month in California was as shitty as it felt when Tyler said goodbye to you. You went to work, came home, and went to bed. Your roommate, Delia, was insightful and understood that something had happened and you didn’t want to talk about. So, she left you alone until you decided you needed her.

“We hardly know each other,” she said. “But I can tell you’re sad. I’m here to talk about it, whatever it may be, whenever you want.”

“Thanks, Delia,” you responded.

You were pretty sure you’d never talk to her about anything serious.

Boy, were you wrong.

It wasn’t until you were out at a bar in October that everything came to a head. A Dallas Stars game was on the television and it seemed like every time you looked up, Tyler was on the screen. That’s when it occurred to you that you were looking at a stranger, not someone you used to spend every day talking to, not someone you had matching tattoos with.

Delia caught the tears welling up in your eyes and grabbed your hand to pull you away from the group you were with. She sat you down in a booth on the other end of the bar and pulled you into her arms.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“Yes.”

“Should we go home?”

You nodded, not trusting your words to come out coherently.

Back in your apartment, you told Delia everything from the moment you first met to the last goodbye. She watched in amazement, eyes wide and soft at the memories you shared with him. At the end of your story, she sighed.

“The hopeless romantic in me wishes that you just lived happily ever after,” Delia admitted. “But the supportive roomie and friend in me is happy you didn’t base all your decisions on a guy.”

“I loved him,” you murmured. “I still do.”

You spent so much time wondering if it was a mistake not try the long-distance thing with him. But, eventually, you decided it was time to stop dwelling on it, and that’s when he popped up again.

Tyler wasn’t going to call you, despite every part of his being begging him to give in. It felt wrong to be in your city before a game and not get food, or even see each other. Not reaching out to you felt like the official end to your friendship.

He didn’t say anything about it to anyone, not even Jamie, but the guys knew he was thinking about you. This season was the first one that Tyler seemed indifferent about almost everything.

Going out for drinks after a big win? He was there for twenty minutes, then gone.

Double date with Jamie and his new girlfriend? He’d grab dinner, but leave before drinks.

Day off? He wasn’t hanging out with the guys. Instead, Tyler was in his backyard with the dogs.

The pilot’s voice filled the plane, “Welcome to LA!”

Jamie took an uneasy glance at Tyler to find him staring at the palm trees out the window of the plane. He reached over and nudged him with his elbow.

“You good?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

“Are you going to call her?” Jamie asks. Tyler’s face remained stoic, but the flare of his nostrils indicated something beneath the surface. Jamie continued, “Well, I was going to call her.”

“Why?”

“Because she was my friend, still is,” Jamie states. He stands up as the other boys start exiting the plane. “I think you should call her. I can tell that you’ve been thinking about her since we got on the plane. Besides, I’m superstitious and we always used to get food with her before games in her city.”

The entire way to the hotel, Tyler stared at his phone. He swiped through your Instagram and then stared at the last conversation you had until, finally, he pressed the call button.

The phone rang three times.

You couldn’t trust your eyes when you saw Tyler’s name and picture flash across your phone screen, so you had to have your roommate look too.

“I’m not seeing things, right?”

She stares at the name a moment and then meets your eyes over the screen to confirm, “Definitely not seeing things.”

You stared a little longer. Two rings, three.

“Fucking pick up!” Delia shouted. She stood up and left the room, as if giving you privacy for whatever conversation was to come. You pressed ‘accept’ and brought the phone to your ear.

“Hi.”

“Hey.” Tyler sounded a little out of breath. There was a beat of silence and then he said, “I just landed in LA. We have a game tomorrow afternoon against the Kings.”

“I know.”

“Send me your address.”

You felt your heart thump in your chest once, twice. Swallowing, you asked, “What?”

“Your apartment’s address,” he clarified. “I want to see it.”

“Tyler.”

You could hear the eye roll in his voice as he grunted, “Just drop your location to my phone, YN.”

The line went dead.

You dropped your location to him and Tyler liked the message a second later. The exchange sent you into a panicked frenzy around the apartment. Throw blankets were folded up and spread over the back of the couch, or placed in the wicker basket beneath the table. The dishes were cleaned, dried, and put away. You made your bed, for whatever reason.

All of this happened while Delia watched in amusement until, finally, everything seemed to be picked up and put away, and you collapsed on the couch beside her.

“You okay now?”

“No.”

No amount of time could have prepared you for the knock at the door when the boys finally did show up. It was loud and aggressive, and you both jumped at the sound. You sat up and glanced over at Delia. She shook her head, started to stand so she could retreat to her room, and said, “Go get it.”

When you pulled the door open, it wasn’t Tyler on the other side but Jamie.

“Hey, lady,” he greeted you. Tyler was standing behind him, arms crossed over his chest. When you looked over at him, he was looking back at you with dark eyes and a small scowl. Jamie called your attention back to him. “How are you?”

“I’m fine,” you answered. “Happy to see you.”

You stepped aside, motioning for them to enter the apartment as well. They slipped in and Jamie made himself right at home, kicking his sneakers off beside the door. Tyler, however, stood in the foyer with his hands in his jean pockets.

“Nice place,” Tyler said. His eyes hadn’t met yours since you opened the door. The two of them gazed around the living room. Jamie had even ventured further into the apartment to look out at the view. Tyler stayed where he was.

“I’m starving,” Jamie announced. “You have any good places around here?”

Twenty minutes later, you were squeezed beside Tyler in a booth and Jamie was beaming back at the two of you like nothing was wrong. The boys ordered more food than your stomach could handle, but you knew that they’d handle it on their own.

While you waited for food, conversation didn’t start up. Jamie wanted one of you to figure it out. But, nothing fell from either of your lips, so Jamie began.

“YN, tell us about the job.”

You spent the next fifteen minutes talking about work. Tyler watched you as you spoke, eyes lingering on your lips a little too long for his liking. He liked listening to you talk about what you were doing because you sounded so passionate. He was glad the job had worked out for you, but he was upset that he had missed out on all these milestones.

As dinner continued, you all shared stories about the past few months and Jamie felt satisfied when the conversation seemed to shift. Eventually, Jamie stayed silent as you and Tyler carried the conversation by yourselves, giggling and teasing each other the entire time.

It felt like old times.

And then it didn’t.

“Hold that thought,” Tyler blurted out as his phone screen lights up. He slid out of the booth and stepped away, pressing the phone to his ear with a smile. You watched him walk out of the restaurant.

When you turned back to Jamie, he was looking at you.

“It’s Maisy,” he stated. You raised an eyebrow at him. “Some girl he’s seeing.”

“Ah.”

Jamie watched you turn back to the door to see if Tyler was coming back in.

“It might be a while,” he explained. “They’re in the honeymoon phase.”

“Pretty serious then?”

“I think it could be,” Jamie answered. The phrase held the underlying message of ‘it could be serious, if you don’t make a move’. “He went off the deep end this summer.”

“Don’t tell me that.”

“You should know,” Jamie urged. “He hasn’t been himself since that day. I’m sure you haven’t either, but I’ve seen him first hand. I was nervous there would be no turn around for him, then he met Maisy and it sort of lifted his spirits.”

“I’m happy for him.”

“No, you’re not,” Jamie murmured. “You feel obligated to say that, I know, but you aren’t happy for him. And that’s okay.”

He was right. You were just happy he was in a good place, not that he’d found someone else. Selfishly, you didn’t want him to find someone else. But that wasn’t fair.

Before you could say anything more, Tyler came back into the restaurant. His cheeks were rosy, his smile was unwavering, and he had a swagger in his step. Tyler was far gone, you’d missed your shot.

After dinner, the boys came back to the apartment to say their goodbyes. Jamie’s was short and quick, complete with a squeeze and a kiss on the forehead. Tyler, on the other hand, took his sweet time.

“I’ll meet you outside,” he said to Jamie, but his teammate was already on his way out the door. It shut behind him and left the two of you staring at each other in silence.

You both spoke at once.

“I miss you.”

“Why haven’t you called me?”

There was silence again before Tyler ran a hand over his face and muttered, “Fuck.”

“I’m sorry for what happened in Dallas,” you told him. “I’m really sorry.”

“No, it’s okay,” he responded. “I shouldn’t have kissed you. I was projecting this crush I had onto you and that just wasn’t right. You were drunk. I was drunk.”

“But I shouldn’t have let it get as far as it did.”

He repeated, “I shouldn’t have kissed you.”

“We can play the blame game all day,” you said. Tyler nodded. “I just want my best friend back without all the complications we created.”

“Me too,” he admitted. “I tried to forget about how stupid that night was and the fight we had the next day, and I actually kinda did, but the closer we got to this game, the more I thought about it.”

“I think about it every day, I’m pretty sure,” you stated. He frowned. “You’re the best friend I’ve ever had, Ty. Losing you was losing a part of myself.”

His face softened at this expression.

“I don’t want us to be strangers anymore,” he said as he reached up to brush a strand of hair behind your ear. “Okay?”

“Okay.”

“I love you,” he said. Your eyes met again, both a little shocked at the words. “I always have, always will.”

“I love you, too,” you whispered. He smiled softly before stepping towards the door. “I’ll talk to you soon.”

“Definitely,” he responded. “We’re back to regularly scheduled programming, alright? I’m going to annoy the shit out of you now more than ever. I have a lot of time to make up for.”

#tyler seguin x reader #tyler seguin fic #tyler seguin story #tyler seguin imagine #dallas stars imagine #mk writes #hockey imagine #tattoos together fic

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kaypeace21 · 3 years

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do you think it’s possible sarah (hoppers daughter) was an early-formed alter that went dormant before the events of season one? it’d make a lot of sense with how much of hoppers arc in season one was him mourning her and channeling that grief into protecting will (which would make sense since he seems like a protecter to both will and el). love your posts!☺️

Yep . :D

I already discussed all of this in the original did post - how sarah was a “little” (kid ) alter. And how hopper was a protector /introject alter. I also discussed her going dormant as a major possibility in my did theory. My assumption is she either (a) “became dormant” like some alters do- aka they are “gone” sometimes for many years but can return . And this can happen in a myriad of ways - sometimes alters go dormant after they had a simulated death in the inner world . theoretically sarah had such a Death. And so did El. Death isn’t really a permanent thing for alters ...they usually will come back or stay dormant - unless the body of the host dies (or they integrate) . They can’t really die . I think it’s very possible she comes back and Hopper while exploring the various innerworlds of Will’s minds (like the Russian one, the memory scapes , etc ) reunites/ finds her . look at the st s4 movie inspirations. In ‘what dreams may come” a guy with the guidance of his dead kid explore a heaven like world influenced by a painter’s emotions.We also have the movie ‘inside out’ -which involves “memory islands” (distinct worlds based on a child’s memories) which are influenced negatively by the kid being depressed she moved to California. The characters traveling to these memory islands are constructs of kid’s mind -and 1 of them also has a guide helping them explore the ‘memory islands’. in Inception a guy says he’s a construct of a guy’s mind and needs to help him escape the many different Ievels of the dream worlds.The in inception who made the worlds- had dad issues. 'the cell’also had alternate dimensions of a man's mind that a cop explored ( the dimensions were created by a man who was ab*sed by his dad). Movies like inception, matrix, Truman show, total recall, the cell, enter the void, wizard of oz, Peter Pan, hellraiser 2, dream warriors, bill & ted’s bogus journey, and welcome to marwen also allude to this: because they involve entering simulated abstract worlds usually created/based on happy& traumatic memories/fears.Cough s4 using the movie wizard of oz quote “we’re not in Hawkins (kansas) anymore.While truman show/matrix are more about realizing your reality isn’t real.in bladerunner 2044/total recall it has the theme of false implanted memories… probably relating to hopper realizing he’s an alter and not in “actual Russia.” Before seeing the other segments of the innerworlds with sarah. Like in total recall- the bad ass spy is told all his memories: his wife/ years of marriage, , his name, are just implanted memories. And she says “you’re life is a dream.”

In s2 Nancy asks Steve how his “grandpa’s time in the war is a metaphor for your life?” And steve compares the mf to the germans in the war. Dr owens mentions Will has ptsd like “ (vietnam) soldiers’, Hopper saying he had buddies like Will . “In the 70s there was a study that compared the post-traumatic stress symptoms in Vietnam veterans and adult survivors of childhood s**ual ab*se. The study revealed that childhood s**ual ab*se is traumatizing and can result in symptoms comparable to symptoms from war-related trauma.” Hopper isn’t actually in Russia -but in one of the innerworlds (after he jumped through the rift of the machine- into Will’s mind). We’ll see flashbacks but also present circumstances of his imprisonment echo Will’s past with Lonnie (if the movies indicate anything)- being starved, guards getting payed in order to let other prisoners r*pe a gay prisoner (than claim incorrectly because of his sexuality he wanted it) , as well as a gang of sadist men who r**e others and a warden using that as a threat to be compliant , being thrown in a dark room of solitary confinement and starved when they didn’t obey the warden, the warden being religious, etc. And the Anerican soldiers (in Vietnam) in the movies aren’t much better and do similarly horrific acts to civilians like r**e and bragging/ happily k*lling women, children, and the elderly. The drill sergant in vietnam calling them homophobic slurs & women, and chocking one of the soldiers with one hand, slapping one for not believing in christianity. Tying up a soldier in a bed , gagging him, beating him and saying “remember it’s just a dream.” Only praising them when good in fire arms.(movies : fullmetal jacket, papillon, shawshank redemption, platoon, welcome to marwen, etc ) . My assumption is flashbacks of his life- will hint he’s an alter of Will’s-the boxes in the basement are “vietnam” ,“dad”, and “ny” (and these are the memories of his we’ll see). And some of the bad characters in said stories will also parallel Lonnie . For instance in s2, Jonathan mentions Indiana writer Vonnegut- In his book ‘slaughterhouse 5′- Vonnegut begins the story of Billy Pilgrim, a man who has “come unstuck in time”. It accounts of Billy Pilgrim's capture and incarceration by the Germans during the last years of World War II, and scattered throughout the narrative are episodes from Billy's life with his dad, and his own wife and kids.Billy is forced to be part of the war and similar things against his free will. The moments start from his childhood when his father throws him in the water to teach him how to swim. He was unwillingly drafted into the war. Later, he is kidnapped by Tralfamadorians (aliens that are implied to be caused by his mental health issues/trauma) against his will. Therefore, he realizes that this concept is just an illusion.

And some of the bad characters in said stories will also parallel Lonnie . Like how in ‘peterpan’- the young girl Wendy imagines netherland and the villain -captain hook- is based off her father ( in the movie they have the same voice actors/while in all stage productions the 2 characters are always played by the same actor). Similar to the other s4 film- ‘wizard of oz’ where the wicked witch of th west from the mythical land of Oz (is played by Dorothy’s real life mean neighbor in the real world/kansas). Or ‘in the cell’- every villain from the alternate-mind- dimensions is played by same actor in diff makeup. Not sure if they’d use Ross Patridge (actor of Lonnie) in this way . But it would be very interesting if (In makeup) Ross played many negative people in Hopper’s life/past -as a way to show Will’s past tr*uma.

Like also-look at Sarah’s tiger plushie! In chinese mythology/culture: “The tiger is personified by the constellation Orion (interesting given Sara’s interest in space/blackholes). The tiger represents protection over human life (hmm?). Tiger charms were used to keep away evil and disease (that’s awful ironic if she died in the manner she did). In Buddhism, wearing tiger skins during meditations was believed to bring protection from spiritual interference and potential harm while exploring astral dimensions.” HMMMMMMMMM XD

Kali in the stranger things novel ‘Suspicious Minds’ says…

“I was named after a goddess. She wore a tiger skin and was fierce in battle.”

Then Kali says to Alice (a women who can see future visions): “I love you, Alice. We can be tigers together.”This parallel (in relation to Alice) is fascinating because Kali actually uses her powers to fake Alice’s death- and to trick Dr. Brenner, and allow Alice to escape. The allusion was so realistic, that Terry could even touch the ‘dead’ Alice.

So the tiger symbolism could be a HUGE hint- that Sarah’s death was simulated and she’ll come back and travel the innerworlds/alternate dimensions of Will’s mind (as Hopper’s guide). Hopper about sarah “galaxies the universe-she always understood that stuff.”

Another possibility (theory b) is she integrated with another alter or with Will (which means she can’t return) .Hopper saying about Sarah “the black hole it got her.” Could imply she integrated with the mf/shadow monster? And ,or maybe she will later ?

But... I lean heavily to theory (a) the most , though.

Obviously sarah has a lot of the connections to Will. will and Sarah both being into science, Sarah winning a spelling bee, Will winning the science fair, both being connected to tigers. Both hallucinating something no one else can see and people trying to snap the 2 out of what they’re viewing. Joyce saying as a witch she’ll eat Will. Parallels Hopper saying as an ogre he’ll eat sarah. Hopper, in s1, when seeing Will (with a vine in his mouth) has a flashback of Sarah on a mouth respirator. And he also has a flashback of Sarah when seeing Will’s lion plushie which resembled Sarah’s tiger plushie. And el also had a lion plushie-like Will’s in s1. Hopper monitored both Will and Sarah at the hospital when they were “dying”. Will has a fear of clowns- and Sarah’s hospital gown had clowns on them. All 3 kids draw.

Plus, we all know the parallels of Will to El (Hopper’s new daughter).

I discussed in my did theory that Hopper (as an adult alter) is a form of protector to all the kid alters - el, Sarah, and Will (host/core). And Hopper as an introject-alter (who are alters based on a person the child knows ) are usually put in the system cause the kid assumes that person could protect them . And since original-Hopper was a police man (a little kid could easily assume that). Although, because he’s a “father figure” for the system he has some of Lonnie’s traits- which are reflected in other perpetrator alters/ bad npcs in the system- Brenner, Neil, Billy, the evil’s Russians,etc . So sometimes he acts similar to a Perpetrator alter too . And I listed those examples/bad parallels extensively in the original did post (linked in the beginning).

And I used these quotes from psych papers in my original did post to pretty much sum up Hopper’s use in Will’s system .

“Introjects can also be based off of figures that the dissociative child found strong, courageous, heroic, or otherwise worthy of being emulated and internalized and could theoretically protect them.”

“Older adult alters are created to serve a nurturing or parenting role, thus serving as a protector. (*protecting Will/el) . However, sometimes their older age is related to taking on the identification of the ab*ser and can therefore take on any of the other more hostile roles too ... Introjects which are mimicking ab*sers are trying to "keep you inline" in order to protect you from external ab*sers. They are copying behaviors shown to them by bad people, not harboring the intent, s*dism or imm*rality of the actual perpetrators.”

I think it pretty much sums up the nuances and motivations of Hopper’s character.

Thanks for the ask, anon :)

#jim hopper #stranger things #sarah hopper #will byers #kali prasad #el hopper #stranger things theory #did theory #s4 theory #st movies

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notes-from-sarah · 3 years

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Poinsettias for Maria

Link on Fanfiction.net

Link on Archive of Our Own

Rating: G/K

Summary: It’s Christmas time in Los Angeles and a young girl decides to bring an offering to the shrine of Santa Maria in the hills. When a bandido shows up to rob her it’s up to Zorro to save her and ensure the gift makes it to the shrine. Set during season two or after. One-shot.

A/N: In Mexico the Poinsettia flower is known as La Flor de la Nochebuena (Flower of the Holy Night)

"Tomorrow," said the priest to the congregation at the end of Mass, "Padre Felipe and the community of the mission will make a pilgrimage to the shrine of Our Lady in the hills. They are bringing offerings to place at her shrine for Christmas and the community will also offer prayers of thanks for the prosperous year we've had. I encourage all of you to join Padre Felipe at dawn as we begin the pilgrimage." With that he dismissed the congregation.

Exiting the church Diego nudged his father. "What do you think, shall we go on the pilgrimage with Padre Felipe?"

Alejandro shook his head. "I'm afraid I'm a little too old for that sort of thing, Diego. I think you should go, however, it would be a nice gesture."

"I think I shall, Father." Diego nodded.

"What will you bring as an offering?"

Diego thought for a moment. "During the summer I made a bouquet from some of Mother's flowers and left it to dry, I think it'd make a good gift for Our Lady."

"Pardon me, señores."

Diego and Alejandro paused to look at the girl who had addressed them. It was Mercedes, the ten-year-old daughter of Clara and Marcos who made and sold pots in the pueblo.

Mercedes curtsied in an attempt to be polite and said again, "I beg your pardon, señores, may I please ask you a question?"

"Why of course," said Diego. "What's on your mind?"

"I heard you say you are going to bring flowers to Our Lady tomorrow." Mercedes hoped that admitting she had overheard them talking didn't sound like she was eavesdropping.

"That's right," said Diego, "the shrine of Our Lady looks so beautiful when it's decorated with flowers. Do you like the idea?"

"Oh, yes, Don Diego, I think it will be the most beautiful thing ever. I also want to give her a gift of flowers, but there are not so many flowers that bloom in the winter." Mercedes hesitated a moment before continuing. "I know that you live outside of town, Don Diego, Don Alejandro, and I was wondering if you'd allow me to search in the hills behind your hacienda for something beautiful to bring to the shrine; flowers, a beautiful stone from a creek bed, or maybe some feathers. Everyone knows that the de la Vega land is the most beautiful in all of California, I'd be sure to find a suitable gift for Our Lady there."

"Of course you can," said Alejandro. "Tell your parents and you can go to the hacienda with the Cresencia and the other servants, and when you are done Bernardo will bring you back to town."

Mercedes beamed. "Muchas gracias, Don Alejandro, Don Diego, I can't thank you enough."

...

Mercedes searched through the hills of the de la Vega rancho. The sun was shining and the skies were clear making the day noticeably warmer than it had been for some time. Mercedes quickly combed through the lands closest to the hacienda before moving further afield. She wasn't sure exactly what she was looking for, but she would know it when she found it. The shrine of Santa Maria deserved something special.

He explorations led her to the crest of a hill where she saw from the top a crumbling hacienda that looked long abandoned. In the courtyard a flash of crimson caught her eye. The color was magnificent, she had to find out what it was. Deep inside she just knew that whatever that color belonged too was going to be her offering for the pilgrimage.

Scrambling down from the hilltop she made her way to the gate of the old building. Over the doorway some words were painted and a symbol that Mercedes knew as the sign of the del Toro family. They had moved away from Los Angeles many years ago, but people still talked about them. There was a rumor that their old hacienda was haunted.

Steeling herself, Mercedes entered the courtyard. No ghost was going to keep her from finding a good gift to bring to the shrine. All the same, she said a quick prayer for protection as the gate creaked open, barely hanging on to its hinges.

Across the courtyard, directly in front of the gate, was a flaming cluster of deep red flowers. They were the most beautiful thing Mercedes had ever seen. Checking to ensure she wasn't observed by anyone (living or dead) she raced across the patio and dropped to her knees in front of the amazing discovery. Gingerly, she reached out a hand and stroked one of the red blossoms. It wasn't delicate like she expected it to be.

Reaching into the pouch on her sash she withdrew her small knife and carefully cut a stem as close to the ground as possible. Holding the flower in her hand she marveled at it. The deep, dark green of the leaves, the brilliant red of the flower standing in stark contrast. In her minds eye she had a vision of the pilgrims coming up the hillside the following morning. The day would be golden and sunlight would illuminate the shrine in a most glorious way. And there before the shrine, like a carpet of fire, would be these red flowers. Oh what a sight to behold! She knew what she had to do.

Unlooping her rebozo from around her shoulders, Mercedes laid the cut stem on it. "You will be a most glorious gift," she whispered.

***

Bernardo drove Mercedes back into the pueblo that evening, all the while keeping an eye on the bulging shawl she balanced on her lap. She hadn't shown him what she'd found in the hills behind the hacienda, and honestly, he was a bit curious. With all the adventuring he did with Diego, he knew the countryside around the rancho pretty well. He tried to come up with some idea of something a child would find out there that she might also consider enough of a treasure to gather it to take to the shrine. He didn't come up with much. Perhaps she found a piece of wood in a stream that had been worn smooth into some lovely shape. It was about all he could think of.

When the carriage stopped in front of the plaza Bernardo went around to help the girl down. As he lifted her to the ground the rebozo almost slipped from her arms and tumbled to the ground. Snatching it close to her chest at the last minute, Mercedes sighed with relief.

"You have no idea how valuable this is, señor." Mercedes adjusted the bundle to be more tightly wrapped. "This gift for the shrine is priceless."

Bernardo still had no clue what the gift even was, but he nodded cheerfully all the same.

Mercedes gazed at the bundle in her arms for a moment, speaking to herself, "I will go to the shrine tonight by myself and leave my gift so that the pilgrims tomorrow will be greeted by the loveliest thing they've ever seen." Looking back at Bernardo she smiled. "Thank you again, señor."

Bernardo waved as she ran across the plaza towards her home. She waved back then disappeared down an alley. Turning back to the carriage, Bernardo noticed a man he didn't know. He was leaning against the well wearing the nondescript garb of a drifter, but the way he watched where Mercedes went gave Bernardo pause. Climbing back into the carriage, Bernardo headed for home.

…

Bernardo found Alejandro reading in the sala. He tapped Alejandro on the shoulder to get his attention in the politest way possible. While he didn't know that the drifter had overheard Mercedes, or that he intended her any harm, Bernardo had a bad feeling about the girl's plan to make a secret pilgrimage in the dark. After all, even without bandidos, the wild hill country outside of the pueblo was still dangerous. Bears, lions, snakes and other dangers could lurk around every boulder.

Alejandro took off his spectacles and looked up from his book. "What is it Bernardo?"

Bernardo asked where Diego was, he hadn't been able to find him in his room or elsewhere in the hacienda.

"Diego is visiting one of his friends, Ramón I think. Do you need him?"

Bernardo nodded, then shrugged. He wasn't sure if he needed Diego or not, but Diego would know what to do about the information he had.

"Well I'm afraid Diego might not be back for a while. You know how he is when he's with his friends." Alejandro was about to put his spectacles back on when he paused. "Is there some business you think Zorro needs to look into?"

Bernardo nodded uncertainly.

"You don't know?" Alejandro looked at Bernardo carefully. "Well, why don't you tell me what's the matter?"

Bernardo decided he might as well. Alejandro might have some non-Zorro solution to the problem at hand. Putting out his hand at the height of a child he started his story.

"Something short?" Alejandro looked puzzled.

Bernardo tried again. Holding his hands up he traced the form of a woman, then held out his hand at child's height.

"Oh, I see, a short woman."

Not quite what he'd been going for. Repeating the gestures he added some skipping at the end.

Alejandro furrowed his brow. "A short woman was skipping?"

Diego's father had a lot to learn still when it came to interpreting his signs. Bernardo shook his head vigorously, he needed to start over. Trying to think of something the old don would definitely understand, Bernardo pulled out his handkerchief and with a few quick tucks and folds fashioned it into a crude doll. Bernardo pointed to the doll.

"It's a doll." That, at least, was plain enough to Alejandro.

Bernardo nodded encouragingly. Holding the doll in one hand he again held his other hand at child height. Waving the doll back and forth he held it in the spot of the imaginary child.

Alejandro looked at the scene for a long moment. "Are you saying something about a child?"

Bernardo sighed with relief, nodding.

"What child?" said Alejandro, confused.

Bernardo scratched his head, trying to think of a way to remind Alejandro about Mercedes, but the old don got there first.

"Do you mean the little girl, the potters' daughter?" Alejandro leaned forward in his chair.

Bernardo nodded.

"You took her home, didn't you?"

Again, Bernardo nodded.

"Is she in some sort of trouble?" Alejandro put his book on the side table and got to his feet.

Bernardo started to nod, but ended up shrugging half way through.

"Perhaps we should go find Diego after all. I would be very regretful if something would happen to the child."

Bernardo nodded one last time and followed Alejandro out of the sala.

***

The sound of the mission bell rung throughout the darkened countryside marking the hour as nine o'clock. Creeping past her parents with her priceless bundle, Mercedes snuck out of their small home. Her shawl, filled to bursting with her secret treasure, was carefully tied across her back. She knew the way to the shrine and the night was clear. The waxing moon shone brightly, lighting her path. It was almost a sign from heaven.

Mario Alvarado sat outside of the pueblo, waiting for the girl to come bearing her burden. He hoped that she wouldn't decide that she was afraid of the dark last minute and not show at all. He needed her to follow through with her stupid idea to visit the mountain shrine at night. He wasn't a man prone to taking risks, but he could use a break. Nothing seemed easier than taking something priceless from a kid. Since the night was clear, and the weather not so cold, he had opted to follow her at a distance. Once she left the treasure at the shrine, he would swoop in and steal it. A simpler scheme couldn't be found.

He wondered what sort of gift she was going to leave at the shrine. He doubted it would be a figure cast from gold or silver, but there were many other valuable things to be had. Maybe she carried some fine cloth to drape over the statue? Perhaps it was a finely wrought item of brass or copper? It could be a bag or other item of finely tooled leather? The possibilities were seemingly endless. Anything was better than nothing. The girl had said it was priceless, which meant it had to be worth something. All he needed was enough coins to get home, someone was depending on him.

His patience was rewarded. Just after nine he caught sight of the girl with her bundle of promises. The fullness and bulk of the shawl alone told him that the haul would be good. Perhaps it was all that he had imagined – and more. The girl walked quickly through the dark outskirts of the pueblo and headed up the path to the hills.

The girl kept up a good clip leaving Mario at a distance very quickly. He didn't want to be seen or heard by the kid, or anyone else for that matter, but he also didn't want to loose sight of her in the dark either. He quickened his pace to keep her within eyeshot while still staying off the path as much as he could, the last thing he needed was to run into some highwayman.

The brisk walking went on for some time, all the while they were climbing uphill as the path wended to the hilltops. Mario felt a twist in his gut as he tried to mentally prepare himself for what he was about to do. The kid was just leaving the treasure at the shrine, after all, no one would even miss it. At the same time he was a little irritated by the amount of walking being done. Part of him wanted to draw his knife and rob her right here on the path. Convincing himself not to do so, he continued his trailing at a distance. If the kid was robbed there would be much more excitement over it in the pueblo than if the goods just vanished overnight.

...

Mercedes powered through the uphill climb, the most difficult portion of the trail was right near the shrine itself and it left her breathing hard as she crested the hill. It was a sign of devotion to make it all the way to the shrine, and she was most devoted to her cause. She thought about how much easier it would be to climb down from the hilltop when she returned, it would be a sweet reward for her current labors. Keeping her chin up and her eyes on the path ahead she scrambled up the last part of the trail and into the clearing where the shrine was located.

Falling to her knees before the shrine and crossing herself she beamed up at the figure of Santa Maria. Confidentially, she said, "I have brought you an early gift, Santa Maria, I don't know what it's called, but I am most certain you will like them." Catching her breath, Mercedes stayed in a kneeling position before the shrine. "First, however, I will offer you my prayers."

Mario cursed internally at the child's words. He didn't have the time to wait around while she fulfilled her pious duties, she needed to leave her treasure and get back home. From his hiding place on the hillside he saw the shrine bathed in moonlight, the tiny devotee almost illuminated in the pure silvery light. A twinge of guilt panged Mario's conscious, but he quickly squashed it. He had to do this, there was no other choice!

Faintly, the mission bells rang the midnight hour, he couldn't stay here all night. Drawing his knife he pulled a bandanna over his nose. If he was lucky – which he wasn't – but if he was, he would be able to scare her into running away and that would be the end of it.

Leaping from the shadows he brandishing his knife. "Give me the bundle and run away, little girl!"

Mercedes jumped to her feet, eyes wide as she caught sight of the knife. "Please, señor, don't take my gift for the shrine."

Mario took a step towards her. "I said give me the bundle."

Mercedes grabbed the bundle from the ground. "But, this is for Our Lady, you cannot steal her gift."

Mario didn't have time for this. Striding to her he grabbed a handful of the shawl, wrenching it from the kid's grasp.

Mercedes screamed as the rebozo was yanked away from her. The bundle came undone and flowers cascaded over the ground.

Mario stared at the strewn flowers. They weren't a treasure at all, they were absolutely worthless.

"Put down the knife, señor." The firm voice was accompanied by a sharp prick of a blade in Mario's back.

"Señor Zorro!" gasped Mercedes.

Mario glanced over his shoulder, his bandanna slipping from his nose and drooping to his chin. He caught sight of a dark, masked figure, moonlight glinted off the steel blade in his hand. Mario dropped the knife, falling to his knees. "Please," he pleaded, "don't hurt me."

"Are you all right, chica?" Zorro addressed Mercedes. "Did this man hurt you?"

"I'm not hurt, Señor Zorro, the man was only trying to steal my flowers." Mercedes looked at the scattered flowers around her feet.

"Please," said Mario, "I didn't mean her any harm, I didn't even know she was carrying flowers."

"Then why," said Zorro, picking up Mario's dropped knife, "did you follow this girl here and threaten her with a knife?"

"I wanted to wait until she left and quietly take her gift for the shrine, but she wasn't leaving. I thought I'd scare her away, I haven't any time to lose. I was going to take whatever she left and sell it." Mario gulped. He'd heard that Zorro was a fair man, but he'd also heard he could be vicious. A fox has teeth, after all.

Mercedes edged away from the two men and took refuge by the shrine. Her heart was pounding, she didn't know what El Zorro might do to the would-be thief.

"Please, señor," Mario was certain he was pleading for his life. "I just need a few coins so a can get back to my village. I know it's wrong to steal, but I didn't know any other way. I know no one in this town and I must return home as soon as I can."

Zorro walked around Mario so that he stood between him and Mercedes. "And why must you return to your village with such haste? Are you being pursued by the army for some other crime?"

Mario dropped his eyes to the ground. He had done a most shameful thing. "I have been traveling for many days now, I had news that my mother has fallen ill, but on my way back to my village to care for her I was robbed by a highwayman. I walked for two days to come to the pueblo of Los Angeles and I don't even have a single centavo to continue my journey. No one needs any extra work in the winter, so there was no way for me to earn the money. If I were to beg I would be scoffed at, a young, healthy man does not deserve alms. I had no other choice. I didn't think doing this would hurt anyone, maybe just cause some little disappointment."

Zorro considered Mario. Turning to Mercedes he motioned her to come closer. "Muchacha, what do you think about this matter? Do you believe his story?"

Mercedes looked at Mario a long minute. She turned to Zorro. "I do believe him. I don't think he meant to hurt me. When he first came out of the dark he told me to run away." Glancing back to the shrine she caught sight of the figure of Santa Maria, moonbeams playing across her features. Looking back at Mario she said, "I think Christmas is a time for new beginnings, I think this man deserves another chance."

"Out of the mouths of babes," said Zorro. "Stand up, this sweet girl has given you a reprieve."

Mario got to his feet, stunned. "Sweet child, how can I thank you for your mercy?"

Mercedes thought for a moment. "Go home and take care of your mother."

"A good answer," said Zorro, patting her on the back approvingly. Turning to Mario he said, "In the spirit of Christmas and second chances I am going to give you a chance." Reaching into his sash he withdrew a coin. "You now have enough money to conclude your journey, go home, take care of your family." He handed the coin to Mario. "However, mercy goes hand in hand with justice, if I find that you have abused the mercy of this girl, you will have my sword to deal with."

Mario gulped, understanding the meaning clearly. "Thank you, señor, thank you little señorita, I promise that your faith in me has not been misplaced. When I return home I will make a pilgrimage for Our Lady and pray for her tender mercies to fall upon you both. Thank you again."

Zorro handed Mario back his knife. "Now," said the masked man, "I think you had best be going."

Mario didn't need to be told twice. Quickly as he had come, he ran down the trail toward the pueblo.

Zorro watched the retreating figure until he was no longer visible. He then turned to Mercedes and knelt down to look her in the face. "That was a very kind thing you did, I'm sure Our Lady is smiling on you."

Mercedes smiled shyly, pulling on one of her braids. "He didn't seem like a bad man, just someone who lost his way. I hope he doesn't loose it again."

"Somehow I don't think he will." Zorro had seen sincerity in the man, it was sad, really, how something as small as a coin could make the difference between being a sinner or a saint. "Now, little señorita, I must advise you against ever coming out to the hills by yourself after dark. This can be very dangerous, and Zorro cannot always be nearby."

Mercedes lowered her head, ashamed that she'd been the cause of such a ruckus. If she'd just waited until the morning like everyone else then there would never have been a problem. "I'm sorry, Señor Zorro, I didn't mean to cause any trouble. It's only that I found these amazing flowers, which I have never seen the like of before, and I wanted to bring them to the shrine secretly so the pilgrims would be surprised in the morning when they come." Mercedes bent and scooped up one of the fallen flowers. "They look like fire in the sunlight."

Zorro plucked one of the flowers from the ground and twirled it between his fingers. "These flowers are most amazing indeed, and you are right, they will make a most lovely surprise for the pilgrims tomorrow." He stood back up and smiled. "And since we are here, why don't we complete your plan, then I will take you back to your home where you will be safe."

Mercedes grinned, then dropped to the ground to re-gather all the stems. None seemed too damaged after the tumble from her shawl. Even though she was a little embarrassed at making so much trouble with her silly idea, she thought that maybe it was better this way.

She and Zorro spent a few minutes arranging the red flowers. Standing back to admire their work, Mercedes glanced up at Zorro. "Señor, there is just one thing I do not know."

"And what is that, muchacha?" Zorro looked down at her.

"The flowers, what are they called? I have never seen anything like them before."

"They are called La Flor de la Nochebuena, they bloom just for Christmas in Mexico City."

"A most magnificent Christmas gift," said Mercedes.

***

The sun glowed golden as the pilgrims crested the hill the next morning. All in company gasped as the flame-like flower tendrils swayed in the gentle morning breeze. Diego grinned to himself, the girl's gift really was most magnificent.

#Zorro #Zorro 1957 #Disney's Zorro #Diego de la Vega #Christmas #Poinsettias #Flowers #Fanfiction #Fanfic #Holiday #Fluff #Feel-good #Second Chances #Adventure #Yes this is three weeks late for Christmas #But that's just how I roll when it comes to holiday themed fics #Maybe next time #4k words

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roswelldetails · 4 years

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RNM 2x13 - Mr. Jones

EPISODE SUMMARY:

SEASON FINALE — Having realized that a deadly threat has infiltrated CrashCon, the busiest event of the year, Liz (Jeanine Mason) realizes that she can’t save everyone she loves — and with Max (Nathan Dean) facing immediate danger, she and Isobel must make a heart-wrenching choice. Meanwhile, Michael (Michael Vlamis) finds himself caught up in the conflict between Jesse (Trevor St. John) and Alex (Tyler Blackburn) once again, even as Maria’s (Heather Hemmens) life hangs in the balance elsewhere, and Kyle (Michael Trevino) faces a moral dilemma when the enemy requires medical attention. Jeffrey Hunt directed the episode written by Christopher Hollier & Carina Adly MacKenzie (#213). Original airdate 6/15/2020.

DETAILS:

The episode opens with Isobel trying to hold back the fire. They don't actually show Rosa convincing Liz to go stop the explosion. But she runs up to Isobel and explains her science:

"I have to activate the ingredients first, but once I introduce my solution to the system it should kill the cellular matrix."

Liz literally squirts the console with her "solution".

Rosa is doing CPR on Max and praying. Max wakes up just as Kyle runs up. Immediately Max directs Kyle to Flint instead of himself. It's interesting. When Max previously killed with his hand, in 1x06, he instantly knew that he killed the drifter. This time he wasn't sure (and he didn't. We eventually learn). Rosa and Kyle take Flint to the hospital.

Meanwhile Helena is saving Charlie's life.

"Jesse Manes was the only one supposed to get hurt."

Which is...not what happened. Jesse, Flint, Max, Maria...even Liz got hurt. She burned her hand on the console.

Maria is being rolled into the hospital. She got there really really fast. Cam is by her side.

Liz is still squirting her solution onto the console. It turns red. Liz asks Isobel to get people away but Isobel refuses to leave Liz alone.

Jesse, Greg, Michael, and Alex are still mid-standoff.

"Gregory, listen. You and I have had our differences in the past, but you should stand with me now."

"You're not well, Dad."

Jesse hits Gregory with the atomizer and appears to knock him out. He tries to shoot Michael, but Alex tackles him.

"Guerin, get the atomizer! Get it away from my brother!"

"Alex, I can't."

Jesse gets the upper hand in the fistfight with Alex and steals Alex's gun. Turns to shoot Michael again.

Liz makes more solution and squirts more of it on the console. This time it starts to crack. Isobel pulls Liz to safety and the console shrivels and dies.

The dying console just doesn't work as well in still form, so @maxortecho giffed it for me! Thank you!! 😘

Max runs up to them.

"You disabled it. You saved everyone."

"Is Flint dead? Did you kill him?"

He looks at Liz with some heavy heart eyes for her being the hero. She looks at him with fear.

Back to the Maneses and Michael. Jesse has a gun on Michael. Michael has the atomizer.

"Drop it, Guerin. Drop it!"

There's a gunshot. Jesse Manes falls and Michael has blood on his face. Gregory shot Jesse from behind.

"I should have defended you from him a long time ago."

"There are no more Manes men left."

Jesse dies.

Indeterminant time jump. Liz is late for work.

"Sorry, Javi. I just...I haven't really been sleeping."

"You've said that every day since CrashCon. You still having nightmares? …Did you read the papers this morning."

"Oh, I've kind of been trying to avoid the papers."

"Did you hear about that veteran who died at the carnival? They're going to have a parade, build a statue. Did you know he was disabled?"

Customers at the counter are discussing CrashCon:

"The CrashCon discourse is saying aliens invaded and killed the guy."

"That should be good for tourism."

"Newspaper said it was smoke inhalation though."

"He was making sure all the kids got out safely and the smoke overwhelmed him."

"We need more people like him."

Soooo much to unpack here. And most of it is addressed by Helena and Rosa's exchange at the end of the episode. But the big question to me is… who is spreading the rumors and covering this up? Is it Flint? Is he even well enough to take the lead on that? Is it someone else with Project Shepherd that we haven't met? The mayor? I mean, Jesse was shot! There was a lot of blood! Plus, remember what happened in 1x11 and 1x12: it's a small town. People notice gunshots.

Liz goes to take a table's order and, surprise! It's Diego. Who had gone back to Denver after CrashCon. He brought Dr. Margot Meyerson to Roswell to meet Liz.

Michael is visiting Maria at the hospital:

"What are you doing?"

"Oh they cut your bracelet off during surgery. How are you? You look better."

"Liz has been dropping by every day to inject me with witch serum."

"Ooh the synthetic nucleotide excision repair genomogenate? We're lucky you're only part alien, otherwise there wouldn't have been enough left of you for her to save."

"Listen, do you think you could use your telekinesis to open this box? Mimi left it when she visited. It's a family heirloom, but she forgot the key."

"Mimi hasn't exactly been leading you in the right direction lately. Her psychic visions led you toward a bomb instead of away from it. Seeing you like that -- all sick and pale and quiet -- I started praying."

Max and Isobel are at Max's house. Isobel is studying the photos of the console and alien symbols.

"I wish I understood why Louise and Nora would spend a year building an alien weapon of mass destruction."

"I don't think it was a bomb. I think it's a communication device. It's like a remote, you know, it just happens to be combustible."

"Are you mad at me, Max? Did I do something wrong? Is it that we're not related, or are you upset about the abortion? Because I…"

"Whoa, hey, God no."

"Because you're not talking to me."

"You're not the only one. I didn't want everyone to worry, you know, 'cause I've been taking some of Liz's antidote. And things are coming back to me. Little flashes, sort of, mostly. Like vague memories."

"Michael said that you kind of zoned out when you touched that alien bomb...remote thing. Did it trigger a memory?"

"When I touched the console, I heard whispers that I could almost understand. All right, it's like the same with those symbols. I mean it's like their meaning is just beyond reach. Except for one word. I took this from Graham Green's display at CrashCon. See that? It's an aerial photo of some crop circles from Roswell in 1948. This farm belonged to a guy called Jones. Pretty sure it says savior... This is my name. Maybe that means you and Michael's parents weren't the only ones that survived the crash. Right, maybe I had a family too. You know, maybe my mom was just across town."

"Max. I really wish that you could just focus on the present. You know, I mean, as a recently deceased man, I really feel like you should be enjoying the simple pleasures in life, you know, like reading nerdy books, the smell of leather, and that feeling when you wake up before your alarm and the person you love is still asleep and they're kind of snoring a little bit. It's like the best thing that ever happened to you. Stuff like that."

"I want all those things too. But I feel like if I only know half of myself, I'm only half living. And I know you understand that, Iz, because I've watched you this year become your entire self. And it is so beautiful. Okay, I am not at all mad at you. Are you kidding me? I am so proud of you. I am so proud that you're my sister."

Michael and Alex in the shed. For all that the shed is such a key location in this show's canon this is the first time we've seen it since 1x06.

"Maria made me bring food over. I gave it to Gregory. Seems to be holding up okay."

"Everything my family touches turns to crap. My dad used to talk about how my Grandpa Harlan built this she'd with his bare hands when he was, like, seventy. For a long time it was my safest space. And the one night my dad destroyed it."

"You're right. This place sucks."

Michael and Alex start destroying the shed. In the next scene Michael breaks a floorboard revealing a skeleton. The skeleton is wearing dog tags, so Alex grabs them. In his shirt pocket Michael spots and grabs the key to Maria's box. The tags say Eugene Manes III. So this is Tripp's body. Which confirms for Alex that his grandfather killed Tripp.

Max and Liz are walking in the plaza.

"I don't understand the violence, Max. Flint could have had brain damage given how long he wasn't breathing. You risked your life to hurt him and he had already thrown the weapon away, Max, so why? I can't get that image out of my head. You trying to kill Alex's brother."

"I know. I snapped. Last year Noah told me that we were energized by killing and not by healing. Even then I knew he was right. I… Obviously I can usually fight that, but I guess this time my better angels just didn't show up."

"We have to stop keeping secrets from each other, Max. There's a scientist in town. She's a supervisor at Genoryx. She has a job for me in California. She's offered to sponsor my dad's citizenship. And it could put me in a position to help Rosa too. I mean, I'd be able to do a lot of good with the grant money they're offering, and I know that all sounds too good to be true, but…"

"It sounds like someone finally realizes how valuable your mind is."

"I think that a change of scenery will be so good for us. I mean, we could get a place by the beach and you could write."

"You want me to come with you?"

"Of course I do."

"Well, I mean, I just told you I have this killer instinct, and you want me to come to California with you."

"We'll figure it out. Okay? We'll figure all of it out together. Run away with me, Max Evans?"

"Anywhere."

Max goes to see Cam at work. She picks on him for getting arrested and has his mugshot as her desktop background because friends!

Max asks about Charlie.

"Yeah she texted me from a burner phone that she was all right and then she vanished again."

Max tells her that he has a doctor's appointment and then asks her to do some undercover work for him.

Michael visiting Maria at the hospital.

"So Alex thinks Harlan found out that Tripp was an alien sympathizer all that time and he offed him."

"So Mimi must have known that you would find it. That's why she left the box. Look, I know you don't trust my mom's visions, but I was the only one who could grab that atomizer and run with it. If it had been you, you'd be dead."

Maria takes off the bracelet.

"What are you doing? Maria, that prevents brain damage."

"I'm only part alien, but it is a part of me. Even if it's dangerous I can't just turn off a piece of myself."

"So I'm supposed to sit around helpless as you fade away? Maria, I cannot watch you disappear. I love you."

"I love you too."

"So can we just let this go?"

"You have it wrong. Mimi hasn't disappeared. Yes she can be inconvenient, she can make people uncomfortable, but maybe she's supposed to be an uncomfortable inconvenience that saves lives. And now I need to be inconvenient, and I don't want to be someone that hurts you. I think that we should find out what's next, apart from each other."

"Wait, so you think that if we break up, I'm gonna be able to stop caring about you?"

"I learned so much, being with you. You sacrificed yourself without hesitation when Alex needed you."

"I would have done the same for you."

"I know. I don't doubt your capacity for love, 'cause you made me so happy this year. And I loved being someone that made you happy. I just think that we should leave it be, before I wonder if someone else could make you happier. Open the box, Guerin. Let's see what comes next.

Skip forward to the Crashdown where Michael has the box in a booth with Alex and Isobel. He opens the box and pulled out a journal, which they in turn read aloud.

I did a separate post on the journal's content and the Tripp and Nora flashbacks here:

Kyle visits Steph in the hospital

"What do you think will happen?"

"What do you mean?"

"When I die, idiot."

"You know, Socrates thought that death was a blessing, because only one of two things could happen. Either consciousness ceases, and it's like falling into a dreamless sleep. Or you go to where all who have died before you have gone. Your loved ones, people you admire. If you lived a good and just life, you will be surrounded by goodness and justice, in a place without fear. Sorry. I thought a lot about this when my dad passed, so I…"

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry that I'm putting you through this again."

"No...I want to be here."

Liz interrupts them. She clearly wasn't expecting Kyle to be there and comments on Max's appointment. Kyle gets up to leave.

Diego and Margot are talking in the Wild Pony:

"I was very impressed with her work when we first pursued her, but when I met her today, not so much."

"Why? 'Cause she had a little ketchup on her uniform?"

Undercover!Jenna staggers up to them and spills her drink on them, tells Margot that she's beautiful, and plants a listening device.

"Anyway I think we should move on."

"Okay, wait a sec. Liz has been working on something recently, but she signed this NDA. Although I guess she can't be blamed if we took a peek, you know? Without permission."

The line that will haunt me for the next year. Kyle to Max while showing him what appears to be chest X-rays.

"You know what I'm saying here, right Max?"

Cameron calls:

"You were right. It is too good to be true. Diego just told some woman he can get her access to Liz's lab. He must have followed her there."

"Well, there's a security system."

"The way he's talking, it sounded like Diego's pretty certain he can get access. They just left here, Evans. You need to tell Liz to get anything incriminating out of there - now."

Max arrives at the lab and immediately sees that the security system was manufactured by Genoryx. He uses his powers to break the system and get into the lab. He quickly searches through all of Liz's records and then pours what appears to be gas or lighter fluid or some other flammable substance all over the place and then uses his powers to set a fire.

He listens to the notes on Liz's recorder, which by the way has 22 minutes of recording on it. Some of what we hear:

This is my record of the dissection of specimen NB.

... immunoglobulin harvested from alien DNA can be transferred to a human recipient.

Commence dissection of the dorsal side of the spinal nerve.

I hypothesize that the female specimen's plasma…

Bracken's seminal cells indicate a pH level double that of a human counterpart.

I'm now extracting the grey matter to measure alien voxel signals.

Note that Max doesn't seem to have any chest pain this time when he uses his powers.

Right as Diego and Margot show up the lab explodes.

Max comes home to find Michael and Isobel waiting for him. He's clearly exhausted and upset after the lab.

"Can whatever this is wait until tomorrow?"

"Jones? That's the guy who grew the crop circles in the shape of my name."

"Nope. We spent the day reading Tripp Manes' journal. Caffeinate, Max... Okay, so, when I asked Sanders about this photo of Nora, he said he didn't know whose hand this was. He was all, Mr. Bernhardt, Mr. Jones, Old Man Gibbons. Could've been anybody."

"Ten points to Hufflepuff."

"So in October '48, Nora decided not to finish building the ship with Louise. She decided to go to the reservation with Tripp."

"But then little Walt convinced her to go to the fall festival, where after successfully avoiding him for a year, she finally ran into the alien stowaway who had crashed the ship. He'd been masquerading as a farmer."

"Mr. Jones."

"Tripp saw Jones approach Nora, and he recognized him from the night of the crash, but he didn't have a chance to ask Nora about it before Harlan called for a raid on the farm."

"Yeah. And after the massacre, Jones was never heard from again. Crop circles were all that was left."

"If you were in hiding, why would you grow corn in the shape of an alien symbol?"

"Maybe they just grew that way. It's the same way that this symbol just shows up everywhere, you know?"

Michael reveals his tattoo and it's the first time Max has seen it.

"Wait, when did..?"

"Oh, I got it when we weren't sure if you were coming back. It didn't feel like it was ever gonna be the same again."

"All right. There. Now can we all cowboy up and focus, please? Let's feel our feelings after we've solved the mystery of the unknown alien. After the raid on the farm, Nora was held by Project Shepherd."

Note...not actually accurate. Michael didn't get the tattoo until Max was out of surgery.

See Journal and Flashbacks post for the flashback.

Jenna and Charlie reunite. Relevant quote to remember:

Liz and Rosa find the destroyed lab. Liz sees the fractal burn that indicates that Max is the one that destroyed it.

"I fought so hard to become who I am, and I just trade her in every time I get scared? No. I don't want to be on the run anymore."

Back to Max's house:

"Whatever happened to that thing that she and Louise were building out in the desert? I mean, did she ever tell him where it was or what it was?"

"Nope. And when Tripp asked Louise about it, she was silent."

Liz walks in and interrupts.

"Why'd you do it, Max?"

They go into the bedroom to fight.

"I'd been asking you for weeks to clear out that lab, okay? I knew it wasn't safe."

"Alex installed a military-grade security system."

"A system designed by Genoryx, okay? Diego could have hacked it. He could already know everything."

"And his nefarious plan is to what? Set us up with a condo in L.A.? Give my family a second chance?"

"Okay, I have a family to protect too."

"Yes, and you could have stopped Diego without destroying a year of my work!"

"I had to act fast."

"So your first instinct was to go with the one method that would break my heart?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking about your heart when I'm staring at jars with Noah's liver and his brain. I mean, what else did you harvest from us, Liz?"

"Those are just cells. I wasn't hurting anyone. I don't know what you thought love was gonna be like when we were 17, but it isn't just sunsets and horseback rides."

"You can't put this all on me. Okay you were sneaking around behind my back…"

"I apologized. I stopped. Max, you died this year. I was all alone because of a choice that you made, but still every single thing I did was for you and about you and with you. So when you were back, when I could finally touch you. When I could finally breathe. I needed to take just one moment to remember where I end and where you begin. To just be whole in who I am. I am a scientist. I am fighting for something that is bigger than me. I am trying to leave this world a better place. And I am in love with you. And right now, I hate it."

Liz leaves and Max takes another dose of the antidote.

Time jump. No idea how long or what has happened in between. Liz and Rosa on the Crashdown roof saying goodbyes.

"Dad is checking your oil and making sure you have enough chile...also you left this in our room. Mom's been texting."

"Trying to come up with a better response than, go duck yourself… You should come with me. The Ortecho sisters take California."

"I wish. But I can't. I'm going back to rehab tonight. I want to see the program through. Sorry."

"Don't be. It's the best possible thing you could have said."

"You know… Max should be your road trip buddy. You love him. You're gonna forgive him. Besides, we both know if you try to leave town without him again, he's just gonna show up with some big, grand romantic gesture to stop you."

Open mic night at the Pony. Alex and Kyle have a drink together.

"So how does it feel to have your father's murder officially avenged?."

"Feels like my dad's still dead. Flint should be okay. He'll live to become the new Jesse Manes."

"No he won't. I'm not gonna let it happen."

"After everything you still believe in redemption?"

"Well, I have a pretty good example of it right in front of me."

Alex sings his song. Michael, Isobel, Greg, and Forrest are all there listening.

Flash to Kyle going to Steph's hospital room. The bed is empty...because she's up doing her makeup, her hands steady.

"Your hands are better. Did they give you morphine?"

"I woke up this morning feeling incredible. Look at my chart. My numbers are up. It's a miracle."

"Or just really good science."

Liz is preparing to leave, her suitcase beside her in the empty Crashdown as she stands at the juke box one last time. Kyle runs in.

"What you did was reckless. And dangerous. And unethical, Liz. Thank you."

Back at the Wild Pony, Michael watches Forrest listening to Alex sing. He turns to leave. Isobel tries to stop him.

"It's a sad story, me and Alex. I have to walk away so we can start a new one someday. It's not our time right now."

"But it will be."

"I think so."

Rosa walks up to a bar. She hesitates before going in, her hands shaking.

Liz buckles into her car, ready to leave. She looks in the rearview window and waits. She's clearly expecting Max to come. But he's at home studying his alien symbols. She gives in and pulls away, leaving Roswell. Her season ends with her looking out over the ocean.

Alex finishes his song and Greg and Forrest are still there and are proud of him.

"Well, damn. How do you feel?"

"Like I just sang a song about a guy in front of a bunch of cowboys, and...I don't care."

"Oh, lucky guy, with a song like that."

"Yeah it was a long time ago…can I?"

Alex and Forrest kiss.

Rosa walks into the bar. Helena is there.

"If you came to tell me what I did wrong, your sister already texted."

"Did you get what you wanted, Mom? Is your score finally settled?"

"No. I wanted everyone to see Jesse Manes humiliated and weak. I wanted him to die knowing shame. But the papers say it was a tragedy. People like him - bad white men - they die heroes, no matter what they've done. People like us - we die villains."

"Yeah I know. I've done it. But I also got a second chance. So I get to leave a different legacy. The last time that I saw you, I said that I hated you. That's not true. I love you, Mom."

"I love you too, mija."

"I also told you to leave and I was right about that. Liz was free and it should have stayed that way. Manes is gone. There is no revenge to be had. No closure and no redemption. Don't come back, mom. Don't bother Liz again. I really hope you get better. Maybe you can have a second chance too."

Another possible time jump. Michael and Isobel pull up to where Max is out in the desert.

"How'd you guys find me?"

"Freaky twin thing. What's going on?"

"I took more of the antidote. Sorry, I should have called you guys."

"Save it. We are sick of being pissed at you for being so obnoxiously yourself. Why you look so scared?"

Pod Squad is investigating a cave. There's a door or opening covered by alien text with the alien symbol on it. It sorta looks like there's something behind it.

"Um, well, when I touched the alien console at the fair, something happened. I heard whispers that I couldn't understand...until now. I think when I touched it I unlocked something... Like a cage? The whispers led me here. I know it sounds crazy, but would you guys help me find a tunnel?"

"It's sealed up."

"I feel like we should learn more before we just busy that door open."

"Yeah, you're probably right."

There's a knocking sound and a voice calls out.

"Help! Is someone there?"

"If Max unlocked something at CrashCon, whoever that is has been down here for days without…"

"I need water. Please."

"There has to be three."

Note that we now know which symbol represents each of them.

The door shatters and they all react (Isobel's face is priceless).

We flash back to the mysterious stowaway/alien hoodie dude/Jones. Louise fighting him. Now we can see that it's Max. Nora kneeling after the crash with the hand on her shoulder. It's Max's face. He attacks/burns the military men/Hector Valenti.

The stowaway/Jones looks exactly like Max. Only with a really bad beard.

"Howdy partner."

MUSIC:

1. Hootie & The Blowfish "Time"

2. Tyler Rich "Leave Her Wild"

3. Clay Rigdon "That Kinda Kiss"

4. Marc Danziesen "See Yourself"

5. Gloria Hart and Art Kassel "Frankie And Johnny"

6. The Score "Legend"

7. Sarah May Byrom "Rhythm Of A Memory"

8. Tyler Blackburn "Would You Come Home"

9. The Well Pennies "The Echo And The Shadow"

10. Valerie Broussard "Dark Side"

#roswell new mexico #rnm season 2 #details #episode details #long post #rnm 213 #mr. jones

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