#set between episode 17 and 18
Text
To Michael: Thanks for always being such a good sport. I realized I hadn't written anything about the stuff we discussed off stream so here it all is. Wrote it from memory so I'm hoping I remembered the details properly.
It's Friday; she knows she needs to go back to campus and show up to the rest of her classes. And she does, at least physically, with the help of a lot of caffeine. But her head, and her heart? Definitely elsewhere. She's finding it hard to focus, even if she knows that he's okay, as okay as someone can be after taking a beating like he did. But she forces herself to focus out of necessity and that takes a huge chunk of her energy.
It's the stuff that happens after her classes that gets hard, the stuff that is arguably more important to her now that she's no longer focused on becoming a doctor. But somehow, even with everything that's happened over the last day and a half or so taking up the unoccupied spaces in her mind, she manages to get through her gymnastics training with the help of muscle memory and sheer determination.
She was never going to be an Olympic level athlete, mostly because she wasn't able to commit to a full time training regimen as a child. And by the time she was able to settle down somewhere to throw herself into the training, she no longer wanted to train at the Elite level. She loved gymnastics but had decided she no longer wanted it to be her entire life.
Even with that, gymnastics is the only thing that completely makes sense to her. When she's stressed, when she's excited, when she's upset…she could always count on on her training to help her burn some energy or work through her emotions.
She's almost disappointed when the team is dismissed at the end of their practice. Almost.
As soon as she's back in her dorm, she knows exactly what to do next. Without even really thinking about it, she picks up the stuffed blue unicorn from her bed and stuffs it in her backpack, along with her laptop and textbooks.
With a beam of blue light, she disappears, teleporting to the Command Center.
When she gets there, she asks Alpha to replicate the necklace she had created for Dana that grants access to her room, just in case. She doesn't explain the why in too much detail but she does tell Alpha that she intends to give it to Peter, just so he can gain access to Billy's journals without her having to be around.
The blue gem with compressed Morphin' Grid energy hanging on a chain, she puts it around her blue unicorn's neck and places it on Peter's bed for him to find when he inevitably makes his way back to the Command Center. She has no idea when it will be but she figures he'll come around eventually.
To pass the time, she trains. Morphed, but without her helmet on, she goes through the motions with her Bladed Bow in Dagger Mode, replaying his instruction in her head. Muscle memory kicks in yet again and she practices the moves, hearing his coaching in her mind.
And when she finds herself physically exhausted and her mind still racing at a hundred miles an hour, she spends some time in her room, hitting the books. She does actually study for class for a while and only stops when she notices the time on her laptop's clock. It's midnight.
She takes her time figuring out what she wants to send but eventually, she reaches for her phone and not her communicator to reach out to Peter.
Hey. Where are you?
I just got back. Thinking of heading to the lab or the training room.
You gotta take it easy. You’re still recovering.
I know.
Wanna go for a drive instead? Can’t sleep.
Sure.
When she steps out her room and meets up with him in the hallway, dressed in a blue hoodie and her jeans, the first thing she notices is the lack of a sling on Peter.
“You’re…you’re okay,” the statement comes out with in a surprised tone.
“Yeah, a little sore still but I’m all right,” he reassures her.
She wraps her arms around him and gives him a hug, lingering a bit longer than expected, as if to reassure herself that he is there and he is in fact okay.
When she finally releases him, they both teleport to her car to begin their journey. Sophie just drives for a while, her music filling the car.
Peter knows that when Sophie goes for a drive, it’s often to clear her head, which is why it is a little surprising to have her ask for his company. But she had needed a distraction the first time she had invited him and he’s more than willing to provide the distraction again, or whatever else she might need.
Sophie doesn’t ask for a distraction and she doesn’t lip sync along to any of the music like Peter does. She doesn’t speak for a while until they find themselves at a cliff, overlooking Angel Grove. She parks the car and takes the top off the car, revealing the stars in the sky and the view of the city.
"I love it here," she says quietly as she turns down the music to have it play quietly in the background, "I love the view and I love watching the stars."
"I know. It's really pretty out here." Peter doesn't pry; he knows better.
"I haven't been able to sleep between the dream I had last night and everything that's happened to you earlier…" Sophie admits after a moment of silence.
"Yeah, that was really rough…" Peter lets his voice trail off, his eyes fixed on Sophie, waiting expectantly for her to continue. He knows that if he waits long enough, she'll tell him what's bothering her. She's done it once before. "Is the dream you had why you were half asleep during Zordon's call?"
After nodding in response to his question, Sophie leans her head against his shoulder, looking up at the sky as she places a hand on his thigh before finally speaking again. “I had a dream that I was actually a part of Lightspeed and you weren't in my life, and it felt…so wrong, you know?” She doesn't dare to look up at Peter for his reaction. “It felt so wrong that you weren't a part of my life, that we weren't friends.”
“You know, it's good that it felt wrong, because you're an important part of the team. We need you.” Instinctively, he pulls her in close with his left arm and places his right hand on the hand that's on his thigh.
Sophie doesn’t know how to respond to Peter so she doesn’t. Instead she says, “I want you to know, I won’t be the one that tries to stop you when you take off; I’ll be the one right behind you. I hope you know I’ll always have your back.”
“I know,” Peter replies, his eyes up to the sky, looking up at the stars. “I appreciate that.”
“Sarah was asking about you; I didn’t tell her anything…”
“I plan to tell everyone else eventually, I’ve got nothing to hide.”
“I just didn’t feel like it was my place to tell her your story.”
They spend some time looking up at the stars, in comfortable silence, and Sophie finds herself settling into his arms, despite her mind still going a mile a minute. She is still a little tense and he can feel it.
“Hey, you okay?” he speaks quietly when he finally feels her energy levels drop, his eyes still to the sky, “Why don’t you let me drive? Why don’t you just try to relax?”
Sophie looks ready to protest but she can feel the mental and emotional exhaustion slowly start to settle in. She wordlessly pulls away from Peter and steps out of the car to switch spots with him. She’s stubbornly fighting her exhaustion and it’s not that hard to tell.
The rest of the drive is uneventful, with Peter lip syncing to the music while Sophie looks on tiredly, amused by his antics. It feels a little more like their first drive together, and she finds herself smiling despite everything. They manage to return to the campus parking lot and teleport away to the Command Center without incident.
As they walk down the hallway that leads down to their rooms, their hands find themselves interlocked and neither one questions it or reacts to it, feeling like it’s the most natural thing in the world.
She’s not ready to go to bed. She’s not ready to let him go yet. But then they stop in front of her room and she knows she’s going to have to let go.
"You should go get some sleep," Peter says in a quiet voice. "I still have a couple of things to work on in the lab..."
“No, Pete. I'm too tired to fight you on this. You need to rest too.”
“Then don't fight me, just go to bed, please.” There is a pleading tone to his voice, more out of concern for her than anything else.
"Only if you come with me." Sophie's tired brain doesn't filter her thoughts, the first thing coming to mind escapes her lips.
Peter is taken aback by the statement and takes a moment to figure out what to say. "I'll stay for a little while until you fall asleep," he offers gently.
Once they enter the room, it doesn't take much time at all for Sophie to fall asleep, still fully dressed, once her head hits the pillow. Peter tucks her in and sits at the foot of her bed, rubbing her back and watching her settle into a deep sleep for a few minutes before stepping out of the room and retreating to his own room.
#episode tag: power rangers let there be thunder#sophie marsh: true blue#power rangers let there be thunder: oops lightspeed rescue crossover#set between episode 17 and 18#peter parker x sophie marsh: actions speak louder than words
0 notes
Text
25 THINGS I’VE LEARNED IN 25 YEARS IN TV WRITING
Well, it’s actually been 30 years now, but here’s a spew I did 5 years ago on the bird app to commemorate my 25 years as a TV writer.
I’ve edited it a bit for clarity. Hopefully some of you will find it useful.
1. In TV writing (and writing in general) there is only one unbreakable rule: Thou shalt not be boring.
2. Write characters people want to hang out with for an hour or so once a week for years to come. Even if they're bad people, make them interesting, engaging bad people.
3. If your lead is a bad person, make them funny and/or sexy. Direct most of their bad behavior toward other bad people or themselves. Make them well motivated. Maintain rooting interest.
4. What makes a character special should be intertwined with what makes them struggle. Perfect people are boring.
5. Characters should complement/conflict with each other. No two characters should serve the same purpose/have the same backstory/have the same voice.
6. Cast the best actor, adjust the character to suit.
7. Give your leads the best lines/moments. No one is tuning in to watch the funny guest star. Like Garry Marshall said back on HAPPY DAYS, “I’m paying Henry Winkler $25,000 an episode. Give the Fonz the jokes.”
8. Your characters, good & bad, should reflect the reality of our wonderful, diverse world. White male shouldn’t be the default.
9. Avoid stereotypes. Stereotypes are boring.
10. If all your POV characters know some secret, the audience should know it too.
11. If your show hinges on a big mystery, know more or less what the truth is from the beginning. You can change it later if you need to, but write to a specific.
12. If your story doesn’t test your characters mentally, physically, psychologically, emotionally, or spiritually, you don’t have a story.
13. You can start by figuring out the Beginning, the Middle, or the End, but you don’t have an episode until you have all three.
14. Big suspenseful act outs (the last moments before the commercials) aren’t just a gimmick. They’re a good way to structure an hour of entertainment to make sure the audience is invested and your pacing is solid.
15. Every scene should be a consequence of the previous scene or a refutation of it.
16. A scene also needs a Beginning, Middle, and End. The end should propel the characters and/or audience into the next scene.
17. Every scene is a negotiation/confrontation between two or more characters who want different things or have different ideas on how to solve the same problem.
18. A good action scene is still a character scene. With punching. (This applies to sex scenes too, but you know, with sex.)
19. A crap page is better than a blank one.
20. It’s easier to cut than to add.
21. Good things rarely happen in the Writers Room after dinner. Go home, get some rest, write pages at home if you have to, start fresh in the morning. Writers who have a life outside the writing room are better writers. Beware the showrunner who doesn't want to go home to their family. That said…
22. Script by day one of Pre-Production. No matter what.
23. You’re a writer first. Almost nothing happening on set or in post is more important than the writing. Delegate when possible.
24. Make an extra effort to surround yourself with writers who are different from you (background, race, gender, orientation, etc). Listen to their perspectives, especially on experiences alien to you.
25. And in the end the love you take is equal to the love you make. In TV writing and life in general.
PART TWO HERE:
https://at.tumblr.com/writergeekrhw/25-things-in-25-years-part-2-25-things-ive/okjzwofyiq6i
3K notes
·
View notes
Text
The Mandalorian Seasons 1 & 3: Direct Parallels
After rewatching The Mandalorian season 3 cohesively and thinking back to season 1, I came upon a realization that every episode of season 3 somehow directly parallels back to each respective episode of season 1. Below is a breakdown going episode-by-episode and diving deep into each parallel I noticed. Please keep in mind that these are my observations and theories, nothing more!
CHAPTER 1: THE MANDALORIAN & CHAPTER 17: THE APOSTATE
“Chapter 1: The Mandalorian” is all about setting up Din Djarin’s journey, mainly the job he’s tasked with that causes him to cross paths with a new ally, Grogu. “Chapter 17: The Apostate”—like many season openers—accomplishes the same thing: setting up Din’s journey and causing him to cross paths with a reluctant ally, Bo-Katan Kryze. IG-11 is an important part of each episode and helps to bring some comedic relief to the screen. In Chapter 1, Din utters the infamous “I like those odds” line when his odds are 4 to 1. Din also finds himself with 4 to 1 odds during the pirate showdown, where he takes down four of them and leaves Vane standing. Lastly, Chapter 1 reveals that the job Din’s taken is a very difficult one that other hunters either can’t complete or refuse to. Chapter 17 proves that Din’s journey to Mandalore is also seemingly impossible and many others refuse to do it.
CHAPTER 2: THE CHILD & CHAPTER 18: THE MINES OF MANDALORE
“Chapter 2: The Child” seals the bond between Din and Grogu as Din faces trials in his journey to bringing Grogu back to Nevarro. “Chapter 18: The Mines of Mandalore” seals the bond between Din and Bo-Katan as allies while Din faces trials in his journey to redemption on Mandalore. In both episodes, Grogu has to rescue Din when he’s in danger, and both times he tries to use the Force to do so. Each episode also features Din fighting off an ambush on his own, though that tends to be pretty common for him. Both episodes also featured a creature that hasn’t been seen in Star Wars live action before: the mudhorn and the Mythosaur, respectively. By the end of each of these episodes, Din’s gained at least one new ally and has accomplished his original goal (getting Grogu back to Nevarro and earning his redemption).
CHAPTER 3: THE SIN & CHAPTER 19: THE CONVERT
“Chapter 3: The Sin” and “Chapter 19: The Convert” both see their protagonists going against a set of rules they’re expected to follow in order to further what they view as the greater good. In Chapter 3, it’s Din breaking the Guild Code to rescue Grogu. In Chapter 19, it’s Penn Pershing breaking the rules of the Amnesty Program to restart his research. Both episodes feature a betrayal of sorts, Greef Karga and Elia Kane respectively. Additionally, the Children of the Watch in both episodes—most notably Paz Vizsla—start both episodes off by being hostile towards Din only to end up helping him in some way. In Chapter 3, it was saving him and Grogu from the hunters, and in Chapter 19, it was accepting his redemption as well as Bo-Katan’s. Each episode title also uses religious language.
CHAPTER 4: SANCTUARY & CHAPTER 20: THE FOUNDLING
“Chapter 4: Sanctuary” and “Chapter 20: The Foundling” each start off a 3-episode run of different adventures that fill in the storytelling space and offer the characters time to face trials and grow before the overall story starts to wrap up. In Chapter 4, Cara Dune mostly leads the effort to rescue the village. Bo-Katan fills this same role in Chapter 20 by leading the Mandalorians to rescuing the foundling. Interestingly enough, both these episodes also are some of the only to address how and when a Mandalorian should remove their helmets to eat. Chapter 4 offers some Din backstory that he gives to Omera while Chapter 20 offers some Grogu backstory. At the end of each episode, the rescues are complete, but another call to adventure haunts the protagonists.
CHAPTER 5: THE GUNSLINGER & CHAPTER 21: THE PIRATE
These two are probably the hardest to draw parallels on. “Chapter 5: The Gunslinger” starts with a dogfight, while “Chapter 21: The Pirate” features quite a long dogfight as well. Peli Motto was originally meant to appear in Chapter 21 and her introduction to the Star Wars galaxy was in Chapter 5. Fennec Shand tells Din of the Mandalorians’ fate on Nevarro in Chapter 5, but in Chapter 21, the Mandalorians are the ones taking down others on Nevarro. Each episode also leaves off on a cliffhanger that isn’t resolved by the next episode, with Chapter 5 featuring Boba Fett saving Fennec and Chapter 21 featuring the New Republic finding beskar within a destroyed shuttle.
CHAPTER 6: THE PRISONER & CHAPTER 22: GUNS FOR HIRE
This one has some of my favorite parallels, and for no good reason! In “Chapter 6: The Prisoner,” Din teams up with mercenaries he used to work for, while we see in “Chapter 22: Guns For Hire” that Axe Woves, Koska Reeves, and other Mandalorians have become their own band of mercenaries. Both episodes feature Din being very hostile towards droids, even more so than usual. They also both include notable cameos, Bill Burr and Matt Lanter for Chapter 6 and Lizzo, Jack Black, and Christopher Lloyd for Chapter 22. In Chapter 6, Din is against the side of the law, while in Chapter 22, Din is united with Bo-Katan on the side of the law. The end of Chapter 6 saw Ranzar Malk and Qin sharing some choice words about Din while the end of Chapter 22 saw Axe also sharing some choice words about Din. (It’s fun how similar these two episodes are to each other in my head!)
CHAPTER 7: THE RECKONING & CHAPTER 23: THE SPIES
“Chapter 7: The Reckoning” and “Chapter 23: The Spies” each act as a part one of the overall grand finale of their respective seasons, with each ending on a devastating cliffhanger of a main supporting character’s tragic death. Both episodes start with a somewhat reluctant team-up of Din’s collected allies to continue a journey. Each episode is also Moff Gideon’s first appearance in their respective seasons, with both featuring Moff Gideon’s holographic image on a call before his actual physical appearance. Both episodes see the groups venturing across a desolate landscape to get to where they need to go only to get led into an ambush. In Chapter 7, it’s Grogu who gets captured by Gideon, while in Chapter 23, it’s Din who gets captured by Gideon. Additionally, each episode has peril in which allies cannot be contacted by comms. Lastly, as referenced before, Chapter 7 ends with Kuiil’s tragic death, and Chapter 23 ends with Paz’s.
CHAPTER 8: REDEMPTION & CHAPTER 24: THE RETURN
“Chapter 8: Redemption” and “Chapter 24: The Return” both end on a hopeful and somewhat peaceful note for Din and Grogu with a brand-new call to action. In Chapter 8, Moff Gideon blows up Din, while in Chapter 24, Moff Gideon gets blown up. Grogu protects Din and his allies from fire in both Chapter 8 as well as Chapter 24. In Chapter 8, the Armorer tells Din he is as Grogu’s father, while in Chapter 24, Din officially adopts Grogu as his son. Din earns a mudhorn signet for Grogu in Chapter 8 and Grogu earns part of Din’s name in Chapter 24. IG-11 sacrifices himself in Chapter 8, but comes back to life to serve as the marshal of Nevarro in Chapter 24. Both episodes contain big battle scenes that eventually lead to an entire planet being liberated. Chapter 8 features the Darksaber’s first appearance in live action, while Chapter 24 features the destruction of that same weapon. Finally, Chapter 8 sees Din and Grogu leaving Nevarro, but Chapter 24 sees Din and Grogu staying there in a home of their own.
#and this is why i love the mandalorian#is most of this just me reaching and being delusional? perhaps. perhaps#but as a season 1 girlie and a season 3 lover i will gladly go down this route#the mandalorian#star wars#the mandalorian season 1#the mandalorian season 3#din djarin
267 notes
·
View notes
Text
S2 Spoilers, ep7-8, probably ep9
Since I still don't understand the s2e8 intensions, as well as many of the elements regarding who was in Lu Guang's place, I just put together a list of questions that concern me when it comes to whether it was Lu Guang or Cheng Xiaoshi after all. I still have a feeling this is going to be retwisted, but idk.
Following Qiao Ling's speculation, the episode guides us down the path that it was Cheng Xiaoshi, but the plot does not provide direct confirmation. In all other (so far) moments, we were shown, as a result, redrawn frames with a changed eye color, where the character was possessed, in this case this did not happen, the intrigue was deliberately warmed up again. At some point, of course, the visual rules of the setting have been broken, so it's no longer a detail that can be trusted.
Like, everyone understands that this way the audience will be more confident that Qiao Ling's words here are the fact (that Lu Guang is possessed by Cheng Xiaoshi), but at the same time there is no 100% confirmation. For what.
Okay, well, next I'll split this post into two parts: the actual questions/moments and the motivations of the characters.
Actual questions/moments
1. The call
A very small hidden moment that almost went out of sight.
In fact, when Qiao Ling and Xiaoshi looked through Lu Guang's phone, we were shown the contact details of the calls. Qiao Ling called him at 18:42 , but there was no answer (other calls were answered). Since Qiao Ling's call was 50 minutes ago, we understand - Lu Guang's phone viewing time is 19:33.
And then... Pay attention. The previous call received was from Cheng Xiaoshi. The part of the screen where the time is displayed is blocked by the thumb, but it is possible to catch a small frame.
2小時之前 - Two hours ago, so the time was about 17:33 pm (probably after they left the hospital and before they began interrogating Li Tianchen).
THE F actually, cause we weren't shown any calls between Cheng Xiaoshi and Lu Guang, nothing about it were mentioned in any other moment. Another missed scene? I need to know.
2. Password, plan and phone
The position of the phone is also different in both chronologies.
If this was all Lu Guang's plan, and Lu Guang himself left a phone with a clue for Cheng Xiaoshi, then Lu Guang putted the phone face down in the bathroom.
But in the second chronology, when Cheng Xiaoshi definitely dives in the photo, Cheng Xiaoshi himself leaves the phone in a different position, he puts it face up.
So, if the position of the phone has changed, Lu Guang himself left the phone for Cheng Xiaoshi in the 1st line, it was not part of the "loop" where Cheng Xiaoshi (technically) leaves the phone in the same place himself.
So, if all this is Lu Guang's plan:
Plan or not
If so, Lu Guang must have known that Cheng Xiaoshi found out about his password, so generally able to access his phone and photos inside. Technically, if Lu Guang was unaware of Cheng Xiaoshi knowing his password, the photo wasn't left for Cheng Xiaoshi - Lu Guang hadn't planned it at all. But I think, this was planned by him, because otherwise he could have simply delete that single photo (for the safety reasons) from the phone, knowing well what Cheng Xiaoshi would do when he found the photo.
Qiao Ling
He needed Qiao Ling's participation, which is why he left her the right coordinates. Although I still do not understand why only for her, only because of distrust of the police? In fact, I still don’t understand why it was necessary to put Qiao Ling in such danger, but then again, if it makes sense, then perhaps in the rewritten/alternate events, she should have a bigger role.
The reasons
The biggest question. Would Lu Guang himself leave the photo as a part of the plan, put Cheng Xiaoshi himself in such danger? Knowing that Cheng Xiaoshi s does not know the real chronology of events, and without a hint with foresight, he can simply change events. Why take such a risk, knowing that Cheng Xiaoshi will not know the correct chronology. Again, if Lu Guang able to see the future, the main point - to save Cheng Xiaoshi and probably get more information about their enemies (if he "followed" the Li Tianchen voluntarily).
The only reason (in my mind) he could leave a photo for Cheng Xiaoshi intentionally - because technically Cheng Xiaoshi's already saved, and Lu Guang intentionally need Cheng Xiaoshi to rewrite these events, to jump into photo and radically messed it up due to banal ignorance of the situation in advance.
Idk, I think this makes sense, although I don't understand the final point yet. And, if Lu Guang is able to see the future from the present, is he also able to see alternative events?
3. DAMN BOAT
Idk, but the boat thing seems so off. Like, I kinda get why Lu Guang himself is able to drive a boat, but when it comes to Cheng Xiaoshi , I'm just confused. Because, if Lu Guang was possessed here, it means, that Cheng Xiaoshi knows how to drive a boat. And if he is able to jump like this, the boat itself is still next to the shore. So it wasn't that hard just jump on it once again, and if he knows how to drive a boat, he could at least try to keep up with Li Tianchen's boat to save Lu Guang. No?
4. DAMN KETTLE
OK. If we assume that it was Cheng Xiaoshi from the future who saved Cheng Xiaoshi from the past, then, in theory, all his actions, although he does not know them for sure without Lu Guang, they should initially lead to success, idk? The only thing he did the same for now - waited for 18:55.
But now we have inaccuracies, in particular, a broken window, in the "first" timeline of events, a KETTLE was definitely not used to create such a hole. And Cheng Xiaoshi obviously did not know what exactly he should throw for the same result.
5. "Hide and seek"
Okay, it was said that Lu Guang hid in the restroom, waiting for the police to be distracted by the window after kicking the door. Again, these were the words of the characters, not the fact.
We see that the restroom's door opens to the inside of the restroom, not to the outside, btw.
Initially, it is said that they did not check the restroom, which means that no one paid attention to it in the first line of events, while the second version of events already leads to the fact that even if Cheng Xiaoshi is not found, the policeman paid his attention.
On camera footage: Lu Guang from the first line of events, does not leave the restroom, just walks down the hallway of the room, the restroom door is closed (but could this be an animation error? idk). Technically, he had to open the door of the restroom on himself, go around it and only after that go out into the corridor of the room, and then go out into the corridor of the hospital. I can't tell if it's a bug, but if not, the details of what Lu Guang did once again are different and doesn't match what Cheng Xiaoshi does.
6. Combat skills.
What bothers me the most is his physical condition. Why he was able to jump around so quickly, but then again, we don't know how much time passed between eps, how much his wounds could heal. If we can trust these frames, then his bandages have already been removed (or is he just a wild man and took them off himself ???).
I know this is somewhat speculative, again, this is the most confusing part for me. The conclusions about Lu Guang's physical condition and ability to fight are the words of Qiao Ling. But that's also a guess.
Since we don't know (almost) anything about Lu Guang, it's hard to guess what skills he has. Because if he saw the future from a photo, then he could simply know and see/remember Li Tianchen's attacks and actions in advance (just like in the special episode form s1)
Moreover, all this fight on the shore is an attempt to repel Li Tianchen's punches, not beat him up. In particular, when he tries to grab Cheng Xiaoshi again. Don't give him a chance to touch, take control.
Afterwards, set him aside. Like, the whole fight scene was to protect Cheng Xiaoshi. The man in Lu Guang's place is a person who knew what Li Tianchen was capable of. Technically, Lu Guang may foresaw the future, while if in his place was Cheng Xiaoshi, with full understanding of the situation, the way he puts Lu Guang in danger just destroys the whole point of the story, since Cheng Xiaoshi from the future already wants to avoid Lu Guang's kidnapping.
Despite the fact that Li Tianchen, even if he has good skills, is a-ahem-twink, and even a kick from the foot did not have enough strength to topple him, while Cheng Xiaoshi with just a punch could knock over, and then even lift and throw away a full grown man engaged in martial arts. Literally in episode 2. Idk? Is this really Xiaoshi's physical strength / fighting level in this moment with Li Tianchen?
We all saw Lu Guang's wounds reopen. It was probably because of the fight and such physical activity. Like, the idea that his wounds were opened because of Cheng Xiaoshi's actions... Is somewhat strange? Given that Cheng Xiaoshi from the future is already aware of the danger to Lu Guang.
I don't think Cheng Xiaoshi would do something so reckless as to get into a fight, let that happen. Even if the wounds were opened due to the fact that he was no longer possessed by Cheng Xiaoshi… Would Cheng Xiaoshi himself allow this, knowing that this would be the third time Lu Guang had bled to death?
7. Sound
There is difference in the same scene from different eps. In ep8, when Li Tianchen is looking at Lu Guang, there is a specific sound similar to sound of ability use, but there is nothing like this in ep7.
You can check it yourself: ep8 (04:36) and ep7 (21:13).
We still have speculation that the photo was actually passed on by the brother, given that in the new teaser, it was Li Tianchen who was shown holding the photo. That's why. Is there a possibility that he prepared this trap from the very beginning or also acts as a separate side from Qian Jin, following his own interests. Maybe there is something invisible that connects his plotline with Lu Guang's actions. There are no conclusions. Just suspicious.
Motivation
Probably the most important part.
Cheng Xiaoshi and his attitude towards Lu Guang is the main reason why I think that in the first chronology of events it was Lu Guang himself, not Cheng Xiaoshi.
If Cheng Xiaoshi really possessed Lu Guang during the first chronology... It just doesn't fit in my head in terms of the character's motivation and personality. Because if its canon:
Why on earth Cheng Xiaosh would decide to do it all, while possessing Lu Guang, with whole knowing and awareness that his friend was almost killed, physically suffered, at the same time, knowing that he may bleed again? Like, literally, force him to fight, knowing the wounds might open after it?
What, then, is the motivation for while being Lu Guang, not just to put him in danger, but literally risk his life, like, to engage in a FIGHT with the person who almost killed him! And then not only let go of the Li Tianchen, but also rush after him, directly almost voluntarily handing over Lu Guang to the enemy.
It's even has to be *future* Cheng Xiaoshi that way - what is the point for Cheng Xiaoshi, who already has the knowledge of danger, of kidnapping, to do such a thing at all? Again! To save himself? He just handed Lu Guang over to his probable death with his own hands? One of the closest people in his life?
This boy, who saw Lu Guang dying?
Who literally thought Lu Guang was dead?
Who was willing to rewrite the past for Lu Guang?
The boy who weighed all the blame on his own shoulders? THIS boy?
Sound nothing like Cheng Xiaoshi to me. Not at all, especially when we see throughout all the episodes of his experience, his guilt, his understanding of what Lu Guang is ready to do for him. It just literally killing his entire personality in that way. Like. Am I misunderstanding something? Where is the logic in that case - beyond of my understanding.
This, this is the problem I have with "possessing" thing. Because if so, it's either a white hole in the narrative or so out of character that I really hope there is more to unpack. Otherwise, honestly, it's a very bad writing. I hope it's not.
I really don't understand the meaning of some things in the last episode rn, but the current plot likes to play with "misperceptions", so I'm chill enough about them until the last episode of the season comes out.
I don't know, I feel like I spent like 10 or even 12 hours discussing the plot and eps, all this is a collected meta post from discussions with my friend @wrathyforest ， who shares with me both grief and joy, ahaha.
Thanks for reading! Feel free to discuss.
#link click#shiguang dailiren#link click spoilers#link click s2#time agents#lu guang#cheng xiaoshi#this post cost me hours of my life i swear#have fun hahaha#link click theory
165 notes
·
View notes
Text
Hero Vision Vol.14 (2004/Spring)
ft. Kamen Rider Blade Cast Interviews
Takayuki Tsubaki & Hironari Amano Segment
(translation below)
Publication: May 20, 2004 (between episodes 17-18)
Takayuki Tsubaki (Kazuma Kenzaki) & Hironari Amano (Sakuya Tachibana)
"In the show, you play the roles of senior and junior, but in real life, from Tsubaki-kun's point of view, Amano-san is his senior when it comes to the entertainment industry. Do you ever confide your problems in him?"
Tsubaki: Yes, I do.
Amano: (suppressing his laughter) That's a liiie~.
Tsubaki: Ah! But, what about the time we went out to dinner together, or……ah, actually, I can't remember (said lacking confidence).
"When on set, who's the one that's most supportive and follows up with others?"
Amano: No matter who it is, if someone was yelled at or feeling discouraged, everyone follows up with them by saying, "Don't worry about it!" Everyone's so upbeat, and we're always laughing on set.
"When it comes to acting, do you ever talk about things like, "Going forward, let's do this"?"
Amano: Hmmm……For me, I'm not sure where my role is heading. I try not to establish the role from the beginning, but rather, add new elements as the opportunities arise. At first, I thought Tachibana was a calm, cool person who didn't show any emotions, but to my surprise, there are scenes of him losing his temper and yelling early on in the show.
"Do you and Tachibana have anything in common?"
Amano:……The tendency to worry. But, even though in the past I wouldn't tell people about my worries, recently, I've started to actually do so. I've come to realize just how easy it is.
"Tachibana also has a soft side for Sayoko."
Amano: I want to make Tachibana look more human. It's normal for a human to have many sides. There's the face you have during work, and the face you have in your private life. Now, Tachibana is trying to be strong by not relying on others, and it makes me think, "This isn't how a Rider's supposed to be!" (laughs). It may not be the usual justice of the past, but I think it would be great if Tachibana could overcome his obstacles and gain some confidence.
"Tsubaki-kun, do you think there are any similarities between yourself and Kenzaki?"
Tsubaki:……(vaguely) The stupid part of him? (laughs).
"Is it true that you became an actor because you wanted to learn how to express your feelings due to not having any?"
Tsubaki: I don't have any emotions at all, it's like I'm not a normal human, so it's really fun to "become" a human being when I get into the role. When I was younger, I was so loud, that people would often tell me, "You're noisy!"……Various things have happened since then, and I think I've calmed down abit. I also thought that while I'm a Rider, it would be easier for me to be Kenzaki if I didn't have "myself" in mind, so I've decided to think only about Kenzaki for the rest of the year. That's also why when I'm on set and Morimoto-kun is standing right next to me, my blood starts to rush. I think, "Why can't we fight even though I'm here?!"
Amano: Before we start filming, I try to reduce any tension (in order to become Tachibana), but this guy, he does the role the entire time. That's why he speaks in such a weird way. Even when we all eat together, he'll suddenly say, "You Bastard!," and "Get lost!" He would then start beating on Morimoto-kun, whose face looked as though it were saying, "Ehhhh~?!" (laughs). Morimoto-kun would then also act back.
Tsubaki: Morimoto-kun and I have to fight everyday anyway…..
"You'll soon start filming for the movie, where you'll have to think even more about Riders.
Tsubaki:……I don't know what will happen to me if Tachibana-san betrays me any further (said seriously).
Amano: I like how over such trivial things, you'll suddenly start speaking normally! When he talks to me over the phone, he's like, "Tachibana-san! it's Kenzaki! Where are you right now? Please call me back!" It's like he's prank calling me (laughs).
Tsubaki: For Morimoto-kun, "Hajime?!," is what I'll say when I call him. "I'll kill you," is what he'll say in response……
Amano: Ah, but when you talk to me and Morimoto-kun, you do talk normally.
"Morimoto-kun seems like he's trying to match Tsubaki-kun's pace (laughs). Maybe Tsubaki-kun is the type of person who needs to be taken care of by everyone?"
Tsubaki: That's right. But, it can't be helped, since Tachibana-san is currently acting so violent.
Amano: You're talking about in the show, right?
Tsubaki: Ah, right.
"Do you have a favorite line from the show?"
Amano: For me it's, "My body is falling apart!" People will constantly say it as a joke when on set. Hearing it actually makes me very happy.
"It's known that Tsubaki-kun's lines and way of speaking have become a popular topic of conversation among the fans (laughs). I think it's because they love the ridiculous feel of it."
Tsubaki:……I have mixed feelings about it. I'm glad it's being talked about, but still……(saddened).
Amano: During the dubbing process, the tension is so high, that it gives me alot of energy. In the recording room, everyone goes, "Hah! Hah!" (panting) for even the smallest action scenes. Recently, Tachibana's body has been falling apart to the point of hyperventilating due to the excessive panting (laughs).
"Have there ever been times during filming where you thought, "I really messed up big time!"?"
Amano & Tsubaki (at the same time): The snowy mountain scene in episode 3!
Amano: It was so cold that I couldn't move my mouth.
Tsubaki: My face was frozen. But, you can't tell just how hot or cold it is on when watching on the screen, so either way it's still bad.
"We'd like to thank you for all the hard work you go through when filming everyday."
Amano: Before that, I fell asleep for the first time on the Yamanote Line and circled it completely. I got on the train at Ikebukuro, then suddenly realized, I was back in Ikebukuro again. I looked at my watch and said, "Huh, I'm still here, so why is it so late?! Shit! I circled the line!" (laughs).
Tsubaki: I'd be totally fine with it if that happened to me.
"Would you consider yourself athletic and physically fit?"
Tsubaki: No, I'm just young.
Amano:……Would it be alright if I got upset? (laughs). He's not athletic at all! When we were at the snowy mountains, we all snowboarded together, but after like 2 or 3 times, he said, "I'm leaving. I'm tired. I'm sleepy." I was like, "Hey, hey, hold on, Blade!" (laughs).
"You really go at your own pace, don't you? Since you were young, have you always thought you were alittle different from other people?"
Tsubaki: By the time I realized it, people were already calling me weird. But, since we all start out by crawling, in a way, aren't we all weird?
Amano: Oh, that's pretty deep.
"Amano-san, what was your childhood like?"
Amano: I wanted to become independent as soon as possible, so I started looking for part time work by the time I was in my fourth and fifth year of elementary school. One of my friend's mother recommended becoming a child model as a way to earn money with ease, so I ended up joining an agency on my own. I've been in the entertainment world ever since then.
Tsubaki: I become easily emotional when I watch dramas, so….
"So you also wanted to inspire people?"
Tsubaki: (firmly) No, I just wanted to do it myself.
"How honest of you (laughs). Do you feel you're more likely to grow when receiving praise?"
Tsubaki: I want to be criticized for my performance. I'm obviously still not good at it, so I need to be told these things in order to become better.
Amano: Well said, I can see just how serious you are (is impressed). I tend to get carried away when I receive praise. But, I also become discouraged when I'm criticized. It's like my weakness…..
"Finally, would you please give a message to the fans?"
Amano: Eh? Ah…(timid) please pay attention to how I grow in the future……
Tsubaki: Tachibana-san! You're the senior here!
Amano: Ah, you're right. We're all working very hard on this, so please continue to watch us!
Tsubaki: Please watch usss!!
#kamen rider blade#kamen rider#kazuma kenzaki#kenzaki kazuma#tachibana sakuya#sakuya tachibana#kamen rider garren#my scans#toku cast#takayuki tsubaki#tsubaki takayuki#hironari amano#amano hironari#hero vision#tokusatsu#toku#my translation#interview#ryoji morimoto#hajime aikawa
86 notes
·
View notes
Text
A Guide on Ashes of Love (for TTEOTM fans)
For TTEOTM fans debating whether to watch Ashes of Love (or struggling with how long it is), I highly recommend that you CHECK IT OUT and STICK WITH IT!
Why? A lot of people think that it's Luo Yunxi at his best looks-wise. It's the role that made him a household name and really defined the ethereal white-robed male god in Chinese pop culture. Runyu has much more screentime than is typical for a second male lead. And while it has a lot of filler, it also has some of the best scenes, lines, music, cinematography, and fight choreography among xianxias.
Now, there are problems with the drama... especially in retrospect, the two biggest are: (1) It's infamous for stretching 36 episodes into 63 because mo' episodes, mo' money. On the bright side, this gave the drama a bigger budget to play with, hence grander sets, better CGI, nicer costumes. (2) The naive female lead and love trumps all plot now feel dated and perhaps even problematic. However, Yang Zi is a compelling actress and there's enough politics to keep mature viewers around.
So here's a guide to the 63 episodes, for those who want the "lay of the land". You can decide for yourself what to watch or skip. Naturally it's hard to avoid spoilers, but I've kept them mild.
Episodes 1-5: Jinmi travels to the heavenly realm (Bloat Score: 3/5)
This is mainly Jinmi meeting different characters and having fun in the heavenly realm. You can speed watch as it's light on plot. Runyu only appears for 1-2 scenes per episode, but his fight scenes are beautiful (EP1-35m, EP3-27m, EP5-37m)!
Episodes 6-8: The four leads travel to the Demon Realm (Bloat Score: 2/5)
This part is pretty action-packed. Jinmi surprises everyone with her powers. Blossoming romance between the leads. Runyu has a more consistent presence. Would watch at normal speed.
Episodes 9-17: The two brothers compete for Jinmi while uncovering her true identity (Bloat Score: 1/5)
The plot really picks up here as you start to get hooked on solving the mystery of Jinmi's identity and affairs of the past generation. I particularly liked the mini climaxes in Ep 12 and 15.
Episodes 18-34: Jinmi & Xufeng undergoes human trial + Runyu's backstory (Bloat Score: 4/5)
This is the plot within the plot that was not in the source novel and has no reason to exist other than to increase runtime and give viewers more romance between the leads. If you didn't like the dream arc in TTEOTM, this will be even worse. Lucky for us they've also fleshed out Runyu's backstory and perspective in Ep 29-32, where viewers started rooting for Runyu instead.
Episode 35-45: Jinmi decides who to marry as the brothers head to epic showdown (Bloat Score: 2/5)
The drama takes a more serious tone here, with more angst, tragedy, and power play. Runyu sheds his innocence and fights for his own corner. You also get to see him confess his love to Jinmi in one of my favorite scenes in Ep 37.
Episode 46-59: The aftermath aka a big stew of tears, blood-spitting, regret, hurt (Bloat Score: 4/5)
Frankly I found this part painful to watch and repetitive. I can't recall what happens other than it builds up to another epic fight between the brothers Helen of Troy style. Runyu is at his darkest and there are a few TTJ-like obsessive love scenes between him and Jinmi (EP50-19m, EP56-28m, EP57-15m, EP58-25m)
Episodes 60-63 The Ending (Bloat Score: 2/5)
A pretty satisfying ending. The big battle itself takes place in Ep 61, so there are 2 full episodes to resolve things between the characters and give them a proper ending. Runyu's final scene is done very well and always gives me the goosebumps (EP63-39m)
Also, there are lots of scenes of the third couple (demon princess and her bodyguard) spliced throughout. If it doesn't do anything for you, just skip - it has no impact to the main plot.
Have fun watching!
#till the end of the moon#black moonlight holds the be script#luo yunxi#cdrama#chang yue jin ming#chinese drama#tteotm#tantai jin#ashes of love#runyu#jinmin
82 notes
·
View notes
Text
Snapshot of Apr-2019
For the month of April 2019, the lads appear in 19 episodes on 13 dates (thanks to double Tuesdays) - together in 15, Robert in 15 and Aaron in 19. This is basically the end of the lads happy times 😔. Briefly:
Some downtime with the lads playing footie
Aaron punished by getting fobbed off with Meatloaf!
Enter Natalie and the Dingle nonsense almost ruining things with the surrogate
Sweet heart-to-heart between Robert & Liv ♥️
The sofa/socks scene ♥️
Robert didn’t tense 😂!
Hello Opie!Sebastian!
A happy, hand holding, skipping lads ♥️
Happy birthday, Robert ❤️!
The night out mess
05-Apr-2019 B (Original set, New set)
09-Apr-2019 A (Episode 1 & 2, Aaron Mini set), 11-Apr-2019 B (Episode 1 & 2 Combo, Episode 1, Episode 2: Return from Hotten/Liv & Robert, Lads/Sofa/Socks), 12-Apr-2019 B
15-Apr-2019 B (Episode, Mini set), 16-Apr-2019 B (Episode 1 & 2 Combo, Episode 1, Episode 2: The Mill, In the Pub), 17-Apr-2019 B (Episode, Mini set, Aaron Mini set), 18-Apr-2019 B (Episode 1, Episode 2, Mini set)
22-Apr-2019 B (Mill scene, Pub scene), 23-Apr-2019 B (Episode 1: Outdoor scenes, The Mill, Aaron Mini set, Episode 2: The Mill, Pub/Final scenes, Episode 1 & 2 Mini Combo set), 24-Apr-2019 A, 25-Apr-2019 B (Original at the Nightclub, Episode 1, Episode 2), 26-Apr-2019 A
Coding in episodes: A = Aaron only in the episode, R = Robert only in the episode, B = Both in the episode
#robron#robert sugden#aaron dingle#robron legally married era#robron monthly snapshot#201904#the last of the officially happy times 😔
21 notes
·
View notes
Text
Loona and Octavia: It’s not ALWAYS about the Found Family trope...
I’ve never really talked about Helluva Boss here before, but it’s actually one of my favorite shows at the moment and this latest episode had some interactions between two characters that I’ve been waiting a long time for, and the results have set up a very interesting potential relationship dynamic and I really want to discuss it.
So let’s talk about Loona and Octavia. And a take that I imagine might get me a bit of flak: I don’t think the relationship between these two is the ‘wholesome sisterly dynamic’ that much of the fandom seems to have latched onto. However, I also don’t really see this pair’s dynamic as necessarily being romantic either. Rather, I think there is something else quite a bit more interesting going on here.
I think the main the reason why the idea of the story treating Loona and Octavia as some explicitly ‘sisterly’ relationship hasn’t really felt right to me, particularly after this latest episode, is the fact that Loona and Octavia simply aren’t kids.
Loona is just entering her twenties, and Octavia is just about out of her teens. One detail about the whole ‘Octavia is 17!’ thing that I think most people have overlooked is when we actually learned this information. Specifically, the info about Octavia being 17 was released around the same time or even before her first proper appearance in the show in S1E2. Now consider the fact that Season 1 of Helluva Boss seems to take place over the better part of a year at least, with just the stretch between episodes three (Spring Break=March) and five (Harvest Moon=September) alone being six-to-seven months. So if Octavia is 17 in ‘Loo-Loo Land’, then by now she is almost certainly 18, or at least very close to her birthday.
My point to all this is that I think the entire ‘wholesome sisterly dynamic’ interpretation of Loona’s and Octavia’s relationship is actually quite a bit off-base. A lot of the fandom seems to view the dynamic between these two as two kids or a younger kid and an older teen brought together as part of a family because their dads became a couple.
But particularly after this latest episode, I think it’s clear that the narrative of Helluva Boss is NOT treating either Loona or Octavia as ‘kids’ but rather as two young adults figuring out their place in the world and working through and coming to grips with some very complicated issues relating to their dads and families. So instead of their relationship being some ‘adoptive step-sisters’ dynamic that is simply some byproduct of the relationship between their dads, I think Loona’s and Octavia’s bond is going to be much more of a close, intimate friendship that exists largely independently of whatever their dads may have going on.
And I think we can already get a pretty good guess as to what this friendship is going to represent for the story.
During Loona’s and Octavia’s scene together, there’s this really interesting bit of duel symbolism going on that I haven’t seen anyone bring up.
Remember Loona’s finicky I.M.P. lighter? Now a lot of people have already pointed out the symbolism of the lighter representing Blitzo and Loona’s relationship with her father: The lighter doesn’t always work, and even rarely works, but it is trying. And eventually it does work, just like Blitzo’s efforts to be a good father.
However, now let’s keep this symbolism in mind and dial the scene back to the start when Loona is trying to light her cigarette. She tries to use the lighter, but can’t get it to work. But then Octavia lights Loona’s cigarette. Think about the symbolism there for a moment.
If the lighter in this scene represents Blitzo’s genuine and earnest but still very flawed and unreliable relationship with Loona, then I think this could very well symbolize that a friendship with Octavia is something much more stable and trusting for Loona.
And the same is true the other way around. At the end of the scene when the smog clears just a bit to give Octavia and Loona a view of the night sky, Octavia does get a view of the stars, which symbolize her father, but else what is shining down on her even brighter? The moon. Which is the point where Loona offers her a hand and the moment where they share a hug before returning to Blizo and Stolas. All under the light of the full moon.
Again, the symbolism here isn’t particularly subtle. While the stars are something Octavia struggles to find, just like her relationship with her father, it is the moon which shines down on her even brighter. Again symbolizing that Loona is someone Octavia can trust and rely on far more than her father.
It really feels like this scene is showing us Loona and Octavia recognizing and coming to grips with the fact that both their fathers are colossal fuckups as parents, yet also love and care for their respective daughters dearly, while ALSO showing Loona and Octavia forming this close bond with someone who both deeply understands what they are going through, and is someone they really can trust and rely on.
One of the big recurring themes about Blitzo’s and Stolas’s arc as fathers that really gets highlighted this episode is that one can have entirely genuine, unconditional love for their child and want the absolute best for them, while ALSO being a complete and utter disaster of a parent.
Like Blitzo clearly adores Loona and wants nothing but the best for his daughter, and he also just as clearly SUCKS at being a parent. As we learn in this episode, the whole reason he even adopted Loona in the first place was because her situation hit one of his repressed trauma buttons HARD and ever since he’s been doing nothing but enabling Loona’s unhealthy coping mechanisms to her own trauma because he is clearly terrified of being ANYTHING like his own father. Again, that’s not to say Blitzo doesn’t love his daughter completely and unconditionally. It’s just that as a functioning parent, Blitzo is a complete fucking MESS.
And Stolas isn’t much better himself. Yes, he used to be a legitimately pretty good dad to Octavia, but it’s pretty clear that years of verbal/psychological abuse from Stella and a LOT of repression have seriously messed Stolas up. And he’s really only become more of a mess since he started up his affair with Blitzo. With Octavia being the one caught up in the middle of that mess.
Again, it’s clear that Octavia still means the world to Stolas and he would never knowingly do anything to hurt her. It’s just that he’s also a complete fucking WRECK of unraveling repressed trauma in the midst of an imploding marriage AND caught up in childhood-friend-romance-feelings that even he doesn’t fully understand. All of which clearly has a tendency to override/short-out any ‘good-parenting’ instincts. Just this episode shows us in several cases of Stolas either getting caught up in her divorce from Stella or getting caught up in his love for Blitzo and wanting to have fun with him that he ends up unknowingly leaving Octavia by the wayside. It’s not that Stolas doesn’t love his daughter, it’s that his mess of psychological and emotional issues have left him fairly unreliable to Octavia.
Which is precisely what makes Loona so important. Throughout the entire episode, she’s the one who puts in all the actual legwork to help Octavia. Loona is the one to figure out that Octavia went to Los Angeles while Blitzo and Stolas had no idea where she was. Loona is the one to actually track down Octavia in LA while Blitzo, Stolas and the M&Ms get caught up in various shenanigans. And it’s Loona who gives Octavia the emotional heart-to-heart and closure that she needs.
It all seems to point to Loona being exactly the kind of close, reliable friend that Octavia desperately needs in her life right now. And going by the symbolism with the lighter we covered earlier, it seems like Octavia will likewise end up being the same kind of close friend that Loona needs in her life too.
This is ultimately a big reason why I think the whole ‘adoptive sisterly’ interpretation of Loona and Octavia doesn’t really fit with what the show is actually giving us. This doesn’t feel like two kids being brought together simply because their parents have started a serious relationship. This feels like two young adults with similar interests and issues striking up a close friendship that is largely independent of their parents.
Yes, Loona and Octavia technically meet through their dads, but let’s not forget that Blitzo’s and Stolas’s relationship can still be best described as ‘an extremely vaguely-defined fling’. Yes, Blitzo and Stolas have certainly caught major feelings for each other, but they are clearly still a LONG way off from any kind of serious, committed relationship, let alone something that would end up classifying Loona and Octavia as ‘sisters’.
And any blossoming friendship between Loona and Octavia is clearly going to be their own thing, based on their shared likes and interests and what is clearly a deep, mutual understanding of their very similar problems, rather than anything tied to whatever their dads have going on. For one thing, I kinda doubt either Loona or Octavia see each other as any kind of ‘sister’ after their first meeting in Star Seekers, rather than simply a girl with a lot of similar interests who really understands what they’re going through. A friendship feels more like mutually supportive relationship that they both Loona and Octavia know they can trust and rely on more than their uncertain and tumultuous relationships with their dads.
Like I can totally imagine a situation down the line where Blitzo and Stolas have some big dramatic ‘breakup’ for a while where Stolas tries to break-off his ‘contract’ with Blitzo by giving him one of the Asmodean Crystals that the previous episode hinted that would allow Blitzo and his company to access the human world without Stolas’s Grimoire. And it’s all big and dramatic and both are going ‘Yep. It’s really over between us now.’
And then it turns out Loona and Octavia are still hanging out and having fun together because this doesn’t actually change anything for them and if either of their dads gave even the slightest insinuation that they should stop being friends, they would IMMEDIATELY go ‘Fuck you dad/Blitzo! She’s my best friend!’ And probably immediately steal the Grimoire/kick Blitzo’s ass simply out of spite.
After this episode, it really feels like whatever relationship Loona and Octavia are going to have is something largely independent of what their dads have going on, just as Loona and Octavia will likely be growing more independent of their fathers as individuals as they grow up. So whenever Blitzo and Stolas finally figure their shit out and commit to a real relationship, I think Loona and Octavia will very much have their own separate thing going on. They’ll certainly still be a ‘family’, but I seriously doubt it will be the kind of straightforward, homogenous ‘two fathers raising two daughters’ type of thing that a lot of the fandom seems to be expecting.
#helluva boss#helluva boss analysis#helluva boss theory#loona#helluva loona#octavia goetia#helluva octavia#blitzo#stolas goetia#when fandom gets a little TOO into the found family trope...#first big helluva boss post#more to come#i think there is some REALLY interesting stuff going on with these two...
380 notes
·
View notes
Text
.|X| THANKS FOR PLAYING |X|.
[synopsis]
finals are finally over, and all you want is to keep yourself entertained on the lonely train ride home since your best friend crush isn't coming with you.
you don't expect to find yourself becoming the main character in a horror story.
[main pairing] >> chan x gn!reader
[other ships] >> implied reader x ot12 friendship, background verkwan, implied minghao/seokmin
[main cast] >> reader, chan, [redacted]
[supporting cast] >> vernon, seungkwan, minghao
[cameos] >> jeonghan, mingyu, seokmin, seungcheol
[rating] >> 16+
[genre] >> texting au, horror, angst, tragedy
[status] >> COMPLETE
2023.06.12 - 2023.07.13
[update schedule] >> daily (sometime between 6-8PM PST)
[series warnings] >> psychological horror, (supernatural) gaslighting, implied main character death (reader)
[tags] >> slow burn (that technically never actually ignites oops), starts off silly, and then quite suddenly is Not, if you're looking for a happy ending this is not the story for you
[story background/set-up] >> (see episode 00)
[series tag] >> #thanksforplayingsvt
[author's note]
i decided to split episodes by conversation, so episodes will average 3-5 screenshots, but there are a few with only single images. also, timestamps (when you see them) are very important :) also also, the only physical description about reader is that they have small fingers
[EPISODE GUIDE]
.|| 00 ||.
Friday, December 15th
.|| 01 ||. [⚡️💛 Channie 💛⚡️🦦🐈]
.|| 02 ||. [+82 2 XXX XXX XXXX]
.|| 03 ||. [🗡️🪱 hannie (would still love if a worm)]
.|| 04 ||. [🎧🪢 hansOULMATE]
.|| 05 ||. [🍊🔪 sollie’s future husband (evil) (💙)]
.|| 06 ||. [+82 2 XXX XXX XXXX]
.|| 07 ||. [+82 2 XXX XXX… and 5 others]
.|| 08 ||. [🐶🍻 gyubert]
.|| 09 ||. [📢🎤 seokminnie]
.|| 10 ||. [+82 2 XXX XXX… and 5 others]
.|| 11 ||. [🐸🍷 haohao]
.|| 12 ||. [+82 2 XXX XXX... and 5 others]
.|| 13 ||. [🐶🍻 gyubert]
.|| 14 ||. [🍊🔪 sollie’s future husband (evil) (💙)]
.|| 15 ||. [+82 2 XXX XXX... and 5 others]
.|| 16 ||. [🏔🧸 cheollie weollie]
.|| 17 ||. [+82 2 XXX XXX... and 5 others]
.|| 18 ||. [written - 324 words]
.|| 19-1 ||. [+82 2 XXX XXX XXXX]
.|| 19-2 ||. [+82 2 XXX XXX XXXX]
.|| 20 ||. [+82 2 XXX XXX XXXX] & [+82 2 XXX XXX... and 5 others]
.|| 21 ||. [+82 2 XXX XXX... and 5 others]
.|| 22 ||. [🐸🍷 haohao]
.|| 23 ||. [+82 2 XXX XXX... and 5 others]
.|| 24 ||. [+82 2 XXX XXX... and 5 others]
.|| 25-1 ||. [calling: 🎧🪢 hansOULMATE]
.|| 25-2 ||. [calling: 🎧🪢 hansOULMATE]
.|| 26 ||. [+82 2 XXX XXX... and 5 others]
.|| 27 ||. [+82 2 XXX XXX... and 5 others]
.|| 28 ||. [written ~800 words]
.|| 29 ||. [+82 2 XXX XXX XXXX]
After
.|| 30 ||. [⚡️💛 Channie 💛⚡️🦦🐈]
.|| 31 ||. [⚡️💛 Channie 💛⚡️🦦🐈]
.|| 32 ||. [⚡️💛 Channie 💛⚡️🦦🐈]
.|| 33 ||. [⚡️💛 Channie 💛⚡️🦦🐈]
Epilogue
.|| 34 ||. [Unknown]
Bonus Material
Q&A
#thanksforplayingsvt#svt#svt au#svt social media au#lee chan x you#lee chan x reader#svt angst#lee chan angst#cw: flashing#savv writes#savv fics#….i am probably forgetting tags but Oh Well#HERE IT IS Y’ALL IM SO EXCITED FOR THIS
123 notes
·
View notes
Text
Watching A Movie/Series Prompts
1. A admits that they've watched the rest of the episode/season/series without B - despite them previously having agreed on watching it together.
2. Focusing on the movie/episode is impossible for A with B sitting this close to them.
3. A is trying to get B, who is watching a movie/series, to pay attention to them.
4. A hides their face in B's neck/etc. during a particularly sad/scary scene.
5. A and B talk while watching a movie/series. With time, it becomes a background noise as they are focused on one another.
6. When A comes home/etc., they find B re-watching their favorite (comfort) movie/series.
7. A and B are watching a movie/series in a different language and try to figure out what it's about.
8. A and B use terms from a movie/series universe in their everyday life.
9. A and B fall asleep together while watching a movie/series. (When they wake up, the movie/series is still playing and spoilers things for them.)
10. A and B are watching a movie/series together when A spills their drink/the popcorn bowl falls down/etc.
11. A and B both insist on being the biggest fan of a movie/series.
12. A and B cuddle while watching a movie/series.
13. A gets inspired by a movie/series they’ve watched together with B for a date setting/etc.
14. A starts making up their own dialogue for the movie/series (because theirs is simply better).
15. A and B are having a lazy day. They stay in bed/etc. and watch movies/etc.
16. A and B have a standing movie/series date every Wednesday/etc. This time, things are different, but A doesn’t/neither of them want(s) to give up on the tradition.
17. A is trying to watch a movie/series, but is constantly getting distracted by B. (It’s irritating. They are irritating.)
18. When A comes home/enters the room, B immediately turns off the electronic device and with it the movie/episode they were watching.
19. A thinks all movies/series are predictable. B makes it their job to prove A wrong.
20. In the middle of a movie/series marathon, A and B do a quick supermarket run/order their pizza/etc.
21. A and B play out a scene from a movie/series.
22. A (and B) cries (/cry) while watching a movie/series.
23. A finds B asleep, a movie/episode playing in the background.
24. A gets up in the middle of the movie/episode. (They come back a minute or two later, holding a blanket/etc.)
25. A disagreement on a character's actions leads to an argument between A and B.
26. A and B have the yearly tradition of watching a specific movie/series/episode.
27. While watching a movie/series, A slowly finds B’s hand and entangles their fingers/gently presses their thigh against B’s/etc.
28. A was supposed to make an appearance in a movie/series, but apparently, they got cut out in the edit/etc. B tries to cheer them up/etc.
29. A and B watch a movie/series on a phone/tablet. When A’s hand, that is holding up the electronic device, starts to drop, B quickly steadies their hand/takes over.
30. A asks B to bring them something because they are too lazy to get up now/too invested in the movie/series they are watching.
31. A (and B) has (/have) watched a movie/series so often by now that they can cite certain sentences/scenes.
32. A watches B watch a movie/series. (They need to see their reaction to key moments.)
33. A thinks that what B is watching/making them watch is stupid and predictable and...Still, they find themselves staying in the room, strangely engaged in the plot/characters. (They’ll never admit it though.)
34. A and B try to guess what will happen next in the movie/series.
35. A only finds the right cuddle position at the end of the movie/episode, so they try to convince B to watch another one with them.
#writing prompts#writing inspiration#watching a movie#watching a series#movie prompts#series prompts#fluffy prompts#domestic prompts#romance prompts#couple prompts#prompt list#person a and person b
90 notes
·
View notes
Text
Let’s Talk About Jay Kelso
Warning: spoilers for That 90s Show
So I just binged T90S, and I’m not really sure how to feel, particularly about Jay. On one hand, I did really like his character, but not as much as I thought I would. And part of me thinks that’s my own fault for creating this idea in my mind of exactly what I thought he would be like without the show even being out yet, but part of me feels justified in my disappointment in the way his character was written and I’m wondering if anyone else agrees with me on this.
Jay started out really strong, he was flirty and charismatic, yet cheesy and respectful. The first two episodes have kind of blurred together at this point since I pulled an all nighter to watch this and I’m coming down from my caffeine high, but I saw a lot of potential for his character that I really didn’t see fulfilled in the rest of the series. Let me preface this by saying that I do not blame Mace Coronel, who plays Jay, AT ALL for this. I adore Mace and believe he’s beyond talented and did the best he could with what he was given. I blame it on lazy writing. As much as I love both T70S and T90S, a lot of the writing REALLY pisses me off (especially the treatment of Jackie in both shows, but that’s a topic for another time).
In my opinion, Jay peaked in episode three and it was all kind of downhill from there. Again, I still enjoyed his character, but it wasn’t what I expected or wanted from him. And maybe I am just projecting and set unreasonable expectations for his character, but I have a strong feeling the fandom will agree with me on this. Ep3 Jay really felt like the fanon Jay that I had imagined in my mind and had seen in posts from other users on here. He was still a charismatic flirt, but he was also slightly awkward, incredibly sweet, and a little dorky like I had imagined him. Between what I’d seen in trailers, official character descriptions, other tumblr users’ fan theories, and my own imagination, I imagined Jay having the charm of Kelso but much more depth. I saw him as being a bit of a nerd who loves girls but, unlike his father, isn’t a womanizer and genuinely respects them. I imagined him as very introspective, poetic, and intelligent, which I didn’t really see much of at all after episode three. Kelso himself even says in the pilot that Jay has his good looks and Jackie’s brains. And Jackie was always truly intelligent, even though she usually wasn’t treated that way. He was also described as always having a camera with him and constantly taking videos and photos of his friends which, correct me if I’m wrong, but I don’t think we saw that even once in this season. In my mind, Jay Kelso was a goofy film geek who’s popular with the ladies due to his good looks and charisma, but in a much more unconventional way than his father is. But as the series progressed, I felt like he became more and more like Kelso. Which sucks because I despise Kelso with a passion.
Let’s talk about what I liked about Jay in episode three. When Leia tries to get Jay to kiss her, he turns her down because he doesn’t want her to be a meaningless fling and because he can tell this isn’t really what she wants. So I was like okay, consent king, respecting women, we love to see it. I also fully expected Jay to be a virgin for a couple reasons. First of all, in the original series, all of the core cast (except maybe Hyde) were virgins at the beginning of the series, EVEN KELSO, and besides Jackie, they were all older than the T90S crew at 17/18, whereas the next gen of Point Place kids are all 14-16, maybe some of them 17. But in T90S it’s heavily implied that the whole gang beside Leia (and possibly Ozzie, since his boyfriend lives in Canada) have all lost their virginity. Secondly, it would be such a plot twist. A Kelso being a virgin? Unspeakable! I fully expected this grand reveal of Jay saying he doesn’t want to make the same mistakes of his father and that he’s waiting for the right person, someone he’s truly in love with, and that person being Leia (though I am glad that Jay and Leia didn’t have sex for multiple reasons. The age of the characters, their lack of chemistry, and the age difference between the actors, to name a few). I was also genuinely surprised at Jay’s lack of daddy issues. All the posts with spoilers from before the show was out from people who had seen tapings suggested Kelso being an absent father who doesn’t really love or care for Jay, which led me to believe Jay would want to be as little like his father as possible, but there was literally nothing about that in the show. Also, a bit off topic, but can we talk about how awful the circumstances of Jay and Leia getting together were? Sure they developed genuine feelings for each other eventually, but it literally starts with Leia being like “hey, I want my first kiss, and my only option’s Jay. Eh, might as well, better than nothing.”
All of these hopes were crushed in episode four when we find out that not only has Jay had sex, which okay, fine, whatever, but he’s also a player who’s broken multiple girls hearts, and it’s implied that he does this on purpose. So basically Kelso 2.0. Cool. While I do have critiques for the other episodes, I did genuinely enjoy them, whereas I absolutely despise episode four to the point where I hardly even consider it canon. Between the horrible light it painted Jay in and the insensitive and disgusting Menendez brothers joke that made me actually pause the show for a good ten minutes to process it and almost give up on the show completely, episode four was horrendous. When Nikki suggests that Jay has feelings for Leia and actually sees her as a person and not just a sex object, Jay seems genuinely surprised at best, if not disgusted. While him telling Leia in the previous episode that he doesn’t want her to be a meaningless hookup implied that he treated all women with this level of respect, this seems to flip the script to say that he sees only Leia this way, because she’s “different.” Why, because she’s the main character, because she’s a “pure” nerdy virgin, because she’s “not like other girls?” Why is Leia put on a pedestal and treated like she deserves better than other girls whereas the rest aren’t worthy of basic respect? (If this sounds familiar, it’s because this is exactly how Donna was treated in the original series as opposed to every single other girl on the show, particularly Jackie.) Because Leia is “special” she “deserves” to be treated with basic human decency, unlike “other girls,” because fuck them, right? At the rave, we see what could have been a cute moment where Leia and Jay confess their feelings for each other, but instead, Jay takes advantage of her vulnerability and arrogantly declares that he “knew it” when Leia admits her feelings rather than telling her he feels the same way. However it’s hard to hold all of this against Jay considering how out of character this seems for him. Episodes 1-3 paint him as kind and empathetic, whereas episodes 5-10 continue that sort of personality for him, but also turn him into a one note love interest that doesn’t have much else to his character. Episode four Jay literally feels like an entirely different character than the rest of the series.
In either episode four or five, forgive me for not remembering, we meet Serena, who could essentially be replaced with a piece of cardboard and nothing would change. Serena literally only exists to be “the other woman” getting in the way of Jay and Leia’s relationship. While Leia, thankfully, isn’t unkind to her just because she’s with Jay, the writers are. Unlike Leia, apparently Serena doesn’t deserve a happy ending, a good boyfriend, or a shred of respect. She’s older, she dresses in a more conventionally attractive way, and her personality is nonexistent. It’s unclear if Jay *technically* cheated on Serena; while Leia calls her Jay’s girlfriend, it’s important to take into account that Leia is an unreliable narrator and it’s entirely possible that Jay and Serena were just casually going out and not official (especially considering they were just going on their first date a day or two before Leia’s birthday), but it’s also a very real possibility that Jay did cheat on her when he kisses Leia on her birthday. Regardless of if they were official or not, it’s pretty shitty that Jay entirely casts her aside as soon as Leia shows interest. Serena who, right? No seriously, that’s literally what he says. If the roles were reversed and it was Leia he did this to, Jay would be seen as a total asshole, but since it’s Serena, we’re not supposed to care. For my swifties out there, Leia is Betty, Jay is James, and Serena is Augustine - just a “summer thing.” So not only is Jay a “player” and a “man whore” as he’s called by his own friend group, he’s also likely a cheater. Sure, he’s Kelso’s son, but that doesn’t mean he has to be a carbon copy. It’s like the writers copy and pasted Kelso into the 90s, edited a few things, and said “yeah, that’s good enough, no one will be able to tell.”
While this may sound like I hate Jay, I really don’t. In fact, he’s still probably my favorite character in the reboot, although I’m probably a bit biased due to my affections for him from before the show came out (and my eight year long crush on Mace Coronel, but that’s irrelevant.) Jay does prove himself throughout the rest of the season, showing that he does care about Leia and exhibiting empathy his father could never muster, but he still doesn’t feel like his own character. While Kelso habitually cheats on Jackie and then blames her for it, admits to using her for sex and money while she’s 15 and he’s 18, and hounds her into sex until she eventually gives in and says yes so he’ll leave her alone (ie: rape), Jay is genuinely kindhearted and would never do those sorts of things (or at least I hope he wouldn’t, but it wouldn’t shock me if the writers decide to ruin his character in later seasons.) Like Red says when Kitty points out that Jay is better than Michael, the bar isn’t all that high. However, Jay does prove himself to be a good boyfriend who genuinely cares about Leia (I don’t use the word love since their relationship developed so quickly and they’re so young, so it’s unlikely that it’s real love, despite the fact that they believe it is). He exhibits true selflessness throughout the series and continually puts himself in the line of fire (usually from Red) to protect Leia.
Nevertheless, good person or not, Jay doesn’t feel original. He seems to exist only to be Leia’s love interest boy toy. Jay lacks the soul I imagined him to have before watching the show. While it’s nice to see the female characters fleshed out for once, as was very lacking on T70S, the male characters lack dimension in comparison. Leia, Gwen, and Nikki, all have their own personalities, values, and ambitions, whereas Ozzie tends to be the sassy token gay friend (although let’s bffr, none of these new kids are straight, but the writers don’t want to admit it), Jay not only feels like Kelso Lite ™, but as the series progresses, him and Nate seem to morph into basically the same person. Two well intended, yet dumb horndogs who lack depth or any true personality of their own beyond being love interests for their girlfriends and comic relief. Again, I love, love, LOVE Mace Coronel, and have since seeing him on Nicky, Ricky, Dicky, and Dawn on Nickelodeon, and don’t blame him at all for the way his character is written. Now if you follow my blog, you probably already know that I absolutely adore not only Mace, but also his NRDD costar Aidan Gallagher, who I fell for after seeing him in The Umbrella Academy. However, Mace was the one I had a crush on as a child and it was very exciting to rediscover him when I first found out about T90S. While Aidan’s NRDD character Nicky Harper and TUA character Five Hargreeves share the same cunning spirit, they’re extremely different in most ways and I was incredibly excited to see Mace show this same sort of range on T90S. And I do believe that Mace has that range, but he unfortunately seems to be being typecast, considering Jay basically feels like teenage Dicky Harper in the 90s. Maybe I’m being overdramatic, but I was really hoping for more for Jay’s character and I was slightly disappointed, and I hope he gets fleshed out more and more deeply explored in later seasons.
Thanks for reading my long ass rant lmao. TLDR; I love Jay Kelso (and Mace Coronel) but hate how he was portrayed. Justice for Jay (oh, and for Serena)
Tagging my favorite T70S/T90S blogs for engagement: @thestupidhelmet @lily-267 @thatseventiesbitch @einsteinsugly @that90sshowgoldencouple
#jay kelso#that 90s show#that 70s show#michael kelso#mace coronel#leia forman#callie haverda#that 90s show jay#eric forman#jackie burkhart#donna pinciotti#fez#steven hyde#red forman#kitty forman#gwen runck#nate runck#leia x gwen#leia x jay#the umbrella academy#aidan gallagher#five hargreeves#nicky ricky dicky and dawn#nicky harper#dicky harper#netflix#character analysis#that 90s show review#that 90s show essay#leia x nate
172 notes
·
View notes
Text
Tokyo Mew Mew New ~ Nov 2023 Cast Booklet - Translations by Page
[Part 3]
Page 16: Aina Suzuki (Miwa)
“Tokyo Mew Mew New~ Thank you for the hard work!!! I was glad to be able to appear as Miwa in my beloved Mew Mew! I’ve always loved you <3” In the speech bubble: “Finished Congratulations”
Page 17: Iori Saeki (Moe)
“Tokyo Mew Mew New~ I was so happy to be able to watch Ichigo as Moe <3”
Page 18: Akira Ishida (Seiji)
“I’m glad the Earth was saved. After all, Seiji’s efforts alone will not solve the problem. I look forward to your continued support of Mint, and my friends at Tokyo Mew Mew.”
Page 19: Saki Nakajima as Sakura Momomiya
“Tokyo Mew Mew New~ Thank you for your hard work! It’s been 20 years since I played the first Ichigo … I never thought I’d be able to play the role of Sakura, her mother … I had such a joyful time <3 It was fun to be able to record with the wonderful cast and staff! Really really really really!!! Thank you very much! Tokyo Mew Mew New <3 I love you!” To the side: “My signature cat was based on the Mew Mew cat, and it was created with my teacher’s advice! Thank you!!” At the bottom: “Thank you for transforming Sakura into Mew Sakura!”
Page 20: Satoshi Hino as Shintaro Momomiya
“I was happy to be able to contribute to this work!! It was such an important role for me!!”
Page 21: Hisayo Mochizuki as Pudding’s Mother
“Tokyo Mew Mew New~!! I love it!”
Page 22: Asami Saitō - Color Design
“Good job everyone! It was difficult to create color changes because each episode moves to many locations, but I had fun working on it! I hope everyone has enjoyed watching the show! Thank you very much!”
Page 23: Kaoru Chiba — Art Direction, Masahiro Satō — Art Setting
“Thank you for your hard work on Tokyo Mew Mew New~! When I think of Mew Mew, what comes to mind is Cafe Mew Mew. The exterior is different, so there’s a gap between the interior and the exterior. It’s a fun memory.” (? This is likely mistranslated, sorry!)
48 notes
·
View notes
Text
Maddy’s Top Five Favorite TMNT Episodes from Every Series!
Welcome to my ranking list! My first of many, hopefully! I even spiced things up and made it all fancy with the different font! 😂 god I’m getting old.
A while ago I made a PowerPoint presentation for fun about the history of the TMNT and the franchise. From that point it led to me gaining a spot in a YouTube video series discussing the movies leading up to the premier of Mutant Mayhem, and it’s been one of the best things to happen to me despite the terrible stuff I’ve gone through.
TMNT really saved me at the lowest point of my life in the winter of 2022. It inspired me to go back to Tumblr. I met and befriended incredibly talented people in this fandom. And I’ve found a reason to be happy again because of it. The pain of losing my big sister still aches, and I miss her more each passing day, but I know she’d tell me to get off my ass and do what made me happy.
So for my birthday this weekend, I’ll share this with you guys to celebrate something that brought me joy through all this pain. ❤️🩹
Let’s talk turtles! 💙💜❤️🧡
Lemme explain the criteria for this real fast;
The episode had to have come from a current/ up to date show. It has to be fully completed!
The episodes have to catch my interest and the plot needs to be gripping! The angstier the better!
Any of the series episodes are candidates for a win! Except for certain ones that I’d rather not watch 🤣
SPOILERS BEWARE! Cuz… well, I dunno who’s finished the shows and I don’t wanna ruin the surprise for others!
Also, this never would have been possible without @jadethest0ne for inspiring me! Thank you for all you do in the TMNT fandom, your art/ analyses are wonderful!!! Please go give them support!!
Onto the list proper! Starting with the series that started it all: 1987!
The Maltese Hamster ( Season 3 Ep. 4 ) An excellent Donatello solo episode that takes the tone of a detective noir movie, but keeping the fun vibe of the show! Donnie gets to take center stage for once, April gets to use a laser gun, and the shift in tone sets the mood really well! It’s downright harrowing to watch a building collapse on Donnie and see him limping away from the scene in agony, passing out at Irma’s feet, trying to save his brothers despite the odds. Donnie’s my favorite turtle for a reason!
Raphael Meets His Match ( Season 4 Ep. 17 ) The first appearance of Mona Lisa, and I can see why the fans adore this ship so much! The chemistry between Mona and Raph throughout this one episode is really telling of how impactful one character can be to a franchise! Mona is really fun! She’s not just a token ‘girl character’ trope or an archetype, she can handle herself and kick ass alongside the turtles, plus she and Raph have some pretty witty banter together!
Beware The Lotus ( Season 3 Ep. 28 ) The introduction of Lotus Blossom! It’s speculated that the inspiration for Karai came from Lotus! Lotus and Leo had great chemistry together, it's a shame we only got two episodes to spend with her. She really is an interesting character with loads of story potential about finding your place in the world, discovering who you are, changing your destiny to make it what you want. This is me basically saying I am now part of the Lotus Blossom Fan Club.
Cowabunga, Shredhead! ( Season 3 Ep. 18 ) This is one of the fan favorite episodes, and after I watched it for the first time I could not stop laughing. James Avery does his best Mikey impression while playing the over the top Shredder, and everyone just accepts it??? It’s downright genius! The meme material from this one is plentiful!
Michelangelo Meets Mondo Gecko ( Season 5 Ep. 4 ) The introduction of Mondo himself, and he’s got a really cool design! On first viewing I was pleasantly surprised by his unique color scheme and his character! He’s a bad guy that gets a redemption arc by the end of the episode! I was rooting for him the whole time! It was this debut that made me adore Mondo, and he’s since become my favorite mutant character of the franchise!
Honorable Mentions are Donatello’s Duplicate and Turtlemaniac!
Next up is a controversial one, but I gotta be honest… ‘03 isn’t my favorite series for a lot of reasons, but I will admit! When this series had fantastic episodes, they were AMAZING. So I gotta give credit when due and give kudos to these wins!
The Shredder Strikes Back Parts One and Two ( Season 1 Episodes 17-18 ) Nothing really tops how good this show was in the first season, and these episodes take the comic storyline of Leo’s beatdown and bring it to life masterfully. For Leo’s segments of part one it’s spent mostly with no dialogue— the animation and music carrying how serious the scene is as Leo has to fight for his life against the Foot and how desperate he becomes as he grows weaker and weaker. The second episode is non-stop action as the rest of the turtles, Splinter, April and Casey have to fend off the Foot and Shredder as they fight for their lives in the antique shop. This is one of Michael Sinterniklass’s BEST performances as Leo in these episodes. The stakes are higher than ever before, the animation is gorgeous, and everyone gives it their all for this epic mid-season finale.
Same As It Never Was ( Season 3 Ep. 21 ) This is the episode I would tell people to watch if they think TMNT is just kiddie trash.
Bad Blood ( Season 6 Ep. 12 ) Probably the Fast Forward concept I wish got expanded on instead of giving it two standalone stories and dropping it entirely. It’s a cool idea that I wish got touched upon more often because, yeah, what would evil clones of the turtles look like? What kind of abilities could they have? There’s infinite possibilities! I could live without the new catchphrase ‘It's Ninja Time’ though. While Fast Forward is flawed, this episode was the one I thoroughly liked!
Insane in the Membrane ( Season 4 Ep. 19 ) The infamously banned episode, and all I have to say about it is two words. Holy. Shit.
The Real World Part One ( Season 3 Ep. 22 ) Any team-up with Usagi Yojimbo is a good one, and this was such a delight! It’s loosely based on one of the Usagi stories from the comics, and I loved how badass they made both Usagi and Tomoe! Leo and Usagi have great chemistry as always, and you can tell they have a strong bond with one another as warriors! Or boyfriends depending on how you interpret their relationship but honestly I totally see where everyone is coming from, THESE TWO ARE ADORABLE DORKS.
Next up is my all-time favorite incarnation of the franchise, 2012!! I have A LOT to say about so many of the episodes but alas, I could only choose five to discuss. One day… one day I shall make a thesis about it 🤣 for now however, here’s my top five faves from this series!
The Yojimbo Trilogy ( Season 5 Episodes 7-9 ) Oh. My. God. YES. The love letter to Stan Sakai’s comics, the beautiful homage to vintage Japanese cinema with the camera framework and action, and OH MY LORD, THE COLORS AND SHADING DURING USAGI’S FIGHT WITH JAY IN THE FINALE???? THAT’S CINEMA! Excellent voice acting by Yuki Matsuzaki, which was his first English speaking role and personally chosen by Sakai himself to play the ronin rabbit! My only complaint is that I wish we’d gotten more of the Yojimbo characters in here, like Tomoe or Gen! Otherwise I can watch all three of these episodes on repeat and always get excited!
Lone Rat and Cubs ( Season 5 Ep. 10 ) The final appearance of Splinter, the episode Kevin Eastman wrote, and a beautiful send-off to this character. It’s a flashback, yes, but this is the episode we get to see Yoshi adapting to his mutation as a rat, raising his boys, trying to be a good father and struggling to survive from the Krang. It’s a part of his life we rarely ever get to see, and this episode shows us why he was a great father. Basically it's a try not to cry challenge. For me, THIS episode is the series finale because it’s just a perfect conclusion to Splinter and his story.
Requiem/Owari ( Season 4 Episodes 25-26 ) The finale to the overall series, the finale to this overarching story, and it’s just as heartbreaking and suspenseful as you’d expect. The writers don't hold back their punches, and it shows that the gloves have finally come off. The characters we’ve come to love and care for are at their breaking point, the Shredder is the most threatening he’s ever been, and the team decides it’s time to put the monster down for good. Whoever thinks this show was just ‘kiddie trash’ needs to be sat down and shown this two-parter, because GODDAMN. Ciro Nieli treated this with so much care and respect. I cannot help but adore the team who put this together because the stakes have been raised to an all-time high, and the final showdown between Shredder and the turtles here is hair-raising, all reaching its climax when Leonardo finishes Oroku Saki by beheading him. It’s powerful, it’s devastating, and it’s a damn excellent showcase of why this series was the best iteration of the franchise to date.
The Fourfold Trap ( Season 3 Ep. 23 ) Yet another homage to a horror movie, only this time it’s a lot more intense. Based on Saw, this episode makes you sit on the edge of your seat as you can only hope that the turtles will escape the traps Karai’s put them in. It’s all nerve wracking to watch on a first viewing experience, POOR DONNIE OH MY GOD, CAN WE STOP PUTTING THIS BOY IN ELECTROCUTION DEVICES???? He still manages to create a plan to save his brothers even while he’s being electrocuted! Also, SPLINTER IS BEST RAT DAD. This episode will teach you the meaning of ‘angsty dread’ and ‘overwhelming anxiety.’
Trans-Dimensional Turtles ( Season 4 Ep. 10 ) THE TURTLES FOREVER WE DESERVED BUT WE DIDN'T GET UNTIL CIRO NIELI HOOKED US UP WITH THE BEST CROSSOVER WE’VE EVER BEEN BLESSED WITH! The OG turtles are all so much fun to see again both in and out of 2D, Gilbert Godfried is always a delight, the 2012 turtles in traditional 2D animation is awesome, and ALL THE OG VOICE ACTORS ARE HERE AND CLEARLY HAVING THE TIMES OF THEIR LIVES. THE ROB PAULSEN JOKE IS LITERALLY A BLESSING XD I only wish it had been longer!
Honorable Mentions are Slash and Destroy, Pizza-Face, Within the Woods and Mutant Gangland!
And rounding it off is the last— but certainly not least— series, Rise!! I adore this one!! It’s right behind 2012 as my favorite TMNT series just for the stellar animation!! It’s such a shame that this one had to end so unfairly, but today I’m giving it the love it deserves!! Please note that I have yet to complete season two of ROTTMNT cuz my life has been crazy hectic and I haven’t had the time, but once I do, I’ll go back and update this section if I find more episodes I liked!
Raph’s Ride Along ( Season 2 Ep. 8A ) Ummmmmm the 2012 VA’s playing parody versions of their turtles as yokai criminals??? HELL YEAH. If only they got Astin to play a character though! Then we would’ve had a reverse Turtles Forever reunion! I came out of this episode really loving the Mud Dogz as characters and wanting more, especially Dastardly Danny cuz Rob Paulsen is always a win! Too bad this show got canned before we could really get to know these guys. BUT HEY! That’s what the fandom is for! 🤣
Insane in the Mama Train ( Season 1 Episode 25 ) When I watched this series blind, this episode blew my mind. Seeing something so well done had me screaming in joy with how expertly this episode was crafted. The stellar action choreography, the great comedic elements splashed in to lighten the tense mood, the ANIMATION OH MY LORD. Disney, take notes. And that ending leaves a pit in my stomach every time, like OOOOF, those expressions! That sudden tonal swap!
Mystic Library ( Season 1, Ep. 20A ) Probably my favorite comedy episode! The timing for the jokes in this one specifically is so well done, and every single one had me in tears. I’ve been trying to commit Donnie’s library rap to memory but alas, I’ve been failing.
The Clothes Don’t Make The Turtle ( Season 2 Episode 10B ) THIS. MORE OF THIS PRETTY PLEASE. It's just SO MUCH FUN. I really don’t have anything else to say other than this one is a great treat, also, the reanimated fan cut of this is spectacular!!
Snow Day ( Season 1 Ep. 23B ) This, for me, is the Christmas special of the series even though it’s in no way related to the holiday or has anything to do with it BUT I DON’T CARE LET ME DREAM. I love this one for the adorable interactions and the bonding! Seeing the characters goofing off and having fun, enjoying the weather and spending time together outside of the angst? I CRAVE FLUFF LIKE THIS.
And Tada! There it is! I hope you liked this!! It was tons of fun to compile all my favorite episodes into one project and share my thoughts! This fandom has been nothing but fantastic and I’m proud to be in it!
Thank you to all who have inspired me to keep going and pursue my dreams. You guys are great! @queen-with-the-quill @tending-the-hearth @wasted-and-ready @tmnt-tychou @mermmarie @figuringitoutasigoalong @lameboobah @zandiiangelspit @pumpkinpie59 @indieyuugure @angelicdavinci @imagine4000
And thank you to my IRL friends who have pulled me to my feet and supported me. Not only are you guys the best people I know, but I consider you guys family. You really saved me last year. I’m honored to call you my friends 💓
What are your favorite episodes?? Lemme know!! 😁 Maybe I’ll do a movie ranking next!
Cowabunga!! Have a great day!! 💚💚
#tmnt#teenage mutant ninja turtles#tmnt 1987#tmnt 2003#tmnt 2012#rottmnt#rise of the tmnt#maddys ramblings#tmnt analysis
18 notes
·
View notes
Text
Against the Tide: Seventeenth Dal Segno (Ch.17)
Pairing: Poly OT8
•❥ Rating: Explicit (18+)
•❥ Genres: Heavy Angst, Action, Romance, Fluff, Smut, Fantasy
•❥ Series AU Tags: Demon Pirates, Supernatural, Poly Relationship (mxm), Past and Modern Day AU, Mythology Au, Slow Burn, Slice of Life, College Au, Rock Band Au, Happy Ending Endgame
•❥ Chapter Tws: Guilt, Mentions of Past Main Character Death, Reincarnation, Attempted Murder Mention, Exhaustion from Overworking, Blood, Injury, Panic Attack, PTSD
•❥ Chapter Sws: Intercurial Sex, Size Kink, Praise Kink, Pet Names, (Accidental) Flashing, Teasing, Dirty Talk, Many, Many Consent Checks, Mutual Masturbation, Consensual Penetrative Vine Sex, Consensual Aphrodisiac Nectar Use, BDSM Undertones, Protected Sex, Ruined Orgasms, Virginity Loss, Hints of Sub Space
•❥ WC: 12.7k+
•❥ A/N: I didn't intend for this to take a motherfucking YEAR to get out, but here we are. After several episodes(tm) and struggles later, we're here. Thank you for everyone who waited patiently or kept the excitement brewing through asks and the like. It means the world to me and I appreciate you all. Bonus points to anyone who reblogged and shared my work, yall are the realest mwah xoxo. Also, if you haven't yet, maybe check out my new universe Ataraxia while you wait for the next chapter?
•❥ Taglist moved to the bottom of the work. if you’d like to be added to the taglist for this or my other works, feel free to fill out the form here after reading the full post.
•❥AO3
•❥ ©atiny-piratequeen 2023. do not repost, translate, or use my works.
•❥Network Pings: @kwritersworld | @kdiarynet | @k-vanity
•❥← previous dal segno next dal segno –>
(banners used created by @cafekitsune thank you sm!)
-Sunday, March 24th, 8am-
-228 Days Remain-
Hongjoong’s life was quickly becoming full of firsts.
Of all of them, he found waking up pressed against Yunho was definitely at the top of that list of new developments.
Though…he supposed this wasn't the first time.
This memory thing was going to be…complicated, he could tell.
With a frown, Hongjoong looked up, reaching to cup Yunho’s face gently. His breath came out in small, halted puffs, careful any given exhale would wake the taller man.
Yunho’s face twitched for a brief moment before he pressed into Hongjoong’s small hands, humming quietly.
Hongjoong worried his lip between his teeth, gently rubbing Yunho’s cheeks. The events of last night rolled through his mind, his cheeks darkening as he remembered his state of undress.
His thoughts caught up to him, reminding him of how his bath had gone.
🧼
"It's okay if you fall asleep, I'll be watching over you."
Hongjoong tiredly looked up, curled up in a towel Yunho had fetched for him, taking in the handsome man's features for the umpteenth time that evening.
Somewhere in the back of his mind, there was a passing thought. One of the other men in the house could see him like this as Yunho walked down the hall. There wasn't any sense of urgency in the taller man's strides, and Hongjoong could imagine any moment one of the doors they were walking by would open and he'd have another pair of eyes on him.
….
His brain was too tired to process the way that thought alone made his heart flutter and hiccup in his chest.
Yunho finally got to the bathroom, setting him on the toilet seat and pressing a kiss to his head before moving to run the bath water. Hongjoong watched his backside, hugging the towel around himself as a small draft made goosebumps rise on his skin.
"Oh, darling you're shivering. Hold on-" Yunho, who must have turned to address him at some point and noticed his shivering, rushed over to the door once more.
"Yeosangie!"
Hongjoong’s eyes widened, his head snapping towards him as he heard the sound of rushing footsteps.
"Hm? Yu? What's wrong?" Yeosang’s gentle voice chimed in as he stood in front of the door. Yunho blocked the view of Hongjoong casually with his body as he smiled in greeting.
Yes, they had seen him naked countless times before, but this Hongjoong still had no clue about that and Yunho wanted to respect him as much as possible.
"Hi baby, I know it's late, but do you mind turning the heat up in the house? It's cold."
Yeosang smiled and nodded, cupping his cheeks and pulling him down for a chaste kiss.
"Anything else you need, puppy?"
Yunho glanced behind him, locking eyes with Hongjoong. He nearly snorted at the deer-in-headlights expression on his face before he looked back towards a patiently waiting Yeosang.
"Just some warm towels, if that's alright?"
Yeosang stole another kiss and nodded.
"It'll be there when you get out. Call me if you need anything else. Have a good night’s sleep, my love." Yeosang looked towards Yunho’s shoulder for a moment, where he knew Hongjoong was just beyond view. A selfish part of him wanted to see him. See the flustered mess Yunho had left him in.
The brunette doctor knew all of their bodies better than even they knew themselves.
It had been…entirely too long since he’d been able to think about any of those types of expressions on Hongjoong’s face after they'd lost him. Yeosang had promised to never use his foxfire to create a double of any being they'd lost, and he took that very seriously.
Though, he'd be lying if he said he wasn't tempted to split himself and make a Hongjoong copy on the particularly rough nights.
His resolve remained strong, however.
Hongjoong made him promise to never use his fire to "replace" the dead anymore and he'd be damned if he disrespected him and his memory like that by disobeying.
Guilt would swallow him whole if he did. Yeosang was sure of it.
He must have been clearly lost in his thoughts longer than expected, as a gentle kiss to his lips brought his focus back in front of him.
The ex prince looked up and flushed slightly.
"Sorry…zoned out. I'll get right on those things now." He once again glanced at Yunho’s shoulder before meeting his eyes.
"Give…give Cap a kiss for me please?" He whispered. Yunho nodded and smiled brightly.
"I'll give him kisses for all of us. Soon you can give him kisses yourself." He responded softly before backing into the bathroom.
Hongjoong looked up at him, flustered.
"I'm sorry I didn't mean to wake anyone…"
"I called him. If anyone should be sorry, it's me. C’mon let's get you cleaned up."
Hongjoong quietly watched Yunho strip down, frowning when he noticed the brunette man was still half hard. A small sense of guilt overcame him as he stared.
"Joongie?"
"I'm sorry..you never..um..finished…" Hongjoong wished the floor could swallow him sooner than later at the surprised look Yunho gave him.
"Oh? Please don't worry. I'm not bothered by it."
Somehow that made the pianist feel worse, his frown settling in his features. If only he hadn't gotten tired they could have-
"Hongjoong."
Apprehensive eyes met kind ones as the two stared at each other.
"If it bothers you that much, we can fix it."
That's how, ten minutes later, Hongjoong ended up bent over the tub, gripping the edge as Yunho thrust between his thighs, his cock sliding between them as Hongjoong squeezed them close together.
Hongjoong’s head was spinning, once again finding himself really enjoying the size difference between the two of them. Yunho gripped his hips, balls slapping against his ass as he purred praises to Hongjoong
"You have mmm..such a hold on me, even your thighs can make me cum~"
Hongjoong’s thighs were probably red by now, his breath coming out in quick puffs as he held the tub. Yunho’s lips found their way to his neck again, kissing and nipping as he placed his palms over Hongjoong’s, holding his hands as his breathing began to come out irregularly.
Hongjoong looked behind him, catching and holding Yunho’s gaze as he rocked his hips back. Even while aroused, Yunho’s eyes held a warm and inviting gaze that made Hongjoong melt below him.
“Will you cum for me, Yunho?” The words slipped from his lips before he could think twice, though he almost looked away in embarrassment. Yunho let out a noise that sounded like a cross between a groan and a whimper as he nodded his head, leaning closer and holding his hands a bit tighter. Hongjoong arched his back, his lips hovering below Yunho’s as he clenched his thighs tighter together.
“Then cum for me, Puppy.”
The oreo-haired pianist was grateful for Yunho’s firm hold on him. Had he not have had it, Hongjoong undoubtedly would have fallen over as Yunho’s hips worked faster, chasing the orgasm he’d gotten permission to have.
Hongjoong’s cheeks ignited as Yunho finally came between his legs, making a mess of his thighs as he rocked his hips, milking his own cock with Hongjoong’s thighs. Once he was finished, he pressed kisses onto Hongjoong’s shoulder, hugging him close and keeping him upright as he took in a long, steadying breath.
Hongjoong smiled and put his hands over Yunho’s, pride blooming in his chest that he could at least do this, since he’d ruined their previous endeavor in his mind.
As if sensing Hongjoong’s mind wandering, Yunho picked him up, kissing his head as he lowered his voice to a familiar tone that made him melt.
“C’mon. I promised you a bath. Let me give you one and we can get to bed.”
Hongjoong smiled and nodded, turning to steal a kiss as Yunho guided him into the tub.
🛁
While he was daydreaming, Hongjoong missed the signs of Yunho stirring. It made him startle when he finally focused back on the present and found Yunho’s tired eyes staring back at him.
“Good morning.”
Hongjoong flushed at the tone of voice before blinking at the cadence. It was slightly off, an accent that didn't match up to Yunho’s usual one. It also tumbled deeper, and Hongjoong realized it wasn’t Yunho at all.
“G..Geb?”
Icy eyes stared back at him as a kind smile stretched over the taller man’s face.
“You remembered me, as well? I’m very flattered. Good morning, Hongjoong.”
Hongjoong blushed, his fingers twitching on Geb’s cheek. He wondered if he should let go for a moment, before biting his lip.
He still had so many questions
“You look like you have something on your mind.”
“I…this is just a lot to take in.”
“I can imagine. Is there anything I can do to ease your worries?”
Hongjoong wanted to ask questions. Get clarity. But part of him remembered the brain splitting headache he'd gotten last night.
Just wait. Yunho said he'd help.
“Hongjoong.”
His head snapped upwards and he looked into warm brown eyes, finding Yunho staring back at him in concern.
Yunho was in control now, reaching to caress him gently. Hongjoong found himself pressing more into his touch, eyes closing. The ex doctor gently ran his thumb over the apple of his cheek.
“How did you sleep?”
Yunho hummed, eyes drifting up as if pondering it seriously. Hongjoong poked his cheek, arching a brow at him as Yunho began to laugh.
“Yah, don’t make me anxious like that.”
Yunho laughed and turned to kiss the tip of his finger.
“I haven’t slept that well in a very long time. You could say I slept like a rock.” He beamed, mentally high 5ing the earthen god inside of him as Hongjoong stared at him, eyes squinted for a moment.
“Did…did you just make a rock pun?”
The sound of Yunho’s joyous laughter and Hongjoong’s half-hearted complaints carried down the hall as Cheese slowly lifted his head, shaking himself out as he moved to sit by the back door.
He didn't want to scare the new friend.
Outside, Mingi sat with his back to the home, fiddling with a leaf between his fingers. His mind swirled slightly, complex emotions mingling and tangling in his head, though outside, his face remained blank and neutral, counting the veins at the back of the leaf.
A hand appeared before him, holding a cup of coffee. He looked up, his thoughts quieting for a brief moment as his eyes met steel grey. He looked at the coffee, lips pursed.
“....”
“It’s cold out here and you’re up early. I made an extra cup for you.”
“....”
Seonghwa’s eyes looked towards the pavement below both of them for a moment before he knelt down and set the coffee cup on a wooden box Mingi was using for his gardening equipment.
Mingi’s eyes didn’t follow him.
“....I’ll be out today. I let the others know. If you need me, please contact me.”
Mingi turned to look at him out of the corner of his eyes as Seonghwa stood once more, hesitating for the briefest of moments before he turned on his heel and walked away.
Once the door was closed and Seonghwa’s form had disappeared from view, Mingi let his head thump back on the side of their home, looking up towards the sky.
‘If you need me.’
There were many clouds in the sky today.
-9am-
Hongjoong shuffled slightly as he sat at the kitchen table. Yunho had lent him one of his shirts, but he didn’t realize they would be eating out at the table with the other gentlemen of the house.
He…he would’ve put pants on.
Instead, he was acutely aware of the fact he was in a pastel pink sweater that left all of his collar out and exposed, bite marks still bright red and dotting his skin.
And he was completely cock and ass out underneath this damn thing.
At a time like this, Hongjoong was glad for his stature and that the size difference between him and Yunho had come in handy for something else other than his incredibly feral mind.
“Here you go, Hyung!”
Hongjoong looked up as Yeosang swooped into view, setting a plate in front of him. He looked down, eyes widening and his mouth watering as he noted the fluffy pancakes, scrambled eggs, and both bacon and sausage taking up the plate. Yeosang smiled at him, seemingly to the moon at the way Hongjoong’s face lit up when he took his first bite.
“This is amazing!”
A twinge of pink came to Yeosang’s cheeks as he bowed slightly, hiding his gaze with his bangs before he set the second plate beside Yunho. The tallest of the trio smiled as well, reaching to lace his fingers through Yeosang’s silky-looking brunette hair. He pulled him in, kissing him slowly. The ex-prince made a muffled surprised noise before melting into the kiss, holding the small platter he used to bring their plates over close to his chest.
Hongjoong watched them out of the corner of his eyes, cheeks slightly bulging.
He’d wondered between all of the heated touches yesterday with Yunho, if there would come a time when he felt jealous of the other men his new boyfriend was in a relationship with. He’d acknowledged how ridiculously selfish that came off as, him being the new person to suddenly start dating their boyfriend, and to get jealous over his time spent with them…
But something deep within him made him feel that wouldn’t be a problem.
Instead, he felt a sense of relief wash over him.
Aside from Wooyoung and San, he admittedly, hadn’t seen any of the eight men being overly affectionate with one another, at least not in front of him. While he was well aware some people just preferred to keep those things private-his sister with Chan or Changkyun with Jooheon, for example-something about the demeanor of the men seemed…strained and it made him quite sad.
But now, for this kiss Hongjoong was realizing he had been staring at for way too long, the pianist felt happiness bloom. A small voice in his mind sighed in relief.
‘They’re okay…’
Hongjoong blinked and sat up straighter, looking away with a deep blush. Regardless, he should stop staring. He’d hate to have to explain why he’s looking so hard at the two kissing beside him. Or, worse yet, come off as jealous when he’s just gotten into this relationship of his.
He turned his gaze back up front and immediately choked.
Ass.
A very fine and very toned ass, he might add.
God, is this it? Is this the day Hongjoong fucking dies?
He pounded on his chest, coughing as he realized it was Jongho. The pair of briefs he had on clung to his ass for dear life while he half turned to look in Hongjoong’s direction, arching a single brow.
“You okay, Ca-Hyung?” He corrected himself, watching as Hongjoong wheezed, covering his mouth. Yunho immediately broke away from Yeosang, eyes wide as he flew over to get behind Hongjoong.
Suddenly, his chair was pulled out and he felt himself get lifted as Yunho’s arms came around to pick him up.
“Hold on, I got you!”
Now, Hongjoong had been trained for a significant portion of his life on how to fight and defend himself. He had certain instincts that were in him. Including when being suddenly grabbed from behind.
One of the said instincts is to immediately try and break free of said grab.
The moment Yunho slightly lifted his bare feet from the ground, Hongjoong’s lower body immediately jolted, his hands flying up to grab onto Yunho’s hands.
He instantly regretted the decision when he felt the ends of his shirt go up, completely flashing everyone in the room.
Of course, as soon as he had flashed everyone, Mingi stepped inside.
Yunho paused, eyes wide as Hongjoong's feet dangled an inch above the floor.
"U..uh…did I get it?" Yunho quietly inquired as Hongjoong went red to the tips of his ears.
"YUNHO PUT ME DOWN."
Yunho set him down immediately, clearing his throat as Hongjoong plopped down in the chair, covering his face.
Jongho tilted his head to the side before looking down at his state of undress, tā moko and scars adorning his muscular frame.
Ah, was the Captain embarrassed by his nudity?
'If that's his reaction right now, maybe we should be naked next time and really give him something to look at.'
'SHUT UP.'
While Jongho didn't blush at the initial incident, his face darkened at the notion ever so slightly, thrown off at the idea.
'Are you fucking BLUSHING? Right in front of me? We're CONSTANTLY naked in front of our lovers.'
'I should have killed you holy shit shut up shut up-'
'.....'
The silence in Jongho’s mind immediately made him on edge and once he felt the fractured god inside of him smirk, he knew he was in for some bullshit.
'Ah. I know what it is. How long has it been since the baby bear has felt the intimate touch of his lovers, hm? Does it make you flustered to think of their eyes on you? Wanting and needing your touch? I'm inside of you, Jongho. I know exactly how pent up you are. And the little Captain is just as loud as we always remember, maybe we should-’
“Oh my gods-”Jongho’s minor outburst startled Hongjoong before he excused himself, storming down the hall, cheeks darkened as he cursed Whiro out in Maori.
Hongjoong peeked through his fingers, watching the youngest leave before deflating slightly, feeling like he was the cause. Mingi grabbed a plate quietly and thanked Yeosang before leaving, as well. He passed San without a word as he headed up to his room.
“Oh my god, I’m so sorry-” Hongjoong mumbled into his palms, his face once again ignited. Yunho rubbed the back of his own neck, putting an arm over Hongjoong.
“S-sorry I misunderstood and thought you were choking-”
Yeosang looked the two men over and laughed behind his hand. They still had a ways to go, but the chaos of the morning had reminded him of days since past.
“Don’t worry, we’re a house full of men, it’s not like it's something we haven’t seen before.” He smiled as Hongjoong turned his gaze to him and from the stove, San turned and rose a brow.
“Wh…what? What just happened?”
-12pm-
Hongjoong fidgeted as he sat in the passenger’s side seat, Yunho had driven him home, but for the first time in his life, Hongjoong hesitated to go to his own home.
He wanted to stay with Yunho longer.
As if he’d picked up Hongjoong’s silent conflict, Yunho leaned down to lightly kiss his temple.
“Do you want me to come inside? It's Sunday, so I don’t have to rush home. If you’d like me to stick around a bit.”
Hongjoong shook his head, worrying his lip between his teeth.
“N-no it's okay, I should probably let you go so you can spend time with the others…I’m still so sorry about this morning I didn’t mean to-”
Yunho looked into his eyes for a while before he chuckled and ruffled his hair.
“I know it was a bit chaotic, but I doubt any of them actually mind. I’ll go for tonight but Hyung,” He lifted Hongjoong’s chin, kissing him slowly and slightly crowding him against the door. When they separated, Hongjoong’s face had once again turned a brilliant shade of pink.
“I look forward to the next time I get to fall asleep with you in my arms.” He sent him a wink, followed by a smile that lit his face up, laughing as Hongjoong lightly swatted at his chest.
“F-flirt!” He grabbed his bag and quickly exited the car, hugging the coat Yunho had lent him close to his chest. He looked up his driveway, slowly blinking when he found the front blinds pulled up and several pairs of eyes staring at them. He coughed and made his way up the driveway, barely able to reach the front door before it swung open and he was yanked inside by his friends.
"AH FUCK-" he let out quite an undignified scream as his friends began to chatter around him.
“Okay spill.”
“Holy shit, who’s clothes are those?”
“Goodness he bit you the fuck up, didn’t he, I didn’t take him for that much of a biter-”
Hongjoong’s head spun as all of his friends began to chatter all at once. Eventually he raised his voice over the confusing babbel, making them all quiet down instantly.
“Okay! Holy shit, one question at a time.”
The group paused for a moment before Yeonjun cleared their throat.
“When the hell did you start liking the puppy dude?”
Hongjoong scratched the back of his neck. It wasn’t a complicated question. It had to have been in the last month or so.
But still…from those images…those…memories? It would make sense to say he’d liked him all along.
Liked? Loved. He loved him. A lifetime’s worth of love.
Though Hongjoong was sure if he dropped suddenly he'd been in love with someone who, in the eyes of his best friends, he'd only met a month ago, he'd have a lot more chaos erupt in this foyer.
He still had to get to the bottom of what was happening.
The more he tried to rationalize those thoughts and fit them neatly in his mind under a certain label, the more he felt painful radio static crackle and pierce into his head.
‘Not now. There’s too much missing.’
“I..um…I guess this past month or so? He’s really cool and I vibe with him well.” Hongjoong muttered, satisfied when the crackle in his mind subsided. It really did seem like he needed to wait before he could unravel more of…whatever this is.
How frustrating.
Chungha handed him a cup of white peach tea, gently nodding toward the living room.
“Guys, you all like, swarmed him as soon as he opened the door, let him get inside and sit down before you start grilling him.” She lightly scolded them. Yeonjun, Felix, and Chan pouted ever so slightly while Changkyun gently put his hand on Hongjoong’s shoulder.
“C’mon, you must be tired.”
Hongjoong smiled and made his way into the living room, sitting down and taking a sip. A smile lit up his face and Chan looked at the marks all over his neck.
“You didn’t get hurt, right? Everything was consensual?” His voice was even, though Hongjoong could tell by his body language he was in his ‘protective big brother’ mode. It brought a smile to his face as he nodded.
“...Yeah. A little bit surprising but everything that happened was with consent. He was very sweet and careful about that.”
Chan’s demeanor relaxed considerably and Felix let out an audible sigh from beside him.
“Oh good, he’s not some tall ass, sex-hungry creep.”
Hongjoong sent him an incredulous look as Chungha elbowed him. Yeonjun and Changkyun laughed at either side of him before the former stopped abruptly, grabbing Hongjoong’s hands and looking into his eyes.
“Okay so. How was it?”
Hongjoong stared.
“How…was…what?? Exactly?”
Yeonjun arched a brow.
“His stroke game, Hongjoong.”
Hongjoong’s face ignited and he immediately swiped at Yeonjun’s head, letting out an indignant noise.
“YOU CAN’T JUST ASK THAT.”
“I mean, I just did. Whether or not you feel comfortable disclosing is a different conversation.” They responded, yipping and rubbing their head when Chungha smacked them with the top of her house slipper.
“Again, he just got in the house, stop interrogating him!” She scolded them before she looked at Hongjoong.
“I’m just glad you’re okay. It came as a surprise, but you’re safe and happy and that’s all I could ever ask for. I meant what I said, though. If he hurts you, I’m going to break his dick. In half.” She smiled sweetly at the cold threat, all the others in the room shuddering visibly at the phantom pain of the threat.
“It’s okay I’m actually…I need some…advice?”
They all looked at him and he moved his gaze to the floor, fidgeting with his bracelet. He blinked, noticing his birthmark had gotten a bit darker.
Huh. Had he gotten a bruise somewhere?
Anyway-
“I uh…we almost?? Had sex but I kind of..chickened out. Um..help?” Hongjoong liked to think he was pretty good at sorting his thoughts out, but he’d be lying if he said this entire situation hadn’t thrown him ass over head and left his thoughts in a spiral.
All of his friends blinked owlishly at him before Chan stood.
“This is weird, I’m gonna grab a water and I’ll be back.” He spoke quickly, ejecting himself from the conversation completely as Felix snorted beside him. Hongjoong’s cheeks, for the nth time that day, once again darkened in color.
A fair response from Chan, to be honest. The older performer was basically his brother and he could imagine how weird and off-guard the question had taken him by.
Changkyun rolled his eyes half-heartedly and hip checked Yeonjun out of the way from their position in front of Hongjoong on the floor. He sat with his legs pretzel style and sent him a kind, mature smile.
“What exactly are you asking for help with? Initiation? Prep? Foreplay?”
Hongjoong coughed and dodged the pillow Chungha had hurled over his head to hit Felix.
“Stop laughing! He’s already flustered!”
Hongjoong silently wished a hole would open up in the ground and swallow him. He’d had many conversations with his close friends and even his siblings that were downright embarrassing, but he’d never been the focus of any of them.
Now that he thought about it…Hongjoong couldn’t recall a single time he had been romantically or sexually interested in anyone until now.
The revelation hit him like a sack of bricks, and his lips parted ever so slightly.
“Holy shit.”
Changkyun blinked before gently nudging his knee to bring him back down to earth. Hongjoong jolted ever so slightly before clearing his throat.
“Sorry, erm….all of it? We came close last night but…he took the lead and guided me through all of it. I feel…a bit bad because I stopped right before we’d gone all the way and even though he was super nice and patient with me I-”
The laughter around him died and he felt a gentle hand comb through his mismatched hair. Yeonjun moved to sit beside him and continued petting him slowly, the teasing glint in their eyes completely gone.
“Honey, do you want advice because you want to have sex with him or are you trying just because you feel bad it didn’t happen?” They inquired, searching Hongjoong’s eyes as he turned his head.
While he did feel bad that he hadn’t done nearly as much for Yunho as he’d felt the taller man had done for him, Hongjoong couldn’t help but to roll those images through his head.
Of a time before this. A time when they had laid together, entangled in each other, body and soul. Melded together so close it was hard to tell where one began and the other ended.
He didn’t want that feeling to stay in his dreams.
“I want it. I just don’t know what the hell I’m doing.” He admitted. Seemingly, his friends breathed a collective sigh of relief before Changkyun grabbed his attention.
“Okay, so I’m gonna explain some things, it’s going to be traumatizing for all of us, and we’re gonna come out of this with some confidence.”
A smile came to his face as his comment ripped a laugh from Hongjoong’s throat. The others soon followed suit as he rolled out of his position on the floor and stomped into the kitchen.
“Christopher Bang Chan you get in here and help us with the communal suffering or so help me-”
The peels of laughter increased in volume at the faux shriek Chan let out when Changkyun came for him. Slowly, Hongjoong’s anxiety ebbed away.
He wished Siyeon was here to help him with the rest of his close friends, but for now, he’d take the help wherever he could get it.
-1pm-
-Namsan Mountain Park-
“Thank you for meeting with me. I hope I didn’t inconvenience you.”
The sound of a can opening fills the small break in conversation before a small laugh followed it.
“Hardly. It was only a matter of time before one of you asked me to talk to you. I’m sure you have a lot of questions.”
Seonghwa looked at the tattooed hand that had stretched out to him before taking the melon-flavored carbonated drink offered to him. Across from him, sat the Ishihara patriarch himself, not at all uncomfortable by the sudden summon from the ex prince.
That probably made things a lot easier.
“Excuse my bluntness, but I want as many answers as possible.” Seonghwa continued, taking a small sip of the drink. His brows went up for a moment before he took a bigger one, drawing a laugh from the man across from him.
“I’ll answer what I can. Do understand I won’t be able to answer some of them just yet.”
Seonghwa’s lips pursed in disapproval for a moment before he sighed and looked him in the eyes.
“Who are you?”
“Apollo, god of the sun, amongst other things.” Miyavi shrugged a shoulder, as if that had been the simplest thing in the world.
Seonghwa slow blinked, staring at him for a beat of silence before he took another thoughtful sip of his drink.
“Please don’t think I don’t appreciate it, but how is it that the God of the Sun came to be the adoptive father of our Captain?”
Miyavi tapped his chin ever so slightly before he smiled.
“Your little pirate captain approached me centuries ago in Delphi. Something about him moved me, and I felt the urge to make his time there enjoyable. I wonder, do you all remember the hidden orchid you found? The wolf that led you deeper? That was me. I’m glad you enjoyed your time, by the way, I don’t let just anyone in there, you know.” he adjusted some of the rings on his fingers, letting the words sink and click into place in Seonghwa’s mind. Thankfully, it didn’t take long before he was continuing, his eyes never leaving the god’s face.
“That’s not all of it, surely.”
“Not at all. I suppose you can call her my…cousin? Of sorts? The daughters of Poseidon, Charybdis and Scylla were disturbed by you all, it seems. Something about a stolen object. I did my best that night, I truly did, but was stopped up in Olympus from intervening. An offense had taken place and the girls had, technically, every right to be enraged. Especially after the slaying of Charybdis.”
Seonghwa’s expression soured.
“Are you saying we’re at fault?”
“The one who took the rod, mostly. But still. That’s beside the point now. I spent time trying to locate his soul, and it wasn’t easy. Siyeon had ended up being the catalyst piece here. She’s a witch and began worshiping the Sun. I heard her. Well, so did some others. Had to call in a few favors and almost got stabbed by Amaterasu, but I attuned myself to her worship because I saw her in an old prophecy. She led me right to Hongjoong, but unfortunately, time had already run out before I could make any significant moves into figuring out how to reverse the curse. I made a deal with my…step mother, I suppose I can call her, and was able to pin down where this latest Hongjoong had been reborn and Melody and I decided the best thing to do was to insert ourselves into his life to guide and protect him as best we can. This is…the only chance I have to assist you.” he looked away, and Seonghwa knew there was something else.
Across from them, a bird faltered as it took flight.
“,,,,Your step mother…I assume you mean Hera?” he inquired.
Miyavi nodded, downing the rest of his own drink before he tossed the can into a bin a good distance from where they sat.
“....doesn’t she hate you?”
“With a burning passion. Tried to kill me and my sister Artemis as soon as we were born.”
Seonghwa had an ever growing pit in his stomach. Part of him wanted to stop asking questions, just leave it be, there’s no need or reason to probe any deeper, just leave it. Focus on Hongjoong focus on the pace they're working at, it's chaotic enough just LEAVE it-
“It’s not as easy as it should be anymore, is it?”
Miyavi chuckled and looked at him out of the corner of his eye, a small glint in his eye confirming more than any words ever could. Seonghwa’s brows furrowed and he let his shoulders drop.
“Don’t do that. No matter how bad it gets, don’t ever let yourself feel defeated before you’ve fought. You’ve searched high and low for him and now he’s in front of you. You have a literal god helping you. Well, several, if you count the Egyptian and Māori ones tagging along with your group. I would say the odds are in your favor. I’ll continue to help as much as I can.” Miyavi offered kindly, looking at Seonghwa like he did his own children. Seonghwa’s brows remained furrowed.
“What am I supposed to do? This is far beyond what I can handle.”
“You used to be a tactician, right? You’re now the captain of the crew while Hongjoong remains unawake. You can think of something. Besides, you’re not alone. From what Siyeon reported, you all have learned and attempted Mnemosyne’s trials.”
Seonghwa nodded, tapping his bottom lip before he blinked.
Right.
The Trials.
“Siyeon told us your children have come close to completing the Trials before. How?”
Miyavi hummed and leaned back in his seat, laughing.
“Those three are probably just as determined as you all are to help their brother. I feel…a bit like a bad father for having my children grow up learning such violent things, but it’s for the best that they know how to fight and defend themselves if things go south.”
“...so they’re not human.”
“No, not at all. No one in the family is. Is that really much of a surprise?”
Seonghwa thought back to the first time he’d encountered Yuta and the overwhelming killing intent behind his movements.
How he nearly missed the knife against his throat and hadn’t seen or felt the man come in the room at all.
Miyavi watched the look on his face before standing, putting his hands in his pockets.
“We’re approaching territory that I cannot go into now. Ideally, I’d like you not to look at my children maliciously. They’re all doing their best too, seeing as mommy dearest upstairs drug them into this mess as a condition against me.” he began walking down a grassy path, not looking back.
The rustle of clothes behind him assured him Seonghwa was following anyway.
“....against you. That doesn’t sound like allies.”
Miyavi sent him a look.
“They’re my children, First Mate Seonghwa.”
“I’m just reading into what you said, Apollo, God of the Sun.”
Miyavi ran a hand through his hair, shattered pieces of a prophecy not fully foretold flashing through his mind.
Scales, broken chains, a full moon, bloodied feathers.
“Let’s put it this way. Should you fail, a bit more is at stake than just Hongjoong’s reincarnation.”
He heard Seonghwa’s footsteps slow behind him before they hastened once more, the tall ex pirate appearing right beside him.
".....do I want to know what that means?"
Miyavi hummed, watching the clouds above them.
"The end of the world. Probably."
".....I'm sorry, what?"
-🐺-
"Achoo."
"Ah, bless you, Sis."
Suzuka quietly thanked Hongjoong as she walked over, touching his forehead.
"....feeling better?"
Hongjoong laughed and scratched his head. When his siblings had returned, they were met with the sound of flustered squabbling and banter.
The eldest Ishihara sibling watched her youngest brother sit with his face in his hands, cheeks bright red as his shoulders shook with laughter as Yeonjun and Chan yelled above his head.
"I'M SAYING HE NEEDS A POLE, CHRIS."
"HE'S LOSING HIS VIRGINITY, NOT LEARNING TO BE A POLE DANCER, YEONJUN. HE DOESN'T EVEN KNOW HOW TO POLE DANCE"
"WE CAN TAKE LESSONS."
"We? Are you suddenly French?! Who is we?!"
Changkyun held his sides, wiping away a tear as he looked at the two.
"I'm not driving anyone to the hospital, by the way." He added playfully as the two continued their outlandish discourse.
"HE NEEDS TO KNOW HOW TO THROW HIS ASS BACK, CHRIS. HE DOESN'T HAVE MUCH TO WORK WITH."
"I DON'T NEED THESE VISUALS, YEONJUN. I REALLY DON'T NEED THE VISUALS OF ANY OF YOU ON A POLE!"
".....Just for that, I'm buying a pole and I'm gonna learn a routine for your birthday and you have to support me unless you suck eggs."
"I hope you bust your ass, I truly do."
Yeonjun let out a scandalized gasp.
"Excuuuuuse you?!"
Yuta slow blinked at them, hands in his pockets while Moa shrugged and set down the bags of takeout food they'd brought home with them.
The scent of food made the bickering come to an abrupt and comical end, both Chan and Yeonjun stopped mid-playful shouting match once the aroma wafted past them.
Suzuka’s lips quirked up as they promptly gravitated towards the table, peeking into the boxes while Chungha grabbed plates.
"Oh good, you got something to shut these two loveable idiots up." She let out an exaggerated sigh of relief. Both of them huffed indignantly while Felix made his way into the kitchen first, grateful for the break in the bickering around him.
Hongjoong joined him, looking out of the window and smiling as he noticed a few snowflakes falling from the sky. Felix looked at him out of the corner of his eye, gently touching his shoulder.
"I'm not really good at this compared to them, but whatever you do, make sure you do it safely. Above all else, you come first. Uh. Emotionally. You're coming emotionally. First. Um. That was phrased really weirdly, ew-" he shuddered and Hongjoong snorted, covering his mouth to stifle the rest of his laughter as he looked at Felix with an understanding twinkle in his eyes.
"I got you. I feel a bit better after talking to everyone, don't worry." He smiled. Felix relaxed and moved to go to sit at the table.
Hongjoong looked out of the window, noticing a lone blue bird fly by before he turned to get dinner.
-❄️-
"You look pale, Hwa."
Seonghwa’s head snapped up, the ink from his pen bleeding as he held it in place on the paper in front of him. He looked at the ruined formation he had been drawing out before sighing, lifting his gaze up to meet Wooyoung’s.
"A-are you okay? You look really intense." He muttered. Seonghwa ran his hand through his hair, the words escaping him.
It took him much longer than Wooyoung had ever seen him take to finally find the words, a frustrated sigh leaving his lips first.
"I just…I want everyone to be okay." It wasn't the most elegant statement, but the tired tone in his voice made Wooyoung’s heart sink into his shoes.
"I'm sorry." He muttered softly.
Seonghwa shook his head, putting the pen down as he stood.
"It's my fault. I'll figure something out. I have to." He moved past Wooyoung, kissing the top of his head and sending him a small smile.
"I love you."
Wooyoung stared back, worried.
"I love you too…"
Seonghwa kissed him once before he turned and left him alone in the room to make tea.
Wooyoung looked down at the crumpled pieces of paper littering the floor for a while, turning and leaving quietly.
-🐉-
Drip…drip….drip…
Joong stared as the dragon before him rumbled, blood dribbling from his massive head.
He'd done it. It was small, nearly inconsequential, but he had finally done it.
There was a crack.
The beast's chest rose and fell harshly as he rested. The blood was from a spot on the center of his forehead where he'd begun bashing it against the crystal in a frenzy out of nowhere.
Joong had been through a lot of shit in his life. He'd had motorcyclists hold him up, felt the chill of blades against his throat and been followed home by unhappy riders with big egos who didn't appreciate his brand of snark.
Never once in his life did he feel as terrified as he did right now.
He wanted to run. Something told him he didn't want to know where this was going. He didn't know when this began and wanted to be nowhere near it when it ended.
But on another hand, he was frozen in place.
It was him. Inside that crystal was undoubtedly him. He wasn't sure if this was some kind of hell he was in. Every depiction he'd heard about purgatory was vastly different than this. Joong couldn't even tell if he was in hell.
Drip…drip…
The dragon shifted, opening its eyes once more. His lip curled up as he looked at the crystal.
"You can't keep me out forever. This is all YOUR fault. All you had to do was be a good little pawn and obey me. But no. Instead, you defy me and get BOTH of us trapped in this hell. When I free myself, there will be hell to pay."
He shook his head, droplets of shimmering blood landing on the crystal as he curled up, seemingly tired out. Joong kept deathly still, heart thundering in his chest as he felt his bangs shift with every exhale of the resting dragon.
Idly, he wondered where the other beast had slinked off to and what the full story behind the three of them was.
He looked up once more, waiting until the dragon was asleep-or at least he hoped to whatever higher power would listen that he was-before he slowly crawled out of the silk of his tail for the first time. He kept his steps quiet as he stood in front of the crystal, gently extending a hand and placing it over the outside.
He definitely was some kind of sailor, given his tattered attire. Joong scanned as much as he could, not liking the idea of him being out in the open in front of the mad dragon behind him for too long.
His eyes wandered downwards and he cringed at the wounds littered all over the man's arms, torso, and legs.
They were deep, like the fangs of a rabid beast.
All at once, he felt like something had slammed into his temple, images flooding his mind.
"Protect our crew….find me later."
Joong held his head, nearly screaming at the splitting feeling that coursed through him
"I love you all….so much."
He snapped his head up, looking up at the face of his double in the crystal.
Had his eyes always been cracked open like that?
Joong panted, staring at the motionless man, more questions emerging in his head. Behind him, the dragon shifted and he quickly made his way back into his hiding place, heart thundering once more.
From within the crystal, The Captain watched him rush out of his line of sight.
'I'm…so tired of being alone.'
-Monday, March 25th, 11am-
-227 Days Remain-
"Are your friends…okay today?" Yunho inquired, looking down at Hongjoong in amusement. The pianist looked around his frame, brow twitching slightly at the sight of his friends not so subtly playing hooky in lieu of watching over them.
"What the hell do they expect us to do? Fuck in an elevator or something?" Hongjoong hissed, tapping his foot. Yunho blinked owlishly before tapping his cheek.
"I feel like that's a really familiar concept…I'm keeping condoms on me so we can try it if you want."
Hongjoong nearly tripped as he whirled his head around to look at him.
"Yunho?!"
"What? I'll happily receive, if you're nervous."
Hongjoong did a double take, staring at the unbothered doctor as he walked beside him. He lowered his voice to a whisper.
"You're not…at all flustered by any of this?"
Yunho hummed, pausing and rubbing his chin for a moment.
"Mm…no, not really. I never have been. But that's just me." Yunho placed a hand over Hongjoong’s head, smiling softly.
"Really, it's fine if you're nervous or unsure. We don't have to do anything. I'm just happy you're here and you remember Geb and I." He spoke honestly, placing a hand in front of Hongjoong’s chest and summoning a rose so the others couldn't see. It had no thorns and Yunho carefully tucked it behind his ear.
Hongjoong smiled and smiled as they ducked into the library.
Maybe with the continued reassurance, he could finally calm his chaotic thoughts and focus on preparing himself.
Except. That isn't at all what happened.
In fact, a different chain of thoughts weasel their way into his brain as he reads the same paragraph over and over again for the third time.
Yunho, lips curled up in that kind way, rose pink dusting his cheeks as his thighs fell open like a flower blooming.
The arch of his back, the strain of the sheets below his palm as he tugged at them, the groans and breathless keens of Hongjoong’s name.
"Right there, you know how we like it, don't you~? Keep moving your hips just-ngh!-just like that. Hongjoong~ Hongjoong!"
"Hongjoong?"
The musician startled, looking up at Yunho with wide eyes. The doctor blinked at him before his eyes travel down.
The evidence of Hongjoong’s wandering thoughts is obvious.
Hongjoong feels shame and embarrassment wash over him, but Yunho only let out a gentle exhale, a soft fruit-scented sigh as he leaned over and pressed his lips to Hongjoong’s.
It wasn't demanding or frantic, just a slow connection that somehow made him feel grounded once again. Yunho didn't escalate it further, cautious of their setting as he peppered Hongjoong’s lips in kisses.
"I can't properly articulate how damn good it feels to know you can't get us out of your mind."
Hongjoong flushed.
Us.
His brain was especially traitorous today. Imagining rough calloused hands running down his spine, pressing down, the pop and crack of his back nearly making him moan more than the cock nestled deep inside of him, a voice speaking in his ear in a language he didn't know but it sent goosebumps down his spine, nonetheless.
"Geb," Hongjoong muttered under his breath. Another chuckle slipped from Yunho’s lips, though it was different, deeper.
Hongjoong shuddered.
"Do not strain yourself. We're not going anywhere."
Hongjoong cleared his throat, beet red, and looked at Geb’s ice blue eye, the other one remaining Yunho’s usual kind brown color.
That's right. They shared. They were exceptional at it.
Compared to…?
Were there any others Hongjoong knew about that had…well, a whole separate entity living inside of them?
Warm hands cupped his cheek and drew his focus in once more.
"How about you come home with us again? Let's try something a bit different tonight." Yunho hummed, smiling softly as he leaned in for a kiss. Hongjoong’s eyes nearly closed fully before Yunho’s lips brushed past his cheek as he leaned into his ear.
"I'll be using my powers a bit tonight. I hope that's alright." He whispered before pulling away. Hongjoong nearly chased after his lips before he caught himself, clearing his throat.
Yunho smiled, satisfied, and leaned away from him, going back to the book in front of him.
Neither of them were really reading a damn thing on those pages.
🎕┈┈┈┈
When Hongjoong stepped into Yunho’s home after they’d gotten finished studying, he was met with the smell of simmering meat.
He instinctively turned towards the kitchen, hearing sizzling.
It was…so familiar, this scent.
Yunho put his hand at the small of his back and smiled down at him.
“Do you want to go see what Mingi and Yeosang are cooking, or do you want to go straight upstairs?” He inquired. Hongjoong glanced again before he rubbed his neck.
“Is it okay? I don’t want to intrude.” He admitted. Yunho nearly told him ‘of course you can’ without hesitation, but he caught himself. He’d seen the occasional concerned glances.
Hongjoong definitely knew Mingi was cautious around him.
Respecting that, Yunho told him to wait, striding into the kitchen and beaming at the ex prince and boatswain that darted around each other. Yeosang’s tails were out on full display, occasionally brushing along the exposed skin of Mingi’s abdomen or back as the shirtless man measured spices.
That being said, the kitsune currently had a one-track-mind, as evidenced by the shriek that he let out when he turned and saw Yunho looming just a few feet from him.
Mingi tensed in an instant, a white knuckled grip on a knife and his eyes flashing purple before he paused, blinking at Yunho in realization as Yeosang held his chest.
“Oh my god, Yunho what the fu-”
“Are you okay?!” Hongjoong rushed in after the scream, blinking in surprise when his eyes landed on Yeosang.
All four men stared at each other like deer in headlights. Yeosang stood slowly, unable to hide the fact his massive, silken tails had been visible to the pianist.
He still dispelled them, though.
“Uh…hi?” He sheepishly greeted, hoping Hongjoong wouldn’t have another painful headache because of him.
Hongjoong slow blinked, looking from him, to Mingi, and finally, Yunho.
“....is everyone alright?” He questioned slowly. Yeosang nodded, wondering if he was going to ask. Hongjoong’s shoulders relaxed, and he looked towards Yeosang once more.
“....they were really pretty.” He complimented. Yeosang blushed and opened his mouth to ask him if he remembered anything, but he stopped short, watching as Hongjoong went rigid.
“Cheese smells food! Cheese would like to taste test the food now!”
Anything Yeosang had to say was gone the moment Cheese came bounding into the room, barking excitedly. Hongjoong’s eyes went wide as Cheese jumped up, putting his paws on Mingi’s chest.
“Cheese has been a very good Cheese! Cheese would now like some of your quality spiced meats now!”
To Hongjoong, all he could hear was barking.
Barking and the ocean.
-It’s so loud. The splashing.
He can almost feel it, fangs biting into him.
When he inhales water fills his lungs-
Yunho took his hand and sent an apologetic look to Yeosang and Mingi, tugging Hongjoong away before he could have a panic attack. He could feel the pianist’s hand getting clammy in his own.
“Hongjoong, look at me, hey.”
Yunho turned, gently cupping his forearms. Hongjoong looked up at him, mouth opening, but nothing came out. It broke the doctor’s heart, but he didn’t show it, instead pressing a kiss to his forehead.
“Breathe with me. Take your time.”
He instructed him gently, and once Hongjoong had gathered his bearings, he realized he was seated in Yunho’s room, his head nestled in the crook of the doctor’s neck.
“I…I’m okay. Sorry.” He muttered. Yunho kissed his head and pulled back, smiling softly at him.
“It’s alright. How about we take it easy tonight? I’ll check up on dinner in a bit and maybe we watch a movie?”
Hongjoong frowned. It was clearly obvious Yunho intended to try initiating something intimate when he invited him over after the library and Hongjoong felt like once again, he’d let the taller man down.
“I-..we can still…”He hated how clammy he felt, frustrated with himself over his phobia and ‘ruining’ his and Yunho’s moment for the second time. Yunho looked at his expression and shook his head.
“I’m not here to force or pressure you, Hongjoong. Ever. I know you’re afraid of dogs and I should have checked to see where Cheese was before we came in.” Yunho quietly took responsibility, but Hongjoong’s brow only furrowed deeper.
“He shouldn’t be locked up in a room in his own house because I’m over.” He muttered, eyes fixed on his own hands.
He felt the beginnings of a headache coming on, a split-like feeling right in the center of his forehead, but he grit his teeth, anger spiking.
He was…unreasonably angry, and spot on his chest, out of sight, shimmered for a moment.
What the hell does he have to be so afraid of?
Yunho startled when Hongjoong stood abruptly, jaw set. He cast him a worried look and Hongjoong marched out of the room, heading back downstairs with Yunho hot on his heels.
“Hongjoong? Cap-Uh-wait!” Yunho stumbled, missing a step as Hongjoong stormed back into the kitchen, Mingi looked up, a spoon in hand and a curious look on his face as Hongjoong looked about.
“....you good?” He inquired, arching a brow. Hongjoong glanced around the room once more before pursing his lips. His gaze drifted over to the canine on the floor and Cheese perked.
“Oh, Cheese did not know Captain would come back, Cheese will leave-oh there is a hand in Cheese’s face.”
Cheese blinked and sniffed as Hongjoong put a shaky hand before Cheese’s nose. Yunho finally caught up, blinking in surprise before he put his hand at the small of Hongjong’s back.
“Cheese, wanna make a friend? Can you be nice and give kisses?” Yunho inquired. Cheese perked and sat up on his haunches, sniffing Hongjoong’s hand more.
“Of course Cheese can be nice! Cheese is a valuable member of the crew-oh. Oh! The Captain smells of many souls. This confuses Cheese.” Cheese gently licked his hand, pressing his head into Hongjoong’s palm shortly after. Mingi and Yunho’s eyebrows rose as Hongjoong shakily cooed to the dog.
“G-good boy…such a handsome boy…” Hongjoong stuttered, slowly relaxing thanks to Cheese’s surprising calmness.
Yeosang came back into the kitchen, blinking in surprise at the return of the pianist. He looked at Yunho and Mingi, tilting his head at them both and the perplexed looks on their faces.
“Definately….He smells of blood…lotus…some kind of leather…fire…? And the ocean. He smells a lot like the ocean. Oh, and amber. Its an interesting combination for Cheese. Cheese smells at least three…nnn..no, four souls.”
All of them stared at the Jindo in shock as he gruffawed and keened, lifting his head to accept scratches from Hongjoong. The young man had slowly relaxed, smiling and pressing his head together with the dog’s once Cheese gave him a lick to the cheek.
“Thank you…sorry, I just…I hate feeling so afraid. There’s no need to be. Not of this little guy, right Cheese?” Hongjoong beamed, smiling as Cheese let out a small, mini howl in delight and wagged his tail.
“No problem…are you feeling alright?” Yeosang inquired, looking down at Hongjoong. He hadn’t the slightest clue on where to begin when it came to unpacking what the dog had told them, but he’d save that brain crunch for later, instead wanting to focus on the matter at hand.
“I feel…a lot better than I did before. I really appreciate you all being so patient with me in these moments of weakness.”
The three of them stared at him. Such a simple phrase, but they’d heard it before, knew it well.
When their Captain thrashed in his sleep, when he reached blindly and cried for his fallen mother. When the hooks of nightmarish slumber pushed down on his lungs and made it hard to breathe, they’d be there. He always said the same thing, wiping away his tears in frustration.
“Ah…what kind of Capt’n am I? Making my crew worry about me like that. I’m sorry, it was a moment of weakness. Thank you for pullin’ me out of it.”
Mingi looked away, his fingers tapping against the counter in front of him while Yunho gently put his arm around him, pulling Hongjoong close to him and kissing his head. Yeosang gently came closer and reached, taking Hongjoong’s hands. He brought them to his lips, kissing his knuckles softly.
“You can lean on us, Hongjoong. We all could use an attitude adjustment, but I promise, we’re a lot more reliable than we look.” Yeosang spoke against the skin of his hands. Slowly, he lifted his gaze up to Hongjoong’s, taking in the flustered flush that crept up the man’s neck. He stared at him, lips parted in surprise.
“I- Oh, Thank you, Yeosang.”
Yeosang let his hands go and smiled, motioning for the two to leave the kitchen.
“Now shoo. Dinner won’t be done for a while. Find something more interesting to occupy your time with.” He urged.
Yunho mouthed a ‘thank you’ over Hongjoong’s head, leaning to kiss Mingi’s cheek and Yeosang’s birthmark before he picked the pianist up.
“C’mon, you nearly gave me a heart attack running out so suddenly.” He lightly scolded, taking Hongjoong back upstairs.
Hongjoong flushed, rubbing his neck in embarrassment, but Yunho simply pulled him in for a kiss, pressing their heads together.
“Do you want to continue?”
“Yes.”
“Do you want to continue because you want to?”
“Yes.”
Hongjoong was frustrated with everyone treating him like he’d break, but he understood well the position he was in. As much as he got flustered and even embarrassed by the coddling, at least he knew both his friends and his boyfriend cared about his comfort.
Yunho smiled and stole another kiss, cupping both of Hongjoong’s cheeks and teasing his piercing with his own tongue, lightly tugging at the ball. Hongjoong whimpered into his lips, pressing himself against him, his hips twitching as he felt himself grow harder in his loose-fitting pants.
When Yunho broke the kiss, there was a completely different look in his eyes, one that made Hongjoong shudder in need as the taller man took a step back, pulling his shirt over his head. He tossed it aside and worked on the button of his jeans, smiling at Hongjoong as he followed his every move with his eyes.
“Have a seat there,” He pointed to the rolling chair he had near a desk adorned with plants and notes. Hongjoong sat himself down, his eyes locking onto the scar on Yunho’s abdomen before he bit his lip lightly, noticing Yunho tugging the waistband of his pants down, his cock springing out moments later.
Hongjoong was proud of himself for not letting out any of the noises of want that so desperately wanted to slip free from his mouth.
He was not, however, able to keep back the gasp of surprise when Yunho wrapped a vine around the chair and pulled him in closer, until he was at the end of the bed staring doe eyed as the doctor situated himself in the middle.
“What…what exactly are we doing, aga-...”Hongjoong trailed off, eyes drifting between Yunho’s legs as the doctor spread them apart, fully on display in front of him. Everything he had in mind died in his throat as he eyed Yunho with a want that made his fingers twitch.
“I want you to watch me, watch us, if that’s alright?” He instructed, running a hand down his torso before wrapping it around his cock. Hongjoong didn’t brave trying to speak again, worried he’d sound like a fool as he followed every stroke and upward curve of Yunho’s hand.
“Geb, it’s okay. I don’t think he minds.” Yunho moaned, smiling as he felt the fractured god take over part of his body, smooth vines wrapping around his legs, pulling them wider apart so he couldn’t close them and hide anything from the view of their Captain.
“Hongjoong, I think you’ll delight in knowing we’ve gotten quite sensitive. Look here,” Geb rumbled, thin vines curling around and rolling Yunho’s nipples until they hardened into buds. Yunho shuddered and moaned, bucking into his own hand.
“I wonder if you recall how needy we can get when it comes to this. It’s been many moons and we’ve even perfected the right mix for our nectar. Isn’t that right, Yunho? Should we show him?”
Yunho whimpered, nearly closing his eyes in pleasure. Both of them turned ice blue and Geb tutted as he opened them back fully.
“Come, now, Yunho. Don’t look away from him.” Geb scolded. Yunho groaned and lifted his hips, clenching on nothing at the mere thought of what was to come.
Hongjoong pushed his own pants down past his thigh, laughing in disbelief as he watched a vine thicker and smoother than the one teasing Yunho’s nipples appeared, dribbling something translucent and sweet-smelling over Yunho’s asshole.
“How often do you play with yourself like this, Yunho? If you two have perfected it, how many nights did it take?” He asked without thinking, smiling at the way Yunho’s hips twitched.
“I-nn-I’ve lost count…I just let Geb guide and feel around for what’s best-ah!” He choked on his own voice as he bucked, feeling his own vine push into him, coated in the aphrodisiac-like nectar.
Hongjoong bit his lip, grabbing his own cock and pumping in time with Yunho’s as Geb chuckled and growled into the room.
“My, it’s been too long. We’ve been neglecting ourselves. He’s tight, Hongjoong. Practically sucking in our vines and it’s still not enough, is it?” He let out a faux sympathetic sigh, more vines wrapping around Yunho’s thick thighs, kneading and gripping them as he fucked himself. The god wasn’t sure if the doctor even knew he’d given up control of their vines a few minutes ago, letting him control his (well, technically their) pleasure.
Hongjoong kicked his pants off and away from himself, moaning as he watched Yunho arch and stroke himself faster, softly moaning Hongjoong’s name.
The bed dipped, and the two-toned man joined him, crawling up on his hands and knees and licking up Yunho’s balls, past the length of his cock, over his fingers, before kissing the head of his weeping cock.
“H-Hongjoong-”
“Don’t stop. You wanted to show me, right?” He whispered, putting his head on Yunho’s thigh, his breath fanning over Yunho’s cock and his stuffed hole.
Yunho sucked his lip in and trembled, making the vine thicker inside of himself, mirroring the size he knew his smaller lover was. He moaned and arched his back, eyes nearly rolling back as he felt thick, warm nectar electrify his very being.
“That’s it, pretty boy. I’m here. Show me up close how beautiful you look when you cum.” Hongjoong sighed lovingly, reaching to rub around Yunho’s stuffed rim, smiling when he jolted upwards.
“Fuck! Ngh-!”
Hongjoong was honestly curious, and clearly was thinking with the head between his legs instead of the one between his shoulders as he leaned down and ran his tongue over both the vine as it pulled out, and the rim of Yunho’s hole, catching some of the nectar on his tongue.
Yunho’s thighs flexed, and had it not have been for the vines and Geb’s quiet monitoring of their play, he might have snapped them shut. His body trembled, a mixture of several languages spilling from his lips as he chased his orgasm, eyes blown wide with lust as he watched Hongjoong.
He found his mouth running far faster than his brain could catch up with.
“Hongjoong, please-” He whimpered, eyes rolling as he felt his own vine push against his prostate. Hongjoong looked up at his face, tilting his head.
“What is it, baby? What’s wrong?”
Yunho didn’t have an ounce of embarrassment in his body, looking at him with his lips swollen from self biting, panting like he’d ran a marathon, reaching to run a hand through Hongjoong’s hair.
“I want…mmmnn…I want you…please? I’ll even wait for you I just- please-” He groaned, his hand speeding up on his cock before he stopped abruptly, stilling the vine in his ass and ruining his orgasm. Hongjoong bit his lip and sat up, watching as veins throbbed on Yunho’s cock, thighs, hands, neck, and temple, straining as he tried to force himself down from his ruined ecstasy.
“Where’s the condoms you bought?” Hongjoong whispered. Excitement and a flicker of anxiety ran through him, but he found the former beating out the latter as Yunho shakily sent a vine to grab one of the two boxes he’d bought yesterday. Hongjoong took it, tearing the package and rolling it down his cock.
He crawled up until they could press their foreheads together, his palms splayed out on the bed sheets at either side of Yunho’s ribs. They held each other’s gaze, and Yunho simply smiled, guiding Hongjoong’s cock down to his hole after sliding the messy vine out of himself.
Hongjoong looked down between them, slowly pressing his hips down and gasping softly as he felt Yunho’s tight and slick walls grip him.
Both men groaned into the plant-filled room. Yunho gripped his cock tight, forcing down another orgasm as he looked at where they were joined, a dazed and joyful curl of his lips making Hongjoong growl above him.
“Y-Yunho, don’t clench so tight, baby. I can b-barely move-” Hongjoong moaned, pressing biting kisses down Yunho’s neck. The doctor groaned and let his head roll to the side, his cock making a mess of his abs.
“I…mmm I can’t help it, you don’t have to go slow.” He urged, trying to rock his hips. Hongjoong opened his mouth to tell him he didn’t want to hurt him, but Yunho leaned into his ear, running his hand through his hair.
“I like the stretch. Go faster.” He purred, moaning in delight when Hongjoong kissed him with fervor, working up a steady pace. Yunho sucked on his tongue and moaned in approval, stroking himself at an off-beat tempo.
Hongjoong was hyperaware of every sound once more.
Every slap of their hips together, every slick sound of Yunho’s cock in his hand, every filthy smack of their lips in their kiss, all of it made Hongjoong’s body feel like sparks were trailing through his veins.
“That’s it~ Mmn, you’re so eager, I think you remember our body well, Hongjoong. You’re making such a…mmm…delightful expression, does it feel that good?” Geb moaned, the triangle covering Yunho’s eye once more as they both looked up at Hongjoong.
The pianist sucked in a breath and rolled his hips down and to the left, smiling as his memory served right, listening as both of them let out a swear of surprise. His lips quirked as he slowed his hips down immediately afterwards. Yunho looked at him in surprise, opening his mouth, but Hongjoong cut him off.
“I want to try the vine, too. At the same time.”
Even the god was caught off guard, but they recovered quickly, with a vine dribbling sweet nectar between the musician’s cheeks.
Yunho smiled and reached around his frame, holding his cheeks open as Hongjoong resumed his thrusts. Hongjoong sighed against Yunho’s skin as he felt the tip of it press into his hole.
“Nice and slow, Joongie.”
Hongjoong’s hips stuttered for only a moment as the slick tip pushed into him, a groan of surprise spilling from his lips. It certainly was bigger than Yunho’s fingers, but not enough to knock the wind out of him, and soon he found his rhythm again, grinding into Yunho at a deep, slow pace.
“Right there, right there yes nngh!” Yunho arched, nearly covering his mouth at the shaky gasp that spilled from his lips, catching himself off guard. Hongjoong noticed and grit his teeth, sweat rolling down his brow as he took his hand and pulled it away, lacing their fingers together and staring down into his eyes.
Yunho looked up, holding his gaze as he gradually thickened and curved the vine inside of Hongjoong, smiling as Hongjoong let out his own cry of delight, feeling it rub right against his prostate.
Hongjoong looked down, and like before, felt that phantom feeling of rocking on a boat as he rolled his hips downwards, his bangs sticking to his forehead.
Yunho…felt as good as he’d always did.
He always stared at him with those big brown eyes, deep with love and eager for more.
Always…
“I love you.” Hongjoong panted, grabbing handfuls of the sheets as he looked down at Yunho. The doctor’s lips parted in surprise and he opened his mouth to respond, but Hongjoong kissed him feverishly, swallowing his moans as he sped up, reaching between them to stroke Yunho. The doctor’s hand had halted in surprise, but now it wrapped around the bars of the bed above his head as he arched his back, pretty notes falling past his lips as he looked up at Hongjoong.
“C’mon, cum with me baby, I’m so close, please I need it I was good, I was good, please-” He slipped up, his mind melting as he sped up the vine in Hongjoong, wanting him to join him in the climbing ecstasy.
Hongjoong’s eyes widened before he smiled, leaning into his ear.
“You’re so good, Yunho. You’re so good for me, for us.” He cooed, biting the shell of his ear when he heard Yunho’s breath hitch. He stroked him faster, surprised at himself and the strong need to make the doctor fall apart first.
“You and Geb are so good. Is this what I missed? Hm? You look beautiful like this. I-I don’t think I can hold back, baby. Hold me, go faster, we’re gonna cum together.” He groaned, feeling his hips ache in a way he was familiar with from performing, but with a blanket of pleasure running up and down his spine as the nectar ran down his rim and his balls.
“Thank you, thank you, I love you, right there-AH!”
Yunho arched his back and forced himself to keep his eyes open, biting his lip as Hongjoong’s expression matched his. Stars dotted his vision and he clenched tight, his body taught as he finally came with a loud cry, thick splurts making a mess of his and Hongjoong’s abs. Hongjoong smiled and kissed him, rocking back and forth desperately.
Between the tightness of Yunho’s trembling body and the dizzying pleasure of the vine in his ass, Hongjoong didn’t stand a chance, hugging Yunho and moaning into the heated skin of his neck as he came inside of the condom.
“Y-Yunho-”
He shuddered, staying in his arms and holding him as both of them tried to force air back into their lungs. The vine retreated, and Hongjoong flushed, feeling thick pearls of nectar roll out. Did he need that much lubrication? Probably not, but it gave him a hungry feeling for the real thing that made his heart skip.
Good thing both of them were already blushing from head to toe.
Yunho groaned, muscles sore as he wrapped his arms around Hongjoong, sending him a thousand watt smile.
“You did…phenomenally. I hope I feel it for days.” He mused, closing his eyes and letting his head thump against the pillow, a blissed smile on his face. Hongjoong blushed and looked down between them.
“Yunho, we should clean up. We’re covered in sweat, cum, and nectar.”
“Mmm. Gimme a moment. I’m basking.”
Hongjoong sent him a flat look before he playfully rolled his eyes, putting his head on Yunho’s chest.
He supposed it wasn’t too bad to rest for a bit more.
Just a little.
̶̶̶̶ «̶ ̶̶̶ ̶ «̶ ̶̶̶ Meanwhile, Downstairs ̶ ̶ ̶»̶ ̶̶̶ ̶ »̶ ̶̶̶
Once they were out of earshot, Yeosang sighed softly, shoulders slumping. Mingi looked at him out of the corner of his eye before looking down at Cheese.
“You said you smelled four souls inside of him?”
Cheese looked up and nodded, letting out a big yawn before sprawling onto the cool tile of the kitchen floor.
“One is his. The scents Cheese told you about are the ones Cheese smelled in them. Amber-Cheese thinks that is his soul, it is the strongest smelling. Then bloody lotus, fire and leather, and the ocean. The ocean scent is the faintest. Like it’s fading.”
Both of their eyes widened and Mingi clenched his fists so hard, he had crescents in his palms.
“Captain…are you…are you still in there?” He whispered without thinking. Yeosang tapped his lip and paced the room, eyes fixed on the tiles as he tried to process the gravity of their findings.
He shook his head, ruffling his hair, and turned to Mingi instead, walking over to gently tuck himself in the taller immortal's arms.
"Are you okay, Mingi?"
Mingi wrapped his arms around him, conflict swirling in his mind.
"I…I don't know."
Yeosang gave him a squeeze and looked into his eyes.
"It's okay not to know right now. We can navigate through this together. It's confusing as all hell. But, what matters to me right now," he gently kissed Mingi and leaned back so he could stare into his eyes.
"Is that all of my loves are full and taken care of. Do you want dessert made? I can start." He offered, rubbing Mingi’s cheeks. Mingi looked at him for a long time before putting his hands over Yeosang’s.
"Would…would you still love me if I wasn't the same me you've always known?"
Yeosang pressed his lips together before he exhaled softly.
"I would."
"How do you know?"
"The you in front of me isn't the you from centuries ago. The me in front of you isn't the me from centuries ago. None of us have escaped the touch of pain and time. Just because we do not deteriorate or change physically doesn't mean we haven't changed emotionally and mentally." Yeosang closed his eyes and hummed.
"It's…been hard and there's an awful rift between us that hurts so much…but I still love you. I still love everyone. Mingi," he pulled the taller man into a hug.
"If…if you don't still love me…or us…that's within your right. I'm not going to force you. I just…I'll do everything in my power to help you and everyone smile again. I can do that."
Mingi felt his heart clench in pain, hugging him tight.
"I do love you!” He spoke hurriedly, worried he’d offended the ex prince by his venting. Yeosang didn’t say a word, gently petting his hair and smiling softly, waiting for him to continue after he gave him a small, encouraging nod. Mingi worried his lip between his teeth.
“I…I want things to go back to before. I want everyone back. I'm so tired." He whispered, his eyes cast at the ground.
Yeosang rubbed his back, gently kissing his cheek. He felt his heart squeeze.
He was also to blame for this, he knew inaction and fear spoke just as loud as action and hostility.
His upbringing taught him better than to be a bystander, and still he let the others and Mingi down.
"I'm…sorry I haven't done enough to protect you. Is…is there anything I can do? Or…is it too late? It's just us, you can be honest with me." Yeosang felt his own tears well up as he looked at Mingi. The taller man sucked in a breath and looked at him for a long time.
"I…I have a lot I need to get off my chest…right now, I need someone to talk to. If…if it's alright?" He whispered. Yeosang smiled and kissed his knuckles.
"I'll turn the fire off and we can take a walk so no one interrupts. Is that alright? We can bring Cheese." He offered. Mingi looked at him and then the dog and nodded once.
"Thank you, Yeosang. I'm sorry."
"No need to be sorry, Mingi. Here, I'll grab your coat."
Mingi cast a look at the kitchen before he took a breath and looked down at Cheese, smiling as the dog nudged his thigh.
“Cheese does not know what happened, but Cheese loves his family and will provide excellent emotional support!”
Mingi exhaled, laughing wetly before he heard Yeosang approach with his coat, handing it to him with a worried look settled in his brow.
“Shall we go, Mingi?” He inquired. Mingi nodded, grabbing Cheese’s leash and grabbing Yeosang’s hand within his own shaking one.
“I’m coming. I’ll lead the way.”
┍━☽【❖】☾━┑
T a g l i s t
┕━☽【❖】☾━┙
@jacksons-goddess-gaia @kimnamshiks @atiny-dazzlinglight @angel0taiyo @gettin-a-lil-hanse @aeyla @eversionic @itsatinyworld @unatempesta-dipensieri @lonely10vely @yunhosblackgf @not-majestic-bluenicorn @moonmin-miya @snowstaytiny @delphinium3000 @just-a-starfruit @skmoonchild @allthestarsrcloser @sneaky-ash @im-what-iam @stayatinyfics @smallfrye @atinyteez @bangteezbaby @seomisaho @kirisimpma @chaos-ground-writing @daniblogs164 @daisyhwa @yunhofingers @stormiestories @billboard-singer @asyamonet22 @perfectlysane24 @drunk-on-hwa @shingisimp @xuxibelle @twistedsiren @heesuncore @dreamyinception-world @justatiredhuman @serialee @babyhailey819 @eribear23 @spooo00oky @shymexican @stardragongalaxy @horizonmoonfics
#against the tide#AtT Ch. 17#fie writes#k-vanity#kdiarynet#kwritersworldnet#ateez fanfic#ateez fanfiction#ateez member x member#hongjoong fanfiction#hongjoong fanfic#kim hongjoong fanfic#yunho fanfic#yunho fanfiction#jeong yunho fanfic#hongjoong x yunho#hohong fanfiction#ateez ot8 fic#ateez poly ot8#polyteez#hongjoong smut
59 notes
·
View notes
Text
Simpsons: the Secret Years
There is a mystery gap of 6 years in the sliding Simpsons Timeline between when Homer and Marge met, and when Bart was born, in which no Simpsons episodes have ever been set, and which we know absolutely nothing about what happened, except two things: Homer worked at a miniature golf course, and Marge started to wear her hair up. Only one episode, “I Married Marge,” gave us tantalizing hints of the tail end of this mystery era.
Homer and Marge met in High School when both of them were 18 years old as seniors, as seen in “The Way We Was.” They were forced to get married years later, however, when Marge became pregnant with Bart (as Homer told his brother, Herb, when he asked if his children were legitimate, he said “the boy was a close call,” and we saw this more in depth a few seasons later), and this was also when Homer took the job at the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant. Since both Homer and Marge have, many times, been identified as 35 years old, this means that “I Married Marge” had both at 25 years old when Bart was born.
So there is a gap of 6 years in the Simpsons timeline in which no episodes have ever been set, where Homer and Marge were seemingly together (presumably continuously but this is not explicitly stated) before getting married. We only saw the tail end of this era in “I Married Marge,” and the only detail we know about concretely is that Homer worked at a miniature golf course, which is where Bart was conceived.
The decision to put this gap in is to keep Marge from being a teen mom, which, if you do the math, is what Jane Jetson of the Jetsons was (being 33, she must have been 16-17 when Judy Jetson was born). However, it ended up creating a strange and lengthy era about which we know very little.
287 notes
·
View notes
Note
Super is a horribly made cash grab. Something like the Dragon BallZ multiverse would've been a lot more interesting to watch.
Especially the early chapters were we see universes with diffrent "what-if's" like Friza taking over, Planet Vegeta still around, Cell or Buu winning, Goku being raised as sayin, introducing the games etc.
I especially hate how super ignores Vegeta's already established character development and makes him regress. Either they just didn't know how to write a Vegeta like that or simply didn't care.
And god Gohan got the worst treatment ever. I understand the man doesn't fight, it's not what he does and that's a great point to his character but not keeping up with his training especially after cell and buu? Is out of character. The man is smart and knows that a bigger threat can come in at any moment.
Just wanted to leave that, drink some water
Perfectly valid opinion! Nevertheless, I disagree with you, and you’ve given me an excuse to ramble on at length about Dragon Ball, so ramble on I shall.
Super is a horribly made cash grab.
I think you’re thinking of the Z movies (which, for the record, I like). A cash grab’s supposed to be something you make quickly just because you know it’ll sell, and while I’m no economist, I do know you have to follow appreciably current trends when you’re trying to make one. While you may be right, it’s hard for me to feel that something is a cash grab when there was a ten year dry spell between GT ending and anything important that was DB-related coming out—and it wasn’t even Super, it was a little festival special that a bunch of people don’t know about because it never came overseas. Battle of Gods didn’t drop until five years after that, after the first half of DBZ Kai had already wrapped up, and Super didn’t start properly until the second half of Kai finished two years later. You don’t spend seven years feeling out if people are still receptive to something after a ten-year hiatus if you’re trying to make money quickly, is all I’m saying.
Something like the Dragon BallZ multiverse would've been a lot more interesting to watch.
I’ve never read Multiverse so I leafed through the first 400-ish pages to see if I agreed with you, and I don’t. A common complaint about the Tournament of Power is that it’s the most dragged out 48 minutes in existence, and from the looks of it, Multiverse is like if Super was nothing but the Tournament of Power. To me, one of the best things about Dragon Ball is that it doesn’t have to be all high-stakes head-to-head all the time. You get things like the Orange Star High arc, or the filler episode where Piccolo and Goku have to get their driver’s licenses, or the one where Goku doesn’t quite have control over his ki for a day or so because he essentially shorted out the wiring fighting Hit (which is a cool fucking concept that I wish they had done more with). It’s just fun. It opens the door for questions that are more entertaining—and more importantly, more varied—than arguing until you’re blue in the face about who would win in a fight between X and Y.
Especially the early chapters were we see universes with diffrent "what-if's" like Friza taking over, Planet Vegeta still around, Cell or Buu winning, Goku being raised as sayin, introducing the games etc.
Sure, I’ll give you that, Multiverse does knock that concept around a little. The problem is it doesn’t do much of anything with it. The setting is a character too, in its own way—arguably the most important one, since it’s the one that every other character has no choice but to interact with. You’re right, all of those what-ifs would be interesting—if they were set in the what-ifs.
Here, I’ll share one of my favorite what-ifs as an example to try and explain. What if, instead of being able to retreat back to his lab, Dr. Gero was destroyed along with 19 by Vegeta’s attack? There would be no reason to go check his lab out if the android threat is eliminated, so 17 and 18 would still be asleep. Cell would grow unhindered for 17 years, and when he hatches, he could simply go up the ladder and attain perfection without a fight. Goku wouldn’t have died at the end of the Cell Games. There would be no training in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber for anyone. Does Vegeta become an issue again, since his character arc stalls at the part where he’s reveling in his own power? If so, how does that resolve? How would the struggle against Cell play out if they had no warning at all that he even existed? What role would Gohan play in it—or Goten or Trunks, since they’d be old enough to be a factor? These questions and any number of others you could pose don’t even account for the fact that it entirely upsets the timeline—Buu arc would occur before Cell, if it occurs at all. Assuming it does, would they stand a chance in hell against Buu without the power they gained in Cell arc and the seven year gap? Could Cell somehow end up coming into conflict with Buu? In short—how does this change things?
Multiverse answers this with ‘who cares, where does it put you in the power-scaling?’ and that’s not compelling to me in the slightest.
I especially hate how super ignores Vegeta's already established character development and makes him regress. Either they just didn't know how to write a Vegeta like that or simply didn't care.
Define regress. If you’re referring to Vegeta retaining his determination to get stronger than Goku after the ‘you are number one’ speech, that’s. Pretty integral to his character, frankly. Just because he’s learned and accepted it’s not the end of the world if he isn’t stronger doesn’t mean he has to drop the competition entirely. I read it less as a set-in-stone declaration of Goku’s superiority, more like a concession of his own defeat. ‘You’re number one forever because you’re better than me’ vs ‘You win for now, but when the next fight rolls around, I’ll outdo you’, you feel what I’m getting at? He does show up to fight Goku in the tournament during the very end of Z, after all. My point is that it shows Vegeta’s worldview and perception of himself is more malleable now—and so, confines him far less.
As it turns out, that concept of ‘freedom’ is the direction Super chooses to develop him in, and I feel that it pairs very well with what he goes through in Z (spoilers incoming). In Z, Vegeta is restricted by The Way Things Are Supposed To Go. In Super, especially later on during Moro and Granolah, this has a natural continuation in how his past actions in the name of TWTASTG weigh on him in ways that hamper his growth. This has been one of his biggest stumbling blocks for forever—he thinks so goddamn much, he can’t get out of his own head.
His defense of the Namekians and Earth against Moro is motivated in part by Vegeta feeling obligated to right the balance, so to speak—and he says as much, even going so far as to ask Moori if he bears a grudge against him for his actions. He still considers himself a villain bound for hell. In effect, this idea that he has to atone for his sins via being the one to save the day (which essentially amounts to being stronger than Goku on some given day) has snuck in and made itself into the new Way Things Are Supposed To Go without him realizing it.
Beerus realizes, though. I couldn’t think of a way to eloquently get across what Beerus does for him short of copying down the dialogue wholesale, so fuck it, that’s what I’m gonna do, since not everyone has access to the official translation. (From ch 69)
BEERUS: How many planets have you Saiyans destroyed?
VEGETA: ? Hard to say. Fighting was the only way of life for my people, so we had a way of racking up sin after sin.
B: Sin, huh?
V: However, it wasn’t until Freeza’s clan came along and began using us that the destruction and invasions became business as usual.
B: You trying to lay all the blame for your wicked ways on Freeza and his people?
V: Not in the least. In his pursuit for power, my father built his own kingdom atop countless deaths. Freeza’s clan taking control didn’t help, but the seeds of the Saiyans’ destruction were sown before that.
B: So it was the Saiyans’ destiny to be wiped out, then?
V: I’d say so.
B: Hmph… Ridiculous.
V: But never mind that. My people’s problems aren’t your concern.
B: I’m saying it’s ridiculous!
V: ! W-what? What do you mean? Weren’t you going to show me a technique used by Gods of Destruction?! What could that possibly have to do with the history of the Saiyans?
B: Plenty. […] As long as doubt weighs down your soul, this power’ll never be yours to wield.
V: D-doubt, you say?
B: Your own crimes aside, you’re feeling guilty for the sins of all Saiyans. That’s awfully self-centered of you, mortal. Here’s a fun fact. The one who suggested that Freeza eliminate the Saiyans… was me.
V: W… what?
B: You still think it was destiny? You’re just gonna accept that? […] Everything those Saiyans did in the past… what’s it got to do with you now? As long as you’re trapped by the past, you’ll never manage to grow past this point. My mind’s always on destruction and nothing else. That’s why there’s no limit to my power. Listen. If you really want this power, you’re gonna have to destroy any stray thoughts and recreate yourself from scratch. Before creation comes destruction. Get it?
Yeah. He takes this and he intentionally divorces his efforts to get stronger from his tendency to dog Goku’s heels in leveling up. Ultra Instinct isn’t a power suited to him, so he gives it up instead of torturing himself over it and works on what eventually becomes Ultra Ego instead. Here’s the thing though. The biggest indicator of Vegeta’s growth to me is that he can’t tap fully into that power because he’s no longer callous and unfeeling, and he knows it. He identifies too much with Granolah to simply destroy him. And he tries to lead Granolah off the path that ruined him for so much of his life. That doesn’t sound anything like regression to me.
The way things stand with Goku and Vegeta right now, the next step seems to be adapting their Ultra forms to them personally, so I’m curious to see how Vegeta will bend that power to the person he is now.
And god Gohan got the worst treatment ever. I understand the man doesn't fight, it's not what he does and that's a great point to his character but not keeping up with his training especially after cell and buu? Is out of character. The man is smart and knows that a bigger threat can come in at any moment.
You could be right, but no amount of kvetching is going to change what the writer wrote, so you may as well stretch your critical thinking legs and ask yourself why the writer thinks this is in character. Speaking from the perspective of a person who makes a hobby of examining these pieces and spackling them together into something cohesive (fanfiction. I write fanfiction, in case that was somehow unclear), this is the more fun option for me. I’m not saying it’s really That Deep (‘don’t put more thought into something than the creators did’, yak yak yadda yadda) or that my personal interpretation is correct and canon or anything, I just know that writers rarely write something a certain way without a reason.
Because you’re right, Gohan is a smart person. I don’t think he did stop training after Buu in the way you’re thinking of, for two reasons. First, he mentions at the end of Super Hero that he’s been practicing the Makankosappo in secret, and the Makankosappo took Piccolo presumably several years nonstop (between OGDB and Z) to make from scratch. Gohan may have prior knowledge to base his experimentation off of, but he has a lot less free time too, between his family and his father’s tendency to one-track-mind the things he’s passionate about—Videl says he’s been in his room working on his ant project for several days. So how long has Gohan been practicing it?
That’s rather theoretical though so, second, Gohan was ready for the Tournament of Power with 48 hours of training, which I don’t think would be possible if he wasn’t at least keeping himself physically in shape. Indeed, when Piccolo is training him (DBS episode 88), his problem is not with Gohan’s practical technique—it’s with his attitude. Freeza notices this and mentions it earlier in Resurrection F as well, that Gohan is going out of his way to leave the people he beats alive. Piccolo describes it as a failure to ‘close the deal’, in the sense that Gohan needs to be able to win in a way that leaves no room for a rematch or a sneak attack at the last second. This doesn’t necessarily mean killing, mind, especially since the Tournament of Power has a no-kill rule. What Gohan has let go to rust is his willingness to be ruthless enough to remove an obstacle that has to be removed. That, I think, is the true meaning of the ‘training’ that everyone in universe harps on him for. Gohan’s always been softhearted, after all.
I will concede that it is very stupid that he apparently doesn’t recognize Piccolo’s ki when by all rights he’s probably the person most familiar with it. I consider that ‘out of character’, in that I have no clever explanation for it, but given that it isn’t load-bearing so the story functions, I mainly shrug and ignore it. That’s the healthy thing to do.
completely forgot to say... I *hate* how bulma is now. Nothing to the bulma we saw in Z, even at her most vexing she was never like the one we see right now. Genuinely massacred her
Personally I would be angrier about Videl in your position, because boy does she just not exist in Super. More to the point, I don’t know exactly what you mean by this. Unless I’ve misremembered/misread something, Bulma is still doing what she’s done from day one. She’s still smart. She’s still willing to try using her charm to get what she wants. She still builds things that are plot-crucial (Goku Black arc couldn’t have happened without her replicating her own time machine! Which she couldn’t have done had Future Bulma not counted on her and left her own notes!) She still wants to get a look at every would-be destroyer of Earth du jour, even though it’s really not a good idea. If you’re referring to her occasional shallowness/bitchiness/pettiness, that never went away, you know. That’s a pretty big part of Bulma.
Just wanted to leave that, drink some water
Cute, but I’ve been on the internet too long to get upset when a random stranger boos something I enjoy. Thanks for the opportunity to write way too many words about it though! 2500 of them, in fact! I’d genuinely love to hear your thoughts on them.
#vegeta#son gohan#bulma briefs#dbz#dbs#dragon ball z#dragon ball super#text from the mod#long post#i'm not being sarcastic either tell me what you think#i swear i don't bite
63 notes
·
View notes
Last Seen Blogs
gagato
Gagato
onestopfanficshop
welcum to the madness
gkindshivani
Learner's Club
saw09
saw vi (2009) dir. kevin greutert
badass-bitch-polls
BADASS BITCH SHOWDOWN