Tumgik
#man though... i was super young when i actually watched that series though like this is like maybe 2010 we're talking
uncanny-tranny · 1 year
Text
So I saw this show I used to watch as a kid on a streaming service, Hoarders, and it's about, as you'd assume, people who compulsively hoard.
When I watched that show as a kid, I remember how you were invited to almost... judge these people, "Oh, how could you live like that?! I'm glad that's not my house..." and I remember this shock factor that sunk you into the episode, at least in the early seasons.
I think it's a product of the attitude we have about these sorts of things. When I look at that now, all I see is trauma, people who are suffering, and then essentially being shamed on television, no less. It just feels like watching somebody at their lowest for an hour, recounting trauma, disability, loss and grief, mental illness, and so many things.
63 notes · View notes
ghostherlig · 5 months
Text
even more random hcs!!
bc i probably wont be home until after christmas :')
anyway, take more johnrailaoshi bc ive been thinking about them all day-
(if you saw this early no you didnt- im stupid and pressed the wrong button-)
raiden really loves valentine's day bc it gives him extra reason to show his appreciation for the people he loves in his life- he always hand makes cards and folds origami pieces for his bfs to find around the house- he went all out one year and made each of them a jar full of paper stars
johnny and kung lao's favorite holiday is halloween!! they go all out for costumes and always decorate the house to match- johnny even hires smaller actors to dress up and play characters outside with him and lao to have fun with the kids- they have a scare actor section and a section for cartoon characters
kenshi's favorite holiday is christmas!! he doesnt have a lot of fond memories from childhood, but after johnny first asked kenshi to celebrate christmas with him, oh that man was hooked- johnny was happy to see kenshi beam all throughout december, holding warm mugs and wrapped in blankets since the cold always got to him
jax and johnny still have this kind of strange rivalry, esp when kenshi is around- kenshi thinks it's funny bc most of the time it's them trying to out do each other with history facts, but both just end up having a nice convo.... it's the only time kenshi can get paperwork done without headaches
lao and raiden still have mini bets they place with each other all the time- half the time kenshi and johnny find out abt them bc lao brags abt winning- raiden bets poorly on purpose sometimes bc he knows lao likes to win and it only costs him a little..... sometimes he humbles lao, though (the superbowl is the biggest bet of the year for them)
raiden isnt known to swear, but his favorite song is "I Don't Fuck With You" by Big Sean (thanks kung lao) and he can be heard singing the lyrics, uncensored and all, randomly
kenshi can very easily peel or cut any kind of fruit- apples, oranges, pomegranates, persimmons, pineapple, watermelon, anything- if he is handed a fruit and asked to cut it he will and it will be fast and done beautifully
raiden has johnny do his hair!! braids is usually the most common style outside of his bun, but johnny always insists on doing his hair if they're going out-
kenshi has lao help him cut his hair!! lao does his own undercut and knows his way around a buzzer/clippers- the first time lao asked to cut kenshi's hair the swordsman was unsure, but he decided it wouldnt hurt and lao did it perfectly and has done it since
johnny has a cameo on a sooby doo episode!! he somehow convinced them to put him in an episode with the hex girls and it actually was so awesome-
johnny is super good with puzzles- like insanely good- kenshi, lao, and raiden just started getting him those really fancy puzzle boxes for christmas/his bday and he's cracked every single one without fail-
they have board game nights!! monopoly and uno have been banned- but when everyone is over their favorite game to play is 'one night ultimate werewolf'
for several years johnny has done a Santa Livestream on his insta and has donated a lot of money to charities that buy gifts for kids in need as well as done fundraisers to get others to chip in too- he got tomas, syzoth, kuai liang, lao, and raiden to help him keep people entertained on the live- kenshi even agreed to do a "face reveal" if they hit ten million in a day- they hit the goal in six hours
raiden and tomas are actually pretty close as friends- both bond over their combat abilities and their lives in general, and both have dragged the other into different media- now they watch episodes of different series' weekly and talk over the phone about it- their bf's know better than to interrupt them on the phone with each other
lao is the only Only Child in their polycule- raiden has his sister, johnny his brother, and i hc kenshi as having an older sister and a younger brother-
johnny will randomly start dancing, sometimes bc he just has a song stuck in his head, other times bc he just needs to move- his bf's always smile when they catch him- the most extreme move any of them have seen him do is drop into a split
none of them are fond of using their powers for silly or stupid reasons... however, each of them have definitely used their powers in a way they werent supposed to- kenshi has for sure used his telekenesis inappropriately, raiden has used his lightning to cook smth, kung lao has used his force/air manipulation to throw things at ppl, and johnny uses his weird shadow powers (give him his green back ]:) to scare his bfs-
johnny owns the house, bc it's a five bedroom, six and a half bath, super expensive house- it gives each of them their own room and then a shared room with a big asf bed, a nnice kiving room, incredible kitchen, big dining room for guests, a wine cellar, in home gym, etc- literally a second mansion-
as soon as anyone gets sick, raiden makes chicken congee- he got the recipe from madam bo after he told her him and lao were moving to stay with johnny for a while- she was happy to give him the recipe and even showed him how to de-bone a whole chicken for it
johnny is actually so interested in tarantulas- he thinks they look super cool and that some of the colors and patterns are really pretty- if kenshi and lao werent as insect averse he would definitely get one
lao's favorite reptile (after syzoth) is the arabian sand boa (pls google these guys, they're adorable-)
kenshi really loves reptiles and has always wanted a leopord gecko or a hognose snake- but he fears not having enough time for one with work and his bf's
johnny very lovingly refers to raiden as his wife after kenshi made a joke abt johnny "wife-ing" him by making him his favorite meal- raiden always gets flustered bc johnny is very open abt opening an LLC with them all as a kind of "poly marriage loophole"-
they all have jewelry that they wear as sort of "promise" jewelry that they almost never take off- johnny has his silver bracelet/band, kenshi has a steel ring, raiden has an anklet, and lao has a necklace
johnny, to his personal assistant and manager, refers to his bf's as "The Council" and always answers scheduling questions with "i'll have to consult with The Council"- it's rubbed off on the other three which has to led to raiden telling liu kang he cant give him a firm answer bc he has yet to "speak with The Council" (liu got flashbacks to "I Must Consult With the Elder Gods-")
johnny makes the worst jokes abt US tragedies- the jfk assassination is his personal fave bc he knows he can mess with kenshi with it- "it blows my mind that you can be so childish, cage-" "yknow who else got his mind blown-" "JOHNATHAN CARLTON-"
lao still has his first chakram hat and it's hung up in the mansion living room- all of them will stare at it or remember it's there and think back to lao telling the story of his Inspiration (thanks bi han)
raiden really loves smoothies, especially mango- he will down a mango smoothie if you hang him one-
johnny has all kinds of videos on his phone of all of them doing stupid shit- his favorites are one of kenshi drunkenly eating takoyaki out of the fridge, turning to face the camera with his cheeks full- one of raiden mumbling "i dont fuck with you" under his breath, panning to lao and kenshi who look at raiden like he just vacuumed their hamster- and one of lao dancing for a good minute, really, really well, just to trip at the very end and scream-
johnny has a lot of those videos and goes through them whenever he misses his bf's
raiden will send videos of cats playing or napping together and caption them "us" and send them to whoever or to the gc- all of his bf's always melt and go to find him and give him a kiss if they're in the house together or they'll send back a little emoji if they're apart
you'd think johnny is the worst but kenshi is the most overdramatic abt not getting attention- like "my husband is off to war" levels of dramatic- lao had to get up to use the bathroom and kenshi sighed like a sickly victorian, put his hand over his forehead and monologued until lao came back- he does the same to raiden and johnny, always "why has my love left me?? i am always abandoned by my dearest... beloved, where have you gone? why have you forsaken me??" "i need to pee, ken-" "am i so unimportant?? so easily forgotten???? so unloved??????" "🙄✋️ okay-"
johnny isnt as dramatic but he does pout and sigh and sometimes follow his bf's around until they love on him a little- johnny needs the little pick-me-up's but kenshi normally waits until he needs a full battery recharge
the four of them talk shit like there's no tomorrow- you do not want to be on the recieving end of their judgemental staring- each of their side eyes alone could kill someone, all of them together??? good fuckin luck-
johnny is mesmerized by the snow- kenshi, raiden, and lao all grew up with it, but johnny isnt used to it since he was born and raised in CA and enjoys the sunny weather- so when kenshi or lao and raiden take him to japan or china during the snowy season he's always so excited- the other three love it bc his cheeks get so pink in the cold
raiden gets super flustered when one of them gives him affection and attention, but all three are evil and will pile affection and attention on him to watch him squirm and act all shy- raiden loves it but also knows to tell them when he's overwhelmed
lao knows all of his bf's humor and how to make them laugh- johnny and kenshi laugh at lao's darker jokes- johnny especially likes anti-jokes- raiden likes puns and "a ____ walked into a bar-" type jokes- kenshi also cant help but laugh at people doing stupid things and kenshi and raiden laugh together at children falling- (older sibling moment)
raiden gets super lovey sometimes and will write out in letters how he feels about his bf's and slide them under their doors- all of them have a drawer or folder or smth that stores all of the letters
lao is the only one with a real sleep schedule- he's a morning person and goes to bed by 10 almost every night- raiden tends to get distravted watching tv, and kenshi and johnny tend to overwork themselves and work into the night and wee hours
sleep is usually tough for all of them anyway (lao takes melatonin to be asleep early) bc of all that they've seen and experienced- they all like congregating in their shared room to sleep together but sometimes they go off to their own rooms when they need/want the privacy or peace
that's all for now- wishing everyone a happy holidays!! <333 hopefully im back home soon :') also pls excuse any typos, it is 2 am-
69 notes · View notes
cult-of-the-eye · 7 months
Text
Mag 81 A Guest for Mr Spider
FUCK FORMER HEAD ARCHIVIST
Wait I need to check the timelines - this was 2 days after leitner's death
New spooky music???
My man is so fucking dramatic I love him so much "grand of sand behind my eye" love the way he speaks
Yeah FUCK JURGEN LEITNER
Omg the greying hair is canon??
Child in the 90s makes him at most 27 GOD DAMN. I was imagining like mid 30s...can you imagine a fucking 27 yr old using words like "ilk" when talking to you
Oh shit he's an orphan poor guy
Yeah ok a lot of his personality seems to make sense if you realise he was raised by his grandma
You know those memes that are like people raised by their grandparents are exceptionally polite but in a brisk way, talk fancy and are super posh? Yeah that's him.
Getting such neurodivergent vibes
Yeah he sounds like a main character from the start Jesus Christ he's such a kid who got traumatised and then grows up to be a horror protagonist vibes
My First Leitner lol like kids had to be introduced to them at a young age like those my first toys
He's so funny I can just imagine him as an 8 yr old getting super like affronted at this like how dare my grandma think I am of subpar intelligence he's such a little bitch from the start
"The eponymous Mr spider" even talking about his childhood trauma he's busting out the vocabulary
Fuck that story actually kinda rattled me I had my hand over my mouth in shock for most of it
I think it was the bit where the horsefly brought his son and they were both crying that got me, I could definitely imagine it scaring an 8 yr old
The way it drags out as well, with the pages of the same scene it really heightens the suspense
Is his childhood bully someone we should keep track of?? Love how he says Michael probably cause he sees him as a bully lol
It's interesting how despite him bullying him (quite badly seeing as though he beat him up) he's still like yeah but he saved my life and that means he deserves to be remembered
My bro didn't save your life on purpose, he was just trying to make it worse and happened to come to a terrible fate cause of that
I guess underneath it all he was still a kid who watched someone die, knowing they'd get eaten by a fucking spider, he still held him in some regard
The way he specified the guy was his bully even after he was being eaten though lol
He was desperate to get the book back? That's a leitner thing I guess, the book makes you want to keep it so it can finish whatever it wanted to do to you
On my relisten (which I will do once I've finished the series I'm sure of it), I'll have to look out for any reaction of leitners name
I wonder why Jon didn't react more to Carlos vittery's statement, like it must've terrified him? I saw a post a while back explaining Jon's thoughts and IT WAS GENIUS it was like of course he doesn't react, he must be terrified that someone knew about his experience and somehow did this to mess with him or it was a joke and he can't let anyone know that the Head Archivist is not Good at This ugh it's so good I'll tag it if I can find it
AHHHHH HE REGRETS DISMISSING THE OTHER STATEMENTS AHHHHHH
HE FINALLY ADMITS THAT HE NEEDS HELP WE LOVE THIS CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT YES YOU FUCKING DO BITCH.
yeah at least he's right about Elias killing leitner
GEORGIE THE EX GIRLFIEND
ITS SO WEIRD TO SEE HIM ACTUALLY NICE TO SOMEONE WOW HIS VOICE CHANGES SLIGHTLY AS WELL HES LESS ACADEMIC
THE ADMIRAL
Awwww he's so cute with georgie
GHOST PODCAST GHOST PODCAST
THE WHAT THE GHOST T SHIRT IS CANON???? AHH THATS SO CUTE
Can he not go back to his own flat?? Did he bring all his clothes to the archive and then subsequently leave them there? Does he even have a flat??
God Georgie is so nice I would kill for her
It's so funny that an apparent supernatural cynic dated a ghost podcaster
WOW SEASON 3 OFF TO AN AMAZING START I CANT WAIT TO KEEP LISTENING IM GONNA TELL MY THERAPIST ABOUT THIS TOMORROW!!!
119 notes · View notes
yourneighborhoodporg · 6 months
Text
The Guardian
Chapter 6: Patience
Obi-Wan Kenobi x Reader
Warnings: ANGST (y'all like actually so much angst), hurt/comfort, mention of canon character deaths, descriptions of violence, banter, references to slavery & war, lil' bit of fluff, self-doubt, grief, sad Ani.
Summary: After spending hours in the Jedi Archives trying to catch up on the last ten years of galactic events, Anakin drags you away for an impromptu sparring session. However, in the throws of saber-to-saber combat, with Obi-Wan as witness, the troubled Jedi lets slip a concerning habit. One that you hope to guide him through.
Song Inspo: Valley of Pain — Bonnie Raitt
Words: 9.5k (I'm sorryyyy)
A/n: Okay, soooo I was thinking about splitting this into two parts, but then I was like ehhhh there's a lot of missing context if I do that. So here we are (I promise I will, like, write the shortest of short chapters for the next one XD). This one is super angst/emotion-heavy to help set up where we are so get ready. Also, please please please comment your thoughts because I got a little experimental with this chapter and would love to know what y'all liked/disliked :))
Previous Chapter | Next Chapter
Series Masterlist
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet — Aristotle
Anakin leaned comfortably against one of many murky inner pillars, each carefully constructed to steady towering rows of azure-luminescent holobooks in the Jedi Archives. As he crossed his arms with a restive huff, the young Jedi was careful to navigate his right elbow so to avoid the large, rounded, and precariously placed head of Neti Jedi Master Ood Bnar. It was one of the many copper busts depicting legendary figures from The Order’s history that surrounded him. All of them thoughtfully gandered from short, gray pillars stationed at the end of every shelving chain up and down the Archives.
Regardless of his vigilant delicacy around such artifacts, Anakin’s primary attention centered on a point in the distance, just five stacks away.
The chestnut-haired man’s sights leveled on you and Ahsoka, comfortably sat on either side of a long hourglass table, part of the several two-seated structures that occupied each Archival study hall.
While he watched on, eyes poised to notice any hint of an end to the scholarly activities before him, he couldn’t help how the Archive’s careful silence infected him. The pin-drop quietude was accented by the intermittent flowing footsteps of a lingering Jedi or the occasional shuffle of a holobook being plucked from its resting place. It stretched the passing seconds like an endless hyperlane. And with each minute flick of sound, the deathly tranquility acted as a reminder.
That Anakin was waiting entirely too long for one of you to call it quits.
The passing hushes of quiet conversation and intermittent, echoing taps of fingers upon holobook screens had all grown tiresome for the impatient Jedi. Even the soft lumbers of elder Masters speaking in low intervals provided little entertainment while he continued to observe you both, hunched over an array of holobooks that marginally added to the yellow luminescence of the dimly lit stone-gray chairs, which engulfed your figures before the marble work surface.
Admittedly, though, Anakin had only entered a few moments ago.
He remembered last night, sharing a few plates of thrantcill pâté with Ahsoka at the far Temple refractory when, in their conversation, she revealed that you’d spent the entirety of yesterday’s afternoon in the Archives, scouring through endless texts regarding the last 10 years of galactic events and figures with her notes as a guide. From what he understood, the two of you had a nice little arrangement going. Ahsoka would study while you borrowed her notes and, in exchange, you would pause your research to quiz her on whatever she was learning these days.
But as a consequence, you had effectively been locked away in an academic prison, at least from Anakin’s perspective.
And he knew, that just wouldn’t do.
So he stopped by the Archives this morning, assuming he’d find you once again, pouring over a mountain of information with angled elbows and firm palms holding you up and awake by the cheekbones.
Despite spending the last decade of your life either studying within the confines of an old, abandoned ship or foraging for supplies in a desolate icescape, it seemed to Anakin that even with your newfound environment of possibility and connection, your engrossment in similar activities would continue in perpetuity.
That was, until he found it necessary to step in.
He pushed off the pillar with a gentle tick from the Force, choosing to saunter over when he began to notice your eyes in particular. Veined and faded red from staring at screens for hours on end.
Yup, time for a break, he decided inwardly.
His heels tapped with each resonant step, bouncing off the sonorously curved high ceilings before eventually leading him to be within reach of causing a mild disruption. As a playful muscle pulled at his lips, Anakin brightly slapped the table with both hands flat while swiftly leaning into your viewpoint.
The unexpected noise startled both you and Ahsoka from your holobooks, simultaneously drawing the eye of a few elder Masters. But that didn’t impede Anakin’s drive. In fact, your heedlessness regarding his presence only fueled his beliefs— that these many hours in the Archives had drained your senses enough, and that he alone would be the one to drag you away from it.
“Okay,” he announced rather loudly. “Enough is enough. You’re gonna turn into a holobook if you stay here for any longer.”
Anakin sucked in your miffed glare while Ahsoka tried to stifle a faint giggle out of the corner of his eye.
“You know I’m doing this, quite literally, to protect you,” you challenged quietly with a raised brow. “Can’t do much guarding without knowing what I’m guarding against.”
“You’re right,” he feigned admittance as he lowered his voice to your level, hopefully to discourage the subtly annoyed yet watchful eyes of a few librarians to his left by kneeling down and pitching in further.
“If this.” He glanced down at the closest holobook, grabbing it to lift into his vision as he read the title. “Holobook on intergalactic political alliances turns into a giant, being-eating Rancor, I know that I’ll be perfectly safe in your very capable, studious hands.”
You huffed, rolling your eyes before a barely perceptible twitch tugged at the corner of your mouth. You swiped the device from him, returning it to its rightful place on the table.
“Knock it off, Smarty,” you quipped as you tried to return to the holobook in hand.
But your subtle amusement was fuel to his teasing fire.
Anakin grinned. “Or you could quote the guidelines of the Coruscant Accords to a sharp-toothed Acklay looking to take a bite. I’m sure that would go over well.”
Anakin’s ears perked as you dropped the holobook you’d been analyzing to the table. Rather abruptly, you placed a hand on the workspace to twist toward the eager Jedi, slight frustration lining your features.
“And what would you suggest?” You asked expectantly.
The responsive Jedi opened his mouth to answer, but paused mid-vocalization as he tried to come up with a reasonable proposal.
Thankfully, the galaxy granted him a moment to think.
“Whatever it is, can you come up with it somewhere else?” Ahsoka piped up in a whisper. “I’m trying to study for my test.”
Anakin observed as your eyes softened toward his frustrated Padawan.
“Sorry, Ahsoka,” you offered earnestly before scooting out of the grunting, asperous seat below. You raised gracefully, leaning over the ornamented table to collect your many holobooks. “We’ll get out of your way.”
Anakin straightened while you grabbed the last text, watching you turn on your heel toward the Archives’ center circle as he followed at your side.
“Need a hand?” He offered while scanning the hazardously stacked pile of holobooks that leveled just below your inquisitive nose.
“No, not at all,” you spoke, dripping with sarcasm. “Can’t distract you from coming up with your grand idea on how I can be your perfect defender.”
An unimpressed frown flickered across his features briefly. That was, until a sudden lightbulb within him buzzed to life.
It was something to cure his boredom and it would meet your objectives, he excused inwardly.
“Well, if you can beat me in a duel, that would certainly prove your abilities,” he suggested casually.
He was hoping not to reveal the sudden wave of excitement that overcame him following these days of stark boredom. Anakin didn’t realize it until that moment, but what he really needed was a good, old-fashioned sparring session. Not with a drone, but with another Jedi. Something low stakes and disconnected from the war.
But the many developments since his arrival had not made that easy.
After Ahsoka had finished her essay that night when they first docked on Coruscant, Master Plo Koon decided to schedule a test covering the last few months of physical science studies from their tutoring sessions. So, with her hidden away in the Archives, Anakin wasn’t able to do much training or guidance as her new Master.
Not that he really had any idea how he was going to go about that anyway. It was all still so new.
He’d just wing it, he thought.
Obi-Wan, on the other hand, was stuck in back-to-back Council meetings about Maker knows what. Anakin imagined hours-long discussions on possible solutions to the communications system infiltration with Temple technicians by their side, offering tidbits of advice on deconstructing board matrices and tracking transmitter codes as the considerations continued. Tedious, but necessary, he considered.
Even R2-D2 was indisposed, having been temporarily assigned to one of the Temple’s system specialists before Anakin had even arrived at the Temple hangar, left to run diagnostics on the potentially compromised system for hours on end as they moved from sector to sector. Though, while he lost that unofficial race, he knew that the only reason Artoo reached Coruscant first with his handful of clones from the 501st was because of their short ‘diversion’ to Hoth.
So, with everyone busy, that left Anakin with meditation and training alone, neither of which he found particularly enjoyable at the moment. Or, at least, since his time a few months ago on Tatooine.
In the days following Anakin’s return from that arid, porous world, particularly in recent weeks, he found it difficult to be left alone with his mind. Images of his mother, weak and crumbling through his arms, the guttural cries of Tusken Raiders, and the scalding whip of Dooku’s crimson sword would invade his senses in mere moments of solitude. Even in the briefest of silent pauses or calming realities, he’d hear them all. Clawing at his senses. Yanking at his heavy chest.
The worry of that reality pervading indefinitely tapped at the young Jedi’s thoughts like a dark harbinger. Especially in the stillness of the Archives while he waited for you to finish. Before he couldn’t delay any longer.
He was desperate for a distraction to snap his thoughts away.
So, when he suddenly remembered that the time you were spending in the Archives was entirely voluntary, Anakin couldn’t help how his spirit felt a little more enlivened as he hopped up from his meditation, a tottering crisscrossed position between two orange flowering Saavas, to toe race his way to the Archives.
Yes, he did actually want to check in on you after days of study, but Anakin too seemed to have his own personal motivations.
Company is what the young Jedi sought, and he was entirely satisfied to keep it with you.
He considered this draw more deeply, pulling at the roots of his kindling connection with you.
Something shifted in Anakin that night in the Uscru District, legs dangling off the end of one of Coruscant’s largest garbage pits as decaying fumes encircled his ankles.
He hadn’t met a Gray Jedi before, but he wondered if they were all like you. Your kindness and softness when speaking the truth. The warmth of your voice.
It anchored him, to those moments of comfort and safety he felt many years ago, when encircled by his mother’s protective arms. It was especially true on those cold nights, after dark and dreary days, when she would tell him of the tale of the sun-dragon.
How his heart would be his strength, much like how she was his heart.
And he missed that feeling, so greatly that when faced with the sensation again, he fell back into old habits. He couldn’t help it. He’d always told his mother everything, and for a brief glimpse, your nature made him feel at home again.
And so he told you.
Something that he couldn’t even at first admit to Obi-Wan.
He told you his mother died.
But it was when he felt your cold hands in his clammy palms, that he could finally sense the signals swirling within your being that you betrayed on your face to him that night.
Indications you kept very well hidden away.
But the touch of two Jedi freed you to share what you felt for the doe-eyed man, intentionally or not.
And he shouldn’t have been so affected by what he sensed, Anakin argued. The blue-eyed Jedi knew you had trained to dedicate your life to him. Or, at least, to the Chosen One prophecy. But still, for a being he met only a week prior, he couldn’t help but be taken aback.
You exuded tenderness, care, and unwavering loyalty.
For the first time in years, Anakin felt truly perceived in that moment. And while he still grappled with the words spoken that night, overshadowed by unfading ghosts of the past, it finally solidified within his sun dragon heart one cogent decision.
Anakin knew that he could trust you.
“I suppose,” you admitted as you reached the central reference desk, pulling Anakin back into his current reality.
Eyeing the large rotunda in the Archive’s center, you dropped the stack of holobooks at the expansive counter for return with a slight clang. As you pivoted down the main hallway leading to the Archive’s exit, you continued. “But I’m supposed to meet with Master Yoda this afternoon, and I don’t know if he wants to duel with me. So we’ll need to keep it short.”
Anakin grinned victoriously as he nodded. “Sounds good to me!”
The jaunt to Training Room C was quick.
At least by Anakin’s standards.
Once again, as his mind drifted, the thoughtful Jedi gazed at the room’s beige-white flooring and textured walls, outlined into zoning squares by dark wooden panels and pillars that crossed with geometric balance. His observations since returning to the Temple were the primary factor influencing his temporary tachysensia. Predominantly, that if yesterday’s experience was any indication, he had every right to believe training room availability would be similarly limited today.
As you stretched your legs against the far wall beside one of the two sets of three-tiered mahogany viewing benches on either side of the dojo, Anakin stood by the room’s entrance, twirling the blue glow of his saber in leisurely circles while dipping further into his memories.
First, he recalled the horde of Jedi present at yesterday morning’s emergency meeting. Anakin couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen that many Jedi in one room. Let alone the sum total, many thousands at least, present in the Temple since his arrival a few days ago.
The one outlier was, of course, the Battle of Geonosis, and the events that immediately followed. It was the first time Anakin realized the sheer power of The Order, fighting in tandem to protect peace in the galaxy against dividing forces.
The young Jedi was pleased by the Republic’s material victory that day. That was never in question. But any feeling of triumph was often overshadowed by the depth of another emotion that stretched and coiled along his bones like a growing mold.
Guilt.
It was clear, he thought. In that moment and in the weeks and months which followed.
He wasn’t strong enough to face Dooku that day.
And he nearly paid the ultimate price.
One glance down at his alloyed, dark steely arm with its thin crevices leading to an interior of gears and overlapping wiring was proof enough. Evidence that maybe if he’d trained a little harder as Obi-Wan’s Padawan, or followed his gut and joined Kenobi on his trek to Kamino, that things would have been different.
Maybe, just maybe, so many lives wouldn’t have been lost to such a stupid war.
A war he nearly prevented from happening in the first place during that battle, stained with Jedi blood.
Maybe, he would’ve been faster in countering Dooku’s rapidly twisting and thunderous blows.
And if he was swifter, maybe his mother would still be alive.
But no, Anakin’s power was no match for Dooku’s wielding.
At least, not yet, he thought.
His mind floated again, to the days and weeks following that deadly day. Scores of Padawans were knighted to feed the growing war effort, including himself. Generals were needed, and more knights were expected to take on Padawans to educate them on how to adapt their abilities to times of conflict.
It was necessary. He knew that. But still, the malformation of a pinnacle Jedi celebration, usually a grand and gradual affair, into rushed trial processes and fleeting bestowment ceremonies made him feel more like a piece of unrefined Duralium stumbling its way through a processing plant than a Jedi.
Though despite his new title, and greater set of responsibilities, Anakin considered himself just as equally removed from the planning affairs as he was when a Padawan.
Once all the Jedi were similarly recalled to the Temple after Geonosis, a flood of Council meetings followed in succession to determine The Order’s place in this war. They petitioned the attendance of many Masters, even giving Master Kenobi his own seat, as they negotiated the Jedi role of peacekeeper while trying to defend against the threat to one thousand years of peace.
And it never relented.
Emergency gatherings spiraled in succession, especially after the bombing of Cato Neimoidia.
He remembered it all well. The smoky remnants of a charred away district lost to the planet’s depths. The medical tents that gently swayed in eery silence, save for the intermittent groans of the few survivors. All of these images displayed in everlasting reels on the HoloNet News, shocking the galaxy into reality. The chaos that followed compelled many to realize that even overt neutrality would not keep worlds safe from this war.
But in these high-level meetings that addressed important events just like this, that strategized how to help these people, Knights or Padawans were never included.
They never included him.
So, instead, much like the past few days, Anakin would wander the Temple halls. Perhaps visit the gardens if he was feeling particularly meditative.
But that was just once. And only because Obi-Wan suggested it after catching him waiting opposite from Training Room R, sitting on the floor and leaning against a pillar with arms resting on each knee and a particularly glum look lining his face.
“What are you doing?” Obi-Wan inquired as he stopped momentarily, no doubt in a hurried dash to another urgent Council meeting, Anakin concluded.
It was a few days before his knighting ceremony, and only a week after his mechanical limb was installed. But he wasn’t feeling as cheerful as he once thought he would be when he was a youngling. He was supposed to feel excited to become a Jedi Knight.
Not lost.
“Waiting,” he huffed in a monotone.
The impatient Jedi watched Obi-Wan angle back to scan the training rooms that lined the rear wall. Anakin’s expression was unchanged as his Master returned toward him in a curious manner.
“Have you been waiting here all day?” He asked inquisitively.
That same flat tone escaped Anakin’s mouth in affirmation.
Obi-Wan hummed with a hint of satisfaction. “If you showed this much patience in your training sessions, you may have learned a lot more,” he mused.
The nearly former Padawan gazed up at him unimpressed when he noticed a lightbulb go off behind Master Kenobi’s brightened eyes.
“You know, this might be a wonderful time for you to meditate. And I know the perfect place!”
Anakin groaned.
It felt like it all happened years ago, Anakin considered. But in reality, it had only been a few months. War had warped his sense of reality, and maybe that was why he felt a strange sense of déjà vu when he returned to the same hall of training dojos the day before, only for each expanse to be occupied with beings like him, loitering by the entrances and against pillars for their turn by the hour.
But today was different for some reason. Many of the training rooms lay vacant and the halls were generally unoccupied, save a few Jedi using the surrounding walkways for travel.
Part of him wanted to investigate. To see if some Jedi were called off to a mission he didn’t know about. No comms meant that he was even less informed about the Temple’s goings-on. But that never stifled his curiosity.
Instead, it all only seemed to further stoke his kindling restlessness.
Then, he remembered. Master Kenobi had offered to spar with him later today. Maybe he’d get some answers then.
But then again, if history with The Council proved repeatable, probably not.
“Are you gonna twirl that thing all day or are we gonna spar?”
Your sonorous voice shocked the distracted Jedi out of his stupor. He spun toward you, recognizing your casual stance, saber unsheathed and dangling at your side in its luminescent gray as you gazed at him expectantly.
“Sorry,” he mumbled while approaching your figure.
“Watcha thinking about?” You asked once Anakin’s gate mollified.
“Oh,” he inflated with a cartoonish shrug. “Just about how this thing is gonna end before I’ve had the chance to build up a sweat,” he grinned while crouching into an attack stance.
You mirrored his pose, matching his outward repartee with striking, fiery orbs.
“You should have more confidence” you scolded in jest. “I’m sure you’ll get some blocks in.”
Anakin rolled his eyes at the wide beam that engulfed your face. He leaned into his knees, centering his connection with the tingling flow around him.
“What is it you said?” The young man challenged confidently. “May the best Jedi win?”
“That statement still stands,” you affirmed, not skipping a beat.
A smirk pulled at the corner of your mouth.
“Show me what you got…
…Chosen One”
Anakin took this as his cue, kicking off with a running start before pouncing at you from a few meters away with a hard strike toward your rib. He slowed his surroundings with the Force, observing you launch your blade upwards to block the powerful blow with both hands squeezed on the hilt, releasing a hiss from the impact.
You thrust his blade down with your own as he decided to swiftly use that momentum to his advantage. Quickly, he swung his saber back around to strike you down the center. Flinging your weapon up, you deterred the attack with the horizontal posture of the blade. Again, Anakin watched as you slid that blue glow with the hammering snap of your saber toward the floor.
But the blue-eyed man only viewed this as another opportunity.
He twirled on his heel to boldly strike at your other flank. Yet, despite his keenness, you managed to successfully snag this attack too, a straightforward inversion of your blade standing before his path.
The simplicity sparked a flicker of annoyance within the young Jedi. His greatest strength was using his opponent’s attacks against them. And you were making the employment of that particular strategy very difficult.
He continued his strikes with more fervor this time, hoping to break your reinforced wall of defense and coax you into launching your own, fissuring swings. But no matter how much he Force-energized each crack, no matter how rapidly he recovered from your nimble deflections, he couldn’t seem to break your stoic face or weaponized fortification.
“Are you gonna try to fight me at some point?” Anakin drew out as he bounced back from your diverting blade’s assertive whip against his saber, forcing him nearly fifteen meters away.
Like a dance, the two of you melted into a circling prowl, using the space to breathe. Each step enlivened Anakin’s impulse to continue the duel as he surveyed your mimicking movements to keep the eager Jedi a sufficient length away.
“I thought you wanted to work up a sweat?” You exhaled innocently while continuing your slinking annular shuffle.
Anakin felt an intense heat billow behind his eyes as his confident yet teasing nature began to splinter into a more soured tone. Usually, he was not so affected by such innocent pokes. In fact, he found these moments regularly enjoyable, adding a taste of lightheartedness to the typically tense beats of combat.
But his mind was swirling all day with images of the past.
Images of failure.
Of failing others. Of failing the world.
His mother.
And in this transient instance, for some unknown reason, it felt like more than he could presently handle.
But before he could respond to your directed quip, another voice echoed into the training room from the dojo’s double gray doors with L-shaped mustard accents, having whooshed open without him realizing in the last few minutes.
“Anakin doesn’t like it when opponents go easy on him,” Obi-Wan commented as he entered his peripheral.
The peeved Jedi noticed your eyebrows raise in contest across from him at the Master’s words.
“I’m not going easy on him,” you clarified while leaning into another step along the arbitrary sphere of distance you and Anakin delicately maintained.
“Then I take it this is going well?” Master Kenobi announced to no one in particular.
The curious, bearded Jedi strolled to the side for a better view of the duel in discoidal stasis, lowering his form to the edge of the nearest Mahogany viewing bench before crossing his legs in humming anticipation.
“Yes, it is,” Anakin gritted. “In fact, I was just about to find an opening.”
“No you weren’t,” you deadpanned.
Anakin huffed at the truth of your statement as his heart rate quickened. He was beginning to grow tired of your overconfident comments and steadfast defense. He had too much on his mind and didn’t need someone else pointing out his ineptitude.
“Sparring isn’t always about the offensive,” Obi-Wan remarked casually to the atmosphere. “Sometimes it means allowing others to take the initiative for the duel to progress.”
“Tell him that!” You exclaimed with a sigh. “I feel like I’ve been fighting a training droid for the last half an hour.”
Suddenly, something in Anakin snapped. His meticulously bubbling frustration and annoyance had whipped into a flash of pure, blistering anger.
He reacted quickly, propelling himself out of his steady march with a shout as he determinedly bolted toward your figure, most of his connection to his surroundings stripping away to pyre his vehemence.
The Chosen One’s eyes narrowed on one objective and one objective alone— securing an opening.
He neared your form within a second, blade aimed at your shoulder and vision pinpointed like a laser on the curved dark gray spot of your smoothed-over cloak. He could almost smell those memorable industrial fumes of the shop from which you both purchased it, hovering staunchly above the seams as he neared your form.
But as his saber split down with a low whine to claim final victory, your own weapon sprung to life, knocking the blade out of its path and down toward his feet in a buzzing blare.
Anakin heaved his plasma sword up, revving for another turbulent swing as he let out an indignant grunt. His eyes were still locked on the same shoulder when it suddenly spun from sight in a blink. Out of nowhere, an abrupt blazing heat graced his opposite cheek like a near brush with a welder.
Registering the sensation, Anakin whipped around, searching for your figure only to find you stood behind him, sheathing your saber before clipping it to your belt with a clink. You trekked toward the somewhat stunned Jedi, a conflicted stitch tweaking your brows as you finished your approach.
Once you reached him, Anakin felt you tenderly grab his open hand, pulling it free and flipping it over to unlatch his palm. The young Jedi observed you raise your other hand, wrapped in a loose fist, but not for long. It hovered about his hand for only a moment before releasing into his grasp a couple strands of chestnut hair, lightly soaked in your sweat that perspired from head to toe, and perceptibly singed black on one smoky vestige.
Anakin stared at the strands, embarrassment prickling each finger pad as he tried to keep his expression neutral.
That was, until your hands met his.
You closed his fingers into a gentle fist, encouraging him to clutch the locks as softly as their texture.
He gazed up at you, taking in your soothing silver eyes and worried smile as an aura of concern leaked from your being like a latched wire. Swimming like loose electricity from your palm, into his.
“We need to talk.”
As you gently led Anakin to one of the training room’s far corners with a soft hand on the back of his elbow, your being was steadily flooding with unsettling disquiet, permeating throughout your circulatory system.
You had noticed fairly quickly, how Anakin’s chagrined eyes subtly shifted at your troubled words toward his former Master, who discernibly observed the scene unfold before him with a knowing shake of his head. Skywalker still internalized Kenobi’s judgments, including the ones that accompanied a perennial frown, you realized. And from his unsurprised expression, it seemed that Obi-Wan had observed these same alarming habits at some point in his life as well.
It was evident that the Master’s cavalier comportment further confirmed your suspicions— that they had not been fully addressed.
At least, not in a way that Anakin may have fully understood.
You noticed it again today, just before the spar began. Anakin, trapped in his own little world within the confines of his expansive mind. Whirling his saber vacantly with muscle memory akin to twisting one’s hair to pass the time. Within those few moments, while internalizing the satisfying stretch of your hamstrings as you prepared for the duel, you couldn’t help but sense the waves of emotion that rolled off the open-hearted Jedi.
Amusement, annoyance, frustration, hopelessness.
And most notably, rage.
You could only guess what thoughts were running through his head. You’d probably only scratched the surface of his internal struggles when he revealed some of them to you a few nights ago. But with time to reflect, you now wondered if that grief clouded his mind too strongly. Shielding him from understanding your words, or even the guidance others may have bestowed upon him in the past regarding this very issue.
You welcomed theories to invade your mind, consume your thoughts, and give you a moment of escape.
Focusing on this small blip in his signature proved far more attractive, more manageable than the vacuum your mind produced in other activities, including your studies in the Temple Archives. Even that distraction manifested as inadequate as you tried to break from your inner affliction rooted in Qui-Gon’s death. You’d spent countless hours flipping through Ahsoka’s notes, shuffling through holobooks filled with complicated galactic developments, trade agreements, alliances, controversial political figures, but nothing seemed to center you.
Nothing seemed to stop his face from appearing when your eyes closed. Even momentarily.
Even when you blinked.
Nothing, well, except for this.
Except for doing what you were made for.
Focusing mind, body, and soul on The Chosen One.
So you dove into the murky waters of this puzzle, only hinted at in your short time together.
The connection drew your memory back to that frenzied escape from Hoth. When you, Anakin, and Obi-Wan stood unified in an Aegean sphere of incandescence against the monstrous Wampan threat. You remembered, the three of you exchanging teasing jabs as you slashed down each beast with agile grace.
But as you dug deeper into that moment, the inner turmoil you sensed from the Chosen One only moments ago now suddenly felt very familiar.
And very alive.
It was Obi-Wan’a quip at Anakin’s apparent lack of humility that struck a similar, irate chord within the young Jedi. And in his frustration to verbally defend himself, he took an easily preventable blow to the face.
Withdrawing from your mind, you glanced up at the healing reddish-brown cut that stretched across his upper cheekbone. You drank it in as you continued to lead him toward the training room’s far wall. While you lacked the time or center of mind to acknowledge it then, you felt it necessary to address now.
You felt for Anakin’s past struggles. You really did. And deep within your being, you fervently believed that the swirling emotions surrounding his mother’s passing and childhood enslavement were justified. Those were deep, crimson scars that would take many years to stitch together. To heal. You yourself had only just begun that journey of loss with your own Master. You were still unable to fully pull away from the initial shock and amplified emptiness felt from learning of his passing.
And by virtue of his history, Anakin’s heedless frustrations toward meaningless words and enduring circumstances made you wonder. Did this powerful Jedi even have the tools to digest your guidance from a few nights ago concerning these very situations? Did he hear you about the importance of acknowledging those moments in life, before letting them go?
It was much like the errant thoughts of forceless beings, which you were compelled to guide past all senses for your own mental survival a couple nights prior.
You continued to draw on the similarities of your circumstances, excavating each moment, before realizing one important factor. That you were only able to feel that relief, that suffocating weight lifted, because of the guidance of others.
Because Obi-Wan gave you a little push.
So, you decided to do the same.
At first, as the duel began, most of your vitality was captivated by efforts to sense any blips in the blue-eyed Jedi’s signature.
But that constrained you to a perpetual defense, focused only on thwarting each intrepid blow. It was necessary, to stray from the energy-siphoning movements required to launch an offense that could counter Anakin’s aggressive form, if you were to successfully carry out your own furtive objectives. His style was elegant, technique steadfast, and it took a considerable toll on you to keep your focus on both the fight and any indications that would barely leak into the Force.
But these actions had unintended consequences, revealing that sucking the bustle out of the duel would be as equally infecting as one of Obi-Wan’s elicit remarks.
So, you leaned into it.
Keeping a relentless guard meant less opportunity for Anakin to use one of your strikes against you. A telltale tactic of Djem So. And it generated a number of occasions for you to toss in a few comments to test the waters. So much so, that when you pointedly told a certain, teasing Jedi Master that you were, in fact, not going easy on him, you were telling the truth. Your defense remained physical, but your offense flourished verbally with quip after quip.
But in those moments, as you sensed his vexation reach its peak, your own heart felt darkened. Weighted down like the planet’s gravitational pull as you carried out this assessment of mental fortitude. It was another chip at your empathetic being, flying away like loose debris traveling through the vacuum of space. Another task in protecting The Chosen One further plunged your identity into utter uncertainty.
You were also not going very easy on yourself.
But it didn’t last long, as it appeared that comparing him to an inanimate Jedi training device seemed to do the trick.
In a way, his sudden dart toward your smaller frame hurt most of all. Not only because you had a hand in driving him to this level of rage, but because you had never seen him so easily reduced to this level of vulnerability. Having known him only a week, you already understood through those many late-night conversations on a thousand-year-old space bucket, in the Coruscant garbage pits, and during your exploration of the entertainment district— where he had the gall to suggest orange was not your color— that his absorbent heart and related impatience was, as of now, his greatest weakness.
One you were sure the Sith would use against him, as they had with other Jedi thousands of years prior.
In some manner, it scared you. The ease with which you pinpointed this fragility in the brief time of knowing him. It was true, you had an uncanny ability to connect with others. But not this easily.
Maybe it was because you saw too much of yourself within him.
Or maybe the two of you were connected far beyond the confines of a prophecy.
Maybe, even through the Force itself.
Yet he tossed his connection to the Force aside in his mad dash to win. The ferocious Jedi was so focused on a strike, a successful nearness of his blade to some part of you to claim victory, that he momentarily tossed away any and all perception of protecting himself.
And it pained you, cavernously, the ease with which you blocked and dodged his subsequent blows. They were unstable, sloppy, and fueled by frustration rather than grounded in his connection to the Galaxy.
It left his entire form accessible to a fatal blow.
So, you decided to make your point in a way he couldn’t ignore.
Swiping your saber rapidly across a loose lock of chestnut hair hanging centimeters from his cheek, you allowed it to fall upon your palm to present the suddenly bewildered Jedi, who was swiftly silenced after realizing the damage you could have done.
You allowed your mind to extrapolate any words from thoughts that continued to rush over you as you both slowed to a halt on the opposite side of the training room from Obi-Wan. Your attentive eyes trained on his uncomfortable expression with a gaze wandering indefinitely, much like a youngling who had been caught taking too many sweets from one of the refractories.
“Your anger is concerning,” you began in a hushed tone.
Maybe those weren’t the right words, and maybe this wasn’t the best setting, but you were hoping to get some real answers that weren’t colored by responses saved for his Master's presence. You had your own difficulty sharing internal struggles with your Master, and he was the only other person around. You wanted this to be different.
Anakin’s eyes suddenly shot at you, narrowing in confusion.
“You were the one who told me my anger was justified.”
“I told you, that it’s ok to be angry sometimes, especially when losing someone you care deeply about,” you began in a softer lull. “That is completely different from allowing a staunch rage to get the best of you from impatience and words.”
Anakin’s eyes softened as he began to absorb your observations while his head slightly dipped in discomfort.
“Hey,” you whispered, touching his wrist, hot from exertion, lifting his uncertain eyes back toward you. “I’m here to look out for you. And I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t say that you need to be more patient and not take what others say to heart. It’s gonna get you killed.”
Your exposition seemed to click within the troubled Jedi in a way far different from your midnight murmurings on the Uscru District garbage pit overhang. You watched as he glimpsed downward, following his line of vision to the metal arm whose fingers he flexed in creaking evaluation.
You wondered…
“Did you…?”
“Yes.”
And that was all the answers you needed, the rest you felt through the Force.
Regret, frustration, and something new—
Realization.
But despite this potential step forward, you found it strange that even losing an arm to impatience and anger didn’t lead him to these reflections earlier.
“It’s not that easy.”
Or maybe it did.
You raised your gaze back up toward Anakin, his dejected stare stuck to the steel limb as if he wasn’t looking at anything at all.
As if his vision was thrown into darkness.
“You’re right, it’s not,” you admitted as, once more, you were met with a flood of questions through his countenance alone.
“It’s a task. Of constantly reminding yourself that what I, or Obi-Wan, or the world says to you or about you doesn’t matter. I mean, who cares what everyone says? It doesn’t change who you are until you let it.”
You stilled, observing Anakin’s brows relax ever so slightly. Yet skepticism still colored his absentmindedly agape lips. Even without connecting physically, you could tell that despite your statement, he was riddled with doubts. You knew he’d heard your words, but he didn’t believe them.
So, you decided to tell him what you really believed.
“I’ll tell you right now. You, right now, are good. And you, at this very moment in time, are enough.”
Anakin’s mouth closed as he gazed up at you in anticipation, a galaxy of sentiments flaring behind his eyes.
You breathed. “No one is gonna change that. And I’m not just saying that to save face. I mean it.”
For the first time in what felt like a long, clouded while, a smile peeked out from his subtly solemn expression. An air of solace had begun to enter the Force.
It seemed like being heard was what Anakin needed. Someone to recognize what he was feeling. What he struggled with. What he continued to battle, inside and out.
And you were happy to be that person.
“And it won’t be remedied overnight. Remind yourself of that.”
You knew what it was like to struggle with these emotions, realizing that what fed them most was your utter isolation. In a sense, despite being in closer proximity to others than you ever had, Anakin still seemed just as alone as you in these conflicts.
And that dealt another sharp blow at your opened heart.
“Look, I’m really sorry. I pushed you too far.” His shoulders relaxed at the softness of your voice. “I just needed you to see what this frustration does to you. It leaves you exposed. And, honestly, if I was less skilled, your blindness may have done some real damage.
His eyes widened, “I would never…”
“I know,” you rested a comforting hand on his flushed arm as he relaxed. “You would never, intentionally,” you assured, though your phrasing still had unnerved the young man. “But you made a mistake, and I’m just hoping to show you why it’s important to learn from it.”
You watched as he nodded, drinking in your sympathetic and forgiving nature into his own being. The two of you breathed through the stillness, allowing both of your feelings to stabilize through the fine sting of sensitivities that traveled back and forth across your hand, tenderly fastened to his lower arm with the Force swimming in between.
“You know,” he began, as you felt the air around him lift delicately. “I know someone who’d really like you.”
You took this compliment as permission for a more upbeat response. So your eyes squinted teasingly.
“Sounds like they have great taste.”
“Silvey!”
You paused momentarily before turning to the exclamation, still getting used to the nickname as Obi-Wan entered your vision from his place on the lower left of the far viewing bench. “Don’t you need to meet with Master Yoda soon?”
Windu must have told him in one of their Council meetings you’d heard so much about from Ahsoka this morning. You glanced up to your left at the wall-mounted chronometer displaying the time in bright blue symbols before approaching the bearded Jedi, a gradually settling Anakin following close behind as you called back.
“I’ve got some time!”
Quieting your voice, you turned to Anakin with a lighthearted taunt as you both continued your leisurely pace.
“You know, I bet you could’ve beat me if you waited a little longer.”
Anakin grinned at your brighter tone as the last of his worries washed away into the Force. It was, again, much like the thoughts of those clubgoers a few nights ago as, he too, seemingly took your words to heart.
“Give me another chance and we’ll see,” he commented, underhandedly complimenting your skills.
You smiled, a weightlessness overcoming you.
“You’re on.”
Obi-Wan Kenobi had seen this before.
Too many times to count.
Anakin had a habit of becoming lost within himself, allowing emotions to take over in place of duty, and logic. But despite the occasional slip-ups, the Master believed that his former Padawan had matured greatly in the past decade. His connection to the Force had deepened while his ties to outward attachments withered with time. From the beginning, that was something he knew the Council was especially concerned about when he joined The Order at such an old age.
Yes, he still made a habit of acting before thinking, much to the bearded Jedi’s chagrin. But he always proved to get the job done.
Anakin never let him down.
However, in the last month, Obi-Wan had noticed a familiar turmoil affecting the young Jedi, beginning soon after the attempted assassination of Naboo Senator Padmé Amidala.
In the days that followed, when Anakin was tasked with protecting the Senator, before traveling to Tatooine and, then, becoming involved in the Battle of Geonosis, Obi-Wan sensed that inky substance Master Yoda felt years ago begin to foam up from the depths of his being once more.
“I sense much fear in you.”
And Master Kenobi was finally witness to how greatly his fear had grown that day on Geonosis. When Padmé was knocked out of the LAAT tasked with chasing after Count Dooku, it was the first time Obi-Wan saw Anakin consider negating his duty for a connection. He nearly leapt out of that transport without a second thought, about to blindly storm after his feelings instead of pursuing Dooku to possibly put an end to this war before it even started.
It was a connection that worried him. That concerned Master Yoda as well. So much so that in those days following Anakin’s recovery after losing his arm, Obi-Wan pleaded with Padmé herself to end whatever bonds were forming between the two.
She reluctantly agreed, and though he trusted the word of the former Queen, Kenobi was still bothered by those moments of them together. Like the glances stolen during the holocomm data transfer following their escape from the Trade Federation home world, or the subtle moments shared out of earshot of both him and the clones during their brief medical supply pickup on Naboo last week.
It was instances like these when the Master Jedi wondered if maybe time would be the greatest teacher. Maybe confronting Padmé changed the nature of their bond. Strengthened it, even. Then, it was quite possible that further interference would have just made the situation worse.
He did finally convince Anakin to stay with him on that LAAT before they reached Count Dooku, who was attempting an escape through a dark, underground hangar. But despite Master Kenobi’s best efforts, those bubbling feelings of anger and hate pushed the young Jedi’s agitation over the edge.
Obi-Wan told him to wait. That they would only defeat Dooku if they faced him together. As a team.
As brothers.
But he didn’t listen.
They were unmatched fighting alone, handing Dooku off like some rabid animal bouncing between prey as Anakin tried to recover from his premature mistake.
And it nearly killed Obi-Wan.
But Anakin’s heart was too ferocious to let that happen.
Rage guided his hand, and his hand he lost.
In the weeks that followed, when Anakin was knighted and while the bombing of Cato Neimoidia temporarily threw them apart, Master Kenobi truly believed that this near-death experience at the hands of a Sith Lord had finally proved sobering to his stubborn friend.
But this moment… In his duel with his defender…
Maybe the Master Jedi was wrong.
Obi-Wan knew Anakin blamed himself every day for not ending the war before it started that day on Geonosis. Yet he worried that no matter the damage that came to Anakin from his own choices, he would never learn.
Deep down, Obi-Wan believed that Anakin never grasped the gravity of his actions because he thought he deserved the grave consequences he faced for each and every one of them. By some strange logic, losing an arm was his punishment for not stopping a war, and it excused him from doing differently.
And much like a flagellant, he dealt his own punishment by continuing to march down this path of self-destruction.
But he thought he had it under control. That he had finally taken his Master's teachings to heart and found solace in connecting with the Force, using the flow to wash away his troubles. At least he did when Anakin was given his own battalion. When he was assigned his own Padawan.
When he was distracted by the unstoppable toil of war.
Obi-Wan thought that his young friend had finally pulled himself together to lead like the great Jedi he knew he could be.
But now, with an indefinite pause as the communications system is evaluated, Obi-Wan sensed Anakin slip back into bad habits.
However, Master Kenobi, always the optimist, thought it would pass. That these cursory moments were just flukes, temporary setbacks that could happen to anyone in moments of peace.
But as his own eyes lay open to that rage take hold all over again in his battle with you, it felt like he was staring through a mirror of time, back when Anakin was first dealing with his feelings of the past as that youngling on Tatooine.
This instant seemed like more than a fluke, Obi-Wan thought. Maybe the new memories made old ones stronger.
So, while he watched you and Anakin re-approach the training room’s center sparring square, despite the new calm he sensed radiating off the duo, Kenobi kept his reservations about the consequences of incensing Anakin too vigorously in one session.
Thus, he did what any good arbitrator would do.
He deflected
“You may want to take a break,” he remarked toward your figure as it stalled, allowing Anakin to settle across from you. “You won’t have the energy you need to spar with Master Yoda should he request it.”
But, instead of acknowledging the inherent truth of his statement, you took the more ‘Anakin’ approach.
“Just wait,” you smirked smugly, turning to face the dark-robbed Jedi in a readied stance as you withdrew your saber from your carefully hidden belt with a click. “I plan to end this fight quickly.”
His head whipped to Anakin as unease tugged at creasing lips. Obi-Wan knew what Anakin was like if someone pushed him too far. And he was worried, for both of you, that you had done just that.
As he heard the faint activation of your gray luminance with a whirl and a fading hiss, his eyes settled on his former Padawan, expecting at best a rumble in his life force, a pointed stare, an annoyed huff.
But what he was met with, was most unexpected.
Anakin’s eyes creased mirthfully as he chuckled. The suddenly grinning Jedi popped you a grateful glance that spoke unknown tales as he unsheathed his own weapon with a bright flash, allowing its blue glow to complete the mirror.
Now it was Obi-Wan’s turn to furrow his brows in confusion. Perplexity surrounding this sudden change turned into intrigue as he stationed an elbow on each of his unfolded knees, leaning into the scene to further analyze this development. As the two of you bent at the ready five meters apart, a gentle smile shared on each face with mysterious calm and collection, peace seemed to be the space’s only purveyor.
Seconds passed, minutes wallowed, and still, that stark rush of power Kenobi always recognized in a duel with Anakin never came. The two of you stood in utter stillness, the gently muffled footfalls of passing Jedi in the outer hall accenting the echo of the wider Temple’s exterior.
That was, until you broke the hush.
“Aren’t you gonna come get me?” You asked in a challenging voice.
Anakin raised a brow intuitively. “You’re kidding, right?”
And just as rapidly sweeping as the pause that followed, Obi-Wan noticed a proud grin flash across your face before your legs propelled forward like lightning, meeting Anakin’s swiftly diverting blade with a slate clash. Master Kenobi observed as you spun with your saber stark behind you to block his first blow after flinging your sword into a whirl.
It wasn’t long after you vaulted over the young Jedi to reach his rear side when the Master noticed you return to old habits, sticking to a well-built guard as you blocked and parried blow after blow from your eerily calm opponent. The persistent offensive and defensive divide split you both into equal parts, like either side of a credit. It was a perfect balance that Obi-Wan knew drove Anakin to madness like nothing else in their own training sessions. Yet, the young Jedi seemed unaffected by this stasis.
In fact, he appeared pleased.
But even this did not fully convince the Master Jedi of any statistically significant change. He was an evidence man at heart, after all. And a few smiles and certainly odd behavior was not going to be enough to encourage him to consider this strange development fully. Obi-Wan would let these thoughts wash away without the proof to fully consider them.
That was, of course, before what happened next.
It was in those moments that followed, that Master Kenobi finally asked himself— how?
What he’d spent years trying to teach Anakin about patience, through connecting with the Force, breaking past bonds, and accepting the ways of the Jedi Order— if not to at least teach him the merits of flow and faith— you seemed to do in just the matter of a morning.
Sensibly, as he recovered from the initial surprise of the next instances, Obi-Wan knew that Anakin was not a changed man. But it did certainly feel like it when he observed this unexpected breakthrough take place before his eyes. It usually took weeks, or even months for Anakin to understand Obi-Wan’s teachings when he was his Padawan.
And he couldn’t deny that it was still like that now.
Yet here he was, demonstrating the equivalent of months of meditative progress after a short, albeit evidently salient, conversation with you.
And oh how Obi-Wan desired to know what you said to him. The words you used, the phrasing, the voice.
What was it about you that finally got one of his teachings through to Anakin?
More than ever before, as Obi-Wan’s eyes locked intently with your figure, he wanted to understand you, deeply. Not just due to your connection to Qui-Gon, but because of your mystery. Your past was an enigma, known only by his late Master, a barren ice planet, and the Force itself. Your notable intelligence, pervasive empathy, and skilled abilities had to come from somewhere. From some experience. Some reality.
The General surmised that, in that short moment, Anakin’s eyes must have been unveiled due to a conversation entrenched in those very qualities that he too began to have a swelling affinity for.
He needed, no, was compelled to know about your past, who you truly were, and how you became the skilled Jedi presented before him.
All of these thoughts and intrigues flowered throughout Obi-Wan’s mind as he observed nearly a half an hour into the fight the subtle mistake in your lunged footing. Anakin redirected your block to the ground before tripping your errant leg out from under you with a quick flick of his own, plunging you back first to the milky wooden-lined tile below.
As the blue incandescents of his blade swiveled inches from your throat, Obi-Wan’s slightly widened eyes were further coaxed by the sudden breathy chuckle that escaped from your lips.
A gentle smile inched across Anakin’s countenance as he held his blade firm. To anyone else, his expression would have easily been excused for simple sportsmanship. A manner that aired accolades of ‘you fought well’ to the opponent.
But Obi-Wan knew him better than that. He knew that tempered grin. He’d seen it before, albeit rarely. The first time being at the Temple ten years ago, during one of their first training sessions. Anakin told him he had said the same to Qui-Gon, but his confidence and fortitude drove him to tell his new Master as well.
“I had a dream I was a Jedi. I went to Tatooine and freed all the slaves.”
And despite the following discussions on attachments, and the importance of letting them go, that smile remained. Primitively, Obi-Wan thought it was just Anakin’s version of a dreamy expression, or childlike wonder. But he learned after years of becoming his friend, that it meant nothing of the sort.
It was hope, he concluded. Hope in himself. Hope in doing the right thing.
And now that he thought about it, he hadn’t seen that look in years.
But before he could dive further into what all this meant, you finally spoke up.
Following a few stabilizing coughs with elbows planted for support, you gazed at The Chosen One earnestly as your voice softly flowed from you.
“Now that’s a Jedi I’m proud to defend.”
Taglist
@js-favnanadoongi
@panandinpain0
@randomwriter435
@soleywoley
43 notes · View notes
sarah-yyy · 1 year
Text
drive-by rec post for warm on a cold night which just finished airing last night!!
super quick “no time to listen to sarah yell over cdramas now” overview and links first before we get into it as usual:
what: period cdrama // 36 eps, roughly 45 mins each where: iqiyi // viki (usual disclaimer that i do not use eng subs so i don’t speak to the quality of subs) why: fun period cdrama werewolf romance with a sprinkle of crime-solving and uh hand-holding for Plot Reasons
Tumblr media
my sweet girl su jiu’er of the qian kingdom! she is the only female constable in the city, but mostly does chores that none of the constables do because she’s had this condition since she was young where her body temperature drops rapidly out of nowhere and she faints randomly so no-one really lets her out to investigate cases even though she’s got the brains for it :(
Tumblr media
this loser (affectionate) is han zheng, prince of the qi kingdom - the people of qi are all shapeshifters (think werewolves, though the actual shifting is never really explored too much so idk if they all shift into wolves or if this is specific to han zheng and his branch) who have superior physical abilities. han zheng starts out aloof, arrogant, and low-key anti-qian, but goes through a whole series of character growth because of jiu’er.
these two meet when han zheng sneaks into the qian kingdom to investigate the disappearance of his old friend (who has been branded a traitor of the qi kingdom; hz does not believe this). 
jiu’er finds out that touching han zheng alleviates her condition, like he literally warms her up whenever she touches him, so she keeps trying to do that (sometimes with adorable please save me i’m dying begging, sometimes with buddy you are literally an illegal immigrant here i call the shots blackmail, my girl has range) to han zheng’s initial distaste :))) the two of them team up to first solve recent mysteries in the city targeting the qi people, and then later investigate han zheng’s bff’s disappearance and jiu’er father’s death.
Tumblr media
this show is so funny!! jiu’er persistently tries to get han zheng to try new things and make friends (even with his love rival!!!!!), and the banter between them at the start is so funny! their rivals to friends to lovers transition is also so smooth, and there is A LOT of gratuitous hand-holding scenes thank you scriptwriter for feeding me so well
ANYWAY the setting is fun, the cases move really quickly and most of them are quite interesting. i think it’s meant to be more a romcom than it is a crime-solving drama, so i went in with lower expectations re: the cases etc which helped! most of them are not that complicated, but still fun to watch unfold! the fight scenes are done really well
the side characters are also a+++
Tumblr media
sleepy boy in the middle is wen jun (prince of the qian kingdom), who has had a crush on jiu’er since they were little and she took care of him when he was banished to this temple with his sickly mother by the emperor. they lost contact with each other when he was taken back to the palace after his mother passed. he is THE SWEETEST BOY!!! he doesn’t really have a mind for politics (that’s all left to his elder brother), so his fam just lets him enjoy life writing plays and spending money. he helps out with their investigation and follows han zheng and jiu’er around like a puppy :’) major ot3 vibes but ALAS
Tumblr media
HELLO DA-DIANXIA MY LOVE :’) i am a sucker for a smart, well put together man, so can y’all really blame me for imprinting upon wen ying like this??? he is SUSPICIOUS af from the get-go, but also he’s so good and so kind to wen jun that i keep thinking the show is just trying to bait me into thinking he’s the bad guy :( ANYWAY in the later eps, he’s got this Thing going on with chi lan (badass general of the yi kingdom who is also han zheng’s other bff) that just makes me go !!! because of the potential
Tumblr media
moustache man is jiu’er’s godfather! also one of my favourite characters with a+++ comedic timing tbh!!! can’t say more about him because spoilers but I LOVE HIM OKAY
if y’all are looking for a nice, low-stakes watch, this is probably the show for you! it’s mostly light-hearted, nothing too complex that requires full attention, and really easy to binge - i probably could’ve done this whole show in one weekend if i weren’t also battling jetlag :D
130 notes · View notes
bucky-h0e · 1 year
Text
Tumblr media
Yes, I used Lilo and Stitch to quote the family that Bucky makes in this fanfic. Honestly, I think it just fits them so well.
There is a taglist, just respond if you'd like to be added! These are headcannons and scenarios revolving around Bucky and Human! Alpine. I'll be used she/her pronouns for the character and there will be a vague description of her in some scenarios.
Enjoy the series!
Serendipity Masterlist
Main Masterlist
How Bucky Met Alpine
It all started when Steve went back to Peggy. Steve was Bucky's family and now he was on his own.
He and Sam worked together sure, but that didn't mean there wasn't any tension there.
They definitely weren't on the level of living together, so Bucky found a place in Brooklyn after he got is pardon.
Quiet, the landlord didn't ask a lot of questions, cheap. It was perfect.
Almost perfect.
There was one neighbour that seemed to annoy him, though they'd never really talked before hand.
They lived opposite each other, so it was a surprise they hadn't seen each other before when Bucky was viewing the place
He'd seen a glimpse of her on moving day, lugging boxes onto his floor and dumping them inside the open door of the apartment.
On his second, maybe third run up from Sam's car - not that there was actually that much to move in - the lift had been occupied so instead he went up the stairs.
He was a super soldier, it's not like it would tire him out too bad.
Walking through he door, he caught a glimpse of his neighbour.
A young woman, maybe 21? 22? Long hair, wearing an all white outfit
In New York? That was brave.
She kicked the door closed behind her before he got a better look at her but he didn't care, he was more annoyed at the fact he had a young neighbour.
he didn't know if he'd be able to handle loud music and parties every night
he was stereotyping of course he knew that but he couldn't help it
a young girl living on her own with absolutely no parental watch, you just know there's going to be some sort of rebellious action
little did he know, his neighbour was a social recluse
and very
VERY
nosey
so nosey in fact that whenever she hears Bucky's door go, she's up and looking through her peephole wondering what the fuck is going on
she's bored and this is her only form of entertainment because how does this man function
she never sees a lot of groceries, never sees any takeout's delivered to his place, and only ever sees him with his friend or with Yori
and yes, of course she knows Yori
they gossip together on the weekends when they do their laundry at the local laundromat
but she knew who he was, knew who James Barnes used to be, what he used to do, who he lost
she knew he was on his own
like her
so, why couldn't they be on their own together?
she had watched him adapt his life from war to peace, and felt bad that he had no one to talk to about it
yeah she was a kid but she wanted to help her neighbour
she just couldn't figure out how to interact with him
not like she could just knock on his door and say "hey you have trauma and I have trauma lets bond over trauma together"
that would just be way too mentions of trauma
she could say "hey I've been watching you for a couple of weeks and you seem just as depressed as me lets be best friends"
but that would more than likely end up with a door slammed in her face and a restraining order
luck was on her side when one day, her pizza was delivered to the wrong address
she'd been waiting for an hour, normally she wouldn't have even gotten it delivered, she would have gone out to get it herself but the poor baby has a cold
fuck going out
she heard the knocking on the door and couldn't help but get to her feet and look out the peephole at the two people in the hallway
she may be on deaths door but she'll be damned if she doesn't know what on earth is happening right outside her door
"Yeah this ain't mine"
"bro c'mon just pay for the pizza, my boss will kill me if I get this delivery wrong"
"it's not mine, i'm not paying for it."
opening the door she grins because finally
her pizza is here
and she can interact with the Bucky Barnes
"it's mine"
she tried to seem cool
really she did but there's only so much you can do when your face is all red, snot dripping down her nose and her hair in a greasy messed up bun at the top of her head
the pair looked at her and she handed the delivery boy the money, sniffing hard as he left
"...."
"...."
neither of them had closed their door, neither of them had spoken
somehow they had gotten into a staring competition
it's really no wonder because we know Bucky loves those
but Alpine was STUGGLING
"Why are you staring"
"...."
"Dude seriously"
"...."
"Okay you're making me sweat, can you stop?"
she starts panicking and opens her pizza box to stuff her face, not taking her eyes of him
"See what you're making me do? Stress eat. this is all you, i can't stop staring- will you just blink?!"
she felt like she was in an interrogation
like all her deepest darkest secrets would come out
and some of them did
"OH MY GOD FINE I STOLE THE COUPONS FROM MRS GALWAY'S MAILBOX BUT SHE DOESNT EVEN EAT SHREDDIES SO IT DOESNT MATTER"
what
the fuck
bucky can't help the quirk upwards his mouth does, a small chuckle leaving his mouth before he can stop it
"This is really uncool of you man, why are you laughing at my MISFORTUNE"
"you steal coupons i don't think you can really talk about being 'uncool' kid"
This girl all but choked on the pizza slice she'd been stress eating
Bucky Barnes just called her uncool
the
audacity
"I am the coolest person in this building"
"you just confessed to to theft"
"so?"
"i didn't even say anything to you"
silence
braincells hard at work trying to reply
"....I-..... shut up"
"What's your name kid?"
"You called me uncool, you don't get to know my name"
she turns and closes the door, Bucky laughs and does the same
they managed to somehow bump into each other even more after that, with Bucky asking if she stole anymore coupons and Alpine challenging him (and losing) to staring contests
it always ends with her telling him to fuck off and closing the door annoyed that he wins
does he get paid to stare or something
she practices in the mirror because god dammit she will win one of these days
she loses to her reflection
how is it's even possible she doesn't know
but she swears at that mirror every day for a week after
he still asks for her name, she still doesn't give it
annoyed that he called her uncool and hasn't even apologised for it
or taken it back
"Seiously, I can't keep calling you kid, you gotta have a name"
"I'm not telling you my name, you'll just have to guess."
too much effort
with a frown he shrugs
"Fine, I guess I'll just call you.... Alpine"
"You just named me like I was your pet, shocking behaviour Sarge."
That was when he realised she knew who he was
she knew who he was
and still talked to him
he can't help but keep his distance after that
but, she keeps watching him nonetheless, making sure he's looking after himself
he still doesn't eat properly, she thinks
and it annoys her
if he starves to death before she wins a staring competition
she will kill him
it all came to a boiling point when he came home, mumbling angrily about his therapy session and about having no food in the fridge because he was too annoyed to go to the store after the session
his door slammed close and she stopped for a minute
she'd never seen him that angry
so, with all the determination a 21 year old can muster to care for a 106 year old
she cooked him dinner
it was simple, she'd say if he asked
she'd cooked to much
that old cliche
but in reality, she had no idea what she was doing
in the end she made some sort of chicken fried rice
it wasn't much but it would do
when Bucky heard the knocking on his door he contemplated not even answering
probably a lost delivery boy
when it happened again
and again
and again
until
"OH MY GOD ARE YOU FUCKING DEAD?!"
a genuinely panicked screech from the hallway
groaning he opened the door and stared at the girl, catching her hand before she could bang on the door again
"You're very persistent"
"YOU'RE ALIVE THANK GOD"
she nearly went to hug him, but he stopped her by putting a hand on her forehead, keeping her at a distance
"You're a weird kid"
"Shut up and come eat dinner with me, I made too much"
and he would have said no
but she looked genuinely upset at the fact she thought he was dead, a hand resting on her heart
"..."
"i'm taking silence as a yes."
with that she grabs his arm and drags him to her apartment, barely letting him close the door
Whilst she went about sorting out their dinner, serving it up and getting them some drinks
in the meantime, Bucky took a look around, awkwardly, as you do
it was a normal apartment for someone living in their 20s. Not too clean but not too messy, nothing indecent thrown around the place. a few empty cans but that was it
mail on the counter in the hall
Bucky took a chance and glanced at it, maybe he could get her name if he just looked
Alpine
what the fuck
"What are you doing?"
man drops the letter and looks like a deer caught in headlights for about three seconds, looking at the grinning girl
wait- grinning?
"You're a bit late sarge, I looked at your mail the first day you moved in."
what
the
fuck
"You looked at my mail?"
"You can't exactly talk now can you? now come on, foods up."
they sat and ate the dinner she cooked together, talking and getting to know each other, teasing about the fact she thought he was dead
it was nice
it felt like... he had Steve back
he had a family
but he couldn't help his curiosity
"You aren't... scared of me?"
she shrugs
"You could have broken my whole damn arm when i tried to hug you earlier, you're not a monster Sargent Barnes. I trust you"
there it was, the words he'd always needed to hear
you are not a monster
he nods silently, looking up at her as she takes their dishes to put in the sink
"Hey kid?"
"yeah old man?"
"You're pretty cool, y'know that"
"..."
"Nice try, I'm sticking with Alpine"
"Damn it"
91 notes · View notes
jellie-the-aqua-puma · 5 months
Note
Hi...if you don't mind me asking, who are your favorite romantic relationship's couples in books/ manga/ anime/movies/tv series (can be canon or non-canon)? Why do you love them? Sorry if you've answered this question before......Thanks....
Hi! Thanks for your ask! This is a good question, and this is my first ask so don’t apologize! Currently my mains are
Dazai/Chuuya aka Soukoku from BSD, I really like their dynamic, just the familiarity they had when they came on screen for the first time together. I think Bungou is really well execute though, so S2 showing that they still can come together and pretty much treat each other the same way / exasperation with no heat? And then the light novels are soo helpful too! I really think they’re sweet for each other, and I just think that’s neat! Plus there’s so much to unpack with their relationship! Yeah Chuuya wasn’t happy when Dazai left, but did he really resent him for it? Did he take it personally? What are they going to do now? All they do whenever they’re together is their best to protect each other.
Gojo Satoru / Geto Suguru from Jujutsu Kaisen, the tragedy! Oh man! It took me a bit to get on board with this, but I’m in for life now. It was the “My six eyes tell me your Geto but my soul knows otherwise.” I haven’t looked back. Gojo so shamelessly admitted that and Geto fighting back? They actually remind me a lot of Soukoku, with the obvious being Gojo = Dazai and Geto = Chuuya, but also Gojo was the one who got left just like Chuuya. So much went wrong for these two when it didn’t have to! If Geto had just took the time to explain, if he didn’t stubbornly try to rationalize his mistake, if Gojo had not taken Geto’s words at face value, if he’d’ve pushed a little more. I really love the impact they had in each other. Geto is the reason Gojo pushes for a better future for young sorcerers (does not seem like it’s going that well) and Gojo was the reason Geto wanted to make the world a better place for sorcerers.
Sun Jing / Qiu Tong from Tamen De Gushi (Their Story), a Chinese manhua. The story is just so cute, innocent, and straight forward. No screwing around, misunderstandings, annoying drama, etc.
Galo / Lio from Promare - this movie was so good! These two are really cute! I’m gonna say they’re semi-canon …
Hua Cheng / Xie Lian Heaven Official’s Blessing. Tragic characters when separated but together work towards their best future! Love it.
Cheng Xiaoshi / Lu Guan from Link Click I watched this on a whim and was so impressed by the characters and story! Im super interested to see where their relationship will take them, especially after what’s been revealed in S2, which I’m still reeling from! I am eagerly waiting for season 3!
I’m curious about yours now! What would you say yours are?
Honorable Mentions in no particular order below the cut
Yeong-sin and Seo-bi from Kingdom (kdrama) even though they don’t interact much, them being the only two survivors of the zombie epidemic in Jiyulheon is really what sets them a part for me although anytime they’re around others they act like they don’t know each oher.
TodoDeku was super cute in a very innocent kind of way. I liked that Todoroki was the first person who wasn’t Izuku’s friend who to saw his potential and see him as competition. I haven’t followed My Hero since S4 tho.
Yoruichi / Soi Fon Bleach; I felt Soi Fon’s devastation, to be joined at the hip and devoted and then abandoned and left behind. Yoruichi is merciless, she didn’t gaf lol.
Speed / Trixie sealed in by the 2008 Speed Racer live actions. They were crazy in the anime.
Astrid / Hiccup from the HTTYD film franchise, what a power couple.
Nancy / Edward from Enchanted, they are wasted by Disney but they’re oh so cute!
Aurora / Phillip from Sleeping Beauty, they are also wasted by Disney.
Goku/Chichi Dragon Ball, Chichi is wasted by Akira.
Steve / Bucky too, from Captain America, the way Steve was constantly ready to raise hell for Bucky got me. I pretend anything Phase 3 and after didn’t happen.
17 notes · View notes
aylinaliens · 1 year
Note
what bl do you recommend for someone who never manages to watch more than three episodes of the bl series out there, doesn't like super cheesy romance so the thai white-shirted boys don't work, doesn't want too much hot and heavy stuff so kinnporsche doesn't work, doesn't want pointless second hand embarrassment, doesn't want sexuality discovery, doesn't want women constantly trying to break the couple, wants to laugh a little but doesn't want a comedy, a bl for someone very picky who just wants to have a good time honestly. i've tried a lot of bls but all of them seem like the same thing over and over. i'm almost hopeless in finding a bl to watch and i'm asking because the way i see it you're quite the expert on the area
Hello anon!! I feel your pain :( I was in like a year slump when it came to BL because everything seemed to mesh together. It can feel hopeless but you just have to find that “one” to pull you in. Unfortunately, it sometimes takes a lot of trial and error. I went through and complied a list of BL that hopefully you haven’t tried seen before. But definitely try to experiment with BL from different countries because each country has different “niches.” I really hope one of these works for you though <3
He’s Coming to Me (8ep x 75min || Youtube)
In this short supernatura Thai romance BL, a young man (Thun, played by Ohm Pawat), tries to help a kind ghost (Mes, played by Singto Prachaya) figure out the mystery behind his death. As they work on unraveling secrets, discovering betrayal, and navigating life (slash the afterlife), Mes and Thun fall in love. If you like your BL to be heartwarming & wholesome (but not too sweet it’ll give you cavities) with a dose of angst give HCTM a try. *HCTM is still one of the most underrated BL out there. It does have a tad bit of sexuality discovery but it’s handled in a very nuance and beautiful way.
History 2: Right or Wrong (8ep x 25min || Viki)
One of the more underappreciated additions to the HIStory series, History 2: Right or Wrong gives us a BL about a divorced single father and a college student. It has found family, age gap (done in a healthy manner), and wonderfully fleshed-out characters. If you like a more mature romance that isn't heavy on the Kinnporsche-level steamy skinship, domestic fluff that actually has a plot, and characters actually going through character development I highly rec History 2: Right or Wrong.
GAYA SA PELIKULA/Like in the Movies (8ep x 30min || Youtube)
Gaya Sa Pelikula came out during the Great Wave of 2020 PINOY BLs and it still holds its stop as my #1 BL during that year. I know you want to avoid sexuality discovery but I still had to include this for the simple fact that it's top-notch. Gaya Sa Pelikua is about Karl and Vlad, two different people from two different walks of life who ends up living as housemates for awhile. Karl is suffocating under the pressure of his family while Vlad is getting over a breakup. They intially don’t get along but as time goes by they help each other actually live rather than just going through the motion. If you like your BL to be packed with emotion and to actually discuss LGBTQ+ issues in a frank manner please go watch this. I know you dislike coming out stories but Gaya Sa Pelikula is one of the best of the best of the BL genre because it’s so much more than that. 
Not Me (14ep x 45min || Youtube)
White and Black (both played by Gun Atthaphan) has a close connection but are seperated when they are children: one stays with their mother in Thailand while the other moves to Russia with their father. Years later, White returns to Thailand after Black is viciously attacked and sent into a coma. Since his brother hung around with a ‘sketchy’ gang, he decides to pretend to be his brother to find out what truly happens. This is a BL that is not solely focused on romance (although the romance that is shown is wonderful). It’s groundbreaking because it’s not just a silly college BL: it discusses real issues that are happening in Thailand today such as corruption, inequality, politics, etc. If you like your BL to have complex/layered characters & plots, give Not Me a try.
Ghost Host, Ghost House (8ep x 57min || Youtube)
This recent Thai BL is about Kevin, a live-streamer who is passionate about ghost hunting. He ends up moving in with some relatives who end up being ghosts (irony) and meets Pluem. Neither of the protags are ghost but this does dish into trauma and grief. However, it’s not super angsty or anything like that because the natural chemistry between the characters is solid. This is more of a character driven BL but that’s what makes it so good. We get to learn about all the characters and connect to them, which makes it painful when you have to say goodbye (but don’t fear, again, the two protags are alive). If you like your BL to be a bit eerie and heartwarming at the same time give Ghost Host, Ghost House a try!!
Triage (13ep x 44min || AIS Play)
In this time loop romance BL, Tinn is a doctor who, one day, finds himself repeating the same day over and over. Since he fails at saving one of his patients, Tol, the only way to stop the time loop is to actually save him. Mature BL that doesn’t focus on high school kids or set in college are honestly the way to go. The plots are meaty and just because the characters are older that doesn’t mean that super steamy skinship is required. I just started this yesterday so I’m not finished but so far I highly recommend it. Again, if you like BL that isn’t solely focused on romance please give Triage a try!!
3 Will Be Free (10ep x 50min || Youtube)
3wbf is not really a BL but it’s going on the list because it’s criminally underrated. Without giving away too much of the plot, 3wbf essentially gives us a canon poly relationship between a stripper, the son of a mafia boss, and a gogo bar manager. It gives us a trans character who is not played for laughs and has a legit powerful plotline complete with romance. Everything about 3wbf is top tier. From the acting to the plot to the characters to the cinematography.
Blueming (11ep x 14min || IQIYI)
Blueming is a well loved BL for a reason: it’s amazing. Despite being short, it manages to tell a coherent and interestig story. It’s not just a silly romance, it’s intimate and talks about heavy things like insecurities...yet the audience does not get weighed down with angst. If you like more nuanced or quiet BL that focuses on characters are indiviuals themselves, their family relations, and their relationship as a couple do give Blueming a try!
To My Star 1 & 2 (9ep x 15min || Viki)
Two polar opposites: a famous actor who is going through a rough patch meets and falls for a young chef, end up falling in love. This has a second season which I didn’t watch yet but I still heard good things about it. If you like the cohabitation trope and want to see two wonder characters blossom as individuals go check this out!
Old Fashion Cupcake (5ep x 25min || Viki)
Once again, BL that focuses on adults in the workplace are top tier. Old Fashion Cupcake follows 39-year old Nozue who is just going through the same motions in life. He ends up falling in love with his subordinate at work who is ten years his junior. Old Fashion Cupcake feels like being wrapped in a big blanket as you munch on your favorite comfort food. It’s soft and lovely and genuinely amazing. The way these characters build each other up. If you like realistic BL and character driven stuff, give this short JBL a try!
Cherry Magic (12ep x 24min || IrozukuSubs)
I won’t lie to you, Cherry Magic is mostly fluff but I had to include it. In case you have yet to give this a try, please do. The premise is bonkers: Adachi is a 30 year old virigin who gains the ability to read minds when people touch him. He ends up finding out that his coworker, Kurosawa has been pining for him for years. Do you like your BL to have respectful, wonderful, and relatable characters? Do you like to occasionally turn off your brain and watch something that is silly but full of heart? Cherry Magic proves that sometimes you don’t need an elaborate plot to be interesting. You just need sweet characters and an even sweeter romance. *Cherry Magic also has a few specials + film out!!*
Here are some other BL I recommend but do let me know if there are any other certain genres you like/dislike! This is not my full list, just the ones that avoid the things you dislike. ** are the ones that are some of my top favorites
I Told Sunset About You
Bad Buddy**
Mr. Unlucky Has No Choice but to Kiss
Semantic Error
Light on Me**
Manner of Death**
Papa & Daddy**
Vice Versa**
My Tooth Your Love
A Tale of A Thousand Stars**
You Make Me Dance
Be Loved in the House: I Do
We Best Love: No. 1 For You
History 2: Crossing the Line**
Utsukushii Kare
Something in My Room
Dear Doctor I’m Coming for Your Soul
Given
Long Time No See
Fukou-kun wa Kiss Suru Shikanai
Where Your Eyes Linger
Amerio Paradox** 
The New Employee** 
Choco Milk Shake**
HIS**
Kinou Nani Tabeta? (What Did You Eat for Dinner Yesterday)**
107 notes · View notes
sotwk · 10 months
Note
Whag do you think about Lord of The Rings: The rings of power?
Did you watched it? If not, why? If yes, why?
Oooh! A bit of a controversial question, but one that I am happy to finally be asked, so I can give my thoughts and opinions about it. Thank you for the Ask, @estethell!!
My Thoughts on "The Rings of Power"
When I heard a new Tolkien/Middle-earth series was coming out, I was super excited about it. I watched the first two episodes the very evening it came out on Amazon. My excitement was so contagious, I even got my husband (who wouldn't know an elf from a dwarf) to sit down and watch it with me for like 5 whole minutes.
Now, the truth: my initial excitement about the series quickly dropped about four episodes in. The storyline and characterizations just weren't really what I expected (actually, I'm not even sure what my expectations were, except that they were high), and so my interest dwindled in my disappointment.
However, a few weeks later, after all the episodes had been released, I sat back down to finish the series, and my impressions of it improved overall.
I wouldn't say I love Rings of Power, but there are enough things about it that I liked and enjoyed to be able to engage with others who do love it. It's kind of like the folks who didn't like The Hobbit movies, but are able to gush over Lee Pace's Thranduil anyway.
Tumblr media
Stuff in Rings of Power that I liked:
Liked BEST: Young Elrond, and the way he was portrayed as such a wise and kind lord by Robert Aramayo (so handsomely elf-y!).
A Close Second: Durin IV and Disa. What a wonderful couple that brought just the right amount of comic relief.
The chance to see Khazad-dum in its glory.
Poppy Proudfellow. We all need a friend like her.
The music/soundtrack, ESPECIALLY the song "This Wandering Day" Poppy sang--I literally cried when she sang it.
Arondir. He was a such sweetheart and I hope he comes back next season.
Adar. The take on orcs being corrupted elves is one I embrace.
Elendil and Isildur. Excellent acting on Lloyd Owen's part, and I liked Maxim Baldry's earnestness.
Halbrand. I'll admit, I wasn't too impressed or happy with the revelation of him as Sauron, but the character alone as it stands was actually very good, and very well portrayed by Charlie Vickers.
Tumblr media
Stuff I didn't like so much (so probably don't ask me about them 'cause I prefer not to dwell on critiques):
Short-haired elves. Just not a fan, purely a preference thing.
Galadriel being short. This is petty and minor, but for some reason, even though Morfydd Clark did a fine job, it bugged me to see Galadriel looking UP at mortal men.
Celebrimbor cast as an older man. So sorry, Charles Edwards is a lovely actor, but this was far from what I had in mind for the character.
Eärien. Normally I will give OCs a chance, but I did not like this one. Felt really unnecessary, and the screen time should have been given to Anárion, wherever he might be.
The poor armor design and nerfing of the Numenorean army.
Portrayal of the Gwaith-i-Mírdain. Again, I expected much more.
The origin story of mithril. Such a strange choice.
WAY, WAAAAAAY too much CGI. Why is everything so shiny??
Overall low/poor production value. But honestly, there is never gonna be another production like Peter Jackson's trilogy. It's sad, but filmmakers just don't do that anymore. I hope someone proves me wrong.
Tumblr media
I remain conflicted about the following:
The Haladriel ship. I'm a Celeborn fan (I have some lovely HCs about him and his ties to Thranduil), and I ship Galadriel with him. However, the way Halbrand looks at Galadriel just does something to me, so even though I'm not sold, my mind is open to it as an AU. I blame Charlie Vickers being such a charming rogue.
The Elf-Human love story. Arondir and Bronwynn were sweet and convincing, and I did swoon for them, but... this is just so overdone already. Couldn't we have just featured other kinds of relationships?
The revised origin of Gandalf. I kind of get it, and I appreciate the relationship between him and the Hobbit progenitors... but it's kind of also weird.
Halbrand as Sauron. I plan on withholding judgement until I see where they are going with this in Season 2.
Overall Rating and Conclusion:
62% fresh SotWK Tomato Rating
I choose to just be HAPPY and GRATEFUL that we have another cinematic adaptation to the Tolkien fandom, however flawed it might be.
Definitely looking forward to Season 2 and I will definitely watch it.
Positive vibes ONLY, please! I am happy to publicly post and gush with others about the good points of RoP. But I will not have public bashing of things other fans might love and enjoy. I am very against crapping on the things others love, even if I might hate them myself.
If anyone wants to discuss the things I dislike about RoP, we can do it via DM or private Asks.
Everyone has a right to enjoy whatever they want in this show; let's just all respect each others' differences in tastes and opinions! <3
Tumblr media
18 notes · View notes
bluepoodle7 · 10 months
Text
Tumblr media
#Shezow #ThinkingAboutReviewingEachEpisode #Sheviews #MyThoughts
(I will be editing this post a lot and there might be multiple parts.)
I'm thinking about rewatching Shezow again but might make a review on each episode and maybe add my thoughts to it then at the end put what episodes I liked in order.
I wish this show got a second sheason.
Maybe keep the artstyle the same but make it better animated.
Maybe add Dudepow's evil version and Maz's parents.
I'm already dreading She-Phat I remember seeing most of the episodes on The Hub then later just Youtubeing the rest.
--------------------------------
This is my first time reviewing a whole series so go easy on me.
I remember seeing this ad play on the Hub Network Channel when it was a thing.
Then later checked it out.
0:32
Image and video not mine but link is there.
Shezow (Premiere Promo) - Hub Network - YouTube
----------------------
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
The Pilot differences.
SheeZaam
I have seen the SheeZaam pilot a long time ago when it was basically lost media.
I think this pilot was aired on G4 for the Midnight Spank block but I never watched it but researched about this and the Disney Shezow pilots.
I was too young to watch that and I never knew when it aired.
But I did like the ads for it.
The SheeZaam pilot looks like something I would see on Newgrounds randomly and also the origin of the laser lipstick at 02:20 but it's a actual laser instead of a lightsaber or a beam sword from smash bros.
It's pretty dated like a old school offensive Newgrounds cartoon but for a flash cartoon standards it's okay and it was made in 2005.
If this show stayed adult I know the jokes would either get better with the right writers or worse but it depends on the time period.
I would add these characters as background characters like Joe Halpern just being a trash man then later helping the new Shezow fight crime while making dated jokes and maybe be annoyed by the she puns that replace his cursing.
Maybe make Joe slowly get more progressive in later episodes.
I give it a 5/10.
----------------
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
The Disney Version Of Shezow.
This aired in 2007 on Disney's Shorty McShorts' Shorts pilot block where I think all the pilots never made it.
I never got to see this on my tv since back then I didn't really watch Disney a lot during those days I was mostly into Cartoon Network, Nick, and maybe other kids networks at the time.
This show really likes the dude looks like a lady joke and the no way José jokes.
I just wonder what the "I wasn't talking about the house." joke was about at 01:02-01:11.
I hope it's not bad.
I wish guy in the new show kept the fart knockers saying though.
Also add back in the bully characters and add José back in as a student that Guy knew before Maz.
01:58
This scene gave me a idea on a artwork I made with the 2012 guy looking in the mirror behind pilot guy.
Tumblr media
Also the show made it canon that José was made to not know that Guy and Shezow are the same person which is weird to me but also had a crush on Shezow which is just Guy in bugs bunny drag but not knowing it.
I guess in the 2012 pilot they scrapped that detail.
The Shezow chant is different and its about pinching all the cheeks, the Shelair was hot pink and Sheila is just a lip tv, and feminine intuition or in the 2012 show it's She-S-P or a sixth sense.
The theme is different at 05:09-05:18.
This has the origin of the super sheslap at 03:46-03:48 and the laser lipstick returns but as a laser sword at 04:37 which is interesting to me.
This version of Shezow looks better animated for 2007 then the 2005 which was choppy and I wonder if Disney was brave enough to pick this show up would it be different then the 2012 version.
Also would Guy count as a Disney princess if they made a episode where Shezow got crowned as one?
Also the truck reminds me of the Illbleed trap with the truck from level 3.
Tumblr media
The Truck trap I'm talikng about.
A blog about obscurity stuff, plushies and food. on Tumblr - #Woodmill Truck Trap
Tumblr media
04:22
Forgot Disney Pilot Shezow has to pull his hair to do the first sonic scream.
Tumblr media Tumblr media
02:50-02:59
Also in SheeZaam had that tampon weapon that suck up and contains liquid enemies which is cool.
I wonder if the tv network executives would allow Shezow to carry a tampon or a pad to use as a weapon?
Also the gendered bathroom scene returns in the 2012 version but the 2007 version had it at 05:13.
The 2012 version had the same scene at 0:29.
SheZow Files : She-S-P - YouTube
I give it a 6/10.
SheZow on Vimeo
2012 Shezow Pilot
---------------------
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
Now we are getting into familiar territory.
The first half is a little different from the Disney pilot.
José is replaced by Maz and has more of a friendship connection than José in the pilot.
Maz has a personality unlike José who is just a joke device and falling in love with your best friend troupe.
The bullies are gone and the "I'm not talking about the house." joke was removed in this pilot.
But in the 2012 Shezow Pilot the movers saying no problem and yep when putting up the furniture in the house.
Instead of in the Disney pilot there is only one mover by himself moving everything inside the house while just saying yep, an mhm noises, yeah, and okay.
The truck crashing scene is not here in the 2012 pilot.
Both guys still have the toxic masculinity sayings like the "girly unpacking" and it's a guy thing".
Both Kelly's still are the most intelligent of the team and Guy in the 2012 makes puns right out the gate.
The 2007 guy kind of sounded a little mean and called his boy squad fart knockers.
The "I'm not talking about the house." joke gets replaced with "Nice digs." and "I wish I had a Aunt Agnus." And Maz is the one to explain what is happening to the mover in the 2012 pilot and in the 2007 pilot it was Guy who said that information.
Both Guy's both toss stuff including the urn of their dead Aunt Agnes and both make the similar saying in both scenes.
Both Guy's make the tacky ring joke.
The Shezow change chants in the 2007 and 2012 are both different.
But the 2012 version of Shezow is the best dressed of the three pilots and also I like the leopard print.
Kelly in the Disney pilot just info dumps what Shezow is while 2012 Kelly is a mega fan and wants to be Shezow. (Remember that for later.)
Both Guy's snatch the ring away from their sisters.
You know what I want to know.
How did both Guy's know the chants when they find it too girly to pay attention to it?
Dude looks like a lady joke returns. 3:37-3:38
And both Guy's say "Say whut?" But the Disney Guy had better delivery of the joke.
I like it that this show has that Ben 10 rule where the user can't take off the ring until the user dies troupe.
The 2012 Shezow pilot has a I wonder what power I have montage.
The Shelair was behind the mirror and is a nice touch.
This shelair looks better than the 2007 Disney pilot and Shelia went from being a mouth tv to being a Ai like character similar to Karen in Spongebob.
02:47
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
Now we are in the new ideas added to the Shezow story.
I like it how Guy was like nah and then sees the Shehicle then says ok.
Remember Guy and Kelly are 12 and driving.
Guy is pretty good at driving even doing the MIB ceiling driving to avoid traffic.
Tumblr media
The whole Shezow can't fly thing. (Keep that for later.)
Guy says Sheilarious at 6:35-6:36.
Shezow is as fast as sonic with super speed but running in heels is something to work on.
The She-S-P gets explained at 7:35-7:36.
Also the commercial break animations are pretty cool and feels like old school anime commercial break things.
7:48-8:14
SheZow S01E01 SheZow Happens & Coldfinger - YouTube
They say "Get the dog's jewels and his too." and that flew over my head when I first watched it and caught me off guard.
8:33-8:35
Tumblr media
Yeah the dad hates Shezow for saving the day instead of the police doing it.
Reminds me of the Powerpuff Girls episode with the donut eating cop getting mad that the girls are saving the day instead of the cops.
But I would love to know more about Guy's Dad.
Also the closet threw up on on you joke is a wow.
10:41-10:43.
I want a vinyl figure of Guy in Shezow form with the random stuff he found in his closet to cover up that he is Shezow.
Tumblr media
I like it that the show let Maz be part of the Shezow squad instead of being the guesser on why Guy keeps leaving. This is way better than what they did to José.
Also Maz saying a whole bunch of shepuns to guy and him looking annoyed is pretty cool.
I thought they would have made Maz a toxic person but he is just a happy chill guy.
11:17
Tumblr media Tumblr media
Guy had to say Sheyeah to change back while in the Disney and SheeZaam pilots I think the power just poofs away then reappears when danger is near but I'm not sure.
Also Sheroes are the canon fan name similar to bronies for Mlp.
I remember the Shezow Creator having a tumblr where you can ask him questions but it's long gone now but I know a few things from looking at Tumblr from the outside without a account in the past.
Like Shezap is both male and female.
And how Aunt Agnes died and who killed her.
Shezow and Logan did go out but it was for a Shezow thing.
The creator is okay with Guy and Maz being a thing.
Maz's parents if shown were one is male and one is female.
Is a White and Asian couple.
I give this show a 8/10.
Tumblr media
Images not mine but links are there.
The Shezow Tumblr that archived the creator's posts.
The Shezow Database! on Tumblr - #post by Obie Scott Wade
11 notes · View notes
Text
Personal Impression: My Journey To You.
Tumblr media
I purposely use the picture above since it's my most favorite scene. When all the member of Gong family united (look how cool Shangjue and Yuanzhi!! (^^)).
Usually, I would avoid spy genre. The last spy genre I've watched was "The Rebel" (Zhu Yilong) and it was quite a trauma for me. (XD)
Yet, I don't know why I started to watched "My Journey To You". Maybe because the trailer looks interesting? But, I was "trick" by the trailer. I thought it would be a very serious and intense series. I didn't expected there would also be a comedy (which I enjoy it so much). I really like it when after a good intense scene, it swiftly change into a comedic one. The feelings are like riding a roller coaster. (XD)
THE STORY.
In the early episodes, the story was quite slow pace for me. But, it was quite fun to watch the two female spies interacting with each other. Their talk was like a 101 guide of how to be a good spies (XD).
Then I kept on guessing who was (or were) also the spies inside the Gong family. Then the mystery about the killing and also the main purpose for each spies were also interesting to follow. Although by the end of the story, I was left with the question, "What was their main purpose again?" (XD)
To be honest, I was kinda confused with the timeline of the story. Since some of the important parts were explained in the past time.
The Gong family is also a "troublesome" family. (XD)
They are the last family that still able to stand against Wufeng (thanks fo Shangjue, I guess), the evil organization (XD), but they did it by living in seclusion. No family member are allowed to leave the residence and very strict for outsider to enter. Although it was a surprised that 3 Wufeng spies could enter the residence, even live as one of the family member. (XD)
The old man aka the fathers were also troublesome, like Ziyu's father, Zishang's father, and young master Hua's father. The fathers are very strict with their sons, condemn them once in a while, but the truth is they actually care and deeply love their sons. And they admit it when they were dead or dying. That's annoying and also hilarious. (XD)
Except for Zishang's father who still doesn't acknowledge her abilities as the older daughter.
THE CHARACTERS.
Although I was obviously doting for Gong Ziyu, but I must say that my favorite character are the other 4 characters (not in order): Gong Zishang (the eldest sister), Jin Fan (Gong Ziyu's personal bodyguard), Gong Shangjue, and his beloved brother, Gong Yuanzhi.
Gong Zishang is a very hilarious and comedic character. Her presence, her expressions, her words, her doing, her love for Jin Fan, were all very entertaining. She has a sad background because of her father distrust (which I think it didn't resolved in the story?) I'm happy that Jiejie still could find happiness with Jin Fan and Ziyu. I know I will had a great laugh whenever she shows up in the story. I love you, Jiejie!
Tumblr media
Jin Fan, the red jade guardian who degrade his position to be the green jade guardian in order to be Ziyu's personal bodyguard (by the order of Ziyu's father). He's obviously a loyal bodyguard for Ziyu. But, he's also secretly kept his love for Zishang. Even though he's so powerful as a guardian, but every time he was with Ziyu and Zishang, the three of them would be hilarious together. (XD)
Tumblr media
It's super fun to see Zishang and Jin Fang together. They are my favorite couple! I'm so glad the make it together till the end of the story.
Tumblr media
Gong Shangjue. I don't quite understand the order of the brothers, but Shangjue is Ziyu's brother (or cousins?) A very strong, smart, scary, and tactical. He's a one tough man. No wonder he must be taken down first since he's way more dangerous as an opponent than Ziyu. (XD)
I do admire Shangjue's "love" for the family. He only think about the family, that he even willing to be seen as a bad character in order to protect the family.
I really like his answer to Yuanzhi when Ziyu was getting through the trial to be a worthy Sword Wielder. "If he's not capable, we don't have to worry. But, if he's really capable, then we don't have to worry either." That prove Shangjue only care for the family sake, and not the competition between him and Ziyu to become the Sword Wielder.
Shangjue's feature is always tense, serious, and scary, just like his brother, Yuanzhi. Yet, somehow, he manage to show his sweet and pure smile to Yuanzhi. But, when he smiles sweetly to Ziyu (at the final episode), it feels so weird. (XD)
I remember at their final scene, Shangjue reminds Ziyu that since he's now the Sword Wielder, he shouldn't called Shangjue by "Ge" (brother), like always done by someone. Shangjue meant Yuanzhi. My mind quickly translate it as Shangjue doesn't want anyone else to call him by "Ge", except for Yuanzhi only. I cheered! Yuanzhi did it! He has won his brother's heart a long time ago.
Tumblr media
Gong Yuanzhi. The little brother, the genius with poisons, the Shangjue's brother's complex. A very capable young man. While Shangjue only thinking about the family, Yuanzhi will only thinking about his brother (Shangjue). He would do everything for Shangjue's sake. He kind of made me upset when he intentionally steps on the lotus flower. And when he smirk or smile in devilish way, I swear ... he made me terrified!!! (TOT)
Tumblr media
I do adore Shangjue and Yuanzhi brotherhood. Truly the best! They are strong on their own and super deadly together. I'd like to see more of their story.
Tumblr media
Gong Ziyu. Surely the male lead. I think he's not as strong as Shangjue. Ziyu also admits it. But, Ziyu is indeed strong in his own way. He acknowledge people, even Shangjue and Yuanzhi (whom he called as genius in poison). He doesn't want to be beaten by Shangjue. He also acknowledge everyone else in the family, like his goofy sister (Zishang), the young master Hua (by acknowledge his sword), and the young master Xue (by carefreely chatting with him). Ziyu's kindness has earned him the love, the trust, and the support, especially from the family younger generations. The Gong family would change to be better under Ziyu's command. Ziyu isn't as strict as the older generations. Maybe that's why the younger generations are doting for him (except for Shangjue and Yuanzhi (XD)).
Coming near to the ending episode, Shangjue revealed that the one who comes out with the tactic to set a trap for Wufeng was indeed Ziyu. He maybe not as smart as Shangjue, or even as strong, but in the end, Ziyu managed to prove himself (even to Shangjue) that he was able to protect his family (although his main reason was probably to protect Weishan (XD)).
Oh, I also won't forget his blind and deep love for Yun Weishan. (XD)
Tumblr media
When everyone were confronting Weishan as Wufeng's spy and wanted to beheaded her, Ziyu only asked, "Are you really leaving?" That's all what's on his head. (XD)
THE ENDING.
I have prepared myself for the worst ... for people to die ... it's a spy genre after all. But, I was happy that all of my favorite characters are alive. (XD)
Jin Fan survived and he's very clingy to Zishang after he finally confess his love for her. Good for you, Jiejie!!! (TOT)
Tumblr media
Shangjue and Yuanzhi are also alive. Thank God! (XD)
I thought one of the brothers would die. I can't imagine how devastated Shangjue would be if he lost Yuanzhi after he lost his young brother in the past, and add with Shangguan Qian runs away. I also can't imagine how Yuanzhi would be if Shangjue dies.
Tumblr media
But, as for Ziyu, I think his ending was unnecessary ... just make him live happily with Weishan!
I can't understand, with Weishan status as the wife of the Sword Wielder, as Ziyu also deeply love her, how could he let Weishan go by herself to her home to found her twin sister and then meet with other Wufeng member? And the way Ziyu's look was shocked when the gate to the Gong residence was open ... I thought that Weishan had died and the one who come back was her twin sister who disguising as Weishan and also act as a new Wufeng's spy. It's so unnecessary hints. (XD)
But, at the fan event, Zhang Linghe said that what Ziyu saw was two Weishan. That means they both survived and live together at the Gong residence. Good for them! I don't understand why the end have to be secretive?? Is it that hard just to make it directly a happy ending?
I was also feel strange with the "sudden plot" that Weishan has a twin sister, so that's the reason why Shangjue couldn't find any prove that she's an imposter. Actually, it would be great if she's indeed an imposter and it was Wufeng doing for making the town people acknowledge her as the true Yun's daughter.
But, then again, Yun Weishan is indeed her name from the very beginning. She doesn't took it from the real one, so ... it's not a suddenly plot after all.
THE OST.
I truly love all the soundtrack. It's so perfect for lullabies. (XD)
There are two of my favorite OST.
Distant Mountain Like Yesterday - Chen Cusheng.
One memorable scene using the song was when all the dead member of Gong family appeared in spirit form to congratulate and assured Ziyu that he has succeed in protecting the family. Among them was young master Hua and young master Xue, which I regret so much for their death. (T^T)
Singer - Tian Jiarui.
Yuanzhi's brother complex song over Shangjue. (XD)
This song appeared whenever there were dramatic scene between the two brothers. (XD)
10 notes · View notes
popculturebuffet · 4 months
Text
Monthly Muppet Madness: Sesame Street Luis and Maria Valentine's Day Special (Comission for Emma Fici)
Tumblr media
Happy valentine's day all you happy people and welcome back to monthly muppet madness. All the muppets you can handle once a month. And for this special day of love and chocolate we're going down to sesame street to look at the love story and wedding of Luis and Maria.
Now this one was a bit of a challenge for two reasons: the first is that my Seasame Street knowledge is limited: i know the 2010's decently enough as I watched a ton of it when my niece and nephew were toddlers, and I reviewed Follow that Bird last year, which was exellent.. but I really don't know who most of the cast are as characters outside of the major muppets and even some of those escape me as many have been phased out over the years. I mean why they don't use the two headed monster ine verything is beyond me, he's a two headed monster> that's awesome.
Thankfully the muppet wiki is super expansive so if like me you didn't know these characters going into this article yoru great. If you did, well... go get some juice or a pop while I fill in the blanks.
Luis and Maria were both introduced in season 3 of Seasame street and lasted all the way to 2015. Luis was introduced as the owner of the local fixit shop, a kind man who fixed bikes, toasters what have you. He also fixed them for Snuffy before knowing he was real. They were dropped off and picked up by... oh let's say moe. He's notable for playing the longest lasting mexican american roll on a television series and Seasame Street celebrated his heritage frequently. Sesame Street did not fuck around and I appricate that. Maria was introduced as a local teen who worked at the library, aging in real time and quickly becoming a young adult. She soon started working with Luis at the fixit shop, getting hired by simply pitching in when he was too busy to actually listen to her ask for a job and being hired on the spot as it helped with his work load. She later asked for a raise... only to not only get THAT but be promoted to partner.
So the two already had a working relationship and friendship when Sonia Manzano, Maria's Actress, got pregnant. Rather than dance around it Seasame Street decided to integrate the story, but since it was the 80's by the time of this pregnancy, they also needed Maria to get married first because GASP apparently kids couldn't handle the idea of a single parent. Or a multiracial couple as her previous love intrest David, was also ruled out though the why is a bit murky: One documentary said his actor was leaving anyway , another said he was devistated. I wouldn't rule out an 80's tv show avoiding an interracial marriage to avoid scandal.. but I also think Seasame Street was progressive enough to try it anyway, so i'm inclined to belivie the actor simply wasn't avaliable, especailly since the idea was pitched by Carol Spinney's wife Debra and passed on to Caroll himself. Given the two characters were already close as friends, buisness partners and on good terms, having them do the relationship upgrade makes some sense: while friends to lovers CAN be really tricky, here it just feels wholesome: like two people who were simply friends for a long time, caught feelings eventually and fell in love.
So today we'll be covering the two realizing their in love and thent heir wedding day. I wish I had something for the middle but Sesame Street.. is hard to track down these days. Most of it WAS on max.. but Max being max, a lot of it was removed and digtially most of seasame street is best of compliations and what not. There really isn't a consitent, episode by episode archive for the show that I found. So I found two complitions on youtube covering parts of this storyline. I am sorry that I coudln't find a more in depth one covering the whole thing up to the wedding, and would be glad to cover more of their story in the future. For now though let's tell the timeless tale of man and woman brought together by two 5 year olds asking difficult questions.
Part 1: In Love So the Luis and Maria story has a LOT of parts to it, and like I said I could only find so much on youtube. I tried archive of our own too, no luck. So before this the two started growing from friends to something more after tending to a baby bird... and not the normal one they tend to what lives in the back of their store.
The building feelings pay off here.. but first what most people come to seasame street for: two five year olds arguing: while playing Cowboys, Big Bird wants to go Eha Eha, and Snuffy wants to go Eha Eha Eha. Somehow it's far from the most gripping cowboy dillema i've seen
Tumblr media
Gordon easily solves the issue and the two get their eha's on when they notice Maria and Luis holding hands. We don't see it because they only have a set for that part of sesame street, but it leaves the boys confused and they decide to go ask the adults up front.
Luis and Maria.. have no adquate explination for why they were holding hands and i'ts hilarous, mostly beause it feels so REAL. Kids will oftne ask questions that end up super awkward simply because they don't know any better. The two REALLY don't know how to answer this, saying adults do it because they like each other not because they need to, but not sure how they feel about each other. Until an idea hits
Tumblr media
But since it would they instead realize their in love and go to tell each other and we get a really sweet well done shot as we look in on the fixit store through it's window as the two confess. it's some really well done acting and really cute.. then they shut the curtain so all of sesame street dosen't see their live sex celebration.
That night Big BIrd asks when their getting married which panics the two especially since you know THEY JUST STARTED DATING. Again it works because it's a harmless kid thing and Big Bird is just a giant toddler. But he bets they will
And he's right though there's according to the wiki a whole ass arc where everyone in sesame street is pressuring the two to get married. I mean Delgado's pregnancy is part of why they speed it up and as a show for younger kids they don't have to really get into emotional complexity... buuuuut it dosen't make it any less hilarous that all the muppets are wondering when this couple's going to get hitched already depsite being none of thier buisness.
Eventually Luis proposes, we get some planning and now it's time for the wedding.
Part 2: It's Your Wedding Day
So we get to the wedding, as everyone prepares: Maria's been so nervous she can't sleep while Luiz
Tumblr media
Maria talks to linda, her bestie and just the best. Linda is kinda sorta dating bob, the og sesame street human and local teacher, the two even getting a mental duet about possibly getting maried and Linda catching the boquet. Both of these things go nowhere but given the two never married anyone else, I like to think they just had a quiet wedding officiated by kermit off screen.
Anyways everyone prepares for the wedding day with a big fucking musical number, as you should, and then has the wedding to one as the soon to be weds panic internally, the various adults and their relatives sing about how in love they are , and Oscar hopes fo ra fight because of course he does. Also elmo looks like Oscar slipped him about 80 ounces of cocaine because he is TRIPPING BALLS the entire cermony while panicking about dropping the rings.
Hey kids, just a life lesson if the garbage monster on your street offers you cocaine to help you relax before a wedding, don't take it. he's probably just wnatin ga laugh at your expense. Also just.. don't give 5 year olds cocaine. That's not a good thing to do. And don't shake them.. unless your Larry david then that sorta thing is just expected of you and you'll be dealt with later.
This message has been brought to you by popculturebuffet and the two penguins on my desk.
The wedding ends up working an dis beautiful. Also oscar the grouch somehow got a plus one, his girlfriend grungetta who i'm somehow just finding out exists. Oscar was getting it on the reg and not ONE of you fuckers thought it was a good idea to tell me. Good for him. A reception is held and everyone is happy... well almost everyone.
Tumblr media
HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!
2 notes · View notes
ridley-was-a-cat · 4 months
Text
What I Watched This Week – 1/28 – 2/3
Tumblr media
Akuma-kun (ONA) – This appears to be a sequel to a 60-year-old series that I haven’t seen or read, so I hadn’t planned to watch it. I saw it got nominated in the backgrounds category, though, and I figured I’d give it a go. I might have been missing some stuff from the earlier series, but if I was, it didn’t really feel like it, as the story stood alone just fine. It follows a paranormal investigator named Ichirou Umoregi, who operates out of a dingy office cluttered with books alongside his half-human/half-demon assistant, Mephisto III. Most episodes have the characters encounter some supernatural situation involving wayward demons where Ichirou unravels the mystery behind the incident, and Mephisto forces the demon to go back home. It wouldn’t be my top pick in the category, but it definitely has excellent background art, which fits the cartoony style just about perfectly. Yuuki Kaji does an excellent job voicing Ichirou/Akuma-kun, giving him the right mix of dispassionate rational thinker and young man still working through childhood abandonment. The cases were suitably creepy, and the ending caught me by surprise. Definitely a good show to keep on tap for spooky season. 7/10
Tumblr media
Uma Musume: Pretty Derby Season 3 – Having completed this entry in the series, I can confidently say that it’s an awful pick for the slice of life shortlist in the r/anime awards. Not only is it not very good, it is categorically not a slice of life in the slightest. If I asked people to recommend me a slice of life anime, and they suggested an action-heavy racing drama full of screaming horse girls, I would think they were trolling me. Maybe it has some connection to the real life horse she’s based on, I don’t care enough about the show to look it up, but the constant screaming while Kitasan was running was unbelievably annoying, and I adore the screaming boys of Haikyuu. Combining this irritating noise with the lousy way the story introduced and then just sort of forgot about her rivals, there wasn’t a whole lot to recommend here. I can’t help but feel it’s stealing a spot from shows that were both much more enjoyable and actual slice of life stories. 5/10
Tumblr media
Scott Pilgrim Takes Off – The way all the marketing for this emphasized that they were bringing back the cast of the movie left me uninterested in watching it, as I figured it was just going to be a nostalgia grab. It kept showing up on different best of fall lists, and it got nominated in the adventure and animation categories, so I figured I’d take a look. As I had figured, the English version was not super good. Actors do not always make very good voice actors, and a few of them were pretty wooden-sounding. It was weird to have Japanese voices in this very North American/Canadian story full of English language pop music, but switching it to Japanese was the right decision, I think. Once I did that, I got an extremely fun adventure centered on Ramona Flowers that imagined a story where Scott lost the first fight against her seven evil exes. The character designs were charmingly creative, the color palette was great, and the animation went hard when it needed to. Most importantly, the soundtrack was as good as I hoped it would be, with songs from the Dead Kennedys, Vampire Weekend, and Metric alongside an original score. 8/10
3 notes · View notes
Note
What kind of movie genres do you think the hashiras would like? Also, if they had to pick a favorite horror movie, what would each of their's be?
heheheheheheeeeee say less let's fuckin gooooo-
...
Muichiro:
He's still a kid, but at the same time he's still very mature for his age
Therefore, regardless if he's a hashira or not, I think he'd get a knack out of animated movies, specifically either Pixar or even ghibli movies
I mean come on, he became a hashira at such a young age
Let the kid have his creature comforts
As for his favorite horror movie, like in my previous post, he leans towards the Japanese version of "The Ring"
...
Mitsuri:
Though the love hashira, she doesn't really get a kick out of traditional hallmark movies especially the Christmas ones
With that said though, I don't doubt that because of her past and romanticizing the concept of love she'd be super into romantic comedies, or possibly even dramatic comedies.
She just likes having a good laugh every once in a while. Especially if she's feeling lonely or whatever else she might be feeling
Yo girl gotta have some kind of outlet one way or another
As for horror movies, I think she'd really like the "scary movie" series, specifically the first one that mocks the movie "Scream"
...
Obanai:
He's definitely a more serious type, that's for sure
I mean look at him, he's comically condescending at best
But he can obviously have his serious moments
And although he'll watch whatever Mitsuri likes, because that's the only girl he tolerates in general. I have a feeling he really likes any kind of action comedy. So movies like "Chips", "Game Night", and "Cocaine Bear" are just a few of his favorites.
Mitsuri actually suggested the genre to him, saying that he needed to "lighten up and live a bit"
So he gave them a watch and he just had a blast, so did his snake friend
As for his favorite horror movie, anything having to do with animals is definitely his go to. However he takes a particular liking to the movie "Anaconda"
...
Gyomei:
I can't see him being into anything other than historical fiction when it comes to movies. Or movies based off of history, I headcanon that he has a knack for learning as much as he can
Movies like "Dunkirk", "Schindler's List", "Saving Private Ryan", and "All Quiet on the Western Front" are a few of his favorites. (Also I highly recommend checking out Schindler's List it's really good!)
Due to the fact that he's blind, I feel like he'd also like the fact that because the movies have such great audio quality (most of the time) he'd be even more immersed into it just by listening.
As for his favorite horror movie, it would definitely have to be some kind of religious horror movie like "The Nun"
...
Sanemi:
Mans may be traumatized from when he was a kid but that won't stop him from enjoying a good action movie
"Extraction", "The Gray Man", "Gemini Man", and "Six Underground" happen to be a few of his favorites
And yes I know it's a little cliche for a hashira, but you have to admit this dude wants to fight anything and everything half the time (albeit it's not his fault given what he's been through)
At least this gives him a healthy outlet just to at least watch people be eradicated in a way lol
As for his favorite horror movie, he likes the movie "Saw", the suspense gets him going and completely engaged in it
...
Shinobu:
Ol' girl definitely is a sucker for a feel good comedy
"Crazy Rich Asians", "The Devil Wears Prada", "A Dog's Purpose", and "Lala Land" happen to be a few of her favorites
Shinobu's job doesn't leave very much room for rejoicing half the time, especially when the corps loses someone so suddenly
So these types of movies give her a sense of hope, along with a good laugh here and there
As for her favorite horror movie, and idk if this is considered horror more than say a slasher film, but I headcanon she'd like "The Purge"
If she really wanted to, given her background, she'd eradicate everyone and everything in sight. But why do that when you can watch a movie about it? lol
...
Giyuu:
Mans has also been through some shit, but like Sanemi, it won't stop him from watching a good movie, specifically psychological thrillers
Movies, as stated before, like "The Prodigy", "Silence of the Lambs", and "Us" are a few of his favorites
He just likes the thrill of having to guess what comes next, it keeps his mind busy and focused on something other than his past
As for an actual horror movie, I think he'd like the movie "Annabelle: Creation" since Rengoku has talked his ear off about it so much that he gave in, watched it, and actually likes it lol
...
Rengoku:
Fire man loves a good movie about witchcraft
Yes witchcraft but nothing malicious
"Practical Magic", "Coven", and "Bewitched" happen to be some of his favorites
He has no real reason to like them, but he just likes how they're portrayed and how it proves that magic could basically be anywhere
He's also just a huge kid at heart so can ya blame him? Lol
As far as horror movies, he really likes "Childsplay", he just finds it fascinating how real life objects like dolls and even the most basic of items can be extremely haunted
...
Tengen:
Mans has three wives. So naturally rather than a singular movie, unless its like three hours long, he'd enjoy a movie series
He likes Marvel and DC movies, as well as the "Fast and Furious" series, "Lord of the RIngs" series, the "Narnia" series
Basically name any movie that has multiple sequels, he likes it lol
As far as an actual horror movie, he really likes "The Exorcist", maybe even going as far as "Evil Dead"
He likes something that will give him and his wives a good scare
......
Okayyyyyy that's that lol that took me way longer than I had anticipated. Who knew that this would wrack my brain to oblivion lmaooo. Regardless I hope you enjoy! Let me know what you want to see next!
11 notes · View notes
Text
When giant robots arent just giant robots
Tetsujin 28-go, Mazinger Z, the original Gundam, the grandparents of mecha anime, undoubtedly these three series have had the biggest impact on japanese mecha culture, after all apart from being the first and most popular, they’re probably the best original mecha series out there. And as the title implies, mecha anime isn’t just about big robots doing cool things, far from that, most if not all good mecha animes carry a deeper plot, an emotionally heavy plot, (spoilers for all three series I’ve mentioned(duh))In Tetsujin-28 we see a kid, Shotaro, learn to control a giant robot (who doesn’t have a pilot inside it but rather is controlled remotely, still qualifies as mecha in the eyes of many though, me included), this robot rather than being an instrument of peace, was intended as a warmachine for the japanese empire at the end of the WW2, sadly (or happily) though, the war ends before the robot is finished, and Shotaro’s dad, Dr. Kaneda, dies of a heart attack shortly after completing the robot, but rather than being handed over to the military, it’s passed down to Shotaro, who isn’t bound by hate or malice as the people in the war were, so he instead uses the robot for good, fighting criminals and super-wealthy mafias in Japan, who had robots of their own of course.In Mazinger Z, we meet Koji Kabuto, a young biker (motorcycle not bicycle rider) who has a normal life, grandkid to Juzo Kabuto, a very well known japanese scientist, who in an expedition to some far off islands, along with his crew comprised of Dr. Hell (yes very trustworthy name that is), finds an ancient civilization, who used giant machines to wage war against whoever they desired (based off the legend of the Giant of Rhodes). Dr. Hell finding this out is hellbent (heh) on getting an army of his own, so he kills every single member of the expedition so no one can get in his way, Professor Kabuto escapes to Japan, and with his knowledge of science and robotics, builds a weapon to fend off Hell’s devilish army, the weapon in question is Mazinger Z, a giant almost invincible robot with plenty of firepower. Just before Juzo can test the robot, he is killed in a bombing at his own house by Dr Hell’s right hand…person, Baron Ashura, a half-man half-woman, all evil being. Just before Juzo dies, he tells his grandkid of the robot and Hell’s plan, and leaves it up to him to decide what he will do with this great weapon. He tells his grandson before dying, he’s sorry he won’t be able to see them pilot it and destroy Hell’s forces, and that with Mazinger at his disposal, he can be a god or a devil, and that he’d be known as a super-being, like none have existed before in all of human history.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3HBPChWsiG8With this, Mazinger Z begins, and his journey to fight off Dr Hell’s mechanical devils is on it’s way. In Gundam, what we first see is actually an invasion of a space colony, we follow two mechs, specifically two Zaku-2s, who are intruding into the colony with nefarious intent. As we see them go in we realize the colony is pacific, just full of buildings and trees, their mission is to scout the area for anything military-related, rumours of the Earth federation (the earth and it’s colonies) developing mobile suits (mechs) to fight off the Zeon (space people) mobile suits. This is a big deal since for years, the mobile suits have been only on Zeon’s side, but as we see, the Zaku 2s attack the colony and terrorize it, until a young boy by the name of Amuro Ray, who’s escaping all the carnage gets into the cockpit of this giant robot he finds out of nowhere, reads the manual, and with nothing to lose boots it up to fend off his attackers. I will include a short clip of this moment but PLEASE watch the first episode of gundam. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWfZKeMeFgIThis happens after a friend of Amuro’s (Fraw Bow), sees her whole family die in front of her due to the Zaku’s attacks. As Amuro gets up and attacks the enemy mobile suits, he struggles but quickly finds his footing to pilot the mech properly, thus starts the legend of the “White Devil”, (Zeon’s name for the federation’s first mobile suit, the RX-78-2 Gundam.) Gundam gets a lot more complex than this, but at the start it’s pretty much this, Zeon attacking Earth colonies, and the Gundam stepping up to the ocassion to save the people Amuro cares about. PLEASE watch it.As we saw, these three classics are about more than cool robots, they’re about loss, fear and impending doom, in any other anime with these subjects, the characters are mostly powerless, and succumb to their circumstances, but more often than not in mecha anime, the robot is a way to empower the protagonist, and make them more than they are by themselves, this is specially pretty well representated in Gundam, so again, WATCH IT, specifically Gundam 79, the first one, the animation can be rough but it’s oh so worth it, there are some movies which shorten down the anime into 3, 2 hour length movies which encapsulate the anime pretty well, that’s it, cya!(Oh and btw, the original Gundam, the RX-78-2, is affectionately named the Grandpa, the japanese call it “The first”, and here in Chile we call it “Tata”, that’s how old and influential he really is)(Below is a pic of Mazinger Z and the grandpa)
Tumblr media
Javier Salinas
6 notes · View notes
emcscared-whumps · 11 months
Text
WiJ 2023 - 04: Share Whumperflies Media
WiJ 2023 Navigation Post
A Show/Movie/Book/Series that Gives Me Whumperflies
Honestly? I'm far too picky about whumpees and I don't consume all that much media (especially not these days since i have my own purpose-built character who is capable of hitting just about EVERYTHING I like) to have many items to rave about ^-^'
HOWEVER.
That does not mean that there is nothing :)
I'll go right back to the start, in fact (in rough order)... just keep in mind that I don't watch for whump, and these aren't whump recommendations except for one lmao, they're just what have managed to give me whumperflies in the past.
Cybergirl (2001-02)
An Australian sci-fi superhero T.V. series that was airing in the morning when I was a young kid, maybe 6 or 7, back before I understood how T.V. scheduling worked lol. I don't often get whumperflies from media, but I think this time, I did, and it's actually my earliest memory of whumperflies.
Cy ended up trapped in a Big Fancy House by the Big Bad, Rhyss. It's been many years since I last re-watched the show so I don't remember a whole lot except there was a lot of urgency and a zappy barrier that Cy couldn't pass through, and I definitely got some kind of feeling about that :)
The writing was very average, not very substantial for an older viewer, but it was excellent for a kids' show. There was so much lore that just never got expanded on, and it didn't go particularly hard with the whump :')
H2O Just Add Water (2006-10)
To no one's surprise, I ADORED this series as a kid. My obsession with mer had just started, and honestly, this shit FED ME. This was another Australian show that I watched when I was fairly young (again, 6-7 and onward), but I don't recall watching it when it aired. I instead had a collection of DVDs.
The girls and co got into some pretty interesting hijinks while trying to guard their fishy little secrets, but shit got REAL in season 6 when a marine biologist coworker of the friend of the girls' Lewis managed to leave a sample of their skin/scale in the lab... OOPS.
You can guess where that lead-- the scientist trying to track down the owner of the magic scale that could turn back into skin (somehow lmao, ~magic~), and she eventually trapped the girls in their little grotto with a gate that she had installed at the underwater entrance of their grotto spot on Mako Island.
Here's where I mention that I did not actually get whumperflies from this lmao, but it was a close one (the scientist didn't go far enough lmao). That's okay though :) One self indulgent decision just under 10 years later sure fixed that :))
Vampire Knight Anime (2008, English Dub aired in Aus in 2011)
The whole show. Every episode. I'm not even kidding. (Well, just about every episode lol, there was maybe only one where I didn't). As many problems as I have with the series, (mainly that every time I see Yuuki or hear her voice I want to strangle her), Zero was just so. fucking. scrunchy-- almost the perfect whumpee ^-^ And the English voice actor does such a glorious job of voicing Zero's pain, the whole series is ABSOLUTELY worth enduring Yuuki's stupidity.
Iirc, my favourite episode was Crimson Chains-- full of spoilers, a lot of plot bits come together at that point, so I can't say much other than that Zero's lost his shit and has a whole big scene where he writhes and pants on the floor with the agony of his hunger. I am convinced the author ALSO liked that XD
I would sit at night and watch that episode over and over and over because man, those whumperflies were something else, super intense, 11/10 lmao
Doctor Who (1963-present)
Nine had that one episode where he got caught by some collector dude and tortured to figure out what made him tick, or rather that he had TWO hearts that made him tick... Fun times, that DEFINITELY gave me whumperflies and had me furtively returning to the episode to keep watching that scene.
A lot of Ten's run had me by the throat, most memorably his regeneration at the start of his run, and his regeneration at the end directly after an hour (approximately) of whump was. AMAZING. I kept coming back to the start and end 😅
There were a couple more times I got whumperflies throughout his run. The main episodes that come to mind are Midnight, set on the planet of sapphires and lethal radiation, and 42, involving a spaceship hurtling toward a sun.
There was only one more whumpy instance, and that was that one movie they made. I forget who, when... EVERYTHING except the dude that played looked like Gene Wilder and it took place on NYE of the new millenium. It was another shitfight with The Master. ANYWAY. The whumperflies were at the START of the movie when The Doctor wasn't doing so well, I think he got shot?? And then rushed to the hospital, all while trying to avoid that and trying to communicate that they'll kill him
Supernatural (2005-20)
Ok. This one is weird in two ways. I forget which episode it was, but it was season 2 where Sam and Dean were trying to kick a group of vampires out of a town, but they were actually cool/chill vampires...?
Or at least some of them were...
ANYWAY.
This other hunter had this vampire chic tied to a chair baaaasically torturing her...? Memory's a bit foggy on what exactly what they were doing (the brainworms wouldn't stop wriggling about AUs), but I got these itty bitty whumperflies from that vampire lady getting hurt. That was weird because 1) I've only had whumperflies off the ladies once before watching Cybergirl which was SO long ago, and 2) I never have had them from watching a side-character, I usually have to be emotionally invested.
Weird right?? Absolutely wild though!
Anyway, that's pretty much everything, even though I've seen and read a fair few things lol, hope you enjoyed my rambling!
5 notes · View notes