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timeoutsoup · 1 year

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Dig You A Grave Part 2

(Again thank you for @im-totally-not-an-alien-2 for the prompt. Also shout out to @spoopyspoony for the hilarious tag)

Klarion had succeeded in his mission of obtaining the tome for The Light, but at a heavy cost to himself.

Teekl had emerged from the Mayor’s Mansion having successfully gotten the book, only to be seen by the junior justice babies. They divided their attacks between him and his beloved familiar. In the end he was able to grab the book as he a Teekl were separated by a blast. Deciding to lead the heroes away and return for his beloved feline, Klarion took to the sky. Once he knew it was safe to return, the witch boy began his search for Teekl.

It had been three days and Klarion had not found her yet. Anger and worry clouded his vision, as he continued his search.

The powerful witch boy was getting sick of the light. All they cared about was their stupid plan. They kept the Lord of Chaos on a short leash, gave him rules to follow, and had him run errands, like some servant. And to top it all off none of them had cared the Teekl was missing. Savage had the audacity to tell him to just find a new one, as if that man had any power over him. He decided to find Teekl and then make his decision about the light.

The Day Before

Danny was excited about fostering the cat he found. She was so sweet, and really well trained. He didn’t even know cats could be trained. His parents had let him foster the cat, when he explained how he had stumbled upon her after the ghost fight. Also mentioning how the feline had orange fur, and it reminded him of Jazz, didn’t hurt either.

Sam and Tucker had joined him when he went to the pet store to pick up items for his new house guest.

“What if she doesn’t like anything?” Danny worried.

“Simple we will donate what we can to shelters and local rescues and come back and get different items.” Sam replied as she grabbed a bag of Churu’s off the wall.

“More importantly, since when do you buy meat products?” Tucker asked, raising a brow at Sam.

“While cats are omnivores, they eat mostly meat. Just because I am a vegan doesn’t mean I’m going to make a poor animal suffer and deny it proper nutrition.” Sam replied, giving Tucker a look.

“Huh, I didn’t know that. Maybe I should pick up a book or two on cats while we are here.” Danny said, pushing the cart down the aisle.

If Sam decided her parents should foot the bill after they had tried to replace her favorite combat boots with pastel pink kitten heels, who were the boys to complain about the Manson’s generous donation for this poor, injured kitty. They got everything, wet food, dry food, bowls for food and water, a water fountain bowl, treats in all shapes and sizes, a wool cat cave bed, a cat tree, toy and more.

Once Teekl (she had a collar with her name on the tag) had been released from the vet, which the Manson’s also paid for, Danny took her straight home, hopeful she liked it. He read the book they got and followed the vet’s advice to start by introducing her in a small safe area. The upstairs bathroom was perfect because only he really used it now that Jazz was off at college. Not everything they bought would fit into the bathroom, so Danny made the decision to put the necessities and a few extras. No matter how funny Tock found it he was not putting the cat tree in there. Carpet in the bathroom is disgusting. Just the simple ceramic food and matching water dish, the new litter box, and the shirt he was wearing when he rescued her, on top of an old pillow that smelled like Danny.

Opening the carrier, Danny watched as Teekl walked out, examining her new surroundings. She gave a courteous sniff to the food, took a few laps of water, and then plopped herself down onto her makeshift bed. Confused but happy that she felt comfortable, Danny continued to watch, making sure she was comfortable.

After a few minutes Danny left her to her own to finish settling in, making sure to close the door. Returning to his room to finish setting all the cat supplies up. Placing a bed between his dresser and the wall so she could hide in comfort. The cat tree between his bed and the window, so she can sun herself, as well as use it like steps to get on his bed. The water fountain off to the side, on a rubber mat, and her food bowl near by but not too close. And a basket, holding a variety of toys slide nicely under his bed.

Checking his watch, the young halfa decided to check on his furry little house guest again. Standing up, and turning around, the ghost boy is shocked. There sitting in his doorway, cleaning their paw without a care in the world, is Teekl.

“Well, I guess you’ve adjusted to being here then.” Danny muttered, leaning down to pick up the orange tabby. Surprised that she not only let him pick her up, but began to purr, he turned around and began to how her his room.

By the end of the day Teekl was sunning herself in the last rays of sunlight as Danny finished up his homework for school tomorrow. It was a nice relaxing moment in his hectic life. He began dissociating and didn’t notice the cat in his lap until she began to headbutt his chin. Blinking back to the present Danny looked down and smiled, gently petting the purring feline. He knows that eventually Teekl’s owner will come for her, and he does want her to be returned, but another part of him wants her to stay with him forever.

Waking up to a warm, purring cat on his chest has to be one of the best feelings in the world. Danny doesn’t want this moment to end really. He feels like a normal teenager for the first time in a long while.

Trying not to dwell on the fact that he isn’t normal, the teen gently gets up to start his day. Teekl decides to lay in the warm spot he just left.

Danny dressed quickly, rushing through his morning routine, making sure he had enough time to take care of Teekl before he rushed off. After checking everything, and topping off her food in water, Danny crouched down beside his bed, eye level with the sweet tabby.

“Alright cutie, I have to go to school now. I topped off your food and water. There are plenty of comfy and warm places to take a nap. Stay out of the fridge. I’m pretty sure the hotdogs have overthrown the ham. Also stay out of the basement. It’s dangerous and my parents wouldn’t know lab safety if it bit them.” Danny stated as he rubbed her head.

He stood up. Two rings of bright light engulfed him, and a moment later a teen in a black and white hazmat suit, white hair that seemed to move with no wind, and a pair of glowing green eyes.

“I’ll be back after school.” Danny said with a wave, turning intangible as he rushed off to school.

In his hurry he didn’t notice the glint in feline’s eye as he rushed off to school. Softly jumping down from the bed, she made her way to the door and down the stairs, only stopping for a bit of food and a drink of water.

Teekl would have usually returned as quickly as possible to Klarion, but this time was different. The being that helped her had smelled of death and power, and she was curious, after all she was a cat.

—————

Danny had made it to school on time for once, and was able to grab some food before class started.

“Wow you're on time for once.” Tucker snickered.

“Yeah, I woke up early to take care of Teeks, and no ghosts, so I also grabbed breakfast.” Danny bragged.

“Teeks? You already gave her a nickname? Danny, you know she’s not your cat.” Sam stated.

“I know. It’s just a nickname, don't worry.” Danny replied as he turned toward the board as the bell range.

—————

By lunch Danny was bored and missed Teekl. His idea of sneaking out and checking on her during lunch got thrown out as his ghost sense went off. Lunch Lady was back and had taken over the cafeteria. Ducking for cover behind an overturned table, he peered out to a scene that made his blood run cold.

“No animals in the cafeteria!” Shrieked the ghost, hurling meat at an orange tabby. “Get out now or I’ll turn you into meatloaf.”

——————-

Klarion had been flying around for hours searching for his familiar and he had finally tracked her down to a school. Racing down the hall, dodging fleeing teenagers, he finally reached a set over double doors, flung them open and was shocked by the scene in front of him.

The black-haired teen, who had asked him out during his fight with Young Justice was standing on a pile of meat, holding his beloved familiar, and wielding what looked like a thermos that was sucking up a ghost wearing a hair net. A truly chaotic site to behold.

After capping the strange device, the interesting blue-eyed boy turns to the remaining occupants of the room and opened his mouth.

“I have only had Teekl for a day and a half, but if anything happened to her, I thermos everyone in this room, and then myself.”

#danny phantom #dc x dp #dp x dc #danny fenton #dp x dc prompt #dpxdc #klarion #chaoticspirit #danny and klarion friendship #klarion dc #klarion danny #klarion the witch boy #part 2 #Dig You A Grave

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dontbooatme · 1 year

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DP x BNHA

Danny and Eri are biologically siblings.

Danny was taken in by their grandfather first and met Eri later. He was born quirkless. Though circumstances of him being separated from his and Eri's parents would've been different, in this au there wouldn't have been much love lost after what happened to their dad when Eri's quirk manifested. Maybe it was bias about him being quirkless, maybe their parents weren't that great anyway in any circumstance. No matter what child they tried to raise. But either way he ends up in his grandfather's care shortly before Eri's born. And they meet for the first time after Eri's quirk manifests.

By the time Overhaul is ready to start his experiments with Eri, he knows Danny is going to be a problem. He resolves to send the kid away once he gains control over the Yakuza.

He sends him to the Fentons. Maybe under the guise of a mentorship, maybe the excuse is that it's about showing Danny the ropes. Teaching him how to secure deals and establish good relations with potential assets. ie. The Fentons and their work with portals.

Danny knows something is wrong. He doesn't get more than a few brief calls with Eri per month. Though their relationship was only just starting to build up into something more familiar and less like strangers when he was sent away, he knows something is wrong. It's gut instinct. A sickness in his stomach that builds with every call.

He's just starting to try reasoning with Kai, or, he guesses, with Overhaul. He wants to go home. He wants to see Eri face to face and make sure she's safe, and as happy as the man claims she is.

He never gets the chance.

That's when he has his accident with the portal.

Fast forward to after Eri is rescued. And she brings up Danny to Aizawa. It's quiet. Hesitant. One more request for help after the first one, which was already difficult enough for her. But she does it anyway.

Only problem. Danny is stuck in his ghost form. He has no memories. And believes he's a full ghost.

Or maybe he has just enough memories to make him believe the newly diseased Fenton's were his family.

His human form isn't exactly in stasis while he's Phantom. The effects of neglecting his human form happen much, much slower. But they do happen. His human body starts to lose it's energy, starts to starve, starts to whither. And as his human form creeps closer and closer to death, his ghost form gets that little bit stronger.

Meaning the mission to find Danny has a time limit the heroes don't know about.

And without his memories, Danny himself is their biggest obstacle in his own rescue.

While Aizawa and the rest of the heroes search for this mysterious brother, Danny is trying to solve a mystery of his own. The mystery of what caused the portal to malfunction. The mystery of how he died. The mystery of how his family died. The mystery of why he was the only one to come back.

The mystery of his sister. Of Eri Jazz.

His investigation ultimately leads him to Overhaul when he finally finds out just who caused the accident. The only problem? The man is in prison.

I don't exactly have all the kinks worked out with this. Like why Overhaul goes straight to attempted murder over a kid who doesn't have powers. Maybe to prove his resolve. Maybe he underestimated how close the two siblings could've been in the limited time they knew each other. Maybe Danny was the only one who could've threatened his claim as a leader of the Yakuza. And when he was originally sent away, his death was faked, unbeknownst to Danny. And he'd told Eri Danny was sent away for his own protection from members of the Yakuza. Protection that could be revoked at any time. I don't know yet.

But I do like the irony of Overhaul being responsible for giving a quirkless kid powers.

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ragingphantom666 · 2 months

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Sonic World project plan: Amy Rose (volume 1)

The following post is about my idea for a series focusing on Amy Rose. It is subject to being scrapped or cancelled. The series might not even get made.

Synopsis

Set sometime after the events of "Sonic the Hedgehog" volume one, "Amy Rose" follows the titular character on a rescue mission into the Pinball Carnival Zone to save hostages of a robotic showman called Comitron. She'll have to fight through games and performers to get to the Big Top and rescue the scared people.

Characters

Amy Rose - A hero and leader of the Restoration. She is known to have devastating attacks with her mallet. She is the main target of Comitron, who wants her for his show. All she cares about is freeing the people and animals held hostage at the Pinball Carnival.

Topaz the Jackal - A no-nonsense anthropomorphic jackal operative of the Restoration. She follows Amy into the Pinball Carnival Zone. Her weapon is a stun blaster. She is based on Topaz from the series Sonic X.

Molly the Falcon - A pilot who flies a rescue craft for the Restoration. She is usually teamed up with Search. She is inspired by Molly from the series Sonic X.

Felicia the Calico - An assistant to Amy Rose and her biggest fan. She is incredibly helpful.

Search the Goodnik - A reprogrammed Badnik that Tails gave to the Restoration for rescue missions. It is teamed up with Molly. It is a character created by @SasSharo on Twitter.

Comitron - The main antagonist of the story. He is a unique Badnik released into the world by Doctor Starline and Howler. He loves to entertain, but hypnotizes his victims for his acts. His love of games and performance led him to transform a carnival into the large Pinball Carnival Zone. He targets Amy Rose to be in his shows. He is inspired by The Joker (DC Comics), Ringmaster (Marvel), The Toymaker (Doctor Who), Freakshow (Danny Phantom), Zombozo (Ben 10) and Caine (The Amazing Digital Circus).

Other Information

Comitron is my favorite OC that I've created for Sonic.

This story was inspired by the Amazing Digital Circus with elements from the episode "Last Laugh" from the original Ben 10 series and the episode "Something Zombozo This Way Comes" from Ben 10: Omniverse.

#sonic fanfiction #sonic #sonic World #Amy Rose

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twoidiotwriters1 · 8 months

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Daughter of Olympus (Leo Valdez xFem!Oc)

A/N: Does Ara deserve all the shit she's going through? Maybe. I am not allowed to share that info yet -Danny Words: 3,586 Series' Masterlist Previous Chapter / Next Chapter

Listen to: 'All a Dream' -by Vacation Manor

IV. I'm Straight-Up Not Having a Good Time

"Hold it!" Annabeth says. "How can he be the son of Zeus? The Big Three... their pact not to have mortal kids... how could we not have known about him sooner?"

Ara scoffs. "I'm not even surprised."

"The important thing," Rachel intervenes, "is that Jason's here now. He has a quest to fulfill, which means he will need his own prophecy."

Someone brings a stool and helps her sit. A green, familiar mist surrounds Rachel's body. "Child of lightning, beware the earth," she starts in her oracle voice. "The giants' revenge the seven shall birth, The forge and dove shall break the cage, And death unleash through Hera's rage."

"Is that normal?" Piper blurts out. "I mean... does she spew green smoke a lot?"

"Gods, you're dense!" Drew rolls her eyes. "She just issued a prophecy—Jason's prophecy to save Hera! Why don't you just—"

"Drew," Annabeth stops her. "Piper asked a fair question. Something about that prophecy definitely isn't normal. If breaking Hera's cage unleashes her rage and causes a bunch of death... why would we free her? It might be a trap, or—or maybe Hera will turn on her rescuers. She's never been kind to heroes."

"That's not true," Ara tries to be the voice of reason. "Prophecies are misleading, it could be talking about a god—"

"You mean Hades?"

"Maybe, or some other minor god. We have to be careful, you know what happens when we take a prophecy too literally."

Jason stands up. "Hera took my memory. I need it back. Besides, we can't just not help the queen of the heavens if she's in trouble."

Nyssa stands up. "Maybe. But you should listen to Annabeth. Hera can be vengeful. She threw her own son—our dad—down a mountain just because he was ugly."

"Real ugly," an Aphrodite kid mutters.

"Shut up! Anyway, we've also got to think—why beware the earth? And what's the giants' revenge? What are we dealing with here that's powerful enough to kidnap the queen of the heavens?"

Behind Ara, Annabeth and Chiron have a silent conversation. Ara's seen that too many times, and right now she doesn't want to, she wants to get things done.

"It's Jason's quest," Annabeth sighs, "so it's Jason's choice. Obviously, he's the child of lightning. According to tradition, he may choose his companions... but our Strategus must greenlight the whole thing. Ara?"

The girl rolls her eyes. "Like I would say no to saving the queen of Olympus! I allow Jason to take this quest, and I'm going with him."

Someone else adds: "Well, obviously you too, Annabeth. You've got the most experience."

"No, Travis," Annabeth makes a face. "First off, I'm not helping Hera. Every time I've tried, she's deceived me, or it's come back to bite me later. Forget it. No way. Secondly, I'm leaving first thing in the morning to find Percy."

The girl looks at Ara with a hint of annoyance mixed with pity. She's upset Ara can't help, the gods are her priority whether she likes it or not, but at the same time... Ara chose that.

"It's connected," Piper insists. "You know that's true, don't you? This whole business, your boyfriend's disappearance—it's all connected."

"How?" Drew scoffs. "If you're so smart, how?"

"You're mouthy today," Ara replies moodily. "If the big prophecy's happening, who do you think will be a part of it? Surely not the boy from the last one, that's too obvious!"

Annabeth forces herself to move on from that. "You may be right, Piper. If this is connected, I'll find out from the other end—by searching for Percy. As I said, I'm not about to rush off to rescue Hera, even if her disappearance sets the rest of the Olympians fighting again. But there's another reason I can't go. The prophecy says otherwise."

"It says who I pick," Jason nods. "The forge and dove shall break the cage. The forge is the symbol of Vul—Hephaestus."

Nyssa looks uncomfortable but tries to be polite. "If you have to beware the earth, you should avoid traveling overland. You'll need air transport. The flying chariot's broken, and the pegasi, we're using them to search for Percy. But maybe Hephaestus Cabin can help figure out something else to help. With Jake incapacitated, I'm senior camper. I can volunteer for the quest..."

Leo stands up. "It's me."

Ara doesn't think this is selfless, there was something in the way he looked at Hera before, he's hiding something. Leo's siblings try to pull him back to his seat, but he pushes them away. "No, it's me. I know it is. I've got an idea for the transportation problem. Let me try—I can fix this!"

"We started this together, Leo," Jason smiles a little. "Seems only right you come along. You find us a ride, you're in." To Ara's surprise, he looks at her waiting for approval. "That okay?"

"It's the right call," she agrees.

"Yes!" Leo raises a fist to the sky.

"It'll be dangerous," Nyssa warns him. "Hardship, monsters, terrible suffering. Possibly none of you will come back alive."

"Oh," he stops, then studies the place and smiles again. "I mean... Oh, cool! Suffering? I love suffering! Let's do this."

Ara chuckles. It's not at all like her real laughter, but it's enough to catch his attention. Ara locks eyes with Leo and sees his face brightening at her reaction.

"Then, Jason," Annabeth continues, unaware of this exchange. "You only need to choose the fourth quest member. The dove—"

"Oh, absolutely!" Drew stands. "The dove is Aphrodite. Everybody knows that. I am totally yours."

"Wait, Annabeth," Ara steps forward. "I'm a daughter of Aphrodite—"

"No," she gives her a look. "You were."

"That doesn't mean I'm not the dove!"

"I don't see why the oracle would call you that."

Piper stands up. "I don't think it's about you, Ara."

"Oh, please, Dumpster girl," Drew frowns. "Back off."

"I had the vision of Hera; not you. I have to do this."

"Anyone can have a vision. You were just at the right place at the right time. Isn't that right, Ara?" She mocks. "Look, fighting is all fine, I suppose, and people who build things... Well, I suppose someone has to get their hands dirty. But you need charm on your side. I can be very persuasive. I could help a lot."

"I have as much charm as you," Ara argues. "And I'm better at it too."

"Really? 'Cause it hasn't been that way for—"

"I don't like manipulating people when they're vulnerable—"

Annabeth stops them again. "Given the wording of the prophecy, Ara, Jason needs another Aphrodite. If Drew wants to..."

"No!" Piper raises her voice, it changes and echoes. "I'm supposed to go."

"Get over it!" Drew hisses. "What can Piper do? She's not from our cabin!"

Ara's smile is hard to hide as she notices the glow surrounding Piper. "Lady Aphrodite disagrees."

Piper sees herself wearing a different set of clothes than the ones she was wearing a second ago: A silky gown, a necklace, and armbands make a nice contrast against her skin. Her hair is no longer chopped off irregularly. "Oh, god... What's happened?"

"Beautiful," Jason breathes. "Piper, you... you're a knockout."

"Smooth," Ara whispers next to him.

"No!" Drew whines. "Not possible!"

"This isn't me," Piper objects. "I... I don't understand."

"It's not meant to be you," Ara explains. "It's your mother."

"Hail, Piper McLean," Chiron kneels. "Daughter of Aphrodite, lady of the doves, goddess of love."

Ara doesn't know whether to walk away or go to Piper, but then Jason moves first, so she goes back to the Big House. Lily Saggio is waiting for her on the porch.

"Busy day?"

"And I still have to get you a birthday present," she gives her a tired smile. "What is it, Lils?"

The black-haired girl looks at her worryingly. "You're going?"

"That was the whole point of this, remember?"

"But if Annabeth leaves too, we'll have no leader. You're supposed to be our protector—"

"I'm protecting camp by going on this quest," Ara raises a brow. "If Hera doesn't show up by solstice time..." she pauses, Lily wasn't around when Zeus's lightning was stolen. "It'll be like when Annabeth and Artemis went missing."

Her friend sighs. "As your second in command, I say you should think twice before leaving."

"Saggio, take a look at the group that's been chosen," Ara says in a serious tone. "Jason doesn't know who he is, and the other two have zero training. I gotta protect them as much as I gotta protect camp, if not more."

Her friend understands, but she isn't pleased. Lily is rarely pleased. "You know, it feels like all you do is say no to me nowadays."

"Well, if you didn't suggest I quit every time we talk, I wouldn't do so," she teases her.

"I'm asking you to set your priorities straight," Lily states, seemingly not amused. "What about Percy?"

"Percy loves this camp, he was once willing to die for us."

"And now his sister is too," the girl scowls. "Mike knew how to talk you out of stuff..."

The name sends a powerful detonation of pain through her and she has to take a moment before speaking. Ara shakes her head and pats Lily's shoulder as she walks past. "G'night, piccola."

As she makes her way into the house and up to her room, Michael's ghost haunts her. Ara's not even capable of saying his name out loud, and when others do, she has a hard time keeping it together.

She likes to imagine him in the islands... but he's probably chosen rebirth, 'cause that's the kind of obstinate jerk he always was. They never got to see him one last time, not even Lily during all those weeks she helped Hades in the Underworld.

I look at the Isles of the Blest—three lives experienced at their fullest—and I have a pleasant tug on the pit of my stomach.

"That's what it's all about," Annabeth says dreamily. "That's the place for heroes."

"I wish I could go..."

"It's not too late," she nudges my side. "You can be a hero one day, you're still young."

"Three times in a row? Unlikely," I grimace. "Make sure to wave when I walk past your huge mansion once I die?"

Annabeth frowns. "What makes you think I'll die first?"

"I'm not saying you'll die tomorrow," I argue. "But I am younger."

"Only by two years!"

"Whatever," I tease her. "Is there a shortcut to the Isles? Like if you die during a less busy time of the year you get a free pass?"

She laughs. "Don't think so."

"There is," Grover informs us. "The children of Olympus got a direct pass."

"So that's a no-go too," Annabeth dismisses it. "One of them didn't even die, did he? He became a God."

"It was a different time, being a hero meant something. Now is just a term," Grover shrugs. "The Gods won't give that title now, but Ara asked if there was a shortcut, and that's it."

Percy calls after us and my friends walk away without another glance at the Isles. I look over my shoulder, wishing I could get in. No need to suffer a tough childhood again...

The next morning, Ara takes the aviator jacket, maybe she shouldn't, but Nico had it coming (he fell asleep in her bed once and refused to leave, he kicked her in his sleep the whole night).

She visits cabin ten, feeling weird about going there as a guest. A little girl rushes past holding a bunch of clothes, all of her siblings are cleaning but Drew is nowhere to be found. Piper's talking to Mitchell and Lacy.

Ara knocks on the doorframe. "Is this a bad time?"

The kids beam at her, they're the only ones in camp who don't salute her because they keep forgetting they're supposed to. When Drew is around, they can't show how much they like her, though. One of her brothers hugs her and complains, wishing she were still around. Ara hasn't slept in this cabin since the war ended.

"I wanted to give you a proper welcome, knowing Drew would give you the lousiest," she jokes once her siblings go away. "How're you holding up?"

"Are you really an Aphrodite?" Piper questions right away. Ara's not very Aphrodite-looking at the moment, with her scowling and the cold-blooded way she talks. That, without mentioning the worn-out clothes and dirty shoes.

"This place didn't always look like this," she leans against the bunk bed. "The old counselor was a neat freak, but she didn't like things to look so... dolly."

Piper gives her a longing smile. "I have the feeling you're the only one who can control Drew, it's a bummer you moved out."

Ara raises a brow. "Drew's charmspeak did a number on me too. I have Mom's blessing now, that's all, but it's not my place to stop her," her eyes go back to Lacy and the pile of clothes. "Is that for her?"

Lacy smiles big, she turns to Piper. "You can change clothes. The blessing won't stop you. This is just, you know, a backpack, some rations, ambrosia and nectar for emergencies, some jeans, a few extra shirts, and a warm jacket. The boots might be a little snug. But—well—we took up a collection. Good luck on your quest!"

Lacy drops everything on the bed and tries to leave, but Piper stops her. "Hold on. At least let me thank you! Why are you rushing off? "

The girl blushes. "Oh, well..."

"Drew might find out," Mitchell explains.

"I might have to wear the shoes of shame!" Lacy gulps.

"The what?"

Lacy and Mitchell point to a pair of orthopedic nurse's shoes at the back of the room, Ara doesn't think they're awful, but she's always been about comfort. Her siblings, however... "I had to wear them for a week once," Lacy cries. "They don't go with anything!"

"And there're worse punishments," Mitchell continues like it's a horror story. "Drew can charmspeak, see? Not many Aphrodite kids have that power; but if she tries hard enough, she can get you to do some pretty embarrassing things. Piper, you're the first person beside Ara that is able to resist her."

"That's because she has it too," Ara says casually.

"Charmspeak ..." Piper raises a brow. "You mean, like, you could talk someone into doing things. Or... giving you things. Like a car?"

"Oh, don't give Drew any ideas!" Lacy's eyes widen in horror.

"But yeah, she could do that," Mitchell says miserably.

"So that's why she's head counselor," Piper guesses. "She convinced you all?"

Mitchell glances at Ara. "She inherited the post when Silena Beauregard died in the war. It was Ara's right to get it, but she's no longer an Aphrodite. Drew was next in line. The oldest camper automatically gets the post, unless somebody with more years or more completed quests wants to challenge, in which case there's a duel, but that hardly ever happens. Anyway, we've been stuck with Drew in charge since August. She decided to make some, ah, changes in the way the cabin is run."

"Yes, I did!" Drew shows up suddenly. "I think you missed some trash, sweetie. You'd better make another pass."

Piper and Ara look toward the bathroom, a trashcan was turned over and all of the gross contents are on the floor. Mitchell flushes with anger. "Fine."

The boy tries to walk but Ara stops him. "You're not doing that."

Drew's face flushes. "This is not your cabin anymore!"

"He's part of my army, just like you are. If I tell you to pick up the trash, you do it. Any problem with that?"

The girl looks like she wants to murder Ara, but she smiles in the end. "Of course not!" Drew looks at their newest sister. "See, Piper, hon, we're a good cabin here nowadays. A good family! Silena Beauregard, though... you could take a warning from her. She was secretly passing information to Kronos in the Titan War, helping the enemy."

"Shut up!" Ara steps forward to choke her, but Mitchell gets in the way.

"Oh, none of the other cabins talk about it," Drew continues, checking her nails. "They act like Silena Beauregard was a hero."

"She sacrificed her life to make things right," Mitchell huffs, struggling to keep Ara away. "She was a hero."

"Mmm-hmm," Drew looks up. "Another day on garbage patrol, Mitchell. But anyways, Silena lost track of what this cabin is about. We match up cute couples at camp! Then we break them apart and start over! It's the best fun ever. We don't have any business getting involved in other stuff like wars and quests. I certainly haven't been on any quests. They're a waste of time! If Mom gives birth to a couple of mistakes... Probably the fault of the mortals she mingled with..."

Three boys are now keeping Ara from massacring Drew. Lacy speaks quietly. "But last night you said you wanted to go on a—"

"Most of all," Drew raises her voice, "we certainly don't need our image tarnished by spies, do we, Piper? We're disgraced enough thanks to Ara, you don't want to be like her and dear of Silena."

Ara knows she shouldn't listen, that she's above it, but she does not feel above it. When she taunts her, Ara turns into the thirteen-year-old she was when Drew decided to start bullying her.

"...if you survive your little quest, don't worry, I'll find somebody to match up with you. Maybe one of those gross Hephaestus guys," the boys start to drag Ara out of the cabin. "Or Clovis? He's pretty repulsive. Honestly, I didn't think it was possible for Aphrodite to have an ugly child, but... who was your father? Was he some sort of mutant, or—"

"Tristan McLean," Piper snaps. The boys let go of Ara so abruptly that she falls, almost landing on her face. "My dad's Tristan McLean."

"Oh my god!" Several campers gasp. Ara sits up confused by the change in the room, she has no idea who that guy is. "Sweet! The dude with the sword who killed that other dude in that movie?" One of her brothers asks.

"He is so hot for an old guy," one of her sisters adds. "I mean I'm sorry. I know he's your dad. That's so weird!"

"It's weird, all right," Piper looks totally uncomfortable.

"Do you think you could get me his autograph?"

"Yeah, no problem," she smiles tensely.

"Have you had your rite of passage?"

"Rite of what?"

"The rite of passage for an Aphrodite child. You get someone to fall in love with you. Then you break their heart. Dump them. Once you do that, you've proven yourself worthy of Aphrodite."

"Break someone's heart on purpose? That's terrible!"

"Silena wasn't a fan of it either..." Ara gets up and dusts off her clothes.

"Silena wasn't a good role model, though, was she?" Drew asks.

Ara tries to seize her, but her siblings get in the way once more.

"Oh my god!" A girl squeals. "I bet Aphrodite broke your dad's heart! I bet he never loved anyone again, did he? That's so romantic! When you have your rite of passage, you can be just like Mom!"

"That's bullshit!" Ara shouts from the back.

"Forget it! I'm not breaking somebody's heart just for a stupid rite of passage!"

"Well, there you go!" Drews says in delight. "Silena and Ara said the same thing! They broke the tradition—Silena fell in love with that Beckendorf boy and stayed in love. Ara rejects love and that's why things have gone so horribly!"

"That's not true!" Lacy squeaks, but one harsh look from Drew is enough to silence her.

"You know nothing about me!" Ara says in anger.

"Hardly matters," Drew insists. "Because, Piper, hon, you couldn't break anyone's heart anyway. And this nonsense about your dad being Tristan McLean—that's so begging for attention."

"You mean he's not her dad?" A confused kid asks.

"Please," Drew rolls her eyes. "Now, it's time for breakfast, people, and Piper here has to start that little quest. So let's get her packed and get her out of here! Is that okay, Strategus?"

Fighting would get Ara punished for longer than the bruises or shame would stay on Drew's body. "You're dismissed," she says, her voice harsh but defeated.

She glances at Piper as if apologizing and moves her brothers away from her so she can walk out with a bit of dignity. As she turns around, Ara hastily dries her tears.

She would give anything to talk to Percy right now.

"What are you daydreaming about?"

Now, while looking at the fireworks, I have the feeling I'm looking in the right direction. "Tomorrow's my birthday."

"Really?" Percy frowns. "Why didn't you tell me?"

I shrug. "I'm telling you now. Silena always makes sure I have a fun day, and so does Annabeth... Clarisse remembers too. Anyway, that's not why I'm telling you." Percy stares at me waiting. I like that he listens, even when I have nothing worth saying. "I never ask for things, but I think this year I'll ask."

Percy grins. "Gee, I wonder..."

"I want to work in the forges."

"Mhm... are you sure that's a good idea?"

"Percy!"

"I have reasons!" He disputes. "You break more than you fix!"

"I could fix if I knew how!" I respond. "I could make me a sword, traps, and then on our next quest—"

"Won't be another one," Percy replies in alarm.

"If there is one," I correct myself. "I don't want to stand behind you while you risk your lives. I have to learn... and you said it before, how can I be good at something if I don't practice?"

Before, I was content watching others do the hard work. I still am, but I've never tried the forges. Who knows? Maybe I'll be good at it if I practice hard enough.

"Alright," Percy sighs in defeat. "You wanna do it, then do it. If it turns out you're good at it, you'll make me a cool armor, right?"

"I'll make it bright blue," I smirk.

"Now we're talking!" He smiles and ruffles my hair.

Next Chapter ->

Taglist.

@siriuslysirius1107 @ask-giggles1303 @ash-the-hoarder @im-planning-something-look @bandshirts-andbooks @coolninjapaper @thewaterlily @whenisthefall @1randomcomic @you-bloody-shank @sunflowergraves @owlalex44 @taylordaughter @typicalsolangelolover @writingmia @espressopatronum454 @slytherinnqueen

#twoidiots writing #pjo fanfic #pjo hoo toa #pjo fandom #percy jackon and the olympians #leo valdez x oc #leo valdez fanfic #heroes of olympus #doo

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theodorerailmi · 2 years

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impetuous ; A HACKEARNEY PLAYLIST

i. meet me in the woods // lord huron ; ii. the killing moon // echo & the bunnymen ; iii. fragile tension // depeche mode ; iv. andromeda // weyes blood ; v. wolves // danny knutelsky ; vi. golden hair // slowdive ; vii. satellite // siøbhan ; viii. i come in peace // soko ; ix. you know me too well // nothing but thieves ; x. this mess we’re in // pj harvey ft. thom yorke ; xi. milk & black spiders // foals ; xii. real love // big thief ; xiii. desire lines // deerhunter

SPOTIFY LINK ; LYRICS SELECTION BELOW (added some notes)

Meet Me in the Woods by Lord Huron

Follow me into the endless night / I can bring your fears to light / Show me yours and I'll show you mine / Meet me in the woods tonight

The Killing Moon by Echo & the Bunnymen

In starlit nights, I saw you / So cruelly, you kissed me / Your lips, a magic world / Your sky, all hung with jewels / The killing moon / Will come too soon / Fate / Up against your will / Through the thick and thin / He will wait until / You give yourself to him

Fragile Tension by Depeche Mode

There's a strange obsession / That's drawing us nearer / We don't understand it / It never gets clearer / There's something radical in our hands / Nothing logical to our plans

(Notes: ngl, a lot of Depeche Mode songs remind me of them (blame it on the dark, sexy vibes haha). And I could totally picture Travis being a fan of 80s, new-wave/alt rock music)

Andromeda by Weyes Blood

Let me in if I break / And be quiet if I shatter / Getting tired of looking / You know that I hate the game / Don't wanna waste any more time / You know I didn't hold it up / Love is calling / It's time to give to you / Something you can hold onto / I dare you try

Wolves by Danny Knutelsky

Gone too far, I search for your garden full of pleasure / Hold me, love / I'm going deeper in the forest

Golden Hair by Slowdive

For I heard you singing through the gloom / Singing and singing, a merry air / Lean out the window, golden hair

(Notes: so in my head, Laura (like Siobhan) can sing (and not just do this weird shriek in the “distraction” scene haha). I’m sure Travis has heard her voice at least once when he had her imprisoned. I would also definitely imagine this song also for a Mermaid!Laura AU...)

Satellite by SIØBHAN

You use your strength just to hide away / Will you come back home to my heart / If I kept all my promises, never got lost / Could we go right back to the start / Rewrite the history so you could just kiss me

I Come In Peace by Soko

You live your life like you're stuck in hell / And my only goal is to make you feel safe / But like everything I do I fail / I've come in peace, come to rescue you / And thought you're sick I will comfort you / My heart is weak / When I'm not with you / Won't you man up now and be a hero?

You Know Me Too Well by Nothing but Thieves

Filthy impetuous soul / I wanna give it to you / Oh, just to see what you do / 'Cause I'm so drunk on you / Baby, you're all that I want / I want you all to myself / Oh, but you know me too well

(Notes: Travis @ Laura. Sexy vibes, definitely)

This Mess We’re In by PJ Harvey ft. Thom Yorke

What were you wanting? / I just wanna say / Don’t ever change / And thank you / I don’t think we will meet again / Sweat on my skin / Oh, this mess we’re in

Milk & Black Spiders by Foals

Cause I've been around two times / And found that you're the only thing I need

(Notes: Two idiots in love. And it took them both a long time to realize that they’re idiots in love.)

Real Love by Big Thief

Oh mama, oh papa / How much blood is worth the draw? / Real love, real love / Real love makes your lungs black

(Notes: this song is about growing up in a toxic family environment, thinking that love has to hurt... definitely Travis vibes. And Travis only later discovering what “real love” is.)

Desire Lines by Deerhunter

When you were young and your excitement showed / But as time goes by is it outgrown? / Is that the way things go? Forever reaching for the gold / Forever fading black and comes up cold Walking free, come with me / Far away, everyday

(Notes: this follows the previous song. I like to imagine Laura finally helping Travis to get away from Northkill, away from his family.)

#hope you like it!!#no idea if this will show up in the tags though #hackearney #travis x laura #hackearney playlist #laura x travis #my post #my playlist

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laresearchette · 2 years

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Sunday, October 09, 2022 Canadian TV Listings (Times Eastern)

WHERE CAN I FIND THOSE PREMIERES?: THE REAL HOUSEWIVES OF POTOMAC (Slice) 8:00pm STANLEY TUCCI: SEARCHING FOR ITALY (CNN) 9:00pm NCIS: LOS ANGELES (Global) 10:00pm LET THE RIGHT ONE IN (Crave) 10:00pm

WHAT IS NOT PREMIERING IN CANADA TONIGHT: SECRETS OF THE DEAD (PBS Feed) MID-LOVE CRISIS (Premiering on October 14 on W Network at 8:00pm) ALASKA: THE LAST FRONTIER (TBD - Discovery Canada)

NEW TO AMAZON PRIME CANADA/CBC GEM/CRAVE TV/DISNEY + STAR/NETFLIX CANADA:

DISNEY + STAR THE SIMPSONS (Season 34 Premiere)

DRAGONS RESCUE RIDERS: HEROES OF THE SKY (Family Junior) 9:30am (SEASON PREMIERE): When metal-eating baby Razortooth Metalmaw dragons follow Magnus back to his workshop, he must ask the Rescue Riders for help before the babies eat him out of house and home, literally.

GRAND SLAM OF CURLING (SN1/SN360) 11:00am: National - Women’s Final (SN360) 3:00pm: National - Men’s Final

NFL FOOTBALL (TSN3) 1:00pm: Falcons vs. Buccaneeres (TSN3) 4:00pm: 49ers vs. Panthers (TSN/TSN3/TSN4/TSN5) 8:15pm: Bengals vs. Ravens

MLB BASEBALL (If game necessary) (SN) 7:30pm: Padres vs. Mets - Game #3 (SN1) 8:30pm: Phillies vs. Cardinals - Game #3

MLS SOCCER (TSN/TSN4) 2:30pm: Miami vs. CF Montreal (TSN/TSN4) 5:00pm: Minnesota vs. Whitecaps FC

PRE-SEASON NBA BASKETBALL (SN360) 6:00pm: Bulls vs. Raptors (SN Now) 8:30pm: Lakers vs. Warriors

HEARTLAND (CBC) 7:00pm: Amy's decision to work with Peyton Westfield's horse upsets Logan; Jack helps Katie find her own path; Lou has to come through for Rick...AND HORSIES!

BEARS' LAIR (APTN) 7:00pm: Three Indigenous entrepreneurs with businesses that blend contemporary and traditional elements of culture pitch their ideas to the Bears! Each aspiring business owner is in the running for an episode prize and a $100,000 grand prize.

FRIDAY NIGHT THUNDER (APTN) 7:30pm: It's National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Joshua uses his car to make an important statement on the track. Meanwhile, the site of a former residential school is being transformed into a positive space for the community.

THE GREAT CANADIAN BAKING SHOW (CBC) 8:00pm: Bakers create meringue bars featuring a cookie base and a filling of their choice; the pressure is on during the Technical Challenge; the bakers must tell a story using only cookies with their whimsical fairy tale scene.

HUDSON & REX (City TV) 8:00pm: When Superintendent Donovan transports an inmate, who happens to be his former partner, he finds himself confronting the past and caught up in a daring and dangerous escape.

THE BIG BAKE (Food Network Canada) 8:00pm: From racing neck-and-neck to sinking teeth into some archery, Camp Vamp makes memories; Brad Smith raises the stakes as the teams impress Danni Rose, Eddie Jackson and Ron Ben-Israel with cakes from a vampire summer camp.

WALKER INDEPENDENCE (W Network) 8:00pm (SERIES PREMIERE): In the late 1800s, Abby Walker, an affluent and tough-minded Bostonian, embarks on a journey out west with her husband Liam.

KEEPING UP WITH THE JONESES (Lifetime Canada) 8:00pm: An ordinary suburban couple (Zach Galifianakis, Isla Fisher) discover it's not easy keeping up with their gorgeous and ultra-sophisticated new neighbors, the Joneses, especially when they discover that Mr. and Mrs. Jones are really covert operatives.

MOONSHINE (CBC) 9:00pm: Rhian and Lidia are determined to get the Moonshine into the Foxton Cove Business Association, even if it means sucking up to an old high school frenemy at the Moonshine's annual Lobsterpalooza event.

THE STORY OF LOVE (City TV) 9:00pm: Ruby, an aspiring romance novelist, joins a writers retreat in Tahoe to win a book deal. However, when Woody, the outdoorsy hotel owner, shows her nature's beauty, she reevaluates her choices.

AUSSIE GOLD HUNTERS (Discovery Canada) 9:00pm:

DOUG AND THE SLUGS AND ME (Documentary) 9:00pm

HOW I GOT HERE (Super Channel Heart & Home) 9:00pm (SERIES PREMIERE): Fikile and her father, Bangane, travel to his homeland in Zimbabwe for the first time; Bangane teaches Fikile the rich history of their family, while she gains a deeper appreciation for their Ndebele culture.

HUNTING IN PACKS (Super Channel Fuse) 9:30pm: Three female politicians negotiate their way through the traditional institution of politics.

ISLAND OF BRYAN (HGTV Canada) 10:00pm: Bryan and Sarah struggle with their communication skills when it comes to the build and their new vacation rental property. The long awaited second story of the house starts to take shape.

OUTBACK OPAL HUNTERS (Discovery Canada) 10:00pm: The Bushmen combat opal thieves on land and in the skies; Lightning Ridge's Gavan McFarlane puts his son to work; the Boulder Boys dig their way out of trouble.

#cdntv #cancon #canadian tv #heartland #bears' lair #friday night thunder #the great canadian baking show #hudson & rex #the big bake #moonshine #aussie gold hunters #island of bryan #outback opal hunters #NFL football #mlb baseball #mls soccer #nba basketball

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tomorrowedblog · 2 years

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Friday Releases for July 29

Friday is the busiest day of the week for new releases, so we've decided to collect them all in one place. Friday Releases for July 29 include Vengeance, Resurrection, Paper Girls, and more.

Vengeance

Vengeance, the new movie from B.J. Novak, is out today.

VENGEANCE, the directorial debut from writer and star B.J. Novak (“The Office”), is a darkly comic thriller about Ben Manalowitz, a journalist and podcaster who travels from New York City to West Texas to investigate the death of a girl he was hooking up with.

Resurrection

Resurrection, the new movie from Andrew Semans, is out today.

A woman’s carefully constructed life is upended when an unwelcome shadow from her past returns, forcing her to confront the monster she’s evaded for two decades.

League Of Super-Pets

League Of Super-Pets, the new movie from Jared Stern and Sam Levine, is out today.

In “DC League of Super-Pets,” Krypto the Super-Dog and Superman are inseparable best friends, sharing the same superpowers and fighting crime in Metropolis side by side. When Superman and the rest of the Justice League are kidnapped, Krypto must convince a rag-tag shelter pack—Ace the hound, PB the potbellied pig, Merton the turtle and Chip the squirrel—to master their own newfound powers and help him rescue the superheroes.

Not Okay

Not Okay, the new movie from Quinn Shephard, is out today.

Danni Sanders (Zoey Deutch), an aimless aspiring writer with no friends, no romantic prospects and — worst of all — no followers, fakes an Instagram-friendly trip to Paris in the hopes of boosting her social media clout. When a terrifying incident strikes the City of Lights, Danni unwittingly falls into a lie bigger than she ever imagined. She “returns” a hero, even striking up an unlikely friendship with Rowan (Mia Isaac), a real trauma survivor dedicated to societal change, and scooping up the man of her dreams Colin (Dylan O'Brien). As an influencer and advocate, Danni finally has the life and audience she always wanted. But it’s only a matter of time before the façade cracks, and she learns the hard way that the Internet loves a takedown.

Sharp Stick

Sharp Stick, the new movie from Lena Dunham, is out today.

Sarah Jo is a naive 26-year-old living on the fringes of Hollywood with her mother and sister. She just longs to be seen. When she begins an affair with her older employer, she is thrust into an education on sexuality, loss and power.

Medusa

Medusa, the new movie from Anita Rocha da Silveira, is out today.

Mari and her friends broadcast their spiritual devotion through pastel pinks and catchy evangelical songs about purity and perfection, but underneath it all they harbor a deep rage. By day they hide behind their manicured facade, and by night they form a masked, vigilante girl gang, prowling the streets in search of sinners who have deviated from the rightful path. After an attack goes wrong, leaving Mari scarred and unemployed, her view of community, religion, and her peers begin to shift.

Honor Society

Honor Society, the new movie from Oran Zegman, is out today.

Honor is an ambitious high school senior whose sole focus is getting into an Ivy League college… assuming she can first score the coveted recommendation from her guidance counselor, Mr. Calvin. Willing to do whatever it takes, Honor concocts a Machiavellian-like plan to take down her top three student competitors, until things take a turn when she unexpectedly falls for her biggest competition, Michael.

A Love Song

A Love Song, the new movie from Max Walker-Silverman, is out today.

At a campground in the rural West, a woman waits alone for an old flame from her past to arrive, uncertain of his intentions while bashful about her own.

Paradise Highway

Paradise Highway, the new movie from Anna Gutto, is out today.

Academy Award winners Juliette Binoche and Morgan Freeman lead this riveting thriller set in the trucking industry and its seamy underbelly of human trafficking. When her brother’s life is threatened, Sally (Binoche), a truck driver, reluctantly agrees to smuggle illicit cargo: a girl named Leila (Hala Finley). As Sally and Leila begin a danger-fraught journey across state lines, a dogged FBI operative (Freeman) sets out on their trail, determined to do whatever it takes to terminate a human-trafficking operation — and bring Sally and Leila to safety.

Paper Girls

Paper Girls, the new TV series from Stephany Folsom, is out today.

It’s the day after Halloween in 1988 when four young friends accidentally stumble into an intense time war and find themselves inexplicably transported to the year 2019. When they come face-to-face with their adult selves, each girl discovers her own strengths as together they try to find a way back to the past while saving the world of the future.

Surface

Surface, the new TV series from Veronica West, is out today.

Set in high-end San Francisco, Surface, stars Gugu Mbatha-Raw (“The Morning Show”) who also executive produces, as Sophie, a woman who has suffered a traumatic head injury that has left her with extreme memory loss. As Sophie embarks on a quest to put the pieces of her life back together with the help of her husband and friends, she begins to question whether or not the truth she is told is in fact the truth she has lived. Through twists and turns and an unexpected love triangle, this sexy, elevated thriller asks: What if you woke up one day and didn’t know your own secrets?

Fanático

Fanático, the new TV series from Yago de Torres Peño, Dani del Águila, and Federico Maniá Sibona, is out today.

When a trap artist’s biggest fan tries to take over his idol’s persona, he finds out that being a superstar isn’t as easy as it looks.

City On A Hill S3

The third season of City On A Hill, the TV series from Chuck MacLean, is out today.

Season three of CITY ON A HILL brings us to Boston’s high society Beacon Hill. Having left the FBI and thrown his badge into Boston Harbor, Jackie Rohr (Bacon) lands a lavish new gig running security for a wealthy family. Life is good until secrets begin to unravel. When an investigation opens, ADA Decourcy Ward (Hodge) sees an opportunity to finally rip out the machinery perpetuating a broken criminal justice system. Siobhan Quays (Banks), representing a construction worker who was severely injured on the Big Dig, encounters the city’s corruption firsthand, all while coping with the traumatic events of her past year. As Jenny Rohr (Hennessy) can attest, given her history with her father, some experiences will haunt you beyond your breaking point.

#Movies #TV #News

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kaythefloppa · 2 years

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Timeline of Wild Kratts

Almost half a year ago, I posted a reddit in which I delved into the full timeline of Wild Kratts. Due to PBS Kids airing episodes out of order, episodes being ordered by production code on Wikipedia and the wiki, as well as chronological inconsistencies that have plagued the show, I have gone on a quest to track down the episode's true orders based on not just production code & episode airing, but on chronological date so I can crack the true timeline of Wild Kratts: Now I will update this when Season 7 comes out. My plan is to update this until the series finale so that we know the entire timeline of the series from start to finish, and yes, the movie will be involved in the timeline (until anything says otherwise, the upcoming movie is canon): Also warning, this took me almost 2 months to make so I might've gotten something wrong. There's no way in hell that I didn't.

I'm posting the link here because I'm scared that Tumblr won't let me physically upload this post by copy/paste so I'll give you the run-down.

Season 1:

The timeline begins with Polar Bears Don't Dance, evident in how the Creature Power Suits themselves have to be physically modified for them to activate, also fitting in how it was the first WK thing to ever exist. Mystery of the Squirmy Wormy comes after that as we see the Walrus Suit under repairs, which I believe is after it malfunctioned in the pilot. After that, we get Mom of a Croc, which takes place after an unknown adventure where the Kratts obtain the Gharial Disc for their Creature Power Suits. MoaC can't take place after Kerhonk as Chris already has a Crocodile Suit there. Season 1 takes place before S2, meaning the power disc holders likely do not exist yet.

Quillber's Birthday Present marks the end of S1, not Raptor Roundup, as it aired after that episode.

Season 2:

The Coral Reef arc begins with Blowfish Blowout and likely ends at Tortuga Tune Up.

The Central America arc starts with Bugs or Monkeys and ends with To Touch a Hummingbird.

The Sonoran Desert arc starts with Rattlesnake Crystal and ends with Desert Elves.

Season 3:

The Swamp Things arc starts with Osprey, and ends with Opossum in My Pocket.

The prairie arc starts with Where the Bison Roam, and ends with Mystery on the Prarie.

Back in Creature Time, whilst made to be the S3 finale, was not the last episode of the season to air. The 2nd half of the Madagascar arc contained the last several episodes of the season. The actual S3 finale was "Foosa Palooza" or "Mini Madagascar." However, in Golden Bamboo Lemur, it's said that it's their final adventure, meaning that episode has to be the S3 finale for reasons we've established.

Season 4:

The China arc begins with Panda Power Up, is broken by Snowy Owl Invasion, continues with Red Panda Rescue, and ends with Pangolin Rescue.

Baby Tooth & Kid Musky & Musk Ox Mania are a duology:

A Creature Christmas comes in very late around the timeline due to multiple creature powers and baby animals introduced in other episodes. However, it can't come after Liturgusa Krattorum because A Creature Christmas treats the villains' team-up like a special occurrence and this episode treats it like a casualty.

Season 5:

The India arc begins with Temple of the Tigers and ends with Elephant Brains.

The Europe arc involves Cheeks the Hamster & Fire Salamander.

Alaska: Hero's Journey has to take place after The 4th Bald Eagle due to the existence of the Bald Eagle Power Suit.

Season 6:

In Search of the Easter Bunny would have to be at the start of Season 6 because that's when the Jackrabbit Power Suit is invented and used later on.

The Amazon arc begins with Mystery of the Mini Monkey Models and ends with Parrot Power.

The Wild Kratts timeline, as we know it, begins at Polar Bears Don't Dance, and pauses at Cats & Dogs.

To quote Danny Rebus from The Adventures of The Electric Company on Prankster Planet -

"A boo, and a yeah"

#wild kratts #timeline #wild kratts timeline #2022 #chris kratt #martin kratt #kratt brothers #pbs kids go #pbs kids #2d animation #animation #analysis of income and expenditure #reddit

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wkemeup · 5 years

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Guiding Light (7)

summary: It was supposed to be a simple mission. Get the intel and go home. Until everything goes wrong and you’re taken captive by Hydra and now, Bucky can’t breathe without you. Not until he brings you home. If he even can. pairing: bucky x reader chapter word count: 7.2k warnings: torture, angst™, graphic descriptions of violence, 🖤series masterlist // series playlist

It was unlike anything you could have imagined, even in the worst of your nightmares. The scar upon your forehead from an accident as a child, the identical wounds and swelling you’d sustained in your captivity, the flicker of a softer hue in your irises as the light touched it, the delicate fall of your hair, the curve of your nose. The clothing you had been held in for weeks, the same tear in the top right shoulder, the dirt smudged over your skin.

It was you. Entirely and completely you.

Except that it wasn’t.

The woman, wearing your face, laid upon the ground, still bound and restrained to the chair though her body slumped toward the concrete, lifeless. Her eyes open, unseeing, as a deep red pool surrounded her head from where the bullet had torn through the cavity, blood expanding along the floor and nestling into the cracks of the concrete.

“Freaky, ain’t it?” Cain chuckled, nudging the woman’s body with the toe of his boot, only for her to slump back into place.

You stared up at him, wide eyes, shock paralyzing your ability to speak.

“She’s enhanced,” Cain explained, an amused smirk upon his features. “Shapeshifter. Watch this.”

With the end of his gun, he prodded at a spot behind the woman’s ear, your ear, as the woman’s skin rippled over in scales, like cards bridging in a deck, replaced by an entirely new body. Skin and hair that was not your own, eyes staring far beyond the wall a different hue, scars and wounds that covered her face and arms now clean and replaced with small nicks and scratches of her own.

“Been holding onto this one for a special occasion,” Cain goaded, “so consider yourself special, princess.”

“You’re sick,” you spat, unable to tear your watering eyes away from the body of the woman at your feet. You tugged at the men holding you back. Strong, unforgiving arms wrapped around you; your body too weakened to do any damage. “You murdered this woman for what? To prove a point? That—That the Avengers are human?”

“To keep your fucking brainwashed boyfriend from finding you before we’ve completed what we have planned!” Cain bellowed, rushing at you in one fowl swoop and pressing the barrel of the gun under your chin. The metal was hot on your skin as he pushed it against you enough for you to stretch your neck higher, searching for a relief from the pressure. You struggled to swallow.

“Now, we can get to work in peace without the Avengers breathing down our necks,” Cain barked in your face, split flying onto your cheek and forcing you to wince. He stepped away and let the gun fall from your neck. You coughed to find the air the barrel had suffocated from you and shot him a glare. Cain only seemed to smile wider at that, amused by your pain. “Not going to keep searching for a dead body, now are they?”

You sucked in a harsh breath and the men dropped you from their grasp. Too weak to stand on your own, you hunched over on the floor, eyes darting over at the body of the woman lying just a few feet away.

Cain snapped his fingers and one of the men grabbed a harsh grip of the woman’s arm, hulling her into the air and tossing her body over his shoulders. It was too rough, too cruel for the way he carried her and you parted your lips to say something, but bit down on your cheek. This woman who was killed wearing your body was just that... dead.

She didn’t know the humiliation or the desecration with which these men handled her body. She didn’t know the pain of being hulled over a man’s shoulder with little remorse. She didn’t know anything. She was dead, as you imagined you soon would be as well.

You crawled over to the mattress at the corner of the room as the door slammed shut, trapping you with the pool of blood staining into the concrete. Body slumping onto the hardened surface, stray springs poking at your skin, and despite Danny’s whispered calls of your name, the urgency and worry in his voice, you closed your eyes and cried until sleep was merciful enough to pull you under.

***

Familiar clicks startled you from your rest just hours later as Cain pushed his way back into your cell, rolling along with him a television from the early 2000’s strapped to a tall, plastic cart. He shot a wink at you as you turned sheepishly upon the mattress to face him, too weakened to goad him or even warp your face into a glare. He was alone, without his lackeys, which was unusual for his daily visits.

“Got something fun to show ya,” he taunted as he pressed a single click to the television. “Hope you enjoy, princess.”

Without another word, he retreated from the room, closing the door behind him.

You swallowed, the bile painful in your throat as you starred over at the television as it warmed up, the picture on the screen slowly fading from a dark black to reveal the picture beneath.

“What was that about?” Danny asked cautiously through the wall.

“Not sure yet,” you mumbled back, pushing yourself to your feet despite the aching cries in your muscles.

Upon the screen, a blonde woman came into view, wearing a navy blue blazer as she handled a stack of papers in her hand, tapping the edge of a pen on the desk she sat behind.

“It has been five hours since footage airing the assassination of renowned Avenger Agent Y/n Y/l/n of SHIELD was streamed live to every screen in Times Square,” the woman reported and an image of your headshot from your early days in the academy appeared on the top left corner of the screen. With a bright smile, skin free of oozing scars, and a light behind your eyes, you hardly recognized yourself.

“This comes following almost two months held as a prisoner in Hydra’s captivity. While the Avengers have been tirelessly searching to rescue their fallen teammate, it appears all roads have led to this fateful moment.”

You heard Danny curse under his breath, having heard the reporter through the speakers. The woman pressed her lips into a thin line, a heavy breath exhaled before she spoke again.

“We have obtained footage from the scene in Times Square where the Avengers were subjected to watch Agent Y/l/n’s murder live in real time, along with the civilian population.”

The screen filtered away from the newsroom to show a young man and woman standing in the middle of Times Square, posing in front of the series of colorful billboards, holding up a peace sign with wide smiles brimming on their cheeks. The film was in a vertical angle, with thick black bars filling the rest of the screen, filmed on a phone’s camera.

“Oh, my bad... it’s a video,” a voice chuckled nervously from behind the phone to which the subjects of the intended photo rolled their eyes and began to laugh along with him.

Then, over the man’s shoulder a silver van shot into frame, electric sparks flying from metal scraping the concrete, tires long gone. A horrible screeching sound had the couple pressing their palms to their ears. It crashed into a parked car and drew the attention of every pedestrian within the frame.

“Holy crap is that the Avengers!?” the voice shouted, zooming the camera in on Tony as he flew above the van in his Iron Man suit. The camera followed Sam as he touched down on the other end of the van, winds folding into his suit.

It was strange, to watch your friends from the point of view of civilians. It had a certain kind of theatric to it and you understood why the people adorned your friends as heroes.

Heart in your throat, you collapsed into the chair used to torture you as Bucky suddenly came into view, sprinting towards the SUV, not stopping until he ripped the door from its hinges and tossed it several yards down the street. The man recording the film was shouting, cheering him on, as the lens flashed to his friends’ excited faces.

The camera zoomed in closer as Bucky dragged someone from inside the van. Too far away to hear what they were saying, but Steve walked into the frame, shoulders stiff enough for you to recognize that he was advising Bucky to stand down, carefully reaching for his friend’s shoulder, only to be shrugged away.

Hair shielding his face, Bucky began to beat the man until blood splattered over his hands. The recorder of the video only egged him on, like he was watching some kind of fight in the halls of a high school. He couldn’t have been any older than sixteen.

You heart was in your stomach.

“Oh-- Oh my God. M-Miles, look!” the young woman to the recorder’s left gasped, the lens now aimed at the dozens of screens lining the street with your face, the shapeshifter’s face, upon it.

You pressed your hand to your chest in an attempt to ease the race of your heart, but it did nothing to aid you. The film followed Bucky as he rushed forward and you could see how violently his hands were shaking, even at this distance. A lump in the back of your throat and tears welled in your eyes, watching as he turned in a slow circle, taking in the hundreds of screens surrounding him.

The blonde woman appeared back behind the news desk, a solemn look upon her face. “We have cut the video as it displays the violent and graphic image of Agent Y/l/n’s death. The recording will pick up again after the Hydra stream cuts out.”

As she stated, the feed cut straight back to Times Square, only this time you could make out the faint sound of people crying in the streets, the couple who had posed for the picture just moments ago, now huddled together, reaching for their friend behind the camera. He shook them off, aiming the lens back at Bucky as he was lowering a gun that had been aimed at one of the screens.

The video was shaking, the hand of the teenager capturing it trembling, as Bucky stumbled on his feet, grasping at his chest before he collapsed to his knees. The scream that fell from his lips shook you to your core, goosebumps trailing over your skin, and a puncture so sharp in your chest, you wondered if you would survive it. Your hand pressed against your lips to keep the sob from escaping you as tears blurred your vision, a lump in your throat threatening to choke you.

The camera panned to the rest of your team, your family. Tony was punching holes into the silver SUV before he took off into the sky. Natasha was hulled against Steve’s chest, her shoulders shaking as Steve ran his large hands down her back, nervous glances back in Bucky’s direction. Sam was kneeling just a few feet away, head bowed, like he was praying.

Slowly, the camera returned to Bucky and his hands were horribly shaking, trying to grab onto fabric, something, anything, to ground himself how you taught him but nothing was working. His whole body shook.

You pushed yourself from the chair, wobbling legs carrying you to the television and you skimmed your fingers over the static of the screen, touching the pixelized image of Bucky as if it could reach him in some way, as if it could tell him that you were alive, but it was useless. A suppressed cry hitched at your breath and you wrapped your arms around your chest.

“Memorial services are being arranged all over the country to honor the fallen Avenger,” the reporter stated soberly as the image of Bucky faded away. “For more information, please visit our website at—"

The screen went black and you fell back into the chair. The first time you saw Bucky in nearly two months, just the blurry outline of his figure in the distance, the movements seen from fifty feet away, and it was worse than you could have imagined.

You’d never heard his voice like that before, not even when he woke up screaming in the dead of night with the horrors of his part flashing through his dreams in twisted memories.

This, was something else entirely; the crack of his voice, the desolation, the hopelessness, the worst of his fears coming true in front of his eyes, on display for the entire world to see, and he had no way of knowing it was a trick. A horrible, cruel illusion by Hydra to persuade the Avengers to stand down, to keep them from finding you as Cain put whatever his plan was into action.

They had proof that you were dead, watched the bullet tear through your skull on live television. They had no reason to believe it was orchestrated. If you had any doubts your family would find you, this newsreel only confirmed it.

You were never going to see the outside of this cell again.

***

Days later, as Cain continued to come for you each morning with a tray of knifes at his disposal, he was displeased to find you hadn’t submitted to him completely.

While you had lost your hope, you still held onto your anger with every ounce of your will. Anger for what they did to you, what they’ve done to Danny, for murdering that woman for no reason other than theatrics, for putting Bucky and your team through hell and subjecting them to a trauma they would never recover from.

Anger that festered and burned aflame each time Cain walked into the room and it only urged him on as he ripped and tore at your flesh until he chipped at the very edge of your sanity.

Soon, Cain grew tired of your unwillingness to submit and he began to bring you to a different room, one that you had only heard stories about, described through panicked breaths in the dead of night from the man who was all too familiar with the horrors that lied inside.

The room was dark, and cold, and surrounded by lab equipment and monitors. The unsettling high-pitched beeping of machines as they ran through their intended algorithm. Men and women in white lab coats stared at you with intrigue, dehumanizing you to your very core.

You fought them every time they led you to the chair, knowing what it would do to you, to your free will, but your body was weaker than your mind and they strapped you down with ease. Metal clamps snapped over your wrists and a lab tech shoved a mouth guard between your teeth as the machine roared to life, electric sparks jumping from the ends of paddles they soon would affix to the side of your face.

A scientist by the name of Dmitry Petrov hovered over you as he tapped at the edge of his clipboard, observing intently before they brought the paddles down to you. You had spat the mouth guard out at him as he dared to touch the side of your face, studying the wounds you had sustained from your time with Cain.

“You should learn some respect, princess,” Cain seethed from the side of the room, arms crossed as he leaned against the wall, watching.

“You’re a fool if you think you can restart the winter soldier program and get away with it,” you shot back, voice cold, unattached, like you had become.

Cain laughed at that, shaking his head as he exchanged amused glances with the men in the room. “Seems like you’ve missed the point, princess. We’re not making an army. We don’t need a whole team of soldiers to accomplish our task. Just you and you will serve your purpose.”

You gritted your teeth. “Which is what exactly?”

“Not your concern,” Cain smirked and Petrov shoved the guard back into your mouth. He pulled a lever and in one shift motion, the machine clamped down on the side of your face, electricity pulsing through you, singeing your skin, your hair, and with a pain so unimaginable, you blacked out after your voice had gone hoarse from screaming.

***

Nearly two weeks following your supposed execution on live broadcast, you were dragged back to the room with the machine on a daily basis. You tried to keep Danny in the dark about what they were doing to you because you didn’t want to scare him, make him question if there would be a day you didn’t come back to the cell, because each day you wondered it yourself; if today would be the day the machine fried your brain or rendered you permanently unconscious.

On the third week of the machine, Cain shoved you back into the chair with a grunt and though you tried to fight him, he clasped the restraints around your boney wrists.

“You need to start feeding her better,” Petrov commented, examining the bones protruding from your chest. The way his eyes trailed over your body made your stomach twist; clinical, unkind, and with a disgust that made you sink into yourself. He turned to Cain. “If she is to do what she is meant for, she will need her full strength.”

Cain rolled his eyes, thought he eventually relented.

***

It was the fourth week of being hulled into that room when they attempted to use the trigger words for the first time.

They were unfamiliar to you, words that were not a part of Bucky’s list, and in a language you didn’t understand, but eventually as they paired each shock of the machine with the words in a small, red book, Petrov explained that they must carry personal meaning for it to be effective.

You decided that the translation of the words didn’t matter, not with the electricity coursing in your veins and pain so excruciating you relished the moments your body gave out, lulling you to the safety of your unconscious and the cool blanket of darkness.

Petrov was infuriated each time you blacked out, like it was an affront to him in some way. He’d start the process over again after they injected you with some kind of serum that swept through your veins like fire. Your body didn’t allow you your sanctuary after that.

“Tell her what the triggers mean, doc,” Cain taunted one day from the side of the room. He sat upon the edge of the counter, gripping at the lip. He wore that same grin on his face that made you sick to your stomach.

“It is not necessary,” Petrov replied flatly as he gripped the side of your face to get a better look at the burn marks on your skin.

Cain jumped down from the counter. “Maybe not, but it’ll be fun. She’ll know their meaning and I want to see the look on her face when she realizes. Get her all emotional. See if it helps.”

He stared at you, lips curving in that sickening smirk and you gritted your teeth. He was always trying to find new ways to torture you, to break you down to nothing. Your upper lip twitched as you struggled to contain yourself; a staring contest of wills.

“If you must,” Petrov replied offhandedly, thick Russian accent as he adjusted the settings on the machine. He pulled out his book, flipped on a switch and a surge of energy ran through your veins. You tried to bare it, to grit your teeth and push through the pain because you knew Bucky had once been subjected to this chair and maybe you could tether yourself to him in some one, hold onto him enough to guide you through this.

“Марафон,” Petrov recited, pacing down the room, watching your vitals.

“Marathon,” Cain spat, a translation you could barely hear over the roar of the machine and then, a flash of Bucky running at your side swept through your vision.

Even as you screamed out in pain, as voltage ran through your bloodstream, you thought of Bucky’s light breaths as he jogged beside you, slowing down in pace when your muscles started to ache and he thought you didn’t notice.

“горький,” Petrov continued, sending a watchful eye in Cain’s direction.

“Bitter,” Cain sneered the translation at you and you could only think of coffee at five in the morning, hunched over the counter; a watchful eye as you stretched in the corner for weeks before you heard his voice for the first time.

“Бруклинский,” Brooklyn. The first time you took Bucky to New York. You screamed out; the pain unbearable as it pulsed through your head, like a damn about to break.

“скаут,” Scout. The little girl in To Kill a Mockingbird. Bucky’s favorite character in the first book in a series of novels you had put together for him. His catch-up list. The stench of burnt hair filled the room.

“боевой,” Combat. Sparing in the ring. Fighting alongside him in the battlefield. You couldn’t breathe. The heel of Petrov’s boot clicked as he paced down the room.

“возлюбленная,” Sweetheart. You let out a guttural cry as the translation hung through Cain’s vicious voice. A name so loving, so revealing, that hearing it come from a man so cruel, so opposite to Bucky in every way, was an act of violence in itself.

“мелодия,” Melody. Tears streaming down the sides of your face as you thought of sitting at the end of your bed, curled up on the floor, laptop between you as the soft strum of a guitar filled the room and Bucky’s sweet voice asking you to play it again.

“вена,” Vienna. Your first mission together. Cain was laughing out of view. Petrov tapped his pen against the clipboard.

“шестнадцать,” Sixteen; of twenty-sixteen. The year you met. You were teetering on the edge of consciousness, pain too excruciating to hold onto.

“страсть,” Petrov called out, one last jolt of electricity through your veins and slowly, the machine released from the sides of your face and your body slumped in relief. Breaths heavy in your chest, jaw locked around the mouth guard and hands clenched so tightly around the armrests you weren’t sure if you’d ever be able to pry them away.

Cain stood from his seat at the corner of the room, strolling over you to and grabbed a firm hold of your jaw, forcing you to meet his eye as he spoke the last translation, his breath hot on your skin.

“Desire,” he purred the final translation before he leaned in closer, lips pressed as if he were to kiss you and you spat at him, a growl in your throat and daggers in your eyes.

Cain stepped back with a fury over his face you hadn’t even seen in the months he’d been torturing you and he slapped you hard across the face.

You barely felt it from the lingering ache of the machine.

“It’s not working,” he spat at Petrov, wiping his face with his sleeve. “I thought this was supposed to make her compliant! Does she look compliant to you!?”

“It takes time, Cain. You must be patient,” Petrov sighed, scribbling on his clipboard as he examined the monitors displaying your vitals. “Our fathers’ generation had years to perfect the winter soldier and I have been given months. Even knowing that the Avengers will not come for her, her will is too strong. That is the difference between her and the asset. She still has something keeping her from giving in to the conditioning; something to live for.”

Cain nodded, turning to glare at you over his shoulder. The curve of a knowing smile that etched against his lips was enough to make your stomach sink.

“Then we’ll destroy it."

***

That night, you curled up on your side, thinking of the words they used on you, words that were meant to be personal, words they shouldn’t have been able to know about you, about Bucky. His favorite fictional character wasn’t something they’d be able to find in a newspaper. None of it made sense, but your head now had a constant unpleasant ringing at the base of your skull that made it difficult to focus on much of anything.

“What are you going to do when you get out of here?”

You stared up at the ceiling, struggling to keep your eyes awake as Danny’s tired voice carried through the small crack in the wall. Slowly, you turned to face the hole, the blurry figure of ginger hair and tan camouflage barely in view.

“I think I’d go back home, apologize to my ma,” Danny continued, answering his own question with a careful nod of his head. “I wasn’t always a good kid growing up. Caused a bit of trouble. It was a small town, you know? What else were a bunch of idiot teenage boys gonna do? She... she didn’t deserve the stress I put on her. I think she should know that I’m sorry.”

“I’m sure she does,” you said softly, your voice raspy and raw from the machine. Danny hummed in response, thankful.

“I’m gonna see a Yankees game, too. Think your pal Stark will help me out?” he asked with a slight chuckle in his voice though it sat against a deep unease that settled uncomfortably in your chest.

“Of course,” you replied as tears welled in your eyes.

Danny wasn’t naïve, not anymore. He knew he had as good a chance of getting out of here as you did, but this was how he hung on, how he kept himself from falling into the darkness. He imagined something better.

“Maybe I’d give college another shot,” he sighed. “I think I could do better this time. Maybe I could go for criminal justice or something. I’d have a pretty high up contact at SHIELD now.”

A laugh escaped you, broken, but the faint burn in the crack of your lips went unnoticed.

“What are you gonna do?” Danny asked, as he always did.

You usually gave him some short, convenient answer so you wouldn’t have to really think about, so you didn’t have to imagine what could happen, knowing that it wasn’t in your future. It was too painful and you needed every ounce of strength you could muster.

But you’d been put through the chair more times than you could count. Pain had become second nature and you had stopped seeing Bucky even in your dreams. You were losing him, details fading from your memory. He had a freckle on his forehead, something no sane person would notice, but it was something you caught onto in the moments he allowed you to be that close, to notice something so small and faint between the lines of his brow. It was a privilege to live in his details.

Only now you couldn’t remember if it was above his left or right eye. You couldn’t remember if his eyes were more blue or grey or if they were somewhere in between. You were losing pieces of him and it wasn’t the chair that was taking him away. It was time. Soon, you’d lose him entirely. You’d lose the sound of his voice, the crinkles by his eyes when he smiled, the curve of his lips. You’d lose him, more and more each day until he was gone from you.

“I’d tell Bucky he’s the best parts of me,” you confessed suddenly, surprising yourself as you brushed aside tears that had formed in your eyes. “I’d make sure he knew that none of this was his fault. If it took months or years, I’d remind him every day that what happened here wasn’t because of him. I’d tell him that he is so immensely loved and I’d spend the rest of my days convincing him if he’d let me because I know he’d have a hard time believing it. I’d get away from all this for a while, take Bucky to Alaska or New Zealand and just be with him like I always wanted... like I think maybe he has, too.”

“We’d come back home when we’re ready,” you continued, desperately trying to picture it all in your mind. “We’d come back and I’d spend time with the team; the only real family I ever had. We’d watch movies for hours and order pizza from Chicago and lobster rolls from Boston just to put Tony’s money to good use. I’d go back to that stupid hipster bookshop in Brooklyn and buy a thousand more books and sit in the grass down by the lake at the compound and read until I fall asleep. I’d finally convince Nat to teach hand-to-hand to the rookies with me and help Sam down at the VA. I’d thank Steve for taking care of the love of my life in the times I couldn’t. I’d... I’d find a way to forget this place.”

“That sounds really nice,” Danny said softly, and you closed your eyes, tears sliding down your temple as you laid upon the mattress.

Danny’s hand pressed to the wall, the lines of his palm barely visible through the tiny opening and casting shadows into your cell. You mirrored his gestured, your palm resting and the cool sensation of the concrete.

A silent acknowledgement of the fantasies neither of you would ever see.

Then, the sharp clicking of locks. Only, it wasn’t coming from your cell.

“Danny?” you called carefully as he pulled away from the wall in a sharp motion, scrambling into the corner. The door slammed open and hit the adjacent wall loud enough for it to send a jolt through your spine. You listened carefully, hands pressed to the wall now, sitting up on your knees as you tried to decipher what was going on.

“No, no, please,” Danny begged, his voice breaking and you clamped your hand over your mouth. “Please, no more--”

“Let’s go, kid,” Cain’s voice chuckled, muffled, through the wall.

Danny was scrambling away, instinctively fighting back. “Get off of me!”

A muted punch and Danny grunted, falling silent, and what was left of your nails dug into your cheeks to keep silent. Feet scrapped along the floor as footsteps retreated from the room and you could only picture them dragging Danny behind them. It wasn’t the first time it happened, that they took him off to some unknown room only to return hours later, bloodied and beaten, but it was never any easier.

You sat back against the wall, tapping on your knee anxiously and waited for the hours to pass before he came back. You counted cracks in the ceiling, wrung at your hands, fidgeted with the ends of your worn clothing to pass the time.

He’d be back. They always brought him back, you reminded yourself on an endless loop.

Hours passed and still nothing. You stood to your feet; body stronger now that they had graced you with meals again and you began to pace. Your legs had grown sore and tired and you lost track of how long you had been shuffling your feet.

Suddenly, clicks run out beyond the door of your cell and you narrowed your eyes, freezing into place as the door swung open. Cain strolled in, pleasantly surprised to find you standing, watching him suspiciously. His knuckles were broken and red with blood.

“Hey there, princess.”

“Where is he?” you spat, convinced now that Cain had discovered your friendship with Danny long ago. He’d been waiting for the right moment to strike, to do something about it. This was it.

“Who?” he grinned, feigning innocence.

“You know damn well who!” you shouted back at him, red faced and arms flailing out to the side, taking a step in his direction, only for Cain to pull out a gun and aim it right at your chest.

“Better watch your step, princess.”

“You won’t kill me.” You shook your head. Defiant. Confident. “You need me for something. Wouldn’t waste all that time trying to mess with my head for nothing, would ya?”

Cain shrugged, chuckling under his breath as he holstered his weapon, “you caught me. We need to keep your body preserved, healthy even, but your will to live, to fight what we will make of you, has been... irritating to say the least. Lucky for me, I think I’ve found a way to break you. Would you like to see?”

“Fuck off, Cain,” you rolled your eyes, arms folding over your chest. Hardened features against the burn marks on the side of your face from the machine and Cain only grinned at you. He gestured for someone beyond the door and the sound of rustling footsteps came from down the hall.

A man appeared in the doorway, in his right hand something that made your stomach drop below your feet. Ginger hair wrapped between dirty fingers, clenched in this man’s fist. Danny was on the floor, grasping at the man’s hand to find relief, blood pouring down from his nose and eyes widening in fear when he caught sight of you.

Your arms fell to your sides, lips parting in shock as you watched the man drag Danny further into the room, shoving him down by Cain’s feet. Danny groaned, curling up on his side as he nursed an injury under the fabric of his shirt.

“Danny,” you whispered his name, fear laced in your voice that only egged Cain on. Danny lifted his eyes, nodding subtly at you, enough to tell you he was okay.

“Danny boy and I have been catching up, haven’t we?” Cain taunted, nudging Danny with his shoe. “He has been so incredibly helpful. Ain’t that right?”

Danny grimaced, shutting his eyes as he turned his face to the concrete. You furrowed your brow, watching as he so intently avoided your eyes.

“Oh, she hasn’t figured it out yet, has she?” Cain snickered, laughing with the men behind him. He reached down and grabbed a fist full of orange curls and yanked Danny to his knees. Your heart lurched as Danny let out a whimper, wobbling and unsteady as Cain released him. “Go on. Tell her what you did.”

Heart beating wildly in your chest, you slowly sank to your knees, trying to find his eye, but Danny wouldn’t look at you. Seeing him now, in full view, only made your stomach twist further. He was so young, practically a child; hands quaking and tears in his eyes. Skinny and baby faced.

“Danny,” you soothed. “Danny, it’s okay. You can tell me. What happened?”

He shook his head, gritting his teeth. Cain, growing impatient, kicked him hard in the shoulder and he fell forward, barely catching himself on his hands before his nose hit the concrete. He pushed himself back up to his knees, arms shaking violently.

“I-- I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” he muttered, his voice thick with tears.

Cain rolled his eyes, stepping forward and knocking his fist to the side of Danny’s face, sending him spiraling to the ground. On instinct, you lunged forward at him, only for the barrel of Cain’s gun to return its aim on you. You froze, glancing between Danny and Cain.

“If he’s too much of a coward to tell you, then I’ll do it,” Cain grunted. “This punk’s been selling you out from the beginning; every time we dragged the little traitor from his cell, he’d let us know all the new fun facts you told him. Feeding us information you wouldn’t even give under the threat of a knife.”

Your breath hitched, a dread settling deep in your stomach.

It was how they got the trigger words; words they intended to use to rip your will from you and replace it with something dark, something evil and sinister and render you a witness to your own crimes. They learned these words from the kid who so innocently acted as your sounding board, who you confessed your memories and pieces of your heart to. They beat him and tortured him until he gave them up, unwillingly.

“It was his only purpose here, though he didn’t know that for quite some time,” Cain continued, pleased by the devastation on your face. “We knew that you’d never give up those details to me or anyone who tortured you long enough for ‘em, but we knew you’d tell some pathetic little army brat just to hold on to some kind of misguided hope. So yes, we brought in a naïve kid for you to bond with and eventually, he gave up all of the stories you told him. Didn’t you, Danny boy?”

Danny let out a cry, arms folding around his chest protectively and you leaned forward on your hands, outstretched as if to reach him though you knew you could go no further. He shook his head, fat tears rolling down his cheeks, face flushed and red with a shame he didn’t deserve to bare.

“Danny, look at me,” you urged, voice as gentle as calm as you could manage despite the rage boiling under the surface. Before Danny’s eyes could meet yours, you shot a glare at Cain, fury in your veins for the torment he put this kid through.

“I’m s-so sorry, Y/n,” he whimpered out, his youth and innocence on full display. Bright green eyes hooded under freckled, bruised skin, looked up at you, though his jaw was quivering. “They-- they made me tell ‘em and I—I tried not to. You have to b-believe me, I t-tried.”

“I know you did, honey,” you reassured him, tears welling in your own eyes. “Danny, it’s okay. It’s not your fault, you hear me?”

Danny shook his head, unconvinced.

“Not that this isn’t thoroughly entertaining,” Cain grumbled, “but we’re all gathered here for a reason and this little love fest ain’t it.”

“Just let him go, Cain!” you implored, slamming your hands against the concrete. “He’s practically a child! He’s done what you wanted! You don’t need him here!”

“That’s where you’re wrong,” he shot back, seething. “He was old enough to foolishly sign his life away to fly overseas and kill people for his government, maybe even get killed himself. I don’t consider that a child, do you?”

You were fuming, panting. It only made Cain smile wider.

“But you are right about one thing,” Cain shrugged, “I don’t need him. Not anymore.”

In one swift motion, Cain pointed the barrel of his gun at the back of Danny’s head. Your eyes went wide, breath caught in your lungs.

“Just so we’re clear, this is me destroying your last reason to live,” Cain smirked, pushing the gun against Danny’s head enough for his whole body to move in an attempt to relieve the pressure. Danny’s eyes were clamped shut; his trembling hands curled into fists.

You were frozen as Cain released the safety on the gun, the click of it echoing through the cell, deafening to your ears as time seemed to fall still. Heart pounding painfully, the thumping of it pulsing loud enough to hear, and your breaths coming out in shaky, uneven exhales.

Danny turned to look back at Cain and it kicked your adrenaline back into gear.

“Danny, no! Look at me!” you begged, urgency in your voice and you were met with the most stunning shade of green, hidden under layers of wet tears and red strain within the whites of his eyes. “Don’t look at him, Danny. Look at me, okay? I’m right here. I’m here with you.”

Danny nodded; his cheeks wet though a sudden calm washed over him. His hands fell still in his lap as he focused on you, on your breaths and your words, though they were breaking through your cries.

“Just keep your eyes on me, okay?” you urged desperately, not daring to spare a glance at Cain’s direction. “I’m right here. I’m here.”

You knew what was coming. You’d seen it weeks earlier as it happened to a woman wearing your face, but nothing could prepare you for the soft, impossibly kind smile that Danny gave you, the world around you stilling and moving in slow motion, a whisper of a ‘thank you’ on his lips.

“Danny,” you cried, voice breaking, “I’m here, I’m right--”

Deafening sound. Blood on your face. Copper on your tongue and the echo of a gunshot pierced your eardrums. Ringing and muffled voices as you swayed on your knees, staring ahead to the space Danny had been.

Paralyzed. Every movement of your arms felt like you were running through water, resistance against you. You didn’t hear Cain talking with the men in the room, barking next orders, not as you crawled along the hard surface of the concrete towards the body of the boy who had kept you sane for nearly three months.

Your hands, shaking violently, grabbed onto his shirt, turning him onto his back and a sob broke through you at the sight of his eyes, staring far off and in-between, glossed over, unseeing. You brushed your hand over his lids, closing them softly, and for a moment you could pretend he was sleeping. This sweet, kind, and gentle kid who deserved far more than this world gave him, lying in your arms, blood soaking through your clothes.

A hand gripped onto your bicep and you could barely feel it as you were dragged away, Danny ripped away from your gasp as your body skidding along the ground. You watched Danny’s figure fade from view as you were pulled out of the cell. You kept your eyes on him as long as you could, the most you could offer him, until he was gone.

Barely able to string your thoughts together, unable to feel anything other than the cold, numb ache that sat in your chest, consuming and expanding through your body, and you were strapped into the chair.

Staring off to the end of the room, body numbed and outside of yourself, you hardly registered the panels clamp down to the side of your face; didn’t care when the jolts of electricity burned through your veins and metal singed your skin. The words spoken in Russian, cold and detached, held no meaning, no memories to hold onto.

The faint sound of a man’s voice, dark and deep, a scar upon his face, taunted, “if we cannot control the soldier, we will destroy him with what he loves.”

You didn’t know who the man was referring to.

When the machine released and the pain drained from your body, you felt no relief. Only a cold emptiness.

Then, a man in a lab coat asked you a question. Words in a language other than your own slipped from your lips.

“готов соблюдать”

Ready to comply.

---

so to those who were suspicious of Danny... you were half-right? I actually wrote him as a full blown double agent in my first draft but I wanted the reveal and his ultimate death to have more of an emotional impact on Y/n so she’d be numb enough to succumb to the triggers...... sorry yall

but I will say the next chapter is one of my favorites. Get ready for Bucky perspective in the months he still believes Y/n to be dead 😬

also! if anyone’s interested, the official playlist for the Witness is available now, too! ✨

tags 👯‍♀️ @musiclover1263 / @pies-wands-and-more / @buckygrantbarnes / @mywinterwolf / @breatheeagainnnn / @jewelofwinter / @panic-naran / @fairislesheets / @kaliforniacoastalteens / @captain-hammer-of-asgard / @daydreamsquad / @deanssweetheart / @maybesomedaytho / @montypythonsholysnail / @saharzek / @jillybeaner13 / @chubby-dumplin / @searchingforbucky / @alohafromhell1 / @tabalugax / @shesalatesh / @whyamidoingthistomyselfhelp / @aliensbecameourstyle / @bucksgoat / @serpensortiaaa / @trash-rats-unite / @hungry-pasta / @nervosaa / @lbuck121/ @get0verit / @obama-mia / @imsoft-barnes / @this-broken-band-girl / @michelehansel / @itz-kira / @forever157 / @grey-water-colors / @sebastianstan-posts / @sarcastic-and-cool / @no-clue-whats-happenin / @capsgrl / @happyeyesandsunshine / @slithredn / @13sunken-ships13 / @thefandomplace / @wxstedhexrt / @jennmurawski13 / @galaxkay / @moonlessnight14 / @kittybritty7 / @sweetheartbarnes

#bucky barnes #bucky x reader #bucky barnes x reader #bucky x you #marvel #bucky barnes x female reader #guiding light #tw: minor character death

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gokinjeespot · 4 years

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off the rack #1298

Monday, January 27, 2020

It's the Year of the Rat man. I hope it's a happy one for you and yours. I had the pleasure of spending time with the newest member of the Jee Gang toting baby Ashton around while he took in the happy chaos at our Chinese New Year gathering yesterday. His wonder at the world makes it a happier place.

Conan Serpent War #4 - Jim Zub (writer) Ig Guara & Vanesa R. Del Rey (art) Frank D'Armata & Jean-Francois Beaulieu (colours) VC's Travis Lanham (letters). This bizarre adventure teaming up Conan, Solomon Kane, Agnes and Moon Knight concludes with the demon Wyrm chopped up into fish food. This story won't matter to anyone other than fans of those four heroes but it sure was fun to read.

Batman #87 - James Tynion IV (writer) Guillem March (art) Tomeu Morey (colours) Clayton Cowles (letters). I'm happy Catwoman and Cheshire are in this story. I love how Guillem March draws women. There are a lot of players in Gotham City right now so please pay attention as the mystery unfolds.

Once & Future #6 - Kieron Gillen (writer) Dan Mora (art) Tamra Bonvillain (colours) Ed Dukeshire (letters). That's two fantasy stories that ends with the death of a serpent. Must be a common theme this week. One of the bad guys gets away and the story of Duncan and his Granny will continue. I don't know if I'll read the next arc since this one didn't conclude very well. I felt that Zombie King Arthur was defeated too easily.

Detective Comics #1019 - Peter J. Tomasi (writer) Scott Godlewski (art) David Baron (colours) Rob Leigh (letters). And so the winter solstice passes and the mystery of the Nordic cult ends. I'm glad this story about a creature from the nether regions was short.

Atlantis Attacks #1 - Greg Pak (writer) Ario Anindito (art) Rachelle Rosenberg (colours) VC's Joe Sabino (letters). I picked this off the rack to read because I wanted to see what Namor was up to these days. He's back being the angry ruler of Atlantis pissed off at the air breathers. This time he's mad at all of the Agents of Atlas. That Jimmy Woo sure hangs out with the weirdest heroes of the Marvel U. If you're a fan of all those Agents you'll want to add this 5-issue mini to your subscriptions.

Year of the Villain: Hell Arisen #2 - James Tynion IV (writer) Steve Epting & Javier Fernandez (art) Nick Filardi (colours) Travis Lanham (letters). Cool. It looks like Lex Luthor is going to be the one to save the world this time. I like who he's asking for help. I'll give you a hint: har.

The Amazing Spider-Man #38 - Nick Spencer (writer) Iban Coello (art) Brian Reber (colours) VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). Here's the latest twist to the life of Peter Parker: J. Jonah Jameson is helping Spider-Man now instead of vilifying the hero. Jonah is also working for a new media firm and the old fogey does not like what he sees. We're back to the Chameleon storyline where Peter and his spy sister Theresa are trying to get back all the S.H.I.E.L.D. tech that was stolen. All the dangling plot threads are starting to get annoying.

Superman #19 - Brian Michael Bendis (writer) Ivan Reis (pencils) Joe Prado, Danny Miki, Julio Ferreira & Oclair Albert (inks) Alex Sinclair (colours) AndWorld Design (letters). I'm still waiting for the other shoe to drop after Superman's big secret identity reveal. All of his Earthly super villains haven't taken advantage of the news so let's head out into space shall we? This is where Mongul attacks the new United Planets. The Superman versus Mongul fights have been epic and this new one won't disappoint.

Fantastic Four #18 - Dan Slott (writer) Paco Medina, Francesco Manna & Carlos Magno (art) Erick Arciniega (colours) VC's Travis Lanham (letters). Now I get the point of this "Point of Origin" story. When Reed, Sue, Johnny and Ben launched all those years ago, the Overseer of the planet Spyre saw a threat to his perfect planet and shot cosmic rays at the ship to kill the FF. We know how that went off the rails. So now we have the Fantastic Four returning to Spyre and basically screwing up the whole planet like the Overseer foresaw. Hey, you don't mess with Destiny. I wonder why Reed is so pissed off in the next issue teaser.

Batman Superman #6 - Joshua Williamson (writer) David Marquez (art) Alejandro Sanchez (colours) John J. Hill (letters). Well that was a whole lot of yakkity-yak. This issue takes place before Year of the Villain: Hell Arisen #1. Batman and Superman find Wonder Woman to tell her the bad news that Donna Troy has been infected by the Batman Who Laughs. Then they continue to try and find a cure for the infected. The issue ends with a surprise appearance of two super villains making the next issue a "must read" for me.

Marauders #6 - Gerry Duggan (writer) Matteo Lolli & Mario Del Pennino (art) Erick Arciniega & Federico Blee (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). Kitty (call her Kate) saves the day but is sunk in the end. I've been ambivalent about reading this title of political intrigue and this issue made up my mind to bench this book. The subject matter is mature but the dialogue is juvenile so I'm outta here.

Kill Lock #2 - Livio Ramondelli (story & art) Tom B. Long (letters). The search for the key to disable the Kill Lock continues. I care about the plight of these four condemned droids.

The Old Guard: Force Multiplied #2 - Greg Rucka (writer) Leandro Fernandez (art) Daniela Miwa (colours) Jodi Wynne (letters). The team goes to rescue victims of human traffickers and get a surprise when they open the container. This book will blow you away.

Guardians of the Galaxy #1 - Al Ewing (writer) Juann Cabal (art) Federico Blee (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). Call him Racoon, Rocket Racoon. Rocket's gone from looking like road kill in the last story arc to quite the fashion plate in this new run. And his guns have gotten a lot smaller. The team is recovering from the Universal Church of Truth massacre but their respite is short lived. Zeus and his Greek gods have returned and they're all evil now. You can tell because they're dressed in black. Nova asks the Guardians for help but only Starlord, Rocket, Moondragon and Phyla-Vell/Captain Marvel join the fray. I like that Marvel Boy is back and when the mission goes FUBAR, a surprise ally makes an appearance. The art alone makes this worth picking up off the rack.

Basketful of Heads #4 - Joe Hill (writer) Leomacs (art) Dave Stewart (colours) Deron Bennett (letters). Poor June, she keeps meeting up with bad men. You can't blame a girl for defending herself. Now there are two heads in the basket. Basket head number three just introduced himself. This is just too weirdly fun.

Ruins of Ravencroft: Dracula #1 - Frank Tieri (writer) Angel Unzueta (modern day art) Stefano Landini (flashback art) Rachelle Rosenberg (colours) VC's Travis Lanham (letters). This is the last of the one-shots leading into the 5-issue Ravencroft mini. It's going to have lots of Marvel heroes and villains if this issue is any indication. In the first few pages alone we have Man Wolf, Misty Knight, Mr. Fantastic, the Falcon, Power Man and Iron fist and the Winter Soldier who introduces the flashback where Captain America fights with Dracula. When we return to the present, new inmates are being incarcerated into the Ravencroft Institute for the Criminal Insane. I could only identify Mr. Hyde but I didn't recognise the others. The consultant hired to work with these inmates was a surprise and may entice you to pick up Ravencroft #1 when it hits the racks on January 29. Imagine if the Joker were hired to work at Arkham Asylum.

Wonder Woman #750 - I read all 9 stories in this $9.99 US anniversary issue to see where Princess Diana was at right now. Nothing much has changed since I stopped reading her book regularly so I won't be picking up #751. I've read other comic books aimed at young female readers, the Unstoppable Wasp is a good example, but this one doesn't spark a renewed interest in me to follow Wonder Woman's adventures.

Birds of Prey 100-Page Giant #1 - Now this is more like it. There are 3 new stories and 3 reprints that I've not read before so it's a great value at $4.99 US. The core team of Batgirl, Black Canary and Huntress are joined by Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy, and Catwoman, all fabulous females ready for action. Almost makes me want to see the Birds of Prey movie that hits theatres Friday, February 7.

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briangroth27 · 5 years

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Dora and the Lost City of Gold Review

Dora and the Lost City of Gold is a very fun all-ages adventure! I’ve never seen more than a clip or two of Dora the Explorer, but that didn’t hurt the movie at all for me. The film starts with a summation of the cartoon’s style to get new audiences up to speed on the conventions of the show and it worked perfectly. I was in the mood for a fun jungle adventure flick, saw the good reviews this was getting, and I’m happy to report that it lives up to both those standards!

Full spoilers…

Isabela Moner more than capably leads the film as Dora, whose enthusiasm for learning, exploring, and life in general is absolutely infectious. Dora’s expertise in the jungle and her drive to find the lost city of Parapata were awesome! While her childlike enthusiasm is written as a side effect of being secluded from most of modern society to a large extent, it was refreshing to see a teenage lead who isn’t dour and down on life. Her dauntless willingness to go it alone when she had to was a relatable and realistic trait, and her acceptance of the fact that she was even stronger when she had a team backing her up was a cool message. I’m glad Dora didn’t lose her exuberance by the end of the movie or change to be more socially acceptable to her new high school friends, even if she does choose to stay and get to know them better rather than go off on another adventure. Her journey isn’t that she needs to remember to be herself regardless of whether she fits in or not, it’s that she needs to let people in to her world again, so Dora getting to remain true to herself while making new friends was very cool. Of course, it’s always great to see a female-led adventure film (particularly in this subgenre) with a nonwhite lead and cast (or at least the overwhelming majority of it) too! More of that please!

Dora’s cousin Diego (Jeff Wahlberg), her intellectual rival at school Sammy (Madeleine Madden), and everyman student (and impressive breath-holder) Randy (Nicholas Coombe) provided a share of challenges for Dora she wasn’t expecting at all: high school. Diego’s embarrassment over Dora’s personality felt like a realistic (though unfortunate) reaction to a younger sibling who doesn’t want to conform to high school society’s standards, while Dora’s scientific take on Diego’s feelings for Sammy was funny and built their sense of familial bonds nicely. Theirs is the strongest relationship in the movie and emotional core. I thought the breakdown of their bond felt realistic and painful (leading to Dora largely shutting everyone out as a kid and opening that wound all over again as a young adult) and that the repairs to their relationship were well-done and satisfying. I was glad Dora and Sammy’s rivalry wasn’t over some guy and that Sammy wasn’t written or performed as a mean girl, but one who was concerned about her standing in the class GPA. She also generally couldn’t understand Dora’s outlook, which is ironic given how Diego and apparently the other students at school don’t understand her, vilifying her for her outlook and “attitude” as well. The common ground she and Dora came to with Dora’s know-how and Sammy’s contributions to the quest for Parapata created a nice build to their budding friendship. I liked that Randy didn’t have toxic vibes to his crush on Dora, and he brought a nice balance of pure terror and truly wanting to help his new friends to the adventure. These kids have their issues, but none of them were ever unlikable and they all felt like real people, not caricatures or an adult’s attempt at writing “annoying youths” (or cartoons). I also liked that all four of them came together to keep each other alive and they all contributed to solving the traps protecting Parapata’s treasure. That was a cool way to unify Dora’s quest to save her parents (Michael Pena, Eva Longoria) and finish their search for the city with her arc toward sharing her life with people and depending on friends instead of just herself.

Dora’s parents don’t have much to do here, as they’re kidnapped for most of the film, but I liked how supportive they were of Dora (even if they were just as bewildered by some of her habits as her friends at school were). I really liked that they spelled out the distinction between exploring and learning vs. treasure hunting and plundering cultural artifacts. CBS’ Blood & Treasure made a similar point of noting who should get to display what artifacts (if they are to be displayed at all), and it’s good to see a more socially conscious approach to archaeology taking hold in the movies and on TV. Films like the Indiana Jones series are among my all-time favorites, but those artifacts don’t belong in an American museum, they belong to the cultures that originated them. I didn’t expect the movie to bring in an actual Inca royal/goddess (Q'orianka Kilcher) with an army to protect Parapata, but that was an excellent addition that felt totally natural with the world they’d established! I always want the supernatural stuff in films like these to be real, so seeing these people appear was very cool. It was also a neat twist on the formula (and execution of her parents’ guidelines on exploring) that Dora & co. didn’t get to keep the treasure, only increase their knowledge by confirming its existence.

Most of the villains are ultimately just muscle, but Eugenio Derbez’s Alejandro Gutierrez gets a lot of screen time thanks to initially disguising himself as a friend of Dora’s parents. He was affable enough that it was reasonable Dora and her friends would fall for his lies (particularly with the stress of their situation and his apparent rescue of them). I wonder if the more comedic persona he puts on was designed to fit with and manipulate Dora’s eternal optimism, which would be a solid take on the older generation manipulating the best intentions of the younger one to fuel their greed. He certainly uses their intelligence to further his own interests (and, depending on how deep his cover was, to keep him alive in the first place). He also personifies the old-school treasure hunter method of archaeology, contrasting him nicely with the younger, more socially and culturally conscious generation. I definitely wouldn’t have included him disrobing in front of teenagers though, even if it was caused by hallucinogenic pollen in an animated sequence.

That moment not being a great look aside, it was refreshing that like Dora herself, a modern adaptation of a kid’s property didn’t take the “dark and gritty is cool and mature” path in an effort to draw in older audiences by ignoring what made the show a success in the first place. Instead, this fully embraced what I assume is the upbeat vibe of the cartoon and absolutely ran with it. They do poke fun at some of the conventions of the animated series, like Dora breaking the fourth wall to teach the audience vocabulary and science, but those self-deprecating jokes absolutely worked and it didn’t feel like the filmmakers were embarrassed by the source material or like they were outright mocking it. It would’ve been easy to make those moments part of the video diary/podcast she has at the beginning of the movie (particularly with the popularity of Instagram and Snapchat stories nowadays), but playing them straight and just having everyone else think she’s weird was so much funnier! Her Map (Marc Weiner), Backpack (Sasha Toro), and possibly her pet monkey Boots’ (Danny Trejo) abilities to talk were played as her childhood imagination and/or hallucinations, which felt like the right balance for the very fun, heightened reality she lives in. I’m glad that they kept the talking, masked fox Swiper (Benicio del Toro) here as well: he feels like a major part of the series’ world and I’m sure fans would’ve been bummed if they left him out. I loved that the questions surrounding him from our heroes were not that he was a fox working with mercenaries, but just that he wore a mask!

While Dora works for all ages, kids are definitely the main target audience and some of the other humor reflects that. I’m not a fan of toilet humor—it’s not that I find it inherently juvenile, I’ve just never thought it was funny—but the two gags in that realm here (quicksand that sounds like farts and the difficulties of using the bathroom in the jungle) didn’t go on long enough to make it feel like this was only for kids; it felt like this was just one style of comedy at play among many. Like Alejandro’s pollen trip, I wouldn’t have included everyone running by Sammy while she was using the bathroom though. Unlike so many movies described as “all ages” but which are really just for kids, the rest of the movie’s comedy, the character development, and the action-adventure sequences totally work regardless of your age and they successfully made it feel like our heroes were on a real adventure with actual dangers. Even if “jungle puzzles” aren’t a thing in the real world, the ones showcased here felt classic and were a lot of fun to see our heroes solve. The pacing moved the story along briskly, but I didn’t feel like Dora’s problems fitting in (and letting others in) were rushed or underdeveloped. The score hits the exact right vibe for this and I liked the original song at the end of the movie too.

If you’re like me and in the mood for a fun, all-ages jungle adventure with a great cast, good action, and a solid emotional core, Dora and the Lost City of Gold will absolutely deliver! I’d definitely watch a sequel. If this one’s still in a theater near you, go see it!

Check out more of my reviews, opinions, and original short stories here!

#dora and the lost city of gold

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