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#the one thing they did right was cassie’s first episode
artinvain · 1 month
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if you gen think the supernatural writer’s room could write queer characters, you might be on drugs. this show has dean calling sam gay because he knows about “fairy” tales. they keep showing they're asses with the misogyny and the fact that they can’t let them be brothers they have to be coupled together by MULTIPLE strangers??????
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wolfjackle-creates · 9 months
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Bring Me Home Arc 2 Part 11
God this arc just keeps getting longer and longer. Luckily after this, I should be able to move ahead with the plot? I'm a few more minutes into the episode at least!
Anyway,
Story Summary: Tim and Danny are both neglected by parents who care more about their work than their families. They deal with this by spending too much time online and find each other playing MMORPGs. They keep up their friendship as Tim becomes Robin and Danny becomes Phantom and don't bother keeping secrets from each other.
First, Previous
Word Count: 1.4k
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Cassie sat next to him and bumped their shoulders. “We’ll figure this one out just like we have all the ones before.”
Conner sandwiched him on the other side. “Yep. And the Fentons don’t seem like the type to hide information. They’ll tell us everything we want to know.”
“You’re both right. We’ll fix this and be home before we know it.” Tim pulled out his phone. “I wonder if there’s any old news articles we can look up for more information. Danny told me about the first ghost attack. A ghost called Lunch Lady who used meat to attack people and was upset because Sam changed the school lunch menu.”
Bart blinked at him and sat on the coffee table facing him. “You’re making that up. You’ve gotta be.”
Tim laughed and shook his head. “Nope. We’ll have to see if he has a list of his rogues so far. They’ve all been so gimmicky. Kinda like Condiment Man in Gotham.”
At Tim’s direction, Bart and Cassie also began looking into various news articles and posts about the ghosts of Amity. Conner recorded their findings and Tim supplemented with information he’d gotten directly from Danny.
Research kept them busy for the next hour until the Fentons returned.
“Danny’s friends!” boomed Jack when he saw them.
“How are you four doing? Did you find the pantry? Enough things to eat?” asked Maddie.
“Yes, Ma’am,” said Conner. “Cassie and I also left to explore a bit and found a corner shop where we picked up a few things we knew Tim and Bart liked.”
“That’s great! Now, I see you’ve seen the news, and I don’t want you to be afraid. Jack and I are planning on training some of Danny’s classmates in ghost fighting, would you four like to join?”
Everyone looked to Tim who bit his lip in thought. “I— can we sit in on the first lesson? I’d like to see some more of your work. Danny’s told me a little bit about it, but seeing it in person is something else. But I also want to spend more time just with Danny since we haven’t met in person before.”
“Of course, honey!”
Tim had to force his smile to remain neutral at the pet name. His parents didn’t even call him ‘honey,’ let alone anyone else. “Thank you, Dr. Fenton.”
“Call me Maddie, dear.”
“And I’m Jack!”
“Yes, Dr.— er, Maddie, Jack. When will the others be here?”
Jack looked at…something on his wrist that must’ve had a clock feature and boomed, “Not for another three hours! School’s still in session, you know.”
Conner cleared his throat. “Will you need help setting up? Maybe you can tell us a bit about ghosts while we do. I’d never seen one before.”
“Oh, that’s a great idea! Thank you, sweetie!” said Maddie.
“Conner, my boy, the first thing you need to know about ghosts is that they’re evil and only want to hurt you. If you don’t remember anything else, always remember that,” added Jack.
Tim’s stomach sank at those words. Did Danny have to hear things like that every day? “How do you know they’re all evil?” he couldn’t help but ask.
“Well, Tim! It’s because ghosts aren’t people. They’re post human consciousness imprinted on ectoplasm. They’re an echo of what they used to be and that echo wants to become a person again. But it can’t because it’s dead. So it lashes out at anything living around it. Either to steal their life or make the living like it.”
Maddie nodded. “Exactly. A ghost killed my best friend when we were girls. If you’d like, I can send you some papers Jackie-poo and I wrote about how ghosts form so you can have more information.”
Tim forced a smile. “That’d be great, thank you.” Could the portal be destroyed in some way? Would that keep ghosts from coming through and allow Danny to come with him to Gotham?
“Now!” said Jack. “Who wants to help me carry up supplies from the lab?”
Once again, Tim asked for some safety gear before going into the lab and Maddie shoved a white jumpsuit at him with a sticker of Jack’s face on it.
“This is one of Danny’s, dear. But he doesn’t wear them very often. Here’s another for you, Bart. It might be a bit long, but try it on and we’ll see what we can do. Cassie, Conner, you two will be a bit harder, but I think I should be able to coble something together. Hang tight a sec!”
“I guess we’ll go get changed, then,” said Bart as Maddie and Jack disappeared back downstairs to see what they had.
Tim held out the top and poked at the decal of Jack. Going to the edge, he worked a finger under the image and let out a sigh of relief when it came up. “These are removable,” he commented as he pulled it off.
“Fantastic!” said Bart, ripping his own off. “Come on, Rob. Let’s get changed.”
Upstairs in the guest room, Tim allowed himself to comment, “At least it’s not orange.”
“Everyone will know who we’re staying with, though.”
“Better than stepping foot in that lab with no protection.”
They were just finishing up when Cassie and Conner walked in with matching scowls. In their arms were a mix of orange and blue fabrics.
Cassie glared at them. “Not. A. Word.”
Tim smirked and held up his hands. “Who, me?”
Bart mimed zipping his lips.
“We’re just about finished here, though, so we’ll go help the Fentons while you two get changed,” said Tim. He couldn’t help the way his lips quirked as he looked at the clashing jumpsuit pieces as they passed each other.
Conner made sure to trip them with TTK.
Tim just smiled at him as he pushed himself up and left without another word, Bart a step behind him. The door was barely shut before they were laughing so hard they couldn’t walk down the stairs without gripping the railing.
“Good to see you boys are having fun! How do the jumpsuits fit?” asked Jack when he saw them.
Bart held up his hands to show how he’d folded the ends of the sleeves. “Not bad. Just had to roll up the sleeves and pants a little.”
Tim nodded his agreement. “Little tight in places, little loose in others. But I can move well enough.”
“Good, good! Now, want a detailed tour of the lab as we collect weapons to train Dan-o’s classmates?”
Tim didn’t have to hold back his sharp grin at that question. “Absolutely. I want to know everything.”
And Jack and Maddie were willing to share quite a lot. Conner and Cassie joined them ten minutes later, wearing jumpsuits cobbled together from spares of Jack’s and Maddie’s. Now that they weren’t rushed by trying to get out and manage an active and hostile ghost invasion, the tour of the lab was much more thorough.
Jack and Maddie were also happy to answer any questions the four had. As it looked, there was no actual organization to the lab. And in the fridge, food was stored right next to samples. The fudge hissed when Jack took out a piece to eat and Tim shuddered.
“Want one? My snookums made it! Best fudge you’ll ever eat.”
“Aww, thank you dear!” Maddie hugged Jack at his compliment and kissed his cheek.
“I— No. Thank you,” said Tim.
“Why do you have a stockade?” asked Cassie.
Tim gave her a grateful look and she winked at him.
“That’s to hold down ghosts so we can question them,” said Maddie.
“Yup! Restrain them in there and then you can use toys like this one”—Jack brandished a cat-o-nine-tails—“to force ‘em to talk!”
“Or the Fenton Prod,” added Maddie holding out what looked like an electric cattle prod. She pressed a button and the end sparked green.
Tim swallowed hard and clenched his teeth. Did everything these people make have to look so painful?
The rest of the time in the lab passed in much the same way. The four traded off who had to ask a distracting question as they were all more and more horrified by the casual cruelty displayed by Danny’s parents.
Eventually, the doorbell rang and they were able to return upstairs with armfuls of weapons. Maddie opened the door and Dash Baxter and his cronies stood there with sadistic grins.
“Dash, what a pleasant surprise to see you again,” Tim said with his own teeth bared. “I don’t think we got off on the right foot last night. I’m Tim. Danny’s told me so much about you.”
For a moment, the boy’s face showed confusion before it was wiped away with a polite smile. “He’s told us about you, too. I’m sure we’ll become great friends.”
Well fuck. Looks like the ghosts weren’t all gone after all. Tim held a hand behind his back and signaled danger to his friends. They needed to get away from here.
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Next
We've got more with Jack and Maddie here! Hope you guys like how I write them. We already know this is going to turn into bad-parents Jack and Maddie based on what's going to happen in Arc 3. (Arc 3 will be the original prompt fill and it's fall out.)
Also, I think I'm going to change some things around in previous parts. I won't edit them on Tumblr, but before they go on AO3 they'll change. Tim is going to lie to Bruce a bit more than he has so far. He'll tell Bruce that Danny is Cassie's friend so he doesn't decide to look Danny up if he gets bored.
Next chapter will have Danny and co again!
I will no longer be managing a tag list for this fic, but please check out the Subscription Post if you want to be notified of updates. I'm also want to get the first chapter transferred over to AO3, but I'm going to transfer the first arc of Ghost!Robin first.
I reblogged an ask game earlier today if anyone's curious about me. Check it out and consider sending something in!
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jewish-skitter · 8 months
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The type of person you are. Animorphs 22: The Solution, Chapter 1/Worm, Monarch 16.13/Animrophs 22: The Solution, Chapter 4/Worm, Cell 24.5/Avatar The Last Airbender Season 3 Episode 5: The Beach.
IMAGE IDs: A series of screenshots.
The first is from Animorphs. It reads: "If David had hurt Tobias, I would... But what was the point in making threats? I didn’t need to make threats. I knew what I would do. So did Jake. That’s why he’d sent Ax for me."
The second is from Worm. It reads: "I took a step forward, then made myself take another. 'It doesn’t have to be you,' Tattletale told me.
'No,' I told her.  'I think it does.'" The third is from Animorphs again: "<Ax? Tell me something. When Jake sent you to get help, why did you come for me and not Marco or Cassie?> <Prince Jake was specific. Get Rachel.> <Did he say why?> Ax hesitated a moment. Then he said,<Jake told me Tobias was probably dead. I said this was a terrible thing. And Prince Jake said, 'Yes. If David’s killed Tobias, we may have to do a terrible thing, too. Get Rachel.'> I don’t know how that made me feel. I’m not a person who obsesses over her feelings. You know what I mean? Some people can’t stop “looking inward” constantly, and that’s not me. But it definitely made me feel strange. Jake had called for me specifically. Because he wanted someone who would do precisely what I was planning to do. Like I say, I’m not big on feelings, but something about that felt wrong." The fourth is from Worm again: "It was Tagg, dead. I’d killed a man, and I had done it with my power, which somehow felt more intimate than the gun that killed Coil.  My power made the bugs an extension of myself, and I’d used them to murder the man.  It was little different from wrapping my hands around his throat and squeezing, or biting him in the throat and tearing deep enough that he couldn’t survive. I couldn’t bring myself to feel anything meaningful about it.  I wanted to.  I wanted to think of his daughters, apparently college students overseas, and his apparently loving wife, and the fact that I’d just taken a member of their family from them, much as my mom had been taken from me.  I wanted to feel terrible, to cry, but I couldn’t bring myself to.  I felt bad, but not as bad as I should have."
The fifth is from Avatar the Last Airbender and is the only one that's not text. It's a close up on Azula's face as she looks down, somewhat vulnerable. The dialogue reads: "I don't have sob stories like all of you. I could talk about how mom liked Zuko more than me, but I don't really care. My own mother thought I was a monster. She was right, of course, but it still hurt." END IDs.
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coraniaid · 5 months
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You said a few days ago that you would have liked if season 7 went more in the direction of Help rather than the direction of the First. I know you're not a big fan of the First but I was wondering what you meant by that specifically, and what kind of direction you might have preferred season 7 go in overall?
I don’t have any good reason to think it actually happened, but I always get the impression from watching or thinking about Season 7 that the early plans for the season changed pretty significantly at some point after most of the first few episodes had already been written.  (Perhaps when they decided that it would also be the last season?  I’ve heard conflicting accounts of when that decision was made.)
If you go back and look at the then-contemporary discussions of the show, the whole season was initially marketed as something of a ‘year zero’: a return to the show’s high school era roots, to something much more upbeat than Season 6, to the original Scooby Gang as the focus of the show.  
And just to be clear, I rather like Season 6 – it doesn’t always work, and I think some of the subplots are pretty dreadfully executed, and sometimes I respect the episodes more than I enjoy watching them – but it inarguably has a clear vision for the story it’s trying to tell, one that builds on and recontextualizes what came before it.  But for the payoff for that season to land, we needed Season 7 to be different.  To be less cynical, more hopeful.  It needed to show us that Buffy was right to promise Dawn in Grave that things were going to get better.  
And that sort of reset is what we got … for about half a dozen episodes.  Then, of course, it goes rather horribly wrong.
I like Help in particular because it is, for me, the closest the show ever gets to delivering on that promise of a return to the high school era.  It’s not quite a regression or a soft reboot: Buffy is still an adult with a job, even if she’s suddenly unexpectedly back in high school.  Her more mundane responsibilities haven’t suddenly gone away. But now the job she has isn’t something she hates but has to do – it’s something that she actually has a calling for, almost literally, something that harks back to her getting the Class Protector award back in Season 3.   In Help Buffy’s inhabiting the same world she did in the first three seasons, she’s still trying to save people, but this time with a new, more experienced perspective. 
The episode feels very aware of the show’s history, too.  There are nods to Lie To Me (a teenager Buffy knows is going to die because of illness, not anything supernatural Buffy can stop) and Reptile Boy (the cult trying to sacrifice a teenage girl to a demon for material riches) and Beauty and the Beasts (with Buffy herself taking on the role of Mr Platt, worried that Mike is going to turn out to be another Pete), and of course the whole episode is a callback to Prophecy Girl.  Because Cassie – probably the show’s last great one-episode character (and yes, the actor comes back later but the person doesn’t) – isn’t just somebody Buffy is trying to save, she is Buffy: a Season 1 Buffy who struggles to make friends and has a supernatural gift she doesn’t like to talk about and knows she’s going to die heartbreakingly young.  I don’t think it’s merely chance that Cassie’s big speech to Buffy about her destiny (“You think I want this?  You think I don’t care?”) echoes Buffy’s own words to her mother in Becoming either (“You think I choose to be like this?”).
Plus, while the episode ties into the wider story arc – with Spike in the basement and hints that Principal Wood might be up to something and our first appearance of future Potential Amanda – the whole thing still tells a coherent, self-contained story.  It stands on its own right; it makes sense on its own terms.  it’s not just another installment in the long running saga of General Buffy and the friends she never talks to who later kick her out of the house she owns.
And I think there was a lot more ground there to explore, in the same vein as Help.  At least a full season’s worth.  There was so much more the show could have tried to do in terms of going back and revisiting some of the classic moments of the first three seasons from a more mature and more grown-up perspective, instead of summarily kicking Buffy out of her new job and then blowing the school up (again).  If this season is about the future – about new Slayers being called, one way or another – then what does that mean?  How else are Buffy and Willow and Xander engaged in the challenge of trying to pass on what they’ve learned about life on the Hellmouth to a new generation?  
At its best, Buffy has always been in conversation with its past, building on ideas that were touched on in one season and asking the audience to think about them again from a different angle.  And the beginning of Season 7 sets up the perfect stage to try to do more of that.
I’d have loved to have seen a whole season of Buffy trying to keep her students alive while also preparing them to go out and live in the world.  Of Dawn making new friends and finding value in being herself, not just the Slayer’s sister or the mystical Key.  Of Buffy and Willow and Xander really getting to know each other again, and having a chance to talk about everything that happened to them last year.  A whole season of, in a way, seeing the show from the very beginning, but this time from the perspective of people like Giles or Jenny or Joyce.
But instead we got a lot of boring wank about an impossibly old super-god who can’t actually touch anything (but one who Buffy would definitely let Dawn die to defeat because this godlike being is so much more impressive and scary than Glory, trust us guys, please, we swear) and her army of interchangeable and personality-free super vampires (and of course Caleb, who’s somehow even more mind-numbingly boring than they are).  Instead we get a second half of the season in which Andrew Wells has more screen time than Willow or Xander or Anya or Giles or Dawn.  Instead we get to wonder whether Giles is the First and try to pretend to care that Spike has been hypnotized.  Instead we get Lies My Parents Told Me.
Oh well.  At least Faith shows up near the end.
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deadbydad · 8 months
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What if Mortal Kombat...Was Turned Into A Show?
Look, I know that they already did something like this, but let's be honest it sucked.
The lore in Mortal Kombat is so interesting yet confusing, and I feel like that's what makes that game so special. And I think that, if done right, it could be made into a show and do well!
But I don't mean that the show needs to like show the whole plot or storyline because we've already seen that. Instead I want to see episodes about different characters and/or their relationship with other characters.
Here's a list of the characters I would like to see get an episode about them:
Kung Jin - He's one of the most underrated characters and it doesn't help with the fact that he was literally in only one game, and even in that one he didn't have that much of a chance to develop his character a lot. He's one of the first confirmed gay characters in the game series, and that's great we love to see great LGBT representation in games. In an episode I want to see more about his past, his parents and who they were and what happened to them, and especially his relationship with Kung Lao. I also want to see his relationship grow stronger with the other Kombat Kids Cassie Cage, Takahashi Takeda, and Jacqui Briggs. We hear about this character yet I feel like he has so much more potential and they could prove that with an episode just about him and how he develops.
Takahashi Takeda & Takahashi Kenshi - One of the father and son duo's, I feel like Kenshi gets way too much hate for doing something to protect Takeda from getting hurt or even killed like his mother did. Any father would do that for their family and their child. At first when Kenshi comes back to see his son after Hanzo Hisashi trained him as a Shirai Ryu warrior, Takeda hates him and says that Kenshi had no right to walk back into his life just to be a proud dad, but after Hanzo explains why Kenshi did it, Takeda tries to forgive him and give his father a second chance. And he does, later on in the game we see that they have a great father and son relationship. I want to see how that happened and how that developed in an episode. It definatly wasn't talked about enough in the game and I feel like in a show it would be better explained.
Hanzo Hisashi & Takahashi Takeda - Hanzo Hisashi had taken in Takeda when Kenshi asked him to take care of his son and train him until he was strong enough to fight. Hanzo did, and it seemed that Hanzo and Takeda had developed a father son relationship in some shape or form. Again, this wasn't really shown how it happened, and I feel like it would be greatly explained better in an episode instead of in a game.
Cassie Cage & Jacqui Briggs - Cassie and Jacqui are best friend that grew up together due to their parents, Sonya Blade and Jax Briggs, being close friends for many years. Not a whole lot of how their friendship began and formed was shown on MKX or MKXI, which is a shame. I feel like it would be interesting to see how these two grew up together and became friends over the many years they've known each other.
The Kombat Kids - Cassie Cage, Kung Jin, Takahashi Takeda, and Jacqui Briggs are the next generation of fighters and defenders against Shinnok. And basically the whole MKX game we see these four get to know each other and become closer. But that's it, we really don't know what happened between the four of them except that Jacqui and Takeda are married or engaged, but other than that we don't know exactly what happened to this group. It seems like they're all still friends which is a good thing but I feel like that an episode could be a great way to explain what happened and give us more details.
Kung Lao & Kung Jin - Okay NetherRealm make up your damn minds because in MKX it says that Kung Jin is Kung Lao's cousin but in MK11 it says that he is Kung Lao's nephew. Why make that change I have no clue, but that's besides the point on why I think these two deserve in episode of their own. The episode could show stuff that we haven't seen clearly in the games and stuff that we've heard through dialogue intros. The episode could show us them training or sparring, getting to know one another as family and hell maybe they'll fucking help each other with their damn egos, but that's what I love about these two to be honest. Not much is said about these two's relationship with one another and that is a damn shame if you ask me.
Kotal Khan & Jade - This couple really came out of nowhere, and the game did give us like a small hint about these two and how their relationship started, but it still just came out of nowhere. NetherRealm Studios could explain this and how these two got together and the whole back story of these two with an episode and it would be better explained than in a video game.
Johnny Cage & Cassie Cage - I love this father and daughter duo so much, but I want to see an episode about these two. Maybe how they're both dealing with Sonya's death and how they're navigating that together as a family, maybe Johnny helping Cassie with how to handle and use the green magic that they have, or maybe even just how Johnny is feeling about seeing his daughter growing up and how he deals with that too.
Kuai Liang and Bi-Han - I want to see an episode about these two growing up together, so badly. I want to really see how these two brothers interacted with each other before everything went to shit. I just want to see that. No like sad shit, I've seen enough of that, I want happy memories.
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isagrimorie · 4 months
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One of the interesting things rewatching 12 Monkeys is how you get to clock what the writers were thinking about in the early seasons before they nailed down the origin of the virus.
In Night Room, season 1, they seemed to be setting up that Cole was the Kalavirus Skeleton:
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But what and who the writers end up using is actually more interesting but still, Cole reacting to the Kalavirus Skeleton works because of his proximity to both his beginning and his end.
And how they both have the same origins.
One thing they did seem to work out from the very beginning is Jones' motivations for starting this whole maddening time travel from the beginning.
In the same episode Ramse discovered that Cole wasn't the first Traveler, Cole was just the first Traveler where time travel worked.
Ramse is horrified about this discovery:
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In context, Ramse is asking Jones if there is nothing she won't do for her time-traveling Splinter project.
And there's a pause before Jones answered because she sent, willingly, so many men to their deaths but not for the reason Ramse thought-- it was and always would be about:
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Hannah, the daughter she lost.
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Ramse has done a lot of terrible things in his life, willingly taking so many but at some point, he bought Jones' fairy tale about saving the world. He believed it and made Cole believe it. But now he's terrified Cole would suffer what the men before him suffered:
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I love Jones -- she has the hubris and god complex of a Time Lord -- in a way Jones is a Time Lord herself.
She has both noble and selfish goals but she thinks her goals matter more because she can.
And in season 2 -- when she realized that Ramse might have been right and the monster that started all of this, this whole trouble was her -- she determines that she must die. She sends Cassie to her past to stop her from creating a Time Machine.
Because the world revolved around her.
Except, in this case, the world did revolve around Jones. Time needed Jones to successfully make Time Travel happen.
I love this show -- every thing is circular, every end is its beginning, every beginning is its own end.
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purplesunset9112 · 6 months
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So I just noticed this detail
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If Harper says she is the nicest old builder....
Unlike these two (Cause Otto's cool)
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And she is an Expert in Redstone considering all the things we have seen her done in Episode 7
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She did left the old builders group to settle in Crown Mesa
Could it be that she was the one who taught Cassie about Redstone?
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You can even see in this background, that the banners color palette PERFECTLY match that of Otto and Tim's Armor
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And sure they could be coincidence But did you notice this when the White Pumpkin, Lukas and Jesse chase was going on and we finish the interrogation with the Youtubers , we get a view of the main hall of the mansion.
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We can see what could be the base for the Tim Armor, Maybe she was the one improvised the design for it?
We even see a portrait of a snowy plain on the right side of this screenshot,
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its possible she could have made this by her muscle memory if it is her home and she has been living there for years.
But how did she got into the Games in the first place? Well,
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Maybe she was not from the games originally but instead from a random world which was her home world. She was snatched by the old builders to play in the games but seeing how young she is now she was probably 15 or something and Harper was their with the other old builders at that time and
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she felt sympathy for her and decided to adopt her, taught her everything about Redstone which explains her exaptational talent and was taught all the techniques about buildings. She already had a talent for painting from the start and was the one who made all the paintings to promote the whole 'Tim was a hero and the one the games' image. She never played in The games but she observed all the games like the old builders, Mevia and Hadrian taught her how to use weapons and combat, especially AXES. She became some sort of Prodigy of the old builders. But she did something wrong maybe she broke a rule or few that didn't even exist and was kicked out into the two which made Harper angry and left them with the Redstone Heart in a fit of rage.
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4x01 Review
Walker has returned and it's better than ever. Like all good premiere episodes, "The Quiet" set up a lot for us to expect this season and I can't tell y'all how excited I am to see what comes next. But first, there's a birthday boy to celebrate!
The bulk of the episode covers Cordell's birthday celebration. Five months after the return of the Jackal and a horrific break-in at the bungalow, Geri is looking to make it a day to remember, especially after everything he did for her birthday. Initially, this plan includes a family trip to a Lonestar Steak Eating challenge that Cordell has been looking forward to since he was but a wee 16 year-old. But major unexpected events, including a break in the Jackal case and Cassie bringing a huge drug case to their doorstep forces the celebration to be more local.
August suggests getting some steaks and hosting their own competition and everyone jumps on it. Geri takes over decorating, Abby makes the sides, and Bonham handles the steaks. Everyone else just has to keep the party a secret, which they do very well, even when roping Cassie in to deliver him to the party. While Cordell was happy to insist he didn't need such a big celebration, he was more than happy to chow down on his steak. Even if he didn't win, the party was definitely something he needed and Geri is right to be proud of her work- even if it did get interrupted by work.
All this winds down into a more serious discussion about where Cordell's head is at looking at the next year of his life. While Geri wanted to focus on the positives of an empty nest (like perhaps more of what they got up to at the beginning of the episode and maybe more time just for them), she listened to Cordell's concerns about his kids growing up and leaving him behind with just "the quiet". He loves his children for who they are, but he also loves the distraction they bring from the heaviness of his work. Not having them to come home to in the near future is something he doesn't know how to deal with, something he came to realize when August asked to leave the birthday party. While that wasn't where I thought the conversation was going, it was one that needed to be had and I think it was a really solid moment for Cordell and Geri's relationship and that's a big part of why I finally felt the ship this episode.
The other big thing this episode was Cassie's return to Ranger HQ. We discover her 8-week summer camp trip with the FBI to Tampa turned into a 5-month investigation with near radio silence from her to back home. While Cordell and Trey are a little salty about being abandoned by her for Tessa Graves, they're excited to have her back and more than happy to help when she drops a case in their laps- even if it does tamp down on the birthday celebration.
While Cordell's feelings on Cassie's new career are likely dampened by his upcoming empty nest, he is happy that she's pursuing a new opportunity with the FBI- if that's what she really wants to do.
Though Cassie spent most of the episode assuring everyone she wasn't really being swayed one way or the other, it wasn't hard to see that she'd found her place in the FBI, leading an investigation despite not being a full special agent and successfully getting her guys. James did offer her a more local opportunity to make the big changes she was so committed to making with the FBI, but we'll have to see what that opportunity is and if she'll take it.
Trey's interactions with Cassie were extremely awkward this episode. It's clear he was looking forward to her coming back much sooner than she did- or at least being able to talk to her while she was gone. Maybe him holding onto her is why his current attempts at a love life aren't going so well. But, at the very least, it's good to see them back in action as friends.
One of the more serious plots that returned in this episode was the ongoing Jackal investigation. We learn that the Jackal has been quiet since he took his last victim, but that Detective Luna found a lead in a motel room. When Trey checked it out, they found evidence that the Jackal was there, and he left behind a pile of his calling card- jackal teeth (hence the name). This is proof that Hollis was not going to be his final victim- a fact Kelly recognizes all too well when she sees the evidence for herself. She begs Cordell and Trey to keep this a secret from James and Cordell is happy to agree; they both know how bad things got all those years ago and neither of them are ready to relive that.
While Trey is willing to go along with it, he does wonder if the situation is really that serious. After all, he's only ever known James to be a cool, collected leader. Would a serial killer case really be enough to spin him out? When he asks Cordell, we get a flashback to a time during the initial Jackal investigation. James was drinking while looking at evidence and he hadn't been home in days. Desperate to get him to take a break, Cordell brought Kelly to the office to talk to him. James was less than happy about this impromptu intervention and things got physical, scaring everyone involved- especially James. But he still wasn't ready to give up, not yet.
Seeing James like that was shocking; that man is definitely not the captain we've come to know and love. Which begs the question- how close to that will we get when the secret investigation is finally revealed?
Another subplot of the season that was dropped this episode is how Stella is dealing with the aftermath of the break-in. Based on the state of her dorm room and how distant she's been from the family, it's easy to tell she's not doing very well. It's bad enough that she had to go through something like that, but we find out during her meeting with the investigator's that she's lied to them and to Liam about knowing Witt prior to the break-in.
Which begs the question of why? Why lie about that? Surely it wouldn't affect Stella badly to say that she'd met him at a college party a few weeks before. If anything, it might help the investigation. But, if my theory is right about Sadie working with/for Witt and his cohorts, a connection like that could put her in danger, so it's possible that that was her idea, just like not calling the police was her idea and Stella went along with it out of panic.
Speaking of Sadie, where is she in all this? We can gather from Stella asking about Sadie's "counsel" that the two girls haven't been speaking, but we didn't see anyone else showing concern, not even Geri. Was this distance encouraged because of the investigation or has enough time passed since she left that everyone is okay with it?
Big questions aside, it was really nice seeing Liam's support of Stella in this episode. She's nowhere near okay, and he somewhat understands why. Here's hoping he can keep helping her like this in future episodes.
A small but noticeable plot dropped in this episode is August drifting away from his family. Based on dialogue, he's been spending more time with his friends than his family and even dipped out of his father's birthday party early. Though his reasons aren't quite as dramatic as Stella's, it's a distance everyone is feeling to different degrees. I can only imagine this gap is going to get bigger as August attempts to fulfill his military dreams.
can't wait for next episode!
All in all, this was an excellent start to a new season and I am so excited to see what happens next and I have so many questions! Where is Sadie? How long are Trey and Cordell going to be able to keep their Jackal investigation a secret? How will James handle it when he finds out? Will Stella be forced to tell the truth about her and Sadie's connection to Witt? Will Cassie stay on past season 4? Will Cordell ever be able to live out his steak eating competition dreams?
See y'all next episode!
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rayofmisfortune · 2 months
Note
*confused crying*
Tumblr media Tumblr media
Rayyyyy they're being mean to the British baby againnn
Moon's going on a killing spree based on WORD OF MOUTH IMPLICATIONS from A VILLAIN who would FIND ENJOYMENT IN WATCHING HIM RUN AROUND IN LITTLE CIRCLES. THEY HAVE ZERO EVIDENCE AGAINST HIM ASIDE FROM CIRCUMSTANCIAL AND HIM BEING A QUIRKY LIL MAN
Poor Sun trying to talk him down, too- @ikamigami was right (at least I think it was them) Moon is paranoid and going off the deep end
I'm on the verge of making a "the canon is not real if I do not look at it" AU so I can pretend the AU is canon and my babies can be happy
Blorbos confiscated. If they can't play nice with their own characters, then they can't play with them anymore :(
(insert free invitation to rant at me)
I WILL GLADLY TAKE THAT RAJT INVITATION MY DEAR FRIEND (oh my gosh I haven't followed you hsve I 😭 AAAAAH GONNA FIX THAT IM SKRRY AH)
This'll be a little long so, the whole rant and ramble is under cut hehe
MY ROSE TINTED GLASSES HAVE BEEN SHATTERED DUDE 😭
I refuse to accept canon as canon so- *drags over RJ AU Ruin Eclipse* THEY ARE THE CANON RUIN NOW I DON'T MAKE THE RULES
BUT TO BE FAIR... I've noticed a few things that should've been a glaring red flag to Ruin still being a little off the rails I guess-
It's a thing we love about them and it makes then unique i guess... but.. but THEIR ACCEPT STAYING THE SAME SHOULD'VE BEEN A GIVEAWAY THE MOMENT THEY CAME BACK ONLINE AFTER REBOOTING
We've HEARD the actuals Ruin Eclipse before on.. very few occasions.. BUT WE HAVE HEARD THEM! (In the episode where Ruin rescued Foxy and the first Interview with Jigsaw) it wasn't for a long time but... the ACTUAL Ruin Eclipse had talked through Ruin on few occasions.
Linking them below here
With this ^ one, I think that when they start chanting "save me" it was already Jigsaw back in full control.
BUT WHAT I MEANT! Do we hear a poor british accent in any of these instances? NO WE DO NOT!
With this one v
I'm not sure what this one meant. When the video first came out I thought we were hearing Ruin Sun and Moon talking through Ruin who was going on and on about needing to get back to connection and internet..
I mean.. from the Ruin DLC, we know they can probably seperate and talk for themselves?? As seen with Sun who thanked Cassie after being rebooted into Eclipse. (Yes I'm dragging the canon dca into this, Ruin WAS based on that DCA itteration after all..)
And what do we hear when Ruin gets rebooted?
RUIN'S BRITISH ACCENT! I'm probably looking too deep into just how their voice sounded at first vs now... by all means they could've changed their voice over time (as was seen with Puppet). But... I dunno... if they really were just playing everyone a fool this whole time.. I don't think the voice is something we should overlook.
Granted... I believe a lot of things with Ruin may have been retconned or rewritten after the DLC came out. (As canon Eclipse acte nothing like the teams Ruin at the time)
ANYWHO WHY DID I DRAG THIS BEAN OVER HERE YOU ASK? *gestures to RJ AU Ruin Eclipse* well!
Because of a little theory and hc of mine I've slapped onto them! The antivirus DID NOT get rid of the virus as a whole. RJ Ruin Clipsy over here needs to take periodical dosages of the cure to keep the virus at bay and chip away at it to finally be rid of it!
That... that's what I'm gonna hold onto as the reasoning behind how Ruin acts. The actual Eclipse (and even Sun and Moon) is still somewhere in there. As seen in the clips listed above.
Just- PLEASE I NEED THEM HERE W/ ME
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elm-writes-stories · 4 months
Text
Cuphead: Isle of Memories (Rewrite)
*Hey guys! Happy New Year! I'm sorry that I've published this late! I've been busy with work and had been running into a writer's block, but I'm back! Anyway, this episode is published on January 1, 2024. If you guys like this chapter, don't be afraid to heart, reblog, and comment! That would be greatly appreciated! Happy New Year and let's hope this year will be a good year! Enjoy!*
Episode Eleven: Turning Up the Charm
Today was a relaxing day for once in Mugman’s life.
No demons. No Tremaine.
Just him reading a story with Cassidy sitting on his lap to read. Her purring were the only sounds that he could listen to all day. Now, he wished every day could be like this. It didn’t help he was sitting on the bean bag in the corner of the library Djimmi made.
She was resting her eyes while they were reading, which was causing him to fall asleep reading the story with her. And he didn’t mind as long as she was in his arms. But he could’ve sworn he would accidentally drop the book falling asleep like this. He started to move around to close the book, which woke her up a little.
“Oh, sorry,” Mugman whispered to her while putting the book back on the shelf.
“It’s okay,” she said tiredly, cuddling her head on his shoulder. Her paws were making biscuits on his shirt with a content smile.
Once he put the book away, he leaned back so that she could get comfortable laying on him. A smile formed his face. He began resting his eyes and holding her in his arms.
Before he could sink into a deep sleep, Chalice appeared by his side as a ghost.
“Mugsy!” Chalice shouted with a sudden urgency, waking both Mugman and Cassidy up with yelps and jolts.
Mugman took a few deep breaths with a groan. “Chalice…”
“I have a crisis,” Chalice replied. “It’s urgent…and, uh, private.”
“Private?” Mugman questioned.
Chalice nodded her head. “I promise it’ll be real quick.”
“Okay…” Mugman moved a little while Cassidy scooted off of him. “I’ll be back.”
“Okay,” Cassidy said while watching him get up from the bean bag.
He felt his legs ache from letting Cassidy sit on his lap for too long. He shook off the aches and followed Chalice around the corner away from Cassidy.
“So, what exactly do you need from me?” Mugman questioned.
“I’ll tell you in a minute,” Chalice stated. Once they got away from Cassidy, she turned to him. “Okay, there’s been something that has been bothering me and you’re the only one…well, besides Cuphead by now, that knows what to do.”
“Uh…know what to do about what?”
“Ya know? Uh…this…um…well, you know how you are when ya first met Cassi.”
Mugman tilted his head for a moment until he realized what she was talking about. Then he smirked teasingly at her. “Yeah?”
“Well, let’s say that there’s a fella who knew how to play the violin, fix some things, and he’s a nerd when it comes to myths and legends. I dont’ know if he likes me back the same way though,” she responded.
He blinked in shock. “I thought he already likes ya.”
She blushed. “He does?!”
“Yeah, I thought that was obvious.”
“Wait, we’re talkin’ about the same guy, right?” she asked.
“Canteen Hughes?” Mugman inquired.
“Yeah, we’re talkin’ about the same guy,” she said.
He arched a brow. “And you like him back.”
“Well, yeah…I mean, I think he’s neat. I dunno how this works. You and Cuphead might be the only two ding-dongs I know that knows about this kind of feeling,” Chalice replied. “Ugh, now I realize why Saltbaker kept saying he’s my future boyfriend.”
“Okay, okay, calm down,” Mugman responded while rubbing his hands. “Maybe you can ask him out on a date.”
“Oh, like you did with Cassi?”
“Yeah.”
“Good one. But if I were to ask him out on the date, it has to be spectacular!”
“Uh, well, it doesn’t have to be—”
“I know! We can start arguing and then not getting along until finally we confess our feelings for each other and we are dating officially!” Chalice replied.
“Uhhh, I’m not sure that’s how romance works—”
It was sudden that Cuphead zoomed into the scene with a panicked look on his face. “Hey, Mugsy! I just asked Nat out on a date and she said yes! What do I do now?!”
“Whoa, whoa, one at a time!” Mugman shouted until he noticed his brother’s legs bruised. “Wait, what happened to your legs, Cuphead?”
“Uh…it’s a long story,” Cuphead answered nervously.
“Wait, you asked Nat out on a date?” Chalice questioned with a gasp.
“Yeah,” Cuphead responded nervously.
Chalice’s smile brightened. “Way to go, Cups! I knew you had it in you! Now, I have a question for you. How did you do it?”
“Do what?” Cuphead asked.
“Ask her out on a date?” Chalice persisted.
“I dunno. We got ourselves into a dangerous situation and kind of confessed our feelings to each other. I mean, we kissed on the lips first and then I asked her out on a date,” Cuphead responded.
“Wait, what?!” Chalice and Mugman gasped.
“You jumped into it?!” Mugman shouted.
“No, she kissed first!” Cuphead said immaturely.
“Aww,” Chalice replied. “Wait, you said you were in a dangerous situation?”
“Yeah?” Cuphead uttered.
“And you confessed to each other about your feelings?”
“Yes.”
She pondered for a moment and then smirked mischievously. “That gives me an idea.”
“Wait, Mugman, which one of you kiss on the lips first? You or Cassi?” Cuphead asked.
“We haven’t kiss each other on the lips yet,” Mugman answered sheepishly.
“WHAT?! You two have been together all this time and haven’t kissed each other on the lips yet?!” Cuphead yelled.
“Not so loud, Cuphead!” Mugman whispered harshly to his brother.
Chalice groaned impatiently. “Can we get back to the matter at hand?”
Mugman nodded. “Yes, yes, please.”
“How did you two ding-dongs get those girls to like ya? Let alone letting girls kiss ya first?” Chalice asked the brothers.
The cup brothers were silent for a moment while looking at each other. Then they glanced back at Chalice.
“I dunno,” Cuphead responded.
“Yeah, me neither,” Mugman replied.
Chalice slapped her forehead with a sigh in discouragement. “I thought you both would be more experts on romance.”
“Chalice, I just asked Nat out on a date. I don’t know how I got her to even like me,” Cuphead responded. “I mean, I did tell her how I feel about her.”
“Yeah, I did the same to Cassidy…although I thought I was confessing it to you,” Mugman said while looking at his brother.
“Hey, at least, you got together with Cassi thanks to me,” Cuphead replied with a smirk.
“So, I guess I got to tell him how I feel then,” Chalice replied, pondering. “While turning up that charm of acting like a ding-dong! That’s what I’ll do! I get him to come with me on a perilous journey, get trapped in a cave with him, confess to him on how I feel, and then ask him on a date. Or kiss him on the lips first and then ask him out on a date. Whichever works!”
“Uh,” the brothers uttered.
“Thanks, fellas! Wish me luck!” Chalice said as she flew away.
Cuphead and Mugman froze and looked at each other.
“Should we go after her?” Cuphead questioned.
“Nah, she’ll be fine,” Mugman responded and shifted his attention back to Cuphead. “Soooo, you asked Nat on the date, huh?”
“Uh, yeah,” Cuphead said with a blush. “Mind helpin’ me out?”
“Helping out?”
The cup brothers turned to see Cassidy walking to them.
“Oh, Cassi,” Mugman replied excitedly and hurried over to her. “Sorry I was taking so long to get back to you.”
“It’s okay,” she said with a smile. “I was wondering about what’s happenin’ with Chalice.”
“She’s on her own journey. Say, maybe you could help us,” Mugman suggested to his girlfriend.
“Ooh, help with what?” Cassidy asked excitedly.
“You see, Cuphead just asked Nat out on a date,” Mugman replied.
“Hey, no need on tellin’ the whole world about it,” Cuphead responded defensively.
“Shush,” Mugman replied, continuing to talk to Cassidy. “I’m going to get Cuphead a nice suit for his date. Do you think you would want to help Natalie with getting ready for the date? Kind of like what they did with us?”
Cassidy seemed uneasy for a moment, which was noticed by Mugman.
“Oh, you don’t have to help if you don’t want to,” Mugman replied.
“No, I want to,” Cassidy said. “It’s just…I’m never a fashion expert. Natalie knows more than I do and I feel like I’m going to mess it up for her.”
“You won’t,” Mugman said softly. “I’m sure you’ll do fine.”
Cassidy thought about it. Her ears perked as soon as an idea struck her. “Ooh! I know someone else who’s a fashion expert!”
The red feline kissed Mugman on the cheek and ran off with a newfound determination.
Mugman gazed at her with a lovey-dovey smile.
Cuphead rubbed his arm. “So, are you gonna help me pick out a suit?”
“Yeah!” Mugman said excitedly. “Right this way, my dear brother!”
Cuphead walked with Mugman while rolling his eyes.
~.~
 Canteen had been trying to get back into building things in his tent.
Ever since he was a kid, he had a mechanic family that didn’t have a happy family. Remembering those families that died all those years ago still brought him back to that trauma. However, he wanted to build something…something like a plane.
Canteen had been drawing on a blueprint paper of all the screws and parts needed to build a plane on his wooden desk, but his mind started to drift off today.
Instead of drawing screws, he drew a face on the blueprint. His pencil outlined the details of the person’s face and he found himself drawing Chalice. It appeared to be accurate to the detail. He kept drawing her face, including her eyes and her dimples when she smiled. Then he drew her torso and a skirt she always wore since he first met her. Her heels were last. A smile came on his face as he drew more in detail.
“Whatcha drawin’?” A familiar cheery voice spoke beside him.
Canteen jumped with a yelp and covered the drawing of Chalice. He looked over his shoulder to find Chalice floating next to him.
“Uh…nothing. Nothing…j-just working on a new project,” Canteen stuttered with his face red.
“Ooh, can I see?” Chalice asked excitedly.
“Uh…i-it’s not really complete yet.”
“That’s okay. I don’t mind seein’ it anyway. Unless you don’t want me too—”
“No! No, uh, I just…uh, haven’t sketch the full picture yet.”
She turned into her physical form with a bright grin. “Well, you can show me it when you’re ready! But, on a fun side of things, I got an adventure we both can go on! Together!”
“T-Together? As in me and you together?”
“Yep! I heard that there’s a really cool place that we can explore together! It’s about…maybe thirty miles from this place. What d’ya say we go and see what’s there?”
Canteen blushed at the thought of going with Chalice someplace. “Um…yeah, sure.”
“Alright! Let’s go!” Chalice started to walk away.
“Wait,” Canteen urged while leaving the blueprint behind. “Where are we going exactly?”
“Well, that’s for me to know and you to find out,” she said with a wink.
He blushed and followed her out of the camp.
~.~
Natalie had been pacing in front of the ship with her anxious thoughts running through her liquid mind. She couldn’t believe she said yes to dating Cuphead. First, she kissed him and then she accepted his offer for a date.
She had been many dates before because her mother forced her too and most of them were little boys richer than her. Or guys that were way older than she liked to admit. And of course, she chased away the dates who were boys her age. She always thought it was them, but now she believed it to be her once she realized how badly she mistreated Cassidy. Natalie couldn’t believe that it took Cassidy being under the Devil’s control to wake her up.
“Natalie—”
Natalie screeched and spun around to find Cassidy behind her. She grabbed her chest and sighed in relief. “Oh, Cassi, it’s just you. Sorry, I was thinking about stuff.”
Cassidy gave her a smirk. “About your date with Cuphead?”
Natalie’s face turned redder than a tomato. “How did you—?”
“Cuphead told Mugman and Mugman told me,” the red cat said.
“Oh,” Natalie uttered while rubbing her arm nervously.
“And I came to help you get ready for your date. You know, the same way you helped me get ready for a date with Mugman.”
Natalie frowned. “You remembered that?”
“Of course I remembered,” Cassidy said. She noticed Natalie’s frown. “Are you okay?”
“I didn’t think you would remember what I’ve done that was good.”
Cassidy softened her gaze. “Well, I would be lying if I said that you never did anything to help me.”
“Yeah, but I—”
“I want to forget the past.”
Natalie glanced up at her friend in shock. “But—”
“You have done horrible things to me in the past,” Cassidy said softly. “I stuck around you, because you were the only friend my age who even tolerated me at the time. I feel like I have to want to do things with you so that I can be around you. Or do the things only you want to do just to be around you. But you’ve changed. I’ve noticed that you’re not like that anymore.”
Natalie widened her eyes more.
“I don’t hate you, Natalie. I’ve never hated you. I’m always going to be your friend…I’ve always made that promise to you. But I want to forget about what happened in the past. It brings pain to even talk about it.”
Natalie softened her gaze and nodded. “Okay. I just want to say I’m sorry…for everything.”
“I forgive you.”
There was silence as both of the friends exchanged soft smiles.
“Now,” Cassidy began excitedly. “Let’s pick a cute dress for you.”
“But you don’t like clothes shopping,” Natalie pointed out.
Cassidy grinned. “Well, I know someone who knows about fashion. C’mon!”
She grabbed Natalie by the wrist, pulling her away from the ship and hurrying away to pick a cute outfit for her.
~.~
“Are you sure you know where you’re going?” Canteen asked while strolling through the forest with Chalice.
“Oh, I’m sure of it,” Chalice said while looking for a cave around them to get trapped in.
Canteen didn’t seem convinced by Chalice’s answer. He looked around the forest to hear the pretty birds chirping and the sun shining through the leaves of the trees. The branches swayed to the gentle breeze, setting chills down on his spine.
He glanced at her and softly gazed at her. “Sooo, are you going to give me some hint as to where we’re going?”
She turned back with a small smirk at him. “It’s gonna blow your socks off.”
“That’s not a hint,” he teased with a blush.
“It’s some hint,” she quipped.
He rolled his eyes playfully. “Look, if you think it’s my birthday, you’re way off by two months and twenty days.”
Her smirk widened. “I’ll be sure to note that. But it’s not for your birthday.”
He dropped his playful look. “Then…what are you taking me out for?”
“Well, there’s something I oughta show you and I thought you would like it—”
Both Chalice and Canteen stopped when they noticed a temple ahead of them. For some reason, the white stoned temple seemed familiar to her.
Canteen gasped in recognition of the temple. “Whoa.”
“Whoa what?”
The silver canteen headed off towards the temple, taking the lead now with fascination in his eyes.
“Canteen, wait!” Chalice chased after Canteen towards the temple.
The kids reached to the bottom of the steps, looking up at the two front statues.
Chalice softened her gaze at one of the statues of a cup woman with long wavy hair resting on her shoulder and her name engraved under her feet of her name.
“Esther Cupchal.”
Chalice frowned at the name and then looked at the other statue, a man with a cup for his head that was chipped on the side. His name was engraved under his feet as well, but it was barely readable.
“Chester Cupchal.”
Canteen focused on the entrance of the temple with an awed look. “Is this what you’re trying to show me?”
Chalice faked a smile. “Yeah, definitely. Definitely! Since ya like myths and stuff, you might like looking at a mausoleum.”
He turned to look at her and saw her fake smile. “Are you sure this is the place you want to show me?”
She waved off her emotions and took him by the hand. “Yeah. C’mon. There’s so much to look at.”
They head into the mausoleum. Once they were inside, Chalice found herself more familiar with her surroundings. She looked at more statues of familiar friends, remembering their dead bodies in the glitch of her memories. She moved her eyes away from the statues and focused forward, leaving Canteen in confusion.
Canteen noticed one of the statues that was a spoon with the name under her feet:
Silversmith Spoon.
The canteen realized that Chalice was trying to keep her gaze away from the statues. He frowned at the sight of her and hurried beside her, faking a grin.
“Hey, if you want, we can find somewhere else to explore. I’m sure there are plenty of things in the forest we can explore other than this mausoleum,” Canteen said.
She faked a smile. “Aww, I thought you liked myths and legends.”
“I do,” he replied with a blush. “But I’m sure there are more adventures out there than this old mausoleum.” As he was saying the last part, he stepped on the floor plate that sunk below his foot.
He widened his eyes in shock and looked down to see that he pressed the floor plate.
The ground began to open under their feet as they wrapped their arms around each other and fell into the dark abyss with screams. 
~.~
Cassidy was guiding Natalie through the village, looking for this supposed “fashion expert” to help her find her friend a perfect dress for the date.
Natalie was surprised to see this side of Cassidy, the one who was all giddy and excited for her best friend’s date. Not that Cassidy had never been happy for Natalie before, but Natalie could see a gleam in her eyes that were filled with pure genuine joy. She knew Cassidy didn’t like clothes shopping as much as Natalie, but it didn’t feel like Cassidy was sacrificing her own happiness for Natalie’s sake. Or forcing herself to dangerous situations to please her best friend. Maybe because this time…Natalie didn’t ask her too. And maybe this time…Cassidy wanted to do this.
However, Natalie felt a slight disappointment when she was taken to Porkrind’s shop. She blinked in confusion and glanced at her best friend.
“Why are we—?”
The answer was revealed immediately after Cassidy opened the door. The girls noticed Dice leaning over the counter and talking to Porkrind, who seemed to lean a bit towards the former gambler in interest of what he was saying.
“So, here’s the thing, if we can make your shop just a tad bit fancier,” Dice began while gesturing to the shop without looking at the girls. “You should be getting more customers and more customers means more money.”
“Make it fancy?” Porkrind questioned. He crossed his arm with a brow raised. “How fancy are we talking?”
“Well…” Dice looked around the shop until he noticed the girls. “Oh, hey, girls.” He glanced at the pig to whisper, “You got your first customers.”
“Actually, Dice, we’re looking for you,” Cassidy clarified.
“Me?” King Dice glanced at Porkrind, who shrugged his shoulders. Dice shifted his attention back at the girls. “Why me?”
“We need your fashion expertise,” Cassidy replied excitedly.
A smug smile formed on the die’s lips. “Well, well, you came to the right place. So, who do we need to dress up?”
Cassidy glanced at Natalie, who waved at Dice nervously.
“Hi,” Natalie uttered.
“Hello,” Dice responded.
“She needs a perfect dress for her date with Cuphead,” Cassidy said with a bright smile.
Natalie’s entire face turned red and she smiled nervously.
“Oh,” Dice responded with a small chuckle. “I didn’t think that cup is gonna get a girl because of his lack of…well, intelligence. But I see he’s got you fallin’ for him.”
“Hey, Cuphead is not stupid,” Natalie argued with Dice in a defensive manner.
Dice blinked in shock.
Porkrind put his hand on his hip and looked at Dice with a teasing smirk at him. “Better not talk bad about her man.”
Dice giggled and glanced at the one-eyed pig. “He ain’t a man just yet.” He shifted his attention to Natalie while rubbing the bottom edge of his square face. “Buuuut…I can get you pretty up before the date. You know, if we put some light make-up and a pretty pink dress on ya, you would look fabulous. It’ll even knock Cuphead’s socks off.”
Natalie suddenly became uncomfortable when Dice offered his hand to guide her. Cassidy noticed the discomfort in her friend’s face along with Dice and Porkrind.
“You okay, Nat?” Cassidy asked with a brow raised.
Dice blinked in realization and frowned for a moment. He shook off his frown and gave Natalie a comforting smile. “Would it better if you have a lady help getting you ready for your date?”
Natalie glanced at Cassidy for a moment and then back at King Dice with a small nod.
“What—?” Cassidy seemed confused until Dice pulled her aside and whispered to her about what happened to Natalie before they went to rescue the feline from Hell. The red cat gasped in shock and glanced at her friend with a soft look.
Natalie looked away in shame and embarrassment.
Dice turned to Porkrind. “Hey, Porks, you got a phone? I gotta make a call real quick.”
Porkrind darted his gaze at Natalie and then back at Dice. He pointed at the phone hooked on the wall next to him. “Knock yourself out.”
Dice nodded and headed to the phone. He dialed the number and leaned against the wall, holding the speaker.
“Hello, is this Sally?” Dice called. An answer came, causing him to smile. “This is Dice. Uh, say, someone needs your help in dressing her up and getting her ready for her date. Do you mind helping her out?”
Dice smiled when he got a response he wanted to hear. “Great. We’re right inside of Pork’s shop. See you soon.”
He hung up the phone and glanced at the ladies. “So, I got someone on her way to help ya out.”
“Thanks, Dice,” Natalie said with a weak smile.
Not even a minute later, Sally entered the shop with a bright smile and dresses on her arms.
“I heard someone is trying to get ready for a date,” Sally replied excitedly.
Natalie rose her hand slowly. “I am.”
“Ooh, I got a bunch of pretty dresses that are not costumes. Wanna try them on?” Sally asked while showing many dresses on her arms.
Natalie nodded her head. “Sure.”
“I can come with you if it’s okay with Dad,” Cassidy said while looking at her father.
Porkrind smiled. “Yeah, yeah. Just stay safe out there and have fun.”
The feline grinned and stayed by Natalie while they walked away to go with Sally to try on dresses.
Once the girls left, Porkrind huffed a sigh and looked at his desk.
Dice noticed Porkrind’s sigh. “Everything okay?”
“Yeah. I’m fine,” Porkrind said.
“You sure?”
The one-eyed pig glanced at Dice to notice the former gambler leaning forward a bit in interest.
“It’s nothing. It’s just that…she keeps reminding me too much of an old friend I had once.”
“Shayna, right?”
Porkrind glanced at Dice in shock.
“Uh, Jerry told me about you lost her. I’m sorry for your loss.”
The pig waved it off. “It was years ago.”
Dice frowned to notice him looking away. “But it still hurts you to this day, right?”
“Sometimes.”
Dice tilted his head. “Is she Shayna’s daughter?”
“Yeah.”
“Oh…well, that puts things into perspective than.”
“What?”
“Well, most people hate red cats back then. But you didn’t because your friend was one of them. I guess it’s why you cared so much about Cassidy since she’s your friend’s daughter.”
Porkrind huffed a laugh. “You’re a detective now?”
“You can say that I’m connecting the dots here. Am I getting any of it right so far?”
The pig looked away sadly again. “Yeah, you’re getting it right.”
There was a brief silence while Dice frowned and looked away.
Porkrind noticed Dice shifting his glance away and cleared his throat to get his attention back. “You know, I’m wondering what the boys are even doing to get Cuphead ready for his date.”
Dice huffed up a laugh. “Yeah, I wonder that too.”
~.~
Mugman searched through the closet of their new home, finding a bunch of clothes he didn’t know they even had. Suits, shirts, shorts, and pants. Heck, even coats with two pairs of winter boots for the snow.
Cuphead sat at the edge of the bed while staring at his brother looking through the closet.
“Man, to think Djimmi would add clothes on top of giving us a house to live in. Oh! There’s that red suit I was lookin’ for!” He turned to show the red suit to Cuphead. “What do you think, Cuphead—?”
Mugman noticed Cuphead looking at the ground without lifting his eyes up to see the suit. He tilted his head in confusion. “Hey, aren’t you excited about your date?”
“Huh?” Cuphead snapped out of his thoughts and looked at his brother. He faked a smile. “Uh, yeah, I am.”
Mugman wasn’t convinced. “Cuphead, the date is gonna be fine as long as the Devil, the demons, and the infectees won’t find us here. Which they won’t tonight. Or any other night hopefully—”
“I ain’t worried about the date.”
“Then…you’re worried about something.”
Cuphead rubbed his hands without saying a word.
Mugman set the suit aside and sat by his brother. “Hey, if there’s somethin’ bothering ya, you know you can talk to me about it, right?”
Cuphead nodded his head, but there was no response still.
Mugman looked ahead with a sad look. “Did I…do anything that made you feel like you can’t talk to me?”
His brother shook his head. “Nah, you did nothing wrong—”
“Are you sure?”
“Mugman, it ain’t got anything to do with you. I just—” Cuphead couldn’t finish the sentence without hugging himself.
“You just what?”
“I just thought about how I was trying to help you set up for your date with Cassi. Now you’re trying to help me set up for my date with Nat. It’s kind of nice, you know? Like how you were trying to keep me from losing my soul to the Devil. And now, sometimes I feel like I’m trying to keep you from getting hurt.”
Mugman frowned while listening to his brother.
“I’m sorry I hadn’t been the best brudda to you in a past,” Cuphead said.
Mugman chuckled a bit. “I hadn’t been the best brother to you either.” He placed a hand on Cuphead’s shoulder, getting his brother’s attention. “It’s okay, Cuphead. You don’t have to feel guilty about it anymore.”
“I know…I just…can’t help but think about what it could’ve been if I ain’t so stupid.”
“Well, what you did a lot of stupid things,” Mugman corrected his brother. “Going to that carnival where the Devil tries to steal souls, getting answers wrong on Roll the Dice, stealing cookies from the cookie factory, getting ourselves arrested being in that said cookie factory, almost getting yourself injured at every turn, blowing up wood for the winter, stealing the Devil’s pitchfork—”
“Are you trying to make me feel better? Because it ain’t workin’ so far.”
Mugman sighed. “But besides all of that, Cuphead, I couldn’t have asked for a better brother who is also my best friend. You annoy me and irritate me, but you also taught me a lot of things….good things! Like being brave and making decisions that were opposite of yours when situations arise.”
“Okay…”
“You also were there for me when I’m hurt, sad, lonely, and when I needed you the most. You get me into a lot of trouble and it was all fun while it lasted. What it could’ve been doesn’t matter now. We got each other and right now, I’m gonna help you get ready for that date of yours. Just like how you helped me.”
Cuphead smiled softly. “Thanks, Mugsy.”
Mugman nodded and skipped off the subject. “Say, you want to wear the red suit or…any other suit?”
“I’ll stick with the red one since it suits me more.”
“Perfect.”
Cuphead pondered for a moment. “I wonder how Chalice was doing confessing to Canteen.”
“Oh yeah. I’m sure they’re fine.”
~.~
Canteen and Chalice were laying on the ground with groans of pain from the fall.
Chalice sprung herself up on her feet and dusted herself off. “Well, that was quite a fall—” She noticed Canteen barely standing up with wobbly legs. “Golly, Canteen, you okay?!”
“Yep…” Canteen answered with a thumbs up. “Are we still at the mausoleum?”
Chalice looked up at the hole they fell from. “Looks like we’re under it now.”
“Geez…”
“Hey, we got ourselves trapped in the cave.”
“Uh…yeah?”
“Ooh, okay. Um…how should I—how should we—?”
“We just look for the way out,” Canteen said with an obvious tone. He pointed straight ahead. “There might be something ahead. Let’s go.” He limped forward, causing concern for her.
She clenched her teeth. “Man, I didn’t think about the injuries for this trip.”
Both of them walked through the cave, shivering in the soft breeze. Canteen’s limping started to bother Chalice to the point where she contorted her face in guilt.
“Man, this is not how I would imagine this.”
“Imagine what?” Canteen asked with confusion.
“Well, you see…um, I was thinkin’ that we go on a perilous journey—without gettin’ injured…and, you know…say our deepest feelings.”
“Deepest feelings?” Canteen questioned.
“Yeah. What’s your deepest feeling right now?”
He rubbed the back of his head. “Well, I’m the one that got us trapped here. I didn’t think there was a pressure plate.”
“Yeah, I didn’t see that either. Don’t feel bad. It happens.”
He frowned.
She noticed it with a curious look. “What’s wrong?”
He shook his head. “It’s nothing.”
“Canteen…”
He went silent for a moment until he glanced at Chalice. “Have you ever felt like…?”
She leaned a bit to listen what else he had to say.
“You know…have you ever felt like you’re a bad omen?”
Chalice blinked at the question. “A bad omen…?”
“Yeah.”
She pondered for a second. “Well, before I met the two ding-dongs, I did feel like a bad omen. But when I did meet them, I didn’t feel so…alone. I felt like I gained something that I’ve lost a long time ago. It’s…hard to explain.”
He reached his hand out for hers to comfort her until she noticed. He pulled away, blushing in embarrassment. She gave him a warm smile and held his hand. He was shocked at the gesture for a moment until he exchanged a warm smile back to her and held her hand a bit tighter.
“Soo, do you feel like a bad omen?” she asked softly.
He lost his smile. “Well…yeah. I get called ‘Bad Luck Hughes’ growing up.”
“Oh golly! Why?”
“Heh, it’s complicated.”
“I’m all for complicated, you know.”
He paused for a moment and then sighed. “Whenever I get adopted…my parents just died…”
Chalice blinked in shock.
“Like…one of the parents who adopted me got into a car accident. The other parents got themselves killed in a fight…Heck, the third time I got adopted, my parents just got jumped by a gang and died. That’s when the rumor started to spread by the caretakers in the orphanage. They would tell the parents who would think about adopting me that I was ‘Bad Luck Hughes’ and to not adopt me if they don’t want bad luck in their houses. Then the kids became afraid of me…like I was going to hurt them…and I would never hurt anyone…ever…” He started to choke out the words at the end.
She widened her eyes in shock to hear this from him. Then she watched him trying not to sob in front of her with a frown.
“I wouldn’t want to hurt anyone ever…not even you.”
She smiled softly and held his hand tighter while listening to him break down and cry.
“Now I got us trapped in this cave and I’m sorry. I’m sorry I haven’t brought the best of luck with the group…it’s almost like every bad thing happened and I’m scared that if I lose you…I-I don’t know what would happen. I just…I guess I don’t want anything bad to take you from me.”
She blushed at his words.
He shook his head while wiping his tears away. “Sorry…that was pretty stupid thing to say.”
“It ain’t stupid. Out of all of the things I’ve heard in my past lives, you ain’t saying anything stupid.”
He glanced at her and sniffled. “Sorry.”
“You don’t have anything to apologize for,” she said while leaning her head against his.
He smiled softly and let her lay her head on his. They continued to walk through the cave and saw a door ahead.
“Is that the way out?” Canteen asked timidly.
Chalice opened the door. They both widened their eyes to discover there were three orbs resting on both sides of the wide hallway. One was glowing pink, one was glowing bright green, and one was glowing dark blue.
By the end of the hallway, there was a glowing pool. She stepped forward towards the pool, followed by Canteen.
“Chalice?” Canteen called, but she didn’t respond.
Her eyes started to tremble as she continued towards the pool. She looked down to find that there was no bottom of the glowing pool. She didn’t want to jump into it, but she remembered something about it…something familiar.
“I—I remember this place…”
He looked at her in shock. “What?”
She tilted her head and got on her knees, trying to find the source of the glow in the pool. “I remember this pool.”
He arched a brow in confusion. “What are you remembering?”
She glanced at him. He could see the tears in her eyes.
“I don’t know…” she said sadly.
He frowned and looked at the orbs. He was curious about the dark blue orb, but he didn’t draw near it when he turned to look at her. He came by her and sat next to her to stare at the glowing pool.
“Canteen…there’s something I oughta tell ya…and I need you to not tell the others about it,” she said finally. “Not until I can be brave enough to tell them.”
He looked at her and nodded. “I won’t, I promise.”
She smiled at him softly. “You read the legends of the Legendary Chalice, right?”
He nodded his head.
She continued, “Well, what those legends didn’t tell ya was a long time ago, the Calix Animi were supposed to serve the Most High and protect mortals from dealing with demons, but the gifts from the Most High became their own gifts when the members of the Calix Animi became prideful. The members say that only people who are chosen by the Most High and worthy will obtain the last two gifts. Then a ding-dong thief managed to mix the last two gifts together and became one of them.”
Canteen tilted his head. “ The two gifts mixed together? Wait! Are you talking about the Eternal’s Orb?”
She smiled. “Yep. That’s how the Eternal’s Orb was born. Anyway, the other members didn’t react too kindly when they saw a thief having the Eternal’s Orb inside of him. Of course, that caused a lot of division between them. The Devil sees this and well…took advantage of it. There was a battle and…let’s say that the Legendary Chalice lost everything. She’s the only one who survived the battle.”
He frowned when listening to the story. “She must have felt alone.”
“And a bad omen too.”
He perked his head up.
She sighed sadly. “She decided to do something that she regretted and caused her to reincarnate so many times. She threw her spear down into that pool, gather the powers of her dead friends, and hid them away in this place…except for one.”
“The Eternal’s Orb?”
“Yeah, she placed it over at the other mausoleum at someplace different that eventually became Sugarland,” Chalice replied. “Don’t ask me why…I still didn’t get why I decided to place Eternal’s Orb to this day. Probably scared that the demons might find it…? Not sure.”
He frowned. “And now you’re here.”
“Yep…”
He held her hand, catching her attention. “I won’t say anything to anyone. I promise.”
“I know. I trust you, Hughes,” she said with a soft smile while she grabbed his face and kissed his lips. He widened his eyes before melting into the kiss. He grabbed her face to keep the kiss going until they broke away to look into each other’s eyes. Their eyes suddenly broadened cartoonishly as Canteen let go of her face.
“Whoa,” he uttered.
She felt sudden chills coming down her spine. “Wow…heh, I’ve never felt this before.”
“Me neither…” he said while blushing madly.
She got excited and kissed his lips again, almost knocking him down. He gasped in shock once her lips crashed into his again, but his shock melted away as he caressed her face.
They both broke away, causing Chalice to bounce away like a little kid.
“Whoa, wow! Wow,” she responded, trying to keep herself together.
He giggled giddily. “Yeah…” He realized that they were still in the hallway. “Uh, should we get out of here? Maybe later we can…you know, find someplace to hang out and…”
“Date?” she finished with a smile.
“Yeah.”
She came up to him and helped him up on his feet with a lovesick grin. “I would love that.”
They both turned to look and found a door to the side. They went to the door and opened it to find that there was a way out from under the ground. As they went up the stairs, they were holding hands and walking as close to each other as they could.
~.~
The night was young.
Cuphead had been standing outside of the theater with his red suit after the brothers were told by Cassidy through the phone that they were getting ready at Sally’s theater.
The cup became impatient, which was noticed by his brother.
“She’ll come out. Don’t worry,” Mugman reassured his brother.
Cuphead looked away ashamed. “I know. I’m just…well…you know how it feels, huh?”
“Anxious, impatient, nervous, and excited all mix together?”
“Yeah.”
Mugman smiled softly. “Welcome to dating.”
They heard heels clicked and turned their heads to notice their girlfriends coming out.
Cassidy let Natalie walk towards Cuphead.
Cuphead’s pupils dilated when he saw her wearing her dark pink dress with a skirt that appeared to be fluffy and with feathers dragging on the floor. She had only light make-up with light pink eyeshadows and light blushes on her cheeks. She had her brown liquid hair up in a bun, pinned by the dark pink feathers. She had long light pink gloves on that went up to her elbows and heels.
She seemed nervous. “Heh, I don’t know if I picked the right dress for the date—”
“Pretty,” Cuphead blurted out.
She stopped her sentence and blushed. Then she gave a smile. “You think so?”
He nodded his head. “Yeah.” Then he noticed Natalie wearing the pink pearl necklace that Cuphead gave to her when Mugman was first dating Cassidy. “Hey, you’re wearing the necklace I gave ya a long time ago.”
“Yeah…you don’t mind, right?”
He shook his head. “I bought it for you. I don’t mind at all whether you wear it or not.”
She grinned at him. “Ready?”
He nodded and held his arm out. “Ready.”
She wrapped her arm around his and stayed close to him.
Mugman watched them with a proud smirk at his brother. He felt someone lean against him and looked to see Cassidy rubbing her head against his with purrs. He wrapped his arm around her waist while her tail embraced around his waist.
“Are we going to spy on them like they did to us?” she whispered against the side of his head.
He giggled. “Maybe. Maybe not. I ain’t too worried about them.”
She sighed and laid her head on his shoulder. “You know, since everything is getting calmer, do you think we can try another date?”
He looked at her. “Like going out to eat kind of date?”
She nodded her head with a ‘Mhm’.
He gave a small chuckle. “I would love that.”
Chalice and Canteen approached them with bruises and scratches, which were noticed by Mugman and Cassidy.
“By golly, what happened to you both?” Mugman questioned Chalice and Canteen.
Both Chalice and Canteen exchanged glances at each other and snickered a bit.
“Well, let’s just say that we went on a perilous journey,” she said with a shrug.
Mugman looked to see Chalice holding Canteen’s hand. “Oh. Well, congratulations.”
“Thanks,” Canteen answered bashfully.
Chalice looked to see Cuphead and Natalie going to Fly Trap and sitting at the dock of the ferry ship. “Did I miss anything with Cuphead and Natalie?”
“Other than them getting ready for a date, not that much,” Mugman answered.
They watched as the cups were going on date. By the end of the date, Cuphead and Natalie danced with each other to the music played by Ribby and Croaks.
As Mugman watched on, he felt something strange in his body. His vision became a blur for a moment. He almost stumbled, but he felt Cassidy holding him up. He glanced at her to notice her concern look with a clearer vision.
“Are you okay?” she asked.
“Yeah, yeah,” he said.
His friends and his girlfriend didn’t believe him, but they didn’t push further.
As they watched, Mugman couldn’t help but felt like something was calling him. It was calling his name. He tried to ignore it, but it was getting harder and harder to ignore. A vision of a pool came and went for a second. He became light-headed from trying to ignore this weird vision. He felt like he was going to throw up, but he couldn’t. His legs were shaking and he was breathing shallow breaths. He could barely hear Cassidy’s concern tone, but it was muffled. He could assume that she was asking if he was okay. He gave a slight nod to her as his vision became a blur. Then the blur became black. He lost his balance and collapsed onto the ground.
He could no longer hear the voices asking him if he was alright. It was just him and the darkness. 
To Be Continued...
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annonniiiiieeeee · 1 year
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how does katsuichi feel abt leo’s fam? who does he bond with best? who does he bond with first? who slightly terrifies him(donnie)?
Okay so I thought about this a lot.
Besides Leo who he obviously has a close relationship with it’s Raph and Donnie.
Does Donnie worry him sometime yes absolutely.
But this is a man who gives genuine praise out like it’s candy on Halloween. If you did something good or he’s proud of you he’s going to say it.
Mikey gets a second dad in Draxum (he is trying to be their for the rest of the family but Mikey is special)
Leo had Señor Hueso to lean on.
Splinter’s whole character arch is realizing that his sons are his greatest accomplishments and the best thing to ever happen to him. He is a way better father at the end then at the beginning. I was watching the show when my mom visited and I was talking to her about it. We just got to the episode where Lou Jitsu was revealed to be their father and she went “so that’s splinter to. He’s their dad.” And so she watching this parent who is so deep in their own depression and struggling to regain what they think is their lost glory that we get to the monster truck episode and she goes. “He best turn it around after this.” And he does. When splinter is faced with his failures he does eventually correct them.
However we are here for Katsuichi.
Donnie mister “praise from a parental age adult” is all I ever wanted. He bends over backwards for Katsuichi. The first time Katsuichi sees Donnie’s tech and what it can do, he is freaked out but impressed. He tells Donnie this. That his work (his babies) is impressive and Donnie feeds off of that positivity.
Donnie doesn’t have to go out of his way for Katsuichi’s approval. Katsuichi gives praise readily. But anytime the man visits New York he sets some time aside to see Donnie’s newest work.
This causes some conflict in Donnie. On one hand he doesn’t want to like Usagi. (No one is good enough for his twin) but at the same time his dads great. Even once he starts like Usagi he keeps a multi-stepped plan tucked away. What’s the plan you might ask. How to keep Katsuichi in the family if Leo and Usagi break up.
On to Raph
Raph and Splinter have such an interesting relationship in rise. But having another adult reassure you is always nice.
Katsuichi is so calm and he’s used to having his kids around. Raph is so used to carrying weight and taking care of others. I think when Katsuichi’s around the load gets easier. Katsuichi protects his family fiercely and the turtles are part of it now. Not only does he acknowledge the weight that Raph is carrying but he actively tries to help shoulder some of it when he is around.
I just want Donnie and Raph to have another safe adult they can go to.
He loves April and Cassie as he can see them and Kitsune getting on like a house fire. He is exasperated when that expression turns into an actual building on fire, but he is fond of the girls.
Mikey is a darling and instantly connects to him. He loves the whole clan as they are Leo’s (and one day Usagi’s) family.
He does have some beef with Draxum. He doesn’t care how much the man apologizes he threw a child off a roof. He appreciates the growth and if the family is willing to give him a chance he won’t stop them but he doesn’t trust him right away.
This will be come more playful the longer they know each other and they will compete for best grandpa.
He respects Splinter. But I think seeing how Katsuichi is with his own children and the turtles will push Splinter to be an even better dad.
Casey Jr. is the adopted grandson he didn’t know he would get this earlier but is not unwelcome. Any argument involving Casey he is instantly on Casey’s side. It is a shadow of the push over of a grandfather he will be.
All around he is a great guy. I can’t wait to write more of him. He’s not perfect by any means but he loves his family and that is his core.
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CIRCLE SEASON SIX EPISODE FOIVEEEE SORRY IM LATE
I can not BELIEVE it took us so long to get to the first blocking of the season
I really feel like no one can fully blame Myles for suspecting Steffi because basically everyone was and for somewhat good reason? Except all of the reasons were based on the misinterpretation of AI lmao
Myles seems really nice
Lauren really talks like she knows she on camera, which makes sense considering she is (or was?) a streamer. Everyone else kinda talks like they’re just talking to themselves. 
You can TELL Steffi was pissed during her convo with Myles and ykw… I would be too lmao. 
There is NO WAY production doesn’t tell people what to say in their goodbye messages. I’ve thought this for a while, but it is SO obvious this season with Steffi and was super obvious last season. 
I love Brandon 
Caress is SO BAD at this game LMAO
Cassie is so silly lol
Omg they’re revealing Max. I hate that they made him so nice. I didn’t think they’d reveal him right away. I personally prefer the Spice Girls twist because that season… SOOO GOOD. The AI twist is just boring in comparison. 
No one guessed it was Max so if anyone puts a target on Myles’ back, that’s freaking stupid. 
… sorry Lauren :(
Myles is a good chatter. One of the best at the game so far. 
Ok Cassie’s #BlondeMoment message was NOT that serious. It seemed VERY jokey to me. She’s ALSO blonde??? 
Someone SHOOT ME I JUST SPOILEDDDD IT GOING INTO THE TAG IM GONNA THROW UP
I WISHHHH Brandon got to go in as himself :(((((( he would’ve done so much BETTER 
Cassie DID NOT come for Myles, it was NOT that serious???? I really don’t understand this one. I felt like she was just adding on to the “hurdur AI engineer” joke?
I’m tired of all the “let’s make an alliance/who should I have an alliance with” convos. Can we play a game. This used to be fun. I completely understand that it makes complete sense strategically, but let me at least pretend that everyone is forming real friendships lmao
The games are NOT as slick as the past seasons. Like come on… “poor-traits”… at least let people CHOOSE to be shady. 
Some of these pairings are just SO OBVIOUS for this portait thing
QT IS SO DAMN PRETTY and very good at this game. 
Cassie PLEASE make another alliance. 
HOW can Myles say he meant the snake portrait as a joke when he couldn’t take the BlondeMoment as a joke??? And then started to tell QT about hoe Cassie is this sneaky, lying person? Line hello???
MYLES ACTUALLY REVEALED HE DID IT??? MYLES YOUR GAME!!! WHAT ABOUT YOUR GAME???? IT WAS ANON FOR A REASON. At least he’s being gracious about it… interesting 🤔 
Cassie should’ve ACTED like she forgave him and then started chatting smack about him with people who don’t already have a little alliance with Myles. Not forgiving him is bad for her game too, imo. 
MYLES don’t trauma dump to us trauma dump to the circle for your game gang 🙏🏾 what ever happened to “what would you do with the money” manipulation LMAO
QT is GOOOOD at this. Like this isn’t just a conversation about making an alliance, but it’s her GENUINELY MANIPULATING THE GAME!!!! GOOD JOB GIRL!!!! She didn’t have to say the “let’s make an alliance” thing, she could’ve left it there and she would’ve done good. But I understand the need for assurance. 
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jennaanneg · 7 months
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Just in time for Halloween, I’ve noticed all my absolute favorite OTPs fit one oddly-specific trope:
Strong-willed, compassionate good witch meets goofy (but not dim-witted), kind-hearted guy who loves his witch more than he ever thought possible.
(My Personal) Trope Originator:
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Cassie Nightingale and Sam Radford from Hallmark Channel’s Good Witch
If I try to describe the incredible friends-first dynamic of these two I’d be here all day. Just do yourself a favor and watch. I do recommend starting with the very first The Good Witch movie for a proper introduction to all characters involved. If you like Jake Russell there’s a whole series of movies for you. (Not that I don’t like Jake. He’s just no Sam Radford.)
Other Examples I’ve Recently Discovered:
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Left: Eglantine Price and Emelius Brown from Bedknobs and Broomsticks
Right: Darrin and Samantha Stephens from Bewitched
I say “recently” with some irony, as these two are relics by today’s standards. But trust me there’s plenty of shipping to be had! And yes, that IS Angela Lansbury, playing a witch in a Disney movie! As for Bewitched, honestly I always thought Darrin was a jerk especially concerning Samantha’s witchcraft, but I watched some episodes a few months ago and now I Get It.
I started thinking about where all this came from and it hit me:
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Chandler Bing and Monica Geller from Friends
Okay hear me out. I know Monica isn’t a witch (then again name one thing beyond her power). But the dynamic is the same and Friends was a formative show for me. I started watching when they were first airing season seven - yes I’m old, what’s it to you?
Then I realized this goes even deeper:
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Harvey Kinkle and Sabrina Spellman from Sabrina the Teenage Witch
Talk about formative. During elementary school this was my absolute favorite (though we might also need to discuss Alex and Ray from The Secret World of Alex Mack). I wouldn’t say I was actively shipping Harvey and Sabrina but I loved the show and I’m sure it seeped into my psyche.
This post doubles as a list of Halloween-y type things to watch (Friends did eventually do a Halloween episode), so I hope you obsess over these ships as much as I have.
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sleepymarmot · 4 months
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Sunshine (2007)
[Watched on December 16th-17th]
When this movie came out, or at least when I first heard of it, I thought “Nah, not gonna watch it, sounds scary”. Then I forgot about its existence until this year, when I came across a clever diorama based on a scene from it and became mildly curious. Then this week I rewatched the Doctor Who episode “Midnight”, then the Doctor Who episode “42”, and I remembered that there was a movie with a plot that sounded kind of similar. I’ve seen a lot of horror and a lot of stories set in space since 2007, so I should be able to handle this one fine, right?
Well guess what, I knowingly watched an unsettling movie and ended up very unsettled by it. *surprised Pikachu face*
Liveblog:
Oh this is the kind of movie clearly tailored to the big screen. This opening shot of the ship is supposed to make the viewer feel tiny.
The very first scene after the intro, and someone’s already acting like a TMA avatar.
Oh all of these nice looking people are going to die gruesomely very soon, aren’t they. Is this a suicide mission by design, are things going to go terribly wrong, or both?
Shouldn’t they have known in advance when they would have a good view of planets? It’s not like they’re flying manually, the course was charted a long time ago…
Only sixteen minutes in, and I’m already so nervous.
Oh, the payload looks like an eye… Like the closeups of human eyes that the film has shown us so often already.
(Disclaimer: I took a day-long pause in the middle of the shield repair scene. And in general I take breaks like every five minutes. This movie is not easy on my nerves.)
I’m surprised they reached Icarus I so quickly and without further misadventures. I was expecting And Then There Were None In Space for another half hour.
They really have only one person on the ship who can operate the payload? That’s fucking absurd. What if he, like, randomly had a heart attack in his sleep? What if something happened to him when he was repairing the shield? Here I thought the mission was about delivering a bomb, but turns out it’s first and foremost about Cillian Murphy’s safety.
Did Cassie just change her mind within half a minute?
This painful-looking rotating blade doesn’t seem like much of a “kindness”.
How convenient of this guy to have killed himself already and free the crew from the responsibility…
And why exactly is our precious irreplaceable protagonist going to confront the amogus all by himself without even warning the crew, let alone taking someone as a backup?
Bro you’re about to burn your pretty blue eyes to two pieces of coal, and how are you going to launch the payload then?
The amogus is monologuing and meanwhile I’m sitting here considering which entities to enter for this film in my list.
He is still not calling for help for some reason. Dude I know you’re an introvert who is only capable of talking when alone with Cassie, but get a grip?
Oh great, now the computer is offline. How did the bad guy even get to the mainframe? Do these people not have passwords? Has the password not changed between Icaruses I and II? I guess “everyone has physical access to the mainframe” at least has redundancy unlike “only one person is capable of finishing the mission”, but why are there NO security measures at all?
I was about to type “Is Michelle Yeoh going to be stabbed in the back while she’s admiring the sapling” and then she was.
A shame that the avatar guy is just stabbing people. He should have had the sun shining out of his eyes, 42 style. Or some other kind of light/heat/radiation themed attack. I thought the genre turn would be into religion or fantasy, not into a banal slasher.
How many times per hour can Chris Evans almost freeze to death?
Gonna lanch your girl inside the bomb into the sun, huh?
Explosive bolts, huh? 2001 says hello.
Weren’t they supposed to be at a very specific point of the sun’s orbit to launch the payload so that it would go into a specific place on the sun?
Why is he going to get into the payload? Does he somehow know Cassie is in there? Does he want to die with her or something?
Icarus burning also looks like an eye, nice.
There’s 13 more minutes. Is most of this going to be end titles, or is the amogus going to sabotage this part of the mission too somehow?
The subtitles say “We're flying into the sun” but what I hear is “I’m flying you into the sun”.
Why did Cassie suddenly wake up and make it worse?
What is going on? What are the stakes? The bomb is already launched; the characters are all effectively dead; is there anything the bad guy can ruin now?
Oh, so because the payload was launched in a weird way, it needs some kind of additional manual on-site calibration?
[End of liveblog]
The cinematography and visual design of this film are gorgeous. Sleek modern cinema at its finest.
Did it have a good story? I literally can’t tell.
Did I enjoy the viewing? Well, as you might guess from the liveblog, no.
Apparently I still cannot handle suspense. Or space. Other people are talking about the screenplay’s merits or lack thereof, and I have no way to saying anything objective about it because I did everything to ground myself and to stop myself from being immersed in the story. I kept thinking that back in the day I must have powered through Interstellar only because I was in the theater with a friend and couldn’t just pause or leave. As you might see from the density of the liveblog, the viewing became easier when the film became less tense and more openly violent, and the script started getting incoherent. Clearly, this isn’t the intended reaction to the film, so I have no idea what the director was going for. I wonder how it would feel on a second viewing, when there’s no more worry about the plot anymore.
I tagged the film as “horror”, and later saw several reviews call it horror too… But only in relation to the slasher segment. That’s the opposite of my own impression! I’d classify it as horror on the basis of 1) the excruciating suspense, and 2) the relationship between the humans and the sun that fits the definition of transcendental horror to a T. Even the close-up of Capa’s face as he meets the sun looks just the closeup of The Lighthouse’s protagonist as he gazes into the light! The sun is the source of deadly danger and awe; it is simultaneously the primary antagonist and the object of the characters’ hopes and aspirations; the protagonist fears contact with it at the beginning, and ecstatically reaches out and lets himself be consumed by it at the end.
While I’m on the topic, here’s a breakdown of character deaths:
Kaneda, Searle, Capa, Pinbacker are fascinated by the sun and are killed by the sun
Mace is fascinated by waves and is killed by cold liquid
Corazon is fascinated by plants and is killed while distracted by a plant
What about Cassie (sun), Harvey (space), and Trey (blade)?
The opening scene gave me the false hope that the film will focus much more on various characters’ different ways of being obsessed with the sun. The theme is still there, but not as much as could have been. I still stand by what I said in the liveblog: unlike most other reviewers, I don’t mind the turn from hard sci-fi, but if it happens, I want it to be even wilder. Go full Desolation avatar on these guys! The sun worshipper should have killed people by subjecting them to the wrath of his god! I think it’s implied that’s what he did to his own crew (by luring them into the observation deck and disabling the filter), and he’s already a bit supernatural (where did that strength come from? do the distortion effects also exist in-universe?), so I think he deserved to pulverize people with light shining out of his eyeballs while hissing something like “Burn with me”. Can’t believe I’m saying this, but the run-off-the-mill episode written by Chris Chibnall in the same year did this better. …Or, you know, the film could stay with hard sci-fi and incorporate the sun obsession in a more realistic way. One of these two.
(The opening scene might still be my favorite part of the movie. And now I want a sun bath. It’s a few days before the winter solstice right now, and I just realized that I miss the sun.)
I think one of the weaknesses of the script is how unconvincing Capa is as a protagonist. At first the film looks like an ensemble story. Then it’s revealed that for some reason the mission depends on Capa alone, and that his life is more valuable than anyone else’s. Then we see that launching the payload is as easy as pressing a few buttons. Then he goes into the payload after the separation and has to fix something inside it. So what was he supposed to do according to the original plan? Was he always supposed to go down with the bomb and monitor it until the last second, was his message for the family to wait for him a lie? The stakes are very unclear throughout the final act.
The ship computer is also immersion-breaking. Why doesn’t it immediately raise the alarm about the misaligned shields, or the fire in the garden, or the intruder on board? Also, the structure of the Icarus, as far as I understood it, was: big shield – payload – smaller shield – main ship, correct? So why did the smaller shield immediately burn up after the separation? Wait, hold on, another question: if everything immediately starts burning if the ship is misaligned even to one degree, and the shield and the payload are always between the sun and the ship — then how does the observation deck with the direct view of the sun work?! This analysis of the ship on Youtube says that the observation window is cut in the middle of the payload section that’s not covered by the same panels as the rest of the shield, which sounds utterly bizarre to me.
I have to say, I lost a bit of respect for Alex Garland because of this script. There’s nothing here even close to the sharpness and nuance I saw in Ex Machina. Did he grow as a writer, or was that a lucky accident?
Media connections:
Let’s look on the bright side: even this film that took my entire weekend still wasn’t as stressful as another story about blowing up the sun that I encountered this year! If you know, you know.
I can’t not mention another soft sci-fi universe that I am currently immersed in and that has been influencing my expectations of spirituality in space stories. The way some characters in Sunshine faced the approaching wave of sunlight reminded me of how the characters in Rogue One faced the approaching wave of the light from the Death Star…
I want to mention “42” again, because I just found out that not only was the episode released almost at the same time as Sunshine, but the ship in it was also called “Icarus” and had to be renamed in post-production (source). That’s hilarious. Find another mythological reference!
Icarus, play “Hellfire” by The Mechanisms. Now that would have been the perfect song for the final titles…
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ecargmura · 4 months
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Metallic Rouge Episode 1 Review - Cyberpunk Mecha On Mars
I apologize for getting this review out super late. It’s just that I had watch it twice for me to understand what was going on. I think I got a good grasp of the story for me to write a review now. I hope you enjoy! Also, please tell me if there are any instances where I misspell ‘Rouge’ as ‘Rogue’.
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Metallic Rouge is an original work created by Studio Bones as an anniversary title—they’re celebrating their 25th anniversary! It’s a mix of mecha, cyberpunk, action and buddy-cop from what I’ve seen in the first episode alone. This all takes place on fictional, cyberpunk Mars. I’m not too exactly sure what the general story is, but from what I’ve seen, it’s about these two agents tracking down people called the Immortal Nine. Our main duo is Rouge, the brawn of the operation, and Naomi, the brains and eyes.
Rouge is a Nean. Neans are android-like beings that function on Nectars. They’re used as servants, basically and they’ve got little rights due to them being “tools” and not “people”. Like I said, Neans function on Nectars. They have to inject them into a specific hole (get your head out of the gutter) in their body and then their body will have a glowing marking. Some Neans have the ability to transform into mecha-like beings called Gladiators. Rouge, like her namesake (French for red), can change into a red Gladiator. Other characters who can do this is Viola, who transforms into a violet mecha (Viola is Italian for violet), and Giallo, who transforms into a yellow mecha (Giallo is Italian for yellow). Viola is a member of the Immortal Nine, which probably means they’re a special type of Neans—since there are nine of them, all their names must be associated with colors in Italian. Neans probably don’t need to eat as Rouge only eats chocolate and nothing else.
Naomi is a human. She’s like a reporter in a sense? She uses various mechanisms to record and gather information like her mechanical bird and her glasses that can record. Since’s not a fighter, so she supports Rouge from the back as her brains and eyes. She’s a glutton as she eats a lot. She’s the one giving out information on her enemies and such. To be honest, I actually really like Naomi’s design. I have a thing for ponytails, so her design is an instant 10/10 for me.
I think what’s interesting is that these two work together, but they don’t even know each other. The part where they meet is the first time they met up. I do hope this gets addressed later on. Where do they work? Who do they work for? Why are they paired up together? Those are the questions I mainly have as well as wondering why they search for the Immortal Nine.
Because this is a Studio Bones’ anime adaptation, the animation is amazing. I can’t say anything bad about it. It looks great. The designs look great. The movement looks great. Everything looks great. The soundtrack is great too. The voice actors really did a great job. Rouge is voiced by Yume Miyamoto. This is the first time I’m hearing her voice, but I think she did a great job with making Rouge sound innocent given she’s a young Nean. Tomoyo Kurosawa voices Naomi. I know she voices Mitsumi Iwakura from Skip and Loafer; this is the first time I’ve seen her voice an adult. It sort of works as she does the boisterous act well. Though, I have to say that Hiroyuki Yoshino does a great job with Giallo. You might know him as Frankie from Spy x Family, but he does a great job with villains; some villains he played were Kimblee from Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood and Uragami from Parasyte. There’s also a simulcast dub for this show. Monica Flatley and Cassie Ewulu voice the main duo, but let me talk about Giallo’s ENG VA, Landon McDonald. Why does his name pop up in some of the animes I’ve reviewed? He was in Buddy Daddies, Ayaka, My Love Story With Yamada At Lv. 999 and now Metallic Rouge. He’s a great voice actor, but it’s crazy how he keeps popping up in shows I review or have reviewed. I bet you he’ll pop up in a Spring Anime simuldub in April. I can feel it…
Will I watch more of Metallic Rouge? Yes. I do want to see what’s going on with the story. Anime originals are always interesting to watch because they don’t have a source material, meaning everyone who watches this is going in blind. I’m ready to get crushed. What are your thoughts on this show’s premiere?
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Big Sky S3 E13
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Well, season's over. Chat with me below!
So, because they're foremost in my mind at the moment, I'm gonna start with what I genuinely HATED about this finale. Lol!
FUCKING CORMAC saved Emily?! CORMAC!!! That was the most anti-climactic rescue EVER! I mean, obviously Cassie was there, and that's fine. But wt ACTUAL f?! Beau wasn't the one to save Emily? I HATED that with a fiery passion.
We got a hand on Jenny's fucking knee and absolutely NO answers about Beau's future?! I know it's probably because they don't know the future of the show and/or Beau's character, but we couldn't have at least got a kiss?! Like - 😡😡😡
Okay, now the stuff I liked/loved - pretty much everything up to the end. 😄 Beau's very real desperation was palpable and heartbreaking. My god, Jensen can make me cry in mere seconds!! This moment killed me!
Because as a mom, that's exactly the way I'd be thinking. Even if you're sure they're still alive - thinking about how scared they must be would be absolute torture.
I was surprised by the fact that Avery was actually dead. Wasn't happy with the fact that he got a bit of a hero's send off, cause he's still a creepy tool! But I guess in the end it just HAPPENED that HIS particular thugs weren't the ones to grab her. Lucky for him that the serial killer was the one to grab her first. 🙄
I was happy we got very little Carla in this episode. Kinda hate that she's pulling Emily away from Beau yet again. Maybe it's better for Emily to go back to Houston, maybe not. But you know what you should stop doing is moving her thousands of miles away from her incredibly loving father. As far as I'm concerned the hastag, "I hate Carla" remains alive and well. 😏
Loved Beau choking the life out of Buck! (Probably makes me a bad person!) I was actually a little disappointed that Jenny pulled him off. Though, it was probably the right thing to do. Le sigh
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Anyway, overall this episode was super tense (kept that way almost exclusively by Jensen's superb acting skills) and I'm very happy that both Emily and Beau are alive and healthy. I would have liked to see more of Beau and Emily in the aftermath, but I can never get enough of them.
I'm a bit up in the air about how I felt about this season overall. I feel like the writers definitely did diservice to the bleeding heart murders storyline. It could have been so much stronger, and the reveal of Buck was supremely anti-climactic. Which, I think was one of the biggest problems I had with the season. They kept setting up these "moments" and then really not paying them off.
But at the end of the day, I really loved all the stuff (or the tiny amount we got, anyway! 😏) with Beau and Jenny; for the most part I also really enjoyed the storylines of their individual cases. LOVED Beau and Emily's scenes; they had a real connection and Cree Cicchino is a really wonderful young actress, so natural and believable.
To the Powers That Be, I would watch the fuck out of a spin off with Beau and Emily!! Either in Houston or continuing on in Montana - make that happen!
To all my lovely followers and mutuals and kind Anons who watched along with me this season, chatting Beau and Big Sky with you was so much fun! Have to wait and see what becomes of Beau - I'd be very sad if that's the last we see of him. But only time will tell!
'Til then, here's a pic of angry Beau to keep us warm. ��
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