#I love them way more than I'd like to admit pff

[grimgummies]

Wait wait wait I love that actually?? Thin Thief thinks Fat Thief is just freaking out again until he sees that Oh.

That is an Actual Demon.

Since it's still early SM I'm just imagining the three staring at each other in complete silence, and THEN Moloch pounces

TT accidentally pushes FT into some boxes as he's trying to get him out of the way, so all FT hears is roaring and a horrified scream

When FT finally gets out of the boxes TT is just. Gone.

I might draw that actually,, I'm living for this so much,,

Like just imagine the absolute HORROR of stumbling and losing sight of where you are + your partner only to hear terrified screams and violent roars followed by complete silence. Then you look up and see he's just,, gone,, nightmare situation kinda shit

[magmacannon]

1 and 14-20 for ROMAN

WIZARD BLAST

What’s the lie your character says most often?

I have thought about this question (in regards to "what lie does your character believe") quite a bit and I think the one he says the most often is some manner of "it's okay/it'll be okay" because whether or not things will work out, he is constantly doing it to beat back his own anxiety that things will go Very Badly.

14. How do they put out a candle?

I'm rolling a con save for this one actually.

And a +4 to con so he definitely licks his fingers and puts a candle out like that sometimes!. I think he used to be pretty delicate with them and would only blow them out (and can do so from a good distance, he was raised in a family of singers with good breath control) but I think working with potion-making and getting burnt mildly from that has made his fingertips resilient enough to go for it.

15. What’s the most obvious difference between their behavior at home, at work, at school, with friends, and when they’re alone?

At home Roman has WAY more confidence and is overtly goofy and relaxed, at work (and when he was in school) he's Nervous and as tuned-in to what's going on as he can manage to be, though he has trouble multitasking and sometimes loses focus on the Job, with friends he's extremely open to sharing his life story Always (this is evident with how he's trying to share his life rn to make friends too), and when he's alone the most obvious difference is that he is constantly singing or talking to himself. (He sings around Vince and the kids but it's in a goofy sense... he pours his heart out when he's alone)

16. What kinds of people do they have arguments with in their head?

John

And Blu and a little bit Baster but doing that kind of sucks. Also himself constantly

17. What do they notice first in the mirror versus what most people first notice looking at them?

Beard hairs too light/short to be a wizard beard (he refuses to try and grow one out! What's the truth buddy)... As for what other people first notice looking at him?? I think Obviously it's the wizard getup (hat and staff), though for his personal appearance I'd guess maybe his smile or posture? He's pretty friendly looking 9/10 times.

18. Who do they love truly, 100% unconditionally (if anyone)?

Vince and his kids For Sure... Also his brother (and kind of his parents though he's definitely worked through some boundaries with them over his lifetime). Tbf though Roman has a lot of room in his heart for Love so this isn't the most extraordinary thing for him to commit when he decides to love someone.

19. What would they do if stuck in a room with the person they’ve been avoiding?

Roman tries very hard not to avoid people and instead talk through issues (potentially sometimes even if the other party doesn't want to talk about something) - if he WAS avoiding someone and got stuck in the same room as them I think he'd probably get physically Ill and tear his hair out before choosing to maybe talk to them.

20. Who do they like as a person but hate their work? Vice versa, whose work do they like but don’t like the person?

God I'm SURE Roman has some opinions about Wizards at his university... I think he likely has a lot of admiration for his fellow evoc frat people but kind of looks down on their work (might be jealous?? Or genuine dislike of the path they've taken the War Magic down pff). Roman would be pretty mild about the criticisms he'd give to someone he liked.

I think John sort of falls in the opposite category but we'll see how exactly he feels about him Evolve over time... regardless though John's work with magic is brilliant, and he begrudgingly admitted that some time ago. HOWEVER I think in general he'd likely be much more scrutinizing with the work of someone he disliked than someone he really liked, for better (more fact-checking) or worse (dismissing someone's work for a minor issue), as much as he'd hate to admit it.

[alirhi]

This is oddly fun lol

Let's see how many of these I can churn out before I get distracted or need a break! (pff. like I need an excuse to watch the show again. Despite its flaws, I really, really love TFATWS, guys)

Without further ado, let's get down to it!

Episode 2: The Star-Spangled Man

I'm pretty sure I'm on record when it comes to my undying hate for John Walker, yes? So obviously, Bucky's grumpiness 100% stays 😂

I'm not really a fan of how much emphasis they put on the shield. I can see it as a catalyst for Bucky to go confront Sam, yes, but he wouldn't keep going "shield shield shield" like a broken record. Bucky has consistently been shown to be an empathetic man. I can't believe for a second that he'd be barking at Sam about having no right to give up the shield; he'd ask why. Sam's got shit to do, so he'd get impatient and not answer.

"Why'd you give up so easily? If you were overwhelmed, I could've helped you-" "You've been ignoring me. Like now, how you're ignoring me walking away from you." "Well, you weren't texting me about this." "You think I needed your permission?!" "No, but I was right there with Steve while he was learning what it meant to be Cap. I wouldn't mind helping you get used to-" "Then go teach him." A vague gesture toward the "Cap is back" posters. Bucky makes a face. "Steve passed the mantle to you. You fought with him. You earned it. That little shit didn't." "What do you want me to do about it?" "Just tell me why, Sam. I mean it. I just wanna understand." "Not now, Buck. I've got shit to do. You see me heading for a plane right now, right?" "This is important!" "So is this." Sam tells him about the Flag Smashers, we get our silly Big Three/Gandalf conversation.

I'm sorry, but that whole jumping from the plane scene is funny as hell, and I love all the nods they added in to jokes from the press tours that brought us this show in the first place (like ripping the sleeve off his jacket lol). I don't think I'd change a single thing from the Big Three convo to Bucky joining Sam in the warehouse.

"You're doing the staring thing again." "You're staring at your watch," Bucky points out. He knows it's linked to Redwing, he's just pointing out how dumb that line is in that situation. They're there for recon lol. They're meant to be looking around.

I don't...particularly care about the other common gripe here? Meaning, "Bucky's a civilian, so why is he allowed to randomly jump in on a military mission?" Bucky's also known in this universe as an Avenger, just like Sam, so I don't think anyone would really bat an eye at him joining. Also, I have my own agenda related to Bucky's apparent freedom to walk in and out of military/government things.

What does bug me (as funny as it is) is Bucky's animosity toward Redwing. Again... Bucky is a certified nerd. Always has been. If anything, he'd be fascinated by Redwing and Sam would constantly have to slap him away because he's leaning in too close trying to see the tiny watch monitor. "I don't trust Redwing" is just old man griping "I don't trust your newfangled technology" and that... that's not Bucky.

And that "we're not assassins" dig, and then laughing when Bucky gets upset? That's not Sam. Both of these men have shown a remarkable amount of empathy, and Sam has a background in helping traumatized vets. If he cared enough about Bucky to be texting him after Steve left, he'd care enough not to make callous jokes about his time as The Winter Soldier, whether he knows the full story or not.

The fight on top of moving trucks looks cool, but makes no logical sense. I keep trying to think of a way to explain this from a story perspective, rather than a lazy "it looks cool!" filmmaking one, and I'm coming up blank. Anyone with half a brain would have pulled over, had the fight, and then taken off. It was a fun sequence, though... Eh. I'll leave it.

When Karli breaks Redwing, Bucky doesn't say "I always wanted to do that." Again, it's funny - I love the jabs about that stupid robo bird XD - but not Bucky. In my version, he smirks and says "You're so gonna regret that."

"You were kinda getting your asses kicked before we got there." Is immediately followed by Bucky staring him down and asking, "And... how did that fight end for you?" Sam adds, "I don't see them in custody. Are-are they following in a van?" He looks around, sarcastically searching for another vehicle. Walker and Hoskins grimace at each other, grudgingly conceding that point.

credit to @dailycelebs

Seeing Walker, and having to listen to his stupid pro-government rhetoric, makes Bucky think about Steve. When we cut from the Flag Smashers back to Bucky and Sam and the closeup of Bucky's pensive face, we hear 1940s Steve angrily telling 1940s Bucky about how the higher ups in the army had already written off the POWs and were going to leave them to die. "I love our country, Buck," he laments, "but what do I do when I'm not too sure anymore about the people who run it?"

"What you always do," is young Bucky's answer, "stand for what's right, not who's in power."

Perfect lead-in to the conversation about handling things themselves.

When Sam meets Isaiah, and hears his story, not only is he horrified and heartsick for him, but he also begins to see Bucky in a new light. He's seeing Bucky's face, the way he tries to hide his emotions and not make this conversation about him, and he's putting things together. He's still upset at being out of the loop, but he's seeing more of the situation than just "omg black super soldier". When Bucky says "he'd already been through enough," Sam asks quietly, "like you?"

The racist cop comes back before Bucky can answer, to arrest him for missing his appointment with Raynor.

ngl guys, I was so moved by the difference in how that cop treated Sam (before knowing he's Important) vs how he treated Bucky (knowing that the government views him as a violent, if pardoned, criminal). He approaches Sam with his hand on his gun, eager to defend Bucky; "is this guy bothering you?" Just because they're having a heated conversation. Then, when he sees that there's a warrant for Bucky, he approaches timidly, apologizes, treats him gently and politely. By "moved," btw, I don't mean "it was so sweet." I mean "this is fucking sick, and very, very realistic." White cops see a white guy and treat him with respect regardless of his actual criminal record, while being openly hostile towards an innocent black man without even knowing who he is, just because he's black. Moments like this made me applaud Spellman.

"You, too, Sam - That wasn't a request" is Sam's first sign that there's something off about Raynor.

Look, again... The couples therapy banter is funny because Sebastian and Anthony are funny, but that scene, from a storytelling and a mental health standpoint, is atrocious. Without some underlying reason behind her actions, Raynor is just a pointlessly terrible therapist.

Rather than insulting Bucky from the outset, Sam is angry with Raynor for violating Bucky's privacy by not only introducing herself as his therapist, but forcing a "couples" session without her patient's consent. With his background pre-Avenging, he knows this shit shouldn't fly. He immediately points out how unprofessional she's being.

Raynor doesn't bother listening - the fuck does she care, really? She shrugs and casually admits it's "slightly unprofessional" but proceeds anyway.

"Whatever's eating at him?" Sam scoffs. "Did you really just say that to a WWII veteran and the world's longest-serving POW with complex PTSD? Did I hear that right? I've had, maybe, like five conversations with this man since we met, and even I know he's been through some shit and-" "Sam," Bucky tries to interrupt, looking uncomfortable. With his crushing guilt, he has an easier time dealing with insults than someone coming to his defense. "No," Sam snaps. "If the HIPAA Slayer over here wants to drag me into this, she's damn well gonna hear what I have to say!" He turns back to Raynor and demands, "Is this how you've been treating him this whole time? Downplaying what he's been through and making a grown-ass man sound like a sulking teenager?" Raynor keeps her cool, but barely. Visibly frustrated and annoyed, she ignores Sam's tirade and tries to force the conversation back onto the track she wants it on. Bucky's embarrassed and doesn't know how to react to any of this, so he still makes that little "he would talk less" jab. Sam, seeing that he's not going to get anywhere with him until they're away from this bitch, glowers and plays along. We get our silly/angry banter.

After their argument with Walker, Sam finally confronts Bucky about what really happened to him.

"He meant HYDRA; HYDRA used to be my people." "Were they?" Sam asks, stopping him and looking him in the eye, not letting him look away or deflect. "Steve was under the impression that they were your captors. I was under the impression that the Wakandans spent two years deprogramming you so no one could use you the way HYDRA did ever again." "I-" Startled, not expecting that, Bucky stutters a little and admits, "Yeah, I... That's true, I guess." "You guess?" "Does it matter? Sam rolls his eyes. "I dunno, does it matter that you were a slave for most of the 20th century?" "I doubt it matters much to my victims." "HYDRA's victims," Sam corrects firmly. "Just like you." Bucky fidgets; he doesn't know what to do or say. No one since Steve has even so much as insinuated that Bucky wasn't 100% culpable for what he did while under HYDRA control. "Look," Sam sighs, "I don't particularly like you. I don't hate you, but I'm not your biggest fan." "...Thanks?" "I just need you to know where I stand-" "Yeah, got it-" "-So you know I'm not biased like Steve when I say you had no choice. I don't know your story, but I know no one flips on a dime from docile and plagued with guilt to an unstoppable killing machine and back without some serious psychological damage behind that. I'm not saying you're an innocent little bunny, but I don't think you're a monster." "Thanks," Bucky croaks, more sincerely this time, and a bit choked up. He clears his throat and looks distinctly uncomfortable as he grumbles, "but to catch these guys, we may need to talk to a monster." Sam cringes. "I was afraid you'd say that."