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eriyu · 9 months

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i beat xvi so here are my reactions from along the way

for posterity (my future self is posterity)

i did not do this in any kind of organized way like i think i skipped writing anything down for big portions of the game;;;

spoilers obviously. and also after this i'm going to start reblogging xvi things including spoilers tagged #ffxvi so. be warned.

i guess i'll link my demo impressions because this is basically a continuation of that.

a mite predictable so far....... though i did think cid was gonna crystallize instead of regular dying.

GODDDDDD i wish there were a chatlog. or at least that dialogue were progressed manually. i don't have the focus for this shit when i can't even rewind it.

i love the combat a lot. which is weird to think seeing as i'm very much a turn-based fan and really. don't play action games ever. but it feels very kingdom hearts to me? there's even shotlock.

THE BIG MOMENTS ARE SO SO GOOD. A+ ON THE MELODRAMA.

clive is prime whump material and i love it.

some of the worldbuilding is a little baffling... mostly ORCS? REALLY? WHEN THERE ARE SO MANY CLASSIC FF OPTIONS TO CHOOSE FROM.

personal preference i guess but i feel like they could chill with the "mature content" a bit....... how many sidequests do we need to drive home how shit Bearers are treated. how many random sex workers does one game need.

i was going to complain about linearity, but things opened up nicely soon after i thought it, so props there LOL

i know it's supposed to be "dark" but like.... i want to fall in love with a game world. i want to wish i lived there. i want unique local flavors and COLOR. most of this so far is just generic medieval squalor. even places like the treno slums had beautiful waterways and plucky npcs and... COLOR...

jill feels like......... an afterthought. sometimes she's there; sometimes she's not, and it doesn't seem to matter either way. she barely talks. we haven't seen shiva in game since we first met back up with her. there's a vague implication that jill's doing important things but that's kind of it???

jill update: okay Things Happening but like. now she's out of commission? i'm getting sacrificed-for-man-pain vibes. i don't know; it's too soon to say that, but it just doesn't feel great.

the state of the realm UI is SOOOOO good. it's a bit of an overload in the way xiii's datalog was, but it's fine if i remind myself i can read things Later.

oh my god i love shotlocking a zillion enemies in a tornado.

i really love mid but "midadol" sounds like a pharmaceutical.

CANON GAYS?????

ultima looks like a tumblr lumpy-faced reptilian oatmeal man.

the voice acting is so good. like clive's screaming and crying reminds me of dub gaara's "MY BLOOOOOOD" which is the highest compliment i can possibly give.

oh my godddddddd the fighting at twinside is giving alexandria. again, in the best possible way.

okay seriously where the fuck is leviathan though. i keep wondering when leviathan is going to show up and i'm starting to think he's... not.

jesus christ i couldn't stop thinking about clive and joshua and dion today. i want to eat them.

look i KNOW clive and josh had a really good reunion moment in twinside but consider this: i want another one. i think they should have had another one at the hideaway. i want more tenderness. i deserve more tenderness.

they pronounce "chocobo" AND "popoto" with a short o in the middle like "chock" and "pot" and i'm so uncomfortable.

ARE YOU KIDDING ME. WE LIKE JUST PROMISED JOTE WE'D KEEP JOSHUA SAFE AND NOW WE'RE SPLITTING UP. i'm so afraid everybody will die.

all the xiv references ;w; for some reason it's the quest names that keep getting me??? "through the maelstrom" this time.

i REALLY really wish jill's character didn't just revolve around clive.............. is my impression but i don't know if that's entirely fair of me. like if i made a list of bullet points i don't know that she's any worse than say, tifa with cloud. but it Feels worse. i WANT to love her, but i'm just not feelin' it.

god i want to be able to switch between two eikon/ability sets. i want a single-target setup and a trash mob setup. not even to switch mid-battle; i know that could be OP, just switchable in the menu.

i legit panic every time joshua leaves the party. like NO we're supposed to be WATCHING HIM??????? EVERYBODY IS GOING TO DIE IF I LET MY GUARD DOWN. also i love him. i can't stop thinking about him. continuing the proud tradition of square enix joshuas (being loved by me).

"EVEN LEVIATHAN THE LOST IS HERE" OH THANK FUCK.

uhhhhhhhhhh active time lore is absolutely giving me spoilers? MAJOR spoilers??? what the hell????????

reverie givin' me legend of dragoon vibes. like wingly stuff. i love it.

daaAAAAAMN zantetsuken OP????? but as it should be tbh. i love it.

hey

HEY

i'm sad.

for real i. i feel like i'm not as upset as i COULD be because i was really emotionally preparing for Everyone to Die through the whole game. but wow. this still hurts.

i actually got maliciously spoiled with "clive dies" before i even got the game in my hands and partly succeeded at not letting that ruin the experience for me, but. damn i had a little bit of hope that it was a fake spoiler until i saw his hand.....

jesus christ though. ow.

i mean it was a largely satisfying ending. the fights were good. the Moral of the Story felt a lil heavyhanded but i do love the Power of Friendship. it could have been a lot sadder. but i'm such a sucker for a real happy ending o|--<

i think trying to brute force myself into liking jill more has made me like her less;;;;;;;;; i will try a different approach. her getting left behind for the end didn't help though. for the record i'm talking about liking her as a character. she's a perfectly lovely person.

holy fuck i'm emotional about joshua though.

oh no the post-credit scene made me sadder. it feels like a character flaw of mine but anything about losing magic, ever, makes me SO SO SAD. even when i KNOW it's supposed to make for a happy ending. like in kiki's delivery service when she can't hear jiji anymore??? fucking destroys me and not in the good way.

and joshua........... o|--<

i've really been looking forward to finishing so i could go look up shippy things but i just feel like. oof. now. i need to marinate for a while first. this isn't the time for shipping.

#eriyu has an irl #ff #ffxvi

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letstir3 · 1 year

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#best face cleanser for women

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thegeminisage · 2 months

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STAR TREK UPDATE TIME. quick fast im in a hurry. last night we watched tng's "the chase" and ds9's "the storyteller"

the chase (tng):

this episode didn't commit any major crimes (aside from picard disobeying orders to go on an archaeology hunt - kirk took disobeying even trivial orders so seriously he only did so to save spock's life and was certain his would end his career over it...ANYWAY)

however it was. very. boring

wait sorry i just remembered yes it did commit a crime. aside from that other thing. we're all humanoids bc of that bald lady's alien race seeding us on every planet they could find? isn't that kind of violating the prime directive? like yes ik they didn't have that back then but to let no life develop naturally...we all got grown out of test tubes or something?

to be honest, i might not have been following the plot of that episode wholly i was playing ch*ss on my phone with catherine. cathy, if you're reading this, it's your turn.

i also maybe played a game of solitaire or two...it was REALLY boring

credit where credit is due though because i strive to be as fair as i possibly can with tng: i did out loud laugh when the romulans showed up. we got cardassians, we got klingons, then we got romulans. everyone is here! JUST like super smash bros

really lame they didnt let that girl cardassian talk to beverly though. i think beverly is seriously bicurious and as we know all cardassians are gay so maybe that lady could have fixed her and it's lesophobia that she didn't

i also notice that two-timing mf picard is back to sharing breakfasts with beverly. smh. girl i would MAKE you breakfast. i could be a better man than him. all he did was leave you high and dry with the affair baby

actually, i did feel pretty bad for picard initially when his old teacher (who picard said was "like a father that understood me") was like, if you don't drop your entire job and career right now this instant and go to me i will leave your ship early and run straight into a photon torpedo and it will be ALLL your fault. bye forever! like, what a bitch. then he did something to ruin it pretty much immediately but i don't remember what because i was looking at my phone.

the storyteller (ds9):

CHARMING. absolutely charming start to finish. i fucking loved it

here's the thing about ds9. the plot of this episode fucking sucked ass, but i don't mind in the least because the characters are all so good and actually get to do stuff and form bonds with each other! wild how that works!

like, "we have to defeat a made-up cloud with the power of positive thinking so we don't all go to war?" girl, what on earth. but it literally doesn't matter because it's just an excuse for o'brien to be longsuffering and julian bashir to be most delightfully cringefail twink that ever existed and then do whatever it is together that they do. SURPRISING chemistry from those two. i know they wind up being besties later and i CANNOT wait

like, that guy was like "who can i pick to replace me...not this stupid airhead twink, are you kidding me? bring me the irishman." real.

the b plot of this also sucked. "jake and nog harass a teenage tribe leader because nog thinks she's cute" sounds bad But Actually. i like jake and nog hanging out a lot, i've grown quite fond of them, and the girl wound up needing a little outside perspective due to inexperience/was probably perfectly capable of getting rid of them had she wanted to

plus, it was an excuse for jake to be like my dad is a GREAT dad and then to have mister great dad tell jake and nog they were gonna clean that oatmeal off the walls with a fucking toothbrush

also. as a brand new odo stan i admit i was in considerable distress when they talked about stealing his bucket. but. i also really really really wanted to see the bucket. and he caught them anyway :')

him telling them to stop dangling and then they get up and immediately sit back down when he leaves and also he smiles at them when they aren't looking :')))

i think odo would be great with kids. absolutely he wants nothing to do with kids but he'd be great with them.

anyway, wonderful episode. i cant believe letswatchstartrek gave it a 2, what's wrong with them

TONIGHT: tng's frame of mind, which i have been looking forward to for MONTHS. i know it's gonna be good. i KNOW it is!!!

#personal #star trek blogging #tng lb #ds9 lb #riker do not blow this for us

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barry-j-blupjeans · 2 years

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If you are still accepting winter prompts, may I request 44 with blupjeans or 42 with taako and lup?

consider: both

42. Making hot chocolate with all the fixings.

44. Being unable to go anywhere because you got snowed in.

((winter prompts here!!))

"I think it's a fair trade," Lup said, ripping open the bar of chocolate Taako had so graciously bought yesterday for this exact scenario. Well, not this exact one, but still. He deserved some fuckin' credit because it was hard to make hot chocolate without any chocolate and Lup had eaten it all last week. She should be grateful. She has not thanked him once.

"How is this a fucking fair trade?" Taako asked. He sat down on the nearest chair, resigning himself not to help until at least one thanks came out of her. She didn't even notice. Instead, she got the cutting board out and started chopping the chocolate into smaller bits.

"Neither of us knows how to fix the heater," Lup said. "Barry does. We give him hot chocolate for his work and he can sleep here until he can go back home safely-"

"On the couch, sure," Taako said and Lup turned to look at him incredulously. Like he had said something dumb. "What?"

"I'm- I'm not gonna let Barry sleep on the couch!" she said. "He's got a bad back! I'll give him my bed-"

"Sorry, did he pay for the seven hundred dollar bed or is he just trying to fix the heater?"

"He has a bad back!" Lup repeated, waving the knife around.

"You're gonna hurt yourself," Taako snapped, standing up. He reached for the knife and Lup didn't even seem to notice she passed it over to him. "Or me."

"He's not a bad guy-" Lup said defensively.

"With the knife, Lup," Taako said, now his turn to be incredulous. "What the fuck are you talking about?"

Lup stared at him, face suddenly very red. Taako took a deep breath and set the knife down. Very carefully, he turned his whole attention to Lup and said,

"You have a crush on him."

"It's not like that," Lup said, despite that Taako could tell it was very much like that. "We just study together. We're trying to get the same degree and-"

"I know his fuckin' profile, Lup," Taako said. "Give me the details. I wanna know what convinced you that he was hot. He looks like God's favorite Fantasy Best Buy employee."

"He does not-"

"He looks like oatmeal as a person," Taako said. "He looks like milk is intolerant to him. What the fuck is wrong with your type?"

"Shut up," Lup said. "I'm- the hot chocolate is because he's being nice and we will appreciate not freezing to death when the weather gets even worse-"

"How does he like his hot chocolate?" Taako asked, which prompted Lup to immediately say,

"With almond milk and extra nutmeg and marshmallows. Sometimes whipped cream. The good fixings, y'know?" And then she glared at him. "You're reading too much into it."

"We don't have almond milk," Taako said, desperately trying to get her to see her ways. "And you've known this dude, what? Six months? When has hot chocolate preferences ever come into that if you're not planning to kiss and snuggle him while he drinks it-"

"Well, I thought my kind wizard brother who specializes in transmutation could help out-"

"I can't transmute milk into different milk!"

"I'll do it myself!" Lup said, shoving him aside. She picked up the knife and started very aggressively chopping the chocolate bar again. "If you're just gonna make fun of me for nothing."

"I'm sorry," Taako said sarcastically. Lup huffed and he went to sit back down in his chair, moodily watching as she cut the chocolate. She was pouring the pieces into a saucepan when Barry popped in, hair a little messy but looking pleased.

"It's working!" he said. "Things should- should warm up a lot better in a few minutes. Thank you so much for letting me stay here til' the snow melts, that's really nice of you. If I can, uh- If I can do anything else, let me know."

"Thank you," Lup said, ears red again. Taako made a face. "You can sit on the couch 'til we're done, should only be a few minutes."

Barry nodded, also blushing, and dipped out of the room. Lup turned to Taako, as if that had made her somehow victorious. Taako rolled his eyes and sighed, standing and making towards the fridge.

"How much almond milk do you need?" he asked, already so fucking done.

#taako #lup #barry bluejeans #blupjeans #mine #ise cube writing #asks #toooceanblue

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masterwords · 2 years

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the silence drowns (part nine)

Summary: Morgan interrupted Foyet in Hotch's apartment and saw everything. Probably, but maybe not everything. Now Hotch is staying with Jessica, Morgan is trying to figure out how to save the day and THINGS ARE BAD.

Warnings: blood, bandage changes, pain, implications of possible sexual assault

Pairings: Hotch/Morgan

Words: 2.7k

Notes: I think we have about 2 good sized chapters left. I don't have much else to say about it. We're getting there. Things have been busy around here with the kiddos in baseball, and my general ability to write words has been severely lacking during the small amount of time I do have.

Chapter List

Read on AO3: The Silence Drowns

***

“Where is he?”

Jessica regarded her father for a moment, sussing out his intentions. His features were set deep in anger but his eyes told a different story, one she thought she could capitalize on.

“Sleeping,” Jess said, more hopeful than anything. He probably wasn't but the door was closed and if she could spare him she would. Truthfully, she wasn't sure he could really sleep anymore. He barely pretended. It was like watching someone die slowly with their eyes wide open. Trouble sleeping wasn't anything new for him, and yet...there was something so much more unsettling about this.

“Come to lunch with me, honey. Let's talk.” Jessica had an hour for her lunch break, and she could use a trip to the grocery store. It was clear, so far, that Foyet wasn't hanging around if her conversation with Derek was anything to go by. She glanced back toward the bedroom, sat with her guilt for a moment, and nodded.

“Quick, okay mom? I can't be gone long. It's a work day.” She slipped her pocket knife into her purse without her mother seeing, but caught her father's eye and he nodded knowingly. It gave her some hope that he would be kind while she was gone, or better yet, pretend Aaron wasn't there at all. Before taking off, she unloaded the groceries from the backpack and tucked the bag under her sink, amused at how like an action movie this suddenly felt. A cabinet full of weapons, what an absurd thought. All because her sister decided to try out theatre in her junior year of high school.

“What's all that?” her mother asked, poking over her shoulder at the array of soft foods.

“Toddler food,” she muttered with a smile and her mom let out a soft chuckle. There was a lead ball in her belly and still she couldn't seem to embrace the weight of the situation, there had to be smiles somewhere in there. The bananas, avocados, single serve oatmeal cups and peanut butter reminded her of Jack, and then there was the little four pack of chocolate pudding cups. The kind with the off-white vanilla swirl around the outside that made it look marbled and pretty, she'd always thought as a child. The swirl made it fancy. Well, she was resolved to offer him a pudding cup first when he woke up, it might make him smile. Save the real food for later.

Roy, the minute they left, decided the apartment was much too quiet. And Aaron was being coddled just a little too much for his liking. His daughter was a softy, he knew it, and what Aaron needed was to get up and move around, get his new blood pumping. He'd brought just the thing to make it happen, though he'd wait it out, see if it was really as bad as Jessica had made it sound. She's always had a flair for the dramatics. Standing in the doorway to his daughter's room, he stared at the silent form of the man beneath the blankets. He seemed almost peaceful and for a moment Roy thought it might be wrong to wake him, but then the strain he was putting on both of his daughters came back to him full force and he was making noise as loud as he could. Crashing into the room, flipping the light switch, moving blankets.

“Get up,” he grunted, and he was not at all surprised when Aaron struggled to obey without a word of contradiction. It was almost automatic, the way he forced himself upright with great difficulty, using his arms to do the work his abdomen could not. Roy almost decided against it, told him to go back to sleep but there was some small nagging voice that kept gnawing at him.

“What do you need?” he asked in a small, even voice. Roy made a scoffing sound and rolled his eyes.

“I don't need anything from you,” was what he started with, but Aaron was up out of the bed and shuffling toward him before he could finish the thought. “I just thought you should get out of bed. No use moping about...what happened happened. What are you gonna do about it?”

He had no answer, try as he might. His mind had been a vortex, a torrent of daggers, painful and furious. There wasn't a moment of peace and there were certainly no answers. Instead, dutifully and slowly, he trailed Roy out into the front room and for a brief moment enjoyed the warmth of the sunlight cascading through the curtains. The bedroom was dark...not fully dark, but just bleak. Gray and murky, filtered sunlight through brown curtains and a small yellow nightlight tucked behind a chair. The sunlight pierced through his thoughts, hurt his head as he eased himself down onto the couch at Roy's request.

Roy made no move to help him, just watched the way he favored one side, pressed into some sharp pain with his palm and struggled to find a comfortable position. Eventually the movement stopped but he was under no impression that comfort had been achieved, he'd just decided to stop trying and live with it.

“This place is a disaster. Jessie shouldn't have to clean it on her own.”

“Yes, sir,” Aaron replied softly. He'd never argued with Roy, not once, and sure he was a man who was easing into his 40s, but he didn't feel like anything more than the scared teenager afraid to make a wrong move. Except the naked finger where his ring used to be was proof he'd made a lot of wrong moves, and this was retribution for putting his daughter through hell. He couldn't earn favor back until Foyet was dead. He knew that. Even then...well whatever had been between the two men may have been severed forever, he couldn't be sure. He shrank under Roy's scrutiny, like he was sizing him up, trying to figure out what he looked like beneath the oversized sweatshirt that tucked away his misery almost too neatly. Out of sight out of mind.

“You can load a dishwasher, can't you?”

There were a number of reasons he should have said no, but under the blaze of Roy's scrutiny, the word yes eased itself out as a long breathy sound that made them both uneasy. Like a challenge – was he really going to stand and wash dishes, bend over and put them in the dishwasher? And was Roy really going to enforce it?

As it turned out, the answer to both questions was still yes even after the stand off. “I'll vacuum,” Roy added, as if it were helpful. “We'll have this place ship shape before Jessie gets back.”

After the initial shock had worn off, Aaron settled into an almost numb set of motions and though there were moments he knew he was doing some considerable damage to be cleaned up later, the monotony of wiping down and loading dishes into their places achieved one very desirable thing: it turned his mind off. Settled his thoughts into blissful nothing. The sound of the water crashing against forks, drenching his fingers, the smell of soap suds. Tranquility, if it could be called that, flowed through him like a babbling brook.

Of course, nagging at him in the back of his mind, just beneath the din of the brook, was Jessica's voice chastising him for not standing up to her father, for agreeing to do something he wasn't supposed to do. Bed rest didn't include loading a dishwasher, no matter how benign the task sounded. His doctor hadn't necessarily specified off limits tasks but probably because he shouldn't have had to. His chest was ripped apart, flayed, and then there was the bruising and the broken ribs and everything else that came along with it. He wasn't told not to do these sorts of things because it was silly for him to think he could. He'd barely been able to hold a water glass the night before and now he was on his feet, crouching and bending and twisting. His hips screamed wild agony at him. He could barely breathe by the time he was drying his hands on a dishtowel and his bandages felt damp against his skin. Part of that, he knew, was simply water he'd been sloppy with...but not all of it. Some of it came from inside of his bandages. He could scarcely lift his arms, his hands shook violently, yet he continued following Roy around quietly, obedient, not a single objection uttered over his drawn lips. He deserved it.

Maybe not exactly, but he couldn't find a way to argue against it. Roy had been blown nearly to bits in war, had more scars than hairs he sometimes said (especially when he started to go bald) and who was Aaron going to appeal to? He didn't want the pity. It was a small apartment, and if Roy asked him to pick up the laundry basket and take it to the bedroom, he would find a way to manage it now and pay for it later.

Jessica's return brought her fury, and for it he was grateful. “DAD!” She yelled at her father a lot, he remembered, always raising her voice to a tone that made the hairs on the back of his neck stand at attention. Haley's yell was less forceful, but no less frightening. Roy just grumbled something about earning his keep, being a man, and continued wiping down the counter tops. He handed Aaron a sandwich, some lunch meat with mayo on white bread and a pile of potato chips, and Jessica intercepted it quickly. She supposed, in some way, her father was being nice...making him lunch, being helpful, and she knew he subscribed to the theory of tough love. If he really wanted to be mean, he would never have even opened the bedroom door, would have pretended Aaron didn't exist at all. He'd probably considered it, she knew, and decided that this was a better course of action. Still, she pulled the plate to her and leveled her stern gaze at her father. Their eyes locked in steely, silent battle.

“He can't eat like that yet.”

“No? Can't eat, can't help, what can he do? Lie around and feel sorry for himself while Haley is out there somewhere with my grandson praying that some sicko doesn't come after her?”

“He's not going after her,” Jessica argued back. The words flew out faster than she could think them through. “He's watching someone else right now.”

Aaron turned and made his way shuffling back to the bedroom, refusing her offer of help. One hand against the wall, bracing his weight there, he made it back on his own. He wouldn't take her help in front of Roy. He also wouldn't cry in front of Roy, and the minute Jessica said someone else it was all he could do to hold it together.

“Aaron?” Jessica came into the room and shut the door behind her, found him sitting hunched over on the side of the bed, his head hung low. “Hey, it's okay...”

“He's watching Derek.” His voice rattled around, scratchy and raw. There was no need for it to be a question, and he expected no answer.

“Yes, but Derek is okay, he's got it under control. He's at your place right now. You're going to go home to a brand-new apartment by the sound of it.” She helped him lay back and saw that there was a faint spot of blood seeping through the fabric of the sweatshirt, blood and dark dish water splotches. Fearing what was underneath, she lifted the shirt and stifled a gasp. It wasn't that it was terrible, she really thought it would have been worse, but a number of his bandages were soaked through with bright red and she cried. She'd reached her breaking point.

“Dammit,” she whispered, furiously wiping at her eyes. She let herself have it for just a minute and then straightened up. She could do it. First these bandages had to come off, that was the most important thing and she set her fingers to peeling at them slowly. The tape slipped against his skin through the blood and soapy slick water, came off too easily and revealed to her the force of devastation in the flesh. This time she stifled the gasp, set her features and gave no reaction. He looked ashamed enough as it were, she couldn't add to it.

“Piece of cake,” she whispered, banishing what little emotion still clogged up her throat. “I don't know why they bothered with all this stuffing. A few Sesame Street band-aids and you'll be good as new. I've never met a booboo that Elmo couldn't fix.” She wiped her nose on the sleeve of her sweater and shrugged out of it, sucking in a deep breath. “I brought you something. You eat while I clean this up, okay?”

She handed him the pudding cup and thought she detected the slightest hint of a smile. Fleeting, perhaps, but it was there. She tugged the waistband of his pants low and puzzled over the deep bruising that seemed without end, creeping lower than she had pulled the pants. Bruising that resembled large purple and yellow handprints, darkest where she knew there had been fingers digging into the meat of his thighs. It made her sick. Momentarily, her eyes flicked up and watched the way he seemed intent on moving the tip of the spoon over the surface of the pudding, scraping just enough to get a taste. Her fingers nudged his pants lower, face obscured now by a curtain of curls, and the moment she realized the implications of the bruising around his inner thigh she felt his hand on top of hers and looked up.

“Please,” he whispered, shaking his head with an almost tangible fear. “Don't.” That all but settled whatever it was her mind was turning over and over, tilling the earth of her wild thoughts.

“Did he...”

He said nothing else, just stared at her. Piercing and cold, and she nodded with the understanding that he might not have an answer to that question either. Not yet, maybe not ever. Aaron's appetite, whatever had existed, seemed to have vanished and she felt bad for it. Her fault for snooping. “Eat please.” The idea of it turned his stomach, but he went back to trying, for her. It was easier than having that conversation and she'd given in so easily on that, if he didn't eat she might circle back and he wouldn't get out of it so easily the next time. They were locked tight in this game.

Slowly, timidly, her hands swept over him. She started at his hip, at the hook shaped gash, and as she leaned against his bruised thigh he stifled a gasp and couldn't seem to find a way to bring his spoon of pudding to his mouth. His eyes drifted shut, and while he knew those were Jessica's small cold fingers tugging at his stitches and cleaning up the tender skin, he felt Foyet. Icy fingers became a knife sliding through him, clean through, decisive and cold.

“Eat,” she whispered, taking one hand and pushing the spoon toward his mouth. “Focus on the pudding.” His hand trembled badly enough that he nearly dropped the spoon behind a shuddering breath and his eyes welled with tears of shame. The room may have been dark, but those tears caught every light flare around and pierced her. “Oh Aaron.”

His head hadn't stopped pounding in days but now it felt so intensely pressurized he thought it might explode and he might not mind at all if it did. Tears floated weightlessly against his lids, hung in his lashes, tears he was only barely aware he was crying. “I'm sorry.” Always so apologetic. She waved it away with a flick of her wrist, reached up only briefly to swipe tears from his cheek with her thumb and forced as sarcastic and dumb a grin as she could muster.

“Shut up and eat your damn pudding.” She paused, softening when he didn't follow her lead into the joke. “Please?”

She lost count of how many times she'd reminded him to eat, but he eventually reached the end of the small plastic cup and she tucked him inside of his robe. Her bandaging work was far from professional, but it was clean and for that she was going to consider it a win. They would have plenty of time to perfect the job, this was far from over. To celebrate, she pressed a small Elmo band-aid leftover from when Haley and Jack had lived there right to his collar bone. Front and center.

“Good as new.”

<- Previous Chapter | Next Chapter ->

#aaron hotchner #derek morgan #jessica brooks #roy brooks #george foyet #criminal minds #hotchgan #foyet aftermath

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yuzukult · 3 years

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HAPPY 2K BENCH !! you deserve the whole world yk :( you deserve every single one of those followers + a million more !!!

i got a few questions for you :D it's a lot but <33 <3 <3 they're fun questions i swear </3 i even put a little husna flare to em if you couldn't tell KWHKAJSD

1. if you could live in a fictional world, which one would you live in?

2. it's the zombie apocalypse !! (of course there's gonna be a zombie apocalypse question, thisis me we're asking) which one of my tumblr moots would you want to help you survive? other than me, of course, that'd be cheating.

3. what was your favorite childhood snack?

4. which marvel character is your favorite? talk to me about your fav marvel movie, your least fav marvel movie / show, and what you think about marvel's time traveling concept.

5. what are some of the worst movies you've watched?

6. what do you think is the best thing you've ever written? ik it's hard to choose, all your writing's amazing.

7. what kind of superpower would you want? do you think you'd make a good superhero?

8. what are some deal-breakers for you when it comes to relationships, whether it be romantic or platonic?

9. rant to me about a show you're watching <3

10. any advice for the kids who are pursuing the stem branch? aka me #lolzies

im gonna stop at 10 qs but !!! happy 2k to user @/gyukult aha :fboi:

:( you’re too nice husna even though i hate you and bash on you everyday

f-fun? i hope so.... or else i’m going into this and crying because your questions stress me out. just kidding or whatever is that how people tell jokes

i answered them below the read more bc it got long LOL

ask me questions for my 2k q&a!!

1. hm. like based off a movie or whatever? i wanna live in the marvel cinematic universe. do you think bucky or steve will notice me? also, wouldn’t it be so interesting to live in a world where there’s these people that call themselves ‘the Avengers’ and dress in colorful spandex or weird robotic armor? (i hope i answered this right.)

2. hm. can i be honest? the rest of gta are a bunch of weaklings and i don’t think any of them could help me survive. they might kill me first actually and it be by accident. if i had to give an answer, jae.

3. i used to live in an area where there were corner stores, and back in the day, snacks were like 25cents a pop but that’s another story for another time. i used to eat a lot of Little Debbies snacks so I would eat like those oatmeal creme pies, the cosmo brownies and the zebra cakes !!!

4. steve rogers but,, you knew that. class A hottie amirite i honestly feel like i’d have to go back and rewatch all those movies a second time (the last time i did that was before infinity war) but i honestly did really like infinity war & end game? i think watching all those movies throughout all those years and then seeing those two movies it just .... hit different. like i think if you didn’t watch any marvel movies and just watched those two, it wouldn’t feel the same way it hit us??? (remember, peter,,, with,,,, tony....) UGH I HATED CAPTAIN MARVEL !!! DID THEY ONLY MAKE THAT MOVIE JUST TO FULFILL THE “FEMALE EMPOWERMENT” AGENDA AND THEN DIDN’T THINK OF HTE PLOT!?!?!?!??!?! I’ M SO MA D?!!?!/ honestly. i’m not sure. i think i’m not the type to pick out a lot of stuff in films but at the same time...... i notice..... a lot of gaps in between things yet at the same time i never care enough to speak up about it? but maybe i can pick your brain on it another day. :D

5. sierra burgess is a loser. to all the boys i’ve loved 3. f9. wonder woman 1984. captain marvel. the new adaption for mulan. tall girl. i probably had way more honestly because you know how i love watching bad movies to give them the benefit of the doubt then being disappointed.

6. this is hard !! but i’m torn between after midnight and hello. i say after midnight because it’s out of my comfort zone to write anything fwd (it’s honestly kind of hard) but i managed to push through that and made it work! and i say hello because it’s one of my first long length fics and it just. i love the meaning behind it and it always has a place in my heart. :(

7. i think i wouldn’t make a good superhero tbh LOL i’m like an anti-hero or something LMFAO but if i were to have a superpower, probably super strength. no reason. just wanna throw stuff around.

8. i’m really big on honesty and respect. if my feet stinks, please tell me. but also there’s just something about respect from both friends and a significant other that i prioritize!! some things about a person’s personality can’t be forced to change, and that’s fine, but if they can’t be at least honest or respectful towards me, which btw is the bare minimum, consider yourself cut off.

9. !!! i’m only watching kitchen nightmares rn !! LMFAO but honestly i get so mad when people waste gordon’s time or act like he’s here for himself when they’re the ones who asked to be on the show??/ like hello did you forget you wrote into the show so you could be helped??? hello???? also i can’t help but wonder like how much time did he spend away from family bc of shows like these only to have ungrateful bitches out here smfh

10. LOL STEM !! i love stem even though i hate it. i think something to keep in mind is that there’s an end goal to this. throughout the ride, you’re gonna feel discouraged and feel like this isn’t for anything. but remember why you did it in the first place. and is it worth it? because that’s how i felt often but i remember taking those trips to job-site tours to see construction in progress, and i’m like yeah. this is why. i like this. i wanna work in this in the future. and i think it’s easy to forget what you’re working for during the obstacles because your head is only wrapped around that and whatever is in the moment, but just remember to step back, breathe and try to remember what you’re in this for !!

and even if you’re not 100% solid in what you like, don’t forget to try out different things even if they’re not pertaining to your major. you’re young, you have time to figure things out, and when you discover you don’t like something, great! that scratches off one thing on your list. now you’re one step closer to finding something you like.

#replies #:D #that was long

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itbe-jess · 3 years

Text

Masklophobia: Chapter 10

Karl's Paradise- 02x7 The Day Disco Revived

Here we are now. The seventh episode of the second season, focused on Yum-Yum. Unfortunately, there won't be much for me to describe on this episode, due to it being a bit glitchy. It was recorded off of an old VHS tape, so I can't blame them. Anyways, let's dive in.

We start off with that hillbilly lizard, and a smaller girl lizard with overalls and cowgirl pigtails (which I bet is his daughter), having a picnic by the Paradise sign. I think I remembered that girl lizard being one of Junior's classmates. After that, we then cut to the Happy Belly Diner. There were variant puppet customers, a deer puppet hostess, and 5 of the main Paradise Critters; Barkstone, Slouch, Yum-Yum, Saxxo, and Van Goose. Saxxo, Slouch, and Van Goose sat at a booth table, while Barkstone had a counter seat.

Yum-Yum served Barkstone a single pancake, which the blue dog remarked was the cheapest item on the menu. As soon as Yum-Yum had turned her back, Barkstone covered his breakfast with a napkin, lightly tapped on it three times with his wand, then we pan to a sideways angle of Barkstone, where he then removed the napkin to reveal he transformed his one pancake into a huge breakfast platter. When Yum-Yum turned around and saw the platter, she was surprised and confused at the same time.

Eventually shrugging it off, she then decided to serve her two other Critter friends their breakfast. Van Goose ordered the French toast, and Saxxo ordered the chicken 'n waffles with a side of hash browns. Slouch was napping as usual, burying his face in a bowl that somehow wasn't suffocating him. Yum-Yum gave him a tap on the shoulder and Slouch got up, showing his face covered in some white goop.

"Lo siento, seńora. I couldn't help falling asleep in my oatmeal. It's all so soft, and warm, and smells good..."

Talking about it made Slouch fall asleep again. Yum-Yum just shrugged. Then out the window, we see LabRat, holding an invention of some sort. As he entered, the invention looked like a slot machine with a spaghetti strainer on top, with print that read "Cumulus Controller."

"Oh no. Look out, gang. The mouse is in the house." Saxxo commented under his breath.

LabRat invited himself to sit at Saxxo, Van Goose, and Slouch's booth, by shoving Slouch to make room (while the bowl is still stuck to his face). He then placed his invention on the table.

"Wonderful SUNNY morning we're having! Guess what I have?" Asked LabRat.

"Ahn eenvention zat ahctually wahrks?" Replied Van Goose.

"No... Actually, yes. I introduce you fellows to an up close and personal presentation of my brand new Cumulus Controller! Anyone care to speak freely of their curiosity? Got the slightest clue on what it does?"

Van Goose and Saxxo didn't say a word. I can't speak for Slouch, who is heavily napping.

"Ah, tough crowd. Anyways, this contraption manipulates the cloud's precipitation through emanation modification, thus giving you the atmospheric conditions much you desire! Snow, rain, fall, or hail if your drinks run out of ice!"

I feel as though the writers don't know anything about science and are just making LabRat say a few science words to make him sound intelligent.

"Now, be the first to witness a live demonstration! Drum roll, please!"

Eger appeared out of nowhere and performed the drum roll. Afterwards, LabRat pushed a few buttons on the machine, pulled the slot lever, and the dials started spinning. The other Critters in the background, including Yum-Yum and Barkstone, didn't seem to pay mind to LabRat. Pretty soon, the dials ended at three rain clouds, which is obviously meant to be rain. Then with the power of bad TV editing, the strainer on top began glowing multi colors with some stock sci-fi noises playing.

Van Goose and Saxxo stared at the invention, either of interest or confusion. Later, the noises stopped and the strainer stopped glowing. Van Goose and Saxxo presumed nothing happened, until a roar of thunder, with a strike of lightning, startled them. The two looked out the window to find it was pouring down on the paradise.

The rain ruined the picnic of the hillbilly lizard and his daughter, as we saw in the beginning. In another area, a bird puppet was making a shortcut at Fresh Clear lake, trying to keep themself dry with their wings. Fins' popped up, surprising them. "Hey wet fella! Need an umbrella?" she said as she handed them a spare umbrella. But as the bird opened it, cartoonish water poured down on them. Fins laughed. Lastly, we go to the castle, where Karl requests his royal gardener to protect the flowers outside from the "horrible storm." The weasel heed the king's orders, but as soon as he opened those doors, he got struck by lightning. We then pan back to the diner.

"Well, haaaaaaaaaave mercy! It actually works, mah man!" Commented Saxxo.

"Of course it works! Iiiiiii made it, didn't I?" Said LabRat, feeling proud.

LabRat then had his own Frankenstein moment where he laughs maniacally as lightning from the rain strikes. Like they want to scare these children more. Van Goose asked if the machine can project any more weather. Just like that, LabRat pushed the buttons, cranked the trigger, and three snow clouds came on the dials. The rain soon turns into snow.

We're brought to Mama LongLegs, and a few other puppet Critters, ice skating on the frozen pavement, Junior and his friends are having snowball fights, a chipmunk builds a snowmunk, and the same weasel outside the castle in the garden. Poor thing looked like he was freezing his ass off, and he had placed sheets over the flowers, which I'm pretty sure would kill them more. Karl popped out the window to let his royal gardener know that snow has fallen, even though the weasel already notices.

We're then cued to a cartoon segment, about a human child being puzzled over idioms spoken by the weather man on TV, such as "It's raining cats and dogs" and "pea soup." She runs to her mother to tell her about the hoopla she heard on TV, only for her mother to assure her that they're not true by explaining what they mean, and promising her daughter that the sky isn't gonna rain cats and dogs. Zoom out from the window angle, it's raining cats and dogs.

The show cuts back to the diner, where Van Goose was eager to try the Cumulus Controller herself, saying she needs a fine leafy autumn for her next portrait. LabRat told her that only he knew how to work it, but Van Goose just reached across the booth to touch the machine. LabRat could've pulled her wings away or push her, but instead he just kept giving her warnings. She pushed the buttons, then cranked the trigger. On the dials then appeared three tornados. Yep, I think you know what happens next. LabRat then scolded Van Goose for what she had done.

We take another tour around the paradise, and all the snow suddenly melted away. It is then showed to be an incredibly windy day amongst the puppet Critters, trying to pass through but keep getting pulled in by the breeze, with genetic toy-looking cows flowing about. Once again, we visit the gardener weasel, checking on the flowers underneath the sheets. The weasel spots the cartoony tornado out in the distance, and like any sane person, he said "FORGET IT! I QUIT!" and ran.

But the tornado wasn't swirling its way towards the castle, it was swirling its way towards the Happy Belly Diner. The first one to notice the tornado was a hamster puppet sitting alone in a booth, who shouts in a thick, hoarse accent I can't recognize, "TORNADO!" However, since his accent sounds like "TOMATO," Yum-Yum came to his booth with a plate of tomato slices. The tornado got closer and Van Goose, LabRat, and Saxxo saw it at the last second. Van Goose gives the warning.

"Everyone, GOOSE! I mean, DUCK!"

All the Critters ducked under their tables, and Yum-Yum ducked under the counter. Slouch didn't duck on account that he was asleep, and Barkstone didn't duck on account that he was too stubborn to take part of whatever kind of "tomfoolery game" they were up to. When the tornado hits the diner, we later cut to after the incident. (I bet no one can look at this scene without laughing. You gotta look at this budget.) There's nothing left but the stools, tables, booths, and lots of debris. The food's gone for some reason, including Barkstone's cheat breakfast platter.

"Such a waste of three cents." Groaned the blue dog.

Everyone seems to be fine, except Yum-Yum, who appears to be very sad despite that blank mask expression. Or at least I could tell from the sad piano music playing. Then one of the glitching errors occur, where the screen changes to black and white, and the audio turns disorted, but only for a good 12 seconds. Yum-Yum looks at all the debris around, that used to be her diner. LabRat and Van Goose tried to pin each other on the cause of the incident.

"LahbRat deed eet! Hees mahchine, he deed eet!"

"I resent that! It may be MY machine, but who pulled the lever? It wasn't me! ...this time!"

Yum-Yum yelled at both of them.

"I don't wanna know who's fault it is! That's not gonna bring back the Happy Belly."

Yum-Yum runs off, leaving the rat and goose feeling guilty. Saxxo just looks at them, probably ashamed of them as they are with themselves. Slouch wakes up and looks around at the now demolished diner. His only reaction was "Check, please."

On to the following scene, Yum-Yum is looking at a framed photo of the Happy Belly's grand opening. Suddenly, LabRat (who's holding some remote), Saxxo, and Van Goose teleported right into her living room. The shades donning tiger was holding a check.

"Didn't mean to sneak up on ya, Mama, but dig this: We talked turkey to double K about your misfortune today. So, in his generous offer, he wrote out this check for 50,000 leaves and 42 shinies. Signed with his genuine royal signature."

I presume "leaves" and "shinies" are paradise money. Leaves are ranged into dollers, while shinies are ranged into cents. And I also presume that checks in the paradise are supposed to be big enough to hold with both hands. Even with that good money, Yum-Yum refused it. Apparently, she felt guilty taking money from the king with all the nice things he's done for her, also she didn't wanna be a charity case. Yum-Yum, please; When a dumb rich white man decides to give you all his money, you take his money!

"That's nice of y'all, but Karl's like a friend to me, to all of us, so I would feel guilty takin' money from someone whose done so much for our people. Also, I don't wanna be some charity case. I'm a strong woman. I can make it through."

"Perhaps I can build a time machine to setback the tragic event from happening." Said LabRat.

"NO!" Saxxo, Yum-Yum, and Van Goose screamed in unison.

"Maybe I cahn open up a beneefit ahrt show by mahkeeng brahnze stahtues een treebute of your best entrees! People buy zem, ahnd we mahke enough mahney to rebuild your deenair! [*Withdraws one of those statues behind her back*] Here's one of your fahmous Mahnday special: cahld peegs' feets weeth haht sauce!" Said Van Goose.

"Ah thought those were hamhocks." Commented Saxxo.

"I thought that was trash you planned to throw away." Commented LabRat, before getting nudged by Van Goose.

"Look, I appreciate you guys wanna help, but as friends, I really don't need you going through that trouble for me. However, if it's courtesy you want, I'd be more than happy if you stayed for awhile. ...since you're already here. I've recently baked a fresh batch of pastries, and I'll fix some tea to go with them."

The bear then walked her way to the kitchen. Saxxo just dropped the check like some surrendering gesture, venting to himself on what they could do to make it up to Yum-Yum as he took a seat on the couch. Van Goose thought a little music would lighten the mood, so she made her way to the phonograph, and a box of records was besides it. However, while going through the records, upon her discovery she found Yum-Yum on an album cover, with the title being "30 Minute Love At 400 Degrees Fahrenheit." She found two more Yum-Yum albums, titled "I've Got Roast Beef With You," and "Sweeter Than Sugar, Richer Than Cream."

She told the two guys about it. Saxxo ran, while LabRat used teleportation. I forgot to mention. All the album covers are illustrated in cartoon, with Yum-Yum dressed as some 70s' disco artist, with a puffy afro that matches her fur color. Van Goose then discarded one of the records from their cases, and placed it on the phonograph. Here's what I heard so far, and it's not quite bad.

🎵Hmmmmm-mmmmmm-mmmmmmmmm. Baby... You left my life so bitter. I've worked my jobs, not once I robbed. But you just had to get her. What do you see, that's not in me, With that girl that knocks you to your knees.🎵

Afterwards, the gangs starts talking, and I lose track of the lyrics.

"Not bad. Though I prefer the sounds of fingers direfully strumming on the keys of an organ." LabRat shared his opinion.

"Heyyyyyy! This is alright, dynamite, and outta sight! Ah don't know about you, Rat, but music is my specialty, and I know dis right here is a big fat 10 out of 10!" Saxxo shared opinion.

"Yum-Yum hahd a museec cahreair ahnd deedn't even tell us?" Questioned Van Goose.

Right at that moment, the TV plays a commerical, though I did recall the TV wasn't on earlier, for the 20th Anniversary of Soul Plane. (Very clever there). The said host of Soul Plane, a canine puppet named Dhole Clawelius, announces a sing-off competition. Based on the judges' views, one lucky contestant could win a 100,000 leaf prize, and their chance to perform a live show next episode. The promo gave the trio an idea.

After that, we transition to the next cartoon skit. Just a paper cutout stop motion that tells the story of what if the world didn't have music. That's when the picture started breaking up, and the audio loses its quality. Annoyed, I skipped ahead of the episode until I could recognize any picture onscreen. Yum-Yum was having a conversation with the trio over tea and the pastries she brought in. At first I was confused, but the subject was about her career in the big music industry.

"Think about it, blood. That beautiful voice of yours can sweep all those contestants off their feet! It a better way of helpin' yourself and you wouldn't be feelin' guilty about us performin' a good deed for you." Saxxo tried to persuade Yum-Yum into signing up at Soul Plane.

"I don't know, Saxxy. Been a long time since I held a mic in my hand, put on my old sequin dress, and puffed up my hair. I don't think I still have it in me."

"I hear you seeng when you cook. Your vahcahls ahre ahs fresh ahs ze dahneeshes you leave out every mahrneeng." Now Van Goose took a shot at it.

"Yes, but... There will probably be others better than me."

"Dagnabbit, young lady. Just sign up on that program or I'm going back to my lab to fetch my Mind Control helmet." Now LabRat is resorting to blackmail.

"The thing only works in reverse. Remember how Barkstone used you to do his laundry for two weeks?"

"Mmmmmm, you have a point there. But I have recalibrated a few kinks! Not all of them."

"Alright, fellas. I'll do it, since you all want nothing more than to help me. The diva shall rise again!"

The trio clapped her on, then Saxxo put out his paw for a high-five. "Slip me some skin there, Mama." After that, we cut to another cartoon skit. Something I never thought I'd see. Saxxo, in animation. Well, the Critters do appear animated in the opening sequence, but never thought they'd have their own skits like this. Now that I think of it, maybe Karl's Paradise would've looked better if it were a cartoon. Then again, a non-creepy approach would not save the show from their poor network scheduling.

Back to the cartoon, Saxxo is talking, with some brass funk music playing in the background.

"Brothas and sistas, heed mah word. Better listen, you hear? It must be heard. Have you ever saw yourself on stage, playin' the guitar? [*A guitar magically appears in his hands, then vanished after pulling a few notes*] Or bangin' the drums, tootin' the flute, or being the first triangle star? [*The same happens with those other instrumemts as well*] As cool as it be, it's no task to learn overnight. All birds start out fallin' before they take flight. Practice makes perfect. It's worth it to a degree. [*A piano appears and he starts playing*] It's eas-"

The skit stops after the show switches to some sitcom (likely a bad one) that I don't even know. Didn't I tell you this episode was a bit glitchy? Don't worry, it's only temporary for 30 seconds, then we switch back to the episode, but the audio clearly isn't working right now. All I see is the contestants readying themselves backstage. Yum-Yum is all dressed exactly how she looked in her albums. She peeks her head out of the curtains, then pulls it back in. The big bear seemed all jittery and nervous. We then pan to the full setting and stage of Soul Plane. In design otherwise, it did resemble Soul Train (the program their parodying off of), with some painted sky backdrops, and plane decors.

The judging table consists of parodies of celebrities that are not very known today; Lola FaLlama, Wolf Jack, and Marvin Greyhound. All of the Critters are in the viewer crowd, who came to cheer Yum-Yum on. Right where the audio starts working again, King Karl arrives in style, accompanied by his weasel servants. Then we get to the boring part, which I don't feel like explaining in full detail. The contestants performed all their talents on stage, and they either suck or are decent.

The last contestant Dhole Clawelius called out was Yum-Yum. The crowd claps, but, Yum-Yum doesn't show up on stage. Dhole calls again, but no Yum-Yum. The Critters started questioning among themselves, and that was when Karl started to get worried. He then slipped his way out of the crowd, and leaving his servants behind. We pan to backstage, where Yum-Yum is sitting in a chair, looking like a nervous wreck, whispering to herself. Karl then spoke, and startled her.

"You seem upset."

"Oh, Karl. It's you."

"The one and only. Do you think anything might be troubling you?"

"[*Sighs*] A whole lot, to tell the truth. At first I thought I didn't have the same razzle dazzle magic I had 14 years ago, but it all came back to me now. I've got a bad case of mike fright. I mean, I was fine singing behind a recording booth, being eyed by only two or three people. But when I had to sing in front of millions, if not billions, of people watching, I fell dead frozen. The thought of all those eyes monitoring my every move, it just... ....leaves me in jitters."

"You were okay serving a million Critters a year at the Happy Belly."

"It's not the same, your highness. I'm a cook. I was the superfly diva of disco. One bad move, and it's flopsville."

"You're the best cook, Yum-Yum. Out of all the eateries in the paradise, Critters have always recommended the Happy Belly. You practically were famous without a mic or platinum album. Besides, everyone had their fair share of slip ups. As a matter of fact, a few years ago, back when I was just a small prince, I had to present a speech at my father's 50th banquet. I was so nervous, I forgot the words."

"That's it?"

"Oh, there's more than that. My nervous breakdown got to me so much, I eventually got queasy."

"NO!"

"It's true."

"You, the king?!"

"We're all people, Yum-Yum-"

The picture grows black and white, and the audio becomes disorted, again. Really pissing me off. Well, not like there's anything fun going on in this episode. It lasts longer than it did before. When the picture and audio came back together, Dhole was about to declare the winner of Soul Plane, but Yum-Yum then stepped on stage, singing her heart out.

Hey, hey! Let me see y'all get down with yo' bad selves!

🎵The heat has got us poppin'! Like those kernels on the stove! We floatin' like a root beer! Now watch the foam rose! Yeaaaaaaah!

The crowd has got so much life! Give me a scream and shout! Don't be a melted ice cream! Or PBJ inside out! Hmmmmmm!

Sweeter than sugar! Richer than cream! C'mon, c'mon! Everybody! Lets live the dream! Hotter than pot roast! Cooler than ice! 'Long as you are havin' fun, Your life is suffice! Healthy as apples! Tough as can be! Just whatever suits your vibe, It's alright with me! Sweeter than sugar! Richer than cream! Lots of faces smilin' there! Just how it should seem!🎵

Just any episide of Soul Train, the whole crowd is dancing, clapping along to the beat, even the judges could feel the rhythm. After Yum-Yum finished, the judges wrote out their scores. It wasn't in numbers, but in the words "Right On." That must mean a 10. Each also gave a comment on how much they liked her. Dhole then presented Yum-Yum with the prize. However, just now, he started to recognize her talent.

"You know, Ms. Yum, with that voice, I could've sworn I've heard of you somewhere." "Well, who hasn't? I'm only the best darn cook in the paradise."

The audience laughs, and Yum-Yum ends the episode by re-singing the song that won her first prize. Oh wait, the episode isn't over yet. We still have Paradise Fun-Time. It's just Saxxo giving some singing advice. Now roll the credits. This has probably been my worst episode yet. It's a shame that good composed music and animation was wasted on this.

#The Banana Splits Movie #Remake #Masklophobia #horror #Karl’s Paradise #original characters

4 notes · View notes

mksc77 · 6 years

Text

Davis?!" Sharon exclaimed again. She couldn't get past this. As entertaining as the thought of Provenza's reaction was, she didn't want to leave her team in the hands of the likes of Winnie Davis. "She's overbearing, condescending, and, to be frank, a royal pain in the ass."

Andy tilted his head, and a boyish grin played at his lips. "Well, to be fair, we all thought the same about you just a few years ago."

"Yeah, well, that—it was—it's not the same!" Sharon sputtered.

"Well, I kind of hope it is, if we get stuck with her." Andy pecked her on the lips. "The whole 'falling in love with you' thing aside, anyway."

"Keep comparing me to her, and I'll be tempted to let you take your chances with her," Sharon muttered. "But, really, all of the options have been a thorn in our side at some point." For the most part, the animosity had to do with other divisions thinking that Major Crimes received favoritism when it came to resources and overtime hours, which Sharon had admittedly thought herself when she was in FID, but she mostly thought it was because of Brenda's and Pope's past relationship. Once she got more involved with Major Crimes and saw the kinds of things they had to deal with, and especially when she took over, she saw the need for such treatment. Lieutenant Daniels's animosity stemmed more from the terms of her departure from Major Crimes, despite the fact that Gabriel nor Brenda had been around in several years. Any time her division had any interaction with Major Crimes, she made things as difficult as possible for them.

A couple of hours later, Sharon and Andy got dinner in the oven and joined Emily, Rusty, and Eleanor outside. The toddler was on a blanket on the porch with her toys, and Emily and Rusty were sprawled out in chairs, talking and watching her play. Sharon knelt beside Eleanor and checked her diaper. "Come on, baby girl, let's get you changed really quick." Sharon gathered Eleanor in her arms and indicated for Rusty to follow her.

"What?" He asked, looking nervous.

"She's wet, and it's past time for you to pitch in with diaper changes every now and then. Andy and I don't like diaper changes any more than you do."

"Mo-om!" Rusty complained, begrudgingly following her inside.

"What if we had her on a weekend that Andy and I got rolled out?" Sharon pointed out.

Rusty rolled his eyes. "Then I could do it. It's not that I can't, I'd just rather not."

"Join the club." Sharon got what they needed and laid Eleanor on a changing pad. "Pull her pants down and unsnap her," she prompted when Rusty didn't move.

"I know that part," Rusty grumbled.

Sharon shrugged. "Well, you weren't moving." She handed him a wet wipe. "Wipe her down, make sure her diaper is even on the front and back, and tight enough, but not too tight, between her legs." Eleanor was kicking her legs and squirming around, but Rusty did a pretty good job of getting the diaper on her. "See? Was that so hard? Roll up the wet diaper and tape it closed with the tabs before you put it in the garbage." Sharon picked up the baby, poured a glass of wine for herself, and walked back outside.

Rusty gave Eleanor a bath soon after dinner, which he did pretty often, but Sharon usually put her diaper and pajamas on her afterward. This time, she stayed in the living room and let Rusty get her dressed for bed. By the time he got back to the living room with her, Eleanor was whimpering and rubbing her eyes. "Here, Mom, I think she's ready for bed." Sharon didn't usually rock her at night and just read to her and laid her in the pack and play when she got drowsy, but she wanted to let her get used to the new house before she did that now.

"Why don't you try rocking her tonight?" Sharon suggested. "We can skip the books, she looks like she's about to fall asleep. I don't think she'll give you much of a fight." She rubbed Eleanor's back and kissed her forehead. "You had a big day, huh? Night-night, sweetheart. Sleep tight."

Andy kissed Eleanor's cheek and ruffled her hair. "Goodnight, baby girl. Sweet dreams."

Rusty sat down in the recliner with Eleanor, and Sharon brought him a bottle of milk. "She'll probably be mostly asleep by the time her bottle's gone, anyway."

Rusty gave her the bottle and held her against his shoulder when she was finished, trying to mimic what he'd seen Sharon do with her, but Eleanor whimpered and struggled against him. "Get her, Mom, she's crying," Rusty said nervously.

"Hold her more tightly and pat her back," Sharon instructed. "She can tell you're nervous. Let me get ready for bed and turn her sound machine on, and I'll get her if she's still crying after that." She went back to her and Andy's room to wash her face, moisturize, and slip into her most comfortable nightgown. Having a toddler around for most of the day had been exhausting.

Eleanor was sleeping comfortably in Rusty's arms when she got back to the living room. "She's so sweet like this," Rusty said. "She's cute, but she'll wear you out."

"You have to stay on top of them all the time at this age," Sharon agreed. "Otherwise, you'll have to call a plumber because a toddler flushed a toy down the toilet or have to take said toddler to the doctor because she's stuffed something up her nose too far for me to get out." Sharon gave Emily a pointed look.

"You should've been watching me better," Emily said simply.

Later that night, Sharon and Andy left Emily and Rusty watching TV in the living room and went to bed. As Sharon slipped between the sheets, she was grateful, not for the first time, for the new king-sized bed. That had been a fight, but the extra space was worth the mournful and sad-puppy eyes she'd had to endure from Andy since the day she'd worn him down and won the argument. She felt like she'd just fallen asleep when Eleanor's cries woke her up, but the clock on her nightstand told her that it was 4:00 in the morning. Eleanor didn't normally wake up during the night unless something was wrong, so Sharon went ahead and got her up before she could wake Andy. "Honey, what's the matter?" She crooned as she lifted the baby into her arms. Not feeling well or the need for a diaper change was usually responsible for middle-of-the-night crying, so Sharon pressed her cheek to Eleanor's forehead and checked her diaper. "Hmm, no fever, and you're a little wet, but that shouldn't have woken you up," she murmured. "Let's get you into a dry diaper while we're up, and then you can get in bed with Andy and me." Eleanor was big enough for Sharon not to be afraid of putting her in their bed anymore, and she would probably wake up again in just a few hours, anyway. After a quick diaper change, Sharon got back in bed with Andy on one side and Eleanor on the other. Eleanor was one of the precious few exceptions to her 'don't touch me while I'm sleeping unless you have a death wish' rule, and she fell asleep with the baby cuddled into her side and grasping her hair.

When Sharon woke up again Sunday morning, it was after 8:00, and Eleanor was tapping her face and cooing. They'd both slept later than usual. "Well, hey, baby girl! Did you sleep good?" Sharon picked her up and followed the smell of coffee to the kitchen. She didn't normally drink much coffee on weekends, but she'd set the timer the night before, knowing she'd probably want it this morning. Andy wisely waited for Sharon to pour a mug and take a few sips before kissing the top her head and doing the same for Eleanor. "Morning. Is she okay? I checked on her when I woke up, and I was scared to death when she wasn't there until I realized she was beside you."

"Morning. She's fine. She woke up crying early this morning, but I think she was just a little out of sorts from being in a new place."

Emily barreled in as they were talking, faster than Sharon had ever seen her move first thing in the morning in her life. "Please tell me you have some pickles." Sharon had been prepared for this and got a jar from the refrigerator. She remembered seeing some in Emily's refrigerator when they'd visited her in New York, and she had craved them when she was pregnant with Emily, so she'd stocked up before she came to visit. Emily grabbed the jar from her, twisted the top off, and drank right out of the jar like she was going to die if she didn't have it right this second. "Oh, my god, that's so much better. I've been eating them, but I haven't really had a 'have-to-have-it-right-now craving for them yet."

"I craved them when I was pregnant with you, and they had to be Mount Olive Kosher Dill for me, too. That, and strawberry ice cream. But never at the same time." Sharon waited for Emily to come up for air before reaching into the jar and fishing out a pickle for herself. "I craved beef jerky with Ricky. I've never even liked it otherwise, but I ate my weight in it when I was pregnant with your brother."

Emily rolled her eyes. "Leave it to Ricky to make you crave something you don't even like."

"I know, right?" Sharon made some oatmeal for Eleanor and placed her in Emily's and Ricky's old high chair she'd gotten out of storage. By the time she outgrew it, there would be another baby around to use it. "I want to cook breakfast, but I don't know if Rusty will be up in time for me to need to make enough for him." Sharon had decided to skip mass in favor of a relaxing morning at home.

"I'll take care of that. Let me see your phone."

"Don't call him," Sharon said.

"I'm not, I promise. Just let me see your phone." Emily took Sharon's phone from her and opened the Google Home app. She, Ricky, and Rusty had gone in together and gotten one for Sharon and Andy as a housewarming gift. After looking through the names of the various speakers that were connected with it, she found the name associated with the one in Rusty's room, closed the app, gave Sharon's phone back to her, and turned toward the small device on the counter. "Hey, Google, play 'Barbie Girl' in Rusty's room."

"Emily!" Sharon chided, slipping a spoonful of oatmeal into Eleanor's waiting mouth.

"What? I didn't call him!"

Angry footsteps could then be heard coming down the hall, and a bleary-eyed and angry Rusty came in. "Emily! What the hell?! I wouldn't have gone in with you guys on that thing if I'd known you were going to do that with it!"

"Chill, little brother, I didn't have that idea until after we bought it. This is just a hilarious bonus."

"For you," Rusty muttered. "That's the worst song I've ever heard...That was not a challenge to prove me wrong, by the way." He took over feeding Eleanor, and Sharon and Andy started making breakfast.

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