#episode ix looks amazing

[mkiss723]

LItG S8 Vol. IX

Ep. 27

First of all, I have to assume that Emel and Sophie are interchangeable at this point because the personality that Emel has now sucks. It’s messy and gross. She wants everyone. She was so intent to mess around in Casa only to realize she wants Oakley still, then was still trying to get it on with Kyle and then we come back and she’s talking about Hari 🙄 girl make up your mind! And then she wants to hide everything from Oakley?? No liking her much right now…

I have to admit that now I’m even more curious what’s going on with Sienna and Jin because he told me this:

And then Hazel (who is amazing btw!!) tells me all this:

Which was definitely the opposite of what Jin told me… ☹️

Look at all my options for boys 😅 so many to choose from!! Jk - I just want Jin!!

And clearly he wants me 🤣 I almost feel bad… no, wait… I don’t feel bad at all actually!

This pool game got messy so fast. I am not surprised at all though.

At least Bea called the arse out for it. About time!

I really think everyone should just be honest with their partner with what happened during Casa - they should know it will all come out eventually anyway!! (Don’t they watch the show?!) it’s better to up front about it… I’m looking at you guys: Claudia & Theo and Emel & Oakley…

Haha this was great!! 😘

I knew he would ask this

And with that of course it ends right after Jin asked me if I cracked on with anyone and I have to wait ONE WHOLE WEEK to respond to him and hear his response 😭 Not gonna lie, if he’s done stuff with Sienna then I might die inside a little bit!! I’ve been completely loyal to Jin and only did stuff during the Casa games! I didn’t even pay to win the raunchy races because I didn’t want to do that to Jin!! (Next playthrough however….)

Looks like I’ll be replaying the rest of the volumes several times so I can see how the Max route goes and then replay again and stay loyal to my man Jin 😅

I am enjoying this season so far… but the wait for the next episodes kills me every week!! 🤣

[runicmagitek]

2022 Writerly Year Review

tagged by @frozen-fountain (many thanks!!) not gonna tag anyone, but if you're a writer and are reading this and feel like giving this a go? Consider yourself tagged! 💖

Total number of completed works. Posted to AO3? 62 🙃 I guess it's technically 61, as What Leads You Here is still in progress, being a longfic and all.

Total number of WIPs worked on this year. Oh lord, hold please as I count all the drafts and partially done stuff in Scrivener.... 7 total. 8 if you include What Leads You Here, which fully drafted, but in the editing phase.

WIPs neglected this year. I honestly don't know djsaklfdjslkfjkldas I continue to neglect my one Celes/Terra fic I abandoned when 13 Sentinels hijacked my brain, so there's that 🙃 I promise I'll return to it one day.

Fandoms I've written in. 13 Sentinels, Critical Role, Final Fantasy (VI, VII, IX, and X), Fire Emblem: Three Houses, Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury, My Dress-Up Darling, and Pyre

Total word count. Uh, posted to AO3? 287,882. Written? A little over 500k

Looking back, did you write more than you thought you would this year, less, or about what you expected? MORE. WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY MORE.

Did you take any writing risks this year? There were a handful of fics that I banged out in a single day, quickly edited them, and slapped them onto AO3. Are they amazing works of literature? Hell no. Were they super fun to write? Hell yeah. I need to just… relax with editing more and let myself do this more often. I swear some of my better-received fics are when I go "you know what? fuck it" and release it into the world.

Do you have any goals for the new year? Not write as much lolsob. Also finish What Leads You Here along with a handful of WIPs. Maybe even revisit that Celes/Terra WIP if I have time/energy!

Biggest disappointment? Not so much in my own writing, but just lack of engagement with some of my fics. Then again, that's par for the course when you write A) not-so-popular characters, B) gen fic, and C) stories involving death and angsty bits. Also seeing my fluffy G fics doing better than my smutty fics in the 13 Sentinels fandom just… continues to baffle me to this day. It's LITERALLY the only fandom I've ever been in where smut does worse numbers-wise and I don't get it.

Biggest surprise? I wrote something for Critical Role!! I've been a longtime watcher and enjoy the show, but I've done my best to staaaaay away from the fandom 😰 plus I tend to wait until I finish something before I ever consider writing a fic for it, just so I can have the whole picture, so to speak. But one particular episode just set me off and I had to write something to hold me over until the next episode 😭

Most popular story of the year? Most hits/bookmarks? For the Ones That Feel It the Most

Most kudos/subscriptions? Sweet Dreams (why are people subscribing to a oneshot lolsob)

Most comments? What Leads You Here

Ahhh the power of posting fics near the release of a popular thing. And also longfics lol.

What's your own favorite story of the year? I feel like this changes on a daily basis lol I love all of them for different reasons. Lucid has a close place to my heart bc I was Very Upset to find close to no m!Byleth/Gatekeeper fics in an incredibly popular/active fandom. Also really love how Like You, Only Sweeter turned out, which was an incredibly self-indulgent story for me (I just wanted them to smooch)

Story of mine most under-appreciated by the universe, in my opinion. Nearly all of my 13 Sentinels fics bc the fandom is small and niche lolsob. But also Marinate, which granted, I posted the last week of 2022, but still.

Most fun story to write. What the Water Gave Me, which very quickly snowballed out of control into its own thing. I had a blast writing this mermaid AU and thinking of lore for this world!

Most unintentionally telling story. I'm not sure if this means like… a story that utilized more telling as opposed to showing or just… telling about me as an individual. Either way, I'm genuinely not sure? A lot of aspects of myself are sprinkled across my stories, but isn't any work of art?

My favorite part of fandom this year. WHAT DO YOU MEAN I HAVE TO PICK ONE?????? Meeting so many cool and incredibly talented people. Starting a Discord server with good friends. Applying (and getting accepted!) to a bunch of amazing zine projects. Participating in all the secret santa events and fic exchanges. Being late to a fandom and getting to experience things for the first time. Watching my friend react throughout their 13 Sentinels playthroughs. Collaborating with a lovely art friend to make our own damn zine. Getting to share my longfic with the small, yet vastly passionate community. And just… so so many more moments that made me smile and be forever grateful. If we've interacted at all, even for a brief moment, thank you for making 2022 a little brighter.

[legostarwarsgame]

Play as Iconic Characters and Relive Legendary Moments in LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga

If you want to experience their amazing work firsthand, you should definitely buy Xbox games featuring their titles. They even dropped their own IPs with LEGO City and Dimensions. But none of this would’ve happened without their 2005 gem, LEGO Star Wars: The Video Game. This game was a hilarious spin on the Star Wars prequels, mixing action, puzzles, and platforming into a colorful LEGO experience that laid the groundwork for all future LEGO games. Fast forward to today, and TT Games is back in the Star Wars galaxy with their most ambitious LEGO project ever: LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga. Covering all nine mainline films and promising endless content, is this game a fresh and fun twist on the LEGO formula, or is it a total flop? LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga lets you relive the epic saga across all nine films. You’ll watch the Republic fall and the Empire rise in Episodes I-III, take down the Empire in Episodes IV-VI, and finally shut down the Dark Side in Episodes VII-IX. You can play as iconic characters like Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker, Princess Leia, Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Rey, Finn, and BB-8, among others. It’s a blast to journey through the galaxy with your favorite characters and relive the most legendary moments from all the films.

Upgraded Space Combat: Full Control and Thrilling Gameplay

TT Games is leveling up their LEGO game way beyond just recreating all nine films and their locations. If you’re looking to buy PS5 games that show a significant upgrade in gameplay, you'll see that for years, LEGO game mechanics have been kinda stuck in the past—characters had the same four hearts for health, and combat was just button-mashing or random blaster shots. But LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga is flipping the script, bringing a fresh, cinematic vibe to the LEGO formula while keeping it fun for all ages. Ranged combat now feels like a legit third-person shooter—you can aim down sights over your character's shoulder and take cover behind walls. The cover system might be a bit clingy, but the shooting feels way smoother, making blaster characters way more fun than before. Melee combat got a major glow-up too, with a slick combo system that rewards you for chaining moves together. The melee upgrade really shines in lightsaber duels, where the camera zooms in for epic fights that mix blocking, dodging, and attacking. They’re not Dark Souls-level bosses, but dueling General Grievous and Darth Sidious is still a blast. And space combat? It’s been seriously upgraded, giving you full control over your favorite Star Wars ships. It’s easy to pick up and play, offering a thrilling ride that fits right in with the rest of the game’s dope mechanics.

Class Abilities and Blasters: New Reasons to Explore Every Character

RPG vibes are totally in the mix with LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga, thanks to classes and upgrades. If you're looking to buy PS5 games that incorporate these features, you'll find that characters are now split into different classes, each with its own perks. Jedi and Dark Side users can use the Force to mess with stuff in the environment. Scoundrels can spot destructible objects with their senses. Heroes can rock armor pieces to blend in, while Villains can hack terminals for epic weapons. You can level up each class with Kyber Bricks to boost their skills. This class system is pretty rad and makes each of the 300+ characters feel unique. If you’re aiming to 100% LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga, you’ll want to track down your fave characters in each class. Lightsabers are still awesome, but with the new class abilities and third-person shooter mechanics, there’s now a solid reason to grab a blaster too.

The Best LEGO Star Wars Game Yet

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, a studio set out to craft a fun journey through Episodes I-III. Not only did they crush it, but they also kickstarted a franchise that just kept getting better. Fast forward to now, and as TT Games circles back to LEGO Star Wars, it’s clear they’ve leveled up big time. LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga is a total game-changer, reimagining the LEGO series by covering all the main Star Wars films, filling the galaxy with awesome activities, and refreshing the gameplay for today’s generation. Sure, there are some hiccups—like a few gameplay mechanics that could use a tweak, the lack of online co-op, and voice acting that doesn’t quite hit the mark for such an iconic franchise. But these are minor bumps in what’s otherwise the best LEGO game ever, and a stunning tribute to George Lucas' vision. LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga nails bringing that galaxy far, far away to life in a thrilling new way.

[johanna-swann]

I've been discussing how we would rank the Star Wars Episodes with one of my friends, we watched a film critic's take on it too, I asked my brother and cousin about it and it seems like everyone has a different opinion. My friend really like the sequels, my brother prefers the prequels and my cousin stans the original trilogy.

Eventually I always come back to the conclusion that it's not about actual quality. All three Star Wars trilogies have their ups and downs, strengths and weaknesses. Which of the weaknesses you're happy to bear and which ones you can't stand is personal preference.

The original trilogy often gets more nostalgia points than it probably deserves. Yes, it's cinema history and I kinda love the low-key trashy vibe, the characters are pretty basic yet very iconic, but the pacing. Oh my. I don't mind a little slow burn (Andor did this brilliantly), but there are often spans when for 20 or 30 minutes nothing happens. Then again the important moments often come on so suddenly and happen so fast that it feels almost anticlimactic. And Episode VI? Everybody complained when the sequel trilogy came along and copied Episode IV, but Episode VI does the exact same thing and it's fine?

All in all iconic, loveable movies (especially Episode V), but they do have substantial weaknesses (especially Episode VI).

The prequels are often more appreciated by younger fans, hated on by og trilogy fans and they have a completely different vibe. Less space-magic fairytale, more political intrigue and tragedy. This trilogy has a very low low and a very high high.

Episode I wasn't super exciting, but kinda cute. I love that we meet Anakin so young, Darth Maul is pretty cool in this movie and Qui Gon and Obi Wan's relationship is really touching. Episode II was a dumpster fire. Everything it tried to do was done 10000 times better in Clone Wars. Episode III then was really great again and very emotional. Was Anakin's fall to the dark side a bit sudden, yes. Some of the dialogue is still very cringe worthy. But this is the movie that gives you the real classic tragedy stuff. You're rooting for Anakin, hoping he'll come through when you already know where his story ends.

The sequel trilogy is a tough one and is strongly disliked by all kinds of Star Wars fans, but sometimes I think people are too harsh and unforgiving with it. Episode VII isn't bad, quite good even, the visuals are great (compared to prequel cgi...), it introduces a bunch of new characters really well and those characters are so interesting. I love the main trio so much. It felt in parts very Disney and the plot was copy pasted from Episode IV, but as I said, that's basically what Episode VI did too. It was a solid start, then came the problems.

I didn't mind Finn going of with Rose in Episode VIII all that much. It wasn't really that important to the main plot, but it showed that while the galaxy suffers there's also war profeteers living their best life. Both Rose and Finn have never really known anything but war and suddenly they're confronted with this high society living in luxury at the cost of innocent lives. I also wasn't annoyed with Rey trying to save Ben yet, that came later. Poe's story on the other hand was complete nonsense. Leia's friend (I forgot her name) risked the entire rebellion because? She wanted to teach Poe a lesson about patience? And Luke would never, ever, not for a moment raise his lightsaber against a sleeping child. Again, the visuals were great. That last battle with the red and white landscape looked amazing. There are worse Star Wars movies.

Episode IX is where it completely fell apart. Somehow Palpatine returned. Rey is his granddaughter. After not only having killed his father, having tortured Rey and friends and having declared himself the new supreme leader of the galaxy, Rey is still trying to save Kylo? Kylo made his fucking choice. Several times actually. The last hour or so it felt like watching a pingpong match. "Oh, Palpatine returns, but Rey is on her way! Oh, he has a fleet. Don't worry, the rebels are coming! But there's too few of them! Nevermind, they got backup. But Rey is still losing against Palpatine! But what is that? Kylo Ren with a steel chair!" It was like a drawn out back-forth-back-forth which then climaxed in Kylo Ren kissing Rey back to life? I think the only way to enjoy this movie is to be a Kylo Ren fan. Which I am not. So yeah, I can't say anything good about Episode IX. Except the trio looked hot. Not even Episode II sucked this hard.

This rant got out of hand, but oh well. My point stands. All three trilogies have at least one rather strong movie and one not all that great, pretty bad actually movie. Og has pacing trouble, prequel has dialogue cringe, sequel lost the plot halfway through. At least my friend, brother, cousin, the film critic and I all agreed that Rogue One is an unexpected masterpiece and that the worst Star Wars movie of all was Solo.

[emperorren]

Ok but: IX opens with the big logo, but instead of the opening crawl, it jumps into the first scene. Rey’s with the Resistance crew, we hear force bond sounds and she excuses herself to a private room. Kylo appears, things look tense, then they start making out. Freeze frame, record scratch, Rey starts narrating. “Yes, that’s me. You’re probably wondering how I got into this...” and the entire movie is a flashback of how they got together with wacky hijinks thrown in. IX was a rom com All Along.

two hours later on Tumblr: “THE REYLOS STOLE THE OPENING CRAWL”

[kylos]

bro did you see the episode ix poster leak? i’m SHAKING!!!!!

oh my GODDDDDD i just saw it. i’m SHOOK

[callsign-marlie]

Prologue. Part I. Part II. Part III. Part IV. Part V. Part VI. Part VII. Part VIII. Part IX. Part X.

Table of Contents pairing: bradley "rooster" bradshaw x f!KazanskyOC, Jake "Hangman" Seresin x f!KazanskyOC Story Content Warning: Rate M for mature content (minors DNI!!!) including but not limited to: mentions of drug use/smoking, alcohol consumption, explicit sexual scenarios, angst that will make your head spin and more to add a/n: i was having more difficulty than I'd like to admit with this chapter. It's more of a transition and gives us a look at misha herself (and moose too!!!) next chapter though? hope you're ready for the real fun to begin ;3 x marlie

Part III. Reprisal

It had been at least 10 years since Misha had seen her godfather, but man, was he exactly the same as she remembered! Same stark white smile, same dark hair (albeit streaked with some grays in his sideburns), and the same faint scent of jet fuel on his shirt when she embraced him. His eyes were a bit duller and he had a few more wrinkles than she remembered, but Mav was still Mav, no matter what time had done to him. 

He plopped himself on the step next to Misha, knocking the side of her thigh with his fist. "Running into two people I love in one night. Must be my lucky day!"

"Love you too, Uncle Pete," she smiled truly. "But two people? Who else did you see?"

Maverick was silent, shaking his head. "Just an old flame. It's amazing with 30 years could do."

"You're still hung up on a flame from 30 years ago?" Misha questioned incredulously. "That, shocks me to the core, Mav. No way a person could hold your emotions hostage that long. You've been freer than the wind!"

"Things change," he said, eyes drifting back into the Hard Deck. "Sometimes you don't know what you have until you have it again for the first time in a while. It's like rain after a drought."

Pete's eyes swung back to his niece, ruffling her hair. "Kinda like seeing you. I miss my godbaby, sometimes."

"Uncle Pete, I'm 32," she laughed, shooing him away. "I'm definitly not a baby anymore."

"You'll always be my baby. And you'll always be a responsibility to me."

A comfortable silence fell between the two with the salt of the sea drifting through their nostrils. This, to Misha, was peace. Her uncle, her dog, and the sea with the gust of piano whirling in their ears. Misha could see in her mind an acoustic guitar, a bonfire, mouths wide with laughter, a hand resting on her shoulder...

Had she seen this scene before?

Moose traipsed over in seeing the new guest, sniffing at Pete's knuckles. His tail cautiously wagged twice before recognizing the scent, leaving a lick on Mav's arm. The pilot ruffled the dog's soft fur, a fond smile on his lips. "Hey Moosey, look at you, boy! You're huge!"

"He just turned three," Misha grinned, watching the reunion. "Can you believe it? It feels like yesterday that he got here."

"I can't, I remember you writing an email to me about him. I hope he's been serving you well."

"I don't know what I would have done without Moose," Misha replied, watching her good boy's tongue loll to the side at Maverick's scratches on the bridge of his nose. "He's been a life saver, both literally and figuratively. He alerts people when I'm having episodes and keeps me safe when things spiral out of control. Even on days where I just can't seem to function, Moose is always there ready with some snacks and water to get me through it."

Pete's eyes narrowed at her words. "Episodes? Of what?"

"It's -- uh-- more of a response to my PTSD, I guess? Anxiety attacks, my psych told me, but with pings of memory collection sometimes. I just -- drop, like my body just doesn't want to be awake to recall it in person. All of this information goes past my head at once, but when I come out of it, I can't remember anything. It's frustrating as hell."

"Does this happen often?"

Misha shook her head no. "Last time it happened was about 7 months ago now, in my shower, shockingly enough. It's more like just experiencing deja vu now. I found the right combination of meds to prevent a lot of the memory loss and unconsciousness, but there's always a chance they won't work, which is where Moosey boy comes in."

The dog's ears pricked at the sound of his master saying his name before he collapsed back at Mav's feet to greedily receive more pets.

"I know we're going to be working together on this mission, Mav," Misha started, staring back out to the black glass of the ocean. "And I want you to know I'm going to do my best. I won't make dad regret this."

Mav's face softened at her determination. There's our girl, Ice. "No doubt you will. Speaking of him, how’s he doing? I’ve been meaning to visit since I got in, but he's been all work and no play per normal.” His hand absentmindedly scratched Moose, who was basking in the attention, turning his rear in the pilot's direction.

Misha was quiet for a beat, only offering a stiff nod at the confession. How does she word this? “He’s alright. We... we don’t talk much after… you know,” she trailed, her gaze turning to her grimy sneakers.

Pete's gaze softened at his niece. “We all hit rough spots, kid. Your dad loves you no matter what, that I can assure you.” Mav’s hand went to the side of her neck and he gave a reassuring squeeze. “He never stopped updating me about you. Good, bad and everything in between. I’m so proud of you, Meesh. Seriously. What you did was not easy to do.”

A crooked smile ended up on her lips at the praise. “Yeah, well, it would have been a lot easier if I never took the Oxys in the first place. It was either clean up or I’d be buried in some state prison by now. Or worse.” She didn’t want to imagine what else could have happened. The past was the past and deserves to stay in the past.

Misha had gone quiet for a beat, the sound of the waves crushing further in the distance. “I’m not going back to that, Uncle Pete,” Misha said firmly, her eyes locking with Maverick’s. “I’m going to be better than I ever was. I’m gonna outdo myself in every possible category, even if I can’t fly anymore because of my hearing or my injuries. These guys will be ready for anything.”

Mav’s grin could have lit the sky. He replaced his hand from Moose to her her, running an absentminded finger over a long forgotten scar on top of her hand. “You know, I wasn’t sure what your old man was up to when he told me you were going to be on board with this. But now I know: like me, you’re the butt end of a horribly overplayed joke. Only difference between you and I is that actually Ice believes in you to do the right thing. You still have time for a second chance, Misha. I’ll always be the loose cannon here!”

You’re a loose cannon, chica. I like that in a woman.

A shot of ice pierced her heart, her breath hitching for the briefest of moments. What the– what the hell was that?

“Misha?” Maverick raised a quizzical brow, concern lacing his eyes at her sudden rigor. “You alright?”

“Yeah I just– I have to go back inside, Mav, I’m sorry. Penny’s probably wondering where I am. It was good talking to you, I’ll see you at debriefing.” She stood briskly, jutting around on her toes to leave her uncle in the sand without a second glance. What in the world was that voice? It was thicker, deeper. Familiar? Has she heard it before? 

That was enough coincidences for the night.

Misha had quietly returned to her spot behind the bar, slapping her towel over her shoulder, chuckling to herself in realization filling the next brew.

“What?” Penny yelled over the buzz of voices. “What’s so funny?”

Misha blindly slid the beer over to an awaiting hand. She missed the swing of the Hawaiian cotton as he spun on his heel. “I didn’t even light up, Pen. Hoo boy, it's gonna be a long night!”

—

The next morning, bright and early, Misha awoke to a black garment bag crucified on the back of her door. The material was dark and intimidating against the pure white wood grain. Groaning, she hobbled over to peak at a note tagged to the front. A new uniform for a new start. Make me proud. - Papa

She was stony faced while unzipping the fresh pressed and crisp khaki uniform, a badge with ‘Kazansky’ printed in graphite blue across the front. It held no team badge along her left breast. Her lieutenant stars on her lapels were freshly shined, her achievement badges and pins were all neatly aligned in rows. Her dad must have gotten her a new set and hand-placed all of her merits with his slow, arthritic grip. She had pondered where the strips of ribbon came from. After all, her previous set had been haphazardly thrown away in a shoebox deep within her dingy Jacksonville apartment. No way he had retrieved them - had he?

Misha shook her head. The infallible Tom Kazansky would never sink so low to dig through her mess on his hands and knees.

She mindlessly traced the top of the collar, the hard pressed curve strict on her fingertips. Her throat was tight. When was the last time she wore her khaki uniform? She couldn’t recall. With shaking fingers, she pulled it fast off of the hangar. Misha didn’t bother looking in the mirror while she stripped and threw it on at mach speed. Moose had awoken from his slumber and was staring at her quizzically, cocking his head to the side at his master’s hurried movements. 

She faced the pup, opening her arms to him. “Well, how do I look, boy?”

Moose only stared, his ears perked.

“Yeah, I know, bud,” she muttered, attempting to pull her hair into a strict bun without looking. The tight pull on her scalp tugged at the corners of her skin in a familiar tingle. It took her only two attempts and a load of the four year old gel she had found under her vanity to slick it back properly. Finally, she turned to face the mirror, and gasped.

Who the hell was that?

The reflection was gaunt, pale, and had bags under her green eyes. Her face was pock marked with small scars across the tops of her cheeks and forehead. Her cheek was angled by a familiar skin graft along her right jaw that was usually hidden by her hair. A similar dark pink scar followed the bottom of her jaw to her chest and ran crooked beneath her slightly too large uniform. She looked like a scarecrow, patched together by scraps: A monster. This person in the mirror wasn’t familiar. Her stance, her clothes, her appearance, none of it. She was a stranger. 

Her shaking right hand brushed over the top of the scar on her chest and shoulder. It had been so long since she'd seen the wound. She normally used baggy t-shirts and makeup to cover the remains of a forgotten past– of a time she just couldn’t remember. 

Misha had known she was in an accident during her tenure in TOPGUN, but she didn’t remember the details. She recalled flying with the sun too bright in her eyes, she remembered the yelling, the heat, the fucking ringing in her ears, and then a hospital bed with tubes coming from every crevice of her body. No one seemed to ever clarify for her what had happened that fateful day no matter how much she asked. It was “classified” and the information was not to be disclosed since it involved the “destruction of government property on neutral soil”. Misha had left it at that: a gap in her memory. She had tried to move on with her miserable life, scarred and disfigured from an event she couldn’t remember.

God had tested her, and she failed his trials miserably.

Misha tore her gaze away from the mirror, chin tucked to her chest, and trampled down the stairs with leadened feet. Sarah was at her place in the kitchen with Tom sipping coffee at the dinner table reading the daily paper. Both stopped in their tracks at the sight of her.

“Honey…,” Sarah muttered out, her hand gravitating to her mouth at the sight of her oldest. She rushed around the corner to pull Misha into her chest, hot tears dropping to the skin of her daughter’s neck. Misha had let out a gasp of surprise, her hands flailing up, but eventually - unsteadily - let them drop to her side to allow her mother to hug her. Sarah pulled away, her hands cupping Misha’s chin. ”There’s my girl. This is how I remember you. My gorgeous, courageous, feisty girl. You look good in khaki, dovie.”

Misha’s chest swelled at the warmth of her mother’s gaze and her childhood nickname, returning a small, meek smile. She held her hands in her own, stroking at the wrinkles of the top of her fingers. When did she get wrinkles?

“It feels weird to wear my uniform again. I feel like it’s a bit too big for me. It’s heavy! I don’t remember it ever being heavy!” Misha laughed. 

She didn’t see Tom’s grin, or the tear welling at the corner of his eye. That was his girl. There she was. She was small and timid, but seeing her like this proved that she was still alive somewhere in that corpse of a woman that stood in his kitchen. It’s heavy with the weight of your own expectations, my girl he thought to himself. Please, please don’t let it crush you.

—

The debriefing was, well, brief — Admirals Beau “Cyclone” Simpson and Solomon “Warlock” Bates were extremely concise with their explanations. Hotshot and Maverick stood at attention, the younger more strict than the other, while the plans and details were laid out plainly. The premise behind the mission wasn’t difficult to grasp: two miracle shots and one of the hardest evacuation turns that Misha had ever seen written on paper.

She didn’t need to use her statistical prowess to find a hitch.

“Sirs, there’s an extremely high possibility that not everyone will be able to accomplish that turn without failure. You know that, correct?” Misha was stern with her delivery, her eyes straight ahead. Her throat was disobeying her, that familiar tightening of anxiety dripping to her stomach. Moose, now dressed in a camouflage service vest, rested the apex of his skull under the hand at her back as a reassurance. She did not respond to his bumps against her fingers.

“Affirmative. And for some godforsaken reason, Iceman trusts you two with teaching our brightest, most talented fighters to succeed” Cyclone spat out. “Maverick I can understand because of his experience, but his own failed daughter who couldn’t even pass TOPGUN… Who didn’t even keep her wings! ” He shook his head. “In all honesty, Lieutenant Kazanksy, your track record does not impress me in the slightest. In fact, I’m so unimpressed, I actually laughed when your file was placed in my hand.”

Cyclone’s dark eyes targeted Misha. She held her breath, hoping he wouldn’t perceive her. She would have rather folded herself in two than be subject to his gaze. Maverick steadied her with just a look. Breathe. Don’t let him get to you.

Hotshot took her breath, grounding her feet to the concrete.

“I’m more worried about you than Maverick causing a ruckus on this operation, even if your feet are firmly planted on the ground.”

“I assure you Sir,” Misha began, “I did my time and learned my lesson well. I have been rehabilitated and have been living clean for three years now. I won’t make the same mistakes. I’m here to crunch numbers, not metal.”

“I heard around the academy that you were an excellent mathematician,” Warlock began, his hands resting under his chin. “Aeronautics and physics, was it?”

“It was– is, Sir.” Misha grinned. She was still too frightened to pull her vision away from behind their heads, but immediately loosened her shoulders at Warlock’s praise. “I graduated at the top of my class as a RIO in Annapolis before dual-certifying as a driver in flight school, Sir.”

“And what made you decide to dual-certify?”

“Button pushing is, well… boring. Sir.”

Maverick attempted to hide his smirk and failed miserably. Warlock gave Misha a gentle smile in defeat. “You really are Ice’s daughter, aren’t you? Even your father, as intelligent as he was, was more privy on flashy acrobatics and shooting than generating routes and button pushing.”

“Is,” Maverick retorted. “Is, Sir. Iceman is still a Fleet Admiral. He’s not dead.” Four pairs of eyes interlocked with each other as the inevitable ‘yet’ lingered in the air.

tag list: @alanadetigy @luckyladycreator2 @alldaysdreamers @blue-aconite

[fictionadventurer]

I hope it's okay to come in here with a random out-of-the-blue ask, but I know you like the New Trilogy of Star Wars, and... well, I was just wondering if there's anything you didn't like or think was done poorly? I don't want to make a fuss, and you can delete my ask if you want. I just got the thought in my head, and I wanted to know, that's all :)

I never mind random out-of-the-blue asks. Thanks for asking!

The short answer is that I dislike the vast majority of stuff about the Sequel Trilogy. As a whole, it's a soulless, cash-grabbing mistake. Star Wars has never been a good franchise, but it's a creative one. As bad as some of the stuff in the previous movies was, you still got the sense that this was George Lucas' creative vision, sometimes weird and objectively terrible, but personal. This is Star Wars made by committee, Star Wars not as a story, but as a franchise that fails to tell any meaningful story at all.

The Force Awakens, while derivative, introduced some amazing characters and an intriguing potential story, and it's the reason I got into Star Wars in the first place. The Last Jedi is a movie with some of the best imagery and character arcs in the franchise, and some themes that are extremely important to me personally, so I'll always have a special love for it. But The Rise of Skywalker is where it all falls irreparably apart, to the extent that I don't think Disney can tell any more stories set around or after the Sequel Trilogy. This is where it becomes clear that there was no plan. This series was all promise with no payoff. All those intriguing threads in The Force Awakens were just bait to make us pay for more movie tickets. Anything interesting and new and personal that The Last Jedi did was ignored in favor of a million new plots and characters.

To be honest, when you sent the ask, I'd never watched Episode IX. I saw the reviews and the spoilers and never bothered. I watched it just now for the sake of answering this ask, figuring that if I was going to tear apart the trilogy based on this movie, I'd better actually watch the movie for myself. That's two hours of my life I'll never get back. I can't think of a movie that's been more painful for me to watch. It's just two hours of stuff happening--images and words thrown together almost at random, with no plot logic or character coherence at all. Leia's lines are clearly just copy-pasted into scenes based on what they had from leftover footage, and it feels like the whole movie was constructed that way--just bits and pieces that they had lying around that someone pasted together into a two-hour collage.

I can't even coherently explain what's so bad about this movie. It's easier to list the few things I did like.

The first couple of minutes, with Kylo Ren's lightsaber stuff, was cool-looking and interesting. It reminded me of what I like about the sequel trilogy and made me think for a very short while that perhaps this movie wasn't going to be as bad as its reputation.

Poe and Rey bickering when he gets back to the planet. It makes no sense that he thinks it's dumb for her to be training as a Jedi, but the bickering about how to handle the ship and BB-8 showed a bit of personality and gave them a slightly interesting dynamic.

"Somehow, Palpatine returned" being delivered with Oscar Isaac's most dead-eyed "my career is over" look was even funnier than it is in the gifs.

The snow on that one planet was cool. I'm used to Star Wars only having snow on snow-planets. This was just a light dusting, which made for a different look, with the light sparkle adding visual interest to an otherwise typical set.

That hairdryer droid was adorable.

That little alien hacker dude was interesting, too.

Hux as the spy had potential for, like, five seconds.

That moment when Ren takes the necklace from Rey.

The chalk dust cannons.

The fact that they meet other First Order defectors.

Ben's talk with Han mirroring his moment in the first movie.

The moment when Rey's lightsaber appears in Ben's hand.

The moment when Ben brings Rey back to life. They look at each other and for, like, five seconds, I actually believe in them as a romantic couple. But only for those five seconds.

And that is absolutely it. Every interesting moment in that movie was never followed through on. We just moved on to another random plot point or another five new characters or another ten new spaceships and never built on anything or had any connection to anything whatsoever. I'd say this was like kids playing a game with their toys, except that is an insult to all kids everywhere. At least kids have passion for their stories, and this movie has none.

Star Wars is based upon movie serials, but it was never really a serialized story. Each movie told its own story. Each movie gave you the information you needed to connect to the characters and understand the story they were in. Those movies had us connect to the characters and then be surprised by a twist. This series promised us a twist while never telling us who the characters actually were, and when we did find out, it meant nothing because we never really connected to these characters or their story. It's just empty, all smoke and mirrors with nothing of substance.

This trilogy had amazing casting, some very promising characters, gorgeous visuals, all thrown into a pointless story. And that's really a shame, because it could have been better if anyone had really cared.

[newtonsheffield]

If one wants to watch Star Wars for the first time, where should they start. I’m so interested in getting into it but there’s just so much to take in now. And the mandolorian looks good.

Okay! OKAY! WOW! I’m so honored that you’d come to me with this question.

There’s too ways to watch!

Chronological

I

II

III

Rogue One (amazing film!)

IV

V

VI

VII

VIII

IX

Or in the Order that George Lucas Intended

IV- A New Hope

V- Empire Strike’s Back

VI- Return if the Jedi

I- Phantom Menace

II- Attack of the Clones

III- Revenge of the Sith

VII- The Force Awakens

VIII- The Last Jedi

IX- Rise of Skywalker

Either way it’s a great ride. The question is: Do you like surprises or not? If not, watch chronologically.

Whatever you do watch the Mandalorian last! It’s so frigging good but you do gotta wait a little!

My personal Favourite is episode III. It’s so good. The drama, the emotions, oooof, I cry every time!

There is a lot of lore around Star Wars and honestly so much hate keeping. If you like it you like it, and enjoy it the way you want to! It’s meant to be campy and fun!

[laughingphoenixleader]

hi mom imma send you a lotta asks and you dont gotta do them all : 1, 4, 3, 7, 17, 28, 39, 35 and 24 :D (A LOT I KNOW)

Bet.

1.) Post the fourth picture on your camera roll, no context.

4.) What’s something new you learned recently?

When you talk negatively about yourself, that can negatively affect others, too. So show yourself love! (Also God says love others as yourself, so there’s that, too!) -courtesy of @kazoosandfannypacks!

3.) In your opinion, what’s the most superior type of pickles?

I don’t eat pickles, sooo…the lack thereof?

7.) What is the best form that potatoes can take?

NOW we’re talking! Baked potatoes with bacon bits and salt!

17.) Which is better, Napoleon Dynamite or Nacho Libre?

I have a confession to make. Never seen either of these…I don’t even know what the latter is 😅

28.) What’s the most awkward encounter you’ve ever had with a complete stranger?

Honestly? No clue. I’m somewhat awkward, but I’m pretty good at diffusing awkwardness nowadays! I know I’ve said “you too” to waiters and all that—OH WAIT. This old man at a nursing home thought I was pretty and was looking at me weird a few days ago and was like “when I saw her my heart went fast and I could not speak” and I was like 🙃🙃🙃😳😳😳

39.) If you are a girl, are you a part of the Unspoken Floral Church Dress Gang?

HA I have never heard about this but nope, floral dresses aren’t my jam—but I’d love to finally find a floral one I like!

35.) What do you think about the newest Star Wars trilogy?

Ahhhhh ok so I loved them when I first saw them—I wasn’t as obsessed with Star Wars then. Loved Rey! Then I heard all the hate and thought I should agree with it…and I really understand why now. Rewatched Force Awakens just to try and reevaluate my opinion, and I like that one a lot! I love Poe and BB-8 and Finn! I’d say I still love the other two trilogies more. And all the shows, besides Resistance. Palpatine “somehow coming back”, as Poe aptly puts it, makes me angry. It makes Anakin’s prophecy pretty much invalid. Although Kanan’s and Ahsoka’s voices and the Ghost being featured in Episode IX is amazing. Still need to rewatch the others! Also, Damerey forever. Though I enjoyed Reylo much more than I thought I would! Still not a huge fan, though.

24.) What’s the most profound thing you’ve ever learned/quote you’ve heard from a children’s show/movie?

REBELS COUNTS REBELS COUNTS

Hera is a huge inspiration to me!! She’s taught me that helping other people is worth devoting yourself to, and to serve people with joy. She’s taught me to be braver and stronger and stand up for myself, and to be confident and snarky and love people well.

“If all you do is fight for your own life, then your life is worth nothing.”

Thanks for the questions, babey!

Ask game here!

[mkiss723]

LItG S8 Vol. IX

Ep. 25

So that was a short compatibility test! Very obvious which answers were Jin and which were Max. If I answer honestly, 2 would be for each and one I like both answers! But since I’m loyal to Jin, I picked all his answers 😘

And I 100% do not regret telling Bea how gross Liam is! She needs to know. I know how it will ultimately go, but I really hope she picks someone else!

“But… CONTEXT!!” 🙄

And Claudia is awesome. I am glad she’s been a good friend from the start. This was amazing!

I am disappointed in Kyle(/Max I assume) with the playing games just to get back to the Villa. I expected it of Liam, but I’m disappointed in Kyle… though Emel hasn’t been super great…

Seriously Liam is just a walking ick. Hamish was something but Liam is so far beyond him. Ew. BUT pushing Liam in the pool was phenomenal and I highly recommend not taking the high road!

Look I’ve already been called out for eavesdropping - which I do not regret - so yes, Liam, I am going to tell people anything shady I hear because they deserve to know the truth 😤

This episode felt SUPER short… anyone else agree??

[laufire]

[ID: playlist cover showing Meg and Castiel in episode 7x21 of Supernatural. The picture combines two images of them looking at each other in the hospital, after Castiel has referred to Meg saying "all that thorny pain, so beautiful", she tells him to "put up or shut up" and he smiles. The picture is edited to look like an old photograph, and includes the playlist's title in the middle: "6/6/6".]

 6/6/6 - a Megstiel playlist

Created for the Megstiel Halloween Fest as a gift to @captain-sodapop​. Playlist about Castiel and Meg's story, mainly centred in s7, in three parts: six songs for Castiel, six songs for Meg, and six duets.

Songs list & some lyrics under the cut.

*** CASTIEL'S SIDE ***

 I. HEAD IS NOT MY HOME (MS MR).

 This space is not my home This head you drowning is not my home Made it out and cut it out Take things slow as we may bruise To reach our unpredictable pass Your heart, your heart understand mine Found in forbidden nights Sharpest loud and place is quiet Know the promises we make Guard now and never again

 II. UNLIKELY ANGEL (DOLLY PARTON).

 Like the Phoenix From the ash and dirt I rose up from the pain and hurt When I was at my very worst I found you

 III. HONEY (HALSEY).

 But she stings like she means it She's mean and she's mine

 Between my fingers She leaves then she lingers If she's gonna go Well then I'm going with her And I know that I won't forget

 IV. HEAVEN FOR EVERYONE (QUEEN).

 In this world of cool deception Just your smile can smooth my ride These troubled days of cruel rejection, hmm You come to me, soothe my troubled mind

 [...]

 Listen - what people do to other souls They take their lives - destroy their goals Their basic pride and dignity Is stripped and torn and shown no pity When this should be heaven for everyone

 V. OH, MAKER (JANELLE MONÁE).

 Suffering in sinking sand All the hurt See I'm really lost baby We suffered a rare, rare blue So much hurt On this earth But you loved me And I really dared to love you too Perhaps what I mean to say is Is that it's amazing that your love was mine

 VI. GOING TO HELL (THE PRETTY RECKLESS).

 Father did you miss me? I've been locked up a while. I got caught for what I did but took it all in style. Laid to rest all my confessions I gave way back when. Now I'm versed in so much worse, So I am back again. And he said

 For the lines that I take, I'm going to hell! For the love that I make, I'm going to hell!

 Gettin' heavy with the devil, you can hear the wedding bells.

*** MEG'S SIDE ***

 VII. WHAT KIND OF MAN (FLORENCE + THE MACHINE).

 You're a holy fool all colored blue Red feet upon the floor You do such damage, how do you manage To have me crawling back for more?

 And with one kiss And with one kiss You inspired a fire of devotion That lasts for twenty years For twenty years What kind of man loves like this?

 VIII. MATCHES TO PAPER DOLLS (DESSA).

 If you're asking, I can't say no Just one more chapter Our book won't close And I know it's madness To play these odds It's like giving matches to paper To paper dolls I know it's madness, I know

 IX. FOREIGNER'S GOD (HOZIER).

 I've no language left to say it But all I do is quake to her Breaking if I try convey it The broken love I make to her

 All that I've been taught And every word I've got Is foreign to me

 X. FOOL FOR YOU (ALICE SMITH).

I love him in and out and up and down and round and round and over and over again.  So rare they swear that swear that you just don't exist. And its only one person I can think of that makes me feel like this.

 I'm a fool, Such a fool, For Youuuuuu!

 XI. ABOUT LOVE (MARINA DIAMANDIS).

 My head gets messy when I try to hide The things I love about you in my mind

 I don't really know a lot about love A lot about love, a lot about love But you're in my head, you're in my blood And it feels so good, it hurts so much

 XII. CHASING PAVEMENTS (AITANA COVER).

 Should I give up? Or should I just keep chasin' pavements Even if it leads nowhere? Or would it be a waste Even if I knew my place? Should I leave it there? Should I give up? Or should I just keep chasin' pavements Even if it leads nowhere?

*** DUETS ***

 XIII. FEVER (DUA LIPA, ANGÈLE).

 Before you came around, I was doing just fine Usually, usually, usually, I don't pay no mind And when it came down, I was looking in your eyes Suddenly, suddenly, suddenly, I could feel it inside

 XIV. ISLANDS IN THE STREAM (DOLLY PARTON, KENNY ROGERS).

 Baby, when I met you There was peace unknown I set out to get you With a fine tooth comb I was soft inside There was something going on

 XV. AS LONG AS YOUR'E MINE (IDINA MENZEL, LEO NORBERT BUTZ).

 Maybe I'm brainless, maybe I'm wise But you've got me seeing through different eyes Somehow I've fallen under your spell And somehow I'm feeling it's up that I fell

 XVI. DANCE WITH YOU (LIVE, ANOUK).

 The stillness in your eyes convinces me that I I don't know a thing and I been around the world and I've tasted all the wines a half a billion times came sickened to your shores you show me what this life is for

 XVII. PERFECT FOR YOU (JENNIFER DAMIANO, ADAM CHANLER-BERAT).

 The world is at war Filled with death and disease We dance on the edge of destruction The globe's getting warmer by deadly degrees And this is one fucked up seduction This planet is pretty much broken beyond all repair But one thing is working if you're standing there

 XVIII. COME RAIN OR COME SHINE (FRANK SINATRA, GLORIA STEFAN).

 You're gonna love me like nobody's loved me Come rain or come shine We'll be happy together, unhappy together Now won't that be just fine?

[soldierswar]

Kobik - Chapter IX

Bucky x Reader

Fluff, some angst

Chapter Plot: Kobik meets the people that can help her. But that means you have to face what's to come in the near future.

Masterlist

Kobik could not have looked any more adorable. She was dressed in a little sailor’s outfit with bows at the base of her pigtails.

She was sitting on the floor of the observation room playing Jenga by herself with an impossibly tall stack of blocks trying to grab the most difficult ones without knocking the tower over using nothing but her telepathic powers. Sometimes she would do great, and other times it would come tumbling down before she’d frustratedly put it back together within half a second. Sometimes she’d catch it before the blocks could hit the floor, and you could tell that alone was a little triumph of her own.

You and Bucky amusedly watched her from behind the one-sided glass.

You had convinced SWORD and the scientists to give Kobik a week to recover and unwind before having to adjust to a new life again. By ‘you’ you meant Bucky did the convincing. He charismatically reasoned to the director of this whole case that Kobik was tired, severely anxious, and needed to decompress in order to avoid another episode.

To be fair, he wasn’t bullshitting them at all…For the most part. But if it were up to you to do the convincing instead of your 'too handsome for his own good' husband who you were pretty sure that the director had a crush on…it wouldn’t have happened.

Bottom line, you got to spent a wonderful week with Kobik.

You went to the movies, went on picnics, and sometimes indulged on ice cream in the middle of the night watching Disney movies that Bucky had previously refused to get caught up on since you got married.

As of then, it was one of the happiest weeks of your life. Kobik had come with the two of you for your first ultrasound. And much to your and Bucky’s surprise, Kobik was 100% right. You were in fact 3 months along, and they were pretty sure that it was a girl.

“I told you so,” she shrugged nonchalantly when they gave you that news.

Bucky side-eyed you giving you a look that said, ‘How the hell did you now know about this?’  And as scared as he looked, you could also tell that he was already kind of in love with your child. Just as you were.

Kobik didn’t know that you were watching her from behind the glass exhibiting the room where she would be meeting who would essentially be her new family.

There were so many times during the past week that you wanted to crawl on your knees and beg Bucky to keep her. And low key, you could tell that Bucky wanted to give in. But ironically, the only reason why you didn’t let that happen was because of the love that you had for her. So you and Bucky decided to look at it as an open adoption.

Unfortunately, it didn’t make you feel much better most of the time.

Kobik’s head whipped around when she heard the door open. When she saw who it was, she looked a little bit shy.

“Hi there,” said the woman giving her a smile.

She had a soft, and warm voice. Her husband had his hand placed a loving hand on her back; much like how Bucky was with you when you were nervous.

“Hi,” she replied wide-eyed.

“I’m Kobik.”

They both chuckled lightly before crouching down to sit on the floor in front of her.

Bucky gave you the rundown on who this couple was. As mentioned before, they were excellent scientists specializing in the kind of matter that Kobik was made out of. Cosmic energy.

They looked to be in their early to mid-forties. The man whose name was Adrian was tall, slim, and had a mixture of thick dark brown and silver hair. The woman whose name was Hazel also seemed really lovely. She looked to be maybe a couple of years younger than Adrian. Like her husband she was also slim with long brown hair with soft facial features and looked to be about as tall as you.

“Do you want to see what I can do?” Kobik asked timidly.

Hazel smiled.

“Absolutely.”

Kobik furrowed her brows in deep thought about what kind of party trick she wanted to do. After thinking about it she held her hands upwards and they watched as one by one the Jenga blocks floated up into the air and shifted them in mid-air to make different shapes like castles, faces, and hearts.

The couple both looked at her in amazement. When Kobik saw how they reacted to her little tricks she automatically seemed less shy and was now very proud about winning them over. She seemed to like them just as much as they seemed to like her.

You didn’t realize that Bucky was holding your hand until he started squeezing it. He was feeling the same thing that you were feeling. You knew that she was going to be okay. She would be happy and well taken care of. But he was going to miss her.

“She’s only an hour away,” you reminded him, stroking his hand with your thumb.

He nodded and gave you a melancholic smile.

“One hour.”

…

After Kobik spent about an hour and a half getting to know her new…guardians, they finally left the observation room to come meet you.

You had left the viewing area to grab lunch. Or rather…second lunch. Of course, when they came up to you, you didn’t even notice for about ten seconds because you were too busy stuffing a large burrito into your face.

“She’s hungry a lot,” Kobik pointed out.

“She blames it on the baby.”

They had a look of delight on their face when she said that, and you couldn’t help but smile proudly.

“I’m sorry, I’d shake your hand,” you said trying to hide your half mouthful of food.

“But I kind of have burrito on my hands. And sorry Bucky had to go take a phone call.”

“It’s okay,” Hazel reassured.

“We’ve met him already. We just wanted to get to know you a little bit more.”

They sat on the other side of the table, and Kobik used her powers to summon a chair from the next table over to your side to sit next to you.

“Well…What would you like to know?”

…

You and Bucky walked into your empty house already feeling like something was missing. And of course, it was that little rambunctious, stubborn, and playful little human manifested cosmic energy with the biggest heart.

You missed hearing her little giggles or hearing random things shift around because she couldn’t bother to walk over to do or get something like a normal person. This sometimes leads to flying objects hitting other objects and sometimes breaking.

You missed snuggles on the couch. You hoped that she could still get snuggles, even if it was without you. But most of all, you missed seeing Bucky act like a dad the whole time that she was there. Granted, that emptiness would soon be filled by your own little bundle.

It had been 5 days since Kobik’s first meeting with Adrien and Hazel, and most importantly since you had met them. You knew that you had to like them in order for you to be comfortable with handing Kobik over to them. You wanted to hate them, but when you saw how sweet they seemed, it was impossible.

They had given you a brief history of their personal and professional lives. They talked about their methods on what they would be studying with Kobik, how they would try to help her and expand on the research that the previous scientists in Europe were discovering.

When you asked about whether or not she would be spending most of her time in a lab, Hazel took out an iPad from her purse and showed you a tour of what her room would look like, and the place where they would be working. Their studies would all be taking place in their own home so that they could do their research in private. And by the look at the way Kobik was responding to it, you felt a lot better. They even said that you could come to visit as much as you wanted. That won you over.

But you knew that there was a high chance that Bucky may or may not ‘check in’ on her without their knowledge.

“What are we gonna do now with this empty, and quiet place?” you sighed.

Bucky dropped his jacket on the nearest chair.

“Exactly what we did before,” he replied.

“And enjoy as much sleep as we can get…I’ve heard something about babies crying all of the time.”

You playfully punched him on the arm and wrapped your arms around his torso for comfort.

“I have a surprise for you,” Bucky said.

You looked up at him curiously.

“Oh?”

He nodded.

“Well…What is it? Where is it?”

Bucky gave you that familiar mischievous smile and shrugged.

“You’re going to have to wait until tomorrow.”

“Then why tell me about it today?” you whined.

He winked.

“You know I love watching you anticipate.”

You crossed your arms like a four-year-old.

“Well if you won’t tell me, I’m making you go out and buy me ice cream right now.”

He rolled his eyes and grabbed his jacket and keys.

“Cookies and Cream it is.”

@buckylove123 @teenagedreams-bucky @typicalnerd98 @veroxloki @white-wolf-buckaroo @acciosiriusblack @pastel-boy-sungjae @flightsandfantasy @noiralei @unstablesleepygal @general-latino

[i-got-the-feels]

Thoughts I had while watching Star Wars: The Rise of a Skywalker Episode IX

1) This is really the end- huh?

2) Palpatine? Seriously? Of all people.

3) So snoke was his puppet?

4) Palpatine needs to stop stalking, manipulating, abusing Skywalker kids and get a life. And by that I mean continued Staying dead. If he was dead in the first place.

5) YAAS LEIA IS TRAINING REY. I AM SO SO HERE FOR THIS.

6) Lol - I like this sibling bond Poe and Rey have.

7) Finn- you have a girl who loves you. Let Rey and Kylo have their messy connection. They are literally halves of whole. You can't compete with that, buddy.

8) So Rey is a Palpatine? Aah that's why Leia said accept who you are.

9) "Now you can't go back to her. Like I can't" No. My heart. I have officially found my most heartbreaking ben solo moment. She would always welcome you.

10) No Leia. Don't go.

11) Starwars is REALLY over. FOR REAL. With the original trio gone what good will any future projects be?

12) Ben seeing his dad and Han solo again goes with that cheek caress.

13) That fight on ocean - beautiful.

14) Also Finn finding people like him and them accepting him? Wholesome.

15) C-3PO - "looking at my friends for last time" babie.

16) I mean one good thing with series ending is at least Palpatine also will stay dead for good.

17) Rey - you are not your family history. No one is. I live for this message.

18) So what we get like 3-5 scenes of Ben Solo before he dies. That is great. Amazing. Wonderful.

19) Okay - Rey calling herself Skywalker gives me mixed feelings.

20) I am glad I got into the series. The writing from Anakin to Darth Vader was beautiful. I wish they did the same justice (more details) in showing in Ben Solo's transformation to Kylo Ren.

[emperorren]

i would also be down for it if they kissed with rey holding him pieta-style in the resurrection scenario, if she just put one on him after thinking he was gone for good

I’VE PLAYED THIS SCENARIO SO MANY TIMES IN MY MIND IT’S EMBARRASSING

[duhragonball]

damn that ask you rblogged got me thinking that I really am tired trying to figure out db as a whole like I wanna enjoy goku to the max but it gets me so tired trying to enjoy it while knowing that things could be so much better if toriyama wasnt rushed on a regular basis and if he thought some things thru

I'm not sure what ask you're referring to, anon, so I'm not sure what you mean. I'm guessing this is in reference to Tien having minimal backstory.

I can understand wanting more from a particular work. It's probably to Dragon Ball's credit that one of the biggest complaints from the fans is that there isn't enough attention lavished on the supporting and ancillary characters. It amazes me how many fans carry a torch for more Launch or Raditz when they haven't been used in over 30 years, and they weren't even used that much back then. They made an impression, and people want more. I wish I could make a character like Launch with that kind of demand.

On the other hand, stories have to call it done at some point. Akira Toriyama had to tell the story of Goku, and he had to do it on a deadline, and even if he had more time and more resources, he'd still have to make the hard decisions about what to keep in and what to throw out. He was never going to be able to include a subplot about Tien's parents, it would derail the story that he was actually trying to tell.

Star Wars is a good example. They were going to make those sequel trilogy movies, and Episode VII was going to be about Han Solo, and VIII was going to be about Luke Skywalker, and IX would have been about Princess Leia, except Carrie Fisher died before they could actually go through with it. That still bugs me. I'm not sure I'll ever be able to form a coherent opinion on Episode IX, because I'll always be comparing it to a Carrie-Fisher-led movie that ultimately never got made. I'm kind of angry that they waited thirty-plus years to do a project like this, and they ended up waiting too long to get it right. My point is that everything is finite, and everything has a deadline, even when you don't notice it.

At some point, creators have to set their priorities and stick to them, for the sake of the work. Visual artists do this all the time. No one complains when a painting doesn't detail every last strand of hair, or the individual pores on a person's nose.

I've seen plenty of folk complain that there should be more official material devoted to the underutilized characters. The thing I can never seem to get anyone to buy into is that the Launches and Turleseseses and Tien's moms are kind of our job. If we see a minor detail and we want More of That, then we gotta make it ourselves, because no one else is going to.

I mean, I think people get that, but sometimes I'm not so sure. Like, Broly got a new movie and fans are like "Well now they should do one for so-and-so!" Like Broly was some obscure background character, whose appearance in 2018 signals some sort of Obscure Background Character Renaissance. Look, I'd love to see some sort of Launch/Haskey/Colonel Violet action heist story, but Toei's never going to do that, because they're too focused on the big characters with the biggest appeal. Priorities.

I'm not saying this to be mean, Anon, but I get a sense of bitterness in your words, like you can't enjoy Dragon Ball as it is because you're too frustrated with what it might have been. Trust me, you'll waste your life that way. Nothing will ever be perfect, and you'll miss all the good parts while you're holding out for even better ones.

Actually, this reminds me of one of my favorite Far Side comics, where these people in the desert find a water fountain, and one of them wants to push his luck even further before he takes a drink. That's the sort of mentality I'm trying to combat here. That's why I get so mad about fans who gripe about video quality and aspect ratios and minor details. They're so fixated on getting the absolute highest quality trees that they never get to enjoy the forest.

For my part, I enjoy Dragon Ball for all sorts of reasons, including the dumber stuff that goes hand-in-hand with the awesome stuff. If you find yourself unable to do that, then don't sit tight and wish it were better. Go find other things that you like more. Or make the kind of content that you can't find anywhere else. Everybody's always griping about Toyotaro screwing things up like he's the only game in town. I hardly ever think about the guy, because I got into JoJo around the time the DBS manga started doing original stories. And there's plenty of fan works. My dashboard is routinely filled with Yamcha/Tien slash. Some butthole keeps spamming this endless Super Saiyan OC fic. He's not doing it for his health, or for the adulation; he's doing it because no one else will do it for him.

I'll get off of that particular soapbox for a moment, because I have no way of knowing if you're an aspiring content creator or anything like that. A lot of people aren't looking to make their own stuff like that. They just want to enjoy stuff, and that's fine. Dragon Ball's here and it's done and it's plenty big. There's a lot to enjoy. But if you say you're "trying" to enjoy it and it just isn't working for you, then maybe you need to put it down and look for something else, at least for a while.