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nyxindustries · 1 year ago

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Lock Down | Tony Stark

Fandom: Marvel Cinematic Universe

Pairing: Tony Stark x Reader Insert, T.S x Fem! Reader x Older x Younger Characters, Tony Stark x Y/n! Reader

Word Count: 2,000+

Warnings: 18+ MINORS DO NOT INTERACT, SMUT, Dom! Tony Stark,Sub! reader, Rough Sexual Intercourse, Explicit Language, brief smacking, ‘Daddy’ Name calling, semi-Slow burn (not really), Kinky Sex, Hair pulling, Scratching, Explicit Sexual read, Unprotected sex (Wrap it before you tap it!)

| Masterlist |

Overriding the passcode to the lab since your lovely boyfriend Tony Stark officially locked himself in the lab because of stress with a new Iron Man suit.

The doors open to the lab as you step into the cold lab you see in the one single spotlight on above a hunched-over man on the table mumbling to himself as it looks like he’s trying to assemble part of a new Arc Reactor into the Iron Man suit with holograms all around him to help his work.

Setting down the tray of Tony’s favorite food on his desk that’s filled with little gadgets that you assume are new because you’ve never seen them before.

Quietly walking up to him as much as your heels allow as you stand behind him watching him build and solder a piece of metal together. It’s fascinating to you that Tony can get so lost in his work and look so beautiful while doing it, so laser-focused in his eyes with his eyebrows scrunched inward because he’s trying to make sense or putting together pieces of information in his mind, the wrinkles that appear on his forehead as his face goes relaxed.

Clearing your mind as you watch Tony's hand move to an object and your hand quickly covers the object as your free left hand snakes up his shoulder.

"Mhmm" Tony hums as he slowly looks at you and he places his hand on top of yours making you smile at him.

"Hi, how are you doing?" You ask gently and Tony gives you a look as his glasses tilt slightly.

"This Arc Reactor is not responding to the suit and I have no idea why…" Tony says quietly to you as you just nod knowing nothing about how all of this works. You're a SHIELD agent, you fight and try to save the world from aliens if possible.

"Anyways, it’s not your problem. What are you doing here?" Tony asks as he turns to you and you hand them the tray of food, which is two cheeseburgers and fries and onion rings.

"To Bring you your favorite food, thought you might need it. Put on a tray to be fancy" You joke with a weird mimic of an upper-class voice in the word ‘fancy’ making Tony smile but he doesn't laugh and he always laughs at your silliness or jokes. That's when you know he’s stressed as you watch him grab a cheeseburger and take a few quick bites as he shoves some of the fries in his mouth before turning around to the piece of the suit.

"…Tony…" you say but he goes back to soldering making you frown as you look around finding the plus as you quickly pull it out of the outlet making Tony instantly look up.

"What was that for?" Tony asks quickly as he reaches for the plug.

"Take a break! Eat something! Stop locking yourself in the lab!" You say him as you throw the plus across the room causing the soldering pen to fly across the table and fall off so Tony won’t touch it.

Tony giving you a wide-eyed look like he always does when he is stressed and when you decide to give him a break.

"Y/n-….Urghhhh" Tony groans out in frustration as he goes to get the tool but you quickly stop getting in between him and the table.

"No. Take a break." You say to him

"Make me! I need to finish this!" Tony says to you but you push him back.

"No, you’re not. Not today." You say and Tony stares at you.

"And who is going to stop me?" Tony asks and you smirk at him.

"I am, So take a break…" you say and Tony stares into your eyes as you stare back and your hands go to him.

"It will be good for you to clear your, Tone…" you say quietly as your hands slowly go underneath his shirt as he looks down at your hands.

"…y/n….I-I… I don’t have the time…I’m on a deadline." Tony says very quietly and you just chuckle.

"A deadline that’s next week…you have time and enough time to take out your frustrations too." You say as your hands skilled in what they do back off and come out of Tony's shirt as they pull your buttoned-up blouse out of pencil pencil-tight skirt, and start unbuttoning the buttons.

Tony watches you as you help you with buttons there and then until your breasts in a beautiful red lace bra are revealed.

"Take a break…it won’t be too bad." You say in the quietness that filled the air.

Tony's hands go to your waist as he lifts you to the lab table quickly. He takes one hand and clears the table with his arm by throwing everything off in one swoop with his arm, not caring about his work.

"You’re right, a break is what I need…Hey, Jarvis…Shut down the lab with soundproof…no one enters." Tony demands from his A. I just chime as the windows, doors, and glass all go dark and black with security screens from within the glass that Tony somehow installed and shut with security locks.

Staring at you as you feel his fingers crawl up your bare stomach now as his fingers hook underneath your bra and chase around to the hooks on the back that he undoes his one shot your bra falling as Tony yanks your shirt and bra off now, throwing them across the giant lab.

Tony's other hand, slides up your thigh underneath your skirt as he feels no underwear causing him to smirk, you planned this. The older man fingers gently caress your pussy causing you to shudder in pleasure for a moment as you hold your lips close so nothing can escape from them.

Seeing that smirk made your breath hitch in the quiet lab as Tony's eyes carefully trailed you up.

"Oh, no underwear…mhm that’s bad, baby girl…what if someone else saw what’s mine?" Tony questions and you just chuckle.

"Trust me, no one did…took them off right before I came in here…" you say with a smirk on your face as Tony grabs your chin tightly almost making your lips pucker as he forces you to look at him.

"You’re a brat…planning this so I can just fuck all my frustrations out on you," Tony says and you just stare at him.

"Yes." You choke out.

"How badly do you want?" He asks

"I want it hard, daddy." You choke out and Tony smirks at you as he lets go of your chin. It's bright red from his fingers.

"What else do you want?" He asks as he sees your hands slip into his pants you can see the growing tension in his pants.

"To please you daddy…" you say confidently as you push Tony back from you as you slip off the lab table completely undoing his pant button and zipper as his pants fall exposing his underwear and underneath with his hard and his growing cock.

Grabbing Tony's shoulder as you turn him around, pushing him against the table as he stares at you going down to your knees as your fingers hook the hem of his boxers and pull them down as a red throbbing big cock leaking precum springs out in front of your face making you smile. Hands grasping his cock firmly at the base as you start pumping him fast and hard making him groan out Tony's hands go to the side of the table to grip onto them as he looks down watching you as you lick your lips.

Sticking your tongue out as you lick one long strip onto his cock as Tony groans more at that sensation of your tongue as your wrap your whole mouth around him as you slowly started bobbing your head up and down on his cock causing Tony to groan out more audible moans.

Hearing his moans encouraged you even more by each one as you started sucking wildly causing Tony's hand to grab a fistful of your hair as your hands went down to hold onto his thighs tightly.

"OH FUCK! How did you get so good at this, baby? God" Tony moans out loudly as you feel him jerk himself inside your mouth making you look up at him. Bobbing your head wildly faster again as you feel Tony thrust his hips into your mouth causing his cock to hit the back of your throat you immediately felt tears well into the back of your eyes but you couldn’t care less about those tears as you for gag as Tony pushes your head into his cock making you gag even more as your mouth made his cock disappear making groan out.

Tony held your head there as your tongue swirled all around his cock and the tip like a lollipop before Tony removed your head and your mouth with a loud pop coming from the suction you had.

"I want you to take all this cum in you…You’re gonna take it, baby." Tony growls as he lifts you by your hair causing you to smile.

"U-…Y-Yesssss, Tonyyy." You slightly moan out as you suddenly feel yourself against the table staring out into the lab as Tony rips your pencil skirt off of you. Tony smacks your ass roughly a couple of times causing you to yelp as he flips you around making you look at him.

Your hands go to Tony's shoulders as he slides right into he lifts into the table causing you to moan out as your free right-hand goes up to his hair and slides through it as you gently pull his hair in pleasure as your left hand and arm go underneath Tony arm and land on his back as your nails meet his back fairly quickly with his second push into you without warning.

Feeling tight hands on your hips as Tony pushes you into his cock as he starts thrusting, pushing your tightly sealed mouth to moan out and your nails dig into his back a bit more.

The thrusts started to pick up even more causing you to moan even more as you closed your eyes still gently tugging on Tony's hair and your nails dragging against his back because you didn’t know what to do with your hairs.

Clenching around Tony tightly causes him to groan as he starts losing himself he puts a hand on your breasts massaging them as he continues to thrust and thrust wildly into you making you a moaning mess, making you get so so so much closer.

“Oh god…I’m almost there..” you moan out, and as you let go of Tony's hair he pulls you up kissing you passionately as you kiss back.

“Fuck….me too…” Tony moans out as she continues to thrusts as they get sloppier, more drawn out as he starts slamming into you harder as his cock starts to twitch in you. Tony slams into you in more time as you start cumming all along his cock he begincumming inside of you quickly causing him to groan out.

Staring at Tony as you smile at him he very slowly pulls out of you making you whimper at the emptiness. Sitting up from the table as you sit on the edge and feel Tony's cum ooze out of you as he watches with a smirk and as he leans in kisses you again as holds you close to him.

“Was that a nice break?” You ask and Tony nods.

“Oh baby, it was perfect.” Tony says as you chuckle softly hopping down from the lab table.

“Wanna take more of a break in the shower?” You ask and Tony smirks softly

“Deadline isn’t until next week…I can make some room..” Tony says with a smirk as you grab clothes and quickly go to the private back way of the lab that leads straight to your bedroom with Tony he laughs while following you.

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steelbluehome · 3 months ago

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From Fear and Loathing: Closer to the Edge on Facebook

Heading to a “Hands Off!” protest this Saturday? Here’s everything you need to know — your rights, safety tips, and what to do if arrested.

On Saturday, April 5, people across the United States will gather for a coordinated day of resistance. From major cities to small towns, the “Hands Off!” protests are about drawing a hard line — against political overreach, creeping authoritarianism, and policies that strip away our rights and dignity.

Whether you’re marching in New York City, Dallas, Chicago, or a rural square in Nebraska, your presence matters. So does your preparation.

Here’s your nationwide guide to showing up — and staying safe while doing it.

KNOW YOUR RIGHTS (AND WRITE THEM ON YOUR ARM)

Before you arrive: Write the local legal support hotline number on your arm in permanent marker. In many cities, National Lawyers Guild (NLG) chapters will operate hotlines and send legal observers.

Say: “I am exercising my right to remain silent. I want a lawyer.”

Ask: “Am I being detained or am I free to go?”

If detained, remain silent.

If not, walk away calmly.

Legal observers (often in green hats/vests) are there to document police behavior — not to represent you legally. You can notify them if you witness abuse or misconduct.

WHAT TO BRING

Pack like you’re staying awhile and planning for anything:

Water and snacks

Face mask, hand sanitizer, and sunscreen

Phone with passcode lock (NOT Face ID/fingerprint)

External battery pack

Cash (for food, transit, emergencies)

Printed emergency contacts

Comfortable shoes, weather-appropriate clothing

Goggles or saline drops (in case of tear gas, depending on region)

Don’t bring:

Weapons (or anything that could be construed as one)

Illegal substances

Anything you wouldn’t want seized or photographed by law enforcement

STAY SAFE, STAY CALM, STAY NON-VIOLENT

Stick together. Stay with your group. Have a plan if separated.

Avoid confrontation. Ignore counter-protesters and agitators.

Film what matters. You have the legal right to record public events, including police activity — but don’t interfere.

De-escalate when possible. Your goal is to be heard, not baited.

Watch your surroundings. Know where you are and how to exit if needed.

If arrested:

Don’t resist.

Don’t talk beyond name and birthdate.

Wait for a lawyer.

Don’t sign anything without legal counsel.

PROTECT YOUR DATA

Phones are tools — and vulnerabilities.

Turn off Face ID and fingerprint unlock. Use a passcode.

Consider airplane mode during risky moments.

Back up photos/videos or use live stream apps like Instagram or Twitch to preserve footage.

Use encrypted messaging apps like Signal.

RESOURCES BY REGION

While every city differs, these national orgs often have local chapters or partners at major protests:

National Lawyers Guild: nlg.org

ACLU: aclu.org/know-your-rights

Mutual Aid Networks: Search “[Your City] Mutual Aid”

Bail Funds Directory: bailfunds.github.io

Legal Hotlines: Often listed on local protest pages or announced by organizers day-of

TRANSPORT + ACCESSIBILITY

Plan ahead: Some roads and transit lines may close or reroute.

Carpool or take transit when possible.

If you need ADA accommodations, contact local organizers in advance or ask staff at arrival points.

THIS IS BIGGER THAN A MARCH

This isn’t just a protest. It’s a warning flare — and a promise. That we won’t stand by while our rights are stripped. That we won’t let apathy win. That we see what’s happening — and we’re not afraid to raise hell, peacefully and powerfully.

So come prepared.

Come together.

And don’t let them scare you into silence.

Stay safe. Stay loud.

#april 5th #protest #hands off #us politics #usa politics #stay safe #protest safely #hands off protest #april 5 2025

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bunnysdollette · 2 months ago

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An honest conversation about social media 🍵

DOLLETTE DIARIES 02

+I’ve started limiting my social media intake and I just feel so much better. Not only do I have a clearer mind and I have more time to do things that make me happier instead of mindlessly doomscrolling.

How I did it:

I’ve tried almost everything to limit my social media intake in past years but nothing has worked. I always found myself crawling back. What really changed the game for me was, being at my breaking point.

The constant comparison, procrastination, and lack of motivation that I had as a result of being chronically online has really left a dent in my life. I’m only starting to recover now. I went to TikTok, my main social media and hid it making it take more time to access and also made it so it required a passcode. These things deterred me from wanting to use it and every time I opened it reminding myself I was not staying true to my goals. There are multiple different tools you can use, but this is what worked for me and now I avg less than 10 min each day.

How limiting social media use makes you happier:

Honestly when you have too many hours on social media you find yourself completely disconnected from reality. Everyone is a profile with a username and pictures, you don’t see them as real people. You don’t see numbers as real people, either. It’s just a huge distraction. Maturing is realizing it is that damn phone and the quicker you realize how to swap social media for actually living life, you can start feeling happier. I know a lot of people also suffer from mental illness like myself, and certain videos or comments on social media would trigger me to think about some really painful experiences or trigger unhealed mental wounds/trauma to re open.

If you are going to use social media, use it consciously. Social media is not real.

Suggestions:

🍵 If you have tried this and it’s not working for you, set smaller goals. For example, 6 hours of TikTok to 3 hours. And go slowly less and less from there.

🍵 work on building a healthier attention span. This can be done through simple steps like reading more, reading slower and really savoring each word, getting homework done first thing and so on so fourth. having a bad attention span can cause a lot of problems, so it’s important to work on that now.

🍵 find a healthier alternative. e.g. tumblr. and use it for actually trying to pursue goals , not just entertainment.

🍵 hold yourself accountable: if you’re not honest with yourself about how social media continues to affect your life then nothing will ever change.

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unknownunidentified101 · 1 year ago

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RAFAYEL X READER

CHARACTERS || rafayel from love and deep space

WARNING || none

CONTEXT || in which your artistic boyfriend has a memory of a goldfish

“ hmm” Rafayel placed a finger to his chin. His eyes had been glaring at his canvas. He felt as if there was something missing, a colour was missing. The only element that could spice the painting up

Lifting up his paintbrush Rayafel felt his stomach rumbling abnormally. “ I should order lunch” Rafayel grumbled to himself

His hands grabbed the phone on the table next to him and his fingers tap for the code. ‘ huh what’s my password’ Rafayel was dumbfounded, tilting his head lightly before he tried a series of codes

Nothing seemed to work and as soon as Rafayel looked up again, he realised the colour he was missing. “ pink!” He thought, grabbing his tool immediately

His phone was placed down and he resumed painting, forgetting about eating lunch.

He did forget before he heard the sounds of a door unlocking not too long after

“ Rafayelllll” you call out, closing the door behind you. Rafayel forgets his painting, his eyes glow upon the mention of his name

Rafayel sprung upwards and sprinted towards you. When he saw you placing things in his kitchen, he changed his attitude almost immediately

“ there you are!” You notice Rafayel watching you

“ took you long enough. Do you know how long I waited for you to come?” Rafayel pretended to act annoyed, crossing his arms

“ sorry I had work—“

“ I waited days! Texted you and called you but you declined!” Rafayel scolded. Your eyes held concern in them

“ sorry I had work. And didn’t I visit yesterday?” You remembered clearly

“ so? it felt like several days! I missed you, you know! It’s lonely without you in this place” Rafayel opened his arms as an emphasis. “ sorry” you murmur again, dropping everything to walk to the man

“ how are you? Did you eat?” You wondered, hands stroking the man’s cheek very tenderly

“ oh that! I remember now, I was going to eat lunch but..” Rafayel trailed off, leaving you bewildered. “ I forgot the passcode to my phone” Rafayel pathetically answered

“ I knew you would forget! What did I say about skipping meals?” It’s your turn to scold the stubborn man while your hand retracted

“ okay I’m sorry” Rafayel scratched his neck

“ you even left the door open, I told you wanderers could appear if you don’t lock your doors” you rant more. Rafayel faked pouted. In truth he admired your mad face

“ okay. why don’t you live with me ? Then you don’t have to worry about all that. Then I can have you all to myself!” Rafayel declared, engulfing you into a tight embrace

You found yourself getting heated up to the cheeks before Rafayel parted to kiss your lips. “ consider it please?”

#love and deepspace #love and deep space character #rafayel #rafayel x reader #love and deepspace rafayel #love & deepspace #love & deepspace Rafayel #fluff #love and deepspace fanfic #rafayel love and deepspace #love #fanfic #love and deepspace x you #love and deepspace X reader

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starrysymphonies · 8 months ago

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The II ARG is underway!!! Oh boy ok. All info I have so far under the cut

Puts my Dipper hat on

Disclaimer that I’m not the first person to discover this, I was only made aware that the codes existed, and you all saw my tumblr feed after TBOB came out. I went straight to work.

Alright so, within the description of every episode of ii, there is one letter. Together they create “cpuygtuctgkpuvqtg” and when put into a Caesar cipher translator (two letters forward) you get “answers are in store”

Head to the ii store. In the description of each piece of merch is yet another code! To decipher these you must use the vigenere cipher, the key is “COBS”

KT ZGW KBFV - IF YOU WANT

KBGGTABLKCO JGUBJFWOY - INFORMATION REGARDING

KBBFKABLG WOKCBJLA - INANIMATE INSANITY

VVF LTIUZ EOO TG TPMPR - THE TRUTH CAN BE FOUND

QB UZG VPJKNPF - ON THE HORIZON

VC GAPR JL ACV EWGU YQ - TO FIND IT YOU MUST GO

UHSSKUIL VC UZG GPMTQF - STRAIGHT TO THE SOURCE

HCS LJS OWZH DDWS - FOR THE NEXT CLUE

From here, you go back to the inanimate insanity store, just the front page! If you’re on computer, press ctrl+u to open the source code (aka: straight to the source). Scroll to line 2013 (note the number. 2013 is when the first episode of s2 released. The message ends on 2024, which means we’ll likely get ep18 before the new year since then it’ll align with the year ii2 ends) there you will find this: (description in alt text)

The key word is likely going to be used as a passcode or possibly a key for a cipher later in the hunt.

This is where the trail leads us to Cabby. I’ve found nothing in the source material of her website but… “you may want to take a page out of their playbook”

Cabby used her files, and recently on Adam’s Twitter, he posted this just yesterday:

This countdown gave us about 2 days. One day is up already, but tomorrow lies ahead. He’s uploading files. Like Cabby’s files

There isn’t anything us to do further from here, since he hasn’t alluded to what these files can be. It’s likely that there’s going to be something hidden within them on a certain page, and we’ll probably have to use the highlighter tool to find some kind of hidden text.

#inanimate insanity #ii 18 #object show community #ii2 #inanimate insanity season 2 #osc #object show #object shows #IM GOING CRAZY.#I DONT HAVE TWITTER #IS THE WORST PART #SO I CANT SEE ANYTHING ADAM IS DOING ON HIS TWITTER #I should download Twitter just for this.

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makeitmingi · 1 year ago

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The Cat and Dog Game [Chapter 4]

Genre: Romance, Fluff, Comedy

Pairing: Yunho x Reader (y/n)

Characters: Chef!Reader, RestaurantOwner!Yunho, MaitreD!Hongjoong, Waiter!Yeosang, Waiter!San, Waiter!Mingi, SousChef!Seonghwa, SousChef!Wooyoung, PrepChef!Jongho

Summary: Yunho's dream was to open and run his own restaurant. But he doesn't know anything when it comes to cooking. Until you came along and accepted the job, bringing with you a small crew. How will the black cat tame the energetic golden retriever?

Word count: 3.2K

You were half asleep on Seonghwa's shoulder, on the way to the restaurant. Jongho was the designated driver for today, going around to pick everyone up before going to the restaurant.

"So, did you have fun last night? Getting to know the owner?" Wooyoung turned around from the passenger seat with a teasing smile. You shot him a weird look while Seonghwa kicked the back of his seat.

"I know you're older, hyung. But I will kick you out if you do that to my car again." Jongho threatened as he drove.

"We're here." He parked the car. You got out, pulling your hood up tiredly. Seonghwa quietly strolled beside you, his arms tucked into his coat pockets.

"Yunho gave me the passcode." You yawned and keyed in the passcode.

"He's not coming?" Seonghwa asked.

"Not this early. He looked tired yesterday and stressed out after trying to help me with the prep. Anyway, it'll be much faster with just 4 of us doing the prep and baking." You shrugged, opening the door.

"What did you guys make yesterday?" Wooyoung tilted his head while Jongho turned the lights on.

"Blackberry apple tuile in the dehydrator, made the shortcrust pastry for the tartlets and marinated the pork medalions for dinner service." You informed. All of you hung your coats up in the small storage room and got to work right away. With aprons on and tools laid out, you all knew what to do immediately.

"State what you're taking on so we can keep track of things." You called out, a sharpie in hand and a piece of paper in front of you.

"I'll get started on the red velvet cake batter so we can get it in the ovens and cooled in time for icing." Jongho said, heading into the walk in with a big bowl to gather ingredients.

"Guess that leaves me on the palmiers first." Wooyoung pulled his sleeves up.

"Shall I do the cheesecake?" Seonghwa asked. You nodded and crossed out the item on the list.

"I'll continue with the tartlets then. Speak up if you need help." You retrieved the base dough from the fridge and the mini tart shells to begin blind baking them.

When Yunho came in, about an hour after you, with Mingi, Hongjoong, Yeosang and San, they were all greeted with the amazing smell of sugar, butter and vanilla filling up the restaurant space.

"Damn, I'm hungry." Mingi said.

"I need them to sign the contracts." Yunho walked in with the manila folder tucked under his arm. The boys, except Hongjoong, curiously followed behind him, wanting to catch a glimpse of the crew that was behind the amazing smells.

"Good morning!" Yunho smiled. All 4 of you turned to the group at the door with acknowledging nods before focusing back on your own tasks in front of you.

"Sorry to interrupt. I have the contracts for all of you to sign." He cleared his throat.

"Sure." You all stopped momentarily to gather.

There was a moment of silence as the 4 of you read through the contract that Yunho gave out. Meanwhile, the other boys with Yunho were staring at you, the way you exuded coolness.

"Here's a pen." Yunho held out the pen to you. You were the first to sign. After that, Seonghwa, Wooyoung and Jongho followed suit.

Just like that, you handed the contracts back to Yunho and broke apart to your own areas of the kitchen.

"Yunho." You stopped the owner in his tracks. You nodded over to the main prep table in the middle and he walked over, tilting his head curiously. The other boys stood behind him. There was a tray that you brought over, with some red-purplish stuff on it. You lifted a piece to Yunho.

"Thank you but what is this?" He bowed his head gratefully but was still confused. You gestured for him to take a bite. He did and his eyes widened with excitement.

"Is this what we made yesterday?!" He beamed.

"Yes. Blackberry, apple tuile with thyme." You said. Yunho held the small piece between his fingers, like it was a piece of gold.

"Wow. I helped make this." He said in awe. You hummed, amused at how stunned Yunho was.

Yunho took your appearance in. You weren't just wearing an apron like yesterday, there were tweezers sticking out of pockets, a timer clipped to your sleeve and two towels hanging on the string.

"I'm (y/n). That's Seonghwa, Wooyoung and Jongho." You suddenly spoke, pointing to each person on your team that was busy.

"I'm Mingi. This is San and Yeosang." The other tall guy introduced. You figured they would be the wait staff.

"Excuse me. Hot tray coming through." Wooyoung said, taking a tray of palmiers out from the oven. The boys shrunk back behind Yunho, jumping out of the way. You turned back to focus on your tartlets, making the custard that will go under the strawberries.

"We'll be out of your way." Yunho quickly said, ushering his friends out. They were disappointed they were not offered any samples of food like Yunho was.

"My cakes are still in the oven but shall I start on the madeleines? We'll put them in once we have oven space." Jongho asked.

"Yes. Are you done with the cheesecakes, Hwa?"

"They're in the oven. I'm open now, do you need help with the tartlet assembly?" He walked over, drying his hands. You nodded and he laid everything out for you.

"Make the gelatin glaze?" You requested. It will be tart shell, with a thin layer of strawberry jam at the bottom, then vanilla custard over the top and a mix of fresh strawberries and basil on the top.

"Last batch of palmiers in." Wooyoung announced.

"Get started on the yuzu loaves please. We need them cooled for the drizzle." You replied. He gave a thumbs up. Meanwhile, San and Mingi have been peeking in, they were both mesmerised by the way you worked with your team. Mingi's parents owned a restaurant but he had never seen people who this way in a kitchen before.

"You two! We need to start setting up before opening." Hongjoong grabbed them by the back of their necks to drag them to the front counter where Yunho was.

"I'll be on coffee." Mingi said.

"I'll help you with that." San raised his hand. Hongjoong would be managing the cashier while Yeosang will serve customers.

"Yunho should float, introduce yourself as the owern." Hongjoong suggested. The others nodded in agreement and Yunho hummed. Soon, the doors will be open and people will be here.

"Sorry to interrupt but we've decided not to serve this first yuzu loaf since it is a little lopsided." You said.

"What she means is, you guys can have it for breakfast before opening." Seonghwa clarified. The 5 boys immediately bowed.

"It smells so good." Mingi said in awe.

"Enjoy." You and Seonghwa went back to the kitchen to continue. The 5 boys crowded the yuzu loaf like vultures, digging into it with forks. They didn't even bother cutting into it to portion out, they went straight for it.

"Oh my god... It's so good." San melted.

"Where did you find these people? This is amazing!" Yeosang said, eyes wide in surprise on the taste.

"Not me, Hongjoong hyung." Yunho chewed his food. Hongjoong smirked proudly. They didn't realise that you were watching them in amusement, especially when they fought over the last piece.

"What are you watching?" Jongho tilted his head when he saw you loitering at the kitchen entrance.

"They're fighting for the last bit of Wooyoung's yuzu loaf. Like seagulls fighting for the last shrimp." You chuckled.

"You look like you're watching television." Wooyoung laughed.

"It feels like I am." You replied. You walked away to continue your task. Once the fresh strawberries were mixed with basil, you spooned them over the custard layer.

"Done. You can jelly glaze them." You told Seonghwa. He nodded and brushed over the gelatin mixture which will make the fruits look shiny and glossy. When each item was done, you put one piece of each item on a plate to bring it out. Most importantly, you wanted Yunho to try them to get his opinion.

"This is a piece of each item. You've had the yuzu loaf. This is lemon poppy seed madeleines, strawberry basil tartlets and palmiers. For the cakes, New York cheesecake and red velvet." You explained.

"The yuzu loaf was super good, by the way." San smiled.

"I'll be sure to tell Wooyoung." You gave a nod. After that, you retreated back to the kitchen.

"Wait, strawberry basil? Like the thing on pizza?" Mingi blinked, realising one of the treats that you had just brought out to them. This time, Yeosang cut up each item.

"Oh my... Okay, this is my new favourite." Hongjoong covered his mouth as he chewed, pointing at the red velvet cake.

"This seashell cake things would go so well with coffee." Yunho said as he took a bite.

"Ah! Okay, let's quickly finish up and clear the counter. We're opening in 30 minutes." Yunho panicked, realising the time. His heart suddenly lurched and his stomach churned uncomfortably, he was getting too nervous and anxious.

"Let's do a final sweep." Yeosang and San grabbed the brooms to clean the floors while Mingi and Hongjoong went around to wipe the tables and chairs.

"I'm going to... get stuff." Yunho said to his friends and walked away. From the corner of your eye, you watched him cross the kitchen and enter the walk in fridge, closing the door behind him.

"Nervous?" Yunho jumped when you appeared. Your arms crossed and your eyebrows raised.

"Yeah... It's finally happening... And I just don't want it to fail." He hung his head down, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Why do you think it will fail?" You cocked your head to the side. The stoic look on your face made Yunho confused on whether you were asking a rhetoric or not.

"It's my first time doing this, clearly I've not been the efficient restaurant owner. I was supposed to do this with my grandmother. This was her dream. And if I waste it, I'll never forgive myself." He shook his head. There was a silence in the walk in fridge until Yunho heard you let out a soft sigh.

"You've said it yourself. This is your first time. It's a learning process and you'll still continue to learn. Your grandmother must have believed in you to give your this opportunity." You said.

"All that you have done, it is not a waste. What is a waste is you panicking here in the walk in when the place hasn't even opened yet."

"You're right..." Yunho nodded.

"Don't scare yourself with the negatives of what can go wrong. Go in with a fresh, open mind, be excited for what can happen and the positives." You advised.

"Thank you, (y/n)! I'll go out now and open." Yunho grinned happily and ran out. You walked out.

"What?" You blinked, seeing the 3 boys staring at you.

"Naughty (y/n). With the boss? On day 1? In the walk in?!" Wooyoung teased with gasps. You rolled your eyes, throwing your tea towel at him as you went back to your station.

"Are you good?" Seonghwa asked softly, coming to stand next to you. You looked up at him and nodded. He pulled you in to gently stroke your head. You all finished up the rest of the cafe confectionaries, getting some extras ready in case they sell out.

"Take a small break everyone. Get a drink, we can observe the cafe opening. Then we'll start cleaning and discuss dinner service." You instructed.

"Okay." The 3 replied, putting all their used dishes together to clean later on. Wooyoung and Jongho went out to get coffee at the front of the house, where Mingi and San were.

"Want a drink that's not coffee? They have ades." You laughed.

"Sure." Seonghwa walked out with you. You were just in time to see Yunho open the doors and flip the sign to open.

You watched with a small smile, Yunho grinned as he greeted the first customer that was already in the queue. There wasn't a large queue but people must have been curious seeing the posters around.

"Here." Jongho handed you a coffee.

"Thank you." You received it and took a sip. The boys went back into the kitchen first while you continued to linger around.

"Sorry, can I make a drink for Seonghwa? He doesn't drink coffee." You asked.

"Of course. Want us to make something?" San offered. You shook your head, grabbing a glass and whatever you needed. You didn't want to break their momentum when orders were already starting to come in from customers. After mixing a drink for Seonghwa, you moved out of their way.

"Here, Hwa. I mixed the tropical fruits and topped it up with soda." You handed the glass to him.

"Thanks." He patted your head and took a sip before continuing his cleaning. There were two sinks so you all just took turns cleaning up. While waiting your turn, you wiped down your station.

"I'm craving a reuben." Seonghwa said.

"Reuben? Nah, monte cristo for me." Wooyoung laughed.

"What's with both of you craving sandwiches all of a sudden?" You scoffed while rolling your eyes.

"Basically they want to make ham and salt beef for our next cooking get together." Jongho spoke, going to keep the leftover ingredients in the walk in.

"It has been so long since we've made those two things... I don't know if I remember how to..." You scratched your head.

"Liar." All 3 boys coughed.

"You know what? You make your own ham and you, make your own salt beef." You glared at them. Wooyoung dried his hands while laughing, coming over to hug your arm.

"My precious (y/n), you've made things so many things more complex than ham and salt beef that you saying you've forgotten how to make it is a joke. You aren't fooling anyone, especially any one of us." Wooyoung pinched your cheeks.

You swatted his hands away and went out to see how the cafe was doing. Most of the tables were filled, with customers enjoying the drinks and food.

"Oh, (y/n)!" Yunho jumped when he turned around and almost bumped into you.

"I didn't think so many people would show up." He said. You hummed, nodding your head as you continued to look around.

"The confectionaries are moving fast. Everyone likes all of them." He blurted out with a big grin. Honestly, Yunho had to urge to hug you and thank you for helping him at the start, in the walk in.

"Told you. Worried for nothing." You looked up at him but your face didn't show that you were teasing or making fun of him for his nerves earlier.

"You were right." He nodded in agreement with a shy smile.

"Umm, excuse me." A customer stood at the counter and you nodded over for Yunho to go. He went to attend to the customer while you went back into the kitchen.

"Ah! I need a break." Mingi complained as he entered after you.

"It's only been an hour." Jongho stated.

"Let's discuss our dinner menu and break for the day." You said as the 3 gathered around you at the kitchen island, ignoring Mingi. But Mingi stuck around, curious to listen in.

"Let's do the pork tenderloin medallions with cherry madeira sauce. I'm not sure how the crowd will be so let's not accompany it with the risotto this time since those are cooked to order. We'll do a parsnip puree as the starch component. Then a roast chicken with gochujang butter under the skin." You said.

"What's the starch for the chicken?" Seonghwa asked.

"We should do mixed roast vegetables. They can sit under the chicken as the trivet and they'll roast in the chicken fat- butter mixture." Wooyoung suggested.

"For seafood, we'll do a cioppino with crusty bread? We got some shellfish and we'll cook that with the monkfish." You said.

"I think we should have a pasta option." Jongho voiced out.

"Let's do miso butter tagliatelle with mixed mushrooms and borttarga." Seonghwa decided. The rest of you nodded then discussed some simple appetisers to make.

"Two desserts. One light, one heavy." You told them,

"I would say we do something simple. Panna cotta with raspberry coolis. Then bukkumi with makgeolli ice cream." Jongho suggested.

"That's a good idea. One western and one korean dessert." Wooyoung agreed. You hummed and wrote it down on the paper. Mingi quietly left the kitchen.

"What's with that look?" Hongjoong asked him when he came out.

"I just listened in on the kitchen team plan tonight's dinner menu. Like wow, I want one of everything they're preparing. It all sounds so good and amazing." Mingi said, star stuck like he had just witnessed greatness or a celebrity.

"Get back to work. There are customers that need service." Yeosang waved everyone back to their stations. Wooyoung came out.

"Yunho? Do you have time for us to quickly discuss the dinner menu before we leave for the afternoon?" He asked.

"Yeah, I'm coming." Yunho nodded and left Hongjoong to the cashier as he entered the kitchen. When he entered, he immediately noticed you weren't there. He wanted to ask where you went.

"This is what our team discussed earlier." Jongho handed Yunho the paper where you had been scribbling on earlier with sharpie.

"Sorry, you might need to explain all this to me." He apologised with a sheepish smile.

"Sure." Wooyoung, Jongho and Seonghwa explained all the dishes to him, the components, how they will be cooked, etc. However, Yunho was slightly distracted by where you were.

You were actually standing outside in the cold, taking in some fresh air. After a stint of cooking, you usually wanted to get some fresh air on your own with peace and quiet, away from the busy kitchen. That's why the 3 usually let you be and gave you the space that you wanted, for as long as you needed.

He wondered if you were okay. But if your friends were not worried, Yunho shouldn't be.

"I'm ready. Let's go when you're done." You poked your head in to tell the boys and left without acknowledging Yunho. To be honest, you didn't even see him.

"Thank you for coming in so early. I'll see you all tonight." Yunho bowed to them.

"No problem." Seonghwa smiled.

"See you." Wooyoung said and the 3 bowed before exiting the restaurant. Yunho watched from the window as you waited for them by Jongho's car. Seonghwa wrapped an arm around you.

"I'm tired." You leaned against him, mumbling like a grumpy toddler.

"Yes, let's all get some sleep. We have a long dinner service ahead of us." Seonghwa chuckled and ushered all of you into the car.

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someinstant · 1 month ago

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Behold, a VERY belated write up of my thoughts on ANDOR, season 2, episode 6: "What a Festive Evening." I'd hoped to get this done before episodes 7 through 9 came out, but-- yeah, that ship has sailed. Alas.

Anyway, these are getting longer, not shorter. And this one contains How I Would Deal With That Thing. Which might not be how you would handle it, and that's cool. We all have different thoughts, yeah?

I like that there are Corellian hounds running in the background at the port at Steerguard as Cassian walks onto the Fondor. Makes me think that they’re just really normal in urban environments, or places that have a lot of vermin. And a port is always going to have a lot of vermin.

Also, I love that we have Cassian in the same place on the Fondor, taking care of his arm back in season one.

Really, this is just a great way to give us a sense of what’s changed and what hasn’t in Cassian and Luthen’s relationship. Cassian has more skills and knowledge now, but he’s chafing under Luthen’s guidance. I love that Cassian’s concern is that, by acting, the Ghormans will die—brutally. Luthen throws back, “They’re finally wanting to do something and you tell them to be careful.”

“I’ll skip this one,” Cassian says, and it’s in the same voice as he says, “I’ll take the drop-off,” in the fourth episode of season one. But this time, Luthen doesn’t have a kyber crystal to bribe him with. He can’t appeal to Cassian’s mercenary sense anymore; Cassian sees the cause, now—but unlike Luthen, he’s looking at it in a very immediate, personal way. He’s thinking about how Carro Rylanz is likely to lose his daughter if the Ghorman Front goes loud against the Empire, and what that would cost. He’s thinking about the bellhop, who has never really moved on from the place where he lost his father to Tarkin—just like Cass can’t move on from Kenari and Ferrix. The fight is personal for Cassian, and—I think—for as much as he hardens himself, Cassian likes people.

Mostly. (I think by the end of Planet Dipshit he would have happily fed all of them to the doodar if it hadn’t taken initiative.)

But Luthen: sunless space, dreams, ghosts, etc. People are tools to be used. So he calls up Kleya and is like, yo, DoorDash left me the wrong salad. And she’s like, you knew you didn’t want that salad when you ordered it, luckily we’ve got a burrito in transit.

By which we mean: Vel. In this context, the burrito is Vel. She looks extremely cool, sitting on the main stairs into the plaza at the center of Palmo, and someone does the old pretend-to-stop-and-fiddle-with-my-boots trick to cover for the exchange of passcodes. “Visiting friends?” he asks. Vel, like Cassian, has friends everywhere.

Back on Corusant, we follow Cassian down the long, miserable corridor to the safehouse. He rings the bell, taps in a rhythm, and—nothing. No one answers. He pulls his gun and enters, and you get a sense that he’s terrified of what he might find behind the door. Hell, considering the shape Bix was in, I was terrified, too.

But there she is, coming out of the bedroom. The apartment is clean, and about as home-y as it can get. There are flowers on the table-- sad, pathetic things; expensive, she notes, but worth it.

And then they make out and it is very hot, because they are two extremely hot people who have a lot of chemistry, and—yeah. Bix asks about the trip, and who Cass was this time, and—it’s just seriously cute, okay? Cassian says, “I was Varian Skye,” and tosses his jacket with a flourish. “I was a fashion designer.” Very dramatic, a little silly. He’s trying to make her smile, and it’s DARLING.

And THEN—he starts to talk about the fancy clothes he was wearing, and says, “I was very, very pretty, and Bix says, “Well, you’re gonna have to bring him home some night.” And then I DIED. Expired. EXCUSE ME. BIX. JUST WHAT ARE YOU IMPLYING MY GIRL.

(I know what you’re implying and I support you. Get it, Bix.)

But alas—the conversation slips sideways. Cassian says that Ghorman wasn’t dangerous, just a lot of talk—that it was Luthen on the way home that scared him. And Bix says, yeah I get that, that man can be scary, and CASUALLY DROPS that Luthen came by to chat while Cass was gone.

Now. Bix—I love you. But I am going to blame the chronic sleep deprivation, PTSD, and possible drug dependency for the fact that you did not seem to anticipate that this would set Cassian off like a grenade. The man has ONE big red button, and it’s labeled, “BAD THINGS HAPPENING TO PEOPLE I LOVE.” Luthen getting anywhere near that is going to make him absolutely ridiculous.

In a totally different stratosphere of Coruscant, Mon Mothma and Perrin are in the back of their Space Cadillac (very clearly being driven by Kloris the ISB Snitch from Season 1, hmm) working out the schedule of parties they need to hit. This, evidently, is ABSOLUTELY the thing Perrin is good at. We get this fascinating glimpse of how the two of them *can* actually function as a couple—maybe not as lovers—but as partners. Or could, at one point. They’re both looking at the schedule, talking about who to miss, where to go next, and Mon says, “Why so difficult this season? You never struggle,” and there’s not a note of derision or anything in her tone. It’s honest. She means it. Perrin’s GOOD at this, and she appreciates his help here.

On this topic: I’ve seen some chatter about how folks are like, “Why do they suddenly like each other now? They HATED each other last season!” And—look, I actually really love this character work, because relationships—especially ones that have lasted as long as the one between Perrin and Mon—change SO MUCH over time. They’re not the same people they were when they were fifteen, and they’re not the same people they were in the first episodes of this season, either. Their daughter has left home, Tay is dead—and Perrin clearly thought Mon was in a relationship with him—I can see how they would reach for the comfort of someone who they may not love or even like, most days. But they know each other. (Or at least that’s what Perrin must think.)

Also: if you haven’t, I do recommend reading Alexander Freed’s Mask of Fear, which features Mon and Perrin in the first few years after the establishment of the Empire. Does a great job of engaging with the way their relationship has blown hot and cold, on and off, for the entirety of their lives.

And then Cassian is BAD AT OPSEC, because Luthen pushed his big red button. He comes to the antiquities shop (!!?!!!!!) in the middle of the night (!?!) and yells at Luthen for coming to sniff around Bix while Cassian was out of the picture.

(Which. Hang on. Luthen DIDN’T WANT a salad. He knew that. Kleya had a burrito on standby for him. Did he order a salad anyway just so he could go check on Bix without Cassian around? Oooh. Okay. Yeah, Cass, I see why you’re so pissed now.)

And then Luthen fucking MOCKS Cassian: “kIlL mE oR tAkE mE iN,” whines Luthen, and then growls, “You’re in.”

“You want my blood?” Cassian asks. “You help me work this out.” And the this in question is Bix’s ongoing troubles. So. Luthen’s gotta figure out a way to get Bix right, or he’s losing Cassian. Package deal at this point.

Following this thread, we land in the hallways of the ISB, where Heert is walking with Lonni. Partagaz wants to talk to both of them about Dr. Gorst, which is going to be VERY convenient for Luthen in a moment. Turns out that Naval Intelligence has convinced the Emperor that the ISB has to share their special torture DJ, and so the Empire is now setting up a joint interrogation center on Coruscant where they can scale up their genocide listening sessions. MAGICAL. Partagaz is less than delighted by the whole idea, and tells Lonni and Heert that he’s counting on them to keep an eye on “these idiots,” and Heert can’t help but toady up. “An honor, sir,” he says. Just the brownest of noses, this one.

And Partagaz just—withers him with a glance. “Really?” he says. “It’s an assignment. Calibrate your enthusiasm.”

I am going to say that from here on out whenever I assign anything in class.

Okay. And now we’re going to Ghorman, and with Vel—and Cinta.

So the first thing I want to say about this is: I don’t hate everything about this storyline. I think there are things that work. And think there is an enormous own-goal that was unnecessary, and could have been avoided. And should have been. And I think that most of the problem comes down to a problem of pacing, which is exacerbated by the condensing of what originally conceived of as four years of story into twelve episodes.

That being said: this establishing shot of Vel in the café as Cinta arrives—the yin-yang of the window framing, the way the camera swings to show us Cinta walking in the door through the plaza, sitting at the table (it’s a full set! A real place! There’s depths! Salt shakers and little bottles on the table!)—it’s all perfection. The actors have such restraint and control in their bodies for the first several minutes. Uncomfortable with each other, but trying not to show it.

And then—Vel is brave, and says: “I told Luthen I would only take this assignment if you were on it.” And the way Cinta’s eyes light up at that is heartbreaking. “You’re the only reason I’m here,” Cinta says—and I am TRYING not to imagine how that sentence is going to cut in Vel’s heart like a dagger for the rest of her life, but.

Yeah.

Look, I don’t THINK it’s a reference, but I’m incapable of hearing someone say, “I’ll have what she’s having” on film and not think of the faked orgasm scene in When Harry Met Sally.

Anyway. We go from this deeply tender, if restrained, reunion, to the Dedra being told that she’s going to have to keep girlbossing and gatekeeping Syril. She seems uncomfortable, but when does Dedra look comfortable about anything?

We go to the planning sequence for the convoy heist on Ghorman. Vel is calling the shots around the table in a dark underground room—v. atmospheric, I like it—and is grilling the Ghorman Front on timetables and cleaning things up. She says no one carries blasters but her and Cinta. The little twerp from the plaza pushes back on that, and—look, his name is Samm. Two m’s. Last time we had an Unnecessary M guy, it was Timm, and he was a snitch.

I’m just saying, Samm’s not setting himself up for great things, here.

We get lots of pacing out the alley, investigating the tunnel, looking at the rooftops—it’s all very heist-y. And I do love a good heist.

But—here’s my first problem with the pacing on all of this: I know what’s going to happen, and it’s not because this is a prequel and I know that Cassian Andor has to steal the Death Star plans. I know that Cinta’s dead. Right now, I know it. She said, "I'm only here because of you,” and I was like, “Oh NO.” And I know that Samm’s going to carry a blaster, and something’s going to happen, and Cinta’s going to die. I won’t lie, I was very tired the first time I watched it, and I definitely forward-forward-forwarded through some of this stuff, because I knew the shape of the narrative already.

And look, a predictable story isn’t a BAD one. But in order for a predictable story to work, it needs to be paced immaculately, and this one isn’t. It all happens over the course of twenty minutes.

So here’s my fix to the pacing problem, okay?

We put Vel and Cinta on Ghorman in episode 4. Have THEM be Luthen’s first contact with the Front, do the café scene. Maybe there’s a slight factional divide, and they’re working more with the younger Ghorman Front members. Have Luthen decide to send Cassian when he gets the information about Dedra, and when he hears that Rylanz is willing to act. Maybe they rekindle their relationship in this episode, or at the start of episode 5.

Then, in episode 5, you have Cassian do the same stuff he already does in episode 5—but have him interact with Vel and Cinta at some point. Maybe they disagree about the readiness of the group. He bounces, Vel and Cinta stay.

Episode 6, you start planning the heist earlier. If it’s me, I intercut it with Mon and Perrin trying to figure out what parties to hit up when, because—yeah, thematically that works. Proceed from there. ALSO! This gives you more space in episode 6 for the Bix-and-Cassian revenge arc! Two birds, one stone.

Does this address the problem of the Bury Your Gays trope? Look, man, I don’t know. But what I do know is that Vel and Cinta’s relationship means a lot to people who don’t get to see themselves represented very often in the media they love, and to have one partner ripped away just a few minutes after they got back together is—NOT GREAT, BOB. But I do understand that this is a war, and people die in wars, and ANDOR has been really clear that the characters we love aren’t safe. So I’m not honestly angry about the death qua death. But I’m gonna toss some of Tony’s words back at him, and say: you can’t cash a check if you haven’t put any money into the bank. And I think they overdrafted the account on this one. You want this to not feel cheap? Let us spend time with Vel and Cinta, and remind us why she IS a miracle.

Okay. Diatribe over.

Back on Coruscant, Bix has hidden her No-More-Nightmare drops above the vent in the kitchen. (Sidenote: do we think that Cass knows she’s using? He has to suspect, yes? He’s a spy for god’s sake.) Cass wakes up, and Bix is staring out the window—the signal light is flashing. Luthen has a job for Cass, and Bix blearily tells him that no matter what the job is, she’s coming.

Vel and Cinta, the night before the job. Cinta says, “We’re worth more to Luthen separately than together,” which is—definitely a theme for Luthen! He’s like, “Why can’t all of you just give up kinship, joy, love? Burn your life, etc.?” Kleya, too, wishes all the agents she runs had fewer feelings.

Cinta and Vel have a LOT of feelings, however. Remember how in Season 1, when Bix got out of Timm’s bed and we were all, like, “Ooh, someone in Star Wars fucks!” and then we met Cassian in his Keef phase, and we were like, “Oh, no, I’m sorry, someone in Star Wars fucks.” This episode is much hornier than either of those instances, and god bless it for that.

We go from a very sexy kiss to the least sexy thing ever: the Senate. Taking a loyalty oath. Mon is having a hard time choking out the words, and is clearly distressed as she leaves the building.

Hard cut to Luthen, all fancied up. He calls to Kleya, also lookin’ sharp with a nice brooch on her gown, and they head off to the Sculdun party: they’ve got a listening device to retrieve. So, theoretically, we’ve got three missions going on: Ghorman heist, whatever Cass and Bix are up to, and the Sculdun skullduggery.

On the way into the party, Mon and Perrin meet Bail—who is Benjamin Bratt! I know folks might have been upset about this, but I think he’s really good in the role? And, like, this section of the lead up to ROGUE ONE means you absolutely need Bail, and if Jimmy Smits wasn’t available, I’d much much much rather a recast than some sort of GenAI bullshit. We’ve got to get beyond the idea that there is only One True Casting for a character. It ain’t healthy, y’all. Let there be multiple performances and interpretations. Consider it like theater! It’s fine!

Anyway, Mon’s gown is fucking incredible. If costuming doesn’t get a nod during the Emmys this year, there is no justice in the world.

Syril has got to be so damn happy to be playing spies for Partagaz.

Heert getting blasted on Kali Koolers at the Sculduns’ party is amazing. Also—Lonni’s pretty fucking good at the spying gig, isn’t he? You hear him clock Heert ask Legret, “Where’s your buddy?” and—dude, he means KRENNIC. Legret and Krennic are friends or something. That’s USEFUL.

Kleya using Lonni as a human shield is amazing. This whole sequence is amazing—stand here, shift left, do you have any idea who is in this room right now?!

I adore how much Krennic and Mon loathe each other, and how vitriolic their conversation is.

Okay, I lied: another pacing note. I think another problem I have with the Ghorman heist is that it feels inert in comparison with these scenes in the Sculdun collection room. I already know Cinta’s dead, I know that’s the story beat we’re headed towards, and I know the shape of how it’s likely to happen. I DON’T know what the fuck might happen in the room where Kleya and Lonni and sweating bullets and bleeding all over stone books in order to remove a stuck listening device while one of the most depraved men in the galaxy spars over the definition of terrorism with a woman who has to keep smiling while she does it. I am just MUCH more interested in one of these scenes, unfortunately. In order for intercutting to work, it’s got to be a mirrored level of tension. Half the scenes are brilliant. The others are fine.

I will say, Cinta’s stunt is pretty badass, though.

“And what were you going to do if I weren’t here?” asks Lonni. “Anything I had to,” Kleya says, and I believe her implicitly.

It’s the stupid Samm kid, of course. He brought a blaster. Tried to threaten a local away from the scene, and when the man tried to wrestle him away, the blaster went off. And Cinta is gone. They carry her body back to the transport, and Vel is just—frozen in grief.

On the transport, Samm is sobbing. And Vel—it’s horrifyingly beautiful, what she says. “Are you crying? Are you? Look at me. Look at me. There’s no place to hide, look at me. I’m not going to say remember this, because I don’t have to. This is on you now. This is like skin. You’re taking her with you wherever you go for the rest of your useless life.” This is like skin. That line is going to stick for a while, honestly.

So. Cinta’s gone. I don’t hate the idea of the death, and I think the writing of the aftermath is insanely strong. I think the pacing leading up to it made the whole thing feel like whiplash. But we’ve got four years of ideas crammed into one year of show. And I think this is where we’re seeing the seams of the story bulge badly for the first time.

And then to go from that, to the rising series theme as Luthen and Kleya walk out, talking about how their faces hurt from smiling, and giggling about how they should have killed Krennic—it’s very jarring. And maybe that’s the point. But I don’t know that it pays off. Hmm.

And then—we get the Cassian and Bix revenge tour. And, I don’t know. Do you put it all here at the end? Do you cut it up and intermix it into the Ghorman-Sculdun stories, and switch between three instead of two? This feels like an odd tag, and honestly, I wasn’t initially certain it wasn’t another of Bix’s nightmares.

Watching Gorst’s head flop back as Bix leaves the room is excellent, though. And I like that Cass left her to do that part of the mission alone. And her smile after he hits the charges—

Well, that’s just good.

Overall, did I enjoy this episode? Yes. Absolutely. Is it the one that I want to pull apart and reorganize structurally? Yep. Are there parts where I was like, I dunno how I feel about this? Yep.

Still one of my favorite things on television ever, man.

#andor #cassian andor #my beloved space disaster #andor season 2 #andor season 2 spoilers #andor spoilers #what a festive evening

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l0singsdogs · 4 months ago

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when the masks fell by mercuriiovenus.

Justice League → No information available. Try searching for "judicial system" or "football league." Gotham vigilante → No reports of vigilantes in Gotham. Breaking news: Oswald Cobblepot has been found guilty of multiple crimes and mafia associations. Life sentence expected. Nightwing → Urban myth or a term linked to aerial acrobatics. Did you mean: Nightwing Gymnastics Academy? Robin → A small red-breasted bird. Would you like to learn more about robins?

Tim Drake is the first to start searching, scanning every corner of the internet—or so he hopes—because the laptop resting on his legs feels off. The technology here isn’t what they’re used to, that much is clear. Their phones, usually advanced tools for gathering intel, seem… ordinary. The search results are strange. But more than that, everything feels strange.

Bruce, Tim, and Damian are absorbed in their frantic search, eyes darting across screens as if a different result might suddenly appear if they refresh enough times. But if anyone took a moment to step back and look —they’d see it. The same passcodes unlock their phones, but the content inside is different.

Jason and Dick are the only ones who seem lost in the photo galleries.

Grayson scrolls through pictures, searching for some thread of recognition, but everything is hazy—just out of reach. There are endless images of him: standing on podiums, dressed in gymnastics gear, grinning with medals hanging around his neck. There are pictures with friends, too—so many of Wally West, Donna Troy, and Kory Anders. He smiles despite himself, but the feeling twisting in his gut is unfamiliar. This isn’t his life. It’s a life , yes. But not his.

Jason… Jason is worse off. He stares at the images on his screen as if they’re mocking him. There are pictures of him traveling, laughing, and existing. He finds shots of himself with Roy Harper and Artemis—his chest tightens at that—but there are also faces he doesn’t recognize, memories he never made. Birthday celebrations, candid moments, snapshots of him curled up with a book. There are so many pictures of him smiling . And that’s what finally breaks something deep inside him.

It’s impossible. It’s impossible.

His grip tightens around the phone as rage coils hot in his chest. He flicks his gaze toward Grayson, catching the same confusion in his brother’s expression.

None of this is real.

Without a word, Jason pushes himself up from the couch, drawing everyone’s attention.

Tim and Damian’s argument hums in the background—Tim snapping at Damian to search properly, Damian snapping back that everything is useless.

Jason doesn’t care.

"Have any of you seen Alfred? Or the others?" His voice is sharp, cutting through the tension. "We're sitting here like idiots, but Thomas, Brown, and Cassandra were with us. Where the hell are they?"

Bruce watches his second son carefully. It's difficult— painful —to look at him. He seems younger, lighter, like a version of himself that never carried so much weight. A version Bruce last saw when he held Jason’s broken body in his arms.

"Have you found anything else?" Bruce finally asks, voice steady, unreadable.

Everyone shakes their heads. They're still searching, still trying to figure out where the hell they are and what kind of reality they’ve landed in.

"I’ll look for Alfred," Jason announces. He knows the protocol, but right now, he just needs to see a familiar face—something to ground him after staring at the images on his phone, images that feel like a life he never lived. "Come with me, Grayson."

Dick glances at him, hesitant. He doesn’t want to leave, not yet. He needs to keep digging, to figure out what the hell is going on. But Jason doesn’t give him the option.

"Come. Now."

WHEN THE MASKS FELL AO3.

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