#watch the first like 6 episodes and tell me i am wrong. i see obey me in everything i consume

[noecoded]

SOUL EATER x OBEY ME

[dindjarindiaries]

10 Underrated Quotes from Season 2 of The Mandalorian

As previously seen with season one, I’m here with another list of underrated quotes from The Mandalorian—this time, from season two. I’m going to highlight some of my favorite quotes from the season or quotes that stick out to me and why I think they’re noteworthy.

I don’t own any rights to content from The Mandalorian and, if you haven’t watched season two yet, potential spoilers are ahead!

1. “Pay attention when a superior addresses you.” (Chapter 15: The Believer)

While this scene certainly isn’t underrated, I believe this line spoken by Valin Hess when he finally catches Din Djarin’s attention by the Imperial terminal deserves some reflection. It’s interesting to think about how responding to Hess’ first call of “Trooper” is something Djarin just... wouldn’t think to do, or is something he thought he could get away with. It seems that Mandalorians, while they value their leadership, don’t focus on hierarchical structures in their society, so Djarin isn’t used to having to obey orders like that. It’s even worse that he has to deal with this unfamiliar situation without his helmet for the first time since he was a child. It really draws our attention to how little Djarin knows about the Empire and other organizations outside of his covert.

2. “This is the Way.” (Chapter 11: The Heiress)

I think many of us can agree that the first time this statement is uttered in this episode, we’re less than pleased about it, thanks to Bo-Katan’s ridiculing tone. When it happens later on, however, there’s so much meaning packed behind the words. First, from Bo-Katan, who has witnessed Mando’s bravery firsthand and has likely realized how wrong she was making assumptions about him based off his covert and his traditions. In return, Mando’s response of the phrase is strained. Why? Well, it’s up to interpretation—but to me, I think it’s because Mando’s in awe of the idea of these Mandalorians who have already proven their abilities to him actually coming to respect him and the Way he’s known ever since he was a child. It was a great moment of reconciliation.

3. “Is he speaking? Do you... understand him?” (Chapter 13: The Jedi)

Something I love about this line in particular is the way it’s delivered. There’s such desperation concealed behind Mando’s modulator that tells us so much about what he’s been thinking while pacing the forest floor nervously. This desperation also tells us how eager he’s been to communicate with his child. Mando and Grogu have been together for a long time, now, and we know they’ve had plenty of one-sided conversations. I’m sure Mando has longed to know what Grogu’s been thinking in return, and now that he might have an opportunity to, we can really hear that sheer curiosity and desperation in his voice with this line he offers to Ahsoka.

4. “Jet back, you’re faster that way.” (Chapter 12: The Siege)

I’m sure we all have our mixed opinions about the season one Nevarro crew, but this moment in particular really strikes the depth of their friendship and companionship. Once they’ve all heard about Moff Gideon’s return and his request to get the child once again, there’s no doubt in anyone’s minds that Mando wouldn’t be going back for him immediately. Even though the job isn’t completely done and Greef, Cara, and Mythrol all still need a way out, they don’t even try to ask for Mando’s help. Instead, Cara insists that he gets back as fast as he can, even if that means the three of them don’t make it out themselves. I really love how that shared understanding and dedication to the child in all situations shows their deep friendship amongst the trio (and Mythrol).

5. “I’ve spent much time on Tatooine. I never saw a Mandalorian there.” (Chapter 9: The Marshal)

Mando’s response to Gor Karesh insisting that he knows of a Mandalorian on Tatooine could potentially be telling us more than we’re aware of. As far as we know, Mando’s only been to Tatooine once—and it was only for two days, tops. But here, he’s saying he’s “spent much time” there, which means it’s possible that Mando lived on Tatooine for a time while the Bounty Hunter’s Guild still operated out of there. If you think about it more, Mando knew exactly where to go for some work in Chapter 5, another hint that there’s more to Mando’s time on Tatooine than we’re aware of. The same thing could be said about his knowledge of Tusken and his friendship with the Sand People. Any time we get a potential hint of Mando’s backstory, I’m excited about it!

6. “Am I under arrest?” (Chapter 10: The Passenger)

This line comes quickly in the midst of Mando’s conversation with the New Republic pilots in Chapter 10, but I really love it. These few words say a lot about Mando’s character and how he responds to praise. He’s just been told all about his heroics in Chapter 6, when he risked his own life for Lieutenant Davan and reprimanded Mayfeld, Xi’an, and Burg—and when asked whether it was true, Mando offers no confirmation. He doesn’t even own up to his good acts. Instead, he simply acts this question, remaining the practical man we know him to be. This truly shows us the humble nature of Mando and how he tries his best to focus on the present rather than dwelling on things he’s done in the past, good or bad.

7. “... talent without training is nothing.” (Chapter 16: The Rescue)

On the surface, this seems like a very practical statement that many Jedi make throughout the series (see Ahsoka talking to Mando in Chapter 13 and Obi-Wan talking to Luke in Episode IV: A New Hope). When you think about it more, especially in context, you might be able to see Luke hinting at something much deeper. Luke heard Grogu’s cry for help from the Seeing Stone where it’s very possible Grogu was talking about his desire to protect his father by strengthening his abilities. Luke knows all too well what happens when you abandon training in an attempt to protect those you love—as for him, it didn’t go well. Yoda tried to warn him but he didn’t listen. Now that he’s learned his lesson, Luke can offer this wisdom to a Grogu who wants to keep his father safe. He knows that training first will then allow Grogu to protect himself and his father to his heart’s content, just as Luke was better able to protect his friends in Episode VI after he finished his training.

8. “Okay, I’m gonna protect you.” (Chapter 14: The Tragedy)

The scene in which this line is delivered is what truly establishes this episode as a tragedy. Mando’s tried three times to break through Grogu’s Force-field—not because he wasn’t thinking, but because he was so desperate—and now he has to come to terms with the fact that he’ll only hurt himself more if he keeps trying it again and again. Mando’s voice is pretty shaky if you listen to it closely enough in these lines, reluctant to leave his child atop the mountain alone but eager to protect him somehow. We know Mando doesn’t like to feel helpless, but we can sense he feels that way in this moment. He doesn’t even know if Grogu can hear him, yet he keeps speaking to him with such fierce protectiveness and reassurance. This is a promise he doesn’t fall through with, even if Grogu does fall into the Imperials’ hands for a time.

9. “Give it to me.” (Chapter 15: The Believer)

This is the moment where we all really knew what was about to go down. What I love about this quote is that Mando says it with no remorse. He says it firmly, insisting upon doing whatever it takes to get those coordinates and get to Grogu. He’s already made up his mind. Despite the fact he gave his word earlier about not showing his face, Mando’s going to do what he has to for his son. The firm way this line is delivered proves that, especially when he shifts from taking a backseat to Mayfeld to taking charge again as he pulls the data stick right from Mayfeld’s grip. I just really love Mando’s determination in this scene, despite the circumstances.

10. “I’ll see you again. I promise.” (Chapter 16: The Rescue)

Do I particularly think this line is underrated? No, not the direct meaning of it. But when you watch Star Wars Rebels and think more about the genius of Dave Filoni, there’s a whole new layer of meaning attached to these words. For those who may not have watched the show yet (you definitely should!), Kanan and Hera are two people who care very much for each other (wink wink) who once had to exchange a goodbye very similar to Mando and Grogu. Kanan was about to go on a very dangerous mission without Hera, unsure of what would happen to him, when he delivered these words: “We’ll see each other again. I promise.” This is almost exactly what Mando says to Grogu in the face of their temporary separation. The good news is Kanan and Hera did get to see each other again—but Kanan was changed forever. Will this happen with Mando or Grogu? It’s possible. But it’s just another one of those moments that makes me yell “FILONI!” in Darth Maul style.

[innovativestruggles]

Daisuke & Suzue’s Relationship - A Consolidation Post

Hey gang, so given that we have 2 episodes left and absolutely zero idea as to what Daizue’s relationship is, I have decided to put together a spectrum of information. A lot of the stuff I am posting here have already been speculated to some degree, but it is nice to have it all in one big post where you can see what’s been gathered so far.

When I write about speculations, I always base everything on canonical evidence. Of course, there will be elements of personal bias and opinions intermeshed within, but I will try and separate facts from opinions as much as possible so that you can also draw your own conclusions.

For the purpose of this post, I will exclude all novel content, considering the anime is vastly different from the novel. I will start with the OP and work my way towards Episode 9. Originally I was going to wait until Episode 10 to complete this post, but I decided that it probably wouldn’t matter, considering Daizue’s relationship may not be revealed until Episode 11 and they most likely would be focusing on the battle with Shigemaru in Episode 10 rather than delve any deeper into Daizue’s relationship.

WARNING: This is a long post

The Opening

I want to look at this from the perspective of a complete newbie, who has zero knowledge of the novel or what the fandom is speculating. When looking solely at the OP, this is how it is seen;

1. Suzue is a beautiful character who is heavily sexualised

2. The show centres around a handsome rich boy with unlimited money

3. Selling the idea of sassy detective work

Suzue plays the perfect Bond girl trope. From the way she is shown in the OP in lingerie, to being tied to Daisuke’s car, to being bridal carried at the very end. As a newbie watching this OP, all I see is, hot rich guy and his hot, sexy, gorgeous sidekick woman whom he develops a sexual relationship with. 

If we all take a step back and just see the bigger picture, anyone, including non-anime watchers, who look at this OP would immediately associate Daisuke and Suzue as some sort of couple/love interests or two characters with immense sexual tension. There is no doubt about that.

So what am I trying to say here? Well, it is clear as day that the FKBU creators were deliberate in the way they showcased Daizue’s relationship. The OP is a foreshadow of what is to come or it implies the way the entire show is set out. 

But y’know...to me, the biggest foreshadow was that bridal carry!

Oops...wrong one...I meant this one below 😏

Episode 2

We are skipping Episode 1 as Suzue did not debut until Episode 2.

1. Suzue’s introduction She introduced herself as Suzue Kambe. That was it. Normally, whether it be in an anime or manga, a person would introduce themselves and their relationship (whether directly or indirectly), to another character. This was deliberately left out to keep viewers guessing.

2. Daisuke’s non-existent response Daisuke did not elaborate on his relationship with Suzue. Remember when Haru said something along the lines of “a woman with black hair entered this building,” to which Daisuke replied “woman with black hair you say?” There was no further explanation of who Suzue was to him or how they knew each other, or what sort of relationship they have.

3. Haru’s question was diverted When Haru asked Suzue, “who the hell are you?” Suzue’s response was “I’ve been following Daisuke’s orders...” Again, no further elaboration/explanation. The question was also diverted and she did not properly answer his question.

4. Haru’s assumption Haru made the assumption, as we found out in Episode 4, that Suzue and Daisuke are married. But this was not explored at the time in Episode 2. Again, another deliberate attempt to conceal information, considering we did not even get to see Haru’s assumption of Daizue’s relationship at the time.

5. Suzue’s use of Daisuke’s name No use of nii-san or nee-chan to indicate a sibling relationship and no honourifics were used. The interesting thing here was, Suzue was shown to drop the honourifics from Daisuke’s name in only this episode. Whether it was a mistake or a deliberate attempt to drip feed viewers information at the time, we don’t know. But let’s just say it was a deliberate attempt on the creators part - it needs to make sense. What I’m trying to say here is that Suzue should be in a relationship close enough to Daisuke to be able to drop the honorific but also be in a professional/lower position to continue addressing him with ‘sama.’ So in essence, Daisuke and Suzue’s relationship is most likely more complex than meets the eye.

6. Suzue’s professionalism Daisuke and Suzue’s relationship is too formal and professional to be considered to be some kind of sibling/family/close relative situation. Suzue works for Daisuke. That is the end point. She follows his every instructions and obeys all his orders. Even if she were a Kambe, she has to be a very, very, very distant relative to even submit to that level of obedience. If she were a closer relative but of a lower ranking than Daisuke’s family, there is absolutely no way she would be put in such a subservient position (more on this later).

Based on the 6 above points, personally, what I see is a deliberate attempt to create drama amongst fans lmao! But jokes aside, you cannot take it on face value that they are just relatives (or siblings at the time when it was first released) because as you can see, there are so many clues in this episode alone that does not make any sense.

Episode 3

Suzue only made a brief appearance here but I’d like to add a couple things.

1. Grandma’s focus on Daisuke Grandma barely acknowledged Suzue, and given that Suzue herself is a Kambe, I find this incredibly odd. Grandma was very focused on Daisuke, from his work relationship to his behaviour, and Suzue was...ignored.

2. Grandma explicitly stated to Haru about Daisuke that she is “his grandma” This piece of information was only available in the English subtitles. Remember that in Japanese language, there is no ‘his’ or ‘her.’ It is gender neutral. But I take it that the subtitles are official subtitles which gave us a bit more of a clue into Daizue’s relationship. We know at this stage here that Grandma is only Daisuke’s grandma and not Suzue’s.

With the above 2 points, if Suzue were a sibling or a closer relative, there would be more focus on her too. And I know the show is about Daisuke and Haru, so why would Suzue get any attention? But precisely this is the reason! Because the show centres a lot around the Kambe family conflict and you would think Suzue would be more involved in this conflict if she were closely related. But she is not involved. To me, this just screams outsider. Poor Suzue.

Episode 4

Alright, here we go on this roller coaster episode. 

1. Suzue addressed Daisuke as ‘Daisuke-sama.’ Kudos to know this because no bloody sibling would say this shit to their elder sibling. So that theory has been written off long ago now. 

Anyways I’d like to point out that there are times where lower members of a family, known as ‘branch’ families, would address the head family with polite honourifics. It’s quite rare nowadays in modern Japan, but in saying that, richer more exclusive families may still tend to do this and some still fight over the title of head of family. So in essence, anyone who succeeds as head of family (together with their immediate family) will obviously be addressed with polite honourifics. 

Just to let you know, branch families can either be closer relatives or very, very distant relatives (so distant that it is negligible they are related to the head family). We don’t know how big the Kambe family is and what the dynamics are like when it comes to the next successor. The bigger the family, the more likely members will want to fight over the title for head of family - usually once when the current head of family and their immediate family are all dead. What I’m trying to point out here is that Suzue may well still be a relative (I’m not gonna deny that during this first point I’m making), considering the above explanation I just made.

2. Daisuke did not elaborate on the type of relative Suzue was to him Another obvious one here. The creators love playing games with the viewers. The fact that Daisuke did not elaborate on his relationship with Suzue was a huge red flag. In the sense that we do not know whether Suzue is a close relative, a distant relative, married into the Kambe family or adopted. The creators are still keeping the viewers guessing!

3. Daisuke’s body language and expression This may be more opinionated base, but you can make judgements for yourself by rewatching the scene again. When Daisuke tells Haru that Suzue is a relative, there was almost a stilted, discomforting demeanour, as if he did not want to discuss the topic. This was heavily exacerbated and reinforced by his tone of voice, which may indicate he could be hiding something?

4. Haru’s assumption that Daisuke and Suzue are married Considering the fandom thinks Daizue look so similar, Haru clearly didn’t. So on his end, they looked more like husband and wife than siblings or relatives..

5. Suzue’s infatuation with Daisuke It was too obsessive. Lovey dovey and just ... plain questionable. I mean, Suzue could still be a relative and do this but the way it was set up was very jarring. As in, Suzue displays a sense of professionalism and obedience towards Daisuke that screams master and servant - not infatuation. 

Normally in anime shows where a character is infatuated over another, there isn’t that simultaneous level of professionalism displayed between the characters. So whether the character is a relative or not, it would be believable. But in Suzue’s case, professionalism + infatuation + relative does not make any sense to me. Also, Do NOT confuse loyalty with professionalism! They are two separate things. Suzue displays both! Characters you see in other anime may display loyalty and infatuation. The biggest incongruence to me with regards to Suzue is the infatuation and professionalism!

From something like this...

To something like this...

6. Suzue attended to Daisuke’s everyday needs Honestly if this wasn’t the most jarring thing, I seriously don’t know what was. I swear, not even the lowest member of a branch family would attend to a head family’s every day needs like a servant/maid. It makes no sense. Considering Daisuke is rich enough to have multiple maids that could attend to his every day needs, and that his butler Hattori could probably do what Suzue does, I do not understand the need for Suzue to do all these personal things for Daisuke.

7. The anime creators deliberately did this episode in a way that would confuse fans even more When you add: Daisuke saying “Suzue is a relative” + Suzue’s weird infatuation + addressing Daisuke with ‘sama’ = you are going to get the biggest explosion of confusion. 

It almost felt like the creators wanted to balance things out for the viewers. That is, “I want Daisuke to say Suzue is a relative, but I also don’t want the viewers to think she is a relative either.” There you go, they nailed it with this episode.

8. Daisuke cooked for Suzue At first I didn’t think much of this scene other than Daisuke’s weird way of making up to Suzue for being petulant LOL. But then I thought about how Grandma and butler were just standing there, uninvited to eat food made by Daisuke...it just goes to show that Daizue’s relationship runs a lot deeper than meets the eye. More important than Grandma that is for sure.

Episodes 5 and 6

Suzue did not make much of an appearance in these two episodes, but what I continued to see was the undying loyalty and continued professional relationship between Daisuke and Suzue. Despite Suzue’s injury in Episode 5, she continued to assist Daisuke (or tried to) in a manner that screams ‘I am forever your servant. Ask and ye shall receive’ kinda vibe LOL 

When she knows Daisuke is safe, Suzue keeps her cool, calm demeanour and powers on with the professionalism, but that weird infatuation kicks in otherwise... what an odd relationship they have...

Episode 7

1. The lack of Suzue in the family photos No Suzue could be seen in the family album. And yes, some people pointed out the baby in the ‘pink’ onesie was Suzue. Could be. But highly doubt it. Someone mentioned that the onesie used to be red but faded over time to a pinkish colour because it has been more than 27 years. That’s also a plausible explanation. Tbh, that entire photo album just screamed Daisuke.

2. All other photos pointed to the fact that Daisuke was raised as an only child No Suzue present or any indication that she was there at the time those photos were taken

Episode 8

Oh boy, the fun episode LOL

1. You can try and see it both ways here.

a. Suzue was just trying to warn Daisuke about HEUSC. That was all. Nothing else.

b. Definitely fanservice. Suzue could have done this in so many other ways. It was obviously a deliberate part on the creators’ side to bring forth a sexually suggestive scene that really further questions Daizue’s relationship. And the way they zoomed in on certain features (yeah we love their lips almost touching and Suzue’s ass in the air whilst her legs were pressed in between Daisuke’s) perhaps suggested something more explicit between the two (or implied to be in the future), but then again, the zooming in of their lips could just emphasise HEUSC’s ability to lip read rather than anything sensual. But ya know, I reckon it probably was both. 

Again, this whole scene puts more question marks on their relationship as to ‘What kind of relatives are they?’ or ‘Are they really relatives?’ or ‘What is their true relationship?’

**

Zooming in on Suzue moving her ass and legs in between Daisuke was completely unnecessary unless they are implying something sexual. Yeah goodbye.

This was obviously more necessary to describe HEUSC’s ability to lip read...but the way it was zoomed in and emphasised between them...

2. The creators made Haru see Daizue walk out the room A hugely obvious attempt at forwarding Daizue’s relationship. I mean, putting Haru in that position completely threw the spanner in the works. He was obviously informed by Daisuke that Suzue “is just a relative,” yet he saw them walk out from Daisuke’s bedroom looking all...well...looking like they just had the most amazing time in there. 

Even though it was obvious to us viewers what Haru was thinking, we were never shown Haru questioning the situation in relation to ‘Wait a minute, didn’t Daisuke say she was a relative? What the f did I just see then?’ We don’t get that point of view from Haru so we don’t know what he was speculating in relation to their relationship. I mean, Haru could just be as confused as we were! The only advantage Haru got over us viewers was that he could have just asked them for more clarity around their relationship. Clearly he was just being too polite lmao

3. Daizue did not attempt to clarify the situation I mean, unless they were both stupid and seriously thought Haru wouldn’t think they got up to no good, despite it being so clear as day that Haru thought otherwise, they did not say anything. Again, another deliberate part on the creators’ side to create further confusion. They really like making Daizue keep their mouths shut when it comes to anything to do with their relationship backstory...

**

The creators went one step further and made Daisuke adjust his shirt. LOLOL

And even further by making Suzue’s hair all messy and dishevelled...

4. Suzue mentioned ‘your father and mother’ to Daisuke when discussing HEUSC Big red flag here that would completely forever bury the sibling theory. It sounds to me that Daisuke and his family are very separate from Suzue.

Episode 9

We are in the present now!

1. Daisuke tells Grandma that only the Kambe family, that is, he himself and Grandma, could infiltrate the system This may imply that Suzue is not a true Kambe or she may have been adopted into the family. It would also help discredit the theory that she may be a lower ranking member of the Kambe family/a branch family of the Kambe. It may also imply that Daisuke may have been hiding something from Haru about Suzue when he said ‘Suzue is a relative’ or he was outright lying.

Other materials

Their appearances

On surface level, they do have some similarities but if you look a bit closer, their eye colour is different (Daisuke’s is a deep blue and Suzue’s is more violet), hair colour is different (Daisuke’s is more black and Suzue’s is more charcoal) and eye and eyebrow shape are different. Tbvh, if they made Suzue’s eye and hair colour completely different, you would see the contrast more. It’s just that the creators deliberately designed the two this way to evoke more confusion.

Concluding opinion: It is obvious to me that the creators are drip feeding us information about Suzue. Here with this post, even when analysing it on a spectrum, I gathered two things from it over time.

a) Suzue is not a blood relative

b) The relationship between Daisuke and Suzue is a lot more complex

Just remember that Daisuke trusts Suzue with his life. So the level of mutual understanding and trust between the two is incredibly profound.

Again, these are all very speculative and a lot of the fandom have garnered their own information over the course of the episodes. This is what I (and a lot of DaiSuzu fans) have dissected so far. 

Although the entire show is centred around Daisuke and Haru and their detective work with regards to the Kambe family, I feel like Daizue’s relationship is like that mini side story. Whether they will delve into it or not in the next two episodes is anyone’s guess really. As I said earlier, if anything, the reveal would most likely occur at the very end of Episode 11.

Anyways, share your thoughts and feel free to refute! But PLEASE, be respectful.

P. S. I will keep adding to this if I think of more stuff. It’ll be part of a new “edit section.” I’ll just reblog it so people can see it easier!

[shiny-procrastinates]

(re)Watching Magia Record S1 - part 7

part 6 here

Hello everyone and welcome back to this quasi-watchalong of Magia Record season 1! Last time, Iroha met a magical girl mercenary called Felicia, and the two ended up caught in the Rumor of the Lucky Owl Water. When our girls went to erase it, a cult group of weirdos called The Wings of the Magius stood in their way and got Felicia to join them promising the extinction of all witches.

Who are these weirdos? What are they up to protecting the Rumors? Is what they promised Felicia true? Et cetera, et cetera. Let's just go to the episode to find out already.

Puella Magi Madoka Magica Side Story: Magia Record S1 episode 7

O-oh... what a way to start an episode, huh.

We get a look into what led to Felicia becoming a magical girl and, like most magical girl backstories, it's tragic. This is the reason why Felicia's obsessed with destroying all witches.

Continuing from the previous episode, Felicia was taken to a subterranean waterway, that might be their hideout. Wait, didn't Kaede say something about a rumor of a giant underground empire some time back? She might've been right after all hahaha

After walking a while, Felicia is met by Tsukasa and Tsukuyo Amane, two of the, uh, generals I guess I could say, of The Wings of the Magius.

The weirdo twins explain that their organization's objective is fulfilling the wishes of the Magius, whose objective is the salvation of all magical girls. See, so they are the ones behind the salvation propaganda.

The twins say their objective cannot be completed without the eradication of witches, which... well, is not a lie. Without the witchfication, there would be no witches. It's all fine until there, but then they're also protecting Rumors, who kidnap people, so... yeah.

...uh, hey, Kyoko? What are you doing here?

Back to Iroha's group, Iroha is worried about just letting Felicia go like that, to which Yachiyo answers it's fine because she planted a GPS on her... sasuga, Yachiyo. Why in the heck did you have that?

"Am I being tracked too...?”

Yachiyo says this much is normal (no it's not), since she didn't trust Felicia to begin with, but Iroha just feels bad knowing Felicia's circumstances.

The trio heads towards Felicia's position and find the entrance to the waterway. Waiting for them there was...

Chibi Kyuubei. For as adorable as he is, he manages to look even more suspicious than the original. And he only shows up when there's a rumor around, too! I don't trust him.

Back at the underground waterway, Kyoko and Felicia are having a little chat. According to her, Kyoko only just ran into them too. She says that as long as she has Grief Seeds, food and a place to sleep, the rest doesn't matter, but she also seems to be aware that the WoM are fishy. Felicia agrees uneasily, but hearing that they might be behind the witches gathering in Kamihama seems to already have put doubts in her mind.

The two have a meeting with the Amane twins inside the Rumor's barrier.

The twins explain the logic behind the Lucky Owl Water once again, and Kyoko says this

There it is! This series' core. Funny hearing that from Kyoko, since I think she doesn't even know how right she is yet.

Kyoko rejects the Water and lays out her terms: as long as she can keep gathering Grief Seeds, she's fine with anything. However, the twins affirm that those are not necessary in Kamihama. Normally, I'd say these two are bonkers, but... well, we saw what happened to Iroha and Kaede. These two must know about that too. At this moment, a black feather comes in and interrupts their little show.

Iroha's group was making their way through the waterway when the Amane twins block their way and, together with them, Kyoko and Felicia.

The Amane twins tell Iroha to do what they say if she doesn't want to be swallowed by bad luck and Iroha asks them why would they create that Rumor, to which the twins once more say it's for the sake of the Magius and their salvation. See, cult.

Yachiyo cuts to the chase and confirms they're here to battle, and the twins pull out something strange on them.

So, yeah. There's pocket monsters, and now we have pocket witches too, apparently.

The twins called a witch upon our girls, which, according to them, they are controlling with magic. As the girls begin fighting against their familiars, Yachiyo asks the twins if they have any idea of what exactly they're doing. Tsukasa apologizes, but affirms that witches will be gone if they can realize their plans. The twins (literally) pull the rug on Yachiyo and Tsuruno and chase after them, leaving the (weak) Iroha to Kyoko and Felicia.

Iroha gets whacked by the familiars and Felicia comes in to help. Iroha then once again dashes in her direction and they do a connect. Upon further thought, I think Iroha's assist is a booster in a more literal sense, since it turned Felicia's hammer into a rocket-hammer. My theory is that it's the same propulsion magic that makes her crossbow work.

Felicia's hammer causes a quake and one of the twins asks what's going on. Well, what did you think would happen if you released a witch in front of someone who notoriously goes berserk when they see witches? The twins might not be very smart.

Damn, I missed a number.

Kyoko bounces too. She wasn't very convinced with the twins' vague talk of "salvation".

After transforming, Kyoko does her good act of the day, busting a hole in the barrier and telling Iroha to go on ahead. Iroha hesitates to leave her friends behind but obeys when Yachiyo tells her to go.

With Kyoko guarding her back Iroha manages to make it out of the witch's p*kéball and into the Rumor's barrier. Like it's said, out of the frying pan into the fire. Oh and there's 7-6. I'm really missing numbers left and right today.

No Iroha, don't go chase the Kyuubei towards the light...! Just kidding. Iroha gets out of the tunnel and finds the Rumor's main body. She confirms with her tutorial mascot if she only has to break that, readies her crossbow and... gets swarmed by owls. C'mon Iroha, did you really think it'd be that easy?

While Iroha's busy sucking at battles, Felicia's not having a better time with her reckless style either. Kyoko saves her ass and tells her she's not winning like that.

This whole sequence is just great in terms of animation, shame I can't really screenshot that T-T

As someone on a similar spot, Kyoko gives Felicia some advice, telling her she's a magical girl for her own sake; that's how it should be when she's betting her own life.

The two cooperate on destroying the witches, with Felicia bonking the whole barrier to smithereens. Nice job, rocket-hammer!

The girls go back to the waterway and the twins' Soul Gem is quite drained. Tsuruno tells them to stop already, but these two weirdos say that's just what they wanted.

Saying that they'll be able to show that Kamihama is a place of salvation, the two do the same thing Iroha and Kaede had done.

Uhhh... if the salvation that the Magius is preaching is spewing out a witch from your body, that's already super fishy. There's no way there's no downside to this. This is Madoka we are talking about... right...?

While Yachiyo's group learns a shocking and disturbing truth, Iroha's busy getting her ass kicked. Poor Iroha

and oh god, I don't think anyone would ever catch this number if they weren't pausing as much as I am to write this.

Iroha keeps getting wrecked by the owls, miraculously escaping unscathed thanks to the Lucky Owl Water. As the numbers keep counting down, Iroha starts questioning what happened to her back in the Seance Shrine. Uh, Iroha, is this really the best time to be introspecting?

No matter how many times I see it, this scene still creeps me out.

While Iroha gets another round of spawning a witch, Yachiyo's group fight the twins', to no avail. Back to Iroha...

Oh no the witch talks now? Eek... oh, wait wait is this still Iroha's voice?

Not that the first thing it said is wrong, but Yachiyo's words really remained in a negative manner, huh? First in the Seance Shrine and now this. Iroha, don't go getting yourself killed trying to become stronger, ok?

A-at least it's a bit cuter now... if you can call a witch that... rather, why did it change?

Iroha's thing makes short work of the Rumor and the Chibi Kyuubei peaces out. As if it wasn't suspicous enough, it turns into freaking water. Goddammit Chibi Kyuubei.

Iroha just lies there tired.

Uhh... yeah, sure, if you count an eldritch abomination coming out of you as part of yourself, then yeah you did.

Like last time, Iroha's Soul Gem is pristine clean now.

Back to the twins, thanks to the floating water falling they realize that the Rumor's been defeated , then start panicking.

"Someone", whose voice we're already familiar with, comes in to check on the situation and the twins apologize for their failure.

Whelp, this is awkward. Hello there, Mifuyu. So you joined a cult.

Tsuruno gets really emotional. She runs up and hugs Mifuyu. who stops the Black Feathers from attacking her. Tsuruno's really glad that she's back and says they'll have to make a "Welcome Back Party" at her family's restaurant, but Mifuyu says she's not going back, because she's part of the cult The Wings of the Magius now. (couldn't they choose a shorter name for their group? Geez)

Mifuyu shifts her attention to Yachiyo and says she's happy that they went even to Seance Shrine to search for her; Yachiyo says it's thanks to the Kamihama Rumor Files (the notebook Yachiyo carries around) that she left behind.

Yachiyo asks but Mifuyu implies she's the one that was left behind.

Mifuyu invites Yachiyo to join the cult but Yachiyo, obviously, can't agree with their methods. She questions if Mifuyu hadn't resolved herself as a magical girl but Mifuyu, like we saw in the flashback, really wants to be saved. Yachiyo's the only one who's strong like that.

Yachiyo says she'll stop her by force if she has to and they prepare to battle again, but Mifuyu uses her magic and has her group leave.

Iroha's group leave the underground waterway (seems Kyoko has gone her way already too). Felicia tries to leave too and says she has nowhere to go back to when Iroha stops her and asks, so Iroha tells her to come over to her place.

Felicia says she doesn't have to do that for her, but Iroha says she's doing this for herself, that she needs Felicia's strenght. Felicia argues that Iroha will get in trouble again if she's around and all the girls chip in saying they'll help her learn to hold herself back. (I'm not sure what this far framing is doing but I do like how it lets us see the body expression of all the girls at once.)

Huh, weird, why is the screen so blurry? I can't type like this...

Iroha apologizes for what they said and insists on having Felicia over, even if just for the day. Yachiyo comes in and tells them to stay over at her place instead.

*sobs* so beautiful ;-; I wish I knew the name of the ost track here it's really pretty too.

It really is Kyoko, it really is.

At Yachiyo's place, Iroha's on the phone with her parents while the others wait for her to eat. It seems like her parents finally decided on where she's going to be moving to, and whatever they said was a surprise.

There goes the last number! The Rumor's gone so this has to be purely for the sake of finishing the countdown, but I have long given up on trying to find the ones I'm missing in this episode.

And there's the title card. Don't leave the episode yet, though, as there's still an after credits scene.

To absolutely no one's surprise besides Iroha's, the place her parents decided on is Mikadzuki Villa, Yachiyo's place. Now, I did say that last number must be purely illustrative, but I'm inclined to agree with Iroha here on it being thanks to the Lucky Owl Water since there is no other way I can rationalize Iroha's parents, from overseas, managing to find the phone number of Mikadzuki Villa, that's not even doing boarding anymore, calling while Yachiyo's around to respond, making an agreement to let Iroha live there, and Yachiyo not even telling Iroha her parents called. So yeah, I say it was the Lucky Owl Water.

Felicia comes with Tsuruno and reveals she's also been living in Yachiyo's place. She's happy she'll be freed from living alone with Yachiyo and her "nagging" and Yachiyo tells her to clean up; Iroha says she's glad to see them getting along.

“When did I turn into a mom?“

That's a new type of bishie sparkles alright. Can all models do this? Is it like some special ability like Gabs' censor light rays? We'll never know.

After the various types of ad, now we have spam too. Magia Record is actually warning us about the dangers of the internet.

...In all seriousness though, that's some mysterious text. How do they, whoever "they" are, know that Iroha's a magical girl? And most of all, how do they have her number? Guess this is going to be the mystery for the next episode. (Also, I never noticed this before but you can hear a veeeery quiet chime when the messages come in. Nice detail!).

- x -

Aaaand with that, we have concluded episode 7! This one also ran on longer than I expected and, surprisingly, managed to surpass the number of screenshots of all others at about 43 images. sugoi

I couldn't catch all the numbers this time, but the ones I did were: 13-12 with Iroha on the bridge; 10-9 when Kyoko "betrays" the WoM; 7-6 when Iroha finds the Rumor; 6 through 1 happen while Iroha's fighting the Rumor and the last 1-0 was in Yachiyo's magazine. With that, I'm missing 12-11; 11-10; 9-8 and 8-7, which I have no idea where they are. Oh well.

I realized partway through that it kinda seems like I'm dissing Iroha every chance I get, but I assure you I don't hate her. In fact, she's my favorite character! This is coming purely from a place of affection, and a bit of frustration at what the anime did to her character, so don't mind me, it's aaall good.

With that out of the way, this was episode 7! We are now over halfway through, with a buckload of mysteries and barely any progress being made towards finding Iroha's younger sister. Poor Ui, if you even existed. Tomorrow, we'll be watching episode 8, so I hope you'll read me again then. Have a great morning/afternoon/evening and see you later!

[ranma-rewatch]

Episode 13: A Tear in a Girl-Delinquent's Eye? The End of the Martial Arts Rhythmic Gymnastics Challenge!

Welcome back! It’s once again that time for me to watch some more Ranma 1/2, in doing so looking at it with fresh eyes and a different perspective from when I was younger. We’re already up to episode 13, and with it the end of Kodachi Kuno’s introductory arc. I’m guessing this is going to be almost a full episode of fighting, but how good that fighting will be, I don’t recall. But by next paragraph, I’ll have rewatched the episode, and I can talk about it just a bit better. See you then!

That certainly was almost a single fight for the entire episode. Now, unlike the full episode fight against Ryoga, my summary is going to be a lot shorter. There’s a lot fewer moving parts here, and I feel like going blow by bow would be boring.

In general, the idea of the fight is that the combatants lose if they go outside the ring, and they get a foul (though the exact penalty isn’t made clear) if they hit each other directly without using tools or weapons. Besides that, there are no rules. Kodachi and Ranma both have new items thrown to them when they need it, but Kodachi is obviously the one who stretches the rules the most. Most of the fight is her pulling new insane things out of nowhere that Ranma has to work around.

When it comes to actual plot stuff, the first big thing is when Kodachi mouths off again about how much she loves Ranma and can’t wait to date him and stuff. Ranma gets annoyed, and Kodachi interprets this as Ranma loving, well, Ranma too. Kuno jumps into the ring at that (By which I mean Tatewaki Kuno. I know they both have that last name, but when I say ‘Kuno’, assume I just mean him), and demands to know if this is true. Instead of denying it or playing into the idea, Ranma takes a third option and says something that’s technically true, that he and Ranma are one in body and mind, because of destiny.

Of course, the two rich folks immediately interpret that in some serious ways, though exactly what they think that means isn’t spelled out. Do they think Ranma and Ranma bang or something? Anyway, a little after that, Genma shows up looking like a panda in the stands, carrying a kettle of hot water. Whether that’s for him when he decides he’s done being a panda or for Ranma to use after the fight, I don’t know.

The problem is, by this point, Ranma and Kodachi have entered the stage in the fight where they’re using their ribbons to grab stuff from outside the ring and hurl it as each other. Kodachi takes the kettle, and notices immediately how scared Ranma and P-chan are. Oh, yeah, Ryoga is still chained to Ranma, and he does what he can to try and make Ranma lose every so often.

Kodachi uses a pretty clever trick of slicing the kettle in mid-air to soak Ranma and Ryoga, and they change back in mid-air. Luckily for them, Akane saw that coming, and enters back into the gym carrying a fire hose, with water cold enough to turn them back into their cursed forms. It also means Ranma has to swim for dear life to stop from getting knocked out of the ring, but it works.

A bit later on, the show cuts to a group of teenage girls somewhere dark, and we get a nice little break from the fight as they chat amongst themselves. But when it gets back to the fight, Ranma is able to finally knock Kodachi flying, far outside the ring’s boundaries. But all she has to do is whistle, and the ring gets up and moves across the gym so she still lands inside it. Ranma quickly puts together what’s going on, and destroys the floor of the ring, exposing the girls we saw before, who run away.

Now there’s no place to stand except the four corners and the ropes, but Ranma is fine with that, pointing out that he has an advantage in aerial fights. Too bad that he forgot Ryoga is still attached to him, and his rival goes extra far in trying to shake him off. The chain is broken, but Ranma doesn’t have any tools left to fight with. So instead of getting a foul by just getting Kodachi, he kicks the post she’s standing on, sending her sprawling to the ground for a win.

After the match, she tearfully agrees to abandon her ‘present’ love for Ranma Saotome, and everything seems to have worked out great. At least, that is until later, when Ranma and Ryoga are taking a hot bath together. Ranma complains about Ryoga’s attempts to sabotage the fight, which he defends with a reminder that he wants Akane himself. Then he uses cold water to be P-chan just as Akane calls for him, leading to another case of Ranma running into Akane’s room and getting assumed a pervert as he chases Ryoga.

After that, Ranma gets back to back flowers from each Kuno sibling. He sees Tatewaki uncursed, and Kodachi cursed, so each gives the bouquet to deliver to the Ranma that they love. Leaving Ranma holding a bunch of flowers and having to contend with the fact that he now has two Kuno’s to worry about, long-term. Kodachi defends her continued pursuit of Ranma by saying she abandoned her ‘present’ love and developed a new one.

So, what is there to say about that episode? Well, a lot, actually. It didn’t necessarily blow me away, but I do think it was a stronger fight than the last time a whole episode was centered on a battle, since this one doesn't have nearly as many cutaways to unnecessary plot points. There was a short scene of just listening to the announcer describe the fight while we just saw outside the school, which felt a bit chief, but on the other hand I really liked the little bit we got with the gymnasts under the mat. Those minor characters got more definition than they necessarily needed, and it made the coming cheat more fun than the others.

This is also kind of a big first for the series. Namely, it’s the first time Ranma has fought someone who practices a strange, ultra-specific kind of martial art and did so while following all of that school’s rules. Sure, Tatewaki Kuno fights with a wooden sword, but those were all basically street matches, as was Ranma’s fight with Ryoga. But this is an official match, and Ranma obeys all the rules wherein and still wins.

That is something that will be incredibly common from here on out, in manga-adapted stories and anime-original stories. I’ve yet to see it mentioned in-series, and I can’t recall it doing so later on, but it’s generally accepted as canon by fans that this is for a reason. Ranma and Akane’s school, Anything Goes Martial Arts, isn’t called that for no reason. They are supposed to fight other styles, learn from them, and take what’s useful to use themselves. It’s a great way to add more moves to the protagonists’ repertoire, and get them into fights with silly fighters.

This specific fight was...okay. Actually, I feel like I’m a bit of a grump for saying that, it was good. There were some neat moves, lots of back and forth with stuff, it was enjoyable to see. It wasn’t anywhere near what I think this series can do at its best, but it was a good way to end this mini-arc. I do feel like Kodachi, as a character, doesn’t get the same level of badassery even her brother does from the story, and that feels kind of lame. It seems like, in general, Ranma 1/2 saves all the cool stuff for the guys.

To continue what I was talking about with Kodachi last week, I do think it’s really interesting how different she is in each language. It’s a strange case of part-translation and part-acting, but the english version of the character definitely hits different, and not in a good way. It’s actually making me reevaluate her a little, just because the version in the original Japanese is so much better. It feels a lot less like “she’s crazy!” and more “she’s a highly driven and amoral rich girl!”

This was a good episode. I am once again pleasantly surprised by this arc, and it’s raising my hopes that further stories will be better than I recall. As for where to put it in my rankings exactly, I actually think I’ll put it one step above the last single episode of just fighting, and right below that emotional episode about Akane’s feelings for Dr. Tofu. What can I say? I like the feels. That puts the current ranking at:

Episode 7: Enter Ryoga, the Eternal ‘Lost Boy’

Episode 12: A Woman's Love is War! The Martial Arts Rhythmic Gymnastics Challenge!

Episode 9: True Confessions! A Girl's Hair is Her Life!

Episode 2: School is No Place for Horsing Around

Episode 6: Akane's Lost Love... These Things Happen, You Know

Episode 13: A Tear in a Girl-Delinquent's Eye? The End of the Martial Arts Rhythmic Gymnastics Challenge!

Episode 8: School is a Battlefield! Ranma vs. Ryoga

Episode 11: Ranma Meets Love Head-On! Enter the Delinquent Juvenile Gymnast!

Episode 4: Ranma and...Ranma? If It’s Not One Thing, It’s Another

Episode 5: Love Me to the Bone! The Compound Fracture of Akane's Heart

Episode 1: Here’s Ranma

Episode 3: A Sudden Storm of Love

Episode 10: P-P-P-Chan! He's Good For Nothin'

Now, if you’re watching this series on Hulu like I am, you might think the next episode is the first part of the Martial Arts Figure Skating arc. And while, wow, I sure wish it was, that is actually wrong. I don’t know why, but some of the arcs are in the wrong order on Hulu, but I’m watching the series in the actual order. Which means, instead of watching one of my favorite arcs in the series, the next episode is actually “Pelvic Fortune-Telling? Ranma is the No. One Bride in Japan”. My hopes...are not high. See you all...then...I suppose...

[purpleblackmask]

GO theory: Crowley suffers from depression

Making clear that I'm not a psychologist and that all of this is just a theory of mine and/or a character's study from a wanna-be-actress' pov, I'd like to expose this thought that followed me since it first came to my mind.

Let's begin from the start.

Crowley is a demon. But actually he wasn't born this way. Like every other demon, he was something else. Something considered better, pure, flawless.

He was an angel.

Most of all, he was one of God's children. If we consider the Raphael!Theory, which I support, he was one of God's most beloved children. An archangel.

Now let's consider what angels are supposed to be. Soldiers. Or, in a tenderest way, the perfect sons who obey their father's will. No matter what.

Even when He (or She, in this case) creates mankind.

"And when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says, 'And let all the angels of God worship Him,'" (Hebrews 1:6).

But then Lucifer rebelled and we all know how the story goes on.

Crowley? He fell too.

In the show he actually refers to his fall four times.

But not in a way a demon would do.

If we take John Milton's Paradise Lost, what made Lucifer leave Paradise forever was his pride. Now he is content with his horrors, for he is a king, a ruler. He can do what he wants. He achieves freedom. And all the other demons are free to persevere in their evilness. This gives them a sort of satisfaction.

But when Crowley refers to his fall, he is not satisfied at all.

On the contrary, you can perceive a deep sense of regret.

"I never meant to fall. I just hung around the wrong people."

In.

"I didn't really fall. I just, you know... sauntered vaguely downwards."

Every.

"I only ever asked questions. That's all it took to be a demon in the old days."

Word.

"I never asked to be a demon. I was just minding my own business one day and then... oh, lookie here, it's Lucifer and the guys."

Are you going to tell me that is absolutely normal to refer to something four times in a TV show that's only got 6 episodes? I mean, It's almost one per episode, come on.

These aren't the words of a demon.

These are the words of someone who belonged to somewhere and was forced to leave because different.

Because he asked questions.

Because he was a disappointment.

He is a son whose father decided he was just not good enough, not perfect enough, simply not enough, and so threw him away.

He never wanted to cause a war, or to be greater than God or anything like that. He just wanted to be a good son.

A good angel.

But failed.

That's how Crowley feels every second of his eternity.

A failure.

First great cause of a depressed temperament.

And this leads us to the plants.

I personally think that the plants bits are seriously phenomenal. They tell us so much about Crowley just in a few words.

If we analyse him as a human, Crowley is a man with a trauma, the one we underlined before. And, as in the majority of probabilities, it is common to reproduce a trauma on something or someone else.

"What he did was put the fear of God into them. More precisely, the fear of Crowley. In addition to which, every couple of months Crowley would pick out a plant that was growing too slowly, or succumbing to leaf-wilt or browning, or just didn't look quite as good as the others, and he would carry it around to all the other plants. "Say goodbye to your friend" he'd say to them. "He just couldn't cut it...""

The plants scene is terrific in this way. He threatens the plants to grow better, to grow perfect, or they will die.

I think the echoes in his head whispering "Be perfect or you'll fall" murmured by his fellow angels while he was still in Heaven still haunts him when he takes "care" of his plants.

Is he finally satisfied?

No.

He's just being cruel because something cruel happened to him. But he can't erase the past. He can't change what he is.

And he knows that.

That's the worst part.

"I won't be forgiven. Not ever. That's part of a demon job's description. Unforgivable. That's what I am."

He permanentely struggles between a constant denial and the acknowledge of his self being.

He is not what he wanted to be.

That's why he decided to go away.

He couldn't bare the dark, gloomy, crowded halls of hell. Something that reminded him of his condition. That's why he went up on earth. Because it's the closest thing to heaven he could still approach to.

And there he found Aziraphale.

Aziraphale, who is not like other angels.

Who is not afraid to talk to a demon.

Who is kind and soft and naive.

Who gives Crowley a kind of hope.

Maybe Crowley was convinced that he would have spent all his eternity alone (because, sooner or later, he would have realised that he couldn't fit anywhere, not in hell, not in heaven, not on earth), and sincerely, I think he would have committed suicide very soon.

But Aziraphale gives him a reason to live.

He gives him a friend.

He gives him someone who, deep down, doesn't quite fit well on his side, too.

And that is enough for Crowley.

Enough to stay alive.

And so he starts to find himself little things to distract himself, temptations, demonic works to keep himself occupied. He even starts to have fun with them.

But then something happens.

Aziraphale risking his own life.

For a silly reason of course, but then Crowley starts to think.

Ok, I saved him because I was around, but what if he's risking his life again and I'm not there to save him? What if I'm not able to see him again?

Or what if this happens to me? What if my side finds out I saved an angel? What would they do to him? Or to me?

And that's why he decides to have assurances.

That's when his depression strikes back.

He asks Aziraphale for holy water.

Because after all they did together, after all the relief he had felt all those decades on earth, he can't bare to watch it shatter away.

He can't allow it.

And if that means ending his own life, so be it.

I will not pause on Aziraphale's fear of Crowley committing suicide for it is a parenthetis of the analysing of Aziraphale that would add more pain to this post, forgive me please.

Once achieved the pill of suicide, Crowley comes back to his daily routine, which involves, by the way, hours of sleeping.

This is another sign of depression.

As a demon, he shouldn't need to rest at all. But if we return to analyse Crowley as a human, this is perfectly normal.

The lack of energy and anxiety cause the body to being forced to bed. Crowley sleeping for a whole century because "he hated it" could be equal to a person sleeping all day to avoid the problems of life.

Furthermore, the end is nigh.

The Apocalypse is bringing Crowley's (and Aziraphale's) biggest fear. The disappearing of that life they built together on earth. The distruction of their peace.

And who is the one who first proposes to stop it?

Crowley.

And he fights in every way to avoid Armageddon. Even if he doesn't manage, he's still with his angel. They could go away together. Alfa Centauri or wherever they want. But together.

Because he can't let it happen. He can't leave it all and fight on his side which has never been and never will be his side. He can't go back down there. He can't let his depression overthrow him again.

But suddenly "together" becomes "alone".

Suddenly, there's no more a demon and an angel. There's just one demon, who is terrified of what happens next, of what he's going to go through on his own, who is living the nightmare of a lifetime.

He tries to reach Aziraphale one more time, but fails.

The nightmare is much closer.

It swallows him definetely in a burning bookshop.

This is it.

This is where all his world breaks apart in front of his eyes.

He lost.

He lost the chance of a new start. He lost hope. He lost his best friend.

He lost his fight against depression.

Don't try to convince me that if he hadn't already shed it on Ligur, he wouldn't have used holy water in this exact moment to end his own life.

Because nothing had sense now.

But here he is. Without Aziraphale. Without holy water. Trapped in a glass full of alcohol reminding himself for the fourth time that he never wanted to be a demon.

When Aziraphale comes back it all changes.

Life comes back to his body.

It's not over.

And then they manage. They stop the Apocalypse. They stop each other's death. They're finally free.

Crowley and Aziraphale are alone. On their own side.

But that is enough for Crowley.

Depression can wait.

NOT MY GIFS.

[the-end-of-the-storm]

GoT 8x01: the wait is over and winter is definitely here - beware the spoilers below -

I just want to say beforehand that I woke up at 2.30 am to watch the new episode - so if this makes no sense at all, well ... let’s blame it on my sleep-deprived brain.

• Don’t know if we already knew this but they actually played the same song from the pilot when D*ny and Jon arrived and it made me a bit melancholic. It’s been a ride.

• The way Missandei eyes the Northerners watching her with distrust had me feel for her. However, watching it for the second time, it gave me another vibe too. As she was a slave, she knows exactly what it means to serve and obey someone you don’t want. So, if Missandei ends up urging D*ny at some point to leave the North be and just rule the other six kingdoms, well, I wouldn’t be surprised.

• Did you notice how happy D*ny was when her dragons intimidated the Northerners? It‘s been a while since I’ve seen her this happy:

This shot is Immediately followed by what has become her signature smug smirk that I dislike so much. Ships aside, a Queen worthy of the title shouldn’t have this kind of reaction to her children imposing fear on her newest subjects who she knows do already not like her all that much. This is like the dragon pit all over again, you know, when she was late to the meeting she demanded, and rode in on a dragon like she already owns the place, when it would have been so much smarter to be a little respectful and humble.

• The Jon and Bran reunion was nice; I suppose as nice at it can get with 3-eyed-Bran. Also, if Jon ever starts looking at D*ny like this, I‘ll start reevaluating him being part of the pack but not a heartbeat before:

• They made Sansa look THIS good for a reason. A sight for sore eyes, isn‘t it Jon?

(And yeah, this is her watching Jonny Boy.)

(And so is this.)

(Now, she’s too busy hugging her man. A smile on her lips and CLOSED eyes ... hmm. Do you see how her hands aren’t even attached to each other yet? Alright, let’s move on, shall we?)

• Lyanna Mormont is the Noorf in a nutshell and I’m here for her angry little girl attitude:

•Sansa isn’t here for chit chat with the saviour and whenever I think I couldn’t stan my girl more, I do. But I’m a bit afraid too, Sansa hates her new Queen amd D*ny KNOWS. 🔥

• Ok, I watched the meeting with the lords very carefully and I made some observations that I just want to throw in here for good measure: 1) D*ny is the last one to sit down at the Lord‘s table and it means things. 2) When poor little Lord Umber (who fucking deserved better!!) adressed Sansa an then Jon, we have them both in the frame, and no one else. However, when he adresses D*ny, we have her literally standing alone by the fireplace. 3) we have Jon and Sansa alone in a frame on 3 separate occasions, while we have only one shoot of Jon and the supposed love of his life alone (unless you count the one with D*ny and Jon‘s crotch ... then, well good for you, I guess). 4) Jon’s “It was the honor of my life.” fucked me the fuck up. You know, I was really afraid after the leaks that although I whole-heartily believe in Pol!Jon I would be miffed at him before it was officially revealed but I was soo wrong. This whole episode I felt so sad for Jon. He’s been through so much and willing to sacrifice everything he ever wanted to keep his people as safe as he can ... he deserves so much better than to be with the woman who took the honor of his life away from him without giving a single fuck about it. And yes, I did notice how Sansa glared at D*ny during this. Jon “I had a choice: keep the crown or protect the Noorf. I chose the Noorf.” I rest my case. 5) “If anyone survives the war to come, we’ll have Jon Snow to thank.” Right in front of D*ny; Tyrion, you brave, brave fool. 6) I think the leaks said, that neither Sansa nor D*ny said anything and I was very happy to find out that that wasn’t true. This is a very long scene, and D*ny only delivered us this little gem: Sansa: “What do dragons eat anyway?” (Which is a damn reasonable enquiry.) “D*ny: “Whatever they want.” 🔥 Maybe I’m overreacting things but this felt like a threat. Seriously, the Dark D*ny Force was strong in this one. They really went there ... wow. I mean it‘s not as if the food question wasn‘t legit. Also this whole the dragons *only* ate 17 goats and 11 of some-other-animal today is proof to me that the food thing is going to be huge. (Also, at first, I thought D*ny was worried that they eat too much when it was the other way around. LOL.)

• Tyrion: “Lady of Winterfell: has a nice ring to it.” Sansa: “So does Hand of the Queen; depends on the queen I suppose.” She really isn’t messing around, is she?

Also Sansa, same scene: “I used to think you are the cleverest man alive.” accompanied by her little judgy smile. She sure knows how to break a man’s heart.

• I’m crossing my fingers for D*ny to suggest to reactivate the Sansa/Tyrion marriage. Let’s be honest, Tyrion would be all for it in a heartbeat. She’s smarter, prettier and old enough that he wouldn’t feel like a creep anymore and now she actually is the Lady of Winterfell. He wanted her before - he must be drooling for her now.

• I was absolutely not disappointed with the Jon/Arya reunion. I thought - considering the circumstances - it was really cute and worthy.

• Arya: “She’s the smartest person I’ve ever met.” Stark sister feels. *-*

• Jon‘s „I'm her family, too.“ killed me a little bit inside. Man, my Jon feels are killing me right know. How can anyone see this and still claim that Jon will abandon his pack to become a Targaryen?

• When Sansa is the Queen of Shade, Cercei is the Queen of Smirk. I wonder if there’s anyway for Cercei to get out of this alive.

• Back to the food thing: it‘s been two years since S7, so thanks for the reminder that the Lannister army in the Field of Fire was people too, and were burned up like Sunday roast. 🔥

• I can’t believe that Yara is absolutely not pissed that D*ny couldn’t give less craps about her being abducted by Euron. even though without her Dany couldn’t have crossed the Narrow Sea.

• Alys Karstark, I see you and your red hair and your complete random appearance that served no plot purpose. Yet.

• Davos “What if the Seven Kingdoms (...) were ruled by a just woman and an honorable man.” I see what you did there, D&D. Also, if you guys are contemplating a J/D marriage, could you please have the decency and do it in front of Sansa? I need that. Thanks x

• If D&D wanted be to stop believing in Pol!Jon they shouldn’t have him happy-riding a dragon and kissing D*ny seconds after having her low-key threatening his sister. It’s just not believable that if this romance was real and between equals that he wouldn’t make it clear that she can’t threaten his family. Dany: “She doesn’t need to be my friend but I am her queen. If she can’t respect me ...” Jon: *then perish*

• Ok, but seriously D*ny, why would you give the guy you’ve just met and whose family and people despise you access to the the very things that gave you all your power? Why would you suggest dragon riding like it means nothing? Hop on, Jonny Boy. Just no. I have soo many questions. Why would you be so careless? (Arrogance, that’s why.)

• JON DOESN’T SAY “WE COULD STAY HERE FOR A THOUSAND YEARS.” But Pol!Jon replies with “We’d be pretty old.” giving no indication that that would be an enticing thought. No, he’d rather go back and fight some wights. Jon has a family he cares about and I don’t think she can relate at all.

•Rheagal is a creeper. Seriously, did you see the full on of him during the J/D snagging. Get a life, Rhaegal!

• I LOVED the Tent 2.0 Scene. Get my son some air. Also, while Jon talks serious stuff, Sansa’s like “No, she’s much prettier (than the Mad King).” with the same gaze she had when Littlefinger told her that a marriage alliance between J/D would make sense. I think it was the same weird voice too, but I’m not 100% sure right now. Jon really does reply nothing after Sansa questioning his motives for bending the knee and it tells me all I need to know.

• On this note, I want to repeat that I really need someone suggest a J/D marriage to Sansa.

• Sam finding out about his father and especially his brother broke my heart. It was everything I wanted and knew his reaction to be. And it was much worse to watch unfold than the leaks made it out to be. Especially since the scene started out really cute with Sam all nervous to be talking to them and cute about his book-stealing past and then he even tries to stay reasonable after hearing about his father but then he learns about his brother ... and it’s just too fucking much. Look at his face. I never ever cry during shows or movies but if I hadn't been prepared beforehand, I probably would have.

• Bran needs to stop staring at people in the courtyard. Just sayin’.

• Jon and Sam in the crypts. My poor babies. I don’t really want to say anything about their talk at this point because I believe in Jon and his agenda and if he needs to be detached to deal with keeping up the facade, then my man needs to do what he needs to do. However, I will be watching his next interaction with Sansa very closely. OK, to be honest, since I already had read the leaks before the episode, I was a little distracted during the parentage reveal and I couldn’t help but imagine Jon thinking “Well, this explains a fucking lot.”

• Last but not least: JAIME IS IN WINTERFELL!!!

My favorite moments:

- The Tarly Reveal

- Jon x Arya Reunion

- all Jonsa scenes

- Sansa and Tyrion on the battlements

On my threatened-to-be-burned watchlist:

🔥 Sansa Stark

🔥 Lyanna Mormont

🔥 Lord Varys

🔥 Samwell Tarly

🔥 Gendry Waters / Baratheon

🔥 JAIME LANNISTER (I have a hard time imagining Jaime to keep his mouth shut when he realizes that D*ny doesn’t just fry up soldiers in battle but that it’s her favorite method of conducting justice. There is too much history and PTSD between them, they’re like a time bomb; you can’t put them under one roof without at least threatening to set it off.)

All in all, this was such a good episode and I’m thrilled to see what’s to come. I’m so happy that Jon is still all I hoped for him to be inside and that Jonsa is still on track. I was even a little surprised at how they portrayed D*ny in this episode, because D&D aren’t even trying anymore, are they? I might be a little biased but I think if you’re not a full on stan there wasn’t much to root for her in this one. Anyways, everything within the episode fitted neatly with our Pol!Jon, Dark!D*ny and Jonsa theories and I couldn’t be happier about it.

Cheers xxx

[youremypride]

The Truth About Love | Ch.4

☽ Have you ever love someone so much, you would do anything for them? Even disturbing the peace between the living and the afterlife? Love knows no boundaries but there is always a price to be paid. How much do you say? As much as your heart desires for your true love.

Pairing: AHS! Michael Langdon x Reader

Genre: romance, angst, violence

Warnings: foul language, death of a character(s)

Note: This week’s episode is honestly the best because I really got tired of the whole apocalypse thing going on and needed more backstory. Let’s just say episode 4 was really the starting of this season’s episode. I can’t wait for next week. I just wish the whole season just drops in one go like Netflix does.

Word Count: 3566 words

prev - next

My turn finally came for the interview with Langdon. I didn’t know what to expect but I didn’t expect a lot from it either. My fate was already sealed from the very moment I was born. With heavy steps, my feet came to a halt in front of the large timbered black doors. Using my knuckles, I knocked against the door as I wait for someone to answer it.

Soon enough, the doors parted from each other, revealing the man in the room. “Y/N. You’re here. I’ve been expecting you.”

He steps aside, giving me enough space to enter the office. The entire room was a catastrophe, the furniture was thrown in every direction, the candles had fallen from the holders. It was like a hurricane had hit and cleared anything in its path.

“I apologize for the mess,” He brings up the armchair back to its normal position before gesturing to sit. “Please, take a seat.” Whatever thing that happened before, clearly didn’t bother him too much considering how calm his voice was although he looked lowkey frantic.

“I take it something happened before I got here?” He only smiles before setting up the other armchair, taking a seat right next to me. “What makes you think that?”

“I saw Mallory leaving the room with an expression I’ve never seen before. Distress was etched on her face and it was like she was running away from something that terrified her.” Mallory was nice, when she wasn’t around Coco, acting like a lovesick dog following around her and obeying her orders. It’s a pity, it would’ve been nice to get along with her.

Langdon squints his eyes as he tilts his head to one side, “Terrified her, you say? Are you suggesting I did that to her?”

“I didn’t say it was you,” I admitted. “There’s something strange about her, and the others too.” I fluttered my eyes towards him, “You think so too, right?” I sent him a knowing look. No one understands what I know, except him. I could feel it in my bones.

“Curious aren’t you, little one? Haven’t you heard curiosity killed the cat?” Soft chuckles escaped from my lips, surprising him.

“You’ve mistaken curiosity for seeking, Mr. Langdon. Being curious will lead you nowhere. But if you seek, it will lead you somewhere. The one who seeks will gain something in return, be it good………or evil.”

He stands up to walk towards his desk, leaning his bottom on the edge of it, with arms crossed. “And what is it you wish to seek? Answers, purpose, knowledge…...love?”

“Acceptance.” I put it simply. He starts to frown. I guess my answer to his question was too vague for him to understand. “Acceptance? Is it from someone or something? The world perhaps. I’ve known quite a few people with cases like you. They don’t feel like they belong anywhere.”

“No, that’s not it. I’m seeking to find acceptance…...from myself. I know it’s complicated for you to understand. You would think it’s because I hate myself or that I’ve never showed love towards myself but it’s neither of them. From the time I was born, I always felt like something was pulling me back and that I was born too fast that my soul was incomplete.

I’ve been searching for that part of me that needed to be filled my whole life. One time I went to see a doctor to check if I had heart problems because chest pains kept arising. They told me they couldn’t find anything wrong with me. It got worse over the years. I just wanted it to stop hurting so much.

Until one day, I tried to kill myself. I told myself if I stab my heart with a knife, all the pain would go away.” My eyes were closed the entire time, trying to remember every detail of that moment. I felt cool air hit against my lips, and when I fluttered my eyes open, I saw blue eyes staring right back at me. I didn’t realise how badly I was shaking until I saw his hands resting on both sides of my arms. I wanted to just flicked away his hand, but somehow, I enjoyed the comfort he was giving me.

“It’s alright, you don’t have to continue,” I gripped his upper arm and shook my head, cutting him off, “I’m fine, I’ll continue.”

“It was like something dark came over me, feeding me with negative thoughts and lies about the good. When I turned 13, the heart pain subdued slowly. It still hurt but not like before. I started getting dreams. The dreams had the same people but at different times and places.” I explained to him.

“These dreams, these people you see. Could you describe them for me?” He asked.

“There were two of them. A man and a woman. I guess they were lovers. At first, all the dreams were happy and full of love. There were times where I felt like I was prying in on their intimate moments, moments I shouldn’t be looking at. Their smiles to each other was of love and longing, their embrace was warm and endearing. The kiss…...was filled with passion……...and lust. The love was real and it felt so genuine. The dream would end with them proclaiming their love for each other. And that’s when I wake up.” I left out the parts where they made love. It was too awkward for me to talk about it, seeing as there was a man in my presence.

“You said ‘at first’. What happened next?” He chimes. I went back to sit on the armchair, probably tired from bending his knees in front of me.

“They started turning into nightmares. Except it kept replaying the same one over and over again. They took away their lives by burning each other together. I had to suffer watching their bodies get burnt and slowly turn into corpses. The nightmares stopped after I kept myself busy with part-time jobs. Everything was fine until, you know what happened.” He didn’t seem convince about my last statement. He grabbed a file, presuming it was mine, flipping over pages until he stops on the one he was finding.

“All of what you’ve said has been completely true. You’ve had a total of six foster parents. You ran away from home and took shelter under the care of a 62 year old man name Daemon Jacobs, who runs a fortune telling and witchcraft bookstore on the corner of 16 Walnut St. You never went to school. You work for him at the bookstore in the morning till afternoon and you start your night shift at the diner place down a few blocks from the bookstore.

Also, you failed to mention that you’re not exactly who you say you are……your date of birth and your age doesn’t add up.” He slams the file close. “Does the others know how old you truly are?”

“I was 16 right before the missiles attacked Los Angeles 18 months ago. My birth certificate clearly state I was born on ‘3 March 2003’. I glared at him.

“Don’t lie, Y/N. I can tell that you’re lying. Just be honest. It’s only you and me here.” He grins at me. He’s right. It’s useless to hide it from him when he has all the information he needs about me.

“I was born on ‘6 June 2016’.”  I admitted, only to have him smile at me as he turns around with his back facing me.

“Odd. You would be only 5 years old now after 18 months.” He paused, “You’re wondering why you aged way too fast than the others, am I right? I might have the answer to your question.”

I stood up and walked over to him. “And how do you know about this?”

He brings his fingers towards me, cupping my chin in between his thumb and index finger. “Because, we might have something in common, my flower.”

My flower? I could have sworn I panicked a bit after hearing it out loud from someone other than my dreams. I brushed it away and focused on the man in front of me. He thinks he knows everything about me just because my whole life was in that file. Clearly, he was messing with the wrong person.

“What makes you think we have something in common? Sure, you know everything about me with that information of yours, you know everything about me on the outside, but not on the inside. Information and facts can be altered and fabricated with lies by anyone…… but if you want the truth…….all you have to do is ask, isn’t that right……Michael?” I smirk at him. His confident smile turned to a frown, his eyebrows furrowed in disbelief.

“I’ve been truthful to you all this time……but not you. I know the whole reason you did all of this wasn’t because of your goal of just building a new world. You needed to prove a point to the others that you are powerful than them. It is your destiny, to put it simply.

But, there’s something stopping you. I know you, Michael. Only I know that you have a weakness, and this ‘apocalypse’ you put everyone through will you be able to find it.” He doesn’t want to admit it. His facade is way too strong to break down. This isn’t the Michael he was fond very talking about or maybe all he need is a little push.

“And what is……my weakness?” He growls deeply. Judging from his voice, he’s beginning to see me as a threat. Oh honey, I’m not the one you should be threatened by, yet.

“Her.”

Ms. Venable had called everyone for an emergency meeting. The aura in the library was solemn and the smell of death was lingering in the air. She had announced something about having a party after the hardships we went through over the past few months, and apologizing for her harsh punishments she had implemented in The Outpost. She said that a celebration is in need, camaraderie, and that it was a gesture of goodwill. A Halloween soiree. 

As if that would lighten up my mood. I’ve never been a big fan or parties. Why now? Is it because she had a change of heart after her time with Langdon or she’s planning something without everyone knowing? It has to be the latter. She’s never really subtle about it, and she’s always keeping secrets for her own benefit. You’re going to need a lot of persuading if you want me to attend it.

The rest had already rushed back to their rooms to get ready their costumes for the party. Wasting my time was part of my daily routine as I settled on to a new book, grabbing it off from the bookcase as I returned back to my room.

Along the way, I had stumbled into something hard. I didn’t look at where I was going because the book was way too interesting than looking up. Standing in front of me was none other than the devil himself.

I lowered my head, apologising before walking pass him.

“Don’t go.” He spoke, causing me to stop in my tracks. “The party, don’t attend it.”

“Why not?” I asked him casually. I turned around to face him, and so did he. “I believe we didn’t get to complete your interview before we were interrupted by dinner time. I wish to continue it.”

“Ms. Venable will be suspicious of me if I don’t attend it. She’ll know if one of us isn’t there.” I told him.

“Then leave the party when you think it is safe without anyone knowing. Meet me in my room. They won’t find you there.” He suggested, and vanishes off the corner of the hallway.

Everyone was swaying to the music, dancing with excitement and having a great time. A pleasant feeling bloomed inside of me but it faded away when I gazed upon the wooden tub that was filled with fresh apples and apparently the only refreshments they had. Michael had warned me about the party so why wasn’t anyone feeling different about it. They all seemed to be enjoying themselves. Without anyone looking, I made my move.

Finding Michael’s room, I entered when he permitted me to go in. His room looked the same like mine did. He was sitting at his desk, typing away in a working laptop as thick files piled on his desk.

“So, what is it that you wish to continue? I’ll be honest with you. The Sanctuary is the least of my concern. The last place I want to be before I’m dead is what you call as being ‘classified’’. Who knows you’re just trying to rope people in for the wrong kind of things.” I sat at the edge of his bed, looking at my nails with a bored expression.

“Tell me, Y/N. Do you believe in reincarnations?” He asked, his voice was soft and laced with curiosity.

“I used to, but I don’t think people’s interpretations of them are facts. People mostly believe a soul moves on into another physical form once their life is over before being reborn into a new life. Some claim they see memories of their previous life, thinking that it’s theirs but I don’t think that’s highly true. Our appearance might have changed but I believe a soul is only admitted to one lifetime only and when the time comes for their judgement, they’ll either go to Heaven or Hell.

Maybe people do get to see memories of their previous life, thinking that it’s theirs but to me, that person in that memory was simply just another person that lived with the same soul. They had their own life and their own future. This is my soul now and this is my lifetime. No one else’s but mine only. 

‘Eram quod es, eris quod sum’. I was what you are, you will be what I am. And when my time comes, I will be the same as them. Six feet down in my eternal resting place.” He had a twinkle in his eyes as he listens to me speak. He had been observing the way I illiterate the meaning of the word the way I see it.

“Fascinating,” He claims. “And what about soulmates, do you believe in them too?”

“I do, to a certain extent. But not in the way other people see it as. They romanticised it far too much, thinking that there is someone out there, with their souls tied together with the red string of fate. The ones who associate them to a romantic partner are the ones who are desperate for love and I think those who claimed to find their soulmates are simply pathetic.

They never travelled the entire country to look for them. They only assume the person they just met and fell in love with is their soulmate, in the same country, city, town or neighbourhood. They didn’t venture out to look for their true pair.” I gazed down at the floor. “Soulmates are just empty hopes and dreams for those who couldn’t find love.”

“And how do you perceive soulmates as?” He questioned.

“I see them as the person who will always be honest and truthful, the one I can share all my dark secrets and fears with. A person I can be comfortable around and will treat me with the same respect I show them. A person who shares the same believes and goals as I do. A person who can accept me……as I am. Intimate or not.” He reaches out his hand and cups both my cheeks in his palms. He was cold to the touch, giving my skin a cooling sensation.

“Do you think these dreams you have, are memories that belong to the person you share your soul with in the previous life? That woman in your dreams. Do you think it’s your memories too?”

“It could be. But I never said anything about it being my memories. I could have conjured them up from watching too much television. And I didn’t say anything about being the woman in those dreams.”

“Was the woman wearing a white Victorian dress, with her soft long curls cascading down her back, reaching her bottom?

“Almost all women wore like that back then. It doesn’t prove anything.”

“She had green eyes, long curly eyelashes. Her cheeks were blushed a light pink, her lips as red as cherry. And she had a locket around her neck. It was gold in colour. There is also an engraving on it as well. ‘L+L’. Inside the locket holds a picture of the man and the woman.”

“H-how do you know that?”

“Because I have those dreams too. You don’t think that is a coincidence, right? I had them all along. It was the only thing that soothe me to sleep and I look forward to it. I don’t look like the type who could love or show love to others, but I do. And maybe what you are actually seeking is not acceptance from yourself and what you need is what I can give you.” He looks me in the eye.

I stared at him back with the same look as his. “And what do I need?”

He smiles. “Me.”

He grabs on to my arms, pulling me up to my feet. “Hide in the wardrobe. Quickly, now.” He opened the door for me as I stepped inside. “Whatever you do, do not make a noise.” I nodded.

The room grew silent before I heard Michael speak, “Ladies, I’m a little busy right now formulating my selections.”

“This won’t take long.” The voice sounded like Ms. Venable.

“What’s this?”

“We’re making the selections now, Mr. Langdon. And I’m afraid you didn’t make the cut.” It only made the long-haired male chuckle.

“I’m sorry,” he begins, “I wanted to let you have your moment but I just couldn’t hold it in.”

“You think this is funny?” Ms. Venable snaps back calmly. “I think I’m impressed, Ms. Venable. I wasn’t sure you had it in you. You’ve passed the test. You’re perfect for The Sanctuary.”

“Ms. Mead.”

“I wouldn’t do that.” Mr. Langdon proclaims. There was a short pause before Ms. Venable spoke again.

“Ms. Mead.” Her tone was stricter now.

All of a sudden, a loud gun shot could be heard. I covered my mouth to muffled my gasp.

“I don’t know why I did that. I was always loyal to her.” The tone was mixed with emotions of sadness and disbelief.

“It’s alright,” he comforts, “You were obeying commands, like you’re programmed to do. My commands.” Footsteps grew closer towards me direction.

“Did you enjoy executing the poison apples plan as much as I enjoyed coming up with it?” He questioned Ms. Mead.

“You wanted everyone dead?” She asked, her voice shaky.

“I’ve never been a fan of getting my hands dirty. Learned that from my father. Always more fun to entice men and women to dirty needs. Confirms what I’ve always believed.”

“W-what do you believe?” Ms. Mead stuttered.

From the gap between the wardrobe doors, I could see him step closer towards her, “That all people, if given the right pressures and stimulus, are real evil motherfuckers.”

Ms. Mead didn’t know how to reply him, it sounded like she was confused. “I-I am having trouble with this. I know I’m just a machine.”

“Never say that!” His voice was laced with anger, his expression soured. “You’re not just a machine, not to me.” For a second, it felt like he actually cared and had actual feelings.

“When I tasked The Cooperative’s R&D Department to have you constructed, I gave them a prototype to model.”

“Prototype?” Of who?

“Of someone from my childhood. Someone very dear to me.” A prototype? No way. Ms. Mead is a…..a robot?

“The beautiful boy.” She replies him. He smiles, his eyes started getting teary as he nods in agreement. “That was me. But I had to keep the most important part of you hidden from your mind.”

“Why?” She questions.

“To protect you, and the plan. But now it’s time to remember it all. I lost you and I couldn’t bear it. I can’t imagine a new world without you by my side. The only woman who ever really understood me.”

“Who ever really loved you.” Slowly, Michael embraces her in his arms. The sight was truly a rare thing to see, seeing as Michael was always look so cold and arrogant. He releases her from his embrace before walking towards the wardrobe.

The doors flew open and he offers me a hand. I slipped mine into his and he helped me get out the small space.

“Y/N, you were in there all this time? What are you doing in Langdon’s room?” She asked me. Suddenly she panicked. “Oh no, I could have killed you too. I’m so sorry, Mr. Langdon. I didn’t know who she was.”

“Who I was? You know me?” How could she know me if I’ve never seen her before, unless? I gazed towards Michael. He only shows me a mischievous grin. “I may or may not have told her about you. After all, I was the one who told The Cooperative to rescue you.”

Taglist: @ meeeeeeeeeps, @ habblez-the-babblez, @ snookabooforever

[the-lupine-sojourner]

Takara Yamada’s Hero Academia Episode 6 [Eijiro Kirishima/OC] [Female!Aizawa/Hizashi]

Hey! So...I guess I went from the last bit of five into six? I am so confused, but I guess that’s just cus it’s 1:00 in the morning and I’m tired. Anyway, here’s the next episode for you all. 

Edit: Nevermind! Hardygal helped me figure it out. Now I’ve had some sleep, it was obvious (just some mislabeling), but anyway...

I went back and added a sketch I posted that’s supposed to be the actual design Takara submitted for her Kitsune outfit, if y’all want to look at it before/during/after you read my description. Look for the linked word shortly before the description.

Now for Takara’s Masterlist

I’m gonna tag the usual people: @dailyojiromashirao and @elite-guard-hardygal, but anyone can join, too. 

Also, I would love to read Asks with your predictions of what’s to come! Please send em in and I’ll tell you ‘Hot’ or ‘Cold’. Deal? XD

But in all seriousness, please send theories and predictions. I’d really like to hear them! 

Now, onto the episode! Hope you all like it! 

God Bless and Good day!

~The Lupine Sojourner

“No matter what your intentions are, you would be nothing more than a liability in battle.” Mom growls in a terrified Izuku’s face. “I’m sorry, Midoryia, but with your power, there’s no way someone like you can become a hero.” That does it. Student or no student, I had to do something.

“Mom, enough!” I bark, and it takes several seconds before I realize what I’d called her. Shit.

Guess the cat’s out of the bag now…

Unsurprisingly, everyone was shocked. I sigh, then give Mom an apologetic look. Mom glances at me before turning back to Izuku. “You have the same reckless passion as another overzealous hero I know; one who saved a thousand people by himself and became a legend. But, even with that drive, you’re useless if you can only throw a single punch before breaking down.” She continues. I guess Teacher!Mom really is different.

“Mom!” I snap. “You said yourself; it’s not the Quirk that defines you, it’s how you use it.” I point out. Mom tsks and releases him.

“I’ve returned your impractical Quirk. Take your throw.” She says. “And, Takara, I’d appreciate it if you didn’t act as my daughter in class from here on, alright?” I nod.

“I know. It just slipped out.” I murmur meekly. “Sorry.” She pats my shoulder.

“Try not to let it slip out again and we’re good.” She says, resuming her place observing the others, putting in eye drops as she waits for Izuku to throw the ball. I drag my feet back to the others as Izuku retrieves the ball. Mom hadn’t counted his first throw to prove a point. Now, it would factor into his placement on this overall test. He needs a good score!

“You didn’t tell me both your parents were teachers.” Eijiro mutters. I deflate, wanting to sink into the ground and disappear.

“You didn’t ask.” I mumble. It was a classic excuse, but it was accurate. He hadn’t outright asked, and I didn’t want his impression (and the impressions of my classmates) framed by my parents. I wanted to make my own impression and let them decide who I really was.

“Oh. Sorry.” He says, apparently seeing my discomfort. “I think it’s cool, Takara. Really.” I smile.

“Thanks.” Izuku then takes a step back, holding the ball ready. I turn my head and watch as he launches it, a strange glow in his arm. I swallow. What was he doing?

“Smmaaaash!” Izuku roars, and the ball goes flying, just like with Katsuki.

705.3 meters the robot recited. I blink. Holy shit! He used just his finger to power the ball so he could still compete! “It’s just like your daughter said, Mrs. Aizawa; it’s how you use your Quirk, not what the Quirk is.” He says. “And, well...I’m still standing!” I laugh, unable to resist clapping. It seems everyone is thoroughly distracted from my slip-up and I’m fine with that.

“He threw it over 700 meters?!” The blonde-black streak boy exclaims.

“Dude, why are you surprised? You heard he took out the 0-pointer all by himself, right?” I point out. He blinks.

“Oh, yeah! Guess you’re right.” He admits, grinning.

“Nice!” Ochaco cheers. “He’s finally showing us his true power!”

“But his finger appears to be broken.” Tenya counters. “Just like in the exam. His Quirk is very odd.” I shrug. I knew what the deal was, but couldn’t say it aloud.

“Well, most Quirks have a drawback, right? This is just his drawback.” I muse instead.

“I suppose.” He replies thoughtfully, holding his chin. He then turns to me. “By the way, I can see why you didn’t tell anyone Mrs. Yamada and her husband were your parents. It can change people’s perceptions of you.” I wasn’t sure why he chose to say that now of all times, but I smile, happy he understood and wasn’t upset.

“Yeah...sorry. I just never really said anything unless directly asked. I didn’t mean to call her ‘mom’.” I reply. Before Tenya can respond, Katsuki tears forward, roaring angrily.

“Hey! Deku, you bastard! Tell me how you did that or you’re dead!” I sprint forward, stopping at Mom’s outstretched hand. Izuku can only scream in terror as Mom’s capture weapon lurches forward, snapping around Katsuki’s chest and forehead. “What the- -why the hell is your damn scarf...so strong?!” He growls, struggling to get away and reach Izuku.

“Because it’s a capture weapon made out of carbon fiber and a special metal alloy.” Mom replies easily, keeping Katsuki still, glaring at him. “Stand down!” She barks, furious. “It’d be wise to avoid making me use my Quirk so much;” She continues, “it gives me serious dry eye!” When Katsuki appears to obey, Mom releases him, sighing as her hair flops back down over her eyes. “You’re wasting my time now. Whoever’s next can step up.” Izuku walks timidly past Katsuki, who simply stands there, shaking (with what, I can’t tell. Rage? Confusion?), and rejoins us.

“Is your finger okay?” Ochaco asks when Izuku arrives.

“Sure.” He replies. “Fine.” Mom snaps at us and we continue the throwing test. Soon enough, it’s on to sit-ups. As many as we could do in 5 minutes.

Eijiro asked if I’d be his partner and I agreed. It seemed to take forever, but I ended up with a good score. 213, thanks to using the water as a springboard. Then, it was Eijiro’s turn. He got about 170 in, and seemed deflated, so I grin.

“Awesome job!” He sighs.

“But you got almost 50 more situps in then I did.” I shrug.

“Eijiro, you still did really good! This is a test not a lot of Quirks will help with. Mine only got me a little extra spring. That’s all. Your score is really impressive!” I assure him. He nods.

“If you say so.” It was a common response of his when he felt I did a lot better than him at something and I tried to tell him he did amazing, too. I wondered just what made him so certain he wasn’t that great, but I was determined to prove him wrong.

“I do say so, so you better believe it!” I reply before Mom calls out that we’re moving on to the Seated Toe Touch test.

There wasn’t much my Quirk could do to help, so I got a fairly average score. In fact, hardly anyone’s Quirks were suited for simply stretching over and trying to touch your toes.

Once we were all done, Mom led us to the large recreational area where we’d done the ball throw. The next test was the Long Distance Run, Mom announced. I smirk confidently.

Naturally, Tenya would most likely get first, but I could get a good placing, I just know it! It was a mile race, and I ended up in fifth place! Eijiro wasn’t far behind me, coming in seventh, a blonde-haired boy with a tail between us. I bent over, panting, before the boy came over. “Nice race!” He says, smiling. I straighten and shake his hand.

“Thanks.”

“I’m Ojiro Mashairo.” He introduces.

“I’m guessing you already know my name, huh?” I mumble, scratching the back of my neck. He nods.

“Yeah, and I get why you didn’t want to tell us just yet.” I smile.

“Thanks. I probably should have just told you my last name at first, then let you all figure it out, but I decided I wanted to have my first impression be as Takara, not Present Mic and Eraserhead’s kid.” I explain. Ojiro nods.

“I get that.” I grin, then Mom calls us together.

“Alright, time to give you your results. I’ve ranked you all from best to worst. You should probably have a good idea of your standing already. I’ll just pull up the whole list; it’s not worth going over each individual score.” And so she does; I find my name in the 9th slot, between Eijiro and Mina, and grimace. Not as good as I wanted, but not bad, either, I guess. Mom glances at me, a tiny smirk on her face and I feel better. She thought I did good. That was enough. I then continue reading the list and- -shit! Izuku’s in last place! I look over and he’s shaking, devastated. I bite my lip. There wasn’t anything I could do. He’d be sent home. He’d be expelled. He looked down, gripping his wrist like it would keep him together and prevent him from breaking down. Just as I begin pivoting to walk over, the scores are retracted and Mom chuckles. “And I was lying; no one’s going home.” My heart skips a beat. Wait, what?! “That was just a rational deception to make sure you gave it your all in the tests.” She explains. She’d never done that with me! It was totally new!

“I’m surprised the rest of you didn’t figure that out.” A girl with long black hair muses. “I’m sorry; guess I probably should have said something.” We all look at her in various degrees of ‘duh’.

“How would we have figured that out?” I grumble under my breath. The straight-black-haired boy turns to Eijiro.

“That was pretty nerve-wracking, huh?” He muses.

“Nah. I’ll always down for a challenge!” Eijiro replies, eyes glinting and fist clenched in determination.

“That’s it for today.” Mom says. “Pick up a syllabus in the classroom, read it over before tomorrow. Midoriya,” She hands him a note. “take this and have the old lady look you over. Things‘ll be more difficult once your actual training begins.” She warns, then puts a hand on my shoulder. “Make sure you’re prepared. Come on, Takara. We have to find Hizashi.” I nod, waving goodbye and following Mom. “It was interesting that you didn’t tell people who you are right off the bat.” She muses. I gulp. Would she be upset? Today, Mom had acted so different than she normally did, I can’t tell how she’d react anymore.

“We-well, I wanted to make the first impression of myself as Takara, not as Present Mic and Eraserhead’s daughter.” I mumble, fiddling with my fingers nervously.

“Huh.” She replies vaguely, expression unreadable. “So it’s a mix, then, of both of us.” She muses, but before I can respond to that, I spot Toshin-Oji standing there like he’d been looking in on us for a while.

“Aizawa, that was a rotten move.” He grumbles. So he had been watching. Why? To see what Izuku would do?

“All Might.” Mom replies casually. “So, you were watching. No talk shows today?”

“Mom, he doesn’t do that many talk shows.” I point out.

“That’s beside the point.” Toshin-Oji replies, eyes never leaving Mom. “A ‘rational deception’? That’s cute, but you’re not exactly known for being light-hearted.” I raise a brow. Why was he so mad? Because Izuku could have been expelled? “I read your file; last year, you expelled an entire class of freshman students. You have no problem kicking students out; anyone you deem unworthy.” I blink several times. Guess there was a reason Mom didn’t take work home. She was so different at UA versus at home, I almost don’t recognize her. “You were planning to send last place home.” I swallow. Mom wouldn’t really do that...would she? “So, that must mean you see the same potential in young Midoriya that I do!” Mom raises a brow, then turns to All Might.

“What’s this about?” She asks. “It almost sounds like you’ve been in his corner the whole time. And Takara, as well, though I suppose that’s because she was with him during the sludge villain attack.” Toshin-Oji flinches, but doesn’t reply.

“Mom, please.” I mumble.

“Regardless, isn’t it a little early for you to be playing favorites?” Mom asks coyly, like I hadn’t said anything. She then starts walking again. “Midoriya doesn’t have zero potential, I admit.” She adds. “If that were the case, I would have sent him home after class without hesitation.” I swallow. Would she really? She sighs. “It’s cruel to let a kid keep dreaming of something that will never come true.” I frown, but wave goodbye to Toshin-Oji and jog back to Mom.

“Mom, Izuku’s gonna become a hero. He won’t give up.” She smiles.

“I don’t expect him to, Takara. But I won’t make it easier for him, either. I’ll treat him like I would any other student. Everyone was under the same pressure in those tests and they all showed their potential today. I didn’t see any reasons for expulsion.” I nod and smile. This was closer to the Mom I knew at home. We walk to the teacher’s lounge and find Dad sleeping on a table. I chuckle and run my fingers up his ribs.

“Dad, there’s a spider!” I exclaim. He leaps up, screaming and patting himself down, but then notices that I’m laughing and calms.

“That’s not funny, TIk-Tik. Hey, Shota.” He says, yawning and kissing Mom. “Running the orientation was no easy task.” He muses, rubbing his eyes. Mom chuckles.

“I bet. Nor was managing 21 kids. How about we grab coffee on the way home?” Dad instantly perks up.

“That sounds awesome!” He says. I find myself craving coffee, too. I’d used my Quirk a lot. It took its toll. But maybe I just need food. After all, there wasn’t much time for lunch while the tests were underway, for me at least. I yawn and Mom frowns.

“We need to get you food, too. You’re ready to pass out.” She muses, smiling at me and offering support. I nod, rubbing my eyes and leaning on her.

The true downside of my Quirk, we’d discovered, was that it took blood sugar to activate my mental control of water and earth, and since earth was stubborn and hard, it cost a lot more. “You know, your classmates are pretty cool, from what I saw.” Dad points out, yawning and leading the way to the cafeteria, labeled Lunch Rush (like the hero? Cool!). “If you want to invite them over sometime, I wouldn’t say no.” I pause, mulling it over. I didn’t know them yet. But maybe after getting to know them, I would.

“I’ll keep it in mind.” I reply, side-hugging Dad as we walk to the cafeteria.  

=#=#=#=#=

“Alright, alright, alright!” Dad exclaims, seeing everyone seated and ready for the English lesson. “Before we get started, listeners, I have a special shout-out to give.” I pale, freezing in terror. He wouldn’t...

Would he? “Most of you know my amazing daughter already from yesterday’s performance for the Quirk Assessment Test, but I wanna formally introduce her! Tik-Tak, c’mon up here!” I am so red and flustered, I can only shake my head, slumping onto the desk as several chuckles ring the room. I hide my face in my arms. “Ah, well, she’s shy.” Dad acknowledges a moment later, and I swear his voice has a twinge of regret before he seems to revert to his normal self. “So, let’s move along to the rockin’ lesson I have for you all!”

Thankfully, the other teachers didn’t seem intent on embarrassing me in front of my class, and before I know it, it was finally time for Hero Basic Training. “I hear Hizashi felt the need for a ‘shout out’ in his class.” Toshin-Oji muses, in his thin form. I’d arrived early, sulking at Mom’s desk until he spoke.

“Yeah. He even called me Tik-Tak!” I grumble.

“He loves you and probably couldn’t contain himself.” I sigh, deflating.

“I know, but...I just don’t like being put on the spot like that. Everyone laughed at me!”

“Not everyone’s nickname is a candy.” Toshin-Oji retorts wryly. I swat at his arm.

“Not helping!” I protest. Eijiro then walks in.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” He asks, setting his bag down and walking over. I sigh.

“Just Dad’s ‘shout out’ in English.” Eijiro smiles.

“Well, I think it was pretty typical of a dad to brag about their kid.” I sigh.

“I guess you’re right.” I turn to Toshin-Oji. “Do you have to get back to work, Toshin-Oji?” I ask as Katsuki sulks in, glaring at us as he claims the desk he’s used since yesterday. Like anyone was stupid enough to confuse his desk for theirs. 

Toshin-Oji smiles gratefully for my excuse for his exit to change and become All Might (Dad told me Mom was letting my uncle sub for her class today as something came up at her agency). “Ah, yes. Thank you. I’ll see you later, Takara.” He says, waving from the door. I wave back as he leaves and more of my classmates arrive.

“Afternoon, Yamada.” Tenya says, seating himself and waiting for class to start. I nod, smiling.

“Hey, what’s with the last name?” I tease. “Told yah to call me Takara.”

“Ah, yes. Sorry.” I shrug.

“S’all good.” Soon enough, we’re all seated and waiting for All Might. He arrives moments later.

“I am...here! Coming through the door like a hero!” He exclaims, in a kinda weird pose, grinning and in general being overdramatic. He strides to the podium as we all chatter excitedly.

“So he is a teacher!” Eijiro exclaims. “This year is gonna be totally awesome!” 

I grin. “Right?!” A girl with dark green hair behind Eijiro looks at his costume.

“Is that his silver age costume?” She asks. I tilt my head.

“I think so.” I reply.

“I’m getting goosebumps! It’s so retro!” The boy with a tail (Oshio? Maybe?) murmurs.

“Welcome to the most important class at UA High; think of it as Hero-ing 101!” All Might begins. “Here, you will learn the basics of being a pro, and what it means to fight in the name of good!” He strikes a pose and reveals a card that says ‘Battle’. “Let’s get to it! Today’s lesson will pull no punches!” I flinch. Were they serious? Were we really gonna fight each other?

“Fight training!” Katsuki exclaims, an unusual amount of glee in his voice.

“Real combat?” Izuku mumbles nervously, and I find that a much more realistic and appropriate reaction.

“No way...” I whimper.

“And one of the keys of being a hero iiisss...looking good!” Toshin-Oji calls like we hadn’t said anything and points to the back wall. There were rectangular slots that opened up and out came racks of numbered cases. “These were designed for you based on your Quirk Registration Forms and the request you sent in before school started.” All Might explains. Everyone cheers excitedly. I wondered how they’d react to my choice of a fox-themed outfit. For some reason, that was all I could think of when I sat down to design a hero outfit. I’d even thought of my hero name to go with the outfit; The Elemental Heroine, Kitsune! It was what I wanted, and Mom and Dad were fine with it, so I submitted the Kitsune design and didn’t regret it. I move and grab the case with the number of my desk and follow All Might’s instruction to ‘get suited up’ in the changing room.

I open it and pull out the black bodysuit first. I go to a curtained room and get changed into it. It was almost skin-tight, but not quite, like I asked. I was surprised at how breathable and light the fabric was, but it also felt sturdy and reliable. I then pull out the orange half-sleeved overcoat. It covered from my chest to my hips, dropping behind me in a kind of tail, with a Mandarin neckline and zipper down my chest. I clipped my slate grey belt (with spaces for water or snacks to boost my blood sugar on the go) on and it fits perfectly. I then put my boots on. They were a sunset orange, like the overcoat, almost knee-high, and came with knee pads tucked into them to save space. The soles of the boots weren’t overly thick and heavy, with small spikes to provide traction. With the boots on, all that was left was my headgear and gloves. The headgear was tied at the back of my head, and was also sunset orange, with orange fox ears coming off the sides of my head, fading to black at the tips. The gloves’ fingers were black, and the rest was the orange of the rest of my suit. I tried a few poses, and it felt great!

“Wow!” I hear Mina exclaim from behind me. “That looks great on you, girl, but...I thought your Quirk was water?” I grin.

“Water and earth, actually. Earth’s just a lot harder to control, so I use it to track vibrations. Also, I really like foxes and wolves, so I crafted an outfit to match.” I explain. Ochaco grins. She has a black bodysuit, too, but it looks tighter than mine. She has a cute pink and white belt and a simple white design over her chest. There were bracelets over her wrists and her boots had a rounded, almost balloon-look to them, going all the way to her knee with a bit of heel. It was a simple costume and she had a visor to protect her face. All in all, a great outfit.

“That looks so cool, Yamada!” She says, then scratches the back of her neck. “I didn’t mean to ask for something skin-tight. I normally wear looser stuff…”

“I do, too!” I reply, trying to help her feel better. “Call me Takara, by the way, and, with everything else, it looks great. I like your suit, too!” I then look over and am a little shocked at the girl with long black-hair’s costume. It was red, looking kinda like Oba Nemuri’s...but… “Wow...um...that’s an interesting costume…” I mumble, blushing a little. She showed a lot of skin.

“My Quirk is Creation, and the creations come out of my skin, so I had to have something that works with that.” I nod.

“Yeah.” I reply. “Makes sense. Sorry.” She smiles.

“My name is Momo Yaoyorozu. I know it’s a bit revealing, but I have to dress like this, with my Quirk. I apologize if it makes you uncomfortable.” I smile.

“Oh, no! I just...it took my a little by surprise, is all. I didn’t know what your Quirk was.” I explain as we walk out.

“Okay.” She says and we drop the conversation.

I then see the boys and- -holy- -whoa! Eijiro! His hero outfit, like Momo’s, catered to his Quirk, but...did he have to just not wear any shirt?! “N-nice outfit, Eijiro…” I mumble, blushing scarlet. He was jacked! He had a defined six-pack and those arms were too jacked. He had a jawguard on that looked almost like a muzzle, with cog-wheel looking things over his shoulders and a half-skirt tucked into his belt, which had a stylized ‘R’ on the buckle. His pants were baggy dark grey cargo pants and he wore a pair of red mid-shin high boots.

“Thanks! You look...you look amazing, too!” He replies, chuckling.

I move automatically with everyone else, but I can’t stop glancing over at Kiri. He’d been wearing a sweatshirt and sweatpants at the entrance exam and the uniform after that, so I was completely caught off guard. How was he so ripped?! Finally, we arrive at Training Ground Beta and head down the tunnel. “They say that ‘clothes make the pros’, young ladies and gentlemen, and behold, you are the proof! Take this to heart; from now on, you’re all Heroes in Training!” Toshin-Oji all but squeals when we arrive. “It’s getting me all ramped up! You look so cool!” He calms a little, clearing his throat, “Now, shall we get started, you bunch of newbies?” Izuku, having taken a little while longer to get dressed, finally arrived.

At first, I thought his costume was modeled after a rabbit, then I remembered his favorite hero and shake with the effort to contain laughter. It was super obvious! “Nice costume, Izuku!” I greet.

“Yeah! Not too flashy, Deku! I like it!” Ochaco chimes in, and Izuku is startled when he takes in his friend’s costume, cheeks flaring under his face mask. “I should have been more specific about what I wanted; this bodysuit is skin-tight. Not really my style…”

“Now that you’re ready,” Toshin-Oji calls as he takes all of our costumes in. “it’s time for combat training!” Tenya (or I think it’s Tenya; no one else’s calves are that thick) immediately raises a hand.

“Sir, this is the city from the entrance exam. Does this mean we’ll be conducting urban battles again?”

“Not quite!” Toshin-Oji replies. “I’m gonna move you two steps ahead! Most of the villain attacks you see on the news happen outside. However, statistically, run-ins with the more dastardly villains happen indoors. Think about it; back room deals, home invasions, secret underground lairs. Truly intelligent criminals remain in the shadows. For this training exercise, I’ll be splitting you into teams of two; good guys and bad guys, fighting two-on-two teams!”

“Isn’t this a little advanced?” That girl with dark green hair asks, tilting her head. She wears a green bodysuit with dulled yellow goggles.

“The best training is what you get on the battlefield.” Toshin-Oji points out. “But remember; you can’t just punch a robot this time; you’re dealing with actual people now.” Questions flew thick a fast, things like ‘how will you split us up?’, ‘how bad can we hurt the other team?’ (from Bakugo, unsurprisingly), and a lot of others.

“I wasn’t finished speaking!” Toshin-Oji exclaims. He then clears his throat and draws out a small notebook. “The situation is this; the villains have hidden a nuclear weapon somewhere in the building. The heroes must either retrieve the weapon or capture the villains to win. But, time is limited! Teams will be decided by drawing lots!”

“Isn’t there a better way?” Tenya asks.

“Think about it.” Izuku counters. “Heroes have to team up with heroes from other agencies on the spot, so maybe that’s the reason we’re seeing that here.”

Tenya nods. “Ah, I see. Life is a random series of events.” He replies. “Excuse my rudeness!”

“No sweat!” Toshin-Oji cheers, “Let’s draw!” In everyone’s rush to draw, I’m left a bit behind, and can’t get through til almost everyone has drawn. When I reach my hand in, however, I find there’s only one ball left and I wander around, trying to find the other person with a ‘K’ on their ball. Toshin-Oji flinches when I can’t find anyone. “Ah, young Yamada! I should have considered that the class is unevenly numbered. Hmm...it wouldn’t be right to leave you solo...hmm...Well, I’m sorry, but for now, just watch and we’ll see how we can get you into a battle. Sound okay?” I nod awkwardly.

“Yeah.” All Might gives me an apologetic look before he clears his throat and moved to two boxes labelled ‘Heroes’ and ‘Villains’.

“I declare that the first two teams to fight will be…” He draws a ball from each and holds them up. ‘D’ and ‘A’. “These guys!” I gulp.

‘D’ was Katsuki and Tenya. ‘A’ was Ochaco and Izuku.

Katsuki hated Izuku. This was so not going to end well.

[animation-recaps-by-sean]

Adventure Time-Come Along With Me Recap

The fun will never end it’s adventure time! Spoilers below. 

After Sym Bionic Titan wasn’t renewed for a second season, a coworker told me that Adventure Time better turn into something great. Little did he know. Adventure Time came right when we needed it.  This is bittersweet for me. My first review for this blog was for the season six episode “Breezy”. It’s still my least favorite episode. And the rest of season 6 didn’t really help matters. But the show bounced back, next season. And was still one of the best on tv to the end.

Due to a series of circumstances involving Aqua Teen Hunger Force, a lightbright, and the city of Boston, Cartoon Network got a new head executive who wanted to move the channel in a new direction. He greenlight a series of reality shows and launched CN Real in 2008 planning to move away from cartoons completely. This move was universally hated by everybody and cost the channel millions. Fast forward to 2010 had Cartoon Network premiering it’s first cartoon since the failure of CN Real. It didn’t just save Cartoon Network it saved cartoons. Cartoons were kind of fading from television. Nick and Disney didn’t have a lot of animated shows at the time. And there was a lot of stuff like Adventure Time at the well... time. It’s hard to image since how cartoons have built off it’s style, but Adventure Time really was a breath of fresh air. If we didn’t have Adventure Time we wouldn’t have had Gravity Falls, Steven Universe and so on and so on. It showed everyone that cartoons could be funny and smart too.

It did have issues. Particularly in season six when the show started to by its own hype. And the gave everyone daddy issues. And I mean everyone. Finn, Marceline, Lemonhope, Jake, Jake’s kids, Jake’s brother, Jake’s grandkids. But they did improve season seven going onward by grounding the lore and the story based on the characters. I think deciding ending the series forced them to address interesting lore points.

Speaking of the ending, let’s talk about the finale. It begins a thousand years in Ooo’s future, seen in Lemonhope and Graybles 1000 +. We join Shermy and Beth, who looks like a decedent of Jake and Ladycorn, as they try to topple a Prize Guard Guardian. They fail but gain the ire of a futuristic banana guard. The duo also find an old metal arm. Finn’s metal arm. The return to their house, which is Marceline's house. The two decide to find the King of Ooo to see if he knows anything about it.

The duo travels up a mountain to the King’s house, who turns out to be BMO with a crown and a sheet tied to his face to mimic a beard. Shermy and Beth look around the room breaking a lot of stuff. BMO asks them to leave but the show him Finn’s arm. BMO remembers his old friend and how he lost his arm at the end.

We go back a thousand years. Finn and Jake see King Man and Betty doing something with the unconscious Maja. The three disappear. They report it to Bubblegum who is planning a defense against Gumbald and his army. Both Finn and Marceline warn Bubblegum about the war. The show is framing them in the right but I disagree. Look, war is bad, I get that. But you gotta defend yourself. This isn’t a cold war equal power kind of deal. Gumbald is gunning for Bubblegum. Ask Neville Chamberlain how well appeasement works.

Bubblegum discovers a spy forcing her to launch the attack now. Gumbald, who knows his spy was caught, knows what she would do launches an attack himself. Before the two forces duke it out Finn throws a potion he got from Nightmare Princess back from that episode set between the island and elementals mini series. Finn, Jake, Gumbald, Fern, and Bubblegum are hit and trapped in a shared dream. Finn tries to get Gumbald and Bubblegum to talk it out but the two fly off to dream fight. So Finn tries to get Fern to listen to him, but that’s not working out for him either. Jake meanwhile, conjuring up his brother, goes looking for something in there shared minds. He finds what he’s looking for. Finn’s vault. Finn tries to explain that he has issues just like Fern but Fern insists that he’s the only one who angsted. Trust me Fern, Finn have angsted plenty, just watch season six.

Jake comes in with the vault and opens it releasing a bunch of bad memories. Fern sees that Finn does suffer and Finn and Jake are transported into Fern’s head. The episode does rush past the bad memories without much thought. But I get they only have so much time for the episode. They find that grass octopus holding Sword Finn. Finn kills the grass ocotpuss and frees his time displaced counterpart.

Meanwhile, Gumbald gets to experience running the candy kingdom while Bubblegum lives turning into a candy person. The two get a better feel for each other.

The five of them meet up at the beach. Fern starts to distagrate but Jake assures him it’s just a dream. They wake; but Fern is still disintegrating.  Can I just say I love LSP’s “Oh no, there dead! Oh wait there fine.” It just really cracked me up. Gumbald and Bubblegum go to hug it out but at the last moment he pulls out the candy juice. But Lolly trips him and it spills all over Gumbald turning him back into punchbowl, saving Bubblegum. Guys, I feel so validated.

We cut back to the future and Beth thinks that BMO meant the end of the war, but no BMO meant the end of Ooo. Because as soon Aunt Lolly and Bubblegum makes peace, King Man comes crashing down, telling everyone he donked up. Bad. The chaos demon Golb comes down with an unconscious Maja and Betty in a trance. Somewhere deep in Ice King, Simon flashes back to him and Betty discussing GOLB. Back in the present, GOLB turns a bunch of people into a giant monster. The army Gumbald had recruited flees. Boy they were pointless to bring back. Bubblegum turns to the banana guards. She asks them if the will obey her orders. When the yes, she orders them to run away for their lives. Which they do.

King Man and Finn bring Ice King to Betty hoping he can snap her out of trance. Ice King sings the Fiona song. We never got an answer for that Fiona transmision plot line did we? Betty is not happy but that frees Maja who laugh at her chance of revenge. She is promptly overloaded by GOLB’s power and explodes. GOLB than eats Betty, Ice King, and Finn. Biting off Finn’s robot arm in the process.  

The monster goes on a rampage and smashes Bubblegum, sending Marceline into a rage. She knocks back the monster and attend to Bonnie. After the two talk, the girlfriends kiss. Good for them. It was never my ship but it was a huge part of the fandom and they deserve to be canon.

Jake fights the monster, who smashes the tree house and BMO’s face. BMO picks up a smashed tiny Jake and sings ‘Time Adventure’ the last song Rebecca Sugar wrote for the show. While singing the monster couldn’t attack them. Bubblegum realizes that creatures of GOLB are creatures of disharmony. And thus are hurt by harmony. So the cast begins to sing.

Meanwhile, trapped in his stomach, Betty and Simon are reverted to their premagic selves. The crown itself also switches to it’s prewish state. Betty and Simon are finally reunited, only to have to face of death. Finn fruitlessly punches the walls. But the song gets through and opens up GOLB’s stomach. Simon and Finn escape while Betty ops to stay behind to use the wish crown. She wishes for what she always wanted, Simon safe. Betty fuses with GOLB and disappears. The crown falls with a clang. I feel the show was a little harsh towards Betty’s quest to save Simon. It’s not her fault that Magic Man transferred his insanity into her.

Gunther picks up the Ice King’s crown and Jake reminders everyone that Gunther is a powerful space demon. But the crown just turns him into a smaller version of the Ice King head from the Garybales episode. Fern distagrates for real and Finn and Jake planet him were the tree house was.

BKO finishes his story. Beth and Shermy thought it was a story about the end of Ooo. BMO tells them it was. They asked what happened to everyone. BMO says they lived their lives. As the two leave and giant Sweet P can be seen walking in the background. They walk to the giant tree and Sherny pulls the Finn sword at of the top.

We cut back to Finn and Jake at the song hole, who sings the ending theme. We see flashes of everyone. Gunther marries Turtle Princess. LSP is crowned queen of Lumpy Space, Simon tries to find Betty, Marceline and Bubblegum cuddling on the couch, Susan and Frieda are still exploring, and Minerva leading the humans to Ooo.

I am bummed that we didn’t get anything with Finn and Huntress Wizard. I thought they worked as a couple and we spent a good chunk of the series dealing with Finn’s love life and would have liked some resolution to that. Also, why are the candy people in stasis in the future?

I think the final episode could have used another 15 minutes to flesh some stuff out. Other than that it was a great ending. I was a little worried we were gonna get a bad or strange ending, but I was happily wrong. It was bittersweet in some ways but did right by most of the main cast.

3 ½ out of 4       

[dancingships]

CaptainSwan is more Toxic than Rumbelle DEBUNKED

I honestly don’t care if you ship Rumbelle. I will never understand why because as much as you want to justify it away the hard truth is that the ship is problematic and always has been. However, I draw the line when people come at me calling CaptainSwan toxic, call me names & then try to make things up to where Killian is worse than Rumple.

It’s almost as if Rumbelle, EvilRegal and Swanqueen don’t watch the show? Get out of your fanfic, your head cannon, and open your eyes.

Charge #1: Killian lied to get Emma to sleep with him.

Case 1: He lied about helping Bae.

Rebuttal: When? The only discussion I recall them having was Killian admitting Bae/Neal was with him for a time. He also brushed off Emma’s accusation of him being sentimental over keeping his sword. Furthermore, Emma witnessed what Killian *did* do for Bae... instead of keeping his existence a secret like Pan thought he would, Hook helped them find him. By the time they reached Neverland, Hook’s heart was already softening. In the past, he’d made choices that hurt others because the only thing that mattered was his revenge but I think he always did care for Bae. Otherwise he wouldn’t have kept the sword or treasured his memories of young Bae.

I’m not sure if Emma knows Hook gave Bae to Pan but Emma does realize that Hook was a villain. She didn’t even allow her walls to come down even an inch until she realized there was still goodness in his heart.

Also, if Hook was going to use Bae as a way to get Emma into bed then why did he aide them in bringing Bae back from the dead? Cause that sure as hell blocked him from getting into her pants. Case dismissed.

Side note: Funny how Belle has tried so hard to get Rumple to choose good over evil but the poor thing fails every time.

Case 2: He lied about helping Ariel and Eric.

Rebuttal: No, he really didn’t.

Killian: No, it was Ariel. She never stopped believing.

He credited Ariel. If you were expecting him to come completely clean then you must want Henry dead. Did you forget that Zelena had backed him into a corner? Had he mentioned that Ariel was really Zelena in disguise he’d have put Henry in more danger. The truth did come out eventually as they find out that he’s cursed. Case dismissed.

RBer Counter Charge #1: Rumple never lied to Belle to get her into bed

You may seriously want to rethink using that argument.

Case #1: Rumple used a fake dagger to propose to Belle.

And yes, my dearies, it was a fake dagger! Rumple had switched them so that Regina ended up with the fake dagger. He tells this to Zelena in 3x20. Killian handed Belle a fake dagger.

Then the season 4 opener clenches it.

Rumple 4x01: And now, through Belle, there's love in my life again. And once more,  I've started it with a lie. She thinks she has the real dagger. I only lied to her in order to avenge your death.

Sorry. But. Rumple did lie to Belle to get her to accept his proposal and get her into his bed.

Case #2: He lied about Milah

I wonder if Belle would have stayed with him if she knew he was a wife killer?

No wonder she was always afraid of him. He killed his first wife for defying him and daring to leave him for another man. Why not Belle? He certainly got most possessive over her when she tried to date other men but more on that later.

Case #3: Rumple planned to lie to Belle about being a hero.

During the “Shattered Sight Curse”. Rumple had planned to take Belle & Henry to New York. Upon arriving, he figured he would simply tell them he did all he could, tried to be a hero, but in the end he was only able to save Belle and Henry.

I am pretty sure he thought this lie would get Belle into his bed and keep her there.

Also it’s worthy to note that Rumple put Belle to sleep during this so she would not interfere with his plans. More on that below.

Case #4: Rumple failed to tell Belle that he was the Dark One again in S5.

And before you say we don’t know if she would have slept with him or not, uh, yes we do. Because when she finds out in the Under World she rejects him. The only thing she’s ever wanted was for him to accept the goodness inside of him. She didn’t want to watch him be a slave to the darkness and use his powers to ruin the lives of others to suite his own needs. Yet he continued to choose his powers over her.

So yes, this was a rape by deception because he wasn’t revealing his true identity = the Dark One. Belle would not have stayed with him had she known.

Charge #2: Killian treats Emma like an object.

Case #1: “You’re nothing but an anchor.” (5.10)

Rebuttal #1: I love how they only have a few episodes to use against Dark One Killian but we literally have 6 seasons worth of crap to pile onto Rumple.

And yes, I will blame Dark One Rumple for every one of them because Rumple continues to choose the darkness. The darkness was forced on Killian, Killian was consumed for an episode or two and after he sacrificed himself he never sought the power again. There is also a stark difference between reformed Hook before AND after his transformation into the Dark One. Also, we’re seeing Hook first consumed vs Gold who has had 300 years to get control over the darkness where he control it instead of the other way around. In these episodes the darkness is controlling Hook. There’s your difference between the two.

Also, we see Killian’s remorse over what he allowed to happen as the Dark One. He wouldn’t even let Emma kiss him because he didn’t feel like he measured up.

So no, Killian Jones does not think Emma Swan is an anchor.

Rebuttal #2: Would a man who saw a woman as an anchor, as an object, say this? He was even angry and insulted at David’s accusation.

Rebuttal #3: Also, when Killian wants to propose to Emma he goes to David for his BLESSING not his permission. Because as they both know, the answer is up to Emma. Emma has always been in charge of this relationship. Killian goes to David for his BLESSING out of respect to both Emma and her father.

RBer Counter Charge #2: Rumple never thought of Belle as an object! He always acknowledged her agency!

You gotta laugh at this. When did Rumple ever give Belle a choice? Ok, maybe that one time in S6 when he decided against forcing a magical potion on her that might help him save his son. But other than that? Lets review.

Case #1: Rumple lumps her in with his power

His power, his dagger, is a possession as much as Belle is. He is determined to “have both of them” even if “one of them” doesn’t want him.

Case #2: Rumple literally took her as payment.

1x12 Rumpelstiltskin: Ah… No. You see, um… I, uh, make gold. What I want is something a bit more special. My price…is her.

Hey, if you can use Dark One Hook, whom was completely different toward Emma than anything we’d ever seen before, I can use S1.

Case #3: Belle was Rumple’s chess piece.

This instance ties into several points I will make below but yes, Rumple makes Belle’s choices for her.

“Shattered Sight Curse”: He put her under a sleeping curse so she would not interfere with his plans. He chose her fate for her in S4 AU and in S6 when he imprisoned her and in the S6 finale.

Charge #3: Killian touches Emma against her will.

Case #1: Up the Beanstalk.

Rebuttal: Context. As they’re going up the beanstalk, Hook proves he’s already read Emma like an open book. When she grabs Hook to keep him from falling into the trap, he’s having a bit of fun with her, he’s flirting, because he knows she feels an attraction for him. She even confirms this when she says she “can’t afford to be wrong about him”. She knows he’s being sincere with her but she’s afraid to trust.

The thing that sets Killian apart from Rumple is that when he gets the hint, he gets the hint. He backed off. He let her go. And he didn’t touch her again. The next time they touch he’s offering his hand to her & she cuffs him.

Case #2: Killian followed her into the street and grabbed her with his hook.

Rebuttal: Wow I didn’t know getting someone’s attention was so wrong! Never mind that she was stopping. Never mind that she did NOT pull away. No, she stood there and told him that she was afraid to lose him. So no, this is not an instance of her not wanting to be touched by him. This is an instance of Killian trying to scale her walls and she willingly lets him see into her fear and takes his comfort.

Case #3: That time in S4 when she literally pulled away (talking to her parents)

Rebuttal: You’re reaching again. Literally. Killian was trying to comfort her. It’s a normal reaction from someone who isn’t in the mood to be comforted. Notice how he did NOT force the connection on her? He took her signal and obeyed. Too bad for you CS haters that she was melting in his arms in the next scene as she sought his comfort.

RBer Counter Charge #3: Rumple never touched Belle against her will!

You guys have really got to start watching this show!

Case #1: Lacey. Belle didn’t want anything to do with Rumple.

Belle was trying to date someone new! But he was literally badgering her to death to get her to go on dates with him. Which resulted in this:

Belle literally flinched at his last touch there! Killian respects Emma’s wishes. Rumple can’t take a hint!

Case #2: When Rumple posed as Killian 4x15

Prior to this, Belle has sent Rumple away because he’s once more chosen to take back the dark one power thereby choosing darkness over her. She was also starting to date Will and Rumple was jealous.

This scene is uncomfortable to watch. Belle has accepted Killian as a friend at this point and we know she trusts him now. She’s seen the change in him not only from what he says but from what he does. And yet, she looks so uncomfortable when Killian (Rumple) touches her. So not only does she feel awkward about Killian touching her but we KNOW she does not NOT want Rumple touching her at this moment. She’s already stated that she wants nothing to do with Rumple.

In fact. She’s scared of him. More of this below.

Case #3: The Season 4 Finale.

This is completely non-consensual. Prior to this, Belle had been seeing Will & wanted nothing to do w/Rumple. Rumple had Isaac write him a happy ending with Belle as his wife again. Belle has 0 memories of rejecting him.

SIDE NOTE (and speculation): They had a baby in this AU. They were married. Rumple had Isaac write this life for him. If... IF... they had sex during this time then Rumple most definitely raped Belle. Wish Isaac’s help. And I think we can assume they did have sex since I’m pretty sure they weren’t rescued from this AU in under 24 hours.

Case #4: That time Rumple shook Belle.

Also that time he screamed and shook Belle for trying a TLK... pretty sure hands were involved there too. P.S. Rumbelle True Love Status DENIED. And it was denied because Rumple did reject it.

Case #5: Season 5 Sleeping Curse Kiss

Here we have Belle who has just entered a sleeping curse. A curse Rumple can't wake her from b/c she isn't his true love. She's rejected him again at this point because he once more chose to keep the darkness & lied about it. I'm pretty sure she didn't consent.

Case #6: When Rumple put Belle under a sleeping curse in S4

More of that below but I’m also pretty sure any touching here was also non-consensual.

Charge #4: Killian has locked Emma up and his intentions were not pure!

Case #1: Hook locked Emma up in 2.9

Rebuttal: Hook didn’t lock Emma up. Cora did via Aurora’s heart.

Never mind that at that point they were still enemies. They were not together. Emma had just left him chained in the Giant’s treasure vault.

But lets look at the context of this scene anyway. Hook agreed to help Emma obtain the compass she needed to get back to Storybrooke. He was fully committed to Emma & only Emma. We know this because she uses her super powers on him and finds him to be truthful.

I can’t take a chance I’m wrong about you.

Emma was afraid to trust because of what being in the foster care has done to her as well as Neal’s betrayal. Her fear and hesitation are understandable.

So is Hook’s response. He works by a code and she broke that code. He knew they’d made a connection and she betrayed him. He’s angry. Of course he left her there & went with the woman who would help him get his revenge.

Our Killian hasn’t locked Emma up anywhere.

Case #2: Killian kept the shears so that he could decide her destiny

Rebuttal: No, he kept the shears so they wouldn't lose the one thing that could save her. I’m sorry, when did he say he would use them against her will?

There has never been a moment where our Killian forced his will on Emma. He has left every single move in their relationship up to her. She kissed him first. She asked him out first. She asked him to move in. Hell, she practically proposed to him first since she found the ring and couldn’t wait to be engaged to him.

Killian Jones was not going to use the daggers on Emma Swan against her will. Case dismissed.

Case #3: Dark One Hook locked Emma in her house

I’m sorry when? The only instance we can come up with to when Emma was “locked” in a house is when her family didn’t invite her to go with them. ::throws this case out::

RBer Counter Charge #4: Rumple is justified in what he does to Belle. He does it to protect her. His intentions are good.

I’m sorry that’s victim blaming and justifying abuse. He removes Belle’s ability to choose for herself. She is quite literally his prisoner.

But lets go ahead and visit all of the instances Rumple locked Belle away. His abuse doesn’t just span 10 episodes where he was first consumed by darkness like Killian. Rumple’s abuse spans all six seasons.

Case #1: After Belle attempt true love’s kiss

She is awarded by being once more tossed into a cell. After being screamed at.

Remember the first night she was there? Yeah he brought her pillow. How sweet. Oh wait, no, it was to muffle her cries.

Case #2: Rumple forces her to watch him nearly kill a man

Case #3: Once more, the sleeping curse in S4

4x11: Mr Gold: Don't be  ridiculous, dearie. When Belle and Henry wake up tomorrow morning in New York City, they won't remember a thing about tonight. I'll tell then the Snow Queen destroyed Storybrooke, whilst I saved everyone I could. I won't be a villain. I'll be a hero.

Case #4: The Jolly Roger

Rumple thought he could make Belle love him out of necessity.

Case #5: The bracelet.

Belle: You call this love?  ... Next time, I will run so fast and so far that you will never even set eyes on this child. Rumple: Let me remind you, dearie, that Rumplestiltskin takes children, not the other way 'round.

Case #6: He locked her up in his library once

Three of these cases happened AFTER they were together. What does that say about Rumbelle? Hm?

Charge #5: Killian always puts Emma down.

Case #1: “You’ll always be an orphan”  “Blonde distraction”

Rebuttal: More Dark One Hook, huh? It’s almost as if you can’t find instances where Killian has put Emma down... right... because you can’t. 

Above photo credit goes to Rhylee.

Once again, we know Dark CaptainSwan wasn’t the healthiest. They were hot together but not necessarily healthy. HOWEVER the thing that separates them from Rumbelle is that they learned from their mistakes and moved on.

You’ve never seen Killian put Emma down before or after being consumed by ultimate evil. Even when they were enemies Killian was in awe of her.

And one has to remember that Killian was most certainly horrified at what he did as the Dark One. Killian was ready to pay penance. He thought his torture was justified. He didn’t think he was good enough for Emma. He was going to stay in the Under World and pay for it all. Until he realized that he’d paid the ultimate price and that Emma also deserved that future she wanted.

Case #2: “Vulnerability isn’t your strong suit.”  

Rebuttal: This was apparently 6x02 and not even an insult.

Emma: I have an appointment with Archie. Killian: Ah, you're still gonna see the cricket? I'm impressed. Emma: Did you think I was gonna back out? Killian: Well, you know, being vulnerable isn't exactly your strong suit. Emma: You're right. We've been through a lot. Can't hurt to talk about it. Kilian: I'm glad to hear it, love.

His last line gives us the proper context here. He knows Emma has problems letting down her walls. He’s just happy she’s getting help.

RBer Counter Charge #5: Rumple has always respected Belle!

Every charge I’ve brought against him above says otherwise. Locking her up, touching her without consent and treating her as an object is respect?

But hey, lets throw some more into the mix!

Case #1: Season 3 finale Rumple laughs at Belle being the hired help

Case #2: Rumple likes Belle blissfully ignorant.

Case #3: “You read too many books, dearie! Maybe that’ll stop filling your head with poisonous thoughts! .... You foolish, gullible girl!”

Case #4: “And because this is YOUR FAULT, you get to come with me and watch, and know as the blood drops from his carcass it’ll be you and your rags to wipe it up!”

Thinks of her as nothing but a maid! How romantic!

Charge #6: Killian chooses power over Emma and her son

Case #1: Killian stole Emma’s magic

I’m sorry, when did Killian steal Emma’s magic? Please do not tell me Rumbellers use that time Zelena cursed Killian’s lips so that SHE could steal Emma’s magic?

Killian was doing all that he could to keep Emma from losing her powers. When Emma kissed him, to save his life, she knew what was going to happen.

Killian did not steal her powers. In order for one to steal something, they have to 1) want the item being stolen (which Killian didn’t) and 2) the one doing the taking (which he wasn’t, Zelena was).

Case #2: Dark Hook stole her memories and sent her family to hell.

Rebuttal: Oh you mean like that time Rumple took Belle’s memories in S4AU, forced her to be his wife and then condemned her friends to death? How about when he beat her father and killed her fiance?

Once again, this is more Dark One Hook. Also, you missed the part where Killian did not send Henry to hell. He was able to overcome the darkness and he won. And he didn’t look back.

Case #3: Dark Hook was going to kill Emma.

Rebuttal: Um. Emma was immortal...

RBer Counter Charge #6: Rumple has spent 40 years trying to get rid of the power! He’s never chosen the power over Belle or his sons!

I swear what show do they watch?

Case #1: Coward Rumple refuses to give up his power and loses Bae

Rumpelstiltskin: Where are we going, boy? What kind of world is this we’re going to? What kind of world is without magic? Baelfire: A better one. (Baelfire pulls out the magic bean and throws it on the ground. A green vortex forms in the ground.) Rumpelstiltskin: My gods, boy! It’s like a tornado! Baelfire: We have to go through it! Rumpelstiltskin: No, no! I don’t think I can! Baelfire: We must! It’s the only way! Rumpelstiltskin: No, no, no, no, no, no! It’s a trick! It’ll tear us apart! Baelfire: It’s not! It’ll be okay! I promise! (Baelfire gets pulled down towards the vortex. Rumpelstiltskin hangs on to him.) Baelfire: Papa! We have to go through! What are you doing? Papa! It won’t stay open long! Let go! Rumpelstiltskin: I can’t! I can’t! Baelfire: Papa, please! It’s the only way we can be together! Rumpelstiltskin: No, Bae! I can’t! Baelfire: Papa, please! Rumpelstiltskin: I can’t! B aelfire: You coward! You promised! Don’t break our deal! Rumpelstiltskin: I have to! Baelfire: Papa!

Case #2: The dagger literally tells Belle what Rumple loves

Rumple might have been trying to rid himself of the dagger but he did not want to rid himself of his power. He just didn’t want to be chained to the dagger anymore. The dagger left him vulnerable. His power made him a brave coward.

Case #3: 1x12 Rumple: “My power means more to me than you”

True Loves Kiss DENIED.

Case #4: Rumple always chooses himself

4x10 Mr Gold: I don't have  time for everyone else. And if I have to choose between everyone else and me... "Me" wins every time. 

Charge #7: Rumple has made Belle afraid of him.

Belle has feared Rumple. And this right here just pushes this ship over the edge.

Case #1: Season 4 after she banishes Rumple

Case #2: S6x09: A scared Belle literally runs away from Gold

He’s trying to force his will on her again. He was about to do it. And she was legitimately scared of him.

Charge #8: Everything Killian has done is ten times worse than Rumple.

Defense #1: Rumple’s intentions are pure.

Rebuttal: No, Rumple’s intentions really aren’t.

The evidence against Killian all stems from Dark One Hook & not the Killian we ship with Emma. Yes, the dark powers re-awoke Hook’s thirst for revenge. But there is an obvious change in his character from who he was in Camelot, to becoming the dark one then to who he was in the UW. Most importantly he showed remorse and never tried to regain the power again. He grew. He moved on.

Rumple’s intentions were not pure in S4 when he planned to leave everyone to die except Henry & Belle. He planned to make them believe he was some kind of hero. Belle didn’t even want to go with him. And Henry wouldn’t have wanted to leave his mothers to die.

Rumple’s intentions were not pure when he told Isaac to create him his perfect life in the Season 4 finale. He once more decided Belle’s fate for her and sent everyone else to live a cursed life without love.

His intentions were not pure when he locked Belle on the Jolly Roger or forced  tracking bracelet on her. Yes, it was to protect his child but he did it at the expense of his wife’s mental health and ended up endangering them. He did it because he thought he could make her love him out of necessity.

Rumple’s intentions were not pure in Season 6 when he lied to all of them about the Black Fairy. He was forcing Belle into another life he created and condemning everyone else to a horrible fate.

Bottom line is: We don’t ship Dark Hook with Emma Swan. Killian Jones fought the darkness and won and he never looked back. He chose Emma over the darkness.

However Rumple’s abuse spans over all 6 seasons and he never once learns to let go of the darkness and be a better man.

[bigbrotherorre]

FINAL EPISODE: “DENNIS IS SUCH A KING” - ALI THE REST OF THE GAME.

WEEK 13 

if someone who doesn't love me wins this week then bye bye ashvika 

annoyed that sammy nominated me because i kept him safe last week whereas i could have just as easily flipped to keeping alivia and he could've left...but more than that, i'm annoyed at his speech. i dont think he should've used "you nommed me" as an excuse bc that's lame and he was the first to nom me and i nommed him back so we were even, and then i let him have veto pick when he was nommed and i made sure he got taken off. also conversation is a two way street and i dont see him trying to make a conversation with me either, he could have just said the real reason....i love hearing about how good of a player he thinks i am.... the worst case scenario is if bryce or zeezo win, i think even if the noms stay the same that i have a good chance of staying? granted that autumn and ali don't decide to turn on me and evict me 

why is bryce spreading lies :( i didn't tell ali to nominate sammy.... 

ive made a lot of mistakes this game and there all coming at me now.. my position in the game is terrible and i can blame it on ppl playing not to their win condition or on just the wrong ppl winning comps at the wrong time, but ultimately i could have tried harder convincing ppl to see the light or to do better in challenges so ultimately its on me. feeling really hopeless this week even tho i avoided being a preveto nom i think ill be a post one if literally anyone but me wins veto. and i flopped veto (cwl). i cant wait for after the game for ali to admit that he did tell me that ashvika pushed for sammy to be nommed. order in which id vote ppl zeezo- always worked with me and if she makes it to the end she truly DID THAT ashvika- really took control of the game with her hoh win and after jose left smartly picked up the goats and became the biggest threat randy- a king love us working with/against each other throughout the game and even tho he was voted out im not one to discredit buyback winners autumn- never spoke to me but guess she didnt need to KASDHFK ali- fakest person ive ever met dennis- knows how to get to f2 at least sammy- ignores obvious facts and always makes the wrong move  but good at comps so wooh (me teas too tho...)

somehow i didnt get nommed but like so sad what the heck zeezo is going home like why is everyone so jealous that shes prettier and funnier than them :( why cant we all be her goats <3 i guess its good bc like i cant win with zeezo in the game and i can vote to keep her still, but honestly if i lose in f2 with zeezo itd still be fun bc she has had my back all game :] I AM SO SAD UGHHHH GOD HATES GAYS AND HES TAKING MY TWO WOC QUEENS BACK TO BACK. Now i have ashvika who is a queen but not my queen!! And autumn yikes hates me always :(

SORRY IVE BEEN GONE!!! I did one video confessional for Week 11 and just like never posted it lmao but I will haha and that's all behind me. But anyway I just have so many feelings. Live  night is about to begin, me and Zeezo's war is finally concluding, IM STILL TRYING TO GET MY FIRST COMP WIN, and I'm trying to protect my allies at all cost. Some cracked shit is about to go down and I'm so excited and so so glad I took a nap before this cause I'm ready for anything wooo

RANDY: WIN SAMMY: ... ALI: FAKEST PERSON IVE EVER MET MAYBE TALKS A BIG GAME AND SAYS HES SUPER NICE AND EMOTIONAL BUT SUDDENLY CAN TURN THAT OFF. HE WOULD BE A GOOD VILLAIN BUT HE ACTS NICE AND DOESNT OWN IT AND MAYBE ITS JUST BC ITS SO SOON BUT I HOPE HE CHOKES AND HAS HAYFEVER FOREVER! WHAT EVEN IS HAYFEVER??? HORSE BOY AUTUMN: NEVER SPOKE TO ME BUT NICE DENNIS: FORGOT TO PUT SOMEONE ON THE LIST, KNEW HIS WAY TO F2 AND IF HE DOESNT TAKE CREDIT FOR THINGS ICON AND ID VOTE FOR HIM.

AFTER THE TRIPLE EVICTION...

OK BUT DAT TRIPLE DOE http://media2.giphy.com/media/xUA7aViRhBQPzXNAAM/giphy.gif It was dramatic, over the top, emotional, satisfying, show stopping, gut wrenching- literally everything you want out of a triple. I... don't feel bad for Breezo lmao, not after all the messiness they've caused. But doing Ashvika dirty is literally the hardest choice I've had to make in Orre. Sis I am so so sorry. I should've thrown you a vote but you know how Randy is and you really know how Dennis is. I just--- that was something I like wasn't prepared to ever do, break Ashvika's heart. But like in my beautiful dark twisted mind? It was perfect because I knew I couldn't go to the end w/ Ash but I was never going to nominate her. So here we are rip ALSO LAB AND BREEZO ALL SITTING IN JURY??? BIIIIIIITTTCCHHHHH https://media.giphy.com/media/zcAii7T9JXezS/source.gif If you're reading this, you know I sure did say I would wipe that whole group out and send them to jury and it really did come to pass. John sure did gas all of them up to win and I sure did tell him in my Week 10 goodbye message that they were all bout to walk in behind him. So in the spirit of prophesizing, let it be known that Auli aka Ali and I will make Final 3 because we are the strategic dynamic duo y'all slept on. Like correct me if I'm wrong: we've been on the right side of all 8 "merge" votes (there's no word for like opposite of pre-jury lmao), we ain't been on block since Week 6/7 and it's now Week 14, and we've downplayed our iconicism left and right so we're the last duo standing at Final 5, and no one wants to take a shot at us. BUT YALL STILL SLEEP CAUSE THE MIST IS THAT STRONG. That's ok though! When Randy and Sammy walk into jury next y'all will see Also I'm  dead at how much jury hates Ali hahaha. Deadass he has to stay in the game for safety reasons. Like soooo many jurors wanna kill him. That's my ride or die though so I can't let that happen. Anyway I still feel like shit for obeying Randy, which hurt Ashvika, made Dennis cry, and further dragged Ali's corpse. But the good news is woooo it's Final 5 and these boys all want to take Auli to the end. So do I NEED to win this HOH? No not really. Am I still praying and pleading with God like I do before every comp? Absolutely https://media1.tenor.com/images/1a11748f0c7ce30ab4afd057fab66751/tenor.gif?itemid=5677211

Me when I shocked the nation and won HOH and finally had power in the house after 13 weeks https://78.media.tumblr.com/2a8c6d7cc298da364a847f8f9d767c7c/tumblr_opiih6Z7tB1ub3fcfo1_500.gif Me then using said power to target my baby Randy for the greater good https://media.giphy.com/media/hic9t15zsdwfC/giphy.gif And now me that I'm selling my entire family, land, soul, and wig collection to get Dennis to keep me and kill Sammy so that I'm not Ika Wonged because I know for a fact Ali would take me to F2 and Dennis would be a dumbass not to take me too. AND I ALWAYS BELIEVED IF I WENT UP A FOURTH TIME THAT WOULD BE THE TIME I GO UP ON THE BLOCK AND DONT COME BACK DOWN SO FOR THE LOVE OF GOD DENNIS BE STRATEGIC AND KEEP ME https://i.pinimg.com/originals/23/53/9d/23539d4ab6c13adab50940426d73ed6e.gif

[AFTER F4 EVICTION]

WAIT WHAT HOW AM I ALIVE?? https://media.giphy.com/media/TZ388aYpsLMcM/giphy.gif AND HOW THE FUCK DID I MAKE FINAL 3??? https://yiaelxzosjw9p4bs-zippykid.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/happy-crying.gif Pray for me if I win Final HOH cause fun fact: I, the strategic legend, have no clue who to fucking take to the end and that's the biggest gag of the entire season BECAUSE I DIDN'T PLAN OUT THIS FAR GODDAMMIT AND I WISH I HAD. Ok that's not entirely true- I knew I should either sit next to Dennis or Ali because ya know contingency plans matter. BUT NOW??? Bitch ion know I just wanna win

CLICK HERE & HERE TO SEE DENNIS’ VIDEO DIARY ROOMS!

i've never seen a better reflection of the emotional rollercoaster that is my mental state than these two being filmed less than 12 hours apart jasldfa

CLICK HERE AND HERE TO SEE ALI’S VIDEO DIARY ROOMS!

okay i have lots of post finale thoughts but i need to type them up tomorrow. i just hope the jury knows how sorry I am if I ever upset them, because I love them all so much and would never want that :(

time for my post finale wrap up and.... whewie. This is so upsetting because, I just did this for all stars. Like it's looking like my track record is LITERALLY going to be 2nd 9th 2nd 2nd 2nd, I CANT COME 2ND AGAIN. I really can't take this. Here is the bigger problem though and this is why Orre will be my last game whether I win or not. I can't keep playing these games when I upset so many people. Like it honestly broke my heart yesterday hearing how much I upset people like Bryce & Ashvika, people I love SOOOOOOO much. I don't want to upset people. Like... what upset me about finale is I don't think the jurors realise that.... I didn't just upset people for the sake of it and ahhh. Honestly, I'm really upset, like not even that I'm coming second but that I upset people. So with that said, I really apologise to the jurors. I got the impression that I hurt you all so bad that you are giving me 2nd as like.... punishment? And while I hate that, if I hurt you all that bad I really owe you all an apology. Anywho, since this is definitely my last game, I've played 183 days worth of games to just come 2nd, and that's just too much. I'm too flawed of a person and player to continue playing these games and just keep coming 2nd. Like it just hurts. so yeah, i'm sad but mainly because this is deja vu. I'm so proud of Dennis for winning, he is such a sweet genuine guy and when he was complimenting me during the finale, it was the nicest thing I've ever heard and I'm so greatful. No matter my game or his, I'd be happy to see Dennis represent our season.

Can I just say... Dennis is such a king. What a kind-hearted, genuine guy. A true king.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH DENNIS’ VIDEO DIARY ROOM!

okay so I lost.... and I'm weirdly at peace with it. I know I answered the jury questions terribly and I had... some jurors that would never have it in them to vote for me and would actively campaign against me. Dennis is a king, and in a cast with toxicity and SUCH bitterness, I think he is a phenomenal representation for the season. Otherwise, I am really honoured to get Ashvika's vote, she is such a deserving POTS, and to get POTS' vote is always an honour. Autumn and Jose are amazing friends and I am so happy to have got to work with them, John is a player with SUCH potential and he is WINNING BOTS & Zeezo I'm really honoured to get her vote too! For the others, Bryce is a KING and so is Blake (they both seemed really upset by me so I hope we can be friends). Lynn I never spoke to and seems... very bitter about the season's result, but I hope she gets over it because she is also a QUEEN. Randy is a funny one and I'm starting to worry all his friend talk was just him playing into my emotional side, but he is a good egg really I know it. Sammy is a ghost king. I kinda want to end on Alivia. Alivia is a person whose personality is obviously very different to mine and the way she speaks to me and others really upsets me a lot of the time. However, her bitterness against me is understandable and I hope she gets over it, because she defines herself by anger and bitterness when she is such a funny and likable person and doesn't need to do that. but woo... to wrap stuff up, I'm so grateful for Nicholas & Julia for casting me, Owen & Emily for being amazing.... OH, I forgot what I wanted to say. Autumn is a queen, a legend and amazing. She is honestly soo soo amazing, like... someone I really admire and see as a rolemodel? she is inspirational, a queen and a legend. Dennis is the nicest, most well intentioned guy ever SO sweet and really just a genuinely nice guy. I have made lasting friendships with some members of this cast and I'm so happy. so yeah.... i'll probably do another one of these in like a day or so, but if not.... ali out woo

we love coming to jury and being told about my ""showmance""".... wanna die jadfkl. my only showmance was to snakery, my way of life. blake was robbed but also is a broccoli. last words? autumn and dennis are my faves, best F3 ever.

FINAL CAST ASSESSMENT

[thenakedprophet]

God is Faithful when we are not. Honour Him so He can honour you more!

Video coming soon... Runtime 12m – spoiler alert(ref recap at end).. story.. recap (with key points categorized)

Welcome to the first completed episode of ‘The Naked Prophet’...

So, I have a testimony to share about how God is amazing even when we are not, yet if we try to honour Him, He honours us!

But first...

Spoiler alert for those who don’t have 12 minutes to watch or read...

– Contained within are the details of the story of how these things and many more came to be...

SO....

- When I first moved to Quebec 19 months ago...

- I spotted a piece of land (3+ acres) and asked God if I could buy it, He said ‘no’

- it was valued at $17000

- priced at $9999

- I didn’t know was still for sale a year after the for sale sign came down

- God told me it was still available.. and then..

- God provided apparently, the lowest price that it would go for..

- in a dream..

- on the same day He had me moving out with no place to go.

I was finally obeying what God had told me to do and receiving what He wanted to give me!

If you want more details... here’s the story... All this goes without even sharing on how God took away my depression, fear, anxiety, and moved me to Quebec giving me a new family, a new purpose, and a dream life. It’s not all rainbows and easy times, the Christian life is challenging and painful guaranteed, yet the joy, freedom, and abundant life even before we die are infinitely worth it.

God also knows when and how is best to act, and is able to move mountains IF we let Him.

So, my first Sunday in Quebec 19 months ago I was invited up to a youth evening and I remember driving up week after week past this beautiful mountain that had a couple pieces of land for sale. One for $9999 and the other for $8999 each had a bit of acreage. 

I was all excited. Wow! That’s so cheap, I can move into my own place at any time. So I asked. God can I buy that land?

‘No’...

Okay, so He ended up asking me to quit my job at the farm then move in with a family in the Church.

It wasn’t easy, but it was all a wonderful experience and that in itself was fulfilling many dreams I have had. 

I’ve always wanted to live in Christian community and they happened to take 3 of us single guys into the family all at once. 

I was in a cabin --- in the mountains --- on a lake!!

Something I’ve dreamt of but never thought would be part of my life. As well as it being kind of a camp ground, and I’ve also had dreams of living at a Christian camp full-time. 

  Wow, so many things, that God just provided, and that’s just a few highlights! New deep friendships like I’ve never been able to have before, along with great health, joy, and purpose. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After just over 12 months of living with this family, God said it’s time to move and provided a possible way to move. But sometimes life still gets dark, and confusing, and I tried making this happen quickly to obey God, but it just didn’t seem to be working. 

 I wasn’t quite seeing clearly or hearing His voice.... 

since I had slowly let some darkness creep into my life, by:

- Not being prompt with what God asked me to do

- Not acting in courage and faith but in fear

- As well as allowing myself to be overwhelmed instead of excited about what God had asked me to do.

It all was falling apart and I couldn’t see how to let God do what He needed to do. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- So, February, just over a month after God said to move, I was overwhelmed and confused and gave up; not sure if I had heard God correctly. Yet the longer I stayed with the family the more it was weighing on me and life was not going well, as I was feeling like I was not ‘in God’s will’. 

I made more and more mistakes and couldn’t tell light from dark. 

 As I was trying to break through the darkness in April, God was finally waking me up to see what was wrong and what I had done and begin to hear from Him again.

I needed to clear up relationships that had walls, I tried to act in faith by thinking as if the walls that separated people weren’t there, instead of addressing the things that were coming between us. So, I was too scared to act the same as I would have, if the walls were not there, because I wasn’t talking to them as much, as a result. 

  I also was not following through on the harder parts of projects I was excited about:

I was supposed to be building a tiny house for a friend who needed housing

I felt God saying I was to prepare a service for our Church community

I was supposed to move- I was supposed to complete my prayer counselling training

I was supposed to be more careful with my interactions relationally

I should’ve met with people, but they didn’t seem to be willing to meet with me

I hit roadblocks on each of these issues which I was too scared to take the next step to remove them. I grew tired of persisting...: physically, emotionally, spiritually,  and so I let myself become drained trying to do it on my own power. 

  I really need to learn how to rely on God completely for strength. 

 When I’m not obedient, I start trying to find my own ways to solve the issues God wants me to be working on, but in ways that I’m comfortable with.. instead of how He’s directed. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

So, back to the story...

I started clearing all these things up, focusing on time with God, prayer/fasting/meditation, regardless of how fruitless it felt. Just waiting on God to break through and hear some direction on how to clean up these messes.

One of the last messes was.. to move out.. okay, I think the door is closed on the original option 5 months later... so where do I go? 

 I finally heard, just put your stuff in storage, or at this particular friends house. Ok, storage I can do, I’ll move when we leave for the summer, no problem.

... Except God didn’t seem to be letting me leave for the summer yet... had I missed my opportunity, had I forgotten something I was supposed to do? (Or am I still, to this day, somehow delaying His will?)

I feel the answer for me this time is that... I was disobedient this year, yes, yet God wanted to still accomplish the things He had planned for the Winter and Spring... before I could leave..

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

..okay so God started working, big time:

He gave a crazy dream(with dinosaurs as a main feature) and an interpretation a few days later, and asked me to share it in front of the congregation (I hate public speaking and want to avoid it at most costs).

He also thrust me into bringing a short message on a Wednesday prayer night on May 5th, which I wouldn’t have expected to be allowed to do. Being allowed though, helped heal some walls that were left between my pastor and I.

He started changing my friends and bringing them back into the light in huge ways!! I was feeling supported and like we’re giving and taking each others advice and seeing growth.

He started confirming more details of this summer trip.

He gave me huge amounts of courage to do crazy things that my flesh normally doesn’t want to do.

He encouraged me through others randomly hearing from God for me.

and I finally had break through of ‘living waters’ flowing through me again and a true joy and peace pouring out of my soul by the week of June 14th.

I had tried to work on one of the last outstanding issues, preparing a service plan, without much direction, and on June 17th God orchestrated an entire service plan and topics to go with it...  without me having to even battle through it and wonder what was from God and what wasn’t. (He may even have tried to give me this plan months before, but that was back when I started to not recognize His voice in the winter and I must’ve dismissed it.)

Another dear Brother I received a word for, yet it didn’t seem to go well even though I took a huge leap in the dark in sharing it. I continued in prayer against strongholds and God made some of the biggest breakthroughs I’ve ever seen in that person!

Wow, what else does God have to use me for here before I go...?Thank-you Lord for Your forgiveness and accomplishing Your will in spite of my failures.

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So.. I was thinking I should be more adamant about finishing moving out. I had a place to go now after all.

June 21st – I start packing, my only direction is to put things in storage.

June 22nd - God said I had to move this week but I could not put my things in storage.

June 24th – I finished packing.

June 26th - Monday, Tuesday, I tried to bring home a trailer to move my stuff with.

June 28th – Wednesday, I finally was able to bring a trailer home. So I could finally move the next morning.

June 29th – Thursday morning, (with a trailer, packed things, but nowhere to go) that day I woke up from a dream. In my dream, someone had given me land for about $3200.- I thought it was my own mind. But I prayed. It seemed that it was perhaps a God-given dream, seeing as it came the same day I was moving. I heard a slight "yes".. it is.

(I had kept an eye on houses and land in the area, but the only land that came to mind was south of Chénéville, but the for sale signs had been taken down a long time ago.)

I went that Thursday morning to offer $3250 for the land that had been for sale for $9999.

He called us back right away and said that $5000 is the lowest they can go.... I prayed, God said “Stay with the same amount”.

That night I felt led to take out $3500 cash from the bank

As I prayed that evening, God told me to bring in cash and offer again the next morning instead of calling back about the $5000 offer.

Friday morning, we went down to give him the cash. He called his wife immediately, and she said that $4000 was their final offer, I felt cheap and embarrassed.... only $750 difference on land I had been willing to pay $10k for. God still had said stick with the price.

So, I said sorry to the guy, but let him know that I’d leave this cash with the Notary if they ended up changing their minds, and that I had only about $3600 in my wallet 

I prayed that night and God said it was His land. I rejoiced and sang, and waited on Him to work.

Saturday morning the owner called back and accepted for $3500! My friend had thought he accepted the $3250, but when we found out the confusion was the original amount I took out from the bank, I knew it was still God who was making this happen as I didn’t have an exact figure in my dream!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SO....

A piece of land I spotted and asked God if I could buy when I first moved to Quebec 19 months ago... valued at $17600priced at $9999I didn’t know was still for sale a year laterGod told me it was and then..provided apparently, the lowest price that it would go for..in a dream..on the same day I was moving out with no place to go.

I was finally obeying what God had told me to do and receiving what He wanted to give me!

People continually ask me why I don’t work a ‘regular job’, does God really want that for you?

Well.. 

When God can:

Save me $6499(+taxes etc :p) in a day...   [that’s 10-20+ weeks of net-pay]

Provide a job for me on request... [I verified in prayer if I should get a job, that week i received a contract offer for $5000+, but wasn’t supposed to take it]

Provide a self-sustaining, mortgage-free, low-maintenance place to live...

Provide my favourite piece of land in His timing...

and Bring healing and joy day by day...

Without condemnation or judgement, knowing that God calls us all to different things...

...I just ask you in return, has God really told you to work a ‘regular job’?

[gold-tcm]

When in a dry season it only lasts for a moment but when you come out GOD puts his hand in and pulls you out. Hi guys this is Tajma Cameron TajMA'sLeionBrada all about healing the heart mind body Spirit. Because I am about not growing alone I want to share my experiences with you and what I learned and we can learn from each other. I am testing out My new branding tell me what you think ~~~~~~~\~~~\\\~~~\~~~~~~ When in a dry season it only lasts for a moment but when you come out GOD puts his hand in and pulls you out. I was just watched a amazing episode of 20/20 about a young woman stranded in the desert 7 days and it really touched me It blessed me And really put into perspective a dry season in the Lord Most people when they reference a dry season they say. You are either - entering in a storm - in a storm - or coming out of a storm But this episode of 20/20 was a actual depiction of a dry season literally So I am going to break it down how I saw it and I pray that it Blesses you The episode discussed the young woman's life in the beginning and this was key Because it spoke about how she went to school for ROTC that gives you certain training and skills to prepare her for this testimony that could have been tragdy She wants to take a road trip she planns it all out does last minute the week before and packs food for the journey In life we make plans, we know what our purpose is or have a goal or dream growing up. We take steps to get to that dream but LIFE tells us it's not possible. But over life God gives us training molding our experiences and preparing us for the major tests We have the best intentions and then we leave the nest and the Enemy starts to close Olin on us. She left home the journey started out great the first day. When you give your life over to God your saved things are great God starts showing you favor and your like "I could get use to this" - You get lost he provides Simone to show you where your going immediately. - You have money almost on demand - Pray answered before you asked Your like "I like this... I got this thank you Jesus, praise your holy name" She was good she let her family know she was okay and she was good went to her second location and this is where she runs into trouble. You know the point where you are running into the storm but your like"God got this I mean he been had this so that little stuff that ain't no thing" She made one mistake thinking she was saving money not filling her tank with gas only filling it a third of the way You know that point when you become comfortable with God's favor so you think "I am in God's favor so if I stay on track I am cover if I miss it he'll cover me in Grace...I am covered" Then that evil devil and its minions kick in So she had her GPS on her phone and she was living by it that phone it was her life line to the world and she depended on it and it led her in the wrong direction. The enemy Will do something to get you off course Now one might say "what happened to God's favor" (The LORD said to Satan, "Where have you come from?" Satan answered the LORD, "From roaming throughout the earth, going back and forth on it" Then the LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.") John 1:7-8) But this lets you know a few things 1 the devil pays you no attention until God draws his attention to you. 2 the Enemy has to get permission to mess with you. 3 he can't do more then the Lord allows him too So when the devil turns you around only God will allow a certain amount of trial to test you and God allows it just to see what you will do in a storm She got lost and traveled for hour and half and was lost then traced a brim wall. While in the wilderness you Will wonder around lost for periods (looking for clarity and direction) you beg you plead you pray then you reach a dead end Mosses and the people wonder on the outside of the wall for 40 YEARS!!! On a journey that should have only taken 11DAYS!!!!!! She sat there for 5 days so close to her destination, so close to a ranch but she didn't know KNOWLEDGE, knowledge can make the difference between breakthrough and being and staying stuck. God will pull you into darkness in order to give you wisdom and knowledge you would never have gained had you not been pulled into darkness For five days she was stuck there Her and her phone - Recording messages - Realization - Thoughts - Fears Never realizing she was documenting her testimony documenting her story. God will pull you in the wilderness and have you write draw cook, record express you experience that will write themselves into breakthrough after breakthrough A phase of growth that sits you down stops you puts you through - Tests - trails - lessons But in that time frame God will grow you so much faster then you though you were moving. Use the skills you already had never realizing you needed. But, came natural to you to get you through that season It was all of her skills she learned over her time in ROTC that got her through that 5-6 days without loosing her mind. God gives you everything you need to get through that season. She had to deal with several false alarms when she thought she was coming out and didn't - helicopters passing over never seeing her - Her putting up a judge Help sign Didn't work - smoke signals Didn't work - car passed didn't see her (and she chased it Didn't work How any times have you been in a wilderness season thi vs look Look they starting to look up and then everything doesn't work - Your finances Don't work - Your mental health Don't work - Your eating habits don't work - Your business don't work Feels like everything is being blocked at once and you were so close. This happens Over and over and over again like it's teasing you. You fall apart you reach the end of your rope. Then you have a Ephany She reached rock bottom and she thaought she was dead then she realized she had to find a way out of no way. She had the tenacity to get up like phionex and take a LEAP of faith. Sometimes we have to reach rock bottom and take a leap of Sheer Faith because that's the only way your was going to get out You have to do something radically on the edge to get a radical result To get to the next level it takes "It takes doing something everyone has the opportunity to but won't to get the results everyone could get but refuses to even try" You have to get to a life or death decison "stay or go" = "fight or give up" you have to reach that cross roads to leave your comfort zone Now or NEVER So she did she got up walked several miles in the direction she knew she just might find a cell signal. After several mild she called 911- 70 times and finally got a answer gave them her location and from the two points she was in between lost them She busy into tears all she knew was to go back where she came from. Some times we are that close to our breakthrough had one to many false alarms and we turn around to go back because we don't know what else to do so at least going back to the comfort zone you could regroup. But some time just some times God's preparing to reach in to pull you out. When you least expect it. "When your down to nothing God's up to something" The helecopter event to where she had been but she was gone. Some times you can be in postion perfect place but the devil makes you run out of postion because you wanna do it your way in your time You ever stand waiting on a bus for a hour; hour and a half for a 20 minute walk just when you walk away get 5 minutes from the bus stop the bus sizes passed you that could have gotten you there in 5 minutes. But because you didn't wait you missed it. Sometimes turning back stepping out of position could mean you miss the moment that actually meant you would have died. But, then it happens. The moment of convergence where all the blood, sweat, and tears come together and at lat the Lord releases you. The rescue chopper sees her and this time no more false alarms. - No more they just didn't see me, - No more wondering if your going to die in this wilderness. Now, it time to be released into purpose into Destiny, Revalation 3:7-8 "...What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. 8 I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name." She used all her skills she got through the storm watched how much she toiled and he sent her in the help she needed he rescued her and most importantly he put a testimony in her mouth. He did the same for you, he doing the same for me. There is a silver lining to all of it. Deuteronomy 30:1-11 30 “And when all these things come upon you, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before you, and you call them to mind among all the nations where the Lord your God has driven you, 2 and return to the Lord your God, you and your children, and obey his voice in all that I command you today, with all your heart and with all your soul, 3 then the Lord your God will restore your fortunes and have mercy on you, and he will gather you again from all the peoples where the Lordyour God has scattered you. 4 If your outcasts are in the uttermost parts of heaven, from there the Lord your God will gather you, and from there he will take you. 5 And the Lord your God will bring you into the land that your fathers possessed, that you may possess it.And he will make you more prosperous and numerous than your fathers. 6 Andthe Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live. 7 And the Lordyour God will put all these curses on your foes and enemies who persecuted you. 8 And you shall again obey the voice of the Lord and keep all his commandments that I command you today. 9 The Lord your God will make you abundantly prosperous in all the work of your hand, in the fruit of your womb and in the fruit of your cattle and in the fruit of your ground. For the Lordwill again take delight in prospering you, as he took delight in your fathers,10 when you obey the voice of the Lordyour God, to keep his commandments and his statutes that are written in this Book of the Law, when you turn to theLord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. “For this commandment that I command you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach. Now is the season of a open heaven God is going to bring all you have prayed for fought for and toiled for to convergence. Because you stayed in postion So my question to you is... Are you ready to reap the downpour of the Lord? If you are interested and like want you have read so far I would like to invite you to come over to my page and subscribe to get a dose of Facebook: Tajma's Leionbrada https://m.facebook.com/Tajmas-LeionBrada-747097158769587/ Tumblr tajmasleionbrada.tumblr.com/posts Look at the archives to click through and see the posts Twitter https://www.twitter.com/TajMALeionBrada ~~~~~~>~