#I love ash so much I don’t want this win to be the reason I don’t get to go on adventures with him anymore

[thejourneystartstoday]

If I say this enough it will speak it into existence: being a Pokémon master does not have to mean being the strongest battler. I’m sure being a strong battler comes with the territory but there are still regions Ash hasn’t been to and Pokémon he hasn’t met. He’s going to keep traveling until he’s seen them all.

[jwnzlvr]

just take it

pairing : boxer!nishimura riki x reporter!fem reader

summary : you asks stupid questions, you get very interesting answers! or, riki gets sick of your shit and he definitely lets you know.

wc : 2.4k

warnings : SMUT (mdni), noncon/dubcon themes, p in v, pwp (very light plot tbh), unprotected sex (don’t do that folks!), light edging and overstim, choking, light slapping, squirting, fingering, (slight) degradation, not proofread!, DON’T LIKE, DON’T READ (i will be promptly blocking anyone who doesn’t like and does read.)

notes : everyone say thank you ash (@gyaruoriki go read her fics !) for the idea love ur big sexy brain mmmm !!! i wrote this at midnight while thinking abt this cute guy i saw at work who had just come out of the gym wearing bandages MHMM scrumptious. anyways, yall enjoy <3

seeing riki high off his adrenaline, eyes filled with pure determination and rage did something to you. you’d heard from other sources that riki was competitive and winning his matches was always something important for him. however, you never really understood just how strong this competitiveness was until you saw him in the ring.

sweat mixed with blood dripped down his face. the bruises on his torso were indicators of how well this round was going. not good at all. according to riki, this was all YOUR fault. every time that you were a part of the audience of a match always ended in him losing. it’s been loss after loss for him lately.

‘how important could that stupid article be for her to ruin my fucking matches?’ riki would ask himself. definitely not important enough to cause him yet another loss tonight. his opponent managed to catch him off guard, throwing a punch straight to his gut. the impact made riki fold over, his hand on his stomach and a bit of blood being coughed up.

“fuck this…” he mumbled as he tried to get back up but his body decided to give out on him completely. you watched in disappointment as riki fell to the floor of the ring. the referee counted to ten, officially making riki the loser of this round and the match.

white noise filled riki’s ears and only one thing was on his mind: you. you, the one who seems to be like bad luck to him. you, the one who can’t seem to shut the fuck up. you, who always asks the worst questions at the worst times. like now. because for some reason, you thought it’d be real smart to follow him into the locker room and ask an angry, upset riki “so, how do you feel about this being your fourth loss this season?”

the simple sound of your voice made him want to punch you in the face. or stick his dick into it. he wasn’t too sure yet.

riki stared at you in disbelief. he scoffed before turning to look at anything else but you. “are you serious right now?” he asked, his fatigue dripping into his voice. “well, it’s an actual question i need to make.” you retorted, notepad and pen in your lap.

“it’s an actual question? okay. i’m pissed off. i never lose but it seems ever since you started showing up here, you just ruined shit for me. what are you even writing about on that stupid fucking notepad? are your articles even important? what do you even write about?” his frustration was absolutely evident. you thought for a second before answering him. “illegal boxing. underground boxing. and no, it’s not my fault you’ve been losing. that’s very much your problem. i’m just doing my job. it’s really not my fault you can’t handle a simple loss.”

your words set something off inside of riki. something beyond anger, beyond wanting to rock your shit. something dark. you’d really fucked up by now.

‘fuck it.’ he thought to himself before he grabbed you by the arm. “what are you-“ “shut the fuck up.” he cut you off as he threw you to the floor, immediately caging you between him and the cement under you. you couldn’t even react from how fast everything had happened. one second you were on a chair and the other you were on the floor with riki’s breath against your lips.

being in this position made riki realize how attractive you really were. sure, he hated your guts but he admitted from the start that you were hot. he knew eventually he’d try to get you alone to fuck you but he didn’t think it would be right now. or that it’d be under these circumstances.

you shook under him, you didn’t know from what. fear? shock? one look into his eyes told you everything you needed to know of his intentions with you. they held an eerie darkness to them. it shook you to your core. riki didn’t give you more time to think but hiking up your skirt, revealing your plush thighs to him. he grinned at the sight of your stockings and your panties. how cute.

“fuck, you have no idea how long i’ve been wanting to do this to you… coming into my space just to ruin shit. just made me wanna fuck that stupid smile off your face. want me to do that? actually, who cares what you want. i think i deserve at least this as a reward for you ruining my winning streak.” he smirked as he ripped your stockings off of you along with your panties.

you whimpered at how aggressive he was being. your hands immediately tried to wrap around his forearms. it seemed you forgot riki was probably ten times stronger than you, and he showed this by promptly releasing your grip on him and using one hand to push both your arms above you.

“really? do you actually think you can get me off of you?” riki’s grin widened. you felt a shock of fear down your spine. he was having fun. he was about to do something disgusting, yet he was having fun.

you couldn’t even move around as he was on top of you, his weight holding you down. “what do you want?” your voice came out in a tremble. riki only looked you up and down before answering.

“revenge. and a little fun.”

revenge? for making him lose? this was a new level of petty for you. and the way he was getting his revenge was definitely not your favorite. riki used his hands to pry apart your thighs, immediately getting a negative response from you. you didn’t even get to say anything to him before he reached his hand back up and slapped you across the face.

“don’t fucking complain. just take it.”

his thigh was slotted in between yours, putting some pressure on you with it. you tried your best to not show an expression of pleasure to him. you couldn’t let him know you enjoyed the slight pressure on you. your clit twitched at the feeling of his shorts against you.

he slotted his hand in between where his thigh was and your heat. his fingers traced around for a bit before finding your clit. he smirked as he rolled it between his fingers. he had fun watching you try to not whine at the feeling of him playing around with you.

he gave a dark chuckle at the sight before him. “i know you’re enjoying this, baby. i can feel you getting wet.” and he was right, your pussy beginning to get damp. you refused to give into his actions thought. “fuck you!” you yelled, trying to move but only making it worse for yourself.

riki decided he had enough of your brattiness and pinched your clit as punishment. you yelped at the bit of pain followed by some pleasure. your pleasure was promptly taken away when riki gave another pinch, this time hard enough to make you almost tear up.

“fuck me? gladly.” he gave a fake smile as he took his thigh back from between you. his hand immediately made its way back to between your thighs. you didn’t even get to do or say anything before two of his long fingers slipped inside of you. you couldn’t bite back that moan, letting riki know that felt good to you.

no. no, it shouldn’t feel good. but with each curl of riki’s fingers you felt your defense falling some more. his thumb grazed over your clit occasionally, making you clench on his fingers. riki knew you were starting to enjoy it and it was evident on how his fingers started to thrust in and out of you with more force than you’ve felt.

he watched as you whined, trying to deny it felt good but your body couldn’t lie. you were gushing on him and you knew it. you felt your high getting close. your hips moved on his fingers automatically as you got closer and closer.

you could taste your orgasm coming, just a few more thrusts from riki and you’d come undone. unfortunately for you, riki decided to torture you a bit. he slipped his fingers out of you just as you were about to cum. you let out a pathetic whine at the loss of contact, riki only grinning before sticking his fingers in his mouth to taste you. he hummed at your taste.

“what’s wrong? i thought you didn’t want me to touch you?” his voice dripped of fake sympathy. now he was acting like he gave a damn what you wanted. you shook your head. your head was so hazy, you didn’t even know what you wanted anymore. all you knew is you needed to cum. no matter what.

you whined at his words. “i changed my mind…” you wanted to cry at how he edged you. “just let me cum, please.” you almost begged him. that was more than enough for riki. he finally properly lifted your skirt, getting a good look at you. he then pushed his shorts and boxers down, revealing his hard cock. precum dripped from it, making your pussy clench.

he saw as your hole clenched and grinned ever so bigger. he let his middle finger graze over your wet hole. “you like looking at my dick, baby? want it in you?” he teasingly asked. you could only nod at him. you needed him in you. riki sighed exaggeratedly at your reaction. “well, i guess i can’t leave you hanging… if you’re good for me, i’ll even cum in you. you want that?”

you felt yourself drool at the idea of being stuffed with cum. it was crazy how you went from wanting riki off of you to making him cum inside you. you felt insatiable. “yes, cum in me. want you all in me!” you cried.

he silently gave his cock a few strokes before sliding into you. your jaw dropped at the feeling of you being stretched on his dick. it was so thick with a good length, it felt perfect. he went slowly as to let you feel every inch of him. after what felt like an eternity, you felt his hips press against you.

he let out a low groan at how tight and warm you were. “god, this pussy feels so good. you like having my cock in you, hm?” he moaned at the feeling of you clenching around him. there’s his answer. you let out whimpers at the feeling of him being so deep. his tip was hitting straight into your spot, the slightest movement making you want to scream in pleasure.

his hips began to slowly thrust in and out of you. the drag of his cock in your walls made you see stars and you couldn’t help but grind on him. he felt satisfaction at seeing you be a hot mess for him. “yeah, you like that…” his thrusts gradually got a bit faster, a continuous fap fap fap being heard across the locker room.

“nghh riki…” you whined as his cock was digging into you. it was heaven on earth for you. riki finally let go of your arms after a while. you moved them to wrap around his neck, your hands tugging on his hair. a low groan escaped his throat at your actions. his now free hand made its way to your neck, wrapping around it and giving a small squeeze.

you gasped at his hand around your neck. “you’re such a good girl for me, ya know? can just fuck you whenever i want and how i like. so good…” he praised as his thrusts got harsher. and for the first time that night, he leaned in to give you a kiss. it was so messy, teeth clashing and tongues dancing but it was perfect.

his hand squeezed your throat a bit tighter, making you feel woozy. his other hand went to squeeze your left tit, satisfied at how soft it felt even when you still had your shirt and bra on. the lack of oxygen made you needier and more desperate to cum. riki knew this when you began to clench around him.

“fuck, gonna cum? cum whenever you want, i said i couldn’t leave you hanging.” he gave you a hazy smile. his brain was completely fogged up. he couldn’t formulate a thought other than fucking you. he was just as out of it as you.

you felt your pleasure from before building up, trying to give riki a warning. “cu- ‘m cumming!” your words sounded choked but he knew exactly what you were trying to say. he didn’t give you a verbal response. he only gave your throat the hardest squeeze he could without hurting you. “cum for me, baby.”

that was enough for you to release all over him, your release hitting his thighs. he kept fucking you as you came, watching in awe as you squirted all over him. he finally let go of your throat and let you catch your breath as you came down from your high.

“did i fuck you that good? such a dirty girl f’ me.” he groaned as he felt himself get close to his release. he ignored your cries of overstimulation as he kept fucking you. “since you were so good, you get my cum. are you happy, baby?” he asked.

you gave him an eager nod, trying to ignore how overstimulated you were for him. “so happy, want you to cum in me. please, riki!” you moaned loudly. that was enough for riki to start painting your walls white. his head was thrown back as he released into you. you enjoyed the feeling of riki cumming in you, moaning softly at the sensation. you clenched around him to try and milk him for everything he had.

you laid on the floor with riki flopping next to you, both of you guys’s chests heaving. you were trying to catch your breath but it felt almost impossible. riki finally turned to look at you.

“you make me lose again and i’ll only be meaner to you.” he warned.

you took it as a challenge to distract him in his next match.

[beforeimdeceased]

ELECTRIC LADY… 💋📺🚬

pairing: 70s!ellie x reader

synopsis: today is nothing like yesterday.

author’s note: whipped this up kinda quick while watching ash asylum.

part one. > part two. > part three.

⋆˚✿˖°

“and more on the shocking news we covered earlier tonight, the man found dead was 36 year old Benson Standold. not much on the fugitives that killed him, but a witness has disclosed that they saw two young women running away from the scene—“

the radio whirrs as ellie turns the channel.

“got on board a westbound 747…”

“dammit shit fuck!” you scream. she’d pulled the cigarette out of her own mouth and handed it to you, the unkept ashes falling onto the skin of your thigh. you wince, taking a drag. “what have we done?”

“listen, he was gonna hurt you. and you didn’t do anything, i was the one holding the knife.”

you shake your head, holding back a river of tears. “weren’t we just two kid in love yesterday?”

you’d both gone to get breakfast and were on your way back, when ellie noticed a car following in her rear view. she took a couple harsh lefts, sharp rights, and stopped over to the side when it was still there. she’d gotten out to confront him when he threw a string of slurs at her. hollering about his perverse thoughts. hollering about you.

he went to attack her and she fought back. ellie fought to win, nothing less. this was something he’d been forced to learn the hard way. now you were speeding off to god knows where with your things still at the hotel. a small sum of money, gum, and a pack of cigarettes on your person.

“that was yesterday, doll. if you ain’t noticed already, things have changed.”

you bite your lip. “what if we just tell the police what happened?” ellie chuckles. “we ran. and they wouldn’t believe me anyway. listen, we can play this like i kidnapped you or something? murderous frenzy? way outta my mind? that might work.”

you stare at her like she actually is way outta her mind. “goddamnit ellie! i’m not letting you go to fucking jail for me! now shut up and keep driving.”

⋆˚✿˖° 7 years prior

you were dazzling in the low light of the bar. the music seemed to flow through you, overtaking your body. your movements, effortless but enchanting. hauntingly beautiful. hypnotizing.

ellie had up and gone and come back about 20 times (if you were counting right) and you were sure you were the reason she kept returning. never a moment in her reappearance had she missed the chance to sit and talk with you. smiling at you with so much love in her eyes you thought it might change your mind about her. about not getting too attached to a balloon that was facing the wind.

you’re startled by another presence, and by the change in music you can tell it’s her. she never fails to come back with a present. pretty key chain dangling on her index finger while her thumb points to the booth. how could anyone say no to that smile?

“when do you leave again?” you ask, conflicted on how you should react to the answer. she was doing what she’s always wanted to, but not seeing her was killing you inside. you couldn’t get over all the love you had for her. she tosses a toothpick around her mouth, then smirks showing that damn dimple. “in a couple days. you free?”

it was never just sex, though the sex was incredible. she’d take you on sweet little dates. she’d show you things you that you wouldn’t even know to go looking for. she’d talk to you about how the city was her heart but you were the blood running through it. how much she…

“want you there with me, but i know that you love this little shithole town.”

you scowl at her. “don’t call it a shithole. i love this place.”

“i know.” she sighs. “that’s why i keep coming back.”

[lbctal]

y’all mind if i yap about the walton gq interview a bit?

okay shoutout to my friend ash for manifesting this interview after danny did his LMAO

FIRST THOUGHTS: WHERE THE FUCK IS VENUS???

if you asked me his most iconic characters, venus is absolutely in the top three. how the fuck do they mention BILLY CRASH and JAY WHITTLE but not VENUS VAN DAM???? fuck whoever came up with this list.

now that that’s out of my system, let’s go in order, shall we?

lee russell: ty walton for describing russell fucking perfectly. him and i are the only people who understand russell. (jk) ALSO YESSS THE DUCK LIPS BUT SIR CAN YOU SAY A LINE. PLEASEEE. on my knees. MOST IMPORTANTLY; WALTON SHIPS GAMBYRUSSELL. FUCK YESSSS 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈 LOVE WINS

cooper howard: snore. i’m so fucking bored of this guy. are we not tired of hearing shit about the goddamn ghoul. moving on.

shane vendrell: STOP MAKING ME WATCH LEM DIE. CHRIST. but thank you again walton for focusing more on the shield than on your biggest piece of shit character!! and when he started talking ‘psychological condition’ it reminded me of how i’m like almost certain shane is bipolar. wonder if he’d agree w me on that? anyways.

boyd crowder: WHYYYY DO THEY HAVE TO PLAY THE FINAL SCENE HOLY FUCKING SHIT I ALMOST CRIED AGAIN. so thankful to mr. olyphant for convincing walton to do justified. their chemistry IS SO PALPABLE. his love for boyd and raylan and justified in general is so fucking precious to me and it makes the show so much more special and it would absolutely not be justified if it weren’t for his spectacular input. i could listen to him blab on about that show all fucking day, it’s the whole reason i love him. beautiful fucking words to describe it. just speechless. much love to this man. ‘raylan givens is an asshole. but he’s my asshole.’ WE KNOW YOU’RE THE ORIGINAL RAYLANBOYD SHIPPER, BABE. 🩶

baby billy freeman: this bit was JAM PACKED w info and i loved it sm. really shocked they just came up w him on the spot but you could really tell cuz he’s like the perfect combination of walton’s ideas and danny’s ideas cultivated into this old man. too bad he didn’t mention that he was inspired by his dad again, lol.

billy crash: this part was like a bit confusing to me cuz i have heard different stories about how he got the role from other sources but it’s good to get some confirmation. pretty akin to what i heard, though. also giggled a bit when he said you don’t change what quentin writes cuz tarantino himself said ‘someone’ wanted to change the ending of django. but y’all didn’t hear that from me, lmao. always love to watch billy crash writhing in pain. :)

chris mannix: also a lot of new info for this one!! although i already knew about all the drama about h8 and the leak and all that, it’s interesting to hear the process the actors went through. would’ve paid millions to hear him do his voice. also why is he gatekeeping info, UGH. all i wanna know is if he had an encounter with tarantino’s punsihment dildo for falling asleep on set. lmfao.

the hero / jay whittle: okay, at first i was kinda pissed that he got a spot instead of venus, but this might’ve been my favorite segment aside from boyd’s. I never really find anything about him talking about his time on set of I’m a virgo so this was such a nice treat. i LOVE how he approaches each one of his characters, it’s so special and is why each one of them are so special and different from any other character you’ve ever seen. the wig story was fucking hilarious and it’s just so sweet how he says let’s figure this person out together. such a wonderful guy. it is SUCH a BEAUTIFUL story with a POWERFUL message and i adore how he recognized that. and the way he described jay? CHEF’S FUCKING KISS. mid-life crisis superhero who behaves like an alcoholic and is incapable of seeing different than his own pov? walt, you’re a fucking genius. his closing statement was absolute beauty.

anyways thanks for reading my ramble.

JUSTICE FOR MY GIRL VENUS

[julia-writes-things]

behold, desert duo fanfiction I wrote in January! Third Life but make it angsty

This was it. They were the last two players left. The entire world seemed to stink of blood and ash from their previous murders.

Grian could feel his heart beat in his throat. He’d never admit it but he’d enjoyed his time with Scar. Now, they’d be forced to fight. They would force him to fight. Petty entertainment, satisfying the overlords. But maybe, just maybe they’d let them both win. 

“Scar?” His voice came out quiet, meek. Nothing like the insane banter he’d held up with others. “I think we can agree that this series is a double win.” 

He held his hand out for Scar to take, offering a truce. 

“I’m sorry Grian, I don’t think it works like that.” Scars looked down to hide his face, but his voice betrayed him. It wavered. Thinned from the heat of the previous battles. 

“Let’s battle this out like champs then, huh?” Grian didn’t want to accept it. He’d stall until the very end. “A fist fight, fair and square.”

The pair silently set up a ring of cactus that they’d once used to keep everyone out. The cactus was now used to keep them from escaping themselves, how ironic. They closed the ring with fire. 

Scar exhaled. This would be fine. Just another murder under his belt. It’s not like Grian cared about him. Grian just felt bad for taking away his first life. He’d made quite a point of letting him know he’d leave the moment he turned to yellow. He had stayed after getting to yellow, but there wasn’t much of an option to leave when he’d turned everyone against them.

Scar would happily admit that the times they’d shared were special to him. But he knew he’d be met with indifference, so he kept quiet. It wouldn’t hurt if he tried to not care as well. 

Grian studied Scars face of cleverly disguised emotion, trying to sus out what he was thinking. Scar was quite good at dying, but man did he have a poker face.

But this wasn’t about emotion. There needed to be one winner. Grian needed to put his feelings aside, or he wouldn’t be able to do it. Would he even be able to kill him? He didn’t have his trusty TNT on hand. 

Scar’s punch came out of nowhere. Fast and angry. He’d let his emotions take hold of him, using them to his advantage. Scar hurt so much. Someone he held in such high regard not even bothering to acknowledge him. Wanting to leave him. Grian couldn’t leave now. 

“Scar-“ Grian was surprised at the outburst. It was in the rules but he never expected it. 

“No.” Scars voice was sharp as glass, hot with anger. “You don’t get to talk. You’ve been talking about running from the very start, but you’re going to stand here and fight me.” 

“Scar I- I can’t fight you. I won’t. We can both win this.” Grian smiled at scar’s murderous face. 

“You know damn well that they won’t allow it.” 

Scars eyes stung with oncoming tears, blind to the emotion of it. “You’re one of them, aren’t you? Why don’t you just return home, huh? They’re waiting for you.”

Grian knew he couldn’t let shock be the reason he lost. Scar was speaking the truth. They both couldn’t win. What would they say if he lost to common folk? 

Grian threw the next punch, knocking Scar down onto the sand. He wiped away his own tears. His blood soaked sweater painting his face red. 

“Not saying anything huh? Nothing left to say to your old pal?” Scars voice dripped with venomous sarcasm. 

Grian walked up to Scar and put his foot on his chest, preventing him from moving. His eyes stung with sand and tears. “You have no idea.” He chuckled. 

Scar stared up at Grain. The sun, sand and black spots made it hard but he managed. 

“I’ve protected you.” Grian practically spat with anger.

Punch.

“I’ve stood by your side.”

Punch.

“I’ve set up all your traps for your petty revenge.”

Punch.

“I went slowly insane by your side.”

Grian grabbed scar and forced him up on his feet, forcing his beaten body into a cactus. He grabbed Scars face and made him look into his eyes. 

“And I loved every minute of it. Every minute with you, the chaos, Pizza. All of it.” Grian’s eyes stung from the heat and tears. 

Scar’s eyes widened at the confrontation. He never expected he and Grian shared the same feelings. He was in shock. He couldn’t defend himself. 

Grian threw Scar to the ground once more. The hot sand made its way into Scars wounds. Scar had to bite the inside of his cheek as to not scream out in agony.

“You don’t get to insult me, my sacrifices, and expect me to sit idly and let you kill me.” 

Scar scrambled back. They were really playing with fire now. 

“You cared..?” Scar asked 

“Oh believe me.” Grian laughed “I didn’t keep your sorry self alive for nothing. I enjoyed our time together. We were unstoppable, on top of it all.”

Scar’s world came crashing down on him. Grian did care. He stayed for him, not just because everyone hated them, but for him. 

“May… Maybe they’ll let us win?” Scar was scrambling for opportunities now. 

“They won’t let that happen, Scar.” Grian sighed, backing scar up into another cactus. “They’re ruthless, unforgiving creatures.” 

Scars eyes filled with tears as he stared Grian in the eyes. 

“So.. this is the end.” His voice broke 

“This is the end, pal.” Grians eyes watered at the sight of Scar. “See you in the next life.”

His final punch was delivered swiftly. A cleverly planed strike. Scar crumpled at his feet, a single tear made its way down his face.

Grian burst into tears. His best friend, his partner in crime- dead at his hands. 

“Is this what makes you happy?!” He yelled as loud as he could, cradling his dead companion, “This shameless death and suffering?! You’re sick. SICK!” 

The sky filled with hundreds of purple eyes, illuminating Grian’s face. 

“I’m ashamed to call myself one of you.” He spat. 

He gently let go of Scar, laying him to rest in the sand. He put out the fire and stood at the edge of the sandy cliff.

“I’ll see you in the next life.” His voice was hoarse, tired, and scared. 

He let himself fall to his demise.

[cheemken]

Knight I’m gonna send a request soon, I just need to think about what

Anyways, I’ve been thinking about the Masters Eight tournament and I’m still disappointed with how it was handled

And I know you don’t care much for the Anime, but just hear me out about how I think it should’ve went

The competitors should’ve been Ash, Iris, Cynthia, Diantha, Steven, Alder (not totally sure about him), Wallace, and Lance (they’re not ranked in this order). With Leon being the final challenge to the winner

I hated that Leon was a competitor because it just guarantees that whoever he faces is automatically going to lose

But yeah, I just think if it’s the MASTERS Eight then it should be the strongest trainers. Which are the Champions both present and past, hence Wallace and Alder being here

I’m kicking Alain out because he just felt like he was chosen as a competitor at the last minute when he had no true reason to join the PWC. Plus he ain’t a Champion

Another thing I was annoyed with was the Battle Field, like if you look at the Kalos League battle field in the Anime, it actually looks cool and had different battle fields. It wasn’t a generic rectangular box. The Masters Eight should’ve at least had a nicer looking battle field than…what they gave us

Last thing I want to rant about, but ALL battles should’ve been 6vs6 and not 3vs3 in the first round. The battles would’ve been so much better to watch if they were full battles

But yeah, it would’ve been a great send off if Ash had competed with the Champions from each Region, won the tournament, and then won the title of World Champion from Leon as the final challenge

The way they handled the Masters Eight was smth else man it was such a cool concept but the way they executed it is just cnmdndjd😭😭

It would've been so cool if it was like that bc for one, why is Alain there, and two you are so goddamn right abt Leon like he's always gonna win against anyone, plus I'm hella fucking salty over the Diantha vs Leon fight as you can see owo

But real why is Alain there😭 for fanservice??? He and Ash didn't even fight and you can tell I'm also salty over that Lumiose Conference battle lmfao the way I started hating Alain and Zard X bc of that yes I'm that petty— also why the fuck is he a rank higher than Iris💀

I do like that it's the Champions for the Masters Eight tho, it checks out bc they're the strongest of each region, but w Alder, as much as I love him, isn't he retired? What I always picture was the Champions plus Raihan, bc iirc, I think in the manga?? I'm not sure but I read that Leon always had to figure out a new strategy against Raihan bc he's always close to beating him, so if it's not Alder, I pitching in Raihan

So my ideal Masters Eight is Lance, Steven, Wallace, Cynthia, Iris, Diantha, Ash, and Raihan; Leon then being the final boss to see if the current number 2 can be number 1

Speaking of the M8 y'know, how does the ranking system of theirs even work? Cause yeah there's still the Ultra trainers, the top two of those being Raihan and Drasna. What I'm saying is,, should the competitors battle within Wyndon Stadium to be counted in it or do they have some sort of trainer card registration thing that automatically knows how many battles you had and how much you improved as a trainer? Idk bc I haven't watched the anime since hahaha

But yeah with the stadium and the battlefield right it's so goddamn plain😭 what I had in mind that would've been more of a challenge was smth similar to Kalos' field but also having control of the weather, like, if it's the ultimate challenge, then the Champions/M8 should be able to adapt depending on the weather of the field, whether it be raining, sunny, hailing, or if it's a sandstorm, to see how resilient they truly are, how they can make a disadvantage into an advantage, it would've been cool to see ig

Also as much as I despise all those "this is Ash's ultimate team" videos in yt bc they're basically all his aces, for this, I really wished he could've used all his aces because come on, you're gonna challenge the different champions of different regions with a team you just trained? Like he really won against Steven and Cynthia with a recent team, and ik he had training but c'mon man, the M8 aren't pushovers, might as well bring your strongest mons to have a fighting chance against them (I remember someone actually writing a fic abt that, of Ash using his previous pkmn, using a different team depending on the champion he faced and it was really dope cnmdnd).

But yeah, it's just,, well it could've been better but hey hahah

[suzie-shooter]

F2 Quali - Austria 2023 - James Blair commentary highlights

Nice view of mine and Clem's kitchen in the background there, I hadn't actually factored that in when I set everything up, but there you go.

Clem up in the top 10 [in practice], honourable mention. See if we can finally get it together, that'd be nice.

I threw my back out this morning [...] oh my back is absolutely giving me grief, holy heck. Fuck [...] fuck I really am struggling with my back here team, but I'll try not to move too much - oh fucking hell - I'll see if I can kind of sit straight that might be better for it [...] feels muscular, or maybe there's some plates there I've put in the wrong place like when a guest empties the dishwasher.

Novalak is at the top of the timing boards as we see it now. Stupendous, long may it continue.

Look good, feel good, go good. Oh, Christ. I need like some kind of heat pad or a theragun or something, or perhaps a healthier lifestyle.

I've taken the day off work by the way, in case anyone was worried the insurance industry was going to collapse.

They're being quite anal for lack of a better word, on the track limits here in Austria as they usually are. Very persnickety.

Alright Novalak's going to put a lap in and he's quicker than Stanek, so that's something. And we're quicker than Benevides. We're just going to count the people we're quicker than. Not Crawford. Jaky Moon, to the top of the sheets. Said that before, weyhey.

And it's Victor Martins up top, the sexy Frenchman.

"Who's your favourite indycar driver?" Marcus. Hate to say it, in some ways, but, you know. *sings love is blind* [...] correct, followed very closely by Scott Dixon. There's really almost literally nothing in it.

Anything you hear on Screaming Meals take it with a pinch of salt or assume it's not true.

I've heard a lot about this Barbie film, a lot of chat yesterday about some of my trousers which are apparently Barbie coloured. I really haven't paid much attention to it, it's unintentional, I do just like wearing pink and upsetting the pseudo-masculine lads in my workplace who are just terrifed of anything but a pair of chinos from Reiss and a Ralph Lauren oxford shirt.

"Any interest in the Ashes James?" Absolutely none.

Almost all of [Ollie Bearman's] points have come from race wins, so he's got to pull a couple of fingers out. I had a drink with him last weekend, caught up, and he showed up to a pub dressed like he was ready for an insurance conference, white polo and black chinos and smart trainers. So somebody's got him on a short leash. And he seemed very calm, very collected, very sort of relaxed. And then he had to shoot off to another do for his mates who had passed their A-levels, so made me feel like a complete paedophile.

I'm just listening to Theo Pourchaire here, who looped it actually, in practice, had a rare moment of, I don't know, dur-brain-ism.

Not to stir the pot but [the ART seat] was an option we weren't not considering, but thought better of it in the end.

Yes, I've had a hair cut this week. Which is now apparently news. Much to the relief of Ally. She was getting continuously more and more pissed off about the hair, which is about 90% of the reason why I kept it so long.

Yes, doing TikTok now. Not enjoying it, it's a bit silly, but Clem says it's really important to uphold a public image so I'm doing them, but I want to make it absolutely clear that it's against my will.

Novalak clinging on in P16, by virtue of probably a few track limits violations. Come on Clem. P10 in praccy, it's all you need again brother. Reverse grid pole, and a massive plug for the empire. That's what we want.

This is a real what I believe scientists refer to as a clusterfuck.

Somebody's run well wide there and it's Daruvala in the MP and he's totally fucked Fittipaldi's lap in doing so as well. Big old moment for Dizzle.

I love Gregoire Saucy. I've actually never met him but I think he's just got a fantastic name. [...] I'd love to get Gregoire Saucy on the pod, but you would need to put up with me calling him Gregoire Saucy every time I addressed him.

I'm not even going to talk about Trident. Not even gonna do it, don't fancy it.

Good on Victor, I love Victor, he's a really great young man [...] super hot, lovely guy.

I'll definitely be doing all of the races this weekend, on my lonesome [...] thanks for tuning in, and please don't be mean to me.

[kohakhearts]

hey that pokemon 2000 gifset + your jn dub analysis made me think about the pokemon 2000 dub - I've only seen it subbed once (compared to the hundred times I watched it dubbed as a child) so I could be misremembering, but didn't the dub completely change the themes of the movie with the chosen one ash thing?

i actually haven’t watched the sub nearly as many as times as the dub either :p but i have read extensively about this topic bc it’s personally my favourite pokemon movie and yes! the first and second pokemon movies are both victim to this (like mewtwo’s epic speech we all love so much at the end of the first movie…being a complete fabrication by the dub team :p you gotta give those writers credit - they were VERY good at what they did), largely i’m guessing due to cultural values and expectations. since they were trying to sell the anime to an american audience, not a japanese one.

tangentially, i will say i also think that’s the root of this like…subtle distinction some people have between the characters “ash” and “satoshi.” i don’t differentiate them in any big way myself because fundamentally they still are very much the same, but it is true that in japanese, ash has somewhat different mannerisms and responds differently to events at times, especially in the early anime when it was so much easier to get away with making big changes for…a big assortment of reasons haha.

in THIS movie in particular, some of those things are like…well. the prophecy is probably the most obvious change. the dub team rewrote it to include the chosen one reference, which works great because of the word play on ash’s name. in japanese, it just says “an exceptional trainer will appear to help calm the wrath of the gods.” ash’s response to this is more mild trepidation than outright fear. he doesn’t hesitate like he does in the dub. and tbh? both reactions make perfect sense for his character in my opinion.

in japanese, his concern is more "do you really think i can fit that role?" this...tracks pretty well with his character development by this point. like yeah he said he could win the indigo league, but he's also thinking about dropping out after gary loses; it's that little grain of insecurity he has, which he's normally good at covering up with arrogance (a lot of which is also very genuine, don't get me wrong). but he sees the opportunity to help and he takes it. that's just...what ash does.

in english, though, the prophecy is pretty clearly about him. there's no one else it could be. it has to be him. and he...doesn't like that? that scares him. which, fair. anyone would be terrified by being singled out like that. it's also so much...not ash's thing, even at this point in the series. his character development is about embracing having to work hard to do well. to keep trying until you get it right, no matter how many times you get it wrong. the idea of being a "chosen one" completely robs him of his ability to be so single-minded about what he wants his destiny to be that it manifests as pre-determined; it just...pre-determines it for him, if that makes sense. lol.

the thesis of the japanese version of the film is that no one person or pokemon can stand on their own. everyone needs help. it's about harmonizing with each other and with nature. about letting others help you, and helping them in turn. the english version rewrites that into a story about power and destiny. the title alone says it all, right? it's called "the power of one" - no reference to lugia, no reference to the birds. in japan, the title is about the revelation (or "birth") of lugia.

westerners love a good chosen one story, so this was a really good choice by the dub team in that respect. i mean, it's a narrative that's stuck really well. fandom loves chosen one ash! in general, western fanbases are really into this narrative. it's everywhere. and there's a lot that goes into that, culturally, and especially religiously, historically, etc. so at the end of the day, i don't think the change is so much about conflicting ideas about collectivism and individualism. it's more about goals and ideals, on a personal level.

let me say again for the 273456784th time, i love that they resolved ash's story by having him realize that the goal he's really been striving for all this time is to meet and befriend pokemon. to learn from them. to earn their trust. it's like...he did the thing that everyone else thought represented his goal, maybe even himself included, only to realize that his dream was never about the end of it anyway. it was about everything he learnt and everyone he met along the way. (i also suspect nobody writing in 1997 knew that that would be the ultimate resolution, either. but it makes sense in the entire context. it's kind of a nice irony, even. to only figure it out after writing the story :p)

and i think this little distinction is important to that goal! it's his whole character! which is why even though i too love chosen one characters, i don't necessarily think of ash as one. because even if he is, his whole Thing is that he wants to try. a lot of the chosen one narrative is about characters being reluctant to be used for a "greater good," or about them collapsing under that pressure. ash doesn't really have that. he does what he thinks is right because he...thinks it's right. sometimes, sure, others have to push him into it a bit, but usually they're actually pushing the other way - it's too dangerous, you're going to get hurt, etc. and to me, i don't know - thinking of times he's died, or nearly died, and some legendary or mythical pokemon has saved him at the last minute...i don't think that has to mean he's special in a cosmic sort of way. i think it just means he's special to them. that he did something for them, or for someone else they had come to care for (thinking manaphy responding to may's emotions, not just to the fact that ash was drowning, or in mpm ash convincing latios to trust him because of their mutual desire to save latias, etc.), and so they want to help him. which is completely opposite to the typical chosen one narrative, i think? because he doesn't do those things out of obligation...he does them because he thinks he can become a better trainer by doing them, and he wants to do that. and well. he did do that.

anyway my tl;dr here is YES they changed the theme a lot haha, but i find it fun that they also changed the characters’ responses to that theme. funnily that’s…kind of also what fanfiction writers do all the time, lmao, but that’s a whole other conversation.

[girlwithshipsshitshow]

COLIVER SEASON 3& OTHER HTGAW THOUGHTS

3x1

C:don’t hire Oliver, he find out everything and I can’t let it destroy hom.

Oliver goes to interview, confesses that he deleted Conners accepts emails, and rerouted it to him. “See I can be bad”

AK: I’m going to hire your boyfriend

C: no, you told me you weren’t going to do that.

A: did you know he deleted your Standford acceptance? Plus he can hack my files.

Nice blackmail… 😒 nice way to break them up.

C: I was putting my feelings before yours, I’m sorry.

O: you’re sorry? You get to me mad. Maybe we’re just both messed up, or the sex is so good that we can’t see it, but this is not what a healthy relationship looks like.

(Or maybe, he’s hiding so much bad shit from you that this one little thing doesn’t even matter so much in Comparison)

C: we’re the best relationship that I know

O: then that’s really sad.

C: how is that sad? I love you, Oliver

O: wow that’s your response after finding out I lied to you?

C: everyone lies in relationships. (Like I was involved in a series of murders, and I’m not don’t have a drug addiction, they only thing I’ve never lied about is my feelings for you)

O: I don’t lie, so I love, I love you so Much. You’ve been so good to me, even when most guys would’ve run. You just loved me.

C: you loved me back.

O: I’m not the same anymore. I think I need to figure out when I am alone. I think we should break up.

🥺🥺🥺

3x2

C: do you like this apartment?

O: you don’t have to rush to move out?

C: we’ll you dumped me so…

Everyone: what did you do to him?

C: it wasn’t my fault this time!!

AK: Mr. Hampton is the clinics new tech expert use him as you wish.

O: as long it’s it’s legal. 😬

C: 🫣

M: think of Connors feelings, he just got dumped, we have to be more sensitive.

Ash: we’ll we have to be more sensitive to litter Asher.

M: help me find a witness.

Connor calling Oliver to make him feel better even though they’re broken up. 🥺

Ollie waiting to celebrate Connors first win, and then Connor kissing him hurts because like they’re still so In love obviously, but Connor can’t live with him like that.

C: I love you Oli, and I need you right now more than you know. So whatever you need I’ll do. I just want to make you happy like you make me happy. 🥺🥺💔💔

O: if you want to make me happy, you should let me go.

C: okay, I’ll pack.

Michaela is so sweet for taking him in though, like they have a great friendship.

3x3

AK: Mr Walsh call your boyfriend and have him-

Ash: Oliver’s not his boyfriend anymore.

An: what did you do?

C: *why does everyone think it’s my fault* it’s his decision, it’s fine. I’ll call him.

O: what did you say to that guy?

C: nothing.

O: you sabotaged me.

C: no I didn’t , you dodged a bullet.

C: sorry, I got jealous, and told him to Back off. (Obviously not true, but whatever helps the tension between them)

O: I don’t want you to be sorry, I want you to act like an adult.

C: I’ll do better.

3x4

Connor being jealous because Simon is spending time with Oliver, so he gets on humper I’m front of him, then Oliver  reveals he’s on humper and now they’re both jealous. 😅😅

Oliver doesn’t want Connor rubbing it in his face that he’s hooking up but Connor is only hooking up to fill the Void. For Oliver it’s hard for him to find someone because he’s POS and still that’s hard In community.

3x5

Simons a dick

Simon trying to go through the K5s stuff because he’s blaming them for taking his laptop. Maybe if you weren’t such an ass you wouldn’t have a reason to blame them, sorry they hate you. Love Michaela for telling him off, he deserved all of that. Fuck him.

Love that Michaela stole it for Ollie to hack, we knew Simon was a bad guy the way he trashes AK, like yeah they aren’t saints either but…

The outline won’t help, you’re still an ass.

3x6

The k5 making laurel sit behind them for keeping secrets is so petty. But tbh she’s kept the most.

Coliver broke up because Oliver wanted space, and now he’s going on a date. Connor is allowed to be hurt.

3x7

Connor talking to Oliver about Thomas like he’s not jealous to make it seem less awkward is not helping.

The K4 being able to get their feelings out for AK was great, but it’s didn’t seem liked she heard them.

Oliver giving himself a prep talk is so cute. Thomas not wanting to be with him because he’s pos is a shitting move. Even with him being like “damn I was just starting to like you too” but his loss.

Not AK being mad because she gave them a chance to tell them how they feel, like come on. I know they messed up, but you holding it over their heads is shitty. “You’re my puppet” AK to laurel. Another reason why it’s shitty for her to act like that. Stop acting like you’re better than them when you got them to shoot you. 😒

O: you wanna walk over to the bar together?

C: I should go study.

O: look at you taking your schoolwork seriously.

C: *notices a change in Oliver’s body language* are you okay?

O: yeah.

C: *clearly doesn’t believe him*

Oliver comes over to talk to Connor about Thomas after drinking. Thinks it’s selfish of him to say he misses Connor after breaking up with him and hurting him.

O: it’s not fair for me to come here because I’m sad, and depressed.

C: you can always come to be, you know that.

O: isn’t that selfish though?

C: no, I miss you too.

*they kiss, they have sex on Michaela’s bed* Asher is happy they’re friends again. Ofc they’ve always been friends.

Lol. Asher’s giggle because they’re friends again.

3x8

Asher is obsessed with gay sex. Michaela is upset that Connor has sex with Oliver because he broke Connors heart. Oliver wanting to have sex at work but then he has to go to AKs. And Simon trying to start stuff. Listen SIMON, they can’t involve Oliver because there’s a lot of shot that Connor can’t tell him! BUT OUT ASSHOLE.

Them showering together is cute. Ollie trying to figure out what Connor is working on not cute, he doesn’t want to talk about AK, while spending time with you idiot. He wants to be with you.

Them fighting because Connor is hiding stuff for Oliver’s protection. I love Oliver, but Connor was right that Oliver was being a jerk, like he can’t tell Oliver he loves him but there’s a lot he can’t know. And him saying he has emotional damage, yeah I think you would too if you had to cover up a lot of shit. You don’t get to treat him like that Oliver, that’s not cool.

AK is always wanting people to shoot her, like girl stop.

3x9

O: you’re going to make a great lawyer some day

C: for someone so damaged?

O: I regret saying that.

C: don’t, I’d rather be damaged then fake.

💔💔💔💔.

3x10

Connor coming over to comfort Oliver and then him telling Conner about the hacked phone, Connor trying to Admit what happened finally, Oliver being scared to hear it. He’ll have to sometime.

Just because Connor isn’t upset doesn’t mean you get to punch him Asher. Connor has been dealing with grief and pain since day one, he gets to be upset about everything. Yeah he said something dumb, but beating him up was dumb too.

Connor telling Oliver where he was the night of the fire to hurt him and saying he’ll continue to because that’s who he is and he should go to the police to end everything.

C: I feel nothing, I’m just broken and sick. I just need all of this to stop, so please just do what I never could.

3x11

Michaela talking to him in a gentle voice about Sam, and then asking him to hack the DA… wow. She’s good.

Now they’re in this together.

C: I should’ve broken up with you a long time again, instead I just needed you.

O: I need you too. Will you spoon me?

*they do*

O: don’t let go.

C: I won’t

3x12

Coliver comforting each other 💕💕

C: the Walls are super thin..

D- do people say something when y’all have sex?

Damn, AK os crazy smart, and crazy.

3x13

Oliver calling Thomas is crazy to finally get the truth is interesting, how would that conversation even go? But Connor hiding the truth because he was scared makes sense.

3x14

Connor has felt guilty since day one, he’s either wanted to go to jail or die.

Michaela and Oliver protecting Connor 🥺🥺.

3x15

Connor trying to save Wes . And then them being mad because he didn’t call 911. Then hearing a bone crack, that’s not what killed him, gas was already leaking, there was nothing he could’ve done. Oliver is right, they’ve all done awful things, and he’s protected all of them. Do they same for Connor. He already hates himself enough for everything, Wes wasn’t his favorite, but he wouldn’t kill him.

AK, trying to get in his head by saying Oliver’s only worth him because he can’t be alone and he’s broken. Like he already knows that, is that why he choose him, because he’s been this way since he was a kid? He’s easier to break because he’s already that way?

Laurel not caring about Connor because she blames hom for was his bull he’s been there for you. It’s not his fault, and you trying to tell Oliver he shouldn’t matter because he lied for Ollie’s protection is just the worst thing you can say to him, Ollie loves him, I know you’re hurt but pulling that shit is awful. Connor feels bad enough, and Ollie is scared, he doesn’t need your pain on top of all this, everyone is in pain, and everyone is scared.

O: all of you treat Connor like shit, but i know him, and I love him. And I can’t wait around for him to get hurt.

Ash: *eating food, shoving it in laurels face*

B: *kicks everyone out*

Asher stop shoving food in laurels face dumbass. Laurel is pissing me off but at least all of them are together.

O: I know I’m not next of kin, but he’s my boyfriend, like we’re gay. We do lots of gay stuff together.

Connor telling them that Oliver had the flash drive was smart, but Laurel still being mad at him is bullshit because he thought it was safe due to what Oliver told him. And then saying Wes was the suspect, and her saying Wes was good?! When they’re all murders. Like bitch please, I know you loved him, but he wasn’t perfect either. None of you are. AK GO OFF!! Laurel needs to stop acting like she and Wes were perfect. You’re both murders.

Nothing like a marriage proposal after being kidnapped, and your partner looking at you like you’re insane.

[stargazeraldroth]

Get Ash Ketchum therapy challenge. Seriously, this kid has died, has seen legends fight and try to tear apart the fabric of reality, may or may not be eternally ten years old (though no one else ever ages, so who knows-), and really does try his best… People are just pissy he isn’t Red or something- And! Don’t get me wrong, I love Red, he’s fun (though my favorite Adventures character will always be Yellow… Love my gender nonconforming daughter), but Ash is his own brand of special.

I mean really, how many other people repeatedly take in Pokémon that have been abused, neglected, or abandoned, and are willing to put up with the consequences that will have on said Pokémon, ranging from lashing out at him despite him having done nothing to earn it (Charizard, potentially from some form of insecurity) to what seems to be intense PTSD episodes (Infernape). And! People whine and bitch about him “abandoning” his Pokémon, but meta reasons aside- They wanted to go? Primeape wanted to win that fighting tournament, why would Ash trample on that dream? Why would he prevent Pidgeot from protecting a flock that needed her help so much? Why would he stop Goodra or Greninja from protecting places and Pokémon they care about, places and Pokémon he knows need them? He wants to be strong but strength isn’t the end all be all for him, he wants his Pokémon to be happy above all else!

Quite frankly, I don’t give a damn whether or not he’s the strongest, he’s certainly one of the kindest people in the entire damn franchise. I will die on that hill.

I feel like a lot of the hype/praise around Red comes from nostalgia. Like yeah, he has a reputation as a very strong trainer, but so do other characters... like Cynthia. I personally don't feel much hype around him aside from "Oh, it's Red, this might actually be a tougher battle". I didn't grow up with those games, so I don't have any kind of connection to Red. Technically speaking, Ash is my Red.

I may not be Ash's biggest fan, he's annoyed me a few times (evolve your Pokemon dude), but I don't hate him. And can I just say the Sinnoh League was absolutely rigged? The anime is more lore-based than the games, why was Tobias (was that his name) allowed to bring a Darkrai, Latios, and presumably more Mythical/Legendary Pokemon to the League battles? That's a significant and relatively unfair advantage over other contestants, and it felt like a cheap way to make Ash's journey continue.

Dude, I literally remember Ash having a death/near death streak in the movies alone! Like the movie about Victini, this dude almost froze and suffocated to death in outer space! Give my boy a break! And you're right, if we wanna talk about being considerate of Pokemon's feelings, Ash is right there. He is by far one of the best examples of treating Pokemon as sentient beings with their own choices. Like, how many people can say they'd be that chill about their Pokemon wanting to leave? How many people can say they'd LET them leave?

Put some respect on Ash's name.

(This is also off-topic but am I the only one who got upset they didn't use Hop in the anime? I remember my friend showing me Goh and I got so upset.)

[columboscreens]

for the new episodes what are your top 10 favorites?

what really constitutes a good reboot columbo for me is mostly how much it captures the spirit of the original run while still being true to its time and true to the character. if i watch it back and wish they'd made it 20 years prior, i consider it a solid romp.

that said, almost all of them are bloated and overlong. much to the detriment of the show's quality, ABC really preferred 120 minute runtimes to the original default runtime of 70 minutes. the ones i list here suffer least.

without further ado, if you're going to watch columbo in the clinton years, here are

COLUMBOSCREENS' TOP 10 COLUMBO REBOOT EPISODES

10. death hits the jackpot: low budget and absolutely ridiculous. columbo gets his badge stolen by a chimp. it's a blatant and far less clever rendition of greenhouse jungle. that said, rip torn kills it, and seeing him go head-to-head against columbo makes it worth watching. also the series' only halloween episode!

9. caution: murder can be hazardous to your health: george hamilton puts on his murdering hat once again as some sort of homicidal john walsh in an entertaining lampoon of america's most wanted. not the strongest episode, but plenty of fun. one thing i do prefer about the later episodes in general is that they're far more diverse; in this episode we're treated to the villain's primary staffer being a young, vibrant black woman with a prominent speaking role. as pictured above, columbo wanders into a sex shop and utters the word "porno". make of it what you will.

8. ashes to ashes: kind of dull, very bloated, and overly silly, with a whimsical sprinkle of ethnic stereotyping. however, watching patrick mcgoohan slaughter rue mcclanahan with a Mortuary Baton is rather fun in a surreal way. the typical chemistry between the two leads is there in spades. we get to see columbo get kidnapped, cringe at a bad funeral medley, and receive an estimate as to what he'll look like once cremated. overall a reasonably enjoyable watch.

7. sex and the married detective: lots of people have mixed feelings on this one, including myself, but i like it more than i don't. i love seeing the series boldly confront sex in a more open era. it's oddly intimate, and seeing columbo initially flustered at the sexual openness of his female adversary is pretty endearing! his rapport with this murderer is very enjoyable to watch, and i truly love that final scene where they're just conversing frankly by an open fire. for some reason columbo hurls himself onto a big ornate orgy bed when he's sure nobody is looking. honestly, aside from the cringey tuba march and the weird scene where he's yelling and going bananas at the russian cleaning lady, i thoroughly enjoy this episode.

6. agenda for murder: once again mcgoohan shines in this episode, and as he's the sun to falk's moon, so does our leading man. the chemistry between these two is in full force and really makes this plot, largely a frankenstein of like three different columbos, seem fresh and new. there are a few eyebrow-raising plot holes--surely a lawyer and political actor of his stature would know who columbo is--and while bite marks remain legally admissable in court, today they're widely acknowledged to be of dubious veracity in terms of evidence. but this episode's murderer catches on to the whole thing rather quickly, and if you really just want an episode that feels like a good old fashioned columbo, look no further. i also just love watching columbo peck away at computers and fax machines.

5. it's all in the game: many dislike this one, but i’m particularly fond of it because it examines the fabric of columbo’s character in a meaningful, intimate, and unique way that we don’t often see as the audience, and i love episodes like that. the emmy-winning performance by faye dunaway almost goes without saying and adds rewatchability points; her chemistry with falk really emulsifies the script and makes the story believable. for once, his usual rhetoric doesn’t really get him anywhere with a suave little minx trying to kiss him into submission every five minutes–especially considering his lack of concrete proof for most of the case. thus, he has no choice but to play her game to get what he wants, letting her believe that her wiles are working to save her a prison stint, all while remaining professional and unwavering in pursuit of his true goal. what makes it interesting is that for the first time there appears to be a real mixture of business with pleasure, a real, visible struggle with his feelings and the nature of what he’s doing. could've been a little less on the nose and i could always do without the swells of music telling me how to feel, but that's a critique for almost every episode in this era.

4. rest in peace mrs. columbo: a solid and compelling story that strays from the beaten path and actually works, arriving from a natural curiosity about the consequences of columbo's ostentatious takedowns. if some smug little dwarf of a cop threw your loved one's ass in jail, wouldn't you want to knock him down a peg by poisoning his wife? the second half of this episode ramps up exceptionally well--we see firsthand the lengths to which the lieutenant is willing to go for the mrs., and to me, that alone is worth the watch. the restaurant exchange with roscoe lee brown is phenomenal, helen shaver is outstanding, and this episode’s gotcha is, to me, one of the best in the series, period.

3. columbo likes the nightlife: lots of people aren't a fan of this one, but i love this episode because it truly harks back to the older run after a string of hard to watch outings in the 90s where columbo acts painfully cartoonish. even the aspect ratio is a return to form! this comparatively grittier and more down to earth story whips falk back into shape, even as he's clearly approaching retirement. i love his weird old man behavior, digging in toilets and manhandling corpses. moreover, i have a big soft spot for all the trappings of the early aughts: bluehaired alt girls with hot topic fishnets and livejournals, techno warehouse raves, and steve schrippa.

2. columbo cries wolf: the script is definitely a little weak in some spots, and doesn't seem quite as intelligently written as much of the original run. that said, this episode is one of my favorites because of how much of a straight-up blast it is to watch. it's not only total 80s eye candy--columbo smokes pensively in a helicopter above LA, then goes to the mall in a corinthian leather-clad limo surrounded by a bunch of big-haired sex nymphs--the plot itself is actually solid. ian buchanan, as a prelude to his twin peaks performance, is deliciously smarmy. the runtime is filled well for the most part, and falk is in top form. this episode has a special place in my heart because it's the only time we see columbo wholly and very publicly thwarted, albeit temporarily, and it's only because he's simply unacquainted with the level of media brain rot necessary to even conceive of the scheme that entraps him. and i find that beautiful.

last but not least................................

1. columbo goes to college: god, i love this episode. you'll notice this one regularly tops other people's lists, and i'm no exception. not only does falk totally nail columbo, the plot is interesting, tightly-written, and the episode doesn't suffer from being as long as it is. columbo squaring off against two 90s-flavored Whatever Talk To The Hand I'll Just Use My Dad's Credit Card spoiled young assholes was a marvelous idea, and theyre written well to boot. the two leads do a fantastic job, we get a bobby culp cameo, and the production is a smashing success. practically 70s-tier.

so there you have it. honestly, most of the reboots are decent tv to watch, and all of them have scenes worth seeing. but if you're looking for episodes that at least approach the caliber of classic columbo, these are the ones i keep in my pocket.

[pearblossommina]

Last night I finished Kingdom of Ash (🥳)

I had a physical copy, but for a good portion of this read, I was reading an ebook I checked out from the library. Unfortunately, too many people were waiting for this book, and Libby automatically returned it when I only had about 30% left, so I had to lug around my gigantic dictionary-sized copy with me everywhere to finish. (😵‍💫)

I apologize for doing a bad job of taking notes, i literally stopped doing it about 20 chapters before the end, but if you’re interested, here’s some raw thoughts up until that point.

IT WAS QUITE THE JOURNEY.

And what a fulfilling end to an epic series!

ToG Read-A-Long, Kingdom of Ash, Day 11

Ch 79

I think Yrene and Elide are so compatible as friends, I like this combination actually. I definitely want to see Yrene work her miracle magic on Elide’s leg. Yes, girl! Get healed! Form new bonds and friendships!

Ch 80

Lol, Elide’s uncle is such a piece of shit. I love how rutheless Aelin is. She’s the best. And true to her word!

It’s all starting to come together. This fear, this hype, the whole adventure coming to its final conclusion. I’m very excited for when Dorian shows up like a total badass with all three wyrdkeys. I’m very excited for the demolition of Erawan, and maybe Maeve too if Aelin can find it in her.

Let’s go. Let’s win the war against evil, and save the whole world.

Ch 81

The scene with Evangeline and Aedion and Lysandra is so cute. My heart! Aw.

Um, I also really like Darrow; lmao, he’s such a shitty person but he’s not evil, he’s just a jerk.

and hell yeah

Hell yeah, Manon is here, to honor a promise made to a friend

Hell yeah, queen of the Corchan’s

Hell yeah, let’s kick some ass

Ch 82

“Freedom - freedom from the Matrons who had forged them into tools of destruction.”

I would have liked to see Manon take over ALL the witch legions, the crochans and the Ironteeth both, but if they won’t follow her, then they have to die. This is war! And we’re gonna win!

For a better world!

Aedion and Lysandra are finally declaring that they love each other. It’s about time for those two. No one’s ever asked Lysandra permission to kiss her before? Girl, my poor heart. You should let him, Lysandra! Just go for it! Wouldn’t it be nice to enjoy something consensual at least once before you die?

Ch 83

Dorian you’re so sweet, aw.

I don’t want anyone to die!

I want to find another way. Why can’t we just be Elena, and seal Erawan away without dying to forge the lock?

I know it supposedly pisses off the gods - but - I can’t stand these gods - I’m pissed off that everyone’s talking about dying all the time

I’m sick of sacrifice

I just want to be happy

And I just want the characters to be happy, too

Ch 84

Building to another battle

Lysandra’s up to something fishy (har har)

Day 12

Ch 85

Right into it

It does make me sorry to see Manon killing Ironteeth witches. But not everyone can be saved. This is war.

Lysandra is a dragon again

Love her

Aedion is fighting the good fight! Love him.

Ch 86

Um!

Is Ren okay!

Aedion got knocked out - by something - but is Ren okay?

I think I said before how much I love Evangeline. It’s good to have diversity of characters, and someone like her, who is a literal child, getting to have perspective on some of these big moments, it makes the world so much richer.

I also like Darrow for part of the same reason - even though he’s extremely unlikeable, personality wise.

The combination of Darrow and Evangeline isn’t something I knew I needed, but I actually like it a lot.

Aedion will be alright, honey. We have to have faith.

Ch 87

Elorcan my whole heart!!!!

Do I hate the fade to black? Yes, actually, how dare you SJM, she worked so hard for this virginity loss moment, how dare you cut away!

I wanna be in there, I want to feel my heart fill up with feelings while Elide gets to experience sex for the first time and learn how good it feels!

Boo

Aelin having nightmares, boo

I love Rowaelin, tattoo me up, baby, let’s be lovers forever.

And yay!!!

Dorian’s finally back!!!!

We’re all together now, the happy ending is at hand, we can get there, I KNOW we can get there, it’s not far now!

Ch 88

I told you Aedion was gonna be alright. 🥰

It’s the kind of fight that just keeps going - but don’t worry friends. Aelin and Dorian are on their way, and it’s gonna be amazing.

Abraxos is gonna be just fine.

Ch 89

Manon bared her teeth. “I am.” She pointed at the shape-shifter. “You can carry me.”

Aedion snarled, “No.”

But Lysandra shook her head, sorrow and despair in her green eyes. “I can’t - the magic is drained. If I had an hour -“

Am I the only one hoping for Dorian-as-a-wyvern to dramatically turn up and give Manon a ride to the witch tower?

Omfg Asterin

All of them?

Ow

No

I want you to live, too.

Don’t do this to me

Ch 90

NO this is the WORST

Manon :(

Ch 91

YAY

DORIAN AND CHAOL, TOGETHER AGAIN AT LAST

That flicker of sorrow in Dorian’s eyes, when Chaol introduced him to his wife, I know it was probably just brotherly sorrow that he couldn’t be there for the wedding day, but I absolutely believe he was sorry that Chaol is off the market and he’ll never get his chance to make out with him now.

(I’m going down with this ship, toot toot, Dorian x Chaol, sinking beneath the surface)

Why! Why do we have to die! It’s so dumb!

I don’t want either of you to do it. I vote, we anger the gods, and do what we want, and live long happy lives and fall deeper and deeper in love. I vote we die of natural causes, at the ripe old age of 200 or whatever.

Ch 92

The issue of dying in place of your friends is so selfish. I especially love Rowan right now for fighting to keep Aelin’s heart beating.

She wouldn’t let him die to save her, so what makes her sacrifice any better?

I like the idea of both Aelin and Dorian giving “half” of themselves. Maybe they’ll only die a little bit. Only mostly dead, like in The Princess Bride. And what could be a better reason for living than true love!

Day 13

Ch 93

Ok you are kidding me

This is nuts

They’re gonna come back, right?

Right?

Ch 94

I’m sorry but I actually laughed out loud when no one knew Dorian’s dad’s name

[whatareyoudoingwithamaserati]

hello. character asks:

2, 4, and 7 for princezam

17 and 30 for one seth gordon. enjoy (:

I AM GOING TO BITE YOU <333 it is Autism Time alright alright okay!!!!!!

PrinceZam!

2) When I think I truly started to like them

Honestly, the exact moment slips me! He got in my head one day and then he Did Not Get Out. I did run back through my discord channel and apparently an hour and a half after starting Zam’s s3 POV I messaged “WHAT IS THIS, THE BULLY ZAM SERVER????” so I think about then! (I had already watched Clown’s POV and thought that Zam was oooo such an asshole oooo for his whole building walls bit and then you watch Zam and he is so wet and pathetic that all of a sudden he did nothing wrong ever) It did not take me long to go ah. Yeah this is The Guy. I’m gonna make a plushie of him and throw it at walls

4) How many people I ship them with

SO many people. SO many fucking people. I think if princezam makes it on a server and doesn’t act like a raging gay then he will crumble to ash and fall apart in the wind. That said I am particularly fond of the idea of clownzam. They’re two guys committed to a bit defined by their usernames (clown) (prince) while also somehow managing to be mortal enemies and homoerotic losers at the same time. Would love to see more out of them

7) A quote of them that you remember

Okay so this one is. Not even going to be remotely serious despite his ability to be gutwrenching and dramatic. There’s a lot of Zam quotes I love and remember (shoutout “YES! YES! YESSSS!! VINDICATION!!!!” my beloved) but there is one in particular. that I cannot escape from. One that frequently comes to mind. Hey guys. Uhm. “YO. LEO. LEO. IF YOU DON’T STOP SWINGING THAT SWORD AT ME RIGHT NOW MAN I SWEAR TO FUCKING GOD I’M GONNA KICK YOUR ASS MAN I’M FUCKIN- I GOT I GOT I GOT LIKE FIFTEEN PEOPLE ON ME I’M NOT CLOWNPIERCE I CAN’T WIN THIS Y’KNOW LIKE I’M GETTING MY ASS BEAT I’VE GOT LIKE EVERYONE ON ME I DON’T KNOW I’M JUST SPAWNING PHANTOMS. I’M JUST TRYING TO SPAWN PHANTOMS. I DON’T SEE THE ISSUE. I PERSONALLY DON’T SEE THE ISSUE. I PERSONALLY DON’T EVEN SEE THE ISSUE I’M JUST TRYING TO SPAWN A COUPLE MOBS LIKE I DON’T EVEN SEE WHAT’S GOING ON—“

^^clip because his voice SELLS that shit. Luv this guy <3

Seth Gordon (the man the myth the legend <333)

17) What do you think their first word was?

For the jokes, I want to say his first word was fuck. His parents didn’t really care much about keeping their language in check, and I see him as one of the middle-younger kids of a big family, so all of his older brothers would be swearing already, and it would rub off on him. For the non jokes….. I think I would say his first word was dada. Give me a daddy’s boy Seth who had his father be his whole world for so many years only to be disappointed in the end that his father was just a man after all. He’s a Fox for a reason

30) The funniest scene they had?

OH MY GOD OKAY SO. Personally I am a fan of every scene he is in, and I think among his funniest are the ones where he drops everything to slug Kevin in the face. That said I think the funniest one is when he straight up hears Kevin's name and drags his ass out of deep sleep so he can fight him. There is NOTHING like a man and his homoerotic enemy who he hates with everything in him. Or maybe his funniest scene is the iconic "are you stupid" "yes" I'm sorry Seth you gotta deal with Neil being an absolute dumbass I'm not sure what else you expected. OR when Neil asked if Andrew and Renee were a thing and Seth looked like he might vomit. Or him flipping off their opponents and then Kevin. OR—[I am forcibly dragged off the stage. He could raise an eyebrow and I would probably find it funny]

[wrienne]

My Cheating, Amnesic Fiancé

Chapter 23: Karaoke Catastrophe

You froze in place and stared at Jungkook in utter disbelief. “What?” you managed.

If he could see the panic encroaching upon you, you didn’t know, but even if he did, Jungkook didn’t seem to care. “You heard me,” he said casually and leaned back in his seat. “I want a kiss. A proper kiss, that is.”

“Is this supposed to be a joke?” you asked, still in shock. “Where’s the hidden camera?”

“You don’t see either of us laughing, do you?”

“But why?” You didn’t want to say it, but you forced yourself to utter the words. “You have a girlfriend you loved--no, love very much.”

“I just need to confirm something.”

You raised your eyebrows even as your heart skipped a beat. “Like what?” you demanded, hoping you sounded at least slightly assertive.

Suddenly, Jungkook looked young. Very young and very shy.

“Do you really need me to spell it out for you?” he asked quietly, almost reluctantly.

You eyed Jungkook closely. He determinedly pursed his lips, and didn’t seem too willing to elaborate. But his brown, familiar eyes were, though hesitant, round and honest, and you had a feeling he would oblige should you insist.

You sighed and pinched the bridge of your nose. Jungkook was only amnesic. He was the same guy he had been almost a week ago, meaning he was still a scoundrel bastard that had cheated on you with another girl for more than a year. He was still that cold-hearted, relentless, steely-eyed guy, who would rather not speak than converse civilly with you.

He was the one who had told you in the first hand, and in the most ruthless way possible, that you couldn’t sing for crap that date you had been on two or so years ago.

Yes, Jeon Jungkook was merely amnesic - he wasn’t a different person. Yet that’s what made everything so difficult. Piece by piece, he would return to the person whom he used to be, and to be honest, you didn’t really want that. The cursed, infuriating ball of muscle and nerve and so much emotion inside of your chest, protected by your rib cage, would miss this - miss him - and the way your relationship had abruptly developed to become what it was at just that moment.

You had almost kissed him, and he had almost kissed you. He wanted a kiss from you now, an earnest one, and it wasn’t difficult to figure out why.

The bet wasn’t a good idea. It was dangerous, in more ways than one, and your mind formulated a thousand different reasons and consequences - why nots, how nots, do nots - that swirled inside of your head, bouncing against and repelling one another. In fact, you could be a complete idiot, an airhead, and still understand why the bet was bad for you no matter which side the tree of winning fell.

Yet you knew it was better to go through with it, if only because a seed of suspicion had been planted in his heart regarding his supposed planned engagement with Park Yi-Jae. You couldn’t let that seed continue to grow and spread.

No, you had to burn any such thoughts, and stomp out the ashes until nothing remained. He belonged with her.

Not you.

“Perhaps not,” you said finally, and averted your gaze. You didn’t want to hear why he wanted a kiss from you - you didn’t think you could stand hearing it with your actual ears.

You didn’t think you could resist him if he asked it of you, sincerely, with his own mouth.

“So, you on?”

You felt your hands clench into hard fists. If you could somehow win, you wouldn’t have to come up with a better way to get Jungkook back with Park Yi-Jae. He was too clever - you knew and had known - to simply chew and swallow what others fed him, and he was too curious - or moronic - to not turn over rocks better left unturned. And though you had tried to literally tell him he and she belonged together, Jungkook obviously caught scent of something being wrong with the engagement band. Either that or he somehow noticed you were perhaps holding back some of the truth.

If you won the bet, Jungkook would get back with Yi-Jae. Not only that, he would think he had wanted to marry her, which most likely meant he would also do just that. Stupid, proud and hot-headed, he was, but one to back away from duty or promises he was not. And even though you and Jungkook hadn’t talked very much about love and weddings for obvious reasons while growing up, you had noticed - whenever the subject was brought up by your parents and Jungkook’s while they gossiped about acquaintances and friends - that he had somewhat of an old-fashioned view regarding the ceremony.

If you won the bet, Jeon Jungkook would spend the rest of his life with Park Yi-Jae.

You could feel it, all the way to your bones you could feel the reality of that thought settling in the back of your mind, like a booted foot through mire, or perhaps the way the murky waters of Hangang seemed to swallow anything, even pollution, so long as it wasn’t oily. And the thought remained fixed in your mind, anchored to the very bottom of the bottom while appearing crystal clear nevertheless as you decided your answer.

“I’ll win,” you said casually, instead of directly responding to his challenge. “You know that, don’t you?”

Jungkook smiled crookedly. “You sure?”

You snorted and waved him off dismissively. “Didn’t you say it so yourself?”

You acted with nonchalance even as your mind and body and heart were torn apart. Logically, you were acting right. Your brain didn’t get what was so amazing touching another human being’s lips with your own, so this being the consequence of potential loss didn’t particularly bother it. On the other hand, you could almost be guaranteed to check off one of the biggest bullet points you had on your mental list of what needed to be done regarding Jungkook’s recovery, namely getting him and Park Yi-Jae together. After the catastrophe at the hospital between the three of you, you had thought this task nigh impossible.

But she wouldn’t decline a marriage proposal. Not from Jungkook. You knew she wouldn’t be able to.

Physically, you weren’t feeling too satisfied with your decision, however. Even if your mind managed to drown out the heated, aggravated beatings of your heart, your body, or rather, as brusque and crude as it sounded, your flesh craved Jungkook’s touch and warmth. Every cell in your body yearned for him, drew you toward him with a magnetic pull more powerful than gravity, and though the two of you had barely kissed, barely touched each other whatsoever, you missed the sensation already. What little moment you had held his face, or he yours. What little time your body had pressed against his, and his yours.

Because, as you had realized before, touching Jeon Jungkook was happiness. Unadulterated, deep and pure happiness. And it was the type of joy you doubted you would ever experience again.

Of course, all of these notions only existed with the assumption that you could actually win. If you lost… well, you would have to deal with it then.

“No,” said Jungkook pointedly. “I just said it would be unlikely that you would lose.”

“You’re practically blackmailing me into partaking, you know,” you told him sternly, though you tried to bring a smile to your face to take the edge off of your words. You didn’t need him to raise his suspicions even more about the situation with the ring.

“Why?” he asked bemusedly. “If you were honest with the details surrounding this ring--” He raised your engagement band in level with your eyes again, “--you shouldn’t feel the need to enter the bet.”

Jungkook was admittedly right, but you knew you couldn’t back out at that point. He had already read your reaction, and he knew he was onto something. You would have to use his pride or his folly or perhaps both in order to keep your plan - the plan to get him together with Yi-Jae - on course.

You only wished this decision wouldn’t come back to bite you in the butt later.

“You’ve wounded my pride,” you said theatrically and pressed a hand against your heart. Though you went for the obvious-act tactic, you tried your best to enforce an honest-sounding lie into your tone. “And since you don’t seem to trust me fully, I guess I need to prove to you the truth.”

“I do trust you,” said Jungkook abruptly, his brown eyes softening a notch. “But I can’t help but feel like something is missing in the picture here. And your response proved my doubt is at least slightly justified.”

You bit your lip. You shouldn’t have frozen the way you did. You should have just played it off, or told him to put his mouth somewhere where the sun doesn’t shine. Anything and everything you usually retorted with.

“I’m doing this for fun,” you lied. “I just want to know how it feels after I’ve beaten a professional singer at what they do for a living.”

“You’re so cruel,” said Jungkook bitterly, though he grinned.

You shrugged. “You can still stand down. There’s no shame in knowing and acknowledging where your limits go.”

Jungkook snorted. “As if.”

“Can we eat first though?” you asked as you patted your stomach. “I can’t do anything without food.”

Jungkook placed the tablet on the table and pushed one corner of it toward you so that the text on the screen was upright from your perspective. “Choose anything you want. I’ll pay.”

You had automatically shuffled closer to the table edge and leaned your forearms on the table in order to easier access the tablet, but now you furrowed your brows and straightened. Seeing your skeptical gaze, Jungkook unpocketed a thin, black wallet with a brand name pressed onto the leather and flashed you a plastic card.

“I was lucky enough to find my wallet in my pocket the day of the accident,” he explained. “Today, I went to the bank while you were at school and got a new password as well as found out how much I have.” Jungkook’s eyes narrowed and there was a hint of chilliness in his voice before he continued. “Though I don’t have nearly enough money compared to you, I won’t have to sell my kidneys in order to eat and drink.”

“Why risk going out?” you asked immediately. “People could have spotted you! Besides, I have no problem paying for our expenses. You should at least save your money for--”

“For what?” Jungkook’s tone hardened into ice and though he mustered a smile, you noticed he showed too much teeth for it to be genuine. “If I can’t even treat a girl a Friday night, what’s the point of working?”

“You’re unemployed.”

“You know what I mean.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Jungkook,” you told him gravely, bringing his attention back to the issue at hand. “You shouldn’t have gone to the bank, firstly. Secondly, I could have gone instead of you at lunch or something and thirdly, there really is no need for you to pay whatsoever.”

“You’ve provided everything for me thus far,” said Jungkook stiffly. “My phone charger, food and somewhere to sleep and stay during the days.”

“Of course,” you said. “It’s the least any decent human in my position can do for someone like you.”

Jungkook set his jaw. “What do you mean, ‘someone like you’?”

“I didn’t mean anything about it!” you exclaimed truthfully.

He didn’t seem to believe you.

“If you have a problem with my family’s money,” you went on as you tried your very best not to grind your teeth in irritation, “feel free to express it properly. Because I’m not really following here. What’s wrong with letting me, who won’t run out of money very easily, stand for the expenses?”

Jungkook sighed and all of a sudden leaned over the table so that he could reach your forearms. He placed his healthy hand over your right wrist, which sent a shiver down your back due to the warmth of his touch.

“(Y/N),” began Jungkook, his voice a low murmur. “It might not be that big of a deal for you, who’s practically bathing in milk and honey, but picking up our tab would be a luxury for me - a luxury no amount of money could ever even dream to afford. Please. Can’t you allow the relatively poor me to feel rich for at least one evening?”

Jungkook smiled nervously. His brown, large familiar eyes were earnest, and though a sliver of pride and confidence had managed to penetrate parts of his sentences, you didn’t doubt Jungkook only meant well. He wanted to pay for your meal for the first time of his life. It was kind of cute.

Why was the amnesia turning everything so horribly wrong, yet incredibly right?

“Fine.” You had hoped to sound a little harsher than you had, but how could you with him smiling at you the way he did? “I’ve chosen my picks.”

“Perfect.”

Jungkook slid the tablet back toward him and browsed through the menu. After a moment, he, too, had decided and the food came after about twenty minutes, during which the two of you spoke about nothing in particular. He had gotten some soju and, after washing down his first few bites of dinner, offered a shot to you.

“Try it,” he said.

“I have water,” you mumbled through a mouthful.

“So do I.”

“I don’t want to drink,” you said candidly. You needed your head clear from any potential distractions.

“It’s really good,” replied Jungkook and gulped down the transparent liquid once more.

“So that you haven’t forgotten,” you muttered.

He gave you an inquiring look.

You averted your gaze. “You’ve been fond of the bottle ever since we first became legal,” you told him carefully. “You drink it very well, too.”

“I’m not my father.”

This surprised you, and you glanced at Jungkook with wide eyes. His gaze was steady, and held yours with a determination that bordered on fierce, but there was a tenseness to his jaw and lips that made you think he wasn’t comfortable with the subject. To no great wonder, either.

You pursed your lips, then smiled half-heartedly. “I know. Sorry.”

Jungkook resumed eating. “No worries.”

It was quiet during the time you both ate. Though initially stiff - seeing how your conversation had ended - the atmosphere quickly returned to normal. Before long, you had called a waiter to collect your dishes as well as get you some more to drink. Jungkook went to the bathroom while the young waiter gathered the plates and cutlery. You spoke casually with him before he left and Jungkook returned.

“So,” he began as he plopped down onto the sofa. “Best out of three?”

You nodded nervously. “We’ll choose the songs ourselves.”

“High score or percentile system?”

“Percentile,” you said. “It’s easier keeping track of things that way.”

“Well, ladies first,” he urged you, sweeping his healthy hand toward the built-in screen in the other end of the room.

You hesitated, water in hand. Were you seriously doing this? Were you seriously entering this bet?

Were you seriously going to sing in front of someone who had outright insulted your voice?

“Come on, (Y/N),” said Jungkook teasingly. “Are you that afraid of losing?”

“Not at all,” you said with as much nonchalance as you could muster. “I’ll begin.”

You found the wireless microphones in a black drawer underneath the table, gently set in dark gray polymeric foam, and grabbed one at random, handing a second one to Jungkook. He stared at it for a moment, seemingly fascinated by it, then, as if he realized you were watching him, simply smiled and thanked you. After making sure both microphones connected to wherever they were supposed to connect, you spotted the remote control next to where the tablet had been and turned on the screen. Cheery background music began playing from the wall speakers and a menu popped up with categories of different genres.

“I’ll pay you one million won,” said Jungkook immediately, “if you choose trot as your first song.”

He grinned when you slanted him a sharp glance. “Well,” you replied, “I’ve probably heard them all thanks to dad.”

“Shit, I didn’t think about that.”

“Don’t worry,” you told him overly reassuringly, “I won’t make things too difficult for you. In the beginning, at least.”

“Thanks.”

You decided to go for an old pop song that everyone who hadn’t lived underneath a rock the past decade would definitely had heard. It was honestly nerve-wracking, and you hoped the soft, glowy lighting in the room would help conceal how red your face was turning with every note you might or might have not missed. You couldn’t even stand up or move in rhythm with the beat, and it soon felt as if though you weren’t getting enough oxygen down your lungs.

But by the time your last tone echoed out and the final score would be calibrated, Jungkook applauded and cheered.

“I forgot that song!” he exclaimed with a broad grin. “It must have been ages since I heard that annoyingly catchy chorus. How old were we when it came out?”

“Probably ten,” you replied, taken aback by his exuberance. You regarded him closely, but he seemed genuine.

Why wasn’t he behaving the way he had done back then?

“Look! Your score is done evaluating!”

There was a bright tune emanating from the wall speakers as the screen randomized different numbers, and a drumroll before the final score was shown on a blue screen within the screen.

87 - Fantastic!

“Already setting the bar, are we?” said Jungkook with a crooked smile.

You snorted even as your heart pounded hard against your chest, adrenaline making every sensation seem so much sharper. The score was significantly better than what you had hoped. “It’s not like it was a difficult song. I should have gotten a higher score.”

“So you chose an easy song on purpose?” asked Jungkook, raising one brow.

“If I’m competing against a professional singer,” you began with a shrug, “I think I’m entitled to at least a little handicap.”

“You’ve changed,” he said dramatically. “Where’s the little girl who was so greedy she decided to chase a cat in a mountain forest, only to fall downhill and break her collarbone?”

“She grew up,” you said, and your voice sounded surprisingly morose.

Jungkook eyed you up and down, once, before holding your gaze. “That she did,” he agreed quietly, the expression on his face unreadable.

“Go on,” you hurriedly told him as you handed him the remote control. You weren’t comfortable with how knowingly he had spoken his words. “Let’s see how well you can perform with the same song.”

“I don’t want to hear those lyrics ever again,” said Jungkook with a shudder. “Even less utter them myself. Though I consider it bad sportsmanship, I’ll allow you to pick easier songs.”

“Like you are in any position to allow me anything,” you said casually.

Something flickered in his brown large eyes but disappeared before you could catch it. “I guess not,” he replied, shifted his focus toward the screen.

You decided not to pry and wordlessly waited for Jungkook to pick a song. But when the famous OST of an over decade old drama you didn’t remember the name of trickled out of the speakers, you almost stopped Jungkook right then and there. Though you couldn’t recall the name of the song, you roughly remembered the lyrics.

It was a song about lost love and hurt, of a man cursing his predicament of losing her due to his pride, stubbornness and idiocy as well as begging her to return to him. It was the kind of song an arrogant man would sing to get back his woman whom his arrogance costed.

In no ways did Jungkook’s choice signify anything. Right?

Right.

Your musings fled you shortly. Because you watched, in awe, as Jungkook slowly came to a rise from his seat in the sofa. His face was solemn, and the assuredness with which he exuded, it felt as if though he had grown several inches in mere moments. Jungkook held the microphone with his healthy hand, the fingers clenching and releasing the mic once, and gazed at the screen while settling in a comfortable standing position. The original singer had quite the masculine, husky voice - a complete opposite to the singer standing just before you - which made the lyrics sound a bit more urgent, a bit more angry, and strengthened the feeling of regret and self-blame in the song. But it didn’t matter.

Because even before Jeon Jungkook began singing, already as soon as he took his first breath, you were as spellbound.

“I feel such regret right now…”

His voice was smoother than silk, clearer than a summer sky and more soothing to your soul than anything you had ever experienced. It felt as if though all of your life, you had been perceiving all and any kind of music through a thick glass that only Jungkook’s voice seemed to be able to pierce through. It stirred you to the very core of being, and manipulated your heart. Should he have sang a happier tune, perhaps a song appreciating love, or perhaps even a funny one, you would have laughed, as heartily as you were physically capable of, and clapped and hummed along.

But Jungkook was singing a song about heartache and regret, two things of which you had plenty already.

You dug your nails into the palms of your hands. You refused to cry. It was ludicrous. Why would his singing bring you to tears? Why should it? It was probably just that time of the month, or you wouldn’t become so emotional all of a sudden. You were being an idiot for thinking he had chosen the song for any other reason than that it was a popular karaoke song.

Jungkook didn’t even seem to notice you were there. He was so focused on singing he barely seemed able to breathe in between lines, and seemed to get ever more excited and confident in himself.

Perhaps that’s why it went so awry all of a sudden.

The song was nearing its final chorus, when you were supposed to truly sing from the bottom of your lungs. You stared at him in admiration, struggling with your overwhelming urge to let at least one tear out, when Jungkook decided to make a grand flourish. He turned toward you, the pain of the song filling his eyes, his face, the very air surrounding him, and triumphantly managed to hit the first tone.

But afterwards, his voice broke in the most horrible manner.

Jungkook froze and immediately shut his mouth. You froze, too, suddenly roused from the spell that was his voice, and looked at him in confusion and, admittedly, shock. Catching your gaze, a whole world of hurt seemed to pass through Jungkook - and thus, also through you.

“Jungkook--” you began apologetically, wishing you could turn back time.

Jungkook turned away from you. “Don’t,” he murmured, his fingers flexing hard around his microphone, which he seemed to want to keep as far away from his mouth as possible.

“I didn’t--” you tried again.

“(Y/N),” he said admonitorily, then tossed you his microphone. His brown eyes were harder than iron, and his jaw was set. “How do I pay? I don’t want to be here anymore.”

You managed to catch the microphone and quickly pushed them back into their places in the foam. “You can pay through the tablet,” you told Jungkook hastily, worried he would bolt somewhere in any second. He was so tense you thought you could see him shake with strain. “I’ll call Jong-Yeol.”

While paying, Jungkook downed the last of his soju. You tried not to look at him while he was drinking, but it made you uncomfortable, seeing the two empty bottles. You knew he wasn’t his father, but didn’t a parent’s traits usually pass down to a child, be it from environmental or genetic causes?

When he had finished the last of the alcohol, Jungkook grabbed his coat from the hanger and exited the room. You snatched your own jacket and, spotting him storming down the corridor, realized you would be forced to run in order to catch up with him. Before you closed the door to the karaoke room after you, however, you managed to catch sight of the karaoke screen on which Jungkook’s score was displayed.

99 - Almost Superstar!

[inventors-fair]

From the Ashes: Sac Ability Winners ~

Congratulations to @bergdg​, @hypexion​ and @izzet-always-r-versus-u​ for winning this week’s contest!

@bergdg​ — Gather the Evidence

This felt, to me, like a solidly Commander-oriented card. The amount of constructed reliability feels slightly too easy in a world of surveiling and self-mill for premium formats outside legacy, and the ability to get pseudo-flashback? Incredibly powerful. I showed this one to a couple of people who play Clue decks at my LGS, and the consensus was that this is, indeed, a really cool card. I could’ve sworn that it was already a name, but wow, apparently not! You hit a lot of nails on a lot of heads. The restriction that implies what it wants to do plus the kind of deck that already wants to have it is stellar.

Of course there are the obviously powerful cards that you can flash back, but the exile prevents it from going infinite (as far as I know) and the sorcery-speed restriction is a great inclusion as well. All in all, this card’s strength lies in its intersection of “this is how I want to be played” and “this is the format in which I want to be played.” A little flashback never hurt anyone, and it’s a utility card that earns its keep.

@hypexion​ — Ob Nixilis, Bringer of Ruin

This card has a few tweaks I’d like to personally work with, but only because of the absolutely solid base that you’ve made. It was interesting to see two different Ob Nixilis planeswalkers this week, actually. Your card stood out to me for its piquing flavor intersection in conjunction with what it’s asking for on the battlefield. Getting a bunch of zombie tokens, for example, will let you make a whole lot more loyalty for the Ob-man, but then what? You get to decide what to do, via destruction (to let your previous trampler go through, unless you’ve sacrificed it!), creation (of either a minion or protector), or advantage that works doubly as a win-con and extra drawing into answers. Like...wow, this thing is well-designed, but you need to work WITH him.

No, actually—you need to work FOR him. And there’s the rub: this card’s a masterclass in black flavor. You have to get an army to let this general do his work. The fact that the demon is a soldier adds all the implication you need that Ob Nixilis is ready to conquer, that he’s demanding creatures that do his bidding to let him do his military strategy. Frankly, that’s brilliant. The fact that you have to be patient and that you can’t immediately drain someone for a zillion is fun, too; I want to see a game where someone sacs all their tokens and Obs an opponent for twenty/forty, but that’s not what he wants, is it? He’s methodical, controlling, and demanding. I love it.

Oh yeah, my tweaks! Really the only one that came to mind is that your creatures should target a Nixilis planeswalker, because I don’t know if that specific kind of referencing works in the rules and I don’t know why it would/wouldn’t. I’m sure there’s weird stuff with naming switches and copying, but yeah.

@izzet-always-r-versus-u​ — Incendiary Inquisitor

This card stuck with me for a number of reasons. I’m a ritual fan, of course, but this card is specifically about options. Discarding (madness and delirium and flashback enabling, I see you) is a powerful tool and forces you to make your timing options, but you’re investigating either way. Actually, more notes before I gush: this probably should be a 2/2, because the extra card advantage even if you’re hellbent is a wee much. Anyway, continuing: the investigation! Lots of people liked clue-making this week, didn’t they? I’m honestly not much for clues like some fans are, but I do like them. And so does this character. The guaranteed five mana on turn three is...an amount, but it is a resource-oriented card. And it’s at the payoff of letting your clue burn.

That’s where the flavor brilliance comes in. If you use the knowledge, you get more knowledge and you get what you had to throw away. If you burn the knowledge, you get extra power. What a fantastic dichotomy. This name heavily implies that the character’s always been the kind to just burn it, but you know in the back of your mind, you’re reminded, about what knowledge means, and that’s so fascinating. It shows what clues are in the world, what they mean to the little characters, and what the conflict is between resource use and advantage is from a flavor perspective. I think this card may need some power adjustment, but from a strictly game-to-flavor oriented standpoint, I’m floored. Fascinating work right here.

Runners and more soon~ @abelzumi​

[hopelesshawks]

We know I'm going to ask for Hawks 😂

Rise of the Monarch https://open.spotify.com/track/4yModqqawKGib2poAkgk8g

Can't wait to see the vibe you pick for it.

Part of why I adore doing these is also getting new song recs hahaha love the hero turned villain vibe of this and after everything Hori has put our husband through Hawks deserves a little anti-hero arc

I don’t typically write stuff like this but listening to the song honestly reminded me so much of the moment where Hawks had to kill Twice after being backed into the corner and just the aesthetics of that setting where Hawks was very much drawn the way villains typically are in manga and was made to seem so terrifying and really was the villain to Twice so have a deep dive into that scene and the fallout after:

TW canonical minor character death

Keigo didn’t want it to come to this.

He tried to reach out to Bubaigawara. Tried to reason with him. Tried to show him that there can be a life for him outside of all of this. Outside of the League of Villains. A possibility for a support system that doesn’t come with a side of mass murder and terrorism.

But now Hawks is running out of options. He is burned, beaten, and cornered in a fight he knows he has little chance of winning. Far more lives are on the line that just his, Dabi’s, and Bubaigawara’s. Hundreds, if not thousands, if not even more innocent lives are at stake if Twice enters the main battle.

Keigo doesn’t regret trying to reason with the other man first. Not for a moment. It may have gotten him into the situation he is now but he knows in his heart it was right. But that was then. This is now. Twice and Dabi have forced his hand and he will not let good people die to save one man.

Hawks sinks his feather blades into Twice’s back and while Keigo’s heart breaks for Bubaigawara, he does not regret that either.

He is burned, he is beaten, he loses the fight.

He wakes up in the hospital and his wings are gone, his past dredged up for the world to see, and his actions presented as murderous and cruel for all of Japan to judge.

But like a phoenix he rises from the ashes. His work is not done, not in the slightest. Dabi may have won the battle but the war is far from over, and you can bet he won’t be sitting on the sidelines while it rages on.

Dabi has not seen the last of him. Perhaps all of Japan will call him a villain for what he’s done. It matters not. Hawks knows what he has to do. He knows what his role is on this chessboard. If he has to play the villainous hero fighting heroic villains to save Japan, than so be it.

Wings or no, he’s the number two hero. And he’ll be damned if he lets anyone else die on his watch