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thatanimeramenchick · 9 months ago

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Headcanons for Vox and Alastor both falling in love with an extremely powerful Overlord known as the Pink Death, she is called that because she's thought of as an incurable plague that consumes and annihilates everything she comes into contact with and she's a Pink Bunny demon and she's so powerful all the other Overlords, even Zestial are terrified of her, since when she arrived in Hell, she killed every Overlord that existed in that time and took their powers?

Incredibly Powerful Reader

Since this is a yandere blog, this will be done with that in perspective.

I also want to do this with the mindset that it is impossible to technically permanently kill other demons without angelic weapons. It is true that Alastor has made other demon overlords “disappear,” but I feel like it’s implied that he has somehow destroyed them in a way that is much worse than death, perhaps in a horrific existence in between realities? I don’t know. Anyway, I feel like the killing people with diseases temporarily and being a major threat is still an interesting view though. The complete toll you could have on demon and sinner society by wiping them out in waves whenever you felt like it would give you a lot of power in hell.

Anyway, when it comes to the guys, I see them actually sharing quite a few things at first.

Both of them would hope that their experience and ability to play manipulation games would allow for them to outsmart you, even if you are significantly more powerful than they are. Whether they actually do or not depends on you and your personality, but I could see them getting the upper hand if you’re not careful, especially Alastor.

Both of them also would hope to win you into a contract that allows them to have you under the thumb, but they would present it as giving you a power boost to help you clinch full power over hell. The details of this contract and their way of going about it will differ, but ultimately that is the goal each of them would have.

Vox

Media thrives on disaster. You’ve created a gold mine of content for this man. His interest in you would simply start out as using your story to promote his own company, and it would later turn into an obsession. Considering how the Vees are able to stay safe during extermination day through extreme isolation, I don’t think he would be too worried about the infection for similar reasons, simply being annoyed that it’s hurting the company as it’s messing with staff and therefore production.

If you decide to reject him, he can paint your powers to his advantage, threatening to use the media to paint you as a monster that hell needs to rally against at any cost. On the other hand, he could offer you a sweet deal if you want to get along nicely with him. He could make sure that everyone knows you’re the most powerful overlord in hell and that you should be respected and admired as well as feared. This is when the contract comes in, where he gets to portray you how you’d like as well as provide comfy living arrangements as long as you are willing to work alongside his company and only his company. He’ll make sure you’re on a higher position in the company than the underlings, considering how much power you have. Oh, and he’ll add a little clause that you’re not to turn your nasty tricks on him either.

Alastor

Alastor is more cautious than Vox is. While I see Vox as going the direct approach with you and a clear plan of aggression, Alastor would take his time, watching you from the shadows. He would want to get a clear idea of your personality and all its strengths and weaknesses before approaching you. Last thing he would want to do is simply irritate you.

I feel like his approach to you would be somewhat similar to how I think he is approaching Charlie. You are young and so perfectly easy to influence. Your potential is overflowing, surely you don’t want to waste it? If are just willing to submit to his ideals, he could make you the greatest overlord of all time, as well as gain total control of hell. The contract would be along similar lines. He would not rush the business like Vox would. He doesn’t want you to think he simply wants to use your powers after all. You have to feel like you’re giving in willingly because it benefits the both of you.

He would be subtle in his affection. He would make it seem like a business contract, but as you got entangled deeper and deeper in a mess you would come to see that he has a much more possessive and controlling relationship with you than you first thought. The details of the contract that at first seemed to exist to gain you some extra experience and security now seem like chains keeping you attached to a master has no intention of ever letting you become independent in your own right.

#yandere x reader #hazbin hotel #alastor #vox #yandere alastor #yandere vox

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percontaion-points · 4 months ago

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Fearless (HMA 4) chapters 9 & 10

Click to see the rest of the snark & image descriptions

Click here for the rest of the series!

Chapter 9

“Not only is Marnie my best friend and nonnegotiable, but if you want my cat, you gotta take my wolf too. We’re a package deal.”

“You sure about that?” He looked me over, lingering on my tired face. “The only thing I can smell is a sweet black pussy.”

There isn’t enough “hell no” in the goddamned universe.

JFC. Imagine sitting down to write, coming up with THAT line, and thinking that there’s 100% nothing wrong with it at all.

“I think I just need to appeal to Trey’s better half.”

Is this a joke? Even the readers had to endure several pages of sexual harassment and sexual assault… Not only to Vail, but also Marnie.

If Vail is so desperate to learn how to control her cat, maybe she should practise on her own. Especially if the only person willing to teach her is more interested in getting into her pants.

Ada arrived about an hour later…

[...]

“So, despite the simplistic view my brother shared with you, there’s three stages of shift control for cats.”

WHY WAS THIS NOT YOUR FIRST CHOICE?!

“I’m going to let my cat out to play.”

Chapter 9 summary: The next morning, Vail goes to meet up with Trey, but also brings Marnie along. Trey is angry over the entire thing, since he’d obviously been expecting to take Vail so that he could have his way with her.

He then starts to try and “teach” her how to control her cat side… Which goes about as well as you might expect. Eventually, Marnie AND Reed have to step in to stop that asshole from practically raping Vail. The entire thing is gross.

Vail then calls Ada, Trey’s werecat sister. She actually helps Vail, unlike her shitass brother. She also puts some healing magic into Vail so that when she shifts into a cat and then back into a human, her long-term wounds around her wrists will be fully healed.

Chapter 10

“Okay. And what do the rules say about the Clan Luna in this situation?”

Charlie’s dark eyes now crinkled with approval. “You’re a special case. Lunas are also allowed to observe.”

Because it was their neck on the line, too. Like Reed had said, if Jasper died, I was the one Holland would kill next, since the last thing he wanted was the clan rallying around a grieving Luna.

Exactly why does she want to be there to not only potentially witness Jasper being murdered, but also for her death to be imminent and probably swift?

I have zero worries about this, though. Mainly because there’s 21 more chapters after this, and Jasper is listed as the POV character in probably half of them.

“If she wants to go in, she goes through me.”

Chapter 10 summary: After Vail shifts and then transforms back, Marnie then runs off. Reed is forcefully putting Pearl into the back of a car. They’d been talking about how this guy had come back to re-challenge Jasper, and now it’s time. Vail and Marnie want to go too, so they end up going in a different car.

They get there, where Jasper’s clan bodyguards and Marnie tell Vail that only she is allowed inside because she’s the clan Luna. However, the perk of being allowed to witness this fight is that if Jasper loses, the dude will turn around and immediately kill her.

However, at the door, some unknown lady starts complaining that Vail is an omega, and shouldn’t be allowed in. Ugh.

#Fearless (HMA 4)#Hunter Moon Academy

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ichabodjane · 2 years ago

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Identity and Self-Determination for Human!Halbrand, Bronwyn, and the Southlanders

Guys this is such a long post, I have so many thoughts, I tried to keep them organized but idk how well I did. Also this post was partially inspired by a fascinating convo with @demi-lancer so go check that blog out, too!

Disclaimer: I love all the theory posts about Saubrand, I think both the writers and Charlie Vickers have done a great job of keeping things open to interpretation. But I’m going forward here with the assumption that Halbrand is 100% USDA Certified Grade A Manflesh.

Tl;dr: Human!Halbrand and the Southlanders are interesting to me precisely because they are "just some dudes" trying to forge an identity against all the craziness in Middle Earth. Our two main Southlander protagonists, Halbrand and Bronwyn, aren't heroes because of special powers, they're heroes because they show up and do the work to give their people a shot at making their own fate.

RoP makes heavy use of the themes of identity and self-determination, which are important themes in the Tolkien Legendarium generally. Naming yourself, naming others, or being named BY others…this has real consequences in Arda for the fortunes of both individuals and sociopolitical groups.

The Southlanders are struggling to forge their own path and their own identity. Their ancestors tried to do it by casting their lot with Morgoth but that didn’t work out very well. By the time we’re introduced to their society, they have been denied their right to identity and self-determination for quite a long time. The elves have been keeping a close eye on them (maybe limiting their movements?) and both elves and Numenoreans look down on them as a whole. They’ve also been denied access to the elven affluence and resources that the Numenoreans have had. For example, Halbrand has clearly never seen anything like the giant Numenorean statues before and he’s so blown away just by being in a prosperous city built by humans. (And then Galadriel’s just like “these men are not like you” wow girl, ouch, okay then.)

Not only have the Southlanders been under elven control for generations but they then have Adar and Co showing up to completely remove their agency by killing or enslaving them and destroying the land they live on. Bronwyn’s heroic journey starts because she stands up against this. She rallies who she can because screw you, you don’t get to just waltz in and demand we bend the knee and sacrifice those rights or our lives to you. Even if Adar and Co have faced similar mistreatment, they don’t get to claim their own rights by taking away others’ (a topic for another post).

And when the villagers return home to prepare for that last battle, what do they do? Pop an orc head on a pike. That’s a powerful message: you try to take this from us and we will fight back.

We see this struggle happening on an individual level with Halbrand in the way he names himself vs being named by others and the ways in which he compromises safety for identity.

Halbrand is evasive about his past (I think partially for safety and partially because of the shameful and/or painful memories there) but he is very clear about his name. When he and Galadriel enter the throne room, Miriel only addresses Galadriel (giving her agency to name herself) but he adds his name in there, too.

Tamar the Guildsman is in the room, hears Halbrand’s name, but later either forgets or pretends to forget. Instead he just calls him “low man” repeatedly, showing again how the Southlanders are defined and thus limited by others. At first, Halbrand is evasive because Tamar is clearly trying to intimidate. But once confrontation is inevitable, Halbrand makes sure to repeat his name before smacking Tamar into the wall. (Apparently Halbrand is unaware of the effect of head trauma on memory formation but hey none of us are perfect.)

Halbrand also holds onto the king sigil/amulet (omg what is in that pouch, bro, is it the blood your ancestor swore on?) despite its threat to his plan of outrunning his past. It clearly means something in his community; Bronwyn recognizes it immediately. It’s unique enough that Galadriel can dig up its backstory at her local public library. So if he’s trying to disappear, why hold onto this thing? Because it’s crucial to his identity and in the end he’s not willing to give that up. In fact, he does the opposite: he takes it back to the Southlands in an effort to use the identity it creates to save his society.

I’m really excited to follow Halbrand and Bronwyn’s stories as they/their society wrestle with the legacy of past decisions while at the same time struggling just to survive day-to-day. Clearly Halbrand has done some things that he now really regrets. I think his family has probably been closely tied to the cult of Morgoth/Sauron and inter-human conflict in the region (he had to get that combat experience somewhere). Also I just can't stop thinking about the sheer amount of strong chains Adar and Co used to enslave people and the fact that Halbrand is a smith. And if everyone I knew got killed by the person I made chains for OR put in the chains I made? I'd run, too.

Now Halbrand is trying to counteract that past by stepping up to lead and protect his community from essentially the threat of extinction. Bronwyn is on a similar journey, though it seems that her personal past is less dicey. Neither of them have the powers of elves or the advantages of Numenoreans. They’re just regular people who grew up in a troubled area that recently gained A LOT MORE problems. While they have allies like Arondir, Galadriel, and some of Numenor, it’s still down to them to keep their people alive and find a new home now that agriculture in the Southlands is uuhhhhhh probably impossible.

This also sets us up for future wraith!Halbrand (as much as it grieves me to say). Because after struggling against these insane magical forces and seeing so many of your people suffer and die, of course you’re gonna make use of whatever tools might help level the playing field. Like a magical ring of power. In this way, Halbrand isn’t so much an Aragorn parallel as he is a Boromir parallel.

But before the inevitable tragedy, I’m hoping we get to see Halbrand and Bronwyn working together to lead their people to a safer place where they can shed the dark legacies of the past and create both a new identity and a new path for the people who were the Southlanders.

#I just have a lot of feelings about Southlanders guys #and #human halbrand #bronwyn #the southlanders #the rings of power theory #the rings of power meta #tolkien meta #tolkien #adar #sauron #middle earth #halbrand

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avauntus · 4 years ago

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Supernatural - a retrospective

This is super self-indulgent, and I have so much else I’ve promised-- I owe a long-fic rec post, and ao3 comments, wip work, and that’s just my fandom stuff I’m behind on. *sigh*

But it’s late on a Saturday and now I’ve finished Supernatural, I want to share what I think are my top few eps, and a few other comments. I promise some of this will be different from the “greatest hits” you probably usually see, and I’ll try to make it worth your time. *wry smile*

Look, we have to have categories like: “Most Likely to Live in My Head Rent-Free for the Rest of my Life” and “Most Likely to Inspire Unnecessary Fanfiction” that are different from “Favorites,” because that’s just the cursed energy this show has. ;-)

My top five

#5 - 13.01 - “Lost and Found”

Written by: Andrew Dabb | Directed by: Phil Sgriccia

In fandom, this is most often referred to as the start of the “Grieving Widower” arc, tongue-in-cheek. Also has Alexander Calvert (Jack) walking around completely in the nude for the first third of the ep. (Neither of these are why this is in my top 5, but he has a good story about wardrobe for his ‘first day.’)

I didn’t expect much out of this episode the first time I watched it, but I’ve gone over this ‘section’ of the show maybe 3-4 times in my Netflix catch-up, and I watch this one in full every time. From Jack being...not at all what anyone expected and an unsteady vindication, to the stunning cinematography (there’s a post that compares shots to Brokeback Mountain, but I think the shots here might be better), to the sheriff who takes the time to remind her deputy that “...there’s no such thing as ‘weird.’ Everyone’s normal in their own way,” to the slow reveal of exactly how hard the events of the previous night (12x23 - All Along the Watchtower) are hitting Dean and Sam and in different ways...(how long the episode takes to reveal to you how Dean fucked up his hand, and what he was saying when he did. Augh!) The Winchesters are trying to rally, but they have been taking hits for a long time, and the cracks are showing.

#4 - 15.06 - “Golden Time”

Written by: Meredith Glynn | Directed by: John F. Showalter

Supernatural has a terrible track record with representation in all stripes. It is infamously consistent in killing off anyone minority, female, or non-White. One of the interesting things about the chaotic meta-narrative of season 15 is you can see the lack of fucks some of the writer’s room had to give about not even being subtle about tearing down that type of ‘White-male-hero-journey” now that they were in a literal “what will they do, fire me?” situation.

I’m a Cas fan, and this episode, which gives him an actual, ‘case-of-the-week’ hunter’s narrative where he gets to save the day on his own, successfully, was wonderful. I love that for him! But more than that, for me, this episode is emotional to me for other reasons-- the way Dean and Cas circle around each other on their angry phone call (with the body language! They are broadcasting so LOUD and neither can see because they’re on the phone!), Sam’s story here, where he’s inheriting things from Rowena that allow him in turn to save Eileen, to Cas’ speech and quick anger at the lake when you reflect on his entire journey of self-realization from a soldier of blind faith to an agent of free will... “You selfish little men in your positions of authority...” I just... *clears throat, grabs tissue*

#3 - 6.20 - “The Man Who Would Be King”

Written & Directed by: Ben Edlund

Speaking of Cas’ journey... I know some folks don’t like the angst and drama of the ‘Heaven and Hell’ plots of Supernatural, but I am here for it. Oh, did we need another reason to include this episode? This has some of the most metal quotes I have heard from any TV show. Ever.

I mean, look at this:

“If I knew then what I know now, I would have said: Freedom is a length of rope. God wants you to hang yourself with it.”

“Explaining freedom to angels is a bit like explaining poetry to fish.”

The delivery of: “It's not too late. Damn it, Cas! We can fix this!” “Dean, it’s not broken!” is one of those Supernatural bits that will live in my head until the end of time. All of Edlund’s episodes are among my favorites, but this (along with “5.04 - The End”) was on another level.

#2 - 5.16 - “Dark Side of the Moon”

Written by: Andrew Dabb & Daniel Loflin | Directed by: Jeff Wollnough

I think of this episode every time I hear Bob Dylan sing “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door.” This is kinda a giant montage episode, but the connecting concepts are so...satisfying.

“Heaven is your favorite memories.” “ It’s called the axis mundi. It’s a path that runs through heaven. Different people see it as different things. For you, it’s two-lane asphalt.” “This is your idea of heaven? Wow, this was one of the worst nights of my life.” “I don’t think I realized how long you’ve been cleaning up Dad’s messes.” “It’s awesome to finally have an application—a practical application—for string theory.” “Everyone leaves you, Dean. You noticed?” “Why is God talking to me? Gardner-to-gardener, and between us, I think he gets lonely.” “You son of a bitch, I believed in... ” Whoosh.

#1 - 4.01 - “Lazarus Rising”

Written by: Eric Kripke | Directed by: Kim Manners

So...this is the episode where Castiel, angel of thee Lord, shows up. And that’s primarily why it earns the no. 1 spot, because 80% of my enjoyment of Supernatural from this point on was Cas-adjacent. Plus this entire episode just hits. ALL OF IT. Dean’s homecoming. Ruby, my darling. Bobby’s entire vibe. Pamela Barnes, easily one of the most interesting women Supernatural ever introduced. Cas being so hot to say “Hi” to Dean he forgets he wounds people.

But beyond that-- the way the show writes their ‘oh, by the way, angels’ narrative! If you haven’t seen this episode, would you believe me if I told you that THIS EPISODE, the episode where Supernatural said “canonically, Judeo-Christian Heaven is real, btw” involves no churches but does involve a séance, a soulmark handprint brand, and a himbo angel that “gripped you tight and raised you from Perdition”...but they were all “no homo, guys” for years?

Truly no one was out here doing it like Supernatural even back in 2008.

Others--

15.18 - “Despair”

“Most Likely to Live Rent-Free in My Head for the Rest of my Life”

Written by: Robert Berens | Directed by: Richard Speight, Jr.

You know why this episode is here. It broke reality. I could be wrong-- but I’d put good money on this episode being the subject of academic theses in the future. That doesn’t automatically make for interesting story, but...

Has there ever been a case, in a mainstream US TV show where a major lead character (Cas) came out as queer so late in the game in a narratively-important way? I’m not aware of it, but I might just be behind on my television.

This episode has great writing, and (blessedly) amazing direction and blocking anyway. Check out the above gif - that is some next level foreshadowing going on in the cinematography, and this isn’t even the most remarked upon shot in this episode. (Seriously, I had to search for 40 minutes for this gif, please respect my game, lol.) Everyone who was involved in 15x18 is giddy talking about their investment, from the costume designer to the actors to the director to the writer...

...And then a bunch of them steadfastly have avoided posting much Supernatural-related since. So that’s...loud. There is a bunch of subtext in this episode that is screamingly loud; there is a bunch of text in this episode that makes several things clear fandom has been chattering over for years and years. The meta-commentary around this episode continues, months later. There are over 700 fics on AO3 with this episode tag.

I have more to say about the themes of ‘free will’ and ‘love’ and ‘identity’ tied to this episode, but seriously-- you’ve probably read 17 versions of it on Tumblr already, so.

This is the last time we see Cas, and the last time Supernatural can claim anything close to narrative consistency. For that alone, it’d earn free head-space.

Runners-up: “4.20 - The Rapture”; “5.04 - The End”; “7.21 - Reading is Fundamental”; “8.21 - The Great Escapist”; “9.06 - Heaven Can’t Wait”; “12.19 - The Future”; “14.08 - Byzantium”

6.17 - “My Heart Will Go On”/8.07 - “A Little Slice of Kevin”

“Most Likely to Inspire Unnecessary Fanfiction”

Written by: Eric Charmelo & Nicole Snyder (6.17); Brad Buckner & Eugenie Ross-Leming | Directed by: Phil Sgriccia (6.17); Charlie Carner (8.07)

Usually the show kills off it’s “one-episode” female characters, but do you know one time it didn’t? When the Moirai (the Fates - specifically Atropos, the shearer of the Threads of Fate) showed up in canon in 6.17. She was posited to have “two older sisters that were bigger than her- in every sense of the word,” ...and Castiel had to back down when she challenged him to a cosmic game of chicken over the Winchester’s lives.

Then they never returned to that idea again.

“A Little Slice of Kevin” is on here for the opposite reason -- an amazing idea that was really underwritten in the episode it showed up in. Dean Winchester has been dragging himself across the fabric of universes; the literal Word of God is in play in a warehouse in Middle America; Cas is back from Purgatory, but what does that mean, micro and macro? As a person on the street, what would it mean, or feel like, to learn you were a Prophet of the Lord, uncalled? That what you are, everything you are, is a cosmic contingency?

Maybe Fate has an opinion on all these shenanigans?

Perhaps all that doesn’t make sense, but it certainly made an impression on ~2012 me. To this day, it remains the WIP I can open up and fool myself with the ‘twist.’ I wish I remembered where I was going with it so I could finish it.

Runners Up: “2.20 - What Is and What Should Never Be”; “5.04 - The End”; “6.15 - The French Mistake”; 12.12 - “Stuck in the Middle (with you)”; “13.05 - Advanced Thanatology” “14.03 - The Scar”; “14.10 - Nihilism”; “15.15 - Gimme Shelter” ... and “15.20 - Carry On” (obviously)

Fifteen seasons. There were plenty of other episodes I loved that didn’t make these limited lists. But overall -- thank you, Supernatural, for the run. Even if I’m upset at the ending, I can appreciate the game. If you watch the show, what were your favorite episodes?

#spn #supernatural #meta #review

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iasipranked · 6 years ago

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IASIP Episodes Ranked: #122 of 144 - Charlie Wants An Abortion

dir. John Fortenberry, written by Rob McElhenney & Charlie Day, aired August 11th 2005, Season 1 Episode 2

summary: charlie finds out that he is the father of a bratty child, tommy, and the gang gets talking about pro-life vs. pro-choice. dee goes to an abortion rally to fight for the right to choose and mac and dennis tag along to pick up chicks. charlie hangs out with tommy just to impress the waitress and mac gets close to a hardcore pro-life girl, megan. the woman charlie slept with, stacy, reveals that charlie is not actually tommy’s father, dennis gets eggs thrown on him, and megan tricks mac into thinking she’s pregnant after they banged, mac suggests she gets an abortion, and she dumps him.

abby’s favorite line: ‘i don’t really have any convictions’ -dennis

luce’s favorite line: ‘mac, what’s god’s stance on blood tests?’ -charlie

positives:

the first time mac preaches his religious side in the show and it’s...well..something. he tries to quote the bible, and not only does he quote from the wrong section, he also gets the quote wrong, spewing some condensed version of it that i doubt even he understands. honestly really good way to show how devoted yet dumb he is right off the bat

mac is an actually an asshole fuckboy in this! like they really got that down pat immediately and him getting with that girl is probably the last proper instance of him acting straight besides carmen so it’s funny to see how repressed he is at this point!

dennis thinking women are lesbians because they won’t let him hit on them is the most acute social commentary in the first season

ok the whole egg throwing scene is Genius: 1) the irony of them throwing eggs, unborn chickens, when they’re literally at an abortion rally 2) they are throwing them at dennis, who is metaphorically and physically on the fence surrounding the topic of abortion 3) there is an american flag waving in the back above dennis. just..so much good commentary and it’s all kind of subtle but well thought out

when dennis is on the fence... like literally and metaphorically... that was good writing and kinda illustrates how american politics demands you to be entrenched in one side of a debate

love how charlie and tommy’s outfits have an overall blue tone together the whole episode and at the end, the waitress is also matching with her ‘little sister’, their outfits both pink

also rlly interesting how charlie gets very frustrated throughout the episode and more or less starts acting like a kid himself

negatives:

dee being a goodie two shoes in s1 really shows here and it honestly is just bothersome? also because she barely has a plot of her own, this makes her character extremely two-dimensional and uninteresting especially compared to dennis and mac who are downright assholes in this episode... it’s really disconcerting to have dee take a relatively unproblematic stance and for her not to have an alternative motive and to be honest it’s just bad writing

the way that charlie handles responsibility in this episode, while nowhere near well, is certainly not realistic to his character even two seasons later... he really is just underdeveloped as a character which we can’t fully criticise as this is the first season but is jarring to watch after watching a later episode

tldr: a funny and acute social commentary on the behalf of dennis and mac is ruined by bad writing diminishing sweet dee’s character significantly, this is possibly the worst case of this to date

#iasip #it's always sunny in philadelphia #iasip ranked #charlie wants an abortion

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albionscastle · 6 years ago

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First Impressions Part 9

I’m not going to lie, I’ve been in a dreadful funk since getting back from Scotland and I haven’t written hardly at all. But I was putting up the tree and thought of a scene which turned into this.

This chapter doesn’t really further the story much but gives an insight into what Lizzie and Jack are thinking.

MASTERLIST AND PREVIOUS CHAPTERS

FIRST IMPRESSIONS PART 9 - SNOW DAY

LIZZIE

Winter had officially arrived, several weeks early in fact. Lizzie sat in her window watching the children walking to school, bundled in their coats and scarves, happily throwing snowballs at one another. Shop owners were salting and shovelling the sidewalks while the trucks came along to give the same treatment to the roads. The first decent snow of the season the week before Thanksgiving was almost unheard of. Since Lizzie had been in high school it had only snowed before Christmas maybe three times. Up at 6am she’d already shovelled the sidewalk outside the theatre, the landlord was far too old to be having to worry about it and if she was honest she enjoyed the simple labor of it.

What she didn’t like, however, was driving in the snow, especially in or around Chicago. She’d admittedly been called a crazy driver more than once but she had nothing on the idiots who came out in the bad weather. It was far safer for her and everyone else for her to just, not. The museum had already been informed that she wouldn’t be back until March, and honestly Lizzie was looking forward to taking the time off to explore some online classes, anything to pad her resume. Today, though, she was free just to relax and watch the flakes fall while she nursed her tea.

A ping from her phone distracted her, no-one usually texted her at 7am unless it was an emergency, or they wanted her to work.

Brad: Hey Red! It’s snowing!

Lizzie rolled her eyes. In the weeks since Charlie’s birthday, the weird feeling she’d had about Brad had almost vanished and she’d engaged with him a lot more. Though she had yet to take him up on his offers of dinner, she had allowed him to sit beside her at the movies once or twice. For his part, Brad had eased off while still making his attraction clear. Lizzie couldn’t understand why she was so reticent about getting involved with him. On paper he was a hell of a catch - gorgeous, charming, successful, friendly and fun. Brad Wickham ticked a lot of boxes, except two. Attraction and trust.

The truth was - she just didn’t think of him in that way. If he brushed her hand or touched her she felt nothing. Literally nothing, it just wasn’t there for her and no amount of trying had changed that. There was also the niggling feeling in the back of her mind that she just couldn’t trust him. Whether it was because he was just too perfect, or her own personal fears, she just couldn’t tell, but it was there.

It didn’t stop her from enjoying his friendship though.

Lizzie: Your powers of perception are second to none. I never would have guessed.

Brad: Ha ha, there’s talk they may cancel filming today.

Lizzie: It’s barely a dusting! And wouldn’t that just put production behind? Brad: Nah, we only have a few days of filming left and today is just us lowly bit part actors lol

He was right, Lizzie realised suddenly. Even Tom had mentioned more than once that the whole thing would be done by Thanksgiving, which was only seven days away. She made a mental note to ask Maya what plans her and Tom had made.

Lizzie: I forgot you will all be out of our hair this week.

Brad: Well our mutual ‘friend’ will be, me, I might stick around for a while.

Don’t.

She didn't’;t even realise that she’d said the word out loud the thought was so sudden. But Lizzie knew without a doubt that deep down she didn’t want Brad to stay in town once production finished.

Lizzie: trust me, there’s NOTHING here in the winter. Just ice and assholes, other than that, nothing happens.

There was no text for a while and Lizzie hoped that she’d gotten the message across diplomatically enough. She knew damn well what he meant when he talked about staying and she didn’t want to give him false hope.

Brad: Subject change, are you going to the wrap party?

Lizzie: Half the city was invited so yes. What about you?

Brad: Well it's sure to be awkward but I’m determined to. After all, Jack’s the one who should be ashamed, not me. If he doesn’t want to see me there he can leave and hide in his hotel room.

Lizzie: Now that would make the night perfect lol

Brad: Gotta go, we just got called. TTYL

The wrap party had been a bone of contention for Lizzie since the invitations arrived. Her mother and Lydia were over the moon, naturally, but when Lizzie had suggested she stay home with Ben she had been vetoed across the board. Reluctantly she’d had to agree to go, even though she wanted to avoid a great many of the people who would be there.

Still, maybe the night would be bearable with Brad and Charlie there. Maybe.

As expected, the snow had eased off by mid-morning and would be melted away by late afternoon. Maya had arrived at lunch, arms stacked with books and looking all flustered.

“Can I study here? If I go home Mom is just going to distract me and I’ll get nothing done, I’m behind already.”

Lizzie couldn’t say no to Maya, even if her presence meant that her planned day of solitude had gone out the window. Leaving her sister with her law books spread out all over the dining table, Lizzie had pottered around cleaning the apartment and hauling the Christmas boxes down from the storage room. Chloe was strict about the tree not going up until December and Colin had never allowed one. This year she was going to have it her way, Christmas was her favorite time of year.

It was dark by five and finally Maya shut her books.

“I’m done. All caught up, thanks Lizzie.”

“No probs, are you hungry?”

“Famished, I should get home for dinner.”

“I’ll rustle something up, stay and relax for a while.”

Lizzie could see Maya’s forehead wrinkle nd she knew what was bothering her.

“You have plans with Tom?”

“Just dinner with him and Jack.” Maya looked guilty.

Taking a deep breath, Lizzie made the decision.

“Invite them here.”

The thankful look on Maya’s face was worth any irritation that Lizzie felt at the prospect of Jack being in her apartment. Besides there were just a days left and she was, as always, willing to put up with anything if it meant Maya’s happiness.

Lizzie busied herself in the kitchen, making sure she was busy when the men in question arrived. She could hear their voices, the difference between their accents always so clear. Despite herself, she enjoyed the burrs and lilts when Jack spoke and loathed that she actually found his voice quite comforting.

“Could ye use a hand?”

Speak of the devil and he’ll pop his head into your kitchen.

“I’m actually good.” Lizzie didn’t even look up from chopping the carrots.

“Are ye sure? I think those two want some time alone, if ye ken?”

You could have stayed home, she thought bitterly.

“Fine, can you chop these for me?” she sighed.

“What are makin?” he took the knife from her hand and got to work.

“A coconut curry, nothing special.”

“Sounds better than McDonalds again.”

Lizzie couldn’t help but snicker. Whiting wasn’t known as a hub for the discerning diner, and their McDonald's even had a Facebook page declaring it the worst in existence. For good reason.

“You’re gambling with your life eating at that shithole.”

“Take it up wi’ the young’un, he’s go a stomach made o cast iron.”

“And apparently the taste to go with it if he willingly eats that crap to begin with.”

“Well, to be fair, the lad’s no had a lot of experience past uni, and ye know how tha goes.”

“I remember. I existed on a diet of ramen, takeout and toast. Oh and chocolate, naturally.”

“Naturally.” he chuckled, sliding the veggies into the skillet at Lizzie’s beckoning.

The conversation lapsed into a comfortable silence as the meal came together. Jack seemed able to anticipate her needs and they worked together like a well-oiled machine.

“It’s almost ready, let me check the rice.”

Lizzie lifted the lid on the pot and held her hand out for a fork. Jack handed one to her, fingers sliding over hers as he placed it in her palm. The jolt that hit her made her catch her breath, hand shaking as she gripped the utensil. The last time he’d touched her this hadn’t happened, but she’d been upset and his touch had been comforting in the face of Colin.

This. This was trouble.

Lizzie waited until Jack went to set the table before she let out her breath, her hand still tingling and her body far too warm for comfort.

What the fuck had just happened? JACK

His hand was twitching, literally twitching as he flexed his fingers. He’d seen Elizabeth take a deep breath and he knew that she felt it too. The attraction that simmered was white hot and coursing through his veins and it was all he could do to slow his breathing. Jack barely even paid attention to what he was doing, his mind wandering to far more interesting thoughts.

Stop it! He muttered to himself before his body betrayed his thoughts.

Jack forced himself to calm down before going back into the kitchen. Elizabeth had her back to him as she transferred food to serving dishes. He took a moment to appreciate her, even all covered up she was a treat. For a brief moment he allowed himself to imagine walking up behind her, lifting her braid so he could press his lips to her neck. In his mind she leaned back into him with a smile as his arms wrapped around her waist, holding her as he whispered in her ear.

“Can you get the others?”

His bubble burst and reality came into sharp focus as he called out to Tom and Maya, taking a serving dish from the counter. He gave himself credit for rallying well during dinner, telling stories from different sets that had the women howling with laughter. There were moments he noticed that Elizabeth would have her brows furrowed in confusion, and he definitely noticed her watching him when she thought he wasn’t looking.

Bolstered, he not only dragged Tom to make sure they did the cleaning up, but he also broached the subject of the Christmas boxes in the corner.

“Lizzie always was gung ho about getting Christmas up and moving.” Maya laughed. “Mom would never even let her look at tinsel until December.”

“I’m all fer decorating early ma’self.” Jack shrugged, noting Elizabeth’s surprise. “There’s summan magical about Christmas an I think the longer ye can experience it each year the better.”

He didn’t add that he hadn’t decorated his flat since Lisa buggered off and even then it had been all her, designed purely to be shown off and with no warmth or charm. There had been no magic to it.

“Lizzie! Why don’t we do it now?” Tom suddenly piped up with excitement.

Good boy, Jack thought as he murmured his agreement to the idea.

“Well I guess we could.” she seemed uncertain at first but he could see the excitement brimming in her eyes.

That was all it took. Within minutes the boxes had been dragged into the center of the room and the corner emptied.

“I prefer real trees,” Elizabeth sighed she cut open the huge box containing the tree. “But I couldn’t justify the expense when I already had this.”

As it was, her fake tree was impressively real-looking, and large. Jack could see that it had been packed away for quite some time as even the scent packets in with it had lost their smell. It was a lovely tree but in the back of his mind all he could think was that he deserved the real thing.

Maya lit pine-scented candles, while Tom turned on a Christmas playlist. Jack helped Elizabeth piece the tree together, pulling and fluffing the branches until it looked perfect. For the next hour or so, lights and tinsel were hung, and box after box of baubles opened. Many were the typical colorful glass balls, glittering stars, pretty but impersonal. The last couple of boxes were different. He watched the sisters as they lifted each one out, some hand made and some old and well loved. There was even a box of ornaments that were nothing but Star Wars, Marvel, Disney, a wonderland of pop culture. Jack’s personal favorite was a Darth Vader in an ugly sweater who spoke about presents and Sithmas every time someone moved past him.

“When did you get all these, Lizzie?” Maya was hanging a golden Snitch beside a sparkly Merida.

Tom was unboxing a Captain America and jack was playing with a shark that played the Jaws theme.

“I’ve just bought them at sale over the years, Mom never wanted them on the tree and Colin…” Jack watched her visibly gather herself. “He wasn’t big on Christmas.”

It occured to Jack that this might well be the first time Elizabeth had her own tree, in her own home, and he wasn’t sure how it was making him feel. Shaking his head to try and clear his thoughts he handed her the shark, watching her while she hung it. After it all was done and the boxes carted back to storage, Jack stood back looking at what they’d done.. The tree was a hodge podge, with no apparent style or theme and he had to admit he thought it was perfect. The result was warm, inviting and somehow uniquely Elizabeth. This apartment wasn’t designed to please anyone but her and it worked, in the fact that one felt so much at home here.

His flat in London was pathetically sterile, had been even during the time he shared it with Lisa. She’d been all for the ultra modern, with white everything and the place had looked like a damn photoshoot. He’d been afraid to even sit on the fucking couch. In the year that she’d been gone the only thing he’d done with the place was buy a couch and a tv, most of the time that was where he slept too. If he was with a woman it had always been at her place or a hotel, somewhere that he could make a quick, discrete exit. There had been no morning afters, no desire to have a woman in his space.

Until now.

Elizabeth would hate his place, he knew by looking at her jewelled throws and little knick knacks, and he’d be embarrassed to take her there. But here, he could see something more than taking her to bed and sneaking out while she was asleep. He could see snuggling on the couch as a movie played, he could see cooking together again.

He could see a future and it scared him to death.

It wasn’t possible, least of all with her and all of this had to be some weird side-effect of being in close quarters to the woman he wanted to shag and couldn’t. There was no future with a woman who lived in a different country and whose whole family belonged on some trashy American talk show. Not to mention that he was never ever going to put himself in that position again. He could never allow himself to be blindsided and betrayed again - especially when the woman in question was already friendly with Wick.

While the others dug into dessert, Jack excused himself to the bathroom, finding that he needed a few moments to be alone with his thoughts. Strolling down the hallway he ran his fingers along the wall, taking in the gallery of photos. Most were of Elizabeth and her family or friends. He chuckled to himself at one of her and Charlie as young teens, skinny and awkward looking, their teeth in braces. Further along, closer to her bedroom door were two framed documents. With some surprise he realised they were diplomas, from Northwestern University. Somehow he’d known in the back of his mind that she’d been to school, something he’d overheard maybe. He hadn’t considered a place like Northwestern, or that ‘gone to school’ meant a Masters degree in History.

He was honestly taken aback. What on earth was she doing working in a bakery with a masters degree? Jack couldn’t wrap his head around it, or around why the hell he cared so much what she did or didn’t do with her life. Splashing his face with water in the bathroom, Jack tried to shake some sense into himself. With a resigned sigh he instead gave into curiosity and opened the bathroom cabinet, all the while telling himself that he was a despicable human being.

“What on earth?” he murmured aloud as he took in the row of prescription bottles on the shelf.

His brow furrowed as he read the labels; Hydroxyzine, Lexapro, Amitriptyline, Naproxen - that one, he knew was for pain. The others though, he had no idea what they were but it didn’t bode well. Whatever was wrong with Elizabeth, she did a good job of hiding it, he’d certainly seen no signs of illness or weakness.

“That was a nice night, even you have to admit Jack.” Tom remarked later as they walked back to the hotel.

“Aye it was. Say, do ye know if Elizabeth is sick or summan?”

“She looked fine to me, a bit tired maybe.”

Jack just shrugged, surely if it were something like say, cancer, Maya would have mentioned something to Tom. Whatever it was it apparently wasn’t bad enough to cause anyone any real concern.

Again, why did he even fucking care?

Short answer, he didn’t. The woman had gotten under his skin, yes but for no reason other than him being horny, wanting to scratch the itch. Anything else was simply sentimentality, maybe a touch of loneliness.

“Nuthun, jus thought she seemed a bit, off, probably jus tried like ye said.”

“Awe how sweet of you to care you big softie.” Tom laughed, despite the dark look that Jack shot him.

“Shut the fuck up, asshole.” Jack muttered, shoving Tom good-naturedly.

As much as Jack hated to admit it, Tom had a point. He did care, despite his better judgement and every argument against it. He cared. Very much.

And he was miserable.

#jack x reader #jack lowden fic #jack lowden #jack lowden blurb #jack lowden fanfiction #jack lowden x reader #pride and prejudice au #dont know why im tagging this since tumblr is being a bitch about links

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happenable-blog · 6 years ago

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WWE Raw - March 18, 2019: Highlights and Review

Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman open the show This week WWE Raw got opened with a promoas usual. What wasn't usual though, was that Brock Lesnar made an appearance on Raw after god knows how long. He got booed by the Chicago crowd as he made his way down the ring. Heyman starts the promo with his usual schtick introducing Brock Lesnar to us. He challenged the statements made by Rollins the previous week. He said Brock Lesnar defeated all the man that Rollins said he had a hard time with. In the end, he was the victor against Styles, Bryan and Balor. He hyped the main event of the show saying that what was Rollins thinking challenging a career killer like Drew McIntyre for a match days before his match with Brock Lesnar. This brings out McIntyre who is happy that he is finally getting the respect that he deserves. McIntyre suggests to Heyman that he must find another opponent for Brock because after McIntyre is done brutalizing Rollins, he won't make it to WrestleMania. Seth Rollins comes from behind and hit McIntyre with chair shots on the back. He looks at Brock and heads towards the ring with the chair in his hands. Lesnar just jumps out and leaves. This was a fine segment. It is always nice to see both the competitors hyping up their match instead of the same promo by only one of them. Also did a decent job to hype the audience for the main event of the show. Rating: 3.5/5 Finn Balor is out next. He will be in a tag team match with a mystery partner against Lashley and Rush. Blair grabs a mic and said that he wasn't a lucky Irish last week when he lost his Intercontinental championship match to Bobby Lashley. He said he wouldn't be a former champion for too long though. Lashley and Rush interrupt. Lashley poses with the title. Balor said he will get his hands on the title very soon. And his partner will get his hands on both them. Brain Strowman us revealed as Balor's tag team partner Finn Balor and Braun Strowman vs Bobby Lashley and Lio Rush Lashley and Rush dominate Balor. Balor gets very little offence in the match. The heels tried to avoid Baloe tagging in Strowman into the match. Strowman finally gets in the ring with Rush. He throws Rush across the ring before stomping him on the chest. Rush almost made a comeback when Lashley hit a spear on Strowman. But Braun kicks out after a frog splash attempt from Lio. Rush tried to run away but he is caught by Balor. Balor got shoulder tackled by Lashley, who got run over by Braun. Braun throws Rush into the ring for a chokeslam and then a running powerslam for the win. Winner: Finn Balor and Braun Strowman I am not that much invested in the IC title storyline. The match was fine. They are still booking Lashley to be strong. Balor barely got any offence in the match which is not great. Rating: 2/5 Backstage, Ronda Rousey is walking into the arena with her husband, Travis Browne. They walk into the referee John Cone who told Ronda that she is late. He also told her that in addition to the fine on Ronda, they have also increased security. Rousey just ignores and walks away. A Moment of Bliss w/ Elias Bliss hyped herself up as a great talk show host. She said she has inspired Lily Singh to be a talk show host before she introduces Elias. Elias comes out playing his guitar. He announces that he will be the headlining musical act at WrestleMania. He made some field goal reference which I didn't get. But the Chicago crowd did who booed him. He is talking about how if someone interrupts him at Mania he will... But before he can say anything else he is interrupted by the No way Jose's conga line led by Otus and Tucker. One of the members hit Elias and it was revealed that No way Jose was an intruder in his own conga line. Okay... No way Jose gets into the ring for a match with Elias. Elias vs No Way Jose Some back and forth action in the match. The crowd was dead for this one. The conga line tried to rally the crowd chanting his name but no one else made a sound in the arena. The finish came when Elias hit Jose with an elbow drop led by the drift away. Winner: Elias I guess this is a feud now. No one is interested in it but it is a feud. The match in itself was nothing special. Rating: 1/5 Kurt Angle announces his WrestleMania opponent Kurt Angle reminded us that he will have his farewell match at WrestleMania. He also said that his farewell tour will continue tonight. A "Thank You Kurt" chants by the crowd to which Kurt thanked the crowd back. He went on to thank the McMahon family to allow him to choose his WrestleMania opponent. And he announced that he will face the man who made his life living hell when he was WWE Raw General Manager. And that man is... BARON CORBIN. The crowd booed hearing his name. He said he will make Corbin tap out at Mania. Oh it's true... It's damn true. I will give this announcement and the following match separate rating. With all the dream matches that you could have had, with the roster depth that you had to choose an opponent for Kurt for his last match. They seriously went for Baron Corbin?! This is furious. The crowd booed not because he is a great heel but because we don't want to see this match. When Kurt said those line, that felt so scripted and badly acted too. Rating: 0.5/5 Kurt Angle vs Chad Gable Gable shaped Angle's hand and said that Angle is his hero. They did some technical wrestling in the ring. Kurt delivered a belly to belly suplex to Gable. Angle tried to go for the Angle Lock but Gable gets out and rolls him up for two. Kurt tried to hit three German suplexes but Gable got out of the second one and locks in Angle lock which got booed by the crowd. Angle gets out and tried to go for Angle Slam, Gable countered with a DDT. Gable went on the top rope for a moonsault. Angle moved out if the way and applies Angle Lock. Gable tries to fight but taps out. Winner via submission: Kurt Angle I will take this match over Angle vs Corbin at any damn time. This was not a great match. Just an average match with some spots. But still, Gable is a great wrestler and deserves much better. Rating: 2.5/5 Corbin comes out in a sea of boos by the crowd after the match. He said he will humiliate him in his last match. The crowd chanted for Cena. And I also wanted Cena to come out, but he is nowhere to be seen. In-ring interview with WWE Women's Tag Team Champions Boss & Hug connection Before the segment, Baron Corbin is talking to The Revival backstage. He is interrupted by Apollo Crews who challenged him for a match later tonight. He said that no one likes him to which he replied that The revival likes him. Revival just walked off saying "Hell no!" Carly Caruso is in the ring to interview Boss & Hug. She mentions that IIconics think that Banks and Bayley are ducking them by not appearing on SmackDown. Bailey announces that they will fight anyone. That's why they will appear on SmackDown tomorrow night and It'll be iconic, mocking the IIconic's pose. Natalya and Beth Phoenix interrupts them and gets in the ring. Beth said that Nia and Tamina ignited the fire inside her and now she is ready to step out of retirement to fight for the one thing that she has never held - The women's tag titles. Bailey and Banks cut a bit heelish promo on their opponents. They said that Competition is now evolved and Beth should take more time to prepare. This got heated and led to a mild brawl between the teams. Sasha Banks w/ Bayley vs Natalya w/ Beth Phoenix This was a short match. Both the women hit some of their signature moves. Banks is out recovering after a discus clothesline from Natalya. Nia Jac comes out on the stage. Nia mocks Beth and said she had accomplished more in her 3 years than Beth ever did in her career.. This was all a distraction as Tamina comes out from the crowd and throws Beth to the post before super-kicking Baykey and Banks to end the match. Winner by Disqualification: Sasha Banks Tamina ran away from Natalya back to Nia. They both laughed on top of the stage. Fine segment Beth Phoenix stepping out of retirement didn't feel like a big thing as we all saw it coming. The match was nothing. This was just to build a multi-team match at Mania, I believe. Rating: 2/5 Mojo Rawley is talking with himself in the mirror. I can't recall what he said. But I don't think it matters either. Ricochet vs Jinder Mahal w/ Singh Brothers Mahal dominated some of the match with chin locks and with the help of Singh Brothers. Ricochet made a comeback later he hit a running shooting star press. Mahal was pulled out by the Singhs. Ricochet got everyone with a dive on the outside. He throws Mahal in the ring and hit 630 for the win. Winner: Ricochet I hope this is not a feud. If it is it will be a lacking one. You can't even say it was a squash match as Mahal did get some offence in it. It was just there to showcase Ricochet's moves. Rating: 2/5 It was announced that Sue Aitchison will receive the warrior award at the Hall of Fame Ceremony. WWE Raw Women's Championship Match: Ronda Rousey (c) vs Dana Brooke Brooke had a backstage interview with Charly, who said that Ronda beat the likes of Becky and Charlotte and she is... Dana get what she meant and said that she might not be better but she needs to be better than Ronda for three seconds. The match starts. Dana blocked on a kick from Ronda but she caught Brooke with a jumping knee. She hit some more knees before applying an armbar for the win. Winner via Submission and still Raw Women's Champion: Ronda Rousey Rousey didn't let go of the armbar even after the bell rang. Dana was shouting in pain. She finally let go as a ref ran down the ring. She pushed him away and more security ran down. Ronda went to kiss her husband in the front row and slapped a security guy down. Travis pulled her in the crowd and calmed her down to walk away with her. This was more of a segment after the match than the match itself. I didn't mind the badass Ronda it is always good. I hope she just does it without reminding us that wrestling us scripted off TV. Loved how she just squashed Dana too. Rating: 3/5 Baron Corbin vs Apollo Crews Apollo dodged a slide out clothesline from Corbin. Corbin did his deadly move - the chin lock. He also hit his secondary moves like Deep Six but Crews kicked out. The crowd was chanting for Cena. Corbin went for end of days but Crews countered into a roll up for the win. Winner: Apollo Crews Not bothered by this match if they are working as they are doing a great job as I was bored by this match and hated them for this. Angle joined Crews on top of the ramp. Rating: 1/5 Interview with Batista via Satellite Michael Cole is conducting the interview with Batista who is live from Tampa, Florida. Barista said that he just doesn't like Triple H and he never did. Cole asks if it goes back to their Evolution days. He said it goes way beyond than that. He said Triple H just uses people to make him look good. Whether it was DX or Evolution. Cole asked why he quit in 2010. Barista replies he didn't quit. He was not getting opportunities that he deserved by his Boss Triple H. That's why he quit. He made a huge name for himself outside of WWE after that and become famous. He just hopes that Vince McMahon fires Triple H and end his professional career. At WrestleMania, he will end his in-ring career. He announced the interview to be over and demanded that camera crew got out. This was a great promo by Batista. He has just one goal and that is to end Triple H's career at Mania Rating: 3.5/5 Brain Strowman announced that he will be in the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal in a backstage interview. Drew McIntyre comes out to cut a promo before his match against Rollins. He said that he wants to talk to Joe the man, not Roman Reign. Joe, the father and the husband. He challenged him for a match at WrestleMania and said he may have been able to beat leukaemia but he won't be able to beat him. Rollins and McIntyre brawls midway in through the ramp as the match is going to start next. Drew McIntyre vs Seth Rollins There was action all around. Rollins avoided getting thrown to the steel steps and hits a moonsault, but Drew moved out if the way. McIntyre was going for a powerbomb in tge ring but Rollins countered with a hurricanrana. Rollins tried to go for a suicide dive on Drew but Drew caught him and throw him into the barricade. Later Rollins did two consecutive suicide dives on McIntyre and even hit him with his Superplex into a falcon arrow for a near fall. Rollins stomps his feet on the ring calling for the curb stomp. Before he could hit it Lesnar music hits and he comes out with Heyman to distract Rollins. As Rollins turns around to take care of Drew he ran straight into a Claymore. Winner: Drew McIntyre This was by far the best match on the show storyline wise as well as wrestling wise. I didn't like the booking though. You could have had Lesnar just laying out Rollins to end it a DQ or some way. I know you want to build Drew up for Reigns but you gotta build Rollins up as well. Rating: 3.5/5 This week's WWE Raw was very boring and frustrating tbh. It felt like a lot of fillers and boring matches. The bits I liked were the opening segment, Batista's promo and the main event. The rest was very poor. WWE Raw Rating: 2/5 Do let us know what you thought if WWE Raw this week. If you want to contact us you can do so here. Catch all the past WWE Raw Reviews here. Read the full article

#WWERaw #Raw #RawReviewe

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cult-of-kai · 7 years ago

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Fuck Yeah, I Love Story Time!

Thoughts on episode 10, ‘Charles (Manson) in Charge’:

This episode’s title is funny because Scott Baio is a big Trump supporter.

Winter’s friends are little bitches, but it’s kind of interesting how Riley is both right and wrong. Kai most definitely has some major issues with women, but we have absolutely never seen him seek out female attention by traditional means. I’m not convinced that he’s not mostly gay. He said he likes pussy and he had sex with Meadow, but he seemed more into it with “beautiful” Detective Samuels. The “sodomite” was who he stopped to help in Judgment House and then referred to as a friend. It’s hard to say though, because Kai clearly uses sex for power rather than intimacy- hence his desire to fuck other world leaders’ wives. Anyway. Hi again, Bebe! If SCUM’s misandry wasn’t enough for you, now we learn that Bebe is also a Trump supporter because she thinks he will push female rage to heights that will finally topple the patriarchy. She sees Kai as an avatar for her to help facilitate that. Kai is absolutely desperate for a purpose- for something to make him special- and he latches onto the idea. So I was kind of right, in an anticlimactic way, about the cult leader being a woman in a pantsuit. It’s too bad for Bebe that Kai can’t and won’t follow instructions for shit.

Kai has a rally but it gets interrupted by protesters. Upset by the news coverage and the incumbent senator’s dismissal, he then details a truly monstrous plan to cast the protesters as dangerous radicals by framing them for the murders of a thousand pregnant women. I’d say “way to overreact, my guy” but there’s more going on here. I see shades of Antifa bullshit, but it’s also Kai’s take on Charles Manson’s Helter Skelter concept. He wants to start an apocalyptic gender war rather than an apocalyptic race war. Or so he says. Bebe’s original plan for him and Kai’s own self-serving plans are getting scrambled by his increasingly severe drug-induced paranoid schizophrenia, but there’s still signs of the old wily Kai. He *knows* the Feds are watching him, that there’s a betrayer in his ranks. If not for the noise in his head, he could probably figure it out. That’s what he’s trying to do in his dead parents’ room when he’s interrupted by hallucinations of Vincent’s corpse and young Charles Manson talking to him. Charlie tells him to “identify the Judas”, but subconsciously he already has.

I’ve seen quite a bit of confusion around the Interwebs as to why Evan is playing so many characters, which I don’t get. It’s obvious that Kai is a megalomaniac with a disordered mind who projects himself onto those he considers “great men”. This episode underlines that no fewer than four times by having him project his own followers onto Manson Family members. Speaking of which- between her cold implacability as Ally and her gleeful brutality as “Sexy Sadie”, I’m absolutely convinced that Sarah needs to play a major villain ASAP. Get on it, Murphy!

For Winter, this episode is about facing the fallout from her past actions and finding no takers on her apologies. Ally isn’t interested. Beverly isn’t interested. And Kai? The scene where he has Winter cut his hair and shave his scruff is already a season favorite of mine. There’s the oddly bisected mirror from his last transformation. There’s the constant threat of the razor. There’s the sweet childhood haircut story juxtaposed with teenaged pillow-humping. There’s the promise of release and the springing of the trap. She pleads her innocence and tries to reason with him in a final scene that strongly echoes Vincent’s, complete with an offer to do pinky power. And then Kai kills Winter with his bare hands. Her death is arguably the great tragedy of his life, the loss of the “the only person in the world who really talks to me and knows me”, and he does it to himself.

It’s pretty clear that the whole thing was a setup by Ally and Beverly. Their shared revenge is as terrible and harrowing as anything Kai has ever concocted, and they aren’t done yet. Remember how Ally was interviewed by the police and maybe the FBI after Sally Keffler and Meadow’s deaths? Senator Herbert Jackson mentions the Department of Justice. Speed Wagon is wearing a wire. And Beverly, though she’s been tested, is the unbreakable tiger Bebe Babbitt took her for. I’m not sure how it’s going to play out exactly, but Kai’s time as a free man is short and coming to an inexorable end.

This is, overall, my favorite episode since ‘Midwestern Assassin’. Now only the finale is left, and I’m spooked because last season’s is very probably my pick for the worst AHS episode ever. (That's an assessment I'm not alone in, BTW, as it's ranked dead last in IMDb ratings.) Please, ‘Cult’, please stick the landing.

#american horror story #AHS: cult #7.10 'charles (manson) in charge'#fandom thoughts #episode recaps #november 2017

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womenofcolor15 · 5 years ago

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Right Wing Conservatives Have Been Protesting Lockdowns With Guns, Others Partying Like It’s Not A Pandemic + Missouri Allows Concerts + Crowds Form For New Jordans

Protests and partying! States slowly reopening. Coronavirus updates inside…

Right wing conservatives have been protesting the lockdowns with guns and idiotic rallies, something black people could NEVER do without being arrested or beat down. Remember when Trump tweeted out “LIBERATE MICHIGAN” a few weeks ago? Basically, inciting people to protest their local government to reopen their states amid the Coronavirus pandemic.

Well, they did just that. And there’s drama. No surprise.

No... these are white nationalist terrorists. pic.twitter.com/jdTSoX03p6

— Frederick Joseph (@FredTJoseph) May 1, 2020

Right wing conservatives in Michigan rounded up their guns and Confederate flags to protest in Michigan, calling for Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) to lift strict coronavirus lockdown orders and reopen the state, so they can get back to life pre-COVID-19. Armed protestors invaded Michigan Capitol where lawmakers were voting on whether to extend the state’s lockdown.

Protestors formed a large group in the lobby of the building in Lansing, demanding they be allowed inside the chamber of the Michigan House of Representatives. State police blocked them from entering the chamber, thankfully. Social distancing wasn't even a factor for the demonstrators.

Then, it goes from bad to worse.

The Governor of Michigan should give a little, and put out the fire. These are very good people, but they are angry. They want their lives back again, safely! See them, talk to them, make a deal.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 1, 2020

Trump posted a tweet over the weekend that said:

”The Governor of Michigan should give a little, and put out the fire. These are very good people, but they are angry. They want their lives back again, safely! See them, talk to them, make a deal.”

This Fukcing asshole? This is a good person? The mask less screamer into GOVERNMENT workers faces? pic.twitter.com/o7MFRjfWF0

— MichaelRapaport (@MichaelRapaport) May 1, 2020

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer responded to the protests, telling CNN’s "State of the Union" that the protestors calling to reopen her state while bearing Nazi symbols and Confederate flags are "not representative of who we are in Michigan," denouncing them for celebrating "some of the worst racism and awful parts of our history in this country."

"The Confederate flags, the nooses, the swastikas, the behavior that you've seen in all of the clips is not representative of who we are in Michigan,” she said. “And the fact of the matter is, we're in a global pandemic. This isn't something we just negotiate ourselves out of as a political matter. This is a public health crisis."

Walkin’ into work this morning... #mileg pic.twitter.com/dF5n6McE5a

— Senator Dayna Polehanki (@SenPolehanki) April 30, 2020

Gov. Whitmer reportedly signed three executive orders to reinstate a state of emergency during the coronavirus pandemic as protests continue to grow.

The NY Times reports:

Republican lawmakers have tried to strip the governor’s power to declare a state of emergency, which underpins the stay-at-home order. Michigan has had more Covid-19 deaths than every state except New York and New Jersey. “By refusing to extend the emergency and disaster declaration, Republican lawmakers are putting their heads in the sand and putting more lives and livelihoods at risk,” Ms. Whitmer, a Democrat, said in a statement. “I’m not going to let that happen.”

On Thursday, Speaker Lee Chatfield, a Republican, criticized the governor’s decision to issue a new emergency order. “Today, we offered our hand of partnership to the governor,” he said in a tweet. “No politics. We’re all in this together and we should all work together.”

“She just said no,” he added. “Very disappointing.”

Glad she's not backing down. Again, a group of black protestors could NEVER.

In Chicago...

Posted by Marlena Ellis on Saturday, April 25, 2020

Young people are partying it up at house parties...obviously not social distancing. According to reports, seveal dozen partygoers were living it up at the Chi-town house party. There was even a stripper in the mix.

TMZ reports:

It turns out there was even more reckless behavior going down in Chi-Town over the weekend -- this party seemed to have several dozen guests swarming around a stripper wearing a top, but nothing down below. The partygoers, packed in shoulder-to-shoulder, made it rain on her and even got a little handsy. That might be great for her bottom line, but not so great for health. The video shows no one was thinking a thing about COVID-19, face coverings or maintaining six feet between each other.

The stripper party had the potential to get even bigger. A woman who appears to be the homeowner was on video -- live on Facebook, mind you -- inviting anyone watching to come through.

It’s bussin wassup wya stripper party I don’t own the rights to this music...

Posted by Marlena Ellis on Saturday, April 25, 2020

Sighs...

There was another party in Chicago that viral recently as well. The owner of the home was reportedly hit with fines and was cited for disorderly conduct since she was violating the state's stay-at-home orders.

Check it out below:

chicago house party on FB live last night pic.twitter.com/rOYrQURcKs

— austin white (@ustinwhite) April 26, 2020

With states starting to reopen, it's clear social distancing just ISN'T happening...at all.

Here’s what it looked like as Jimmy Jazz’s doors opened at Greenbriar Mall in Atlanta. Everyone I talked to was in line for a new Air Jordan 5 that sold out online. pic.twitter.com/opbqIC08mq

— Charlie Gile (@CharlieGileNBC) May 2, 2020

Folks in Atlanta gathered in large crowds to wait in line to buy new Air Jordan sneakers after the lockdown was lifted by Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R). A video recorded at Greenbriar Mall over the weekend shows people lined up in groups to cop the new Air Jordan 5 “Fire Red” sneakers. Check it above.

Also....

The state of Missouri will allow people to attend concerts – and other live events – as soon as next week! Missouri Governor Mike Parson (R) has reportedly given the greenlight for concerts to begin again in the state as early as Monday. Billboard reports:

On April 27, Governor Parson released his Show Me Strong recovery plan that details plans for gradually reopening the state's economy starting May 4. The plan allows for retail stores to serve customers in-store at limited capacities and for restaurants to re-establish dine-in services while remaining socially distanced.

A first for the country since governments started instating lockdown orders, Missouri will allow residents to attend live events, including concerts. According to the Show Me Strong guidelines, large events and gatherings are no longer banned, but in order to go to a concert, movie theater or stadium "seating shall be spaced out according to social distancing requirements."

A representative from Missouri's Department of Health and Senior Services clarified for Billboard that concerts do not have to adhere to the same occupancy limitations as retail businesses, but event organizers are expected to keep concertgoers six feet or more apart to limit the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Yeah, no. This just isn't it! The nation does NOT have a handle on the Coronvirus just yet. It'll be interesting to see how the reopening of states will affect the curve especially since health experts have been vocal that reopening right now isn't a good idea. Stay safe you all!

Photo: Brandi Lyon Photography/Shutterstock.com

[Read More ...] source http://theybf.com/2020/05/04/right-wing-conservatives-have-been-protesting-lockdowns-with-guns-others-partying-like-it

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ramajmedia · 5 years ago

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It's Always Sunny: 10 Best Original Songs From The Show, Ranked

It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia has been on the airwaves since 2005 and is one of the longest-running American sitcoms of all time. As well as being a show about a horrible group of friends who hate the world and each other, throughout the years, Dennis, Mac, Dee, Frank, and Charlie have shown off their vocal talents through a whole host of songs, ditties, and melodies. Sadly, nearly all of their musical endeavors tend to end in failure or humiliation, but that doesn’t stop them from being hysterical. As the show enters its 14th season on September 25th, it's time to take a look back at some of Paddy’s Pubs' greatest hits.

10 Trash Song

When "The Gang Recycles The Trash" after the local garbage men go on strike they decide the best way to go about things is in the classiest way possible. Instead of a van the guys opt for a limousine, instead of uniforms they choose tuxedo’s and rather than just offer their services by simply knocking door to door and telling potential customers of their service, Dennis, Mac and Charlie think the best technique would be to give out as much information as possible in the style of a barbershop triplet. Luckily people are desperate to get rid of their trash despite not having the patience to sit through an entire musical number.

9 Magic In The Air

When Frank runs into the bar with such panic he falls over and breaks his nose, it's because he accidentally signs the bar up for a children's beauty pageant. At first, the gang is understandably uncomfortable with the situation. Then when they realize that this is another platform to perform themselves, they jump at the opportunity. The opening number is a jazz scat, 60’s club-style tune called “Magic’s In The Air” and it sets the tone for the following insanity that is about to ensue.

8 Tiny Boy, Little Boy, Baby Boy

"The Nightman Cometh" is the name of Charlie’s self-penned musical and the episode has proved so popular that the cast of It’s Always Sunny have actually gone on to perform it live at various events. As such it contains some of the best Sunny songs and the first on our list "Tiny, Boy Little Boy, Baby Boy. "Intended as an expression of childhood innocence, the unintended pedophilic undertones seep through (as they do with the rest of the musical) leaving Sweet Dee to improvise an ending where she explains she is interested in baby boy’s but is single and looking if any men want her number after the show, much to the chagrin of Charlie.

7 What Are The Rules?

In the episode, "The Gang Turns Black" the gang does exactly that, awakening from an electrical storm power serge to find themselves trapped in the body an African American family. On top of that, they also appear to be part of a musical and the episodes refrain is the song "What Are The Rules" which reappears every-time our heroes try to get to the bottom of the mystery.

RELATED: It's Always Sunny: Every Season Finale Ranked.

Are they trapped in The Wiz, the film they were watching before the accident? Or have they “Quantum Leaped” and need to change history? Just what are the rules!?

6 Moms Stink

Another song from "Frank Reynold’s Little Beauties", Dee finds herself in a rivalry with one of the beauty pageants child contestants and decides to mentor her enemies uninterested older sister into winning the competition. Despite the jovial tone of "Mom’s Stink" the double acts song quickly escalates into a hateful anthem showcasing Dee’s contempt for her own mother. Needless to say, the moms in the audience aren't impressed.

5 How Did They Know?

Back to "The Gang Turns Black," Sweet Dee’s Quantum Leap theory is strengthened when she and Frank find Scott Bakula in an old folk home. Sadly Scott isn’t Sam, the character he played on the popular time travel show, but the star himself hit upon hard times. His epic soliloquy "How Did They Know" is a lament of missing his past Hollywood lifestyle and coming to terms with his new role as a cleaner.

4 Troll Toll

Frank’s big number from "The Nightman Cometh." Frank plays the titular troll, the guardian of the boy of whom Mac’s “Nightman" must pay a fee to gain access to the boy’s soul. Unfortunately Frank's pronunciation of “boy’s soul” sounds a lot like “boys hole” and the sexual confusion of the musicals tone continues, especially when Mac tries to enter the boy (after displaying his karate skills across the stage, of course).

3 Birds Of War

Showing their patriotism in The Gang Wrestles For The Troops, the gang attempt to put on a wrestling show. Mac, Dennis, and Charlie form a stable called the Birds of War and perform their own theme during their ring entrance. The song helps clarify the entrance dance moves (stomp clap, stomp-stomp clap) and the fact that they have feathers like birds but the muscles of men (which are crudely drawn onto their bodies). Of course, no one in the crowd joins in on the stomping and clapping, leaving the boys to freeze-frame as their bird noises are amplified by deafening silence.

2 Go F**k Yourself

When "The Gang Tries Desperately To Win An Award" they change everything about themselves in order to gain some respect from the best bar of the year judges. Of course, nothing goes to plan so as a last-minute desperate attempt to succeed they allow Charlie to sing his cheery new Paddy’s Pub theme song.

Unfortunately, Charlie has been locked in the basement huffing paint and decides to perform his decisively less cheery tune about the spiders that live in his soul. The song builds to an epic crescendo and under the rallying lyrical cry “I don’t need your trophies or your gold, I just want to tell you all go f**k yourself’s” the gang decides to evict everyone from the bar via the method of spitting.

1 Dayman

Probably the most famous song in It’s Always Sunny, "Dayman" has appeared in not one but two episodes. Its first appearance is in "Sweet Dee's Dating A Retarded Person" as Dennis and Charlie’s band "Electric Dream Machine" perform it during a Paddy's Pub concert. A more complete version is sung during the finale to Charlie’s musical "The Nightman Cometh." The song tells of the battle between the Dayman and the Nightman, the Dayman proving victorious as he is the master of both karate and friendship.

NEXT: It's Always Sunny: 5 Most Memorable Guests (& 5 We Totaly Forgot About)

source https://screenrant.com/always-sunny-songs-original-best/

#screenrant

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didilysims · 8 years ago

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eulaliasims replied to your photo “Last time at the Davenports + Davis home: - Allegra divorced Bernie...”

Yay! One of my favorites of your households. :D

katatty-main replied to your photo “Last time at the Davenports + Davis home: - Allegra divorced Bernie...”

yeah! happy to see the davenports, charlie and aldric are so cute

Interesting! I like when people tell me these things, because I would not have guessed on my own. Not that there’s anything *wrong* with the Davenports--I just never expected them to be so memorable to anyone besides me. :)

littleblondesim replied to your photo

Who does Francesca get her looks from?

Eep, I’m so bad at the genetics game. D: I *think* those are Frances’s eyes, and maybe Jasmine’s nose, but other than that I have no clue. Maybe when I have more time I’ll do some closer comparisons.

dramallamadingdang replied to your photoset “Frances breaks the sink. D: He wisely hides in the toilet to avoid...”

Yep, the one place they can't complain endlessly to him. :)

It’s like hide-and-seek, which is a super fun game, so really they should be giving more stars!

simper-fi replied to your photoset “The continuing saga of– Sheesh people, it’s just a newspaper! Chill! ”

Your Jasmine is so freaking cute! I really need to pay more attention to premades because she has such a lovely face. :D

Some are more generic than others, but a lot of them are delightfully unique! And the best thing about premades is that they’re always there waiting for you to play, whenever you’re ready. :)

dramallamadingdang replied to your photo “Behave yourselves…! ”

I vote water nookie. Well, if that was possible in the game outside of a hot tub, of course...

holleyberry replied to your photo “Behave yourselves…! ”

Don't listen to her Jessie! You go get some of that.

dramallamadingdang replied to your photoset “Wait, wait–what?! D: GUY!! It is HIGHLY inappropriate to accept...”

So inappropriate! *nowonderilikehim*

holleyberry replied to your photoset “Wait, wait–what?! D: GUY!! It is HIGHLY inappropriate to accept...”

I love this man.

You two are incorrigible!

eulaliasims replied to your photoset “Mini Fran is good at entertaining herself. And when she needs...”

Aww, cute! Well, in the first two pictures, at least. xD

But wait--what’s not cute about a cranky stinky tired toddler? :D

dramallamadingdang replied to your photoset “I decided to try out some business perks that I’ve never used before:...”

I'm kinda disappointed with the business rewards in general. :\ I don't think I've ever actually used the "Perception" ones and the Networking ones that let you know a ton of people just makes the phone call menus take forever to load. :p So, I pretty much only do the influence, money, and, if the business sells stuff, the discount ones.

They’re not as great as advertised, I agree. I like the animations for the “Rally Forth” one (especially the customers) but the chance of death is kind of intimidating. Most of the “Perception” options are kind of a waste of time, in my opinion. Why spend time looking for a mark when you can just tell everyone to buy, buy, buy? I think the top perk in that, “Manipulate,” guarantees you a sale, but it also causes a hefty relationship drop if I’m remembering right. Good for the ruthless business owner, I suppose, but I like everyone to get along! :( So free money and wholesale discounts are usually my go-tos. :D

dramallamadingdang replied to your post “Time to catch up on some replies! :D Under the cut for @eulaliasims,...”

Aw, c'mon! Who DOESN'T love gigantic dopey dogs that drool all over the place and take up half a king-size bed? WHY WOULD THEY NOT BE YOUR FAVORITE?! :) Yeah, I love my lunkheads -- I have two, but one's mixed with St. Bernard, so she's not as dumb or quite as huge -- but they're certainly not for everyone. Yay fan club prez! I expect lots o' pics... ;)

Um... *crickets* It’s the type of dog I’d love a friend to have so I could visit and pet it, but not have to deal with it. And not share my bed! :D Actually when I was a kid I really really really wanted a mastiff because I thought I could ride it. My parents mysteriously did not find that a compelling argument...

As for pics....that’s something I can do, prez!

(Not a bed hog, but he does do a good job of taking up the entire couch!)

#replies #eulaliasims #dramallamadingdang #forest the dog #katatty main #littleblondesim #simper fi #holleyberry

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justanotherdumpingground · 5 years ago

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Chapter Reviews: June 11-15, 2019 + Thoughts on TRH and Sunkissed

Wishful Thinking Chapter 10:

Not a surprise Charlie is shady all along. I guess the rest of the story will revolve around digging up more dirt on him. My gut tells me that Ellen is cackling internally if she learns about this.

Me spending diamonds to help a character with a reused model? No thanks. Tony should get advice from other co-workers instead of the MC. I have more important matters to focus on, like who defamed the MC and what Charlie is up to.

Nightbound Chapter 9:

For the confessionals, the one that moved me the most is Vera's. I like that she acknowledges her mom's reappropriation of the Reimonenq Cruse for her benefit and the fear she commands while still disapproving of the abuse she inflicted on Vera. Whatever that is, I hope Vera well use her power for the greater good and step out of her mom's shadow.

I kinda like the Fate. She may seem like an ominous figure, but I like her concern for others while maintaining an aura of dignity. Her tear flashback was really emotional when telling the futures of her clients. For the young woman, I told her that her lover loves her back, even if this path leads to an untimely death. For the soldier, I chose to tell him that he'll die gloriously in battle. For the king, I told him he'll be kind, but his kingdom will be poor. Every time I picked my decision for the first two, I wanted to cry because of their untimely deaths. In the first's case, I was satisfied with telling the truth and having the knowledge that the woman will die surrounded by love.

Since one of the upcoming chapters involves meeting with the fae, I think Lord Elric's monster tear will be acquired soon. But first, let's see how the encounter with zombies go.

Passport to Romance Chapter 14:

Honestly, the MC of this story is so annoyingly ungrateful. Yvette has been covering their travel budget and ensuring their accountability in doing their job, and they paid back by quitting without acknowledging Yvette's hard work. And the premium option to get back on Carlisle isn't convincing. Sure I have no love for him and Bronwyn, but they're also underdeveloped and forgettable.

To aggravate matters, one of the bloggers ships the MC with Elliot. Ugh! I have made no secret of how much I dislike him for his immaturity and irreverent behavior. Let me be with Sumire in peace, you idiot! And I'd rather go to Ibiza alone than go to London with Elliot.

A Courtesan of Rome Chapter 21:

Wow! That was one way to end the story. The buildup to the MC and her family preparing for Caesar's assassination was fun to watch. Victus rallying gladiators to revolt, Delphinia gathering worshippers to give the MC strength and weaken Caesar, and the MC having premium options to hook up with the love interests. I didn't pick any of them, though. The real cake is watch the MC kill Caesar and getting to pick whether to side with Cassius or Antony. It was more or less a moot point because the Republic will soon be replaced with an empire, but because I'm pursuing neither, I might have dodged a bullet.

I'm glad this story gives me the option to stay single. Even though my MC's with Syphax and they chose to rebuild her tribe, I'm glad having a love interest isn't necessary to advance the plot. What's ultimately heartwarming is seeing the MC's family reunited properly once Caesar has been dealt with.

Overall, this story is pretty enjoyable. The middle chapters were a bit of a drag on the MC's story, but they pick up once again when Sabina gave Aquila a verbal smackdown. I also enjoy Delphinia's story and think it's the best of the three because of her charisma, care for others, and firmness. The story still has weak points, however, the most notable being Xanthe, who is undoubtedly an underused character who could've been an interesting character that provides commentary while still someone people could love to hate. Anyway, this story is one of several genderlocked stories I enjoy.

Platinum Chapter 4:

This story is starting to remind me of America's Most Eligible. The fake backstories and PR moves, the urge for competition and the need to reach the top. That looks like a recipe for fun, though.

I don't feel the urge to spend diamonds on instruments, songs, or moments with the LIs. To be honest, I'm generally uninterested in the romance aspect this time. Anyway, I would be excited if I get to customize the MC's stage name.

Red Carpet Diaries Chapter 2:

As expected, I got engaged to Victoria. Nice. And not to mention that I chose to be exclusive with her. Pity that buying an engagement ring with her costs diamonds, but no matter. This better mean that I won't spend too much time with Hunt, who doesn't deserve to be a love interest. Him becoming one involves disregarding the sexual harassment plot in Book 2, which is downright unacceptable.

On another bright note, the ocelot's back! Seriously, I'm annoyed that he can't go on vacation with me. What if he also stars in The Secret of Ninradell? He better do.

Ugh, seeing Markus von Groot today pisses me off. Why is this egotistical, entitled bully allowed to keep directing movies under different aliases? On the bright side, he didn't get to direct the movie of the book, but then again, he was never qualified to direct movies in the first place.

Another collection. Hooray. It looks like it functions more like the memory box in The Senior. Might as well avoid that.

Apparently, a summary for an upcoming chapter says that the MC will find a suitable director for the movie. Well, my money's on Thomas Hunt because he knows the content well.

The Elementalists Chapter 10:

Man, it feels like forever since I last played The Elementalists. Nevertheless, here it goes.

I like that the MC and Atlas chose to have each other's backs after the incident with Kane and Alma. Proof that siblings should stick together. I had to grab the gun because it might come in handy later on, though by that point I couldn't afford to listen to Raife's voice. *sigh*

Speaking of siblings, I seriously wonder what's with Beckett being emotionally needy that he has to have the MC accompany him. I have a love-hate relationship with him because of that and his intelligence. At least things went well with Katrina.

Free spell from Professor Englund? Yes, please! I need to arm myself with shurikens if the gun fails on me.

Finally Shreya has a good plan. Talking to Greygarden is definitely a good idea for more answers on Alma and Kane. And it better be good at the Gala.

Bloodbound Chapter 5:

What kind of scene was that with Lester? At first, I thought he was gonna kill the girl with Clarissa Waverly's model, but after it was revealed to be some sort of foreplay, I'm just horrified. Even if it was presented as consent, I'm still grossed out at the idea of an old creep like him feeding from a young girl. At least throwing a mannequin at him was satisfying.

Also, Jax in a disco outfit and hairstyle made me cringe. On a more important note, is anyone bothered by the lack of consistency with him? He mentioned that his parents met during a student protest during the 1960s, so shouldn't this vision be in the 1990s instead? Either way, I need to save diamonds for this fragment.

No way am I picking the premium option to hook up with Priya. It's just schmuk bait that leads to certain doom. Not to mention that she's never someone I have any respect for because of the way she treats her employees and muses. I seriously dodged a bullet.

I can't wait to see how the confrontation with Gaius goes. I think Lester has made a valid point that the Blood of the First should be destroyed because of the power it contains and that Adrian's feeling the effects through the serum he injected. After all, he mentioned that his serum contains some similarities with the blood.

Thoughts on The Royal Heir and Sunkissed:

It's no secret The Royal Romance has become a cash cow like The Freshman series, though I prefer TRR because of the politicking, Liam's subtle cunning, a cast of characters I enjoy (especially Maxwell, Olivia, and the corgi), and the opportunity to have my own piece of land. Anyway, one book of TRH should be enough.

I'm never excited for Sunkissed when it was first announced. The title and its first two ads on Instagram is enough for me to conclude that it's some forgettable summer romance, so I don't care that it's genderlocked. Even the recent trailer isn't too exciting for the most part. What captured my interest are the bottled message and the girl with long brown hair and creepy looking eyes. This book could be an intriguing mystery like Veil of Secrets or an utter failure for a light hearted story like Home for the Holidays. Either way, best keep a cautious eye on this story.

#choices stories you play #chapter reviews

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ethanalter · 7 years ago

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'Stranger Things' postmortem: Sean Astin reveals the secrets behind Bob Newby

#JusticeforBarb is so 2016. After binging on Season 2 of Stranger Things, the battle cry we’re rallying around is #JusticeforBob. That would be Bob Newby, the ultra-nerdy, ultra-normal Radio Shack manager played by geek icon Sean Astin of The Goonies and Lord of the Rings fame. Introduced as Joyce’s new beau in the first episode of the second season, good ol’ Bob quickly endeared himself to us with his “aw shucks” attitude and obvious affection for his trauma-plagued girlfriend (Winona Ryder) and her two kids, Will (Noah Schnapp) and Jonathan (Charlie Heaton). Even his name — Bob — speaks to his personality as the ultimate square-jawed nice guy dropped in the middle of a crazy situation.

Unfortunately, that name also hinted at his ultimate fate. “I think the Duffer Brothers named him Bob because it started with a ‘B’ like Barb,” Astin tells Yahoo Entertainment. “And if you weren’t 100 percent sure about it, they finish it up with ‘Newby.’ I’ve never asked them, but the comparison is not lost on me. Bob kind of plays the role that Barb played [last season], but Bob lasts a lot longer!” In fact, Bob lasts all the way until Season 2’s penultimate episode, when he’s finally fed to the Demodogs as the love of his too-short life escapes. It’s a heroic fate that’s already earned him lovingly-penned “In Memoriams” and Twitter tributes like the following:

You grew on me so quickly. A true hero. #JusticeForBob pic.twitter.com/rLyqoYk8Ux

— Clay (@claytoon253) October 29, 2017

HE DID NOT DESERVE IT !!!#justiceforBob #StrangerThingsS2 pic.twitter.com/NyAdFuKL46

— Mary (@SpicyInternet_) October 27, 2017

when you get to the penultimate episode of #StrangerThings #justiceforBob pic.twitter.com/wslL1fBprD

— Karen Esperanza (@karenesperanza_) October 29, 2017

For his part, Astin feels that Bob’s seemingly bitter end couldn’t be sweeter. “His death is heroic and satisfying for me as a performer,” he says. “Bob doesn’t need justice — he just needs a nice salute for a soldier doing his job.” We spoke with Astin about his big death scene, and why he’s a Joyce/Hopper ‘shipper at heart.

I have to admit, up until his last episode, I kept waiting for Bob to reveal that he was a bad guy all along. He just seemed too nice! I guess I see that. I stepped into the role when they hadn’t 100 percent decided what they were going to do with Bob, so I guess that possibility could have happened. Who could possibly be that nice, right? [Laughs.] But I think Bob serves a function for the show in that he’s the one person in Hawkins who isn’t in the middle of all that stuff. It’s flattering that you’re glad I didn’t turn evil because the other option is that I could have turned bad and lived! Would I rather be alive and bad or dead and heroic? I think it went down exactly as I would have liked.

So Bob’s fate wasn’t completely decided when you initially joined the show? The Duffer Brothers had a lot to think about, so it wasn’t like figuring out Bob was the most important task. The earliest hints were, “You’re not going to last long!” But they liked what I was doing and Winona [Ryder] liked it, and they saw there was a vibe between us. I think you could feel the energy that suggested there was something special that Bob could contribute. The only thing I said out loud to them was: “I would love it if Bob did something heroic.” And that was at a time where they didn’t know what the heck Bob was going to do! They may well have gone there anyway, but that’s what I was advocating for.

Was there a version of the season where Bob died even earlier? I think so. I mean, I say that without having been in the writers’ room or inside the Duffer brothers’ head. They may have been committed to killing him sooner, but I think they were open to seeing where it went. That was part of the fun for them with that character; he’ s not on the spine of the plot, so they didn’t really need to figure it out 100 percent. They wanted to see what Bob did for Joyce and Will [as characters]. There’s that great scene [in episode 3] where Bob tells Will how to get through his nightmares and ends up almost getting him killed. You’re just like, “Oh, Bob.” With friends like that, who needs enemies? [Laughs.]

What are the Duffer Brothers like as collaborators? When I would ask them a question or throw out an idea, it was incredible to see them think about it and give an answer. It’s highly entertaining to watch them feel their way through this stuff. They’re like puppy dogs: They look so young and yet they have all this responsibility. And yet, you have absolute confidence that they know where the story is going, and that they’re confident enough in their storytelling instruments. I never saw them have any self doubt even though I’m sure they did because otherwise, they wouldn’t be human beings! Hopefully, the audience will continue to embrace the show, and give them a chance. I want to see what happens in the third season! It’s not over for me in my mind even though I’m over [in the show], and that’s the sign of great storytelling.

Let’s talk about your death scene in the eighth episode where the Demodogs make a meal out of you. What was it like shooting that sequence? The Duffers luxuriate in their storytelling, building suspense and creating those jump out of your skin moments. For the running stuff, I’d either chase a golf cart down the hall or the golf cart would chase me, with a camera rig on the side. To watch it [on set] you’d just think, “Oh, it’s just a guy and a golf cart.” But when you’d look through the monitor, it would look so cool! The magic is in the cinematography; Tim Ives [the director of photography] is as much a character in the show as Eleven. The biting scene was exhausting for everybody. It took a long time to shoot, and there was a lot of screaming and writhing on the ground. They put dots all over you, and at one point one of the writers got on top of me and I writhed with them so that my clothes would crinkle up. They painted them out so all you can see is me. Then they brought in this crane thing for the blood spurting out of the mouth. It was a big sequence to do, and a heck of a send-off. I remember hoping that if I got killed off the show, it would be memorable. I think there’s a chance that people will look back at Season 2 and go, “Oh right — Bob’s the guy who got eaten by the dogs!”

Since you have Paul Reiser in that scene telling Bob where to go, I half-expected him to die like Reiser dies in Aliens: cornered in a confined space. Since being on the show, I’ve changed my profile description on Twitter to read: “I guess I’m meta.” I love Paul and I love Aliens, which is one of the greatest horror/action movies ever made. To have Paul Reiser in my ear telling me which way to turn while running down hallways with a gun like I’m Ripley… I guess I’m meta! [Laughs.]

It’s also great that, before his death, Bob saves the group with the power of BASIC. Were you a coder back in the ’80s? In 1984, when the season is set, I was shooting The Goonies and was more of a “run around the neighborhood” kind of kid. But my brother Tom had a big career writing code and software. If I’m just doing a scene about a guy writing code, I can survive, but not doing it myself.

As an ’80s kid myself, it kind of blew my mind to see Mikey from The Goonies in a relationship with Lydia from Beetlejuice. Did you and Winona Ryder reminisce about the old days? I don’t think there’s any difference between Bob hugging Joyce and Sean hugging Winona. It’s the same thing. We have such affection for each other, and we relied on that shared experience. Some people have high school reunions, but visiting with her feels like visiting with my childhood.

Had Bob lived, do you think he would have convinced Joyce to come away with him to Maine? You know, I was a fan before doing the show, and I was always rooting for Joyce and Hopper. So when I got cast as Joyce’s boyfriend, I was like, “I don’t know if I’m rooting for myself or not!” [Laughs.] I don’t know that I ever reached a moment where I thought that Joyce would be better off with Bob. There are certain moments, like when they’re dancing on Halloween night or when he’s offering to move with her to Maine. Maybe in real life that’s what should have happened; it would certainly be in Joyce’s best interest! But I don’t know if that’s what should have happened on the show.

I love that you didn’t want your own character to come between Joyce and Hopper! There’s that moment [in episode 5] where we rescue Hopper in the tunnels. He gets his knife, stands up, looks over at me and goes, “Hey Bob.” I don’t know if it comes through in the show, but with just those two words, all of a sudden I was back in the AV club in high school and he’s gonna get the girl because he’s so a tall and powerful guy. And she’s on the other side of me, so I’m not even next to her! I felt bad for me there.

This season is set in 1984; if they jump ahead to 1985 in Season 3, are you hoping for some Goonies cosplay like we got with Ghostbusters this year? I hadn’t thought of that, but now that you mention it would be an outrage if they didn’t do it! [Laughs.] Or at least hear the Cindy Lauper song in the background! The Duffers told me after they hired me that they had a conversation questioning whether they should hire me. When they saw my audition, they were like, “That’s our Bob.” But they also thought, “It’s also Sean Astin, which is maybe too much.” The wanted me to know they hired me for who I am in this moment, that Bob was deserving of a casting hire that wasn’t just a stunt. Hopefully, it all fits!

They did avoid any overt references like having the kids say something like, “This is our time!” Yeah, but they weren’t afraid to have me point to the X on Will’s map and go, “Hey, is that a pirate treasure map?” [Laughs.] So I don’t think they went over the line, but they went right up to it.

Stranger Things is currently streaming on Netflix.

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