#I've been riding high on this episode all day long and I'm NOT EVEN SORRY

[lordsmaf]

ok but they are literally perfect together

[active-mind-15]

Mini adventures of the rakuzan team my beloved!! A question I've always wanted to ask is what chapter did you have the most fun writing?

What a difficult question 🤣

All of the chapters had their own individual charm, but I think the most memorable chapters I've written are between three of them, so I'll just list them and talk about each one.

Chapter 23: Thy Kingdom Come

I'm not even sure where I got the idea from. Maybe because I've seen cartoons where the characters tell stories and use each other as characters in that story. Or maybe it was harking back to my drama class days when we would sometimes do exercises where someone starts a story and then we go around in a circle adding to it. Either way, the day I posted it was my 17th birthday and I think I was riding off the high of being 17, so I just let my mind wander wherever it would take me.

I just remember having so much fun with the premise of that chapter, because the potential for the Rainbow fam to try and create a story and then completely mess it up the longer it went on just seemed so on-brand and I wanted to see how far I could take it. This chapter was especially memorable because the word count ended up so high when I wasn't expecting it to. I think I just really wanted the younger ones to be childish and do something goofy.

Chapter 24: I don't think I'm that obsessed

This one was another high-word-count chapter that I didn't expect to be so long. I don't even watch soap operas like that, but this chapter was drawing inspiration from this one soap opera I did watch back when I was 9. It was called 'A Second Chance' and I remember being introduced to it when my family was visiting relatives in Nigeria, and every time a new episode aired, we would sit around the TV and watch. I don't actually remember the plot super well, but I do remember getting hooked on the plot twists, and even long after that one visit, I would still ask my relatives for updates on what happened next.

Using that memory, I thought it would be funny to make a scenario where one person gets the rest of their family into a show and now they're all obsessed with it. I also did that irl with my aunt and cousins who came to visit back in the summer of 2010. They had never watched ATLA before so I got all of them into it and then we watched the entire series during their visit. That same aunt actually visited us last month and she was telling me that she still hasn't forgotten about ATLA and how good it was.

Chapter 32: Idiots on vacation - Fatal attractions

This is the most recent chapter I posted related to this fic, and it does not escape me that I accidentally went on a massive hiatus in the middle of my biggest arc (LMFAO), but I had a lot of fun writing this chapter because I thought it would be fun to explore how the characters would tackle an amusement park. The circumstances that drove them to Six Flags were really just a setup to have an excuse for a classic filler-type slice-of-life story you sometimes get with animes. Not sorry about that in the slightest, though.

I remember that since it had been a while since I'd gone to Six Flags, I did end up researching a lot for this chapter by going to the Six Flags website and reading up on the names of all the different rides and what they did. I even watched those YouTube videos where they would put cameras on the roller coasters so you can get a POV experience as to what they would be like if you rode it. I was very detail-oriented in a lot of ways (still am), so I wanted to really make sure it was accurate.

When it came to how the characters moved through the amusement park, I once again drew from my own personal experiences. My family had an era where during the summer, we would pick one or more amusement parks to go to and kinda just road trip to each one. It got to the point where we developed a rhythm for how we navigated the parks. We would get there around noon and start off with mild rides, work our way up to the big ones, and then go back to the rest of the smaller ones to cool off. In the evening, we would go to the game stalls and try to win prizes. So, this is exactly what I had the characters do in the chapter.

Considering that this is very much a slice-of-life one-shot collection, most of the chapters are inspired by my own memories and experiences in one way or another. But these were the chapters I remember having the most fun with. Thank you for asking! (��´◡`❁)

If anyone else wants to ask me something related to a WIP, please see the WIP list I made, pick one or more WIPs, and inquire about them through my inbox!

[roswelldetails]

RNM 2x06 - Sex and Candy

EPISODE SUMMARY:

Maria’s (Heather Hemmens) investigation into her mother’s disappearance leads her and Alex (Tyler Blackburn) to the home of a mysterious boot maker named Travis (guest star David Anders). Meanwhile, on her journey of self-discovery, Isobel’s (Lily Cowles) night out leads her into the arms of someone unexpected. Finally, after making some major scientific strides, Liz (Jeanine Mason) is dealt a devastating blow. Geoff Shotz directed the episode written by Rick Montano & Vincent Ingrao (#206). Original airdate 4/20/2020.

DETAILS:

Max and Isobel's fight:

Lights start flickering when Max starts getting aggressive and then get brighter as he gets more worked up.

The first attempt to expel it seemed like he was causing an earthquake.  He blew out all the windows in the gym, knocked Isobel down, and there was shaking.  But it didn't seem to go beyond that room - no damage is seen when Michael arrives or around town.

Note, after the earthquake thingie the lights go out 

His hands are doing the electric power thingie and THEN he also grabs the lightning.

I think Isobel used her telekinesis to stop it and then push it away, which seemed to work...but if so then why couldn't Noah do that last season? 

Was it the sheer volume of electricity? There was definitely MORE than with Noah.

Michael uses his telekinesis to manually reset Max's heart.  This is very smart of him. Note that he's using his own heart/pulse to get it right.

They are using the antidote to Liz's serum to try to heal Max's mind. 

Michael says that they've been giving him antidote injections for three days (time jump).

Three days of antidote and no new memories for Max.

Isobel remembered her blackouts within a few hours of getting injected with the antidote in 1x10.

Note: Liz hesitated using the antidote this way in 1x10 because Isobel could still be dangerous and they didn't know about the 4th Alien yet.  There doesn't seem to be a similar hesitation with Max. Because Liz trusts him more? Because him forgetting her is more personal? It's not like there isn't a chance that Max is still dangerous…

Maria arranged a Mexican market in the Pony parking lot to subsidize her income.

Buffy the Beagle is Forrest's dog!

Maria comments that the meteor shower makes animals act strange. And humans too.

Forrest and Maria are organizing an open night mic at the Wild Pony.  Free drinks for performers.

Maria clearly approves of Forrest and Alex getting to know each other.  She smacks Alex for his awkward flirting.

The bootmaker's farm is about an hour outside of town.

The Science:

Kyle and Steph are watching a "surgical separation of craniopagus twins".

Craniopagus Twins = twins attached at the cranium/head. (Aka not a heart surgery).

"Did you know, ever since 1947, twin births in Roswell are higher than the national average? Maybe it's aliens."

Speaking of awkward flirting…. "You're just my favorite person I can't stand."

The Spanish:

Le cambio una bolsa de chiles para mi papá...for the free fries next time you come to the Crashdown.

Liz is bartering.  She says basically, I'll trade you a bag of chiles for my papa for free fries next time you come to the Crashdown. 

Note, the captions for this are wrong and use the Spanish word for grasshoppers instead, but you can clearly hear Liz say chiles. Thanks to @rosaortecho for pointing that out to me.

Max says:

I'm trying to eat clean. Uh, tiene carne seca sin como se dice, preservativos.

He's trying to say, basically, does the jerky have preservatives. 

Quiere carne a sin preservativos?

Basically, you want meat without condoms?

Lo siento. Uh, no lo entiendo.

I'm sorry, I don't get it.

Él quiere decir conservantes.

He means preservatives.

Gracias. Estoy embarazado.

Thank you. I'm pregnant.

Michael asks Max who he's texting. Max says everyone has been messaging him but Cameron is the only one who hasn't responded, which isn't like her.

Wildly curious who he was texting though.  It's not like he's a social butterfly. His mom? The sheriff? Who? As I pointed out to some friends the other day, he spent his 21st birthday getting trashed with his SISTER. This is not a trait of a guy with lots of close friends.

Just as another note, Michael says he ghosted her. When exactly was that? Yes, Max ran out on her in the middle of a handy in 1x03, but they addressed that the next day.  She "broke up" with him in 1x07, but they were still good right up until she left town. 

Isobel:

"Does he seem different to you?"

Alex and Maria playing "Never have I Ever" in the car. Good way to do background on characters.

Maria has never cheated on a boyfriend

Alex has never been in a real relationship. Not even "Kellie Sommer-something".

Alex says that whenever he was with a woman he was trying to disappear.  Except for Sophomore year after Battle of the Bands. Seven Minutes in Heaven in Haley Moore's hall closet. Alex and Maria kissed and it was Maria's first kiss (and boob graze).  She always thought she'd marry Alex. Had to come up with a new plan after he came out. 

Alex says "I did too."

"Kissing you in that closet was the first time in my life that I enjoyed touching someone."

Max picks up Liz for their first date…

Just as a note, Save Tonight was the opening song in the pilot of OG Roswell. During the "oh, Max Evans is staring at you again." exchange between Liz and Maria.  So, it might go well with new beginnings or something ;-)

The Science:

"Psychogenic amnesia limits retrieval of stored memories, but if we light up your limbic system and gustatory cortex with some familiar signals…"

"Your milkshake might bring all my memories to the yard?"

**Note, second reference to this song in the context of Liz bringing Max milkshakes. First was in 1x06 by Isobel. Hmm. 1x06 and 2x06… maybe they should crack this joke in 3x06 too.

"Sometimes when people wake up from comas they have different personalities, different tastes even…"

Everything you ever wanted to know about psychogenic amnesia:

But, my main takeaway is that it's a specific type of amnesia where there's abnormal memory function but no brain damage or other clear cause of it.

Limbic system:

Basically the part of your brain that stores emotion, behavior, and long term memory.

Gustatory cortex:

Basically the part of your brain that processes taste.

Maria compares Michael to Chad because he starts fights and lies.  Alex disagrees and lists ways that he was doing good things:

He lied to protect his family from Alex's family.

He shouldered the burden of a murder he didn't commit for ten years so that Isobel didn't have to.

He pushed Maria away to protect her - which might be a good thing too because of all his baggage. 

First Date:

Max went to Ranch camp one summer and dislocated his shoulder while trying to read Lord of the Rings on horseback. #nerd. 

Liz references the gala as not their first date, but there was also the desert in high school.  I guess she doesn't count that either. 

Side note: Cam and Liz talked about him peacocking in 2x03, but that kinda felt out of character at the time to the Max we knew.  This Max DOES seem like he's peacocking a bit. Got dressed up, taking Liz horseback riding. He admitted to trying to one up whatever they did together before. Just an interesting (to me) observation.

Liz looks panicky when Max suggests truth serum (because Science!Liz probably could make truth serum), but once she realizes he means whiskey she's like, "oh yes, that's fine." Oh Liz… 

Diego details:

They were engaged just last year

Liz left without saying goodbye

Bioengineer 

They were working together on the Denver study

They would come home and keep talking about work

He had ideas to help improve it

They both spoke The Science

He pushed her to get better at The Science

When the funding was cut she realized she loved the work more than him

Liz couldn't figure out how tell him that so she packed her things in the middle of the night, hit the road, changed her phone, and blocked him on Facebook.

**This is the first time LIZ has mentioned social media. Interesting given the crap Maria keeps giving her about it!

Travis and fresh warm milk. What is up with it??

"Nice ring. Does it keep you from burning up in the daylight?"

David Anders introduces himself as Travis.

Just as a point of interest, Maria researched enough to find the bootmaker, figure out where he lives, but she didn't get his name??? 

Vampire Diaries/Originals reference.

Travis says he can't help with car stuff.

The milk was from a cow named Jennifer.  He milked her for the last time today. (Creepy).

Weird contradictory statements from Travis:

"You're the best thing I've seen in a long time."....

"Mm, I'm sorry. So many customers and all their ugly faces get all sewn up and stitched together in my mind."

"Yeah, that's the woman that bought them boots. While back. Nice lady. She paid cash."

Second reference to animals behaving strangely during a meteor shower:

"Meteor shower's got my girls singing a bit off key tonight.  Jennifer, she likes a good lullaby."

"Okay this guy is going to turn us into skin suits." (OG reference? Or just general sci-fi?)

Meteorchella at Planet 7 (Coachella-style party during meteor shower?) with any excuse to add sparkles!

Kyle says he's at Planet 7 because he's trying not to hang out with people from high school.

Isobel says she's trying to have fun without feeling like prey.

Don't think the details of Kyle/Isobel dancing matters all that much, but as a point of amusement I'll share that in the panel on Tuesday night they shared that Lily whispered something different to Trevino on every take...And they got progressively dirtier to the point that she finally felt like she crossed a line and profusely apologized.  Also the lick was a Lily addition. 

Max's confession about killing the drifter:

Kind of an interesting thing, comparing the first version of the drifter story in 1x06 to the 2x06 version. 1x06 was more dramatic, but 2x06 was more personal, I think. 

1x06

"There are moments that define our lives, and there are moments that divide our lives. Incidents that separate us into two different people: who we were before and who we will be after. Forever…One day we were children and the next we were something else. I was a killer. Michael an accomplice.  And Isobel...Isobel was broken."

2x06

"I killed a man once, on a camping trip. This drifter came out of nowhere, attacked Isobel.  I wasn't even thinking. I killed him. With this. I arrest people who kill people. Most of them usually regret what they did. You know, you can just tell that they're forever broken. It's like a piece of them dies with their victims. So when I could feel that darkness, like I had to kill, I wanted Isobel to let me die. Because I couldn't risk hurting even one innocent person. Cause life just wouldn't be worth living."

Kind of an interesting narrative choice to confess to murder on a first date and then have the girl just brush it aside. 

"No, it just hit me why you're so happy and idealistic, and I feel like an idiot. You are that way because you don't remember me. It's a clean slate.  It's like when you got out of the pods with whatever memories you had erased it's probably for your own good."

"Last I heard you were the love of my life."

"Your cohorts, they left out some details. Cause if you had your memories I'm positive the worst thing that's ever happened to you is connected to me. And I can't bear the weight of making you remember that again."

**Note, second time this has been implied.  Last time was by Michael in 1x08 regarding the alien symbol.

"...it's gotta have some connection to us right? Maybe it was something we saw somewhere before the crash."

"Sorry, are you, Max Evans, acknowledging that we must have had lives before we hatched out of the pods? You never want to talk about home."

"Hey, Roswell is home. Look, I'm sorry man. You're right. I've spent a lot of time not talking about where we come from or why we're here.  Keep thinking I can pretend the past away and just be normal. But if Isobel's blackouts are some alien thing, then I need to know more. Okay, and this symbol? That's all I have to go on. I mean don't you think it's strange that we don't have any memories? I mean, no parents, no language. We weren't infants, man. We were seven."

"I just figured our memory faded. Over 50 years in those pods. Maybe it was just time. Or maybe whoever put us in those pods doesn't want us to remember."

Travis and Trevor's house...with added bonus of his ring that Alex comments on.

Leather ribbons/strips on the wall are for (from?) Hayley and Gertrude. More cows, I presume. 

There's also a framed Purple Heart on the wall next to a photo of Travis?

"War really messes with a man's mind.  Gets it all twisted up.

Timeline issue!! Alex says Mimi was missing for 3 weeks, but according to the clearly established timelines in 201-203 it was 4 weeks (or a month ish).  I wrote about this here:

Maria put her jacket on a scarecrow to trick Travis. And did she leave it there?

(Answer: yes. She doesn't wear it for the rest of the episode. Smart of her, actually).

Michael sees Trevor come out of the house and is about to shoot him. Maria immediate knew it wasn't Travis and threw herself in front of Michael's gun

Trevor shoots Travis.

A bullet from the Crashdown shooting falls out of Max's journal.  Does it look like it has blood on it? Or maybe just ketchup? If it's THE bullet it would make a lot of sense that he kept it hidden - evidence that Liz was shot. See this comparison between one of Wyatt's bullets in 1x02 and the one Max finds in 2x06

"Sorry about my twin here. He's had a rough go."

"Combat does not make you an axe murderer."

"No, it wasn't the combat. It was the R&D. If a paramilitary group ever asks you to take part in a study, you run the other way. He showed up a few weeks ago. Locked me up out back. Lucky y'all showed up when you did. Gave me a chance to escape."

R&D is a military acronym for Research and Development. (Aka...The Science.)

Priscilla - the cow Mimi's boots were made from.

This is literally the only direct information gained about the boots from this little sleuthing excursion. 

Well, and that Mimi paid cash, which isn't like her.

Side note - I didn't really know what Paramilitary meant, so just in case any of you are also not good with military stuff, Paramilitary groups are like private armies. Like, I dunno, the private security firm that Jesse and Cam discussed in episode 2x04. 👀

Male doctor operating on Steph clearly states:

"All right we're approaching an arterial junction."

A female doctor replies and its less clear.  What I hear is...Blood gasses are back? Anyone else hear something that makes more sense than that?

He replied something like...the stint through here

She says something about pH levels.

Max admits that he didn't know what would happen when he decided to bring Rosa back.  He just wanted to fix the worst thing that ever happened to all of them.

"I can't believe we were Shyamalan'd by an evil twin."

I think Alex is referring to the twist ending? Or maybe just the insane axe murderer stuff.

M. Night Shyamalan wrote and directed the Sixth Sense, Signs, Split, etc…

During this scene is the first time we see Michael's tattoo… it's on his arm. I struggled with getting a cap of it, but I know there are gifs going around.

I had every intention of detailing the dialogue in the trailer scene, but before I could get to it, Carina posted the script, so I didn't think it was a good use of my time. Here's the script:

The next morning, Alex calls the Sheriff from outside the trailer for an update.

The Sheriff tells him that Travis and Trevor burned their home and ran...weren't caught by the sheriff.  Which means we may not have seen the last of them.

The Spanish:

"Oh my God. Dios mio, Max. I took off your pants before I even said I love you. I'm some kind of zorra."

Dios mio basically is Oh My God! So Liz really was spiraling. She went, "Oh my God, Oh my God..."

Zorra - female version of Zorro. Basically a vixen, bitch, prostitute… the internet has all sorts of fun words that it translates into. 

"I call this one Visceral Werewolf Part 2, dedicated to my boy Chee Chee, may he rest in peace."

Can we have more Bert? Bert is the best. Also kudos to his goofy friend who is wayyy too excited about this.

Forrest's slam poem:

Locked up for days,

Time slipping away,

On my knees I would pray to break free from this cage.

But bargaining for keys, you forget hidden fees.

And wishing for what you’re missing ain’t the same as living the dream. 

And now I’m fighting to stay on this side of the cage.

Even though I know a part of me wishes I’d stayed. 

Ain’t no prophet or rebel or savior or devil

Could have predicted, fought, cheated or leveled. 

A life with potential that’s squandered, 

A comfortable cell is a question I ponder. 

Am I a free man or a prisoner wanderer?

Max's memory flash:

Young Max, chained to the ground as described in 2x03. 

Max looks scared.

He's dressed all in white like the 1947 aliens after the crash (As shown in 1x12 and 2x03).

He's in a cave or something like a cave. 

Holes in the wall are glowing an orangey red color.

The ceiling is like the alien ship material with the alien symbol in it.  

A figure approaches from behind him, bends down, and places a hand on his shoulder.

It mirrors the figure approaching Nora in 2x03 and touching her shoulder before burning the military men...probably the same person? Noah? The stowaway? Someone new?

After the figure touches Max, he looks at the hand, and then a red glow lights his face.

MUSIC:

1. Xocoyotzin Herrera "Esperanza"

2. Jose Luis Lepe "La Carreta"

3. Eagle Eye Cherry "Save Tonight"

4. Lousiana Red "I Done Woke Up"

5. Whissell "Magnetic"

6. Stop Dead "Alchemistress Dance"

7.  Orville Peck "Turn To Hate"

8. Kim Petras "Close Your Eyes"

9. Orville Peck "Queen Of The Rodeo"

10. Moontricks "The Fall"

11. Years & Years "Hypnotised"

12. Jordan Critz Feat. Birdtalker "Through Your Eyes"

This time I couldn't find the Whissell and Stop Dead tracks on spotify - however the Stop Dead track is referenced at being by Chelsea Dawn in the closed captions.  Which I did find. Trying to confirm this. Let me know if anyone else had better luck!

[marvel-has-my-soul]

Jet Fighter

(Peter Parker x OC Female)

Description: Jet is a girl with wings and superhuman strength. Need I say more?

CHAPTER 3-

Lily Fisher

Jet walked next to Tony as he led her through the Penthouse of Stark tower, her small suitcase rolling loudly on the title behind her.

"I've made a deal with Ross that you will live a normal life in exchange, you can walk free." Jet nodded along, figuring it was best not to argue against him.

"No flying. You have to hide your wings anytime you're in public." Tony continued, "I've already confiscated your suit, but you can keep your watch. All weapon systems have been disabled though."

"But I can have my wings out here, right?" Jet asked. Tony nodded.

"Yes, you can stretch them out here, but only on this floor and the one below us. These are private floors and only those how already know about you are allowed up. We can't rist anyone else working here seeing you."

"Okay...well that doesn't seem so bad." Jet said, trying to stay positive. "I mean, this isn't a permanent thing, right?" She laughed slightly. "Just long enough to get Ross off our backs." Tony didn't answer. Jet's smile faded and she looked up at Tony.

"How long will I have to do this?" She asked, scared of the answer.

"You'll also have to go to school." Tony went on, ignoring the question all together. Jet froze in place, Tony walking a few places ahead before realizing Jet was no longer next to him. He stopped and turned, an eyebrow raised.

"Is there a problem?"

"School? Why?" She spat.

"We have to convince the world that you are a normal teenager. And that means school."

"But... but what about homeschooling? Or that tutor that you hired for me?" Jet negotiated desperately. Tony crossed his arms and shook his head.

"Sorry kid. You're going to Midtown High School and that's final."

"Midtown?!" Jet shouted. "But that's over 40 minutes away!"

"I know. You can't in anyway be related to me or Stark industries. The further the school, the better." Tony said. Jet let out a jiff and marched passed Tony, in the direction of her new room.

"One more thing." Tony called after her. Jet halted but didn't turn around. "We'll need to find you a new name. You start school in two weeks." Tony said.

Without a word, Jet continued to her room, walking in and slamming the door. Leaning against the door for a moment, she took a fee breaths, scanning the nearly empty room. It was stark white, reminding Jet of her cell. The only differences seemed to be a bathroom off to the side, and large window along one wall.

Jet abandoned her suit case at the door and ran towards the window. She tried to pull it open, only to find it was sealed shut. She let out a groan and lensed on the window, watching a plane fly overhead.

"Jet another precaution." Jet whipped around to see Tony standing at the door, looking around the bare room.

"The rest of your things should be arriving tomorrow. You can decorate this room anyway you want." With those words, Tony left, leaving the door wide open. Jet stomped forward and slammed the door, locking it tightly.

***

Two weeks flew by and soon Jet woke up to her alarm at 6:30 am. She groaned loudly, swinging an arm out from under her sheets and punching the clock off the nightstand. It fell to the floor with a crash and the alarm stopped. Jet snuggled deeper into her pillows.

"It's time to get up." Friday's electronic voice echoed through the room. Jet let out another groan and sat up, her eyes squinting through the dim light of the sunrise shinning through the window. She sat there, angry at the world.

"Friday, close the blinds." She demanded through a yawn. The blinds fall closed, plunging the room back into darkness. Jet fell back into bed, burying her face into a pillow.

"Mr. Stark will be disappointed if you are not up in approximately one minute." Friday said.

"How will he know if I'm up or not." Jet asked, her voice muffled by the pillow.

"Because he wanted to make sure you were up ." Tony's voice answered. Jet shot up out of bed in a panic to see Tony standing in the door way. She reverted back to a scowl.

"The door was locked." She snapped.

"I own this door. You think I dont have a key to it?" Jet rolled her eyes and scoffed. "Hurry up and get dressed, Lily Fisher." Tony said before leaving.

Lily Fisher. That was her alias for the public. And Jet hated everything about it. She stood there for a moment, collecting herself before getting dressed for the day.

Jet was just about to walk out the door when Friday spoke up.

"You forgot your jacket." Jet groaned and ripped the jacket from its hanger and pulled it over her shoulders, the bulk of the oversized jacket successfully hiding her wings.

Jet left the room and shuffled to the kitchen. She pouted a bowl of Froot Loops, but ended up just staring at it angrily. Happy walked in, jingling his keys in his hand.

"Ready to go?" He asked. Jet pushed the untouched bowl into the sink and grabbed her bag, following Happy to the elevator down to the parking garage without a word.

The car ride was long and uneventful, Jet even dosed off and earned another 20 minutes of sleep until the car jerked to a stop three blocks away from the school.

Happy unlocked the door and Jet got out.

"Have a good day, kid!" Happy said.

"Unlikely." Jet slammed the door and walked the remainder of the way to school until she stood outside of the intimating building. Teenagers milled around outside, laughing and talking to each other like normal people. Jet took a deep breath and walked inside.

***

Not much could be said about Jet’s first classes in school. She had successfully caught up in her studies before the term began, so the actual curriculum wasn’t the hard part in all of this. It was the interacting with people her own age. She could hold a conversation with Steve or Sam just fine, but when it came to teenagers, she was at a loss. They talked about last nights episodes of their favorite shows, vine compilations that were titled “vines that keep me from ending it all” or “vines that really butter my eggroll,” whatever that meant. They were hyped about their favorite sports teams or the Friday night party that someone was hosting. Jet couldn’t relate to any of that. Fighting techniques? Got it. Shooting a gun? Done. Her days at the Avenger’s Facility? Covered. But talking about mundane things that she had never even heard off? Impossible.

Jet sat down at an empty lunch table, watching everyone interact around her. A group of guys, jocks, high-fived and shouted at each other from across the table. A clique of girls in short skirts strutted down the isle of tables, each of them swaying their hips unnaturally to catch the attention of any guy in their vicinity. Band geeks hung around each other, some supporting heavy instruments, while others tapped against the lunch table. Couples made out with each other up against walls, tables, other people.

Jet picked at her lunch lazily, not mustering up any sort of appetite. After the day she had, she could confirm that she was what one would call an introvert. All this human interaction was too much for her to bear and all she wanted was to take a nap. 

Her thoughts were interrupted by a tray slamming down on the table right in front of her and a backpack being tossed carelessly to the tile floor. Jet looked up to see a darker skinned girl with crazy curly hair and a smirk etched on her face. Without a word, she sat down and held her hand out.

“Call me MJ.” She said. Jet timidly reached forward and took the girls outstretched hand.

“Lily.” She responded, the foreign name falling from her mouth without emotion. The girl released her hand and began shoveling food into her mouth.

“Aren’t you hungry?” She asked through bites. 

“No...not really.” Jet answered, waiting for MJ to tell her why she was sitting here in the first place.

“You��d better eat something now. Ms. Warren doesn’t let people eat in her class.” Jet tilted her head and her shoulders tensed.

“How did you-”

“Your schedule’s sitting right there, I’d have to be blind not to see it.” MJ interrupted.

“Why are you sitting here?” Jet asked.

“Simple. You’re in my spot.” 

“Oh! Um, sorry...I didn’t realize.” Jet moved to put her things away when MJ started laughing.

“I’m just playing, Lils. Lighten up a little, will ya?” She reached across the table and lightly punched Jet across the shoulder. Jet let out an uneasy laugh, not sure how to interact with this strange, but oddly friendly girl. 

“I noticed you were new and I’ve decided to take you under my wing.” Jet nearly snorted at MJ’s analogy. If only she knew. 

MJ kept good on her decision, dragging Jet along with her and showing her the ropes of Midtown High School. They had a few of the same classes, and MJ made sure to fill her in on every teachers flaws. MJ was her guide, and Jet knew that she would probably be lost without her.

But by the end of the day, while MJ felt she may have made a friend, Jet knew that she could never make friends based off of lies. The people at this school knew Lily Fisher. Not Jet.

"See you later." MJ waved goodbye to Jet as they parted ways. Jet waved back and then turned, hurrying down the streets to where Happy had already parked his car. She hopped in and he drove off.

"How was school?" He asked, looking at her in the rearview mirror. Jet shrugged.

"Can you be friends with someone if they dont actually know your real identity?" She asked, leaning her head against the window and shutting her eyes.

"If the friendship is real, then it shouldn't matter whether they know your real name or not. And if they're really your friend, maybe in the long run, you can tell them." Happy responded.

"Yea, over Tony's dead body." Jet scoffed.

"He just wants to keep you safe, kid."

"No he wants to keep me restrained. There's a difference." Happy opened his mouth to respond, but saw Jet had closed her eyes and was snoring softly.

Happy drove silently for a few minutes before his phone rang. He answered it, making sure to talk quietly.

"How's she doing?" Tony asked through the phone.

"She's passed out in the back seat. Think she had too much human interaction for one day." Happy said, looking back at Jet as he pulled to a stop at a red light.

"Do you think she had a good day?"

"Hard to tell. I think she may have made a friend, but isn't sure about it being surrounded by lies."

"It's for the best."

"That's what I told her."

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Review #81: Another Miss Oh (Ep 1-5)

I'm finally watching this drama. I've been wanting to watch this drama for years, but I never got to it. I'm not sure why. But I'd seen countless clips on YouTube and I always loved some of the OSTs. I really like Eric as an actor and every time I watched the clips on YouTube they were really good. I had all the reasons to watch it - and I finally have the time and space in my mental and emotional state to start it.

It's been quite a ride so far. I really like the story and I of course love the two leads. There's nothing to not love about Haeyoung and Dokyung - except for maybe Dokyung's anger management issues. I don't think I could ever date a guy who reacts that way whenever he feels angry. Smashing glass and flinging things around the room? No.

Hyeyoung is so likeable, charming, relatable and human. She's a stellar female lead. Not perfect, not passive. She has her hurts and her flaws, but still she's fierce and warmhearted. Most of all, she's an active heroine who doesn't sit back and lets things happen to her. Did you see the way she decides to give her absolute all the next time she falls in love? She's unlike other typical female leads who are mere damsels in distress.

My heart really hurt as I saw her go through comparison after comparison with the return of the other Haeyoung. Who hasn't felt compared before? But not many people have gone through what Haeyoung had to go through all throughout her school years. And now she has to go through it yet again. I don't think I'd ever felt so sorry and angry for a female lead before. I just wanted to beat the crap out of all those men who had absolutely no common sense in them.

But you know what really hurts and disappoints? The fact that Korean society is actually like that in reality. I felt the most angry during the company dinner scene where the CEO dude (can't even remember what his position is) kept emphasizing the other Haeyoung's prettiness as though the original Haeyoung was just a spec of dust compared to her. Episode 5 in general was hard to watch because people were being such assholes. At one point you just have to ask yourself, isn't that exaggeration? Do people really do that in real life, to that extent? That explicitly?

It may be exaggerated, but it's true that that really happens in Korea. I remember back when I was working in Korea at a primary school. There was a new female teacher coming to work at the kindergarten sector, and I kid you not the news spread like wildfire just because she was "pretty". All the teachers were talking about her and saying she looked like Kim Taehee. The male teachers were already trying to set her up with one of them. I still remember the company dinner of her first day. I still remember how the male teacher introduced her and I still remember the loud cheers and reactions from (mostly) the male teachers and the extreme attention. It really does happen. But you know what the funny thing is? That kind of thing would never, ever, never in a million years, happen here in NZ. Ever. Nobody places that much importance in looks here. Who cares how a teacher looks like? Sure they might hear a compliment here and there about how they look or how they dressed that day. But never will people cheer publicly just because someone looks... pretty or handsome. Even typing that up right now made me feel absurd. But that's just how obsessed Korea is with appearances. It's really extreme.

So thinking about all this, I just felt so bad and sad and angry for Haeyoung and I got even more annoyed when the other Haeyoung started treating her with a patronizing tone, grabbing her cheeks and repeatedly calling her a cute little child. The other Haeyoung looks and acts innocently but I'm not sure if she's really that innocent. Sure, people who are pampered and put on a pedestal from a young age (because of their looks) tend to get used to being treated highly and specially. So can we really blame other Haeyoung for always being confident and always knowing that everyone will like her regardless of how she acts?

If I were original Haeyoung, I really would have wanted to quit my job. But Haeyoung doesnt, and that's how strong and resilient she is (and rather stubborn). She doesn't quit and she faces it head on. Personally I don't think I could handle being compared like that for such a long time. It would be traumatic. Honestly.

Also, both other Haeyoung and original Haeyoung's fiancé were wrong to do what they did. They both have excuses and they both probably feel that they did what they did out of love for their partners. But no. If you really loved and trusted your partner, you would tell them what you were going through. What's the point of deciding to marry someone if you're not going to share your highs and lows? Committing to someone - especially marriage - means sticking with them whatever happens. It means being there for them and solving things together. And what did those two do? They refused to do that and left without a word, which is the absolute worst. It's selfish and cowardly. If I really loved my partner and trusted them and knew they loved me and knew we could depend on each other, I would have told them anything and everything. I don't understand the two of them and I don't think I'll ever understand their reasons for having done what they did.

So yeah, there are aspects of the drama that make me really damn angry. But I love Seo Hyunjin and I love Eric and I love the main couple and I love the OST and the story is so tight and well-paced, I'll probably end up finishing the drama.

Oh, I also love Eric's job (soooo interesting) and I love Haeyoung's parents (especially scenes with the mother). Eric's siblings are a bit too much for me.