#So many easter eggs I’m going to need the DVD to find them all

[inioranackatori]

Transformers One

Just got out of the theatre. Immediate thoughts:

Damn (affectionate).

Damn (affectionate emphasized).

Primus slagging Pit blasted damn (pretty good actually).

…

WHAT?!

[trashyswitch]

Easter In The Sanders House

Thomas gets to celebrate Easter weekend with the sides! Patton plans a full day of Easter fun, which gets a little out of hand quickly thanks to Remus...But a dose of innocence should do him some good! (or 50 doses)

Some dirty talk and swearing because...Remus. Also, I have personally ruined my own childhood with this fanfic. -_- But I'll be okay. I promise! Happy Easter everyone!

Easter was usually a house favorite in the mind palace. Though it was a little different this year thanks to COVID, Thomas and the sides could still celebrate it together. They all lived in the same household, which helped a lot. And some of them were capable of conjuring up anything! So the sides could make just about anything if they put their minds to it.

The sides started off with decorating the house with easter stuff. Bits of it were homemade, some of it was conjured up, and a few of the decorations were bought. Example: the huge stuffed bunny. Thomas had bought a medium-sized bunny from Wal-mart, and Patton took it upon himself to make it even bigger! And…

...It ended up being 7 feet tall…

But Patton was LOVING it! He would cuddle it non-stop, ‘feed’ it stuffy carrots, and even brush its belly fur with an old hairbrush. It was quite endearing to watch, as well as a little strange. The father figure would even give it blankets and make it look like a jedi knight. It was actually quite hilarious to see the gigantic bunny looking like the Jawa without the double sash or the gun. Everyone both loved it, and hated it at the same time. Virgil even went as far as to say ‘That’s cursed’! And...he has a point.

The rest of the decorations were banners with hanging eggs, baskets filled with fake grass and plastic eggs, bouquets of real and fake flowers all over the place, and mini egg bowls around the house. There were even little bunnies popping out of mugs placed onto the dining table for decoration! That was Roman’s favorite decoration.

Just like he usually did, Patton set up a little Easter egg hunt of plastic eggs filled wih treats and other little things. This year however, Patton wanted to improvise with extra little items…

Thomas and all 6 of the sides were all ready with their own baskets. The sides’ baskets matched their clothes, while Thomas had a pink basket. Logan was the first to critique Patton’s childish games. “Patton...A little reminder that we’re all in our 30’s. We’re getting a little too old for-”

Patton looked at Logan with a ‘seriously?’ look and squeezed his side. “Hush your piehole. Santa may not exist but no one lets that stop us from celebrating Christmas.” Patton warned casually.

Logan jumped and moved a step away from Pat. “Fine. Touché.” Logan responded.

Roman and Remus both snapped their neck towards Patton. “SANTA DOESN’T EXIST?!”

Logan facepalmed and shook his head while Patton giggled into his hand. “On your mark silly geese!” Patton called. Everyone got into their push position to start running at the ready. “Get set...GO!”

Everyone started running around the house while Logan and Patton just walked. Patton was watching the six boys run around the house with their baskets. There were eggs literally everywhere! And some of them had chocolate, others had origami creations, A few had glitter, a few had cute quotes written in slips of papers like an easter fortune cookie, and other had…

“...An acorn?” Janus asked.

Logan looked over and widened his eyes. “That’s a chestnut oak acorn. They’re an oval-sized breed of acorn.” Logan told him. “They’re usually in more eastern states though. So how did you get it here?” Logan asked.

“I conjured it!” Patton replied. “Good thing you know your trees. You’re gonna enjoy the other eggs near there…” Patton hinted.

Logan looked around for the eggs, opened them up and gasped as he very gently removed it. “A butterfly wing!” Logan very delicately held it in his hand. “It’s...beautiful!” Logan admitted with a smile. Patton smiled happily upon seeing his reaction.

Virgil moved to his bedroom and noticed that there were eggs hidden in there. Virgil opened up, and laughed as he removed them from the plastic egg: They were pins! There was a pin with a salt shaker that said ‘Salty’ on it, a pin of a black cat standing on a skull, a pin of a black rose and a pin with a black cat holding a fish. They were so small and yet, so up his alley. There would end up being more pins, being enamel and backpack versions. It was nice and thoughtful. Sometimes there were dark parts about spring that Virgil enjoyed. And he was thankful that Patton advocated for him.

Logan was having a wonderful time looking at all the spring items hidden in the eggs. There were Chinese Lanterns, walnuts, strawberry seeds, and more! There were even tiny squares that when unravelled, revealed recipe’s that involved Crofter’s Jam! And he even managed to fit Crofters store coupons into the plastic eggs! Logan was smiling and hugging Patton. “Thank you very much Patton. I appreciate the many kind gestures. And I apologize for the insensitive words I said earlier. You can still find ways for 30 year old men to enjoy Easter.” Logan told him.

Patton giggled and hugged him back. “Oh! And one more thing:” Patton conjured up a bunny ear headband. Logan’s smile dropped and he hung his head. “Really? Bunny ears?” Logan asked with a small smile.

Patton giggled. “Do you not remember our promise? You promised during March break that you were gonna wear bunny ears!” Patton reminded him.

“I am aware of my promise, but I’m starting to regret making such a promise.” Logan admitted.

Patton rolled his eyes and put it onto his head. “Perfect! See? It’s not that bad.” Patton told him.

Logan looked up. “Fine. But would you potentially consider making the ears look more realistic?” Logan offered a compromise.

Patton nodded and touched the bunny ears. They turned into brown and white bunny ears, with a very light pink skin all over the inner ear flap. Logan conjured up a mirror, and smiled. “Thank you.” Logan replied.

Remus was running around, acting like a raccoon. “Look at me! I’m RJ! I eat garbage, steal from Karens and ruin people’s lives!” Remus declared.

Roman chuckled and fluffed Remus’s hair. “I feel like you’d be more of a Hammy.” Roman admitted.

Remus gasped and clapped his hands. “YES! I COULD STOP TIME WITH THE POWER OF CAFFEINE! AND THEN BURN PEOPLE TO SHREDS WITH ILLEGAL LASERS AND CAGES!” Remus shouted.

Roman snapped his fingers and ran to Patton’s basket. “We got you something!” Roman told him.

Patton turned around and squealed upon the present! There was a chocolate chick, a DVD copy of ‘Over the Hedge’, and a DVD copy of It’s ‘The Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown!’. Patton happily took the DVD’s and the chocolate chick. “THANK YOU! YOU ARE ALL AMAZING!” Patton hugged as many people in one hug as his arms could. If his arms were stretchy like Elasticgirl’s, then maybe he could!

Later on, the family had a lovely Easter dinner. Cooked carrots, roast beef, baked potatoes and packaged gravy for it all. Patton and Thomas all worked together to make their supper, while Logan took some time to make a Crofter’s recipe he was given during the plastic egg hunt. With some time, Logan had whipped together what he called: Loganberry Crumble Squares. A simple recipe of rolled, layered oat crumble with Loganberry Crofter’s put into the middle of them! It tasted amazing! The recipe called for Gluten-free oats, but Logan just picked up regular oats for the recipe. No one was allergic to wheat. So, why worry?

After supper, the family gathered together to watch the Charlie Brown Easter Special. They enjoyed Marcie’s cute little ‘boiling eggs’ gags, and loved seeing Sally Brown and Snoopy playing with the hats! Patton died of cuteness overload at Snoopy and the bunnies dancing, and Janus admitted he felt bad that Snoopy didn’t have an egg for Charlie Brown.

Virgil looked at Janus. “Charlie rarely gets things. He has a best friend and a crush, but that’s about it. Lucy’s probably the reason he doesn’t have anything.” Virgil admitted.

“That’s true. But you gotta admit: Lucy and Shroeder are kinda cute together.” Roman added.

Thomas laughed. “That all depends on Schroeder falling for her as well.” Thomas added.

Logan sighed. “Poor Schroeder...she never leaves him alone. A life of Beethoven and piano playing is much better than a childish relationship with a girl like her.” Logan added.

Janus smirked. “Right! A relationship with Lucy will NEVER work. It’s not like she actually softens up to Charlie Brown near the end or anything...” Janus hinted.

Roman widened his eyes. “Wait, really?!”

Logan turned to him. “That’s true. I also realize she later develops a crush on Charlie near the end of the comic strips.” Logan added.

“So...So Schroeder and Lucy-”

Remus made a downward whistling sound while he lowered his finger and made an ‘explosion’ sound effect while expanding his hands. “But Charlie and Lucy:” Remus did a wolf-whistle before wrapping his own arms around himself and ‘making out’ with himself. “Oh Charlie! CHARLie! YeS!”

Roman gasped in horror while Thomas widened his eyes. “EW! You’re so disgusting! They’re 8!” Thomas yelled.

Roman had thrown Remus off the couch, leaving Remus rolling around on the floor in a fit of hysterics. Janus was snickering into his hand while Logan facepalmed himself. “THEHEY DIDN’T EVEN GEHEHET TO THE BEST PAHART!” Remus laughed.

Virgil groaned. “They don’t need to. This is why they need more than just teachers and shop owners in their community.” Virgil reacted.

Remus stopped laughing. “Why? Because Sally and Linus could be having fun at the back of the school yard?” Remus asked. “Virgil! You naughty, naughty man~”

Patton dropped his jaw and fixed his glasses with a frown. “That’s it! You need a big dose of innocence!” Patton declared, picking him up and dropping him onto the couch. He climbed onto him. “Starting with your hips!” Patton started digging his thumbs into his hips.

Remus’s naughty comeback was quickly overruled by his very own scream of surprise! “FAAAHAHAHACK!”

Patton smirked. “Language! Looks like I’m gonna need to up the ante!” Patton moved his hands to his lower, inner thighs and started squeezing and skittering.

“OHSHIT- GAAAHAHAHAHAHAHA!” Remus completely lost it and just about kneed Patton in the face a few times! “STAAHAHAHAP! TOHOHOHO MUHUHUCH IHINNOCEHEHENCE!” Remus yelled.

Logan couldn’t help but smile at Patton’s way of handling him. He soon started smirking with Patton as well. “I’d almost say you should up this dose to lethal.” Logan offered.

Patton gasped and turned his head to look at Logan with an excited face. “You’re a genius!” Patton declared.

“And a change of lifestyle may even lessen the indecent behaviour. For example: consumptions of veggies and fruits…” Logan hinted.

Patton’s smirk grew so wide almost all his teeth were visible. “Oh! Fruits are a good one!”

Remus yelped in horror. “OHOHO NOHOHO, YOHOHOU’RE NOHOHOT FILLIHIHING MEHEHE WITH SWEETNEHEHESS!” Remus warned.

Patton looked at Remus with a confident facial expression. “Are you suggesting something more sour? Like...raspberries?” Patton asked.

Remus squealed! And he only heard the word! “NOHOHOHO! NORASPBERRIHIES! BEHEHEGOHOHONE!” Remus ordered. “IHIHI OHOHORDER YOHOU TO-”

Patton took in a deep breath and blew a big raspberry onto Remus’s inner thigh.

Remus squealed and screamed like a bat in severe distress! “AAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHA! FAAAAHAHAHAHAHA! AAHAHAHA PAHAHAHAHAHA!” Remus screamed.

“My goodness Remus! You sound like you’re dying! What could possibly be so funny?!” Patton asked.

Janus smirked. “It couldn’t possibly be the thought of playboy magazines or babies making love.” Janus teased, just riling up Patton even more.

Patton clicked his tongue in disappointment. “My my my...I suppose even the smaller doses won’t stop you from your addictive thoughts...Perhaps you really DO need a lethal dose of innocence!” Patton admitted.

Remus was struggling. “WAHAHAIT NO! IHIHI DOHOHON’T! THISIS BAHAHAD EHEHENOHOHOUGH!”

Patton hummed. “Well, guess there’s only one way to test if it’s working!” Patton decided. Patton removed his fingers and let Remus have a break. Remus let in heavy breaths at first, to conquer his loss of oxygen. But within two minutes…

“Hehey, hey Janus:” Remus asked.

Janus looked over. “Yes?”

“Imagine Marcie being spicy for Peppermint Patty~” Remus made a sexy roaring sound.

Patton was immediately at him again. “Time for the second lethal dose, you stubborn pickle!” Patton declared quickly.

Thomas wheezed and hung his head. “Did you just call him a pickle?” Thomas asked, laughing.

“Yes I did! Because he’s being a green, sour dick!” Patton declared. While Thomas questioned his ears and sanity, Patton started blowing raspberry after raspberry on Remus’s thigh.

Remus was absolutely losing it! “AHAHAHIHIHIHIHI CAHAHAHAHAN’T! AAAAHAHAHAHA NOHOHOHOHO *snort* DAHAHAHAMMIHIHIHIHIT!”

Thomas quickly whipped his head around to see where the unusual sound came from.

Patton had widened his eyes and covered his mouth. “You SNORT?!” he asked, stopping his tickling momentarily.

Remus took a quick moment to breathe and nodded his head. “Ihihi- Ialways hahahave.”

Patton looked at Roman. Roman nodded and shrugged his shoulders. “It’s true. He snorted when he was little too.” Roman admitted.

Patton looked at Roman curiously. “What about you?” Patton asked.

Roman hummed and tilted his head. “Me?”

Patton started staring at Roman with suspicious eyes. “......Logan, get him.” Patton told him.

Logan wrapped his arms around Roman and immediately went for the belly. “Way ahead of you.”

Roman squealed and threw his head back with bubbly giggles coming out. Despite Remus’s laugh sounding more witch-like, The twins’ laughter sounded fairly similar to each other. So now both twins were being tickled for separate reasons; Remus’s being ‘constant potty mouth’ while Roman’s being ‘kept secrets’.

“LOHOHohohoho! Meheheheheaniihihie! Lehehehet mehehehe gohohohoho!”

“PAHAHAT! *snort* IHIHIHI’M GOHOHONNA *snort* KIHIHILL YOHOHOHOU!”

Patton gasped at Remus’s words. “Threatening me as well!? My goodness...You really don’t learn, do you?” he teased. Patton blew one raspberry on his left thigh, and two raspberries on his right thigh.

“AAAAAHAHAHAHAAA-” With one last snort, Remus finally went silent. He couldn’t really breathe very well at this point and was growing very red. So Patton gave him a break and got off him. Remus took some time getting his oxygen back. It felt great to be able to breathe again. He tried to breathe fairly heavily to get oxygen in faster. With due time, he slowly lost his tomato face and started turning more peach-colored again. With a bottle of water from Patton, Remus was pretty much okay. He was smiling and still slightly giggling after he finished the bottle.

“Are you done with your silly jokes yet?” Patton asked.

Remus lifted his head up, took one look at him and let his head fall back down. “M...Maybe for a bit.” Remus replied.

Patton smiled. “Good.”

Remus laid there for a few more minutes while he took in the sound of Roman’s giggly laughter. Logan was STILL tickling him but this time, he was pinning one arm up and tickling his armpit. To make things even better, Roman was starting to snort as well. And Patton was living for it!

“It’s truly fascinating how both twins have developed a snorty laugh.” Logan added.

“Shuhuhuhut uhuhuhup! *snort* Ehehehevihihihil fiehehehend!” Roman yelled to him.

Logan raised his eyebrows. “Evil? You think I’m being evil?” Logan asked.

“Yehehehehessss! Ehehehevihihil Ihihihi- *snort* Ihihi sahahahayhy!” Roman shot back.

Logan chuckled at that. “I am being much more merciful and gentle to you, compared to how Patton was treating Remus.” Logan explained.

“Yohohohou’re tihihicklihihing mehehehe *snort* fohohor noho reheheasohohon!” Roman protested.

Logan rolled his eyes. “Actually, we did have a reason to tickle you. We just didn’t tell you what it was.” Logan added.

“We wanted to see if you snorted too!” Patton declared.

Logan looked at Patton. “Hey! I was gonna tell him when he stopped insulting me with his childish names.” Logan reacted.

Patton snickered. “He was gonna find out anyway. Minus well do it now!” Patton declared, closing his eyes with a proud smile.

Logan sighed. “You’re no fun.” Logan whined.

Patton opened his eyes and opened his mouth in surprise. What did he just say?! “I...After all I planned for easter-”

Thomas quickly put his hands on Patton’s shoulders. “Patton, don’t listen to Logan. You are tons of fun! You planned all this for us, and for that we’re so grateful.” Thomas told him.

Janus, Remus, Virgil, Roman and even Logan nodded. Logan paused the tickling for a moment while Roman sat up.

“Thank you Patton!” All six of them said happily at the same time!

Patton smiled and couldn’t stop himself from tearing up. “You’re welcome guys.” Patton hugged Thomas. Virgil joined the hug as well, followed by Remus.

With that out of the way and Patton cheered up again, Logan resumed tickling Roman for a little longer before letting the prince breathe. Roman’s loss of oxygen was much more minor compared to Remus. But that was only because Remus wouldn’t stop doing the one thing that granted him tickles. Maybe it was because Remus wanted tickles? Or maybe it was because Remus has a legitimate addiction to it.

Whatever the reason, Remus was quick to start up his grotesque headcanons about the Peanuts Characters. This would further ruin Patton’s childhood and cause Remus further fits of ticklish laughter. Perhaps they could consider a new, more effective treatment for dirty language?

Or...maybe not. Remus seems to like it. And no one would wanna ruin his fun! Happy Easter indeed.

[adultswim2021]

Ephemera Week (2002)

I really wonder how effectively I’ll be able to do this in 2003. In 2003, Adult Swim started doing the black and white text bumps, where they give max sass and NO EFFS (fucks), so every week had unique content. I definitely don’t have the resources to catalogue every bumper or even come up with a decent “best of”. Ephemera Corner 2003 may look very different. To quote my good friend Zorak, “Brak, do you ever think about the future?”. To this I say, yes. Yes, Zorak, I do.

BROADCAST ANOMALIES AND SPECIAL NIGHTS!

Adult Swim Action (and other stuff) | February 23, 2002

February 23rd was the first installment of Adult Swim Action. Up to this point, Adult Swim aired a block of mostly comedy capped off with Cowyboy Bebop. This was the first formal separation of Action and Comedy. I remember the bitter rivalry between the two fandoms on various message boards I posted on. It really did seem like a venn diagram with almost no overlap; action fans hated the comedy shows (maybe they liked one or two but hated the rest) and the same went for the comedy fans, except most of the comedy fans I knew were devout anime haters.

At the height of my anime animosity an internet ex-friend of mine started a message board called ANIME SUCKS. It was an experience I’ll always remember fondly. At it’s peak it had over 1000 members. All but about a dozen of those members were actually ANGRY anime fans who just stumbled on the board and were FURIOUS at us for being anti-anime, and we’d just act like obtuse dickheads about it. Like, we’d act stupider than they were and just wind them up.

We developed a few tricks to really set somebody off. For example: they’d write an impassioned defense of anime as an art form, and say something like “it’s not all like Pokemon or Dragonball Z”, to which we’d reply “actually those are the only two animes I like”. This really got them. There was a special thrill to just replying “miyazaki is an idiot” to a guy’s 6-paragraph essay about why anime was “good, actually”, prompting an even longer response. It was really fun! We didn’t have to harass people online, they’d just come to us to get abused. I’ve never seen bait get taken so effortlessly. One day that guy just closed the message board, locked everyone out, and disappeared forever.

That was some aside, huh? Anyway, the arrival of Adult Swim Action meant that Adult Swim stopped airing the Thursday night repeats of Adult Swim Comedy, which was a shame. It Also meant Adult Swim’s Sunday night had an extra hour to fill, which they did with Rocky & Bullwinkle and the Popeye Show. People complained. I didn’t. Vintage animation is just a different take on the “adult” label. Besides, I was used to tuning out by 12AM anyway, so even if I didn’t like those shows (I did!) I wasn’t missing anything, really. But yes, if it were a full hour of Space Ghost repeats I guess that would’ve been better.

The Lewis Lectures | May 19, 2002 - 12:45 AM

A repeat of Lewis Lectures? IT HAPPENED! But what was so different about this broadcast of Lewis Lectures? Well, they accidentally scrambled the SAP audio with the default English audio, causing the Spanish soundtrack to play in tandem with the English one. It was bloody well fucked mate. This is simply no longer England.

I remember becoming an Adult Swim completist and taping this, considering it some kind of void in my collection. Part of me wishes I saved the recording, so I could combine it with the inferior YouTube rip currently up and have a closer-to-pristine copy than the one that’s available. But also, JESUS FUCKING CHRIST THIS IS LEWIS LECTURES WE ARE TALKING ABOUT. How much pain can I inflict on myself?

Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law Mini-Marathon | September 15, 2002 - 11:00 PM

On this night they aired a little Harvey Birdman marathon of the 4 episodes. This was kinda baffling, as Birdman had 6 episodes to its name and they’d been repeated into the ground by this point. I guess it goes to show that Adult Swim kinda considered Birdman to be their prestige program. I’m hard-pressed to call any one Adult Swim show “smart” in a way that’s apparent on a shallow level. Birdman is set in a courtroom, animated the most competently out of all their other shows, and involved cultural references in a showy way. Like, Space Ghost having Dave Willis absurdly shout “UP THE CHAIN” in the background of a Space Ghost episode is almost just a weird easter egg. But Birdman? Birdman was name-dropping Hanna Barbera characters the same way Frasier would talk about whatever gay shit Frasier talked about.

They aired The Dabba Don, Shaggy Busted, Shoyu Weenie, Very Personal Injury in that order. I would’ve swapped Shaggy and Shoyu and for Bannon Custody Battle and Death by Chocolate, but that’s just me, I guess.

Adult Swim New Years Bash hosted by Carl and Brak | December 31, 2002 - 11:00 PM

Adult Swim officially ended 2002 with this: a night hosted by Carl and Brak in Times Square, watching the ball drop (which was FREAKING MEATWAD!!!!). I remember this night fondly. Unfortunately I can’t find the whole thing, but here’s a single segment I found on vimeo to give you some idea. I think I had it up at one point and Turner very annoyingly had it taken down.

I used to have this massive physical media collection; stuff on VHS and DVD and DVD-R that was meticulously catalogued. I ditched a lot of it in favor of digitizing stuff like this, eternally keeping it on hard drives that I meant to back up but never did. It seems more convenient, but it isn’t. If this were 2003 and I needed to show you this, I would be able to retrieve it from one of my many shelves. I might still have this, but would have no idea where to look for it and it would probably involve me getting in my car and going out to my storage unit and pulling every single box out. I turned it into ones an zeros and stuck it on a nondescript black box that could very well be dead. And now it’s not even on YouTube. Sad? Sure, it’s sad.

PEAK EPHEMERA

(phrase stolen from Grifthorse podcast)

Hey, here are some videos I found on YouTube in case you wanna go down a wormhole of watching old Adult Swim commercial breaks. May the gods of posterity keep them online forever:

February 4, 2002

Spring 2002

June 16, 2002

June 30, 2002

July 27, 2002

August 2002

November 17, 2002

November/December 2002

MAIL BAG:

This ends EPHEMERA WEEK. We’ll do actual episodes soon!

What's the scariest thing you seen on adult swim?

I don’t know if I have a real answer for this. I don’t think I actually get scared by stuff in movies or TV shows. I can’t even come up with a funny answer. Remember the end of that Metalocalypse episode where the little sick girl is dead and her eyes turn into maggots and you hear that screechy voice was like I’M DEAD BECAUSE OF YOU!!! I’ll just go with that even though it made me laugh really hard

Ever watch Limmy's Show

I am content just being vaguely aware of Limmy (no, I never watched his show. Seems good).

Please don't do such a big mailbag. I couldn't believe how many r-words wrote inane bullshit to you. Let keep this blog about the real stars: Master Shake, Space Ghost, Brak, Zorak, Meatwad, Frylock, Debbie, Black Debbie, Carl, Sparks, Stormy, Hesh, Moltar, Harvery Birdman Captain Murphy, Dr. Quinn, Paula, Marco,  Brendon, Jason, Melissa, The Mooninites, the Plutonians, Peanut, Coach Mc Gurk, Mentok the Mindtaker, Virjay, Antoin, Colby, Trotter, Adair WE ARE THE UPRIGHT CITIZENS BRIGADE :)

I can’t believe this IDIOT doesn’t get that by typing such a long message he very IDIOTICALLY contributed to the length of the Maili Bag... LMFAO, what a IDIOT

This is maybe the funniest blog on tumblr. You really think these nasty little cartoons are special, huh?

Hey than-- oh :( Yeah, I guess so :(

would you like master shake if he did the whole thing

I’m sorry what

[hollenka99]

The One Where Jackie Settles In

Summary: Chapter 3. Jackie gets used to life with Marvin.

Warnings: death mention, violence mention

@bupine @badlypostedeverything

In the minute it takes for Jackie's mind to wake up along with him, he becomes confused as to why his chest is in agony. More confusing than that, he appeared to be in the bedroom of someone's home. In a pile on a bean bag was a pre-arranged outfit for him to wear. Dressed, he ventures to the hallway. And things finally click. Right, he was living with Marvin now. Marvin, who happened to also be Cat. The past 24 hours had been quite eventful. He'd… rather forget it. He requests anything Marvin had on hand. If he was a superhero, surely he was no stranger to injury. Therefore, there must be something lying around to assist with pain management. To his relief, Marvin can indeed help him. In fact, he goes further and offers him whatever is required for his recovery. With the medical care over, Marvin invites his new roommate to help himself to mini Weetabix or bread. Jackie doesn't think he can manage more than a simple buttered slice of toast this morning. The Russian blue missing her front left leg observes them from her shelf. Marvin notices where Jackie's gaze is directed. "Indie's watching us eat, isn't she?" "Yep." Jackie chuckles. "Come face us, you little spy." Marvin turns around in his seat, wearing a mock scowl. "Caoimhe was like that. I couldn't eat anything at home without her staring at me until I gave her a bit of my dinner." Marvin is facing the table again. "Caoimhe?" "Oh um... she was my dog before- before all this." "Is she with friends or something?" "I guess. Them or my dad. It all happened so quickly." Suddenly, stories relating to pets fill the space between toast and soggy cereal. Jackie learns of the time Indie somehow found herself stuck in the space between the television and the wall. Likewise, he tells his friend all about Caoimhe's misadventures as a puppy, including her habit of attempting to snack on his drumsticks. This in turn leads to Jackie confirming that yes, he was a drummer and guitar wasn't his preferred instrument. The two of them chat at the table until Marvin realises in a shock that it was already time for him to get ready for work. Running late slightly, he blurts out his apologises and suggests Jackie finds a DVD to watch while he's alone. Despite how abruptly it had ended, the morning had been an enjoyable one. Joel checks up on them a couple days after the incident with Anti. He raises the issue of Jackie not having any clothes of his own. The Canadian offers to accompany him around the shops, making the point it would be a proper chance to get to know each other. With the promise expenses shouldn't influence decisions, they leave. They manage to collect a variety of tops and jeans. Apparently ripped jeans were fashionable now. Fashion had certainly changed in the past three decades. He and Joel are still able to find items that were close enough to what he used to know. The shops they visit are lacking in leather jackets but Joel is able to offer a black denim one as a compromise. With socks and underwear also in their possession, it was time to move on from clothes shopping. Almost. Doing so as discreetly as he can, Joel mutters quietly to Jackie. "I can see you eyeing the women's section. Why don't you have a look?" "No, it's weird. Trust me, men were not made to wear feminine clothing." "Listen, I have two dads and a diminished sense of gendered clothing. I am the last person who will give a damn about a guy wearing a dress. You have a similar build to my dad so..." Joel approaches the racks, flicking through them. Periodically, he scrutinises Jackie to likely determine if the dress was right for him. The most Jackie lets his new friend buy for him is a skirt that reached his knees. It seems to please him that Jackie allowed him to get even that. He supposes it was a nice garment. And a kind gesture too. With the clothes stuffed into the back seat of Joel's car, the duo return to explore the Tesco Metro. The older of the two triggers a whole conversation about Easter celebrations. Joel talks about the Beaches Easter parade in Toronto while Jackie grumbles about Easter Sunday masses. They both agree there's no such thing as too many Easter eggs. "Hey, you should get a notebook or something. It might help if you have somewhere to put your thoughts about the 21st century." "What, you want me to write you an essay about modern life when I've known nothing else? I'm 20, I was born in... 1999." "It's April so if you want to turn 21 this year, it's 1998." "Wh- 'if I want to turn 21 this year'? Can I please get through the rest of this month without having my life being threatened?" Joel groans. "No, dumbass, it was advice." He leans close to Jackie's ear. "I know about Village Square and how you were born in 1966. I'm sure you want to talk about this further but I don't have anywhere I can really take you to speak privately." "You're psychic?" "No." Joel places his bags down, resigning himself to tackle this subject while standing outside a WHSmiths. "Sure, I can create portals but I'm no mind reader." "Then how-?" "I already told you, this is not a conversation we should have in public." "What about your apartment? You don't live with Marvin and you told me you weren't living on the streets anymore." "In Canada. And I doubt it would be healthy to send you somewhere over 3500 miles away when you sustained a major injury a few days ago. Listen, how about you text- A phone, we need to get you a phone too." "Right." Mobile phones are unrecognisable. How the hell did technology advance to the point where this small slab of glass and alloy was capable of receiving calls? Not to mention the plethora of things it also offered. And controlled by your fingers on top of it all off. Joel reassures him he can take it slow with this technological leap. The main reason he bought it was for communication and it could remain so if he wanted. Jackie supposes the shiny blue back was pretty. It wasn't hard, growing accustomed to life with Marvin. His roommate would sleep in after a long night of patrolling then spend most afternoons working a shift at the local garden centre. In addition to that, Marvin would also don his Magnificent Cat costume twice a week so he could help those still on the streets. Jackie usually sat those out, feeling awkward about his new situation. Marvin was typically the one to cook. As such, Jackie felt it necessary the head of the kitchen should be aware he couldn't have mustard. If the hero could try getting into the habit of checking ingredients and being wary of anything labelled 'spices', he'd be much obliged. Marvin does his best to follow these instructions. It seemed to be working fine as there was yet to be any allergic reactions. At some point during that second week, Marvin invited Jackie to the kitchen. His plan was to bake his favourite cake, one containing chocolate and strawberries. Their joint efforts go well for a short while. Then Jackie gave himself an edible moustache upon stealing the whipped cream from the fridge. Marvin confiscated the can, only to follow suite. By the time the cake was ready to exit the oven, the duo were laughing, in need of a whipped cream restock and a change of clothes. It is after returning from a shift that Marvin introduces Jackie to an unusual pizza crust arrangement. "Pizza Hut have the best stuffed crust though. This is only the best Morrisons has to offer, as far as I've tried it." Marvin continues on, rambling about how, while studying at university, he made it his goal to find the best frozen pizza supermarkets within walking distance of his accommodation had to offer. As such, he had designated this specific pizza as his favourite. Something about the other varieties being too liquidy or whatever. He has no interest in this subject. Pizza was pizza. But... Marvin seemed very engrossed in imparting his findings to him and who was Jackie to stop him? "Oh, tell you who would go with us to Pizza Hut, my friends Henrik and Jameson. Maybe Chase too but he tends to be a rather busy guy. You should meet them. I think you might get on with those guys." Marvin makes a note as a reminder to invite his friends for a meal out. For the time being, that is the end of that. Before long, the Easter weekend arrives and with it, a chance for Jackie to finally meet Sean. It was clear Marvin looked up to his big brother from the way he spoke about him. As far as Jackie was aware, Sean was 9 years older, a video game developer and a reluctant cook, hence why the two roommates were taking care of the big meal. He can certainly see the resemblance between the brothers. Their features were very similar. The main difference between them was hair. While Marvin was clean shaven with waves descending to his shoulders, Sean had stubble and short straight hair. It was pleasant to see them have such a good relationship, complete with teasing and half-serious threats of burning the other if he kept pushing it. Jackie found Sean likeable. The whole meal, they kept themselves occupied with chatter. He learns Sean enjoyed painting in his spare time. In fact, he was creating the backgrounds for his company's new game. It is at this point that Marvin lets him know there was still a blue smudge, albeit slightly faded, on the side of his left hand. The afternoon is a good one but like all things, it comes to an end. Before too long, they are bidding Sean farewell and exchanging comments about the day's success. Night, the stranger found, was the best cover. Some dark clothes to reduce visibility and a hood to better conceal his identity from CCTV cameras. With some silent fiddling, the door grants him entry. He knows precisely which room he has to visit first. His most recent escapee is completely oblivious to the intruder. He could ensure Jackie never woke up with a single touch. But Marvin would discover the truth were that to happen. That method was too obvious. Besides, this wasn't what he was here for. The envelope slips out of his bag. In the morning, Jackie will find the surprise on his bedside table. That done, he moves on to the other bedroom. The hero is still awake, albeit engrossed by his phone's screen. Only now does Anti allow his presence to be sensed. Marvin reacts accordingly by throwing the covers to the side and defensively leaping to his feet. A palm is raised to prevent any provocative action before it could be carried out. The message is delivered. "Back off, Marvin. You should know by now what I'm like when frustrated. Let the next one slide and you won't hear from me for a good while." He looks like a three year old persevering with their poorly thought out argument. He's certainly a 24 year old man in his pyjamas rather than an on duty superhero fully in costume. "I... I can't." "One life for several. Aren't you supposed to be on the better side of the morality spectrum? Surely this is a easy choice." Anti doesn't wait for any potential response from Marvin. The serial killer leaves the way he came. The sun rises and with it, Jackie. Marvin was already awake, cradling an abandoned coffee. He gives his friend little acknowledgement as he enters the kitchen. The piece of paper Jackie is holding, however, gains his attention. Especially when he asks the dreaded question. "Uh, Marv? Do you know anything about this?" It's only a portion of an A4 sheet. A pair of scissors has been used perhaps a third of the way down. The contents is limited to a single typed line which reads: We both know he's no doctor. Maybe you should ask why he hasn't taken you to be treated by professionals. Jackie starts talking as soon as he's sure Marvin has read the message. "I- Listen, I will admit I had wondered why you never sent me to a hospital. But I guess I brushed it off as a secret identity thing. So why didn't-?" "You're new to this city, right?" "Yes." "So you don't know Anti like I do. He likes making a point of finishing what he started. I don't know how the hell he does it. But if he's the one who put you in hospital, the only place you're going after that is the morgue. So forgive me for wanting you still around. And yeah, it's true, I am not a doctor. However, books on human biology and the internet have served me fine. I've had way more injuries than Sean is aware of. Yet here I am, walking around despite the occupational hazards my hobby is littered with." "Marvin-" "If you want me to apologise for prioritising you staying alive, then I'm afraid you're out of luck." The aggression radiating from him remains for several seconds. It dissipates into something softer. "But I am sorry for putting the decision solely in my hands. If that means anything." Jackie lets the air settle between them before answering. "Alright. Listen, I am still upset-" "Fine, then I'll leave for a while." Marvin begins making his way to the shoe pile by the door. "What I was going to say was I'm still upset but I'd rather move on and let bygones be bygones for now. Just promise you won't do something that risky again." He stops completely to face Jackie. "Yes, of course. I promise." "Thank you. And, as a sidenote, if you're going to run from disagreements, at least fix that mess you call your hair. It's horrendous." The sleep deprived hero scoffs, a tiny smile creeping into existence. "Got it."

[indestinatus]

Behind the scenes, #12, #16, #18!

12. Is there a trope you haven’t written yet but really want to?

I REALLY want to write a very intricate AU with various subplots and like 20 characters and hidden meanings and dancing and nice scenery and based on all my favorite musicals and it’s a dream that may never come true but one day one day maybe I can achieve this impossible mission oh that would BE SO FUN. 

16. What is your most underrated fic?

Hmmm I’m not sure but I’ll say (there is just one thing I need) (that you inspired it!!!) BECAUSE it’s one I’m really proud of and one that I refer back to a lot to see how I wrote it.

I really love the idea of conveying emotion through a tiny tiny detail (here being cinnamon) because the shoes of a girl tossed on the street and stepped upon a thousand times during the world war are way more important than the war itself. I like to think this was my first step portraying this :’) 

18. What is a line/scene you’re really proud of? Give us the DVD commentary for that scene.

OKAY I thought for long about an easter egg that you didn’t know about, but one thing I’m proud of is that I was actually able to link two timelines by just one line and it was this quote that inspired a lot of Something Blue:

CHAPTER ONE

Her words died in her throat as Tali read what was in front of her. The embroidered line Ziva tenderly traced over and over.

I was made for loving you.

“Wasn’t dad the one who said that?” asked Tali, eyeing the still closed album with interest. She had a vague memory of her father repeating it over the years, that single phrase, as if it was the most well-known fact on the planet.

“Yes,” Ziva replied, smiling fondly. “It was a part of his vows.”

and

CHAPTER EIGHT

"Here’s to all the places we went. And here’s to all the places we’ll go. And here’s to me, whispering again and again and again and again: I love you," through constant falling tears and a broken voice, Tony held the pen high and crossed number twenty-six off his list. 

"Ziva David,” he put the papers once again inside his pocket and held her hands, raising each open palm to his lips, "I was made for loving you," he kissed them once, twice, three times, "I think we deserve a soft epilogue, my love," his green eyes were full of meaning and Ziva couldn't stop the tears from coming, "we are good people, and we’ve suffered enough."

as you can see it’s in bold cuz I’m a cliché individual who likes clichés and appreciates when the story has multiple connections, so BY THIS I WANTED TO SHOW THAT

Ziva starts telling the story on chapter one by pointing out this is a quote that they found so important that it ended up in the front cover of their wedding album and this is one of the main reasons Tali wants to hear the story again - they were made for loving each other, as soulmates, as friends, as partners, and I think that is a beautiful quote that sums up both the fic and their story very well :’)

They went through so much heartbreak and obstacles and downfalls and the one thing that they were always certain of was that they were made to love each other and I wanted to show why and how and give them the opportunity of doing just that, to show this type of love they were forbidden to share for so long. I know it’s so cheesy but we were robbed of so many things and I just wanted to have a very nice and utterly happy environment where the only thing they were concerned about was showing this pure kind of love.

And there you have it!!! Ziva tells the story from a 360° point of view, but she’s still the one who’s telling the story to Tali, and so the things that she finds are most important are usually in bold because they have a hidden meaning hehehe also I love romance so that’s that.

thank you for the questions, my lovely friend <3 stay safe x

behind the scenes of fic writing

[cyclone-rachel]

rest your soul and feed your brain

part 3: on AO3 here

~

The camera turns on, showing Winn- just Winn, for once. He’s staring at where the audience would be, with an expression in his eyes that could be considered haunted, or perhaps bewildered. His eyes are wide, certainly, and he’s leaning slightly over the desk, hands out in front of him, held in a sort of tented position. He seems to be waiting for someone, his lips pursed, and he stands and looks at someone slightly off to the side.

“James? Are you getting this?” he asks.

James nods, and focuses the camera on him closer, as Winn sits down again.

His voice is hushed, as he continues.

“Hey. Okay, so… I probably shouldn’t be doing this. If he finds out, he might kill me, and get James to take over for me- even though all the comments talk about how funny I am, or how much I do my research. Well, actually, they give me long lists of nitpicks and corrections on the subject of my research, and they say how funny it is when I scream, or make dirty jokes. Even though me screaming is completely normal for the kind of thing I’m doing here, and I actually don’t make that many dirty jokes. They’re not that dirty anyway. Whatever.

The point is… this is about… I’m investigating Brainy. My partner- not that way. Even though he is cute, and I am very bisexual. He’s like a young Keanu Reeves, in how he looks- it’s actually kind of freaky, looking at them side by side. But in a nice way. Anyhow, you already know what he looks like, because we’re friends, and we do this show every week for you guys.”

Winn pauses, looking up at James, expression cautious. He turns back to the camera.

“I might not actually release this. Or it could go up on our Patreon page, and I would just have to make sure he doesn’t see it, or put it under an unassuming title so he doesn’t suspect anything and doesn’t want to click on it. He already doesn’t check anything on our computer anyway, I’ve never seen him use it, but somehow he still knows all the statistics of our videos, so I feel like I could get away with that. Maybe something about sex tapes, it’s really funny the reaction that gets whenever I bring them up. Anyway. If I do release this, it’s going to be because I feel like you all should know something about Brainy. Something I want to say I’ve suspected all along, given how much I already liked researching this kind of stuff, but embarrassingly enough, I’ve only started putting the pieces together recently.

Wow, I’m delaying this a lot. I’m sorry- to the audience, and to myself. Maybe I’m not saying it because I don’t feel like I can? Like if I do say it, he’ll hear, and he’ll find me. I don’t think he would hurt me if he found out I was doing this. After all, we are friends. Or at least, I hope we still are. I don’t know. Maybe this is the last recording I’ll ever do, and he’ll find this, and he’ll leave. I… don’t want to lose him, as much of a know-it-all as he is. I’m the believer, I need my skeptic, you know? That’s just how things should be. It’s the natural dynamic, and without it, we’d lose viewers. I would lose viewers. So maybe I won’t put this up online. But if I do, and we keep going… assume he hasn’t found it, or that he’s okay with it.

Maybe I just don’t want to admit it out loud, because it’ll make me sound insane. Like I’m headed for a downward spiral, like my dad- except instead of taking my anger out on the partner who stole my patent, and ending up killing people who weren’t him instead, I’ll be the conspiracy theory guy who got too obsessed with what he was so interested in, and it’ll end up ruining my friendship with… with one of the only people who really knows me well, and gets me. Or at least I thought he did.

Do I hate Brainy, for hiding so much? Am I angry at him, because he keeps so many secrets? I don’t think so. I’m not. I’m just… well, can you blame me for being interested, and maybe a little bit suspicious? That’s the only name he’s ever given me, to tell me to call him. He started emailing me, after I put up the video asking for people to do that if they wanted to host this show with me, and almost too quickly- within the day, actually, once I’d made sure he wasn’t an axe-murderer or any other kind of murderer, like my dad, and that he genuinely wanted to do this with me and didn’t want to make fun of my videos, he was there for the interview. And then he was hired, after I said something about tomatoes being fruits, and he insisted on them being vegetables, and we argued about it for like an hour. Actually fun times, believe it or not.

He’s never told me where he lives, or where he grew up, or how old he is, other than I know that he’s around my age and his birthday is December 30th. I remember because it’s 5 days after mine, and I saw him circle it on the calendar once. I know he was homeschooled, but he never gave any details on that, and for how long he was homeschooled. He doesn’t have any siblings. His parents raised him together until he was eight years old, when they separated and his father raised him. He hasn’t said anything about what happened afterwards, or where his mother went, or anything else about his life- he changes the subject, asking about my family instead, and whenever he’s admitted these things to me he always looks at me like he’s being held at gunpoint while saying them, even though I honestly want to know because he’s just so goddamn mysterious. And you all know how much of a difficult subject my family is for me. But for his credit, he listens, and it’s kind of nice.

Oh god, I’m rambling. But I have a point with this, I promise.

I don’t doubt that Brainy is a good person. I don’t doubt that he likes me- or at least, doesn’t hate me. He hasn’t left me, which is a virtue all on its own, and he listens to me, with- it feels like he understands me, whenever I talk about my parents and describe how their abandonment felt. What it was like to see my dad arrested, to be interrogated about his murder and under constant scrutiny afterwards from my foster families because at any time I could snap and become just like him. How it felt to sit in the police station, waiting for my mother, but she never came back for me.

Maybe this is why I won’t release this video. I’ve only ever told him that, and I’ve tried not to tell anyone that my father is Winslow Schott, the notorious Toyman. I even use my nickname, Winn, and my mom’s maiden name, McGowan, for these videos… but I know I’m still a Schott, and that potential is inside me. Like a ticking time bomb.”

Winn sighs.

“I hope I’m not turning out like him. I want to think I’m using whatever I got from my father for good- though I can’t really tell whether or not this is a good use for the skills I do have. And maybe this, what happens if Brainy finds out, will be the nail in the coffin for me. What sets me down the path to becoming the Toyman, just like my dad.

I don’t want to.

But… if anyone from the future is listening, consider this the secret origin story of… something. The play that was never released, the first edition book that’s different from all the others, the action figure that was recalled for a defect, the hidden Easter egg in a video game or the comic that only ever got one printing or the unaired pilot of a TV show or a movie that never even made it to DVD. I think this metaphor ran away from me. Point is. If you’re seeing this, count yourself lucky, because you’re one of a few- if anyone other than James and I see this at all.”

Winn pauses again, turns to James.

“You’re not gonna leak this on Youtube, are you?”

“No.”

“Good man.” Winn says. “Thank you.”

He turns back to the camera, and continues talking, all the while also continuing to gesture with his hands, as though he were truly in a living, animated conversation with the audience.

“And keep in mind, I don’t say all of this stuff because I want his career to be ruined, or because I’m jealous of him, or anything. I just think he’s so… I’ve already used the words interesting, and suspicious, and mysterious, and cute. He’s all of those things, but he transcends description. He’s a walking enigma, and I wish I were worthy of knowing his secrets.

He’s my friend, and I can’t help noticing things like… well. He always wakes up earlier than I do. That’s probably because I always stay up late. But one time, I woke up first, and saw him get up out of bed. And he… I don’t know how to say this. He touched his face, and it- shifted? And I don’t think it was the light coming in from outside- I swear to you, his face looked blue. All of him did. He touched it again, and he looked like he always does otherwise, but I’ve never forgotten that. It might’ve been an early-morning dream kind of thing, like when you’re half asleep and half-awake. But it felt real.

And then there’s things like what I mentioned before- he always seems to know exactly what our statistics are, even though I’ve never seen him use our computer. Any kind of technical problem, he fixes it- without even moving, or touching it. Most of the time I don’t even have to ask him, he just knows. Knows everything. Comes in real handy, can’t say I’m not grateful, but also…

Oh! Also, one time, I caught him sitting on the roof of our trailer, and when I called his name, he jumped down- but it was slower, somehow, than normal jumping. Like he was kind of… not flying. But hovering, maybe. Or falling with style. But whatever it is, I couldn’t have done it. And I’ve tried to scare him, since then, and make him jump. Hasn’t worked, but I’m gonna keep trying, mark my words.”

“Marking them.” Calls James, and Winn rolls his eyes.

“Anyway. All of these things… and the fact that because he’s only introduced himself by his pretentious nickname, and never given me his real name- God knows I’ve tried to find it- I can’t look him up in any way and verify that he exists- I don’t know how to explain them. I want to- that’s the whole point of this show, solving the unsolvable, explaining the unexplainable, playfully arguing with each other along the way, sometimes scaring the shit out of each other but mostly just enjoying each other’s company. But the two first things are the most important, and how am I supposed to call myself a good solver of mysteries if I can’t come to a solid conclusion on the person who’s probably my best friend? Besides you, James.”

“Thank you.”

“And Kara and Alex, back home. But they’re not gonna see this. Probably. That doesn’t matter. Point is… the whole idea of this long, twisting rant… I have reason to believe that my collaborator, my partner, my friend, Brainy… isn’t human. And I don’t know what he is, exactly, or who he is, or where he’s from. He could be the Mothman. He could be what he calls a Necrofriggian. He could be any of the other cryptids I totally did my research on and didn’t just see while watching shows about them on TV, or reading Wikipedia entries. Or- and this is the most absurd one- he might even be from another planet. Is he an alien, or a cryptid? Or is he just a completely normal guy who’s fucking with me, and I’m the one who’s talking myself in circles over nothing? Whatever the case, it looks like the impenetrable identity of my cohost is, for now, a case that’s going to remain-“

“Winn? Why are you recording an episode without me? What’s this about?”

“Oh shi-“

“James, turn that off, please.”

[mcrmadness]

I was tagged by @froschimbrunnen for this Rammstein themed tag game, thanks! :D

Get to know me in 10 questions. Copy and paste the questions if you’re tagged, or if you feel like it.

Rules: There are no rules. Tag whoever you want. Don’t tag anyone. Tag yourself. You don’t have to answer all of the questions. Do what you please. Have fun.

created by: @vapor-stein

1. I’m curious: when did you discover Rammstein? I started listening to them in 2011 but I have known about them ever since Amerika became internationally popular and it was playing in the radio all the time in 2004. And because Finland is very much into metal music, Rammstein is very popular here too. And my dad has liked them a lot for a very long time so he often showed us their music videos even when I wasn’t into R+ yet.

2. Tell me your story. How did you discover them? Like I said, it was in 2011 when I got interested in them. I have never been into metal music and I always felt that Rammstein is way too metal for me too. But my siblings had got into Rammstein a bit before me and I remember doing German homework with my brother and we were listening to music, Rammstein this time. And the song Amerika was playing and I had known about this song for years and I didn’t find it bad, but also not that interesting. But I still started to feel like maybe I should still give it a try? And after the song comes their song Moskau. And that was it. That sounded actually good. And I asked my dad for the files and started to investigate their music myself and here I am now.

3. Favorite song? It’s difficult to say just one when all the albums are slightly different from each other and each album has its own best song. But I have to say that “Mein Land” is actually the first one to come in mind. I have liked it a lot ever since I heard it for the first time and it still is one of those songs that makes me feel as good as it did then. “Links 2-3-4″ is also a favorite, I really love the march rhytm in songs! And I like “Adios” a lot too, it has great drums and it’s a bit faster song too which is not that typical for them but it works really great. I also like “Zerstören” A LOT. And have to mention “Halleluja” and “Feuerräder”, those are great.

4. Least favorite song? Come on. I know you have one. I have more than one, Rammstein is one of those bands that have REALLY good songs but then also each album has several not-so-interesting songs. I guess everything just needs to be in balance :D But I mainly don’t really care about very slow songs so I often skip songs like “Feuer und Wasser” or “Rammstein”, I’ve also never really been into “Wiener Blut” nor “Stein um Stein” etc., you get the point.

5. Favorite album? Hmmm, this is a tough one. Mutter and Rosenrot have probably the biggest amount of songs that I don’t skip, and I also really like Sehnsucht, but then again I also really loved the 2019 album too, as it’s a very rare one because I don’t skip a single song. And I really like it how it sounds so Rammstein yet so different, and most of the songs have these little details that sound like they would be almost like easter eggs or tributes to their older albums, and that’s super interesting, because the songs still sound like completely new songs! So I think I’m gonna go with “Rammstein”.

6. Least favorite album? Probably not hard to count from here that it’s “Herzeleid” :D It also has some really good songs but most of the time is has a lot less melodies than the other albums and I really love music with lots of melody and layers. I think what appeals to me with this album the most is the rhythm and drums.

7. Something that speaks to you in the deepest sense of the word: a lyric? A specific song? I’m so bad with lyrics (with all bands) that I cannot say anything to this. I guess I have gone through all the songs with English translations when I was bored but I legit cannot remember the stories to more than maybe a couple of songs. I guess “Halleluja” is kinda interesing, and “Mein Land” is very simple what comes to lyrics and I kinda like it how the words go together with the sound so I guess I’m gonna say those. But I don’t have any song that would be somewhat special to me, those are the only ones I can remember now and not even that well.

8. Unpopular opinion: about a member? A scandal? Anything? Not really. I am partially a fan and I own t-shirts and all cds and dvds etc. but I’ve never been SO into them that I’d have spent hours on reading about them. I rarely watch any interviews and mostly I know stuff only if I’ve read it from Wikipedia or from their dvds. I don’t think I have even watched all of the documents ON the dvds, but I believe I have at least seen all the concert dvds :D So I don’t think I have any interesting (nor uninteresting) unpopular opinion.

9. Have you ever seen them live? Tell me what you felt. Lol yes, 4 times so far (all here in Finland). In 2013, 2016, 2017 and 2019 :D The first three were all festivals. And what I felt? Well, for starters: I always feel like dying because of the bass. They almost always (except for last year) start the concerts with the bass going up so slowly you barely notice it, then you just feel like everything is shaking and I start to panic has my heart gone crazy and then I realize it’s just the GROUND shaking. And the 2019 one was even worse and I literally felt like my head was gonna explode because they legit did all they could at making it as loud as possible, I was wearing earplugs but the bass was SO FUCKING LOUD that I’m surprised the stadium even stands anymore. The whole ground was shaking and I’m sure the sound waves kept crashing into the walls and all and making it all shake even more. So it feels very uncomfortable at first and I’d say you don’t really get used to it ever, especially not when being a highly sensitive person. That is actually the worst part for me and I wonder every time why did I go there again when it always makes me feel like I’m dying. Yet I always do that. I guess I’m just stupid.

Anyway, can’t really see a lot because I’m short and there’s so many people always (over 30 000 people at the stadium last year, that’s the same amount of people that live in my town alone o_o), but I still think it’s worth it. Especially last year it was pretty good spot after all because the light show was incredible and if you stand in the front, you definitely are not going to see all that! And the fire is always very interesting because I’m terrified of fire, but somehow in their show it’s fascinating. And fire is such a powerful element because no matter how far you’d be from it, you can still feel the warmth within seconds. The show itself is also incredible, and I cannot wait for them to release this show on dvd so that I’ll actually see the show happening on the stage too, not just the light and fire show :D

10. Do you play any instruments? If you do, can you play any song by them? No I don’t, I used to play piano as a kid but then I stopped for whatever reasons. So no, I can’t play any songs from them, tho if I ever had an electric piano, maybe I could try something. But I’m the most beginner as it gets since I was ~8 when I played and stopped playing the piano.

I think I’m gonna tag @cupcakecurl, if you want to do this one! :)

[inkdrinkershadowsinger]

Thoughts/ Background The Deathly Hallows Part Two

The introduction music is so haunting. The castle in all its glory is haunted by dementors and fog. Snape is solitary. Everything is singular and empty on the grounds. The only color we see at Hogwarts during this time is during the final battle when McGonagall pushes Harry out of the way, and we see that flash of fire from her wand. That’s when you know stuff is about to kick off.

Griphook sounds so lost as to why Harry would bury Dobby. The divide between creatures and wizards, between goblins and wizards has gotten so great that neither side even thinks to assume that the other possesses even the smallest hint of kindness or humility. This is a fic all in itself.

What are the goblins stake in the sword? What is with the mention of the tiara in the books? I feel like Rowling had more to say about this topic, but for some reason she didn’t.

I hate that Fleur seems to be so meek in this movie. I want her to be this badass fighter chick, the kind of person who the Goblet of Fire would chose once again to play one of the most challenging games ever, the kind of person who would leave her country and family for an amazing opportunity and adventure, but her character wasn’t given much time or space to be free to show itself in that manner.

Wandlore is super fascinating. Is there a book about wandlore? Like a companion book like Quidditch Through the Ages? I feel like there should be.

It looks like that is a quilt patch behind Harry’s head. It would have been a gift from Mrs. Weasley.

It always bothered me that Luna was just like, “Yeah, I’m going back to school.” They just locked her butt up in the dungeons, and then she decides to go back to a school where the people who locked her up are currently in power and could torture her for information about the whereabouts of Harry Potter, the person she literally just escaped with. I think, that’s why this scene was cut from the final cut of the basic DVD versions.

Ron is so quick here to be like, “They suspect us. They suspect us.” But the silence doesn’t go on for that long. It feels like someone with such an iron gut gets antsy really quickly, and not antsy like sweating a bit, but antsy like he’s about to start crying. It just seems weird. One of the basic security measures to the bank might be that they have like a gas that leaks through that makes people feel paranoid or something like that. You want to get 200 galleons out, but what happens if you get robbed on the way out the door? Better to only get 100, thus keeping money in the bank under the goblins eyes. It would help keep out thieves as well, petty and otherwise.

None of the other goblins think that something is off with the behavior of this one goblin who seems to be in a positon of authority?

Goblins are keyed into the various vaults? Which means that they could seal them at any time as well, right? Is this in the books?

Hermione, baby, your Gryffindor is showing, and it is SEXY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Lol

Those goblins are like, “Assume the fire breathing position.”

You can see how deep down they are. And I know this isn’t real, but to think that that dragon would have only had that small opening of real light shining down on it all that time is truly depressing.

Litearlly, they all deserve to bite it after what that dragon was put through.

“And he’s homicidal.”

“We plan, we get there, all hell breaks loose.” I feel that.

I always assumed that Voldemort when to Gringotts and killed the goblins. But no, he summoned them to Malfoy Manor, and then killed them. Why would he do it like that?

That mirror is rectangular, but I always envisioned the mirrors as being circular.

Why does Aberforth tell them that the Order is finished? He knows that it isn’t. This whole speech of his is very demoralizing. But Harry dgaf…..

This, “I trusted the man I knew” attitude is why Harry named one of his children Albus Severus.

Hermione is the one who asks questions of Aberforth, and yet, he directly responds to Harry. I always thought that was odd.

And Aberforth has been helping them the whole time? Then why the speech?

Neville badass Longbottom.

Another nod to the books.

I wanted some more information about what was going on in Hogwarts while Harry, Ron, and Hermione were on the run. I wanted to hear more about what Dumbledore’s Army were getting up to while the others were hunting horcruxes. There were tasters of it in the book, but I would have loved to have had more of it tbh.

Fact: Neville’s plant from five is the mascot for the Hogwart’s resistance.

“She gots lost of those, hasn’t she?” This line from Seamus at the very beginning of this movie just made it so perfect. This movie is a gosh dang masterpiece.

Snape had such a hard job. I mean, I know people hate on Snape, and I can understand their reasoning, but I have a soft spot for the man. Maybe I read too much fanfiction because fanfic!Snape and canon!Snape are two very different individuals.

Harry’s name among these students is the stuff of legend. The way they all look around and start talking carries that spark of hope that good rumors sometimes have.

Harry, “Perfect timing group.”

People back up when Harry faces Snape. People move the hell out of dodge when McGonagall draws her wand.

Snape takes out the two Carrows behind him before he apparates out of the school.

Padma gets zero dances at the Yule Ball, and then Voldemort invades her mind. Great.

Pansy, my darling, there is a time to speak and there is a time to stay silent. Read the room.

Filch, ditto.

Why do all of the magical, “evil” Slytherins allow Filch, a squib, to lock them up?

Even the portraits are getting out of there.

All the kids in the background are completely flummoxed.

“Boom!”

Say that five times fast. No, say it once without messing up and you get to be bff’s with Maggie Smith.

This spell is sick, this music is sick, McGonagall is a queen. When I saw this in theater, my skin got goose pimples. “Do your duty for our school!” It is just so amazing, and iconic. This whole scene makes me feel so empowered, and pumped like I’m about to head into battle, like I’m about to defend my home and my life.

My thoughts on the diadem and the other founders objects can be found in a post that I made. My thoughts are strong, and though they aren’t canon, they are still unspoken canon.

Voldemort is like, “I was about to monologue. Why you speaking to me?”

“You okay, Freddie?” Don’t come at me like that, writers.

We all died laughing in the theater when Ron said that. “Harry talks in his sleep.” Harry only speaking parseltongue when around snakes theory is still enforced when you think about the snake Pettigrew sneaking around the whole time.

Exactly why the fuck does Remus need Tonks more than her small child? I never understood this line, and I never liked them as a couple. Thought the book version was creepy, and the movie version unrealized.

Some movies really don’t need to be split into two for the ending *Divergent trilogy* but this one really benefitted from having two films. I wouldn’t want this huge battle scene and character plot and humor to be lost.

No one thinks to cast a spell to catch Neville??? This is like the first flying lesson all over again.

Go, Mr. Weasley, you are on fire.

Kingsley, whip their arses with that fancy shit. LET’S GO!!!!!!

Harry reached out to Ginny first. This movie is so lacking in any real chemistry between these two actors and characters that it is almost painful. This is one instance, that I never noticed before, that makes all of their other interactions less cringey to watch.

Neville almost died on that bridge. He might as well tell Luna how he feels. I love this and can fully ship canon book couples with canon movie couples at the same time. Thank you very much.

That kiss between them is so weird. I just can’t.

Hermione in this scene is proof that men rattle your brain with smooches. Lol

So, if you are using the room of requirement for something, and someone who already has been in that same room, and wants it for the same reason that you do, they can get in as well? But not if they want it for the same reason, which is why Umbridge couldn’t be get it in Order of the Phoenix.”

There are so many Easter eggs in this scene in the ROR. You can see a chess piece from 1, pixies from 2. It just enforces my headcanon that the house elves use the ROR as a sort of dumping ground for the random stuff that they find at the school.

Harry is so gosh dang blasé about seeing Draco again. He’s just like, “What’s up, dude?” He is not concerned in the slightest that he has three wands pointed at him right now. They are just causally chatting about whose wand each other has got.

The statue of the pig right behind Harry and Hermione. It would make sense Voldemort would try to totally remake Hogwarts, and I think that would go into removing those odd little things that make the castle a bit quirky. The castle looks bleak and unnaturally bland compared to the other movies. It would make sense that he would want statues of hogs also taken out.

You see the lanterns that Slughorn had at his Christmas party.

Why is the fire morphing into different animals? The phoenix attacks Draco, Blaise, and Goyle, the tiger chases Ron and Hermione, and then the snake goes after Harry. And then they all converge on the trio? Why make it animals? Is there any significance to this? I never noticed that they were actually animals before.

Finding the brooms perfect. Saving them perfect. Killing the horcrux then kicking it into the flames. Perfect.

The music while the trio are fighting to get to boat house is so haunting and lovely and it’s like it calls to every nostalgic atom in your body.

Really, death eater, you’ve got time to stop and cast the cruciatus on someone in the middle of this warzone?

I love that Hermione was the one to blast Fenrir away from Lavender. So touching.

Aberforth, Mr. IT IS ALL GOING TO END HORRIBLY WHY EVEN TRY, has enough hope and good memories to cast away that many dementors. Yeah, he’s fake.

Voldemort just doesn’t like that Snape is taller than him.

I just wanted a touch of the friendship that was expressed between Lily and Snape in the book. Harry understood it, and said it perfectly at the end of book seven. I wanted some of that to translate to screen. It wasn’t just because Snape had some weird crush on her it was because they were friends, best friends. Ron and Harry and Hermione friendship. The next time someone comes at me with that bull I’m just going to refer them back to the facts.

This is probably the first time that Snape had ever been allowed to really look at Harry as a person rather than someone who is supposed to hate him. It is the first time that he could be unguarded around him.

Snape hired more healers. Why else would they be there? He knew that with the group in charge that as in power, that they would be needed.

I can’t stand this barrage of lost souls. It is painful, and I get flashbacks from when I read the book for the first time, and the pages were covered in my tears.

It doesn’t look like Snape even has anything in this office. It looks barren. He knew he had no time to get comfortable in his position.

That tree is beautiful.

I love their friendship. I will always love their friendship.

Look at Snape and all those books. Lily and Snape, the studious, top of their year duo with the Marauders who eschew libraries but still manage to succeed. I don’t need to think hard to imagine the rivalry. In fact, I did imagine it, and wrote some down in the thing, message me if you would like part of the thing.

Hermione knew, or at least, strongly suspected that Harry was going to have to do what he sets off to accomplish, for sure.

I love that when Harry walked into the forest to face down death that he had these people, these guardians, these people who at one point or another swore to protect this boy with everything that they have get to be the ones that are with him at the end just like at the beginning. Things are different for them, and different from how they thought it would be when Harry was born into this world, but they still kept their promise.

“Does it hurt?” This is something that a child asks. We forget that Harry, here, is only supposed to be 17 years old, that’s a kid. Added to that, you have the very real

“We’re here, you see?” Perfect.

“Stay close to me?” “Always.”

My thoughts mean nothing in the perfection of this scene.

Hagrid is still looking out for Harry’s best interest. He is the only adult worth a flip in more than half of these films.

“The boy who lived come to die.”

I know Dumbledore is like, “The man” here, and the mentor or whatever, but I would have really have liked to have the person who met Harry at Kings Cross had been Snape especially after harry had just learned the truth. Way more dynamic.

Narcissa straight up lied to the most dangerous wizard ever. She deserved that pardon for her family. All she wanted was out, and to take care of her son, and I respect that. Don’t give a dang for the rest of the world when they would gladly let you burn. Take care of number one even when number one is a group instead of a single entity.

You hear that noise when Neville picks up the hat, and if you read the books, you know what he just found. He was out there preparing and scouting for another battle, and Hogwarts rewarded him.

Hagrid carrying in Harry’s body was so painful to watch. Visually, there little death parade plus the music just puts you in this anxious state. Pinpricks.

The acting by Bonnie Wright here is superb. The lack of chemistry is not equally weighted on her shoulders.

Luna looks at Draco like she is sick. Then like she is sad. I hate it. She was wishing for something else there for sure.

The way Dean Thomas looks at Voldemort in this scene is the way that I feel about that weird af hug.

Voldemort has to restrain himself from killing Neville on the spot for interrupting him.

Neville has never in the course of these movies failed to speak when needed. He stood up to the trio in 1, and he spoke up against Seamus and nearly everyone else in the common room in Ootp. Neville stands up for what is right.

All of those death eaters are like, “Fuck! This boy came back to life again? What are the Dark Lord’s AK’s broken? Nevermind, fuck this shit, I’m out.”

That music when Neville regains consciousness. YES!

See, if Voldemort didn’t play with his food, he might have won.

NOT MY DAUGHTER YOU BITCH!!!! When I say people cheered and screamed in the theater when Molly said and did this epic shit I ain’t kidding. IT WAS AND STILL IS ONE OF THE MOST ICONIC HP QUOTES OF ALL TIME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ONE OF THE BEST, MOST EMPOWERING QUOTES!!!!!!! We all want Molly Weasley to have our backs like this.

The whole ending of this movie is LEGENDARY!!!! I went to the midnight showing for the release of this movie with a bunch of other diehards, and seeing Neville cut the head off of the snake, and watching Harry finally beat Voldemort with the elder wand. I mean, we were literally just in such a state of excitement and yes and hallelujah, it was insane.

Neville and Luna. I see y’all.

Percy is talking to Arthur, reconciling.

That guy behind Cho is definitely about to shoot his shot with someone.

Filch, bless his heart.

Ron and Hermione. Harry knows. Harry blesses this union. Harry has been the number one ship captain this whole time, and now he is rewarded.

I like that Harry snapped the wand in the movie. See, if book Harry had snapped the wand, the Cursed Child would have never graced our consciousness with its heteronormative agenda. Scorbus is life. Fight me.

This series has had such a serious impact on me. I love it. I spend hours upon hours inside of this universe every day as beloved fanfiction writers play inside of it’s territory. It made me a reader. It helped me when I wasn’t sure what was next for me in life. It gave me entertainment and enjoyment, and still does. I love it, and I hope that I always will. We cling to the thought of magic because we hope that it is really, we hope that like in this world where there is magic that cannot be easily be explained exists. We hope that in our world, too, there is that same kind of magic that can wrap itself around us.

I think that kind of magic is real. I just think that we have to look for it, remember it, talk about, cherish it, and spread it around for others who have forgotten to look for it themselves. And great literature, like this series, helps us to do that.

That is why it will be remembered for generations to come. At least, if I have anything to say about it.

[topfygad]

A Stay at The Eccleston Square Hotel in Belgravia

If you have a penchant for personalised, boutique hotels, you might like to check out the Eccleston Square Hotel. This family-run hotel located in SW1 opened in 2011 when Olivia Byrne decided to create one of the most ‘technologically advanced hotels’ in London. At 23, the Paris-born entrepreneur was dubbed one of the youngest hoteliers of the time.

Since then, the 4.5-star hotel has picked up quite a few accolades. Conde Nast Traveler listed it in the top 15 best boutique hotels in London and it picked up their Reader’s Choice Award in 2016. You’ll also find many articles applauding the hotel’s various hi-tech features and massage beds that come with every room.

With no plans to travel far over the Easter weekend, BC and I took up the opportunity to enjoy a one-night stay here and make the most of some ‘London time’ following our recent move. Here’s how it went.

Eccleston Square Hotel: The Location

The location of Eccleston Square Hotel is definitely one of its strengths. Eccleston Square is located in the SW1V area of London. And overlooking a leafy garden, it feels surprisingly quiet, but is actually, very accessible. Victoria coach, railway and tube stations are just a five-minute walk away. And you have Pimlico, Belgravia and the attractions of Westminster right on your doorstep. It’s a great location for anyone visiting the theatres in Victoria too.

The building itself is a Grade II listed Georgian townhouse, which is immediately appealing for travellers who appreciate a bit of character, although, as you’ll read below, this is a super modern hotel inside.

Interestingly, you’ll find the house that Winston Churchill lived in, just a few doors down and I’m told that Queen Victoria’s granddaughter once lived in the building that is now the hotel.

How’s that for a bit of history?

The Arrival

It was very quiet when we first arrived, and we waited a few minutes at reception for someone to greet us. Once they did, the front-of-house staff were very warm and friendly, and check-in was quick and seamless. They’ve taken a very contemporary approach at the Eccleston Square Hotel, with lots of monochrome, marble and sparkling chandeliers.

Once we’d checked in, one of the hotel staff took us up to our room on the first floor and gave us a thorough explanation of the technology and services in the room, which was a nice touch.

The hotel entrance hall

The entrance to our guest room at the Eccleston Square Hotel

The guestroom interiors & amenities

The guestroom interiors, much like the hotel reception, are contemporary and quite business-like with dark wooden wardrobes and furniture, grey carpets and black faux-fur cushions and throws.

There are two fluffy towelling robes and slippers in the wardrobe and guests who have booked directly through the hotel can enjoy a complimentary mini-bar (choice of Evian water, two types of beer and soft drinks). There’s also a Nespresso coffee machine and while there’s no kettle, they do offer a free 24-hour tea service – something I think every hotel should adopt!

My favourite part, style-wise, was the bathroom – a sleek, white marble space where you’ll find a huge two-person shower cubicle fitted with four (yes FOUR) showers. Two rainforest showers were overhead, and an excellent power shower and hand-held shower were fitted to the wall. Eccleston Square Hotel provides various L’Occitane bathroom miniatures (including a lovely Lavender sleep spray) and the whole room was bright and airy, thanks to the natural light that flooded through the frosted floor-to-ceiling windows.

Hi-tech features

The technology at Eccleston Square Hotel is evident as soon as you walk through the traditional front door that’s fitted with automatic sensors. There’s an iPad on the front desk telling you the weather forecast in London and even the lifts are fitted with six miniature TV screens, all tuned into different channels.

Once inside the guest room, all the light fixtures, except for the bedside lamps, are controlled using electronic switches and the heating, curtains and ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign at your door (no need to hang a sign up) are also electronically controlled. There is also, of course, free wifi.

On the bedside table, you’ll find an iPad that’s been installed with a variety of features that are particularly useful for first-time visitors to London. There’s a catalogue of restaurants to try in the area, a list of local attractions (you’ll also find tips for things to do on the Eccleston Square Hotel blog) and a delivery-app called Night Room Service, offering food delivery from around 50 London restaurants, which is great if you fancy eating in. There’s the option for in-room dining from the hotel’s in-house chefs and the local restaurant Lobster & More will also deliver a wide range of dishes to the hotel. For a fee, the in-room iPad also offers the option of late check-out (which we took advantage of) – very handy indeed.

One of the most noteworthy features for foreign travellers is the smartphone which every guest has in their room. You can take it out with you, use the social media and make use of the unlimited data – you can even make international calls to selected countries. It wasn’t something I needed but if you’re travelling from overseas, this is a great added extra.

The massage bed

The feature I’d been looking forward to the most was the Hästens massage bed. After an afternoon walk in the area, I enjoyed a bit of down time ahead of us going out for dinner (I’m pregnant, I have an excuse) so it was the perfect time to try it out.

If you haven’t heard of them, Hästens beds are pretty highly sought-after. Hand-made in Sweden, they cost upwards of £12,000 each and are crafted using sustainable materials such as pure flax and hypoallergenic horsehair, which are said to channel away moisture and excess heat and lead to a better night’s sleep. (I can back that up, I slept very well).

When it comes to the massage function, I have to admit, the massage beds were quite loud and provided a strong vibration rather than a kneading motion (which is what I was expecting) to your body or feet area. That said, I liked the way you could raise the head and feet to your preferred position – a great way to watch the 46-inch TV in comfort.

Speaking of TVs, there were two screens in our hotel room – one at the end of your bed, and a small one fitted inside the bathroom which syncs to whatever you’re watching in the main bedroom.

I’m not sure if it’s the case in every guestroom, but our bathroom TV was located opposite the toilet and you could just about see it from the shower. It’s great if you want to listen to a music channel, but personally, I’d have loved to see a bathtub in there, so you could enjoy a long soak with your favourite programme in front of you.

I think you’ll agree, it’s a pretty cool feature nonetheless. And we got a surprise when we discovered that the bathroom door can switch between frosted and transparent, again, at the touch of a button. The last time I saw this was at a hotel in Kuala Lumpur – another feature that technology geeks will no doubt love.

3D movies

The final hi-tech feature you’ll want to check out is the option to watch 3D movies which are all complimentary with your stay. In keeping with their convenient ordering system, guests can pick from a selection of 3D Blu-ray movie options on the iPad and within minutes, a member of staff will arrive at your door with the DVD and Panasonic 3D glasses.

PJs on and massage bed set at the perfect incline, we were ready for our 3D experience, but sadly, neither of the movies could be supported as it turned out, the TV needed an upgrade. It wasn’t something the staff could fix at the time and they were incredibly apologetic; however, after all the hype, we were gutted we couldn’t experience it!

Downstairs in the hotel, next to the bar, they do have a ‘media room’ where guests have the option to watch movies on the 103-inch LED TV. We were already in our PJs at this point so didn’t fancy coming back downstairs, however it’s a great option for watching sport if you know it’s going to be available. You can also sync your laptop to the screen, so it’s well set up for events and private meetings.

Food and Drink at Eccleston Square Hotel

Once you check out the in-room iPad at the Eccleston Square Hotel, as mentioned, you’ll see that you can order a number of food options to your room, or in the dining area downstairs.

We went out for dinner in Victoria, however, we did order from the hotel breakfast menu the next morning. The Eggs Benedict and Eggs Royale were both delicious even though my request for the sauce to be served ‘on the side’ wasn’t noted. The fresh fruit with yoghurt was also fantastic with thick gooey yoghurt, fresh mint and a drizzle of honey. It all arrived fairly promptly and was a great way to end a lovely London stay.

I’ll also be writing a separate post about the afternoon tea at Eccleston Square Hotel, very soon.

Verdict

Although we felt this hotel didn’t quite hit the mark in some areas, the service was extremely warm and welcoming, the room was super clean and cosy, and we felt it had lots of brilliant features that made for a comfortable stay. If you’re looking for something super luxurious, do check out their new townhouses which recently opened. However, I would recommend the Eccleston Square Hotel for couples enjoying a weekend away in London and anyone looking for a personalised stay with excellent access to central London and all its attractions.

It’s not often you can enjoy a free mini-bar, 24-hour tea service and an array of services which you can conveniently order from a screen. With rooms starting from just £125, this boutique hotel gets a thumbs up for convenience, value-for-money and style.

For more information, visit the Eccleston Square Hotel website and follow them on Instagram, twitter and Facebook.

Have you been to Eccleston Square Hotel? Feel free to leave a comment and share your travel tips and thoughts.

Eccleston Square Hotel, 37 Eccleston Square, London SW1V 1PB, 020 8068 1011

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Our stay at Eccleston Square Hotel was complimentary. All views here are my own.

source http://cheaprtravels.com/a-stay-at-the-eccleston-square-hotel-in-belgravia-2/

[iffeelscouldkill]

Firewhiskey in the Jar

Or: How Krejjh acquired their own miniature shadow

A/N: OKAY SO I swear that after I posted The big picture I was going to go right back to working on Adjusting (the RJ-centric fic I’ve been writing for ages). I was. But then I allowed myself to catch up on a bit of Starship Iris fic, including a bunch of ficlets by the amazing jaggedwolf - and I read their DVD commentary on their Hogwarts AU ficlet from back in December (which I also hadn’t read).

I was already cackling when I got to the part about second-year Slytherin RJ trailing around after Krejjh, and then I read the last line about Sana and Park being Hufflepuff Prefect partners and I lost it. I was gone. I had to write a sequel!

I sat down and banged this out over Thursday night, Friday and then Saturday morning (Easter weekend ftw) because I was so inspired and I think it might have been the most words of fic that I’ve written in such a short space of time in more than ten years. Listen: I love Harry Potter and I love a good Hogwarts AU, so writing this just felt as easy as breathing. I’ve been wanting to write a HP AU for TSCOSI myself, but I was too lazy to figure out everyone’s houses. Luckily, jaggedwolf did the hard work for me (you can read their TSCOSI house sortings here and they are really great!)

So many thanks to jaggedwolf for writing the ficlet and its excellent DVD commentary that inspired this fic, and thank you for giving me the green light to post this :D \o/ Once again, you can read jaggedwolf’s Hogwarts AU here for the fic that inspired this one! I’ve gone out on a limb for much of this, but the plot does build off the events of jaggedwolf’s fic, so it’ll make more sense if you’ve read theirs.

Krejjh sighs and rubs their shoulder as they step through the castle doors and out of the darkened grounds. Quidditch practice officially ended more than an hour ago, but Krejjh stayed back to do some recreational flying and blow off steam after a stressful practice in which they were forced to publicly dress down and dismiss one of the team’s Beaters and a Chaser for plotting to sabotage the Hufflepuff team Captain, Sana Tripathi.

Krejjh had already confronted both team members about their actions and informed them that they were off the team, but the two had turned up to practice anyway, hoping to win the support of their teammates against their Captain. Fortunately, the rest of the team are good people (Krejjh had thought that all of them were good people – clearly they needed to pay closer attention) and refused to side with the two wrongdoers, but it had still forced a confrontation that Krejjh would rather not have had. Hence the blowing off steam.

Normally Brian would have been there watching and cheering from the stands, and commiserating with Krejjh after practice, but the Gryffindor team (mostly their two former teammates, now that Krejjh thought about it) had started to object to having a Ravenclaw watch all of their practices – even when Krejjh pointed out that he had his head in an Ancient Runes textbook 90% of the time. Also, Brian has a study session with Violet, his timid but brilliant third-year protégée, scheduled for this evening.

Krejjh is heading in the direction of the library, thinking about whether they can persuade Brian to give them a consolation backrub, when they hear raised voices coming from around the corner. Narrowing their eyes, they stand still and listen.

“-heard what you were saying about Park,” a small, angry voice that Krejjh doesn’t recognise is saying. “If you talk like that about him again, you’ll have to answer to me.”

There’s a smug, unpleasant chuckle that Krejjh unfortunately does know all too well. “Oh, really?” asks Jennifer Golding-Frederick, a wealthy and self-important Pureblood Slytherin sixth year. “And what exactly do you think you’re going to do to us, hm? Tell on us to Professor Jahansooz? He’s not going to take your word over ours.”

“I’ll duel you,” says the small voice, quivering but determined.

Golding-Frederick’s chuckle is joined by the deeper, sarcastic laughter of John Goodman, her fourth-year henchman. “Oh, I’m terrified,” he says mockingly. “Do you even know any hexes? Because I do.”

“Try me,” the small voice bites back, and Krejjh has heard enough. Drawing their wand – just as a precaution – they round the corner to find Golding-Frederick and Goodman facing off against a short, redheaded Slytherin second-year. The second-year has their wand drawn, as does Goodman, though Goulding-Frederick hasn’t bothered to draw hers yet. Beneath their freckles, Krejjh can see how pale the redhead is, but their wand arm doesn’t falter.

“Evening, fellas,” Krejjh says cheerily, not pointing their wand at anyone in particular but making sure that it’s raised and visible. “Couldn’t help but overhear your conversation. It sounded an awful lot like you were ganging up on a younger student.”

“If you were listening,” Golding-Frederick says lazily, completely unconcerned, “I think you’ll have heard that the second-year was the one who threatened us. Goodman here merely drew his wand in self-defence.”

Krejjh scoffs. God, Golding-Frederick and Goodman (or as Sana has nicknamed them, “the JGs” – since both of them share the initials JG) are the worst kind of Slytherin. Every house has its bad eggs, and Krejjh has always got along perfectly fine with Slytherins, house rivalry or not, but Golding-Frederick and Goodman are the kind that give the whole house a bad name. Smug, privileged, self-important bullies.

“Doesn’t much matter who started it,” Krejjh says. “I’d like to think two older students like yourselves’d know better than to get into fights with a second-year.

“Then again,” they continue, taking a few steps towards Goodman and Golding-Frederick, “I’d also like to think you’d know to get the hell out of here before you find yourselves on the wrong end of a Stinging Hex. They’re my speciality.”

“Try it,” Goodman says menacingly, but Golding-Frederick shakes her head once.

“Leave them,” she says. “They’re not worth our time and energy.” She looks Krejjh in their team captain’s robes up and down, her gaze cold. “Birds of a feather flock together, I see,” she says, a nasty smile playing around her mouth. Krejjh has no idea what she means by that. “But you and your little group of oddballs had best not interfere with Slytherin house business again.”

“If you’re picking on younger students? I’ll interfere all right, I don’t care what house they’re in,” Krejjh replies hotly.

“Oh, Gryffindors,” Golding-Frederick says, smiling and shaking her head. “You and your chivalry. It’s so quaint. Come on, Goodman.”

After the two bullies have disappeared around the corner, Krejjh turns to the second-year Slytherin, who is staring at them in undisguised awe. “Uh, hey. You all right?”

“That. Was amazing,” says the second-year in reverential tones. “You totally got them to back off! You didn’t even have to cast a single hex!”

“Yeah, Goodman and I have come up against each other on the duelling ground before,” says Krejjh. “– In duel club,” they hasten to add. “He didn’t come off too well. Doesn’t stop him from trying to start another fight, though.”

Krejjh thought the second-year’s eyes couldn’t get any bigger or rounder, but it turns out they were wrong. “You’re Krejjh,” they say. “Aren’t you? Gryffindor’s star duellist! And the Captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team.”

Krejjh preens. They have a fan. Wait until Brian hears that they have a fan. “That’s me,” they say, without a hint of modesty or self-effacement. Modesty is for people who aren’t prepared to own how awesome they are. “Captain Krejjh, at your service.”

“RJ McCabe,” the Slytherin introduces themself, cheeks pink. “I’m a second-year Slytherin. But uh, I guess you already knew that. I don’t really play Quidditch, but I think your flying is amazing! I was cheering for Gryffindor in your last match. Even though Park said I shouldn’t. And I think you’re really cool because-” The torrent of words suddenly tumbles to a stop, and McCabe looks embarrassed.

“Because?” Krejjh prompts, not wanting to miss out on another compliment. Also, did they say Park? Isn’t Park the name of the other Hufflepuff Prefect that Sana is partnered with? Krejjh thinks it might be.

“Because. Uh.” McCabe sucks in a breath, and then says determinedly, “Because I heard that… you’re non-binary, and uh… I’m non-binary too? Hi.”

A new non-binary friend! This might be the best day of Krejjh’s life. “High heckin’ five, pal!” they say enthusiastically, and hold up a hand. Looking a little taken aback, but pleased, McCabe high-fives it.

At that moment, Krejjh catches sight of the clock on the wall. “Breesht. It’s almost curfew – you need to get back to your Common Room,” they tell McCabe. Then they remember that Goodman and Golding-Frederick are in their house, so the Common Room might not be the safest place to be right now. “Uh. Can you go back to your Common Room?”

McCabe nods. “Don’t worry,” they say, like they’re the one who should be reassuring Krejjh instead of the other way around. “Golding-Frederick and Goodman always stay out past curfew, and they never get in trouble for it because they’re Professor Jahansooz’s favourites. So they won’t be back to the Common Room for a while.”

Krejjh suddenly understands why Sana is always so annoyed at the mention of the JGs (and it takes a lot to annoy Sana). She must have tried reporting them and been outraged when there were no consequences. Unequal treatment does not sit well with Sana. “Right. Well, silver lining, I guess?” They smile at the little redheaded second-year. “It was nice to meet you, Second-Year McCabe. I’ll see you around!”

“Wait,” says McCabe, before Krejjh can go more than a couple of steps. “I need to ask you something.”

Krejjh turns back to them with an inquiring look.

“Will you teach me how to duel?” McCabe blurts out, and Krejjh blinks. “For self-defence,” McCabe adds hurriedly. “I’m not allowed to join the Duelling Club until third year, even though I’m really good at spellwork. We’ve covered a bit in Defence Against the Dark Arts, but it’s all for immobilising or defending against Dark creatures. I guess you’re not supposed to need to know how to deal with Dark humans until you’re older,” McCabe finishes, a little resentfully.

Krejjh is torn. They really want to help this small, determined second-year, who honestly reminds Krejjh quite a bit of themself three years ago – getting in over their head with older students, challenging them to duels and trying to copy their spellwork. Except that whereas in Gryffindor it was all pretty good-natured – all right, there was a heavy dose of one-upmanship about it, but that’s true of most things in Gryffindor – McCabe’s reasons for wanting to excel feel deadly serious.

Also, Krejjh is not a great teacher.

“I, uh…” they stall while McCabe continues to look at them hopefully. “Let me… think about it? It’s not something I’ve really, uh, considered before. Duelling is great! I’d just have to think about, uh, how to go about it. With you. I’ll let you know?”

“Okay,” says McCabe, looking pleased and so hopeful that Krejjh can’t bear the thought of letting them down. Breesht. This means they might actually have to teach McCabe how to duel.

“See ya,” they say, and walk quickly away.

“You think you’ve agreed to what?” Brian repeats at breakfast the next morning. Sitting next to him at the Ravenclaw table, Violet Liu looks on with wide eyes.

“Teach a second-year Slytherin how to duel,” Krejjh mumbles. “Don’t look at me like that, Jeeter,” they whine when Brian raises an eyebrow. “You didn’t see the look on their face! And the JGs are being really mean to them.”

“Wouldn’t the more logical approach be to talk to a professor about what’s going on so that they don’t need to learn how to duel?” Brian reasons. Krejjh looks at him blankly. “Didn’t occur to you, bud?”

“It’s not like the Professors don’t know what Golding-Frederick and Goodman are like,” Krejjh points out. “But Jahansooz is a useless Head of House. He’ll never keep them in line.”

“It can be tough when you don’t think that anyone will believe you about what’s happening,” Violet puts in quietly, and Krejjh brightens at the support, before sobering as they realise that Violet is speaking from experience. “My Head of House turned out to be really great about the whole… situation. But I talked myself out of going to her a dozen times. Maybe McCabe has tried talking to their Head of House, and it didn’t help.”

A gloomy silence descends as the three of them contemplate the situation.

“I mean, self-defence is a good thing to learn in general,” Brian admits. “And study groups are totally within the school rules. There’s nothing saying that you can’t teach them a few basic spells.”

“Except that I’m a terrible teacher,” Krejjh sighs.

Brian winces. “Except that. I mean, you’re great at what you do!” he hastens to compliment them. “Amazing. The best. But that just makes it… harder for you to explain it.”

“Yeah.” Krejjh looks over at the Slytherin table, where McCabe is eating with a few friends from their year. They’re not interacting a whole lot, but seem to at least be part of a group. Golding-Frederick and Goodman are down the other end of the table with a few like-minded cronies, looking and acting like the Slytherin royalty they perceive themselves to be. “Maybe I’ll wait for them to bring it up again. And if they do, I’ll… give it a shot.”

Of all the things, and people, that Park might have expected to run into on his evening patrol of the corridors, he has to admit that RJ McCabe staking out the Gryffindor Common Room was not one of them.

In hindsight, maybe it should have been.

“RJ,” he says, and RJ jumps guiltily as they turn to face him. “Are you waiting for someone?”

“Oh, hey, Park – how’s it going? Are you out on patrol?” RJ asks, a too-bright smile on their face.

Park raises an eyebrow. “No, sometimes I just wonder the halls of Hogwarts at night for the hell of it. Keeps the students on their toes,” he replies, deadpan.

RJ nods along as if this is totally reasonable. “As they should be,” they say.

Park looks at them and sighs. “Is there a reason that you’re currently standing outside the entrance to the Gryffindor Common Room?”

“Just, uh, needed to follow up on a thing with a person,” RJ says. “A friend. They… promised me something. I’ve come to talk to them about it.”

“Right,” Park says slowly. “And who might this ‘friend’ be?”

“No-one you would know,” RJ replies quickly, which of course only makes Park more suspicious. Who in Gryffindor would RJ be so keen to hide that they were meeting up with?

And then a possibility occurs to him.

“This wouldn’t have anything to do with a certain Gryffindor Quidditch team captain that you idolise, would it?” he asks, and RJ instantly looks guilty. “What, did they promise you an autograph?”

“Yeah… you got me,” says RJ. “I just think they’re so cool! I wanted to catch them after they were done with Quidditch practice, but I uh, didn’t know when that would be. And I don’t think the Gryffindor team would appreciate a second-year Slytherin hanging around the pitch during practice.”

“Probably not,” Park agrees. “It doesn’t look like you brought anything for them to sign, though.”

“Oh, Krejjh was going to sign their spare copy of Quidditch Through the Ages for me,” RJ says brightly.

“Of… course.” Something about RJ’s story seems a little off to Park, but he can’t put his finger on what it is. “Look, instead of you hanging out here all evening, why don’t I just give them a message for you? I see Krejjh in Duelling Club all the time. You can arrange a proper time and place to meet up instead of accosting them after practice.”

“That’s okay,” says RJ. “I wouldn’t want to make you be the go-between. I’ll just… catch them another time.” They’re already walking away down the corridor before Park can say anything. “See you, Park!”

Park watches them go and frowns to himself. Yeah, RJ is definitely trying to hide something.

“And then when I asked Thasia why they were making out with Emily Craddock and Violet Liu – the Slytherin fifth-year, not the Ravenclaw third-year – in the Potions supply cupboard, they replied that the Transfiguration supply cupboard was too small for three people!” Sana finishes, sounding like she can’t decide whether to be indignant or amused. She looks at Park for his reaction.

“Right. Yeah, that’s…” Park mentally replays the story that she’d been telling him to try and figure out the appropriate response. “Did you dock them house points?”

“Ten each, and I gave them all a stern warning. I really don’t want to have to report them to their Head of House if it happens again,” says Sana. She nudges Park. “What’s up? You seem distracted tonight.”

“It’s nothing, really,” Park says. “Just…” He hesitates, and then asks, “You’re friends with Krejjh, right? The Gryffindor Quidditch team captain?”

“Of course,” says Sana, sounding a little surprised. “We practice together all the time. I thought you knew Krejjh too, from Duelling Club?”

“Yeah, I do, but not that well. We don’t really talk much,” says Park. He and Krejjh have a friendly rivalry at Duelling Club that consists mostly of Krejjh showboating and making grand declarations about how they’ll defeat Park as they duel, while Park refuses to say a word and casts all of his spells non-verbally because he knows it drives Krejjh up the wall.

“Why do you ask about them?”

“I have a friend in second year, a Slytherin,” Park begins. “RJ McCabe. We grew up together, and our families are old friends. Earlier I came across them hanging around outside the entrance to the Gryffindor Common Room, and they said they were waiting for Krejjh, but they were pretty cagey about why. RJ is a big fan of Krejjh’s flying, but… something tells me it’s not just hero-worship.” Sana looks thoughtful. “Krejjh hasn’t mentioned…?” Park asks and trails off.

Sana shakes her head. “No, they haven’t mentioned RJ, but it’s been a few days since we hung out,” she says. “But what do you think RJ would be hiding from you that could involve Krejjh?”

Park shrugs helplessly. “I wish I knew. Maybe if RJ is in trouble, and it somehow involves the Gryffindor Quidditch team…” He isn’t expecting Sana’s face to suddenly darken. “What?”

“I had some trouble of my own with them, recently,” she admits. “I thought we’d managed to sort it all out, but…” She bites her lip and looks troubled. “I’ll ask Krejjh about it at our next practice. RJ doesn’t play Quidditch, though, right?”

“No, they’re just an enthusiast,” Park replies. “Maybe it’s nothing. They usually come to me if there’s anything bothering them.”

Sana smiles at him, and it’s a very knowing smile. “What?” asks Park, slightly defensively.

“You’re protective of them,” she says, sounding delighted. “I’ve never seen that from you before.”

Park isn’t blushing. He’s not. “I know RJ can look after themself,” he says, instead of denying it. “That doesn’t mean I can’t look out for them, too.”

Sana’s smile widens.

Krejjh looks at RJ across the empty classroom. RJ looks back.

Krejjh clears their throat. “So! I figured we’d start with a basic spell called Expelliarmus, which is the Disarming Spell,” they say. “It’s the first spell we learn at duel club. It’s like this.” Krejjh raises their wand and RJ copies them.

“Expelliarmus!”

RJ’s wand goes flying out of their hand. They grab for it, but it’s already landing neatly in Krejjh’s outstretched hand. They throw it back to RJ.

“Show me again,” says RJ, looking intent. Krejjh repeats the movement and the incantation.

“Expelliarmus!”

Krejjh throws RJ’s wand back to them again. “Wanna try it out?”

“Can you repeat the wand movement, but go slower?” RJ asks. Krejjh doesn’t think they’ve ever done anything slowly in their life, especially duelling, but they give it a shot.

“Does that help?”

“I… think so,” RJ says uncertainly. “Okay, here it goes. Expelliarmus!”

Krejjh feels the spell wash over them and their wand twitch slightly, but it’s not strong enough to actually Disarm them. “I felt that!” they say, delighted. Maybe this teaching thing isn’t so bad.

“It didn’t work,” RJ says, frustrated.

“Well, not on your first try,” Krejjh reasons. “But I felt it. Try again!”

RJ repeats the spell, with the same effect. The next few tries are also exactly the same.

“What am I doing wrong?” they ask in frustration. “Is it the wand movement?”

“Maaaybe?” says Krejjh uncertainly. They should have invited Brian along to this impromptu duelling session – teaching and studying is much more his element. Krejjh can barely stay focused when someone else is doing the teaching.

But RJ had only cornered them at dinner to make their request for duelling tuition again, and Brian was already studying in the library with his own protégée, Violet.

Krejjh has always wanted a small, adoring shadow of their very own, since both Sana and Brian seem to have one. (Well, Arkady Patel is more scowling and resentful than adoring, but it counts). They just hadn’t bargained on it involving duelling lessons.

“Let me come stand next to you, and then I can see what it is you’re doing better,” Krejjh decides. With Krejjh standing to their left, RJ repeats the Disarming spell movement.

“Hmmm… Try it more like…” Krejjh demonstrates.

“I am doing that,” says RJ.

“I mean, like…” Krejjh shows them again, trying to emphasise the part that RJ isn’t quite getting.

“Okay.” RJ turns to them. “Expelliarmus!” Krejjh’s wand definitely jumps a little harder this time, but it’s not a full Disarming Spell by any means.

“Why aren’t I getting this?” RJ asks in frustration. “You make it look so easy.”

Duelling does come easily to Krejjh, which is exactly why they find it hard to explain what someone else is doing wrong. “You’re getting better! I’m just not… great at explaining,” Krejjh says sadly.

“No, you’re a good teacher!” says RJ hastily. “I just need to work at it.”

Krejjh leans against one of the desks. “You said you knew Park, right? The Hufflepuff Prefect? He’s in Duelling Club – why haven’t you asked him to show you some spells?”

RJ crosses their arms and looks down at the classroom floor. “I don’t want Park to know I’m doing this,” they mumble. “He’d only get worried, or try to take on Goodman and Golding-Frederick for me. And he’d want to know about what they’ve been saying.”

“What have they been saying?” Krejjh asks, quietly.

“Stuff about Park,” RJ says, their eyes fixed on the floor. “Comments about his… heritage.”

“As in his Blood Status, or…?” Krejjh asks.

“Both,” RJ replies, and Krejjh’s fist clenches hard. “They were just saying things about me at first,” RJ goes on, the flood of words coming quickly now. “In the Common Room, in the corridors… making half-blood jokes, making comments about my appearance. About my gender. It’s not just me they do it to, and I’ve learned to tune it out. But they figured out I was ignoring them, and that’s when they started in on Park.”

RJ looks up at Krejjh, eyes narrowed with fury. It’s a struggle for Krejjh not to show their own anger, but they can tell that getting worked up isn’t what RJ needs from them right now. “I don’t care what they say about me. It doesn’t matter. But I won’t let them talk like that about Park. I wish there was a way to teach them a lesson.”

Krejjh stands up. “You know what? I know some folks who might just be able to help with that.”

“All right, everybody, listen up,” says Sana, calling the room to order. The attention of the motley, unlikely crew of oddballs assembled in the Quidditch team changing rooms comes to rest on her. “First off, I’d like to thank you all for coming-”

Arkady Patel raises her hand. “Can we skip the touchy-feely intro?” she asks. “Also, why are we in the Quidditch changing-rooms, of all places?”

“Because none of the teams has practice booked tonight, and also it was the only place I could think of that was big enough that we could all access,” Sana replies promptly. “Next question?”

Arkady huffs, but subsides.

“Okay. So, we’ve come here to discuss a plan of action against two individuals who have been making life difficult for our friends and housemates,” says Sana. “Jennifer Golding-Frederick and John Goodman, also known as the JGs. Also known as bullies of the worst kind.

“Reporting them to their Head of House, Professor Jahansooz, hasn’t done any good, and believe me, I’ve tried. Other professors are also aware of their behaviour, but haven’t managed to keep them in line. Which has made us think that we need to take matters into our own hands.” Sana nods at Krejjh.

“We thought about playing some kind of a prank on them,” Krejjh says cheerfully. “Or trapping them somewhere really horrible, like a greenhouse full of Mandrakes. Unfortunately, those are hard to get a hold of at short notice.”

“Also, that would be highly unethical,” says Sana disapprovingly, frowning at Krejjh. “No, what we decided to do was to get them caught in the act of some serious rule-breaking, in a way that even they couldn’t wriggle out of. We know that both of them get up to a lot of questionable things when the teachers’ backs are turned, because they know they can get away with it. We just needed to get some intel on what those are, and then figure out a way to turn the tables.”

“And did you?” asks Brian, sounding impressed.

“Did we ever, bud!” says Krejjh. “You know how consuming alcohol on school grounds is banned, even for of-age students? Well, guess who has an illegal Firewhiskey brewing operation set up near the edge of the Forbidden Forest.”

Brian whistles, and even Park looks surprised. “Seriously?”

“Cross our hearts,” Krejjh replies. “We’ve got reason to believe they’ve been supplying it to underage students, too.”

“How the hell did you find this out?” Arkady asks.

“We have a spy on the inside: Violet Liu,” says Sana. Everyone immediately turns to look at Violet, who holds up her hands.

“Uh, not me. There’s another Violet Liu who’s in Slytherin house. She’s taller than me, and she’s a fifth year.”

“I mean, I’m pretty sure most people are taller than you,” Arkady points out. “What are you, five feet tall?”

Violet straightens up, looking indignant. “I’m five foot and half an inch,” she says.

“Right. Of course. I was way off.”

“Uh, so how did you get the other Violet to dish the dirt on the JGs?” asks Brian, bringing the conversation back on topic.

“I might’ve promised to look the other way on any supply cupboard-related offenses for a couple of weeks,” Sana admits, and Park snorts with amusement. Krejjh laughs too, because they know Thasia, and have had the opportunity to hear them complain about the smallness and cramped-ness of Transfiguration supply cupboards.

“I have no idea what that means, but okay,” says Arkady. “So, now that we know about the Beegees’ – sorry, the JGs’ – secret Firewhiskey operation, how are we going to blow it wide open?”

Sana’s grin turns devious. “Funny you should ask.”

Jennifer Golding-Frederick walks the corridors of Hogwarts a few minutes before curfew, surveying her domain. Things are quiet tonight, which would normally please her, but tonight it makes her suspicious. They haven’t heard a peep out of that little imp McCabe lately, even though McCabe was making such bold threats towards them only a few days ago. Jennifer would like to think that they’ve subsided out of fear, but she knows better than to believe that. Annoying little second-years rarely learn their place so quickly.

“Goodman,” she greets her lieutenant as they meet up outside the Prefects’ Bathroom. Goodman, as a fourth year, is too young to be a Prefect, but access to the Prefects’ Bathroom is one of the perks that Jennifer accords to those students who are loyal to her. She also politely discourages the use of the bathroom by Prefects from other houses, although the Hufflepuff Prefects are remarkably stubborn about it. “Anything unusual tonight?”

Goodman shrugs. “All seems quiet. A bit too quiet, really.”

“Agreed,” says Jennifer grimly. “You should-”

She’s interrupted by the arrival of a very out of breath Meg Clark, a Slytherin third-year. “Jennifer,” she says, panting and resting her hands on her knees. “I mean – General, sorry,” she adds at Jennifer’s disapproving look. “We’ve got a problem. Someone tipped off Professor Eejjhgreb about the-” She glances to left and right, and then whispers, “the firewhiskey operation. They’re on their way down now to check out the tip.”

Jennifer isn’t easily rattled, but her heart jumps at the mention of Professor Eejjhgreb, who hates her and Goodman and also happens to be the Deputy Head of the school (as well as the Head of Gryffindor House), meaning that Professor Jahansooz’ protection won’t do them any good. “Is the Disillusionment Charm still in place?” she asks sharply.

Clark nods. “It is, but Johnson’s on guard duty tonight…” She trails off.

Jennifer swears. Johnson, a Slytherin fourth year, could charitably be described as ‘vacant’ (though Jennifer would more accurately describe him as “terminally moronic”) and has no ability to improvise when confronted by a professor. If Eejjhgreb questions him about what he’s doing down by the Forbidden Forest, he’ll fold like wet tissue paper. “Who tipped off Eejjhgreb, Clark?” she asks furiously.

“Uh… Some Ravenclaw, I think? Violet Liu? Though, I thought Violet Liu was in our house,” says Clark, sounding uncertain.

“There is a Ravenclaw called Violet Liu,” Goodman puts in. “A third year. She hangs around with Jeeter and his group.”

“Oh, I knew that lot would be behind this,” says Jennifer. “Goodman, stay here and keep an eye out for anything else – especially Liu, Jeeter, Tripathi, Park and the rest of their little gang. I’m going down to the Forest before Johnson gets us all put in detention for the rest of the year.”

“I’ll meet you back at the Common Room in an hour,” says Goodman, and leaves. Jennifer sweeps off at the most rapid pace that she can manage without breaking into a run.

Meg checks again that the coast is clear, and then knocks the agreed pattern on the door of the Prefects’ Bathroom: one two three one-two-three one-two-three. Musha rain, dum a doo, dum a da.

It opens, and Park emerges, along with McCabe, looking awestruck at the experience of being inside the Prefects’ Bathroom. Meg doesn’t know what all the fuss is about. She went in there once. It wasn’t that great.

“I did exactly as you told me,” Meg informs Park. “She’s on her way to the edge of the Forbidden Forest right now, thinking that Eejjhgreb is down there.” She holds out her hand. “Pay up.”

Park rolls his eyes, but hands over five Sickles and a limited-edition Chocolate Frog card: Sybil Trelawney, the legendary 20th-century Seer and great-great-granddaughter of Cassandra Trelawney. Meg’s collection is almost complete.

“Cheers,” she says. “Later, losers.”

Park watches Clark go, and shakes his head slightly. It wasn’t the greatest moment of his life when he approached Clark to bargain for her participation in the plan they’d devised, but fortunately she proved fairly easy to bribe.

“So…” says RJ, looking in the direction that Clark has just departed. “What now? Want to sneak down to the Forest and watch the show? I bet it’s going to be awesome.”

Park looks at RJ. They meet his eyes briefly and smile, but it’s strained, and they quickly break eye contact. “On second thoughts, maybe I should-”

“RJ,” says Park. RJ huffs and puts their hands in the pockets of their robe, shoulders hunched.

“Don’t start, Park.”

“Why didn’t you…” Park trails off, trying to decide which question he wants to ask first. “Why didn’t you tell me what Golding-Frederick and Goodman were doing?” Why didn’t you trust me to help you instead of a stranger from Gryffindor?

RJ shrugs. “It wasn’t that big of a deal. No, Park, it really wasn’t – at first, anyway. They’re just bullies – I’ve dealt with bullies before. I don’t have any classes with them, so they only bothered me in the corridors sometimes and in the Common Room. I could just tune them out. I got pretty good at it, too, but then they… Then they started in on you. And I wasn’t going to let that pass.”

“You didn’t need to-” Park begins, but RJ interrupts him.

“Yeah, Park, I did need to. You know what friends do? They look out for each other. That means I get to look out for you, too,” RJ says stubbornly. “Or are you telling me you wouldn’t have done the same thing for me?”

“Of course I would have-”

“Great. Then that’s settled,” says RJ, practically glaring at him. Park reflects that he’s never felt so heartwarmed and chastised at the same time. He sighs, but then smiles at RJ.

“Fine. Did I hear that you were looking to learn some basic duelling spells? I’d be happy to teach you a few.”

RJ looks surprised. “Really? You’d do that?”

“Of course,” says Park. “That’s what friends do.”

Jennifer is out of breath by the time she reaches the location, in an out-of-the-way spot near the tree line, that she and her associates have been using to brew the Firewhiskey. It’s concealed by a Disillusionment Charm, and protected by some basic Shield Charms in case any wandering animals or students accidentally stumble across it, but those are quite easily lifted.

The idiot Johnson is standing a few feet away from the concealed equipment, looking as gormless as ever. Jennifer strides up to him.

“Where are they?”

“Uh… where are who?” asks Johnson blankly.

“Where is Professor Eejjhgreb,” says Jennifer impatiently. “They have’t been down here?”

“Uh, nope, not that I saw,” says Johnson uncertainly. “And I mean, I’ve been here the whole time, so unless they have an Invisibility Cloak…”

Frowning, Jennifer wonders whether Clark could have been misinformed. But because Johnson is an idiot of the highest order, she decides to check on the brewing equipment while she’s down here. She walks over, and feeling for the Shield Charms, dismantles them and then lifts the Disillusionment Charm. Everything seems to be in place.

“Oh, she said to give you this,” Johnson calls from where he’s still standing as if rooted to the ground. He’s probably afraid of what Jennifer would do if he got too close to the equipment. It might well be the only smart judgement call he’s ever made.

Then Jennifer realises what he just said. “‘She’? What do you mean, ‘she’?” she demands, striding back over to Johnson.

“Some Ravenclaw… Wu maybe? Or… Liu? She’s like five feet tall, Chinese I think. She gave me this note.”

Johnson feels around in his pocket, and produces a folded piece of parchment. He hands it to Jennifer, who unfolds it and reads it.

“Is this a joke?” she demands.

John Goodman has just finished his sweep of the first-floor corridor (he ran into some goody-goody Ravenclaw Prefects on the way, but he’s made sure that they won’t be reporting him – not that it would really matter if they did) and is contemplating going down to the kitchens to steal some food when he sees something that makes his blood run cold.

Professor Eejjhgreb is walking through the Entrance Hall and out towards the grounds, a purposeful look in their eye. John scrambles to get down the stairs and catch up with Eejjhgreb, determined to waylay the Professor before they can go any further.

“Professor!”

Eejjhgreb turns, and in that instant John realises his mistake. “Ah. John Goodman,” says Eejjhgreb. “Just the student I had been looking for. Would you like to tell me what you’re doing out so far past curfew?”

“I – just came from my dorm,” says John, thinking fast. “There’s – a terrible emergency, uh, Seiders is sick-”

“Would this terrible emergency not be something for your Head of House to handle?” Eejjhgreb asks, raising an eyebrow. “But instead you are here in the Entrance Hall, and judging by the fact that you are not dressed for bed, I can only assume you did not in fact come from your dormitory, but were out past curfew. Detention, Goodman.” Eejjhgreb turns away and continues across the grounds.

Shit. John runs to catch up with them. “Professor – there’s something you should know-”

“Is there?” Eejjhgreb asks ominously. “Could it be related to the illegal Firewhiskey brewing operation that you and your friend Jennifer Golding-Frederick have been conducting on school grounds? Oh yes, I know all about what the two of you have been doing. You are already in serious trouble, and if you attempt to delay me any further, it will go even worse for you.”

John opens his mouth, and closes it again. He knows that the General is going to be beside herself if she finds out that he didn’t stop Eejjhgreb, but at this moment in time, he doesn’t think that any revenge she might enact would be worse than what Eejjhgreb could do to him. Besides, it sounds like she’s about to go down, too. John knows when to cut his losses.

“Yes, Professor. Goodnight, Professor.”

The note reads,

This is for every student you’ve ground beneath your heel. You’re about to learn that you can’t push us around.

Next time we won’t be so kind.

—Rumor

P.S. Stand clear.

Jennifer draws her wand and turns towards the Firewhiskey brewing equipment – just in time to see it explode in a ball of flame.

“Protego!” she shouts quickly, and a Shield Charm expands to protect her from any flying glass or debris. Next to her, Johnson has thrown himself onto the ground, hands covering his head.

“Woooohooooo!” A joyful shout comes from over the trees, and Jennifer turns to see two figures on a broom soar away from the forest: a skinny, shorter figure clinging on for dear life, and a tall figure behind them in red Gryffindor Quidditch captain robes, riding a broom like they were born to fly.

“We’ve been set up!” Jennifer exclaims angrily. She rounds on Johnson, ready to start berating him for his negligence, when an angry voice shouts from behind them.

“Jennifer Golding-Frederick!”

Jennifer turns slowly to see an irate Professor Eejjhgreb storming towards them, their eyes fixed on the still-smouldering remains of the brewing equipment.

“Professor-” For once, words fail her.

“So, you thought that you could evade punishment by destroying the evidence of your activities?” Eejjhgreb demands. They look from her to Johnson, who is still cowering on the ground. “Get up, boy.”

“No, Professor – that was Krejjh and their associate! I believe it was Brian Jeeter – he must have cast the spell from behind a tree–”

“Is that so? And where are they now, these miscreants?” asks Eejjhgreb. “Are they hiding in the Forest?”

“They flew away,” puts in Johnson. “On a broom.”

“How convenient,” says Eejjhgreb. They draw their wand, and Johnson flinches, but Eejhgreb merely pours water onto the remains of the brewing equipment, extinguishing the fire once and for all.

“Both of you, come with me,” says Eejjhgreb. “We’re going to see the Headmaster.”

Back in the safety of the castle, the three fifth-years meet up in the kitchens to toast their success. Of the three of them, only Krejjh isn’t a Prefect, but the company of two Prefects with spotless track records is a pretty good shield against breaking curfew. Sometimes, a little bit of mischief is warranted.

“Cheers,” says Sana, pouring out Butterbeer for the three of them, provided by a group of bowing house elves. “To a job well done.”

Krejjh downs half their Butterbeer in one gulp. “Man, it’s too bad about that Firewhiskey, though.” They eye Sana, who has her schoolbag slung over her shoulder. “Are you sure you didn’t manage to steal just a little bit before we blew it up?”

“Of course not,” says Sana, sounding shocked. “That would be highly unethical.”

Park raises an eyebrow. “Did you take any?”

Sana glances around at the house elves, who are busily occupying themselves with cleaning dishes from that night’s dinner, and pulls out a sealed jar from her schoolbag. “Just, you know, as a backup. Additional evidence.”

Park shrugs. “Makes sense.”

“We should really test it, though,” Krejjh muses idly. “Just to make sure it’s the real deal.”

“Krejjh, you read my mind,” says Sana, unscrewing the top of the jar and pouring a little Firewhiskey into each mug of Butterbeer. “Another toast! To freedom.”

“To showing the bullies who’s boss!” Krejjh declares.

“To... friendship,” says Park, and the three of them clink their mugs.

[lovemesomesurveys]

Has anyone ever told anyone lies to get them to hate you? Not to my knowledge, but I’m sure they could come up with actual stuff and not have to lie. Are you inside or outside right now? I’m inside. Do you think guys with just one ear pierced are cute? They can be, but not because of that.  Are you wearing socks right now? Always. Do you like your cousins? Yes. I have like over 50 cousins, though, most of which I don’t really see. Some I have on Facebook. I was really close to 4 of them, but 1 of them I grew apart from once we got to high school, which was sad because we had been like inseparable all our lives up until then and more like sisters. The other 3 I remained close with, but over the past few years I became distant and withdrawn from everyone, including them. :(

Which mainstream artist pisses you off? I’m not a fan of some, but none of them piss me off. Do you own harem pants? No. Would you rather be called pretty or hot? Pretty. Are there many gangsters or chavs at your school? I’m done with school. Describe the seat your sitting in? I’m sitting on my bed. It’s a full size bed with one of those foamy/egg carton thingies on top of the mattress and this air circulating air bubble thing on top of that, with pink sheets and a floral quilt. There’s like 6 or 7 pillows on my bed, some clothes and stuffed animals, my Nintendo Switch and case, coloring book and colored pencils, my remote, my phone, and my laptop.  Do you have any weird bedtime rituals? They’re not weird to me, but I guess some people find ASMR weird. *shrug* Have you ever sent any celeb fan mail? Yes, when I was younger. When did you last pull a muscle? How did you do it? It’s been a few years. Name the last shitty CD you bought? *shrug* I haven’t bought any CDs in years.  Do you play online games? No. Have you ever chugged maple syrup? Ew, no. I like maple syrup, but I’d never want to drink it. Do you prefer original or acoustic version of songs? I like both, just depends. What was the last thing you ate? Boneless garlic parm wings. What was the last thing you drank? Water. Have you ever gotten a serious injury at school? What happened? There were a few occasions where I fell out of my chair and got scraped up, but nothing that serious.  Are you on any medication at the moment? Prescription pain med.  Do you have a favorite pair of headphones and earbuds? No. I only have one pair, the Apple earphones they include when you get a new phone, and they definitely aren’t my favorite. I need a new pair. How do you wear your hair for school? Not in school anymore, but nowadays my hair is always in a side braid. Have you ever performed in front of my large group of people? For choir and band concerts. Are you hungry right now? Yes, but it’s 330AM and I don’t want to eat anything at this time. Have you ever fundraised? If so, what for? Yeah, numerous times for school clubs and Girl Scouts. Do you ever go on the Bzoink forum? No. Is it day or night? It’s 330AM. What was the last dvd you bought? I personally haven’t bought any DVDs in a long time, but my mom recently bought Avengers: Endgame. Are the curtains in your bedroom opened or closed? They’re always closed. Are you wearing earrings right now? No. I haven’t in years. What’s your least favorite type of piercing? Not a fan of septum piercings, nipple rings, or any private areas. What mode of transport do you use to get to school or work? I’m done with school and I don’t have a job, but to anywhere else I travel by car. Call of Duty, Halo or Left For Dead? Or anything else? :)  I don’t play those games. Name a singer who’s voice makes you swoon? I wouldn’t say any make me “swoon.”  Do your pets follow you when you walk around the house? Yeah sometimes. She especially follows my dad and mom around. Do you own a BB gun? If so, have you ever shot anyone with it? Nope. Which hockey team do you go for, if any? None. I’m not a fan of any sports. Do you watch makeup tutorial videos on YouTube? Well, some of the ASMRists I watch do makeup related videos sometimes so I see those. Have you read any magazines like Cosmo? Yeah. I used to read magazines when I was a teenager. What do you do online? Scroll through Tumblr, like and reblog stuff, and do surveys, check Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, and Instagram, watch stuff on YouTube, online shop, look up stuff, read the news... Do you have any scars on your face? Yes. Have you won any competition or contest? Contests. Do you listen to Owl City? I’ve been asked about Owl City a few times in the surveys I’ve done recently. Weird. Anyway, I have 2 of their songs on my Spotify. Do you own a lot of nail polishes? I don’t own any. What did you have for breakfast this morning? I haven’t, yet.  Do you still have Easter egg hunts? No.

[calzona-ga]

As the ABC medical drama celebrates its 300th episode, the stars (and producers) talk with THR about the show's secret to success.

ABC's Grey's Anatomy will hit an incredibly rare milestone this week when it airs its 300th episode Thursday.

Currently in its 14th season — one behind ER, TV's longest-running medical drama — Grey's Anatomy has continued to reinvent itself over the years with new cast members, fan-favorite couples and timeless storylines that now appeal to a new roster of fans who are finding the Shondaland show via Netflix.

With only four original stars remaining (Ellen Pompeo, Justin Chambers, Chandra Wilson and Jim Pickens Jr.), Grey's remains a powerhouse performer for ABC. The series is the network's No. 2 drama among adults 18-49 — a rare feat for a show in its 14th season.

Thursday's 300th episode — titled "Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story" — will, like many of the other episodes this season feature callbacks and references to the show's rich history.

"We’ve tried to find a way to pay tribute to the original cast, but we didn't have those actors to work with. So we were creative and brought in patients that remind us of some of the original cast so that we could have some conversations that fans have been longing for," co-showrunner Krista Vernoff told The Hollywood Reporter on the red carpet for the show's 300th episode party Saturday night in Hollywood. "There’s a lot of laughs, tears and nostalgia and I’ve also created an Easter egg hunt with songs, sets, dialogue, bit players and things like that for the avid watchers for 14 years to enjoy." Below, the cast and producers tell THR about why the show remains a powerhouse in its 14th season and share the on-screen couples they've loved over the years.

Betsy Beers (exec producer): There is something universal about the characters.We try to create a world in which women are strong, they can be flawed, do their jobs incredibly well, care, can be competitive and friends, always stand up for each other, be intrepid, but still be fun and dark and twisty. [Creator] Shonda [Rhimes] and the writers at Shondaland try to create a range of women so you can identify with anyone.

Favorite on-screen couple: Cristina and Meredith. They are each other's "person." They grew together. They worked hard together. They grew up together. Meredith cut Cristina out of her wedding dress. Cristina and Meredith is my love story.

Vernoff: Grey’s Anatomy is what it is because we have always focused on character and the human stories of their lives rather than building the show on plot moves. People worldwide experience falling in and out of love, the death of a spouse or parent or the birth or adoption of a child. [Viewers] are seeing stories and lives that look and feel sometimes like theirs. That’s what happens when you put a lot of women in charge.

Debbie Allen (exec producer/Catherine Avery): It’s the realism of the characters and the truth of the kinds of stories that we tell. These are stories that have happened or could happen. These are people that are real and the world needs that now. This season we’ve recaptured a lighter tone, which is really exciting for our fan base [who remember it from early seasons].

Favorite on-screen couple: The way Derek and Meredith loved each other, fought, came together and when she lost him … it was beautiful. But second to that, Catherine and Richard!

Wilson (Miranda Bailey): We’ve ridden a few technology waves. When we started, you had to be in front of the TV on Sunday nights and the numbers mattered. Then we rode the VHS to the DVD wave; we rode the watching by DVR; we rode the binge-watching wave; and now we’re riding the social media wave. We always manage to stay in the current of whatever is going on and ride with it.

Favorite on-screen couple: The one that makes me cry is when Mark (Eric Dane) had to say goodbye to Lexie (Chyler Leigh) because she was pinned under the plane. It was a good example of not waiting to be a couple instead of just waiting for someone to die [to express your feelings].

Pickens Jr. (Richard Webber): They identify with people who look like them. The diversity of the show is something that I think has really kept the audience coming back.

Favorite on-screen couple: Meredith and “McDreamy.” They made you want to take that journey with them.

Kevin McKidd (Owen Hunt): It's a combination of great actors, brilliant writers, an incredibly forward-thinking forum when the show was created in the pilot and has continued to grow with that very forward thinking, groundbreaking attitude about telling stories. The 300th episode reminds us of the family this show has become.

Favorite on-screen couple: I’m rooting for Alex (Chambers) and Jo. I’m sad about Amelia and Owen, but I have a feeling that the two of them clearing the decks [of their marriage] has set the stage for a rebirth.

Sarah Drew (April Kepner): The show has stood the test of time because it is about romance, friendship and life and death. That transcends everything. It's as relevant now as it was 13 years ago.

Favorite on-screen couple: Jackson and April. I love that they started off as friends and have had to go through some really intense stuff and remained friends the whole time.

Kim Raver (Teddy Altman): Shonda's gift is that she hones into the human condition and how there’s moments where as people fail and soar. No character is one way or the other. That’s what people relate to because we are all struggling to find our relationships, our place in the world or the right job.

Favorite on-screen couple: I love Cristina (Sandra Oh) and Owen which is funny because Teddy [has romantic feelings for Owen] and wants Owen to be happy above her happiness.

Caterina Scorsone (Amelia Shepherd): It's the evolving attachment to realistic characters who have strengths, weaknesses and who are flawed people with good intentions. They feel so real to us that we create relationships with them.

Favorite on-screen couple: Meredith and Derek were an epic love story. I loved Lexie and Mark — and their tragic Romeo and Juliet death. They were star crossed for so long. He was the bad boy and she was the good girl. It was a sweet romance.

Jessica Capshaw (Arizona Robbins): Good stories with all kinds of different people to care about. Representations of all kinds of different people in the world. Sex, humor, love, nostalgia, longing, heartache, etc. It all makes you feel things.  

Favorite on-screen couple: Meredith and Derek. The push and pull in that relationship and the way that it was set up was pretty magical.

Camilla Luddington (Jo Wilson):All the characters deal with everyday issues that people deal with in real life: heartbreak, loss and finding love again.

Favorite on-screen couple: McDreamy and Meredith was iconic. I was so in love with them together and heartbroken when he died.

Jason George (Ben Warren): Most shows lose their luster after a number of seasons and Grey’s has stayed strong because Shonda is not afraid to shake it up. Happy people make for bad TV and Shonda knows her job first and foremost is to make good drama. Shonda is going to make you laugh, cry and clutch your pearls but she's always going to shake it up so you pay attention. And that's why it's been around for 14 seasons.

Favorite on-screen couple: Jackson and April. When she was going to marry another guy and he objected? That was fantastic.

Giacomo Gianniotti (Andrew DeLuca): The characters are full and flawed. People need to have problems and flaws and all of our characters fall down. And what’s most exciting is how they get back up. All the characters have dealt with loss and tragedy and apart from that. Shonda has been a real pioneer and leader in showcasing powerful, strong and independent women on television. There are a lot of great role models on the show.

Favorite on-screen couple: Richard and Catherine. They have so much romance and love that it renews my hope for love and long-lasting romance.

[pkmnjesus]

My experience/review watching Pokémon the Movie: I Choose You! in theaters (NO SPOILERS)

The day has finally come...I WAS LOOKING FOWARD TO THIS ALL WEEK! After it was first announced in December 2016 that the 20th Pokémon movie would be paying homage to Ash’s origins, I GOT SUPER EXCITED! I was always updated with the news surrounding this film, and got excited every time new information came out (despite some negative reaction by some fans). You can tell by searching through my blog archive...so I pre-ordered the tickets by September, and got the earliest showing with the best seats in the house!

When the day finally came (which was yesterday lol), I got my good ol’ high school buddy to go with me, who was a fan of Pokémon and the anime. Of course, it was a special premiere day, and had to dress for the occasion by wearing my Ash Kalos hat, and the original Team Rocket shirt.

Now for my thoughts on the movie...is it my favorite out of all Pokémon movies? Nope, but it’s definitely up there! First off let me just say, that THERE ARE SOOOO MANY EASTER EGGS (a.k.a. past anime/movie references) IN THIS MOVIE! When I get the Blu-ray copy for this (hopefully there is one?), I will be going back to multiple scenes pausing so many shots!

Anyway, the movie overall was really awesome and a fun adventure to watch! It was (as advertised) a retelling of Ash’s journey starting out as a Pokémon trainer, and his road to becoming a Pokémon Master. The ultimate goal in this movie was to see Ho-Oh after it left its Rainbow Wing for Ash to pick up. To be honest, I’m not really sure if majority of the movie even takes place in the Kanto region o_O A couple nostalgic scenes were re-done beautifully, and teary :’( Some of those scenes really took me back to my childhood watching the old episodes in my VHS player. It wasn't exactly as portrayed in the canon anime, which makes this alternative universe really interesting to think about Ash’s journey. The most notable thing I would have to say about this movie is Charmander’s development. It’s really surprising how different it is from the disobedient one we knew when it evolved as a Charmeleon. At one point of the movie (I won’t say much), Ash really did something UNCHARACTERISTIC of him that really caught me off guard with his Pokémon and friends. Then again this is an AU, so I shouldn't be surprised if his attitude is not exactly like the character I grew up with. Definitely keep your eyes on it when watching!

One of my favorite parts was definitely towards the climax when Ash was is in this BIZARRE but familiar environment that really didn’t seem to fit when you usually watch Pokémon (you’ll have to see it to find out). Again SO MANY REFERENCES caught my eye during that scene, and it doesn't just apply to Pokémon. But I’m pretty sure what EVERYONE in the theater was shocked about, EVEN ME, was what happened between Ash and Pikachu at the very end of the film...very touching and very cute is all I can say. One final thing I would like to say is THE ENDING + CREDITS SCENE WAS A BLESSING. I WILL NEED TO GIF THOSE WHEN THE DVD COMES OUT (ᗒᗨᗕ)

As for the characters, the main supporting stars take spotlight! Verity and Sorrel...LOVE THEM! A lot of people might say how rushed their characters were rushed, but it was a 90+ minute movie and they could only do so much. Ash is the main star, and most of the story should revolve around him, so I honestly think both they had enough time to show off who they are, and what their purpose is in the film. Besides both of them being from Sinnoh, Sinnoh Confirmed their backstories...OH MY GOD BRO! I may got spoiled beforehand why Verity was traveling alone with her Piplup (this Piplup really gave me a lot of vibes similar to Dawn’s Piplup), but I DID NOT anticipate one of Sorrel’s flashback scenes which pretty much broke everyone’s heart in the cinema including mine (it’s still sad thinking about it ಥ_ಥ). Both have solid goals, although Verity’s seems to be more of a personal issue she wants to avoid. Also you definitely have to pay attention to Verity’s scenes since her personal issue with a certain someone wasn't directly given to the audience nor even Ash and Sorrel...just pay attention to detail 👀 Oh yeah, and if you’re a shipping type of person (multishippers to be exact), there’s definitely some cute scenes that Verity has with her companions ;) It just makes me wish that Verity and Sorrel can be future canon traveling partners because all three have great chemistry in the movie together as friends, even though if it was just for a short period. Their Ho-Oh adventure/journey is what really made them close.

Although Team Rocket’s involvement was very minimal in the movie, and was really there for comic relief background, it made me happy that they didn’t really interfere with the main storyline of Ash’s quest to find Ho-Oh. Ash and Pikachu developed well without their involvement, and writers probably didn’t want to put too much time giving a battle scene with them. Sure, I wish they could be used better, but better have them there than not at all right? They were still lovable as always with their goofy antics shown throughout the movie.

Cross, who served to be the big bad rival in the movie, really proved himself to be a real jerk. He is a bit like Paul, only thing is that Cross is more aggressive with his claims. He’s the type of trainer who is a self-centered brat and believes everything should go his way or else he does things by force. He does share a similarity with Ash though, but I’m not saying what it is since it is a spoiler. He served as the Alolan flavor of this movie since he was the only one carrying Gen. VII Pokémon. On the other hand we have the cute but mysterious new Pokémon, Marshadow that actually plays a bigger role in the movie than what you initially thought of. You’d think it’s just there all the time in the background, but you know something is going on as it lurks everywhere throughout the film.

Now there really isn’t that much to say about Bonjī since he only appears at the later part of the movie. I just wish that the old man had more of a backstory and a reason why he was chasing Ho-Oh all his life. Speaking of which, I was happy that the all of the Legendary Beasts get their big screen spotlight along with Ho-Oh. The other thing I wish was that we get to see what really happened with Ho-Oh in the end since the epic final battle of the movie was a bit questionable.

At the end of the day, me and my friend had such a blast! We even got the promotional TCG card of Ash’s Pikachu (FYI this is a really useful card in competitive play if you play the TCG) We both have A LOT of disagreements when it comes to the Pokémon anime, but both of us really loved and enjoyed the movie. Funny story, there were these 4 girls probably around my age (fangirls to be exact) beside me who were absolutely having a blast watching the movie. They screamed out of joy, shouted when Cross was being an ass, squealed in cute moments, cried in the sad moments, and basically were really into the scenes and characters like singing the Pokémon theme song at the beginning of the movie. Annoying? Yes, but I can’t really blame if they had a good time, and I think that’s the most important thing when you watch things you love with friends to share the moments with (though they probably could have toned it down a bit...I’m sure they were self-aware they were loud). My friend couldn't stand them, but I just tried to distract him with my noise since I didn’t want to ruin the girls’ fun time beside me. Plus I was a bit talkative too in several scenes of the film. Honestly I wanted to shout at the beginning of the movie because I WAS THAT HYPED, but didn’t want to embarrass my friend :p *Shoutout to the girl with the Charmander plush beside me at the AMC Fullerton theater if you’re reading this xD Hope you didn’t get too much tears on your plush from some emotional scenes in the movie (⋟﹏⋞)

The ultimate question is, should you go see this movie?

ABSOLUTELY! If you’re just a casual fan who doesn’t really keep up with the anime or movies after the original, you probably wouldn’t enjoy this movie that much. But I would say still watch it if you really love Pokémon! I count each movie as its own thing because none of them are really canon with the main series storyline. Movie 20 really stands out on its own because of how different it is from the rest, notably Ash’s journey getting a brand new fresh reboot, and the fact that there really isn’t an antagonist here who is trying to “rule the world” by getting an enormous power or whatever. This movie was a celebration of what the series has accomplished over the past 20 years.

However, this is just my opinion, and everyone has different tastes. All I’m saying is that you’ll only know how you truly feel when you see it! If you ask me, the best review of this movie is YOUR REVIEW. And from what I’m seeing, it really makes me happy to hear most of you guys are seeing it in theaters, and saying how much you enjoyed it. Let's support a great movie with a great dub! If you can’t, you can always wait for the DVD release and support them that way! If you want to watch the original Japanese version with English subtitles, be sure to buy the DVD too! Just support any way you can to show your appreciation and love for the Pokémon franchise.

As for my thoughts on spoilers, I will keep that to myself for the time being probably until a couple of weeks after the DVD release...will probably be making some GIFs or reblogging posts about it since I’m always late to the GIF making game LOL! However if you want to chat about it, feel free to message me OR join my Discord server and chat about it with other people who have seen the movie under the spoiler channel: https://discord.gg/mVSgxbp

Welp that was a long post! I’m pretty sure I have some text/grammar errors here, but whatever I’m tired and I want to get this posted already ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ My next long post will probably be my 2017 PokéAni highlights...’til then, PEACE

[geek-gem]

My Continuation And Talk After The Sonic Movie Post

So I forgot to put Tikal's tag below it and I just did. But also it reminded me of that I guess when a friend of mine messaged me when I put talk. Because I was making this then she replied of how I was doing again. Which means this is my second time.

But okay major spoilers for anything yet just my last post. I just took a shower and the last post I discovered theirs a length of how much you can write.

Yet holy crap guys. Seriously what the fuck. I actually wrote all of that and when I was in the shower remembered it's the 10 anniversary of Sonic Rush Adventure and the official Sonic Tumblr blog made a post referencing that. I feel like mentioning that because I mentioned Blaze in the last post and tagged her too. So in a way some what of a celebration sorry yet just....

That was my fan fiction and I was gonna talk about how the fuck could you put the stories of both Sonic Adventure games into one.

Including my huge liking towards BVS Batman V Superman Dawn Of Justice and just...

It's basically Sonic Dawn Of Justice. Including Shadow is basically a mixture of Batman's character and Superman's character a bit. Because the whole concept of his character.

Along with I just....I was listening to some songs mainly some other versions of, "This Is My World" from BVS and how that film is basically the reason why I came up with the idea imagine putting well mixing the stories of Sonic Adventure 1 and 2 into one and just....

Even the death of Shadow and I call it that normal to smile only a little stop it just a little.

Yet I wanted to share that because with my mindset is off of Sonic right now. Including the last story trailer the Japanese one for Sonic Forces really put me off I have not listened Infinite's theme since that day I've seen the trailer. Including I've been thinking about other games such as Injustice and the DC universe, the Mortal Kombat franchise and Killzone 1 and 2 been playing those two games and how I've gotten really better with those games.

Despite mentioning I've finally took out the Sonic OVA DVD out of my PS4 so I can play Mortal Kombat XL.

Really just...I honestly wanna see so many of my favorite characters on the big screen. Also the exuse of Sega and Sonic Team would quickly put Shadow in the sequel Sega has learned their lesson of rushing shit out. I'm sorry to sound stupid yet...just the idea of so much shit going on in one movie. Because even I feel like I don't want to wait for Shadow's appearance in a movie so how about we risk this shit and combine the story of Sonic Adventure 2 with Sonic Adventure 1 and that is fucking insane.

But also because the themes and some other things I noticed in both games are similar. Such as Shadow and Chaos of how their characters are in a way.

Also this mixture of an idea of Chaos's first appearance in Station Square mix it with Shadow's first meeting in some what San Francisco well Shadow's first meeting with Sonic did mention that to a friend okay to smile.

But just no it doesn't suck my head says random shit.....just the idea is insane. Along with.....it's basically my fan fiction such as the idea of Super Sonic, Super Shadow, Metal Sonic, and Perfect Chaos fighting the Biolizard and the death of Shadow is such a big moment that I wanted it to have a lasting effect and how it goes with the movie.

Also I think I'll just mention the death of Shadow seriously as a joke despite like BVS very much imagine Superman before his again major spoilers but his death in that movie and Photoshop Shadow's head whether Super Shadow yet keep imagining the head of Shadow from pointing pose from Sonic Adventure 2 let me look.

http://en.sonicscanf.org/gallery/shadow-the-hedgehog-5/sonic-adventure-2-3/ okay so it's his running pose I was getting confused. It's mainly that I guess. Maybe I'm imagining things but I don't know I just wanna make this.

Including the idea for the sequel is mixing Sonic Rush and Sonic Lost World and adding Marine The Raccoon but maybe some elements of Sonic Rush Adventure in there with the rebirth of Shadow.

Where it's a visual reference of his return where's he standing on some pole with two Chaos Emeralds in Sonic X and how he can't remember who he was yet everyone tells him who he is he even see's the memorial and other stuff. It's better then the Deadly Six take advantage of his amnesia. He doesn't know if he should even try to defend the Earth and people question his existence now.

Because they find out in a way Shadow did die. Yet he was in some death like coma where his damage was so brutal it took a long time before he could break out of his grave. Basically he was slowly healing and the damage was just much it took a long time. Along with using all four of his inhibitor rings he used so much power he needed to recharge.

Including trying to and with help from others remember that he made a promise to Maria yet because of his amnesia can't have much of an emotional connection or just...he wants to help yet his other side such as his dislike for the planet comes back.

But because of others and including with the Chaos Emeralds he remembers everything now. Which he then realizes it's not just a promise he made to Maria anymore still he's keeping the promise to Maria. Yet he's basically found a new family and a new home to protect including when he meets Zavok who represents everything Shadow despises and this awesome fight scene between Super Shadow and Zavok and Zavok being very powerful on his own.

Basically even a reference to I never read the comic it was a old Sonic Universe one focusing on Shadow dealing with a new type of Black Arms such as one called Black Death yet not based upon it but... basically going a bit quick and what should of happened in the games in a way. This development of Shadow where the others tell him what happened yet he wonders about his place now and trying to remember despite having help and then remembers what he's supposed to do now.

On a silly note Sonic Adventure 2, Sonic Heroes, and Shadow The Hedgehog are kind of like a Shadow trilogy.

Yet I honestly had a problem like other people have mentioned about how the games treat Shadow when he returns. I will say I don't mind and like the Black Arms. But I just really don't like the...maybe they didn't have to be fully deep in his origin and really I hardly have plans for them but easter egg references are always nice. Maybe such as Gerald found a dead Black Arm and put it into Shadow's blood making him in a way related to the Black Arms. Instead of the idea Black Doom helped Gerald create Shadow. Well I meant mixed the dead Black Arm's blood with Shadow's blood is what I meant because their was some things that could help Shadow.

This is very weird. Including just...will say Red's, "The Ever" was a song I listened to. It's been a while along with, "A Beautiful Lie" and, "Fight Night" before I started writing that last post which were tracks from BVS.

Think I'll leave the tags like that ohhh

Well I remembered when getting the tags down of having the Deadly Six in the third movie because to build up to Sonic Forces as a two parter with a Sonic Unleashed movie as the fourth movie. From what just...yeah first movie is Metal Sonic Jesus I'm rushing shit I'm sounding...okay another friend of mine messaged me. But I'm sounding hypocritical.

Including people like Blaze and I put her in the third movie. Okay no offense don't put me in charge of these Sonic movies. Oh my random head no it can't suck just...meh and yeah build up to Infinite oh yeah mentioned his theme lol it's okay to smile. Got tags done lol just...I wanted to share this lol

Just chill out is okay to smile sorry other shit I forgot or just if that is all I don't know again o wanted to share this

[notsotatopa]

Re watching episode 1: Kid stalkers?

(So since tsukipro's anime is coming I decided to start this series of me rewatching tsukiuta: the animation and giving my thoughts and comparing them from the time when I wasn't part of the fandom. I already did it with episode 9 so if you saw that you already know how this will be)

-I just came here because I saw a gif of a cute white haired boy with a chocker and my friends were hyper annoying with love live so let's see... 

-wow that's a lot of boys... 

 -The moment I saw Koi I knew this was going to be gay.

 -Is it me or Shun's hand when he introduced himself was really tiny?  The moment I saw You i knew this was going to be super gay, also I felt bad for Yoru's lame introduction after that.

 -Rui pretending to give half a fuck and Iku's weird smile.   

-I swear that the first time I saw this the only one that stuck in my head with name and all was Koi, I didn't find any other boy interesting enough to remember their names (and in Haru's and Kai case I didn't even remember their existence).

 -The shakin' sugar sugar...made me realize what I was getting myself into.    -Kakeru you are so cute please kill yourself.    -At this point I thought that this was going to be like an anime where the two boy bands fight and Kakeru was somehow the protagonist and the girl and Syunpei would play a role in this...needless to say I was very wrong. 

-Who gets sick by practicing a dance? Even if she fell asleep with her hair wet and the AC on. She should be more worried about how easily she gets sick.  Where did she get 5 DVDs of six gravity and how can I get them? Why is this girl tricking us into thinking that Kakeru is cool when we later find out he's the cutest dork ever? Did she just call Hajime charismatic? So many questions... 

-It's funny that we never got to see one of these introductions for Procella...guess they didn't have fangirls with brothers that didn't give a fuck? 

-Ok so, the first time I saw this girl I thought she was kinda dumb or weird or I don't know...but now...oooh boy I know that if I had the chance I could be like her OR WORSE.   -Hajime and Haru talking to the group feels like Hajime is saying "You're all pieces of shit." and Haru adds "but with sprinkles~"and it's hilarious, Also y feel like Haru told Hajime with the power of his look "No need to be a dick."   -"That's Yoru, the one who knows how to read, for you."   -Here I realized that there was no rivalry and that they were all going to be gay for each other.   -If it's that easy for a kid to get into the 'only authorized personal' part I wonder how no one has tried to get the idol's asses.   -You're shitting me right? Are you telling me that this boy, whose sister has an obsession with Six Gravity and Kakeru specifically DIDN'T recognize the guy that is all over the walls of his sister? I get he didn't recognize Rui since his sister didn't seem to care about Procella and it's already kinda weird that he didn't recognize Koi since she has a pretty big poster with him on it and there are not much guys with pink hair and eyes. I know Syunpei is negligent as fuck but he doesn't seem to be blind.  

-You don't trick me Rui, you asked the boy to sing Gravitic Love to innerly laugh at it. 

-And Koi decided to let the kid keep being blind or stupid.   -It's funny how Koi's face doesn't seem amused(or anything) at all but you can see Rui's mouth tilting up a little. I told you he was laughing innerly at this.    -I feel like I should have recognized the loading screen of the game he was playing? Like it was some kind of Easter egg or something? Also in my town you don't get to just sit around with a tablet in your hands unless you want to die or something.  

-Were these creeps(Koi, Kakeru, Rui) following Syunpei? Or they just casually saw him and were like "SHIT LET'S STAND LIKE THIS TO LOOK COOL IN FRONT OF THE KID"? 

  -"Rui, I wonder if you can put a little more feeling into your face and words." What? Did you want him to cry about it, Koi?    -Iku is wishing to kill them all, I know, it was kinda rude of them let him out of that adventure actually, like all the juniors were there except him. Probably he was too busy NOT STALKING A KID?   -Koi is being lame and Rui is breaking the fourth wall xD that was so precious.   -And Iku just appears to call Koi a wimp. Precious x2 

-I can imagine that Arata (or Traaa the devil) and You were there peacefully drinking tea and talking about sideboobs when they saw the juniors with a stranger kid and Iku dragging a dying Koi.    -"Ya! YAYAYAYAYA" 

-Holy shit the girl screaming for Kakeru oh my god... 

-It's so lovely how Koi was waiting to see the look on his face and how Arata was also there, like Koi told him "Dude we did this shit to this kid and you gotta see the look on his face when he sees Kakeru." And they tell crazy fangirls to wait so they can see the second when Syunpei realizes how dumb he was. 

-Such a ruckus over a handshake...they are wearing gloves for god's sake. 

-The song that one year later still is stuck in my head...."I want to mess you up" tho... 

-How frustrating must be girl, your little brother who didn't even bother to look at the lots of posters you have of Kakeru is closer to being his wife than you. 

-The first time I didn't pay attention because I never pay attentions to endings, but this is such a cute and cheerful song that always get a smile on my face and even today it's my favorite ending song in the whole series and one of my favorites in anime in general. 

Keep reading for the final thoughts of the chapter

 So by the end of the chapter i still thought that Kakeru was the protagonist and what made me want to watch the next episode was that I wanted to know how this cute blondie got through his idol life, because he managed to make me care about him, something that some of the others didn't manage to do. 

 I think this chapter gives a pretty weird opening? Because it gave, at least me, a wrong idea of how the anime was going to be, I would have been nice to focus more in the groups rather than Kakeru and the juniors alone, so I could have a reason to want to keep watching and know more about them, the could have at least mentioned the month thing being something so crucial to Tsukiuta. If the chapter was supposed to be about Kakeru and the juniors, how about some little hints or comments about their backstories? Or maybe their family, the only descriptions we get about them are the superficial ones of a fangirl.

 Looking back after getting to know so much about tsukiuta it's kinda disappointing that they left so much things out for a first chapter, something that it's an introduction and it's supposed to sell the product and make people want to keep watching at throw their money at them. I know this anime was more for the fans of Tsukiuta and you're not gonna tell them something they already know, but if you wanted to drag more people in, you could at least have mentioned (bedsides the month thing) that gave the new people (like me at the time) and idea of who these boys are and not just throw cute anime boys thinking that it would be enough. 

 Anyway I'm writing to much, I always get passionate when I talk about tsukiuta: the animation.

[mentcrmoved]

I’ve been meaning to do this since the Assassins Creed movie came out on DVD, but I kinda didn’t think to do it until I was watching it last night. So, at long last, I’m giving my Official critic of the movie, while also discussing some points of interest.

Thus, I give you, Murphy’s Official Assassins Creed Movie Critic. (part one)

This is gonna be quite the post (including pictures!) so it’s obviously under a read more. It will probably take me a few hours to write & maybe an hour to read. Ya’ll been warned. It will also, obviously, contain spoilers so if you don’t want that shit then I suggest not reading this. Overall, these are my thoughts, as an Assassins Creed fan, on the movie & if you don’t agree, think I’m crazy, etc. I really do not give a care. 

Anyway, here we are, enjoy if you can, & of course I’d dig some feedback/discussion.

Okay so first I want to start off by saying that, as a movie in itself, Assassins Creed was pretty great. It wasn’t revolutionary or anything super special, but the effects & the production was pretty good, in my opinion. From the perspective of a person not familiar with the games it’s easy to follow & not overly complicated. It was, as a movie, decent.

As a movie representing a 10-year-old franchise that has 10 years of established canon and development and complexities the movie was an utter fucking mess. In my opinion. Also, a personal bias, I really do not like Michael Fassbender so that was an immediate -10 in my book. But, because I’m such a wonderful person, I’ll look past that & say that Michael Fassbender was okay & as the movie progressed my desire to punch him in the face lessened.

So, here we go, from the top, first scene in the movie was awful.

As a huge fan (ya’ll know this) of Altair this really made me angry. First of all I’d like to make the point that Altair died in 1257, & that the historical parts of the movie take place in 1492. Secondly, & I don’t think I have to remind anyone of this, Altair, using the Apple of Eden, wrote the Codex... during his time (despite the continuity issues in the first game) the ring finger was cut off to enable the use of the hidden blade, but with the Apple he devised a new design that made this morbid little ritual unnecessary, as we learn in the second game.

Now, they could just be doing it as a ritual of tradition, but I don’t see why, considering that about 3 years earlier Ezio was inducted into the Order in Italy & their ritual involved branding the finger not cutting it off. It could just be a communication issue, but considering the amount of time that passed & the proximity of Spain to Italy I find that unlikely.

Thus this is kind of... stupid, & before someone says it’s because they wanted continuity for non-gamers lemme just say that this little piece of information isn’t important in the grand scheme of understanding the assassins creed world. They could just as easily branded the finger or done nothing at all, & since this blatantly ignores canon what was the point of adding it anyway?

So far, not impressed.

Next order of business, this scene:

Jesus, when I first saw the movie I was like ??? what is going on here why did he kill her? Then he was like ‘they found us’ & I kinda understood & then I was just... appalled by how they portray the assassins from the getgo. Firstly, when I saw this scene the second time all I could think of was how sad Rebecca would have been hearing about this. Two perfectly good assassins, one of them dead at the hand of her partner to avoid capture, & the other captured, orphaning a son.

& knowing all that we do about how small the brotherhood’s numbers are this makes zero sense. Why kill her (death before dishonor maybe?) when you could just as easily get your son & run? This isn’t the assassin way! This isn’t what assassins do! Assassins don’t just lay down & take what’s coming, they don’t sit complacent to a world that needs to be saved. They don’t just accept death! This isn’t the assassin brotherhood! This isn’t right!

Now, a reasonable explanation might be (& I have theories about this) that where they were living is like where Desmond grew up: it was a ‘safe’ community made up of assassins trying to live on the down low. I think this is reasonable because of this concept art:

In the background, behind Cal on his bike, are hooded figures that look a lot like the guy who we can assume is his dad. I don’t think they’re Templars because if you look past his dad there’s the jeeps & you can already see a guy standing out with a gun like in the movie. So maybe this was a community, though if that’s true that still raises a bunch of questions, like why didn’t they all run, & if only Cal’s dad knew about it why didn’t he say anything to the others?

& if it was a death before dishonor sort of thing why didn’t he slit his own throat when the Templars found him? Why not kill Cal too? Of course, I guess it’s implied that Cal’s mom wasn’t aware when she died, that his dad took her by surprise by stabbing her in the back. But still that raises the question, why? Why kill her then allow yourself to be captured? Why kill her then tell your son to run if you intended to be captured? & if they really were living among assassins why wasn’t there more to this? Why wasn’t anyone fighting?

Watching this scene I just want to scream why repeatedly at the screen, because I just do not understand any of it. & when I try to explain what’s going on to myself it just makes things worse, introducing new questions. So, as far as I’m concerned, this is just a tragic backstory made specifically to build the type of character they wanted Cal to be, which I think is shitty mostly because I think Cal is a shitty character in general.

My only comment about the next scene is that Cal is seriously fucked in the head.

Also, why are literally all assassins decent artists? Is it a genetic thing?

Next, the ever classic “I woke up in a strange place with a needle in my arm so don’t mind me while I rip that little shit right out & make a beeline for the door” scene. &, of course, I wonder why he runs? There is literally no threat? What does he think this is, an episode of the Twilight Zone? You’re a paranoid fucker, aren’t you Cal?

My next thing is, if Aguilar had his finger cutoff how can Cal wear his blades?

Like I understand it is very likely Abstergo modified them, but I still feel like they should have explained that? Because I’m pretty sure there was some perceptive non-gamer in the theater wondering how the fuck Cal could wear them without cutting his own finger off? & why the fuck, if Aguilar had two blades, did they only cut off the finger on one hand? I smell so many continuity issues here it’s not even funny. But I can hear your thoughts: oh Murphy now you’re just nitpicking at the small details shut up. As an aspiring director & screenwriter, as a lover of film, I’m nitpicking at this because there’s someone in the crowd who did too. This sort of thing shouldn’t be left unsaid, even if it is “obvious”.

Now, my thoughts on the Animus: cool af, like legit. I imagine Rebecca looking at it & yelling “what did you do to baby??” with either utter horror or excited surprise. It’s an amusing image, you should try picturing it in your head. I’m not gonna complain about continuity here because its 2016 in the movie & Desmond died in 2012 so Abstergo has probably upgraded a lot. Also, this makes the historic scenes a lot more exciting.

Plus, look at the lighting! This is literally so aesthetically pleasing.

The next historic scene is pretty epic, though I was yelling at the assassins for dying in the fight because guys ??? what are you stormtroopers? I don’t really have any critics about the fight scene because the choreography was amazing, I mean the scene during the chase where Maria fucking backflips off the rock to get behind the Templar? Hot as hell.

Plus, can we just appreciate that they fulfilled the ONE thing that all games share? That one fucking mission where you’re chasing someone in a carriage/cart/on horesback & it takes you five tries to do without dying! I was really happy about this.

Now, the next thing I’m about to share is something I was literally screaming about after I saw the movie. When this scene played out, as short as it was, I was excited af. I knew immediately what I was seeing & that made me very happy. Of course, this was all theory until I got the DVD & watched it... which confirmed my wildest hopes.

Do you see this book? The one Sophie is reading? Do you see how it’s written in Arabic? Do you see how thick it is, the drawing, the little notes scrawled in the corners? DO YOU SEE? Because THIS is Altair’s motherfucking codex. They put his fucking codex in the movie! Sure, it’s a tiny easter egg that you can’t be sure of on the big screen but... I knew it. They put it in. Altair exists! This literally made me so happy last night when I paused the movie I was screaming, like not even in my head I was physically screaming & my mom came upstairs to make sure I was okay.

Plus, even if this ISN’T what I think it is, among the pages Sophie has put up around the apples figures there seems to be at least two written in Arabic. So I have high hopes.

Well, I think I should end on that good note. As I said, I’m open to feedback & discussion! &, as for the rest of the movie, I’ll get into that in a different post so it’s not all jam-packed in one long ass post. Either way, here we have it!