#Usually I wait for a series' season to be over before writing a review but I couldn't wait!

[vignetterose]

My review of Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur is here!

[dcbbw]

WIP Wishlist 2024

Hello tumblrs , and Happy March 2020-4! I’m still waiting for the new year to actually feel like a new year instead of a continuum of the year before it. Can anyone else relate? 

At the very beginning of the year, while battling a never-ending case of RSV, I saw posts here about people’s writing resolutions and goals for this year. Me? I have a wish list of stories I want to start, continue, and/or finish. I will still be writing original stories, but thinking this may be the year I settle down and write/publish my own Great American Novel. We’ll see.  

Meanwhile, below is a glimpse of what immediately came to mind when I thought to put this together. Where applicable, snippets will be posted. As usual, everything is in states of rough drafts and flux, and final publication may vary from what you read here.  

Newbies:  

These are stories that are in the creation conception stage; ideas, thoughts, some words.  

The False Queen 

A long ago battle between the True Queen (Ravika/Riley) and her usurper (Magda/Madeleine) resumes during the Cordonian Social Season. Think Xena, Warrior Princess with some time travel thrown in. 

Untitled 

An unlikely pair (Justin/Anton x Kiara) finds love during the Engagement Tour. But with Anton having other plans in mind, the path to happily ever after is anything but smooth.  

Wolves and Sheep 

Combining my Riam, Anton, and Secrets of Cordonia AUs, this is the story of the trial of Anton Severus.  

At the prosecutor’s table sits the Duchy’s High Counsel and Lord Rashad Domvallier. Folders and papers are stacked neatly on the table while the men converse quietly as they type on laptop keyboards.  

The defense attorneys sit at a table across the aisle from them: a statuesque blonde woman wearing a gray pantsuit and an African man in a pinstriped three-piece navy suit. The woman is reviewing a document, her pen occasionally scribbling on the paper. The man is speaking in hushed tones into his cellphone. 

Security is omnipresent: King’s Guards work and stand side-by-side with the local constabulary and guardians of the Court.  

A side door swings open; two guards, followed by the defendant and two additional sentries enter. The guards part, allowing the public its first glimpse of Anton Severus in over five years. The quiet of the courtroom is broken by rustling and whispering as everyone strains forward. Members of the Cordonian Court are no exception.  

A sneer of disdain twists the mouth of the Duchess of Lythikos, Anton’s ex-wife. Her fingertips unconsciously begin rubbing the area on her abdomen where his dagger tore her flesh. 

The King leans forward intently, his dark-ebony eyes hard as obsidian. His expression is stoic, betraying nothing. 

The Queen is sitting ramrod straight, her eyes wide. “Holy FUCK, he’s hot!” she murmured. “I could make that man a King.” 

Without breaking his gaze on his nemesis, the King lightly slaps her thigh, causing his wife to frown at him. “I said what I said,” she hisses. “I did it for you, I can do it for him.” 

“I was royal long before I met you, and King when I married you,” Liam reminds her in a slightly reproving tone, his eyes still fixed on Anton. 

“There you go, twisting the narrative,” Riley huffs as she reaches for her husband’s hand. He readily allows her to hold it. 

Affairiage 

I thought I was making Leo Rys and Savannah Walker leads in my version of Same Time Next Year, but it appears I’m doing a fanfic of 28 Summers 

Heartland 

Back in the Year 500 BC, I came up with the idea of a late 1950s period piece featuring the TRR crew, and promptly never said another word about it:  

Well, cauldrons are beginning to bubble, and plans are being made to rework plot and premise to turn this into an anthology series set in the American Midwest during an era where Dick Clark reigned, Jim Crow ruled, and innocence began to lose its bloom.   

Sixteen Candles 

Another story that popped into my brain and left just as quickly. But thoughts of Drake Walker as Jake Ryan and Liam as Long Duck Dong are back and this time, I don’t think they’re going anywhere. 

Small Town Secrets 

This was originally titled Life in a Southern Town aka The Political AU and was going to follow the political campaigns of five mayoral candidates: Riley Brooks, the incumbent; her ex-husband Liam Rys (they still live together in the same house and co-parent their two daughters), a former state senator; Madeleine, District A councilmember; Leo Rys, the dark horse candidate; and Drake Walker, Riley’s former (?) lover who calls her a demon and a plague on the town.  

However, life events and imagination are collaborating, and I am repurposing the story to include political intrigue, hidden secrets, and humor in inappropriate places.  

Debating if this will be a Great American Novel nominee, and whether to use OCs versus the usual cast of characters.  

Little Nobles 

A (somewhat) light-hearted look at the childhoods of my favorite noble gang, along with the friendships and rivalries between their parents. 

In Progress: 

Stories that are nagging me to write them/finish them 

City Girl, Country Boy 

Tis the season, and Liam finds himself alone on holiday in Manhattan where he runs across an old friend. 

From the corner of my eye, I glimpse height and dark wool; hands stuffed in pockets. Perfectly combed dark hair and Asiatic features on a half-shadowed face. I mentally shake my head as I continue walking. It’s been over a decade since we last laid eyes on each other; there’s no way it’s him.  

I’m disappointed that after all this time, I still search for his face in the crowd, that I still hope he will pursue me despite the different trajectories our lives have taken. My steps are quicker as I pass apartment buildings, skyscrapers, and storefronts gaily decorated in the theme of the season. Street vendors hawk bootleg wares  

I’m nearing Canal Street subway when I hear running footsteps behind me. Automatically, I step to aside, so I don’t get barreled over but the steps slow as they near me.  

“Excuse me, miss,” a familiar baritone says, and I stop walking.  

It can’t be.  

I haven’t heard that voice in 12 years, but I don’t need to look to know who it is. I turn anyway so my ears and eyes can be in agreement. I am hoping my expression is neutral despite my insides being a squirrel in traffic.  

He hasn’t changed.  

His hair is still black with that streak of gray on the side; his face still unlined. Or maybe the New York night softens his years. He wears a custom-tailored, black wool coat; his wingtips are so polished, I see the streetlamps reflected in them. His cologne is subtle and not the one I remember. He still exudes confidence despite the smidgen of uncertainty in his eyes.  

Me on the other hand, I am now more TJ Maxx and Macy’s clearance rack than Louboutin. I don’t smell expensive; more like affordable. My trench coat is �� vintage, and long overdue for a dry cleaning. My shoes are a dull matte black, scuffed from traversing streets and subways.  

“It is you.” I hear his disbelieving whisper despite the throng of people impatiently jostling past us. 

The Odd Couples 

It’s throwback DC AU gang, all mixed up: Liam x Liv; Drake x Madeleine; Leo x Riley; Max x Penelope 

The couple was in Baltimore for the weekend, attending a costume party thrown by Liv’s employer. There had been a buffet, open bar, and a prize for the best costume. Which Liam and Olivia did not win; Carlos Santiago, a member of the Environmental Services team, along with his wife and three children came costumed as birds and bees and won the prize.  

Liam and Liv were The Ricardos: Olivia’s red hair was done up in Lucy’s signature poodle hairstyle, and her dress was a dead ringer for the world’s most famous housewife’s iconic frock. He had wanted to wear a tuxedo and carry a conga drum but settled for Ricky’s purple polka dot silk smoking jacket with shawl collar, black pants, and black velvet slippers.  

“I can’t believe we didn’t win!” Liam muttered beneath his breath as he came behind Olivia, arms encircling her waist; his palms splayed against her flat, toned stomach. She responded by leaning against him, her back pressed against his chest.  

“Don’t hate!” she admonished. “With those Korean features and Boston accent, no way were you a convincing Cuban band leader. Besides, you have to admit the birds and the bees is a pretty creative idea.” 

“Not more creative than my SOCK GAME! I mean, Liv … you gotta admit, it’s damn good tonight!” 

He was wearing black, knee-length socks with red hearts inscribed with “I Love Lucy” scattered all over.  

Olivia rolled her eyes in exasperation at the mention of his sock game. 

This man and his socks! He thought his sock game could cure cancer and bring about world peace. 

“You’re sock game is great as it always is, darling. But it was a costume contest,” Olivia placated in a soothing tone as his fingers began removing bobby pins from her hair.  

She spun around, facing her boyfriend. Her hair fell in soft curls that framed her face. Her green eyes twinkled as she pressed a quick kiss against his lips.  

“You big, spoiled baby,” she teased. “Wanna smoke? I brought a couple of blunts along.” 

Quickly, he shook his head. “No way am I going to be in BALTIMORE off some loud.” 

Alienation of Affection 

An installment of my Gritty City AU loosely based on true events where sneaky links and self-loathing collide. Reader discretion will be advised. 

Caught 

Inspired by a keysmash-filled convo with @ao719, a twist on the night of the Engagement Ball 

This is her first admission of guilt and/or wrongdoing our entire time together.  

She has no choice.  

I attempt a deep inhale, but my chest is too tight.  

The wedding is in one week. Tonight was our engagement gala.  

“Yes, Liam yes!!! A THOUSAND TIMES, yes!” 

I caught her … them … in the act. The woman I love madly, truly, deeply and the man I trust more than anything in the world.  

I manage to choke out a single question. “Why?” 

Her shoulders slump as her head falls forward, causing her hair to cover her profile. “It hasn’t been going on long; it started on the Engagement Tour. I told him in Vegas that what we had would have to end.” 

I watched her leave the stag party arm-in-arm with Drake Walker. My best friend, with whom Riley wanted to have a fling. She swore it was a one-time affair; she was too much in love with me, but she wished to satisfy her curiosity.  

I attempted to leave first, but I was not only one of the honorees, I was also King.  

Per traditional protocol, the King is the last to leave.  

So I remained behind, drinking copious amounts of American liquor, making small talk in a loud voice so as to be heard over noisy music, and dancing with women I had previously rejected.  

All while Riley spent the night with another man. 

“But it hasn’t,” I interrupt harshly. 

Based on Tumblr Events:  

Untitled Song Rewrite 

Based on Jill Scott’s Epiphany 

Sisters Someone 

A two-part story that brings together Sloane Washington and Kiara Theron for their respective appreciation weeks (hosted by @lizzybeth1986) 

Untarnished Silver 

For King Liam Appreciation Week (KLAW), a look at 25 years of the rule and reign of Cordonia’s favorite King 

The Grand Ballroom in the Palace’s West Wing had been completely transformed into an elegant banquet hall:  

Buffet tables filled with steaming trays of foods catered from two of Cordonia’s newest and most critically acclaimed restaurants: The Little Lamb, and its sister eatery The Commoner’s Crown, were conveniently placed next to open bars throughout the humongous room.  

Tables were covered with white linen cloths and topped with floral centerpieces of irises, Peruvian lilies, and magnolias in silver vases. The flowers represented congratulations and longevity, sentiments that had been expressed repeatedly to the King and his family during the tour.  

Balloon bouquets colored silver and cream floated near the ornate ceiling, as well as being tied to chairbacks. Dining tables strategically ringed the room, affording the 1,500 attendees a full view of the stage and podium. Life-sized photographs hung from brocaded walls, capturing moments of the King’s life:  

Accepting the Crown Princeship one week to the day his brother Leo abdicated.  

Coronation night, wearing the King’s crown, royal robes, and holding the family scepter.  

Feeding ducks at Lake Fabian with his mother.  

He and Riley’s engagement portrait.  

Their wedding day, mouths opened in laughter with their faces covered in cake and frosting.  

In a dressing gown, his back to the camera and face in profile as he held one of his sons in his arms. 

Atop a horse with a frown of concentration on his face, playing in a charity polo match, the camera catching his mallet mid-swing. 

Speaking with Chancellor Merkel at a summit, a half-smile on his face as they looked down at a document, his index finger pointing to something on the paper. 

He and Riley dancing at their 20th wedding anniversary party, her face nuzzled against his neck while his lips hovered above her ear. 

A funny family portrait, complete with exaggerated poses and expressions. 

The Couple Next Door 

A reworking of the 2005 action comedy hit, Mr. & Mrs. Smith 

Final Cut 

Based on the first three chapters of a Round Robin hosted by @choicesprompts 

Bertrand Beaumont turned off the microphone before shuffling, then paper-clipping his index cards. He glanced up briefly to see the group filing out of the hotel’s ballroom; a curious expression crossed his face when he saw a few laggers approach others, striking up conversations.  

What have I gotten myself into? 

Starting a public relations firm had seemed a great idea a year ago. With the Duke’s diverse background in fashion, finance, and political legalities, coupled with his penchant for decorum and obsession with appearances, it had seemed a no-brainer. 

Savannah was his operations manager, responsible for events logistics and administrative support. Justin Severus was his right-hand person; he had done a marvelous job restoring the Queen’s reputation after the unfortunate incident at Applewood.  

He stepped from behind the podium and briskly made his way off the dais, looking down at his watch as he strode through the room. Looking back up, he saw Justin leaning against a wall, waiting for him at the elevator bank. The closer Bertrand approached his deputy, a wide smile spread across Justin’s face.  

“You were great!” he greeted the Duke. “You kept the rowdies in line and gave them just enough to pique their curiosity.” 

 Bertrand pushed the call button. “This group is not what I was expecting. South American overlords. Hollywood has-beens and wanna-bes. AMERICANS! We’re going to need to double-check the mentor list again.” 

Bertrand had postponed the mentor/mentee matchup because it was not yet finalized.  

“It’s a hella group, for certain. The subject of an international child custody case, a lawsuit-riddled doctor, disgraced C-suite executive, Leo, Trystan, Olivia, a scandal-ladened starlet, America’s Sweethearts, Princess Marguerite, and Duke Dick.” 

Bertrand gave Justin a withering glance. “DO NOT engage in intercourse with the Princess!” he warned.  

“Too late,” Justin smirked.  

Bertrand shook his head before commenting again. “The Selection Committee must have been drunk when they approved their choices. Have the other members of Court arrived?” 

The elevator arrived and the gentlemen boarded. Justin’s index finger punched their floor number as he shook his head.  

“Not yet. A storm is coming in, waves are choppy. They should be here by 4, and that will be the last ferry into and out of the Isle until Monday morning.” 

Bertrand mulled over the information. “At least we don’t have to worry about anyone sneaking off.” 

Finish Them:  

So these are stories that are soooo close to completion, but I am on the fence with two of them; the others, not sure why they are still sitting around gathering dust.  

House of Cards 

Based on the international phenomenon Squid Games, this is the backstory of “The Salesman”. On the fence about this story, and more so about posting this one in the fandom. 

On this, the night of Day 2, the remaining participants were playing yet another “game”: Pillow Fight.  

Innocent sounding enough.  

Except everyone knew there would be a deadly twist, and all wanted to be alive in the morning. After realizing that this was a game to the death; overcoming the initial shock of a robotic doll the size of a fully grown tree whose eyes were infra-red cameras, and learning elimination meant certain demise … partners had already become opposition.  

Player 081 inadvertently set the match to the fuse. No one knew if it was intentional. No one cared. 

The middle-aged man, who was less than 48 hours into a dry drunk, muttered “fuck” under his breath as he stood on his top tier bunk in an attempt to press his palm against the glass pig’s underbelly.  

No one was sure why.  

Was he trying to steal the bank’s treasure? Or turn off the irritating light? 

 It no longer mattered.  

The money wasn’t his and now, it never would be. 

As pillowcases filled with objects such as rocks, sturdy tree branches, and in some …mere feathers randomly swung wildly, the white cotton slowly seeped red. Hollers and screams filled the room and echoed off walls and ceilings as beds collapsed from metal bars being snatched by the frenzied mob or being tipped over in the melee.  

On the other side of the bunker, a thin, petite woman who looked no older than a teenager sniffled, the tears she cried streaking a bruised cheek covered with the dried blood of a corpse. A young man lay on his side behind her on the narrow mattress, his cracked voice in her ear.  

“It’s gonna be okay, Soo-Ah; just four more games and then we can leave,” he assured her in a ragged whisper. 

The woman hitched her breath. “My pillowcase has FEATHERS, Sang-yul! If they pull me into the fray, I’ll be leaving here a lot sooner than four days!” Her body shook with silent sobs. 

The 23-year-old street urchin said nothing. Instead, he swallowed heavily and tried not to puke at the smell of blood, both old and fresh, assailing his nostrils. His arms tightened around Soo-Ah, his only friend in this hellhole.  

The pig’s lighting flickered faster and more erratically as the fighting grew more frenzied. Sickening thuds, bellows of pain, and the sounds of shoe soles squeaking against the blood and brain splattered linoleum flooring were as loud as bombs.  

Sang-yul chanced a glance over his shoulder, his body tensing at the sight of someone headed in their direction, their face pale and ghoulish in the broken light. A metal pipe was carried in one hand, a bloodied cloth sack in the other.  

Coal black eyes darted everywhere looking for a victim.  

Less players meant more money. 

Sins of the Father 

A Gritty City AU installment. Reader discretion will be advised. 

He met Madeleine at her car door, his lips crashing uninvited against hers in a kiss filled with desperation and disbelief. When the kiss ended as abruptly as it began, Madeleine adjusted her tortoise-shell glasses while her green eyes searched Liam’s face almost warily.  

“What the hell was that?”  

“Someone killed Poppa Joe tonight!”  

Madeleine quelled a shiver that raised goosebumps on her exposed skin before reaching back inside the car for her purse. “Thank GOD,” she breathed as opened the rear driver-side door to release Hans and Gunther, who bounded out of the car and sat before Liam so he could rub their heads and murmur sweet gibberish to them. 

The restauranteur was yet another of Poppa Joe’s victims; when she was 15, the priest had gotten her pregnant. The scandal was handled quietly by the parish and her parents; the latter believed the father of the baby was an upperclassman named Tariq.  

The young blonde left school for one month due to “illness”. It wasn’t a complete fabrication. 

Madeleine’s abortion was a back-alley botch job which left her with a raging infection and too much blood loss. She survived but had to have an emergency hysterectomy.  

She no longer cared. When she and Liam were getting serious and discussing marriage and family, he was relieved they would be unable to have children.  

Tariq, the son of poor Moroccan immigrants, was transferred to an exclusive private school in the city’s North End, all expenses paid via a scholarship provided by St. Joan’s Academies. 

“How did the rest of the party go?” she asked quietly as they began walking towards the house, holding hands; her blonde hair bounced against her shoulders. 

Liam nodded slightly. “Good. We got Sloan Enterprise and slew of new donors.” His side-eyed his wife. “Where did you go with the dogs? It was supposed to be a walk.” 

Madeleine turned her head vaguely, meeting her husband’s gaze.  

“Ice cream,” she replied in a soft voice.  

Her husband nodded thoughtfully. The term was code between them; when situations became too overwhelming, too triggering, they said they needed “ice cream.” 

“I hope you brought me some back.” Liam squeezed Madeleine’s hand more tightly.  

“You don’t like chocolate.” 

The Queen’s Friendship 

Riley was chatting with Maxwell in the Delegates Dining Room at the UN, waiting for the gala to begin. Liam was at the head of the room, arm in arm with Madeleine. His eyes spotted Riley and he winked. Riley rolled hers and turned her back to him.  

“Blossom, don’t act like this! You know he’s trying,” Maxwell begged.

“WE’RE trying! He’s kissing his fiancée,” Riley retorted. Her eyes scanned the room. “Oh, look … there’s Drake,” she stated before walking away from Maxwell.  

Riley had no idea if it was Drake or not, she just wanted away. From Liam, Madeleine, Maxwell … Cordonia. Riley figured now was the time to make the break. She was back home in New York City. She still had her apartment, for the next month at least. She passed by elegantly dressed tables and came upon an hors d'oeuvres station; she paused to pile a tiny plate with even tinier bits of food when she heard her name.  

“Riley Brooks?” 

She turned, a disinterested expression on her face until she saw who it was. Riley hurriedly set her plate on the edge of the buffet table before wrapping her arms around Veronica.  

“OH MY GOD, Ronnie! What are you doing here?” Riley shrieked.  

Veronica hugged her old friend tightly. “It’s so good to see you!” The women separated. “You look great, girl! I’m one of the event planners, why are you here?” 

Riley shrugged. “I’m with the band.” 

Veronica shook her head in disbelief. “How did you end up with royalty?” 

“I answered an ad to be a waitress.” 

DC AU Series, Chapter 6 

The chirping of birds and a full bladder woke Riley up. She arched her neck, eyes still closed; they opened quickly when she felt arms around her waist and Liam’s soft snores behind her. Last night ran through her brain: their fight, their kiss, their confessions. Riley inhaled and let out a shaky breath; were they really going to do this? 

Yes. 

Was she ready for it? 

No.  

Her hands curled around Liam’s wrists, trying to pull them apart. He resisted at first, but let his arms fall away from her body. Riley missed their warmth immediately.  

“Where are you going?” Liam mumbled.  

“Bathroom and to take my meds.” 

“Your pill and a bottle of water are on your nightstand.” 

Riley looked and saw the pink pill sitting on a tissue, next to an unopened bottle of water. When did he do that? 

“Thank you. But unless you put a toilet on the nightstand as well, I gotta get up.” 

Liam shifted, allowing Riley to move and sit up. He watched her adjust her night shirt; his eye was caught by a mole on the back of her neck.  His finger reached out, touching it experimentally. Riley giggled as she shrugged away from his touch.  

“It’s like a potato bug,” Liam said as he tried to touch the mole again.  

“Oh, dear God! Don’t you have to go to work or something?”   

Liam lay on his back, hands behind his head. “Not going in today. You need me here.” 

Riley frowned at him as she walked past the foot of the bed. “I’m fine, Liam. It’s just Drake.” 

“Drake with apologies and explanations and closure. Different Drake than what you’re used to. I’ll feel better if I’m here.” 

Riley shook her head as she stepped into the bathroom.  

“This is what having a man who wants to claim you is like, Riley B.!” he called out.  

“We’re not there yet!” she hollered back.  

“Practice makes perfect!” 

Oldies but Goodies: 

New chapters/updates of old stories:  

Timing 

Object of Affection 

Betrayal (Riam) 

The Commonerr’s Wife 

The Commoner (not that old, but I too want a thrid chapter) 

One Night Stand 

UnRomance 

Streets of New York

Platinum (truly needs to be filed under Finish Them)

Best Friend (Depeche Mode Diary entry, needs to be a Finish Them)

Liara 

And these are my #goals for 2024 writing-wise. I hope something caught your eye, piqued your interest. For all those still hanging with me and exercising the utmost patience while I let life kick my ass, I LOVE YOU! Something’s coming soon-ish, just not sure what.  

Hope you’re here for it. 

Tagging: @jared2612 @marietrinmimi @indiacater @kingliam2019 @bebepac @liamxs-world @mom2000aggie @liamrhysstalker2020 @twinkleallnight @umccall71 @superharriet @busywoman @beezm @gabesmommie1130 @tessa-liam @gardeningourmet @mainstreetreader @angelasscribbles @emkay512 @princessleac1 @charlotteg234 @alj4890 @lovingchoices14 @lady-calypso @choicesficwriterscreations

[timeagainreviews]

The Eve-ish of Season One-ish

During the early ‘90s, the comic book industry went through a bit of a boom. Speculators were buying up stacks of comics that might one day put their kids through college. Eager to meet the frothing demand of buyers, the comics industry responded with bagged, foiled, embossed, holographic, and even glow-in-the-dark covers guaranteed to be collector’s items. Many long-running titles were reset to issue one, giving new readers a less intimidating jumping-on point. While the comic book bubble eventually popped, the practice of rebranding runs back to issue one continues to this day. With Doctor Who rebranding this new series as “season one,” it’s safe to say that, once again, the show is taking another page from the Marvel playbook.

If you wanted to be cynical, you could say the re-branding comes more from necessity than accessibility. HBO Max had the streaming rights to Doctor Who (2005). But this is Doctor Who (2023) of which Disney+ has exclusive rights. This goes hand in hand with Russell T Davies’ courting of the House of Mouse, along with the very controversial new release schedule which many have complained seems to favour an American audience. While Americans will be able to watch “tonight’s” premiere in a primetime time slot, British audiences will be forced to either stay up well past midnight or wait until tomorrow. Usually, when I write these articles ahead of premieres, it is the evening before but this new scheduling throws that all out of wack.

Longtime readers will remember me saying at one point that Doctor Who should go to Disney. While I plan to write a follow-up article rectifying and even arguing against some of my own points, the fact is, it still came true. I even suggested a musical episode, which has already come true and possibly again with “The Devil’s Chord.” I even called the plot of the Timeless Children as far back as my review of “The Ghost Monument.” It’s almost like I’ve got a TARDIS of my own, or my finger is so on the pulse of Doctor Who that I can feel the four beats of its rhythm as I type these prophetic words. Or maybe I just pay attention. Either way, you should definitely stick around to read my thoughts ahead of Doctor Who season one as they're bound to come true. (Joking, of course.)

Russell T Davies

What can be said about RTD that hasn’t been said already? The man has left his mark on the history of the show, what more could he possibly do? Well if you’re Chibnall stan, that’s exactly the question on which a lot of their arguments have hinged. Many people seem to think of his reinstatement as showrunner as a step back for the show. Some believe he was appointed as a filler after the contentious Chibnall era. Some say he’s too woke now. Others say he’s problematic. While I do agree that his handling of trans issues was clumsy, I also believe his heart is in the right place. However, I have a couple of concerns with RTD in his present form.

Firstly, I have to ask, was there no one else for the job? After Moffat left, the BBC have had difficulty finding someone willing and able to take over the show. Chris Chibnall always felt like he took the job almost as a favour to the BBC. I find it hard to believe that Russell T Davies was the only showrunner they could find. He feels like a safe bet, and in more ways than Chibnall ever did, a stopgap. It feels like the BBC doesn’t really understand what Doctor Who needs, and therefore has a hard time finding the people capable of delivering those things, outside of proven entities like RTD and Steven Moffat, both of whom are returning this year in some capacity. The BBC is pushing for diversity, but couldn’t think of a single woman or person of colour to showrun Doctor Who? 

Secondly, I wish he would chill the fuck out. I mentioned diversity, and while I do appreciate Doctor Who’s first official trans companion and what is looking like the queerest TARDIS crew yet, I wish the show would get back to basics- good writing. They keep going on about how controversial the new season is going to be, and I’m so damn tired. I’m tired of defending the show to conservative chuds who think a woman Doctor is going to make their dick fall off. I’m tired of watching showrunners pull a muscle from patting themselves on the backs for their progressive stance. I don’t want you to scare away those conservative chuds, I want you to prove them wrong. I want them to see these things can work when they’re written well. We just went through five years of people thinking bad writing was confirmation that a woman can’t be the Doctor. I’m glad you want to represent people like me on screen, now please do something with it.

Ncuti Gatwa as the Doctor

It’s hard not to be excited for Ncuti Gatwa. He’s got a magnetism that draws your attention the moment he’s onscreen. It’s still far too early in his run to have a definite impression as to what kind of Doctor he’ll be. So far, his portrayal of the Doctor has a warmth and cheekiness about him. He’s mirthful if not a bit mercurial. Gatwa has even referred to his Doctor as “slutty,” which I definitely see and appreciate. I also love that he sees this as a trait he shares with the Third Doctor, which is both a strange and astute observation. Furthermore, he and Pertwee’s Doctors share a commonality by wearing less of a costume and more of a wardrobe. My only qualm in Gatwa’s case is that his wardrobe could use a little more consistency. However, you could argue that the Doctors only ever need to dress like themselves, as opposed to in a certain style. 

We’re in a good place with Nctui Gatwa moving forward. He’s had a stellar introduction and received quite a positive response from fans. Judging from his performance in Sex Education, we know he’s capable of a wide range of emotions. What little we’ve seen of his Doctor has shown us that he’s capable of being a bizarre yet dashing alien hero. He’s also managed to find a fresh approach to a character played by over a dozen people before him, which is impressive, to say the least. Whether he’ll become my new fave or not is yet to be seen, but that hardly matters. What matters most is that he’s the Doctor here and now. 

Millie Gibson as Ruby Sunday

This is a weird one to write about. Had you caught me right after “The Church on Ruby Road,” I’d have told you how excited I was for Ruby’s character. Millie Gibson plays her with an adorable charm and she’s clearly a great partner for Gatwa’s brand of crazy sexy cool. But now we’ve seen rumours that she’ll be replaced by Varada Sethu halfway through season two. The BBC and RTD both responded (a bit late) to rumours that she’s being replaced and that they’ll both be companions at the same time, but it feels as though Ruby Sunday is coming to an end just as we’re getting to know her.

I would also like to circle back to how poorly the BBC handled the rumours surrounding Gibson’s departure. She’s a very young actress who may or may not have been fired from a high-profile role early in her career. Even if this is not true, the rumour mill was running amok and the BBC was mum on the subject for weeks. That kind of stigma could follow an up-and-coming actor’s career for years, labelling them as difficult. It’s like they learned nothing from their experiences with Christopher Eccleston.

While the Andor fan in me is very excited by the prospect of Varada Sethu’s tenure in the TARDIS, I’m still trying to remain enthusiastic for Ruby Sunday. Already they’ve shown her character to be compassionate and a bit adorkable. I’m not incredibly interested in the mystery surrounding her character’s birth mother as it feels very Moffaty. I’ve always felt like Davies’ strongest work with companions was his ability to ground them emotionally, and not in making their past a mystery to be solved by some man. I’m more interested in her relationship with her family than some hooded woman doing her best impression of the Jodie Whittaker reveal trailer. Like I said, a return to basics would be greatly appreciated.

Magic Maestros and Monsters

The introduction of mysticism and mystery has been a welcome addition to Doctor Who. When you watch classic stories such as “The Daemons,”  “Image of the Fendhal,” or “Pyramids of Mars,” it’s hard not to imagine there’s not some sort of mystical force at work. Even the stygian witches of “The Shakespeare Code,” seemed to tap into words with a degree of magic. Magic feels oddly at home for Doctor Who. However, you could also argue that the introduction of mysticism to Doctor Who oddly demystifies some of its greater mysteries. When the Doctor couldn’t explain something with science or alien interference, we were left to speculate. But now- a wizard did it.

As I said in my review of “The Church on Ruby Road,” the introduction of magic and superstition places the Doctor in a unique position where he’s a bit out of his depth. One qualm I’ve had with the Whittaker era was how her Doctor was rarely confused. It’s nice then that we’re entering a new era where the Doctor must learn to adapt. It’s now possible for an evil drag queen to force people into an all-singing, all-dancing, chorus line of death. Awesome. Maybe we’ll also see some monsters from the past revealed to be actual magic beings. Perhaps the Fendahl are more than creepy worms, but something far more mystical. Maybe Sutekh the Destroyer really is a god. The introduction of magic doesn’t just have to affect the future of the show, but the past as well. Just wait until the Daleks start pulling rabbits out of hats.

Dinsey+ Supremacy

I regret ever saying Doctor Who should go to Disney. At the time, I was making an argument that Disney is a good fit for Doctor Who because they would give it the budget and attention that it deserves. But Disney also introduces a troubling element into Doctor Who’s future- ownership rights. Historically, Doctor Who writers have maintained copyright over the characters they create. Because of this, any time someone at the BBC wants to use Sontarans, they have write a cheque to the Holmes estate. People like Lawrence Miles are free to develop the Faction Paradox outside of the Doctor Who novels where it began. And occasionally, we get a movie about Sil or a crappy K9 tv show nobody watched. The point is, Disney doesn’t do this. Should the mouse get his greedy mitts on the show, do you really see writers maintaining ownership over their creations? Say goodbye to fanmade charity books from Obverse Books or Mad Norwegian Press. Say hello to an even higher bar of restriction for new writers and artists to join the ranks of books and audios.

Is this the secret reason why they are pivoting toward a more magical rogues gallery of monsters? Are we being fed a new line of villains while Disney works on snatching up the rights to Sontarans and Daleks? Will they begin phasing out the characters that are holdouts from their original copyright owners? They say the BBC still owns the rights to Doctor Who. They say Disney only has streaming rights in exchange for budget funding. But RTD also said the BBC is in shambles. He also said the future of Doctor Who is in good hands. I fear that those hands are the gloved hands of Mickey Mouse. The show looks and feels better than it has in years, but its future feels dangerously close to becoming content. I want Doctor Who as written by this year’s winner of the Paul Spragg Memorial Contest, not Doctor Who as written by committee. 

[where-theres-smoak-2]

Percy Jackson Series Review (Spoilers for Whole Season 1!)

I finally watched the finale for the Percy Jackson series and figured I'll write a review for the whole season. Overall I think it was a good season, there were some really great moments and I think the cast did a really good of capturing the characters and the relationships from the books. However for me there were a few issues with the first season. So before getting into it, these are my own thoughts and opinions and there is a spoiler warning in effect from here on out, you have been warned. I'm going to start with my critiques first to get them out of the way and because I think its better to end on a good note. If you are someone who loved the show, believe it could do no wrong and don't want to hear any criticisms, feel free to skip over this section. For me personally though my critiques were enough of an issue for me that it did effect my enjoyment of the show at times which is why I want to talk about them, this wouldn't be an honest review if I didn't. But don't worry as long as my critique may be, my list of things I loved is even longer.

Critiques

Ok I'm sorry but I hated how whenever the heroes would show up at a monsters lair, eg medusa, the lotus casino and crusty's, they would instantly announce whose lair it was and how they trap their victims. To me this was just boring. In the books part of the fun was that they wouldn't immediately know but there would be little clues as to who they were dealing with. It added suspense, a sense of stakes and danger to those scenes in the book because you knew it was likely connected to a greek monster and you were waiting for the reveal, if you were a reader who knew greek mythology it was also fun to try and guess who the monster was before the reveal as well. But none of that was transferred over to the show. I have seen the argument made that well Sally taught Percy Greek Mythology in the series and Annabeth knows about Greek Mythology from camp so it makes more sense that they would know instantly and yeah doesn't stop it from being boring, sorry. For me I would rather something be suspenseful and exciting and have build up and have to adopt a bit of suspension of disbelief than have something that is technically realistic and makes sense and be boring, for me the worst crime a show can commit is to bore me. Besides them knowing Greek Mythology would be what allows them to figure it out just in the nick of time. After all the whole point is that these monsters have disguised themselves within the real world so that they can trick demi-gods etc, what would show these kids skills is them figuring out and defeating the monster just before they fall victim to them unlike the monsters other casualties. I guess what I am saying is there was a better way of showing that these kids were myth savvy and smart whilst still keeping the suspense and sense of danger. The way they did it made me feel like the characters were just hitting pause on the scene then going hold on let me just give the audience the cliff notes of this particular greek myth and then we'll get back to our regular scheduled viewing. It felt out of place, the dialogue was awkward to me and it was just the epitome of telling and not showing. The first time it happened I was a little disappointed but I shrugged it off, but as the season went on and it kept happening over and over I just got more frustrated with it, to the point that when Percy walked into Crusty's and announced 'I know who you are' I just rolled my eyes.

So the next criticism I have is the whole Lotus Casino scene. This scene was just a huge disappointment to me because once again it was boring. It started with our usual cliff notes break down of who the lotus people are and how they trap people with food (lotus flower) and then it was just them walking through the casino. Again in the book this scene is fun, the whole point of the casino is that it is so fun, so intoxicating that it distracts our heroes from their quest. They get taken in by it all and just become twelve year old kids, like that moment in the finale where Annabeth talks about how her dad wants to take her to Disneyland and Percy replies 'just be a kid' well the casino was supposed to be disneyland ok. It was supposed to be the fun place that every kid dreams of going and the place where a kid can just lose themselves in the fun and the wonder of it all. Instead in the show it was just lacklustre and underwhelming. Don't get me worng the scene with Hermes was amazing and I will talk about it more later, and I get the whole idea they were going with by having Annabeth and Percy not forget each other because they were together but Grover does forget because he was alone, I love that idea, it was a nice sentiment and good lesson but again I feel like it could have been done in a more exciting way. Percy and Annabeth could still have been distracted from the mission and had fun at the casion but maintained their memory of each other because they were together, they could have broken out of the 'spell' because they weren't alone and they could have had it so Grover finds it harder to break out of it because he was alone. Same message but whilst still keeping that sense of child like fun and wonder and excitement. I know many will hate me bringing the movies into it but in my opinion the movies did the casino scene better and I do wish the show had kept that level energy and excitement that the movie had in that scene, I do wonder though if part of the reason why they didn't go the route of showing the heroes having fun was because they didn't want there to be any comparison to the movie scene, like they wanted it to be so different that you wouldn't be able to make any connection between the two, but that's just me speculating.

Another thing is the whole deadline already passing change. Now the change itself I'm not upset by, I don't need the show to be an exact copy of the book and it was clearly set up to have that scene where Poseidon surrenders to save Percy, which I am definitely talking about that scene later in the things I loved part because that scene was just amazing. But my issue was first off the reaction of Percy and Annabeth when they realise how long they've been in the casino and they later learn that the deadline has passed. There is no sense of urgency or panic, they announce it like they are announcing a weather update, like oh we've wasted a load of time, we've missed the deadline, bummer. I just wish they had put a little more energy and urgency into that scene. Though to be clear I don't think this was an issue with the acting, as I said before I think the entire cast did an amazing job, but I do think there was an issue with direction and writing somewhere. Another issue I had with the passed deadline change is that we don't see the effect it has on the world. What I mean by that is in the books and I'm pretty sure the movie as well, it is made very clear what a war between the gods would look like to the human world, its natural disasters, storms, earthquakes, fires, tsunamis, you name it. In the books and movie, even though the deadline hasn't passed yet we see the effect of the gods merely preparing for war, it shows the stormy seas, the thunderclouds etc. But in the show nada, not even a grey cloud in sight.

Ok so those were my major criticisms, I know its a little long so apologies. The only other critiques I had were much less of an issue, I am a bit disappointed that Percy never spoke to the Zebra. It was a bit odd seeing as they mentioned the Zebra in the title of the episode, so I am not sure why they didn't include it, who knows maybe now that the show is on disney they thought Percy talking to horses and sea creatures was a little too disney princess and decided to remove it, again that's just speculation on my part, but I hope they do include it in season 2 if we get one, let percy jackson be a disney princess and talk to the flying ponies and fishes ok.

I also did feel like the pacing was sometimes a little off in places, it sometimes felt a bit rushed and like they could have added a little more context to some scenes even if it was just a couple of lines of dialogue, but these are very minor issues.

All The Best Bits.

Ok so now the criticism is out of the way lets focus on the good bits because there were plenty of them. First I want to start with the Greek Gods themselves because I really do think the show nailed them. I do think they tried to make them a bit more sympathetic in the show than they were in the books, because in the books it was very easy to hate them and it took a bit to warm up to them, as they were very dismissive and detached. Whereas in the show I think they found the perfect balance between showing their flaws when it comes to their children and in general but also adding some nuance and showing that they do care and love their children and they do struggle with having to stay away from them but also in showing how their absence effects their children. So first lets talk about Hermes.

Hermes

The scene between Annabeth, Percy and Hermes I think was one of my favourites of the season. I loved how when we first meet Hermes there's this fun, laid back feeling to him, he's just chilling in the casino with not a care in the world, but his entire demeanour changes the moment Luke is mentioned and you see how much of an emotional effect it is having on Hermes. The actor played that moment so so well, it really was great.

There was so many layers to that conversation between the three that made it so interesting to me. First it gives us some backstory on Luke and how the last time he saw Hermes they got into a fight but also how Hermes was warned to stay away but didn't listen and in the end made it worse for those he loves, then you've got the reveal that Poseidon was the one that warned Hermes to stay away and the reason why was because its too hard to watch your child suffer and not be able to do anything to stop it, which brings in the whole even gods feel powerless and how hard that is for a god to accept, that even they can't protect the ones they love and how that leads to the struggles of parenting. I mean the whole conversation was just layered with interesting topics and themes that you could spend hours picking apart. It genuinely made me feel so sorry for Hermes, which was new for me, because you could see what he was feeling, you weren't just hearing him say it, you could see how much he loves Luke, you could see how much it hurt him that his son hates him, you could see that he felt helpless to protect Luke and his mum, you could see the guilt he felt that every time he tried to help someone get to the underworld it always ended in them dying and you could see the fear that if his friends died Luke would only hate Hermes more.

I also loved that despite deliberately delaying them and saying he wouldn't help, he still does ultimately help them. He knew that Annabeth had picked his pocket and instead of stopping them he lets them take the car and leaves them instructions. I just really loved what they did with Hermes character and how much they did with his character in such a short scene.

Ares

Ares was another fun character, like he was surprisingly comical, I couldn't help but laugh when he started a fight on twitter and when he's describing the coming war between his father and uncle and he's practically got tears of joy in his eyes, like he is legit giddy at the idea and honestly does seem very in character for a god of war. But despite having those comical moments he was still threatening and terrifying when he needed to be, you still knew that this was a powerful being and that our heroes needed to tread carefully around him and that when he does threaten our heroes that threat is real.

The growing antagonism between Ares and Percy was also interesting to see, its very clear that Percy isn't a fan of Ares and that mutual dislike very quickly grows into hate between them. I loved that scene at the end of ep 5 when Percy says 'You think you know who I am but you don't. And if you're not careful you're going to find out.' It takes alot of guts to stand up to the literal god of war and I think this scene says alot about Percy's character and how he has this defiance and fight in him but also alot of bravery. Also this scene could have come across very silly and cheesy, its very difficult to have a 12 year old threaten a god and not have it come across as a bit ridiculous but I actually think they pulled it off and to me Percy seemed believable and intimidating in the moment.

I also think this scene leads really well to the fight between them on the beach at the end of the season. When Percy first suggests single combat, first blood wins, its understandable that Ares laughs at him. I mean when you look at it from Ares' pov he's an all powerful god of war and percy is 12. Of course Ares thinks the notion that this 12 year old, new demi-god could possible beat him and make good on his earlier threat, is utterly ludicrous. So Ares wasn't careful and then he found out. Course if you choose to fight a son of Poseidon on a beach right next to the ocean you deserve what's coming to you. But I still loved that moment when you've got little Percy being towered over by Ares, this tall muscular god, and then that wave just builds and towers over them both before it takes out Ares, allowing Percy to draw first blood whilst Ares is trying to regain his bearings. That was some top notch imagery right there, 10 out of 10.

Of course Ares doesn't take the defeat humbly and instead announces that Percy has made an enemy of him which honestly not an ideal situation for Percy to be on the bad side of the god of war, I do hope that doesn't have any consequences later on down the road, nah I'm sure it'll be fine, right.

Hephaestus

Another scene I really enjoyed was the scene between Annabeth and Hephaestus in the water park. Don't get me wrong I really loved the original scene in the book, it was actually one of my favourite book scenes and I loved how when all the cameras started recording Percy took a bow and said he hoped they (the gods) enjoyed the show. But I also really love this change they made with the golden chair. Not only did it add more greek mythology to the story it created that scene between Annabeth and Hephaestus. Like the scene with Hermes this scene told us alot about the gods and the kind of rules of that world. Annabeth says in her speech that its eat or be eaten, power and glory and nothing else matters. With just that one line we are painted a picture of a family and a world who backstab each and who only seem to care about how much power they can claim and how much glory they can gain. This ideology is also pushed onto the demigod children. You want your parent's attention well then you have to gain power and glory to get it and if you have to push others down or out of your way to do it then that's just the way it is and the way its meant to be.

You could see that Annabeth's speech really got to Hephaestus. When you think about his backstory, how he was thrown from mount Olympus by his own mother, how his wife is having an affair with his brother and they flaunt it in his face, how he tells Annabeth that despite what his brother may have said he is not a push over, its not surprising that Annabeth's words had an impact on him, he in particular has, quite literally, been injured by his own family and their ways, so it makes sense that he has sympathy for Annabeth. I think you can see this sympathy when he admits that he thought Athena had gone too far in her anger at Annabeth, I think he relates to Annabeth because he has seen her be rejected by her mother the same way he was rejected by his own mother. I also think the fact that he does show sympathy to Annabeth, that he does openly admit that some of the gods, himself included, don't like to be that way and the fact that he lets Percy go when Annabeth tells him that Percy is different, that he's better than that, all tells us alot about Hephaestus and makes him a sympathetic character. I am hoping to see more of him in future seasons and see where they take his character.

Hades

Hades was another one that was fun to watch. I mean you've got to admit he's a great host, he was very welcoming, he offered them snacks and beverages even threw in a few jokes to lighten the mood. He even waits politely for Percy to finish talking about how Hades and Ares stole the bolt before correcting him. I also found he was very relatable when he said that he wanted nothing to do with Zeus and Poseidon's drama over the bolt, my siblings also often get into dramas that I want no part in, Hades just wants to make an honest deal with Percy to get his helm back and then he'll happily return his mum.

What is really interesting though is that shift when he learns that Kronos is on the rise again. He becomes so afraid that he changes tact immediately and now feels like he needs the bolt to protect himself from Kronos. I feel like all these conversations the heroes have with each of the gods adds another layer to the gods. With Ares we learn that the gods like to backstab each other and claim power no matter what. With Hephaestus this is reinforced but we learn that not all of them want to be that way, with Hermes we learn that the gods can feel powerless, especially when it comes to watching their children struggle and with Hades we learn that even gods can fear. It also helps establish just how terrifying Kronos is that even the god of death is afraid of him.

But yeah, Hades was fun to watch, I think he often gets a bad rep in alot of modern media as being this evil villain but actually he's not in most greek myths, so its good that they show him here in a more nuanced light than just a villain, he just wants his helm back and when he does get it back he makes good on his promise and returns Sally. He's another character that I can't wait to see more of in future seasons.

Poseidon

They really teased us with Poseidon's character throughout the season, like we learned alot about him through other characters before we ever met him and it was interesting how Percy and his father's relationship grew even before they meet for the first time. To start with Percy is very understandably angry at his father, angry at his absence and believes that his father doesn't care about him or his mother. Despite that as we see from the way he is so determined to do well at capture the flag and win enough glory to get his father's attention that some part of him is still desperate for his father's approval and attention despite his anger at him. Things shift for Percy though after he falls from the arc and his father saves him and he has that conversation with the nymph or naiad where she relays a message from his father telling him he's there with him and that he's proud, that everything is going to be ok. Also this happens at a big moment for Percy because its the first time he realises that he can breath underwater. At the start of that underwater scene you can see how panicked he is and how he's desperately trying to pull his foot free, the fact that they paired that imagery with the voiceover saying how hard it is for his father to watch him struggle was really impactful, but this moment really shows the audience that Poseidon was not the uncaring and absent father we thought he was, he does care about his son, and in this moment when it wasn't possible to come himself he sent someone to speak for him, to reassure Percy that he was ok that he just needed to breath. For Percy this was the turning point for his relationship with his father and I think that was not just because his father saved him but because his father asked him to trust him and when Percy did he really was ok, he realised he could breathe underwater and was then able to get himself out of the water safely.

I think the fact that his father does care and is looking out for him and that it is hard for him to see Percy struggle is then further solidified when he speaks to Hermes, not only does Hermes repeat what the nymph said about Poseidon feeling powerless when watching Percy struggle but I think hearing the backstory of Luke and Hermes helped Percy understand how complicated the relationship between a demigod and their godly parent really is, helped him understand his father a bit more. I think it only made Percy more excited and eager to meet his dad though and we the audience were also excited that we'd finally get to see Poseidon, because they built that anticipation up over those first few episodes, just like Percy, we the audience were also disappointed when Poseidon isn't there because the Solstice passed.

Despite not physically being there though, the conversation between Percy and Nereid still told us alot about Poseidon as she was speaking his words, and I think it was very telling that the first thing Poseidon wants to tell his son is that its not his fault that he didn't get there before the deadline passed, that he was brave and strong and that Poseidon is still proud of him. I also love that even though he was released from his quest Percy is still determined to see the quest through and that Poseidon waits for him to make the choice himself and then gives him the pearls. I also love the change from the book where there are four pearls, I think they did this to show that Poseidon also cares about Sally.

Speaking of Sally, that flashback scene in ep 7 where she talks to Poseidon was so heartbreaking. Seeing her so broken and feeling like she is failing as a mother really pulls at your heartstrings but then when Poseidon does come he immediately reassures her. I also loved how when she says he doesn't want to know why she doesn't want Percy to go to camp, he still encourages her to tell him because he knows that she needs to get it off her chest and that she doesn't have anybody else to talk to. So even though it'll be painful for him to hear he still bears it for her sake, he allows her to talk it through and helps her come to a decision about their son's future. He doesn't get angry at her when she tells him that she wants Percy to know who he is before his family tries to tell him what they want him to be, he knows that she is right so instead he reassures her as best as he can and assures her that Percy will be stronger for it in the end because she, his mother, raised him well.

The moment when she asks him if he wants to talk to Percy just so he can hear his voice was another heart wrenching moment because its clear how much Poseidon longs to speak with his son. But then there is that rumble of thunder, almost like Zeus is warning him not to dare. But despite not speaking to him in that moment Poseidon says one day, when Percy knows who he is, where he belongs and what his true path is then he'll be right by his side. I think when he says this he is not just making this promise to Sally or to Percy, he's also promising himself it.

One little detail I did notice in this scene that kind of got at me though is that throughout their conversation Poseidon doesn't look at Sally once, it's like he can't bear too, she doesn't look at him either and its like its either too painful for them to make eye contact or like they feel its forbidden for them to look at each other. So instead Poseidon just stares either straight ahead or down at the bar, he doesn't look at her or at Percy. That is until Sally asks that question of does he want to talk to his son and that's when Poseidon looks over to Percy for the first time, he just can't help himself, he needs one glance and its such a simple gesture but in this context it is so emotional and moving, like honestly it was genius writing and the actors really sold it.

So now we are at my favourite scene in the season and that is the moment when Poseidon shows up to protect Percy from Zeus. This scene was just so amazing, like the significance of Poseidon surrendering to Zeus, it was more than just him surrendering the war and giving Zeus victory and glory, in that moment he was laying down his pride for the sake of his son. His son's life was more important to him than power or glory or pride and the significance of that moment is shown by Zeus' disbelief that Poseidon is doing this. For me I think it was a great emotional payoff and definitely worth them changing the plot so that the deadline had passed and that they were actually at war and not just preparing for it, allowing this surrender to happen. I think this moment also really proved to Percy that not only does his father love and care for him but that he is his father's top priority, that he really will do anything for him.

l also love how Poseidon calls Zeus out when he says Percy is forbidden and shouldn't exist, by pointing out that he had Thalia and like Thalia, Percy is a hero who will inspire others.

The conversation between Poseidon and Percy is also really moving, when Poseidon notes that obedience doesn't come naturally to Percy and that the sea doesn't like to be restrained I actually think he was proud to see those qualities in his son, that he very much does have the nature of the sea, like his father. The part when Percy asks if gods dream and if Poseidon ever dreams about Sally was very sweet and even though Poseidon doesn't say anything I think we all know what the answer is.

One thing that did strike me about the dynamic between Poseidon and Percy is that whenever Poseidon appears to Percy, whether that's through Nereid or himself directly, he is always there in a form of protection and reassurance. The first time when Percy falls from the arch, he physically protects him by saving him and then when Percy is panicking whilst trapped he reassures him, in ep 6 when Percy reaches the meeting place too late he protects him emotionally by reassuring him that its not his fault and then gives him the pearls as further protection to allow him to escape the underworld and then in the moment in the finale, he physically protects him from Zeus and also reassures him when Percy admits that he isn't obedient, adding the sir trying to be respectful because he's afraid his father might be upset with him, but Poseidon reassures him by saying that basically its the sea's nature to be untamed and Percy is of the sea. But yeah, I really do think that with Poseidon they really wanted to embody the idea of a Father's protection.

Zeus

Honestly we saw so little of Zeus that I don't have much to say. I think the actor did a good job of making him seem powerful, vengeful and terrifying. It was interesting that unlike Hades he seemed somewhat unbothered by the news that Kronos is trying to rise. I do think that this may have been a bit of a front though because Percy definitely hit a nerve with that line about Kronos coming to put Zeus back in his place and the whole your family only obey you out of fear not out of love.

The Luke Reveal

I'll be honest. I was a little worried about the reveal, having read the books I already knew that he was the true lightening thief and so knew the reveal was coming and my concern was that we hadn't really seen much of Luke or his friendship with Percy so I was a tad bit worried that the reveal wouldn't be all that impactful. But I am happy to say that I was wrong I actually think they did a really good job with the reveal and I would actually argue that it was better than even the book.

I am really glad that they added in the flashback scene of Luke helping Percy with his sword work in the beginning of the episode. Not only did it set up Percy defeating Ares but it also reminded the audience of that friendship between Luke and Percy. I very much got a sibling vibe from them, like Luke was an older brother that had taken Percy under his wing.

I feel like the way the wrote the reveal scene in the show added alot more nuance to it, in the books it was like yeah I betrayed you scorpion attack, but here it seems like both Luke and Percy are more conflicted. I believed Luke when he said that his actions weren't meant as a betrayal but a recruitment and that he was Percy's friend but that the god's were his enemy. It also seemed like Percy partly understood where Luke was coming from and hoped he could convince Luke to change his mind. The whole scene was very emotional and very tense and it went down hill fast after Percy mentioned Hermes and this brought out Luke's rage.

I think adding Annabeth to the scene and having her reveal herself when she did and announce that she heard everything, only heightened that tension and made it even more emotional. Now it wasn't just the betrayal Percy felt but we got to see the betrayal Annabeth felt. Also when Luke sees Annabeth, that look he gives her hits you right where it hurts and only adds to the heartbreak of it all, again the cast just did an amazing job, I don't have a single bad thing to say about any of their performances.

Another interesting detail in this scene though was the lighting. Because of the fireworks going off in the background it really did make some intriguing lighting choices. Like I noticed that as Percy is figuring out that Luke was the one who betrayed him, Luke was mostly lit in a red colour but around Percy the lightening was mostly greens, blues and that same golden colour that nereid glowed. Red associated with blood, war and danger and the blues, greens and golden colours associated with the sea. The changing lights also made it seem a little more creepy, like you are in one of those haunted mansion rides with flickering lights.

The Trio

The dynamic between the trio was also great to watch and to see grow as the season continued. I think each of them had their moments to shine and they worked really well off each other. I particularly loved seeing the friendship grow between Percy and Annabeth and seeing how close they became, their hugs were really cute and the comment made by Luke saying that they were like an old married couple was funny too and kinda accurate. I liked that at the beginning of the quest they were all kind of at odds with each other, Percy and Annabeth didn't particularly like each other and were very much strangers, Percy was still feeling a bit betrayed by Grover after the whole Nancy fountain thing and I think there was still tension between Grover and Annabeth because of Thalia. Having that tension at the beginning made it all the more satisfying to see them work through those issues and become stronger friends come the end of their quest.

Now some might think I am being negative about Grover here but I want to assure everyone that I mean this as a compliment not a slight but one thing that surprised me and that I thought was a great addition to his character is how manipulative and calculating Grover could be at times. And what I mean by that is like when he manipulated Ares into pretty much revealing that he was in on the theft of the lightening bolt, it was a really interesting side to Grover's character and honestly I hope we see more of that side of him in future seasons.

Another that I thought was interesting was Annabeth's relationship with her mother, especially as we never actually see Athena. It is clear that her mother's respect means alot to her and when her mother turns her back on her you can see that it really hurts her. I loved Annabeth's growth throughout the series, at the start she is very much chasing glory and wanting to go on a quest and prove herself, she's living the life the gods want her to live. But I think the more time she spends with Percy the more she sees that it shouldn't have to that way, which is why I love the moment when she chooses to stay after Percy is trapped in the chair and try to get him out, she chooses her friend over the glory she could win by completing the quest and over winning back her mother's approval.

Now when it comes to Percy I just think Walker really brought that character to life, I really cannot praise his performance enough. I loved his sass and his defiance and the fight he had. He had so many great moments throughout the season, I loved it whenever he stood up to the gods, like he knew no fear, they tried to say this is how its going to be and this is what you are going to do and he just said no, I'm going to do what is right, what my mother raised me to do and you're all going to have to deal with it. I mean its not necessarily the smartest move to speak back to god but I still admire his gumption.

Special Effects

I also really loved the visuals in the series, all the monsters looked great and I loved the aesthetic of camp, Olympus also looked amazing. The stand out for me though has to be Nereid. The glow and her seaweed hair, it just looked so beautiful and bewitching, so shout out the the special effects team.

There is probably so much more I could talk about, but this is getting really long so I am going to leave it here, my ask box is always open so if I missed anything feel free to message. Overall despite there being a couple of issues I think they could work on, I mostly really enjoyed the series and I really hope we get a season two, I'd definitely be interested in watching it.

[wroteonedad]

Hyperfixations 001

Usually I try to keep myself busy as much as possible, cherishing the time I have before I need to clock into work and also be busy for another 6-7 hours. I like to go for walks in the afternoon before work, I enjoy going out for coffee and reading, doing spots of shopping and calling family members. This weekend on the other hand, has been tough for me. Where I live, we have an air show that always takes place from the last day of August until around the 3rd September (so today as I'm writing this), but these days always feel a little bit like more of a quarantine to me. Having a sensory issue with loud noises is so difficult for me, especially being sat at home waiting for these planes to pass by. Some are bearable, others are a lot more difficult to cope with. So I've essentially done nothing for the last 4 days before work and it is driving me crazy. So I had this grand idea to perhaps use some of my free time to discuss other things I have done in my free time, things I am consuming and enjoying in the hopes to sway others to look into it and enjoy these things too.

Sims 2

First of all, I have been playing a lot of Sims 2. I dip through phases where I choose between if I like Sims 2 or Sims 4 and at the moment it's definitely 2. I've had the Ultimate Collection for years on my laptop and it truly feels like a fever dream playing this game, the options really are endless, you can drive a car and you can even spawn in burglars who run away because Bigfoot is also living in my house and he likes to go out and scare them. Last night I came back from work at 3:30am and the first thing I thought to do was get my laptop out so I could squeeze in one more hour of Sims before I went to sleep, it is getting bad. My insomnia is returning and this game is perhaps rotting my brain.

With the option of three whole towns in the base game alone, how could you not want to play the game? I still think Seasons and the Night Life packs are the best in the series and without them I'm not sure I would know where I am. The University expansion is also lots of fun and a lot more versatile than the Sims 4 edition of the game (I've never played it, but I saw enough reviews to know I never need to play that one).

Kylie & Kendall Jenner's Rebels: City of Indra

Second of all, I am still very slowly trying to read my way through the Kendall and Kylie Jenner book. I mentioned a few months ago on my Instagram that I had purchased a second hand copy of the book since I could not comprehend spending nearly 20 British pounds on a book that is written by a ghost writer. It's been hard trying to read this book, really hard. I am about 100 pages in so far and knowing that I am going to write a review on this at some point does pain me because I'm not sure how I'm going to do it. The basic premise of this book is about two orphan girls who are very much like wow I'm so quirky and different from everyone else, but they're really not. Many aspects of this novel are not particularly captivating or in depth, but I am also beginning to enjoy some of the story.

If you're really interested, MTV were so kind to produce a chapter for free online here.

The Simpsons

I've been watching The Simpsons with my boyfriend, we are watching it all chronologically and I'm not sure how long it will take to watch a show spanning about 33 seasons and over 20 episodes per season on average, but I think it's going to take a while. I'm very much enjoying it though, I think everyone needs to go and watch the first season so you can watch as all the voice actors really immerse into their character over time. The show is streaming on Disney + so you have plenty of time to watch it since Disney own nearly everything these days.

On that note, speaking of Disney, let's quickly discuss their rival, Nick. Remember the classic movie Good Burger? Please say you do, it's one of my comfort movies. Well after all these years, it seems the movie is getting the sequel that literally nobody asked for thanks to Paramount +, they've even posted a teaser trailer for the upcoming film on social media. If anything, I think it's pretty cool that the original cast still speak to and like each other enough to even think about rebooting a 25 year old film.

Film Breakdowns

I've been spending quite a lot of my free time watching movies, going out for dinner in places I've never explored, and listening to the same music that I've been listening to for the last three years. But as for movies, here is a quick roundup.

Was feeling down the other week so I ordered a strawberry and white chocolate waffle from Creams and watched Asteroid City. It might be one of my favourite Wes Anderson movies to date, and I was obsessed with the little alien guy. I want to write a full scale review though so I won't go into detail.

*This is Mikes Mic by the way.

I finally watched Freaky Friday in full, I'm truly not sure why I hadn't sat down to watch this before, but it was a perfect no thoughts head empty movie. Jamie Lee Curtis spends the entire movie serving MILF and I think that is a very important thing to note. I watched this because I watched Blue Valentine first, which features Ryan Gosling not driving much, but instead being a drunken and horrible boyfriend. There were lots of layers to uncover with this movie and it was a dreadful movie to even think about releasing on Valentine's Day and I can see why people were so mad about it. I watched the original Blade Runner with the intention of watching Blade Runner 2049, but haven't got round to it yet. I think I'm just having a bit of a moment with Ryan Gosling, kind of just want to watch every film he has been in ever.

Music

Music wise, there are lots of little pieces of music I am currently listening to on repeat. First and foremost, Olivia Roderigo's sophomore album GUTS finally came out on Friday. The album is full of fun singalong hits, lyrically more in depth and tune with the current affairs of her life in comparison to SOUR and overall a really enjoyable listen. I see where the critics are coming from in terms of 'but it sounds the same as her last album' and I do see characteristics of it, in some places it does sound like an extension of SOUR, but I don't think it always has to be a bad thing.

Secondly, for all my house music people. I need everybody to spend just under an hour of their time listening to Cherry by Daphni. I feel as though it has changed my life. There are elements of city pop which has been revamped to sound modern with its bass and vibe and in other places, it sounds like something Mount Kimbie would have dropped 5 years ago. It's a wonderful piece and has a song on the album for everyone.

[colethewolf]

Jeff Davis is insufferable and he knows that he screwed himself. This deal with Paramount was supposed to be 3 Teen Wolf movies, the Wolf Pack show, and a new reboot/adaptation of a show called Aeon Flux that Jeff was going to produce. And now, all 3 are totally dead in the water.

As usual, I blame Jeff. I think that had he actually put time and effort into the movie, it wouldn't have been such a catastrophe. And even though Paramount is cheap as hell, they might have given Jeff a chance to continue this deal HAD the movie sparked rave reviews.

Instead, that movie didn't even have a finished script until the 2nd to LAST WEEK of filming. Jeff took absolutely no care in what he was creating. He just threw a bunch of shit into a blender and let it spill all over. And then tried to say that the movie was a "love letter to fans" in hopes that it would entice fans to not rail against how bad it was.

It was a BIG mistake to not have a finished script in hand before asking OG cast members to return, because Dylan O'Brien would have brought in major views and good reviews. But Dylan famously said in an interview that he passed on returning because it felt rushed & he preferred to just leave Stiles where he ended in the series.

WELP.

Jeff had the opportunity to write a wonderful send off to every character from the show & he decided to bullshit his way through his one shot at a movie. Had Jeff actually sat down and listened to what fans actually LIKED, he couldn't crafted a good movie that appealed to the OG audience that made the show popular in the first place.

BIG mistake in not letting Sterek go canon in the OG series, but instead waiting to do that whole "oh, Derek has complicated feelings about Stiles' JEEP" for giggles. Sterek would've done numbers on TV back when the only queer rep in teen shows was fucking BLAINE AND KURT. And hell, Jeff probably could've used that popularity to land himself EP of a spinoff with Dylan and Hoechlin as leads.

WELP.

What's funny is that Teen Wolf really was the only lucrative thing that Jeff has under his belt. And he knows that. Which is why he thought he was going to get some success doing ANOTHER show about teenage werewolves...only for that show to majorly suck ass and get cancelled after 1 season.

But now, Paramount owns the rights to Jeff's version of Teen Wolf, including all of the characters not from the OG Teen Wolf (the films), because those rights belong to Amazon. Which means Jeff effectively can't do anything with the legacy of the ONE show that actually made people look his way.

I can't help but feel like this is Jeff getting his toys taken away because he was busy throwing them around the room instead of playing nicely with them. So, now he doesn't get to play with those toys anymore. And he doesn't have any friends who want to play with him either, because he spent 10+ years alienating and bullying the fans who would've gladly followed him onward to watch new shows he created.

This mf Jeff Davis REALLY SAID AND I QUOTE "If I have to write he bared his fangs and snarled, one more time I'm going to blow my brains out."

OH REALLY? If you hate the fandom/franchise that much (which it definitely showed in your writing for the movie thank you very much) then why even pick it back up in the first place?

Just dumb as hell.

Basically paramount is broke and don't wanna pay and it was cheaper to pay Jeff to go away LMAO.

At this point imma continue the story in my fanfic writing which you can find on wattpad. I'll post that link later... as for now, listen to this bullshit.

I'm not surprised, but I'm sad for Derek Hale fr. I'm sad for this Fandom as well. We all deserve better than this shit.

[ordinaryschmuck]

What I Thought About "O' Titan, Where Art Thou" from The Owl House

Salutations, random people on the internet who certainly won't read this. I am Ordinary Schmuck. I write stories and reviews and draw comics and cartoons.

It's crazy to think that this is basically the beginning of the end for The Owl House. And I don't mean just this season. "O' Titan, Where Art Thou" gives me this feeling that things will start wrapping up for the series. After this week, we have two more episodes, three forty-five-minute specials, and that's it. There's very little time at this point for shenanigans and fluff, as the writers need to dedicate how little they have left to tie up as many loose ends as possible. And like I said, "O' Titan, Where Art Thou" is the beginning. Revelations have been made, and groups are formed, meaning that there's not much left except preparing for the end. Let's just hope that this week's episode didn't break us too badly when doing it.

Spoilers below.

WHAT I LIKED

The Opening Scene: Well, this episode is already accepted as being heavy and heartbreaking. Might as well start things off with total, incomprehensible fear as we learn that King has some form of a connection with The Collector. Knowing that they probably want King for something, it is a horrifying prospect that they can have an idea of where to find him.

On the topic of wants, this opening scene gives us a glimpse of The Collector's motivation: Freedom from isolation. It appears they're stuck in that weird Pokeball or whatever the hell it is, wanting to be free and have people to play with again. Unfortunately, I feel like The Collector's idea of playtime involves s**t like shuffling a person's face holes like a deck of cards, but at least we know what they want now. The question is, why does The Collector need the Day of Unity to be free? Well, we'll have to wait for future episodes to answer that question because we have problems to deal with now.

King Wanting to Split Up: Such as King wanting to split up so he can be left alone with his thoughts on being the last of his species and that everything he thought he knew was a lie. That's really the impression I got from King's request to just go back to the Owl House on his own. He both wants and needs the time to process what happened to him in "Edge of the World," and I respect that the writers acknowledge that King wouldn't immediately go back to his usual self. His life--At least, with how he perceives it--is changed forever. He can never go back to the time before he knew he was a Titan, and it's great that we get to see him process that ON SCREEN. He might have thought about everything that happened to him between episodes, but it would have been much more fascinating to see it. And we do, and it was. So, yeah. Good job all around.

Everyone’s Wanted: Unfortunately, the problems keep on rising. I'm sure if this was still Season One, Eda would be proud that Luz ends up a wanted criminal like her because "Hooray corrupting the youth" and "fight the power" and all that jazz. However, this is nearing the end of Season Two. The context behind the wanted posters has changed, and Eda has grown closer to Luz. So, when the Emperor's Coven is hunting Luz down like a wild animal, it's not going to be pride Eda will feel. It's fear and worry over how to protect Luz from this not-great situation. So seeing those posters not only makes the audience fear for Luz, but it also makes us worry about Eda and what she's going through.

The Owl House Got Ransacked: And this makes it worse!

Seeing the Owl House emptied out of everything...hurts. It always stings when the home of the characters, one we often see and become familiarized with, gets some level of destroyed or violated. It shows how big the stakes are becoming, where the one setting we all saw as sacred isn't even safe from this big, status quo-shattering event.

And again, it makes me ask, WHERE'S EDA IN ALL OF THIS?!

Lilith and Eda Coming Up with Ideas to Stop Belos: Oh, there she is. And with Lilith too!

That being said, I like where we find Lilith and Eda in this episode. They're low on resources and are on their own, and all they can think to do is bounce ideas off each other on how to stop Belos. Because, really, that's all they can do at this moment. Eda's broken laws before, but she's never had to do a full-frontal assault against a dictator. This is something that is way out of her league. And while Lilith has planned assaults before, she's always had her magic and an army of Coven Guards backing her up. Now? All she has is Eda, and both of them are powerless without their magic. They have their glyphs and staffs, but compared to Belos' "magic" ability, they'd be dead in a few minutes. They recognize this and understand that there's basically nothing they can do, which soon presents an interesting conflict for Eda. She has no plan and knows that she and everyone else is screwed, but she can't tell Luz that. Luz has more hope than anyone else, and if Eda kills that, then things really are hopeless for everybody. I'll get more into that later. For now...I could use a laugh.

Lilith’s Reaction to King Being a Titan: Oh, how I needed this...

There's been this air of doom and gloom within these last few episodes, heightened by the Day of Unity is coming closer and closer. So, trust me when I appreciate this subplot of Lilith being excited that King is a god and starts worshiping him like one. It was pretty fun to see, getting me to chuckle at how nuts Lilith can get when seeking approval from someone of a higher power. But that's just ONE part of the episode.

Luz Wanting to Steal Back Francois: Just like Eda, Luz wants to give King ONE good day. And to do that, she decides to steal back his favorite stuffed animal, one that he got on the day he and Luz first met...Huh. I wonder if that's the reason why King loves Francios so much. It'd be interesting if it was true.

But enough about plausible theories. Luz wanting to go against the Emperor's Coven for King, despite knowing how big of a target is painted on her back, shows how much she truly cares for him and wants her little buddy/brother to be happy. So by the him, she's going to risk life and limb to get King his favorite toy back! And Eda's going with her because obviously, she doesn't want one of her kids getting arrested or killed for this dangerous mission!

“Wouldn’t you rather have a beach day?”/“Maybe if we had time for twenty more adventures, but we don’t!”: HA!

AH-HA!

Ha...

Ah...

Augh. I'm laughing because it hurts.

Ow...Also, do fans really want a beach episode? Why? To see the characters in swimsuits? You DO realize that most of them are minors, right? You twisted psychos...unless some of you are minors who are younger than the characters. In which case, you're not sick freaks. You're kids going through puberty, Mother Nature's way of reminding everyone that she hates us all. It's totally natural and nothing to really be ashamed of. But if you're NOT a minor, you really ARE a sick freak who SHOULD be ashamed...and also should still stay away from playgrounds.

"But what if I want to see EDA in a bikini?"

Then draw Eda in a bikini! Do you really think a Disney show for kids will have a MILF like her in a bikini?! COME ON!

Anyways, this got away from me. Let's get back to the episode.

Luz and Eda Being “Inconspicuous”: I'm going to be honest, "O' Titan, Where Art Thou" is way funnier than I expected. Eda and Luz busting in with poorly made disguises and not being inconspicuous in the slightest? I'm sorry, but that got a chuckle out of me. And I'm glad. As I said, things have been filled with doom and gloom lately, so it's appreciated that The Owl House remembers to let its viewers have fun before things get too real.

Steve and King Going for a Ride: And while we're talking about fun, I'm glad that King got a more lighthearted subplot in this episode. I mean, he's still dealing with his issues over recent revelations, but he does that by taking the time to relax, breathe, and process everything. It's sweet to see, letting him have this day of fun while still acknowledging how much thing's have changed for him. That moment when he hugged the Titan's rib? Man! That hurt...

And Steve. That mother f**ker. He has no right to be as cool and central to the plot as he did! He was just a silly one-off character that had a good joke of getting shoulder pats! If you were to tell me in Season One that he'd be the central source for King's character development, I would have laughed at you! Because it's f**king STEVE! There's no way that'd be true! But it was, and, dang it, these writers win all of the brownie points for turning a one-off character into someone important and having it WORK! It was all fun to see...and it made me wonder if the episode was ever going to get to the heartbreak I anticipated.

Eda Begging Raine to Protect Luz and King: There it is!

This shows us how much trust and love Eda has toward Raine. She's willing to put faith that they'll be able to protect her kids, knowing that even if Rain's brain is a little scrambled, they still have a heart. They would never let children get hurt if there was anything they could do to stop it. That's heart-shattering enough as it is, but the tone in Eda's voice and the fact that she's willing to let herself get caught so her kids could be safe stings even more. Earlier, I said that Eda knows that they're all screwed, so of course, with the Day of Unity coming in two days, she'll do everything she can to make sure her kids are safe.

Even if it hurts them.

“Are you sending me away?”: The pain in Luz's voice when she asked this question felt real. Luz already had her mother send her away, thinking it'd be for Luz's own good. So to have Eda do the same thing hurts for two reasons. For one, it reopens the wound Luz has from Camila, thinking that she'd rather have someone else take care of Luz. Not saying that's what Camila did, but it's what Luz might THINK she did. Another reason is that it makes Luz think Eda doesn't trust Luz to hold out on her own. Again, that's not true. At least, not entirely true. Eda just wants Luz to be safe, but that's not what Luz wants. She'd rather throw herself into danger than lose the family she has in this world. It's a moment where you'll side with Eda but can understand Luz's betrayal. And what follows after...hurts even more.

Luz and Eda’s Fight: I didn't need this. I DID NOT NEED THIS!

Seeing Luz and Eda fight really hit me hard. These two arguably has the closest relationship out of everyone in the main cast, basically being mother and daughter at this point. Therefore, seeing them fight like this has so much emotional impact because we know they don't want to do this. You see it in how neither actively goes out to hurt the other. It's either to distract, escape, or block, but it still stings seeing them come to this. Luz is trying to prove she can handle herself just fine, while Eda is trying to protect the closest thing she'll have to a daughter. You understand why both are fighting like this, but you just wish they could stop and just talk things out peacefully. And they do...technically. But before I get to THAT gut punch, let's go back to the wholesomeness. PLEASE!

King Not Wanting People to Fear Him Anymore: Now that's some character growth I can get behind.

King finally has everything that he ever wanted. And if this was the same King from Season One, he'd probably be ecstatic, demanding everyone to do dumb things for his entertainment. But this is King from Season Two.

He's a character who saw himself as a tyrant but learned that he was a young child who lost his father. A character who had wanted his biological family again but knows that'll never be possible. A character who went through so much and just wants to live a normal life as a kid. Not a tyrant. Him admitting that he doesn't want people to fear him anymore is King realizing he's not the same as he used to be. He doesn't want power or fear. He wants to be loved. It's an incredible moment, and I sure hope the fandom doesn’t undermine it with something like, oh, I don't know--

Steve’s Face Reveal: THIS! MOTHER! F**KER!

How DARE HE take away our precious baby boy's time to shine by showing what he looks like under the mask! And how DARE HE look cute under that thing!

Also, what does it say about Belos when I'm more excited about Steve's face reveal than his. Again, if you told me that in Season One, I would have laughed in your face. BECAUSE IT'S F**KING STEVE!

Alright, that's enough wholesomeness. Back to the heartbreak.

Luz and Eda Breaking Down in the Cell: DID! NOT! NEED THIS!

Do you want to know what's worse than seeing a mother and daughter fight? Seeing them both cry as they realize how dire things are for them. Eda didn’t want to stamp out Luz’s hope…but she NEEDED to. She needed to tell Luz that things aren’t looking good, and that there’s practically nothing they can do about it. And that kills her. The reason why she’s crying is because she’s finally admitting that she can’t protect Luz and that there’s nothing for them to do but wait for the inevitable. And Luz’s reaction…kills me. She’s begging for Eda to tell her what to do and explain how they can get out of this, only for Eda to stay silent as they’re carted off to their own demise. It hurts much more than the first time they were separated in “Agony of a Witch.” There, Eda was at least trying to force a smile so to not let Luz worry. Here, there is no smile. Just acceptance that there’s no getting out of this…and thank GOODNESS that the episode doesn’t end there!

The CATs (Hiss!) Saving Luz and Eda: So much happens during this reveal, so I'm just going to go in order:

Confirming that Darius and Eberwolf are the ones who are helping Raine (even though we already knew) is great. Raine and Darius already have some solid chemistry, and the explanation for why Darius and Eberwolf attacked Raine and Eda makes sense. Tons of people already assumed that it was mostly an act, and Darius and Eberwolf weren't actually going to hurt anyone. They were just making it look authentic for the emperor's coven and filling Raine in later when things calmed down. As I said, it makes sense.

Luz meeting Raine is everything I wanted it to be. They're both excited to meet each other and explain how the reason why is all because Eda wouldn't shut up about her two favorite people. It's sweet, and I love it.

I love everything building up the name of the rebellion. Raine slowly hyping it up while Darius tells them to shut their mouth is hilarious, with Raine's excitement for having the most pathetic rebellion name being just too pure. The same goes for Luz! She's so excited to be in a rebellion called the CATs, and I'm all for it.

This whole scene was absolute perfection. It lifted my spirits quick after the heartache I just had a second ago while also giving more hope for the end. I know in the back of my mind that things won't end well in "King's Tide," but I'm at least hopeful that our characters have a fighting chance against a mad man planning genocide. It makes me excited to see how well they do...but that's not the only thing I'm excited about.

Luz Carving Her Palisman: Forgot about that little plot point, didn't you? Can't say that I blame you. After all, with everything else that happened, Luz making her own palisman just got left on the backburner for a while. But now, it is the perfect time to bring it back. We've got one episode before the season finale, and what's a better way to make it more grand than letting Luz kick butt with her very own palisman. Whatever she makes, though, we'll just have to see.

Now, I wanted to just cross out the dislike section and just accept that this episode is practically perfect…but…

WHAT I DISLIKED

This episode left me with...questions. Questions that I'd ignore if not for how important they are to be answered. Questions such as:

How did Eda and Lilith avoid getting captured?

How did Eda know that Raine knew about the draining spell?

How did the CATs save Eda and Luz?

Why did they wait hours to free Luz?

I know the writers are strapped for time and need to cut corners to focus on the more important stuff, but there's some flimsy excuse behind these questions that, honestly, would have worked better with just one more rewrite. Other than that, I'd say this is another solid A.

IN CONCLUSION

Even though "O' Titan, Where Art Thou" is the beginning of the end for The Owl House, it still feels like its own episode rather than a part of a larger story. We get many perfect character moments, solid character growth, and a strong balance between humor and drama. Maybe the episode itself isn't flawless, but everything that's done right makes me care less. I enjoyed every minute, and here's hoping that winning streak continues as we reach the end of The Owl House.

[rvb-happens-here]

I like Mark Temple wayyyy too much for it to be normal

So I'm putting my thoughts here in an attempt to journal and understand myself better.

When I was (re)watching Red vs Blue Season 15, I realised that for some reason, I was really rooting for Temple. And NOT the Red and Blues of Project Freelancer.

"But what I love most about chess is that sometimes....pawns kill kings." - Temple

And I wasn't the only one. If I remember, I saw quite a few people in the comment sections where they actually support Mark Temple.

This got me wondering: why? Why do people like someone who's supposed to be a villain? Someone manipulative, someone so focused on revenge that he's lost all other sense of self? Someone so wholly opposite, yet somewhat similar to Church?

Did the writers screw up the personality and likeableness of the protagonists? Maybe the series by that point had gotten a decrease in quality that some people wanted Temple to just kill everyone and be done with Red vs Blue?

Well, after some soul searching (and essay writing formats, because I had no idea how else to structure this), I present to you: a comprehensive character analysis and review of Mark Temple from the Blues and the Reds.

Temple's Personality - sympathetic villain, or tragic victim?

I know what you must be wondering. Tragic victim? Are you kidding me? But wait, let me explain.

Temple was just a regular guy who wasn't built for the military. He had found a friend, maybe a best friend, with Biff during his childhood. Of course, he had unknowingly signed up for Project Freelancer's Simulation Troopers. Which is definitely illegal, and sort of parallels Project 100 000, a drafting technique during the Vietnam War where men, usually unsuited for the military, where shipped out as standards fell.

Of course, when Temple found his buddy Biff on the other side of the war, they both come to some conclusions. But they didn't know how to bring this up to the people in control. They were just average men, like you and I. So, they had to keep up the facade.

But Biff wanted to leave. His Georgina was waiting. They had to devise a plan to get discharged from this sick 'game'.

Too late did they find out that it was still real. Deaths occur in this 'training simulation'. And to be found out to be so worthless, to be just numbers on a spreadsheet, and watching his best friend lose his entire life, unable to go home to Georgina- Temple lost it.

The trust between a regular civilian and a politician has a contract. People have to trust the system to protect them, to want the best for them, when it rarely happens. When Law Enforcement use the wrong amount of force, when murderers get off on a technicality and you don't get justice for your child/significant other.

This is what happens. Temple is essentially- powerless. What did he have? Connections? Money? Actual fighting prowess? No. What he had was his mind. And he had to learn to use it well.

After the traumatic fight that could put any normal person into debt after years of going to a therapist, Temple essentially rewrote himself. He became the de facto leader of the Blues and the Reds. He shows a manipulative side that hasn't shown up before.

He essentially became a serial killer, with his own set of morals, and maybe a bit of charisma that isn't accurate to his actual personality.

He definitely is a flawed character. He didn't hit the ground running. He has to search up how to be a villain. He isn't inherently sociopathic or anti social, the traumatic experience made him.

And when he started killing, he couldn't stop.

I think that he feels empowered when he kills someone, just to assure himself that he still has some power, some control over the universe that he lives in. Killing is an addiction and therapy for him.

In his mind, the more he killed, the less people that have the power to kill existed in the galaxy, and the safer he felt.

He had to 'work up' to his end goal. Other than killing, he wanted to see Biff, and Loco was working something for him. Since Texas has died, Temple only had the other person he could blame and feasibly get to- Carolina.

And he couldn't just only kill her. He had to get rid of all witnesses, which was Washington and the Reds and Blues. But he didn't want to kill the Reds and Blues. They were common men, people he could relate to, people who were just as screwed over by Project Freelancer. In his mind, he thought that he could win them over.

Mark Temple has a tragic backstory, but 'evil' is defined by who controls the system. Evil is blasphemy in many religions, but atheists or those less extreme would see the punishments as evil.

Is he a villain or a victim? It all depends on your perception.

How the viewers perceive him - is he manipulating us beyond the screen?

On the other hand, the argument above has some noticeable holes. After all, it was Temple that told his backstory. And as we know, people can embellish or twist words into leading him to be the hero.

I don't doubt that the events didn't happen, but I do think that Temple has a manipulative side he's kept quiet when telling his story. Or he was good at hiding something. Usually, serial killers are anti-social, or have some childhood trauma to act the way they do.

I think that Mark Temple wouldn't be a serial killer without the catalyst that is the nonchalant and carefree way that the Freelancers killed his buddy, Biff. It's honestly a bit weird, but I guess that he's had his entire world turned upside down after being told that he wasn't important, nothing at all.

He also has quite a few flaws, and he didn't really give us a good reason to hate him other than what he was doing to our protagonists, which really depended on how much we actually like the characters. Most people wouldn't really see the Reds and Blues as actual people, given that they started off as cartoonish parodies of gamers from the 2000s.

Mark Temple was kind of a breath of fresh air, seeing a villain that didn't have that much power at all, yet still being able to do 'great' things. After all, most of the stories so far have a David vs Goliath feeling, with our protags as David.

In this season, Temple actually felt like the Underdog, which caused people to root for him, including me.

In fact, he was quite dorky at times, and he provided the familiarity that losing Church had made me missed. There was a comfort in the shade of blue, I suppose.

But he wasn't a comedic villain. No, he was a really big threat. Did you know how easy it would have been, to just kill the freelancers after they have been armour locked? He was confident that they would just die in the meatlocker. And he got the closest to killing a freelancer than any other villain., and achieving his goals.

However, the confidence he gained from killing so many freelancers was a detriment, and he started to monologue like Felix.

He's got a blast of a theme song though, and it's in my playlist

I suppose that the scariest thought after all of this, is that Temple is the one character we can relate the most to. After all, aren't most of us nerds? Aren't most of us average people? What else are we to rely on, other than our leadership skill and our mind?

Don't we manipulate people day to day? We peer pressure people into thinking the way we want them to. We talk of big numbers, and structure our posts to gain the most interactions. We want to get noticed. We want to feel important. We want to be empowered. We need control. Don't you feel to urge to kill people sometimes? Don't you want to act on your dark desire, to just bring a knife to their throat?

*head bobbing intensifies as the Temple soundtrack comes to an end*

After all, what are heroes and villains, other than opposing people in their own stories?

What I like about Temple, is that he represents a darker part of ourselves. The possibility that any average person can be pushed off the edge one day.

1 in 100 people are psychopaths, after all.

Anyways, this brings me to my next point.

Church vs Temple - the take away

Going back to the comments section, many people compare Church and Temple.

After all, they are certainly made to parody and parallel each other.

While Church is seen at first as stand-offish and selfish, he actually cares deeply about everyone around him, only showing it deep moments. Like how Alpha reacted when Caboose was killed, and when Epsilon sacrificed his life for people that to him, don't seem to care much about him. After all, even Caboose said that he had been replaced.

Mark Temple is seen as opposite. He's nice to everyone at first, but really, he treats his friends and allies as disposable.

I think I have an explanation and counter point to this. See, he cares so much for Biff that he started this whole revenge act. So this means that he definitely has something in him to care. But maybe what Carolina said to him made him rethink his world view. Since everyone he knows is a pawn anyways, why not treat them as one?

The strategist in him needs to be able to see beyond friendship, to be willing to risk danger for the best overall outcome. He's seeing everyone in the Blues and Reds as a group, and not individuals. He convinced them that they had to take revenge, after all.

in my eyes, I think that Church and Temple are really, really similar. Church is just more mellow, less logical than Temple. Both of them take revenge kills- Alpha snipes Wyoming, Temple just had to wait because he couldn't do anything at that time.

In fact, I see Temple as a Church who is a true L-CIM of the Director, just as driven to chase a shadow, just as unable to let go, just as able to do immoral acts all for the 'greater good'. It was just that many parts of Church's personality was removed for him to be a copy of Temple.

With Omega gone, he couldn't be the villain. He couldn't be angry enough to go through with revenge.

With Sigma gone, he couldn't manipulate. He still sometimes could, like how he gets Caboose to get away from him, all in Season 1.

With Gamma gone, he couldn't lie. He still tried and hide the fact that he was a 'ghost' from Washington.

With Eta and Iota gone, he couldn't feel joy or fear. He wouldn't reallt feel scared of dying, or find joy in revenge.

With Delta gone, his plans weren't all that great. But he was an AI, supposed to be able to plan missions fo PFL.

With Theta gone, so was his trust. Temple never trusted anyone else to just not die on him, hence he didn't care much for anyone else, recognising that it would hurt less.

I've realised just how easy it would be for pre fragmentation Church to take revenge, just like how Temple did. If he was a true L-CIM of the Director, he definitely could have done it.

And that's where the appeal comes for me. He was a 'complete' Church, someone who couldn't get 'care' written out of his system as it had to be the basis of all AI programming to stop them from turning on their creators.

Church just didn't have the emotions to be able to do such heinous crimes.

About the Reds and Blues of PFL

Another part about why some people wanted Temple to win meant that people didn't really care that much for the 'heroes'. Of course, some people formed attachments, but some felt that the Reds and Blues were way too comedic to really treat them 'seriously'.

I also find that they get a lot of passes for the kills that they have committed Let's take a look at Sarge.

Sarge is possibly a greater serial killer than we give him credit for. He definitely has some mental issues, other than PTSD. Maybe psychosis, BPD, narcism and anti social disorder.

Because seriously, even though Sarge killing all of the people in basic and drill instructor was presented as a comedy, it is a tragedy when you take a step back. Sarge knowingly let a bomb under a car blow up one of his 'competition', manipulated the final standing person into killing himself, and killed Lemons.

And what was his reasoning? To gain a rank?

Not to mention he killed all of the privates in a suicidal charge afterwards.

In fact, in S15, when he 'spared' Surge, he spent so long monologuing that he completely forgot what he was supposed to do, and just vaporised the man? And feeling no remorse at all?

The silver screen really has some rosey hues, huh?

Also in Season 14, Simmons and Grif had lied and manipulated a fellow soldier's death as a cop out of why they didn't enter the base. They're just as cowardly and valuing their lives as what the wiki has written for Mark Temple's personality at the end.

Caboose seriously has no idea of right from wrong, but he gets a pass for his obvious mental illness. But did you know that 20% of serial killers suffered a head injury in their past? And then they became serial killers? Caboose has killed so many times that it's normal at this point.

I think that in Season 15, we the viewers realised how hypocritical the Reds and Blues are, and hence wanted justice on them. Hence, why we supported Mark temple.

In conclusion, please write more fanfiction about Mark Temple. He is my kin, I may be biased, and I would love to hear about your opinions.

Thank you.

[absolutebl]

This Week in BL

May 2021 Wk 3

Being a highly subjective assessment of one tiny corner of the interwebs.

It’s a cray cray Friday when Vietnam gets its eng subs up before GMMTV Thailand. What alter-reality are we in? Well, the Vietnamese offerings are better right now anyway. (Oooo, feel that burn.) 

Ongoing Series - Thai

Top Secret Together Ep 2 - pulping it up in the best possible way. Sure sound and production values are pants, and in classic Thai fashion the editing in post is exacerbating (rather than fixing) pacing issues, but it’s still CUTE AF. I don’t even mind the added university storyline, because they’ve got good chemistry (and a confident gay fresher after a panicked gay hazer is an old favorite... what can I say, SOTUS was my first love). We aren’t spending too much time with any one couple, so it’s weighted a lot better than Brothers was, but also character development is slow. 

Siew Sum Noi Ep 2 - Unfortunately, it’s just too hard to find, plus no subs. I’m dropping it in the hopes it comes back on my radar some day. 

Y-Destiny Ep 8 - (Thurs) It’s rough having a ghost boyfriend, half your friends are scared, the other half think you’re crazy, and kissing shortens your lifespan. This was a cute couple even if I wasn’t wild about the surrounding story. 

Close Friend Ep 5: (Dear My Star/JimmyTommy) - about high school penpals. It had to rely entirely on voice over work as the actors only meet face to face at the end. It’s a good thing they are appealing screen presences on their own, with good vocal control. It’s hard to imagine any other BL pair carrying this kinda plot. It’s by far my favorite of the series so far, and I’m not even a big JimmyTommy fan. 

Fish Upon The Sky Ep 7 - no subs. Do we care? Not really. Because we have... 

Nitiman Ep 3 - currently my favorite out of Thailand. It’s the university Thai BL i’ve been waiting for since... when was the last good one? My Engineer? Yowza. Anyway we got: head on my shoulder, baby is a floppy drunk (but still wants to be in control), proximity alert, boyfriend’s closet, seme gets seriously jelly, and a cute twist on feeding him. There’s something fun and complex about Jin’s character. He’s not a panicked bi. He knows exactly what’s going on, he just hasn’t decided if he wants Bb or not. He clearly enjoys being looked after, the compliments, and the attention, but he’s not sure if he’s going to like what happens if he gives in. I like that twist on the usual tsundere uke archetype a lot, cautious rather than willfully obtuse or freaked out. We can see Jin realizing in stages: I like this person, I like that they like me, I like the romantic attentiveness. But in the background is... do I actually want to f*k him? It’s a dynamic we don’t often see on BL. 

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

HIStory 4: Close To You (Taiwan) Ep 10 fin - the most ridiculous show using BLs worst tropes in a sort of weird smoothie of bitter greens and too ripe banana. The ending was the sappiest cheesiest thing ever, like cheese syrup tapped from the cheese tree. So of course I loved it, but I’m pretty sure I giggled through all the bits meant to be profound. Because, in the end, to tolerate this show at all, you just can’t take ANY of it seriously. RECOMMENDED (with some SERIOUS reservations and trigger warnings.) Full review here. 

Be Loved in House: I Do (Taiwan) Ep 1-2 - I don’t mind a damaged seme character but this one is a bit weird for me. Like creepy Cheese in the Trap level weird. On the bright side, the story has given our tsundere uke good motivation for his angst and great existing friendships, loyalty, and likability. Plus I’m invested in the cafe owner/innocent puppy side dishes. So if it’s only the seme character I’m not jiving with, and he’s the most established actor, it should all turn out fine. I believe in you, Taiwanese BL. 

Papa & Daddy (Taiwan) Ep 6 fin - speaking of belief. This such a good show but they gave us a cliffhanger ending. Now we must hope against hope for season two. That’s never guaranteed with Taiwan tho. So, I’m docking a few points and saying, RECOMMENDED so long as you realize it’s a cliffhanger. 

Love is Science? (Taiwan) Ep 1-9 (BL subplot) - this is a good het romance, but the fact that the BL subplot is a beautifully acted disaster bi + confident gay means you’re hearing about it whether you want to or not. Plus they just added in some GL! Come on! I gotta support Taiwan normalizing queer to this extent. They are fighting the good fight and if I also have to watch a career lady and her much younger softest straight boi get it on, too? Twist my arm with that service sub subtext. Go on Taiwan, TWIST IT. It’s on Viki. Join the revolution.   * Incidentally if you actually like the D/s het dynamic of this show, I highly recommend Japanese Kimi wa Petto - career woman keeps a hot young dancer boy as a pet. Oh yes, an actual pet, that IS the pitch. Never doubt Japan when kink is on the line. It’s also on Viki. Go get your kink on, thank me later. (If it helps: That was not a request.)  

Most Peaceful Place 2 (Vietnam) Ep 2 (AKA 5) - love triangles aren’t my thing, but if you’re gonna do it short form, by all means bring in the lead’s other BL pairing so the chemistry is on point. Now I've no idea who I want him to end up with. Can’t they just be in a poly triad? 

My Lascivious Boss (Vietnam) Ep 7 - I’m still enjoying it a lot. It’s still unabashedly queer and the tension is ramping up. We now have secret identity, blackmail, femme fatale, faen fatale, and incoming seme confrontation. Best of all, the series is still airing, which makes it longer than any other Vietnamese BL I’ve seen (aside from Tein Bromance - which is just too weird to count). 

Gossip - Thai BL 

SEVEN PROJECT TEASERS

No one is entirely sure what Studio Wabi Sabi’s Seven Project/7Project will entail. 

It might be like Close Friend (1 episode per couple, no linking), 

or Y-Destiny (2 episodes per couple, loosely linked), 

or The En of Love (4 episodes per couple, linked but independent consecutive stories). 

They’re giving the couple’s arcs separate titles. So each one would be what? Seven Project: Once Upon a Time or the like? We’re in Taiwanese title territory people and NO ONE WANTS TO GO THERE. Anygay... 

Once Upon a Time is the BounPrem (og UWMA) anchor story, and seems to be the most dramatic and likely saddest. These two can handle most of what’s thrown at them at this juncture, so it should be good. 

Vs Love is a BoomPeak (og Make it Right) university vehicle. Since I thought Boom was done with our nonsense, I couldn’t be more thrilled and surprised this pair is doing another show together. I don’t think either of them are the greatest actors but I find Peak very endearing and Boom charismatic on screen, so I’ll watch. 

Would You be My Love is the hotly anticipated SantaEarth launch. They’re a (cultivated) IRL ship and Earth is an established BL actor. They have great chemistry and high energy so this could be lots of fun. 

We are also getting a GL from this series from established BL actresses Samantha and Pineare. Nothing teased yet on that, but I’m looking forward to this installment the most. Also curious to see how the ladies handle the branding and promo side, not to mention the culture. (Thailand variety shows gonna force *girls* to play the Pepero game?) 

Secret Crush on You upcoming Thai BL with no release date, co-produced by and featuring (but NOT staring) Saint and directed by Cheewin (sigh) with all fresh faces. (Previously known as Stalker the series.) It looks like pure pulp and I’m not wild about the plot but could be better than expected as it’s adapted from a novel. Cheewin is an okay director when he has an actual story to follow. 

Don’t Say No the series. Coming from the producers of TharnType this is the JaFirst vehicle many have been waiting for. Friends to lovers + a good boy/bad boy pairing on a sports romance foundation. It’s basketball so they tapped Meen as well (he’s semi-pro). The bad news? You get one guess as to who is writing the darn thing? Yep it’s MAME. So, ya know, expect some slam dunk kidnapping, a light dribbling of rape, and me turning into a basketcase. AKA... 

Will I have to live blog this series in order to survive it? That seems to be the only way I can. So probably. Which means the bad sports puns will continue. Look, if I’m suffering, SO ARE YOU! 

Rumors of a new YinWar vehicle The Best Story (mini series) coming in July. Also rumors that their previously announced Love Mechanics (full length series) has either been delayed, is facing money issues, or is moving studios, or all three. 

Breaking News 

DELAYED (I’m talking these three off the watch list until we get new airing dates) 

Love Area’s release was pushed out but it got a trailer. 

Golden Blood was supposed to drop Weds but comments in MDL report that it is delayed due to C19.  

Love’s Outlet (Taiwan) is supposed to have started a 50 episode run (only 3-5 min each, what utter nonsense). Sadly, this delay is due to a surge in cases in Taiwan which was doing so well, but also doesn’t have many inoculations. 

Bad Buddy has started workshopping at GMMTV actual. 

Kang Insoo’s BTS for Nobleman Ryu’s Wedding is SO FLIPPING CUTE. You have to watch it. Trust me, I don’t rec behind the scenes stuff often. 

Next Week Looks Like This: 

Some shows may be listed later than actual air date for International accessibility reasons.

Upcoming 2021 BL master post here.

Links to watch are provided when possible, ask in a comment if I missed something.

[mareebrittenford]

The Elusive Path

Want to read my current WIP as I write it? here’s a synopsis.

Being struck with Lycanthropy comes with a lot of cool abilities, not the least of which is being able to change into a wolf at will. But for David the side effects make it pretty much unbearable. Now everything gives him anxiety and he’s overwhelmed by loud noises, strong scents, crowded places, and pretty much every other part of an average high school day.

But his problems don’t stop there. Keeping his new abilities a secret is proving impossible, and he’s drawn the attention of a shadowy government agency, other wolves, and who knows who else. And to top it all off he’s got some really annoying girl problems.

Trying to survive his new life is harder than he’d ever have imagined.

I’ve always really enjoy the process of writing and posting a chapter a week of fanfic, and so I’ve decided to do the same thing with my current novel.

I’m going to be posting it on my Patreon free of charge (although you can also subscribe to the reward tiers for extras)

This is the second book in the Extrafakes series. You can find the first book here, or you can also message me for a review copy.

Chapters will be posted Tuesday morning, (Sunday night for patrons) and you will be able to read the whole raw novel as I write the thing! Future chapters will be posted on Patreon only, but links will be here every Tuesday morning.

Anyway, here’s the first chapter!

Chapter 1

It’s cold, but even though I have a key to my brother Slater’s truck I wait outside, leaning against the door, letting the chill from the metal seep through my clothes and numb my skin. I’ve been running and the cold feels good. Besides, these days I don’t much like being inside vehicles. Or any other enclosed space.

It’s yet another great thing about becoming a wolf. Any sort of confinement has me ready to change form and/or flip out. Which is something I kind of need to avoid. So I stay in the open air as much as possible.

Today the weather isn’t very welcoming though. The sky is low and gray and the air has that sort of heavy feeling that means rain is coming. The first rain of the season, which is a big deal after the long dry California summer.

The drop in barometric pressure put everyone at school on edge today, and I’m feeling it more than anyone. Which only adds to the creeping sense of unease that I’ve been feeling. (Different from my usual wolfish unease that causes me to panic over too many people in my space, or the smell of blood, or loud noises, or pretty much anything else that happens in a normal day at high school). This feels like a threat. Like something bad is coming.

It makes me want watch my friend’s backs. Which is why I’m hanging out waiting for my brother to finish his football practice, even though my track practice ended fifteen minutes ago, and I could be home already if I ran it (which I often do). My life has sucked a lot recently, what with discovering that I now change into a wolf at inconvenient times, and all the assorted issues that go along with that. But in his own way Slater has had it just as bad.

Finding out I’m a wolf came as a big relief to him.

Before that, all he saw was that I was anxious and depressed and stopped hanging out with my friends. He thought he knew what had happened. And that he was responsible because he’d let people he trusted hurt me. I guess that goes against the big brother code. At least it goes against the code of any decent brother. And Slater really wants to be a good brother. I wish I’d known that before I’d gone along with him on that camping trip and he’d (accidentally) left me at the mercy of the assholes from the football team who thought it was a good time to dump me naked in the woods. At least I think that’s what happened. I don’t really remember the details. All I know is that we went on that cursed trip, I forgot a big chunk of time, I woke up naked and alone, and now I have lycanthropic anxiety.

Also I’m pretty sure Slater took some sort of revenge on the guys from that trip, specifically one guy, Steven Flores. And now I have to watch my brother’s back. The doors of the school open and group of kids come out, and I scan them for anything odd or threatening. I’m always alert to threats now, and it’s exhausting. But I can’t relax in any public place, especially not in proximity to so many people. The group is mostly girls, cheerleaders, or dance or something like that. I don’t pay much attention to sports besides my own, but they have that sort of dancer fluidity to their movements.

They filter through the parking lot, and then finally the football players start to appear behind them. I stand up straighter, scanning the group for Slater. I’m aware of the girl coming closer, in my peripheral vision, but there’s nothing threatening about her. Even so, I take a step away from her and press my back against the door of the truck. I don’t like strange people in my space. And despite my new propensity to turn into a wolf and hunt small game, I really really don’t like hurting people.

So when she dashes forward and throws her arms around me, hiding her face against my chest my inclination isn’t to fight her off, it’s to escape.

Being grabbed suddenly is scary.

Despite the person grabbing being a small slender girl, my first inclination is still to get as as far away from her as possible. But I’ve been working hard on thinking and not acting so much on wolf instinct. And then I get a mouthful of her scent.

She smells like fear. Fear and some nasty chemical flower perfume, but it’s the fear that holds my attention.

“Help me out and I’ll owe you big time, okay?” she says, her face still hidden under a cascade of black hair.

The voice is enough to recognize her. Since we’ve lived on the same street for half my life. Hannah Lee. Awesome.

She and I were sort of friendly once, more from proximity than anything else, back when we were in elementary school and she always got a ride to school with us. But I’ve never really liked her much. She’s always had that underlying sharpness and commitment to social status that makes you suspect that she’ll turn on you if it’s in her own best interest. Back in elementary she usually pretended she didn’t know me once we got past the school gates. We haven’t really spoken since 6th grade.

And now she’s asking for my help.

I still want to shove her away from me, but that smell of real fear gives me pause. Although knowing her it could be because she’s gone too far with petty sniping and is getting what’s coming to her.

But then Steven Flores rounds the corner of the truck, and my nebulous sense of danger isn’t quite so nebulous. His eyes land on Hannah with a sharpness I know well. The kind of look that means he’s found his latest prey.

I might not like Hannah much, but I loathe Steven. I wouldn’t even leave a cockroach at his mercy.

Which is why I let Hannah slide herself under my arm and lean into me. She flips her hair around almost taking out my eye, and straightens her back. “Just leave me alone Steven,” she says. “Can’t you see I’ve already moved on?”

She leans her head into my shoulder for emphasis.

I do my best not to cringe away from her. What is she doing? I am not okay with this! Especially not the horrible implication that I’m dating her!

“Really? This loser? How pathetic. You’ll be running back to me soon enough.” I’m not particularly insulted. Even ignoring the camping trip incident, Steven has said and done a lot nasty things to me in the last couple of years. And despite my lycan tendency to run away from large threats the pit of burning anger I have overrules it. Besides, I’ve got a skill now, where I can stare at a person in a predator assessing prey sort of way and make them deeply uneasy. I use it now. Steven takes a step back immediately.

“Just get lost,” I say.

He seems confused by the sudden feeling of being prey rather than predator, but he manages to cut us both nasty glare before he turns away. I’m quite certain he’s only momentarily intimidated. And making him momentarily afraid of me will come back to bite me in the ass. Just what I needed to add to my already full schedule of things to worry about. I’ve now antagonized a bully who already had it in for me.

“Okay what are you doing?” Slater calls out, finally showing up.

I yank myself away from Hannah as I turn to confront my brother’s incredulous glare. “It’s not what you think—”

“Wait—” Hannah is looking between us in horror. “What are you doing here? You were supposed to be Slater!”

What am I doing?

But it’s quite obvious what’s going on. Hannah didn’t flee to me for help. She’d been after my brother. My cooler, more popular older brother. Once again Slater and I have been confused for each other. And this might be even worse than the time it was people who probably would’ve killed me.

[mercurygray]

i saw your post about the ballet au and figured i’d hop on in the ask box to enable <33 (bc i am very much ✨intrigued✨ entirely haha!!)

So glad someone asked!  Behold, 1300 words of utter nonsense - featuring ballet himbo Talbert , fresh from a stint on An American in Paris because I can, a really lovely interview by @shoshiwrites​‘s Jo Brandt, and some very  👀 commentary from Tab’s instagram followers, who totally know something’s up between Winters and Warren:

He’d come back here with every intention of tossing his bag on the couch and filling his water bottle - but the problem was that the couch was already occupied. "Well, well, well,” Dick said, trying to sound angry even though he was the furthest thing from it. “Look who it is. Fresh from his European tour.  Still managing to convince people you can sing and pass for a GI, Tab?"

"And you're still managing to be a Disney Prince," Floyd Talbert spat back, standing up quickly so the two of them could watch each other for a bare moment before they broke and Floyd pulled Dick in for a big hug. “Buddy.”

“I'm glad you’re home,” Dick said, meaning every word.  

"Glad to be home,” Tab admitted, sitting back down on the couch with an undignified flop. “Musical theatre is fun, but I want to get back to my roots, you know? Speaking of which - reviews on Mayerling are fantastic,” Floyd said with a grin. “I watched some clips on the plane. Who knew you could do hot?" He grinned at Dick’s slight unease. "So, where's the girl you get to seduce every night? I want to meet her, she's out here making you look like a sex god." He flipped open the magazine he’d been reading to the photospread, an impossibly nice art shot of Dick doing something wildly athletic. "Case in point: Hello, Mr. January."

Dick felt himself blush a little. "Will you stop? Your blogger entourage is rotting your brain." 

"Have to give the fans what they want, Dick,” Tab said, leaning back on the couch. “I am what the internet calls 'a simple himbo' and I'm having a moment. Speaking of which, we need a picture of the two of us so we can break Instagram." He turned around on the couch so he could hold up his phone. “Smile!”

"Please don't put something stupid in the caption," Dick begged, somewhat toothlessly, knowing that Tab was going to do...whatever Tab was going to do.

Tab composed for a moment and read aloud. “Hanging out with man/myth/legend Winters in between #Mayerling shows. Plans to invade Europe developing nicely. #2021tour #companydance #himbosanonymous”

Dick sighed and made a vague gesture before going to fill his water bottle, listening while Tab’s phone made a series of noises indicating the world thought well of the photo, and came back to his friend paging happily through his comments. “Hey, you didn’t answer my question. The internet needs to know more about the situation with your new principal, while I’m here. They want the deets. Although I really want to steer them towards this article, which is delightful, by the way. You should have Jo Brandt write copy for everything.”

“I haven’t read it,” Dick admitted, digging in his bag for his shoes.

Tab made a noise of disgust. “Dick!”

“I have to rehearse, Tab.”

“Fine, then I’ll read it to you while you warm up,” Tab said, unstoppable. “I might skip a bit, you know, for reasons.”

He cleared his throat and settled into a seat against the wall. "After the events of last year, it's clear that the Company's board and creative team are eager to turn over a new leaf - and what a leaf it is. Heading in a new direction with a blazingly hot ballet that will make converts of even the most lackluster of classical dance fans, they've also enlisted the talents of a new principal whose roots in the dance world run deep. A graduate of the Royal Ballet School, with stints in Paris, Vienna, and San Francisco, Joan Warren’s dance credentials are impeccable - a fact that should be shared before we mention that her uncle is also on the board of this prestigious institution. But there was little favoritism in her selection - a field of twenty candidates were all in the running for Eileen Hammond’s position.

Was it intimidating, I ask, coming on to such a team at such a time? Hammond's pointe shoes were considerable ones to fill, and Winters - he smiles as I suggest this - has been known to be a formidable partner. "You know, I did meet her, after we'd been in rehearsals for a while, and we got on pretty well. She's been such a part of the company and the reputation that's been built here. But everyone's been very welcoming, and kind."

Winters is quick to remind her that she also didn't come in acting like she owned the place. "She came in for rehearsal like she was another dancer for warmups, and and the dance mistress comes in - oh, Miss Warren, you don't have to practice in here. 'It's fine, I like warming up with the company.'' Winters smiles as he tells this story. "She's going to laugh at me but she goes out of her way to make other people look good. Particularly me."

It's true - the twenty-eight year old dancer has never looked better than he does playing Crown Prince Rudolf. A man we've gotten used to seeing as the prince of fairy tales fairly sizzles in this role, which is a deal more sensual than his usual fare, and a large part of that, he says, is having a partner who sells that appeal to the audience. Warren's Vesera is magnetic, and one can see a youthful energy in her dance sequences with the company that seem at odds with the poised, collected young woman in the room now.

When I ask about playing a sixteen year old girl in an epic love story, Warren's eyes light up a little. "It's...you know, it's a fun challenge, and there's so much there to work with. Rudolf is older, and has been beaten down a lot, right, he's in this loveless marriage and his mother is very demanding and here's this young woman who is...totally outside of that. When we're teenagers we think we can do anything, right? And he finds that..." she looks over to Winters, who is smiling and nodding in agreement, "Intoxicating. And she...she loves being in this position of power. She plays with him. But I don't think she really understands, fully, what it is she's playing with, how deeply troubled he is. For her it's just a game, and it makes it all the more tragic." Has she ever been in love like that, she chuckles a little and looks at her hands. "I think we've all been a little stupid, but fortunately, no." And Winters? He snorts and shakes his head. 

Do they see any of themselves in the characters they're dancing? "His drive, I think, to do better, be better," Winters admits. "He's very hard on himself, and I recognize that." And Warren? "I hope I have a little of her joy," she says, with a smile that suggests there's no trouble finding any of that in her life. "I'm not sure I want to be manipulative or naive." Her co star is quick to assure her that she's neither of those things. Their natural partnership here is just as palpable as when they are dancing - one will start a sentence and the other will finish, and they both constantly watch each other, waiting to see if the other needs help or support. It's truly lovely to be in the room with them.

After having watched them be wildly in love on stage, the energy here is much softer but no less connected - though they've only been together a few months, one gets the sense of a deep sense of shared understanding between the two dancers that will hopefully continue delighting audiences for many seasons to come.

As for what’s next, one needs only to look to the season’s list - the Company’s third show this season will again have them dancing opposite for ‘Sleeping Beauty’ - and we can only assume tickets will sell fast, if the success of Mayerling has been any indication. ”

Tab put down the magazine and gave Dick a long, long look as he paused and met Tab’s eye in the mirror behind the barre. “It’s a very nice article,” Dick allowed. Tab huffed and rolled his eyes.

“Where’s Lew? Has he read this?”

“Probably,” Dick allowed, going back to his stretches. Tab was already back on his phone, taking yet another photo of the magazine spread.

[butterflymar]

DAY 2: FAVORITE BL DRAMA

I have quite a few... I can’t choose just one so bare with me lol

Life Senjou No Bokura

Synopsis According to MyDramaList: One day after school, the serious Ito and the child-like Nishi meet by chance, as each endeavors to remain walking  on the sidewalk`s white line. As time goes by, Ito recognizes he is drawn to Nishi in a way that is new to him. Nishi, for his part, is frustrated that they only get to meet on the sidewalk. Ito decides to act upon his feelings and kisses a surprised Nishi, who agrees they need to walk side by side for a change. The sparks between them are undeniable as their relationship blossoms in high school, survives the college years, and matures into adulthood. A deeply moving work that bears witness to loving partners, whose unchanging feelings must co-exist within a world of changing realities.

My Personal Thoughts: I already wrote a review for this so I am going to re-share some of those thoughts here. This is one that I have watched countless times already. They went by the manga for mostly all of the episodes and I appreciated seeing that. They gave more context for certain details that may have been lost while reading the manga and translated it to screen. I think they depicted the age gaps well too. For 4 episodes only, I feel that they did a great job including the most important aspects. Actually now that I think of it, I would have loved to see more of them in their early 20s depicted on screen because that was like one of there honeymoon phases and I’m a hopeless romantic lol but that’s just a personal preference not complaining. Also, the show stopped at age 40 and they could have gone on throughout there entire lives but I understand why they chose not too. The manga is great as well!!! I think that the main actors depicted beautiful true love very well. They had amazing chemistry. Japanese BL’s have that special spark about them that I love. I also loved that it showed there relationship from high school till there later years. I don’t see that a lot with BL’s. They usually just stick to one time period. The aspect about them being connected by a line in relation to there love was a nice touch as well. I am glad that it has a happy ending as well. This is a pretty quick one to watch and a great one at that!!! If you haven’t watched it yet, I would highly recommend it!!!

I Told Sunset About You 

Synopsis According to MyDramaList: Teh and Oh-aew were best friends until a boyhood line of reasoning turned them into rivals. Years later as they're preparing for university admissions, both pursuing interests in the field of Communication Arts, the two meet in a Chinese language class. Their reunion awakens complicated and unstable feelings.

My Personal Thoughts: Same as above, I already wrote a review for this so I am going to re-share some of those thoughts here. This is DEFINITELY one of my top BL shows of the year 2020. This is such a beautiful masterpiece of a show!!! I remember when the preview trailer first came out… I was already hooked!!! I was on the lookout for it and it did not disappoint me one bit when it finally started. I looked forward to seeing it every week. It made me feel all of the emotions. I was up here sitting in my room crying over everything. I don’t think any other BL has made me this emotional before in my life. The two lead actors really DELIVERED!!! I could feel every single stare, every single body movement, and every single touch. You could cut the TENSION with a knife!!! No one couldn’t tell me that there wasn’t a magnetic true love between these two. I know this sounds cliche but it's like they were destined to be together from when they were childhood friends. Also, I would love to see them in future projects!!! The cinematography in this show is TOP FREAKIN NOTCH!!! Every single scene is just so beautifully shot. The cinematography alone makes me want to cry lol I saw somewhere that someone said the filming of the show reminded them of an indie film and I totally agree!!! The writing and directing on this show was impeccable to me!!! No cringy dialogue and every single line served its purpose well. This is movie grade writing. I also wanted to quickly just say that I loved the attention and callback to details throughout like with the tutoring book that Teh made for Oh-aew that was left empty by the end of episode 4, the flower that was supposed to be colored the same as Tan’s garment but Teh colored it red because he was thinking of Oh-aew, the rubbing of Oh-aew’s back when he sniffles, the references to Teh’s favorite actor, and the use of Chinese phrases to get meaning across. I could go on and on but wow I just loved how they really connected all of the details throughout. I can’t wait for Season 2!!!

Theory of Love

Synopsis According to MyDramaList: Third is a filmology major and a member of the Savage Team along with his best friends Two, Bone, and Khai, but he has a secret. Third has been secretly in love with Khai for years. For three years, he has kept his secret love in his heart, silently supporting and loving Khai while knowing there is absolutely no future between them since Khai is as straight as a streetlight pole and also an absolute player. To make matters worse, Khai has a "no dating friends" policy. How long can Third love Khai silently while watching Khai bring a different girl home every night? Third has tried to see Khai as just a friend. But has failed time and time again. Because as easy as it is to fall in love, to stop is just as hard.  Maybe even harder. That is until Third learns a secret that breaks his heart completely. But when Third decides to stop, Khai decides to start.

My Personal Thoughts: As sad as this show can make me feel at times, I love rewatching it. I still to this day think that it is one of the most well written BL’s that I have seen. Everything flows nicely and everything connects. Your not left wondering how you got from point A to point B. I thought the show had great character development especially when it came to Khai’s character towards the end of series. I know a lot of people had mixed feelings about his character due to how careless and dare I say stupid he acted at times but if he can make the audience hate him that much as a character... I would say he is doing something right!!! Gun’s acting never fails to amaze me!!! He really is one of the best actors I have seen. I know he had to be drained from all of that crying that he did throughout the show though lol It just goes to show that when you truly love someone you can’t just stop what you are feeling inside that easily no matter how the other person feels about you or treats you. As the old saying goes, love is blind. I also loved the friend group as well and Two and Bones side stories with the teacher and crush from school. They added to the shows greatness and didn’t take away from it. The friendship dynamics throughout the show was I feel something that really kept me engaged. The cast acted well together. There was no awkwardness or hesitation. I feel everyone bought there best for this drama. They incorporated the movie references so cleverly and I love how the title of each episode was the title of a real romance film. Just the overall theme of film was very intriguing to me. This drama left me filled with heartache and a rollercoaster of emotions but the ending is worth it!!!

HIStory3: Make Our Days Count

Synopsis According to MyDramaList: At first glance, high schoolers Xiang Hao Ting and Yu Xi Gu appear to be polar opposites: While Xiang Hao Ting is an outgoing, hot-headed extravert and some-time bully, Yu Xi Gu prefers to keep a low profile and focus on his schoolwork. They seem bound for totally different futures – the bookish Yu Xi Gu looks destined for academic success, while life is just a long popularity contest for Xiang Hao Ting. But a quirk of fate – and a crucial intervention by a female schoolmate – results in the two young men’s paths crossing. But there is more to both young men than first meets the eye. Xiang Hao Ting was not always this way. He started out as a perfect student until he discovered the joys of going off the rails. And Yu Xi Gu has a reason for being so aloof and studious: His parents died in a traffic accident while he was younger, and he is being fostered by his aunt. As such, he works hard to get good grades in an effort to win a scholarship and ease the financial burden on his relatives. Yu Xi Gu also works part-time at a convenience store, where his manager Liu Zhi Gang has developed a crush on a man he has met at the gym. Back at school, meanwhile, Yu Xi Gu and Xiang Hao Ting find themselves drawn together, and passions ignite. The former notices that he has the unique ability to bring Yu Xi Gu out of his shell – and becomes intent on melting his cold-as-ice exterior. What will happen when their two worlds collide? And can love be the catalyst that helps bring these two unlikely students together – as their high school days draw to a close?

My Personal Thoughts: I will stand by this notion for all of my days but this show is one of the best shows I have seen PERIOD!!! Not even best BL shows I have seen but just in general. It highkey saddens me that it is rated at an 8.1 right now on MyDramaList due to how it ended when other than that... it’s a top notch show. This was one that I watched as it was airing and I would get excited to see it every week. My clown self should have known by the title “Make Our Days Count” that some mess was about to occur but I didn’t pick up on it. Now, I just disregard the last episode (WE DON’T KNOW HER!!!). You can just tell that they had a great budget for this series. The production was on point. It had great cinematography, great storylines, and it felt realistic too. The main couples acting was OFF THE CHARTS AMAZING. I loved the whole opposites attract thing going on. Although the show was set in high school... it almost didn’t feel like it nor did it have those typical clichés going on. I liked how it dealt with topic of LGBTQ+ acceptance as well. I wasn’t so sure about the side couples relationship at first but I grew to love them as time went on. One last thing I wanted to point out was that even though I am always looking for a happy ending... I learned from this show that not everyone can get a happy ending. That’s not how life works sadly. In real life, there have been a lot of people who were truly in love and lost there partners tragically. Although it may be hard to accept the outcome, it is something that happens in real life. This is a drama that you appreciate even more as time goes on. It truly is a gem of a series!!!

TharnType

Synopsis According to MyDramaList: Type Thiwat is a handsome freshman with a passion for football and spicy food. Although he’s a friendly boy, he hates gay people because, in his childhood, he was molested by a man. His life turns upside down when the new academic year of college brings along a charismatic roommate, Tharn Kirigun. Tharn is a gorgeous, compassionate music major, who is also openly gay. When Type learns this, he is determined to make Tharn leave the dorm, as he won't live with a gay person. Tharn is equally determined not to give into Type's homophobic tantrums. With a gay guy and a homophobic guy that have to share a small space together for the rest of the year — what can possibly be the outcome of their story? Hatred? Or maybe love?

My Personal Thoughts: *Goes to hide in a corner* I know this drama is problematic and controversial as hell but it’s like a train wreck that you can’t turn  away from. What truly carries the show I feel is the chemistry between MewGulf. I don’t think I would have enjoyed the series as much if other actors were cast in those roles. They just exude confidence, passion, love, and lust. In terms of the storyline, I found it to be a chaotic occurrence of situations where I just had to know what was going to go on next. Everything that occurred had me intrigued for the next episode and so on and so forth. I loved Type’s character development. One quick thing I want to touch on was I know there were a lot of problematic things that happened which I will touch on at a later date but one thing I wish people were more understanding of was Type’s outbursts, thoughts, and feelings in certain situations. He was a victim of sexual assault so I felt the way he handled certain things was in response to what he had gone through as child and I think some viewers kind of missed that and were almost too harsh on him. Everyone processes and deals with trauma differently. This show went through so many twists and turns and I honestly lived for it especially the shocker towards the end of the series. I didn’t see that one coming at all!!! Despite all of its flaws, this show still holds a special place in my heart.

Honorable Mention:

Cherry Magic: As of today, this show has 4 episodes left and I think I am just going to come out and say that THIS IS MY FAVORITE BL OF THE YEAR!!! It’s a beautiful Japanese BL and I rewatch the old episodes while I wait for new ones to come out alot. It’s such a fluffy, heartwarming, and precious Bl series!!! I love it to pieces!!!

[popculturebuffet]

Schedule Reshuffling and my thoughts on the True Colors Debacle

Well.. this weekend has been a crapstorm professionally. Personally not so much: I’ve had a nice lunch, went on errands, bought a dollar store transformer and named it Murderboat, found a transformer dog that’s also a motorcycle, went garage sailing.. it was nice. 

What wasn’t.. was finding out Friday, out of NOWHERE, that the hotly antipciated Season 2 Finale of Amphibia, True Colors, would be delayed a week. This was unusual to me as Disney is usually extremely good with scheduling.  It’s the main reason I do Disney Shows for regular coverage: CN usually releases the episodes in bombs on their app beforehand meaning i’d have to cover 6 or 7 at once, Nick only reveals what the episodes are a few weeks in advance, and streaming tends to release episodes by season making it easy to cover them all at once, with exceptions like Invincible which I MIGHT have done.. but I already was doing final space and by the time I decided to just wait and do a full season review invincible was too far in and I didn’t have the space to do all the episodes so far. Point is I need consitancy to do a show week to week: it’s something that has to have a guaranteed slot on my schedule, and means I have to keep one open till the end of the month before just in case. 

Thankfully while you’d THINK this would mean i’d have to let go of a review entirely and destroy my entire schedule while desperatly waiting for the episode to be put back on it, you’d be wrong. Surprisingly the scheduling was annoying but not a huge issue. I simply moved my Lilo and stitch review up a day.

 Granted ironically enough that got delayed as I had a busy day yesterday and didn’t get it finished before I went out, and then passed out not long after getting home. But unlike Disney i’ll not only apologize if that happens but fully own up to the fact I screwed up about it. Yeah as of this time Disney STILL hasn’t apologized for this or what happened next. As of this article this is all that’s up on their  tv animation twitter, i.e. the one place most likely to talk about this.  

So yeah all they had was a shocked face and a “stay tuned yo!” not even an actual rescheduled date and time. In contrast series creator Matt Braly genuinely apologized, and even COVERED for them, saying the episode needed to be fine tuned. As today would bear out that wasn’t true.. BUT I can’t blame a guy for wanting to make fans less upset with his bosses and to try and keep them calm after this level of a curve ball, especially since he was likely the angriest of all of us at Disney pulling this. And ESPECIALLY since it will NOT be airing next week as theirs a marathon thing going on, but instead two weeks from now at the earliest... after a full Season’s build to this. 

So yeah this was a huge fuckup. Given Disney makes these schedules way in advance and had made this one weeks in advance, there was NO good reason to keep this episode off air and none to not premept something else rerunning. YOU MADE ADDS FOR THIS EPISODE AND IT AIRING YESTERDAY. HOW DID YOU NOT CHECK ANYTHING BEFORE FRIDAY. This is fucking inexcusable stuff. You are a multi trillion dollar company, one of the biggest media empires on earth.  This shouldn’t happen. And look i’ve had to deal with a LOT of delays over the past year. Cornoa moved most movies back a year. Even completed ones. I’m still waiting on Free Guy and Bob’s Burgers: The Movie despite both clearly being done. But given the pandemic, theaters being a no go and streaming not having been seen as a viable alternative yet for distrubutors or rental, it is now, they had no real choice. 

This is not that. This is you making some sort of computer error and somehow not seeing it till it was too late. That was preventable. That should be something your past by now. We should not have to wait two whole weeks because you fucked up. You have TONS of reruns in the schedule, move something around for fucks sake! 

Oh and it got MORE fucking embarssing today because the episode LEAKED. Yeah. That happened too. I have not watched it. I’ve read spoilers because I ran into some while trying to figure out how the episode leaked and if it was kosher to watch it. 

It’s not though: Matt Braly asked all of us in a tweet not to watch it. And I will say this: If you DID and weren’t aware of said tweet when you did.. you are okay. You didn’t know, and you were just pissed off and frustrated and like me when I was going to before reading that, figured “Fuck Disney, they really screwed up. “ And while that’s still true.. i’m not going to punish Matt Braly for thier fuck up by watching his work before he wants me to. This leak, on itunes for the record, was not his fault, this scheduling error was not his fault, and he is clearly at a breaking point here. The guy seems like a genuinely nice, kind compasionate person who gladly supports us the fans, and really loves making this show and has given me hours of wonderful television through it. The least I can do is wait two weeks to watch the episode in full and get context for what I read and avoid any other spoilers. He’s earned it and he’s also even deleted a tweet RIGHTFULLY expressing frustration just so it won’t risk his or his crew’s livelehoods or the possiblity of finishing the story. 

So yeah obviously I won’t be reviewing it till it comes out in hopefully two weeks. As I said my schedule is flexable enough, up until the last week of the month as that’S Goofy Week, hyuck, that I can just rearrange episodes. And while i’m certainly not THANKING Disney for this, their bullshit does mean i’ll be able to do the Danny Phantom episode Materinal Instincts in time for Mother’s Day. So some good came out of this but not enough.

This is one of the most ABJECTLY EMBARASSING, dickish and stupid things i’ve seen a compnay do. That i’ve seen THIS company do. The only things I can think of WORSE from Modern Disney are:

The corproate culture of homphobia: Not letting Penumbra just come out and say she’s gay, fighting back against most representation, with Owl house being such a victory because not only did it happen , not only was it the lead btu Dana Terrace fought tooth and claw to get it through and have a bisexual lead with a female love intrest and have it be explicit, and hiding the fact Out, a short CENTERED around a gay character’s struggles coming out, is about a gay man despite the fact it opens with a gay space cat riding a gay space dog out of a rainbow and we learn the character is queer within a minute of the film

The filming of the Mulan Remake in a region of china that has RELIGOUS CONCENTRATION CAMPS, caring more about getting a funding bonus and the film’s chinese box office than basic human denceny.

Disney is a company I DO love. I woudln’t write about their stuff so much on this blog if I didn’t. But their also a company that frustrates me to no end, time and time again making dumb selfish decisions and now they’ve outright hurt one of their creators. They’ve hurt his work by delaying it, they’ve hurt his fans and they’ve hurt the show’s reputation by claming an episode would air and then withdrawing it because THEY fucked up. Sure most of US, the older fans on here will know.. but the kids watching won’t and that could damage the show in the long run. So yeah, fuck this whole situation, hopefully i’ll review te episode in a few weeks. 

[carmenxjulia]

Another Duane interview transcript, coming at you! This one was from a smaller Carmen Sandiego chatroom. There were several interviewers, so that’s why the name of the question asker changes. Get the details below the break! Stay tuned, more interview transcripts coming soon.

Duane Capizzi:

HI EVERYONE! I'M IN!

Sorry I'm late, I got lost on the way haha. Then got lost trying to change my PFP

Thanks for gathering! Shall we get started? Let's do some Q&A!

(as long as they are not geography questions haha)

Fuel:

What characters or plot points were cut from the final product?

Duane Capizzi:

Ooo, starting with a right hook to the jaw!

Let me think about that for a moment: I'm hesitant to give too much away because I'm really hoping we can tell more stories in this world at some point

Which is to say, we tend not to waste anything: if we don't use it when we originally planned, we usually find a way to use something later - and there's usually a "karmic" reason that we waited.

I'll also preface by saying this: I know season 3 was more of a mini-drop and some felt season 4 was rushed. But I wish EVERY season were longer. Season 1: ideally, i wanted the Pilot to be its own event and 10 more episodes after that (but we had to tell the post-Pilot story in 7. At the end of the day, that had its benefits: we got to the Shadowsan turn earlier and I think that's when a lot of viewers realized the ride they were truly in for). Season 2: we initially figured we'd need 5 episodes to have Carmen doing the ACME dance with Chief, and wound up doing it in 3 - mostly because it quickly became clear that Rio needed to be a 2 parter, and the Zack and Ivy backstory a rough 2 parter. So we squeezed 3 episodes worth of plot into 209. It was exhilarating!

So, we had hoped to have more episodes for Season 4 of course. We had a ton of ideas and had to compress things a bit. But honestly in many ways it was for the better. I know we all wanted to live in this world longer, but I think sometimes the flip side is true - when you have big ongoing storylines, it can get frustrating when some things drag out too long. But, we got all the "story" we wanted to tell in Season 4 - we just lost some "incident" if that makes sense. We would have taken longer to get there.

So, all that preface to answer the question: we wanted to do more musical numbers! We had a Bollywood dance sequence in a return to India caper with Paperstar. We wanted to do a famous Elvis suit theft in Las Vegas during an Elvis impersonator convention (Shadowsan's an early elvis guy; Brunt likes the Vegas "jumpsuit" era). We also wanted to do a thread where Gunnar gets captured by ACME so that Julia could interrogate him and he could play mind games with her a la Hannibal Lector and Clarice. CAVEAT TO ALL THIS: these were some ideas that were bouncing around, that may not have seen the light of day if we couldn't get them to work. But they were on our wish list.

re: "other stories" - I could live with these characters for another 32 episodes easily and there have of course been discussions. But alas, that is up to the powers that be. Let's keep fingers crossed - and keep the Carmen love alive online so that someone up there takes note

There is more of course, but those are some things that spring to mind.

Fuel:

Were there any scenes cut for time that were your favorite?

Duane Capizzi:

Not much springs to mind: our directors were amazing at getting everything in the scripts to fit naturally (and in fact, I was the one who was usually suggesting trims to let other things breathe, etc). We were limited to 22 minutes of episode time, NOT counting front and end credits so a little longer than the average show. We have a pretty good idea when the SCRIPT is too long, so the cutting usually happens at script stage before it gets to the board crew so that they don't waste efforts over-boarding material that won't be used.

We had hoped to build out Chase and Carmen teaming up for the first time, meeting at Carmen's hotel lobby etc for more scenes of them together; but had to reduce that to get that all to fit in the VERY packed episode 406. But again, tighter was fine considering. That's one area that leaps to mind. (note that when I say packed, I don't mean that in a bad way: we spend a lot of time pouring over details in editing to make sure everything gets its due).

If I think of anything, I'll circle back at a later point. But the simple answer is that scenes were usually trimmed or compressed at script rather than board or animatic. So nothing comes to mind. I know it's hard to believe, but "shorter is usually better."

except for my answers to fan questions of course

Fuel:

We saw that in s4 episode 6 that Julia's mother(?) is wearing a necklace remarkably similar to the one Julia wears all the time. Is this the same necklace and if so, why was it given to Julia?

Duane Capizzi:

Just when I thought I was detail oriented! Wow! You guys blow me away

I can't take credit for that: it was either the board artist or director who added that. They do slip things in! As I've said before, EVERYONE on the crew really brought their A-game and were as deep thinking and as passionate as I was/am about the show.

It's a nice detail and I would say your interpretation works!

It took me three or four reviews before noticing that the team had slipped in baby Carmen near the play set in Mom's front yard at the end of 408. When I caught it, I was like: bravo!

Fuel:

When they first met, Zack and Ivy said to Carmen that they were the only family they had, do you know what happened to the rest of Zack and Ivy's family?

Duane Capizzi:

I don't. At least, I don't yet until such a time that I might have the opportunity to explore that. It was important to their relationship with Carmen that they be orphans, so they had that common bond (aside from being "thieves who steal from bad guys" - even if it was only gonna be one time for Zack and Ivy).

I know there are writers out there who like to do entire bio's for characters up front but i'm not one of them. It could be a trap in many ways. I like to have a general idea but be open to the demands of the ongoing storyline. You discover things along the way - it's like you're taking a journey with the characters by writing them, and the longer you spend, the better you get to know them (that was not a prepared statement by the way - I just made that up but I'll have to use it again :). So in Z/I's case it wasn't important to the story or Carmen's relationship, we felt. Conversely, we STARTED with Shadowsan's family backstory with 203, but more important to me was that we use it as a platform to explain why he stays with Carmen and crew. He really has no home at that point, so it was relevant to the present ongoing story. Which is what made that especially powerful to me.

Also, there's always a push-pull between telling character back stories while balancing them with ongoing episodic plots. You have to service both. If you just tell back story, then you're writing a biography

Arden:

What was the biggest challenge when designing these characters, especially the pre-existing characters from the series in the 90's?

Duane Capizzi:

This is probably more of a question for Chromosphere, re: challenges. But from my standpoint overseeing that process, the first thing I'll say is that we weren't necessarily trying to be "true" to those characters since we reinvented nearly every one from the ground up. (with the exception of Carmen of course - her trademark red hat/coat weren't going anywhere! But mostly the update with Carmen was in the styling of her "outerwear"

ALTHOUGH: I will admit that I was pushing for Carmen to have shorter hair as Carmen. I thought it would be a cool update. Chromosphere were really passionate about giving her long full hair and I have to see that they were right. The short tomboy cut worked so well for Black Sheep anyway. We had a different hair style for each of her ages.

So about the reinventions: Gunnar is in spirit a similar character to the original (old colleague in Vile and an early mentor if I remember), but his presentation completely different. We weren't trying to be "in canon" with the original. The beauty of CSD is that every incarnation has been its own entity so that freed us to reimagine the characters. THE CLEANERS, for instance: gimme some Cleaner love! There were a pair of janitors from the original game named RICK AND NICK ICK. They were literally janitors, it was too silly for our purposes. But, it's one small step to make them "Cleaners" (in the sinister hit men sense) - and lo, our reinvention.

So to summarize the answer to your question, they weren't really challenges to me so much as FUN to creatively reinvent the original characters (many of which were from the game, so not really "characters" per se with dialogue and inner lives). Whenever we could, we tried to use character names from the originals and update their looks and personalities. Where we couldn't find an equivalent for what we needed, we created characters from whole cloth. For instance, it seemed a miss to do a heist show without a tunnel guy and a high rise climber guy. Hence, LC & ET, everyone's favorite taco truck vendors!

(yes, i've seen some short hair carmen fan art on Twitter - someone did a great one recently!)

Arden:

Are there plans to give us more of the characters in, say, novel/graphic novel form?

Duane Capizzi:

I know HMH has done a bunch and no doubt have more in works. There's currently a novelization of the Pilot with some additional material if anyone's interested. I consulted on the second one, Clue for Clue, because it falls in the timeline while Chase was still Interpol/pre-Acme so was tricky.

And depending on whether another series in this canon makes it to air, I may just approach them about writing one or two myself to get some "further adventures" our there. Anything is possible!

Arden:

If you could go back and change anything about the series, what would it be?

Duane Capizzi:

File under anecdote, but there was what I felt was an important expression on Gray that kept me awake at nights, from his graduation ceremony at Vile. When we revisited those flashbacks in the Gray arc in Season 4, I had them change his expression there (to be more evil less innocent). We had it corrected in 404 so was able to get permission to have Netflix "fix" the Pilot by adding that shot in. I am tenacious!

We really poured over everything, it's the series that I have virtually zero complaints with the end product to be honest. But the simple answer is: I would have gone back to 106 and "un-greek'd" Gray's nametag. It's sort of a rule for international that we scramble signage (which is weird for a show that takes place in many countries/languages, I know I know). It's mostly for localization/translation reasons. And I'm sure there are some countries where Gray's name might be spoken differently. But as a proper name, I think we could have made an exception and seen "Gray" on his name tag. See? Details! But that's about the worst of it

there's also like one small line from Chief in 208 where she indicates she knows Carmen is a good guy (something to that effect) which I felt was too absolute and would have tweaked the line to temper it a bit. It's tiny, but looking back it sort of bugs me and I kick myself for not catching it. But this is absolutely the series I wanted and couldn't be happier.

Carmen:

How did Carmen know she could trust Julia? As far as we know, she has not seen or heard Julia defending her, and in the Fashionista Caper, Julia even held up her gas gun to her, saying she was under arrest. Do you have any opinions on this? Was it just intuition?

Duane Capizzi:

I'm gonna go with intuition

Carmen was raised on an island with some hardened criminal types. I think she's a pretty good judge of character. Poor Julia, trying to be tough with Carmen didn't suit her.

But, great observation! I'd have to mentally step through everything to see if Carmen had any earlier indication but i think you're right there.

Yes, sometimes you just gotta follow your heart

Carmen:

Are there any characters that didn't actually interact that you think would get along well?

Duane Capizzi:

Amazing question! First, I'd have to think more about who DIDN'T meet - you're asking the hard questions haha. But "get along well" is very specific! Hmmm, care to volley anyone?

I'll also add that so many smaller moments get lost in the "binge" of it all, but I am surprised how few fans have noted the first meeting between Player and Julia. THAT was a good one IMO! Very sweet!

Before getting back to your question, I also want to add that we were originally going to find a way for Carmen to lose her earring in Stockholm so that Julia could pick it up and be communicating with Player. BUT, I cut it at treatment stage because I knew we didn't have room in that episode to service it. Circling back to questions 1 & 2, another case where it turned out better saved for later IMO (saving Player meeting Julia, not to mention the earring business in 402 with Ivy).

Oh of course, Julia and any of the other Vile members. It would have been Gunnar for my vote, as mentioned earlier. We probably would not have had Julia meet anyone else and mixed it up more. I like that Cleo sort of became J's personal nemesis.

YES, SONIA & XIFENG (and LUPE PELIGRO, if I can add). The intent was (and is, if we ever get to revisit) to see them again in Carmen's travels. We started to expand Carmen's world but when we finally learned the finite number of episodes we had to finish the story, we drilled back down into the essentials. Would love to see them some day!

I'm hesitant to share too many things I have in mind in this forum for hope that they will see the light of day one day. You know, "spoilers"

Julia:

Do you have any opinions on Zari? Just in general? Some thoughts on her backstory would be nice if possible

Duane Capizzi:

I love Zari! I really don't have any back story on her at this point. She was originally just "Agent B" but when the need arose to give story points to another agent, we chose her because she looked so awesome! And Sharon Muthu gave voice to her so wonderfully.

I love when we finally teamed her with Chase. Hopefully the anticipation was that she would give him a hard time. I love that we defied expectation (organically, of course) and had her respect him by the end of that episode (for believing that he foiled Carmen!)

Julia:

Do you have any thoughts on small facts about any character, major or minor, that you think are fun/interesting to think about, but don't necessarily add to the plot itself?

Duane Capizzi:

Bellum, like myself, likes cats. But you knew that!

I try to put everything pertinent on screen, doing double duty to service any given episode's story but also the overarching story. That "journey" thing I mentioned earlier - we had no idea Chase falling on his own car would be a thing when I first came up with it. But as other characters refer to the incident, it took on a life of its own and made the characters feel more real.

Sorta kinda related to this question and some earlier ones, I will say that I DO think there's more to learn about Shadowsan's past vis a vis Lady Dokuso: it's clear to me that they have a history together, and it's something I hope to explore someday soon (maybe in a book if not another series

Julia:

Are the Carmen Sandiego books a part of canon?

Duane Capizzi:

I only consulted on the first two or three (too busy with series!) and have not read them, so hard for me to answer in a definite way. They are definitely in the universe we've created, but not in the timeline that I know of (which would have been too hard to pull off with our script development running concurrently). But do know that the book team at HMH pays close attention to the series and world so they should be perfectly compatible. Look no further to their clever social media on the series for example.

Kenz:

We saw in season 4 that Julia and Carmen helped each other mid to long term; would there ever be a possibility that Julia would permanently or semi-permanently join team Red?

Duane Capizzi:

Of course there's a possibility. But in a sense, with ACME now finally on Carmen's side, in a sense if Carmen were back in the game Julia, Chase, Zack and Ivy would ALL be an extension of Carmen's crew. But, would J remain with ACME or literally come to Carmen's team at her HQ? As they said in an old radio show: "Only The Duane Capizzi knows ..."

Kenz:

Where do you see Carmen in her retirement (if she retires)? Do you think she would still travel the world or settle down somewhere? Similarly, do you have any thoughts on what some other characters could be doing years down the line?

Duane Capizzi:

That is a big question, and one difficult to answer without some potential future spoilers (and yes, I really want to tell more Carmen stories if you can't tell But I'll answer by giving you one "read" on our open-ended ending as seen in 408 (read no further if you haven't seen it - yeah, right haha). The ending suggests to me that Carmen settled down for a spell to forge that relationship with her mother, to make up for lost time. But, if that is indeed Carmen that we see on the rooftop, I think the ending suggests that Carmen doesn't stay still for very long. If Vile is back, there is work to be done! Carmen has a life mission - she's one determined lady.

But of course, it's deliberately ambiguous: "anyone with your heart, wisdom and courage can be Carmen Sandiego." Is it Carmen? Sonia? Someone we haven't met? I think both endings resonate: Caroline and I always said "Carmen is bigger than a person, Carmen is a movement" would be a great message to end the series on. And I think our ending resolves this chapter of Carmen's journey as a person, but also elevates her to mythic status. Which is why I love it!

And, that seems to me a pretty perfect question and answer to end our chat on. Thanks everyone! Again, I cannot tell you how moved I am to see that we have such a passionate, intelligent and talented fan base. THANK YOU.

Take care guys, thanks again for having me! 'night!

[rwbyconversations]

Do you have a list of what essays you're planning on writing over the hiatus, or is it just gonna be you doing the review you promised and then leaving?

I have a tentative list but things can change and my mood for essay writing is entirely just “Do I wanna do this” in the heat of the moment. Right now, I’d like to do a few extra things besides the review as I do wanna elaborate on why I’ve grown to hate Volume 8 enough that it’s killed the series for me. 

Keep in mind, some of these are ideas that’ll get combined into others (likely, the actual review eating these up)

So at the moment ones I almost definitely wanna do or are at least considering, or are topics that I’m planning on covering:

Volume 8 review (probably gonna be the last thing on this list chronologically as I’m probably gonna wait for CRWBY to get the commentary out and for production stuff to leak as it usually does, and because Volume 9 will probably light a fire under me to get it before before that premieres).

RWBY and it’s pathological fear of gray morality. 

I think everyone who criticises RWBY makes at least one Aura rant and I’m due mine so... Maybe? 

Another look at Ruby and why she’s not a good protagonist (mostly just looking at her in the context of Volumes 6-8 as I did one of those back after V5).

As a mirror to that, a look at Cinder since V5 and whether or not the show finally made her a good villain.

How much of the focus Oscar has stolen this season and how it feels like the writers genuinely don’t like writing for Ruby anymore given how much Oscar got to do. 

How much of Volume 8 is just Volume 5′s beats recycled and how none of Volume 5′s flaws were addressed in this unintentional recreation (Ruby being in a house for over half a season, overambition, weak fights, Certain Cliffhangers Getting Recreated, etc.).

Why I don’t like Ironwood’s Volume 8 arc and the whole thing with Mettle (and if I feel particularly daring, explaining why RWBY’s other disabled rep like Yang/Maria/Pietro doesn’t excuse Ironwood’s own arc leaning on ableist cliches).

Probably a full elaboration on that mini post I made about Penny and how both her arcs tend to just be the same one over and over with a mild twist, and the whole Real Girl thing and how that went down.

The weaknesses of the Atlas Invasion arc, comparing it to the Battles of Beacon and Haven. 

Character Bloat. Not sure what form that’ll take but I need to talk about the character bloat in RWBY at this point, good God.

That’s it at the moment, but things can change. Half my essays are written on a whim or because I get into a conversation and the idea takes root in my brain until I write it. I’d like to write some of these? No clue how I will but I’d like to try at least. Being public about it should keep me on the straight and narrow regarding these.

[timbertumbr]

Boneafide Gamer (A Reverse Harem Fic)

Chapter 1, Signing In

Quotev Link

Welp- Guess who’s joining the skeleton train?!

Note: When it's in your perspective, it's more than likely going to use the boys Usernames instead of their Nicknames since they legit just met so… here's a list of the usernames I've come up with-

Blue (Underswap Sans): Magnificent Blueberry

Stretch (Underswap Papyrus): Carrot

I'll add more as the boys are introduced. (Also for the horror bros I'm using ratsoh-writes nicknames.)

Finally, after a year of waiting, you have it!  Basic MMORPG VR edition! You squeal before thanking the delivery person and closing the door.

You tear open the packaging as you enter the room, open the case and put the disc into your computer. You gently place the case onto the desk before setting up your V.R set. The game boots up as you put on the VR goggles and you begin the intro. 

"Welcome to Basic MMORPG VR edition. A world that was heavily inspired by Sword Art Online, but our game is much better in so many ways! Would you like a list?" Snorting, you select yes.

"You do not have to fight any creatures in this game.

There are many skill sets to choose from like cooking, fishing, farming, bounty hunting and many many more!

A world that gets updated throughout the seasons.

Create, craft, or find many items the world or players around you provide.

You are not strictly assigned to a specific class, want to be a mage that wields a sword? You can BE a mage that wields a sword!

There are-" Holy crap, this list is long… you'd review it later, you wanted to get to the good stuff! Gameplay!

You enter the character customization screen and make your persona. Then came the most difficult part of making a character, giving it a name!

You tapped your foot as you thought of what to name them… do you want something funny? Something normal? Or something stupid? Man, this is hard…

You go for the grandest name of all "fart." You snicker as you accept the name, knowing you could change it whenever.

Hitting "confirm," you wait as the game loads on a public server. And when it loads in, there aren't a lot of people on… Wasn't there a lot of hype for this game?

You shrugged and went to the infamous Quest Master to receive your class, first weapon, and first quest. 

After all was said and done, you were "fart," jack of all trades (because you couldn't choose just ONE of all these cool classes!) And off you went to the fields to complete your first quest, kill/befriend/collect 5 slimes. 

Holding your multiweapon tight, (Again, you were VERY indecisive and basically created a multitool for weapons.) You venture into the fields to see a lot of slime and very few people.

Legit, there were only two people here. Skeletons, one named "Magnificent Blueberry" and the other named "Carrot." Very fitting considering their choice of armor/robes.

Intrigued, you decide to focus on your quest conveniently close to the skeletons, waiting for the chance to jump in their conversation and make friends! Haha! Genius!

While you slashed more than the acquired amount of slimes with your sword, the short skeleton was reading all the features this game held while the tall one was trying to figure out the controls.

"OH WOW! PAPY, DID YOU KNOW YOU COULD MAKE FRIENDS WITH THE CREATURES?!" Blueberry exclaimed using voice chat, turning to his struggling younger brother.

"Really? I think we both know who'd like that," Stretch says amused, Blueberry huffing before helping Stretch with the controls.

"INDEED! OKA WOULD LOVE TO MAKE A SLIME FARM! (THE TRIGGER IS TO ACTIVATE STUFF LIKE GRABBING AND DROPPING ITEMS) AND I THINK EDGE WOULD BE MORE THAT HAPPY TO HAVE A CAT 'ARMY,'" Blueberry exclaims, happy that there's so much to do in this game! (Even if it is a waste of time according to Edge.) 

Stretch nods, finally getting used to the controls and thanking Blueberry, who enthusiastically welcomes him.

"What other features are there?" Stretch asks curiously, peering at the cybernetic screen on Blue's arm.

"OH LOT'S! THERE'S HUNDREDS OF FEATURES IN THIS!" Blue exclaims before scanning the list to look for one Stretch may like.

"Oh wow," Stretch comments amazed, he knew there was a lot but HUNDREDS?! It's every gamer's dream! (Red may enjoy that.) 

"LIKE THIS ONE! IF YOU HOVER OVER A PLAYER, YOU CAN ADD THEM TO A PARTY! LET'S DO IT!" Stretch shrugs.

"Sure, why not?" With stars in his sockets, he hovers his disembodied hand over Stretch and adds him to a party which Stretch accepted the request for. Blue then renames the party to "THE AMAZING DUO!" Stretch raises a bone brow with an amused smile.

"Really?"

"REALLY! OH LOOK, A POTENTIAL FRIEND!" Blue exclaims, finally noticing you. However you were focused on the slimes.

"They've been there forever though," Stretch points out.

"WHA? PAPY, WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME?!" Blue says sadly, Stretch shrugs again.

"They seemed busy," Blueberry looked at you again and you were still focused on the slimes.

"WELL, MAYBE THEY NEED A BREAK!" Blueberry exclaims before approaching you. Stretch sighs before hesitantly following his brother. 

"GREETINGS FART!" He exclaims, causing you to burst out laughing.

"Ahaha! I knew that name was a great choice!" You say before turning to the smiling short skeleton.

"[Insert pun here] MWHEHE!" You hear a groan come from the taller skeleton that just arrived.

"Hehe! That was a good one! As you know, I'm Fart. And you're…?"

"I'M THE MAGNIFICENT BLUEBERRY, MWHEHE! BUT YOU MAY JUST CALL ME BLUEBERRY OR BLUE!" Blue exclaims.

"I'm Carrot," Stretch says afterwards, causing you to snicker.

"Those are great names! Say, what are your classes?" 

"WARRIOR OF PEACE!"

"Mage, You?" You chuckle sheepishly at the question.

"I… chose all of them…" You admit, making Carrot snort.

"Couldn't settle for one huh?" Stretch asks amused, you cross your arms and huff.

"Hey! It's not my fault there's so many choices!" You exclaim.

"I THINK IT'S NEAT!" Blue chimes in making you smile.

"Thank you Blue. Hey, are you guys new to the game?" You ask and they both nod.

"Well, so am I! How about we explore together?" You suggest, Blue lit up like a Christmas tree.

"THAT'S A GREAT IDEA! LET'S GO NEW FRIEND FART!" Blue exclaims before leading the way, you and Carrot snicker and follow after.

So you spent the entire day exploring the HUGE town made for beginners and it's also a hangout/meetup area for experienced players. You got witty remarks from Carrot, puns and fun little facts and features from Sans as you explored. Before you all knew it, night had arrived and you had to log off.

"Oh shoot! It's 8 already?! I gotta go guys, thanks for exploring with me!" You announce making Blue jump.

"IT'S 8?!" Blue yelled before quickly logging off, leaving you with Carrot.

"He… doesn't play games a lot. He usually works hard," Carrot explains, you nod.

"Makes sense," You say before you go to log off.

"Wait a minute," Carrot says before you press the logout button.

"Could I get your discord? I have some… cousins that could use some social interaction from someone like you," You smile.

"Is this your way of telling me you want to hang out more?" You ask in a teasing tone, Carrot snorts.

"Yes and no," He answers simply with a smirk. You exchange discord usernames and codes (Cheesepuff ####) before saying your final goodbyes and logging off. 

You take off the VR headset and wince from the lack of light and strain on your eyes. You shut off everything and begin your nightly routine. Once done, you scoop up your phone and check your messages on discord. 

Cheesepuff: Yo, it's Carrot. I came to wish the jack of all trades goodnight. And to tell you Blueberry says he's sorry he left so suddenly.

You snicker before replying.

(Username): Thank you Carrot. Tell Blue I said it's okay. Goodnight to both of you!

You then go to message your friend hoping they weren't asleep already.

(Username): Dude! I made friends! :D

Totally not the writer: Oh? Do tell.

And so you do, telling them EVERYTHING! 

Totally not the writer: Woah. I gotta get that game. And they sound nice but keep on your toes okay? Not everyone is who they seem.

(Username): Don't worry, I will! Good night you night owl. (You better go to sleep once you send YOUR good night.)

Totally not the writer: No promises. Night.

Sighing, you shut off your phone and head to sleep and dream of Slimes, Carrots and Blueberries.

Holy shit! That took a while to write. One pair of boys down, 4 to go… Will the other chapters be as long as this one? It honestly depends but let's hope not for both our sakes.

So we got ourselves a new series! Huzzah! I’ll try and post the chapters here with links to the next as the series goes on but I could also post it onto quotev or something if you guys prefer that.

Next Chapter