#all you have to really do is watch cch

[fredandginger64]

I've spent the last 2 hours commenting to so many uninformed people on YouTube who just plain hate Jerry and thought Dean left him because he could not stand him. There's a generic version of their split that so many people believe. It ashame that this is the version that will probably be accepted. But I'll defend Jerry and their relationship forever because it's people like us that care enough to find the truth. All the Dean lovers don't really love him like they say because they won't even do just a little background reading to find the truth. They just simply let people know that Jerry was a horrible person and Dean was a saint, and never did anything wrong in the partnership. How do you respond to such people? I mean I love Dean too but I know he was not what they say he was. Ok I'm done ranting now

[tinyidle]

༻༻༻𝖽𝖺𝗒 𝗍𝗐𝗈 2 𝗈𝖿 𝗆𝗈𝗆𝗆𝗒!𝗆𝖺𝗒༺༺

Let Mommy Please You - CCH

hope you like this as much as i do. fun fact: this man and i have the same birthday

wc: 2k+

WARNING: slight angst, fluff, smut, traditional 'role'-switching, massage (turned erotic), hand kink if you squint, mannerism reinforcement, finger fucking, missionary, overstimulation, unprotected sex and creampie implication they're married dw, squirting, mention of aftercare, switchdom!chanhee, mommy!chanhee, househusband!chanhee, switchsub!reader, stressed reader, officeworker!reader, fem reader, all fiction ofc

꒦꒷︶︶꒦꒷︶︶︶꒦︶︶꒷꒦

you should have not gone to work. in fact, you should have quit that stupid job a long time ago. yet, because it paid so well-- and because you refused to let your newly-wedded husband of four months get a job-- you stuck it up. chanhee was more than willing to work; he was a man after all. but you insisted on letting his pretty head and hands stick to doing house work, work you unfortunately had no skill in as a woman. you two weren't the traditional family, and you two loved it that way: chanhee cooks and cleans a good chunk of the house, while you worked at your office job and cleaned what you could on the weekends.

luckily for you, work wasn't too much of a pain in the ass. it still was a pain, however. once your gruelling 8hr work day was over, you swiftly drove home. once you drove into the driveway and pulled out your set of keys, you unlocked the front door to your house after locking the car behind you. taking in a deep breath, you loosened your binding work belt and let your tightened stomach free as you plopped yourself on the couch. one by one you kicked your heels off your aching feet, and you unbuttoned two of your white blouse buttons.

"welcome home~!" your lovely husband chirped all giddy. almost too giddy for you, with him walking towards you from the kitchen from cleaning the stove. once he saw the grimace on your face as a reply to his welcoming gesture, he frowned. "stressful day at work?" he asked you with concern, kneeling down in front of you and taking one of your tired feet in his soft hands.

"yes," you sighed, enjoying the massage chanhee was now giving you. "this feels nice, thank you," you breathed out as he switched to the next foot. you were so into the massage you were receiving that you barely noticed the man picking you up to lay you down on the bed, slowly pulling off your gray work slacks. the next thing you knew, you felt chanhee's soft lips pressed against your left knee.

"what do you need, dear?" chanhee asked, having an alluring view of your panties. you bit your lip, turning your head to refuse answering him. your pride was just too big to answer him right now. once he took off your gray blazer and white blouse, he turned your head to his doe eyes. "i said," he repeated himself rather impatiently, "what do you need, my love?"

"um- uh... could you help me rub lotion on my legs?" you stuttered. chanhee nodded, moving up to grab lotion nearby and massage your legs. your soft sighs of contentment were music to his ears. he poured some of the creamy substance onto his big, soft hands and gently landed them on you; massaging and squeezing your skin. "mmh, that feels very nice," you murmured. watching how you enjoyed being rubbed made chanhee happy, loving how he took care of his beautiful, hardworking wife. "now move closer to my thighs," you ordered.

chanhee tsked, shaking his head. "now, now. where are our manners?"

feeling slightly ashamed and swallowing your pride, you quietly requested again. "please rub my thighs, mommy."

"there we go, my sweet girl is back," chanhee smiled and obliged your request, sliding his way down to caress your calf muscles as well. "these are really soft," he admired as he went lower. you blushed, nodding in agreement. he caressed your inner thigh with his strong yet gentle hands.

all you could do was respond with a small "you're welcome, mommy", gasping when you felt his hands go from your thighs to your heated core. "mommy," you spoke up, "i want you to take away my stress. please me, mommy."

chanhee chuckled at how small you became for him with only a few touches. "of course, since you asked so politely." slowly peeling off your black brief panties, he looked at how wet your cunt already got. he lightly rested his hand on your core, circling your clit. "look at my pretty girl's puffy pussy. so ready to be taken cared of, aren't you?" your husband cooed before immediately inserting a finger into you, knowing good and well how tight your cunt would be without much prep.

closing your eyes in pleasure, you moaned as your hips tried their best to accept what chanhee did to you without jolting up. you allowed him to shove in one long finger, then another, effectively stretching you out until he had three fingers into you, occasionally curling them upwards. you lost control of your voice, letting as you cried out from the lovely intrusion, letting chanhee know exactly how you felt about him taking care of your most sensitive area. your body begged for chanhee to fuck you hard, to make you scream, to tell you that everything will be okay.

chanhee knew you were saying those things to him through your screams. "fall apart for me, baby, mommy's got you," he assured you, rubbing your throbbing clit as you came on his fingers. your legs shook violently as you sent into pure euphoria. as you were regaining strength, sweat glistening from your forehead, your hazy eyes saw your husband take off his clothes one-by-one, neatly folding them after each item and resting them on the side of your shared room. he picked up your own previously discarded clothes and did the same.

once he came back to the bed, you had rested your elbows behind you, seeing chanhee's hardened length softly swing between his legs as he climbed back on the bed. getting close to your face, chanhee whispered. "mommy can't wait to fully please his baby," he said with a smile before pecking your nose. "lie back for me." you shuddered and did as told.

with full confidence and eagerness, the man leaned downwards, placing his lovely face directly above your bra-covered breasts, helping you unclasp the confining material. you didn't even have the energy to open your mouth to plead for more as your husband laid his tongue on top of your nipples.

chanhee knew his wife was growing hungry from your sounds of pleasure and desperation. yet all you could verbalize was begging. "please mommy, i need mommy's cock in here," you moaned, opening your legs to display your wet cavern to the man's lustful eyes. he pulled off your breasts and smirked, his doe eyes darkening to a more siren appeal. pumping himself, he aimed his hot tongue inside of your open mouth. he swirled his tongue in circles in your mouth as he pressed his hard, thick cock into your core. you squealed in the delight of being filled. so warm and comforting. so incredible.

chanhee stroked your hair with gentle strokes as he slowly thrusted in and out of you. reaching your neck, he kissed it tenderly, kissing his way down until he reached your cleavage. chanhee just loved sucking on your breasts; they brought him almost as much happiness as it did with him being inside you. as he fondled your breast and you moaned with every thrust, he suddenly lifted his hand away, instead putting it underneath you, his cock pushing deeper with the action.

a loud moan was forced out of you. "fuck, mommy!" you exclaimed as chanhee took the pace up a bit farther, fucking you intently. hearing you liking how deep his dick was in your cunt, he leaned further unto you until he was chest to chest with you. he pounded into you harder, just to hear you whimper louder.

"hee-.. chan-.. hhh.." your brain couldn't form any words due to all the pleasure you were receiving. eventually, you went beyond speech, panting and moaning loud enough for chanhee to enjoy. holding your tits in his hands, you were powerless to resist chanhee's unrelenting efforts of making you feel satisfied. after a few more thrusts, you came with him still in you. your mind fell numb, body jolting upwards as he kept going.

"i want to please my baby until she begs me to stop," chanhee breathed out, continuing to fuck his still hard cock into your spasming center. you could have pushed him off, said no more, argue that you were tired. but instead you chanted for your husband to keep going, to not stop, to please you.

you were showing him how badly you needed to feel taken care of and filled up, giving him permission to fuck you until he passed out on you. why did you allow him all this? one may never know.

chanhee smiled at how sweetly his wife surrendered herself to him, allowing him to slot a big part of his love into you. he was grateful at how often you'd remind him that you gave in to him, just so he would have something to thank you for. it was simple; in that moment, chanhee would thank you for showing his love.

you enjoyed the feeling of chanhee's cock plunging in and out of you, remembering how good he could fuck: always careful not to hurt you, constantly trying to stretch you in all ways possible. loving how close he always stayed to you, pressing his ear right next to your sensitive chest. slowly wiggling his hips, going from the deepest angle possible to shallow, from shallow in and out motions back to fast and deep angles, building up steam again. finding your sweet spot, your throat burned as you yelled, attempting to express what you needed; telling him to keep doing what he was doing because it felt so damn good. "please, please, please. mommy pleaseee," you whined, desperate to communicate to your lover.

as if he could read your thoughts, chanhee nodded, asking for one more minute to fill you up. he gazed down at you with intense desire, taking care to memorize every feature on your face and every sound you were emitting. he wrapped his arms around you as he continued to slide in and out, taking every ounce of pleasure that was given to him from your continously spasming walls. he tried to hold himself steady, but the feelings building within were too powerful, rushing through him as fast as he was filling you up. you came along right after.

chanhee pressed a loving kiss against your forehead, wanting nothing more than to bask in the afterglow of your orgasms. slowly moving from your face, chanhee lowered himself down your body, spreading your legs wide and settling between them. gently touching your swollen lips, he placed a single kiss on your exposed, reddened flesh as you yelped. "so pretty, mmh?" he awwed, kissing each inch of your gorgeous flushed skin with adoration. "were you pleased, baby?" chanhee lightly nipped your shoulder as he went up again, asking you for a response; which you hummed weakly.

wrapping his arms around your sides, chanhee started circling your clit, knowing it was how you always ended up cumming for him when you both finished a session. no matter how much you resisted or cried out, he just kept at it, continuing to circle your sore bud until your hips rolled unto him in uncontrollable waves. "ughh, mommy," you sighed as your face contorted in ecstasy. out of nowhere your juices soaked your thighs and flowed out of you quickly, welcoming chanhee to eat you up with his lips-- licking, nipping, nibbling, sucking as you whimpered.

"my sweet, sweet baby," he praised you, hands roaming around your quivering pelvis. "so hardworking. let mommy please you until you fall asleep, hmm?" as if on cue, your eyelids dropped closed, knowing you wouldn't be able to answer him. listening to your peaceful slumber as he teased you with gentle kisses on your mound and your lower lips, he went to the bathroom get some wipes.

[notallwonder]

Alrighty. Here we are. Criminal Minds 16x06, "True Conviction". I've already seen it a couple times now, but I wanted to do one of these anyway.

Spoilers and extremely long play-by-play under the cut.

I'm unreasonably psyched for this

this technobabble doesn't wholly make sense to me. why would GPS matter?

obvs the most recognizable thing about JJ is the symbol of her marriage, great

lmao this is how I know I'm way down the rabbit hole for Paget - when I first saw Garcia's "bring 'em home, Emily" line, my brain helpfully supplied the sound of Arden Myrin's hilarious impression of Peter Pilot's mom Barb crying "Bring her hooooooome, Peter!" iykyk and if you don't, it's very unimportant

the smirk and eyebrow was completely wrong for the moment, yet Incredibly Hot

big style Janeway vibes as the turbolift elevator doors close

wow the jet is schmancy - wall sconces! it's wide enough to accommodate the new aspect ratio!

SUEDE JACKET EMILY

Tara you look so sad. Wish you had a hand to hold, your friends keep getting blowed up

Luke's ALIVE yessss

oh little baby unsub running through the forest....got bopped on the head....

now he's...locked in a cupboard under the stairs? harry potter?

MAC AND CHEESE MOTIF

god I want mac and cheese

I like this bad uncle guy. He's hilarious. Real good crazy eyes.

this really could have been a musical

honestly I think my dad served me that exact meal when I was a kid and my mom was away on business. Except mine also included canned potatoes (disGUSTing)

Emily hugging Luke and like...no shot of her acknowledging JJ? It annoyed me the first time and now it's HILARIOUS. Just...conspicuously avoiding JJ? I love her relief about Alvez (me too Emily!), and she already knew that JJ was up and moving and not dead. But...they had time for that hug and nothing else? FUNNY. CM flew too close to the Jemily Sun with "200" and the long walk back is still ongoing.

I guess if I wanted to watch this with my Jemily goggles... this could fit *very* well with the plot of "Late Bloomer", a lovely fic by angestreet in progress on AO3 (https://archiveofourown.org/works/43418964). ANYWAY - the not touching/having trouble being normal with JJ fits with an Emily who has been putting distance between herself and JJ for complicated emotional reasons she's just starting to understand. Or perhaps an Emily and JJ who have had some sort of personal conflict that we, the audience, were not privy to (see also: the "what ifs and if onlys" conversation in season 13). I mean, I still think it's a conspicuously odd choice on the TV screen, but there's room for some interesting storytelling there.

on the other hand - the flight down there from Quantico is at least 90 minutes. Plenty of time for the folks on the jet to get a phone update from JJ. I think we're led to believe they did NOT have that communication (i.e. the splosion interrupted cell service for a prolonged period), as otherwise why would Emily be palpably relieved about Luke's well-being once she gets eyes on him?

Ponytail Prentiss. Ma'am.

The brief and supportive embrace of JJ from Tara and Rossi? Beautiful. Chef's kiss. Lovely.

LOL this music. Teachin' the kid to lye. (haha im so funny)

So...are we to believe he is conflicted about his serial killer education?

No time for politics, Dougie boy!

ooh I wonder who the Attorney General is. Do you think we'll get to see her? Please be CCH Pounder.

Political pressure and machinations seem to be a theme this season. As I recall, prior CM painted its political villains more as bad individuals (Barnes, Strauss, seemingly Bailey at the start of this season). It does feel like CME is more deliberately placing the BAU in the context of a justice / law enforcement *system* that is corrupted or disturbed by political concerns (and otherwise wonderful and perfect and not at all corrupt in itself). Kind of interesting.

Poor Tyler.

Look! JJ talking directly to Emily! It happened! Not in the same frame, but. I just have to remind myself that these things actually happen.

Can you imagine Prentiss arm wrestling Bailey. She'd wipe the floor with that silly noodle. Her glare is too powerful, forget her arm.

So Bailey's *not* the reason they haven't been using the jet? It's the nebulous "politics"? Vague, but not a huge leap. We've already had Senator Aunt Zelda call back to the way Congress sometimes likes to hold the federal budget hostage to achieve certain ends.

ugh....friends....this should come as no surprise...... i'm so gone for her...... her visage pleases me no end..... (mind filled with spooky echoing whispers of sssmokeshhhow prentisssss)

Acting! Executive realness Emily. And she does trust Tara's ability to do the job, but is cognizant of those "politics" etc.

Tara knows she's staring at a shit sandwich coming her way. Tara, I love you. I'm sorry this is hard.

Tyler: "Some dude gave me my clothes back. Also he took my sick Crocs. I don't get it. Am I getting out of here?"

I like PG's dress.

MOAR HUGS!!!! love that. Whoopsy you hurt Luke's lil injured wrist bb.

JONATHAN DEL ARCO, my MAN. First watch through I did not recognize him but found him compelling. I love that guy. I loved seeing him reprise his role as Hugh in ST: Picard. I love his work here.

Emily is... compassionate in this interview. Doesn't feel adversarial. That look when he says he just wants to die.

Oy, poor JJ. She is stuck in this stupid situation with her business gnome husband where she gets to feel guilty AND almost got blowed up! And Will, please. "I promise to never miss your call ever again." Guys come on - be realistic here! This is So Dumb. I've never been able to hate Will despite the ways their relationship rubs me the wrong way. Because if nothing else, JJ does seem to mostly really like him. I don't get it, girl, but who am I to say? She looks really shaken in this scene. This gives me a bad feeling. I'm a little worried this storyline is going to end in her transferring out of the BAU or retiring or otherwise putting her family above her career in a more decisive way.

Tyler and Penelope... I don't hate it. Pen deserves some lovin' and she's a kind and compassionate soul. Luke adores her and he's better than Tyler in terms of current emotional stability I'd say. But the heart wants what the heart wants and sometimes the heart simply enjoys whatever is on offer. She must have her reasons.

I had to watch this Tara/Emily/Luke scene like 4 times because I couldn't hear the dialogue over everyone's insane BEAUTY. The HAIR. the..um...curves...the brown houndstooth over the navy shirt...Luke was there too...

side note: I hate the AirBnB/Target/IKEA generic-ass photography decorating the FBI offices. Federal offices are boring yes but usually in a more dorky way.

Oh! They are fighting in the Family Room.

Oh, Rebecca you little nightmare. Tara says Reeves is not Sicarius and that's all it takes for you to accuse her of dealing in conspiracy theories? That got my hackles up. FASCINATING. I can't look away.

Again...this plays into that same looming "Politics" business - the people around & in the way of our heroes are motivated by optics, by career ambition, by the *appearance* of justice served and the currency that provides. ...That exchange in episode 1602 or 1603, when Bailey suggests getting Domestic Terrorism involved to make people feel safe and Prentiss replies that that wouldn't make them safe.

This scene with Tara/Emily/Luke is lovely. They've got her back. She's a professional. Emily's reaction like "oof been there".

This interrogation. The tacit communication between Tara and Emily when Tara steps in (hot). The way Tara carefully talks her way to the point. The way Silvio's eyes cut over at "I met this woman" and then he looks away. The way the connection has been made - he does feel seen. He's smart too. And he's spent how many years committed to his path - death for the safety of the man he loved. I really enjoyed this scene.

Y'know Emily is consistently good about acknowledging Penelope's good work. I'm sure that's been true for the whole show, but noticeable here too - in 1603 when she tells PG her idea is really good, and here. Love it.

Oh now that I'm watching it carefully - PG has a whole MOMENT as she opens up about her own grief (unfortunate how many times the word "hole" appeared in this convo but wcyd). His lean in is NOT unwarranted, it's there in her eyes...

new catchphrase "it just makes the hole different"

I like Silvio's novio. I like that he found a way to live free of shame and fear. It does kind of beg the question why he didn't try harder to exonerate Silvio in the intervening years, but let's not dwell.

Rebecca's "I have never not been on your side" okay lady. you were pretty mad earlier and implied your girlfriend and her team were full of shit so... I guess you're a human being! lmao. I hate to see Tara back-footed like this but this is juicy.

oh hello hottie. Emily Prentiss, the way you sit in a chair.

Paget's delivery of "I'm not quite following" is hilarious. hashtag relatable.

So "family is what gets you killed". Family as weakness, as vulnerability. I don't doubt that over the next few episodes we'll get more rebuttal to that notion from our heroes, a la "we're a family and that's our strength."

These episodes really don't stand up on their own. They work better together. Can't wait for the next one.

[signalwatch]

Hallow-Watch: Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight (1995) Watched:  10/02/2023 Format:  Criterion Viewing:  Second Director:  Ernest Dickerson I didn't have HBO during most of the years when Tales From the Crypt was on television, so I was aware of the show, but didn't catch it very often.  In general, I wasn't really wired for it at the time (I wasn't into horror), but in 1995, I was sort of going to see everything that came out.   My memory of the movie is that it's... fine.  It seems like maybe it could have been better, and a 90 minute run-time, even with Crypt Keeper book-ends, was still maybe a bit much and at some point, you feel like you get it, and this could have been 75 or 80 minutes.  The show was usually 30+ minutes, so you're essentially doing tight stories built on ironic twists, the hand of fate, etc...  the kind of stuff you may be familiar with from any number of anthology shows that preceded it. Here, they needed to tell a longer story, and so we get a bit of an actioner on top of the horror, and a larger cast.  And what a cast!  How weird. I only really remembered Billy Zane, but we also have a very young Jada Pinkett (pre-Smith), Thomas Haden Church, CCH Pounder, William Sadler, Dick Miller, Charles Fleischer, Brenda Bakke and Traci Bingham is in there somewhere as a "Party Babe".  It seems like the studio was like "hey, we're doing a Tales from the Crypt movie, and-" and everyone said "yes!". The basic set-up is that William Sadler plays a guy on the run from an hilarious Billy Zane, who is a sort of Demon-guy.  Sadler is protecting "the key" which will turn Earth back to a pre-"let there be light" state and release demons and darkness onto the world.  He's trapped in a hotel (they keep calling a motel) built out of an old church along with the employees and residents of the motel, as well as some cops. You've seen similar before as the cast bickers and fights and has their own little arcs and desires, which are exploited by Zane who uses their inner-most desires to get inside their heads and physically into the motel.  And he's funny and charming as he does so. The movie takes place in just a few locations over a single night, which helps wrangle the story, characters and budget.  And makes for good horror-stuff. There's a sort of post-80's/ we've-seen-Evil Dead 2 approach to some of it, and it's a pleasure to see so much done with puppets, creature design and practical FX.  The demons running around are given animal-like legs I can't believe the actors could walk on, but they even climb stairs.  There's some gore, but it's not, like, endless.  It's more of a punchline and tone setting. All-in-all, it's a fun movie.  I'm not sure the format of Tales from the Crypt begs for a movie-length treatment, but it did make me think - there's no reason Max couldn't revive this show.  Horror does great, in general, and it would be terrific to see stuff that relies on the sorts of plot twists and ghoulish morality tales that made TV horror and sci-fi work for decades.  I don't know how much more I can get from another zombie-based TV show taking place in a world where they've never seen a zombie TV show before. And, of course, it's kinda nice to have the Crypt Keeper making fun of the proceedings and the horrible fates of the characters instead of insisting this should all be taken very seriously, indeed.  I'm a firm believer in the horror-host, from Elvira to Crypt Keeper to Count Floyd.   https://ift.tt/OG3LR4f via The Signal Watch https://ift.tt/D2JW9IH October 03, 2023 at 09:49AM

[ultrahpfan5blog]

Retrospective Review - Batman: Assault on Arkham

Assault on Arkham isn't really a Batman movie in a more literal sense. Its more a Suicide Squad movie where Batman plays a pivotal role. The film takes place within the continuity of the Arkham games, which I have never played but only ever heard good things about. I really enjoyed this movie when I first watched it and it holds up on rewatch. Its arguably the best Suicide Squad movie made, perhaps even better than The Suicide Squad, which I also love, and definitely better than the 2016 Suicide Squad.

I love the premise for the movie. Its perfectly low scale, which is perfect for the Suicide Squad. The Squad infiltrating into a place like Arkham is just ripe for all sorts of things because there are so many issues that they can run into. And in this movie, they do. As expected, the task is not quite what Amanda Waller initially told Task Force X to do. Meanwhile, Batman is hunting for dirty bomb that the Joker has hidden somewhere in Gotham. In the process, the two plots intersect, with Joker entering the fray and causing chaos as only he can. Its an interesting premise done right. The lead character of the film is Deadshot, and you can tell he's easily the most experienced and balanced member of Task Force X. Joining him is wildcard Harley Quinn, Killer Frost, King Shark, Black Spider, and Captain Boomerang. Its a fun group of characters with various different skillsets. The film has a strong sense of momentum. There is always something happening and the pacing never slacks and I never got bored. There are also an awesome fight scene with Batman going up against the entire Suicide Squad. That is Batman at his most badass and there is an element of fun in there based on the reaction of the Suicide Squad members, when they realize Batman has arrived. Batman is used pretty organically and he gets a substantial role, even though this isn't his movie. Joker similarly is quite a standout, bringing his brand of crazy, and we get more of the toxic Harley and Joker dynamic, where they want to kill each other at one point and then all over each other the next.

As for negatives, I am not a huge fan of some character design choices. Like I don't like that we can see Batman's eyeballs through his lenses. It lessens his mystique a bit. Its a minor nitpick. Also, I feel that Batman should have been the one to take down the Joker and Deadshot should have been the one to take down Harley and diffuse the bomb. I know this is one of those things where the lead is given the chance to take down the villain, but the Joker is really Batman's villain, and the film establishes some sort of relationship between Harley and Deadshot, so him taking her down would have made more sense when it comes to story. Some of the remaining Task Force X members also abruptly exit, like Killer Frost, though I guess that's part and parcel of the Suicide Squad. There is also a bit of a logic flaw that somehow Batman manages to dress up Black Spider in a Batman costume and dresses himself up as Black Spider to infiltrate Task Force X, but later has his own Batman costume underneath. That seems pretty implausible.

The voice work is stellar and the animation is terrific. Kevin Conroy reprises his role and he's excellent again as Batman. Neal McDonough as Deadshot is excellent. Troy Baker's version of Joker definitely has a strong resemblance to Hamill's voice, and he does a good job of it. CCH Pounder, who did Amanda Waller in the DCAU as well, is terrific. I have always lover her in the role. Hynden Walch is good as Harley. Giancarlo Esposito as Black Spider, John Dimaggio as King Shark, Jennifer Hale as Killer Frost, Greg Ellis as Boomerang, and Matthew Gray Grubler as Riddler round out the cast nicely. Jay Olivia and Ethan Spaulding do a good job with the direction of this film. An 8/10 for me.

[purpleyin]

Flash 6x06 thoughts

So I'm really behind on watching The Flash. Part of why is I was doing my liveblog type commentary posts and I didn't have energy to do that whenever I thought about watching it.

I watched this ep ages ago but hadn't typed up the notes I had on it. 6x07 was as far as I got and that really packed a punch so I don’t remember a lot about this one in comparison. And...I got five 5 mins into a rewatch of this before I remembered it’s the Barry and Ralph ep, how could I forget that. The awkward dorks for comedic relief before all the coming angst. :D

My first thought is where is Joe for the Nash sewer reveal, since he got told about it too last ep. And Cisco, is this a Cisco-less ep? :(  I am guessing he’s busy with Cynthia’s funeral, which is even more sad.

lol to Barry going for the wall and not trusting Wells when he say not to. There writers prove they continue to really like whumping Barry by throwing him against stuff.

Yet again Nash provides a quest for the team - MacGuffin's for all your needs! This is his role so far this season, sending people on wild goose chases and just how does he find out about all these artifacts...

Also Frost is all protective of Barry with the stern ‘Did you know that would happen?’

And we have a canon fact that eternium is anti-phase, that feels like it’s gonna be important. If it hasn’t already been brought up and I just forgot.

i like Ralph’s low-tech enthusiasm with the sledge hammer suggestion. Sometimes that is the key to problems.

Yay to Chester waking up. Also Chester still has the CCH shirt on, did he have same clothes for 8 weeks!? How did they feed him or did he not need food? Where are the toilets issue yet again!

I think i might get annoyed at his ‘what up party people’ slogan if they overuse it but for now it's nice seeing the enthusiasm for what S.T.A.R. labs has.

:D to Chester sliding down that bit in speed lab.

I feel like Cisco may not like anyone tinkering with his projects when he's back though.

The thing he sniffs, is that a pee sample on Caitlin’s desk or something? Also, did they show future Cisco’s metal hand too in the montage. Was that just another S.T.A.R. labs project?

So... they saved Chester but forgot to tell anyone he wasn’t dead. Team Flash gets stuff done but they’re not very focused on the fine detail, like clearing up being dead (this makes me wonder what else haven’t they fixed and if Felicity usually helps out fixing stuff) or anyone keeping an eye out for exactly when Chester will get let out.

OMG to the obit showing Cisco has his own drink too!!! Vibe-achinos.

lol to Chester’s grandmas comment. Also I feel like that's the same energy as Barry had earlier in S6 about how cool Iris almost getting sucked into one was, just focused on the science. Reminds me of the S1 boomerang comments with the Arrow crossover.

lol to Frost being like ‘the one day i get watch duty’, considering last time she had it she ignored alerts and did art. Frost giving it bluntly there too.

Not sure I like the Elongated Man emblem but :) to a Barry & Ralph ep.

Ow my heart about Barry saying pass the torch but oh Barry you are no good at acting causal.

The dress link to Sue is odd but it’s a pretty dress.

So Ralph just knows Barry's measurements... Barry seems like a hard guy to buy clothes for lean and long, much less to find a perfect suit for that fancy crowd.

Also, where did Ralph change into that suit after he gets it out of the trunk?!

Does Ralph having an emergency tailor or a network of emergency tailors, phone tree style.

oh Barry dontcha make fun of Ralphies gadgets. I bet one of those is gonna save the day by the end of it.

Also does Cisco help make these for Ralph? I’m just imagining Frost throwing out ridiculous ideas they take seriously when brainstorming, telling her why that won’t work and Cisco getting  a far away look in his eye and then ‘but actually, maybe if I...’

We get disaster Barry for this ep. The ‘many millions of dollars’ has an almost Austin Powers reference feel.

Barry you suck hard at social engineering. Never confirm things you aren't sure about! At least Ralph is good at pick-pocketing and paying attention to details like the chip. Although haven't they got one chip for two people.

Nash has the mad scientist trope of confusing names.

Does Allegra believe him or is it just her wanting the Harrison Wells mystery solved?

Yay at Cecile helping Chester but Jitters is gone? And what is a Vibeachino punchcard, what do you get once you fill it up? Gonna have to headcanon something there.

That ‘when I fill up my punchcard’ from Chester also sounds like an excuse to put the asking out off.

How is Jitters gone...I know they had a blackhole there but it didn't damage much that we saw. Unless employees are scared to work there or the insurance for the place is hiked up for being in a known blackhole spot even if it was just the once so far.

Aw to Chester and Cecile and him realising how that affected her. But what are his powers now...

Poor Barry, not his day at the event. And keeping secrets for surprises doesn't go well for heroes...

Chester has a pretty nice shirt here, love how much colour it has.

How is Cecile getting it so wrong and how does Chester not spot that re the shoes. Insert common sense.... Was Cecile feeling her feelings and if not who was it.

The Book of Ralph saying ‘be yourself’, that wasn’t what Cisco got from the Kamilla date and the book, so did Ralph update it? <3 Subtle character growth right there.

Oh dear to Nash letting stuff slip. Poor Allegra, you'd think maybe Team Flash should have helped her with her powers too by now. Meta training for safety if nothing else.

Barry really should have thought twice about being The Flash when at a gathering of weapons dealers.

Wouldn’t the electric weapon taking Ralph down fry his usb key too, hope he didn’t need that for later. Amused that Barry's identity is so passe here. Ralph forgot the white tux bond villain cliche though.

Hmm so Ultraviolet getting out of iron heights, did she or is she a clone like there were Godspeed clones?

Ah the meglomaniac plot. Barry is the disaster boi here, not thinking things through. Part of me loves it and part of me cringes.

So Ralph is good at finessing, but Nash is doing that sort of thing with Allegra too, reading reactions to his questions.

And why does Allegra have same powers as Esperanza, is it genetics or the circumstances they were in at the time or both?

oh the irony about choice for him given spoilers I've read for Nash. Has he feelings on being like other Wells or not? On what he could be and if those lives should be his, with family for example.

Also wonder how many episodes Tom C can bear to be so grimy for with Nash and the tunnels.

They really like to use the word vaporised this season...

Well the sensing the opposite thoughts makes more sense for Cecile.

It would be ironic if Chester could turn out to do whirling eyes hypnotism with his weird eyes power.

Awwww to Cecile and her sadness she’s so easily replaced. That's a long time in a job and makes sense why she feels worried she might fail and having nothing to show for it.

Barry & Ralph heartfelt conversation whilst tied up/in mortal danger ftw. Ralph saying barry is as important and Barry looks almost teary yet again.

But this does make me wonder, does he need to find someone to replace him as CSI too? Will that be August Heart?

I love that Ralph's gadgets helped but oh dear bad laser cannon malfunction.

Hooray for Barry finding a pattern and them using it to escape but there was no my left your left discussion... they be coordinated.

Surely a chair should not be able to damage that laser like that unless it’s very shoddily built?

I guess with the demo on Central City none of the guests like the place. Just imagine if Len was one of the guests instead.

eeeee drunk acting Barry. Mortal kombat refs XD

And there we go with Barry getting thrown around even more and again. Is this how many times can we whump him per ep.

I do like him coming up with ways to fight non-powered using scenery but why doesn't she use her powers on him... unless its because she’s commanded not to.

The song that’s on is ���Supremacy” by Muse, lyrics here and people say it sounds like a Bond theme so it’s certainly appropriate for this ep.

Do enjoy the action, must be hard to direct/edit.

Hmm, so how much electricity can Ralph take with his powers.

Also that thing about how common is meta dampening tech. Are there legal issues about places wanting to dampen everywhere and how that could affect people who need their powers somehow and The Flash of course if you want him to come to your rescue in a crisis.

This ep was been so wonderfully silly and OTT and fun.

Love Chester’s positivity in himself, the ‘she said no but I said yes to me’. The Flash isn’t always good on messages it promotes but for that it’s nice.

And Chester’s fashion is proving fun so far too.

Oh the feels with Nash, does Allegra reminder him of a Jesse from his earth? Did Nash have a family with Jesse Quick and got challenged by The Monitor to prove herself worthy, as in Elseworlds, and failed? I guess I’ll soon find out with Crisis watching.

So much aw to Ralph getting recognition from The Flash and that side stretch step lol. Though seriously anyone from CCPD has got to recognise that’s Barry’s voice.

Oh to Ralph’s vow. Is someone gonna test it... or is it just him thinking about Barry's impending sacrifice? Barry did nicely get around saying why he's handing over to EM without phrasing it as that.

Them honoring Barry as a CSI is !!!! <3

So they have a Ralph and Iris scene about his badge but we have no indication Ralph or Joe invited Iris, or Caitlin/Frost, along to see the medal giving that Ralph and Barry got. It’s possible Barry might have talked to Iris about it lots already for Ralph’s badge but for Barry getting his you’d think Iris would want to be there for that.

Where was Iris all ep... not around Allegra for sure. I know why Frost is only in it for a bit because Danielle P directed it, and Cisco has an in-canon reason to not be there, but no Iris except beginning and end felt odd. They didn’t even mention what she was doing, did they?

OMG to that cliffhanger. And the “I have a followup question’ is cheesy but fun. XD

[juliadirectz]

I have 2 weeks of college left, and am feeling super sentimental so I thought it would be nice to share some of the songs that helped me through school aka prevented me from dropping out! "Music is the strongest form of magic" 🧡

#2) 𝔾𝕠𝕓𝕝𝕚𝕟𝕤

You know when you're sitting, watching the sunset, listening to music & you know everything's gonna be all right? Well that's this song.

It came up on recommended when I was checking out the band during color timing class, and I was instantly hooked. It was spring quarter (2018), and it was the longest time (6 months) that I'd ever gone without seeing my parents & bffs, since it was my first year of college. Because of my credits transfer (going from semester to quarter) I was taking 5 classes (20 units) at the time, one of them being a 4-hour math class from 7-11pm haha! It was intense.

I was also doing the scariest thing I'd ever done at the time: organize, write/direct/produce a professional-level short film for fun. I really wanted to make my own project and step out of my comfort zone, making a film using everything I had learned that year at CCH.

There was 20 different times where I was like: "ok if I just scrap this short film it'll be so much less work. Everyone will appreciate it if I just drop them from the film, and we'll all have less to do." (I didn't, and it ended up being one of the coolest things I've ever made and won an award at the CCH film fest!)

This song, with its driving-forward beat & lyrics helped me every time. "It's a new day, time for reconstruction" - hours and hours of constructing this film, not sleeping from stress of hoping it'd go well and planning out every little detail.

There was just also a lot of times I didn't feel well at all that quarter. So much work, so much stress, and none of my family/bffs around. "I still believe in goblins, I still believe in me". At first it started as just singing along with it... But then I started to believe what I sang: I STILL BELIEVE IN ME!

I can't even begin to elaborate on the amount of comfort this song brought me. It was unlike anything I'd ever heard or felt before; this was better than any drug you could try. It WAS like a drug, I listened to it EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. Until one day, I didn't have to anymore. I didn't need it as a crutch, and I could survive without it. Now when I play it, it reminds of victory, it reminds me of my very first short film (one of the coolest days ever!!) and taking 7-10 mile walks (I wish I still had that much free time) and listening to music, sipping boba/eating a pizza pretzel & watching the sunset. And that fact that I finished strong: four A's, one B and one very dope short film!

This song will be forever one of my faves. I'm so glad it came at a time I really needed it, it always seems to work out like that <3 

[ncfan-1]

Gotham 05X05, ‘Pena Dura’

- I’m having a really hard time caring. This is Gotham.

- Okay, I am officially Checked Out of Selina’s storyline. If you guys think what’s happening is really good, and it doesn’t involve moralizing over Selina’s having committed Murder, message me and maybe I’ll turn the mute off, but for now, no. Just no. I’m not here for this, especially not on Gotham, of all shows.

- Some old man is watching a black and white film on a film projector, to be confronted with guns by Jim and Harvey. He and his gang are holed up in a church.

- Jim and Harvey are had. Except not, because what what looks like a black ops team crashes in, destroying a stained glass skylight.

- And one of Jim’s old army buddies has showed up.

- And by Eduardo, Jim… has really gone to seed. Why am I not surprised.

- “Jim’s taught me a thing or two about being careful.” What? Harvey, why are you lying?

- Why do I feel like Eduardo’s second-in-command is going to be relevant later.

- Bruce is running around the GCPD looking for Alfred. Apparently he can’t find Selina. Alfred’s right that Selina can take care of herself, and is of the opinion that, well, Selina was probably doing the world a favor by stabbing Jeremiah in the gut. Thank you, Alfred. I may not be muting all of Selina’s scenes, after all.

- I can’t believe I’m praising Alfred for anything in relation to his treatment of Selina, but unlike Bruce, he seems to at least recognize that Selina has agency and is going to do what she wants regardless of whether Bruce approves. So yeah. Very faint praise for Alfred. (Whether you choose to damn him with it is up to you.)

- “You’re not a murderer, Ed.” Yes he fucking is. Shut up.

- And now Ed is up against a wall with guns pointed towards him. See how little I care.

- I don’t know what’s going on; I have the mute on. Jim looks… I can never tell if that look is supposed to be troubled or constipated.

- Eduardo has stepped on a sinking tile; I presume he just triggered a trap.

- The floor is lava!

- Eduardo is disbelieving that anyone would seriously choose to come to Gotham, let alone Jim. Join the club, buddy.

- I chickened out and put the mute back on once the scene switched to Bruce looking for Selina. He was in the Sirens, it looked like? Barbara was there, and she looked happy as anything.

- We’re back to Ed with mobs literally out for his blood. A good look for Ed.

- And Oswald is carrying out a deal, and doesn’t exactly look happy when he finds out Ed is responsible for Haven (Though I’m honestly at the point where I think Jeremiah framed him). I notice that for someone who, as Mr. Penn said with his dying breath, everyone hated, he seems to have built up his power base again very quickly.

- Maybe I’m supposed to feel sorry for Ed trying to evade the people out to kill him, but really, I’m not. And I don’t feel sorry for him when he wakes up duct-taped to a lawn chair, either.

- I have the mute on, I really don’t know what’s happening, but I can guess.

- She’s… after him because he killed her dog? Really, I don’t know.

- Gotham is kinda funny with the mute on.

- These actors make really good weird faces.

- And now he’s having some sort of vision of Oswald? I know all this is going to result in is Ed blaming Oswald for Everything That Has Ever Gone Wrong Ever, because God forbid Ed ever take responsibility for anything, but really, this is just gonna be… Oswald, honey, I really hope you’re finally over him. He is so not worth your time.

- Okay, commercial break over, and I think I’ll try turning the mute off.

- “I’m going to fix you, Ed.” Why do I feel like this’ll be sad in context?

- It’s funny with the mute off, too.

- What are backwoods rednecks doing in Gotham, anyways?

- And Ed is here to blame Oswald for Everything That Has Ever Gone Wrong Ever. Oh, the joy.

- I feel like Oswald would be careful enough to have a gun on him at all times.

- Jim doesn’t seem eager to take on Oswald. Interesting.

- Mute is back on with Selina. Selina looks kinda dead-eyed.

- Mute’s off, and Selina’s telling him about her watching his parents get shot. She’s tearing up. Poor sweetie.

- Selina, you’re not convincing anyone when you say you don’t care. You literally teared up when you talked about watching Bruce’s parents get gunned down; that is not the sign of someone who doesn’t care. Sneaking into Arkham for Bridgit’s sake is not something someone who doesn’t care does. Selina probably wants to not care about anyone, but yeah, I don’t think it’s in her to be apathetic to everyone and everything. And of course Bruce is hurt by that, but I don’t think he believes that.

- Boo hoo Ed. Gag me with a spoon; I literally could not be less sympathetic towards him if I tried.

- Turned on the sound just in time for Oswald to tell Ed that he had saved his life.

- And yeah, I’m with Oswald: if he wants to fuck with Ed, Ed is automatically gonna know it’s him.

- Again, boo hoo Ed. I could not care less.

- Oswald is fully willing to hand Ed over to special forces; thank you. But now he’s the only one left holding the bag. Of course.

- Armed standoff time.

- Yeah, Oswald, Harvey’s a free agent.

- And once again, Oswald can’t have a victory that lasts longer than one episode. Because of course.

- Barbara makes very creative threats.

- Yeah, Ed, Barbara has known you to do shit like that. That’s the problem.

- “They killed those people.” Barbara’s not likely to care.

- I don’t like this Christian Bale voice Ed’s doing. It was bad when Christian Bale did it, and it’s somehow even worse when it’s CMS.

- I don’t wanna watch Oswald get tortured. Next scene, please.

- Exchange between Jim and Oswald. And once again, Jim is choosing Oswald even at the expense of clashing with one of his allies. Gotham? You are never gonna sell me on Jim with one his lady love interests. Never.

- Yay, it’s BD Wong time!

- I love BD Wong.

- I love BD Wong even more when Strange is trying to reason with Ed.

- Strange is playing with him and it’s painfully obvious.

- This performance is delicious; why can’t BD Wong be in every episode?

- It’s bizarre to see Harvey giving Bruce a more inspirational speech than Jim’s ever managed. Nice, though.

- Damn; I didn’t expect to see fresh brain in this episode.

- BD Wong is really redeeming this episode for me, because up to now it’s been mediocre to awful. But I’m actually smiling now.

- Oswald’s home again, lugging his dog around. It’s honestly kinda cute.

- Secret vault? Secret vault.

- There Amontillado in that vault?

- “I was merely helping a man who needed medical attention.” I laughed.

- Given how Ed uses people as tools, I’m not shedding tears over him being used as tools.

- I was wondering when the other shoe would drop with Eduardo. Strange is escorted out, and “Walker”—Amanda Waller, I’m guessing; the name’s close enough—wants Ed killed. I presume Amanda Waller is also the one ultimately controlling Ed.

- Honestly, given Amanda Waller’s personality in other works, I wouldn’t put it past her to do the “pragmatic” thing and have Haven bombed so the army can be brought in and Gotham can be brought to heel. She is very much for the order part of law and order.

- If we actually see Amanda Waller, they’d better get someone good. I wish we could get CCH Pounder, but, I don’t know, given that this is show business, they may decide she’s too old for the role.

- I disapprove of mind control on principle, but with Ed, I can’t really dredge up much of the ability to care.

- And Jeremiah’s not dead, because of course he’s not dead.

- I hate what they did with Ecco. I really do.

- “All systems go.” Well, that can only signal good things.

- Last scene is Jeremiah looking at two women who’ve just had bandages removed. “I love family reunions, don’t you.” Whatever this is about, I’m sure it’s going to be clichéd, and not nearly as shocking as the music tries to imply.

- …And something just occurred to me. The army turning out to be Evil completely absolves Jim of any responsibility for fighting with the Army as we saw him doing in the first episode. …

…

…

SERIOUSLY?????

Good night, everybody.

[deeeelightfuldee]

why are you where you are right now? ummm im in bed because its 11pm and thats a logical place for me to be at this hour.

did you use to watch blues clues? nope. that was not my thing

what’s your opinion on people wearing high heels to school? i mean it doesnt matter to me. I was homeschooled so that would have been weird had I done that myself. But for other hs age individuals out there, like wear whatever you want and live life man idc.

what game system(s) do you own? switch, nintendo 64, wii, super nintendo, gameboy, DS, idk what happened to my game cube or playstation.

are you a twilight fan? no, not at all. what are you hungry for right now? ice cream. like so so bad.

when's the last time you threw up? not long ago.

why did you throw up? im sick and nausea is a common occurrence lately

play any musical instruments? i have previously yes.

what difficulty do you play on guitar hero? i never owned one i just played at friends houses from time to time, but they knew the difficulty level. I did not.

do you have any piercings other than on your ears? no. I desperately want my ears double pierced tho. what school did your father attend? CCHS

are your nails painted at the moment? no. they will be tomorrow.

what will you be doing tomorrow? cleaning, nails, resting, packing list, gearing up for a big 2 weeks.

do you still buy cds or do you just download everything? i stream on spotify but i have a LOT of cds. my favorite thing is when someone burns me a cd (since none of our vehicles have music hook up beyond radio and cd)

do you listen to any music that doesn't have lyrics? sure but not often these days

do you stutter when you get nervous? No, not really. 

describe what you were wearing yesterday. uhhhhh i had on leggings and a tee with a sweatshirt.

that last person you talked to on the phone said. “im gonna have to stay late at work im so sorry”

you're at the grocery store, what 3 fruits do you get? bananas, grapes, and then one fruit i’ve never tried before.

your lunch consisted of...? i skipped lunch today

do you attend church regluarly? I wish!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

any superstitions? nah

what is your favorite superhero movie? im still working my way thru it.

do you listen to cobra starship? i like good girls go bad

do you watch gossip girl? no

what do you get whenever you go school shopping? frig that was always my love language. I LOVE school shopping. i have very particular desires when it comes to school supplies.

do you have a temper? tbh i feel like i have no concept of reality rn in terms of what im like. like i was so convinced i was a particular way and then all the fighting happening around me lately has me second guessing things. I really don’t think i have much of a temper at all but i guess maybe i do. 

do you consider yourself responsible? yes

what is the time? 11:13pm

anything special going on today? i got breakfast + dinner courtesy of K. that was v nice. my brother dropped his dog over so they could go on a trip. i cleaned a lot. i did all the laundry. im exhausted.

are you tired? looooooooooooooool.

what is your favorite kind of chips? this seems to change from time to time. rn i would prob grab bbq.

last time you ate chocolate? I had a reeses egg today. i am craving chocolate rn.

would you live in another country if you had the chance? switzerland maybe

what kind of mascara do you use? uhhhh loreal i think it is.

what do you doodle most often? names, florals.

if you went to jail, what would you go for? loool. tbh it would shock me to ever be in trouble of that level so i really dk.

are there any bruises on your body right now? I have small weird ones idk where they come from. but beyond that, no.

what about scratches? yes.

what are they from? no clue. i have a bad cut on my pinkie right where i rest my phone thats not fun.

if you died next week, what would be the cause of death? the illnesses ive got.

what do you think about dating websites? i enjoy the concept but it often produces weird situations.

what is your favorite thing to get at starbucks? just a lemonade type drink.

what about at mcdonald’s? frig. either breakfast or mcchickens with extra mayo and diced onion. man that sounds baller rn

do you wear contacts or glasses? neither. contacts i could never cus watching people touch their eye just makes me lose it lol. glasses i wish cus theyre so cute.

your ex, do you still love them? oooof. I never said I was in love. i am the worst. I honestly move so slow, there is something wrong with me.

are you two still friends? at the moment we are cordial. hes trying very hard to make us work again but im just numbed at the moment.

what is one memory you have from elementary school? ummmm swimming. i miss it so much.

do you own a pair of converses? I do not

do you own a box or markers or crayons? i have an obscene amount of art supplies.

how many clocks are in your room? one

how many fridges are in your house? 2

what about freezers? ummm 2.

do you like seafood? i do not. i really wish i did as so much of it is GREAT for you but i just can’t wrap my head around it.

what is the best way to tell someone that they stink? oh man. that is a situation i do not want to face.

what time will you go to bed tonight? when im tired i suppose

[sublimazion3]

AKB48 Handshake Event Report (08/12/17)

this is gonna be a very long ass one...

you’ve been warned. 

So I woke up at 6, got ready around 7, reached Makuhari in 15 minutes, waited for 1 and a half hour and my frist meeting of the day was Jurina. 

1st slot, x3.

Me: Hello! Jurina: Hi! Jurina: Woo~ A foreigner fan! [in english:] Welcome! Me: *giggles* thank you! I came from Italy, actually... Jurina: Ah! Amazing! Italy! *points at my white hat with ITALIA written on it (yes, I was wearing the same hat and Italian flag I was wearing last time at the HKT HS event)* But I don’t know any words in Italian... Me: it’s OK-- Jurina: PASTA! Me: *burst out laughing* Yep, that’s an italian word Jurina: You’re so cute, your eyes are beautiful! Me: Me: *blushes* t-thank you? Jurina: How do you say “thank you” in Italian? Me: It’s “Grazie”... Jurina: “Guracche”?  Staff person: *laughs* *also time’s up* Me: Nope, it’s “g r a z i e“!  Jurina: Gurazie [in Japanese:] for coming! Me: I’ll be back! Jurina: Ok~

Something I forgot to mention yesterday, Jurina is very quick in her reactions. She’s very spontaneous and she starts conversation super quickly, she replies super quickly, and I think that’s really positive because a) this “style” is gonna give you much more chances of talking about different things with only, like, 3 tickets, which are about 21-22 seconds for a popular member like her, and b) it totally makes you feel at ease and comfortable ‘cause she quickly makes you feel like you can talk about anything and everything.��

1st slot, x3 

Me: I’m back! Jurina: You are! Gurasshe! Me: *burst out laughing*  Jurina: Eh? Eh!?! Did I get it wrong? No way! Me: YES, you actually called me fat! (※OK, she really didn’t, because for calling me fat she had to say at least “grassa” but she said “grasshe”, which only sounds like the plural(?) form of it? But it was fun anyways, so I let her think that!) Jurina: EEEEH!?? Sorry sorry, I didn’t mean that!  Me: I know, it’s OK *still laughing* Jurina: mou~ that’s not fair!  Me: *calms down* By the way, I forgot to mention that before, but this is my very first AKB48 HS event! And you are the very first member I’m meeting! Jurina: eh, I’m happy to hear that! Hope you’re having a good time!  *time’s up* Me: I absolutely am. You really are a special girl. You’re funny and I truly respect you from the bottom of my heart.  Jurina: eh~ I’m so happy! Thank you!!  *starts to walk away* Jurina: WAIT! *holds my hand tightly* Gura... Gu... Gurasshia? Me: It’s “Grazie”! Jurina: GRAZIE! Me: *laughs* I’ll be back! Jurina: bye~ *waves at me and smiles*

For the second slot, I had to meet with Mayu, Sashihara and Sakura. I decided to go straight away to Mayu. Bad idea. 

Because I didn’t have any Mayu goodies yet (at least those I could wear or hold), during my meeting with Jurina my friends went to buy me some in the goodies location. They bought me a towel with “Watanabe Mayu” written on it which I put around my neck right away.  ※Of course, I took it off every time I had to meet with any other member that wasn’t her, and then put it on again whenever I had to meet with her. For respect of the other girls. 

2nd slot, x7

Me: Hello! Mayu: ITALIA!  Me: *smiles* Yes, I come from Italy Mayu: PASTA! Me: How is it that the only Italian word y’all girls know is pa-- Mayu: PIZZA!! Me: Me: Nice one. Mayu: YAS! Me: *shaking really badly* You know... I’ve been wanting to meet you for five years. I’ve been supporting you for five years, always.  Mayu: Thank you! Me: But now that I am here... You’re graduating...  Mayu: :(  Me: You know, I wasn’t sad about the graduation announcement at the SSK. You’ve been in this group for 10 years now, I knew that some time soon that moment was going to come, but... I was sad because you couldn’t do it as #1. I wish I could’ve seen you announcing it victorious, grasping the senbatsu SSK center position for one last time... But we failed. We fans failed.  [※Here I started to cry. It wasn’t hysterical, just a couple of tears running down my cheeks. I wiped them away quickly, laughing at myself, but then my voice cracked as I tried to apologize. Mayu was looking at me with a face I can’t even describe. She simply stared at me. And eventually, time was up.] Me: I’m sorry. I have to go. Mayu: It’s OK. *holding my hand tightly* I am grateful to my fans for all their hardwork. And I will always be.  Me: Thank you!  Mayu: No, thank you. [※Here the staff person pushes me out and I simply yell “I’ll be back!” but I can’t hear any response from her.]

You’ll see, in my next meetings with Mayu, that her HS style is very particular. She doesn’t spend much words when replying to fans, and that, in my opinion, is very loyal to her personality. She’s reserved, after all, she lets you see only what she wants you to see, and she’s a dork, after all. Other than that, because there are really MANY people meeting her, it might also be because if she replied the way Sakura or Jurina do, she might get tired very easily. Anyways, the fact that she spent those few words for me, the fact that she said more than only one word all together, thinking about it now, really makes me lose my breath.  I got overwhelmed. I was overwhelmed the moment I stepped in to meet her, but despite that, the moment I locked eyes with her and the moment she exclaimed that “ITALIA!” I thought, “Whatevs. Let me hold back. I can do this.”, but then, no. I couldn’t do it. Inevitably, I wanted her to know for how long I’ve been supporting her, how important she has been to me, and how much sad I felt when she lost one last time to Sashihara. I wanted her to know how bad I felt because I, as a fan, wasn’t able to let her succeed and wasn’t able to make her happy one last time because of her graduation, knowing how important that #1 is and has always been for her. I wanted her to know how much I wanted to see her smile, looking up to the sky, with a victorious expression on her face, thinking, “I finally made it!”, for one last time... But then, I ended up crying. It was too much. And she stood there, silent, looking at me, staring at me.  I don’t know. Maybe she felt disappointed about that, too. Maybe she was sad, too. But you know her, you know her stoic face. At that moment, it was impossible for me to tell. I cried and she said those words and when I stepped out of her lane, I felt miserable and my heart was racing in my chest, and everything felt so surreal. My friends comforted me for a few moments, but then I quickly headed to Sashihara’s lane because I didn’t want to waste all my time.

2nd slot, x4 

Me: Hello~ Sashihara: Ah! Hetalia! Me: Who you calling “useless Italy”!?  Sashihara: *laughs* Your Japanese is impressive! Me: Thank you! I try my best...  Me: By the way, I watched a couple of episodes of the anime, as you suggested me. Sashihara: Hm? I suggested you to read the manga! Me: Well, yeah, but I didn’t have much time for that, you know. Have been visiting the country, having fun... Sashihara: Eh? This is your first time coming to Japan? Me: Well, yeah... Sashihara: That’s amazing! Your Japanese is REALLY impressive. Me: *laughs* thank you.  Me: By the way, congratulations on your #1 at the SSK. You are amazing.  Sashihara: *smiles* thank you!  Me: How is it going with STU48? I’m really curious to see where your skills are going to lead the group.  *time’s up* Sashihara: The girls are fresh and energetic, I think the future is going to be positive (?) for them.  Me: I see. I’ll be back! Sashihara: PASTA!

The time I spent waiting in her lane, I told myself “stop being miserable and enjoy your time”. By the time I locked eyes with her and she exclaimed “hetalia”, I found the lucidity to tsukkomi her. She has got such a strong aura, she gives you such strong vibes, at the end of the meeting I felt suddenly very good.  You know how both her and Mayu are very professional in what they do. The difference with Mayu, is that in the past few years she developped this “dork” side (which is definitely her own, it’s not made up), that kinda “hides away” the more serious and professional attitude she definitely shows more off-camera. When it comes to Sashihara, though, you can feel it always. You can see it, always. Like I said before, Mayu is more like, “I am only showing you what I want you to see”, whereas Sashihara is much more like, “This. Is. Me. This is who I am. I might’ve made some mistakes in the past, I might’ve fucked up, and I might’ve started from zero TWICE, but here I am. Stronger than ever. And you can’t move me. You have to respect me. I am who I am, and you’ve got to respect that.”  I felt her strongly and I felt much better once I stepped out of there. And I was super ready to meet with Sakura!

2nd slot, x5. 

Me: Hello~ Sakura: Hi~ Me: I come from Italy! Sakura: oh~ Wait! I saw you last week! Me: You what? Sakura: I saw you *makes “seeing” move with one hand* at HKT’s HS event!  Me: No, I get that, you saw me, it’s just... I’m surprised? Are you sure? Sakura: Yes, I remember the flag! You were wearing it on your shoulders like now, waiting in Haruppi’s lane!  Me: Well, unless there were more people coming from Italy and wearing the same weird clothes as me, I guess that was me.  Sakura: *laughs* That’s what I thought.  Me: By the way, congratulations on your #4! I was really happy for you! I even voted for you! Sakura: Really!? Thank you! Although, you know, I was aiming for higher... Me: I know, but that’s still higher than last year, right? You’ll get even more higher next year for sure.  Sakura: thank you! I’ll do my best!  Me: And I’ll keep supporting you.  Sakura: [in english] thank you! *time’s up* Me: I’ll be back! Sakura: ‘kay~

I was very surprised to hear that she remembered me from last week since she was pretty far away from Haruka’s lane, and sure I glanced her way a couple of times but we never locked eyes so...  She was super kind, though, and like I said in the other post, she kinda makes you feel important by remembering such details. She’s very pretty in real life. She also smells real good. 

Next up was 3rd slot. I had to meet with Mayu again, but this time I decided to go there for last, because there were really MANY PEOPLE and since I had to also meet with Ogiyuka, Yui and Sayanee, I thought that maybe I was gonna spare some time in line.  I was right with Ogi and Yui, but totally wrong with Sayanee. :D 

3rd slot, x3 

Me: Hello~ Ogi: Hello! Me: I come from Italy Ogi: Oh~ ITALIA! *points at my cap* Me: Yep Me: I’m a new fan! Ogi: Are you? Really?! I’M HAPPY!! Me: *laughs* yeah, your speech at the SSK really impressed me. You got my attention. Ogi: I’m really glad...  Me: Are you still in touch with Takamina? Does she still give you advice? Ogi: Sometimes. I don’t like bothering her, but she’s always super kind.  Me: Yeah... *time’s up* Me: I gotta go, but I’ll be back. Ogi: I’ll be waiting!

This girl was really so nice. The reason why I told her I was a new fan right away is because I heard some people --- most of them, really --- pointing out how they were Sayanee oshi or Jurina oshi or whatever-oshi the moment they stepped in to meet her. Like, they were meeting her only because she ranked high at the SSK this year. I kinda felt bad for her, also because judging by her reactions it didn’t really made her happy to hear that. So I thought to cheer her up a little bit by saying that, even though it’s “technically” a lie. But whatever. It’s a White Lie. 

Talking about Minami made me lose my breath for a moment, there. But I’m pretty sure she didn’t notice it.  Next up was Yui.

3rd slot, x3

Me: Hello~ Yui: Hi~ Yui: woooh~ your clothes look amazing! Me: *laughs* do they, though?  Yui: I...ITALIA?! *reading on my cap* Me: Yep. I come from Italy Yui: eh~~ nice~~ Me: I’ve actually been wanting to meet you for years. I’ve always been supporting you.  Yui: Eh, thank you! I’m so happy to hear that! Me: I want to congratulate with you for joining Kami7 and also for all the hardwork you’ve been doing as soukantoku. I know that’s not easy at all. Yui: yeah, it’s tough, but I’ve been doing my best. Thank you! Me: Genki den de! (her line in MamePro. I swear to god I don’t know how that came to my mind, maybe ‘cause she was replying to everything in Kansai dialect, so it just came to my mind, I don’t know!) Yui: *laughs* Eh, wait, what was that for? Me: *laughs* I don’t know! *Time’s up* Me: I’ll be back! Yui: Bye bye~ 

She was SO adorable. It made me SO happy to finally be able to meet her. I wanted SO badly to hug her for no particular reason, only because she was REALLY adorable. She’s SO nice. SO good. Y’all, keep supporting her, by all means. She truly deserves all the love and support. 

Next up was Sayanee. 

3rd slot, x2

Me: Hello~ Sayanee: Oh~ Hetalia! Me: who you calling “Useless Italy”!? Sayanee: Eh. Did you just tsukkomi me. Me: I did.  Sayanee: That was pretty good, actually. Me: Eh, really? Thank you-AGO! Sayanee:  Sayanee: What was that just now? Me: *burst out laughing* *time’s up* Me: I gotta go. I’ll be back. Sayanee: Hm. See ya. 

OK, you need to understand that she is hilarious. Like, her reactions, the face she makes, they are hilarious. I tried to “boke” her by saying “ariAGOto” (you know “ago” means “chin”, right? The whole joke about her and her chin....? You have to know this, come on), but then she looked at me like I had just fucked up everything. Like one moment she was actually praising me and the next I fucked up big time... It was SO funny, my GOD. 

...Next up was Mayu. Again.

3rd slot, x5 

Me: Cheers for your hard work! Mayu: Thanks.  Me: So I watched the #sukinanda MV. Mayu: oh! Me: But I didn’t understand the part where Sashii mentions the turtle. Mayu: Me neither.  Me: EH!? Really? Mayu: *nods*  Me: I mean, I understood what she said, but, like, the meaning behind those words? Like what she actually meant, I couldn’t understand it. Mayu: Same.  Me: Oh, I’ve also been watching Enarikun! Mayu: oooh!! [※she got super excited here XD] Me: Yes, it’s super fun! I’m really enjoying it.  Mayu: Wait, you’re watching it now?  Me: Yeah, because I wasn’t in Japan when it aired? Mayu: ohh~ Me: So I’m finally being able to watch it here, all at once.  [※Another WHITE LIE SHUT UP] Mayu: I see.  Me: Your acting is great, by the way. As usual. Mayu: Thanks!  Me: But I wish that someday, if I’ll be back in Japan, I’ll get the chance to see you performing in a musical! Mayu: Roger that! *time’s up* Me: See you soon! Mayu: bye~

As you can see, the rhythm of the conversation was much quicker this time. OK, I didn’t end up crying, so there’s that, but in general, because she replies with only one, or few words, she gives the chance to the fan to talk most of the time. She simply listens and gives quick, energetic replies. Differently from Jurina, where the conversation is super quick too, but she definitely gives much more “complex” replies.  Next up was 4th slot. I had Yuki, Jurina and Sayanee tickets. I went STRAIGHT TO YUKI because OH MY GOD. 

4th Slot, x3 

Me: Hello! Yuki: Oh, hello! Yuki: Wow, your clothes are amazing! Me: Thank you!  Your new haircut is super cute! Yuki: Thank you! Me: You know, I’ve been wanting to meet you for a long time. Yuki: eh, thank you! I’m happy! Me: I come from Italy Yuki: oh~ Italy~ eh, there’s also written on your cap! Me: yeah *laughs* this is my first time here in Japan... Yuki: oh! eh, amazing, your Japanese is impressive! Me: thank you! but, because of that, I’ve never  been able to go to one of your solo concets! I wish I could go, someday! *time’s up* Yuki: then, please, do come whenever you can! I’ll be waiting for you! Me: I will! I gotta go now, but I’ll be back! Yuki: bye bye~ *waves*

SHE WAS SO KIND AND NICE AND PRETTY AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH.  No but, seriously. She looks at you with such kindness, like she’s super into and focused in whatever it is you’re saying. I think that’s her HS style. The fact that she looks at you intensely. She isn’t the only one, though, like Jurina does that too, but it’s different. I don’t know how to put it. Like, Yuki’s gaze is more like the one of a mother, she’s more gentle, her eyes are more gentle. Jurina’s eyes are more inquiring. Strong. Straightforward. She’s looking through you. I DON’T KNOW HOW TO EXPLAIN IT, PLEASE UNDERSTAND???? Next up was Jurina, indeed!

4th Slot, x3 

Me: I’m back~ Jurina: Grazie~ Me: Omg, you actually remembered that correctly! Jurina: *wink* I know, right? I actually kept repeating that in my mind the whole time. Me: YOU DID?! Jurina: yep! Me: *doesn’t know what to say ‘cause feels too happy* Me: *blushes* Jurina: *sees that and giggles* Me: S-So, when are you and Haruppi going to have that meat-date again? Now that she’s finally recovered, you know... Jurina: ah~ right! We actually haven’t had the chance to do that, yet... *time’s up, but she still keeps holding my hand tightly despite I was supposed to walk out* Me: Well, I hope you girls will be able to do that soon! Jurina: me too! *staff person begins to push me out, but Jurina kEEPS HOLDING MY HAND???* Me: I gotta go, but I’ll be back! Jurina: Grazie!

Do I need to keep telling you how super nice she was? NOPE. Next up was Sayanee! 

4th Slot, x3

Me: Cheers for your hard work! Sayanee: Arigato~ Me: AriAGOto~ Sayanee: Again!? Me: *laughs* sorry, sorry.  Me: [in Kansai dialect:] I forgot to say this before, but this is my first time here in Japan... Sayanee: ...why Kansai dialect?  Me: [Kansai dialect:] Because! I’ve been in Osaka! Sayanee: You have!? Me: Yes! And I wanted to go to NMB’s cafe, but... It was closed.  Sayanee: Yeah, it was closed early this year.  Me: I know. I was sad about it. But I could eat a lot of Osaka food, like Takoyaki, Okonomiyaki etc! Sayanee: [Kansai dialect:] that’s nice!  Me: [Kansai dialect:] I know, right! *time’s up* Sayaka:  Sayaka: *laughs* Me: Eh, why are you laughing!? Sayaka: See ya~ Me: I’ll be back! 

Tbh, I loved my meetings with Sayanee. Even if it looks like we didn’t talk about anything important, I actually had a great time. Like I said in the other post, she’s a bit intimidating at first, but in this second meeting already, I could sense her getting a little bit more “at ease” while talking to me, and so I felt a little bit more at ease as well. She’s such a nice girl, and I honestly had so much fun just by looking at her. XD Next up was Jurina, again.

4th Slot, x3

Me: This is my last :( Jurina: eh, already!?  Me: *nods* Jurina: Well then-- Me: WAIT! Jurina: *surprised look* Whats up!? Me: Well, I wanted to congratulate with you for your #3 at SSK! I know you aimed for #1, but I’m sure next year is gonna be it! And I’m gonna vote for you just like I did this year! Jurina: eh~~ thank you!  Me: I’ve been supporting you for five years. I really wish you all the best!  *time’s up, but she’s still holding my hand* Jurina: Thank you so much-- AH! Wait! Gra...Gra-- Me: Graz-- Jurina: GRAZIE! GRAZIE [in Japanese:] so much!  Me: *being pushed out* I hope I’ll be able to meet you again someday! Jurina: Bye bye~ *waves* 

Her face while I congratulated with her, when I told her I hoped for her to get #1 next year, and that I was gonna vote for her just like I did this year, was priceless. I felt happy because she looked happy and, tbh, even if she’s not exactly “my oshi”, I feel super attached to this girl, like I’ve already said many, many times. I truly wish her all the best and all the happiness in the world, because she is genuinely so pure and honest, there aren’t many people like her in the world. So just by looking at her and seeing her wide smile while I spoke those words truly made my day even more.

Next up was 5th Slot. I had to meet again with Mayu, Sashihara and Sakura, but this time it was also my first time with Daasu. I went straight to her, ‘cause compared to SashiMayu and Sakura, her line was very little crowd. Again, compared to those three. 

5th Slot, x3

Me: Hello! Daasu: Woah! Hello! *impressed by my clothing* Me: I come from Italy Daasu: Ah! *points at my cap* Italy! Pasta! Me: y...yeah...  [※I was a little bit tired of that? XD] Me: You’ve got a very nice smile! This is my very first time meeting you! Daasu: Thank you! *her smile gets even bigger* I know, I remember everyone who comes and this is the first time I see you. Thank you for meeting me! Me: By the way, congrats on your #6! Daasu: Thank you! Me: I am a girl, so this might be a bit of trouble for you, but I was wondering if you could fish me? *time’s up* Me: Ah! How unfortunate! Daasu: *keeps holding STRONG* I will totally fish you if you come back *winks* Me: I...I will. I will come back, next slot.  *is being pushed out, but she KEEPS HOLDING??* Daasu: Then I will be waiting for you. Promise? Me: Yes, I promise!  Daasu: ‘kay, bye~ *finally lets go*

........I walked out the lane. Looked at my hands. Imagined Miyuki. Felt super uncomfortable. Also cursed myself. Also felt like crying.  You have no idea. She was so good, actually, because what she did at the end was fishing. I’ve watched several videos of Daasu’s fishing technique, tbh. Like prolly around last year, before Miyuki announced graduation, so that I could somehow compare the two’s. Every time Daasu was asked to fish a girl, she very much held back, that’s why I asked her. I assure you, I didn’t expect her to react that way. I was expecting her to give me a creeped out face and kinda ignore me, but she did the opposite. That’s why, the moment I stepped out of there, I thought about Miyuki. What would’ve happened if I had asked that to Miyuki and if Miyuki had done that to me.  And. I am supposed to talk about Daasu, not Miyuki. I apologize sincerely. Like I said in the other post, Daasu is very good. The simple fact that she said “I remember everyone who comes, and this is the first time I see you” kinda says it all. She looks at you straight in the eyes, like many other girls do, but much like Yuki and Jurina, she listens intensely. But again, her style is very different both from Jurina and Yuki. You can almost feel how she is working hard in order to remember the smallest details. Not saying it’s a bad thing, quite the contrary. However, with Jurina you can sense how she is just being herself, 100% genuine, she’s not “forcing herself”. The same goes with Yuki. But I 100% appreciated Daasu’s style, too. Again, she only makes you feel even more important, ‘cause she’s working hard to impress you and make you have a good time.

Next up was SaaaaaaaakuraaaaaaaaH. (read it backwards)

5th slot, x6

Me: I’m back! Sakura: you are~ I was wondering if you were going to come back! Me: R-really? Sakura: Of course! Me: So...uhm...I wanted... Ah, right! I wanted to congratulate with you about your acting skills! I’ve been watching pretty much all the dramas you worked in. My favorite was Crow’s Blood, and it’s actually thanks to you if I got into HKT! Sakura: Eh~ Thank you! Eh, really? It’s thanks to me, you say? Me: Yes! I watched Crow’s Blood and was so impressed by your performance that I thought I had to know more about you and about HKT! Sakura: Eh~ And yet you became Haruppi oshi.............. Me: Me: I’m sorry!!!!!!!!??????? Sakura: *laughs* No need to apologize! Me: mou~ Sakura: ah, you’re cute! Me: ANYWAYS! This is my last-- Sakura: eh~?! Already!? Me: So I only wanted to tell you how much I appreciate you and support you! Keep working hard always, because I firmly believe you can achieve everything you want.  Sakura: thank you!! I will work hard!! *time’s up* Me: I gotta go. I hope I’ll be able to meet you again, someday. Sakura: this isn’t a farewell, then!

I really felt sad that was already my last. I wanted to meet her at least another time, so like by splitting the tickets in two, you know, x3 and x3. But Mayu and Sashihara’s lines are SO long, I was afraid I wasn’t gonna make it. She is such a precious and nice girl, I really wish her all the best and all the success in the world. Even though she remains a bitch. ❤ Next up was Mayu.

5th Slot, x5 

Me: I’m back~ Mayu: Oh~ the PASTA-girl! Me: Oy.  Mayu: :DDD Me: So, about your graduation concert, you still know nothing about the date, right? Mayu: that’s right.  Me: Do you know what kinda theme is gonna be like? Mayu: nope. I wonder what would be good~ Me: A MAYUYUKIRIN THEME!  Mayu: eh~~ Me: A MayuYukirin World theme! With Musical songs that you and Yukirin could sing together! Mayu: I wonder~ Me: Will Akimoto-san write a song for you two as well? Like he did for Atsumina and SayaMilky? Mayu: I hope he does!  Me: What would the title be like?  Mayu: hmm~ Don’t know! Me: What about “MayuYukirin”? Mayu: Too simple!  Me: *laughs* yeah...  *time’s up* Me: I’ll be back! Mayu: *says something I don’t understand* 

AND as I am writing this report she just announced that her graduation concert is gonna be on Oct, 31st so. Yeah. I wanna cry badly.  Next up was Sashihara.

5th Slot, x2 

Me: This is my last~ Sashihara: eh~ already? Me: Yeah :( Me: I wanted to tell you how much I appreciate everything you do for HKT. You really are an amazing leader and an amazing woman. I truly respect you from the bottom of my heart.  Sashihara: eh~ thank you! Me: I can’t wait to see what STU will become in the future thanks to you, and I am also looking forward to see your seiyuu/idol project come to life!  *time’s up* Sashihara: Thank you very much. You’re very kind.  Me: Good luck in the future! Sashihara: I’ll do my best! See ya! 

I also was really sad to say goodbye to Sashihara so soon. I wish I could’ve talked to her a little bit more, but she’s so popular her tickets are super hard to get, so... Next up was 6th slot. It was my last slot with Mayu and Daasu, and then I had Yuki.

6th Slot, x3 

Me: I’m back~ Daasu: You really are! Me: But this is also my last :( Daasu: Eh~ already?! Me: *nods* Daasu: Will you go back to your country now?  Me: Eh? No, no, I’m going back to my apartment in Tokyo. Daasu: Oh~ it’s very close, then. You’ll have very little time to think about me.  Me:  Me: A..Aah, I...  Daasu: ehhh, you’re blushing!!  [※Here she was kinda creeped out XD] Me: I AM NOT BLUSHING, I AM JUST SURPRISED! *time’s up, BUT SHE KEEPS HOLDING MY HAND* Daasu: You said you wanted to be fished! Me: I did, and that was great! Daasu: *smiles widely* Thank you! Will you be back some other time? Me: *being pushed out, but she keeps holding my fREAKING HAND* I--I hope so! I hope I’ll be able to meet you again! Daasu: Me too! Bye bye~  Me: bye~

THAT WAS SO FREAKING INTENSE OK?!? I WASN’T EXPECTING THAT!! ESPECIALLY BECAUSE I HEARD HER SAYING THE SAME THING TO THE GUY BEFORE ME! HE WAS GOING HOME BY CAR OR SOMETHING AND SHE WAS LIKE “have a safe drive home and think about me” BUT YOU KNOW HE IS A GUY AND LIKE I SAID BEFORE I WASN’T EXPECTING THAT TO HAPPEN SINCE FROM MY MEMORY SHE DIDN’T SEEM VERY OK WITH FISHING GIRLS BUT HERE SHE IS????? DOING THAT TO ME????? I WAS VERY SURPRISED AND ALSO FEELING VERY GUILTY ‘CAUSE FUCK ME I WANTED MIYUKI TO DO THAT TO ME AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA 

6th Slot, x5 

Me: I’m back! Yuki: Oh~ Me: So I went to meet with Mayuyu, and asked her if Akimoto-san was going to write you two a song for her graduation, like he did for Atsumina and SayaMilky, you know. Yuki: Oh, yeah Me: She said that’d be great, but she doesn’t know what kinda title would be good. What do you think? Yuki: eh~ what kind of title? Me: yeah Yuki: hmmm, I don’t know. Akimoto-sensei is very good at finding titles, though.  Me: Why don’t you two do a SR where you talk about that?  Yuki: eh~ I’m OK with that, but I wonder about Mayu...  *time’s up* Me: I’ll go asking her! Yuki: OK~

6th Slot, x8

Me: Mayuyu~ Mayu: Pizza~ Me: Could you please stop that? Mayu: :DDDDDDDDD Me: So! I was wondering, why don’t you and Yukirin do a SR where you talk about the graduation concert and maybe also about the song that Akimoto-san might write for you two? I think he’d be happy to hear about that, too.  Mayu: Hmmm... Me: I also went to ask Yukirin, she said it’s fine for her-- Mayu: Then I don’t wanna.  Me: EH. Why!? Mayu: ‘Cause I don’t wanna! Me: But! Yukirin will be sad to hear that! Mayu: Don’t care.  Me: But!! Mayu: >:C  Me: ...Anyway, this was gonna be my last.  Mayu: eh~ :( Me: Well, I just wanted to tell you that I respect you from the bottom of my heart. And even after graduation, I will always support you. You’re amazing at everything you do, and I wish you all the best in the world.  Mayu: thank you~ you pizza people are kind~ Me: We’re not pizza people!! *time’s up* Mayu: :DDD *waves*  Me: *being pushed out* Do you even like pizza!? Mayu: Of course! Me: goodbye then~

I mean, I had to ask her if she liked pizza after all that. Don’t blame me. However, I can’t believe how much of a dork she can be. 

I went back to Yuki after that, ofc.

6th Slot, x3 

Me: Yukirin~ Yuki: oh~ *looks intensely* Me: s-so... I went to Mayuyu and asked about the SR! But... Yuki: She said she doesn’t want to, didn’t she? Me: Yeah... Yuki: Well, that’s how she is, after all.  Me: But why!? Yuki: *laughs* I don’t know. She doesn’t even wanna do a karaoke SR which fans asked her to do.  Me: Eh~~ I wonder why is that.  Me: At her graduation concert, you’ll be there too, right? Yuki: Of course I will! *time’s up*  Me: I gotta go but I’ll be back! Yuki: bye~ *waves*

Poor Yuki. I hear the Karaoke thing is real as well, like I asked to some other fans there and also saw a report on Twitter. Somebody even asked Mayu to do one with Yuki, but she said no. XD The dorkness is strong. And the tsundere-ness as well.  Next up was 7th slot (IT’S ALMOST OVER OMG I CAN’T BELIEVE IT, ONLY ONE MORE SLOT TO GO) and I had my last with Sayanee, my last with Yuki and my last with Yui. She was the first one I went to meet. 

7th slot, x5

Me: I’m back~ Yui: Oh, hi!  Me: Eh, do you remember me?  [※I saw her a little confused, that’s why I asked] Yui: Yes, yes! Italy, right?  [※She didn’t look up at my cap this time, so I kinda trusted her XD] Me: That’s right! You remember! Yui: *smileSHEISSOCUTEOHMYGOD* Me: So when are we having your solo debut!? Yui: eh~~ I don’t know~~  Me: Everyone is waiting for it! Yui: *frustrated face* I wanna do it, but Akimoto-sensei... *bitter laugh* Me: I love that song, tsuki no mizukagami-- Yui: Hm? “no”? “to”?  Me: AAAH, YEAH! TO! TSUKI TO MIZUKAGAMI! Sorry! Yui: *laughSHEISSOCUTEAAAAAAAAAAA* Me: No, I really love it! When I first heard it from A 7th I wouldn’t stop listening to it for weeks! I love the part where it says *sings actual part of the song* Yui: eh~ you really know it by heart! Me: Yes! ‘Cause I love it! Yui: eh~ I’m happy!  Me: That’s why, I’m really looking forward to your solo debut! I love your voice! It’s so sweet and gentle, you’re so talented! Yui: *ACTUAL BEAUTIFUL SMILE* thank you! *time’s up*  Me: Ah, this was my last, actally! Yui: ehh!?  Me: Please, keep doing your best! I’ll keep supporting you, sou-chan! Yui: *smiles* thank you, I will! *being pushed out* Me: Hope I’ll be able to meet you again! Yui: bye bye~

This was, like, Yui’s last but one slot, there were considerably less people than before, and her not being one of the most popular members, like Sashihara and co. (despite she is Kami7, I know), tickets with her lasted few seconds longer, that’s why I had the chance to say all those things. And I’m pretty sure, even when my time was already up, the guy let me stay additional 2 or 3 seconds more. I was happy that I got the chance to show her I truly loved her solo song. I was afraid that, because I messed up with the title, she was gonna end up thinking I was lying. Again, seeing her smiling, like for all the other girls, was the best thing. She is precious and I’m totally gonna keep supporting her, even tho she’s not exactly my oshi. 

Next up was Sayanee. 

7th Slot, x5

Me: This is my last :( Sayanee: oh :( Me: I’m sad-turned up chin (※”sabishii” + “shakure” = “sabishakure”) Sayanee: the hell you doing? don’t mix up “I’m sad” with “turned up chin”! Me: I’m sorry-turn up chin (※”gomen-nasai” + “shakure” = “gomen-nashakure”) Sayanee: Oy! You did that again!  Me: *laughs badly*  Sayanee: Seriously, though.  Me: Nandeyanen!  Sayanee: the hell was that for!?  Me: [in Kansai dialect:] But, you know, I really love NMB48. I really respect you from the bottom of my heart, and I think you’re an amazing leader. Also, congratulation for your solo works, lately. You’re very talented.  Sayanee: all of a sudden... but thanks. *amused smile* but why Kansai dialect!? Me: [in Kansai dialect:] Because I like it!  Staff person: *laughs* *also, time’s up* Me: Hope I’ll meet you again, someday~ Sayanee: Learn Kansai dialect by that time~ *waves*

And. I’m not gonna add anything to that. 

7th Slot, x6

Me: I’m back~ Yuki: *smiles* Me: So, I was wondering, you and Mayuyu talk about marriage pretty often, don’t you? Yuki: *confused look* hm? What do you mean?  Me: Well, I read various interviews with you and Mayuyu where you were asked about marriage and you replied to that...  Yuki: oh~ the interviews, yes! Me: And Mayuyu said she doesn’t want to get married ‘cause she’s gonna be too busy with work, right? What about you? Yuki: hmm, I actually do wanna get married, but I also wanna keep working, so... Me: Then, why don’t you get married with Mayuyu!? :D  Yuki: *very confused look* Eh? Sorry, what? *leans forward to hear better* Me: I said, why don’t you get married with Mayuyu? :DD  Yuki: Hm? Get married? With Mayu-chan? *still very confused look* Me: YES YES. GET MARRIED. WITH MAYUYU. That’s what I meant!  *time’s up* Yuki: eeeh!? No no, we can’t get married, we’re friends! Me: *laughs* Ok~I’ll be back! Yuki: *waves*

Like I wrote in the other post, the fact that she thought I was messing up with my Japanese, or that she misheard me, was hilarious. But she is so kind, really, even when she had a very confused look on her face after my question, she kept holding my had very gently.  My next one was gonna be my last time with her. 

7th slot, x2 

Me: This is my last :( Yuki: :( Me: Thank you for being always so kind and nice! I wish you all the success as a solo artist, both within and outside the group. Yuki: thank you! you’re kind! Me: and please, you and Mayuyu keep being friends forever! Yuki: we will. *smile* *time’s up* Me: I gotta go. Hope I’ll be able to meet you again someday~ Yuki: Have a safe trip back home~

And FINALLY, here’s my last slot. I was super, SUPER tired. I had 5 left tickets for Ogi. I could’ve split them up as well, in order to meet her more than one time, but it was past 8:PM. I wanted to go home.

8th slot, x5

Me: Cheers for your hard work~ Ogi: thank you~ *actual tired look* Me: Are you tired? Ogi: *nods* Me: me too. I came here early this morning, like around 9AM, but woke up much earlier. What about you? I mean, I know your first slot was at 12PM, but... Ogi: I came here a little earlier than that. And I also woke up super early. *tired face, again* Me: I’m sorry. I hope you’ll get to rest properly when you’ll be finished.  Ogi: Thank you. I hope you get to rest properly, too. *gentle smile*  Me: This is actually my last... Ogi: Oh... :( Me: Let me just say, I wish you all the success, OK? This year you did amazing at the SSK. You left everyone speechless. Let’s work hard next year as well, OK? Ogi: *super cute smile* yes!!  Me: You’ve got potential. I’ll keep an eye on you.  Ogi: *super smile*  *time’s up* Me: I gotta go. Hope I’ll be able to meet you again, someday. Ogi: Thank you~ bye~

So, here it is. Hope it was exhaustive enough. I will never forget this experience. It sort of changed my life a little bit. It was CRAZY. It was amazing. 

[mezzomoment]

A letter to my 18 year old self

First of all congratulations because you made it to 18. You had a really rough 17 and I promise even though it doesn't really immediately get better you make it to 28. You get to do some things you never dreamed you could in the next ten years but I'm getting ahead of myself. Let me vindicate you first. All of the people you have cut out of your life in the last few months were 100% worth cutting out. You don't miss them. Even though it's hard to go from a family of friends to a small handful of trusted people ten years later they're mostly still by your side. Therapy this summer while not the last time you attend was worthwhile. And the relationship you're scared you've broken the most will be healed. He still loves you and always will. He will walk you down the aisle one day and he will love the man you marry as his own. You will become a musician. You will become the kind of musician you always wanted to. Not just a singer but an analyzer. The best sight singer to come out of CCHS you will be told. You can read and articulate music in ways you never dreamed you could. You do it all at IUS and never once set foot on a stage at IU. You will fail. Math classes mostly but you will have to run Home tail between your legs and learn hard lessons. You will struggle to find your place but you will find peace in work. You will work hard jobs for long hours. You will go home smelling like almond extract but proud of yourself. You will teach. You will give knowledge to children and learn to be good at it. You will lead your own choir and find like minded souls in the world of music. You will find God again. You will work in his church and you will not feel like a sham. You will give a "sermon" and you will feel empowered by that message. You will find love. And heartache over and over again until one day you quit looking and it falls in your lap. A shaggy haired boy with tattoos and sweet brown eyes will awkwardly talk to you about boy bands and you will realize he has interest in you when you thought you were not interesting. This boy will love you more than you have ever been loved. He will give you strength and you will give him direction. He will ask you to marry him after just one year and you won't think it's that crazy. He will fit into your family better than you do. He will help heal the rough patches with your father. He will show you how you can rise above an impossible loss and still see good in this world. He will show you what it's like to be a burgeoning Christian and he will make you so proud. He will make you a mother in 6 more weeks. He will help you raise a baby girl and you will get to be what you always assumed you couldn't or wouldn't be able to do. You are not broken like you think you are now on the eve of 18. You are not unlovable. You are not a loser and unable to find direction. Your path is not straight, narrow, or simple. But you make it. You still struggle though. Your brain still tries to tell you awful things. And sometimes you listen. You still resist medication. You still try to do it all by yourself. But you have a massive team of people who force their help and their love into you and you are so grateful for them. And they are behind you as you prepare to raise this little girl. Your very own Zelda. So instead of being upset that you have no plans on your 18th birthday and you will not go clubbing or get into anything exciting. Enjoy what you do get. Time with your mother who is still your best friend even when she's kicking your rear. Watch Mamma Mia and bite your tongue when Pierce Brosnan starts singing because you forget how to do that later on. Enjoy how slow life is moving now because it only gets faster. You are doing just fine. You're never fully broken. You are loved by so many. I'm so glad I came from you.

[assessment2ppwr]

Exercise and wellbeing

https://www.ted.com/talks/wendy_suzuki_the_brain_changing_benefits_of_exercise

What is physical activity and why should we do it?

The World Health Organisation (2010) defines physical activity as “any bodily movement produced by skeletal muscles that requires energy expenditure”, and it is beneficial and advantageous for people of all ages to help improve psychological wellbeing (Zubala et al, 2017) and quality of life (Penedo et al, 2005).  Regular physical activity and exercise is also associated with hardiness i.e. resilience, the trait which capacitates our ability to endure stressful situations (Weinberg and Gould, 2015).

So, you’re saying that by being active I can improve my overall wellbeing?

Yes.  Studies have repeatedly confirmed the benefits of regular physical activity and exercise on mitigating both anxiety and depression levels in people (DeBoer et al., 2012). What this suggests is, that regular physical activity could also effectively be used as a treatment for some mental health conditions (Carek et al., 2011) as it can be as effective as pharmaceutical interventions (Gingell, 2018).  Look, increased physical activity is positively correlated with increased wellbeing (Schnohr et al, 2005), it really is that obvious and simple.

Ok, so what can I do then?

There is a multitude of options you can consider. Have you ever thought about yoga?  Yoga, especially when practised regularly, is a specific example of a mind-body practise that enables improvement in wellbeing and, as asserted by Nanthakamur (2018), can aid in the reduction of anxiety levels (Gingell, 2018). It is low impact, so anyone, of any age, can practise yoga.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPK9WNtpBgk&t=12s

What about something a bit more vigorous?  Cycling, group fitness training, or even jogging?  You could prosper from the associated physical aspects of jogging, including reducing your risk of obesity and cardiovascular disease (Loprinzi et al, 2019), but you can potentially – if done in a group context – also establish new relationships which contribute to the social aspect of your wellbeing (Xiao et al, 2020).  Life satisfaction and quality of life, both levels are improved with physical activity (Strine et al, 2008).

A Copenhagen City Heart Study (CCHS) (Schnohr et al, 2004), which focussed particularly on jogging, found that those who are physically active are less susceptible to stress and a dissatisfaction with life when compared to sedentary individuals and that joggers, especially, had the lowest levels of stress and life dissatisfaction.

Is all physical activity good for me?

Yes, but it is important to understand that physical activity and exercise can have adverse ramifications if undertaken in excessive volumes, irrespective of all the positive effects it has on us both physiologically and psychologically, as it has the potential to facilitate both compulsive and/or addictive behaviours.(Mandolesi et al, 2018).  

Regardless of what activity you choose to practise or participate in, it is important to understand that regular exertion of the body, when following the guidelines of recommended activity, can enhance your moods and your personal wellbeing (Nanthakamur, 2018). The results of the CCHS strengthen the hypothesis that physical activity, movement and exercise and personal well-being are causally related (Schnohr et al, 2004).

List of references

Carek, P., Laibstain, S., & Carek, S. (2011). Exercise for the treatment of depression and anxiety. International Journal of Psychiatry Medicine. 41, 15–28. doi: 10.2190/PM.41.1.c

DeBoer, L., Powers, M., Utschig, A., Otto, M. & Smits, J. (2012). Exploring exercise as an avenue for the treatment of anxiety disorders. Expert Rev. Neurother. 12, 1011–1022. doi: 10.1586/ern.12.73

Gingell, S. (2018). Beyond the feel-good-factor: Exercise and mental health. Psychology Today.

Loprinzi, P.D. & Frith, E. (2019). Protective and therapeutic effects of exercise on stress-induced memory impairment.  Physiological Science,69, 1–12

Mandolesi, L., Polverino, A., Montuori, S., Foti, F., Ferraioli, G., Sorrentino, P., & Sorrentino, G. (2018). Effects of Physical Exercise on Cognitive Functioning and Wellbeing: Biological and Psychological Benefits. Frontiers in Psychology. https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A536464906/AONE?u=cqu&sid=AONE&xid=a128aa35

Nanthakumar, C. (2018). The benefits of yoga in children. Journal of Integrative Medicine, 16(1), 14-19.

Penedo, F., & Dahn, J. (2005). Exercise and well-being: a review of mental and physical health benefits associated with physical activity. Current Opinion Psychiatry 18, 189–193. doi: 10.1097/00001504-200503000-00013

Schnohr P, Kristensen TS, Prescott E, & Scharling H. (2205).  Stress and life dissatisfaction are inversely associated with jogging and other types of physical activity in leisure time--The Copenhagen City Heart Study. Scandinavian Journal of Medical Science & Sports. 15(2), 107-12. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0838.2004.00394.x.

Strine T., Chapman DP, Balluz L., Moriarty D., & Mokdad A. (2208).  The associations between life satisfaction and health-related quality of life, chronic illness, and health behaviors among U.S. community-dwelling adults. Journal of Community Health. 33(1), 40-50. doi: 10.1007/s10900-007-9066-4. PMID: 18080207.

Weinberg, R. & Gould, D. (2015). Foundations of sport and exercise psychology, 6th Edition. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.

World Health Organization (2010). Global Recommendations on Physical Activity for Health. Geneva: WHO Press.

Xiao, G., Yi, Q., & Zhou, J. (2020). How individuals’ characteristics influence their wellbeing through physical activity and sport: Motivated by the signaling theory. Symmetry (Basel), 12(5), 854.

[notallwonder]

...here we go... Criminal Minds 16x07 "What Doesn't Kill Us", directed by the lovely Aisha Tyler. I've been looking forward to this (at my own peril)!

Spoilers + nonsense under the cut...

oh I love this stupid show

I also love PB's voice in the previouslies (and in anything)

lol "SOMEWHERE IN WEST VIRGINIA"

oh nightmare. these types of buried alive plots always give me the heebie jeebies

dafuq? is she like in the air ducts? dafuq? screaming? eeep

WTAF IS GOING ON - so this crimey part has me hooked

HELLO HOTTIE!!! *waves*

oh..."a development"...

Attorney General time! pls be CCH Pounder pls pls

"after being assaulted, drugged, and killed in the line of duty, what's the worst that could happen?" LOOOLLLLL

okay, not CCH Pounder but still an authoritative Black woman as Attorney General

Aw, Dave. capisce?

Okay. First of all. AG calls our resident hottie by her first name. I am inclined to believe this means maybe they have some prior acquaintance, or the AG makes a point of knowing her people well (plus Emily is Bigfoot LegendaryTM). Secondly...Prentiss, really putting yourself on the line here offering your resignation! And Dougie boy backs her up, for the first time ever.

AG is right they have been getting tunnel vision. But also - they just had 2 agents blown up on the Sicarius case. Seems...appropriate to focus on it. ANyway

omg Emily's face - hilARIOUS expression. must rewatch 5 times.

(this feels like the episode that PB tweeted about shooting a while back, where she had to run around with a gun in a hospital in high heels)

return of awful expositional dialogue. my fav

WE'RE NOT SHORTHANDED EMILY??? WHAT DO YOU MEAN? IS SOMEONE ELSE HEEEEEREEE?

(I paused it here to cross my fingers for Agent Jordan Todd)

oh boohoo that was a waste of pausing. so we've conscripted Mr. Noodle. But like...does he have any investigative skills? I thought we agreed he was a hedge fund manager with a badge...I mean I know that was just a put down but...

Powerpoint Presentation Ken Doll Director Bailey is not the humor I wanted or needed. (Prentiss' sidelong glance at Rossi is a teeny bit funny)

Hmmmmm. Emily throws Noodle a bone, asking him to keep tabs on missing persons reports. A little thaw between them, since he's shown himself to be more on her side. I approve. BUT it makes me a teensy bit nervous that they might eventually smush these two characters together in a non-platonic sorta way. Hoping not.

Aw, the family that jokes about murder together...ruh roh.

"real reason" - did Elias kill his parents?

Aw, the family that fantasizes about murder together...ruh roh.

Luke is lookin' FOIN in that leather jacket this ep

"double boss" lol yes

Ok, may I just say, thank you to wardrobe for putting Prentiss in something other than those super wide-leg slacks once again? The wide-leg slacks looked great, don't get me wrong. But they're a different vibe (and I guess not as good for field work as jeans/skinny whatevers) (although we all know CARGO PANTS would be better for field work!! PLEASE UNIVERSE GIVE ME BACK THE CARGO PANTS)

And here we have a perfectly serviceable conversation among the BAU ladies (minus Tara) (plus a noodle). Yes, it's case-related. I still hope for an actual conversation between JJ and Emily that has something to do with not murder. But the vibes of this convo are great - upbeat, well-oiled machine and all that. Doesn't feel weird to me at all.

OKAYYYYYYY AHAHAHAA this scene!! I love it! *heart eyes emoji* Angry Emily! Emily & Garcia rapport! Garcia is funny but also came to her senses (SORT OF)!! Consequences! But yeah, that could be majorly problematic in a prosecution.

It feels like Noodle is working on his investigative Boy Scout badge. ...what, was he inspired by watching Emily's performance?

WAIT A SECOND. There was a jemily GLANCE!!! hallelujah, my lowest bar dreams have come TRUE!!! *dancing in the streets*

I still don't know quite what to make of Dougie Noodle's transformation into a sympathetic (?) ally... but I'm not alone in that, as evidenced by that glance between JJ and Emily. (y'all they did it! they did it! they glanced!)

the crimey wimey part is CREEPIN ME OUT BIG TIME

sigh of relief, Moose's owner is NOT dead! lucky girl.

this is an episode in which our heroes talk to each other, and I am here for it! Penelope supporting Tara. And then promptly fucking up her own life choices. Oh, babygirl. :)

Ugh Doug NOodle, that was SO CHEESY. "An FBI agent once told me..." I was ALMOST starting to like you.

Funny how they write the university admin guy objecting to sending personnel records to the FBI as a "liability issue" and not on the grounds that it's essentially a huge fishing expedition by the FBI from which the university might be inclined to protect its employees and students (lol, in a world different from the one in which we live).

ruh roh...Sicarius seems to be hurtling toward a break, a... devolution if you will

creepy fairy lights in the air duct, awesome, hate it. aw man this is fucked up. oh jesus that is way more than a lil cat-o-nine tails my god

this scene with Tara and Moose Girl is like...awkward. And sweet. Reminds me of my religious days lmao.

C'mon Penelope! Do the mature thing! OR, do the not mature thing! Pen's character development post-BAU strikes me as kind of a delayed adolescence. She's leaning into being more assertive and impulsive (and prioritizing her own pleasure). So it's perfectly understandable that she doesn't *want* to end things with Tyler. But girl, the investigation is on the line and that's a pretty big deal. What are you gonna do? (She does the right thing)

Yeah, Voit is LOSING IT. He obviously cares about his family but like... push comes to shove he's gonna kill them.

this girl Grace is METAL. it's nice to see the victims fighting back more effectively

Doug Noodle in a polo shirt? Now Kevlar??

(side note: Hogan's Alley reminiscing makes me think of Derek Morgan, of course. "out there, in the field, sorry doesn't bring people back!")

cringey feeling: WHAT ARE THEY DOING WITH PRENTISS AND BAILEY. are they becoming friends. okay that's a little cute. I just...I have trust issues, lol.

hohoHO "Come and get it, motherfucker." I felt that

actually I think it says a lot that Prentiss would go into a dangerous situation with Noodle on her six. She trusts him more than she did (or she'd rather he be her liability and no one else's?). And...where's JJ? Rossi and Luke went to other location, is JJ part of the backup? Oh JJ was sent to find the guy's ex. (that noodle better not friendly fire my love Emily Prentiss!!)

oh SHIT Emily you're going in ALONE??? baby nooo. I mean, you're super capable and a complete badass. but....be safe

Dougie Noodle's FBI coming of age is I'm sorry just a touch too melodramatic for me.

I naively thought this might be a Will free episode, completely forgot Josh Stewart's name in the credits up top LOL

How come everyone is getting haircuts all the time? Even Tyler Green looked freshly shorn or combed or whatever. I am so confused about the timeline of these episodes. Maybe men's hair styles just confound me?

An "adult supper" LOL

not Tara looking pensively at Willifer from afar as if they are #couple goals !

Unfortunately Tyler looks goofy with his hair combed.

Oh, Come On. "You made me want to live again" layin' it on thick there buddy. Unfortunately it seems to be Working. aaaagh

I can't tell if this is illicit yet sweet or if this is Jason Clark Battle coffee shop setup #2. I think it's supposed to be read as romantic? I was praying Derek Morgan would burst through the front door like the Kool-Aid Man to put a stop to this.

I think I don't like how this was intercut/edited - Rossi zeroing in on Sicarius with Voit digging up a kill kit. It's novel at least - I don't remember seeing this style in any other CM ep. But it feels weirdly extra?

Okay, overall, I liked the episode. It wasn't all that great frankly, but the crime was creepy as hell if underdeveloped. The worst sins are the criminal lack of screen time for Luke Alvez (he has been far and away the most underutilized of the whole cast), and the progression of the Tyler/Penelope situation. At least that will lead to more dramatics down the road. I'm not wild about how that storyline requires PG to have rather cavalierly tucked away her professionalism (such as it is), but to me it is not a wild departure from her prior characterization. We've seen her make big mistakes before when blinded by romance, mistakes which have also impacted her work (remember the RPG knight she was gettin' romanced by that hacked the BAU? granted...that was a million years ago in season 1). And sometimes people jangle our chemicals and we do crazy shit. It's kind of interesting, from a Penelope character perspective.

This episode had plenty of Prentiss, for which I am always glad, and it was kind of nice to see her dynamic with Bailey continue to shift. I don't really think that will tip into messed up heterosexual shenanigans territory but I admit to being paranoid about the possibility. Emily is way too familiar with the realities (headaches!) of intra-Bureau "liaising" not to mention I think she looks at Bailey as a young man in need of guidance/training. I was disappointed that Tara didn't have any conversations with Rebecca (not even a voicemail!), but I can wait. JJ and Emily felt more normal with each other, which was welcome. This episode was juggling too much, but that's the price of admission it seems with how they are trying to tell the unsub's story plus team lives etc. I'm glad they got renewed because I've basically given up hope on seeing Prentiss' personal life this season. *maybe* in the next season. And last - Derek Morgan was top of mind for me. It was nice to have his imaginary cameos, both in Emily's memories of Hogan's Alley and in his capacity as Penelope Garcia sense-talker.

WOW I DID NOT EVEN NOTICE THERE WAS A "POST"-CREDITS SCENE WTF. What is this, an MCU movie?

Um....... I'm just going to have to reserve judgment until I've seen the last 3 episodes. It will continue to be batshit I'm sure.

I did find it gross how he was laid out like a corpse on PG's kitchen counter covered in... cookbooks? Ok. 😂

[idornaseminary]

Chapter Two-Hundred Eight: Enzo and Natasha

Enzo returned to the Den just before the 10 PM curfew was set into motion. He carried a charmed messenger bag with his essentials, his sway slightly more intense than it had been earlier. He didn’t speak to anyone when he entered, taking a blanket and one of the chairs, setting it up in the corner of the room near the window, looking down to the front lawn of Idorna.

Natasha looked up from her book when the portrait opened again, revealing a still-intoxicated Enzo. She’d already gone back to her own dormitory to grab a few necessities, but she was prepared to be here for the night. Not that it would be easy if the tension stayed as heavy as it was at the moment.

Finally, with a heavy sigh, she stood up, walking over to the corner he had secluded himself in.

“Are you planning on just ignoring everyone for the rest of the night?” she asked him.

Enzo didn’t look up when he heard the footsteps come towards him. Natasha had a heavy step for a girl of her slim build - distinct. He reached into his bag, rummaging around for a moment before pulling out a half-finished bottle of firewhiskey.

He shrugged. “I have a friend,” he said, twisting the cap off of the bottle and pressing it against his lips, tipping it back and letting the strong liquid run down his throat.

Natasha shook her head when she saw the bottle.  

Really, Enzo? Are you kidding me?

She contemplated, for a moment, just leave him be, since at least he wasn’t hurting anyone while he was drinking in the corner, by himself. But as easy as it would be just to go back to what she was doing, she knew it wasn’t a good idea.

“Enzo, we need to be figuring out a solution. And your drinking isn’t going to help with that,” she reminded him, trying to be somewhat gentle about it, even if she wanted to just grab the bottle from him and smash it.

Rolling his eyes, Enzo pulled the wand from his bag, aiming it at one of the other chairs, casting a silent ‘accio’. The chair came over and stopped beside him, just in front of Natasha.

“Sit. Talk.”

Natasha looked between the chair and the Frenchman for a few moments, trying to figure out if he was serious. But she finally determined that he was, and sat down in the chair with a small huff. She crossed her arms and looked at him, her eyes almost challenging him to take another drink of the firewhiskey.

“I know that you’re pissed off, but this isn’t helping anyone. Including you.”

Enzo kissed his teeth when he watched the moon hover above the horizon across the Waking Sea, and like clockwork, the Vampires stepped out the forest almost curiously, roaming around the castle. Enzo could not tell what was scarier: the beasts themselves, or the fact that it was routine now.

“We’re surviving tonight,” Enzo said, ignoring her piercing glare and taking another drink. “Nothing more - and this is helping me get by.”  

“Really?” she asked, her annoyance slipping through much more now. Not that she cared. Her eyes followed his for just a moment, watching the Vampires leave the Gladur, before moving back towards him and his bottle of alcohol.

“Unless we figure out what we’re going to do about Ibori, tonight, we’re as good as dead, Enzo. Because locking ourselves up in here may protect us for now, but people will figure out we’re all gone, and it will get back to him. And then he’ll get suspicious, and I doubt we’ll have long after that. So unless you’re giving up, I suggest you stop drinking and start brainstorming.”

He chuckled, wrapping the blanket tighter around his shoulders. “Look at you, Natasha Kraus,” he said, finally making eye contact with the stern German. “You should think about dropping Cucchurian for Aquilen.” He heavily slurred ‘Curccurion’, but he hardly noticed - the word was hard enough for him to pronounce when sober.

He gripped the barrel of the bottle, holding it towards her. “Take a sip.”

Natasha saw him offer the bottle and shook her head, huffing out a sigh of frustration. She ignored everything else he said, brushing it off as just drunken rambling.

“I don’t want any of your liquor, Enzo,” she told him. “I want you to stop feeling sorry for yourself and actually pull your weight.”

“Five drinks left, maximum,” he said, sighing as he examined the bottle. “As soon as it is gone, I’ll ‘pull my weight’,” he said, using his free hands to create air quotes. “If I drink it alone, I’m going to be no use.”

“Are you-” Natasha cut herself off, realizing that he was very much not joking. She wondered if he even had the capacity. She glanced at the still-outstretched bottle in his hand then back at his face. He did have a point; he was relatively coherent at this point, but with five more drinks, he would be completely gone.

“Fine,” she finally growled, grabbing the bottle from him and taking a long drink. It felt like fire in her mouth and throat, burning the entire way down and not in a pleasant way. The Cucurrion had only on rare occasions actually had firewhiskey, and she was remembering why.

He grinned as she made a face of disgust - possibly the most he had ever seen her emote since...

“So what do you think?” he asked, taking the bottle back, taking the second swig. “Do you honestly see a future where we don’t die?”

He looked past her for a moment, taking note of the three people on the other side of the room. On one bed was Beatrice and Calix, seated close together, talking about something; they were too far for Enzo to hear. On the other bed was Melanie, lounging comfortably. It was the same bed they...

He turned his attention back to Natasha, not wanting to look at her too long.  

Natasha restrained herself from rolling her eyes when she saw the grin on Enzo’s face. Of course, he was taking pleasure from this. But her annoyance gave way to other feelings when he spoke, knowing her deeply-rooted worry flashed across her face for a moment before she could cover it.

“I...don’t know,” she admitted after a pause, in which she tried to rein herself in so that she would reveal anything. She had been very careful not to tell any of the others about her vision, or what Professor Levas had told her about it. “I think that we have a chance, maybe.”

“That makes one of us,” he said quietly, his eyes trained on a Vampire near the edge of the island, looking down off of the cliff. “Son of a bitch, huh?”

She followed his gaze, smiling faintly despite herself. “Yeah,” she agreed, taking the bottle from him again and taking another long swig. She didn’t know how much it would take for her to start feeling the effects, but she doubted it was a lot. She was tall, but she had always been slender and rarely drank enough to build up a tolerance.

Images of Chantal Williams and Theodore Crix swept across Enzo’s mind, each working towards the same goal with the same master pulling their strings.

“I wonder why he did it,” he mused, grabbing the bottle and taking another sip, feeling his eyelids grow heavy. “What would Ibori’s reason be to sacrifice students? He’s been here for years.”  

Enzo’s speech was slowing down some, and Natasha knew that if he had any more to drink, he was just going to pass out, and then they wouldn’t get anywhere. So she took the bottle back one last time and down a few more mouthfuls, intending to finish the bottle.

“Remember what they said at the Quidditch match? Something about a queen or whatever? Maybe he’s working for someone else,” she suggested as she took a break between drinks. She was starting to feel a buzz and hoped that it wouldn’t get too bad. She needed to be coherent, too.

Enzo watched Natasha finish the bottle, taking a moment to process her words; he could tell this conversation was not going to end the way she planned, and her deal about the whiskey would be broken. “Who knows…? Not us, that’s for damnsure.” The last two words fused into one and Enzo could feel his grip on reality slipping.

The Cucurrion couldn’t help her derisive laugh, shaking her head before downing the rest of the firewhiskey and setting aside the empty bottle. “No, not us,” she agreed. “But that’s what we’re here to try to figure out, remember? How we’re going to stop whatever Ibori is doing and get the hell out of here.”

Enzo’s eyelids began to droop even more, and he settled back into his chair, lifting up his feet to rest against the windowsill. The blanket, alcohol, and heat from the fireplace gave him a fuzzy feeling in his chest. He completely forgot the statement Natasha made a moment ago.

“Thanksfortalkingtome,” he said, but it was barely more than a quick mumble.

Natasha turned toward Enzo, frowning a little. He’d clearly said something, but what, she had absolutely no idea. He was either too drunk to speak clearly anymore, or she was too drunk to understand. Probably some combination of the two, at this point. But after several moments of trying to piece together the words, she understood what he’d meant. Or at least what she thought he meant.

“You’re welcome,” she told him, nodding a little. She glanced towards the others, who were still wrapped up in their own things.

Maybe it would be better to relax. Just for a little while…

His eyes closed as the sound of her voice reached him. “Cinq minutes…” he said gruffly, but as soon as the French words passed his lips, his head tilted to the left, against the wall, and his consciousness slipped away.

Natasha looked over at Enzo as his head slumped to the side, clearly out cold. She doubted he would wake up for a while, entirely negating the point of her drinking any of the firewhiskey in the first place. But it was too late to change anything.

“Gott im Himmel,” she muttered to herself, shaking her head as if it would clear the alcohol-induced haze that had settled over her. She knew she needed to sober up, to start planning with the others, but her limbs felt heavy, resisting letting her up from her seat.

Five minutes, she silently agreed with Enzo, letting her own eyes slide shut. Maybe without them, the others could actually get something done.

[onthegoinmco]

DISCLOSURE: I was invited by Walt Disney World to attend a day of exploring Epcot’s International Festival of the Holidays, but all opinions are my own. 

Celebrating and exploring the customs of the holidays around the world has always been a staple of Epcot’s rich history, but this year they are kicking off the first Epcot International Festival of the Holidays with even more entertainment, food, and activities for the entire family from now until December 30th.

What makes celebrating the holidays at Epcot so fantastic is that this journey is included with your admission to the park, and celebrating is an entire day (or two) experience that takes you from morning to night that you won’t want to miss.

So let’s take a peek at what you won’t want to miss during the first Epcot International Festival of the Holidays!

Celebrating The Season At Epcot’s Festival Of The Holidays

Celebrating the Holidays Around the World

There’s no better way to get caught up in the holiday spirit than by traveling to the 11 countries in Epcot’s World Showcase to see the wondrous sights, sounds, and stories of the season as they celebrated by cultures near and far.

In addition to the traditional holiday decorations and music in each nation’s pavilion, you can find the following story tellers:

Canada – Holiday Voyageurs sing seasonal tunes,

United Kingdom – Father Christmas discusses local holiday traditions,

France – Pere Noel tells a story about the French tradition of children leaving their shoes out for Christmas,

Morocco – A cultural representative tells tales of Moroccan festivals and other traditions,

Japan – The story here is focused on the Japanese New Year, O-Shogatsu, with the story of the origin of the Daruma dolls,

America – You can hear the story of Hanukkah, Kwanza, see the Voices of Liberty perform holiday favorites, & meet traditional Santa and Mrs. Claus,

Italy – La Benafa, the good witch, tells the story of the Epiphany,

Germany – Helga tells us the origin story of the Nutcracker,

China – Dragon dancers excite the crowd to celebrate the New Year,

Norway – Sigrid tells the tale of the gnome Julenissen, who makes an appearance later in the show, and

Mexico – Fiesta de Navidad with Mariach Cobre and traditional dancers bring to life the traditions of the Mexican culture with music, dances, and stories during this holiday fiesta.

There are SOOOOO many storytellers to see, so if you can spread out your day you will find that you are bouncing around World Showcase less. Make sure to keep a keen eye on your times guide for how to best schedule your day!

There are also two new groups that are beyond fantastic that you won’t want to miss!

El Mariachi Coco de Santa Cecilia

In the Mexico Pavilion you can find a new celebration of Día de los Muertos inspired by Coco, the new animated feature from Disney•Pixar, as the El Mariachi Coco de Santa Cecilia perform songs from the film.

The show is full of fun & heart that lasts a little over 10 minutes, and runs several times a day until January 6, 2018.

Mostly Kosher

There is no better description of Mostly Kosher than the one they give themselves on their Facebook Page.

“Mostly Kosher, a Los Angeles based indie-global-collective, radically reconstructs Judaic and American cultural musical roots. Through ravenous post-klezmer beats and arresting Yiddish refrains, Mostly Kosher is a musical feast that explodes into a global food-fight of Jazz, Latin, Rock, Hip Hop, World and Folk. These fearless soundsmiths highlight the architecture of heritage music and yet raze it to the ground.”

While this is a celebration of traditional Hanukkah songs and Jewish musical traditions rooted in klezmer music, their music is universal as it taps into several genres. You’ll be dancing and tapping your toes before you know it!

JOYFUL! A Celebration of the Season

JOYFUL! A Celebration of the Season brings a blend of inspiring gospel with jazz, R&B, and more to create a brand new show that showcases Christmas and Kwanza traditions several times a day on the Future World Fountain Stage. The spirit of this show is fantastic, and once the show starts you will find that you won’t be able to walk away.

Disney

Then on December 26th there will be a festive and JOYFUL Kwanza experience that you will want to catch.

Epcot International Festival of the Holidays Holiday Kitchens

Let’s grab that complimentary Epcot International Festival of the Holidays Holiday Passport that available throughout the park for a peek at the new (and delicious) holiday kitchens serving up tasty treats until December 30th!

Throughout the park there are 15 holiday markets spread throughout the park offering up traditional fare from around the world. My favorite dishes are the Cheese Fondue (The Bavaria Holiday Kitchen in the Germany Pavilion) that is served with bread and steamed vegetables, the Roasted Pork with Smashed Yucca and Pickled Green Bananas (Feast of the Three Kings Holiday Kitchen in Showcase Plaza), and the Gingersnap Cookie with Cream Cheese Icing and Cranberry Jam (The Cookie Nook – The Odyssey).

In addition to Holiday Kitchens, each of the four Joffery’s Coffee and Tea Company kiosks throughout the park have a signature beverage.

Epcot International Festival of the Holidays Merchandise

As with any special event at Walt Disney World, there is a large assortment of merchandise to commemorate the Epcot International Festival of the Holidays. And I especially love that it features Chip & Dale!!!

In addition to the official event merchandise, you can find special holiday merchandise at many of the countries in the World Showcase. Make sure to drop in as you are exploring the park for some traditional cultural gifts.

Chip & Dale’s Christmas Tree Spree

Becoming a staple of the festivals at Epcot are the family-friendly scavenger hunts, and during the Epcot International Festival of the Holidays the hunt features two familiar and mischievous friends.

Chip and Dale are collecting ornaments for their Christmas tree—and they need your help! To get started, simply purchase a map and sticker from select merchandise locations including Pin Central, Disney Traders, and World Traveler at International Gateway.

As you travel around World Showcase, be on the lookout for Chip and Dale as they gather ornaments from holiday decorations in each World Showcase pavilion. Once you spot them, add the corresponding ornament sticker to your map. Once you have found all the ornaments, you simply take your completed map to Disney Traders and exchange it for a festive surprise, courtesy of Chip and Dale!

Maps are $6.99 plus tax, and are available throughout Holidays Around the World at Epcot while supplies last.

Candlelight Processional

The heart of any day at Epcot during the holidays is the Candlelight Processional in the American Gardens Theater in front of the American Pavilion in the World Showcase.

Disney

Each night until December 30th, a celebrity narrator tells the biblical tale of a savior born to a virgin in Bethlehem with choral pieces woven into the production as a fifty piece orchestra and stage filling choir provide an inspirational backdrop with songs of hope and joy.

This year, an exciting line-up of celebrities—including a few new faces and voices—are set to lend their talents. Still left to present this season are:

Neil Patrick Harris – December 18 to 21, 2017

NEW! CCH Pounder – December 22 to 24, 2017

Jaci Velasquez – December 25 to 27, 2017

Chandra Wilson – December 28 to 30, 2017

Admission to the Candlelight Processional is included with your theme park admission, and showtimes are nightly at 5:00 pm, 6:45 pm, & 8:15 pm. However, you will absolutely want to arrive early to queue up for a seat. While seats are not guaranteed, you can secure a seat with a Candlelight Processional Dining Package.

Candlelight Processional Dining Packages

Candlelight Dining Packages are available for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and include a 3-course meal or full buffet (depending on the location), and guarantee priority seating at at Candlelight Processional show that same day.

You can find a full list of restaurants and prices here, but as with anything there are a few things to keep in mind before you book your Candlelight Processional Dining Package:

Tax and Gratuity are not included with the prices listed,

Meals do not include alcoholic beverages in the price but they are available for purchase,

You will be given your Candlelight Processional badge from your chosen restaurant location at the end of the meal,

and while you are guaranteed seating you will still want to arrive early to queue up for a seat.

Illuminations: Reflections of Earth

Every night IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth lights the Epcot sky above The World Showcase Lagoon, but during the holiday season park goers are in for a special fireworks tag treat that has so many shells your bells will be jingled from now until December 30th!

Disney

Featuring holiday greetings in native languages from the countries of World Showcase, along with the beloved sounds of the classic song “Let There be Peace on Earth,” this festive finish leaves you with a joyful message of “peace on earth and goodwill to men.”

My best tip for watching IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth is to watch which way the flames from the torches are blowing before the show, because if they are blowing towards you so is the smoke so you will want to move. There really isn’t a bad spot to watch from around the World Showcase Lagoon.

The Epcot International Festival of the Holidays expanded entertainment, food, and activities make it a welcome addition to the holiday celebrations in Orlando!

The post Celebrating The Season At Epcot’s Festival Of The Holidays appeared first on On the Go in MCO.

[omniversalobservations]

Warehouse 13 (August 2010)

"13.1" is the seventeenth episode overall and the fifth episode of the second season of Warehouse 13, airing on the Syfy Channel on 3 August 2010. It is the first part of a crossover event with Syfy's other hit show, Eureka. The second part was a Eureka episode, entitled Crossing Over, aired three days later on 6 August 2010.

Synopsis Douglas Fargo, a member of Global Dynamics, travels from Eureka to Warehouse 13 to assist them with a computer system update. However, when a sentient computer virus is unleashed, the team is trapped when the Warehouse goes into lockdown.

Source: Warehouse 13 Wiki

So, now we’ve seen what the first crossover between Syfy shows that aren’t called Stargate looks like, and it has to be said, I kind of liked it. Maybe it’s because I’m a comic fan and therefore shared universes and crossovers and cameos and everything like that is like catnip to me, but watching characters from Eureka and Warehouse 13 wander into each other’s worlds with last week’s episodes of their respective series made me want to see more of this Syfy-verse, and sooner rather than later, if possible. But here’re 13 (late, sorry) thoughts about “13.1” and “Crossing Over.”

1. When In Doubt, Do Shows About Your Show. Both episodes were oddly insular, in one way or another. If I had to compare them, I’d say that I preferred Eureka‘s insularity, where the episode was used to continue plot threads from the season so far, as opposed to Warehouse 13‘s more obvious episode, which seemed much more about the show’s uber-mythology.

2. That’s A Kinda Terrible Retirement Package, Right There. I have to wonder if pointing out the unfortunate fates of former Warehouse agents is intentional foreshadowing for something down the line, or just a generic “Things are unlikely to turn out well for our heroes” thing, if one somewhat mitigated by Hugo ending the episode apparently intact and headed off to Eureka (And, yes, it was sad that he didn’t appear at all in the Eureka ep that followed, even as a cameo). Are Pete and Myka going to snap/die/head to the dark side? Myka is kind of high-strung, I could see her losing it…

3. Which Show Showed Off Better? The point of the crossover, of course, was in part to get new viewers into both shows, which means creating episodes that introduced the series and made sure people would come back for more. For my money, Eureka‘s episode was a better showcase for the series as a whole, but the character work in Warehouse 13 seemed stronger, at least when it came to Pete (Who seemed especially funny this week, or was it just me?), Artie and Claudia. Poor Myka, again, seemed to get left behind. I think she’s got cause for turning evil, really.

4. Which Show Handled The Guest Better? This time, it’s Warehouse 13. Don’t get me wrong; Claudia seemed like a good fit in Eureka, but she also didn’t really seem entirely like Claudia, for some reason – In part because she seemed like a generic guest-star whose purpose was to walk on, give exposition and then be led off by Henry for a lot of the show, and in part because she just seemed too confident and self-assured, especially around Fargo (Remember the Claudia of two weeks ago who freaked out over liking Todd?) – whereas W13‘s Fargo seemed spot-on, personalitywise. Which leads me to…

5. Continuity Is A Bitch (1). Am I the only person who thought that it was weird that Fargo, who’s now the head of Global Dynamics, was the person who went to Warehouse 13 to install a new computer system? Shouldn���t he have… you know, someone to do that for him? I wondered if there’d already been a draft of the script done before the new Eureka status quo had been finalized.

6. Continuity Is A Bitch (2). When Claudia saw Fargo’s life thanks to the zoetrope in W13, why didn’t she seem surprised that he’d actually come from what’s essentially an alternate timeline? Which reminds me…

7. Does This Mean That Warehouse 13‘s Continuity Might Be Changed Now, Too? Or has it always existed in Eureka‘s new timeline? This is where shared universes get confusing.

8. Which Show Pandered The Most? Well, that one is obvious; Warehouse 13. Lightsabers, you guys? Really? Lightsabers? I thought we were the ones doing the Star Wars thing right now. (Okay, I admit it: I loved the lightsabers. Eureka is plenty geeky – especially with their choice of guest-stars, which almost always brings a smile to my face – but W13 has taken to really reveling in its geek this season, and I kind of love that about the show. My only real complaint about the lightsabers is that, come on: You know that Pete would be really upset when he heard about that later. I wish we could’ve seen that.)

9. It’s The Little Things That Matter. I might not have thought Eureka‘s Claudia was exactly the same Claudia as Warehouse 13‘s, but I did appreciate that she spent her guest-spot calling Fargo “Doug,” thereby showing that she had a different/more respectful relationship with him than everyone else on the show; it was a tiny little thing, but I really loved it. Not so much her calling him “the Fargonator,” but kudos for the shoutout to the season premiere, if nothing else.

10. Science In Eureka Can Be Really Dangerous. Now, maybe I missed something, but was there any testing of the advanced Warehouse goo before they started pumping into James Callis’ bloodstream? Isn’t the goo supposed to be at least kind of toxic in Warehouse terms?I mean, I guess it tied the episode to W13 slightly more, but that scene seemed kind of odd; as much as I’m glad that Callis’ time-tossed scientist Charles Grant is sticking around, even with that accent, I’d have rather it was all a nanobot save in the end. Too picky?

11. Seriously, How Old Is Claudia? Hey! Missy making out with Fargo! Didn’t the show just establish that you were a teenager, like, a week or so ago? Isn’t Fargo somewhere in his early-to-mid twenties? I’m no prude, but I’m surprised this hook-up seemed to happen without commentary, considering how much was made of Claudia and Todd just a week earlier. Also:

12. What The Hell, Todd? Seriously, dude, if your dumping of Claudia wasn’t set up for something later, then that was really bad writing that doesn’t make a hell of a lot of sense – especially considering how quickly Claudia had seemed to bounce back by Eureka‘s episode. I’m holding out hopes that Todd will turn out to be HG Wells’ grandson or something, and it’ll all make sense down the road.

13. Match-Ups I Want To See In The Future I’d be very happy if this ended up being an annual thing, a la DC’s Justice League/Justice Society crossovers. Maybe next year, it could be a true crossover, with a story beginning in one and concluding in the other, and with more characters jumping between shows? If nothing else, I’d love to see Myka deal with Deputy Andy – and who wouldn’t be into watching CCH Pounder be charmed by Vincent’s culinary skills? Only, next year? Bring Haven to the party, please; Emily Rose deserves better than weirdly-paced episodes that always seem to need dubbed exposition at the end to tie up loose ends.

Source: Time