#and he just becomes a very endearing idealistic kid!!!!! who cares so much about you and the others and the world!!!!!! WEH!!!!!!!!!! <333< /div> Explore tagged Tumblr posts

[lem-argentum]

alphi’s character development makes me really happy. my boyyyyyyy i’m so proud of him

[13eyond13]

Hi...Can I ask your top 3 favorite characters from Nana? And why you loved them? And your top 5 favorite moments from the series? Thanks if you want to answer....

Hi hi!! I would LOVE to try to talk about this series for a bit, but PLEASE keep in mind I'm still only just finished volume 7 / chapter 24 (I am currently waiting in line to read volume 8 at my library! But I might get impatient and just try to find the chapters online too)... MY TOP 3 FAVE NANA CHARACTERS (SO FAR) 1. NANA KOMATSU / NANA 1 / "HACHI": OMG I love Nana 1 to death hahahaha. She literally makes me lol every single volume with her thoughts and decisions and interactions with everyone else, and it's just the most fun in the series to be inside her brain and following along with her relationships and emotional roller-coasters and little life lessons and anxieties and pains and hopes and dreams. She's an awesome character to me for being flawed and complex and selfish and immature yet still very likable and oddly tough and brave and sweet as pie at the same time. I think seeing the growth she's having as a person over the series is definitely the main draw for me, and watching her try to figure out her feelings for everybody and her place in the world and how to become the type of person that contains all the personality traits she's always admiring around her - and how to fill that void she feels of never completely erasing the loneliness inside or being perfectly synced up with the people she's trying to form a deeper connection with.

2. NANA OSAKI / NANA 2:

She's mysterious, she's proud, she's tough, she's badass, she's funny and sensible and kind! I love the more grown-up and emotionally reserved vibe she has in comparison to Nana 1, which totally makes sense considering her harder childhood and how self-reliant she always had to be. Her casual warmth with Hachi is endearing and her less obviously expressive and highly independent yet still emotionally intense personality is very relatable to me. It's the most fun to see Hachi reacting to Nana 2 to me I think, because Nana 2 is more closed off and a bit more afraid of exploring her feelings unabashedly than Nana 1. But she's by far my other fave in the series, and of course the heart of the whole thing is the very ambiguously devoted relationship between the 2 Nanas for me!

3. ???? I don't think I have a third main fave character in the story yet??

At the beginning of the manga I quite liked Shoji and Junko, but as the series is progressing it seems like they both got written out of the plot almost entirely. I liked Junko for always keeping it real with Nana and caring about her in a tough love sort of way, though she did for sure just seem a bit like the "voice of reason" character for the more ridiculous Nana to bounce off of whenever she was in a bind... I liked Shoji because he seems like a regular kid instead of some idealistic fictional love interest hunk - his reactions to Nana K. were pretty relatable to me, and their romantic interactions were cute and made me laugh and also cringe with sympathy at times (like when it was so awkward when Nana first moved to Tokyo too and they were still trying to readjust to being around each other more - I remember similar things happening to me whenever I had been long-distance in a relationship for a summer and and then suddenly near my partner again at some time). Even in the part where he starts developing feelings for Sachiko and sneakily cheating on Nana, I always felt he behaved pretty understandably and wasn't a horrible person so much as just a conflicted and young and immature one who wasn't in the right relationship when he was with Nana, maybe (though admittedly I wasn't that upset that he wasn't being featured in the story more after that, because that would probably get on my nerves). Currently I have just finished volume 7, and right now I am finding I don't feel a super strong connection to any of the other characters too much other than Nana 1 and Nana 2? The other guys in Blast are just okay to me, I don't have SUPER strong feelings about Nana getting together with Nobu (in fact I find him a little bit annoying at times - I agree with Shin that he "has some unrealistic ideas about women" and idealizes Nana too much - Yasu is chill and nice and wise, but a bit TOO chill and reserved to be super interesting to me). The members of Trapnest are also just okay to me? Ren bores me a little bit (maybe because I just would rather be reading about Nana 2 hanging out with Nana 1 than with him)... Reira is hard for me to form ANY opinions about other than eww, it's weird that she's sleeping with Shin, Takumi is a selfish yet possessive jerk and only thinking about himself, and I always forget the other one (Naoki?) even exists...

I WILL say that the little Nana 2 fangirl Misato is extremely cute and I'm always happy when she's on the page, hahaha. Her shameless devotion to Nana 2 and her politeness and extreme savviness about the music industry are just fun for me to read (as was Hachi's initial jealousy toward her, but I'm glad she managed to also eventually get over that)! --

MY TOP 5 FAVE NANA MOMENTS (SO FAR): Forgive me if these moments are completely arbitrary and sort of dumb picks, because I feel like I'm forgetting so much of the story from the previous volumes already, and I'm still only 1/3 of the way through the whole thing?? But here are ones that stood out to me whenever I was racking my brain: 5. Whenever Nana forces Shoji to let her sleep in his hotel room, then awkwardly sings him to sleep, and he's like: "YOU DON'T HAVE TO SING" hahaha...

my reaction to that was basically Junko's reaction:

4. Whenever Nana 2 starts getting jealous and confused about Hachi hooking up with Takumi I was like OHOHOH, HOW THE TURNS TABLE.... I think it's REALLY hard for Nana 2 to admit stuff like feeling vulnerable or jealous or possessive over Nana 1 at this point, and seeing her realize "heeyyyy maybe I want her attention and devotion a little more than I thought and was taking it for granted a bit"... that was a very feelsy little part! 3. Whenever Hachi is getting jealous about Nana 2's cute little fangirl and having super mean petty thoughts about her hahahah omg the most relatable thing of life! 2. When Nana 2 goes to Nobu after he first starts dating Hachi and is like: "I'M USING YOU TO KEEP NANA 1 IN MY LIFE FOREVER, SO DON'T MESS THIS UP!" OMG?? Fellas is it gay to keep your girl roomie nearby by throwing guys at her that are entrenched in your social circle and also more socially acceptable for her to date? When I say my heart skipped a beat at that moment!! And it just happened in the manga super recently, so who knows where things are going to go from here?

1. When Hachi is having so many gay thoughts about Nana 2 that she's like "AHHH THIS IS TOO GAY I NEED TO GET ANOTHER BOYFRIEND!!!!" Boy did I laugh out loud at the cognitive dissonance (and find it super relatable to younger me and my own panicking about maybe not being entirely straight thoughts? of course)...

[4dtk]

jaehyun as a bf

anon: “your writing brings me butterflies i love it you are so underrated!!!!! would love to request a jaehyun bf headcanons (like the one you did of mark <3)” thank you for the kind words anon <333 hope you enjoy this one!

(a bit of a plug lol but check out NCT 127's ideal r/s headcanons in this post!! i appreciate you checking it out! <3)

brief mentions of sex, but nothing explicitly nsfw!

likes to talk about music with you

especially jazz. there’s a plethora of songs out there with different renditions and sometimes he likes to ramble about who’s rendition he likes best

would play the piano for you if you asked, just maybe not after schedules or something. but usually when you’re free or alone together in the room, he likes you to sit beside him to listen to him play

you guys like to play a little game where he’ll play the chords and you play like a random note to create blobs of music

even if you don’t know how, the way the session always dissolves into giggles is his favourite thing in the world

if you know how to play the piano that’s great too!! jaehyun just likes the unexpected notes that come out since there’s no set melody in his mind

jaehyun needs to have some part of his body on yours at all times. like he has to hold your hand all the time, or a finger hooked around your backpack, or an arm around your waist.

at least when you’re together he does it very often and he’s just. obsessed with you lmfao

it’s also the reason he buys a promise ring when he’s sure of you as a significant other so you always have a part of him with you (his love)

would buy you those lockets for you to put pictures inside. he doesn’t care where you wear it though, around your neck, wrist, ankle, as long as the locket is on your person

he clings onto you like crazy in the mornings. jaehyun’s a heavy sleeper and likes to hug you on his side, so you’re always having trouble trying to pry him off of you in the morning

a bit nsfw: he likes morning lazy sex lol, ngl. jaehyun adores the rawness of your relationship in the morning and the sleepiness in your eyes when you’re gently pushing him away. he knows you don’t mean it but he makes sure you really want it first

loves the sunlight kissing your skin and the slow, gentle movements

so so intimate, he prefers it to the rougher forms of sex, but sometimes he doesn’t have that luxury since they leave for schedules quite often in the wee hours of dawn

for cuddling sense, jaehyun likes it when you’re under his arm and cuddled into his side. classic position but he dies every time inside when you look up at him and there’s this clueless look you have. has the biggest smile on his face after and you have to repeat the stuff you said bc he’s too distracted by how your eyes shine

second hot favourite (more of when you’re making out) is when you’re straddling him. nothing sexual, just like you on top of him when you’re kissing and stuff. he digs it when you’re pulling away for oxygen and he has to lift his body to reach for your lips again

gets flustered from kissing, but doesn’t show it. if he’s found a way to suppress the crazy crimson on his ears (which i doubt) then he will but his words will always contradict his expression

jaehyun can say “are you nervous, y/n?” with a smirk but his ears keep giving him away!!!!

mfer’s hands are shaking too when he trails it over your body. in disbelief you’re his.

sometimes shamelessly moans into the kiss LOL, not too loud but he whines when you pull away, and has to kiss you breathless again

when you kiss him, expect like a long-lasting kiss. doesn’t mind small pecks and stuff but he’ll want to savour your lips a little longer than a mere peck

jaehyun likes your neck too. when you’re hugging his face is always in your neck, placing small little butterfly kisses

you need to look out for him, always. mans always tripping over something at some point. it’s become more frequent now that he has you and my god he’s so unable to keep his eyes off of you that he trips over simple things. he once tripped over nothing

on the daily when he’s not tripping over you, he’s clumsy in a sense where he drops food on the table. he once struggled to tie up his growing hair into a mini ponytail bc it was just too little hair. the hair tie slipped from his fingers and shot itself into your face - those kinds of small small mishaps

it’s endearing but sometimes you can’t help but laugh at him

likes to take you out on impromptu dates. dates that are close by and easy to plan (?) i guess.

not saying jaehyun is a lazy boyfriend but he likes the more candid dates where you decide what to do as you go along. of course if it’s a big day like your anniversary or birthdays then he’d want to plan something out.

other than that, he just either lets you choose the places to go there or you two decide along the way. he doesn’t want to impose options for you and pressure you. if he’s being honest, he wouldn’t know where to go either lol so he just follows wherever you bring him

laughs so much when he’s with you. giggles, deep laugh, whatever you name it. your relationship is very light-hearted and he finds that he’s the one laughing more when you deliver jokes even tho he wants to make you laugh too

i can’t lie… his jokes can be dry sometimes i’m sorry jaehyun 😭 so he backs it up with laughter and has to catch his breath sometimes bc he finds it really funny

you’re not laughing at the joke, rather at his laugh so you might have to tell him that some way or another bc he’ll just keep making bad jokes i’m sorry y’all

he can’t handle the suuuuuper cheesy physically affectionate films or series (with shitty plot) but i feel like if the story’s interesting enough he’ll pay attention. likes bittersweet films too, i feel, gets him thinking

doesn’t mind cliched plots (fake dating / idealist girl meets realist boy / idk any others lol) but would propose something at the end that he thinks will make the movie/series more interesting

jaehyun likes to share his theories with you

unironically wants to learn the la la land tap dance scene with you. he ALWAYS hums city of stars too, no matter what. idk why but it sticks to him, in bed, in breakfast, when he’s doing something random

he did it once on the radio and he received a text from you in break that told him he was humming along to the song

with that said, jaehyun wants to try out the stuff in the rain quite a bit. making out, dancing, lying down, running, he likes that fascination that society has with doing things in the rain

doesn’t like it too much that he’ll get soaked, but as long as you’re with him and willing to do it, he’s all for it

jaehyun would def want kids in the future. wants to dote on them and buy them stuff and whatnot. wants to see them running around the house with laughter while you both struggle to contain the bursts of excitement they have

doesn’t care for the dynamic much. if he’s the one to stay at home to take care of them while you work, he can work with it. if it’s the other way round, he’s okay too

he just worries that if he’s still involved with the entertainment industry, you might have to take a back seat since he’ll be the one earning the money, and he doesn’t want babysitters either.

heart is so so full when he comes back home and you’re just playing with the kids, or singing them to sleep. any sight of you with him is enough to make him melt into a puddle

HAS to hold them even if they’re asleep. wants to always have them close to him while he nudges you to shower or get the food ready.

like jaehyun, he would wanna meet someone in a vinyl shop or bookstore. he knows it’s cliched but the thought of meeting someone when you’re buying something is exciting. anything unexpected for him, he welcomes it

the next few are just random, miscellaneous headcanons: he likes to see you in his clothes, preferably with nothing underneath. just his shirt lol. cheeky man

jaehyun likes it when you shower together (again, nothing sexual, just likes the domesticity)

likes it when you fall asleep on him

will never stop gushing about you to his parents, first time you met them they’re like “he’s told us so much about you!” and he really did

feels comfortable in your presence, no makeup, messy hair, no need for a perfect bod. he’s just jaehyun. jung yuno if you will

adores it when you call him “lover” i mean boyfriend is good, significant other is good, but lover is just chef’s kiss

it is a bit cheesy if you think about it, so it’s not often that you say it. when you do say it in songs when you’re singing it to him, he can’t stop smiling

plays lover, you should’ve come over when he’s on tour bc it’s the closest thing he can get to a replica of how he feels for you

and when jaehyun falls asleep to the song, all he can remember is your honey voice singing it to him. he’ll just have to hold onto it before he can see you again

<3

[tiriansjewel]

Rating All The Main Little Women Adaptations

Little Women (1933)-

This is probably my least favorite adaptation, not because it’s strictly bad, but mostly because it’s so old. You can definitely tell that this was made for an audience in the 1930s. Katharine Hepburn plays a very stereotypical, tomboyish Jo, and her performance is good, but in general I’ve only seen this movie one time and don’t have any desire to repeat the experience. However, if you like old films, if you like Katharine Hepburn, or if this movie is simply nostalgic for you, I can see how this would be something you might pop on every now and again. 5.5/10

Little Women (1949)-

So... I have a lot of mixed feelings on this adaptation. This is the adaptation of Little Women that I grew up watching, so I’ve seen it many times, and it has a huge nostalgia factor for me. I really love June Allyson’s Jo. Again, you can tell that this movie was made for an audience in the 1940s, but I connected a lot more with Jo’s character development in this as opposed to 1933. Peter Lawford was okay as Laurie, but I can’t get over the fact that he looks 35 and he’s supposed to be 16. Jo and Laurie do have lovely chemistry in this movie however, and I love the scene when they meet. I quite enjoy Janet Leigh’s Meg, although her character is rather poorly developed. Elizabeth Taylor’s Amy... is... not my favorite. I don’t hate it, but she always felt very artificial to me. Lastly, the decision to make Beth drastically younger than the other sisters was not good in my opinion. She just felt like a little fragile baby bird the whole movie, like they were setting her up to die, rather than being one of the sisters. All in all though, this movie is good if you want to watch a nice feel-good film. It has nostalgia factor for me and it’s definitely a fun movie if you can look past the humanity of the story and get lost in the music and joy. 6/10

Little Women (1994)-

Where to even begin... There are so many things I love about this movie, and so many things I dislike. Firstly: likes. I love Winona Ryder’s Jo. It’s the first time we’ve seen an on-screen Jo portrayed as a human and not just as a tomboy. She is clearly the hot-headed, independent intellectual that we all know, and yet she does have a kindness about her. Claire Danes is easily my favorite Beth in any adaptation. The emotion she shows when given the piano, when she is handed the sick baby at the Hummels, and when she is dying and Jo is at her side... completely unmatched. Her delivery of the line “I shall be homesick for you, even in heaven” always makes me sob. I also love Susan Sarandon’s Marmee, although at times it feels like her character is trying to be a bit of a political statement. Christian Bale as Laurie was also a good decision for the most part. I like that they made Amy an actual child in this film, so that her spoiled brat actions actually make sense, plus Kirsten Dunst is fabulous. I don’t have much positive or negative to say about Meg. I also like the subtle details about the time period, like the insinuation that the March’s were transcendentalists, because it shows that we’re really in the 1860s. All in all, the setting, aesthetic, and soundtrack to the film are very good, and it’s nice to finally see an adaptation that is filmed outside of a set. Now, dislikes. All of the relationships in this film and their portrayals, except for Jo and Prof Bhaer, are... not great. Firstly, Laurie’s proposal to Jo is so weird and creepy and not at all what I imagined reading the book. Sure, the first two proposal scenes from 1933 and 1949 were very overdramatized and obviously acted, but the first thing Laurie does to reveal his feelings to Jo in this film is to kiss her, after she repeatedly says no. Then after this, we get an extremely out-of-breath Christian Bale (rather poorly) delivering lines to an exasperated Jo. The way they film this entire movie also paints Jo to be in love with Laurie, and so when Jo refuses, it feels like she’s just making excuses. I do not like it. The other creepy thing is (again) an obviously adult Laurie bringing an obviously child Amy to Aunt March when Beth is sick. During this carraige ride, Amy remarks that she doesn’t want to die without having been kissed, and Laurie promises her that he will kiss her before she dies. I know this is meant to be “cute” and if Laurie had looked 17 and Amy had looked 14 I probably would have agreed, but Christian Bale looks 25 and Kirsten Dunst looks 12. That entire scene was weirdly sexual and made me very uncomfortable. In addition, John Brooke and Meg full on making out in the front lawn during the family Christmas dinner. I just... did not find any of this charming and wish that these scenes hadn’t been sexualized like they were. Am I crazy for thinking they are? Anyways, besides this, I enjoy this film, it’s a good movie to watch over Christmas or in the spring when it’s raining. I love Winona Ryder with all my heart and soul and this movie will always have a special place in my heart. 7.5/10

Little Women (2019)-

Finally, we arrive at the newest, and in my opinion, best adaptation. Firstly, the cast for this film is amazing, with Saoirse Ronan as Jo, Emma Watson as Meg, Florence Pugh as Amy, Eliza Scanlen as Beth, Timothee Chalamet as Laurie, and Laura Dern as Marmee. This was made with a non-linear narrative, meaning the story isn’t told in order but instead in corresponding scenes that are years apart. At first, the format confused me, as I did not expect it, but on a second viewing, I appreciated how genius and subtle the parallels from scene to scene are, and how they really enhance the movie as a whole. This movie also brings in the most scenes from the book, showing Meg in her marriage to John Brooke, Amy’s buildup to her marriage to Laurie in Europe, and Mr. Laurence and Beth’s fatherly friendship. I feel that, in general, the way the characters were written was very accurate to the book, even if some scenes and plots were slightly changed for time and continuity. Again, Jo has the duality of hot-headed, wild, independence and kind-heartedness seen in the 1994 movie, but I really appreciate the way Jo was written in this movie. I never feel like she sees Laurie as anything more than a brother, and I feel like her transition from an idealistic teenager to an adult dealing with the loss of her sister is way more human and natural. Her relationship with Marmee is much better developed in this movie, which leads to scenes of Jo confiding in her mother, and these felt very realistic and reminded me of my relationship with my mom. Emma Watson is my favorite Meg, and this is probably because Meg’s character is so much better developed. Her shame when telling John Brooke about the dress fabric is palpable, and her discontentedness with being poor is very obvious. In other films, Meg has been pragmatic and has borne her troubles easily, but here we find her struggling, and it makes her more human. I also love how she realizes that she is truly happy with her husband, not money, and I really love how they wrote Meg in general. Beth’s character arc was great, although not as good as Claire Danes’s Beth, in my opinion. I love how they build Mr. Laurence and Beth’s relationship, and I love how you can tell that Beth is just as strong-willed as her sisters, she is just more quiet about it. She has a strong conviction to do what is right, like going to the Hummels, and the scene of her and Jo by the sea was one of my favorites in the film (and in the book!).

Moving on to Amy. I am SO happy that we finally have an Amy that everyone loves. I had always felt frustrated because previous adaptations have focused so much on the earlier parts of the book that viewers only ever saw Amy as a childish little brat who burned Jo’s book, not as a girl who grows up to become an elegant, strong, and graceful woman. Although Florence Pugh is clearly a 24 year old woman, I did not feel a disconnect when she was trying to play a 12 year old Amy. She was so hilarious and endearing, especially as her little crush on Laurie is so obvious. And the typical sister fight between her and Jo is so accurate to real sibling fights (my favorite line being “Don’t look at me like that!” to Beth). You dislike her for burning Jo’s book, but you also want to accept her apology. And her calm, yet firm attitude towards Laurie when they’re adults is beautifully done, especially as she’s so obviously in love with him. In short, Amy finally got what she deserved. Lastly, Laurie. Timothee Chalamet is my favorite Laurie, hands down. First, he looks the part, because he seems to be 19 instead of 35, and also, he acts like a typical teenage boy. When he confesses his love to Jo, you can tell that he truly cares for her and is experiencing his first heartbreak. It isn’t full of lust, rather it’s full of genuine emotion and raised voices and talking over one another, and this was truly needed after so many weirdly overdramatized proposals. You can also see that his love for Amy is real, and that she’s not just a replacement for Jo. Finally, he grows into a man, who has a wife and a child seen at the end of the film, something that I feel has not happened in previous films. In general, I felt like this adaptation did a PHENOMENAL job of portraying human relationships. The way the sisters talk over one another and tussle around the floor and hug one another and are just in relationship with one another is so natural and realistic. Marmee’s relationships with her kids. The romantic relationships are healthy and loving and yes, have chemistry, but aren’t sexualized or over the top. This movie is a new classic, and I plan to watch it many more times. I highly recommend this if you haven’t seen it yet. 9/10

So anyway, if you read this far, wow. I hope you enjoyed my opinions and found them useful. Have a good day.

[katelynrushe26]

Welcome to Everworld

If you were a kid in the '90's, chances are you crossed paths with the book series Animorphs in some way. Written by K.A. Applegate and Michael Grant, this sci-fi/action epic about kids turning into animals to fight off an alien invasion was one of the Scholastic Corporation's most popular IP's of that decade, rivaled only by Goosebumps. It had sixty-four books, numerous video games and toy lines, a TV show that ran for two seasons on Nickelodeon, and even cross promotions with fast food chains like Taco Bell and Pizza Hut that sold Animorphs collectibles with their kids' meals. An official graphic novel adaptation is now in the works, and the series still has a devout fanbase.

And rightly so. I started reading Animorphs at age nine, and to this day, it's easily one of the most powerful and formative works of literature that I've ever read. It was funny but tragic, relatable but imaginative, entertaining but horrific, and it often hit you with a sobering dose of reality that made the message of each book stay with you long after you finished reading. Best of all, its mature themes and ideas about the morality of war have made it just as meaningful and relevant to read as an adult as it did as a kid, so I highly recommend the series.

With that said, I want to discuss another book series that Applegate and Grant wrote during that same time called Everworld.

I occasionally saw ads for this series in the backs of the Animorphs books (exactly four of them), but the ads were always vague, and eventually those back pages were used to advertise other things. A promotional CD called The Everworld Experience was given out in bookstores upon the third Everworld book's release, but if the series was ever sold in Scholastic's monthly school catalogues or at any of its school book fairs, I can't find evidence of that. Botton line, it barely had any of the exposure or success that Animorphs did, and the series came to an earlier-than-planned conclusion after two years and twelve books.

This is a real shame, because now that I've finally sat down and read all of Everworld, I think the series is great. It deals with four Chicago teens (David, Christopher, April, and Jalil) who are dragged by a witch named Senna to a parallel world where the gods, monsters, and famous figures from all of Earth's mythologies live at constant odds with each other. The teens exist in this place, called Everworld, and on Earth simultaneously, with their consciousnesses jumping back and forth from one world to the other whenever they go to sleep. In addition to staying alive, their main goals in Everworld are to save it from an invading alien god named Ka Anor and to keep Senna from transporting more dangerous people to—and from—Earth.

I should start by saying that Everworld was written for an older audience than Animorphs; for high schoolers instead of middle schoolers. As a result, it has a much darker and grittier tone with less, shall we say, innocent protagonists. It shares a few themes with Animorphs, such as the stress of leading a secret double-life and having to compromise personal values for the greater good, but it also deals with themes like letting go of old perceptions as you grow up, realizing the cost of your deepest desires, and deciding whether to keep to the safe life you know or venture into a greater unknown.

Everworld's premise is clearly a metaphor for coming of age, a representation of the crossroads between childhood and adulthood where you need to start finding a direction for your life. For all of its fantastic settings and elements, the series is really about the four main characters' internal conflicts, not the external conflict around them. The external conflict is just a device that serves to make the characters deal with their internal conflicts, and this is important to keep in mind when reading the series. We don't see much of how the teens change Everworld by getting involved in its dealings, just how much deciding to get involved changes them.

As for the characters themselves, I think we're given a pretty well-rounded and relatable main cast. We have David, the self-appointed leader who feels unfulfilled in his normal life and is desperate to prove his worth due to his toxic masculine upbringing; Christopher, the less-than-sensitive class clown who leans on immature humor and sitcoms to cope with his problems; April, the wily, religious idealist who takes care of business when she needs to; and Jalil, the level-headed skeptic who tries to learn the science of everything so he can master it. A huge part of the overarching conflict is these four learning to get along and work together, and once that starts to happen, they become a fun group of friends to go through all of these crazy adventures with.

I've read complaints that some of their early character flaws (especially Christopher's tendencies towards xenophobic humor) turn off a lot of readers after the first few books. That's understandable, but the point of giving the characters those flaws is that they eventually see the error of their ways and reform. I don't approve of Christopher's intial brand of humor, but I actually like him the most out of the four because he undergoes the biggest and most dramatic transformation throughout the series. You see how finding a life goal in a world where he can't tune out reality so easily makes him a better person.

The other major character is Senna the witch, who really serves as the main antagonist of the series. Not that she's a villain; a major part of the story is trying to figure out her motives and allegiances, since she seems to help the four leads as often as she gets them in trouble. We even get a book narrated by her eventually, and that does a great job of swaying you to feel one way about her right before the series yanks you in the other direction. She's not as complicated as Snape from Harry Potter or Gollum from Lord of the Rings (even though she does shape-shift into him in one rather amusing scene) but I found her arc just as engrossing and its conclusion extremely rewarding. The whole series is worth reading just to get that rush at the end.

And that level of engagement is the ultimate reason why I recommend Everworld. It's one of the most immersive works I've read in a while, both in setting and tone. It takes you right back to the '90's from Page 1 with its now-nostalgic pop culture references and laid-back view of the world, and then it slowly pokes at that bubble with an ominous undertone until all hell finally breaks loose. The descriptions of Everworld effectively capture the feel of every location and threat, and Applegate and Grant's tongue-in-cheek humor goes a long way in keeping the series self-aware enough to avoid turning hokey. One of my favorite parts is in Book 4 when the teens try to catch a wild boar for food, only to have it beat them up and then suddenly order them in English to give it what little food they do have. It becomes a running joke after incidents like this for David, Christopher, April, and Jalil to mumble, "W.T.E. Welcome to Everworld," and then move on with their business.

Also, borrowing so many of its settings and characters from preexisting mythologies (with the authors' own creative twists, of course) builds anticipation as you wonder what other pantheons the series might explore as it goes on. It also gives the protagonists some prior knowledge going into each conflict, especially when some of them start using their "visits" back to Earth to research mythology. This helps endear them to readers by showing their proactive sides, as well as their overarching growth throughout the series as they start trying to help Everworld instead of escape from it.

What's interesting though is that the scenes on Earth are also very descriptive and immersive. It's easy in cross-world narratives like this for the "real world" to take a back seat to the more creative fantasy world, but the Earth scenes in Everworld have their own overarching story that also builds into a genuinely suspenseful conflict. This really sells the idea that David, Christopher, April, and Jalil still have some grounding in their normal lives that keeps holding them back from fully embracing their new lives in Everworld.

With that said, I do wish that their families had more of a presence in the series. The families in Animorphs were very well defined and prominent in a lot of the B-plots of some books. This made us like them almost as much as the Animorphs themselves by the end of the series, which raised the stakes tremendously whenever things started to escalate. In Everworld, we see the families occasionally but get very little sense of their personalities or the teens' relationships with them.

I don't think either of David's parents ever makes an appearance throughout the whole series, and I actually forgot for a while if Jalil's mother was even alive until he mentions her in one of the other characters' books. Things like this make it hard to feel the full emotional weight of certain events near the end of the series. I guess the idea is that teenagers going through major life changes like these just aren't always that close to their families, but it still feels like this particular element of the story could have had a little more focus to sell how torn the characters are between their two lives.

It's worth noting that Christopher's parents and brother probably get the most character out of all the families, with scenes as early as the second book showing their interests and personalities as they banter with him. Given his similarities to Marco, the main comedic character from Animorphs, I'm starting to think Christopher was the authors' favorite lead as well.

Also, one of the Earth antagonists in Everworld is named Mr. Trent. This was also the human alias of the main villain on the Animorphs TV show, which predates Everworld. I can't find any information on how both of these characters came to have the same name, as Applegate and Grant didn't write the TV show, but it certainly has me conjuring all kinds of theories about the two book series existing in the same universe.

So why wasn't Everworld more successful if it's so good? Why didn't Scholastic advertise the hell out of it to at least try and hook the millions of Animorphs fans back then?

Sadly, I think the answer lies in the reader demographics. When you're dealing with kids, a couple of years can mean a huge difference in maturity and what's considered appropriate material for them. Animorphs was surprisingly graphic and intense for a children's book series, but it was still written for children. I can't recall a single swear word ever being said in it, and things like drugs, sex, and xenophobia were either very vaguely implied, disguised in metaphors, or presented as problems that the alien characters (not the humans) struggle with.

The very first Everworld book features flashbacks where David recalls seeing a camp counselor molest a child and hearing a football coach call a player the "F" word for not being tough enough on the field—and they don't just say "the 'F' word" in the book either. Add a few dollops of religion, sexuality, infidelity, teen alcoholism, and other adult language throughout each book, and there was no way Scholastic could promote this series to the same kids who read Animorphs. The Everworld books don't even have that bright red Scholastic logo at the bottoms of their covers; there's just a tiny, inconspicuous logo on the spine and an even less conspicuous trademark credit on the back.

Again, I can't currently find any information about this. I'm very curious to know how this situation came to be though. Did Scholastic give the authors more leeway for Everworld because of Animorphs' success and then found out too late how far the pair had run with that? Did the company want to experiment with publishing more adult material but then started getting cold feet closer to Everworld's release?

The worst part of this, if it's true, is that Scholastic may have been right to worry. According to some of the YouTube comments and online book reviews I've read, a lot of kids who read Animorphs in the '90's were barred by their parents from reading Everworld. Some say their parents found the series too dark and inappropriate. Some say their parents took issue with it for religious reasons, due to all the pagan deities that it shows to exist. One person even said they were almost barred from Animorphs too after their parents vetoed Everworld. Not the kind of thing a Scholastic executive in 1999 would have wanted to hear.

I know that Scholastic would go on to publish the Harry Potter and Hunger Games series over the next decade, and both of those saw their share of controversy too. All things considered though, I do side a little with the parents when it comes to Everworld. The topics that I listed three paragraphs ago are important for teens to discuss, and it's realistic to include them in a story about teens, but I feel like the series presents them a little too bluntly for me to totally disagree with the parental discretion. There's an entire book about a lustful underworld goddess who does nothing but capture men and force them to "please" her under threat of castration, and there's an ongoing subplot where April questions what the existence of all the different pagan deities in Everworld means for her own Catholic beliefs. Even if this series had come out today, there would be a legitimate reason for the concerns.

I'll never say to bar your kids from reading anything, but here's a thing to consider: the main characters in Animorphs are roughly thirteen years old at the start of the series, they're sixteen by the last book, and the Everworld characters are sixteen throughout their series. Maybe letting your kids read Animorphs first and giving them a chance to mature alongside those characters is a good gauge for when you think they'd be old enough to read Everworld.

And if they decide for themselves that they don't want to read Everworld, then that's them choosing a direction in life, just like the series would want them to make.

~

[soraegeeks]

Review: Happenstance

Happenstance by Merrywetherweather AU: Royalty, Omegaverse Main relationship: Bakugou Katsuki x Midoriya Izuku Status: Ongoing, 13 chapters currently

Official summary:

When Katsuki was just a child, his mother, the King of Lucia, took him to enact diplomacy with the Midoriya's, the royal family of the neighboring country of Tayloria. After that day, his fate was sealed, his marriage arranged to the Midoriya's elusive omegan child.

At the age of twenty, he leaves for Tayloria again, this time, to finally wed his fiance and cement the allyship of the two kingdoms indefinitely. Only, his fiance turns out to be the child he had met on his very first visit, a naive, idealistic young prince who wants nothing to do with marrying the prince of Lucia.

Good thing he just assumed Katsuki was only part of his fiance's entourage.

An arranged marriage between two princes aob au where Katsuki tries to abide by Izuku's desire for a natural romance to develop without letting Izuku know his true identity.

A review of this story is LONG overdue. (Halfway through writing my original thoughts I decided to scrap it. I didn’t like the way it was flowing so let’s try this again.) Happenstance is a take on the classic prince disguises his identity to get his partner to see him for him. Izuku is a hopeless romantic who hates arranged marriages and Katsuki just wants to fulfill his duty as a proper heir.

In the beginning, we meet a young Katsuki who wants nothing to do with some LONG trip that his mother, the King of Lucia, has brought him on. He’s precocious as expected and doesn’t understand why the kingdom of Tayloria is so different than his. I love this telling of Hisashi as a gentle spoken man who doesn’t talk down to kids. He leaves a big impression on Katsuki but sadly this is the only time we hear of his character while he’s alive. Katsuki gets to leave the pomp and circumstance of the diplomacy meeting, all of the monarchs discussing the arranged marriage, and explores the grounds. It was so cute to see how fascinated Katsuki was with the greenhouse and his struggle to get to it. And his description of little Izuku was so adorable comparing his face to twinkling stars and constellations.

Years pass and we’re introduced to a 20-year-old Katsuki returning to Tayloria ahead of his wedding. He’s still jaded and wants to get the whole situation done with. We meet his best friend and right-hand man Eijirou, a hopeless romantic who thinks this may work out favorably for Katsuki. Eijirou hoped that Katsuki would fall in love with his betrothed but yeah we’ll see about that. He tries to use Katsuki’s parents an example of an arranged marriage that turned to love and I cackled when Katsuki described them as “two chucklefucks.” It’s been a while since I’ve heard that word. Enter an adult Izuku who is NOT going to take this arrangement lying down. Evidently, he has a history of literally RUNNING from suitors and everyone in the kingdom. I laughed so hard when Izuku came barreling down the hill running from the guards. Like a rabbit being chased at a greyhound race. But in this case the guards were more like slow dachshunds. LOL “That’s right. The prince is escaping again.” AGAIN?! GUFFAW! Oh yeah, at this point Katsuki realizes that the little boy he met years ago was the prince AND his fiancé. He had no idea that he was engaged to a man and not a woman. Well, that’s an interesting revelation. HA! After Katsuki tracked him down I enjoyed the canon reference of him threatening to burn Izuku’s notebook.

Not knowing who he is, Izuku confesses to Katsuki that he doesn’t want to be forced to marry. He wants it to be left to fate that he falls in love with someone. Katsuki thinks he’s ridiculous but decides to keep his identity a secret after Izuku pretty much talks trash about him to his face. He pretends to be “Kacchan the aide.” Izuku was being bratty and that wasn’t really necessary but hiding? Eijirou tried to warn him that it was a bad idea but Katsuki knows all, right? Yeah, ok.

Throughout the story Izuku bad mouths Katsuki based on the rumors he’s heard and assumptions not realizing that he’s badmouthing him to his face. Katsuki is not the type of prince Izuku expects and Izuku DOES make a lot of assumptions. That’s definitely a trait of an over thinker. *raises hand* I like how Katsuki slowly uses his position as fiancé to ease some of the restrictions the Queen has placed. Izuku had really never been out of the castle gates until he was 14 and then not again afterward because a mishap. This really stunted Izuku’s worldview and makes him feel like he’s a captive in his own home. Poor thing runs to feel some sort of control.

Izuku is a ball of foolishness from pretending to be a heavy drinker and causing the kitchen staff to lose “their collective shit” at the lie to falling from his second floor room during one of his escapades. Katsuki is injured in a fight against road bandits (League of Villains sighting) so when they visited the healer Chiyo she assumed that Izuku was the one injured. And the guards even had a bet on who would get injured first, Izuku or Katsuki?!  BWAAAAAAA “You make it sound like I’m some harbinger of misfortune!” *snort*

At this point in the story Izuku has no idea that he met his betrothed when he was younger and that he left a lingering impression on him. The trick of rolling up his sleeves to hide his dirty sleeves and putting the word “fate” into his vocabulary.

The brotherly pack love between Katsuki and Eijirou runs parallel in the story. Eijirou constantly teases him telling him that he is sweet on Izuku. And he scented Katsuki after his injuries were treated. So brotherly, so manly.

Speaking of family, it’s is a big thing for Izuku. I found it interesting that both Izuku and his father smelled like lilacs. I wonder in what other ways is he like his father. After his father’s death he avoids his mother in fear that his scent will remind her. Depriving both of them of the connection that they need. The description of the castle’s third floor seems so familial. I could see Izuku spending a lot of time there hiding away from kingdom duties.

Slowly, Izuku comes to form a friendship and a sense of trust with “Kacchan the aide.” They go into town together and Katsuki helps him through a panic attack. Katsuki escorts him to see his swordmaster Toshinori and spars with him to help him with his sword work.

A repercussion of Izuku being cooped up is that he knows very little about his secondary gender. He doesn’t realize that is his inner Omega is falling for “Kacchan’s” inner Alpha. In the aftermath of Katuki’s injury, Izuku didn’t understand that his Omegan urges were telling him that he wanted to comfort Katsuki. And he wasn’t okay until they scented each other. He had no idea that he was going into heat while sparring with Katsuki or that Katsuki had triggered a nesting response after giving him a book. It was adorable when Izuku took over Katsuki’s bed and buried himself in his comforter because his scent was soothing.

The two of them start to have feelings for each other and EVERYONE can see it. Flirting during dancing lessons, Katsuki finishing a borrowed book to prove to Izuku that he cares, scenting Izuku and kissing his knuckles, and the seduction and ALMOST kiss in the greenhouse scene was beautifully done.  As much trash as Katsuki talked about Izuku, Katsuki was really bored out of his mind while they were both on house arrest. Toshinori even noticed that Katsuki was a bit sweet on Izuku. The old gardener, who is my new best friend, poked fun at Katsuki about love at first sight. I wondered if he had been around years ago and witnessed when Katsuki and Izuku first saw each other. Eijirou was on the money when he said “I think you and your fiance really are well suited. Like two batshit crazy peas in a pod.” *snort* I loved that the two of them snuck out into town to go dancing. Izuku had an opportunity to just be FREE and in love.

The happy times could only last so long. In courting the flighty prince, it became obvious that Izuku was becoming endeared to “Kacchan.” And therein lies the problem because Katsuki let it go on for too long. He let many chances to tell Izuku the truth slip and when Izuku found out of course he’s absolutely heartbroken and felt betrayed.

We’re a week away from the wedding and left at a cliffhanger. How will Katsuki fix what he broke? I’m excited to read how the story continues.

[florrickandassociates]

TGF Thoughts: 3x07-- The One Where Diane and Liz Topple Democracy

Yes I’m still writing these

“Admit it. You like having me here. I mean, you didn’t think you would. But then, gradually, you realize that Blum is like a shot in the arm,” Blum tells the viewers. I mean, the partners. But he’s definitely talking to the viewers. See, we are supposed to ENJOY him. We’re supposed to find his terribleness cute and endearing. We’re supposed to be captivated by him. Here’s the thing: I’m not. I just want him to go away and stop being loud, which is how I have felt from the second he first opened his mouth. And when he was silent and I didn’t know how loud he’d be? I still wanted him to go away.

Does Blum work better than most of the past attempts at Blum-like figures? Yes. He’s leaps and bounds better! Is he still an annoying ass pest? HELL FUCKING YES.

Blum compliments the partners on being “clean” and “articulate” because he’s racist and wants everyone to know it. It’s cute!! So cute and charming!!

Why are the partners having an end of the year meeting? Is it the end of their fiscal year? Is it December? I want to know.

Blum attributes a Machiavelli quote to Martin Luther King Jr, which is actually kind of hilarious. Even if I don’t like him I can appreciate when they write him well.

Blum decides he’s joining the firm and the partners ask for time to confer. Marissa is still wasting her time following him around.

Liz calls Blum a cancer and says they need to get rid of him. I agree! Adrian is on board, but wants to delay him. I’m sure that’s going to end well.

Lucca is singing Baby Shark again, which means it’s going to be stuck in my head for another day. Diane comes into her office with a task. Because Lucca’s on hold with the Sweeney divorce, and she has NO OTHER BUSINESS IN THE ENTIRE DEPARTMENT  SHE MANAGES, Lucca also gets Blum duty. So now Marissa AND Lucca, two of the firm’s best employees, are stuck dealing with his bullshit. A+ management, RBL.

Is there NO OTHER EMPLOYEE at this firm that can do this task? “We had four associates on it. He sent them out on errands,” Diane explains. What the fuck? Did you not prepare them to deal with him? You gave him a staff, observed him doing no work for three weeks, and were just like, sure, associates, go run errands for Roland Blum!? What kind of management is that?! Surely there is someone at this firm other than Lucca who can ensure that lawyers do lawyering.

“Blum is seductive. We need an adult in the room,” Diane says. I don’t know which concerns me more: the fact that Diane is only just now realizing they needed to manage this problem or the fact that Diane doesn’t think any of her employees are capable of acting like adults. If that’s true, that’s also a management problem, and YIKES.

Julius is a horrible liar.

Is Blum talking to himself this week’s soliloquy? If so, kinda meh.

Rachelle has brought Liz and Diane a class action about vote rigging in 2016. Isn’t Rachelle’s job something in strategy? Shouldn’t she be distancing herself from this case and making sure it seems like she’s never met Liz or Diane?

Yes, the episode just answered it for me. Rachelle is a pollster. This seems dangerous. I also feel like Liz and Diane haven’t really made an independent choice since they started working with Rachelle.

Rachelle acts like this case is for real and not a set up. I understand that she’s effective, but she’s done so many cagey things in just a few episodes that I would cut all ties. You met her through a literal con artist, first of all. And beyond that, do you really think someone who’s going to force clients upon you to further their agenda and mess with the dynamics at your firm is not also going to give up your names if and when things get rough?

I may say this again later, but what I dislike most about this episode is that the stakes are so high, and they’re so real-world. Diane and Liz aren’t debating the ethics of voter fraud in the abstract. They’re committing a federal crime.

Lucca deals with Blum by… doing work. Blum’s “associate”-- actor Gary Carr, playing himself-- assists her. Lucca doesn’t realize he’s an actor and puts him to work. He clearly doesn’t know what he’s doing (because he’s not a lawyer).

Case stuff happens. Diane is instructed by Rachelle to ask for the software architecture, but she doesn’t find this suspicious. I know I do. Does the client usually get to tell the lawyer what evidence to request? Seems weird to me.

After court, Diane and Liz ask Rachelle why she needs the software. Uh, after they asked for it in court they ask her why she needs it? They didn’t think it was actually relevant and thought the request was suspicious and went along? Also, PRETTY DAMN OBVIOUS THAT ONE REASON TO WANT THE ARCHITECTURE OF A SOFTWARE IS TO HACK IT.

Lucca tells Diane that Gary Carr is doing good work. What? Taking it seriously I get, but good work? Good enough that Lucca would recommend Carr to Diane? All we’ve seen him do as a “lawyer” is misidentify a piece of evidence that Lucca just had to glance at to understand.

As Lucca walks from her office to Blum’s, she overhears some associates talking about Gary Carr. See, he’s an actor and he was on Downton Abbey, a show I never watched more than a few episodes of. Lucca clearly hasn’t either. Are any of these associates really weirded out by Maia’s presence at the firm? Wasn’t she on Downton too?

Lucca confronts Gary about lying and asks him to wait in reception. There’s some awkwardness/sexual tension (the Kings’ favorite way to show sexual tension is having people be exceedingly awkward around each other) as he leaves. This plot is fun and fine, but I’d love for Lucca to get something more substantive.

Book Club meets again and Polly suggests hacking the voting machines. Diane and Liz are stunned. “Are you fucking kidding me?” Diane says, and… credits!

Book Club’s gotten pretty big. Diane’s completely against vote rigging and everyone else (except Liz) is like BUT WINNING IS MORE IMPORTANT. Polly decides to frame it as a “correction” for gerrymandering and voter intimidation. This is a more convincing argument. But it is not an argument for why Diane or Liz would risk their lives and careers for this.

Diane and Liz talk, away from the group, and Liz makes a fantastic point: “You know there are counties right now where black people are so terrorized that they can’t even show up at polls? Look, in Georgia, in 2018, a bus filled with black senior citizens was stopped by the police so they wouldn’t be allowed to vote. 53,000 voter registrations of black voters were held up by the Georgia Secretary of State. Diane, you don’t [know]. Look, we share a lot of things, but we do not share histories. I have a college friend who was kicked off the voter rolls in Ohio. And my uncle was denied the right to vote in the last election in Wisconsin. I mean, at some point, these stories become more than just anecdotes. They’re something bigger. This democracy you talk about, this doesn’t exist for a lot of us. It didn’t exist for my grandparents, it didn’t exist for my parents, and it is slowly being taken away from me.” Diane interjects that they should fight it in the courts. “The courts. The courts that overturned the Civil Rights Voting Act in 2013? So, excuse me if I just need a moment to reflect on this unique possibility. One person hits a few buttons and suddenly black voters are re-enfranchised. That means something very different to me than it does to you.”

WOW. I had to write out that whole speech because it’s great. It calls attention to a very important real world issue (if you want to learn more about voter suppression, I highly recommend One Person, No Vote by Carol Anderson). It doesn’t convince me for a second that hacking the voting machines is the right approach, but it’s enough that I understand where Liz is coming from and why Diane’s idealistic speeches don’t sway her.

Even if I don’t think this speech does a good job of making me understand why Liz is willing to jeopardize her career (tbh I have a bit of trouble believing Liz would be drawn to Book Club in the first place), it’s so good as an explanation of voter suppression I don’t really care.

Rachelle is a master manipulator. She decides to add an amendment to their plan-- only enough votes to offset disenfranchisement of black and Latino voters will be changed. Uh huh. I don’t buy it. And even if it’s true, this is so clearly manipulative it’s ridiculous. What about Rachelle is so trustworthy Liz would risk her career to help her?!

I’m stuck on this, I know, but I can’t see Liz making these choices, no matter how good the arguments or how noble the cause.

The group votes and things don’t go Diane’s way… but she acts like now that they’ve voted, she has no choice but to break the law. I don’t understand. Why is her allegiance to this group when she (and Liz) are the ones who would be most directly responsible for leaking the software architecture?

“You signed on for this. The ends justify the means, so don’t get all outraged that we’re willing to follow through,” Rachelle tells Diane. This sounds a lot like the “we’re defense attorneys, therefore we have to represent Lemond Bishop” logic I hate so much.

Oh goodie, it’s the weird scene in which I thought Lucca was going to start masturbating, and a Good Fight Short about Downton Abbey. This plotline does nothing for me. When I say I want Lucca plotlines, I don’t mean I want weird romances. I mean I want to see Lucca making friends, raising her child, and navigating the workplace.

I will take all the Lucca plots I can get but please, something with substance next time!

Blum is mad and sniffing around Reddick’s sexual harassment issues. Should’ve just gone public when you had the chance, partners.

Adrian physically attacks Blum, which is… a way to handle this. Go away, Blum. Adrian also decides to go after Blum’s illegal courtroom tactics.

Have I mentioned that I love Liz’s office bathroom?

Adrian suggests threatening Blum and Liz responds “that’s like threatening a bull with a red flag.” If it weren’t for the fact that she’s done nothing to prevent him from infiltrating her firm, I would say Liz has by far the best reactions to Blum.

“We knew this day would come, Liz,” Adrian explains, referring to the day when the allegations against Carl Reddick would surface. Well if you knew that WHY WOULD YOU PAY OFF THE WOMEN AND MAKE IT LOOK WORSE FOR YOURSELF???

They managed to write a Lucca plot I don’t feel like recapping. That’s really amazing.

I care even less since I know how it ends.

Diane insists on being the one to argue for obtaining the software architecture, since she’s a lawyer and it’s her job. She gives a passionate speech that’s about the sanctity of the vote but it’s really, of course, her argument against voter fraud. The irony!

I don’t get why Diane continues to tie herself to this!!! None of this plot makes sense to me from a character POV!!! Well, except the part where Diane gets so angry she follows a con woman to a resistance group. That makes complete sense.

Diane distances herself from the group AFTER arguing in court for the architecture? Okay. Sure. So noble.

Here’s the best part of this Lucca-dates-Gary-Carr plot: Marissa recognizes him from The Deuce and not Downton Abbey, which is a little detail that’s verrrrryyyyyy Marissa.

Hey, it’s the subpoena guy! (Yes, I care more about that than watching Blum get a tattoo.)

RBL wants to get Blum disbarred. I want him to be disbarred too, so he can become irrelevant and go away.

Jay finds a Republican hack in the software architecture. Gasp!

Blum starts screaming and banging on windows and everyone ignores him. This scene is an accurate representation of how I feel about Blum. The louder he is, the less I care about him.

Will never be a fan of three way call split screens.

WHY ARE Y’ALL TALKING ABOUT HACKING VOTING MACHINES ON THE PHONE!? Y’all are smart enough to know how to hack a voting machine but not smart enough to think of burner phones?

And why hasn’t Polly already found this malware?

And why do I care?

Rachelle calls Liz “Diane” over the phone. Liz is making Diane’s arguments, but I think it’s telling Rachelle sees them as almost interchangeable obstacles. She doesn’t really care if she’s talking to Diane and Liz, as long as she’s talking to a lawyer who will get her the software architecture and argue her case.

I do not understand Jay’s testimony in court. One, why is Jay testifying instead of a computer science expert? Two, why do his political leanings matter if he could point at an actual section of code?

So this plotline can receive more consistent development than Lucca Quinn herself, Lucca offers to let Gary Carr shadow her.

This episode is a exhausting. I didn’t like it the first time and I am having trouble getting through it. Every supporting character who shows up makes me think, “ugh.”

Oh! This is the scene with the random unnecessary nudity! If she was going to be topless in this scene why even bother with having her cover up after sex? Either don’t show it or go all in. Now I’m nitpicking a thing that usually doesn’t annoy me.

Oh and THIS scene, with Adrian and Diane’s terribly thought through confrontation of the judge! You don’t have to be a genius to know this was the wrong approach. Diane doesn’t even know Adrian’s reasoning for believing there’s judicial bribery.

How many damn times can we do this, “these are REAL LAWYERS, not TV LAWYERS” bit? I’m sick of it. Also, Lucca doesn’t like TV? Boo.

Diane and Liz don’t win their case. Which is a win for Rachelle.

Now Diane’s ALL IN!!!!! On vote rigging and wants to push the button to make it happen. Whatever.

Well, that’s over. I really have three more of these to write?

[imightbeapotatobutihavestandards]

He’s Hurting Me Pt 14

part 1 | part 2 | part 3 | part 4 | part 5 | part 6 | part 7 | part 8 | part 9 | part 10 | part 11 | part 12 | part 13 | part 14 | part 15

Summary: It’s New Years Eve, Patton’s family are throwing a party to celebrate, inviting round all their family and friends

Warnings: Panic attack, also lots of Moulin Rouge references... I’m sorry okay, I love it too much, it’s becoming an issue.

Part 14

Virgil sat on the floor, curled into Roman’s side, watching Moulin Rouge as his taller boyfriend ran his hands through his hair. Behind him sat Logan and Patton on the couch, Patton had his head in the other’s lap. Logan petted him somewhat awkwardly, but was clearly endeared by the human incarnation of a kitten beside him. Virgil could hear the adults in the kitchen, he imagined his mother giggling shyly, eyes squeezed shut, glass of wine in hand. A smile crossed his face as he thought of his mom, truly happy, for the first time in too long.

The party was lively and energetic, everyone celebrating a better year to come; the Sanders always threw good parties, especially New Years. A collection of close family and friends gathered in the large, open-plan kitchen, picking at the surplus of food, chatting with everyone, attempting to dance, and essentially having a good time. Virgil knew them all, all the adults. They were like his family by this point, though a distant family, whose names you forget and aren’t entirely sure how you’re related, but still, he loved them. They treated him as family, they’d known him since he was young, and they supported him and accepted him through everything; what more could he ask for? A blood connection that meant nothing? His “real” family had shown him how easy it was to cut ties despite their similar DNA, but the Sanders had shown him compassion and love through everything. They were his family.  

And they all loved Roman, and Logan, but especially Roman, who fed off their attention. They had no issue with the fact that he and Roman were dating, Virgil (and Patton) had come out a while ago, and although they may not understand, they certainly respected them none the less. Besides, how could they miss this opportunity to tease Virgil?

“Oh, aren’t you a charmer. Virgil, you’ve got yourself a keeper.” Roman winked and Virgil groaned, covering his blushing face with his hands.

“Don’t break his heart now, will you lad? Otherwise you’ll have us to answer to.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it, sir.” Roman responded.

“And he’s got manners too!” Another voice called and Roman flashed his signature smile.

“Stop everyone! You’re feeding his ego!” Virgil complained, but there was no stopping them, even his own mother joined in.

“Roman,” She suppressed a chuckle. “What are your intentions for my son?”

Meanwhile, Logan didn’t quite know how to handle all the attention, it was like he suddenly blue screened and froze.

“Oh, my, Patton! You have a boyfriend too!” Some sort of relative announced.

“What? No, I, er, we’re-“ Logan stammered, cheeks flushing as Patton giggled, not trying to help at all.

“Bless him. Sweetie, ignore her.”

“I… um…” How did he respond to that? Was it a trap?

“Not much of a talker, eh?” An entirely new relative asked. Logan shook his head.

“See! They’re perfect! Patton can talk enough for both of them. Talk you to death that one.”

“Hey!” Patton protested, indignantly.

It was good. It had been a good night. A few adults had wondered into the living room for a quick chat, a little relax, but didn’t stay long. It wasn’t that the living room was off limits, they just knew it was the “kids room.” But, Virgil was happy like that, it meant he was free to sit and cuddle his boyfriend, and watch his favourite film with his favourite people. But then, why would this feeling not go away? Why was he so lightheaded? Why was his chest tight and his heart trying to crash through his rib cage? 

Time.

Time was the answer. The passage of time. Changes were coming. He’d lose them. Logan and Patton. He’d never have this again. They’d leave him. He’d lose Roman. He’d lose what he’d only just got. He knew it was stupid, high school relationships rarely last, he only felt this way because it was new and exciting but, there was something about Roman. He didn’t want to lose this. He thought he could stay there, in Roman’s arms, forever. This had to be something real.

Virgil turned his head into Roman’s shoulder, savouring the warmth and security it offered. The taller noticed Virgil’s change in attitude, noticed the way he was shaking slightly. Roman tugged lightly at his boyfriend’s hair, pulling him up to make eye contact.

“Are you alright Storm Cloud?” He asked smoothly. He received a curt nod in response, but the honey hazel eyes told a different story.

Roman pouted, making his disbelief obvious, and moved his hand to cup Virgil’s face, stroking his cheek lovingly. Virgil could feel it; the warmth and care, it did something to him. Almost immediately he leant forward, eyes easily sliding shut, connecting their lips in a sudden surge of motion. He couldn’t help it. He was so desperate for that soft feeling of affection, of care, love, even though he knew it wouldn’t last. Roman would get bored of him. He’d hate him. Be disgusted by him. But now… now he was offering a distraction, the very best kind. The kiss was sweet, maybe a bit too short, but Virgil could still feel that warmth spread across his body. He leant their foreheads together, squeezing his eyes shut tightly and letting out a heavy sigh.

“Virge…” Roman breathed out carefully, clearly picking up on something. Virgil let out some sort of grunt, before burying his face in Roman’s neck, desperate to preserve the silence in his head a little bit longer.

It didn’t work.

His breathing was audibly quicker. His mind was racing. He couldn’t think. Images of his friends leaving him danced across his mind, taunting him. He balled his hands into fists, grabbing a tight hold on Roman’s shirt, clinging to it, as if it would keep him here. Roman tried running his hands through Virgil’s hair again, sending a desperate look to Patton, who sat bolt upright, eyes already filled with understanding. He knelt beside Virgil and placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Hey Virge, can you come with me to get a drink?” Virgil nodded from his hidden position. He pushed himself backwards, kissing Roman again, only this time, it was almost apologetic.

I’m sorry you’re stuck with me. I’m sorry I’m a burden. It won’t be long till you work this out.

Roman could practically sense the thoughts swimming through Virgil’s mind. He grabbed the other boy’s hands reassuringly, only letting go once he’d fully stood up and begun to follow Patton out.

However, once the pair were outside, Patton didn’t lead them to the lively kitchen, but instead the stairs. Patton plopped himself down on a step, tapping the space next to him. Virgil complied without questioning, tugging his hoody sleeves over his hands as he sat.

“You wanna talk, kiddo?”

Virgil considered it, but he wasn’t sure where to start. Besides, Patton had heard it all before. His fear for what was to come. Falling out of touch. Losing those closest to him. Just, the future in general. It had always terrified Virgil. Patton had reassured him countless times he’d never lose contact with him, that it was okay to not know what you wanted, or what the future held. But now… now it was different. Now there was more. More to lose.

“…I-I really do care about Roman, and Logan. I didn’t think I’d get to so close to them so quickly. But I am, and it’s scary Patton.” Virgil admitted, while Patton placed a firm, reassuring hand on his back.

“I know Virgil. I know it feels like you have so much more to lose now, but kiddo, how do you know you’re going to lose them? I mean, it’s a lot easier to stay in contact now. And I’m sure neither of them want to fall out of contact with you, I know I don’t. You’ll still have us, Virge. You’ll always have us.”

“But… what  if…” Virgil swallowed back his fear, forcing the words out. “What about when Roman and I break up?”

“Why does it have to be ‘when?’” Patton asked, calmly.

Virgil shrugged. “Because I’m me, and he’s him. We’re gonna grow up, he’s gonna move away, and realise how much better off he is without me. How he can get anyone 10 times better than me. I have to be realistic with myself; high school relationships don’t last. He’ll move on and forget about me.” He swallowed again, taking in a gulp of air. When did it become difficult to breathe? When did the air become so thick and heavy?

“It’s alright, you’re alright Virgil. Breathe for me, okay?” Patton’s voice was calming, almost melodic, grounding.

“Okay.” Virgil replied, forcing himself to focus on timing his breaths.

“First of all , there is no such thing as better than you, you’re perfect the way you are. Don’t make me fight you.” Virgil chuckled. “Secondly, you are right, realistically, not many high school relationships last. But, in my opinion, the very nature of love isn’t realistic. It’s idealistic, it’s fantastical, it defies all logic and sense entirely. You never know where it’ll lead you Virge, just be open to it, let yourself enjoy what you have. If you and Roman break up, it’ll be hard, but probably for the best, and you can move past it. It doesn’t have to be something you regret it.”

Virgil remained silently for a while, looking at the floor, before begrudgingly nodding. He tried to fight that small, fleeting feeling of hope that fluttered inside him.

“How’re you feeling?” Patton asked.

“Still a bit…” The younger boy held his hand up flat, shaking it slightly. “…meh.”

“You wanna stay here for a bit, kiddo?”

“Would we be able to, actually get a drink. I need some water.” He laughed sheepishly.

“Sure thing.” Patton smiled, standing and heading towards the noise of the kitchen.

The kitchen was alive with laughter, music and movement. Virgil stood near the sink, brain still buzzing, cradling his cool glass of water. As he waited for Patton to return from the table stacked with food, he caught sight of something that made him light up; his mother. She was stood with Patton’s mom and another woman, her face was painted a slight red, eyes scrunched together, with a smile so wide it was dazzling. Virgil felt something inside him soften, something unwound and let him breathe. It was okay. He was okay.

Once they returned, neither Logan nor Roman said anything, much to Virgil’s relief. They simply let them settle back into their positions, and allowed silence to fall… until that very familiar scene began to play. Roman gasped and leapt to his feet, grabbing one of Virgil’s cold hands.

“Never knew, I could feel like this,” Roman sang effortlessly, his beautiful voice flowing gently. Deep, soft, fluttering. “Like I’ve never seen the sky, before. Want to vanish inside your kiss.” Roman tugged at Virgil’s hand slightly, pulling him up onto his feet. Roman continued to serenade Virgil, who’s cheeks were tinted pink and was cursing himself for not wearing foundation this one time. Roman’s voice easily jumped note to note, filling the room… then they got to the chorus.

“Come what may,

Come what may

I will love you, until my dying days.”

For some reason, after all of Virgil’s worrying, the words and Roman’s honest expression, seemed to ease him. He knew it was stupid, they were words written for a musical, a musical that had nothing to do with his life, but when Roman sang them with such sincerity, coupled with his practically sparkling eyes… Virgil was helpless to stop himself as his defences crumbled before him, and he gave in entirely, opening his mouth and singing the next verse with Roman. Virgil may have had to strain his voice slightly to hit some of the notes, but he was complimented by Roman’s deeper voice joining him, and Virgil couldn’t help that smile on his face. Sure, his voice wasn’t as smooth of as powerful as Roman’s , maybe he was messing up the occasional note, but he really didn’t care. Roman could see the slight struggles so flawlessly raised his pitch, taking Satine’s part and allowing Virgil the notes that better suited his voice.  

Virgil giggled as Roman spun him slowly, Patton was practically screeching , shaking Logan while spouting about how cute it was… Logan looked ready to stab someone. Logan wasn’t really one for romance, or musicals, Moulin Rouge was certainly not his choice of film… though he would admit his friend’s did make a cute couple, now if Patton could stop-

Virgil and Roman continued to be entirely enveloped in the music, and each other’s presence. Their hearts felt so much lighter, airier. For one moment, the weights they’d be carrying with them, expectations, worries, rules, all seemed to melt away and fade into the background, because all that mattered was each other. It’s difficult to describe the feeling you get when singing with someone, getting so lost in the sound it can feel like sharing your soul through words that were never yours. It’s like writing a story with someone who knows exactly what you want to say, when you’re at a loss for words they can articulate it with exact care and precision. It’s like being entirely entwined with a person, only for a few a minutes, but in that moment you know each other so completely.

Eventually the song came to a close, leaving Roman and Virgil starring at each other, grinning brightly, despite what was on the screen behind them.

***

All the adults had filed into the living room, ad were currently crowding and squishing themselves into any possible space. People were on arms of couches, perched on windowsills, sat on the coffee table, while some adults simply stood. All eyes were fixed on the TV as the countdown began, at the very front of everyone were the four friend’, huddled together after being displaced from their previous seats.

“10, 9, 8, 7,6-“ Everyone was cheering, waiting and counting, confetti clutched in one hand and the other around someone’s shoulders.

“5, 4, 3, 2, 1-“ The noise was so loud, Virgil found himself lost in it; fireworks, music, cheering, and confetti sprinkling over the room like explosions of colour. For once, he didn’t feel anxious in the noise and the mayhem, instead, he laughed at the familiar chaos.

Roman slug an around Virgil’s waist, pulling him closer, then cupped Virgil’s cheek with his other hand. That was the moment Virgil remembered; people typically kissed on New Years. Virgil’s arms immediately found their way to rest on Roman’s shoulders, as he leaned backwards slightly. Roman smiled, bringing his arm down to support his boyfriend, dipping him, before pressing their lips together in a soft kiss.

The energy around them was… mad, family members laughing, cheering, “aww”-ing, and toasting with the glasses of champagne that were being passed around.

Once the couple had pulled away, expectant eyes turned on the other pair, waiting with joking, daring grins. Patton shrugged, before grabbing an unsuspecting Logan’s shoulders, standing on tip-toes, and pecking the other boy’s cheek. The family cheered again, with other couples turning and following suit, more cheers and laughs breaking out. Patton giggled slightly, looking down innocently… Logan essentially blue screened again. Bright red painted the taller boys cheeks, but he smiled, looking endearingly at his friend.

Suddenly, two thin arms wrapped around Virgil, arms he recognised immediately. He turned towards his mother, giving her a tight hug back, rocking from foot to foot as she began talking to him in mere whispers. “I love you too, mom.” He’d murmur into her back every once and a while.

Thomas also appeared from seemingly nowhere, engulfing Patton in a hug. Fairly soon his parents were there too, and the whole family laughed as they shared a large group hug. In the commotion and hugs, people stepped between the friends, somehow causing Roman and Logan to get pushed towards the outside of everything. It was at that moment when it dawned on them, that they were surrounded by almost complete strangers. Kind strangers. But strangers none the less. This was the first time they weren’t with their families for New Years.

And their families didn’t care.

Roman’s parents were also hosting a party; an elaborate, formal party that was more like a colourful business meeting. They say they wanted Roman there, but he knew they were dying for a chance to get rid of him, so they wouldn’t have to mention their disappointment of a son. Wouldn’t have to cast him those dirty looks, cut in his speech, won’t have to keep a sharp eye out to stop him from making a mistake. As for Logan, well, Logan had been sleeping in Patton’s room on a spare mattress for a week or two by now. He hadn’t dared go home, he was too scared of what he might find. He knew he couldn’t burden the Sanders forever, but currently, he had no other home to go to.

Something dark temporarily set in, a longing for this to be their constant reality, a longing to forget what they had to return to. They both shared a glance, knowing each other’s thoughts.

But Roman couldn’t have that. He couldn’t have his friend feeling bad on New Years Day! A smug grin slowly found it’s way to his face, an idea sparking in his head. Logan was instantly able to follow his train of thought; eyes widening and holding up his hands.

“Don’t you dare.”

Roman answered by throwing his arms around the taller’s shoulders, dragging him down and planting a slight sloppy kiss on his cheek.

“Happy New Years, Specs!” Roman beamed, still holding the squirming boy in his arms.

Logan sighed begrudgingly, giving up his fight. “Happy New Years, Roman.”

Taglist:

@bunny222 @smedenn @beautifully-terribly @hellomusicalnerdhere @its-jambi-baby @rainbow-sides @awkwardangie410 @bluebloodstains @sopi-montezzz @am-i-heaven-or-am-i-hell @toomuchandnotenough @angeredturtle @roman-is-a-dramatic-prince @madly-handsome @candisukas @hanramz-the-fander @beach-fan @average-everyday-sane-pyscho @inan-sanders @oh-star-how-the-mighty-fall @choppedexperbonkfire @pattonistooprecious @purpleshipper @the-life-ofa-troubled-ace @smileydog101 @daughterofsomnus @a-time-traveling-whovian @galaxygals @thatrandomautist @gay-glitter-bomb @amazable01 @blueeyedscorpion @anxious-huffle-puff @luarpice @biacetrash @astral-eclipse @fandoms-winkitywonk @her-royal-crayness @thefallendog @lionlickers05 @cochroachkappa-blog @ohwaitimtrash @impossiblepentagon