#and i need more ai and kind-hearted thief interaction | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

mengyan · 4 years ago

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Omg hey! I’m so exited to read the Valentine’s Day collab!! I love love loooove your writing so much!! So anyway I wrote my first Carulia fanfic and I just wanted to ask you what you think of this small bit? If it’s bad please tell me-I wanna improve🥺

If you don’t wanna critique it I totally get it, it is kind of long.

Julia POV

Warm rays of sunshine brushed Julia’s freckled cheeks, making up for the bite of frost in the air. The sky was a cheerful blue today, reflecting her mood. She was sitting at a street corner, admiring the view of quaint little shops that resembled the cutesy designs of dollhouses.

Saturday morning chatter rung in her ears in soft, eloquent words of French that were so different from the English required for her job. A frenzy of Bonjour’s (hello/good morning) and Comment allez vous? (How are you doing?) could be heard from across the street.

It was good to be home, to have a day off to enjoy the beauty she had forgotten Poiters possessed. As an avid traveller, there was nowhere quite like the city. Nothing could match it’s charming, Romanesque buildings or tranquil solitude.

Julia smiled at nothing in particular, a flaky, warm croissant in one hand and a timeless romance novel in the other.

How long had it been since she had gotten to relax like this? To enjoy the nature of her city and not have to chase a certain red rogue across the globe? The very same red rogue she struggled to protect from her coworkers?

A sigh escaped her lips. Suddenly her mind wandered to someone she hadn’t wanted to think about: Carmen Sandiego. The thief never ceased to plague her thoughts lately. A warm blush tinted her cheeks as she recalled the kiss they had shared in Cairo, Egypt. There was a sort of thrill in knowing it was so, so wrong, and Julia hated the adrenaline rush it gave her.

Their last interaction had been a week ago, and it had been on an ACME mission rather than the late night visits the thief had begun to pay her. The absence of the red rogue pained her terribly. She missed Carmen. She missed everything about her from her cunning gray eyes to her knowing smile, the light rasp to her voice, and the feel of her lips. She had barely gotten to see the lady in red recently.

Would this be what a relationship with the woman would entail? Random visits sprinkled through the weeks while Carmen gallivanted around the globe and Julia had to pretend she wanted her behind bars? Would she be doomed to live with this uncertainty, this emptiness?

At her inner turmoil, the thief seemed to appear before her with her signature smirk, the curl of her lips forever ingrained in Julia’s memory. Hallucination-Carmen spoke, reciting the promise she had made her not too long ago. “We can have a normal relationship, Jules. We’ll be able to see each other everyday, go on dates, do all of that couple-y stuff. I promise.”

Julia had scoffed at that, of course. Maybe in another world where she wasn’t dating a thief, for goodness sakes. But still she wished there was some way the red rogue could fulfill her promise. Julia knew that what Carmen was doing was absolutely important but....she couldn’t help but be selfish and wish she had her to herself.

On top of that, though, there was the fear that whatever was happening between the two was nothing but physical on Carmen’s end, that this...fling...would be over in a heartbeat and the red rogue would once again disappear with Julia’s heart, only this time she wouldn’t return.

She didn’t want fo think about that.

Trying to take her mind off her worries, Julia reopened her book. The petite woman frowned, nibbling on the last of her pastry and lazily scanning the page for anything interesting. It was one of her favorites, yet she couldn’t bring herself to relax, to forget.

Sighing, she closed the book with a sense of finality, tucking it safely in her messenger bag. It was no use. Nothing could keep Julia’s attention from Carmen for long.

“Partir déjà?” Said Nadia, Julia’s friend and the cashier. The woman adjusted the side of her hijab before opening the cash register. “Habituellement, vous passez toute la matinée ici lorsque vous êtes absent.”

TRANSLATION: “Leaving Already?.....Usually you spend the entire morning here when you’re off.”

Julia smiled sadly. “Quelque chose me vient à l'esprit ces derniers temps, Je ne peux pas me détendre.”

TRANSLATION: “Something has been on my mind lately. I can’t relax.”

Nadia smirked knowingly. “Querelle d'amant?“

TRANSLATION: “Lover’s Quarrel?“

Julia felt her cheeks heat up. Nadia was one of the few people who even knew she was seeing someone, let alone the fact that that someone was a thief. “Entre autres, oui. Il s’agit plus de mon travail.“

TRANSLATION: “Among other things, yes. It’s more about my job.“

Nadia shook her head, making a tut sound. ��Tu travailles trop dur.“ She inserted her credit card into the register, swiping twice before the transaction was complete. “Vous savez, les filles et moi allons au Buckingham Club ce soir. Tu devrais venir. Je parie que cela vous fera oublier ... quel est son nom? Carolyn?“

TRANSLATION: You work too hard....You know, the girls and I are hitting the Buckingham Club tonight. You should come. I bet that’ll take your mind off of...what’s her name? Carolyn?“

“Carmen.“ Julia corrected with a smile. “Et Je ne sais pas, pas ce soir. je n'en ai pas vraiment envie.”

TRANSLATION: “Carmen....I don’t know, not tonight. I don’t really feel like it.”

“ S'il vous plaît? Ce sera amusant!?” Nadia replied, making an exaggerated pouty face.

TRANSLATION: “Please? It’ll be fun!”

“Je ne devrais vraiment pas.....”

TRANSLATION: “I really shouldn’t...”

The cashier shook her head, pressing her lips into a thin line. “Oh, Julia, tu es toujours aussi ennuyeuse.”

TRANSLATION: “Oh, Julia, you’re always such a bore.”

Jules simply smiled in response, pushing the rim of her glasses up her nose. “Peut-être la prochaine fois, Nadia.”

TRANSLATION: “Maybe next time, Nadia.”

She said her goodbyes and left the small cafe, the little bell at the door signaling her departure. The cool, crisp air met Julia immediately, the frost already kissing her skin. She turned the corner, making a beeline for her apartment complex when suddenly, a certain beeping sound caught her attention.

A very familiar beeping sound.

She threw a discreet glance over her shoulder before darting into the nearest alleyway, ducking behind the nearest dumpster before removing her pen from her pocket.

Julia clicked the cap, tossing it to the ground as she wrinkled her nose at the stench.

“Agent Argent.“ Chief’s no-nonsense voice came as her hologram blossomed. “I have a new mi-“ She paused, taking in Julia’s location.

“Are you behind a dumpster, Agent?“

Julia felt her cheeks heat slightly “I was in public and had to be...creative...“ She replied curtly, breathing through her mouth.

“Right....anyhoo,“ Chief began again, adjusting her blazer. “I’ve got on assignment for you. I’m sorry to interupt your time off, but you’re the closest agent in proximity.“

Julia smiled sadly, scratching her wrist. “It’s alright, chief. I was feeling restless anyway.“

Chief cocked her head in mild concern. “I’m sorry to hear that, Argent. It’s nothing too serious, but we have reports of some meddling with the security systems at the Louvre. I need you to investigate.“

“Of course. Will Agent Zari or Devineaux be accompanying me?“ She asked, already picturing the splendor at the Louvre. Maybe a trip to the museum was just what she needed today.

“No. Zari and Devineaux are on a case in Santo Domingo.“ Chief said, beginning to pace the length of the alleyway.

“Khadija or Jonas, then?“ Julia replied, referencing two agents she’d been paired with in the past, albeit less frequently than Chase or Zari.

“You’ll be going it alone today. Intel indicates that Carmen Sandiego won’t be present. I trust you can handle a routine check up.”

“I’ll take care of it, chief.“ She answered, giving a small salute to her superior. Internally, Julia released a sigh of relief that she wouldn’t have to tail Carmen.

“Good. Transportation has already been arranged and the details should be on your phone.“ Chief said, crossing her arms. Almost simultaneously, her phone pinged with an encrypted email from ACME.

“Don’t disapoint me, Agent.“ With a terse nod, the hologram disappeared from before her.

Quickly, she darted home and changed into her ACME-issued suit before making her way to the train station. Paris was waiting, after all.

...

No matter how many times she frequented the city, Paris never ceased to amaze Julia with a million new places she hadn’t visited yet. The Louvre, however, was an outlier to the fact. It was Julia’s favorite spot to hit whenever she was in the area.

It had been One-Thirty when her train had pulled into the Paris Saint Lazare, a station settled on the right bank of the Seine and the one closest in proximity to her destination.

The Louvre lay before her in all its grandiose splendor, afternoon sunlight glinting off of the crystal pyramid and casting a rainbow into the burbling fountain before it. The Famed palace of the same name was set on either sides of it, the tasteful renaissance era architecture transporting her into another time.

Julia smiled. She knew every corner of the museum. Every nook and crany was immortalized in her mind from it’s renowned Petite Galerie to it’s extended Egyptian exhibit.

She removed her ACME card from her messenger bag, thumbing it’s side to allow her interpol credentials before going to speak with the security

As promised, a staff member was waiting for her once she got inside.

“Bonjour. Julia Argent, Interpol Britain?“ A tall, skinny man with hooded blue eyes and unkempt blonde hair stepped forward.

“Oui.“ She replied, flashing her badge. “Marcel Cardone?“

“Oui, correct.“ He answered in a thick French accent. “Thank you for coming.“ He said, gesturing for her to walk with him.

Julia smiled. “Bien sûr. J'ai été informé mes supérieurs de la mission. Pouvez-vous me dire quel semble être exactement le problème?“

TRANSLATION: “Of course. I was briefed by my superiors on the mission. Can you tell me what exactly seems to be the problem?“

Marcel spoke as he led her through the halls of the grand building. “Do not worry, I am fluent in English. I do not know the details but the head of security will inform you on the matter.“

“Sounds good,“ Julia said reverting back to English. Her guide stopped at a door with la sécurité (security) written in bold script.

“This is it, mademoiselle.“ Marcel said, opening the door and leading her to the back. Standing before her was another door. Probably to an office, Julia guessed. “Monsieur Toussaint? L'agent d'Interpol est arrivé.“

TRANSLATION: “Mr.Toussaint? The interpol agent has arrived.“

A tall, stocky man with brown skin glanced up, adjusting his glasses. “L'agent? Miss, le problème s'est corrigé juste avant votre arrivée.”

TRANSLATION: “The Agent? Miss, the issue corrected itself just before you arrived.”

“Il n'y a donc rien de mal avec la sécurité?” Julia asked, confused.

TRANSLATION: “So is there nothing wrong with the security?“

“Plus maintenant, non...” Mr.Toussaint answered, scrutinizing her.

TRANSLATION. “Not anymore, no.”

“Mais je suis venu tout ce chemin...” She answered, slightly disappointed.

TRANSLATION: “But I came all this way....”

The man scratched the side of his head in mild concern. “Nous sommes désolés, mademoiselle. Perhaps you would like a tour of the Louvre in compensation?”

TRANSLATION: “We are sorry, Miss. Perhaps you would like a tour of the Louvre in compensation?”

“No, it’s quite alright, thank you.” Julia murmured, tugging at the hem of sleeve.

“Please accept. Nous allons même le rendre gratuit!”

TRANSLATION: Please accept. We will even make it free!”

“If you insist.” Julia smiled awkwardly.

“Good.” Mr.Toussaint lifted the phone on his desk, dialing as he spoke. “Cheryl? Préparez-vous à faire une visite. Oui. Rencontrez-la près des statues.”

TRANSLATION. “Cheryl? Prepare to give a tour. Yes. Meet her by the statues.”

The balding man put the phone down, swiping through the many papers scattered on his desk. “Our tour guide, Cheryl, will meet you out by our Sculpture Department. Please enjoy your day.”

They exchanged goodbyes and thank-yous before Mr. Toussaint returned to the millions of files on his desk and Julia to the swarming museum crowds.

Deftly, Julia navigated the throngs of people, making her way to the modern sculpture exhibit. As promised a woman was waiting before the exhibit checking her watch.

Her dark red-brunette hair was pulled into a pony-tail, and a pair of green khakis and a blue blouse contrasting against her flawless brown skin. From the back of her head, Julia could see a thick pair of glasses settling at the rim of her nose.

She seemed familiar, so very familiar....

And then she spoke. “Enjoying the view, Jules?”

The light rasp, the sultry tone of voice...

The petite woman gasped. “Carmen?”

“Surprise.” The thief said with a smirk.

“What’re you doing here?!” Julia asked, confused. Was Carmen behind the security issue already being solved before she arrived?

“You must have mistaken me for someone else,” The Red Rogue grinned coyly, reaching over gracefully and slipping her fingers between Julia’s. “I’m just Cheryl Vasquez, foreign exchange student and Louvre Tour guide.”

“Of course.” Julia scoffed but played along. “And what would Cheryl Vasquez be doing touring the Louvre?”

“If you’re asking whether I’m here to stop VILE, then no. They aren’t trying to steal anything. I’m here of my own accord.” Carmen replied, her thumb tracing circles along Julia’s palm.

“So I suppose it’s just a coincidence that I was sent here on a mission?”

Carmen winked at her, her rouged lips relaxing into their signature grin. “Yep. A coincidence. Absolutely nothing more.”

A twitch of annoyance flared within Julia. Sometimes Carmen’s games could get tiring. “Well then, since you aren’t stealing anything, I’ll be on my way then.”

“What?” The thief said, for once taken aback.

“You heard me.” Julia began with a smirk, turning in the other direction. “Have a nice day, Miss Sandiego. The Louvre is quite the sight to see.”

“Not so fast, Jules.” Carmen grasped her wrists gently, pulling her in close. Julia blushed, her mouth mere inches from the thief’s. She parted her lips gently, her eyelids sinking lower. Her tongue flecked across the expanse of her bottom lips as she waited to meet the thief’s lips for the first time in more than a week.

“Huh?” Julia said in confusion as she felt the other woman’s heat move away from her own.

Carmen was no longer before her, lips moving closer. Instead she darted away from the smaller woman, a smug grin scrawled on her beautiful face. She waved Julia’s ACME gas gun in the air teasingly, throwing her a wink. “A theft in progress is occurring, agent. You’re lawfully required to follow.”

“Carmen!” Julia shouted in shock, not at all caring about the attention they were gaining from their fellow museum-go-ers. “Give it back!”

“Come and get me!” She called with a trickle of laughter, disappearing into the hordes of people.

Julia smiled despite her frustration and ran after her, for once not at all caring that her behavior was extremely unprofessional.

That was what Carmen did to her. She...freed her. Allowed Julia to relax, to sit still, to live in the moment.

Julia felt all the tension that had built up over the course of the week melt away as she pursued the chase and danced across the Louvre court yard.

She chased Carmen out of the museum, nearing the edge of the complex. “Aha!” Julia shouted, finally catching up to her lover and realizing a smile had formed on her lips.

“You’ve got me, alright,” Carmen smiled, lowering her lashes flirtatiously as her voice lowered teasingly. She slipped her arms around Julia’s waist being just tall enough that the shorter woman had to slightly look up to meet her eyes. “Now what’re you gonna do with me?”

Julia answered her with a kiss, feeling the thief’s bright red lipstick smear onto her mouth. The lady in red captured Julia’s lower lip with her teeth, chuckling at the ACME agent’s Yelp of surprise as she tugged. Every gasp that managed to escape her lips was swallowed by Carmen’s mouth as she pulled her closer with passion.

“Mhm, I’ve missed that.” Julia smiled. “I’ve missed you.”

“You aren’t the only one.” Carmen purred against her lips. “You have no idea how badly I wanted to come and see you...but...”

“It’s alright, Carmen. I understand.” Julia whispered, touching her forehead to the Latina’s and lacing her fingers through the thief’s. “Do you plan on telling me why you’re here, though?”

“Can’t I just pay a visit to my favorite ACME agent?” She teased, beginning to lead Julia out of the museum complex.

“At my apartment, yes. But here?”

“Okay fine....” The thief relented, turning away. Julia spotted a tiny tinge of a blush dusting her cheeks. Carmen? Blushing? “I....may or may not have had my team hack the museum security and leave a trace to VILE to get you sent here.”

“Carmen!” Julia hissed. “You could get caught! And for what? Just to see me? You can meet me at my apartment!”

“Hey, hey, what’s done is done, alright?” She said, her arms flying in front of her in attempt to calm her down. Then, she smiled. “Aww you were worried about me. That’s adorable.“

“Thats-Thats not!....Thats not the point!“ Julia tried to fight a blush but it was no use.

Carmen laughed, caressing Julia’s face and tilting her chin up to meet her eyes. “Hey. I know you mean well. I’ll be more careful from now on. Promise.“

“O...Okay.“ Julia murmured, the woman in red’s slate gray eyes catching her off guard.

“But...since you’re already here....we should make the most of it, no?“ Carmen smiled sweetly, for once with no tinge of smugness to it.

“Alright.“ Julia relented with a small grin. “So is this a....date?“

The latina winked, her teeth sliding over her bottom lip. “Do you want it to be?“

“No! I mean...I just thought...“

“Relax, I’m messing with you.“ Carmen said, taking Julia’s hands in hers. “The truth is...Jules...I wanted to prove that I’m serious about this. About us. You...mean a lot to me, and I want us to be about more than just random hookups.“

The petite woman felt herself smiling at the other’s words, and gave the red rogue’s hands a squeeze. “You have no idea how relieved I am to hear you say that.“

Carmen returned her grin, running her thumb over Julia’s knuckles. “Explanations aside, are you ready for the greatest date in the world?“

Julia’s brow tugged upwards along with her lips. “The greatest, huh?“

Carmen threw her a flirty glance. “Hey, I don’t settle for second best.“

“I can see that. Alright then, Miss Sandiego.“ The shorter woman said coyly, “Show me what you got.“

....

ANON!! THIS IS SO AMAZING OH MY GOD?? for your first fic this is incredible and i absolutely love how you write them!! everything is so in character and carmen absolutely would create an entire heist just to meet up with jules 😭

i don’t have much to critique: just a few minor spelling errors here and there and some misplaced punctuation but that’s it, everything else is so good?? i’m serious this gave me so much serotonin omg,,, if you post it on ao3 let me know and i’ll be sure to leave kudos and a comment!! <3

and thank you so much for enjoying my writing, i can say the same for you :D

#asking carmen #long post #receiving julethief fic in my asks inbox is a blessing

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punchdrunkdoc · 5 years ago

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Updated K-drama list (4)

This list is getting looooong, because I’m well and truly addicted to these shows and can’t stop watching them.

I think its because each show is so self-contained - one series, 16-20 episodes and its done. A clear beginning, middle and a satisfying end. That, together with all the tropes in play (SO MANY TROPES!!) makes each show feel like a novel come to life. And when I start a good novel, I have to finish it in one go. This usually results in me staying up till 2am because I NEED TO KNOW HOW IT ENDS. And it’s the same with these shows. I’m getting very little sleep, but I’m having a hell of a good time!

FAVOURITES

1. Crash Landing on You

He’s from North Korea. She’s from South Korea. They never should have met, but they’ll change each other’s lives.

This was my first K-drama, and its still my favourite. The full cast of characters is great, the lead romance is ANGSTALICIOUS and its genuinely, laugh out loud funny (when its not making you cry or swoon).

Male lead: Officially the best boyfriend ever. With added dimples.

Tear-jerk factor: 4/5

2. Healer

The lives, and pasts, of a hot shot reporter, a spunky young tabloid journalist and a mysterious thief-for-hire intersect.

This was so addictive - the plot was tight and engaging, and this is one of the few shows I’ve watched where there didn’t seem to be a lot of filler. I loved the central 3 characters, and the romance was amazing. I especially loved that the male lead started off such a brooding loner, but he became super-affectionate as soon as he admitted his feelings. So many good hugs and lots of face-cradling in this one.

Male lead: Effortlessly beats up 2 henchmen while comforting his girl over the phone. What more do you need?

Tear-jerk factor: 1/5

3. Itaewon Class

A young man’s life is forever altered when he runs afoul of a powerful family.

This felt like a big step up in quality from everything else in this list, in terms of the production, soundtrack (which was brilliant), the lack of annoying sound effects, and just the overall ‘real world’ feel of the show. All of the characters were fleshed out and 3-dimensional, and they all had their ‘moment’ to shine. The story itself was gripping and so well done - some of the twists and reveals had me gasping! And what can I say about the 2 leads? I love them, both separately, and together. He is so wise beyond his years, and his journey will break your heart and inspire you. She is borderline sociopathic, but I adore her.

Male lead: Tenacious, principled, kind, innocent, caring, driven, loyal…and he can cook!

Tear-jerk factor: 2/5

4. Descendants of the Sun

A special forces Captain meets a capable and beautiful trauma surgeon. They feel an instant bond, but their jobs and philosophy on life get in the way, threatening to tear them apart.

Halfway through this show, I seriously thought this might overtake CLOY as my No. 1 fav. I absolutely LOVE the male lead character, and the romance was beautiful…but it didn’t quite nail the angst and the last minute was a bit twee which dropped it down the rankings a bit.

Male lead: A cocky, charming, absolute BADASS with the most adorable, cheeky smile.

Tear-jerk factor: 2/5

5. Love in the Moonlight / Moonlight Drawn by Clouds

A young woman poses as a eunuch in the Royal Palace and falls in love with the Crown Prince

I wanted to try something different so I opted for this period piece and OH MY GOD am I glad I did. The start had a really light comedic tone (and a lot of modern anachronisms - high fives everywhere!) and I loved all the identity-concealing hi-jinks. But then the romance kicked into gear and the DELICIOUS angst started flowing, and I became obsessed with it. It's like loads of bits of my favourite regency historical romances were mashed up and transported to the Joseon Dynasty. I loved it so much!

Male lead: Manages to look amazingly handsome despite all the period headgear, kicks ass with a sword, and doesn't allow himself to be manipulated by the corrupt officials surrounding him, which was refreshing. Also acts like an adorable goofball when he's in love.

Tear-jerk factor: 2/5

6. My Holo Love

A lonely woman falls for a holographic AI and then meets his creator...

I love the concept of this show (I’m a big sci-fi nerd), and it was beautifully shot. The lead relationship is well developed and it doesnt fall into a typical love triangle. I’ve come to realise it utilises a lot of K-drama tropes (face-blindness! shared childhood trauma!), but it does it really well, imho.

Male lead: Tortured loner genius. My catnip.

Tear-jerk factor: 2/5

7. Goblin

A 900yr old immortal guardian finally meets the ‘bride’ who will end his existence

Once I got over the slight ick-factor of the age difference between the two characters at the beginning, I really fell for this show and it’s world. It had me in tears. And I especially loved the secondary character of the Grim Reaper.

Male lead: Surprising innocent and funny for a 900 year old

Tear-Jerk factor: 5/5

8. What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim

An personal assistant decides to quits her job in order to get a life. Her boss has other ideas.

I loved the female lead in this - I’m a sucker for uber-competent people, and the actress is STUNNING. Her boss is self-centred, entitled and vain...but over time, somehow that just becomes endearing! Possibly because he’s played by Park Seo Joon, who can do no wrong in my book! The central romance is super cute - I can rewatch their scenes again and again.

Male lead: Like I said, somehow makes vanity and narcissism endearing. Also not afraid to get his shirt off and flash his 6-pack. Bonus.

Tear-Jerk factor: 0/5

9. Legend of the Blue Sea

A mermaid comes onto land to find the man she loves

The (literal) fish-out-of-water scenes in the first half of this show were hilarious - the actress is a comic genius! The romance was nicely done, and there wasn’t a lot of extraneous plot or too many characters. I couldn’t stop watching this one!

Male lead: Cocky, arrogant conman with a soft mushy centre

Tear-Jerk factor: 1/5

10. Fight for my Way

Two life-long friends decide to go after their dreams

I fast-forwarded large chunks of this (I wasn’t interested in the secondary couple at all), but it still made my favourite list because I love the leads - both as separate characters and as a couple. This is one of the best friends-to-lovers stories I’ve seen, mainly because you truly buy that these 2 have known each other their entire lives (their bickering and teasing feels so natural). And then when they take the next step, they’re so affectionate and refreshingly open with their feelings.

Male lead: The third Park Seo Joon character on this list! I love his contradictions. He’s goofy and childish…but can really turn on the sexy charm; he’s a badass MMA fighter…who loves when his girlfriend sticks up for him and protects him.

Tear-jerk factor: 0.5/5

11. Suspicious Partner

A young, hardworking lawyer has her life turned upside down when she is put on trial for murder.

This has been officially bumped up to my favourites list - partly because I’m now a massive Ji Chang Wook fan, and partly because I’ve rewatched scenes with better subtitles and its made it 10x better. Its still overly long, but the serial killer plot had some nice twists and it was central to the story, so it didn’t feel extraneous like some of these types of plots do. I really enjoyed the central romance - the 2 characters sparked off each other well and I loved their evolution from sort-of enemies to lovers. This is another show where I can endlessly rewatch their scenes together.

Male lead: Its Ji Chang Wook! He’s so good at playing serious guys who are secretly big dorks.

Tear Jerk factor: 0.5/5

NOTABLE MENTIONS

These are shows which I completed and really enjoyed but they had flaws which kept them out of the favourites list.

1. The K2

An ex-mercenary takes a job as a bodyguard protecting the illegitimate daughter of a politician. A sort-of Snow White retelling.

This started off really well, with some amazing fight sequences (hello, shower room scene!). However, the back half became too bogged down in double crosses and manipulations, and it focussed too much on the politicians. The writers did well to give these characters some layers, but they were all essentially doing bad things for the wrong reasons, and I just didn’t care about them. The show was much better when it was following K2’s journey. The romance also started off well, but was a bit underdeveloped (mainly because they barely interacted).

2. I Am Not a Robot

A man who is allergic to human contact finds companionship with a robot…or does he?

I honestly thought I wouldn’t make it passed a couple of episodes of this - the concept was just too ridiculous. But I’m glad I persevered, because it developed some real depth and some proper good angst towards the end and I LOVED the central relationship.

3. Extraordinary You

A high school student discovers she's a supporting character in a comic book

The plot of this was so unique, and the way the comic story played out interspersed with the characters 'real lives' was really well done. Plus the central couple were so adorable. It dragged in the middle section (several versions of the same conversations were had, and the same exposition was spelled out multiple ways for no apparent reason) which kept it out of my favourite list, but it redeemed itself with some good angst at the end, and it had a really lovely ‘epilogue'.

4. My Love from the Star

Alien stranded on earth meets an actress soon before he’s due to be rescued.

I finally gave this another chance, and I’m glad I did. The female lead got a LOT less irritating, and I enjoyed the present-day romance and all the flashes back to the past. However, the ending was really abrupt and disappointing (which kept it out of my favourite list). There should have been 1 less filler episode in the middle, and a decent, fleshed out finale instead.

5. Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-Joo

A young talented weightlifter experiences first love

Honestly, I wasn’t sold on this at first; the female lead was a bit much (lot of gurning and over-acting) and there was a weird disconnect between how she was described (big, overweight, manly, unfeminine) and how she actually looked (thin and beautiful!). But the back half of this show saved it; her relationship with Joon-Hyung was sooooo cute. He is adorable, and they were both so supportive of each other’s dreams. I finished this with a big smile on my face.

6. Because this is my First Life

A rational-to-a-fault software designer and an aspiring screenwriter come up with an unconventional way to solve their housing problem

When I started this, I thought it was going to be all light and fluffy (the main character's job in the beginning was to insert the product placement in Korean dramas - hello, Red Ginseng! - which I found hilarious and meta) but it had a surprisingly melancholic tone throughout and touched on issues of workplace harassment and gender roles. I didn't warm to the male lead until right at the end (which was probably partly intentional - he's very remote and closed off) but overall I found the story quite lovely. Plus it had a really great central female friendship and their conversations actually passed the Bechdel test!

7. Strong Girl Bong-Soon

A woman with inherited super-strength gets a job as a bodyguard for an eccentric young CEO

The lead couple in this are AD-OR-ABLE and I loved their relationship. But there was a weird tone issue in this show. The romance is super cute...but there’s a whole dark sub plot involving multiple women being held captive by a psychopath. I ended up fast forwarding most of that, and just concentrated on the romance.

THE OTHERS...

I finished these shows and liked parts of them, but they ultimately didn’t set my world on fire.

1. Her Private Life

A talented art curator tries to keep her professional persona separate from her fangirl obsession with a pop idol.

This was cute and I loved the central relationship - he was so supportive of her, and their interactions were refreshingly mature and their banter felt really natural. Ultimately, it was a bit forgettable (I’m not dying to rewatch any of it), and the last minute tacked-on childhood trauma subplot was really unnecessary.

2. Touch Your Heart

Star actress rocked by scandal works at a law firm to prepare for her comeback role

This starred the secondary couple from Goblin and I really like them, even though they are playing very different characters in this (more opposites attract, than doomed lovers). At first I found this too ‘cutesy’, but I’ve since realised the sound effects/graphics are a K-drama thing and not unique to this show, so I’m not as down on it as I was. I still had to fast forward a lot of the secondary romances which I wasn’t invested in.

3. Hyde, Jekyll and Me

A woman becomes involved in the lives of 2 men, who share one body

This stars Hyun Bin from CLOY and he is sooo watchable, especially as the slick-haired, glasses-wearing, uptight Seo-Jin. And the show started well...but quickly went off the rails into a convoluted, dragged-out revenge plot.

4. Melting Me Softly

Two people are accidentally cryogenically frozen for 20 years. They have to navigate the modern world and their new lives together.

Another good concept, but it ultimately descended into little more than a light work-place romance. Had a couple of good kissing scenes, but it was overall a bit forgettable.

And the DNF:

My Secret Romance

I started watching this because I was looking for something a little less PG - the characters have a one night stand in the first episode! But I couldn’t get passed the bad acting and cheap production.

Master’s Sun

I liked the premise but the 2 leads weren’t very attractive (at least in comparison to the insanely beautiful actors/actresses in the shows listed above). Call me superficial, but I couldn’t see myself spending 17 hours watching them and willing them to kiss.

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moonlightkitkat · 5 years ago

Text

ML:NYS reaction

Here’s my set of reactions from when I was watching the special, I wrote it all while I was watching. It’s a little scatterbrained lol

The opening is so pretty!

MR. PIGEON AGAIN?

COSMO BUG AND ASTRO BUG?!

AWWW THE YELLOW ROSE THAT'S SO CUTE!

THAT'S SO CUTE!

Oh this interaction is adorable! The wholesomeness!

YES GIVE YOURSELF FLOWERS.

But oh my god I had to pause because this is what I love! Chat can show affection and care about her, but I love how he’s taking her feelings into the gift he brings. He knows that she doesn’t want anything with romantic connotations because it’s leading him on, so instead he offers a rose of friendship, a truce. And I love how after hearing this, Ladybug immediately warms up and accepts, thanking him and offering kind words as well. I’m two minutes in and I already love this.

Also the animation is so pretty!!

Oh Marinette no.. not the photos.. not the excuses.. ;-;

Yes Tikki hold her accountable!

HAMILTON BUT WITH SOCK PUPPETS???

NO CHLOE WHAT?!

Oh thank god I wanted my Chloe here

NO BUSTIER YES

SHE'S PREGNANT?! Oh that poor baby

EW LILA’S HERE

No no no no no no n no no no no Marinette please stop, please oh my god I’m dying on the inside

YOU'RE OUR SOCK WASHINGTON

EVERYDAY LADYBUG AND SOCK WASHINGTON IS BEST SHIP

Oh my god she put his perfume on her pillow? Why? Why have her do this.

LAFAYETTE

HE WAS A MIRACULOUS USER WHAT

Oh my god she pulled a Twilight Sparkle and ranted about the power of friendship

DID HE JUST SIT THROUGH HER RANT

Oh I know he’s lying but oh that’s such a sweet thing to say.

Gabriel why are you a JERK

KAGAMI

AWWW SMOOCH

That’s so cute! I love that!

NO THE SINGING

Marinette no ;-;

THE KITTY ALARM AWWW

THAT'S SO CUTE

OH THATS FIC MATERIAL RIGHT THERE

“I’m as serious as it can get.” *squeak*, giggles. That’s adorable

OH NO GORILLA HAS A FEAR OF FLYING

PLAGG

THE WIGGLY PAWS

I-I’m actually shocked that Ladybug didn’t think of that

That’s pretty smart Adrien.

I’m still creeped out by the Snow White like case Emilie is in

LUKA LUKA LUKA LUKA LUKAAAAAA

Oh no she’s ranting about Adrien I’m crying

HIS SMILE AT HER

AWWW SWEETHEART

A SMOOCH

Oh this is definitely fic material

Oh Marinette does not look happy about seeing Adrien

Chloe’s arrival is amazing

THE HORROR MOVIE SCREAM

Alya what the heck

Oh god Marinette no

Oh my hands are crInging-NO HE FELL ON HER

ALYA WHY

Okay that art is adorable but Marinette looks terrified

Wooowwww the manipulation there lol, nice job class

Oh thank goodness,

“YOU ARE A DOLPHIN”

Oh poor Marinette

Ivan and Mylene are cuddling!

Wow Marinette is tiny

Awww DjWifi snuggles

JULROSE

wait why didn’t Mari sit with Rose?

Oh poor Marinette ;-;

Bro she’s physically uncomfortable, why would you move closer?

Oh that’s so cute-nevermind

Same Alya

Same Nino

They’re adorable but I hate this

NO THE HUG

SHE'S SO UNCOMFORTABLE WHY WOULD YOU HUG HER

I’m sorry WHAT

captain Marvel??

Alya is such a nerd I love her

A BOMB?!

Wair, do actual superheroes exist in this universe? Why hasn’t anyone shown up to help Paris??

KS THAT A PEPSI BRAND BUS

wow the cat based pun

“Lil croissants on route,” that’s CUTE

NO HER STUFF

Oh it was just puppets

OH SHE'S PRETTY

Jess, yes I like her

Is she an actual AI?

SABRINA AWWW

Oh poor Sabrina ;-;

Nice reflexes

Oh no

THE CARTOON SLOW HEAD TURN

Oh now this is adorable, I like the soft music playing in the background

EW HE SNUCK TO HER ROOM

Hot dog Dan?

IS THAT A SUPERHERO?!

STRONG ROSE

Rapunzel Sabrina???

Aww that's cute

They’re flying!

HIGH VOICE

THATS HILARIOUS

This is really really cute, but.... aren’t Adrien and Kagami together?

Oh this is such a cute dance

“BEAUTIFUL SUNFLOWER”

Oh Marinette no....

“Repetitive behaviors,” is that a joke about how they never change?

Adrie is definitely in love, but isn’t he with, you know, KAGAMI?!

What on earth is with Jess’s eyebrows?

Wait, I'm sorry are they sending supervillains to trap them in??

Hawkmoth is wearing a seatbelt, that’s hilarious

Did.. did he seriously offer the atomic bomb

Ohhh a hologram

Oh that’s a cool supervillain

THE POSE SCREEN FOR THE DOOR GUY IM WHEEZING

HES TRANSFORMING TO SAVE MARI

Did you ... need to transform though? You could have just pushed her out of the way

Theyre so DUMB

Batman? Nope, just Hawkmoth

Oh Ladybug is MAD. Rightfully so though

Oh yes tell him off

Wait, they’ve heard of Ladybug and Chat Noir. Why hasn’t anyone come to help them?

CHAR NOOOOOO

NOOOOOOOO

NO OH MY GOD HE KILLED HER

OH MY GOD

OH MY GOD OH MY GOD OH MY FOD

CHAT KILLED SOMEONE

YES LADYBUG

Oh my god she can actually bring people back to life

Ooooo chase scene

Teenage mutant super teens

Oh my god that’s terrifying for what happened to Paris

We are learning a lot about Ladybugs Powers, I’m loving this

HE LEFT HER

CHAT NOIR NO

HE HAS TWO MIRACULOUS NOW?!

A BALD EAGLE FOR FREEDOM

CAN IT GET MORE AMERICAN

OH THE HAWK PERSON IS A WOMAN

Oh those two are lesbi-OH THEY'RE ACTUALLY LESBIANS

....Wow Zag is having fun with her cleavage AREN'T they?

Oh Marinno ;-;

WHAT THE HECK IS HAWKMOTH DOING

oh this is so sad

I’m getting umbrella scene flashbacks

THAT'S NOT HOW IT WORKS ALYA

And Marinette being a thief has come back into

MARINETTE

WHY IS THIS SO SAD WHY IS SHE CRYING IN THE STREETS

Why are her boobs so BIG

Is this just proof of how dangerous the DC superheroes are?

Wait these three heroes really are just Superman, Batman, Captain America aren’t they?

I love the AI’s hair so much, it’s so pretty

Wow Jess was won over so quickly

JESS HAS A SKATEBOARD TO TRAGEL WOW I LOVE IT

THE MOON??

All powerful magic? Useless against a simple AI

Wow he was won over quickly.. is he just really impulsive? That’s.. really not the best quality in a superhero who has the power to destroy whatever he touches.

Plagg that’s TOO CUTE

Wow I am So impressed by Jess

Awww hug

She forgave him a little too easily

HE THREATENED A WORLD WAR?

AND PEOPLE STILL DEFEND GABRIEL?

THIS MAN IS A CHILD ABUSER, A TERRORIST, AND NOW A WAR CRIMINAL?!

He lost his TAIL

Sparrow is transforming into an Eagle I love this

Ooooooooooooo I love her use of the power

Wow he legitimately s-YES ATTA GIRL

h-how did that reach the sun so fast

I thought Chat hit the guy and not the cuffs and I had a heart attack

You’ve known her for less than a day and you trust her with a miraculous?? Wait, they know all about the miraculous?? But how?

Also I’m really happy that we have an ingenious superhero! I’m really happy that her costume isn’t sexual used, and isn’t a LEOTARD

I’m really curious about what actual ingenious people think about her as a character and her uniform

Wait, she has dreamcatchers for earrings?

Why is she looking so buff in that suit

Oh? Is this a teaser for the Shanghai episode?

BATWINGS

Oh that’s such a cute little banner for Adrien

SABRINA YOU'RE A SWEETHEART

“BIG PUFFY CLOUD”

WAIT THEY LEFT GORILLA NO

OH YES MORE GUARDIANS

That is a very underwhelming entrance and speech. Talk about rushed how did he say that with one BREATH

HE WAS SWAYED THAT EASILY?

#ml salt #ml spoilers #ml new york #ml ny spoilers #miraculous ladybug review #miraculous ladybug #ladybug reactions

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chrismerle · 4 years ago

Text

nowhere near done (I assume) but far enough in to be developing opinions

it’s still very much persona 5. the characters are the same. the style is the same. it feels like p5. more than I expected, even. but at the same time, it does feel like a few shortcuts were taken sometimes. just for small things, like screens cutting to black with just text to say where a location is. it’s not bad, but p5 seemed to ooze style from every frame, so it stands out.

the personas are...even more meaningless than they were in p5. at least in p5 they got to introduce themselves and Arsene had a few lines of dialogue. but I’m on the third jail now and so far the only ones who have talked were the masks I crafted. they are over-designed tamagotchis and that is it. you don’t even get to talk to the shadows anymore. masks just show up on the ground as item drops.

and it feels like they tried...too hard to make this an all-encompassing sequel? like, this is a sequel to a world in which Joker romanced no one and may or may not have maxed out all or none of his confidants, because you don’t get to see them, even when it would make sense to. you run around Yongen and Shibuya for the whole first jail, and you have to run up and down Central Street a ridiculous number of times. but Takemi and Iwai are only mentioned and are otherwise not there, and Toranosuke and Shinya are nowhere to be found. you have to go to Shujin at some point, but there’s no sign of Kawakami or Mishima. personally, I would have preferred if they had simply assumed that you maxed out all of your confidants and had at least a few of them at least show up to say hi or wave in the background, but nope. my feral bastard stinkman gets not a single mention.

requests are...kind of annoying? when you were mostly just eavesdropping on people in p5 it was entertaining, but now they’re all just fetch quests, and they’re really dumb fetch quests. like yes, sure, I can understand going after specific shadows to get trapped Desires back, but in WHAT WORLD is a teenage boy going to care about a random ramen cook enough to special order and custom make an arm brace? not to mention the fact that most of the requests would MAKE MORE SENSE if they were just...Mishima running the Phan-site again. like, they announced themselves on tv in Shibuya Crossing. everyone knows they’re back. it would make perfect sense for the Phan-site to start seeing activity again.

I do like how jails are being handled so far, though. the palace rulers in p5 didn’t really seem to have backstories. they were just evil for evil’s sake, with like two lines of dialogue to half-assedly excuse why they were evil (kamoshida wanted to live up to expectations, kaneshiro didn’t want to be a poor loser anymore, yadda yadda). and while I won’t say the jail monarchs are well-rounded, they do at least have some semblance of a backstory because the shtick for the jails (as I am currently understanding it) necessitates they have one, since it seems to be a sort of ‘their hearts are locked by past trauma and they’re trapped within the mindset that locked it’ thing. it seems like each thief is gonna get to identify with a monarch and talk them down, since this time the game is about undoing changes of heart instead of inflicting them; the monarchs get talked down the old fashion way, like Sae’s shadow was. anyway, it’s just a nice change of pace and I appreciate not needing to do mental gymnastics about the heroes brainwashing people For The Greater Good. no, i’m not complaining about that, i understand it was one of the themes, i LIKE that p5 made me think.

and I like the way time passes now. I dunno if the jails are bigger or smaller than the palaces, but you go through them right quick, chop chop hurry up, keep moving. when you leave the Metaverse to return to the real world...it’s still essentially the same time of day as when you went in, until the plot progresses. the game essentially presumes that the thieves just haul ass to get through a jail in like three days. MORGANA HASN’T TOLD ME TO GO TO BED ONCE. the palaces took like ten hours apiece, and i’m almost done with three jails in less than 15 hours.

and the biggest difference, obviously, is combat. I like it, but I’ve always been a button masher, which is what this game encourages, and my preferred combat has always been ‘speedy glass cannon,’ which is what Joker is. in combat, at any rate. pretty sure they slowed down his running/walking. rude.

Sophia is fun. she interacts with the others fairly naturally, despite being an AI; she doesn’t fall into the ‘why are you saying cool? it is not cold out’ trap. she understands most slang and doesn’t even speak completely literally herself, and has in-jokes with the others. she has trouble identifying her feelings, but she is at least aware that she is feeling. also she’s precious. and the cop is alright. I know he gets a persona at some point, based on the trailers, but it hasn’t happened yet. kinda waiting for him to go turncoat, but we’ll see.

also a weird amount of this game involves me tracking down supermarkets.

#elsa liveblogs nonsense #persona 5 strikers #persona 5 strikers spoilers #i'm aware this seems a bit negative #but i assure you i am enjoying myself #but my favorite things about p5 were always the characters #and they're essentially the same so there's not much to say there #i missed them and i'm glad they're back

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dangandidlyronpaimgines · 6 years ago

Note

Can I request how the v3 boys would react to w/o who has their opposite talent. Like for gonta s/o is the ultimate exterminator, or something? Hope it's not confusing. 😥

Gonta Gokuhara

Ultimate Exterminator S/O

Honestly he’s horrified hearing your talent

How could such a kind person kill bugs?!!!

(Tbh he probably cries)

That’s when he decides to teach you how wonderful bugs are!!

(Oh god it’s the Insect Meet and Greet all over again..)

You try to explain how you only kill harmful bugs but that doesn’t make the situation any better

Honestly it takes a while for you to fully explain how dangerous some bugs could be in some place

It was then you two meet an agreement, you wouldn’t harm any of his bugs and keep your equipment in a separate room, while he would make sure to take care of any bugs around the house and keep his bug friends from bothering you

You truly love Gonta and make sure not to mix your job with your personal life

Shuichi Saihara

Ultimate Thief S/O

He’s heard of you before meeting and was a bit on edge

You have been avoiding police detection for years and no detective has every managed to pin you down

And it seems that you were up to your old tricks again, because you manage to steal his heart

He tries his best to get you to stop your stealing habit

(Honestly you two might even get into a fight because of it)

He just.. Is so worried about you, he doesn’t want you to get caught and thrown in jail

You mean so much to him he can’t see you get taken away

While he can’t completely stop this habit of yours, he tries his best to get you into something else

Kokichi Ouma

Ultimate Police Officer S/O

God you’re such a hard ass!!

All he’s doing is just a few pranks~

You’re relationship is such a constant back and forth that’s it’s kind of a surprise when you two get together

(Think Izaya and Shizou from Durarara!)

It’s a constant cat and mouse war between you two

Yet he knows that with all of your threats to turn him in.. that you’ll never do it

You love him too much to do something like that~!

Annnd having a police officer in DICE would be quite interesting, huh

Rantaro Amami

Ultimate NEET S/O

What an odd tittle you had but it did make sense

He has to drag you out of your room and outside (much to your protest)

And as to force you to eat actual food (No S/O you can’t survive off of cup ramen)

But no matter how stubborn you are, he loves you all the same

He slowly helps you learn how to interact with other people and deal with your social anxiety

There were so many wonder sight and places that he wanted to show you after all but he has to move slowly

Like.. getting you to eat in the cafeteria or just walking a bit outside

But he’ll never give up on you

Kiibo

Ultimate Anatomist S/O

Honestly your talent intrigued him and yet terrified him

While he was interested in learning about the human body.. Some of your diagrams made him nauseous

He didn’t realize what humans looked like internally before you (and slightly regrets asking)

Yet he was always curious to ask for more information and to his surprise you were just as curious about him

It’s not uncommon to see the two of you in the middle of a discussion about how humans and robots were similar yet different

Though at first he thinks of some of your questions as a tad robophobic, he now knows you are only curious

You are a scientist after all

You even have ideas for some new upgrades for him and he’s excited to try them out!

Korekiyo Shinguji

Ultimate AI Creator S/O

Tbh Everyone expected you to get together with Kiibo with how excited you were when you two first met

And yet here you were with someone studying the complete opposite field of you

While you wouldn’t mind listening to him speak about different cultures it was obvious that your mind tended to wander

When he asks you about this you would instantly start up a speech of your own, but this time about technology

Yet he didn’t mind these speeches because your eyes would gain such a passion to them, it was simply so beautiful

Both of you tend to work in the same room together, him reading a book while you type away on a computer

It was quiet yet peaceful, and he wouldn’t have it any other way

Ryoma Hoshi

Ultimate Chess Player S/O

You two were as opposites physically as mentally

You were tall and slow while he was short and fast

You were bubbly and full of life while he was mourning what he used to have

Yet you help him gain some light on this dark life of his

Though he should probably help you work out (no matter how much you whine)

(It also amused him when you got angry at people who said chess wasn’t a sport)

(I mean technically they are right but he wasn’t going to say that)

Kaito Momota

Ultimate Diver S/O

While he was obsessed with space, you were obsessed with the sea

Sometimes you two would get into arguments about which was better

(It was cute at first but quickly got annoying to everyone else when this happened more and more often)

He often trains with you, since you both need to be in shape to do your job

(Though you outclass him at swimming)

While he can’t bring you to space with him, he does take you stargazing

Meanwhile you take him scuba diving

(It takes his breath away to see you happily explain everything to him and how much you love this. He could understand, he got the same way with space!)

Sorry that this took so long this one was kinda hard to come up with ideas to write but I hope you guys enjoy it! ~ Mod Souda

#ndrv3 imagines #reader #kaito momota #shuichi saihara #kokichi ouma #rantaro amami #kiibo #gonta gokuhara #ryoma hoshi #korekiyo shinguji #ndrv3 #mod souda

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kalinara · 7 years ago

Note

Top 10 Ships that include Rip

Sorry it took me so long to answer this one! I’m not really a ‘shipper by nature, so it was surprisingly difficult to think of ten. But here we go:

Rip/Gideon - “Time Ship” - I like Time Ship a lot. Especially now that the show has gone out of its way to address at least some of the ethical concerns I had with regard to Gideon’s capacity to consent. (Gideon helping Sara remove Rip’s command codes in Return of the Mack is a pretty clear indication that she could have done so at any time previously.) It’s not a pairing that I ever really expect the show to follow up, to be honest. They barely remember Gideon’s a character at all. As evidenced by the way that Gideon and Rip never got a goodbye in Aruba, and Gideon’s never got to clearly express ANY kind of opinion regarding the Time Bureau or Rip’s actions. (It’s not as cute as calling Ava a bitch, I guess.)

My favorite version of the pairing involves Gideon remaining an AI rather than miraculously obtaining a human body. As an aroace person, I am very drawn to relationships that are strictly cerebral in nature.

Rip/Jonah - “Time Hex”- Time Hex is my other OTP in this fandom. I like it because I feel like Rip is one of those characters that’s so heavy with baggage that he would benefit from a romance that is separate from all those issues. (Jonah too, based on what I remember from his comic book.)

As a pairing, they remind me of Duncan and Amanda from Highlander, a reference that dates me considerably. Duncan is the main character, a stand up dude who has a pretty stable life when he’s not getting attacked by rival immortals or getting involved with helping his friends. Amanda is a friend of his who is a thief, constantly involved in low level, or sometimes high level, mischief. She pops into his life occasionally bringing chaos in her wake. They love each other dearly, though they’re definitely not suited to romantic monogamy with one another. They would never be happy trying to live one another’s life. But that doesn’t mean they won’t have some fun sex and romance assuming that they’re both unattached when they meet up.

That’s generally how I see Rip and Jonah. Rip is the Amanda of the pairing.

Rip/Sara - “Time Canary” - I was big into Time Canary for a while, and I admit, I would probably still enjoy it if the show took that route. Though I do think that there are a lot of issues, from both of them, that would need to be addressed.

Their dynamic, platonic or otherwise, is one of the main draws of the show for me. Rip’s respect for Sara is very satisfying. And I still get wrapped up in his unconditional support of her in Blood Ties, when she’s dealing with her bloodlust, or Left Behind, whenever I rewatch. Likewise, I love to see her call him out in episodes like Star City 2046 and River of Time. He needs that.

Rip/Ray - “AtomicTime”?? - It’s always made me sad that Rip and Ray don’t get paired that often, because I’ve always thought that their dynamic was sweet. Ray was one of the first people that Rip confided in and seemed to respect. And Ray was always good at being emotionally supportive. That scene in Leviathan when he gets Rip to talk about his family is lovely. And for all that Rip tends to get exasperated at the whole team, he seems to have more patience toward Ray’s enthusiasm than a lot of other quirks.

Also, both characters have lived with a lot of loss, and I tend to think Rip admires Ray for being unfailingly upright and positive despite that.

Also the size difference is hot.

Rip/Kendra - Does this have a ship name? - This is a dynamic that I always wished was explored more, considering how their storyline and losses were constantly paralleled in season 1. They didn’t have a lot of direct interaction, but what they did have was unfailingly positive. (His focus on getting Carter’s body back for her, his pairing her and Sara to help them deal with respective issues, the way that she will actually tease him a little, particularly in Last Refuge…) Sadly I feel like Kendra’s role in the main quest got sidelined by romantic drama a bit too much, but I still really like their dynamic.

Rip/Jax - TimeStorm! - I might be the only one who ships this. But I think their dynamic is fascinating, especially in season 2. We saw a lot of interesting development with their relationship, despite the fact that Rip was only in a few episodes as himself. But somehow those interactions really speak to me. Rip is the one who named Jax chief engineer to begin with, giving him a way to contribute that’s completely separate from being Firestorm, and I think Jax really valued that. The Jax and Rip interaction in Turncoat was amazing and painful, and I think it’s significant that of all the characters, Jax is the one who had the most face to face contact with the man that Eobard created. And the jellybean scene is still very sweet. Pun somewhat intended.

I still wish the show had done more with the fact that Rip and Jax were the two youngest of the men, and considerably more mature/focused than Ray or Nate. I would have liked to see that explored more, especially once Rip was no longer isolated by his Captaincy.

Rip/Mick - Did this one ever get a name? Hunterwave? or Rip/Snart -??? - I admit, I’m not much of a Rogues fan now, but a few betrayals ago, I was really interested in the way that the show set these three characters up as parallels.

Rip, like Snart, had a criminal past. Interestingly, at around the same age too. At five years old, Snart was helping his father crimes. At five years old, Rip was stealing on the streets to survive. Like Snart and Mick, Rip comes from a background that is clearly abusive, both before and with the Time Masters. (The Orphanage was nice, sure, but look at what happened in Marooned, or well, the series as a whole.)

Last Refuge added a whole fascinating level to the conflicts between the characters, by showing us that Rip sees his past, and his similarity to the Rogues as something to be ashamed of and overcome.

And of course, there are newer parallels between Chronos and Evil!Rip, as both characters have been violated and transformed by their enemies. There are the things that Mick learned as Chronos that allow him a greater understanding of certain aspects of Time Travel, which we saw explored a little toward the end of season 1. I would have loved to see the show deal with this more. (with regard to fanfic, @darkestsight has a few lovely Mick and Rip vignettes, and Mick has a fairly prominent role in both of my fanfics as well. You can be the judge as to how well I write him.)

On a ship level, I think either pairing has some interesting perspective. Mick seems to be at his best when he’s protecting someone more vulnerable, and there’s that edge of conflict that makes it a bit interesting. Snart is clearly attracted to enigmas and puzzles, and Rip’s squirrelly nature would make him interesting in that respect (see Last Refuge.) I’m not sure either pairing would end well.

Rip/Savage or Rip/Eobard - my darkships. Feel free to mock me for my rampant hypocrisy. I’ve blogged about both of these before. It’s the obsession I find fascinating, the way both villains are so incredibly focused on defeating Rip. Savage is more brutal, but also more dramatic: even before he knew Rip was a time traveler, he’d kept his pen and set him up as the Satan figure of his cult. Eobard is colder, more personally corruptive: taking a specific glee in transforming Rip into a tool, and then displaying him as a trophy.

In both cases, the villains are concerned with other goals and heroes more than they are with Rip of course. I won’t pretend that he’s as important to them as Kendra or Barry respectively. But it’s still a darkly interesting dynamic.

Bonus:

Rip/The Crew as one giant OT9/10/whatever - At my heart, I still pretty much believe that Rip is lowkey in love with his entire former team. Possibly his Bureau as well. I don’t think he expects anything to ever come of it, but I am positive that he’s composed drunken sonnets to them all on really bad nights. Gideon has the footage.

If it ever did get to a physical stage, like in a giant ship orgy, I fully expect them all to mock him endlessly with “Oh, look, the British are coming.”

#rip hunter #legends of tomorrow #Anonymous

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cwdcshows · 6 years ago

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Supergirl - S5 E3 - Blurred Lines

I'm begrudgingly considering watching Batwoman, mainly because I'm OC'd and I'm watching the other DC-CW series, but God damn, I catch glimpse of it whenever I cue-up Supergirl and the DVR has recorded the last few minutes of the preceding Batwoman episode, and it's not inspiring me with any confidence. It apparently takes them 3 episodes to give her, her God damn hair - the hair we saw Batwoman sport nearly a year ago in the crossover, meaning at least part of this season is set in the relative past, presumably. But then we get this bullshit commentary about "the bat being back, but curvier and sexier," like fuck you. How the hell can you tell what this person looks in this suit? And so much for the urban legend angle. More importantly, how dumb is it that they have work so hard to come up with her name? Are we supposed to believe anyone was seriously considering calling her "Batchick"; while "Batwoman" flies under the radar? Moving on.... So at the end of the last episode, we see Billy-the-Kiss ass volunteering at a shelter; now he's hassling some guy at a night club about playing ball?

Of course Kelly gives random people she meets on the street unsolicited advice about their lives; because nothing makes someone more sympathetic than someone who likes to stick their nose into other people's business. And it seems this show has once again tricked me into walking into a double entendre. It's her job to listen to people? What is Kelly's job? She's so boring and last season seems like a lifetime ago, I have genuinely forgotten. Is she supposed to be a therapist or something? I suppose that explains her guiding J'Onn through this ordeal in the previous episode; I was wondering what made her qualified to do that, but it seems completely incongruent with the high tech coporate setting they've put her in. And Alex going from Kelly giving advice to her barista to being kidnapped by a shape shifter is a hell a segue. I have a feeling Alex has been waiting hours to find the right opportunity to bring that up; and it would seem she cracked under the pressure. "You don't want a world full of robots, you just want better people."

Oh.... Idiot Jed..... How does Brainy even function? Data was more adept at picking up behavioral cues. Wait, do people really like reading about death? I mean, I'll read the obits in my weekly hometown newspaper; I try to make it a point of at least paying respect to he recently deceased by reading their name and age at the time of death, but I'm don't go out of my way to scan for newspapers with a corpse on cover. Interesting aside, I was reading said newspaper just last night and noted how a local woman had died at the age of 44 - certainly a tragedy for a family to lose someone at such a fairly young age - and then I also saw that it noted her "husband of 30 years" and now I'm left wondering if one of those numbers was a typo or if this woman got married at 14..... So she hears Billy's heart beating fast and has to use her x-ray vision to confirm it? What else did she think it could have been? Okay, so Kelly is a Doctor. Yet the place she works doesn't remotely look like a hospital; and the staff don't look like medical staff. They (and the set) looks like they're trying to audition for a future JJ Abrams Star Trek film. So Kara is going all over the world to get lunch and coffee, but are any of these items going to still be hot by the time she gets back to the states? For that matter, how the hell does manage to carry all of this shit? I have a hard enough time carry my order from McDonald's from car the dozen or so yards into my house; especially if I have to also carry in anything else besides the bag of food and my drink. The couple of time I had my niece with me also got her something I absolutely asked the server at the drive-thru to put it all in one of those plastic bags they normally put salads in, because they have a handle - a fact I learned not because I have ever previously ordered a salad from McDonald's, but rather because I asked them if they had a bag with a handle they could put my order in to make it easier to carry and they responded, "you mean like a salad bag?" and I respond, "yeah, whatever." I'm just picturing Kara rigging up some sort of harness or something she can wear to help carry things around as she flies internationally; thumbing her nose at all of the customs agencies and international trade violations she's willfully causing. Also, now that Brainy has set it up so her suit materializes as soon as she takes the glasses off, shouldn't she get more clear of the doorway before doing that? That also raises the question of what happens when she just wants to lounge around without her glasses or is going to bed. Does she have to sleep in her suit now? Is it bonded to her skin? Is there a snooze button that allows her to take off her glasses and not activate the suit? What if she just needs to remove her glasses to get something out of her eye or to clean the glasses? Or those times like earlier in the episode when she just brings the glasses down just slightly to use her x-ray vision? What's the point of no return her glasses have to pass before the process starts? Can it be immediately reversed when she put the glasses back on; or is it something you have to wait until it's all the way done before you can go the other way? There are so many questions..... Seriously, Kara, Lena would be the only person interested in Lex's journals and there'd be no other constructive use for them other than therapeutic? Wait just a damn minute, she took her glasses all the way off to x-ray the dead body and didn't generate her suit. What the fuck? You lied to us Brainy. You lied and that can't be forgiven. What, the boy being called J'Onn might be J'Onn? Whodda thunk it? Although I suppose J'Onn might be a common name on Mars, like John, Jacob or Jingleheimer Schmidt. I can buy that children on Mars or other planets even might develop games similar to hide and seek; it's a basic concept that seems fairly plausible. What doesn't seem plausible is that children on Mars would play this game as humans. So in the last episode, J'Onn hit a wall in trying to recover his memories; and it was suggested that trying to use the Q-wave technology to go any deeper could do damage to J'Onn. Now this episode J'Onn barely has to try, with the help of a woman who isn't even a telepath. Kara can fly halfway across the world to get lunch for her and Lena, but forgets to put in an delivery order for dinner with Alex - come on Kara, strap on your harness and go get dinner, chop, chop! You know, if Terrible-Boss gets and more terrible, Kara could probably make bank moonlighting with GrubHub. Or start her own food delivery service - SupperGirl Should Brainiac have a clapper, as opposed to say, Alexa? Now that I think about it, why is Brainiac using his appearance filter when they're home alone or when he's sleeping for that matter? Surely these devices don't have an unlimited supply of power; and Brainiac shouldn't be concerned about his appearance in private. Guardian: "Yeah, I came prepared." With what, a glow stick? Seriously, is this supposed to be not-Spider-woman's not-Kryptonite? Did I miss a whole big schpiel about this alien thing have some special weakness? And why didn't Supergirl likewise come prepared? Also, who looped James into this? Was it Kara? "This device uses magnetic resonance to attract the heavy metals in their ink." You really could have just said "this device des magic" and it'd make about as much sense. Especially since it's not really ink, but rather some type of alien life form that only mimics the appearance of a tattoo. Are we supposed to be surprised that it was actually J'Onn who did the mind wipe? Like I mentioned with the last episode, I'm fairly certain he's wiped other people's minds without the permission; and we definitely know he's done it with their consent. In the last episode, Kelly was able to use her contact lenses to enter J'Onn's mind and interact with him in real time. Now it appears on a computer monitor and there's a time delay. In spite of this apparent de-evolution of the technological ability to merge one's mind with technology, this is still some next level shit that the characters just seem to be glossing over as no big deal. So if this...shadow... could kill bug-lady so easily, why even need her at all as an assassin? Was it for the plausible deniability of the target seeming to die of natural causes Is this going to turn out to be the Shadow Thief? Maybe Shade? I kind of hope it's not Shade. I know he (or sometimes she) has been a villain, but I kinda liked the run in the comics when he was an immortal good guy. Come on Brainiac, there's a fucking difference between "operating at 100%" and the fucking nuance of going overboard with things like food and poems. It's the sort of difference between being able to open a fucking door and ripping clear off the hinges; or holding someone's hand gently or crushing it. It's unrealistic to suggest that this quasi-organic-AI doesn't realize you can't go "full thrust" on every conceivable thing, because nothing in nature could function that way. And if he really needs things in those terms, then it's a matter of variable comprehension of where those critical thresholds are; because 100% maximum food consumption in a meal is not dozen whole pizzas. That is more than 100% of what one person can physically eat in one sitting and therefore should exceed his logical behavior. On the flip side, mazel tov when things turn physical and Brainiac brings this type of mindset to the bedroom....

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"You were right, I was too open and too trusting. It's all my fault." Fuck you Supergirl Writers, for trying to bring this back to the opening bit between Kelly and the random person she was offering advice to on the street. J'Onn's brother manipulated Kelly by appearing to her as someone she knew and had at least enough of a past history with as to have a photo of him in her home. Had he appeared as the street barista or was just walking along the street not even looking for Kelly when Kelly came along, randomly zapping people with Q waves to help make them feel better, whether they asked for that help or not, sure, that would be "her fault". But this was a sneaky fucking telepathic shape shifter was determined to get your to do what he wanted; and while admittedly it barely took him much effort to convince you, it was only because you were legitimately doing what would have been the right thing under any other normal circumstance. "For a friend like you, there are no boundaries." Alright, now the writers are just fucking with us with these two. So Kara evidently didn't just pop in and grabbed the books, but also the watch too; seems she decided that so long as she was committing a felony, she might as well get her money's worth - and I suppose that makes sense. Is stealing some journals and a watch worse than just stealing the journals and not the watch, if you've only had to break into the one place? Next we'll see that she just cleared out the whole evidence lock-up, because you never know when you might need something else that's being held in Federal custody, and that way she's only had to break the law once; anything after that is just curation.

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punchdrunkdoc · 5 years ago

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Updated K-drama list (3)

4 more shows DONE and there’s been some changes to the rankings...

FAVOURITES

1. Crash Landing on You

He’s from North Korea. She’s from South Korea. They never should have met, but they’ll change each other’s lives.

Male lead: Officially the best boyfriend ever. With added dimples.

Tear-jerk factor: 4/5

2. Healer

The lives, and pasts, of a hot shot reporter, a spunky young tabloid journalist and a mysterious thief-for-hire intersect.

Male lead: Effortlessly beats up 2 henchmen while comforting his girl over the phone. What more do you need?

Tear-jerk factor: 1/5

3. Itaewon Class

A young man’s life is forever altered when he runs afoul of a powerful family.

Male lead: Tenacious, principled, kind, innocent, caring, driven, loyal…and he can cook!

Tear-jerk factor: 2/5

4. Descendants of the Sun

A special forces Captain meets a capable and beautiful trauma surgeon. They feel an instant bond, but their jobs and philosophy on life get in the way, threatening to tear them apart.

Male lead: A cocky, charming, absolute BADASS with the most adorable, cheeky smile.

Tear-jerk factor: 2/5

5. My Holo Love

A lonely woman falls for a holographic AI and then meets his creator...

Male lead: Tortured loner genius. My catnip.

Tear-jerk factor: 2/5

6. Goblin

A 900yr old immortal guardian finally meets the ‘bride’ who will end his existence

Male lead: Surprising innocent and funny for a 900 year old

Tear-Jerk factor: 5/5

7. What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim

An personal assistant decides to quits her job in order to get a life. Her boss has other ideas.

I loved the female lead in this - I’m a sucker for uber-competent people, and the actress is STUNNING. Her boss is self-centred, entitled and vain...but over time, somehow that just becomes endearing! This show also has lots of very good kissing scenes...and when he started to unbutton her shirt during one encounter, I was SCANDALISED (did I mention these shows are usually very PG!!)

Male lead: Like I said, somehow makes vanity and narcissism endearing. Also not afraid to get his shirt off and flash his 6-pack. Bonus.

Tear-Jerk factor: 0/5

8. Legend of the Blue Sea

A mermaid comes onto land to find the man she loves

Male lead: Cocky, arrogant conman with a soft mushy centre

Tear-Jerk factor: 1/5

9. Fight for my Way

Two life-long friends decide to go after their dreams

I found this during my Park Seo Joon binge and, even though I fast-forwarded large chunks of it (I wasn’t interested in the secondary couple at all), it still made my favourite list because I love the leads - both as separate characters and as a couple. This is one of the best friends-to-lovers stories I’ve seen, mainly because you truly buy that these 2 have known each other their entire lives (their bickering and teasing feels so natural). And then when they take the next step, they’re so affectionate and refreshingly open with their feelings.

Male lead: I love his contradictions. He’s goofy and childish…but can really turn on the sexy charm; he’s a badass MMA fighter…who loves when his girlfriend sticks up for him and protects him.

Tear-jerk factor: 0.5/5

10. Suspicious Partner

A young, hardworking lawyer has her life turned upside down when she is put on trial for murder.

This has been officially bumped up to my favourites list - partly because I’m now a massive Ji Chang Wook fan, and partly because I’ve rewatched scenes with better subtitiles and it made everything10x better. Its still overly long, but the serial killer plot had some nice twists and it was central to the story, so it didn’t feel extraneous like some of these types of plots do. I really enjoyed the central romance - the 2 characters sparked off each other well and I loved their evolution from sort-of enemies to lovers.

Male lead: Its Ji Chang Wook! He’s so good at playing serious guys who are secretly big dorks

Tear-jerk factor: 0.5/5

Notable mentions

These are shows which I completed and enjoyed but they didn’t set my world on fire. Usually because they were overly long, or the plot got in the way of the characters/love story.

1. The K2

An ex-mercenary takes a job as a bodyguard protecting the illegitimate daughter of a politician. A sort-of Snow White retelling.

2. I Am Not a Robot

A man who is allergic to human contact finds companionship with a robot…or does he?

I honestly thought I wouldn’t make it passed a couple of episodes of this - the concept was just too ridiculous. But I’m glad I perservered, because it developed some real depth and some proper good angst towards the end.

3. My Love from the Star

Alien stranded on earth meets an actress soon before he’s due to be rescued.

4. Her Private Life

A talented art curator tries to keep her professional persona separate from her fangirl obsession with a pop idol.

5. Strong Girl Bong-Soon

A woman with inherited super-strength gets a job as a bodyguard for an eccentric young CEO

6. Touch Your Heart

Star actress rocked by scandal works at a law firm to prepare for her comeback role

The others…

1. Hyde, Jekyll and Me

A woman becomes involved in the lives of 2 men, who share one body

2. Melting Me Softly

Two people are accidentally cryogenically frozen for 20 years. They have to navigate the modern world and their new lives together.

Another good concept, but it ultimately descended into little more than a light work-place romance. Had a couple of good kissing scenes, but it was overall a bit forgettable.

And the DNF:

My Secret Romance

Master’s Sun

#kdrama #cloy #healer #descendants of the sun #itaewon class #suspicious partner #legend of the blue sea #fight for my way #what's wrong with secretary kim #melting me softly #hyde jekyll me #touch your heart #her private life #strong girl bong soon #i am not a rob #my love from the star

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