#and then at some point they had essentially the s1 fight in the woods and Nancy decided they were rivals

[jonathanbyersphd]

Jancy + Academic Rivals to Lovers AU

[queenofthedramedies]

I Think I Kinda Love You:

Requested fic for SeaBasinKyogre256. Future-verse/My take on possible S1 Season Finale of Legacies. Not like some kind of cliché: I have to say it now, because one of us is dying, and the other one is crying, and we're never going to see each other again kinda of thing. Or how Landon does NOT want to express his feels for Hope.

Disclaimer: I do not own Legacies, that would be Julie Plec, Warner Brothers, and the usual suspects.

Hello, my lovely readers. Okay. So, I want to express my gratitude for the fans who saw bits of Buffy Season 5 "Dawn is the Key storyline" in the Landon/Malivore story, because it inspired this fic and SeasBasinKyogre256 for asking me to write it. On with the show…

I Think I Kinda Love You:

Time. They needed more of it. But in Hope Mikaelson's experience, the Powers that Be, or God(s), or whoever was at the wheel did not like to give a lengthy period for her and those she cared about. No. She'd become accustomed to the finite amount allowed to each of us. Now, she wished she could control it: stop it, impede its process, anything at all would be better than this.

Landon Kirby laid on his back. He could feel the blood on his lips. He tried to offer Hope Mikaelson a smile. The girl of his dreams. Some people might dream of a girl who did not sport fangs and claws. Landon. He'd always been a bit of a freak himself. Never fit in anywhere. Never knew why. Now that he did, he kind of wished he didn't.

Hope heard the distant screams of her friends. The word friend—which had sounded so unfamiliar when used with her—had become essential to her being. She had friends. The multiple kind. The kind who ran to her aid. The kind who would die for her. And Landon.

But now we're getting ahead of the story. We need to go back. We need to know why Landon is lying in the middle the woods, his back pressed into a symbol they'd all become familiar with by this point in time. We need to go back to the beginning, instead of at the end.

                                                          ~0~

"What's up?" Rafael asked Landon.

Landon looked up from his textbook. He was reading about The Original family. It was supposed to be for a class on "The Origins of Vampires." Caroline Forbes suggested it when she returned to the boarding school. Instead of reading it for school, Landon was reading it for fun. For Hope, really. He couldn't help wanting to know everything about her.

"Party tonight," Rafael said. He went to open the closet and search for clothes. Of course tonight was in two hours.

Never big on parties, Landon shook his head. "Thanks for the invite. But I think I'm going to hang here. Have some last minute reading for a paper." Tapping his fingers on the hard cover of the book, Landon tried to look studious.

Rafael peered at the book. "They testing you on Hope 101?" He grinned and Landon rolled his eyes.

"No," Landon retorted. "You meeting up with someone special tonight?" he retorted, eyeing Rafael who shrugged. Landon knew that Raf planned on fighting for Josie Saltzman's affections. Good luck with that, given his competition, Penelope Park did not fight fair.

Shrugging, Rafael tried to look disinterested. "Nope." He paused before adding, "Heard Hope telling Penelope she might make an appearance. When you're done reading about her, you might want to show up and have a face-to-face moment."

"Whatever," Landon shot back. He grabbed a pair of dirty socks and tossed them at Raf who easily batted them away.

Settling back into his reading, Landon made a plan to meet up with Hope that night.

keep reading

[kinetic-elaboration]

April 12: Thoughts on 1x11 The Calm

Thoughts on 1x11 The Calm:

S1 Bellarke is the hottest Bellarke fight me.

My boy Jasper doesn’t even appear in this ep and he’s STILL being useful literally making gunpowder like fuck off.

Bellamy is all for just killing everyone and Clarke wants to find some other way. I dunno if I read this as her being influenced by Finn or more like...her mind always whirring, always thinking of better solutions. She’s never content with just the most obvious thing. That said, their positions are reversed a season later: Clarke is all for just blasting the top off Mount Weather and Bellamy wants a more nuanced plan because he sees the people on the inside.

Why wasn’t Murphy + Octavia ever a thing? Also Murphy is smart about cooking meat. Chef!Murphy (head)canon already forming.

“When you’re really pissed off, you always find a project. Something to keep your hands busy so you don’t punch someone in the face.” Finn is annoying but this is good Raven characterization intelligence. Also their conversation is so painfully awkward. She really does just tamp it all down, bottle up those emotions.

Literally nothing is hotter than Bellamy being a leader and giving orders and the delinquents being a competent little group defending and taking care of themselves.

And yet again, Clarke suggested hunting and Bellamy essentially had to sign off on it (not only did he challenge on her and make her explain herself, but tbh if Clarke had told people to pick up spears and go they would have been like yeah right princess)--but it was Bellamy who gave the actual orders, BELLAMY who appears as the leader in the delinquent pov.

I wish there were more young delinquents--really young not Jasper-and-Monty young. Like this loquacious kid who goes hunting with Finn and Clarke. Or even Charlotte, kids that age. ...Really I just wish there were more delinquents. :/

So Raven’s first instinct isn’t to fuck away the pain, it’s to run. Dumb but understandable. She insults Bellamy based on his Ark job (”Aren’t you a janitor?”) which also feeds into my other theory about Ark and class status.

I know I’ve written B/raven stuff and I do ship them in a low-key way, in a ‘they would be interesting together’ way...but I don’t ship them in a canon way, tbqh. In this Bellamy and Raven scene, I see them having a good rapport, but in a way I also see him working her, getting her back on track not just for her own good but for everyone’s good. He has a double agenda and both parts are important.

I wonder how much familiarity everyone on the Ark has with everyone else. That’s not totally clear... people seem to have passing familiarity with others, but not close familiarity. On the other hand, Wick seems pretty comfortable just talking to a Councilor like whatever nbd. On the other, other hand that could be Wick’s personality and/or the circumstances. Most of the ship is probably dead and the rest will die soon so why be formal!

The creepiness of the Ark in this ep should not be understated.I love this aesthetic.

I want to know what the best part of a boar is! Clarke, don’t interrupt. Rude.

Two main characters and a kid you’ve never seen before go hunting in the woods. Which one is going to get speared?

Say what you want about Wick but he and Kane made a good team and I will stand by this opinion too.

In describing their route, Finn said they crossed a road. What road?? When have there ever been roads anywhere in this show?

Kane found a dozen survivors, Jaha has, like, 3....and somehow in Camp Jaha/Arkadia there are like several hundred (?) people. From only two stations like how is that possible? Also didn’t Farm Station have a couple hundred? They must have sent down over a thousand people lol. Kane did not find very many.

Also that Earth Monitoring Station is where the space survivors are living now and it was fucking destroyed in a fire but I guess we’ve just conveniently forgotten about that, huh useless show writers who can’t figure out their own continuity?

Kane has this annoying habit of just being uselessly self-sacrificing all the time. He would be so much more effective if he didn’t do that. He has a lot of hubris, I think. The unforgivable sin: thinking yourself so debased as to be unforgivable. It’s also another way of elevating yourself, of thinking yourself so important that you have sinned more than any other, are worse than any other...it’s still all ‘me me me.’ I think Kane is like that. He’s always looking for ways to sacrifice himself or to be dangerously heroic. I wonder if that matters more to him than, like, actual other people. (Some of this analysis could apply to Jaha at certain parts of his story, though mostly imo in S1. In S2 he starts thinking a little differently.) (ETA it definitely applies to him in this ep, where he wanted to sacrifice himself [and Sinclair] and Kane’s like ‘I’m not a dumbass, we need you smart people to save everyone else, this isn’t a wholly altruistic rescue mission you know.”)

Anya’s idiotic guilt trip re: Tris: “You did this to her.” Yeah I know she’s like 12 and that makes Clarke feel bad because her people don’t use pre-adolescents as soldiers but she should take the attitude she took with L. later. You don’t want me to fuck you up? Don’t attack me first. Would Anya be shedding any tears over the dead, disgusting bodies of the children her chemical attack killed? I doubt it. And they weren’t even soldiers! I mean really the Grounder attacks on the delinquent camp are the equivalent of an attack on a village of civilians, especially initially.

So Monty finds some of the first evidence of Mount Weather (the exodus ship logs showing interference) and Raven’s like ‘neato...give me that for parts.’ He’s much more curious than she is. She’s more...practical? Single-minded? Not that Monty isn’t practical. I dunno. Unrelated but I had this sudden image of modern!Monty listening for signs of alien life, for some reason.

Monty wants to keep the radio because he still believes in the Ark and he wants to see his parents again. “My family is up there.” Makes me even more curious what his relationship with his family is like. (You’d think S3 would have answered that but...not really.) He’s one of the few people who seems to care about those left on the Ark. And he looks so sad when Raven unplugs it... A rare moment when he lives up to his fandom cinnamon roll image. And when Raven leaves he picks up the radio thingy and I wonder if he’s considering putting it back together.

Murphy has a fish.

I gotta love Raven’s confidence: I’m hot and I’ve identified a straight man, if I start undressing, he’ll sleep with me. If I were as hot as her, I’d probably be that confident too, but still.

Bellamy’s “I’m not that guy” speech is actually hilarious when parsed. It’s like the equivalent of “IF I were going to say X, it would sound like this, but since I can’t, I won’t.” Like “If you’re looking for someone to tell you [a list of things in detail], that’s not me.” But you just did dumbass. His ‘bad boy’ persona cracks so easy.

Right before Clarke unpacks the medical tools, there’s a shot of a random $50 bill on the ground. Mmmmm something tells me that our weak U.S. paper isn’t going to survive a century post-apocalypse lol. There’s also a piece of paper. What is that stuff doing there?

Oh never mind. It’s an old bank. There’s paper and cash all over and lots of little drawers. Makes sense, banks would have vaults, and bunkers did have money in them. Maybe they’re in the Treasury’s old bunker. I never noticed that before, but it’s actually quite clever. The set design on this show is A-PLUS.

I’m not into the enemies-to-lovers thing generally but Anya/Clarke should have been a thiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing.

What an incredibly unsatisfying sexual encounter.

Kane says ‘no more than 1,000 survivors’ and ‘at least 1,500 dead.’ There have to have been at least 1,000 though, because they send them down on 12 ships and assuming they spread themselves about equally (which isn’t necessarily true but would be the smartest thing), that would be about 83 people to a ship. And I’m fairly sure Farm Station had more than 83 people and I’m also semi-sure that Arkadia as of 3x01 had more than 166. I mean it’s really hard to tell, and I can’t remember what sort of casualty numbers they gave for the Mount Weather explosion, but these seem like very low numbers to me. I don’t know. Maybe it does make sense and I’m just missing or mis-remembering something.

Having said all that, they did find another cache of survivors after this dialogue (including Abby), which might explain the discrepancy. (ETA not really because they only find, like, 10.)

Kane’s trip through the vent is a nightmare scenario for me so I’m just gonna...not watch.

Lindsey Morgan is so kickass in this ep, like how she stutters a little bit on “family” when she’s talking to Monty.

I completely forgot about this but the Grounders literally try to steal Clarke away like wtf. First of all, I wouldn’t trust her even as far as I could throw her if I were them. And second...she’s the enemy? But “prove your worth and you’ll be welcome here” I guess. Maybe Anya’s into her. I guess it’s good to poach the best talent from the other side before you destroy them. Also love that Clarke pretends to consider it.

The kill marks are to symbolize kills in combat so, really, Clarke’s 3x01 crack abut not having room on her back for all the deaths she’d caused misses the point...as far as I can remember she’s never actually killed in combat. Killing in self-defense, in group self-defense, or as part of an overall military-type mission isn’t the same as in combat, especially as she mostly acts as a general-type person, giving orders rather than doing deeds. Even pulling the lever, with Bellamy, is an awfully sanitized way of killing.

Going after this guy, getting him talking, taking out his knee and then slashing his throat, is one of Clarke’s best moments. HIGHLY UNDERRATED. Really second only to her escape from Mount Weather in early S2. Also props to Eliza Taylor, I appreciate how her expression afterward is half ‘oh shit I killed a man, this is terrible’ and half like steely resolve and determination.

Can Monty not tell the cardinal directions? (Your other West, Monty.)

A rare moment where Octavia and Raven seem like friends. Actually this is a good Octavia episode. She’s only in 3 scenes, which might explain why...

Also underrated is the tense but quick blnk-and-you’d-miss-it horror movie moment of Monty being taken by the Mountain Men. “What’s that creepy signal?.... Omigod... “ And he was never seen or heard from again.

So...why did the Mountain Men take him? Shits and giggles? To see if they could experiment on him? They seemed to have decided pretty quickly that the Sky People were like them, guests rather than blood resources. I wonder what the thought process was.

The end of this episode was aces. Great set up for the finale. I miss when this show was good.

[smilepuma80-blog]

BattlBox Pro Plus Subscription Review + Coupon – September 2018

BattlBox is a subscription service delivering survival and tactical gear every month. Each month has a theme based on a different experience with a focus on preparedness and survival.

This box was sent to us at no cost for review. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.) 

This review is for the Pro Plus box ($149.99 a month). 

About BattlBox

The Subscription Box: BattlBox

The Cost: $24.99 plus shipping for Basic, $49.99 plus shipping for Advanced, $99.99 plus shipping for Pro, and $149.99 plus shipping for Pro Plus. 

COUPON: Use code MYSUBTEN to save 10% off your first box!

The Products: A variety of tactical, survival and EDC gear

Ships to: U.S.

September 2018 BattlBox “Mission” Review

Each month’s box is themed as a Mission and includes a detailed list of products and their values in all the different level options. This month’s theme is EDC 3.0, and it contains a nice little collection of items that will come in handy in everyday situations. I just want to preface this review by saying literally every item in this month’s box is ultra-portable and would easily fit in your hand. In fact, every item conveniently can be stored in a pouch that is no bigger than a burrito!

Here are the items included in the Basic level ($24.99 cost / $59.33 retail value):

Speedy Strike Knife Sharpener + Ferro Striker – Retail Value $9.95

First up we have this micro carbide sharpener and ferro striker named the Speedy Strike. Made from Micro 100 Super Carbide, this handy little tool can be used to sharpen serrated or flat blades, fish hooks, garden tools – basically anything you might need to keep an edge on. It feels sturdy in the hand and has a smooth but grippy rubberized grip and removable cover.

Lighterbro Classic Black – Retail Value $13.99

Next up we’ve got this interesting item – The Lighterbro. You can turn your plain old Bic lighter into a multi-tool featuring a blade, scissors, screwdriver, and bottle opener. I like that it’s stainless steel, it has a pleasant weight in my hand and doesn’t feel bulky like I expected it to at first. I don’t normally carry a lighter so this is something I’m likely to gift.

Exotac Freekey System – Retail Value $6.49

Next up we have a couple of items from Exotac, a brand I’ve seen in several subscriptions including a past Battlbox. Everything they make seems to be clever and well-constructed, and the Freekey system is no exception. It’s basically an improvement over the classic keyring design. Instead of having to fight against a smooth, strong, rounded piece of metal with your fingernails, the Freekey system is flat and pulling apart the layers is a piece of cake. It is made of several loops, so it’s equally as secure as a classic keyring. If your key doesn’t fit on the larger main ring, there are several smaller rings included that have the same build. Everything was super easy to attach and remove.

Exotac BMQR .380 Magnetic Quick Release Keyring – Retail Value $16.95

The other Exotac item is this magnetic quick release keyring that mimics a .380 bullet. The magnets in the bullet and casing are super strong – I had to keep them a few inches apart just to photograph them. The bullet side comes with the smaller Freekey system ring and looks great attached to the main Freekey system from above.

Battltac Daily Utility Tool – Retail Value $11.95

The final item at the Basic level is this small utility knife tool from Battltac. This is essentially a retractable x-acto blade in a very tiny metal package. It fit easily in my fifth pocket even with a tube of lip balm. Daniel Dabbs, Battlbox CEO, designed this particular item in order to save your expensive EDC blades from everyday cutting tasks like opening boxes or working through annoying plastic packaging. Save those sick stainless blades for cutting rope and wood and meat, and use this little guy to open your next Battlbox or subscription box instead.

In addition to the items included in the Basic box, here are the items included at the Advanced level: ($49.99 cost / $124.27 retail value)

Olight S1 Baton Flashlight with 16340 Battery – Retail Value $44.95

The first item at the Advanced level is this ultra-compact, high-powered LED flashlight from Olight – the S1. As some readers may know, I have a weakness for flashlights, and I can thank the last EDC themed Battlbox for turning me on to Olight. The S1 is about the size of a AA battery or a standard lip balm tube, and despite its small size it has an output of 500 lumens! Standard headlamps output somewhere between 100 and 200, so this is a wildly bright little light. It comes with a pocket clip, which I removed, and a lanyard which I probably won’t use. My only gripe is that it’s not rechargeable, but you can purchase a separate rechargeable 16340 battery.

Exotac EDC Roll – Retail Value $19.99

The other item at the Advanced level is this EDC tool roll from Exotac! This roll is made from heavy-duty nylon and velcro and has one row of stretchy pockets for larger items and a flap with mesh pockets for holding smaller things in place. The stretchy side is perfect for a standard pocketknife, the Speedy Strike, or even a smaller medicine bottle, while the mesh pocket side is ideal for smaller items like keys, lip balm, or an S1 Baton flashlight. There is a large amount of velcro, allowing you to pack a ton of stuff into this roll and still easily secure it. The leather belt strap is a nice touch as well.

In addition to the items included in the Basic and Advanced boxes, here are the items included at the Pro level: ($99.99 cost / $194.26 retail value)

Real Steel G5 Metamorph – Retail Value $69.99

The only item in the Pro box this month is this gorgeous 14C28N stainless steel knife from Real Steel. This knife is so slick: it fits cleanly in the palm, it’s got a bit of a matte finish on the aluminum handles, and has bearings in the hinge making opening and closing a total breeze. To open the blade, there is a thumb push on the bottom, and the locking mechanism is completely hidden within the handle. I really love the sharp look and feel of this blade and it may take the place of my current EDC, the Brous from Battlbox April 2017.

In addition to the items included in the Basic, Advanced and Pro boxes, here are the items included at the ProPlus level: ($149.99 cost / $274.25 value)

CRKT Crossbones and CRKT VIVA Combo – Retail Value $79.99

Finally this month, we have this combo from CRKT featuring the VIVA EDC tool and the Crossbones folding blade. Starting with the VIVA, it’s a basic belt loop hook with a few tools included, but it’s got a nice weight to it compared to some other all-in-one pieces. There is a pry bar at one end, a bottle opener of course, and a mini-wrench built into the body of the tool. Moving on to the Crossbones, this is a really interesting folding blade with a unique body. The blade itself is reminiscent of the Metamorph, but is made from a different steel (AUS 8). The handles have a nice pattern to them which grips the hand well, and the locking mechanism is strong and tight. Honestly, I was a little bit surprised in how similar the two blades included this month are. The main difference is that the Metamorph blade tapers while the Crossbones sweeps upwards to a point.

And just so you can see, here is the Exotac EDC Roll with everything in this box packed in it. Lots of room to spare for items saved from past EDC boxes, or for your personal EDC needs!

Verdict: BattlBox put together another great EDC collection here, I have to say these are probably my favorite Battlboxes to get in the mail. I love how useful every single item is, and it was a great idea to include a tool roll with plenty of space for everything in this box with room to spare. This month’s value tops out at $274.25 which is a little low on the Battlbox spectrum but still well above the $159.24 investment ($149.99 a month plus $9.25 shipping).

To Wrap Up:

Can you still get this box if you sign up today? You won’t get this box as a subscriber if you sign up today, but you can buy past boxes in the BattlBox store.

Coupon – Use coupon code MYSUBTEN to save 10% off your first box!

Value Breakdown: At $159.24 for this box, here’s what you are paying approximately per item:

Sharpener: $5.78

Lighterbro: $8.12

Freekey: $3.77

.380 Keyring: $9.84

DUT: $6.94

Flashlight: $26.10

Roll: $11.61

Knife 1: $40.64

Knife 2 + tool combo: $46.45

Check out all of our BattlBox reviews and the Men’s Subscription Box Directory!

Keep Track of Your Subscriptions: Add this box to your subscription list or wishlist!

What do you think about this month’s BattlBox?

Written by Andy Cosnotti

Andy is a professional photographer and a vinyl record collector. He loves coffee, gin, craft beer, and playing disc golf. Getting mail is one of his favorite things and he buys a new record every week but tells his wife it’s much less often.

All views in this review are the opinion of the author. My Subscription Addiction will never accept payment in exchange for a review, but will accept a box at no cost to provide honest opinions on the box. This post may contain affiliate/referral links. If you buy something, MSA may earn an affiliate commission. Read the complete My Subscription Addiction disclosure.

Source: https://www.mysubscriptionaddiction.com/2018/10/battlbox-pro-plus-review-sept-2018.html

[canadajoke5-blog]

BattlBox Pro Plus Subscription Review + Coupon – September 2018

BattlBox is a subscription service delivering survival and tactical gear every month. Each month has a theme based on a different experience with a focus on preparedness and survival.

This box was sent to us at no cost for review. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.) 

This review is for the Pro Plus box ($149.99 a month). 

About BattlBox

The Subscription Box: BattlBox

The Cost: $24.99 plus shipping for Basic, $49.99 plus shipping for Advanced, $99.99 plus shipping for Pro, and $149.99 plus shipping for Pro Plus. 

COUPON: Use code MYSUBTEN to save 10% off your first box!

The Products: A variety of tactical, survival and EDC gear

Ships to: U.S.

September 2018 BattlBox “Mission” Review

Each month’s box is themed as a Mission and includes a detailed list of products and their values in all the different level options. This month’s theme is EDC 3.0, and it contains a nice little collection of items that will come in handy in everyday situations. I just want to preface this review by saying literally every item in this month’s box is ultra-portable and would easily fit in your hand. In fact, every item conveniently can be stored in a pouch that is no bigger than a burrito!

Here are the items included in the Basic level ($24.99 cost / $59.33 retail value):

Speedy Strike Knife Sharpener + Ferro Striker – Retail Value $9.95

First up we have this micro carbide sharpener and ferro striker named the Speedy Strike. Made from Micro 100 Super Carbide, this handy little tool can be used to sharpen serrated or flat blades, fish hooks, garden tools – basically anything you might need to keep an edge on. It feels sturdy in the hand and has a smooth but grippy rubberized grip and removable cover.

Lighterbro Classic Black – Retail Value $13.99

Next up we’ve got this interesting item – The Lighterbro. You can turn your plain old Bic lighter into a multi-tool featuring a blade, scissors, screwdriver, and bottle opener. I like that it’s stainless steel, it has a pleasant weight in my hand and doesn’t feel bulky like I expected it to at first. I don’t normally carry a lighter so this is something I’m likely to gift.

Exotac Freekey System – Retail Value $6.49

Next up we have a couple of items from Exotac, a brand I’ve seen in several subscriptions including a past Battlbox. Everything they make seems to be clever and well-constructed, and the Freekey system is no exception. It’s basically an improvement over the classic keyring design. Instead of having to fight against a smooth, strong, rounded piece of metal with your fingernails, the Freekey system is flat and pulling apart the layers is a piece of cake. It is made of several loops, so it’s equally as secure as a classic keyring. If your key doesn’t fit on the larger main ring, there are several smaller rings included that have the same build. Everything was super easy to attach and remove.

Exotac BMQR .380 Magnetic Quick Release Keyring – Retail Value $16.95

The other Exotac item is this magnetic quick release keyring that mimics a .380 bullet. The magnets in the bullet and casing are super strong – I had to keep them a few inches apart just to photograph them. The bullet side comes with the smaller Freekey system ring and looks great attached to the main Freekey system from above.

Battltac Daily Utility Tool – Retail Value $11.95

The final item at the Basic level is this small utility knife tool from Battltac. This is essentially a retractable x-acto blade in a very tiny metal package. It fit easily in my fifth pocket even with a tube of lip balm. Daniel Dabbs, Battlbox CEO, designed this particular item in order to save your expensive EDC blades from everyday cutting tasks like opening boxes or working through annoying plastic packaging. Save those sick stainless blades for cutting rope and wood and meat, and use this little guy to open your next Battlbox or subscription box instead.

In addition to the items included in the Basic box, here are the items included at the Advanced level: ($49.99 cost / $124.27 retail value)

Olight S1 Baton Flashlight with 16340 Battery – Retail Value $44.95

The first item at the Advanced level is this ultra-compact, high-powered LED flashlight from Olight – the S1. As some readers may know, I have a weakness for flashlights, and I can thank the last EDC themed Battlbox for turning me on to Olight. The S1 is about the size of a AA battery or a standard lip balm tube, and despite its small size it has an output of 500 lumens! Standard headlamps output somewhere between 100 and 200, so this is a wildly bright little light. It comes with a pocket clip, which I removed, and a lanyard which I probably won’t use. My only gripe is that it’s not rechargeable, but you can purchase a separate rechargeable 16340 battery.

Exotac EDC Roll – Retail Value $19.99

The other item at the Advanced level is this EDC tool roll from Exotac! This roll is made from heavy-duty nylon and velcro and has one row of stretchy pockets for larger items and a flap with mesh pockets for holding smaller things in place. The stretchy side is perfect for a standard pocketknife, the Speedy Strike, or even a smaller medicine bottle, while the mesh pocket side is ideal for smaller items like keys, lip balm, or an S1 Baton flashlight. There is a large amount of velcro, allowing you to pack a ton of stuff into this roll and still easily secure it. The leather belt strap is a nice touch as well.

In addition to the items included in the Basic and Advanced boxes, here are the items included at the Pro level: ($99.99 cost / $194.26 retail value)

Real Steel G5 Metamorph – Retail Value $69.99

The only item in the Pro box this month is this gorgeous 14C28N stainless steel knife from Real Steel. This knife is so slick: it fits cleanly in the palm, it’s got a bit of a matte finish on the aluminum handles, and has bearings in the hinge making opening and closing a total breeze. To open the blade, there is a thumb push on the bottom, and the locking mechanism is completely hidden within the handle. I really love the sharp look and feel of this blade and it may take the place of my current EDC, the Brous from Battlbox April 2017.

In addition to the items included in the Basic, Advanced and Pro boxes, here are the items included at the ProPlus level: ($149.99 cost / $274.25 value)

CRKT Crossbones and CRKT VIVA Combo – Retail Value $79.99

Finally this month, we have this combo from CRKT featuring the VIVA EDC tool and the Crossbones folding blade. Starting with the VIVA, it’s a basic belt loop hook with a few tools included, but it’s got a nice weight to it compared to some other all-in-one pieces. There is a pry bar at one end, a bottle opener of course, and a mini-wrench built into the body of the tool. Moving on to the Crossbones, this is a really interesting folding blade with a unique body. The blade itself is reminiscent of the Metamorph, but is made from a different steel (AUS 8). The handles have a nice pattern to them which grips the hand well, and the locking mechanism is strong and tight. Honestly, I was a little bit surprised in how similar the two blades included this month are. The main difference is that the Metamorph blade tapers while the Crossbones sweeps upwards to a point.

And just so you can see, here is the Exotac EDC Roll with everything in this box packed in it. Lots of room to spare for items saved from past EDC boxes, or for your personal EDC needs!

Verdict: BattlBox put together another great EDC collection here, I have to say these are probably my favorite Battlboxes to get in the mail. I love how useful every single item is, and it was a great idea to include a tool roll with plenty of space for everything in this box with room to spare. This month’s value tops out at $274.25 which is a little low on the Battlbox spectrum but still well above the $159.24 investment ($149.99 a month plus $9.25 shipping).

To Wrap Up:

Can you still get this box if you sign up today? You won’t get this box as a subscriber if you sign up today, but you can buy past boxes in the BattlBox store.

Coupon – Use coupon code MYSUBTEN to save 10% off your first box!

Value Breakdown: At $159.24 for this box, here’s what you are paying approximately per item:

Sharpener: $5.78

Lighterbro: $8.12

Freekey: $3.77

.380 Keyring: $9.84

DUT: $6.94

Flashlight: $26.10

Roll: $11.61

Knife 1: $40.64

Knife 2 + tool combo: $46.45

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Written by Andy Cosnotti

Andy is a professional photographer and a vinyl record collector. He loves coffee, gin, craft beer, and playing disc golf. Getting mail is one of his favorite things and he buys a new record every week but tells his wife it’s much less often.

All views in this review are the opinion of the author. My Subscription Addiction will never accept payment in exchange for a review, but will accept a box at no cost to provide honest opinions on the box. This post may contain affiliate/referral links. If you buy something, MSA may earn an affiliate commission. Read the complete My Subscription Addiction disclosure.

Source: https://www.mysubscriptionaddiction.com/2018/10/battlbox-pro-plus-review-sept-2018.html

[team-adults-blog]

4.06 We Will Rise

Broken up by characters. This was such an awesome Marcus Kane episode we don’t even need to talk about the Jasper quoting Dr. Seuss. It’s the longest one yet. buckle up. 

Jaha

[ Arkadia aftermath] Jaha playing with the cult coin piece. He’s probably going to go looking for another site or read into this cult leader dude. It’s clearly important if we keep having short call-backs to it. He’s also the dude that will literally join any cult, so...

(Overhearing speech against Ilian) You ok with all of this?-Monty. ­They’re just blowing off steam. Blowing off steam? Is that what we were doing when we strung up Murphy for killing Wells? HEAD SNAP. YOU NOW HAVE MY FULL ATTENTION. So Clarke tells Jaha that Wells didn’t make it when he asks about him S1. This is her way of protecting Jaha, her parents’ friend whom she also knows pretty well from her child hood, from the knowledge that Wells died as a result of being his son. The son of the chancellor who locked them all up. The one who was trying to get them to work together. The kids all know that he was murdered by Charlotte, but hate for Murphy was so great they wanted it to be him. This is news to Jaha because “killing Wells?” He didn’t know his son was murdered. The kids have kept much of their early days hush hush from the adults and rest of the Ark aside than fighting with the grounders. Not only was he murdered, but it was Murphy? My John? My sarcastic John that I traveled through the desert with and sacrificed people to a sea monster for before finding ALIE’s mansion and almost destroying everything? That John Murphy? Monty’s tone here implies that it was a mistake, that he didn’t actually do it, but that mob mentality can be dangerous. It’s interesting that Jaha never talks about Wells. Is that guilt for following the law and sending him down on the dropship? Is it grief for the loss of his son he’s still not been able to deal with because of all the other brouhaha going on (I’m home so you can thank my mom for that phrase)? I’m so amazed that after the shock of someone bringing up Wells to him, followed by the murrrrderrrr (which he may or may not have known, I’m saying he did not) results in Jaha turning and saying pour. to the bartender. He’d rather drink to forget his son? Alcohol is not a good coping mechanism for grief (just look at Jasper), you have to work through it and it fucking sucks. Alcohol hides it and temporarily can help you forget it, but it doesn’t make it disappear. Monty is only even bringing up Wells to get a reaction out of you so you’ll DO something to stop these people because they listen to you! And you repress your feelings instead. Say something. (Jaha turns away from Monty and drinks) With all due respect, Your son would be ashamed of you. Jaha stops. Ouch. Monty is 100% right. I really want to know more about Well’s mother because his moral compass is true North and he was a way better man than his father. Then Monty tells Niylah, I’ll go get Kane.

I’d like to take a minute and congratulate myself on predicting Wells would have another moment back after 4.02 -Lexa had her moment in 4.01 and Jake in 4.02, I thought Wells would be next in 4.03. It came later than I thought, which is a better pace. He’s brought up and will probably be a character we call back to every now and then (but less frequently than Lexa and Lincoln because they were around longer and knew/ interacted with more of the current characters) to remind us of our most moral character. Just now thinking of the fact that the most moral and good person didn’t survive and what the show is trying to say there- everyone has a breaking point and has to make compromises and sacrifices. I don’t think they’re saying you have to sacrifice your morals as much as they’re exploring the theme of at what point do you sacrifice them. food for thought. Back to the point: Wells can’t be laid to rest as long as Thelonious is refusing to acknowledge and work through his grief instead of trying to forget he ever had a son.

From the ashes we will rise. Cool. We’re going to join another cult under coo-coo-Jaha.

Kane

YA GIRL CALLED THE ILIAN SCENE WITH KANE PROTECTING HIM OK? It looks like Kane is all alone from the shot and I was like mmmmmm okay, there’s no way he just fought off a mob by himself, but then we see the rest of the guard so I’m cool. BAMF right here. I love him.

Clarke and Kane talk. Oh.My.Frail.Heart. Let’s break down this scene by the important lines that are jam packed with meaning. Go pick up some omega-3’s (because ya eyes are gon be burnin’ after you’re done cryin’ from all the heartwarming stuff here, and you need to replenish your tears for next week. If you don’t like fish oil I hear flaxseed also works).

I’m going with you. You can’t. I’m the chancellor, I do what I want. That’s why you can’t. have to stay here.

I know you’re worried about my mother- I like that Clarke 1) acknowledges this relationship past the 4.01 cheek caress. 2) tries to reassure him that Mom/Abby will be ok. This is important to me because Clarke hasn’t been around for the majority of Kabby’s development. She know’s their backstory of possible friendship turned enemies to mutual respect, but lil’ Clarkiepoo BOOKED IT after Mount Weather (hurting Abby and Bellamy the most). We get Kabby hand holding in the end of S2, but that didn’t necessarily mean relationship! for Clarke watching them on the journey back to Arkadia. So basically she’s been off doing her own thing/ avoiding her mother, hanging around the woods and then Polis while Kabby is growing and developing. feelings. This acknowledgement that yes, you and my mom are a thing, and I’m aware and not objecting to it is super important. Kane knows Clarke is #1 for Abbs, hence why he’s like “to Clarke” in 4.02 when Abby has to leave Polis.

She’s going into space. In a 100 (hundred) year old rocket. Do you have any idea how many things could go wrong? Marcus Kane is 110% right here. He has reason to worry about this plan, and even more to with it being his boo blasting off into space.

Clarke responds with faith™ in Raven followed by faith™ in her momma. She’s had to rely on Raven’s brilliance every season and she’s always pulled through. There’s a lil pause when Kane knows her arguments are right, but he still wants to find a way to convince her to let him go because how on earth do you protect someone if you’re not near them? THEN.

I’ll send her your love.

This 1) Firmly tells Kane there’s no point arguing anymore; he’s staying behind. Mom skills. 2) MEGA CONFIRMS CLARKE KNOWS THEY GENUINELY CARE FOR EACH OTHER TO THE POINT THAT SHE SAYS ***love*** Holy cow my heart broke. Kabby is so lost for each other I have so many feels for this scene especially when Marcus looks down and blinks a few times and says Yes. Please do that. And I’ll make sure there’s something left to save…When you get home. Clarke is the queen of no-chill and calls it like she sees it. She sees the love we all see and calls it by its name, even though Kabby hasn’t said it. Lil’

Marco thinks for a minute, like wow. She just said love. I haven’t said that to Abby yet. But yeah. This is love. I’m so frickin’ LOST (wink) for her. Love is an accurate word for my emotions. Am I willing to admit that aloud to another living soul, much less Clarke? Can I tell her daughter that? Will it be weird? We’ve got 6 months to live. Fuck it. I love Abby Griffin. Tell her that. Tell her you’re cool with it too. Your mom just validated you being bi and that you loved Lexa, validate adults ~50+ still having sexual feelings. The “when you get home part” is so nice because he’s saying he knows she’ll somehow make things work. And he’s hopeful that maybe they can be a fam? When you and my wife come home, that would make me really happy, essentially. And she gives him a little smile like, I’m worried but that would be nice. I’m glad you want me to come “home” to Arkadia because I don’t really feel like I have a home. Clarke’s been off in Polis for far too long before coming back to Arkadia. She needed someone other than Bellamy to tell her this is her home and she should come back and stay because everyone hates her because of the list stunt, even if it’s not an issue anymore. If Clarke skipped me on that list I’d remember.

HUG. AND HE INITIATED IT. CLARKE I CARE ABOUT YOU TOO PLEASE BE SAFE. At first Clake’s feeling... uh this strange to me..but…strangely…nice. She relaxes into it and hugs him back more than the reactionarly ”someone is embracing me I should lightly put my hands on their back and pat to show my discomfort after 3 seconds.” No. she closes her eyes and does a little shift down into his shoulder.

If later Clarke runs to him (upon return) and initiates it. UGHTRHFGHHUGHHHHH. Fetch the smelling salts, amiright. The last time I remember them having a GOOD/ long dialogue with just them was shortly after Clarke and Anya make it to Arkadia S2 and they’re sitting on the steps/ a bench? I recall them talking about leadership and/ or Abby (again! Cool) and Kane had the early scruff look. 10/10. Now I’m having all these flashbacks to earlier scenes where Clarke tells him what to do and he respects her and listens or debates. Throwback to that scene where she’s like hey, Kane I want to do this and my mom doesn’t want me to, help a girl out. He’s got that smug look and is all (step)dad!kane right before Abby comes in and has a fit. (also S2, but EARLY facial hair phase. Minimal scruff, but great hair and I love all phases of this beard who am I kidding. Current S4 hair could use a slight trim because I don’t see the show letting hic go shoulder length hair)

[Monty goes to get Kane after annihilating Jaha]

Kane gets some guards and puts medical on lock down.

MILLER SENIOR sir, maybe we should reconsider….On the Ark we floated people for this. Dude. I’ve loved you since you popped up on screen. What are you doing? Mob rule will not dictate us in this camp. Miller senior with the most annoyed eye roll and head turn. But still subdued, much like your son, not Murphy. Kane is waaaayyyyyyy past “if this happened on the Ark” arguments because. Hello? He’s already made those mistake S2 when he gets to the ground and maintains laws under the Exodus Charter. Abby taught him that the ground can be different. He still got strong-armed into shock lashing Abby, but he sure as hell regretted it. Where were you? Why didn’t you ALSO learn this lesson?

Kane puts the clip in his gun, David Miller starts to freak out and plead with him. These are his people and Miller sees why they’re upset, possibly sympathizes with them.  

Octavia lets the people in. MILLER SENIOR SHOCK BATTONS KANE. I actually screamed. Miller, I get it, but this is the chancellor and I THOUGHT. your friend. There are some serious consequences for this. He’s writhing on the frickin’ floor, everyone is staring at you and all you can do is say a super emotionless I’m sorry. With a shrug??? He lets them take Kane’s gun. The only redeeming thing he does is stay with Kane until he’s able to move.

It is wrong to talk about these awesome ladies on the show in the context of the men, but Octavia’s plotlines cross with Kane and Bellamy significantly, so she’s sorta mixed in both. Clarke is everywhere because she’s the main lady. I’m aware of my sin.

Monty can’t stop Octavia. Ilian: Get it over with.  OMG my friends and I were yelling about the Lincoln parallels. OH NOW JAHA DECIDEDS TO COME OUT. I wonder whose idea it was to yell black rain. It was a good one, but these two are secretly scheming together like nobody’s business. If Jaha suddenly has this idea, kudos. If they’re planning this the way they said “It worked” when they hugged in 4.01, I’m SUPER interested in their coconspirator relationship. Especially when Kane just wants Jaha to be on his side in the pilot. The fact that Kane says “I don’t know” makes me think Jaha did assess the situation and come up with this on the fly, but he’s got an ear piece in?

He put Lincoln on his knees too. FLASHBACKS. Ugh. The parallels are now blatantly in our faces. Pike stood right there.  Nice overlapping screen, good stuff. Right where you’re standing when they put a gun up against his head. I was there.You do this, you do this and you’re no better than he was. mmmmm. Showing Lincoln getting shot again was not fun and turned this interesting way to see into Octavia’s mind and have her reliving his death slightly tacky. Its alright its ok. Octavia, it’s alright. Come inside. My heart hurts. For Octavia reliving that and having to deal with that. For Kane trying to comfort her in the best dad!Kane way he knows how. She pushes him away. ANOTHER punch to my heart. Octavia, wait! Octavia. Hi, I am crying more and more and I don’t know if it’s because it’s 2:30am (whoopsies, I did half the ep and then went and had a real life (crazy I know), and wanted to finish it when I got home) or because I feel so bad that the Blakes can’t both be happy at the same moment. Kane’s barely able to keep one stable at a time. Bellamy was good, so he got to go off, but Octavia is still (understandably) a wreck. He’s chasing after herrrrrr.He stops because she’s runnin’ Wait! Where will you go…? HE SAYS BLINKING BACK TEARS. This man. This man guys. I am hurt. What a great actor such emotion and beauty. He just has to watch her leave, powerless to protect her. She doesn’t even have her sword.  I’m all alone with no one to hold me.

PREDICTION: Octavia goes to Indra. Gaia becomes part of the story again.

PREVIOUS PREDICTION: As I said in the 4.02 piece, I thought Wells would be next (and we’re working on that, hopefully), but it was too soon for Octavia to lay Lincoln to rest. I think Octavia will probably be working through her grief (for real, instead of murdering people)

FURTHER THOUGHT: Monty’s mom? He did have to “kill” her twice. If he already dealt with this let me know, but I remember her disappearing from the CoL in the S3 finale but no working through of the emotions. I trust Monty to be doing that off screen with Harper because he’s a good guy. Aaannnddddd he told Jasper that he was dealing with stuff too.

 Bellamy

Azgeda is burning trikru as they move through on their way back to Polis trying to keep peace. ½ deserted, Roan doesn’t blame them, it’s a sucky situation.

Bellamy: “do you blame them for burining trikru villages as they go?”

Roan: “that’s funny coming from you”

Kane: “Enough” once bickering’s number one fan. Now saving the day from pettiness and jabs. 

What a burn. What a hurtful call back to the mistakes in writing S3 where Bellamy has to spiral to drive a plot point. Due to editing/cutting/rushed storylines, we never got a satisfactory explanation for exactly why. The massacre is part of his character now, but I’m surprised they’re bringing it up again- the Riley scene was his acknowledgement of the massacre. He’s clearly going to be working on forgiving himself and this redemption ark all season.

Let me just go check on my sister before I roll out. She almost died the other day and we had a hug but things are still rocky…

Octavia is dead. She died when you killed Lincoln. Damn. He played a part in this, but definitely didn’t want him dead.

Clarke tells Bell Octavia’s forgiveness will take time. AKA: They talk about his feelings.

What is she doing? Being Clarke. No one else gets out. *proceeds to get out too* classic.

ICE MELT THERE’S A NEW RIVER CREATING A COMPLICATION. What a real thing that could happen with climate change.  

They’ve taken the truck. fuel. Clarke. Yep. Clarke. mention the truck and fuel first so Roan thinks you have your priorities sorted, but casually slip in #3. 

Bell races ahead to cut Clarke off in the untimate game of chicken with this grounder. He’s such a good shot that he can hit the grounder (and not Clarke) from at least 20 yards away? I guess that’s the magic of tv. “I’ve got this gun, and girl, it don’t miss. It makes baaaabiiieeessss”- J Roddy Walston & The Business. Look it up.

Good job Clarke for braking that quickly. I didn’t.

I’m going to take the Rover back to camp. Clarke: Octavia? Nod. Bellarke with knowing each other so well.

Clarke: She’s your sister, she’s blood. She’ll come around and see how special you are. Incredible look from Bell. ALSO. I’m not sure if this was an intentional word choice (probs because look at the Kane and Clarke Scene. Actually go rewatch it, it was really good.) and if I’m supposed to pick up on “Special” parallels with Clexa where Lexa describes Clarke as “different” and “special.” I’m seeing more and more parallels for Clarke and Bellamy with cannon relationships, namely Kabby and Clexa, so it’s looking like they could go down a romantic path, but not anytime soon. They’ve both got so much crap going on plus trying to save the planet that I don’t think the writers would want to explore that yet. To caution/ dissuade excited bellarke shippers, Niylah is probs more present in the plot right now than she would be (and here in this ep, still nakey for this important conversation about Lexa Lexa would be proud of you) + Niylah stays because Clarke wants her to stay alive. So, naturally, I have to predict her dying. Not because she’s gay, but because Clarke is Wanheda. I don’t actually think she’ll die. I’d rather see her take over the Nyko grounder-medicine knowledge void (RIP. I had so much hope for your character. May Niylah carry on your legacy).

Clarke. If I don’t see you again… // No. You Will. See what I mean? Kabby parallels from the 3.09 Kiss. (also Lincoln died in that ep). She’s doing exactly what her mother did. Stubborn Griffin love is great. 

Roan

High School Musical has ruined the phrase “we’re all in this together” for my generation. I can’t not start singing it. And doing the overhead clap.

License plate man doesn’t want Roan to drive behind Clarke because he follows no one. I’m laughing at his license plate armour, but honestly it’s probably really effective.

What could possibly go wrong? Understatement of the year.

License plate man stays behind with Clarke. Trikru killed ‘em.

The whole jumping from one truck to another is crazy hard, but of course Roan would have no problem.

Once we’re all nightbloods do we go back to killing each other?

Thanks for killing the bellarke mood with a problem. Just what they need.

Becca’s Lab: Raven x Murphy x Luna

Raven head bothering her. Murphy annoying her.

Rips him apart. At least I’m not a mental patient like you. Not cool. Raven and the meditation. How does Luna hear but Jackson and Abby stay asleep?

She doesn’t apologize. Harsh. He provokes, but it comes from a place of being insecure and not

Luna is great. She’s saving everyone’s mental health. Murphy is trying to meditate, but he’s got the words wrong. Humorously wrong.

Swim away. Murphy and Luna come up with this idea and tell raven to screw the computer. Murphy! Thanks. Good, Raven. That’s what he needed. It works. Well duh. Did the Ark not have Apollo 13 on their space drive? This is how we land on Earth now (to my knowledge), we only need the fuel for soft other planet landings. 0% cargo destruction! But wait. We are short a barrel. SIEZING GO GET MOM.

It would be awesome if we could get more emotionally invested in some of these plot lines? You know, so they actually hit us and we feel the pain of the characters when things don’t work out? First, Octavia not actually being dead and Bellamy immediately figuring it out. We saw one scene of grief. We know she’s alive, but 12 min later do does he. Now we get a rocket! In the next episode, the rocket solution may not work because of the punctured barrel. High stakes, but low stakes presentation, so what’s the point?

Overall, I liked this episode. Obviously for Kane, but Jaha, Monty, and Luna had interesting things working for them as well. The next episode is called “gimme shelter” so I’m feeling a black rain coming on as well as Clarke and Roan reaching Doctor-Tech Squad.

 I also went from writing ~1 pg to this, which is ~6 pgs, single spaced. Half of it was Kane. Shocker. I didn’t need to do a line-by-line breakdown, but they were just so packed and I had so many feelings. Sorry. No editing whatsoever was done past MS Word’s spellcheck as I wrote it.