#and yet the timeline restored itself and things are still on track and that moment made him realise some things

[doctorbrown]

God the scene from BTTF1 in the square right as and after they hug just gives me so many emotions. Marty's thanks when he knows he wants to say so much more because, god, what if this is the last time he ever sees Doc alive again? Doc's initial awkwardness with the hug before he gets a little more comfortable with it because that's probably the first time anyone's ever done that to him like that and he's only had a week with this Future Boy and his life's been turned completely around and Doc's full of emotions at the time too but in the moment, he's hopeful because we're sending Marty back to the future, this is going to work. Meanwhile he's probably attributing that shine to Marty's eyes (because he looks like he's ready to cry when he says thanks) to nerves, unaware in the moment of his future fate.

And just the look on Doc's face when he says Don't worry! and the way the music starts in the background and he's so sure that this is going to work. It's that simple: hit the wire at precisely 88mph the instant the lightning strikes the clocktower. The way he says everything will be fine! like that's going to be that, like Marty's going to be back in the future, Doc won't be left lying dead in the mall parking lot, like there's nothing to worry about.

But oh, there is.

And MAYBE when it could've been fine, Doc goes and finds the letter that Marty slipped into his pocket and that all comes crashing down.

I JUST. emotions.

[dramatical-gatsbytalia]

A Messy Love Through the Ages - A SidLink AOC fic (Chapter One)

Well. Turns out you have to be invited to AO3. So I guess this is going up on Tumblr until I get my invitation. What a way to come out of fanfiction writer retirement. 

Bit of warning; I have yet to play Age of Calamity yet. I traded in two of my unwanted games and had just enough to get a copy of the game, but it sits on my shelf waiting. Calling to me.

However, this RP was done with someone who has played Age of Calamity in all of its entirety; @wilclhero and I have our second RP that I’ve decided to flesh out because there are few AOC SidLink fics out there. So thank you @wilclhero for your permission and so many great ideas when developing this with me. :)

And I also sat through the 2-ish hours of cutscenes strung together on YouTube to make a film. So like…it’s fanfiction. No one is expecting 100% accuracy. And since this game throws out any time things that make sense in regards to the timeline in Breath of the Wild, I can do it too. Because Jeremy Bearimy said I could.

Chapter 1

It had been a long and treacherous battle. Mipha had been holding off Ganon’s Water Blight for as long as she could, but she had exhausted most of her powers. And as the monstrous beast loomed overhead she had thought for a moment this was the end.

But she would live to see another day. For out of nowhere a trident shot catapulted through the air, destroying what she had been expecting as the final blow that would end her life. And as she looked up at the Zora in front of her she gasped. His deep red scales that matched her own, that charisma in his grin, only a twinkle in his youth, fully realized from the shy boy she had known in this timeline. That voice calling out towards the scourge. “I will not let you take her again!”

“Sidon?”

And just in time too. Joining her side was the courageous hero, Champion Link of the Hylians. And just like that, the tides turned, and Ganon’s Blight was defeated. From the jaws of defeat, they emerged victorious.

But Link’s footsteps were heavy as he, Mipha, and Prince Sidon emerged from Vah Ruta. His mind was still spinning, utterly exhausted from the hours of nonstop battle leading up to this moment. Things had moved so quickly he barely had time to reflect; the Calamity was here, King Rhoam of Hyrule was dead, and he had only barely managed to drag his screaming daughter, Princess Zelda, from Calamity Ganon’s clutches.

It had been King Rhoam’s command. But he didn’t feel any less a coward as he pulled her away to safety instead of aiding him. Sure, he was Zelda’s personal knight, but this was the ruler of his Kingdom. What hero was he to leave the king for dead? And after all of their preparations, things seemed so hopeless. All of the other Champions were still trapped inside their assigned Divine Beasts.

All of their hard work, those sleepless nights, hours training and hardening themselves for battle…all for nothing. In that moment, even the Hero felt doubtful.

Hyrule was going to fall. And it would be all his fault.

His gaze ended up locked on the tall figure in front of him. This wasn’t the little prince he knew. The Sidon he, only knee-high to a grasshopper, was always so shy and so quiet. Where had this prince come from?

And why had he saved them—saved Link? No one had ever saved the Hero before. He was always the one doing the rescuing. He was supposed to risk his life for royalty, not the other way around.

What was this feeling?

As he trailed behind the siblings he slouched. He couldn’t remember a moment in his life he had felt so tired and hopeless. But there was still so much to do. Three more Divine Beasts. The Yiga Clan. Ganon.

“I…I can’t keep going…” he whispered, though apparently loud enough, as the siblings stopped in their tracks to face him. He was going to die, he knew it. He couldn’t protect everyone, and Ganon was going to win because of it.

Mipha approached Link, searching for the calming words that could pull Link from the depths of his hopelessness. Something to give him home. But she was still searching, mind still reeling from the recent events, pulling herself from despair and her resignation that she was going to die.

It was Sidon who spoke first and broke the silence. Sidon approached them both, crouched down to their level—when had the two of them gotten so small? He towered over the two of them. He took Link’s hands in his, a sun-kissed tan swallowed in a sea of red scales. Had things always been this small?

Sidon didn’t know the reason for what he said next. He remembered looking up to Link, literally and figuratively, but it hadn’t ever gone past gazing up to his elders and seeing greatness. And perhaps the tiniest boyhood crush. But he wouldn’t let the other know that. In that moment there was something else…he couldn’t put his fin on it.

He squeezed Link’s hands ever so slightly, the other looking him straight on before he spoke. “You can do it. I believe in you.”

Mipha nodded in encouragement. “That’s right. You can do it. I know it seems like all hope is lost, but we must believe. We survived this. Who isn’t to say we’ll survive even more?”

Link looked wide-eyed to Sidon and Mipha. He was already so spent; what if the other Champions were already dead? But…but he knew that he had to try. He had people believing in him.

With a nod, they set off. One down. Three more to go.

---

It was hours before they were able to meet up again. But by the Goddess, that small amount of hope had been enough to get them all through. Everyone had now regrouped, and now with three additional party members from the future by their sides, they were triumphant in each and every battle against Ganon’s Blights.

But their most recent battle against the Thunder Blight had done a number on Link. It had been so fast, and seemed to land several blows on him despite the blond constantly adjusting his strategy to keep up with the blasted thing. And now, run ragged from exerting his energy in multiple battles, he needed Mipha’s help badly to recover.

Even with her healing powers being pushed to the limit that day, the Princess of the Zora still had room for her favourite Hylian. His skin practically sewed itself up again with her help, and he couldn’t help but feel a bit anxious despite Mipha having done this countless times before. He had always hated being the centre of attention, that feeling of constantly being watched.

What didn’t help was that it was the eyes of not one, not two, but three members of royalty keeping a close watch on his healing process. With his role keeping watch over Zelda and Mipha doing the healing, he hadn’t thought that her brother would be getting a front row seat to his broken and bruised body stitching itself back together again. For some reason, his gaze felt the most intimidating.

When their eyes met he looked away. The prince had saved him, and it was impossible to wipe that from his mind. If it hadn’t been for that first battle, for the prince quite literally dropping in from nowhere, and his words of encouragement, he would not have made it through the day.

Link was just a lowly knight. Why did they all care so much? Especially Sidon.

As the last of his wounds were treated he ended up looking over again, their eyes meeting once more. Once again, he quickly looked away, willing away the redness that threatened to spread across his cheeks. Goddess, what was wrong with him?

Sidon couldn’t see it, but he could feel something there as well. He had always been enamoured by the other as a child. He was tall (or at least back then he was), brave and…handsome? Yes, that was it. He couldn’t place that feeling in his youth, and had been unable to pursue any feelings he had as a hatchling. After this was all over perhaps he could--

“There,” Mipha said as she was all finished. Link went to get his tunic, letting it fall back over his torso before going to pick up his sword. Even in the safety of their small, fortified camp, he could never let his guard down.

And it was then it hit Sidon. Yes, of course. Mipha was alive. His sister was alive! Those feelings he had had needed to be pushed aside; she had never been able to pursue her own happy ending in his timeline.  It seemed a shame, but it felt like the right thing to do. He wouldn’t get in the way of his sister’s affections for Link. He would see to it that she had her chance.

“Are you alright? Feeling better?”

Link nodded despite feeling like shit. While fantastic at fixing wounds, her healing powers could do nothing when it came to the exhaustion washing over him like a tidal wave. He tried to hide it, but it was obvious in the way he wobbled. Sidon, not wanting to interrupt but noticing the uneven sway in his step, put his hand to his back to even out his footing.

When Link looked to him in thanks he knew in that moment suppressing any burgeoning feelings was going to be a difficult task indeed. His balance restored, Sidon removed his hand, offering a charismatic smile to those in the tent with him. “You’ve all done well today, I knew we could do it!”

Ah, but it seemed perhaps he was just a bit too energetic for the mood in the room. It was late. Any leftover troops were gathered outside making quick meals to regain their strength. Perhaps it was time to eat and sleep. No doubt it would be a busy day tomorrow.

“It’s imperative we all rest. I’ll take my leave, I hope you all get an opportunity to get a good night’s rest.”

Mipha nodded and stood up. “Yes, I think that’s the best option.” Zelda only nodded in agreement, the weight of the day now resting heavily on her shoulders and rendering her silent.

But Link shook his head in protest. Not so much because he didn’t want to sleep; his body begged him for rest. But he had a job to do. How could he sleep with all that had happened today, with all that could still happen that evening? What happened if he wasn’t there, alert and ready to defend what was left of their small army.

Sidon seemed a bit shocked by Link’s answer, so he shook his head resolutely once again.

“…right…then I wish you all a lovely evening and a safe watch over us all tonight.”

With that, Mipha and Sidon exited the Zelda’s tent, Link following shortly after to keep guard outside. It wasn’t until they walked closer towards their own tents that Sidon really let his opinions be known.

“Does Champion Link really need permission to sleep at a time like this? Dear sister, this is ludicrous! We can’t just let that poor man stay up, it’s clear as day how exhausted he is!”

Mipha let out a small laugh, though it was mainly at her brother’s reaction rather than Link remaining awake. “I’m serious!” he continued. Didn’t you see the way he shook when he stood up and walked? Surely we won’t be able to put a dent in the Calamity if he’s in a similar state!”

She shook her head. “I was laughing at the way you’re so adamantly coming to his defense. It’s good to see that you’re still the hatchling I remember. Always kicking a fuss when he couldn’t get his way.” She meant no offense to her brother, and was quick to put his shock at her words to rest. “But you’ve grown…and it’s nice that your stubbornness for someone else’s sake rather than your own.”

She gave a heavy sigh though as she changed the topic. “I wish it were so easy to tell him to get some rest, believe me, I’ve tried. But it’s complicated. He takes his job as Zelda’s personal knight almost too seriously…”

Sidon huffed in response, crossing his arms, and then quickly uncrossing them as he saw his sister already laughing once more. Though as he passed a small faction of Hylian guards left over from King Rhoam’s army the wheels in his head began to turn. As he turned from his sister she looked on as he approached them, all smiles as he propositioned them for the chance that, as he would phrase it, could make or break their career as a knight and a hero.

“Gentlemen! I hope you are in high spirits after today’s grueling yet victorious fight! Say, are any of you lot on night watch? I was hoping we might have a moment to talk.”

---

As Link stood outside the tent, soon taking a sitting position as his legs were too tired to continue standing, he was quickly met with a problem. While there was nothing going on around him that put them all in any heightened state of alertness, that meant his mind had nothing to occupy itself. And with nothing to stimulate his mind, he quickly found himself succumbing to sleep.

He tightened his grip on his sword to try and force himself to stay awake, but as he rolled his head to stretch his shoulders he felt his eyes becoming heavy. And then shaking his head awake only worked in the beginning. Frustrated, he finally rested his chin against his chest. Perhaps if he let himself relax, just a small bit, it would be enough to keep him going.

It wasn’t long until he dozed off, lucky that his sword didn’t go clattering onto the ground.

Nearby, Sidon was leading the guard brave enough to volunteer his services towards Princess Zelda’s tent. “I don’t know if this will work, your highness. Master Link is very particular and doesn’t appreciate others meddling in how he keeps watch over the princess.”

Sidon waved that concern away. “Oh no, no, no, don’t think of it as meddling! Think of it as…” he paused for a moment, he needed to really sell this, “training! Yes, her personal knight is the Hero of Hyrule after all, perhaps you could learn some useful tips from him! Consider this akin to an apprenticeship!”

As they got closer he raised his hand to wave to Link, fully committed to convincing the other that he ought to really show this eager guard the ropes of what it took to be a true hero. Though upon closer inspection, and thankfully before his boisterous voice said anything to disturb him, he noticed Link had fallen asleep. Aha. He knew the other had been tired.

“Hmm…” he said, pausing for one moment to think. It occurred to him moments later what he could do. "Wait right here," Sidon said, and quickly retreated to his tent, where he took one of the blankets that had been given to him to use off the mattress. It wasn’t in the best shape and was far too small for himself, but was the perfect size to cover Link’s small frame and provide him some form of warmth while he got some much-needed rest.

He made haste in going back towards Zelda's tent where the Hero sat sleeping and the other guard stood waiting nervously. When he returned he carefully draped it over Link’s body, careful as he got closer so he didn’t wake him.

Much better. He stood up and pat the other guard on the back. “You can put your best foot forward to stay on guard. Wake him in case anything happens, but I have the utmost faith you will rise to the occasion.”

Giving the guard a thumbs up and whispering his thanks, Sidon moved to return to his own tent.

TBC

Do I know the order of events in the game? No. Do I care? Maybe a little. But this game doesn’t care about continuity, so why should I?

This is my first time writing fanfiction in…uh…ten years? Okay well not my first time in ten years. My first time in ten years was a few weeks ago for the SidLink gift exchange. That said, it’s my first multi-chapter fic in ten years.

I’ll do my best to keep updates…somewhat regular. If I can crank out 2-3 chapters a month that would be awesome. But I’m busy as hell 80% of the time. And the 15% I’m not busy I tend to spend on a nap. Constitution Day is coming up though so I’ll have some free time at the end of April and beginning of May.

Fingers crossed. I desperately want to get into writing again. That gift exchange fic was a good kick in the pants and I hope it lasts.

Thanks. And see you.

[lochrannn]

all rest my powers defy

Warnings: mild sexual content, swearing

Fandom: The Umbrella Academy

Pairing: Lila/Diego

Blurb: Things are a bit awkward between Lila and Diego atm.

Lila-centric

4000+ Words

The date is the second of April 2019, it is 8:34 in the evening and Lila is sitting at the bar lining the back wall of the Hargreeves mansion's lavish sitting room, sipping on a drink she can't remember the name of and is not really enjoying, but it's at least something to take her mind off of the fact that she is entirely lost as to what to do with herself now.

A fortnight ago, on the 12th of July 1974, while playing boules with a group of older women on the seafront in a small Southern English coastal town she had taken a day trip to, Lila decided that maybe she should give Diego's grand invitation to be part of his family some actual consideration, or at least stop trying as hard as she could not to think about it. In hindsight, she thought, it may have been a slightly exaggerated speech on his part, though she could forgive him for that, seeing as he had been trying to talk her down from murdering his brother, but even if he hadn't been quite sincere, surely he would be assuming that she might turn up for a chat at some point, right? And it came to her then, while idly lobbing a heavy ball, easily hitting her target and savoring the pleasing thunk sound the ball made when it embedded itself in the sand, that she should probably go see him about that.

Lila had taken the briefcase and run and it had taken her two weeks to slow down enough to fully catch up with her own thoughts. She had hopped aimlessly through all of time and space – now slightly regretting having gone to all of these great historic places without being in any kind of state to actually take much in or appreciate what a unique perspective she was gaining, what a waste – only to end up in London in 1974. She hadn't quite known why she had stopped running in this time and place but she had had a sneaking suspicion that subconsciously she had wanted to find her parents but was too scared to look for them closer to the time she would have been born, or the time of their murder four years later. She hadn't thought she could actually face finding them when they resembled the two people she could just about remember lying face down in their own blood in the living room the day the Handler had found stolen her. So she had simply blagged her way into a room in a small B&B and had spent her time idly walking around the city during the day and drinking a few too many pints in a different pub each night, all the while sabotaging her efforts to actually look into her parents' whereabouts. On the 12th of July, another two weeks after she had stopped running, she had woken up with a slight hangover, taken the tube to Victoria station and had got on the first train that would take her to the seaside. On that train ride she had admitted to herself that she wasn't ready to see her parents, wasn't sure she would ever be, but that she certainly didn't feel like going on the way she had for the past month. So she had made a pact with herself that by the time she got back on the train to London she would have a plan of what to do. She was twenty-nine and had only ever lived according to her mother's the Handler's plans. She had been thrilled at and equally scared of the prospect of having to make her own decisions.  

The next morning after her seaside outing she took a long bath, packed her few belongings in the canvas rucksack she had bought at a charity shop, and pulled the black leather briefcase out from the back of her cupboard. She left her spare pound notes – all stolen – on the unmade bed for the landlady. She knew it wouldn't cover what the room would have cost her, but she figured it was the best she could do in the moment and felt a bit of guilt at the realisation that this was one of the first times in her adult life that she had thought to do something decent for another person she wasn't trying to gain something from. And what a meager bit of decency it was.

Her first stop was the commission. She really didn't want to go back to that place but she also knew that she had no hope in hell of finding Diego without the help of someone there. Lila doubted the Hargreeves would still be in Dallas in the 60s and beyond that she had no clue of where else to look for them. She knew they had arrived in the 60s from 2019 but she was honestly uncertain whether there was any 2019 left after the 1st of April. So she really hoped she could either convince Herb of giving her some assistance – he had seemed oddly touched by her feelings for Diego – or if not, simply threaten him until he gave up Diego's where- and whenabouts.

When she got to the commission Herb was apparently expecting her and was only too happy to help. She couldn't decide whether she should kiss the little gerbil man on his head or tell him to stop being so creepy, but in the end she grumbled her thanks for the information, punched the coordinates into the briefcase's dial, and happily vanished into blue static, hoping not to have to come back to this place any time soon.

After that, things were a bit of a blur. If asked, she thinks she can barely piece together what happened. In fact, knowing what she does now about Five's ability to rewind time, she's not certain he might not have done so a few times over the past two weeks, so little of what happened makes any kind of temporal sense otherwise, all she remembers is a not-dead Reginald Hargreeves, an alternative set of powered, dysfunctional, and slightly evil Harvgreeves siblings, and a lot of fighting. In the end they averted another apocalypse – these people truly were catastrophe magnets –, restored the original Hargreeves siblings' original timeline, managed to avert the apocalypse there/then as well and lived to see the 2nd of April 2019. Though she begrudgingly has to admit that Five had been a genius at strategising their way out of the mess they had made and for once his siblings had rallied behind him and kept in line, she herself had played an integral role, which is why, she suspects, they have been out of harms way for almost two hours now and haven't turned on her yet.

So now here Lila is, with six Hargreeves siblings strewn across the sitting room's furniture, shooting the shit like they haven't just dragged themselves out of hell. Lila's drinking a cocktail Allison mixed for her a few minutes ago, she's a little off to the side and internally freaking out about what to do next. While they were running and fighting for their lives she had seamlessly integrated herself into their merry little group, she is nothing if not uncannily adaptable, but here, in this quiet moment, she suddenly realises that at no point have they discussed what her place was amongst them. And then, of course, there is Diego.

Her gaze flits over to the armchair he's sitting in with his filthy boots propped up on an expensive looking ottoman. She thinks he's doing that deliberately. She only glances at him quickly before letting her eyes drop back down again. Lila's been doing that a lot these past few weeks, looking at him when he wasn't looking at her, generally keeping out of his way when she could help it. When they did interact, Diego was nothing if not courteous and pleasant towards her, less warm than he was with his siblings, but he didn't treat her like an enemy or a stranger, and Lila found that this side of him that she had never experienced before, was something she really didn't know what to do with. It threw her so much that she didn't really know how to behave towards him. While locked up in the asylum Diego had oscillated wildly between being aggressive towards the orderlies and being exasperated and annoyed with Lila but just as often flirting with her, and now she suspected some of that behaviour may have been down to the drugs, because she hardly recognised this calm, almost calculating version of him. If anything, he reminded her most of when he had told her outside the Mexican embassy in Dallas that he agreed with Five's suspicion of her, and that made something in her stomach twist. At some point when she had more than two minutes to think about anything other than trying not to get herself killed, she realised in horror that an outside observer might have described her as being shy around Diego.  

Thinking of that makes her snort into her drink and Lila can feel some of the Hargreeves looking at her but only for a moment, as she shows no further sign of saying anything or even looking at them. When she is certain she's no longer being observed Lila looks back at where Diego is currently plucking mint leaves from the stalk sticking out of his glass, rolling them up, and flicking them at the back of Luther's head when he is turned away, hitting the exact same spot every single time. Luther doesn't seem to notice as he is paying attention to whatever Five is currently going on about. Lila has made her peace with the realisation that she doesn't blame Five for her parents' death, she knows she would have done the same in his position and it could have been anybody, the true villain in this story was her mother the Handler. Nevertheless, she thinks Five is a patronising, pompous little shit, so she can't really be arsed to listen to whatever has him riled now. Luther absentmindedly swats at the back of his head and a look of irritation passes over his face. Again she snorts into her drink – she thinks she might be getting tipsy, this shouldn't keep happening – and this time only one Hargreeves looks over at her, but this one makes her cheeks heat up. Diego catches Lila's eye with an unreadable expression and she's too surprised to look away, so he holds her gaze for a long moment before he turns back to irritating his brother. What the fuck is she supposed to do with that?

During her musings Lila zones out for a bit, seems to be losing track of time, because the next time she looks up it's only Vanya, Klaus and Allison sitting around the table all holding mostly empty drink glasses and chatting lightly. Vanya giggles at something Klaus is saying and when Allison sees Lila looking, she gets up and walks over to her.  

“We're all about to head to bed, do you want me to find you some fresh pyjamas?” Allison asks her gently.  

The two of them have been getting on weirdly well. Lila thinks she might have to apologise at some point for almost suffocating the other woman, but so far Allison's easygoing manner towards her has made Lila feel awkward about bringing it up. How do you say 'Sorry for really wanting you dead there a few months back,' when someone is casually offering you sleepwear?

“Nah, I'm ok,” Lila replies, wincing inwardly when she sees Allison slightly wrinkle her nose. This also keeps happening with the Hargreeves, she constantly feels like she says or does the wrong thing. At least where the small things are concerned. Lila can't work out if she is somehow weird – she might be, after all she was raised by a psychopath outside of linear time –, or if the siblings are overly judgmental, or if they are still a bit miffed at the whole her trying to murder them all thing. If it's the latter, Lila thinks, she can't really blame them.

“Uhm... where do I...?”

“Oh, just head upstairs,” Allison interrupts her half-formed question, “there's forty-two bedrooms in this place and all of ours are downstairs, so you can just pick any room you like the look of!”

Lila mumbles her thanks and goodnights to the three siblings still in the room and heads out to the cavernous foyer with its imposing staircase and gallery. She picks up her rucksack before starting her ascent. Five had commandeered her briefcase the minute they decided to keep her around during their alternate timeline escapades and so far she hadn't really bothered to find out where he was keeping it. Though depending on how the next few days are going to go, she maybe should ascertain its whereabouts, just in case.

All the hallways look much the same, with tasteful if boring decoration and very poor lighting. Lila wanders down one on the second floor and has just passed a bathroom with gold fixtures that she could spot through the half-open door when she hears the very familiar whoosh-thunk sound of a knife being thrown and embedding itself in something, coming from the room immediately up ahead.  

Lila stops short.

She takes a deep breath, suppresses the urge to slap her cheeks to hype herself up, and continues walking.  

For fuck's sake, it's not like she went looking for him, also what if she had? He hasn't told her not to talk to him and it's certainly not that she's nervous about talking to him, fuck no...  

Lila's thoughts spiral so quickly that when the room and its occupant actually come into view her internal monologue screeches to a halt.

The bedroom seems to be some kind of master bedroom with a large bed at the centre, beautifully made up with a flowery spread and throw pillows, a small desk, and a comfortable looking armchair over by the window – all of it deeply impersonal. A guest room, then.

And there is Diego sitting on the bed, back resting against the headboard, his legs stretched out in front of him, crossed at the ankle. His feet are bare, boots lying haphazardly kicked off by the armchair, which is, in turn, occupied by Diego's jacket. The man himself is currently only wearing his black tank top and trousers and his harness is strewn across his knees. He's holding a knife in his hand and Lila is sure that if she turned to look at the wall opposite him, she would find more knives already embedded in the wood panelling.  

But Lila doesn't turn to look at the wall because she can't tear her eyes away from Diego. She realises with a start that this is the first time she's been alone in his presence since... well since Elliott's and all of a sudden she is overwhelmed with how much she missed – misses – him.

Diego acknowledges her with one of those infuriatingly cool looks he's been giving her and then goes back to aiming and chucking the knife at the wall.

Lila doesn't flinch, instead she crosses her arms and casually leans against the doorframe.

“I thought the children sleep downstairs,” she quips. That at least earns her his attention again.

Diego doesn't immediately answer, Lila thinks he might be torn between rising to her bait and simply ignoring her. Finally, he says in a neutral tone “If I have to stay in this godforsaken house in the first place, I'm definitely not staying in one of those monk's cells Dad kept us in.”

There's an uncomfortable pause and Lila hates it. The one thing Diego and herself could always manage was to endlessly talk at each other, even if it was just lobbing insults back and forth. She's increasingly certain he's doing this whole cold shoulder nonsense to punish her or something. Anger flares up within her. Looking at Diego sitting there with his stupid handsome face, and his stupid muscled shoulders and arms on display, and his stupid brown eyes that look exactly as warm and open as they always had when he was talking to her back at the asylum and back at Elliott's, Lila is infuriated that she can't go over to him and kiss him silly, because he won't come out and properly talk to her. A slightly mean voice in the back of her head reminds her that what he has to say to Lila might be that he wants nothing more to do with her other than as someone who fights for his family, but her train of thought is interrupted when she sees something passing over Diego's face. He's getting impatient at her silence too.

“Why are you here, Lila?”

“It's almost midnight, we've been through a bit of a kerfuffle, I was looking for somewhere to sleep. Is that allowed?”

His face twists in annoyance at her retort and Lila thinks to herself that at least that's a change from the constant neutrality he's been weaponising against her before.

“There are forty-two bedrooms in this place, why have you come to the one I'm in?”

That question makes Lila feel oddly embarrassed and the feeling makes her lash out, “Don't flatter yourself! I was wandering down a random hallway when I heard your stupid knife-throwing. I think I'm allowed to make sure we're not being attacked without being accused of looking for you specifically!”

“Oh no, you certainly can't be accused of that, Lila!” Diego scoffs with a bitter undertone.

She was going to hurl something else at him, but that stops Lila in her tracks, “What the fuck is that supposed to mean?”

“You've been avoiding me,” he says flatly.

What the fuck? “What the fuck?” Lila almost shouts. “If anything, you've been avoiding me!” She throws her hands up in exasperation.

The look Diego gives her is a curious one. This is the first time they haven't been painfully polite to each other. The fight leaves Lila as quickly as it came over her. She huffs out a breath and makes up her mind.

She lets the rucksack slide down her shoulders, kicks off her red boots – she loosened the laces earlier when she had hopped up onto the barstool – and walks over to the bed. Diego tracks her movements but says nothing and makes no move of his own other than to gently shove the knife harness off the bed – whether for her safety or his, she's not quite sure – so she rolls onto the bed next to him. She tries to pull it off as elegantly as possible even though she knows the position she ends up in is significantly less so. Making sure to keep just enough distance that she isn't touching him, she kicks her legs up along the headboard and wall and ends up with her back pressed into the mattress and her head somewhere by Diego's knees. When she looks back at his face she can see by the tension in his cheeks and the quirk of his lips that he's suppressing a grin.

Lila gives herself half a moment to study Diego's face. His goatee is neatly trimmed and his hair is a lot shorter, buzzed at the sides and almost flopping on top, it's a deliberate style choice that she somehow doesn't think was Diego's own and she makes a mental note to ask him about that. She is struck again by the fact that she thinks he looks beautiful. She's never thought of anyone looking beautiful before but at some point during their time together in Dallas she realised that this slightly brutish man had become beautiful to her. She is too afraid to examine right now what that is supposed to mean.

Instead she turns and pokes him hard in the thigh with her finger. “Why would I be avoiding you?” she asks with what she hopes isn't a pout.

Diego huffs out some air and quietly replies “I don't know.”

“Jesus fuck, Diego, I came looking for you, didn't I? I've stuck around with your stupid apocalypse mission! Fuck, I've mostly played nice with the murderer of my parents for the last two weeks, what could possibly make you think I was avoiding you?” Lila looks up at him with exasperation and sees the guilt flash across his face at the mention of her parents.

“I –“ he begins but when he can't get past the first word, he stops. And she suspects he does that so he doesn't end up stammering. She remembers him talking about that in group therapy at Holbrook, when, to Lila's horror, Diego would use his real feelings and trauma to try and soften Moncton to his cause. The thought of being that honest and open had genuinely caused cold fear to pool in the pit of Lila's stomach. Lying here in the bed next to Diego, though, with no one else around, she's reminded of the time she was lying on top of Elliott's fold out couch and had, for the very first time in her adult life, been honest and unguarded with anyone who wasn't her mother the Handler. She's encouraged by the thought that she's managed it before, so maybe she can do it again.

Lila waits to see if Diego will go on. She knows he hated being talked over as a kid and wants to give him a chance if he has more to say. But he just slowly blinks and then looks down at his hands.

On a whim Lila lifts her leg closest to him off the wall, swings it around and lets it fall diagonally across his chest, hitting him hard enough with her calf to make him huff out some air in surprise. Diego looks back at her face and she can see the beginnings of a smile. This is familiar. This is reminiscent of her antics at the asylum. It makes things just a little more normal and comfortable between them.

Diego grabs her ankle and she starts to roll her eyes at him but is interrupted by her breath leaving her in a gasp when she suddenly feels his lips brush against the sensitive, exposed skin between the top of her sock and the bottom of her trousers that have fallen up her leg a little.

She looks up at him almost in shock, her heart in her throat, and her expression must give him pause because he looks back at her like a deer caught in the headlights, his hand and lips still touching her ankle.  

Lila sits up very suddenly, almost surprising herself, and Diego lets her foot drop to the side, her leg now thrown across his lap. They are in each other's space, staring, neither of them quite sure of what to do next. Diego's gaze ever so quickly drops to her mouth before coming back to stare wide eyed back at her. That ends any self control Lila has left. Fuck it, she thinks. “Fuck it!” she repeats out loud.

In one quick motion she lifts herself up onto his lap and wraps her arms around his neck. And before she can cover his mouth with hers, she can already feel his hands on her waist and Diego surges forward into a crushing kiss.

All the tension leaves Lila's body and she melts into him. Both of them wrap their arms tighter around the other, trying somehow to make the edges of their bodies give way so they can occupy the same space. Every nerve ending in her body is on fire and Lila wants to feel more of him. She pulls away very slightly to try and pry his tank top off him, but he has apparently had the same thought and gets to the hem of her jumper more quickly and pulls it up, off over her head, making her squeak. How undignified. When the piece of clothing is gone and she can look back at him, though, his pupils are blown with want and glassy with emotion and before she can take his top off she has to kiss him again, because it almost hurts too much to look at him, and she wants to kiss him anyway.

They continue like this. Trying to get the other naked as quickly as possible but getting interrupted by wanting to touch and kiss and bite and squeeze. When Lila finally sinks down onto him with a sigh and a strangled groan from Diego, she distantly remembers that the door to the room is still open. Bizarrely she is reminded that this wouldn't be the first time they're having sex when anyone could come wandering by and that makes her chuckle. The vibration of her laugh travels straight through her and Diego and makes him gasp when he asks her “What?”

“Nothing,” she replies and starts moving.

She'll tell him later. She'll tell him all of her thoughts later, and she really hopes he'll tell her his.  

[pkmnjesus]

⏪ P J’s PokéAni Rewind 2019

Hello, yes I’m still alive for those wondering or care at all :] Just been taking an indefinite leave from all my social media accounts (though you can still see me on Discord: PokémonJesus#2495) since mid-November going through some personal self-discovery journey...nobody misses me anyways. I’ll address that maybe in a future post, but let’s not make this about me...because RIGHT NOW it is time for my 4th annual year-end (and favorite) Tumblr tradition! 2019 was a stressful year for me personally (as you can tell I’ve been on and off  here), and I appreciate all of the friends I’ve made within this fandom who’ve stuck with me through it. It was also the year of the successful launch of my new PokéAni exclusive side-blog @pokeaniepisodes​ where I would do my weekly episode blogging/screen-caps/GIFs for the #pokeani tag. Within the span of 10 months, I would gain over 1,000 followers! Thank you to those who have followed me there as well. Obviously due to my current circumstances, that has been put on halt as well after Sun & Moon ended. Apologies, but I’ll be back in 2020 hopefully. As for PokéAni, it was bittersweet as we bid Alola farewell with the Sun & Moon series ending heading into the next generation series. If you’re curious to hear what I have to say about the new series, well here’s your post! The Pokémon anime has officially wrapped up for this year with Ash & Go in the Hoenn region earlier today, in where he WON another tournament showing Go how it’s done! But now, it is time to highlight some of the best episodes (this post will be following the original Japanese release dates, but will still be using the English/game dub names for a universal understanding by all) I personally found noteworthy from each month. Without further ado, let’s take a look back at what the Pokémon anime had to offer in 2019. 1, 2, 3. LET’S GO!

JANUARY - Hello Hapu

The Poni Island adventures begin! And also, the road to Ash’s final grand trial to complete. This mini-arc started a very fun series of character-centric episodes among the main cast and their Pokémon while they were in the island without Professor Kukui’s guidance. From Sophocles’s Charjabug evolving to a Vikavolt, and Lana’s Popplio evolving to Brionne (plus getting Primarium Z!). But the highlight out of all of this was the character arc of the soon-to-be Poni Island Kahuna, Hapu! She was a stubborn trainer who didn’t want to interact with anyone or battle Ash. She eventually opened up to him and his friends slowly after getting back her stolen radishes from Team Skull (the first appearance of Plumeria as well). She was a key figure on the class’ expedition throughout  Poni for their respective research projects, while Tapu Fini and her late grandfather keep an eye on her progress. Eventually when she did became Kahuna, Ash finally had his rightful battle with her for a grand trial. She didn’t gain only a new set of confidence, but a new set of friends too.

FEBRUARY - Mama Mallow makes us cry

As the group continues doing their personal research projects in Poni Island, and after Kiawe clears his own trial with Tapu Fini, we get a feels trip to Mallow’s past. Thanks to Tapu Fini’s mysterious mist that allows people to see the departed, Mallow relives her childhood days with her mother. We not only get a teary backstory of what Mallow said to her ill mother before passing away, but also Lillie & Gladion’s attempt to see their “deceased” father, Mohn. Mallow seeking proper closure, finally reunites with her mother in the mist as they spend as much time catching up with one another ever since their improper argument at the hospital. We then discovered that Bounsweet was actually caught by her mom before gifting it to Mallow as her first Pokémon...who is now a fully evolved Tsareena. There were a lot of good moments like seeing the Stoutland that (as if this wasn’t enough of a feels trip) help raised Ash’s Torracat when it was still a Litten, and that Mohn is nowhere to be found in the mist meaning that he’s still alive! Stoutland’s final gift to Torracat was upgrading its Ember move to eventually learning to use Fire Blast. But the most important thing about this episode, is that it teaches us to be grateful to our parents (or those who raised us) even when it looks like they don’t seem to care, we misunderstand and overlook how much they truly care for us. Never take things for granted and live in the moment. In the end, Mallow’s mom gave her one final gift before going back to the afterlife, a Shaymin to care for. Thanks mom :’)

MARCH - Ya boi is never too late!

All we can just say when he was first announced was...finally...or about time! Team Skull boss Guzma’s long awaited appearance in the Pokémon anime happened when he and the rest of his gang visited the Pokémon School to confront Professor Kukui. After hearing about the official announcement that the first Alola League was going to happen, Guzma is determined to eliminate everything for what it stands for. Meanwhile, everyone in Alola wanted to get in on the action for an opportunity to become a champion, that includes Ash who stood up to Guzma for Kukui. After wiping the floor with Team Rocket, Guzma battles Ash taking interest with his utilization of the Z-Power Ring. Despite newly perfecting Corkscrew Crash, it had almost no damage on Guzma’s Golisopod. As the battle rages on, Golisopod’s Emergency Exit activates when Pikachu starts to get an upper hand. A stubborn Guzma not wanting to admit what really happened leaves and berates Ash as he sends a clear message on his vow to destroy the Alola League. Guzma and Kukui went face-to-face before Team Skull left, and it’s clear that his intentions were more personal. There’s always a reason behind of it all, and Guzma was seeking for vengeance.

APRIL - Mohn is missing

After discovering that their father may still be alive (as mentioned in my February highlight), Lillie and her family are searching for answers with the help of the Aether Foundation. Lusamine then confesses to her kids about an Ultra Wormhole incident that caused Mohn to disappear. As they continue to get more info, they stumble upon Mohn’s room and discovered two very important treasures. A Z-Ring which he used to wear, and a Magearna that doesn’t seem to be responsive. Lillie decides to wear and use her Z-Ring until her father is found, while also finding away to bring the Magearna he left back to life. With the blessing of Kahuna Hala and her friends’ support, she deicides to finally put her Icium-Z to good use by practicing the Subzero Slammer Z-move with Snowy now that she finally has a Z-Ring at hand. She fails at her first attempt, it won’t keep her down from practicing until she gets it right. The episode ends on a very touching note with Lillie reading an entry from her father’s old journal revealing that Mohn did in fact bought an inactive Magearna in hopes to restore it to give it to his one and only daughter as a gift <3

MAY - Lana’s lure of fate

In one of my personal favorite episodes (totally not because she’s my favorite and the best girl), I got shut up for even doubting that her Brionne would evolve this soon (don’t you just hate it when anime previews spoil?). Lana finally decides to make her dream a reality (referenced in previous episodes) to hook a Kyogre at sea! With the help of Ash, they were able to track down a Kyogre that suddenly appeared while the class were fishing. When they discovered that the Kyogre had been poisoned by Pokémon hunters, Lana decides to cure it with an antidote hooked to a special Misty lure she had been given while Ash deals with the troublemakers. Even after curing the poison, the hunters attempting to catch Kyogre made it rage even more. Lana tries to save it by trying to hook him out of the Hunter’s capturing device. She was successful in freeing it but ended up dragging her to the ocean rapidly as a storm develops from an angered Kyogre. And it was at that moment when Brionne wanted to save her  trainer from getting dragged all over, evolving to Primarina was the only way to end this perfect storm. Primarina’s singing calmed down Kyogre, as Lana lifts up her rod graciously with Kyogre in the sky. Dream achieved, and a moment has been made with new sea friend. Now when Lana tells this story, it’s actually the truth and there will be no one laughing now! Later on another episode, Lana & Primarina would learn how to use and master the Oceanic Operatta Z-move, and it’s all thanks to the hook of this Kyogre. I’m sure Misty is proud as well :)

JUNE - Kid Kukui and Little Litten

There’s a Celebi in this episode...you know what that means. Back to the past! While Ash was training with his Pokémon for the Alola League, a Celebi stumbles upon them and transport Ash & Torracat to the same place where they were at, but only many years ago. They meet this little kid that had Litten with him and it was clearly obvious that his was younger Kukui and his (The Masked Royal’s) Incineroar who hasn’t evolved yet. However, Ash still had no idea he was in the past and treated little Kukui like any other kid he’d meet traveling. The two bond throughout the episode with their similar attitude when it comes to battling, and Ash gladly guided the little kid on executing Z-moves with their Pokémon. The two even worked together assisting a Totem Trevenant in sheltering all the nearby Pokémon as a rainstorm approaches. Thanks to the good heart of Ash helping out everyone, he receives his own Firium Z from the same Trevenant that gave Kukui his Firium Z. He eventually gets back to his timeline where it seemed to have an effect on the present day Kukui. If it wasn’t for that meeting, maybe the professor would’ve had his vision of forming an Alola Pokémon League if it wasn’t for that mysterious older boy he met with his Torracat. A Pokémon time paradox? Maybe...but what I loved about this story is that it repeats itself for the next episode but from the perspectives of Ash’s Pokémon that were left behind in hopes of finding their trainer. Really reminds me of that time Pokémon got separated from their trainers during S.S. Anne arc in the original series, only difference is that the perspectives of the trainers and Pokémon were happening at the same time. But you gotta love a pure whacky Pokémon adventure! Pretty much like a Pikachu short you see before movies.

JULY - Let the League begin!

The moment everyone has been waiting for...the Alola League has officially begun! With everyone prepared to unleash their Z-Power, it’s time for the qualifying round to start. Unlike previous Leagues, this starts off with a free-for-all Battle Royal with a total of 151 competitors but only 16 will advance to the next round. Most of the trainers in this League are recognizable characters if you have watched Sun & Moon in its entirety up to this point. From Mina to Kahili to Acerola to the entire Team Skull gang to Hiroki and even Pikala, every Alola character is here! While all the Island Kahunas serves as the officials for the event. It was fun way to kick-off a 4-month long League arc and they couldn’t have it done any other way. The top 16 has been decided and it gave us good match-ups to follow in the next couple of episodes such as, Mallow vs. Lana, a childhood friend clash which also tests Mallow’s courage in battling. Our favorite Team Rocket duo in disguise facing off against one another (can’t remember when was the last time we saw that). A sibling battle and a trial on how far Lillie has gone as a Pokémon trainer facing off against her strong big brother, Gladion. And of course, the friendly birby rematch between Ash and Hau. The line-up of matches is stacked! I could not remember how hyped I was for this long-awaited League arc. Some battles might’ve been short and quick, but every participant mattered! How can you not love the Sun & Moon series?

AUGUST - The Alola Final Four

And then, there were four. In the semi-finals bracket, we first have Gladion facing off against Kiawe who defeated Acerola and bested a friend in Sophocles. He’s pretty much the dark horse in this, but he’s been working hard all series with his battling to get to this point. As Lillie and Mimo (Hoshi) cheer on their big brothers, it was Gladion who got the upper hand and the two exchange in a very meaningful handshake of sportsmanship. Meanwhile on the other side of the semi-finals, Guzma, who blasted through Ilima and Lana, getting his rematch with Ash seeking for retribution after his soft defeat the last time they faced off. It was a clash of personalities as the Team Skull boss vows to get to Kukui by destroying someone who resembles him in Ash and get a big W for his fellow Team Skull outcasts. This battle was more than just advancing through the semi-finals but also the integrity of what the League will become if Guzma is successful in his ploy. Guzma was very aggressive during this match to the point of even scolding his Golisopod. But when you mad, you don’t focus well and that became Guzma’s downfall eventually resulting in his defeat against Ash who battled with his heart. Guzma had to learn the hard way, maybe softened his mindset a bit, but even after losing Plumeria and the rest of the grunts still want to be by his side improving their own skills in battle to be like their fearless leader. You never see a heartwarming ending for a “villainous” team in Pokémon before, but I think Team Skull had their own happy ending.

SEPTEMBER - The “Curse” is finally broken

Ash vs. Gladion. Here we go, the League finals to determine the inaugural champion of Alola. I mean I already made solo-post last September about how BIG this episode/moment was for our capped hero. Their rivalry has been amazing from the get-go. From their first meeting at the beach by Kukui’s place with a feisty Rockruff that wanted to battle, to the Manalo Stadium battling for a prestigious championship title with Ash’s Lycanroc fully controlled over its rage with dirt. It wasn’t a full battle, but 3-on-3 showdown served us one heck of battle! It may not be considered the best by many, but it was still an amazing and fun bout between two trainers who promised each other to meet in the finals of the big stage. The laugh they shared, the flashbacks that was shown to us (with the awesome Type: Wild! music playing in the background), and the storytelling of who wants it more makes you get to the edge of your seat, cheering for Ash to finally win a major Pokémon League. Ash’s newly evolved Melmetal showcased it’s new strength but still wasn’t able to beat Gladion’s  Silvally. Then, when Zoroark and Pikachu knocked each other out, it was the 1v1 Lycanroc battle that really put this friendly and competitive rivalry full circle.

Ash has NEVER defeated Gladion...until this moment. He’s been training for this, and it finally paid off. The two Lycanroc’s took no prisoners and went back and forth with one another. In the final blow of that match, Gladion’s Lycanroc used Counter against Ash’s Lycanroc that was charging towards it, but then our big brained hero fights back with their own Counter attack. Never have I heard of Countering a Counter in the Pokémon universe, but using it in this one moment nobody expects, it was the HYPEST way to swerve fans from almost losing the match but ultimately gave an epic counterattack that would knock out Gladion’s Lycanroc. And for the first time since the Orange League, Ash is a Champion. Only this time it is a way bigger deal! Mostly because this is a game-based series which has more meaning when it comes to the Pokémon League.

Old fans, new fans, and casual viewers a like were buzzing within 24 hours after this episode released in Japan that caught mainstream media attention. People who have never seen a Pokémon anime episode in their life (or a subbed episode for that matter) past the original series, wanted to see how this episode went down to see a childhood hero achieve a major trophy. This is how big of a pop-culture icon Ash & Pikachu was among many generations of fans since the show’s launch internationally. This was truly THE PokéAni moment of 2019. Again, big congratulations to our Alola Champion, Ash Ketchum/Satoshi! Too bad Guzzlord had to ruin the closing ceremony afterparty... 

OCTOBER - A fiery full final battle

So after becoming Alola Champion, sending three Guzzlords back to where they came from, reuniting with Poipole who evolved into a Naganadel, and The Masked Royal’s identity publicly revealed as Professor Kukui ALL IN THE SAME NIGHT! We finally get our exhibition match between Ash and The Masked Royal, who would like to go under his real identity. This is the final battle, and the promised reward the first Alola Champion gets. This is honestly also reward to the fans giving us one final hoorah for the Alola region with a full 6-on-6 Pokémon battle! I believe this is the only full battle we got to see in Alola and it was definitely worth the anticipation and surprise. Kukui had a lot of secret Pokémon up his sleeve that the viewers don’t know about (unless you get spoiled by freakin’ Oha Suta), and it is also the first and only official battle that Naganadel will be part of under Ash’s team. So the excitement levels of this fun 5-PART episode battle were off the roof! Kukui had amazing Pokémon that he kept a secret, but what I do want to focus in this spotlight is the showdown between Incineroar and Torracat. Just like with the Lycanroc duel, these two have similar stories with Torracat never being able to beat The Masked Royal/Kukui’s Incineroar. Ever since it was still a Litten, the desire to battle strong opponents still burns inside. As the two fiery cats clash in this epic battle, both sides have the same intensity when receiving and taking attacks.

As the battle worn out, both Kukui and Ash activated their Z-Rings together to use Inferno Overdrive against each other. After a gigantic explosion from the Z-move collision it was Torracat who was the last Pokémon standing finally beating its personal battle rival. After a victory screech, I was surprised as everyone seeing it fully evolve into Incineroar. Unfortunately, that evolution took a toll on the newly evolved Pokémon and is unable to continue further. Rest well big kitty, you beat who you wanted to beat and deserve a good rest.

As if that wasn’t epic enough, in the final phase of this full battle, Tapu Koko steps in and serves as Kukui’s last Pokémon and even granting both parties to be able to use Z-moves once again. Fast forward, Ash and Pikachu finally defeated their first opponent when they first set foot in the Alola region with the Z-Ring Tapo Koko gave them in the first place. It clearly now knows that Ash was a worthy holder of using Z-Power and a Champion that everyone can look  up to. What a battle. What a series. Thank you Alola. Thank you Sun & Moon.

NOVEMBER - Pikachu Origins

Enter the next chapter. The new era of the Pokémon anime finally launched this in a very different way. The first episode basically serves as the prequel to the Pokémon anime series before Ash had set out on his quest to become a Pokémon Master. Long story short, we can Pikachu’s background story on how he came to be the loving mascot recognized everywhere on paper. I mean who would’ve thunk it? I just love the fact that we’re getting an origin story of how Ash’s Pikachu when it was still a wild Pichu. Although it wasn’t explained how Professor Oak ended up catching the little guy, Pikachu always had a good heart (you know despite rejecting Ash at first lol). The most adorable thing about this episode was the family bond Pichu temporarily shared with this little Kangaskhan family. The little guy was an outcast not really sure where to go or what to do except survive and find food. When that Kangaskhan picked him up as if it was one of its babies, and gained a new caring sibling in the process. It was a wholesome story of calling someone family even though there is no blood relation. Pichu was literally not their kind, but they still loved him as it was them!

Meanwhile, we get a little preview of our new characters from seeing their childhood and setting up the premise for them to cross paths with Ash in the future. The newest protagonist, Go, was a little know-it-all about Pokémon, and he sure bragged a lot of his knowledge on it during one of Professor Oak’s camp (in which Ash failed to wake up for). Along with his worrisome friend, Koharu, they spotted a Mew while going off course in Oak’s tour around their campsite. It would also be the saving grace of the lost baby Kangaskhan who accidentally fell off a cliff after attempting to play with the Mew. After seeing Mew’s psychic abilities, it was clear for Go that he needed to catch Mew one day. This is the initial goal that Go wanted to set out for when he’s old enough.

After the incident with his Kangaskhan sibling, Pichu had to re-think if he wants to continue being a part of a pack that he doesn’t even properly belong it in the first place. When the herd of Kangaskhan took shelter in cave during heavy rain, Pichu had to make a tough decision and leave his foster family behind while they were asleep because he knew that the mother Kangaskhan would not let go of someone who it sees as a child of her own. Pichu knew that was the only way, but despite his sad decision he was grateful for the happiness they provided for a lone wolf Pokémon that wandered in the wild looking belong somewhere. It was that same happiness that gave Pichu the strength to evolve to the Pikachu we all know today, and found a forever home with a certain tardy boy a couple of years later that they both formed an inseparable friendship.

DECEMBER - The Great Gigantamax in Galar

Of course, you can’t have a new series without showing off a new region?! As our “research fellows” Ash & Go continue their exploration in the Galar region learning more about the Dynamax phenomenon that causes Pokémon to grow bigger in size, they are about to be in for one gigantic dilemma. They had some trouble when they met a bunch of trickster Pokémon in those Nickit and a dirty Scorbunny trying to steal their food, but that wasn’t the last they saw of that Scorbunny. When they took the train to explore the Wild Area, Scorbunny secretly tagged along in hopes to be partners with Go after feeling a connection with the trainer during their first encounter. After MANY attempts of trying get Go’s attention, he finally notices Scorbunny after it kicks a rock to knock down fruit on top of a Snorlax they were observing (that hits Ash’s head first oof). Scorbunny attempts to get caught by Go, but he declined due to his vow for Mew to be his first catch. After the sad rejection, red lights then start to surround the Snorlax that ended up Dynamaxing it to Gigantamax Snorlax! This caused a big road blockage that affects a train line in that area. Ash, Pikachu, Go and Scorbunny decide to team up and move the Snorlax before the next train comes by to avoid a disaster from happening. Ash and Pikachu were able  to cut down a big fruit from the Gigantamax Snorlax’s body and pass it on to Go and Scorbunny to make sure he jumps (just like earlier from Scorbunny’s accidental fruit pick) for that fruit in time for the train to pass by without anyone getting hurt. It was a tough task getting all the way up to the belly of beast, but thanks the Double Kick boost Scorbunny gave that big fruit, Snorlax not only moved in time for the next train to stop by, but return back to normal (big) size.

Unfortunately, Scorbunny was also swallowed in that big gulp, but it was a good thing that Snorlax didn’t munch it all the way. After the teamwork Go felt with Scorbunny during all that, he decides to modify his dream a bit and wants Scorbunny to now be his first Pokémon catch. Both are happy to be with one another, and we all know this was going to be the start of wonderful friendship. With this addition to the group, the main cast for the new anime series is now fully-set. Let the true adventures around the Pokémon world begin!

Some honorable mentions…

2019 for PokéAni marked an end of an era, but a start of a new one too! No doubt one of the most impactful years the show has had in the world since the XY&Z arc. Besides the historic Alola League, we also saw the continuation of Brock & Misty’s trip to Alola (not to mention Brock & Olivia’s adorkable interactions together), the class’ crash-course golf lessons with none other than Kahili! Ash catching a rare Meltan that appeared out of nowhere, The Sparkling Trio of Mallow, Lana & Lillie uniting as Alola DrinKyun (’Refreshing Trio: Alola Idols’ in the English dub), Ash challenging Ryuki’s Kantonian Gym, the high-speed Vikavolt race, Mallow’s vision in opening her Pokémon café, Matori’s unexpected visit to the Team Rocket base in Alola, and let’s not for get about the Ultra Guardians finishing up their final missions in capturing the remaining UBs: Pheromosa and Kartana. And honestly, after seeing all of Sun & Moon, can everyone just agree that Kukui is the BEST Pokémon professor?!

Of course, how can I not mention the final episode of Sun & Moon? In what was probably one of the most emotional farewell episodes in the anime’s history. If you don’t have bias from the original goodbye with Brock & Misty in Johto, this would probably be the best one. It was executed perfectly with Ash’s class figuring out what to do in the future with Ash himself not sure what to do moving forward. Naganadel had to return back to its homeworld, the Rockets had to say leave their Alola Pokémon with Bewear as she sends them off one final time, Nebby returns to see Ash one final time, and Lillie decides to search for her father away from Alola after brining Magearna to life. With everyone deciding what to do, Ash heads back home to explore the world (which transitions to the new series) leaving all his Alola Pokémon behind in Kukui’s lab, while Rotom Dex decides to work for the Aether Foundation. The boat scene with Lillie was a good touch on how her character evolved thanks to Ash’s help, and the departing airport scene with Kukui, Burnet, and Ash group hugging was touching. Even Ash teared up as he gets in the air leaving Alola as his friends and Pokémon he left behind wave goodbye. If that wasn’t a good send off for the Sun & Moon series, Mallow’s Shaymin finally achieved its Sky Forme (which have her mother’s eyes...could be a touching symbolism that she was always watching her ;_;) from a Gracidea flower before taking off, AND ON TOP OF THAT, the final shot of the series no less, we find out that Professor Burnet is pregnant. Never in the history of this anime has ever done that to a major character in the supporting cast. The Sun & Moon series continues to break ground as one of the best Pokémon series.

Other than that, we got the new series (which I still wish we had a proper sub-title for -_-) giving us a taste of what to expect in the new Generation VIII era. Our newly appointed research fellows, Ash & Go are at Professor Sakuragi’s Institute helping with his research along with Mimey and Koharu helping out with the household chores. Lugia brought these two together, and are now living under the same roof. And, can we talk about Mimey?! I’m so glad a classic character from this anime is being used as a permanent supporting character for this series. Not to mention that he battled alongside Ash in the Hoenn tournament and won! It’s also refreshing to see updated animation within Kanto where they’re home base is at, and I absolutely cannot wait for them to go back to other regions with this fresh new art style. With Go’s goal to catch every Pokémon there is for him to index, he’s bound to meet Mew again one day! He’s literally every Pokémon games’ protagonist and I’m glad we have a main character like him who actually focuses on catching them all. As for Ash, he’s still our Ash carving his own unique path on his continuing journey to become a Pokémon Master because it’s more than being the strongest trainer and more than just catching Pokémon. I’m going to take his word for it! I don’t know if you noticed, but Go kinda looks up to him a bit due to his experiences in battle. Just look how shy he was just wanting to be his friend. You just gotta love it when they make Ash this mentor-type friend especially now coming off a huge victory in the Alola League becoming a champion.

Overall, the Sun & Moon anime gave us a variety of different set of stories every week leading up to the anticipated Alola League. Everyone had a story to tell building up to the Alola League, and just look at the list of episodes we’ve had this year that went back and forth with characters that get a main focus other than Ash (or even Lillie). Most of these episodes I’m talking about are either development for a Pokémon in their team evolving, or a perfecting a Z-move with their respective Z-Crystals. This shows much the writers care about each main character gets enough screen-time before they’re ready to take on the League with Ash. If you are still thinking on whether or not to continue/finish watching the series if you haven’t yet, I would still recommend to please watch until the end! It’s a really fun ride to sit through it all in my humble opinion, unless you want to just bolt straight into the League episodes only caring about Ash’s story. You do you. As for the new series, it will definitely pick up the pace sooner or later with the initial episodes are setting up to lead into something bigger. If you aren’t hooked in yet, definitely be patient because I’m expecting a lot of good opportunities for them to pull off in this cross-region based format. Sure it isn’t based 100% on the latest games in the franchise Sword & Shield, but that’s what separates the anime and the games. The anime is doing its own thing with an original story, but I’m pretty sure they will mix-in some of the interesting storylines and feature important characters from Sword & Shield every time they revisit Galar because it’s the new region on the block. They should feature/market a lot of episodes from all the new content Galar has. So I would definitely still keep my eyes on the Pocket Monsters series 👀

And there you have it! This post as long as it already is, so I’ll stop here. If you’ve read everything I had to say (maybe a few typos here and there lol), then thank you for your time! Feel free share your own favorite PokéAni moment 2019 with a reblog or a reply if you choose to do so. Thanks so much for an amazing year, and it’s time for us to GO to 2020. More moments await for us, and maybe even some surprises we might see since Ash is returning to previous regions he already visited in the past. See everyone in 2020 for the first full year of the new ‘Pocket Monsters’ series. Let’s go (with Go heh) and have some fun! Yes, I think used the word ‘go’ here too many freakin’ times lol

Happy New Year to all my followers, and the rest of the Pokémon fandom!

If you haven’t seen these yet, and you are new to my blog, check out all the previous year-end PokéAni Rewinds I did in the past: 2016 | 2017 | 2018

[papers4me]

Fruits Basket S01, Overall Impression:

Disclaimer: I want to express that I love Furuba so much. But kindly note this is my overall first impression of the story/anime, so far. My opinion might change about certain aspects as the story/show progress, so Kindly refrain from correcting me. Although I highly respect the author & anime team, I have no personal attachment to them as this is my first introduction to their work, unlike many veteran fans who’s read the manga. This is my personal opinion, I hope I can write another one after the anime/story finishes, to see what changes.

The Writing’s strength:

The writer created a work that focused on human drama, emotions, & mentality. Although there’s fantasy, it can easily symbolize real life obstacles. Love it!

This is one of the rare stories where the majority of the characters’ emotions & actions are real. I lost track of how many time I’ve wrote “this is a real depiction of...this is so real..realistic”. This’s Furuba’s greatest strength! This is why I still follow this story! the characters are highly flawed in a realistic way.

It deals heavily with children’s abuse, destructive traditions, wrong choices, depression, child’s neglect, murder, death, & suicide, yet manages to not be depressing or gloomy. Hope is created in a balanced & natural way throughout the story & doesn’t feel imposed. Genius!

The Writing’s flaw (Personal opinion):

The story tends to give a life lesson per episode (mostly), not a weakness by itself, however, It creates a presence of the writer where u know this is today’s lesson.

Its contradictory depiction of physical violence within the story, where sometimes it should be taken seriously, others just a comedy. The story says violence is wrong (kisa being hit/hatori ‘s eye) but use it as a joking comedy as well. I know it is not meant to be taken seriously, it’s an anime thing, but the story takes violence seriously. For example, School Rumble anime doesn’t take itself seriously, mainly a comedy, so hitting/beating can be jokes. But Furuba deals with heavy physical abuse of characters (children & adults) & does not shy away from depicting it, so, to joke about it is weird to me personally. Furuba is already funny without it. Violence is one of the those tricky story elements, that is rarely used positively unless it’s self-defense. However, I’ll give the writer credit for not falling into the usual anime’s cliche of using physical violence as a healing aspect to maximize the climax & add extra drama. We didn’t see Shigure & Aya beating Hatori in the lake ep, although they were frustrated with him giving up on life. They’ll need to interfere in the future to push him forward, but I bet it will be realistic. Furuba doesn’t need to restore to such cliches to create drama, climax & explore the depths of broken mentality & emotions. This story is really unique in its approach of dealing with broken humans realistically. So far, none of the heavy emotional breakdowns felt like an anime drama, with a warning this aspect is not serious, it is just maximized, forget this aspect & focus on the other, NO, they all felt real. I guess for how great of a story furuba is, weird jokes are a minor thing, after all.

The anime’s strength:

pretty art designs, excellent music, perfect voice actors, & real dedication.

It is clear that the show is taking its time & not rushing anything which is a very rare instance in anime worlds.

The anime’s weakness (personal opinion):

tendency to over-dramatize emotional moments so unnecessarily. (shallow waters had its own post).

The eps MUST end with a happy note, each & every ep, no cliffhanger, no sadness. Furuba is not the kind of show where cliffhangers are a must, but always ending happily creates an episodic feel. Even when kyo became a monster, tohru hurt, suicide is hinted! & everything was dark, it was resolved within the ep. The only exception is Arisa’s ep, but that’s a two ep background story, doesn’t affect the current timeline. The only moment it became close to a cliffhanger when kyo apologized. boy~, I have never clicked faster for the next ep in Furuba, XD. We’ll see if this continues as now most character intro are done. Are we still gona end every dark ep with a happy feel & nothing left hanging?

[cutiegrumpycerym]

New boy ! You know what that means ? New comic ! The comic will be very short, it will just tell his full story. Here is now a full reference for him !

Name : Aion

Age : ?

AU : He comes from a dead AU, but its name was Aiontale.

Role : Gardian of Time in the multiverse. His role is to protect timelines and worldlines of the AUs, preventing useless resets done by the humans, and restoring corrupted timelines when he can.

He is NEUTRAL, so he doesn’t save anybody from they fatality. He is also not interested in making people happy. He just does his job, and wants to “pass time” by finding entertainments for himself. So he is more exactly CHAOTIC NEUTRAL.

His role is also to help the Creators to find the time they need to create AUs. And the time they need to rest, because it’s also important. His point of view on this will be explained in the comic.

Backstory : For some reasons that will be explained in the comic, his AU died, consumed. Every inhabitants was “falling down” one by one. To avoid this fatality, Aion had to destroy his own SOUL before it consumed by itself, letting him “fall down” too to die. It also erased him from the existence of every timeline and worldline possible, separating his Fate from the Fate of his world. Also, everyone would have forgot him, like he never existed. They wouldn’t even see him, as it was like if he was non-existent. He lost his ability to feel, and his memories. When he woke up, his world was just gone.

The first person he met in the multiverse was Error, who obviously tried to erase him from existence. But he couldn’t do what was already done in a certain way, so he simply tried to kill him. But Aion abilities made his magic useless, so Error gave up, upset. But the fight exhausted Aion and drained all his magic which couldn’t re-new.

Ink found him after a time, inconscious. He was interested by his story which looked similar to his own. For this only reason, he helped Aion to leanr many things like his abilities, how the multiverse worked, and the role he should have. Only because Ink was curious and fascinated.

Fresh was the third person Aion met, but they didn’t talked for a long time. But Aion has a better feeling with Fresh, because he is more similar to him than Ink is.

He also met Lust and found him particularly interesting, but I’ll keep this story for later~

Abilities :

- Two swords swordsmen. His swords are clockwise. The minute-hand, Kairos, can “slash time”. The hour-hand, Chronos, can “block time”. The second-hand, Aion, is not a weapon but a tool which allows him to “rewrite time”. He can change the past, the future and even the Fate of a person or a timeline. But as he is neutral and is not able to care about people, he just uses it to restore damaged timelines. He also doesn’t sees the point in fighting, especially with Error. So he never fights seriously.

- He can see Past, and all Futures possible of any living creatures thanks to the red belt around his coat. The problem is he can’t predict which future can occur. The only future he can see with perfection are only the next few seconds or minutes. He also oftenly confuses Past and Future with the Present time he is actually in, so he can say very confusing things to people.

- He is also aware of every alternate realities that exists thanks to Creators. So he knows about Sanscest, Fontcest, ship childs, and even fusions like AccidentVerse. But he can’t access them. He can just have a glimpse during his “dreaming sessions”.

- As a SOULLESS being, he can’t dream. He actually sees Past, Futures and Alternate Realities during his sleeps. It just confuses him a lot because he can’t distinguish what’s real or which “time” it corresponds to.

- He can feel. He actually knows two spells.

- “Chrono Stasis” allows him to “kill the time”. Basically, he can stop time. But he can do it only on living beings. Not on an entire timeline. That kinda useful in fights !

- “Chrono Anastasis” is the reversed spell, which means “Resurrection of Time”. This spell allows him to do a lot of things like healing people or cancel magic attacks, but it especially allows him to “steal and consume time” of living beings or timelines to “go back in time” for himself, bringing him back the feelings he had when he still had a SOUL. But the thing is that he’ll remain soulless, so he doesn’t know HOW to feel. Nor when, nor why. It’s just kinda confusing to him.

- This spell also allows him to re-new his lost magic. It’s the only way for him to use magic.

- This spell basically converts the time of other living things to Aion’s own benefit. But it has its risks. Each universe and person has its own resistance. Its own limit of time before being destroyed. If Aion passes this limit of time for a timeline, it will shatter and disappear like it didn’t existed. That’s why each time he enters a universe or see someone he want to use “Chrono Anastasis” on, his internal clock (located in his left eye) tells him how much time he can use it.

- If for example he uses “Chrono Anastasis” during 6 hours on a timeline, he will hace to restore those 6 hours to the timeline, losing his ability to feel and re-new his magic, and he will have to wait 6 hours before using it again, repeating the cycle. Everything’s proportional !

- His internal clock indicates him what time it is in each AU he enters, as notion of time is messed up in the multiverse.

Trivia :

- If he is too much disturbed and loses his focus, he will lose track of time and his internal clock won’t be able to update again. That’s why to prevent that, he also thinks to put his watches on the right hour. But if he forgot, and lost track of time, he will have a huge panic attack.

- When he looses track of time, his left eye will show a red hourglass instead of a green clock.

- When he is thinking, the hourglass will also show up !

- The color of the clock / hourglass depends on his “emotions”. Green if he feels okay, red if he doesn’t.

- He has a huge phobia of not being able to know the time and measure it. So he basically hates voids because time doesn’t exist there, so his internal clock can’t do anything for him.

- When he doesn’t feel, he quickly loses track of time in an AU as he is not able to “feel the time” anymore. So he will rely on his watches. If he forgot to put them on the right hour, he will just stay immobile until he compketely blacks-out, like a broken clock.

- He hates to wait.

- He hates wastes of time.

- He has also a huge phobia of “being inexistant”, or just not living. That’s why he entertains himself in any ways possible to feel alive. That’s why he feels so alike with Fresh.

- He met many people, outcodes like Paper Crane, and even Template and Pale. He likes Pale a lot while he can’t understand Template.

- He really likes most of the Floweys.

- He developped sadistic tendancies, so he will purposely say scary things to people just to see how they will react.

- Or mainly because he can’t realize when he does something bad. Heh. He can’t feel. That’s pretty hard for him to figure this out, or understand others or even feel empathy for them !

- He can purposely act annoying. Just for fun. He is the kind of guy to SLUUUURP intensely what he is drinking right next to somebody just to watch they reaction. Cuz dat’s funny lol.

- He finds Lust very fascinating. Because he doesn’t understand him and is curious. And because WOW. “HIS DIFFERENT PASTS, FUTURES AND EVEN SELFS IN ALTERNATE REALITIES ARE COMPLETELY WACC ! GOOD JOB CREATORS !”

- Laughs at everything.

- Doesn’t understand metaphors. And many things about people.

- Tells time-related puns. Of course.

- HE LOVES ALL OBJECTS RELATED TO TIME. OH MY. WATCHES AND HOURGLASSES ARE SO GOOD.

- His favorite food are niku-pan. Also called bobuns (I believe ?) You know ? Those soft breads with meat inside ? Delicious~ “He could kill for it~”

- He enjoys to do scary smiles like Flowey, just to scare people. That’s funny too.

- When he feels, his emotions are very random unlike Ink. This spell is based on his Memories. And the freshest and most traumatizing memory he has is the feeling of terror and despair he felt as the idea of dying while seeing his own world shatter.

- So yes. When he feels, he is very anguished. Most of the time. That why he does anything to feel better and amused.

- He anguishes a lot when someone points out his bad or inappropriate behaviors whereas he can’t even understand what he did wrong. Then he will feel frustrated of not being able to understand.

- He can’t give a proper definition to feelings. He knows what are basic emotions such as joy, sadness, anger or fear. But that’s all. He doesn’t even know what Disgust or Disappointment are.

- He acts like a jerk without knowing it. And when he knows, he doesn’t care. He is Neutral !

- When he doesn’t feel, he can feel fear in very critical or dangerous moments, because our brains are programmed to create a reaction similar to this feeling that doesn’t depend on SOULs. Like with Flowey. That’s called “Survival Instinct”. Something very present within Aion.

- Aion is the metaphysical time. The time we can’t measure, such as generations, age, fate, ETERNITY. This is one of the three types of time with Chronos and Kairos.

- No one knows if he can use magic in the same way as other Sanses, like bones or Gaster Blasters. Even him. He haven’t found yet any memory about magic from his world.

- “To find the Time, we need a lot of Patience, and Perseverance !”

“Well, see you in the comic, Creators !”

————– Aion!Sans and Aiontale by me Art by me

PLEASE DON’T REPOST, COPY, TRACE NOR USE MY ART ! REBLOGS ARE HIGHLY APPRECIATED ! ^^

(Click for better resolution !)

[wanderingtycho]

Variantale: Snowfall Chapter 1

Hello everyone! This is the first installment of an Undertale fan fiction story I've been working on for a few months now, it started out as a simple little prompt and quickly spiraled into something far more complex and involved than intended. I have the first three chapters already written, and am working on chapter 2 now, so I've decided to start posting them in an effort to gauge peoples interests.

Please enjoy and thank you for reading, let me now what you thought and if you'd like to see the story continue. :) <3

Next

-Tycho 

“How does it even snow down here, anyway?” Sans wondered aloud to himself, staring up into the bank of shadow that hung over the snow capped trees, watching as fleeting snowflakes tumbled downward unto the frosted earth.

The forest stretched on for miles before the skeleton, towering pines that creaked and muttered in their perpetual sleep, their dreams of the warm sun harshened by chilling winds. Those same winds swirled and lashed at Sans as he stood rooted in place, sandals sinking steadily into the permafrost, his dull blue jacket still stark against the all encompassing white glare. Silence prevailed over the winter landscape, the scene still and calm yet undercut with tension, as if in anxious anticipation. It was all so...serene, Sans thought wistfully, such a marked contrast to that fateful day. His left eye socket began to glower with a cobalt light as he remembered back, to when the entire order of things had changed, when the human made their mad rush to the castle.

He lifted his skeletal hands from their pockets, rasping the digits together slowly, the dry grating sound a soft echo across the vast expanse of snow. His skull lowered to stare directly into the treeline, piercing white eyes glaring past ice laden needles, hunting for any sign of movement. Years of searching for the slightest hint of activity had rendered Sans hyper vigilant, countless days spent sleeplessly combing the Underground for...for anything. Anything that would lead him to the human. It’s what drove the skeleton forward, his bones had grown numb to the ache of exhaustion that he had known so well in his youth. Now it was more akin to a dulled exhilaration, a subdued sort of excitement that characterized his decade long hunt. Sans was suddenly struck by a dark thought as he stood taut in his stance, a twisted contemplation that caused the skeleton to let out a harrowing laugh. He clasped his kneecaps tightly and hunched forward, his permanent grin stretched wider as the cackling shook his entire body. The laugh of a man pushed over the edge, forced to climb back up to the top...only to be shoved off again and again. “Ha..haha...heh...this...this must be what they felt like.” he muttered to himself, wiping a tear from his boney cheek, gripping his coat collar tightly as he came down from his fit.

Sans recalled his days of apathy and laziness, sitting idly by as the human carried out their depraved routine over and over again, even as everyone he cared for was murdered and terrorized. He raised a trembling hand and ran it slowly over his skull, his left eye smoldering as energy leaked out and seared the frigid air, the memories of death and destruction replaying with painful clarity. He had tried...he knew he must’ve tried, at least a few times to stop the human. After awhile, he realized defeating them was an exercise in futility, he could never combat their true power. Their ability to reset time itself, restore the entire world back to its original state, and start all over. For centuries it went on, countless timelines stripped of life and meaning by the human, and Sans was expected to fight his pointless fight unending. Eventually, he simply gave up, succumbing to his failures and hopelessness. It got to the point where he wouldn’t even bother watching it anymore, he’d just lay in bed and listen to the sounds of panic and dismay outside his window, only to be followed by those soft footfalls marching through the snow. It all started to seem like some sort of dream, a surreal nightmare that looped ceaselessly, and Sans knew that he would never wake up.

A bizarre hissing sound broke Sans’ disturbed reminiscing, a gout of blue flame had started to pour from his left eye and spill across the ground, the thick snow vaporized by the ethereal fire. He shut his eyes and inhaled deeply, trying to dispel the searing magic, lashing a hand outwards to his side in order to drive it away. Sans opened his eyes and blinked, regarding the charred patch of earth beneath his feet, nursing a flicker of doubt deep in his mind. Remembering back to those days always seemed to trigger his abilities, regardless of whether or not he wanted to use them. Focusing on the more...unpleasant moments intensified his powers, but there was always a small worry that he might lose his concentration, leaving him trapped in his memories while the magic ran amok. It was part of why he left Snowdin in the first place, that and...monsters didn’t really seem to find Sans’ jokes funny anymore. He chuckled coldly to himself, taking a step forward and crunching over the singed dirt, making his way steadily towards the treeline. “Their loss.” he muttered under his breath, his march through the snow barely audible, moving amongst the towering trees along an aimless questing path. Sans had read about forests on the surface, poetic descriptions of birdsong and the chittering of small creatures, but in the Underground the forests were empty. Save for a nomadic band of monsters that had run away from their homes before the massacres...and, of course, his human quarry.

Sans trudged forward slowly, each seemingly innocuous step actually deliberate, carving a path that would be quite confusing to follow into the drifts of ice. He kept his head lowered slightly, appearing to focus only on the ground directly in front of him, while his eyes darted wildly and erratically. Scanning for the faintest impression that he wasn’t alone, the barest shred of evidence that he was on the trail of his target, the human couldn’t stay on the run without leaving a trace. Sans suspected that if he actually had a heart, it would be racing right now, hunting for a human like this was so much more intense than simply standing in front of the doors to the Ruins. Then again, this method didn’t involve re-calibrating any puzzles, he thought with a brief snicker. “Heheh...we woulda been much better off just ambushin’ ‘em. Me an’ Paps coulda…coulda………”

Sans stopped walking and stood dead in his tracks, his hands involuntarily falling from his pockets and hanging loosely at his sides, posture slouching as the desire to move was stomped out. He could feel tears welling in his sockets, and after a moment’s resistance, let them fall. Bright blue liquid ran down his jawline and dripped onto the snow, staining the flakes with an unnatural glow, a skeletons only way to express mourning. With a start, Sans realized just how long it had been since he last thought about...him. Papyrus. Just thinking the name flooded his mind with memories and clashing emotions, they were the only pleasant thoughts he had left, yet all they did was remind him of how much he had lost. Paps had been right by his side when they first showed up in Snowdin, completely oblivious to the suspicious and confused looks they were greeted with, overwhelmingly confident that he would win their adoration. Sans would never forget the day they both met Undyne…_____________________________________________________________ “COME ALONG, BROTHER! THE NICE MONSTERS COWERING BEHIND THAT WEIRD TREE COVERED IN TINSEL SAID THIS ‘CAPTAIN UNDYNE’ FELLOW WOULD BE MEETING US HERE!” Papyrus declared excitedly, beaming with exhilaration as he strutted towards the outskirts of Snowdin, clad in a bright orange shawl that contrasted his brothers dreary blue jacket. His legs and feet were left unadorned, skeletal toes leaving strange staggered tracks in the snow, but Papyrus had taken part of his cloak to wrap around his hands as makeshift gloves. Apparently, it had something to do with making properly shaped snowballs. Sans followed along a few feet behind, hands shoved deep into his pockets, in no particular hurry to match Papyrus’ energy.

“eh...actually bro...they said undyne would be showing up to kick our a-…” Sans started to say, cutting himself off abruptly just before forming an expletive, Papyrus turned around to look at his brother with a curious expression.

“WHAT WAS THAT, SANS? KICK OUR…” he asked, letting the sentence hang as he stared at Sans expectantly, the shorter skeleton chagrined and rubbing the back of his skull.

“uh...just...kick us outta town, paps...yeah.” Sans replied weakly, desperately hoping Papyrus wouldn’t inquire further into his choice of language, luckily for him Papyrus was distracted by the prospect his brother had just proposed.

“KICK US OUT? NONSENSE! I’M SURE ONCE WE EXPLAIN WHO WE ARE AND WHAT WE’RE DOING HERE, UNDYNE AND THE REST OF THE MONSTERS WILL TREAT US AS HONORED GUESTS!” he said confidently, bounding a few more steps forward before he suddenly stopped, setting his jaw in deep contemplation. He looked back at Sans, appearing confused as he rubbed his left arm slowly, as if trying to remember something vague and murky. “SPEAKING OF...UMMM...I’VE BEEN MEANING TO ASK...SANS...HAVE YOU HAD ANY LUCK REMEMBERING WHY WE’RE HERE?” Papyrus asked, looking at his brother sheepishly, while Sans kept his expression deliberately neutral.

He couldn’t recall much of what happened before they came to Snowdin, only that he and Papyrus had been wandering the wilderness for a long time...after...Sans’ left eye socket flared bright blue as disjointed images flashed through his mind. His fingers started to tremble slightly, the snow beneath his feet agitated by an unseen force, the already frigid wind growing even colder. Papyrus immediately rushed to his brother’s side, placing a hand on his shoulder comfortingly, his grin a strange combination of reassuring and nervous. “H-HEY! YOU KNOW WHAT? IT...IT ISN’T IMPORTANT WHY WE’RE HERE, OR HOW WE GOT HERE, OR...UHH...ANYWAY, WHAT MATTERS IS THAT WE’RE TOGETHER, RIGHT?” he asked cheerfully, his grin wide but his eye sockets showing evident concern as he stared at Sans, worry mounting as his brothers eye burned with that strange blue fire. Sans looked up at Papyrus slowly, wanting so badly to share with him the fragments of memories he kept seeing, tell him about the twisted things that haunted what little sleep he could get. As he stared back into his brother’s eyes, seeing the innocence and hopefulness within Papyrus...he just couldn’t bring himself to force that burden on him. Instead, he fought down the nightmarish visions and shrugged off Papyrus’ hand, giving him a sly grin.

“heh...yeah thats what really matters. after all, im the only one with a funnybone between us.” he said, snapping his fingers in comedic flare, to which Papyrus snorted derisively.

“PSSSH, HONESTLY SANS. I DO HOPE THOSE BAD JOKES DON’T TURN INTO A REGULA-” he started to say, only to be interrupted by the sound of massive footfalls crunching through the snow, growing closer and louder with each passing second. Papyrus clapped his hands together excitedly and stood, still facing Sans as he brushed snow away from the cloth that covered his leg bones, adjusting his posture and putting on a more winning smile. He spun around smartly, drawing a breath to deliver his usual over enthusiastic salutation, only to be dumbstruck by the sight that greeted him.

Standing only feet away was a towering figure clad in gleaming iron armor, thick plates of highly polished black metal imposingly stark against the snow covered ground, a massive spear of glowing energy clutched tightly in their left hand. Their helmet was an intimidating and ancient visage, the twinkling light of a single eye visible, a long plume of vibrantly crimson hair flowing cinematically behind them. They surveyed the skeletal siblings before them for a long moment before hefting the magical spear effortlessly, settling into a defensive stance.

“You there. Skeletons. Identify yourselves and your purpose in Snowdin Town at once, or face the wrath of King Asgore’s Royal Guard.” barked an aggressive, resonate voice from behind the jagged visor, a voice that carried easily and powerfully across the snow coated path. Sans gave the figure a cursory examination, deciding he could take them without too much hassle if it came down to it, provided their armor wasn’t somehow blaster-proof. Papyrus, on the other hand, was completely transfixed by the staggeringly dangerous opponent before him. He stood admiring them for seconds on end, wowed by the sheer aesthetics of their fierce black armor, blown away by the brilliant sheen of their wickedly pointed spear. The awkward silence built between the three figures for about a minute, to the point where the knight began to feel slightly unnerved by the taller skeletons...adoring gaze. The shorter one seemed thoroughly uninterested in the situation, but despite his apathetic demeanor, the knight suspected him of being more capable than he looked. Unbeknownst to any of the silent participants of this impromptu standoff, Papyrus’ lower jaw had been hanging agape, stretching wider and wider as the skeleton gawked. Just as the knight drew a breath to threaten their potential challengers, there were two loud pops in rapid succession, followed by a clattering as Papyrus’ jaw fell to the ice slickened ground.

Deafening silence prevailed as all three figures stared down at the fallen component of the taller skeletons skull, until Sans let out an extended snort of laughter he had been desperately trying to suppress, failing miserably as Papyrus shot him a scathing glare. The lanky skeleton knelt down carefully to pick up his jaw, only to scrabble for a grip and have it slide away on a patch of ice. In panic, Papyrus rushed forward to grab at the bone, only to lose his footing and kick it even further away. Sans collapsed to his knees, his composure finally shattering as he let out a howling stream of laughter, gasping for breath as he watched his brother continue to fumble for his elusive jaw. The knight stood in place watching the scene unfold, slowly lowering their spear to the ground, utterly perplexed by what they were witnessing. Papyrus’ misfortunes only continued to magnify as he poured more effort into catching the confoundingly agile length of bone, every desperate grab only extending the farcical scenario as the jaw skittered out of his reach. Meanwhile, Sans was reduced to lying on his back, kicking his feet wildly as his laughter grew more and more intense. This carried on for a solid minute before Papyrus’ frustration reached a fevered pitch, leaping up into the air and diving down towards the deceptively immobile jawbone, crashing into the ice and furiously grappling for it. His momentum carried him further than intended as he slid across the frozen path, a harsh screeching sound filling the air as his bones scraped against the ice, his absurd ordeal finally coming to a close as he crashed bodily into a snowdrift.

Sans rolled onto his stomach, barely able to breath as hysterical laughter wracked his body, the snow immediately surrounding him spattered blue as tears of pure hilarity poured down his face. After a few moments, he managed to restore some self control, shakily climbing to his feet and trying to stop himself from giggling. Papyrus’ skeletal feet stuck straight into the air, flailing and kicking as he attempted to crawl his way out of the pile of snow, his left hand punching through the frost to hold his jaw aloft triumphantly. Sans snickered and wiped the tears from his cheeks, casting a glance towards the knight, who hadn’t moved during the entire display. She had sheathed her spear and removed her gaunt helmet, revealing herself to be a...fish creature of sorts, her greenish blue scales and flexing gills fairly evident giveaways. A beaten eyepatch was stretched over her left eye, still leaving her with a quite intense stare, fixing her gaze on the snowdrift as Papyrus attempted to reattach his jaw. Sans carefully observed her expression as she watched the skeleton struggle, undaunted by his humiliating experience, a curt grin spreading briefly across her face… ________________________________________________________________ Sans blinked a few times as he returned to the present moment, a faded melancholy smile on his face, sighing deeply as he remembered his brothers irrepressible spirit. Anybody else would’ve given up hope of ever impressing someone after that, but Paps was undeterred as always, swearing fealty to the Royal Guard before Undyne was even finished explaining what it was. Sans could never fully understand how Papyrus did it, the way he was never discouraged, no matter how colossally his plans backfired. No matter how awkwardly monsters reacted to him, no matter how many times his ambitions were stunted...never once did his optimism falter. Not once.

Sans reached into his jacket and slowly pulled out a small figurine, a plastic statuette of a skeletal pirate, a curved sword clutched in its outstretched hand and a tricorner hat fixed on its skull. He stared down at it covetously, unaware of how much time was passing, not noticing as snow began to pile on top of his feet and gather on his coat collar. It was Papyrus’ favorite figure from his collection, the only memento Sans had taken into his self imposed exile...it’s what he would have spread Papyrus’ dust on if he could have. He raised the grinning pirate closer to his face, staring into the empty eye sockets dejectedly, barely registering that his own had been shedding tears uninhibited.

“Paps...bro, I...I should...I should’ve been there....I should’ve never...given up. Given up on...my friends...on m-myself.........on you.” Sans whispered quietly to the figurine, his voice strained on the verge of sobbing, the snow beneath him almost fluorescently blue. As he stood there, transfixed by his own grief, his thoughts suddenly shifted away from nostalgic memoriam. Fingers tightening around the plastic shape, causing the casing to creak audibly in his grasp, his flow of tears slowly altering into an excess of magic. Sans clenched his free hand into a fist, his mouth warped into a vengeful grin, both eye sockets aflame as he took a shuddering step forward. “...I swear...I’ll find them, brother...I’ll make them pay for every time they hurt you. Every. Single. Time.” he muttered bitterly, clutching the small figure close to his chest, his footsteps halting and scattered, bright blue flames beginning to spread down his coat. The air was filled with the sound of hissing as snow was flash melted against the wreaths of fire, Sans rested a hand against a nearby tree and leaned against it, his skeletal handprint branding itself into the frozen bark. “They won’t beat me again...no matter how hard they try...” Sans mumbled to himself, caught between a strange combination of tittering rage and hysteric amusement, digging his fingertips deeper into the charred wood. He shut his eyes tightly, his bones shivering beneath his clothing, magic seeping out from behind his ribcage billowing out unto the frozen ground. Sans clutched the sides of his skull and sank to the ground, trying to shut out the myriad of ghastly images whirling in his mind, drawing a breath to vent his anguish in ragged scream...

*SNAP*

  Sans’ eyes flew open, the magic torrent wrapped around his form immediately extinguished, the skeleton falling completely still and silent as his emotional breakdown was interrupted. He practically stopped breathing for a few seconds as he strained his hearing to the limit, desperate to convince himself that what he had heard was real, that it wasn’t just another hallucination...

*CRACK*

There it was again, no mistaking it this time, only a few dozen meters away. Sans carefully rose to his feet, his breathing shallow and terse, shuffling towards the direction of the noise as quietly as possible. He sidled up the trunk of a massive tree, leaning incrementally to peer around it, fingers digging into the bark unconsciously. Past his hiding spot was a small clearing in the forest, a field of snow dotted with clusters of puny sapling’s, shriveled diminutive trees robbed of growth by the harshening winter. One had already been stripped of its wispy branches, broken off roughly and quickly, piled together in a small bundle. Sans stared unblinkingly as a lone figure dropped another branch unto the pile, his bleak pupils following their every movement as they approached another sapling and began to tug at an ice coated limb.

They strained and struggled as the branch refused to yield easily, after a few moments they huffed in frustration, reaching a hand towards their waist and grabbing hold of something. Sans’ subdued breathing hitched unconsciously as he watched the figure draw a large kitchen knife from their belt, raising it high into the air for an overhead swing, the gleaming blade shimmering under weak reflected pseudo-starlight. They brought it down swiftly onto the base of the branch, carving through the stubborn wood like it had the resistance of paper, the length of kindling falling to the ground with barely a noise. The figure grunted in satisfaction, picking up the branch and turning around to face the treeline, totally unaware of their silent observer. Sans’ eyes changed as the figure turned towards him, piercingly white pupils vanishing instantly, leaving him with only hollow sockets to stare at...the human gathering firewood.

Sans’ world seemed to narrow incredibly as he continued to gaze emptily at the human, as if he could only perceive their movements and actions, committing every detail to his mind within an instant. That vibrantly striped shirt they had clearly outgrown years ago, that head of unkempt, shoulder length dirty brown hair...that flat, emotionless face. Eyes just as hollow as Sans’, like staring into the night sky itself, a window into true darkness. The skeleton stood against the tree for what seemed like hours to him, unable to move, unable to break his line of sight. Ten years he had spent imagining this moment, plotting out every conceivable way he could confront his target, each newly devised approach grislier than the last. Now...as the human went about their business mere feet away from him...he felt himself standing in front of the door to the Ruins... ________________________________________________________________ ...leaning against the bark of a tree, his eyelids slowly drooping as he felt a post-morning nap coming on...when the sound of soft footsteps interrupted his dozing. Sans blinked and yawned, looking through the treeline to see a diminutive figure marching through the snow, eye sockets widening as he realized the strange looking interloper could only be a human. “huh, lookit that. today was the day after all, guess i owe paps a weeks worth of dishes.” he thought aloud, a mixture of disbelief and suspicion in his voice, pondering to himself how he should approach the situation. On the one hand, he had been assisting Papyrus in his overly convoluted human “hunts” for years, and here was a sterling opportunity for Sans to help him realize his dream. Then again...Undyne wasn’t exactly the type to treat them kindly, and once they were brought to Asgore...it wouldn’t be pretty. As he debated whether to approach or apprehend the human, Sans heard the soft, plaintive voice of the strange woman who lived in the Ruins echo through his thoughts.

“Sans...I have something to ask of you...if...if a human were to ever walk through this door into the Underground...watch over them, please? Guide them along their journey, keep them safe, I know it is a lot to request but...please, Sans. As a favor for me, for a friend?”

The skeleton let out a resigned sigh, watching as the human slowly walked further down the path. “why am i such a sucker for older women?” he asked aloud to himself, shaking his head and taking a whoopie cushion out of his pocket, grinning as he bound it to his palm. “welp, better go introduce myself, can’t have paps scarin’ em’ outta their skin.” he said, chuckling at his own joke, leisurely making his way through the snow as the silhouetted shape reached the first gate… ________________________________________________________________ Sans snapped back to the present, suppressing the urge to clear his skull by shaking it, keeping himself stock still as to not risk spooking the human. His caution was relatively unnecessary, as his target had remained oblivious to his presence as they continued to hack away at another sapling. Their back was turned to Sans as he stared holes through their head, reaching a hand up pinch the bridge of his absent nose, trying to settle the memories vying for control of his faculties. His promise to Toriel was one of the most vivid, a reluctant promise he had made lifetimes ago, if only he could have appreciated the weight of those words when he’d spoken them.

With a start, Sans realized he was stilling holding the pirate figurine, greatly relieved that his magical episode hadn’t melted the plastic. He wrested his gaze away from the human and stared into the skeletal eye sockets of the statue, his nervous and desperate expression slowly fading, replaced by a chillingly wide grin as his eyes sparked back to life. He carefully placed the pirate into a coat pocket, slowly removing a dusty whoopie cushion in its place, wrapping it around his palm tightly and clenching his free hand in preparation. Sans returned his focus to the human mere feet away, the deja vu of his current position not lost on him, his massive grin growing a fraction as he felt the years of his long hunt granting him a familiar exhilaration.

“How could I pass up a chance like this?” he whispered to himself, focusing his energy and warping instantly across the short distance, materializing within inches of his unsuspecting quarry. He extended his hand outward and, as a bit of an afterthought, snuffed out his pupils to leave his sockets empty. For nostalgia’s sake.

“H u m a n...don’t you know...how to greet an old pal? Turn around...and shake...my...hand.”

[cwdcshows]

Supergirl - S5 Ep11 - Back From the Future Part One

Okay, we know the multiverse was reborn after Crisis, but for all intents and purposes, none of the characters who were previously aware of the multiverse on these shows knows it still exists.  They have every reason to believe it no longer does; and until they reintroduce it, I get the impression we’re supposed to go along with the conceit that it doesn’t.  And I think Olivre’s narration about the multivere’s rebirth was really just a nod to explain how all the other DC properties still exist, but don’t exist in the same continuity as the Arrowverse, which is now singular.

So with all that considered, having all these refugees from parallel universes that no longer exist is getting a little contrived; especially the way Supergirl is doubling down on this idea between last week’s episode and this week’s.  It’s more than a little convoluted at this point.

“An old friend of yours is going to be there”?

But, you know….not really…. Because this Winn is from another universe than the guy you’re trying to put him on.  I mean, obviously if this Other Winn is a psychopath, he’s not really going to care who he hurts, and one guy is as good as his double from another Earth, but don’t try to make it sound like he actually has an ax to grind against this guy; for who all we know, didn’t do whatever he did on Other Winn’s Earth.

For that matter, how the hell does Lex know what happened on Other Winn’s Earth?  Did he take a stab in the dark and assume that things played out the same on the other Earth as they did on his?  Does he still have ungodly knowledge from the Book of Destiny rattling around in his head?

So wait, based on Lex’s comments about Other Winn’s crime spree “surviving well into the future,” I gather he’s using OW as bait from Original Recipe Winn to learn about the crime spree a thousand fucking years in the future and come back to do something about it?  That means Lex knows about the Winn Prime and that he’s in the future; and for some reason wants him to come back to the present….

Why the hell are Lex and Kara carrying on this farce of an interaction? Lex and Kara were both at the dawn of time, so they both know that the other remembers Pre-Crisis.  Is it all for the benefit of…what’s his name? The new guy who’s so boring I’ve even forgotten whatever nickname I might have given him earlier in the season. Because he clearly holds Lex in contempt, so I don’t think he’d bat an eye too much if Kara suddenly stopped kissing his ass.

You gotta love the fact that the real Winn shows up wearing a mask and Kara not only immediately recognizes him without any trouble; she shouts his name loudly and clearly across the convention floor, as if she has no experience whatsoever with masked identities.  Not that anyone would care or know who she’s talking about, but it pretty much makes him wearing a mask pointless.

And why the hell is he wearing a mask?  I could be mistaken, but I can’t think of anyone in the Legion of Superheroes who wears masks.

Oh, bullshit.  There’s no way “Toyman” managed to duck behind a curtain and replace himself with a dummy before Supergirl could super-speed over to him; not unless he’s a speedster.  

Or are we to believe that that wasn’t him before he ducked behind the curtain, but rather an android or something, capable of moving on its own as a distraction?  Because there was clearly more detail in the face of who or whatever made a run for it than the dummy had; to say nothing of how easily the dummy fell apart as soon as Kara caught up to it.

Fuck you guys.  Come on.  If there are fucking “time cops” – who ostensibly patrol history and identify people who are changing time or whatever and have the ability to so expertly know that some iteration of Winn was in the present to kill some other dude, wouldn’t they also have the ability to tell that whoever it is didn’t use time travel to do it; never mind whatever implications him being a refuge from a now non-existent parallel Earth would have. Surely there’d be some historical record that these doubles arrived on Earth, if not record of the Crisis itself. For that matter, how could they be sure it’s no his twin?  Identical twins have identical DNA; and while there may be no record of Winn having a twin brother, are we to believe that time cops a thousand years from now, investigating temporal crimes don’t have more advanced forensic tools than we’re using now? Because even in this day and age, things like finger prints and DNA evidence isn’t nearly the end all be all science that a lot of shows make it out to be. Time cops sure as hell need to be better equipped than that.

Plus, it’s one fucking thousand years in the future; when do the time cops learn about something that happened a millennia earlier? Shouldn’t the ripple effect of any changes made to history mean that in this briefly altered history, by the time Winn first arrived in the future they’d be aware that someone who looked like him had done something in the past that they’d want to bring him in?

Are these time cops in any way related to the Time Bureau from Legends?  Because it’s all one universe now, so presumably it’d all be connected.  Maybe Alex can call up Sara and have them put a note in their files or something so they know what’s what.

How the hell does someone like Winn, who’s wanted by the time cops for carrying out an assassination in the past, manage to get his hands on a ship to take him back to the past? And why aren’t the time cops following him?  I won’t be surprised if they show up later, but they’re “time cops” – they should show up at the exact same time Winn does.  Hell, they should have shown up instead of Winn and arrested Other Winn before he could take the shot; rather than looking for him in their present. After all, even if there was no “Other Winn” and the shooter was the real Winn Schott, for all they know the Winn that they went to go question hadn’t gone back in time yet, and by questioning him about a crime he hadn’t committed yet, they could be setting into motion him going back to commit that crime.  

If you’re going to be time cops, you presumably have the ability to go back in time, because otherwise, why fucking bother?  And if you have that ability, why wouldn’t you go back to when the crime is about to be permitted and a) stop it from being committee and b) apprehend the person responsible at the moment they’re about to do it?

Which goes back to my earlier question of, how do they even know it has anything to do with time travel, when the version of Winn who attempted the assassination didn’t use time travel; which means it’s just an ordinary murder.

And let’s not forget all the other time travel bullshit the other shows do that neither the Time Bureau nor these supposed “time cops” investigates; the most recent of which being Laurel and Dinah showing up in 2040 to prevent the murder of a socialite, that would give way to anarchy in Star City within a year.

Wait, Winn thinks Lex is a hero?  I get him not having his Pre-Crisis memories, but him having no concept of Lex being untrustworthy after living in the future for years would suggest that history never comes to regard him as the villain he really is.

So what, in this new timeline Andrea never got turned into the shadow manipulating assassin/thief? What’s the point of that?

How does one go about getting a secret elevator installed?  Asking for a friend.

Is that the same Non-CGI Martian Manhunter outfit they gave J’Onn when they introduced it an episode or two ago?  I swear the last time/first time it looked more like what his outfit looked like in full CGI mode, but this looks different somehow.  And it just looks weird on him on.

See, this is arguably the problem of having J’Onn leave the DEO, but still be part of the team effort. They either had to come to his office, which was an impractical staging area for their more secret heroing efforts; or he’d need to meet them back at the DEO.  I wouldn’t be surprised if Alex and Kara at least, to say nothing of Brainy, ending up leaving the DEO by the end of the season and working independently; perhaps running into conflict with the DEO.

So does J’Onn own the space he’s been using as PI office? Because I think his landlord might have some concerns or questions about how he’s using his space.  

Also, in theory this whole space existed before he converted it into a secret headquarters; right.  It just apparently sat empty for the last year or two or however long J’Onn’s been away from the DEO – I can’t even keep track any more.

Wait, I know I’ve complained about this a lot over the last few weeks, but how the fuck does whatever J’Onn is doing to restore knowledge of Pre-Crisis work???  By all rights he’s somehow, inexplicably restoring the memories each person had before Crisis, but in this instance, Winn hadn’t been around for years before Crisis happened; so how does he know about Lena killing Lex? How does that knowledge or anything else he wouldn’t have been around for fit into his new perspective of Pre-Crisis?

This is such a cluster fuck.

Why is Winn the only one having this sort of volatile reaction to being caught up?  With everyone else, J’Onn does his Vulcan mind meld thing and then they went about their business.  There might have been a few comments, a gasp; Mia fainted, but that’s also because she remembered her fiancé being a psychopath and murdering one of their friends….

Really, whatever technology Toyman is using, Winn – who has been living a thousand years in the future for years – is like nothing he’s ever seen before? How is that even fucking possible?

Oh, fuck you.  Yeah, there are some assholes out there, but I’m a little hard pressed to believe that Toyman would so readily gain followers with his lame ass anarchy speech.

I have mixed feelings about Winn’s “anti-trolling legislation” comment. On the one hand, that can be a slippery slope; one person’s “troll” is another legitimate criticism.  I got called a troll the other day for daring to comment on an Arrow Facebook post that I didn’t like the finale.  But on the other hand, in terms of any measures that might actually, effectively curb truly legitimate, garbage content that is a real detriment to society, whatever that might entail, would invariably be a good thing, but it’s depressing that it could take over a century before that becomes widely adopted….

Oh, fuck you Andrea. And here I actually thought that after everything that went down the first part of the season, they were going to ease up on the horrible boss routine and actually try making her more human, more personable.  But nope. I look forward to Leviathan activating you so the super-friends can kick you ass.

Since when has “Wildcat” been Brainy’s nickname?  And why would that possibly be his nickname?

As ever, how the hell did Other Winn managed to build these fucking tigers from scratch, when he’s at best been on this world for two weeks; and according to Lex was arrested shortly after arriving and has only been free for a day or two?

Also, how are these things resistant to Kara’s heat vision??

If ever there was a time not to wear a mask, it’s when fighting your murderous identical doppelganger from a parallel in front of a crowd and probably a fair amount of press; especially if said double is not wearing mask, exposing your identity anyway and ruining your reputation through misidentification.  Take the fucking mask off and let people at least know there are two of you.

Okay, the wanted poster is gone, but what about Winn’s standing as a domestic terrorist in the present?  Is there anything that now clears his name?

“Press the button. Now think of what you want.” Lena holds the cube, suddenly a bunch of Supergirl porn starts flashing in front of them. “I should have been more specific….”

Wait, why is Winn wearing glasses during game night?  Is he doing the whole glasses=secret identity thing now?

I assume a thousand years from now they’ll have come up with a more effective way of correcting vision problems than prescribing glasses…..