#but also. it is weird. like okay. who on the writer team had a Lily Orchard moment and wanted to fuck a Typhlosion.

[animegirlsakurablr]

Finally got to see those leaked Pokémon myths (out of morbid curiosity) featuring very certain 'mons, and uh. I Have Thoughts.

On one hand, these leaked stories are very clearly inspired by the "Animal Bride/Groom" kinds of myths that are found in various cultures (I keep on hearing how people are saying that these are inspired by Greek myths, and. It's more than the ancient Greeks who made those kinds of stories. Even outside the whole "got raped by a god - very usually Zeus - who took an animal disguise".), and they're genuinely interesting to read. Or at least interesting to me, lol. The writers were very invested in filling out some of the folklore that wasn't restricted to the PokéDex entries.

On the other hand, it is... more than a little weird to do something like this for a series - a franchise that's directly targeted at children. This isn't a whole "think of the children" pearl-clutching type of thing, the only myth from these leaked stories that's ungodly fucked up is the one featuring the Slakoth line, the others are very much in line with the Animal Bride/Groom type of myth. Yes, even the one that features Typhlosion. But it does raise a few eyebrows.

Points for the writers going the big brain route. But I also have to worry a tiny bit. And my condolences for fans of Rapidash, the Slakoth line, Octillery, and Typhlosion. 😔

[whocalledhimannux]

hello my friends it's time for another wildly self-indulgent AU, based on the fact that I spent several hours tonight with two windows open on my laptop, one showing Queen's Thief fic and the other showing the Philadelphia Phillies absolutely crushing the Reds:

Q T B A S E B A L L AU

featuring Eugenides as a hotshot player who is a rediciulous thief of bases (if u click on that link, take moment to pray for Roman Quinn's achilles 😢), incredible speed, no one can touch him, if he gets on base he will be scoring...

...until noted Absolute Asshole Nahuseresh "accidentally" steps on his hand with sharpened cleats (for the grip! he had no idea they would be dangerous! shocked and apalled and apologetic, really!) and causes nerve damage bad enough that Eugenides is more or less forced into an early retirement, reigniting the old Eddisian Griffins-Attolian Lilies rivalry with a vengeance

Helen is the manager (main coach) of the Griffins (she played baseball on teams with her brothers as a kid) and Irene is the owner of the Lilies

a year later, during the off-season, Irene and Eugenides elope, she hires him as the manager for the Lilies, and trades Nahuseresh while making it clear it's not about his playing, which is good, but because he's an absolute asshole. all of this happens in like a week and sports media goes BUCK WILD.

Dite is a very precocious pitcher, Sejanus is a shortstop. Eugenides trades both of them just under the trade deadline because he suspects Erondites is doing some shady Black Sox shit behind the scenes

Sophos is a pretty inconsistent player when he's younger and it's openly speculated he only makes it into professional ball because of nepotism--ironically, once his uncle loses a shit ton of money in a business takeover and has to sell the team to [random rich owner, idk], he really hits his stride and is called up from the minors to play for a major league team under the guidance of the Magus, who is his manager. he's a center fielder. drove his father nuts in his youth because he was always daydreaming instead of paying attention to the ball.

fun side note: like Sophos, I have a scar on my lip that alters my smile. I got mine when a softball glanced off my glove and hit me in the face, and my lip got caught in my braces. so I like to think he gets an injury in this AU in a similar way, lol.

I haven't thought this through for all of them, because it's midnight and I can't be doing this for hours, but major King's Guard/Attendants are Lilies players, cousins/major Eddisians are Griffins, etc. I'm de-aging some of them to make it fit.

MoW (is it weird that's still my default for him?) is a base coach, Ornon is a long-suffering umpire

Teleus is captain of the Lilies and their catcher (for non-baseball fans, the catcher does a lot of directing during the game--helping pitchers choose which pitch to throw, helping to decide if fielders should move back or move in or cover certain gaps)

he does get into a shouting match with Eugenides at one point, on the field, and again, sports media goes BUCK. WILD. the Lilies have so many good unwritten rules/bench-clearing/wtf-just-happened moments during this time.

as a player Eugenides defied a couple of the unwritten rules--he was not shy about bunting or stealing bases whenever tf he wanted to, for example. he dodged a lot of intentional hits from pitchers but he was too damn charming for the fans to be really mad at him

Relius is their general manager at first, the guy in charge of numbers and trades and negotiating. he's kicked out after a scandal but Irene ends up keeping him around. he starts to actually attend games in a private box and watch instead of schmoozing and rediscovers his love for the game.

oooooh I kind of like the idea of most of the attendants being pitchers. pitchers are sort of divas and teams have like 10+ and fans of Certain Teams experience a LOT of exasperation over their pitchers' inconsistent performance (not that I would ever ever point to any specific team and the fact that Lilies rhymes with Phillies means absolutely nothing)

Costis is the first baseman (because TALL) and has a killer batting average, is v close with Aris who plays second base, and kinda sorta accidentally becomes the first out MLB player when he gets caught making out with Kamet after winning the home run derby. oops.

Teleus, who has been successfully avoided winning that title for years, mocks him ruthlessly (although he does have a Glenn Burke kind of deal where his teammates know but keep it private)

Kamet has relatively little interest in sports and there is a lot of online complaining about the fact that he openly grades papers/works on other stuff during games, but hey, this PhD isn't going to earn itself. he does pay attention to Costis's at-bats, though, and gets more invested in the games as he gets to know other players better--he also eventually reveals that he's got a mean head for stats, even if he doesn't feel the need to be watching every second of every game. there are 162 of them for each team and they go on for 4 hours, okay? give him a break.

dear god, I don't even know exactly where Pheris fits in (once he's like. an adult.) but please take a moment to scroll through this page of commonly tracked baseball statistics and appreciate how much Pheris would lose his mind over this game

WAIT no I've got it, Relius becomes the scouting director for the Lilies and Pheris works with him. Moneyball.

the equivalent of the fighting the guards scene at the end of KoA is one day Eugenides is running a practice with the team and lets Laecdomon (one of the pitchers, doomed to be traded soon after) goad him into stepping in the batter's box. Laecdomon goes between strikes and balls that come VERY close to hitting him, including one that almost beans him in the head, but Eugenides manages to hit the ball even with his bad hand, fuckin' zooms around the bases while the team fumbles and commits multiple errors trying to stop him, and leaps over Teleus at home to score.

ok I spent an hour typing this up when I should have been sleeping lmao, but I have written two other baseball AUs for two other fandoms (as a contributing writer/brainstormer for one, tbf) and I am totally down to talk more about this concept if there are other QT baseball fans out there

[floggingink]

OH HERE WE GO LADIES IT’S RIVERDALE, CHAPTER EIGHTY: “Purgatorio”

I’m tuning in to be VERY entertained on the grounds that I missed almost the entirety of S4 and will not understand anything

we open with an incredible analogue comparing the football team to the Army, as men do construct rituals: football players get blown into the sky, etc., in a heartrending mash-up of Archie’s innocence + the American ideal/expectations/pipeline of masculinity

Archie Company is decked out appropriately to storm Hürtgen Forest

that art direction trope where a character’s hearing goes EEEEEEEEEEEEEE after an explosion……...delightful

the Vixens and friends cheering him on from the sidelines as if Archie can only process his unprocessable present through the lens of his past………...hits the spot

distressingly wood-based rifles for our purposes

Archie > Dawson: I don’t mind telling you I felt emotion upon Archie hoisting his war buddy over his shoulders to that quadruple-toned “Chivalric Archie Using His Strength for Good” tune, like when he broke his whole hand busting Cheryl out of Sweetwater River

WHEN HE SAW HIRAM LODGE, I’M TELLING YOU! 

Hiram’s dragon-scale gloves? absolutely savory; he would

“Yonkers” is one of those New York place names I don’t totally buy is real (Poughkeepsie is another)

the sepia-toned light in this hospital room rings true judging by all the Captain America fanfiction I’ve read; I also like the mint-colored hand towels draped on Archie’s bedframe bought, one assumes, using the Department of Defense’s Kohl’s Cash

Archie made Sergeant, which is the best ranking for a fictional character: important enough that they can be a leader, get into trouble; low-profile enough that you don’t have to write them in the room making terrible decisions; probably won’t die immediately, as a Captain or Private might be

Fifth period is AP English: Archie reads A Farewell to Arms to Corporal Jackson, a WWI novel by Hemingway that Jug definitely turned him onto

Christ, Archie looks good in that on-leave jacket thing

I like Jackson’s subtle graph paper-print hospital gown

Gay?!: was Jackson in love with Archie? is he gonna bus to Riverdale once he’s off his pain meds? RAS, is that you in there?

God you know I love that haunted-ass Exorcist wooden bench bus light lighting

how long has the WW been relocated under Pop’s??? I do NOT know what happened to La Bonne Nuit

Sexy, aesthetic Southside: Fangs’ hair? his Tony Stark glasses? the girls’ “I’m a Slave 4 U” Burmese pythons? Toni’s headdress and immaculate glossed lip? 

Sixth period is Intro to Film: the only part of From Dusk till Dawn I’ve seen is Salma Hayek putting her toe in Quentin Tarantino’s mouth but judging from that I figure I’d like the rest 

The female gaze: Jesus Sweet Pea still looks good

Toni’s stage is flanked by twin pillars of melting candles and I would like someone to track those down for my bathroom

if they lay one hand on Pop Tate…

Betty appears to be, on her own, running the FBI training course. Betty is such a freak

Betty’s FBI-appointed psychologist is “Dr. Starling,” wears a great yellow blouse; Betty eats what appears to be a mini-sized Milky Way

her blond FBI trainer-boyfriend (uh) Glen appears to be an unholy fusion of Jimmi Simpson and that one actor with brown hair and really sharp light eyes whose acting credits I can’t think of right now, you know who I’m talking about (not the guy from Vampire Diaries)

I quite like her patterned blouse and I hate his yellow (gold?!) and blue tie

Please protect Betty: obviously we stan the Silence of the Lambs shit even as it remains infuriating Bryan Fuller couldn’t get his hands in it

Betty’s cat’s crying was so disturbingly baby-like that I had to leave the room once I realized it was in fact a cat

I’ve watched the Elisa Lam tape too many times in recent hours to handle this hallway shot

REALLY GROSS LICKING NOISES

the Trash Bag Killer coming at her was scary :(

Betty’s lovely blue knit cardi with the puffed sleeves!

50 Shades of Betty: clearing her throat before the doctor quite finishes her sentence—Lili Reinhart continues to be great at conveying “slightly perturbing subterranean tension”

was Charles a serial killer too??? oh damn!

Betty has been successfully holding off giving Glen a key to her place until now, an era that must come to a close

fellas, “Do I at least get a kiss?” is a bad move

Veronica was rich: Veronica’s new digs: exposed brick, bougiely avant-garde chandelier; possibly an elevator door right there behind the dude?

Veronica has married Hiram, to no one’s surprise

Chadwick looks like Jimmi Simpson and brunet Evan Peters plus a jaw

Veronica’s single-puffled-sleeved gown…..madamn (she has absolutely been taking secret birth control pills)

Summer + Blair = Veronica: of course Veronica would be great at Howard Ratner’s job; I MUST know what “specialty showcase haute couture offense” Vinnie has committed

T-Dubbs’ green jacket

Veronica pretended she was working at like, a department store? but she MISSED the EDGE post-day-trading

their apartment is so expensive that their bedroom is totally exposed

oh my god, Hermione

Best costume bit: please get me these satiny green high-waisted slacks?! and ugh her blouse has shoulder tassels……..she’s flourishing

“That’s threatening to an alpha like Chad.”

yes, they have a private elevator. fine.

Glen and Chad get their ties from the same Men’s Warehouse

“When that helicopter went down on the way to Martha’s Vineyard…”

you know kissing is 4-real when one person cups their hand to the back of the other person’s neck all close

I don’t understand the drop of the Glamergé egg but I appreciate that there is one and that Veronica is like, get this the fuck out of my house

Veronica’s shiny cropped tweed two-piece, Yvonne’s weird feathery coat that matches her bf’s shirt (you know she’s supposed to be “too much” because she’s got big hoop earrings)

God, Jughead is next and I’m not gonna be able to handle it

OH GOD IT’S SO MUCH WORSE THAN I THOUGHT

Alphabet City?! the piano?? the fucking East Coast Beat typewriter shit—the day robe? I’m—READING CLUBMASTERS? FORSYTHE???

OH GOD HE’S DATING ANOTHER WRITER (she has nice pants)

Jughead eats: “that place you like” is a HOT DOG STAND in the middle of SOME GRASS

I’ve seen Brick like thirty times: Jughead wears high-ankle light blue jeans, grey socks, and spectators that blend to create the illusion of wading boots. I’m going to commit a crime

Jughead doubts it: “So did Kerouac. And Hemingway. And Fitzgerald.” 

fuck yes I love Floundering Jughead, and his Pushy Agent who pronounces “career” like “Korea,” and the continuing tradition of Jughead getting kicked out of his house

I like Literary Grifter’s sweater

the Brat Pack, and most of the Rat Pack for that matter, were actors, but I assume RAS couldn’t resist the rhyme 

I was 100% afraid we were about to learn Cora was an uncomfortably-young undergrad

the musical cue as she reaches into her bag is absolutely as if she’s taking out a gun, and it might as well be! it’s the scariest thing in NYC: an unpublished manuscript

showrunners doing a classic I Love Lucy job partially concealing Vanessa Morgan’s pregnancy via medium close-ups, draping black clothes

Cheryl slowly turning to ask if doesn’t she look okay 10/10 icon

Cheryl’s pins: she has either a tiny spider or maybe a tick

Cheryl’s sheaths: the lacy red thing, amazing

why is Cheryl’s left hand gloved?

Cheryl’s a chaos angel from hell: Cheryl’s going to forge a Rembrandt, which unfortunately means she’s my favorite person on the planet (she does not look happy about doing this)

btw is Nana Rose an Immortal?

please tell me about Toni’s eyelashes

EXTREMELY HAUNTED DOLL?!

“Damn good coffee”: Archie’s earnest “Where are people gonna sit for the bus?” slayed me

fuck YEAH Ghoulies party house! terrible music but really good skull spray paint art

Jug looks LOW lol

Veronica’s blouse + buttons, impeccable

I’m writing a scene where it’s gay.: Tabitha/Squeaky

the hellscape semi’s red backlighting and its skeleton’s red eyes

I like Linette’s glossy bomber!

the trucker who’s about to kill her can’t also be the Trash Bag Killer….truckers have to stick to too much of a schedule….but he could be Betty’s meandering serial

I loved this episode

NEXT WEEK: Archie brings the FBI down on some people paying their rent :(

[she1smyscar]

Reasons Why I Don’t Like Barchie

Let me start off by saying that I don't really have a ship for any of the teens really. There are some that I like more than others and there are a couple that are 100% my NOTPs (Barchie being one of them), but I'm not a Bughead stan, a Varchie stan, a Beronica stan, a Choni stan, etc. I mainly focus on the plot and the parents. Ships aren't my main focus most of the time. But I haven't been able to watch this season since Barchie got so much bigger and I'll tell you why.

When I started to watch Riverdale, I was 100% in Betty's shoes. I had a big crush on my best friend and I thought that eventually we'd end up together and when I thought he liked me back, I got rejected just like Betty and was expected to continue to move on as best friends as if nothing happened. But just like Betty, it was too hard and too painful. That happened to me irl only about a few weeks before I watched it happen on Riverdale and I went through that heartbreak all over again. I've seen shippers praising the exact scene where Archie broke Betty's heart after the dance. I don't understand why you could praise a scene where he HURT her. It would be the same vice versa....if she had broken his heart. Either way, it's not romantic at all. She went into her room and probably cried that night. Something I know well about feeling unwanted.

I know several people blame Grundy for that, but that doesn't make any sense. Here's why. Archie never looked at Betty the way he looked at Veronica THE SECOND, she showed up in Pop's her first night in Riverdale. Right there is a clear sign that he wasn't interested in Betty. He proposed to her when they were younger, yes. But they grew up, still really close to each other, and he never asked her out. Meaning he either didn't see her the way he saw Veronica that first day, or he really did just want to stay friends with Betty. Back to Grundy. People say that Archie felt drawn to Grundy so he rejected Betty. But if it were because of Grundy, why, only two episodes after Grundy leaves, did Archie go straight for VALERIE and NOT Betty? Grundy left in Season 1, Episode 4. Which means Archie could have gotten with Betty (if she really was his first choice) in Season 1, Episode 5. I know, I know. It was too soon, right? Hm? Then why did Archie get with Valerie in Season 1, Episode 6? That's not even that much longer after Grundy left. So when people say that Archie has loved Betty this whole time, it doesn't feel true to me, because if she really was his first choice, he would've gone right to her once Grundy was gone, but nope. He chose Valerie first. Also...he kissed Veronica in Episode 1, which shows that Grundy was definitely not stopping him from kissing other girls. They both KNEW Betty liked him yet they kissed anyway even though they WERE just gonna stand in the closet and not do anything till time was up, but they kissed anyway because they were attracted to each other. If Archie was attracted to Betty from the get-go, he wouldn't have held back from kissing her the moment he knew she liked him. He liked Veronica that way, not Betty. So I'm debunking the Grundy theory.

Another thing that bothers me is when people call Jughead "Betty's rebound" off of Archie. Hm...if that was true, I doubt she would've stayed with her "rebound" as long as 4 years. Especially since Betty and Archie have both been single at the same time yet she still chose Jughead over him. She fell for Jug after he finally gave her back the stuff she's been waiting for from Archie. So Jughead was and is not a rebound. If anything, Veronica was ARCHIE's rebound. But not from Betty. FROM VALERIE. He got drunk af at Jughead's birthday party because it was right after Val left him for being a terrible boyfriend (which he clearly is) and after Val threw her drink in his face, he got more drunk and then Veronica kissed him and he was like "Oh, sure. I'll sleep with you since you kissed me and I'm upset and Val left me."

Back to Archie being a terrible boyfriend (aside from when he was with Josie). With Val...he ignored her and only gave her attention when he was gaining something with his music. Then Cheryl's family gave him an opportunity to go to a good music school, so boom, he ignored Val's wish not to be Cheryl's date to her family Maple Gathering. Dumb move. No wonder Val told him she was done. Then...with Veronica, he kissed Betty. But then Betty was not interested (Hmmm, because she loves her “”rebound”” Jughead so much). And then Veronica told Archie to stay away from Hiram and what did Archie do? Completely ignored her and got stuck in some big mob mess and illegal shit. Then he broke up with her over the phone when she was trying to support him. So she got with Reggie who treated her so well (yes, they had problems too) but he was so whipped for her, let's be real. He did everything she wanted and he would've done anything for her. Then they had their issues and broke up but they were about to get back together, LITERALLY, just as Archie showed up and was all "I love you. Come back to me" and Veronica was obviously still not over him, so poor Reggie had no chance and then Veronica got back with Archie who she should not have gotten back with. She was amazing to him (all of his friends were) when his father passed away. But VERONICA talked him out of saying that his father would be ashamed of him and she made him see otherwise and told him that Fred would be proud of him. That's a GOOD girlfriend. Meanwhile, Archie still has eyes for other girls (Betty now apparently). But anyway. I'm just saying that Betty AND Veronica both deserve a better guy than Archie Andrews.

I just don't see why any girl on this show would be shipped with him. Remember when Veronica decided to kiss Jughead to even the playing field after they told Jug about Barchie kissing? Archie looked pissed. Like wtf? You kissed Betty when you were STILL WITH VERONICA. At least Betty and Jughead were over at the time. I don't believe Archie had a right to look so mad about Jeronica's little fun/platonic kiss when what he did was behind Veronica's back and while they were still together. Her and Jug "getting even" was right there in front of the other two and playful. Nothing to be angry or possessive about Archie. Jeez.

The only time he was an outstanding boyfriend was with Josie and that was the only time I was actually EXCITED to watch Archie scenes. They were great together and they both EQUALLY supported each other and helped each other through things. Not to say that Archie doesn't have good qualities, because he does. He's been trying to clean up Riverdale and he helped Veronica figure out how to get Hiram to fight through his sickness. But I just really can't see him with Betty after everything they've been through without each other. They barely talk anyway till now when they're FAKING being together.

Bonus: There are people who talk about how Archie and Betty doing investigations together are better than Betty and Jughead. But the only time Betty and Archie did an investigation together was to figure out who the Black Hood was and they ended up unmasking the wrong person. Their janitor, who was actually innocent. So clearly, Betty and Jughead are a better team. Not to mention, Archie can really be one of the biggest dumbasses in Riverdale.

THE COMICS: Yes. I know they are canon in the comics. But we well know that the comics and the show are VERY different (Did you know that Penny Peabody and Fangs Fogarty are supposed to be endgame like they are in the comics??? But Riverdale made Penny a 30 year old and Fangs a 16 year old, so that became a "NO" right away. Hence...the difference between the show and the comics). Also....there are comics where Betty kisses Archie behind Veronica's back when Varchie were together and she kissed him without his consent in the dark when he thought he was kissing Veronica (A BIG "NO"). So the comics aren't really a good template to follow. Especially since nowadays, I really don't see chemistry between Lili and KJ. Their fake kiss in the music room (I've seen it on Twitter, because I still haven't seen 4x16) was so awkward and weird to watch. It was so bad. Idk. I can't get behind it.

THE FORBIDDEN LOVE: I don’t understand why people call them forbidden, when they’re both Northsiders who grew up next door to each other and they were never forbidden from being friends. They’re not a forbidden love. Bughead was at first because he was from the Southside and Alice didn’t want Betty to be around Jug or Serpents. But Barchie is definitely not forbidden love. If it is now, then it’s because they would both be cheating and that is disgusting.

Anyway, I haven't been able to watch the season since 4x15, because all of this fake Barchie nonsense legit makes me ACTUALLY sick to my stomach. Cheating really is not okay at all and them pretending that Archie cheated on Veronica and that Betty would get another boyfriend SO FAST after she was framed for MURDERING HER OWN really does not sit well with me or my stomach. The writers are NOT doing this right. If they wanted Barchie to be together....the best way to have done that would have been through them ACTUALLY breaking up with their s/o and then becoming close friends again AND THEN moving around to that romance. But this fake dating and fake cheating stuff is disgusting and I don't think I'm gonna continue season 4 if they become canon that way. Just no.

[staliasjeronica]

Riverdale S4 Ep11 Thoughts *Spoilers*

- I’m excited about the quiz show but I wish it wasn’t just to show off how smart Betty is. I know she’s smart, all the girls are, but if they dumb them down to make Betty look good…

- Archie has such a good heart ugh the greatest boy in Riverdale and nobody can compare to him!!! 🥺❤️

- Jughead mentioning Bret after him and Betty have sex. We love Bret x Jughead lmao

- Betty looks so good though can she please have her hair down all the time pLEASE 👀❤️

- Betty looks like Lili way too much and I don’t like that… Bughead is basically just Sprousehart and that’s not a good thing

- NOT CHERONICA ASKING ABOUT ALCOHOL TO AN ADULT AT THEIR SCHOOL NO LESS??? Whatever, they look good so I’ll let it slide for the best girls in Riverdale

- “Boy in the river” is too soft but serial killers, which has probably been done so many times, isn’t…? The desperation to cling to the black hood is potent

- JUGHEAD AND CHARLES SCENES??? YESSSS WE LOVE WHEN THEY SHOW THAT THEY’RE ACTUALLY SIBLINGS!!!

- TOM’S BEEN WORKING CONSTRUCTION??? SINCE WHEN??? Also not Archie replacing Tom with Frank?? And with NO warning??

- Veronica is such a cutie we love!!! And finally solid proof that Toni is smart!!! Betty taking Cheryl’s answer though smh isn’t there usually a rule against that??

- Betty talking about Bret to Charles gives off enemies to lovers vibes. I don’t genuinely ship it but the idea of it though is interesting. Anything to shake things up. Also, is she really trying to get Charles to help her cheat just because she feels entitled to getting into Yale??

- NERVOUS JUGHEAD 🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺 

- “Brown Hood” ew… also none of those other interesting stories were good enough but we’re going to STILL have to hear about the dumb black hood? LET IT GO

- FRANK THAT IS NOT YOUR FUCKING HOUSE YOU CAN’T JUST INVITE PEOPLE FOR BEERS EVEN IF THEY WORK AT ANDREWS CONSTRUCTION

- VERONICA CAN YOU JUST FUCKING STOP COMPETING WITH YOUR FATHER AND ALSO TELLING HIM WHAT’S IN IT??? WE KNOW YOU’RE SMARTER THAN THIS BUT THE WRITERS ALWAYS DO YOU DIRTY

- It’s kinda funny how much Betty is like Bret, Like, entitled, selfish, pretends to be higher than everybody else, etc… anyways enemies to lovers 😜😜😜

- Of course Bret bought his way into everything, wasn’t it obvious?? Also how exactly did Charles get information on that if the dad wouldn’t have wrote it down??? Like, the only way Charles would have been able to get that would be if he snooped around. It wouldn’t be official (or hidden and official) paperwork...

- So Betty can milk her father being the black hood but jughead can’t use it as a story despite technically being a victim of it himself?  I mean I get it but like… is it really THAT BIG of a deal? 

- NO THE SPEAKEASY?!!!?!!? Hate that Veronica never wanted to be a criminal but now she’s illegally going to sell alcohol and knowing her annoying ass father and how much the writers love this boring rivalry, he’s going to find out and ruin it.

- Fangs 🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺 It’s good to see that he’s still alive smh. But, damn, they really had to ruin any possibility of Kangs like they never even got a true chance to be good :(

- THIS DUDE LOOKS LIKE HE’S IN HIS 20′S??!?!?? KEVIN???!?!?! SIR?!?!?!? BE CAREFUL?!?!!?!?

- Betty hounding Jughead for lying when she constantly lies to him I—

- BETTY REALLY TOLD JUGHEAD HE DOESN’T DESERVE TO GO TO YALE IDSLFJHAKFSHKF OMG IS BUGHEAD FINALLY UNRAVELLING!?

- This “make Tom a second father to Archie” is so weird like—other than Harv getting into a fight with one of the writers on Twitter (which made my thoughts on it more negative lol) it’s just… he has his own son that he never talks to (especially after being in a CULT) and it rubs me the wrong way… it’s nice for Archie to have a father figure but they were kinda setting FP up to do that and now suddenly out of NOWHERE it’s Tom?

- Betty not getting into Yale because of who her father is and not her grades :( That would such. But it makes sense...

- Jughead, you act like Bret would care if Betty found out that you’re using her father for a story without her permission.

- YESSSS BETTY DESTROYING HAL’S GRAVE EVEN THOUGH IT WON’T DO SHIT AND SHE WAS LIKE HIS BEST FRIEND A LITTLE BIT AGO BUT WHATEVER. See, people, this is a badass scene. THIS. Her actually being angry and venting, not destroying others for no reason. This. 

- ARCHIE IS A HIGH SCHOOL TEENAGER HE CAN’T BE AROUND ON THE SITE ALL THE TIME DAMN

- Tickled…..?????? 5 GRAND??? SHIT THAT’S... mmhm, Sounds kinda creepy but 👀

- I feel like Bughead is doomed because suddenly they’re actually being kinda cute and like 1% interesting and usually when that happens the person or couple I don’t like ends up either dead or something

- So how the fuck can Betty get into Yale considering she said in the flash forward she’s in Yale?

- CHERONICA DANCING WE LOVE TO SEE ANOTHER DANCING SCENE!!! We love the best dressed and most beautiful girls in Riverdale!!!!

- See, this is why you don’t tell Hiram SHIT but the writers insist to make them seem dumb (so Veronica can come up with a plan and make it perfect but she tells her enemy/father what she’s doing so he can stop her? Sure… makes TOTAL sense…) so that Hiram can come in and fuck everything up. I get that it can’t come easy because this is a TV show but for the love of God Hiram will never fucking leave will he???

- He really has to destroy it???? What a fucking loser lmao he’s such a baby

- Ooh Veronica is pissed! She looks hot when she has that angry look I say that’s my baby she’s gonna retaliate!! 

- I’m low-key scared for Kevin… like he’s always used by his dates.

- Cheryl being the smart bitch she is we loveeeee!!!

- YES REVAMP THE BROTHEL. There’s nothing that says female empowerment about Penelope but um whatever this is actually a really good idea… WE LOVE A CHERONICA TEAM UP

- I know Cheryl’s gonna ask Toni but Toni’s a part of—wait… PENELOPE?? No. JUST FUCKING LET HER DIE OFF PLEASE. Lmao but just imagine if someone decided to go have sex in the bunker and Penelope is just like “oh hey”

- FRANK JUST FUCKING ATTACKED TOM??? So the ex-sheriff isn’t gonna press charges?? Umm okay

- Frank literally stfu don’t guilt him into not feeling bad for you, you’re a fucking thief

- I legit just cringed when Betty said she was Jughead’s cheerleader that was… ew

- Mmhm… would Betty cheat?? Maybe. Also WHY would Alice fucking do that? I mean I guess it matches season 1 Alice but it’s still dumb that her s1 personality came out of nowhere and was villainized

- Oh Betty totally cheated didn’t she………… “THE LIMIT DOES NOT EXIST” MEAN GIRLS!!!

- WHY IS VERONICA GIVING IT TO BETTY WHEN SHE’S THE ONE WHO’S ANSWERED ALL OF THE FUCKING ANSWERS? But lemme guess they’re making it seem like she cheated but suddenly she’s smart enough to answer all of the questions

- LOWKEY THAT BUGHEAD MOMENT WAS CUTE?!?!?!?!? JERONICA’S CLOSE YOUR EYES

- Yup, Betty was suddenly a fucking genius mmhm I knew they were gonna pander to her smhhhhhhhh

- YES ARCHIE STAND UP TO FRANK!!!!!!!!!! And please apologize to Tom 🥺🥺

- I BET YOU NO ONE CLAPPED FOR VERCHONI 😭😭

- So how does she get into Yale if they think she cheated?

- PUT ON LEAVE WITHOUT PAY JUST BECAUSE OF THAT???? THIS IS A HIGH SCHOOL THING INTERFERING WITH AN ADULT THING?? THAT DOESN’T MAKE ANY SENSE?? NO ONE IN THE ADULT WORLD WOULD CARE… NOR WOULD IT EVEN REACH YOUR JOB LMAO BUT OKAY

- WAIT KEVIN IS HELPING FANGS GET MONEY WE FUCKING LOVEEEEEE?!???!!?!?!? HE CAN PAY FOR HIS MOM’S SURGERIES!!! Fangs family background info coinciding with Toni’s here we go!!! Also Fangs stop being a cutie challenge!!!

- THEY REALLY THOUGHT THAT THE MASK… THAT LOOKS EXACTLY LIKE PENELOPE…. WOULD HIDE HER?!?!?!?!

- TONI HAS A LINE!!!!! AND A NOD TO HER BEING A SOUTH SIDE SERPENT AND GREAT WITH TECH

- The camera making Bret look monstrously huge lmao

- Jesus not a fucking duel….

- So is this scene before or after Betty “hits Jughead”

- BARCHIE HOLDING HANDS. In the gif shown before the episode there was nothing platonic about that look. Of course with context… it’s kinda… inappropriate but YESSS BARCHIE RISE!!!!!

WHO WAS THE WRITER FOR THIS EPISODE BECAUSE THEY ARE THE ONLY ONE WE CAN TRUST.

[kelliewatchesncis]

Name Ideas for Future NCIS Babies

First things first: no one should be naming any babies Kelly! In “Life Before His Eyes,” alternate universe Kate names her baby Kelly. I do not like this. I do not like this at all. None of them knew Kelly, and none of them should be naming their children after Gibbs’ murdered daughter! (Just for the record, Shannon is also off-limits.) 

Okay. On to the names! 

Baby Palmer: 

We know from 11x24 that Jimmy and Breena want more kids. 

- Donald. Obviously, the Palmers should have a son named Donald. The real question would be what to call him, since Donald is kind of an odd choice for a baby name. “Donnie” might be okay. 

- Eddie! I love the idea of the Jimmy and Breena naming a child after Breena’s dad, and I think it would be especially cute if, given their recent reconciliation of their differences, Jimmy got to be the one to tell Ed. 

- Mallory. A daughter named Mallory, after Dr. Mallard. Jimmy cries. Grandducky cries. Breena and Baby Mallory laugh. Everybody goes home happy. 

Baby McGee: 

As far as I can recall, Tim and Delilah haven’t talked about having more kids, but here are some baby name ideas anyway (especially since I don’t like the twins’ names tbh) 

- Leia or something else geeky and cute. I mean, the McGees got married to “She Blinded Me With Science” - they have to have a kid with a beautiful geeky name! They have to! 

- Penelope. If this show ends without Timothy naming a child after Penny “Aging Hippie With Commie Tendencies” Langston, I will be very disappointed. This would also present the perfect opportunity for another visit from Lily Tomlin! And she could hold an infant! @ the writers: What are you waiting on???

- Todd, but only after asking Rachel’s permission. Kate was so integral to the team, but it seems kind of weird to me for Tony to ask Ziva to name their child after Kate, so this is the next logical choice. I also am a big fan of the idea of naming babies after people indirectly (like giving a child Kate’s last name as a first name.) 

Baby David-DiNozzo

Ziva and Tony need to resurface in DC immediately and begin having more children. Bonus points if they already have more kids and we just don’t know about them yet! 

- Antoinette! I think that Tony would be against naming any children after himself (”Trust me, Zi, two Anthony DiNozzos is more than enough!”) but that Ziva and Senior would gang up on him and talk him into it. Also, though, I kind of love the idea of Tony and Ziva only having daughters, which gives them this beautiful opportunity to compromise: Antoinette “Annie” David-DiNozzo. (Something else to consider: maybe they don’t know or remember that Gibbs’ mother’s name was Ann, and Gibbs gets all emotional for all kinds of reasons when they tell him the name of their baby.) 

- Jenny. Despite all of her many flaws, Director Shepard was a good person who never had the chance to settle down and start a family. Not only that, but she and Ziva cared deeply about one another, and if it wasn’t for Jenny, Tony and Ziva would never’ve met. 

- Whatever Tony’s mother’s name was. I would really like for Tony and Ziva to name a child after Mrs. DiNozzo, and it would be great for us to actually find out what her name was! 

[josephohduh]

TEW2: a semi-rant because it’s been a few days and I forget things

I went into TEW2 completely blind, aside from knowing that Stefano and Obscura were of some importance in the game because of the trailers.

And I know that some people were rather disappointed with the outcome, whereas a lot of major gaming news outlets that I follow stated that TEW2 was extremely good and the way horror games sequels should be.

So, naturally, I wanted to remain open.

SPOILERS UNDER THE CUT, DO NOT CONTINUE IF YOU PLAN ON PLAYING/WATCHING TEW2 YOURSELF

I'm a bit disappointed that the entire voice cast was different. The very second Sebastian started speaking I knew one of two things: that it had been a long time since I played the first game, or that wasn't the same Sebastian I'm used to hearing. So when I looked into it I realized not only was Seb's VA different, everyone else from the previous game had different VAs as well. I don't know if this had anything to do with the VA strike that happened some time ago that affected a lot of VAs (such as Chloe from Life is Strange)

That aside, I wanted to know if TEW2 was going to fill in the gaps and answer questions I had that rose from the previous game.

But first, some highlights from my playthrough with my partner:

- belting the Kingdom Hearts theme during the opening - “man I can’t wait to have to choose between a sword, wand, and shield. and gun” - “holy shit I’m going to be SO COMFORTABLE cosplaying Sebastian again” - hewwo? HEWWO??? - "MYRA IS THE MILK MONSTER?" - "You know, for every god damn time I was asked ‘but is it art?’, I’d probably become a serial killer too” - at Obscura’s appearance: “I DON’T LIKE IT” - “how the fuck does it walk, it’s a fucking tripod” “yes” - at Stefano’s first appearance: “okay but can I just fucking snipe Stefano from here” *does it anyway* “yeah that would’ve been too easy” - “YOU KNOW WHAT, YOU CAN HAVE THE CHILD” - *low pitched baby crying* - “You’re a solid dude” - Sebastian’s not here right now, please leave a message

The first chapter was fantastic. We know that the start of Seb’s trauma was the fire that took away his house and daughter and eventually caused a rift in his marriage, and that Beacon was sorting the tipping point to his mental health. It was also a good way of getting into the controls of the game again. When Seb was approached by Kidman at the bar, hoo boy was he an absolute mess.

Once again, this is probably because it’s been so long since I played TEW1 and its DLCs, but I originally thought the face of the Administrator was a mystery? You could imagine my surprise when I saw his face and was like whoa he’s got a nice looking face that’s weird.

Also I was convinced one of his bodyguards was Joseph, or at least a Joseph look-alike. But I guess they wouldn’t have put him out in the open that easily.

So, I didn’t really mind the whole open world concept much. Honestly, I kinda liked it? The shift into a more action-y horror though? Been there, done that with the ResEvil series :/

However, with the game being open world there was A LOT of stuff I ended up missing. I apparently missed a couple of photographic slides which, I ended up having to look this up, were the key the unlocking the Joseph slide. I ALSO missed the chance to run into TEW1 Seb’s body?? I know there’s a scene where you encounter TEW1 Seb as a reflection in a mirror, but I didn’t know you can also find him as a straight up physical body that you could destroy. 

ANIMA WAS WHAT MAKES SURVIVIAL HORROR A SURVIVAL HORROR. Who was she? What did she want with me? Why wouldn’t she leave me alone??? I especially loved the scene where you had to go through a certain series of doors to avoid her. WHY DID IT STOP AFTER JUST TWO DOORS, LET ME BE CHASED BY THIS GHOSTLY LADY. 

I get that she was supposed to be some manifestation of Seb’s (and Union civilian NPCs’) guilt and fears, but if he was supposed to have to fight it LET 👏 ME 👏 FIGHT 👏 IT 👏

Speaking of antagonists with potential: what HAPPENED WITH STEFANO?

He had such good potential, an excellent backstory, and was given the most anti-climactic boss fight ever made. 

Same with Father Theodore. There was this whole huge buildup and then when it came to the boss fight, it was...disappointing. And it all seemed too easy? Maybe I didn’t have my difficulty high enough? I did die plenty of times but that’s cause I generally can’t go through a game without dying at least ten times within one chapter. And that’s usually cause at some point I get bored of waiting and try to gun through it.

And then Myra was just...weird. Like, in the end she was an Actual Boss Battle. But just everything after that went too fast in such little time. 

“We can be a family again!” “No I have to finish The Plan!!!”

*cue the TLOU scenes where you have to run with a child in your arms*

And can we talk about the side characters for a moment. 

Liam “I’m never leaving my safe house but does anyway” O’Neal. I honestly thought he would have lived through the whole thing. I mean, he flat out refused to leave his safe house. But boy howdy did Father Theodore whisper some sweet things into his ear and convinced him otherwise. And if you think I’m gonna willingly fight more Harbingers for parts to fix his flamethrower boy do I have news for you. I said screw that noise. 

Yukiko “walking textbook” Hoffman. I hated her at first. I really did. All her dialogue was very textbook and “you can tell I’m really smart cause I’m the team psychologist” and also “we need an asian character but not Joseph so”. I’m pretty sure at some point I stopped listening to her. I’M A LITTLE DISAPPOINTED IN HER DEATH. I saw it coming the moment the scene started but she COULD HAVE potentially be saved. STRETCH OUT YOUR ARMS MORE, SEB.

Esmeralda “please for the love of god don’t be a love interest” Torres. YOU INTRODUCE US A BADASS CHARACTER. AND THEN YOU KILL HER AT THE END OF THE SAME CHAPTER SHE APPEARS IN??

Partner: “she was just put in to be fuel for Man Pain” BLEUGH

But then you find out, she was the operative that took Lily during the fire. And then that was that?? THAT’S IT. THAT WAS HER ONLY CONNECTION TO THIS WHOLE SITUATION. She was ‘someone who had a lot of regrets and wanted to redeem herself in some way’. And also ‘yeah she was the one you was tasked to take your daughter’. 

???? JOHANAS. EXPLAIN. 

Partner: “did they like.. switch writers in the middle of all this. cause that’s what this seems like”

Julian “you’re a solid dude” Sykes. DID HE MAKE IT?? I know it was supposed to be a 25% chance through STEM and that he said he was going to remove his brain chip immediately when he got out but. DID. HE. MAKE. IT. 

Partner: “you can tell it was an american director cause all the poc were killed off” Me, a poc: “OMG”

And let’s not forget everyone’s biggest concern: WHERE IS JOSEPH. 

I knew that Joseph had a photographic slide. But what I didn’t know was that you had to collect all the previous slides in order to unlock that slide. GUESS WHO’S MISSING SLIDES AND DIDN’T GET IT. 

So I ended up having to look it up and just 

“It’s a long story”

Oh okay *finishes the game and has it never brought up again*

UH????

So essentially, regardless of whether or not you get all the photographic slides, Joseph was completely written out of the game. 

And like everyone else, I’m annoyed. You establish that he was never killed and that’s he’s alive and kicking somewhere. But WHERE IS HE, JOHANAS. 

I feel like some time after Stefano the game was just. Rushed. 

But that ending. Is it implying that we’re gonna be getting another sequel?? Or at least a DLC?? Please let it be a DLC I don’t want this game to get dragged like the ResEvil series (don’t get me wrong, I love the ResEvil series, but there were some good games and there were some bad games)

I do intend on replaying TEW2 because there was clearly a lot that I missed in my first run-through. 

And like, while I didn’t hate TEW2 I do believe some parts could have been executed better. 

This is probably gonna be one of those things where I replay it a few times or sit on it for a while or look up more info and just have an “OH that makes more sense” moment.

Was it worth the wait? I suppose? There’s still things where I’m like “??” and now I have even more “??” but I tend to be a bit slow with realizing things. 

Would I tell people to absolutely go and get it? That part’s up to you. If you want to play it yourself, then definitely go ahead. But if you feel like you can’t justify the ~$60 for something you might end up being disappointed in, then definitely check up on some playthroughs/let’s plays. 

I’m still gonna purchase merch (despite all the good stuff only being available in the european store >:( I’ll figure something out)

And I’m still gonna make art and cosplay from the game. 

And if it wasn’t for TEW to begin with, I wouldn’t have met some pretty cool people

[elizabethrobertajones]

wait hold on... you mean dean REALLY gave castiel a mixtape with his favourite songs and ... that thing in 12x19 really happened?? i feel like it's fake, like it didn't happen :P the world is falling apart and i fell into the universe where the writers have the balls to follow through with destiel, but at what cost!?

Bad news, this actually happened.

Good news! They already killed Cas in front of Dean, made Dean react 10x what Sam did (and Sam was NOT HAPPY about this :P) and then left him to fall to his knees beside Cas in the mud so I mean it’s got to be anywhere but down from here. 

TBH I haven’t really processed that it happened either. I’m still at the stage where I was grimly accepting this would be the last shot we see of Dean n Cas together at the end of the show, and this exact image has been burned on my retinas since about the first time I ever stopped and thought, what what MIGHT happen at the end of the show? Now I’ve actually seen it it’s all slipped through my brain like fine sand and I haven’t put it all back together yet >.>

The mixtape was easier, it seemed like more of the same fuckery dialled up to… 13 (We already did Spinal Tap much earlier in the season - we’re past dialling up to 11 :P) I do feel like I need a proper run through the season collecting all the pieces because I feel like I’ve barely got anything coherent to say about the Destiel in it because it’s all so obvious and on the screen and went to an actual model of canon endgame Destiel that I have previously assumed would happen (but as the END end), and I’m like a GPS when you accidentally take a weird turning and end up in a field.

I mean. Without rewatching… They started us from Dean telling Cas he was their brother (speaking for him and Sam) and then had him and Cas working together to save Sam and it was cool because Sam wasn’t there to compare to and Cas was helping Dean, but THEN come 12x03, Cas decides to leave, and immediately we have the focus on Dean welcoming him to his table, and Sam being just an attachment when Dean runs after Cas when he leaves. Dean keeps in contact with Cas while he’s gone, Dean gets the weird back and forth with Cas when they meet up again, Dean gets the weird moment with Cas after the whole prison thing where he sits in the backseat with him and the camera sort of tips its head and squints at the fact they did that… And then we get to the good stuff where the season shifts to being REALLY REALLY about Cas… 

Here’s the anon above you:

And yep 12x10 was filled with the little connections where Dean was the one sulking at Cas but the one rushing into the cafe, the one snapping at Ishim and being concerned about Cas, while Sam is sitting crammed on the end of the bench that he barely fits on but he’s a part of this too dammit, he’s just learning his space in it too. And Dean is the one who tries calling Cas at the end, rushes off with him while Sam stays with Lily, and ends up in another highly charged confrontation where he represents humanity and human weakness to Cas which basically sums up all these previous encounters like it like 8x17 and 9x22… In an episode about sexual and romantic love between humans and angels. 

In 12x12 Dean pays extra attention to Cas when they meet him, distracts himself with aggressive over-helpfulness with the waitress on Cas’s behalf, and then when Cas is dying, is the one fretting and lurking over him and pretending it’s fine, seems to get the “i love you” and even if it’s not directed at him specifically, the camera DOES look directly at him and capture his reaction. And then the whole thing with the hand holding and clinging onto each other, earning several extra seconds clutching time compared to Sam and Cas - and yes Sam holds Cas’s hand and helps haul him up because they’re a team and a family and Sam cares, but Dean’s just thaaaat much more clingy.

And at some point he gives him a mixtape.

And 12x19 is a study in Sam being like, …. okay… how about a practical response? and Dean’s like !!?!? CAS!?!!  and it makes 12x10 look like a weaksauce character sketch in comparison :P 

And after all that quiet emphasis on Sam and Dean walking a similar side by side path watching Cas’s second half of the season nonsense and reacting to it and to each other reacting to it, Cas dies in front of Dean and Sam’s like, shit, the slightly more alarming antichrist than the last one we encountered was just born, brb going to see what new horrors await us, and Dean’s like, 404 CARING NOT FOUND as he slumps down beside Cas. 

Like… yeah. That happened. >.>

Remember in season 11 when Cas was possessed by Lucifer and Dean was sort of a wee bit more worried than Sam was? 

And pfft season 8 who?

Anyway idk what they’d plan to do from here, but if they stick with it, Dean’s going to be totalled and I don’t envy Sam’s job propping him up while trying to deal with the next great escalation of the drama :P If they bring back Cas immediately, Dean’s going to also need to have a very different reaction to Sam’s generic happy relief.

[ethical-hedonistic-apatheist]

Hey all!

Here’s a little Raily fluff that I wrote for the amazing @agentmarymargaretskitz, who is awesome and amazing and talented and super fun to chat with!

In truth, I’m not totally thrilled with it but I am exhausted and I just wanted to complete something. Writer’s block has been a nightmare as of late for me, so just getting this done is amazing, even if I think it could be better. I hope everyone likes it regardless!

------

If someone had told Lily that she would one day find herself traveling through literal space and time with a motley crew that included her father and the young man with whom said father frequently shared a body, she would have laughed and asked what cocktail of narcotics they had ingested. And yet, there she was, sitting in her room on the Waverider, staring at her tablet and wondering why in hell the calculations she had been working on for the better part of three days weren’t turning out the way she had expected.

In the six months that she had been traveling on the Waverider, Lily had become deeply engrained into their family. She had quickly established relationships with everyone on board, even Gideon.

Sara and Amaya had, in their own ways, become something resembling the sisters she never had. Both were adamant that she should learn how to defend herself, given the typically dangerous nature of their missions. She would never be at either of their levels, and quite frankly she didn’t want to be. Nevertheless, it was nice to have a grasp of self-defense, however rudimentary. Occasionally, they would have movie night. Lily had never had much by way of friends, often being too engrossed in her work, so it was nice to finally experience something she knew she’d been missing out on.

Jax, meanwhile, had become the little brother she never wanted. She deeply cared about him but also wanted to punch him in the face most of the time. They constantly picked at each other but knew that the other had their back no matter what. It was a very strange feeling for both of them, given that they were only children. It was wonderful and infuriating, all at the same time.

Rip and Gideon willingly indulged her intense (some called it ‘childlike’) enthusiasm for knowledge of the future. They never told her anything outright, allowing her to come to her understanding in her own time.

Mick and the newly-returned Leonard were a much different story. They never minced words or tried to coddle her. After Mick’s initial, very awkward attempt at apologizing for calling her a fake person, she had come to appreciate their particular forms of abrasiveness. They would trade barbs back and forth, with Mick and Leonard quietly impressed at how easily she kept up with them.

Truthfully, Lily had a great deal of love and admiration for all of them. However, the strongest connections that Lily made in her brief time on the Waverider were with Nate and Ray. The three of them had very similar interests and personalities, and the two men respected Lily’s abilities more than almost anyone she had ever known.

In fact, there was no one she trusted more than Ray -not even her father- to figure out where she was going wrong with her damn calculations. Standing, Lily let her feet carry her to Ray’s room, her eyes still on her tablet. When she arrived, the door was open, “Hey Ray?” She called.

“Yeah?” His voice came from far into the room.

“Would you mind looking at some calculations for me? I can’t seem to get them… Oh my god…” She looked up from her tablet just as she entered the room. Ray was turning towards her, clothed only from the waist down, “Seriously?!” She questioned indignantly.

Ray’s strong brow furrowed, “What?” He asked, his tone one of complete sincerity.

Flustered, Lily motioned towards Ray’s bare torso, “That is just… Not fair…” She sputtered. Ray looked down curiously, looking back to her even more confused than he had been before, “You’re one of the most brilliant minds of this century, you’re the nicest person ever, and -apparently- you’ve got abs made of marble!”

“Oh, um…” Ray replied, not sure what to say, “… Sorry…” He pulled a shirt from his bed and slipped it on.

Lily groaned at the black tank top, “That doesn’t help… Now all I see is arms…” All Ray could manage was a few unintelligible noises, “What is your flaw? Seriously? There has to be something about you… Do you know how hard it has been to not flirt with you? I told myself it would be weird because you used to be one of dad’s students and that it might make things awkward because I’m part of the team now and…” It was then that Lily realized how close she had gotten to Ray, “And I really want to kiss you right now but I don’t want to be weird…”

“I’d be okay with that...” Ray interjected before she could continue her tangent.

“Re… really?”  Ray nodded, unable to speak, “Oh… Okay…” Before losing her nerve, Lily leaned forward and pressed her lips to Ray’s. It was awkward and uncomfortable and neither of them knew exactly what to do with their hands. After a moment, Lily pulled back, “That was… That was nice.”

“Yeah…” Ray agreed with a small nod.

Lily took a deep breath, “Look, Ray… I’ve never had what anyone would call a stable relationship. I need to know what I’m getting into before we go farther.”

“Makes sense.” Ray replied, partially distracted by the smell of her shampoo. He was pretty sure it was grapefruit, but he wasn’t certain.

“Are you actually interested in me? As a person? Not sucking up to my dad, not because you think I can be useful to you somehow… But genuinely interested in me?”

Nodding, Ray said, “Yes.”

“Do you have a secret family stashed somewhere in history?”

“No…”

“Are you gay?” Ray stared down at her, eyebrows raised and mouth slightly opened, “It’s happened to me before, just answer the question.”

“I am certainly not.” Ray assured her.

Nodding, Lily said, “Okay… Would you ever want me to dumb myself down?”

“Of course not!” Ray replied, horrified, “Has that happened to you before?”

Lily nodded, “Most of my past boyfriends have ended up being jerks who got really uncomfortable with how smart I am. They wanted me to talk less and when I didn’t, they would try to talk down to me.”

“I’m sorry to hear that…” Ray said, “I promise I would never…” He wanted to say more, but couldn’t find the words, “I, um… I have a couple of questions of my own, if you don’t mind.” Lily motioned as if to say ‘by all means’. Ray took a deep breath of his own, “Are you interested in me as a person? Not my money or anything?”

“Of course.” Lily affirmed.

“Are you a reincarnated Egyptian High Priestess with magical bird powers who is destined to always fall in love with a reincarnated Egyptian prince with magical bird powers?”

“That is a very specific question…”

“I’ve had some very specific experiences with women,” Ray replied.

“Okay then… No, I’m not.”

“Good. Good…” They stood in awkward silence for a moment, “Um… Didn’t you say something about calculations…?”

Lily looked to her tablet, the numbers glaring at her from the screen, “Yeah…” She said, “You know what? It’s just math, it will be there later.” Without thinking, she tossed the tablet onto Ray’s bed before wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him again. Ray yielded completely to the kiss, placing his hands gently on her hips. Yes, they would both agree later; this kiss was much better.

[almaasi]

reaction post typed while watching SPN 12x18 “The Memory Remains”

(●ω●✿)

(●︿●✿)

(●へ●✿)

06:42

new writer John Bring??? let’s hope he BRINGs something neat to the table (sorry i had to)

the promo for this looked intriguing and scary so i am READY

(director Phil Sgriccia. the best director imo, booty shots and bisexual subtext)

-

06:45

goddamn it, wrong file. 12x18 seems less available than episodes usually are at this time?? granted i’m looking for 720p x264 but still

-

06:57

while i’m waiting another hour (yaaay), i just realised, something i really like about Steve Yockey’s episodes (12x06, 12x10, 12x20) is that he puts his characters’ names in the episode title. ie. Asa Fox, Lily Sunder, Tasha Banes.

-

06:59

oh ffs i’m too impatient, i’mma get a regular sized download

-

07:21pm

okay here goes

-

07:22

still sad about mick

all that character development and cas-paralleling for notHING

they made us care about him just to kill him and i’m not actually sure what the point was

(to make us realise the BMol are the bad guys again, i suppose)

-

07:23

dear kid who’s weirded out by all the straight couples sucking face

this immediately needs more gay

-

07:25

okay no maybe it’s a good thing it wasn’t gay because that kid is gonna DIIEEEE

-

07:27

meredith glynn is a co-producer?? SWEET

is it weird i’m proud of her

like i know nothing about her but I FEEL EMOTIONALLY ATTACHED

-

07:29

dean’s worried about cas and his expression and mannerisms make him look like a sad child

smol bean with a gun

i feel like 90% of dean’s angst these past couple years have just been him MISSING CAS with all the force of a thousand suns

-

07:31

sam mentions dean missing cas, and dean immediately calls him “reading rainbow”

which i know is a reference to the book thing with LaVar Burton

but rainbows

dean’s like “i’m not gay you’re gay”

-

07:35

dean: “pchew!”

cas needs to marry this fuckin dork stat

-

07:37

i swear i’ve seen that background painting 5 times before

-

07:42

the newest instalment in the ongoing adventures of dean and recreational drugs

-

07;44

DEAN YOU HAVE A BOYFRIEND STOP THIS

honestly cas goes missing for 5 minutes

like seriously have you tried masturbating maybe

-

07;46

thE HOT COFFEE THING

welp

i’m cringing and laughing at the same time

SOMEONE BRING BACK CAS THIS IS HURTING MY FEELINGS

-

07:47

sam is me right now

*heavy sigh*

-

07:50

DEAN’S SO FUCKING CUTE WHEN HE’S WITH PEOPLE HE’S ATTRACTED TO

HE’S SO CLOSE AND CUDDLY UGH

PLEASE GOD LET HIM BE LIKE THAT WITH CAS SOMEDAY ;A;

-

07:52

“3 sheeps” on the wall

definitely symbolism

-

sam says “uncontrollable lust” WELP THERE WE GO

inb4 unnamed personality-free pretty girl is a plot point and dean’s under the spell

*sigh* i miss the times when the siren-type creatures were dudes around dean

this episode really needs more gay, for real

-

07:56

something i’ve noticed

these characters keep getting described by their professions - ie “walking clipboard” for a health inspector, “the local badge” for the sheriff

i know it’s just a quirky script thing but it’s kind of rubbing me the wrong way

aside from darren, the sheriff, and the boss guy, none of these characters have names, speaking roles, or any personality and it’s fucking bizarre ?? now darren is dead, the boss guy and the sheriff are the last two remaining characters

also the fact that the one woman is nameless and exists just as dean’s lust interest is really not sitting right with me

that said, plot-wise it’s still better than a deadly duo episode

but that’s not saying much since it’s a low bar

i dunno, i was expecting more. and presently i am feeling more and more let down. (eh, let’s see how it goes)

-

08:02

obviously the sheriff is meant to be the top suspect, and the whole thing is implying black bill is a dude in a costume (made of fur, and this sheriff does taxidermy)

so i’m expecting a plot twist where it’s not him

-

08:04

ugh god

i’m trying really hard not to look at this meat

i hope it’s fake meat

but i’m still squirmy

-

08:05

shit

1997 was 20 years ago

why is it so hard for my brain to realise it’s been that long

-

08:06

well if darren’s waking up now in a fridge

then i’m 100% terrified this is gonna be one of those stories where all the meat they’re processing is human meat

oh god no i hate those

inb4 THE GOAT GOD IS TRYING TO GET REVENGE

-

08:07

look i dunno where this is going

but so far this episode is making me feel more and more uncomfortable

(not scared, just unsettled in the bad way)

and i don’t know what to make of it

-

08:09

“billhook meats” sign outside the place darren is trapped

-

08:10

darren’s cloud breath looks computer animated

i couldn’t describe in what way, but it does

-

08:13

usually i love watching dean eat but my face is just pinched with disgust right now

guess i just dislike the idea of meat in general

like yeah let’s kill something and eat it!1!

(i mean, i eat meat, but i am currently malnourished and have been for 23 years so once i’m healthy again i’d happily go vegetarian) (i’m not judging meat-eaters, i just find the concept generally alarming)

-

08:14

this reminds me so much of that episode of the x files with the chicken mince

oh lord that one was the scariest episode i do not recommend watching it

one big ol’ nope from me

i feel faint

-

08:19

hey it’s the same basement with the same three windows again

-

08:24

i feel like there’s a difference between “dark” stories and “scary” stories

this one’s just dark, it’s not scary

still not sure how i feel about it

-

08:26

i lowkey think the goat mask is cute

he looks like he needs a hug

-

08:29

more busty asian beauties

where’s the dude porn

as much as this writer is Totally Onto It with the old (racist) jokes, i think he maybe missed the dean-is-bi-and-into-cas memo

-

08;31

ohhhhhhhhhhhh i think ketch just realised mary is way older (and/or more undead) than she looks

-

08:34

“hunting people, killing them. the family business”

dean almost looking into the camera

-

while i’m paused, i just wanna say: i am decidedly really uncomfortable with this episode

i think dean randomly going for an unnamed girl for no plot-related reason is what’s throwing me. if she had a name and a personality i’d be fine with it, because hell he’s bisexual and has a significant sex drive, and regardless of his feelings towards cas he’s always liked diner girls. but her lack of person-hood is just degrading, y’know??

this episode’s portrayal of women is “pretty thing to fuck” and i’m not gonna lie that disgusts me more than blood and murder ever could

the fact there are no significant solid dean-is-bisexual things to balance out the heterosexuality is just giving the whole thing a bi-erasure character-development-erasure kind of feeling

i miss cas so. fucking. badly. i want to cry right now

-

08;45

hey the colt shot something NOT in slow motion

-

08:47

if this show is remembered 100 years from now it’ll be for four things: 1. how bible stories were reinterpreted - followed by fanfiction reinterpreting that, 2. the fact it had 13+ seasons against all calculable odds, 3. a community/fanbase with unprecedented dedication, and 4. the fucking queerbaiting

-

08:53

OH NO THEY’RE LEAVING THEIR MARK BECAUSE THIS IS HOME LIKE THE IMPALA IS HOME OH GOSH

quietly thinking about the fic i wrote with TEAM FREE WILL CARVING THEIR INITIALS INTO A TABLE AFTER A DISCUSSION ABOUT EXACTLY THIS

If You Could Go Anywhere (3767 words)

-

why do i feel so sad

why did this episode feel so uncomfortable

this show is so unbelievably wrong without cas. i cannot express how badly i miss him. i miss him like i’d miss a family member.

everything was just a little not-quite-right about this

-

08:57

CAS HAD BETTER FUCKING ADD HIS FUCKING NAME TO THIS FUCKING TABLE

I REALLY WANT TO CRY RIGHT NOW

THIS IS A NICE MOMENT BUT WHY DOES IT FEEL SO WRONG

I DON’T UNDERSTAND

the tears have arrived in my eyes

-

09:01

i dunno

it’s over

i think you guys can extrapolate from what i’ve already said how i feel about this

i know i hated last week’s episode but i gave that a 4/10

yet halfway through this one i was like... this one’s a 2/10

yet that doesn’t seem fair because it wasn’t bAD i just didn’t enjoy it??

...no..scratch that, it was a little bit bad

the nameless girl and unnecessary heterosexuality, the lack of characters of colour, the busty asian beauties

the plot was okay i guess

ehhh

4/10 again, let’s say

I WAS EXPECTING A LOT MORE and i was left disappointed

John Bring’s writing is very Straight White Dude Who Has Not Heard of Intersectional Feminism-esque. i’m not into it with this as a sole example, maybe another episode would be different

best part was dean sulking about cas, and then sam and dean carving the table (the former enhanced by the absence of cas, the latter incident sullied by the absence of cas) (i was expecting dean to mention cas after they finished carving, but he mentioned mick instead)

i’m hoping next week’s episode will be good. idk what happened to this half of the season but i kind of feels like they’re losing their grasp on the things that make this show enjoyable (unpopular opinion?? unsure)

[ouathinktank-metacommentary]

Oh wise tumblr... tell me if they had no plans or ideas for SQ then... hmm how to put this... WTF was that mine scene almost kiss? I mean my entire family went 'wow' and started to ship SQ from that scene. I mean the way it was cut and WTH was that then? (FYI that was some my families first f/f ship). Also remember neal when everyone thought it was going to be emma/neal or neak rooting for sq... rip good old days

Oh wow, you’re asking us thatnow, as we’re wrapping up with episode two after midseason of what could bethe very last season, which neither of us watched very closely–but do see that,from a distance, they’re still making Regina miserable because she’s obsessedwith a man and somehow it’s AS BAD as the time she lost custody of Henrywhich… huh? Anyhow.Apparently, OUaT is fully capable of killing its GLBT andfeminist following with a dose of boredom and a heavy-handed retcon of Regina,so long as Hooktrivances (see: Hook contrivances) and CraptainSwan romanceprevail? So sad where we came to, after that ‘modern fairytale’ about ‘strong female characters’, eh?

But yeah, weremember the mine scene almost-kiss. And we remember the beautiful, flourishing fandomof that era. And we remember entire S2, and that supergay grand finale. Afterwhich the SDCC happened. And the heteroenforcing writing that ensued. We alsoremember the LanaParrilla interview for AfrterEllen and the schizoid reactions that followed(which ranged from extreme exhilaration to utter manic depression), then thebacklash of haters (supporters of heteronormative ships enforced by thisracist, sexist and misogynist show) against the fans, already ostracised and bulliedfans, then a member of the Once writers’ room deciding to step in a pile ofsteaming PR messiness in the midst of incredibly abusive, inaccurate anddownright homophobically enabling (that’s a new term this week) campaign byCS/OQ shippers on the otherwise fantastic and incredibly important  LisaSteinberg article (here) in which she dared toreveal this fandom’s uglies and the range of violent toxicity in it,and… it looked as though boycott/silence campaign of Once Upon a Time was infull swing, despite a slightly ‘encouraging’ interview with Lana Parrilla forAfter Ellen? *whistles* Holy fuckin’ shit, it felt like we should hop onour Arc and sail bloody away! But no, we stayed, because…well, we likeeach other here in the meta backyard. And because Lily Sparks was stickingaround and because it’s important to call out public relations stunts ascarefully coordinated as OUaT’s tend to be, because there was some Big Brothershit (in the Orwellian sense kids, not the reality television show which isa reference to… nevermind) going on around here.

Butthat was then, and this is now. Three years later, you’d think they can’t sinkany lower with those hetero-imposed constructs, eh?. But that’sjust it, Outlaw Queen and Captain Swan are just constructs. They’re god-awfulconstructs, but that is still all they are. These constructs arenot Meant To Be or any of the other ideological entrapments that comewith the modern Western fairytale. Who knows, the end of season might be theseason when we get to see more deconstruction of the underlying problems withthose entrapments. *pauses* Okay, alright, we’re definitely not holding our breath,but we are discussing these constructed ‘pairings’ critically becauseit’s important to do so. And when the main premise of everything becomes aboutpromotion of bad media then the task of deconstruction and, more importantly,renewal (through creating more diverse and critical media) falls to the restof us. Because no, all of that does NOT mean we have to give anything more than our best and most critical mindsto a seriously flawed piece of televised entertainment. We owe it to ourselvesto keep the critique coming. Either burn this down as we demand something more,or admit defeat. But never admit defeat.

Now why bother, youmight ask? Because Henry has two mothers who both use magic and the power oftheir love for him, and their bond with each other to save worlds, rescuekidnapped children from pedophiles on deserted islands, repair obviously poorlybuilt bridges over steep ravines, save unborn children from psychotic ghosts,and other weird stuff, and that is all the essence of the Sunday night waste ofmy career known as Once Upon a Time. So why on earth would we accept this rapeculture heteronormative nonsense? Because all of this goes far beyond the otherwiseimportant (centrally so) ship known as Swan Queen. Not getting what is demandedor getting only crumbs of what is needed, isn’t good enough, but staying forsuch rewards–or, worse yet, walking off defeated, neither of those options isgood enough for this showmaking team. They deserve far louder outcries. And theliteral minded (those who ‘ship Regina with happiness’ because they have thiscreepy dehumanizing thing for an actressplaying her) deserve far less pandering. Stop playing to rampant individualismand rec’ing terrible fanfiction about poor broken Regina and her annoyingstalker. Empowerment is a complex thing. And then we say–carry on with the criticisms because we’ll neverforget. Not any of the retcons, any of the PR (or lack threreof) shit we ended up with–and not the fifth of November.

Remember,remember…

[gardinerhouse-blog]

Spotlight on Preeti Reddy Dasari

Preeti Reddy Dasari ’17 is an Economics major and an Applied Statistics minor. Home for her is Hyderabad, India, and she speaks four languages—her native Telugu, English, Hindi, and French. She got to put some of that French in action when she studied abroad in Geneva, Switzerland for her junior year! She has a job on Smith campus as the Coordinator of House Events, where she works closely with Hannah Durrant in the Office of Residence Life to make sure that all our awesome events are approved. She also enjoys traveling, journaling, and watching movies. She is a secret dancer and singer, and also likes to garden, and cook when she’s at home. At Smith, she is a member of Gold Key, and also works on The Sophian—which is what she’s going to tell us about in this post, along with a little bit about her study abroad experience!

 What are you looking forward to in general at Smith, or in the Gardiner community, this semester?

I know the semester is winding down but I’m really looking forward to Senior Banquet. I’ve been dreaming of our Senior Banquet since my first year and I’ll admit – having a funny story for SB has served as my incentive several times to say YOLO and jump into crazy situations. But mostly, I’m looking forward to celebrate our time here at Smith and in Gardiner with our class and fellow housemates. I’m also really excited for Senior Week – watch me run down the hallways of G screaming, “We are the champions” and get hyper about (possibly) going to Six Flags.

What was study abroad in Geneva like? Do you have any favorite moments that you can share with us?

My stay in Geneva had a pretty rough start. It was like starting college all over again – a new place and strangers I’ve never seen on Smith campus. Worse, my grip on the French language was dismal after spending 3 months at home speaking my native language and there were all these strange customs that made me wonder if I’d teleported to 19th century France. But it soon began to feel like a home as I made friends and my French grew stronger. The program itself was very enriching academically and professionally. In the span of a day, I would go from discussing 14th century economic history to writing travel memoirs in French and then to corresponding with WTO analysts for a trade article I was writing for my internship.

All of that was well and good but my favorite moments in Geneva came from my taste of adulthood. I worried about not having enough money to visit Agatoni and Sadaf in Paris because Geneva was bleeding me dry. I would rush to finish that trade article so I could join my colleagues for a drink after work. I learned all there was to learn about rugby so I could participate in the office betting pool during the World Cup. On Sundays, I woke up early to walk to the farmers market to buy home made cheese and freshly picked strawberries. Little things like buying groceries and getting my travel pass renewed would make me happy because there were a sign of my strengthening French and more importantly, my ability to be truly independent.

What are some of the most valuable takeaways you have gained from studying abroad?

           The interesting thing about Geneva was that it was geographically small but historically, it was endless. The city was home to one of the United Nations headquarters (there are four in the world) and the evidence that it served as a home to international diplomacy for centuries was everywhere.

           But the most significant experience of my time in Geneva was my weekly visits to The Broken Chair. The first time I saw the monument, our tram had just pulled around the Ariana square. We were going on a tour to the UN HQ and I could hardly wait. But I remember going silent and still as I took it in the sculpture. The Chair is this five feet wooden sculpture of – you guessed it – a chair. It has one broken leg and is surrounded by little water jets that go as high as 5 feet at random times. The monument was erected in a protest again land mines and cluster bombs, and played a significant role in banning land mines across the world in the 90’s.

           I would go to the square almost every weekend and sit on a stone bench, hoping the nearby water jets wouldn’t spray my writing book. It was a prime spot to look at the UN, the Red Cross museum and the Chair. Some of the days, it would be almost unbelievable that I was in that square, 50 feet away from my teenage fantasy of being surrounded by international organizations. (Yes, I had weird dreams for a teenager, okay)

Often, that square acted as a source for my existential and my “what the hell am I doing” thoughts. But mostly, it served as a space where I could bring out my inner idealist, a place where diplomacy was effective and people overcame boundaries to make this world a better place. And sitting there on a bench and watching tourists take selfies beside the broken leg; I could pretend to be part of History.

How did your time studying abroad in Geneva spark or develop your interest in journalism?

Economic Development has always been one of my passions and during my time in Geneva, I was able to work in this area and trade by interning with the International Center for Trade and Sustainable Development. As a junior associate with Bridges Weekly, the publication team, I took up responsibilities that ranged from writing trade/development articles to helping our experts gather data on the potential impacts of the TPP and TTIP. It had been a great time to get involved with ICTSD as among many other things, the TPP was finalized and the 10th round of WTO negotiations was held in Nairobi while I was there.

My experience proved to be unique because it taught me the importance of getting the message across to the masses. These trade deals, as arbitrary as they sounded, would, eventually but surely, affect the common man struggling to compete in the face of globalization. And I had the privilege to be a part of a team that was writing articles in six different languages to bridge that intellectual gap between policy makers and average news consumers so they could be aware of how their world was changing. The possibility that I’d contributed towards a reader’s understanding of current affairs inspired me to become more interested in journalism.

How long have you been working with the Sophian, and what is your role with the paper?

           I became involved with The Sophian just before I returned to campus in Fall 2016. I was fresh off my journalism and Geneva fever, and I was interested in exploring my interest further. Given my commitments to an on campus job and job search for post-graduation, I knew I wouldn’t be able to join the team as a staff writer. So I reached out to Hira Humayaun, the Editor in Chief and my good friend, and asked to join the management team and integrate my finance knowledge with journalism. During fall semester, I worked as the assistant managing editor, learned the ropes of managing the budget and got acquainted with our regular advertising clients. It was a lot of pressure because our managing editor was going to China for the spring semester and the responsibility of successfully emerging out of 2017 without any debt had fallen on me. While I missed the writing aspect of journalism, I quickly learned there is a lot more to a college newspaper than articles.

For starters, it was incredibly difficult to find reliable advertisers who mailed checks in time and to have the OSE keep them safe. (my close friends often hear me complaining about the OSE losing checks). The college also wasn’t very keen on supporting the only independent publishing outlet on campus because it believes newspapers are a dying form of journalism. A majority of my time in the fall was spent reaching out to the OSE for more funding and to the President’s Office for a meeting with Kathy so we could discuss ways to increase the quality of our newspaper and the readership base. The newspaper had to go through several structural changes, such as outsourcing our printing to a third party, printing the paper in black and white, putting out more digital content such as vlogs and montages on our website.

Some of them were hard decisions to make, especially having our newspapers printed in black and white, as it was more likely to decrease our reader base. And our editorial board jokes that, hey, our paper might be ugly AF but at least we’re not broke anymore! But the struggles with the college and the subsequent receipt of support reminded me again of how essential journalism is. More importantly, how important it is for college students like us to have a voice. To be a part of the process of giving them an agency to make their opinion heard is incredibly satisfying.

If someone were interested in working with the Sophian, how would they go about doing that? Are there regular meetings they could attend? An account to email? Do you need previous experience working with a school paper?

If you are interested in the Sophian, you can email sophian@smith.edu or download the application from our website! The editorial board meets every Thursday at 6 pm in Chase/Duckett dining hall if you’re interested in attending. You don’t need previous experience to be a staff writer, although you will need to submit an article every week. We are always looking for guest writers and happy to hear from interested students!

Thank you to all of Gardiner House, and especially to Lily Pearl and Kathryn Maurer, for a fantastic Senior Banquet last night! The semester is coming to a close, but keep an eye on the blog for a few more special surprises that will be coming out as quickly as your Social Media Chair can manage it!

[robininthelabyrinth]

Legends Recap

Because while I was determined not to (I was three episodes behind!), sometimes a girl's just got to scream into the void: "HOW DO THESE WRITERS KEEP THEIR JOBS?"

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Raiders of the Lost Art: Wow, I don’t care about Rip. Also, you had the fucking spear of destiny through all of season 1? Fucking incompetent.

I’ve seen the Mick scene before. *hugs Mick*

…Nate is such an annoying frat boy. 3AM blasting bad music? In a small space near other people’s sleeping quarters? And just “oh, yeah, sorry, I needed to do a thing” as an explanation? We have a name for those people: assholes.

Again: Indiana Jones is an archeologist. Not a historian.

“Anyone would have made the call to save Grey!” “Would Rip?” Answer: no, because Rip doesn’t care about the team. Remember how he did that repeatedly last season?  Why is this show trying to push Sara’s weird (and out of nowhere) crush on Rip?

I have literally no interest in Rip’s issues. Zero.

Fear of giant toads, somehow related to Mick’s mother (reference to “mommy talk”). Dragon!Mick confirmed?

Mick’s expression of “you’ve got to be kidding me” is going to be the highlight of this episode, I can tell.

I’m pleased they remember that Mick can knock someone out without harming them. I’m less pleased that they seem to have forgotten that Sara can do the same?

“Oh now, our way out is block! Pity we didn’t bring Jax, so that we could literally Firestorm fly our way out! That would have made sense, but cost precious CGI money!”

Mick’s tradition of carrying people continues.

Oh god, this episode’s only halfway over. Make it stop.

Goody, Stein insulting Mick to his face. Also, emotional problems leading to hallucinations are a serious problem??? Even if it’s just “emotions”, there are hallucinations?

NOTE TO AUDIENCE: Not having 4 PhDs or a history degree = total inability to read words!

NOTE TO AUDIENCE: Not being an inventor or a historian makes you useless!

Also, apparently getting mugged once can cause a change of career after dropping money and time into it.

Why did they move the chair into Mick’s room? HOW did they? (Why were we, the audience, deprived of the glorious scene of Mick and Stein hauling it down the hallway)

Also, Mick has been interpreting Stein’s academic technobabble without a problem the whole episode, and yet, everyone on board thinks he’s stupid…

I’m incredibly pissed at this episode for raising hopes of Len and then destroying them. Both for Mick, and for the audience.

I’m also not here for the Rip/Sara thing. Also the fact that this show seems to assume people will be super disbelieving despite being on a goddamn spaceship.

Oh, my bby! Mick’s head is literally SLICED OPEN in that scene! WTF?

I get all the Star Wars references, I just…don’t care…

George Lucas is holding the spear of destiny, which makes him a great director…or, at least, married to one. He’s a good tech guy, at least.

In which the Guy Who Has Never Been In A Fight Decides Not To Run From Evil Bad Guys Because…Plot.

Mick’s little smile when he says “ghost” and the heartbreak after it is just…unnecessary. Also, wtf, Stein, hallucinations are not a usual response to grief, okay?

Ugh.

 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Legion of Doom:

Damien’s intro is more interesting than 95% of the normal Legends’.

Okay, why is Merlyn having Feelings about Darkh dying? (Also, wouldn’t removing Darkh from the timeline mean that that timeline no longer happens? Why do G. Lucas’ ~~feelings~~ about filmmaking have an immediate impact but literally removing the person who doesn’t go on to do any of the shit he later does not?)

Fucking writers. This could be such a good show if they cared even a LITTLE.

I do enjoy the sheer bitchiness of the bad guys. Pity they’re Nazis. Also, do we need all the scenes of tortures?

ALSO: why the hell would his daughter help with a mystical artifact? Like, I see that she does because of plot, but couldn't they have put any effort into explaining why her specialty is required? Also, why does she have a radiation detector in her pocket when she goes to get coffee?

Bad guys: bitch-bitch-bitch.

Bad guys: bitch about each other.

Bad guys: yet MORE bitching!

Bad guys: worst bank robbers ever?

Mick’s difficulty thinking of the word is adorable. And yeah, she deserved to know. Everyone acting super weird about her, and she doesn’t know why? She would have wanted to know. It was clearly deliberate, too (I love how he goes to “asphyxiation”!)

Bad guys: going back to bitching. With swords! (See, I’d like them, but: Nazis.)

Stein is moping because Mick “spilled the beans” on a secret he shouldn’t be keeping. So sad.

Both sides figure out Eobard, finally. Also, can’t Eo just phase out through the wall?

Speedster: not…use…speed…force? I’m sorry, I don’t think I understand?

Eo’s terror face is hilarious. Also, did everyone just forget about phasing?

Stein’s family drama, yeah, yeah.  Stein: Can’t you stay? Lily: No, the budget can’t afford another regular. I mean, I have protein-folding to be doing instead of LITERAL time travel with future science! Because that’s totally how normal people/scientists make decisions!

--------------

Turncoat:

Mick’s intro is lovely.

Interesting mention about “time travel” being fun – I assume not all the memories are back in place. That, or being a Time Master is even more dull than I’d previously imagined.

I’m in for Gideon killing everybody! *notes down fic idea*

Go Mick! Use your skills! (Ray deserves all the arm twisting.)

Nate and Amaya – boring. And seriously, with the ‘falling into his arms’ thing?

Good lord, someone actually makes a plan that includes the line “and then if there’s trouble, Firestorm”? I thought I’d never see the day.

(Ray should totally go as a toy. And Ray, stop making faces at Mick – you’ve been a dick to him all season, only fair he gets some licks back in.)

“Oh you’re married to a black woman! Don’t you know we were racist back then!” says the man in late 18th century New Jersey, where rich black women could still vote. (No, really, in a handful of states black women could vote as long as they owned property. This was one of the rights that was lost when the US got itself a federal government. But the past was always racist! because we didn't make this joke enough when Kendra and Ray were dating!)

Ray’s “Mer-ry Christmas!” is amusing.

Mick identifies the problem faster than anyone else, as usual. Mick disapproves of Rip’s behavior – and Rip’s attempt to compare the two of them. For shame, Rip; as usual, thinking the worst of Mick.

“And Rory.” “That was implied.” Yeah, sure.  At least Jax gets next Captain after Sara goes! First time I’ve seen any reference to Jax’s leadership skills in…the entire series…

Really. Twice. That doesn’t make it funny.

“I’ll bet a hundred yous you’re wrong” = Mick is the best. Georgie isn’t wrong about there being rules of war, but Mick is still the best.

Jax. Jax. I love you, but there is a DIFFERENCE between “wow, I’m in charge of a handful of people and need to make decisions” and “I’m going to do a potentially life threatening activity involving literally digging into my friend’s stomach (which is filled with organs that, if nicked, could cause sepsis and death) with a knife, and I’m going to do it without a guide or any experience”. Stein wins this one hands down.

Okay, let me just be clear: somehow, Amaya has been on this ship for months and months and never heard the term ‘dating’ and is instead using ‘courting’, which is the most formal of formal terms used in the past. Because obviously a man – to use old-fashiony language like this show wants to – “called on” or “stepped out with” a woman a few times before officially declaring a courtship. Because the past didn’t have one-night stands, because people only developed libidos around the time of the internet. SERIOUSLY SHOW? People have been fucking for fun since forever. The whole “sexual revolution” thing was a revolution because women could have sex for fun WITHOUT RISK OF PREGNANCY.

Before then, they still had sex, they used what contraceptives they had and hoped for the best. There’s a reason shotgun weddings were a thing. And why

And I was told they went with the “huddling for warming -> sex” thing, I knew it was coming, it’s just…disappointing. Boring.

Jax Home Alone looks like it’s going to be fun.

Rip – the most ahistorical haircut, or the most ahistorical haircut? Ugly, too.

Georgie: “Don’t punish Mick! He’s not guilty!” Mick: “You bet your ass I am! Possibly not at the moment, but of many other things! And also, just generally speaking!”

Still bored with Nate/Amaya.

Jax Home Alone is not anywhere near as fun as I was hoping. Boo.

Mick: So I’m getting you out of here. George: No. Mick: *tries insults* *it’s not very effective* George: *stirring speech* Mick: *stirring speech* *it’s super-effective!* George: …

“Oh, no, what about George Washington and Rory!” says the person happily having sex and napping instead literally five minutes before.

Awwwww, Ratigan! That is some terrible CGI.

Why are they selling the Rip/Sara? It’s icky. (This is me: totally believing that Sara’s dead. Really. Totally. Even for five seconds.)

First, the historical critique: they shouldn’t ALL be standing around at a hanging with primed guns, that’s a recipe for disaster.

Second: I don’t even care this is glorious. Mick saves everyone! Mick tackles four people! George uses his superior height!

Also, if Mick convinced him early in the evening, then they literally spent all night talking.

First instance of Georgie-boy! (though poor Mick is still suicidal, oh dear)

George: …yeah, Americans out, stage left, pursued by bear.

Jax, Jax, baby, just shoot him in the kneecap. What the hell is with these heroes? Sara’s back and decides to use Christmas against everyone because…no, I have no idea why. Is it just me or does it feel like these episodes are massively out of order?

Awwww, Georgie and Mick drinking together <3 Mick and the criminal justice system! And then they hug! Mick finally has a good friend!

“Rebel spirit, steadfastness, crass yet effective use of language, you’re the best of what our new nation can be” – Mick is now officially embarrassed and hiding. Man, if I hadn’t already written that Barry/Mick fic, I would now.

Sara and Jax bro-ship is perfectly okay. More of that.

Mick in a hat! Mick with his new rat! <3 Mick kissing his new rat!

“We have nothing to celebrate – including Mick getting a statute!” – why, guys, why?

(Mick’s face of “yeah I still got nothing” whenever the statute is mentioned is adorable)

“Because the League may have everything – smarts, beauty, cunning, charisma…wait, where was I going with this?”

[recentanimenews]

Fans Awestruck As the Newest Black Clover Episode Changes Everything

  MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD. SO IF YOU HAVEN'T WATCHED THE MOST RECENT EPISODE OF BLACK CLOVER, PLEASE TURN BACK NOW

  Well, the worst that could've happened in Black Clover has happened: Licht, the leader of the Eye of the Midnight Sun, has slain Julius Novachrono, the Wizard King. The entire foundation of the Clover Kingdom has been altered and now the Magic Knights are left to pick up the pieces and see if a power vacuum emerges along with trying to quell any confusion and chaos that might erupt. But before we can jump into the repercussions of one of the most important moments in the history of Black Clover, we need to look at how we got here.

  Licht and Julius are still engaged in the duel that started in the previous episode, and it looks like Julius has Licht on the run. Licht, despite throwing everything he has at Julius, is still barely able to stay ahead of the Wizard King's Time Magic. The fighting here is fluid and fierce, which is a staple of Black Clover: The animators really do throw everything they have at the battles that count. 

    Meanwhile, Marx alerts the various captains of the Magic Knights to secure their districts and then proceed to the capitol. This scene in particular makes me excited to one day get an awesome Legend of Zelda-style Black Clover game, because I love the idea of Marx's little bowl cut popping up on the screen to give me tutorials or quests. 

    Julius remains his typical, un-perturbed self during this fight. This is the face of a man who's being swung through a castle by a light magic whip around his ankle. I can only hope to achieve this kind of calm one day. 

    Licht is amazed by Julius' speed and I honestly clapped when Julius caught one of Licht's light swords, said "You can have this back" and threw it back at him faster than Licht's original spell. THAT'S MY WIZARD KING. THAT'S. MY. DUDE.

    Of course, at this point, Licht starts wondering where Julius' grimoire is, only for Julius to reveal that he has a great, cover-less grimoire in the sky. Julius says that he wondered about the purpose of a cover-less grimoire and his own purpose, and realized that they're a match: Julius had to discover his own purpose through the things he'd done. Then, of course, he says "I'M THE WIZARD KING" and I want to do a backflip off the roof because he's so cool. 

    Licht figures that the universe has created this rad dude in order to stop hm, and uses the Sealing Magic Released, which threatens the entirety of the Clover Kingdom even if it means disrupting the "natural order." 

    A random citizen asks aloud "Is this the end of the world?" And, yeah. Kinda is, buddy. But Sister Lily aint worried, because the kingdom has Magic Knights. And yeah, that's a nice sentiment, but I'd still be a tad concerned if the sky was filled with glowing swords that were pointed straight down at me and everyone I've ever known.

    Licht brings them down in a Light Magic: Arrows of Judgment attack, and Julius remembers the rampant classism in the Black Clover world where the elites hate both the commoners and the weird Magic Knights. Julius remembers Zara, the first peasant to be chosen as a Magic Knight and how they learned from one another - Specifically, Julius learned that he needed to protect all people instead of just going after glory like some of the other Magic Knights. And so Julius worked to change the people of the Clover Kingdom and make things more equal, and he can't let all of his progress go to waste.

  He reverses it with a huge spell: Time Reversal Magic: Chrono Anastasis...

    ...which gave Licht time to strike.

    Yami witnesses the murder, and prepares to, ummm, negotiate.

    AND THAT'S THE END OF THE EPISODE? WHAT? Of course the "Petit Clover" segment riffs on the only moment it can, which is Marx (and more importantly Marx's "Buy One, Get One Free" haircut) making "wrong numbers" when trying to contact the Magic Knights.

    So what's going to happen? Well, in the short-term, it's pretty obvious that Yami is not thrilled with what he just witnessed so, knowing Yami, I doubt he'll be chill about it. But what about the other Magic Knights, those that want to be Wizard King, those that believe in the Wizard King wholeheartedly, and those that would do things differently? Will anyone try to claim the throne? How would you even make that kind of decision? Will the next Wizard King be someone that wants to follow the noble goals of Julius or will they have a divergent plan for that kind of power? 

  Also, the Wizard King is pretty much acknowledged as the strongets magic-user in the kingdom. When you don't have a #1 to measure yourself against, how does that change your aims for strength? 

  And if you think it's not that big of a deal, well, you probably haven't watched the show and just clicked on this article because you thought Julius looked rad (He does.) But the Wizard King seems to be the moral center of the universe. Like the other "kings" in various series (The King of the Pirates, the Hokage, the Emperor Of Bleachland), he sets the standard for the time. Of course, the Wizard King has a little more government sactioning than, say, Gol D. Roger, but they really serve the same purpose: To inspire. So it's not just a vacuum of power but it's also a loss of hope. The Magic Knights must now set their own example, and how they do it will be anyone's guess.

  We'll just have to find out what happens in the upcoming episodes. But for now, let's see what you guys thought of this one:

    Take this episode back ????????

— Tohru. ???? (@roseariee) July 23, 2019

       Okay, okay. That's a little much. I mean, it is just a work of fiction.

    Why have you done this to me! pic.twitter.com/HePzB7YoHq

— Cursebreaker Rawr (@DuffyGoesRawr) July 23, 2019

     We didn't do anything! We're just Crunchyroll! Don't shoot the messenger!

  I'm already dead and heartbroken

— XIUniverse???? (@shiujess99) July 23, 2019

  Welp, we have a casualty. 

    Best episode BY FAR HANDS DOWN‼️‼️‼️ props to the animation team. I can’t wait for more Black Clover ☘️ greatness.

— Tamaar Akbari (@AkbariTamaar) July 23, 2019

  See, that's a little more optimistic! Focus on the excellent work by Pierrot Studios and not the deep, black void that we now feel in our hearts.

  Please no pic.twitter.com/hS4Vvq8UrS

— Sjifa Oulie (@sjifa) July 23, 2019

   Oh, back to crying. Okay.

    Leave your respects here D: pic.twitter.com/2xQPeUveiz

— Harrison Frey (@LegalTechWiz) July 23, 2019

  If there was ever a time to leave some F's, it's now. 

    He is a Hero ???????????????? pic.twitter.com/RH3zmim2yk

— XIUniverse???? (@shiujess99) July 23, 2019

  Nooooo, not the Stitch. Now I'm crying.

    pic.twitter.com/mcdAT3ZJWU

— Force (@Oi__josuke) July 23, 2019

  The "sobbing gif" industry is booming.

    Not ready yet today????

— ✨????????Rej????????✨???????? (@rejwingdragon11) July 23, 2019

  None of us are.  

  My heart couldn't handle this pic.twitter.com/ugzOmdqoIf

— Ashley (@smash_1209) July 23, 2019

  THEY INCLUDED A CRYING GON? THAT'S LIKE THE THIRD SADDEST SOMEONE CAN BE AFTER CRYING SHINJI AND CRYING LUFFY. I'M SO SORRY WE DID THIS TO YOU. HERE'S ASTA TALKING ABOUT POOPING TO MAKE UP FOR IT:

    How did you feel about this episode of Black Clover? What do you think will happen next? Let us know in the comments!

    -----------------

  Daniel Dockery is a writer and editor for Crunchyroll. You can follow him on Twitter!

By: news+feed@crunchyroll.com

[recentanimenews]

Everything Changes In The Latest Episode Of Black Clover

  MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD. SO IF YOU HAVEN'T WATCHED THE MOST RECENT EPISODE OF BLACK CLOVER, PLEASE TURN BACK NOW

  Well, the worst that could've happened in Black Clover has happened: Licht, the leader of the Eye of the Midnight Sun, has slain Julius Novachrono, the Wizard King. The entire foundation of the Clover Kingdom has been altered and now the Magic Knights are left to pick up the pieces and see if a power vacuum emerges along with trying to quell any confusion and chaos that might erupt. But before we can jump into the repercussions of one of the most important moments in the history of Black Clover, we need to look at how we got here.

  Licht and Julius are still engaged in the duel that started in the previous episode, and it looks like Julius has Licht on the run. Licht, despite throwing everything he has at Julius, is still barely able to stay ahead of the Wizard King's Time Magic. The fighting here is fluid and fierce, which is a staple of Black Clover: The animators really do throw everything they have at the battles that count. 

    Meanwhile, Marx alerts the various captains of the Magic Knights to secure their districts and then proceed to the capitol. This scene in particular makes me excited to one day get an awesome Legend of Zelda-style Black Clover game, because I love the idea of Marx's little bowl cut popping up on the screen to give me tutorials or quests. 

    Julius remains his typical, un-perturbed self during this fight. This is the face of a man who's being swung through a castle by a light magic whip around his ankle. I can only hope to achieve this kind of calm one day. 

    Licht is amazed by Julius' speed and I honestly clapped when Julius caught one of Licht's light swords, said "You can have this back" and threw it back at him faster than Licht's original spell. THAT'S MY WIZARD KING. THAT'S. MY. DUDE.

    Of course, at this point, Licht starts wondering where Julius' grimoire is, only for Julius to reveal that he has a great, cover-less grimoire in the sky. Julius says that he wondered about the purpose of a cover-less grimoire and his own purpose, and realized that they're a match: Julius had to discover his own purpose through the things he'd done. Then, of course, he says "I'M THE WIZARD KING" and I want to do a backflip off the roof because he's so cool. 

    Licht figures that the universe has created this rad dude in order to stop hm, and uses the Sealing Magic Released, which threatens the entirety of the Clover Kingdom even if it means disrupting the "natural order." 

    A random citizen asks aloud "Is this the end of the world?" And, yeah. Kinda is, buddy. But Sister Lily aint worried, because the kingdom has Magic Knights. And yeah, that's a nice sentiment, but I'd still be a tad concerned if the sky was filled with glowing swords that were pointed straight down at me and everyone I've ever known.

    Licht brings them down in a Light Magic: Arrows of Judgment attack, and Julius remembers the rampant classism in the Black Clover world where the elites hate both the commoners and the weird Magic Knights. Julius remembers Zara, the first peasant to be chosen as a Magic Knight and how they learned from one another - Specifically, Julius learned that he needed to protect all people instead of just going after glory like some of the other Magic Knights. And so Julius worked to change the people of the Clover Kingdom and make things more equal, and he can't let all of his progress go to waste.

  He reverses it with a huge spell: Time Reversal Magic: Chrono Anastasis...

    ...which gave Licht time to strike.

    Yami witnesses the murder, and prepares to, ummm, negotiate.

    AND THAT'S THE END OF THE EPISODE? WHAT? Of course the "Petit Clover" segment riffs on the only moment it can, which is Marx (and more importantly Marx's "Buy One, Get One Free" haircut) making "wrong numbers" when trying to contact the Magic Knights.

    So what's going to happen? Well, in the short-term, it's pretty obvious that Yami is not thrilled with what he just witnessed so, knowing Yami, I doubt he'll be chill about it. But what about the other Magic Knights, those that want to be Wizard King, those that believe in the Wizard King wholeheartedly, and those that would do things differently? Will anyone try to claim the throne? How would you even make that kind of decision? Will the next Wizard King be someone that wants to follow the noble goals of Julius or will they have a divergent plan for that kind of power? 

  Also, the Wizard King is pretty much acknowledged as the strongets magic-user in the kingdom. When you don't have a #1 to measure yourself against, how does that change your aims for strength? 

  And if you think it's not that big of a deal, well, you probably haven't watched the show and just clicked on this article because you thought Julius looked rad (He does.) But the Wizard King seems to be the moral center of the universe. Like the other "kings" in various series (The King of the Pirates, the Hokage, the Emperor Of Bleachland), he sets the standard for the time. Of course, the Wizard King has a little more government sactioning than, say, Gol D. Roger, but they really serve the same purpose: To inspire. So it's not just a vacuum of power but it's also a loss of hope. The Magic Knights must now set their own example, and how they do it will be anyone's guess.

  We'll just have to find out what happens in the upcoming episodes. But for now, let's see what you guys thought of this one:

    Take this episode back ????????

— Tohru. ???? (@roseariee) July 23, 2019

       Okay, okay. That's a little much. I mean, it is just a work of fiction.

    Why have you done this to me! pic.twitter.com/HePzB7YoHq

— Cursebreaker Rawr (@DuffyGoesRawr) July 23, 2019

     We didn't do anything! We're just Crunchyroll! Don't shoot the messenger!

  I'm already dead and heartbroken

— XIUniverse???? (@shiujess99) July 23, 2019

  Welp, we have a casualty. 

    Best episode BY FAR HANDS DOWN‼️‼️‼️ props to the animation team. I can’t wait for more Black Clover ☘️ greatness.

— Tamaar Akbari (@AkbariTamaar) July 23, 2019

  See, that's a little more optimistic! Focus on the excellent work by Pierrot Studios and not the deep, black void that we now feel in our hearts.

    My heart couldn't handle this pic.twitter.com/ugzOmdqoIf

— Ashley (@smash_1209) July 23, 2019

  THEY INCLUDED A CRYING GON? THAT'S LIKE THE THIRD SADDEST SOMEONE CAN BE AFTER CRYING SHINJI AND CRYING LUFFY. I'M SO SORRY WE DID THIS TO YOU. HERE'S ASTA TALKING ABOUT POOPING TO MAKE UP FOR IT:

    How did you feel about this episode of Black Clover? What do you think will happen next? Let us know in the comments!

    -----------------

  Daniel Dockery is a writer and editor for Crunchyroll. You can follow him on Twitter!

By: news+feed@crunchyroll.com