#even though the strike kept him from doing a lot of promo

[mizgnomer]

David Tennant Year in Review - 2023

David’s television, film, convention, charity, and other appearances from 2022, all in one convenient photoset - with extra special thanks to Georgia and her excellent Instagram posts

Please see my [ David Tennant Year In Review tag ] for prior year-end posts dating back to 2014

[snowbellewells]

Self Promo Sunday: "While You Were Sleeping"

It seemed like the right time to dig out this older story of mine and revisit it. I even created some fic cover art for it at long last. I originally wrote this for @searchingwardrobes' Captain Swan is my Favorite Rom Com collection on AO3, and I had a lot of fun adapting one of my all-time favorite movies While Your Were Sleeping to include Killian, Emma, and many of our other favorite OuaT characters. I hope you will enjoy seeing it again, or seeing it for the first time, as this week's self promo re-run.

~*~ Complete in 8 Chapters ~*~

Also available on AO3 or ff.net if that is your preference...

by: @snowbellewells

Part One: Prologue

“Next.”

The clink of the subway token in the steel drop slot made its familiar sound as Emma Swan almost robotically gestured the traveler through to make room for the next and fished the coin out to add to the growing pile on the counter at her elbow. At this point, the main part of her job at the Riverside subway terminal on Boston’s Green Line was so routine she barely paid attention or even looked at the equally harried and distracted commuters, but simply gathered their fares, waved them on, and kept the line moving. It certainly wasn’t exciting or life-changing, but it paid the bills, kept her and her cat fed, and if she daydreamed meanwhile about someday traveling beyond the bounds of the city’s subway network, and having someone to travel with – well, no one had to know that but her.

The jangle of another coin in the till jarred her from her morosely-veering thoughts and reminded Emma of her duty, “Ne-” she began to say, even looking up at this person as if to prove she wasn’t lazing on the job, but the words froze on her tongue at the sight before her.

It was him – the mystery man who traveled through her station every week. Like clockwork, he appeared each Saturday at nine, then reappeared on his return journey in the early evening. Only on Saturdays, but without fail; once a week some pilgrimage brought him to her like a shimmering mirage, leaving Emma shaken and breathless, thinking throughout the rest of her work week that she must have conjured him from her own imagination. Though she wanted to shake her head at the preposterous reaction, roll her eyes at the dramatic way her heart raced whenever this guy came into view, and write herself off as pathetic for behaving with such girlish enthusiasm, it never failed to strike her again on Mr. Handsome’s next arrival.

It wasn’t just the perfectly tailored slate gray suit and handsome overcoat the man wore, the fancy watch on his wrist, or the confident, decisive way he moved and carried himself; it was more in the twinkle of playful mischief she saw in his breathtaking blue eyes behind the proper veneer of his business-like appearance (even on a Saturday), the subtle quirk of his mouth as he never failed to thank her, in a heart-stopping British accent no less, before moving on to his destination, and the way that, though he without doubt had the best products and stylists at his fingertips, there was still an unruly, disheveled mess of curls atop his thick, sandy head of hair. The man was clearly a mover and shaker, powerful, well-to-do, and yet he carried himself as if it were an easy mantle, with the grace not to give his power too much credence or act better than anyone else.

As if to prove her point, the guy smiled at her kindly, even as she did little more than nod dumbly and reach out to take his subway token. His voice was warm, almost melodious with the lilt of that accent as he added, “Thank you, Lass. Have a lovely day.” Then, with a dip of his head and a wink, he was gone, moving off on his way again, leaving Emma looking after him and trying to shake herself back into coherence.

She watched his tall, broad-shouldered frame, now with his back to her, stop on the platform to check the time, and she sighed, dejectedly berating herself for being too dumbstruck to even answer the seeming man of her dreams. “You have a nice day too.” “That’s a great tie you’re wearing,” she snarked to herself quietly, reminding her stunted brain of the sensible replies she could have given Mr. Dreamy instead of merely gawping at him like a fish out of water. “‘You’re beautiful”, “Take me with you…” Letting out a growl of frustration at her own lunacy, Emma buried her head in her hand a moment before knocking her brow against the glass a couple times for good measure. “Stupid, stupid,” was really all she could find to mutter to herself.

However, though she admitted that she might be many things, a wallower was not one of them. After her short personal pity party, Emma drew a deep breath, squared her shoulders and looked up, intending to get back to work – monotony and all. Unfortunately, that still wasn’t in the cards.

She looked up just in time to see her daydreams’ focus be joined on the platform by three other men, looking much less clean-cut and a lot shiftier in their bearings. Whatever the first one said to her suited regular, it clearly wasn’t friendly, as he stiffened rigidly, and Emma did too merely from watching at a distance. The first newcomer gave her commuter’s scarf a flip back over his shoulder, making the muffler fall from his shoulders to the ground, and she could almost read the words on those well-formed lips, imaginary or perhaps even distantly hearing his, “Watch it, you lot. Just back off. I’m not looking for any trouble.” He had turned partially to take in all three of the men who’d accosted him, clearly not wanting to put his back to any one of them, and she could see the storm cloud that had settled on his strong brow, that handsome face dark and warning where before she had only ever seen it show either mild happiness or amused curiosity.

One of the newcomers jeered loud enough for Emma to hear as she cracked open the door of her vestibule, ready to call out and intervene, asking loiters to move on before the next train’s arrival. “Well, you may not want any trouble, guv’nuh,” mocking his English speech obviously as he moved right into her guy’s space, “but what if we do?” And before Emma could call out or make any sort of sound at all, he shoved at her regular passenger, hard enough to send him stumbling back despite his height and the casual poise with which Emma normally saw him move. Though he might well have caught his balance just fine in usual circumstances, they were standing too near the edge of the platform. The next foot he put back to brace himself found only empty space.

One of the hoods bent quickly to swipe the dropped briefcase he had been carrying; while another gave her handsome stranger one last shove in the chest before the three attackers bolted, disappearing up the subway steps, even as Emma finally jolted from her wide-eyed shock, leapt from her stool, and ran toward the fray.

Unfortunately, even as she hurried, she knew it was too late. In nightmarish slow motion, her guy’s arms pin wheeled, still seeking balance. The desperate attempt failed, and Emma skidded to a stop where he had been, grasping for nothing but air as he fell and vanished over the side, plummeting to the tracks below.

Tagging a few who might enjoy: @searchingwardrobes @kmomof4 @jennjenn615 @laschatzi @whimsicallyenchantedrose @jrob64 @apiratewhopines @teamhook @revanmeetra87 @xarandomdreamx @xsajx @bluewildcatfanatic @spartanguard @therooksshiningknight @tiganasummertree @optomisticgirl @motherkatereloyshipper @stahlop @booksteaandtoomuchtv @kazoosandfannypacks @thislassishooked @winterbaby89 @the-darkdragonfly @elizabeethan @donteattheappleshook @lfh1226-linda @justanother-unluckysoul @mie779 @drowned-dreamer @gingerchangeling @gingerpolyglot @wefoundloveunderthelight

[discluded]

I know Mile and Apo fans are their main fanbase and bread and butter but they should have done the press tour very differently if BOC didn't want Mansuang to be viewed as a BL film. Apo and Bas should have been teamed up for the press tour along with Mile and Tong. All four should have gone abroad for the overseas premiers and even if not for one of the big magazines like vogue should have done more interviews and photoshoots together (all 4) for the movie. They should have played around with the pairing a lot more for the press tour. Bas and Tong had massive parts in the movie and according to critics did very well in the movie.They should have been promoted more in their own press tour for their film. The intention of Mansuang was a Mile Apo movie but that clearly isn't what the end product was and they should have promoted it as an ensemble film. This is not even taking into account the actual veteran actors and actresses in the film that got absolutely 0 press. Let the women and older actors in your film actually promote the film to their own fans and that demographic? People don't go to the movies just for young good looking men. They actually had a lot to work with and I think Mansuang would have done a lot better locally if they hadn't completely blown the marketing for this film in a rushed few weeks with overloaded content that followed the BL marketing handbook that they used for KP.

the lack of acknowledgement of the veteran actors on the posters and in the trailer was something @moerusai and I both noticed and talked about. I think we mainly kept quiet at the time because there was soooo much complaining, from the size of the characters on the poster to how often the specific posters rotated at what venues, it just would be piling on legitimate issues on top of petty complaints.

there were well known, well respected actors in the cast who would've been an audience draw. I have a handful of actors I'll go to see a film for, *knowing* they're playing a side character (thinking mainly of Tom Hardy and Ben Whishaw here, who shine as leads and support).

Mile and Apo both made jokes about how difficult it must have been for the artist who made the Man Suang posters to have worked with Pond. there's many fan accounts of Pond's perfectionism in running KPWT... he often seems myopic on perfectionism to the point of missing the main points (here, having a poster that pleased him over missing the overarching man suang marketing campaign...)

I also miss actor mileapo... 😔

not to make riches out of others' misfortune but the WGA strike and the SAG strike did potentially help in getting them on the map prior to White Lotus scripting and casting. There was already some momentum in getting them into the show as guest actors. If that happened it would be a wonderful way for them to get into a series where they're not doing the heavy lifting end to end of fundraising / script development all the way through coming up with marketing. 🙃

the problem with the fandom and having inherited the attitude of entitled musician / kpop fandoms is the constant hunger for new content and getting to see them. film / series take a lot more time to develop. you can drop a single or music videos in preparation for the launch of an album or just as a stand alone single, and most fans just don't seem to recognize that discrepancy in the lift. there were toxic apc solos complaining in August about how the year is "almost over" and Apo had "nothing" as though he didn't spend the majority of the year working on the movie.

anyway the hunger for content makes product promo much more accessible and bite sized... people just aren't patient enough. so many people were mad and antsy when MA were shooting man suang and trying to limit spoilers by showing very little that they threw fits over there not being new content when MA were literally working on the content that is the main dish of the whole meal.

anyway. yeah I agree. fingers crossed the uni icon product will go through relatively quick production and white lotus will pick them 🤞

[triplechain]

[August 13th, 2022]

I teased before at Tre's other battle outfit. Entirely because of that one piece of promo art with green Link in the Legendary Dress, she's got it too!

But... it's a lot more than just a battle outfit. This whole thing was actually a bit of a later development that ended up adding to his character in the end.

The best way I think I can describe Tre is bigender, using both he/him and she/her. The two sets had a much stronger divide originally (with Tre not entirely accepting that she felt more like herself in a skirt or dress sometimes), but over time I think they'll be used more interchangeably. For the most part, though, Tre goes by she/her in more feminine clothing because it's more comfortable and it helps others get the point more often than not.

[please please PLEASE tell me if i'm screwing up with gender identities, I want to be respectful and I know everyone's experiences are different. gender is weird and while the dress is definitely a bit of a visual shorthand, I do wanna lean into the idea of "both are fine for me, actually" as time goes on for Tre.]

A more in-universe explanation of events from Tre's POV below the cut.

Tre was... different.

It wasn't a bad kind of different. It wasn't an easy to describe kind of different, either. It wasn't something that happened every day, and it usually wasn't a bother. Most days, he was content with just being himself, helping his parents around their traveling shop and taking care of the horses - Blackberry and Butterscotch - and that was it.

But somewhere along the way things changed. It was before arriving in Hytopia, and before getting attacked by that strange creature in the night, but beyond that...

...she didn't know. And it wasn't something she had wanted to bring up around her parents, either, because it didn't make sense. She was still Tre, but Tre was a boy and she... wasn't.

It nagged in the back of her mind every time someone called her "sonny" or "lad" when asking questions. It lingered when her parents called her their son to curious passerbys. It rubbed her the wrong way every time a father wouldn't want their daughter getting close to "that merchant-boy" or whatever new phrase they came up with.

Tre wasn't sure when he finally told his parents. He was still Tre, and he knew that much, but some days he longed to be someone else or look a little different. They didn't seem to mind, at least. Customers tended not to ask questions outside of her availability (to which her father would tell them to leave his daughter be. It was nice.)

Hytopia shouldn't have been a problem, then. People were fashion-forward or whatever and supposedly didn't care what you wore as long as it was well-made and looked good. Madame Couture's was no different, offering to make outfits if she was supplied the materials.

The moment she laid eyes on the "Legendary Dress", Tre knew she wanted it. The benefits were nice, sure, but the plain and simple reason she wanted it was feeling Right during the Badlands expeditions. Trois and Tri didn't question her much about it, and she was grateful. He wouldn't have known even where to start with explaining. It made him feel more comfortable sometimes, and that was that.

Something still lingered in her mind. Guilt over not telling his teammates the truth? Embarrassment about the whole ordeal? Frustration at himself for his inability to just spit it out already? Worry that his friends would leave him? Concern she'd never be able to be her truest self because the freedom she had would forever be out of reach unless she spoke up?

Eventually whatever it was managed to reach a boiling point for her. She didn't remember what she said, really, but apparently it was enough for them to understand. Tre was still the leader of their group. Sometimes he led them in the Sword Suit and was able to strike from afar, and sometimes she wore a dress that kept them alive longer.

(Tre only wished the whole cycle hadn't started over when they went through that damned portal.)

[supercorp-hosie]

My thoughts for legacies 3x13: I’ll try to put the point chronologically

1. When Kaleb blew the candle, I’m so confused because the first thing that comes to my head is: he’s blowing that because is daytime, but why put it so far from Cleo? Why use a candle when you have electricity? And apparently I’m a fool, because that’s how the confinement spell works duh! I only recalled that when Alaric blew it in the end. I’m so dumb lol.

2. I love that Kaleb is the first to seek Cleo out, wanted answers and ready to accept them. When he tries to comfort Cleo in her memories, that’s me too! But apparently being the badass she is, she immediately come up with the idea of replacing her grandma to go with Malivore.

3. Poor Cleo! My heart sores when it started with a little girl, just like with Finch. She’s a hero! She’s so brave! She’s a queen! And weirdly she likes frogs(or toads?) very much. I wonder why. And although she tried to kill Hope last episode, I never see her as a villain. Never for a second. Instead I’m impressed. Tbh I didn’t understand why she is always playing with clay/mud since the beginning of this episode. But after her backstory, I just feel sad and proud at the same time. Sad because it’s shaped from her painful time of enslavement. Proud because she’s using the thing she learned from it against Malivore as her weapon despite the painfulness. I remember she talked about her sister dying, but nothing about that occurs in the memories. Did she lie before or it’s just another thing that the writers forgot?

4. ‘Jonch’ is horrible! I prefer Finsie as the ship name. Why is their moment always so cringy? I get this second embarrassment from them a lot, mostly from Josie tho. I always felt there’s something lacking in Finsie, just like what I felt when Handon started it’s kind of sudden. Maybe because of my perception, I really didn’t know why Josie think Finch is hot. I have to learn how to appreciate her beauty. But goof news, I actually appreciated Finsie first kiss, because I see why they haven’t kiss before, and why they finally kiss. It’s cute and the sparkling, haha. Tbh I start to appreciate Finch’s beauty from the kissing scene angle. But this episode, again, I still feel cringy in most of the Finsie scenes. I have to put my palm on my head. Anyway, I enjoy the “girlfriend” scene tho, like Finsie starting to grow on me(again, the first time is their first kiss, hopefully no more cringy afterwards). It’s really good to see Josie happy. Btw, since Finch decided to enrol, will she be the new alpha now that she defeated Jed? That’s good for her, she finally has a pack and no longer lonely.

5. Along with Finsie scenes, does anyone realise there’s actually other students there? And there are actually other witches at the school?? I remembered that there’s like only four witches? Because Josie was the only witch at the school when Berbelang!Hope happened? Annnndddd! To that! Does anyone remember there’s this girl Gaby/Gabby? She’s also a witch, and she loves dnd like Wade? They can’t tease us with Penelope using her then just let her disappear?

6. Oh great there’s actually other wolves at the school. I’m starting to think Jed is the only wolf left (of course there’s Hope, but she’s tribrid). As much as I enjoy Finch being badass that she can stand beside Josie, I felt so sorry for Jed and his actor. He’s been there for 3 seasons and yet Finch get a backstory before him. He has none! The actor is great, look at the siren episode! He hardly gets any decent lines and scenes now. Instead, they make him looked useless, hard to be respectable. Like anyone can just harm his alpha reputation. Justice for Jed please. Oh and the fact that Finch got a backstory before Kaleb too? It’s unacceptable. They deserve more. Jed doesn’t even have a last name, my god! Anyway that doesn’t change the fact that I want to hug baby Finch so much bc she’s adorable!

7. With MG gone, Kaleb looks like the only vampire left in the school. I miss MG. What about Ethan?

8. Josie and Cleo finally met! I’m glad that she’s learned something from her too. I think it’s true that other kids never felt as easy as Josie at the school. They finally addressed it.

9. I’m frustrated that Hope never wanted answers from Cleo. The only friend that helped her grieve. But hey maybe she’s too hurt to be able to bear Cleo in her sight. But then again there’s the Landon problem, so she’s off with Landon again. Only taking to Landon the whole episode, being the only one that only talk to one person in the whole episode. Feel bad for her about this. Poor Hope.

10. I really feel bad for Landon, because there’s a lot of hardships to make him like that. Someone please give him hugs and a therapist. The show is doing a full cycle by stating what he’d done is just like what Hope did when she returned from Malivore. I understand why he kept himself away, but weirdly, the way the let those words out, it feels like he wants to get back at Hope when I think he wanted Hope’s understanding. Maybe he wanted both?

12. Someone told me that every 13th episode is the episode where Landon’s power are explored. I kind of agree with it now. Because he’s finally having the fighting skills that he’s longing now. Finally he can achieve his desires to physically fight alongside Hope. For what though, I don’t know, because in the case of supercorp, Lena never needed it physically to be Supergirl’s partner in saving the world, or of course to protect Kara. Glad for him, anyway, bc that’s what’s he wants. And the blow to the head? It’s awesome.

11. I can’t believe Landon is blaming Hope for not coming to save him sooner?! What the hell? What happened to “I’m going to be the one that always fight to find Hope”, idk whether I quoted it precisely, but the meaning is there. I am furious. Is this some sick drama that the show wants Landon to think that Hope was not coming to him because she had a perfect version of him?? That aside, when I see that Handon is going to fight together physically, I actually think the scene is good and they will overcome the blaming thing, and going to be a power couple. Just when I have that thought, Landon have to fucking throw the artifact towards Malivore(whether it is Malivore I’ll discuss afterwards, it’s contradictory)!! That’s such a stupid move! Where’s your brain? And it’s broken, oh god. And the show have to show Hope being so weak during the fight. I mean why? She’s a badass, why do they have to make her weak to glorify Landon?? They made her look useless. These things just really kill the budding Handon spirit in me. The show really knows how to make people resent Handon and Landon. Just please change the show name.

12. Anyway to be fair, Landon do care for Hope and do love her. Before, though I don’t think they are endgame quality, I think that if they do improve, Handon endgame is tolerable, acceptable. But now, I’m not so sure of that anymore. Other than the above mentioned points, Landon did leave Hope for a solid third time. Why the show have to establish that for Handon when their fans desperately defended Landon that he wasn’t always leaving. I mean I’ve seen Handon shippers fought really hard against the “Landon is always leaving Hope” argument. What a way to make a couple being endgame. In Chinese proverbs, there’s a thing for a third time. Like the three strikes law, I think? It says not to do anything or tolerate anything undesirable that has happened more than three times. So please do not make Handon together ever again. It’s an insult to Hope too.

13. To see it differently, poor Hope will finally have time out of Landon to think of herself and her future. We need to see her having her own storyline. So maybe we can see Hosie eventually? Sorry Finsie for anticipating your break up in the future. But please enjoy yourselves when Hope grows on her own, because Josie deserves a decent relationship on screen too. Hosie didn’t interact this episode, I’m sad.

14. I just can’t help but wonder why Alaric oversee the artifact being destroyed so easily. And when Josie introduces Finch, she deserves a decent conversation with the headmaster, really. Oh he’s an adult, be a responsible and respectable one, especially you’re Josie dad. Help her with her impression with her crush. Alaric really need help, we need another adult figure. It’s okay that’s not Caroline.

15. I kind of thinking that Landon and Cleo are shippable too when I know that they are leaving at the same time. Cleo being the sole reason to Landon existence is one of the reasons to ship them. She’s the one that tell Malivore he can make vessels and create legacy, that leads to Landon existing. Not to mention she did literally made Golem Landon by hand (we all know the thing that Hope made doesn’t have a body, so Cleo must have made his torso and limps right). Or maybe we prefer wandon endgame? Wade is precious too, he’s the one that point out Landon is not himself.

16. I’m so confused by this episode Malivore. I thought Cleo trapped him inside that monster Handon defeated this episode. But if it was trapped this long? How did the pit, Clarke and Landon even exist? Did Malivore escape from it?? It must have escaped.

17. In the promo for the next episode, we’re seeing Lizzie and Hosie interaction! I’m excited! I think maybe Josie will be the one that bring Hope out of the cult’s enchantment. What will happen? Maybe they will realise something or develop something towards each other? Anything hosie that MAKE SENSE please. Oh and Hizzie friendship/banters, and Lizzie suddenly being and “angel” will be so fun to watch. Finally, the trio!

18. I know it’s irrelevant but since I mentioned Clarke, I miss Holarke. I have some shippable thoughts about Finch and Penelope too. P is the she-devil in good girl attire; F looks like a bad girl but she’s good hearted. They are both fiery, imagine what they’ll be like when they’re together, erupting volcanoes?

19. Applause to Aria’s acting skill, this is like the eleventh role he’s played in legacies? Original Landon, Hope’s (subconscious) Landon, Landon’s (subconscious) Landon, Josie’s SimuLandon, Hope’s therapy Landon, Malivore Landon, golem Landon, ptsd Landon, oni-possessed Landon, golem Landon micmicking Necromancer, Clarke-Landon. Keep up the good work!

[inked-out-trees]

⭐ for The Keep Going Song? Thanks! :)

(anh i would die for you)

Thank you for asking! I am going to be talking about the whole thing because it's fun, and because there's not really many ~secrets~ within the text to ramble about, just little fun snippets!

I'll do it under a cut because I will definitely ramble. Woohoo!

I came across The Keep Going Song (the song) after my Lookout 3 Companion Playlist (& my spotify discovery) introduced me to the Bengsons. The effect was almost instantaneous - it's the kind of warmth I try to encompass in everything I do, and for the next few days I had it on repeat as I worked. This was around the time I was finishing my Lookout script, and I had been toying with the idea of writing a Cornleyverse fic after absolutely devouring all 10 fics in the tag. What I knew was that I wanted it to be sweet, I wanted it to pull them all together, and I wanted it to be a progression. Despite only having seen the Goes Wrong Show, jumping into the fandom made me want to dimensionalize these characters and give them a story beyond everything that had already occured.

I also watched Christmas Carol before / during the writing process, but to date I have not watched Peter Pan or the full-length TPTGW. My prior knowledge comes from Wikipedia, the delightul amateur TPTGW production on YouTube, a friend's excellent transcription of the Haversham Manor script, and tumblr meta analysis. I think I did a reasonable enough job pretending I knew what I was doing.

Let's get going!

I knew off the top that it was going to be vignettes - they would give me room to spread the story over the long period of time it takes for a group of people to grow into something resembling a family. Like I said in the original author's note, there was supposed to be more of the early, snippy days - but I got so focused on making them kinder that I found I couldn't properly write a fight. In hindsight, it probably would have been easier if I tried writing that first, but, well. Once I realized that it was too late. The alphabet idea came later, once I had them all finished: I wanted to organize them somehow, but numbers felt too open, too infinite - closing the story on an organizational endpoint was just really satisfying.

a - Every good story needs a good beginning.

c - Starting with the end of Peter Pan is my sneaky way of slipping past the fact that I haven't seen the earlier shows! The Max and Sandra storyline is just so sweet, and I wanted to let it exist a little bit in between our jump from Peter Pan to Christmas Carol. This vignette came so easily when I wrote it and I love love love the feelings and the tentativity about the whole thing.

f - This was actually the last vignette I wrote. I realized I needed some front-end padding because otherwise my angst plot came rather abruptly, and what better way? At this point, too, I was trying to bring in POVs from each one of our characters, and when deciding on Trevor's POV I thought the exasperation-excitement combination would be an excellent choice. It turns out Trevor is my favourite to write, mostly because I can find his voice a lot easier than some of the others - and probably also because I hold a lot of fondness and nostalgia for stage crew work. Also, I wrote most of this one on a long evening walk in the notes app on my phone. Fun fact.

h - I did my original idea slam in a draft tumblr post, and this one just says "birthday party but one without all the drama of christmas carol". And what do you know, that's exactly what it is! I definitely took the birthday party (in CCGW as well as in this fic) as a kind of proof that they really do like each other, if they're doing things like this and if they want to do things like this - and that theme of okay, they want to be here formed the basis for this part. I think it's exceptionally sweet that Dennis came looking for friends and ended up finding, well, something. And I popped in a little MMNI reference with "one of the Janines" - Backwards Janine? Frontwards Janine? Original Janine? Who knows! It's one of them!

l - The thing about this plot is that it's actually one of the first ideas I had when dreaming up this fic, and I couldn't quite let it go. The point was, what if I somehow split them up? How can they get on when half the society is out of commission? And the most reasonable way I could find to actually get half of them out of commission was the car accident. To be honest, this one is mostly filler - it's also the second vignette I wrote, and it found its birth in the email drafts of my work laptop.

m - Trying to map out this little plotline without overdoing it might have been the most difficult part of this fic, and I'm still not 100% sure I succeeded. This is our explanation for the unease from the vignette above, and it took me 3 rewrites before I finally found something that settled in my brain. "Dennis gets chased by a goose" might be one of my favourite lines in the fic though.

Also, putting these letters right next to each other made me feel really clever for no reason.

n - My Jonathan perspective also took a few stutter-steps in its beginning, but this one ultimately came from the promo video's reveal that Robert and Dennis live together, and me playing with the continual idea of the remaining cast members being rather unmoored in their injured castmates' absence. Robert in particular because I love his character and I love making him Feel Things(TM) (fun hint: this will also be a small theme in the new cpds fic I have in the works!) and I want to see so much from this odd relationship between him and Dennis. Obviously they have to tolerate each other if they are willingly roommates - how far can I go with that? I love how this one turned out.

o - All I have to say about this one is that I still really love the sweetness between these two, and they deserve the world. Also, at some point during writing this I was really caught up with how striking Dave's face silhouette is (don't ask) so that ended up making it in somehow.

q - Girls' Night is SO important to me. After all the work they've done to make these gals friends I needed to capture it, and a pleasant night in just made a lot of sense. This one is the home of a few of my headcanons - Annie has a chef roommate and Max does a lot of the cooking, thus the "neither of us are the usual household cooks" comments, and I also think they're at the point where they can joke about their previous failures (especially with these three together) so the nod to A Trial To Watch (my favourite gws episode) was so fun. Also, Waking Ned really is a silly pick-me-up of a movie - would recommend. Special thanks to CBC for giving us Canadians quality British TV alongside our occasionally questionable homegrown programming.

r - It wouldn't be a fic about progress and growth with this crew without a disheartening moment turned into gold. I wrote this one while barbecuing, another fun fact, and no joke the hardest part was figuring out what to name the play they were doing. I kept pace with the whole "Jonathan can't get onscreen" gag, which was personally hilarious and made me cackle as I wrote it, and the rest of it just felt good. I will always have a soft spot for comfort and reassurance in a story and getting to write it has just been an absolute delight.

t - This was one of my other unplanned vignettes. It was originally to fill out Robert's POV, but also to express a bit of how things have changed in Chris's attitude towards his cast - if there's one thing I would change from Mischief's characerisation thus far, it's this brand of almost-kindness that I consistently need to write him with. It takes the aftermath of the car accident and uses it to kind of make him understand - this is a valuable group of people and I don't want to lose it. But of course he's not the type of person to actually express that in any way, so I thought the frenetic hovering was a good way to get the point across. As well, the kind-of-bonding between Chris and Robert - the two of them are such powerhouses of insistent personality that conflict so easily but they've also got a more secret kind of friendship that deserves to be explored a little more. I really like this vignette and how it ended up portraying how they are around each other, how they really do know each other, especially when they're not fighting. Makes me soft.

w - This is the first vignette I wrote! I honestly didn't realize until writing this just how much I identify with Annie - best of both worlds re. crew and cast, a bit of tenacity regarding getting through things, overall personality - I just love her so so much. She also seems like the most sensible of the cast, so the collective "why are we really here?" moment with Trevor really spoke to me. I love their friendship, I love the kind of quiet vibe this vignette gives off - this is one of the ones I can feel most strongly, the one I can step into and exist inside. I also spent most of my old drama rehearsals and classes without shoes, so that had to make it in just by virtue of the sock brigade (me).

z - One thing I knew for sure since the inception of the fic was that it needed to end on a victory. I took the images I had of this victorious adrenaline, everyone together having a good time, kind of getting smashed, and karaoke (I really wanted the karaoke, for some reason) and went the obvious route: the wedding. Ending on Chris POV also felt so right - possibly because he's the one with the most growth in this fic - and getting to finally feel this triumph with him after all these other trials and tribulations was an absolute joy. The wedding hall, in my head, looks like the one my cousin used (it was at a zoo... my sister and I went on a night walk and heard a lot of screaming peacocks) and I definitely threw all my wistfulness, all my love for the characters I'd developed, and all my love for this fantastic fandom into this part. The incorrect lyrics that Annie sings are exactly what I think every time I hear that song, because I've never looked up the lyrics before and my brain likes to play Mad Libs with my super-questionable auditory processing. And the image of the ballroom staff getting really exasperated with them and shutting all the lights off came to me at night and is hastily scribbled on a sticky note (it's a wonder it's legible) but I still strongly believe that it's the perfect, perfect way to end. I still get the warm feelings when I reread this part, even now, after so many reads.

And, finally - our end quote is exactly what started this whole thing. What is this drama society if not a rough beginning? But the concept that we'll make it through, that we can just take a step and then another and it'll be okay because we're together... it's hard to describe just how much it means to me, to my place in the world, to the world itself. I think one of my rather consistent aims in writing, no matter what it is, is to be able to have this collective - characters that become family, people that are important to each other, this constellation to lean on - because it's all I can say for the human experience. It's probably quite a bit of wishful thinking (as I said to another friend, "I am apparently letting loose on all my repressed social feelings of the past year and shoving them into fics") and a sort of subconscious confirmation that if I write it, I can be it. So this force of understanding and kindness and ultimately good people helping each other through the world is something I can't help but include, something that means the absolute world to me.

I'm so glad to have been able to share this fic with everyone, and extra glad that it's been able to touch some people along the way. I've found such an incredible community in Mischief and coincidentally I think The Keep Going Song represents that warmth, too - the community I've been so lucky to exist inside, how we're helping each other along, step by step. What a beautiful thing to be a part of! Thank you for reading and allowing me to give you a bit of my heart. 💖💖

[bqstqnbruin]

Give your heart a break

I did in fact scream about how much I hate and love the Bruins while in the middle of Kohl’s today, so there’s that. I also wore my Harvard hockey shirt again and another person asked me if I played for the team so next time someone asks I’m just saying yes.

This was requested ages ago (because y’all know I’m the worst when it comes to doing things in a timely manner), so I hope the anon who requested this likes it!

This was also inspired by Give Your Heart A Break by Demi Lovato!

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

You were on stage, loving the rush that every performance came with despite how tired you were. Now almost done with your second tour, you couldn’t believe this was your life. Your favorite song that you sang during this tour wasn’t even one of your own; Give Your Heart a Break was the only cover you performed. Every lyric seemed to mirror your relationship, despite being released before you were a teenager.

“Alright, we’re going to change things up a bit, and switch over to a song written by one of my favorite artists: Miss Demi Lovato. I hope you guys like it,” you say as the violin melody that provided the beat started to play, drawing out the sound of the crowd as you got lost in the song.

The day I first met you, you told me you’ll never fall in love. 

Singing the song takes you back to that night at the bar, out with your friends in your hometown. Your friend, Rebecca insisted you go out to this particular bar when she found out the Vancouver Canucks were going to be there seeing as she was slightly too obsessed with the group of men. You weren’t too invested the reason why you were going there, you just wanted to go out with your friends before leaving for what was going to be a way too long, three month tour around North America, your first one ever. 

“To Y/N and her tour!” Bex leads your friends toasting the first round, “let’s hope it’s successful so that when she comes back she can pay for our drinks!”

You roll your eyes, everyone agreeing as you sarcastically say, “Very funny.” They continue to banter, Bex with her eye on the hockey players sitting at the table across from yours. She was purposefully being loud enough for them to hear her say she knew someone going on tour, but that could mean a lot of things when you think about it. It was enough to catch the attention of some of them, causing them to look over and see what the commotion was about. But you weren’t too interested in anything. Leaving within the next week meant you had to focus on nothing besides your career. 

Your friends kept talking about how excited they were for you, but you weren’t paying attention. Only one of the guys at the other table had caught your eye: you weren’t sure if it was because he looked tired and like he didn’t really want to be there, sort of like you, or because of something else, but there was something that drew you to him. Apparently you caught his eye, too, since the two of you spent about five minutes doing what your friend would probably refer to as ‘eye fucking,’ even though you really hated that term. She would think that you were both mentally undressing each other, both of you fully aware of what was going on. 

You get up to get yourself another drink, praying that he would follow you to the bar. If he did, you would talk to him. But, no, you couldn’t start anything. Who the hell starts something and then leaves for three months? It’s not like you were the type of person who did a hookup, either, but who knows? No, wait. You were overthinking things, like normal. How the hell do you even know what he wants? You don’t unless he tells you. He had to follow you to the bar first. 

You order your drink, your back turned towards your friends and the Canucks. “Put it on my tab,” you hear from behind you as you’re about to hand the bartender your card. You turn around, seeing the tired boy standing behind you, trying to weasel his way next to you. “Quinn,” he introduces himself, “I hope you don’t mind. If you don’t want it I’ll just drink it and have you pay for another one.” 

You laugh at how nervous he sounds, introducing yourself and telling him it was fine that he was buying the drink for you. “My friends said next time I’m home, drinks are on me, so might as well save up while I can.” 

“You have that tour coming up, right?” he asks, you shocked that he would even know that before remembering how loud Bex was. Hockey players didn’t strike you as the type of guys to listen to your music, but then again, you remember Rebecca saying this team was watching Gossip Girl together, so anything was possible. “Sorry, I kinda listen to your music. What’s it called, the By the Book Tour?” 

You groan at hearing someone say the name out loud. “I really actually love that you listen to my music but it is so important to me that you know I did not come up with that name.” 

He laughs, starting a conversation about your music, his hockey, everything else in between. The conversation somehow managed to get really deep really fast. “Wait, but you have all those songs about being in love and the perfect guy and all that stuff.”

“Well, yeah, since I’m still new in the industry I have to write what sells and ‘build a fan base’ as my manager says before I can start writing what I really feel,” you say, rolling your eyes, “And I think I was in love and falling out of love when I wrote those songs, but I don’t know what real love is. You don’t know what it is until you actually experience it.” 

“So you don’t think you’ve been in love before?” he asks.

“No. Have you?”

He stops for a minute, trying to think before shaking his head, “Nope. I don’t think I ever will be.”

You look at him, shocked that he would even admit something like that to someone he just met. “Really? Never? You don’t think there’s someone out there for you that you could fall in love with?”

“Nah. Who’s got the time? I mean, traveling for most of the year for hockey? How can I? You’ve got to understand: you’re about to be traveling for three straight months and then who knows what comes next. How can you even find time for love?” 

“I don’t know,” you shrug, thinking about it seriously for the first time, “I think that,” you pause, trying to find the words, “I think that everyone is destined for love, regardless of how they get there. People who don’t want it might just be afraid of the pain that would come with losing it.” 

He looks at you, eyebrows raised, not like he’s shocked but impressed, instead. “I can tell you write your own songs,” he takes a long sip of his drink, finishing off the glass, “That was pretty poetic.” 

----------

You look out at the crowd, knowing exactly where they were sitting. He had the biggest smile on his face, the other guys, surprisingly, looking like they were enjoying themselves, too. 

Now here we are, so close, yet so far. Haven’t I passed the test? When will you realize: baby, I’m not like the rest?

After a month on tour, one of your shows happened to be in the same town that the Canucks were playing that night, so Quinn had suggested you meet up after your show and his game for drinks. It seemed that a lot of your upcoming tour dates and his away games matched up, some sort of weird but welcome coincidence. 

“Hey, Quinn!” you say as soon as you see him, practically jumping up from the table where you were waiting for him. You two had been talking nonstop since the night you met, but his words always haunted you, changing the flutter in your heart when his name popped up to absolute heartbreak: he doesn’t think he’ll ever be in love. Especially when you were sure you were falling in love with him. 

“Hey, how was the show?” he says, wrapping you in a tight hug. Even after just playing a game, he smelt so good.

“It was fine, not one of my best, but hey, the fans seemed to love it. As long as they’re happy, I’m happy,” you say. The trust was, you were already exhausted. Before every show, it seemed like, you were doing nonstop conferences, photoshoots, other promos like meet and greets, having your manager talk to you about your set list as if it weren’t the same each night, rehearsal, sound checks, costume, wardrobe, and so much more. You weren’t sure you had more than five hours of sleep in the last three days. You weren’t exactly sure how you were going to keep up. 

“You’re exhausted already?” he asks, as if he were reading your mind. You look at him, confused how he could have known that. “Even under the makeup you’re still wearing from tonight, I can see the bags under your eyes. Look, they’re the same as mine,” he says, laughing, pointing to his eyes. 

“I just, I knew it was going to be hard, but wow, I never thought it would be like this,” you admit, laughing at how that sounds. Something worth it is never easy, so why should this be any different. 

“But you love it, so who cares?” he asks.

“Very true.” The two of you sit there in silence for a moment, surprised it wasn’t as awkward as you expected it to be. “Can I ask you something?”

“Always.”

“Are you afraid of love?” you ask, bluntly. But after that night you met, you had to know. It had been swirling around in your head the time. The more you talked to him, the more you swear you could see yourself falling in love with him if you could spend time with him, like you were right now, but was it worth falling in love with someone who didn’t love you back? 

He looks slightly shocked at the question, but you could tell it was something he had thought about before. “Well, I wouldn’t say afraid. I just don’t think right now it’s worth it. I mean, before I moved to Vancouver, girls would say they liked me because they thought I was going to be a professional athlete. So I would end up falling for them, then when I wasn’t in the NHL fast enough for their liking, they would dump me, and I’d be left just, standing there,” he says, not making eye contact with you. You can see his face getting red, obviously getting a little upset but trying to hold it in. “I mean, I don’t have time, you’re the only girl I talk to at this point who isn’t dating one of the other guys and isn’t my mom.” 

You don’t know why, but hearing that from him made you want to cry. Unable to look at him, you bite the inside of your cheek to keep yourself from doing that, pushing the food on your plate around with your fork. You were right there, constantly flirting with each other while you were on the phone, anytime Quinn was with the guys you could hear them teasing him about how excited he got when your name popped up on his phone, or when your songs came on the radio. Your band knew that when you were alone, you were probably talking to Quinn, getting to the point where they had some sort of code word to talk about you and him. 

You thought he liked you. You were so close to getting him, and you thought that’s what he wanted. If he asked you out on a real date right then, not just two friends getting together, you would say yes with no hesitation. When is he going to understand that you aren’t those girls from his home who would dump him when he wasn’t doing what you wanted him to with hockey? Who does something like that anyway? 

-------

You felt like you were staring at him the entire time you were singing, knowing that he couldn’t take his eyes off you either. 

On Sunday you went home alone, there were tears in your eyes. I call your cell phone, my love, but you did not reply.

Another night on tour, another night where your schedule lined up with the Canucks away games. You had no idea where you were at this point, you just knew you were exhausted, leaving in the morning for the next city and planning on sleeping on the bus the entire time, praying there was no reason for anyone to bother you when you arrived in the next city Sunday night. After the show, Quinn had invited you out again, the guys celebrating some big win that you didn’t know the significance of. You really didn’t care that much, especially since it was something that made him happy, so you went along and met him anyway, despite the fact that your veins had more coffee and energy drinks coursing through them than they did actual blood. You were getting there after the guys were, trying to find their table. The bar was crowded enough as it was, trying to find them taking way too long.

“Where’s that singer girl?” one of them asked. You still didn’t know his teammates well enough by name to know who said it, all you could tell was that he was blonde.

“She should be on here by now,” Quinn says, checking his phone to see if you had sent him anything. He had no idea you were a few feet away.

“Look at Huggy bear, already whipped by a girl he won’t close on,” another one teases.

“Ok, first of all, I am not whipped. She’s my friend. Second off, we will not talk about her like that, regardless of if she’s coming here right now or not,” you hear Quinn trying to defend you, even though the boys kept teasing him about you. Whatever, part of your career was criticism, this was just part of it.

You finally make your way through the people to get to the table, Quinn’s eyes lighting up when he sees you. You had to admit, you melted a little seeing him, despite him just putting you in the friendzone, him not knowing that you heard that. But were you really ready to sit with his friends knowing that they were teasing him about you? 

“I thought you weren’t coming,” Quinn whispers into your ear, pulling you in for a hug and sending chills down your spine. 

“And miss seeing you again? Please, I’m always up for seeing a friend,” you say. You swear he flinched when you said friend, but he said it first in your defense. You could already tell this night was going to end badly somehow, and none of you wanted to find out how.

He leads you over to the table of guys, none of them seeming to notice that you and Quinn had returned. The entire night was pretty much spent with Quinn pretty much ignoring you and only paying attention to the guys. They acted like you weren’t even there.

“I’m going to go get another drink,” you say, annoyed at Quinn, motioning to the empty bottle sitting in front of you.

Quinn nods, getting up with you “I’ll come with you.” You feel his hand on the small of your back, leading you from behind through the crowd to the bar. You couldn’t help your heart beating faster at this touch, something so intimate even though it probably meant nothing to him. The two of you sit down, you obviously bothered by the way the night was going. “Hey, I’m sorry for the guys,” Quinn apologizes, studying your face, “Are you ok?”

“No,” you admit. “You’ve been ignoring me the entire night. What’s the matter with you?” 

He bites his lip, looking back and forth between you and the guys while he tries to figure out what to say. “The guys think I’m falling in love with you so they tease me about it.”

You stare at him for a moment. Could the guys be right? Could Quinn actually have the same feelings about you that you did for him? “Well are you?” you ask, knowing that it was the alcohol in your system.

“Am I what?”

“Are you falling in love with me?”

“No.”

“Oh,” is all you can let out, looking down at the drink the bartender had given you. You didn’t want to drink it. Honestly, you just wanted to throw it in his face and storm out. You couldn’t believe he was doing this to you. You look up at him, his face red, him not able to make eye contact with you. He was lying. You know he was.

“I can’t,” he says, his voice small and wavering like he was about to cry.

“That’s bullshit and you know it. You can, too, fall in love, because you know what? I’m falling in love with you, and my schedule is just as busy as yours. So stop being afraid of letting people in because you don’t want to get hurt. All that does is hurt the people around you who are trying to care for you.” You sit there for a second, waiting for his response. When he doesn’t say anything, you get up and leave, before he can see you crying.

You take out your phone, trying to dial Bex as you make your way back to the hotel you were staying in. “Hey, babe, what’s up? It’s late.”

“I hate him,” you sob into your phone, knowing it wasn’t true. “He was so close to telling me he loved me, and he just looked at me and said he won’t.”

“Whoa, whoa, back up. What do you mean?” she says. You recount the night to her, Quinn not paying attention to you and then pretty much breaking your heart right there. “Ugh. what a bitch. He should be lucky to love you.”

You can’t help but smile, even though you were still upset about what had happened. You hear your phone beeping. Taking a look at the incoming call, you decline it, “He’s trying to call me.”

“Nope. Don’t answer.”

“Not gonna. Not for a while.” 

-------

You open your eyes, not even realizing that you had them closed. For a moment, it seemed like you were just singing to him, no one else around you even though you knew the venue was full.

When your lips are on my lips, and our hearts beat as one, but you slip out of my fingertips every time you run.

“So how does it feel knowing that this is the last night of your first full tour,” Bex says on the other end of the phone. The last night was in Vancouver, meaning that all of your friends who said goodbye to you three months ago finally got to see you again, and go out and celebrate with you again. 

“I’m so ready to sleep in my own bed, I’m fucking exhausted,” you tell her, sitting in the dressing room and looking at yourself in the mirror. You still had three more hours before you were supposed to take the stage, but you could already hear the audience going crazy. It felt so surreal, traveling around America and performing in front of thousands of people every night. You had never in your wildest dreams thought you would actually be doing this.

Your thoughts and reminiscing are interrupted by a knock on your door. “Hey, Bex. I gotta go, I’ll see you tonight? You have the passes ready to see me right after the show?”

“Yep, love ya, you’re gonna kill it. See ya,” she says, hanging up.

“Come in!” you call, not getting up from your seat. You were sure it was your manager, who always insisted that you stay in your seat instead of ‘tiring yourself and using energy to get the door.’ The door opens, seeing him in the reflection of your mirror. Practically jumping out of your chair, you run over to him, having not seen him since that night you left crying. “What are you doing here?”

The two of you had been talking again, but it took a while for you to be able to get comfortable with him again. Being told that someone refuses to fall in love with you is heartbreaking, especially when you were in love with them. But at this point, all you had to do was focus on the tour and repress your feelings, and you were doing pretty well until you saw him in your doorway.

“Something I should have done a long time ago,” Quinn says, his hands snaking their way around your waist. His lips crash to yours, you stunned by what was going on before relaxing into it. Your fingers tangle in his hair, tugging the soft strands when his grip tightens around your waist, pulling you closer to him. Your mind went blank, still unable to process that he was actually here.

He finally pulls away, your foreheads resting against each other, both of you with smiles on your face. “I don’t understand?” you say. He said he couldn’t love you. You talked all the time about how you weren’t really the ‘hook-up types.’ So why did he just kiss you? Why was he here before your show?

“I’m sorry,” he says, squeezing his eyes shut, “I don’t want the pain of losing someone, so I close myself off. You are everything to me. I don’t think I let myself fall in love because I never found someone who I could see myself being with until I met you.”

“You’re not going to run away this time, are you?”

“No.”

Another knock at your door startles you before you can say or do anything else. Your manager pokes their head in, “We need you for the pre-show warm-ups?” they ask, as if you were able to say no. “Are you staying here or finding a seat?” they motion to Quinn.

“Finding a seat,” he says, running his hand through his hair. 

“I’ll see you after?” you say to him, giving him another quick kiss before running out to get ready for the final show of the tour.

-----

You finish the song, the crowd cheering. You find Quinn and the boys sitting in their seats. You go through the rest of the show, still not able to pry your eyes away from Quinn. The second you saw him sitting the crowd, you nearly started crying; he had said he wasn’t going to be able to see you on this tour because of his hockey season. So not only did he technically lie, he surprised you and took all the guys to see you perform, too. 

After the show, you can hear the guys coming back to see you through the closed door of your dressing room. Opening it before they can knock, you nearly knock Quinn over, jumping into his arms and kissing him right in front of the guys.

“Who woulda thought that Q here would have actually landed a girl?” Brock asks.

“Hey, it was bound to happen at some point, look at the child,” Jake adds, “Even if it was with someone who sings about love all the time,” he teases you.

“I make just as much money as you do and all you do is chase a small rubber thing over a slippery surface. At least I create music people listen to while most of your fans just yell at you to shoot the puck,” you shoot back, the guys laughing.

“Come on, give her a break,” Quinn finally adds, “I mean look at her, how could I not love her?” he asks, the guys groaning at how mushy he was as as you plant a kiss on his cheek. 

[outerspaceisbetterthannothing]

Public Relations. Pt 3. Fire Escape Staircase [Calum Hood blurb]

Series masterlist

Summary: you, Calum, some alcohol and a dark fire escape staircase. 18+, proofread by @burncrashbromance

***

You’ve never been that much of a fan of the Big Apple. And you definitely weren’t a fan of going on promo tours with Calum. You’ve done it once, spent most of the time hanging around alone and getting your boyfriend only late at night and tired as hell and decided that waiting for him at home or flying out to him for a couple of days every so often was a preferred alternative for you. But when Calum mentioned that he would like you to go to New York for his three-day promo trip with him, somehow you couldn’t resist. You thought that just three days wouldn’t be so difficult and you’d also get a chance to catch up with your college best friend while you’re there. So you said yes. Which, truth to be told, you had regretted the very first day.

Promo was promo, Calum had his work to do and was busy most of the time. For which you couldn't and weren’t going to blame him. And if he wasn’t busy, he was meeting some people he had to meet while he’s in the city. You tried not to get in a mood, constantly reminding yourself you had known what you were agreeing to. But tonight, at a lame home party of some acquaintance of Calum’s you felt bored to no measure. You had met your friend earlier that day, but even this meeting wasn’t able to brighten your gloomy state of mind.

So here you were, bored, moody and tipsy. Calum would say that’s a dangerous combination. You, looking at him opening a third beer, weren’t able to find anything dangerous in teasing your own boyfriend a little. Just a little bit. Only to remind him you actually were here.

You waited till he opened the bottle and turned around to go back to the living room and headed his way. Your ways crossed right next to the kitchen island, in a narrow space, so you had to press into him with your body. And maybe, just maybe you pressed your ass to his crotch a little harder than was necessary.

“Hey you,” you dropped, giving him a shy smile.

“Hey yourself,” Calum replied and sent you a long look, which you felt with your back.

Your plan was working, you noted to yourself, joining other girlfriends at the different side of the apartment.

Quarter of an hour later you got your second chance, as you were standing next to Calum and listening to a guy you’d seen for the first time sharing his opinion on modern art. A group of newcomers were trying to get to the kitchen and their way was laying just past you. You were the first to notice them, so you freed some space, for which you had to stand right in front of Calum. This time you pressed your body into him much harder than was needed and also made sure you had a second to stroke his thigh. Calum looked at you again, longer and more intently, but you acted innocently.

One more drink later you were called by Ashton to sit with them while they were discussing some old school guitar solos. There was a free armchair, but you decided to ignore it and settled in Calum’s lap. And yes, you did wiggle your ass, trying to get more comfortable.

“And what do you think you’re doing?” Calum asked, hiding his face in your hair for a moment. You smiled again and kept drinking silently. Calum chuckled, but didn’t push and switched his attention back to the discussion. At least, he tried to. And he would probably succeed if not for you being so active. You didn’t do much though, just moved a little. To put your cup on a table and then to pick it up a minute later. To unfold your skirt. To give Ash a high five when you were the only one to guess that Rolling Stones song he was humming. And also to do a little dance because of guessing something their musical minds didn’t. And then to put your cup back on the table again.

“If you don’t stop, you gonna be in such trouble,” you heard Calum’s deep voice right over your ear.

“Stop what?” you frowned.

“You know,” Calum pressed.

And that moment, you understood, was perfect for your final strike. You pouted sadly and stood up.

“If you’ll excuse me,” you dropped to other people at the table and headed to the bathroom.

You knew he would follow you, if there was one thing Calum couldn’t resist, it was your sad pout. You could fight, yell at each other, you even spent whole three days not talking to each other once at the very beginning of your relationship. But disappointing you was Calum’s weak spot. You didn’t lock the door, waiting for him. But three minutes later you were still completely alone in this bathroom. You pouted again to your own reflection in the mirror, this time honestly being disappointed. Did he really resist your perfect attack?

You sighed, fixed your lipstick and left the bathroom, having no hope left.

You almost yelled when someone grabbed your hand in a dark hall.

“Please, the bathroom is so cliche,” Calum laughed, leading you to an open window down the corridor.

“You scared the fuck out of me!”

“That’s my revenge,” he chuckled again, pressing you into the wall near the window. His face looked so magnificent in the reflections of light from the street. But you didn’t have much time to examine it, as Calum leaned down to kiss you. His lips felt like a breath of fresh air. It was hard to understand when did you get to miss him so much. A soft moan escaped you when he moved to your neck. “Did you feel love deprived, baby?” he asked, detaching his lips from your skin to take a breath.

“A little,” you admitted. “That’s why I hate doing promo with you. You’re always near, but never really with me. Missing you at home is easier.”

Calum stopped kissing you and straightened up, looking you intently in the eyes. You had no idea what he was seeing there with so little light. You had a feeling he wanted to say something, but the moment he opened his mouth, a burst of laughter from the other side of the hall interrupted your intimacy. Calum looked back at two girls, who disappeared into the bathroom and smirked.

“Let’s go,” he told you, stepping aside and pulling you towards the window.

Before you had a chance to ask where exactly you were going, Calum was already standing at the fire escape staircase, holding out his hand for you. You joined him, trying not to look around. You weren’t that afraid of heights, but standing on the fire escape of a high building wasn’t that calming. You clutched harder on his hand and stepped closer to him.

“I got you,” Calum tried to calm your nerves and took a first step up the stairs.

“You wanna go higher?” you exhaled in terror.

“Just looking for some privacy.” Calum pulled on your hand and you unwillingly followed, taking it was still safer there with him than here on your own. You climbed up to the next landing, where Calum pressed you to the wall again and with a smug “So where exactly did we stop?” kissed you passionately.

Soon everything was forgotten, the height, your gloom. Even cold wind biting on your bare legs wasn’t bothering you that much, your temperature seemed to rise with Calum’s touch. You were lost for air and soon decided you don’t need air at all, as long as you could have Calum’s kisses. His hands were everywhere on you, pinning your waist to the wall, stroking your thighs under your skirt, brushing your breasts, clutching on your throat. You couldn’t help the need you had for that man and pushed your pelvis into him.

“You wanna here?” Calum didn’t seem surprised at all.

“Why the fuck not?” You weren’t sure how much of your decision depended on the alcohol in your system, but you also couldn’t care less. You wanted him, here and now.

“Love how much you need me today, baby,” he whispered, kissing you right under your ear and drowning a lustful groan out of you.

“I always need you,” you assured him.

“And that I love even more,” Calum smirked again and pulled on your thighs, trying to turn you.

“No,” you protested. “Wanna see your face.”

Calum sighed, pushed your skirt higher and slowly caressed your pussy.

“Wanna see my face?” he asked.

“It’s one beautiful face,” you replied, losing your breath under his experienced fingers. He caught your lips with his in a feverish kiss, all tongues and teeth.

You decided not to lose time and unzipped his jeans. Calum hummed contentedly and groaned the next moment, when you shoved your hand into his boxers and touched his dick.

You started squeezing as he was rubbing your clit, his hand already in your panties.

“You do it so good, baby,” Calum whispered and pulled your underwear down. You let go of him and overstepped, letting him free you from your panties. Calum pulled his dick all the way outside and outstretched his arms for you. “Jump.”

He lifted you in one swift move and pressed your back into the wall. You felt cold bricks with your ass and his dick right under you.

“Ready?” you managed only a nod before Calum pushed into you slowly.

You bit your lip and hid your face in the crook of his neck, trying to be quiet and failing as the feeling was too intense. Calum gave you a moment before starting to move. He wasn’t that careful as at the parking lot several weeks ago, darkness covering you both from onlookers in the nearby buildings. And his deep steady moves made you see stars in no time.

You moaned once, making him hush you. Then you moaned loudly again.

“If you don’t stop, I will,” he threatened.

He was bluffing and you knew that, you both were too far beyond the line to stop now. But you had to muffle your moans somehow. So you pulled the hoodie on his shoulder to the side, exposing the crook of his neck and dug into his skin with your teeth. Calum hissed and thrusted into you with more effort, which only made you bite his neck deeper.

“Gonna slap you for that so hard, you won’t be able to sit,” he promised, hammering inside.

“Whatever you want, just keep going, Cal, harder,” you pleaded, kissing on the bite.

You didn’t need to ask twice. Calum snapped you up and went faster. The buckle of his belt lined up right with your clit from his sharp move and you barely held back a yell. Cold metal burning on your most sensitive spot added so much to the feeling of Calum’s big dick inside of you that you teared up and had to bite him again to stop yourself from yelling.

And that very moment the unexpected happened. The window right opposite you lit up and you saw a lady in her seventies enter her kitchen slowly.

“Freeze,” you ordered Calum through your gritted teeth.

“The fuck?” Calum lifted up his head from your shoulder and looked at your terrified face. “What?”

“There’s an old lady right behind you. Keep still or she sees us,” you explained.

“I can’t keep still,” Calum uttered, shutting his eyes. “I need to move, fuck, you’re so tight, baby.”

“Shh, consider it a cockwarming pause,” you hushed him and kissed his cheek, watching the lady intently.

“What is she even doing there?”

“Making herself tea, just couple more moments, baby.”

You watched as an old lady poured some hot water from the kettle and picked up her cup and then turned around to leave the kitchen. You breathed out. “I think we’re safe,” you told Calum, who thrusted into you desperately. And that moment the old lady stopped abruptly and turned back.

“No, no, no, freeze again,” you begged Calum.

“Fucking kidding me,” he let out a humorless laugh. “What now?”

“Apparently, she wanted a cookie,” you explained, unable to suppress your laugh.

“Are you shitting me right now?” Calum looked you in the face trying to understand if you were kidding.

“I swear to god, she’s there and is picking up a plate of cookies, Calum,” you kept laughing at the ridiculousness of the situation. Calum groaned and dropped his head back on your shoulder. You had to wait for one minute more ‘till she left her kitchen, a minute that seemed like an eternity, before you let Calum move again.

He went hard on you, almost hitting you into the wall, his cold buckle rubbing your clit. You felt even more turned on by the danger of being caught. You suddenly realized how many windows were there around you and how many people could have stood behind them this very moment. And doing it here in a hypothetical presence of all of them was inflaming the blood in your veins.

“Yes, Calum, right there,” you moaned into his ear when he hit you right where you felt the most.

“Gonna need you to cum,” he told you, banging you faster with every next move. He was so close, holding only for the sake of you.

“Tell me you like me like this.”

He lifted his head again and kissed you hard. “Love you like this,” he whispered in your lips. “So tight for me, taking my cock so good, ready for me any place and time. Love how dirty you are for me,” he kept kissing in between sentences. “My little filthy girl, can’t stay away from my dick, can you?”

The waves of your orgasm swept you away from reality. You felt Calum’s thrusts getting unbelievably deeper and his hot cum inside you. “Yeah, baby, just like this, take it all,” he kept whispering, while you were losing your mind completely.

You came back to reality a minute or a year later. Calum was just holding you on his arms, looking you in the face, his dick still inside of you.

“You good?” he whispered.

“I’m perfect. You?”

“I’m always good if I’m deep inside you,” he said with a smug smile back on his face.

“I’ll make sure to remember that.”

“Yo, are you here?” you heard Ashton’s voice from the below.

Calum chuckled. “Perfect timing.” He carefully pulled out of you and lowered you on your own two feet. “Can stand straight?”

You nodded as Ash tried again, “Cal, where the fuck are you?”

“We’re here, Ash,” Calum replied, handing you your underwear.

Calum hid his dick back in his jeans, looked you in the eye, winked and went down the stairs.

“Needed some fresh air,” you heard him explaining to Ashton.

“Such a stupid metaphor for a make-out session, Cal,” the drummer snorted, making Calum laugh loudly.

And you, putting your panties on, kept on thinking how you should have gone to New York with him even if just for this make-out session.

***

Taglist: @myloverboyash, @calpops, @ukulelecal, @lfwallscouldtalk, @empathycth, @talkfastang, @wastedheartcth, @dreamer-loves-lyrics, @singt0mecalum, @rip-lukes-balsamic, @gosh-im-short, @megz1985, @rosecolouredash, @cal-puddies, @kindahoping4forever, @talkfastromance4, @thesubtweeter, @cassie-sos, @bandsrawesome

[whatifitscool]

Recapping the brief history of the TNT Championship – Promoting new talent or securing the legacy of Cody Rhodes?

by Tim

For the month of April 2020, AEW held another tournament in their debut year to determine who would go to the finals at the Double or Nothing PPV for the newly announced TNT Championship. Unfortunately, COVID-19 had affected promotions worldwide and forced AEW to tape multiple episodes without a live crowd, including the entirety of this tournament. Despite this, AEW still delivered their quality product and viewers were treated weekly to the joy that is professional wrestling. Demonstrating that they are the leader of the wrestling industry, AEW were the first to use their own talent to make up for the lack of crowds; a move that has since been imitated by WWE.

 A mid-card title on the level of highly coveted championships like the Intercontinental Championship would potentially offer newer stars the possibilities of further exposure in AEW while simultaneously developing the competitiveness of their burgeoning mid-card. Has the introduction of the championship been a success? Has it given opportunities to younger talent? Or has it only been a showcase for Cody Rhodes?

 The tournament brought together significant names in the AEW ranks who had graced our screens or were in matches on PPVs but up until that point, they had not been considered as being realistic contenders to any of AEW's then-current championships. The only exception to have competed for the AEW World Championship was Cody. Sammy Guevara, Darby Allin and Kip Sabian are dynamic additions to the AEW line up and each have considerable followings due to their efforts in the independent scene. The other competitors included veterans Dustin Rhodes, Shawn Spears, new signee Colt Cabana and perhaps the most exciting of this year's signings - Lance Archer.

 Prior to the tournament taking place, Cody was forced to relinquish his ability to challenge for the AEW heavyweight title due to interference from MJF. Though this was resolved in a serviceable match, Cody would quickly meet his next challenges – firstly with the arrival of Jake Roberts. When introduced to the Dynamite faithful, Jake would deliver a cutting and scintillating promo to announce that he had a client. The man is truly a gift with words and his role as harbinger prior to the arrival of Lance Archer was inspired. Archer's introduction was as a part of the crowd with Manager Roberts. They didn't introduce him by way of a sneak attack a la Moxley (though this was amazing), Jake Hager or Proud and Powerful, to name a few. What has been consistently great about AEW's feuds is how varied they are. Where Cody has been concerned, there's almost always been a slow burn build with teases of betrayal and trials to endure, culminating with an eventual confrontation – with the way his feuds have been presented, Cody has been positioned as the baby face of the company.

 Regarding the path of the eventual finalists, viewers would see Cody in a competitive match-up against Darby Allin however the weak transition from Cody taking a Coffin Drop into what looked like an attempt at a crucifix pin hurt the quality of that match's finish. A more interesting match in Cody's path to the TNT Championship final was against the reliable Shawn Spears who kicked out at the 2-count after taking two successive Cross-Rhodes finishers, only allowing his shoulders to stay on the mat for the 3-count while he was held in the Figure Four. Storyline-wise, it teased that perhaps Cody's Cross-Rhodes wasn't as effective.

Enter Lance Archer. Despite his matches going for more than 10 minutes each, the build-up of the Murderhawk as a monster was nothing short of convincing. In his match against Colt Cabana, he laughed off strikes, delivered a pounce that sent the not-diminutive Cabana across the ring before eventually carrying him from the top turnbuckle and delivering a thunderous Blackout. In his match against Dustin Rhodes, he would showcase an impressive arsenal that included power and acrobatic moves while also teasing the ineffectiveness of the Cross-Rhodes when he kicked out at 1. QT would offer to throw in the towel on Dustin's behalf before Cody would come in to offer the same, only to watch as his brother was forced unconscious by the EBD Claw.

 Is Cody a fan of Rocky 4? Many have probably drawn comparisons between this feud and Stallone's classic with Cody and Dustin filling the roles of Rocky and Apollo, respectively. Especially when Cody didn’t throw in the towel and watched while his brother fell. Arguments could be made that Archer filled the role of the towering Ivan Drago, albeit with a more sadistic side as he relentlessly taunted and tormented the younger Rhodes in the lead-up to their confrontation.

Rocky 4 comparisons aside, another highlight in this feud was the meeting between their managers. Arn Anderson would memorably say to Jake Roberts, “I want you to be real limber when I Spinebuster your ass and shove your head where the sun don’t shine.” Fantastic!

 With the emotional stakes raised along with the motivation to avenge his brother, the showdown was set for Double or Nothing where Cody and Archer would collide in the final to decide who would be crowned the inaugural TNT Champion. Fitting for his monster-status, Archer entered the arena by choke slamming some poor soul while accompanied by Jake Roberts. Cody entered, accompanied as always by the Head Coach of the Nightmare Family, Arn Anderson. They convincingly played this as a tough bout for Cody. Suiting his in-ring persona as the baby face, he was on the receiving end of a lot of punishment. Almost shortly after the first bell rang, Archer hit him with a Blackout. Notable highlights included when Cody pulled out the DDT on Archer. Archer later responded with a Spinebuster. Great bits of fan service for new and old fans alike. But when all was said and done, Cody won after hitting Archer with two consecutive Cross Rhodes.

 It was a David vs Goliath (Rocky vs Drago) bout and although I’ve read some criticism that the match was too long for Archer, I do enjoy lengthier paced battles. The length of the match was suitable because they needed the time to tell the story, to show a physical bout, to continue selling that Archer was a believable monster and Cody had to demonstrate his resilience in order to overcome adversity and capture a championship. And when the dust settled, AEW moved on to the next storyline, which set up one of the most interesting schedules for a wrestler I’ve ever seen.

 The Fighting Champion

Addressing the viewer, Cody delivered another in a line of charismatic promos drawing parallels between himself and Tom Brady and how he was never the first call. Holding up four fingers, he declared that he would turn a pace and cut a schedule like no wrestler before and issue an open challenge. Cody would like to retire by the time he’s 40 and with the pace he was talking, I couldn’t help but think of a repeated phrase in Hamilton, “why do you write like you’re running out of time”. Cody’s going through matches and maybe even storylines like he’s “running out of time.”

I’ve seen Cody deliver a promo live when he attended a show in Australia. A show he couldn’t participate in due to an injury. A show he didn’t have to attend. But he came down anyway and the audience was appreciative of him showing up. He is passionate and genuine about his love for the business and after his promo about the TNT Championship Open Challenge, I was keen to see him show – together with AEW’s roster – what they could offer bell to bell. This was not going to be shenanigans on the level of a certain 24/7 championship.

 The first challenger for Cody’s TNT Championship would be Jungle Boy. This made sense based on his impressive performance against MJF at Double or Nothing. The match up was not overly long and allowed both competitors a chance to show off their skills. MJF would also factor into this match slightly when he was seen mouthing off to Jungle Boy, jealous that Jungle Boy got a title shot before he did. Cody would show colour in the match and the two later crashed through a table, leaving Arn’s jaw on the floor. Including Arn’s facial expressions in the broadcast adds to the presentation of these matches as they either tell a story or echo the audience’s reactions. Cody would win this match in 10:11 after he dropped Jungle Boy with a Cross Rhodes, spiking him somewhat in the process. Though Jungle Boy was unsuccessful, it showcased the young man’s potential. Please give him a solid singles run soon and pick up on his feud with MJF. These two clearly worked so well with each other and there’s further matches to explore with their natural chemistry.

 In an interesting match-up, Private Party tag-team member Mark Quen would receive the opportunity to challenge next. Prior to AEW, I hadn’t seen anything Mark Quen had done but this kept things fresh by giving him a singles opportunity. In their debut year, AEW undoubtedly have reels upon reels of highlights and I think Quen delivering an amazing 450 splash onto Cody on the ring platform should be one of them. In the closing minutes, they also delivered a crisp reversal when Quen went for a shooting star press that was caught by Cody who immediately applied an ankle lock. Beautiful work from both and Quen would be forced to submit in 11:43. Cody had overpowered yet another competitor but allowed them some time to shine. No sooner had the show of sportsmanship ended that Jake Hager would appear, entering the ring and eventually putting hands on Arn, backing him into the corner. He would then toss Cody and powerslam him before Private Party and Matt Hardy would save him. The Inner Circle sans Jericho would also show up to help. Once the referees broke this up, Cody got on the mic and said, “Jake, I think I know what you’re asking. You want a TNT title match at Fyter? Is that what you want? You got it!” A very quick progression from the match that just finished and the announcement of their upcoming clash overshadowed the next match in Cody’s march to Fyter Fest.

 That booking all but guaranteed that the next person to challenge Cody would lose. Prior to their introduction, Arn noted that the next person to challenge was checked out by him and he was someone that Cody could take it to and hone his skills. Side observation: Again, is Cody or the writers’ fans of the Rocky series? I couldn’t help but draw parallels between Arn Anderson and trainer Mickey Goldmill in Rocky 3 who was handpicking talent for the champ to fight.

This lead to the then-hottest free agent’s introduction to AEW. And it was a very organic introduction to Absolute Ricky Starks. The former NWA World Television Champion has been broke but as he declared, he has work ethic and grit and he was ready to go the distance. May I say that Ricky Starks has awesome ring entrance music? It’s so good!

During their match, a story was still being told. While AEW was demonstrating that they’d opened their doors to competitors from any promotion, there were multiple cuts to Jake Hager intently watching the match to study Cody’s moves, developing the next feud. Starks would prove a nimble and savvy competitor, scouting and preventing a Cross Rhodes attempt as well as preventing a moonsault and hitting a superplex. After they traded several pins, Cody would eventually hit a thunderous Cross Rhodes to win the match at 08:34. Though this was the shortest of Cody’s TNT title defences, Starks was enjoyable to watch. He was so impressive that he was offered a contract with AEW shortly after the conclusion of their match.

 At Fyter Fest, Cody and Hager would collide in a match where there was an answer for almost every single one of Cody’s moves with the MMA specialist countering most submissions as well. No Cross Rhodes was landed during this match. I also liked Excalibur calling out the Vader Bomb with Jericho then correcting him and saying that it is the Hager Bomb. Hader Bomb? Cody also hit a beautifully delayed springboard cutter. In the closing minutes Cody would crawl to the ropes while held in an ankle lock, being slapped silly by Catalina in the process. Arn would run interference with the referee while Dustin sprinted out to engage Hager. Hager fought him off. Hager would eventually hit Cody with the uranage and apply a choke but Cody would use his weight to keep Hager’s shoulders pinned to the mat for the 3 count at 14:15. A creative way to finish, seeing Cody retain while protecting Hager as the (mostly) undefeated MMA monster that he is.

 The Arrogant Champion

Storyline-wise, Cody’s character was being painted as somewhat invincible with his ability to overcome any opponent and on the 15/07/2020 episode, the signs of the overconfident champion began to creep in. This was evident in his aggressive start against Sonny Kiss and the arrogance was on display when he opted to do a set of push-ups in the ring instead of keeping his head in the game. Cody would lose control of the match and Arn would chew him out by saying, “Get your head out of your ass!” There was another great shot of an Arn reaction, wincing as he saw Sonny Kiss deliver a huge axe kick into Cody’s back. Cody missed a lot of his offence because Sonny had him scouted. This was most evident when Sonny countered out of a Cross Rhodes to deliver one of his own. Arn would later breathe a visible sigh of relief when Cody kicked out of a 450.

Not even an Alabama Slam on the entrance platform, superplex or cross face could put Sonny Kiss away and Cody’s frustration showed, arguing with referee Aubrey Edwards, yelling out after each near fall, hitting more vicious attacks and even taking the top turnbuckle cover off. After getting slapped around by Sonny, Cody eventually hit a furious Cross Rhodes to end the bout in 10:44. Despite the unsportsmanlike conduct during the match, Rhodes still had time for a hug at the end and raised Sonny Kiss’ arm in respect. A courageous effort from the Concrete Rose whose tag team with Joey Janela needs more exposure on the main show.

 The following night, Eddie Kingston would make his way out to challenge for the title, delivering an incendiary promo befitting the Mad King. He is a magnetic personality and an amazing addition to AEW. During his captivating promo, he not only threatened Arn but was successful in goading Cody into a no-DQ match and there was nothing technical in what transpired next. This was presented as a brawl with Kingston bringing the aggression, at one point hitting Cody with his own weight belt. Cody was shredded by chops, rocked by body shots before he eventually got his own back, delivering a back body drop on Kingston onto the exposed concrete floor. There was a great shot where Kingston maintained eye contact with the camera while delivering two clubbing blows across Cody’s face while he was on the ropes. Perhaps showing that he is willing to sacrifice his body during this lengthy storyline as champion, Cody was on the receiving end of a power bomb onto thumbtacks. The man does not back away from showing colour or taking painful bumps. Towards the end of the match, he went back to the Figure Four to take advantage of Kingston’s compromised knee. He was slapped in the face during this attempt, slapped Kingston back in return and locked in the Figure Four forcing Kingston to tap at 11:21. Cody was victorious once more and despite the loss, Kingston was not fully vanquished as we have seen in recent weeks on Dynamite, with his sights now set on Moxley.

 I initially didn’t know what to think of Warhorse as a competitor as I’d never seen him before. In fact, the first time I saw his match against Cody on 12/08/2020, I felt underwhelmed. I could see the story here where Cody’s offence had been scouted and going back to the well too many times to get the figure four locked in. On a recent re-watch of the match, I enjoyed it a lot more. Again, I don’t know much about Warhorse but I do hope he gets to come back as he is a dynamic and rocking personality. Cody as the overconfident and arrogant champion did something early on when he backed Warhorse into the corner and during the break up, he condescendingly tapped him on the chest – shades of Okada. Arn would encourage him by saying, “Don’t let your anger get in the way of your talent.” But again being the overconfident champ, Cody did the push-ups, pissing Arn right off. I noticed that a lot of the time Cody was on the attack, it was during the picture-in-picture segment – isn’t this usually reserved for heels? Is the arrogance going to give way to an eventual heel turn or was it just there to set him up for the fall?

I mentioned the “going back to the well” and in fact, the first figure four attempt was reversed by Warhorse. The second was reversed into an inside cradle. Warhorse also saw through the sunset flip and reversed that into a pin attempt. Third time was the charm and although Warhorse held onto Cody’s leg to prevent the hold from being applied, Cody would eventually lock it in and Warhorse would tap at 10:32. Because this was a guest spot and not the beginning of a contract for Warhorse, Dark Order unceremoniously kicked him out of the ring at the end. Cody would be knocked down and while Arn Anderson was preparing to fight them off, this lead to the introduction of Matt Cardona. He would deliver his Radio Silence finisher to them and it would lead to a brief reunion between these friends.

 Scorpio Sky’s challenge for the title involved walking past Cody, looking at the title and looking back at Cody before nodding. No words exchanged. It was cool. It’s great that he has been freed up from the huge tag team division and has moved near-seamlessly into singles competition. He is a star already and AEW really needs to give him a solid push as a champion and this could have been the beginning of that.

Unfortunately the only memorable things from this match involved Cody embracing more douchebag tendencies like having an overflowing entourage, being announced as the “Prince of Pro Wrestling”, blowing a kiss to disapproving fans and having a lot of his offence during the picture-in-picture. Though it started as an evenly matched bout between the two, any excitement for what could happen was dulled because of how lacking this match was. There was no threat that Sky could capture the championship and it wasn’t a fair representation of what they are usually capable of. During the match, Schiavone would make the points that the work on the ribs, defending the title nearly every week and being EVP of AEW all added up to trouble for Cody. He again overcame the challenger, dropping Scorpio Sky with his second Cross Rhodes at 11:46. Sky wouldn’t accept Cody’s hand to pick him up afterwards. The tease that the two were upset with one another after the match was drowned out almost immediately by Mr Brodie Lee’s video message announcing his intention to challenge next.

“Tick tock, Cody. Time’s up!”

 The Fall?

Up to this point, Cody had demonstrated his resilience. He was the first TNT Champion after overcoming the intimidating Murderhawk. He issued the open challenge and fought off all comers, turning the pace and cutting the schedule he promised. His baby face tendencies slowly changed to arrogance and being full of himself. I personally dig the push ups gag. It was a subtle detail but it slightly recalled his excellent heel work in NJPW and ROH.

After the introductions (including the “Prince of Pro Wrestling” moniker), Cody tried to get in an offensive flurry but was quickly overpowered by Mr Brodie Lee. His hubris would lead to his time being up at 3:10 on 13/08/2020 and Cody lost his TNT title.

If Arn’s face could tell the story, it’d say that this was the night when everything came crashing down. But it didn’t stop there – Cody was being stretchered out and the Dark Order brought him back to continue their assault. Arn was taken out. Cody was hit over the head with the bag containing the smashed up former TNT Title. Dustin and QT had already been disposed of. Not even Brandi was spared as Anna Jay choked her out on the entrance ramp. The Nightmare Family was dismantled in one fell swoop with the nightmarish image of the entire Dark Order standing over them. It felt like Bane had waited for his opportunity for the Batman to be weakened before taking him out in a quick and decisive victory.

 Mr Brodie Lee – seen in so many of the impressive Dark Order promos, menacing in the well-articulated manner in which he spoke, the exalted one who didn’t suffer fools – finally delivered on all of the threats and squashed Cody like a jobber. This should have been the beginning of the Dark Order’s era.

Yet they were defeated by the combination of Dustin, QT, Matt Cardona and Scorpio Sky at All Out. And even though his first title defence on 09/09/2020 against Dustin was a success, taunting Cody at home via the camera by saying, “Come home, Cody!” he had one other successful title defence against Freshly Squeezed Orange Cassidy on 23/09/2020. On the same night, Cody returned to AEW after Cassidy’s defeat and fought off the Dark Order singlehandedly. Sporting black hair and a black suit, I couldn’t help but think of the return of Superman (black suit) even though he looked more like Bruce Wayne. Furious, Lee would challenge Cody to the dog collar match, which he subsequently accepted the following week.

 I’ll get this out of the way first. I have never seen a dog collar match. The commentary did raise that the Roddy Piper vs Greg the Hammer Valentine dog collar match is still talked about to this day so I’ve made a note to seek it out one of these days. But I digress. What transpired on 07/10/2020 was crazy! It had everything. The story of Cody seeking to gain his self-respect and his title back. Commentary hyping up that Cody gained 14 lbs prior to this match to prepare himself for Lee. The nefarious villain Mr Brodie Lee. It had comedy in the form of Alex Silver getting clocked twice. They showed colour with Cody first getting cut up after a DDT and Lee following later in the match. There was a huge package piledriver through a table next to the ring. Cody would also hit his moonsault off the top rope. The drama was created when Lee kicked out of the Cross Rhodes at the 1 count. The attacks utilising the dog collar and chain combo were creative. I’ve never seen Cody use the Final Cut move but it was great in story as he was pulling out all the stops. The combination of wrapping the chain around the mouth, eyes and face of Lee followed by the Cross Rhodes would finally put Lee out for the 3 count and Cody won at 20:26. This match qualified as one of the best matches that Cody (and Mr Brodie Lee) had delivered in AEW. It is memorable in so many ways.

 But I find that I’m somewhat torn about this title match. After months of anticipation and prior to his debut in AEW, Mr Brodie Lee was revealed to the Exalted One of the Dark Order. He quickly went into contention for the AEW heavyweight championship at Double or Nothing before he was choked out by Moxley. Though he was killed off as a threat to Moxley and he has left that picture for the time being, it seemed fitting that he’d be the best choice to take out Cody and bring in a new era as the TNT champion. His devastating squashing of Cody in their first match was awesome to see because it finally switched things up and Cody didn’t overcome yet another giant. And because he was such a monster, why would he have difficulties in taking on Dustin and to an extent, Orange Cassidy? With Mr Lee holding onto the title for just under 2 months, it feels like an opportunity wasted for more fun with the Dark Order and if they could have made his title reign a little longer, Cody’s clawing back to the TNT Championship picture would’ve felt more earned. It felt like outside of AEW, Cody needed a break and Brodie Lee was simply the transitional champion while waiting for him to return.

 What’s next?

Has the TNT Championship been a success in shining the spotlight on AEW’s burgeoning mid-card? To a great extent, yes. With Cody being a natural and experienced talent in the ring, he was one of the best to act as the conduit to give opportunities to talents like Jungle Boy or to give, up until that point, traditionally tag team competitors like Mark Quen and Scorpio Sky a storyline chance for gold. The TNT Championship also attracted independent talents like Ricky Starks and Warhorse. It also introduced Eddie Kingston and showed Sonny Kiss’ competitiveness – two of my favourite matches in Cody’s list of defences of the title. My only complaint would be that the quality of those matches didn’t match the ones on PPV against people with more experience and exposure due to having worked in either NJPW or WWE.

 Has it given the newer stars more opportunities to shine though? That’s where it gets murkier. While Jungle Boy and Quen were the first two challengers, they’ve mostly been returned to tag team work, which is a shame. Especially so in Jungle Boy’s case who, in time, I think will have a number of instant classic matches with MJF. I can see those two perfecting their in-ring styles and creating a series of matches on the level of Steamboat vs Flair.

Sonny Kiss and Jake Hager have also been relegated to mostly tag team duties. Sky appears to be trapped on AEW Dark where he’s in a feud against Shawn Spears. I feel that Sky should stay on Dynamite so he gets more opportunities; he was the first man to pin Le Champion so they should have been pushing him hard. Starks is gifted on the mic and his rivalry with Darby Allin could yield some great results if they give them time to work. Sadly, Warhorse hasn’t come back to show why he rules ass.

While Archer, Lee and Kingston have been or are currently in the heavyweight picture, this is to be expected based on their reliability and bankability as stars.

 Though the TNT Championship has given newer stars some opportunities, it’s largely been a storyline device centred on Cody as a champion. Fun Rocky influences aside, it’s been good to see the character work from him on a near weekly basis. As we’ve seen, he’s been a fighting champion, an arrogant champion and set up a classic scenario where his pride lead to his downfall and as the hero, he had to rise up and overcome the villain. He has mused that it is romantic that he can’t challenge for the heavyweight title but with his intention to move to the heavyweight division, it could be nearing time on him closing this chapter to let the newer stars fight it out for the title. His gains have been mentioned more than once on Dynamite and given that he had a 20-minute time limit draw with Orange Cassidy on 14/10/2020, it makes sense that their rematch could be where Cody will drop the belt to Cassidy who is red hot right now and transition to the next challenge.

 I have to say that I’ve appreciated this approach to the title as a storyline device instead of a monthly or quarterly feud (e.g. where one challenger is the perpetual thorn in the side of the champion until they get a title shot at the next PPV). I’ve just recapped almost 5 months of a championship mostly focused around one wrestler. While newer talents have gotten some more exposure on TV, this has also served as a great introduction to a new title. It might also be the crowning achievement in Cody’s legacy as he was the first holder of this title reminding people that you don’t have to be the first call to make something of yourself. It’s an underdog story and the choices in who he tangled with also showed that these talents may not have been the first call either but they certainly have the skills to be in AEW and on a show that regularly beats WWE’s NXT in the ratings every Wednesday.

Will people remember Cody’s reign as the inaugural champion (and third)? It’s a case of we’ll have to wait and see. But if you appreciate underdog hero stories (with shades of Rocky thrown in), then maybe you will be remembering the beginnings of the TNT Championship fondly in coming years and what it has done in developing the stars of tomorrow. I can’t wait to see what Year 2 of AEW brings us.

[opinionatedwrestlingfan]

WRESTLE KINGDOM NIGHT 1 REVIEW

KOPW Rumble thingy 

Yeah yeah you know pre show stuff

1/5 

Hiromu Takahashi vs ELP

Hiromu looks beautiful as always. ELP is.... Like that. Hiromu starts with the sass and when ELP starts on the outside calling for Liger, Hiromu doesn’t have any of it and immediately dives after him. This is a great start. ELP reverses Hiromu’s sunset bomb with one of his own right off the bat! Great speed from these two. ELP mocks Kenny Omega and no one gives a shit lol. I don’t like ELP but not in the way I don’t like other heels, he’s not interesting to me but he is really athletic and conniving. This is hard to watch cause ELP is clearly slowing the pace of the match by targeting Hiromu’s limbs and I was expecting a much faster pace here. ELP gets Hiromu in the tree of woe and stands on him nuts.... I may be changing my mind here. Hiromu bites ELPs fingers to escape from his bullshit. Follows it up with an awesome cradle piledriver for 2. Hiromu reverses a Styles Clash for 2. ELP is trying a lot of callbacks to old Bullet club leaders and IDK how to feel about it honestly. ELP with a roll up for 2. ELP with an attempt at the one wing angel turned pile driver for 2. I might not be feeling it but the crowd is getting into it. ELP knocks down the ref and just PUNCHES Hiromu in the dick. Followed through by a hurricanrana and a frog splash for 2. ELP reverses a pin attempt into a Styles Clash for 2! Hiromu reverses a One Wing Angel into a buckle bomb followed by a time bomb but its countered for 2 by ELP! Hiromu counters CR2 for a 3 count! 

3/5??? idk obviously Hiromu can’t go at 100% and the aim of ELP was to injure the hand so that Ishimori can secure the win in their match. But this match was meh

Dangerous Tekkers (C) vs GOD IWGP Tag Team Match 

… I forgot Tama Tonga shaved..... my heart hurts. Listen.... I don’t like Taichi matches. That’s facts. This is gonna be a low effort review ok? I’m sorry. Dammit I do like ZSJ though.... We’ll see. I’m rooting for GOD obviously. Tekkers looks really aggressive here I’ll give them that, ZSJ always looks good and dirty but Taichi is really nasty in this match but GOD are consistently great. Their teamwork is second to only a few other tag teams. They are real strong here folks, lots of big combination moves from GOD. ZSJ is aggro as FUCK in this match, he really is managing GOD by himself most of the match on his own... cause Taichi SUCKS.

Favorite parts, ZSJ catches Tama Tonga by the leg mid air and rolls him up with his arm crossed head on the mat pin for 2. 

ZSJ SCREAMING “FUCK IT IT’S THE TOKYO DOME!” Before getting Taichi to Superplex him and Tonga Loa to the mat lol

GOD beats Dangerous Tekkers cause DUH 7 TIME 7 TIME 7 TIME!

3/5 It’s a good match and GOD won but like kind of a shit end no?

KENTA(US Champ Challenger) vs Satoshi Kojima

We start with Moxley giving a VERY intimidating promo threatening violence, as always. Kojima comes in, normal. Very bread dad. Very good. Kenta on the other hand... walks in with a damn Florida Bullet Club shirt.... ew. But the briefcase is still cool. Rocky says that the briefcase is essentially a championship which I agree with. He’s defended it and kept it right with him. It is VALUABLE.

Ok let’s get started. Kojima is out the gate strong but Kenta doesn’t want it, Kenta tells the ref to chill him out, Kenta is not impressed and Kojima is EAGER. They skirt each other for awhile until Kenta! leaves the ring. He goes to start shit with Tenzan but as soon as he get sin the ring Kojima immediately stomps him. Kojima locks in a headlock that Kenta struggles to get out of. 

Kojima sends Kenta to the outside and flexes those pecs for the crowd, they love him. Again Kenta picks on Tenzan but Kojima comes outside and Kenta throws Kojima into Tenzan then DDTs Kojima onto the floor! Kenta gets him in the ring and gets a 2 count. Another 2 count from Kenta. Kenta tortures Kojima on the ground with a leg scissor headlock but Kojima gets the ropes and Kenta needs tp be unfolded. Kenta kicks the head of Kojima, taunting him. Kojima gets up and they exchange big strikes until Kenta kicks him across the chest and brings him down. 

Kojima gets up and hits the big Mongolian chops to bring Kenta down! Machine gun chops in the corner followed by Kenta with the repeated elbows! Kojima however takes to the top rope and Kenta goes up with him. Kenta tries for the super plex and absolutely gets it. Kojima tolls away but Kenta charges with a big elbow then heads up to the top trope and fives to Kojima for a 2 count! Kenta tries for the suplex on the apron to Kojima who reverses it into a DDT to Kenta on the apron which absolutely ragdolls Kenta.

Kojima and Kenta struggle in the ring but Kenta nails a deep DDT on Kojima followed by a series of stalled dropkicks to Kojima in the corner FOLLOWED by a diving knee from the top rope to Kojima aaaand a 2 count! Kenta picks him up and tries for GTS but Kojima fights back, Kojima hits a big lariat to Kenta’s arm and then follows with a neck breaker and he takes off the elbow pad! Kenta reverses with a power slam before Kojima can nail him though! Kenta grabs his briefcase but Kojima punches it outta his hand, and Kenta eats a big lariat for  a 2 count! Kojima hypes up the crowd and gets Kenta up misses the lariat and Kenta hits a psycho knee to take Kojima down. What a great fucking pace here folks! Kojima fights Kenta with big elbows and strikes and Kenta goes down. Kenta gets up and hits a series of palm strikes followed by another psycho knee for a 2 count. Kenta sets up the GTS and LANDS IT! That’s all folks!

4/5 what a fucking solid match from Kojima here! Was NOT expecting that at all honestly. This was a great match and Kojima looks strong but Kenta proved even stronger as he had a lot more at stake. Great match. 

Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Great O-Khan

Not totally interested in this one but if Tana is wrestling Great O Khan at Wrestle Kingdom he must be special right? The gear with Tana’s face on the mask is neat. I just don’t know how to feel about O Khans gear man, it’s so weird. Tana comes out as always looking like a bajillion bucks. Ok so they grapple for awhile and shift momentum till Tana is on the outside. Tana is trying to look weak here but it’s hard to go with it cause O Khan just doesn’t feel that dominating to me. O Khan takes him to the ramp and scoop slams him onto the ramp then leaves him outside for the count. O Khan has a chair in the ring and he’s patiently waiting for Tana who comes in at 18. O Khan gets Tana in a kneebar that Tana gets out of by grabbing the ropes. Tana gets a dragon screw in on O Khan. 

Tana leads with big elbow strikes and gets flung into the corner but he runs out full speed taking O Kahn down with 3 diving elbows in a row but his knees can’t take it. He scoop slams O Khan down and hits a somersault senton from the top rope for 2. O Khan catches Tana mid running dive and throws him face down on the mat. They trade big blows in the center of the ring back and forth until Tana hits a combo and O Khan follows with his own combo that ends in a kick that takes Tana down. Big mongolian chops from O Khan. He pushes Tana down. It’s supposed to be a big double handed thrust but I mean... it’s a push. O Khan picks Tana up and hits a weird STO for a 2 count. O Khan follows up with a gnarly knee bar but Tana gets the ropes. Tana comes back to great applause and blocks O Khans strikes followed by a twist and shout and a SLING BLADE!

Tana tries for the pin and gets 2. Tana get to the top rope and O Khan gets Tana’s face in the claw, followed up by a cobra twist! Tana tries to get to the rope but O Khan hits a big reverse suplex and a gets a 2 count. O Khan picks Tana up and hits another reverse suplex. O Khan grabs the chair and lays it down on the mat, O Khan locks the claw but Tana twist him outta the way. Tana grabs the chair! Then gently tosses it out of the ring lol BIG DRAGON SUPLEX FOR 2 from Tana who heads to the top rope and hits a high fly flow but doesn’t cover! He goes for another one that gets him the 3 count.

2/5 I mean... what did you expect? I feel bad for O Khan. Idk why he was brought in here but if they intended to make him look like a threat I just wasn’t buying it. Kinda wish I hadn’t done this whole write up for this honestly???

Ok that’s it for these matches, I went long on the Okada v. Ospreay match so that will be a seperate post! Same for the title match!

[travllingbunny]

The 100 6x07 Nevermind

Season 6 of The 100 has been fantastic so far, and 6x07 is not just the best episode of the season so far, but also one of my favorite ever episodes of the show. Nevermind is, in many ways, a dream come true for me: this is exactly what I was hoping for at least since the promos for the show started promising the theme of characters “facing their demons”. At the time, I couldn’t have guessed that it would be about Clarke battling a centuries old woman who has taken over her body after her parents had decided to bodysnatch Clarke in order to bring their daughter back, but I was hoping for trippy, mind-bending, character-based storylines. Most of all, one focused on Clarke Griffin, the main character and hero of the show (oddly enough, this needs to be pointed out, since there are fans who keep forgetting it), her psyche, her traumas and emotional issues and character development.

After the wonderful last scene of 6x06 and the promos for this episode, my expectations were really high, and they were met. There was a little bit of fear that the whole “which characters will make a cameo”, “who will be mentioned how many times” thing would distract from Clarke’s character exploration, but that was not the case. This episode was almost entirely (except for the last scene) set in Clarke’s and Josephine’s mind space rather than the real world. The walk down the memory lane that the drawings we saw on Clarke’s mind-wall was there, but it was, above all, a great character study of the show’s protagonist, a battle of wills between the hero and the villain, and it had some big revelations – for the audience or for the characters. It had brilliant dialogue and acting, and was emotional, dark, intense and even funny at times (mostly thanks to Josephine, who is evil and detestable but also incredibly funny and charismatic).

And what particularly made me happy is that it addressed some long-standing questions of morality that the show had been ambiguous about. The show’s moral complexity/greyness has long bordered on moral relativism, and allowed (mis)interpretations in the fandom, to the effect that “There are no good guys, the protagonists are as bad as the villains, therefore it’s all the same and it doesn’t matter if someone does bad things, since everyone does it”. The unfortunate motto “for my people” has been overused and abused by many morally ambiguous or straight-up villainous characters on the show, to justify their own actions (the classic “who are you to talk, when you killed all the Mountain Men! Therefore I get to do whatever I want ‘for my people’’ – as if doing the only thing that could have stopped the evil society of technological vampires/overlords from killing and cannibalizing all your loved ones, is the same as killing people with no remorse to get power). By season 5, Clarke herself seemed to start buying into that view. Josephine Lightbourne again try to use that against Clarke in this episode, and nearly made her give up. This time, however, Clarke and the show both finally said “f*ck you” to that worldview.

One of the reasons why Josephine is such a great villain is that she is both a parallel and a striking contrast to Clarke. On the surface, they seem similar – their looks, background, family. When we first saw her in the flashback in 6x02, the similarities were obvious – another intelligent, capable, beautiful blonde girl with loving parents (Russell, in both versions, even matches the same physical type as Jake), a princess from a privileged background. But Josephine is everything that Clarke-haters (in and out of the show) claim Clarke to be, but that Clarke most definitely is not: selfish, narcissistic, with a god complex, remorseless, sociopathic, completely ruthless, pampered, classist, treating people as disposable. A start contrast to Clarke’s compassionate, caring, self-sacrificing nature.

Various thoughts about this episode in bullet points under the cut.

One of the many contrasts between Clarke and Josephine is the disorganized, beautiful way that different memories fill Clarke’s mind space, as drawings all over the walls of her room, unlike Josephine’s highly structured, organized mind. Just like “Monty”, I also like Clarke’s better.

I’m overall very happy with how this episode included references to various people and events from Clarke’s past, through a combination of drawings, flashbacks, mentions and objects. Most important people in Clarke’s life were referenced – both dead ones like Jake, Finn, Lexa, Jasper, Monty, and living ones like Bellamy and Madi (not so many mentions of Abby, but that’s because she’s both alive and, unlike so many others, not a source of guilt for Clarke).

The only exception is arguably Wells, and it’s really unlucky that the planned appearance by Eli Goree didn’t work out. We still got a confirmation of his importance in Clarke’s life (which should be big – he was her best friend since childhood and died tragically, even if he didn’t last long on the show) through several drawings (and the Chinese version of the idiom “A friend in need is a friend indeed” under one of them), and, more importantly, a close-up of one of them. Let’s be honest, the drawings are generally little more than a cool Easter egg for the fans, if the show doesn’t focus on them through close-ups and flashbacks or mentions – something that the general audience would notice.

I love the way that Clarke’s outfit and hairstyle kept changing depending on which memory or part of her mind space she was in at any given moment. For instance, she started as Ark Clarke from the Pilot, then turned into Eden Clarke when she visited her safe space of the life there with Madi for those 6 years – which was far from perfect (what with being isolated from everyone else, without any adult with her, without other friends or any chance of love or sex life, and waiting for Bellamy to come back and talking to him without answer to keep sane), but was still the most peaceful time she’s known. Except maybe for her childhood, which she did spend in a not-happy space (life on the Ark was difficult, if not for her, then for so many others who were less privileged, and we know Clarke was aware of that), but she had a happy family life, so it makes sense that her father is the first person she would see in her mind-space. Jake and Eden stood for safety and family life and peace, which Clarke thought she got when she briefly believed she had really died – before Jake (aka her own mind) told her it wasn’t true. It’s the sign of her being upset – the rain and storm outside that happened due to her mood – that alerted her to the fact she was still alive.

Every character, other than Josephine, who appeared in Clarke’s mind space was, of course, an embodiment of a part of her.  

Although I’m not sure about ALIE, whose code may have remained there, and who delivered information that Clarke may not have already known. It was the one cameo in this episode that really surprised me (since the rest had been revealed or guessed on social media). She was there for the big revelation that the neural mesh from the time Clarke was in the City of Light is what ended up saving her. This made this episode’s link to 3x13 Nevermore even stronger. (Funny that the erased memory of ALIE!Raven is what gave rise to that awful amnesia theory. Glad that this has been shut down now.) I guess this means that I was wrong about other hosts being savable, and that Delilah is gone forever? A big part of why I wanted it to be true, apart from liking Delilah, was to give the Earthkru more incentive to fight the Primes. But we have been given a lot of other reasons why they should make the decision to so that.

ALIE also had a conversation with Clarke about the nature of life and humanity, which, however, could be just Clarke talking to herself. Clarke has been tempted to run away from pain, she’s even tempted to run from it by accepting death in this episode, but she’s still insisting that pain is a necessary part of life and that there’s no joy without it. At the core, Clarke is not someone who gives up.

The revelation that the darkest and most painful memories are those that aren’t even on the wall and that Clarke keeps hidden, explained some things, such as why there were no drawings on the mind-wall of such huge moments as Jake’s death or Finn’s death (Clarke’s trauma from this was a subject of an entire episode – one of my favorites, 2x09, Remember Me)... However, while I don’t want to criticize the prop department, who did an incredible job drawing those pictures from scenes, they did make an error - one of the drawings of Lexa is actually from the scene of her right after being shot, which doesn’t really fit (her death is one of the “darkest place” hidden memories) – though you wouldn’t know that by just looking at the picture and not knowing the scene.

I’m glad that Josephine called out Clarke on child abuse, and that the drawing of Madi in pain in the shock collar was so prominent on the wall. Season 5 had Clarke at her lowest point, and that was certainly, IMO, one of the worst things she’s done.

We know (from 6x04) that Clarke’s biggest regret is leaving Bellamy in Polis in season 5, and this episode confirmed that this weighs so heavy on Clarke’s heart that she can’t even face Bellamy in her mind space (which fits with the fact that the darkest and most traumatic moments are those she did not put on the wall). She is afraid that he hasn’t really forgiven her in his heart, and that he can’t, because she can’t forgive herself. Even if Bellamy is alive and well, Clarke’s feelings for him make her betrayal of him unforgivable in her own eyes (even though, at the time she did it, she had been heartbroken and furious because she felt he had betrayed her). Octavia, or rather Blodreina, was the right embodiment of her guilt in a weird way, since she was the danger that Clarke left Bellamy to, the one who threw him into the pit in the first place (kind of like Jaha was the embodiment of Bellamy’s guilt over the culling in 1x08). She reminded Clarke of some of her other sins, those that involved Clarke being ready to sacrifice Octavia (while trying to protect Bellamy) – letting the bomb drop on the people in Tondc, stealing the bunker in season 4, but she was there mostly to talk about Bellamy, because the relationship between Clarke and Octavia has always mostly revolved around their respective relationships with him. Even in her own mind, Clarke is still deflecting when confronted with her feelings for Bellamy (“I care about both of you”, just like she said “I care about all of them” when called out on her feelings for Bellamy by Lexa in 2x14). Octavia is also the embodiment of the unwillingness to forgive, so her refusal to fight for Clarke makes sense.

Not that Clarke needed any help to kick Josephine’s arse. It was satisfying to see, but expected. Josephine is an actual pampered princess who’s never had to fight for anything, while Clarke has been fighting and surviving in adverse circumstances for 7 years.

Maya’s appearance made perfect sense, but she was the most OOC character of all the “mind space” characters – maybe because Clarke didn’t get to know her that well, but mostly because she was the embodiment of Clarke’s guilt over the innocent deaths she’s caused. Maya was a good person, someone who helped them against her own people because it was the right thing to do, and because she knew what the Mountain Men were doing was wrong. She is also linked in Clarke’s mind with her feelings of guilt over Jasper – Clarke didn’t know Maya well, but Jasper was one of her closest friends, and Clarke feels deeply guilty for indirectly causing his downward spiral that ended with his suicid4. I was happy to see him referenced so much in this episode – through “Maya”, the case Clarke found in 5x01, and his goggles that she found there, which all played a big role in this episode. The accusations that “Maya” (Clarke herself) made sounded a lot like the repertoire of Clarke-haters: that she likes being a savior, has a god complex, has killed more people than she’s saved, is no better than the Primes… This is a confirmation that Clarke herself has agonized over all of these things. But it’s not what the real Maya would have said – the real Maya died acknowledging the responsibility all of the Mountain Men had for the evil things their society was doing, saying “None of us is innocent”. When Clarke made her “Maya” character be helpful against Josephine, it was the closest thing to what the real Maya had been like.

Clarke’s darkest place, the most painful and traumatic memories she has, are the deaths of Finn and Lexa, the only two people she has had romantic relationships with – relationships that were both extremely brief and tragic, and ended with deaths that traumatized Clarke a lot and made her feel guilty – even though she doesn’t really have, IMO, objective reasons to feel responsible for either of them, it’s not hard to see why she would feel, on the emotional, irrational level, that she is the one causing people to die. (The show and especially the fandom have tended to ignore one of these relationships  post-season 2 and to over-focus on the other, so I was pleasantly surprised that they were both acknowledged in a similar way for their role in Clarke’s development and emotional traumas – with the visual references with Lexa’s throne and the pole Finn was tied to and the knife Clarke used to mercy kill him, combined with the flashback of Finn’s death, a different flashback of Lexa seen before, and Josephine’s indirect mention of her death – which was probably the most elegant solution, since I don’t think the show would ever dare replay the footage of her death for fear of more backlash.)

It’s certainly no coincidence that this dark place that’s about Clarke’s traumas of her tragic romantic life is the place where Josephine breaks Clarke by convincing her that Bellamy has given up on her and that he and everyone are better off with her dead. Josephine didn’t technically lie – she told her he took her death hard but in the end made the rational choice of agreeing to the deal with her murderers. But, by showing her an out-of-context memory of Bellamy taking the deal, she showed her a skewed version of the truth. Clarke didn’t see Bellamy’s grieving, despair and anger, and didn’t realize that Bellamy saying that she would do the same was out of admiration for her, as a leader who’s not just smart but also selfless and caring. She probably took it as another sign he sees her as a monster, doesn’t care that much about her and is better off without her, because it fed into her own insecurities.

Josephine: “Have you considered sacrificing yourself?” Bitch, watch the season 4 finale. She didn’t just consider it, she did it.

I loved the fact that the case Clarke used to hide the important memory was Jasper’s case, that it contained Jasper’s goggles alongside Jake’s video, and that the lock password was “102”. More confirmation of the importance of the initial Delinquents community from season 1 in Clarke’s life and the show. “You forgot Bellamy and Raven” may be my favorite line from this episode.

Monty’s return (which the show tried to hide by not putting Chris Larkin’s name in the credits until the end credits, but it revealed it through not cutting enough of one of the promo pics) was not a complete surprise, thanks to the detective work of some of the fans, but was still my favorite part of the episode. Monty was most in-character, because Clarke knew him so well, and it makes perfect sense that he was the voice of Clarker’s reason and moral compass, which is what made her change her mind after having given up and given Josephine the victory. (You want a great platonic friendships between a man and a woman on The 100? Here it is!)

The ‘Monty” part of Clarke’s mind fought back, against all the BS – the “bear it so they don’t have to”, “for my people” mottos and moral relativism and Josephine’s half-truths) and reaffirmed Clarke’s resilience and will to live, and reminded her that what it all comes down to is not just saving your people, but doing the right thing. After Monty told them to be good guys and be happy. Both of these messages are what Clarke had to remember. As I’ve been pointing out, doing better is not just standing by and not killing people. It’s also actively fighting against evil. They are not being good guys if they let the Primes murder, bodysnatch, oppress, brainwash and sacrifice the people from their community, just because it doesn’t affect them.  As “Monty” (Clarke) pointed out, it’s not doing better if you let the Primes murder people to live forever.

Clarke’s trip through Josephine’s memories (of being killed by Kaylee, and of killing Isaac and sacrificing a baby) helped her fully realize that Josephine is truly evil and needs to be stopped. Really, if killing babies is not enough to make you classify someone as true evil on a whole different level, what can?

Josephine tried to pull the “for my people” motto with Issac, but she was full of s*hit. She only does things for herself and maybe a few other people (not even all the Primes, since she murdered four of them). We learned that Children of Gabriel are literally the children that the Primes tried to sacrifice to the trees and that Isaac saved and brought to Gabriel. We also got another confirmation of the cruel caste system of Sanctum, where “nulls” (people who are not Nightblood gene carriers) are treated as lower life forms, and routinely sacrificed, and that Josephine would rather kill them all, if she was allowed to by her father. Not that having the NB gene is so good, as it means your child may end up as a host, and obviously, the “honor” of being a Nightblood means you get bodysnatched at the age of 21.

When Isaac said  “if only we were allowed to be more than your janitors and guards”, it felt like it was the writers’ way of reminding us of the class system on the Ark, where Bellamy was a janitor and a guard-in-training. It’s also another reminder of how different Clarke and Josephine are – Josephine would have considered someone like Bellamy expendable and useless, whereas Clarke quickly showed in season 1 she valued people based on their personal qualities rather than their origin or class.

It was cool to see a flashback to the time before the apocalypse, complete with references to Diyoza and Becca, but this memory was my least favorite part of the episode. I guess I just wasn’t that interested in Josephine’s traumatic memories, since I don’t think they’re enough to explain her sociopathic nature. On second thought, you could say that this guy was her Finn, and that her response to that trauma was completely different from Clarke’s – genuinely shutting herself down to any compassion or remorse.

I love the fact that what saved the day was the fact that Clarke and Bellamy were both good students of Earth skills (taught by Pike!) and that they are, once again, so well attuned to each other that they can communicate this way. Or the fact that Bellamy was watching JC so carefully, even though it must have hurt him emotionally to look at her, that he noticed her movements and read them correctly.

Nice to see Miller back, but did he have to be so… not-bright? In any case, it’s great to see Bellamy as determined to save Clarke, as he was despondent in the last episode. This is maybe the first time that Clarke really needs saving, but a huge and crucial part of that rescue was Clarke deciding that she wants to live.

Rating: 10/10

[puroresu-musings]

NJPW POWER STRUGGLE 2019 Review (Nov 3rd, Osaka, EDION Arena)

Jushin Thunder Liger, Tiger Mask, Ryusuke Taguchi & Yuya Uemura vs. Volador Jr., Titán, TJP & Clark Conners  ***

Rocky Romero & Robbie Eagles vs. El Phantasmo & Taiji Ishimori  ***

SANADA, EVIL & Shingo Takagi vs. Minoru Suzuki, Zack Sabre Jr. & Lance Archer  ***1/4

Kazuchika Okada & YOSHI-HASHI vs. Kota Ibushi & Hiroshi Tanahashi  ***1/2

Tetsuya Naito vs. Taichi  ***1/2

Super Jr. Tag League 2019 Final: SHO & YOH vs. El Desperado & Yoshinobu Kanemaru  ****

NEVER Openweight Title Match: KENTA (c) vs. Tomohiro Ishii  ****1/4+

IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title Match: Will Ospreay (c) vs. BUSHI  ****1/2

IWGP Intercontinental Title Match: Jay White (c) vs. Hirooki Goto  ****

Photos.

This was a really fun show that featured nothing but good matches, and a few excellent angles. TJP pinned Uemura to win an all-action Junior opener that was fun whilst it lasted (5:43), ELP hit the CRII on Rocky Romero to end a good doubles match, and SANADA got the pin on ZSJ with a Japanese Leg Clutch to win another really good 9 minute six man. The highlight of this were Shingo’s exchanges with Suzuki, who also had a brawl in the post match. I’m very much game for that singles programme, Archer called out David Finlay for a US Title match in San Jose on November 9th, and Zack locked the referee in a kimura. Tanahashi and YOSHI-HASHI had a fantastic exchange in their tag match, which brought the maych up from what would normaly have been just a match. Tana got the pin on YH with the High Fly Flow at 10:51. Again, the post match here was most notable; Chris Jericho appeared on the big screen and challenged Tanahashi to a match on night 2 of WK14 on January 5th. Tana accepted. And Naito got win back against Taichi after losing to him in the G1. This was much better than that match, but this was very good, not great. Saying that though, it was the best match they’ve had in my opinion, as it was just a straight singles outing as opposed to the chicanery filled nonsense of their previous outings. It started fairly slow, but built into a good closing stretch. Naito finally got the win with Destino at the 12:56 mark. It was inferred that Naito is getting an IC Title match at WK14. Now, if you ask me, Naito, though still popular, has cooled off exponentially this year, and he just doesn’t feel like one of the top guys at this stage. But hey ho.

The Roppongi 3K team of SHO and YOH won the Super J Tag League, when they defeated the Suzuki-gun team of Desperado and Kanemaru in an excellent, old school tag match. This told the old Young Bucks/RPG Vice story, in which SHO was dumped on the ramp iat the very start, selling his back, and YOH had to go it alone for a while, until SHO returned with the hot tag. Despy locked him in his Numero Dos Stretch Muffler submission, which built great drama as it seemed as though SHO would have to submit, but YOH managed to break it before he could tap. SHO and Desperado had a great exchange, before the Roppongi boys hit 3K on the masked man to win the match and the tournament at 14:13. The IWGP Jr Tag Champions, Phantasmo and Ishimori, laid them out with belt shots in the post match, then took off with the trophies. KENTA and Ishii had an absolute war for the NEVER title next. This was profoundly hard-hitting stuff, with both guys killing each other with hard strikes. KENTA devastated Ishii with super hard slaps, and the Stone Pitbull kept firing back with just as hard forearms, after one of which, KENTA did a fantastic job of selling being legit KO’d, which played nicely off what happened in their match in London. This too was devoid of the shenanigans we’ve come to expect from a modern day Bullet Club KENTA match, and was just two guys swinging for the fences. After KENTA escaped a Brainbuster attempt, he rocked Ishii with a series of Busaiku Knees, then nailed two Go 2 Sleep’s to retain the title in 20 minutes of hard-hitting action. If I have one complaint, its that this maybe went a little long, and all the punishment these guys took felt like overkill at times, but that aside, this was great stuff.

And in the best match of the night, Will Ospreay succesfully defended the Jr title against BUSHI in a tremendous outing, that also ranks as probably the best singles match I’ve ever seen BUSHI in. This one had a load of shenanigans, but they were done in such a creative manner that they actually helped to enhance the match. Things got chaotic after a ref bump, BUSHI tried to blow the Dokukiri at Ospreay, but Will cut him off, then sucked the mist out of BUSHI’s mouth, and blew it in his face. He then tried an Oscutter, but BUSHI pulled Red Shoes in the way, and delivered the move to the refferee. BUSHI gets his knees up on a Shooting Star attempt, then finally mists Ospreay, and hits a Canadian Destroyer as a new ref comes in for a near fall. The masked man tries MX, but Ospreay hits a head kick in mid air for the double down. BUSHI counters Storm Breaker into the BUSHI ROLL for a believable near fall, then he hits MX for another great near fall which had the crowd going crazy. He goes for another MX but Will catches him in an Oscutter, hits Hidden Blade, the top rope Oscutter, and finally Storm Breaker to win at the 16:20 mark of an exceptional wrestling outing. Once again, the post match here was significant; Ospreay gets the mic and says that he’s beaten everyone in the Junior division, there’s no one left for him to beat, then the lights went out and a Time Bomb video played, which brought out the returning Hiromu Takahashi, who has been out with a broken neck since July of 2018. He charges down to the ring, gives the commentators stuffed cats, then takes a bump into the barricade for no reason. He eneters the ring, thanks the fans for waiting for him, and tells Ospreay that he’s ready and wants the belt. He takes a back bump and rolls into a bridge, from where he cut the rest of his promo as Ospreay holds the mic for him, and challenges Ospreay to a title match on January 4th. Ospreay accepts, then Hiromu licks the belt, hugs Ospreay, and leaves. This was tremendous.

This left the main event with a lot to follow. Typical to form with these guys, they had a great, hard-hitting match, but it couldn’t really follow the stuff that preceeded it. The match went 27:40, which was much too long, especially as no one believed Goto winning this, despite scoring some great near falls. He hit the reverse GTR, then a Shouten Kai for a tremendous near fall (it works every time, even though he hasn’t won a match with it in three years), which lead into the token White counter exchange, which is always incredible, culminating in him hitting Aramusha with the Sleeper Suplex. Goto however, pops up and hits the GTW (the Ushigoroshi into a Final Cut), then follows with GTR, but Gedo pulls the ref out. This causes Katsuyori Shibata, who was providing commentary at ringside, to jump in and lay Gedo out with kicks, and locking in a sleeper. This brought out KENTA, who kicked Shibata off the apron, hit the Go 2 Sleep on Goto, then tossed Shibata into the barricade and nailed a few chest kicks. This allowed White to recover and hit Blade Runner to successfully defend his title. White cut a promo in the post match, caling out Okada and Ibushi, saying he’ll face the winner on January 5th, but instead out came Naito. White says he’s isn’t defending against Naito, and out comes Ibushi. All three vow to be the first double champion. They call out Okada, who eventually shows up, and asks them what the hell they’re all talking about. He has the most prestigeous belt in the company, why would he want the secondary title? He proposes there be a fan vote (a hark back to the controversial issue with the WK8 main event) to solve this issue, then White tells them all to “fuck off” as this is his moment, and he celebrates his win. All in all, this was a great show that more than over-delivered on its potential. Every match was at least good, at least four where excellent, and the angles were very memorable indeed, so its a thumbs up from me.

NDT

[dotthings]

WHOA SPN THAT WAS SO MUCH so this got a little along. 

Oh the callbacks in the episode. So many. Starting with Pamela freakin’ Barnes to put is in a S4 mindset. She was delightful as always, I’m sorry this is a one-off and only in Dean’s mind but she’s still a wonderful character.

So...the place Michael tucks Dean away in to keep him calm, living the dream, is a bar, like Harvelles, and they still hunt, but Dean mostly runs the bar, Sam and Cas are on a hunt, and Dean seems into running this place of solace for people with a jukebox and pool table and beer. I think this is drawn from some authentic piece of Dean’s dreams of retirement, it’s not sand-between-the-toes, but it does seem to fit with what Dean might want. It’s not a real memory and it’s not fully authentic though because Michael constructs it to keep Dean placated but it’s all built from material inside Dean’s mind. Michael gave Dean a version of his contentment and it’s inside the hunting world. Which...haven’t a lot of us been talking about this, not the either/or, that they don’t have to entirely quit the life to find a life within the life. This fit into that theme. 

Pamela and Dean’s banter was fun and oh, that little exchange “You don’t want me, you just like to flirt. I’m a psychic. I know these things.” She’s constructed from Dean’s memories. Dean controls everything there. Dean’s own brain is trying to tell him something. This fits realllly well with a bi-Dean reading. And endgame Destiel. He likes to flirt and he’ll flirt with both genders but what does he really want in the end. Just throwing that out there. And let’s think for a moment how Dean’s mind created subtext that suits a bi Dean and Destiel endgame read.

“We have shifts now because you mess up so, so many things.” I LOLed.

Interesting there’s a callback to Gadreel not Lucifer for Sam relating one of his past possessions experiences to this. Given the themes Michael uses to taunt Sam and Cas and Jack with, Gadreel is a callback to a storyline that was about Dean crossing a line to save Sam, a story about Dean as a caretaker, saving a family member. 

Jack’s belief in Dean. My heart. This following on his early S14 tactless comments, followed by his confession about why he felt so desperate to stop Michael and he and Dean relating to each other’s sense of self-blame and desperation. That was mostly resolved, between them, but in terms of the ongoing story, seeing the extent Jack believes in Dean, this is advancing. 

“Dean. He’s strong. You don’t know anything about Dean.” I’m bolding for a reason--instance #1 of Dean’s family calling him strong.

And then, instance #1 of of Michael trying to demoralize and undermine. “You’re not Sam, you’re not Cas. You’re a new burden he was handed.” Taunting Jack with not being cared for, with being unwanted, by Dean, that it was forced on him. There was some tension on that in S13 initially. By season 14, with the development of the arcs, Dean chose this, but Jack is afraid he didn’t. Jack may also be carrying similar fears or guilt about Sam and Cas, given the origins and history. 

So the source of Cas’s death-glare in the promo was Michael taunting Cas about God, suggesting that Chuck just gives up on one world, and moves onto the next and that’s why there are so many AU’s. It might be true. Cas seems really outraged about it and is probably scared it is true. We’re maybe not done with Cas’s daddy issues, his faith or lack thereof in his Father.

Jensen and Misha were spectacular playing off each other in this scene and their whole dynamic transformed because Dean isn’t Dean, same as in S4, their dynamic transformed when Misha was playing Jimmy not Cas, which gets into a whole thing about how they inhabit Dean and Cas and have to switch off certain switches of their innate chemistry and find different switches instead to do this and I’m rambling, I’m having a Jensen and Misha as acting team moment here.

Then Michael aims  taunting #2 . “Look at you. Playing nursemaid to a nephilim. Nothing like the Castiel I knew. He would’ve never been so anemic.”

Cas’s answer “You’re confusing loyalty and compassion with weakness.”

Cas with all the growth and character development isn’t weak. His vulnerabilities are part of what makes him a whole character. I’m glad Cas sees himself this way too, he’s more than one thing.

Did Jack...just offer up a little piece of his soul for Dean? Oh ok. I’m fine. *hoists flag of surrender* I’ll just stop even trying not to have feelings about that. 

Then we’re in Dean’s mind.

*internal screaming*

I WAS NOT READY FOR THIS. I was really excited for the premise of this ep and wanted this but I was not read for...this.

Lots of recognizable sound bytes but “You’re gonna die and this is what you’re going to become” jumped out at me.

*shrieking*

Yeah so. Uh. This is the point in the episode where I started crying. 

And then Cas starts sensing out the void and says “So much trauma in Dean’s mind. So many scars” and that didn’t help me stop crying at all. The mere fact of Cas, surrounded by Dean’s mindspace and surrounded by Dean’s traumatic memories, witnessing this, I need to lie down and stare the ceiling and have feelings. BRB. 

When Cas touched Dean’s soul in Hell, and pulled him out, and put his soul back into his body, he maybe didn’t go in that deep, seeing Dean’s memories and all of that. 

And Sam isn’t that shook. “Dean’s strong,” Sam says. There’s the 2nd instance of that phrase about Dean. Sam knows Dean’s been through a lot. He’s not getting what Cas is getting at yet, why Cas is so shook, and I think it’s part Cas hasn’t witnessed it in quite this way yet and part it’s that Cas has already figured out the extent of exactly what Michael’s doing inside Dean’s head and Sam hasn’t.

Oh and hey, speaking of callbacks, since the ep firmly planted us in season four-ville, remember when Sam thought Dean was too weak and so he had to step up and drink demon blood, to make sure Dean was never torn to pieces ever again. Not that Sam managed to prevent that. So much has happened and now this Sam, sees Dean as strong.

“You’ve both been through a lot, and Dean is more than strong.” The 3rd instance, this time from Cas.

With a variation now. 

Dean is more than strong.

Dean is more than strong.

My heart’s gonna explode into little rainbows. That’s how Cas, specifically, sees Dean. Jack sees Dean as strong. Sam sees Dean as strong. Cas sees Dean as more than strong.

This is Dean through Cas’s eyes. This is Cas who in S10 looked at Dean, who said "I’m not any kind of a role model” and looked so sad and insisted “that’s not true.” Because he does know Dean and what Dean has gone through and remember he saw Dean in Hell.

*flaily hands* this is SO MUCH. BUT WAIT THERE IS MORE.

MICHAEL DROWNED DEAN IN HIS OWN TRAUMA. 

*rocks back and forth*

Trauma wasn’t enough the first time though. Dean kept kicking and fighting. Squirming. Because “Dean thrives on trauma.” Sam does, in fact get his brother quite well. It keeps Dean awake and aware and fighting to go home. Cas then raises the concept of “contentment” being where they will find Dean instead of the trauma this time because that’s a fresher concept for Dean and therefore more potent in keeping him docile. JUST STAB ME. 

“The people in your real life. We need you to come back.” 

HOW ABOUT IF I JUST SIT HERE QUIETLY SOBBING FOR A FEW MINUTES BEFORE I KEEP TYPING DOES THAT WORK FOR EVERYONE. 

Cas. Cas baby, you got all the way to a “we need you.” Brave little toaster, you’re halfway to an “I” statement. Baby steps. 

Another great callback, Sam using “Poughkeepsie.” Cas’s lack of an “I” statement plea about how much he’s needed, Dean just scoffs a little, but Sam reaches for a very personal code word, so it’s a virtual “I” statement, between him and his brother, and that’s what breaks Dean free of the loop. Gotta use the “I” statements. It needed to be more personal and Cas is still not able to articulate what he needed to in order to break through that. S8 Cas is very lucky Dean is good with using the “I” statement, progressing from “We need you...I need you” and broke through the brainwashing.

Michael, the biggest anti-TFW stan to ever anti-stan, then spills 2 more instance of demoralization, by voicing the most negative fears of what Sam and Cas are to Dean. He mocks Cas’s iconic introductory line and taunts him that all he’s done since then is make mistakes (Michael’s an anti-Cas stan...an anti-Jack stan...an anti-Sam stan)...and then Michael starts in on Sam, taunting with how happy Dean was when Sam left Dean to hunt alone with John.

"They’re you’re responsibilities. They’re a weight around your neck.”

This is cutting deep. This isn’t to demoralize Dean, this is to get Sam and Cas to give up. Michael’s using things that are rooted in some darker fears, and maybe some things that should be addressed about the familial dynamics but they aren’t truth-truths. Dean has carried so much on his shoulders. But none of Michael’s tauntingly demoralizing statements are truth about how Dean feels about Jack or Sam or Cas. (Small fandom side note, I can just imagine various extremes in the fandom using Michael’s taunts to hoist their own anti flags as if canon just verified their viewpoints when Michael is deadass the villain and the words meant to hurt and not what Dean actually feels and if you use it for one you don’t like, another exists aimed at your faves too. Oh it’s diabolical).

I said before the ep aired that Michael would be worse than Lucifer when he taunts because Lucifer is a raspberry blowing asshole child, while Michael knows how to do surgical strikes. And Michael is quietly vicious wow.

Side note into Jack using his powers at extreme need but it eats a tiny piece of his soul. Which isn’t exactly what I expected. I thought they might have him be able to start, a little, tapping into the powers at extreme need and it being adrenaline based, like early Sam’s powers. Or think Luke in the cave on Hoth. Returning gradually. But this is Jack purposefully burning up a little piece of his soul to do it and...this is not going to end well. This is not good. Let’s not head for soulless Jack. Can we not do that please. I’m just starting to get attached to him, he’s already died once, come on.

Sam, Dean, and Cas working in concert to trap Michael together in the storage room. HELL YES THAT WAS BEAUTIFUL THIS IS WHAT I WANTED.

Dean’s “I got him” -- that sound you heard is me screaming for 8 million years because Swan Song callback, flipped from Sam to Dean. I got him.

“I’m the cage.”

Ok no one has said that before. It is a slight callback to S6 Great Wall of Sam and gee that’s not going to hold forever. This is not good.

Oh crap, Billie. Oh crap what is happening. What does this mean, no no no. Please tell me this isn’t going to have to be Dean sacrificing himself to save the world from himself possessed by Michael burning the world.

I really needed Sam, Dean, and Cas to talk about some of the stuff that went on while they were in Dean’s mind but I’m really happy (destroyed) by this ep. I did have some high expectations for it but wasn’t sure how high to set them, but this journey into Dean’s head went to some emotional spots I really needed it to go to and I think moves their arcs, together, forward...Sam and Cas witnessing all that. Seeing how much Sam and Cas each in different ways understand Dean. How Sam, Dean, and Jack all think so highly of him. *cries* Showing how far they’ve come.

OK THANKS FOR DROWNING ME IN DEAN TRAUMA YOCKEY

[hazyheel]

WWE Friday Night Smackdown 10/4/19 Review

The season premier of Friday Night Smackdown basically ended up being a normal smackdown that just had a bunch of spectacle around it. Although we had the Rock, who had a good segment, all the other people who came to the event weren’t involved. But we have some interesting setups for some future matches, whether that is in the immediate future or Wrestlemania, along with a couple upsides, so there were some things that ended up promising. Here is my full review of this week’s Friday Night Smackdown.

The set for this show is actually awesome. I love the little tube thing that they have on the entrance ramp, it looks badass. Waaaaaaaaaay better than the Raw set, let me tell you. Stephanie and Vince McMahon came out first. They popped the crowd with a quick “Welcome to fox” type thing, before throwing it to the new theme song. This was all kind of a pre-show thing, so I’m not gonna grade it. And possibly the most exciting thing: A TWO MAN ANNOUNCE BOOTH. Corey Graves and Michael Cole were holding it down, and I’m so excited to see how well they do without a third wheel. 

Becky Lynch Promo: She thanked everyone at smackdown for boosting her up to title level. King Corbin interrupted and walked down to the ring. He told Lynch that she wasn’t the Man anymore, to which she said “step in the ring and we’ll find out.” He did, and I was excited to see Corbin get his comeuppance for attacking her at Extreme Rules, but The fuckin Rock came out instead, which is also good. He and Lynch slapped up in the ring as he posed in the corners, and even without talking, he exudes charisma. It is crazy. Rock talked about how he was the guy who invented the word smackdown. He put the show over a bit, before calling Corbin a Broke Ass Burger King on Crack. Then he hit his catchphrase, saying that he is back home. He was gonna keep going, but Corbin cut him off. Corbin said that Smackdown isn’t his home, and he isn’t the great one anymore. Corbin told him to shut up, so Rock told him that he wasn’t a King, and called him a 35 yer old version who hangs out at Comicon. He said that winning King of the Ring doesn’t make him a King, and just because Becky is the man doesn’t mean she is gonna carry a pair of testicles. Lynch said “yeah, but if I did, they’d be bigger than his.” Corbin kept heeling on LA, before Lynch hit the whole “it doesn’t matter what you think.” Rock then put him over a bit, before calling him a Super Tough Dude (STD), and the crowd chanted it, which Lynch said would stick with him for life (which it won’t but that was clever). Rock then told him that he was getting mad, and told him that Lynch and Rock would kick his ass. The two of them beat him down, and Rock hit the People’s Elbow, followed by a Rock Bottom. 

Grade: B. I liked this promo, and of course I loved the Rock. It was perfectly fun, and Lynch actually carried herself really well in this segment. She wasn’t groveling for the Rock at all, she was on equal footing with him, which was good. I don’t like when today’s stars stand shoulder to shoulder with attitude era guys and act like excited little kids. Becky is a star, and she caries herself like one. So yeah, really fun. Sucks that Corbin got the crap kicked out of him though, that kinda hurts him. Highlight of the night. 

Becky Lynch & Charlotte Flair vs. Sasha Banks & Bayley: Bayley and Charlotte started things out, with Bayley giving Lynch a cheap shot on the apron, before Charlotte put her down with some strikes. Bayley quickly took control back, and tagged in Banks, only for Charlotte to nail several chops to the chest, and a big boot off the apron. Charlotte went to the top, and Bayley tried to push her off, but Lynch intercepted with a forearm. The ref yelled at Lynch for it, so Bayley was able to push Charlotte off anyway. We cut to commercial, and as we came back, Charlotte was able to give Lynch the hot tag. Lynch took down Bayley with a series of strikes and a huge superman forearm. Bayley was able to fight back by hanging her up on the top rope, but Charlotte got the blind tag. She kneed Bayley in the stomach to take her down, and hit Natural Selection, but Banks broke it up. Everyone then started to brawl in the ring, with the faces coming out on top and throwing both heels to the outside. Charlotte nailed them with a moonsault to the outside, and then threw Bayley back in the ring for the tapout win with the figure 8. 

Grade: B. These four together always make for a really good match. This was short, but it did what it had to do. It teased the violent Hell in a Cell match, while setting up a Smackdown Women’s Championship match as well. Good stuff, and a fitting first ever smackdown match. 

New Day Interview: Erin Anderson interviewed them, and I wasn’t going to emphasize her at all, but holy crap she is way better than most of WWE’s interviewers. She actually had a personality, so that was refreshing. Kofi Kingston said that he will win despite being the underdog, and Big E and Xavier Woods confirmed that they wouldn’t be in Kingston’s corner in the main event. Hopefully we will get more Renee Young backstage, with a similar amount of personality. 

Seth Rollins vs. Shinsuke Nakamura: Before the match, Bray Wyatt came on the screen, and introduced his puppets. Ramblin Rabbit told Rollins not to fight the Fiend, but Wyatt interrupted him. They then showed Mercy the Buzzard killing Ramblin Rabbit in a Hell in a Cell representation. He told Rollins that was what will happen to him in their match on Sunday, before leaving. Nakamura came out with Sami Zayn. The match started, and Nakamura immediately tried for an armbar. Rollins powered him up and nailed a buckle bomb, followed by a pair of suicide dives. The two then fought back into the ring, where Rollins nailed a springboard knee, and then a superkick to the face. He had Nakamura set up for the Curb stomp, but the lights went out. Rollins booked it to the top of the stage, where the Fiend was able to lock in the mandible claw once again, before throwing him off the stage. 

Grade: C+. The match was going pretty well, and the attack was cliche at this point although somehow managed to be fresh with a bit of fight from Rollins. But this was just good enough in my opinion. 

Kevin Owens vs. Shane McMahon in a Career vs. Career Ladder Match: As the announcer was giving Shane his huge introduction, Owens attacked, and the match was off. Owens took Shane down by smacking him into a ladder bridge, and tried to get up the ladder. Shane pulled him off and hit a side Russian leg sweep. The two brawled beside the ladder, until Owens took it down and threw it at Shane, who ducked. Shane took control after nailing Owens in the back with the ladder, and then set Owens up on the table. He smacked Owens in the head with part of the announce table, before putting him through it with an elbow drop. We cut to commercial, and when we came back, Owens put Shane through a ladder bridge with a huge frog splash. Owens started to climb up, but Shane got back up and started to attack him with a chair. He beat the hell out of Owens with it for a bit, before putting him down in the corner and then setting up a Coast to Coast with the ladder. He was able to nail it, and Owens rolled out of the ring. Shane then started to climb the ladder slowly, but Owens grabbed his foot, and pulled him down for a powerbomb into a ladder that was set up in the corner. Owens then grabbed the briefcase and got the win. 

After the match, Owens told Shane that he was fired, and gave him a stunner. 

Grade: B-. This match was fine, it had a few big spots. This was just good enough to be in the positive, and the right guy won. Good stuff. That splash through the ladder looked brutal though. 

Paul Heyman interview: He just yelled a little bit about how Kingston was gonna lose to Lesnar. 

Heavy Machinery, Braun Strowman and The Miz vs. AJ Styles, Randy Orton, Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode: Miz and Ziggler started out, and Ziggler nailed a Zig Zag almost right away, but Miz countered back with a DDT. Strowman then tagged in, and took out Ziggler a couple times with huge tackles, only for Roode to break up the pin. Everyone hit a finisher real quick, and landed on the outside. Stromwan then ran around the ring to give everyone a shoulder tackle. Strowman then started to yelled at Tyson fury in the front row, and they playfully jaw jacked a bit, until he threw Ziggler into him on the barricade. Fury then started to scream at him, allowing Ziggler to nail a superkick. That only made Strowman more mad, and he gave Ziggler a Running Powerslam for the win. 

After the match, Fury tried to ump the barricade, but a bunch of security ran out to stop him. Eventually, after swearing a lot, he backed down.

Grade: C-. I’m bumping this down for celebrity involvement. The match was just kinda boring and simple, but the real story of this match is Fury and Strowman. I smell a Wrestlemania match, unless they wanna blow their load early. 

Roman Reigns vs. Erick Rowan in a Lumberjack Match: Daniel Bryan was on commentary, and Luke Harper wasn’t at ringside at all. They all both put each other on the outside early on, but when Rowan was on the outside, he fought off the lumberjacks, and even caught Reigns as he came in with a flying splash and threw him into the barricade. When we came back from commercial, they fought each other a bit with their signature offense. As they were fighting, Luke Harper started to walk down. Bryan met him in the ramp and they brawled, and the lumberjacks tried to gain control, only for Reigns to take everyone out with his splash into the crowd. Rowan then powerbombed Ali into Reigns, before bringing him into the ring with a running splash. He was about to hit the iron claw, but Reigns countered and hit a superman punch. Harper then ran in to save Rowan, only for Bryan to nail a Running Knee. Rowan then went to give Bryan the iron Claw, but Reigns nailed a spear for the win. 

After the match, Reigns and Bryan shook hands. 

Grade: C. I don’t really like lumberjack matches, but we need these types of Lumberjack matches in order to have a good one once in a blue moon. The closing stretch was pretty fun, with Harper and Rowan getting involved. Although this match did get me excited for the tag match on Sunday, so it did what it had to. Not a great match though. 

Kofi Kingston vs. Brock Lesnar for the WWE Championship: Kofi actually came out last, which was good, because I didn’t expect him to. Kofi tried to jump at Lesnar, only for him to catch him on his shoulders and it one F5 for the win. 

After the match, Rey Mysterio and CAIN FUCKING VELASQUEZ came down to the ring. And took him down, and started to hammer him with shots. Lesnar quickly retreated, and contemplated fighting Velasquez for a bit, before ultimately walking away with fear in his eyes. 

Grade: C. So, at first I was pissed about the match going so quick, but honestly, it was kinda effective. I think that, if they were gonna just give Lesnar the WWE Championship, they should’ve had him cash in on Kingston to win it here. Disappointing, and a real missed opportunity, but the squash was a good way to get heat on Lesnar. That being said, that was a very unexpected debut, and I definitely popped for it. That is a big get, even if he is just freelancing for them. Quite the way to close the first Friday Night Smackdown. 

Overall Grade: C+

Pros: The Rock and The Man promo; Lynch & Flair vs. Bayley and Banks

Cons: 8-man tag; lumberjack match; main event

[asherlockstudy]

Bran Stark and the Long Night

A “Very Potter Musical” theory

Okay, no I did not lose my mind. This is not a Very Potter Musical theory but it discusses some similarities between Harry Potter and Game of Thrones and ends with a little help from Spotify. By writing this down I prove I have learned nothing from my past mistake of interpeting the questionable plot twists in BBC Sherlock through an optimistic perspective. I need to get it out though and I’ll just hope I won’t get too disappointed in the next episodes. Please keep in mind that opinions and preferences amongst GoT fans vary greatly - who is important or evil in my opinion might not be for you. 

This is a long post, so here’s a summary of what is discussed: 

Review of the Long Night

Many parallels between Bran Stark and Harry Potter. Bran is a (dark) grey character in this theory. 

Arya’s importance and whether she is the promised one or not

Personal predictions about the next episodes. All main characters are discussed. Might or might not contain wishful thinking. A whole lot about the prophecy of Azor Ahai which I REALLY want to see fulfilled properly before the show ends. 

Clues from the Spotify Game of Thrones Playlist D&D created for the ending of the show

Some noticeable emphasis on Jaime and Brienne. A LOT of Jaime.

First of all, I belong to the few (?) who loved the episode. I doubt any other TV show will ever manage to achieve anything remotely as ambitious. The cinematography is gorgeous, the actors, the crew, the visual effects, the music... everyone who took part in the making of this episode needs a standing ovation. As for the darkness? It meant to be this way! The darkness was what kept us on edge and it made it harder to understand if a character was dying or not, thus stressing us out even more. The darkness was meant to reinforce the feeling of uncertainty and imminent danger. Whereas Helm’s Deep battle was lit to emphasize on the heroism and the stunts, the battle of Winterfell is darkened to emphasize on its unpredictability and the feeling of death lurking in every corner. So it is unfair to rate this episode with 1s or 2s like so many people do. Even if you didn’t like the ending, there are so many elements here and so much hard work that deserve acknowledgement.

I didn’t like everything though. What did I not like? Well, duh, the ending. I was never interested in the whole “White Walkers” part of the plot and yet Arya killing the Night King in seconds didn’t exactly satisfy even the indifferent me. Don’t get me wrong, I like Arya and she sure is one of the most lethal characters. It just never occurred to me that she could be connected to this particular subplot. The thing, however, that I interpret very differently than most people writing reviews is that to me there was nothing final about this episode. Many fans act as if this was the general ending of the story and I don’t want to be too optimistic but I just don’t see it this way. So what then? Are we going to watch Cersei sip wine for the next four and a half hours until Drogon roasts her in the last second? Are they THAT bad? The fact that the characters in the show consider the Dead their greatest threat does not mean that this is the culmination of the plot. Let alone that the fact that the characters think the threat is gone does not mean the threat is gone. Remember the show we’re watching - the shocking plot twists always happen when you least expect them. If D&D have now become cowards, we must wait until the end to be able to tell. I, for one, consider the fact that they have not left even a mere second, even a still image, even a comment or a sentence about the last three episodes slip as extremely promising. Even the promo for the next episode is literally two scenes and obviously the least important. Anyway, I don’t want to defend them too much because this has been a boomerang for me in the past *cough sherlock cough*.

According to what we got, most have assumed that Bran was the ultimate good guy who had orchestrated everything so Arya, Azor Ahai, would kill the Night King.  My main argument is that Bran Stark...just doesn’t strike me like an *entirely* good guy. I know people have had enough of Bran is the Villain theories but I am not speaking about a full-blown villain and also...just consider it for a bit. The Three-Eyed-Raven is supposedly the eternal enemy of the Night King and is a wise entity. There is a problem in Bran’s case though: the Night King leaves his mark on him. 

Don’t forget, the Night King is known to create wights simply by touching  them. Craster’s living babies. Bloody (though dead) Viserion! The intelligence or the living state of the victim doesn’t seem to be an obstacle. The Night King then assumes complete control over his creations.

 Do you know what this mark reminds me of? 

This. 

Voldemort tried to kill Harry but his curse turned back at him because Lily had just died to save her child (because of love). It left a scar on Harry’s forehead instead of killing him. What happened between Bran and the Night King seems very similar. The Night King wanted to kill or turn into a wight the soon-to-be Third Eyed Raven so he grabbed him by the wrist but Bran wasn’t exactly there so there was an obstacle the Night King couldn’t fully overcome. Bran escapes him and returns to the present with a mark. We’re told that this mark can help the Night King find him. Is this all there is to it though? 

It takes five years for Dumbledore to brace himself and reveal to Harry why his scar is a sensor of Voldemort’s presence and extreme mood shifts. The reason is that the day Voldemort tried to kill Harry a part of his already ruined soul was merged with Harry’s soul which made them both have access to each other’s feelings and thoughts to some degree. As time passed, that connection became stronger, especially as Harry and Voldemort became aware of it. By his fifth year in Hogwarts, Harry’s mood is constantly affected by Voldemort’s; he’s often angry and full of inexplicable hate. He laughs and gets furious and has violent urges all of a sudden without understanding why. He starts getting visions where he is Voldemort.  The good thing in Harry’s case is that Harry’s soul is a pure whole soul that can’t get easily corrupted and that some powerful people know about this connection more or less and try to guard him against it (Dumbledore, Snape, Sirius etc).

If something similar happens to Bran, he is not that lucky. Nobody understands this connection except maybe the previous Third Eyed Raven who is dead. What’s worse, Bran does not only fight against the Night King’s effect on him. Whereas Harry’s soul was pure and healthy and whole, Bran’s soul and identity collapses under the weight of partly being both the Night King (or controlled by him) and the Third Eyed Raven. His mind fills with the memory and the wisdom of the world as well as with the awareness of the intent of death. Obviously, little Brandon Stark’s emotional and mental world doesn’t even make up 1% of the whole consciousness there is now inside him. 

As the Night King gets more powerful day after day, we see an evolution in Bran Stark as well. As the story proceeds, he becomes more and more emotionless and lifeless just like Harry was getting more irritable, envious and violent. Bran starts resembling a dead man. It does not help that the Third Eyed Raven has a pretty neutral stance as well but young Bran suspiciously beats the much older previous Third Eyed Raven in terms of neutrality. When he returns to Winterfell, he has already lost all his feelings for his family. Maybe Bran is still in there but only a last lost hint of him that needs something groundbreaking to happen to cause him to externalize some emotion. 

Another proof that Bran has a more special connection with the Night King than just being tracked down by him is offered to us when a panicked marked Bran (when he still could feel) argues with the Third Eyed Raven that the Night King can’t get to him in that sacred place to which the wise entity responds laconically:  “He can now”. Well, if the mark was just a track medium then the Night King would get stuck in the opening of the cave, aware that Bran is inside yet unable to enter. If he can now get in, this possibly means he is already in, protected by being carried by an innocent, still pure and very much alive being; Bran. The Night King is inside and thus the wights can now follow him there. 

Dumbledore thought it was too cruel to reveal to poor Harry that the only way they could completely kill Voldemort was to kill him too.  Aaaand Dumbledore thought it was important that Voldemort killed them both himself. The only difference here is that Bran is both the equivalents of Harry and Dumbledore in one body, so Bran himself was the one who knew what had to be done. 

When they are discussing the battle strategy, Bran tells everyone the Night King wants to kill him because he wants to erase the memory of this world. Despite this, Bran requires to be left outside in plain sight so that the Night King will find him and everyone assumes he wants to be the bait, something Bran neither confirms nor denies. But what if he wanted to be the sacrifice instead of the bait? Think about it, Bran’s plan makes the Night King supposedly more vulnerable but it also makes the Third Eyed Raven way easier to kill. If Bran waits for him in the open, it’s very easy for the Night King to reach him quickly with the dragon and if he does, then all the living die anyway! If Bran was in the crypts, the Night King would have a much longer way to go into the castle, thus having to confront many more living that could hopefully take him down. Honestly, Bran’s plan just makes the Night King’s job easier.  Moreover, Bran does not ask protection. Theon takes the initiative and swears to protect him and Bran once again says nothing because he doesn’t want to cause disagreements and end up protected in the crypts or with a more skilled fighter to guard him. At this moment Bran realises Theon is about to die for his cause and he allows it to happen for either the greater good or the greater evil. Bran says he doesn’t know if dragon fire can kill the Night King because nobody has tried, therefore making Jon and Daenerys waste all their contribution at trying to take him out in this way. When Daenerys dracarys at him, the Night King shows human traits and smiles sinisterly at her.

Hehe, tricked ya! Has he ever displayed so particular human reactions before?

In short, I believe Bran wanted to die in this battle. What’s questionable is Bran’s allegiances. Does Bran want to die to save everyone else or to ensure the Night King’s plan is successful? I tend to believe the answer is...both. The Raven inside him wants the Night King to fail but Night King’s consiousness inside him wants him to succeed. Either way Bran must die. However, I think currently the Night King’s will inside Bran is winning because Bran would try to pass on somebody else his gift before sacrificing himself. Another question is, is Bran totally honest? What if the Night King's actual plan was to resurrect him or merge with him after killing him which as a result would mean that the Night King would become the Third Eyed Raven, accumulating enormous god-like power? 

Arya prevented Bran’s plan whether his intent was good or bad. With this reasoning, Arya is not Azor Ahai because either she delayed the salvation of the living or she didn’t completely beat the “Final Boss”. Of course, there are problems in this theory. Why did Bran want to save himself in the past, why did he not head alone in the north to find the Night King first and end this without so much mayhem? Also, what about Arya and the dagger he gave her?

Possible answers: 

Bran’s high consciousness as well as his connection to the Night King get stronger minute after minute. It might have taken him some time to process what he needed or wanted to do and how he would achieve it. 

Well, he is a boy in a wheelchair. Nobody will let him just go find the Night King. He can’t escape their notice. Before this, Meera would never agree to take him north obviously.

The dagger thing is the hardest. Can we still assume there is a limit to what Bran knows and can predict? He doesn’t know everything. I think at this point I believe there is truly a God in the ASOIAF world and it seems he has a design for this world indeed. Bran might be more powerful than a regular person but he still is a tool in the divine plan. Besides, upon planning the tactics for the battle, Bran does not seem exactly sure of the outcome. Bran seems to know vaguely who is important but he does not know exactly how. Perhaps Three Eyed Raven Bran sensed Arya was meant to have that dagger but he didn’t know yet what for and whether it would benefit his Night King side or not. Furthermore, back then the Night King’s effect on him was weaker so that Bran was a better entity than he is now. 

Now let’s talk about the actual battle. When Melisandre sets the trench on fire, Theon seals his death by telling Bran that the fire is lit and the wights can not proceed (and therefore reach to them). Then - oh so coincidentally - Bran is like “OK thanx Theon gotta go now bye”. He then wargs into ravens and he leads them straight to the Night King. The ravens reach him and then and only then the Night King commands the wights to fall in the fire and create a bridge for the rest to cross. We see this on screen clearly so I wonder why people don’t talk about it at all. I would make a gif but it’s too damn dark! (Taking back all good words I said for the darkness lol). In short, Bran gets close to the Night King and sets him into action. Bran betrays them all. Is this a necessary evil for the greater good or just plain evil? Almost everyone was slaughtered after this, so I doubt Bran didn’t want to be in the crypts so more people would survive...bullshit. (Of course, all these apply if we blindly accept that the battle strategy was not just badly written.)

A similar scene happens in the seventh season when Bran wargs ravens to spy on the Dead and although they all are motionless, standing corpses, when the ravens arrive the Night King abruptly jumps to...errr...life and looks at them as if fully aware it’s Bran inside them. This terrifies Bran but also probably allows him to learn about the special nature of his connection with him. 

In Dragonstone, the first episode of the seventh season, the second scene is the dead marching South and the scene cuts to Bran warging while Meera drags him to the Wall. 

Back in the Long Night, Bran stays at warg state throughout the whole battle after this point. Now look... if you can. Apologies for terrible quality.  

Bran never leaves his warg state until the exact moment the Night King arrives and has direct eye contact with him. Therefore, Bran does not need to guide him anymore. He returns to himself and thanks Theon essentially for dying for nothing. However, Theon serves his purpose, delaying Bran’s death until Arya arrives. Then he dies betrayed, paying for his betrayal of Robb Stark. Bran then waits passively for the Night King to kill him. Their interaction is basically all but hateful. The Night King just stares at him with something close to content in his face, while Bran looks...happy?  

This is Bran’s happy face. I can’t unsee it!!!!! It’s excited or impatient or something like that... and Bran makes something like nod with his eyes and then the Night King tries to grab his sword..... but Arya arrives out of nowhere and kills him. Look at Bran. He doesn't look at the least bit happy or grateful. His - granted - blank expression somehow shows me he was thinking "How the fuck do I undo this now?". Look at Arya smiling at him after they are all saved and Bran’s reaction. 

You’re safe now, brother!

Yeah, I am so happy right now I could cut you with the dagger I gave you.. 

For an extremely expressionless face, I feel like Bran is probably screaming internally here. Tell me, does he look happier with the Night King or Arya?!

Let’s focus on Arya now. As a start, Arya does not fit any of the criteria for Azor Ahai except maybe the first one (Braavos' water dance fight style and strong connection of the city with water???). She hasn't killed a Lannister-lion yet and the Nissa Nissa thing makes the probabilities even slimmer. Furthermore, she doesn't kill the Night King with her Needle but with a dagger instead. No fire, no red colour, nothing. Actually, we see her repeatedly asking Gendry to make her the weapon. We’ve therefore been told that Arya won’t have her sword so she doesn't have a Lightbringer either. Three swords get a lot of mentions in the show: the Needle which Arya did not use at all throughout the battle (she literally uses every possible weapon except the Needle), Heartsbane which Sam gives to Jorah who then falls and Oathkeeper which Jaime gives to Brienne as a token of his love.

Arya was not Azor Ahai but she still functioned according to the God's plan. The God (whoever he is, the old, the 7, the Lord of Light or the Many-faced one) doesn’t want the memory of this world to be lost. What perhaps Bran had not thought (or did not want) is that he should not die until he passed his gift to someone else. If Bran's plan worked, the world as everyone knew it would change forever. When Bran explains what he is now to everyone, Sam interferes and says they should never let him die. Someone must be the Third Eyed Raven so that the humans will keep being exactly that - humans with history, backgrounds and memories. Here we might be getting the answer about why on earth Sam did not die in the battle. Sam understands better than anyone the importance of this entity. This might hint that he is going to become the Third Eyed Raven once Bran dies or contribute to find the chosen one. The archmaester in the Citadel told Sam something similar: “We are the memory of this world.”  

So, things were not going according to plan and also the real Azor Ahai had not showed up yet thus Arya was meant to save the day. Everything Arya did led up to this. She was filled with hate when her father was executed by Joffrey so that she would find the most skilled assassins to train her for revenge. Arya prepares the way for Azor Ahai. Beric was brought up to life to save Arya. The Hound was not killed by Brienne or Arya in order to then save the latter. The Hound most likely has more to do in the story (face Mountain) which is why Beric dies and Sandor does not.

Let’s go to the plot armour. Arya's timing saves Sansa, Tyrion, Missandei and Varys. During the battle, something of utmost importance happens in the crypts. Sansa plants an idea in Tyrion's mind - Daenerys is the obstacle in their way to be a couple. What's next; clever Tyrion will once again be the victim of a woman who promised him love and this is how Daenerys will be betrayed for love, fulfilling the prophecy. Tywin always admitted Tyrion's intelligence but despised him for being so weak in front of his vices; women and alcohol. Tywin cruelly tried to teach him a lesson twice, first with Tysha and then with Shae. But Tyrion did not pay attention and maybe his ultimate downfall is going to be Sansa. Missandei overheard what they said and she is still loyal to Daenerys. Tyrion is in danger. Varys heard them too but he might side with Tyrion. Let's see if mighty Tywin was cruel but spot on.

Arya's timing saves Greyworm who has promised to protect Missandei. Missandei is in danger now that Sansa knows she can rush to her Queen and tell her what she heard. Perhaps Greyworm survived so that the truth will reach Deanerys.

Arya's timing did not save Jorah but he held on enough to protect his Queen . Daenerys loses her last truly unyielding supporter. She is now more powerless than ever. Sansa has the upper hand in the North and if Dany opposes to Jon Snow, her fate seems doomed no matter what Missandei and Greyworm do. Then again, if Sansa finds out about Jon’s heritage, she might start being less friendly too. A cousin starts getting too distant especially when power is involved. 

Arya's timing saves Jon, the heir, whose purpose however was not to defeat the White Walkers. His purpose was to tell the world of their existence or he might have a great part to play in the last war. 

Arya's timing saves Tormund, Jaime, Brienne and Podrick. Out of all these only Brienne and Tormund naturally make sense to be still alive because of their strength and skill. And then we have one-handed Jaime and Podrick who honestly should have died in the first ten minutes. While everyone else fights for their life, Brienne and Jaime keep constantly saving each other almost like they are in their own world. Podrick surviving is very weird but we have already been shown that the boy has hidden talents. Podrick has not completed his arc. 

As for Jaime, Bran told him he shouldn't have him killed before he got to help “them”. And then the battle comes and he merely survives. Arya's timing saves him (and his love) in the last second. Jaime did nothing important for or against the Night King or Bran yet. Jaime was trapped in the battle, hardly able to survive let alone reach to Bran. Sure, Jaime killed probably hundreds of wights that night but he didn’t affect the grand scheme of things in this battle like Bran implied. Yet, Bran literally waited for him a whole night out in the dark cold. This must mean we have a lot more to see in the next episodes. 

Arya's timing saves Gendry and Sam but not Edd. Gendry still has a claim to the throne. Edd died so that Sam could live. I already spoke of Sam's importance. But something weird happens when Edd saves Sam. Sam falls down exhausted but something catches his attention. See the gifs in @nochancennochoice ‘s post: there is some debate on whether Sam sees Brienne, Jaime fighting with his two hands oooor Jaime fighting with a right hand. I think it looks like the third option is the right one and it would explain why confused Sam has a pausing moment in all this mayhem and forgets the world around him until Edd calls him back to reality. Sam sees Jaime through the flames, being in a delirious state, fighting like crazy with what looks like his right hand suspiciously a lot. We can be sure Jaime did not use his non-existent hand though - so could this be a vision in the flames by the Lord of Light...you know...a more accurate one than the ones Melisandre sees? Jaime was indeed fighting like crazy but Sam sees a changed image through the fire that puzzles him quite a bit. We’ll soon see if there was hidden importance in this oddly specific scene and, once more, it would explain why Samwell Tarly would survive the long night.

This does not mean Jaime is definitely the legendary warrior. However, he is the most likely contender in my opinion because a) he leaves his false vile identity in the past inside smoke and water (let’s pretend the baths had salts), b) he indirectly kills a lion, his father, c) he's truly the only character who is basically exclusively driven by love and we know Azor Ahai must make the ultimate sacrifice. Perhaps though and dreadfully so, Jaime still hasn't killed a lion because his father's murder is not on him. This might be the fulfilment of the Valonqar prophecy and Jaime gets to kill Cersei. At this point the story will have proceeded a lot and Jaime and Brienne will have confessed their love or acted upon it. Jaime has saved Brienne more times than we can count and especially in the first incidents Brienne asks him why, both in the show and the books. Jaime never responds in the show but in the books we see that he has meaningful dreams that lead his way. Jaime was destined to find Brienne, love her and keep her alive. Jaime gives her his sword and Brienne bonds with it so much that it almost already is part of her entity. The last challenge for Azor Ahai is to sacrifice his willing loving wife Nissa Nissa whose soul will become one with the sword and this will create the Lightbringer. It pains me to even think about it but Nissa Nissa doesn't sound like Cersei. Brienne will die so that Jaime can meet his fate.

Three guesses who.

After that Jaime and Oathkeeper will end this story by killing Bran. Bran still has a good side in him and it’s probable that he will guide Jaime to do it. I'm gonna cheat here with my evidence but this kinda explains why Nikolaj Coster Waldau loves the conclusion of the story but seems kinda sympathetic when Gwendoline Christie says she had trouble processing the end of her character and needed long walks at the beach and such. When asked, Nikolaj probably revealed too much at some point because he said the story is about that good guy Jaime and that Bran boy who sacrificed himself to save the world. Of course, it’s Nik. He might as well be saying what he wants the end to be lol. However... Bran did not technically sacrifice himself in the Long Night, right? If he knew Arya was coming, then he definitely did not. Either way, the outcome is the same - Bran has not sacrificed himself yet. 

Back to Bran and the Night King. People in and out of the show wonder why the wights became so powerful and persistent in this era. Furthermore, the Night King seems much more conscious and lifelike than all the other moving corpses. Maybe we can conclude the explanation with the help of Hodor's backstory. Everyone kept telling Bran to not lose himself in the visions but he ignored them just like he ignored Catelyn and kept climbing towers. Everyone is paying Bran's disobedience and he is going to pay with his life. When the Third Eyed Raven was asleep, Bran travelled into an indefinite time period and got his mark from the Night King. This might have happened long before Bran was even born or before he got paralysed. Therefore the Night King already was connected to Bran but Bran had to get the mark first to start realising and reinforcing the connection. The connection the Night King has to Bran gives him some glimpses of a human living self which is why he is superior to the wights and the White Walkers and shows rudimentary human logic and sense of purpose and identity. With the same reasoning, it’s only after the mark that Bran loses all emotions and vigor.

Upon first meeting Jaime, Jaime who is probably Azor Ahai immediately tried to kill Bran. When Catelyn asked him much later why he threw her son out of the window, Jaime did not respond even though soon afterwards he confessed he sleeps with his sister so hiding this was not the reason he did not respond. It was fate that drove Jaime's hand because even though he doesn't know it, Jaime is driven by a force to become the leader against the darkness. Bran did not die from an 100% deadly fall because although it was Jaime who did it, it was not the right time yet because he wasn’t yet reborn as Azor Ahai and the Night King did not yet live through Bran. Bran's first encounter with the fighter of the Lord of Light is the beginning for his journey to meet his destiny and as soon as Jaime cripples him, he starts getting visions that call him to the North. We might say that Jaime sets the evil going in order for good to fight back and prevail. The things I do for love... Fighting evil?

And now...some more evidence about the story can be taken from the spotify playlist that hints at the ending of the show according to D&D. Let’s see the songs in the very end of the list:

Gold Lion... In the “Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” Tyrion and Jaime reminince on their past “glorious” days when Jaime was a Golden Lion and Tyrion was a whoremonger. Jaime specifically says his golden lion days belong to the past (which is like the most basic foreshadowing of tragic irony) but the playlist disagrees. Here are some lyrics from the song: 

Gold lion's gonna tell me where the light is... Tell me what you saw... We'll build a fire in your eyes...

If this is not the most ultimate “Jaime is Azor Ahai with Lightbringer” evidence, I don’t know what is. 

Then we have Here’s Your Future, which is a song in which God basically is considered responsible for burdening his children with sin. God forces them to sin so that the duty of atoning and cleansing the world falls on them in order to get worthy of  the future God has prepared for them. This really sounds like the Lord of Light so I do believe we’re going to have Azor Ahai by the end of the show. It is very similar to the concept of Jaime being destined to be depraved only to be led in the way of atonement, redemption and then glory. Melisandre and all sorts of God faith have been given a huge part to be totally meaningless. 

Since I mentioned Melisandre, she was meant to die. Maybe this was the only vision R’hllor truly had for her; that she should die after this fight in the snow. Why? Ser Davos is the last main character Arya saves repeatedly. Ser Davos and Melisandre’s fates have been interwined for long even though they hate each other. Ser Davos witnesses her suicide. Why did Melisandre have to die, in terms of fate? Maybe because, from now on, there aren’t going to be any resurrections. Whoever dies, dies. Why did they change the plot so that Melisandre would need a magical necklace to stay alive? 

Maybe because only one character will have the chance to defy death from now on. Chances are it will be a woman. Why is Ser Davos who literally can’t fight still alive all those years? Maybe because he saw Melisandre drop the necklace and then age and die rapidly. Davos will keep the necklace and probably save a woman he deems worthy of a second chance in life. 

And then of course “Love is Blindness”. There are only two couples this could apply to; Jaime and Brienne and Tyrion and Sansa but I’m positive Sansa only wants to use Tyrion to weaken Daenerys and fight Cersei. So the only truly fitting love story is that of Jaime and Brienne.

As if all this was not wishful thinking...imagine Brienne sacrificing herself, Jaime becoming a heartbroken Azor Ahai and the ever surviving Davos putting the necklace around her neck, to the one he seemed to be so appreciative and fond of back in the fireplace...

Okay, okay aren’t all theories partly what we wish it happens? It’s perfectly reasonable if you find this way too much, way too complicated, way too wishful and subjective. If there’s something in here that makes sense to you, you can take this and leave all the rest. I am aware I completely dismissed some basic characters. Let’s say something short about them: Daenerys in my opinion won’t make it to the throne. Not only that but she’s going to be one of the first main characters to die. Even next episode seems probable to me. Arya soon will have her arc completed. I think she reached the peak of her importance. Of all the Starks, I think Sansa is the one who has a chance for the Iron Throne somehow. Right now, she is the most competent in the game of thrones. Littlefinger lives through her. She has admitted to admiring Cersei. One Stark will survive because there must always be a Stark in Winterfell. I honestly have no idea what will happen to Jon Snow. Everyone is sure he’s Azor Ahai but actually there is no evidence the Prince who was Promised and Azor Ahai are the same person. Targaryen heritage is only mentioned in the PWWP prophecy, not that of Azor Ahai. Nevertheless, Jon literally prays to die again. I don’t know if I feel content with the idea of him sitting on the Iron Throne and being depressed all his life because of it. 

Cersei of course will die. Tyrion won’t be the one to do it. I would hate it if Arya was the one to do it by wearing one of the brothers’ face. It would be so emotionally anti-climactic and Arya already had her huge killing moment however in the Spotify list there is a song named “Dead Skin Mask” under the “Killer Wolf” one. God forbid. I hope she uses her skills to someone other than a Lannister because there is also an extremely disturbing and explicit song which is named “Sister” and guess what, the rather problematic lyrics are about a young boy who slept with his much older sister who is...nuts.

I was only sixteen but I guess that's no excuse

Oh, sister Don't put me on the street again Oh, sister I just want to be your friend

These were the most tolerable lyrics. (Wtf Prince?) I mean, the point of the song in the list is pretty clear. Jaime will meet Cersei once more and let’s hope he’ll kill her for ruining 20+ years of his life. Right now, Jaime doesn’t look particularly interested in Cersei. It seems as if everything regarding her has died inside him. Therefore, something will happen that will fill Jaime with wrath. The scenarios are two: 

Bronn kills Tyrion. 

Bronn tries to kill Jaime, Brienne defends him and falls. 

Both heartbreaking possibilities (although admit it, they are awesome in terms of dramaturgy). Both are terrifying to me but my desperation makes me wish for the first option. The fact that Bronn said in the fifth season that he does not kill women really DOES NOT help. However, if Brienne is Nissa Nissa then Brienne will die after Cersei so Bronn might indeed kill Tyrion. Besides, Nissa Nissa’s sacrifice could also have some figurative meaning instead of foreseeing a literal death.

All these of course are just personal speculations and wishes. Cersei might be Nissa Nissa. Or Arya might have indeed been Azor Ahai. Jaime and Brienne might just live happily ever after (without Davos’ help) or Jaime might fall heroically. Daenerys might live and rule. Bran maybe is an awesome dude. 

I will just say that judging from the way the eighth season is structured, I think D&D played a little game. They featured the huge, foretold battle in the third episode. If the heroes of the whole story were also the heroes of this episode (Arya, Bran, Melisandre) then perhaps it would be wiser if this episode was the fifth or at least the fourth. We are still not exactly in the middle of the season since the total duration of the last three episodes is going to be longer. So if this was the decisive turn of the plot, why would it be featured in the first half of the season? Furthermore, D&D promoted the third episode beyond belief while they kept the next episodes entirely in the dark. That’s got to mean something. Hopefully, D&D planned to create huge expectations for the third episode, therefore not allowing the viewers to build defenses for what would happen next. They tried to satisfy those expectations for the third episode with the exceptional cinematography, direction, music and unprecedented ominous atmosphere they created. This could potentially be the most important deviation from Martin’s future version, in which the Long Night might indeed be the prophecised event that would make Azor Ahai rise and most main characters die. D&D though want the show to be as unpredictable as possible and they have an Iron Throne to give which might mean they used the Long Night as a distraction, however epic. 

[dinosaursmate]

A little drabble I’ve been meaning to write ever since the moment I finished Lightning Strikes Twice <3

Some uncomfortable themes, check fic tags / 1100 words, Louis/Ethan

“I’ve got a surprise for you.”

Louis stilled, mid-brush of his teeth. “Oh?”

“Well, you’re my husband, and I thought I should support your interests, even if I don’t share them.” Ethan grinned as Louis stared at him, uncomprehending. “I got us two tickets for the Harry Styles concert next week.”

Louis tried his very best to keep his face as neutral as possible. He looked at Ethan in the mirror. He was watching Louis closely, waiting for a reaction. No matter what reaction Louis gave, it would be fake and forced.

“Wow,” Louis said, nodding and smiling. “Thank you, my love.”

“My mum has agreed to look after Emily.” Ethan sighed happily. To Louis’ relief, he seemed pleased with the reaction he got. “We’re gonna have a great time!”

-

Louis was unbelievably nervous. It was stupid, really. He didn’t know what the niggle of anxiety in his gut was in aid of, what he was expecting to happen. They were in tiered seating in a huge arena, so it wasn’t as if there was any risk of Harry spotting him. To make it worse, as soon as they found their seats, Ethan disappeared with almost no explanation, saying something about the bathroom. Louis sat there, surrounded by Harry Styles fans, feeling more uncomfortable than he had in years. They had missed the support act, and so the big arena screens were now showing a photo of Harry, an image from his new album promo campaign which Louis had done very well to avoid around town, thank you very much.

He rarely thought about Harry. Well, Harry was a megastar, so Louis was sometimes forced to confront his suppressed demons. Harry hit the headlines on a weekly basis for his behaviour, falling out of a club completely inebriated by alcohol, or worse. If he was seen even in the same vicinity of a woman, the media reported he was sleeping with her, which always made Louis roll his eyes. At least, when they did that with men, it could have been true.

Even that thought gave Louis an uncomfortable feeling, and that was precisely why he always avoided anything Harry Styles.

“I bought you a t-shirt!” Ethan gushed as he returned to Louis’ side.

“Oh…” Louis sighed inwardly. “Ethan, you are so sweet. Do you know that?”

“Oh, I know. I’m a doll.” Ethan sat down in his plastic flip chair and looked around. “I’m not sure what kind of audience I was expecting. I guess you’ve been to one of his concerts before?”

“Yeah.” Louis cleared his throat. “Not since I was quite young, though.”

“I think I was expecting more women.”

Louis looked around. There were a lot of women there, but they by no means made up the majority.

“Well, he’s gay, so he’s an icon for a lot of the community.”

“I thought he was bi?”

“Oh…” Louis cleared his throat again. “Sorry, I meant gay as an umbrella term.”

“Yeah. Seems to be quite a few straight guys here, too.”

“He’s earned the credibility, I guess.”

Ethan hummed, turning his attention to a text message he received. Louis’ ears picked up on a conversation happening in the row behind them.

“A few years ago, a friend of mine met Harry in a club,” a woman said. “She said they spent all weekend together.”

Another woman gasped. “No! You mean…”

“Two days,” the first woman said. “And she said they got into double figures.”

Louis rolled his eyes, taking deep breaths to try and steady himself as his heart had started to pound. He had caught a number of stories in the press from women claiming to have slept with Harry over the years. He was pretty confident that not a single one of them were true. In fact, they infuriated him.

“I’ve heard he’s got a massive-”

“What time do you think he’ll be on?” Ethan said, jerking Louis out of his eavesdropping. “Just need to ring work for a sec.”

“Probably ten minutes or so?”

“Won’t be long.” Ethan kissed him on the cheek and disappeared again, leaving Louis alone with his thoughts.

Harry had been to Australia two or three times since Louis had lived here. The first time, Louis hadn’t long met Ethan. Ethan was still married to Emily’s mum, and Louis was so far gone for him that the pain was almost unbearable. He couldn’t deny that the temptation to find a way to see Harry wasn’t there. The old saying that the only way to get over somebody is to get under someone else almost compelled him to use Harry as a distraction from Ethan, but he managed to quash that awful, awful idea. Harry was a complete and utter mess. There was no way it was a better option.

It worked out for the best. Ethan divorced Emily’s mum, Louis married him, and they were raising a wonderful daughter. As for Harry? He was still a trainwreck.

“You know what?” Ethan said as he returned to his seat. “I’m pretty excited for this. I love it when we share our interests with each other.”

Louis smiled weakly. “Yeah. I thought you didn’t like him, though?”

“I mean, he’s okay. As a person I think he’s an idiot, and to be honest I’m surprised he’s still alive.”

Louis looked at the floor. That hit a bit of a nerve.

“Well…” Louis chewed his bottom lip. “Despite his problems, he’s a nice guy. Um, you know. He seems like one, anyway.”

Ethan looked at him with scepticism, but the lights went out and the arena erupted in screams. Louis felt like he was going to throw up.

-

On the drive home, Ethan kept glancing sideways at Louis. It was driving him mad. He just didn’t really feel like talking. His uneasy feeling was seeping away the further they got from the arena, the further they got from Harry, but he couldn’t stop thinking about it.

What would Harry have thought if he knew Louis was in the crowd? There were a couple of times when Harry looked in their direction and Louis panicked, before reminding himself Harry couldn’t see them. Louis’ was one face in a sea of faces. There was even the chance that Harry wouldn’t have remembered him even if they did come face to face.

Maybe he should just tell Ethan. Maybe he should have told Ethan a long time ago.

“Are you alright?” Ethan finally said.

“Hm?” Louis smiled reassuringly. “Yeah. Just tired. Thanks for tonight.”

“You’re welcome. I’m glad we did this.” Ethan glanced sideways and grinned. “Even if I do get jealous about you fancying him.”

Louis opened his mouth to protest, but just shut it again. Maybe it wasn’t a good idea to tell Ethan about his history with Harry, after all.

Besides, Louis had to keep one or two of his secrets all for himself.