#house is so pleasant this episode XD

[lazybakerart]

true love is secretly slipping anti-depressants and speed into your best friend’s coffee 🥰

[marinerainbow]

OOOH okay.

Fic starters up for grabs! ^^

1. Poppy could not believe it- was Greasy defending her from a Pervert??

2. Looking him now... though he was horrified and mystified as to how this could be... Launchpad could tell without a shadow of a doubt; Negaduck was definetly Jim Starling.

I know you're more of a 91' Ducktales person (At least I think?) but... I... couldn't think of any non-jim starling prompts 😅

3. "You're cute, and I want you... but Stupid sweetheart, I so do not deserve you."

4. Harper was as shaken as anybody when they finally found the woman he slept with 2 months ago- who managed to get away from them- hidden away under one of Pleasant Valley's houses, looking dirty and tired, and pregnant.

Possibly one of the more unhinged ideas 😅 But hey, 2001 Maniacs is unhinged. You don't have to do this one though! XD

I might be back with more if you still wanna write after this! ^^ Also you don't have to any/all of these if they don't do it for you! Just suggestions ^^

One of the starters is my girl Poppy!? Omg thank you so much!! That sentence starters in particular was so exciting to do (but of course, I love them all!) ^^

Unfortunately, I couldn't figure out what to do for Harper, and really struggled with Jim Starling. I tried! I really did! But I just couldn't figure it out! And that makes me so sad because I love the starter you wrote for them both! (And BTW, from what I've seen of modern Duckyales/Darkwing Duck, I do like it! I've just only watched a few episodes and am more familiar with the older Darkwing Duck, so you were right ^^)

But anyways, without further ado, here are the blurbs! Like last time, I had a hard time sticking to just one sentence... I'm not even bothering to keep track this time, I'm just counting by paragraphs XD (which is a good thing because I went way overboard with Stupid's XD)

Poppy stared in shock, wide-eyed and shaking as her... Acquaintance finished taking care of the offender. She was just too surprised and scared to say a word as angry Spanish poured out of Greasy's mouth, fists flew, and the terrified toon babbled out apologies desperately before he finally hobbled away.

She was still shaking and huddled against the wall she had been cornered in when the weasel finally turned back towards her, his dark eyes filled with anger as he wordlessly just wrapped an arm around her shoulder and personally escorted her out of the building, still muttering words in the language she was just barely able to understand, "Ese bastardo, atacando así a nuestro amigo... El jefe y el loco tendrán que enterarse de esto."

The rabbit still hadn't said anything as she was, technically, forced to briskly walk with Greasy, no doubt he was taking her back to his place where the others must have been waiting... Honestly, that sounded good right now. After what that man did, she couldn't imagine being alone right now.

Greasy must have sensed her fear- or just noticed how she was still trembling and clutching her coat tightly around her body, since he stopped mumbling to himself and looked down at her and tried to be soft now for her, "Hey, he isn't coming back for you. Nos aseguraremos de ello."

Poppy, realizing he was talking to her, looked up into his eyes. Was this really the same man who would make comments about her ever since she grew close to him and his group? The same man whose eyes lingered on her and made her want to use the couch as a barrier between them? Granted there were moments between them that she didn't mind, but for the most part, she had preferred to keep her distance from Greasy.

But he defended her, he saved her from whatever that toon was going to do- she preferred not to think about that- and he wasn't teasing her in the slightest. He was showing genuine care for her well-being...

She was still too spooked to speak, but she did reach up to hold the hand placed on her shoulder and leaned a bit closer to the weasel for protection and comfort, something she had never expected to ever find in Greasy. And thankfully, he understood and didn't try to press a response out of her, and just focused on getting them both home.

~

When Launchpad and Drake had heard about some deranged duck terrorizing the city, they both had loaded up in the Ratcatcher- which Launchpad built himself with Drake!- to find this new criminal.

However though, nothing could have prepared him for the reveal of who this lunatic was.

Drake was forced to face his former idol once again, now wielding a chainsaw and a grim and gritty version of the iconic Darkwing Duck costume, with nothing but resentment and bloodlust in his eyes now... Actually that wasn't too different from their last encounter, but it was still horrifying to witness, let alone be a part of.

Launchpad had hoped that his speech would have gotten through to Jim. It certainly seemed to, when he pushed both him and Drake out of the way before sacrificing himself. But now, it was obvious anything that resembled a hero within the fallen star was gone now.

And the pelican refused to just stand back anymore. He wasn't going to let Drake, the true Darkwing, fight this new villain alone. He had to step up to the plate right alongside his hero and friend, and save the city from Negaduck... And hopefully, himself as well.

~

Stupid, the big, cuddly weasel he was, just tilted his head curiously to the side at you; apparently not understanding the reason you just gave him to why you couldn't accept his valentine, "Duh, what do 'ya mean? You're the specialist person I've ever known!"

Oh... Oh God did he have to say that? It was just making this worse! And it wasn't like you didn't want him, you really did! But... You didn't want to hurt him either, and you would ultimately do that if you accepted his adorable flowers and box of chocolates he may or may not have stolen in your name, "Stu, sweetie, it's not... I mean..." You had to find a way to make him understand you were no good for him...

So, sighing, you placed a gentle hand on his shoulder as he just blinked at you, "Stupid, if... If you and I were food, you would be a sweet, warm, fresh-out-of-the-oven cinnamon roll that everyone would love to have!" You smiled and resisted a chuckle as the weasel licked his lips at the delicious imagery, though you frowned as you continued, "And I... I would be some nasty, moldy, bowl of leftover spaghetti left in the back of the fridge that nobody wants to even look at. And if you eat me, you'd get sick. Do you understand?"

Stupid just stared back at you, his brows furrowed in thought and his tongue sticking out in a way only he could make adorable- God, why did you have to fall in love with this dingus? You thought he would have agreed with you, until he then looked straight into your eyes and said, "But Y/N, I like spaghetti!"

... Did... Did he follow you? "Stu, that's not what I-"

"I wouldn't let you get moldy!" Stupid interrupted, his big smile only making your heart skip a beat, "And even if you did, Psycho says that mushrooms are fungi, which is a kind of mold, and I like mushrooms! And he also said that mold grew on cheese, and I like cheese too! So... I guess I like mold!"

"Stupid-"

"And if I'm a cinnamon roll, and your spaghetti, then you're a dinner and I'm a dessert! And everyone loves it when dinner and dessert go together!" He proclaimed as he set the bouquet and chocolates in his hand down to hold yours, his black eyes practically sparkling as he stared into your own E/C eyes with his big, loving smile only meant for you, "I love it when we can have dinner and dessert together, and I know you like that too! So... Maybe you and I are destined to go together?"

... That had to be the most romantic thing anyone had ever said to you. No really, it was. Your eyes were stinging and your heart was practically melting as you glanced between the paws holding your hand and your long-time crush's eyes, now finding it harder to say no.

Thank you so much!!! I loved all of these! Sorry I couldn't do much with Launchpads and nothing with Harpers though. I hope you enjoy them! ^^

[prodogg]

House of the Dragon tag game!

Thanks to @jotterjots for tagging me. I'm new in this fandom so it was a pleasant suprise to se me tagged somewehre. Anyways lets begin. 1.Who's your favorite character? What draws you to them? Its Aegon for me, he was one of my favs in the book and in the show he appealed to me due to his nature of being aware he is not suited for the throne, he's an asshole, his frat boy energy and looking like a wet pathetic cat with pleading eyes. Also him in his king outfit looks fire af. xD 2.What's your favorite episode of the season? For me its Driftmark, I love the whole conflict with Aemond's eye or The Lord of the Tides with the dinner scene that warms my heart and has great moments. 3.What is your favorite line from the season? "Her children are BASTARDS" idk this line stuck in my head, probably due to Vaemond's hilarious delivery 4.Which actor's portrayal is your favorite? Now this is difficult because I think everyone did a wonderful job in breathing live to the character. If I am to decide I have to pick Olivia Cooke as Alicent. 5.Which character would you most want to be stuck on a deserted island with? woah difficult but I think I'll pick Aemond, I did not take his eye so he wouldn't be so hostile to me and he is also smart so I'll take my chances with him 6.Name a minor character you want to know more about! Erryk and Arryk, why did they make their choices. 7.Who's character arc are you most interested to see continued, for better or worse? Aegon I want to see how he progresses as King and see if they do the same as in the book or go their own route. 8.Who's your most anticipated new character of Season 2? SUNFYRE MY BOYYYYYYYYYY I've been so sad to not see him in season 1 hopefully they'll do him right and as of a human it’s definitely Daeron, he was not in season 1 and I hope to see him next season, I'm excited to see who they have casted for him. 9.Which is your favorite dragons of the ones we saw? Vhagar, with her Dinosaur/Komodo Dragon look was very cool to see. She's so surreal being a living history relic. 10.What's your favorite relationship from this season? (romantic, platonic, antagonistic- whichever!) It's the one between Alicent and Rhaenyra, how they started as friends and deteriorated over the years. I also kinda like the might I say friendship between Criston and Alicent. 11.Link one or more of your favorite pieces of fanart! (Have you reblogged it already? Consider reblogging it again! Do NOT repost) There would be this of Aegon and Aemond in modern clothes and this of all the green sibs. Everything @ice-mint draws xD 12.Link one or more of your favorite fics! its hard to choose... here is one I really liked its Aegon x OC. There are many more stories I liked ofc. :D 13. Link one or more of your favorite gifsets! (^^Same) This one, just like above there are many more I like too. Edit: this one too Again, thank you for tagging me. :)

[queermarzipan]

I CAN'T BELIEVE I GET ANOTHER ASMI DOCTOR WHO POST LIFE IS JUST GIVING ME EVERYTHING TODAY

Yes. The Face of Boe. Moving on

I have no idea what you're saying here you definitely got some people mixed up lmao. The "OG Doctor" would be?? The first Doctor?? I think?? Also WILF <333

Michael Sheen playing House is something I will never get over I was TERRIFIED of that planet

Neil Gaiman wrote TWO episodes which is honestly so slay of him & I need to know what the other one is immediately

DAVID TENNANT <3

The Doctor is a Time Lord. Not all Time Lords are the Doctor. However all Time Lords are genetically modified according to the Doctor's DNA. So maybe all Time Lords are the Doctor idk

Correct we love the queer rep

Andrew Garfield is NOT A DENTIST he is HOMELESS AND JOBLESS because it is THE GREAT DEPRESSION I told you this Asmi. He does however get flirted with by David Tennant. Lol

Regeneration yes. DAVID TENNANT <3

The Fifteenth Doctor gets to have a life with. Not less trauma but processed trauma. Because the Fourteenth Doctor takes the time to heal WHICH YES MEANS THAT WE GET A HAPPY ENDING FOR DAVID TENNANT AND WE'RE ALL CRAZY ABOUT IT BECAUSE THE DOCTOR IS ALWAYS STUCK LIVING A FUCKING TRAGEDY BUT ESPECIALLY FUCKING TEN---

The TARDIS is indeed blue. The TARDIS that is a tree is not the TARDIS it is a different TARDIS. Because the TARDIS likes being a Police Public Call Box. The Doctor likes it too or they would DEFINITELY have fixed it at some point lol

DOOWEEEDOOOOOOO. EEWEEDOOOO. NANANAA BAA BA BAAAA. NAANEENAAAAAA BENAAAA BENAAAAA. DOOWEEAAAAAAAAAAAA

DAVID TENNANT <3

Yes he is and yes we do

I tried to search this up and got fucking Sontarans which is the funniest thing ever but carry on

The space rhinos are called Judoon. They do indeed turn you into something as punishment for your crimes; dust.

PLEASE stop saying that about them it it not any less pleasant to imagine the fourth or fifth time they are PEOPLE WEARING COSTUMES OKAY

Sontaran XD. There's a lot more than one of them. Also they are EXPERTS on war. So yknow. DON'T FIRE A MISSILE AT THEM. THAT WILL START A WAR. AND YOU WILL LOSE. Stares at the head of UNIT aggressively

Yesss 'the Meep's chosen pronoun is the definite article the Meep is always "the Meep"'—the Meep 'oh I do that'—the Doctor

Is there. I didn't know that

YES WE LOVE THE SHITTY EFFECTS. SHITTY EFFECTS FTW. LOVE SHITTY EFFECTS

Yes fucking finally. Never been fucking wheelchair accessible before

Asmi. Asmi that was the 10th Doctor. That is all correct except it happened with the 10th Doctor not the 9th Doctor. Lmfao

Yes but only three fucking times that we actually get to see. And only ONE of those times was she not posessed. So. :(. (We DO get to see the Tenth Doctor doing a Befuddled Face of Awe as she walks away the second time. That image lives in my dreams. Or WOULD if I HAD ANY *glares at brain*

XD I sincerely think that you actually do know more about this show than Catherine Tate lmfao which is AWESOME and HILARIOUS btw

The only true Doctor Who is Missy.

Pretty much.

DAVID TENNANT <3

Thank you.

Not telling you about the Daleks you'll just have to watch the episode titled 'Dalek' :/ no can do mafraid

@ranboo20038 HE DID IT AGAIN

pt IV doctor who but i've never watched it but i know loads about it for sure

It's half past 4 am and I definitely remember everything that you maggots yelled at me about this show I definitely do

There is a slutty head preserved in a jar that had many babies

There is a Doctor who was an OG doctor and his name was Wren or something no WILF RIGHT YES SOMEONE SAID THE DILF THE MILF AND THE HOLY WILF

Michael Sheen is a sexy planet with a mouth

Neil Gaiman wrote some episodes and it was very cool I think he made Michael Sheen the sexy planet

David Tennant I know you all love David Tennant well FUCKING HERE THEN TUMBLR DAVID TENNANT

There are time lords and they are the doctor and everyone was very cross when I asked that because apparently y'all periodically forget you follow me because im dumb

It's like gay or something at some point

Andrew Garfield is a dentist who gets flirted with like you too babygirl or whatever the 10th doctor says

Oh yeah the doctors are the doctor but there are 14 of them and they all go poof and then boom new actor except for 14 where david tennant re-emerges YEAH TUMBLR HEAR THAT I SAID DAVID TENNANT

oh and THEN the fifteenth doctor arrives but he fucking girlbosses a bigeneration and so escapes trauma or something and you all get to keep david tennant YEAH I SAID HIS NAME IF THIS HELLSITE HAD AN ALGORITHM THIS POST WOULD BE TRENDING SO QUICK ISTG

Oh the TARDIS is blue and not fucking yellow sometimes my brain gaslights me and also it can be anything it is a tree but it is a police box because it wants to be due to a glitch that the doctor hasnt fixed coz hes too busy hanging out with donna or being gay or being trans which as I know from experience are both full-time occupations

Theres like an intro or something it goes DOOWEEDOOOO and when i mentioned it people started singing it in the reblogs so like nostaglia hit ig

DAAAAAAAAAAVID TENNANT YOU HERE ME TUMBLR COME AND GET YOUR DAVID TENNANT HE FOUND HIS WIFE HERE YES HE DID HIS FATHER-IN-LAW WAS A DOCTOR YES HE WAS HIS DAUGHTER WAS THE DOCTOR'S DAUGHTER BUT THEN DAVID'S WIFE SO IDK GO SLAY GEORGIA

10th doctor is kinda bitchboy and we love him for that apparently

12th doctor is girlbossing prideful or maybe it was 11th or 9th WHO'S THE ONE WHO CALLS THE POTATO A POTATO

There are rhinos and they're police they're called Zookas and they transform people into something for their sins

I think it was the rhinos but someone looks like gollum had sex with a dead horse and got impregnated

There's a potato dude (gn)

There's a Meep and Meep's pronouns are Meep which is fab

There's a dude named Harry in the original doctor who

Shitty effects are beloved here

Someone installed a ramp on the tardis

there is someone named rose and the 9th doctor did something with a timeline and lost her to another 9th doctor and everyone's sad about it coz he knew he couldnt give her the life or something

Rose is kissy smoochie with doctor

Donna noble is played by catherine tate who knows less about the show than i do (which isnt saying much clearly im an expert)

The doctor is not actually a doctor it's something about yelling DOCTOR and they say DOCTOR WHO and it's like FUCK YEAH BABA GRIL NAMEDROP

Is this show title a knock knock joke like Knock knock. Who's there? Doctor. Doctor who? Yes now let me in.

one last time for you sluts DAVID TENNNANTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

you're welcome.

[batsinurbelfrey]

M I'm curious about your Finnish learning because you're the only person I've ever seen actively learning Finnish and that's super rad to me. Mostly the how? but also the why?

Awww Kiitos anon! thanks for Finding my linguistic endeavors rad, I think most would alternatively call it "questionable time management" xD Both the how and the why are kind of convoluted and A Long Story so buckle in haha (sorry it took me so long to reply, you are about to see why) So for some reason for me, Finnish has always been Around™ one way or another in my life trying to get me to learn it even though none of my direct family are native speakers lol. It started when I was very little, my dad raised us on any Moomin content he could get because he was enamored by them, at some point along the line in late 90s ebay adventuring, he THOUGHT he had found an english dub of the tv show, and ordered a box set, turned out it was a Finnish dub and my dad is illiterate. But as a poor single father he was determined to get his money's worth so he would still put it on for us semi regularly and just gave us this adult trickery speech about how the show was "magic" because we could "make our own story" for it and re-invent episodes infinitely. Anyway, it meant there was a lot of ambient Finnish around the house when i was a kid xD (and i think this may also be why i find the sound of it so pleasant? maybe? like some kinda subconscious nostalgia? lol) Then for a while I was just vibin' i grew out of Moomin age and spent Grade school and HS studying French, Spanish, and to lesser success japanese and icelandic (it should be mentioned I have a bit of a hunger for linguistics if thats not already clear PFFT) when i got to college however, I developed a bit of a crush on an intl student in a few of my classes, and wouldn't you know it we ended up becoming friends and she asked me for tutoring in regards to photoshop, and just so happened to offer to barter Finnish tutoring as payment. And i jumped at it kuz it seemed like it could lead to us dating (it didnt LOL but its all good) She's the person that got me into music and taught me about memes tho hahah after college I stopped again for a bit, and it wasn't until quarantine hit that I decided like many ppl it was time to get back into language learning. Ironically enough I had initially set out to pick ICELANDIC back up and NOT Finnish but around that same time I dug back into an old Finnish textbook because I wanted to write ONE sentence for a joke about the Dallas Stars Finnmaf, and--- Suomalainen kieli just sank its claws into me and didnt let go. So I pivoted LOL as for the HOW, there was obvs the 1:1 tutoring before, but as far as the last few years I did a combination of things: - Drops language app this is a great way to start and i much prefer it to duolingo - https://uusikielemme.fi/ this site is AMAZING for grammar and actual learning info outside vocab - Reddit threads//youtube videos and then honestly, while this is harder to like recommend as an easy "you can too!" after about 3 months of brushing back up on my own, I decided it was time to dedicate to actual classes, and tracked down a teacher to work with me weekly. This is really what made the big difference for me and has been the key to the progress ive made!

[fishylife]

Thoughts on Street Dance of China 4 episode 2

(Aka Fishy is screencapping shows again. I’m screencapping straight from Youtube so sorry for the shoddy cut off screencaps but blame Youtube for having their player bar cover the video. I’ve never understood that because it’s always in the way.)

(Also Episode 2 part 1 is really just “How many times can Han Geng and Henry hug” and the answer is “as many times as they want”)

- Not really sure why Henry chose Anissa and Tuzi for the 2 vs. 2 battle, especially since Anissa was really not confident about it :( I felt really bad for Anissa because she seemed super nervous!!!!! I just hope that she doesn’t lose enthusiasm and that she can continue to enjoy the rest of the competition v.v

- Kelo and Uwa were extremely impressive though. Like, the way they move together is so awesome and cool.

- Among the dancers, Xiao Jie is actually really good at speaking. No wonder he gets interviewed a lot, because he’s able to describe the dancers to us layfolk, but he is also very smiley and entertaining.

- How dare Yixing be this cute 😤😤😤 He’s definitely far more relaxed when he’s just a spectator, that’s for sure. He was laughing at all the jokes and awkward moments and generally so much more animated when just part of the sidelines.

- Henry covering his mouth because he was enjoying Xiaohai’s performance was pretty cute too, not gonna lie.

- I liked San’er from episode 1, so I was cheering for him when he participated in the 3 vs. 3 battle lol. But it was really interesting to hear the conversation when Wang Yibo asked his team why San’er lost the battle. Ye Yin and Liangliang told him that to the judges who are old school, they care less for explosiveness, and more for actual skill, and while San’er’s performance might’ve looked really exciting to the average viewer, that’s not what the old school judges look for.

- So apparently Lil Kev plays a lot of mind games, and we saw that during his battle against Bozi. So he’s like...the Brad Marchand of breaking lol.

- Are...are we gonna comment on this hug between Poppin’C and Xiaohai? Lmao

- What are they being so cute for. (Also don’t @ me but Bunta is....really cute)

- Is it just me, or did we get fewer behind-the-scenes practice clips this time for Han Geng vs. Henry compared to Yixing vs. Yibo? Particularly for the 5 vs. 5 battle.

- Dimple alert. (Sorry I know this is a Han Geng vs. Henry battle but Yixing just looks so freaking cute today)

- Han Geng.....has a really soft and gentle voice (it is simping hours up in the fishy house okay). He speaks particularly quietly during his one-person interviews and his voice is so pleasant to listen to in those clips.

- Henry was talking about how he wanted to do that move with Poppin’C where they’d lean back on each other’s knees and do a wave with their arms. For some reason that move struck me as something that was very Henry like. He just strikes me as the kind of guy who uses a lot of waves and smooth-looking moves in his dances.

- Also lol @ Henry being “non fatigue!” That Ontario French curriculum at work.

- Han Geng and Henry trash talking each other except it just turns into a walk down memory lane about how Han Geng used to take care of Henry.

- Don’t even act surprised, y’all knew I was going to screenshot this.

- Kitty is amused.

- Of course Han Geng would end his routine with a big ol’ hug. What a huge softie.

- I did think that Han Geng and Xiaohai were kind of a rough duo because even if they were in sync, it was hard to tell because of the height difference. Actually, I spent a lot more time focusing on Han Geng, especially towards the end when the rest of the team crowded around them and he was visibly one of the taller ones.

- Henry’s move where he stood on Poppin’C’s thighs was super cool!! His performance was just super fun to watch. I felt like I was having a good time along with them haha.

- Please sir, may I have more hugs?

- I think Han Geng and Xiaohai’s second performance was better because it relied less on being in sync performing the same actions. However, at this point, Poppin’C and Henry have kind of created a specific brand (TM) for themselves, like they are so uniquely charming to watch, so they have firmly won me over Han Geng and Xiaohai’s team.

- Running into a hug? Are you kidding me, Lau Hin-wah???

- More

- Not only is this show cashing in on the Suju/Suju M fans, it is definitely going to pull in new fans with the Han Geng/Henry ship lol.

- Yixing spinning to get up.

- It is just so goddamn natural for them to be so close to each other. Also Han Geng said that his waist is feeling iffy from that popping ^^;; Old man joints

- Lifting Han Geng’s shirt to look at his patch...

- One of the dancers on Han Geng’s team was crying because he made a mistake in the 5 vs. 5 battle and Han Geng is like why are you crying? And gave him a playful slap on the shoulder.

- Why is that the ads done by the dancer contestants are so much more entertaining than the professional ads (the ads with mainstream celebrities or with professional actors).

- Henry’s written the pinyin on top of the Chinese names of his team members. Better safe than sorry, you know?

- Lmao how dare they bully Tengzai and Shitou by making them talk XD

- I think that when Henry assigns his team members to certain battles, he is thinking more about the combination of styles, rather than the skill level or  synchronization. When he assigned Anissa and Tuzi to the 2 vs. 2 battle, he wanted to try out the East vs. West approach, but the opposing duo of Kelo and Uwa had a lot more history together and were obviously better as a collective unit. When it came to Chen Mo and Waiwai, he was interested in seeing a waacking duo. In theory I think I know what Henry was trying to imagine, but I think it is difficult to have a really intense waacking duo because it’d be hard to synchronize very high speed arm movements. In the end, they went with some moves that were simpler, and I think that���s why they lost out to Tengzai and Shitou. That being said, Henry did win his first battle against Han Geng. I think it’s just the 2 vs 2 battles that are his weakness. The 3 vs. 3 battles are really just individual battles, and the 5 vs. 5 battles are usually made up of dancers who are used to routine group dances as opposed to solo or duo dancers.

- A quick word about the judge Icee. His name in Chinese is 王冰冰. The 冰冰 part is self explanatory enough (冰 means ice), so where does the 王 come from? I read somewhere (I forgot where), but apparently his wife’s surname is 王, so he just took on her surname for his Chinese name. Don’t know how true that is, but I think that’s cute.

- So often I see Bunta and Ibuki having fun and cheering on other people, whether it’s their own team members or dancers on other teams.

- Less than a second flashback of Zitao from a previous season v.v Please producers...let us have a LayTao reunion....please....I beg....

- The 5 vs. 5 battle between Yixing and Henry’s teams was pretty fun to watch, probably because the song was so hype lol.

- The leader battles between Yixing and Henry were really entertaining too though.

- The first piece of music for Henry and Yixing’s leader battles was very very cool. Like, it was just a nice piece of music to listen to, and I think that the kind of music it was gave way to rather creative interpretations. Henry and Han Yu went for a more story-based approach, whereas Yixing and MT Pop focused more on an aesthetic. I preferred Yixing and MT Pop’s performance here.

- Henry and Han Yu also had a pretty solid performance for the second song. As for Mingming and Gumball, they didn’t really perform “together,” because they were both doing their own thing, but their individual performances were interesting. (Also let us acknowledge, nothing gets Yixing turnt like KRUMP XD He was so into the performance haha)

- I was so caught up in the euphoria of Henry/Han Geng that I forgot that Henry and Yixing also had a past history, but I think their friendship probably mostly existed off screen. They were from different groups after all, but we also know how low key Yixing has always been. Even if they were bffs we never would’ve known. I also remember on Back to Field, Yixing said that Henry helped him install and set up his music software, so they probably have some kind of rapport on the music side. But yeah, it just seemed like Yixing was rather formal about it all, calling Henry his 哥哥/前輩. And Henry seemed to look at Yixing like his son lol. He was like oh look at Yixing and how far he’s come, etc.

- Xiao Jie said that he’d battled Hilty & Bosch 14 years ago, which means that Xiao Jie isn’t that young, which may be why he’s so chill lmao. Anyway, Xiao Jie is a very entertaining dancer to watch, and he worked well with Shen Zihao. But of course, HB are formidable themselves as well and their chemistry is just too too good. And they’re just incredibly clean dancers.

- Yibo went over to Han Geng to scope out who he was going to send out for their battle. Xiao Jie tried to warn Han Geng about this but he was too late and Yibo already made his attack. But the entire interaction between Yibo and Han Geng was so lols because it was so strange lmao. Yibo was straight up like “who are you going to send out during the battle?” And Han Geng kept thinking that Yibo was trying to play mind games and use that to gleam other information from him. So Han Geng’s answer ended up being really confusing too, he was like “if that’s what you’ve decided I’ll follow your lead.” The thing about Han Geng is that he is too senior for Yibo to clown on, so he is actually being serious, and Han Geng is trying to keep things light haha. (I think Yibo would totally be his normal gremlin self to Yixing and Henry, but Han Geng is like the next tier up from them both.)

- LMAO Aki-san calling out Tony-san for being older than him XD And Tony Gogo was like what have I ever done to you??? I love Aki-san hahahaha.

- Okay Aki-san vs. Nelson was pretty awesome, but SO WAS BORIS vs. ZYKO???? Holy crap that was sooo much fun to watch because like....human bodies can bend that way? And Boris and Zyko aren’t small guys, so it was insanely awesome to watch.

- Side note, Boris’ Mandarin is pretty good. I looked him up and on his Instagram he says he lives in Shanghai, so it makes sense that his Chinese is good enough for everyday communication. In one part of the show he was instruction Yibo on dancing and like, he was not stuttering at all.

- Wait, Han Geng says that he’s known Yibo for 10 years :o So I just looked him up and it turns out Han Geng has been with Yuehua Entertainment since 2010, so I think the math makes sense. Wow, how time flies. He always such a dad though, he’s always like, the top priority is fun and happiness!!! And honestly, he’s right. Like, what is this show if not just a huge dance showcase more than an actual competition?

- Physically impossible for Han Geng not to hug his didis.

- I love that in a dance party full of dancers, some will still choose to slow dance like this.

- Of course Henry will come and praise his gege. (ft. Nelson in the right lol)

- Yo I love Rochka. He’s one of the chillest guys there.

- The kids’ performance was cute :3 Their little jumpsuits uwu

- Also one of the kids was Shitou’s daughter and it was absolutely hilarious how he still introduces her in the most monotonous and neutral voice and he was like “please give her some encouragement” in the most low energy voice ever XD The b-boying kids were super legit though. Oh and apparently Xiao Jie’s son was one of the dancers too :3 Somebody was like “yo Xiao Jie isn’t that your son?” and he was like “lol yeah.” XD Aren’t they cute?

[numinousnic]

so how do you feel about the canonization of the idea that corruption hives can stop being avatars if their "inhabitants" leave them/are taken away? XD i was listening to leto's part of the statement and it was talking about how he used to be a hive before the apocalypse but the ants left him to start their own domain and now he's just a victim, and i was like "holy shit! that's kind of what happens in plague upon the house!"

... So this is a little embarrassing to admit, but I kind of zoned out for most of this week’s statement? Because 1) it’s been another very weird health week for me and curling up in bed to listen to new TMA episodes only reminds me of how tired I am in general, and 2) the background sounds of ants scuttling about sounded more like falling rain, which is a very soothing sound to me and a lot more pleasant to think about than what it actually was and one that kind of lulled me into a bit of a sleepy daze. One that was temporarily broken once I heard Jordan’s name and went oh fuck, but a daze nonetheless!

But now that you’ve mentioned it  —

Leto knows this to be true, as for that all too brief a time his senses were attuned to theirs, and he knew them, truly knew them. Unnumbered minds and existences, all connected together as one, and they had loved him. When he thinks of it, it prickles his eyes with regret at the loss, the endless rolling mass of love that he had all but begged to consume him.

— MAG 184: Like Ants

“Because the Restless Rot only delights in decay,” Jane snarls before she can rein herself in. “The sickeningly slow spread of disease and death. Inflicting pain more for its own pleasure than for a higher power. But the Hive —” her voice catches at the old name, her name, but she soldiers on “— the Hive held life: thousands upon thousands of living, crawling, knowing beings in need of a head and a heart and a home. And that home was me, and they —”

Jane stops suddenly. She raises a hand to her cheek and finds it warm and wet. Inhaling shakily, she wipes the sleeve of her jumper across her face. “They loved me,” she whispers, her voice finally breaking. “Love like I’ve never known. There was love in what I was, and the Restless Rot knows  nothing of that love.” 

— The Plague Upon the House (Chapter 5: Too Close)

— I am absolutely thrilled to put these pieces together, and I feel super fucking validated that the wacky, seemingly implausible AU idea I pulled out of my wistful imaginings over a year ago is somehow supported by canon now. So thank you so very much for thinking of me and sending me this ask, because I definitely would not have registered that connection otherwise!

[the-last-airbadger]

My 2020

Hey y’all. So 2020 happened. That was a thing. Apparently. I know for a lot of people this year was uhm… pretty shit… but it was still a year that happened so it’s time for my annual reflection post (probably the only time I still post about myself on tumblr lol) and maybe we might even find some good things that happened this year!

 The Beginning of 2020 vs Now

So, a lot has changed since the start of the year. A pandemic happened, for one. I can’t believe that a year ago I could still go to class every day and see my friends and now I’m pretty much stuck at home every day. The year started out pretty normal and then march happened and well, you all know what happened next. The worst part about the pandemic for me personally was probably the fact that I barely see my friends anymore and I can’t go to class every day. Some people may not think that not going to class is that bad, but I really enjoyed university more than I ever enjoyed school and I was really happy going there every day, and I was already sad I’d only have 4 to 5 years to spend there, so when that period got even shorter it made me kinda sad.

On the other hand, I do think that mentally I’m in a much better place than I was last year around this time. Being home this much really gave me time to reflect and work on my issues, and because my sister was stuck in our house for a couple of weeks I got to talk to her a lot which really helped me feel better. I think in general my entire family (my brother, sister and mom) have become a lot more open with each other which I think is great! I guess quarantine can have some benefits.

 The Best Things about 2020

Okay, here’s is where we’re going to get even more positive and go over all the good things that happened (to me) this year! To be honest, most of the year was a bit of a blur so I probably will forget quite a bit, but I’m going to give this a try anyway. At the start of the year (when things were still normal) I was super excited to get into the next semester, as the one before had,,, kinda sucked, and those 6 weeks of class I had at the start of the year were really great. I remember me and my friends having a competition of who could get mentioned the most in our teacher’s powerpoint presentation so those classes were always interesting. I also finally got to dye my hair for the first time with the help of my friends. I’ve been wanting to do that for so long, and I’m so happy I finally got to do it! I even know how to do it myself now, and my hair hasn’t been brown since the start of march! Then, at the start of march, my dad and stepmother moved away and I permanently moved in with my mom. Before, I used to live with both my mom and my dad and I got really really sick of switching houses every week, so to finally live in one house and have all my stuff in one place was a bit of a relief to me, and I’m still really happy with it. After that, things become a bit blurry. I remember that at the start of quarantine in … April? I watched Sex Education or the first time, which is now not only one of my favourite shows ever, but also taught me a lot and helped me with some of the issues I was dealing with. We’ll skip over the subsequent sexuality crisis I had (I think I might actually be straight??), and skip straight to the summer, when I started watching I-Land. I watched every episode as it aired live, and because of this show my Fridays really became the highlight of the week. I don’t think I’ve ever been so invested in a survival show XD. The rest of the year was mostly just me spending time with myself. It got a bit lonely sometimes, but I also don’t think I’ve ever written as much as I have this year, and my drawing has significantly improved (if I may say so myself)! Especially towards the end of the year, when I started making a planning every day to prevent myself from wasting away all my time on youtube, I got super productive, and I wrote a lot, and made a lot of art, and I really felt good. I even started (gasp) working out. Yeah I know. Shocking right.

There was also a lot of good music that was released this year, and, to close this section on a great note, through one of my classes I finally found a group of friends to play D&D with! We haven’t actually played yet, but we will, and I’m so excited to play the game and get to know these people more! They all seem really kind!

 My Resolutions for 2020?

Now, here’s the part where we check whether I actually reached all the goals I set myself for 2020. As usual, I have no idea what my resolutions were, so I honestly have no idea how I did. Let’s see, shall we?

Express my feelings more (as in I get really awkward in any sappy or mushy situation but I would like to be able to tell people I appreciate them without cringing) – UHM way to attack me on the very first resolution jeez. I did get more open with my family but I still can’t tell people I care about them without cringing so this is a fail lol

Again, learn to depend less on other people’s opinion and trust my own – I’ve been working on it, I think I’ve gotten a bit better? So win?

Get my sleeping schedule back on track – did that! It’s a bit whacky again now because of the holidays, but October and November were a big success regarding this resolution

WRITE MORE. This time I’ll make some concrete goals: Either I’ll get my story’s first draft done, or I’ll write 100 pages on a single project – okay, so here’s the thing. I don’t think I did any of these particular things, however this time I am 100% sure I wrote a lot more than the past years. I cannot count all the files and pages and notes I have now, but I wrote a lot, so I’m counting this as a win

I want to try NaNoWriMo (not necessarily in November, but at some point) – yeah, didn’t do that oops

I want to read a lot again but maybe not as much as this year because I want to focus on writing too. 40 books? – 49 books babey

Read all my current unread books (Aru Shah 2, Skullduggery Pleasant 9, Gemina, The Mistborn Trilogy and Call Down The Hawk) and finish my reread of Heroes of Olympus and the Raven Cycle) – Did all of these except Skullduggery Pleasant 9 (the start was so boring I decided not to read it all) and The Mistborn Trilogy (I am about halfway through the first book I think?) so I’m counting this as half a win

Finally read a book by V.E. Schwab (I’ve been wanting to try one of her books for ages) – Did that! Read a whole trilogy. It was good but not as great as I expected them to be. I think my expectations were too high though

Finish Playing Twilight Princess (I promised my brother) – Did that! I’m really proud of myself and so is my brother

Go. Swimming. Seriously. It’s scandalous that I still haven’t done that after waiting so long to be able to – IT’S BEEN 5 YEARS SINCE I LAST WENT SWIMMING WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME. I did buy new swimshorts but I still haven’t actually used them… shame on me

Try to worry less about school and not overwork myself – kinda?

Maybe try another drawing challenge somewhere this summer? I haven’t done any of those in a while and I feel like my art needs more attention – okay, so I didn’t do that, but I did at the start of the year make the resolution to make portrait/photoshoot-like drawings for my 8 main oc’s, and I did actually manage to finish that, and they are some of the best drawings I’ve ever made, so though I haven’t actually done a challenge specifically, I did do something

I want to try a 24 hour readathon – Yeah, didn’t do that oops

I kinda want to learn a piano piece as well, but I already have so many hobbies I want to focus on so I don’t know if I’ll have the time ☹ – yeah my dad sold our piano so… fail XD

 Expectations for 2021

Now, after last year I think it’s safe to say we can never really know what to expect. But! I’m going to guess anyway because it’ll be really fun to see next year whether I got anything right.

The first thing that I think will probably happen this year (if I don’t majorly mess anything up) is I’ll be writing my thesis next semester, and then in the summer I’ll get my bachelor’s degree. Honestly I can’t believe how fricking fast those 3 years went, but I guess I’ll just have to roll with it lol. Corona vaccinations will also probably start happening next year, and hopefully this will mean that going outside and seeing my friends will be possible again next year – at least a lot more than it was this year. I hope 2021 will be the year of hanging out with friends and getting to live a little again. Maybe even get to go to class. That would be great.

On to more minor – but no less exciting – things, 2021 will probably bring us a new season of Sex Education! I’m sooo excited for that holy shit. And, in a similar vein, I have high hopes for kpop releases now that SHINee is finally back, and it looks like Haseul is also returning to LOONA! 2021 will also be the year in which ENHYPEN makes their first comeback, and some of the other I-LAND contestants will also make their debut, and there might even be a new season of I-LAND as well in the summer? So there’s a lot of things to look forward to. Oh, and I almost forgot, Dan Howell’s book will be released in May, and there will be a new Grishaverse book, and the Shadow and Bone show will start airing, which I am really curious about. Again, lots of things to look forward to!

 2021 Resolutions

I’m not feeling as ambitious as I was last year, but there are a couple of things I want to try and do, so let’s jump into the resolutions!

I just came up with this today, but I think I want to try and build a bit of a skincare routine? The skin on my nose is kinda flakey, and I think it couldn’t hurt to try and take better care of my skin

Keep up with my daily workouts. I want to work out every day, except when I’m at my dad’s or when it’s a special day, like Christmas or something.

Be able to do either 50 push-ups on my knees, 25 normal push-ups, or both

GO SWIMMING

Keep up with planning daily! It’s a really good way to balance all of my 3195 hobbies and it helps me to not get stressed about school

Write (almost) every day. I need to make it a habit

Draw at least once a week, every other day if possible

Go outside at least once a week. That doesn’t seem very hard but with corona I did not realise how little I go outside if I am not forced to. Sometimes I spend 3 weeks without going out and I don’t even notice it. That can’t be good for me lol

Try to make healthier food choices. Maybe follow the lunch meal plan of the guy whose workout videos I follow.

Get my bachelor’s degree

Grow a beard. I’m getting closer… I know I’m getting closer…

Meet with my frIENDS and give them the alBUMS I have for them

Be more careful with my money, maybe even save a bit of money

Spend less time on social media

Read more educational books

I think that’s it! I can’t think of anything else right now so these will have to do. I wish that 2021 will treat all of you much better than whatever mess 2020 was! Happy 2021!

Last year’s post: (x)

@the-official-pentacorn @asiandutchgirl

[kuningannasansa]

A musketeers rewatch (that nobody asked for) 1x04

(warning: not always complimentary towards all characters, especially not aramis, anne and athos. dont like, don’t read)

We start with Louis being a prat and in this instance I love it! 

Richelieu is wearing his red robes over the hideous black outfit. I wish it was just the robes. 

Athos wonders what’s wrong with Aramis and Porthos says “have you forgotten about the massacre at Savoy?”. This is clumsy exposition. Realistically Athos the character would not have forgotten but I guess the viewers need to know. 

“A strategically important pimple” - Lmao! Who says Armand hasn’t got a sense of humour! 

This marks the beginning of these strangely depopulated court scenes. I do wish they had been able to afford more extras!

The Duke’s name is Victor... idk how I feel about that

The conversation between Marsac and Aramis is very well written, the exposition feels natural and also Aramis handles the situation quite well.

Now the Duke is mad and everyone is trying to calm him down. Treville points out that they should wait for the facts and Anne says that the shot could have hit any one of them, they are family and should stick together. This is why I liked her back in season 1! She was clever, had some political acumen and was good at playing her role as queen (women being seen as the gentler sex whose job it was to calm mens anger) while still maneuvering and getting her own way. 

It is funny thou, how everyone else is making good points and Richelieu is pacing around in a panic not saying anything at first, not even responding to Victor’s insults. And when he does speak he miscalculates and angers the duke. He is brilliant when given time to think and consider, but not always quick on his feet lol (as pointed out by @tatzelwyrm in her wonderful fic Reformation, which I really must remember to review cause I fucking loved it).   

Louis calls the duke a pomous arse and Richelieu points out that France needs Savoy, but his face says he agrees xD

There’s definitely some sexual tension between Aramis and Marsac. Or maybe I’m just a shameless slasher... 

“If this gets me hanged, I’m going to take it very personally” - lol, I do love musketeers humour!

The scene between my dear grand deceiver and his bluff honest man of action is SO GOOD!! The dialogue, the delivery, the acting in general!

Richelieu’s room is ridiculously large and empty thou xD 

“Death in battle is one thing, but your world of back alley stabbings and murder disgusts me” - that seems to be the show’s morality in a nutshell and I don’t like it. Whether you’re killed by Milady’s dagger between the ribs or a musketeer sword, you end up no less dead. Sometimes secret assassinations are necessary, that’s why countries have spy agencies. And while yes, in battle you can see your opponent coming and have a good chance to deny him, I am convinced that a big part of why killing in battle is seen as more honourable is that it is the more traditionally masculine option. Also, it is an option most easily accessible to able bodied men. Everyone else can’t always afford to “fight fair”. 

“Not everything I do is pleasant, but it is all necessary.” - well, that’s not true either. Not all.

Richelieu panics again and wants to move the prisoner but Treville says a transfer would only attract attention and Richelieu is like “yeah, you’re probably right” lol. Poor cardinal, he’s trying to run the whole country alone but he needs advisors just like anyone else would to make the best decisions. If he would just admit it, his life would be a lot easier! 

Dartagnan gets all jealous and territorial over Constance. I know it’s meant to indicate their true love, but I’ve never found that shit charming. 

Aramis ties Marsac up. This is making me horny now. 

“I’ve thought of you many times” - omg, I gotta see if there’s fic of them!

Constance finds out that Marsac is a criminal and instead of kicking him out, she kicks D’artagnan out! Bless!

Okay, so the Duke’s men killed the 20 musketeers because the Duke thought that they had come to kill him and put his son on the throne. And Treville told him where to find them through Cluzet (spl?). But actually it was all a distraction to kidnap Cluzet. Noting this down, cause I don’t remember the plot anymore.

PORTHOS DEFENDING TREVILLE!!  <3

And Richelieu just couldn’t resist going to see his prisoner! 

And Cluzet worked for the Duke officially but was actually a Spanish spy! Okay, that makes sense. I wondered why they kidnapped him lol.

Richelieu is gloating now. He should have stayed away from there. 

“Total solitude, unlimited time to reflect... I almost envy you.” - oh Armand! You will learn in the Spanish prison :(

(yes, in this house the Spanish prison AU is canon)

Porthos: “this is the captain we’re talking about” Aramis: “which is why we owe it to him to clear his name” - damn, that’s a good argument! I like Aramis in this episode! That’s probably why I remember liking him a lot when season 1 first aired...

“If it is true, what then?” - @donnaimmaculata made an excellent point about that here: https://donnaimmaculata.tumblr.com/post/109300936446/aramis-was-actually-at-his-smartest-in-this

Louis playing swords with Louis Amadeus is so cute!! And the kid is a more gracious loser than Louis is a winner xD

“I don’t want protection, I want to be treated as an equal.” - that’s a good Constance line, much more feminist than that nonsense about the duchess later in the episode

And D'artagnan apologizes and promises not to lie to her again. Mentioning that cause his respect for her boundaries and acknowledging when he makes a mistake goes totally out the window in season two.

The duke: “Have you captured the man who tried to kill me?” Richelieu: “We should not be distracted by minor issues.” - what is wrong with him this episode?? he is not being at all diplomatic

The duke challenges Athos to a duel and Treville is so cool and quietly confident while Richelieu frets.  

And Treville smirks at his evident distress xD

Treville gets mad at Athos for humiliating the duke. He could have defeated him in a way that left him his dignity, apparently. But Porthos says he would have cut his head off, so Treville should consider himself lucky, really. 

Porthos is very good at spying!

Treville’s filing of documents is “meticulous”, apparently. Sorry, but that does NOT sound like him!

“I will never believe the captain is a traitor” - that’s noble of you Athos. Maybe you could have extended the same courtesy to your wife?

The confrontation with Treville is so angsty and well acted and tense! This is the show at it’s best, dealing with a serious issue and giving it the weight it deserves. I love!

It’s kind of sad seeing how in love the duke is with his wife! I hope he never finds out she’s a spy lol xD

Now Marsac tries to rape Constance. Was that really necessary? Like, really, why?? We understand he is an antagonist, there is no need to make him cartoonishly evil, especially by using violence against women. 

I don’t know what his friend being a seezy rapist says about Aramis thou...

Dart to the rescue, yawn!

I do love how we are led to believe they’re gonna kiss and then she goes “teach me how to shoot” xD

“Honour? There’s no word in the language more likely to cause stupidity and inconvenience” - lmaoo, Richelieu I feel you

“You think I won’t have you arrested? That you’re above the normal rules of soldiering?” - Yesss Treville, have him arrested! You will save everyone a lot of grief down the road!

Aramis punches Treville in the face! LOL! xD

Aramis and Marsac argue how to handle Treville (Marsac wants to assassinate him) and Aramis just cradles his face!

And then Marsac punches aramis in the face and knocks him out cold! LOL! xD

I love how the duke is actually objectively right in this episode. Imperialist France is meddling in the affairs of another sovereign state. The weak suffer what they must. And the musketeers are not on the side of good by helping the King and Richelieu conceal Cluzet. They follow their orders and work for the state, but the state is, well, not always nice. Just pointing that out...

The duchess looks so cool and beautiful riding into the garrison in that yellow dress with her cloak flapping in the wind!

“You traitor!” Cluzet says to the duchess. Pot calling the kettle black

“Not your average duchess then” - I don’t like this line! It sort of implies that an average duchess without fighting skills is somehow lesser and plays into a long pattern in television when women are only valued when they have “masculine” skills. But I do love her character a lot! More on that here: https://kuningannasansa.tumblr.com/post/100754198434/a-duchess-of-savoy-appreciation-post

Richelieu’s FACE when he sees D'artagnan as the guard! xD

But I wonder what his plan was? What if the musketeers had not shown up to save his ass?

“Paris has a number of excellent places of correction, if you’d like a tour of them all?” - aawwww, sassy cardinal! 

He even gives Dartagnan a look of acknowledgement. As well he should! The Cluzet switch was brilliant and funny!

Now Marsac is going to kill Treville, but Aramis stops him, saying there should be a court martial. Well done Aramis, keeping your head! Also, justice! It does exist! 

This is another very well acted emotional scene!

Aramis shoots Marsac, choosing Treville over him. It’s sad and tragic and wonderful television!

“I love my husband, very much” - I like their relationship

Lmaooo now Richelieu is already plotting the Duke’s murder xD  

Wet Aramis at Marsac’s grave is hot!

In conclusion, there were some things I didn’t like, but all in all this was a very good episode!

Red Guards killed in the line of duty: none

Women fridged: also none! this really was a good one guys!

Best dressed: Constance

[iristial]

Kano Nakamura from Tokusatsu Ga Ga Ga please!

Just in time for how I decided to try and give this series a go again! (On a side note, I’m glad I did ^-^)

5. I wish I had her collectibles

Look at her room. The figurines. The box sets. The magazines. The tiny little key chains. Why isn’t that my room because my parents have no idea I love toku and I have no intention of telling them

She really went all out in indulging in her toku love after moving to the city. A big part of me hoped her mother didn’t make another bonfire out of all of it o_o

4. Kano is my spirit animal

The one time I admitted to someone who was an acquaintance that I liked “the original version of Power Rangers”, the look I received made me mortified beyond measure (and vow internally to never speak of my love to anyone else). Since toku has a reputation of being branded a children’s show, this means it’s far easier to be judged for it if you’re an adult fan. It’s never a pleasant feeling, so seeing Kano’s struggles as a toku nerd was like finally getting a part of myself represented on television. Maybe I don’t go as far as only knowing toku songs (...I only know Korean pop songs) and seeing a hallucination of my favourite toku character in the subway (...that wouldn’t be so bad), but still! I understood her fangirling, why she has to hide her interests, her gripes about some of the hypocrisy in liking things*, how it’s hard to find people in real life who love the genre, etc.

*I would also like to comment on how I realized that Kano has to hide her love for toku as I do, even though in the latter case I supposedly live in a society where it’s okay to love whatever I want and to express it. Perhaps it’s a sign that we still need time and effort to reach that point...though drawing up a list of popular media that happens to be children’s shows isn’t going to support that notion. I might do that some other time. (I now remember that I was rather bitter about this the first time I watched half of the show)

3. May she be well into a retirement village and still have her friends

What I really appreciate about her friend group is that they’re unified by their passion for things that society doesn’t consider as “appropriate” for them, whether it’s because of gender, age or image. Not to mention that they don’t all share the same interests, yet support each other regardless. Even the last episode suggests that nothing will stop them when they’re together (I can envision them knitting in a house and talking about the fun times). It’s just so touching seeing how you don’t have to be a toku nerd in order to understand why someone loves the genre, and vice versa - and it reminds me of my closest friendships in real life too :)

(Also I dabbled in every area these people like - magical girls, toku and idol groups xD)

2. *makes the sign of the cross to avoid the Mother of Issues, God forgive*

I totally forgot about this subplot until I watched a bit of the show again, and it hurt seeing how much of Kano’s love for toku and her secrecy about it...also stemmed from her mother’s very set views about femininity. Maybe I’m wrong, but I think this counts as trauma if a backpack can draw upon an unpleasant memory. So when Kano finally stood up to her mother, refused to bow to any more gaslighting, highlighted that her individual happiness was just as important, demanded that they should never see each other, in spite of being in a setting where everyone was watching and Kano would get the blame - I was happy for her. That took courage and she did it!

I admit that the hinted reconciliation made me mad, yet the more I thought about it...perhaps it indicated that by standing up to her mother, Kano could be an equal to her mother, and not just a doll to be dressed up. Of course, I wish Kano didn’t have to suffer that torment to begin with - and her mother deserved that slap - but I think the latter action also (literally) slapped sense into her mother. Parents have faults, for sure, but there are cases where they can learn from them as ordinary people do. Fights happen to the ugliest extent, but that doesn’t mean only bad things will come out of it. Kano always tried to meet her mother half-way, but now she can do it out of free will and in the goodness in her heart (which seems to be a lesson her toku hallucinations often teaches). And if anything, maybe Kano’s mother won’t ever understand her daughter’s love for toku, but I think she’ll at least accept it at long last

1. Her story is that it’s okay to love something at any age

This actually ties into some other points I made about Kano, but I think this is just the epitome to her character. She’s had her trials in childhood, in the workplace, in the friends she attempted to make (with varying success), in her family - and she will always come on top. The toku she loves will and always be targeted for children, but is that going to stop her? Never. Also, it seems that by doing so, Kano is able to understand those who have similar struggles and can accept them, which leads into her being an example for other people. That pretty much makes her the suited heroes she adores

2019 Toku Character/Show Appreciation

Send in a toku character or show, and I’ll share about five screenshots of their best moments and write good points

[widevibratobitch]

Tag Game time: Covid-19 Edition?

@babinicz tagged me (of course she did) <3

1. Are you staying home from work/school?

Duh

2. If you are staying home who is with you?

My cat. My mom wants to take me to her husband's house for Easter though and I'm... not thrilled about that.

3. Who would be your ideal quarantine mate?

I'm fine with just me and my cat. Unless you could bring Ettore Bastianini back to life so I could listen to his singing all day long and love and adore him with every fiber of my being.

4. Are you a homebody?

Hell yeah.

5. An event you were looking forward to that got cancelled?

Uhm... Don Carlo with Mariusz Kwiecień (and Fabiano and Furlanetto) at the ROH. But it wasn't cancelled because of the virus, Mariusz just canceled it himself XD

6. What movies have you watched recently?

Jojo Rabbit? And that's it. I don't watch movies because (see next question)

7. What shows are you watching?

Actually, none. I have a list of ones I gotta watch/finish, but my overwhelming sense of I-haven't-done-all-the-work-that-I-have-to-do-and-therefore-don't-deserve-to-have-good-time is keeping me from watching them.

8. What music are you listening to?

Well, take a wild guess. I'm sure you can figure it out XD

9. What are you doing for self-care?

Uhm... Forgetting to eat (yeah, I actually lost some weight apparently - would you believe it? I have a WAIST, I'm not really a brick, amazing) and trying not to forget to wash my hair and take a bath once in a while. It's funny because mentally I feel really good but my body just kinda repeats the mechanisms it went through while I was having one of my major depressive episodes and that is Don't Eat Don't Wash Yourself Don't Do Pleasant But Engaging Things

What are you reading?

Fanfics. Again I have a list of things I wanna read but books are more compelling and [see question number 9]

Well that was fun. Tagging @simone-boccanegra @acepolish @notyouraveragejulie and @tornaloadir

[sherlockmonkeesstartrek]

So, I’ve seen a few people on here talking about their connection to the Monkees, and honestly, at this time I’ve also been left thinking about what has made the Monkees so important to me. I mean, to other people, when I say that they are one of my favourite bands, they wonder how the hell I was ever introduced to them, why as a teenage girl I prefer that kind of music over the popular stuff that comes out today. And I’ve talked about it before, in some of the Tumblr tags games and asks, but I sort of wanted to revisit my old memories, so I hope you don’t mind coming along for the ride. 

My first memory of the Monkees would probably be when I was very, very little. My Dad, a keen guitar player and avid Monkees fan himself, owned a lovely gold-coloured Fender guitar of some description (which he still owns and lets me play) which he would sometimes pick up when he got a moment alone. But in a home that housed me, my two siblings, my mum, Grandma and Grandad, you can imagine time alone was hard to come by. That meant my sister and I used to hear him playing guitar, and loving music, we would make him play to us. No matter which songs he’d play, we’d always end up belting out ‘I’m A Believer’ at the top of our lungs. It was the first song either of us knew all the words to. 

My Dad used to take us out on Saturdays; his only day off work. At first, he used to take us to Theatre school, then maybe to lunch afterwards. Later, when he left home, we would go and do many different activities, spending the whole day together swimming, rock-climbing, watching movies, sometimes all of those things in one day. And it was then, when he would drive us around, that we got to listen to the kind of music he liked. My mum or brother would often steal the CD player otherwise, and their love of R&B never quite rubbed off on us. Instead, we took a liking to the 60s best ofs he’d play. He would buy best ofs of certain bands if we took a particular shine to them, for example we had a Manfred Mann one, a Beatles one (literally called 1 XD) and we had the Definitive Monkees. The latter I remember we used to put in from time to time, and certain songs still remind me of those very early days. Songs like You Just May Be The One, I’m A Believer, Lookout (Here Comes Tomorrow) and A Little Bit Me were, to me, definitive 60s songs, sounds that defined the era.

Later, when I was in my 9th or 10th year of school, my Dad told me about the Monkees TV show and his description, though not quite giving us the right feel for what it was lie, intrigued us. He used to tell us of his childhood, when he used to watch the Monkees, and he remembered all the TV shows that came before and after it, like Tiswas and the Banana Splits. Eventually, I found a whole playlist of the old episodes of the Monkees on Youtube and downloaded an episode for my sister and I to watch on my phone. That day, we were going to see a play at the theatre with my Grandma (I think it was Gypsy- we used to go to the theatre quite a lot with my Grandma in those days) and we wanted something to do on the tube journey there. The episode was ‘The Case Of the Missing Monkee’ and least to say, almost straight away, we were smitten.

In the next few weeks, every day on our walk to school, we’d watch an episode together until we’d watched them all. It was a funny sight. Two girls, waddling side by side, trying to keep one eye on where they were going, the other on the four handsome boys on a tiny phone screen, and walking as close together so not to pull the headphones out of each other’s ears. 

Then came our traditional holiday away with my Dad, which was a common occurrence at the same time every year. But this year, it was a bit different because we had a new set of CDs to listen to in the car. My Dad had bought us a set of the first 5 Monkees albums. We listened to them on repeat that whole week. Songs like Peter’s rendition of ‘I Don’t Think You Know Me’ reminds me of driving towards our accommodation that we were staying in, and I recall walking several times back to the accommodation late at night, singing songs like ‘Pleasant Valley Sunday’ and ‘You Just May Be The One.’

Least to say, I have wonderful memories connected with this band, and am still making memories, as I continue to play their wonderful, upbeat tunes often. I’ll always wish and imagine being best friends with them, frequenting their pad and hanging out with them, whenever I need cheering up. Always I’ll connect them with innocent and uncomplicated joy, so to all the Monkees, Mike, Micky, Peter and Davy, I want to say a huge thank you!

I hope this wasn’t too long and dull!

[victorluvsalice]

Yup -- time to say hello to Father Winter! After checking the mailbox for any Winterfest gifts, of course -- turns out Lilith Pleasant had sent Smiler a new garden gnome, how nice. :) Smiler promptly insta-friended Clement Frost, like they do with everyone they meet, and built up a nice strong relationship before asking if they could have a present! Clement Frost obliged, and gave Smiler --

A freaking karaoke machine. And not the small one either -- the big, super-expensive one! O.O I mean, holy shit, that is -- PROPS to Father Winter for knowing EXACTLY what Smiler would want! :D Smiler decided to return the favor by giving Father Winter that little blue bear that they won in the Freezer Bunny arcade a little while back -- Father Winter, being childish, loved it. XD

And so this episode ends with Smiler having gotten a new cute gnome for their garden, and having rearranged their former bedroom to accommodate the karaoke machine (complete with just ripping out a window XD). They celebrated their extremely successful holiday with a song and with the purchase of the Brave reward trait with their gathered satisfaction points. Hey -- that move to the haunted house will be coming up sooner than anyone thinks, after all. . .

But for now, we still have a couple more days in winter to get through. Next time, a return to shorter updates with Smiler focusing on getting up a few skills! See you then!

[janethepegasus]

BMC Miraculous Ladybug AU RP Thing: PMD Marathon

An RP thing me and @pika-ace did related to BMC Miraculous Ladybug AU where the main seven have a game marathon with the PMD series.

(Jeremy gets a Mudkip, Michael gets a Torchic, Eric gets a Pikachu, Jordan gets a Turtwig, Lin gets a Riolu, Post gets a Oshawott, and Joe gets a Piplup)

Jeremy: Okay, this might sound a BIT crazy, but.....let’s play the whole PMD series!

Michael: Whoa, really?! All of them???

Jeremy: Yeah all of them!

Michael: Are we gonna play them all in the row?

Jeremy: Well...I was thinking that we all play the games, like I would have Red Rescue Team, Michael would have Blue Rescue Team, etc etc

Michael: Ooooh gotcha

(Jeremy lays out a few DS and 3DS plus the PMD games on the table)

Jeremy: Alright, pick your poison, guys!

Michael: I'm going for Blue Rescue Team!

Jeremy: In that case, I'll take Red; it's been a while since I've played this one

Post: Hmmm..... *looks at the games* Umm.....that one? *points to Gates to Infinity*

Eric: Explorers of Time sounds interesting...

Jordan: I'll try Explorers of Darkness!

Lin: I'll take Explorers of Sky, that one sounds neat Joe: I suppose that leaves me with Super Mystery Dungeon

Jeremy: Oooooh, you have NO idea what's gonna hit ya Joe >:3c

(They all sit down and start playing)

Jordan: Wait, we gotta do a Personality Test first?

Joe: Huh. I don't have to. Jeremy: Yeah, they changed it

Post: I get to choose mine :/

Post: And AFTER I took a quiz...that seems pointless Michael: It's because so many people re-take the quizzes in the old ones if they didn't get the pokemon they wanted

Lin: Eh, i'll just wing with whoever i get :/ Eric: ......Is Pikachu playable in this game?

Jeremy: Hell yeah, he's playable in ALL the games

Eric: O_O *restarts the game after he gotten a Totodile*

Jeremy: Yeah, I had a feeling XD

Jordan: My peach just LOVES that little electric mouse! X3c

(They all pick their pokemon and their partners)

Jeremy: Now we can start the game!

Lin: Alright, let's do this!

(They start their games)

Jeremy: Ah, this takes me back...

Michael: Me too!

Jordan: Aww, Eric's a little scaredy cat in this game X3 Eric: Same goes for you in MY game, mister >:(

Post: I fell out of the sky O_O

Joe: I'm certainly glad I ran into this Nuzleaf to help me...

Lin: ......I'm still confused how and why i ended up on the beach.

Michael: All will be explained soon >:3c

Lin: Hopefully.

(They keep playing)

(A few minutes later...) Lin: Woah woah woah, why am I getting visions??? O_O

Eric: Forget the visions, a child just walked off with an outlaw!!

Jordan: Yeah! Who knows what the hell that bastard's gonna do to that kid?!

Joe: I"m in school...I didn't expect to be a child in this

Post: Gurdurr better build me that house! >:(

Jeremy: Woo! Mt Steel here we come!

Michael: Hell yeah! >:D

(A little while later...)

Eric: ......So we're stuck with a Bidoof for the whole trip? -_-

Jordan: I like him, he's a hard worker, I appreciate spirit like that

Lin: Yeah, and from that little Special Episode about him, i can agree!

Post: Why is Virizion so mean?? :(

Michael: Hey at least we're gonna save Metapod before Gangar and his pals do it!

Jeremy: I almost forgot about Metapod; poor thing

Michael: Yeah...

Joe: I must say, I'm enjoying these little excursions with my fellow students

Joe: But my poor partner...having to deal with such bullying...

Michael: Don't worry, you'll get 'em back

(A little while later...)

Eric: Who the hell does this Grovyle think he is?!

Jordan: Yeah! What the hell?! >:(

Lin: Yeah, why the HELL do wanna stop all time??? (Jeremy and Michael subtly exchange a look)

Joe: This Ampharos fellow seems....pleasant.

Post: Espeon and Umbreon are cute together, I like them :)

Jeremy: Yeah! Going up to Mt. Thunder! >:3

Michael: Woo!! We're coming Shiftry! (Later still...)

Jordan: Woah wait, we're in the future now?! 0_0

Lin: What the fuck Dusknoir?!

Eric: Yeah what the hell?! >:( Joe: Oh, more continents? Interesting...

Post: Oh my god, what's wrong with everyone?? Why can't they breathe?! No! Guys!

Jeremy: Oh boy, going up to Great Canyon...

Michael: It's about to get real...

(Later still...)

(After the you're grovyle's partner reveal) Eric: O_O Jordan: O_O Lin: O_O .......WHAT THE FUCK?!

Jordan: We were Grovyle's partner?!

Eric: Wha...but...we...HOW?! (Jeremy and Michael revel in the shock)

(Lin just stares at the screen, dumbfounded)

Post: WHA?! MUNNA WHY?! Joe: What?! NO! Nuzleaf, I-I TRUSTED YOU!!!!

Jeremy: Aaaaand the town wants to kill me

Michael: Fucking Gengar...never forgive

(Later still...) Lin: Oh! Another Special Episode! :D (Lin starts playing the special episode)

Eric: I never thought I'd be so happy to see the sun again...

Jordan: Me too...

Joe: I...how do you GO here by being turned to stone???

Michael: Don't mind me, just passing through Lapis Cave like a champ -w-

Jeremy: On to Mount Blaze!

Michael: Hell yeah! And it's gonna be easy for you Jere! X3c

Post: I gotta save my partner...I gotta save my partner!!!!

(Later still...)

Jeremy: Whew! That outlaw mission flew by! Almost time for Groudon!

Michael: Hell yeah! >:3

Joe: Oh thank god we're back! Espurr you poor poor thing...being left behind

Lin: Welp, done with that special episode! Now back to the game! *starts playing the main game*

Jordan: Alright, let's find that Hidden Land!

Lin: Wait, you guys are at Hidden Land?! I'm still at Chapter 17!

Eric: No, we're teaming up with the guild to look for it, we just told them what happened in the future

Lin: Oh, kinda misheard that XD

Post: Okay...Hydreigon's dead...but we're okay....

(Later still...)

Jeremy: Fuck you, Groudon!!

Michael: Yeah, fuck you! >:(

Lin: Oh COME ON!! Leave us alone Dusknoir!!

Jordan: Yeah, we just wanna save the world! >:(

Eric: What the hell is wrong with this guy!?

Lin: Just leave us be and restore all of time and space goddamn it! >:(

Post: KELDEO'S ALIVE!!!!

(Joe twitches in anger as he's having a hard time with a dungeon)

Joe: Even evolved this is trying my patience...!

Post: Uhh.....are you gonna be okay dad?

Joe: *tightly* I'll....be...fine....!

Post: Ooookay..... (Later still...)

Jeremy: C'mon Rayquayza, kill the giant comet!!

Michael: Yeah save the world!

Eric: Alright...I'm going to disappear...but we have to stop Dialga!

Jordan: Yeah, let's give it all we got against that guy! Lin: Yeah!

Post: You're going down Bittercold!! >:(

(Joe still twitches in anger as he's having a hard time with a dungeon)

Joe: I am getting back to that ball of darkness and beating it!!

(After several tries with a dungeon, getting angrier with every single lost, when he lost again, he took a shaky deep breath) Joe: .....Will you excuse me *leaves and goes into a nearby room*

Jeremy: Yeah...that game is hard as sin

(A few seconds later, they hear Joe screaming at the top of his lungs in anger)

Michael: Yep, that's about how I expected it to go

(They could hear him screaming and possibly punching something. And then after a few minutes, they heard a loud noise from the room and a few seconds later, Joe walks out of the room, breathing heavily)

Post: ......You okay Dad? O_O

Joe: ....I am.....now.....it's just....this game.....this damn game.....tested my patience for far too long.....

Jeremy: Yeah; we think that because Gates to Infinity is super easy, they upped the difficulty for that one. It's annoying as fuck -_-

Joe: I suppose so..... *sits down* .....and also.....please don't mind when you see.....a hole in the wall if you go to that room....

Michael: Dude! O_O

Jeremy: Holy crap Joe! O_O

Eric: Uh, let's just...finish the games

Lin: Yeah... (Later still..)

(They all manage to get to the goodbye scenes at the same time)

Post: Wha, i'm disappearing?!

Eric: Oh god...Jordan I'm so sorry... Jordan: Shit...Eric...I shoulda told you...

(Both Eric and Jordan start tearing up)

Lin: Nooooooo, god why?!

Joe: Wait, you're leaving?! Wha-why?!

Post: Nooooo! I don't wanna go!! I wanna stay!! Jeremy: God...it still hurts... :'(

Michael: Yeah... :'(

(Everyone cries for a bit as the credits roll)

(Eric and Jordan were crying the most out of everyone, not helped by the fact they nicknamed their partners after each other)

Michael: *whispers* Uh, they know they didn't actually lose each other...right?

Jeremy: *whispers* That's the power of the feels dude, they pretty much made it worse by nicknaming their partners after each other.

Jeremy: *to Eric and Jordan* Don't worry guys, it gets better, just watch!

Jordan: What the hell do you mean...?

Michael: Like he said, just watch, the game's not done yet

Eric: If you say so...

(They watch as the credits end and their characters return)

Jordan: *gasp* I’m back! :D

Eric: Oh thank god!! Jordan, I'm back! :D

Lin: Yay I’m back! :D

Jeremy: See? It's all good!

Michael: Yep!

Post: I'm gonna make myself come back! >:( Joe: I'm gonna get my partner back! >:(

Jeremy: Oh yeah, forgot about the post-game side quest for those games :/

Michael: They'll make it

Jeremy: Yeah

(A little while later) Post: YES!! I'm back!! Joe: Oh, my partner, I've missed you!!

Jeremy: See? They made it!

Lin: Well, that was a fun ride!

Joe: Indeed, inspite of some.... *glares at the game* issues along the way...

Eric: Yes, that was fun...and quite emotional

Jordan: Hell yeah it was.

Post: I hope they make more Michael: They BETTER make more!

Jeremy: Yeah! LOTS more!

[theonceoverthinker]

OUAT Rewatch 1X04 - The Price of Gold

Week two!!! I’d say my thoughts on this episode are just GOLDEN, but I don’t let me INFANTIZE your experience - go read below the cut if you don’t believe me!

XD We have fun here sometimes!!!!

Press Release Emma tries to help a young pregnant woman escape from the clutches of Mr. Gold. Meanwhile, back in the fairytale world that was, Cinderella makes a regrettable deal with Rumplestiltskin. General Thoughts Past So, Snow gives a very interesting recontextualizing of the Cinderella story. I think it’s important to discuss that because that’s what the Cinderella story (And its many, many indirect retellings) was designed to show to audiences. I once took a theatre class that showed that during times like the Great Depression, theatres were making Cinderella plays and musicals as a way to show that there was hope for improving one’s situation. My only problem with this flashback is that Ella 1.0 is not super compelling. I buy her desperation, which gets a lot more understanding once “The Other Shoe” aired, but otherwise, she’s not exactly pleasant nor interesting to watch on the screen. All of the interesting plans having to do with her are made around her, not with her. That said - in that same vein - she serves as a great introduction device for the theme of “all magic comes with a price.” Her naivete allows us to see just how much can go under your nose when you’re willing to do “anything” to get what you want.

And Rumple plays off her brilliantly, taking advantage of that naivete to get what he wants, and all the while, making Ella feel twisted every way. Speaking of which, finally, I want to touch upon a unpopular opinion I have. Many take issue with the fact that we never see where Rumple stowed Thomas, but I don’t share that concern. It’s pretty clear that where he was didn’t matter and that no matter what, nothing short of the honoring of Ella and Rumple’s deal would bring him back, and in the present, only when Emma makes a substitute deal is the family reunited. Present Regina has fascinated me in that she’s continuously - despite being evil in these moments - delivered the themes of the episodes. While I was mostly talking about the roots line when I wrote that last sentence, the next line below fits this BEYOND perfectly too! “People don’t change. They only fool themselves into believing they can.” To quote Rumple, “when you can see the future, there’s irony everywhere.” Still, at the same time, while she tells the theme, it’s others who show it, providing a very layered level of insight for Emma. For example, in this episode, Emma sees the danger of running away and its effects on the safety and well being of a family dynamic and internalizes the lesson so she can prove herself beyond what Regina thinks. Also, Emma’s speech is just remarkable. It speaks to a more nuanced approach to her cynicism. She’s more than that and has optimism, but optimism on her terms. It’s a mix of the Lands With and Without Magic that genuinely works. I’d also be a fool to not talk about Gold, because wow! Immediately, he knows just the right strings to pull with Emma - someone who he’s only conversed with for a matter of seconds - to get her to do whatever he wants. But even still, while Gold does prevail through similar means, Emma does show that she’s only one or two small steps behind him with how she breaks through hit litigation with real world sympathies.

Now, I said Ella wasn’t too compelling, but Ashley by contrast is super compelling, She’s a foil to Emma, and really shows her dedication to changing her life in every scene she’s in and we get a sense for it as more characters talk about her. While it breaks the “show, don’t tell rule” a bit, I find that it works well enough. Sean too really sells what it’s like to be between a rock and a hard place with his family and his dad is not without a smidge of dimension too! Insights I like how the wands of the different fairies all have different designs. Cinderella’s fairy has a wand that’s like a light bulb - it’s glass on the outside, but there’s light on the inside. Meanwhile, Fiona’s is closer to tree bark mixed with charcoal. I’m going to pay closer attention to the wands going forward. I wonder if they knew when they wrote this episode that Rumple was going to have future powers. “It all comes down to the number seven.” SOMEONE ON THAT STAFF WAS FUCKING PSYCHIC! Maybe Adam’s tweet was real! XD This is our first real appearance of Gold’s shop, and what an introduction! The darkness alongside the creepy music and the fact that it’s a break in allows for an unhinged tone to settle in and we get to see some foreshadowing and call backs in a way that doesn’t take one out of the experience. Why does Regina never hire a babysitter? Henry is ten and he’s snuck out no less than three times in as many episodes. Get Sidney to spend a couple of hours in your house! He will literally do whatever you say! Why when breaking in and out of places do these people not wait ten minutes?! I mean, i know why - narrative shorthand (Same for why Henry has no babysitter), but damnit, they might see you! XD I love that awkward bit between Henry and Gold. Honestly, half of my insights here are just going to be that irony line. Emma’s whine about trying to be responsible is just adorable! I don’t want to be “that girl” who bitches about continuity stuff, but under the curse, does Ella have another step family? Because her real step family is in the Land of Untold Stories. “Anyone who wants to be a mother should damn well be able to be one.” I feel like there’s a lot to unpack about that line but I’m going to choose to interpret it as “anyone willing to dedicate themselves to motherhood and understand the responsibilities that come with it deserves a chance to be a mother.” The gardens are so beautiful in this episode! I wonder what Henry’s nickname for Emma was. “Mom,” perhaps? That would make sense given that’s exactly what he calls her not even a season afterwards. Awww! There’s a Regal Believer parallel. Just as Cinderella’s prince found his True Love’s shoe, Regina found Henry’s shoe!!! Arcs Emma’s journey of belief - What I like about season 1 is that most every episode contributes to the growth of this single arc, and here’s no exception. Just like Emma and Henry’s relationship needs roots to grow, as do the seeds of hope with one firm belief. While Emma doesn’t believe Henry, she does believe in Henry and in their bond, and as that develops, she takes more and more steps to cement it. Emma and Rumple’s deal - While there are mentions if it here and there going forward, as we all know, this arc won’t conclude until season two. Still, I like this deal as it’s created because the idea of keeping a baby and a mother’s life options is so personal to Emma so it makes for a compelling deal but at the same time isn’t something she would back out of. Regina and Graham’s affair - This is introduced here, and I’ll have more to say on it in a few episodes. Favorite Dynamic Emma and Henry. Already, you can see inklings of payoff for their dynamic. Emma is starting to seek Henry out a bit more to spend time together, as evidenced by her insisting on walking him to school. Additionally, when Henry tries guilt tripping her, Emma is much more overt to the fact that it’s working. Their quips are so much more casual and friendly and it just makes me so excited to see more of them! It’s such a far cry from episode 1, and in the best way possible! Writer David Goodman gets his first go around and he gets a strong start here! His strength - at least here - is a delivery of theme. Both themes - the price of magic and the need to not run away in order to create a family - are delivered with precision, but at the same time doesn’t feel like I’m being beaten over the head with it. Rating 9/10. My only problem is - again - Ella. You’ll see later on that I love Once’s diversity in terms of showing women with different qualities to their characters. Some are braver and sassier, some are mean, some are gentle and never fight, and some are scared. I think that that is so important because male characters often get to be all these things and more where as women are often bozed in as either ice women or more or less princesses. By that merit, I should love Ella too, but what I don’t love is that she really doesn’t have all that much agency in the flashback. Apart from her initial deal with Rumple - the character’s best flashback scene in this episode - she mostly just follows what other say and whines. That said, through her, we get to see the first instance of a theme that will occur regularly on this show, “all magic comes with a price,” and she serves that theme effectively enough. But please, don’t take this as me disliking the episode, because there’s so much to like. Despite playing once again a minor role in this episode (Which is funny considering the episode’s title), Rumple/Gold shines like a polished apple here. In the Enchanted Forest, not only does he deliver the theme of the episode brilliantly alongside Ella, gets to finally show off his own villainy. He kills a fairy and tries to extort away an infant. That’s just dastardly and I love it! And in Storybrooke, he tries it again and additionally manipulates Emma. The way he pulls on her insecurities makes him so compelling. We’d already seen it does with Regina, yes, but they have history. Emma - despite Gold knowing her role in the grander scheme of things - is a stranger to him. Also, while not working in the Enchanted Forest for me, Ashley is fantastic in Storybrooke! Finally, just all of the little nuggets of storytelling with Emma. Her various dynamics in this episode really drive the theme she needs to learn as well. Flip My Ship Ella/Ashley and Thomas/Sean: The relationship between Ella and the Prince really works. They don’t get a lot of time together, but in every moment the Prince is on screen, he is kind and supportive in an active way, making me really buy the connection between the two of them. He’s also very no-nonsense, making him a pretty strong character in his own right. And in Storybrooke, the tough position Sean is in, and the decision he makes at the end of the episode makes forgiving him really easily. Glass Believer: In the Regal Believer moment with the shoe, we get some probably not-at-all-intended-but-still-cute-as-hell Glass Believer too!!!!!

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

Thank you for reading and to the fine folks at @watchingfairytales for setting this all up! See you next time! Season Tally (39/220) Writer Tally for Season 1: A&E (20/70) Liz Tigelaar (10/20) David Goodman (9/50)

[acraftynerd]

So, I actually listen to and watch a lot of knitting podcasts, and non-knitting podcasts, and just podcasts in general, so I figured I’d list them here for whoever might be interested.

(also if you’re also a fan of any of these people, please message me and we can fangirl together xD)

Knitting Podcasts:

The Knitmore Girls (audio podcast)

Mother-daughter duo, Gigi and Jasmin, present this hilarious knitting podcast every week (475 episodes so far!), in which they discuss what they're currently knitting, their various "knitting attacks", and other crafty stuff, while also sprinkling in moments of their own family life, which is always pleasant to listen to (and Jasmin's daughter is absolutely adorable, so you should totally follow Jasmin on Instagram).

The Backstage Knitting Podcast (audio podcast)

Basically two theatre nerds who also knit, and watch a lot of movies and tv, and talk about that stuff on their podcast. Prepare to find yourself in stitches — pun intended — as you listen and love this podcast. Also, they only have 39 episodes so far, so you can binge listen pretty easily, which is a bonus.

Yarngasm (video podcast)

This was my first delve into video podcasts, but I do not regret it at all. Kristin knits and dyes yarn from her home in Brooklyn where she lives with her husband and her cutie of a cat, and I've officially decided that one of these days I'll have to splurge on some of her hand-dyed yarn because it's so bloody gorgeous and yummy looking. I'm currently watching some of her back-catalogue of episodes, since I'm all caught up on her most recent episodes.

The Girls In The Yarn Cafe (visual podcast)

I've only discovered these two recently, but they're so freaking cute, and interesting, that I've been catching up on their latest episodes today. This is another mother-daughter podcast, where hosts Christy and Trysten discuss knitting, and yarn-dying, all with an envy-inducing background of yarn that I desperately want to steal. I'm not kidding.

Geeky Girls Knit (visual podcast)

Yet another mother-daughter podcast — these seem to be a thing, not that I'm complaining — where C.C and Dami talk about various geeky stuff, as well as their knitting (obviously) and ugh, these guys are so lovely to watch, and I'm kind of obsessed. Also, Dami's adorable. Just so you know.

Babbles Travelling Yarns (visual podcast)

Who doesn't want to watch an Irish knitter who just has this bubbly personality you can instantly love? Sometimes featuring her kitty cat, Grace shows off her gorgeous WIPs and FOs, and is just generally a really fun person to watch. Besides, I need more Irish knitting podcasts in my life.

Craftea Chat Podcast (visual podcast)

Now we cross the water to Nottingham where Hannah lives and podcasts about her crafting obsession. She knits, she crochets, and she's got pretty coloured hair. That last part isn't particularly relevant but it's something to note.

Covered By Grace Knits (visual podcast)

College student Grace only has a few episodes of her podcast so far, but she's sweet and she can knit, and I've thoroughly enjoyed watching her podcasting from her dorm room bunk bed. This is a relatively new find as well, but I'm looking forward to her next upload.

Non-Knitting Podcasts:

Surprisingly enough, I don't just enjoy knitting podcasts. I also listen to several others on the regular, which you should all go and enjoy.

Fantastic Geeks and Where To Find Them: (Spotify / Itunes)

I've been a fan of Tessa Netting for ages now, so imagine how thrilled I was when she announced she was doing a geeky podcast with her friend and fellow Youtuber Anna Brisbin (Brizzy Voices)? In each episode they cover a different fandom — past episodes have gone into Black Panther and Stranger Things — and sort the characters into Hogwarts houses, discuss key themes, and just be adorable little fangirls. These are my people, trust me.

Potterless (Soundcloud)

A grown man reads Harry Potter for the first time. Do I even need to say anymore? Mike Schubert brings on various guests to go through each book at a time, and discusses various topics with them; including but not limited to:

-Umbridge's likeness to Voldemort -Hogwarts needing a therapist -House Elf taxidermy -Destructive Ron's need for an intervention

And much, much more that you really need to listen for.

Guys We F@#ked (Soundcloud )

Guys, this is a really new podcast find for me, but it's so bloody funny, and crude, and really openly sex-positive. Listening to these two women talking about sex in such an positive and open way, it's so nice to hear. I was listening to their most recent episode on my way to work the other day, and I was in stitches from their guest's story involving an alley, a college guy, and McDonalds. If you never listen to another podcast again, listen to this one.

Spirits: A Drunken Dive Into Myths and Legends (Soundcloud / Website / Itunes ) 

Every episode, Amanda and Julia open a bottle of something, and talk about a different myth from around the world, and this is again, something everyone should listen to, because it's hilarious and informative and engaging — I mean, where else could I find out that Cerberus actually means "spotted one" so then Hades literally named his dog Spot?

Send me more podcasts though, to fill this insatiable void in my brain that's never full of podcast goodness.