#i need to see Yuki next to josh

[rickybaby]

[callmewrinkles3]

Choices

October 2023

Em hadn't realised how tired being thirty weeks pregnant would make her. She was constantly sore and had run out of room for Lulu to grow but grow their daughter did. Even going up stairs was starting to wear her out. Pregnancy was tough.

But she'd held Dan's hand the whole day when they were at the Spurs Stadium, smiling as they appeared on screen at the Bills game. Her life was, yet again, fucking surreal, because she was sitting next to Hailee Steinfeld, the two talking about dating athletes and some of the ridiculousness that entailed. But she was there with Blake and Dan, laughing at Dan's antics and excitement at seeing Josh. The icing on the cake for Dan was being handed a Bills onesie for Lulu with Josh's number on it, as well as a tutu outfit. But finally they were back home before the race started.

There was a basket of clean clothes on the coffee table, Em folding them every few moments through the race. Lulu's stuff was going into a different basket, to go into a vacuum sealed bag and into the drawers in the nursery to keep them clean and dust free. But every single time she looked up she got even more worried for the drivers on track.

She knew it was bad and she didn't need to be a genius to know that, it was obvious to her. Between the heat and the tyre issue that had happened it was a weird weekend, but this seemed worse. The last time they were in Qatar was the end of November and that was bad. This seemed so much hotter. Every time Dan put another driver's camera on she could see how exhausted they were, the moment of seeing visors cracked slightly to get a breath of wind.

Her husband was watching in absolute silence, his good hand gripping hers. Usually he'd commentate on what was happening and how Max and Yuki were doing, but instead he was just watching, his left hand moving with the flow of the wheel in the drivers hands.

Blake was silent too, his phone glued to his hand as he was texting Cal and probably filling Charlie's texts for when she woke up. They were both worried, and the moment Logan came over the radio and she heard James tell him to let them look after him. She watched him barely get the car back to the pits, Dan putting the cameras for the drivers they were closest to on the screen as they watched in silence. She thanked whatever was out there that Dan wasn't driving as she watched her friends need help getting out of their cars. She squeezed Dan's hand before texting Chloe, asking for her to tell them how Lance was as soon as she heard.

Once she put the phone down it hit her. Dan had used his hand completely normally all day. There was no swelling, no pain, even his scar was healed up and looked nearly normal. He'd been folding the tiny clothes with her. He'd even caught a football in his left hand.

"You could have driven this week, couldn't you?" It was barely more than a whisper, not wanting Blake to hear it.

"Maybe." It wasn't the word that mattered, but Dan's oh I got caught face was clear. He was staring down at the sleepsuit he'd picked up to fold, too nervous about her reaction to even look at his wife's face. "I was ninety, ninety five percent there. But with only one practice and Liam hasn't driven there before it was a risk. I didn't want to risk it. I figured it'd be bad, just not this bad. It wasn't worth it for me to risk it and it wasn't worth you worrying."

It was the easy explanation. He wasn't totally there, it was a sprint, and Austin had the announcement anyway. But she knew how huge this was for Dan. He desperately wanted to be in the car, he wanted to be driving and was so excited before the crash. But he gave up a potential weekend of racing to make sure she wasn't stressed. He spent it at a football game with her and putting tiny baby clothes away so when they left for the US in a few days everything was ready for when Em and Lulu arrived back in London. He did all of that. He loved them that much.

"I love you." Em curled into his side as much as she could, sighing with relief as her phone went off with a text from Chloe confirming Lance would be ok and showing it to Dan. Then she let her husband hold her while she revelled in the luxury that he was right there with her.

[uloelu]

Location: Windslar, Windenburg

(transcript under the cut)

Episode 2 | Previous | Next

So excited to be back with this series. Episodes 3-5 are going to be a bit shorter than usual, but only because I'm in the process of planning a huge slate of parties, plot-changing events, etc. for summer break. Can't wait to share what I've cooked up with you! No additional parts to this episode, so I'll be back with episode 4 as soon as I finish editing my screenshots.

Episode 3: Suddenly Summer

Scene 1 - 28 Windslar

Irving (narrating a montage of the Brookestone-Walker household enjoying the first few days of summer): I hate summer. Okay, maybe that’s a little strong.

I like that, instead of pacing around in the house because rainstorms have flooded her usual trails, Chloe can go for her morning runs. I like that everyone in the house seems to be happier than in the spring, when the six of us first moved in.

(Cut to a political protest in San Myshuno)

Miki Ojo: What do we want?

Yuki Kuma: A living wage!

Miki: When do we want it?

Josh: Now!

(Cut back to Wes and Morgan making out in her apartment building)

Irving: I like that Josh and Wes have found actual hobbies instead of fighting about who gets to use the household computer (it’s mine). Although I’m not sure you can call what Wes gets up to a “hobby”. (He sneaks into the house at 1AM smelling like weed and cat dander.)

But aside from the awful heat—who knew Germany could get as hot as Willow Creek?—and prom fever at school, summer means I can’t keep avoiding my biggest irritation: Dr. Crêpes.

Scene 2 - Willow Creek Library

Irving: I don’t even know why I have to be here. I’m doing fine in school. Principal Prescott says I’m a shoo-in for valedictorian next year.

Dr. Crêpes: That’s great, Lindsey!

Irving: Irving. Everyone calls me that.

Dr. Crêpes: Right. Irving. (coughs) Child services recommended that I talk to you weekly to make sure you’re settling in well at your foster home. Now that school’s about to let out, it’s important that you receive all the help you need to remain your best self in the summer.

Irving: What if I don’t need any help?

Dr. Crêpes: Well—

Irving: No, seriously. I was told after my diagnosis that nothing had to change. That I’m fine just the way I am. That I get to define what autism means to me.

Dr. Crêpes: That’s absolutely true, Irving. Don’t get me wrong—I’m not here to upend your life. Think of me as a listening ear for whenever life stresses you out.

Irving (unconvinced): …

Dr. Crêpes: Unless you’re one of the lucky people who never get stressed out, in which case I totally envy you.

Irving: I did not say that.

Dr. Crêpes: Well, then, I’d love to hear anything you’re willing to share.

Irving: You promise not to tell anyone? Not even Audreyanna or Evelyn?

Dr. Crêpes: Therapist’s promise.

Scene 3 - Magnolia Park, Willow Creek

[Invited guests: Mila and Wolfgang Metzinger (aka Munch), Rani Anglond, Marissa Collins, Joy Jentanon, Cassandra Gótico (aka Goth), Morgan Landings (aka Fyres), Gene and Matt Whitmore (latter is @aashwarr's original character and won't be shown on-screen/quoted in these screenshots.]

Irving: Fine. Therapy wasn’t all that bad. And neither was the picnic our foster moms threw to celebrate the beginning of summer. I was surprised to see how many friends the other foster kids invited. I sure didn’t have anyone to invite. Not that I minded.

Cassandra (introducing Matt to Irving and Josh): Hey, Irving, come say hi to Matt. He says you’re in the same computer club.

Irving (cloudgazing): No, thanks. I’m trying to find video game characters in the clouds.

Joy (walking up to them): Aren’t you that guy who wrote that political op-ed in the school paper last week?

Josh: Am I?

Joy: Of course you are. I’m never wrong about these things. Josh, right?

Josh: Maybe. And you are...?

Joy: Joy. Chloe invited me. Your foster moms seem cool.

Josh: I’ll pass along the compliment. Didn’t think anyone actually read the paper. You into politics?

Joy: Very. I like to keep on top of things.

Josh: Well, Joy, it’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.

Joy (smirking): Spare me. I hated your take.

[lumosheart]

Tag Game: 10 Favourite Male TV Show Characters

Thanks for the tag @thornfield13713​! I’m going to follow your rule to only do one character per show. For some reason I set myself a hat challenge as well. I don’t know how or why that came about. I’m a massive fan of the great British bake-off/ sewing bee/ pottery throw down (etc), and tragically have got into watching reality TV recently, but figured that playing yourself isn’t the same as playing a character. So, here we go…

Will Scarlett - Robin Hood (BBC)

Let’s be honest, the show went downhill as soon as he left. Coincidence? I think not.

Merlin - Merlin 

Yes, I know, title character but anyone who uses cabbage head and dollop head as an insult is worth loving. Speaking of cabbages…

Cabbage Man - Avatar: The Last Airbender

We all deserve someone to love us as much as he loves cabbage. Jet was a close second with his stupid bit of straw.

Captain Jack - Doctor Who/Torchwood

Come on, who doesn’t love Jack?! 

Steve Harrington - Stranger Things

The parent we didn’t know we needed. 

Yuki Sohma - Fruits Basket

A wholesome bean whose only fault is that he never wears hats (as far as I can find), and thus ends the hat challenge.

Josh - Drake and Josh

Honestly, what a mood. I’ve watched so many TV shows but none of them compare to this - peak comedy. I miss this show.

Aziraphale - Good Omens

An incredibly witty and well-made series, which adapts the book beautifully. I relate to his love of plants and books.

Uncle Bryn - Gavin & Stacey

Comedy gold. We love. There are so many more comedies I could put down but this show is timeless. 

Will Parry - His Dark Materials

I am hyped for the next series of this. The first was so so so so good, made me cry and smile and yeah.

Alright, I’m off to cry about Will for a few hours. I tag whoever sees this and wants to do it! I triple dog dare @previously-on-the-reverse​ and @helgaahufflepuff​ to do it. 

[writer-and-artist27]

Power of Friendship

Heavily inspired by the many times I was down, only for Osie and Lang to find me and pick me up to keep going all over again. And this is a sequel to the previous fic of Hiding in the Dark, because Otoha and Kei can’t let a certain pianist wander for oh so long. Everyone deserves some light in their lives.

The themes for this little story consist of three recommendations from Lang and one last pick from me: (1) Light Up the Dark by Taylor Henderson, (2) Love Story Meets Viva La Vida from the Piano Guys, (3) the piano cover of Shut Up and Dance + Best Song Ever from the Rogers Family, and (4) Stars and Flowers (Piano Version) from Yuki Yuna is a Hero. To help with all the Friendship Feels. ;D

Dedicated to @owlsofstarlight and @langwrites. Because we’re the Writer’s Guild, and I hope fluff helps with the long night. You two have done a lot for me. It’s best to show how much, because I can’t be more thankful.

They shouldn’t have noticed. They weren’t supposed to have noticed.

For these past few years, I tried to keep my chakra on the down-low. Kei and Otoha were both sensors, and if I wanted to not trouble them with my emotions, it meant sealing off what I could. Boarding up — bottling up as much as I could.

It felt cowardly, almost hypocritical to give white lies of, “I’m okay” in the face of the Narutoverse. The fact that I was hiding away from my reincarnation buddies in spite of my own wish to be with them forever. In spite of my outer exterior encouraging emotional honesty when it came to personal problems.

Still, it didn’t change the fact that the darkness in my heart was my burden. I had to handle it. It was my weight, not theirs. Kei and Otoha had enough on their plates. They deserved more than worried tears about the future, more than my useless ideas.

They didn’t need to worry about me.

Yet, somehow, I was open enough to be caught off guard again.

“Tomo?”

Kei’s call of my nickname didn’t sound any different from usual, and even with the electric mixer on, I could still flip the switch off to turn around and face her. The cake batter could wait. It sounded like she needed something. “Mm? What is it, Kei?”

I couldn’t lie to her face like that. It was probably foolish to even try, because her hands were shoved in her jacket pockets and a wry, dry smile was on her face. “Think we can talk? Just for a bit. Otoha’s already in the other room.”  

My heart clenched on itself.

Hisako was already giving the mental push. C’mon, Tomoko-chan. Don’t freeze.

I sucked in a breath to steady myself. My chakra was still rolling around in my gut, adding to the butterflies that started popping up at Kei’s question, and I had to force it down. It wasn’t the time to be the deer in headlights. I wasn’t that little girl. I wasn’t.

This isn’t the old world, this isn’t the old world, this isn’t the old world.

I just had to keep repeating that mantra. Outwardly, I put on a small smile in return. “Sure? But…” the words felt somewhat foreign on my tongue as the first bit of honesty was already coming out. “What for, Kei?”

In the time it had taken for me to reply, Kei had only turned around to face the hallway. A single second was all it took for her to swivel her head back to meet my stare, something dark in her eyes. “Just to talk, Tomo,” she offered her hand to me. “Just to talk.”

My heart clenched again. I glanced between her open hand and the floor. “…This won’t trouble you?”

I didn’t even know where the question came from. But by the time it was already out in the air, I couldn’t stop myself.

Kei’s eyes widened a small margin, almost in surprise before softening. There was a spark in the black eyes replacing the dark from before, a spark that I could at least pinpoint as, “agreement” and “oh, you.” Fond exasperation, I think. It reminded me of — of Vy’s Dad. The same soft care. “Nah, it’s no real trouble,” she still gestured with her open hand towards me. It was hard to miss the small smile on Kei’s face. “Let’s just go to your room, Tomo. Trust me.”

For the last signal, Hisako grinned softly.

Even with my blood starting to race in my veins from all the butterflies, my hand was already resting in hers before I could consider any other options.

The walk to my room wasn’t that long. But Otoha was indeed there, letting out a soft dinosaur roar of recognition as soon as Kei opened the door. I didn’t know if the roar was of happiness or of some other emotion, but Kuroha-san seemed happy enough. “Glad to see you, Kei-Kei, To-To.”

That nickname still had some getting used to, because the heat flooding my cheeks was nothing to laugh at. “H-Hi again, Kuroha-san.”

Even without raising my head, I knew Kei was smiling. The dork. “C’mon, Tomo, less blushing, more talking.” Then my hand was being tugged and I could barely hold back from flailing as she guided me over to the floor where Kuroha-san was sitting. It didn’t take long for her to neatly plop down on a nearby seat cushion, and with her continued grip on my hand, I had no choice but to follow her example in doing the same. Because apparently the ninja had time to find the seat cushions in my closet and take them out for us to make a small group huddle.

“Um,” I said slowly, because this was not expected in the slightest. “What’s going on…?”

Otoha swiveled her head in Kei’s direction before slowly flapping a hand in the air. “Me first or you, Lang-Lang?” The small nervous laugh was unmistakable.

I was missing something. Um.

Kei sighed, and it was only then that I realized she had let go of my hand. “Might as well.” The tone had turned almost sad somehow, and I probably should have expected the next statement. Especially considering the cold air of my room somehow. My thoughts at the time chalked it up to the open window, but still.

It didn’t stop my heart from freezing once Kei turned to me with a raised eyebrow. “Tomo, I’m going to be level with you. Please cut the crap.”

“Eh?” was my rather intelligent answer. Because really, Kei had never taken that tone of voice before. Even in the few times I had seen her train with Team Minato in those sessions so long ago, she never got that short and to the point in front of me. This was new, and I didn’t know what to make of it. What left me instead of any other follow-up comment was, “What do you mean?”

Kei sighed again, and it was obvious something was weighing on her mind before Otoha interrupted with a raised hand. “To-To, you’ve been hiding your chakra away from us for the past few weeks, and we’re not in Kansas anymore. There’s no Wicked Witch to drop a house on, so what made you lose sight of the Yellow Brick Road?”

Hisako held back a knowing snort.

I was already starting to feel my hands shake. “K-Kuroha…san…”

“For better terms,” Kei added, tone going back to that same quiet, “You’ve been hiding something, Tomo. And we’re worried. What’s going on?”

Otoha’s jaw clenched before they added a soft and troubled mumble of agreement.

The urge to cry was starting to show up again. For the goddamn umpteenth time.

Of course they would notice. Of course they would.

How could I even think of hiding from my reincarnation buddies? My bestest friends in this whole wide world?

But after losing Leo and Josh…

Hisako was already hugging me. She knew. Of course she knew.

I took in the deepest breath I could muster, letting go of my chakra by just a little bit. “…Are you sure? H-Hearing me out, I mean? I’m…I’m not the best right now, and, and,” the crying urge was already starting to show in my voice, frig, “I’m kinda…yeah. Holding together. Slowly. B-Barely. Yeah.” A lump was already surfacing in my throat. “I’m—I’m trying not to cry. Again.”  

“Tomoko,” And now Kei was using my full name, what— “It’s okay. You’re with us. There’s a privacy seal on your door and Otoha and I are the only ones here.” A hand was resting over both of mine again, and it was obvious who it was. The tears were blurring my vision, but I could still make out the familiar calluses that was my first friend. “I said it before. Whatever you have to say, I’ll listen. Even now.” The smile in her voice was obvious as she squeezed my hands. “I know I still want to hear it.”

Another hand was quickly covering Kei’s, making a huddle on top of both of mine, and I tried not to jump. “Me too,” Otoha added just as quietly. I could even hear the beginnings of a comforting dinosaur trill in her voice with the gesture. “I want to hear it too, Vy-Vy.”

I didn’t deserve these two. I didn’t.

The first drops were already falling onto the pile of hands. “I-I don’t deserve you two. I just—I just don’t.” I wanted to smile, but the tears made it hard to even muster one as it kept cracking on my cheeks, the snot already starting to clog my nose. “I-I… I hid because I’m not worth it. Because I keep doubting you two. Because I’m afraid.”

Kei exhaled shakily, her voice coming out calm and controlled. “Of us? Or what?” She paused before the realization set in. “Of being alone? Of us leaving?”

Of course she would remember that talk about Ty.

The tears kept falling down on our combined hands as I could only nod jerkily.

“To-To…” Otoha’s other hand was already patting my head, and it took all I had to not lurch away from the gesture. “Dorothy didn’t leave you, and I’m not going to leave either. Although,” they paused, glancing at Kei once from what I could see through my bangs before continuing with a confused, “what would that make Kei? The Cowardly Lion? Because I’m pretty sure Kakashi’s the Scarecrow.”

Kei blinked before barking down a sudden laugh. “Os, I don’t think I’m lion-material.”

There was confusion running through my blood this time, but there was still one thing left to address. I tried not to choke. “…You knew?”

Kei and Otoha both were now turning back to stare at me again. A single second was all it took for Otoha’s voice to turn soft, their other hand patting my head all over again as a small dinosaur hum left their lips. “Yeah. Your chakra said everything, To-To. And you wear your heart on your sleeve. It was obvious. And, and we’re not going to leave you.”

The tears were falling faster now. Frig. “I-I think Kei’s the Tin Man with her swords…” But the sniffles were hard to ignore too. My chakra was flooding me like a tsunami because my limits were hit.

Hisako was still silent, hugging me.

They knew. Despite my lies, despite my hiding, they knew. They freakin’ knew. The questions were already leaving me faster than I could think on them, between the starts of sobs. “A-And you’re—you’re not going to leave? Even though I’m the girl who can’t forget the sight of her own blood? Even though I’m the girl who nearly broke her entire past family apart because she didn’t know her brother was doing something wrong? Even though—” my jaw clenched at the exact same time my heart did. “Even though I’m a useless civilian who’s worth jack shit…”

Otoha was already letting out a loud and troubled pterodactyl wail as Kei reached out with her other, free hand to squeeze my shoulder.

Frig, I was already crying, and I couldn’t even meet their eyes. I couldn’t even stop myself from asking the last question. “Why…why do you two still care?”

“Why do you stay?” was left unsaid because I couldn’t find the courage to even muster that anymore. The words were already out there, and I was going to reap whatever repercussions they had.  

I wasn’t expecting the headbutt. It was sudden, quick, and painful, but I was reeling back, and then I could only see resolute and pained black eyes. “Tomo.” Kei’s voice had turned hard, and it only vaguely registered that she was angry. What? “Tomo. You’re seriously asking that? Is it so hard to understand?” She was resting her head against mine, eyes closing slowly in time with her breathing. Even with the tears, I could still make out hers and Otoha’s hands still holding mine down from shuddering. “I've never seen you do a single thing bad enough to deserve how much weight you keep piling on your shoulders. You’re not useless, and you’re better than that.”

Those black eyes were opening to stare at me again, and I took in a shaky breath. “You’re my friend, Tomo. I don’t care about what your past says. Or the dark. I just care about you.”

My heart froze.

Hisako was smiling. There it is.

My reply was choked down to a small, “Eh?”

Kei was pulling away to give more distance, and then I could see the brown hair that was Kuroha-san. When— “To-To…” they mumbled a small, mournful noise before reaching with both hands past Kei’s fingers to touch mine. “To-To, you didn’t exclude me and forget me. You put up with my shit. You made me remember that I’m more than a faceless ninja.” A crooked grin was on their face, and I could barely find myself breathing. “You helped me remember that I’m real. So, I’m not leaving you. Lang-Lang and I, we aren’t leaving you.” They squeezed what they could of my fingers through the hand-pile. “We’re in this together, Vy-Vy. So, don’t be scared.”

The waterworks were officially on now.

I couldn’t even stop the sobs leaving my lips as my nose started to feel runny. “You two…ohmifreakinggod, you two ninja…”

Kei was smiling wryly as the tears kept falling down on our hand pile. “What Os said, all the way.” She was already reaching over with her not-wet hand to offer the start of what was looking like a big Group Hug. “C’mon, Tomo. You’re stuck with us for life, so quit hiding.”

“K-Keiiiiiiiiii…Otohaaaaaaaa…!” was the culmination of the high-pitched, choked noises that left my throat, and once Otoha was adding in a small and cute dinosaur hum, I finally lost it.

Otoha and Kei didn’t even seem to mind that I literally threw myself at them.

My heart wasn’t cold, the room felt warm, and my friends were hugging as hard as they could back. Even if my back was a bit sore from crouching for so long, even if my throat was becoming hoarse from all the crying, it didn’t change the fact that they were here.

Kei and Otoha — Lang and Os. They were here.

We were definitely Best Friends.

I could be with them. It was okay.

No doubts at all.

The darkness could finally be laid to rest.

“You doooooooorks…! H-How can you live saying that cheesy stuff~~?!”

“This coming from the girl who can’t go without a hug every day?”

“That’s what makes her To-To!”

“Heyyyyyyyyy…!”

“Aw, Tomo, it’s okay. I don’t think we meant for you to cry.”

“Th-These are happy tears, you doofus! You complete, ridiculous, insufferable, lovable, doofus!”

“One of those is not like the other, one of those just doesn’t belong~!”

“Heh. That’s how it should be.”

“You doooooooooorks…!”

“Love you too, dork.”

“We’re dorks for life!”

[briangroth27]

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2012) Season 5 Review

This was a great show! I discovered the series on Hulu just before Season 5 aired and was immediately drawn to its fun, exciting, off-kilter personality. Though I grew up on the 1980s animated series and movies of the 90s, it’s an extremely close toss-up between this version and the current IDW comic for my favorite version of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles; I think the brilliant mix of science and the supernatural in the Turtles’ comic made for their best origin story, but this show’s characters and overall storylines probably put it slightly ahead. I loved that it fully explored the scope of the Turtles mythology and had several ongoing, engaging plots while taking the time to do some really fun and/or bizarre one-off adventures. The action was always riveting and the cast was perfect. However, I think the final season was a bit uneven.

I was really impressed that they took the risk of killing off both Splinter (Hoon Lee) and Shredder (Kevin Michael Richardson) at the end of Season 4 and I was excited to see what the Turtles would be like on their own, particularly how Leonardo (Seth Green) would handle leading since this show has been so good about putting him through his paces in that area. Season 5’s first arc didn’t disappoint, even though I was wary about immediately trying to bring back Shredder (and Splinter) so soon; this arc would've been at home in midseason or as a series finale too, after we’d had some time to breathe without each side’s leaders. Tiger Claw’s (Eric Bauza) use of a demodragon named Kavaxas (Mark Hamill) to resurrect the Foot’s late leader worked as a compelling plot despite my misgivings and I was thrilled when it didn’t go the way Tiger Claw wanted. Zombie Shredder naming Kavaxas his new second in command instead of Tiger Claw was a perfect, fun twist. Kavaxas later turning on everyone to rule both the living realm and the Netherworld himself was foreshadowed pretty clearly, but his ghost/zombie apocalypse was a lot of fun and became a great excuse to get our heroic terrapins into a Ghostbusters riff (they even included Ray’s Occult Shop and Vigo’s lines from Ghostbusters 2!). This arc was a cool way to showcase the supernatural side of the series, with a great (if brief) demonic villain in Kavaxas, brought to life with an awesome performance from Mark Hamill. Kavaxas was so powerful and ruthless—like when he pulled the soul out of Tatsu (Michael Hagiwara) without thinking twice—that he could’ve worked as a season-long enemy. 

Regardless, this arc was a great, exciting, and touching kick off to the season. I do think it would’ve been a bit stronger to have Tiger Claw summon Kavaxas for his own purposes instead of to resurrect Shredder though; what ideas for leadership does Tiger Claw have? That would've been something entirely different for the Turtles to face. He was always a major threat to the guys and could’ve at least tried to lead the Foot rebels himself before resorting to summoning demons and bringing back Shredder. Given the release of souls in the arc, Shredder and Splinter could've come back as a side effect of summoning Kavaxas anyway, still allowing the Turtles to briefly reunite with Splinter and Karai (Kelly Hu) with Shredder. However, it still worked as it played out. That the guys got to say a real goodbye to Splinter was touching and a great use of his ghost, while zombie Shredder ultimately dragging Kavaxas back to the Netherworld was a nice touch. I’m very glad the writers resisted the impulse to permanently bring back either Shredder or Splinter: we’d seen enough of both of them and their return would've hampered the progress of the Turtles. I also don’t know how any plot with Shredder could’ve topped the epic final battle at the end of Season 4.

The character development and side stories that came out of the Kavaxas arc were good too. I liked Leo looking to Splinter’s shrine in a moment of doubt about his leadership skills. Donnie’s (Rob Paulson) grudge against Don Vizioso (Brian Bloom) was a great bit of character development, especially as it briefly made him the “Raph” of the team, running off on a vendetta that screwed up things for his brothers. Karai vs. her old, blind teacher Hattori Tatsu was a great look at a different part of her past. I really wish we’d learned more about what she wanted to do with the reformed Foot and this battle for the rightful ownership of Shredder’s Kuro Kabato would’ve been the perfect time to explore that. Does she want them to be a force for good in the city; a network of ninja vigilantes fighting crime? Or does she have other plans? Either way, Tiger Claw calling a ceasefire between the Hamato and Foot clans because of their team-up against Kavaxas was a nice touch and an unexpected way to end the threat of the rebel Foot for good. With no more Foot to lead, I suppose he returned home after that. Likewise, Fishface (Christian Lanz) bailing on the Foot to return to his old life of low-stakes crime after giving the Turtles a heads up about Shredder was perfect. Rahzar (Clancy Brown) was always a lot of fun, so even though his brief resurrection didn't make much of an impact on the show or characters, it was good to see him again one last time. Falling into the Netherworld was a solid way to undo that resurrection. It was also nice to get a brief return of Ho Chan (James Hong) and closure for even minor villains like Don Vizioso and Hammer (Eric Bauza). They must’ve pushed the censors to their limit by giving Vizioso Shredder’s actual heart! Yikes. Tiger Claw’s mutate underlings having been mutated by Super Shredder’s mutagen leftovers, thereby giving them all a sliver of his mind/personality, was a cool (if brief) new wrinkle to the Foot. I also liked the introduction of the latest 2D animated parody show, Space Heroes: The Next Generation. That was a nice full-circle choice.

I liked that Mona Lisa (Zelda Williams) and Sal Commander (Keith David) got to return—along with the Newtralizer (Danny Trejo) and Lord Dregg (Jeffrey Combs)—to wrap up the outer space segment of the series. I love how dense the universe this show built for the Turtles is and the fact that this season revisited every part of it was a smart decision. Raphael’s (Sean Astin) reunion with Mona Lisa was great and I really liked that they subverted expectations of their courtship with him being completely dumbfounded by her and bashful in her presence. Given his role in the space segment of the series, it felt like Casey (Josh Peck) should’ve played a big role in this mini-arc. Still, this arc maintained the epic scope of the space segment of the series. Dregg’s invasion and plan to use humans as larval pods for the Vreen was exactly as long as it needed to be, with the exception of one plot point. That stumbling block was Mikey’s (Greg Cipes) “death,” which was a total shocker (pun absolutely intended). I had no idea how they were going to write themselves out of that, so to have him just…be OK, just briefly electrical-powered all of a sudden was a letdown. Even so, I liked that this was a fast-paced wrap-up of the space stuff and it was cool that they found a way to even close off Lord Dregg and Newtralizer this season.

The Turtles’ journey to Miyamoto Usagi’s (Yuki Matsuaki) anthropomorphic alternate world was a solid adventure, but I would’ve liked to see more development within the Turtles along the way. Specifically, I would’ve liked something about the guys looking at this world and thinking they could make a real life out in the open here. They wouldn’t have to hide ever again and this doesn’t really cross their minds as something they might like? Their inability to live without pizza or TV would be a totally acceptable argument for them going home, but it could’ve at least been a discussion. I was expecting Kintaro’s (Evan Kishiyama) supremely annoying nature (they did a great job at making him a brat) to bounce off Mikey’s shenanigans more than they did too; how does Mikey handle suddenly being the more mature one? Kintaro’s brattiness could’ve been a wake-up call that he might need to grow up a little bit. Also, did any of the Turtles look at Usagi and see Splinter or a future version of themselves? Leo bolstering Kintaro’s confidence was a good moment for his development as a leader, though. I also really liked the world-building that went into these episodes: they did a great job of establishing Usagi’s world and making it feel lived-in and old. The opening scene of Usagi’s first battle with Jei (Keone Young) and his story about the death of his master General Mifune went a long way to give it a sense of history. I liked the use of the mischievous Japanese spirits and the spiders were super creepy; even though it took place on an alternate world, this mini-arc gave the Turtles a brief exposure to the culture Splinter instilled in them (though I wish at least one of them had come away wanting to actively practice and live it more). Starting the episode from Usagi’s point of view, introducing the Turtles as pawns of Jei, and making the focus Kintaro’s growth rather than the Turtles’ (even if it would’ve been stronger to have them also changed by their adventure), was a cool way to make this mini-arc distinctive and to change up the episode formula.

The flashback to the earliest days of Splinter raising his turtle sons was a nice one-off adventure, but didn’t seem to fit with the rest of the arcs that wrapped up plots or just went big this year. Maybe it’s because I know the Turtles’ origin so well, but I didn’t need to see this show’s variation on how they came to live in the sewers or get their weapons/names. This flashback to the early days didn’t shed much if any new light on the Kraang (Nolan North), but did serve its function as a nice way to touch base with where the show started in the midst of arcs about everywhere it went. Splinter’s realization that the Turtles have given him a second chance at fatherhood (he still believed Karai was dead at this point) was the biggest and best moment of the episode. While a solid episode that would’ve been fine in an earlier season, I felt like this slot could’ve been put to better use as part of a bigger story.

“Raphael: Mutant Apocalypse” was my least favorite arc this season. It was a fun and definitely original idea—I never would’ve thought of putting the Turtles into Mad Max’s world—but it overstayed its welcome and if it’s meant to be the canon future of this world, why? Why kill April (Mae Whitman), Casey, and nearly everyone else we know for this depressing apocalypse? My head-canon is that this is just one of the ten dimensions (and every synopsis I’ve read states that it’s an alternate future, but it would’ve been nice to confirm that onscreen). Mira the Meerkat (Jessica DiCicco) was a fine character, but it felt like she was there more to introduce the map plot than anything else. Still, it was nice to see Chompy (Dee Bradley Baker) continue to grow and that Ice Cream Kitty (Kevin Eastman) had survived. The Honey Badgers were threatening enough to be legitimate obstacles, but not really distinctive from the villains the Turtles faced on a daily basis. 

I felt like “Mutant Apocalypse” went on for an episode too long and despite the fresh setting, didn’t really do much interesting with the characters. Raph becoming a hardened, grizzled scavenger, Donnie Metalhead, and Mikey a new age desert sage certainly made sense as outcomes for those characters, but they also felt like the most obvious directions for each of them to go. What if instead, Donnie rebuilt Raph as Metalhead to keep his brother going, replacing him piece by piece as his brother was continually worn down in fights? Losing parts of his body to mechanics and being unable to depend on himself to fight would affect Raph far more than tech-obsessed Donnie. What if Donnie was losing his mind in the desert and the only thing keeping him focused and lucid was tinkering; keeping himself going by keeping Raph and their van going? Losing his memory like Ralph was also would’ve been a greater tragedy for Donnie, since his best weapon is his mind. What if Mikey were the one that became the serious, hardened road warrior in the absence of Leo? The death of his brother (and the world) could’ve been a wake-up call that this wasn’t a game and the loss of his innocence would’ve been a tragedy in itself. If you’re going to flip the whole world upside down, why not take the characters to unexpected extremes as well? Leo turning out to be Maximus Kong was the only real surprise (I bought that he was dead at first)—and a nice connection to the parallel universe Space Heroes: TNG episode that revealed the hero characters we’d been watching were the bad guys—but “hero driven mad” doesn’t really resonate when Leo never gets a chance to truly reflect on what he’s done. Will Leo ever have to answer for the horrors he and his army inflicted on the world? It doesn’t seem so. Instead, as daring a development as it was, the lack of consequences made it feel like nothing more than a way to make the mysterious enemy important. If there had been any indication in the normal timeline that Leo could go bad, Maximus Kong would make more sense, because it’d be something inside him brought to the surface by the mutagen bomb. However, making him just angry/confused and accidentally evil pulled the rug out from everything he’d done. I did like the reversal of Leo and Raph’s relationship, though, where Leo was the one overcome by anger and instinct and Raph had the more level head. There’s also a good moment of the surviving brothers mourning Leo before they find out he’s still alive.

It was cool that they also took the time to wrap up Renet (Ashley Johnson) and Savanti Romero (Graham McTavish), and taking a mini-arc to revisit the time travel aspect of the Turtle universe was another inspired way to make this season a true exploration of everything this series was. I love the classic Universal monsters, so to see so many of them translated here (right down to the episode title cards!) was awesome! I liked the Halloween invasion by the legion of monsters, and while I wish Casey and April had been given more to do, making them vampires was definitely creepy. I was impressed they made Dracula (Chris Sarandon) so evil and loved every second of it. They also did a great job giving the Mummy (Grant Moninger) some real power. Frankenstein and his Monster (both played by Grant Moninger as well) fit into the story perfectly, and the fight throughout Frankenstein’s lab was a particular standout. The Turtles’ disguises and excuses for what they were (trolls, goblins, etc.) throughout Europe in the various time periods were a lot of fun, and Leo’s Van Helsing dig was especially funny. Vampire Raph was another really fun use of the monster storyline and I was surprised by how long they let him remain a bloodsucker. Mikey’s bond with Frankenstein’s Monster was great and Mary Shelley’s classic creation was a cool connection to our similarly misunderstood heroes.

I enjoyed the final arc, but it also left me a little disappointed since it was the series finale. The 80s Shredder and Krang (Pat Fraley) showing up was an OK idea—I especially loved Krang sitting in a booster seat at a diner: that was brilliant!—but it felt wrong to give this show’s finale to a retread of a team-up we already saw earlier in the series. It felt like they went for nostalgia instead of making a final statement about this show, and that was a shame: the characters and world of this show are exceptionally strong and should’ve been honored with their own finale. As big and classic as Shredder and Krang are as Turtle villains, going back to that well at this point was underwhelming (particularly when you’re dealing with intentionally less-dangerous versions). I was also disappointed Mona Lisa wasn’t with the Mutanimals in the finale. They set her up to join them in her return this year, but then didn’t even mention her absence here. That said, there were some great moments in these episodes. It was cool to see our Turtles train and toughen up the 80s guys; I was surprised at how far they took the original show’s Turtles not using their weapons for actual combat (“Someone could get hurt!”). Our April’s “Do reporters in your world wear jumpsuits?” was another fun line. Shredder and Krang being so surprised at how efficient our Bebop (J.B. Smoove) & Rocksteady (Fred Tatasciore) were was also fun. Karai meeting an alternate version of her “father” was cool, but I feel like they could’ve done more with it. Our Bebop and Rocksteady reforming is such a fun idea that I wish they’d given it more time to breathe. Would the Turtles help mentor them? Get tired of their antics and accidentally drive them back to crime? What if Bebop & Rocksteady accidentally became wildly successful as public heroes, maybe even getting paid for their services? How jealous would the Turtles be that these fools found a way to come out of hiding and be celebrated for their heroics? I wish this arc had been the opening storyline of the season, allowing Bebop & Rocksteady’s evolution to continue over the course of the year.

The Turtles being bored after defeating all their enemies was a solid idea—and I love that the show had actual endings for their villains, not never-ending back-and-forth struggles—but I would’ve preferred more forward momentum in harnessing their own destinies. Some effort at getting out of the sewers and making a real change to their status quo would’ve been great and totally new. In a season full of mini-arcs about where the guys had been over the course of the series, I would’ve loved an exploration of where they’re going. Will people ever accept them? Will their personalities always bring them to this configuration of the team (Leo leads, Mikey’s a party dude, etc)? Raph made great strides to overcome his rage on this show, but will he ever find real inner peace? What will Leo do when/if the guys don't want to fight anymore? Are their new students for him to train somewhere? Would he lead the Foot with Karai? Might Donnie become a reclusive tech mogul and/or video game designer? What does the future have in store for Mikey? Could he become a X-Games contestant? Party-animal DJ? Chef? All of the above? What about the guys’ love lives? I definitely thought it was past time for Donnie to be over April and I would’ve liked to see her and Casey get together while Donnie moves on to a new love interest. It felt like that triangle had been settled already and to hint that he still had those feelings for her felt like a step backward. In addition to exploring those questions, I really wish we’d seen much more of April, Casey, Karai, and Shinigami (Gwendoline Yeo) this year. All four of them seemed to largely vanish this season and that’s a shame. What do April and Casey want out of their lives beyond helping the guys fight crime? The two of them are major characters and their lack of focus here felt wrong. What are Karai and Shinigami going to do with the reformed Foot? I’m glad that so many villains got wrapped up, but are there new threats on the horizon? Will there be a resolution to the existence of mutants in New York; will they become an accepted part of daily life, get cured somehow, or will something entirely different happen?

I know it seems like I’m being hard on this season, but I still had a lot of fun with it and this show in general. It rekindled my love of the Turtles and I’m really sorry to see it end so soon after discovering it. I’m eager to check out the tie-in comics from this show, but there are TV elements comics can’t replicate. All the actors were perfect for their roles; these are the voices I’m going to hear when I read TMNT comics for a very long time. I loved the character designs, the personalities of the characters (these are also going to be the definitive versions for me for a long time coming), and that the action was always kinetic and exciting. The arcs each character got were great (even if this season stumbled a bit in that department), and this show definitely made the best use of April yet. I loved that the show was willing to go dark when the story called for it (without ever forgetting to be funny or downright silly) and loved even more that it was willing to go WEIRD. “Pizza Face,” man. The homages to sci-fi of the 80s and 90s were right up my alley, so they were very much appreciated. The new theme song incorporating just enough of the 80s theme to feel like the Turtles while still being something new made it instantly catchy and a perfect summation of this series as a whole. It’s probably even better than the classic 80s version and I wish they hadn’t changed it this season (though this lyric-less version wasn’t bad).

I’ll miss this show a lot, but I know I’ll revisit it often down the road. Despite a few missed opportunities for character development and plot progression this year, these Turtles still have it and are definitely worth checking out!

  Check out more of my reviews, opinions, and original short stories here!

[marielledownunder]

Farmworklife in Tassie

I’ve been here now in this hostel for 1 month, and the same goes for picking apples. Yup, I was still doing that. 37 days of piece rate until now.

I still didn’t mind picking them, because I actually could make money, but I couldn’t always trust the weather. Some mornings aren’t always an easy start, especially when it has been raining. Picking from trees which are totally soaked made me slower and I became soaked as well...

Once on a Sunday I looked on the ad wall and there was a stranger hanging a note about his car. He tried to sell his car for 650$. ‘Wow, that’s cheap’, was my first thought. ‘Should I take the risk for that price?’ was my second thought. But then I thought, maybe it will be sold in a few hours and I may have a better job with a car. So I asked the guy if I could check immediately and I decided in 5 min to buy it. Worst timing though, cause I had an appointment, but we met again at 5pm and yes I spontaneously bought my first car! It’s not the most fabulous one, but it works and brings me to work. Hello freedom!

So I told Ben, the hostel manager, about my new car and he told me I could have a new job where we could have lots of 10 hours shifts. I had to go to the agency named Vmac with Lilly from Germany. They told us we could work Thursday and Saturday. We asked if we needed some special clothes and if we would work in a fridge. We’ve been told no, but well we weren’t happy with that answer. We didn’t know what to expect, but we figured out we had to work in a chicken factory, in a fridge. Imagine that idea what you get in a meat factory, well yeah we’ve seen thousands of hanging chicken bodies in that place. I was able to work with it, but most people wouldn’t I suppose haha. Lilly is even vegan, so I felt so sorry for her. We had to pack drumsticks, hang hundreds of chickens and stuffing them with spices and tie their legs. Those stuffed chickens are actually the 8$ roast ones we see in Coles, the supermarket of Australia.

That weekend was also Easter weekend. Friday we went with the people (too many to name) from my hostel to Meander to do a hike, which failed pretty hard. After few hours we turned back.

The next day I worked at 4 in the morning and in the evening we had a Easterfeast from the hostel. There was a dresscode, something Biblical. I dressed up as a modern nun haha. Lots of others were a rabbit.

We got roast pork and it was delicious. After that lots of drinks and loud music. During the night I went to McDonalds with Yuki, Mika and Risa from Japan. In the end I lost my keys and found them in their car but they were asleep of course. Good job Marielle, so I had to awaken my roomie to get inside. Luckily I got inside.

The next day we were packing our stuff bacause we decided to go camping in Freycinet national park. We went there with Federico, Naomi, Josh, Lilly (DE), Lilly (UK), Jasmine, Mia and Elia. Took our cars, bought some gear and drove 3 hours to Freycinet. We walked to a beach which I forgot the name. Then later on we camped at a free camping spot named River & Rocks. A nice camping spot with the beach alongside. I set up 2 tents with Naomi. Felt like an independent woman haha. Then we made a lovely campfire to enjoy our night.

The next day I woke up so early. I didn’t have a matress so during the night I decided to sleep in my car. Everyone said that they would wake up at 6 to see the sunrise, but actually I was the only one who went to the beach. The view was beautiful.

Then the others woke up around 8ish and we prepared ourselves to do a hike. We decided to do Wineglass bay. A beautiful beach which is part of the top 20 beaches of Australia!

Reached the beach and chilled for a bit. The way back was a pain in the arse with all those steps haha.

After Easter weekend Lilly and I came back to the chicken factory. We worked for 3 hours and then the boss sent us home. We refused, and pretended that we were still working. We went home after 3,5 hours.. and the agency texted us that it’s quiet and they won’t need us for the rest of the week and they’ll text later about next week. Bad sign... We went back to apples in the afternoon but the boss didn’t want us to work. Lilly and I were so annoyed but we still wanted to make the best of our day, because the weather was great. Therefore we decided to go to the arboretum and Liffey Falls. On our way back we got an amazing view during golden hour.

We came back the next day and the supervisor accepted us. Bam, made 5 bins again. The next day we asked how long till the apples are finished and we’ve been told that it would end the next week. At the end of the same day the tractor driver told us that apples are finished and that we’re not supposed to come back anymore. Half of the hostel became jobless and well I started to think if I should leave or not. “Should I go back to Bundaberg or is that the stupidest idea ever? Maybe somewhere else in Queensland? Or maybe New South Wales?” I Checked the flight prices and the farmwork situation in several areas on Facebook. Then I thought, let’s see if I can find a new job by tomorrow and relax. 

The next day I went with some peeps from the hostel to different areas. I went to different orchards and they said that pink ladies will be in season by the next week or later. Costa (picking berries) told us that we could work by next week Friday. I started to lose my hope but I decided to go back to the agency where I got the chicken factory job. Luck came out of nowhere and a woman told us that they needed people for a company named “Huon Aquaculture”, a fish factory where Lilly and I actually were supposed to go 1 week ago. We gave her our number and she booked us an introduction for the next Tuesday. Wooo! No panic anymore. Let’s stay at least till Tuesday and see how it goes... Let’s drink at least and it was also Federico’s last night. Drank enough, smoked a bit and said goodbye to Federico :( 

The next weekend was a long weekend where I definitely felt like a potato.. só useless. At least I went to Guide falls with Naomi, Harry, Jonas, Kit, Lou, Laura, Amber, Sunny and Mike and we chilled to the max.  

Right now I’m just waiting, chilling, blogging, wasting my farmdays etc. until Tuesday and let’s see how my new job will be. Oh man, I made 41 days so far in 2 months and 47 days to go in 2 months... fingers crossed haha.