#imagine if his run was written by someone competent who doesn't get off on having a plot that is actively so convoluted

[moonlitlex]

taking a break from hating on chris chibnall and whatever is going on in the star beast to say matt smith deserved better. he genuinely did such a good job with the utter garbage half of his run was (looking at you season 6) he deserved to have some really fun and insane writing like he got in amys choice and the god complex and a town called mercy all the time why didn't they just let him go really insane constantly why does steven moffat hate me specifically why did that man (matt) look off camera in a way that put thousands of years on his face how did he do that

[deke-rivers-1957]

Rock-a-Doodle Review

Don Bluth channels a fable from the Middle Ages and combines it with Glen Campbell's Elvis inspired vocals. The intent to adapt the fable Chanticleer and the Fox into an animated movie goes back all the way to the early days of the Walt Disney Studios. Unfortunately, it never saw the light of day as Walt Disney himself rejected the project in favor of The Sword in the Stone. It wasn't until 1982 when Disney animator Don Bluth left the company, that the project was revived under his own name. It faced a lot of development issues and it wasn't until 1988 that the project officially got off the ground.

Somewhere along the way the story became very messy but one thing was made clear. Don Bluth intended for Chanticleer to be similar to Elvis Presley as confirmed in a 1990 magazine article found at this link: https://web.archive.org/web/20170106230513/http://www.cataroo.com/DBrock.html. To make it absolutely clear that it was meant to be Elvis inspired if not an alternate version of Elvis, they had The Jordanaires to do the backing vocals for their soundtrack. Even with the release date being pushed back to avoid competing against the Disney classic Beauty and the Beast, the movie was seen as a complete failure. Are there redeemable factors that showcase that hand drawn animation died too soon, or did this film completely lay an egg? Let's find out.

So we get opening narration that explains how the sun rises everyday because a rooster named Chanticleer crows. Chanticleer's song very much reminds me of Elvis up until 1956. He was known for having a twang but also a bluesy sound when he sings.

There's a confrontation between Chanticleer and the Grand Duke's henchmen that prevented Chanticleer from crowing in time. The sun comes up anyway and everyone hates him. They label him a fraud and Chanticleer runs away from the farm. Again it reminds of me Elvis' beginnings where even though he liked singing and never claimed to be bigger than he was, he was heavily judged by his peers.

In a very weird twist, this movie isn't entirely animated. In fact I have no idea if this is a real story since this is now being narrated by a live action mother. I guess this is where Who Framed Roger Rabbit meets Wizard of Oz as the lines of what reality is supposed to be is blurred. We still get the disembodied narration over the live action scenes. I guess it's supposed to explain that this is all Edmond's imagination as the real life storm rages but again I have no idea.

The storm scene is tense since I'm sure a lot of farmers can relate to the real world struggles of potential flooding. The addition of the Grand Duke meeting the live action Edmond is also understandably scary if you're a child. The Grand Duke is no longer just a fictional character but also someone who could exist in this world. In fact him saying he despises rock and roll is a parallel to how Elvis had so many sophisticated people criticize his type of music. They viewed it as something that was loud and obnoxious.

So to transition back to animation, the Grand Duke transforms Edmond into an animated kitten. Because he had full intentions of eating him, I guess it makes sense within the story. Edmond of course freaks out about this since he's basically a 5 year old. With the help of Patoo, an old hound dog who I guess is the narrator, they scare the Grand Duke off. I do admit that if it isn't for subtitles I wouldn't be able to understand a word this kid says. I get that they needed a child for this role, but it's a double edged sword to try to be as realistic as possible. Edmond is written to be a little kid so it's a step up from contemporary movies that try to make kids talk like adults. The problem is that he doesn't have much of a personality outside of being a cutesy kid who's very hard to understand.

We get introduced to the other animals on Chanticleer's farm. Everyone's afraid of the rain and the Grand Duke so they need help to find Chanticleer in the city. Before they can set off on their journey, Edmond's room starts to flood. The main characters manage to find a toy box to float their way out. I have no idea why Chanticleer is the solution since he was already revealed to have no effect on the sun rise. Maybe it's meant to be symbolic where him leaving eventually lead to everything going wrong, so bringing him back could lead to things getting better. Or it could be very literal where the animals saw him as a leader, so him leaving meant no one was strong enough to stand up to the Grand Duke.

I like the organ music. It gives a unique style to the traditional villain song. It adds to the Grand Duke's character of preferring classical music over "lowbrow" genres. Since Chanticleer apparently is the only way the rain will stop, the Grand Duke has plans on making sure he never comes back to the farm. So he sends his henchmen and his nephew out to find Edmond et al.

I got to admit, I like how tension is made because of character flaws that naturally exist. For instance, the toy box the main characters are in is starting to flood because Snipes is claustrophobic. To try to get air, he starts to peck holes in the box, allowing water to rush inside. Even though they survive that, the box just as quickly gets destroyed when it pops out of the aqueduct pipe. Fortunately they make it to the city safely.

When the Grand Duke's nephew comes back to tell him the news, he's not happy. Turns out the "adequate" pipe was really a pipe that sends water right to the city. So he sends his nephew to the city, giving him sunglasses in the process.

The main characters start their search for Chanticleer and it's very obvious this is all a reference to Elvis' stint in Vegas. Heck they even show him in a pink Cadillac with his stage name being "The King". That's when the gang realize that Chanticleer was hiding right under their noses so they go to his show.

If this scene doesn't make it anymore obvious that this is Elvis, I don't know what to say. They make it a point to give him a harsh manager. Anyone who knows about the Colonel could tell that Chanticleer's manager is meant to be him. Heck Chanticleer even uses the cliche "thank you, thank you very much."

Even though Chanticleer isn't the main character, you can't help but feel bad for him. Despite being at the top of the world and having the world in his hands, Chanticleer feels lonely. That's something we know Elvis struggled with himself according to private conversations with various people he knew.

The Grand Duke contacts his manager and makes it clear that the main characters can't succeed in their plan. Despite following Chanticleer from show to show, they couldn't contact him. This is the most Elvis reference to have ever Elvised. When the average person thinks about Elvis this is what they see. It also doesn't help that his music number references Tupelo, his real life birthplace. Even the song sounds like something that Elvis would sing.

They succeed to give Chanticleer their letter, but it's all for nothing as Goldie is sent on stage. She kisses Chanticleer and that's all she wrote. He falls in love with her and completely forgets about the letter. I don't hate Goldie for doing this since she does have issues with manipulating Chanticleer. Also it's usually bad taste to blame a young starlet for doing favors to appease a man of power in exchange for a possible advancement in career. Goldie's involvement in this plot if anything reminds me of Ann Margaret. Ann Margaret and Elvis had undeniable chemistry in the mega hit movie, Viva Las Vegas. Even though their relationship in real life isn't at all like how it's portrayed in this movie, you understand that this is meant to be a play on Ann Margaret. She's the young starlet that really takes off once she got involved with Elvis/Chanticleer.

They eventually find Chanticleer or rather Goldie's trailer at the movie studio. Despite Edmond trying to explain the situation, Goldie doesn't believe him and screams. This seems to alert Chanticleer's manager as the main characters get trapped. Don't ask me how a mouse could possibly be trapped by a net with giant holes in it. Heck she literally has most of her body out of it just to sneer. I get they needed to capture all of them, but it's still an annoying aspect of cartoons where a character is trapped despite having the means to escape relatively easily.

Seeing Goldie regret what happened is exactly why I don't blame her. Once she saw the full story, she knew this was terrible for Chanticleer. We get a comedic scene of the Grand Duke's nephew trying to take out the gang while Goldie tries to tell Chanticleer what happened. She gives him the letter and I'm glad we don't have this dramatic irony last too long.

I'm also glad that Chanticleer is fully aware that he isn't powerless in this situation. He knows that what his manager is doing is blackmail and understands he has to game the system long enough to make a plan. In fact, it doesn't take him long at all to figure out how to break them free. It's honestly incredible how Chanticleer was able to understand the toxic environment he was in and was able to get out of it.

Edmond's finally given something important to do as he has to act as the get away driver. No idea why they couldn't have Patoo do this since he's bigger and it doesn't matter anyway since Edmond's quickly taken off the wheel when Peepers tries to reconnect the trailer to the car. Edmond has this flashback sequence where he realizes he can't be afraid.

Despite this being a cartoon, you feel the tension when the gang's stuck on that water tower. Just as they're about to fall to their deaths, Peepers saves them. I have no idea how she managed to get access to that helicopter and time it exactly right but we'll just call it a Deus Ex Peepina.

Meanwhile, the Grand Duke finds the farm animals with the full intent of eating them. Somehow a pig is smaller than an owl but whatever, the Grand Duke's magic. Fortunately for the animals, Edmond and the gang make it in time. Unfortunately, the helicopter crashes in the water forcing them to get stranded on island of grass.

Even though Chanticleer tries to crow he can't. Somehow it's because he has no confidence. Yeah that's a bit contrived. They should've just had it where the Grand Duke used his magic to prevent him from crowing. But Edmond interferes causing the Grand Duke to literally choke him unconscious. That's insanely dark for a relatively harmless kids movie. Like the Grand Duke by himself is menacing but watching him choke a kid is wild.

In fact it's what's actually his undoing. The animals see his act of violence and encourage Chanticleer to crow. The Grand Duke turns into a literal cyclone but because Chanticleer now has confidence, he crows. The sunlight causes the Grand Duke to lose his powers. I know it's something he's afraid of but causing him to shrink? Yeah the magic makes no sense in this movie. We get the fake out of Edmond dying but no. He just turns back into a real boy. But even then we get yet another twist. It was apparently all a dream.

In the live action world, everyone thinks it was just a fictional story. That Chanticleer had nothing to do with it. I don't know what happened with the audio, but there's a weird sound to it that makes me think it's an echo. The mom assures Edmond it was just a dream, but I'm just not sure. We see a live action Edmond interact with the cartoon farm animals. It's obvious this is meant to be like Who Framed Roger Rabbit. Unlike that movie, Edmond is obviously superimposed on the animated footage. I think they're trying to show that this really is Edmond's imagination, but I have no idea.

At least the reprise of the opening song is just as good. In fact all the songs are pretty decent. Chanticleer's songs in particular are pretty entertaining and really respect Elvis' sound. Chanticleer in general is a good tribute to Elvis. He's not meant to be a joke as when he was made fun of, we're supposed to feel bad for him. He gives kids a good introduction of elements from Elvis' life. It isn't at all meant to be biographically accurate, but it's a kid friendly way of explaining the struggles he faced.

Compared to other bad kids movies, this film has actual merit. Being based on a fable gives it some credit as it's a unique story. I can also say that this movie is not at all predictable. While it does take elements from Wizard of Oz by trying to spin it as being only a dream, the movie does blur the line of reality. Was it a dream? I have no idea. That at least makes it a step above modern kids movies where you know exactly what's going to happen and doesn't try to give you something beyond the bare bone cliched characters and plot elements.

Did it deserve all the hate? Not really. It's underwhelming sure, but again compared to the content we have now directed towards children, this is harmless. As someone with no childhood attachment to this movie, I actually thought it was pretty enjoyable. If you're an Elvis fan, I would recommend watching it just to see how many parallels exist. Even if you're not an Elvis fan, it's still worth showing it to children. It's innocent fun that isn't pandering or relying on the cliched potty humor that seems to be copy pasted into a lot of children movies. Therefore, I'm giving this movie a 7/10 since it doesn't blow me away by any means but it also isn't an abomination with terrible jokes that make the audience feel uncomfortable.

AN: Shout out to the discord besties for watching this movie with me and suggesting I make a review.

Tagging: @hooked-on-elvis, and @atleastpleasetelephone.

[yvtro]

hi! i'm writing a jason-centric fic and i want to characterize him more like in canon than fanon. what do you think are things i should avoid? what are things people misinterpret most about his character? what are his motivations/goals as the red hood? can he be written as a revolutionary and if so then how (from my understanding of canon he mostly killed criminals to piss off bruce not because he wanted to change society)? what are things Jason could do to actually change society/help people/lower crime in gotham instead of killing criminals? i also heard people say something about war on drugs in connection to jason and i'm wondering what's the connection? sorry if this is a lot, i just have a lot of questions and can't find any answers to them in metas i read so i decided to ask someone about it :)

hi. i must say the ask itself is a bit confusing, do you not read comics? or do you want some second opinion, or to brainstorm with someone? interpreting the canon yourself is already a huge part of working on a fic, and simply taking for granted what other people say seems to be a bit boring, but well, i'm not judging.

there's lots to unpack is this ask though, so let me try to dissect it:

"i want to characterize him more like in canon than fanon" <- so first of all i want to say that there doesn't exist any consistent characterisation of jason esp. after his 80s robin runs. there have been dozens of people writing him, each having their own ideas, underwriting and overwriting their own work even. there's also plenty of stuff that has never been addressed by canon. so if you want to write jason to make any sense, you have to cherry pick a bit, and i think that's fun to do too.

what do you think are things i should avoid? <- if you want to give any credibility to his original robin books, avoid the "angry robin" paradigm. it is canon for many newer comics however, so at the end of the day it is your call if you want to use it – but many people would say that it is an overly stereotypical and classist take that makes him rather one-dimensional.

what are things people misinterpret most about his character? <- an entertaining thing about comics is that there are lots of seemingly contradictory readings that can be simultaneously equally valid. however, if i had to point something that (to me) makes completely no sense, it's an interpretation that is continuously pushed by some fans (who tend to present themselves as canon truthers, weirdly) that is hardly accurate for any of his appearances. i.e. an assumption that jason is calculated, hence cold and perfectly rational. this is something that doesn't make sense even if you consider the worst of his retcons. in utrh and even in the bftc era, while jason is obv highly competent, smart, and able to work under intense pressure, the driving force of his plans has always been highly emotional. he is very thorough and focused in his missions, but the missions themselves are often delusional or even to an extent suicidal. in his later anti-hero runs in which he is mostly portrayed as a sort of power fantasy still, he is often rather vocal about feeling left out, he is called (without malice, for once) "the emotional robin" etc. he has an incredibly turbulent and rich inner life, he cares for people a lot (even while trying to detach himself from it). // on the other hand, i feel like people sometimes give him too much credit in terms of his self-awareness, and also imagine that there's a single thing that is a root of all of his problems. there are so many contradictory beliefs that he holds at the same time (not even mentioning the discord between what he thinks and how he acts). betting everything on just one is rather dull.

what are his motivations/goals as the red hood? <- at the risk of repeating myself, there's a lot of different truths depending on what you read (sometimes all of them hold even). in utrh the core seems to be getting bruce's attention, revenge and seeking some sort of catharsis in a suicidal set up that mirrors his original death. but i do think he also genuinely believes that he is helping people and that he wants to protect them.

(from my understanding of canon he mostly killed criminals to piss off bruce not because he wanted to change society) <- starting from here, to expand a bit: this is partly my personal interpretation, and partly something that was established in some of canon (and completely disregarded in other parts of it), but imo jason does want to change society, or maybe: he believes he cannot change it but wants to protect people within it anyway ("you can't fight crime, but you can control it"). he is completely desperate and delusional about it, even. there's lots of tension between his idealism/care for the people and his cynicism/trying to avoid vulnerability (the two former a result of trauma). he has many monologues about how he can't let supervillains/criminals keep doing what they do, and he blames the system too. i'd argue given his background he identifies with victims personally (does he realise it? does he express it? that's for you to decide), and his reasoning seems to follow the "no one should experience what i did" pattern (a brilliant parallel to batman's own motivation behind vigilantism btw). this is also jay's grievance with bruce; notice that he doesn't (or if he does, it's very rare) explicitly talk of bruce taking revenge; but he does mention the fact that joker ruined many other lives, and he talks of murder as if it was an easy solution of all the things wrong with the world. so, i'd say reducing his incentive to annoying/proving something to bruce is oversimplified. especially that when you look back at his robin days, you also notice that the only times when jason gets really agitated about criminals is when he witnesses people being hurt (+ when he hears about his father's death).

can he be written as a revolutionary and if so then how? <- if you want to adhere to canon– again, depends (but not really). jason in his outlaw days (albeit with a stretch) could be read as a revolutionary. jason as a crime lord, even if it's an "undercover" job? imo no. this all boils to the relation of power. i talked about it a bit here. you can't be a revoltionary while working specifically on top of an inherently flawed system and benefitting from it. jason as the crime lord persona of red hood is an authoritarian figure, which is pretty much as far from a revolutionary as it goes. logically, you can write him as such only if you make him step down and challenge people from the same level as the oppressed are; i hinted at it in the answer i linked, but he could be a really appealing revolutionary archetype if he gave up on the position of power; if he killed people in power without wielding it himself.

what are things Jason could do to actually change society/help people/lower crime in gotham instead of killing criminals? <- to quote myself, down to earth vigilantism that doesn’t violate people’s rights. that’s something that works outside of the system and is helpful (in-universe). having real connection to the people as opposed to being a socialite (even if that socialite is as much of a mask for bruce) and providing them with on-going support. grass-root work like mutual aid. helping people organise. doxxing and exposing the white collar crime. or if we want something that feels bigger, good old stealing from the rich and redistributing wealth <3

i also heard people say something about war on drugs in connection to jason and i'm wondering what's the connection? <- lots of jason's storylines in canon focus on controlling the drug bussiness, and he is often portrayed as someone esp resentful to dealers. being in charge of drug cartels and policing drug distribution is very much not something that will realistically solve the problem of addiction or even minimise it, much less make people affected trust you. (even if dc is trying to sell you the opposite idea)

hope this helps:)

[windrush-child]

Love In The Dark 2

A fateful encounter between you and a fearless racing driver turns your whole life upside down. This is the story of a blossoming love affair, in the shadows of a loveless marriage.

Disclaimer - This story will contain descriptions of domestic violence and general adult content. 18+. More work

It smells like rubber, gasoline and hot asphalt. Exactly how you imagined it. What you did not anticipate was the level of noise, however, and the sheer number of busy people running around in the paddock - photographers, reporters, mechanics and other competent looking people with glasses and clipboards, all agitatedly speaking into their mobile phones (or even walkie-talkies!). Alright, this is exciting, you've got to admit. You would've never guessed in a million years that there's so much going on at the circuit a day before the race has even started. Thank goodness you didn't stay at the hotel like you originally wanted to. Of course, it's a little bit intimidating to be right in the middle of it - But nevertheless, there's so much to see, so many garages and cars to explore and entertaining conversations to eavesdrop on. And the best thing about it? You get to do it all by yourself. No husband, nobody that could possibly disturb your peace today. You take a deep breath - what a beautiful morning. It turns out to be not quite as simple as you hoped, though. While you dreamily glance at a driver walking by - a handsome, young man in a red race suit - someone puts a hand on your arm. It takes all of your willpower not to squirm away right then. "Mrs Waltz, I knew I recognised you," a voice says from behind. "What a surprise to see you here!" Oh no. You identify the man's voice before you've even turned around. Greg Maffei, one of the chief executives of Liberty Media, and a good friend of your husband. You got to meet each other at New Years dinner this year, unfortunately. Not even a second has passed after you've uttered a Nice to see you before he interrupts you again. "Is Josef here? I haven't seen the guy in so long." he says with a dramatic gesture of his hand, the obnoxious American accent as thick as ever. "No, he is not. He's flying in tomorrow night." you answer politely, but the restrained smile on your face can only do so much to hide your contempt. The old fart is far too self-absorbed to notice, though. After you've managed to escape the conversation more or less elegantly, you take off the pass that has been dangling around your neck and stuff it into the bottom of your handbag - you're not here to talk about your bloody husband, and therefore, no one needs to see the name that's written on the thing.

Around lunchtime the paddock mayhem has quieted down a little, thankfully. Most people are sitting inside the media rooms or at one of the high end bistros, probably snacking on some expensive champagne and a spoonful of caviar. The thought is so silly that it makes you giggle. Either way, it gives you the chance to finally do the thing you've been waiting to do ever since you arrived in Monza - that is, seeing the Silver Arrows up close. The team's garage is not very easily accessible, you've already realised earlier. There's always a small army of mechanics or engineers present, and half a dozen of photographers and pundits. But, as luck would have it, they've left their post for a moment - As you quietly stalk towards the garage, one of the two Mercedes cars stands unguarded, beautifully gleaming in the sunlight that reaches through the doors. What a stunning machine, and it looks so different from what you remember. It doesn't even matter that you don't know the first thing about race cars - you simply can not tear your eyes off of it. So much so that you haven't noticed the man who's been staring you down from across the garage. "Don’t bother taking notes, it’s slow." he says with a smirk, as your heart nearly jumps out of your ribcage. You’re already opening your mouth to apologise, but out comes only a stutter when you turn to face him - No, it can’t be, can it? He’s leaning against a work desk, arms crossed in front of his chest, clearly amused by your befuddlement as he chews his bubble gum. You blink at him in disbelief, at this breathtaking stunner of a man, built like he was carved out of marble by Michelangelo himself, smiling at you like he can tell exactly what’s going through your mind - God, you hope he can’t, otherwise you’ll have to pray for the ground to open up beneath your feet. He looks so different; nothing like the half-grown boy you saw on TV years ago. He squints his eyes at you and suddenly steps closer. “Where’s your paddock pass, by the way? You’re gonna get in trouble for that.” Your eyes widen. “No, no, it’s just a misunderstanding, I’ve got-” “Hey, I’m kidding.” he laughs, shows a little tooth gap when doing so. “You can keep looking, don’t worry.” Oh. Well that was a little mean of him. You can’t seem to hold back your flustered smile, though. "...Right.” you say, and already know your face is blushing beyond rescue. “It’s, uhm, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Sir… Hamilton. Big fan.” Oh god. “Pleasure’s all mine.” he says and grins a bit wider. “Lewis is just fine, by the way...” You’re very thankful that he decides not to tease you further. For just a moment, the driver lets his curiosity get the best of him as he eyes you up and down. A flowy, light jumpsuit by Burberry and Louboutins - it’s evident to him you’re not just any fan that snuck into the garage. “What’s your name? And may I ask, who do you work for?” Shit. “Uh, I’m here because of the sponsorship event tomorrow night. I work for the press,” you lie, hoping it sounds somewhat plausible. “My name’s Rue.” At least this one’s a half truth - it’s your nickname, and he doesn’t have to know the rest. To your luck, Lewis doesn’t dig further into it. He only hums and repeats your name to himself - and makes your face go even redder than it was. “That means I’ll get to see you again tomorrow?” he asks, a hint of mischief in his big, brown eyes. Is he flirting with you? “I’m invited to the dinner, too.” Deep inside your stomach, you can feel a warm tingle. “Yes, so it seems.” you answer, quietly. Your eyes linger on the driver's for just a bit too long.

---

You're at your third glass of white wine of the night when you spot him standing at the bar. Lewis Hamilton, surrounded by a group of mesmerised people, despite not even winning the race today - but you get the feeling it doesn't really matter. For a little while, you keep watching him from where you're standing, nervously playing with your necklace without meaning to. You glance over to your husband, who's in an animated conversation with a couple of his very important friends and business partners at the lounge - They’re drunk, of course. Last time you heard them they were talking about going for another round of drinks in downtown Monza. They've all had their fair share of alcohol already from the point they finished up the sponsorship deal, but who are you to stop them? Your eyes find their way back to the Mercedes driver. Maybe, just for a minute, you could go over and say hello. Just very quickly before you leave, your husband won't think ill of it if you keep it short. You've spent enough time talking to uninteresting wives of even more uninteresting businessmen, right? What if he doesn't even remember my name?, you worry as you approach him - but your doubts disappear into thin air as soon as Lewis locks eyes with you. He excuses himself and gets up with smile. You hold your breath when you can see him clearly for the first time tonight - He looks immaculate, dressed in a sharp, all-black suit and pearls around his neck and on his ears, his braids pulled back into a neat bun. "I've been looking for you," he says, and as he leans down to greet you with a kiss to the cheek, you take in the enticing smell of his perfume. You have to close your eyes for a second - Keep it together, now. "Is that so?" you say, mirroring his smile. "I just wanted to thank you for letting me take a look at your car yesterday." "Oh, there's no need to." he returns. "I know the engineers get a little fussy about it, but as long as you don't take any bits off of it, there's no harm done." he jokes, while signaling something to the bartender. "Would you like to have a glass of red wine with me? They make an excellent one in Italy, apparently." A grin takes over your face before any doubts about the idea can creep into your mind. "Apparently? Have you never tasted Italian red wine before?" you ask, surprised, as the server already passes the glass to you. "No, I hate red wine." Lewis nonchalantly admits before he takes a sip. "Hm. Yeah, still don't like it." You burst out into a giggle - the man is a bit goofy, after all.

Quickly, you glance over your shoulder before you put the wine to your lips. There's no trace of your husband and his friends, not at the lounge, not at the bar. Have they left the place? You weigh your options, but in the end don't want to overstrain your husband's benevolence. He could be back soon - what if he returns to your hotel room and you're not there? It's best you finish your drink, say a polite thank you to the driver and call it a night. Don't take the risk. "Rue?" Lewis pulls you out of your thoughts when he sees lines of worry on your face. He looks at you expectantly, with those kind, brown eyes of his. They make it incredibly hard to come up with an answer. "Oh, it's nothing." You take the last sip of wine. "I just have to be up early in the morning. I better get back to the hotel soon, you know." You could swear there's a hint of disappointment on Lewis' face, even if he's trying to hide it. "Oh, I see..." he says, "Let me at least take you downstairs," he suggests and offers you an arm. Glady, you accept - although there was really no way you would've said no.

The cool night air makes the hairs on your arm stand as you walk through the garden, and you hold on to Lewis a bit tighter. You wish the short path towards the taxi stands was longer, at least one mile or two, because you can't bear the thought of having to let go of the driver now, to return to your hotel room into bed with a man you did not love. Who did not love you. The way Lewis pulls you in just a little closer when he realises you're shivering feels so cruel, and when he takes your hand as you stop a few feet from the parking lot, your heart nearly breaks into pieces. You'll have to find the strength to let go of him, to pull your hand away before it's too late. "I didn't get to say it earlier, but I really love your dress. It looks beautiful on you," he says. "Givenchy, isn’t it?" he adds and lets his eyes wander a bit. Wow. "How can you tell?" you ask, genuinely taken by surprise. "I know a thing or two about fashion," he smiles, and when his gaze roams from your décolleté over to your neck, before it stops at your lips, your skin begins to feel hot all over.

It is too late; it has been from the point he first laid his eyes on you in the garage. You don't shy away when he puts his palm on your cheek, when he lowers his head until you’re breathing the same air. He was about to ask for permission, whisper a may I? But in the end, he doesn't have to. You dare to place your hands on his neck as your heartbeat thumps in your ears, helped by the sweet wine in your system, and press your lips to his. By instinct his hands find their way around your waist, easily pulling you into his strong body. And when you let your tongue slip past his lips to taste him, he moans lowly into the kiss - it drives you insane. You're breathless when you pull away, flushed in the face. His big hands on you, his taste and his scent, far too intoxicating to handle. Fuck, you have to let go, right now, have to get into a cab or else this won't end well. "Lewis, I-" you suddenly stutter, and can't hide the panicked crack in your voice. "I have to go," you say as he's still holding you, trying hard to avoid his gaze. Puzzled, he lets go, and instantly takes a step back. "Did I do something to upset you?" he asks, worried, but you shake your head. "No! I mean- no, you didn't." you return and clear your voice, "I promise it's nothing, you haven't upset me. I just... I really can't stay any longer." He blinks at you, and pensively presses his lips together. There’s a long pause before he speaks again. "I suppose there's also no reason you've taken off your wedding ring, right?" You can feel your stomach drop as the words leave his mouth. "You wore it yesterday, I saw it." Lewis adds. Your lips part in defence, but not a single noise comes out. "Look, I know you don't work for the press. I'm on a first name basis with every journalist in the paddock," he begins, while a rush of shame colours you deep red. "I also know that you're the wife of the Emirates guy - Waltz is his name, right?" Your eyes are on the ground as you nod, silent, can't stand to see the disappointment on his face. It's probably best for everyone involved if you leave, now, and never bother him again. I'm sorry you whisper, but just when you're about to turn away, Lewis stops you in your tracks. "Hey- please, wait." he says, as his hands find the side of your neck. "Listen, I don't care about what's going on in your marriage. If I'm being honest, I don't even care that you're married in the first place." With that, you're looking up into his eyes again. "You're a stunning woman. I've been thinking it since I saw you at the track yesterday. Honestly, you drive me a little bit crazy." he says and smirks, "And I'm not gonna let some husband get in the way of that." Okay, that was incredibly cocky. He is a racing driver, after all. You bite your bottom lip in an attempt to hide your smile, but fail heroically. "I'm going to let you go," he says, "but when you're back in your hotel room, in your bed, I want you to consider the things I just told you." He comes closer, and your breath hitches in your throat. "Consider that you could be in a different bedroom instead. With a man who knows how to make you enjoy yourself." You swallow - and have to use all your might to ignore the heat between your legs. "And when you're done thinking about all that... get back to me." Lewis says, and his words don’t leave your mind for the rest of the night.

—-

@pedrohoe04

@mochachocolatteyaya

@capela-miranda

@iamasimpingh0e

[emeraldenha]

LOVE - LOVE.

pairing: tennis player!sunghoon x fem!tennis player!reader | genre: sports au, high school au, enemies to lovers, fluff | w/c: +3.9k words | warnings: cursing, it's been a long time since I've played so I apologize for any technical inaccuracies lol

click here to check out the Game On! series masterlist!

*additional note: this is the written format of sunghoon's imagine, click HERE to return to the original version.

you wouldn't say you're the most competitive person on earth, but it sure seems like it when it comes to park sunghoon.

the two of you were constantly at each other's throats and there was no denying the fact. you couldn’t even call it a normal interaction with sunghoon if you weren't competing over something, no matter how trivial.

betting to see who could score higher on a test, projecting personal vendettas during class debates, and even racing to see which one of you could be first in line at lunch, though most importantly, it was about who could win the most tennis matches.

as the both of you were respectively on the girl’s and boy’s tennis team, that was your biggest opportunity to earn bragging rights. you and sunghoon even kept sticky notes with tally marks on how many achievements each of you have acquired. they were posted on the inside of your locker doors — which made it easier to compare them considering that your lockers miraculously happened to be placed right next to each other.

to put it simply, your relationship with him is anything but matured and civilized.

and it's not like you and sunghoon are star players either. the both of you are more so equally average at the sport, meaning that you’ve formed some deep rooted beef for the hell of it.

well, you did it for shits and giggles. for sunghoon, not so much.

it all started when you were first years.

the weather was extremely humid one day during a joint practice with the boy’s team and you were starting to feel exhausted under the scorching hot sun. when it was your turn to play in a singles match, you were going really strong at first, but then the fatigue took over you halfway in.

your opponent hit the ball to the opposite side of your court, making you run to the other side with every last bit of strength you could muster. so with determined efforts, you swing as hard as you possibly can. your grasp on the handle of your tennis racket accidentally slips mid-swing, and like a scene in slow-mo, it coincidentally hits sunghoon right in his back while he's playing on the court adjacent to yours.

and from that moment on, a rivalry was born.

to no one's surprise, sunghoon was the initiator.

it was now your second year of high school, and if anything, the rivalry has only intensified. that stayed true until the season of spring, when sunghoon is faced with a dilemma.

due to trying to keep up with his studies, sunghoon was majorly slacking during tennis practice. he needed decent grades to stay on the team anyways.

sunghoon was never fond of studying, leading him to work his ass off to compensate for all his assessments and procrastinated projects. it was safe to say that he was struggling, badly.

and he needed all the help he could get if he wanted to be ready for the spring tennis tournament next month. he needed to beat you, obviously, since the two of you were always so neck and neck according to those damn sticky notes in your lockers.

though it's also maybe because his parents will make him quit if he doesn't start pulling in results that'll be worthy of at least a partial scholarship.

“jay, please I am begging you! I'll do anything!”

“I already told you I can't, sunghoon. I have a lot on my plate not even including school and the tournament. I'm sorry.”

sunghoon sighs at another failed attempt to convince jay, his only friend and fellow teammate, to get on board with some one-on-one extra practice.

“can't you ask someone else from the team? I'm sure there has to be someone that'd be willing to helping you.”

“I can't ask them! most of the guys are getting extra tutoring right now and I don't want to be a bother. plus, I'm not really close with any of them so it'd be pretty awkward, right?”

jay laughs, “you're such a lone wolf.”

speaking of lone wolves, it was actually quite comedic how you and sunghoon portrayed completely opposite demeanors outside of your rivalry.

sunghoon was, in truth, extremely antisocial and hated speaking to others unless it was absolutely necessary. you, on the other hand, was someone known for being very quiet and introverted due to your terrible case of social awkwardness.

it was like you were two separate people when it came to your childish animosity against one another.

jay thinks for a moment before suggesting, “why don’t you ask someone from the girl’s team?”

see, that was an even bigger issue.

all the girls on the team like to gatekeep you because of your rather sweet and shy personality, causing you to become the baby bird that they took under their wing.

not to mention, to add even more fuel to the fire, he'd always make fun of how nobody cared about the girl’s tennis team just to spite you (which you like to think is not true but the school's negligence towards your team really shows).

but sunghoon can shove his words up his ass because the boy’s tennis team isn't treated much better!

moving on, conclusion is: the entire girl’s team hates him.

which is why sunghoon says the girl's team isn't much of a better option either.

“...what about y/n? you talk about her all the time. aren't you guys like — I don't know — frenemies or some shit like that?”

and sunghoon's all like take the friends out of frenemies and that's what we are and continues babbling about his hatred for you once jay says that he thought it was all lighthearted teasing.

“but didn't you say she was your type before she hit you in the back with a tennis racket?”

“okay but—”

sunghoon begins another one of his lengthy monologues though it's all essentially irrelevant because it's just him giving bullshit excuses about how he was delusional to think you were cute before he knew how much of a devil you could be.

and jay's just telling him to calm down and that it's either go to y/n or practice with the wall.

sunghoon, in the midst of his passionate rant, stands on his feet and goes “just watch! I'll prove it to you. I'm going to ask her for help, and she's going to laugh in my face and say no. why? because we hate each other! h-a-t-e.”

jay simply raises an eyebrow, “so you won't even try asking your own teammates but you'll ask y/n?”

“shut up!”

sunghoon's blood easily boils as he stomps away with the tips of his ears bright red, making jay smirk before moving on with his day.

sunghoon doesn't have the courage to even approach you until he's hit peak desperation, which is almost three days later after his conversation with jay when he gets chewed out that same afternoon for lacking proper form on his backhand swings and he can feel every last ounce of sanity leaving his body.

so, while suppressing the urge to curl up into a ball and cry, he slips a note into your locker saying to meet him outside the courts after school.

when you unfold the torn piece of notebook paper lying on top of one of your textbooks, you're thoroughly surprised.

was this another one of sunghoon's pranks? if that's a possibility, should I ditch him just to be safe?

well, curiosity killed a cat, and it would surely kill you too because you were dying to know the reason behind that note.

however, it definitely isn't anything like what you were expecting.

“you—”

there's no words that can quite describe the overwhelming confusion you feel in this moment as you continue to stutter out.

“you want me to help you practice for the upcoming tennis tournament?”

sunghoon purses his lips, swallowing his pride before hiding a quick 'yes' in his cough.

you can't help but ask him the obvious question: why?

not only did he like to remind you on a daily basis that he despised your entire being, but it's not like you're that great at the sport either.

“because everyone else is busy and you're my last resort.”

you roll your eyes, “geez, way to flatter your so-called 'last resort,' park. very persuasive if you ask me.”

sunghoon clicks his tongue at your sarcasm, “glad you think so. are you going to do it or not?”

“sure, I'll help you.” you shrug so nonchalantly and sunghoon's in pure shock because it can't be that easy. “but what's in it for me?”

there it is.

sunghoon sighs, having seen it coming, “name your price.”

at first, you were only joking, but sunghoon caving in without even starting an argument beforehand was a sign that he was in deep, deep shit.

insinuating that he means business.

“I want free lunch for each day we practice until the tournament, and keep in mind, I'm on a very specific eating regimen.”

he scoffs, “free lunch? I’m not made of money.”

“you don't have to agree. I can just leave and—”

“never mind, I'll do it.”

and with that being settled, you tell him to get his money ready because the deal is on and there is no backing out now.

not wasting any time, you immediately tell sunghoon to meet back at the courts the next day. there's an uncomfortable tension in the air (as expected) so the two of you don't stall for long.

you start off with a couple stretches and simple drills, progressing into some warm ups of casually hitting the ball back and forth.

it's painfully silent so you think of something to say that will lighten the mood.

a chuckle escapes your throat, “you know, I can’t even remember the last time we’ve actually played against each other like this before.”

“I can. it was last year two months into the first semester and I won.”

you can only scratch your head. after that dry comment, you throw the thought of even attempting to be nice out the window.

especially when he continues to get on your last nerve, shouting backhanded remarks including but not limited to ‘since when were you not complete shit at serving?’ and 'congratulations for winning the first set, y/n! you usually always lose in the beginning. what was the probability on that again? ah yes, one in three!'

you make sunghoon's life a living hell for the following two weeks.

practice is so grueling that he wants to bury his body in vat of ice, you critiquing his every move on the court or during the next day over in the passing period where you inevitably meet at your lockers. sunghoon also learned the hard way that you wouldn't settle for anything other than your very specific eating regimen.

“you’re the worst” is what you recall him saying while handing you what felt like your millionth insanely detailed lunch order.

you smirked, “yet look who came to me begging.”

“last resort,” he reminded you.

“if you really loathed the idea of practicing with me so much, you would've dusted off the good ol' tennis ball machine, big boy.”

you got him there.

it takes an explanation from jay one day in class about how his best friend is on the verge of an ugly mental breakdown that you realize maybe you're being a little too harsh on the guy, which officially marks the day you decide to shed some mercy on park sunghoon.

“what's this?”

“it's gatorade, dumbass.”

“yeah, I know that,” he retorts, holding back what would be his fifth eye roll of the evening. “but why are you giving it to me?”

“you've been working hard,” you mutter begrudgingly, finding the tennis court bench particularly more interesting than sunghoon's curious gaze. “I just thought I'd do you a solid and save you the dollar-fifty since my lunch meals have been draining your savings account. don't think too much into it.”

you quickly spin on your heel and walk away to do some solo warms up, not noticing sunghoon popping open the cap of the gatorade bottle, unable to suppress a soft smile.

the remaining two weeks are surprisingly civil, internally confusing both you and sunghoon alike. it was like crossing unknown territory.

you had never gotten to know sunghoon outside of the microseconds he spent tormenting you. then before you can even process, you got to uncover the nicer side of him that you didn't know existed.

doing small deeds when you were in a bad mood, cracking an unsarcastic joke during practice, not complaining at every given opportunity, it was definitely out of the ordinary.

you invite him out to dinner a couple nights before the tournament, excusing the kind gesture by saying there was a new restaurant opening nearby and you just didn't want to check it out by yourself.

that statement was true to an extent.

you could've asked your teammate. in fact, it was one of your teammates that informed you about the restaurant in the first place.

but your deal with sunghoon was slowly coming to an end now that the tournament was right around the corner, and never in a million years would you think to utter these words, but you actually enjoyed spending time with him.

you're eating what you ordered along with some side dishes sunghoon wanted to split, striking up conversation with a question that has been sitting in the back of your mind.

“no, but really. why do you want to work yourself to death so badly? it’s not even our last year where we have to worry about entrance exams and the last of high school tennis tournaments. it’s just another spring.”

he breathily chuckles, “it’s not that deep. I just want to get ahead of you.”

“and you think you’re achieving this by training with me…?”

and that’s when he finally gets off his chest that his parents are making him quit if he doesn’t show improvement.

“I don't want to quit tennis. I may not be that good at it, but it's the only thing I have going on for me until I figure out what I actually want to do with my life.”

“don't think like that,” you frown. “I can tell that you're really passionate when you play; you always put in 110 percent. it may not be something you do forever, but there's nothing wrong with putting time into something that makes you happy. plus, the extra training has actually been working to your benefit. you've been improving like crazy! your hard work won't go to waste, I promise you.”

he gently lays his hand over yours from across the table, “thanks for cheering me up. I know it must be weird to comfort your annoying arch nemesis that you hate.”

“it's not weird. sure, you can be annoying sometimes, but it's kind of endearing,” you laugh. “and for the record, I never actually hated you.”

sunghoon awkwardly joins in on your laughter, “oh... haha, me neither.”

“you don't have to lie.”

and when sunghoon questions why you’ve been playing along all this time, the only thing you say is “have you seen how much my win rate has gone up since we’ve started competing to see who could get the most wins?”

he laughs but he doesn't know why he's feeling a little disappointed. like it's not because you're actually in love with him and have been secretly wanting to get closer?

and that's when he realizes two things: one, that his ego has been bruised, and two, that he may have somehow developed a very tiny not so tiny crush on you.

which is what leads sunghoon to go to team captain heeseung for advice.

he and heeseung weren't that close — since sunghoon only clings onto jay twenty-four seven — but heeseung was an amiable third year in a long term relationship with his girlfriend therefore making him the best option in sunghoon's eyes.

“so what you're telling me is that you're finally putting an end to this petty feud you've created because you’ve decided to catch feelings?”

“well, don't put it like that!” sunghoon whines, stubbornly crossing his arms over his chest.

heeseung eyes the boy suspiciously, “but did you seriously not have a crush on her this entire time? I thought the whole 'I hate your fucking guts' thing was just your form of flirting.”

sunghoon’s face wrinkles in repulsion, “what even made you come to that ridiculous conclusion?”

“dude, it's obvious! come on, at least admit that you were a little in denial — okay, okay, stop glaring at me. here, I'll even give you an example umm... got it! remember that one time? you once made fun of her all day for losing a practice match against another school that she cried, and when you felt bad, you snuck a teddy bear in her locker the next day.”

“...do people know about that?”

heeseung comes clean right then and there about how jay tends to air his drama to the entire team when he gets fed up with his best friend's antics (which was all the time) and sunghoon has never felt more mortified.

“don't be embarrassed,” heeseung smiles. “it was cute!”

at the comment, sunghoon still can't help but bury his head in his hands, taking a second to compose himself.

“okay, whatever. I'm confessing to her after the spring tournament. yeah, I'll do that.”

“good luck, bro,” heeseung gives him an encouraging pat on the back. “I hope everything works out.”

and all sunghoon can think about is that he hopes so too.

it's d-day, the spring tennis tournament.

you sign in at the outdoor table set up near the front of the venue when you feel a buzz from the pocket of your sports jacket. it was a message from sunghoon, a simple text that read 'good luck loser :)'

you giggle and type back a similar reply before slipping your phone into your tennis bag. the both of you were scheduled to play at the exact same time so you most likely wouldn't see him until you finish.

you stick with your parents who came to support and talk to some of your teammates in the meantime.

right when you're done playing later on in the day, you rush to the court where sunghoon's playing and see that it's almost over, the scoring in sunghoon's favor.

he spots you watching him and smirks as he serves one last time before winning the entire match.

he shakes hands with his opponent and collects his things, running over to you immediately when he's done.

you clap once he's standing in front of you, “you won!”

“what about you? how did your match go?”

“I won too! we did it!”

you hug sunghoon out of excitement and it takes an painstakingly long moment of realization to pull away once you see that you're hugging the life out of him.

“sorry,” you apologize, shoving you hands into your skirt pockets.

“n-no, it's fine.”

he's about to ask if he can tell you something important, but before he can, someone taps you on your shoulder.

you turn around and it's jungwon, the cute first year that played for a neighboring school. you always saw him on the small set of bleachers watching your matches.

he briefly congratulates you on your win to which you thank him for his sincere compliments, while sunghoon is quietly standing behind you with his arms crossed.

“can I talk to you?”

you nod, a bit confused, “sure, what about?”

jungwon coyly rubs the sides of his arms before clarifying, “ah, in private I mean.”

most people had deserted the area after the matches ended, leaving sunghoon the only other person within proximity.

sunghoon lets out a dramatic sigh, “I'll leave.”

that's what he says, but really, he only swings behind a nearby corner and stiffens his body like a tree.

you turn back to jungwon once you think sunghoon has left and detect movement from the corner of your eye.

he has a small bouquet of daisies in his hands — where they came from? you have no clue — and peppermint breath spray tucked into his back pocket. a sweat towel is casually draped over his right shoulder, the boy's baby blue tennis uniform complimenting his newly dyed dark blue hair, and he confesses to you.

he gushes about how much he admires your strong determination and work ethic, that he's always found you pretty and loves cheering you on during your games.

sunghoon wants to throw up in his mouth listening to that whole speech.

your reaction isn’t very stellar either, but that’s rather because you’re at a loss of words. never in your life have you ever been confessed to before, and it was even more nerve racking to be thinking of ways to let the poor boy down gently.

you’re so nervous that your hands are shaking, which in sunghoon's mind, makes him only makes want to walk right up and grab them.

sunghoon had almost forgotten that this is how you normally act around people.

you shakily return the flowers jungwon had given you, “I'm sorry...”

jungwon, despite feeling dejected, takes the rejection well. though sunghoon isn't really paying attention because he spaces out due to the relief entering his system at the fact he still had a chance with you.

eventually, he comes back to reality once jungwon's footsteps can be heard leaving the area, realizing that he has approximately five seconds to get the fuck out of there because you're about to walk in the opposite direction of jungwon, which happens to be right where sunghoon has been eavesdropping.

though while trying to back away undetected, sunghoon clumsily trips over his own feet, revealing himself from his hiding spot. you snap you heads towards the sound, eyes widening in surprise.

for a moment, the two of you can only stare at each other in shock.

“how long have you uhhh... been standing there?”

“what do you mean?” sunghoon pretends to look around as if he had bumped into you by coincidence. “I just got here. why, did something happen?”

an unconvinced expression sits on your face, “you heard all that, didn't you?”

“heard what?”

“that I'm going out with yang jungwon next weekend.”

“what?” sunghoon's eyes look like they're about to pop out of their sockets. “but I thought you just turned him down!”

he had easily taken the bait, falling right into your trap.

you click your tongue, “sunghoon, you really are so bad at lying to the point that it's sad.”

sunghoon's cheeks are burnt a fiery red as he sulks, “so just to be sure, you're not going out with yang jungwon next weekend, right?”

you snort, “don't tell me you're jealous?”

“and if I am?”

there's a long pause, and for the first time since the tennis racket incident, you look flustered in front of him.

your hair curtains the sides of your face and you’re frozen like a statue, nervously nibbling at your lower lip, and sunghoon thinks that you look so breathtakingly adorable.

I really do have a crush on this girl, huh?

sunghoon clears his throat, swirling a patch of dirt on the ground with the tip of his tennis shoe as he diverts his gaze there like it's the most fascinating thing on earth.

“I may not have flowers or anything fancy like that, but I like you.”

and a wide grins spreads across your face as you tell him those last three words back.

main masterlist

[fly-pow-bye]

Powerpuff Girls 2016 - “Aliver”

Written by: Haley Mancini

Written & Storyboarded by: Benjamin P. Carow, Caitlin Vanarsdale

Directed by: Nick Jennings, Bob Boyle

The big finale...of Season 2, anyway.

Note: There's a bit of confusion on what season some episodes belong to, mostly due to non-US Cartoon Networks airing episodes early. Not So Secret Service aired among a bunch of other Season 2 episodes in other countries, but is considered a Season 3 episode in the US. This episode and Never Been Blissed are considered by Foxtel in Australia as Season 3 episodes, but Cartoon Network US puts them in Season 2. I'm going with Cartoon Network US's order.

This episode starts on Monster Island, which was proven to be a very interesting locale with its lush jungles and variety of monsters. It turns out to be the locale of a rather timely reference to a once very popular show that existed since the early 2000s. I know Survivor still exists, but it's a show that's been parodied to death. Will this show in Current Year Joke do anything fresh with the concept? Let's find out.

Not only is it Aliver, it's Aliver Superhero Edition, so all of the contestants are superheroes. They decided not to desecrate the Justice Friends, even the original Powerpuff Girls didn't use them very well, and decided to make four new superheroes specifically for this episode. I'm sure they'll all be very memorable, and I should know, because I predicted two and a half of these heroes' names from just one screenshot.

Jarhead - By far the most creative of the four: a living jar with a face who apparently stole the body of Action Hank from Dexter's Lab. The flavor text reveals that he's also the captain of the "B Team", but there's no indication on who is in it, or whether there's even an "A Team". Maybe it's his superhero group: a group of vigilantes falsely accused of a misdemeanor in Vietnam. He also seems to hate trees, as he does a kick that sends one flying across the island.

The Acro Twins - They're the Wonder Twins, minus the transforming into water and animals part. It will become clear that they couldn’t think of much for these twins to do.

Superdad - After being shunned by everyone in Townsville, Major Man decided to get chin surgery, lose most of his hair, and become a father to one and a half kids. He's able to stop that tree with his powers of flight and super-strength he only shows in the intro.

Princess Morbucks - An ordinary girl they only added to the show because her Daddy owns the network.

Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup - They're here, too. While they don't do anything to the tree, they do get to uppercut a monster into the air without a hit flash. A sadly rare sight in this reboot.

The show treats the Reboot Puffs as one contestant, because they just didn't want a cliched "family getting angry at each other over a game show/reality show" plot. The episode is better off without that, really. While the tree never comes across them either, we do get the rare sight of the Powerpuff Girls sending a monster into the air without any hit flashes.

Our host is a guy named Jeff Accusation, last name revealed by a cheap gag later in the episode. It's a missed opportunity for a running gag, really, I was almost expecting him to say something was his middle name. I would go with "obtuse".

He announces that these heroes were selected to compete in a competition to get a huge assortment of prizes, like three Aqua Bikes, a hat, and the title of greatest superhero on national television! They immediately forget about any of those other prizes; nobody gets to ask what anyone except the trio would do with three aquabikes.

The first challenge is an egg-spoon race, minus the race, and multiply the size of both the spoon and the egg. The Acro Twins decide to go first, lifting up the spoon, only to almost immediately get carried away by an mostly offscreen vulture monster. Jeff must be really worried, he probably needs to pay for their injuries.

Jeff: And that’s why they call it...

Jeff: Monster Island!

Or not. I guess he just assumed since these guys are superheroes, they could survive anything. I guess he didn't watch PPG 2016, either. Despite seeing two of the contestants get carried away, the other contestants have no problem making it through the challenge in their own way. In each of these attempts, the egg hatches open to reveal a random monster. Each hero has their own way of dealing with them.

Jarhead slam dunks his jar-like head on top of the monster. Superdad uses his utility belt to give the monster a baby bottle. Bubbles drops the monster to the ground and hits it with the giant spoon over and over again. She doesn't get eliminated for dropping the egg, because that would ruin the plot. Then again, there seems to be something off about this show: Princess's egg is much tinier, and only hatches into a tiny bottle of spring water to quench her thirst.

We immediately cut to the second challenge. It's just challenges here, we never get to see them having to live through the horrors of the island with little supplies like the show it is parodying. Maybe they realized they wouldn't be able to beat Cartoon Network's own The Staylongers. It might as well be a parody of Takeshi's Castle. They have to traverse a spider cave to find a novelty T-shirt. This is truly to show off their creativity with such great references like "Where's The 🥩?" Maybe they're trying to compensate for this episode's Survivor reference with 80's commercial references.

After Jarhead unceremoniously gets beaten up by the unseen spider monster in the cave, Superdad comes in with an SUV and gets the T-Shirt, though his SUV gets heavily damaged. Somehow, his wife finds out about this, and he gets eliminated because angering your wife is against the rules. I think. The episode isn't even halfway over, and all of the non-established heroes are eliminated. Shame, they could have become such lovable characters.

This time, it's Buttercup's turn to get a T-shirt, and we get to see the one bit of consistency with the girls' fears: they still hate spiders. She even tore one of the monster's legs off. Now that's something we'll never see on camera in this reboot. She even gets a T-Shirt that says “Got 🍕?” They zoom in on it and have Buttercup laugh at it. I have no idea, either. As for Princess...

...she has a shirt thrown to her.

Princess: Thanks Daddy!

(Princess notices the girls' dirty looks)

Princess:...Long Legs?

The Powerpuff Girls don't buy it. At the Accusation Campire, home of the aforementioned cheap name gag and the closest we get to Survivor's Tribal Council, they accuse Princess of cheating. Jeff is appaulled that someone would accuse Princess of doing anything wrong. Princess has her own: "read the shirt".

(Over a rap beat) Haters gonna hate, haters gonna hate, haters gonna hate...

This is a running gag that only shows up twice, but that's one too many. This is the closest we get to her being the Rap Princess; her rap cliche posse isn’t even in this episode. Jeff decides to fix this problem by cutting to a commercial.

Oh no, this isn't a two-parter, it's a fake commercial that stars Discount Jojo in a The Bachelor parody. The joke is that monkeys are stupid. It comes up in the very end, and it’s the exact same joke. They might as well have not bothered.

It is here that Mr. Accusation does say a line that could solve the whole “Powerpuff Girls being treated as one contestant” problem: he does say that there are “two teams left”. However, there was almost no indication there were teams before, outside of one mention of a “B Team” in one of the bios that never seems to come up.

He goes through the final challenge, a race to the top of a mountain, with two monsters guarding the final flag. First, they have to get through the sandworms, through the sleeping Venus Fly Lotus, and then go up the relentless ridge to get the flag, and be crowned the greatest superhero ever. Gotta say, this final challenge really petered out with that last one. Horrible monsters, then a sleeping horrible monster, and then...a hill.

Much like the rest of the challenges, we see the Powerpuff Girls struggling against the sandworms, while Princess gets to just ride to the exit on a hidden escalator. The host still doesn't notice a thing, with the implication that he made a "deal" with Princess to not say anything. Maybe it involved a room full of Turkish delights, but we will never know. Princess ends up sneaking past the sleeping Venus Fly Trap, and then pulls a Dick Dastardly by intentionally waking it up as soon as she could run away from it. Unfortunately for her, she forgets to do the "run away" part.

By the power of being off-screen, they beat up the sandworms, though they do save Princess from the Venus Fly Trap that she gets trapped in on-screen. Princess promises to repay them for saving her life, and they demand that Princess admit that she was cheating this whole time. They decide to do this in full view and reach of the monster, which shouldn't be a problem because they could easily break through its vines.

Or not. They can be awesome in one second, but the minute they get grabbed, they’re as weak as an ordinary 6 year old girl. The Venus Fly Trap monster chomps on the girls. They desperately try to get Princess to help them out of this situation, as if they needed the help of what this episode has shown to be an ordinary 6 year old girl. This seems to be the norm for the reboot, but there's something far more to this.

Princess gets the flag at the end of the mountain, and starts celebrating. Unfortunately, nobody is there to see it, because they're too busy crying over something I will not reveal. No, really, there's a somber scene at the end of the episode. I will say that it seems to use one of the terrible aspects of this reboot as a way to mask the twist. I can't decide if that's a good thing or a bad thing.

Some might say what Princess does in the next scene is a little out of character for her, but I do like the idea that Princess still has those "hidden depths" from Poorbucks. Also, it reminds me of one of the best Looney Tunes cartoons, and that's probably not a coincidence. Unlike that one, there is a happy ending, though anyone could see it coming.

Does the title fit?

It's the name of the TV show they're on.

How does it stack up?

I like the idea of superheroes having to compete in various challenges. Needless to say, this episode is no My Hero Academia, but I wouldn't say this episode is particularly bad, either. Season 2 being slightly better than Season 1 is both a blessing and a curse for this show: this could have been a very low Happy by Season 1 standards. What do you expect in a reality show episode, a Happy Buttercup?

Well, that's Season 2. Season 3 looks like more of the same so far, but we'll see how it goes.

← The Blossom Files ☆ Not So Secret Service →