#no leigh isn't on the team

[once-more-he-said]

If you've seen my blog lately you know I love the Darkling. I was shocked to see some (many??) Darkling and Darklina fans are anti Leigh Bardugo. Sometimes you are unhappy about how an artist treats their characters. I get it. Hell, I've felt that way myself. Just not with Leigh Bardugo and the Darkling. On every page of those books it's clear to see that he is not only a fan favorite but also one of the author's favorites. And I for one know that I wouldn't love him as much if he wasn't such a tragic character. Part of that tragic is that Alina doesn't chose him (and no one really does) even though she has feelings for him. Do I want to see Alina and the Darkling wreak havoc together? Definitely! Would I want to miss her whisper his name at the pyre? For nothing in the world.

Anyway, that's my opinion and you are entitled to yours. Just consider that simply because she made an artistic choice you don't like Leigh Bardugo isn't a bad author.

[alotofpockets]

Crush | Leighton Murray

Pairing: Leighton Murray x Jock!Reader

Summary: Whitney notices Leighton's crush on her fellow soccer player and decides to get them together. [Full request]

Masterlist | Reneé Rapp Masterlist | Words: 1.4k

Over the past couple of weeks Whitney noticed Leighton showing up at soccer practice more and more often. She always seemed to have some excuse to be there, so at first Whitney didn’t think much of seeing her roommate sitting on the bleachers and just went to her to see what she needed but over time the excuses started to get less and less convincing. 

That’s when Whitney noticed who the blondes eyes kept lingering on. She smirked to herself, thinking of how to tease Leighton about her little crush when she was done with practice. 

Leighton looks up from her homework when she hears footsteps approaching her. "Oh, hey Whit, done already?" She says casually. "Just a 10 minute water break." Whitney says as she sits down next to the girl. "So, don't worry, you have more time to stare at y/n in a minute." Leighton looks away from Whitney's piercing eyes. "I don't know what you're talking about." Leighton responds. 

Unintentionally, Leighton's eyes fall on you again. Her mouth falls open as she sees you lift up your shirt to wipe the sweat off your face, which puts your abs on full display. "Nice try, Murray, you're drooling right now." 

That's when you look their way. Leighton quickly closes her mouth but you had already noticed her staring. You wave to her with a smirk on your face. Leighton waves back, her smile a lot less smug. What is happening? She thought. She was never nervous around people. "Oh, you're crushing so hard." Whitney says as she gets back up, to go back to practice. 

Later that afternoon, back at the dorm, everyone sits down in the common room. "You'll never guess what happened at practice today." Whitney says, grabbing everyone's attention instantly. Leighton rolls her eyes at the giddiness in Whitney's eyes. Bela and Kimberly look between Leighton and Whitney sharing looks. "Well, come on, don't leave us hanging." Bela interrupts the intense nonverbal conversation.

"Ugh, fine. Go ahead" Leighton says in defeat, knowing they were going to get it out of Whitney one way or another. "Leighton is crushing on a girl from my soccer team." Kimberly squeals, "Oh my god, that is so exciting. Who is it?" Leighton decides to give in and share. "It's y/n." This time it's Bela's turn to squeal. "Wow, Leigh, I didn't know you were into jocks. She has killer abs!" Whitney jumps in, "Oh, Leighton was drooling over them earlier. I think she is very aware of those." Leighton starts blushing, her love life was never on display like this. "Okay, that's enough, thank you." 

Leighton seemed to be the only one not having plans for tonight as one by one her roommates left the dormroom. She decided to change into some more comfortable clothes. She settles on the couch and decides to work on her homework, she's only a couple of questions in when she hears a knock on the door. 

Leighton opens the door and there you are. She didn't know who she expected on the other side of the door but it certainly wasn't you. "Oh, hi, y/n." She greets you. "Whitney isn't here, she left like half an hour ago." You give her a puzzled look. "I'm not here for Whit, I'm here for you. However, by the sound of it, you were not expecting me." Leighton looks down at her outfit, "Yeah, if I knew I would be having company tonight I wouldn't be wearing this." 

You sent a dashing smile her way, "Well, I think you look great. So, let's not worry about that, shall we?" Leighton shakes her head in response. "Yeah, I guess it's too late to worry now anyways. Now, tell me, what exactly are you here for?" She asks stepping back so you can enter the dormroom. "I'm kind of struggling in my math class this year, and Whit said you're really good at it. She said you'd tutor me but since you know nothing about it, I think we have been set up."

That's when Leighton starts getting nervous. Set up? If you thought this was a set up, did you like her too? She decides to put her nerves aside and ask. "Set up how?" Her question gets another smirk out of you. "I've seen you in the bleachers, Leigh. You're not exactly subtle while checking me out on the field." Leighton is quick to look away from the challenging eye contact you are trying to hold. When you notice a blush creeping on your cheeks you add on to your sentence. "On the other hand, you might not have seen me checking you out the moments you were actually doing your homework while you're sitting there." Leighton's eyes meet yours again, she's searching for any sign of a lie on your face but she can't find one. "Oh." Is all she manages to get out. Seriously, what was happening? She thought. What's wrong with me? She was always the confidence herself but around you she was quite the opposite.

You decide to give making Leighton flustered a rest. “So, are you down to help me? It’s okay if not.” Leighton is quick to answer, “Yeah, of course. Let’s sit.” You sit down on the couch and grab your stuff. You are pleasantly surprised by Leighton’s math knowledge and are very grateful that she’s willing to help you. Leighton on her turn was gaining more and more confidence the longer she spent sitting by your side. 

Leighton asked to borrow your pencil to write something down on your paper. She explained what she was doing as she continued to solve the problem in front of you. To your surprise, you actually understood what she was saying, so you nodded along. She handed you back the pencil, your hands lingering longer than needed. You smile before asking if you could take a small break. “Yeah, of course, do you want anything? I can grab you a drink or something.” Without a second thought you answer her question. “What I want is to kiss you. Is that offer also on the table?” The blush rushes back to Leighton’s cheeks. “Okay, that was smooth.” She laughs. “And yes, that is definitely on the table.”

You reach out your hand and place a loose strand of hair behind her ear, letting your hand linger on her cheek as you lean in. Your lips meet in a soft kiss. Her lips feel amazing, you think to yourself as you deepen the kiss. The tutor session was quickly forgotten as you’re making out on the couch. 

After you lay comfortably on the couch with Leighton in your arms. “Want to prank Whitney with me?” Leighton asks as she is playing with your hand. “For sure, what do you have in mind?” She explains her plans before you have to head out. Before you leave though, you share a sweet kiss with her. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Later that night when Whitney walks into the dormroom she is instantly met with an annoyed looking Leighton. “What the actual fuck, Whitney? You can’t just tell people I will tutor them without asking me if I am willing to do that.” She doesn’t even leave room for Whitney to respond before walking into her room and slamming the door shut. 

Leighton was already out of the dorm when Whitney woke up, she had an early class. The rest of the day went on and Whitney didn’t see Leighton anywhere. That was until practice started and she saw Leighton sitting in the bleachers again. Whitney took that as her chance to apologize, so she made her way up. “Hey, Leighton, I’m really sorry. I thought it would just be a harmless thing, my intention wasn’t to hurt you.”

You noticed Whitney heading your way so you followed her up, like the plan you had discussed. “Hey Whit.” You greet your friend. Then you sit next to Leighton and put your arm around her before kissing her. Whitney’s eyes widened. “Oh my god, you are so mean! My plan totally worked.” You both burst out laughing. “Yes, it did work. You still needed to learn your lesson though. “Fair enough, I am just glad that the two of you found each other.” Whitney says before walking off. You kiss Leighton once more before heading back to the field. It was nice seeing her in the bleachers knowing that she was there for you and only you. 

[shesnake]

Series showrunner Eric Heisserer reveals to EW that he's been quietly at work developing a Six of Crows spin-off to tackle the main events of author Leigh Bardugo's duology, including the jurda parem Grisha drug storyline.

According to sources, the show is in early stages and isn't close to getting a green light. Heisserer also confirms the fate of this concept depends on how well Shadow and Bone season 2 performs with viewers on Netflix. (It is currently streaming.) However, there is a plan in place should he get the official go ahead.

[randomnameless]

Considering that the English translation prettied up Caspar's endings for Flower (changing "often out of control to "sometimes reckless" and removing the text confirmed Caspar's career involves invading other countries), while vilifying his non-CF ending (saying he had victims), yeah. Same with turning Rhea restoring the Church to her rehabilitating it. There's definitely reason to side-eye the changes made by the translation team.

TBH,

(bcs i didn't enjoy FE14)

FE16 and Nopes (and all Fodlan content) seriously made me reconsider my stance on the localisation.

After FE Tellius I knew (I mean after FE10) that changes/omissions existed but never thought they were deliberately made to push one character by destroying others, the general feeling was the same at the end of the game (we are supposed to worship Ike, the localisation played it up to 11, but FE10 does it on its own).

Now, FE16 ?

I was pleasantly surprised with FE15's voice acting so I thought the dark eras of lolcalisation were behind us...

But then Rhage popped up.

And with Rhage, I started to notice all little tweaks here and there made in the localised (some at least) scripts, that added end up with the result that "maybe Supreme Leader isn't that bad" that is pretty different from the JP/og version.

When FE10's loc said "Ike is the most awesome dude ever" instead of the jp FE10 saying "Ike is the most awesome dude", the Fodlan lolcalisation tries to give a different meaning to the solution/story given by the game!

As you pointed out, Caspar doesn't invade countries and is "sometimes" reckless, instead of being "out of control while invading the rest of the known world", his non uwu endings are worsened, Rhea was swapped by Rhage, the church needs to be "rehabilited" instead of "restored"...

I don't want to be overly critical and dissect everything when I'm playing a game, I'm playing first and foremost to enjoy myself but when I listen to Leigh's voiced lines and see this :

or this :

even if you're not thinking about localisation too much, you can see there is an issue in voice direction, which leads to discovering issues in script localisation and then... you start to ask "why", and come up with sad answers.

So, because Fodlan verse really disappointed me lolcalisation wise, even if I made exceptions earlier for FE14 and FE15, I can't be assed to trust the lolcalisation at all, so if a game has audio but no dual audio, it will be a hard pass.

Even if a kind soul, like the ones who made the FE Datamine site, compile and upload the script with the different audios to compare, it's a big no-no.

I know jp audio will not solve everything (especially if i still don't understand the jp script lol) but at least when the localised script tries to sell me the apple that is orange in the original script is akshually purple I'd have some clues about something being wrong.

More power to you if you like purple apples, but if I was supposed to get an orange apple, I would like to get this orange apple (or maybe red or yellow if needed), and not another product.

[benoitblanc]

Okay sleepover questions.

Tell me about 5 of your tumblr crushes and why they’re so amazing to you.

Also, what kind of books do you like to read? Romance? Mystery? And do you have a book you love recommending to people?

to be completely honest i don't really understand the concept of a tumblr crush BUT if this is an opportunity to brag about how amazing my friends are i will happily oblige! i will endeavor to limit myself to only 5 people, and for those of you reading this whom i did NOT mention my sincere apologies and please know that i love you anyway. i am going to list them below a cut and put my book recs first just so this post isn't fifty miles long lol.

let's talk books! i will read just about anything i can get my hands on, but my favorite genres are urban fantasy, mystery, and historical. i don't read a lot of contemporary books that are only romance with nothing else, but i love jane austen and shakespeare. i also ADORE genre-melding, eg the seven deaths of evelyn hardcastle by stuart turton, which is a sci-fi 1920s murder mystery.

my top 7 favorite books of all time- i originally was going to do five but realized i also would recommend 6 and 7 to literally everyone i know- which i would absolutely recommend to everyone, are:

the book thief by markus zusak (historical; coming-of-age of a german girl during wwii as her foster family hides a jewish man in their basement. this book should make you SOB)

the sweetness at the bottom of the pie by alan bradley (historical mystery; 11-year-old aspiring chemist solves murders in 1950s england)

murder on the orient express by agatha christie (historical mystery; a passenger is found dead on a snow-trapped train. basic premise but i am not exaggerating when i say that this book reinvented the murder mystery genre)

six of crows by leigh bardugo (high fantasy heist; six teenagers are recruited to break a chemist out of prison in order to stop- or maybe start- a magical war)

if we were villains by ml rio (mystery; a shakespeare student at a performing arts conservatory is found dead and his classmates try to decide if they want his killer to be caught)

code name verity by elizabeth wein (historical; a spy and a pilot during wwii are sent on a mission that only one returns from. holy SHIT this book is plot-twisty)

good omens by neil gaiman and terry pratchett (urban fantasy; an angel and a demon team up to stop the 11yo antichrist from starting armaggedon)

sleepover asks!!!

(read on for me gushing about my friends!)

@tellthemhowihope NINA MY SCIENCE SISTER MY RECENT OVERGRAD LIGHT OF MY LIFE!!! nina is one of the sweetest funniest and most brilliant people i know (she is a scientist!!!) and it always makes my day to exchange doctor who memes, cute animal pictures, and souffle recipes with her. throwback to the time she cut off a foot of her hair on impulse and one of our mutual mutuals thought she cut off her foot... the good old days...

@wespers aka tuser weepers... jamie is one of my oldest mutuals and i am so so grateful she's in my life! she has the market cornered on beautiful pale gifsets, is my go-to for book recs, has excellent opinions on just about everything, and actually gets around to consume all the content i bully her into consuming (see: knives out, hadestown, the book thief...). ily jamie you're not beating the theatre kid allegations any time soon. i am also planning to think of something else to bully you into reading/watching/listening to shortly. what about into the woods have you listened to into the woods before. or little shop of horrors. i think you'd vibe with both of them.

@gracelcdomas is another very old and dear friend and is my murdoch mysteries and knives out buddy for LIFE. milo is one of the most upbeat people i know, and i love chatting to them about just about anything. also am ETERNALLY grateful that they will always send me an ask if i rb an ask game. get yourself friends who will enable you to rant about yourself for fun online.

@jewish-mulder- hi anna! a relatively more recent mutual of mine but one who can always be counted on to have the most correct x-files opinions, and is also a very talented screenwriter! i hope my incoherent x-files liveblog as i watch the show for the first time brings them joy, because i always love reading their little replies to my comments.

and last but certainly not least @anakinskyiwalker, who might actually be my very first mutual? ashlyn has always been such a constant and kind presence in my fandom experience and i adore her to bits.

(other people i love and cherish who deserve shoutouts: @iloveuspiderman @eohwyyn @heroeddiemunson @laowen @faithinthefuturedeluxe @angela-bassetts @danielsousa @billhaders @elliewillaims @karmas @trashcora and @clayfaced SAM WHEN WILL YOU RETURN FROM THE WAR I MISS YOU)

[nicollekidman]

I saw someone complain about Ben Barnes being so much older than the rest of the cast, like… as if the Darkling isn't older than the rest of them… would they have preferred a completely different cast? (except my babe Ben Barnes because he was perfect in my mind and apparently it's him or everyone else)

it’s so funny because like. okay. the darkling looking younger works fine when you’re reading the book and you understand the point leigh is making but it absolutely would NOT have translated onscreen, anyone without the gravitas and authority of an older person would’ve made the entire thing less menacing and like. borderline comedic, esp with the script being what it is. like i could not even get behind wyland as a character bc i was like. why is the gang hanging out with a child. and that’s not even getting into how shadow and bone was marketed/greenlit in huge part because of ben specifically fjdjsjssndnc he said i WILL be the dad amongst this group and i WILL be the one arriving onset with a notebook of lore and quotes!! anyways. i think the darkling can only properly translate onscreen (in the hands of a creative team who are. let’s say. not fans of subtlety or nuance) with an older actor, and ben was very well cast. also i think above anything else chemistry tests are what make a character like that successful and well.

[kris-mage-fics]

Thanks for the tag @queen-scribbles! I spent way too long playing with this picrew!

I'm going to tag @maytheratseatureyes and @aylaaescar! (No pressure of course!)

Top Left: Nissa is my first D&D character. She's Gnome Bard, and a very bubbly person. There's a lot of color and pattern because she's a maximalist. Unlike most bards, Nissa never gets her way through seduction because she's aroace and that would be too weird in her mind. Due to a phobia of being poisoned through food, she does all the cooking when adventuring.

Top Right: Harleigh is my Hunter for When Twilight Strikes. (A calls her Leigh.) Though she has the reputation for being 'the responsible one' between her and A, she has a well-hidden chaotic side. She used to believe that her work was for the greater good, but that's been called into question as of late and it isn't sitting well with her.

Bottom Left: Amira is one of my characters for Scarlet Hollow. She's Hot + Book Smart, and a very tired lawyer who's working her ass of to pay off her huge student loan (and Vivian's medical bills). Amira foolishly thought she could get some much needed rest in Scarlet Hollow, she was not anticipating dealing with spooky shit and she's not happy about it!

Bottom Right: Riley is my character for Our Life. They are a very sweet but anxious person. The only person in the game they look 'normal' next to is Baxter because they are a goth! Riley's love of all types of games led them to becoming a pro gamer. Later in life, they are part of a dev team for an indie game studio.

[unitedbydevils]

Match Review: Manchester United Women 2 - 0 Bristol City Women

A gentle outing at Leigh Sports Village for United in a relatively quiet afternoon's work hosting Bristol.

It might seem disrespectful to be so dismissive of Bristol City, which isn't my intent, but it was a fairly slow and lacklustre affair between the two sides. United dominated possession, had far better passing accuracy, and more than double the passes. A high line and hard graft kept City at bay but United just weren't quite able to break down Bristol's resistance to get the game snowballing.

Lisa Naalsund got her first WSL goal for United in just the 9th minute, but United would fail to strike again until Naalsund got her second in the 95th minute added time.

Manager Mark Skinner clearly had an impact in his half-time team talk, but for all United quickened their passing play, it just wasn't firing on the day. In contrast, Bristol City nearly pulled out a glorious equaliser in the 51st minute with a scorpion kick flick on leading to a shot from Hayles which hit the bar and rebounded straight into the attacker, bringing the game to a halt momentarily.

Three points for United keeps them in fourth, just ahead of Liverpool but on a significant goal difference. Arsenal aren't insurmountable in third place, but even they find themselves six points behind Chelsea and City at the top of the table.

Next up for United is City, away, but with Liverpool away and Chelsea at home as the final two league games of the season, United really need to not lose this next match in order to hold ground rather than concede it in the table. A tough end to the league season awaits.

[wanderingnork]

Best Dying Screams in Horror Movies

Horror is a genre where we celebrate the power of a good scream. We revere "scream queens," female characters whose screams of terror in the face of a monster or killer become the ultimate symbol of horror. (There's a conversation about this idea and the idea of the "final girl" and where they overlap and how they differ, but that's for another post.) A common refrain about the movie Hereditary is that Toni Collette in her leading role was cheated out of an Oscar for her magnificent portrayal of a grieving mother--largely thanks to her screams upon finding her child's body. Screams can be of grief, of fear, of rage...or, as the title gives away, as a final expression of despair and terror before a violent demise.

I'm putting the recommendations under a cut, because the circumstances of these screams will be discussed. By nature, that's gonna get disturbing quick. Besides, since this is about dead characters, it's going to be full of spoilers for twists and plots and deaths. Tread with caution!

Final Prayer / The Borderlands: Released under two separate titles, this movie deals with Vatican investigators sent to look into reports of miracles at a rural church in England. Turns out that the church isn't just a church: it's the maw of an enormous, ancient, supernatural being. Said being is awake. And hungry. Two of the characters find themselves deep inside the tunnels under the church, and stumble into the creature's stomach. This movie put me off saying the word "melt" for three weeks. While we do get a scrap of dialogue at the very end (nearly-silent sobbing and the faint whispers of the Lord's Prayer), it's...quite clear that by this point, both characters are functionally dead.

Saw (2004): The last thing we hear from Adam, as Jigsaw closes a steel door to leave Adam alone in a room of total darkness with no key to unchain himself, are blood-curdling screams. To the point that director James Wan had to leave the room while the scene was being shot, because Leigh Whannell (playing the character of Adam) is his best friend and the screams became far, far too real for Wan to handle. Game over.

Alien: In the final action sequence of the movie, as the Xenomorph hunts down the crew, Ripley sends the other two survivors to get ready to self-destruct the ship. When the Xenomorph catches up with them, Parker gets a quick death by a simple bite. Lambert, on the other hand...well, we see a giant spiked tail sliding up between her legs, then cut to Ripley who gets to listen over the radio to Lambert's dying scream. As an acknowledged scream queen, Veronica Cartwright (Lambert) really gives it her all. On my most recent watch, it occurred to me that doesn't just sound like a dying scream, if you know what I mean. Given the highly sexualized imagery surrounding the Xenomorph...there's probably something to unpack there. And with the knowledge that Lambert is canonically a trans woman, we can add another layer. But later.

IT (2017): Right out of the gate, we get a scene that sets the tone of the rest of the movie: the death of Georgie Denbrough, who has the unfortunate luck of losing his paper sailboat into a storm drain where Pennywise the Clown is waiting. His actor pulled off panicky howls of fear so well it puts a pit in my stomach, and his final cry for help to his brother Bill as Pennywise drags him into the sewers is gut-wrenching. As an older sibling, this is my worst nightmare, and it's so very well-captured here.

Annihilation: This one's different than the other recs on this list, because the dying scream...comes out of the mouth of the killer. It's the bear. When the bear kills one of the team members, we hear a copy of her dying screams for help through the bear's roars when it returns to hunt down the rest of the team. One of the other characters even muses on it later. "Imagine dying frightened and in pain and having that as the only part of you which survives."

Food for thought: What's the emotional impact of a noisy death versus a more silent death? If any of these characters died without screaming, would it change how you felt about that death? Why DO we idolize screams so much in this genre? Do we feel the same about other loud expressions of emotion in horror? Does any of that translate to real life? And, reflecting on that quote from Annihilation, what do you think about the fact that audiences remember many characters in horror only for the fear and pain they endure?

(Previous Recommendations)

[tibby]

I rewatched saw 6 and 3d lately and I'm like man did a woman hurt Kevin Greutret feelings between movies because the amount of misogny 3d has compared to 6. It makes me concerned for saw x since he's doing that one too.

oh literally...like for the most part i think the first six saw films do their best to portray women well and work against the conventional archetypes for women in horror and film in general. amanda is arguably the most complex character in the whole franchise and it's very clear that shawnee, bousman, tobin, james, leigh, and everyone involved in the amanda trilogy put a lot of care into her character, even if her story doesn't have a happy ending. we get lynn for so little time but she is so goddamn good in what we do get: she's smart and emotional, detached and caring, a cheating wife grieving the loss of her child but refusing to properly address it, who manages to hold her own in a nightmare situation. alison isn't a nagging housewife who refuses to understand her husband; she's a sympathetic woman who overpowers a home invader and is rightfully angry because she suspects her husband is cheating on her. kerry and perez are hands down the most competent members of law enforcement that we see in the first seven films and they're also the only two cops tested who understand the games, which the apprentices ultimately punish them for. also all the women of the group traps...brit is my ultimate beloved but luba! laura! addison! even the brief shit we get of simone...SUCH a small role but such an interesting perspective on a survivor, because she knew she deserved to be tested but didn't come out of it grateful or anything. wish we'd gotten more of her.

and then of course there's jill, who is so fascinating and who 7 did so dirty. like. here's this woman who has lost so much but who still tries to help others, who left her husband because of his descent into cruelty and grief even though she still loved him, who continued to love him even when he became a serial killer, who disapproved of everything he did but still willingly lied to the authorities again and again, who played the game so goddamn well. she's such a fucking interesting character and it really is complete misogyny that she was killed by hoffman of all people. like. that man could lose a game of chess to a duck and you're telling me that he got the upper hand over jill tuck? not buying it, kevin.

this isn't even getting into the horrific misogyny of the opening trap (why the hell does team jigsaw suddenly care about a young woman playing the field) and the fact that 3/4 of the other players in bobby's test are women (and the man's death is far more tame in comparison). like i really do consider joyce's death to be one of the worst in the series because of how needlessly brutal and long it is, and how she was perhaps the biggest victims of bobby's lies. horrifically murdered in such a drawn out way because of something her husband did. which also rings true for lynn and jill (two of my other least favourite deaths), but i think joyce's is extra sour because we know nothing about her besides her relationship to bobby.

the entire movie is just such a jolting change from the rest of the franchise, which doled out suffering in equal measure regardless of gender and made an effort to make their female characters seem like actual people. the same can't be said for 7/3d/the final chapter/whatfuckingever, and it's almost making me...very wary of saw x. i hope that greutret actually wanting to make this one means that it's on the same level as vi, which i truly adore, but...idk. not sure if the man who completely fucked up the character of jill tuck deserves to make another saw film.

[sassy-cass-16]

hate to put a downer in the tag but is anyone else majorly disappointed in s&b season 2? it feels like the show was rushing to get to all the "important bits" without giving them the weight and buildup they deserved. they front-loaded the entire plot of Crooked Kingdom and got to the ending of Siege and Storm in, like, episode 2. And that ending... holy shit, that sucked.

No white-hair-Alina, no orphanage happy ending for her and Mal, no mention of Alina's full-ass cult. Does no one remember the girl with suns tattooed on her face??? I do. she was cool. And what the fuck is up with David dying in the assault on the Fold? He wasn't supposed to die until Rule of Wolves, it makes no sense why they pushed his death to this season. They're clearly expecting to get a season 3, based on the ending with the Crows (which is, inexplicably, the hook of the book that came before the one they adapted for this season????) so why would they not expect to play David's death out the way it happened in the book? And, again, why the fuck did they front-load the plot of Crooked Kingdom? Why is Kaz's most famous scene just kind of tossed in the middle of the season with no actual narrative buildup? Why does the show feel like Matthias, of all people, needs to have beef with Pekka Rollins??? Those two characters have exactly nothing to do with each other--iirc, they don't even interact in the books. It feels like the writing team just sat around a table and went "ooh what if" until they wrote enough words to fill in a script. I can't tell if Leigh Bardugo gave all of this her blessing, or if she just looked away too long and they went rogue on her.

(side-note, killing the king and Vasily at the same time wasn't a great choice. the scene in the book where Nikolai looks his not father in the eye and tells him to get out, or he'll be charged for his crimes against Genya is such a good moment of catharsis for her character, and the queen isn't in enough of the show for her little replacement scene to fill that gap.)

And I know I've mentioned this before, but the Darkling's death in the show is robbed of its weight by the way the show treats the name Aleksander. It's tossed around so flippantly that Alina's final extension of respect for him--calling him by the name he had when he was innocent--feels like she's just... saying goodbye. She's using the name he's had this whole time, rather than specifically calling him Aleksander as a show of respect for the dead. The Darkling is supposed to be a tragic character--not likeable by any standard, he's thoroughly and truly the villain of the Grisha Trilogy, but you're supposed to understand that at one point, he was innocent. At one point, he could have done something good. His death is a reminder of that, in the books. In the show, all you really feel is relief that you don't have to listen to his manipulative dialogue anymore.

Honestly, the season doesn't suck. It's not bad (I have some extra gripes about the sound design but that's definitely a budget issue and not really anyone's fault), it's just disappointing. There were some bits I really did like, too!! Every scene with Genya in it was absolutely incredible, the show did her so well. The humour in this season was consistently good. Show-Wylan lives up to his book counterpart very well. And the subplot with the saint in Shu Han was really well-done, even if I do wish the show had kept the original catalyst for Jesper using his Grisha powers. I know the show can do the books justice (the two Nina and Matthias scenes in season 1 that are literally word-for-word accurate come to mind as examples), and I do want there to be a season 3 so I can find out where they're going with all this. I was just expecting better. I'm sure people who haven't read the books, or are more forgiving of "high-budget fan fiction" style adaptations will really enjoy it, and that's not bad by any means.

Idk. I was just hoping for something the show didn't want to give, I guess.

[certified-bi]

Canonical Timeline. Just dates and epsiode name. Spoilers. I'm debating adding community posts with canon material but not today.

1982

- May 10(Prototype)

1988

- July 2(The Third Test)

1989

- October 17(First Contact)

- October 17(Collateral)

1990

- February 3(Missing Persons)

- February 5(Autopsy)

- February 29(Informational Video)

- March 5(Motion Detected)

- May 6(Pitfalls)

- May 6(Report)

- Unspecified(9780415263583)(Posted with Report. All we know canonically is it must occur before August 19 1995)

- May 8(Presentation)

- May 8(_recording014)

- May 25(Reunion)

1991

- January 10(Simpsons)(Note this is the earliest moment it could occur)

- June(Mar11_90_ARCHIVE.tar)

- July 4(Found Footage)(Beginning)

1995

- August 19(Found Footage #2)

- Unspecified(Realeased with FF2)(home_27647.mov)

1996

- September 23(Found Footage)(Discovery)

My commentary and synopsis below.

1982

- May 10(Prototype): Testing of the first version of the machine.

1988

-April(Off Video): Ivan Beck holds press conference to share why the program should be given funding.

- July 2(The Third Test): Covers that the machine being tested will help gain space needed for modern society. We see a test where something occurs but no stability in the gateway.

1989

-October 17(First Contact): 6th test. Something happens and a map appears onscreen during test. Scientists argue over whether to leave the machine on. The gateway works and the backrooms have been opened. Async is now in.

-October 17(Collateral): Footage from an earthquake(note this was a real event but for the purposes of the story we are assuming the gateway caused it in the story).

1990

- February 3(Missing Persons): Beginning establishes the gateway has lead to a spike in missing person cases in the regular world. Async sends in 4 person team with a tether. There is a hole in the wall which shows a level above. The team discovers a body covered in mold/Fungus. They are confused as this is not a person they let in.

- February 5(Autopsy): The body is examined. A normally benign bacteria has gone wild. And yet some parts are untouched. It also seems as if the coroner isn't fully aware of the back rooms.

- February 29(Informational Video): Informational video for internal Async use. Overview on basic procedures, rules, and safety. Transitions to expedition of three. They notice the landing room is different. They set out. The cameraman hears clamoring despite the empty area and wanders into a side hallway. (May 8) Suddenly the others disappear. He wanders through an area with fences and... suspicious things on the ground. Then to a area with tree wallpaper and farm equipment with a strange barn wall. He then wanders into a new area that sets off alarms..

- March 5(Motion Detected): Async is creating a room for observation in the complex. They set up motion/sound activated cameras. Most updates are typical. One shows a non human entity seemingly watching the cameras after threshold is closed.

- May 6(Pitfalls): Cameraman is identified as Marvin E. Leigh. Supervisor is in the complex without suit in Async's built room. No more tethers as the main direction finding way in most traveled areas, but now floor tape. Tethers for new exploration. The group finds a room with holes in the floor. Mark crosses the room to find something urgent behind door. Marvin falls into a hole after the camera glitches. While waiting for a longer tether Marvin hears screams. He finds a street with a star ceiling thats impossible to guess the height of. Ignoring his team telling him not to engage. Enters a home which leads to another backroom with backwards street signs. He finds a room beyond that with chairs, cardboard that seems to have been where someone stayed. Suddenly the something gives chase. He returns to the hole and is pulled up.

- May 6(Report): Marv and his team return in one piece. The higher ups watch the video and its clear they are scared. That direction of hallway is boarded up. More safety features are added.

Unspecified(9780415263583): The number is the isbn code for the yellow wallpaper. The main theme of that story is a woman becoming what she feared while trapped(at least that's the theme that's commonly pointed out that fits with this story(I highly suggest reading it yourself)). The actual video shows a non American road(cars on opposite sides of the road) and a car no clipping. Must occur before August 19 1995.

- May 8(Presentation): a presentation is made for the federal government about the extra space possibilities and pitch for funding. The return of the camera man from February 29(Informational Video) sets off alarms which interrupts.

- May 8(_recording014): Async employee conversation. The employee who found Peter. Who's death had already been faked.

- May 25(Reunion): Starts with employee driving cart to boarded up section. They slowly open up the boards. A bot is sent out to get video. They get to the hole room. They cover the holes, and analyze the room beyond. They find writing on the walls. Peter appears and Mark tries to call for backup causing Peter to shoot.

1991

- January 10(Simpsons): Earliest date Bart Gets Hit By A Car could be aired and recorded. The spanish commercial is from the mid 2000s.

- June(Mar11_90_ARCHIVE.tar): Compiled footage. Has to be reformatted. Pictures of workers with faces redacted, and the backrooms with man made additions.

- July 4(Found Footage): A group of teenagers is making a home movie. The camera man falls out of reality and into the backrooms section of the complex. After wandering for a while he first finds scribbled messages left by what appears to be markers. He is then chased by.... something. He ends up falling down what we learn is two levels. The bottom level appears to be a home built into the complex. The second seems to be offices and other spaces for daily life. Note- these spaces do not resemble the backwards signs and uncanny elements that naturally appear in the complex, seeming man made. He eventually returns to the top level. He is once again chased and this time is taken. He drops his camera which falls back into our world. It is implied there is a time dilation as the camera isn't discovered until 5 years later but it is unclear at what point or if it actually happened. This is the first time we follow a non Async camera person.

1995

- August 19(Found Footage #2): A young teen finds a hole that sucks up stuff. So she tries to mess with it and ends up in the back rooms. She wanders and finds living spaces that are.... off. Eventually she gets to a room with a the crashed car from 9780415263583. Beyond that she finds more normal looking living spaces. In it a room with... the somethings all around the room completely still. They chase her. She climbs through a hole in the floor and ends up in a tiled area leading into a pool. The last room before the footage cuts features the walls cracking with green light. Our second camera person from outside of Async.

- Unspecified(Realeased with Found Footage #2)(home_27647.mov): we see the family that seems to be from the car. It's implied a painting shown in FF2 is in their home. Either the backrooms stole it or they lived in the backrooms.

1996

- September 23(Found Footage): Camera of home movie maker discovered. Unclear if time dilation occurred.

[facepalming-since-chernobyl]

For everyone who did not/does not watch the other Arrowverse shows, there's a reason certain ships stayed fanon:

Felicity Smoak never betrayed Oliver Queen the way Lena did Kara.

Iris West never willingly betrayed Barry Allen the way Lena did Kara.

Ava Sharpe, despite being assigned to look after the Legends, still never betrayed Sara Lance as thoroughly as Lena did Kara.

Grace Choi never betrayed Anissa Pierce the way Lena did Kara.

Kelly Olsen never betrayed Alex Danvers the way Lena did Kara.

Brainy might have betrayed the team to Lex, but it was never with malicious intent, nor did he do so in order to hurt Nia the way Lena did Kara.

This isn't homophobia, Leigh. Lena was horrible to Kara, for MONTHS, which isn't, by any stretch of the imagination, temporary.

She plotted to completely destroy Kara's life at her own awards ceremony and leave her friends vulnerable to outside attacks. That's not simply a temporary struggle.

She had a stronghold where Kara should have felt the safest attack Kara while she stole a weapon, screamed at Kara like a five-year-old, and left her there to rot.

If a man pulled all that crap, you wouldn't stand for it.

But you aren't ready to have this conversation.

Basically, never a hero ended with his or her abuser, who used tortures, manipulation, gaslighting, who hurt the main hero EVERY WAY IMAGINABLE. The fact scs, with Leigh on the top, ignore it all says a lot.

[dccomicsnews]

Review: Justice Society of America #2 [Editor's Note: This review may contain spoilers] Writer: Geoff Johns Art: Mikel Janin, Jerry Ordway, and Scott Kolins Colors: Jordie Bellaire and John Kalisz Letters: Rob Leigh   Reviewed by: Matthew B. Lloyd   Summary The mystery deepens for Helena Wayne as she meets the Justice Society in 1940.  Dr. Fate tries to "share" her memories with the rest of the team, but things go haywire! Positives With The New Golden Age #1 and Stargirl: The Lost Children, Geoff Johns and DC Comics have begun reinvigorating their Golden Age legacy characters.  In the Silver and Bronze Ages, these characters lived on a separate parallel earth known as Earth-Two.  With Justice Society of America #2, despite taking place on the main DC Earth and ostensibly "in continuity," it genuinely feels like the creative team is carving out its own corner of the DC Universe that feels like a separate timeline.  In Stargirl: The Lost Children, Emiko Queen and Oliver Queen are part of current continuity, yet Oliver's time in the past as the Golden Age Green Arrow is such a different feeling character from the traditional Earth-One Green Arrow.  Likewise, Helena Wayne in the Justice Society of America is a character that channels not only her own pre-Crisis on Infinite Earths continuity, but brings her dad (yes, main continuity, Prime Earth) Bruce Wayne along for the ride.    As she wakes up  in an infirmary at the beginning of Justice Society of America #2, having arrived in 1940 at the end of last issue, she thinks she hears her father's voice.  It's a small thing, but a detail that connects the ideas in a meta way.  Readers know that Batman was originally part of the JSA, but his history doesn't show that after all the reboots.  It's how Johns is able to connect the past with the present in a way that acknowledges the characters histories.  Sliding Helena's timeline forward is the same sort of thing.   Positives Cont'd These elements point to great world building.  It's honestly ok if it doesn't feel like the main DC Universe.  That's what was always special about Earth-Two and the JSA- it didn't feel like the main DCU.  They could co-exist and here we have it again in a new way.  It helps that most of the characters are different, but more so in this case it's the fact that we are getting elements of the past woven into the present continuity .  This makes new characters like Judy Garrick and Salem, the Witch Girl who we see more of in this issue more likable and feel more appropriate.  Like issue #1, there are other glimpses of events at the end of the issue that readers may remember.  Alan Scott in his Sentinel days is seen 8 years ago, 13 years ago, Selina Kyle stepped out on a balcony in her Catwoman garb for the first time and Khalid Nassour gained the helmet of Fate just a year in the past.   Mikel Janin, Jerry Ordway and Scott Kolins combine on art again, each providing wonderful visuals for a distinct part of this time travel story.  Jerry Ordway's work always recalls the Earth-Two stories of the '80's in All-Star Squadron and Infinity, Inc.  Besides being a fantastic comic book artist, this adds another nostalgic element to the series that is greatly appreciated. Per Degaton is finally revealed and named in full as Selina Kyle Wayne plays an important role in the story.  The plot is developing nicely, but it is moving at a measured pace in order to provide space for the character development and world building that is so critical to a comic like this.  This isn't "villain of the month," and it shouldn't read like it. Negatives The real question here is will this series based on so much history bring in new readers? Verdict The world building continues as Johns, Janin, Ordway and Kolins deliver another great issue of this new series.  The details bring out so much in the story as the nostalgia anchors the new elements.  This book looks great, it's fun and by having Helena on a journey of discovery, it allows readers to see things through

her eyes.  So if you don't know what's going on, neither does she and even a new reader can discover this corner of the DC Universe with her.   Score: 4.5/5  

[anitabyars]

NEW today from Sawyer Bennett (you can tag @bennettbooks if you wish)!

Bain Hillridge isn’t hooking up with just anyone…he’s hooking up with his teammate’s little sister. 😬 But that’s just the beginning of what you can expect from this standalone hockey romance! You’ll also get…

A hunk with a dirty mouth

A woman who isn't afraid to go after what she wants

A friends with benefits arrangement

A 👀 into what the other Titans are up to

A ❤️ story no one saw coming

Get Bain directly from Sawyer by shopping the Sawyer Bennett Bookstore

➜ E-book and Audio (narrated by Connor Crais & Kirsten Leigh): https://bit.ly/STORE_Bain

➜ Signed Paperback: https://bit.ly/PB_Bain

Bain is also available at these retailers:

➜ Amazon: https://bit.ly/3jBAFPX

➜ Nook: http://bit.ly/3K9Io2D

➜ Apple: https://apple.co/3jGhV1N

➜ Google: https://bit.ly/3XiuHkF

➜ Kobo: https://bit.ly/3YCrz3Z

➜ Print: https://bit.ly/42MMSlf

About Bain:

Bain Hillridge is new to the Titans and he’s building relationships with his new team, both on and off the ice. If only he could keep his hands off his teammate’s little sister.

I loved playing for the Arizona Vengeance but I’m stoked to be part of the legacy the Pittsburgh Titans is building. A team that has risen from the ashes, I’m eager to help them achieve their goal of winning a championship. I’m also looking forward to becoming part of a new hockey family. A night out with my new mates introduces me to the little sister of our goalie, Drake McGinn, and I’m powerless to resist her.

Keira and I have an instant and insatiable attraction and it doesn’t take long before we find ourselves tangled up in one another. While Drake has declared his sister off limits, I’m not deterred because I always go for what I want. I refuse to heed Drake’s warnings and take great pleasure in goading him every chance I get. It’s become one of my favorite hobbies, outside of making his sister scream my name.

As things with Keira get hotter, feelings start to develop making it a little more complicated than we intended. But a bucket of ice-cold water is tossed on our relationship and we’re forced to reprioritize everything. Neither of us were looking for more than a hot fling but fates get twisted all the time. Faced with tough decisions, Keira and I know that no matter what choices we make, our lives are never going to be the same.

Bain contains subject matter that may be sensitive to some readers. If you would like additional details, please https://bit.ly/TW_Bain.

My Review

5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Hockey novels are some of my favorite stories and this one didn’t disappoint. It was filled full of sizzling passion, secret moments, heartwarming romance as well as a heartbreaking, and emotional, journey that will keep you glued to the pages until the end. I couldn’t put this down!

Bain Hillridge has recently been traded to the Pittsburg Titans, so while he’s trying to settle in to a new city, he’s also learning his new teammates and his place on the team. But when he is out at a team party he is totally taken by surprise by her! And what he wants he goes for!

Keira McGinn is the little sister of Titan’s goalie, Drake McGinn who has warned all the players that his sister is off limits. Keira is her own woman and although she initially turned down the new hottie defenseman Bain, their chemistry is undeniable and they soon agree to a one night fling that becomes more.

I really enjoyed these two characters, I loved their passion, their chemistry, their support of one another and how they were there for one another when their hearts become involved. But will their relationship be able to survive a heartbreaking situation which will forever change their lives? I felt every single emotion in this book, and loved these character as they each brought so much to the table.

I received an early copy and this is my honest review.

[therubyreader]

My Review of Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

See a full list of my book reviews here

*Disclaimer: there will be spoilers later on in the review*

Review Word Count, non-spoiler: 594 Review Word Count Total: 1,302

It's time for the long awaited (by one of my friends) review of Six of Crows and it had a lot of hype to live up to. For starters, this is a spin-off of the Shadow and Bone series and takes place 2-ish years after the events of the last book, Ruin and Rising. I know one of the questions going around is "should I read Shadow and Bone first?" to which I say, sure. I mean you don't have to, it is nice to have some background on the world you're in and also some Shadow and Bone characters appear in this duology or are mentioned so it's nice to know. Is it the end of the world if you don't read Shadow and Bone first? No, you'll be fine, a little confused at times, but fine, so it's entirely up to you. I personally liked having the background knowledge before reading Six of Crows so I would recommend reading Shadow and Bone first but, again, not super duper necessary.

So this book brings us back to the Grishaverse (which I just confirmed is two years after the Shadow and Bone books) in the city of Ketterdam where criminal mastermind Kaz Brekker, lieutenant of the Dregs gang, is offered the heist of a lifetime: breaking into the Ice Court in Fjerda, but Kaz can't do it alone so he assembles a team of his most deadly gang members, and some others, called the Crows to take on this deadly job.

This book will have you on the edge of your seat the whole time which wasn't very good for my anxiety but it was a fun read. The book changes perspective at random so you never get the full picture and are essentially just along for the ride not knowing what happens next and after you think there's no way for the Crows to make it out of a situation they somehow do and even more insanely it's all according to Kaz's plan. And it's this writing style that keeps you on your toes because you are only getting small parts of the story at a time as a character is experiencing it and the more you read the more pieces of the puzzle you get, and just when you think you have all the pieces you realize you don't and there's more layers. It's a really exciting read in my opinion, there isn't a dull moment in the whole story since things just keep happening not just within the context of the story but we also get each character's back story sprinkled throughout.

As much as I enjoyed the book and the writing style, I will say it is worth the hype, I honestly liked the Shadow and Bone series more which is an unpopular opinion and sacrilege within the fanbase. This isn't because I think SoC is worse, like I said, it's a great book and I enjoyed every page, but for some reason SaB is my favorite of the two series. I think it's because of the nostalgia aspect that I mentioned in the SaB review (shameless plug) where because it was written around the time I started reading YA fiction it feels familiar and comforting to me despite me just having read it a couple of months ago.

That being said, I recommend it to you all if you're into action and adventure with a found family trope and traumatized main characters that have realistic motivations (money) and no desire to be heroes that save the world.

Spoilers Below!!

First thing I have to get off of my chest is that, again another unpopular opinion please come bash me in my asks if you absolutely must, is that I'm not a member of the Kaz fan train. This is not to say that I hate him, he's a very well written character who has been negatively shaped by his life and has essentially become the human personification of "cool motive, still murder", but I'm not joining in with the rest of the fanbase in their undying love for him. He is very interesting to read about and to go on a journey with but he's not my favorite character (shout out Inej and Nina). Also, this dude is a criminal mastermind at seventeen, he somehow manages to think ahead and outsmart all of the adult criminals around him which is extremely admirable, he is also the human personification of playing chess while everyone else is playing checkers. There are multiple points where you think everything has gone to shit but it's actually all part of Kaz's plan, like the fake ship they blow up and then the real ship they blow up and switching out Kuwei for Wylan. He is scarily smart and I honestly am terrified of him sometimes but like in a positive way.

Something I also really liked about the book is how we were able to see more countries in the Grishverse that we weren't able to see in the SaB trilogy since we were essentially confined to Ravka for the whole thing minus the first part of Siege and Storm and a tiny bit of Shadow and Bone where they pass the border with Fjerda to hunt Morozova's stag. Because of how diverse the main cast is we essentially get to see how the rest of the world looks like outside of Ravka, and if I'm remembering correctly we visit pretty much every other country in the series with the exception of Shu Han.

Also the prison break as a whole was insane, there were a couple of times I had to put the book down because it triggered my anxiety but like in fun way. Literally everything that can go wrong does go wrong and yet somehow they manage to succeed because Kaz is not only insanely smart but literally all of the other Crows are insane. I don't know if it was my anxiety causing me to read too fast or me being a little dumb but there were parts of the heist that didn't make sense like how they got a tank?? Why was there a tank and what was going on? It was fun to read but I didn't understand how we got a tank. And, along with that, the structure of the Ice Court was confusing when they were there even though it was described earlier in the book, them actually being there made my head hurt because I didn't know where anyone was. I was just going with it at that point because I was confused and anxious and I just wanted to move on.

Also despite this being a book about a gang of teenagers essentially invading another country they had some very funny moments sprinkled throughout which made the characters way more human and likable. My favorite part is when they're on the boat going to Fjerda when Kaz and Jesper are talking about annoying each other's ghosts and Kaz says "I'm going to hire Matthias' ghost to kick your ghost's ass," and Matthias responds "My ghost wouldn't associate with your ghost," before realizing he's falling into their trap of nonsense. It's such a good and pure moment despite the circumstances it is the foundation of their relationship as friends and later family which I think is cute.

I do think I would have to read this book again at some point to fully understand what was happening due to my own confusion but it something I wouldn't mind and this is probably just a me problem. I do think if you're someone whos annotates books this shouldn't be a problem but if you're naturally a fast reader and anxious like me it might be a confusing read at some points but not debilitating.